The Practical Parson

 As some of you may know, back in December, just a few days before Christmas; I had to go to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy.  While appendectomies are a fairly routine surgery in this day and age; the expenses associated with hospital stays are certainly a factor of their own.  Due to a number of health issues, I have not been able to work a secular job since 2012; and as a result of many circumstances, do not presently have health insurance.   I do not address this to elicit sympathy from any of you, but to describe my experience with the aftermath of all of this.  With what little resources I have available to me, I am working to pay off the medical bills which are ever present; however I thought that I would ask for just a small amount of help from friends and family in the form of a "Gofundme" page.  The amount a small portion of the bills in total; but a chance for those who wish to, to help if they want.  I expect nothing of any ...

 Last week the world saw the presidents of the United States and Ukraine clash in the Oval Office of the White House over a proposed deal to continue providing material and financial support for Ukraine in the wake of their ongoing war.  While President Zelensky of Ukraine had promised he would sign the agreement at that meeting, after having promised to do so twice before and reneging on his word; he got the opportunity to leave the scene without signing the agreement, once again.  This clash gave him a boost on the European front, with allies clamoring to give them additional funding for war; despite his protestations about pursuing peace.  While I am not one who will consider it good form to openly antagonize or berate allies; it is true that both sides equally traded jabs during the Oval Office meeting, with President Zelensky hoping that the media's presence would force President Trump into agreeing to additional concessions and assistance that were not agreed u...

 This past week, the state of Georgia was gripped with what is always a horrific tragedy whenever it occurs: a school shooting.  While we pray for the recovery of those injured, the repose of the souls of the victims killed, and justice on those responsible for this crime; it is worthwhile to remember that crimes such as these are never an appropriate time nor place for political propaganda-ing.  In the wake of any school shooting, there always seems to be the eternal argument between the Left and the Right; one side arguing for increased gun control, the other opposing it as unconstitutional.  Perhaps ironically enough, both sides are correct and incorrect in equal measures.   While it is true that our founding fathers gave us the 2nd amendment in order that we might be able to defend ourselves against enemies, both domestic and foreign; it is untrue that they would have likely intended people to carry large rifles into public eateries and grocery stores o...

 Yesterday evening a group of self congratulatory, wealthy people gathered in California to give each other awards.   They call it the "Academy Awards", however that title is as offensive to Academia as it is unrepresentative of the term in general.  Perhaps one of the more shocking things to come out of the Oscars this year was the number of 'celebrities' donning red pins in order to (allegedly) support demands for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.  Much like everything celebrities do, however; they are blissfully ignorant of the origin of their rallying cry for purported social justice.   As a symbol of "palestinian" solidarity, the raised bloody hand dates back to the year 2000; when a mob of Palestinians broke into a jail in Ramallah on the West Bank, and proceeded to beat, kick, stomp, stab, etc. 2 Jewish men to death.   These 2 men had accidentally taken a wrong term while driving that afternoon, and had ended up in Ramallah by accident....

 We hear it all too often in the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict: "Hospitals must be protected!"  "An assault on a hospital is a war crime!!"  One would ordinarily agree with that assessment; though such demands are only made against Israel for military strikes near hospitals in Gaza.  I would like to draw your attention to the destruction wrought at a hospital during this conflict-  Examine these pictures well.  Take a moment to reflect on the destruction and devastation that has been inflicted on this hospital; and then ask yourself:  Who on earth would dare do such a thing to a hospital?  That's a war crime! No, these photos are NOT from Gaza.  They are, in point of fact; pictures from the Barzilai Medical Center (hospital) in Ashkelon, Israel.  This hospital was struck by multiple rockets from Hamas in Gaza from October 7th to the 11th; far removed from the situation in Gaza.  Yet has the World community come together to condemn H...

 Imagine being a society who elects a terrorist organization to run your society for you.    Hamas was elected to run Gaza since 2007, and has done absolutely nothing for the people of Gaza in that time.  They have systematically stolen imports of concrete and building supplies intended for housing; to build their precious tunnels underground so they can launch secret attacks on Israel.   They have confiscated pipes and drainage materials needed for water infrastructure projects to use as improvised rockets and explosives against Israel.  They have made the people of Gaza dependent on water, electrical, and material goods imported from Israel.  Fast-forward to this year, and Hamas launches a war against Israel.  Israel responds and shuts down supply chains from Israel to Gaza.  Hamas insists that Israel is trying to cause a humanitarian catastrophe because Israel won't continue importing water, electricity, and other goods into a communi...

 This morning I woke and read of a sudden, violent assault in the land of Israel; coming out of the eternally problematic Gaza strip.  Of course the media is currently obsessing over what Israel did to supposedly prompt Hamas to attack; an outlandish and bizarre philosophy that leftist politicians and reporters have enforced for many years.  Essentially they would like us to believe that Hamas (a globally recognized terrorist organization) would NEVER attack anyone unprovoked; and then spend an inordinate amount of time attempting to come up with explanations when Hamas orders unprovoked attacks on Israel.  This latest unprovoked onslaught comes at the conclusion of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot; proving that the terrorists had planned to attack people of the Jewish faith, making this not only a terrorist attack against Israeli citizens- but an assault on people of the Jewish faith.   Thousands of rockets, missiles, and dozens of heavily armed terrorist mili...

Having an emotional connection with one's faith is a wonderful thing, but also one that can be deceptive and dangerous. Many people base their entire faith practice on the emotional feedback they obtain from worship or services, and lose hope when they start to lose their emotional "high" from such. Faith is more than a fevered emotional high experienced during church service with beautiful music and moving scenes; it is a day to day battle against the terror and difficulty of this world, towards a world of peace and hope. Faith is not an emotion to be enjoyed, it is as a child; that one straps to one's back at the start of their journey. Either the child grows and eventually takes you by the hand and helps you onward; or you throw it to the side the moment it begins to cause you discomfort. Faith requires dedication, even when we cannot understand. It requires us to press ever forward; knowing that where we are headed is a brighter day, a brighter hope than w...

 December 28th and 29th are among the important feast days in the Christmas Season, as they are respectively the feast of the Holy Innocents and St. Thomas Becket (of Canterbury).  The feast of Holy Innocents commemorates the children of Bethlehem who were murdered on the order of king Herod; who was trying to kill the Christ Child in the mix.   The feast of Thomas Becket commemorates the great Archbishop of Canterbury who stood up to a corrupt king of England who demanded ever-increasing power and authority over aspects of human existence he had no right to, namely religion.   Ah, how quickly mankind progresses in its eternal march towards its ultimate demise!  Today our clergy and civic leaders demand that mothers be allowed to murder their own children in the womb because of "women's right to choose".  Even more clergy willingly and whole-heartedly cast aside their sacred duties in favor of legalistic mumbo-jumbo about "protections" under the l...