Today's Readings
Thursday, August 25, 2011 -- Week of Proper 16, Year One
Louis, King of France, 1270
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 980)
Psalms 18:1-20 (morning) 18:21-50 (evening)
1 Kings 3:16-28
Acts 27:27-44
Mark 14:12-26
I have to leave early this morning, so I don't have time to write. Here are the readings. We have some good stories today.
The first reading is the famous story of the two mothers who come to King Solomon for judgment. A child has died, and one mother accuses the other of switching the babies. Wise Solomon proposes that the infant be cut in half and shared. The true mother of the living child is willing to surrender her claim so that the baby might live.
My mind went to the recent crisis in congress. Two factions arguing over the state of the economy our government's debt limit. One faction is willing that the government default as long as they can cut the baby in half. The other faction concedes, agreeing merely to damage the baby so that it might survive. (I know some will disagree with the analogy.)
Note in the story of the shipwreck (in Acts), that Paul takes, blesses and breaks bread as they prepare to attempt to dock the ship -- a eucharistic act.
And in the gospel, we have Mark's version of the Last Supper. Full of poignancy and hope.
Louis, King of France, 1270
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 980)
Psalms 18:1-20 (morning) 18:21-50 (evening)
1 Kings 3:16-28
Acts 27:27-44
Mark 14:12-26
I have to leave early this morning, so I don't have time to write. Here are the readings. We have some good stories today.
The first reading is the famous story of the two mothers who come to King Solomon for judgment. A child has died, and one mother accuses the other of switching the babies. Wise Solomon proposes that the infant be cut in half and shared. The true mother of the living child is willing to surrender her claim so that the baby might live.
My mind went to the recent crisis in congress. Two factions arguing over the state of the economy our government's debt limit. One faction is willing that the government default as long as they can cut the baby in half. The other faction concedes, agreeing merely to damage the baby so that it might survive. (I know some will disagree with the analogy.)
Note in the story of the shipwreck (in Acts), that Paul takes, blesses and breaks bread as they prepare to attempt to dock the ship -- a eucharistic act.
And in the gospel, we have Mark's version of the Last Supper. Full of poignancy and hope.
Lowell
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| Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: -- Morning Reflection Podcasts About Morning Reflections "Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church. Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer. Evening Prayer begins on p. 117 An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at missionstclare.com -- Click for online Daily Office Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html -- Click for Divine Hours Discussion Blog: To comment on today's reflection or readings, go to http://lowellsblog.blogspot.com, or click here for Lowell's blog find today's reading, click "comment" at the bottom of the reading, and post your thoughts. |
| The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love. See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org Our Rule of Life: We aspire to... worship weekly pray daily learn constantly serve joyfully live generously. Lowell Grisham, Rector St. Paul's Episcopal Church Fayetteville, Arkansas |
posted by Lowell @ 7:00 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
So basically you are saying that the big government polititians (from both parties) have created a new life? Is it the frankenstein monster? I think it is.
Look, the tea party is NOT at fault here, plain and simple. They didn't create the mess, Dems and Reps did. The problem has been around for decades as evidenced by the constant raising of the debt ceiling (i won't even get into how lame that is). The Dems and Reps have tried to fix this and it has failed. They keep trying the same and they keep getting the same result (deeper in debt). so now we face another crisis (self created by the way) and what does Dr. Frankenstein want to do? The same failed solution they have tried so many times. What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting new results.
so yes, I disagree with your non-analogy. Unless you are saying that the true lover of the country would allow the country to experience some pain (maybe partial default) so that in the long run the country can be strengthened. But idoubt that you are saying that.
greg
Admittedly my analogy is not so great, Greg. Yep. But there is one similar factor. The real mother of the living baby loved the baby. The other mother did not, and was willing for it to be destroyed.
If those who are entrusted with the responsibility of creating government do not love the work of government, they will not care if it is destroyed.
I sense that the Tea Party, and maybe you as well, believe government is a problem. Maybe the problem. So you may even want it to fail.
I do not see it that way. I want good government that does what the Preamble of the Constitution says it should do, including to "promote the general Welfare."
You don't seem to like deficits. If that's your big issues, there is a big difference between the two parties. You would have to favor the Democrats if you find deficits offensive.
Bill Clinton's administration balanced the federal budget and began to pay off some of the accrued deficit, and finished with a surplus. Barak Obama inherited a massive deficit and a depressed economy. He also faced a Republican congress that would not reverse the tax breaks to the wealthy that were responsible for a huge proportion of the deficit.
So, if you really think deficits are the big issue, you need to start chewing on the ears of the Republicans. Here's the history of deficits:
Kennedy-Johnson: $8 billion.
Nixon-Ford: $34 billion
Jimmy Carter: $58 billion
Ronald Reagan: $192 billion
George H. W. Bush: $310 billion
Bill Clinton: $92 billion
George W. Bush: $610 billion
Clinton finished his last year with a budget surplus. (One other note -- the Carter deficit was mostly driven by the oil crisis when OPEC raised prices from under $16/barrel to nearly $40. The US had to absorb that cost, which fueled deficits and inflation.)
So you ask about sanity and insanity. Sanity -- doing something along the lines of the Clinton era -- adequate revenue to meet program. Insanity -- George W. Bush's era -- dramatically increased spending coupled with dramatic tax cuts.
You must be longing for the return of a Clintonesq time.
Lowell
"you want good government" Good for you? Good for who? Good for the dead babies that the liberal party encourage? good for the lazy who we facilitate with unlimited "aid"? Good for the illegal immigrant who get paid slave wages because no one in Washington is willing to deal with the reality, they may anger too many voters? Good for the American worker whose jobs are shipped away in the name of FREE TRADE? What Good government? Maybe you mean our failed war on drugs, failed war on poverty? Our government has certainly had successful wars lately. The war on the family, they are winning that, the family is decimated. The war on our savings. The governments "efforts" to help the middle class end up with bailed out rich people and unions while the middle carrying the load. The war on GOD? The government has tried to remove God from schools and what do we get? Flash mobs? How about a generation of immoral selfish hippies?
Wow, go government, way to go!
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