Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 22 March 2018

Happy Thursday to all.  Today is the third day of Spring.  Definitely not sunshine, butterflies, flowers, flip-flops and shorts.  The nearly half a foot of snow that fell here on Tuesday night (first day of Spring, remember?) and yesterday morning is still here.  The weathercasters' crystal ball says we might get all the way up to 37° today.  Yippee, I guess.  And 36° tomorrow.  Huzzah, and all that stuff.


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Deuteronomy, the final book of the Pentateuch, is in some ways the "swan song" of Moses.  They are about in eyeshot of the Promised Land, the land that the Lord had promised Moses, and the promises to Abraham and Isaac and Israel.  But he, Moses, will not enter in.  Disobedience has consequences.  Even for Moses.
Part of this book is a retelling of the Law, a reinforcing emphasis perhaps.  As we've been reminded, it is often more useful to reinforce what we have already -- supposedly -- learned, rather than to take on new learning.  Probably most teachers and parents would understand this, and we ourselves were no better, and probably still are no better.
But it's also here that Moses reminds the people of where they came from and what the Lord has been doing for them all along.   Both are important.  Remember that it has been some 40 years wandering in the desert.  Before that, several HUNDRED years in the captivity in Egypt.  And, before that, the issues with the sons of Jacob and their less than wonderful treatment of Joseph.  A long history, and just perhaps, perhaps, it hadn't all been fully or accurately passed on to the next generations: they had other things to worry about.  I have known, and still do, people who aren't really sure who their own father was, and I'm not talking only about orphans.  The various genealogy services, the DNA testing operations, are around and making money for a reason.  We still have those same issues.  They also had to deal with plural marriages, which complicates things somewhat.  Moses was telling them, some perhaps hearing it for the first time, or at least first from an authoritative source, their own history without being "massaged" to put the speaker in a good light.  I have (or had, they're pretty much gone now) MUCH older aunts and uncles (but mostly aunts) who were somewhat the family historians and who kept track of the family tree stuff, who were occupying the positions of honor at the annual family reunions.  (a practice that seems to have largely fallen out of favor).  They meant well, surely.  But over time it became evident that their memories and records were not always precisely accurate.  Added to that, my own family, much like the Israelites, tended to re-use given names, so it's not always obvious which "John" or "Steven" or "Elizabeth" is being referenced.  And the Israelites didn't have ready access to inexpensive pens and paper, most of this was kept in verbal memorized records.  Even now, I often want a written diagram to understand who goes where.  With the history, of the Israelites and in my own family history over the last 200 - 350 years, spanning centuries but also oceans and continents and nations now vanished, it gets difficult at best.
It's good to know where you came from.  It's even better to know how the Lord made it all happen, and possible.  It's not accidental. 

By the way, at the risk of getting into (more) trouble, notice something in all of this:
The Lord discriminates.  There.  I said it.
Yes, He distinguishes between the holy and the profane, between the good and the evil, between the Israelites that He chose, and the heathens that He commissions to destroy.

Deuteronomy 7

1  When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;

2  And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

3  Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

4  For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

5  But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.

6  For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

7  The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

8  But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

9  Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

10  And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

11  Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.

12  Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers

13  And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

14  Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.

15  And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.

16  And thou shalt consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.

17  If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?

18  Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;

19  The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the Lord thy God brought thee out: so shall the Lord thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.

20  Moreover the Lord thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.

21  Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the Lord thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.

22  And the Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.

23  But the Lord thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.

24  And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.

25  The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God.

26  Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.

Deuteronomy 8

1  All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers.

2  And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

3  And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.

4  Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

5  Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.

6  Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.

7  For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;

8  A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey

9  A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.

10  When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.

11  Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:

12  Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;

13  And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;

14  Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

15  Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;

16  Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;

17  And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

18  But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

19  And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.

20  As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God.

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Psalm 59

To the chief Musician, Al–taschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.

1  Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.

2  Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.

3  For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord.

4  They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.

5  Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.

6  They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

7  Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

8  But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.

9  Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.

10  The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies

11  Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.

12  For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.

13  Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.

14  And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

15  Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.for meat:

16  But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

17  Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.

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Luke 14

1  And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.

2  And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.

3  And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?

4  And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;

5  And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?

6  And they could not answer him again to these things.

7  And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,

8  When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;

9  And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.

10  But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

11  For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

12  Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.

13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:

14  And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

15  And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

16  Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

24  For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

25  And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

26  If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

29   Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

30  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

32  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

33  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

34   Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

35  It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 25 July 2016

This will be a tough week.
As I reported last evening, the daughter of two old friends passed away last night after a very long illness, a sickness that had some treatments but no cure and no real hope of recovery.  She finally gave up, entered into hospice care, and passed in just over a week.  A very tough thing, though we know that she is in a better place.  I knew here parents back in the early 1970's, knew both before they met each other in fact.  Their marriage was short and rocky, but provided a daughter.  Both parents remarried, mom had about four or five more, dad is still on the only other and is at around 36 years now.  Calling hours and funeral Mass this week.  Will be "interesting" to see the interplay of persons, some of whom I've not seen for 35 years or more. 

Wife's been pretty much flat all day and still is.  She came out on porch in the mid-morning to see next door niece and her daughter and to oversee me harvesting a couple of enormous zucchini from the garden.  A whole army of green tomatoes of all varieties and sizes, but none to pick.  Beans soon, we hope.  A couple of cucumbers growing but not "there" yet.  Should be good.

Neighbor next door has a crew building a 2nd garage to hold his race car, he'd purchased the vacant lot next to him (side away from us) to do it.  Crew started digging, and found some hidden problems.  Evidently, there had been a house there at one time.  For whatever reason, it was demolished and the materials shoved into the basement and covered.  No one knew it.  Until the digging for the foundation began.  So ..........  panic call for a construction dumpster to be delivered, now the stuff has to be dug up and put in dumpster, and more "fill" will be required, meaning more time and effort and dollar$$.  Some people are NOT happy, at all.

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The Old Testament reading is Psalms 44, 45, and 46

Psalm 44

1 We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.  

2 How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. 

 3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.  

4 Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob. 

5 Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.  

6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.  

7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.  

8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.  

9 But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.  

10 Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves. 

11 Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.  

12 Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.  

13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.  

14 Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.  

15 My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,  

16 For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.  

17 All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.  

18 Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;  

19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.   

20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; 

21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.  

22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.  

23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever. 

24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?  

25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth. 

 26 Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake. 

Psalm 45

1 My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. 2 Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. 3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. 4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. 5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee. 6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. 7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. 9 Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. 10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house; 11 So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. 12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour. 13 The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. 14 She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. 15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace. 16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. 17 I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

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The New Testament reading is chapter 25 of the Acts/  Paul is off to Rome, there to proclaim the Gospel.  And the Romans are paying his passage.  One way to look at it.

Acts 25

1 Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2 Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him, 3 And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him. 4 But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither. 5 Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. 6 And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought. 7 And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. 8 While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all. 9 But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? 10 Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. 11 For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar. 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go. 13 And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus. 14 And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix: 15 About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. 16 To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. 17 Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. 18 Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: 19 But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 20 And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters. 21 But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar. 22 Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him. 23 And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth. 24 And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him. 26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. 27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 04 February, 2016

pre-dawn here.  Up early, cats were antsy and we wre both in some pain so up & at 'em.  She's in recliner under blankets, I made (baked pre-frozen) biscuits, got juice so she can take her morning meds, and coffee for both of us.  So, of course, having done all that, the cats decide that they can have our bed as a nice snoozing place, which they will probably occupy for most of the day.  Rough life they have.
I have to make a run to Wally World but it's going to wait until full sun-up..  Oh, and it's snowing.  We had a few nice days of above freezing and above-average temperatures, but that ended yesterday.  At least we don't -- yet -- have a few feet of blizzard snow.  And we hope that does not happen.  It may, but we hope not.

Trying to avoid getting TOO caught up in the political wranglings of the day.  My presidential preferences would tend towards a Calvin Coolidge type.  Don't have one of those running so near as I can tell.  A bunch towards the other end of that spectrum and I can't decide which one is less odious than the rest.  "Place not thy faith in princes" is good advice, but few will heed it.

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The Old Testament reading is chapters 34, 35, and 36 of the Exodus.  More of the Tabernacle, but here is the involvement of the whole people.
I like how Moses' very face was changed as a result of his meetings with the Lord.  Yes, he was in the Presence of the Lord, and it showed.  We too can be in the Presence.  Not quite to that extent (yet) but in His Presence just as well.  Does it show?  Can people tell?
And note that there are two persons here in particular who are shown as particularly talented, "gifted and called" in fact, for the work.  No, not religious leaders, great theologians, military leaders or learned mathematicians or the like.  Craftsmen.  But equipped by the Lord, in advance, to do this work.  Friends, the Lord has or is calling and equipping each of us as well to participate in and contribute to the work of the kingdom.  Often in ways we would not think of, but worthy nonetheless.  Who, for example, has better opportunity to witness for the Lord than a barber?  or hairdresser?  The person running the register at the grocery may be there just so he or she can touch the lives of many others!  They don't wear a cassock or a clerical collar, and few of us do.  But the Lord puts each of us where He can use us.  Whether we answer the call is the issue.  He can make our most menial work fruitful.

Exodus 34

1	And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.
2	And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.
3	And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.
4	And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
5	And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.
6	And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
7	Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
8	And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
9	And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O LORD, let my LORD, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.
10	And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.
11	Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
12	Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
13	But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:
14	For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
15	Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
16	And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.
17	Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
18	The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.
19	All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.
20	But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.
21	Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
22	And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.
23	Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the LORD God, the God of Israel.
24	For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year.
25	Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.
26	The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
27	And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.
28	And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
29	And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
30	And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
31	And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.
32	And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
33	And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.
34	But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.
35	And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Exodus 35

1	And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them.
2	Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.
3	Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.
4	And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying,
5	Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,
6	And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
7	And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,
8	And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,
9	And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
10	And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded;
11	The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets,
12	The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering,
13	The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the showbread,
14	The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light,
15	And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle,
16	The altar of burnt offering, with his brazen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
17	The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court,
18	The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords,
19	The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office.
20	And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
21	And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.
22	And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered, offered an offering of gold unto the LORD.
23	And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them.
24	Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the LORD's offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it.
25	And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.
26	And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair.
27	And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate;
28	And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
29	The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.
30	And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
31	And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
32	And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
33	And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.
34	And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
35	Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.

Exodus 36

1	Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded.
2	And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:
3	And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.
4	And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made;
5	And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make.
6	And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.
7	For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.
8	And every wise hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubim of cunning work made he them.
9	The length of one curtain was twenty and eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: the curtains were all of one size.
10	And he coupled the five curtains one unto another: and the other five curtains he coupled one unto another.
11	And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling: likewise he made in the uttermost side of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
12	Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain which was in the coupling of the second: the loops held one curtain to another.
13	And he made fifty taches of gold, and coupled the curtains one unto another with the taches: so it became one tabernacle.
14	And he made curtains of goats' hair for the tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains he made them.
15	The length of one curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits was the breadth of one curtain: the eleven curtains were of one size.
16	And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.
17	And he made fifty loops upon the uttermost edge of the curtain in the coupling, and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.
18	And he made fifty taches of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one.
19	And he made a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers' skins above that.
20	And he made boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood, standing up.
21	The length of a board was ten cubits, and the breadth of a board one cubit and a half.
22	One board had two tenons, equally distant one from another: thus did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle.
23	And he made boards for the tabernacle; twenty boards for the south side southward:
24	And forty sockets of silver he made under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
25	And for the other side of the tabernacle, which is toward the north corner, he made twenty boards,
26	And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
27	And for the sides of the tabernacle westward he made six boards.
28	And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
29	And they were coupled beneath, and coupled together at the head thereof, to one ring: thus he did to both of them in both the corners.
30	And there were eight boards; and their sockets were sixteen sockets of silver, under every board two sockets.
31	And he made bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
32	And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the sides westward.
33	And he made the middle bar to shoot through the boards from the one end to the other.
34	And he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold to be places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
35	And he made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubim made he it of cunning work.
36	And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.
37	And he made an hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of needlework;
38	And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with gold: but their five sockets were of brass.

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The New Testament reading is verses 1-22 in the 23rd chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.  If you ever wondered why the religious (and other) leaders of the day were driven to a mad purple rage and hatred of Jesus, this passage is one of those that should answer that.  He was denying their leadership authority, their credibility, their very legitimacy in those roles.  Rightly so.  But He was also undercutting many of the customs of the day.

Matthew 23:1-22

1	Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2	Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3	All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4	For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5	But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6	And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7	And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8	But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9	And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10	Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
11	But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12	And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13	But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
14	Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15	Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
16	Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17	Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18	And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
19	Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20	Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21	And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22	And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.