LINGER

Linger.  That's exactly what I would hope you would do with each of these posts. Linger a bit.  Take your time, dwell a spell, dare to go a little deeper with whatever content is being explored.  For instance...

Read the first two chapters of Luke.  Several times.  Then ask yourself this question...why does everyone seem terrified whenever God ACTUALLY SHOWS UP?  Don't stick with the answer you've always heard, but linger.  Dig deep.  Ask God what He needs you to see in these first few chapters of Luke.

Questions

As this situation has worn on, I have been besieged with emotions and questions.  Though with each day I feel more able to control my emotions, there are still moments that they careen out of control.  And I ply God with questions...am I doing the right thing?  Why did this happen to me?  When will it be over?  When will feel like me again?

I saw this quote from Rainer Maria Rilke and it helped:

'Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language.  Don't search for the answers, which could be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them.

And the point is to live everything.  Live the questions now.  Perhaps then, some day far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.'

My prayer for you, tonight, is from the Compline Service of the Book of Common Prayer...

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake.  Amen. 

1st Luke Study Guide

Writers have many choices to make when laying down their narrative.  Characterization, voice, conflict, setting, etc.  Luke, a doctor by trade, begins his account of the life of Christ with a short introduction to Theophilus, or friend of God.  Scholars are unsure whether Theophilus is an actual individual or an open letter to anyone who would fall under that classification.

Read verses 1-4 and consider:

* What does Luke tell Theophilus is the purpose for his writing an account of the life of Christ?

* How will this make Luke’s account different, say, from the book of John? (Take a further look at John 20:31)

Read verses 5-38 and consider:

* Why does Luke choose to begin his narrative by drawing a backdrop of the life of John the Baptist? (NOTE: Luke is the only gospel writer to give us these stories about John the Baptist and his family.  The apostle John includes different stories in John 1:19-51)

New Brew

New Brew, 05/03/09

Pyramid Apricot Ale 1.86

Denver Pale Ale 2.78

Mighty Arrow Pale Ale 2.83

Blackberry Wheat Beer 3.60

Blue Heron Pale Ale 3.83

Fire Rock Pale Ale 4.11

Wyder’s Pear Cider 3.73

Wyder’s Raspberry Cider 4.00

Wyder’s Peach Cider 4.77

Dead Red Root Beer 2.18

Flathead Lake B Raspberry 2.59

Old Brooklyn Birch Beer 2.59

Americana Black Cherry 3.05

Flathead Lake Huckleberry 3.45

Old Brooklyn Cream Soda 3.45

Sprecher Vanilla Cream 4.50

This was a whole new deal, because we had it as a part of AXIS (since I was no longer employed at Park Row).  And, since we had several who don’t really drink, I decided to group the brews into three categories...pale ales, ciders and sodas.  We had three that really hit big...the Fire Rock Pale Ale from the Kona brewery in Hawaii was a big hit for a beer.  Rarely  have we had one that averaged over four on a 1-5 scale.  The peach cider was an almost universal hit, and even people who don’t really like soda enjoyed the Sprecher Vanilla Soda.  By the time it was over, there were bottles strewn everywhere, and a good time was had by all.

Participants:

Jeremy Williams, Jamie Williams (Cider and Soda), Cheri Williams (Cider and Soda), Robert Ortega, Sofia Vallorino, Corey Frey, Deanne Frey, Leslie Miller, Ray Colston, Ryan Gibbons, Jonathon Pratt and Taylor Price.

Awkward Brew #1

Those present at Awkward Brew #1...

Cheri Wiliams, Jamie Williams, Jeremy Wiliams, Taylor Price, Ryan Gibbons, Brian Pickard, Corey Frey, Sofia Vallarino, Robert Ortega, Greg Foster (the grandpa of the group) and Jonathan Pratt (Keith Bailey was present for the first beer, the Rogue Dead Guy Ale, which he rated a 5.0 before he had to go to work!.

At the end of AXIS on May 17th we had a strange brew derivative (since all the girls were present) and we didn’t have the man food, either.  However, it was a very pleasant evening and I think everyone enjoyed it (even Jamie and Cheri, we really broadened their horizons).

Ommegang Abbey Ale 42.0

Ace Pear Cider 41.3

Lambic Peach Ale  39.0

Rogue Dead Guy Ale 37.4

Honey Moon Pale Ale 36.4

Wyder’s Dry Apple Cider 33.6

Kona Pale Ale 32.5

Maudite Ale 31.15

Hoegaarden Hewewizen 26.2

Wailua Ale w/ Passion Fruit 25.8

Sam Adams Summer Ale 23.5

Pyramid AmberWiezen 20.5

Golden Monkey Ale 12.7

Strange Brew, Spring 08

Tsingtao 0.79

Tommyknocker Jack Whacker 1.79

Cave Creek Chili Beer 1.86

Full Sail Wassail 1.86

Monty Python Holy Grail Ale 2.00

Blueberry Ale 2.14

Chimay Triple 2.36

Pranquster Belgian Style Golden Ale 2.43

Harp Lager 2.57

Hornsby’s Hard Cider 2.57

Orval Trappist Ale 2.64

Fireman’s Blonde Ale 2.64

Cassis Lambic Belgian Beer (Black Currant) 2.64

Wells Bombardier English Premium Ale 2.64

Edelweiss Berry Weiss 2.79

Great Divide St. Bridges Robust Porter 2.93

Wyder’s Dry Apple Cider 3.50

Melbourne Strawberry 3.71

Woodchuck Raspberry Cider 3.93

Those members present: Michael Walker  (Dr. Pepper Member), Hector Santiago, Jonathon Pratt, Robert Ortega, Aaron Williams, Keith Bailey, Ryan Gibbons.