Readiness and Preparedness



[Jesus said:] "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, 'Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise replied, 'No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I do not know you.' Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

Matthew 25:1-13

 

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Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins

SCHADOW, Friedrich Wilhelm von

1838-1842

Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie

Frankfurt am Main

Germany

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schadow,FW-Die_klugen_und_t%C3%B6richten_Jungfrauen-0.JPG

 

Details:

Schadow_Wilhelm_von-Parable_of_the_Wise_and_Foolish_Virgins_detail-1.jpg

Schadow, Wilhelm von - Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (detail) 144

http://www.terminartors.com/artworkprofile/Schadow_Wilhelm_von-Parable_of_the_Wise_and_Foolish_Virgins_detail

 

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detail Wise and Foolish Virgins

http://my-museum-of-art.blogspot.com/2010/03/wilhelm-von-schadow-parable-of-wise-and.html

 

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detail Wise and Foolish Virgins

 

"Jesus' conclusion to the parable [of the wise and foolish bridesmaids] emphasizes its lesson: constant alertness is necessary because it is impossible to pinpoint the time of the Lord's coming. The parable is a warning to the church, which consists of both wise and foolish disciples. Matthew's gospel highlights this parable because, for the church of Matthew, the return of Jesus has indeed been delayed. Jesus has not returned as swiftly as many in the early church anticipated. The church must learn to remain vigilant, anticipating the Lord's coming while its members perservere in faithful service and proclaim the kingdome to the nations."

http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-processquery.pl?code=ACT&SortOrder=Title&LectionaryLink=AProp27

 

 

 

 


Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility.

~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

 

 

 

 

By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.
~ Ben Franklin

 

 

 

 

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Reformation Sunday

Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan Sunday at Church of the Hills

 

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Rebecca, Eileen, Sharron, Carolyn

Our ‘Walkies Group’ celebrated Rebecca’s birthday at The Kitchen on Wednesday evening.

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Rebecca, Eileen

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Happy Birthday, Rebecca!

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Part of the view from Eileen’s sixth floor office windows on Thursday.

I didn’t get the entire panorama and I cut out the buildings below the trees.

(Better viewed in full screen.)

 

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Our speaker at Rotary this week was our District Governor, Jim Halderman,

guarded by our very own Secret Service Agents!

 

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Jim and his wife, Peggy, were inducted into the use

of Special Agent Protection Devices.

 

 

 

 

 

It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.

~ Howard Ruff

 

 

 

 

 

November 6, 2011      Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Previous OPQs may be found at:

       http://www.dotjack.com/opq.htm

 

 

 

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

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Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org

 

 

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http://www.cruzblanca.org/hermanoleon/sem/a/to/32_diez_virgenes/index.htm

 

 

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All Saints’ Sunday

 

 

Daylight Saving Time ends at 2AM Sunday, November 6, 2011.

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Astronomical Clock in Prague

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/11/111103-daylight-savings-2011-time-savings-when-does-fall-back-nation/

 

 

Prague Astronomical Clock – 600th Anniversary Show

An interesting video mapping show done for the 600th anniversary (October, 2010) of one of the greatest clocks on the planet.  It is ten minutes long.  If interested, CLICK HERE:

http://blog.longnow.org/2010/10/13/prague-astronomical-clock-600th-anniversary-show/

Jack and Dottie, did you just miss it when you were in Prague last year?

 

 

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25

Psalm 78:1-7

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Matthew 25:1-13