Madison Cawthorn makes MTG look somewhat sane

North Carolina's Republican Congressman and MAGA loyalist makes Margery Taylor Green look a bit normal.

He accused people in Congress of cocaine driven orgies.

He's been stopped twice for driving with an expired license.

He's twice tried to take a loaded gun onto an airplane.

Then, this defender of Men being Men has been shown in pictures wearing women's lingerie!

Never mind all the other crazy things he says and does.

MTG seems a bit more normal--but not much!

How are these people being elected to congress?

Has our country--or parts of it--gone THAT crazy???

 

odd dinner

 I ate mac and cheese at 6 because I have a zoom call at 6:30,

And another at 7!

I'm going to ask those people on the call when they eat dinner.

7 p.m. is civilized, like Bern and I are.

8 p.m. if you are French.

What the hell, a zoom call at 6:30!

Unforgivable.

Sunday's sermon

 

MAY 1, 2022

          Today’ lessons from Acts and John tell us about two of the most important events of the earliest church—the conversion of Saul to Paul and Jesus’ commands to Peter.

          Peter and Paul—besides being a good candy bar—are icons of the early church.

          Paul wrote 13 of the 22 books of the New Testament and Peter is considered to be the first Pope.

          Icons indeed!

          Let’s remember what happened in both events.

          Saul is on the Damascus road with permission from the High Priest in Jerusalem to persecute the followers of Jesus there.

          A light from heaven blinds him and he hears a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

          Unable to see, Saul says, “Who are you, Lord?”

          And the voice answers, “I am Jesus” and tells him to go on to Damascus where he will be told what to do.

          For three days he cannot see or eat or drink.

          Then the Lord sends a man named Ananias to Saul to tell him to proclaim the gospel. Jesus is using Saul/Paul to preach to the Gentiles.

          So, Ananias restores Saul’s sight and tells him Jesus’ command.

          Saul recovers and is known to be preaching the gospel in Damacus for several days.

          Thus begins the ministry of St. Paul.

          And we are blessed by it to this day.

          We should all have a Damascus Road experience. We should all meet the Risen Lord and be given a role to play in his Kingdom.

          Then in John’s gospel, Peter and the other disciples go fishing and catch nothing.

          But a figure on the beach tells them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat and they catch so many fish to nets can barely hold them.

          Peter, who was apparently fishing naked, puts on this clothes and swims to the shore to see Jesus. (I find that odd since most of us take off some clothes to go swimming!)

          Then, after eating fish with them (which gives me joy since I hope and pray whatever lies on the other side of death involves eating good food!) Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him.

          Peter is irritated that he is asked three time, but Peter is often irritated, but Jesus give him three commands.

          “Feed my lambs.”

          “Tend my sheep.”

          “Feed my sheep.”

          Jesus tells Peter to tend and feed from birth on the ‘sheep’ that follow him.

          And Jesus calls us to do the same.

          As you can see in the back of the church, you feed and clothe Jesus’ sheep with great diligence.

          And next week we have a baptism and in that service I will ask all of you, “Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support Vera in their life in Christ?”

          And you will answer, with gusto and intention, I hope--“WE WILL!”

          Feed the Lambs of Jesus. Tend the sheep of Jesus and feed them as well.

          That is what we’re called to do.

Margery Taylor Green and the former president

 M.T. Green lied through her teeth during her court appearance to stop her from running again.

She has amnesia about her role in the January 6 insurrection.

She is an abomination.

So is the whole former president's family (I won't write his name in this space).

The January 6 committee and lawsuits in New York are catching up with them.

It is abundantly clear that he directed the insurrection (along with his admirers) and he destroyed call logs on 1/6 to cover it up--illegal as that was.

The world is turning, though too slowly, toward holding people accountable for what happened back then.

I only pray that those who planned and carried out this riot at the Capitol will come to justice.

None too soon, but eventually.

OK, I'll give you a month

With only 6 days remaining in April, I've gotten 2700+ less views than March.

I don't do this for fun.

I do it to communicate with you!

And it's not working.

I'll blog during May and see how the views go.

Unless they are up, I'll stop in June.

Let's see what happens.

I hope people still want to read "Under the Castor Oil Tree".

We'll see.

 

The Chill

 I was talking over the fence to our next door neighbor, Mark, about a variety of things.

One thing he said was, "this might be New England's week of Spring, it could be in the 90's soon."

He had on a short sleeve shirt, shorts and no socks.

I had a long sleeve shirt over a short sleeve shirt and a warm jacket, jeans and socks--winter socks.

I wanted to say, but didn't: "bring on summer then!"

There have been one or two days when it got to 70, but most it's 50's and 60's. The weather report shows that too for the next week, but no night's below freezing.

Our front and back yards are full of flowers and blossoming plants, but I still felt chilly.

I know I've complained before about cold and me.

But it's still out there--chilly, if not cold.

Bring on the warmth.

I need it and long for it.

Somedays....

 Some days I feel 50 (which I haven't been for 25 years)!

Some days I feel my age--75, if you didn't figure it out already.

Today is a 50 day.

Who knows what awaits tomorrow?

How long will I live, I sometimes wonder.

I've outlived my mother by 12 years.

I've got 8 years to catch my father when he died.

Death is all around us--in Ukraine, the Middle East, murder in America, Africa, Covid.

What I seek is Life.

It's what we should all seek everyday.

Life.

Life.

Life in abundance.

Hope you found that today.

I really, really do....