Sunday May 5-Ps. 67 takes a piece of the Aaronic blessings and extends it all all nations. It also links the fertility of the soil directly to the blessing of God, as a result of praise for God. Most of us do not see God so directly operating out of a quid pro quo today. In our ecological age, we do now see many connections with our decisions that are at some remove from a direct effect on our small blue planet.
Monday-As I’ve mentioned, I’m working on a collection of essays on the Book of the 12/minor Prophets. I decided to work with a theme or themes from each book, but I extend them to both teh public as well as the private dimension.for instance, from joel, I may stress aging from chapter 2. It has clear personal dimensions as we care for the elderly or watch our own powers decline. At the same time, it is a social issue for hwo we are going to protect the dignity and caregiving for a larger number of elderly people living into their years.
Tuesday-I was taken with the new Redford movie on radicals a generation later. Most of them have kept one part or another of their beliefs, but as Redford’s character says, “they grew up.” I just noticed that a surprising number of americans think that armed conflict may be in the offing in our country. Obviously, we are dealing with a response to the insanity being peddled on various outlets, especially the internet.
Wednesday-we’ve been working with the book of Proverbs. Last week we worked with its stress on being a cool spirit as a sign of wisdom. a wise person is one who is able ot exercise self-control. we are not slaves to our emotions.I just heard a report on NPR that said that studies of criminals are showing some alarming differences in brain function that makes it more diffiuclt for them to control their thoughts, impulses, and emotions. How have you learned self-control?
Ascension Thursday-this is a Roman Catholic Holy day, but it is barely noticed by most Protestants. 40 days after Easter Jesus no longer makes appearances to the disciples.For early christians, the ascension was the great sing of Jesus being vindicated by being elevated to the divine precincts as in the early creeds. Along with the sacraments, how do you get a sense of access to Jesus in heaven?
Friday-I’m reading a new book, co\-authored by Donald Capps, on Limbo.The book emerged from his noting that the old doctrine of limbo had been abandoned by the Roman Catholic church. he sees the concept as continuing to have real psychological power. for instance, a hospital stay is a limbo experience. Waiting for a diagnosis, or waiting on a job application to be answered puts us there.
Saturday-In Rocky Ground, Bruce Springsteen sings:”you pray for guidance/only silence now meets your prayers.” That sense of absence plagues many of us in our prayer lives. How do you handle the feeling that prayer is not heard or that it receives no response? What have been well-answered prayers for you? when have you felt frustrated in your prayer life? Have you explored different avenues of prayer?
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