My sister's son, Rob Shaver, visited Al Sturgeon of Ocean Springs, MS last week. I had visited Al's blog some time ago but had no idea that he was Rob's former basketball coach. The blog is Minutes to Memories and the May 23rd entry describes their visit which I reproduce here, minus the picture.
Then, best of all, my old friend Rob Shaver arrived from Arkansas to hang out with us for a while! Rob was my star point guard back in 1994 when we won our conference and had a spectacular season. He was an unbelievably quick, long-range bomber who scored points like John Dobbs collects blogs! In addition, he was a deep-thinking young man with whom I shared a lot of great conversations. A lot has changed since 1994. I hadn't seen Rob in ten years, and in that time he nearly died with Stage 4 cancer. In that battle, he had his left shoulder blade removed, and in awful irony, he can't lift his left arm high enough to even shoot a basketball anymore. But more importantly, it is inspiring to hear Rob talk about how cancer changed his life for the better - his new lease on life has translated into an even deeper place from which he approaches life.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Garden
In our backyard by the fence. Dorothy's flowers. This is VISUAL MUSIC. I am more of an auditory music person than a visual music person. But even I can appreciate this.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Return to the Source
Jan Van Ruysbroek, "the great Flemish mystic", said:
Knowledge of ourselves teaches us from whence we come, where we are and where we are going. We come from God and we are in exile.
I lifted this quote from The Unfolding Self: Varieties of Transformative Experience by Ralph Metzner
This theme comes up from all kinds of places, including the Gospel of Thomas.
Knowledge of ourselves teaches us from whence we come, where we are and where we are going. We come from God and we are in exile.
I lifted this quote from The Unfolding Self: Varieties of Transformative Experience by Ralph Metzner
This theme comes up from all kinds of places, including the Gospel of Thomas.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Old Age and Mysticism
Occasionally in the past thirty plus years of my life, I would recall that I had read somewhere that a man becomes a mystic in his old age. I would wonder and hope that perhaps there is truth to mysticism and that a skeptical streak within me was a necessary stage along the way of a life's journey.
At last, when sitting in a restaurant Berlin last spring and reading an elementary dual English/German book*, I found the quote that spurred this thinking. It was a passage by Goethe.
Every age of man has its own appropriate philosophy. The child appears as a realist....The youth...is transformed into an idealist....the man has every reason for becoming a skeptic...The old man, however, will always espouse mysticism.
Maybe he is right. I used to think that mysticism was about believing things that were not true. I now believe it is about experiencing and perceiving certain things. I have not had those experiences. Or, perhaps I have had and don't yet know or remember it. Mysticism is fluid and paradoxical like that. I have more to learn.
* First German Reader: A Beginner's Dual-Language Book ed. by H. Steinhauer. Library of Congress Number 64-7673. page 89-90.
At last, when sitting in a restaurant Berlin last spring and reading an elementary dual English/German book*, I found the quote that spurred this thinking. It was a passage by Goethe.
Every age of man has its own appropriate philosophy. The child appears as a realist....The youth...is transformed into an idealist....the man has every reason for becoming a skeptic...The old man, however, will always espouse mysticism.
Maybe he is right. I used to think that mysticism was about believing things that were not true. I now believe it is about experiencing and perceiving certain things. I have not had those experiences. Or, perhaps I have had and don't yet know or remember it. Mysticism is fluid and paradoxical like that. I have more to learn.
* First German Reader: A Beginner's Dual-Language Book ed. by H. Steinhauer. Library of Congress Number 64-7673. page 89-90.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Women as Church Administrators
The post below was made by the late Dr. Ken Schrable on the BereanSpirit newsgroup on Tue Oct 15, 2002 9:18 pm
This was a year or so before his death. He was a psychologist who was originally from the area around Mammouth Spring, AR. and was raised in the Church of Christ there. He attended Pepperdine and was a university administrator in the Northeast, if I recall correctly.
-----------
----- Original Message -----
From: "swallison"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2002 5:53 AM
Subject: [BereanSpirit] Re: Woman as Administrators -- Secret of the
Universe
--- In BereanSpirit@y..., "Kenneth Shrable" wrote:
>
>...............
>
> TO: Steve Allison
> FROM: Kenneth Shrable
Steve, I inadvertently deleted your follow up post which
clarified further your statement above to the effect that "'the instructions
from Paul (concerning women) were clearly a function of his time and place"
and your later post explicated the basis for "it would be a great thing to
have women elders". I wish to agree with what I judge to be your thesis but
propose a variation in wording. .............
>
Grace, in Christ
Kenneth Shrable
Vancouver, WA
Thanks for the many interesting thoughts, Ken. They evoke a number of
feelings on my part. It is instructive that you mention the word
"elder" along with other offices of ancient times like
"procurator" etc. And, that they had a complex of meanings for people
living in
those times in their specific cultural situation. In order to
understand our scriptures and our heritage, it helps to know as much
as possible about the world of our first century spiritual forbears.
It helps to know what they meant with such terms. The frustrating
thing is that we know so little. In addition, knowledge about those
times is growing but difficult to access. You point out that the
qualifications for elders are similar to those for Roman Army
officers. You cite a book reference for that. I am sure there is
lots of relevant information on this topic but most of us do not have
easy access to the kinds of libraries that would have the kinds of
books and periodicals necessary to dig it out. It is hard work to put
it all together.
TO: Steve Allison
FROM: Kenneth Shrable
Steve, forgive my delay in responding to your thoughtful comments.
I will provide you with an abbreviated summary of the reference which I made
to Onosander's statements about the qualifications for a general. Liddell
and Scott (Greek-English Lexicon) reference the time of Onosander as the
beginning of the first century A.D. This would place him just prior to the
time of Jesus and the apostles.
There are discussions of the comparison between Onosander and the
Pastoral Epistles with regard to the qualifications of a general and that
of the overseer in first Timothy 2 and Titus 1 in several scholarly
publications. An extended treatment of this topic can be found in the
commentary by Martin Dibelius and Hans Conzelman in the Hermeneia Series.
The qoute from Onosander is in the Hermeneia volume on the pastoral epistles
published by Fortress Press in 1972. The discussion of the qualifications
of the general as listed by Onosander is found on pages 158 through 160. I
will quote the opening paragraph on page 158. Onosander writes as follows:
"I believe, then, that we must choose a general, not because of noble birth
as priests are chosen, nor because of wealth as the superintendents of the
gymnasia, but because he is temperate, self-restrained, vigilant, frugal,
hardened to labor, alert, free from avarice, neither too young nor too old,
indeed a father of children if possible, a ready speaker, and a man with a
good reputation. "
Steve, the requirements of a tested and mature person for leadership
as expressed by Onosander seem self-evident in the culture of the period of
our NT. In other words, the culture understood such matters as the
requirement of demonstrated maturity when it came to the social role of
leader. What I find of most interest is the fact that both Paul and
Onosander provide an introductory statement concerning the importance of the
office in question and then take up their qualifications. Onosander follows
his abbreviated listing of the qualifications with an extended statement of
a rationale for each of his qualities. Similarly, Paul introduces his qualif
ication list with a statement of the importance or nobility of the office
and then provides a rationale for at least three of his stated qualities.
For example, 1 Timothy 3:4-5 provides a rationale for the requirement of
household management. First Timothy 3:6 also provides a rationale for the
requirements that one not be a novice. Again, in 1 Timothy 3:7 there is a
rationale given for requiring the overseer to have a good reputation. What
I find of interest is that the apostle seems to follow the format found in
Onosander except for the fact that Onosander provides a rationale for each
of the qualifications which he lists.
There are important similarities as well as significant differences
between the two lists just as one would expect. The apostle Paul has his
focus on the matter of proper conduct in the household of God (1 Tm. 3:15)
and his statement of qualifications would be expected to pertain closely to
the office in question wherein the example of Jesus as Lord and servant
leader would be foremost. In order that you might have a feel for the
fascinating way one can compare these two lists of leadership qualifications
from the first century, I will cite the qualification with regard to
reputation which gives the flavor of the way Paul and Onosander elaborate on
the statement of qualifications.
(Paul in 1 Timothy 3: 7). "He (the overseer) must also have (qualification)
a good reputation with outsiders, so that (rationale for qualification) he
will not fall into disgrace and into the Devils' trap" .
(Onosander. ). "The general should be (qualification) a man of good
reputation, because (rationale for qualification) the majority of men, when
placed under the command of unknown generals, feel uneasy. For no one
voluntarily submits to a leader or an officer who is an inferior man to
himself. It is absolutely essential, then, that a general be such a man, of
such excellent traits of character as I have enumerated, and besides this,
that he have a good reputation".
Steve, I hope this will be helpful in supplying the information of interest.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, J.W. McGarvey published a small
volume on the eldership in which he contends that the qualifications for the
elder are both general and specific. For example, the requirement "apt (or
able) to teach" would be both general and specific; in that ability to
teach, though somewhat generalizable, would vary with the constituency of
the congregation in question. Similarly, reputation will be both general in
an abstract sense and specific to a given community. One could extend
consideration to the way we might specify leadership qualities in a
community in a third world country versus the leader qualities required in
an advanced Western Democracy. Social roles are somewhat culturally
specific, as I would understand them.
Thank you for your kind comments.
Grace, in Christ
Kenneth Shrable
This was a year or so before his death. He was a psychologist who was originally from the area around Mammouth Spring, AR. and was raised in the Church of Christ there. He attended Pepperdine and was a university administrator in the Northeast, if I recall correctly.
-----------
----- Original Message -----
From: "swallison"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2002 5:53 AM
Subject: [BereanSpirit] Re: Woman as Administrators -- Secret of the
Universe
--- In BereanSpirit@y..., "Kenneth Shrable" wrote:
>
>...............
>
> TO: Steve Allison
> FROM: Kenneth Shrable
Steve, I inadvertently deleted your follow up post which
clarified further your statement above to the effect that "'the instructions
from Paul (concerning women) were clearly a function of his time and place"
and your later post explicated the basis for "it would be a great thing to
have women elders". I wish to agree with what I judge to be your thesis but
propose a variation in wording. .............
>
Grace, in Christ
Kenneth Shrable
Vancouver, WA
Thanks for the many interesting thoughts, Ken. They evoke a number of
feelings on my part. It is instructive that you mention the word
"elder" along with other offices of ancient times like
"procurator" etc. And, that they had a complex of meanings for people
living in
those times in their specific cultural situation. In order to
understand our scriptures and our heritage, it helps to know as much
as possible about the world of our first century spiritual forbears.
It helps to know what they meant with such terms. The frustrating
thing is that we know so little. In addition, knowledge about those
times is growing but difficult to access. You point out that the
qualifications for elders are similar to those for Roman Army
officers. You cite a book reference for that. I am sure there is
lots of relevant information on this topic but most of us do not have
easy access to the kinds of libraries that would have the kinds of
books and periodicals necessary to dig it out. It is hard work to put
it all together.
TO: Steve Allison
FROM: Kenneth Shrable
Steve, forgive my delay in responding to your thoughtful comments.
I will provide you with an abbreviated summary of the reference which I made
to Onosander's statements about the qualifications for a general. Liddell
and Scott (Greek-English Lexicon) reference the time of Onosander as the
beginning of the first century A.D. This would place him just prior to the
time of Jesus and the apostles.
There are discussions of the comparison between Onosander and the
Pastoral Epistles with regard to the qualifications of a general and that
of the overseer in first Timothy 2 and Titus 1 in several scholarly
publications. An extended treatment of this topic can be found in the
commentary by Martin Dibelius and Hans Conzelman in the Hermeneia Series.
The qoute from Onosander is in the Hermeneia volume on the pastoral epistles
published by Fortress Press in 1972. The discussion of the qualifications
of the general as listed by Onosander is found on pages 158 through 160. I
will quote the opening paragraph on page 158. Onosander writes as follows:
"I believe, then, that we must choose a general, not because of noble birth
as priests are chosen, nor because of wealth as the superintendents of the
gymnasia, but because he is temperate, self-restrained, vigilant, frugal,
hardened to labor, alert, free from avarice, neither too young nor too old,
indeed a father of children if possible, a ready speaker, and a man with a
good reputation. "
Steve, the requirements of a tested and mature person for leadership
as expressed by Onosander seem self-evident in the culture of the period of
our NT. In other words, the culture understood such matters as the
requirement of demonstrated maturity when it came to the social role of
leader. What I find of most interest is the fact that both Paul and
Onosander provide an introductory statement concerning the importance of the
office in question and then take up their qualifications. Onosander follows
his abbreviated listing of the qualifications with an extended statement of
a rationale for each of his qualities. Similarly, Paul introduces his qualif
ication list with a statement of the importance or nobility of the office
and then provides a rationale for at least three of his stated qualities.
For example, 1 Timothy 3:4-5 provides a rationale for the requirement of
household management. First Timothy 3:6 also provides a rationale for the
requirements that one not be a novice. Again, in 1 Timothy 3:7 there is a
rationale given for requiring the overseer to have a good reputation. What
I find of interest is that the apostle seems to follow the format found in
Onosander except for the fact that Onosander provides a rationale for each
of the qualifications which he lists.
There are important similarities as well as significant differences
between the two lists just as one would expect. The apostle Paul has his
focus on the matter of proper conduct in the household of God (1 Tm. 3:15)
and his statement of qualifications would be expected to pertain closely to
the office in question wherein the example of Jesus as Lord and servant
leader would be foremost. In order that you might have a feel for the
fascinating way one can compare these two lists of leadership qualifications
from the first century, I will cite the qualification with regard to
reputation which gives the flavor of the way Paul and Onosander elaborate on
the statement of qualifications.
(Paul in 1 Timothy 3: 7). "He (the overseer) must also have (qualification)
a good reputation with outsiders, so that (rationale for qualification) he
will not fall into disgrace and into the Devils' trap" .
(Onosander. ). "The general should be (qualification) a man of good
reputation, because (rationale for qualification) the majority of men, when
placed under the command of unknown generals, feel uneasy. For no one
voluntarily submits to a leader or an officer who is an inferior man to
himself. It is absolutely essential, then, that a general be such a man, of
such excellent traits of character as I have enumerated, and besides this,
that he have a good reputation".
Steve, I hope this will be helpful in supplying the information of interest.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, J.W. McGarvey published a small
volume on the eldership in which he contends that the qualifications for the
elder are both general and specific. For example, the requirement "apt (or
able) to teach" would be both general and specific; in that ability to
teach, though somewhat generalizable, would vary with the constituency of
the congregation in question. Similarly, reputation will be both general in
an abstract sense and specific to a given community. One could extend
consideration to the way we might specify leadership qualities in a
community in a third world country versus the leader qualities required in
an advanced Western Democracy. Social roles are somewhat culturally
specific, as I would understand them.
Thank you for your kind comments.
Grace, in Christ
Kenneth Shrable
Monday, February 05, 2007
Onosander's list of Qualifications for a General
Below is a list of qualifications for a general that was written about the time of Jesus birth. You will note a similarity with Paul's list of qualifications for elders.
--------------
Onosander, De imperatoris officio*
1. I believe, then, that we must choose a general, not because of noble birth as priests are chosen, nor because of wealth as the superintendents of the gymnasia, but because he is temperate, self-restrained, vigilant, frugal, hardened to labour, alert, free from avarice, neither too young nor too old, indeed a father of children if possible, a ready speaker, and a man with good reputation.
2. The general must be temperate in order that he may not be so distracted by the pleasures of the body as to neglect the consideration of matters of the highest importance.
3. He must be self-restrained, since he is to be a man of so great authority; for the licentous impulses, when combined with the authority which confers the power of action, become uncontrollable in the gratification of the passions.
4. Vigilant, that he may spend wakeful nights over the most important projects; for at night, as a rule, with the mind at rest, the gneral perfects his plans.
5. Frugal, since expensive attendance upon th eluxurious tastes of commanders consumes time unprofitably and causes resources to waste away.
6. Hardened to labour, that he may not be the first but the last of the army to grow weary.
7. Alert, for the general must be quick, with swiftness of mind darting at every subject - quick, as Homer says, 'as a bird, or as thought.' For very frequently unexpected disorders arise which may compel him to decide on the spur of the moment what is expedient.
8. Free from avarice; for this quality of freedom from avarice will be valued most highly, since it is largely responsible for the incorruptible and large-minded management of affairs. For many who can face the shields and spears of a host with courage are blinded by gold; but gold is a strong weapon against the enemy and effective for victory.
9. Neither too young nor too old; since the young man does not inspire confidence, the old man is feeble, and neither is free from danger, the young man lest he err through reckless daring, the older lest he neglect something through physical weakness...
12. I should prefer our general to be a father, though I would not refuse a childless man, provided he be a good man. For if he happens to have young children, they are potent spells to keep his heart loyal, availing to bind him to the fatherland. . .
13. A ready speaker; for I believe that the greatest benefit can accrue from the work of a general only through this gift. For if a general is drawing up his men before battle, the encouragement of his words makes them despise the danger and covet the honour; . . . 16. No city at all will put an army in the field without generals nor choose a general who lacks the ability to make an effective speech.
17. The general should be a man of good reputation, because the majority of men, when placed under the command of unknown generals, fee uneasy. For no one voluntarily submits to a leader or an officer who is an inferior man to himself. 18. It is absolutely essential, then, that a general be such a man, of such excellent traits of character as I have enumerated, and besides this, that he have a good reputation.
*from the commentary by Martin Dibelius and Hans Conzelmann, The Pastoral Epistles, page 158-160, Fortress Press, 1972, ISBN-0-8006-6002-1.
--------------
Onosander, De imperatoris officio*
1. I believe, then, that we must choose a general, not because of noble birth as priests are chosen, nor because of wealth as the superintendents of the gymnasia, but because he is temperate, self-restrained, vigilant, frugal, hardened to labour, alert, free from avarice, neither too young nor too old, indeed a father of children if possible, a ready speaker, and a man with good reputation.
2. The general must be temperate in order that he may not be so distracted by the pleasures of the body as to neglect the consideration of matters of the highest importance.
3. He must be self-restrained, since he is to be a man of so great authority; for the licentous impulses, when combined with the authority which confers the power of action, become uncontrollable in the gratification of the passions.
4. Vigilant, that he may spend wakeful nights over the most important projects; for at night, as a rule, with the mind at rest, the gneral perfects his plans.
5. Frugal, since expensive attendance upon th eluxurious tastes of commanders consumes time unprofitably and causes resources to waste away.
6. Hardened to labour, that he may not be the first but the last of the army to grow weary.
7. Alert, for the general must be quick, with swiftness of mind darting at every subject - quick, as Homer says, 'as a bird, or as thought.' For very frequently unexpected disorders arise which may compel him to decide on the spur of the moment what is expedient.
8. Free from avarice; for this quality of freedom from avarice will be valued most highly, since it is largely responsible for the incorruptible and large-minded management of affairs. For many who can face the shields and spears of a host with courage are blinded by gold; but gold is a strong weapon against the enemy and effective for victory.
9. Neither too young nor too old; since the young man does not inspire confidence, the old man is feeble, and neither is free from danger, the young man lest he err through reckless daring, the older lest he neglect something through physical weakness...
12. I should prefer our general to be a father, though I would not refuse a childless man, provided he be a good man. For if he happens to have young children, they are potent spells to keep his heart loyal, availing to bind him to the fatherland. . .
13. A ready speaker; for I believe that the greatest benefit can accrue from the work of a general only through this gift. For if a general is drawing up his men before battle, the encouragement of his words makes them despise the danger and covet the honour; . . . 16. No city at all will put an army in the field without generals nor choose a general who lacks the ability to make an effective speech.
17. The general should be a man of good reputation, because the majority of men, when placed under the command of unknown generals, fee uneasy. For no one voluntarily submits to a leader or an officer who is an inferior man to himself. 18. It is absolutely essential, then, that a general be such a man, of such excellent traits of character as I have enumerated, and besides this, that he have a good reputation.
*from the commentary by Martin Dibelius and Hans Conzelmann, The Pastoral Epistles, page 158-160, Fortress Press, 1972, ISBN-0-8006-6002-1.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Women Make Good Church Leaders
Here is part of a post (August 16) by a blogger calling themself "anthropos" at the Blog called "Theo Sunergos". It gives a succint list of reasons for women leading in the church. I've seen a lot of well reasoned articles on this but this list provides a greathard hitting summary, easy to remember and easy to communicate. I came across anthropos at another interesting site, The Church and Postmodern Culture.
Biblical Support for Female Leadership in the Church
1. Men and women are created in the image of God.
2. All four Gospel's record women as the first witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus.
3. At Pentecost the spirit of prophecy fell upon both men and women.
4. Junia was recognized by Paul as an apostle herself.
5. In Christ the distinction between male and female is overcome.
6. There are numerous scriptural references to women excercising leadership in the early church.
7. Passages in the NT in traditionally thought to be in opposition to female leadership in the church are either interpolations or capable of being interpreted in non-oppositional ways, and with good reason.
Biblical Support for Female Leadership in the Church
1. Men and women are created in the image of God.
2. All four Gospel's record women as the first witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus.
3. At Pentecost the spirit of prophecy fell upon both men and women.
4. Junia was recognized by Paul as an apostle herself.
5. In Christ the distinction between male and female is overcome.
6. There are numerous scriptural references to women excercising leadership in the early church.
7. Passages in the NT in traditionally thought to be in opposition to female leadership in the church are either interpolations or capable of being interpreted in non-oppositional ways, and with good reason.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
The Way People Do Church is Changing
And I'm glad.
See Wade Hodges post to his blog. He has an article in Leadership Journal about it. For example, they have changed the name of his church from the Garnett Church of Christ to the Garnet Event Center. Quite a few other churches now use/rent their facility. This sharing of resources sounds great to me. Interesting things are happening.
See Wade Hodges post to his blog. He has an article in Leadership Journal about it. For example, they have changed the name of his church from the Garnett Church of Christ to the Garnet Event Center. Quite a few other churches now use/rent their facility. This sharing of resources sounds great to me. Interesting things are happening.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Books for Christmas
These are the two books I received for Christmas. I'm enjoying them very much. They may seem contradictory to each other but so what. They are both fun to read and both represent different kinds of creativity and insight. They are both "right" somehow.
Looking for God Knows What by Donald Miller - Stresses the importance of relationship in understanding who God is and What God wants.
James the Brother of Jesus: The Key to Unlocking the Secrets of Early Christianity and the Dead Sea Scrolls by Robert Eisenman - Uses clues from ancient non-canonical documents as well as canonical as a detective to discern the previously hidden role of James in the first century.
Looking for God Knows What by Donald Miller - Stresses the importance of relationship in understanding who God is and What God wants.
James the Brother of Jesus: The Key to Unlocking the Secrets of Early Christianity and the Dead Sea Scrolls by Robert Eisenman - Uses clues from ancient non-canonical documents as well as canonical as a detective to discern the previously hidden role of James in the first century.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Dostoevsky Statue in Wiesbaden Aug 29, 1999
Kiril, Vitaly, and Nikolai
Playhouse in Wiesbaden
Me next to statue of Dostoevsky in this park in Wiesbaden where Dostoevsky came to gamble. I took a picture of my Russian friends next to the statue. But since I can't find it, that photo must have been taken with their camera.
That day, it was a Sunday, we started out just south of Bonn in the town of Bad Honnef. Because they wanted to see every possible thing, we stopped many places along the way to the Frankfurt airport, including this park in Wiesbaden. We had been to a Gravity conference. Vitaly is the most well travelled person I've ever known. He's a well known gravity physicist. I had met Kiril in London about 9 months earlier. It was the first time out of Russia for Nikolai. They were happy to find this statue and they were clearly and justifiably proud.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Good, Evil, Satan, and God
Have been trying to keep up with all that Richard Beck has written on his blog about the theodicy of Satan. Satan and the problem of evil are intimately tied together. I'd like to add that some of the gnostics moved in other directions to handle the problem of evil. In Philip, verse 9 it says:
"The light with the darkness, life with death, the right with the left are brothers one to another. It is not possible for them to be separated from one another."
This seems to indicate that one can't have the good without a bad. Isn't it true that to a certain extent we cannot experience pleasure without having a knowledge of what pain is? Perhaps Philip may be a wild eyed gnostic text but consider also Isa 45:7
"I form the light and create darkness,I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things."
And Lamentations 3:38 "Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?
But our story has a happy ending, for it also says just a few verses earlier (and this squares with Richard's earlier posts about the apocatastasis, the eventual restoration of all things and salvation for all):
31 For men are not cast off
by the Lord forever.
32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.
"The light with the darkness, life with death, the right with the left are brothers one to another. It is not possible for them to be separated from one another."
This seems to indicate that one can't have the good without a bad. Isn't it true that to a certain extent we cannot experience pleasure without having a knowledge of what pain is? Perhaps Philip may be a wild eyed gnostic text but consider also Isa 45:7
"I form the light and create darkness,I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things."
And Lamentations 3:38 "Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?
But our story has a happy ending, for it also says just a few verses earlier (and this squares with Richard's earlier posts about the apocatastasis, the eventual restoration of all things and salvation for all):
31 For men are not cast off
by the Lord forever.
32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Chicken Casserole
1 cup sour cream
1 jar dried beef (also known as "chipped beef". Its paper thin, about 2" diameter.)
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
bacon
garlic powder
4 whole boned chicken breasts. (Sometimes we halve the breasts)
Line dish with beef. Wrap chicken breasts with bacon. ( Or you might use 1/2 piece bacon per 1/2 chicken breast as desired.) Mix well the soup and sour cream in a separate container and pour over the chicken. Season with garlic powder. Sometimes I save a few pieces of the thin beef and place on top. Cover and cook 3 hours at 275 F. Take cover off near the end to brown. I plan to take a picture the next time we make it.
To serve, place chicken breast on top of a bed of rice then spoon the mushroom/sour cream sauce over it. I like to season with a copius amount of pepper. It is already salty enough.
I think this has replaced turkey as our Thanksgiving meal.
1 jar dried beef (also known as "chipped beef". Its paper thin, about 2" diameter.)
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
bacon
garlic powder
4 whole boned chicken breasts. (Sometimes we halve the breasts)
Line dish with beef. Wrap chicken breasts with bacon. ( Or you might use 1/2 piece bacon per 1/2 chicken breast as desired.) Mix well the soup and sour cream in a separate container and pour over the chicken. Season with garlic powder. Sometimes I save a few pieces of the thin beef and place on top. Cover and cook 3 hours at 275 F. Take cover off near the end to brown. I plan to take a picture the next time we make it.
To serve, place chicken breast on top of a bed of rice then spoon the mushroom/sour cream sauce over it. I like to season with a copius amount of pepper. It is already salty enough.
I think this has replaced turkey as our Thanksgiving meal.
Friday, November 10, 2006
We Are All Search Engines
Via reading Chris Gonzalez blog I discovered his link to Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast. An interesting blog it is. She mentions in an Oct 16 entry a U. Minn. campaign that suggests that We Are All Search Engines. What a thought!
That's me, I am a search engine.
That's me, I am a search engine.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Loving
You gotta check out this entry on Loving over at Steve Bogner's Catholicism, Holiness and Spirituality.
I recently discovered his blog and now link to it.
So much is written about love… probably because it is so much easier to write about it than to actually do it. I’m not discounting the words that are written about love; but it’s a bit disheartening to see how prevalent the lack of love is in so many places these days.
Let’s build a wall to keep them out of our yard, our subdivision, ........ continues here.I recently discovered his blog and now link to it.
Science, Faith and Society by Polanyi
In his 1963 preface to his 1946 book Science, Faith and Society, Michael Polanyi says many interesting things.
The creative life of such a community rests on a belief in the ever continuing possibility of revealing still hidden truths. In Science, Faith and Society, I interpreted this as a belief in a spiritual reality, which, being real, will bear surprising fruit indefinitely. To-day I should prefer to call it a belief in the reality of emergent meaning and truth.
He died in the 70's. Wow, wouldn't he have loved to see where science and technology are now.
Evidently he is reponsible in part for this idea of "emergence", something that I presently find fascinating, meaningful, and worthy of deeper investigation.
The creative life of such a community rests on a belief in the ever continuing possibility of revealing still hidden truths. In Science, Faith and Society, I interpreted this as a belief in a spiritual reality, which, being real, will bear surprising fruit indefinitely. To-day I should prefer to call it a belief in the reality of emergent meaning and truth.
He died in the 70's. Wow, wouldn't he have loved to see where science and technology are now.
Evidently he is reponsible in part for this idea of "emergence", something that I presently find fascinating, meaningful, and worthy of deeper investigation.
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