Good Intentions Romans 7:15-25 15 What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. 16 So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary. 17 But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! 18 I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. 19 I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. 20 My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. 21 It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. 22 I truly delight in God's commands, 23 but it's pretty ob...

Rebekah? Who are her people? Genesis 24, our Old Testament reading for July 3: Proper 9, is the story of Abraham sending his servant back to the old country to find a wife for his son Isaac. The servant is not named, but tradition calls him Eliezer of Damascus (Genesis 15:2). It’s a delightful story in which we watch God’s plan of salvation for Israel unfold as the servant encounters Rebekah, granddaughter of Abraham’s brother Nahor. She and Isaac would have been, what, first cousins once removed? After meeting Rebekah at the well, Abraham’s servant goes home with her and is welcomed by Bethuel her father and her brother Laban, who consent for Rebekah to go. Given the choice of now or later, Rebekah consents to go now with the servant as he leaves to return to the house of Abraham. Rebekah and Isaac become husband and wife.  As the saga unfolds in later chapters, the children of the union are the twins Esau and Jacob, with their fraternal jealousy and bickering, stirred by parent...

First Church Discussing church names over the years, my minister friends who were Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian have acknowledged there was a prestige factor in being appointed or called to be pastor of “First Church,” as in First Baptist, First Presbyterian, First United Methodist. Seems right, because First Church was the original church of that denomination in town, and often but not always the largest and wealthiest, with the most programs, most children. Not always, Second Baptist Church, Houston being one of the largest churches in America; but usually.  Lutheran, Roman Catholic, and Episcopal churches don't use the term "First Church," our churches are frequently named for saints or for church festivals or seasons. Some are named after people or families. Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church, Houston. Wallace Memorial Presbyterian Church Panama City. Meade Memorial Episcopal Church, Alexandria, Virginia. R. E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church, Lexington, Virginia. D...

This Too Shall Pass Before passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 women did not have the right to vote in every state, only men.  In my growing up years, women could not serve on a parish vestry or as delegates to diocesan conventions or General Convention; or acolytes, lay readers, ... And though there were women "deaconesses," women could not be ordained. Then they could be deacon. Then priest. Then bishop. Then presiding bishop. In 2003 an openly-gay man was elected bishop in the Episcopal Church, approved by General Convention, and consecrated. I objected strongly, and wrote so, not because the man was gay, but because it seemed sure to scandalize a large part of our church worldwide, especially churches in so-called “third world” countries where culture and certitude seem so different from ours. I thought it would cause schism in the worldwide Anglican Communion; and it has to some degree, though not the total collapse I expected. Obviously, it isn’t all over, and...

Uncle Heber That’s my Uncle Heber in cope and mitre on the very center of the front cover. The Living Church for June 19, 2011 has a wide-spread three-panel open-up cover of high church bishops gathered for the 1926 Catholic Congress in Milwaukee. In the thick and looking most regal, the Right Reverend Reginald Heber Weller, Bishop of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Apparently respected and well-liked by those who knew him, he was elected bishop on the first ballot at age 47, consecrated 1900, Suffragan twelve years, Diocesan 21 years, retired 1933. One of my grandfather’s brothers, Uncle Heber died in 1935, the year of my birth.  We have a photograph of Christ Church, St. Andrews (later St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Panama City), about 1915. The congregation are gathered in front of the church. Lots of my family were there. Uncle Heber, visiting from Fond du Lac, is in the photo along with two of his brothers, my grandfather A.D. Weller and the Rev. Charles Knight Weller. Their father, t...

Psalm 13 Usquequo, Domine? 1 How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. 5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. 6 I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me. (KJV) Psalm 13 is one appointed for tomorrow, Proper 8, Sunday closest to June 29. A psalm of David, it’s a powerful lament in an interesting but not unusual style for Hebrew poetry. David lamenting, perhaps, that King Saul hates him and is trying to kill him. In the end The Lord delivers David from danger and David gives thanks. Or perhaps David gives thanks knowing in faith that The Lord will deliver him. In t...

At Holy Nativity we are using Track One in the Revised Common Lectionary. In Track One we hear a good old-fashioned Bible story for the Old Testament lesson. The story for this Sunday is from Genesis 22: God tells Abraham to take his son Isaac up on the mountain, kill him, and offer him as a sacrifice, a burnt offering.  This horrifying story is called The Sacrifice of Isaac. Or more correctly The Near-Sacrifice of Isaac, because God stops the murder just as Abraham raises the knife to kill the child. Many scholars regard the story as the scandal of the Bible -- that God would demand such a shocking thing, the sacrifice of an innocent child; that Abraham would actually do it, as the story proves; that the death of Isaac whom God for so long had promised to Abraham and Sarah, would render meaningless the covenant between God and Abraham, God’s promise of many heirs. And what about the boy's mother? Hebrew scholars point out that after this horrific nightmare, Sarah never spoke again...

A loaded up hamburger is a favorite meal. The angus patties at Sam’s are about six ounces each, cook beautifully, and are much to my taste. Now in +Time though, Bubba cuts one in half, enjoys half this meal without cheese anymore, with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Chianti, Malbec, Zinfandel, ...   Enjoy the other half tomorrow. A glass of red. Besides “I’m alive!” another bit of good news at Cleveland was “You are anemic: eat beef. Eat protein.” It didn’t take long to overcome the anemia. Steaks, hamburgers. The problem with beef is still and nevertheless cholesterol, animal fat.  Joe lives in a warm, friendly neighborhood in Winston-Salem. Friends and neighbors get together all the time for supper, barbecues, cook-outs. Recently the couple across the street had Joe over for hamburgers. A vegan, Claudia cooked and served Black Bean Burgers. Joe recommended them, so Linda bought a package of Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burgers.  We each...

The Auburn My mother no longer remembers exactly when. But sometime after they married in June 1934 and before or soon after my birth in September 1935, my parents’ car broke down. They were visiting my mother’s family in Pensacola at the time. Jobs were scarce, and they had to get back to Panama City so my father could get to work the next day.  The earliest job I remember my father having was at the old ice plant. Nothing is there now, the property is vacant, but in the middle 1930s there was an ice plant way back behind Paul Brent Gallery, between West Beach Drive and the bay, where platted but unpaved Mercer Avenue curves around and ends. In my earliest memory my mother and I went to the ice plant to pick up my father from work. Then the Great Depression, he was being paid seven dollars a week and glad to get it. When their car broke down in Pensacola, my parents left it someplace to be repaired, perhaps Pensacola Buggy Works, the old Chevrolet dealership and gar...

Ordinary Time Digress a bit with me this morning. Wander down a tangent. With the rash of Principal Feasts behind us (Easter Day, Ascension Day, The Day of Pentecost, Trinity Sunday), the Church now moves into the Season after Pentecost. In the Roman Catholic and some Protestant Churches it’s called Ordinary Time.  To define Ordinary Time, go on line and look it up. Google this morning yields  About 26,100,000 results in 0.15 seconds . George Washington would be amazed. For Sunday readings during the Season after Pentecost the Revised Common Lectionary provides a choice (BCP 896, in the most recent edition of  The Book of Common Prayer,  which is not the one in the pew racks of most churches): This lectionary provides two patterns for the Old Testament reading during the Season after Pentecost, beginning with Proper 4. In one pattern, the Old Testament and Gospel readings are closely related each Sunday; in the other, the Old Testament is read in semi-continuous fas...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/20/world/20drones.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2 “I hate war,” FDR said in an August 1936 speech at Chautauqua, NY. Most everyone hates war, but war technology is fascinating, modern technology, developing technology, technology of the future. Defense research and development has ultimately given the world marvelous things. Weather satellites, GPS, medevac helicopters, Google Earth, jet aircraft, communication and TV satellites, ... the list is endless. NYT this morning has an article on drone aircraft, in use and in R&D. Predator drones, and intelligence drones, drones the size of birds and bugs. Drones in skies over Afghanistan and Pakistan, controlled by operators in the United States. Not yet fully operational, there is one that can land on a windowsill. An “aerostat” transmits videos from twenty miles away of insurgents planting IUDs. The use of drones reportedly is so effective against insurgents in Afghanistan as to warrant accel...

Trinity Sunday Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of thy Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech thee that thou wouldst keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see thee in thy one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. During his children’s homily, the minister always asked the little children a question to which the answer invariably was “Jesus.” But one Sunday morning he asked them a riddle. “It’s grey and furry, lives in trees, eats nuts, and has a bushy tail. What is it?”  The children’s mouths dropped. They looked at each other in shock. Nobody spoke. The minister asked again, “Come on, you know! What’s gray and furry, lives in trees, eats nuts, and has a big, bushy tail?” Still no answer. Finally one child hesitant...

A Collect for Saturdays Almighty God, who after the creation of the world rested from all your works and sanctified a day of rest for all your creatures: Grant that we, putting away all earthly anxieties, may be duly prepared for the service of your sanctuary, and that our rest here upon earth may be a preparation for the eternal rest promised to your people in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Our prayer for Saturday acknowledges today as the Sabbath, a day of rest established by God as a gift for God’s people.    And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it He rested from all His work which God in creating had made. (Genesis 2) Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is a sabbath unto the LORD thy God, in it thou shalt not do any manner ...

Ezekiel Bread Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof. Ezekiel 4:9a spelt - Native to southern Europe, where it's been used for millennia, spelt is an ancient cereal grain that has a mellow nutty flavor. The easily digestible spelt has a slightly higher protein content than wheat and can be tolerated by those with wheat allergies. Spelt flour, available in health-food stores, can be substituted for wheat flour in baked goods. Food Dictionary online Linda and I love different kinds of bread. Charlie Lahan’s Carousel has incomparably scrumptious heat and serve bread, sitting on a table in the aisle just east of the wine section. The bakery at Publix has delicious whole wheat bread baked right there in the store; it’s too perfect to toast: plain with “butter,” or with a smear of Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise and a thick slice of ripe red tomato.  Back by the meat section, Grocery ...

Crick In my vocation, Sunday afternoon is like a miniature end of Advent-Christmas or end of Lent-Holy Week-Easter Day. Time for a nap. Unfortunately, and for my first time ever, last Sunday’s nap ended with a crick in the neck. First ever crick in the neck. Despite minor pain meds it has not abated. Not in the least. Can any good come of a crick in the neck? That is the question. Going on line with “crick in the neck” yields 905,000 results in 0.08 second. Probably should get busy reading.  This morning’s thunderstorm is a surprise. On radar it’s a tiny spot that can’t last long, but there’s more out there. Jeremy and his brother Tim took J’s kayak out in the bay yesterday, intending to go again this morning. Tim and Lizzie are from England, Tim works in London. We love having everyone. Tass, Jeremy, Caroline, Charlotte, Tim and Lizzie are here for a few days, leaving this afternoon and stopping at Marianna Caverns on the way home to Tallahassee. Saturday, Tim and Lizzie are fly...

The Vietnam War was an insidious time when one never knew who was friend and who might hate you. This morning your Vietnam barber chats amiably and smiles warmly at you while shaving your neck. During the Viet Cong raid tonight he cuts your throat. The America venture in the jungles and rice paddies of SouthEast Asia was a new and different sort of war for us, never knowing who was friend or enemy. NYT top news headline and photo this morning. Pakistan Arrests C.I.A. Informants in Bin Laden Raid .  When speaking from the pulpit and writing public expressions, many in the priest business take care to separate church and state, stand back from left and right, red and blue. A minister’s convictions may be as strong as those of the most outspoken politician, but every priest lives among beloved friends and neighbors on all points of the spectrum. It wasn’t always so with Isaiah and the other prophets of doom, but the calling of ordained ministry is the love of God, to preach it and to ...