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The Course of Religious History

Vern Schanilec March 4, 2018 About every 500 years something significant happens within religion. There’s always a give or take of 50 to 150 years so don’t set your fitbit by it, but let’s keep with the interval theme. I will start with the time of Abraham around 2000 BC, give or take 100 years. You could ask why I don’t start with the mythic time of Adam and Eve. I don’t see their existence in the framework of religion because no formal institution was in place. God was still the boss. Abram (whose name was lengthened to Abraham) is asked by God to walk with his family 1000 miles from today’s Persian Gulf, the land of Ur, northward up the Fertile Crescent of today’s Iraq as bordered by the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers unto what was known then as Canaan. At the top of the Crescent his brother Haran was left behind along with his beautiful daughters Rebekah and Rachel who would later be courted by their cousins Isaac and Jacob. This was the origins of the Semitic group of Hebre
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Jesus: Messiah and Lawyer

Vern Schanilec January 13, 2018            Willie Nelson and Waylan Jennings both recorded the song Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys . The lyrics advise “Let 'em be doctors and lawyers and such.” Joseph and Mary may just have taken their advice, anachronistically of course, judging by their observation of their son Jesus and how he later matured. “You’re a bright boy son, why don’t you go to the Temple and pursue doctorates in Messiahship and Law."            He followed their advisement, submitted to Temple teachings, and upon returning to Nazareth hung out his shingle (metaphorically speaking) and began a career as an itinerant spokesman for God which would test both his ecclesiastical and legal knowledge.            How do I dare speak of Jesus in such earth-bound and mordant terms. The evidence will speak for itself. The job description for a messiah was thought to be, by Israelis at the time, one who would vanquish Israel’s enemies and restore King Davi
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Making Diamonds

William Caldwell December 30, 2017 Seventeen-fifty-four, where was George Washington then? Stretching his chains and rods in the Cumberland? Preparing for the lead up to the French and Indian War? I forget the exact dates of his involvement in either endeavor. G. W., my hero who was he and how was he forming the consciousness and presence to become the Constitutional Congresses military arm, desirous of leading the nascent nation into battle against the red coated menace. They say he strode about the meeting hall in uniform, rampant, ready to stand in the face of the Brit and Crown. Yes, how does one make oneself? As for me I have spent a lot of time looking into the face of children. They light my world – which I must say, is sorely needed since too much of the remainder of my day is spent in the dark tunnels of a mirror, a black slated glass some days, a black velvet drape others, a black maw, a black orchid, a black whatever, black anything. It only need be black because at t
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Ten reasons why everyone should know everything they can about the Bible.

Ten reasons why everyone should know everything they can about the Bible. By Vern Schanilec 12/30/2017 A Bible search can have something to do with faith if you want it to, and which I address, but the initial thrust is about getting acquainted with an ancient manuscript that every year is still the largest book seller. How did it come together; why is it in the order it is; and, most importantly, was it inspired by God. We shall see. 1. You will learn the theocratic history of Judaism from Abraham to Jesus, who was after all, a practicing Jew. 2. You will learn if the Bible’s offerings are historically accurate. 3. You will observe data which will inform you if God inspired writers, or they were on their own; literal vs non-literal; innerancy vs errancy. 4. You will learn how the Hebrew Testament (HT, known as the Old Testament OT) sets up the Christian Testament (CT, known as the New Testament NT); and HT prophecies that allegedly point to the coming of Jesus. 5. You
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Youngest Sibling

Youngest Sibling There is (or was, a few years ago) a thing called “the youngest sibling effect” – or something like that. The idea is that the oldest is smart: he has to teach the second, and the second has to teach the third, on down to the last. * They all learn, because you have to put your thoughts in order to explain things. The last one has no one to teach, so doesn’t learn so well. The nuclear physicist Richard Feynman touched on then this when he said that if you couldn’t explain a concept to a fairly bright high school student, you didn’t understand it yourself. It’s an old concept. Heinlein uses it in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. The protagonist hires a teacher whose first question is, “Well, what are we going to learn this time?” I Have also had it happen to me. I was with this fairly bright administrator at work and commented that it was pretty neat that you could just look at heavy equipment axle assemblies and know how many planetary gears each one had—large ones
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The best and Worst Shot Ever

The best and Worst Shot Ever I was out with my dog and gun behind the potato and onion processing plant near Boardman, Oregon. After morning fog, it was a bright, cold, windy day. We were walking downwind in a stubble field. The dog started making game about the same time the rooster jumped. He was coming straight towards me, and into the wind, making for an easy shot. As it flew, it crossed between me and the sun, and was totally illuminated. This is the only shot of my life that I wish was a photograph instead. Roast Pheasant la Orange If you have one of those plucking machines with the rotary rubber fingers, pluck the bird. Otherwise just skin it, cutting off the wing tips and feet as you go. Kitchen shears are handy here. Gut it and rinse it thoroughly. Then look it over for shot left in the meat, removing any feathers the shot have pulled in with them as you go. When you’ve done as much of this as you’re going to, rinse it some more, giving extra attention to bloodshot pl
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After Mary Oliver

By Peggy Coquet June 3, 2017 Setting the table, I place each item carefully To make it pleasant for the people eating at my table. The more intent I put in the task, The more I focus on those who will share food, The more pleased I am with the result. Good conversation, honest friendship And a true sharing of the gift of life. Making the bed Whether I am making the bed in the morning Or making it up fresh with clean bed clothes I try to honor its importance As the place where we open to each other Share secrets, laugh and remember All the love that has grown In the garden of our bed.
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