Today's Readings and Stuff -- Tuesday, 29 August 2017

Today is a bit of a somber day for me.  Today, 29 August, would have been my father's birthday, had he lived to see it..  It was six  years ago that my youngest brother made the long-distance call to say, "Dad's gone".   We were living nearly a thousand miles away, under less-than-great circumstances.  We had been up over the July shutdown to see family and friends, so Dad and I had been able to spend a few minutes together, though not the private time that I desperately wanted and needed, but was not able to get.  It was evident that he was in pretty bad shape, and I pretty well knew that it would be our last chance on this earth. but wasn't to be.  I envied, then and now and long before, those who had a good relationship with their dad.  I never did.  Perhaps we were too different, two very different people.  But I felt the loss and still do.  So a day like today is a bit of somber wishing for what never had, and feeling of failure for never having been able to bridge the gap.
But I shall see him again, and then we'll have the time, if it still matters to us.  Perhaps we'll be beyond such things.

Sunday, a bit of a celebration.  My brother, the same one who had made the call mentioned above, had three sons.  Two are in the military on active duty, both on their second wives.  The third, the oldest, lives in the area.  He and his wife and son are active in the church I grew up in (his dad, my brother, has rejected the faith, abetted by his current -- 2nd -- wife).  They are having a renewal of their wedding vows on Sunday afternoon and we hope to be able to attend.  Wife believes, at this point anyway, that she'll be well enough to attend.  My brother, his dad, won't.  My other brother lives a few hours away and probably won't either.  My sister and her husband live in central Virginia and can't.  So I'll be the symbolic one on my nephew's side.
If we can.

Next-door nephew-in-law was able to put a pressure tester on our overheating cooling system on our vehicle yesterday, and confirmed our fears: the radiator itself has a real leak.  Will need to be replaced, which will take money we don't have until the 3rd week of September.  Bobby is going to pick up a thing of radiator sealer which will, we hope, hold things together well enough to get us back and forth the 30 miles each way of the trip.  We hope so, anyway.  A bit far to walk and I don't think Wife could operate a bicycle that far, not sure that I could even.  So our intent is to take the vehicle and pray for mercy.  We're grateful that it wasn't worse, which it could have been.

And in any event, other people are having it worse.  There are landslides in Sierra Leone, killing many, in a land with more than enough problems already.  And the awful storm that hit coastal Texas, dumping some 2 TRILLION gallons of rain (yes, that is 2,000,000,000,000 gallons, a block of water roughly 8 cubic miles in volume, in a very short time.  With loss of life whose numbers will not be known for some time, awful damage, much of it uninsured, and the disruption of many lives.  The storm is, I am told, now heading back to sea, meaning it can menace places on the Gulf Coast like New Orleans and Mobile, places where we have friends.  And much else.

Oh, and for those of us far from there, do you remember what happened after Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf?  Disrupted a whole lot of petroleum wells and refining capacity.  Leading to huge increases in gas prices.  Which is already happening in places.  I remember also that the collateral damage included the company that had just hired me and relocated us hundreds of miles.  And then shut down in the middle of our move.  Yes, I remember that.

========================================
=======================================

The Old Testament reading is Psalms 139, 140., 141.  Psalm 139 is an old favorite of mine.  But it does make you think.

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.

==================================
==================================

Our New Testament passage for the day is verses 1-13 in chapter 10 of 1st Corinthians.

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.