What does "temporal sins" mean?

:-) ... no, "temporal" does not mean "temporary"...

think of it like this: my little daughter was playing ball with her friends, when she threw the ball wildly and hit our window...

we forgave her (forgiveness unasked for, given), but we asked that she do something for the price of the glass, the work time the maintenance folks had to put in (forgiveness asked for in repentance and repaid by her), plus every time after she went out to play with any ball, we had to watch her with our hearts in our throats... (that is temporal punishment, or reconciliation, which takes time)...

each act of ours requires repentance, repayment, and reconciliation...

now, say a child, all grown up, had killed somebody... he repents, and repays it by going to prison or whatever the other parents feel (the government puts limits on this) is repayment... but reconciliation takes time...

a child who murders repeatedly requires the same kind of forgiveness... even if he is caught, and spends the rest of his earthly life in prison, there remains the threefold forgiveness cycle: repentance, repayment, reconciliation... which can take even longer ... he cannot remain in prison longer, nor can he ever repay fully the lives he has taken... but he can repent, he can seek to repay, and reconciliation is out of his hands, just like it was out of our daughter's hands... it wasn't even in our hands... it was in God's hands...

and THAT's what "temporal" means... :-)

My Grandson Comes Home

READING - ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 23:19-31

^{ACTS OF THE APOSTLES}

^{CHAPTER 23}

¹⁹ The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” ²⁰ And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. ²¹ But do not yield to them; for more than forty of their men lie in ambush for him, having bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him; and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you.” ²² So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of this.”

Paul Sent to Felix the Governor

²³ Then he called two of the centurions and said, “At the third hour of the night get ready two hundred soldiers with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesare′a. ²⁴ Also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” ²⁵ And he wrote a letter to this effect:
²⁶ “Claudius Lys′ias to his Excellency the governor Felix, greeting. ²⁷ This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. ²⁸ And desiring to know the charge on which they accused him, I brought him down to their council. ²⁹ I found that he was accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. ³⁰ And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”
³¹ So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antip′atris.

READING - II THESSALONIANS 2:8-15

II THESSALONIANS

CHAPTER 2

⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by his appearing and his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and with all wicked deception for those who are to perish, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹ Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false, ¹² so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

¹³ But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. ¹⁴ To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.

PSALM 89

PSALMS - BOOK III

PSALM 89

God’s Covenant with David

A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

89 I will sing of thy steadfast love, O Lord, for ever;
    with my mouth I will proclaim thy faithfulness to all generations.
² For thy steadfast love was established for ever,
    thy faithfulness is firm as the heavens.
³ Thou hast said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
    I have sworn to David my servant:
⁴ ‘I will establish your descendants for ever,
    and build your throne for all generations.’”Selah

⁵ Let the heavens praise thy wonders, O Lord,
    thy faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
⁶ For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
    Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord,
⁷ a God feared in the council of the holy ones,
    great and terrible above all that are round about him?
⁸ O Lord God of hosts,
    who is mighty as thou art, O Lord,
    with thy faithfulness round about thee?
⁹ Thou dost rule the raging of the sea;
    when its waves rise, thou stillest them.
¹⁰ Thou didst crush Rahab like a carcass,
    thou didst scatter thy enemies with thy mighty arm.
¹¹ The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine;
    the world and all that is in it, thou hast founded them.
¹² The north and the south, thou hast created them;
    Tabor and Hermon joyously praise thy name.
¹³ Thou hast a mighty arm;
    strong is thy hand, high thy right hand.
¹⁴ Righteousness and justice are the foundation of thy throne;
    steadfast love and faithfulness go before thee.
¹⁵ Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,
    who walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance,
¹⁶ who exult in thy name all the day,
    and extol thy righteousness.
¹⁷ For thou art the glory of their strength;
    by thy favor our horn is exalted.
¹⁸ For our shield belongs to the Lord,
    our king to the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁹ Of old thou didst speak in a vision
    to thy faithful one, and say:
“I have set the crown upon one who is mighty,
    I have exalted one chosen from the people.
²⁰ I have found David, my servant;
    with my holy oil I have anointed him;
²¹ so that my hand shall ever abide with him,
    my arm also shall strengthen him.
²² The enemy shall not outwit him,
    the wicked shall not humble him.
²³ I will crush his foes before him
    and strike down those who hate him.
²⁴ My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him,
    and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
²⁵ I will set his hand on the sea
    and his right hand on the rivers.
²⁶ He shall cry to me, ‘Thou art my Father,
    my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’
²⁷ And I will make him the first-born,
    the highest of the kings of the earth.
²⁸ My steadfast love I will keep for him for ever,
    and my covenant will stand firm for him.
²⁹ I will establish his line for ever
    and his throne as the days of the heavens.
³⁰ If his children forsake my law
    and do not walk according to my ordinances,
³¹ if they violate my statutes
    and do not keep my commandments,
³² then I will punish their transgression with the rod
    and their iniquity with scourges;
³³ but I will not remove from him my steadfast love,
    or be false to my faithfulness.
³⁴ I will not violate my covenant,
    or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
³⁵ Once for all I have sworn by my holiness;
    I will not lie to David.
³⁶ His line shall endure for ever,
    his throne as long as the sun before me.
³⁷ Like the moon it shall be established for ever;
    it shall stand firm while the skies endure.”Selah

³⁸ But now thou hast cast off and rejected,
    thou art full of wrath against thy anointed.
³⁹ Thou hast renounced the covenant with thy servant;
    thou hast defiled his crown in the dust.
⁴⁰ Thou hast breached all his walls;
    thou hast laid his strongholds in ruins.
⁴¹ All that pass by despoil him;
    he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
⁴² Thou hast exalted the right hand of his foes;
    thou hast made all his enemies rejoice.
⁴³ Yea, thou hast turned back the edge of his sword,
    and thou hast not made him stand in battle.
⁴⁴ Thou hast removed the scepter from his hand,
    and cast his throne to the ground.
⁴⁵ Thou hast cut short the days of his youth;
    thou hast covered him with shame.Selah

⁴⁶ How long, O Lord? Wilt thou hide thyself for ever?
    How long will thy wrath burn like fire?
⁴⁷ Remember, O Lord, what the measure of life is,
    for what vanity thou hast created all the sons of men!
⁴⁸ What man can live and never see death?
    Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?Selah

⁴⁹ Lord, where is thy steadfast love of old,
    which by thy faithfulness thou didst swear to David?
⁵⁰ Remember, O Lord, how thy servant is scorned;
    how I bear in my bosom the insults of the peoples,
⁵¹ with which thy enemies taunt, O Lord,
    with which they mock the footsteps of thy anointed.

⁵² Blessed be the Lord for ever!
Amen and Amen.

READING - 1 CHRONICLES 11:26-13:6

 ^{I CHRONICLES}

^{CHAPTER 11}

²⁶ The mighty men of the armies were As′ahel the brother of Jo′ab, Elha′nan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, ²⁷ Shammoth of Harod, Helez the Pel′onite, ²⁸ Ira the son of Ikkesh of Teko′a, Abi-e′zer of An′athoth, ²⁹ Sib′becai the Hu′shathite, I′lai the Aho′hite, ³⁰ Ma′harai of Neto′phah, Heled the son of Ba′anah of Neto′phah, ³¹ Ithai the son of Ribai of Gib′e-ah of the Benjaminites, Bena′iah of Pir′athon, ³² Hurai of the brooks of Ga′ash, Abi′el the Ar′bathite, ³³ Az′maveth of Baha′rum, Eli′ahba of Sha-al′bon, ³⁴ Hashem the Gi′zonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Har′arite, ³⁵ Ahi′am the son of Sachar the Har′arite, Eli′phal the son of Ur, ³⁶ Hepher the Meche′rathite, Ahi′jah the Pel′onite, ³⁷ Hezro of Carmel, Na′arai the son of Ezbai, ³⁸ Jo′el the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, ³⁹ Zelek the Ammonite, Na′harai of Be-er′oth, the armor-bearer of Jo′ab the son of Zeru′iah, ⁴⁰ Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, ⁴¹ Uri′ah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, ⁴² Ad′ina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, ⁴³ Hanan the son of Ma′acah, and Josh′aphat the Mithnite, ⁴⁴ Uzzi′a the Ash′terathite, Shama and Je-i′el the sons of Hotham the Aro′erite, ⁴⁵ Jedi′a-el the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, ⁴⁶ Eli′el the Ma′havite, and Jer′ibai, and Joshavi′ah, the sons of El′na-am, and Ithmah the Mo′abite, ⁴⁷ Eli′el, and Obed, and Ja-a′siel the Mezo′ba-ite.

CHAPTER 12 

David’s Followers in the Wilderness

Now these are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he could not move about freely because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped him in war. ² They were bowmen, and could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right or the left hand; they were Benjaminites, Saul’s kinsmen. ³ The chief was Ahi-e′zer, then Jo′ash, both sons of Shema′ah of Gib′e-ah; also Je′zi-el and Pelet the sons of Az′maveth; Ber′acah, Jehu of An′athoth, ⁴ Ishma′iah of Gibeon, a mighty man among the thirty and a leader over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jaha′ziel, Joha′nan, Jo′zabad of Gede′rah, ⁵ Elu′zai, Jer′imoth, Beali′ah, Shemari′ah, Shephati′ah the Har′uphite; ⁶ Elka′nah, Isshi′ah, Az′arel, Jo-e′zer, and Jasho′beam, the Kor′ahites; ⁷ And Joe′lah and Zebadi′ah, the sons of Jero′ham of Gedor.

⁸ From the Gadites there went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness mighty and experienced warriors, expert with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and who were swift as gazelles upon the mountains: ⁹ Ezer the chief, Obadi′ah second, Eli′ab third, ¹⁰ Mishman′nah fourth, Jeremiah fifth, ¹¹ Attai sixth, Eli′el seventh, ¹² Joha′nan eighth, Elza′bad ninth, ¹³ Jeremiah tenth, Mach′bannai eleventh. ¹⁴ These Gadites were officers of the army, the lesser over a hundred and the greater over a thousand. ¹⁵ These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was overflowing all its banks, and put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.
¹⁶ And some of the men of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David. ¹⁷ David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in friendship to help me, my heart will be knit to you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, although there is no wrong in my hands, then may the God of our fathers see and rebuke you.” ¹⁸ Then the Spirit came upon Ama′sai, chief of the thirty, and he said,

“We are yours, O David;
    and with you, O son of Jesse!
Peace, peace to you,
    and peace to your helpers!
    For your God helps you.”

Then David received them, and made them officers of his troops.

¹⁹ Some of the men of Manas′seh deserted to David when he came with the Philistines for the battle against Saul. (Yet he did not help them, for the rulers of the Philistines took counsel and sent him away, saying, “At peril to our heads he will desert to his master Saul.”) ²⁰ As he went to Ziklag these men of Manas′seh deserted to him: Adnah, Jo′zabad, Jedi′a-el, Michael, Jo′zabad, Eli′hu, and Zil′le-thai, chiefs of thousands in Manas′seh. ²¹ They helped David against the band of raiders; for they were all mighty men of valor, and were commanders in the army. ²² For from day to day men kept coming to David to help him, until there was a great army, like an army of God.

David’s Army at Hebron

²³ These are the numbers of the divisions of the armed troops, who came to David in Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the Lord. ²⁴ The men of Judah bearing shield and spear were six thousand eight hundred armed troops. ²⁵ Of the Simeonites, mighty men of valor for war, seven thousand one hundred. ²⁶ Of the Levites four thousand six hundred. ²⁷ The prince Jehoi′ada, of the house of Aaron, and with him three thousand seven hundred. ²⁸ Zadok, a young man mighty in valor, and twenty-two commanders from his own fathers’ house. ²⁹ Of the Benjaminites, the kinsmen of Saul, three thousand, of whom the majority had hitherto kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. ³⁰ Of the E′phraimites twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ houses. ³¹ Of the half-tribe of Manas′seh eighteen thousand, who were expressly named to come and make David king. ³² Of Is′sachar men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, two hundred chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command. ³³ Of Zeb′ulun fifty thousand seasoned troops, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David with singleness of purpose. ³⁴ Of Naph′tali a thousand commanders with whom were thirty-seven thousand men armed with shield and spear. ³⁵ Of the Danites twenty-eight thousand six hundred men equipped for battle. ³⁶ Of Asher forty thousand seasoned troops ready for battle. ³⁷ Of the Reubenites and Gadites and the half-tribe of Manas′seh from beyond the Jordan, one hundred and twenty thousand men armed with all the weapons of war.
³⁸ All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with full intent to make David king over all Israel; likewise all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king. ³⁹ And they were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had made preparation for them. ⁴⁰ And also their neighbors, from as far as Is′sachar and Zeb′ulun and Naph′tali, came bringing food on asses and on camels and on mules and on oxen, abundant provisions of meal, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, and wine and oil, oxen and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.

CHAPTER 13

The Ark Brought from Kiriath-jearim

David consulted with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with every leader. ² And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send abroad to our brethren who remain in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasture lands, that they may come together to us. ³ Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us; for we neglected it in the days of Saul.” ⁴ All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

⁵ So David assembled all Israel from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kir′iath-je′arim. ⁶ And David and all Israel went up to Ba′alah, that is, to Kir′iath-je′arim which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord who sits enthroned above the cherubim.

Martha Ann Miller Wynn

Martha Ann Miller Wynn - 16 March 1943/21 April 2015

This morning, I got up tired from the 9 days before... my last momma was dead, and I feared for daddy - feared for Martha's poor funeral... My fears were useless, it turned out. While we had family (his, hers, ours, and somebody else's) to help with our parents' and grandparents' funerals, my dad had her brothers and sister to help. We were left three days to get 7 kids, 3 spouses, 2 significant others, 15 grand-kids,  and 4 great-grandchildren to the funeral. Of the kids, 5 made it; 3 of the spouses/significant others came; only 1 grandchild and none of the great-grandchildren were there. According to mere math, we had 9 descendants at the funeral.

My dad was already there! (*happy gasp*) He was the only one there, but my sister Cathie, my daughter Jody, my hubbit Rocky and I soon joined him.

I got plenty of time to talk to Martha at Meadowview Rehab the previous Friday. Once, I thought she was a-sleepin, and took out my Rosary. It was like an echo of John Westerfield's from the previous summer: Martha's voice tremulously asked... "Pray for me, René... Pray for your father and Shane... Pray the Rosary..." So, I did. I prayed the Rosary all morning long, and into the afternoon. With her and John's voices echoing in the background, I prayed the whole week.

Saturday morn, with only us there (not all, but 5 there), I prayed the Rosary over Martha's emaciated body, that the funeral home had done marvelous work with, and Linda Miller had bought her a beautiful outfit for. My hubby wheeled me out after I put the white beads (that were blessed with the Pope's wishes for more evangelization of families and Divine Mercy) in her curled up right hand.

Someone put a small pamphlet in my hand - listing her, her husband (Dad), her son, her brothers, her sister and husband, her sister-in-law, nieces, nephews... we six step-children and 3 spouses, 2 significant others, 15 grand-kids,  and 4 great-grandchildren weren't mentioned at all... I mentally shrugged - we were there, as much as possible... even Karen and April sent their wishes and prayers, because Martha was our step-mother.

With time, some more people showed up: Jimmie Miller, Bernice Underwood, Linda Miller, more and more... Bills, Bobs, Karens, Marys, Lindas, her nieces and nephews, her friends from childhood and church, Rev Bill Crider... I cried my thanks to God, for showing me and daddy her family and friends...

Frank was represented by his wife, Tammy, who both loved and respected Martha. Cathie was there, as were Charlie and Tegwin. Paul and Sylvia sent their prayers; Arianne was there, without Connor (she said "He would be hyperactive!") tugging at her shirt tail.

Her grandchildren weren't all there, but they all missed Martha. Her great-grandchildren weren't there. Cathie's Brittany and Joshua, and his children Breonna and Roman... Paul's Eric, Chris, Tim and Maddie... Charlie's Ariel... Arianne's Cody, Colton, Hayden, and Connor... my own Jena and Julie, with Julie's son Robbie... my Robby, whose funeral Martha had come to...

With all my heart, I thank God for Martha's presence in my life, and in daddy's life.

From their wedding on 10 May 1987 til 4 days before her death...A long time in this world.

Leaving in a line of cars, headlights on, for the graveyard is a time-honored standard of all our funerals. The hearse leads, husband follows the hearse, kids and step-children follow Daddy, brothers and sisters follow the last car with kids, and everybody else follows last. That's what we expected. That's not what happened.

We have always had someone on the police force, and the funeral procession would be accompanied by their fellow brothers. We had no knowledge that there would be charges for the police to stand guard at each intersection for the funeral goers to follow the hearse in an orderly manner, without interruptions, that wouldn't leave out-of-towners looking alarmingly for the grave site. Ah well... you live and - with daddy following us - you learn. It took us 10 minutes to hunt the cemetery down, and 2 more to find the grave site.

My sisters followed last - Cathie, Arianne and Tammy. They didn't begin until Daddy got there.

At the end of funerals, we would gather at the Church where the loved one was buried, or if a funeral home was used, at the home of the surviving wife or one of the kids or the parents; feeding loved ones is the last chore of the heaven-gone before we all separate, and the first chore of those left behind. Being in Minden, we had already decided to gather at a restaurant in Minden, with credit cards ready for those with no money. Imagine our relief at Rev Bill Crider's announcement that "the family" welcomed any and all to the home of Jimmie and Linda for a repast.

We all were a little wore out by the time we got to Jimmie and Linda's home. We went inside, and found a beautiful home with a beautiful den set up with chairs. That's as far as I could go. I wended my way around to the chair in the corner - and found an empty cross of Jesus on the small table between myself and Rocky.

Rocky left to get me a plate, my brother Charlie and Tegwin left shortly afterwards to eat at table, and I was left with Jesus. "Why, Jesus, are we not allowed to give Martha the funeral she wanted?"

He answered, "The funeral was attended by you. That, and the Rosaries, is all she wanted." Comforted from all complaints of mine, I felt ready to eat, and be for my family what they have been through the years for me - the symbol of the Rock I placed myself on.

Having eaten (ham and brisket, baked beans and green bean casserole, corn and squash, sweet potatoes and dinner rolls) and regained some of my strength, we moved from the deserted den to the family-placed dinner table for more tea, some good, strong coffee, and some pecan pie and pound cake with fruit. We talked, shared about us and about the ones missing, shared tears and tales from the years, before we got up and went outside for our smoking members of the family. We smoked in honour of Martha; we smoked in honour of Jesus; we smoked in honour of our Indian-forbears; and last, we smoked in honour of those forgone, but not not forgotten.

All the food was wrapped up, and placed  in my dad's car, after getting him to unlock it. We sent Dad to the newspaper for some copies of Minden Press-Herald with her funeral obit inside. We gathered up ourselves, and each greeted at least the host and hostess with a hug and a handshake, thanking them profusely for dinner, and for giving the best funeral to Martha as possible.

We left to go to my own home, where we had some more come by, and we said "Good-bye" to Martha in our diminished capacity.