Week Four of Ordinary Time

 

Welcome to the Fourth week of Ordinary Time.

Please open your Hymnal to page 3 and join in our processional  “O Lord Please Don’t Burn Us” Verse 1

O LORD, please don’t burn us,   Don’t grill or toast your flock,

Don’t put us on the barbecue,  Or simmer us in stock,

Don’t braise or bake or boil us,  Or stir fry us in a wok. 

Thank you for that clear and  rendition, it warmed my heart as I flounced to the pulpit.  Now please open The Holy Text volume 1 to episode 5 page 62 where the prophets say: 

Newsreader	(as if it's the fourth item)) ... and several butchers aprons. In Fulham this morning a jeweller's shop was broken into and jewellery to the value of £2,000 stolen. Police have issued this picture of a man they wish to interview. (on the screen behind, him, there appears an identical picture of him, sitting at his newsreader desk) The man is in his late twenties wearing a grey suit, a white shirt and a floral tie. (on the screen behind, police come in and remove the newsreader) Will anyone who sees this man or can give any information about his whereabouts contact their nearest policestation. (he is handed a piece of paper) Ah! Oh. We've just heard that police have detained the man they wished to interview in connection with the jewel robbery. Ah, but after questioning police have ruled him out of their enquiries and released him. (the other newsreader appears back on the screen and sits down) Sport. (he is handed another piece of paper) Ah, they say, however, that acting on his information they now wish to interview a newsreader in the central London area. Ah, police are concentrating their enquiries on the British Broadcasting Corp ... (a policeman comes in, and removes newsreader in the foreground) Excuse me a minute...
	The newsreader on the screen behind continues.
Other Newsreader	We understand a man is now helping police with their enquiries. And that is the end of the news. (he clips a piece of jewellery on to his ear) And now, 'Match of the Day'.

 

Please open your hymnal to page 18 and join us in singing “Yangtse Song”  First Verse

We love the Yangtse,  Yangtse Kiang
Flowing from Yushu,  Down to Ching Kiang
Passing though Chung King,  Wuhan and Hoo Kow
3000 miles,,  But it gets there somehow
Oh! Szechuan's the province,  And Shanghai is the port
And Yangtse is the river,  That we all support

 

Now please open The Holy Text volume 2 to episode 43 page 292 where the prophets say …

Peter Woods	We interrupt show jumping to bring you a news flash. The Second World War has now entered a sentimental stage. The morning on the Ardennes Front, the Germans started spooning at dawn, but the British Fifth Army responded by gazing deep in their eyes, and the Germans are reported to have gone 'all coy'.
	Music comes in underneath: 'When Does a Dream Begin'. Mix to a young airman on an airfield gazing into a WAAF's eyes. Black and white, soft focus and scratched film to look like a not very good print of a 40's film. Airman sings.

 

Homily  Parishioners, the European Parliament has reached a land mark deal to “regulate” Artificial Intelligence development (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/08/technology/eu-ai-act-regulation.html).  Hopefully the computers will follow the rules.  Here in the United States the Air/Space Force are working to create an “Advanced Battlefield Management System” which will be an “AI” (https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11866). 

Not making anyone paying attention to the situation any calmer our military has now decided that the creation of this “ABMS” is now a “rush job” due to the projections of what countries like China are doing (https://www.zerohedge.com/military/pentagons-rush-deploy-ai-enabled-weapons-going-kill-us-all).  Since we all know that rushed work has never been lacking in high quality, I am sure this will all turn out well. 

At least we can all count on the “Sleepy Uncle Joe” Administration to look after the matter.  The current administration has put their very best member on the job of keeping all this under control thanks to their complete mastery of technology and clear ability to effectively communicate – VP Kamala Harris (https://www.zerohedge.com/political/watch-americas-ai-czar-kamala-harris-explains-first-all-its-two-letters)!  Well, at least she can spell it!!

Amen

Please join us in our recessional on page 3 of your hymnal “O Lord Please Don’t Burn Us” second verse. 

Oh Please don’t lightly poach us,  Or Baste us with hot fat,

Don’t fricassee or roast us,    Or boil us in a vat,

And please don’t stick thy servants, Lord,  In a Rotissomat.