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Mark 3.16 NAS
He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. He *said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and come forward!" And He *said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?" But they kept silent. After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He *said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

From the record we can see that it was the Sabbath day, a day set aside where no laborious work was to be done. Of course in any life there has to be exceptions according to circumstances that happen in all of our lives. Jesus confronts the Pharisaical thinking when he tells them;

Luke 13.14-16 
But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, "There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day." But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him?” “And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?"

Another time He also says;

Luke 14.1-6
It happened that when He went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching Him closely. And there in front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy. And Jesus answered and spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?" But they kept silent. And He took hold of him and healed him, and sent him away.  And He said to them, "Which one of you will have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?" And they could make no reply to this.

He also confronted them with their own priestly duties that have to happen on the Sabbath.

Matthew 12.11
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath." But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.

So from this we can see that there arise in all our lives a time when the Sabbath “law” might have to be broken in order to accomplish some good. Jesus uses the physical reference of taking care of the animals or the Temple duties, when in fact He is declaring a greater truth of taking care of people by bringing deliverance to them on the Sabbath day.

Back in Mark 3 we see this same truth being manifested here in the synagogue. From the reading it looks that since they knew Jesus’ reputation, they were waiting for Him to heal in the synagogue on the Sabbath. At first glance it looks as if they might have brought a “ringer” into the synagogue so as to tempt the Lord. There was a man there who had a withered man, and the religious leaders were all abuzz to see if Jesus would break tradition and heal the man. They were not concerned with the deliverance of the man, but they only wanted to catch Jesus at something to accuse Him.

Have you ever asked yourself the question, “Just who was this man, and why were they setting him up to help accuse Jesus. Luke’s Gospel tells us that the man’s right hand was the one that was deformed. The Amplified Bible tells us that that the hand was deformed due to an accident or disease. These would indicate that the man had some form of a curse by God upon Him and therefore if Jesus healed him He would be fighting against God. So not only could they accuse Him of breaking the Sabbath but they could also bring accusation against Him that He exalted Himself above God.

In Amman, Jordan’s University Archaeological Museum there is a manuscript from the 3^rd or 4^th century where a monk relates this story in  a sermon. In the manuscript he expounds upon his understanding of the culture and history around the time of this record in Mark. He tells the story of the construction of Herod’s Temple around 5 B.C. For this daunting task Herod enlisted 217 master stonemasons to assist in the project.  During this time Herod had a premonition that he would die before the completion of the Temple, so in order to get the work completed he asked if the stonemasons could work seven days a week. The over seer of the work, a priest named Jeshu ben See went  to the High Priest, Joazar to get his permission. Joazar agreed since it was the Temple that was being worked on. This work was something of benefit for the glory of God and Israel.

Herod died around 1 B.C. and never saw the completion of the Temple. His son Archelaus took over the work continuing Jeshu ben See as his overseer. Within a period of time the stonemasons had completed their part of the work. They were then enlisted then to work on the Fortress of Antonia where the seat of the Roman Government would have its administration. The governor at the time, Coponius, demanded from Jeshu ben See that the stonemasons would continue their Sabbath work. Jeshu ben See had no choice but to petition the new High Priest, Elazar (Joazar’s brother) for this. Elazar issued the Sabbath of Weeks proclamation, allowing the stonemasons to continue their work for 126 more Sabbaths. The Tower was finished, this proclamation expired and the stonemasons were all brought together for a celebration with their families.

When they were all together Jeshu began by honoring them for their work and diligence on the work of the Temple, but as soon as he had done that his true intention for the gathering was manifested.  He declared that the work on the Sabbath for the work of the Temple was allowed because it was a work of God. For the work of the Tower though they were condemned because it was for the Gentile Romans. With that Jeshu had all of the right hands of the master stonemasons smashed, thereby destroying any more means of livelihood. The eyes of their children were gouged out and one eye of their wives. The wives also had the fingers of their right hand cut off. The wives were then forced to work in the valley of Hinnom at the dump (Gehenna) for the rest of their lives. The children were to be beggars on the streets for their sustenance. Never again were any of them permitted to see each other again.

The stonemasons were then commanded that every Sabbath they were to spend it all day in their local synagogues wearing sackcloth of their now deformed right arm and hand as an example to all of those that break the Sabbath. They were to keep their heads bowed at all times, not raise their heads in public or look upon anyone. They were destined to beg the streets for their food.  The High Priest issued the Xena Reposa or Mason’s Disallowance saying that the proclamation had come directly from God in showing His displeasure with the stonemasons. These masons would have to live out their lives convinced that they were under a curse from God for their actions. The proclamation stated that this curse would continue for three generations, and if the mason chose to take his own life he would never receive forgiveness in the afterlife.

The hermit then states that this is one of the stonemasons that was at the synagogue where Jesus is attending in Mark 3. You can now see why the religious leaders were there waiting for Jesus to see if would heal the man. They knew according to the Xena Reposa that he decree was from God and the man cursed by God. Would Jesus interfere with God’s plan as set forth by a High Priest, God’s spokesman on earth? That’s just what they wanted. It had been around thirty years since this man’s right hand had been smashed. It was withered away, atrophied, and he could lift it. When Jesus asks him to stand out from the crowd He is contradicting the edict of the High Priest, where he was not to have public contact. Not only is Jesus supposedly standing against God, but also God’s representative here on earth.

Jesus confronts the whole scenario of malice from thirty years ago when he states;

"Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?" But they kept silent. After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

And that is why we see that the man’s hand is restored. He once again has a hand that is whole as it had been years ago. Jesus makes the actions of the Jeshu and the High Priest as the acts that were contrary to the will of God, once again giving life to the destitute. We can also see why they now sought to destroy Him. Now you know the rest of HisStory.

Does anyone know how I can get ahold of an Our Wedding Day Pamphlet?

Between this and Beautiful Ohio - 'nuf said. Not that the lyrics weren't awesome......I'm just sayin.

Use this link to listen to or download the song that motivated me to sleep elsewhere.

GOOD MORNING LORD

 
And Ted Ferrell....I have a suspicion you had something to do with it. Whose idea was it to torture some of us this way. You can tell I am not a morning person.

He That Is Without Sin - The Woman Livia Caught in Adultery

We’ve all heard and some of us have read the story of the woman who was brought before Jesus and accused of adultery. She is thrown down before him as a ragamuffin and accusations are brought about that could result in her death by stoning. Let’s read what the evangelist says:

John 8.3, 4 
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court,  they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act.

One aspect of this short intro that should stick out to the reader is that she was caught in the very act of what her accusers call adultery. We then have to realize that she must have been in the ACT with someone else for it to considered adultery. If so, then where is the other party involved here?

John 8.5
"Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?"

We now see that the quote or seem to quote a reference to the Law of Moses (the Pentateuch, one of the first five books of the Old Testament) that the woman should be stoned. Once again, shouldn’t we question that statement? Let’s look at what that reference really says!

Leviticus 20:10  ’If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Whoa, wait a minute. It says that both of them were to be brought forth and put to death! Deuteronomy also gives us some insight on the Law of Moses regarding this situation.

Deuteronomy 22:22 
"If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; thus you shall purge the evil from Israel.

We can see from both of these references that the religious leaders were bringing deal with both of the offenders being put to death by stoning. This was not a pretty site and if anyone wants to see a quite realistic portrayal of this scenario, then you ought to get on video, The Stoning of Soraya M. I guarantee you’ll either fast forward or turn away from the screen. It was not a pretty site.

Now we have to ask ourselves what was the intent of only bringing the woman forward. We also need to understand that the King of glory knew His Father’s word well enough to no they were mistaken in the accusation by not bringing the other party.  John continues:

John 8. 6
They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.

Being a Rabboni, these “nice guys” were trying to accuse him of the crime of not knowing the Law of Moses, thereby discrediting His works, like healing the sick, raising the dead and making the lame walk. Instead we read the fascinating statement of what Jesus did. He stooped down to the ground and wrote in the ground with His finger. Before we get to that I want to shed a little light on this from some archaic manuscripts about just who this woman was. This scenario comes from a manuscript entitled the Feast of Tabernacles, written by William III of Troyes sometime before 1490.

This scenario was just after Jesus’ rivers of living water declaration in the Temple, on the last day of the Festival of Tabernacles.  The High Priest was supposed to be the one making the declaration, but that is another story for another day. It is because of this usurpation of roles that the religious leaders wanted to kill Him. To do this they know of a woman who has been carrying on an adulterous, illicit affair in plain view.

Some of the manuscripts here use the Greek word anakom for the woman, which was used for a woman of Roman high society. By Jesus making the condemnation of this woman we would be putting himself at odds with the Roman government. Only they had the right to meet out capital punishment. William explains the background of this woman. She was the 22 year old daughter of Plinius Coponicus, who was the Roman Governor of Peraea. It was common knowledge of the day that this Livia, as was her name was having an illicit relationship with Justus the married adopted son of Annas the former High Priest. This would make Justus the adopted brother of the present High Priest, Caiaphas.

According to William, this section of John (7:53 – 8:11) was not included in some of the earliest biblical manuscripts. Bible historians of the 4^th through 10^th centuries believed the story of Livia was added by a disciple of John in the 3^rd or 4^th century or by Jerome in the 4^th century. The Roman historian Practicus was also the court historian for Plinius Coponicus that he was in Jerusalem for the Festival of Tabernacles. He then states that Practicus, mentions a Galilean rabbi, the adopted son of the Roman Senator of Britannica, would was also a Roman citizen. He does not mention him by name, but in all likelihood this was Jesus, who was adopted by Mary’s uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, who in fact was the minister of mines, a Roman Senator in what is now Great Britain, for the Roman Empire. This would also make Jesus a Roman citizen, by adoption.

William states that Practicus tells of Livia being taken from the eastern chambers of the Temple in the midst of sexual fornication and set before this Roman Galilean Rabbi. This Rabbi did not defend Livia, but instead he challenged those that had brought her to take her life only if they had no sin in themselves. When this story began to be included into the John narrative around the 4^th century, the words, “Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more,” were not read for fear of presenting Jesus having a lax attitude toward sin.

Of course this is the writings of a medieval scribe who did not have access to all of the knowledge base that we do today in the age of digital information. We should ask the question though of just how many manuscripts that have we never seen has either been lost or stored away in some forgotten hole? Too often we discount the wisdom of the sages of old because they were lacking in technology. What they lacked in technology caused them to excel in study, language and perseverance.  I thought this was an interesting historical corroboration to one of the “now” most well-known records in the Scriptures.

If we go back to the record in John, we see that in the midst of all the accusations and confrontations Jesus stoops down and began to break the ground with his finger. The New American uses the Greek word here which means “to break” while the King James is translated from the word grapho - “to write.” While there was all this commotion, Jesus was breaking the ground up with his finger and writing something. Bullinger says that he was most likely writing down the curses prescribed by the law as set forth in Numbers 5.11-31. There is a problem with that section of scripture though, in that the woman was NOT caught in the act. We know here that Livia was caught in the VERY ACT.

Others have surmised that Jesus was just doodling. I don’t think that is a valid act here for the Son of God. Since He only did what He saw the Father do (John 8), He most likely was seeking His advice in this matter. One of my professors of Theology taught us that He could have been writing the name or names of God as a way of seeking help.

Prov 18:10 The name of YHVH (Yahweh) is a strong tower: the righteous run into it, and is safe.

Either way, just think about what was going on around Him while He stooped down seemingly ignoring them. How many of us when we are instructing our children get upset when they begin to do other things and ignore us as we are speaking. Don’t we tell them to look at us and stop doing what they are doing? These religious leaders were “hell bent” on getting rid of Jesus, and quite possibly Livia, since she was bringing a stain to the High Priest’s household. You can also now see why they dd not bring the man Justus with her. After seeing what the Father wanted done He stands up and makes this declaration, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Then He stoops down again and writes some more, until everyone but He and Livia are gone.

His statement to her was not new, as the Rabbi School of Hillel was teaching the concept and the spirit of the statement. Even before that the Stoic philosopher, Lucius Annaeus Seneca was arguably the first to state in his writings that, …if one is to fully understand the law of forgiveness, then one cannot be first to cast a stone, if he too has that deficiency or fault that itself would be worthy of stoning…

So now you know some of the rest of the story…

________________________________-

Excerpts taken from The Search: A Historian’s Search for the Historical Jesus, by Dr. Ron Charles.

After all the serious bible teaching I have had in my life, I find myself focusing in on compassion.

What I found out is that I really did not have a good understanding practically on how to have compassion.

Of course I have Christ in me and Christ knows how to be compassionate.

The problem I ran into was, what I call, a partiality curse, where there were some folks out their I just could not bring myself to be compassionate to, including members of my own extended family.

So, I delved into the treasures of Christ in me (and delved into a dictionary) and found out one of the definitions of compassion is mercy.  Hmmm, mercy.  I know what that is-with held judgment.

So when I with held judgment of any kind on the person, compassion took it's place!

Now I'm on the road to being a more compassionate person, just like Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Dr. Wierwille: "Now we go to verse 10, King James: 'For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them'. All of you know from past teachings from the foundational class on how tremendous this verse really is and how absolutely true and beautiful. And I've used it many times in teachings that in my first birth I was the workmanship of my daddy and mommy, but in my second birth I am the workmanship of God, and that's the greatness among other things in this verse. This word workmanship; the Greek work is spelled p-o-i- (long) e-m-a, workmanship, poiema. I think we used it once for an art gathering or something, poiema, workmanship. The result of the action was me, first birth. You got it? The second birth, the result of who's action, God's action. That's why the word is so tremendous. It means that which God makes or does, God's work. The first work of my dad and mother was not perfect, but they liked it. People, this work of God, this work of God, would He like it? My golly. How many times haven't people slapped God in the face who have been born-again by saying how unworthy they are and no-gooders. God is perfect, therefore this workmanship could be translated masterpiece. We are God's workmanship, God's perfection, God's masterpiece. It's interesting that this word is used in Acts 17:28 and it's translated poet. Poietes Greek, poet English. A poet is supposed to produce a masterpiece, what he's a poet for, supposed to be. In the Aramaic, 'For we are his workmanship' is translated 'Therefore we are his own creation'. The word 'for' again sets that which follows. It was interesting that Marcus Barth translated this 'work of art', 'a work of art'. A work of art is a masterpiece. The word created is used instead of formed. If the word formed was used you couldn't put it together, it wouldn't fit. It's an aorist in the Greek, an aorist passive participle. And these, this word workmanship and the word created, is a fantastic figure of speech, which I've given you before, polyptoton, p-o-l-y-p-t-o-t-o-n, words that are repeated that have the same root. In the Aramaic, they are the words which read creation created. Creation and created. 'For we are his creation created'. The whole emphasis corps, is on God's work and the result of his work. The word for ordained is not the proginosko word that I have taught you on other occasions. This word here in the Greek means prepared or made ready ahead of time, beforehand. The literal according to usage of verse 10 is: 'Therefore we are his own creation who were created in Christ Jesus with a view to good works which God made ready in order that we should walk in them'. The expanded: ' Therefore we are his (God's, due to the result of God's work through his son) own creation (masterpiece) who were created in Christ Jesus with a specific view to good works which God prepared beforehand and made ready and available to every believer in Christ Jesus in order that we should, could and ought to walk in them and regulate our lives accordingly'. That again I think is a very wonderful translation that should give you great understanding of the truth of the beauty of the greatness of our God in Christ Jesus as it is given in this tenth verse."

Enjoy who you are, and who we all are, in Christ Jesus, God's masterpiece. Peace and love, Laurie

In August of this year, I returned to my hometown of Gary, Indiana to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of my high school graduation. I recall learning to appreciate the rich beauty of the English language, as I excelled in the English classes that I took. Upon graduation I enrolled as a pharmacy student at Purdue University in the first class of a newly initiated 5-year program which allowed me to broaden my academic horizons through taking additional courses in English and speech. I continued to develop my writing skills after graduating and working as a pharmacist. When I joined the Way Corps in 1971, I remember being asked to produce a writing sample at the beginning of my first year in the Second Corps, and I wrote a brief commentary on 1 Corinthians 1:10:

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Since that time, more than 30 years ago, I have come to appreciate the same verse in the Amplified Bible that renders a more precise definition of the word “judgment.”

But I urge and entreat you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in perfect harmony and full agreement in what you say, and that there be no dissensions or factions or divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in your common understanding and in your opinions and judgments.

Someone has said that opinions are like noses—everybody has one. Even so, believers are encouraged to hold the same opinion regarding who we are in Christ. The verse from 1 Corinthians also came to mind in response to this statement by Nate Clements: “Don’t let someone else’s opinion become your reality.”

As we continue on our lifelong journey of discovery of who we are, many times we encounter varying opinions, as our identity unfolds through the changing seasons of life. Recently conversations with various individuals have centered on the issue of identity, as everyone struggles to find and maintain his or her “true identity” Among of the principal challenges of the whole of humanity is to find the answer to two of life’s fundamental questions: “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?” For the believer, God, our Father, the Creator of Life, provides the answers to those questions and every other question anyone may seek to find answers to in the Word of God which becomes the mirror in which we see ourselves clearly revealed. Recently I looked at some of the poems that I had written that relate to “identity” and I put them together and added some music to comprise this blog which I call “My True Identity Kit.”

As a believer, the essence of who I am is grounded in God’s opinion of me and not any individual’s assessment of who I am. Israel Houghton and New Breed express this truth in the song “Identity.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAbcjO-O_Dg&feature=related

In August of 2003, I attended the Apostolic School of Ministry in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa where I wrote seven poems inspired by the series of teachings that I heard during that time. One, in particular, relates to who I am and how I see myself:

My True Identity

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord,

are changed into the same image from glory to glory,

even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

II Corinthians 3:18

I look in the mirror of God’s Word and I see,

Not the man I am but the man I shall become,

Reflected in my eyes, my true identity.

Released from shackles of a slave mentality,

The bondage of Egypt I have now overcome.

I look in the mirror of God’s Word and I see.

I smile as I keep singing of “A Brand New Me.”

In my heart I have prepared for God a new home,

Reflected in my eyes, my true identity.

“I am what I am” is my new reality:

A first-born son, model of the Father’s Kingdom.

I look in the mirror of God’s Word and I see.

God’s blessings in double measure overtake me,

Flowing by the spirit in knowledge and wisdom,

Reflected in my eyes, my true identity.

I live to fulfill my prophetic destiny,

As joys unfold with even greater joys to come.

I look in the mirror of God’s Word and I see

Reflected in my eyes, my true identity.

One of the lines alludes to a popular song composed and performed by Dusty Springfield “A Brand New Me.” This selection, however, is by Jerry Butler, who croons as only “The Ice Man” can:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvJqDXjqq8g

Another poem opens with a statement by Dr. Paula Price, whose words inspired this poetic work of identity:

The Real Me

“Apostles are called to giants, heroes and winners.”

Dr. Paula Price

I am a man on a mission: I seek to find

The man I really am, my true identity.

Not by the outward but inner I am defined,

Renewed in faith, day by day, all for God’s glory.

I see the real me: a giant, a hero, a winner.

I want to see for myself and never be blind

To the reality of all God called me to be.

I don’t conform to the world’s mold but renew my mind.

A banquet table is ever set before me.

I feast on God’s Word for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I focus on God’s will and seek to be aligned.

Like a rose, the love of God unfolds before me.

I am a new creation in Christ, one of a kind.

With enlightened eyes of understanding I see

That the real man within grows fatter, not thinner.

I move to the front of the race; I won’t be left behind,

For I know who I am and move into my destiny.

My life reveals the purpose for which I have been designed.

I am released from all bondage; I have been set free

By the Kinsman Redeemer. No longer a sinner,

I see the real me: a giant, a hero, a winner.

The contemporary black gospel song by Marvin Sapp reminds us of whose opinion is the only one that really matters. Despite the fact that others saw the worst in me, God saw only the best in me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgwt-UhPhhs

Earlier this year, Pastor Michael Bivens of Equip U Ministries, delivered a powerful life-changing message related to our identity, as revealed in the Word of God. At the end of the message he encouraged the congregation to make a list of qualities or attributes that the Bible declares us to be. I personalized the assignment and composed a list of metaphors which opened with the phrase “I am.” Upon completion of the poem, I went on to finish another poem “Moreover, I am” with a corresponding list, each line of which ends with the phrase “I am.”

I AM says “I am” and all that I AM says “I am”

“I am. . ."

I am light, the light of the world, sent forth to shine.

I am salt, the salt of the earth, full of savor.

I am alive in Christ; eternal life is mine.

I am blessed: in the midst of famine is favor.

I am trusting in the Lord; I am not afraid.

I am made whole in Christ; by His stripes I am healed.

I am so fearfully and wonderfully made.

I am redeemed, and by the Spirit I am sealed.

I am a sweet savor, a living sacrifice.

I am ever before Him, always on His mind.

I am clothed in righteousness, bought with a price.

I am His beloved, the one He runs to find.

I am cleansed and made whole by the blood of the Lamb.

I am, by the grace of God, what He says I am.

Moreover, I am

Moreover, the word of the Lord

came to me, saying,

Ezekiel 7:1

Called out of darkness into the great light, I am.

Living by faith in the power of His Word, I am.

Walled in by sin but now free in the Lord, I am.

Giving my life that I might walk upright, I am.

Where death once reigned, now grace abounds; therefore, I am.

Moving by the Spirit and not the flesh, I am.

There is no condemnation; alive in Christ I am.

Proving what is the perfect will of God, I am

Enduring in patience until the end, I

All creation groans and travails until I am

Maturing in Christ unto the perfect man I am.

This generation shall make known all that I am.

Until the trumpet blast from the horn of the ram,

Be still and abide in peace and know that I AM.

The phrase “I am” brought to mind another powerful reminder from Israel Houghton and New Breed: “I Know Who I Am”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3UOCVkYWIY&NR=1

It seems as if I am continually trying to convince myself and others as to who I really am. Often I respond to those who attempt to portray me in an unflattering light, as a man of small stature and insignificance, as a villain or a loser, in contrast to the man in the mirror of God’s Word where “I see the real me: a giant, a hero, a winner.” In response to those who see me as a villain, I wrote this piece:

A Hero Plays the Villain

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”

Christopher Reeve

Though a hero, I will play the villain.

I will partake of the bread of self-sacrifice.

Others depart to save face, but I will remain.

Though it may cost me my life, I will pay the price.

If I die, the Lord will raise me up again.

The victor is winner by any other name;

He gives unselfishly and will never restrain,

Though at times victor and victim are both the same.

Type-cast to serve in this seemingly menial role,

I follow Christ who poured out his life, even to death.

Proving that running to serve is life’s highest goal,

He whispered “Father, forgive them” with his last breath.

This drama may not unfold as I thought it would,

But I know that all things work together for the good.

In one of the composition and literature classes that I taught at Otterbein College (now called Otterbein University) I recall engaging my class in lively discussions regarding “Heroes, Super-Heroes, and Real Heroes.” One of the poems that I shared was this original work which is actually a heroic sonnet:

Real Heroes

Like a herald, history sounds the names,

The roll call sung from the chronicler’s page,

The champions of life’s heroic games,

Whose flame still flames for years beyond their age.

Are they real heroes as history claims

Or mere cowards lauded as saint or sage?

Life’s truest heroes we always ignore,

To mold giants of legend and folklore.

Real heroes never swell the ranks among

Annals of recorded time. History

Omits the common folk; yet their unsung

Legacies speak to those with eyes to see.

Heroic lives inspire old and young

To become all our hearts have yearned to be.

We search for gold in those whom we live with

And seek real heroes, not image nor myth.

Life’s real heroes still dwell with us today,

To pioneer a new and living way.

When I think of a musical composition that embodies the essence of “real heroes,” I think of Mariah Carey’s “Hero”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLFfXTwdVbY

Many times when an individual experiences a close encounter with God of the most intimate kind, that person is forever changed and adopts a new identity that often involves a new name. Certainly this was the case with Abram, whose name was changed to Abraham, and most notably with Jacob, who was given the name of Israel after his encounter with the Most High. I allude to Jacob’s transformation which I also identify with in this poem:

New Name

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit

says unto the churches. To him that overcomes

I will give to eat of the hidden manna,

and will give him a white stone, and in the stone

a new name written, which no man knows

except him that receives it.

Revelation 2:17

More than a moniker,

a sobriquet attached

to the bridal bouquet,

a new name to change

or not, hyphenate,

ignore, keep, or discard

like outdated his and her towels;

how to handle this essence of being,

my new identity.

Like the trickster,

who tried to run his game

and get over on Jehovah

when he wrestled out a blessing

from the evening till the break of day,

I woke up one morning

with a new name and a gimp leg

to remind me of that all-night-face-to-face encounter

when I sang

“I told Jesus, be all right if He changed my name.”

From Stone upon Stone: Psalms of Remembrance.

The last line of the poem refers to a spiritual of the same title, performed here by Jennifer Bynum:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFZ2xGfJD3s&feature=related

The Scriptures remind us that God makes all things new, as we excel, going from faith to faith, victory to victory and glory to glory. When a believer assumes a new identity, he or she closes out a previous chapter and moves forth in newness of life, as God begins to write a new chapter. The final poem of this collection describes what occurs as we seek “To Bring Closure”:

To Bring Closure

my blessed and highly favored

sister and friend

“Your life is a book and everyday is a page.”

Elijah Pierce

In the eyes of God, each life is an open book,

Inscribed in first person, where nothing is hidden,

But to really see, we must take a closer look

To discern between each line as it is written.

Past pages reveal both the shame and the glory,

As we craft chronicles from confusion and strife,

Ongoing sagas of our personal history:

Tragic lines composed in the comedy of life.

We strive to bring closure to another chapter

And break free from the bondage of each past mistake,

To apply the painful lessons and grow thereafter

In fleeting years of heartbreak and exquisite laughter.

This real life drama transcends

the game of “Let’s Pretend,”

As each scene unfolds,

moving toward our perfected end.

“Aint Got Time to Die,” one of my favorite spirituals, is a fitting song to bring closure to this blog.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQr9JTCpZW4&feature=related

(Since X-mas 2010 is 2 months away, I thot I wud post last year's letter. My x-mas blog following is growing. I think there might be 2 of you now. Thank you, and Merry Christmas just any old time. Luv, m)

December 2009

Felix Navidad,

I’m Felix the Cat, the Wonderful Wonderful Cat. My friends call me Felix or Flea for short, and people who don’t know me usually just say, “Hello Kitty.” This has happened so often that I started my own company. You may have heard of it. It is my assignment this year to write the Shirley Christmas tail. It should come as a relief to you since hair-brained Harry wrote it last year.

President Obama and I have a few things in common. We are both black, although I am not an African American. I am simply American. My heritage is also sketchy, but I do know my mother was an unwed mother, just like Obama’s. Unfortunately, my mother was homeless, and I ended up at the pound where my family chose me because something just clicked between us right away.

Not so with the dog. He is a constant annoyance, sniffing me every single time we pass like I might smell different after 14 years. I think he just forgets how I smell no matter how many times he reminds himself. He probably doesn’t even remember that he’s sniffed me before.

Last Christmas Harry referred to me as a “dirty hairball.” Well, genius, you, sir, are the one with poodle hair while I have fur. And folks, would you rather hug a hairball or a furball? I personally hock up hairballs. Harry is a walking dirtbag. They named a hand-held vac after him. I bathe myself every single day, but he thinks he smells great. Harry lives for disgusting smells. At 14 he’s nearly blind, deaf and has always been dumb, but his nose, on the other hand, just keeps on sniffing. And if winning was about how much you smell, Harry would win hands down. Why, just his breath is blinding. I’m not complaining. His addiction to bad smells keeps me alive (along with my uncanny ability to land on my feet and my nine lives.) I’m the only outdoor cat in the neighborhood because the coyotes have eaten all the others. When I want to go outside I throw Harry out the door first. He goes bumbling along, nose to the ground, and at a distance could be mistaken for a mutated white rabbit. The coyotes start licking their chops. Meanwhile I slip out, black like me, and slip into the shadows. By the time the coyotes have figured out that Harry is so disgusting they would get food poisoning if they managed to choke him down, I’ve caught my dinner and am in the dining room safe and sound.

Dogs truly are the inferior species. Harry is so dumb he doesn’t know he’s supposed to obey commands, and I’m so smart I know I don’t want to. Also, dogs age much faster than cats plus they only have one life compared to our nine. Harry got sick this year so I gave him one of my lives. That’s because I’m Felix the Lionhearted. I figured he earned it by diverting the coyotes for me. I almost never get sick, but if I do I call my friend the Itch Doctor and he tells me what to do.

But enough about the flea circus. Let’s talk about me. I am a devoted member of the Mickey Mouse Club because I’m passionate about mice. I’m also passionate about catfish (heck they’re all cat fish!), catnip, catnaps, bird watching, fishing, and recently Twittering. I love to play Cat and Mouse. My favorite drink is a Cat-a-tonic. My best friend? Man-doo. Cat Man-doo. On Halloween I always go as a Black Panther. Pink Panthers are just plain pussies. Did I mention I was engaged to Cat Woman. But she dumped me after she found out I ate Batman. He was hard to catch but was purrfect with a side of fish sticks and a catnip kicker. I love musical theater and once played Tevya in “Fiddler On a Hot Tin Roof.” I also had a roll in “Cats.” Duh. If you ever see it, I am the cat in the hat. The only time I was employed I worked in an office as a copy cat. I worked for Chairman Meow. Favorite movies are The Aristocats, Moby Dick and Finding Nemo. I read a lot of cat-a-logs.

Harry lives in the doghouse and I live in the cathouse. Ask any man where he would rather live. I continue to share my cathouse with the fam. Not much to say about them except that their new reality TV show will air this fall called “Surely, It’s the Shirleys.” Bryce is opening up his own law practice January 4, 2010. He got hair plugs for the show and will portray his true inner self, a dragon slayer who saves the world from real estate mega disasters which is, of course, a little late. Marilyn, the mermaid queen, will be his office manager who socializes with the royalty of the OC to bring in big clients. She got big fish lips like all the movie stars do these days. Bobby is still an accountant at UCI, and may help Bryce with the business side of the practice, cooking the books. He will play his real self which is a fast-talking schmoozer/gunslinger, popular around the Hollywood jet set in order to cash in on their peccadilloes. Jimmy graduates from law school this May. He is contemplating practicing with Bryce which would make for a catchy firm name of Shirley, Shirley & Shirley. On the show, Jimmy will represent Bobby after Bobby shoots his first outlaw. Jimmy plays his true self on the show, which is of course a geddi knight. Jimmy prosecutes evil dark lords and sends them to Guantanamo Bay. That leaves the lovely Emma, a freshman at UCI, who will play her true self, a forest wood nymph who speaks a strange tongue and wears beautiful gauzy but torn dresses to glam up the show. She does battle with balrogs and such, slays them by speaking mystical stuff and emerges from battle disheveled but beautiful The series will also showcase family hobbies like hot air ballooning in which Harry will really get in the basket and fall out somewhere between here and Idaho. In this show we will never see him again. (I wrote that script.) Frodo comes over now and then, and they all play baseball with the vampire family down the street. On one episode the family cans jellyfish after a day at sea. I, of course, am the producer and director. If you would like to be on the show, just come by the house and the cameras will be rolling. We will all soon be celebrities crashing White House parties.

On behalf of the family, I would like to wish you catfish and catnaps and warm woolen mittens; snow balls, no hairballs and darling black kittens. Wild fish that fly and some birds on their wings; these are a few of my favorite things. We also wish you a merry Christmas, a figgy pudding, wonder and joy and heavenly peace.

Love,

Your friend, Felix