FAIR PLAY

THE POET

Therefore he no more troubled the pool of silence
But put on mask and cloak,
Strung a guitar
And moved among the folk.
Dancing they cried,
'Ah, how our sober islands
Are gay again, since this blind lyrical tramp
Invaded the Fair.'

Under the last dead lamp
When all the dancers and masks had gone inside
His cold stare
Returned to its true task, the interrogation of silence.

George Mackay Brown

WISDOM OF A CHILD

This was written by an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton, who lives in Chula Vista , California . He wrote it for his third class homework assignment, to 'explain God.' I wonder if any of us could have done as well ?

EXPLANATION OF GOD

'One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grownups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn't have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.'
'God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off.'
'God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have.'
'Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any in Chula Vista . At least there aren't any who come to our church.'
'Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him. But he was good and kind, like his father, and he told his father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K.'
'His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important.'
'You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.'
'You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God!
Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway.'
'If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids.'
'But...you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.
And...that's why I believe in God.'

DANIEL MARTIN MOORE

UP ABOVE MY HEAD

I first heard Daniel Martin Moore singing on a TV arts programme presented by John Kelly, a man who knows his music. Moore sings old Gospel songs as well as his own compositions in a laid back gentle style that allows these old ‘spirituals’ to eat right into your soul. When I got to meet him prior to a performance here in Limerick I asked the Kentuckian if the songs meant much to him. He considered for a while and replied, “Sure they do, I love the words”. I pressed a bit harder and asked him if he was a man of faith ? Again he paused before he answered, “I’m not religious…I left that behind me years ago” He declined my outstretched hand as he had picked up a head cold during his visit but he was warm and friendly if a little distant. He went on to play a dazzling set to an appreciative group of half a dozen people, such are the joys of any live music gig that is a little different here on Shannonside ! As I left he came after me and said “Thanks for coming”, and as he shook my hand, “Don’t forget to wash your hand ! “ I didn’t .

Gerard O'Shea

RULE OF LIFE

PROBABLE PROPHECIES

This little nugget was brought to my attention on ‘The Shepherds Staff’’, a blog worth looking up in its own right. These probabilities are taken from Peter Stoner in Science Speaks (Moody Press, 1963) to show that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability

FUTURE PERFECT !

Stoner states that by using the modern science of probability in reference to eight prophecies, "we find that the chance that any one man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 1017." (Please pardon the format. Blogger will not support superscript). That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.
In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that "we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover the state two feet deep. "Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man."
Stoner considers 48 prophecies and says, "we find the chance that any one man fulfilled all 48 prophecies to be 1 in 10157, that is, 1 in
100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
The estimated number of electrons in the universe is around 1079. It should be quite evident that Jesus did not fulfil the prophecies by accident.

GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH

PRESIDENT READS PSALM 46

President Obama reads Psalm 46 at the the 9/11 rememberance ceremony

in New York city today.

THE GOOD DOCTOR

DR. MARTYN LLOYD - JONES

One of the most compelling and precise teachers of the Scriptures that I have heard. Leaving his Harley Street medical practise for the pulpit many of his colleagues at the time were at a loss to explain this unusual move. Lyod Jones took this radical step after becoming convinced that this was the road God was directing him to take. Time proved that God’s wisdom is superior to eartly wisdom and the fruit that followed his ministry became a powerful vindication of that early decision. ~GOSh.~