Reading the handwriting on the wall.

This past Sunday, I awoke to discover that a horrific attack had taken place in Orlando, Florida. When I read of the deadly carnage at a Gay nightclub, I thought of the homosexual friends/acquaintances I have in that town, of their safety, their fears, and their community. My first thought was that it was a jealous lover's revenge killing gone 'out of control', but then I saw the name of the attacker. "ISIS related," I thought.

I soon saw a Facebook post about the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick, posting a Biblical passage on Twitter. I read the pictorial tweet, and I initially thought it was in response to the Orlando attack. It was a passage I know well (from Paul's Letter to the Galatians, chapter 6, verse 7), and one that I had just read on Friday morning as appointed by the Consultation on Church Union's Revised Common Lectionary for my daily morning prayer and Bible reading/study.

I know the context of the passage, and I assumed it was a reference to ISIS/ISIL/Radical Islam. The point of the letter is the Galatians turning from unearned salvation through God's Grace, to an attempt to earn salvation via the Law. This is a heresy that Islam is not only guilty of, but one that it is founded upon. The gift of Salvation by Grace, accomplished on the Cross by God in the person of jesus, is not something to throw away. God will not be mocked. By turning away from God's sacrificial atonement, we will reap from what we have sown.

But almost immediately, my Facebook feed was inundated with outrage, angry, hateful posts, accusing Lt. Governor Patrick of justifying the attack. Patrick's office posted an 'apology' for the regular Sunday Morning tweet of his, saying it was automatically posting Sunday morning, and that it was generated on the prior Thursday (well before the attack). His staff apologized for the pain it caused.

The furor didn't die down. Various newspapers ran with it, implying the post was an intentional response to the Orlando shooting, and all but accusing Patrick of lying. Shameful ignorance, or partisan misrepresentation?

Then it struck me. This was a modern-day version of the Old Testament 'Handwriting on the Wall' episode (Chapter 5, the Book of Daniel), and the fall of King Belshazzar. The tweet was not God's handwriting on the wall at a Royal Feast, but it was interpreted as such by the guests of 'The Feast' that our modern libertine culture has set us (and demands we all partake of).

The guests are outraged, for they know all too well that as they sow, so they will reap. Every contrivance to wash away the stain of guilt fails. "Out, damn spot!"

But the guilt remains, and is turned on others in unrighteous anger and vilification.

"Speak softly, and..." put your hands behind your head.

If you aren't offened, you aren't paying attention.

If not now, when? ...and why then?

Life and Death on Mars.

Pro life, anti death.

In 1919, a 13 year old girl in Oklahoma was raped. Rather than put the baby up for adoption, or turn to the arcane arts offered by some mid-wives at the time to terminate the pregnancy, the young girl and her mother decided to keep the child and raise it together (at great familial cost). That 13 year old girl was my grandmother. The baby was my mother.

In early 1950, my mother was told by her OB/GYN that she wasn't pregnant as she thought, but that she had an intrauterine tumor that needed to be surgically removed immediately. My mother declined the doctors advice, choosing instead to wait. They were both right.

On August 19th, 1950, I was born. My mother did indeed have a intrauterine non-malignant tumor that was removed about ten years later... six years after the birth of my sister. Perhaps this helps to explain my passion for the unborn.

In some ways, I am twice a survivor.

It can't be 'un-seen'.

Germany, 1945.

Houston, 2015.

Roar.

When 'Science' and 'Magick' agree.

There has been an odd coming-together of the followers of 'Science' and the 'Occult Arts'.

In the late 1960s, I ran with a pretty artsy/hippie crowd. Among my circle of acquaintances (and one friend) were some very serious professional/semi-professional astrologers (not astronomers, although I knew a few of them as well... later). I found what they did and believed entertaining and fascinating in an arcane sort of way, and I was flattered by the chart one of them drew for me based upon my moment of birth, but I never applied this gnostic knowledge more than using "Hey, what's your sign?" when meeting girls. The whole idea of a person's identity being set when they breached the womb just made no sense to me. 

But at least three times over the last few days, I have heard and read different, well educated people (two of whom I used to respect), people who often rely of 'science' as their appeal for support, state that a 'fetus' isn't a person until it is born. Before that, it isn't a human being at all.

These followers of 'science' voiced the exact same belief as did the followers of astrology I knew forty years ago: a fetus is 'formed' into a human being at the moment it breaches the womb (as if inclusion in "humanity" is accomplished by the inflating of the lungs). Before then, it is just a "product of reproduction."

True then, knowing it would be true now.

"Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen."

Paul's Letter to the Romans, 1:22-25

Art history.

The death of science.

 

There's a problem here. It's more than a misunderstanding, and it's not simply ignorance. There is good dose of arrogance, however. Do you see it?

Yeti is a manufacturer of rigorously designed ice chests and accessories, including thermal drinking cups like this one (this is their 'small' size model). They really do apply some of the best available technology to create containers that will retain temperatures for long periods of time, hot or cold. Stainless steel, double-walled travel cups are no big deal, and this one far out performs the other name-brand ones I have. Far outperforms. I filled two vessels this morning (6:15 a.m.) with 200° F degree water. Within an hour, the contents of one cup had cooled to 152° F. The Yeti had cooled to 180°. Eight hours later, vessel #1 had cooled to room temperature (65°), while the contents of the Yeti were 112°. That's impressive performance. But...

"KEEPS YOUR DRINK AS COLD AS SCIENCE ALLOWS" is the marketing motto on the cup. Since when did Science have consciousness? 'Science' is a methodology at its basic level, a reservoir of knowledge at its highest level. At its basic level, it is a rigorous method of investigation, designed to leave nothing to 'chance' or prejudice. At it's highest level, it's an ever-changing amorphous, non-sentient, entity. It doesn't "allow" anything. It enables, at best, through discovery and application.

But in our culture, 'Science' has been deified by many, led by anti-theists (atheists), but mimicked by the gullible. In the popular culture, it's easy to see the word "science" used as a name, as "Science." This entity Science replaces (or co-exists in competition with) the notion of a god/s, with a Creator God, and with Yaweh (reducing Yaweh to a mere god, or replacing 'Him' with a new god). As a believer in the Creator God Yaweh, and as a believer in the investigative truth of science, this alarms me, because it's a dangerous disservice to both.

The outcome promises to be a great steaming pile of 'not good' for all involved. The heat will be retained at all costs.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Just thought you might like to see a photo of where I come from (literally... on a couple of levels).

This is a shot of my mother, Freda June Rice-Taylor Summer, taken in about 1971. We had just finished putting the horses back into the pasture after she and my sister had been on a ride. This was shot on our small piece of land in Grayson County, Texas. Situated on a bluff above the Red River, our property was right on the historic Preston Trail.

Of all the remarkable folks who traveled down that trail into Texas (one of the earliest entries into Texas was the Red River ford at Coffee's Fort, just a couple of miles down the road), none were greater in my eyes than June Summer. A believer of the first order, she would be 95 today. She passed into Paradise in 1988 at the age of 68.

Thanks for everything, Mom. Especially for the prayers. I know you're pleased with your great grand-daughter and namesake.

Once upon a time...

...I saw something almost exactly like this in a cup on the table. Wondrous love.




Image credits

30 of 64

Martin (Marty) Luther Kitty

April 2, 2001 - October 11, 2014

Requiescat In Pace, Chasing Mice Eternal

But some doubted.

The Great Commission

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

(Matthew 28:16-20 ESV)

Gregory Baker: March 1, 1920 Bonham Texas - May, 20 2014 Kyle Texas

Ministration at the Time of Death

When a person is near death, the Minister of the Congregation should be notified, in order that the ministrations of the Church may be provided.


A Prayer for a Person near Death

Almighty God, look on this your servant, lying in great
weakness, and comfort him with the promise of life
everlasting, given in the resurrection of your Son Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.


Litany at the Time of Death

When possible, it is desirable that members of the family and friends come together to join in the Litany.

God the Father,
Have mercy on your servant.

God the Son,
Have mercy on your servant.

God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on your servant.
Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on your servant.

From all evil, from all sin, from all tribulation,
Good Lord, deliver him.

By your holy Incarnation, by your Cross and Passion, by
your precious Death and Burial,
Good Lord, deliver him.

By your glorious Resurrection and Ascension, and by the
Coming of the Holy Spirit,
Good Lord, deliver him.

We sinners beseech you to hear us, Lord Christ: That it may
please you to deliver the soul of your servant from the power
of evil, and from eternal death,
We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you mercifully to pardon all his sins,
We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to grant him a place of refreshment
and everlasting blessedness,
We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to give him joy and gladness in your
kingdom, with your saints in light,
We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

Jesus, Lamb of God:
Have mercy on him.

Jesus, bearer of our sins:
Have mercy on him.

Jesus, redeemer of the world:
Give him your peace.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Officiant and People 
 

Our Father, who art in heaven,     hallowed be thy Name,     thy kingdom come,     thy will be done,         on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our tresspasses,     as we forgive those         who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation,     but deliver us from evil.

The Officiant says this Collect

Let us pray.

Deliver your servant, Gregory, O Sovereign Lord Christ, from all
evil, and set him free from every bond; that he may rest with
all your saints in the eternal habitations; where with the
Father and the Holy Spirit your live and reign, one God, for
ever and ever. Amen.


A Commendation at the Time of Death

Depart, O Christian soul, out of this world;
In the Name of God the Father Almighty who created you;
In the Name of Jesus Christ who redeemed you;
In the Name of the Holy Spirit who sanctifies you.
May your rest be this day in peace,
    and your dwelling place in the Paradise of God.

---

A Commendatory Prayer

Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your
servant Gregory. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of
your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your
own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your mercy,
into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the
glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.

May his soul and the souls of all the departed, through the
mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.


The Book of Common Prayer, 1979

Glass is a light collector.

The viability of murder.

I hear a motorcyclist speeding down an empty road, way off in the distance. The noise is a nuisance to me. I string a thin wire across the road at neck height, tied to two phone poles, and leave. I didn't hurt anybody, because there was no one there to hurt. But I know that if the motorcyclist continues along the road, he will hit the wire and probably be decapitated.

When I first realized there was a motorcyclist coming, he was about eight miles away. When I ran my wire, he was about four or five miles away. I could hear him getting louder, but I certainly couldn't see him with the naked eye.

Did I commit murder, or did I simply string a wire across an empty road?

Viability and murder.