Heart thread - 07/15/2010 - UPDATED

A blessed St Swithun's Day to you all. How was the weather where you are?

I bid your fervent prayers for Fran. She has gone from utter misery through removal of the old gall bladder to.... ongoing misery.

Hospital hostage crisis day 9...
...
No liquids yet, no solids yet, no going home. Praying people unleash your prayers please.

O Father of mercies and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need: We humbly beseech thee to behold, visit, and relieve thy sick servant Fran for whom our prayers are desired. Look upon her with the eyes of thy mercy; comfort her with a sense of thy goodness; preserve her from the temptations of the enemy; and give her patience under her affliction. In thy good time, restore her to health, and enable her to lead the residue of her life in thy fear, and to thy glory; and grant that finally she may dwell with thee in life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
-BCP, 458

I ask your prayers for my sister Shirley who has an appointment on July 23 with the cardiologist.

UPDATE:
I ask your prayers for Doris Hagen, my "den mother" and best friend at St Cuthbert's, who is "at the acute care center here in San Leandro today. She seems to be doing fairly well but is tired and a bit confused."

I ask your prayers for the repose of the soul of Stanley Kooyumjian, the man who knew lamb better than anyone and who fed many with good food and gracious hospitality, part of my larger family and a true Fresno institution. For his wife Doris and their children and grandchildren. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

For the life of the Gulf of Mexico.

For deliverance from robber barons.

I give thanks for Argentina where gay couples may now marry.

That Jarrett and Rahm may turn and be of a better mind. (Cf. deliverance from robber barons, above. These two sleazebags are working with the robber barons to gut regulations of the financial industry.)

For the utter confounding of Timothy Geithner's plans to maintain Wall Street's status quo.

Huffington Post reports that on the very day the Senate passed Wall Street reform and created a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner is urging President Obama NOT to appoint the most credible person as its leader: Elizabeth Warren. [h/t to Forrest Brown at DK]

(Cf. deliverance from robber barons, above.)

I'm sorry folks but I'm ready for imprecatory psalms and being honest about my prayers. As I believe God is a God of justice I am not going to be all nicey nice. The heart threads try to take the high road but we have some crap going on down in the low roads and I believe God passionately cares about this kind of thing. So yes, I'm calling for some smiting.

When wilt Thou save the people?
O God of mercy, when?
Not kings and lords, but nations,
Not thrones and crowns, but men!
Flowers of Thy heart, O God, are they;
Let them not pass, like weeds, away;
Their heritage a sunless day:
O God, save the people!

Shall crime bring crime forever,
Strength aiding still the strong?
Is it Thy will, O Father,
That man shall toil for wrong?
“No,” say Thy mountains; “No,” Thy skies;
Man’s clouded sun shall brightly rise,
And songs ascend, instead of sighs:
O God, save the people!

When wilt Thou save the people?
O God of mercy, when?
The people, Lord, the people,
Not thrones and crowns, but men!
God save the people; Thine they are,
Thy children, as Thine angels fair:
From vice, oppression, and despair,
O God, save the people!

Words: Eb­en­e­zer El­li­ott, More Prose and Verse, 1850.

--the BB