Wednesday

Wednesday morning 7 Jan 2026, 65°F here at 7H and going to 75° today. A bit hazy out as the sun shows up to dry out the air over our Bay, and I'm wondering whether I can get up - - whatever - - to write another +Time blogpost after several days of sitting enraged, stunned at how the world scene looks from here in the United States: I mean, Greenland, aykm? 

This is why we have a Constitution. As President Richard Nixon was in the air flying home to California, Vice President Gerald Ford was sworn in as President and announced, "ladies and gentlemen, our Constitution works." 

That was then, this is now.

Constitutions only work if they are honored by those who swear to honor them. In our three part system of checks and balances, if all parties meet their responsibilities and obligations.

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Epiphany, yesterday was The Epiphany; in the Western Church the Epiphany is the coming of the magi, often described as "the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles." In the Eastern Church the Epiphany is the baptism of Christ. Here in Church Year A, our gospel for this coming Sunday is Matthew's offering of the baptism of Jesus, the first of two "Grand Epiphanies" of the season (the second, grand finale of the Season being The Transfiguration). Anyway:

Matthew 3:13-17

Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

In a sense it's more than an epiphany, it's a theophany, the presence and voice of God proclaiming Jesus to the witnesses present. 

Matthew gets the story from Mark and modifies it a bit so that the voice speaks to the crowd of witnesses. In Mark's and Luke's version, the voice from heaven speaks to Jesus only. Luke gets it from Mark, for Mark it's part of his agenda of showing his readers who and what Jesus is, subtly, without our realizing what's going on, which from a literary perspective is to say that in Mark the voice from heaven assures us that Jesus knows who and what he is; but more significantly speaks to us Outside the story, we are in on The Secret. 

What really happened that day? It depends on whose story you are reading, accept it that way and don't try to rationalize them into one historical story. It's Heilsgeschichte, a holy story. Holy stories are tribal stories, you don't find them in high school history books, you hear them when the tribe gathers to sing its songs.

And the business of Matthew uniquely in the gospels having Jesus say, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness" - - what's that all about? Well, every preacher thinks he's/she's the ultimate knowing authority on that, here's mine: it's a literary device, Matthew is having Jesus acknowledge that John the Baptist is correct, that even though it's John's scene, John who's doing the baptizing (normally a "superior" role), Jesus does in fact outrank John the Baptist but Jesus is telling John, "we'll do it this way anyway." Both those present, and all those who in Matthew's day are hearing that John the Baptist was the Messiah, as well as readers two thousand years later, getting the message that John was NOT the Messiah, Jesus was the Messiah.

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Breakfast: Post Raisin Bran mixed with General Mills Wheat Chex, a sprinkle of dark brown raw sugar, a pour of ice cold milk, and a splash of whipping cream. I remember Andy Rooney saying that General Mills made it at his office in the Pentagon. 

Shredded Ralston for your breakfast Starts the day off shining bright. Gives you lots of cowboy energy with a flavor that's just right. It's delicious and nutritious, bite-size and ready to eat. Take a tip from Tom, go and tell your mom, Shredded Ralston can't be beat.

That was Tom Mix, BTW, not me. It was sung over the radio in a Time when my favorite cereals were Skinner's Raisin Bran, Wheaties breakfast of champions, and Shredded Ralston for your breakfast. 

When all the world seemed right and good. 

RSF&PTL

T90