Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Today's Link
True Grit

Saying for the Day
Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task. ~William James

Picture of the Day
It's his birthday today.
Happy birthday Pete

“22The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority,”
We are moving through Epiphany and have reached the fourth Sunday after the Epiphany in the Liturgical Churches. Epiphany is the time when people begin to see the light breaking into the world.
In today’s Gospel Jesus goes to a Synagogue on the Sabbath and begins to teach. This was usually done by teachers of the law and by scribes. But when Jesus started teaching the crowd knew immediately that something was different. He spoke with authority.
When I read this I think of watching a television broadcast that brings in experts on a topic. I listen and in a moment or two I begin to think the man who is speaking really doesn’t understand what he is talking about. Later there comes another speaker and quickly I know he not only knows about his topic he has lived it. He has authority.
The old Pastor who helped me to see Jesus had authority. The authority of one who walked with Christ.
But though they saw the authority they did not follow. They went home after synagogue and talked about Him. They talked about Him all week but they didn’t follow.
Today they are the people who believe Jesus is God “ But you have to be practical and live in the real world”.
Following Jesus is upsetting.
It has always been upsetting.
But when we hear Him speak with authority we at least know where the path is.

News from Pigeon Falls

The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal.
While Pastor Joan preached the second service Herman and Oops had a tea party. He expected the little cup to be empty when she gave it to him but it had something that looked like tea in it. It tasted like tea as well. The best tea that Herman ever had. So he had three cups. She also gave him some little biscuits. They were the best biscuits Herman had ever tasted. This tea party stuff could be fun. It didn’t bother Herman that one moment the teapot was empty and the next it was full. It didn’t bother him that the biscuits just sort of appeared on the empty plate. He had taken care of Oops long enough to know that anything can happen when your with her.
He was not, however, in any way prepared for what happened next. She placed her hand on his and suddenly he felt power flowing into him. It was power unlike anything he had ever felt. He felt like he could move mountains or wrestle elephants. He felt like he could leap tall buildings in a single bound. Then she removed her hand and the power remained.
Since the Lake of the Loons was showing no signs of freezing over again. Tommy had stopped making his daily visits to the lake and was back working with the Tommy Club to try to learn as much as possible about the man in black. As much as possible at that moment meant very little.

Wrap UP

Some days are better than others. This was one of those better days. It got up to 32 degrees. My oxcygen improved. I was well enough to go to Church. My grandson sat in on the Confirmation class. I absolutely loved the choir song. The sermon was great and the youth group solm me a wonderful lemon meringue pie. I came home and brought the website up to date. This week's choir is now there on the opening. The sermon is the one from this morning. I played canasta with Betty against Patrick and Alex and they defeated us. All in all it was just a great day. Now the house is quiet again all the kids have gone home. I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

************************************************************