Church picnic this afternoon. The sky is sort of gray and it drizzled a bit, but it is cooler than it has been, and I imagine the congregation is enjoying the afternoon together. No, we haven’t been going to things of this sort any more. It gets sort of busy and noisy and we relish the quiet more.
But the drizzle did remind me of a little ditty that stuck in my mind, I know not from where. It runs,
The rain it falleth on the just,
And also on the unjust fellow.
But more upon the just, because
The unjust stole the just’s umbrella!
That’s sort of a ‘tongue in cheek’ commentary on Matthew 5,45. But enough of such foolishness.
The picnic reminded me of days long gone when our home Church always had a 4th of July picnic. That was sort of end of school year and beginning of summer. The day began with a parade where the church brass band led the school children from the school to the picnic grounds. When we got there, our teachers gave us each some tickets good for an ice cream cone, candy, or whatever the tent had for sale for the crowd. Most families either ate lunch at home or brought their lunch along. The afternoon was spent listening to band music – and there is no sound quite like a brass band played in a grove of trees – playing games, and just visiting. Usually people ended checking the cemetery lots of their family and remembering days of old. Parents showing where the grandparents were buried and recalling their youth. (The picnic grounds were in a grove next to the church cemetery).
When the sun started to go down, it was time for evening chores. Life on a dairy farm consisted of regular morning and evening chores. Cows had to be milked and tended to whether one felt like it or not, the church picnic did not change that.
And I am writing this and thinking how much things change, and yet how much they remain the same. Because people still enjoy visiting, playing together, planning, and being grateful to God for His daily blessing.
St.Matthew had it right when He wrote in his Gospel, fifth chapter, 45th verse, God “Causes the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on he righteous and the unrighteous”. Just a reminder of His promise that “as long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, will never cease.” Genesis 8,22. What a rich, blessed God is ours by His grace, and He calls us ‘dear children’.
GPD 5/17/09
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Shade Tree Wisdom 5/15/09
An artist that plays the double bass says the finest instruments are made with wood that has been naturally aged for 80 years so it is completely, and naturally, dry. Then the instrument reaches its finest tone when it has been in use many years. So the person who planted the tree, the craftsman who cut the wood and built the instrument, never really hear what their work produced.
Isn’t life like that too? Many important things in life are next generation matters, such things as raising children and teaching them living, or training an athlete in high school.
The Church fits there also. It is what we do here today that will help the next generation best. Maybe we are just putting down roots, or laying the groundwork, or carrying on what another will add to, build stronger, enlarge and enjoy. Moses spent a life time bringing the children of Israel to the brink of the promised land, but never got to live in it himself.
The apostle Paul worked, prayed, suffered, and died, so that other generations might have the Word of life, in Jesus Christ. So he wrote to Pastor Timothy, “The things you have heard from me, comit thee to faithful men so that they will be able to teach others also.” 2 Tim.2,2. :Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.”v.7.
We live today, and by God’s grace we also have a hand in preparing by Word and act for the next generation. May our preparation ever be a house built on a rock, which is Jesus Christ. God bless the life. For such a life produces rich blessing.
GPD 5/15/09
Isn’t life like that too? Many important things in life are next generation matters, such things as raising children and teaching them living, or training an athlete in high school.
The Church fits there also. It is what we do here today that will help the next generation best. Maybe we are just putting down roots, or laying the groundwork, or carrying on what another will add to, build stronger, enlarge and enjoy. Moses spent a life time bringing the children of Israel to the brink of the promised land, but never got to live in it himself.
The apostle Paul worked, prayed, suffered, and died, so that other generations might have the Word of life, in Jesus Christ. So he wrote to Pastor Timothy, “The things you have heard from me, comit thee to faithful men so that they will be able to teach others also.” 2 Tim.2,2. :Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.”v.7.
We live today, and by God’s grace we also have a hand in preparing by Word and act for the next generation. May our preparation ever be a house built on a rock, which is Jesus Christ. God bless the life. For such a life produces rich blessing.
GPD 5/15/09
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Shade Tree Wisdom 5/14/09
So, do you make lists? Of things to do, or jobs to be tackled, or errands to run, places to visit, people to call. Does your computer automatically run such a list when you first log on in the day? Our day seems to be ‘list ready’, if nothing else. The ten most popular vacation spots, the wonders of the world, the finest restaurants in a city, the best barbecue in Texas etc.
I make lists when grocery shopping so I don’t forget a needed item, and I make it a rule to get only the things on the list and not be beguiled into buying items that catch my eye while shopping. Seems to me that’s only common sense.
The old adage is that 7 is the magic number, why? Because Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) said, “Nobody can remember more than seven of anything”. So we have famous lists of seven. The seven virtues, the seven sins, Shakespeare’s “Seven Ages of man”.
And the best way to make lists is to use the back of envelopes. Handy, makes it easy to keep the list short, handy to discard when the list has been used.
Lists don’t have to be vertical. In the eighteenth century sailors in the British navy would sign petitions of grievance in a circle so that the ringleaders could not be indentified. (We get the term ‘round robin’ from that practice.)
It might be of interest that the bible uses lists for teaching us. The list that comes to mind are the Ten Commandments. Other examples are Romans 12, first Corinthians 13, Galatians 5, (the fruits of the Spirit), Ephesians 6, the armor of God. There are other passages that list items in the process of growing in the faith. So bless the lists, and the learning from them.
GPD 5/14/09
I make lists when grocery shopping so I don’t forget a needed item, and I make it a rule to get only the things on the list and not be beguiled into buying items that catch my eye while shopping. Seems to me that’s only common sense.
The old adage is that 7 is the magic number, why? Because Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) said, “Nobody can remember more than seven of anything”. So we have famous lists of seven. The seven virtues, the seven sins, Shakespeare’s “Seven Ages of man”.
And the best way to make lists is to use the back of envelopes. Handy, makes it easy to keep the list short, handy to discard when the list has been used.
Lists don’t have to be vertical. In the eighteenth century sailors in the British navy would sign petitions of grievance in a circle so that the ringleaders could not be indentified. (We get the term ‘round robin’ from that practice.)
It might be of interest that the bible uses lists for teaching us. The list that comes to mind are the Ten Commandments. Other examples are Romans 12, first Corinthians 13, Galatians 5, (the fruits of the Spirit), Ephesians 6, the armor of God. There are other passages that list items in the process of growing in the faith. So bless the lists, and the learning from them.
GPD 5/14/09
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Shade Tree Wisdom 5/12/09
The ubiquitous cell phone, it’s everywhere. You usually see it held near the ear by a young mother driving an SUV filled with a baseball team making a left hand turn in traffic and chatting about her next hair appointment, or some equally vital stuff. Research by Virginia Tech University shows that more accidents happen by drivers who are distracted and not paying full attention than by aggressive drivers.
And of course, it’s always the other person who is really at fault. It’s oor nature to point the finger. That is as old as Adam and Eve isn’t it? It’s her fault, and then, You gave her to me, God.
The Apostle Paul spoke of that. “They, measuring themselves by themselves, are not wise” 2 Cor. 10, 12.
In the 12th chapter of Romans St. Paul speaks of the Christian life, the way we ought to live up to our faith daily. He starts by saying we ought to offer our bodies to God, and “Do not let the world around you squeeze you into a mold, but let God remold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands, and moves toward the goal of true maturity”. 12,2.
Then, the rest of the chapter gives us examples of such a life. A life that “hates what is evil, clings to that which is good.” That “shares with God’s people who are in need, and practices hospitality.” A Life that “lives in harmony with one another” and “Is not conceited”. At the end, this “As much as lies in you, live at peace with one another’. And then, finally, “Overcome evil with good”.
No, we don’t do this alone, our sinful self gets in the way, BUT, “He hath said, I will never leave thee, never will I forsake thee”. Hebrews 13,5, That means what Jesus promised, “I will be with you even to the end of the world”. Bless the living so.
GPD 5/12/09
And of course, it’s always the other person who is really at fault. It’s oor nature to point the finger. That is as old as Adam and Eve isn’t it? It’s her fault, and then, You gave her to me, God.
The Apostle Paul spoke of that. “They, measuring themselves by themselves, are not wise” 2 Cor. 10, 12.
In the 12th chapter of Romans St. Paul speaks of the Christian life, the way we ought to live up to our faith daily. He starts by saying we ought to offer our bodies to God, and “Do not let the world around you squeeze you into a mold, but let God remold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands, and moves toward the goal of true maturity”. 12,2.
Then, the rest of the chapter gives us examples of such a life. A life that “hates what is evil, clings to that which is good.” That “shares with God’s people who are in need, and practices hospitality.” A Life that “lives in harmony with one another” and “Is not conceited”. At the end, this “As much as lies in you, live at peace with one another’. And then, finally, “Overcome evil with good”.
No, we don’t do this alone, our sinful self gets in the way, BUT, “He hath said, I will never leave thee, never will I forsake thee”. Hebrews 13,5, That means what Jesus promised, “I will be with you even to the end of the world”. Bless the living so.
GPD 5/12/09
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Shade Tree Wisdom 5/10/09
Today was my sainted mother’s birthday. In my mind her life is best described by ancient King Lemual in Proverbs 31. which reads so “10 A worthy woman who can find? For her price is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband trusteth in her, And he shall have no lack of gain. 12 She doeth him good and not evil All the days of her life. 13 She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. 14 She is like the merchant-ships; She bringeth her bread from afar. 15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth food to her household, and their task to her maidens. 16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it; With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. 17 She girdeth her loins with strength, And maketh strong her arms. 18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is profitable: Her lamp goeth not out by night. 19 She layeth her hands to the distaff, And her hands hold the spindle. 20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household; For all her household are clothed with scarlet. 22 She maketh for herself carpets of tapestry; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sitteth among the elders of the land. 24 She maketh linen garments and selleth them, And delivereth girdles unto the merchant. 25 Strength and dignity are her clothing; And she laugheth at the time to come. 26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; And the law of kindness is on her tongue. 27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, And eateth not the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up, and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praiseth her, saying: 29 Many daughters have done worthily, But thou excellest them all. 30 Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; But a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; And let her works praise her in the gates. “
God bless the mothers who fit the description. Here is a poem by Martin Buxman called, “Success”
“You can use most any measure when you’re speaking of success, You can measure it in fancy home, expensive car, or dress, But the measure of your real success is the one you cannot spend. It’s the way your kids describe you when they’re talking with a friend.”
And when you make your mother breakfast this morning make sure you leave the kitchen spotless, and, for goodness sake, don’t rearrange all her kitchen utensils! And just by the way, a breakfast of French toast, eggs, and bacon is the hardest to get right, because each item needs to reach the table right from the fire to taste best. Good luck.
GPD 5/10/09
God bless the mothers who fit the description. Here is a poem by Martin Buxman called, “Success”
“You can use most any measure when you’re speaking of success, You can measure it in fancy home, expensive car, or dress, But the measure of your real success is the one you cannot spend. It’s the way your kids describe you when they’re talking with a friend.”
And when you make your mother breakfast this morning make sure you leave the kitchen spotless, and, for goodness sake, don’t rearrange all her kitchen utensils! And just by the way, a breakfast of French toast, eggs, and bacon is the hardest to get right, because each item needs to reach the table right from the fire to taste best. Good luck.
GPD 5/10/09
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Shade Tree Wisdom 5/7/09
It’s the kind of morning one wants to burst out with:
“Oh what a beautiful morning,
Oh what a beautiful day.
I’ve got wonderful feeling,
Everything’s going my way.”
Well, right now it is cloudy bright, but the weather man says maybe we’ll set a new heat record today. As if we needed that this early in the season. But there it is. So we might as well burst into song. (Bob, you’re excused from singing).
The Bible is full of metaphors. Jesus used them often to teach. “You are the salt of the earth” He said. And the picture set in our minds speaks of something that gives flavor, that heals, that preserves, that tenderizes. And as the thought grows in the mind, the teaching He is doing becomes clear to us. You are to make a difference by what you do and say here. You are worth something and have a place in the work of the kingdom here.
Or the next, “You are the light of the world”. What could be clearer than that? The Psalmist said, “Thy Word is a lamp to my feet a light to my path.” Ps. 119.105. Short and clear and it tends to stick to the mind. A word guides, explains, enlightens. And that is what the Bible is for us. The verse in Psalm 119 makes that perfectly clear without using a lot of words. And the Lamp to guide or way in a dark night, especially when we are walking in strange territory, and we are that, pilgrims as all our Fathers were, teaches the psalm.
Metaphors. “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”. We need no more than that to help calm any fear and comfort us during time of great stress.
“God is my Rock”. Or we speak of a “house built on sand”. The picture comes from the Scripture when it teaches us to make sure the foundation we are using is solid, correct, firm.
“We are like sheep going astray” 1 Peter 2,25/Isaiah writes,” We, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, and the Lord laid on HIM the iniquity of us all.” Is. 53,6. That line tells us what happened, and why Jesus came and why He died, for ‘the iniquity of us all”. He died for the sins of the world.
Thus the metaphor draws a picture in our minds, and set the truth to make it be remembered better. The picture evoked by the metaphor does the teaching much better than many pages of explanation.
I remember waiting for a ride one time with a fellow Pastor when a car drove up, the window slid down, and a driver asked about an address. My companion started to explain why Panther Creek was listed as N and W when I said, “The address you want is that building right over there.” That’s all the driver wanted, not a dissertation on why the naming of a street N and W made any difference.
So when we read the Bible, see what a difference word pictures make in making a thought clear. Jesus wanted us to have the truth as clearly as our mind can grasp it, for it means our eternal life is involved. St. Paul said, I speak of this one thing as Most Important, “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst”. Have that truth always clearly in mind. God bless the teaching.
GPD 5/7/09
“Oh what a beautiful morning,
Oh what a beautiful day.
I’ve got wonderful feeling,
Everything’s going my way.”
Well, right now it is cloudy bright, but the weather man says maybe we’ll set a new heat record today. As if we needed that this early in the season. But there it is. So we might as well burst into song. (Bob, you’re excused from singing).
The Bible is full of metaphors. Jesus used them often to teach. “You are the salt of the earth” He said. And the picture set in our minds speaks of something that gives flavor, that heals, that preserves, that tenderizes. And as the thought grows in the mind, the teaching He is doing becomes clear to us. You are to make a difference by what you do and say here. You are worth something and have a place in the work of the kingdom here.
Or the next, “You are the light of the world”. What could be clearer than that? The Psalmist said, “Thy Word is a lamp to my feet a light to my path.” Ps. 119.105. Short and clear and it tends to stick to the mind. A word guides, explains, enlightens. And that is what the Bible is for us. The verse in Psalm 119 makes that perfectly clear without using a lot of words. And the Lamp to guide or way in a dark night, especially when we are walking in strange territory, and we are that, pilgrims as all our Fathers were, teaches the psalm.
Metaphors. “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”. We need no more than that to help calm any fear and comfort us during time of great stress.
“God is my Rock”. Or we speak of a “house built on sand”. The picture comes from the Scripture when it teaches us to make sure the foundation we are using is solid, correct, firm.
“We are like sheep going astray” 1 Peter 2,25/Isaiah writes,” We, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, and the Lord laid on HIM the iniquity of us all.” Is. 53,6. That line tells us what happened, and why Jesus came and why He died, for ‘the iniquity of us all”. He died for the sins of the world.
Thus the metaphor draws a picture in our minds, and set the truth to make it be remembered better. The picture evoked by the metaphor does the teaching much better than many pages of explanation.
I remember waiting for a ride one time with a fellow Pastor when a car drove up, the window slid down, and a driver asked about an address. My companion started to explain why Panther Creek was listed as N and W when I said, “The address you want is that building right over there.” That’s all the driver wanted, not a dissertation on why the naming of a street N and W made any difference.
So when we read the Bible, see what a difference word pictures make in making a thought clear. Jesus wanted us to have the truth as clearly as our mind can grasp it, for it means our eternal life is involved. St. Paul said, I speak of this one thing as Most Important, “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst”. Have that truth always clearly in mind. God bless the teaching.
GPD 5/7/09
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Shade Tree Wisdom 5/6/09
What a beautiful day, partly cloudy. Right now it is sunny, there is a slight breeze stirring, and the day promises many blessings. Wonderful gift of God.
The religious powerhouses in Jesus’ lifetime were surely the Pharisees. They spent their time setting rules and then obeying them. They had rules for everything possible, hundreds of them, to cover every eventuality. One might suppose Jesus would try to use their expertise to establish his Kingdom.
Instead, He quoted Isaiah to them, ”This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain, their teachings are but rules of men“. Is. 29,13. Mark 9, 6.7. He told them, “you have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own rules. V.9. Then He gave one example. You tell the parents you are to honor “whatever help you might have gotten is Corban, (that is a gift devoid to God). . .thus you nullify the Word of God”. V.11-13.
Instead of rules for ‘right living’ this is the way Jesus spoke. During a discussion and in answer to Jesus word to “love your neighbor as yourself” Luke 10,27b, a lawyer asked “And who is my neighbor?” A question designed to evoke lots of discussion, the sort that starts “but what if . . .” or “and when this happens, what then”.
Look at Jesus' answer. He tells a story of the Good Samaritan. He tells them a parable. And what does that mean? Well, the hearer has to get into the story when he hears it. He can picture himself either as beaten by robbers and left there, or moving along the road and either ‘getting involved’ or not.
But the parable does what no discussion can do, get people involved and thinking of their own skin in such a situation. Then the answer to “Who is my neighbor” gets much clearer. So the parable, the story, gets people much more involved, and gives an answer that is much better than lots of discussion. It makes the hearer think, and sends him or her away trying to understand what ‘neighbor’ really means. Not just the person next door, or across the back fence, but every person who has need, and the eye suddenly sees the world differently.
May I add, think on these things.
GPD 5/6/09
The religious powerhouses in Jesus’ lifetime were surely the Pharisees. They spent their time setting rules and then obeying them. They had rules for everything possible, hundreds of them, to cover every eventuality. One might suppose Jesus would try to use their expertise to establish his Kingdom.
Instead, He quoted Isaiah to them, ”This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain, their teachings are but rules of men“. Is. 29,13. Mark 9, 6.7. He told them, “you have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own rules. V.9. Then He gave one example. You tell the parents you are to honor “whatever help you might have gotten is Corban, (that is a gift devoid to God). . .thus you nullify the Word of God”. V.11-13.
Instead of rules for ‘right living’ this is the way Jesus spoke. During a discussion and in answer to Jesus word to “love your neighbor as yourself” Luke 10,27b, a lawyer asked “And who is my neighbor?” A question designed to evoke lots of discussion, the sort that starts “but what if . . .” or “and when this happens, what then”.
Look at Jesus' answer. He tells a story of the Good Samaritan. He tells them a parable. And what does that mean? Well, the hearer has to get into the story when he hears it. He can picture himself either as beaten by robbers and left there, or moving along the road and either ‘getting involved’ or not.
But the parable does what no discussion can do, get people involved and thinking of their own skin in such a situation. Then the answer to “Who is my neighbor” gets much clearer. So the parable, the story, gets people much more involved, and gives an answer that is much better than lots of discussion. It makes the hearer think, and sends him or her away trying to understand what ‘neighbor’ really means. Not just the person next door, or across the back fence, but every person who has need, and the eye suddenly sees the world differently.
May I add, think on these things.
GPD 5/6/09
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