Shade Tree Wisdom Musings on Epiphany 1/6/08

The Church celebrates the coming of the wise men from the East, and rejoices that The Christ is born for “All Men”. Christ is not exclusive, Christ is inclusive.

But it is a warm day. And my mind runs to mundane problems.

I just upgraded my WordsearchBible program. It offers some neat stuff, like being able to place several translations on the same page at once, and other features. The only trouble is I need to take the time to work with it and find the way to do it. In short, I need gumption.

It’s a word my mother had in her vocabulary when we sort of dragged into a job we disliked, like weeding the garden. And the problem from our point of view was that she had us under her eye when we were working the kitchen garden. So now and then she would appear at the back door and remind us to show some gumption.

It’s a word I haven’t heard much lately.

And reading Isaiah 66,12 brought another word to mind, it’s dandle. You know, grandma used to ‘dandle’ her grandchildren on her knees. Some translated this word ‘bounce’, some said ‘cuddled’. Luther used the term “freundlich halten”. That’s good enough for me.

The Big News is still Epiphany. The light is come. And I leave you with that news, for this same Christ has come for you, and for me.

“As with gladness men of old, did the guiding star behold. . .
So most gracious Lord, may we, evermore be led to Thee.”

GPD 1/6/08