http://lambofgodnj.org/blogs/big-al Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:29:23 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Another year, another section... This year I spent the most time (13 days) hiking the greatest distance (227 miles) along the Blue Ridge in West-Central Virginia.  Over the past several years, all of my hikes have been in the northern half of the Appalachian Trail, mostly in New England.  Virginia was ... http://lambofgodnj.org/blogs/big-al/hiking/yet-another-appalachian-trail-section/ The Catholic Diocese of New York recently put up this rather entertaining YouTube video to encourage folks to go to Confession, and there's something about it that strikes me as "getting it right," even though confession as a sacrament isn't a Protestant thing.  I think that most of us have ... http://lambofgodnj.org/blogs/big-al/church/keeping-it-clean-with-soulwow/ Note of explanation for this selection: In Donne's time, reasonably well-off people stayed at home and had their doctors visit them at home.  Poorer people went to hospitals, where doctor's would occasionally visit, but not reliably. How many are sicker (perchance) than I, and laid in their woful straw at home ... http://lambofgodnj.org/blogs/big-al/history/donne-on-illness/ O eternal and most gracious God, who calledst down fire from heaven upon the sinful cities but once, and openedst the earth to swallow the murmurers but once, and threwest down the tower of Siloam upon sinners but once; but for thy works of mercy repeatedst them often, and still ... http://lambofgodnj.org/blogs/big-al/suffering/donne-on-justice-and-mercy/ Make my bed again, O Lord, and enable me, according to thy command, to commune with mine own heart upon my bed, and be still; to provide a bed for all my former sins whilst I lie upon this bed, and a grave for my sins before I come to ... http://lambofgodnj.org/blogs/big-al/suffering/a-grave-for-my-sins/ "God suspends me between heaven and earth, as a meteor; and I am not in heaven because an earthly body clogs me, and I am not in the earth because a heavenly soul sustains me. And it is thine own law, O God, that if a man be smitten so ... http://lambofgodnj.org/blogs/big-al/suffering/donne-on-the-purposes-of-illness/ I think I might try to post something every day  from John Donne -- both his prose and his poetry make for outstanding Lenten reading. David professes himself dead dog to his king Saul, and so doth Mephibosheth to his king David, and yet David speaks to Saul, and Mephibosheth to ... http://lambofgodnj.org/blogs/big-al/suffering/more-from-donne-on-god-and-man/ I often read John Donne's Devotions upon Emergent Occasions during this time of year.  Here are a few sentences from what I read today: If I were mere dust and ashes I might speak unto the Lord, for the Lord's hand made me of this dust, and the Lord's hand shall ... http://lambofgodnj.org/blogs/big-al/uncategorized/something-i-read-today/ As many of you know, the Mendelsohn family will be travelling to India for a family wedding in a couple of weeks -- we'll be there for about 10 days.  We'll be flying into Mumbai first and staying there for a couple of days to get used to the time ... http://lambofgodnj.org/blogs/big-al/beer/my-beer-heir/ As part of the Saturday morning theology class, I'm putting up the four great ecumenical creeds: The Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Definition of Chalcedon, and the Athanasian Creed. These four texts are marvelous in that they summarize many key doctrines of our faith in relatively few words. ... http://lambofgodnj.org/blogs/big-al/church/the-ecumenical-creeds/