Saints and Scalawags – Page 3

Polycarp – Psalm of the Day

Sistertech so admires the steadfastness of St. Polycarp. People seem so fickle these days, don’t they? But here was an individual who would not renounce his Christian faith. Psalm 121 addresses the kind of faith that Polycarp had. The One In Charge will never abandon us.

¹I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
²My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

³He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
⁵The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
⁶The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
⁷The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
⁸The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and for evermore.

Learn more about Polycarp here

Eric Liddell – Psalm of the Day

We remember this day Eric Liddell, the “Flying Scotsman”, the star runner depicted in the movie Chariots of Fire. He famously refused to run on a Sunday in the 1924 Paris Olympics. The Psalm today evoke those flying feet!

Psalm 18

³¹For who is God except the Lord?
And who is a rock besides our God?—
³²the God who girded me with strength,
and made my way safe.
³³He made my feet like the feet of a deer,
and set me secure on the heights.
³⁴He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

A missionary to China, a prison of war, and an amazing man of God. Read more about him here.

Frederick Douglass – Psalm of the Day

Today Sistertech remembers Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, circa 1818 – February 20, 1895). He’s one of the most important figures in both African American and United States history. Have you read his narrative about his years in slavery? About learning how to read? Amazing stuff. For one who fought for the abolition of slavery and for equal voting rights for women this Psalm nearly says it all.

⁷Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.

⁸Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
⁹Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
¹⁰Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
¹¹Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
¹²The Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
¹³Righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps.

Martin Luther – Psalm of the Day

This guy certainly mad a big splash! Every now and then Sistertech hears a bit of, well, gossip, about Luther. Some days it’s “The nerve! Who did he think he was?!” to “What in Heaven’s name took him so long?” It is only because of my supreme unflappability that Sistertech smiles at both sides and says, “I service all manner of computers. It makes no difference to me whether their owners are Catholic or Protestant.” That shuts them up rather quickly.

The Psalm is a foretaste of that famous hymn of Marty’s, er, Luther’s A Mighty Fortress is Our God:

Psalm 46:

¹God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
³though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

You have to admit, the hymn is glorious. True, the tune is a bit ponderous, but those were ponderous times, I suppose.

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

Cyril and Methodius – Psalm of the Day

Today I remember Cyril and his brother Methodius. Sistertech is fond of different languages, both spoken and computer. What Sistertech appreciates most about these two missionaries is their fearlessness in the face of a daunting linguistic challenge: they translated the Church liturgy and much of the scriptures into Slavonic, which at the time had no written language. Their amazing story is here. Later on they faced lots of resistance from the “Latin only” crowd. The Psalm for today, Psalm 69, is therefore appropriate:

⁸I have become a stranger to my kindred,
an alien to my mother’s children.

⁹It is zeal for your house that has consumed me;
the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
¹⁰When I humbled my soul with fasting,
they insulted me for doing so.
¹¹When I made sackcloth my clothing,
I became a byword to them.
¹²I am the subject of gossip for those who sit in the gate,
and the drunkards make songs about me.
¹³But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord.
At an acceptable time, O God,
in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me.
With your faithful help ¹⁴rescue me
from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered from my enemies
and from the deep waters.
¹⁵Do not let the flood sweep over me,
or the deep swallow me up,
or the Pit close its mouth over me.
¹⁶Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good;
according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
¹⁷Do not hide your face from your servant,
for I am in distress—make haste to answer me.
¹⁸Draw near to me, redeem me,
set me free because of my enemies.

Absalom Jones – Psalm of the Day

Another great personage: Absalom Jones. Jones, along with Richard Allen, are often cited as the first ordained African Americans in the US. More on Jones here:

In 1786 the membership of St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia included both blacks and whites. However, the white members met that year and decided that thereafter black members should sit only in the balcony. Two black Sunday worshippers, Absalom Jones (1746-1818) and Richard Allen (1760-1831), whose enthusiasm for the Methodist Church had brought many blacks into the congregation, learned of the decision only when, on the following Sunday, ushers tapped them on the shoulder during the opening prayers, and demanded that they move to the balcony without waiting for the end of the prayer. They walked out, followed by the other black members.

Absalom Jones conferred with William White, Episcopal Bishop of Philadelphia, who agreed to accept the group as an Episcopal parish.

Sistertech has not experienced that kind of discrimination, though she does stick out like a sore thumb. Being a rara avis is hard work. Long ago, Sistertech had the misfortune, er, the opportunity to teach a Sunday School class of youngsters. When we sang a song based on the Psalm appointed for this day, Psalm 137, one youngster nicknamed the song the “Sad Dancing Bear Song”. Evidently he took his cue from the first few verses. As Kermit the Frog once said, “it isn’t easy being green”, we can empathize with all those who are “different” or whose path is “different”. For all those trailblazers, this Psalm’s for you.

Psalm

¹By the rivers of Babylon—
there we sat down and there we wept
when we remembered Zion.
²On the willows^* there
we hung up our harps.
³For there our captors
asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’

⁴How could we sing the Lord’s song
in a foreign land?
⁵If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither!
⁶Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy.

Charles Freer Andrews – Psalm of the Day

What a fascinating person: Charles Freer Andrews (1871-1940). An English priest, educator and Indian freedom fighter. A close associate of Gandhi’s. Gandhi called him Christ’s Faithful Apostle. Get it? CFA — his initials. Much more on Andrews is here.

Psalm 113:2-8

²Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time on and for evermore.
³From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
⁴The Lord is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens.

⁵Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
⁶who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
⁷He raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
⁸to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.

Fanny Crosby – Psalm of the Day

One of Sistertech’s early clients was a woman with a, shall we say, colorful past. When the client was a young girl she lived with her grandmother in Pasadena, CA. And who lived a few doors down? Relatives of Fanny Crosby. As best she can recall they were Crosby’s nieces. Lovely women. The kind of women that bring Proverbs 31 to mind, if you know what I mean. This young girl would often visit them and listen to stories — first hand stories — about the marvelous Fanny Crosby!

Continue reading “Fanny Crosby – Psalm of the Day”

The New Orleans Saints and Fatherhood

#Fail.

Of course, we’re all overjoyed here that the Saints won. According to Sarah, over in The Promises Department, it was never in doubt. That’s not what the #Fail is for.

There’s been some flurry of ruffled feathers. Seems that as the camera was on Mr. Brees as he was holding his son, a television announcer opined that winning the Super Bowl was the most precious moment a father could share with his son. There hasn’t been An Official Response yet from The One In Charge. I’d hate to be on the other end of that phone call.

Sistertech can think of many, many precious moments fathers share with their…children: sons and daughters. And on the Colts side, there is the very important job of showing others how to be gracious in losing. The most American sports moment to share? Sure. An Olympic medal, on the international side of things. Yes. That would be precious.

But overall? Too bad the game happened on a Sunday. I’d love to see an exercise given to all the dads in church. Imagine anything possible. Now list the most precious moment you could share with your child.

Psalm of the Day

A familiar Psalm today, Ps. 46:1-3

¹God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
³though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

Sistertech enjoys learning things. It’s a key characteristic of those in our profession: technology is always changing and one must learn or be left in the dust. Well, I learned about a group of chaplains who are remembered this day: the Dorchester Chaplains. That bit above about the roaring, foaming waters will fit perfectly with those we remember today. Continue reading “Psalm of the Day”