The Open House

Bob and I went out to the new house that belongs to our son-in-law and daughter this morning about 9:00. First I had a book to mail off. I sold another used book on Amazon.com. That makes about $50. I have earned from the sale of my used books.

Back to the open house: I had made cookies for them for their guests. We took the grand tour again. My son-in-law had built two brick posts at the front and also done a lot of work on a rock garden in front of the house, including a fountain and another flowerbed in the back of the house and also a garden on the back of the lot.. It looks great!

We stayed until 10:30 but no one else had come by that time so we left and went to Bartlesville. There we walked around downtown and finally went out to the mall to eat fish and chips at Garfield's there.

Bob is taking his nap now.I will get back to my latest book, a gift from the author. It is called "Nauvoo Polygamy: But We Called it Celestial Marriage". So far it is very interesting. It is about the history of polygamy in the LDS Church. George D. Smith wrote the book. He is the owner and publisher of Signature Books.

My sister just called. She and my brother-in-law went out to see the new home just after we left. I am happy someone else did go. It will be a shame if they have gone to all that trouble and no one comes.

I just talked to my daughter again. Four more couples have come to their open house this afternoon. The attached second from the bottom home photo is of Melissa's new home and you have already seen these photos of our son-in-law and daughter's new home at the very bottom.

Baking Cookies and Reading Ehrman.

Our daughter and son-in-law are having their open house tomorrow and Sunday afternoon after church and I volunteered to bake cookies for it so that's what I've done this morning.

Then this afternoon I finished my book. If you recall, I have been reading "The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot" by Bart Ehrman. It was a great read. As usual, he makes some very good points. This gospel is a copy of an ancient document mentioned in 180 CE by Irenaeus, an early heresy hunter and church father. One thing these ancient documents prove is that there was no orthodox Christianity in the early church. There were all kinds of Christianity. It wasn't until much later, in response to these other types of Christianities that the "orthodox" Christianity was finally established. But what became orthodox was not the earliest form of Christianity. And after the orthodoxy was established, the church fathers destroyed all the other documents they could find. The twentieth century has uncovered many of them and that's why we have a much wider view now of what early Christianity was like. This Coptic gospel was found in Egypt was Gnostic in nature. Gnosticism was one of the earliest Christianities.

Ehrman is a very readable historian. I have most of his books and have read them all. They are fascinating to me.

I baked cookies all morning and had a devil of a time keeping Bob out of them. He claimed any that he considered were "irregular". Needless to say Bob loves homemade cookies.

We also washed off the patio. When it rained so hard Tuesday evening, it washed mud all over the patio through a break in the landscaping timbers he had lined the patio with. It left it a mess. We washed and mopped and swept until it looks a lot better. However, in June, after the rains are finished, we need to put another coat of cement paint on it. It needs it.

Now he is preparing to mow again. The rain just keeps growing the grass.

Bart Ehrman

I have been reading another of Bart Ehrman's books, "The Lost Gospel of Judas" lately. I am very impressed with Ehrman as an historian. I have read nearly all of his books. The most interesting one to me was ""The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture". This book told about all the many varieties of theologies and what later became scripture during and after the second century and on. I was fascinated reading it. There certainly was no "orthodox" theology at that time and no set scripture. Everyone who copied what would later become scripture added or deleted theology that did not agree with theirs. Ehrman reads five ancient languages and compares the theology found in various ancient documents.

I would like to have had Ehrman at our scripture symposium last spring. Don wanted to ask Stephen Patterson though so we did. Frankly, I was disappointed in Patterson. He didn't talk about anything we didn't already know.

Ehrman, on the other hand, is a leading historian of the early church and would have brought a lot of new information.

I have also heard that Ehrman is a 'recovering fundamentalist' and has lost his faith in Christianity, which shows the dangers of fundamentalism in all philosophies and religions. Ehrman, like others, can't seem to understand that just because Christian history and thought is not set in stone that it doesn't mean everything has to fit just right. He seems to be unable to think 'outside the box' of fundamentalism.

I wonder if Ehrman is comfortable in his spiritual journey where he is now. I also wonder if it bothers him that what he has learned about Christian origins that shattered his faith is what keeps people like me 'in the Christian fold.'

I have his DVDs on "The Historical Jesus". I know his story since I have read most of his books.

It would be easy, given his specialty, to lose faith in the Christian churches. After all, they are all a part of the corruption of not only scripture but also the church itself. If you read Rita Nakashima's "Saving Paradise" you will see what I mean.

Another Big Day

This will be another big day. I did go to give the invocation at the city commission meeting last night. The rain had stopped and the sky was temporarily clear. I stayed for the meeting and sure enough, the one commissioner I thought would be a problem is going to be a huge one. It will be a zoo there this year and until his term is up.

This morning I got up early to clean up the mess the storm made on the patio and with my beautiful peonies. I am glad I got to enjoy them for a week or so because the storm ruined them yesterday. I haven't even been out to see the damage to my hybrid iris. I have asked Bob to wash off the patio this morning after I leave. It has mud all over it and looks terrible.

I go to Independence this morning for my hair appointment and to have breakfast with Juanita. Then at noon we have our ministerial association meeting. Bob will come up for that. Then we'll come home and if it doesn't storm again today (which it is forecast to do) we will go back there for the baccalaureate service tonight.

This is going to be my last year as the chair of the celebration committee. That will give me a break from so many extra trips to Independence. I need to slow down a bit anyhow. I'm no spring chicken.

Board Meeting

Well, I went to Independence this morning for my Montgomery County Health Clinic board meeting and it was not raining then. Afterward I came back home and picked up Bob and we went to Caney, twenty miles west to return some videos we had rented. On the way home, it began to rain.

It has poured all afternoon. I brought Slinky and Missy in the house. Slinky would have been soaked. There's thunder and lightening and that frightens him too.

While ago, it began to hail. The hailstones were as large as marbles. I was supposed to go give the invocation at the city commission meeting this evening but in 2003, I lost my Toyota to a hailstorm and I am hesitant to take my little Honda out and get it totaled too.

I have e-mailed the city clerk to see if they are still counting on holding the meeting. I would just as soon stay in tonight. The hail has come three times now.

Cleaning Day

It's Monday and this was cleaning day. I cleaned all morning and then at 11:00 I went to my appointment with Ron Richardson to talk about investing the flood relief money until we need it again. Hopefully, we wont need it for years...if at all.

This afternoon I worked on my sermon for Sunday.

Then this evening we watched the movie "Benjamin Buckle" with Brad Pitt. Afterward, we took it back to Blockbuster.

Tomorrow I will go visit my sister while my brother-in-law goes to his breakfast.

After that I will go to Independence for my board meeting and perhaps take Leslie to lunch if she is free.

Tomorrow evening I will ask the invocation at the City Commission meeting here in Coffeyville. It will be a busy day.

Busy Saturday

Yesterday was certainly busy. First I went to three or four garage sales. I am looking for the old Tupperware to replace some that I had that Bob poured hot beans into. That melted it some and made the insides rough.

On our way to Bartlesville, Scott called to see what our weekend plans were. Leslie is taking us to lunch after church for Mother's day. He decided to come home and join us.

Bob and we went on to Bartlesville. Bob was looking for a new pair of brown permanent press cotton pants and he also found a nice black shirt that he liked.

Then we went by Mazzio's Pizza and picked up lunch to take to John and Leslie's house. They were having an enormous garage sale too.

Last night we took Scott to Tavern on the Plaza for dinner. Then we watched the last two DVD's of Band of brothers. If you haven't seen that series, you must rent it and watch all 5 DVD's.

This morning i got up early and made a coffee cake for the early breakfast at church. Then I went up to Brahm's for chocolate milk and ice cream for tonight's Living the Questions here at our house. Scott will leave after dinner this noon. He is going off on one of his inspection trips for the Army. He has to catch a plane tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM.