Monday bright and clear

Monday wakes up incomparably beautiful at 7H, no thanks to me but to Father, either Nature or the One Jesus called אַבָּא or, at any event whoever or whatever, as Jenson might have had it, said "let there be" and it was so.

How am I so blest as to end up here with no need of heaven beyond or more splendid - -

The spread of clouds before me could not be more myriad, although from time to time we see something ominous, as later this week they likely will see on the Carolina or Georgia Atlantic shore.

Or more changing. Those to the south, front of me, are withdrawing into the distance. The sun needs the clouds to do this 7H panorama for me. Comes winter it will all diminish for the most part, just sun and sky, few clouds.

POD: haircut at TAFB. Make appointment for Kristen's car to be serviced. On the kitchen counter: slice of prebirthday cake coming up to room temperature.

Text for next Sunday, the gospel reading:

Mark 8:27-38

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

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What about this comes first to mind? Several things, that we can discuss Wednesday evening at church. First maybe, that Matthew expands on by having Peter add to Mark's "You are the Christ," the proclamation "the Son of the living God." Second maybe, that the Markan "messianic secret" is here: why does Jesus tell his disciples not to mention that he is the Christ? Perhaps third, opens discusion about what Jesus and Mark mean by "the Son of Man". There's more, including a reference to the Eschaton. And also, maybe more for Sunday School than for an evening quickie in church, the idea that those who do not accept Jesus as Lord will be damned, which, counter to Jesus' humility and self-effacement, may seem to be a later church threat against nonbelievers, persecutors, or people leaving in droves - - although being written about 70 AD, I'm not sure Mark or the early church yet faced that situation.