On Shadrach, Meshach – and Magoo?

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Welcome to “read the Bible – expand your mind:”

The Book of Common Prayer says that by sharing Holy Communion, Christians become “very members incorporate in the mystical body” of Jesus. The words “corporate” and “mystical” are key. They show that a healthy church has two sides, with the often-overlooked “mystic” side posing the question, “How do I experience God?” This blog will try to answer that.

It has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37.) The second is that God wants us to live lives of abundance.(John 10:10.) The third is that Jesus wants us to read the Bible with an open mind. (As Luke 24:45 says: “Then He [Jesus] opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”) The fourth theme – another one often overlooked – is that Jesus wants us to do even greater miracles than He did. (John 14:12.) 

And this thought ties them together:

The best way to live abundantly and do greater miracles than Jesus is: Read, study and apply the Bible with an open mind. For more see the notes or – to expand your mind – see the Intro.

In the meantime:

May 3, 2025 – Next Wednesday I’ll fly to London. After a day recovering from jet lag I’ll visit Stratford-on-Avon and Liverpool, then come back to London for some sightseeing. (And hope I don’t get bored?) Meaning this will be my last post until I get home near the end of May.

So for this post I’ll talk about this week’s Old Testament readings in the Daily Office. (On Shadrach, his two buddies and a threat of being burned alive.) And about how hard it can be to Get Good Stuff From God. Which brings up Magoo, a Hell’s Angel from the ‘Frisco chapter.

Hunter Thompson wrote about Magoo in his 1967 book, Hell’s Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga. Aside from being an Angel, the 26-year-old Magoo – so called because of his thick glasses – worked as a teamster. (Which gave him a decent income.) Thompson went on:

One night in Oakland, Magoo and I got into a long conversation about guns. I expected the usual [talk about] “shoot-outs” and “cooling guys with a rod,” but Magoo talked more like a candidate for the Olympic pistol team. When I casually mentioned man-sized targets, he snapped, “Don’t tell me about shooting at people.  I’m talking about match sticks.” And he was. He shoots a Ruger .22 revolver, an expensive, long-barreled, precision-made gun that no hood would ever consider. And on days when he isn’t working, he goes out to the dump and tries to shoot the heads off match sticks. “It’s hard as hell,” he said. “But now and then I’ll do it just right, and light one.”

(Emphasis added.) But now for the really strange thing. The really strange thing is the way too many people think that getting good stuff from God – the Force that Created the Universe – should somehow be easier than trying to shoot the head off a match stick…

All of which is another way of saying that in his pursuit, Magoo didn’t have ulterior motives. He wasn’t trying to weasel something good out of anyone. And he wasn’t trying to keep something bad from happening. He was just trying something extremely difficult  – if not impossible – on the off chance that every once in a long while he’d “do it just right…”

All of which reminded me once of what a female Muslim mystic once said:

O God, if I worship Thee in fear of hell, burn me in hell;  if I worship Thee in hope of Paradise, exclude me from Paradise;  but if I worship Thee for Thine own sake, withhold not Thine everlasting beauty.

In other words, in trying to shoot the head off a matchstick – and on rare occasions even lighting one – Magoo wasn’t going for a prize. (A bribe, if you will.) He was doing it “for it’s own sake.” He was doing it for the sheer joy, and he wasn’t expecting anything in return.

My point is that maybe we practicing Christians would be better off trying to approach God in the same way. (With a lot more respect and a lot less greed.) Maybe we shouldn’t expect God to cater to our every whim. Maybe we shouldn’t get so angry when things don’t turn out exactly how we want. Maybe we should take a pure and simple joy in the off chance that the Force That Created the Universe even knows we exist. (And is willing to help out once in a while.)

Which brings up this week’s Old Testament readings in the Daily Office. They too have a bearing on things like when you get mad because the Lord didn’t buy you a Mercedes Benz. For one thing, “things could be worse. A lot worse!” Like the threat of being burned alive in a Fiery Furnace.

Starting last Monday, April 28, the Daily Office Old Testament Readings have been from the Book of Daniel. It’s best known for Daniel getting thrown into a lion’s den – and surviving – but it has lots of other good stuff too, including an early apocalypse. (A better-known apocalypse is Revelation, the last book in the Bible.) But now the readings have moved to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. (Daniel 3:1-18, and 3:19-30.)

It all started when Daniel and his three friends were among the “handsome young men” from Judah who got deported to Babylon – in the Babylonian captivity – but eventually were taught the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The three friends were originally Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, but by royal decree their Hebrew names were changed, to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. (Daniel’s name was changed to Belteshazzar.) In turn King Nebuchadnezzar gave them prominent positions within his administration. (They were made “administrators over the province of Babylon.” Daniel 2:49.)  But there’s always a catch…

In this case the catch was that King Nebuchadnezzer had a giant golden statue of himself built.  Then he ordered that all his subjects bow down and worship it – him – whenever they heard “the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble.” (Daniel 3:5,7.) The king further ordered that “whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.” (Daniel 3:6.) And so – to make a long story short – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to fall down and worship an earthly “god,” especially because Nebuchadnezzar was a mere man himself, like them.

As a result they got thrown into the burning fiery furnace, just as the king had threatened.  But the real kicker in the story comes at Daniel 3:16-18.  There the three men – about to be thrown into the burning, fiery furnace – gave their answer to King Nebuchadnezzer:

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defence to you in this matter.  If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us, he will deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king.  But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.”

Note the emphasized “But if not…”  So what the three men were really saying was something like this:  “O Nebuchadnezzar, it’s up to God Himself to decide if He’ll deliver us out of your hands from this dreadful, painful and agonizing death. God certainly has the power to save us, but even if He decides not to, we will still believe in and follow Him.”

Some lessons to learn? Like how we should resist an earthly king’s tyrannical demands? Like how we should keep the faith, whatever the mortal challenge? Like how we should remember that it can be hard to keep the necessary patience to get good things from God, or wait for Him to deliver us from some ordeal we’re going through? And how it’s sometimes as hard as shooting the head off a matchstick from 100 yards. Keeping that patience can be hard as hell, but now and then we’ll “do it just right.” Like it says in the King James Version of Psalm 27:14, “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart.”

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“Magoo.” An example of Psalm 27:14 patience?

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The upper image is courtesy of Shadrach Meshach And Abednego – Image Results.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

For this post I borrowed from the April 2015 post, Shadrach “et al.” and the Fiery Furnace, and the June 2015 post, On the wisdom of Virgil – and an “Angel.” The June post noted the Roman poet Virgil’s “peculiar way of looking at things,” in that most people – today and throughout history – have seen religious matters in terms of black or white:  “our attitude toward the possibility of divine control of things tends to be all or nothing.” And how our puny human minds are as incapable of fully understanding as a “cat trying to understand calculus.”

Re: Stratford-on-Avon. Technically it’s Stratford-upon-Avon, but I shortened it. Fewer syllables…

Hunter Thompson book. The link in the text is to Amazon Books, indicating “1996.” See also Hell’s Angels (book) – Wikipedia, showing the original publishing date 1967. The passage I used was from page 182 of the Ballantine Trade Edition, published in 1996. (In Chapter 16, part of Thompson’s account of the “Hoodlum Circus and The Statutory Rape of Bass Lake.”) The book includes this insight: “Despite his Cro-Magnon appearance, [Magoo] has a peculiar dignity that can only be dealt with on its own terms… His opinions are flavored with a morality that seems more instinctive than learned.” See also Hunter S. Thompson – New World Encyclopedia.

Re: The female Muslim mystic. See Rabia Basri – Wikipedia. See also Page : Book of common prayer (TEC, 1979).pdf/857, on the Prayer of Adoration: ” Adoration is the lifting up of the heart and mind to God, asking nothing but to enjoy God’s presence.”

Re: Mercedes Benz. The link Janis Joplin – Mercedes Benz Lyrics – Genius: The song is a “blues tune about the search for happiness by the pursuit of worldly goods.”

Re: Fiery furnace. For a learned discussion see A Summary and Analysis of the Story of Shadrach and the Fiery Furnace, which included this: “The Book of Daniel deals with the Jews deported from Judah to Babylon in the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, and shows Daniel and his co-religionists resisting the Babylonian king’s tyrannical demands that they leave aside their religious devotion to God.”

The lower image is courtesy of Charles Joseph Tinsley (1937-1971) – Find a Grave Memorial: “Charles Tinsley was known as Charlie Magoo, and was a very famous member of the Oakland California charter of the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club. He had a featured part in the movie Hell’s Angels 1969, and was written about extensively in books by Hunter Thompson, and Sonny Barger.” (As originally written the piece noted “Hells.” I added the Plural Possessive rule to make it “Hell’s.”) Tinsley died in 1971, at age 33. See also Hell’s Angels – Wikipedia, which added some interesting updates. Like the fact that they incorporated in 1966, have filed numerous lawsuits to protect that status, and that to become a Hell’s Angels “prospect,” candidates must have “a valid driver’s license, a motorcycle over 750cc (46 cu in), and the right combination of personal qualities.” It is said the club excludes child molesters and people who have applied to become police or prison officers.”

(On that note. That’s why I love blogging. So many Rabbit Trails to follow. And about those rabbit trails, a fellow-blogger said while going down rabbit trails in “can be fun and interesting,” they can also interfere with resolving the topic at hand. But also noted this distinction:)

You would never use that phrase to describe a leisurely trip when you explored a side path and had an interesting adventureThat’s more like taking the road less traveled[,] which is a literary reference to a poem by Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken.”

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As noted in the opening blurb, this blog has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37, with the added, “Anyone who comes to Him.”) This is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. From the Old Testament, Psalm 9:10, “You never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.” (In the Version in the Book of Common Prayer.) The second is that God wants us to live abundantly.  (John 10:10.) The third is that we should do greater miracles than Jesus. (John 14:12). A fourth theme: The only way to do all that is read the Bible with an open mind:

…closed-mindedness, or an unwillingness to consider new ideas, can result from the brain’s natural dislike for ambiguity. According to this view, the brain has a “search and destroy” relationship with ambiguity and evidence contradictory to people’s current beliefs tends to make them uncomfortable… Research confirms that belief-discrepant-closed-minded persons have less tolerance for cognitive inconsistency

So in plain words, I take issue with what I came to call “Christian first graders.” Those who stay in a kind of elementary school, and maybe even never go beyond first grade. See John the Baptist, ’24 – and “Christian First Graders,” for more detail. But the key point: “The Bible was designed to expand your mind,” not keep it narrow. Also, the idea that “Jesus was anything but negative. His goal was for you to grow and develop into all that you can be.” (For more on that see ABOUT THE BLOG, above.)

Before that post I wrote that the blog takes issue with boot-camp Christians, the Biblical literalists who never go “beyond the fundamentals.” But the Bible can offer so much more than their narrow reading can offer…  (Unless you want to stay a Bible buck private all your life…) Now, about “Boot-camp Christians.” See for example, Conservative Christian – “Career buck private?”  The gist of that post is that starting the Bible is like Army Basic Training. You begin by“learning the fundamentals.” But after boot camp, you move on to Advanced Individual Training.” 

http://www.toywonders.com/productcart/pc/catalog/aw30.jpg

However, after boot camp, you move on to Advanced Individual Training. And as noted in “Buck private,” one of this blog’s themes is that if you want to be all that you can be, you need to go on and explore the “mystical side of Bible reading.*” In other words, exploring the mystical side of the Bible helps you “be all that you can be.” See Slogans of the U.S. Army – Wikipedia, re: the recruiting slogan from 1980 to 2001. The related image at left is courtesy of: “toywonders.com/productcart/pc/catalog/aw30.jpg.”

Re: “mystical.” Originally, mysticism “referred to the Biblical liturgical, spiritual, and contemplative dimensions of early and medieval Christianity.” See Mysticism – Wikipedia, and the post On originalism.  (“That’s what the Bible was originally about!”) See also Christian mysticism – Wikipedia, “In early Christianity the term ‘mystikos’ referred to three dimensions, which soon became intertwined, namely the biblical, the liturgical and the spiritual or contemplative… The third dimension is the contemplative or experiential knowledge of God.” As to that “experiential” aspect, see also Wesleyan Quadrilateral – Wikipedia, on the theological reflection method using four sources of spiritual development: scripturetradition, reason, and “Christian experience.”

For an explanation of the Daily Office – where “Dorscribe” came from – see What’s a DOR?

Doubting Thomas Sunday, 2025 – and a Resurgence?

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A stained-glass version of Apostle Thomas – proving to himself that Jesus had risen…

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This Sunday, April 27, is officially the Second Sunday of Easter. Note the “of,” rather than “after.” That’s because Easter is not just one day, it’s an entire season. A full season of 50 days – called Eastertide – that runs from Easter Sunday to Pentecost. So while April 27 is arguably the first Sunday after Easter, it is better known as the Second Sunday of Easter.

Actually, it’s also known as Low Sunday, mostly because church attendance falls off so much that first Sunday after. (Compared with the high attendance on Easter Day. See “CEOs;” Christians who only go to church on Christmas and Easter.) But you could also call it “the Sunday of Many Names.” For example, Doubting Thomas Sunday, mostly because the Gospel lesson always tells the story of Thomas. (John 20:19-31, “which recounts the story of Christ appearing to the Apostle Thomas in order to dispel the latter’s doubt about the Resurrection.” Which made him the original – the prototype – “Doubting Thomas.”)

And it’s called the Octave of Easter.  In this case the Octave in question is the eight-day period in Eastertide that “starts on Easter Sunday and runs until the Sunday following Easter.”

Getting back to Doubting Thomas, Wikipedia defines the term generically as a “skeptic who refuses to believe without direct personal experience.” The term refers to Apostle Thomas, “who refused to believe that the resurrected Jesus had appeared to the ten other apostles, until he could see and feel the wounds received by Jesus on the cross.” 

Wikipedia went on to explain that Thomas the Apostle – also called Didymus, meaning “The Twin” – was best known from the account in John 20:19-31. He questioned Jesus’ resurrection at first, but after his direct experience – seeing and touching Jesus’ wounded body – he proclaimed, “My Lord and my God.” Of course we can’t have such a direct experience with Jesus – not in this life anyway – but there’s something to be said for having doubts, and yet working to overcome them. (“Improvise, Adapt, Overcome…”)

You could say there are two kinds of faith. The first is blindly believing, without asking any questions, having any doubts or asking how other people interpret the Bible. The second type does ask questions, does dig deeper and as a result often comes across doubt. You could think of that second type of faith as a form of resistance training. But the Blind Faith Christian doesn’t like resistance. He does the same boring spiritual exercise, over and over again, and stays at the same low level of spiritual fitness. The Healthy-Doubt Christian welcomes resistance, and asks the probing questions that often lead to doubt. But in the process, he ultimately grows spiritually stronger by overcoming that resistance, by overcoming those doubts.

Think of it as a kind of Charles Atlas spiritual workout, as shown in the image below.

There’s more information on Thomas in the Notes, like “Quasimodo Sunday” as yet another name for this April 27th. And the tradition that Thomas went to India to preach the Gospel, but was martyred in 72 AD, possibly “at Mylapore near Chennai.” But in closing, here’s some good church news for a change. It came in a New York Times article dated April 20, 2025: The Morning: America wants a God. (Not like it sounds at first blush.) That is, I’ve written before about falling church attendance, like in the July 2023 post, On today’s Pharisees – and “Freedom ’23:”

In 1999 70% of Americans belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque. In 2018 it was 50%, and in 2020 it was 47%. That’s the first time in 80 years of polling the percentage fell below half. A lot of it has to do with politics. Specifically, “Christians” who use the Faith as a tool of political power.

But maybe The Times They Are a-Changing? I’ve included a fuller summary of the April 20, 2025 Times article below the Notes proper, but here are some highlights.

COVID and the country’s limited social safety nets have inclined Americans to stick with (or even turn to) religion for support. In turn, “America’s secularization is on pause, people have stopped leaving churches, and religion is taking a more prominent role in public life.” Americans want a return to stronger communities, more meaningful rituals and spaces to express their spirituality. They’re also longing to have richer, more nuanced conversations about belief. And many Nones – people with no religious affiliation – seem to have a dawning recognition that, in leaving the Faith, they threw “the baby out with the baptismal water.”

In short, sometimes it takes a plague (which can take many forms it seems) – to lead us to a national “softening of the heart, a turning away from judgment and moralizing,” and turning instead to joy, gratitude – and going back to church.

Meanwhile, here’s that brand-new “he-man” spiritual body you can look forward to.

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The upper image is courtesy of Doubting Thomas – Image Results. See also Crossroads Initiative, which featured the image.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

The full link to Improvise, Adapt, Overcome, then Adapt Again > 2nd Marine Division:

Improvise, adapt, and overcome. Those three words are paramount to fighting and winning battles, but what happens when you finally overcome? You keep improvising, and you keep adapting. The enemy won’t rest and neither should you.

That’s advice that seems especially relevant in these times of polarization and the weaponizing of Christianity by some. (And whatever happened to Onward, Christian Soldiers? See Wikipedia for background, and for one example, Why ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ may not be sung at this Remembrance Sunday: “The hymn Onward, Christian Soldiers has been dropped from one English church’s Remembrance Sunday service over concerns that it will offend non-Christians.” However, “British Legion members are protesting at the decision to scrap the hymn at the service in St Peter’s CofE Church in Oadby, Leicester.”)

For this post I borrowed from “Doubting Thomas Sunday” – 2017, from 2019’s Easter, Doubting Thomas Sunday – and a Metaphor, and On Doubting Thomas Sunday – 2023.

Re: “Sometimes it takes a plague.” See On St. Mark, 2020 – and today’s “plague,” and Advent 2021 – “Enjoy yourself.”

The lower image is courtesy of Dynamic Tension Charles Atlas – Image Results.  See also Dynamic Tension – Wikipedia, and Charles Atlas – Wikipedia. (I used the image in the March 2019 post, On the Bible’s “dynamic tension.”)

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Items from the article, The Morning: America wants a God, subtitled: “Americans believe,” for future reference:

“Most people are wary of the government, the future and even each other, but they still believe in astonishing possibilities. Almost all Americans — 92 percent of adults — say they have a spiritual belief, in a god, human souls or spirits, an afterlife or something ‘beyond the natural world,’ as we reported earlier this year…

“The country seems to be acknowledging this widespread spiritual hunger. America’s secularization is on pause, people have stopped leaving churches, and religion is taking a more prominent role in public life…

“In my reporting, I found that there are many reasons for this shift in American life. Researchers say the pandemic and the country’s limited social safety nets have inclined people to stick with (or even turn to) religion for support. But there is another reason, too: Many Americans are dissatisfied with the alternatives to religion. They feel an existential malaise, and they’re looking for help. People want stronger communities, more meaningful rituals and spaces to express their spirituality. They’re also longing to have richer, more nuanced conversations about belief…

“Over the past few decades, around 40 million Americans left churches, and the number of people who say they have no religion grew to about 30 percent of the country…

“People who practice a religion tend to be happier than those who don’t, a study by the Pew Research Center found. They are also healthier: They are significantly less likely to be depressed or to die prematurely from suicide, alcoholism, cancer, cardiovascular illness or other causes, multiple studies from Harvard found…

“But in aggregate, religion seems to help people by giving them what sociologists call the “three B’s” — belief in something, belonging in a community and behaviors to guide their lives…

“Religion fills a psychological need, Michele Margolis, a political scientist at the University of Pennsylvania, told me. ‘We want to feel connection,’ she said. ‘We want to feel like life makes sense.’ Finding these things alone or creating them from scratch is ‘really hard,’ she added.

“But for now, many ‘nones’ — people who have no religious affiliation — that I spoke to seem to have a dawning recognition that, in leaving faith, they threw ‘the baby out with the baptismal water…’ 

“Conservatives seem to be better at naming this longing. They speak to ‘civilizational’ renewal and a restoration of moral values. They promise deliverance through politics. They use the infrastructure of evangelical Christianity to communicate their vision. It’s working for them…

“But is this the only way? Successful alternatives haven’t emerged at scale, and many liberals have ignored American spirituality — this longing — at their party’s peril…

“This data reveals that finding a way forward may require acknowledging that Americans want to wrestle with hard questions about how to live. They’re looking to heady concepts — confession, atonement, forgiveness and sacrifice — for answers…

“In short, they’re looking to believe in something.”

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And about that “Conservatives seem to be better at.” That’s why I say non-conservatives – including Nones and bleeding-heart liberals – need to read and study the Bible more: Political self-defense!

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“If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him” – Easter ’25

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Yes, Jesus rose from the grave for us, but first came the Cross, then the Harrowing of Hell

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April 16, 2025 – We’re in the middle of Holy Week, 2025, and let’s face it: We’ve had a lot happier Easters to celebrate than the one coming up. (See e.g., Trump’s second term so far: A story of chaos, confusion and reversals.) But as good Christians we try to “stay above the fray,” with Jesus, as the only place to be. (Even though these days, it’s a real pain.)

Or so I thought until I did the Daily Office readings for Tuesday, April 15.

First off, there was that passage from the Gospel, John 12:26, the one that become the title for the post: “If anyone serves Me” – Jesus – “the Father will honor him.” Which serves as a reminder of our Christian duty during what seems to be an upcoming Time of Troubles. And a reminder of the mantra we should remember in the coming years: “I believe in Jesus Christ, the rule of law, and the Constitution.” But back to the Daily Office readings for Tuesday, April 15.

Aside from John 12:26, the main readings included Jeremiah 15:21, “I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.” Then came the psalms, including Psalm 12:78, “Oh Lord, watch over us and save us from this generation forever. The wicked prowl on every side, and that which is worthless is highly prized by everyone.”

All of which sounded both familiar, and relevant, then came the first part of Psalm 94:

The Lord is a God who avenges. O God of vengeance show yourself. Rise up, O Judge of the earth; give the arrogant their just desserts. How long shall the wicked, O Lord, how long shall the wicked triumph? They bluster in their insolence; all evildoers are full of boasting. They crush your people, O Lord, and afflict your chosen nation.

And finally came the end, Psalm 94:23: “He will turn their wickedness back upon them and destroy them in their own malice; the Lord our God will destroy them.”

Not exactly the usual sentiments to express the joy of Jesus’ resurrection – The Lord is risen indeed!” – but again, they seem both familiar and relevant, no matter what your political persuasion. (“Wink wink nudge nudge.”) But seriously, let’s get back to the real meaning of Easter.

But first some background. The name Easter came from a pagan figure called Eastre (or Eostre), “celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe. Her earthly symbol was the rabbit, known as a symbol of fertility.” And that’s how we got the Easter Bunny and Easter egg hunts. But let’s talk about what Easter Sunday is really about.

Isaac Asimov noted that many skeptics – even to this day – still don’t believe in Easter. They say “the tale of the resurrection must be put down to legend.”  But he added that if the story had ended with the burial of Jesus – standing alone – it was highly likely “that Jesus’ disciples would gradually have forgotten their old teacher.” In turn, they couldn’t have attracted many new disciples “to gather in His memory,” as they did in the years following His death. (As described in the Acts of the Apostles – Wikipedia.) In sum (Asimov noted), the history of the world would have been “enormously different” without the Easter event:

[E]ven if we take the rationalist view that there was no resurrection in reality, it cannot be denied that there was one in the belief of the disciples and, eventually, of hundreds of millions of men – and that made all the difference. (E.A.)

(See also Resurrection of Jesus – Wikipedia.) So Asimov’s point seems to be that even though the “rationalists” among us can’t be persuaded by and through any direct evidence of the Resurrection, they can’t deny the circumstantial evidence. That is, the evidence provided by those millions of lives transformed by their belief in Jesus. (Not to mention the rule of law and the Constitution.) In other words, by rising from the grave Jesus showed His power to save us from all those “slithery coils” shown in the upper image, whatever form they may take.

Something to remember during the upcoming Easter Season, along with Psalm 94:23.

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 The Risen Jesus – “holding the white banner of victory over death.”

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The upper image is courtesy of Harrowing Of Hell Image – Image Results. See also Harrowing of Hell – Wikipedia: “the period of time between the Crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection. In triumphant descent, Christ brought salvation to the souls held captive there since the beginning of the world.”

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

Strictly speaking, Time of Troubles (per Wikipedia), referred to “a period of political crisis in Russia which began in 1598 …  period of deep social crisis and lawlessness following the death of Feodor I, a weak and possibly intellectually disabled ruler who died without an heir.”

Re: The “first part of Psalm 94.” I combined the translations from the Book of Common Prayer and the New International Version, in “Bible Hub.” (“Poetic license.”)

Re: “Nudge Nudge,” etc. See Wikipedia: “a sketch from the third Monty Python’s Flying Circus episode … featuring Eric Idle (author of the sketch) and Terry Jones as two strangers who meet in a pub.”

For this post I borrowed from 2015’s On Easter Season – AND BEYOND, 2016’s On Eastertide – and “artistic license” – which included a section on Rabbit Trails – along with 2017’s Frohliche Ostern – “Happy Easter” and Happy Easter – April 2020! (Was that the last happy one?)

About those rabbit trails, a fellow-blogger said while going down rabbit trails in “can be fun and interesting,” they can also interfere with resolving the topic at hand. But also noted this distinction:

You would never use that phrase to describe a leisurely trip when you explored a side path and had an interesting adventure.  That’s more like taking the road less traveled[,] which is a literary reference to a poem by Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken.” (E.A.)

Re: Asimov. The quotes – including on Matthew – are from Asimov’s Guide to the Bible (Two Volumes in One),  Avenel Books (1981), at pages 896-97 and 932-33. Also, from a past post:

Asimov (1920-1992) was “an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books.  Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards.” His list of books included those on “astronomymathematics, the BibleWilliam Shakespeare’s writing, and chemistry.”  He was a long-time member of Mensa, “albeit reluctantly;  he described some members of that organization as ‘brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs.’”  See Isaac Asimov – Wikipedia.

The lower image is courtesy of Resurrection, 1584-94 by El Greco. I borrowed the caption from Easter Season – AND BEYOND, along with the origins of Easter information therein, including Asimov. And about that ending paragraph, see also The Proof Of The Pudding – Meaning & Origin Of The Phrase.

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On Palm Sunday – 2025

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“The same voices that welcome [Jesus] today will demand His crucifixion by Friday…”

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Welcome to “read the Bible – expand your mind:”

The Book of Common Prayer says that by sharing Holy Communion, Christians become “very members incorporate in the mystical body” of Jesus. The words “corporate” and “mystical” are key. They show that a healthy church has two sides, with the often-overlooked “mystic” side posing the question, “How do I experience God?” This blog will try to answer that.

It has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37.) The second is that God wants us to live lives of abundance.(John 10:10.) The third is that Jesus wants us to read the Bible with an open mind. (As it says in Luke 24:45: “Then He [Jesus] opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”) The fourth theme – another one often overlooked – is that Jesus wants us to do even greater miracles than He did. (John 14:12.) 

And this thought ties them together:

The best way to live abundantly and do greater miracles than Jesus is: Read, study and apply the Bible with an open mind. For more see the notes or – to expand your mind – see the Intro.

In the meantime:

April 12, 2025 – The past 10 days have been an up-down, roller-coaster ride. Including the unexpected sudden death of “another person way younger than me,” together with the need to help cobble together a memorial service, followed by a quick road trip up to Louisville – plagued by endless rain and flooding – for a joyful Celebration-of-25-years-of-Marriage ceremony.

All of which I suppose is a good metaphor for the Lenten journey itself, or for any Christian on his pilgrim-path throughout life. (Keeping in mind that “Happy are the people whose strength is in You! Whose hearts are set on the pilgrim’s way.Psalm 84:5.) But now it’s time to focus on the upcoming Palm Sunday, which begins another week of roller-coaster riding.

It’s called Holy Week, what has been called “the most sacred period in the liturgical calendar.” It begins with Palm Sunday, a day featuring moments of victory and expectation for Jesus, “yet a tragic irony looms. The same voices that welcome Him today will demand His crucifixion by Friday.” A week for reflecting and renewing, ending in a celebration of Christ’s resurrection. And to review: Holy Week marks the end of Lent and itself ends with Easter Sunday. It begins with Palm Sunday and includes Holy Wednesday (also called “Spy Wednesday,” a reference to the betrayal of Judas), followed by Maundy ThursdayGood Friday, and Holy Saturday.

Palm Sunday in turn remembers “Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.” The symbolism of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey comes from Zechariah 9:9. In turn, the welcoming crowds chanted from Psalm 118:26, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.”  Further:

The symbolism of the donkey may refer to the Eastern tradition that it is an animal of peace, versus the horse, which is the animal of war.  A king would have come riding upon a horse when he was bent on war and riding upon a donkey when he wanted to point out he was coming in peace. Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem would have thus symbolized his entry as the Prince of Peace, not as a war-waging king.

(Emphasis added.) But then came the part where Jesus got “numbered among the transgressors,” which in any reasonable interpretation means “the rest of us poor struggling slobs, even down to the present day.” To explain, one Gospel reading for Palm Sunday is Luke 23:1-49. It includes Luke 22:37, where Jesus said, “I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’” In turn, Biblehub.com has other translations for transgressors. Words like lawless, rebels, evil doers, outlaws, or even “criminals.” And the notes thereto point to Isaiah 53, “a manifest prophecy of the Messiah;” specifically, Isaiah 53:12:

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Bible Hub also noted Jesus was “crucified between two thieves; and more than this.” The “more than this” involved what we’d call a legal fiction, ”a fact assumed or created by courts which is then used in order to apply a legal rule.” The Old Testament rule – Leviticus 17:11 – demanded a blood sacrifice to cover the sins of “the people.” (All people down to the present day, including us.) To solve that problem for all time, Jesus substituted His own blood for ours:

[In]stead of his people, and having their sins laid upon him, and imputed to him, he was made and accounted, by imputation, not only a sinner, but sin itself

(Emphasis added.) Which is something to think about in this final week of Lent, 2025.

Something else to think about: Psalm 22, and especially the first verse. We know it well  because Jesus quoted it on the cross. See Matthew 27:46:  “About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?’” (See also Mark 15:34, or in the Latin, “Deus, Deus meus.”) What many don’t realize is that Psalm 22:1 goes on to add:  “Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?” And that’s a thought many can relate to these days.

Then comes Psalm 22:18. In the NIV:  “They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” That from Psalm 22 was mirrored in Matthew 27:35:  “When they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments by casting lots.” (Talk about “preordained before the beginning of time.”) But that’s enough on Palm Sunday. (Except for those who may explore the links in the Notes.) Which brings up another note: Holy Week doesn’t “end” with Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday just begins another liturgical season, 50 days long, called Eastertide:

[In Western Christianity] Easter time is the period of 50 days, spanning from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. It is celebrated as a single joyful feast, called the “great Lord’s Day,” Each Sunday of the season is treated as a Sunday of Easter. In some traditions, Easter Sunday is the first Sunday of Eastertide and the following Sunday (Low Sunday) is the second Sunday of Eastertide and so on…

Then comes Pentecost season, or “the Season after Pentecost,” which this year runs from Sunday, June 8, through the rest of the year to the season of Advent, at the end of next November. Meaning the up-and-down roller-coaster ride will continue, but all that and more will be the subjects of later postings. In the meantime, “Have a Happy Holy Week!”

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Ordinary Time” – Pentecost Season – can take up half the Church year…

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The upper image is courtesy of Palm Sunday – Image Results. The painting was accompanied by a Page, Days of Holy Week: What they teach us about faith, redemption. (Which I borrowed from.)

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

Re: “His pilgrim-path.” Not “his or her,” or the ubiquitous “their.” Sorry, I’m old school in some ways, at least for this post.

Re: Psalm Psalm 84:5. I used the version in the Book of Common Prayer, where it’s listed as Psalm 84:4 (which happens sometimes). I capitalized the “You,” for God, and the following word in the BCP, “whose hearts are set.” Also, the Biblehub translations include “on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem” (which I’ve done), “all who deeply desire to visit your temple,” and of those whose “hearts are on the road [that leads to you].” (Brackets in the “Hub” website.) The last one ties in with John 6:37, where Jesus promised that “whoever comes to Me I will never drive away.” (And yes, I capitalized the “Me” too.)

Re: “A reference to Judas.” See Why Is Wednesday of Holy Week Called Spy Wednesday?

For this post I borrowed from On Holy Week – 2016, Psalm 22 and the “Passion of Jesus,” from April 2017, and from March 2018, Palm Sunday: To “not sin,” or to accomplish something?

The lower image is courtesy of Liturgical year – Wikipedia. See also Ordinary Time – Wikipedia.

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As noted in the opening blurb, this blog has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37, with the added, “Anyone who comes to Him.”) This is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. From the Old Testament, Psalm 9:10, “You never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.” (In the Version in the Book of Common Prayer.) The second is that God wants us to live abundantly.  (John 10:10.) The third is that we should do greater miracles than Jesus. (John 14:12). A fourth theme: The only way to do all that is read the Bible with an open mind:

…closed-mindedness, or an unwillingness to consider new ideas, can result from the brain’s natural dislike for ambiguity. According to this view, the brain has a “search and destroy” relationship with ambiguity and evidence contradictory to people’s current beliefs tends to make them uncomfortable… Research confirms that belief-discrepant-closed-minded persons have less tolerance for cognitive inconsistency

So in plain words, I take issue with what I came to call “Christian first graders.” Those who stay in a kind of elementary school, and maybe even never go beyond first grade. See John the Baptist, ’24 – and “Christian First Graders,” for more detail. But the key point: “The Bible was designed to expand your mind,” not keep it narrow. Also, the idea that “Jesus was anything but negative. His goal was for you to grow and develop into all that you can be.” (For more on that see ABOUT THE BLOG, above.)

Before that post I wrote that the blog takes issue with boot-camp Christians, the Biblical literalists who never go “beyond the fundamentals.” But the Bible can offer so much more than their narrow reading can offer…  (Unless you want to stay a Bible buck private all your life…) Now, about “Boot-camp Christians.” See for example, Conservative Christian – “Career buck private?”  The gist of that post is that starting the Bible is like Army Basic Training. You begin by“learning the fundamentals.” But after boot camp, you move on to Advanced Individual Training.” 

http://www.toywonders.com/productcart/pc/catalog/aw30.jpg

However, after boot camp, you move on to Advanced Individual Training. And as noted in “Buck private,” one of this blog’s themes is that if you want to be all that you can be, you need to go on and explore the “mystical side of Bible reading.*” In other words, exploring the mystical side of the Bible helps you “be all that you can be.” See Slogans of the U.S. Army – Wikipedia, re: the recruiting slogan from 1980 to 2001. The related image at left is courtesy of: “toywonders.com/productcart/pc/catalog/aw30.jpg.”

Re: “mystical.” Originally, mysticism “referred to the Biblical liturgical, spiritual, and contemplative dimensions of early and medieval Christianity.” See Mysticism – Wikipedia, and the post On originalism.  (“That’s what the Bible was originally about!”) See also Christian mysticism – Wikipedia, “In early Christianity the term ‘mystikos’ referred to three dimensions, which soon became intertwined, namely the biblical, the liturgical and the spiritual or contemplative… The third dimension is the contemplative or experiential knowledge of God.” As to that “experiential” aspect, see also Wesleyan Quadrilateral – Wikipedia, on the theological reflection method using four sources of spiritual development: scripturetradition, reason, and “Christian experience.”

For an explanation of the Daily Office – where “Dorscribe” came from – see What’s a DOR

Some 2025 Mid-Lenten meditations…

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Was Mary cool and collected at the Announcement – or did she “shrink back in terror?”

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Last Thursday, March 20, was the Feast Day for St Joseph. This past Tuesday, March 25, was the Feast of The Annunciation. And here we are in mid-Lent, so let’s get right to “St. Joe:”

Christian tradition places Joseph as Jesus‘ foster father… Joseph is not mentioned [at] the Wedding at Cana at the beginning of Jesus’ mission, nor at the Passion at the end. If he had been present at the Crucifixion, he would under Jewish custom have been expected to take charge of Jesus’ body, but this role is instead performed by Joseph of Arimathea

Which makes you wonder, “Whatever happened to Joseph?” And for that matter, is he a good role model for this and every Lent? Struggling away in obscurity for so many years, and largely remembered today “only” because when push came to shove he set aside some pretty substantial doubts and did the right thing? I’d say so, but let’s get to what little we do know.

For some possible answers, check out Question of Faith: What happened to St. Joseph – Catholic Telegraph, or – for a lot of Bible passages on the issue – What ever happened to Joseph, Jesus’ stepfather? One thing we do know: Joseph is the patron saint of workers, along with fathers in general and also “the dying.” (Those at or approaching death.) As for that “worker” definition, the prevailing view is that he was a carpenter, but the original Greek term was tektōn.

Commonly translated “carpenter,” it can also mean mason, craftsman or a builder in wood, stone or metal. (Not to mention “fabricating and joining.”) In other words, tekton can refer to a highly skilled laborer “adept at doing all kinds of work.” (One theory has Joseph – with Jesus and maybe another son – helping build the massive amphitheater for Herod Antipas at Sepphoris, 3.7 miles from Nazareth.) But the important thing for us is that Joseph “did the right thing,” which included putting up with Jesus when he was a teenager.

Which brings up the question: Did Jesus as a teenager know He was the First-born Son of God? If so, He could see into the future, and know – absolutely – everything that ever was or would be. Yet there He was, stuck in a backwater, hayseed town. Worst of all He had to take orders from older people who didn’t know a fraction of what He knew about “real life.” Of course:

Since every teenager in the world has felt exactly the same way – since the beginning of time – how could the people of Nazareth know this teenager was any different?

But we digress, except to note that those teen years alone were probably enough to earn Joseph a sainthood. Which is also true of Mary, which brings up the The Annunciation.

The full title is Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and it started with the birth of Jesus. Early Church Fathers – thinking backward nine months – figured that since Jesus was born on December 25, He had to be conceived the previous March 25. (A note: late December was about the time that dark winter days started getting lighter again, bringing “great joy and gladness when the sun started returning.” There was also that Roman Saturnalia thing going on about the same late-December, celebrating “a reprieve from death and a return to life.”)

The feast itself celebrates “the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus, the Son of God, marking his Incarnation.”

Which brings up another prevailing view, that Mary was all calm and collected when she got this startling news. “Ho hum, no big deal!” But according to Luke 1:29, Mary was “greatly troubled” or “confused and disturbed,” depending on the translation. In the original Greek, Mary was διαταράσσω (diatarassó), meaning to “disturb thoroughly, to agitate greatly, to trouble deeply.” But her look can also be described as terrified: “Look at her facial expression. This is not one of acquiescence or pleasure. This is a look almost of horror at what she has just been told.”

Consider too what Garry Wills said: “For me, the most convincing pictures or sculptures of the Annunciation to Mary show her in a state of panic … shrinking off from the angel, looking cornered by him.” He noted especially some 14th century paintings, “where Mary is made so faint by the angel’s words that she sways back and must grab a pillar to keep herself upright.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Mary got another warning when she presented the newborn Jesus at the Temple. That’s when Simeon told her, “you, Mary, will suffer as though you had been stabbed by a dagger.” (Luke 2:35. Or that “a sword will run through this woman’s heart.”) All that could explain why Mary may have had a look “almost of horror at what she has just been told” by Gabriel. Which is something to meditate during this Lent 2025. (If you’re feeling alarmed, agitated or perplexed at world events going on around us.)

That shouldn’t be a surprise, since trying to be a good Christian has always been a real pain, but “It is to vigor, not comfort that you are called.” On the other hand there’s 1st Corinthians 10:13, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” Something else to keep in mind…

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Another view of the Annunciationby Johann Schröder

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The upper image is courtesy of Rossetti Annunciation – Image Results. See also The Annunciation by Dante Gabriel Rossetti – my daily art display:

Take a while and look at Mary’s expression. How do you read Rossetti’s depiction of this young woman? Look at her facial expression. This is not one of acquiescence or pleasure. This is a look almost of horror at what she has just been told. This terrified look adds a great deal of power to Rossetti’s  painting. Mary herself in Rossetti’s painting looks much younger than we are used to seeing in similar scenes. She exudes a youthful beauty but only seems to be a mere adolescent with her long un-brushed auburn hair contrasting sharply with her white dress. She is painfully thin and her hesitance and sad look tinged with fear endears her to us. 

For a fuller view of Rossetti’s interpretation – of Mary “shrinking back,” maybe in terror – see the bottom image at On the Annunciation (2022) – and Mary “shrinking back.”

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

Re: “Mid-Lent.” This year from Wednesday, March 5th, to Thursday, April 17. (Lent 2025 – Calendar Date.) So we are pretty much in the middle; March 26 or 27, depending on your “reckoning.” Which brings up the Daily Office readings for Monday, March 24. They included Paul’s letter to the Romans (4:1-12), with a lot on how Abraham believed “and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Which to me always sounded hillbilly-ish, so I finally checked it out. It turns out the Hebrew word “chashab,” a primitive root, is defined as to think, plan, reckon, account, consider, devise, or to “esteem:”

The Hebrew verb “chashab” primarily conveys the act of thinking, planning, or considering. It is used to describe the process of mental calculation or devising plans… In ancient Hebrew culture, the concept of “chashab” was integral to both daily life and spiritual practice. The ability to think and plan was highly valued, as it was essential for survival, governance, and religious observance. The term reflects a worldview where thoughtful consideration and intentional planning were seen as reflections of wisdom and prudence.

(See Strong’s Hebrew: 2803. חָשַׁב.) Which leads to two thoughts: That’s one reason I love blogging. I get to go chase down those educational “Rabbit Trails.” Second thought: The many ways this one word can be translated makes it hard to think literalism is a good way to approach the Bible.

On Joseph as “tekton,” see Carpenters, Builders, and Masons – Bible Hub, What did St. Joseph actually do as a carpenter? – Aleteia, and Was Joseph a carpenter, stone mason or metallurgist?

Re: The Sepphoris project: “Several scholars have suggested that Jesus, while working as a craftsman in Nazareth, may have traveled to Sepphoris for work purposes, possibly with his father and brothers.” See also Sepphoris | Did Jesus ever visit Sepphoris – itsgila.com. As for Herod Antipas, he is not to be confused with “Herod the baby-killer,” also know – perhaps ironically – as Herod the Great.

On the teenager thing see 2014’s On Jesus as a teenager, and 2016’s On Jesus as a teenager – REDUX.

Re: The word translated from Luke 1:29, see Strong’s Greek: 1298. διαταράσσω (diatarassó).

Re: “What Garry Wills said.” See What Jesus Meant: Wills, the 2007 book, an “illuminating analysis for believers and nonbelievers alike … a brilliant addition to our national conversation on religion.” (Said Goodreads.) The quote is from page 1 of my Penguin Books edition, “The Hidden Years.”

Also, for this post I borrowed from St. Joseph’s Day – 2022, and – from 2015 – The Annunciation “gets the ball rolling,” along with later posts such as On the Annunciation (2022) – and Mary “shrinking back,” and On the Annunciation and the end of Lent – 2023.

Re: Luke 2:35. The “sword will run through this woman’s heart” quote came from the translation Wills used. Most other Bible Hub translations say the sword will pierce Mary’s “own soul;” including the King James Bible. (The one God uses.) 

Re: “To vigor, not comfort.” Here’s the full quote on the life of a new Christian:

Hearing now and again the mysterious piping of the Shepherd, you realize your own perpetual forward movement…  Do not suppose from this that your new career is to be perpetually supported by agreeable spiritual contacts, or occupy itself in the mild contemplation of the great world through which you move. True, it is said of the Shepherd that he carries the lambs in his bosom; but the sheep are expected to walk, and to put up with the bunts and blunders of the flock. It is to vigour rather than comfort that you are called.

From Evelyn Underhill’s Practical Mysticism, Ariel Press, 1914, at page 177.

As for 1st Corinthians 10:13, see also Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Period. No ifs, ands or buts. (In other words, The Prize Is Worth the Price.)

The lower image is courtesy of Annunciation – Wikipedia. The caption:  “The Annunciation – Johann Christian Schröder.” 

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Ash Wednesday, 2025 – and a reflection on Psalm 22…

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That would be 40 days metaphorically – with Sundays off for a break from the desert…

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Welcome to “read the Bible – expand your mind:”

The Book of Common Prayer says that by sharing Holy Communion, Christians become “very members incorporate in the mystical body” of Jesus. The words “corporate” and “mystical” are key. They show that a healthy church has two sides, with the often-overlooked “mystic” side posing the question, “How do I experience God?” This blog will try to answer that.

It has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37.) The second is that God wants us to live lives of abundance.(John 10:10.) The third is that Jesus wants us to read the Bible with an open mind. (As it says in Luke 24:45: “Then He [Jesus] opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”) The fourth theme – another one often overlooked – is that Jesus wants us to do even greater miracles than He did. (John 14:12.) 

And this thought ties them together:

The best way to live abundantly and do greater miracles than Jesus is: Read, study and apply the Bible with an open mind. For more see the notes or – to expand your mind – see the Intro.

In the meantime:

These are the times that try men’s souls.” And that’s not just because we’re starting another season of Lent. But for now, let’s focus on that Lenten period of discipline, fasting and repentance – but mostly as a time for looking ahead to ultimate victory. (And deliverance.) Which brings up a post I did back on April 9, 2017, Psalm 22 and the “Passion of Jesus.”

It noted that Psalm 22 begins, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” We know that part because Jesus quoted it on the cross, as told in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34: “About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?'” (In the original Aramaic.) What many don’t realize is that Verse 1 goes on:  “Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?” Which is a feeling many of us can empathize with these days…

But first some background: Scholars think that Psalm 22 was written about 600 years before Jesus was born, in the pre-exilic period; before the Babylonian Exile and so before the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. (Or B.C.E. if you prefer.) Which means Psalm 22 seems to be a bit of foreshadowing, “an indication of what is to come.”

On that note, later in the psalm verse 16 notes, “they pierce my hands and my feet.” (Or feet and wrists, depending on the translation of the Greek word “xeiros.”) This was mirrored in John 19:37, “As another Scripture says: ‘They will look on the One they have pierced.’” (See also Isaiah 53:5, “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”)

Then there’s verse 18: “They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.”  That verse was mirrored in Matthew 27:35:  “When they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments by casting lots.” (Which sounds like more foreshadowing.)

So, what does all this mean? For one thing it means that despite all the anguish Jesus had to go through, He knew that eventually there would be a happy ending. (“Thinking long-term?”) For another, there’s 1st Corinthians 3:21, “Let no one boast of human leaders,” a thought that could prove useful in those coming days. Then there’s Second Timothy 1:7, “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” All of which Jesus showed – power and love and self-discipline – when He faced His own ordeal.

Which brings up the question, “Can we do anything less?” In our own ordeal, whether that’s limited to the upcoming time of Lent, or maybe something beyond that? But back to the basics. Ash Wednesday marks the start of the Season of Lent, about which Wikipedia said:

According to the canonical gospels of MatthewMark and LukeJesus Christ spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation by Satan. Lent originated as a mirroring of this, fasting 40 days as preparation for Easter.

Lent in turn is a season devoted to “prayerpenance, repentance of sins, almsgiving, atonement and self-denial.” But getting back to Jesus “wandering in the Wilderness” for 40 days, those 40 days mirrored the 40 years the Hebrews also spent “wandering around.” (Led by Moses.) But here’s more good news: Eventually those wandering Hebrews found the Promised Land. In much the same way, after 40 long days of penance, Lent leads us to the much-anticipated celebration of Easter, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. (“The Lord is risen … Indeed!”)

And here’s another bit of good news. It’s not 40 straight days of self-denial.

That’s because there are actually 46 days of Lent. 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. And why is that? Because Sundays don’t count. Sundays in Lent are basically “days off,” when you can still enjoy whatever it is you’ve “given up.” For example, if you’ve given up chocolate for Lent, you can still enjoy some chocolate treats on Sundays during Lent.

But back to the Lenten time of discipline, fasting and repentance. One thing that’s especially hard to practice in these times of polarization is that Jesus was Radical in his love for all people. (Even – as I noted before – for those “real pains.” As Paul noted in Romans 5:6, Christ died for the Ungodly, whoever you think they may be.) Jesus simply never got involved in politics. He focused instead on healing the divisions so prevalent during His time on earth.

Which is the kind of radical love Johnny Cash tried to show. The writer of Cash’s Religion and Political Views said, “I like to think that Johnny was above politics and more about people and peace and happiness and cooperation.” Or as Cash’s daughter Rosanne said, her dad didn’t care “where you stood politically.” He could “love all stripes, and that’s why all stripes claim him.”

Something to contemplate during this Lent 2025, as we look ahead to Easter.

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The upper image is courtesy of 40 Days … Image Results.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

Re: The quote “these are the times,” see The American Crisis – Wikipedia, about a series of pamphlets by “philosopher and author Thomas Paine, originally published from 1776 to 1783 during the American Revolution.” The main crisis came in the winter of 1776 (before Washington’s victory at Trenton), when American spirits were low and the cause of American democracy seemed destined for extinction. (Not that there’s any connection to current events.)

Re: Lent. See What is Lent? Guide to It’s Meaning and Purpose – Christianity, and Lent – Wikipedia.

For this post I referred to Ash Wednesday – 2022, and Ash Wednesday and Lent – 2023. And a note: The 2017 post “Passion of Jesus” included details about the crucifixion process, including the “translation difficulty” involving the original Greek word usually translated as hand:  

“The word xeiros, which we translate to ‘hand’ has a wider semantic range.” Then there is the fact that – anatomically speaking – the “bones and tendons of the hand simply do not have the strength to hold the weight of the body without the nail ripping through. The easiest and strongest place to hammer a nail is through the wrist, between the ulna and radius bones.”

The lower image is courtesy of Johnny Cash – Wikipedia. See also Man in Black (song) – Wikipedia. (I borrowed it from the February 2017 post, Moses at Rephidim: “What if?”)

St. Matthias, 2025 – and the tough life of an Apostle…

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St Matthias – the Apostle who replaced Judas Iscariot – “(c. 1611) by Peter Paul Rubens...”

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Welcome to “read the Bible – expand your mind:”

The Book of Common Prayer says that by sharing Holy Communion, Christians become “very members incorporate in the mystical body” of Jesus. The words “corporate” and “mystical” are key. They show that a healthy church has two sides, with the often-overlooked “mystic” side posing the question, “How do I experience God?” This blog will try to answer that.

It has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37.) The second is that God wants us to live lives of abundance.(John 10:10.) The third is that Jesus wants us to read the Bible with an open mind. (As it says in Luke 24:45: “Then He [Jesus] opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”) The fourth theme – another one often overlooked – is that Jesus wants us to do even greater miracles than He did. (John 14:12.) 

And this thought ties them together:

The best way to live abundantly and do greater miracles than Jesus is: Read, study and apply the Bible with an open mind. For more see the notes or – to expand your mind – see the Intro.

In the meantime:

Monday, February 24, 2025, is the Feast of St. Matthias, the Apostle who replaced Judas:

[A]ccording to the Acts of the Apostles, [he] was the apostle chosen by the remaining eleven apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following Judas’ betrayal of Jesus and suicide.  His calling as an apostle is unique in that his appointment was not made personally by Jesus, who had already ascended to heaven, and, it was made before the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early Church.

See Saint Matthias – Wikipedia. (Note that this St. Matthias is not to be confused with St. Matthew, the Gospel-writer whose Feast Day is September 21.) He is also called “Unremarkable Matthias” or the “Overlooked Apostle.” See The Overlooked Holy Apostle, Matthias.

Isaac Asimov described how Matthias became an Apostle:

Peter arranged to have a new individual selected to take the place of Judas Iscariot in order to bring the number of the inner circle back to the mystical twelve that matched the twelve tribes of Israel. Two were nominated, Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias. To choose between the two, lots were used, as told in Acts 1:26, “and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” Neither Joseph Barsabbas nor Matthias are mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament.

Since there’s no other mention of Matthias in the Bible, we know next to nothing about him. But there are theories. For example, Wikipedia suggested that “Matthias was originally Zacchaeus.” (Remember, the tax collector Zacchaeus who climbed a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus? He had a hard time both as he was short and because of the crowd of people.)

So, was Saint Matthias really Zacchaeus, who fell from a sycamore tree?

Whatever the answer, the now-defunct article – Overlooked Apostle – went into great detail about how much Matthias suffered – and how he ultimately died. Like, he preached in Macedonia and Ethiopia, where “the heathen dragged him over the ground, beat him, hung him from a pillar and tore his stomach with an iron blade and burned him with fire.” Another town he preached in was a “city of the man-eaters,” cannibals. When Matthias came in “the men of that city took hold of him and thrust out his eyes and made him drink poison and sent him to the prison where he sat for thirty days waiting to be eaten and die.” But the Lord appeared to him and got his eyesight back for him, as well as other prisoners who’d suffered the same fate. The site also said Matthias was rescued by the Apostle Andrew; “as Andrew approached the gates of the prison, the doors opened of their own accord.” (But see also Matthias the Apostle – Wikipedia, which said “information concerning the ministry and death of Matthias is vague and contradictory, and that Hippolytus of Rome said Matthias “died of old age in Jerusalem.”)

That Wikipedia account may be true but it’s also a whole lot more boring! (And which indicates how internet users need to Lateral Read and check sources, including but not limited to claims seeming outrageous – or “not boring.”) Getting back to the now-defunct “Overlooked” article, it said eventually Matthias returned to Galilee where he was stoned to death. “The Jews, filled with malice and anger, seized Matthias and presented him to the High Priest, Annas.” The High Priest, who “hated all Christians and was responsible for the death of James, the first bishop of Jerusalem, ordered that Matthias be stoned.” One point of note: Overlooked Apostle said that when Matthias was taken to be stoned, he cried out, “You hypocrites, rightly did the Prophet David speak to those like you: ‘they shall hunt down the soul of the righteous man, and the innocent blood shall they condemn.’” (Which sounds strangely pertinent these days.)

After Matthias spoke these words, two witnesses who claimed he’d blasphemed picked up stones to be the first to stone him. But first, Matthias asked that these stones be buried with him as a testimony of his suffering for the Lord. So they stoned him to death, and as an added insult, also beheaded him to express that he was an enemy of Rome. So whether St. Matthias died by being first stoned and then beheaded, or had his eyes gouged out, then “sat for thirty days waiting to be eaten and die,” the lesson is: Being an apostle was no piece of cake!

Another lesson? Maybe there’s a reason the “Overlooked” piece is NOW DEFUNCT, but the main point remains: Trying to be a good Christian has never been a “piece of cake.” (And these days it’s mostly a pain in the ass.) As to who was Matthias, and how did he die? That’s one puzzle we Good Christians can work on this Lent. (As a spiritual discipline?) There’s also that whole controversy, “should I judge my fellow Christians?” I’ll explore that topic in a near-future post, in which I’ll revisit the March 2019 post, On the Bible’s “dynamic tension,” featuring Charles Atlas

Stay tuned…

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The upper image is courtesy of Saint Matthias – Wikipedia. The caption, as noted: “‘St Matthias’ (c. 1611) by Peter Paul Rubens.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

“Feast days” are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

Bibliography for this post: 2015’s On St. Matthias – and “Father Roberts”,” 2017’s The “Overlooked Apostle,” Ruth and Mardi Gras, and 2022’s St. Matthias, Zacchaeus, and the tough life of an Apostle.

Re: “Isaac.” The quote is from Asimov’s Guide to the Bible (Two Volumes in One), Avenel Books (1981), page 998. Asimov was “an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards.” His list of books included those on “astronomymathematics, the BibleWilliam Shakespeare’s writing, and chemistry.” He was a long-time member of Mensa, “albeit reluctantly; he described some members of that organization as ‘brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs.’” See Isaac Asimov – Wikipedia.

Re: That “mostly a pain in the ass” comment. Which may be true of this earthly incarnation, but there is that “you have already won your game of life” part. (John 6:37 and Romans 10:9.)

The lower image is courtesy of Dynamic Tension Charles Atlas – Image Results. See also Dynamic Tension – Wikipedia, and Charles Atlas – Wikipedia.

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As noted in the opening blurb, this blog has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37, with the added, “Anyone who comes to Him.”) This is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. From the Old Testament, Psalm 9:10, “You never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.” (In the Version in the Book of Common Prayer.) The second is that God wants us to live abundantly.  (John 10:10.) The third is that we should do greater miracles than Jesus. (John 14:12). A fourth theme: The only way to do all that is read the Bible with an open mind:

…closed-mindedness, or an unwillingness to consider new ideas, can result from the brain’s natural dislike for ambiguity. According to this view, the brain has a “search and destroy” relationship with ambiguity and evidence contradictory to people’s current beliefs tends to make them uncomfortable… Research confirms that belief-discrepant-closed-minded persons have less tolerance for cognitive inconsistency

So in plain words, I take issue with what I came to call “Christian first graders.” Those who stay in a kind of elementary school, and maybe even never go beyond first grade. See John the Baptist, ’24 – and “Christian First Graders,” for more detail. But the key point: “The Bible was designed to expand your mind,” not keep it narrow. Also, the idea that “Jesus was anything but negative. His goal was for you to grow and develop into all that you can be.” (For more on that see ABOUT THE BLOG, above.)

Before that post I wrote that the blog takes issue with boot-camp Christians, the Biblical literalists who never go “beyond the fundamentals.” But the Bible can offer so much more than their narrow reading can offer…  (Unless you want to stay a Bible buck private all your life…) Now, about “Boot-camp Christians.” See for example, Conservative Christian – “Career buck private?”  The gist of that post is that starting the Bible is like Army Basic Training. You begin by“learning the fundamentals.” But after boot camp, you move on to Advanced Individual Training.” 

http://www.toywonders.com/productcart/pc/catalog/aw30.jpg

However, after boot camp, you move on to Advanced Individual Training. And as noted in “Buck private,” one of this blog’s themes is that if you want to be all that you can be, you need to go on and explore the “mystical side of Bible reading.*” In other words, exploring the mystical side of the Bible helps you “be all that you can be.” See Slogans of the U.S. Army – Wikipedia, re: the recruiting slogan from 1980 to 2001. The related image at left is courtesy of: “toywonders.com/productcart/pc/catalog/aw30.jpg.”

Re: “mystical.” Originally, mysticism “referred to the Biblical liturgical, spiritual, and contemplative dimensions of early and medieval Christianity.” See Mysticism – Wikipedia, and the post On originalism.  (“That’s what the Bible was originally about!”) See also Christian mysticism – Wikipedia, “In early Christianity the term ‘mystikos’ referred to three dimensions, which soon became intertwined, namely the biblical, the liturgical and the spiritual or contemplative… The third dimension is the contemplative or experiential knowledge of God.” As to that “experiential” aspect, see also Wesleyan Quadrilateral – Wikipedia, on the theological reflection method using four sources of spiritual development: scripturetradition, reason, and “Christian experience.”

For an explanation of the Daily Office – where “Dorscribe” came from – see What’s a DOR

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On Martin Luther’s ‘vulgar tongue’ – from Molly Worthen…

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Some tidbits from History of Christianity II … Reformation to the Modern Megachurch

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Welcome to “read the Bible – expand your mind:”

The Book of Common Prayer says that by sharing Holy Communion, Christians become “very members incorporate in the mystical body” of Jesus. The words “corporate” and “mystical” are key. They show that a healthy church has two sides, with the often-overlooked “mystic” side posing the question, “How do I experience God?” This blog will try to answer that.

It has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37.) The second is that God wants us to live lives of abundance.(John 10:10.) The third is that Jesus wants us to read the Bible with an open mind. (As it says in Luke 24:45: “Then He [Jesus] opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”) The fourth theme – another one often overlooked – is that Jesus wants us to do even greater miracles than He did. (John 14:12.) 

And this thought ties them together:

The best way to live abundantly and do greater miracles than Jesus is: Read, study and apply the Bible with an open mind. For more see the notes or – to expand your mind – see the Intro.

In the meantime:

Make that Professor Molly. That is, the next major Feast Day is for St. Matthias, February 24. I’ll cover that in a week or so, but in the meantime, about Molly Worthen, the Professor.

My Sabbath starts on Saturday evening at 6:00, and runs to 6:00 Sunday evening. (See Psalm 55:17, and the Notes.) During that time – not counting time in church – I watch “Great Courses Plus.” Specifically, lectures on church and Bible subjects, and one of my favorites is Professor Worthen’s History of Christianity II. Last weekend I re-watched her Lecture 2, “Luther and the Dawn of Protestantism.” What caught my attention – this time around – was her saying that Martin Luther was known for his vulgar insults. “He let his dirty mouth run wild.”

She cited an example from his Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope; in this case, Pope Leo X. Luther wrote, “I can in good conscience consider him a fart-ass and an enemy of God.” Why did that catch my eye? Because for over a year now I’ve worried about my own “vulgar tongue.” (Which can mean a “national or vernacular language of a people,” typically used in contrast to the use of a language like Latin, as in Luther’s time.)

Worthen talked on about Luther’s toilet humor and “potty mouth,” though in my case I worry more about repeated negative aspersions mostly having to do with the dubious family lineage of certain politicians I see as un-Christian. Which is itself un-Christian, since Jesus told us to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” while Paul wrote that Christ died for the ungodly, whoever you think they may be. (Matthew 5:44 and Romans 5:6, respectively.)

Then too I sometimes blurt out “Hang the [expletive deleted]” at the mention certain politicians I see as especially un-Christian. I don’t want to go to hell – certainly not for that – so I’ve been a bit worried lately. But Molly’s take on Martin Luther has given me some considerable comfort.

Anyway. Molly went on to say Luther’s humor “can be hilarious to read,” and that his vulgarity was part of his personality. But he also had theological reasons; for example, he said there should be no “lofting the words of God way above the heads of most people.” (In his time services were all in Latin.) He used the bawdy, dirty language that – he said – conveyed the idiom of the German people, “the way people talked.” (Normal, everyday people that is.)

On the same note he translated the Bible into German, just so those normal everyday people could read it for themselves. That way they wouldn’t have to trust local priests to tell them what the Bible said. He also thumbed his nose at the idea of trying to live perfectly, “to score points with God.” His take was, “Sin boldly! But believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly.”

That is, he took Apostle Paul at his word; that following The Law won’t save you. It’s Christ’s sacrifice that saves. Sola fide, “justification by faith alone,” though Luther added that as good Christians we should respect the law, both secular and scriptural. Or as Paul put it, works should be seen as “crucial evidence of faith, but the works themselves do not determine salvation.” (Then there’s 2 Corinthians 3:6, where Paul said the letter of the law kills, while its spirit gives life, as illustrated for “common people” through the Calvin cartoon below.)

So, did Luther go to hell for his vulgar, insulting language? More important, am I going to hell for my lapses into “vulgarity?” According to John 6:37 and Romans 10:9 I’d say no, but who wants to take chances? Then there’s his emphasis on spreading the Good News of Jesus in the idiom of common folk, with language mirroring “the way people talked.” (Normal, everyday people.) After all, if you were going on a mission to China, you’d talk to them in Chinese, right?

And speaking of messages from God and maybe even “preordained before the beginning of time:” I published this post late last night, February 17, 2025. So imagine my surprise – early this morning – when I went to do my Daily Office Bible readings. (Where the “DOR” in Dorscribe comes from.) Only to find out that the Satucket website listed today, February 18, as a special feast day for Martin Luther, “Pastor and Reformer (18 FEB 1546).” And learned again that even Catholics now recognize the good work he did; “Today, his criticisms of the laxness and frequent abuses of his day are generally recognized on all sides as a response to very real problems.” Including the very people he attacked so vehemently those long centuries ago.

Which could be good news, since one big problem today – in these times of harsh political polarization – is that nearly half of Americans think that anyone with an opposing political view is not “simply wrong but evil.” So what’s the good news? Maybe some day – four or five hundred years from now – most Americans will stop thinking that the other half of the country is evil and maybe even start respecting each other’s opinions. (“Is that a pig flying?”)

To get the ball rolling I’ll borrow a page from Luther’s playbook and offer this: “You know, all things considered, trying to be a good Christian these days is really a pain in the ass!” Maybe even indulge in a “Hang the [expletive deleted]” once in a while, and go from there…

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The upper image is courtesy of Molly Worthen History Of Christianity II – Image Results. See also The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

“Feast days” are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

Re: St. Matthias. The full link is to 2022’s St. Matthias, Zacchaeus, and the tough life of an Apostle. Among other things it posed the musical question, Was Saint Matthias – who took the place of Judas – really Zacchaeuswho fell from a sycamore tree?The answer is coming up…

Re: Hebrew Sabbath. Technically, “Shabbat begins when the sun goes down on Friday, and ends on Saturday when the sky gets dark enough for three stars to be visible.” Shabbat Starting and Ending Times – yahadut.org. So as noted, I set the regular time for my Sabbath as from 6:00 p.m. Saturday to 6 p.m. Sunday. During that time – not including time in church – I watch “Great Courses Plus” lectures on spiritual and Bible subjects, such as Molly’s History of Christianity II.

For more on the topic at hand Google “vulgar tongue definition.” That will get you articles like Francis Grose – Wikipedia, who produced “A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue”  in 1785, and also such posts as Slang dictionary – Wikipedia, and The Vulgar Tongue: A dictionary of filthy words – BBC. Which by the way is one of those “rabbit trails” I love to follow but which break up that UCC, that “Unity and Coherence Crap.”

Two other links I found, 29 of Martin Luther’s Most Hilariously Over-the-Top Insults, and Talking Tough: Martin Luther’s Potty Mouth – Today I Found Out. See also Expletive deleted – Wikipedia:

[The term] indicates that profanity has been censored from a text by the author or by a subsequent censor, usually appearing in place of the profanity. The phrase has been used for this purpose since at least the 1930s, but became more widely used in the United States after the Watergate scandal.

On the topic of casting aspersions on the lineage of certain politicians you see as un-Christian (etc.), see (for some justification) Political Polarization is Not Unique to the U.S., but its Causes Are, October 24, 2024, which led with this: “About ten years ago, political scientist James Adams saw something troubling. New polls asked Americans whether they agreed or disagreed that people in the opposing political party weren’t simply wrong but evil. Nearly half of people from both political parties agreed.” Or Google “political polarization definition” for more. (I.e., “I’m not the only one!”)

On “Luther in hell?” See The reprieve of Martin Luther – Ministry Magazine: “After more than 400 years of consignment to hell, Martin Luther has been readmitted to the body of Christ by Roman Catholic leaders.” Which also reassured me.

Re: 2 Corinthians 3:6. See also Letter and spirit of the law – Wikipedia.

BTW: Romans 10:9 says “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved,” period. (“No ifs ands or buts.”)

The lower image is courtesy of an old Calvin and Hobbes cartoon, one I previously used in April 2022’s An update on “Bible inerrancy” (For more on the strip see Wikipedia.) I originally tried an image from Letter Of The Law Vs Spirit Of The Law – Image Results, and/or A Mighty Fortress Is Our God … Image Results, but ended up using “Calvin” as more in tune with the idiom of the common people. As to Luther’s “fortress” hymn, see also Psalm 46 NIV, especially verses 7 and 11 (repeated), “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” All of which is good to keep in mind…

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As noted in the opening blurb, this blog has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37, with the added, “Anyone who comes to Him.”) This is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. From the Old Testament, Psalm 9:10, “You never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.” (In the Version in the Book of Common Prayer.) The second is that God wants us to live abundantly.  (John 10:10.) The third is that we should do greater miracles than Jesus. (John 14:12). A fourth theme: The only way to do all that is read the Bible with an open mind:

…closed-mindedness, or an unwillingness to consider new ideas, can result from the brain’s natural dislike for ambiguity. According to this view, the brain has a “search and destroy” relationship with ambiguity and evidence contradictory to people’s current beliefs tends to make them uncomfortable… Research confirms that belief-discrepant-closed-minded persons have less tolerance for cognitive inconsistency

So in plain words, I take issue with what I came to call “Christian first graders.” Those who stay in a kind of elementary school, and maybe even never go beyond first grade. See John the Baptist, ’24 – and “Christian First Graders,” for more detail. But the key point: “The Bible was designed to expand your mind,” not keep it narrow. Also, the idea that “Jesus was anything but negative. His goal was for you to grow and develop into all that you can be.” (For more on that see ABOUT THE BLOG, above.)

Before that post I wrote that the blog takes issue with boot-camp Christians, the Biblical literalists who never go “beyond the fundamentals.” But the Bible can offer so much more than their narrow reading can offer…  (Unless you want to stay a Bible buck private all your life…) Now, about “Boot-camp Christians.” See for example, Conservative Christian – “Career buck private?”  The gist of that post is that starting the Bible is like Army Basic Training. You begin by“learning the fundamentals.” But after boot camp, you move on to Advanced Individual Training.” 

http://www.toywonders.com/productcart/pc/catalog/aw30.jpg

However, after boot camp, you move on to Advanced Individual Training. And as noted in “Buck private,” one of this blog’s themes is that if you want to be all that you can be, you need to go on and explore the “mystical side of Bible reading.*” In other words, exploring the mystical side of the Bible helps you “be all that you can be.” See Slogans of the U.S. Army – Wikipedia, re: the recruiting slogan from 1980 to 2001. The related image at left is courtesy of: “toywonders.com/productcart/pc/catalog/aw30.jpg.”

Re: “mystical.” Originally, mysticism “referred to the Biblical liturgical, spiritual, and contemplative dimensions of early and medieval Christianity.” See Mysticism – Wikipedia, and the post On originalism.  (“That’s what the Bible was originally about!”) See also Christian mysticism – Wikipedia, “In early Christianity the term ‘mystikos’ referred to three dimensions, which soon became intertwined, namely the biblical, the liturgical and the spiritual or contemplative… The third dimension is the contemplative or experiential knowledge of God.” As to that “experiential” aspect, see also Wesleyan Quadrilateral – Wikipedia, on the theological reflection method using four sources of spiritual development: scripturetradition, reason, and “Christian experience.”

For an explanation of the Daily Office – where “Dorscribe” came from – see What’s a DOR

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The Presentation and the Poker player – 2025

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The Beatles “reinvent themselves” – with fictional alter egos – leading to spiritual growth…

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January 31, 2025 – This Sunday, February 2, we remember The Presentation of the Lord; Jesus, presented at the Temple in Jerusalem. There’s more on that later, but first a note on some upcoming posts, up to and possibly into Lent, about a guy some people call Crazy Nick.

In 1967 the Beatles turned themselves into Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. They were tired of being “the Beatles,” so they invented a fictional alter ego to get away from it all. They’d pretend to be someone else, a make-believe band that would allow them to grow, to reinvent themselves and to explore new spiritual horizons. In 1993 I too created a fictional alter ego, as a kind of thought experiment. I created a character I came to call Nick, in honor of Ernest Hemingway’s Nick Adams stories. Like the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Band, my imaginary “Nick” gave me freedom to explore new horizons, and maybe find some new spiritual insights.

My 1994 novel describing him was a fantasy of sorts. A sports fantasy but also one about reading the Bible to help get good things from God. My imaginary Nick honestly thought he could help his favorite sport teams win. His thought: “Suppose a devout Christian sports fan found a way to work with God to try and help his team win. What lessons would he learn?”

Like Sgt. Pepper’s Band my imaginary Nick gave me the freedom to explore new horizons and find new spiritual insights. One thing I learned in the 30-plus years since that first novel in 1994: There is no magic formula. Nick has suffered heartbreak way more often than not, but there have been successes – detailed in later posts – along with some “aha!” spiritual breakthroughs.

Another thing I learned from Nick: That even if you lose – when your team doesn’t win, or gets embarrassed on the field – the very idea of working with and interacting with the Force that Created the Universe is powerful stuff. (“He’s trying to tell me something!”)

A third thing I learned: Being a good Christian – trying to get good things from God – can be a lot like learning to become a professional poker player. You know you won’t win every hand. No reasonable pro poker player would expect that. But if you learn how to play your cards right, you can expect to make a reasonably comfortable living at it. (And for any Bible-Cons – conservatives, or maybe Modern-Day Pharisees – reading this and getting all upset, let me just add, “That’s a metaphor!” Or maybe an allegory or parable; I get those mixed sometimes.)

I’ll write more on lessons learned from Crazy Nick in the upcoming pre-Lent and Lenten seasons, but meanwhile: Back to The Presentation. It’s part of the season of Epiphanytide, leading up to the Last Sunday after the Epiphany on March 2, and the First Sunday in Lent on March 9.)

Counting forward from December 25 as Day One, we find that Day Forty is February 2. A Jewish woman is in semi-seclusion for 40 days after giving birth to a son, and accordingly it is on February 2 that we celebrate the coming of Mary and Joseph with the infant Jesus to the Temple at Jerusalem…

In other words, the day celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus, “to officially induct him into Judaism.” (In many churches it’s also called Candlemas, as illustrated at right.) Luke described the episode at 2:22–40: “Mary and Joseph took the Infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem … to complete Mary’s ritual purification after childbirth.”

Luke explicitly says that Joseph and Mary take the option provided for poor people (those who could not afford a lamb) (Leviticus 12:8), sacrificing “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”  Leviticus 12:1–4 indicates that this event should take place forty days after birth for a male child, hence the Presentation is celebrated forty days after Christmas.

In other words, they were there “in obedience to the Torah (Leviticus 12, Exodus 13:12-15.” (On Purification after Childbirth, “if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering.”)

Other tidbits from past posts: Mary did this even though she’d “borne Christ without incurring impurity” – the usual impurity involved in conception – but “went to the Temple in Jerusalem to fulfill the requirements of the Law of Moses.” (To set a good example, like Jesus insisting that John baptize Him.) Another tidbit: This first Presentation put Jesus on the long road to His second one, at the hands of Pontius Pilate, showing Him to the mob.

A reminder that from the time of His first Presentation – at just over a month old – Jesus’ life was one long journey to that second presentation. (On the eve of making the sacrifice that would literally change history, if not “split history in two.”) 

And it all began with “Simeon and Anna recognizing the Lord Jesus.” (Shown below.)

So, what does this have to do with any lessons I might have learned from Crazy Nick? Just that I published my first novel about him in 1994. A year later I published my first book in the Not your daddy’s Bible mode, “Jesus Christ, Public Defender.” (Of which more in future posts.) Years later – in April 2014 – I started this blog, with a series of posts that I’ve left untouched and uncorrected, so you can judge how much I’ve progressed. (If at all. See for example On Jonah and the bra-burners, from 2015.) You might call that a presentation of my own…

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The Presentation, where “Simeon and Anna Recognize the Lord Jesus…” 

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The upper image is courtesy of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Image – Image Results. For the original album cover see Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – Wikipedia.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

“Feast days” are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

Re: 1994 novel. I did a sequel of sorts, “30 years’ feedback,” in 2024.

Re: Magic formula. Merriam-Webster defines the term as “a simple and sure way to an end.”

Re “powerful stuff.” The reference is to the George Jones lyric in his song White Lightning:

Well a city slicker came and he said I’m tough – I think I want to taste that powerful stuff – He took one slug and he drank it right down I heard him moanin’ as he hit the ground – Mighty mighty pleasin you’r pappy’s corn squeezin…

BTW: That’s another metaphor, like the one about the Poker player.

Re: Today’s Pharisees. See Self-Test: Are You a Modern-Day Pharisee? – Dr. Eitan Bar:

Today, the term “Pharisee” has become synonymous with legalism, judgmentalism, and a condescending attitude toward others. While Phariseeism was once a specific religious movement, its spirit lives on in modern times through people who prioritize rules over relationships, law over love, and condemnation over compassion.

For this post I borrowed from or referred to On the FIRST “Presentation of the Lord,” from 2017. (That post closed with a picture of Donald Trump and this note: “I ran across a Bible passage apropos to current events. The Daily Office Readings for February 1[, 2017] included Isaiah 54:15: ‘If anyone stirs up strife, it is not from me.'” Also, “The LORD is a God of knowledge” – The Presentation, 2019, with a quote from Matthew 5:22, “If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.” (From the NLT translation.)) Also from The “Presentation of our Lord” – 2020, On the Presentation of Jesus – 2/2/22, and Jesus “Presented” – 2024.

Re: Other posts on Jonah. See also 2024’s On Bra-burners and the True Test of Faith, and 2020’s Jonah: “Ain’t about no stinkin’ whale!”

About the presumptive audacity of calling this a “presentation of my own,” see 1st Corinthians 11:1, “You are to imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”

The lower image is courtesy of Simeon And Anna Recognize The Lord Jesus – Image Results.  See also Simeon and Anna Recognize the Lord in Jesus – Rembrandt, and the “Simeon” link in the Wikipedia article on the Presentation, or at “Rembrandtonline.” For another interpretation, see “Simeon the Godreceiver by Alexei Egorov. 1830–40s.”

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On Peter and Paul, working together – 2025

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“Scholars Disputing” – Peter and Paul – but they ended up working for the common good… 

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January 25, 2025 – Last Saturday, January 18, was the Feast Day for Peter confessing. This Saturday, today, is the Feast for Paul converting. That’s different from the mid-summer – June 29 to be exact – when one Feast Day celebrates the two Apostles together. But here on the other side of the church year – in the bleak midwinter – we remember the two men separately:

On January 18 we celebrate the Confession of Peter:  “Thou art the Christ, Son of the Living God.”  A week later on January 25 we celebrate the Conversion of St. Paul.  Then comes June 29, when we celebrate both men…

One point of remembering Peter and Paul separately is that these two “Pillars of the Church” took completely different paths to the same destination. (“All roads lead to Jesus?”) And often had what may be called “spirited” disputes. See Galatians 2:11-14, and especially Galatians 2:11, “When Peter came to Antioch, I told him to his face that he was wrong.” Then there’s 2d Peter 3:16, where Peter described Paul’s unique and often wordy way of writing:

He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

As for me, I’ve often thought Paul “writes like a lawyer,” what with his long non-stop sentences that stretch into full paragraphs, and I’m not the only one: “Admittedly, some of Paul’s writings are complicated and difficult to understand. Peter himself said as much.” 

As for the different paths to the same destination, Peter was one of the original 12 disciples, and the first “to confess Jesus as Messiah.”  (See the matching accounts in the three Synoptic GospelsMatthew 16:13-20Mark 8:27–30 and Luke 9:18–20.) On the other hand, Saul of Tarsus – later “Paul” – started out as the most ardent enemy and persecutor of the early Christian Church. (Acts 8:3: “Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.”)

In other words, Peter came to his position of authority from “inside the church.” Paul on the other hand was pretty much dragged kicking and screaming into his position of authority.

In plain words, Paul’s Damascus Road experience “changed him from a Christ-hating persecutor of Christians to the foremost spokesman for the faith.” (Wouldn’t it be nice if God could intervene that way today, in a way that would bring more people to Jesus? “Is that a pig flying?”)

But seriously, once upon a time in America the most ardent politicians did feel free to “sup with their enemies.” Like Ronald Reagan and Ted Kennedy, at left. They were able to do that despite intense political viewpoints. For example, Kennedy said of Reagan:  “He’s absolutely professional.  When the sun goes down, the battles of the day are really gone.” Or as one writer said, Kennedy learned from experience to “operate within the politics of symbolism:”

Heated rhetoric was part of the game of government. When the day was over, win or lose, everyone could have a drink together.*

Then there was Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill. As one site noted, despite equally intense political differences, President Reagan and House Speaker O’Neill offered a model of political friendship, despite those starkly different ideologies. That was especially evident after the assassination attempt. O’Neill was one of the first people Reagan let in to see him at George Washington University Hospital. When O’Neill entered the room he walked over to the bed, “grasped both the president’s hands, and said, God bless you, Mr. President.’”

The president still seemed groggy … with lots of tubes and needles running in and out of his body. But when he saw Tip, he lit up and gave the speaker a big smile, and said, ‘Thanks for coming, Tip.’ Then, still holding one of the president’s hands, the speaker got down on his knees and said he would like to offer a prayer for the president, choosing the 23rd Psalm.” Then O’Neill kissed Reagan on the forehead.

Another tidbit: Reagan often answered O’Neill’s calls, “Tip, is it after 6 p.m.?” The point being that Reagan and O’Neill might fight like cats and dogs during work hours, but “after 6, these two enemies enjoy each other’s company.” So, wouldn’t it be wonderful if making America great again meant a return to those “traditional family values?” On the other hand you might say that’s all part of being a good Christian. (Romans 5:6 and Matthew 5:44.)

Which leads to this question: What would happen if two American conservative and liberal politicians today could likewise come together and work for the common good? And that brings up the topic of being “restored.” That can mean bringing “back to health, good spirits, etc.”  Or “to bring back to a former, more desirable condition.” Say what you want about the bad old days, they never seemed to be this bad. (Or is that just another Old Geezer speaking…)

Which brings up 2017’s “Wouldn’t it be nice if WE could be ‘restored?’” Which ended with this:

Wouldn’t it be nice if we too – here in America – could also be “restored?” To a time when people of all types and backgrounds worked together for the common good?

Which should be one big job of a good Christian. 2d Corinthians 5:18: God “reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” Along with bringing more people to Jesus, not driving them away, so from where the sun now stands let there be “Happy Reconciling.” And getting back to an America where more politicians act like Tip and Ron…

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The upper image is courtesy of www.canvasreplicas.com/Rembrandt.htm.  See also Two Scholars Disputing by REMBRANDT Harmenszoon van Rijn.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

“Feast days” are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

For this post I borrowed from Peter confesses, Paul converts (2016), and – especially – from 2017’s “Wouldn’t it be nice if WE could be ‘restored?'” Along with On Saints Peter and Paul, January ’23, and Paul gets his sight back, Peter confesses – 2024. See also Peter, Paul – and other “relics.” 

Also, for future review see “Some hard parts about being a good Christian,” from last October, 2024.

On Paul’s style of writing, “Admittedly…” See Understanding Paul’s Difficult Scriptures

Re:  Heated rhetoric as “part of the game.” (Of politics.) See On Reagan, Kennedy – and “Dick the Butcher,” in  my companion blog.  The Reagan-Kennedy photo is courtesy of boston.com/bigpicture … ted_kennedy. The caption:  “Senator Edward Kennedy talks with President Ronald Reagan, left, on June 24, 1985, as they look over an American Eagle that graced President John F. Kennedy’s desk during a fund raising event for the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library at McLean, Virginia.  (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi).” The quotes – of Kennedy and Reagan, and about Kennedy and “heated rhetoric” – are courtesy of Battle for Justice: How the [Robert] Bork Nomination Shook America, by Ethan Bronner, Anchor Book edition (1989), at pages 103-104. 

The Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill quotes are from the GodBuddies website, Men Helping Men Become Better Men. (Geez, what a radical idea.) The full link adds – of Reagan and O’Neill, A Real-life Friendship. See also restored, from the Free Dictionary.

The link From where the sun now stands refers to Nez Perce Chief Joseph’s resolve to “fight no more forever.” (It just sounds poetic.) But here it means to never stop fighting, by every legal means, to preserve America’s democracy and true Christian freedom. (Okay, I’m climbing off the soap box now…)

The lower image is courtesy of the Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill link in the main text. 

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