Wednesday, 8 December, 2004

Defensor Fidelis This is a post that I had written nearly completely by Sunday night, nothing further has happened since, so right now there is nothing further to add. The story of the UCC commercials that were turned away by the networks, has lost it's legs. The Man has spoken - next topic please. Assorted commentary was available here and there. Talking Point Memo's had several posts on it last week capturing most of the press, he even got someone from CBS to describe and attempt to defend their policy to him. This served to only lay out the weakness of their craven reply: they never run ads addressing issues of public debate, they never run ads from religious organizations, they never run ads which challenge a president who has just won re-election. See Josh Marshall's Week of 28 Nov 2004 archive, posts are on 01, 02, 03 Dec. (Permalinks: 004135, 004136, 004147, and 004152). John Mack our minister organized his sermon to comment on it. Briefly he noted the passage in Matthew where John the Baptist rails against those he feels are unworthy 'brood of vipers' he calls them; 'bear fruit that befits repentance'. Jesus then comes out to the banks of the Jordan to be baptized. John tries not to - for different reasons - but still in gatekeeper mode. Jesus insists saying 'it is fitting to fulfill', not prophesy, 'but all righteousness.' John consents. The issue in regard to the jealous guarding of the path against the righteous thing should leave no one wondering. An analogous incident from the old testament, the voice of God remonstrating: in 1 kings God calls Elijah out of the cave, where he has gone because the people are just too hopeless too unworthy, to go and stand on the mountain. A great wind, an earthquake and a fire pass by, God is not in any of those things, we are told. God is not obstreperously triumphant. God speaks to Elijah after they pass in a 'still small voice'. The point I think is that, that is a voice that one should still listen for. I have no intent to mangle other people's clearer thinking. John Mack's sermons are up on the web sermon index, pdf of the Sun 05 Dec sermon if any one cares to examine it further. 11:47:32 PM    comment [];trackback [];

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. 2005 Paul Bushmiller. Last update: 1/04/05; 10:39:39.