...is not what we get.
I want world peace--and two horrible wars are going on.
I want a stable democratic nation--and Donald Trump is running for President.
I want a world worth living in--and climate change is making that more and more difficult.
I want a lot I can't have.
That's just the beginning of the list....
Our dog, Brigit, chases stuff in our back yard.
She chases squirrels, rabbits and a ground-hog or two.
I like that.
She never catches them and does no damage but I think she makes them think twice about coming in our yard.
But she's started chasing birds as well.
I don't like that.
I love birds and want them in our yard.
Birds are off limits, Brigit!
My contract only allows me to do 3 Sundays a month at Trinity. Milton.
Tomorrow is my Sunday off this month.
I jokingly said at a Wednesday Bible Study at Trinity that "I keep working even though retired because if I wasn't celebrating I wouldn't go to church."
People laughed.
But I long ago realized that jokes are often ways to tell an uncomfortable truth.
That's what that one is.
On my Sundays off I either take a supply job or don't go to church.
I'm a priest, not a church-goer.
That may sound like a contradiction.
But for me, it's true.
I love church when I'm preaching and celebrating.
Otherwise, not so much.
Alas....
The Governor of Minn., Tim Walz was a great choice for VP!
He's who came up with 'weird' for the Trump/Vance ticket.
And they are.
Plus he's military, a teacher and a coach, served in the House and brought his state into the 21st Century on abortion and many other things.
Way to go, soon to be President Harris....
We have a kitchen towel with 15 different animals on it and the term to call a group of those animals.
I don't think I knew more than 2 or 3 before the towel.
See how you do....
*A Leap of Salmon
*A Prickle of Hedgehogs
*A Trip of Hares
*A Skulk of Foxes
*A Parliament of Owls
*A Plump of Seals
*A Bouquet of Pheasants
*A Squabble of Seagulls
*A Murder of Crows
*A Paddling of Ducks
*A Romp of Otters
*A Crown of Kingfishers
*A Cete of Badgers
*A Leash of Deer
*A Circus of Puffins
How did you do?
Bern loves the Olympics--watches all she can.
I do it on Youtube for the things I like.
I think I'm a bigger sports fan than her--my fandom is baseball, basketball and football.
She love tennis.
Not me.
But still we've been married all these years.
Sports hasn't come between us.
Thankfully....
I can't print it because I didn't write it down--I 'winged it'.
I've been preaching long enough to 'wing it' with ease. But this was too easy. John's Gospel for yesterday contained the feeding of the 5000 and Jesus walking on water to save his disciples boat and their lives in a storm.
And when he stepped on board, the storm ended and the were moved miles to arrive where they were headed.
Lots of stuff to talk about there.
In the back of the church were boxes and baskets full of clothes and food. So the people of the parish feed the hungry and clothe those who need it.
The 'walking on water' part lends itself to talk of sharing your faith and getting others to the other side of the lake.
Good stuff to talk about. I ended with this poem by Mary Oliver called "Logos".
Why worry about the loaves and fishes?
If you say the right words, the wine expands.
If you say them with love
and the felt ferocity of that love
and the felt necessity of that love,
the fish explode into many.
Imagine him, speaking,
and don’t worry about what is reality,
or what is plain, or what is mysterious.
If you were there, it was all those things.
If you can imagine it, it is all those things.
Eat, drink, be happy.
Accept the miracle.
Accept, too, each spoken word
spoken with love.
