Today's Readings and Stuff -- Tuesday, 07 August 2018

A couple of things to start out.
First, the "song of the day" which came to me as I was transitioning from asleep to awake (and back again -- part of the results of cats that act as over-zealous alarm clocks).    "Abide With Me" it is, an old favorite.  (Another recording here).  Sometimes, when people have abandoned us and circumstances threaten to overwhelm us, the greatest fear is that even the Lord will turn away.  A terrible feeling:  I've been there. Several times in fact.  At such times, the memory of this hymn and its message is a great comfort.  Been there too, several times.   And, as is so often the case, the story behind the story is also a message in itself.  Many, perhaps most of our  hymns and psalms came out of personal experiences where the writer could say, "But, GOD! .......".  In such cases, greater or lesser, where else should we go.  So here is the history of this great song.

1. Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
   The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;
   When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
   Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.
2. Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
   Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
   Change and decay in all around I see—
   O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
3. I need Thy presence every passing hour;
   What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?
   Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
   Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.
4. I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
   Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness;
   Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
   I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.
5. Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
   Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies;
   Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
   In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Now, a bit of personal explanation on something.  And, sorry, this is longer by far than I had intended.
I spent 30-some years working in various engineering roles, primarily in manufacturing operations with reach into much of the United States and with some long-distance impact in lands far from here.  Much of that involved developing systems, methods, products, and, yes, materials too, for use in a wide variety of applications.  But much was also spent in investigating when things went wrong, or when the existing approaches - some of them older than I was -- were showing their weaknesses.  I was the guy who had to perform what is still often referred to as "root cause analysis".    It's interesting, not always fun, and sometimes (too often, unfortunately)  you find yourself stepping on toes when someone's pet practices are shown to be, umm, "counter-productive".  As an aside, before taking on these roles, I'd supported myself for several years working as a private investigator for a locally-owned (and since defunct) operation in this region, one of most notoriously corrupt areas of the United States, so I'd had more than ample occasion to see both the incompetence and the corruption in various local, county, state, and federal government operations.  So I've seen quite a lot.

I can still recall one plant manager, running an operation for a corporation that I'd been hired to, among other things, search out and deal with the inefficiencies, the problems both actual and potential, and establish some "best practices", as the vice president who hired me had told me.  But when I started finding some of those issues and making some of those recommendations, that plant manager told me, in these words:

"If that was a good idea, we'd be doing it already.  But we aren't, so it isn't!". 

That plant is now closed, the corporation about half its former size, and both the plant manager and the vice president, no longer work there.  Neither do quite a lot of other people.  Such things are more common than many people realize.
It's by no means the only such case I can mention, ones that I have or had personal involvement in.
And it means that, too often, I have had to be coldly analytical in the work, keeping in mind people's sensitivities, the realities of corporate cultures, and the implications for individuals and their families if things aren't carried out to the best of our abilities to make the changes.  Not always easy, and drawing those lines doesn't always make a person popular, trust me.

Such things are by no means unknown, or even uncommon, in what we call the "public sector".  In this area, at least, and that includes a radius of, say, 250 miles around where I am sitting, open and notorious corruption in public services is nearly taken for granted, and, yes, there are some exceptions.  I know of some of them as well.  So, to take one example, it's not unknown for a road resurfacing program to be awarded based upon bribes paid to public officials by paving companies.  With the dollar outlay more than made up for by skimping on the quality and amount of the paving materials used.  The "joke" was that the asphalt was going down in a layer thin enough to be more of a painting project than a repaving one, and that the asphalt was breaking up at the start point before the project was complete.  Except that it's not a joke, and it's been a fact of life in the area for 40+ years to my certain knowledge.  But those corrupt officials are kept in office via political party affiliation and the "good old boy" network.
Take another example.  Traffic signals.  This area has had some big-name developers of commercial properties, things like shopping plazas, strip malls, and big shopping malls.  Names aren't important here: people in the area know who I mean.   Those developers like to have easy inter-connectedness to their properties.  Makes sense.  But sometimes, that desire, coupled with utter incompetence of local officials, both elected and appointed, makes things ugly.
Let me give a couple of examples.

• It is reported that, in several cities where the "elites", meaning lefty-loon Democrats, hold sway, the traffic signals have been deliberately arranged in such a way as to minimize the chances for a smooth flow of traffic, and to make driving an aggravation.  This "encouraging" the use of mass transit instead.  Ever been on a New York City subway?  A city bus in Chicago, D.C., or Atlanta?  I have.  Yuck!  Reinforcing my vows to avoid such places, and the nitwits that run them, as much as possible.  Seems to be the case even in smaller places.  Right Across  The Line from here, there is a big east-west street called State Street.  The Powers That Be seem to have intentionally set the traffic lights in such a way that one "gets" to sit at all of them.  Even when there is NO cross traffic.  Clock operated, ONLY.
• At one time, near where I lived, there was a small shopping plaza.  Big "anchor" grocery store, with several small shops adjacent, beauty supplies, etc.  Owned by a now-deceased utterly crooked local developer who'd prevailed upon the officials in that town to install a traffic light in front.  OK.  Run TOTALLY on a clock, which I regard as stupid beyond measure, but whatever.  They had that signal set up so that, half an hour or so before the "anchor" store opened, the signal was activated, and stayed activated until half an hour after the store closed.  OK, I guess.  Then, the "public servants" decided to have it run 24 hours a day, so that vehicles now found themselves at midnight, sitting at a red light in front of a plaza that had no traffic to or from, because the stores were closed.  Stupid, ignorant, right?  Officials wouldn't budge.  Then, the "anchor store" closed, and so did most of the little shops.  And, from that point until I moved out of the area at least, cars and trucks had to sit at a red light that operated on a clock, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365-1/4 days per year, in front of an empty plaza.   All because "Eddie J", the developer, had "pull" with local officials and, since he was "mobbed up", no one would cross him.

Such things are by no means uncommon, and I've seen things not much sillier in many parts of the country.

Sunday morning, I drove from home to church services in that small town.  That route takes me through nine traffic lights.  As is the case more often than not, I had to stop for the red light at Every.Single.One.  The final one, in the center of that small town, I had to sit through three cycles of that clock-operated abomination.  Some 80% of the vehicles needed to make a right turn and proceed west.  But the "city fathers" had chosen to put "No Right On Red" signs there and most other intersections in that town.  Might make sense at 08:45 on a Tuesday, but makes utterly no sense at 09:20 on a Sunday.  So, a nearly quarter-mile long line of cars sat in line at a red light, as NO  cross traffic, not a one, passed.
I spent 30+ years searching out silly inefficiencies like this in some pretty large manufacturing operations, but no one seems to be able to knock sense into officials in a small town.  So if I seem frustrated and aggravated,  guilty as charged.  I've made a living finding ways to do things efficiently and smoothly and it makes no sense whatever to see petty officials going out of their ways to prevent such.
If that offends anyone, and it probably does, my apologies.



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Esther 5

1Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.

2And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.

3Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.

4And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.

5Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

6And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.

7Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is;

8If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to morrow as the king hath said.perform: Heb. do

9Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai.

10Nevertheless Haman refrained himself: and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife.called…: Heb. caused to come

11And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.

12Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king.

13Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.

14Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.

Esther 6

1On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.could…: Heb. the king's sleep fled away

2And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.Bigthana: also called, Bigthandoor: Heb. threshold

3And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.

4And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

5And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.

6So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?whom the king…: Heb. in whose honour the king delighteth

7And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour,whom the king…: Heb. in whose honour the king delighteth

8Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head:Let…: Heb. Let them bring the royal apparelwhich the king…: Heb. wherewith the king clotheth himself

9And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.bring…: Heb. cause him to ride

10Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.let…: Heb. suffer not a whit to fall

11Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.

12And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.

13And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.

14And while they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.

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Today, Psalm 136.  There is a theme here, probably you can spot it.

Psalm 136

1O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

2O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.

3O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

4To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

5To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.

6To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

7To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:

8The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:to rule…: Heb. for the rulings by day

9The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

10To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:

11And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:

12With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.

13To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:

14And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:

15But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.overthrew: Heb. shaked off

16To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.

17To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

18And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

19Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:

20And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:

21And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:

22Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.

23Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:

24And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.

25Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.

26O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

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2nd  Corinthians 8

1Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;

2How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

3For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;

4Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

5And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

6Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.

7Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

8I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

9For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

10And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.

11Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.

12For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

13For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:

14But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

15As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

16But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.

17For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you.

18And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;

19And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:

20Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:

21Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

22And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.

23Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.

24Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.