Pay Attention to Psalms 7 . . . and 9 and . . .

Well, my commendation of Psalm 37 in October sure proved timely, did it not?  I suspect it still is timely due to much righteous anger that could too easily morph into foolishness.  Anger is not always wrong, but it is almost always difficult to handle and direct aright.

Allow me also to direct you to Psalm 7, particularly verses 14-16:

Behold, the wicked man conceives evil

              and is pregnant with mischief

              and gives birth to lies.

He makes a pit, digging it out,

              and falls into the hole that he has made.

His mischief returns upon his own head,

              and on his own skull his violence descends.

Note two traits of the wicked we need to be aware of especially now.  First, he creates traps, often described as pits or nets in Scripture, in order to trap good people.  We need to be aware of them and watch out.  

One such trap the Left and allies like to pull is to exaggerate, distort, and often outright invent violence from political opponents.  I’ve seen this time and again.  Mark Levin and I think the likelihood of such traps around those who may protest the Inauguration of Biden is so high, that we advise staying away from it and from state capitols next week.

Second, the wicked have a propensity to fall into the traps that they themselves have made.  I think we may be seeing that before our eyes.  I have hope that Democrat attacks on free speech and their second sham impeachment will backfire greatly on them politically.

So let them fall into their traps.  You be alert and wise and avoid them.

I think the Lord really wants us to get this.  For the theme of the wicked setting traps and falling into them occurs often in Scripture.  The whole book of Esther is one example.  And we see this repeatedly in the Psalms: 7, 9, 35, 57, 141, and I may have missed one or two.  It’s important to get this, now and always.

2020, 2021, and This Blog

As a new year is upon us, it is a time to look back and forward.

Looking back, it seems every year I make a remarkably prescient prediction if I may say so myself.  This year’s came back in September when I wrote, “I think it likely we will have a contested election fueled by massive fraud.”  And I went on to warn of the problem of mail-in ballots.

I did get something slightly wrong when I noted one “scenario is that [Trump] loses his lead in a crucial state due to questionable mail-in ballots, and you get President Harris, er, Biden.”  In hindsight, I should have written “states.”  And I confess the fraud was more massive and widespread than even I anticipated.

You may have noticed something more mundane about this blog – I have been posting less frequently in recent months.  There may have been some lack of energy and creativity involved, but I have a good reason as well.  And that gets me into looking forward.

The publication of my writing increased notably in 2020, and I expect the new venues for my writing will continue in 2021.  Also, I finally decided on my next book.  Yes, good progress for which I am thankful.

The problem is, to do these justice, really to get these done, I have to change my time management, and that will likely include posting less often here.  Already, I have caught myself procrastinating on my book, and this blog has been one of the excuses for that.  In fact, I put off working on my book to write this post!

So do know that if post less frequently, it will probably be for good reason.  But I will continue to opine on twitter and Parler, which can be more fun anyway.

For now, may you have a more tolerable 2021 and a happy remainder of the Christmas season.

Sorry I’ve Disappeared

Yes, I haven’t written here in a while (although still have opined and ranted on my twitter feed).  For a while, I just was neither that creative nor energetic about writing.  Then I got busy with matters outside this blog.

But I am almost past both periods.  I expect to edify and enrage next week.

Blog Update: MOAR HISTORY! (and current events and no telling what)

I’ve long wrestled with how to handle blog posts that are pretty much unrelated to Anglicanism.  For some time, I’ve put some posts over on a sister blog, but that has not attracted much traffic.  In addition, I now have a hard time with the logistics of posting there.  The font is unreadable, videos won’t embed, and so on.

So I think it would best to bring posts back to here.  I may warn when something has little to do with Anglicanism.  Maybe I will even have trigger warnings. HA!.... 

…Actually I might. I very much oppose mandatory trigger warnings.  But giving them as a courtesy has its place.  (I hope I did not make any readers faint from shock there.)

Other than that, the main change is that there will be more posts here related to history and current events and culture.  I know there have been some readers that have wished I would stick more to Anglicanism.  I listened.  I tried.  And it just has not worked out.

Besides it is often good to broaden our horizons.  Speaking of which, I post on twitter much more often than here.  But – TRIGGER WARNING, AAAAA, AAAAAAAAA! – my twitter is often politically incorrect and never woke.  

Oh.  You already knew that?

Psalm 92 and God’s Providence (and a Needed Break)

I’ve oft marveled at how God knows what you are going to read or hear from the Bible, and he knows what you are going through, and he knows how to bring the two together to speak to you very personally. (I have to give a hat tip to Tommy Nelson of Denton Bible Church from whom I first heard this taught.  But I’ve experienced it virtually my whole life as a Christian.)

I experienced this again last night.  I was very angry off and on during the day due to the impeachment.  But during Ember Wednesday Evening Prayer at my church, the Psalm was Psalm 92.  It was the perfect scripture for me to hear. (Yes, God can use the Lectionary, too!) It reminded me that part of God’s infinite goodness is his justice even in the midst of great injustice. And his justice will prevail.  Yes, I read the imprecatory parts with some extra vigor. And it calmed me.  I needed that.

Still my anger during the day was unhealthy to say the least.  So early in the evening I decided to add to my Advent discipline that I am pulling back from politics until after Christmas Day.  That includes no politics on this blog at least until then.

I do apologize ahead of time that I think I must later blog on politics relevant to us Anglicans for reasons stated before.  But for now I need a break, and I suspect many of you all do, too.

May you have a blessed last week of Advent and a happy Christmas.

Politicize All the Things!!

My memory is fuzzy on this, but I may have noted here the Left’s tendency to try to politicize everything.  Some even demand everything be politicized.  This is part of their totalitarian streak.

Yes, yes, there are non-Leftist extremists that can be that way, too.  But it is much more frequent from the Left.

This morning, I see an example both annoying and amusing from an alumni group I am in.  One alum, who constantly makes political posts from the Left, replied to an admin’s very polite insistence that the alum group was not the place for political posts with the following:

With all due respect to you, there are no spaces that are inappropriate for politics. Doing politics is an ethical demand which must be carried to ALL spaces and the idea that there are or should be spaces in which politics are inappropriate is complicity with fascism.

It is precisely in spaces *like this* where doing politics is most important.

He followed it up with this:

Spaces where people feel uneasy about politics are the spaces in which doing politics is most important.

We dont have time to play around any more. The fascists are in power and the jet stream is collapsing. Theres no time for polite company. [Punctuation and logic his.]

Well there you go.  If you want a little space or time apart from politics, you are complicit with fascism.

But it seems to me that it is rather “fascist” and even totalitarian to insist all spaces be politicized.  But that’s just me.

And isn’t it funny that many of the same people, who insist you listen to them at all times and in all places, shout down and even assault those that dare disagree with them.

So I suspect I am right that Leftist attempts to politicize all the things come from a totalitarian streak.

By the way, a reminder that this blog is decidedly less political than it used to be.  Political posts that are not that relevant to Anglicanism, Christianity, or other recurring subjects on this blog go to my sister blog on history and current events.  So if you just can’t get enough of my wisdom on politics, go there.

Clearly I do still occasionally post on political subjects on this blog.  But I am much more selective about that than I used to be.  

You’re welcome . . . or I’m sorry, whichever is appropriate.

Why the Temporary Quiet?

I am being quiet for the moment.  Trust me when I say that it is not because of any lack of things to rant about.  Oh, no.  I am being provided with so much ranting ammunition.

But I am preparing for a fun yet scholarly talk.

Those in South Texas, particularly take note.

More Clarification Needed about CANA and ACNA

I have a confession to make.  I was about to post on the agreement between The Church of Nigeria, its CANA and ACNA.  It sounds like CANA is leaving ACNA but that their dioceses can vote to stay in ACNA if they wish.

Anyway, I was working on the post, then I read something that if true (and it probably is) would make my post look foolish and alarmist. There goes a lot of work down the drain, but then that’s where it needed to go.

I’m posting this confession not just because confession is good for the soul, but to illustrate that ACNA and CANA need to clarify matters. There is confusion and opinions flying about that do not reflect well on ACNA and on the Church of Nigeria.

Personally, I think the situation is not as bad as some think. But it’s obvious there is unhappiness out there.  ACNA and the Church of Nigeria may wish to clarify matters further.

That is all.

Revisiting When and How I Will Call Out Political Evil

From time to time I have wrestled with how much to expose evil in the political realm.  I have long been alarmed about politics, culture, and government in the West.  It is far more than my “side” winning or losing. There are neo-totalitarian ideologies gaining boldness and power.

But at the same time, I’ve not wanted to alienate people from this blog or from Anglicanism for that matter.  I’ve seen the errors of those on the Left who are injecting their politics into ACNA and how divisive that is; I do not want to commit a mirror image of the same error.

And frankly I desire a “peaceful and quiet” life. And totalitarian Leftists are not interested in peace and quiet for those who openly oppose them.

But two recent experiences have reminded me that being quiet is not an option today.  First was remembering Holocaust Remembrance Day (which I mentioned while leading Morning Prayer at my church).  As a youth, I thought surges of anti-Semitism in the West were an awful thing of the past.  But we are certainly experiencing a revival of anti-Semitism today. And there is a surge of totalitarian ideologies as well.  This is no time for the church to repeat the sin of silence or, worse yet, of complicity.

The second was reading again Ezekiel 33:1-9.  Now I certainly do not think I have been appointed a watchman as Ezekiel was appointed.  But God has allowed me an above average knowledge of history and politics and some communication skills for a reason. At the very least, those who are more aware of danger certainly have more of a responsibility to warn others.

So I am convinced that, at least for me, this is not a time to be quiet about political evil.  At the same time, I recognize, unlike many Leftists, that people want and need venues free of political combat or at least where politics are restrained. Even I need that!  I’ve already said that churches and church venues should be such a place for the sake of unity. And, yes, I will confront those who try to hijack ACNA for their political “social justice” agenda.

Although I haven’t said much about it, I’ve decided to restrain politics on this blog.  That does not mean there will be no politics here.  If a political matter is of particular interest to Anglican or other catholic Christians, it still belongs here.  But I have already been posting a number of political missives elsewhere but not here when I consider them not that relevant to Anglicanism.  For example, I recently posted sharp reflections on the Northam controversy on my WannabeHistorian blog, but not here.  (So if you don’t want to miss my observations on history and politics, you need to follow that blog.)

So this is the way I am proceeding – to do my part to expose the evil and danger of the quasi-totalitarian Lib/Left, but to take care about in what venues I do so, more care than I have in the past. Nonetheless, now is no time for silence.  People of right mind should speak up lest that freedom is removed from us.

-----

By the way, a few have found fault with this being an anonymous blog. But with the current toxic and dangerous political climate, which I fear may get worse, this blog will remain anonymous without apology.

HOUSEKEEPING: While I am on the subject of anonymity, this blog gets a number of anonymous comments, most of which are spam.  Occasionally, I will get a comment which I cannot tell for sure is spam or not.  So my advice is, if you make an anonymous comment, be sure it clearly addresses the subject at hand or that I can tell in some other way you are not a spammer.  If I am not sure it is for real, I will not post it.

Anti-Semitism in The Episcopal “Church” (Yes, I will use scare quotes.)

William Murchinson documents well the vomits of anti-semitism at the General Convention of The Episcopal “Church”:

Resolution after resolution targeted Israel for its apparently endless failures to bestow full rights on Palestinians in the so-called “occupied” territories. Resolution authors wanted the church, through its investments, to pressure Israeli acquiescence in a pro-Palestinian policy.

A convention deputy from Hawaii spoke of Israel’s “brutal occupation” of the West Bank and Gaza (from which, actually, Israel withdrew formally in 2005), saying, “We as a church are complicit in the occupation. We have money invested in it.”

The resolution’s authors desired an “investment screen” to make sure Episcopalians, bless their compassionate hearts, refuse help to the Israeli oppressors, affirming that “Palestinian lives matter.” As they do: just as Israeli lives matter — lives menaced daily by the Hamas terrorists whose anger breaks out whenever there seems any chance of getting away with it.

The resolution passed the convention’s House of Deputies 619-214, only to stall in the House of Bishops. Six other resolutions, out of 15, passed both houses . . .

Now don’t give me the bovine excrement that criticism of Israel does not amount to anti-semitism.  Yes, Israel isn’t perfect nor beyond criticism.  But this sort of obsession with bashing the most free nation in the Middle East while paying little to no attention to, say, Iran, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Muslim persecution of Christians, etc. comes from one source – the Satanic evil of anti-semitism.

Which brings me to a matter which has been implied here on this blog but should be spelled out, and now is as good a time as any: why do I use scare quotes when referring to The Episcopal “Church” and to likeminded “bishops” as well?

First, I do not consider The Episcopal “Church” to be a legitimate church anymore. Likewise for similar libchurches such as my past “mainline” Presbyterian “Church.”  You go apostate; you lose the right to be called a church.

Second, TEC, PCUSA, etc. push such pure evil such as anti-semitism and abortion on demand, that I consider it important for Christians to denounce them and not allow them the dignity of being called a church.  Christians, the faithful church, should disassociate themselves from such evil in the strongest possible terms.  And that includes making it clear that those who advocate for such evil are not the faithful church.  To fail to do so enables the deceptive evil of apostates and their pseudo-churches.

(I realize that some faithful Christians remain in the Episcopal Church.  The presence of such in an otherwise evil organization does not make said organization a legitimate church.) 

I fully realize that some consider my use of scare quotes to be rude, even *gasp* uncivilized.  I refer those to how the church fathers and even St. Paul referred to heretics and apostates.  They make scare quotes look very tame.

I will also say that if one is more offended by my scare quotes than by The Episcopal “Church,” one’s priorities need serious self-examination.

So I intend to continue to use scare quotes and the equivalent and may increase my use of them in referring to libchurches. 

An Update on Life and Blogging

This morning I completed the first draft of my final paper to earn a Certificate of Anglican Studies.  I hope to complete it early next week.

And that means I can then give more attention to the rest of my life, including blogging.  Yes, I expect to be blogging more frequently.  You have been warned.

And not a moment too soon it appears as unity in ACNA may be deteriorating quickly.  An address from the Bishop of the Missionary Diocese of All Saints has brought more attention to that situation.

But I have much more than just Anglican-related news in mind for this blog in the future.  I intend a change in emphasis.  Stay tuned.

Ash Wednesday Update

Yes, on my Twitter feed, I have been having a bit too much fun with Ash Wednesday falling on St. Valentine's Day.

Yes, I did lie prostrate as has become my custom for Ash Wednesday morning (and not on my bed).

No, I am not giving up blogging for Lent.  But I am in the middle of my last course to get my Certificate of Anglican Studies.  And I want to get that done as well and as quickly as reasonably possible.  So my blogging will be infrequent until then.

Have a blessed Lent.

Back to Studies

I have been sorely tempted to post on a number of items the past few days.  But I’m in the midst of stepping up my studies in hope of completing a Patristics course by Thanksgiving.  That is a big ask but I’m going to do my best to finish by then anyway.

Therefore I will become even more selective in my blog posting well into November at least.  Some may rejoice in that.  But my apologies to the rest of my forbearing readers.

Back to the Books

I hope you have been edified or at least amused by my increase in blogging the past month or so.

But I am scheduled to start another course next week and want to get some things done before then.  So I think I need to go back to limited blogging.  Perhaps I will post instapundit style.

By the way, my allergies finally cleared up well this weekend.  Thanks for all prayers.

Happy Epiphany

I hope all my readers have a blessed Epiphany.

I had something more profound to say.  But I lack the energy to do that and get my paper done.

But I haven’t forgotten you all.  The paper should be finished next week.  Then I hope to blog more . . . at least until my next course.

How can I beat this prediction?

This is a time when many make predictions for the coming year.  But a prediction I made last year was so good, there is no way I can top it.  So I simply say . . . I told you so . . . back in January 2016:

Can it be any clearer that a lot of people out there are angry at being unrepresented by the establishments of both parties?

So I’ve got a 2016 prediction you can add to the zillions you’ve heard already ‘cept mine is better.  2016 will be the Revenge of the Unrepresented.   One result will be the nomination of Donald Trump this summer or the defeat of Hillary Clinton this November. 

And do not be too shocked if it will be both.

Dang, I’m good sometimes!

I hope all my good readers have a Happy New Year.

Housekeeping

Yes, I’ve been quiet lately on here.  I find that the times when I have the time and energy and motivation to make a post of any length are getting fewer and fewer.  And with my studies continuing, it may remain that way for a while.

I remember blogging away when I was studying at CMRS Oxford in 2007. How did I do that?

Anyway, I have decided to experiment with making more very short posts in the style of InstaPundit, a favorite blog.  I think that would go better with my current lifestyle and would make this blog more active.  We’ll see how that works.

Of course, I will occasionally still make a longer post.  You know how I am about ranting.

By the way, studies and life are going very well.  I hope you, too, are having a blessed Advent.

2015 – When Truth Made a Comeback?

At the beginning of this year, I noted that 2014 may have been The Year of the Lie.  And I resolved to do my part to counterattack in 2015 with the truth.

I think I did a decent job of keeping that resolution.  And I am happy to note that many others were so fed up with lies that they spoke out with the truth or at least backed those who did so.  Like him or not, one big reason Donald Trump is doing well is that he is perceived as telling it like it is, whether it’s politically correct or not.  (Whether said perception is accurate can be debated another time.)

I also noted a year ago that the Big Lie is a frequent tactic of the Left.  But perhaps their lies have become so brazen and so frequent that real Americans have had enough and are fighting back with the truth.  Perhaps 2015 is the year when truth began a comeback in this country.  I certainly hope so.

As for my part, some highlights in truth telling this past year:

I continued to call out “churches” and parachurch organizations for backing evil, including Catholic Charities and InterVarsity.  I’m ecumenical that way.

I continued to tell the truth about our U. S. “criminal regime disguised as an administration.”

I was willing to continence hard questions, such as it is time for a national divorce, whether endemic and tyrannical lawlessness in government will have lawless and ugly consequences, and whether one can be a genuine Christian and remain a Democrat.  (And please do not presume my answers until you carefully read those posts.)

And all that and more in spite of knowing these are dangerous times to be truthful.  I even considered self-censorship.

As I’ve noted, when I began this blog, I did not intend for it to become nearly this political.  I do not intend for it to remain this political beyond 2016 and perhaps beyond the next few months.  But the need of the times compelled me to do my part and tell the truth in the midst of a political culture of lies.

Not unlike Jeremiah, I really hope the Lord finds me something else to do and fast.  We shall see.  But for now I can say, in 2015, however imperfectly, I told the truth.

Ten Years Ago. . .

Yesterday, it occurred to me that ten years ago, I was in England for the first time.  I was still at my first destination Cambridge, and still very much in awe of the Chapel of King’s College and of its choir.

I had recently become Anglican, and it was a pilgrimage to my new spiritual roots.  (I wish now I had the wisdom when young to appreciate the glories of Anglicanism and England.  But I couldn’t tell an Anglican from an angle.  And England interested me little.  Yes, I was a hapless fool and didn’t know it.)

In hindsight, I was understandably a bit naïve during my first visit.  And today, you would never see me order a HALF-pint with a meal.  I was only beginning to become aware of the glories of English ale.

England got ahold of me then and hasn’t let go.  Lately, I’ve been in one of those times when I yearn for England.  And in fact, I’ve been looking into the possibility of further studies there. (I studied at the Center of Medieval and Renaissance Studies in Oxford in 2007 and did independent study in Oxford in 2011 as long time readers may recall.)  My chances do not look good, to be honest, at least not to study where I really want to.  But if you wish to pray for me, don’t let that stop you.

And if you wish to see my first visit to England through my eyes, my posts from that time are over in the archives to the right, late November and early December 2005.  I regret that readers’ comments have been lost due to a later technical issue.  I remember getting a lot of support from good readers.

Yet Another Obama Enormity (and this blog)

I have not said much about the enormities of Our Dear Leader of late. But that is not for any lack of said enormities.  Lately, it is feeling like 2009 all over again with Obama throwing outrageous initiative after outrageous initiative out there to the point that it is hard to keep up with it all . . . except this time, with Obama never having to face another election, the initiatives are even more outrageous.

For example, amidst the Iran deal, Obama infuriating a federal judge on immigration, his shameless blaming of the IRS targeting scandal on Congress, etc., the Obama Regime is creating a huge race-oriented database with the intent of forcing “neighborhood diversity” - which translates to changing your neighborhood and lowering your property value with government-mandated low-income housing.

Obama has always had an obsession with race and with raw government power, and now that neither elections nor spineless Republicans can or will hold him accountable, he is aiming those obsessions even at neighborhoods.

Trust me that I could rant further on this.  But now my more alert and hard-to-please readers may say, “Thanks, Mark.  But this is not exactly new news.  This post is hardly value-added.  And, to be frank, there are better places to go for politics.”  And they have a point, which leads me to the following.

During the break-out session on media during last week’s International Catholic Congress of Anglicans, David Virtue advised that it is best to do few things well in blogging.  Otherwise, you spread yourself too thin and lose the interest and patience of your readers.

I thought about that.  There are some blogs that can do a lot of things well, such as Ace of Spades.  But most cannot, and I admit I probably have lost readers over being unfocused.  Not to mention that keeping up with the enormities of Obama and friends really is a full-time job.

Again, part of the reason for my increasing the scope of this blog since 2008 was to warn of what I (correctly for the most part) saw coming in the Obama Administration.  I felt a responsibility to do my part to warn, and I do not apologize for that.

But now I am considering making this blog more focused.  My philosophy has been “It’s my blog, and I’ll rant if I want to” (with apologies to Lesley Gore), and I still will retain the Right to Rant.  But nonetheless more focus may be in order.

What may become the foci of this blog you ask?  Anglican matters, of course.  Liturgy as always.  I may do more on church history.  I expect I may reduce my political posts while still focusing on Freedom of Religion.

But I am mainly just thinking about all this now.  We shall see how God and events lead.  Stay tuned.