Friday the Fourth
Should I write a blogpost this morning, or give it a miss? I missed Wednesday and Thursday, should I jot something down today? For years it was every day almost without fail, but it's slid to when I'm so inclined. This late morning I'm not much inclined, but I'll free the dancing fingers to tippy-type while I keep fiddling with this sermon for Sunday.
Yep. It's me again.
And we draft our sermons, most of us don't stand up and turn it over to the Holy Spirit. That did happen once decades ago, I've told this here before, at an Easter Sunrise service with dozens of townfolk out on the end of one of our most expansive piers, the designated preacher - - who was from one of the holiness churches in town, this service was an offering of our town ministers' alliance - - the preacher stood up, began forcefully and in earnest, then paused, tried again, paused, tried again, paused, looked around embarrassed and said, "Y'all pray for me, 'cause the Spirit has left me." I felt sad for him, and empathetic, knowing I'd have done much worse than he did.
Some of our seminaries teach students to stand up front at the crossing and preach without notes, a dear friend memorized his sermons the day and night before then walked down to middle of the aisle to preach; my seminary required us to get into the pulpit with a full manuscript, having given the homiletics professor a copy of the manuscript, and I have followed the manuscript method all my years in the pulpit. So, I draft something, then fiddle with it for days, sometimes, as happened this Time, ending up with something totally different from my first draft.
So, it's still happening, and will keep on happening, thinking and revising, until I step into the pulpit at the eight o'clock service Sunday morning.
If there are problems, I'll continue thinking and revising in the hour and a half between services and before I step up again at ten-thirty.
Below are the Propers for the day (scroll way down).
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But what's happening, what's important to me this morning? The POD is crab cakes for noon dinner, we're going to Pruitt mid to later afternoon, with Kristen, to visit Malinda. Linda, Kristen and I have on schedule to go somewhere for supper this early evening. Probably here in St Andrews as we have a taste for mullet, and I for oysters. How could I stand to finish up this life when there are still oysters to be eaten?
Cars, I don't car shop for serious any more, because I'd rather have the cash than the car; but I do keep my eye on Cramer's webpage and online inventory in case it comes down to necessary. I gave my elderly Cadillac V8 to Joe almost two years ago, and have had Kristen's nearly worn out Volvo here on standby ever since; but I'm a GM man and there are always interesting Buick cars on the lot just walking distance from here.
Ralphie said that his father was an Oldsmobile man, and I watch A Christmas Story every year for two reasons, to admire Ralphie's dad's 1937 Olds Six, and to watch Ralphie beat the heck out of yellow-eyed bully Scut Farkus. No, three reasons, to admire the 1947 Chevrolet that shows up when the police and fire department are called when Flick's tongue sticks to the flagpole. I love the film because it's in my Time, and I can proximate-date it by watching the cars, especially those that drive by in traffic the evening of the Christmas parade scenario.
Do I really love watching Ralphie get Scut Farkus? No, but I do hate bullies even though I realize there are reasons that they are the way they are.
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Telling too much about yourself again, Bubba, watch it.
For supper with Kris, it'll probably be Captain's Table because they nearly always have fried mullet. Hunt's never have mullet when we go, and it's so noisy loud in there that conversation is nearly impossible.
Anyway, RSF&PTL
T89&c
Old Testament: Genesis 2:18-24
The Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman,
for out of Man this one was taken.”
Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.
The Psalm; Psalm 8
1 O Lord our Governor, * how exalted is your Name in all the world!
2 Out of the mouths of infants and children * your majesty is praised above the heavens.
3 You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries, * to quell the enemy and the avenger.
4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, * the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,
5 What is man that you should be mindful of him? * the son of man that you should seek him out?
6 You have made him but little lower than the angels; * you adorn him with glory and honor;
7 You give him mastery over the works of your hands; * you put all things under his feet:
8 All sheep and oxen, * even the wild beasts of the field,
9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, * and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.
10 O Lord our Governor, * how exalted is your Name in all the world!
The Epistle: Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere,
“What are human beings that you are mindful of them,
or mortals, that you care for them?
You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned them with glory and honor,
subjecting all things under their feet.”
Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying,
“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”
The Gospel: Mark 10:2-16
Some Pharisees came, and to test Jesus they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
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pic: sunset yesterday from 7H porch
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