Some other random thoughts that popped up while transitioning from Q1-Q2 2024.
You know you’re old when your mental playlist skips from one genre to another, and you’re trying to be okay with that, until you give in to your own insistence that they still have to be grouped and categorized. Jazz. Metal. Classics. Try to keep them together and find out just how colorful your life has been so far.
The Geographical Fugue by Ernst Koch was played in our Music class way back when I was in grade 4 or 5, and I had no clue as to the point of it – In fact, I don’t think any of us in the class did, and I’m guessing (from memory) that our teacher, who was probably trying to adhere to the curriculum, just breezed through it. She played it and it left me just slightly bothered for decades, fading into obscurity; That is, until I remembered it again, and promptly Googled it.
The way I understood it, it was a way for us to make music with the human voice without actually singing – and I think that sort of make sense, considering the round-quality of the entire piece, and how the tempo is so forced to make it sound more than just a mere chant.
While travelling I saw a sticker on one car’s rear window that appealed to me significantly more than the garbage other people place – it was just a simple readable message in white: ‘I hope you’re having a good day’, or something like that.
Made me want a sticker for my own car, but I got stuck on what actual message to place? In my mind, as much as possible it was to be a Christian message without sounding too religious, just so anyone and everyone would be blessed by it. I haven’t decided on my actual message yet, but well, saying the same sentence as I saw isn’t too far from my top considerations.
We really should be communicating and adding value as much as we can.
Your wife is the second Holy Spirit, or the Holy Pilit. – Ptr. Noel Pabiona
While seated with my uncles who were more of the Episcopal ‘persuasion’, I sat down and just let them talk about what seemed to be some issues in there recent administrative meetings.
From what I heard, it seems like long-applicable policies were suddenly bypassed, to a point that a certain diocese was obviously ‘rushed’ without due process; Measures such as qualifications and standards were not observed.
It doesn’t help that the instigator of said expedient formation of a diocese was clearly, blatantly moving his authority; This guy was apparently President, but sadly was also Treasurer and who knows what else.
What’s worse is that in such a position of great power, or power disproportionate to what one man could handle CLEARLY leads to ruin – that is, in the sense that any and all flaws are brought into the light.
For instance, any dormant tendencies to get irritable once you are questioned? They all pop out as soon as we’re given some authority.
Also, when we’re given leadership, it’ll be clear for us (and, for others) to see what we’ve truly integrated, and what we’re still ‘learning’ and applying.
The example presented for that previous point was in how bishops are expected to pay a visit to dioceses. One uncle in the table said that the bishop really shouldn’t wait until he is called for before he would visit. It’s common sense for a bishop to visit – and not only to represent himself, but the authority given to him. Proportionate representation is different from mere representation.
True authority is meant to be tested and questioned, again and again.
True leadership develops us just as much, if not more than we set out to develop those under our watch.
Compare 2 Samuel 7 to Acts 11:
Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD!
Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O LORD, became their God.
And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you.
For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”2 Samuel 7:18-29
Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
But Peter began and explained it to them in order: “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’
This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”
When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”Acts 11:1-18
Could David have imagined that his house would be established forever, by way of the Gentiles also being granted repentance, so many generations, so many centuries later? Could it have crossed his mind that this was how the Lord would bless his house, which was also now His (Christ’s) house?
And, see – the house of David has become the body of Christ. What a wonderful revelation, a perspective of the great grace of God, true to His people Israel, and true to His everlasting love for the entire world!
Until the next post, God bless you!
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JB's Personal Brain Defragmenter 
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