Like, We're Dancing, Man - 09 January 2021 - Plague Journal Day 303

Micah 6:8
2 Samuel 6:14-15
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today is International Choreographers Day, a day to celebrate those who tell dancers what to do and where to go. One of the best examples is linked here (I hope you'll agree that it's great). And here is another one.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Argyle, Laddie! - 08 January 2021 - Plague Journal Day 302

Micah 6:8
Genesis 25:33-34
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?
  
Today is Argyle Day, celebrating what is perhaps my second-favourite colour after Paisley!
Back in my Middle School Art classes (at Brownell Middle School - the best one in the district because we had a breezeway!) I remember drawing and sculpting a little character named Hollinsworth P. Argyle. I guess I've liked argyle for a long time.
Check your socks, please - I'm hoping there are plenty of argyles out there.

In our historical note for today, on 08 January 1835 the US national debt was $0. It's built up a bit in the almost 68,000 days since then. (nearly $400,000 per day - that's insane.)

This is also the birthday of Soupy Sales - think of him when you have lunch today - he would have been 95 today. Just watch out for White Fang, but maybe Black Tooth will give you some kisses. Dog kisses are great. By the way, if you can't have a pie for dessert, why not have a Heath bar today? It's National English Toffee Day after all.


Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Orthodox Christmas - 07 January 2021 - Plague Journal Day 301

Micah 6:8
Matthew 2:1-12
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Merry Christmas! Yes, today is Orthodox Christmas, so I'm wishing a Merry Christmas to all my Orthodox friends.

As an update to the Epiphany post of yesterday, I thought I'd share a picture and a few words about what we did at our church.
We put a bunch of luminaria bags (paper bags with sand and candles) on the front porch and the front walk in the shape of that traditional star "with a tail as big as a kite" followed by the Magi. I think it looked great (so did a few passers-by who saw us as we finished the project), and the whole point was to light the way for the world to the Light of the World, Jesus Christ.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Epiphany - 06 January 2021 - Plague Journal Day 300 - Updated

Micah 6:8
Matthew 2:1-12
Yes, your life matters.

UPDATE AT BOTTOM OF POST

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today is Epiphany, the Twelfth Day of Christmas, the Kings' Day! This day is really the reason we give gifts at Christmas - to commemorate the gifts of the Kings or Magi to the Christ child.
Even though we tend to throw the kings into our nativity scenes, it was actually much later when they finally showed up with their gifts. And what gifts they were!

Gold - a gift for a king
Frankincense - a gift for a priest
Myrrh - a gift used to anoint a body - a corpse

There you go, king, high priest, sacrifice - the Lamb of God. Those kings really were wise men.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

UPDATE:
On this date in 2013, the NFL reached an agreement to end their 113-day lockout of the players. This would be a great time to watch the behind-the-scenes documentary of that period, The Replacements.

Morons? - 05 January 2021 - Plague Journal Day 299

Micah 6:8
Galatians 3:27-29
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

I was going to womention the ludicrous finale to a prayer by Rep. Cleaver here today, but Mark Tooley did a better and more thorough job than I would have done, so I'll share a link to his piece here. I was surprised to see how widespread the ridicule of his ridiculous pseudo-inclusion was - surprised and encouraged.

Now if we could get the democrats in Congress to realize that claiming to follow the science - especially medical science - and then ignoring biology doesn't seem to be a winning position. I know, fat chance.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

TGIM - 04 January 2021 - Plague Journal Day 298

Micah 6:8
John 13:21-22
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?


Today's historical notes:

• On 04 January 1960 Albert Camus died. As the author of The Stranger, The Fall, and The Plague, Camus seems to have written some awfully appropriate novels for today. I recommend The Stranger and The Plague. I know I've read The Fall, but I don't remember it enough to know if I recommend it or not. (Since I don't remember it, it must not have made that big an impression on me. If you've read it and think I need to give it another go, please let me know.)
  
• One year later, on 04 January 1961, Erwin Schrödinger died. Or perhaps not. It remains to be seen. (His remains to be seen? It depends upon whether he's dead or alive. At least he's not torturing cats anymore.) Here we have another personage well suited to our current times. I'm fairly certain that it would have been fun to listen in on a conversation between Schrödinger and Heisenberg.
  

Enough of this frivolity.
Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Worship - 03 January 2021 - Plague Journal Day 297

Micah 6:8
Isaiah 60:1-6
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

It's Epiphany Sunday!

With the current spike in COVID cases in Grosse Pointe, we've paused our in-person worship, probably for the rest of the year. We will only be streaming our services on YouTube until further notice, so please join us online.

Speaking of joining us online, we're back to having a small worship team in the Sanctuary to stream a live worship service again. In addition to a soloist at the offertory time, there are two sing-along hymns included for the "congregation" at home, so please stand and join in singing!

As usual, today's stream should just appear as the latest entry on our YouTube channel, here.
You'll find all our previous worship videos right there at that same place, and today's stream will stay there as a recording as well.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.