Holy Week 2023 - Palm Sunday

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.  They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.  A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Matthew 21:1-11

And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”  He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Luke 19:39-44

And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Mark 11:11

His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.  The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness.  The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.  So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

John 12:16-19

Today marks Palm Sunday, the day where we celebrate Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, marking the beginning of Holy Week.  The Triumphal Entry is one of the primary accounts in Jesus's life that is recorded in all four synoptic Gospels.  While each includes their own additional detail and color, the primary events remain consistent.  

Jesus approaches Jerusalem and instructs his disciples to get a donkey's colt.  If they are asked about it, they are supposed to say, "the master has need of it."  Jesus then enters Jerusalem on the colt, met with a grand reception.  The crowd lays out their garments and palms before him, proclaiming "Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."

From the consistency of the account, we can gather the historicity of the event.  All were recording an event they would have been eyewitnesses to.  But the beauty of the accounts also lies in the symbolism they contain.

First, we see the fulfillment of prophecy.  The disciples are able to locate a colt just as Jesus describes, so that his ride can fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah.  "Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!  Look, your King is coming to you.  He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey - riding on a donkey's colt."  Zechariah 9:9 (NLT).  Matthew makes explicit reference to this prophecy in his account.

Second, the donkey itself holds tremendous symbolism.  In Eastern tradition, the donkey was a symbol of peace, unlike the horse which was a symbol of war.  If a king came riding in on a horse, he was coming for war.  When he rode in on a donkey, he was bringing peace.  The entry on a donkey symbolized Christ's coming as the Prince of Peace.

Next, the laying of garments recognized the kingship of Jesus.  In the ancient Near East, it was customary to cover the ground in front of royalty, those worthy of the highest honor.  By throwing their garments down in front of Jesus in his entry the people were recognizing Jesus as someone worthy of honor.  The King of Kings.

{As a side note, royalty in those days was also known by their scent.  They would have worn the finest perfumes and been one of the few that would smell as such.  Scent alone meant instant recognition of royalty.  If Jesus was anointed before his entry, as John's gospel records, then the crowd would also have had the recognition of the smell of nard, denoting his status as royalty.}

The Palm Branch, in Greco-Roman tradition, was a symbol of victory, associated with the goddess Nike or Victoria.  It meant triumph.  And its use would have marked to the Romans in the crowd the victory of Jesus.  In Jewish tradition, it was likewise associated with liberation, the celebration noted in 1 Maccabees 13:51.   "And entered into it … with thanksgiving, and branches of palm trees, and with harps, and cymbals, and with viols, and hymns, and songs."

Finally, the shouts of Hosanna, pointed to Jesus as savior, translating as a desperate cry of "Save us!"  Found in only one place in the Old Testament, in the Psalms, "Save us, we pray, O Lord!  O Lord, we pray, give us success!"  The cry of Hosanna is immediately followed with "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord," again from the Psalms.  So the crowd is crying for Jesus to save them, as the one who comes from the Lord.  The promised Messiah was here.

Kings of Kings,

Lord of Lords,

Prince of Peace,

Messiah.

Immanuel - God with us.

Almighty and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love toward mankind hast sent thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of his patience and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Passion Week 2023 - Lazarus Saturday

"Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead."

John 12:1

Lazarus Saturday marks an interesting change in religious rites.  A joyous celebration carried over into Palm Sunday, sandwiched in between the penitence of Lent and the sorrow the latter half of Holy Week will bring.  The celebration of the Great Sabbath, Shabbat HaGadol (שבת הגדול) before the Passover.  A time in Jewish tradition where they read the prophecy of Malachi, prophesying the return of Elijah to announce the great and terrible Day of the Lord.  

We see in John's text, that Jesus celebrated this Great Sabbath with Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.  Jesus would have spent this upcoming holy week with Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha.  He would arrive there before his triumphal entry, and would later be anointed at their house by Mary on Spy Wednesday.  

In services recognizing this day, the focus is usually on the Gospel narrative of Jesus's resurrection of Lazarus, and His two competing natures in the act.  We clearly see the power of his divinity in the act of resurrection.  Of bringing life from the dead.  And in how Martha and Mary recognized Jesus's ability and authority to heal.  Both indicated that had Jesus arrived earlier they knew that their brother would have been healed, and even in their grief allowed Jesus to work his power, despite their doubts.  Jesus used this opportunity to show the immenseness of his power.  The greatness of his authority.  To do exceedingly great things.

We also see in that account the humanity of Jesus and his love for us.  His concern for us.  Jesus came to their house knowing full well what he was going to do, but he still wept with them and for his friend.  He took the time to speak with both Mary and Martha before he raised Lazarus.  And in coming back to their home on this Great Sabbath, to make their home his temporary refuge in what would be the most trying week of his life, we see the depth of his connection to them.  

Are we cultivating that level of friendship with Jesus?  Are we so strongly celebrating the resurrection he has accomplished in our lives, that we keep space for him?  Would we provide refuge?

Having completed the forty days that bring profit to our soul, we beseech Thee in Thy love for man: Grant us also to behold the Holy Week of Thy Passion, that in it we may glorify Thy mighty acts and Thine ineffable dispensation for our sakes, singing with one mind: O Lord, glory to Thee.

Passion Week 2023 - Friday of Sorrows

Today in the Lenten season marks the Friday of Sorrows, a solemn remembrance of the suffering of Mary, Mother of Jesus in the Easter story. A remembrance that above all, she was a mother who was made to watch her son suffer through cruel torture and die an excruciating death. 

I can’t begin to imagine her sorrow. The death of a child is one of the most unbearable sorrows that humans can bear, and she was forced to watch him die in the cruelest form possible. It wasn’t just watching him die, it was watching him be tortured, humiliated, cursed, and abandoned. 

It’s again a reminder to us that these are all human stories. They are filled with the same emotions, the same highs and lows that we experience. The joys and the tragedies, the suffering and the elation. Whatever our situation, we can find those we relate to in the tale. 

And there are those that can relate to Mary here.  The mother standing by watching their child endure pain they wish they could take away.  Watching their child die and fade away.  Watching their child suffer.

To them, I think our responsibility is to be Johns.  Jesus instructs his closest friend to watch over his mother.  “Woman, behold your son.”  “Behold your mother.”  In his dying, he wished for his mother to be taken care of. 

We can be that help. We can be that support to those that are grieving.  To just be there - no platitudes, no need to speak, just to be there.  

A help, a balm to all mothers of sorrow out there. 

What a high calling indeed. 

O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, the sword of sorrow didst pierce the most sweet soul of the glorious Mary, Virgin and Mother; mercifully grant that we who call to mind with veneration her anguish and suffering, by the glorious merits and prayers of all the Saints who faithfully stood beneath the Cross interceding for us, may obtain the blessed fruit of Thy Passion, Thou Who livest and reigneth with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

Out Like A Lion

And so March comes to an end, with storms rolling in tonight into tomorrow.  Out like a lion indeed.  

It's also ending much more at a hectic pace than it began.  Travels to Buna, a fast paced, though relaxing vacation, and then travels to Commerce.  Events and being together with people.  Work adding up. 

The lion roars.

Hopefully, April will bring a little calm, but it doesn't look like it.  Still more travels ahead, still more events.  Miles to go before we sleep, miles to go before we sleep.

It's all good, and I'm looking forward to it all, but it makes me wistful for the slow moments.  For the times of rest.  And to be appreciative of them when they come.  Moments to breathe.  To collect yourself and be restored.

The vacation had a bit of that.  Though we logged a lot of time in the car to travel, the hot springs and the massage were very relaxing.  It's important to take those as they come and to plan for them.

I'll look forward to the next time.

Until then, time to roar along with the lion. 

One More........

Three students and three adults were shot and killed in a mass shooting at a private elementary Christian School in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday, March 27, 2023.  The students shot at the Covenant School were all nine years old.  The shooter, a former student of the school, entered the school by shooting through a side door.  The shooter was armed with two assault style weapons and a handgun, and went through the second floor, firing shots, before being shot and killed by the police.

The school shooting occurred in a wealthy subdivision of Nashville, at a private Christian school.  

It's happening everywhere. 

And we've reached an staggering new landmark.  Firearms are now the number one cause of death of American children and teens, surpassing motor vehicle accidents and cancer.

I hate that I'm numb to these.  That every time I hear about one, I just think, oh, look another one.  And that I'm getting hopeless that we will ever actually address it.  Once Sandy Hook and Uvalde happened and we did nothing, once we saw it at an elementary school and did nothing, we've just accepted it as a cost of life in the United States.  The republican representative in Tennessee has admitted as much.  "We're not gonna fix it."  Rep. Tim Burchett admitted.  His solution was to homeschool, like he has done.  Such a callous disregard. 

They don't care about us.  They never have.

I tell you, nothing has broke me like trying to reassure my kindergartener regarding an active shooter drill and my third grader writing about the shooting of a fifth grader and coming up with her solution. 

Because the really sad thing is, we know what would actually work and refuse to do anything about it, I'm repeating an and updating article that I've had to post over and over and over again now in the five years the blog has been running.  

I'll continue to do so, until maybe we start to listen.

-------------------- 

Because there have been 89 school shootings so far this year in 2023...
Because school shootings have risen 150% since 2018....
Because there have been 75 shot and either killed or wounded at a school this year alone...
Because active shooter drills are now common place in elementary schools...
Because we're teaching kids to run at shooters and then praise them as heroes, but are forgetting to mourn that necessity...
Because we have a generation of kids who view school shootings as just the way things have always been...
Because we still haven't done anything of substance to stop them...
Because chances are, we will still do nothing about this one...

Because I'm tired...

Because we can see exactly when this exploded on the scene again - when the assault weapons ban was lifted.

It bears repeating - From a post at the beginning of this blog:

--------------------

I'm tired.  I'm tired of this topic continuing to come up.  I'm tired of us continuing to have the same response - thoughts and prayers, then talking at each other, then a whole lot of nothing, and it's forgotten until we move on to the next one.

When I started this blog, my second post was a repost of a Facebook message on the Second Amendment in response to the Parkland, Florida school shooting.  There have only been 54 days in between these posts.  And here we are again, with a school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas.  And I haven't even touched on all of the school shootings that have occurred.  There have been 5 other school shootings in the interim, just not to the same scope.

We have an addiction to guns in this country that causes us to look at anything else except gun control as a possible solution.  It's far past time we put everything on the table.  We should be looking at mental health care.  We should be looking at bullying.  We should be looking at the family structure.  We should be looking at socio-economic status and mobility.  AND we should be looking at sensible gun control.  We're a big country and pretty good at multi-tasking.  We're more than capable of looking at it all.

But I'm too tired to write anymore on this.  Who knows what good it does at this point.  In lieu of further debate, I'm just going to post facts and let them speak for themselves.

• On an average day, 96 Americans are killed with guns.
• On average, there are nearly 13,000 gun homicides a year in the United States.
• For every one person killed with guns, two more are injured.
• 62% of firearm deaths in the United States are suicides.
• Seven children and teens are killed with guns in the United States on an average day.
• In an average month, 50 women are shot to death by an intimate partner in the United States.
• America's gun homicide rate is more than 25 times the average of other high-income countries.
• The United States accounts for 46% of the population, but 82% of the gun deaths.
• Background checks have blocked over 3 million gun sales to prohibited people.
• Black men are 13 times more likely than white men to be shot and killed with guns.
• The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of the woman being killed by five times.

https://everytownresearch.org/gun-violence-by-the-numbers/

--------------------

Until it's heard...
Until we stop pretending like it will go away...
Until we do something, anything...
Until we care more about people than things...
Until we listen more to constituents than to special interest groups...

Until the next time...hopefully with a much longer gap in between

--------------------

There have been 130 mass shootings in America in the 88 days so far in 2023.

Humbling perspective.

Five Years of Writing

Five years.

1,112 posts.

It's almost hard to believe.

So much has changed over these years of posting.  New home, new state, new job.  Highs and lows, and everything in between.  It's been an amazing journey.

I want to thank everyone who has continued to read these entries.  It has been many things especially over these last three years.  A sanity check.  A sounding board.  Therapy.  All well beyond the original writing exercise.

Your readership has been encouragement.  It has been humbling.  For all that have expressed their readership and for those that have remained anonymous, thank you.  It means more than you can imagine.

To the next few years.

Pura Vida!

A short post today, as Jamie and I are traveling back from four days in Costa Rica.  A chance for Jamie to get to go back and for me to experience the country.  To get to know it as we are continuing to process our adoption through this country.  And to get to unwind a bit, with time at the beach, the hot springs, and the spa.  Much needed rest and break.

I've tried to include a few photographs that share a bit of our journey.  A bit of our experience of Pure Life/Pura Vida!  Hope you enjoy and back soon.

Lent 2023 - Passion Sunday 2023

Today marks the fifth Sunday of Lent, the beginning of Passiontide and Passion Week.  Passion Sunday.  Passiontide commemorates the suffering of Christ, with Passion Week lasting from Passion Sunday to Lazarus Saturday, and Holy Week, the second week, lasting from Palm Sunday to Easter.  This Sunday is also know as Judica Sunday for the first line of the Introit.  Psalm 42:1.  "Judge me, O God."

Judica me, Deus.

The theme of this Sunday is on the continuity of God's promise.  We see the promise made in the Old Testament reading in Genesis 12:1-3 to Abraham, fulfilled in Christ in John 8:48-59.  

In Genesis, God makes the Abrahamic covenant, promising to make Abraham a great nation, to bless him, and to bless all peoples on the earth through him.  In John, we see in Jesus's confrontation with the Pharisees how he firmly explains who he is.  Don't let anyone deceive you and say that Jesus never claimed to be God.  For this passage shows us at its most explicit.  The Pharisees have asked Jesus if he is greater than Abraham.  Jesus replies that Abraham rejoiced at the seeing of his day.  The Pharisees ask for clarification. "You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham!"  

Jesus replies with a clear statement of who he truly is.  "Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I AM!"  The I Am is important.  It's not bad grammar in the translation, as it has nothing to do with Jesus status, but his name.  It's Jesus using a very specific name and attribute to describe himself.    It's Jesus taking the name God revealed to Moses through the burning bush to describe himself.   THE I AM.  

This is why the Pharisees pick up stones to stone him.  This they would consider blasphemy.

But we see the continuity of God's message. Of how the blessed the nation through Abraham, to move to Jesus to bless all.  Jesus is the fulfillment of how all peoples on the earth will be blessed.

That's our hope in the Easter season.  That is why we celebrate.  For what God started in Abraham, he has brought to fulfillment.  

Amen.

Ramadan 2023

 

Last night marked the beginning of Ramadan, a month long period of reflection, fasting, prayer, and introspection for the Muslim faith.  The month commemorates the revelation of the Qur'an to the prophet Mohammed.  The month is marked by fasting from sunrise to sunset and a devotion to prayer, the reading of scripture, and to charity.  In many ways, it is comparable to the Christian period of Lent. 

To any readers who may be observing Ramadan this year, Ramadan Mubarak. May this Ramadan clear your understanding and Judgement between right and wrong.

In Support of NPR

As has been shared by several personalities, this looks to be a tough week for NPR.  Budget cuts and restrictions are going into effect, leading to many staff at the public radio station losing their jobs.  The budget crisis at NPR is largely involving a shortfall in corporate sponsorships and federal grants.  Last November, the station had announced a total $20 million decline in sponsorship revenue, leading to planned hiring freezes, budget cuts on items like non-essential travel and discretionary spending, and now layoffs.  The layoffs account for 10% of the workforce.

While it is not as much a part of my daily life now, NPR was my lifeline for a very long time.  Growing up, I couldn't have imagined it, but I've become a fan of talk-radio.  Of talk shows.  I like feeling like I'm joining into a conversation, whether it be on radio and on podcasts.  

Because of that, my hour long commutes were filled with NPR or podcasts.  And I loved a lot about NPR.  Marketplace Morning Report, BBC News Hour.  I love the irreverent part in Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me... and Ask Me Another.  Classic favorites like Car Talk and A Prairie Home Companion.  While I have issues with her interview style at times, I enjoy Fresh Air.

NPR provides that essential lifeline of information.  Freely available.  Open to all.  About as center of the political spectrum in news that you can ask for.

This is why it should be a priority in society.  Sadly, like many media outlets, this seems to be the new reality.  "We're not seeing signs of a recovery in the advertising market," NPR CEO John Lansing said in an interview.  "Nothing is nailed down yet except the principles and what we know we have to reach."

Here's hoping a solution can be achieved, for the continuing health and life of NPR.  For our overall national discourse.

Though individual support does not directly affect the current crisis, it is still a part of the overall health of the network.  Why not support your local station today?

"The arts are essen­tial to any com­plete national life. The State owes it to itself to sus­tain and encour­age them….Ill fares the race which fails to salute the arts with the rev­er­ence and delight which are their due."

Winston Churchill, 1938

World Poetry Day

Today is World Poetry Day, and in recognition, I thought it appropriate to share a poem of the season.

March
by William Cullen Bryant,

The stormy March is come at last,
With wind, and cloud, and changing skies,
I hear the rushing of the blast,
That through the snowy valley flies.

Ah, passing few are they who speak,
Wild stormy month! in praise of thee;
Yet, though thy winds are loud and bleak,
Thou art a welcome month to me.

For thou, to northern lands, again
The glad and glorious sun dost bring,
And thou hast joined the gentle train
And wear'st the gentle name of Spring.

And, in thy reign of blast and storm,
Smiles many a long, bright, sunny day,
When the changed winds are soft and warm,
And heaven puts on the blue of May.

Then sing aloud the gushing rills
And the full springs, from frost set free,
That, brightly leaping down the hills,
Are just set out to meet the sea.

The year's departing beauty hides
Of wintry storms the sullen threat;
But in thy sternest frown abides
A look of kindly promise yet.

Thou bring'st the hope of those calm skies,
And that soft time of sunny showers,
When the wide bloom, on earth that lies,
Seems of a brighter world than ours.

First Day of Spring 2023

As of today, we are officially in Spring.  The time when snow melts, ice thaws, and the sun traditionally begins to shine more.  When the planet warms, bringing forth new life, springing out of the ground.  Plants bloom, hibernation ends, and our whole outlook tends to become brighter.

It's a season of celebration.  Of Carnival, of Easter, and May Day.  Of Saint Patrick's Day and Cinco De Mayo.  Of Spring Break.

And it is a time of new beginnings.

In that spirit, I wanted to to give a reminder that now is as good of a time as any for a fresh start.  If there is something you need to give up but missed lent, why not start now?  If you need to leave a relationship that is toxic or abusive, why not start that new life now, just as the rest of the planet is doing? If you need to change jobs, change majors, pursue new opportunities, why not now?

Pursue that new job, seek that new relationship, start that new project.

Live.

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time.  We are the ones we've been waiting for.  We are the change that we seek."

President Barack Obama

So stop waiting for some other time.  Stop waiting for things to be different.  Stop procrastinating.

There has never been a better day to make a change.  No day but today.  So if there is anything you are looking to improve, to change, or to start, the only way you can guarantee it will happen is to start today.

Because the truth is, there will never be a perfect day.  There will never be a perfect time or situation.

So go for it.  Dream.  Strive.  Change.

You've got this.

This spring as it comes bursts up in bonfires green,
Wild puffing of emerald trees, and flame-filled bushes,
Thorn-blossom lifting in wreaths of smoke between
Where the wood fumes up and the watery, flickering rushes.

I am amazed at this spring, this conflagration
Of green fires lit on the soil of the earth, this blaze
Of growing, and sparks that puff in wild gyration,
Faces of people streaming across my gaze.

And I, what fountain of fire am I among
This leaping combustion of spring? My spirit is tossed
About like a shadow buffeted in the throng
Of flames, a shadow that's gone astray, and is lost.

The Enkindled Spring, D.H. Lawrence

Easter 2023 - Laetare

Today marks the fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday, also known as Mothering Sunday, Refreshment Sunday, mid-Lent Sunday, and Rose Sunday.  It's primarily named for the first line of the Introit read today. Isaiah 66:10 "Rejoice ye with Jerusalem; and be ye glad for her, all ye that delight in her: exult and sing for joy with her, all ye that in sadness mourn for her; that ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations."  

Laetare Jerusalem et conventum facite omnes qui diligitis eam; gaudete cum laetitia, qui in tristitia fuistis, ut exsultetis et satiemini ab uberibus consolationis vestrae.

The theme of this Sunday is rejoicing, as Laetare means rejoice.  It's a bit of a breather in the middle of lent, as we look forward to the hope of Easter.  In the readings, we see manifestations of the hope that we have.  The Old Testament reading from 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a, focuses on the anointing of David as king.  A physical culmination of the hope of Israel at the time, the annointing of the good earthly king, one they have been continuing to look for.  

The Gospel reading focuses on John 9, with the story of the man blind from birth, the restoration of his sight, and the investigation by the Pharisees.   The story begins with a question that has implications for our larger study on suffering.  The disciples ask Jesus what caused the man's blindness, his sin or his parents.  Jesus response tells us a lot.  "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him."

This response runs contrary to our primary beliefs about suffering, that they are punishments. Jesus is clearly saying that is not always the case.  But the beauty is that the suffering can still be used by God for something wonderful.

After Jesus puts mud on his eyes and instructs him to wash in the pool of Siloam, a simple task, but still with great impact.  The man went and washed, and came home seeing.  Which stirs up the community greatly.  His neighbors become very inquisitive.  They bring him before the Pharisees, who put him through a rigorous cross examination, even calling in his parents to confirm his prior blindness.

Through the entirety of the cross examination, one response from the man rings out for me.  The Pharisees  are upset with Jesus because the healing took place on a Sabbath, so of course, Jesus could not be of God. The Pharisees were men of God and followed all the rules.  How could they tolerate a man who cut through all the rules to care for the people?  They become more and more irate with the man's story, so they ask him point blank, "Give glory to God by telling the truth.  We know this man (Jesus ) is a sinner."

The man's response is all the defense of the gospel that we ever need.  It is the summary of our hope in Jesus.  The very essence of our testimony.

"Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know.  One thing I do know.  I was blind, but now I see!"

That's all we need; the beauty of telling what He has done for us.  That's our hope.  That's our joy.

May we now go out like the man and spread it.

Spring Break

Today marks the start of the kids' spring break.  It's one of the many things we've loved about the local schools.  Two week fall break, two week Christmas break, two week spring break.  The kids have been looking forward to it.  We have been looking forward to it.

Because the break being two weeks has greatly enabled us to really enjoy it.  We have been able to go back to Texas, to visit family, to celebrate, and for Jamie and I to take trips.  It means a lot of time on the road, but it's been worth it.

This year should be no exception. We'll get to go visit family.  Jamie and I are going to take our yearly trip over the break and go to Costa Rica.  Jamie has been a couple of times, but I have never been.  So, I'm looking forward to experiencing the country.

All in all, it should hopefully be another wonderful break.

Today, we just have the drive.  So prayers for traveling mercies and a good time for us all on the road.

St. Patrick's Day 2023

Today we have a reminder of the influence of the Irish on our American heritage. Thirty- three million people or 10.5% of our population tracing their heritage to Ireland. There are over five times more people with Irish heritage in America than there are Irish in Ireland.

Today, we recognize them as a pillar of the American melting pot. Celebrated communities in the Northeast. Pioneers in the westward expansion.

And yet, for the majority of their immigration pathway here, they were discriminated against. Viewed as less than. Inferior.

Hated and feared for their religious differences (Catholics v Protestants). For their ethnic differences (Celts v Anglo-Saxon). For a language barrier. For their work class. No Irish Need Apply.

On this day when we celebrate the patron saint of Ireland. His capture into slavery and conversion. His ministry and dedication to Ireland. His driving out Druids, or “snakes,” out of Ireland. And the Irish history and heritage of our country.

Why don’t we celebrate by honoring that history. By owning up to complicated history that it is. And by looking at how we treat any immigrant to our country. By committing to not making the same mistakes.

We can keep up the old traditions. Wear green. Drink green beer. Raise a glass high.

But I think that the list above might be a far better way to celebrate today.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

He's All Risk

The title is a quote by Doris Hardoon, recruited by Crump in the late 1970s for the development of EPCOT. 

For Disney theme park and animation fans, there are certain artists whose style is easy to identify.  Mary Blair's mid-century, colorful style that would make it's a small world come to life.  Claude Coat's moody and atmospheric art that would fit the Haunted Mansion to a T.   Harper Goff's paintings, which would come to define Disney park concept art.

Roland "Rolly" Crump was one such artist.  

If artist could be summed up in a phrase, Rolly's would be, "wouldn't it be cool if we..."

Crump started as an assistant animator on such film classics as Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, and One Hundred and One Dalmatians.  In 1959, he would join WED Enterprises, the former name for Walt Disney Imagineering.  And it's here that Rolly proved to be a trailblazing pioneer.

Crump would be a key designer on attractions like The Haunted Mansion and the Enchanted Tiki Room.  With the Mansion, it was Crump that brought the funny, blending together with Claude Coat's spooky and atmospheric to create the attraction that is loved by millions today.  Crump would also be a key imagineer for the Disney attractions at the 1964 World's Fair, contributing to the it's a small world attraction by notably creating the Tower of The Four Winds structure that served as the marquee.  When the attraction was moved to Disneyland, Crump designed the animated clock face that served as a timepiece and exterior for the beloved attraction.

His art always went to the whimsical and weird, perfectly encapsulated in his famed lost attraction The Museum of the Weird.  He created many, many bits for this attraction that ranged from a clock with 13 hours, to a chair with a face, to a melting wax man.  It would have been a wonderful attraction and I still hope that it will be resurrected someday.

Rolly passed away Sunday, March 12, 2023 at his home at the age of 93.  His art and legacy will continue to entertain children of all ages for many, many years to come.

The Ides of March 2023

"SOOTHSAYER
Caesar!

CAESAR
Ha! who calls?

CASCA
Bid every noise be still: peace yet again!

CAESAR
Who is it in the press that calls on me?
I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music,
Cry 'Caesar!' Speak; Caesar is turn'd to hear.

SOOTHSAYER
Beware the ides of March.

CAESAR
What man is that?

BRUTUS
A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.

CAESAR
Set him before me; let me see his face.

CASSIUS
Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar.

CAESAR
What say'st thou to me now? speak once again.

SOOTHSAYER
Beware the ides of March.

CAESAR
He is a dreamer; let us leave him: pass."

Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene II

In Ancient Roman days, they did not number their days from start to finish of a month.  Instead, they had three fixed points in the month, the Kalends, the 1st of the month, the Nones, around the 5th to the 7th of the month, and the Ides, the 13th or the 15th.  In March, the Ides falls on our March 15.  

The Ides of March are most associated with the assassination of Julius Caesar, particularly as dramatized by William Shakespeare.  In 44 B.C., as many as 60 conspirators stabbed Caesar to death at a meeting of the Senate.  Caesar had been previously warned to "Beware the Ides of March!"  On his way into the senate that fateful day,  Caesar joked to the Soothsayer, 

"CAESAR
[To the Soothsayer] The ides of March are come.

SOOTHSAYER
Ay, Caesar; but not gone."

Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene I

So, should someone tell you to beware today, perhaps you should keep an eye out.  Or at least don't laugh at fate. 

"Why should Caesar just get to stomp around like a giant while the rest of us try not to get smushed under his big feet? Brutus is just as cute as Caesar, right? Brutus is just as smart as Caesar, people totally like Brutus just as much as they like Caesar, and when did it become okay for one person to be the boss of everybody because that's not what Rome is about! We should totally just STAB CAESAR!"

Mean Girls

Pi 2023

Happy Pi Day all!  A celebration since 1988, Pi Day recognizes the mathematical constant pi (π), whose first significant digits are 3.14.  Pi day is celebrated with the homonyms of both savory and sweet types.  Pizza pies and dessert pies are often eaten.  Our church distributes slices of dessert pies to all the teachers in the Brownsburg School district this week. 

For this monumentous occasion, I can think of no better words to share than the following:

3 . 1 4 1 5 9 2 6 5 3 5 8 9 7 9 3 2 3 8 4 6 2 6 4 3 3 8 3 2 7 9 5 0 2 8 8 4 1 9 7 1 6 9 3 9 9 3 7 5 1 0 5 8 2 0 9 7 4 9 4 4 5 9 2 3 0 7 8 1 6 4 0 6 2 8 6 2 0 8 9 9 8 6 2 8 0 3 4 8 2 5 3 4 2 1 1 7 0 6 7 9 8 2 1 4 8 0 8 6 5 1 3 2 8 2 3 0 6 6 4 7 0 9 3 8 4 4 6 0 9 5 5 0 5 8 2 2 3 1 7 2 5 3 5 9 4 0 8 1 2 8 4 8 1 1 1 7 4 5 0 2 8 4 1 0 2 7 0 1 9 3 8 5 2 1 1 0 5 5 5 9 6 4 4 6 2 2 9 4 8 9 5 4 9 3 0 3 8 1 9 6 4 4 2 8 8 1 0 9 7 5 6 6 5 9 3 3 4 4 6 1 2 8 4 7 5 6 4 8 2 3 3 7 8 6 7 8 3 1 6 5 2 7 1 2 0 1 9 0 9 1 4 5 6 4 8 5 6 6 9 2 3 4 6 0 3 4 8 6 1 0 4 5 4 3 2 6 6 4 8 2 1 3 3 9 3 6 0 7 2 6 0 2 4 9 1 4 1 2 7 3 7 2 4 5 8 7 0 0 6 6 0 6 3 1 5 5 8 8 1 7 4 8 8 1 5 2 0 9 2 0 9 6 2 8 2 9 2 5 4 0 9 1 7 1 5 3 6 4 3 6 7 8 9 2 5 9 0 3 6 0 0 1 1 3 3 0 5 3 0 5 4 8 8 2 0 4 6 6 5 2 1 3 8 4 1 4 6 9 5 1 9 4 1 5 1 1 6 0 9 4 3 3 0 5 7 2 7 0 3 6 5 7 5 9 5 9 1 9 5 3 0 9 2 1 8 6 1 1 7 3 8 1 9 3 2 6 1 1 7 9 3 1 0 5 1 1 8 5 4 8 0 7 4 4 6 2 3 7 9 9 6 2 7 4 9 5 6 7 3 5 1 8 8 5 7 5 2 7 2 4 8 9 1 2 2 7 9 3 8 1 8 3 0 1 1 9 4 9 1 2 9 8 3 3 6 7 3 3 6 2 4 4 0 6 5 6 6 4 3 0 8 6 0 2 1 3 9 4 9 4 6 3 9 5 2 2 4 7 3 7 1 9 0 7 0 2 1 7 9 8 6 0 9 4 3 7 0 2 7 7 0 5 3 9 2 1 7 1 7 6 2 9 3 1 7 6 7 5 2 3 8 4 6 7 4 8 1 8 4 6 7 6 6 9 4 0 5 1 3 2 0 0 0 5 6 8 1 2 7 1 4 5 2 6 3 5 6 0 8 2 7 7 8 5 7 7 1 3 4 2 7 5 7 7 8 9 6 0 9 1 7 3 6 3 7 1 7 8 7 2 1 4 6 8 4 4 0 9 0 1 2 2 4 9 5 3 4 3 0 1 4 6 5 4 9 5 8 5 3 7 1 0 5 0 7 9 2 2 7 9 6 8 9 2 5 8 9 2 3 5 4 2 0 1 9 9 5 6 1 1 2 1 2 9 0 2 1 9 6 0 8 6 4 0 3 4 4 1 8 1 5 9 8 1 3 6 2 9 7 7 4 7 7 1 3 0 9 9 6 0 5 1 8 7 0 7 2 1 1 3 4 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 3 7 2 9 7 8 0 4 9 9 5 1 0 5 9 7 3 1 7 3 2 8 1 6 0 9 6 3 1 8 5 9 5 0 2 4 4 5 9 4 5 5 3 4 6 9 0 8 3 0 2 6 4 2 5 2 2 3 0 8 2 5 3 3 4 4 6 8 5 0 3 5 2 6 1 9 3 1 1 8 8 1 7 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 3 7 8 3 8 7 5 2 8 8 6 5 8 7 5 3 3 2 0 8 3 8 1 4 2 0 6 1 7 1 7 7 6 6 9 1 4 7 3 0 3 5 9 8 2 5 3 4 9 0 4 2 8 7 5 5 4 6 8 7 3 1 1 5 9 5 6 2 8 6 3 8 8 2 3 5 3 7 8 7 5 9 3 7 5 1 9 5 7 7 8 1 8 5 7 7 8 0 5 3 2 1 7 1 2 2 6 8 0 6 6 1 3 0 0 1 9 2 7 8 7 6 6 1 1 1 9 5 9 0 9 2 1 6 4 2 0 1 9 8 9

Happy Pi Day!

Oscars 2023

Yesterday, the Academy held the 95th annual Academy Awards presentation at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California.  While the events went off without a hitch, after the shock of last year's ceremony, this year's ceremony seemed downright boring.

And boring, in that respect, was welcome.

Even better though, it had several heart-warming moments.

The event was just what I would have scripted, with minor changes.   Back to a singular host.  Every category included back in.  Winners generally allowed to make their speech.  Not really caring about the length, just letting it be what it should be.

Sure, the memoriam section still needs to be turned over to TCM or someone else to produce.  There were odd choices made in the song performances.  And some of my choices didn't work out.

Generally, though, it was a successful show.

Everything Everywhere All At Once continued its successful march that led up to the ceremony and largely swept the categories with seven awards including Best Picture, Best Director(s), Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Original Screenplay.  This included great celebratory wins for Ke Huy Quan, the first award for Jamie Lee Curtis, and a historic win for Michelle Yeoh as the first Asian American to win a best lead actor/actress award.

A24 as a studio is really the one to watch out for, becoming the first studio to win in all the major categories in the same ceremony.  Its fare has become more varied and is drawing more attention, so it will be a major player to watch.

It made for a late night, as on the east coast, we didn't wrap until 11:30 pm, but it was fun to make it through.  Will have to see what next year brings.

Hopefully another boring, but heart-warming show.

Lent 2023 - Oculi

Today marks the third Sunday of Lent, Oculi Sunday, named for the first line of the Introit read today.  Psalm 25:15-16.  "My eyes are forever turned towards the Lord; for he shall release my feet from the snare; look upon me and have mercy on me, for I am abandoned and destitute."

Oculi mei semper ad Dominum, quia ipse evellet de laqueo pedes meos: respice in me, et miserere mei; quoniam unicus et pauper sum ego.

The theme of this Sunday is on having open eyes, being able to the spiritual around us.  To recognize the hidden world around us.  To recognize God working around us and to recognize the evil He is opposing.  

The Old Testament reading is focused on Exodus 8:16-24, set in the middle of the plagues of Egypt in which the fate of Egypt is set and Pharaoh's heart is hardened. Pharaoh saw the wonders of God, he heard God's call, but still refused.  His heart was turned over to its natural end and hardened by his lack of response.

The Gospel reading then turns and focuses on Luke 11:14-28, recounting Jesus's banishing a demon from a mute man, and the response his action garners from the onlookers.  Jesus banishes the demon, the man is able to speak, and the crowd is amazed.  There are some in the crowd though that begin to question Jesus's power.  To say he is driving out demons by the power of the prince of demons, Beelzebul.  Still others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.

Those so close to see the physical power of God and miss the point.

We still find that today.

To be so close to the truth and to miss the point.  The church sees this and expects this in the world.  "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."  Paul warned in 2 Corinthians 4:4.  

But how often do we see the same thing within the church.  To be so close and miss the point.  To squabble over petty disagreements.  Church splits on music preference.  The type of carpet.  Minor theological differences that have no impact on salvation or Christian living.

How often do we get hardened on our side in church matters and keep drawing lines around us?  

The solution is the one that Jesus offered to those in his crowd at the time.  "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."  We keep our hearts from hardening by keeping our ears and eyes open to the Lord around us.  We remain humble and pliable to where He leads us.  

That's how we avoid the snare and remain free.

Eyes on Him.

Open my eyes that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me.
Place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!


Open my ears that I may hear
voices of truth thou sendest clear,
and while the wave notes fall on my ear,
ev’rything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my ears, illumine me,
Spirit divine!


Open my mouth and let me bear
gladly the warm truth ev’rywhere.
Open my heart and let me prepare
love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my mouth, illumine me,
Spirit divine!