Prayer Time - 20 February 2021 - Plague Journal Day 345

Micah 6:8
1 Kings 8:22-27
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? 

First off, today is my Dad's 92nd birthday, so I'm taking a moment here to wish him a Happy Birthday, and to thank him for being the best Dad I could imagine having. I love you, Dad - see you later.

OK, next topic:
Our church has been hosting a virtual 12-hour prayer chain every Saturday for the last several months. I had taken one of the 15- or 30-minute time slots each of the first several weeks, and was amazed at how quickly that time passes, as well as how intense and moving this time of prayer was.

I've been away from the practice for quite a while, but I jumped back in today (later this afternoon is my assigned time-slot), and I'm looking forward to it.

As a way of focusing myself, I'm going to go back to praying the Psalms.
Today I'm looking at Psalm 50, and decided to share it with you here. I pray that it will bless you as it did me today.

 Psalm 50 English Standard Version (ESV)
A Psalm of Asaph.

The Mighty One, God the Lord,
    speaks and summons the earth
    from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
    God shines forth.

Our God comes; he does not keep silence;
    before him is a devouring fire,
    around him a mighty tempest.
He calls to the heavens above
    and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
“Gather to me my faithful ones,
    who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
The heavens declare his righteousness,
    for God himself is judge! Selah

“Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
    O Israel, I will testify against you.
    I am God, your God.
Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
    your burnt offerings are continually before me.
I will not accept a bull from your house
    or goats from your folds.
For every beast of the forest is mine,
    the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the hills,
    and all that moves in the field is mine.

“If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
    for the world and its fullness are mine.
Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
    and perform your vows to the Most High,
and call upon me in the day of trouble;
    I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

But to the wicked God says:
    “What right have you to recite my statutes
    or take my covenant on your lips?
For you hate discipline,
    and you cast my words behind you.
If you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
    and you keep company with adulterers.

“You give your mouth free rein for evil,
    and your tongue frames deceit.
You sit and speak against your brother;
    you slander your own mother's son.
These things you have done, and I have been silent;
    you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.

“Mark this, then, you who forget God,
    lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!
The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
    to one who orders his way rightly
    I will show the salvation of God!”

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.

Spoon Licking Good - 19 February 2021 - Plague Journal Day 344

Micah 6:8
Revelation 14:2
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 know you're all wondering how the coq au vin was yesterday, right? Well, it was a great success, I'm happy to report. I think the substitution of chicken stock for part of the wine made for a rounder flavor. I'll try to remember to do that when I make this again, and I would recommend your giving it a try as well.

On 19 February 1916, Ernst Mach, the famed Austrian physicist died - just one day after his 78th birthday and on the 443rd birthday of Nicolaus Copernicus. A fairly auspicious data, no?

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.

Carnage du Jour - 18 February 2021 - Plague Journal Day 343

Micah 6:8
Genesis 25:29-34
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?

First, a quick note of excitement - today is the day that NASA's Perseverence is to land on Mars! Let's hope for a successful landing after the seven minutes of terror! (see! I'm excited!)

I realized recently that I hadn't posted a carnage du jour in a long time. Well, today we're having a guest for dinner, and we're having a nice pot of coq au vin, so that seemed like a reasonable way to resume that series of posts. (In fact, I've probably posted about coq au vin in the past. I've made it for a fun church dinner series (Who's Coming to Dinner?) as well as on at least one camping trip.)

Why bother posting this one? Well, I'm hoping it will be a good batch, but I've chosen to do it solely from memory and instinct this time rather than go look for a recipe I've used in the past. One of the keys is that the wine needs to stew long enough to cook out most of the alcohol taste and feel. I think I'm giving it plenty of time.
The basics of this effort are: boneless chicken thighs seasoned with  salt and pepper and smoked paprika, seared in bacon grease, bacon, pearl onions, and red wine. To the wine I've added some chicken stock, some dry mustard, and some thyme. I'll let this stew for a few hours in the crock pot and then check for seasoning. (I may have used some cocoa powder in the seasoning as well - I don't remember for sure.) Now I need to remember to add carrots and the mushrooms I bought for this dish when the time comes!

I'll try to remember to report back on this tomorrow.

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.

Ash Wednesday - 17 February 2021 - Plague Journal Day 342

Micah 6:8
Joel 2:12-14
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?

This is Ash Wednesday - the first day of Lent.
Why not join us on our journey of preparation for the Glory that is Easter?
Check out GPUMC's Lenten Devotions here each day.

With the COVID case levels settling down in Grosse Pointe, we've resumed our in-person worship!
You have two ashen opportunities today - from noon to 1PM, Pastor Ray will be doing drive-by ashes in the parking lot of the church, then at 7:30 we'll have a worship service in the Sanctuary, led by Emily Bianchi and Josh Kearney.
We'll stream the evening worship service as usual, but the drive-by is strictly in-person. Maybe

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.

Snowpocalypse 2021! - 16 February 2021 - Plague Journal Day 341

Micah 6:8
Job 37:5-6
Isaiah 55:10-11
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?

Who knew that one of the drawbacks of the eternal working from home setup would be that there are no snow days? I guess I realized that when kids still had online classes during a previous "heavy" snowfall, but it hadn't registered with me that I was stuck with the same fate.

Ah well, there are only four more weeks of Winter - I can last that long. Then we'll have some grass showing along with the snow. By the way, dogs are great.

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.

It's Alive! - 15 February 2021 - Plague Journal Day 340

Micah 6:8
Philippians 2:12-15
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?

OK, grumbling first. Today is Presidents' Day, the day that should have been the last day of our Winter Retreat at Lake Louise Christian Community in Boyne Falls. Of course, that couldn't happen because COVID. Grr.

OK. Enough grumbling.

We realized on the way home that it had been about a year since we had been at an actual live concert of music. That's just beyond comprehension - it's something we do very regularly in the normal world, but here in Bizarro world everything is turned on its head (or something like that).

"Home from where?" I hear you ask. Ah, we were treated to a live, candle-lit concert at Masonic Hall in Detroit. A really nice program of music - chosen for Valentines weekend - played by a real quality string quartet. Excellent arrangements - everyone got good stuff to play from time to time - really good playing. Basically all one could want in a concert - including a rapid recovery from a falling music stand knocking over the second violin's bridge. The violinist got that righted while the cellist got the music stand back in place and they finished the piece to even more applause than they would have gotten without any mishaps.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening that Heidi and I spent listening and (people) watching with Christian and Mariam. A great time was had by 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.

Worship - 14 February 2021 - Plague Journal Day 339

Micah 6:8

Mark 9:2-9
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?

 

 

This Sunday is Transfiguration Sunday.

With the COVID case levels settling down in Grosse Pointe, we've resumed our in-person worship!
Yes, we're going to be back in-person in the Sanctuary on February 14. You'll need to register ahead of time to attend, and an email went out from the church with all the details!

In addition to a virtual choir at the offertory time, Doug will be back at the organ for opening and closing voluntaries based on familiar hymns. Remember, we'll be streaming for all those who can't join us in person.

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.

Oh - and Happy Valentines Day!

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.