Resurrection Sunday:
Luke 24
The Resurrection
Why do you seek the living among the dead?
6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,
7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”
Monday, April 1, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Holy Week
The Sunday before Easter is traditionally called Palm Sunday - as you probably already know. Here is what happened in the life of Jesus on that first Palm Sunday.
The Triumphal Entry
12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey's colt!” — at John 12.
The Triumphal Entry
12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey's colt!” — at John 12.
The Monday before Easter is called just that - the Monday before Easter. It is also called Holy Monday. This was when Jesus showed how He felt about what was happening in the Temple. It was supposed to be a place of prayer for everyone, not a place where people were taken advantage of. (see Isaiah 56:7)
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those whosold,
46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”
47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him,
48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.
- Luke 19:45-48, ESV
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those whosold,
46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”
47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him,
48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.
- Luke 19:45-48, ESV
Today is Holy Tuesday, the Tuesday before Easter. This was a very intense day for Jesus and His disciples, but as the week went on, things would get even worse. On this day in Jesus' earthly ministry, He went to the Mount of Olives, where He gave what is traditionally called The Olivet Discourse. Matthew 24 records this message. Here is a brief excerpt. Are we ready for this? :
37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,
39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,
39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Holy Wednesday is seen as the day when Jesus was anointed by a woman at the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany. It is also the day when Judas made arrangements to betray Jesus. So, here we see two diametrically opposed reactions to Jesus - selfless love vs. selfish betrayal. Both of these people who were close to Jesus are remembered to this day.
Mark 14
7 For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me.
8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial.
9 Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them.
11 When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
Mark 14
7 For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me.
8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial.
9 Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them.
11 When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
Today is traditionally called Maundy*, or Covenant Thursday. On this day the New Covenant in Christ's blood was instituted. The first Lord's Supper was celebrated. Jesus also washed the feet of the 11. Judas left the supper early to go do what he was plotting to do - betray his Lord.
Matthew 26
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.
28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Matthew 26
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.
28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Good Friday - It's not clear why Good Friday was first called "good", since it is the day when we remember Christ's crucifixion. Maybe the person, or group of people who first coined that term understood the innate goodness in this day. We can see this event as a horrible tragedy and a great injustice, or we can see it as it is meant to be. The inherent goodness has to do with the Son of God shedding His blood for the sins of the world, God's wrath is satisfied, thus clearing the way for those who believe in Him to be reconciled to our Heavenly Father. That is the greatest good! As the great hymn, O Sacred Head, Now Wounded says, "What language can I borrow to thank thee, dearest Friend?"
John 19
The Crucifixion of Jesus
So they took Jesus;
17 and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.
18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them.
19 Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”
20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew,in Latin, and in Greek.
21 Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
John 19
The Crucifixion of Jesus
So they took Jesus;
17 and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.
18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them.
19 Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”
20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew,in Latin, and in Greek.
21 Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
Holy Saturday - What was Jesus doing on the 7th day of what is traditionally called Holy Week while His body lay in the bonds of death in Joseph's tomb? Some Christians call this day "The Harrowing of Hell", believing that Jesus descended into the place of the dead, declaring victory over sin, Satan, and death to its inhabitants. Here is what the New Testament records about Jesus' descent into the grave - it was only temporary.
Ephesians 4:8-10
8 ...“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?
10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
(see also 1 Peter 3:18-20 and 1 Peter 4:6)
Ephesians 4:8-10
8 ...“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?
10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
(see also 1 Peter 3:18-20 and 1 Peter 4:6)
* Here is what Wikkipedia says about the word "maundy". :
"Most scholars agree that the English word Maundy in that name for the day is derived through Middle English and Old French mandé, from the Latin mandatum, the first word of the phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you"), the statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John 13:34 by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet. The phrase is used as theantiphon sung during the "Mandatum" ceremony of the washing of the feet, which may be held during Mass or at another time as a separate event, during which a priest or bishop (representing Christ) ceremonially washes the feet of others, typically 12 persons chosen as a cross-section of the community."
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Who are we supposed to love?
A Christian friend asked this question, " As a Christian, do I have to be 'loving' ALL the time to everyone? I really do not believe so, especially in light of all the 'nastiness' that goes on in our big, bad world."
The answer to that question is yes. God wants us to treat one another in loving ways all the
time. We are supposed to treat everyone with kindness and respect.
It seems that Jesus cut to the chase when He commanded us, His followers, to love even
our enemies. Of course we will love our friends and the people who treat us in loving, kind
ways. We will also tend to hate our enemies and treat them unkindly. Love for our friends
and hatred of our enemies are assumed. It is the easy way to live. We are nice to nice
people, and mean to mean people. Listen to what Jesus says, though. These words from
the Sermon on the Mount are recorded in both Matthew and
Luke. [see the bottom of this post where I attached the two passages.]
Down at the bottom of this page - as I said earlier - you will find the words of Jesus as He addressed those who were listening. He was speaking to a large crowd of people. In any crowd there are some who are paying attention, and others who are not. Some actually listen, and then reject the message outright. So, Jesus is talking to those who are actually paying attention and who want to accept His message. If that is you, then hear His words. That is, pay close attention to them, and act on them.
Here are some questions that may be helpful to ask as you read these words from Matthew and Luke. Who are our enemies? I can think of several categories of enemies. First, there are national or ethnic enemies. At this point in time, many of our countries are at war with Islamic extremists. Some of these extremists have declared holy war on the West. We all know what has happened in recent times. People have been killed in the name of promoting the Islamic religion. In fact, many point out that more Muslims have died at the hands of their fellow Muslims than Christians have died at the hands of Muslim extremists. The holy war is not just against the West, but against any moderate leaning Muslims who refuse to go along with the holy war being waged. It is a very sad situation to say the least.
It would be easy to view all Muslims as our enemies. It would also be easy to want to see Muslims mistreated for the actions of a few. It would be especially easy to want the extremists to suffer the same fate that othes have endured at their hands. All of those reactions are the wrong ones, of course. Yes, we can and should defend ourselves if our lives are threatened.
However, Jesus tells us that we should bless our enemies. We should pray for our enemies. We should do good to our enemies without expecting anything in return. Our enemies are potential friends. Our enemies are created in God's image. Our enemies are in many ways just like us.
Then, we also have political enemies it seems. In the US, both parties are at war in a way. No, we are not killing one another in the streets, nor are we going to begin to do that. It is a war of words, and it can get pretty nasty. How are we supposed to treat our neighbors and fellow citizens who have different political views from our own? We are supposed to be civil. In fact, often families, neighborhoods, and even churches are divided when it comes to politics. It we want to get along, we need to leave our strong political opinions at the door, so to speak. Then we can have sweet communion. We do not have to give up our strongly held convictions, but we may want to limit our expression of them so that we can get along with others in our group.
That does not mean that we cannot vigorously debate and discuss certain issues in an appropriate context. Debate and discussion are good things. If done right, a person is able to then sort through the arguments and come to their own conclusions on any given topic. For political discussion, I like a one hour program called Fox News Sunday. All the members of the panel are interesting and likable. There is a variety of opinions expressed. Both men and women participate in the discussion. Here is the link to Fox News Sunday.
So, we have national enemies and political enemies. We are to love them, pray for them, and treat them well.
We also have personal enemies. I think that includes people who are mean to us as well as people who have actually committed crimes against us or victimized us in some way. Now, maybe we think that the word "enemy" is too strong a word to use for all those who are mean to us. I don't think that it is. In the context of Jesus' words here in the Sermon on the Mount, we see Him divide people into two categories. We have friends - people we love - , and we have enemies. Those who mistreat us are included in the enemy category.
How do we treat our personal enemies? We bless them. We pray for them. We do good to them. So, there is no group of people - national enemies, political enemies, or personal enemies - that we are to hate. How is our love to be shown? Notice that Jesus is not primarily talking about warm fuzzy feelings. He is talking about how we act towards others. We do good to them. We pray for them. We give to them without expecting anything in return. We show them mercy.
Of course, we may not want to choose to socialize with people who are actually mistreating us, at least until they quit mistreating us. We may not have them over to dinner every Sunday like we would our friends or family. We may put up certain boundaries and limits on how often we have contact with an enemy.
When we do have contact, Jesus tells us how to act. We show mercy. We show compassion. We extend the hand of friendship.
How about those who have committed crimes against us? Of course, we have every right, and even the responsibility, to prosecute criminals. It can even be argued that overlooking really bad behavior - especially criminal behavior - in others is actually unloving. It does not help the criminal, and it certainly does not help the criminal's victim or victims. There are limits, though, on what we do to criminals. The rule of law should never allow for revenge.
Recently, a friend of mine shared how she and her husband reported their own son and had him put in jail for his involvement in using and selling drugs in our community. It was not an easy thing for them to do, but in this case, it was the only loving option they had. How could they have claimed to love their son, and to love their neighbors if they allowed him to continue to do damage to himself and to others?
Christians have been divided over what to do in the case of our country going to war. I am on the side of what is called just war theory. That is, a country has the right to defend itself if attacked. It is a complex subject and open for debate, but suffice it to say that I don't think that Christians have to be pacifists. Some are. Most are not. I am not in favor of religious wars, of course, even though such wars have been fought by Christians.
Someone recently asked about Paul's words to the Judiazers spoken to in the book of Galatians. How could it be a loving thing for Paul to do to tell them to go ahead and castrate themselves if they wanted to preach circumcision as part of the Gospel message. I say that it is an act of tough love. Paul could have let the false teachers continue to heap condemnation on themselves, or he could confront the false them. Such confrontation would give them an opportunity to repent. (Read the book of Galatians to see what I am talking about, here, esp. Galatians 5:12)
It's obvious that Paul was showing love for the truth of the Gospel and love for believers when he spoke the truth to the Judiazers. He spoke the truth in love, just as we are supposed to do. (Ephesians 4:15)
Is this kind of love of our enemies easy? No, of course not. Loving our friends and hating our enemies is easy. Anyone can do that. If we want to lay claim to the title of "Child of God" , then we need to act like our Father in Heaven. If we don't want to act like Him, then we cannot call Him our Father.
How do we do this? We submit to Jesus, and ask for the enabling of the Spirit of God. It is not natural to love our enemies in the way that Jesus tells us to.
Do I do this all the time? No! Of course not! For me, this is a daily battle.
Am I writing this to lay a guilt trip on myself or others? NO! Of course not. I am writing this as an exercise in clear thinking for myself first, and then for anyone who cares to read it. It is not meant to be authoritative or even an exhaustive treatment on the subject of love.
Can you accuse me of not practicing what I preach? Yes! I accuse myself of my own hypocrisy.
Can you accuse Jesus of not practicing what He preached? NO WAY! He actually lived this way. Christ in me is my hope of being and doing better.
Are we supposed to be perfect in the sense of not making mistakes? Well, yes and no. The idea of perfection, here, it seems to me has to do with maturity. It has to do with growing up and acting like an adult. Maybe it has to do with putting on our big girl panties and overcoming some of our personal, inward struggles. Maybe we could say that as often as not, we are our own worst enemy.
I feel like I am speaking strongly here. You may not need this. I need it. I need to talk to myself using strong language. Otherwise, I don't pay attention to what Jesus has told me to do and to be. So, if you don't like the way I have said it, that doesn't matter. If you don't like how Jesus said so clearly that we are to love our enemies, well I can't help you there. You'll have to take it up with Him and see if He'll change things around for you.
Luke 6
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.
30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Matthew 5
Maybe forgiving is not the be all, end all that we believe it to be. Maybe forgiveness doesn't cover all that loving our enemies, or even our loved ones, entails.
The answer to that question is yes. God wants us to treat one another in loving ways all the
time. We are supposed to treat everyone with kindness and respect.
It seems that Jesus cut to the chase when He commanded us, His followers, to love even
our enemies. Of course we will love our friends and the people who treat us in loving, kind
ways. We will also tend to hate our enemies and treat them unkindly. Love for our friends
and hatred of our enemies are assumed. It is the easy way to live. We are nice to nice
people, and mean to mean people. Listen to what Jesus says, though. These words from
the Sermon on the Mount are recorded in both Matthew and
Luke. [see the bottom of this post where I attached the two passages.]
My friend asked about how to treat others, given the fact that many people are just plain mean and nasty. Here is what I think is the truth, even though I do not always act right myself. I think that most people know that we should not retaliate if someone is mean to us.
The fact that people are nasty is no excuse for our being nasty in return. If we are nasty back at people who are nasty, then doesn't that make us like the nasty people we are judging? Yes, I think that it does. We are all in the same nasty boat of ugly humanity, and we all should fight the tendency to be mean to mean people. No, we may not all do the exact same things. Yes, some excel in nastiness to the point of actually being evil. Yes, justice demands that criminal nastiness and evil be punished. Not all of us are criminals. However, all of us are capable of being nasty and mean spirited. It's part of the human condition, and we are all human. We need to appeal to one another's better angels so that we can learn to not give in to those urges to be mean to others. Again, I am not holding myself up as an example of how to always be nice to others. I am holding up Jesus' words as the standard by which we should measure our own actions, and judge ourselves first and foremost.
The fact that people are nasty is no excuse for our being nasty in return. If we are nasty back at people who are nasty, then doesn't that make us like the nasty people we are judging? Yes, I think that it does. We are all in the same nasty boat of ugly humanity, and we all should fight the tendency to be mean to mean people. No, we may not all do the exact same things. Yes, some excel in nastiness to the point of actually being evil. Yes, justice demands that criminal nastiness and evil be punished. Not all of us are criminals. However, all of us are capable of being nasty and mean spirited. It's part of the human condition, and we are all human. We need to appeal to one another's better angels so that we can learn to not give in to those urges to be mean to others. Again, I am not holding myself up as an example of how to always be nice to others. I am holding up Jesus' words as the standard by which we should measure our own actions, and judge ourselves first and foremost.
Down at the bottom of this page - as I said earlier - you will find the words of Jesus as He addressed those who were listening. He was speaking to a large crowd of people. In any crowd there are some who are paying attention, and others who are not. Some actually listen, and then reject the message outright. So, Jesus is talking to those who are actually paying attention and who want to accept His message. If that is you, then hear His words. That is, pay close attention to them, and act on them.
Here are some questions that may be helpful to ask as you read these words from Matthew and Luke. Who are our enemies? I can think of several categories of enemies. First, there are national or ethnic enemies. At this point in time, many of our countries are at war with Islamic extremists. Some of these extremists have declared holy war on the West. We all know what has happened in recent times. People have been killed in the name of promoting the Islamic religion. In fact, many point out that more Muslims have died at the hands of their fellow Muslims than Christians have died at the hands of Muslim extremists. The holy war is not just against the West, but against any moderate leaning Muslims who refuse to go along with the holy war being waged. It is a very sad situation to say the least.
It would be easy to view all Muslims as our enemies. It would also be easy to want to see Muslims mistreated for the actions of a few. It would be especially easy to want the extremists to suffer the same fate that othes have endured at their hands. All of those reactions are the wrong ones, of course. Yes, we can and should defend ourselves if our lives are threatened.
However, Jesus tells us that we should bless our enemies. We should pray for our enemies. We should do good to our enemies without expecting anything in return. Our enemies are potential friends. Our enemies are created in God's image. Our enemies are in many ways just like us.
I think that the way the West handled Germany and Japan after WW II is a good example of blessing our enemies and doing good to them. No, we have not always done such a good job of it, but I think of how these two former enemies are now some of our closest allies. How was that accomplished? After the war was over, we blessed our enemies and did them good, not evil. We helped rebuild their countries.
Many have argued, and I think correctly so, that the way Germany was treated after WW I pretty much left them wide open to elect a man like Hitler as their leader. Because Germany was not blessed, and because other countries sought to punish Germany after WW I, the leaders felt free to act on their baser instincts.
The Geneva Convention, even though it also can be misused, is a good agreement. Even in times of war, nations should not seek the total destruction of their enemies. Things like torture or the killing of civilians should not be tolerated. When someone goes beyond what is acceptable, then there should be consequences.
Then, we also have political enemies it seems. In the US, both parties are at war in a way. No, we are not killing one another in the streets, nor are we going to begin to do that. It is a war of words, and it can get pretty nasty. How are we supposed to treat our neighbors and fellow citizens who have different political views from our own? We are supposed to be civil. In fact, often families, neighborhoods, and even churches are divided when it comes to politics. It we want to get along, we need to leave our strong political opinions at the door, so to speak. Then we can have sweet communion. We do not have to give up our strongly held convictions, but we may want to limit our expression of them so that we can get along with others in our group.
That does not mean that we cannot vigorously debate and discuss certain issues in an appropriate context. Debate and discussion are good things. If done right, a person is able to then sort through the arguments and come to their own conclusions on any given topic. For political discussion, I like a one hour program called Fox News Sunday. All the members of the panel are interesting and likable. There is a variety of opinions expressed. Both men and women participate in the discussion. Here is the link to Fox News Sunday.
So, we have national enemies and political enemies. We are to love them, pray for them, and treat them well.
We also have personal enemies. I think that includes people who are mean to us as well as people who have actually committed crimes against us or victimized us in some way. Now, maybe we think that the word "enemy" is too strong a word to use for all those who are mean to us. I don't think that it is. In the context of Jesus' words here in the Sermon on the Mount, we see Him divide people into two categories. We have friends - people we love - , and we have enemies. Those who mistreat us are included in the enemy category.
How do we treat our personal enemies? We bless them. We pray for them. We do good to them. So, there is no group of people - national enemies, political enemies, or personal enemies - that we are to hate. How is our love to be shown? Notice that Jesus is not primarily talking about warm fuzzy feelings. He is talking about how we act towards others. We do good to them. We pray for them. We give to them without expecting anything in return. We show them mercy.
Of course, we may not want to choose to socialize with people who are actually mistreating us, at least until they quit mistreating us. We may not have them over to dinner every Sunday like we would our friends or family. We may put up certain boundaries and limits on how often we have contact with an enemy.
When we do have contact, Jesus tells us how to act. We show mercy. We show compassion. We extend the hand of friendship.
How about those who have committed crimes against us? Of course, we have every right, and even the responsibility, to prosecute criminals. It can even be argued that overlooking really bad behavior - especially criminal behavior - in others is actually unloving. It does not help the criminal, and it certainly does not help the criminal's victim or victims. There are limits, though, on what we do to criminals. The rule of law should never allow for revenge.
Recently, a friend of mine shared how she and her husband reported their own son and had him put in jail for his involvement in using and selling drugs in our community. It was not an easy thing for them to do, but in this case, it was the only loving option they had. How could they have claimed to love their son, and to love their neighbors if they allowed him to continue to do damage to himself and to others?
Christians have been divided over what to do in the case of our country going to war. I am on the side of what is called just war theory. That is, a country has the right to defend itself if attacked. It is a complex subject and open for debate, but suffice it to say that I don't think that Christians have to be pacifists. Some are. Most are not. I am not in favor of religious wars, of course, even though such wars have been fought by Christians.
Someone recently asked about Paul's words to the Judiazers spoken to in the book of Galatians. How could it be a loving thing for Paul to do to tell them to go ahead and castrate themselves if they wanted to preach circumcision as part of the Gospel message. I say that it is an act of tough love. Paul could have let the false teachers continue to heap condemnation on themselves, or he could confront the false them. Such confrontation would give them an opportunity to repent. (Read the book of Galatians to see what I am talking about, here, esp. Galatians 5:12)
It's obvious that Paul was showing love for the truth of the Gospel and love for believers when he spoke the truth to the Judiazers. He spoke the truth in love, just as we are supposed to do. (Ephesians 4:15)
Is this kind of love of our enemies easy? No, of course not. Loving our friends and hating our enemies is easy. Anyone can do that. If we want to lay claim to the title of "Child of God" , then we need to act like our Father in Heaven. If we don't want to act like Him, then we cannot call Him our Father.
How do we do this? We submit to Jesus, and ask for the enabling of the Spirit of God. It is not natural to love our enemies in the way that Jesus tells us to.
Do I do this all the time? No! Of course not! For me, this is a daily battle.
Am I writing this to lay a guilt trip on myself or others? NO! Of course not. I am writing this as an exercise in clear thinking for myself first, and then for anyone who cares to read it. It is not meant to be authoritative or even an exhaustive treatment on the subject of love.
Can you accuse me of not practicing what I preach? Yes! I accuse myself of my own hypocrisy.
Can you accuse Jesus of not practicing what He preached? NO WAY! He actually lived this way. Christ in me is my hope of being and doing better.
Are we supposed to be perfect in the sense of not making mistakes? Well, yes and no. The idea of perfection, here, it seems to me has to do with maturity. It has to do with growing up and acting like an adult. Maybe it has to do with putting on our big girl panties and overcoming some of our personal, inward struggles. Maybe we could say that as often as not, we are our own worst enemy.
I feel like I am speaking strongly here. You may not need this. I need it. I need to talk to myself using strong language. Otherwise, I don't pay attention to what Jesus has told me to do and to be. So, if you don't like the way I have said it, that doesn't matter. If you don't like how Jesus said so clearly that we are to love our enemies, well I can't help you there. You'll have to take it up with Him and see if He'll change things around for you.
Luke 6
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.
30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.
34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.
35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Matthew 5
Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Notice that here Jesus does not tell us to forgive our enemies. We are to love them, show them mercy, lend to them, and the rest, but no mention is made of forgiveness. Interesting. I'm not sure what that means, but it is interesting.Maybe forgiving is not the be all, end all that we believe it to be. Maybe forgiveness doesn't cover all that loving our enemies, or even our loved ones, entails.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Musical Update
Because of our daughter's huge wedding we recently staged, I have not had much time to play my oboe. The wedding went well, with about 400 guests. It was a stressful, but good time. I told my daughter that the wedding was important, but it's the marriage that interests me more. The kids should do well in their marriage, by the grace of God. They are in love, but they also really like each other and are good friends. Anyway...
My musical involvement is taking a bit of a different turn at this time. The worship leader in our church wants me to be involved in one of the two teams he has going. We are a small church, but we have some pretty fantastic musicians. Ben, our worship and youth pastor, is a classically trained pianist, and a fantastic jazz saxophonist.
So, this Sunday is my debut with the team. Ben wants me to sing harmony on two of the songs, which is fun. I have to make up an alto part, but that's not hard to do on worship style music. I am playing flute on 3 or 4 other songs, and also have to improvise my parts pretty much. It's a bit different reading off of a lead sheet that consists in the words to the songs and the chords. As long as I stay in the right key and play notes compatible with the chords, I'm Okay. I was able to find the music to some of the songs, but in a way, it's easier to just "wing it." I'm glad for the jazz lessons I took a few years back. I'm not being very adventuresome at this point in time, keeping it pretty simple.
I have to say that it is a lot of fun to play on a worship team. It is not what I am used to, but it is always good to branch out.
My musical involvement is taking a bit of a different turn at this time. The worship leader in our church wants me to be involved in one of the two teams he has going. We are a small church, but we have some pretty fantastic musicians. Ben, our worship and youth pastor, is a classically trained pianist, and a fantastic jazz saxophonist.
So, this Sunday is my debut with the team. Ben wants me to sing harmony on two of the songs, which is fun. I have to make up an alto part, but that's not hard to do on worship style music. I am playing flute on 3 or 4 other songs, and also have to improvise my parts pretty much. It's a bit different reading off of a lead sheet that consists in the words to the songs and the chords. As long as I stay in the right key and play notes compatible with the chords, I'm Okay. I was able to find the music to some of the songs, but in a way, it's easier to just "wing it." I'm glad for the jazz lessons I took a few years back. I'm not being very adventuresome at this point in time, keeping it pretty simple.
I have to say that it is a lot of fun to play on a worship team. It is not what I am used to, but it is always good to branch out.
Friday, July 22, 2011
A Hand Up Not a Handout
Below I included an excerpt from an excellent article. These are ideas that are truly revolutionary and transformational. Our mission has been involved in this kind of ministry since our beginnings in Manila, PI. It takes time and patience, but such approaches really do make a difference in the lives of individuals who are trapped in poverty and its accompanying despair. :
Why Enterprise and Business Are Changing Our Approach to Poverty Alleviation
Poverty: the Church's Role
By Robby ButlerThe Church has a strategic role in overcoming internal and external factors in poverty. This outline is representative rather than exhaustive:
- Internal Influences must be defeated through relational biblical discipleship:
- Fatalism: Poverty is our destiny.
- Hopelessness: Effort will prove unfruitful.
- Laziness: Change is too much work.
- Lies: God hates me and wants me to suffer.
- Identity: I am a victim, inferior to others.
- Addiction: I must numb my pain.
- Limited Good: If you or I benefit, the other must lose.
- Individual Circumstances may need such practical assistance such as micro-enterprise mediated through accountable relationships:
- Subsistence: Where water acquisition consumes a family's time and energy, improved access to clean water allows pursuit of better employment.
- Bonded servitude: High interest on even a small debt enslaves many, and micro-finance loans can create freedom to seek other employment.
- Lack of skills: Training can empower a more profitable contribution to the community.
- Lack of capital: Micro-finance loans enable entrepreneurs to increase the supply of existing products or services (subject to local market saturation or global competition).
- Societal Environment, best improved through local and international advocacy:
- Corruption: The best long-term remedy is widespread Biblical discipleship.
- Lack of Infrastructure: Advocacy can encourage governments, charities and businesses to collaborate in developing infrastructure to facilitate commercial enterprise.
- Lack of Basic Goods, Services and Employment: The Church can encourage and assist the development of healthy, enterprises which provide employment and discipleship while serving the community.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
On Immigration
I am in favor of comprehensive immigration reform. It was too bad that our congress voted down the reform bill that came before them a few years back. Here are some reasons.:
1. We are a nation of immigrants, and that has been one of our greatest strengths. We are not weakened by immigration itself.
2. There are way too many illegal aliens in our country at this point in time. Those who want to stay here to work in honest endeavors should be given a way to do that legally.
3. We need more workers. I am not convinced that illegals do the work that Americans are not willing to do because I see Americans of all kinds of jobs. The problem is that there are not enough workers.
4. If we are going to continue to not only have legalized abortion, but also a climate that favors abortion over live births, then we need to get people from somewhere. Our present policies are not only immoral, but also insane from a human resources point of view.
5. We have an aging population. Most of us cannot expect to draw on the social security that we have been paying into, given the fact that our federal government has shown no interest in modifying the giant Ponsiesqe scheme that they call Social Security. We need younger workers, and there are not enough young Americans at this point in time. The Social Security system is on the verge of collapse.
Some of my reasons may sound kind of cold, but why not allow people into our country who wish to study or work? The immigrants that I have met lately - all of them here legally, BTW - are happy to be here, believing that this country is the best place in the world to be. Why wouldn't we want more people like them living among us? It is uplifting to meet upbeat, happy immigrants.
Yes, they miss their homelands, but are also happy for the opportunities to work and to get an education that they have here.
1. We are a nation of immigrants, and that has been one of our greatest strengths. We are not weakened by immigration itself.
2. There are way too many illegal aliens in our country at this point in time. Those who want to stay here to work in honest endeavors should be given a way to do that legally.
3. We need more workers. I am not convinced that illegals do the work that Americans are not willing to do because I see Americans of all kinds of jobs. The problem is that there are not enough workers.
4. If we are going to continue to not only have legalized abortion, but also a climate that favors abortion over live births, then we need to get people from somewhere. Our present policies are not only immoral, but also insane from a human resources point of view.
5. We have an aging population. Most of us cannot expect to draw on the social security that we have been paying into, given the fact that our federal government has shown no interest in modifying the giant Ponsiesqe scheme that they call Social Security. We need younger workers, and there are not enough young Americans at this point in time. The Social Security system is on the verge of collapse.
Some of my reasons may sound kind of cold, but why not allow people into our country who wish to study or work? The immigrants that I have met lately - all of them here legally, BTW - are happy to be here, believing that this country is the best place in the world to be. Why wouldn't we want more people like them living among us? It is uplifting to meet upbeat, happy immigrants.
Yes, they miss their homelands, but are also happy for the opportunities to work and to get an education that they have here.
At the Wedding Store
Our daughter is getting married on Aug. 6. Today was the fitting for her wedding dress. The lady who will do the alterations is an immigrant from Croatia. She was competent and sure of what she was doing.
We talked about bilingualism, being an immigrant, and how people react to her. She thinks that this area is very welcoming of foreigners. I do, too.
After all, we are a nation of immigrants. I myself grew up in an ethnic neighborhood where there were many first and second generation Finns and Croatians, all hard working people who came here to escape the insanity that was Europe during the 20th Century. They came so that they could have a better life for their children.
I am happy to meet new immigrants to our country. Welcome!
We talked about bilingualism, being an immigrant, and how people react to her. She thinks that this area is very welcoming of foreigners. I do, too.
After all, we are a nation of immigrants. I myself grew up in an ethnic neighborhood where there were many first and second generation Finns and Croatians, all hard working people who came here to escape the insanity that was Europe during the 20th Century. They came so that they could have a better life for their children.
I am happy to meet new immigrants to our country. Welcome!
Friday, May 20, 2011
On the Kingston Ferry
Our traveling is over for a few months now. Yesterday was the last day of our cross country, Texas A&M to Kingston, WA road trip. The very last part of our journey involved a ferry ride across the Puget Sound. It was a lovely afternoon, so many of the passengers were out on deck taking in the beautiful scenery and just generally enjoying the ride.
On the upper deck, we met a young man from India who was in the area for a conference, and visited with him briefly. His name was Ganesh. He was surprised when I knew that Ganesh is the elephant god in Hinduism, and that it represents something like good luck. He has quite a few Christian friends, though, he said.
He lives with his family in the Portland area, but has to travel a lot for his job. He told us that they had tried to live in Dallas, since that is more centrally located and would make his trips shorter. However, they found that it was very hard to live in Dallas because of the extremes of climate there. Portland is a beautiful city with a mild climate. Good choice, actually.
Meeting people like Ganesh is part of what makes travel so interesting. I would love to visit India someday. We have many friends and colleagues there, all but one of them Indian nationals from several different parts of the country.
I wonder if Ganesh will tell his wife that he met a woman on the Kingston ferry who knew that he was named after the elephant god. Hmmm...
He lives with his family in the Portland area, but has to travel a lot for his job. He told us that they had tried to live in Dallas, since that is more centrally located and would make his trips shorter. However, they found that it was very hard to live in Dallas because of the extremes of climate there. Portland is a beautiful city with a mild climate. Good choice, actually.
Meeting people like Ganesh is part of what makes travel so interesting. I would love to visit India someday. We have many friends and colleagues there, all but one of them Indian nationals from several different parts of the country.
I wonder if Ganesh will tell his wife that he met a woman on the Kingston ferry who knew that he was named after the elephant god. Hmmm...
Friday, May 13, 2011
On the Airplane - 2
A few weeks back my husband and I were flying from Seattle to Rochester, NY. We got to sit next to a man from Armenia who came to the US in the 70s.
He had grown up during the time that his country was part of the Soviet Union. We asked him how he learned English, since he spoke very well. For one thing, he and his wife had lived for some 30 years in Alaska, where he worked. His daughters were born in the US. Besides that, he had studied English in school back in Armenia. The Soviets had the schools divided into blocks. Some of the areas studied Russian, others English, and others other languages. He was in an area where the schools taught English as a second language, and he had worked hard to master it.
He said at one point that the Soviet rule was not all bad. Then he paused, correcting himself. "No," he said. "It was all bad."
I know what he meant. We spent a number of years living in Pinochet´s Chile, and we regularly visit a country that, well,...I´d better not say any more. I know what he meant.
In a sense, one learns to be stronger in oppressive situations, but there must be better ways to learn strength and endurance.
He had grown up during the time that his country was part of the Soviet Union. We asked him how he learned English, since he spoke very well. For one thing, he and his wife had lived for some 30 years in Alaska, where he worked. His daughters were born in the US. Besides that, he had studied English in school back in Armenia. The Soviets had the schools divided into blocks. Some of the areas studied Russian, others English, and others other languages. He was in an area where the schools taught English as a second language, and he had worked hard to master it.
He said at one point that the Soviet rule was not all bad. Then he paused, correcting himself. "No," he said. "It was all bad."
I know what he meant. We spent a number of years living in Pinochet´s Chile, and we regularly visit a country that, well,...I´d better not say any more. I know what he meant.
In a sense, one learns to be stronger in oppressive situations, but there must be better ways to learn strength and endurance.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
On the Airplane
Sometimes on a flight, the person you are sitting next to doesn´t want to visit at all. They may just sleep, or read, or watch movies. Other times the neighbor is in a visiting mood. Yesterday on a flight from Chicago to Houston, I got to sit next to that other kind of seat neighbor.
James is an immigrant from Taiwan who did his electrical engineering degree at Syracuse about 20 years ago. He now works for a company out of California, and he gets to travel the world meeting with and talking to his company´s clients.
We visited for maybe the last half hour of the 2 hr. 45 min. flight. He told me about his grandfather in Taiwan who lived to the age of 99. He had been a farmer, but later in life somehow he had the money to buy a Mercedes. Grandfather never forgot his farm roots, and always kept a pet cow. He built a 2 car garage where he kept both his car and his cow. He loved the cow more than he loved the car. The cow had copper bells on it, and James was the proud owner of two of his grandfather´s cow bells.
He also shared about his nephew who has been accepted to John´s Hopkins and his niece who also wanted to go there. It costs only $70,000 a year! Oh, my!
I shared with him how our daughter had just finished her first year of grad school at Texas A&M; and that I was going to help her move out of her apartment, put things in storage for the summer, and then we were going to drive back up to Washington together. He was especially interested when I told him how different Texas is from Washington, and that her major is Spanish. He told me to tell her that if he could arrive in a completely foreign country after having had only a rudimentary knowledge of English, and made it, then she would be able to do well.
James was an inspirational seat neighbor, which is not all that common on an airplane. He also reminded me that we are a nation of immigrants, and that is a good thing. My grandparents grew up on farms in Finland. They never owned a Mercedes, but I am glad that I could learn English instead of the very complicated Finnish language!
James is an immigrant from Taiwan who did his electrical engineering degree at Syracuse about 20 years ago. He now works for a company out of California, and he gets to travel the world meeting with and talking to his company´s clients.
We visited for maybe the last half hour of the 2 hr. 45 min. flight. He told me about his grandfather in Taiwan who lived to the age of 99. He had been a farmer, but later in life somehow he had the money to buy a Mercedes. Grandfather never forgot his farm roots, and always kept a pet cow. He built a 2 car garage where he kept both his car and his cow. He loved the cow more than he loved the car. The cow had copper bells on it, and James was the proud owner of two of his grandfather´s cow bells.
He also shared about his nephew who has been accepted to John´s Hopkins and his niece who also wanted to go there. It costs only $70,000 a year! Oh, my!
I shared with him how our daughter had just finished her first year of grad school at Texas A&M; and that I was going to help her move out of her apartment, put things in storage for the summer, and then we were going to drive back up to Washington together. He was especially interested when I told him how different Texas is from Washington, and that her major is Spanish. He told me to tell her that if he could arrive in a completely foreign country after having had only a rudimentary knowledge of English, and made it, then she would be able to do well.
James was an inspirational seat neighbor, which is not all that common on an airplane. He also reminded me that we are a nation of immigrants, and that is a good thing. My grandparents grew up on farms in Finland. They never owned a Mercedes, but I am glad that I could learn English instead of the very complicated Finnish language!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Lilith Redeemed
The other day I wrote a bit about what I have been reading - the book Lilith by George MacDonald. Some say that this is his greatest work. Most say, "Who in the world was George MacDonald?" Well, he was a 19th century author who had a great impact on the life and writing of C.S. Lewis, and also J.R.R. Tolkien. As I said in the earlier post, he is considered by them and others to be the first to write in the fantasy genre, - at least in modern times.
Okay, so what is MacDonald trying to communicate to his readers in the book Lilith?
Well, I think that he is basically preaching the Gospel to us. He is using the story of Lilith's rebellion and eventual redemption as an example of how a soul is saved. The original creation, degenerate because of sin, is regenerated, and evil is undone. Lilith, who was once enslaved by the shadows, is now overcome and set free by the light.
Pretty amazing, actually. This Augustine quote is appropriate, I think.
"Thou hast prompted him, that he should delight to praise thee, for thou hast made us for thyself and restless is our heart until it comes to rest in thee. "
- The Confessions of Saint Augustine, Book One, Chapter I
Below you will find what I think is a key quote from Lilith, p. 202. We generatlly think of God changing a person, and He does, of course. However, isn't it more like God restores a person when they believe in Christ? We become who we were meant to be all along. We do the things that God prepared for us to do.
We do not need to fear putting our trust in Christ. When we are found by Him, we find our real selves, too.
Ephesians 2
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Lilith, p. 202
"Had he not made you," said Mara, gently and slowly, "you could not even hate him. But he did not make you such. You have made yourself what you are - Be of better cheer: he can remake you."
"I will not be remade!"
"He will not change you, he will only restore you to what you were."
Okay, so what is MacDonald trying to communicate to his readers in the book Lilith?
Well, I think that he is basically preaching the Gospel to us. He is using the story of Lilith's rebellion and eventual redemption as an example of how a soul is saved. The original creation, degenerate because of sin, is regenerated, and evil is undone. Lilith, who was once enslaved by the shadows, is now overcome and set free by the light.
Pretty amazing, actually. This Augustine quote is appropriate, I think.
"Thou hast prompted him, that he should delight to praise thee, for thou hast made us for thyself and restless is our heart until it comes to rest in thee. "
- The Confessions of Saint Augustine, Book One, Chapter I
Below you will find what I think is a key quote from Lilith, p. 202. We generatlly think of God changing a person, and He does, of course. However, isn't it more like God restores a person when they believe in Christ? We become who we were meant to be all along. We do the things that God prepared for us to do.
We do not need to fear putting our trust in Christ. When we are found by Him, we find our real selves, too.
Ephesians 2
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Lilith, p. 202
"Had he not made you," said Mara, gently and slowly, "you could not even hate him. But he did not make you such. You have made yourself what you are - Be of better cheer: he can remake you."
"I will not be remade!"
"He will not change you, he will only restore you to what you were."
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Weird Music
The 20th century was known for its musical experimentation in every one of its genres. Music involving the oboe was no exception.
Way back when I was in high school, my oboe teacher gave me a piece of music that he thought I might like to play. It was a trio for flute, oboe, and viola - or clarinet - called Terzetto, and it was composed by Gustav Holst of The Planets fame. If you click on the word "Terzetto" in this paragraph, you will be able to see the score of this unusual work.
One of the most obvious quirks you will notice is that each instrument is to play in a different key.
When I was a freshman in HS, I played half of a nice little Handel sonata for oboe for our SW Washington regional solo and ensemble contest. It went very well. The judge loved it, and I got a I-. Okay, so when I was a sophomore, I tried the solo route again, but with disasterous results. It was a very bad experience.
I decided that I would never play a solo again, and would participate only in small ensembles and large groups. Of course, I played solos again, but never standing up in front of a group, depending on my memory to get me through!
In my junior year of HS I got a couple of friends to go in with me to play the Terzetto for contest. It went very well. The judge loved it and gave us a I - the highest rating. Luckily, we actually ended up together in that performance, and the fact that there were a lot of dissonant notes written into the parts was definitely in our favor.
When we got done, we went home. My friend the violist had a date that night, so she wanted to get home ASAP. Our orchestra director told us how great we had done, but he forgot to tell us one important thing. We had been selected to play for the evening concernt where the best performers played for all the music teachers and other musicians. Unfortunately we were long gone before we found out. We just wanted to play and get out of there as fast as we could, and home was 2 hours away!
Our director felt kind of bad that he forgot to tell us to stick around, so he arranged for us to perform our number in several different venues around our town. This included playing for the school's Spring concert.
Well, it was one thing to play in front of a friendly judge and a few students hanging around. It was another thing to play for an auditorium full of parents and peers. The violist panicked and started playing before the curtain was all the way up. Besides that, she could hardly get any sound out of her viola.
I don't think that we were ever together through the whole number, but when each one is in a different key, maybe that part doesn't matter so much. My rude oboe entrances heard over a whispering viola and a sweet flute drew more attention.
Oh, my! Never again... until the next time... :-)
We played again for the local Pro Musica group. They were a really nice, but rather small, group of mostly older ladies who loved music. Some of them were or had been music teachers. It went much better. We didn't end together, but we were together for most of the piece. I think that contest was the only time we actually ended when the music did. It was always hard to tell on that number, and we were just kids after all.
The Pro Musica people must have liked it because the next year, they gave me a pretty nice scholarship.
One famous musician was part of that group - the Cuban song writer and concert pianist, Nilo Menendez. Weird all around.
Oh, and the flute players hair piece fell off before we got up to play. Thereafter, she always referred to our performance at Pro Musica as a hair raising experience.
The violist graduated that year, so the next year we did a flute and oboe duet at contest - C.P.E. Bach, if I remember right.
Way back when I was in high school, my oboe teacher gave me a piece of music that he thought I might like to play. It was a trio for flute, oboe, and viola - or clarinet - called Terzetto, and it was composed by Gustav Holst of The Planets fame. If you click on the word "Terzetto" in this paragraph, you will be able to see the score of this unusual work.
One of the most obvious quirks you will notice is that each instrument is to play in a different key.
When I was a freshman in HS, I played half of a nice little Handel sonata for oboe for our SW Washington regional solo and ensemble contest. It went very well. The judge loved it, and I got a I-. Okay, so when I was a sophomore, I tried the solo route again, but with disasterous results. It was a very bad experience.
I decided that I would never play a solo again, and would participate only in small ensembles and large groups. Of course, I played solos again, but never standing up in front of a group, depending on my memory to get me through!
In my junior year of HS I got a couple of friends to go in with me to play the Terzetto for contest. It went very well. The judge loved it and gave us a I - the highest rating. Luckily, we actually ended up together in that performance, and the fact that there were a lot of dissonant notes written into the parts was definitely in our favor.
When we got done, we went home. My friend the violist had a date that night, so she wanted to get home ASAP. Our orchestra director told us how great we had done, but he forgot to tell us one important thing. We had been selected to play for the evening concernt where the best performers played for all the music teachers and other musicians. Unfortunately we were long gone before we found out. We just wanted to play and get out of there as fast as we could, and home was 2 hours away!
Our director felt kind of bad that he forgot to tell us to stick around, so he arranged for us to perform our number in several different venues around our town. This included playing for the school's Spring concert.
Well, it was one thing to play in front of a friendly judge and a few students hanging around. It was another thing to play for an auditorium full of parents and peers. The violist panicked and started playing before the curtain was all the way up. Besides that, she could hardly get any sound out of her viola.
I don't think that we were ever together through the whole number, but when each one is in a different key, maybe that part doesn't matter so much. My rude oboe entrances heard over a whispering viola and a sweet flute drew more attention.
Oh, my! Never again... until the next time... :-)
We played again for the local Pro Musica group. They were a really nice, but rather small, group of mostly older ladies who loved music. Some of them were or had been music teachers. It went much better. We didn't end together, but we were together for most of the piece. I think that contest was the only time we actually ended when the music did. It was always hard to tell on that number, and we were just kids after all.
The Pro Musica people must have liked it because the next year, they gave me a pretty nice scholarship.
One famous musician was part of that group - the Cuban song writer and concert pianist, Nilo Menendez. Weird all around.
Oh, and the flute players hair piece fell off before we got up to play. Thereafter, she always referred to our performance at Pro Musica as a hair raising experience.
The violist graduated that year, so the next year we did a flute and oboe duet at contest - C.P.E. Bach, if I remember right.
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