silence is not always good

The longest day of the year passes, a service in Charleston and CNN is there.

I am reluctant to leave the grotto (oh really?) at night but I need to change the oil, I need to have it washed, though I could do it myself if I got up early enough, I continue to be nice to the old car and not push it in the intense heat, and if I avoid turning the a/c up full blast, it works fine, I can go as far as Lulus with no trouble.  And this is the advice you will give to the man and his family who’ll buy it?  The car is ok in the heat if you are nice to it. 

I need to find a mechanic. 

6.22.15

I don’t think “Return of a King” is widely read in England. 

Winds from the north kick up the sand and it looks like rain over the Hajar mountains in the west but it is too dry to fall here.  The baby pigeons are left alone more now as they grow, they have lost the dirty yellow fur for that familiar dirty gray.

I booked a room across from the train station in Leuven for three nights and left one night open for Brussels.  I still have to book a place somewhere in Dubai for three nights onward.  This is why you have a debit card otherwise I’d be showing up asking for a room and most of the time that works, it works at least in Nepal and Thailand and SE Asia.

A long time ago I read an article that talked about the power of inspiration that comes from being around people who inspire.   I was reminded today when someone walks away from that core of inspiration one can literally lose it.  The internet, for all its magic to keep people in touch does not replace the human speech and intellect in human form. 

http://www.gordonconwell.edu/resources/documents/StatusOfGlobalMission.pdf

Gordon Conwell estimates in 2014 there are 45,000 Christian denominations and by 2025 there will be 55,000 denominations.  What creates a denomination is more or less how it manages itself.  What factors are involved in the decisions on how they manage themselves, there are two I can think of: contemporary culture and the interpretation of the Bible. 

One example of a ‘denomination’ whose doctrine makes it different from others are the Plymouth Bretheren and their doctrine which states all Christians are in the priesthood of believers and therefore it is not necessary to have a pastor.  Elders manage the flock, chosen, of course by the flock and the elders: 

 The Open Brethren believe in a plurality of elders (Acts 14:23; 15:6,23; 20:17; Philippians 1:1)—men meeting the Biblical qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:6–9. This position is also taken in some Baptist churches, especially Reformed Baptists, and by the Churches of Christ. It is understood that elders are appointed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28) and are recognised as meeting the qualifications by the assembly and by previously existing elders. Generally, the elders themselves will look out for men who meet the biblical qualifications, and invite them to join them as elders. In some Open assemblies, elders are elected democratically, but this is a fairly recent development and is still relatively uncommon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Plymouth_Brethren

In this small example one will note the doctrine which led to having no pastor comes from the writings of Paul.  

Silence.  I have said many times here how much I’ve found the silence around me a good thing, the absence of noise leads me to consider the wonders and puzzles of God and the universe, but lately I’ve been bothered by the silence.  I live alone, work alone, and next month I’ll work in a new city where my present solitude will feel like a busy beachfront, comparatively speaking. 

I posted three things on the social media site whose name I will not note here this past month and there wasn’t a single like.  They didn’t like what they saw, they were indifferent to what they saw, they are outside enjoying life and they are not using their computers.  Yeah, and I don’t want to post anything now, I wanna be silent towards ‘them’ like they are silent towards me.  I think you’re cracking, Johnny boy, no one is shunning you. It's cabin fever.  You don’t know my family, they use silence as a weapon, I know, I used it to, note past tense, to show I was bothered or troubled or hurt by something someone said or did to me.  And what have you done to cause offense?  Nothing.  Nevertheless, silence feels louder when your only form of communication with everyone is through this damn computer.  So?  What do you want to do?  Keep posting inspiring messages with your photos, find pics you haven’t posted. 

The Oman meteorological weather service says we may see rain soon.  I’ll take a picture of the rain.