The Pastor's Tone of Voice

The Word is the Word.  Does it matter how it's spoken?  Won't it be efficacious no matter how we say it?

The other day, as Pastor discussed the first commandment during chapel, he spoke in Jesus' stead: "Trust Me.  Trust Me." 

And my heart melted.
And I keep hearing that particular configuration of sounds: "Trust Me."

I don't know about you, but I've heard "trust Me" spoken in a scolding voice.  The tone carries the message that it's going to be a chore to trust God, but we'll just have to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and do it.

I've heard "trust Me" spoken in an arrogant voice.  The tone carries the message that God deserves to be trusted, and we are peons, and we just better get our groveling-act up-to-snuff.

But "trust Me" is a sweet invitation.  It's a word like unto a daddy telling a child, "I've got it all under control; it's going to be fine; I will take care of it for you!!!" 

And it's lovely when the non-verbal communication communicates that.

Deviled Eggs

James Beard advised in his book Hors D'Oeuvre & Canapes that no matter what else was served at a cocktail party, a tray of deviled eggs would always be popular and disappear the quickest.

from a kids' history book subtitled 

American Cooking from the 1920s through Today

by Loretta Ichord

Deviled eggs?  Oh YES please!

At a homeschool potluck once, three people brought deviled eggs.  About 7 dozen.  Some who proffered deviled eggs worried, "Oh, too many."  Nope.  They disappeared easily.

For symposium reception, I volunteered to bring deviled eggs one year.  Another woman told me that she was bringing three dozen deviled eggs, so I didn't have to.  Three dozen?  For 150+ people?  I brought several dozen.  So did someone else.  They disappeared easily.

My mantra is that there can never be too much fruit salad, and there can never be too many deviled eggs.  

And this history book backs me up!

"I Don't Believe in God"

Tuesday, October 8, 6:30 pm

Fireside Lounge at UW--Milwaukee

Pastor Weedon

The topic is

Tell me about the God you don't believe in --

I probably don't believe in Him either.

Huh.
That's some title.
The more I think about it, the truer I find it to be.
It is rare for someone to reject the God I believe in; it's almost always that they reject a god who -- somehow someway -- is a god-of-merits instead of a God-of-grace.

What's weird is that even many Christians reject the God I believe in, preferring instead of god-of-merits. (But they wouldn't say "I don't believe in God.")

I hope we can finagle a way to attend the presentation.

Daniel and the Lions' Den

So the governors and satraps hated Daniel (Daniel 6:4).  Why??  He was a good worker, honest, smart -- a good boss.  Why be against a good man promoted to being your boss?  That says something about human nature, about unwarranted hatred.

The decree to worship the king alone (6:7) wasn't just affecting Daniel.  It was a law for everybody.  Even if Daniel was the only person for whom they were intending to enforce the law, the other exiled Jews didn't know that.  Think how the families and the priests and everybody would have responded to this command.  And think how they would respond when they heard of Daniel's death-sentence and his 'resurrection.'

The law of the Medes and Persians could not be changed (6:15).  The sentence had to be carried through.  Not even the one who made the law could set it aside.  That's sort of the way God's law is.*    When Adam sinned, God's law ("in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die") could not be changed.  Man had to die.  And as in the story of Daniel, the Man was sentenced to death.  And yet, after He/he was sealed in the lions' den, He/he came out alive.



* Footnote: The difference between God's law and Darius's law is that the inviolability of the law of the Medes and Persians was something of their own design.  But God's law being unchangeable and inviolate is because it simply IS; it's not, like, y'know, God being stubborn or something.

Abortion Pill

Granted, I was feeling a bit nauseated from pain anyway.  But it got worse as I stood in line at the Walgreens pharmacy.  The abortion pill was on display by the prescription counter, as well as perched alongside the Benadryl and Claritin, prominently displayed. 

Really?  Allergies.  Abortion.  Sneezing.  Itching.  All the same stuff, right?

I took a deep breath and willed myself not to cry.

The question is: Is there a drug store left that I could patronize without supporting the death of babies?  I'm guessing not.  There may be small independent pharmacies owned by Christians who refuse to sell abortifacients.  But I don't know of any around here.  

Fighting Wasps

AfterBite is amazing stuff.  So is baking soda.  I usually keep AfterBite in my purse.  But this past week I emptied the container and had to buy a new tube.

"They" say to deal with wasps at dawn and dusk when the pests are less active.  However, there is a problem with this plan.  When the boogers get hacked off that you're there, and they land on you, you don't realize this until they begin stabbing with their stingers.  Yeah.  And then you're FULL of bites. Do NOT try this.  "Dawn or dusk" should be when there's still enough light for you to see your enemy.

Wasp spray is better than flying-insect spray.