Go the Other Way, Yogi! - 26 March 2022 - Plague Journal Day 744

Micah 6:8
Psalm 119:103-105
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

On 26 March 1874 Robert Frost, American poet and playwright, was born. I have a few connections with Mr. Frost.
First off, we're both poets, although he seems to be better known and more widely quoted and published. Ah, fickle fame!
Secondly, back in my university days, my dorm was divided into several houses, generally named after famous alumni. I lived in Frost House for two years, and yes, it was indeed named for Robert Frost.

Finally (for now), I've sung and enjoyed several of the Randall Thompson settings of Frost's poems - a collection of seven songs known as Frostiana. Yes, The Road Less Taken is one, but so is Choose Something Like a Star. That one is just plain wonderful. You should learn it, sing it, remember it. 

Here's a video I found for you. You're welcome.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

Wiki Wacky Woo - 25 March 2022 - Plague Journal Day 743

Micah 6:8
Revelation 22:18-19
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today is a notable date in the history of swiftly editable sources of "truth" on the internet. On 25 March 1995 WikiWikiWeb, the world's first wiki, was launched. Ward Cunningham introduced the wiki, or user-editable website. Of course most of us think of Wikipedia when we think of a wiki - it is the world's most well known and widely used wiki, so that's only fair. I have been part of populating and maintaining a couple wikis in my day, and they can be very useful. Quite an invention, Mr. Cunningham.

I liked your pharmacies too.

At any rate, this brought to mind a blog post I read a long time ago (I see it was posted way back in 2007, so that's about 0.1 eternities in internet time) that wasn't really about wikis, but did mention the derivation of the word in the first part of the post. You can read it here if you'd like to. I think the guy is wrong, but I wasn't in on the coining of that term, so he may be correct.

In celebration of wikis, I thought I'd give you a couple links to a fabulous song of the past that must have anticipated the whole trend of editing, modifying, putting in everything you can think of that embodies the modern wiki aesthetic.

First up, a very entertaining take, and next a much smoother version.

Enjoy!

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

See Face to Face - 24 March 2022 - Plague Journal Day 742

Micah 6:8
1 Corinthians 13:12   Hebrews 10:24-25
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Here's an interesting bit of TV history. On 24 March 1932, the first religious service was telecast in the US. Ninety years ago, watching worship on a screen in one's home was a new and nearly miraculous thing. Today, it's nearly supplanted actual attendance at worship services in many churches.

I was at a church meeting last night - not via Teams or Zoom, but in person at last! - and this was a topic of conversation. Not because it was on the agenda, but rather because it impinges on so many other things we would want and hope to do as a congregation.
It hardly makes sense to add more worship service times and formats when we currently have a nearly empty sanctuary. Perhaps changing everything, but just adding doesn't seem like a good idea. The other aspect is how hard it is to make connections that would normally be made on Sunday mornings, and those are what lead to involvement in other parts of the church life.

Sunday Schools, Mission Trips, a vast array of outreach and nurturing ministries are being choked off due to lack of awareness - both of their potential existence and of the folks one would meet when coming together for them. It's sad, really. If you're not going in person, you're really missing out.

I know how easy it is to roll out of bed that much later, not have to get the kids ready (or even just get dressed oneself), turn on the computer or smart TV or tablet or phone and "worship" on YouTube. I know because we all had to do that for a while.
But ... as soon as I could be involved in getting those services out I jumped at the chance. Even if there were only four or five of us in the sanctuary or chapel, we were together and the worship was much more real. And it wasn't terribly long before we managed to worship outside around our lovely Memorial Garden. Sure, we were masked in our lawn chairs, but we were together, and the worship was that much more real.
Once we got back to the sanctuary things were even better - except we still have so many of the church family who have gotten out of the habit of meeting together, something that must not be neglected.

Of course, this is pandemic habits riding on the coattails of a larger trend of people's neglecting worship, while still asserting their "spiritual" cred, whatever that might mean. If it doesn't change your behavior, it's probably not real or not important to you. That's a general rule for looking at my own life - if I say something's important, but I don't act like it, if it's not bearing fruit in my life, then I'm only trying to fool you or myself.

Come back to church folks.
This came to mind, but isn't really all that tightly related.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

Missed It By That Much - 23 March 2022 - Plague Journal Day 741

Micah 6:8
Ezekiel 1:15-21
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

I'm not sure what prompted this the other day, but I've been thinking about the time back in the late 1950s when my Dad worked at Chrysler Defense on the VZ-6 flying jeep project. I think it was probably an article I saw where Suzuki is teaming up with a drone manufacturer to make a flying car for deliveries and taxi use. If it had a decent range and speed, and if it cost something less than my life's earnings all at once, I might well consider getting one.

Anyway, back to the 50s when Chrysler Defense was working on a flying jeep for the US Army. It always seemed odd to me that something from a car company and called a jeep (at least informally) would have only two ducted fans, not four. Getting the roll, pitch, and yaw controls as well as forward and reverse motion from just the two fans involved a lot of intricate vanes and control mechanisms (that's the part Dad worked on - the basic machine had already been laid out by the time he joined the project). I mean, even Ezekiel had four wheels within wheels, right?

Having a ducted fan at each corner would seem to allow for easier control - and that's what many drones look like these days.

Everything new is old again - or however that goes.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

Don't Stop the Presses! - 22 March 2022 - Plague Journal Day 740

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

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

On 22 March 1457 Johannes Gutenberg printed what is now called The Gutenberg Bible, the first printed book in human history. What an amazing change that was. Rather than each book being an artisanal creation, suddenly endless copies could be made - much more quickly and much less expensively. At last there was a reason for everyone to become literate and what a change to society that would make.
A wonderful event for all people for all time.

Speaking of Gutenberg, I'd like to put in a plug for the Gutenberg Project. It's a repository of an amazing array of writings which have come out of copyright and have been made available to everyone to download and read and enjoy. You should check it out.

In a wonderful example of calendrical synchronicity, on 22 March 1960 a patent was granted to Charles Hard Townes and Arthur Leonard Schawlow for the laser. Given that so much printing these days is done by laser printers, it seems really appropriate that both of those milestones happened on the same date (albeit just over five centuries apart).

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

Disappointed - 21 March 2022 - Plague Journal Day 739

Micah 6:8
Ezekiel 24:1-5
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

As we all know, St. Patrick's Day was last week. I determined to cook a corned beef brisket for dinner, although it was on Friday as we hadn't enough time Thursday for the cooking, and cast about for the best method. Well, it sounded like the slow cooker would be ideal - sadly I didn't find that out until noon or so, and it called for nine hours cooking time. A no go for sure. Aha! We have an Instant Pot! That should do the trick! and there was the recipe telling me a total of two hours from start to finish, so here we go.

I will admit, the flavor was quite good, but oddly the meat, while tender, seemed dry. I somewhat puzzling outcome - dry, tender, flavorful meat. At least it didn't take long, thanks to the pressure! or the enhanced pressure!

Live and learn, I suppose. I may have to get another one and drop it in the crockpot instead.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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 - 20 March 2022 - Plague Journal Day 738

Micah 6:8
Luke 13:1-9
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

For our 9:30 AM worship service we have an organ solo at offertory time and our standard three hymns for congregational singing.

Also, there are still a few copies of our Lenten devotions book for 2022, so come and get one! (You can always read them at https://gpumc.blogspot.com as well.)

Remember, we'll be streaming for all those who can't join us in person, and intend to continue that practice indefinitely. Still, know that we miss seeing you in person - please come join in corporate prayer, praise, and worship as soon as you feel ready.

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 Don't 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