If you didn’t receive an invitation to the wedding we apologize. The St. Louis Postal System apparently lost about an hundred invitations that were neither delivered nor returned. We did not discover this until just before and just after the wedding. Any way, the pictures should let you share in the event as much as is now possible.

Thanks for viewing and celebrating with us!

August—History of the Month's Origin

July' is for Julius
The Roman Senate named the month of July after Julius Caesar to honor him for reforming their calendar, which had degenerated into a chaotic embarrassment. Bad calculations caused the months to drift wildly across the seasons—January, for example, had begun to fall in the autumn.

The high priest in charge of the calendar, the pontifex maximus, had become so corrupt that he sometimes lengthened the year to keep certain officials in office or abbreviated it to shorten an enemy's tenure.

Effective January 1, 45 B.C.

The new calendar went into effect on the first day of January 709 A.U.C. (ab urbe condita—"from the founding of the city [Rome]")—January 1, 45 B.C.—and put an end to the arbitrary and inaccurate nature of the early Roman system. The Julian calendar became the predominant calendar throughout Europe for the next 1600 years until Pope Gregory made further reforms in 1582.

Certain countries and institutions in fact adhered to this ancient system until well into the twentieth century: the Julian calendar was used in Russia until 1917 and in China until 1949, and to this day the Eastern Orthodox church adheres to Caesar's calendar.

The month Julius replaced Quintilis (quintus = five)—the fifth month in the early Roman calendar, which began with March before the Julian calendar instituted January as the start of the year. Unfortunately, Caesar himself was only able to enjoy one July during his life—the very first July, in 45 B.C. The following year he was murdered on the Ides of March.

Augustus for 'August'

After Julius's grandnephew Augustus defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra, and became emperor of Rome, the Roman Senate decided that he too should have a month named after him. The month Sextillus (sex = six) was chosen for Augustus, and the senate justified its actions in the following resolution:

Whereas the Emperor Augustus Caesar, in the month of Sextillis . . . thrice entered the city in triumph . . . and in the same month Egypt was brought under the authority of the Roman people, and in the same month an end was put to the civil wars; and whereas for these reasons the said month is, and has been, most fortunate to this empire, it is hereby decreed by the senate that the said month shall be called Augustus.

Not only did the Senate name a month after Augustus, but it decided that since Julius's month, July, had 31 days, Augustus's month should equal it: under the Julian calendar, the months alternated evenly between 30 and 31 days (with the exception of February), which made August 30 days long. So, instead of August having a mere 30 days, it was lengthened to 31, preventing anyone from claiming that Emperor Augustus was saddled with an inferior month.

To accommodate this change two other calendrical adjustments were necessary:
• The extra day needed to inflate the importance of August was taken from February, which originally had 29 days (30 in a leap year), and was now reduced to 28 days (29 in a leap year).
• Since the months evenly alternated between 30 and 31 days, adding the extra day to August meant that July, August, and September would all have 31 days. So to avoid three long months in a row, the lengths of the last four months were switched around, giving us 30 days in September, April, June, and November.

Among Roman rulers, only Julius and Augustus permanently had months named after them—though this wasn't for lack of trying on the part of later emperors. For a time, May was changed to Claudius and the infamous Nero instituted Neronius for April. But these changes were ephemeral, and only Julius and Augustus have had two-millenia-worth of staying power.

For further reading: Calendar: Humanity's Epic Struggle to Determine a True and Accurate Year, David Ewing Duncan (New York: Avon, 1998).

Information Please® Database, © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Living in community with others is part of the Kingdom of God. It is good Kingdom work but we need to remember that we all must depend upon the King to be our King, not other people. This is often hard to remember in this time of the already but not yet, where we know that things are not the way they are supposed to be. We know upon whom we are to depend but so often it is easy to look for that in, and try to be that for, those whom we love and those who are visibly before us. This is true in both marriage and in friendships, and our job is to point one another, and ourselves, to Jesus. He is the author and perfecter of our faith and the one who sustains us.

Community is glorious but we must guard ourselves from simply reducing it to something romantic. Yes, there is a romantic element to it, but it dictates very little. Community is about the commitment to stand by each other through all of life. It is messy, risks hope, forces humility, and invites and even requires vulnerability. Incarnational community requires sacrifice, grace, and patience towards each other as we strive to be faithful not only in times of pleasantness and comfort, but also in the midst of sin, selfishness, pain, sorrow, and misguided love. Being in community means that we make sacrifices for each other, allow others to make sacrifices for us, and show grace to one another when sacrifices cannot be made. It is to learn to enjoy, strengthen, and forgive one another. And all of this is to be done in love (for love covers over a multitude of sins) through both close and distant seasons of relationship. In short, it is to show and be Jesus to each other. It is not easy. It is hard, but hard does not equal bad, just as easy does not equal good. After all, what is worthwhile is most often difficult, either for you or for someone else.

Community within the Kingdom is to strive to stand by and encourage each other. A few weeks ago at church Michael defined “encouragement” as bringing courage to the place of a person’s fears. I like that. It is a good preliminary definition that cuts through the fluffy crap of intentions that are never realized or are only spoken to make us feel comfortable rather than to benefit the person suffering. When one member suffers, as in the case of the death of a loved one, we weep, laugh, cry, and pray with them. We are called to provide distraction when they need it, protect them as much as possible from well meant but misplaced comments (realizing that oftentimes we are the ones who make those comments). We are to receive with grace, patience and humility the times when we need to be a whipping post for their grief. Relationship requires giving them space to be themselves while encouraging them with our presence, action, truth, and words. These all must be done in love and usher one another toward the reality of our Good Father, the Risen Christ, and the comfort of the Spirit.

What does this look like as we try to live it out? It looks like baby sitting so a couple can have some alone time and take a walk or so a parent can simply take a nap and get away from the kids. It is providing a movie so a couple can have a date. It is playing washers out back wile drinking a beer with someone who is grieving. It is reading scripture and praying with the person, making them meals, helping them meet expenses, checking on them with a phone call or a visit. Caring for them well is remembering that the grief is often hardest the month after the funeral when others stop checking on them. It is sending them cards and letting them play with your children. It is sitting silently by them as they cry, pray, process, or say nothing at all. Caring for people is a ministry of presence and support. This is faith in action. It is good and right and is loving your neighbor as your self. And by doing so, we are loving him who has first loved us.

Wednesday and Thursday nights of last week, with the assistance of Sara via cell phone on Wednesday, I went on Midnight Photographic Expeditions of St. Louis. They really were quite wondrous events, filled with drunken college students, security guards, homeless people, folks making out in front of the courthouse, and police officers.

On both nights thoughts bombarded my brain. They were jumbled, distracting, and filled with the kind of questions that keep sleep at bay. I needed to be creative. I needed to let thoughts unravel, to voice complaint, to pray, cry, yell, laugh, argue, and to be reminded that my hope is not simply fantasy. My need to process was overwhelming. My need for beauty was desperate. And my need to create was all consuming.

On the first night I left the house at 11:30 PM and headed for the Amoco sign; just me, a Nalgene of southern ice tea, a loud radio, a camera, and my thoughts. I returned home at 3:30 AM. The next night I was out from 10:30 to 2:00. As I took picture after picture, I began to notice a theme. They were all centered around remembering. It made me happy to remember the place where I first hung out with three of the people with whom in some way I would like to spend the rest of my life and where we had helped celebrate an engagement. It made me happy to see the Art Museum where the lamp post that my mom swung on as child still stands, to see the Arch, Busch Stadium, two coffee shops where wonderful conversations have taken place, and so much more.

As I drove around, listening to mixed CDs from friends and taking photographs of significant places, I found that the murkiness began to fade. It did not nescerally become clear, but it rarely does for finite beings. I found calm as I remembered how relationships have been sustained in spite our sinful, wandering selves. I found that the One who has claimed me, the One for whom I was mourning, has not left us, even though it feels that way sometimes.

Many of the pictures turned out well from this intense, though good, time. I have posted some of them above, as well as some taken during the day between the excursions, which of course ended up centering around the same theme.

A number of these, especially the last ones, are the reasons I have been pushing it for the past few weeks and am paying for it now. It was great to be around people! I made some new friends and was able to spend time with old ones. I was able to engage in some great conversations, counsel and write, and was able to serve to the point of exhaustion, which is something I absolutely adore. In doing these things I think my motives were at least some what pure. I was taking advantage of opportunities given to me, I did not allow my self to be complacent with the Fibromyalgia, I showed love despite my own discomfort, I explored some business opportunities, and I celebrated life and Easter…

Somewhat pure does not mean fully pure though. I see where I have used and use these things to hide from the circumstances of life. It feels good to be wanted and needed, it feels good to go on a date and cook on the grill. It is fun to see friends being cared for and enjoying themselves… it feels good to be active again and pretend that the suffering is gone. But in this case that is what it is. It is pretending instead of facing. It is telling myself that I am worthy because I do these things, instead of trusting my Father when he tells me that he has made me worthy. By pretending I am given a few moments where I do not have to think about risking hope. It is a place where I can feel like I am contributing to the Gospel instead of recognizing my need for it.

Now, as I sit here on my back porch, I am confronted once again with the reality of life, suffering, joy, hope, and the cross. I find that I am longing to remember the Gospel and the hope it entails. Not just the hope of Heaven, but hope that is present now in this time, in this world, in this place, in this life. It is not a frilly hope that is contingent upon daffodils, pretty days, money to buy a house, or the ability to run around the playground. Rather, the Gospel tells of a hope that exists in spite of these things, and despite the presence of suffering, loneliness, poverty, brokenness, over cooked hamburgers, beer that is flat, loss, the need for new clients or a job, the wrongs done against us and the wrongs we have done, broken sandals, stepping in dog crap, a bad hair cut, and death itself.

This longing makes/forces me to look back towards Easter, Jesus’ love for his brothers and sisters, and my love for Jesus, even though at times I do not feel it. Easter was special this year not because of an emotionally romantic or physical high. Rather, I hurt, the nightmares and bad dreams had found their way even into my naps, and my simple exercises wreaked havoc on my body. Easter was good because of the hope it gives in the midst of crap. It started with the dread, tears, greed, betrayal, abuse, fear, pain, suffering, punishment, sacrifice, and loss of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, to the longing, bewilderment, and fear of Saturday, and cumulated in the joy, excitement, forgiveness, love, reunion, victory, defeat of death, crushing of the serpent, the serving of justice, the promise of not being left alone, and the promise of whole and authentic lives in the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. This is why we can risk hope and why our hope is not unreasonable. This is why I do not have to hide, even when I feel like it!

LJ

I hope you enjoy and please feel free to comment.

Mark 16
The Resurrection

(Mark does not preach, he tells about the facts, the people Jesus loves, and the people who love Jesus. Mark tells us of something that breaks into the horror and dread without the white wash of romance.)

1When the Sabbath was over (What kind of Sabbath was it for them? Grief? Despair? Anger?), Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. 2Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" (Early morning was the earliest they could work on Jesus’ body without breaking the Sabbath, but they had forgotten about the problem of rolling the big stone away from the tomb. Was this because they were in such a hurry to prepare the body and/or because they were in such grief and shock that they had not thought of the obvious problem?)

4But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. (There reaction would not have been a fluffy bumper sticker of “Wow! Look how God provides!” Rather, it would have been the feeling you get when come home after work to find your fount door standing wide open. It is a feeling of horror, dread, violation, fear, and anger that someone had broken in.) 5As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

6"Don't be alarmed," he said (Easy for him to say! They were terrified). "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter (Peter was probably in the most despair because of his denial.), 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee (Why Galilee instead of Jerusalem? Jerusalem was too hot and dangerous. Christ was leading them to a place beside still waters, a place where he could comfort his friends.). There you will see him, just as he told you.' "

8Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. (“He has risen!” are the key words of this passage. There is no category in the women’s understanding for this. They ran in terror trying to process and understand. They ran in fear of believing what they desperately hoped could be true. These women went from utter grief to unimaginable joy in a matter of seconds. Little human hearts were not made for this. This was truly something! Jesus’ resurrection in 29AD cut across all of humanity and not since Adam had anything changed reality so drastically! And nothing will again until some day, maybe somewhere around sunset, we suddenly realize that Jesus is beginning his return!)

This leaves us wanting and longing for understanding as to what this means for us and for the world. The application of the resurrection is easy to find, it is the rest of the New Testament. Here are seven principles that will help guide us in our understanding. They are:

1) In the resurrection Christ is vindicated. It is God’s seal of approval on his son’s work.
2) Those God loves have a true freedom from sin’s tyranny. We are under grace and sin has lost its dominion.
3) We now have a true righteousness before God. As Paul tells us, Christ was raised for our justification.
4) Christ is now qualified to be the judge on the last day. Make no mistake, he will not come humbly! (See Paul in Athens in Acts 17)
5) Certainty has been established that our brothers and sisters, whom we have buried, will rise again, that we will rise again, and we will all see each other again.
6) From earthworms to earthquakes, Christ’s resurrection is good news to the natural world.
7) The resurrection of Jesus assures us that our own weakness is not the last word.

There is life in God’s son! It is God’s world and the resurrection assures us that he will redeem all things. My brothers and sisters, we have good reason to hope!

Amen!

Host: Lloyd Jackson, Neil Das, Nathan Gemayel, and Jesse Heirendt
Location: Lloyd, Neil, Nathan, Jesse
715 A Interdrive Ave., St. Louis, MO View Map
When: Saturday, April 15, 4:00pm
Phone: Lloyd 314.479.0069, Neil 618.531.2420,

Come celebrate the Resurrection with us at the annual barbeque at 715 A Interdrive! Please feel free to drop in anytime after 4:00pm, though, if you want to come early to help, give us a call and we will gladly, gladly assign you a chore (we can use all the help we can get!).

Christians & Non-Christian are welcome to come experience the fellowship that the holiday allows us to have, as well as to taste some of the Sweet Mama Delicious Jackson Family Barbeque! Feel free to bring your friends. If you are not a Christian, yourself, please come. There won't be any sermons.

There will, however, be a collection :) If you are able, donations will be warmly accepted to help cover some of the cost of the massive carnivorousness on the menu!

Speaking of the menu, ribs and chicken and beef will be provided. Please bring side items, salads, or desserts. If you can specify what your are brining in your reply that would be fantastic (ie. "salad," "dessert," etc. etc.). Cokes (here I am using the Southern definition of cokes, which means sodas for you Midwesterners) will be provided and you are warmly welcomed to bring alcoholic libations of your own.

If you need directions please call the numbers above.

She leans back, head tilted slightly upward,
Dark, wet hair, draping, contrasting against white porcelain.

Her eyes are closed, peaceful.
Lips content with a smile so slight.

Left arm bent, resting over her chest,
The top fullness of breast exposed above water, foam, and skin.

Right arm lying still, peacefuly by her side,
Disappearing into water warm.

Angle: Above, behind, and slightly to the right.

White porcelain, white tile, white skin.

A Playmobil birthday party through a PDC lens.

I hope this Epiphany Sunday finds you doing well and able to rest. I Love Epiphany! Why? Good question. I think it is because I love birthdays (this does not mean that I am good at remembering people’s birthdays). :) I love them because of the celebration. It’s a purposeful opportunity to celebrate someone. To remember who they are, what your relationship is and what you want it to be, and that they are significant. Birthdays are an opportunity to remind a person, and your self, that you love, and most of the time like, each other. It is a time to party because you are glad they are here. That is why I like birthdays!

Epiphany is kind of a birthday party. It is the time when some kingly type men followed a star (for a heck of a long time) to a baby boy. The star had come about at the time when this boy was born and it signified that this was a very special birth and that he was a very special boy. The baby was, and still is, God himself who put on flesh for us. The boy’s name is Jesus.

The baby boy was not born in a fancy way in a fancy hospital. His parents were not fancy people either. They were a simple lower socio-economic family who were living in a barn while they visited a town. The whole ordeal of being birthed was probably not very pleasant for either the mom or the child. I see it being wet, cold, smelly, and messy. I say smelly and messy because of the whole birthing thing and because animals lived in their delivery room/nursery/living room/master suite/ dining room.

The baby cried like all babies, yes he is God but he is also a human and for all humans coming from the womb to the world is not a pleasant experience. He not only cried like us but he also suffered like we suffer. He laughs like we laugh, and he loves like we wish we could love. I am sure the parents were consumed with a mixture of wonder, dread and awe at he whole thing. I know I would probably… well there’s no probably about it… I would be freaking out!

Any way, kingly like men came to this barn by following a new star in order to find out what was going on and to worship and celebrate this boy. (This boy is no less than the genuine, authentic fulfillment of a promise that God himself would becoming human and fix his children and bring them home.) As a result they ended up having a birthday party. That’s pretty darn exciting if you ask me!

Yes I know that Christmas day is Christ’s birthday celebration in the Western Church. That is great. I love the time, so much so that I usually annoy most of my friends because I get so excited. But the time is so intense and I am so callous that I find it difficult to worship him in celebration. I get it in my mind but the reality of what I am celebrating has yet to pierce my heart. I long to feel and believe, not just believe. It is good and true that belief, love and commitment are not contingent upon feeling, but feeling it sure is nice.

Epiphany allows time to process and enjoy the season after the intensity of the Christmas moment. (Now you know why I leave my tree and decorations up after New Year’s Day.) I am more able to think, reflect, enjoy, and celebrate my friend and my God. It forces me to recon with the reality of him who actively loves me, even though I only sometimes love him. Even more than this is that it is he who first loved us, even though we did not love him. This gives time for conviction, grace, and gratitude instead of constant, and often sought after, opportunities for distraction and diversion. My heart becomes forced into momentary windows, some times long, sometimes short, of delicious moments. Moments where the reality of a baby boy’s birth moves from an isolated event in history to a more full understanding of reality and identity. Moments where I not only recognize and believe the wonder of it all, but I also feel it. This is why I love Epiphany!

Round 1: Stockings
I woke up this morning to the galloping of five-year-old feet as they carried my nephew into the living room where he exclaimed “WOW!!!!” At this point the whole house knew that Christmas was on! In my family stockings are the big thing. Literally they are the big thing because they are approximately 2 feet wide AND 3 feet tall and they are mostly filled with smart-alecky gifts that are used as aids in our lovingly making fun of each other. Like I said, stockings are the big thing in our family and to illustrate this there was once a girlfriend who hoped to join the family but she seriously suggested that instead of the stockings we just give money so that the person could get what ever they wanted... Her suggestion was patiently listened to and then she was calmly informed that any hope she had of joining the family was now nonexistent! …:)
Any way, we just finished the stockings (we take turns puling out and opening gifts so that every one can enjoy them) and will begin Round 2: Presents after lunch… In the Jackson house we make Christmas morning last all day! :)

Round 2: Presents after a side of lunch and naps
It is finished and it is good! We all survived the chaos of the unwrapping of the gifts and had a wonderful time. There was lots of underwear, sox, games, books, tools, & dishes to be had by all. It has been nice being together as we celebrate Christ’s birthday and enjoy Mom’s World Famous in the Jackson Family Christmas Bread… It’s now time for another nap!

Round 3: Coffee and Conversation
And so the talking begins. :) I hope your Christmas has been merry one & God bless! :)

This year, by necessity, was different though. This year, because of schedules with work, travel, buying houses, getting engaged, and being sick, we had to hunt for a time when we could all get together. It was a little hectic but glorious nonetheless. We met at my house at noon to cook and instead of an elaborate dinner we opted for an elaborate breakfast. The meal consisted of an egg casserole, bacon, sausage, bacon, potatoes, bacon, pancakes, bacon, mixed fruit, bacon, coffee, biscuits, bacon, cinnamon roles, and more bacon! Wow, talk about a feast! The pancakes even had each person's first initial baked into them.

The only people who were not able to join us were the ones who now live out of town. There absence was sad and we miss them terribly. They came up constantly in conversation though and we delighted in talking about their currant lives that now take place in far off cities and towns. Their moving does not mean that they are no longer part of community.

When the food was consumed we moved into the living room where we, napped, made fun of each other, and talked about everything from art to family Christmas traditions. The tree was lit and it made the room smell like pine while the fireplace candles added a slight hint of vanilla. It would have fit well as a Norman Rockwell painting.

Though folks had to leave after a couple of hours, it was still a wonderful time. I did miss being able to spend the day together and it was sad that it took so much effort for us all to get together but what was important was the time that we had. It is often hard not to focus so much on making an event special that we miss the significance of the event its self. Being able to be together is point, traditions simply accent the time, they do not make it. Any way, it was wonderful to celebrate Jesus’ birthday together and below are some pictures of the time.

Enjoy & Merry Christmas! :)

LJ