Flowers in the Rain

Flowers in the rain,

sodden and sad,

hope springs eternal,

emotions rage constantly,

as if a summer thunderstorm,

like any other normal day.

October Paintings

Gospel of Doug: Lesson Ten

       Whenever I read scripture, I am always amazed how sometimes, I see the scriptures in a new light. Today, I was reading Genesis and read it in a new light. When I read the verses about the fall of man, I realized, the logic behind the argument Satan used to trick Eve, is the same argument we face in our own time. Satan didn't start out talking of the fruit, and how good it tasted, or looked. He started out with the argument that eating the fruit would be good for the COMMUNITY OF MEN, for the COMMON GOOD. Eat the fruit and humanity, will become like Gods. Man will gain knowledge. Defy God, and we become Gods, ourselves. Satan argued God is keeping this fruit from us, because He is trying to keep us ignorant. Eat the fruit and we will be able to become better people, and we will be able to help people define good and define evil. Think about how many times this same argument has been used, down through the ages. It may seem wrong to question God, or defy God, but it is ok, because it is done for the common good. We seemingly  still do not understand how to answer this argument, thousands of years later. In this time of Covid-19, by this argument, we are ignorant if we put our trust in God. No, instead we should put our trust in ourselves . . we must, for the COMMON GOOD. Close the churches, don't pray, don't ask God for help, instead place our troubles before science and let science give the final answers to this problem. Don't listen to God, and what he is telling us, instead listen only to the experts and the science . . .

       In the Sunday Gospel today, the parable was about a king, who gave a wedding feast for his son, but no one came to the feast. So eventually the King invited anyone and everyone his servants could find on the street to the wedding feast. But when the King came to the feast he saw someone not dressed or prepared to celebrate the feast properly. He had the person bound and thrown out into the darkness. I believe this message, ties back into the experience of Mankind's fall from grace. If we are not willing to accept the responsibility of the invitation to the feast, and listen to and trust God, then maybe we should not be at the feast. The same way, if we were not going to follow God's rules and trust in God, we were not allowed to remain in Eden, nor will we be allowed to remain in the Kingdom of God.

 . . .Love and Prayers.

The Gospel of Doug: Lesson Nine

The Gospel at mass Sunday, was the story, where the owner of a vineyard sent his servants and they got beat up, and the owner sent his son, assuming his son would be respected but instead his son is killed because the renters want the vineyard. . .The priest talked of rejection in his sermon because the rest of the text, talked about Jesus being the cornerstone the builders rejected. I understand the Gospel was about rejection, but the thing that touched me, and made me want to write this week, is disrespect or the lack of respect in the parable. We know the vineyard was Israel, and the owner God, and Jesus was his son. But what hit home to me, in being presented with the gospel, was the lack of respect we show Jesus in our culture, at this place and time. We have turned His name, in to a cuss word, or word for surprise or even excitement. Don't know how many times I hear kids say His name that way, or see it on a video on the internet. Which brings me to another form of usage I find disrespectful, and that are these posts where you are supposed to stop scrolling and write something, to prove you had stopped, because Jesus is important you or you believe in Him. I might be wrong, but I do find that lacking respect for the person of Jesus. But I see disrespect every where, and maybe it is just me.  Jesus's life is disrespected by clergy, projecting Him as a free loving hippie, in love with everyone, expecting nothing and demanding nothing in return, Even many times if we have a relationship with Him the relationship with Him is even disrespectful. It seems we are always told to ask Him for help or whatever we need in our lives. But do we ever ask what we can do for Him. Jesus Christ expected and assumed we would be respectful enough to know about His life, and read scripture, and understand our duties in our relationship with Him.  Yet, we don't, we rely on others telling us what our relationship should be, and telling us, they know just how Jesus Christ thought or acted, even when what they are telling us, is in direct defiance of Scripture. You want to respect Jesus, then pray, not asking for anything, but thanking Him for what He has already given you. Ask Him into your life, not just your Sundays. And read scripture, and take ownership of your relationship with Jesus Christ. Understand what is expected of you in the relationship . .it is all there in scripture . .Let's try to quit disrespecting Jesus Christ, and God the Father, it is the least we can do, and ask forgiveness, every day, and every hour . . . .relying on His love . . . . .  amen.