Matthew 2:1-12

Epiphany
(note, I can't figure out how to make this blog do indents, so therefore you get dashes, my original intent is simple indents, if your reuse these poems, which you may do, please use indents, it looks better)

For those who know these things
who study the signs
---- that they might know
what is
---- and is to come
Yes
---- even they
---- who could see the handwriting in the stars
Came
---- in search of the one foretold
---- the one who would make
---- all the searching
-------- yearning
------------ seeing
---- complete
The Heavens told them
This was the Messiah
---- the Christ
-------- the Prince of Peace
In a world longing so
------------------ for Peace
This was to be the one
Who would make all the Herods
---- in their quest for
-------- Peace
-------- (Law and Order at any Cost)
-------- and Tranquility
-------- (Change must not come too quickly
--------------------------------------- and upset
-------- the systems that fill my pockets)
lords
---- of only kingdoms
granted them in this world
-------- by the people
------------who wish to have security
------------ made up of the
------------------------------ bits
--------------------------------- and
-------------------------------------- pieces
-------------------------------------------- of
------------------------------------------------- human
------------------- Destruction
Into this came
-------------- and comes
the Kingdom
----- of the one who brings Peace
-------------------------- Shalom
-------------- even to the Herods
This Messiah
----- Born under the star
was here
Breaking into all the might
---------------------------- wisdom
----------------------------------- Power
---------- of this world
--------- with the seemingly helpless
--------------------------------------------- cry
--------------------------------------------------of a baby

Moon one another

Sunday January 6th, Isaiah 60: 1 "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. The moon has no light of it’s own, yet on a moonlit night it is not only easy to navigate, it is beautiful. When we are out moving about with our own lights, flashlights, headlights, etc. we often fail to see the glory of the moons light. So is it with the children of God. When they are about with their own lights shining, all others often see is the harsh reality of their ego. It is when a child of God simply reflects the glory of God’s light, however dim, that all the world is bathed in beauty.

Reflect

Monday January 7th, Isaiah 60: 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Darkness is the norm. We all live in a state of sin. The light that appears on the earth is the light of God. It is the light that illuminates our path. It is the light that helps us make it through the darkest of times. It is the light on the distant horizon that guides us on our way. The way we access that light is through scripture and prayer. But when you reflect the light of Christ, the light of forgiveness for all of humanity, the light of Grace that great things begin to happen. Even, as it says, nations and kings will come to the brightness of your dawn. Walk tall, reflect the light of Christ, incite miracles.

All in one and One in all

Tuesday January 8th, Ephesians 3: 6 And the mystery is this: Because of Christ Jesus, the good news has given the Gentiles a share in the promises that God gave to the Jews. God has also let the Gentiles be part of the same body. One of the eternal sins of humanity is that they always and forever attempt to tear asunder that which God has joined together. We build our fences and walls, we start wars, we mistrust, we create alliances against others, we fool ourselves into thinking that all the money and power and prestige we think we amass really amounts to anything important in the long run. In the end we discover that we all enter this world with nothing and leave it the same way. Our job, while we sojourn in this life, is to let the light of God shine through us, and to find the light of God in others. Immanuel is for all people.

Jesus is on the other side of the wall

Wednesday January 9th, Ephesians 3: 9 God, who created everything, wanted me to help everyone understand the mysterious plan that had always been hidden in his mind. 10 Then God would use the church to show the powers and authorities in the spiritual world that he has many different kinds of wisdom. This mystery, this good news that seems to be hidden is this: the good news is given to the Gentiles as well as the Jews, in other words, to all people. What this means is that every time we draw a line, build a wall or fence, dream up some sort of axis of evil, start a war or kill someone, we are doing it to God. I heard of a seminary professor who one day as the class entered the room handed everyone a piece of paper. On that paper he had them draw a caricature of someone they disliked intensely or perhaps even hated. When they were done he had them tape the pictures to bulletin board covered with white paper. Everyone was given a chance to throw three darts at the bulletin board with the pictures on it. Some in the beginning threw softly, but as time went on it almost became a game to see who could throw the hardest and inflict the most damage. When everyone was done, the professor removed the darts, and tore off the white paper from the bulletin board. Underneath was a large picture of Christ, ripped and torn with the violence of the thrown darts.

Little change

Thursday January 10th, Matthew 2: 1-2 after Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod's kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, "Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We're on pilgrimage to worship him." The Julian family of Herod’s boss, Caesar, was also born under a star. It was considered the sign of greatness being born. So when Herod hears the news, it is not such good news to him. He has hitched his wagon to the Julian star and hoped to ride it to great heights. This new star could only mean trouble. Then when he finds out that the star is for the birth of the king of the Jew, he knew he had to do something, after all, that was his title. Like any good ruler hung up on power and greed, he devised a plan for a pre-emptive strike that would kill many innocent children of God. The world has changed little.

Right place, Right time

Friday January 11th, Matthew 2: 9-10 Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! Notice that while in the presence of power and greed they could not see the star. Herod was too full of his own harsh light to let the heavens shine. It is when we shed the pretensions of glory of this world that we begin to see the light of God. It is when we turn off our own lights that God’s light some shining through. And when we let God lead us, we too, like the wise men of old, find ourselves at the right place at the right time.

Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

Saturday January 12th, Matthew 2: 11 They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh. Gold is the gift of wealth and power, but what of frankincense and myrrh? From Wikipedia: The aroma of frankincense is said to represent life and the Judaic, Christian and Islamic faiths have often used frankincense mixed with oils to anoint newborn infants and individuals considered to be moving into a new phase in their spiritual lives. In Chinese medicine, myrrh is classified as bitter, spicy, neutral in temperature and affecting the heart, liver, and spleen meridians. Its uses are similar to those of frankincense, with which it is often combined in decoctions, liniments and incense. Myrrh is said to be blood-moving, while frankincense is said to move the Qi more, and is better for arthritic conditions. Myrrh is said to help toothache pain, and can be used in liniment for bruises, aches and sprains. Myrrh is most commonly used in Chinese medicine for rheumatic, arthritic and circulatory problems. Whether in Western medicine or alternative and Easters remedies, frankincense is to move one into a new spiritual life and myrrh is to give the gift of health.

The Holy Innocents

Matthew 2:13-18

Among the Pure and Innocent Cries
of a Newborn Child
Come the shrill reminders
of a world
---- and systems
far from that touch of life
a child brings
Far from
the trusting eyes
of love
that want only someone to show caring
Far from this
lies
our world
of agendas
and power and money
shock and awe
collateral damage
and the bleeding, smoldering bodies
of someone else’s child
and the nations play the game
of vying for position
to make the world a better place

through the moans of death
and lifeless bodies
that are the victims of
what we claim
is a better world
Hear that cry
so pure and innocent
of a newborn child
and remember
what power and ambition and money
disguised as caring and freedom

can do

What act of kindness did you show on Jesus Birthday?

From the Jerusalem Post

Priests scuffle at Church of Nativity

Robed Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests went at each other with brooms and stones inside the Church of the Nativity on Thursday as long-standing rivalries erupted in violence during holiday cleaning.

The basilica, built over the grotto in Bethlehem where Christians believe Jesus was born, is administered jointly by Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic authorities. Any perceived encroachment on one group's turf can set off vicious feuds.

On Thursday, dozens of priests and cleaners came to the fortress-like church to scrub and sweep the floors, walls and rafters ahead of the Armenian and Orthodox Christmas, celebrated in the first week of January. Thousands of tourists visited the church this week for Christmas celebrations.

But the cleanup turned ugly after some of the Orthodox faithful stepped inside the Armenian church's section, touching off a scuffle between about 50 Greek Orthodox and 30 Armenians.
Palestinian police, armed with batons and shields, quickly formed a human cordon to separate the two sides so the cleaning could continue, then ordered an Associated Press photographer out of the church.

Four people, some with blood running from their faces, were slightly wounded.

In Bethlehem, away with the manger

Dion Nissenbaum and Cliff Churgin

McClatchy Newspapers

BETHLEHEM, West Bank — For generations, the Holy Land Arts Museum has been selling carved olive wood manger scenes to thousands of religious pilgrims looking for souvenirs from the biblical birthplace of Jesus Christ.

This year, the small Bethlehem shop decided that it was time to update the traditional Christmas scene.

Gone is the olive wood manger shielding the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph. In its place, looming over the angelic family, are an Israeli watchtower and three towering sections of an adjoining wall.

The modern day creche, said Holy Land Arts Museum manager Jack Giacaman, is a reminder that this holy Christian city remains largely isolated from the outside world by Israel's 25-foot-tall concrete walls, part of Israel's separation barrier.

"Bethlehem is like a small prison," Giacaman said. "Everywhere you look, there are walls."
Tourists are flocking to Bethlehem in growing numbers after years of violent conflict scared them off. But Israeli policies and the towering concrete walls outside Bethlehem prevent most residents from visiting nearby Jerusalem, although it's just 10 minutes up the road.

"Going to Jerusalem is like a dream," said Bethlehem resident Suha Asfour. "It's like going to New York."

This year, international artists have helped bring renewed attention to the walls surrounding Bethlehem. Led by a mysterious graffiti artist known as Banksy, painters from around the world converged on Bethlehem's Manger Square this month to set up "Santa's Ghetto," a temporary political art show and auction. In one work, a lone leg appears to be smashing through the wall.
But while the two-week-old exhibit has helped draw visitors — nearly a half million people have visited Bethlehem this year — the wall has choked off Bethlehem's economy in a way that no art show can restore.

"You look at the political situation, there's a lot of stress, a lot of depression. There are headaches and unemployment," said Naim Khoury, the pastor of Bethlehem's First Baptist Church. "Building of the wall has prevented people from finding work. People see there are better opportunities outside the country."

The volatile politics have fundamentally changed what used to be Bethlehem's Christian character.

During the Palestinian uprising, which ended in 2005, more than 3,000 Christian Palestinians left the West Bank, said Bernard Sabella, a sociologist at Bethlehem University who's done extensive research on the issue. Most of them came from Bethlehem.

At the beginning of the 21st century, more than 80 percent of Bethlehem residents were Christians. These days, less than a third are. Of the 70,000 Palestinians who live in and around Bethlehem, only 22,000 are Christian.

The steady influx of Muslims has brought more conservative values to Bethlehem and created periodic tensions, especially among Christians, who sometimes feel like a beleaguered minority.
Suha Asfour, 36, and her husband have been fighting a years-long battle with a Muslim family that tried to seize some of the Asfours' land in Bethlehem.

"I feel that some Muslims respect our religion, but not all," said Asfour, whose parents moved from Bethlehem to California more than a decade ago.

Though there may be some underlying religious tensions, Sabella said there are larger forces pushing Christians out of Bethlehem.

"The answer is not religious," he said. "Rather it's a political, economic phenomenon, and unless there is political stability and economic prosperity, the more skilled, prosperous Palestinians will be leaving — both Christians and Muslims."

Though her parents have left and there's always a pull to raise her four children in a safer place, Asfour stays because she feels a spiritual connection to Bethlehem, especially during Christmas.
"There's something really special in Bethlehem that you cannot see anywhere else in the world," she said. "Bethlehem is where Jesus Christ was born. Why? To have no Christians?"

(Churgin is a McClatchy special correspondent.)

McClatchy Newspapers 2007

Matthew 1:18-25

The Birth of Jesus Christ

Fear not
Broke into the darkness
Fear not
Into the night of doubt
Fear not
To take this one called blessed
Fear not
As the world is about to change unnoticed
For into this world will come
Not just a son
But the very God of creation
(Immanuel)
To be held by those rough hands
Loved
Kissed
Nurtured
By none other than
Fear not
You Joseph
And he took Mary into his home
And they had a son
And named him
(God with us)
Jesus

Be more demanding

Sunday December 23rd, Isaiah 7: God spoke to Ahaz and said, "Ask for a sign from your God. Ask anything. Be extravagant. Ask for the moon!" But Ahaz said, "I'd never do that. I'd never make demands like that on God!" Do we sometimes not ask God for what we want because deep down inside we still want to be in control. If we ask God and we get it, then we have to admit to ourselves that our gracious God is indeed a gracious God and not some automaton that responds to Our doing. All we have and all we will ever have is a gift from God. All we are asked to do us use it for the Kingdom, too often what we want is to use it for our little kingdom (small k). So, Ask, Seek, Knock and use for the Kingdom and let God be God.

Immanuel

Monday December 24th, Isaiah 7: "Then listen to this, government of David! It's bad enough that you make people tired with your pious, timid hypocrisies, but now you're making God tired. So the Master is going to give you a sign anyway. Watch for this: A girl who is presently a virgin will get pregnant. She'll bear a son and name him Immanuel (God-With-Us). There had been miraculous births in the Old Testament, and they had been, like with Sarah, accompanied with the laughter of joy and disbelief from someone unable to have children. Not this time, something new was happening, something that was going to shake up the world. A young maiden would conceive and bear a son and name him Immanuel, God with us. This would be a new beginning for humanity, and new beginning for creation, and new beginning for our relationship with the creator. This new beginning would be called, God with us. This is not the God with us in the form of altars, idols, circumcision, or worship in a specific place, but God in you, God in me, God in Joe and Mary down the street, and God in those we don’t know and even God in those we do know and call our enemy. The call is no longer to find God up in heaven somewhere, but rather God in one another and therefore to begin to treat one another as the children of God and in doing so, our brothers and sisters.

It is good

Tuesday December 25th, Matthew 1: But after he had considered this, Peace came over him when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." First, I moved this text to today because, well, because it is Christmas day. In Matthew the actors are primarily male. Joseph is the one who hears of the impending birth of the Christ child. This day we celebrate that new thing that God did, and continues to do, in the world. This day we celebrate the presence of God in each and every person as well as our call to treat one another in that light. When Joseph accepted that what Mary was with was because of the Holy Spirit, he experienced peace. We too can begin to experience that same Peace that comes from God when we accept the presence of God, the presence of the Holy Spirit, in each and every person in this creation that God called good. This Christmas day, may you discover anew the presence of Immanuel in your life and may you be given the double blessing of peace that come with acknowledging the presence of God in all who inhabit this creation God called good.

Who are you?

Wednesday December 26th, Matthew 1: This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Throughout history, many have raised a question and an eyebrow at this. How do we know this is the case? If your daughter told you this, would you believe her? If your fiancé told you this would, you believe her? All of which are primarily male questions. For the birth of Christ most of us are able to get around these questions and focus on the birth of Christ. Can we not then in some way get around all those nagging questions about our neighbor and begin to accept them as Children of God also? Perhaps for all of humanity the question is not who they are or how did they get there, but rather who is God calling them, and us, to be?

Small town

Thursday December 27th, Matthew 1: Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. All indications in Matthew are that Mary and Joseph were living in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was a small town outside of Jerusalem. I grew up in a small town of 250 people. Don’t tell me that anyone can divorce quietly, most times if I drove to fast through town, my parents would get a call before I got home. The theme of divorce is Matthews way to relating the birth of Jesus back to the midrash stories of couples divorcing so as not to conceive male children after Pharaoh gave that decree that all male children were to be killed (the First Christmas by Borg & Crossan). Matthew is presenting Jesus as the new Moses who will lead his children, and that includes all of us, to a new kind of freedom. Not just from slave masters but from our own deceits, lies and destructive thoughts and behaviors. Jesus came to save us from the cruelest taskmaster of all, ourselves.

God with us

Friday December 28th, Matthew 1: All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us." The new thing has happed and is happening today in the lives of those around us. God is with us. God is with you and God is with me. God is with the people in our churches and God is with those who wouldn’t dream of ever setting foot in any kind of church. This new thing that God has done is both blessing and calling. A blessing knowing that God will continue to be with us and that our salvation and forgiveness is there, a gift from God. A calling knowing that God will continue to be with others in this world and we are called to deal with them, friends and enemies alike, knowing that we are dealing with the children of God. This does not make them automatically easy to get along with. It does not say that they see us in the same way. It does not make things all sweet and wonderful. It simply compels us to treat one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Amen

Saturday December 29th, Matthew 1: When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. When we wake up, we too will follow the lead of the Spirit and bring one another into our lives. As we look back on the year we have not done so well as a nation in this respect. There has been almost a steady unfolding of deeds totally contrary to where God is calling us. Gitmo, water boarding, wire tapes, saber rattling, veto’s for children’s programs, lying and a seemingly endless war mentality. The list goes on and on. I pray that in the coming year, we as a nation will begin to see the beauty of the gift of Christmas, the gift of Jesus, God with us, as a gift for all people. I pray we will truly find our footing as a people and begin once again to treat others in this world as the children of God with the same understanding most of us would give to our own brothers and sisters. Maybe then we can start to live up to the bold phrase on our money, In God we Trust. Amen.

UN paper sets out principles of equality

STEVE HAYCOX

(Published: December 14, 2007 in the Anchorage Daily News)

Dec. 10 was the 60th anniversary of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed in Paris in 1948. Modeled somewhat on the American Declaration of Independence and an inspiration to people everywhere, the Universal Declaration proclaims itself a guarantee of equal, basic rights to all people. It is not a binding treaty. Rather, it's a pledge, one that governments are free to scorn, but which stands as a desideratum for life, a statement of what ought to be. As such, it has been brought to bear to embarrass and pressure regimes that deny human rights both individually and collectively.

Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, the fundamental guarantees of the document include the right to life, liberty and security of person; the right to an education; the right to participate fully in cultural life; freedom from torture or cruel, inhumane treatment or punishment; and freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

Analysis of the language it uses is instructive for the role of America in the world today, and our prospects for creating a global hegemony on our terms. The primary set of rights echoes Jefferson's words in the American Declaration of Independence, copied essentially from John Locke, and expressing a formative principle of the 18th century European enlightenment: essential human equality. But where Jefferson asserted that "all men" are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights," the Universal Declaration states that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

The source of the rights then enumerated is left implicit, unstated. That change, less subtle than might appear, represents two centuries of thought on the question of universality, or absolute truth. It also reflects the global politics of religion.

For not everyone agrees with the primary assumptions of the Universal Declaration. Born in the aftermath of the Holocaust, it was an overt, necessary rejection of the justification offered for the systematic atrocities perpetrated by the Nazi regime. Even in the face of that nightmare, however, disagreement over the nature of truth mandated compromise in order to assure that a majority of member nations would sign the pledge. Post-modern thought questions both the conviction of absolute truth and the existence of God. It raises the question of whether human beings can achieve tolerance and equality on their own, coming to a mutual respect of each other's dignity and rights through reason and natural conscience alone, which the Universal Declaration asserts is "the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world." When he wrote "Imagine," John Lennon had concluded that we can. Others are less confident.

Still other disagreements have prevented unanimity on the question of rights. Non-Western countries expressed misgivings about the Universal Declaration from the beginning, and on Aug. 5, 1990, 45 foreign ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference met to sign the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam. While the Cairo Declaration forbids "any discrimination on the basis of race, color, language, belief, sex, religion, political affiliation, social status or other considerations," and proclaims the sanctity of human life, it recognizes only such rights as are consistent with sharia, Islamic religious law. So, while the equal dignity of women is acknowledged, for example, the equal rights of women are not. Freedom of speech is restricted to those expressions that are not in contravention of Islamic law. The Cairo Declaration proclaims freedom of religion with considerably less latitude than the Universal Declaration.

The West danced to the tune of the U.S. in 1948 and John Lennon was only 8 years old, and perhaps still Anglican. There is not the same unanimity within the West today, still less between East and West. The true universality of the U.N. declaration was probably always unlikely, and is a dimmer prospect now. And U.S. global hegemony is a similarly broken dream.

Yet, the unenforceable Universal Declaration is an important human ideal, pulling us toward our better natures, in whatever cultural contexts we live. It's probably the best we can achieve, and we could do much worse.

Matthew 1:18-25

The Birth of Jesus Christ

Fear not
Broke into the darkness
Fear not
Into the night of doubt
Fear not
To take this one called blessed
Fear not
As the world is about to change unnoticed
For into this world will come
Not just a son
But the very God of creation
(Immanuel)
To be held by those rough hands
Loved
Kissed
Nurtured
By none other than
Fear not
You Joseph
And he took Mary into his home
And they had a son
And named him
(God with us)
Jesus

Fourth Sunday in Advent Candle lighting

For the fourth Sunday in Advent, our Sunday School will present a pagent as the main part of the worship service. I have taken part of the Isaiah text and the Gospel for the fourth Sunday as the basis for the Advent Candle lighting. The song that follows is "A Little Light" by Dakota Road.

Pastor: (Isaiah 7) God spoke to Ahaz and said, "Ask for a sign from your God. Ask anything. Be extravagant. Ask for the moon!" But Ahaz said, "I'd never do that. I'd never make demands like that on God!"

Congregation: So Isaiah told him, "Then listen to this, government of David! It's bad enough that you make people tired with your pious, timid hypocrisies, but now you're making God tired. So the Master is going to give you a sign anyway. Watch for this: A girl who is presently a virgin will get pregnant. She'll bear a son and name him Immanuel (God-With-Us).

Pastor: In the midst of difficulties, Ahaz was unable to bring himself to hope that God would do a new thing in the world. God responded with more than he could ever hope for. We light the first candle of Hope to remind us that no matter what the situation in our lives or in our world, through the love of God, there is always Hope.

Congregation: (Matthew 1:18-25) This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

Pastor: But after he had considered this, Peace came over him when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

Congregation: As we light this second candle of Peace we recall the peace that comes over us as we become aware of the presence and leading of God in our lives. We also recall that Jesus was known as the Prince of Peace and as the Children of God; we too are to work for Peace that is more than just the absence of war, in this world.

Pastor: All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us." When we have God with us our lives are filled with Joy and we become messengers of God’s love and grace in this world as we help to bring Joy into the lives around us. As we light this third candle, we recall the Joy that fills our lives knowing that God is indeed “with us.”

Congregation: When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. With the birth of Jesus, Love came into the world. As we light the fourth candle, we remember the words of Jesus in John where we are called to “Love one another as I have loved you.” Today we remember that being a Child of God is a calling to reach out into the world with the self-giving and forgiving love that comes through Immanuel – God with us.

Pastor: As we look upon the candles of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love, we are reminded of God’s love for us and our calling to be the messengers of God’s love for the world. Let us all join together and raise our voices as we sing our Advent song, “A Little Light”

Matthew, Mark, Luke, George, Gop

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House passed a defense policy bill on Wednesday that would authorize $696 billion in military programs, including $189 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The measure, which covers the budget year that began Oct. 1, does not send money to the Pentagon. But it is considered a crucial policy measure because it guides companion spending legislation and dictates the acquisition and management of weapons programs.

The Senate intended to follow suit this week and send the bill to President Bush, who is expected to sign it. The House vote was 370-49.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush vetoed legislation Wednesday that would have expanded government-provided health insurance for children, his second slap-down of a bipartisan effort in Congress to dramatically increase funding for the popular program.

It was Bush's seventh veto in seven years - all but one coming since Democrats took control of Congress in January. Wednesday was the deadline for Bush to act or let the bill become law. The president also vetoed an earlier, similar bill expanding the health insurance program.

The bill Bush vetoed would have increased federal funding for SCHIP by $35 billion over five years, to add an estimated 4 million people to the program that provides insurance coverage for children from families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance. The joint federal-state program currently provides benefits to roughly 6 million people, mostly children.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) - Republican presidential rivals called for deep cuts in federal spending Wednesday in a debate remarkably free of acrimony, and agreed the reductions they seek need not require painful sacrifice by millions who rely on government services.

"The sacrifice we need from the American people is saying, 'Let the programs go that don't work. Don't lobby for them forever," said former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, one of nine GOP presidential hopefuls sharing an Iowa stage little more than three weeks before the state's caucuses provide the first test of the campaign.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani called for across-the-board cuts of up to 15 percent, including reduced federal spending on health care. "Rather than relying on a nanny government, let's rely on people to decide their own health care," he said.

Matthew 19:13Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." 15When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

Also found in: Mark 10:14 and in Luke 18:16

West Bank Art

BETHLEHEM, West Bank —

My wife liked the one that said, "I want my ball back"

A little girl with pigtails in a pink dress pats down an Israeli soldier standing spread-eagle against the wall. Down the road, another soldier has stopped a donkey for questioning and is checking its ID.

Nearby, a large rat holding a slingshot appears ready to launch a few stones as he gazes up at Israel's towering concrete wall separating Bethlehem from Israel.

This is "Santa's Ghetto," an ongoing collaborative graffiti project that has evolved into the biggest artistic assault on Israel's separation barrier and the latest hope among Bethlehem's leaders to draw tourists back to this troubled town during the Christmas season.

Led by the enigmatic British artist known as Banksy, painters from around the world are adding works daily to the walls around Bethlehem in an attempt to draw attention to the impact the separation barrier has had on life in the Biblical birthplace of Jesus Christ.

Victor Batarseh, Bethlehem's mayor, sees "Santa's Ghetto" as a chance to help entice tourists back to his city. He's hopeful that more than a half million people will come this year, which is just a fraction of the record 1.2 million who visited in 2000, before a suicide-bombing campaign sparked construction of the barrier, which in the Bethlehem area is a 25-foot-tall concrete wall.
"I hope people will come visit because I don't see how things can change for the citizens of Bethlehem as long as the wall is here," Batarseh said. "It's excellent artwork," he added.

There's Banksy's silhouette of the soldier questioning the donkey. There's a leg in blue jeans and a sneaker that appears to be smashing through the concrete wall. There's a dove of peace wearing a bulletproof vest with a red sniper's target aimed at its chest.

This week, noted American pop artist Ron English is expected to arrive to transform Bethlehem billboards into new political messages.

Banksy, who has managed to keep his identity a secret even as his popularity has skyrocketed, sees "Santa's Ghetto" as a chance to draw attention to the problems in Bethlehem. "It would do good if more people came to see the situation here for themselves," Banksy wrote last week in a short text message to The Times of London. "If it is safe enough for a bunch of sissy artists, then it is safe enough for anyone."

The heart of "Santa's Ghetto" is a temporary gallery set up in a shuttered storefront on Manger Square, across from the Church of the Nativity where tradition says Christ was born. On display there, for example, is a large, olivewood carving of the Old City in Jerusalem that shows nearly a dozen drab gray pill-box towers looming over the streets.

The collaborative piece, like everything else in the gallery, is up for sale or auction. The asking price: $175,000. The money, according to Santa's Ghetto organizers, is destined for youth and children's programs in the West Bank. One bidder in "Santa's Ghetto" already has offered $125,000 for one of Banksy's trademark rats with a slingshot that's painted on a bent metal grate.

The idea for the project evolved out of Banksy's visit to Bethlehem in 2005 when he first used Israel's separation wall as a canvas. Banksy's pieces then included the silhouette of a young girl being carried away by a bouquet of balloons and a piece showing two boys with pails of sand playing in front of what looks like a hole in the wall revealing a tropical beachfront on the other side.

Like the rest of the West Bank, Bethlehem was ravaged by the five-year Palestinian uprising that began in 2000 and saw hundreds of Israelis killed in suicide bombings and thousands of Palestinians killed in military raids.

In 2002, hundreds of Palestinian militants sought refuge in the Church of the Nativity as Israel staged a major military crackdown. Israeli forces surrounded the historic church for 39 days. The standoff came to an end only when dozens of Palestinian militants holed up inside agreed to be deported to the Gaza Strip.

Tourism in Bethlehem came to a virtual halt and has never fully recovered. Now, tourists and Christian pilgrims wishing to visit Bethlehem from Jerusalem must pass through the separation barrier, which Israel credits with helping to eliminate successful suicide bombings. Few West Bank Palestinians are allowed to pass through.

Banksy's initiative has sparked an interesting debate about artwork on the wall.
While some see the art as a form of political protest, others see it as a misguided attempt to transform the wall into something beautiful.

"I don't think they should do work on the wall," said celebrated Palestinian artist Suleiman Mansour. "In some way, artists become attached to their work and won't want the wall to come down."

Still, Mansour has contributed to the Santa's Ghetto gallery — a new version of his famous painting showing an elderly farmer carrying the Old City of Jerusalem on his back. The original was purchased in 1973 by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and was destroyed when U.S. jet fighters bombed Tripoli in 1986 in retaliation for the bombing of a German disco that killed an American soldier.

The recreated piece is on sale in "Santa's Ghetto" for half a million dollars.

3rd Sunday of Advent

Matthew 11:2-11

Are you the one
Who is to come
The one prepared for from before all time
(the blind see)
Are you the one
Claimed by the thunder crack
And the dove gently coming down
(the lame walk)
Are you the one for whom I baptized
Calling one and all to run
From the life of games
To the calling of God
(the deaf hear)
You seem so gentle
Not what I expected
When I first leapt in my mothers womb
Not what I expected
Out there at the river’s edge
Not what I expected
(new life)
And yet somehow
(good news for the poor)
more

Imagine the Kingdom here

Sunday December 16th, Isaiah 35: The desert and the parched lands will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. All the lands of the earth will become as the garden of creation, filled with lush fruits, fragrant blossoms and towering orchards. All people will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Sounds like the Garden of Eden, but then again, isn’t that an indication of what God wants for us anyway? We can never get there on our own, but we can get a lot closer to that God intended reality. Think of spending priorities for our nation alone. Just under 500 Billion for military expenses plus the emergency funding for Iraq plus the spending hidden in other departments and you can say 7-8 hundred billion for war. At the same time a proposed increase of 11 Billion for programs that help is threatened with veto as too much. Imagine what would happen if just one nation decided to shift half of military spending to helping in this world? Imagine what would happen if the majority of the nations decided to follow suit? Imagine!! And you may be able to get just a glimpse of what God intends for humanity, and how far we have to go to get there.

Imagine!! God does!!

Monday December 17th, Isaiah 35: Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come and bring justice, God’s true justice and grace, Our Lord will being salvation to all creation. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer and the mute tongue shout for joy. We again turn to visions of the Garden returned, God’s vision for humanity. This vision can be seen in the context of today’s Advent Gospel as a calling for all followers of God. Again, imagine a world where energies are spent more on helping than on ego agendas. Imagine a world where the children of God care for the feeble hands, the old tired knees, and fearful hearts. Imagine a world where the blind see and the deaf hear, where the lame sign up for dancing lessons and the mute for singing lessons. Imagine a world where the children of God at least make this vision of God a priority rather than the personal piety and sexual issues that dominate most religious conversations. Imagine!!! God does!!

Conflict is always self centered

Tuesday December 18th, Isaiah 35: The fullness of God’s love and grace will fill every heart and the sounds of Joy will fill the universe as the throngs of all creation enter into the presence of God with singing, and everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake all of creation, and sorrow and sighing will flee away forever. Joy is the awareness of God’s presence in your life, in your heart. Finding God is never a search out there somewhere, through some program or Bible Study or the “right” religion (remember, “right” religions are always the wrong ones). It is a matter of becoming aware of what is already inside you, inside everyone, from birth. When that is discovered, all creation and all heaven sings for joy. Discovering that presence of God in another is to begin to see the meaning of God’s gift of love. To see the presence of God in your enemy, is to know the basis of God’s justice and God’s peace. Iraq, Sudan, Israel/Palestine, etc, etc, etc….. are only possible with an immature and self-centered concept that you have a relationship with God and others do not. Only when the world begins to see the presence of God in their enemy will they begin to see the gladness and joy God has in store for all of us.

A Glimpse

Wednesday December 19th, James 5: 7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9 Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! James was written sometime after the resurrection. Making sense out of what they perceived as having to wait too long was foremost in their hearts and minds. My theory is that the second coming must wait until all humanity begins to grasps that the world is not made up of us and them, only an expanded “us.” Even James was able to get at least a glimpse of it in verse 9. Maybe you can begin to get a glimpse of God’s heavenly intention for earth too!!

Please!!

Thursday December 20th, Matthew 11: 2 John was in prison when he heard what Christ was doing. So John sent some of his followers 3 to ask Jesus, "Are you the one we should be looking for? Or must we wait for someone else?" 4 Jesus answered, "Go and tell John what you have heard and seen. 5 The blind are now able to see, and the lame can walk. People with leprosy are being healed, and the deaf can hear. The dead are raised to life, and the poor are hearing the good news. What do you see and what do you hear the church doing today? In some places the church is bringing healing, hope, peace and joy. In other places, only fear of the end time’s judgment of others. What are our churches, those of you who read this in the internet blog as well as our little church in south Anchorage, doing to demonstrate God’s presence in the world? What are we called to do? What is one more thing we can do in 08 to counter the rise of self-centered and destructive fundamentalism in the world? Drop a response in the blog with what you are doing as a way to help encourage all of us. Please!!!

Idol winner?

Friday December 21st, Matthew 11: What sort of person did you go out into the desert to see? Was he like tall grass blown about by the wind? 8 What kind of man did you go out to see? Was he someone dressed in fine clothes? People who dress like that live in the king's palace. 9 What did you really go out to see? Was he a prophet? He certainly was. I tell you that he was more than a prophet. John the Baptist would never make it on any of the “idol” programs. What drew others to him and his message? Hope that they could start anew? Peace at the awareness of God in their lives? Joy at being a part of the Kingdom here and now? All was there, there wrapped up in ugly cloths, a short stance and sometimes a nasty demeanor. Just imagine what could happen of you let God work through you?

Joy

Saturday December 22nd, Matthew 11: 11 I tell you that no one ever born on this earth is greater than John the Baptist. But whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. There were miraculous births bringing spirit filled leaders to the children of God and John was the last of the Old Testament line. Zac and Elizabeth, John’s parents were too old or barren to have children, as were Sarah and Hannah before them. John’s calling was to introduce something new. Again a miraculous birth, this one from the too young and never have been side of the spectrum. John’s greatness was to bring an end to what was and to usher in what will be. What will be, and what is, is salvation for all of creation, including ourselves. Welcome to the Advent week of Joy.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

Matthew 3:1-12

Two men walking up a hill
One disappears
One’s left standing still
I wish you had all been ready
You brood of vipers
The kingdom is coming
And already here
The ax is at the root of the tree
And we are not ready for
For
Ready for what?
An end where some are saved
And most condemned?
Leaving this earth in a moment before
Before
The lamb comes to live in the Holy City
With the children of God from every nation?
Bear fruit that is worth repentance
Prepare ye the way of the Lord
Love one another.

Chaff

Saturday December 15th, Matthew: 11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." What is the chaff in your life that needs to be burned off? What is the chaff in our society that needs to be burned off? Call the Holy Spirit into your live daily, clear away the chaff, work at clearing away the chaff in the world. Become a child of God day after day and allow the Holy Spirit to work through you to bring Peace into the world.

Still not impressed

Friday December 14th, Matthew 3: 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Who were these Sadducees and Pharisees and why was John so blunt with them and not with the masses who flocked to the waters? They were the power and money people. They were the “I” righteousness people. The masses were the victims of the “I” people. Who are the victims of today’s “I” people. Unfortunately, just like in John’s day, it would claim many who claim to carry the banner of God. Suicide bombers and prosecutors of teddy bear namers are no different than those who push for war to counter them, “I” people all. They go by different names now, but John would still not be impressed.

Prepare the we

Thursday December 13th, Matthew 3: 1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' " How do we prepare the way? What are the rough places that need to be leveled in our lives personally and in our lives corporately? We often focus on the “I” in needing to make the rough places straight. That way we can look at what someone else is doing and since it is not what we need to do, it is easier to judge them. What do “we” need to do to set to make straight the paths? Do “we” perhaps make the paths straight by dealing with issues like, working homeless poor, unemployment, affordable housing, prevention programs that lessen the need for more expensive prisons, the growing gap between haves and have not’s, …………etc, etc, etc? When we focus on the “I” then the righteousness can easily become self-righteousness and even John had enough of that to deal with.

Only do the same

Wednesday December 12th, Romans 15: 7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. Christ accepted us where we were, and are, at. With all the warts that are a part of who we are. With all failings and hidden agendas in our thoughts and prayers, will all the stuff hidden in our personal closets, Christ accepted and accepts us and works with us to be all we were created to be as the children of God. We are called only to do the same.

Perhaps

Tuesday December 11th, Romans 15: 4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. 5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. As we wait for the coming of the Christ Child, we are called to live in complete harmony with each other. We are also called to live in patience. Sometimes we perhaps live in a bit too much patience. Perhaps if we were a bit more impatient with those who would disturb that harmony we would be better off. Perhaps if we were to say no loudly and firmly to the plans to disrupt that harmony in the world, perhaps if we were to stand up for God’s plan for peace and justice in this world, perhaps, we could all live in harmony. And the powers that would have us do otherwise would not only be in the minority, as they are now, but would not be running countries, commanding armies and commandeering budgets. Perhaps a bit less patience is in order.

A child will lead them

Monday December 10th, Isaiah 11: All of humanity will pay attention. A mere breath of the Spirit of God will topple the wicked. Each morning the Spirit will work alongside the children of God to help build righteousness and faithfulness in the land. In this newness we will see things we have never seen before. The wolf will romp with the lamb, the leopard sleep with the kid, Calf and lion will eat from the same trough, and a little child will tend them. All of humanity will pay attention. Peace, God’s plan for all of humanity will prevail. The image of wolf and lamb together is the image of peace beyond even the innate desires within us. As we prepare for the coming of the Christ child, we look forward to the day when the spirit will blow over the land and Peace will prevail. No more will our sons and daughters go fight wars and kill so a few can have the oil rights, the land rights, the power rights, the water rights, and the money that goes with it. The babe whose birth we soon celebrate died at the hands of such power and rose again to put an end the influence such power has over us, real or perceived. We are called this Advent season to follow where the child will lead us, to God’s vision for our life, God’s vision for our land, God’s vision of adversaries sharing the same trough in peace lead by the little child, Immanuel, God with us.

From the stump of peace,

Sunday December 9th, Isaiah 11: Something new is coming. Something humanity has not yet experienced. A green Shoot will sprout from the old stump we thought was long dead. The life-giving Spirit of God will cover the land and the Spirit that brings wisdom and understanding, the Spirit that gives direction and builds strength, the Spirit that instills knowledge and awe-of-God, will be our joy and delight. It is almost impossible to kill an olive tree. It is like rhubarb for most Alaskans in that respect. Just when you thought it was dead, up from the roots comes something new, something fresh and alive. This second Sunday of Advent is the Sunday of Peace. Humanity has tried to kill the concept. We talk about it longingly, but not really tried it in any sustained manner. If half of the military budgets from the nations of the world, or even, just from our nation, were to be spent on building up, would there be a need for the other half of the budget to be spent? God’s plan from the beginning of time is for all the children created in the image of God to live in peace. So far, a few have found ways of making money through war, and getting power (which is another way of saying making money) through war, and have been able to talk the rest of the many into sacrificing their children to do so. But God’s plan is for peace, it will happen. After all the millennia of trying to kill what is left of the notion of peace, God will have God’s way and a green shoot will sprout from the old stump of peace.

Third Advent Candle Lighting

Advent Reading modified from Isaiah 35:1-10
Joy of the Redeemed

Pastor: The desert and the parched lands will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.

Congregation: All the lands of the earth will become as the garden of creation, filled with lush fruits, fragrant blossoms and towering orchards. All people will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.

Pastor: Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come and bring justice, God’s true justice and grace, Our Lord will being salvation to all creation.

Congregation: Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer and the mute tongue shout for joy.

Pastor: Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a fresh pool of sweat water, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

Congregation: And a highway for all people will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. Today we light the candles of Hope and Peace followed this day by the third candle, the candle of joy. It is a reminder that the coming of the Christ into the world brings Hope for the hopeless and Peace to a world that knows all too well the ravages of war, but also Joy to all whose lives have seemed like parched land.

Pastor: The fullness of God’s love and grace will fill every heart and the sounds of Joy will fill the universe as the throngs of all creation enter into the presence of God with singing, and everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Congregation: Gladness and joy will overtake all of creation, and sorrow and sighing will flee away forever.

Advent Song
“A Little Light” #146 in the Dakota Road Anthology

http://www.dakotaroad.com/

The War Prayer - Mark Twain

(Twain apparently dictated "The War Prayer" around 1904-05; itwas found after his death among his unpublished manuscripts.The actual prayer is also sometimes seen in poem form.

The War Prayer

It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and spluttering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spread of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers and mothers and sisters and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with happy emotion as they swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts, and which they interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears running down their cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and country, and invoked the God of Battles beseeching His aid in our good cause in outpourings of fervid eloquence which moved every listener. It was indeed a glad and gracious time, and the half dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt upon its righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning that for their personal safety's sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more in that way.

Sunday morning came--next day the battalions would leave for the front; the church was filled; the volunteers were there, their young faces alight with martial dreams--visions of the stern advance, the gathering momentum, the rushing charge, the flashing sabers, the flight of the foe, the tumult, the enveloping smoke, the fierce pursuit, the surrender! Then home from the war, bronzed heroes, welcomed, adored, submerged in golden seas of glory! With the volunteers sat their dear ones, proud, happy, and envied by the neighbors and fiends who had no sons and brothers to send forth to the field of honor, there to win for the flag, or , failing, die the noblest of noble deaths. The service proceeded; a war chapter from the Old Testament was read; the first prayer was said; it was followed by an organ burst that shook the building, and with one impulse the house rose,with glowing eyes and beating hearts, and poured out that tremendous invocation

God the all-terrible! Thou who ordainest! Thunder thy clarion and lightning thy sword!*Then came the "long" prayer. None could remember the like of it for passionate pleading and moving and beautiful language. The burden of its supplication was, that an ever-merciful and benignant Father of us all would watch over our noble young soldiers, and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work; bless them, shield them in the day of battle and the hour of peril, bear them in His mighty hand, make them strong and confident, invincible in the bloody onset; help them to crush the foe, grant to them and to their flag and country imperishable honor and glory--

An aged stranger entered and moved with slow and noiseless step up the main aisle, his eyes fixed upon the minister, his long body clothed in a robe that reached to his feet, his head bare, his white hair descending in a frothy cataract to his shoulders, his seamy face unnaturally pale, pale even to ghastliness. With all eyes following him and wondering, he made his silent way; without pausing, he ascended to the preacher's side and stood there waiting. With shut lids the preacher, unconscious of his presence, continued with his moving prayer, and at last finished it with the words, uttered infervent appeal, "Bless our arms, grant us the victory, O Lord our God, Father and Protector of our land and flag!"

The stranger touched his arm, motioned him to step aside--which the startled minister did--and took his place. During some moments he surveyed the spellbound audience with solemn eyes, in which burned an uncanny light; then in a deep voice he said: "I come from the Throne--bearing a message from Almighty God!" The words smote the house with a shock; if the stranger perceived it he gave no attention. "He has heard the prayer of His servant your shepherd, and will grant it if such shall be your desire after I, His messenger, shall have explained to you its import--that is to say, its full import. For it is like unto many of the prayers of men, in that it asks for more than he who utters it is aware of--except he pause and think. "God's servant and yours has prayed his prayer. Has he paused and taken thought? Is it one prayer? No, it is two--one uttered, the other not. Both have reached the ear of Him Who heareth all supplications, the spoken and the unspoken. Ponder this--keep it in mind. If you would beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time. If you pray for the blessing of rain upon your crop which needs it, by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon some neighbor's crop which may not need rain and can be injured by it.

"You have heard your servant's prayer--the uttered part of it. I am commissioned of God to put into words the other part of it--that part which the pastor--and also you in your hearts--fervently prayed silently. And ignorantly and unthinkingly? God grant that it was so! You heard these words: 'Grant us the victory, O Lord our God!' That is sufficient. the *whole* of the uttered prayer is compact into those pregnant words. Elaborations were not necessary. When you have prayed for victory you have prayed for many unmentioned results which follow victory--*must* follow it, cannot help but follow it. Upon the listening spirit of God fell also the unspoken part of the prayer. He commandeth me to put it into words. Listen!

"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle--be Thou near them! With them--in spirit--we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it--for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.

(*After a pause.*) "Ye have prayed it; if ye still desireit, speak! The messenger of the Most High waits!"

It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.