Themes of Faith from Sunday, August 9

The following are recollections and interpretations of what I heard at church today.

In today's gospel reading (according to the Revised Common Lectionary), John continues to explain who Jesus was. In this passage, Jesus' fame has spread and he has been drawing crowds, including a group of 5,000 who showed up at a hillside pasture to hear him teach. Those present at this gathering experienced an apparent miracle, through which Jesus provided bread and fish to feed the entire crowd. After feeding the multitude, he suddenly crossed Lake Genesseret to get away from the crowd, who might have otherwise tried to form an army to march on Jerusalem with Jesus as its leader. So that took the steam out of the would be revolutionaries, but the more persistent followers pursued him around to the other side of the lake at Capernaum, with the bread they had received fresh in their minds. And here is part of what Jesus said to them this time, according to John, the apostle:

Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." John 6: 47-51

So what does that mean? First, one must have an understanding that heaven is the place (or dimension) inhabited by God, the Creator. Jesus came down from heaven and offers eternal life to those who believe him ad who accept the nourishment that he offers. Eternal life for humans does not occur in our present state of existence, so it must be a feature of an alternative state of existence like heaven. The nourishment that Jesus is offering is not for our physical bodies, but for that which makes us who we are.

"We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey." Pierre Theilhard de Chardin, SJ (1881-1955)

Alison Krauss seems to understand that we are spiritual beings, as the following video link will attest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9TmJBBKYmU I wonder if she ever thinks about the other one --- Allison Krause, who was killed in the massacre at Kent State Univeristy, about 14 months before she was born.

Curmudgeon Redux

On Februry 19, life got a lot busier when 40% of our office staff was laid off. I believe they are all now employed elsewhere, Laus deo. Nevertheless, my days are longer, and I had to give up something --- the daily postings that I used to make here.

Now however I would like to use this space to help spread a virus --- a certain YouTube video that already has 15,000,000 hits. Since it was mentioned favorably in a sermon at church and as we struggle to retain in the 21st century the joy of the ceremony honored by Christ at Cana, the following is worth a look.

Data for Friday, February 20

This has been the week that was. Next is the week that will be. It seems to be time to put this blog on hiatus. We'll see if the Accidental Curmudgeon, whoever that is, comes back after Lent.

Data for Tuesday, Febr\uary 17

Saint of the Day --- Onesimus, who, as a slave, was the subject of Saint Paul's letter to Philemon

Scripture of the Day --- Mark 11:20-25 -- As [Jesus and his disciples] passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, "Master, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered." And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

Word of the Day --- rains -- events in which water precipitates from clouds and falls to earth in the form of liquid drops.

Place of the Day --- Betelu, Navarra, Spain -- 43°01'32"N, 1°58'50"W

Data for Monday, February 16

Saint of the Day --- Janani Luwum (1922-1977) -- Archbishop of Uganda, Martyr

Scripture of the Day --- [Selection based on the Daily Office Lectionary in the Book of Common Prayer] -1 Timothy 1:12-16 -- [The Apostle Paul wrote the following in the first of two letters to the younger apostle Timothy] "I thank him who has given me strength for this, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful by appointing me to his service, though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted him; but I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the foremost of sinners; but I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life." --

Word of the Day --- decimal -- 1) a number written using the base 10; 2) more commonly - a number smaller than one divided by 100 and represented by the two digits to the right of a decimal point.

Place of the Day --- Oschatz, Saxony (Sachsen), Germany -- 51°17'57"N, 13°06'46"E - a town located 32 miles east of Leipzig, the largest city in the state of Saxony. The uploaded photo shows the market place in Oschatz as captured by Klaus Brink and posted at http://www.panaramio.com.

Data for Sunday, February 15

Observance of the Day --- Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

Collect: (prayer for intentions designated for this particular Sunday of the church calendar, as specified in the Book of Common Prayer; it may align 0with the designated scripture readings) -- O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you; Mercifully accept our prayers; and because in our weakness we can do nothing good without you, give us the help of your grace, that in keeping your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Scripture --- [Selected from the Eucharistic Lectionary for Year B, Revised Common Lectionary] --
First Corinthians 9: 24-25 -- [Saint Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, wrote the following in his first of two letters to the Christians in Corinth around the year 55 AD. Paul uses the metaphor of a race to stress that effort, discipline, goal-orientation are needed by the followers of Jesus Christ.] -- Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable [one]. (RSV)

[The other readings from the Revised Common Lectionary - the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany - are as follows.]

O.T. LESSON: Second Kings 5:1-14 -- The story of Naaman, army commander for a neighborhing county, who contracted a skin disease (leprosy) who was cured by following the instruction given by the prophet Elisha, 'the man of God".
PSALM 30 -- "I will exalt you, O LORD, becuase you have lifted me up and have not let my enemies triumph over me. ..."
GOSPEL: Mark 1:40-45 -- Jesus heals a leper, who spreads the news of his healing. Henceforth Jesus can not visit towns openly because of the crowds; and he begins conducting his missions in the countryside.

Place of the Day --- Lietchfield, Kentucky, USA -- 37°28'49"N, 86°17'37"W -- a town on US Highway 62, the seat of Grayson County and just off the Western Kentucky Parkway, 61 miles SW of Louisville, the largest city in Kentucky.

Data for Saturday, February 14

Saints of the Day --- Cyril (ca. 827 - 869), and Methodius, (ca. 825 - 885) Missionaries to the Slavs

Scripture of the Day --- Mark 10:48-52 -- [Selection based on the Daily Office Lectionary in the Book of Common Prayer] And many [in the crord] rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but [Bartimaeus, a blind beggar] cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; rise, he is calling you." And throwing off his mantle he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Master, let me receive my sight." And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way. (RSV)

Word of the Day --- rink -- 1) a smooth extent of ice marked off for curling or ice hockey ; 2) a surface of ice used for ice-skating or a smooth surfuace used for roller skating 3) a building that contains such a surfaces

Place of the Day --- Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia -- 28°39'20"S, 151°56'02"E - A town on Highway 15 located about 104 miles SW of Brisbane, the state capital.