Let us pray:

As the heavens declare thy glory, O One In Charge, and the firmware showeth thy handiwork, we bless thy Name for the gifts of knowledge and insight thou didst bestow upon Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler; and we pray that thou wouldst continue to advance our understanding of thy cosmos and cyberspace, for our good and for thy glory.  Amen.

Luke was a physician, but he did a lot of writing, too. He still does a lot of writing and holds workshops on technical writing and documentation. We gave him an iPad for his feast day. He was thrilled. He said recording his roadtrip with Paulie and writing the Gospel would have been a lot easier to write with the iPad.

And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” (Luke 5:20)

Sistertech is so glad Luke recorded this. End users do tend to drive support staff a bit crazy sometimes. But it’s hard to stay mad at them when they have so much faith in one’s technical ability to absolve their sins, er…, resolve their issues. Especially the ones of their own making.

O One In Charge, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to set forth in the Gospel your love and healing power: Graciously continue in your IT servants this love and power to heal.
Amen.

What I like about Bernie is his intense devotion to The One In Charge. Sistertech thinks this comes through smashingly in the lyrics Bernie wrote.

Jesus, the very thought of thee
with sweetness fills the breast;
but sweeter far thy face to see,
and in thy presence rest.

No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
nor can the memory find,
a sweeter sound than Jesus’ Name,
the Savior of mankind.

O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
to those who fall, how kind thou art:
how good to those who seek!

But what to those who find? Ah, this
nor tongue nor pen can show;
the love of Jesus, what it is,
none but who love him know.

Jesus, our only joy be thou,
as thou our prize wilt be;
in thee be all our glory now,
and through eternity.

The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.

Now, Samuel is not high on the list of Sistertech’s “go to philosophers”. But one has to admire his spunk, at least on the polemical side. He never has struck me, however, as a “stand up guy”.  I mean, really. The guy is deathly afraid of small pox. Flees his post. Surprise. His wife…, well you read it and then tell me:

He remained in Stratford until 1754, when the vestrymen of the Anglican Trinity Church in New York City considered him the logical choice to serve as after the first president of King’s College. Though reluctant to leave his family in Connecticut, Johnson ultimately took up the post, assisting in behind-the-scenes maneuverings to ensure the college would be explicitly Anglican, rather than nonsectarian. In the early years of the institution, Johnson was the sole instructor, primarily teaching classics and philosophy. Owing to his fear of smallpox, Johnson was frequently absent from the city, and increasingly shared his teaching responsibilities. When his wife died of smallpox, Johnson began to seek a means to leave his post. In 1763 he returned to his ministry at Stratford, where he died.

But let us not cast the first stone, shall we? Let us remember that Samuel, as with at least some philosopher are part of that peculiar breed of thinker. I suppose Peter might have had them in mind when he wrote the following:

But you are a chosen race, a royal philosophy club, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of The One In Charge who called you out of darkness into the marvelous light.

[1] I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

[2] My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
let the humble hear and be glad.

[3] Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt his name together!

[4] I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.

[5] Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.

[6] This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.

[7] The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.

[8] Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

[9] Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!

[10] The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

[11] Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

[12] What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good?

[13] Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.

[14] Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

[15] The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.

[16] The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

[17] When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.

[18] The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.

[19] Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

[20] He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.

[21] Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

[22] The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868-1963) led an incredible life and Sistertech is proud to remember him today. Du Bois (he pronounced it “due boys”, not the fussy “due bwah”) was a towering intellect and tremendous champion for the dignity of African Americans and of all peoples.

Dr. David Levering Lewis, in his book, W. E. B. Du Bois, 1919-1963: The Fight for Equality and the American Century sums up the scope of Du Bois’ work this way:

In the course of his long, turbulent career, W. E. B. Du Bois attempted virtually every possible solution to the problem of twentieth-century racism— scholarship, propaganda, integration, national self-determination, human rights, cultural and economic separatism, politics, international communism, expatriation, third world solidarity.

That’s all well and good, but if you really want to know why Sistertech so admired Du Bois you need look no further than his Prayers for Dark People. I have asked the SWAT team to study it as they compose prayers. One of my favorite Du Bois prayers is this one:

Teach us, O God, that NOW is the accepted time–not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best studying can be done and not some future day or future year. It is today that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tomorrow. Today is the seed time, now are the hours of work and tomorrow comes the harvest and the play-time. May we learn in youth, when the evil days come not, that the man who plays and then works, rests and then studies, fails and then rushes, is not simply reversing nature, he is missing opportunities and losing the training and preparation which makes work and study and endeavor the touchstone of success.  Isaiah 49:8-11

How fitting is Psalm 113:1-7 for remembering W. E. B. today!

Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.

² Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time on and for evermore.
³ From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
⁴ The Lord is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens.

⁵ Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
⁶ who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
⁷ He raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,

Today Sistertech remembers a first. Samuel Ferguson (1842-1916) was the first African American to be consecrated a bishop in the Episcopal church. He served in Liberia. Sistertech knows from personal experience the extra effort is takes to be a first. Besides her own responsibilities, many of Sistertech’s friends over the centuries have been firsts of their own.

But more than his being a first, I am especially pleased to report that Bishop Ferguson founded many schools in Liberia. One of which is now Cuttington University. Sistertech has a soft spot for schools. The Psalm appointed for today is one that many of you no doubt learned as children.

Psalm 119:9-16

Wherewithal shall young people cleanse their ways?
by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
With my whole heart have I sought thee:
O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.
With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.
I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Bach has never been better. The Handel and Purcell sets were splendid, too. JB (yes, he allows Sistertech to call him that) is one of Sistertech’s favorite composers. She cannot tell you how many times she’s listened to the “Coffee Cantata”. Sistertech suggests that her clients play the CD for some stress relief. It does the job. Soothing and energizing at the same time.

Whoever selected Psalm 150 for the trio of tunesters got it perfectly:

Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!

Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!

Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!

Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD!

There’s always a large group around three of them. Amelia, I’m afraid, has not lost one bit of her entrepreneurial drive and that’s become a problem. Most of us angels are terribly busy (you think?), and the interminable sales pitches tend to tire one. She texts me constantly about her new design: Angel Bloomers. For some reason she thinks that the garment would be perfect for Sistertech.

She thinks her Angel Bloomers would allow Sistertech to crawl under office desks rounding up stray cords, for instance, in comfort and grace. It sounds good on paper, but our standard issue uniform is more than sufficient for the task. Any task. And besides, “Celestial Cerise” is not one of Sistertech’s favorite colors.

Psalm 146, appointed for remembering the Fantastic Four, reflects their indomitable spirit and “can do” attitudes.

Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

I find the next verses particularly applicable. The changes they sought on a range of social justice issues necessarily involved going through, around, and over the princes on earth.

Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.

Blessed are they whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in The One In Charge.

Indeed. And to close as I began: “You go girls!”

Psalm 94:16-23

[16] Who rises up for me against the wicked?
Who stands up for me against evildoers?

[17] If the LORD had not been my help,
my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.

[18] When I thought, “My foot slips,”
your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.

[19] When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul.

[20] Can wicked rulers be allied with you,
those who frame injustice by statute?

[21] They band together against the life of the righteous
and condemn the innocent to death.

[22] But the LORD has become my stronghold,
and my God the rock of my refuge.

[23] He will bring back on them their iniquity
and wipe them out for their wickedness;
the LORD our God will wipe them out.