Hippo Birdie

Almost birthday time.

Whoopee!

That means almost preaching time.

Get it over with.

I think I finished too early. The damn thing's gone a bit stale on me. I'm a little tired of it. At least of practicing it. Lesson learned: no more working so far ahead of time, and definitely no more practicing so much. I'll just take after dear old Dad and be a Saturday night sermon writer.

Seriously, it will probably go great, but pray for me anyway.

Meantime, since I haven't been here much lately, I give you a new link (over there to the left) to the Wheaton GLBT yahoo group. Please, only for the friendly.

Also, I will post for you the homily I wrote for last week's chapel, which was not so much preaching as one of those little scripture doodles I like to write. Enjoy.

From Brokenness to Unity
Fuller Chapel – April 26, 2006

Reader 1 & 2: female
Reader 3: male


2: Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

3: Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near;

2: let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts;

3: let them return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

1: For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant. I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land.
I will sprinkle clean water upon you…

2: (bursting in) Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters! and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price!

3: (inviting the audience) Incline your ear, and come; listen, so that you may live.

1: The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.
He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry.
He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know."
Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD."

3: (softly) A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you;

1: So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them…

3: (softly) I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

1: (slowly) …but there was no breath in them.

2: (softly) Veni Sancte Spiritus.

1: Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath:

2: (louder) Veni Sancte Spiritus.

1: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

2 & 3: (louder) Veni Sancte Spiritus.

1: I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.

2: I will put my spirit within you.

3: I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live.

1: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act.

3: I am the resurrection and the life, and everyone who believes in me will never die.

2: For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

ALL: You shall be my people, and I will be your God.

3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

2: In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials,
so that the genuineness of your faith-- being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire-- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1: Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,

3: for you are receiving the outcome of your faith,

2: the salvation of your souls.