Presby-Musings

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. - Ephesians 5:15-17 In one of my readings this morning, the author referenced a painting by the nineteenth-century French artist Jean Francois Millet--a painting entitled The Angelus .   The title of the painting refers to a thrice-daily prayer that is still prayed by many Christians around the world.  For hundreds of years in virtually every village and town throughout Europe, the time for praying The Angelus was signaled by the ringing of church bells at 6AM, Noon and 6PM.  In Millet's masterpiece you can see two peasants praying at the close of the day.  Their tools and harvest are lying at their feet.  In the background you can see the steeple of a church poking over the horizon as the sun begins to set.   The prayer these peasants are...

Years ago, when I was in seminary, I served as the youth director of a large suburban Chicago church.  Because the church was located to a very high crime area, it had a pretty stringent security process, which required someone to staff the front entrance and screen whoever was trying to enter.   During the day, there was a paid staffer monitoring the entrance, but in the evenings it was zealously guarded by a particular volunteer.  This volunteer--I'll call him Bob--was an older man, with a not-so-convincing gruff demeanor.   Bob was a big guy, and even though he'd stooped some with age, he still set an imposing figure--albeit, one that was pretty soft around the edges.   Bob's eyesight wasn't the best.  It took a couple of years before he could recognize me through the glass door well enough to let me in on those rare nights when I didn't have my keys with me.  He read his devotional books and his Bible every evening, using a huge magnifying g...