'Redfish Point from EastBeachDrive

Weather outside appears lovely, 47°F wind NW 10mph and feels like 42°. Leaving to go walk in a couple minutes, where the raw chill coming off the Bay onto octogenarian pedestrians moseying along East Beach Drive will bite into us, therefore wearing most warm jacket, pullover knitted hat, and counting on that gloves are in my car.

Yesterday we had eschaton Sunday, the End of Time is imminent, God the Son hizownself saying so, though Matthew has him professing that not even he knows exactly when. That prophecy of the End Time has been stirring for millennia, two thousand years in the Christian Era alone and, quite frankly, it has lost its urgency. Toward the end of his ministry even Saint Paul seems to have given up his certitude; and in our Time & Place its credence is gone and it has become just something we say in the liturgy as though saying it will bring it to pass (which if you've ever peered through an astronomical telescope you know that ain't gonna happen, that is, barring an incoming asteroid). Not even that actually, quite recent, the memorial acclamation ending "Christ will come again" was only just added to our eucharistic prayer during the 20th century liturgical reform, to give the People something to say as participants. MHatchett (p.375) says it "adds an eschatological dimension lacking in earlier Books". I didn't feel that "lack" was a shortcoming in Cranmer's liturgy and I recall wondering at the time WTH the reformers were thinking, sticking in so arcane a theological notion. If they needed to add something theologically sound for the People to say, instead of making up something, it should have been the Maranatha, "Amen, come, Lord Jesus".

And so, for the Sunday coming up, Advent 2, the wild man of the desert comes ranting and raving against folks who come out to be baptized by him for the washing away of their sins, but especially to renounce any claim to messiahship, the evangelists' fascinating literary technique, not as subtle as intended, for taking John out of the running. I look forward to digging into that as we move, the word is inexorably, toward Christmas.

What else was I meaning to say? One, that I'm ignoring the impeachment process, if the Dems want Trump out of office they need to straighten out the hills and valleys and make a smooth, straight way. As it is, they don't seem to have sense enough to realize they're shooting themselves in the foot; but it won't hurt until late evening November 3, 2020.

The American telephone system? Totally alphabeted up: as I was typing this blog, my phone rang and it said from 850-532-9646 North Korea. No, really. This cellphone is old and out of date, but to replace it I'm waiting for one of those new cellphones with the little red button I can press to detonate a nuclear bomb on the caller's end. Costs a little extra but it's worth it.

Minor aggravation of the day: after weeks of keys not working, and finally getting it all straightened out so I finally had a new correct key that worked, the lock & key folks came out and fixed everything, and now my new correct key doesn't work, but I think my old one will again.

Leaving now to go out to PCB for lunch at Breakfast Point with Malinda.

RSF&PTL

W