Some beauty and some words that touch my heart...

 

"He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes." Psalm 146:16 (ESV) - Woodrow Church of the Nazarene • Woodrow, WV---Photo from Christopher Morris posted on the West Virginia Heritage, History, and Memories Facebook page

Psalm 146/147

I.

1 Hallelujah!

How good to sing praise to our God;
how pleasant to give fitting praise.

2 The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem,
and gathers the dispersed of Israel,

3 Healing the brokenhearted,
and binding up their wounds.

4 He numbers the stars,
and gives to all of them their names.

5 Great is our Lord, vast in power,
with wisdom beyond measure.

6 The LORD gives aid to the poor,
but casts the wicked to the ground.

II

7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;
with the lyre make music to our God,

8 Who covers the heavens with clouds,
provides rain for the earth,
makes grass sprout on the mountains,

9 Who gives animals their food
and young ravens what they cry for.

10 He takes no delight in the strength of horses,
no pleasure in the runner’s stride.

11 Rather the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him,
those who put their hope in his mercy.

III

12 Glorify the LORD, Jerusalem;
Zion, offer praise to your God,

13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates,
blessed your children within you.

14 He brings peace to your borders,
and satisfies you with finest wheat.

15 He sends his command to earth;
his word runs swiftly!

16 Thus he makes the snow like wool,
and spreads the frost like ash;

17 He disperses hail like crumbs.
Who can withstand his cold?

18 Yet when again he issues his command, it melts them;
he raises his winds and the waters flow.

19 He proclaims his word to Jacob,
his statutes and laws to Israel.

20 He has not done this for any other nation;
of such laws they know nothing.

Hallelujah!

Psalm 146

I

1 Hallelujah!

2 Praise the LORD, my soul;

I will praise the LORD all my life,

sing praise to my God while I live.

3 Put no trust in princes,

in children of Adam powerless to save.

4 Who breathing his last, returns to the earth;

that day all his planning comes to nothing.

II

5 Blessed the one whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD, his God,

6 The maker of heaven and earth,
the seas and all that is in them,
Who keeps faith forever,

7 secures justice for the oppressed,
who gives bread to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free;

8 the LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.

9 The LORD protects the resident alien,
comes to the aid of the orphan and the widow,
but thwarts the way of the wicked.

10 The LORD shall reign forever,
your God, Zion, through all generations!

Hallelujah!

For Uvalde today. For too many before.

 

"Stand firm against the forces of fear..."

"Stand firm against the forces of fear. Don’t give in to them for what they offer has no more substance than the shadows from which they are made. Fear seeks to lure you from the solid ground of wisdom and tempts you to get lost in the empty spaces of the human heart. Empty of love. Empty of hope. Stand firm so the bond between us may remain strong, a wall of light against the darkness. Let the calm resolve of our prayers work the mystery of transformation: a balanced center where fear like waves breaks against the rocks and disappears like spray into the brightening air."
---The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church

 

"Scripture is full of lamentations because it reflects real life, and real life has moments of deep sorrow and pain..."

“When the world looks to Christians for lament, this is an opportunity to embrace the suffering of others, to join in fellowship with those who are hurting. But too often Christians are silent, or apathetic, or even combative to the lament of others.

Scripture is full of laments. There’s an entire book of the Bible entitled Lamentations. Roughly a third of all of the Psalms are forms of lament. Psalm 9: 9 reflects the willingness of God to accept our laments, stating that “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” Matthew 5: 4 reiterates God’s desire for us to lament, when Jesus exclaims “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” And Psalm 34: 18 declares that “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

Scripture is full of lamentations because it reflects real life, and real life has moments of deep sorrow and pain. Social justice asks us to lament, because justice cannot be passionately pursued until injustice is fully understood, and known, and felt. When you feel, see, and know the pain and suffering of your neighbors, you will lament.

Lamentations are happening all around us. The sorrows of the oppressed are being communicated, but are we listening?…

…To not lament is to not understand, to not empathize, to not have compassion, to not care, and to not love. When we lament with our neighbor we offer them our purest form of comfort, which doesn’t rationalize, excuse, or shy away from the pain, but rather wholly embraces the reality of their being.
There are countless opportunities to lament, to love our neighbors: Bombings. Wars. Shooting. Murders. Racism. Bigotry. Today, lament with those who lament.”

-On Love and Mercy: A Social Justice Devotional

Grief

 

On Grief And Love...

 

A wounded healer...

 

"A Praying Mother"- Kry$tal Kleer---Don't we all know all about this?

 

In Memory Of Steven H. Hively & An Unnamed Mine Worker, Both Recently Killed In Mining Accidents

 The unidentified mine worker killed in Pennsylvania has been identified as  Paul Springer, 44 years old.

Saint Maximilian of Tebessa, pray for us!

 

Read the story of St. Maximilian here.

From Catholic Online:

When asked his name, Maximilian replied, "Why do you wish to know my name? I cannot serve (in the army) because I am a Christian." Nevertheless, orders were given for him to be given the military seal. He answered, "I cannot do it: I cannot be a soldier." When told he must serve or die, he said, "You may cut off my head, but I will not serve. My army is the army of God, and I cannot fight for this world," it was pointed out to him that there were Christians serving as bodyguards for the emperors Diocletian and Maximian.

To this he replied, "That is their business. I am a Christian, too, and I cannot serve." Dion then told Victor to correct his son. Victor, who had become a Christian like his son, said, "He knows what he believes, and he won't change his mind." Dion insisted, "Agree to serve and receive the military seal." "I already have the seal of Christ, my God . . . I will not accept the seal of this world; if you give it to me, I will break it for it is worthless. I cannot wear a piece of lead around my neck after I have received the saving sign of Jesus Christ, my Lord, the son of the living God. You do not know Him; yet He suffered for our salvation: God delivered Him up for our sins. He is the one whom all Christians serve; we follow Him as the Prince of Life and Author of Salvation."

Again Dion stated that there are other Christians who are soldiers. Maximilian answered, "They know what is best for them. I am a Christian and I cannot do what is wrong." Dion continued, "What wrong do those commit who serve in the army?" Maximilian answered, "You know very well what they do." Threatened with death if he remained obstinate, Maximilian answered, "This is the greatest thing that I desire. Dispatch me quickly. Therein lies my glory." Then he added, "I shall not die. When I leave this earth, I shall live with Christ, my Lord."

He was sentenced accordingly: "Whereas Maximilian has disloyally refused the military oath, he is sentenced to die by the sword." Just before his execution, Maximilian encouraged his companions to persevere and asked his father to give his new clothes to the executioner. We are told that Fabius Victor "went home happily, thanking God for having allowed him to send such a gift to heaven."

Memorial Wheat: Part of responding to death and comforting those who mourn

In my tradition it's common to offer memorial wheat to mourners when someone dies. It's a good tradition because while you're making this you can think of the person who passed on and those who are mourning them and it gives you something to offer people and comfort them instead of hurrying away from a funeral or memorial service. It's good to make it the day before you share it. Some folks give it two days.

Get about one-and-one-half pounds of brown wheat berries or something similar. I've seen people use kasha or wheat cereals. Wash it thoroughly and have it boil for a few hours until it is done. Pour cold water over it and let it sit over night.

Spread it out in a pan and---this part REALLY matters---sop up any extra moisture with paper towels. Put it in a large bowl and mix in one-pound of fine walnuts, one-quarter pound of chopped pecans, one teaspoon (or a bit more) of honey, a good bit of powdered sugar, one-half teaspoon of salt, and maybe one-half of a carton of plain bread crumbs or so. Some people add pomegranate seeds. Mix it by hand.

Some people mound it on a platter and shape it with wax paper. I always left it in a bowl, but it's good to smooth it out. Use wax paper for all of the smoothing and molding.

Add some more bread crumbs when it's all smooth so that the wheat is covered over by the bread crumbs. Top it with powdered sugar, raisins, and cinnamon. If the person who has passed is a Christian, you can make a cross on top out of raisins, pistachios or Jordan almonds. It's nice to put a beeswax candle in and light it.

It's also nice when one person serves it to others in little paper cups. Give the leftovers to the family in your bowl and then call in a week or so to get your bowl back and check in to see how they're doing.