I went out the door this afternoon and there was a package addressed to "Brigit Bradley".
I laughed, thinking they had gotten Bern's name wrong.
But while I was driving (waiting for the car heater to start pushing warm air!) I realized the package was for our dog!
I got home and shouted for Bern. "Brigit got a package!"
It was indeed for her--some treats in a car sent by Bern's brother.
Even dogs get mail....
With Christmas so near and so many things going on for folks, we canceled the Wednesday Bible Studies at Trinity Church.
Wednesday's always revolve around my drive up to Milton and the time we spend talking about whatever comes up that day.
So, from around 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Wednesdays is set in stone.
Until now.
It feels good not to drive the 30 miles to and from, but I miss the people sitting around the table, having an informal communion service and talking with each other--sharing ideas and wild thoughts!
Today I worked on my sermon--a day or two earlier than usual because there was no Bible Study.
Wednesdays are weird without it....
I'm on a conversation every Tuesday with 6 or 7 others--all male (Bern says, "are you talking to the boys..."--all but one are Episcopalians though we came from other places to get there. There are usually 4 priests (plus my brother-in-law, a liberal RC priest) and we often talk about our sermons.
Today, one told us about preaching and having no one mention the sermon to him afterwards.
I'm on the other end of that. Sunday at least 16 or the 20 or so folks at church wanted to talk about my sermon.
Not that I think I'm a better preacher, it's just that some congregations really relish the sermons and others, not so much.
Kind of odd, I think.
Maybe they come for the bread and wine and not the words.
Who knows?
In my sermon tomorrow I make a distinction when talking about John the Baptist between "morality" and "righteousness".
You see, some Pharisees come to be baptized by John and he dismisses them as "a brood of vipers".
That wasn't because they weren't "Moral"--they had good 'morality' in that they kept all the Jewish laws and kept the rules.
That's what 'morality' is--'keeping the rules'.
But righteousness isn't about being law-abiding, it is about the relationship between the person and God.
Abraham was 'reckoned righteous' because he was in a right relationship with God.
John the Baptist was interested in forming that 'right relationship' through baptism.
Keeping the rules and toeing the line don't measure up if you aren't 'right with God'.
We could do well to seek that relationship and not worry so much about abiding by the rules.
Get right with God....
I lost a lot of weight while I was in and out of the hospital. Even in my hands.
So, my wedding ring slips off sometimes.
I had tape on it but it came off.
So, today I was in my office--doing nothing but playing hearts--and I realized my ring was gone.
I searched the house for it and since I'd been to the Library and Big Y, I went to look in the car.
Not there, but when I shut the driver's side door in disgust, I glanced down and it was there on the ground!
Bern helped me tape it up again.
That really had me worked up--loosing my wedding ring.
I'll keep it taped up well from now on....
Bern got our Christmas tree this morning and it's up (no decorations--that's for later) in our living room.
She picks the tree because she's better at it than I am (like so many things!) and it's a beauty.
Having the tree up feels very good to me.
Christmas is coming....
Our electricity went out last night at 7:15 or so. It was out for an hour.
When the lights went off, Bern found a light on batteries that was very bright and two flashlights. In the dark, she did that!
I thought, "I'll go write a blog about the lights being out..."
Duh! Then I remembered why my computer works....
It was chilly so it was good when electricity came back.
You can't do much in the dark. Well, there's that, I know, but not other things.
Electricity is our life-line. We can't live without it.
