Monday, April 21, 2003
War and Peace
My mother was a Quaker and I was brought up to be a pacifist. For me the war against Afghanistan and Iraq were unnecessary wars. Although we have proclaimed them as wars of liberation, civilians were killed and the result of getting rid of the Taliban and Sadaam may not be a less oppressive...
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Sunday, April 20, 2003
The birds sing louder when you can't see.
are singing loudly today. I am by myself for a few minutes. I can hear them because the back door it ajar. It's a little cool but not cold and so I can listen to the birds. I am not a birder so I don't recognize their songs. But one of them has a very distinct song. If I was a musician I could...
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Resurrection Day
Easter is for me the answer to every longing, I've ever had. To go from death to life, sorrow to joy, fear to courage in one three day period is such a wonderful miracle. I had an unhappy childhood, with very few friends and a critical Mom. I wanted my life to change--but it got worse instead of...
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Friday, April 18, 2003
Death
My friend has cancer and is dying. He is so sick he cannot speak. He can open his eyes and can be aware of his surroundings--but he cannot speak. He cannot move his head or breathe on his own. He can blink, nod or shake his head--but that is all. I've seen him three times since he's been in the...
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Thursday, April 17, 2003
The Road to the Cross in Mark.
There are hints of opposition from the beginning in Mark. In Chapter One an evil spirit speaks out in the synagogue and Jesus orders him to get out of the man and he did. In Chapter three Jesus walks through the fields on the Sabbath and the Pharisees criticize his disciples for picking heads of...
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Wednesday, April 16, 2003
Matthew and the Crucifixion
The opposition to Jesus begins to increase in chapter 12. There the Pharisees accuse Jesus of healing by the power of Beelzebub. Then Jesus tells the story of Jonah and says that it will be the sign that Jesus is the Messiah. In chapter 13, Jesus tells the parables of the kingdom. The chapter ends...
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Monday, April 14, 2003
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday happens every year and there are just so many ways to preach about the events of Palm Sunday. I remember preaching on Palm Sunday once in jail. It wasn't as much fun to preach as it was other Sundays. Yesterday, however, one man sang a solo as if he were the man who carried Jesus' cross....
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Saturday, April 12, 2003
After a God day.
Life seems dull and boring, after a God day. I was tired and slept all day. We still have two people to write contracts with and nothing much happened that day. Most days are like that. Some days I accomplish a lot. Other days little or nothing. However, once in a while I have one of those God days...
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Friday, April 11, 2003
A God Day
Once in a while, I have such a good day that I call it a God Day. It's a day when not only does everything go right but good things happen--both big and small. First my daughter asked me to take her out to have coffee since we hadn't talked all week. She is fun to be with so we had a good time. I...
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Wednesday, April 9, 2003
I surprised my pastor.
He has been preaching sermons for the last week on war. It is very one sided and says nothing about Christians who oppose the war and all wars. We are Methodists, but he knows little of our history. John Wesley didn't think that we should ever go to war. He thought all wars were fought for selfish...
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