im words
My waking mental exercise: Words that begin with the prefix "im" changing a basic word to its opposite meaning, how many, what words can I think of?
Why? what made me think of that? Well, it's that my mind is on next Sunday, Propers below, scroll down, that my favorite Creed (hint: it's not the Nicene Creed) says
the Father incomprehensible, and
the Son incomprehensible, and
the Holy Spirit incomprehensible, and yet
they are not three incomprehensibles but
one incomprehensible,
and the mind shifts to negative prefixes. In Greek-based words I know about "a" and "an" as in agnostic, which means not-knowing as an opposite of the gnostics, who knew the secrets of the kingdom -> this introduces the Gospel of Thomas and off the bat IDs it as a gnostic document; and maybe I don't remember for sure but maybe I've spotted some hints of gnosticism in the Gospel according to John; and rises in Secret Mark, which may be one of several reasons it was excised. And also anamnesis, which means not-forgetting and which I teach or rather show-and-tell in Sunday School and in Confirmation Class when we look at the six eucharistic prayers in the Book of Common Prayer and three more in EOW, the little red supplemental booklet Enriching Our Worship.
So "in" for comprehending the Trinity, what's left of the mind after more than eighty-five years backs up one step from "in" to "im" and I think of the picture in the article Norm sent me and contemplate the claimed impossibility of getting through to destroy those aircraft carriers. Supposedly, a submarine couldn't get anywhere near firing range, and missiles or other incoming aircraft would be blown out of the sky a hundred miles away. So how is it possible to destroy that fleet? Impossible? I hope, trust and pray so! How about a death ray from an enemy satellite?
Anyway, in the English language: a, an, dis, il, ir, non, un, in, im ... . impossible, improper, impotent, impassable, implacable, immobile, improbable, immovable, imperceptible, immortal, impolite, implausible, impair?, imbalance, im---, when I sat up on the edge of the bed at waking, a dozen or more came to mind and now they're gone and I'm not bothering with a dictionary, so it's up to you.
My plan for next, Trinity Sunday, to explore the so-called Creed of Saint Athanasius, imploded (is that one? I don't think so, it's "ex" versus "im", what's the breakdown and etymology?) yesterday when someone said they found the Holy Spirit confusing and I asked Jim to give everyone a BCP so we could turn to Historical Documents.
T+
The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
First Sunday after Pentecost:
Trinity Sunday
Year B
RCL
Isaiah 6:1-8
Romans 8:12-17
John 3:1-17
Psalm 29
or Canticle 13 (or Canticle 2)
The Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Old Testament
Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”
The Psalm
Psalm 29
1 Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders; *
the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *
the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *
and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
8 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *
and strips the forests bare.
9 And in the temple of the Lord *
all are crying, "Glory!"
10 The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *
the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.
11 The Lord shall give strength to his people; *
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
or
Canticle 13
A Song of Praise Benedictus es, Domine
Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34
Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; *
you are worthy of praise; glory to you.
Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; *
on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.
Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you, beholding the depths; *
in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.
Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
The Epistle
Romans 8:12-17
So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ-- if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
The Gospel
John 3:1-17
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.