BUSH THE BIBLE EXPERT?

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

The Associated Press posted a story on America On Line yesterday afternoon entitled, “Bush Says He Doubts Bible Literally True”. After reading the article I did not know whether to laugh or to cry.

I’m a registered Republican. I voted for George W. Bush ONCE for President, in 2004. No, I didn’t vote for him in 2000. At that time, I thought the only reason he had gotten anywhere politically was because of who his father was. It seemed to me that if his name were Fred Jones or Bob Baril he’d probably have had no chance of ever being elected President of the United States OR of ever being elected Governor of Texas. 2000 was the only time I voted for a third party candidate for President, and that was Pat Buchanan on the Reform party ticket. President Bush surprised me in his first term. I thought he did a pretty good job and I voted for him in 2004. I have been very disappointed in President Bush’s performance in his second term and I don’t think he has done a very good job. I know that I am supposed to respect the President of the United States. I DO respect the Office of President. I think George W. Bush is a nice guy, but after reading the AP article, I’m just shaking my head about this man. Jimmy Carter, another born-again Christian taught many an Adult Sunday School class, but I don’t thing I can imagine President Bush even teaching an Adult Sunday School class!

check this out:


http://news.aol.com/article/bush-says-he-doubts-bible-literally-true/264531


I can’t understand how a man with a graduate degree from Yale could POSSIBLY allow himself to be backed into a corner like that and could possibly give such POOR answers! Cynthia McFadden of ABC ought to interview Charles Colson and ask him many of the same questions. I DOUBT she or any other reporter will do that because Colson would blow her away with his intellect and knowledge of the Bible, and she or any other secular cynical reporter would end up looking pretty foolish.

I’ll go on record saying this: While NO ONE knows for sure the age of the Universe or of Planet Earth, the Bible clearly teaches there was a literal Adam and a literal Eve that all human beings descend from. They sinned and they and their descendants became separated from God. Jesus Christ came as the Second Adam to redeem mankind.

Bush should have been smart enough to clearly and intelligently state that he is not a trained scientist nor a trained theologian but that he believes Jesus Christ came to redeem mankind. Some may read the AP article and argue, “Well he DID say that.” He sort of said it, but not very well. If he made a presentation (such as is reported in the AP story) for me, with a desire to become an Adult Sunday School teacher, I’d tell him he’s not ready for prime time (no pun intended)!

My son Jon had a different take on the Bush interview, saying the questions asked of Bush were completely irrelevant and that he should have refused to answer them for that reason. Jon has a good point.

Sorry if this offended some of you, but it bothers me when the secular press deliberately tries to make Christians look foolish and it bothers me even more when a Christian walks right into their trap.

FAMOUS PEOPLE I'D LIKE TO MEET

“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:” (I Corinthians 1:26)

Sometimes my mind takes me to strange and unusual places! As I was shaving and showering this morning, my mind began wandering all over the place and somehow I began thinking about famous people I’d like to meet. My thoughts ended up being so interesting (at least to ME!) that I decided to write a blog posting about it! If this ends up being very boring to you (like watching some family’s home movies from 1964) I hope you’ll forgive me; but to use the title of an ABBA song, I hope you’ll, “Take a Chance on Me” and read it anyway!

A few weeks ago I wrote that I’d like to meet John McCain and have lunch with him sometime. I really would. And, I’d like to meet Sarah Palin, too. I guess this may SEEM shallow of me, but I am one of those who does become drawn to certain celebrities. One of the greatest thrills of my life was to meet a local Boston area celebrity. That was David Brudnoy who did the evening talk show on WBZ 1030 A.M. for many years. I was privileged to be an in-studio guest of David Brudnoy’s in February of 1989. I was scheduled to be on for one hour, but things went so well that David invited me to spend another hour with him. At that time, David was doing a “Religions in America” series, and I got permission from my District Superintendent (like a Bishop) to go on and represent the Assemblies of God. During the top of the hour news break, David took me out in the hall and bought me a coke from the the vending machine. He was very friendly and personable, and after the second hour, he walked me to the front door of the building. It was at this time of year, early December in 2004, when David Brudnoy was dying of cancer at Mass. General Hospital. I went to the hospital at that time and tried to see him. I did meet David’s cousin in the lobby who assured me he could get me in to see David. But twenty minutes later, the security person in the lobby phoned up to his room and I was told I would not be allowed in. David Brudnoy died less than twenty-four hours later.

There’s another former WBZ broadcaster that I’d like to meet in person, and that’s Larry Glick. Mr. Glick hosted a captivating show that was a mixture of comedy and bizarre information, but once in awhile, he’d have a serious guest. My late Uncle was a personal friend of Larry Glick’s. I’ve spoken to Larry Glick on the phone two or three times, but I have never met him in person. He is now retired and living in south Florida.

There are several 90-year-olds I’d like to meet before they die. One is Andy Rooney. I know he’s a crusty old guy and I understand he’s an atheist, but he’s a great writer and has seen SO much of life from writing for “Stars and Stripes” in the army during World War 2 to being a reporter on virtually all of the big news stories of the past sixty years. Another is his former colleague Mike Wallace. My understanding is that Mike Wallace lives on Martha’s Vineyard, as does Walter Cronkite, and I wouldn’t mind meeting him, either. Another 90-year-old I would love to meet and spend a few hours with is Billy Graham. He lives in western North Carolina and I don’t think he is in the best of health, but in my very early days of being a born-again Christian when I was just a kid in the early 1970s, no one’s writings and teachings had more of an impact on me than Billy Graham’s did. I really wish I could speak to him in person and thank him.

I know this will get some laughs but I’d like to meet Oprah Winfrey. There’s a female minister named Ellen who used to pastor in Framingham. Ellen has a grown daughter who works for Oprah’s “Harpo Productions” fairly high up. I used to wish Ellen would get me some sort of “in” with Oprah, but I never asked her as it would have felt very foolish to do so.

This will sound even more foolish, but I enjoy watching the sitcom “The Office” and I’d love to meet the show’s cast sometime. I know television acting is mostly a “seedy” business full of shallow and superficial people who use the “F” word more often than most sailors do. I know I’d never want to be in that atmosphere all the time, but a fantasy of mine is to have a one time walk-on role on “The Office”. I know that just to walk in and say three or four lines would probably involve a few hours of shooting and I just think it would be a blast!

Many Patriots fans would like to meet Tom Brady, and that would be nice, but I’d rather meet Matt Cassel. He’s become an inspiration to me this year. I felt so bad for him when so many people predicted he’d do a terrible job as the Pats’ Quarterback while Brady is out for the season. No, Matt is not Tom Brady, and he readily admits it, but Matt Cassel has really “stepped up” and I think overall that he has done a great job.

I would like to meet Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. I know he’s a liberal’s liberal, and I disagree with him politically about 80% of the time, but I also think he’s a nice guy with a great personality, and if I got to meet him, maybe I could have just some teeny-tiny bit of influence and impact upon him.

I’ve exchanged e-mails with three current radio talk show hosts on WTKK and I’ve shaken hands with one (Michael Graham) at a couple of his personal appearances, but I’ve never met these people one-on-one in person, and I’d really enjoy that. I think the one I’d most like to meet is Michelle McPhee. I cannot give the details, but there is someone I know of who is a potentially dangerous person who was (unknown to Michelle) essentially beginning to stalk her. I e-mailed her and warned her about this. Since Michelle McPhee is a big advocate of police officers and firefighters, I mentioned a little about my father and his career in law enforcement. Michelle McPhee sent me back a very nice and appreciative e-mail, and wrote one of the most special lines anyone has ever written to me. She wrote, “You’re a hero, just like your Dad”. I got really choked up right there in front of the computer. No one had EVER called me a hero before, and certainly not a hero like my father. My father truly was a very macho hero type...the type that would have run into the World Trade Center to get people out. I really DON’T think I’m a hero like my father, but that was one of the most meaningful things anyone ever wrote to me.

I’d like to meet singer Vonda Shepard. She was the one who played the club singer on “Ally McBeal”. She has such a pleasant and yet soulful voice and sings with such heart. I have a number of her songs loaded on my iTunes on the computer. Yes, I’d truly ike to meet her. And although Avril Lavigne is my kids’ age, I’d like to meet her, too. Her songs appeal to teenagers and twenty-somethings, but I guess I’m just a big kid because I like a lot of her music.

I watch “Greater Boston” each weeknight that I’m HOME. It has been my privilege to exchange e-mails with Dan Kennedy who is on their Friday “Beat the Press” segment. I would really love to meet Emily Rooney, the main host of “Greater Boston”, who happens to be the daughter of Andy Rooney. I’d also LOVE to be a guest on “Greater Boston” but first I’d have to DO some great, famous thing, myself, and I haven’t managed to do any great, famous things yet!

At the beginning of this piece, I wrote about trying to get into David Brudnoy’s hospital room to see him. In closing, I want to tell about a visit to a sick patient in a nursing home about five years ago. That was Mr. Dean MacIntyre who was NOT a famous person, but who deserved to be. My wife knew Dean from the time she was a little girl, and later he was a Board Member at the old Christian Life Center church in Walpole where I was an Assistant Pastor in the 1980s. Dean was a WONDERFUL person, one of the finest people I’ve ever known. He was on his death bed at a nursing home in Medway. We had a wonderful visit. I’ve never said anything like this before, but as I was about to leave, I said to Dean, “Dean, you’re going to be in Heaven seeing the Lord very shortly. Will you tell Him I was asking for Him?!” With a chuckle and a smile, Dean told me, “I’ll do that!” Dean died just a few days later. This may sound foolish, but I honestly believe Dean DID do that for me! And it’s pretty cool!

When all is said and done, the one famous person you definitely want to be in a right relationship with is the Lord Jesus Christ!

CARS THAT MAY DISAPPEAR?

"A time to be born, and a time to die..." (from Ecclesiastes 3:2)

Check out the following article which states that several automobile makes are likely to soon disappear:

http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/automobile-brands-set-to-disappear-forever/?icid=100214839x1214309575x1200963130

The article notes that the Hummer is likely history for a number of obvious reasons (huge, fuel inefficient, ridiculously expensive). Also on the danger list is the Saturn, Dodge, Mercury, and even Volvo. For you Volvo lovers who are about to go into a panic, Volvo was purchased by Ford in the 1990s. Ford wants to get rid of it, but the make MAY be sold to another car manufacturer rather than being completely eliminated. The others, though, are likely "toast".

It's ironic that my friend D.C.M. today forwarded me an e-mail photolog (I may have made up that word) of a 1940 Dodge sedan which had been stored in a barn for over fifty years. It's got well under 50,000 miles on it and is in the condition of a typical four-year-old car. For the person who doesn't care about air conditioning or automatic transmission (or FM radio, for that matter) it would be a "cool" car. I'm sure it will sell for a fortune.

No, they don't make 'em like they used to, and that's why these makes are in danger. In fact, I'm sure you all know that virtually ALL traditional American makes are in danger at this point.

I owned a couple of Oldsmobiles. That's one make thats already gone. I think GM canned it after 2004, because Oldsmobiles were SO similar to Buicks. We also now own a Saturn. I'm actually NOT a big "General Motors" person, but Saturns are great cars. I guess GM doesn't sell enough of them, however. Mercury has always had the problem that it's just a Ford with another name. That's the same problem with Dodge. Dodge and Plymouth used to be IDENTICAL. They even EACH offered the compact "Neon" car. You could buy it as a Plymouth Neon or as a Dodge Neon. Dodge outsold Plymouth by something like three to one, so Chrysler dropped Plymouth after 2001, and now Dodge and Chrysler cars are so much alike that it looks like Dodge will go. Yes, we also own a Dodge- a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan.

I'm old enough to remember Studebakers, as well as Rambler and its successor, AMC. I owned an AMC Concord station wagon. I also remember Edsel. My Dad knew an Edsel dealer and my brother and I actually had toy Edsels (promotional toys for the dealers) in the late 1950s. Can you imagine what those toys would be worth today? I vaguely remember DeSotos. They were built by Chrysler and were often confused with Dodges.

Some serious automotive historians (and I admit I'm a semi-serious one) refer to such makes as "orphan makes". It looks like there will be some more orphan makes very soon!

Don't anybody worry about Toyota or Honda! They're not going away any time soon!

NOT YET

“This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.” (John 2:11)

I picked out that verse because it’s about a “beginning”...a FIRST.

I’m just wondering when we’ll receive our FIRST Christmas card this year. I know this is still pretty early, but one year we received out first Christmas card on November 30. Another year, we received our first card on December 1. Several years, the first card has come on December 2 or 3. It’s December 5, and so far, no cards.

I wrote a lengthy piece about Christmas cards on the blog a year or two ago. I’ve noticed that each year, the number of cards we receive decreases. I think one reason for that is that more and more people send e-cards. But I think another reason is that while Christmas cards were a BIG part of my parents’ generation, I think the custom of sending them is slowly dying out. I heard one clerk at a post office this week say that the post offices are NOT busy like they were in past Decembers, and so far I HAVEN’T seen any overwhelming lines at the post offices I’ve done business with.

At our house, Mary Ann does 99% of the Christmas shopping, 100% of the Christmas cooking, and 90% of the Christmas decorating. I am fortunate, because outside of the Advent and Christmas sermons I prepare, I have only two jobs to do for Christmas. One is to pick up the Christmas tree. We always get a real tree, usually from Higgins’ Christmas trees on Route 126 in Ashland. (I haven’t done that yet, but it will probably happen within the next week.) The other is that I take care of writing out and mailing the Christmas cards, AND I hang up all the cards that come and check them off on a list I have. Over the past 24 hours, I wrote out all of our Christmas cards. I now cheat, because I use all computerized address labels, but I do SIGN each card. I’ve only mailed one card so far because it’s going out of state and because it’s for a disabled person. A friend of theirs is trying to get that person to receive a record number of cards this year, so I was glad to help out in sending one.

I was just thinking about it and I thought I would write about it. I wonder with the economy and all how that will affect Christmas cards this year. My guess is the number we receive will be down again.

And, for those who think I’m a total Ebineezer Scrooge or Grinch (I kind of have that reputation, and I ACTUALLY HAVE A STUFFED GREEN GRINCH!) there ARE some parts of the season I DO like, and one of ‘em is the Christmas cards!

HISTORICAL RELIGIOUS FIGURE

The following statements are about a historical religious figure:

DO YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE ABOUT?

1. Initially I flatly refused to help a foreign woman (who had a demon possessed daughter) because she was a foreigner.

2. My friends and family publicly stated that I was out of my mind.

3. As a middle school aged kid I wandered away from my parents while on a long trip and was rebuked by them for doing so.

4. I once physically drove some people from a house of worship, knocking over some tables in the process.

5. In public, I referred to my mother as “woman”.

6. Although I was originally a blue collar worker, my itinerant ministry was supported by the financial gifts of wealthy women.

7. I waited until roughly age 30 to be baptized.

8. In a story that I told to help illustrate spiritual truth, I spoke positively about the shrewd actions of a white collar criminal.

9. After making seemingly cannibalistic statements, multitudes of people wanted nothing to do with me.

10. I attended parties and drank wine.

DO YOU KNOW WHO THESE STATEMENTS ARE ABOUT?

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE A MAN YOU’D WANT TO HIRE TO BE PASTOR OF YOUR CHURCH OR A MAN YOU’D WANT TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH?

The answer is that these statements are all about JESUS CHRIST!

1. Initially I flatly refused to help a foreign woman (who had a demon possessed daughter) because she was a foreigner.[see MARK 7:24-30]

2. My friends and family publicly stated that I was out of my mind. [see MARK 3:21]

3. As a middle school aged kid I wandered away from my parents while on a long trip and was rebuked by them for doing so. [see LUKE 2:41-50]

4. I once physically drove some people from a house of worship, knocking over some tables in the process.[see JOHN 2:13-17]

5. In public, I referred to my mother as “woman”.[see JOHN 2:1-4]

6. Although I was originally a blue collar worker, my itinerant ministry was supported by the financial gifts of wealthy women. [see LUKE 8:3]

7. I waited until roughly age 30 to be baptized. [see LUKE 3:21-23]

8. In a story that I told to help illustrate spiritual truth, I spoke positively about the shrewd actions of a white collar criminal. [see LUKE 16:1-12]

9. After making seemingly cannibalistic statements, multitudes of people wanted nothing to do with me. [see JOHN 6:47-69]

10. I attended parties and drank wine. [see MATTHEW 9:9-12; and LUKE 7:33-35]

If you’d like to find out where you can learn more about the Jesus of the Bible, please contact me at
revrbaril@aol.com

TYING A RECORD!

“...a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted...” (from Ecclesiastes 3:2)

Today I tied a record! The LATEST in the season that I’ve ever mowed my lawn is December 2, 2001. That day was very warm. In fact the high temperature in the Boston area on December 2, 2001 was 72 degrees. I never thought I’d cut the lawn THAT late in the season again. Today, December 2, 2008, I did! No, it was not 72 degrees outside. In fact, it was probably more like 47 degrees, but it WAS “partly sunny”.

For anyone living in San Deigo, California, or Miami, Florida or someplace like that, I know that cutting your lawn on December 2 is no big deal. But in suburban Boston, Massachusetts it is a VERY big deal! We’ve had no accumulating snow yet here in Framingham. Usually the first flurries fall around November 7 and the first accumulating snow can be anywhere from November 14 to November 30. My final mow of the lawn for the season is usually around November 11 or 12. I last cut the lawn right around October 31. Of course, I’ve filled 30 big green trash bags with leaves since that time. (I take them over and dump them in a brushy, woodsy area of the periphery of the church property.)

I don’t think my first mowing of the lawn for the season has ever been before March 17, and usually it’s more like April 2, so it will probably be awhile before I cut the grass again. Even so, cutting a lawn beat shoveling snow any day!

HIS 86th BIRTHDAY

“And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” (Malachi 4:6)

In most Protestant Bibles, that’s the last verse of the Old Testament. It’s appropriate to use for this posting because today is his 86th birthday. “His” is Eugene Armand Baril - my father.

I’ve written about my father quite a number of times on this blog. My relationship with him was very complicated. I did not have a close relationship with him. He was an extreme perfectionist, and one of the problems of perfectionism (which I also suffer with) is that nothing and no one EVER measures up. So, I felt like I could never measure up to him. My late brother Eddie also had the same problem, and it was a big part of why Eddie abused alcohol. I don’t want to make my father sound awful. He WASN’T awful. This will sound self-depricating, but (on some level) maybe he DID deserve better kids.

I’ve often said that my father was retired after a “distinguished” career with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. That’s no exaggeration. He was distinguished in many fields. Dad not only had a pilot’s license, and not only was certified to fly quite a few different types of aircraft, but he was a highly respected flight instructor. He reached the level of Major in the Civil Air Patrol and taught many young people to fly. Although he was not a particularly large man physically, he was quite athletic and played several sports in high school. He was particularly accomplished as a baseball player. My father was a very good mechanic. In fact, he graduated from both Mechanic Arts High School in Boston (later known as “Boston Tech.”) and Boston Trade School as an aircraft mechanic.
Dad enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942 and served until 1945. Contrary to what some people believe about soldiers and sailors in World War 2, not ALL of them were sent overseas, and he spent the entire war on various bases around the U.S. (mostly in the South).

It was quite by accident that my father became a Boston Police officer. He had been working for the City of Boston as a surveyor, when a friend who desperately wanted to get on the force asked my father to study and train with him. My father later recognized the irony that his friend did NOT make it onto the police force, but he did! He spent 5 years as a Boston cop, mostly in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood. During those years, he was active on his precinct’s softball team.

In 1955, Dad took the Registry of Motor Vehicles exam and was appointed as a “Registry Inspector” in 1956. As a mechanic friend has told me, “In those days, Registry Inspectors were looked at with fear and respect, even more so than state troopers”. My father was a PERFECT driver. When I was a kid, each night he’d park a Volkswagen Beetle AND a compact American sedan in the same one car garage with only about a half inch to spare between them. You have to be INCREDIBLY SKILLED to do that!

Dad was very strict and very authoritarian. But I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about him. He had a fabulous sense of humor and was quite the prankster and practical joker. He also was an incredibly good storyteller, and was a sought after public speaker. Dad was not a clergyman, but he was actually asked to conduct two funeral services, and he DID, and did a good job each time!

Many of you know, Eugene A. Baril’s final days were very sad. It was devastating to watch him failing mentally in the 1990s. One night he came home hysterically telling my sister he did not know how to turn the car off or how to turn the wipers off. My mom would fight back the tears when they’d go to a self-service gas station and he’d be unable to work the gas pump. In 1996 we took his license away from him. Dad entered the Alzheimer’s unit of a nursing home in October of 1999 and died in June of 2000. He really should have been in that nursing home at least a year earlier. It was on that Alzheimer’s unit, with him on the level of a one-year-old kid that my father prayed with me to receive Jesus Christ as his own personal Savior and Lord.

Today is his 86th birthday. I’m kind of tearing up as I write. As I get older, I understand my father a LOT better than I did when I was a kid. Over the past few months I’ve gone through quite a bit of emotional stress in my life. I’ve wished SO MUCH that I could go and speak to my father and get his advice. No, NOT the senile guy in the nursing home, but the healthy, vibrant Eugene A. Baril as he was around thirty years ago. Yes, today is his 86th birthday, and I miss my father...