FReeper Canteen ~ Sunday Chapel ~ CONFLICTING LOYALTIES ~ 14 July 2019

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[Kathy in Alaska]

 

 

 

 

CONFLICTING LOYALTIES

An interviewer once asked the late Senator Sam Ervin, Jr. how he had developed such insight into human behavior. "I had a good teacher, Henry Horace Williams," replied Ervin. "He said the things that try people's souls do not consist of choosing between good and evil. The thing that tries a person's soul is having to choose between conflicting loyalties."

Ervin went on to say that understanding that concept had not only helped him make better decisions, but to judge other people more fairly as well. Sometimes unwise choices were simply the result of misplaced loyalty. "A lot of times I just couldn't support measures advocated by Democratic presidents," he said. "I felt that my controlling interest was for my country, and I voted for what I thought was best for my country."

That sentiment is reflected in a poem written by Josiah Gilbert Holland back in the 1800's. Entitled "God, Give Us Men," it was dusted off and "updated" 1993 by Fr. Brian Cavanaugh of St. Francis College in Loretto, PA (by changing "men" to "leaders"). Then, as the new administration took office, Fr. Cavanaugh sent them copies:

"God give us leaders! A time like this demands
Strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands;
Leaders whom the lust of office does not kill;
Leaders whom the spoils of office cannot buy;
Leaders who possess opinions and a will;
Leaders who have honor; Leaders who will not lie;
Leaders who can stand before a demagogue
And damn the treacherous flatteries without winking!
Tall leaders, sun crowned, who live above the fog
In public duty and private thinking.
For while the rabble, with their thumb-worn creeds,
Their large professions and their little deeds,
Mingle in selfish strife, lo! Freedom weeps,
Wrong rules the land, and waiting justice sleeps."

Strong words...idealistic...and powerful if heeded . But not just for our elected officials, for ALL of us! Because our leaders tend to reflect, and pursue, the kind of loyalties that voters and opinion polls tell them we think are important. What we value, and exemplify, and tolerate, does much to set the course for our communities. It's one thing to say we want strong families, better schools, safer neighborhoods, and more caring communities. But those things don't just happen because of legislation or new programs. They happen because someone cares enough to become the kind of leader Holland so clearly described.

Each of us will have some opportunity, some small part, today in setting the tone and the agenda which will invariably affect the quality of our life -- both shared and individual. What values will guide us? Where will we place our highest loyalty? The prophet Jeremiah assured his people, "For I know the thoughts I think toward you says the Lord, thoughts of peace... to give you a future and a hope. And you will seek me, and find me, when you search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29: 11-13) Jesus advised a similar focus: "Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness," he said, "and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33) May God guide our priorities, helping each of us to demonstrate the right kind of leadership.

CAPT J. David Atwater, CHC, USN

 

[The Mayor]

Freep mail me to be on or off the Daily Bread ping list

July 14

In Living Color

Bible in a Year : Psalms 10–12; Acts 19:1–20

The one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. Revelation 4:3

When Xavier McCoury put on the glasses Aunt Celena sent for his tenth birthday, he burst into tears. Born colorblind, Xavier had only ever seen the world in shades of gray, white, and black. With his new EnChroma glasses, however, Xavier saw color for the first time. His euphoria at witnessing the beauty around him made his family feel like they’d beheld a miracle.

Witnessing God’s colorfully radiant brilliance also evoked a powerful reaction in the apostle John (Revelation 1:17). After encountering the full glory of the resurrected Christ, John glimpsed “a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. . . . From the throne came flashes of lightning” (Revelation 4:2–5).

In a different time, Ezekiel had a similar vision, seeing “what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli,” with a figure above the throne who “looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire” (Ezekiel 1:26–27). This magnificent figure was surrounded with rainbow-like radiance (v. 28).

One day we will meet Christ face-to-face. These visions give us just a hint of the magnificence that awaits us. As we celebrate the beauty of God’s creation here and now, may we live in anticipation of the glory yet to be revealed.

By Remi Oyedele

Reflect & Pray

What response does the color and beauty of creation evoke in you? How can you express your gratitude to God for His wonderful gift?

Father, words fail us when we try to imagine what we will experience when we meet You face-to-face. Thank You for the small hints of Your beauty You have placed in our world.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Amazing Grace ~ Cherokee

Elvis ~ In The Garden

Jim Ed Brown ~ Chapel Bells Are Ringing

John Berry ~ Old Rugged Cross

Kitty Wells ~ Dust On the Bible

Red Sovine ~ Deck of Cards

The Statler Brothers ~ Church in the Wildwood

Tennessee Ernie Ford ~ Faith of Our Fathers

The Gaithers ~ What A Friend We Have in Jesus

Elvis ~ Precious Lord

Ray Cornelius ~ One Set of Footprints

How Great Thou Art ~ Choctaw

Amazing Grace ~ Cherokee

Elvis ~ In The Garden

Jim Ed Brown ~ Chapel Bells Are Ringing

John Berry ~ Old Rugged Cross

Kitty Wells ~ Dust On the Bible

Red Sovine ~ Deck of Cards

The Statler Brothers ~ Church in the Wildwood

Tennessee Ernie Ford ~ Faith of Our Fathers

The Gaithers ~ What A Friend We Have in Jesus

Elvis ~ Precious Lord

Ray Cornelius ~ One Set of Footprints

How Great Thou Art ~ Choctaw

[Kathy in Alaska]

Please join us for Sunday Chapel ~ CONFLICTING LOYALTIES, and Liberty

Lt. Charles F. Suver, CHC, USN, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division
"Mass at Iwo Jima"

Please stop in and say a prayer of protection for the military.
Prayers from all denominations are needed.




Sunday Liberty starts after the Guest Military Chaplain's Service!

[lightman]

Have blessed Lord’s Day, everyone.

Kneel for God and stand for the National Anthem!

[left that other site]

Hi Everybody!

((((HUGS))))

Have a Blessed Sunday.

[SkyDancer]

~ Good Evening ~

~ Leaving On A Jet Plane For Denver For A Three Day Trip ~

~ Good Evening ~

~ Welcome To My World ~

I’m Down There Somewhere

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mayor, and thank you for today’s sustenance for body and soul.

A Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

Kids make it home and take back their dog? They have lots of cool stories?

[mountainlion]

Good luck in Denver. Heard strange first hand stories about DIA so stay above ground as much as possible.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Dear God:
I ask that no Airman, Coast Guardsman,
Marine, Sailor, Soldier, Reservist, National Guardsman, or Merchant Marine
feel alone or forgotten.

O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is loving kindness,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
And He will redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.

Psalm 130:7 & 8

[The Mayor]

Thanks Kathy! Yes home and dog gone.
They really enjoyed DC and the memorials.
They said fireworks were hard to see due to so much smoke from them.
But all in all a good trip for them

[HiTech RedNeck]

Ah, the treacherous flatteries.

They are terrible, because they blind us; they blunt our sense of when things are starting to get worse (though not yet irretrievable, by the grace of God).

That might be one of the bigger untold stories of how the Democrats got undermined. Nobody dares speak evil of Social Justice War as we know it today with all its misguided secular jousting at windmills and counterproductive secular answers. Nobody dares speak evil of it. Instead, the lying compliments fly. The result is a whole gaggle of blind men and women.

If this phoniness could be displaced with the kind of social justice that God kept talking about, based in the houses of faith and not in the houses of parliaments, then maybe, just maybe, scales would fall from Democrat eyes.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hello Veterans, wherever you are!!

A Blessed Lord's Day and Shavua Tov to you.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks, lightman…

And a Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

All well in the weather department?

[lightman]

A “million dollar day” with crystal clear skies, low humidity, heavy dew from a low in the 60’s with a high briefly hitting the low 80’s.

Can I have some more, please?

[lightman]

Gotta add...first home grown squash casserole (sliced squash, melted butter, Italian cheese blend topped with bread crumbs in melted butter) of the season, with “55 day” squash from seeds planted just 50 days ago.

Yes, that kind of mega growing season!

GOD BE PRAISED!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...and a Blessed Lord’s Day and Shavua Tov to you and yours.

Did you get enough rain to send me some?

At least the temps have come down and a little of the smoke is clearing...I can actually see a cloud instead of just smoke.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Janey, and Shavua Tov and a Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

Have safe flights. Stay away from Barry.

[SkyDancer]

Well doing local stuff like DIA to Bozeman then back then to Missoula, then back, then to LAS, then back, then to SLC then back, overnight in DIA then doing it again.

[SkyDancer]

Hai Kathy (((HUGS))) Will be mostly local stuff like from Denver to Bozeman, then back to Denver then up to Missoula, then back to Denver, then up to Bismark then back, then off to LV and back. Short stuff but builds hours.