partsofspeaking

 Because next week I am teaching Acts 3, I will take a detour from Matthew.  The lesson in the literature is about meeting needs. I am conflicted about this theme; yes, we are responsible to meet needs, but we should be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Everyone who says they have a need doesn't really have one. We need to be prudent and generous, not just generous. If we are prudent in our giving, we can give even more.  Bottom line: I work hard for the money and don't want it going to people who will waste it and are perfectly capable of making a living. Yes, I know that sounds unkind. I think it's wise. The other side of this is our motivation. Too often it's more about branding "we are a church that helps the community" or "this gift aligns with my self-identity as a good person" v. the glory of God and the quiet ministry to those who really need the help. We are generous in our own name instead of because Jesus changed the world and us in ...

 https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-painful-cutting-and-brilliant-letters-black-people-wrote-to-their-former-enslavers?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us These letters from former or current slaves will break your heart, and make you realize what a genius Frederick Douglass was, who educated himself.  I still hear people semi-defend slavery in the U.S. Being real as a Christian means facing a sin of defending sin to assuage one's conscience. 

 I attended my Toastmasters meeting this morning. I gave a speech (see other post for today) and so did another member, who is a dear Christian man who loves TM far more than I do. His speech was entitled "Leadership Lessons from Making Coffee." We told him he needed to develop into a whole workshop. Being early, attention to details, and knowing who it's about (not yourself) were the three general ideas.  So appropriate that today I read Matthew 20:20-34. Scenario: John and James Zebedee get their momma, or go along with her doing it, to ask Jesus for prime seats in "the kingdom," like they are just going to sit at a floor show. Jesus tells them they don't know what they are asking. Are they ready for ultimate sacrifices? Oh, we are, they claim. Well, says Jesus, you will meet those sacrifices, but still, giving seats in the kingdom are not my role.  The other ten are livid at James and John. So it's time for a literal come to Jesus meeting. (Only evang...

I’d like us to go back in our minds to four years ago, January and February of 2020. How fast time flies and how soon we can forget. We had just had an election and because one of the candidates didn’t like the results, thousands joined him for a rally in Washington DC on Jan 6 and hundreds of those supporters entered the Capitol building. Some just wanted to make a statement, some wanted to raise Cain, and did.   Also that month, we started hearing about people getting sick on cruise ships and a new virus in China. Some of us just said, I don’t like cruises any way and most just filed it away. In late February, I was in a meeting with the President and Vice President of the College and they vaguely mentioned that we might have to shut down for a while because of what was coming—yet no one was really talking about massive sickness in the US at that time. Only, it was coming. How little did we know how our lives would be upended. Four years ago in Jan & F...

One thing about the gospel of Matthew--Jesus does not give us the option of middle ground.  For or against.  Follow Me or not. Well, I should say, the middle (murky, fuzzy, halfway, ambiguous, vague in terms of belief and commitment) option is there, but it's not one that He is interested in.  The disciples say, "if we have to stay married except for adultery and fornication" (which apparently were not usually the reasons for divorce), If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry." Of all the things they said, that has to be one of the most telling.  In other words, "Man, you mean I can't divorce a wife becasue she gets old or doesn't give me enough children or backtalks me?" Jesus's answer blows me away. He talks about eunuchs. I am sure that made the disciples cringe.  11  But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: 12  For there are [ a ] eunuchs who were born t...

  Perfect freedom happens when a woman stops caring if a man gets mad. I posted this yesterday--I am thinking of several things, but mostly Nikki Haley.  Trump has resorted to "birdbrain" comments--what a, well, I'll abstain from saying what I think. He put her in a high position, now she's a birdbrain because she has the nerve to run against him. He threatened people who gave her money--and she got money off of it! https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4429571-haley-fundraises-off-trump-donor-threat/ I am speaking of abused woman everywhere who need to come to their senses.  Now, this needs a clause at the end: when the woman does the right thing. And when it's anger for her being true to herself or anger over his ego. If a wife wrecks the family car, some anger is justified about the situation, but not toward her as a human being.  

 Along the theme of "Being Real about Following Christ in the Current World" (not sure I would call it "modern"--some of it seems neo-pagan, pre-Enlightenment, even pre-late Medieval, just with better hygiene and digitalization).  1.  Matthew 18:1-5 and following. The disciples, more than once, seemed overly concerned about status in their little group. How incredibly and indelibly human! Really. Comparisons, pecking order, etc etc.  "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Jesus tell them to rework their worldview basically, which I believe we are asked to do everyday.  "Whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me." Dig into this.  Gazing at my precious granddaughter, I think--every single one of us, even the Lord Jesus, was just like this infant of two weeks old.  Helpless, weak, totally dependent, fussy, amazing, peering out in...

 Two days ago I posted this.  By the end of the day I suspect I will have officially ended my affiliation with the Republican party.  Day after: Yep. I am out. I'm a conservative, not an R.  Today: Madder than ..... The Republican party has lost its mind. I will register as an independent in Whitfield County as soon as I can.

 One of the comembers in the writing group to which I belong sent in her twice-monthly submissions with this email: I have researched and contemplated till I'm blue in the face, so this is what I finally wrote today to kill off Jimmy.  Thanks for reading and giving me suggestions.   I told her I understand her frustrations, but got a good laugh out of this. Characterization giving you trouble--just kill the guy off!

I have upgraded my website into a true "business site" where you can buy a book etc.  I fixed the SEO (tedious) and many other aspects. I hope I at least break even on this hobby of mine. barbaragrahamtucker.net All my posts will start with this from now on.  This last week has been a journey through Matthew 13-19; a flurry of cold, ice, and work; and lots of reading. The Memory Police, for one. Quite interesting. And the baby, who is getting cuter and more attentive and a little less fussy but that will take a while.  In the theme of "being realistic about the life of following Jesus" in 2024, I direct you to Matthew 18. The theme is forgiveness. It's not negotiable. I have to wonder how many of us do not practice it, harbor bitterness, and withhold grace, for both large and small grievances. We can hold the most for slights and forgive others for true betrayal. We are inconsistent about it.  Martin Luther said that the life of a Christian is daily repentance, ...

Wow. Life comes at you fast.  What a week. Baby arrived Saturday. Each day she changes. Each day she does something new. Each day she adjusts to the "cold, cruel world" a little more, but not without a fight. She doesn't like swaddling--she wants her arms and feet out (I don't blame her). Her deep blue gray but likely to change eyes are focusing, She has grown an inch. Her parents are exhausted, so I will go over and hold her to give them a break.  They think she is fussy. No, she is just being a baby. And the semester starts. I have 170 online students, but no physical presence classes. Not sure about this.   And I have little time for deep reading right now, which is frustrating, except in the New Testament. Matthew's picture of Jesus radicality amazes.  Back to the theme of awareness of the reality of what it means to be a Christ-follower in 2024. Expect to be misunderstood, rejected, sidelined, unpopular, questioned, mocked, overlooked despite quality work, ...

These last three days have been full of love as our first grandchild was born. I will not share anything beyond that. So far neither I nor the in-laws have posted social media, and I'm pretty sure her parents, like I, don't want her to have a social media footprint as a child, without her knowledge.  In regard to our theme of facing the reality of Christian discipleship in 2024, I refer you to Matthew 8. Our church is reading the New Testament together. We were encouraged to use an app, but since I spend most of my time on a computer, my preference was to read a physical Bible. We are one day behind because the reading of the first day was from I Timothy about the origin and function of Scripture.  Matthew 8 tells us of a leper healed by Jesus' touch. He was not supposed to touch a leper and lost his ceremonial cleanness that way. He told the healed man to follow the Mosaic legal requirement but otherwise to not broadcast the act; others would figure it out anyway. Many puz...

Three observations We live in a world where "I identify as" is distinct from "I am." This means that we believe we have the power, intelligence, and perspective to make ourselves something than what we are. So, how far does that go? I can take lessons to become a pianist; of course, most of us would not say "I identify as a pianist" except as a joke if we can't play. Or does pianist imply a certain level of skill, enough, say, to make money? I was ruminating on the difference between "He is intelligent" and "He is an intelligent person." Is there a difference in meaning, however subtle? What is it? Or is it totally equal and congruent, except for being wordier?   So the observation is about language.  Second, the communal reading of the Bible this morning is Matthew 5. The hutzpah of Jesus. He heals multitudes--not a few--and then starts teaching without any explanation of why anyone should listen to them, and he claims to know the ...

 I somehow got to friends on Facebook with Douglas Groothuis, the apologetics and philosophy professor and writer (I think it's because a friend of mine taught on the same faculty with him). He wrote something about the lack of value in being entertained.  People responded, perhaps to be contentious, with the importance of entertainment.  There's entertainment, and then there's entertainment. Or I should say, there is silliness that we waste our time on, and there are artistic endeavors that engage, inspire, amuse, and change us.  To be serious as a Christian in 2024 is to find the latter and run from the former. Time is too short.  I just watched, on Apple TV, the film Women Talking . Oh my word. Claire Foy broke my heart, as did several others of the women. I won't tell what it's about, other than it is based on something historically true and you can't help but be moved spiritually and emotionally. Yes, it's a lot of talking, and toward the end you want t...

...and third in a series on facing the reality and seriousness of being a Christian believer in 2024.  I will keep it short today, and build on the first two.  This world is not a friend to grace. It is also not interested in helping you walk with God.  A colleague gave the commencement address a few weeks ago. She had won the Teaching Excellence Award. She had some great lines, but one of them was: "You might love you job, but it won't love you back." Same with institutions. An organization cannot love you. "There arose a Pharaoh who knew not Joseph" can apply to anyone. New leadership, faithful people become irrelevant.  Be careful who you align yourself with and who or what you worship.

Following along my theme of "Face the difficulty of being a Christian believer/follower" in 2024, I come to the second. The first was recognize the brokenness of the world system.  Then, remind yourself that you want to and like to sin. That's what it means to be a "sinner." I am not talking about "having fun" in ways that are on the edge, depending on your church tradition. I am talking about meanness and selfishness and laziness and impatience . . .  and facing that you're really not a "good person" even when that's your brand.  In other words, we are sinners, and not just because of something done by someone thousands of years ago. We, individually, choose bad courses of action even when we know better.  This didn't go away at conversion (sorry; it just took second place and we have more choices and power).   OK, my little thought for the day may seem very negative, but there is something positive in this. We have to fully acce...

 Other than serving as a day off to take down Christmas decorations and for others to watch football, I'm not sure about the purpose of this day. Perhaps it does nudge us to reflect. In my life I have seen people be much less likely to (1) go out partying and drinking on New Year's Eve and (2) make a big deal about resolutions. Folks still do both, but not to the same extent.  Every day is a new year, really. My friend Sh--- from Iran, a Muslim, who attends our church more faithfully than some of the people on the membership rolls, told me yesterday the Middle Eastern new year is spring, which really makes far more sense. Why is it in the dead of winter?  Sheesh.  However, since we're here, I did think of one serious resolution.  Face the difficulty of being a Christian believer/follower.  In the next few days I will elaborate on this, as I have 8 or more ways I mean it. As to why I choose this as the resolution and theme here, see my aforementioned dig at ...

 I have always been skeptical about the grand promises of medical cannabis. Beyond the help with chemotherapy side effects and glaucoma, it sounded like big claims with little bang for the buck. I confess to ignorance of the nuances of marijuana laws in the states, including my own. I thought it was illegal to possess weed;  a quick Internet search says:  Is Marijuana Legal in Georgia? Except for a very restrictive and cumbersome medical marijuana statute, the State of Georgia has criminalized marijuana possession for any other purposes . Selling, buying, using, and growing marijuana are all illegal activities. (source is a law firm, an entity that would make money from defendants) But like everyone, I see billboards, storefront, and ads for cannabis edibles and such like. So I thought, what is the deal? What will happen to you if you eat a brownie with this stuff in it?  According to the this website from progressive Canada, it doesn't sound too good.  https://...