Today's Readings and Stuff -- Tuesday, 02 February 2016 also referred to as "Groundhog Day"

happy Groundhog Day!  Gobblers Know, the site of Punxsutawney Phil, the "official" groundhog for the day, is not too terribly far from us, roughly 100 miles.  Not next door, but not in another time zone either.  I never really got into the whole Groundhog Day thing, but between New Year's and the Equinox, there just are not that many excuses for drunken rowdy celebrations, so it will have to do.   Some of the people around here don't need much coaxing anyway.

Dear Wife not doing too well, so neither of us really slept much last night.  She's next door "watching" the Little One for niece who is at work, a 4-hour half day.  Should be home soon.  We'll probably nibble something and then crash for a few hours.  After I massage her pained feet and knees.  High school classmates from LONG ago had one of their regular "Girls Night Out" things, and had invited us to show:  I haven't seen most of them in more than 30 years.  Would have been nice, but they'd like to meet her, and she wasn't up to it.  So we begged off.  Regrets.

Not much to say about the political contest in Iowa last night.  I don't live in Iowa, I have not aligned myself with either of the two major political parties, and may not do so.  "Place not thy faith in princes" has been good advice for millenia, and much of the rancor reflects justifiable rage at the liars who have gained positions of public trust, and then shown themselves to be unworthy of such trust.  I think we need not to list names.

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The Old Testament reading today is chapters 29 and 30 of the Exodus.  The Lord is giving very detailed instructions, not hints or suggestions, about the system of worship to be followed.  Followed diligently.  "Do it my way" was not an available option. 

Exodus 29

1	And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish,
2	And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them.
3	And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams.
4	And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.
5	And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod:
6	And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre.
7	Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.
8	And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them.
9	And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.
10	And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.
11	And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
12	And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.
13	And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar.
14	But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering.
15	Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.
16	And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar.
17	And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash the inwards of him, and his legs, and put them unto his pieces, and unto his head.
18	And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the LORD: it is a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
19	And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.
20	Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
21	And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.
22	Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration:
23	And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD:
24	And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the LORD.
25	And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savor before the LORD: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
26	And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD: and it shall be thy part.
27	And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:
28	And it shall be Aaron's and his sons' by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the LORD.
29	And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons' after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them.
30	And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.
31	And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place.
32	And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
33	And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.
34	And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.
35	And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them.
36	And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.
37	Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.
38	Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.
39	The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:
40	And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.
41	And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
42	This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.
43	And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.
44	And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office.
45	And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
46	And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.

Exodus 30

1	And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.
2	A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.
3	And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.
4	And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.
5	And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
6	And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
7	And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
8	And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
9	Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
10	And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.
11	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
12	When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
13	This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
14	Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
15	The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
16	And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
17	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
18	Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.
19	For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
20	When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD:
21	So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.
22	Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
23	Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,
24	And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:
25	And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.
26	And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,
27	And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,
28	And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.
29	And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.
30	And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
31	And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
32	Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.
33	Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.
34	And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:
35	And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:
36	And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.
37	And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.
38	Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.

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The New Testament reading is verses 1-22 of chapter 22 in the Gospel of Matthew.  Bear in mind that all of this is taking place in the week between Jesus' "Triumphal Entry" into Jerusalem, and the Crucifixion.  Jesus knew what was coming.  No one else did.  So read and reflect on this, and all these passages, with that in mind.

Matthew 22:1-22

1	And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
2	The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3	And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4	Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5	But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6	And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7	But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8	Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9	Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10	So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11	And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12	And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13	Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14	For many are called, but few are chosen.
15	Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
16	And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
17	Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
18	But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
19	Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
20	And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
21	They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.
22	When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 01 February 2016

Happy Monday!  Happy no-longer-January!  Even last night's low was above freezing!  Yay!
Now, we may have horrid weather headed this way, with temps, even the "highs", well below the freezing mark, and all kinds of snow as well.  We are grateful for the respite, and still have the hope of better days coming, if not next week. 
Cats, HER cats, woke me at 04:40.  Actually, they woke me around 03:10, but I rolled over and went back to sleep.  But at 04:40, we were close enough to their "traditional" feeding time of 05:00 (long story) so I got up and provided a can of food.  Which they, as if they'd been denied sustenance for a week, began to devour.  The plate, by the way, set down right next to the bowl of dry food that I'd put out before going to bed.  The contents of it somewhat reduced.
Then I went back to bed.  Half an hour later, Dear Wife, in terrible pain still from surgery 4-1/2 months ago, decided she could sleep no longer.  So she rose, I grabbed a couple of her "throws", set her up in the recliner, made her a cup of coffee, some buttered toast, and a glass of juice with which to take her morning meds.  Then I went back to sleep for a couple of hours.
Now up and around.  Made coffee for both of us, heated up a couple of bagels, took care of some other household issues (like the load of sheets into the washer).  Then a call with an executive recruiter who wanted me to consider something back in the deep South.  Sorry, no.  REAL sorry, actually, but that's what it is.
Cats are off in their alternate universe or astral plane or something.

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The Old Testament passage is chapters 27 and 28 of the Exodus.  More on the details of the Tabernacle and its furnishings, more on the vestments of the priests.  Very detailed instructions they are too.  Good craftsmanship is expected, wide latitude for interpretation and "creativity" is not. 

Exodus 27

1	And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.
2	And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.
3	And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basins, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.
4	And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brazen rings in the four corners thereof.
5	And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar.
6	And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.
7	And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it.
8	Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was showed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.
9	And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side:
10	And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.
11	And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
12	And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.
13	And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.
14	The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.
15	And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.
16	And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four.
17	All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.
18	The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass.
19	All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass.
20	And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.
21	In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.

Exodus 28

1	And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
2	And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
3	And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
4	And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
5	And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.
6	And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.
7	It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.
8	And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9	And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
10	Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.
11	With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.
12	And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
13	And thou shalt make ouches of gold;
14	And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathed work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathed chains to the ouches.
15	And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
16	Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.
17	And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.
18	And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
19	And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
20	And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.
21	And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.
22	And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathed work of pure gold.
23	And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
24	And thou shalt put the two wreathed chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.
25	And the other two ends of the two wreathed chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it.
26	And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.
27	And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
28	And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.
29	And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.
30	And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.
31	And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
32	And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.
33	And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:
34	A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.
35	And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.
36	And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
37	And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.
38	And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.
39	And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.
40	And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
41	And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
42	And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
43	And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

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The New Testament reading is verses 23-46 in the 21st chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.  Jesus is upsetting the hereditary priests and religious figures.  One wonders what He is saying about some of our current ones?  Perhaps, the same.

Matthew 21:23-46

23	And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
24	And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25	The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
26	But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
27	And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
28	But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
29	He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
30	And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
31	Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
32	For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
33	Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
34	And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
35	And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
36	Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
37	But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
38	But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
39	And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
40	When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
41	They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
42	Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
43	Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44	And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
45	And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
46	But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Sunday, 31 January, 2016

FINALLY!  The end of January!!  Yes, February is often no better.  But it does let us look forward to that special day in March which marks the Vernal Equinox, the first day of Spring.  In January, we had Groundhog Day and Valentine's Day to look forward.  Each nice in its own way, but neither a harbinger of warm breezes and flowers.  Matter of fact, I just saw a weather forecast for the coming week for the Upper Midwest that used words like "blizzard" in it.  Not so good.  We are now, finally, showing the "day" part of the 24 hours as being above 10 hours, which is a nice change, and in the right direction.  Picking up more than 2 minutes per day, an amount that is increasing slightly, day by day.
I hate Winter.

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The Old Testament reading this morning ins chapters 25 and 266 of the Exodus.  Preparations for the Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant.  VERY detailed instructions here.  VERY.

Exodus 25 

1	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2	Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
3	And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,
4	And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
5	And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,
6	Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,
7	Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.
8	And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
9	According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
10	And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
11	And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
12	And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.
13	And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
14	And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.
15	The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
16	And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
17	And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
18	And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
19	And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubim on the two ends thereof.
20	And the cherubim shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.
21	And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
22	And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
23	Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
24	And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.
25	And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.
26	And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.
27	Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.
28	And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.
29	And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.
30	And thou shalt set upon the table showbread before me always.
31	And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
32	And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:
33	Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.
34	And in the candlesticks shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
35	And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.
36	Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
37	And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
38	And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
39	Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.
40	And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount.

Exodus 26 

1	Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubim of cunning work shalt thou make them.
2	The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.
3	The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.
4	And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
5	Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another.
6	And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle.
7	And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.
8	The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure.
9	And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle.
10	And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.
11	And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.
12	And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.
13	And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it.
14	And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers' skins.
15	And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up.
16	Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board.
17	Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle.
18	And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward.
19	And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
20	And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards:
21	And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
22	And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards.
23	And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
24	And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.
25	And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
26	And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
27	And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward.
28	And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end.
29	And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold.
30	And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was showed thee in the mount.
31	And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubim shall it be made:
32	And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.
33	And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
34	And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.
35	And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.
36	And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.
37	And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

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The New Testament reading is verses 1-22 of Matthew 21.  Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem just before Passover.  Things are about to get intense.

Matthew 21:1-22 

1	And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
2	Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
3	And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4	All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5	Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
6	And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7	And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8	And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9	And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
10	And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
11	And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
12	And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13	And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
14	And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
15	And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased,
16	And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
17	And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
18	Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
19	And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
20	And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
21	Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
22	And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.