oreos

Here's today's reading from St. Paul to the Philippians (a lector this summer pronounced it "philippines" so forever after now it will be the Philippines...arrgh.

"Brothers and sisters: Christ Jesus,

though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Just this morning while I drove to the pool I listened to John Rutter's CD Gloria and one song, very English sounding, referred to the "Lord".. and I was repelled. "Lord" conjures images of landowners, royalty, who merely due to their title receive homage from their servants and neighbors. Being kinda egalitarian, I don't like that. and I certainly can't relate to a deity who is called "Lord". That puts me in a bind, cuz that's what he's called in a lot of places. So, what would I call the one who points the way to the Truth... ? Truthteller... that sounds kinda incomplete ... how about Beloved. just heard a story on NPR about an Iraqi Suni whose 21 yr old son was killed by the whomevers. Thinking about fathers who lose their sons. I can't imagine the pain of that.... and how the love between Jesus of Nazareth and His father led him to the cross (whose feast it is today, btw) and what greater outpouring of love I can not imagine. For the sake of all of his children... us. No greater love hath any man than to lay down his life for his friends. (I never use the word hath in real life, but it sounds good in that sentence.) Lift high the cross!