29 August 2016

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 29 August 2016

Monday again.

This is kind of a hard day for me.  This would have been my father's birthday.  We lost him just over 5 years ago.  We had seen him (and mom) very little for many years, largely due to the LONG distances involved.  But we'd also never been close, he and I were very different people.  Now I seem to be more like him every day.  Ran into someone recently that I'd not seen at all for more than 30 years, he said I look and sound like dad to a remarkable extent.  Perhaps.  Dad was a better man than I'll ever be.

Dear Wife is next door "watching" the Beloved Great Niece.  Mom and dad are both off to work, and it will be a long day for all of them.  Wife's niece went down to part-time after having the baby (now 3-1/2) and every week has a different schedule.  Every week: she gets her schedule late Sunday afternoon, even if she has to be on the job at 07:00 the next day, as was the case today.  Niece's husband didn't have to be at work until 07:30, so Wife didn't have to go over (all the way across the back yard) until around 06:50.  I'll walk a coffee over around 09:00, and Bobby usually comes home for lunch with daughter, and Wife comes home to eat as well, so she'll be here around 12:30 until around 12:55.  And then back over until around 6:30 p.m. when both of them will start to roll in.  Probably.

Last evening was weird.  I truly don't understand a lot of human dynamics, family dynamics, or people in general.  Never have.  Calculus and thermodynamic and all that, I can handle.  People, often not.
We got a phone call invitation to go over to wife's nephew's place for a family cookout/dinner thing.  Hot dogs and fries provided, otherwise bring something sort of thing.  Ok.  Rain was predicted, so he pulled car out of garage and tables etc. were set up under roof.  Nep and wife there, with their two kids.  We were there.  Thing was supposed to start at 6:00 -- we got there at 6:05. something about  having to get someone to get their car out of our driveway so we could leave.  Niece and child got there around 6:20, with the great niece having a screaming crying temper tantrum.  Niece's husband arrived separately, around 6:40 -- he does auto repair on the side and had to get cleaned up after a job that took longer and got lots messier than anticipated.  Wife's sister and husband called around 6:30. asking if it was still "on".  They NEVER get ANYWHERE for ANY occasion on time, or even close.  Ever.  And, of course, in the interim, niece was slamming her mom and step-dad, nephew's wife was slamming her husband, all of them slamming some other (absent) people, kids screaming and moms screaming back.  And nephew working on his car and on the motorcycle of one of those people who is only a friend when he wants something.
And this is supposed to be fun and bonding.  Whatever.  Sometimes, the life of a Trappist monk sounds awfully inviting.  Too bad there are no Baptist monasteries.

I see on the news a bombing at a government facility in Brussels, Belgium, not terribly far from where the Islamic heathens of ISIS did their mass murder at the airport recently.  But, of course, no motive can be found.  Right.

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The Old Testament reading this morning is Psalms 139, 140, and 141.
Psalm 139 is a personal favorite of mine.  Long has been.  Am not alone in that probably.

Psalm 139
 
1 O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. 
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.  
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.  
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.  
9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;  
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.  
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.  
12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 
13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.  
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.  
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!  
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. 
19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.  
20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.  
21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?  
22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.  
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 140
1 Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; 2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war. 3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah. 4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings. 5 The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah. 6 I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD. 7 O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. 8 Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah. 9 As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them. 10 Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again. 11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him. 12 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor. 13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

Psalm 141
1 Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. 2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. 3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. 4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties. 5 Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities. 6 When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet. 7 Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth. 8 But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute. 9 Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity. 10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.




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The reading from the New Testament today is verses 1-13 from 1st Corinthians 10.

I Corinthians 10:1-13
 
1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;  
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;  
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.  
6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.  
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.  
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.  
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.  
11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.  
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.  
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.


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