Elliott's Muses

I don't know if you are as interested in history as I am, but I find the story of today's inauguration of President Obama (no longer President-elect) a truly historical event. Over the course of my life I've witnessed a few of these kinds of things. Often times they have been sad things. I remember all to sadly the funeral of John F. Kennedy, and the coverage of Martin Luther King's assassination and funeral. I remember the TV footage of President Reagan being shot, and the impeachment hearings of President Clinton. I remember the Challenger explosion and been a news witness to all too many "war" stories. There have a few "good" stories also. The "Miracle on Ice" in the Olympics is forever etched in my mind. The Packer's SuperBowl victories from the 60's and 90's are still there also. As I write this blog I'm witnessing (online) the swearing in of President Obama and I am excited for what is historically present to m...

I am reading Eugene Peterson's book The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways That Jesus Is the Way. Like most of Peterson's work he is a thought provoking author. This is the third of a series by him in books that he entitles "Conversation". The other two books are Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places and Eat This Book . What I love about Peterson is that he provokes me to think. In this case its thinking and asking the question -- In what way is Jesus the way? It caused me to preach a message in early January on that theme at Mad City Church, where I serve. I got finished and almost immediately thought -- I can't leave this at that, I've got to preach another one, part 2. There's so much that is being stimulated in my thoughts, prayers, and hopes. Bottom line, if Jesus is the way...and he is "the way" in front of "the truth"...then he is both the way To God , as well as the Way From God . It's another way of saying, if we ...

The widely acclaimed and hated "24" is about to return to the airways. Jack Bauer is the hero of this returning series...which never fails to entertain me, keep me locked in, and at the same time causes me know end of frustration. I was "caught" in the 24 web by it's unique storyline...that the shows all revolve around one hour of a 24 hour day. When my daughter and son-in-law watch it in England on DVD, it's only 42 minute hours! I get caught up every year in the story line and usually kick myself for watching it...uugh! NOW, as to New Year's resolutions, I am keeping "Lost", lost...no more will I subject myself to the ongoing "Gilligan's Island with Attitude". done...kaput...time to move on to something that has a goal in mind. Chalk it all up to grumpy old man

Happy Epiphany Day We come to the end of the 12 days of Christmas, and with apologies to all, I am blogging these last two days together. Epiphany is celebrated around the world in Christian churches as the “revelation”, “showing”, “making known” (all which accurately convey what Epiphany means) of Jesus as Savior and King. Our reading: Matthew 2:1-12 (NASB) 1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: 6 'And you, Bethlehem , land of Judah , Are by no means least among the leaders...

On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me... Ten Lords A-leaping Nine Ladies Dancing Eight Maids a Milking, Seven Swans a swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree. Our Reading: Deuteronomy 10:1-5 (NASB) 1 "At that time the Lord said to me, 'Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the former ones, and come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood for yourself. 2 'I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered, and you shall put them in the ark.' 3 "So I made an ark of acacia wood and cut out two tablets of stone like the former ones, and went up on the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. 4 "He wrote on the tablets, like the former writing, the Ten Commandments which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them to me...

On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me... Nine Ladies Dancing Eight Maids a Milking, Seven Swans a swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree. Our Readings: Galatians 5:16-25 (NASB) 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ...

On the 8th day of Christmas My True Love gave to me Eight Maids a Milking, Seven Swans a swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree. It’s the 2nd day of January, but it’s the 8th day of the 12 days of Christmas! AND, it’s my sister Phyllis’ birthday! I’ll not post her age…let’s just say she’s older than me and I hit 60 this next year!! The 12 Days of Christmas is a song that is learned over the 12 days between Christmas day and Epiphany. Epiphany is the “revealing” of Jesus…historically and biblically linked to the visit of the Magi in Matthew 2. This song was taught by clerics at a time in which teaching faith to the faithful was outlawed, and so each day, and the number, related to some aspect of the faith…The true love is God, the days end each time the same way with Jesus, the partridge in the pear tree. On day eight, the maids-a-milking stood for the eight blessings spoken by Christ i...

Happy New Year! In our modern calendar, 2009, is already a few hours old. In the Church year calendar the new year began with the first day of Advent. We celebrated Advent until December 25th, and beginning on the 26th we’ve begun a celebration of the 12 days of Christmas – the days between Christ’s birth and “Epiphany” on January 6th. Epiphany is the celebration of the prophetic visit of the Magi recorded in Matthew 2. One writer said it this way: “The 'real' twelve days of Christmas are important not just as a way of thumbing our noses at secular ideas of the ‘Christmas season.’ They are important because they give us a way of reflecting on what the Incarnation means in our lives. Christmas commemorates the most momentous event in human history—the entry of God into the world He made, in the form of a baby. The Logos through whom the worlds were made took up His dwelling among us in a tabernacle of flesh…In Christ, our human nature was united to God, and when Christ ente...