Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 14 December 2018

A week from today begins official Winter.  As the saying goes, "the best part about winter is when it's over".  Amen and amen.

Nice out there today.  Likely to be about the last such for several months.  I keep looking at the calendar, seeing not only the onset of Winter in just a week from today, but the first day of Spring, three months afterward.  And, sadly, reflecting that tomorrow is a day of national mourning and sorrow: my birthday.  That "three score and ten" that once seemed so far distant is galloping at me with a lance lowered and pointed at my heart.  Ah, well.  Could be worse.

We've had a whole day without seeing the greats from next door.  Wife is going into something like what a heroin addict goes through when going "cold turkey".  Or at least, that's what I tell her.  We had a double dose yesterday.  We were watching the Little Guy while Niece (his mom) was helping out at the book fair at the school for several hours.
Then, last evening, we had another of those mandatory attendance things.  The older of the two great-nephews, the son of Wife's sister's son, the ones that live on the state line but on this side of it, had one of those "band concert" things at the school.  So, five pieces from the 5th grade band, then five more from the combined 6th and 7th grade kids.  So, we were there with next-door kids and the moms and the across-town kids.  Both of the dads were working 12-hour 7-7 shifts, so I was for part of it the only adult male.  Then, the great-grandfather and his current wife appeared as well.  (I don't understand lots of current arrangements, OK?   Wife's sister has been married several times as well as some truly "odd" arrangements.  But her first husband sired two kids, which I refer to as Niece next door and Nephew across town.  Then a divorce.  But his dad has kept in touch and been good to the kids, which is nice.  He ditched his own wife, the mother of my sister-in-law's ex-husband, and was present with his current wife of 20-some years.  So the two of them came, which was nice., but it's apparent that he's losing touch with the world around him and the niceties were pretty much carried out by the wife.  I said I don't understand lots of the world around me.  See why?)
It'a good that we were able to go to this and other things like it, to be a part of those kids' lives.  The stability, if naught else, that we represent is a good thing.  But I fret over the sort of impact and message that these convoluted family arrangements sends to those kids.  Such stuff may be uncomfortably common in this world, but I refuse to pretend it's OK and acceptable and, yes, something they themselves may emulate in the future.  We try, with our lives, to provide an alternate example.  Perhaps it does some good.  That young lad, that great-nephew who was playing in that band last night, is now in 6th grade.  So, in all likelihood, by 2025, not that far away now, will be leaving school and going out into the world.  One of many.  What kind of world will he inherit, and what beliefs and attitudes will guide him?   Since his parents and grandparents are anything but Christians, Wife and I may be the only window to the faith that is there for him.  And he's not alone.
That responsibility weighs heavily on me.




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Now, the book of Jonah.  Lots of us are at least somewhat familiar with the story.
Note some place names here.
For example, Nineveh.  Used to be capital of the Assyrian Empire, until it was destroyed in 612 B.C. by by a coalition of the Medes and Persians.  It is now encircled by a city you may have heard  of: Mosul, Iraq.  Still a bad place.  Right on the banks of the Tigris River, so it's part of the "Fertile Crescent" that featured so prominently in history (and is still a fertile breeding ground for trouble).  A good distance from Jerusalem.
Or Tarshish.  Lots of disagreement over that one, but the vote seems to be that it was the name of city in SPAIN!  Thought to currently be called  Tartessus, in southern Spain.   Spain is a long way from either Jerusalem or Nineveh.  Opposite direction at that.  So, Jonah had a directive from the Lord.  And promptly did just the opposite.
Bad, right?  He wasn't the last one to do so, can we agree??

Jonah 1

1Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

2Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

3But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

4But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

5Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

6So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

7And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

8Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

9And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.

10Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

11Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.

12And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

13Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.

14Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.

15So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.

16Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.

17Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 2

1Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly,

2And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

3For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.

4Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

5The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

6I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.

7When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

8They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

9But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.

10And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

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Revelation chapter 12

1And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

2And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

3And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

5And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

6And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

7And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

8And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

12Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

13And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

14And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

15And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

16And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

17And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.