We're going on a holiday (Twenty twenty-two)

(Thanks Gilbert for your help on the last line of the  second verse)

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We're going on a holiday

with Davie, and Polly & Mai,

Tullia Matilda 

is here and will de-

velop as she will do!

We're going on a holiday

with Davie, and Polly & Mai,

Tullia Matilda 

is near and will de-

vour a snack or two!.

We're going on a holiday

with Matty & Bellie away

with COVID they're covered, 

so rovin' is smothered;

their fondue has come in leau! (Thank you)

We're here with Sam & Ebony,

& Hunnah, Peter & Sophie

Hannah & Gilly, 

Duncan & Millie,

Katrina, and me (a few).

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Recording of first two verses.

virtue'el simulation

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Oh God, I see the wonder of your plan,

the way you've gone ahead to bring more joy,

enabled us to be as god to man

to image on this Earth your child, your boy.

That one who loved to call himself the  son 

of Adam (that's the male & female who

together were to image the great ONE,

to show the purposes of love and truth.

You've not stuck us in just one body here.

You've helped us to let go of one, and be 

transformed in a new body that appeared

in public at our birth, and was more free.

And though each starts as individual cell,

we're transformed into multi-celled creature,

and when pubescent, if all things go well,

we pair to make up a twoman* feature!

And humans are all borne from one of these.

It's twomen which are given that good gift

of making copies of "the God who sees"

who intimately knows us, and would lift

us higher, raise us up, to plane of life

as fam'ly - who would seek the other's good

from positive regard of them, in strife

instead of saving self, we'd be as would

a duck or chook, who's watching over young,

who saves them at the cost of its own life,

but on a higher plane than what would  come

from instinct. This is love that has grown rife.

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* twoman = (pronounced two-man) two humans, a woman & a man, from whom (both physically,  socially, psychologically, and fully culturally (including mature gender formation), new humans are brought to (increased) life.

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Forward ho!

 Txt2me:

Jesus said, " there is only one thing to

be concerned about.." to Martha at that time..

I hope to glean a bit of wisdom, and,

in asking God, my God for wisdom, then,

I hope to also learn with my friend Paul..

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Txtback:

& me too, to the end that who-ever

might join us, in unfuss-ing and deploy

whatever we can to be who we are -

not grownup yet, though still we can en-joy...

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..less ness

Oh God, I'm scared that I will fall away

and not respond to all your lovely life, 

and somehow double-cross you, or display

a lack of sapience. Foolish in strife.

It feels like I am doomed to middling here.

Maybe coz I've been sidetracked by my work

in doing up this house, it might appear

that I am just another silly jerk,

who's caught up in my own world, and my jobs.

And certainly I have been focussed lots

on doing up this house, somehow it robs

me of the joy that's greater than robots'.

So I will gladly do what's done with you,

and miss out doing all the other stuff.

A day off here tomorrow sometime,  to

rejuvenate, and clear my head enough

to keep priorities on top to see

I do the necessary surely, and,

if things are missed out on today, they be

the optional, or 'for another" planned.

I'm getting tired now, but glad as well,

to share a night of resting - in your arms.

I'll trust you for your wisdom 'gainst the hell

of bannishing all faithfull love, for charms

or lucky things, or systems I invent.

I love you lord, and I will sit down at

your feet to learn and listen, since you sent

me here, to your good Earth, when you begat!

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As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38‭-‬42 NLT

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Boy Like Me/Man Like You

With a new online music account, I've been listening a lot to this song recently - that i used to listen to a lot 20 years ago, in an albumn "The world, as best as I remember it" 

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Boy Like Me/Man Like You

Song by Rich Mullins

You was a baby like I was once

You was cryin' in the early mornin'

You was born in a stable Lord

Reid Memorial is where I was born

They wrapped you in swaddling clothes

Me they dressed in baby blue

Well, I was twelve years old in the meeting house

Listening to the old men pray

Well, I was tryin' hard to figure out

What it was that they was tryin' to say

There you were in the temple

They said, "You weren't old enough to know the things you knew"

Well did you grow up hungry?

Did you grow up fast?

Did the little girls giggle when you walked past?

Did you wonder what it was that made them laugh?

And did they tell you stories 'bout the saints of old

Stories about their faith

They say stories like that make a boy grow bold

Stories like that make a man walk straight

And you was a boy like I was once but was you a boy like me

Well I grew up around Indiana

You grew up around Galilee and if I ever really do grow up

Lord, I wanna grow up and be just like you

Well did you wrestle with a dog

And lick his nose?

Did you play beneath the spray of a water hose?

Did you ever make angels in the winter snow?

And did they tell you stories 'bout the saints of old

Stories about their faith

They say stories like that make a boy grow bold

Stories like that make a man walk straight

Did you ever get scared

Playing hide and seek?

Did you try not to cry when you scraped your knee?

Did you ever skip a rock across a quiet creek?

And did they tell you stories 'bout the saints of old

Stories about their faith

They say stories like that make a boy grow bold

Stories like that make a man walk straight

And I really may just grow up

And be like you someday

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: David Strasser / Richard Mullins

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Where my story seems to connect with, or maybe has grown out of, this man's song:

• Wistful Title, states just enough, & no more. Draws me into a way of being in God's world. The Jesus way. And brings to mind a little phrase I got from a book on ethics once that saw the source of Christian (& to some extent, Judaism, that Christianity has grown out of) Ethics to be "like father, like son":

•  Adam was not just a creation, but a "son of God", that is what gave him the right to rule over God's world and its creatures. 

• "You shall be holy, for I am holy". 

• The Lord your God is just, slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness to all his creatures. … But you have neglected justice and mercy.

• God & Jonah: you cared for a plant that you did nothing to help bring about… & you are upset that I cared for thousands of ignorant people and animals.

• "Lord, I wanna grow up and be just like you

"grow up & be like you someday"

• "did they tell you stories 'bout the saints of old

Stories about their faith

They say stories like that make a boy grow bold

Stories like that make a man walk straight"

• What's Rich's story?

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An occassional document from the 1st Century..

 Today we read a paragraph of Paul's letter to the Jesus followers in Rome, in the first Century CE, Romans ch 1, in the NIV from verse 8 to verse 10.

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First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

Romans 1:8‭-‬10 NIVUK + Greek and other translations

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The NA28 Greek text has the one paragraph from verse 8 to 15.

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8Πρῶτον μὲν εὐχαριστῶ τῷ θεῷ μου διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ περὶ πάντων ὑμῶν ὅτι ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν καταγγέλλεται ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ. 9μάρτυς γάρ μού ἐστιν ὁ θεός, ᾧ λατρεύω ἐν τῷ πνεύματί μου ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἀδιαλείπτως μνείαν ὑμῶν ποιοῦμαι 10πάντοτε ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν μου δεόμενος εἴ πως ἤδη ποτὲ εὐοδωθήσομαι ἐν τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς. 11ἐπιποθῶ γὰρ ἰδεῖν ὑμᾶς, ἵνα τι μεταδῶ χάρισμα ὑμῖν πνευματικὸν εἰς τὸ στηριχθῆναι ὑμᾶς, 12τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν συμπαρακληθῆναι ἐν ὑμῖν διὰ τῆς ἐν ἀλλήλοις πίστεως ὑμῶν τε καὶ ἐμοῦ. 13οὐ θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι πολλάκις προεθέμην ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἐκωλύθην ἄχρι τοῦ δεῦρο, ἵνα τινὰ καρπὸν σχῶ καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν καθὼς καὶ ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσιν.14Ἕλλησίν τε καὶ βαρβάροις, σοφοῖς τε καὶ ἀνοήτοις ὀφειλέτης εἰμί, 15οὕτως τὸ κατ’ ἐμὲ πρόθυμον καὶ ὑμῖν τοῖς ἐν Ῥώμῃ εὐαγγελίσασθαι.

Romans 1:8-15 NA28  Study Helps: Translations, via Bible Gateway etc; Parsing; Expository Dictionary.

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We are trying to read it through this week and think about it, in God's presence. Below is my start to that. I hope it helps you to do better than my poetic, nuanced translation/ interpretation. 

Paul Walker's nuanced translation/ interpretation:

8 But firstly let me tell you, how you're seen:

I'm always thanking God for all of you,

through Jesus, whom we know that God has been

so pleased to have anointed as King to

rule over all the Earth (& heavens too?)

as God's own son, like Adam (God's own child),

for news of your faith comes to us, it's true,

wherever in the world we go. We've smilled

each time, & time again.. 9 God whom I serve

in spirit (and in truth) in heralding

the news of his Son's rule further & furth-

-er, please  witness me telling a true thing:

10 I'm turning all the news I hear to prayer,

and begging that I may at last perhaps

by God's own will, make prosp'rous journey there

to come to where you are, sheilas and chaps!

 11ἐπιποθῶ γὰρ ἰδεῖν ὑμᾶς, ἵνα τι μεταδῶ χάρισμα ὑμῖν πνευματικὸν εἰς τὸ στηριχθῆναι ὑμᾶς, 12τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν συμπαρακληθῆναι ἐν ὑμῖν διὰ τῆς ἐν ἀλλήλοις πίστεως ὑμῶν τε καὶ ἐμοῦ. 13οὐ θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι πολλάκις προεθέμην ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἐκωλύθην ἄχρι τοῦ δεῦρο, ἵνα τινὰ καρπὸν σχῶ καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν καθὼς καὶ ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσιν.14Ἕλλησίν τε καὶ βαρβάροις, σοφοῖς τε καὶ ἀνοήτοις ὀφειλέτης εἰμί, 15οὕτως τὸ κατ’ ἐμὲ πρόθυμον καὶ ὑμῖν τοῖς ἐν Ῥώμῃ εὐαγγελίσασθαι.

Romans 1:8-15 NA28  Study Helps: Translations, via Bible Gateway etc; Parsing; Expository Dictionary.

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delving deeper in/among theological poetry

 

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Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.  1 Tim. 3:16 NIVUK

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For certain sure, beyond all questionings,

the mystery of godliness is great.

The secret which is now made plain, and sings,

as bird in early morning can elate...

but only those awake to hear its sounds.

As sunrise keeps its tryst with few of us,

yet openly its secrets can be found,

so godliness gets known by what it does:

Appearing, being vindicated, seen,

then heralded, believed on, taken up….

within/ among, the flesh and spirit's keen,

then angels, nations, world, glory, erupt.

This doesn't smell of  overpow-er-ing,

compulsion, forcing, or machinery!

It's only "certain-sure" as love would fling

itself down low to be with, and to see.

Identifying with, and paying for,

one loved, recalled with positive regard.

It wants the best, it pays the price, and more,

it works to do, not show that it tries hard.

If after it appeared, it had to be

vindicated, so to prove it right,

there must have been at least "uncertainty",

and seen by angels, or with them's a sight

for eyes more sore, than sure, the stories tell.

So maybe show 'n' tell has got it right,

our lives and words show people, help them smell,

so as to tell what's true; and love, not fight.

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Theological poetry

For certain sure, beyond all questionings,

the mystery of godliness is great.

The secret which is now made plain, and sings,

as bird in early morning can elate...

but only those awake to hear its sounds.

As sunrise keeps its tryst with few of us,

yet openly its secrets can be found,

so godliness gets known by what it does:

Appearing, being vindicated, seen,

then heralded, believed on, taken up….

within/ among, the flesh and spirit's keen,

then angels, nations, world, glory, erupt.

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Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.  1 Tim. 3:16 NIVUK

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