Walking Into the Future Facing Backward: The Hebrew View of Time vs. the...

A Walk for the President | Stoplight

From The Chicago Tribune,June 20, 2016

"The city recorded its 300th homicide this weekend and went on to record six others over a 60-hour period that saw 59 people shot, 13 fatally, from Friday afternoon through early Monday morning."
Has strongest gun control in the country. This is an outrage! Talk about a war zone!!! Where is the media outrage?Wake up people!!!! Am I missing something here?

What in the World is Happening? #Worldwar III?

I have decided to journal my descent into Dementia. It has become noticeable the last three months. My writing , and reading ability have deteriorated greatly. My art has become unreliable at best . Some paintings are great , and some are disgusting and equivalent to the work of a five year old . I  never know what the end result will be until it has finished.

I  am riddled with self doubt and embarrassed at this dilemma and depressed to know that things will only get worse. The other day I was taking my friend to pick up his repaired car and ended up at the phone store. Immediately I knew I was at the wrong place and embarrassed I proceeded to the car repair shop.

 I take a pill and two seconds later I cannot remember if I took it. Sure there methods to avoid this kind of slippage , but I can never remember what  they are or to follow those routine steps.With meds it is better skip if I cannot remember. No medicine  is better than too much! These kinds of things are fearful and I remind myself to use extreme caution with meds.

When I read I can only remember very little and after  a short time nothing, but only an essence of what was written. This has become very distressing because I am an avid book reader and frequently quote passages from memory Now I must copy them outright. I also thank God for spell checker or no one could read my writing. I always took pride in my reading and writing abilities.. It is sad for me to loose this ability.

Like John Steinbeck writing a novel I vow to work every day even if it is bad quality. I am going to produce until I physically or mentally can't.

I also get very angry when I can't get things right because I am frustrated. My poor wife has to listen to my garbage rants. She Is a Saint! I often slap myself in the head when I cannot find the simplest word to express myself. I am really not mad at God or any one person, but my patience with myself is very thin because of the high standards I have set for myself in the past.

I think that most Mexican drivers already have extreme form of my disease. I detest them !

That is all for now but I have much more to say on this subject.
Sincerely a Diminishing Steve Dawson

Dr. Jonathan Sorum, October 7, 2015

DrSorum Boenhoeffer PartOne

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Jazz Flute: When Sunny Gets Blue

A Heart-Felt Word to Pastors and Leaders - Dallas Willard

The Catechized Life

Stjepan Hauser - Meditation from Thais (Massenet)

Preaching to The Bound Will?

MODERN AIKIDO - Combative Concepts

Ogawa Ryu - Jam Session, between training moments

The Jesus Collage

Yadda

Yadda Yadda

Church

Of course, church attendance and frequency of receiving communion does not make one a "superior Christian" but it has always been the case that those who do not practice their faith, pray daily, attend worship....eventually pay a price in that the weeds of neglect may grow to overtake their Christian witness. In our spiritual life, we need the contact and nourishment that is provided under the hearing of God's word, in receiving the Lord's supper, singing the hymns with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and.....as we are present in these circumstances the Holy Spirit frequently lifts us up, gives us unspeakable joy, and we are encouraged in our walk. There are ONLY benefits to regular attendance, and nothing beneficial about just staying home, playing golf, or avoiding time spent in worship of the God we claim to love, and who gives us grace daily. Jesus paid for our souls and redeemed us....and if we really appreciate this close and enduring relationship....we will not hesitate to make church on Sunday a top priority.

Reply From Matt Richard Regarding frequency of Communion

 In other words, the reason why I am an advocate of communion every Sunday is probably best stated in the words of Ambrose, “Because I always sin, I always need the medicine.” Indeed, it gets really bad through the week for me, as well as the majority of the parishioners that I have come to know. I know that I constantly fail in my vocations as a pastor, father, and husband. Add on top of that the 10 Commandments and I’ve run dry come Sunday. Thus, I go to church, along with others, as a beggar who is hungry and empty; left with the week’s memories of doing the very things that I shouldn’t and failing to do what I ought. Damned, weak, and tired. AND this is where it is great! In the Divine Service, as printed in the Lutheran Service Book, I get to go to church and receive both Sacraments and the Word! Yes, all three! As we come into the Divine Service we confess our sins and hear the Word of Absolution. We even make the sign of the cross numerous times in remembrance of our Baptism. The Divine Service also delivers to us lessons from the Old Testament, Epistles, and Gospel. There is a Sermon too. Then, the Divine Service ushers us into the Sacrament of the Altar. Yes, indeed the Divine Services in the Lutheran Service Book delivers all three means of grace! No stinginess at all! It is like combining my birthday, fathers day, and pastor appreciation month into one incredibly fabulous event! We hear absolution, we are reminded of our baptism, we are pulled out of our man-centered narcissistic narratives into God’s narrative, the Word of Law obliterates the old Adam and the Word of Gospel grants us grace and faith, and we get to see, smell, taste/feel, and eat the body and blood given and shed for us. All of our senses are involved in receiving forgiveness! (And thank God for I surely need it every Sunday.)

With all of that said, I agree 100% that the Gospel of Christ is not confined to Communion only. Yes, it is found in the Absolution, the Proclaimed Word, our Baptism and the Sacrament of the Altar! And get this… it is better than a birthday, father’s day, and pastor appreciation month combined into one event. Indeed, all three means of grace are given to us ‘every’ ‘single’ ‘week’ at the Divine Service. Ha! It makes one laugh with joy to think that Sunday is abounding with gifts, gifts, and more gifts for us poor miserable sinners!

So, the question that arises now is, “why exclude the gift of Communion from Sunday?” Furthermore, on a very practical note, to conduct the divine services ‘without’ communion does provide a bit of liturgical maneuvering for the divine services are organized to embrace absolution, the sermon, communion, etc…

Grace and Peace!

Reverse Progress; Life As A Beggar