B. died

 As he wife imagined, he did.

Blessed be his soul and he goes to a better place.

Shalom and Amen.

something I do

 When I have a bowel movement--I won't tell you what I call it, but it's
"poop"--I pull out a lot of toilet paper and fold it.

If it comes out even, I won, If there is an extra sheet, I lost.

I'm a little ashamed of that but mostly enjoy it--when I win!

Something you should never have known about me.

B. is dying

He's a retired Episcopal priest who has been in my Tues. Morning group since we used to meet at St. John's, Waterbury when I was Rector there and continued on Zoom for years after that, once he had moved to Florida.

He was by far the most conservative member of the group and I enjoyed having disagreements with him over the years.

His wife sent an email with a photo of him in his hospice bed with their 3 cats near him.

She wrote, "It won't be long now. He is in no pain."

God bless him as God carries him to the next place....

 

Snow

 We're expecting snow tomorrow, starting in the early hours and maybe almost a foot.

So, I went out today for yellow roses and candy for Bern's Valentine's day.

Two days early, but well meant.

We've been married over 50 years and I love her more now than then.

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you.

And humble Ash Wednesday on the same day....

A bad few days

 Thursday I tried to copy my sermon from my documents here and hit the wrong thing and erased it instead.

Luckily I'd coped a hard copy.

Then Friday I choked on a piece of steak at dinner and thought I'd got it out but spend 18 hours unable to swallow.

I was about to go to the emergency room but Bern asked our pharmacist recommended Emetrol--a liquid to take a bit of every 15 minutes.

I threw up part of the first dose, but after the second I could swallow again.

We had been ready, if Emetrol didn't work to go to the emergency room.

But it worked and I'll take a 5th dose before bed.

So, I will be able to go to church tomorrow and preach the sermon I accidentally erased.

I should say--and will say--"Thank the Lord!"

"Where have all the flowers (readers) gone?"

 I had just over 800 views on my blog and I'm on track for that this month.

But the month before--December--I had 6,480 views.

Last month was the lowest I've had since the first few months after I started "Under the Castor Oil Tree".

Where is everyone?

I have almost half a million total views.

Where have all the readers gone?

Have I offended that many people?

Made them mad?

I just don't get it.

Well, we'll wait and see what happens....

This week's sermon

 

PAUL AND JESUS

        To begin, I’m going to say something that got me in trouble with seminary professors and this week, with some of my friends and colleagues: “I don’t like St. Paul!”

        On Tuesday I said it on a regular Zoom meeting I have with four other Episcopal priest, three lay folks (including—but not that day—Steve McGraff) and a Roman Catholic priest from West Virginia—my brother-in-law, Dan Pisano (who wasn’t on the call this week).

        Those on Zoom were all quick to defend Paul.

        One of them even told me, “if it wasn’t for Paul, you wouldn’t even be a Christian.”

        What they meant was that Paul was an evangelist to Gentiles.

        Over Paul’s lifetime there were two kinds of Christians—Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians.

The Jewish Christians believed that before a Gentile could become a Christian, they had to convert to being a Jew, be circumcised and obey the dietary restrictions and all other Jewish laws. Then they could follow Christ.

        Very few if any Gentiles would go through with that. Paul proclaimed they didn’t have to. They could remain Gentiles and follow Jesus.

        So, in some way my friend was right—if it hadn’t been for Paul I would have never been a Christian.

        But I still don’t like Paul.

        Case in point—today’s lesson from one of Paul’s letters to the believers in Corinth.

        Listen—“Though I am free in respect of all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more of them. To the Jews I became a Jew….To those under the law, I became as one under the law….To those outside the law I became one outside the law….To the weak I become weak….I HAVE BECOME ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE….I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.”

        He sounds like a politician, running for re-election.

        He is ‘all things to all people’ so he might share the blessings.

        Jesus doesn’t become ONE with those he serves.

        If he did, when he found Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, he would have developed a fever!

        If he did, when he found himself with someone possessed by a demon, he would have invited a demon into himself!

        If he did, when someone denounced him, he would have denounced himself!

        Jesus wasn’t ‘all things to all people’, he came to bring The Good News to all people!

        Given a choice between Paul and Jesus, I would choose Jesus every time.

        Don’t tell the Bishop, but I don’t like Paul….