Moving on

Silence. From the South: silence, stunned silence. Both our top football teams whipped. Stand, remove your hats, a moment of silence, flag at half-mast.

This new playoff system is not so pretty good after all. What now? Counting on Harbaugh to put Ohio State in their place for all time. For now? Go Ducks.

Moving on --

It has been said that mankind’s greatest curse is religion: instead of the agape’ that might long ago have brought peace on earth and goodwill among men (ἀνθρώποις), we are so deeply entrenched in our wicked certainties that we murderously hate in the Name of God -- surely the most damning of all blasphemies. However, it is not religion that is the curse, but Certainty that is the greatest evil. For anyone who takes religion seriously, an excellent opinion appeared in the Washington Post this week: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ej-dionne-questioning-our-questions/2014/12/31/d03039f4-903c-11e4-ba53-a477d66580ed_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

Moving on --

Tomorrow is the Second Sunday of Christmas or the Second Sunday after Christmas Day, take your pick. Yet, in our Gospel hymn and Gospel reading we are observing The Epiphany -- which has its own day January 6, in our Western Church the coming of the Magi, but in the Eastern Church the Baptism of the Lord with the voice from heaven, which we shall read next Sunday, January 11. Better to have observed the Nativity Gospel according to Luke all the way through, from Jesus’ birth, to his presentation in the Temple, to his appearance again in the Temple at age twelve; child of Jerusalem and the Temple. We may do that in Adult Sunday School tomorrow morning, the whole story as Luke tells it. Next year in Jerusalem.

Moving on --

Hercules comes this morning.

Moving on --

TW+