I wish we had had time to hear the whole of Zephaniah tonight. It's been so tempting to me to preach through that whole book, verse by verse, but I promise I won't. If you have a bible near you and can turn there, with a finger in Matthew 28, that would be wonderful. We have just heard moments from the tapestry of God's salvation work. A work that began long long long ago, in that primordial moment, where God... Read more
It feels like we should be at the half way point of the week. Every morning I have woken up with some kind of terrible back ache that mercifully dissipates as the day goes on. Probably The Lord is trying to tell me to get more exercise, possibly even drag the fat lazy dog up the hill. I always refuse to walk outside when the temperature falls below forty. I know our Lord suffered and died but that doesn't mean... Read more
I tried to post this yesterday but was prevented by some divine forces who struck down the server. Whatever that means. It's not really pertinent to Good Friday, but it's the bible and any bible is better than no bible. Enjoy. Day Seven Genesis 29:16 Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. Nobody wants... Read more
I ought to wake everyone up, shattering this sunlit silence, because the piano teacher will shorty be down our throats. Soon it will all be again a matter of shouting for bread and pancakes (am I nearly quoting someone else?) But I'm not going to make pancakes. Not time. It will have to be omelets and muffins and coffee and tea. Plus, I just made fancy pancakes for Alouicious on Monday, on account of his turning ten. I quadrupled (that's... Read more
Day Six Genesis 11:9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth. The two threads, entwined painfully together, the thread of confusion and the thread of dispersion, form the tapestry of modern life. Either I am confused in all my doings, or all my way is scattered before me. I try to keep everything and everyone going... Read more
Day Five Genesis7:6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. I'm not getting any younger, you mutter to yourself as you close the door on yet another judging and unkind neighbor who sat at your kitchen table, as they have day after day, criticizing your whole... Read more
Day Four Genesis 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. So there's the woman. She's been put in the garden to help the man. He's supposed to tend the garden and... Read more
I imagine you're all well aware of this fact. It might have been the palms. It might have been the crazed look in your clergy's eye. It might have been the two weeks old dying palm fronds in the shapes of crosses at the grocery. Maybe you have a child who is asking every few minutes what day it is because they haven't yet arrived at the Age of having any true concept of time. If you're like me, the... Read more
Ok, so I'm feeling a tiny bit better, but also despondent and lazy, and have now accustomed myself to plunking these in here (it doesn't take long to form a habit, tragically, when it's something that's easier than whatever you were doing before). I do truly love writing. It's the only thing (beside God, obviously, cough) that keeps me sane. But also, you have to be able to think something, and this week has been all about me shuffling around... Read more
I did manage to hobble through a whole day of reality yesterday, but the feeling of death barely warmed lingers heavily over my soul and body, so I'm going to cop out again and put up another little Bible Something (that is, a sarcastic devotional for an angry or worn out person). Here is the second day. Day Two Genesis 1:3-5 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light... Read more
Preventing Grace
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