The Letter of James read by Susan Ford Bales:

[partylessinOhio]

Epistle James 1:19-25
read by Mrs.Susan Ford Bales

A Reading from the Letter of James.

You must understand this, my beloved:
let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;
for your anger does not produce God ’s righteousness.
Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of
wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word
that has the power to save your souls.
But be doers of the word,
and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
For if any are hearers of the word and not doers,
they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror;
for they look at themselves and, on going away,
immediately forget what they were like.
But those who look into the perfect law,
the law of liberty, and persevere,
being not hearers who forget but doers who act —
they will be blessed in their doing.

(Was this reading directed at *?)
---------

The cathedral has posted a copy of the "service leaflet," including the readings and hymns, for those who want to follow along at: http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral/pdfs/FordFuneral.pdf

[illinoisprogressive]

1. thanks for this and

I wonder if she was also trying to send a message

[ChiciB1]

2. If She Was, I'm SURE HE Wasn't Listening!! n/t

[brook]

3. It wouldn't surprise me a bit.

Her anguish through all this pomp and circumstance has been palpable - and she is her Mother's (and Father's)daughter. And I think she acquited herself well this week.

I have no doubt the Ford family is as horrified as all of us are at the poseur 'who would be king' and what he has wrought here and abroad.

[classof56]

4. "Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only" was one of the

first verses I learned in my Baptist Sunday School as a child. I like this passage, but I am guessing it is totally unfamiliar to *, who seems to have no working knowledge of scripture and its application to his life as the "Christian" he claims to be.

* keeps dragging us further and further into the mire. Whatever I thought of Gerald Ford, and there's no need to go into that here, his daughter chose a wonderful passage of scripture to read at her father's service. I sense that her father had some say in choosing that passage.

May he rest in peace.

Class

[madrchsod]

5. i have no doubt she was

i always thought the ford children were pretty down to earth kids who struggled with their mom`s addiction and their fathers job. i can`t remember any big scandals other than the smoking pot in the whitehouse, which of course, i found cool....

[GenDem]

6. Pretty interesting passage --

when she had the entire bible to pick from.

[DeepModem Mom]

7. I thought the SAME thing as I was hearing this. Thanks for posting. nt

[partylessinOhio]

8. I thought the same the first time I heard Susan speak. I just watched

the repeat on CSpan and was more convinced it was directed pointedly at *. That prompted me to search the internet (no thanks to Mr. Brokaw) for a copy of the exact words.

I also want to add that while Susan was speaking the camera was focused narrowly on * and no one else.

[kestrel91316]

14. I find this part VERY interesting.

".....while Susan was speaking the camera was focused narrowly on * and no one else....."

It's almost like somebody gave CSpan a heads-up that Chimpy was going to be put down............

[TahitiNut]

9. Not a bad description of narcissism.

"For if any are hearers of the word and not doers,
they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror;
for they look at themselves and, on going away,
immediately forget what they were like."

That's the pathological narcissism of Smirk ... wallowing in the pretense of 'faith' to enhance his "stage presence." (Look, ma! No soul!)

[goclark]

10. I thought she was talking directly to the Chimp nt

[DURHAM D]

11. I watched her give Cheney a hug today at the airport.

It was really creepy.

[keopeli]

12. James is a book of dubious origin

The book attributed to Jesus' brother, James, is reflective more of a Jewish law tradition (which fits the profile of a Jewish Christian). It is a book of ethical designs that addresses behavior directly. Such teaching is rare in the New Testament, and even contradicted by certain Pauline doctrines.

The words are poignant and perhaps apropos, but a great deal of caution must be used. For instance, Christian Fundamentalists and Evangelicals read these verses very differently than most would here at DU. If you imagine being in Bush's vapid mind and hearing these words, you can interpret them very differently.

I've known churches to split over these texts. Historically, the imperatives of James have been incredibly divisive to Christians (and, I believe, rightly so).

Don't be too hasty too read into scripture and see what you believe. It's a perilous course.

Peace.

[UTUSN]

13. Yip, & Shrub's interpretation wouldn't be ours. Plus she smiled along in Poppy's performance

and then, somebody posted she hugged CHEENEE. So...what to make of it all.