Jack’s Winning Words 8/1/18
“Tradition is a guide, not a jailer.”  (W. Somerset Maugham)  “We’ve always done it this way” are words often heard when someone suggests a change.  Of course, some traditions are good and worth keeping.  But, new ideas can be good, too.  Jesus referred to this when there were complaints about breaking Pharisaic tradition.  “Does anyone pour new wine into old wineskins?”  Sometimes you have to break with the old to present a better idea.   ;-)  Jack 

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  i drink a glass of red wine almost everyday.  is this pouring new wine into an old wine skin:):)?? ===JACK:  Is Margaret familiar with this song...
Margaret stood awaiting her lover one night,
Her cheeks flushed and glowing, her eyes full of light.
She had placed a sweet rose 'mid her wild flowing hair;
No flower of the forest e'er looked half so fair
As she did that night, as she stood by the door
Of the cot where she dwelt by the side of the moor.
She heard a quick step coming over the moor,
And a merry voice which she had oft heard before;
And ere she could speak a strong arm held her fast,
And a manly voice whispered, "I've come, love, at last.
I'm sorry that I've kept you waiting like this,
But I know you'll forgive me, then give me a kiss."
But she shook the bright curls on her beautiful head,
And she drew herself up while quite proudly she said,
"Now, Paulie, I'll prove if you really are true,
For you say that you love me -- I don't think you do;
If really you love me you must give up the wine,
For the lips that touch liquor shall never touch mine."
===PAUL:  i don't think so but i will surely forwarded it on to her.   for the record,  i don't drink and drive nor do i drink and kiss (very much:):):)===JACK:  I was born during the Prohibition era in the United States.  After its end, I recall an increase in "drinking" and drinking related problems.  I think that my non-use of alcoholic beverages is related to what I saw.===PAUL:  people so often go from feast to famine and then back again.   for some,   alcohol is a very real problem.   i worked for a year parttime in the Abbott Northwestern Hospital's  chemical dependency unit.  did so many 5th Steps i lost count.  but i sure learned a lot that year about human nature.

FROM BB IN CHGO:  I love Somerset Maugham.  As one well indoctrinated with religion, his writing speaks to me as both consolation and  reason to upend some of our dearly held traditions.  How do you spell, Cortez?  Seriously, we’ve followed her with interest and watched her interview on Trevor Noah’s Daily Show the other night.  He asked her about the label “Socialist” and suggested that millennials don’t know the baggage this word carries for older generations.  She does not care about the label as she does not think she can rid herself of it nor does she want to further confuse voters.  She just keeps talking about the issues and what is morally right and how “reprioritizing” how government money is spent is an option. Today I looked up her bio (below) and now understand more than before where she gets her verve and her commitment to those less fortunate.===JACK:  I wasn't able to stay up late enough to see the interview, but I know that she was a popular guest with the show's viewing audience.  It's time for politics to have some new faces.  "Socialism" and "Communism" have long been words used to discredit political opponents.  Opponents often use negative buzz words to distract voters from real issues.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Many of our churches are going downhill, because they didn't stay current and relevant...CHANGE??!! :-(  we are now left with the task of trying to rebuild and yes, CHANGE!  The Gospel doesn't change, but our culture does.===JACK:  Yes, the Gospel doesn't change, but its interpretation does.  When I was growing up, there was more of a literalistic view of the Bible as the word(s) of God.  That had changed by the time I got to seminary.  When the Revised Standard Version (RSV) came out in 1946, there were some churches that public burned copies of the book.  I even heard of a pastor who said: "If the King James Version of the Bible was good enough for St. Paul, it's good enough for me."  The need for re-interpretation is ongoing.===OAKS:  What a hoot! Did you manage not to laugh in his face as he said it??! :-)  Yes, interpretation NEEDS to meet the times we live in.  I like the NASB,  The Message and Cotton Patch versions; YOu name it they all have something to recommend them! The King James is so outdated...!===JACK:  My favorite NT translation is by J.B. Phillips, published in 1958.  It's not as well-known as some others, but, to me, it's the best!