Prepare Ye

This Sunday's (June 17, 2018) lessons for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost were: Ezekiel 17:22-24 ; Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15 ; 2 Corinthians 5:6-17; and 4:26-34 . This continues a sermon series on 2nd Corinthians, but wanders into current events. I am trying PodBean as a source to archive sermon recordings, and so today's messages can be listened to or downloaded below, or through PodBean . Audio Recordings are here:   We also remember that three years ago today, nine people were murdered during a Bible study at Mother Emmanuel in Charleston. And we remember that things have not gotten any better. Lord, have mercy. Please join me in prayer. It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night. Amen . I want to wish a Happy Father’s Day to all fathers, to those who are father figures, and for those who wish to be fathers. ...

My prayers are with the victims of the shooting (assassination?) in Arizona, as well as all of their friends, families and others who are effected by this tragedy. With the volume and venom turned up in political discourse. Will those who have decided to call others "un-American" dial down their comments. Representative Giffords was one of SarahPac's Targets. Maybe referring to a political rival as a target, and using cross hairs to identify them is not a good idea.

So I' m checking my Facebook account, and see a message from my good friend (& future Bishop) Faithful Yet Changing who has a message to pray for Glen Beck. And my response is the title of this post, "Are You Freakin ' Nuts??" Politically, I score just left of center, but that is because I hold a couple of far right positions which balance out some of my far left positions. But in the past year or so, I have found myself leaning farther and farther left, mostly in response to the morons (and I apologize to all of the real morons for lumping them in with this group) at Fixed Noise, like Beck, O'Riley & Hannity . The venom they spout comes from either ignoring facts or not being able to understand them or being so deluded that they actually believe the crap they spread. I only clicked on the link because it is Future Bishop Faithful Yet Changing 's birthday, and I was hoping this was going to be a joke, kind of like being Rick rolled. But it wasn'...

Just In Case You Were Wondering ... … why Steve King (R-Iowa) was the only member of the House of Representatives to vote against a resolution recognizing the free labor provided by slaves in the building of the U.S. Capitol. In addition to the resolution itself, a plaque will be placed in the House Visitors Center stating that the Capitol was built in part by slave labor. So why did Rep. King vote against the resolution? We’ve gotten an explanation from Rep. Steve King (R-IA) for why he was the lone vote against acknowledging the role of slaves in building the U.S. Capitol. He did it to protest “a several year effort by liberals in Congress to scrub references to America’s Christian heritage from our nation’s Capitol”: Our Judeo-Christian heritage is an essential foundation stone of our great nation and should not be held hostage to yet another effort to place guilt on future Americans for the sins of some of their ancestors. So there you have it. Leastways, that’s as good ...

The political shelf life of a pit bull with lipstick, just about 10 months. From August 29 of last year until July 3, you captivated us with your plain-folks style. Fortunately, the voters decided to keep your vendetta stylings out of the VP's undisclosed location. Good luck fighting off any remaining scandals, Sarah. Ya don't mind if I call ya Sarah, doya?

I just heard that in China, the date of June 4, is forbidden from appearing on any computers. Today is the 20th anniversary of Tiananmen Square Massacre . I remember watching the demonstrations on TV, and seeing the pictures of this brave man who tried to stop the tanks. Since June 4th can't appear on computers in China, let us remember May 35th.

One of the programs I used to coordinate in my previous life was a sports competition between my hometown and a city in Canada. We would get together during the fall and winter to plan what we would do next year and how to fix what went wrong the previous year. Usually, some of the Canadians would come sporting a felt poppy. I found out they were celebrating Remembrance Day, when the (first) War to End All Wars ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Sting - Children's Crusade Young men, soldiers, nineteen fourteen Marching through countries they'd never seen Virgins with rifles, a game of charades All for a children's crusade Pawns in the game are not victims of chance Strewn on the fields of Belgium and France Poppies for young men, death's bitter trade All of those young lives betrayed The children of England would never be slaves They're trapped on the wire and dying in waves The flower of England face down in the mud And stained in the blood ...

Barack Obama Remarks after the New Hampshire Primary on January 9, 2008. We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only grow louder and more dissonant in the weeks to come. We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope. But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. For when we have faced down impossible odds; when we've been told that we're not ready, or that we shouldn't try, or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people. Yes we can. It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation. Yes we can. It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom through the darkest of nights. Yes we can. It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed west...

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord , the Lord 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, ‘My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, s...

No matter what they are saying, my thoughts on how each campaign feels about their chances can be determined by their election night plans. Barack Obama is planning a giant rally in Chicago's Grant Park. John McCain is NOT GOING TO HIS OWN PARTY at a Phoenix hotel. Tickets are limited. Instead, he will make remarks to just a few reporters.

A couple of weeks back, I responded to a request by the Matthew 25 PAC to send an email to James Dobson's Focus on the Family after his repulsive "Letter from 2012," which was his piece of fiction about how an Obama presidency would lead to the end of civilization as we know it. (But I thought Dobson wanted to hurry on the End Times? No, that's Hagee. I get my mega-conservative cultists confused.) I got a very condescending auto response back. I responded, but after a week have heard nothing. That's probably because it went nowhere. Dr. Dobbie's website contains NO EMAIL addresses. If you want to tell them something, you can only do it through their limited feedback system, or snail mail. A telling way to tell you they don't want to hear from you. SO ... here's my initial letter, their response and my comeback. Initial letter Pastor Dobson, While I respect your use of your call to be a prophetic messenger, but your absolute rejection of even the most ...

Why? Why are you anti-American if you dislike John McCain or Sarah Palin? Why is liberal a bad word? Why does John McCain equate it with socialism? Why is any policy proposed by the Democrats risky or dangerous? Why is it disrespectful when Barack Obama suggests something the GOP doesn't like? Why is the right SO convinced they are always correct? Why can't someone disagree with the Republicans and be patriotic? I think the most patriotic thing I have ever seen is in the above picture. That unknown man did what he felt was the best thing for his country. And did it at the probable loss of his life. That's what happens when you have a total authoritarian government. That's what happens when you can't oppose. That's what happens when you can't disagree. This is the second time that I've posted this song, and the second time I've used almost the same title for a post. The first was when I said something rude to a friend. This time isn't as serious ...

Separated at birth?

While watching the post-debate spin from the VP debate last night, I have come to a realization. While I do not, and will not support the McCain-Palin ticket, I readily admit Gov. Palin did well and connected with the viewing audience. She is a very engaging person. Would I like her to be my neighbor? Sure. Would I enjoy having her as a friend? Doggone it, I'd have to say yeah. Do I want her anywhere near the nuculer launch codes or to have more power than Dick Chaney? Gosh Darn It, No Way in Hell! I want my political leaders to have some gravitas. I want them to be smarter than I am. I want them to understand the complex issues the rest of us struggle with. I think it is the same with parishioners and their pastors. They would like someone they can sit down and talk and connect with. But they need their pastors to have some heaft and be able to help them walk through the complex issues and problems of their lives. They would like to have a friend. They need a pastor.

Why, oh why, is it that the most insightful political commentary this year is coming from people who are really comedians? I don't mean the funny by accident fools at Fixed Noise, or the over the top rants of Keith Doberman, but the people on TV who are supposed to be funny. Thank God SNL is back to rip both sides (Obama will get his share of slams) and the Daily Show & Colbert Report will be back on the air soon. Here are a few of my favs. Saturday Night Live 9/13/09 - Palin/Hillary Opening (Tina Fey/Amy Poehler) This may be one of the funniest openings on SNL. Amy Poehler deserves an Emmy nod just for this. Craig Ferguson-The Late Late Show 9/12/08 John Stewart-The Daily Show 9/5/08

Is it just me, or does McSame's running mate look like Tina Fey?

Here are my three favorite political ads of this week. Barack Obama's response to McSame's claim that he is a maverick. If maverick means liar and deluded, well... See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die Paris Hilton has a use! Yeah Paris!!! Barack Obama - Change (not a real ad from Obama or Apple.)

I may not like it, but it's the truth. From Political Graffiti by Donar

from MoveOn.Org