PRAY FOR HIM.
He just fell at his summer house in Maine. Pray for a speedy recovery. He will get up.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
SIGNS AND WONDERS
Signs, Wonders and Miracles.
The God of Wonder gives us signs all the time, sometimes without asking-things that stop you in your tracks. Sometimes they are real signs. Like the ones hanging on doors, licence plates or walls. Sometimes, but not always they are more subtle. A bush that burns but never burns out isn't too subtle. That's a show stopper.
God gave Moses a sign that he would have power to deliver his people from the Egyptians when he turned his staff into a snake after Moses protested he was too ineloquent to do the job. God gave Moses a sign he would lead him through the desert when he manifested the pillars of fire and smoke to lead him. God gave Noah a sign of the flood when he told him to build an ark before it ever started raining. God gave the world a sign of Jesus by over 300 Old Testament prophesies that foretold of his coming significantly by the prophet Isaiah. Jesus gave everyone who cared to listen signs of who he was by all the miracles he did perform before them, raising the dead to life, curing all manner of disease healing the sick, driving out demons, turning water to wine, walking on water, converting souls to forgiveness, repentance and deeper love. All that pronounced loudly who Jesus was for he who had ears to listen. So when the Scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign or miracle of who Jesus was and Jesus cursed them as "an evil and adulterous generation" why did he do that?
It wasn't because they asked for a sign, it's because they asked for a sign-they who were so oblivious to all the signs that were already in their faces- and the leaders of the "evil and adulterous generation". It would be like someone watching someone walking on their hands while juggling with their feet from a high wire saying-prove you really work for Cirque du Soleil. Why were they "evil?" Because they were so self-righteously self-absorbed they refused to see what was staring them in their faces. They had ears to hear and didn't hear. They had eyes to see and were blind.
They were "adulterous" in that they followed after their own idols and God is a jealous God. They were so stuck in their own tilted ritualistic paradigm that they quashed the life out of it; they preferred kissing images to people.
They were so adulterous they lusted after their own power, privilege and perspective to a point where it blinded them to all the miracles and all the prophecies in scripture in which they were supposed to be so astutely expert.
God loves signs, wonders and miracles. All you have to do is look out your window, then read Revelation to understand this. His creation is full of signs, wonders and miracles like a map to Treasure Island. Leaves on trees is a sign of spring and regeneration and rebirth. Snow is a sign of a cold winter. A bee on a flower is a sign that pollenation will follow and flowers will spring forth. "A baby is a sign that God has not given up on the World."
And what of the people who are blind and deaf to that which is before their faces? Ask the progeny of the people who didn't make it on Noah's Ark. Oh- whoops. You can't. They went the way of Atlantis.
There is a Redeemer. He is the font of every blessing. Every One. Sometimes he puts the blessing right in front of your face. You can close your eyes because he gave you free will.
But if you return to sender, he doesn't promise you a gift receipt.
The God of Wonder gives us signs all the time, sometimes without asking-things that stop you in your tracks. Sometimes they are real signs. Like the ones hanging on doors, licence plates or walls. Sometimes, but not always they are more subtle. A bush that burns but never burns out isn't too subtle. That's a show stopper.
God gave Moses a sign that he would have power to deliver his people from the Egyptians when he turned his staff into a snake after Moses protested he was too ineloquent to do the job. God gave Moses a sign he would lead him through the desert when he manifested the pillars of fire and smoke to lead him. God gave Noah a sign of the flood when he told him to build an ark before it ever started raining. God gave the world a sign of Jesus by over 300 Old Testament prophesies that foretold of his coming significantly by the prophet Isaiah. Jesus gave everyone who cared to listen signs of who he was by all the miracles he did perform before them, raising the dead to life, curing all manner of disease healing the sick, driving out demons, turning water to wine, walking on water, converting souls to forgiveness, repentance and deeper love. All that pronounced loudly who Jesus was for he who had ears to listen. So when the Scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign or miracle of who Jesus was and Jesus cursed them as "an evil and adulterous generation" why did he do that?
It wasn't because they asked for a sign, it's because they asked for a sign-they who were so oblivious to all the signs that were already in their faces- and the leaders of the "evil and adulterous generation". It would be like someone watching someone walking on their hands while juggling with their feet from a high wire saying-prove you really work for Cirque du Soleil. Why were they "evil?" Because they were so self-righteously self-absorbed they refused to see what was staring them in their faces. They had ears to hear and didn't hear. They had eyes to see and were blind.
They were "adulterous" in that they followed after their own idols and God is a jealous God. They were so stuck in their own tilted ritualistic paradigm that they quashed the life out of it; they preferred kissing images to people.
They were so adulterous they lusted after their own power, privilege and perspective to a point where it blinded them to all the miracles and all the prophecies in scripture in which they were supposed to be so astutely expert.
God loves signs, wonders and miracles. All you have to do is look out your window, then read Revelation to understand this. His creation is full of signs, wonders and miracles like a map to Treasure Island. Leaves on trees is a sign of spring and regeneration and rebirth. Snow is a sign of a cold winter. A bee on a flower is a sign that pollenation will follow and flowers will spring forth. "A baby is a sign that God has not given up on the World."
And what of the people who are blind and deaf to that which is before their faces? Ask the progeny of the people who didn't make it on Noah's Ark. Oh- whoops. You can't. They went the way of Atlantis.
There is a Redeemer. He is the font of every blessing. Every One. Sometimes he puts the blessing right in front of your face. You can close your eyes because he gave you free will.
But if you return to sender, he doesn't promise you a gift receipt.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
BREAD OF LIFE
I AM
The Bread of
Life
Some law firms in DC have figured out that it makes good economic sense to hire staffs of contract attorneys rather than staff up with permanent associates for limited projects where many hours are required to produce documents, generate privilege logs or do other document intensive reviews (Greek to you, I know.) As a result there is a population of attorneys out there who specialize in doing that sort of work efficiently and most major firms use them.
These attorneys have their favorite firms and they have seen a few. They
don't like the firms where they feel "babysat" or where they are overly monitored or where they are not given Internet access. There are a litany of preferences that make these assignments more palatable. One thing you will always hear bragged upon by these attorneys is when the firm provides food- you might hear "that firm is great-they fed us every night from a different restaurant." When you work 12-16 hour days, it's nice having dinner catered.
It struck me- God does this every day. God feeds us every day. Any day of the week you can go to a Catholic Church at meal times- in the morning around breakfast time, at lunch, at dinner time typically and you get a meal. You are fed the Word of the Living God and you are fed himself. The bread of life. The Eucharist.
God sets a table, and he ordered from the finest restaurant in town. You are invited on this project. He will feed you every day. You asked for it didn't you? You said "Give us this day our daily bread." He said ask and you will receive. Just ask.
The Bread of
Life
Some law firms in DC have figured out that it makes good economic sense to hire staffs of contract attorneys rather than staff up with permanent associates for limited projects where many hours are required to produce documents, generate privilege logs or do other document intensive reviews (Greek to you, I know.) As a result there is a population of attorneys out there who specialize in doing that sort of work efficiently and most major firms use them.
These attorneys have their favorite firms and they have seen a few. They
don't like the firms where they feel "babysat" or where they are overly monitored or where they are not given Internet access. There are a litany of preferences that make these assignments more palatable. One thing you will always hear bragged upon by these attorneys is when the firm provides food- you might hear "that firm is great-they fed us every night from a different restaurant." When you work 12-16 hour days, it's nice having dinner catered.
It struck me- God does this every day. God feeds us every day. Any day of the week you can go to a Catholic Church at meal times- in the morning around breakfast time, at lunch, at dinner time typically and you get a meal. You are fed the Word of the Living God and you are fed himself. The bread of life. The Eucharist.
God sets a table, and he ordered from the finest restaurant in town. You are invited on this project. He will feed you every day. You asked for it didn't you? You said "Give us this day our daily bread." He said ask and you will receive. Just ask.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Monday, July 02, 2007
Shameless Movie Plug- see SICKO
Needs No Introduction.
Michael Moore promised to infuriate humorously and he delivered brilliantly in his movie assessing the State of the Healthcare system of the Union in his movie SICKO- EVERYONE and their mother and uncle Ted needs to see it. EVERYONE. It's pure genius.
If you are tired of the whining "our healthcare system is broken" and refrains of
the pharmaceutical and insurance industries are bankrupting people and ruining
the health of the country, yaddidy, yaddidy, ya- just go see the movie. Just shut up and go see it.
If you want to see what the National Hospital in Havana Cuba looks like, and how the French know how to care for absolutely everyone including the Americans who have moved there, and the history of English "socialized" medicine and the delight and happiness of the Canadians with the fact that they don't pay for any health care personally -just go see the movie.
If you don't understand yet why the rest of the civilized world thinks that we are insane in the manner in which we let the HMOs, insurance companies and things other than our health care needs dictate our health care received - just go see the movie.
If you don't understand why and how we fail pathetically to care for the least of ours, go see it.
He doesn't trash all doctors, he doesn't bash innovation- just go see it.
Just stop your belly aching and go see the movie. If we all get a clue, maybe we can get a grip-
and collectively figure out a way that every American has as his or her birthright-
not just the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but something foundational to all of it; universal health care coverage. Because if you are drowning in medical bill debt and really sick, you cannot fully be either free or happy and it's not far until you are prematurely dead.
Universal Health Care- Why has most every civilized industrialized first world nation in the world figured it out but us? Just go see the movie.
This has been a public service announcement paid for by nobody's campaign for anything. But it should be everyone's campaign for everything because-as my mother says-"if you have your health you have everything".--well, close --
Michael Moore promised to infuriate humorously and he delivered brilliantly in his movie assessing the State of the Healthcare system of the Union in his movie SICKO- EVERYONE and their mother and uncle Ted needs to see it. EVERYONE. It's pure genius.
If you are tired of the whining "our healthcare system is broken" and refrains of
the pharmaceutical and insurance industries are bankrupting people and ruining
the health of the country, yaddidy, yaddidy, ya- just go see the movie. Just shut up and go see it.
If you want to see what the National Hospital in Havana Cuba looks like, and how the French know how to care for absolutely everyone including the Americans who have moved there, and the history of English "socialized" medicine and the delight and happiness of the Canadians with the fact that they don't pay for any health care personally -just go see the movie.
If you don't understand yet why the rest of the civilized world thinks that we are insane in the manner in which we let the HMOs, insurance companies and things other than our health care needs dictate our health care received - just go see the movie.
If you don't understand why and how we fail pathetically to care for the least of ours, go see it.
He doesn't trash all doctors, he doesn't bash innovation- just go see it.
Just stop your belly aching and go see the movie. If we all get a clue, maybe we can get a grip-
and collectively figure out a way that every American has as his or her birthright-
not just the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but something foundational to all of it; universal health care coverage. Because if you are drowning in medical bill debt and really sick, you cannot fully be either free or happy and it's not far until you are prematurely dead.
Universal Health Care- Why has most every civilized industrialized first world nation in the world figured it out but us? Just go see the movie.
This has been a public service announcement paid for by nobody's campaign for anything. But it should be everyone's campaign for everything because-as my mother says-"if you have your health you have everything".--well, close --
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