The Joy of Emmett William Ibisch’s Baptism…

…God’s own child!

https://youtu.be/sHXxNTG-KuY (big thanks to Paula for the video! The song was originally written for Rebekah’s baptism many moons ago.)

Granddaddy’s Bible

My sister asked me a week or so ago if I’d like to have my grandfather’s Bible. He was the Chancellor I was named after, born in 1879. I told her I’d love to have it. She sent it to me. And as I looked over its pages, and read between the lines I think I saw something I’d never thought about.

He received or purchased this Bible when he was 40 years old, according to the inside cover: 1919 with his name. In the front of the Bible he had copied out a single verse, as though to console himself: “Blessed are ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” From the Lucan beatitudes. 

I thought about that a bit. The man was 40. His father (a Civil War vet who contracted TB) had died at a sanitarium for those with consumption a month before he turned 11. He had never been married. He had no children. And he was rather impoverished. He was comforting himself that at least in the next age he would be blessed, even if not in the present age. I found that profoundly sad.

He did have quite a change in fortune, however. Even though he was 40, the following year he proposed to Bessie James Maupin (herself 36) and she accepted and they were married on her birthday, February 14th. Ten months later they had a son, my father. And my mother’s father (a long time family friend of my dad’s mom) helped them purchase the home that my dad grew up in. 

So, in the long run, Chancellor Weedon lived into his 90’s and was blessed with two boys (both of whom made it home from WWII) and eight grandchildren and he even got to see some of his great grandchildren. But I do wonder if he’d have received any of those blessings for the awesome gifts they are in this present age, had he not consoled himself with the future kingdom and realized that it would be blessing enough, indeed blessing far more than he could ever dream. And how like our God to make a gift to such a man of many earthly blessings besides! Because he sought first the kingdom, “all these things” were indeed “added” unto him.

This morning, the KJV reading schedule…

…directed me to Deuteronomy 28, and I noticed something I don’t recall ever paying attention to before. The chapter, of course, records the blessings and the curses that will follow either from Israel’s faithfulness to the covenant or her faithlessness. And right there in verse 26, we read:

Deuteronomy 28:26-26 (KJV) And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray [them] away.

The words evoke, in a way, the covenant that God made with Abram in Genesis 15:11 and how he drove away the birds of prey from the sacrificial animals. But then also consider this verse a bit later in the same chapter:

Deuteronomy 28:49-49 (KJV) The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, [as swift] as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand. 

So, in consequence of Israel’s unfaithfulness to the covenant, Yahweh foretells through Moses the country will be like a dead corpse on which “the birds” will feed, and then that there will come a nation to Israel flying like an eagle. I think then that Deuteronomy 28 gives you the key to understanding Jesus’ mysterious words in Luke 17:37-37 (KJV) And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body [is], thither will the eagles be gathered together. Faithless Israel, the Lord was saying, would be left as food for the eagles. And what exactly was upon the top of the Roman standards? Ah, yes. The eagle. Check it out here. 

TEXAS

Had quite a blessed time down in Texas with the Austin area Men’s Retreat. We spent Saturday delving into 1 and 2 Thessalonians. And Saturday evening we feasted on ribeye! And while I was there, I was gifted by Ava with this mega-sweet card (followed by some random pics). Huge thank you to Pr. Wolfmueller, Vicar Davis, and all the brothers for a joyous time in the Lord!:

Our crazy lives…

…what with Emmett’s birth things have been more than a tad hectic.Bek and Andy and crew arrived here Thursday night. David’s family and Opa and Lois came over to see the baby. Friday a.m., Cindi rustled up some breakfast for the crew, and then I headed off to work. While I was away Lauren and Dean’s crew arrived. I got home for lunch and we had a little bit of time to visit before everyone headed out. Saturday, Lydia and Henry played in a “pre-concert” at Good Shepherd prior to the Symphony from Concordia, Irvine performing (we got to see Leisticos and any number of other friends, and I got to meet a young man who told me he listens to the podcast daily. Sweet!). We came home and made dinner and hit the hay early. Today we had Church (no Bible Class - confirmand’s examination instead), made breakfast for Opa and Lois and ourselves and engaged in a most frustrating game of liverpool (grrrrr! Opa!!!!). And then we enjoyed a mostly quiet afternoon and evening. The coming weeks promise to be filled with activity as well. Tentatively, Baptism is set for March 26. Between that time and now, I head to Austin for a men’s retreat; Cindi’s two sisters, her niece, and her brother-in-law arrive for a weekend visit, Cin has her final concert with the Collinsville Chorale, and I need to get to writing next year’s Lenten devotional book in earnest!

Well, it was a GREAT evening…

…with dear friends. But we won’t even talk about pinochle and the ridiculous melds the fairer sex kept inexplicably coming up with! 

An even dozen:

Kloe Iona

Sawyer Dean

Annabelle Scarlett

Lydia Charlotte

Joshua Flynn

Henry David

Felicity Lynn

Oliver James

Evangeline Grace

Griffin Lee

Chancellor James

And now:

Emmett William.

Blessed beyond words! Congrats to Andy, Bekah and Kloe!

Sexagesima Joys…with all the Grandchildren

In honor of Black History Month…

…a memory from five years ago. Victoria sang this on the day before Ash Wednesday, but we didn’t get it recorded. So after the Ash Wednesday service, she sang it and Pete recorded it: Lift Every Voice and Sing. And I remember as we practiced it the first time, any number of black employees made their way to the chapel and sat down silently to listen. It was a beautiful moment. I hope I never forget it.

A good start…

…that is, to the new year as far as disciplined exercise goes. In the month of January:

    Total push ups: 3,310

    Total pull ups: 312

    Total 45 lbs kettle bell swings: 312

    Total high intensity interval training: 140 minutes

    Total miles walked:  140 (5 miles each Monday-Saturday; 2.5 miles on Sundays)

Now, only 11 more months to go! 

AND this past Sunday…

…our first graders got their Bibles, including grandson Henry Weedon. Can you spot him? Yup. The smallest boy, but what a huge smile!

P is for “Pa” and “Pastor”

Today Crys invited me to the PreK class (which has my grandson Oliver in it) to read them my two children’s books, and to stand in the letter box. The letter this week is P and I doubly qualify, since I’m both “Pa” to Oliver and also “Pastor.” Thanks for the opportunity, Crys!

A long time…

…since I posted! Life’s been a tad hectic. And for those hectic times, if you’d like to simply meditate on some of the great Lenten hymns (no text, only piano sketches), remember you can listen here or here if you have Apple music.  

WOW!

First time The Word Endures has made it into Apple’s top religious podcasts:

And some more random pics…

…from the holidays at various get-together with friends (at the Van Ulfts new place in Missouri; with Dr. Kevin and Robyn Armbrust; Van Ulfts and Klingers; and Braasches and Wagners), but first a picture that Sandy Bowers shared me with this morning with our dear friend Dr. Lee Maxwell (may he rest in peace!), taken in his office, where there were always pleasant piles of books and papers.