One of those channels (NBC) didn't come in well at all, too often, if I wanted to watch something on it, all I could get was 'war of the ants'.... but that describes my house... however... eventually Fox added channel #5, and the WB added #6... (and NBC was still "war of the ants,")

Matthew 1:5 "And Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab; and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;"

Why have I never heard people talk about Ruth's other Mother in Law... nor Obed having 3 'foreign' grandparents, and one of Judah? -- is it because too few generations covering too many years?

I can not like this enough. You donate to elementary schools in a state where you don't live. Thank you.

When Paul uses ἀγάπη, it means what he chooses it to mean – neither more nor less.

Somebody at church asked me how one knows how to live as a Christian in times when everybody is telling you different things... My quick answer was Galatians 5:13-26. I didn't mention WWJD this depends on knowing what Christlike looks like. I'm frustrated that we don't know.

I think this is the most disturbing image of God I have seen. Who would think we would invent a new form of idolitry... where is Captian Kirk to cast it down... I've watched the TOS episode "The Apple" this ends badly for so many redshirts.

If i hear of multiple black men hanging from trees... and no foul play is suspected, I remember that there is no record of the Indiana Klan lynching anybody a century ago when they were mainstream, and the judge and sheriff both were dues paying members.

Observation: Appeals to common sense cannot 'win' an argument. The one who agrees with you will say 'yup, it is common sense' -- the one who disagrees will know that common sense says you are wrong. Common sense is not common; we only feel like it should be.

Also, I didn't find Kirk's arguments nor his style worked for me. I didn't find any of his arguments relevant to the discussion. Appeals to reason and common sense without relevant arguments leave me looking to my own reason and common sense... which was the same as before he started talking.

Under what justification? Kirk was not running for any office. He had a podcast and ran a grassroots lobbying and engagement organization.

If he announced he was running for *ANY* office, this would be different; but he was a private citizen with an opinion *podcast.*

Thing is, if somebody sent a tip, his skin and his accent are considered enough probable cause for arrest and detention. He would be released quickly, because he has connections... but I have neighbors, and people at church who don't have such connections. I fear for their safety and well being.

Last political speech I attended was a sitting state Senator. There was a heckler calling for his deportation as an illegal. Of course, the Senator was a U.S. Citizen, but this is the world we live in. (continued)

Dogwhistle theology is the younger sibling to slaveholder theology, and neither one of them have any place in the coming Kingdom of Christ nor the current community of believers.

Christic witness should carry no taint or political, cultural, or ethnic supremacy/war.

In the first decade of the 20th centurya number of places ended lynching with quick trials... not really more just or accurate, but legal. A hanging is a hanging. (Forgive this, I read about it in church minutes there was an antilynching committee that became an anti-death penalty committee)

Well, one thing that can be said for this week is that we've finally settled that empathy is good.

Thank you for the clarification. Our historiography really influences what we believe about somebody. That story has been part of what I've heard before I read a single word written by Bonhoeffer or Barth.

It's also far from the first story I've heard told, because it is a nice story.

A pastor friend of mine reminded me Bonhoeffer wasn't martyred either. He was not killed because of his faith, he was killed because he was part of a conspiracy to assassinate Hitler.

If we want to find martyrs they are not hard to find. There was a church shooting on August 27, everybody who was injured or died were injured and died because they were practicing their faith.

There's no way Kirk was martyred -- he was there for politics not for religion.

Abolition and Charlie Kirk Reflections on an assassination

It's weird, but the shooting of Charlie Kirk feels personal to me, even though I never met him. I reflect on why this might be. I disagree with him in profound ways, yet I also mourn this man I've never met.

michaeldavidjay.wordpress.com/2025/09/11/a...

I don't know about you, but I don't think publicly celebrating violence against political opponents and minorities is the 'right way' to do politics. I also don't think demonizing immigrants, and calling for citizenship to be striped based on ancestry is "the right way."

I disagreed with him, I felt he celebrated violence and called for us to be callous in the face of violence; but he was also human, created in God's Image. He was one hard neighbor to love, but his murder was profane. His repentance would have enriched humanity, but this murder helps nobody.

Compromising our views and ethical standards to support a politician makes no sense if the politician won't return the favor.

Pro-tip: If you are reading these words, the politician won't return the favor.

1842: The cost of compromise Reflections on Elijah and Levi Coffin after reading Elijah Coffin’s “Life with Reminiscence”

After our Lt. Governor talked like it was the early 19th century, and clearly stated a belief that slaves were property and not persons, I thought about the history of my hometown, and my church community.

michaeldavidjay.wordpress.com/2025/08/11/1...

Is this because the last book of the trilogy was first published in 84, long after Piper's death, or because about the same time another author added a couple more books, or something that makes no rational sense?

Or people could believe what he shared about himself in interviews. Neither Billy Bush nor Howard Stern made him talk.

"Not literally, their aweful" (from some book I read or something)

You are years off. Those who have been listening heard about sexual assult during Trump's first term.

More like a Nurenburg Judges trial at this point.

If there is no plan for extreme weather, the detention center in the Everglades is a death camp. If one chooses the method of death, but lets nature choose the time -- one still chooses the method of death. It is still a deliberate killing.

I don't know if the NWS would have been able to warn in time if they were fully funded and fully staffed. Sometimes our best efforts to mitigate the damage of storms fail. I do know, however, that DOGE decided to accept the risk and refused to mitigate. We chose not to protect, and too many died.