The Lord’s Prayer, More Meditations

... in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it is now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer, More Meditations

Our Father in the heavens,

It was sanctified, Your name.  She[1] came, Your kingdom.  He[2] was born, Your Will.  As in heaven, also on the earth.[3]  You gave us our manna bread today.  You forgave us our debts; as we [must] also forgive our debtors.  You did not lead us into calamity; even so, You delivered us from the evil.[4]

[5]

---

[1] She, because kingdom is feminine.  The kingdom is the bride of Christ.  Everywhere, the kingdom is the bride of the king, indicating in Greek thought that the king is to love her, not dominate her.

[2] Properly, it, because will is neuter.  Even so it is impossible to escape the implication that these things are the gift and work of Jesus Christ in life and in death, while the very next phrase emphasizes His incarnation.

[3] The incarnation of the Son of God causes earth to function like heaven.  Life on earth may now be lived in the presence of God.  With the coming of the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost, 33 AD, this becomes a powerful reality in the birth of The Church.  The Church is divinized.  We ought not to think of The Church as a scattered bunch of warring political enemies; but rather as an indivisible living organism, a bride in the process of preparation for her wedding.  Divinization is often attributed to individuals; however, in reality it applies to the body as a whole, The Church, not to any individual.  It is impossible to be sanctified and glorified as an individual.

[4] At Your Son’s cross, burial, victory over hell, resurrection, ascension, and future coming in glory.  Join us mortals here on earth to your Son’s work, so that we may participate in it with joy immortal.

O Christ, God-man, You have done all these things for us by your mighty works in life and in death.  Enable us to enter into the majesty of your prayer, by receiving Your most-pure Body and like precious Blood.  Empower us to be obedient to its beauty and goodness, that we might become a truly forgiving people.  Inspire us to behold its glory, so that we might be evermore like You in all that we think, say and do, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.

[5] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations, please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish.  No rights are reserved.  They are designed and intended for your free participation.  They were freely received, and are freely given.  No other permission is required for their use.

Norman Water Shortage

Norman Water Shortage


Every time the question of water shortage raises its ugly head in Norman, as it has again this week, I wonder.


I wonder why the Norman city council has not legalized and promoted grey/black water systems, and why plumbers are not marketing and installing them.  Everything else is marketed in the plumbing business from new bath replacements to whole bath room makeovers.


While we're on the subject, why are there no publicized investigations into the legality and practicability of anaerobic waste treatment systems for single family dwellings?


Programs of this kind would easily cut the Norman water consumption and demand in half, reduce and possibly eliminate the need to replace aging sewers, and slash the load on existing waste treatment plants.  They would also go a long way toward making Norman a sustainable city.


Since the costs for such improvements would be born by private homeowners; and since the costs to the public in water and sewer costs would be reduced: it would seem reasonable that generous tax incentives should be offered to distribute real costs more fairly.

July 6, 2014 Sunday Sermon, Money

...  in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it is now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us.  Lord, cleanse us from our sins.  Master, pardon our iniquities.  Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Your Name’s sake.  Lord have mercy (three times).

July 6, 2014 Sunday Sermon, Money

Old Testament Lesson

Exodus 20:1-17, The Decalogue: The Law

And God spoke all these words,

“I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

You shall not have other gods before Me.

You shall not make for yourself any graven image: any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me; and showing mercy to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

You shall not take the name of the Lord Your God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.  You shall labor six days, and do all your work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God: You shall not do any work in it: not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day: therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

The First Commandment with promise

Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long on the land which the Lord your God gives you.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

Psalm 119:12, 18

Blessed are You, O Lord: teach me Your Statutes.

Open my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law.

The Gospel

Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23

[Jesus] spoke many things to them in parables,

“Behold, a sower went out to sow.  When he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and birds came and devoured them.  Some fell on stony ground, where there was not much soil; they sprung up immediately, because they had no depth of soil; when the sun rose, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away.  Some fell among thorns; the thorns sprung up, and choked them.  Others fell on good soil, and brought forth fruit: some, one hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

“Therefore, Hear the parable of the sower.

“When any one hears the Word of the kingdom, and does not understand it[1], then comes the wicked one, and grabs away what was sown in his heart.  This is he who received seed by the wayside.

“He who received the seed into stony soils, is he who hears the Word, and quickly receives it with joy.  Yet he has no root in himself, so enduring for a while, when tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word, after a while he is offended[2].

“He who received seed among thorns is he who hears the Word.  Yet the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the Word, and he becomes unfruitful.

“He who received seed into good soil is he who hears the Word, understands it; who also bears fruit: bringing forth one hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”

The Homily

Money!  The individuals of modern society are increasingly defined by money.  Great athletes and coaches are no longer remembered for their contribution to the sport, but for the enormity of their monetary contract.  Great inventors like Boeing, Douglas, Grumman, the Lockheed brothers, McDonnell, Northrop, or the Wright brothers are no longer measured by the beauty of their ideas, but by the size of their government contracts.  The once friendly town doctor (no longer treats all, frequently without pay) is now a debt and regulation burdened profit center.  The family farm is a money churning corporation, and God help it if it fails to post a positive portfolio this year.

Now, even womanhood is defined by the number of stars on an Admiral’s shoulders: not for her contribution, not for the wonderful things she has accomplished, but for her acquisition of power, status, and the highest attainable salary in military service; all of which are acquired mostly by good luck: for there are many women who have given equally amazing achievements to the world without any recognition at all.

Even our healthcare industry is more concerned with the money of sexuality, than with actual healthcare for all.  The morning after pill must be in place, so that people can go back to work, unimpeded by children, so they can be defined by money.

You as well, whether male or female, will be defined in your lifetime by the size of your 401k, and by your net worth, not by the things you did for other people.  When you are cremated or lowered into a grave, few will much care about anything other than the magnitude of your estate; and if it is of any size, wars will be fought over how it is divided.

The result of this definition is the deprecation and marginalization of all other social values.  It is fundamental to the current collapse of our society, and indicates that we will only recover with great pain and difficulty, if we recover at all.  It explains, in part, why 1% of the American population have hoarded 40% of the wealth to themselves: obviously, they are more important and valuable people, deserving all the money they can hoard.  It explains, in part, why there are no jobs: obviously, work, in and of itself, is not a value.  The definition of humanity by money paralyzes us by distracting us from those things which are truly important in life.  Soon this distraction terminates our ability to be free.

Hawthorne (1804-1864) appreciated this fact when he wrote his scathing condemnation in The House of the Seven Gables.  Shakespeare (1564-1616) lampooned it with his character, Shylock, The Merchant of Venice.

Jesus warned us that this would happen, “The cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the Word, and he becomes unfruitful.”  “You cannot love God and mammon.”[3]  “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”[4]  Let us not focus our lives on what we get, but rather on what we give (with or without pay).  Let us be defined by the size of our hearts, not by the size of our wallets.  Let God be pleased to make us into good soil, and fruitful.  Definition by money is just another form of fruitless slavery.

Christ has set us free.  The Holy Ghost makes us free.[5]

---

[1] We fail to understand the Word of God, even when we hear it, because we do not have the gift of the Holy Ghost teaching us and empowering us to learn.  This is our failure in not asking God for the gift of His Holy Ghost, because this gift is freely offered to all who ask (Luke 11:9-13).

[2] He is not offended at the world for persecuting him; but offended with God for letting him being put under tribulation.

[3] Matthew 6:24

[4] Acts 20:35

[5] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations, please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish.  No rights are reserved.  They are designed and intended for your free participation.  They were freely received, and are freely given.  No other permission is required for their use.

The Lord’s Prayer

... in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it is now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς,

Ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου.  Ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου.  Γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου.  Ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.  Τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον.  Καὶ ἄφες[1] ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα[2] ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν[3] τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν.  Καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν, ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ.

[Ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας (τῶν αἰώνων).  Ἀμήν.][4]

Ἐὰν γὰρ ἀφῆτε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ παραπτῶματα[5] αὐτῶν, ἀφήσει καὶ ὑμῖν ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος.  Ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀφῆτε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις [τὰ παραπτῶματα αὐτῶν,][6] οὐδὲ ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ἀφήσει τὰ παραπτώματα ὑμῶν.

Our Father in the heavens,

It was sanctified, Your name.  It came, Your kingdom.  He was born, Your Will.  As in heaven, also on the earth.  You gave us our manna bread today.  You forgave our debts; as we [must] also forgive our debtors.  You did not lead us into calamity; even so, You delivered us from the evil.[7]

[Because Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the Glory, unto the ages (of ages).  Amen.]

For if you have forgiven men their trespasses, then Your heavenly Father will forgive you.  Yet if you have not forgiven [men their trespasses], neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.  Lord have mercy (twelve times)[8].[9]

---

[1] ἄφες, second person singular, aorist active imperative of ἀφίημι: excuse, forgive.  We tend to translate the Greek past tense as an English present tense.  Here we take the view that the Greek past tense should be translated as an English past tense.  It is, of course, impossible to have an imperative mood past tense in English.  We believe that imperative mood is a misnomer in Greek; that a more appropriate, descriptive title would be the emphatic mood.  Moreover, we believe that voice is a critical element for grasping the Greek mindset; translating the voice out of the verb is once again destructive for grasping the Greek mindset.

[2] ὀφειλήματα: debt, duty.  The idea of duty, and being excused from performing a duty implies the specific failure to keep the Decalogue, which is the specific duty of both Jews and Christians.

[3] ἀφίεμεν, first person plural, present active indicative of ἀφίημι: excuse, forgive.  Alexandrian text has ἀφήκαμεν, first person plural, aorist active indicative of ἀφίημι.  This appears to be a Byzantine annotation to incorporate the theological tense with the verses that follow immediately after the prayer.  This appears to be best understood as a contrast between what God has already done and what we must yet do, as the following verses indicate.  The Byzantine text must be taken as a note that clarifies any misunderstanding that might arise from the original Alexandrian text.

[4] Alexandrian text omits the entire sentence.  We have now taken the position that the Alexandrian text is the text of the New Testament; that the Byzantine text is the very important fourth century notation of the master students of Scripture from the Byzantine community.  These master students are the best students of the Greek Bible that the world has ever known; it is vital to the life of The Church that their opinions not be neglected.  It is even possible that their notations publish misplaced autograph scraps.  The work of the Byzantine master students is far more important than any commentary, and is rightly included with the Alexandrian text.  This particular sentence is a Byzantine liturgical tradition, the reasonable response to the prayer.  However, this response exists universally throughout the practice of the Church, and the prayer sounds strange without it.  It is an appropriate antiphon to the prayer.

[5] παραπτῶματα or παραπτώματα: stumbling, fault, offense, transgression.  The step of sinners is on slippery ground (Deuteronomy 32:35).  The change in inflection from circumflex to acute is possibly musical, its exact use is lost to us.  It is more likely that the Byzantine culture would reflect correct musical tonalities.  This argument cuts both ways, but it is not a translatable difference.

[6] The phrase, τὰ παραπτῶματα αὐτῶν, is included in both the Byzantine and B.  Its absence in א leaves that which is to be forgiven open and unspecified, which implies forgive everything, even corrupt and deliberate acts of aggression and violence.  Since the very salvation of the forgiven, insists that they must be a forgiving people, it would appear that forgiving all, is the correct view; that א maintains the correct New Testament text; and that B preserves a Byzantine notation.  That being said, the Byzantine notation requiring that the least little thing be forgiven, inadvertently opens the door to the idea that major breaches of the Law, ὀφειλήματα, are not necessarily forgiven: this false conclusion is impossible, because we have already forgiven ὀφειλέταις as well.  The Byzantine notations force us to weigh these implications very carefully, so that each of us ensures that we come to God without any minute shred of unforgiven offense clinging to us.

[7] At Your Son’s cross, burial, victory over hell, resurrection, ascension, and future coming in glory.  Join us mortals here on earth to your Son’s work, so that we may participate in it with joy immortal.

O Christ, God-man, You have done all these things for us by your mighty works in life and in death.  Enable us to enter into the majesty of your prayer, by receiving Your most-pure Body and like precious Blood.  Empower us to be obedient to its beauty and goodness, that we might become a truly forgiving people.  Inspire us to behold its glory, so that we might be evermore like You in all that we think, say and do, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.

[8] Because such forgiveness is impossible among men, we continually cry out for God’s mercy, so that He would complete our forgiveness, and elevate it to His Divine level.  It is God like forgiveness to which we aspire.

[9] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations, please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish.  No rights are reserved.  They are designed and intended for your free participation.  They were freely received, and are freely given.  No other permission is required for their use.

June 29, 2014 Sunday Sermon, Peter and Paul

...  in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it is now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us.  Lord, cleanse us from our sins.  Master, pardon our iniquities.  Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Your Name’s sake.  Lord have mercy (three times).

June 29, 2014 Sunday Sermon, Peter and Paul

Introductory Scripture

Exodus 20:2, 12

I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long on the land which the Lord your God gives you.

Psalm 119:12, 18

Blessed are You, O Lord: teach me Your Statutes.

Open my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law.

The Epistle

2 Corinthians 11:21-33; 12:1-9

I speak concerning reproach, as though we were weak.  If anyone is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.  Are they Hebrews?  So am I.  Are they Israelites?  So am I.  Are they the seed of Abraham?  So am I.  Are they ministers of Christ?  (I speak as a fool) I am more.

I am in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often.  From the Jews I received five times, forty stripes save one.  Thrice I was beaten with rods.  Once I was stoned.  Thrice I suffered shipwreck.  A night and a day, I spent in the deep.  I was on many journeys: in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own countrymen, in perils from the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brothers, in weariness and painfulness, on watch often, in hunger and thirst, in fasts often, in cold and nakedness.  Beside those things that are external, that which comes on me daily, the care for all the churches.  Who is weak, and I am not weak?  Who is offended, and I do not burn?

If I must glory, I will glory of the things which concern my infirmities.  The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knows that I do not lie.

In Damascus the governor under king Aretas guarded the city of the damascenes with a garrison, seeking to arrest me.  I was let down outside the wall through a window in a basket, and escaped his hands.

It is not expedient for me to glory about myself.  I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.  I knew a man in Christ more than fourteen years ago, (Whether in the body, I cannot tell; or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows.).  This man was caught up to the third heaven.  I do not know how this man (Whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows.) was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to speak.[1]

I will glory over such a person: yet, I will not glory about myself, except in my infirmities: for though I might desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; because I must tell the truth.  So now I must show restraint, lest anybody should think of me above what he sees me to be, or above what he hears from me.

Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.[2]  I begged the Lord three times to take this affliction away from me.  He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”  Most gladly, therefore, I will prefer to glory in my infirmities, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

The Gospel

Matthew 16:13-19

When Jesus came to the neighborhood of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”  They replied, “Some say that you are John the Baptist; some, Elijah; others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.

He asked them, “Who do you say that I am?”  Simon Peter answered, “You art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus responded to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Jonah’s son: for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.  I say to you as well, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church.  The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.  Whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.  Whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

The Homily

This is a busy week.  The Matins Gospel honors Mary Magdalen, about whom we sing, in the beautiful hymn, “I Come to the Garden Alone.”

It is also the third Sunday after Pentecost, as we continue to remember the great work of the Holy Ghost among us as He leads us into all truth.

It is the Sunday of Peter and Paul, about which we will have more to say, very soon.

Monday introduces the Apostles Fast.  Then Friday, Independence Day is upon us.

The common theme of all of these events is freedom: for Christ lived and died, then prayed that the Father would send the Holy Ghost, thereby setting us free indeed.

Peter will be the first to receive “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”  We hide behind theological constructs with little success.  The pronouns are singular.  It is Peter who is named, and Peter who is delegated.  Peter will receive (and does) receive the keys first.  The text does not say that the keys will be delegated to a plurality.  Nor does the text say that no one else will ever receive the keys.  The text also says that the keys are for binding and loosing.  Nowadays, we would say locking and unlocking.  In general such locking and unlocking would apply to prison chains, and to doors or gates.  Nowhere, does the text say that the keys are about rule, and the only hint of leadership is that Peter will receive the keys first.  So we must look elsewhere to increase our understanding.

We soon learn that Peter unlocks the doors of the Jewish Church with the baptism of around three thousand people in one day: obviously, Peter had a lot of help after his sermon (Acts 2).  Shortly after that Peter unlocks the doors of the Gentile Church (Acts 10 and 11).

In Acts 7 we learn that Stephen has received a delegation of the keys, but it appears that he is casting the wicked into prison, rather than unlocking their chains.  The principal difference is that Stephen’s audience refused to listen, except for one man.

Even before Peter unlocks the doors of the Gentile Church, the keys are delegated to Philip who unlocks the doors of the Ethiopic Church (Acts 8).  We remember that Ethiopia has been a Jewish kingdom since the days of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10).

The last part of Acts is devoted to the work of Paul.  Paul is delegated the keys for the purpose of leading three evangelism tours, during which he unlocks the doors of new churches in several Greek cities, in Rome, and most likely in Spain and in Great Britain.  However, when he seeks to go north, farther into Asia, he is forbidden to go (Acts 16:6).

Because of this historic development, Peter is remembered as the Apostle to the Jews; while Paul is remembered as the Apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13).

Elsewhere we learn that Andrew unlocks the doors of the churches of northern Asia; while Thomas unlocks the doors of the churches of India.  It is not necessary that we multiply examples.[3]

Even so, when we view the very first ecumenical council, the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, it is James who presides rather than Peter.

We conclude that the Holy Ghost rules over The Church.  Any number of men can be called to preside in His honor.  The delegation of the keys applies primarily to gifts of evangelism, which may be held by wide numbers of people at the same time.  The Apostles and the bishops that succeeded them enjoy a wide range of collegiality: indeed they are commanded to wash each other’s feet (Matthew 20:24-28; John 13:12-17).  Even so, from the record of Acts, we freely concede that the bishop of the See of Peter and Paul, should have the first place of honor in presiding over the bishops as first among equals.  What is the duty of the presidential honor?  The president announces the conclusion of the will of the bishops, usually expressed by voting, and first proclaims it to the world officially.

Christ has set us free.  The Holy Ghost makes us free.[4]

---

[1] This is a perfect description of John’s Revelation, but that idea presents chronological problems for us.

[2] Since Paul was struck blind because he murdered Christians, God reminded Paul of how and why he was saved, by afflicting him with weak eyesight.  This prevented Paul from becoming prideful over the magnificent ways God used him.

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostle_(Christian)

[4] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations, please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish.  No rights are reserved.  They are designed and intended for your free participation.  They were freely received, and are freely given.  No other permission is required for their use.

Psalm 95:7-9

... in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it is now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

Psalm 95:7-9[1]

Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, as the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My work.[2]

---

[1] God called out to Adam, to be a Father to Adam and a friend; but Adam didn’t listen very well, so Adam was driven out of the garden of Eden.

God called out to Cain, to be a Father to Cain and a friend; but Cain didn’t listen very well, so Cain condemned himself by killing his brother Abel.  Seth was a better listener, so Seth was chosen.

God called out to all the world’s people, to be a Father to the people and a friend; but the people didn’t listen very well, so the people condemned themselves.  Noah and his family were better listeners, so Noah and his family were chosen, and the world’s population was reduced to eight people, because the people condemned themselves by not listening.

Noah’s family settled in the plains around Ur of the Chaldees and multiplied to become a great people.  God called out to all the people of Ur, to be a Father to the people and a friend; but the people of Ur didn’t listen very well, so the people of Ur condemned themselves.  Abraham and his family were better listeners, so Abraham and his family were chosen, and Abraham and his family wandered in one wilderness after another as aliens and pilgrims in a foreign land, because the people of Ur condemned themselves by not listening.

In a time of overwhelming famine Abraham’s descendants settled in the land of Egypt and multiplied to become a great people.  God called out to all the people of Egypt, to be a Father to the people and a friend; but the people of Egypt didn’t listen very well, when Israel might have become a priest of the living God to them, so the people of Egypt condemned themselves.  Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites were better listeners, so the Israelites were chosen, and the Israelites were brought out of Egypt with a mixed multitude to form a new nation, because the people of Egypt condemned themselves by not listening.

The Israelites didn’t listen very well, and condemned themselves to wander in the wilderness for forty years.  The people during the Judges didn’t listen very well either, nor did Saul, nor the Northern Kingdom, nor the Southern Kingdom….  Finally, God sent His Son, because He knew that His Son would listen on behalf of all the people; and God could at last be a Father and a friend to all people.

The Chosen People are called the Chosen People because they listen to the Father.  Because they listen, they also obey.  How can they possible do this, when all people have failed so obviously and repeatedly?  For Jesus sake, the Father freely gives His Holy Ghost to all who ask.  All who ask, the Holy Ghost joins to Jesus in such a way that they become mysteriously like Jesus, and like Jesus, by faith, they are now empowered to obey.  God receives all who listen, so that He can be their Father and their friend….

Do you listen?  Do you listen very well?

Know this.  God is patient, and God is kind.  He has an intense love for those who will only listen.  The humblest listener is His treasured child.  So we must concern ourselves with praying through our Bibles, listening to see the world from God's perspective.  It matters not that we live or die, but that we will live again.  Are you listening?

Blessed are You, O Lord; teach us Your commandments.

Blessed are You, O Lord; teach us Your statutes.

Blessed are You, O Lord; show us how to love You.

Blessed are You, O Lord; help us love our neighbors.

Blessed are You, O Lord; provide us with Your manna.

Blessed are You, O Lord; crush the deception of the nations.

Blessed are You, O Lord; set your people free.

 

[2] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations, please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish.

These meditations are not controlled by Creative Commons or other licenses, such as: copyright, CC, BY, SA, NC, or ND.  They are designed and intended for your free participation.  They were freely received, and are freely given.  No other permission is required for their use.