behold!

Now is after church, church is over and folks are at lunch. Our gospel this morning was from John 1, John the Baptist acclaiming Jesus as Lamb of God, Messiah the Christ, the day after the baptism scenario. John says "ide! (idou), which means "BEHOLD! the Lamb of God". And again the day after that. Well, Gospel John reports John the Baptist saying that. It's Gospel John's way of having John the Baptist himself dismiss any claim that John the Baptist's followers and later generations might have accorded John the Baptist of being Christ, the Messiah and moving on into Christian Heilsgeschichte, holy history, with Jesus the Messiah of the Jesus Movement, of which we are members today over two thousand years later.

This will not be understood outside the Episcopal Church, but notwithstanding the most tempting menu offered at Tap Room, StAndrews, Sunday afternoon begins with a martini (formula to follow), an incomparably delicious bit of venison brisket, a pause, then rare to medium rare prime beef NY strip steaks. After that, the High Priestly Nap that we take on Sunday afternoons.

Church this morning was well served by Gospel John except that the moron who put the gospel book together started John 1:29-42 by adding a nonexistent verse, "The day after John the Baptist baptized Jesus", which I inadvertently read. Whoever put the big red gospel book together is an idiot and bears watching, caution. Notwithstanding what the synoptic gospels report, Gospel John purposely skirts any indication that John the Baptist baptized Jesus, and the red gospel book misquotes the evangelist, to my disgust: what kind of ignorant non-scholars are putting our stuff together - -

Proud of U S Navy naming a new aircraft carrier after Dorie Miller, hero of Pearl Harbor.

Time to get those steaks on the grill.

Martini formula: over ice in shaker. Half jigger dry vermouth. Jigger (oz) cheap gin, jigger cheap vodka, half jigger top quality botanical gin. Shake shake shake shake. Pour into proper martini glass. Add three anchovy olives and teaspoon anchovy olive brine. Sip and chat.

T+