That Old-Timey Phrasing

Duccio di Buoninsegna, “The Calling of the Apostles
Peter and Andrew,” 1308-1311 (public domain)

Today's lectionary Gospel from Luke 5:5-11 is the one about the disciples filling their nets with fish: [bold added]

Simon answered,"Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Matthew 4:18-22 omits the fish story:

And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

I prefer Matthew's version for two reasons:

1) the lesson of the story is not about the miracle catch of fish--which no mortal can emulate--but how Simon, James, and John answered the call to follow Jesus. Do not be distracted by shiny (or scaly) objects.

2) I simply prefer the old-timey phrasing of the King James version. "Fishers of men" is memorable, "catching people" is instantly forgotten.

Who Gets the Credit?

The lady minister preached about one of Jesus' most well-known miracles, the conversion of water to wine:

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come."

His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.---John 2:1-11

The lady minister said that Jesus did not perform this and other miracles to "dazzle" or prove that Jesus is the Son of God but "to show forth the light and the love of God."

We are now in that period in late January when football players who perform spectacularly sometimes give thanks to God or Jesus first, then talk about the details of the game. Most viewers initially listen through secular filters and think that real credit should be given to thousands of hours of practice and coaching, but a game "hero" has traditionally earned the right to say what he really feels, as long as he's not too preachy. The interview quickly moves on to football.

If one thinks about how to apply today's Gospel, the teaching is not really about the football player's talent, the game's outcome, the players and coaches who contributed, or even his gratitude to God for the above, although that was undoubtedly his intent.

The real story is about how God's glory is revealed in the events that have just occurred, a philosophical attitude that is often derided in fiction ("The surgeons saved his life." It's a miracle! Thank the Lord!)

David Mamet: "America..will go one with Nineveh and Tyre. But not today."

David Mamet: the America-in-decline narrative is akin to
Israel's 40 years in the wilderness. (image from Medium)

Pulitzer-winning playwright David Mamet says that America's decline, prior to the November election, was due to individuals' fear of challenging the dominant narrative: [bold added]

Yet half of America not only abides but fervently supports a codependent decline to poverty, crime and a nascent police state. Why? The leftist politicians and their media courtiers and designated beneficiaries profited from the perks of power. But why did the everyday American endorse them and their fear mongering? The actual threat wasn’t global warming, Islamophobia, the Supreme Court, the police, Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Mr. Trump. It was exclusion from the herd.

An existential secret is one whose revelation would destroy the group. If dad is a drug addict or a sex criminal, acknowledging it would shatter the family. The protection of the secret becomes the family’s unifying endeavor. If anyone says anything, it might reveal that everyone is in on the secret. The sick family devotes all necessary energies to collusion—to mutual and self-censorship.

During the past four years, American politics has been dominated by a coalition each of whose members, like codependent kin, has its own investment in group integrity and the power it derives therefrom. The superrich, academia, Islamists, Marxists and the media have colluded to suppress the true and impose the false.

We know that their perfidies, lawfare, slander, blacklisting and civil persecution were practiced on conservatives and Republicans, particularly on Mr. Trump. But the suppression was targeted primarily at their own voters.

To remain unthreatened by reason, the liberal populace had to be convinced to endorse various lies and fantasies: Black Lives Matter, Israel’s perfidy, unlimited abortion as a woman’s right, men’s right to compete in women’s sports, the abolition of the police, Mr. Trump’s demonic power and so on.

Why would rational people vote to destroy their borders, their cities, their jobs and their children? For the same reason the sick family must tolerate its dysfunction: The co-opted liberal electorate was terrified that any deviation would result in destruction of its protective unit. As it would.

While a reader may disagree with David Mamet's list of "lies and fantasies," there is no denying that Democratic voters were asked to accept abrupt reversals of positions this year--from President Biden's sudden cognitive decline to the newfound acceptability of fracking, law enforcement, and Christianity.

Even the one theme that they stuck with to the end--Trump is Hitler--was cast overboard the day after the election by Democratic politicians who promised to work with the President-elect and opinion-writers eager for an interview.

The important lesson, IMHO, is not the wrongness of Democratic policies but the fact that their thought leaders didn't even believe their own arguments. They look like people who will say anything to acquire power, and, if I were a follower, I wouldn't believe anything they had to say.

A Choice, But Not Really

The priest read from Mark 10:

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”

It is true that most people---yours truly included---try to build up their wealth to a point where it provides protection against the exigencies of life. It's very difficult to "sell what you own, and give the money to the poor" and trust in God to take care of our future.

There are other examples in the Bible of how money is an obstacle to faith. Later in Mark, Jesus observes, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

However, it would be a mistake to focus on wealth as the sole impediment to faith. I have encountered people who claim that money is not important to them. Putting aside whether I believe them or not, I have observed that certain activities (cooking and dining, sports, grandchildren) are their highest priority--and just ask some young people to turn off their phones for a day.

It's very difficult to leave everything behind, though the irony is that we eventually will have no choice in the matter.

Cutting Off Distractions, Literally

Today's Gospel is from Mark:

“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.

And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched."

The priest said:

"When we look at this passage, we need to remember that Jesus, like many of the story tellers of those times, used hyperbole, exaggeration, and word pictures when He wanted to get across the seriousness of the point He was trying to make. So it's pretty vivid.

Here He's warning against the sin of being a stumbling block, of blocking access to the words of Life, of judging unworthy the little ones, the powerless ones, those who are on the margin, and causing them to fall away.

He's saying to His followers, you must make sacrifices. They may cut off and renounce and separate themselves from the attitude that keep people from experiencing the grace, the love, and the welcome of God.

We think that distractions are a modern problem, but it's clear that distractions were a problem in Jesus' time, too. He used the example of body parts (hands, feet, eyes) that cause one to "stumble," while we would likely refer to electronic devices and the plethora of activities that cause us to lose focus. Whatever the example employed, human weakness hasn't changed much over the millennia.

On Being First or Last

The minister read from the Gospel according to Mark:

He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”

(The Matthew phrasing is more well known: "So the last shall be first, and the first last.")

Jesus' advice to humble ourselves seems more out of place than ever in the modern world, where success is measured by clicks, likes, and retweets.

C.S. Lewis in the Great Divorce describes how those individuals who are celebrated in heaven are ignored and likely unknown on earth:

Not at all,” said he. “It's someone ye'll never have heard of. Her name on earth was Sarah Smith and she lived at Golders Green.” “She seems to be...well, a person of particular importance?” “Aye. She is one of the great ones. Ye have heard that fame in this country and fame on Earth are two quite different things.” “And who are these gigantic people...look! They're like emeralds...who are dancing and throwing flowers before here?” “Haven't ye read your Milton? A thousand liveried angels lackey her.” “And who are all these young men and women on each side?” “They are her sons and daughters.” “She must have had a very large family, Sir.” “Every young man or boy that met her became her son – even if it was only the boy that brought the meat to her back door. Every girl that met her was her daughter.” “Isn't that a bit hard on their own parents?” “No. There are those that steal other people's children. But her motherhood was of a different kind. Those on whom it fell went back to their natural parents loving them more. Few men looked on her without becoming, in a certain fashion, her lovers. But it was the kind of love that made them not less true, but truer, to their own wives.”

An honest self-assessment says that I am neither first or last, so I'll continue to live with uncertainty about where I'll end up.

Bad Things Can Come in a Small Package

Earlier this week I agreed with those who avoid discussions about politics:

Count me in the feigning-ignorance crowd. Stress harms one's mental and physical health. Our jobs, finances, and family problems are stressors enough, and voluntarily seeking more in political discussions seems crazy to your humble blogger.

This year is especially off-putting because the negative campaigning seems worse than ever. It's more about how awful the opponent is, rather than what the candidate is for. And political argumentation today involves not only how bad or evil the other person is, but the millions of people who support him or her.

Vilifying others is too easy and appeals to our worst instincts.

(Image from Jared Michael Matthew)

Today's New Testament reading is from James 3: [bold added]

How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue-- a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.

In my youth I had an acerbic tongue, which I now understand partially stemmed from my own insecurities. Just as a recovering alcoholic avoids an environment where he could relapse, so do I stay away from situations where I would be tempted to diss my fellow man. So...no politics.

The Bread of Life

Today's Gospel was from John 6:

Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

The lady minister discussed Holy Communion, the sacrament in which Christians partake of bread and wine that represent the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

Then she gave a quick overview of transubstantiation and consubstantiation, doctrines that Christians have argued about for centuries. The former is the Catholic tenet that the bread and wine are actually transformed into Jesus' body and blood, while the latter is a belief that the bread and wine remain intact but are joined with Jesus' body and blood during the mass.

Queen Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I (1533-1603), before she became Queen of England, rejected both doctrines and accepted the Calvinist principle that the bread and wine were but symbols; Jesus Himself wasn't physically present during Communion, though God was. She wrote:

Twas God the Word that spake it,
He took the Bread and brake it:
And what that Word did make it,
That I believe and take it.

Elizabeth I of England, along with Isabella of Spain, were among the greatest--and keenest--monarchs in European history. Their actions (financing Columbus' expeditions, driving the Moors out of Iberia during the Spanish Inquisition, defeating the Spanish armada and keeping England independent from Spain) shaped the world today.

Four centuries before women's rights, these powerful women didn't understand that they should have stepped aside to let white males control everything.

Jesus, the Disciples, Troubled Waters

In today's Gospel reading Jesus meets His disciples on troubled waters:

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified.

But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.---John 6:16-21

Top: Paris tableaux. Bottom Da Vinci's Last Supper

In the 2024 version Jesus and the Disciples are re-imagined on the Seine River at the opening of the Paris Olympics:

DJ and producer Barbara Butch, an LGBTQ+ icon who calls herself a “love activist,” wore a silver headdress that looked like a halo as she got a party going on a footbridge across the Seine, above parading athletes — including those from countries that criminalize LGBTQ+ people. Drag artists, dancers and others flanked Butch on both sides.

Interviews with the participants after the ceremony showed that the show wasn't just about "joy" and "artistic vision" but also the desire to mock Christianity. Unlike other religions, no one expects defenders of the faith to exact physical retribution upon the alleged blasphemers. God will judge, and God will give them reward.

"Take Nothing for Their Journey"

Today's reading from the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 6:

"He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics."

The minister said that she took two lessons from Jesus' command to travel lightly: that we must have faith in a "radical dependence on God" and that we must be willing to "let go of our grip on those long-held practices and traditions that may not be helpful anymore."

Concerning the latter, she clarified that she doesn't mean that we must throw out the liturgy and all our traditions, but that we must be open to listen to the Spirit's voice if it tells us to change.

At this stage in my life, it's the former lesson, to leave our possessions behind, that speaks most loudly. All the financial security in the world can delay one's fate but not prevent it. In the end our accomplishments, our wealth, and any pride we might have in them mean little except more material for the obituary.

Later in Mark, Chapter 10, Jesus is more specific (my own reflection and not part of the minister's sermon): [bold added]

17 And when He had gone forth onto the road, there came one running, and knelt before Him and asked Him, “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

18 And Jesus said unto him, “Why callest thou Me good? There is none good but One, that is, God.

19 Thou knowest the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, defraud not, honor thy father and mother.’”

20 And he answered and said unto Him, “Master, all these have I observed from my youth.”

21 Then Jesus, beholding him, loved him and said unto him, “One thing thou lackest: Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

22 And he was sad at that saying and went away grieved, for he had great possessions.

I am and have been that young man, unwilling to take that final step and leave all behind. Sure, there are justifications that few will quarrel with--I have to take care of my family, I don't want to be a burden to others, etc.

But it's also true that what we thought of as a choice--to take nothing for the journey--was never in the end really a choice at all.

Good Shepherd Sunday

Roman catacombs, circa 2nd century (aleteia)

On Good Shepherd Sunday the hymns, Bible passages, and sermons may vary, but one constant is always the 23rd Psalm. The lady minister said today that there are two major themes: the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep, and the feast that awaits us. It is a Psalm that many learned in Sunday School and is often read at funerals.

Despite many attempts to make the passages sound modern, your humble blogger has always preferred the King James version. See if you agree, dear reader, with the KJV and NIV (New international Version) laid side by side:

Psalm 23: KJV	Psalm 23: NIV
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.	The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;	He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leadeth me beside the still waters.	He leads me beside quiet waters,
He restoreth my soul;	He refreshes my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his Name's sake.	He guides me along the right paths
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death	Even though I walk through the darkest valley
I will fear no evil;	I will fear no evil,
For thou art with me;	For you are with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.	Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;	You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
Thou anointest my head with oil	You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runneth over.	My cup overflows
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,	Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the House of the Lord for ever.	And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Merry Christmas!

Joseph Stella, Newark Museum of Art

A reading from the Gospel of Luke:

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Something for Everyone

Millet's Man with a Hoe, circa 1862

The Gospel lesson from Matthew, Chapter 20, was the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, the one that ends with the oft-quoted "the last will be first, and the first will be last."

It's about how the landowner pays workers the same amount at the end of the day, regardless of the time they started.

Preachers love this one, because it tells newcomers that they will be rewarded even if they come to church late in life. Our priest said that he interpreted the passage to be about God's generosity with His love.

My wandering mind, of course, turned to political philosophy.

Could God be a socialist? Each laborer received one denarius though some worked one hour and others the entire day. This is an example of the equality of result beloved by socialists.

Could God be a capitalist? Those who worked the whole day grumbled that they should have gotten more. The landowner replied, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?" In other words they were happy with the pay in the morning, and a deal is a deal. Capitalism is underpinned by mutual, voluntary arrangements that, once they are agreed to, are enforceable by the law of contracts.

Also, the landowner continued, "Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money?" That's capitalism at its core.

As often happens, Jesus had something for everyone.

Truth and Consequences

Today the priest spoke about Matthew 16, one of the more challenging Gospel readings. Jesus tells the disciples of His fate: "great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."

Peter tries to deny the prophesy---as any of us would to a friend or relative who predicts catastrophe for themselves--but Jesus adamantly rejects Peter's good intentions: "“Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me."

When we believe a truth and state it forcefully, it can rupture relationships and jeopardize our comfortable lives and jobs. Speaking the truth will set us free and likely allow us to live our best life in the long run, but it is not easy to do.

Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? -----Matthew 16:21-28

Leap of Faith

(Image from Christian Faith Guide)

This morning the lady minister spoke about Luke's Gospel lesson, the one where Jesus walks on water:

And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

The lesson, the lady minister said, was that we should get out of the boat and take a chance.

During sermons I often daydream. I thought of the Lahaina woman who spent seven hours in the water to save herself. Boats were catching fire, and cars were exploding, so people saved themselves by exiting their vehicles, some jumping into the harbor.

I also thought of the 1972 disaster movie, the Poseidon Adventure, where one of the fateful decisions occurs near the beginning: do the passengers wait for help in the dining room or try to climb to the top of the now-upside down ship? The leader of the "climbers," an annoying preacher played by Gene Hackman, turns out to have made the correct decision.

Sometimes the leap of faith is the only one that will save your life.

Following His Dreams

My sophomore English teacher was enamored with Simon & Garfunkel's 1965 hit, The Sound of Silence, and spent weeks on it in class. We pored over the lyrics, packed with religious and hallucinatory imagery, trying to make sense of them. The opening lines are straightforward, the later verses less so.

Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
No one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

"Fools" said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sounds of silence"

58 years later Paul Simon is still writing songs about life, death, God, and meaning. The source of his inspiration is perhaps unsurprising.

CBS Sunday Morning Interviewer: His latest solo album, Seven Psalms, was recorded in his cabin studio. The title came to him in a dream.

Paul Simon: The dream said that you are working on a piece called "Seven Psalms."

Interviewer: He got up and wrote it down on a legal pad.

Interviewer: When something as vivid as that happens, what do you make of it?

Paul Simon: Since it came to me in a dream with someone or something's telling me to do this, I said it's not my idea anyway so I'll just wait to this clarification on what I'm supposed to do.

Interviewer: Did you get clarification?

Paul Simon: Yeah, it did come as guitar pieces.

Interviewer: The words would come later, again in dreams.

Paul Simon: I would start to wake up two or three times a week between 3:30 and 5 in the morning, and words would come. I would write them down and start putting them together.

Paul Simon goes on to say that his best work, The Sound of Silence and Bridge Over Troubled Water, came from dreams.

In another time he might have been called a prophet with a pipeline to the divine, except that no prophet had his gift for music.

Creation Story

Today it was my turn to do the Old Testament reading. It was the Creation story, i.e. the entire first chapter of Genesis plus three verses of the second. It's a lengthy passage, and familiar to most churchgoers.

Later, I took another look at 1:27:

So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

I wonder how long that passage will remain intact.

We have previously observed how Progressive ideology is entering the Episcopal Church through language revisions that no one has bothered to explain to the great unwashed.

Substituting genderless language (e.g. "humankind" for "mankind") is probably acceptable to most, but the Church will lose many followers if the new theology embraces the idea that there are more genders than male and female and if it doesn't explain why the change is right and necessary.

Palm Sunday, 2023

Palm Sunday services began like other pre-COVID Palm Sundays. The congregation assembled outside, and the priest read the passage from Matthew 21 that described Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem.

(Modern Bibles say Jesus rode on a donkey, but the King James version refers to an "ass." Language changes aren't always for the better.)

After the reading we walked back into the church, instead of marching around the block as in previous years.

Many of us didn't mind the abbreviated journey; knees, hips, and ankles aren't as strong and flexible as they were four years ago.

You Only Had Not to do One Thing

(WSJ illustration)

Quiet quitting is a new buzzword for an old workplace pheonomenon: doing just enough to keep one's job.

It's reasonable to suppose that "doing just enough" originated sometime during the 20th century, when bureaucracy made it easy to hide one's lack of productivity, but one would be wrong.

WSJ columnist Callum Borchers believes slacking goes back a bit further than that. He channels the first guy to quiet-quit:

I got the help I requested—her name is Eve—but I didn’t expect The Boss to make her from one of my bones. I don’t want to hear about the “blood, sweat and tears” that you poured into your job. Mine claimed a critical piece of my skeleton. After that, I stopped trying so hard.

Eve had a lot to do with it. She’s Gen A but not type A. Sure, she’d help gather apples or weed the orchids from 9 to 5. But stay a little late to check on the new ocelot litter? Forget it. She was, like, “Sorry, I have plans after work.”

All you quiet quitters out there aren’t as original or provocative as you think.

Really? We were the only two people on the planet. She just wasn’t going to go beyond the position’s minimum requirements.

Yet The Boss loved her just as much as He loved me. I know, I know. That’s His whole brand. Still, it was a harsh realization after all my hard work. I started coasting like Eve.

Even when Adam "started coasting," the Boss wasn't going to fire him. All he had to do was not do one thing, and he couldn't even not do that.

Of course, he blamed it on his teammate, and both were escorted out of the office with no severance and no medical. Some might call it karma, but that's the compensation system from a different company.

You Can See It if You Look for It

Plumb bob and line (Beddingfield photo)

Today's reading:

This is what the Lord God showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said,

"See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword."----Amos 7:7-9

I didn't know much, nor cared, about construction through the first 30 years of my bookish life but over time grew to appreciate the skill of those in the trade. Even more astonishing were the feats of the engineers who built the seven wonders of the ancient world without the benefit of modern technology.

One essential tool that dates back thousands of years was the plumb bob, the weight that established a vertical "plumb line." (Today we use spirit levels which reveal the vertical and horizontal through air bubbles in liquid.)

The plumb line is an irresistible metaphor for the steadiness of God's word in a world of confusion. It's a metaphor that is not fully appreciated until one tries to build something without a tool that brings one back to the straight and vertical path.

Fun Fact: the original weights were made of lead (Latin: plumbum), hence the origin of plumb bob, plumb line, and lead's chemical symbol Pb.