Scripture Commentary

Introducing HuffPost's Scripture Commentary Series: http://huffingtonpost.com/paul-raushenbush/the-complex-power-and-wis_b_658639.html

July 2010

July can be a tough month. The heatwave continues and I only seem to muddle through the days. Polictical advertisements  make things worst. Not being able to get outside does not help. The sick people I deal with seem to get sicker. Healing seems slower. Baseball grows boring. Spirituality suffers..i don't feel like reading or getting involved on the latest heresy. It becomes more difficult to get with old friends. There is more difficult sickness in our family.

My attention span lessens. Our animals suffer. A deer grazes in out backyard..15 years ago I spent summers at ridgecrest nc or glorieta, nm.

Ours was tough work but peoples lives were changed. Each week  was different and for our free day.we.drive to taos or santa fe, maybe to tucumcari or Los Vegas.N.M to the rough riders museum, our night Georgia okeefe paintings at the ghost ranch..some days we ate at bobcat bits for delicious hamburgers..

We read Death of an Archbishop and marveled at a french designed cathedral in Sante Fe. In june there were  lots of weddings at the cathedral on Saturdays. Traffic was devastating and music deafening.

The food was always good, new art ever week  and used books on every street..and it was hot in sante fe in July.

Country Ten Commandments

Found at Sunset Restaurant in Lebanon Tn.

Thank goodness it is Friday. Tonight is the big fish fry at Bethlehem Methodist Church. I already have my 2 tickets. Hoping for a restful weekend. Notice the new droid x is on the market. Who knows that could be my next droid. I am enjoyimg the origi

Fwd: Chrysostom: a Christian home is incomplete without a Christ Room

Great from Jim Forest.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Jim Forest" <jhforest@gmail.com>
Date: Jul 14, 2010 8:04 AM
Subject: Chrysostom: a Christian home is incomplete without a Christ Room
To: "OPF List" <opf-l@earlham.edu>

"Whoever gives only a cup of cold water to drink... will surely not lose his reward."

"I was a stranger," Christ says, "and you took me in" (Mt 25:35). And again, "In so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me." (Mt 25:40). In every believer and brother, though they be least of all, Christ comes to you. Open your house, take them in. "Whoever receives a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward."... These are the qualities that ought to be in those who welcome strangers: readiness, cheerfulness, liberality. For strangers feel abashed and ashamed, and unless their host shows real joy, they feel slighted and go away, and their being received in this way makes it worse than not to have received them.

Therefore, set aside a room in your house, to which Christ may come; say, "This is Christ's room; this is set apart for him." Even if it is very simple, he will not disdain it. Christ goes about "naked and a stranger"; he needs shelter: do not hesitate to give it to him. Do not be lacking in compassion or be inhuman. You are earnest in worldly matters, do not be cold in spiritual matters... You have a place set apart for your wagon, but none for Christ who is wandering by? Abraham received strangers in his own home (Gn 18); his wife took the place of a servant, the guests the place of masters. They did not know that they were receiving Christ, that they were receiving angels. If Abraham had known it, he would have lavished his whole substance. But we, who know that we receive Christ, do show not as much zeal as he did, who thought that he was receiving mere men.

-- St John Chrysostom
Homily 45 on the Acts of the Apostles; PG 60: 318-320

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Jim & Nancy Forest
Kanisstraat 5
1811 GJ Alkmaar
The Netherlands

Jim & Nancy web site: www.jimandnancyforest.com

photo collections: www.flickr.com/photos/jimforest/collections/

Forest-Flier Editorial Services: http://www.forestflier.com/

In Communion site: www.incommunion.org

On Pilgrimage blog:
http://jimandnancyonpilgrimage.blogspot.com/

A Tale of Two Kidneys blog:
http://ataleof2kidneys.blogspot.com/

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Shared CBS News story: Tiny Shard Bears Oldest Script Found In Jerusalem

Tiny Shard Bears Oldest Script Found In Jerusalem

JERUSALEM (AP) - Archaeologists say a newly discovered clay fragment from the 14th century B.C. is the oldest example of writing ever found in antiqui... Read Article

Cancun resting on beach

Vacation

Not a bad site. We are enjoying food and weather. Am working on my book some.