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.
