Stuff Michael Meeks is doing
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This is my (in)activity log. You might like to visit
Collabora
Productivity a subsidiary of Collabora focusing on LibreOffice support and
services for whom I work.
Also if you have the time to read this sort of stuff you could enlighten
yourself by going to Unraveling Wittgenstein's net or if
you are feeling objectionable perhaps here.
Failing that, there are all manner of interesting things to read on
the LibreOffice Planet news
feed.
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- NCC + Mario, Nick & Genene + George around.
- Gordon
sermon Appointed for Eternal Life on
Acts 13:16-52.
- Einstein: Everything should be made as simple
as possible, but not simpler - a wise dictum for
scientific but also theological truth. Much about the
universe is perplexing / complex.
- Election: a paradoxical truth, one of the great mysteries
of Christian faith; When the gentiles heard this, they
were glad - and all who were appointed for eternal life
believed appointed => destined or ordained.
- Context: just sent out by the Holy Spirit to
Cyprus on their 1st missionary journey. Three strategies:
started at home, Cyprus: Barnabus' home, then on to
near Paul's home. Also, an urban mission. Hellenization
was a city-founding wave, cities: show-pieces of Greek culture,
the Church piggy-backs on this. Finally to the Jew first,
then to the Gentile.
- Despite the Jews being entrusted with the oracles
of God, the vast majority didn't accept Christ; this text
seems to answer the question: why ? : A spiritual blindness.
- God chose our fathers, he blessed them, he showed
them miracles of deliverance - then ? he endured their
conduct for 40 years in the desert
- vs. 19 Then God overthrew 7 nations in Canan, gave
them the promised land, again miraculously; then he gave
them judges, excellent leaders - vs 21, the people then
asked for a King - rejecting God as their king, ('Saul's
name renders: 'You asked for it'.)
- Then David as king, and Jesus as his greater Son,
- Israel's response ? even before him came John the Baptist -
warning that he was to come etc. They did not recognise
Jesus, yet in condemning him to death - they fulfilled the
prophecy read every Sabbath - Ironic. Israel only a parade
example though of the human condition.
- St Augustine - My sin was all the more
incurable because I did not see it; the self-serving
bias. Unless God un-stops this built-in blindness to
our sin, we cannot believe in our need for a saviour.
The paradox of election; man's responsibility;
Acts 6:37
Whoever comes to me, I will not drive away but
prefaced with All that the Father gives to me, will
come to me - a paradox.
- An analogy with Physics; wave/particle duality.
(pdf) John Archibald Wheeler - delayed choice experiment; when you
know which way the photon goes - there is no interference,
as if: an experiment later in time has affected the situation
beforehand. Several equally enigmatic explanations: Wheeler:
we choose what shall have happened after it has already
happened, it has not really happened, it is not a phenomenon
until it is an observed phenomenon; Nils Bohr: those
who are not shocked by Quantum mechanics - cannot possibly
have understood it Richard Feynmen - I think we can
safely say that no-one understands quantum mechanics.
Something entirely puzzling about this.
- Jefferson Davis says perhaps election could be
compared with this - Photon detector - like faith,
conversion, repentance the experiment that tells you on what
path you've been on all along. Suddenly this is all that is
relevant, a wonderful comfort; that your name was written
in the Lamb's book of life before the foundation of the
world
- As Calvin said I do not send men off to the secret
election of God, to await with gaping mouths salvation there.
I bid them make their way directly to Christ, in whom salvation
is offered us. Whoever does not walk in the plain path of faith
can make nothing of the election of God, but a labyrinth of
destruction
- When you come to Christ - it will have been the
case that you were chosen in him before the creation of
the world; in love he predestined us to be adopted as
his sons.... (Eph 1) a wonderful encouragement when we
look back on our lives.
- The God who acomplishes everything according to his
sovereign plan doesn't mess up. We can say with Joseph inspite
of the crazy twists and turns of his life, included a prison
sentance - God sent me ahead of you this was his plan,
for the saving of many lives.
- This is a comfort What is your only comfort in life
and death ? - the Heidelberg catechism: That I belong
body and soul in life and in death, not to myself but to my
faithful saviour Jesus Christ. Who at the cost of his own blood
has fully paid for my sins, and has completely freed me from
the dominion of the devil. That he protects me so well, that
without the will of my Father in heaven, not a hair can fall
from my head. Indeed that everything must fit his purpose for
my salvation, therefore by his Holy Spirit he also assures me
of eternal life, and he makes me wholeheartedly willing
and ready, from now on to live for him.
- More challenge.
My content in this blog and associated images / data under
images/ and data/ directories are (usually)
created by me and (unless obviously labelled otherwise) are licensed under
the public domain, and/or if that doesn't float your boat a CC0
license. I encourage linking back (of course) to help people decide for
themselves, in context, in the battle for ideas, and I love fixes /
improvements / corrections by private mail.
In case it's not painfully obvious: the reflections reflected here are my
own; mine, all mine ! and don't reflect the views of Collabora, SUSE,
Novell, The Document Foundation, Spaghetti Hurlers (International),
or anyone else.
It's also important to realise that I'm not in on the Swedish Conspiracy.
Occasionally people ask for formal photos for conferences
or fun.
Michael Meeks (michael.meeks@collabora.com)
