Monday, March 30, 2015
Full Moon - April 4, 2015 - 8:06 a.m. - Paschal Moon
This is also the Paschal Full Moon — the first full moon of the spring season. The first Sunday following the Paschal Moon is Easter Sunday, which indeed will be observed the very next day on Sunday, April 5. [almanac.com/ Full Moons of 2015]
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Abraham Lincoln -- approach of Presidential Library Museum to focus on happier anniversaries - March 29 Lincoln Egg Roll
from ABRAHAM LINCOLN MUSEUM (Springfield, IL downtown):
Happy Birthday – The museum will be celebrating the birthdays of Lincoln’s sons Robert, Eddy, Willie, and Tad. The events and programs will provide education opportunities for our visitors. The first event is on December 21st, 2014 when you are invited to Willie’s birthday party. Enjoy a birthday treat, play 19th-century games, and hear stories about Willie.
Family Events – The 10th of every month will be Family Day. On this day there will be some type of event/activity/recognition.
On March 29th, 2015 Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln invite you to the first-ever Lincoln Egg Roll at Union Square Park.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Psalm 111: a 21st Century Translation (Glazer)
from THE OPEN DOOR (2001) S.L. Elwell, editor (Central Conference of American Rabbis):
Halleluyah!
Sing praises to God, O servants of the Holy One.
May God's name be praised now and forever.
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
From east and to west, God's name is praised.
Greater than all the nations is the Wondrous One,
God's glory surpasses heaven.
Who is like our God, enthroned on high?
You are present in the most humble dwellings,
Surveying both heaven and earth.
You raise the lowly from the dust, the needy from the ash-heap;
You seat them with the generous ones, those with open hearts.
You give a place of honor to those who create a home.
Let the ones who nurture children rejoice:
Halleluyah!
When Israel went forth from Egypt,
When the house of Jacob emerged from a babel of tongues,
Judah became God's dwelling place,
Israel, God's dominion.
The sea looked and fled,
The Jordan looked back.
The mountains danced like lambs,
The hills like young sheep.
Why do you flee, O sea?
O Jordan, why do you change your course?
Why do you frolic, O mountains?
Why do the hills tremble?
In God's presence, the earth moves
Before the God of Jacob.
You transform rocks into pools of water,
You turn flint to flowing springs.
Halleluyah!
Sing praises to God, O servants of the Holy One.
May God's name be praised now and forever.
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
From east and to west, God's name is praised.
Greater than all the nations is the Wondrous One,
God's glory surpasses heaven.
Who is like our God, enthroned on high?
You are present in the most humble dwellings,
Surveying both heaven and earth.
You raise the lowly from the dust, the needy from the ash-heap;
You seat them with the generous ones, those with open hearts.
You give a place of honor to those who create a home.
Let the ones who nurture children rejoice:
Halleluyah!
When Israel went forth from Egypt,
When the house of Jacob emerged from a babel of tongues,
Judah became God's dwelling place,
Israel, God's dominion.
The sea looked and fled,
The Jordan looked back.
The mountains danced like lambs,
The hills like young sheep.
Why do you flee, O sea?
O Jordan, why do you change your course?
Why do you frolic, O mountains?
Why do the hills tremble?
In God's presence, the earth moves
Before the God of Jacob.
You transform rocks into pools of water,
You turn flint to flowing springs.
Psalm 110: Common English Bible translation (2011)
Of David / / / a Psalm / / /
What the LORD says to my master:
"Sit right beside me until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet!"
May the LORD make your mighty scepter reach far from Zion!
Rule over our enemies!
Your people stand ready on your day of battle.
"In holy grandeur, from the dawn's womb, fight!
Your youthful strength is like the dew itself."
The LORD has sworn a solemn pledge and won't change his mind:
"You are a priest forever in line with Melchizedek."
My master, by your strong hand, God has crushed kings on his day of wrath.
God brings the nations in justice, piling the dead bodies,
crushing heads throughout the earth.
God drinks from a stream along the way, then holds his head up high.
What the LORD says to my master:
"Sit right beside me until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet!"
May the LORD make your mighty scepter reach far from Zion!
Rule over our enemies!
Your people stand ready on your day of battle.
"In holy grandeur, from the dawn's womb, fight!
Your youthful strength is like the dew itself."
The LORD has sworn a solemn pledge and won't change his mind:
"You are a priest forever in line with Melchizedek."
My master, by your strong hand, God has crushed kings on his day of wrath.
God brings the nations in justice, piling the dead bodies,
crushing heads throughout the earth.
God drinks from a stream along the way, then holds his head up high.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Psalm 109 - Common English Bible -- a fresh translation to touch the heart and the mind (2011)
To the leader / of David / a Psalm /
God of my praise, don't keep quiet,
because the mouths of wicked liars have opened up against me,
talking about me with lying tongues.
Hateful words surround me;
they attack me for no reason.
Instead of returning my love, they accuse me --
but I am at prayer.
They repay me evil for good,
hatred in return for my love.
"Appoint a wicked person to be against this person," they say,
"an accuser to stand right net to him.
When the sentence is passed,
let him be found guilty --
let his prayer be found sinful!
Let his days be few;
let someone else assume his position.
Let his children become orphans;
let his wife turn into a widow.
Let his children wander aimlessly, begging,
driven out of their ruined homes.
Let a creditor seize everything he owns;
let strangers plunder his wealth.
Let no one extend faithful love to him;
let no one have mercy on his orphans.
Let his descendants be eliminated;
let their names be wiped out in just one generation!
Let his father's wrongdoing be remembered before the LORD;
let his mother's sin never be wiped out.
Let them be before the LORD always,
and let God eliminate the very memory of them from the land.
All because this person didn't remember to demonstrate faithful love,
but chased after the poor and needy --
even the brokenhearted -- with deadly intent!
Since he loved to curse,
let it come back on him!
Since he didn't care much for blessing,
let it be far away from him!
Since he wore curses like a coat,
let them seep inside him like water,
seep into his bones like oil!
Let them be like the clothes he wears, like a belt that is always around him."
But let all that be the reward my accusers get from the LORD,
the reward for those who speak evil against me!
But you, LORD, my Lord! -- act on my behalf for the sake of your name;
deliver me because your faithful love is so good;
because I am poor and needy, and my heart is broken.
Like a lengthening shadow, I'm passing away;
I'm shaken off, like some locust.
My legs are weak from fasting;
my body is skin and bones.
I've become a joke to my accusers;
when they see me, the just shake their heads.
Help me, LORD my God!
Save me according to your faithful love!
And let them know that this is by your hand --
that you have done it, LORD!
Let them curse -- but you, bless me!
If they rise up, let them be disgraced, but let your servant celebrate!
Let my accusers be dressed in shame;
let them wear their disgrace like a coat.
But I will give grate thanks to the LORD with my mouth;
among a great crowd I will praise God!
Because God stands right next to the needy,
to save them from any who would condemn them.
God of my praise, don't keep quiet,
because the mouths of wicked liars have opened up against me,
talking about me with lying tongues.
Hateful words surround me;
they attack me for no reason.
Instead of returning my love, they accuse me --
but I am at prayer.
They repay me evil for good,
hatred in return for my love.
"Appoint a wicked person to be against this person," they say,
"an accuser to stand right net to him.
When the sentence is passed,
let him be found guilty --
let his prayer be found sinful!
Let his days be few;
let someone else assume his position.
Let his children become orphans;
let his wife turn into a widow.
Let his children wander aimlessly, begging,
driven out of their ruined homes.
Let a creditor seize everything he owns;
let strangers plunder his wealth.
Let no one extend faithful love to him;
let no one have mercy on his orphans.
Let his descendants be eliminated;
let their names be wiped out in just one generation!
Let his father's wrongdoing be remembered before the LORD;
let his mother's sin never be wiped out.
Let them be before the LORD always,
and let God eliminate the very memory of them from the land.
All because this person didn't remember to demonstrate faithful love,
but chased after the poor and needy --
even the brokenhearted -- with deadly intent!
Since he loved to curse,
let it come back on him!
Since he didn't care much for blessing,
let it be far away from him!
Since he wore curses like a coat,
let them seep inside him like water,
seep into his bones like oil!
Let them be like the clothes he wears, like a belt that is always around him."
But let all that be the reward my accusers get from the LORD,
the reward for those who speak evil against me!
But you, LORD, my Lord! -- act on my behalf for the sake of your name;
deliver me because your faithful love is so good;
because I am poor and needy, and my heart is broken.
Like a lengthening shadow, I'm passing away;
I'm shaken off, like some locust.
My legs are weak from fasting;
my body is skin and bones.
I've become a joke to my accusers;
when they see me, the just shake their heads.
Help me, LORD my God!
Save me according to your faithful love!
And let them know that this is by your hand --
that you have done it, LORD!
Let them curse -- but you, bless me!
If they rise up, let them be disgraced, but let your servant celebrate!
Let my accusers be dressed in shame;
let them wear their disgrace like a coat.
But I will give grate thanks to the LORD with my mouth;
among a great crowd I will praise God!
Because God stands right next to the needy,
to save them from any who would condemn them.
Kwame Alexander (Poet - activist) : winner of Newberry Medal - THE CROSSOVER (Houghton Mifflin) - twins who are obsessed with Basketball
Alexander believes that poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people through his Book-in-a-Day literacy program which has created more than 3,000 student authors at 69 schools across the US, Canada, and the Caribbean. A regular speaker and workshop presenter at conferences in the U.S., he also travels the world planting seeds of literary love (Brazil, Italy, France, and Turkey). from his web HQ -- Book-in-a-Day dot-org :
http://bookinaday.org/index.php?page=about&family=Kwame
http://bookinaday.org/index.php?page=about&family=Kwame
Robert Frost (born on this date in 1874)
from WRITER's ALMANAC (American Public Media, Garrison Keillor):
Frost (born March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, CA) won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry four times. He said: “One thing I care about and wish young people would care about, is taking poetry as the first form of understanding. If poetry isn’t understanding all, the whole world, then it isn’t worth anything.”
He also said, “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”
Frost (born March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, CA) won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry four times. He said: “One thing I care about and wish young people would care about, is taking poetry as the first form of understanding. If poetry isn’t understanding all, the whole world, then it isn’t worth anything.”
He also said, “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”
An anniversary of peacemaking for Israel and its neighboring peoples (Camp David Accord)
ON THIS DAY
On
March 26, 1979, the Camp David peace treaty was signed by Prime Minister
Menachem Begin of Israel and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt at the White House.
www.nytimes.com/
www.nytimes.com/
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Psalm 108: Common English Bible - fresh translation for the heart and for the mind
A song / / / a Psalm of David
My heart is unwavering, God.
I will sing and make music --
yes, with my whole being!
Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake the dawn itself!
I will give thanks to you, LORD, among all the peoples;
I will make music to you among the nations,
because your faithful love is higher than heaven;
your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
(Verse 5) Exalt yourself, God, higher than heaven!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
(Verse 6)Save me by your power and answer me
so that the people you love might be rescued.
God has spoken in his sanctuary:
"I will celebrate as I divide up Shechem
and portion out the Succoth Valley.
Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet, Judah is my scepter.
But Moab is my washbowl;
I'll throw my shoe at Edom.
I shout in triumph over Philistia!
I wish someone would bring me to a fortified city!
I wish someone would lead me to Edom!"
But you have rejected us, God,
haven't you?
You, God, no longer accompany our armies.
Give us help against the enemy --
human help is worthless.
(Verse 13) With God we will triumph;
God is the one who will trample our adversaries.
[footnote: for Verses 1 - 5 above see Psalm 57: 7 - 11; for verses 6 - 13 see Psalm 60: 5 - 12 ]
My heart is unwavering, God.
I will sing and make music --
yes, with my whole being!
Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake the dawn itself!
I will give thanks to you, LORD, among all the peoples;
I will make music to you among the nations,
because your faithful love is higher than heaven;
your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
(Verse 5) Exalt yourself, God, higher than heaven!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
(Verse 6)Save me by your power and answer me
so that the people you love might be rescued.
God has spoken in his sanctuary:
"I will celebrate as I divide up Shechem
and portion out the Succoth Valley.
Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet, Judah is my scepter.
But Moab is my washbowl;
I'll throw my shoe at Edom.
I shout in triumph over Philistia!
I wish someone would bring me to a fortified city!
I wish someone would lead me to Edom!"
But you have rejected us, God,
haven't you?
You, God, no longer accompany our armies.
Give us help against the enemy --
human help is worthless.
(Verse 13) With God we will triumph;
God is the one who will trample our adversaries.
[footnote: for Verses 1 - 5 above see Psalm 57: 7 - 11; for verses 6 - 13 see Psalm 60: 5 - 12 ]
"Seven Last Words of Christ" (Haydn Classical Work) - Spektral Quartet, Chicago, IL
http://gcmusiccenter.org/
Spektral Quartet,
Sunday, March 29, 2015, 4:00 p.m.| Sauder Concert Hall, Goshen College
The Chicago-based Spektral Quartet returns to Goshen College on Palm Sunday to perform Joseph Haydn’s “The Seven Last Words of Christ.” This gifted ensemble, already a favorite of Goshen audiences, is in residence at the University of Chicago and is quickly becoming known as one of Chicago’s premier string quartets.
Goshen College Music Center 1700 South Main Street
Goshen, IN 46526
Local: (574) 535-7361
E-mail: music@goshen.edu
Spektral Quartet,
Sunday, March 29, 2015, 4:00 p.m.| Sauder Concert Hall, Goshen College
The Chicago-based Spektral Quartet returns to Goshen College on Palm Sunday to perform Joseph Haydn’s “The Seven Last Words of Christ.” This gifted ensemble, already a favorite of Goshen audiences, is in residence at the University of Chicago and is quickly becoming known as one of Chicago’s premier string quartets.
Goshen College Music Center 1700 South Main Street
Goshen, IN 46526
Local: (574) 535-7361
E-mail: music@goshen.edu
All the Light We Cannot See -- Anthony Doerr -- novel of youth during W.W. II - discussion March 25
Wednesday, March 25, 2015 • 11 a.m. (ET)
Readers’ Review: “All The Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr
For this month's Readers' Review: "All The Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr. The 2014 novel weaves together the stories of a blind French girl and a German orphan during World War II.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Legacy to support Human Rights and Civil Rights -- March 24, 2015 (6:30 p.m.) AME Congregation
A Community Tribute to Fr. Theodore Hesburgh
Sister Alma Powell
Chairperson (OLIVET AME Church, 719 N. Notre Dame Avenue, South Bend, IN - phone 574-287-2672; email to historicolivet@gmail.com )
March 24, 2015
6:30 p.m.to 7:30 p.m.
We join with leaders of the South Bend (Indiana) Community to recognize the life and legacy of Fr. Ted, late President Emeritus of the University of Notre Dame -- particularly with respect to human and civil rights here in South Bend!
Annversary of a 1989 ecological disaster -- Alaska, USA
ON THIS DAY
On
March 24, 1989, the nation's worst oil spill occurred as the supertanker Exxon
Valdez ran aground on a reef in Alaska's Prince William Sound and began leaking
11 million gallons of crude.
NOTED at NY TIMES dot-com/
NOTED at NY TIMES dot-com/
Psalm 107: Common English Bible - a fresh interpretation to touch the heart and mind (2011)
BOOK Five of the Psalter (Psalms 107 - 150):
"Give thanks to the LORD because he is good,
because his faithful love lasts forever!"
That's what those who are redeemed by the LORD say,
the ones God redeemed from the power of their enemies,
the ones God gathered from various countries,
from east and west, south and north.
Some of the redeemed had wandered into the desert, into the wasteland.
They couldn't find their way to a city or town.
They were hungry and thirsty;
their lives were slipping away.
So they cried out to the LORD in their distress,
and God delivered them from their desperate circumstances.
God led them straight to human habitation.
Let them thank the LORD for his faithful love
and his wondrous works for all people,
because God satisfied the one who was parches with thirst,
and he filled up the hungry with good things!
Some of the redeemed has been sitting in darkness and deep gloom;
they were prisoners suffering in chains because they had disobeyed
God's Instructions and rejected the Most High's plans.
So God humbled them with hard work.
They stumbled and there was no one to help them.
So they cried out to the LORD in their distress,
and God saved them from their desperate circumstances.
God brought them out from the darkness and deep gloom;
he shattered their claims.
Let them thank the LORD for his faithful love and his wondrous works
for all people, because God has shattered bronze doors and split iron bars in two!
Some of the redeemed were fools because of their sinful ways
they suffered because of their wickedness.
They had absolutely no appetite for food;
they had arrived at death's gates.
So they cried out to the LORD in their distress,
and God saved them from their desperate circumstances.
God gave the order and healed them; he rescued them from their pit.
Let them thank the LORD for his faithful love
and his wondrous works for all people.
Let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices and
declare what God has done in songs of joy!
Some of the redeemed had gone out on the ocean in ships,
making their living on the high seas.
They saw what the LORD had made;
they saw his wondrous works in the depths of the sea.
God spoke and stirred up a storm that brought the waves up high.
The waves went as high as the sky;
they crashed down to the depths.
The sailors' courage melted at this terrible situation.
They staggered and quieted the storm to a whisper;
the sea's waves were hushed.
So they rejoiced because the waves had calmed down;
then God led them to the harbor they were hoping for.
Let them thank the LORD for his faithful love
and his wondrous works for all people.
Let them exalt God in the congregation of the people and
praise God in the assembly of the elders.
God turns rivers into desert,
watery springs into thirsty ground,
fruitful land into unproductive dirt,
when its inhabitants are wicked.
But God can also turn the desert into watery pools,
thirsty ground into watery springs,
where he settles the hungry.
They even build a city and live there!
They plant fields and vineyards and obtain a fruitful harvest.
God blesses them, and they become many.
God won't even let their cattle diminish.
But when they do diminish --
when they're brought down by oppression, trouble, and grief --
God pours contempt on their leaders,
making them wander aimlessly in the wastelands.
But God raises the needy from their suffering;
he makes their families as numerous as sheep!
Those who do right see it and celebrate,
but every wicked person shuts their mouth.
Whoever is wise will pay attention to these things,
carefully considering the LORD's faithful love.
"Give thanks to the LORD because he is good,
because his faithful love lasts forever!"
That's what those who are redeemed by the LORD say,
the ones God redeemed from the power of their enemies,
the ones God gathered from various countries,
from east and west, south and north.
Some of the redeemed had wandered into the desert, into the wasteland.
They couldn't find their way to a city or town.
They were hungry and thirsty;
their lives were slipping away.
So they cried out to the LORD in their distress,
and God delivered them from their desperate circumstances.
God led them straight to human habitation.
Let them thank the LORD for his faithful love
and his wondrous works for all people,
because God satisfied the one who was parches with thirst,
and he filled up the hungry with good things!
Some of the redeemed has been sitting in darkness and deep gloom;
they were prisoners suffering in chains because they had disobeyed
God's Instructions and rejected the Most High's plans.
So God humbled them with hard work.
They stumbled and there was no one to help them.
So they cried out to the LORD in their distress,
and God saved them from their desperate circumstances.
God brought them out from the darkness and deep gloom;
he shattered their claims.
Let them thank the LORD for his faithful love and his wondrous works
for all people, because God has shattered bronze doors and split iron bars in two!
Some of the redeemed were fools because of their sinful ways
they suffered because of their wickedness.
They had absolutely no appetite for food;
they had arrived at death's gates.
So they cried out to the LORD in their distress,
and God saved them from their desperate circumstances.
God gave the order and healed them; he rescued them from their pit.
Let them thank the LORD for his faithful love
and his wondrous works for all people.
Let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices and
declare what God has done in songs of joy!
Some of the redeemed had gone out on the ocean in ships,
making their living on the high seas.
They saw what the LORD had made;
they saw his wondrous works in the depths of the sea.
God spoke and stirred up a storm that brought the waves up high.
The waves went as high as the sky;
they crashed down to the depths.
The sailors' courage melted at this terrible situation.
They staggered and quieted the storm to a whisper;
the sea's waves were hushed.
So they rejoiced because the waves had calmed down;
then God led them to the harbor they were hoping for.
Let them thank the LORD for his faithful love
and his wondrous works for all people.
Let them exalt God in the congregation of the people and
praise God in the assembly of the elders.
God turns rivers into desert,
watery springs into thirsty ground,
fruitful land into unproductive dirt,
when its inhabitants are wicked.
But God can also turn the desert into watery pools,
thirsty ground into watery springs,
where he settles the hungry.
They even build a city and live there!
They plant fields and vineyards and obtain a fruitful harvest.
God blesses them, and they become many.
God won't even let their cattle diminish.
But when they do diminish --
when they're brought down by oppression, trouble, and grief --
God pours contempt on their leaders,
making them wander aimlessly in the wastelands.
But God raises the needy from their suffering;
he makes their families as numerous as sheep!
Those who do right see it and celebrate,
but every wicked person shuts their mouth.
Whoever is wise will pay attention to these things,
carefully considering the LORD's faithful love.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Psalm 106 - Common English Bible (21st Century Translation, 2011)
Praise the LORD!
Give thanks to the LORD because he is good,
because his faithful love endures forever.
Who could possibly repeat all of the LORD's might acts
or publicly recount all his praise?
The people who uphold justice, who always do what is right,
are truly happy!
Remember me, LORD, with the favor you show your people.
Visit me with your saving help
so I can experience the good things your chosen ones experience,
so I can rejoice in the joy of your nation,
so I can praise along with your possession.
We have sinned --
right along with our ancestors.
We've done what is wrong.
We've acted wickedly.
Our ancestors in Egypt didn't understand your wondrouse works.
They didn't remember how much faithful love you have.
So they rebelled by the sea -- at the Reed Sea / Red Sea.
But God saved them for the sake of his good name,
to make known his mighty power.
God scolded the Reed Sea,
and it dried right up;
he led them through the deeps like they were a dry desert.
God saved them from hostile powers;
he redeemed them from the power of the enemy.
But the waters covered over their foes --not one of them survived!
So our ancestors trusted God's words;
they sang God's praise.
But how quickly they forgot what he had done!
They wouldn't wait for his advice.
They were overcome with craving in the desert;
they tested God in the wastelands.
God gave them what they asked for;
he send food to satisfy their appetites,
But then they were jealous of Moses in the camp,
jealous too of Aaron, the LORD's holy one.
So the earth opened up, swallowing Dathan,
and covering over Abiram's crowd.
Fire blazed throughout that whole group;
flames burned up the wicked.
They made a calf at Horeb, bowing down to a metal idol.
They traded their glorious God / Glory
for an image of a bull that eats grass.
They forgot the God who saved them --
the one who had done great things in Egypt,
wondrous works in the land of Ham,
awesome deeds at the Reed Sea.
So God determined that he would destroy them --
except for the fact that Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the way, right in front of him,
and turned God's destructive anger away.
But then they rejected the land that was so desirable.
They didn't trust God's promise.
They muttered in their tents and wouldn't listen
to the LORD's voice.
So God raised his hand against them,
making them fall in the desert,
scattering their offspring among the nations,
casting them across many lands.
They joined themselves to Baal-peor and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
They made God angry by what they did, so a plague broke out against them.
Then Phinehas stood up and prayed, and the plague was contained.
That's why Phinehas is considered righteous, generation after generation, forever.
But they angered God at Meribah's waters,
and things went badly for Moses because of them,
because they made him bitter so that he spoke rashly with his lips.
They didn't destroy the nations as the LORD had ordered them to do.
Instead, they got mixed up with the nations,
learning what they did
and serving those false gods,
which became a trap for them.
They sacrificed their own sons and daughters to demons!
They shed innocent blood, the blood of their own sons and daughters --
the ones they sacrificed to Canaan's false gods --
so the land was defiled by the bloodshed.
They made themselves unclean by what they did;
they prostituted themselves by their actions.
So the LORD's anger burned against his people;
he despised his own possession.
God handed them over to the nations,
people who hated them ruled over them.
Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were humbled under their power.
God delivered them numerous times,
but they were determined to rebel,
and so they were brought down by their own sin.
But God saw their distress when he heard their loud cries.
God remembered his covenant for their sake,
and because of how much faithful love he has, God changed his mind.
God allowed them to receive compassion from all their captors.
LORD our God, save us!
Gather us back together from among all the nations
so we can give thanks to your holy name and rejoice in your praise!
Bless the LORD, the God of Israel,
from forever ago to forever from now!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the LORD!
[ end of Book Four of the Psalter -- Psalms 90 - 106 ]
Give thanks to the LORD because he is good,
because his faithful love endures forever.
Who could possibly repeat all of the LORD's might acts
or publicly recount all his praise?
The people who uphold justice, who always do what is right,
are truly happy!
Remember me, LORD, with the favor you show your people.
Visit me with your saving help
so I can experience the good things your chosen ones experience,
so I can rejoice in the joy of your nation,
so I can praise along with your possession.
We have sinned --
right along with our ancestors.
We've done what is wrong.
We've acted wickedly.
Our ancestors in Egypt didn't understand your wondrouse works.
They didn't remember how much faithful love you have.
So they rebelled by the sea -- at the Reed Sea / Red Sea.
But God saved them for the sake of his good name,
to make known his mighty power.
God scolded the Reed Sea,
and it dried right up;
he led them through the deeps like they were a dry desert.
God saved them from hostile powers;
he redeemed them from the power of the enemy.
But the waters covered over their foes --not one of them survived!
So our ancestors trusted God's words;
they sang God's praise.
But how quickly they forgot what he had done!
They wouldn't wait for his advice.
They were overcome with craving in the desert;
they tested God in the wastelands.
God gave them what they asked for;
he send food to satisfy their appetites,
But then they were jealous of Moses in the camp,
jealous too of Aaron, the LORD's holy one.
So the earth opened up, swallowing Dathan,
and covering over Abiram's crowd.
Fire blazed throughout that whole group;
flames burned up the wicked.
They made a calf at Horeb, bowing down to a metal idol.
They traded their glorious God / Glory
for an image of a bull that eats grass.
They forgot the God who saved them --
the one who had done great things in Egypt,
wondrous works in the land of Ham,
awesome deeds at the Reed Sea.
So God determined that he would destroy them --
except for the fact that Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the way, right in front of him,
and turned God's destructive anger away.
But then they rejected the land that was so desirable.
They didn't trust God's promise.
They muttered in their tents and wouldn't listen
to the LORD's voice.
So God raised his hand against them,
making them fall in the desert,
scattering their offspring among the nations,
casting them across many lands.
They joined themselves to Baal-peor and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
They made God angry by what they did, so a plague broke out against them.
Then Phinehas stood up and prayed, and the plague was contained.
That's why Phinehas is considered righteous, generation after generation, forever.
But they angered God at Meribah's waters,
and things went badly for Moses because of them,
because they made him bitter so that he spoke rashly with his lips.
They didn't destroy the nations as the LORD had ordered them to do.
Instead, they got mixed up with the nations,
learning what they did
and serving those false gods,
which became a trap for them.
They sacrificed their own sons and daughters to demons!
They shed innocent blood, the blood of their own sons and daughters --
the ones they sacrificed to Canaan's false gods --
so the land was defiled by the bloodshed.
They made themselves unclean by what they did;
they prostituted themselves by their actions.
So the LORD's anger burned against his people;
he despised his own possession.
God handed them over to the nations,
people who hated them ruled over them.
Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were humbled under their power.
God delivered them numerous times,
but they were determined to rebel,
and so they were brought down by their own sin.
But God saw their distress when he heard their loud cries.
God remembered his covenant for their sake,
and because of how much faithful love he has, God changed his mind.
God allowed them to receive compassion from all their captors.
LORD our God, save us!
Gather us back together from among all the nations
so we can give thanks to your holy name and rejoice in your praise!
Bless the LORD, the God of Israel,
from forever ago to forever from now!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the LORD!
[ end of Book Four of the Psalter -- Psalms 90 - 106 ]
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Happy Birthday, Johann Sebastian! (21 March 2015)
March 21 is the 330th birthday of Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach, born on this day in Eisenach, Germany (1685) according to the Old Style calendar. He was born into a family of professional musicians; the Bachs were well known throughout the region as town organists, pipers, cantors, composers, or directors. When one local count needed a music director, he put out the word for “a Bach.”
Bach’s parents died when he was young, and he went to live with his brother, a church organist. The story goes that Bach’s brother did not allow him access to precious handwritten musical scores, so every night Bach stole his music and copied out pieces by moonlight. Bach went on to a prestigious music school, and then worked as an organist for various churches. He often quarreled with his employers. He was accused of putting unnecessary flourishes and harmonies into simple church music. Once he was given a four-week leave to go hear a master organist perform — a journey of 250 miles by foot — but without informing anyone, he didn’t return for four months. Another time he was reprimanded for letting an “unauthorized maiden” into the choir loft. When Bach was working as a court musician, he found a better position in another town and asked to resign; when the duke refused, he tried to sneak away, so the duke threw him in jail for a month.
During his lifetime, Bach wasn’t famous as a composer, but as a gifted organist, and an excellent builder and repairer of organs. When he died, his estate listed his valuable assets: 19 instruments, a collection of theological books, and various household items. None of his compositions were listed as valuable. It wasn’t until 1829, when Felix Mendelssohn conducted Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion,” that there was serious public interest in Bach’s compositions.
When he was praised for his skills as an organist, Bach replied: “There is nothing very wonderful about it. You have only to hit the right notes at the right moment and the instrument does the rest.”
Bach’s parents died when he was young, and he went to live with his brother, a church organist. The story goes that Bach’s brother did not allow him access to precious handwritten musical scores, so every night Bach stole his music and copied out pieces by moonlight. Bach went on to a prestigious music school, and then worked as an organist for various churches. He often quarreled with his employers. He was accused of putting unnecessary flourishes and harmonies into simple church music. Once he was given a four-week leave to go hear a master organist perform — a journey of 250 miles by foot — but without informing anyone, he didn’t return for four months. Another time he was reprimanded for letting an “unauthorized maiden” into the choir loft. When Bach was working as a court musician, he found a better position in another town and asked to resign; when the duke refused, he tried to sneak away, so the duke threw him in jail for a month.
During his lifetime, Bach wasn’t famous as a composer, but as a gifted organist, and an excellent builder and repairer of organs. When he died, his estate listed his valuable assets: 19 instruments, a collection of theological books, and various household items. None of his compositions were listed as valuable. It wasn’t until 1829, when Felix Mendelssohn conducted Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion,” that there was serious public interest in Bach’s compositions.
When he was praised for his skills as an organist, Bach replied: “There is nothing very wonderful about it. You have only to hit the right notes at the right moment and the instrument does the rest.”
Friday, March 20, 2015
Psalm 105: paraphrase into contempoary English (1994)
version by pastor-scholar Eugene Peterson / / The Message: Psalms (Navpress):
Hallelujah!
Thank Yahweh! Pray to him by name!
Tell everyone you meet what he has done!
Sing him songs, belt out hymns,
translate his wonders into music!
Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs,
you who seek Yahweh. Live a happy life!
Keep your eyes open for Yahweh, watch for his works;
be alert for signs of his presence.
Remember the world of wonder he has made, his miracles,
and the verdicts he's rendered --
Oh, seed of Abraham, his servant,
Oh, child of Jacob, his chosen.
He's Yahweh, our God,
in charge of the whole earth.
And he remembers, remembers his Covenant --
for a thousand generations he's been as good as his word.
It's the Covenant he made with Abraham,
the same Oath he swore to Isaac,
the very Statute he established with Jacob,
the eternal Covenant with Israel.
Namely, "I give you the land.
Canaan is your hill-country inheritance."
When they didn't count for much,
a mere handful, and strangers at that.
Wandering from country to country,
drifting from pillar to post,
He permitted no one to abuse them.
He told kings to keep their hands off.
"Don't you dare lay a hand on my anointed;
don't hurt a hair on the heads of my prophets."
Then he called down a famine on the country,
he broke every last blade of wheat.
But he sent a man on ahead:
Joseph, sold as a slave.
They put cruel chains on his ankles,
an iron collar around his neck.
Until God's word came to the Pharaoh,
and Yahweh confirmed his promise.
God sent the king to release him.
The Pharaoh set Joseph free;
he appointed him master of his palace,
put him in charge of all his business.
To personally instruct his princes
and train his advisors in wisdom.
Then Israel entered Egypt,
Jacob immigrated to Africa.
God gave his people lots of babies;
soon their numbers alarmed their foes.
He turned the Egyptians against his people;
they abused and cheated God's servants.
Then he sent his servant Moses,
and Aaron, whom he also chose.
They worked marvels in that spiritual wasteland,
miracles in the Land of Ham.
He spoke, "Darkness!" and it turned dark --
they couldn't see what they were doing.
He turned all their water to blood
so that all their fish died;
He made frogs swarm through the land,
even into the king's bedroom.
He gave the word and flies swarmed;
gnats filled the air.
He substituted hail for rain;
he stabbed their land with lightning.
He wasted their vines and fig trees,
smashed their groves of trees in splinters;
with a word he brought in locusts,
millions of locusts, armies of locusts;
they consumed every blade of grass in the country
and picked the ground clean of produce;
he struck down every firstborn in the land,
the first fruits of their virile powers.
He led Israel out, their arms filled with loot,
and not one among his tribes even stumbled.
Egypt was glad to have them go --
they were scared to death of them.
God spread a cloud to keep them cool through the day
and a fire to light their way through the night.
They prayed and he brought quail,
filled them with the bread of heaven.
He opened the rock and water poured out;
it flowed like a river through that desert --
All because he remembered his Covenant,
his promise to Abraham, his servant.
Remember this! He led his people out singing for joy;
his chosen people marched, singing their hearts out!
He made them a gift of the country they entered,
helped them seize the wealth of the nations.
So they could do everything he told them --
could follow his Instructions to the letter.
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Thank Yahweh! Pray to him by name!
Tell everyone you meet what he has done!
Sing him songs, belt out hymns,
translate his wonders into music!
Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs,
you who seek Yahweh. Live a happy life!
Keep your eyes open for Yahweh, watch for his works;
be alert for signs of his presence.
Remember the world of wonder he has made, his miracles,
and the verdicts he's rendered --
Oh, seed of Abraham, his servant,
Oh, child of Jacob, his chosen.
He's Yahweh, our God,
in charge of the whole earth.
And he remembers, remembers his Covenant --
for a thousand generations he's been as good as his word.
It's the Covenant he made with Abraham,
the same Oath he swore to Isaac,
the very Statute he established with Jacob,
the eternal Covenant with Israel.
Namely, "I give you the land.
Canaan is your hill-country inheritance."
When they didn't count for much,
a mere handful, and strangers at that.
Wandering from country to country,
drifting from pillar to post,
He permitted no one to abuse them.
He told kings to keep their hands off.
"Don't you dare lay a hand on my anointed;
don't hurt a hair on the heads of my prophets."
Then he called down a famine on the country,
he broke every last blade of wheat.
But he sent a man on ahead:
Joseph, sold as a slave.
They put cruel chains on his ankles,
an iron collar around his neck.
Until God's word came to the Pharaoh,
and Yahweh confirmed his promise.
God sent the king to release him.
The Pharaoh set Joseph free;
he appointed him master of his palace,
put him in charge of all his business.
To personally instruct his princes
and train his advisors in wisdom.
Then Israel entered Egypt,
Jacob immigrated to Africa.
God gave his people lots of babies;
soon their numbers alarmed their foes.
He turned the Egyptians against his people;
they abused and cheated God's servants.
Then he sent his servant Moses,
and Aaron, whom he also chose.
They worked marvels in that spiritual wasteland,
miracles in the Land of Ham.
He spoke, "Darkness!" and it turned dark --
they couldn't see what they were doing.
He turned all their water to blood
so that all their fish died;
He made frogs swarm through the land,
even into the king's bedroom.
He gave the word and flies swarmed;
gnats filled the air.
He substituted hail for rain;
he stabbed their land with lightning.
He wasted their vines and fig trees,
smashed their groves of trees in splinters;
with a word he brought in locusts,
millions of locusts, armies of locusts;
they consumed every blade of grass in the country
and picked the ground clean of produce;
he struck down every firstborn in the land,
the first fruits of their virile powers.
He led Israel out, their arms filled with loot,
and not one among his tribes even stumbled.
Egypt was glad to have them go --
they were scared to death of them.
God spread a cloud to keep them cool through the day
and a fire to light their way through the night.
They prayed and he brought quail,
filled them with the bread of heaven.
He opened the rock and water poured out;
it flowed like a river through that desert --
All because he remembered his Covenant,
his promise to Abraham, his servant.
Remember this! He led his people out singing for joy;
his chosen people marched, singing their hearts out!
He made them a gift of the country they entered,
helped them seize the wealth of the nations.
So they could do everything he told them --
could follow his Instructions to the letter.
Hallelujah!
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Oscar-nominated "SELMA" opens at Wonderland Multiplex (Niles, MIchigan 49120) -- Friday March 20, 2:20 p.m.
SELMA OPENING 3/20/15
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Rated: PG-13 Starring: David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson Synopsis: Selma is the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s historic struggle to secure voting rights for all people a dangerous and terrifying campaign that culminated with the epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, USA. Showtimes:
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The Psalter as a Book of Theology -- essay - article by Patrick Miller, Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary
from Psalms in Community [Jewish & Christian Textual, Liturgical, and Artistic Traditions] (SBL, 2003):
"In book 4 the climax of the Psalter's theology is reached. In this book the voices of both Moses (Psalm 90) and David (Psalms 101 & 103) are heard. The anointed of the Lord is still in view, but the larger picture of God's rule and of God's work in creation and history is to the fore. That is indicated in several ways. These include the placing of the other great leader of the people, Moses, as the opening voice; the presence of two extended recapitulations of Israel's history at the end of the book, one recounting the Lord's acts of deliverance (Psalm 105) and one recounting the many deeds of rebellion that brought the people of Israel under judgment but not to full abandonment (Psalm 106); and especially the sustained and repeated exaltation of the rule of Yahweh over the whole world. Yahweh's rule over Israel and all the nations is declared again and again in the enthronement psalms at the center of book 4, Psalms 93 - 99, with their ringing cry: "The Lord is king / The Lord rules!" The book concludes with a response to the claims and queries at the end of book 3, declaring that "for their sake he remembered his covenant and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love" (Psalm 106:45), notes that have been sounded again and again (Psalm 92:2 / 94:18 / 98:3 / 100:5 / 103:4, 8, 11, 17 / 105: 8 - 10, 42 / 106: 2, 7)." (pages 92 - 93)
"In book 4 the climax of the Psalter's theology is reached. In this book the voices of both Moses (Psalm 90) and David (Psalms 101 & 103) are heard. The anointed of the Lord is still in view, but the larger picture of God's rule and of God's work in creation and history is to the fore. That is indicated in several ways. These include the placing of the other great leader of the people, Moses, as the opening voice; the presence of two extended recapitulations of Israel's history at the end of the book, one recounting the Lord's acts of deliverance (Psalm 105) and one recounting the many deeds of rebellion that brought the people of Israel under judgment but not to full abandonment (Psalm 106); and especially the sustained and repeated exaltation of the rule of Yahweh over the whole world. Yahweh's rule over Israel and all the nations is declared again and again in the enthronement psalms at the center of book 4, Psalms 93 - 99, with their ringing cry: "The Lord is king / The Lord rules!" The book concludes with a response to the claims and queries at the end of book 3, declaring that "for their sake he remembered his covenant and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love" (Psalm 106:45), notes that have been sounded again and again (Psalm 92:2 / 94:18 / 98:3 / 100:5 / 103:4, 8, 11, 17 / 105: 8 - 10, 42 / 106: 2, 7)." (pages 92 - 93)
Psalm 104 - 21st Century translation by Miriyam Grazer, Ph.D.
[ from Psalms of Jewish Liturgy (Avi Press, 2009):
Bless Adonai, O my soul!
Adonai, my God, You are very great --
With majestic glory Your garment, You dress in light like a robe
and hang the heavens like drapes, from the upper waters You fashion beams
for Your chamber, turning the clouds into a chariot,
riding on wings of the wind.
You turn the winds into messengers, into blazing angels of fire,
as You set the earth on a site from which it will never be shaken.
Once, deep seas covered the land like a cloak -- the waters stood over mountains --
You rebuked them, and they fled --
from the sound of Your thunder they hurried away,
they rose up the mountains, they sank down into valleys --
into the very places You arranged for them, within the boundaries You chose.
So that never again would they cover the earth.
You send springs into rivers and flowing mountain streams --
the wild animals all drink -- wild asses slake their thirst.
Birds of the sky rest above them and send out their song from branches of trees.
You make grass grow to feed cattle, and You make grain so human beings can
bring forth bread from the earth, sustaining the human heart.
You make wine to gladden the human heart, to make faces glisten as if from oil.
The trees of Adonai drink their fill -- the cedars of Lebanon God planted --
birds build their nests there, and storks make their home amid cypress.
High mountains are for the gazelles, cliffs of rock shelter the little shrew mouse.
You made the moon to measure the seasons; the sun knows when to set.
You bring down darkness, and there is night, all the beasts of the forest stir,
young lions roar for their prey, seeking food from You
until, at daylight, the regroup, go back to their dens to lie down,
just as people go out to work to labor until evening.
How great are Your works, Adonai! You fashioned all life with wisdom,
the earth is filled with Your creations!
Here is the sea, great and wide, where ships sail --
It teems with creatures -- small ones and large --
There is Leviathan You fashioned to frolic with!
All of them look to You to provide food in its season.
When You offer it, they gather it up when You open Your hand,
they are well-satisfied.
But they panic when You hide Your face and when You take away
their breath, they perish --
they return to the dust from whence they've come.
With Your breath, life is created; You renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of Adonai endure forever, may Adonai rejoice forever
in these works, Who makes the world tremble merely by looking,
Who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
I will sing to Adonai as long as I live, all my life I will sing praises to God.
May my words be sweet to the Eternal One.
As for me, I rejoice in Adonai.
May transgressors vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more.
O my soul, Adonai; Praise be to God, Hallelu-Yah!
Bless Adonai, O my soul!
Adonai, my God, You are very great --
With majestic glory Your garment, You dress in light like a robe
and hang the heavens like drapes, from the upper waters You fashion beams
for Your chamber, turning the clouds into a chariot,
riding on wings of the wind.
You turn the winds into messengers, into blazing angels of fire,
as You set the earth on a site from which it will never be shaken.
Once, deep seas covered the land like a cloak -- the waters stood over mountains --
You rebuked them, and they fled --
from the sound of Your thunder they hurried away,
they rose up the mountains, they sank down into valleys --
into the very places You arranged for them, within the boundaries You chose.
So that never again would they cover the earth.
You send springs into rivers and flowing mountain streams --
the wild animals all drink -- wild asses slake their thirst.
Birds of the sky rest above them and send out their song from branches of trees.
You make grass grow to feed cattle, and You make grain so human beings can
bring forth bread from the earth, sustaining the human heart.
You make wine to gladden the human heart, to make faces glisten as if from oil.
The trees of Adonai drink their fill -- the cedars of Lebanon God planted --
birds build their nests there, and storks make their home amid cypress.
High mountains are for the gazelles, cliffs of rock shelter the little shrew mouse.
You made the moon to measure the seasons; the sun knows when to set.
You bring down darkness, and there is night, all the beasts of the forest stir,
young lions roar for their prey, seeking food from You
until, at daylight, the regroup, go back to their dens to lie down,
just as people go out to work to labor until evening.
How great are Your works, Adonai! You fashioned all life with wisdom,
the earth is filled with Your creations!
Here is the sea, great and wide, where ships sail --
It teems with creatures -- small ones and large --
There is Leviathan You fashioned to frolic with!
All of them look to You to provide food in its season.
When You offer it, they gather it up when You open Your hand,
they are well-satisfied.
But they panic when You hide Your face and when You take away
their breath, they perish --
they return to the dust from whence they've come.
With Your breath, life is created; You renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of Adonai endure forever, may Adonai rejoice forever
in these works, Who makes the world tremble merely by looking,
Who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
I will sing to Adonai as long as I live, all my life I will sing praises to God.
May my words be sweet to the Eternal One.
As for me, I rejoice in Adonai.
May transgressors vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more.
O my soul, Adonai; Praise be to God, Hallelu-Yah!
Psalm 103 - Common English Bible (2011) a fresh translation to touch the heart and the mind
Of David / / /
Let my whole being / soul bless the LORD!
Let everything inside me bless his holy name!
Let my whole being / soul bless the LORD
and never forget all his good deeds:
how God forgives all your sins,
heals all your sickness,
saves your life from the pit,
crowns you with faithful love and compassion,
and satisfies you with plenty of good things
so that your youth is made fresh like an eagle's.
The LORD works righteousness,
does justice for all who are oppressed.
God made his ways known to Moses,
made his deeds known to the Israelites.
The LORD is compassionate and merciful,
very patient, and full of faithful love.
God won't always play the judge;
he won't be angry forever.
He doesn't deal with us according to our sin
or repay us according to our wrongdoing,
because as high as heaven is above the earth,
that's how large God's faithful love is for those
who honor him.
As far as east is from west --
that's how far God has removed our sin from us.
Like a parent feels compassion for their children --
that's how the LORD feels compassion for those who honor him.
Because God knows how we're made,
God remembers we're just dust.
The days of a human life are like grass:
they bloom like a wildflower;
but when the wind blows through it, it's gone;
even the ground where it stood doesn't remember it.
(Verse 17) But the LORD's faithful love is from forever ago
to forever from now for those who honor him.
And God's righteousness reaches to the grandchildren of those
who keep his covenant and remember to keep his commands.
The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
You divine messengers,
bless the LORD!
You who are mighty in power and keep his word,
who obey everything he says, bless him!
All you heavenly forces, bless the LORD!
All you who serve him and do his will,
bless him!
All God's creatures, bless the LORD!
Everywhere, throughout his kingdom,
let my whole being/soul bless the LORD!
#CommonEngBible (on Twitter 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time March 18, 2015)
Let my whole being / soul bless the LORD!
Let everything inside me bless his holy name!
Let my whole being / soul bless the LORD
and never forget all his good deeds:
how God forgives all your sins,
heals all your sickness,
saves your life from the pit,
crowns you with faithful love and compassion,
and satisfies you with plenty of good things
so that your youth is made fresh like an eagle's.
The LORD works righteousness,
does justice for all who are oppressed.
God made his ways known to Moses,
made his deeds known to the Israelites.
The LORD is compassionate and merciful,
very patient, and full of faithful love.
God won't always play the judge;
he won't be angry forever.
He doesn't deal with us according to our sin
or repay us according to our wrongdoing,
because as high as heaven is above the earth,
that's how large God's faithful love is for those
who honor him.
As far as east is from west --
that's how far God has removed our sin from us.
Like a parent feels compassion for their children --
that's how the LORD feels compassion for those who honor him.
Because God knows how we're made,
God remembers we're just dust.
The days of a human life are like grass:
they bloom like a wildflower;
but when the wind blows through it, it's gone;
even the ground where it stood doesn't remember it.
(Verse 17) But the LORD's faithful love is from forever ago
to forever from now for those who honor him.
And God's righteousness reaches to the grandchildren of those
who keep his covenant and remember to keep his commands.
The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
You divine messengers,
bless the LORD!
You who are mighty in power and keep his word,
who obey everything he says, bless him!
All you heavenly forces, bless the LORD!
All you who serve him and do his will,
bless him!
All God's creatures, bless the LORD!
Everywhere, throughout his kingdom,
let my whole being/soul bless the LORD!
#CommonEngBible (on Twitter 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time March 18, 2015)
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Past, present, future (St. Augustine on Psalm 102, verse 28 in CONFESSIONS, Book XI)
As quoted by Hans-Joachim Kraus in PSALMS 60 - 150 (Page 287 footnote 1, Fortress Press, 1993):
"But you precede all of the past by the loftiness of your ever-present eternity; and you surpass all of the future times because they are future and when they have come, they will be past; but you are the same, and your years will not fail (Psalm 102:28). Your years neither go nor come; but ours both go and come, so that all may come. Your years all stand at the same time, since they stand still; nor are those going shut off from those coming, because they do not pass by; but ours will all be when all will not be. Your years are one day; and your day is not daily, but today, because your today does not give way to tomorrow; nor does it follow yesterday. Your today is eternal; therefore you have begotten him as coeternal to whom you said, 'Today have I begotten you' (Psalm 2:7 and Hebrews 5:5). You have made all times, and you were before all times; nor at any time was there no time" (Confessions, XI, 113).
"But you precede all of the past by the loftiness of your ever-present eternity; and you surpass all of the future times because they are future and when they have come, they will be past; but you are the same, and your years will not fail (Psalm 102:28). Your years neither go nor come; but ours both go and come, so that all may come. Your years all stand at the same time, since they stand still; nor are those going shut off from those coming, because they do not pass by; but ours will all be when all will not be. Your years are one day; and your day is not daily, but today, because your today does not give way to tomorrow; nor does it follow yesterday. Your today is eternal; therefore you have begotten him as coeternal to whom you said, 'Today have I begotten you' (Psalm 2:7 and Hebrews 5:5). You have made all times, and you were before all times; nor at any time was there no time" (Confessions, XI, 113).
Psalm 102: 21st Century translation (Common English Bible, 2011)
A prayer of an oppressed person, when weak and pouring out grief to the LORD / / /
LORD, hear my prayer!
Let my cry reach you!
Don't hide your face from me
in my time of trouble!
Listen to me!
Answer me quickly as I cry out!
Because my days disappear like smoke,
my bones are burned up as if in an oven;
my heart is smashed like dried-up grass.
I even forget to eat my food
because of my intense groans.
My bones are protruding from my skin.
I'm like some wild owl --
like some screech owl in the desert.
I lie awake all night.
I'm all alone like a bird on a roof.
All day long my enemies make fun of me;
those who mock me curse using my name!
I've been eating ashes instead of bread.
I've been mixing tears into my drinks
because of your anger and wrath,
because you picked me up
and threw me away.
My days are like a shadow soon gone.
I'm dried up like dead grass.
But you, LORD, rule forever!
Your fame lasts from one generations to the next!
You will stand up --
you'll have compassion on Zion
because it tis time to have mercy on her --
the time set for that has now come!
Your servants cherish Zion's stones;
they show mercy even to her dirt.
The nations will honor the LORD's name;
all the earth's rulers will honor your glory
because the LORD will rebuild Zion;
he will be seen there in his glory.
God will turn to the prayer of the impoverished;
he won't despise their prayers.
Let this be written down
for the next generation
so that people not yet created
will praise the LORD.
The LORD looked down from his holy summit,
surveyed the earth from heaven,
to hear the prisoners' groans,
to set free those condemned to death,
that the LORD's name
may be declared in Zion
and his praise declared in Jerusalem,
when all people are gathered together --
all kingdoms -- to serve the LORD.
God broke my strength in midstride, cutting my days short.
I said, "My God, don't take me away in the primes of life --
your years go on from one generation to the next!
You laid the earth's foundations long ago;
the skies are your handiwork.
These things will pass away, but you will last.
All of these things will wear out like clothing;
you change them like clothes, and they pass on.
But you are the one!
Your years never end!
Let your servants' children life safe;
let your servants' descendants live secure in your presence."
LORD, hear my prayer!
Let my cry reach you!
Don't hide your face from me
in my time of trouble!
Listen to me!
Answer me quickly as I cry out!
Because my days disappear like smoke,
my bones are burned up as if in an oven;
my heart is smashed like dried-up grass.
I even forget to eat my food
because of my intense groans.
My bones are protruding from my skin.
I'm like some wild owl --
like some screech owl in the desert.
I lie awake all night.
I'm all alone like a bird on a roof.
All day long my enemies make fun of me;
those who mock me curse using my name!
I've been eating ashes instead of bread.
I've been mixing tears into my drinks
because of your anger and wrath,
because you picked me up
and threw me away.
My days are like a shadow soon gone.
I'm dried up like dead grass.
But you, LORD, rule forever!
Your fame lasts from one generations to the next!
You will stand up --
you'll have compassion on Zion
because it tis time to have mercy on her --
the time set for that has now come!
Your servants cherish Zion's stones;
they show mercy even to her dirt.
The nations will honor the LORD's name;
all the earth's rulers will honor your glory
because the LORD will rebuild Zion;
he will be seen there in his glory.
God will turn to the prayer of the impoverished;
he won't despise their prayers.
Let this be written down
for the next generation
so that people not yet created
will praise the LORD.
The LORD looked down from his holy summit,
surveyed the earth from heaven,
to hear the prisoners' groans,
to set free those condemned to death,
that the LORD's name
may be declared in Zion
and his praise declared in Jerusalem,
when all people are gathered together --
all kingdoms -- to serve the LORD.
God broke my strength in midstride, cutting my days short.
I said, "My God, don't take me away in the primes of life --
your years go on from one generation to the next!
You laid the earth's foundations long ago;
the skies are your handiwork.
These things will pass away, but you will last.
All of these things will wear out like clothing;
you change them like clothes, and they pass on.
But you are the one!
Your years never end!
Let your servants' children life safe;
let your servants' descendants live secure in your presence."
Psalm 101: Common English Bible (2011) a fresh translation for the heart and the mind
Of David / / / a Psalm / / /
Oh, let me sing about faithful love and justice!
I want to sing my praises to you, LORD!
I want to study the way of integrity --
how long before it gets here?
I will walk with a heart of integrity in my own house.
I won't set my eyes on anything worthless.
I hate wrongdoing;
none of that will stick to me.
A corrupt heart will be far from me.
I won't be familiar with evil.
I will destroy anyone
who secretly tells lies about a neighbor.
I can't stomach anyone who has proud eyes
or an arrogant heart.
My eyes focus on those who are faithful in the land,
to have them close to me.
The person who walks without blame
will work for me.
But the person who acts deceitfully
won't stay in my house.
The person who tells lies
won't last for long before me.
Every morning I will destroy all those who are wicked in the land
in order to eliminate all evildoers from the LORD's city.
Oh, let me sing about faithful love and justice!
I want to sing my praises to you, LORD!
I want to study the way of integrity --
how long before it gets here?
I will walk with a heart of integrity in my own house.
I won't set my eyes on anything worthless.
I hate wrongdoing;
none of that will stick to me.
A corrupt heart will be far from me.
I won't be familiar with evil.
I will destroy anyone
who secretly tells lies about a neighbor.
I can't stomach anyone who has proud eyes
or an arrogant heart.
My eyes focus on those who are faithful in the land,
to have them close to me.
The person who walks without blame
will work for me.
But the person who acts deceitfully
won't stay in my house.
The person who tells lies
won't last for long before me.
Every morning I will destroy all those who are wicked in the land
in order to eliminate all evildoers from the LORD's city.
Monday, March 16, 2015
Psalm 100: put into Metrical Form for "Lumley Prayer Book" (1544-5) -- Jubilate Deo - Latin for Praise God! - 16th Century
Translated / edited / modernized by Judith Blezzard for The Tudor Music of the Lumley Books, RRMR, 1985):
1. All men rejoice and praise the Lord,
lift up your voice with one concord,
come forth in sight before his throne,
serve him in sprite, one God alone.
Confess, confess his majesty,
one God doubtless in Trinity.
2. He is that Lord that made us,
he is that Lord most gracious,
he made all us of earth and dust,
we made not us, confess we must.
His people indeed a flock we are,
whom he doth feed with a busy care.
3. Enter, enter his mercy gate,
there is no bar for any estate,
give thanks most high for his great grace,
unspeakably in every place.
Speak, read, and sing his laud and praise,
his glad tiding, his word always.
4. Let your life days and good living,
express his praise in everything,
of great mercy and gentleness,
he hath plenty and the fullness.
His promises be most constant sure,
in each degree, always to endure.
[also found at Appendix: The Text of Psalms and Canticles in Robin A. Leaver's essay "Metrical Psalms and Canticles, the Book of Common Prayer, and Thomas Cranmer" (2010) in The Serious Business of Worship edited Melanie C. Ross and Simon Jones (T & T Clark, Continuum).]
1. All men rejoice and praise the Lord,
lift up your voice with one concord,
come forth in sight before his throne,
serve him in sprite, one God alone.
Confess, confess his majesty,
one God doubtless in Trinity.
2. He is that Lord that made us,
he is that Lord most gracious,
he made all us of earth and dust,
we made not us, confess we must.
His people indeed a flock we are,
whom he doth feed with a busy care.
3. Enter, enter his mercy gate,
there is no bar for any estate,
give thanks most high for his great grace,
unspeakably in every place.
Speak, read, and sing his laud and praise,
his glad tiding, his word always.
4. Let your life days and good living,
express his praise in everything,
of great mercy and gentleness,
he hath plenty and the fullness.
His promises be most constant sure,
in each degree, always to endure.
[also found at Appendix: The Text of Psalms and Canticles in Robin A. Leaver's essay "Metrical Psalms and Canticles, the Book of Common Prayer, and Thomas Cranmer" (2010) in The Serious Business of Worship edited Melanie C. Ross and Simon Jones (T & T Clark, Continuum).]
Spring Equinox 2015 - astronomical and meteorological
Astronomically speaking, the March equinox occurs when the Sun crosses the celestial equator on its way north along the ecliptic. In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox is known as the vernal, or spring, equinox, and marks the start of the spring season.
In the Southern Hemisphere, this equinox is known as the autumnal, or fall, equinox and marks the start of the fall season; the vernal equinox for the Southern Hemisphere occurs in September.
The March equinox happens at the same moment across the world but is converted to local time. In 2015, it falls on Friday March 20 at 6:45 P.M. EDT, 5:45 P.M. CDT, 4:45 P.M. MDT, and 3:45 P.M. PDT, for example.
TOTAL Solar Eclipse -- visible from N. Atlantic : Iceland, Greenland only
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2015Mar20Tgoogle.html
In the Southern Hemisphere, this equinox is known as the autumnal, or fall, equinox and marks the start of the fall season; the vernal equinox for the Southern Hemisphere occurs in September.
The March equinox happens at the same moment across the world but is converted to local time. In 2015, it falls on Friday March 20 at 6:45 P.M. EDT, 5:45 P.M. CDT, 4:45 P.M. MDT, and 3:45 P.M. PDT, for example.
- Meteorologically speaking, however, in the Northern Hemisphere the official spring season always begins on March 1 and continues through May 31. Summer begins on June 1; autumn, September 1; and winter, December 1.
TOTAL Solar Eclipse -- visible from N. Atlantic : Iceland, Greenland only
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2015Mar20Tgoogle.html
Passover -- Holiday of Freedom (April 3, 2015 at sundown)
Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is known as the "holiday of freedom," commemorating the Jewish Exodus from Egypt following 210 years of slavery. Passover is regarded as the "birth" of the Jewish nation, and its lessons of struggle and identity continue to form the basis of Jewish consciousness 3,300 years after the event.
Passover is an 8-day holiday (in Israel, seven days). The name derives from the fact that during the final plague – the slaying of the first born – God “passed over" the Jewish homes.SEDER NIGHT – The holiday is marked by the celebration of an elaborate Seder on the first two nights (in Israel, on the first night only). The Seder is designed to give each Jew the experience of "going from slavery unto freedom."
http://www.aish.com/h/pes/t/g/48959286.html?s=lb [ ABC's of Passover web page]
Irish Gaelic -- March 17 event
A special bilingual mass (English & Irish) will be celebrated at 5:15 p.m. Eastern Time March 17, 2015 at Sacred Heart Basilica at the University of Notre Dame campus to mark the feast of Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland.
The worship service will feature music by the Notre Dame Folk Choir and will be led by Fr. Pat Reidy, C.S.C. who is a Holy Cross deacon. (rector of Keough Hall).
The worship service will feature music by the Notre Dame Folk Choir and will be led by Fr. Pat Reidy, C.S.C. who is a Holy Cross deacon. (rector of Keough Hall).
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Paraphrase of Psalm 99 (5-verse Chorus - Published by Selah) - 2007
"Tremble, O Tremble" -- Lyric -- Richard Leach (2007):
1. Tremble, O tremble! The God whose throne is near to us is ruler of the world.
The Holy One!
2. Tremble, O tremble! The justice done by God for us will shake and mend the world,
O Holy One!
3. Tremble, O tremble! When Moses, Aaron, Samuel cried out, our God replied:
The Holy One!
4. Tremble, O tremble! A tower made of cloud, a voice that spoke a lasting law,
The Holy One!
5. Tremble, O tremble! Our God forgives, and yet our sin must be set right at last.
O Holy One!
1. Tremble, O tremble! The God whose throne is near to us is ruler of the world.
The Holy One!
2. Tremble, O tremble! The justice done by God for us will shake and mend the world,
O Holy One!
3. Tremble, O tremble! When Moses, Aaron, Samuel cried out, our God replied:
The Holy One!
4. Tremble, O tremble! A tower made of cloud, a voice that spoke a lasting law,
The Holy One!
5. Tremble, O tremble! Our God forgives, and yet our sin must be set right at last.
O Holy One!
Psalm 99 -- 21st Century Translation by Miriyam Glazer, Ph.D. (2009)
from PSALMS OF JEWISH LITURGY (Avi Press):
Adonai reigns!
Before God's throne, nations tremble --
the land quakes!
Adonai is great in Zion --
celebrated by the nations of the world:
All praise Your wondrous Name!
God is Holy!
With the strength of a Sovereign who loves justice,
You established order
and brought true judgments to Jacob.
Praise Adonai our God, bow before God's footstool:
God is Holy!
Moshe, the priest Aharon, and Sh'muel, among the God-seekers
called to Adonai
and Adonai answered them.
In a pillar of cloud, God spoke to them --
they honored God's Torah, they kept God's laws.
You answered them, Adonai, our God.
You were a forgiving God though You punished wrongdoing.
O praise Adonai our god, bow before God's holy mountain,
For Adonai our God is holy!
Adonai reigns!
Before God's throne, nations tremble --
the land quakes!
Adonai is great in Zion --
celebrated by the nations of the world:
All praise Your wondrous Name!
God is Holy!
With the strength of a Sovereign who loves justice,
You established order
and brought true judgments to Jacob.
Praise Adonai our God, bow before God's footstool:
God is Holy!
Moshe, the priest Aharon, and Sh'muel, among the God-seekers
called to Adonai
and Adonai answered them.
In a pillar of cloud, God spoke to them --
they honored God's Torah, they kept God's laws.
You answered them, Adonai, our God.
You were a forgiving God though You punished wrongdoing.
O praise Adonai our god, bow before God's holy mountain,
For Adonai our God is holy!
Psalm 98 (paraphrase - Daniel L. Schutte) - original publication in 1972, renewed in 2008)
"Sing a New Song unto the Lord" (Refrain -- three verses)
1. Shout with gladness! Dance with joy! O come before the Lord
And play for God on glad tambourines, and let your trumpet sound.
SING A NEW SONG
UNTO THE LORD:
LET YOUR SONG BE SUNG FROM MOUNTAIN's HIGH.
SING A NEW SONG
UNTO THE LORD,
SINGING HALLELUJAH!
2. Rise, O children, from your sleep; your Savior now has come.
He has turned your sorrow to joy, and filled your soul with song.
3. Glad my soul for I have seen the glory of the Lord.
The trumpet sounds; the dead shall be raised, I know my Savior lives.
1. Shout with gladness! Dance with joy! O come before the Lord
And play for God on glad tambourines, and let your trumpet sound.
SING A NEW SONG
UNTO THE LORD:
LET YOUR SONG BE SUNG FROM MOUNTAIN's HIGH.
SING A NEW SONG
UNTO THE LORD,
SINGING HALLELUJAH!
2. Rise, O children, from your sleep; your Savior now has come.
He has turned your sorrow to joy, and filled your soul with song.
3. Glad my soul for I have seen the glory of the Lord.
The trumpet sounds; the dead shall be raised, I know my Savior lives.
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Poison Prevention (March 15 - 21, 2015): Proclamation
from the Press Office of WHITEHOUSE dot-gov:
PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION =
Education and awareness about poisons can save lives. I, Barack Obama, encourage all people to speak out about the importance of poison prevention and discuss these commonsense steps with their loved ones, coworkers, and neighbors. Toll-free line is 1-800-222-1222. . .
To encourage Americans to learn more about the dangers of accidental poisonings and to take appropriate preventative measures, the Congress, by joint resolution approved September 26, 1961, as amended (75 Stat. 681) has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation designating the third week of March each year as "National Poison Prevention Week."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim March 15 through March 21, 2015, as National Poison Prevention Week. I call upon all Americans to observe this week by taking actions to protect their families from hazardous household materials and misuse of prescription medicines.
PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION =
Education and awareness about poisons can save lives. I, Barack Obama, encourage all people to speak out about the importance of poison prevention and discuss these commonsense steps with their loved ones, coworkers, and neighbors. Toll-free line is 1-800-222-1222. . .
To encourage Americans to learn more about the dangers of accidental poisonings and to take appropriate preventative measures, the Congress, by joint resolution approved September 26, 1961, as amended (75 Stat. 681) has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation designating the third week of March each year as "National Poison Prevention Week."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim March 15 through March 21, 2015, as National Poison Prevention Week. I call upon all Americans to observe this week by taking actions to protect their families from hazardous household materials and misuse of prescription medicines.
Psalm 97: Common English Bible (2011) - a fresh translation to touch the heart and the mind
The LORD rules! Let the earth rejoice!
Let all the islands celebrate!
Clouds and thick darkness surround God.
His throne is build on righteousness and justice.
Fire proceeds before him, burning up his enemies on every side!
His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees it and trembles!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of the whole world!
Heaven has proclaimed God's righteousness,
and all nations have seen his glory.
All those who worship images, those who are proud of idols,
are put to shame.
All gods bow down to the Lord!
Zion has heard and celebrates,
the towns / daughters of Judah rejoice,
because of your acts of justice, LORD,
because you, LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,
because you are so superior to all other gods.
Those of you who love the LORD, hate evil!
God guards the lives of his faithful ones,
delivering them from the power of the wicked.
Light is planted like seed for the righteous person;
joy too for those whose heart is right.
Rejoice in the LORD, righteous ones!
Give thanks to his holy name!
Let all the islands celebrate!
Clouds and thick darkness surround God.
His throne is build on righteousness and justice.
Fire proceeds before him, burning up his enemies on every side!
His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees it and trembles!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of the whole world!
Heaven has proclaimed God's righteousness,
and all nations have seen his glory.
All those who worship images, those who are proud of idols,
are put to shame.
All gods bow down to the Lord!
Zion has heard and celebrates,
the towns / daughters of Judah rejoice,
because of your acts of justice, LORD,
because you, LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,
because you are so superior to all other gods.
Those of you who love the LORD, hate evil!
God guards the lives of his faithful ones,
delivering them from the power of the wicked.
Light is planted like seed for the righteous person;
joy too for those whose heart is right.
Rejoice in the LORD, righteous ones!
Give thanks to his holy name!
Find your inner hero - Not all heroes wear capes
March is RED CROSS MONTH (March 1 - 31, 2015) from www.redcross.org/
Every eight minutes, the American Red Cross brings help and hope to people in need, thanks to heroes like you. Whether you donate funds, donate blood or volunteer, we depend on your support to make a difference in communities across the country.
Each year, the president of the United States proclaims March "Red Cross Month.” We use this month as a chance to honor and celebrate the everyday heroes who help us fulfill our mission. This March, we encourage you to uncover your inner hero.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Psalm 96: a 21st Century translation by Miriyam Glazer, Ph.D. (2009)
from Psalms of Jewish Liturgy (Avi Press):
Sing a new song to Adonai! All the earth, sing to Adonai!
Sing to Adonai, bless God's Name, spread word of God's help day after day!
Tell all the nations of God's glory, tell all the people of God's wondrous acts.
For great is Adonai, worthy of praise, more awe-inspiring than all other gods.
Other kinds of gods are mere idols, but Adonai brought the heavens into being.
O, the radiance of God glows in the sky; strength, beauty are God's holy place.
To Adonai, family of nations, to Adonai, grant glorious strength!
Grant to Adonai the glory due the Name, bring an offering, come to God's court:
Worship Adonai in scared space; tremble before God, all the earth!
Let all the nations know Adonai rules: the world stands firm and will not falter,
for God judges all peoples fairly.
O heavens rejoice! earth exult!
Let the sea and its fullness roar!
Let the field be glad -- and all that is in it,
all the trees in the forest, shout with joy!
For Adonai is coming, Adonai is on the way,
to judge the land,
to judge the earth with true justice
and the peoples of the world with truth!
Sing a new song to Adonai! All the earth, sing to Adonai!
Sing to Adonai, bless God's Name, spread word of God's help day after day!
Tell all the nations of God's glory, tell all the people of God's wondrous acts.
For great is Adonai, worthy of praise, more awe-inspiring than all other gods.
Other kinds of gods are mere idols, but Adonai brought the heavens into being.
O, the radiance of God glows in the sky; strength, beauty are God's holy place.
To Adonai, family of nations, to Adonai, grant glorious strength!
Grant to Adonai the glory due the Name, bring an offering, come to God's court:
Worship Adonai in scared space; tremble before God, all the earth!
Let all the nations know Adonai rules: the world stands firm and will not falter,
for God judges all peoples fairly.
O heavens rejoice! earth exult!
Let the sea and its fullness roar!
Let the field be glad -- and all that is in it,
all the trees in the forest, shout with joy!
For Adonai is coming, Adonai is on the way,
to judge the land,
to judge the earth with true justice
and the peoples of the world with truth!
Reconstructing the Landscape of the Past -- Friday 10 - 11:45 a.m.
Reconstructing the Past Through Landscape (DeBartolo Hall, Room 214)
Chair: Paolo Squatriti, University of Michigan
“‘One cultivates vines, another the fields’: Landscapes in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem”
Heather Crowley, Cardiff University
“Charting Political Landscapes in the Po Valley in the Later Middle Ages”
Victoria M. Morse, Carleton College
“La Plus Ça Change: Historic Preservation in the Middle Ages”
Stacey Graham, Middle Tennessee State University
program for the 2015 Medieval Academy of America annual meeting / / /
http://medieval.nd.edu/events-and-calendar/medieval-academy-meeting-2015/program/
Chair: Paolo Squatriti, University of Michigan
“‘One cultivates vines, another the fields’: Landscapes in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem”
Heather Crowley, Cardiff University
“Charting Political Landscapes in the Po Valley in the Later Middle Ages”
Victoria M. Morse, Carleton College
“La Plus Ça Change: Historic Preservation in the Middle Ages”
Stacey Graham, Middle Tennessee State University
program for the 2015 Medieval Academy of America annual meeting / / /
http://medieval.nd.edu/events-and-calendar/medieval-academy-meeting-2015/program/
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Jan Hus and Council of Constance (Medieval Academy Meeting, March 12, 2015 at Univ. of Notre Dame) -- part of agenda
Jan Hus and the Council of Constance (DeBartolo Hall, Room 118)
Chair: David C. Mengel, Xavier University
“Artes and Philosophy in the University: Illustrations from the 13th to 15th Centuries”
Stephen Lahey, University of Nebraska-Lincoln;
“Jan Hus at the Council of Constance: A Public Relations Nightmare”
Marcela K. Perett, Bard College Berlin;
“English Damage Control and the Trial of Jan Hus”
Michael Van Dussen, McGill University.
“How a Martyr is Made: Jan Hus and the Self-Consciousness of Holy Death”
Philip Haberkern, Boston University
The program for the 2015 Medieval Academy of America [http://medieval.nd.edu/events-and-calendar/medieval-academy-meeting-2015/program/ ]
Chair: David C. Mengel, Xavier University
“Artes and Philosophy in the University: Illustrations from the 13th to 15th Centuries”
Stephen Lahey, University of Nebraska-Lincoln;
“Jan Hus at the Council of Constance: A Public Relations Nightmare”
Marcela K. Perett, Bard College Berlin;
“English Damage Control and the Trial of Jan Hus”
Michael Van Dussen, McGill University.
“How a Martyr is Made: Jan Hus and the Self-Consciousness of Holy Death”
Philip Haberkern, Boston University
The program for the 2015 Medieval Academy of America [http://medieval.nd.edu/events-and-calendar/medieval-academy-meeting-2015/program/ ]
Psalm 95 -- a 21st Century Translation (2009: Avi Press) by Miriyam Glazer, Ph.D.
from PSALMS of the JEWISH LITURGY (2009):
Come, let us sing with joy to Adonai --
calling out to the Rock who protects us;
let us move closer to God's Presence with gratitude
and in our psalms sing joyously to God!
For Adonai is great, Ruler of all other rulers:
the depths of the earth are in God's hands;
the peaks of the mountains are God's.
The sea is God's, for God made it; the hands of God formed dry land.
So come, let us worship, kneel, bow before Adonai our Maker:
This is our God and we are the people of God's pasture,
the flock in God's hand, if we only heed God's Voice:
"Oh, do not harden your hearts as you did at Merivah,
as you did at Massah in the desert wilderness when
your ancestors tried and tested me though they had seen My Marvelous acts.
All 40 years I strove with the generation till I said,
'These people have errant hearts. They will never honor My Ways.'
And I swore in My rage that never would they come to My place of rest."
Come, let us sing with joy to Adonai --
calling out to the Rock who protects us;
let us move closer to God's Presence with gratitude
and in our psalms sing joyously to God!
For Adonai is great, Ruler of all other rulers:
the depths of the earth are in God's hands;
the peaks of the mountains are God's.
The sea is God's, for God made it; the hands of God formed dry land.
So come, let us worship, kneel, bow before Adonai our Maker:
This is our God and we are the people of God's pasture,
the flock in God's hand, if we only heed God's Voice:
"Oh, do not harden your hearts as you did at Merivah,
as you did at Massah in the desert wilderness when
your ancestors tried and tested me though they had seen My Marvelous acts.
All 40 years I strove with the generation till I said,
'These people have errant hearts. They will never honor My Ways.'
And I swore in My rage that never would they come to My place of rest."
Psalm 94 -- 21st Century translation (Psalms_of_Jewish_Liturgy: Avi Press)
Translated by Miriyam Glazer, Ph.D. (2009):
God of retribution, God who exacts punishment, Adonai, shine forth!
Rise up, Judge of all the earth, and give the arrogant what they deserve.
How long, Adonai, how long, will the wicked triumph?
Their arrogance knows no bounds, they boast of their own wrongdoing --
they oppress Your people, they mock Your traditions, Adonai.
They kill the widow and the foreigner among us,
they murder orphans, they claim that You won't see --
that the God of Jacob will pay no attention --
Understand this, you brutes -- you fools, see the truth:
Will the One who formed the ear not hear?
Will the Creator of the eye not notice?
Will the One who rebukes nations, the One who teaches awareness,
fail to punish you?
Adonai knows our thoughts, knows they are a wisp of wind, a mere breath;
Happy are the ones who feel God's rebuke and learn the lesson --
they can be calm during times of trouble, until evil is swallowed up in a pit.
Adonai will not abandon Israel, those who inherit God's teaching:
Justice will be restored, and honest hearts will pursue it.
Who will rise up with me against evildoers?
Who will stand with me against the wicked?
If Adonai were not my help, my soul would almost be silenced --
For when I feel that I'm stumbling,
Your sturdy love, Adonai, sets me on my feet.
When my anxieties war within me, You soothe and console me.
You would never lend a hand to leaders whose cruel laws cause suffering, who band together to persecute the just, who spill innocent blood.
You are my source of strength, Adonai, my God --
You are my refuge -- my Rock who will confront evildoers with their own evil
and utterly destroy them.
Wipe them out.
Adonai our God will wipe them out.
God of retribution, God who exacts punishment, Adonai, shine forth!
Rise up, Judge of all the earth, and give the arrogant what they deserve.
How long, Adonai, how long, will the wicked triumph?
Their arrogance knows no bounds, they boast of their own wrongdoing --
they oppress Your people, they mock Your traditions, Adonai.
They kill the widow and the foreigner among us,
they murder orphans, they claim that You won't see --
that the God of Jacob will pay no attention --
Understand this, you brutes -- you fools, see the truth:
Will the One who formed the ear not hear?
Will the Creator of the eye not notice?
Will the One who rebukes nations, the One who teaches awareness,
fail to punish you?
Adonai knows our thoughts, knows they are a wisp of wind, a mere breath;
Happy are the ones who feel God's rebuke and learn the lesson --
they can be calm during times of trouble, until evil is swallowed up in a pit.
Adonai will not abandon Israel, those who inherit God's teaching:
Justice will be restored, and honest hearts will pursue it.
Who will rise up with me against evildoers?
Who will stand with me against the wicked?
If Adonai were not my help, my soul would almost be silenced --
For when I feel that I'm stumbling,
Your sturdy love, Adonai, sets me on my feet.
When my anxieties war within me, You soothe and console me.
You would never lend a hand to leaders whose cruel laws cause suffering, who band together to persecute the just, who spill innocent blood.
You are my source of strength, Adonai, my God --
You are my refuge -- my Rock who will confront evildoers with their own evil
and utterly destroy them.
Wipe them out.
Adonai our God will wipe them out.
Psalm 93 - 21st Century translation - Miriyam Glazer, Ph.D. (2009)
from Psalms of Jewish Liturgy (Avi Press):
Adonai reigns, robed in majesty --
Adonai clothed in strength --
making the world unshakeable, stable.
Your throne, Adonai, has stood for eons --
You are from forever.
Though the seas have risen, Adonai,
the sound of the seas has risen, the pounding waves of the sea roar.
Stronger than the thundering water,
mightier than the breakers of the sea,
is the majesty of Adonai on high;
for we trust Your Torah, Adonai
in Your house, the sacred has a home --
You, Adonai, forever!
Adonai reigns, robed in majesty --
Adonai clothed in strength --
making the world unshakeable, stable.
Your throne, Adonai, has stood for eons --
You are from forever.
Though the seas have risen, Adonai,
the sound of the seas has risen, the pounding waves of the sea roar.
Stronger than the thundering water,
mightier than the breakers of the sea,
is the majesty of Adonai on high;
for we trust Your Torah, Adonai
in Your house, the sacred has a home --
You, Adonai, forever!
Pi Day March 14, 2015 -- eight digits of Pi [ 3.1415926 ]
Pi Day 5K
http://science.nd.edu/events/2015/03/14/32492-pi-day-5k/
Psalm 92: 21st Century translation by Miriyam Glazer, Ph.D. (2009)
from Psalms of the Jewish Liturgy (Avi Press):
How good it is to thank Adonai,
to sing praises to our God on high, telling of Your kindness in the morning,
Your loyalty, at night with the melodies of the lyre and harp, the music of the lute.
You have so gladdened me, Adonai, by Your works,
I sing of Your handiwork - creation - with joy!
How great are Your deeds, Adonai --
Your thoughts are so deep --
The cynical are blind to it - fools don't understand.
Evil may sprout up like grass -- evildoers may flourish,
but they will be destroyed utterly --
and You, Adonai, will be honored forever.
Look, Adonai, look how Your enemies perish,
how evildoers scatter!
As if I were a wild ox, You raise up my horn in triumph.
You anoint me with freshest oil.
My eyes see my enemies' downfall,
my ears heart their defeat.
But the just are as fertile as a date palm,
and like a cedar on Mount Lebanon, they grow tall.
Planted in the House of Adonai,
in the courtyard of our God, they blossom.
They are fresh even in old age, fruitful luxuriant --
telling that Adonai is true, my Rock, flawless.
How good it is to thank Adonai,
to sing praises to our God on high, telling of Your kindness in the morning,
Your loyalty, at night with the melodies of the lyre and harp, the music of the lute.
You have so gladdened me, Adonai, by Your works,
I sing of Your handiwork - creation - with joy!
How great are Your deeds, Adonai --
Your thoughts are so deep --
The cynical are blind to it - fools don't understand.
Evil may sprout up like grass -- evildoers may flourish,
but they will be destroyed utterly --
and You, Adonai, will be honored forever.
Look, Adonai, look how Your enemies perish,
how evildoers scatter!
As if I were a wild ox, You raise up my horn in triumph.
You anoint me with freshest oil.
My eyes see my enemies' downfall,
my ears heart their defeat.
But the just are as fertile as a date palm,
and like a cedar on Mount Lebanon, they grow tall.
Planted in the House of Adonai,
in the courtyard of our God, they blossom.
They are fresh even in old age, fruitful luxuriant --
telling that Adonai is true, my Rock, flawless.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Psalm 91 -- a 21st Century Translation by Miriyam Glazer, Ph.D. (2009)
from PSALMS FROM JEWISH LITURGY (Avi Press):
a psalm of trust / / /
One who dwells within God's shelter lives in the Almighty's protective shadow.
I call Adonai "my haven and my strength,"
for my God, I trust you.
God will save you from hunters' traps,
from deadly plague,
and protect you, shelter you under the shadow of God's wings.
God, our shield, our armor, we trust You.
Have no fear of the terrors of nights, of arrows that fly by day -- of pestilence
stalking at dusk, or the scourge that strikes at noon.
Though thousands fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand,
you will be safe.
Only look with your eyes --
the destruction of the wicked is what you will see.
No harm can befall you, no affliction approach you home.
God commands angels to guard you on all your paths --
to lift you up with their palms, lest you stumble on stones.
Even if you tread on lion and adder, or trample a serpent or a lion cub --
God will say "Because you have clung to me, I will save you;
I will set you up high, for you know my Name.
Whoever calls me, I will answer, and remain by their side through times of trouble,
I will draw you out of danger and honor you, setting you with length of days --
revealing to you My power to save."
a psalm of trust / / /
One who dwells within God's shelter lives in the Almighty's protective shadow.
I call Adonai "my haven and my strength,"
for my God, I trust you.
God will save you from hunters' traps,
from deadly plague,
and protect you, shelter you under the shadow of God's wings.
God, our shield, our armor, we trust You.
Have no fear of the terrors of nights, of arrows that fly by day -- of pestilence
stalking at dusk, or the scourge that strikes at noon.
Though thousands fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand,
you will be safe.
Only look with your eyes --
the destruction of the wicked is what you will see.
No harm can befall you, no affliction approach you home.
God commands angels to guard you on all your paths --
to lift you up with their palms, lest you stumble on stones.
Even if you tread on lion and adder, or trample a serpent or a lion cub --
God will say "Because you have clung to me, I will save you;
I will set you up high, for you know my Name.
Whoever calls me, I will answer, and remain by their side through times of trouble,
I will draw you out of danger and honor you, setting you with length of days --
revealing to you My power to save."
John Howard Yoder (past Ethics Professor / writer now acknowledged as Sexual Predator): Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary Service of Lament, Confession, Hope (March 21 - 22, 2015)
| Location: | Elkhart, IN |
| Description: | The AMBS board of directors along with the president and administrative cabinet are taking steps to acknowledge institutional responsibility for the harm inflicted by John Howard Yoder’s sexual exploitation of women while employed at the seminary in the 1970s and 1980s, and for seminary leaders’ prolonged failure to intervene effectively.
Saturday and Sunday events are planned for all AMBS alumni/alumnae, current and former faculty, board members, administrators, staff and their families.
https://www.ambs.edu/news-events/calendar/10147/201435 [ Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary of Elkhart, IN website ]
|
Psalm 90 -- translation by author Miriyam Glazer, Ph.D. (2009)
[From Psalms From Jewish Liturgy: a guide to their beauty, power, and meaning: Aviv Press]
A prayer for Moses, a man of God / / /
Generation after generation, Adonai, You have been our refuge.
Before the mountains were born, before the earth
and the world itself writhed into life;
forever and forever You have been God.
But us You return to mere dust (daka), as if saying,
"Go back to the earth, children of the earth."
Though in Your eyes a thousand years a fleeting yesterday, passing as if in a dream,
we are like grass -
like grass that flourishes in the morning sun but by evening withers and dies.
For it is Your anger that devours us,
Your rage that fills us with terror.
You lay out all of our faults, You shine Your light on our most secret sins.
In the presence of Your anger,
our days slip away --
our whole lives seem no more than a whisper (hegeh).
Our lives last for 70 years --
and if we have strength, 80.
Most of them are hard work and sadness and pass by too quickly before we're cut down.
The full force of Your anger is as immeasurable as the fear many feel toward You.
Adonai, teach us how to make each of our days matter
so that our hearts may become wise.
Come back to us, Adonai,
how long must we wait for Your compassion!
Save us with Your kindness every morning
and our whole lives will brim with gladness and joy --
Give us joy equal to the sorrow we've suffered,
the years we felt only pain.
Let this, Your goodness, be revealed to all who pray to You.
Let our children see Your glory.
May we ourselves feel Your loveliness, Adonai,
our God, and may the works of our own hands be realized, the works of our own hands
be realized!
A prayer for Moses, a man of God / / /
Generation after generation, Adonai, You have been our refuge.
Before the mountains were born, before the earth
and the world itself writhed into life;
forever and forever You have been God.
But us You return to mere dust (daka), as if saying,
"Go back to the earth, children of the earth."
Though in Your eyes a thousand years a fleeting yesterday, passing as if in a dream,
we are like grass -
like grass that flourishes in the morning sun but by evening withers and dies.
For it is Your anger that devours us,
Your rage that fills us with terror.
You lay out all of our faults, You shine Your light on our most secret sins.
In the presence of Your anger,
our days slip away --
our whole lives seem no more than a whisper (hegeh).
Our lives last for 70 years --
and if we have strength, 80.
Most of them are hard work and sadness and pass by too quickly before we're cut down.
The full force of Your anger is as immeasurable as the fear many feel toward You.
Adonai, teach us how to make each of our days matter
so that our hearts may become wise.
Come back to us, Adonai,
how long must we wait for Your compassion!
Save us with Your kindness every morning
and our whole lives will brim with gladness and joy --
Give us joy equal to the sorrow we've suffered,
the years we felt only pain.
Let this, Your goodness, be revealed to all who pray to You.
Let our children see Your glory.
May we ourselves feel Your loveliness, Adonai,
our God, and may the works of our own hands be realized, the works of our own hands
be realized!
A day to celebrate the memory of the dead (Liberia) -- Presidential proclamation - March 11
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has by Proclamation, declared Wednesday, March 11, 2015 as Decoration Day and is to be observed throughout Liberia as a national holiday.
According to a Foreign Ministry release, the President's Proclamation is in consonance with an Act of the National Legislature approved on October 24, 1916 which declared the Second Wednesday of March in each year to be known as "Decoration Day" and to be observed as a National Holiday.
The President, in the Proclamation, ordered that the National Ensign be flown at half-mast from all public buildings, military camps and private residences from 12:01 ante meridian (AM) to 5:30 post meridian (PM).
The Proclamation adds that it is befitting that a day be set aside to celebrate the memory of the dead, who have lived and died in the interest of the Liberian Nation, thereby keeping ever alive their deed and invaluable contribution made to society and the State for onward march to progress.
http://allafrica.com/
According to a Foreign Ministry release, the President's Proclamation is in consonance with an Act of the National Legislature approved on October 24, 1916 which declared the Second Wednesday of March in each year to be known as "Decoration Day" and to be observed as a National Holiday.
The Proclamation adds that it is befitting that a day be set aside to celebrate the memory of the dead, who have lived and died in the interest of the Liberian Nation, thereby keeping ever alive their deed and invaluable contribution made to society and the State for onward march to progress.
http://allafrica.com/
Affirming life's spiritual dimension
Jean Vanier, a Canadian who launched an international network of communities for the mentally disabled, has won the 2015 Templeton Prize worth $1.7 million for affirming life’s spiritual dimension.
The U.S.-based John Templeton Foundation announced the award on Wednesday in London, calling him “this extraordinary man” whose message of compassion for society’s weakest members “has the potential to change the world for the better”.
Vanier, 86, founded the first L’Arche (“Ark”) community in 1964 when he invited two mentally disabled men to leave their large institution and live with him in a small house in Trosly-Breuil, a village 95 kilometers (60 miles) north of Paris, France.
His followers copied the idea of creating supportive households with the mentally handicapped so often that there are now 147 L’Arche communities operating in 35 countries.
“People with (mental) disabilities have been among the most oppressed and humiliated. They were called idiots,” Vanier told Reuters at his home before the prize was announced. “But these are beautiful people, people of the heart. It’s great to be together. This is what L’Arche wants to be.”
The Templeton Prize, which in previous years has gone to personalities such as Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama, is one of the world’s richest with an award set always higher than the Nobel Prize.
Vanier, who lives modestly in the village where L’Arche started, said two associations that manage the network’s projects would decide what to do with the prize money.
“It will certainly go to help the poorer communities, maybe the one in Bangladesh,” he said.
A Catholic philosopher, theologian and author of over 30 books, Vanier also founded the Faith and Light network of support groups for families with a mentally disabled member. There are now over 1,500 such groups in 82 countries.
He sees the networks as an antidote to modern society’s stress on status and money, which he says makes people overlook the humanity in those on the sidelines of the rat race.
“We live in a world where there’s a tyranny of normality,” he said. “People all have to be the same. They have to be on the upward road (where) there are winners and losers. Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer winners and more and more losers.”
Volunteers who join a L’Arche community discover that the people they help also teach them much about life, he said.
“The strong need the weak to become more human, more compassionate, more understanding,” said Vanier, a former Canadian naval officer and philosophy lecturer who has lived most of his life in France. His father Georges Vanier was a diplomat and Canada’s first governor-general from Quebec.
Clearly inspired by Catholic social teaching, the L’Arche and Faith and Light networks soon began working with other faiths as communities opened in other countries.
The L’Arche community in Bangalore, opened in 1970, has Hindus, Muslims and Christians. “We have 400 Faith and Light communities in Egypt,” Vanier said. “We had 40 of them in Syria – I say ‘had’ because I don’t know what’s happened to them now.”
Vanier sees faith as an important part of L’Arche, but is wary of beliefs that become exclusive. “The important thing is to love,” he said. “Faith is at the heart of love. Faith can be sectarian, bit it can also open us to others.”
Founding such a wide international web of communities and groups focused on the mentally disabled was the last thing on his mind when he invited the first two members to live with him, Vanier said, adding: “I couldn’t have imagined it one minute.”
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/03/11/jean-vanier-advocate-of-disabled-wins-1-7-million-templeton-prize-for-2015/
The U.S.-based John Templeton Foundation announced the award on Wednesday in London, calling him “this extraordinary man” whose message of compassion for society’s weakest members “has the potential to change the world for the better”.
Vanier, 86, founded the first L’Arche (“Ark”) community in 1964 when he invited two mentally disabled men to leave their large institution and live with him in a small house in Trosly-Breuil, a village 95 kilometers (60 miles) north of Paris, France.
His followers copied the idea of creating supportive households with the mentally handicapped so often that there are now 147 L’Arche communities operating in 35 countries.
“People with (mental) disabilities have been among the most oppressed and humiliated. They were called idiots,” Vanier told Reuters at his home before the prize was announced. “But these are beautiful people, people of the heart. It’s great to be together. This is what L’Arche wants to be.”
The Templeton Prize, which in previous years has gone to personalities such as Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama, is one of the world’s richest with an award set always higher than the Nobel Prize.
Vanier, who lives modestly in the village where L’Arche started, said two associations that manage the network’s projects would decide what to do with the prize money.
“It will certainly go to help the poorer communities, maybe the one in Bangladesh,” he said.
A Catholic philosopher, theologian and author of over 30 books, Vanier also founded the Faith and Light network of support groups for families with a mentally disabled member. There are now over 1,500 such groups in 82 countries.
He sees the networks as an antidote to modern society’s stress on status and money, which he says makes people overlook the humanity in those on the sidelines of the rat race.
“We live in a world where there’s a tyranny of normality,” he said. “People all have to be the same. They have to be on the upward road (where) there are winners and losers. Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer winners and more and more losers.”
Volunteers who join a L’Arche community discover that the people they help also teach them much about life, he said.
“The strong need the weak to become more human, more compassionate, more understanding,” said Vanier, a former Canadian naval officer and philosophy lecturer who has lived most of his life in France. His father Georges Vanier was a diplomat and Canada’s first governor-general from Quebec.
Clearly inspired by Catholic social teaching, the L’Arche and Faith and Light networks soon began working with other faiths as communities opened in other countries.
The L’Arche community in Bangalore, opened in 1970, has Hindus, Muslims and Christians. “We have 400 Faith and Light communities in Egypt,” Vanier said. “We had 40 of them in Syria – I say ‘had’ because I don’t know what’s happened to them now.”
Vanier sees faith as an important part of L’Arche, but is wary of beliefs that become exclusive. “The important thing is to love,” he said. “Faith is at the heart of love. Faith can be sectarian, bit it can also open us to others.”
Founding such a wide international web of communities and groups focused on the mentally disabled was the last thing on his mind when he invited the first two members to live with him, Vanier said, adding: “I couldn’t have imagined it one minute.”
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/03/11/jean-vanier-advocate-of-disabled-wins-1-7-million-templeton-prize-for-2015/
Psalm 89 - Common English Bible (2011) translation to touch the heart and mind
A maskil (instruction) of Ethan the Ezrahite / / /
I will sing of the LORD's loyal love forever.
I will proclaim your faithfulness with my own mouth
from one generation to the next.
That's why I say, "Your loyal love is rightly built -- forever!
You establish your faithfulness in heaven."
You said, "I made a covenant with my chosen one;
I promised my servant David:
'I will establish your offspring forever;
I will build up your throne from one generation to the next!'" SELAH.
Heaven thanks you for your wondrous acts, LORD --
for your faithfulness too --
in the assembly of the holy ones.
Is there any in the sky who could compare to the LORD?
Who among the gods is equal to the LORD?
God is respected in the council of the holy ones;
God is awesome and revered more than all those around him.
Who is like you,
LORD God of heavenly forces?
Mighty LORD, your faithfulness surrounds you!
You rule over the surging sea:
When its waves rise up, it's you who makes them still.
It's you who crushed Rahab like a dead body;
you scattered your enemies with a strong arm.
Heaven is yours! The earth too!
The world and all that fills it --
you made all of it!
North and south -- you created them!
The mountains Tabor and Hermon shout praises to your name.
You have a powerful arm;
your hand is strong;
your strong hand is raised high!
Your throne is built on righteousness and justice;
loyal love and faithfulness stand in front of you.
The people who know the celebratory shout are truly happy!
They walk in the light of your presence, LORD!
They rejoice in your name all day lone and are uplifted by your righteousness
because you are the splendor of their strength.
By your favor you make us strong
because our shield is the LORD's own;
our king belongs to the holy one of Israel!
Once you spoke in a vision to your faithful servants:
I placed a crown on a strong man.
I raised up someone specially chosen from the people.
I discovered my servant David.
I anointed him with my holy oil.
My hand will sustain him --
yes, my arm will strengthen him!
No enemy will oppress him;
no wicked person will make him suffer.
I will crush all his foes in front of him.
I will strike down all those who hate him.
My faithfulness and my loyal love will be with him.
He will be strengthened by my name.
I will set his hand on the sea.
I will set his strong hand on the rivers.
He will cry out to me:
"You are my father,
my God, the rock of my salvation!"
Yes, I'll make him the one born first --
I'll make him the high king of all earth's kings.
I will always guard my loyal love toward him.
My covenant with him will last forever.
I will establish his dynasty for all time.
His throne will last as long as heaven does.
But if his children ever abandon his Instruction,
stop following my rules --
if they treat my statutes like dirt,
stop keeping my commandments --
then I will punish their sin with a stick,
and I will punish their wrongdoing with a severe beating.
But even then I won't withdraw my loyal love from him.
I won't betray my faithfulness.
I won't break my covenant.
I won't renege on what crossed my lips.
By my own holiness I've sworn one thing:
I will not lie to David.
His dynasty will last forever.
His throne will be like the sun,
always before me.
It will be securely established forever;
like the moon, a faithful witness in the sky. SELAH.
But you, God have rejected and despised him.
You've become infuriated with your anointed one.
You've canceled the covenant with your servant.
You've thrown his crown in the dirt.
You've broken through all his walls.
You've made his strongholds a pile of ruins.
All those who pass by plunder him.
He's nothing but a joke to his neighbors.
You lifted high his foes' strong hand.
You gave all his enemies reason to celebrate.
Yes, you dulled the edge of his sword and didn't support him in battle.
You've put an end to his splendor.
You've thrown his throne to the ground.
You've shortened the prime of his life.
You've wrapped him up in shame. SELAH.
How long will it last, LORD?
Will you hide yourself forever?
How long will your wrath burn like fire?
Remember how short my life is!
Have you created humans for no good reason?
Who lives their life without seeing death?
Who is ever rescued from the grip of the grave (Sheol)? SELAH.
Where now are your loving acts from long ago, my Lord --
the same ones you promised to David by your own faithfulness?
Remember your servant's abuse, my Lord!
Remember how I bear in my heart all the insults of the nation,
the ones your enemies, LORD; use --
the ones they use to abuse every step your anointed one takes.
Bless the LORD forever!
Amen and Amen!
I will sing of the LORD's loyal love forever.
I will proclaim your faithfulness with my own mouth
from one generation to the next.
That's why I say, "Your loyal love is rightly built -- forever!
You establish your faithfulness in heaven."
You said, "I made a covenant with my chosen one;
I promised my servant David:
'I will establish your offspring forever;
I will build up your throne from one generation to the next!'" SELAH.
Heaven thanks you for your wondrous acts, LORD --
for your faithfulness too --
in the assembly of the holy ones.
Is there any in the sky who could compare to the LORD?
Who among the gods is equal to the LORD?
God is respected in the council of the holy ones;
God is awesome and revered more than all those around him.
Who is like you,
LORD God of heavenly forces?
Mighty LORD, your faithfulness surrounds you!
You rule over the surging sea:
When its waves rise up, it's you who makes them still.
It's you who crushed Rahab like a dead body;
you scattered your enemies with a strong arm.
Heaven is yours! The earth too!
The world and all that fills it --
you made all of it!
North and south -- you created them!
The mountains Tabor and Hermon shout praises to your name.
You have a powerful arm;
your hand is strong;
your strong hand is raised high!
Your throne is built on righteousness and justice;
loyal love and faithfulness stand in front of you.
The people who know the celebratory shout are truly happy!
They walk in the light of your presence, LORD!
They rejoice in your name all day lone and are uplifted by your righteousness
because you are the splendor of their strength.
By your favor you make us strong
because our shield is the LORD's own;
our king belongs to the holy one of Israel!
Once you spoke in a vision to your faithful servants:
I placed a crown on a strong man.
I raised up someone specially chosen from the people.
I discovered my servant David.
I anointed him with my holy oil.
My hand will sustain him --
yes, my arm will strengthen him!
No enemy will oppress him;
no wicked person will make him suffer.
I will crush all his foes in front of him.
I will strike down all those who hate him.
My faithfulness and my loyal love will be with him.
He will be strengthened by my name.
I will set his hand on the sea.
I will set his strong hand on the rivers.
He will cry out to me:
"You are my father,
my God, the rock of my salvation!"
Yes, I'll make him the one born first --
I'll make him the high king of all earth's kings.
I will always guard my loyal love toward him.
My covenant with him will last forever.
I will establish his dynasty for all time.
His throne will last as long as heaven does.
But if his children ever abandon his Instruction,
stop following my rules --
if they treat my statutes like dirt,
stop keeping my commandments --
then I will punish their sin with a stick,
and I will punish their wrongdoing with a severe beating.
But even then I won't withdraw my loyal love from him.
I won't betray my faithfulness.
I won't break my covenant.
I won't renege on what crossed my lips.
By my own holiness I've sworn one thing:
I will not lie to David.
His dynasty will last forever.
His throne will be like the sun,
always before me.
It will be securely established forever;
like the moon, a faithful witness in the sky. SELAH.
But you, God have rejected and despised him.
You've become infuriated with your anointed one.
You've canceled the covenant with your servant.
You've thrown his crown in the dirt.
You've broken through all his walls.
You've made his strongholds a pile of ruins.
All those who pass by plunder him.
He's nothing but a joke to his neighbors.
You lifted high his foes' strong hand.
You gave all his enemies reason to celebrate.
Yes, you dulled the edge of his sword and didn't support him in battle.
You've put an end to his splendor.
You've thrown his throne to the ground.
You've shortened the prime of his life.
You've wrapped him up in shame. SELAH.
How long will it last, LORD?
Will you hide yourself forever?
How long will your wrath burn like fire?
Remember how short my life is!
Have you created humans for no good reason?
Who lives their life without seeing death?
Who is ever rescued from the grip of the grave (Sheol)? SELAH.
Where now are your loving acts from long ago, my Lord --
the same ones you promised to David by your own faithfulness?
Remember your servant's abuse, my Lord!
Remember how I bear in my heart all the insults of the nation,
the ones your enemies, LORD; use --
the ones they use to abuse every step your anointed one takes.
Bless the LORD forever!
Amen and Amen!
Psalm 88: Common English Bible translation for the 21st Century
A song / / / a psalm of the Korahites / / / for the music leader.
LORD, God of my salvation,
by day I cry out, even at eight, before you --
let my prayer reach you!
Turn your ear to my outcry
because my whole being / soul is filled with distress;
my life is at the very brink of hell / Sheol (Hebrew term).
I am considered as one of those plummeting into the pit.
I am like those who are beyond help,
drifting among the dead lying in the grave, like dead bodies --
those you don't remember anymore,
those who are cut off from your power.
You placed me down in the deepest pit, in places dark and deep.
Your anger smothers me;
you subdue me with it,
wave after wave. SELAH.
You've made my friends distant.You've made me disgusting to them.
I can't escape, I'm trapped!
My eyes are tired of looking at my suffering.
I've been calling out to you every day, LORD --
I've had my hands outstretched to you!
Do you work wonders for the dead?
Do ghosts rise up and give you thanks? SELAH.
In your faithful love proclaimed n the grave,
your faithfulness in the underworld / Abaddon (Hebrew term)?
Are your wonders known in the land of darkness,
your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
But I cry out to you, LORD!
My prayer meets you first thing in the morning!
Why do you reject my very being, LORD?
Why do you hide your face from me?
Since I was young I've been afflicted,
I've been dying.
I've endured your terrors. I'm lifeless.
Your fiery anger has overwhelmed me.
Your terrors have destroyed me.
They surround me all day long like water;
they engulf me completely.
You've made my loved ones and companions distant.
My only friend is darkness.
LORD, God of my salvation,
by day I cry out, even at eight, before you --
let my prayer reach you!
Turn your ear to my outcry
because my whole being / soul is filled with distress;
my life is at the very brink of hell / Sheol (Hebrew term).
I am considered as one of those plummeting into the pit.
I am like those who are beyond help,
drifting among the dead lying in the grave, like dead bodies --
those you don't remember anymore,
those who are cut off from your power.
You placed me down in the deepest pit, in places dark and deep.
Your anger smothers me;
you subdue me with it,
wave after wave. SELAH.
You've made my friends distant.You've made me disgusting to them.
I can't escape, I'm trapped!
My eyes are tired of looking at my suffering.
I've been calling out to you every day, LORD --
I've had my hands outstretched to you!
Do you work wonders for the dead?
Do ghosts rise up and give you thanks? SELAH.
In your faithful love proclaimed n the grave,
your faithfulness in the underworld / Abaddon (Hebrew term)?
Are your wonders known in the land of darkness,
your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
But I cry out to you, LORD!
My prayer meets you first thing in the morning!
Why do you reject my very being, LORD?
Why do you hide your face from me?
Since I was young I've been afflicted,
I've been dying.
I've endured your terrors. I'm lifeless.
Your fiery anger has overwhelmed me.
Your terrors have destroyed me.
They surround me all day long like water;
they engulf me completely.
You've made my loved ones and companions distant.
My only friend is darkness.
Psalm 87: Common English Bible (2011)
A Psalm of the Korahites / / / a song.
God's foundation is set on the holy mountains.
The LORD loves Zion's gates more than all of Jacob's houses combined.
Glorious things are said about you, the city of God!
I count Rahab and Babel among those who know me;
also Philistia and Tyre, along with Cush -- each of these was born there.
And of Zion it is said: "Each person was born in it,
but the one who will establish it is the Most High."
The LORD makes a record as he registers the peoples:
"Each one was born there."
And while they dance, people sing,
"The source of my life comes from you."
God's foundation is set on the holy mountains.
The LORD loves Zion's gates more than all of Jacob's houses combined.
Glorious things are said about you, the city of God!
I count Rahab and Babel among those who know me;
also Philistia and Tyre, along with Cush -- each of these was born there.
And of Zion it is said: "Each person was born in it,
but the one who will establish it is the Most High."
The LORD makes a record as he registers the peoples:
"Each one was born there."
And while they dance, people sing,
"The source of my life comes from you."
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Psalm 86 Common English Bible -- 21st Century translation
A prayer of David / / /
LORD, listen closely to me and answer me,
because I am poor and in need.
Guard my life because I am faithful.
Save your servant who trusts in you -- you! My God!
Have mercy on me, Lord;
because I cry out to you all day long.
Make your servant's life / soul happy again
because, my Lord, I offer my life to you,
because, my Lord,
You are good and forgiving,
full of faithful love
for all those who cry out to you.
Listen closely to my prayer, LORD;
pay close attention to the sound of my requests for mercy.
Whenever I am in trouble, I cry out to you.
Listen closely to my prayer, LORD;
pay close attention to the sound of my requests for mercy.
Whenever I am in trouble, I cry out to you,
because you will answer me.
My Lord! There is no one like you
among the gods!
There is nothing that can compare to your works!
All the nations that you've made will come
and bow down before you, Lord;
they will glorify your name,
because you are awesome and a wonder-worker.
You are God. Just you.
Teach me your way, LORD,
so that I can walk in your truth.
Make my heart focused only on honoring your name.
I give thanks to you, my Lord, my god,
with all my heart,
and I will glorify your name forever,
because your faithful love toward me is awesome
and because you've rescued my life from the lowest part of hell.
The arrogant rise up against me, God.
A gang of violent people want me dead.
They don't give a thought for you.
But you, my Lord,
are a God of compassion and mercy,
you are very patient and full of faithful love.
Come back to me! Have mercy on me!
Give your servant your strength;
save this child of your servant!
Show me a sign of your goodness
so that those who hate me will see it and be put to shame --
show a sign that you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
LORD, listen closely to me and answer me,
because I am poor and in need.
Guard my life because I am faithful.
Save your servant who trusts in you -- you! My God!
Have mercy on me, Lord;
because I cry out to you all day long.
Make your servant's life / soul happy again
because, my Lord, I offer my life to you,
because, my Lord,
You are good and forgiving,
full of faithful love
for all those who cry out to you.
Listen closely to my prayer, LORD;
pay close attention to the sound of my requests for mercy.
Whenever I am in trouble, I cry out to you.
Listen closely to my prayer, LORD;
pay close attention to the sound of my requests for mercy.
Whenever I am in trouble, I cry out to you,
because you will answer me.
My Lord! There is no one like you
among the gods!
There is nothing that can compare to your works!
All the nations that you've made will come
and bow down before you, Lord;
they will glorify your name,
because you are awesome and a wonder-worker.
You are God. Just you.
Teach me your way, LORD,
so that I can walk in your truth.
Make my heart focused only on honoring your name.
I give thanks to you, my Lord, my god,
with all my heart,
and I will glorify your name forever,
because your faithful love toward me is awesome
and because you've rescued my life from the lowest part of hell.
The arrogant rise up against me, God.
A gang of violent people want me dead.
They don't give a thought for you.
But you, my Lord,
are a God of compassion and mercy,
you are very patient and full of faithful love.
Come back to me! Have mercy on me!
Give your servant your strength;
save this child of your servant!
Show me a sign of your goodness
so that those who hate me will see it and be put to shame --
show a sign that you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
An Idea triumphed (March 7, 1965 in Selma): a just and fair America; an inclusive and generous America
from WHITE HOUSE Speeches and Remarks - (Press Office):
It was not a clash of armies, but a clash of wills; a contest to determine the true meaning of America. And because of men and women like John Lewis, Joseph Lowery, Hosea Williams, Amelia Boynton, Diane Nash, Ralph Abernathy, C.T. Vivian, Andrew Young, Fred Shuttlesworth, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and so many others, the idea of a just America and a fair America, an inclusive America, and a generous America -- that idea ultimately triumphed.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/07/remarks-president-50th-anniversary-selma-montgomery-marches
It was not a clash of armies, but a clash of wills; a contest to determine the true meaning of America. And because of men and women like John Lewis, Joseph Lowery, Hosea Williams, Amelia Boynton, Diane Nash, Ralph Abernathy, C.T. Vivian, Andrew Young, Fred Shuttlesworth, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and so many others, the idea of a just America and a fair America, an inclusive America, and a generous America -- that idea ultimately triumphed.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/07/remarks-president-50th-anniversary-selma-montgomery-marches
Psalm 85 (CEB, 2011) - a new translation to touch the heart and mind
For the music leader / / / of the Korahites / / / a psalm.
LORD, you've been kind to your lands;
you've changed Jacob's circumstances for the better.
You've forgiven your people's wrongdoing;
you've covered all their sins. SELAH.
You've stopped being furious;
you've turned away from your burning anger.
You, the God who can save us, restore us!
Stop being angry with us!
Will you be mad at us forever?
Will you prolong your anger
from one generation to the next?
Won't you bring us back to life again
so that your people can rejoice in you?
Show us your faithful love, LORD!
Give us your salvation!
Let me hear what the LORD God says,
because he speaks peace to his people and to his faithful ones.
Don't let them return to foolish ways.
God's salvation is very close to those who honor him
so that his glory can live in our land.
Faithful love and truth have met;
righteousness and peace have kissed.
Truth springs up from the ground;
righteousness gazes down from heaven.
Yes, the LORD gives what is good,
and our land yields its produce.
Righteousness walks before god,
making a road for his steps.
LORD, you've been kind to your lands;
you've changed Jacob's circumstances for the better.
You've forgiven your people's wrongdoing;
you've covered all their sins. SELAH.
You've stopped being furious;
you've turned away from your burning anger.
You, the God who can save us, restore us!
Stop being angry with us!
Will you be mad at us forever?
Will you prolong your anger
from one generation to the next?
Won't you bring us back to life again
so that your people can rejoice in you?
Show us your faithful love, LORD!
Give us your salvation!
Let me hear what the LORD God says,
because he speaks peace to his people and to his faithful ones.
Don't let them return to foolish ways.
God's salvation is very close to those who honor him
so that his glory can live in our land.
Faithful love and truth have met;
righteousness and peace have kissed.
Truth springs up from the ground;
righteousness gazes down from heaven.
Yes, the LORD gives what is good,
and our land yields its produce.
Righteousness walks before god,
making a road for his steps.
National Book Festival 2015 -- anniversary year since Thomas Jefferson sold books to Library of Congress
from AP Story -- Tuesday March 10, 11 a.m. Eastern Time:
The National Book Festival will continue in its new location at the Washington Convention Center over Labor Day weekend. It will include a special nod to Thomas Jefferson's role in building the Library of Congress.
The National Book Festival will continue in its new location at the Washington Convention Center over Labor Day weekend. It will include a special nod to Thomas Jefferson's role in building the Library of Congress.
The library said Tuesday that the festival will be held Sept. 5, 2015. It will feature more than 100 authors across many genres, including historian Annette Gordon-Reed. She won the Pulitzer Prize for history for her work changing the scholarship about Jefferson and his relationship with slave Sally Heming.
This year's festival celebrates the 200th anniversary of the library acquiring Jefferson's personal library in 1815. Those books formed the basis for building the world's largest library.
The festival also will feature writers Daniel Alarcon, Kwame Alexander, David McCullough, Walter Isaacson, Marilynne Robinson, and Jane Smiley, among others.
Psalm 84 - Common English Bible translation (2011): "Pilgrimage is in their hearts"
For the music leader / / / of the Korahites / / / a Psalm / / /
How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD of heavenly forces!
My very being / soul longs, even yearns for the LORD's courtyards.
My heart and my body will rejoice out loud to the living God!
Yes, the sparrow too has found a home there;
the swallow has found herself a nest
where she can lay her young beside your altars.
LORD of heavenly forces, my king, my God!
Those who live in your house are truly happy;
they praise you constantly. SELAH.
Those who put their strength in you are truly happy;
pilgrimage is in their hearts.
As they pass through the Baca Valley,
they make it a spring of water.
Yes, the early rain covers it with blessings.
They go from strength to strength,
until they see the supreme God in Zion.
LORD God of heavenly forces, hear my prayer;
listen closely, Jacob's God! SELAH.
Look at our shield, God;
pay close attention to the face of your anointed one!
Better is a single day in your courtyards
than a thousand days anywhere else!
I would prefer to stand outside the entrance of my God's house
than live comfortably in the tents of the wicked!
The LORD is a sun and shield;
God is favor and glory.
The LORD gives -- doesn't withhold --
good things to those who walk with integrity.
LORD of heavenly hosts, those who trust in you are truly happy!
How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD of heavenly forces!
My very being / soul longs, even yearns for the LORD's courtyards.
My heart and my body will rejoice out loud to the living God!
Yes, the sparrow too has found a home there;
the swallow has found herself a nest
where she can lay her young beside your altars.
LORD of heavenly forces, my king, my God!
Those who live in your house are truly happy;
they praise you constantly. SELAH.
Those who put their strength in you are truly happy;
pilgrimage is in their hearts.
As they pass through the Baca Valley,
they make it a spring of water.
Yes, the early rain covers it with blessings.
They go from strength to strength,
until they see the supreme God in Zion.
LORD God of heavenly forces, hear my prayer;
listen closely, Jacob's God! SELAH.
Look at our shield, God;
pay close attention to the face of your anointed one!
Better is a single day in your courtyards
than a thousand days anywhere else!
I would prefer to stand outside the entrance of my God's house
than live comfortably in the tents of the wicked!
The LORD is a sun and shield;
God is favor and glory.
The LORD gives -- doesn't withhold --
good things to those who walk with integrity.
LORD of heavenly hosts, those who trust in you are truly happy!
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