September slipping away

 

Couple of things in mind, several maybe, but it's evening 

now the day is over, night is drawing nigh; shadows of the evening steal across the sky ... when the morning wakens, then may I arise, pure and fresh and sinless in thy holy eyes

and I've been doing mental work on Mark's gospel all day and my mind is gone. But I'm thinking.

At Mark 9:33-50 there's a string of nine sayings of Jesus that Mark has imaginatively linked together, maybe as he originally received them, set for easy commitment to memory and oral repetition in the New Testament age before universal writing and reading. I've got it sorted out for show & tell in class Sunday, but I have no idea whether people are really interested in this sort of detail about Mark and his agenda, and Mark's literary devices for getting his agenda across. There's a million things to know and tell about Mark and his gospel, and only Time to tell a few, and my problem of what to cover and what to skip over.

That's what's in my mind this evening.

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But oh the other thing. On the political scene, lots is happening across America. What to take sides and comment on and when to keep my mouth shut? As a clergy person in a church that's strongly committed to a gospel of social action, compassion, generosity, and lovingkindness, and peopled with folks from every side of every issue, I still hold to a persuasion that the Church, where the Altar and Holy Meal belong to God not to the Church and everyone is invited and welcome, also needs to be fully a place of shelter, peace, and welcome for everyone; I don't need to be drawing lines in my sand so folks don't feel comfortable with me.

A lot is happening and being committed and tolerated, even cheered, in America that during and after WW2 we knew could never happen here. But that I recognize happening. It's government of the people, by the people, and for the people, and I guess it's what the people want. As I've said before, it's a good Time to be ninety and counting.

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Birthday month, summer into fall. I have oysters in the refrigerator; they're not as enjoyable out of a plastic container as they are tipping the shell up as the oyster pours into my mouth. "Two dozen raw half-shell" is one of my favorite sayings. 

My experience so far: don't hold me to it, but at Gene's Oyster Bar I've been served thirteen oysters per dozen, a customer-friendly thing to do, a way to entice me back. Soon again.

T90