GOING TO THE MAT WITH MATT

THE ANGELUS TRUMPET

The Unexpurgated Source for Alternative Bible Facts

GOING TO THE MAT with Matt

by Matt Hughes
writing from Jerusalem, Oct. 1, 2017, 21:(01:22)23:32

Dear Matt, I have been running my inn for twenty years. I often need to transport my patrons’ luggage between the city proper and my inn. Many of my patrons are Roman officials, and the amount of luggage may be quite expansive. Therefore, I keep a donkey at the front door to be ready to care for my patrons’ needs.
The other day, two guys came, untied both my prize jenny and her colt-in-training, and started walking away with them. When I asked, “Just what are you doing there?”, they responded, “The Lord has need of it”, and kept on walking like their Lord was a god or something.
Later I found out they rode my jenny all the way into town and then let her go to return on her own. Fortunately, the colt followed along, but I’m thinking that I deserve some remuneration for the use of my animals. What do you think? Wailing Jenny
Dear Wailing, Make room for mercy. Don’t have a cow over this. Your jenny is back without damage, and her colt has returned with her. First, be grateful that they are safely outside your inn today, and ruminate on this: those who borrowed your animals may not have been lording it over you; they may have been actually acting for the Lord, or maybe the son of God and you can gain from the advertising rights.


Dear Matt, The other day I was minding my own business exchanging unclean, idolatrous, filthy lucre into usable, clean, temple shekels to be used to pay the temple tax and purchase animals for sacrifice when a guy came into the courtyard screaming his head off. Then he turned over the tables where we were making change and released all of the animals, claiming that we were thieves and robbers. In the midst of all of this, the city urchins ran around creating further chaos, crying “Hosanna to the son of David.” When this wannabe rabbi was confronted with his behavior and that of the noisy urchins, he responded, “Out of the mouths of babes,” like he was the messiah or something. This cost a lot of people a lot of money and I think that we should be compensated. What do you think? Lucre Xchanger
Dear Luc, I don’t have to tell you that there is always a cost for change. We live in a radical time of reform and, there are going to be people who will have to pay a cost for that reform. As uncomfortable as this cost may be for you, it is a much smaller cost than the usurious payment of those who are oppressed and living in poverty in our world today. What if the children in the streets are right and it is the Son of David, the Messiah? What kind of change would that make?


Dear Matt, I am a herdsman and a dresser of fig trees. I work hard for my living following all of the laws and paying what is required of me. At the end of the harvest, I pay my tithe and I openly invite the poor to glean what is left behind, according to the law. The other day a man was on his way to Jerusalem, and he stopped to look at my fig trees. Then he openly cursed one of my trees, and it immediately withered. It was not time for the gleaners since the harvest is still months away so I have no idea what this vagabond was doing or expecting. Whatever it was, I do not believe that cursing my fig tree was called for. Now my harvest is jeopardized, and my reputation as a fig pruner is destroyed. These trees are my very life. What can I do to regain my loss? Fig Pruner in Bethany
Dear Pru, It is not that I don’t give a fig, but a withered tree is not the end of the world. It could be that it is time to look for a heartier tree for your garden. Have you ever considered a cross-breed? There is one that bears the fruit of life and is everbearing. It could change your life. I recommend that you check out the catalog of Paradise Farms, a subsidiary of the Kingdom of Dodd.


Dear Matt, For years now, I have belonged to an elite group of people who work hard at maintaining order in our rough-and-tumble society. We are sort of a Better Business Bureau, made up of elder statesmen, of which I am one, and religious leaders. Lately we have encountered what I would call a new progressive publicist leader who challenges everything my organization stands for. He has disrupted our orderly markets and gone as far as claiming to heal the blind and the lame. The problem is, when we ask him who died and made him God, and where he gets off challenging us, he responds with obfuscating conundrums that have no right answers. When we tell him that we cannot give him a clear answer, he refuses to talk with us anymore. What do you suggest? Barry Weine, Elder of Jerusalem
Dear Elder Barry Weine, Authority is not something to be taken upon oneself, but something that is given and recognized by God and the people. Maybe instead of creating markets and laws that give advantage and privilege to you and your cohorts, you should take some time to listen to the needs of the people and then receive the authority they give you. The fruit of the tree that ripens and matures through attention and care is the sweetest, and results in a fine wine. It is much more palatable than the bitter whine of self-serving and neglect.


Dear Matt, For years my twin brother and I have had a contentious existence with one another. I have always valued absolute honesty, and he has favored whatever response will make his life easier. The other day Dad came and asked me to go do something for him. Because I am honest, I told him that I was not able to. He went to my brother and asked him to do the task for him; he said that he would do it. Now here’s the thing. I later found I had time to do the task anyway; so, I went and did it. My brother, who said that he would do the task, got caught up in what he was doing, as usual, and didn’t do it. But at the end of the day, he got all the credit, and I didn’t. This is not the first occurrence of this situation; it is only the latest circumstance of contention. I resent doing the work while failing to get credit. What can I do? Twin Piqued
Dear Piqued, Life is full of times when we do the work and others get the credit. Suck it up. In the meantime, you can take away the power of your discontent by honestly negotiating time with your dad and others in authority over you, then finding ways to say yes to this world of opportunity and follow through.
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Are you one of the people trapped in Scripture?
Would you like the incisive and insightful wisdom of Matt Hughes to help you understand yourself better?
Address your issues to GOING TO THE MAT with Matt in the comment field of any post at blindfaithdumbcluck.blogspot.com. You never know, Matt may read his mail some day, and your Biblically-challenged life circumstance could become the focus of GOING TO THE MAT With Matt.

PARADISE LOSS?

THE ANGELUS TRUMPET

The Unexpurgated Source for Alternative Bible Facts

PARADISE LOSS?

by Matt Hughes 

Dateline: Capernaum, Sept. 24, 2017, 20:01:16

Trouble again came to Paradise Farms, Inc., a subsidiary of Kingdom of Dodd (KoD) when violence erupted last week among the laborers over fair wages. It is not known who notified Local #666 of Agricultural Socialist Separatist People(ASSP), a known affiliate of Environmental Vandals & Looters (EVaL 1), of inflated wage payments at NU-Food Paradise Farms. Yesterday’s part-time hourly workers received favorable wages compared to those who have full-time salaried contracts. A resulting riot threatened to ruin the freshly-gathered harvest.

Paradise Farms, like most KoD enterprises, makes cash payment to its employees at the end of every day. When asked how the trouble started, Paradise Farms controller, M. Otto Monet placed the blame squarely on this now arcane payroll system. “This business of having to deal with cash in these amounts is ludicrous, and this week’s riot proves my point,” he seethed.

For several years, Mr. Monet has encouraged replacing KoD’s cash payroll system with electronic payments using either direct deposit to a worker’s account or loading smart cards. He said, “This is just one instance when electronic banking, which I have advocated for some time, could have greatly benefited us.”

The urgency to complete the harvest as a result of yesterday’s impending storm was the catalyst which truly brought the difficulties wrought by the cash payroll system to a head. Dir. T. Farmer explained the crop had had to be harvested before the winds and rain came or everything would have been lost.

Trying to beat the weather yesterday, Farmer called Paradise Farms’ regular contract workers in early. He soon realized that they would never finish before the storm. After he contacted temporary work agencies, enough laborers eventually arrived to get the job done. Farmer expressed his relief. “It was really nip-and-tuck for a while, but workers kept dribbling in throughout the day, and eventually everything was harvested and under cover.”

Earlier in the day, management decided that, if the harvest were successful, they would pay all workers equally as a way to show Paradise Farms’ and NU-Food Labs’ appreciation. Farmer explained this gesture of the corporation’s gratitude. “Many were temporary workers who normally would never work for the Farms or KoD again. We wanted to make sure that they would at least think of us next time they needed work.”

Monet described the turmoil at pay time. “When the workers lined up for their pay, because we were dealing in cash, everybody saw how much everybody else was getting. Letting co-workers see how much each is being paid is never a good idea. With individual cash cards, no one would have known what anyone else received. Our decision to pay all equally made a bad situation worse.”

The protests of both the salaried workers and those temps who had worked longer hours than others soon escalated. When some workers threatened to burn or otherwise destroy the crop they had just harvested, the work of many years at Paradise Farms could have been lost in a matter of minutes. A security detail arrived quickly to protect Monet and the grain. The crowd quieted when, finally, KoD CEO Josh Kristy was prevailed upon to make an appearance.

In an impassioned speech, Kristy reasoned with the workers. He reminded them they had each gotten what they had contracted for so that they should not feel slighted. Kristy did concede a few got a bonus, but only because those later workers “had joined in willingly when we desperately needed them. Their fresh energy and enthusiasm gave an extra burst of speed, creating the opportunity for success, while those who had been working all day were showing signs of fatigue and were slowing down.”

Kristy assured everyone, “Equitable salaries are based on equity, and KoD is all about improving the lives of all of its workers.” He then thanked those who had been loyal in the past and expressed a hope for the loyalty of those who were the newest members of the KoD and Paradise Farms family. The calming influence of Kristy’s positive demeanor seemed to de-fang ASSP’s venomous bite, and an uneasy détente was established.

Farmer admitted the loss of the harvest from a storm of this magnitude might have been anticipated considering other problems Paradise Farms has experienced this season. Shortly after planting, toxic invasive weed seeds were discovered. Agri-terrorist actions by EVaL 1 are still suspected but no charges have ever been made.

“This has been a hard year,” Farmer said, “but, as it turned out, the weed seeding sabotage of our test plots created a more realistic environment for our seeds, and these new hybrid seeds did incredibly well, especially with the favorable weather conditions all season. The harvest looked good. It was just a matter of beating the fall storms. Then the agitation and rioting nearly put an end to the work we have been doing here at Paradise Farms. It may look like the head of ASSP was crushed today, but the real victory is over EVaL 1. This victory could be one of those NU Kingdom LIFO moments, or is it FILO?”

Farmer wanted to remind everyone not to expect any changes in the grocery aisles soon. He explained, “We have so much more work to do in order to determine whether these new seeds will prove out in the oven. We have hundreds of recipes which need to be tried, and we also need to conclude our tests for digestibility and nutritional values. Just because the seed does well in the field does not necessarily mean that it will behave well for the people who will be cooking with it or nourish them after they have eaten it.”

You can call me Joe

You can call me Joe. Mamma always called me Jonah because she said that was the name she gave me and I should be proud of it, but would you like to be the Jonah in your neighborhood? So, all my friends have called me Joe.

Like so many others in this part of the country, I’m a fruit picker. I work the harvests moving from place to place as the crops come into season. Then I pick until the crop is in, or until things get rotten. I don’t work the clean up, that’s left to the gleaners.

At the end of the day, I take my pay, run into the market place to buy whatever the sellers have left over, fill my wineskin for some nighttime warmth and comfort, and find a safe place for the night with guys I’ve met in the field. Then we eat what we’ve gotten, drink a little wine, listen to and tell some tall stories (maybe a few lies) around the camp fire to pass the time; and then we fall to sleep so that we can get up and start over again the next day.

I know it’s not much, but in these times, with Roman soldiers everywhere and the temple guards running around like they own the place, what choices are there? There are days when I think that the blind and crippled beggars outside the gates of the city have it better than I do. They may not make as much, but they don’t have to sweat like I do either.

Each morning I get up with Mamma’s words ringing in my memory. “Jonah! Get up and go to the great city.” It’s the little family joke—very little. Still, it’s those little family rituals that seem to shape and form us. I wish I could hear her now, but those days are gone. Papi died from sunstroke three years ago, and we buried Mamma last year. My two sisters have married; Mary’s dowry took all that we had. So, each day, or most days, I get up and go into the city, occupied by the Romans and policed by the Temple Guard, find work, and bear witness to the economic realities of the world. In a world of haves and have-nots, I know my place.

This last Friday morning, like so many others, I walked to the city gate to get work. The fig harvest is mostly over, but there is this one landowner, Isaac Barsabbas, who continues to hire. He has a bumper crop this year, and the fruit seems to keep coming; I thought I could maybe get a job there.

There’s always some push and shove when the land owners come for workers, but I’m a big guy, and I look strong, so I had no problem being seen. When Isaac Barsabbas came, I was selected immediately. With fifteen other day-laborers, I jumped into the wagon, and we started out to his estate.

Now, I have to tell you, Barsabbas’s is no small place. There are vineyards and fruit groves, melon patches, and fields of wheat and chick peas. Sheep graze on the hillside behind the main house, and cows graze in the pasture at the foot of the mountain slope. The brush around the stone walls bordering the vineyard, fields, and groves is well managed by goats and donkeys. Chickens strut in the yard around the barn as if they own the place, clucking and crowing disapproval to anyone who interrupts their gravel scratching. From the women’s quarters come the sounds of laughter and shrieks of children at play; and from the main house, servants, richly-robed, come and go. If there is a heaven, it should look like this.

This is, of course, not where we were headed. Our cart rolled by all of this to a far grove where we were met by a steward who stood next to carts of baskets—baskets we would fill and stack; baskets that would feed the people here and baskets to be sent into the market, the same market I would go to at the end of the day.

There I would be privileged to pay for those same figs, so carefully picked and stored, then bruised and broken, with the money I had made. Wow! I am truly blessed by the Lord. It’s almost like paying for the honor of working.

The steward told us to remove our robes and loincloths because he didn’t want us stealing, then pick up a basket and go into the grove to begin our work. We looked a little like Adam walking into the garden of old looking for his fig leaf. As we began the work of picking the fruit, there were the usual jokes about Eve and the serpent in the tree. In affected falsetto voices, workers offered fruit to one another. Some of the fruit did make it into our mouths to break the fast from last night’s supper; but slowly the baskets were filled, and the carts started moving away for the women to preserve and serve the great household of Isaac Barsabbas.

That’s when it happened, or, maybe, that’s when we became aware of it. The steward came into the grove to see how well we were doing. We were used to being told that we were lazy good-for-nothings, that we were slow, and that we were damaging the fruit. It was a means of docking our pay, but we were not prepared for his tirade this morning.

“I was told that you knew how to pick fruit! I was told that you knew your business! I know most of you are lying snakes, but how can you possibly justify your work when you leave the best fruit still hanging on the trees? Even the gleaners can’t gather and eat as much as you are leaving. When you think you are done with these trees, go back and start over again! God knows that the figs that are left are too good for the poor.”

We were angry; we had been working hard and doing a good job. We had picked each tree as clean as possible. We had only left unripe fruit, and, of course, there were the usual windfalls. So, it was a little embarrassing, when we walked back with the steward and looked up at the first trees picked, to discover that, indeed, plump ripe figs hung from every one of the trees.

As we looked, new figs appeared and ripened before our eyes. Some called it a miracle. All I could think was, “This is going to be a long day.” There was no way that we would finish picking before the end of the day now. Fruit was going to spoil.

It was a relief that more workers came just after nine, but the day still looked long. As noontime arrived and sweat glistened on everybody, we paused and realized that we had not picked even a quarter of the figs, and half the day was over. Just after noon more workers arrived, and again at three still more workers came, to get this amazing harvest off the trees and into the drying racks and stewing pots.

We had heard that some wealthy Romans and Herod’s court would be dipping them in honey, but that was beyond our bill of fare. For now, we worked like donkeys under the lash with the carrot of our salary ahead of us. Carts of empty baskets kept arriving. We kept filling them and sending them back to wherever they had come from. We wondered if we would ever get the job finished.

Our arms and shoulders, backs and legs ached. Nectar from the figs covered our bodies. Then, as the heat of the day started to wane, gnats, which are always annoying, and flies, started swarming. The gnats got in our eyes, and the flies started biting, warning of rain to come. Still, the picking continued. Around five, we thought that we might beat the rain, but no one was certain.

With less than an hour to go, more workers arrived, and, finally, we were sure: we were going to make it. As the first drops of rain began to fall, the last tree was picked. We had done it; it was accomplished.

As we waited for our pay, we were told to line up with the last workers first. The steward started paying off the workers, and waves of excited words started washing back over the workers. Those who came in at the end were getting a full-day’s wage. There surely would be bonuses for those of us who had worked all day, but those who came at three got only the usual wage. Those who came at noon also got the regular amount. Soon voices of complaint started chanting, “Justice for the working man! Justice for the working man!”

Servants from the big house came and surrounded the paymaster. Finally, Isaac Barsabbas came and addressed us. As I stood, watching the commotion that was only delaying our payment, I realized that the market was going to be closed before I could get there. “Well, I ate figs throughout the day,” I thought. “I’m not starving.”

I looked to the heavens and shook my fist. “You did it again! It’s just like Ninevah all over again!” I was filled with rage, and my disgust swallowed me up. I took my pay; then washed off with the three pitchers of water allotted me, wrapped my loincloth around me, and put my robe on. As I walked through the rain into the fields of shepherds’ caves to meet up with friends, I was reminded that God’s mercy rains down on the just and the unjust alike. As I reflected on God’s activity in the world, I looked up into the falling drops and said, “If you had asked me first, I would have done it differently!”

When I got to the cave and started to warm, I wondered what I could share. It was then that I discovered, tucked in the folds of my robe, my half-filled wineskin and some bread from yesterday. Warmed by the fire, surrounded by the stories and the laughter of my friends, I started to drift off to sleep. As I drifted, I opined, “…The kingdom of heaven is like, … this. It is enough.”

Poetry Well Received

THE ANGELUS TRUMPET

The Unexpurgated Source for Alternative Bible Facts

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Poetry Well Received

by Matt Hughes 

Dateline: Somewhere in the hills of Ohio, Sept. 17, 2017, 18:21:35

Last month, the AngelUS Trumpet announced the results of its 2017 Poetry Contest. Peter Heide, who had submitted all entries we received, was therefore the winning poet. His major opus, The Three-Hour Cruise, received many kind responses. We are therefore printing another of his poems with a Biblical theme.

How Many Times Must We Forgive?

by Peter Heide

How many times must we forgive?

Is seven quite enough?

Because this healing work you give

Is frankly getting tough.

It would be so much easier

To humble and to shame

The thoughtless acts of foe and dear,

To point out fault and blame.

In fact, if they but knew their wrong,

I’m sure they would repent.

So, should we not begin the song

Of victim and lament

That catalogs our trials long

That they might know judgment?

How many times must we forgive,

Seventy and seven?

Because, with you, we want to live,

And pass straight into heav’n.

If we could know the number clear,

We’d count and know delight

To tally sins of others near,

To help them see the light.

For if they only knew the pain

They cause when they offend,

We’re sure they’d want to cease, refrain.

Behaviors they’d amend,

And then with mercy we might deign

To claim them as our friend.

If we forgive more than that, say

Seventy times seven?

Can we save ourselves, maybe pay

Our way into heaven?

We cry out loud that life’s not fair

With our own populace,

And justify our lack of care

Of those who aren’t like us.

For, if they only understood

Our piety and ways,

They’d want to know how to be good

By counting other’s strays

And telling others what they should

Be doing to obey.

How many times must you forgive?

You think there is a sum

Beyond which mercy cannot live,

And absolution’s mum?

When pointing fingers mock and shame,

Blaming one another,

There is one who bears the name

God saves, our Lord and savior.

For with us in the midst of life,

When all is counted loss,

When sin and doubt and psychic strife

And situations toss

Us into waves of chaos rife,

We then behold your cross.

One, Two, Three, What Are We Praying For / Matthew 18, 15-20

In many ways, this text is for us a legal document. If you look at our new constitution you will find that the process we have in place for conflict resolution and reconciliation comes right out of this passage in Matthew.

We say that if we have an issue with someone in the church, we will first go to that person, individually, to confront the person with that problem. After that we will take a couple of people with us to address the issue, and then, if that doesn’t resolve the problem, we will go to the whole congregation. It is a sort of one, two, three, and you’re out program.

As it is laid out for us, this process can be helpful to know but not pleasant to implement. Yet there are times when it becomes necessary for us to use it. But, I am not sure today that this reading fully captures Matthew’s understanding of what Jesus is saying.

I know that I have told you before that context is everything, and today, I think, this is particularly true. You see, the text that is immediately before this is the story of the lost sheep. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to go look for the one that is lost. When the shepherd finds that one, he rejoices just as our Father in heaven rejoices whenever a sinner is returned to the fold. In this context, our text today is not about how to get people out. It is about keeping people in. This makes this passage much more challenging.

Then I read the passage that immediately follows this passage where Peter comes to Jesus and says, “Lord, how many times do I need to forgive these people before I can use this really cool one, two, three, and you’re out program, seven times?”

Jesus says, “Not seven times, but seventy-seven times, or seventy times seven times.”

Now when Jesus says this, he is not speaking of these numbers literally; he is using these numbers much more metaphorically. Jesus is not saying that you can keep track of the number of times a person sins against you, whether it be seventy-seven times or four hundred and ninety times. He is using a number that is much bigger than this humble seven. He is using the number seven for what it represents: like the number of creation. We know that the entire world that we live in, that place we have come to know as not being limited to the universe we live in, but a cosmological multiverse that continues to daze and amaze us, was, biblically speaking, created in seven days.

While Peter is speaking of the literal number of seven, Jesus is using this much broader understanding of seven. In this context, Jesus is saying that maybe forgiving a person for as long as the time that it takes to create the immensity and the complexity of our multiverse is not enough time. It is that amount of time times ten (another number of wholeness) plus another seven units beyond that. It is another way of saying, “forever and a day”. Suddenly, Peter, who asks about the use of this one, two, three, and you’re out process, is confronted with forgiving people with a number of times that is huge, beyond counting, beyond comprehension. You couldn’t even figure this number out if you took your shoes and socks off; or, at least, I can’t.

So, what is it that Jesus is saying to us then when he says, “If a member of the church sins against you, go and speak to that person in private?” I am convinced that this part of the text is truly about reconciliation. It is all about trying to be listened to. But once you get past that point, when you are bringing witnesses in to be part of the process, you are talking about legal proceedings. By the time you get to presenting before the church, you are anticipating a jury with a decision that will push someone out the door.

Yet, even at this point, Jesus tells us that we are to think of that person as a gentile or a tax collector. Let us remember, Matthew is described in this Gospel as being a tax collector, and Bartholomew, literally, son of Ptolemy, is most likely an Egyptian gentile. So, these people, the gentiles and the tax collectors, are not beyond our community; they are the object of our evangelism—they are potential members of our community.

And then, as I thought about this text further, I wondered if we aren’t taking this text too literally with the word one. For the Greek in this passage is written in a way that is difficult to translate. The singular member here is more like an organized group with a single name, and that group then sins against you all. In this case, in may be that it is the responsibility of the community, that is the congregation, to confront that evil together as the body of Christ in the world.

Take an issue that we as a community know to be destructive to the wholeness of the body of Christ, an issue like xenophobia, that fear of the stranger, for instance. Because we know that we are commanded to care for the stranger, then we are called to confront that issue of xenophobia head on. We are to first address the people who are fueling that fear. If that doesn’t work, then maybe we should start organizing with other congregations in our immediate locale to confront that group. And if that doesn’t work, then maybe we are to call upon the resources of the greater Church to publicly confront and denounce those who would continue to create an atmosphere of fear concerning the foreigners among us.

For Matthew’s time, the Church would have been understood as being all believers instead of an individual worshipping community. This passage then could be the organizing principle for activism that begins in a local congregation and organizes the people around issues that both concern the whole church and also insult and assault the body of Christ.

In this larger context, we can look at what happened during the Reformation. Luther is first confronted by the Catholic Church. When he refuses to recant, Luther is summoned to Worms where he is more publicly called upon to renounce his writings and teaching. Finally, he is commanded to come to Augsburg where he and his teaching are rejected by the whole Church. Luther and his followers are excommunicated from the Church, and afterwards both church bodies have born the scars.

The Catholic Church is now known as the Roman Catholic Church, and those who were excommunicated with Luther have become known as the Lutherans, as we well know. What is important for us to know is that conversation between the two Churches continues. We are as foreigners and tax collectors to one another, but we are foreigners and tax collectors that have respect for one another.

At another level, I have been thinking that if this passage is about maintaining the health of the people gathered in the body of Christ, then there may be some more positive uses for this passage. If the sin is not a sin of commission (what we have done) but a sin of omission (what we have left undone), then this passage may help us enter into a more active ministry.

For instance, if you have an idea, a project, or a ministry that you think might help us become more widely known in our community, but you don’t know how to get it started, then it might be helpful to talk to another person about it. If that person can’t help, then gathering a couple of people who have some expertise in the area might be in order. If that does not produce any benefit, then expand the base; take it to the congregation for their consideration, ideas, and blessing. In this way, we can see that Jesus has not given us these words only to limit the community of believers, but also to build community and involve all of Christ’s followers in all that we do.

When I was a sophomore in high school, at the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped in Janesville, I had the crazy idea that I should transfer to public school in Kenosha where my family lived. I knew that any number of other students had tried transferring before, and most of those people ended up returning to WSVH within the year. There was no getting around the fact that going to public school was difficult. I had no idea whether I would be able to do it. So, I went to teachers I had respect for and confidence in their judgment and asked them what they thought. Some thought that I would be able to make it; others thought that I would be back rather soon, but that I should try it anyway.

When I ran into difficulties, I was able to go back to those people to ask for help. They gave me some very good suggestions and aids that made it possible for me to be the first totally blind person to graduate in the Kenosha public school system. But without the support of those people and finally the support of the whole group of teachers, I would not have been able to do it. So, part of this text today is telling us to learn to depend on the people around us. We have been given this amazing gift in the body of Christ—this gift of mutual support for us in our daily lives. We need to use this gift.

So today, I want you to see and understand that this passage for us concerning conflict resolution and reconciliation is not just a one, two, three, and you’re out program. It is also something that can be used for enhancing and enriching our daily lives. We have been given the power of binding and loosing on earth what is already bound and loosed in heaven. We have been given, with one another, the power in prayer to ask for the benefit of the world. We are not in this worshipping place by ourselves. God has created us with a need for each other and has given us each other to need, and God has promised that, wherever we gather in Christ’s name, Christ will be there with us always.

As you consider this text throughout the week, may you find respect for yourself and your sensibilities, confidence in the support of others, and power in this gift of God’s people who are called out to serve, this thing we call the Church; and, with your discernment, may we find ways to build up this place we call Albany Lutheran Church.

We Don’t Know Where We’re Going, but We’re on Our Way

THE ANGELUS TRUMPET

The Unexpurgated Source for Alternative Bible Facts

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

We Don’t Know Where We’re Going,
but We’re on Our Way

by Matt Hughes 

Dateline: Lost in the mountains of WV, or maybe OH, Sep. 10, 2017, 18:15:20

As a journalist, I don’t often get an up close and personal look at the daily lives of the people I cover, but just before leaving Philippi, WV, I was invited to ride the bus with Josh Kristy and the Keys of the Kingdom to Jerusalem. So, I grabbed my gear and joined the vagabonds on the highway.

Cruising down the road in the newly refurbished Kingdom of Dodd Magic Bus I was impressed by the technology that is packed into these modern conveyances. It carries a state-of-the-art sound system, and video screens are everywhere. With uniquely designed KoD multipurpose furniture, ergonomic seating offers luxurious comfort. These same seats convert into more than adequate sleeping spaces for night travel. Of course, there is a well-appointed, fully functional bath facility although it is a bit cramped. The back of the cruiser is Kristy’s private suite.

The roof carries satellite dishes providing wi-fi to allow Kristy et al. instant communication with the rest of the KoD network almost anywhere the bus goes. The rest of the roof bears the power equipment needed. Besides solar panels, it carries KoD’s newly-patented turbine generator powered by the windspeed of highway travel. It is the epitome of the best that modern KoD technology can offer. So, all were surprised when the GPS misdirected the crew to an unknown location.

Rocky and the two Thunder Bros, members of the Keys of the Kingdom, went with Kristy on a short hike up the nearest mountain to see if they could find a familiar landmark. They seemed more disoriented when they returned than when they started.

People, drawn by the novelty of the Magic Bus, were showing up. They offered suggestions on where the group could go, but, unfortunately, no one knew exactly where Jerusalem, Ohio is, so directions and advice were conflicting and unhelpful. It was all a little chaotic as people continued to gather from nearby hollers, and the atmosphere started to feel like an old-time revival.

In the midst of everything, Rocky went fishing. Meanwhile some of the members of the band started the “Who’s Better?” game—who’s better, Hank Williams or Don Williams? Everly Brothers or Isley Brothers? Jimmy Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughn? Buffalo Springfield or Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young? Stevie Wonder or Stevie Nicks?

Like poor little sheep, we had lost our way until Josh Kristy took control of the situation by confronting first one and then another to find out what’s going on. He discovered that few people really knew why the Magic Bus was stopped there. Kristy sent Lawrence Lyttel, owner/proprietor of Lyttel House in the Holler, and two or three others who seemed to know most of the crowd, to get directions. He then organized everybody to set up the equipment, and they had an impromptu concert just to get everybody’s attention. Those who had come out for the occasion were asked to help resolve the GPS issue.

After an afternoon of traffic jamming fun, consensus was reached—the GPS was seriously amiss. Jerusalem was still “a fer piece off” to the southwest. They directed us “round yon bend to the next crossroad” where we would turn left. Then we were to watch for Jen’s Tile store. From there it was still “a hoot and a holler” to the border toll collector where, “the Lord willin’”, we would be “back in touch with the world.”

Standing in the back of Kirby Joe and Mary Walsh’s F150, Kristy thanked the crowd and told them, “We have bound up traffic in this area long enough, and the Kingdom of Dodd is now bound up with you. So, if we can start moving the traffic, we can let loose the good spirit of fun we have had here today and let the KoD Magic Bus loose to ease on down the road. Remember, when you remember this day, “The Kingdom of Dodd is always with you. ... Please take one of our Kingdom of Dodd NU-Way hats as a memento with you as you leave. And salute Mr. Lyttel directing traffic. ‘Hats off to Larry!’”

Follow the Leader Matthew 16:21-28

Last week we heard Peter declare that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Because of this awareness that came from Jesus’ father in heaven, the Keys of the Kingdom were given to him. These keys gave Peter the authority to unlock the goodness of heaven here on earth. With this authority, Jesus tells Peter that not even the Gates of Hades will be able to prevail.

What an amazing time in the life of the disciples and in the time of the Gospel itself. It would be nice to be able to linger in that moment, but the Gospel marches on and so does Jesus’ ministry. This new knowledge of who Jesus is does not let us tarry in his divine presence. Instead, Jesus begins to show the disciples that there are going to be hard times ahead. He is going to Jerusalem. There he will suffer, be killed, and on the third day rise from the dead. Because he is the Son of the Living God this is all possible, but it is still beyond the disciples’ understanding.

Now the hard part. If anyone would want to follow Jesus on this trip to Jerusalem, on his journey to the cross, then he or she will need to take up their cross and follow. Who would sign up for a journey to death? Who would sign up for suffering? Isn’t that crazy?

Yet, Jesus is not asking any of the people who have been following him to do anything they haven’t already done. Most of the people are already suffering. They are the poor, the afflicted, and the outcast. They already know what it is to suffer and be persecuted. They are living in an occupied land where the Romans are in power over them, and the Roman presence is all too real so suffering is not anything new.

Already in Jesus’ time, but even more so during the time when the Gospel of Matthew is being written, professing Jesus is a dangerous thing. Imprisonment, being sent to the Coliseum to die as entertainment, being covered with tar and set on fire as a human torch, are not unheard of. Death, for these people, is a real possibility. If anyone is willing to confront the powers of that world, then, for that one, death is going to be a constant companion. Yet that is exactly where Jesus leads his disciples and us.

It is this image of suffering and death that has led many to say that the cross or crosses that they bear are these burdensome tasks and chores that they will carry to the grave. But that is not what Jesus is speaking of when he tells his disciples and us that, if we wish to follow him, then we must take up our cross and follow. The cross that Jesus wants us to carry is the cross that leads to life, not death. It is the cross that leads to new community understanding and living, not to communal suffering and persecution. Jesus wants us to understand that death is not the last statement of who we are.

Remember, Jesus is speaking to people whose lives are already filled with suffering. He is speaking to people who already know death. What they don’t know is the power of the resurrection and the hope that resurrection can bring to God’s people. So, this new life, this life of hope for what can be better in the future, is something new, and Jesus is telling the people of his time and the people of our time, that is, those of us gathered here today, that this cross thing is important for each and every one of us and we need to decide how we are going to live. Are we going to live a life of suffering that leads to the grave? Or, are we going to let our suffering mean something that points to resurrection hope and better times ahead?

This cross-bearing living is about learning to walk together in a relationship of trust and hope. It is a relationship of living every day and of life beyond death. It is about lifting one another up in the midst of our individual suffering, of sharing the load of everyday life in ways that continue to give us hope and also give hope to others. It is, using the authority of the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven to open those doors that allow God’s kingdom goodness to flow into our world.

As the news has come in from Texas this week, I am continually amazed at how we go about doing this. We often hear, “Texans help Texans”, but the reality is that people from all over this country have been coming to help. Provisions are being gathered from all over the U.S. to support them in their time of suffering. People are taking up their crosses of compassion and care to find ways to extend the help that will be needed.

Jesus does not call us to carry a cross of burdensome drudgery and death: that is the weight of his personal journey. We are always to remember though that he openly tells his disciples that he will be killed and, on the third day, he will be raised.

It is with the hope of that new resurrection promise that Jesus calls and challenges us to take up our crosses to follow, to find life, stirred up by the power of wisdom and understanding, of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, and the spirit of joy in his presence, as we walk together in this amazing community that is always being called out to serve, the Church of Christ.

Oh, and the rebuke Peter gives Jesus and the admonition Jesus gives Peter? They are reminders to those who will follow to remember that we are to follow. We are not the ones to tell Jesus where he needs to go, to follow us, but that we are the ones who follow where Christ continues to lead us. Yes, we are to get behind because it is hard to follow from in front.

God bless you this week as you take up your crosses of life and relationship with one another.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN

by Matt Hughes 

Dateline: Philippi, WV , Sep. 3, 2017, 16:21:28

Following last week’s Battle of the Bands and a visit with Ms. Sarah Rhea in Philippi, Josh Kristy will leave his jazz fusion blues band, Son of Man, for an up-coming solo gig in Jerusalem, Ohio. The new phenoms, Rocky and the Keys of the Kingdom, plan to front for him, even after Kristy advised that anyone who follows needs to know that there might be trouble up ahead.

Acknowledging a certain amount of push back from various church denominations, Kristy understands that there are some who think he is just part of a new cult, but he insists, “The Kingdom of Dodd is here to stay. What it represents is for everyone. Yes, it looks a little exclusive now, but we are really just getting started. Our Nu-Fashions, Nu-Food, and our Nu-Life ways challenge some, but I think that it’s the future. Someone has to tell these people that it is more than words on a sign these days: you’ve got to have product.”

Kristy plans to meet with the elders of the United Methodist Church in Jerusalem to explain to them that they are as united as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is evangelical. There likely will be some suffering along the way because pointing out institutional insufficiencies can really be a killer, but, until then, Kristy will, “Star On”.

Rocky, formerly known as Simon Johnson, was really pumped over his Battle of the Bands victory. He chastised Kristy for picking such a downer gig, “Mercy, mercy, Lord help us; the thought of you wasting your time on these people is a total bummer.” Then he corrected Kristy, “And I believe you meant to say, ‘Soldier On’, not, ‘Star On’”.

Kristy replied, “Don’t cross me up. If it was good enough for the Magic Men and the Camels or Wiseguys or whatever they’re calling themselves this week, then it’s good enough for me. It’s all about following the way, and that requires us to Star On.”

Just as all of the vans and busses were packed, a delegation came to Kristy saying, “There’s no profit in small gigs like this anymore. Today, the money is in the stadium gigs.”

Kristy responded, “If your music is all about money, then play the stadium gigs, but, when you only play the stadia, you lose touch with the people. Eventually your music suffers. The way of the Kingdom of Dodd is to stay in touch with the people—to hear their stories and their dreams and to let their real-life experiences influence what you are doing. It’s where I found my groove in the beginning, and it is where I will find my sound in the future.

“It’s time to quit talking among ourselves. Come with me if you’re ready. I’m concerned about these impulses of segregation. Claiming to be united, when the statement instantly separates you from the people around you, needs to change. When I’m done there, we can all head to New Jerusalem in Pennsylvania to reveal what evangelical means to the Lutherans. They need know what good message is before we can talk about being messengers for the Kingdom of Dodd.”

Kristy concluded his time in Philippi by promising, “As angels join the movement, Son of Man will come to perform with Keys of the Kingdom. It should be a great gig. As I’ve said, ‘It’s time to Star On.’”

Keys of the Kingdom Doors Matthew 16:13-20

I am sure that, as you listened to the text this morning that you were not overly surprised by the account. You have heard it many times before. We all know that Jesus is quizzing his disciples and that their answer at first is somewhat iffy. “Who do the people say that the Son of Man is?” Or, “Who are the people saying the Son of Man is?”, and the disciples’ respond John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets.


When we hear these words, we may also recall that Herod recently feared that Jesus was John the Baptist raised up from the dead, that even Jesus equates Elijah with John the Baptist later in the Gospel, that the disciples thought that Jesus was a ghost walking on the Sea of Galilee so to connect Jesus and the Son of Man with a bunch of dead guys is not too far afield at first glance. But let us be clear, Jesus is not asking his disciples who they think the Son of Man is, he is asking his disciples who the people say that the Son of Man is. This slight shift in understanding changes the conversation.


You see, back in the day, in their culture, “Messiah”, “Son of Man”, and “Son of God” were popular titles. “Messiah”, by itself, simply means “the anointed one” and was attributed to the leaders of God’s people including judges, prophets, and kings. “Son of Man” was an additional title of a “Messiah” who was sent to lift up the needs of God’s people in times of particular crisis. They were meaningful titles among the Jewish people. As such, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, other prophets of note, and John the Baptist would have qualified as one in a line of “Sons of Man”. The coming of the “Son of Man” was a popular title and subject in the book of Daniel.


On the other hand, “Son of God” is a title that the emperor claimed. Tiberius had it stamped on the coin with his likeness on it. At one time, the emperor had to die before the senate claimed him as a god, but then the emperors decided that they didn’t want to wait for that honor so they declared themselves the “Sons of God”. After all, if their father had been declared a god after he died and the next emperor was the son of the guy who had been named a god, then he must be a god too, right?? This title, “Son of God”, entitled the emperor to sacrificial offerings and, of course, taxes.


It is also important to understand a little geography and the family connections of the time. Caesarea Philippi was a city built in the northeastern part of the old kingdom of Judah. It was known as Caesarea Philippi to distinguish it from the city known as Caesarea Maritima which was constructed on the Mediterranean Sea by Herod the Great. Each of these cities was built to honor Caesar, but the one who oversaw the construction of the later Caesarea was Herod’s brother Philip, thus the name of Caesarea Philippi. His son Philip is the half-brother of Herod Antipas. It is Philip’s wife that Herod Antipas marries and whose daughter has just danced for Herod at his birthday party where she asked for John’s head to be served on a platter.


It is in this northeastern province where Caesarea Philippi is located, where Roman culture is thriving, that Jesus asks, “Who do the people say that I am?” or “Who are the people saying that I am?”. The answer is really important for Jesus to understand what the people were thinking and what the disciples were saying. If everyone is just expecting the “Son of Man”, another in the line of prophets that had gone before, then the people would be expecting one thing, but, if the disciples are saying that the people say that Jesus is the “Son of God”, then a whole different set of imperial expectations are going to be in place.


Yes, these two titles were part of the everyday language, but they did not have the special association to Jesus that they have for us today. We did not yet know Jesus as both fully human and fully divine, as stated in the Nicene Creed, or as written in the hymn Beautiful Savior: “Beautiful Savior, King of creation, Son of God and Son of Man.”


Now Jesus asks the disciples to say who they think he is. Simon combines the two titles and says something remarkable that goes beyond. He does not say Jesus is just “Son of God”, like one of the Caesar’s, Simon says, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!”—Jesus is everything they have hoped for and more.


Jesus’ words to Simon confirm his statement, “This is something that has come from my heavenly Father; you couldn’t have come up with this on your own, and, because of your statement, your name will be changed. No longer will you be Simon; from now on you will be Peter, that is, Rock, that object on which buildings are constructed.” Upon this rock Jesus plans to build a community of people who are called out of their places of suffering and comfort to proclaim the good news of God’s love for the world. We know that community as the Church. And in spite of the problems of the Church, Jesus says that the Good News proclamation will not be overcome by the gates of Hades.


It is at this point that the keys of the kingdom of heaven are given to Peter with the information that what is bound on earth is bound in heaven and what is loosed on earth is loosed in heaven. A door has been opened that cannot be shut. As Pandora’s box opened the world to the disasters of the world, so now, Simon’s declaration has opened something new—a new relationship with Christ built on a new understanding of who Jesus is. This new relationship will lead to a daunting authority controlling the in-breaking of the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth.


As the titles of “Messiah”, “Son of Man”, and “Son of God” have been connected, so too are the kingdoms of heaven and the world. Back in chapter 4 at the baptism of Jesus, we witnessed the heavens opening and the Spirit descending. Now we witness the capability and authority to open the doors that separate the Kingdom of Heaven from the kingdoms of the world. Using the keys in the locks of the gates or doors of heaven opens the way to goodness and wholeness of God’s grace, allowing God’s already given, saving intent—God’s only son, our Lord—to flow out into the world with the power and authority to repair the brokenness of the evils and sins of the past, present, and future.


Yet, the honor of this gift comes with privileges and responsibilities. We can use our authority to keep the gates or doors locked against God’s intentions, but why would we do that? Wouldn’t it be more likely that Peter would run from gate or door to gate or door unlocking all of them, unleashing heaven’s bounty? Why wouldn’t Peter and every successive generation of disciple just open the floodgates of God’s divine reign and mercy to overwhelm the world? If we have the privilege of opening all the doors, then, why wouldn’t we?


As I considered these questions for myself this week, I was reminded of the many stories of breaking through the limitations of our world into another. Some of these stories are serious, some are fanciful, some are there to help us think of our own situations differently. There are movies like Back to the Future; and The NeverEnding Story, with their attending sequels; Monsters, Inc.; the Harry Potter books with Platform 9 ¾ and the Room of Requirement. From C.S. Lewis comes The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Voyage of the Dawntreader. From Lewis Carroll there is the rabbit hole Alice falls down. Science fiction brings us all kinds of doors that allow time travel through time machines or slipping through rips in the space-time continuum.


Even in Scripture we find people transported into new dimensions. Revelation takes us into the world of the Apocalypse with the healing trees of New Jerusalem. Isaiah takes us to the holy courtroom with the question of “What shall I cry out?”. Ezekiel shows us the fearsome angels. Daniel opens the world of Holy Conflict. The problem is not whether to open the doors. The issue before us is, “Which is the right door to open at any given time? Which door will release the great river of God’s justice that will flow down like everlasting waters? Which door will open to us the peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding? Where is the right door for the right occasion?”


Some of those doors that open to new possibilities are ours, not in God’s word alone, but in the waters of Baptism, those waters where we are drowned and raised up into new ways of living, into new life in the kingdom of God. Another door is found at the table with the wine and the bread, with Christ’s words, “given for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin”. There are also the doors of individual forgiveness and those of individual blessing conferred daily in the actions of love and care to the neighbor. Each of you both extends and receives these, many of which appear in unexpected places and at unexpected times.


This weekend I saw doors opening in the midst of the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. When some were asked why they were doing what they were doing helping others while risking their own lives, one person said, “If I were in trouble, I’d sure want someone to come to help me.” Another said, “It’s the right thing to do. Texans help Texans.”; but the one that really opened the door for me this weekend was the woman that said, “It’s what we are called to do.”


As the flooding waters of devastation were pounding at the door, this woman, without hesitation came to help because “It is what we are called to do”: Don’t make a big deal about it, you don’t have to make a big fanfare about the Messiah, the Son of Man, or even the Son of the Living God. Just show up. “It is what we are called to do”, and the Gates of Hades will never be able to prevail against it. Let our work let loose on earth what is already prepared for us in heaven, and may we always be willing to unlock the doors of God’s love and caring for the world.