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<DIV><FONT size=4>The text, by Paul Dean, teases with tales of extravagance in
respect to "Her Majesty's Car." We learn that the machine cost more than the
autos of even many Hollywood stars: $15 million will buy you a Bentley Arnage R
like hers. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>What quickened my Advent sensibilities was this twist: the two
rear seats, where the passengers ride behind the front-seated chauffeur, are
"individually adjustable for height. It is unlikely that Shaquille O'Neal will
ever ride with the queen, but if he did, he and she would appear to be the same
height. It's a royal thing that has to do with the presumption of
authority."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>...as you look at the two heads silhouetted against the back
window. Wave and cheer this sign of equality, fraternity, democracy and Advent
spirit.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_25_119/ai_95599136/"><FONT
size=4>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_25_119/ai_95599136/</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Martin E. Marty, 2002</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Our own clever deities peer down on us from their benches and
professorial chairs and stock exchange seats. A thumb turns, a head nods, an
eyebrow rises, and you too are history: your livelihood, your loved ones, your
reputation, your life swept away in a second. That’s the way it was -- and is.
The gods decree, and you are gone. So, like us, John and his cousin, Jesus, died
subject to the de facto deities whose word was -- and is -- the
law.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A href="http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=676"><FONT
size=4>http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=676</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>James F. Kay, 1997</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>The first reference, the fifteenth year of the reign of
Tiberias Caesar (beginning August or September AD 26 or 27), tells us when the
story began. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Preoccupation with cybernetics and technologies tend to
enervate one’s capacity to experience an epiphany. We often fail to make
"intellectual space" for God in our reflections about our social and personal
lives, and we tend to dwarf our assumptions about the perceptive capacities and
destinies of humans. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=402&C=133"><FONT
size=4>http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=402&C=133</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Henry A. Gustafson, 1998</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Part of entering into the wilderness mindset is giving up the
need to be able to explain what is going on. If we are opening ourselves to God,
we are going into a place where things are beyond our control and beyond our
comprehension. This is actually implicit in the word "repentance" ; this thing
that John calls us to. The original Greek word that Luke uses is "metanoia" .
Meta means to change or go beyond, and noia comes from nous, from which we get
nouse, and means the mind or the intellect. We have somehow come to think of
repentance as meaning little more than saying sorry, but that's at best only a
tiny fraction of its meaning. Even the idea that it means "to change your mind"
is not enough, because we think of that as just meaning change your opinion,
when it means it more in the sense that you might talk about changing the engine
in your car. To repent, to change your mind, is to get a new mind. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A href="http://www.laughingbird.net/ComingWeeks.html"><FONT
size=4>http://www.laughingbird.net/ComingWeeks.html</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Nathan Nettleton, 2006<BR>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>I was reminded of the Wilderness as I was
driving<BR>back across the desert from a hospital call in Las<BR>Vegas to
Bullhead, about 110 miles SE on the<BR>Colorado River. It was after dark and
once I got<BR>past the "day glow" of the city and the<BR>suburbs there was utter
darkness--no farm lights,<BR>no ranches--nothing until I reached the town
of<BR>Searchlight about 45 miles south, and then more<BR>utter darkness until I
got to the turnoff for<BR>Laughlin and the Colorado River. I have
thought<BR>about how dangerous it would be to get stranded<BR>out there in the
empty country with literally<BR>nothing for miles and miles. It reminds me of
the<BR>Wilderness when I hiked down to the Jordan River<BR>through the Wadi Qelt
between Jerusalem and<BR>Jericho and it's just as empty once you get past<BR>St.
George's Monastery and the Bedouins with their<BR>Tents and the sheep and goats
on the upper parts. <BR>Then suddenly there is nothing for miles and
miles<BR>until suddenly you're on the outskirts of Jericho<BR>and the Jordan.
The terrain dropping down to the<BR>Colorado River is very similar.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=4> </DIV></FONT>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.desperatepreacher.com/bodyii.htm">http://www.desperatepreacher.com/bodyii.htm</A> -
Page 3</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=4>Bob Jones, <FONT class=smaller><FONT
size=3>2009</FONT><BR></FONT></FONT><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
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