Do you know why we stand for the Gospel? NOT to stretch our legs! It is our theology that Christ himself comes personally present IN AND AS the Gospel, as the Gospel is read and heard. We stand in the presence of the Holy One. You may now be seated. ++++++++++ In his sermon last week, Father Steve shared a column from “Sean of the South,” Sean Dietrich, whose humanity knows no bounds. If Steve had not done that, my sermon this morning would be to read Sean’s column for yesterday, in which he responds like an Old Testament prophet, to an email challenging his Christianity: “Dear Sean, are you a Christian? Sometimes I can’t tell. There is only one way to heaven, and your ‘tolerance for all,’ and ‘just be a good person’ philosophy sounds fine, but it leads to hell. “...Hell is real, Sean. I read about your affinity for alcohol, and how you condone flagrant sinners. …As a Christian, I find your feel-good writing to be misleading and disgusting to Believers. There is only one way ...

  Not Friday the 13th, Friday the 3rd though. Plans include the three of us going out for supper, Linda, Kris and me. Mullet if they have it, Oysters for sure.  A seeing and hearing person, my sight and hearing good, loaded with fresh batteries this morning, my earphones in and turned on. Saturday the 4th. Early and dark. Lucky Goat coffee black and hot. Captain's Table last evening: mullet large, fresh, fried and superb, oysters fresh, salty and cold. God is good, and - - All shall be well, and All shall be well, and All manner of things shall be well in this bitty corner of Creation. How long, O Lord? As day opens into day and days into week, for us non-medics who are anxious with no news, I found this article most informative if not most encouraging. https://ccforum.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13054-018-2060-7   Tomorrow's homiletic endeavor continues to evolve. Gospel for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A:  Matthew (5:13-20) Jesus said, “You are...

  Thursday. In this morning's email, a WSJ headline asks, "What Does Ukraine Need To Win?" The fourth sentence fades off into a pay wall, so I'll not be reading it, but it starts out checking off tanks and moving on to aircraft and long-range missiles, i.e., about building up capabilities. Where outcome possibilities include Win, Lose, or Draw, and Lose is apparently unthinkable, the question is about Win, not Draw. What Does Ukraine Need To Win? European history includes the notion of Triumph of the Will, and determination and will are essential, but a sane answer is about capabilities, not intentions. There can be a Draw if fighting is to such a stalemate that Russia withdraws, which at this point in national pride can only happen if Russia runs out of capability; which, compared to Ukraine's capability , cannot happen.  Ukraine cannot Win without destroying Russia's ability to wage war against Ukraine, which cannot be done by either defensive or offensive b...

  Days. Dates. Anniversaries and memories. Things happen every year on their day, don't they! Christmas Day, New Years Day, birthday (mine is September 14, but today is Nick's 38th birthday, happy birthday, Grandson!). January 24 (my sister Gina's birthday) is also the date in 2011 that I graduated into +Time at Cleveland Clinic. But today! February 1, 1978: forty-five years ago this morning, I retired from the U S Navy. That's me, Commander Weller, U S Navy, returning the salute of six Navy commander sideboys, friends and colleagues, as I'm piped ashore into my first day of life as Commander, U S Navy (Retired).  As told here now and then, I've liked to perceive my life in twenty-year chapters. Twenty years growing up. Twenty years as a Navy officer, during which we lived in Rhode Island, Georgia, Virginia, Florida, Michigan, Japan, WashingtonDC, California, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. A six year transition 1978 to 1984 when I loved living and working in Washington...

  Fog. White out. For a while early, it cleared back a bit such that from 7H I could see the close-by harbor navigation lights, but not those across the Bay, nor the light atop the tower over toward the Pass, nor the airfield beacon at Tyndall AFB. But, back and forth, it's back, Fog, 64° humidity 97%, with dew point of 63° that, I've learned from Ross Whitley on Channel 13, makes fog virtually certain when temperature and dew point are the same. Dense Fog Advisory It's Tuesday morning again, and, what? Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November. All the rest have thirty one, except February (or as the old poke says, Thirty days hath Septober, April, June, and No-wonder; all the rest have peanut butter, except chifforobe: it's a tall thing, with big drawers). 31 January 2023 of the year in which my 88th birthday will come and go. Do you realize how old 88 is? Well I don't.  +++++++++++ As Tuesday lightens, fog is receding and Creation is as ...

  Sadness this morning as I keep checking Elizabeth Anagnostis MacWhinnie's FB page for medical updates on Anthony.  Father Anthony. First assignment after he was ordained, Anthony worked with me as his mentor for a year at St Thomas by the Sea, Laguna Beach. Very casual and easy, Anthony was fun to serve with. A b right man who at first glance doesn't appear to be the intellectual that he is, Anthony's a marine scientist, the field he worked in before theological seminary, and he liked to share with me fascinating knowledge about sea life.  Anthony's a Pensacola native who grew up fishing and hunting, an avid outdoor sportsman who enjoyed cooking everything he shot. Anthony's parents, both dead now, apparently were also outdoors people: Anthony once told me that his mother could tell by its taste, which Pensacola area bayou a mullet came from. When we had parish suppers at St Thomas that year, Anthony always prepared and brought something delicious from the wild.  ...

  This week's email from N T Wright seeks to enroll me in a class about responsibly preaching on current events, social issues, instead of standing on the sidelines - - as most of us do for fear of offending contributors who think religion and politics don't mix unless it affirms their viewpoint. People want to hear what they are already certain of. In many churches, stirring up things is a way for the preacher to get fired. Most of us are afraid to share the Bible and other Church and Religious and Theological knowledge we worked so hard on in seminary, lest we anger the literalist fundamentalists in our congregations. Slightly braver than some, in my Time I tried to at least use my Sunday school platform to help openminded adults out of kindergarten Sunday school. Current events, social issues. Transparency, released to the public and some may wish to view the Tyre Nichols videos. Not me, life as it is has sufficient stress, I have loved ones of my own about whose safety I am...