I have spent some time this week in the Old Testament prophetic books. I do not find it surprising that most prophets are not accepted in their own time. Their cutting words of truth at best fall on stopped ears. Then, in order to reinforce their words, they resort to symbolic acts which, if committed in the 21st century West, would be more than sufficient cause for them to be put away in special places reserved for people who walk naked in public (Isaiah) and who eat paper (Ezekiel), and walk around with an oxen yoke on their neck (Jeremiah). The people of God today have no more clue on how to recognize a prophet than the ancient folk. Every time I hear someone referred to as prophetic, it's only because they are speaking words that the hearers who so designate them agree with. But that's precisely the problem.
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The current situation in Syria is quite unsettling. I have no idea how the problems can be remedied, and I do not envy President Obama or any leaders in the free world as to what to do. I do know this. We need to pray for the people in that troubled land and we need to pray for those who are attempting to figure out how to respond.
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A little more on politics: this week President and Mrs. Obama hosted former President George W. Bush, and his wife, Laura, for the hanging of their portraits in the White House-- a long-time tradition. It was good to see a few moments when the nonsense of partisan politics was set aside to remind us that there are things much larger than the rancor uttered by people whose self-worth is dependent upon the demonizing of their political opponents.
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One of the great pleasures of summer is going to the ballpark on a balmy summer evening to watch a baseball game. When Kevin Costner was asked in the movie, Field of Dreams if his self-constructed ball diamond was heaven, he responded, "No, it's Iowa." Well, a baseball game in the summertime may not be heaven, but I'd like to think that it offers us at least a glimpse of eternity.
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New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg has proposed banning any sugary drinks in NYC over 16 ounces. Now, there is no doubt that obesity is a huge problem (no pun intended) in the good ole U.S. of A., but I am not sure of the logic in the mayor's proposal other than to further the government's role of nanny in the Big Apple. What would prevent someone from buying two 16 ounce sodas? I can't imagine that such a ban would be nothing more than a waste of time and energy and money with no results. I guess I'm also rather libertarian on these matters.
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Shares of Facebook continue to fall closing out yesterday at under $28.00 a share. When it gets to $21.00 I'm in.
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Eric Bargerhuff has written a book on the most misused verses in the Bible. Not surprisingly the first one he deals with is Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge, so that you may not be judged." Unfortunately this verse has been regularly misused as an argument that we should refrain from judgments, in particular, moral judgments. But Matthew 7:1 is not a prohibition against making judgments. What Jesus really means here is that we must be careful in our judgments. We must make sure that our judgments are just and true. It's too bad that instead this verse has been misappropriated by people to basically say, "I won't judge your bad behavior if you don't judge mine. That, says Bishop William Willimon, is nothing more than a recipe for mutual corruption.
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I love grilling corn on the cob. I have tried it many different ways, but the way I like it the best is brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with garlic and onion powder (then chilled for a few hours in the refrigerator) and grilled with the husk on for ten minutes a side. Brush it with some butter and pepper before eating and... well... summer is good!
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This Week in History: On May 29, 1967, Pope Paul VI names 27 new cardinals, including then-archbishop of Krakow,
Poland, Karol Wojtyla, later to be Pope John Paul II, one of the most significant popes in contemporary history, and one of my theological heroes.
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Finally, another school year has ended and I have said goodbye to some of my seminary students who are graduating. They give me hope for the future of the church. If they are typical of ecclesial leaders in general, the church of Jesus Christ has a bright future.
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