Light!

Someone once said, "There are two kinds of light - the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures."

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

"Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor 4:1-6).

lighten up, ron

Murdered Bible Printers!

Killing Christians in the name of religion doesn't raise an eyebrow to Muslim murder in the name of civility! Click on the below link and ask yourself what's wrong with this picture?

Link to GetReligion » Print » Lackluster coverage of murdered Bible printers

See also this FOXNews link & Christianity Today Link.

ex parte? ron

Theodicy!

A gunman walks into various dorms and classrooms at Virginia Tech and opens fire on students and professors. Students jump out of four story classroom windows to get away from the carnage. Then, the gunman, a fellow student named Cho Seung-hui, turns the gun on himself. In the worst school shooting in U.S. history, 33 students (including Cho) and professors are dead.

Immense tragedies such as this raise a host of questions. Where is God in all this? How could he allow this to happen? What kind of anguish would cause someone to randomly shoot people, and then commit suicide? What can we do as a society to prevent such tragedies in the future?

We are again facing the age old question of evil in a world both created and controlled by a good God (known, in theological circles, as theodicy). In case you are unfamiliar with either the term or its definition, here is one way the problem is presented:

God cannot be both all good and all powerful because:

1. if he is good then he would do all he could to stop evil; evil exists, therefore God did not stop it and is not all powerful.
2. if he is all powerful and evil exists then evil is his doing; therefore he is not good.

N.T. Wright makes the following point in his brilliant book Evil and the Justice of God:

If you offer an analysis of evil which leaves us saying, “Well, that’s all right then; we now see how it happens and what to do about it,” you have belittled the problem…. for the Christian, the problem is how to understand and celebrate the goodness and God-giveness of creation and, at the same time, understand and face up to the reality and seriousness of evil.

Evil cannot be explained. It can be viewed from different perspectives, but we, as finite creatures, do not fully know why evil is in the world and what God’s purpose for it is. What we do know, as Christians, is that we believe in an all powerful, all holy, all loving, all knowing, just God who has acted faithfully in the past and in whom we can be confident will act in the future.

At the end of the day there are no worldviews or religions that give a satisfying reason for evil in the world. What Christianity does have to offer above all other worldviews is the confident hope that God will restore the world. On that day, and not a day sooner, will we then understand the ‘why’ of the problem of evil.

“I believe like a child that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage, like the despicable fabrication of the impotent and infinitely small Euclidean mind of man, that in the world’s finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, of the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, of all the blood that they’ve shed; and it will make it not only possible to forgive but to justify what has happened.” Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

For further reading:

The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis

Evil and the Justice of God by N.T. Wright

Unspeakable by Os Guinness

How Long O Lord? by D.A. Carson

Why Does It Have To Hurt? The Meaning of Christian Suffering by Dan McCartney

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God by John Piper

Peace, ron

The Real Easter!

Easter greeting illustrated by Michael Walker.

enjoy, ron

Receive Jesus!

The life & death of Jesus Christ!



Jesus took your punishment upon Himself -"For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3.16-17). Then He rose from the dead and defeated death. Please, repent (turn from sin) today and trust in Jesus, and God will grant you everlasting life. Jesus is alive! Follow Him today!

The Three Marys at the Tomb!

Hubert van Eyck ? – 1426

Jesus has risen!

Van Eyck’s painting shows three women positioned at the empty grave of Jesus. An angel is telling them what happened while the guards slumber in a deep sleep. The women bring bottles with ointment and spices to anoint the corpse.

None of the gospels describes the scene exactly as Van Eyck does on this panel. The painting is closest to Matthew's description, the only gospel that mentions an angel sitting on the door to the empty grave, and that also mentions the sleeping guards.

Mark talks of "Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome" and a young man sitting next to the grave.

Luke says the women were "Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James". He also claims that "two men stood by them in shining garments".

John only mentions Mary Magdalene visiting the grave.

This work is linked to Luke 24:1.

He is risen!
He is risen indeed!

Happy Resurrection Sunday, ron

The Entombment!

By Caravaggio 1573 – 1610

Monumental work by Caravaggio on the Entombment.

Nicodemus and the apostle John have wrapped Jesus in cloths. The women look on and throw up their arms and wail as Jesus is laid down.

The painting first served as an altarpiece for Roman church,

but is now part of the papal collection.

This work is linked to Mark 15:46

enjoy Easter, ron

Rise Up!

"Tsisa Dulehisanv" is Cherokee for “Jesus / when he arose”.

He is risen!
He is risen, indeed!

Happy Easter!

Red Alert!

Prophet Dylan!

Pope Benedict XVI ( alias, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) is known to have a strong dislike of popular music. As a matter of fact, he tried to stop Bob Dylan playing for the late John Paul II. It seems that Benedict feared Dylan was a "prophet" whose beliefs were at odds with the Roman Catholic Church.

In a recent book of memoirs about his predecessor, Pope Benedict recalls the events of the World Eucharist Congress at Bologna in 1997. It was a gathering of 300,000 young Catholic pilgrims who were to be exposed to Bob Dylan's radical songs with their "completely different" message.

Benedict wrote: "The Pope appeared tired, exhausted. At that very moment the stars arrived, Bob Dylan and others whose names I do not remember.

''They had a completely different message from the one which the Pope had.

"There was reason to be sceptical - I was, and in some ways I still am - over whether it was really right to allow this type of 'prophet' to appear."

At the time he gritted his teeth and sat it out. But now Pope Benedict XVI has admitted that he thought his predecessor's encounter with the singer Bob Dylan was a awful scheme.

In 1997, John Paul II sat on a stage along with 50 cardinals in a vast fairground outside Bologna while slightly below and in front of him, Bob Dylan, wearing a cowboy hat and rhinestone-spangled zoot suit, crunched his way through "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", "It's a Hard Rain" and "Forever Young".

After his performance Dylan went to greet John Paul on the podium to robust roars from the young and enthusiastic crowd.

Dylan became a born-again Christian sometime in the late 1970’s and released several albums relating to personal salvation. Notable among his Christian releases is Slow Train Coming.

enjoy, ron

Sinnerman!

Check out this YouTube of David Eugene Edwards (Woven Hand), the long-time front man for those remarkable gothabilly rockers 16 Horsepower singing Sinnerman.

16 Horsepower is not your ordinary Christian country-music band. There’s little hillbilly or cowboy about them. Rather, their subject matter turns on man's sins and breakdown, societies lack of faith, wallowing in a world of superficial possessions... all swallowed up in traumatic soundscapes of `ghostly banjos and a rather pulsation low-end. This music and lyric is not for the faint of heart!

Sinnerman lyrics

o sinnerman where will you run to
sinnerman where will you run to
sinnerman where will you run to
all on that day

run to the mountain
the mountain wont hide you
run to the sea
the sea will not have you
and run to your grave
your grave will not hold you
all on that day

see sinnerman
mountains are falling
sinnerman
the sea it rages
sinnerman
the grave will not hold you
all on that day
run to the lord
lord please hide me
run to the lord

sinnerman
sinnerman
sinnerman

where you gonna run to
all on that day
run to the mountain
the mountain wont hide you
and run to the sea
the sea will not hold you
and run to your grave
the grave will not hide you
all on that day

sinnerman
the mountain is falling
and sinnerman
the sea it rages
and sinnerman
sinnerman
sinnerman
where will you run to
all on that day

the mountain wont hide you
the sea won’t have you
and the grave will not hold you
all on that day

enjoy, ron

Poet Longfellow!

Speaking of poetry and Longfellow, as a kid, I was once considered a poet by an admirer. Here's a rough paraphrase of their comment: “Ron, you’re a poet but don’t know it. But your feet sure do show it. They’re Longfellows!”

On a more serious note, one of my sons, Geoffrey, attended a medium sized Christian prep school called Minnehaha Academy. As you may surmise, it’s located near Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis Minnesota. The falls is in Minnehaha Park, a large city park on the shores of the Mississippi River. The park includes picnic areas, trails, sculpture and the 53 foot falls, just off of Hiawatha Ave (Route 55). Although Longfellow never visited the spot, Minnehaha Falls is the waterfall of his Song of Hiawatha.

By the way, when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow turned 70 on February 27, 1877, the USA celebrated the day, hosting parades across the land in his honor and sending "salutations and friendly greetings from far and near." Had he the constitution of Methuselah, this year he would have celebrated his 200th birthday with the writing of another amazing poem.

In his day, Longfellow was a star. More than 50,000 bought The Song of Hiawatha. His friend Nathaniel Hawthorne said, "No other poet has anything like your vogue." People from all walks of life would knock on the door of his Cambridge, Massachusetts, home to ask for autographs.

"A Psalm of Life" is one of Longfellow’s best-known works. It captures the kind of poetic spirit that will continually make him one of America's favorite poets

A Psalm of Life

What the Heart of the Young Man Said to the Psalmist

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act--act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

enjoy, ron

1 Corinthians 3.18-23

The following is an introduction to this week’s Sunday sermon. Specifically, I’ll be expositing verses 1 Corinthains 3.21-23.

Nearly 2000 years ago the church of Jesus Christ in Corinth was wrestling with problems similar to our own. Gluttony, hero worship, jealousy & dissension were prominent expressions of church life then as now. Their principal struggle, as is ours, turned on the question of what to do with worldly wisdom. They had the mind of Christ! Yet, spiritual ignorance & human arrogance was vitally eroding their essential understanding of His Person & Work.

Succumbing to creature influence, they were substituting worldly wisdom for God's wisdom. Value swapping! Exchanging eternal value for temporal values! In other words, by placing inordinate worth on material things, their understanding of Spiritual things became confused & amorphous. As a consequence, Paul could not speak to them as to spiritual ones.

Keep in mind the Corinthian church was secure in Christ, confirmed to the end! It was a dynamic, spiritual community, not lacking in any gift (1 Cor. 1.1-9). But their fitness in impacting the Corinthian culture & in ministering to one another was being undermined by jealousy, factions, intellectual egotism, & selfish ambition.

Paul has already contrasted God's wisdom with human wisdom several times in the first three chapters 1 Corinthians. Now here in 3:18-23 he continues to challenge his Corinthian brothers & sisters concerning their attraction to human wisdom. Paul carefully contrasts the wisdom of this world in vv 18-20 with the wisdom of God in vv 21-23.

Here’s the point: What these Corinthian Christians have done in pretending to be wise by the standards of the world is to show themselves foolish in the eyes of God. So Paul is saying, "You must stop exalting individuals, put an end to divisions, deny any wisdom that you think you have, & instead embrace God's wisdom & the tremendous riches & blessings & resources & growth & health that God gives."

Enjoy, ron

Praise Children!

Psalm 127 says that children are a gift of the Lord. I have seven children and three grandchildren and every single one are worthy of praise. After all they’re exceptionally bright! Or are they? For that matter, do I even need to praise them for being so smart or talented or athletic or just generally so much better than the rest of the hoi polloi (rabble). Well guess what…

...a growing body of research - and a new study from the trenches of the New York public-school system - strongly suggests it might be the other way around. Giving kids the label of “smart” does not prevent them from underperforming. It might actually be causing it.

Well it turns out that praise is fine. Praise your children often and with sincerity. However, remember to praise them for their effort, not their intelligence. If you praise kids for their intelligence, they tend to avoid tasks they fear they will fail at. And get this recent insight from an article in New York magazine:

Scholars from Reed College and Stanford reviewed over 150 praise studies. Their meta-analysis determined that praised students become risk-averse and lack perceived autonomy. The scholars found consistent correlations between a liberal use of praise and students’ “shorter task persistence, more eye-checking with the teacher, and inflected speech such that answers have the intonation of questions.” ...image maintenance becomes their primary concern - they are more competitive and more interested in tearing others down. A raft of very alarming studies illustrate this.

What does the eternal wisdom of the Scriptures tell us about child-rearing? It uses vivid images. Psalm 127 goes on to portray children as arrows in the hand of a warrior. Ancient warriors made their own arrows. It took lots of time and attention to detail to shape the arrowhead so the shaft would fly true and straight. We are preparing our children to be "shot" into the next generation, and there aren't any shortcuts; it takes time.

That really means that each child must be treated as a unique individual who requires shaping and molding and attention and investment. There's no one-size-fits-all approach to child-rearing. And it takes a lot of time to pay attention to your kids.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

enjoy, ron

Ash Wednesday!

Memento homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris.

Remember, man, that you are dust And unto dust you shall return. Genesis 3.19

You may see a few Christians with real dirt on their foreheads today. Fat Tuesday was their "last hurrah" before Lent began now, Ash Wednesday. Yet regardless your own level of participation in such carnality, is it not far time you repent as well?

What is Ash Wednesday? Ash Wednesday is the day Lent begins in the Catholic faith leading up to Good Friday and ultimately Easter, Resurrection Sunday. It is forty days of penance commencing with the reception of the biblical symbol of mourning and penance, ashes. The words from the book of Genesis (3:19) help us to think of the shortness of life, of our last end, and of that moment when each shall come before God to be judged. "Remember," wrote Saint Teresa of Avila, "that you have only one life, which is short and has to be lived by you alone; that there is only one glory, which is eternal."

Of course Ash Wednesday is celebrated by more than Catholics. Interestingly even Catholic churches have changed the recitation while marking foreheads from the Genesis verse: “For dust you are and to dust you will return” to “Turn away from sin and believe the Gospel” or some variant thereof. After all as per the Bible, a mark on a person’s forehead indicates his/her ownership. So the mark of cross on the forehead is a symbol of the person’s belonging to Jesus Christ, who died on a cross.

As for me? I don’t celebrate Ash Wednesday formally.. I seem always to ere on the side of essential truth over ritual truth. I’m reading through St. Augustine Confession (a book all should read). He offers some words to Jesus that I feel best depicts my own Ash Wednesday observance:

Too late have I loved you, O Beauty so ancient, O Beauty so new. Too late have I loved you! You were within me but I was outside myself, and there I sought you! In my weakness I ran after the beauty of the things you have made. You were with me, and I was not with you. The things you have made kept me from you - the things which would have no being unless they existed in you! You have called, you have cried, and you have pierced my deafness. You have radiated forth, you have shined out brightly, and you have dispelled my blindness. You have sent forth your fragrance, and I have breathed it in, and I long for you. I have tasted you, and I hunger and thirst for you. You have touched me, and now I burn for your peace. – Augustine Of Hippo (Aurelius August) (354–430), North African philosopher, theologian. Confessions, bk. 10, ch. 27.

repent & enjoy, ron

For Life!

The following news item touched me this morning (click here). As an advocate for life I was pleased to hear the good report on Amilia Tayor who after four months in a neonatal intensive care unit was going home.

Her claim to fame? She is the world's most premature living baby, born at 21 weeks and six days. No baby born at less than 23 weeks was previously known to have survived.

When she was born, Amillia weighed 280g and measured 24cm, slightly longer than a ballpoint pen. Now 17 weeks old, Amillia drank from a bottle for the first time this week.

So the good doctors now surmise that she is thriving and well enough to be cared for by her parents at home. "Even though she's only four pounds now, she's plump to me," the baby's mother, Sonja Taylor said.

Enjoy, ron

Late breaking news: Now I read that Amillia may not go home today (click here). Regardless, I'm happy she's alive and I'm praying for her! Go girl!

Know Thyself!

I believe it was Socrates who once exclaimed: “An unexamined life isn’t worth living!” Perhaps you can understand the philosophy behind this guy’s approach to life. If the above media doesn’t work for you, click here (self smart). Now sit back and revel in the sophisticated way in which this life expert intertwines advanced brain theory, drug abuse, weight lose, marriage & family and book learning to come up with his philosophy for living.

enjoy, ron

Love and/or Charity?

The observance of Valentine’s Day Wednesday moved me to pay a little closer attention to this concept of love, specifically, giving love. Since Valentine’s Day is a day of loving and giving, what do the two have to do with one another? This problem was wrestled with back in the 4th century by St. Jerome.

The story goes that Pope Damasus commissioned ascetic scholar St. Jerome to prepare a Latin translation of the Bible now known as the Vulgate. You see, the translation was into the common people's "vulgar" Latin. Jerome's sources were mainly in Greek, and in trying to get from Greek to Latin, one of the first problems he faced was what to do with agape.

Agape is a Greek word meaning "love." But it's love of a special species. The ancient Greeks had a number of words for love, each with different implications. For example, a celebration of Valentine’s Day is sopping with the Greek love word eros, and you don’t need a cupid’s bow to bull’s-eye what kind of (erotic) inferences it carried.

Agape, on the other hand, implied a holy or pure love, as in "Love (agape) the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" and "Love (agape) your neighbor as yourself." Jerome's problem was that he lacked a good Latin equivalent for agape. Latin's primary love word was amor, but its meaning was very broad. The love of a parent, brother, friend, lover - all sorts of love were amor in Latin. So Jerome turned to caritas instead.

Caritas is a Latin word that used to mean "dearness" or "high price." By extension, it sometimes meant "esteem," "affection," or - in an indisputably chaste sense - "love."

By choosing it as his Latin agape, Jerome lent great importance to caritas - and to words, like "charity," that ultimately rose from it. He also inadvertently set up a schism in English Bibles. Some versions, like the King James Bible, talk of charity ("And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity"). Others go right from agape to love ("And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love").

However you translate it, agape is one of the three primary Christian virtues, along with faith and hope. In his first letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul writes, "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing" (1 Corinthians 13.2).

Give me a little love here, ron

Bruce Metzger

The Bible says give tribute to whom tribute is due. So I hereby give tribute to Bruce Manning Metzger who died on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 at the age of 93. He was the George L. Collord Professor Emeritus of New Testament Language and Literature at Princeton Theological Seminary. I had the huge privilege of studying with this preeminent American New Testament critic and biblical translator while working on my MDiv at Princeton.

Being a born-from-above Christian at Princeton who still believed that the Bible was the Word of God, I often felt like the proverbial fish out of water. Several times Dr. Metzger calmed my biblical nerves and excited my academic instincts while explaining his view of biblical inspiration (yet, I didn’t agree). On one occasion while perambulating about campus, I happened to find myself alongside him. We were enjoying light conversation when the Holy Spirit moved upon me and I experienced Christ’s presence leading this truly devout man. The Spirit bore witness and I was invited to decrease.

Indeed, Bruce Metzger was a spiritual man who cared passionately about the Bible in ways I knew not of. In fact, he was one of the world leaders in textual study of the New Testament, the Apocrypha and the Pseudepigrapha. Dr. Metzger served as Chair of the Committee of Translators for the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible 1977–90 and the story goes that he saw it through the press almost single-handedly. This was important to him because, as he saw it, with the NRSV Bible in the hands of the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Protestant Christians they all would have recourse to a common biblical text as an instrument of unity.

BTW: A Bible autographed by Bruce Metzger is sealed in the time capsule embedded in the corner of Princeton Seminary’s Scheide Hall.

Glory, ron

The Parliament of Fowls!

The following is a brief tribute to Geoffrey Chaucer's ode to love: Parliament of Fowls

The Parliament of Fowls is perhaps the first St. Valentine's Day poem ever written. It has been suggested that it was begun in May of 1382 and finished for Valentine's day in 1383. In this famous poem, Chaucer sets forth his love-vision. What follows is a very brief summation of the story of this delightful occasion poem. Alceste says of Chaucer, that he wrote "many an ympne for [Love's] holydayes."

In the opening verses the poet declares himself to be without direct experience of the ways of the God of Love. "I knowe nat Love in dede." But, as he goes on to explain, he has learned of the subject from books.. Actually he goes to books for all kinds of knowledge. Of late he has been reading a very helpful book, the Somnium Scipionis, and he relates at some length how the elder Africanus appeared to Scipio the younger in a dream, and took him up into the heavens, where he showed him the mysteries of the future life.

The poet goes on to say that night comes and he puts his book to rest. After falling to asleep, he dreamed that this same Africanus came to him too and stood at his bedside. To reward him for the study of his "olde book totorn," the Roman took him to a beautiful park, where he saw the temple of Venus, and then to a hillside, where all the birds were assembled before the goddess of Nature on Saint Valentine's Day.

The birds had come, following Nature's order, to choose their mates, and then to fly away. The first choice belonged to the royal tercel eagle, who claimed the lovely formel eagle on the goddess's hand. At once and with little delay a second and a third tercel, both of lower rank, disputed the first one's claim, and the three noble suitors pleaded their causes before Nature. Then the issue was debated by the general parliament of the birds. Finally Nature ruled that the choice should rest with the formel eagle herself, and she asked for a year's delay before making her decision.

There you have it in a nutshell! Now if you want to listen to the poem in podcast, read the poem in old English and /or generally know more about the subject of St. Valentine’s Day click on the appropriate links at this address (click here).

The Parliament of Fowls (PDF)

Perhaps you want to read a more up-to-date translation of Chaucer's famous love poem (click here).

Happy Valentine’s Day, ron

Valentine's Day @ WC?

Did you know that there's a White Castle (WC) kitty-corner to the Bus/Train Station down town Indianapolis. I discovered this truth while attending the AFC championship playoff last month.

The story in brief goes like this: Several of the football crazed men from our Wednesday night Bible Study made the pilgrimage to Indy. It was late when Brother Joe B. called me. His train had just arrived in Indy. Since I took the Big Bird, I was in early (the rest drove) and got situated in a cozy motel room north of the city. Having earlier rented a car at the airport, it would be about 20 minutes before I could pick Joe up. Adroitly (head on a swivel as usual) Joe spotted the WC and said take your time.

White Castle? How long had it been for me? Perhaps over 40 years now! All I can remember about WC was hitting it on a few very early mornings. Usually this occurred several hours after a football game and some party hopping. Sometime after midnight, a couple of other players and I would end up at the only eatery open. As I recall, each of us would order not one or two but a dozen burgers for starters. They came on little buns with chopped up onions on top a small piece of animal protein. The only thing left for us before bed was to determine who among us could eat the absolute most burgers!

So when I saw that White Castle was having a special Valentine's Day at many of their locations (including Minneapolis), I felt obligated to share the news with you. Especially you who are at wits end on where to take their sweetheart for valentine eats. After doing a little research I discovered that those who dined at the WC last year were treated like royalty.

Check it out, there were tablecloths, candles, romantic music and a host. As a bonus, I heard, that a few diners in one big town WC were greeted by a French speaking manager. Also, there was even a crystal-like swan with some "after-dinner" heart candy. All that on top of some tasty and cheap burgers. I’m tempted to break my 40 year WC abstinence policy tomorrow. What do you think?

Just hit this White Castle link and call the Minneapolis number for reservations. Come on, enjoy a memorable Valentine’s Day dinner with someone you love.

BTW: If you want to see some folks enjoying last year's meal click here: (Flickr).

Enjoy, ron

Sparrow Falls!

Lyrics:

Holy king cause my skin to crawl
Away from every evil thing
In a cotton mouth in a cotton mouth
Quick across the water bring

Your hand speak of a broken door handle
Of thoughts and deeds a little bird sings
A little bird sings
Star rise on the face of the water
Quiet comes on the wing of a lark
Call out in an old time holler
Call out if you're afraid of your dark

I will you no grief no to see you fall
Once had a mind to I'm done with that
I mean you no harm at all

What stands between us
Runs right through my head
It's water still under the bridge
We come together in a horsehead union
Hang my tobacco hands from a beam
Silver handled and chest of drawers
Out of the longhouse I took what's yours
I took what's yours

I will you no grief no to see you fall
Once had a mind to I'm done with that
I mean you no harm at all

I will you no grief no to see you fall
Once had a mind to I'm done with that
I'm done with that
I mean you no harm at all

“Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (ESV, Luke 12.7)

Thinking of sparrows? (click here)

Listen, read. reflect & enjoy, ron

Faith, Race & Coach!

Let’s hear it for Tony Dungy! He knows the true relationship between faith and race. In rather timely fashion, it seems Tony has an implicit word or two to say with reference to African American History Month. As you can read below, Dungy challenges the idea that his race matters more than his faith. As quoted in the NYT:

“I tell you what, I’m proud to be representing African-American coaches, to be the first African-American coach to win this,” Dungy said. “It means an awful lot to our country. But again, more than anything, I said it before, Lovie Smith and I, not only the first two African-Americans, but Christian coaches showing you can win doing it the Lord’s way. We’re more proud of that.”

Note #1:“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (ESV, Matthew 6.33)

Note #2: Of course Tony is not the first or only Christian coach to have won the Super Bowl.

Note #3: At the rate things are going, it won’t be long before our great Nation will be celebrating a Christian American History Month.

Enjoy, ron

One Foundation!

Preaching through 1 Corinthians is pure joy. I’m in chapter 3 and Paul is driving home the point that Jesus Christ is the only foundation that the church can situate on (v. 11). The preaching that Paul began with in Corinth was indeed foundational. He refers to it back in 2:1-2 as his decision “to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

The foundation of the church is not New Testament ethics or the moral teachings of Jesus. And as important as love & good works are, neither of those is the foundation that the church is built on. It's not built on the decision-making or teachings of leaders throughout the two thousand plus years of church history. It's built on Jesus Christ & him alone.

Jesus once told the Jewish religious leaders, "You search the Scriptures... & it is these that bear witness of Me...." (Jn 5:39). Paul says in Eph 2:20 that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles & the prophets, & Jesus is the cornerstone. So here in ! Corinthians he says again, "Don't try to lay another foundation."

During an especially heated period of theological controversy in England in 1866 when liberalism threatened to destroy the great cardinal doctrines of the Anglican church, a hymn was written by Pastor Samuel Stone (1839–1900). He was known as a people’s pastor who refused to compromise on doctrinal orthodoxy.

It was Stone’s desire to write a hymn that would reaffirm the Lordship of Christ as the foundation of the church. So he wrote twelve hymn texts based on the Apostles’ Creed. The musical text (click here) below refers to the ninth article: “The Holy Catholic (Universal) Church, the communion of saints: He is the Head of this body.”

The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord; She is His new creation by water and the Word: from heav’n He came and sought her to be His holy bride; with His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died.

Elect from ev’ry nation, yet one o’er all the earth, her charter of salvation One Lord, one faith, one birth; one holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food, and to one hope she presses, with ev’ry grace endued.

Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One, and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won: O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we, like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with Thee.

enjoy, ron

Read!

Reading is a search for truth! Recently I’ve become concerned about my reading habits. I read a lot in the area of biblical studies, philosophy and theology. I wanted to expand my horizons, so a few years ago I added the reading of a contemporary novel a month to my routine. However, most of the novels leave me spiritually drained and bond to secular entrapments. As a result, I’ve recently begun to ask, “Why am I reading the stuff?” If reading is a search for truth than what one reads should set one free?

So here’s a tip from a pastor of former times!

Richard Baxter's Guide To The Value Of A Book

Make careful choice of the books which you read: let the holy Scriptures ever have the preeminence. Let Scripture be first and most in your hearts and hands and other books be used as subservient to it.

While reading ask yourself:
1. Could I spend this time no better?
2. Are there better books that would edify me more?
3. Are the lovers of such a book as this the greatest lovers of the Book of God and of a holy life?
4. Does this book increase my love to the Word of God, kill my sin, and prepare me for the life to come?

"The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails - given by one Shepherd. Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body." Ecclesiastes 12:11-12

“One cannot always live in the palaces and state apartments of language, but we can refuse to spend our days in searching for its vilest slums.” - William Watson

Enjoy a good book, ron

Ha! Hog!

enjoy, ron

Go Colts!

For all of you who prayed for me during my recent trip to the AFC Championship game, thank you! The Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots put on an amazing show. I was spiritually enriched!

From the moment I arrived in Indianapolis on Friday, I couldn’t help but be struck by the religious overtones surrounding the game. It seemed that everyone except for the media, which seems mostly to ignore the religious element, was giving God the glory. Even after the game, I witnessed firsthand that a majority of the Indianapolis players, coaches and fans credited God for their victory. So what is behind the current Colt phenomenon? Well, it runs deeper and is genuinely more significant than mere religion. Can you say Jesus Christ?

Listen to the public testimony of coach Tony Dungy following the game. “The Lord (Jesus Christ) set this up in a way that no one would believe it,”. “The Lord tested us a lot this year, but He set this up to get all the glory.”

Personally, over the three day event, I was blessed with a lot of prayer, bible study and fellowship with a few CVC brothers who also attended, namely, Joe, Linden, Al & Charles.

enjoy, ron

Way!!!

"Jesus does not give recipes that show the way to God as other teachers of religion do.

He is himself the way."

Karl Barth

(May 10, 1886 – December 10, 1968)

Barth (pronounced Bart) was an influential Swiss Reformed Christian theologian. He was also a pastor and one of the leading thinkers in the neo-orthodox movement.

enjoy, ron

Confusion of Tongues!

Pieter Bruegel the Elder

(1525 – 1569)
The Tower of Babel
oil on panel (114 × 155 cm) – 1563
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

I don’t speak in tongues? That is, I don’t speak often in tongues! Unless, of course, speaking some (very little) Greek, Hebrew, Latin, German and/or French counts. I can sometimes think in tongues, however. I wonder if that counts? Still, I’ve been accused of talking in ways that need serious interpretative help. Say what?

I believe in tongues! Even supernatural tongues! Mind you, I have to listen lovingly to catch it; and sometimes I do, especially, with regard to my grandchildren. Say what? You need something to drink? Milk? “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men…” (1 Cor. 3.1). Are you sure?

At first blush, tongues reminds me of the ancient Tower of Babel incident recorded in Genesis 11. Recall, after the great flood, Noah's descendants settled in some remote lowlands near the Euphrates. At that time, they spoke a common language and formed a single, close knit community. Harmoniously, there was one tongue and no one was excluded.

Now we read in Genesis 11.4: "And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." Call it the Tongue Tower! Notice the tower had to serve as a landmark to keep people together, despite the fact that God had commanded Noah and his sons to 'replenish' the earth (Gen. 9.1). Also, rainbow or no, a great tower could be used as a safe haven in case of a new flood.

God looked down upon these busy folks, and concluded that in all their industry they were actually trying to rival him. That’s idolatry! So he decided to discipline them with the Confusion of Tongues. Since people could no longer understand each other, they were scattered over the earth at last. The site of the event would from that day on be known as Babel, apparently meaning 'confusion'.

I understand this feeling of bewilderment! I was listening the other day to a couple of Muslim’s interact in an aisle near me at the Wal-Mart. Say what? That evening, I attended a prayer meeting where two of my friends went off into tongues over a pressing issue. Say what?

Let it be known that tongues are important but not at the expense of love (1 Cor 13.1).

enjoy, ron

Word of the Year!

Have you been plutoed lately?

'Plutoed' Chosen As '06 Word of the Year!

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Pluto is finally getting some respect - not from
astronomers, but from wordsmiths.

"Plutoed" was chosen 2006's Word of the Year by the American Dialect Society at its annual meeting Friday.

To "pluto" is "to demote or devalue someone or something," much like what happened to the former planet last year when the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union decided Pluto didn't meet its definition of a planet.

"Our members believe the great emotional reaction of the public to the demotion of Pluto shows the importance of Pluto as a name," said society president Cleveland Evans. "We may no longer believe in the Roman god Pluto, but we still have a sense of personal connection with the former planet." [...]

FYI: Friends, our solar system has eight planets, not nine as you've been told all your life. On second thought, maybe it has twelve. Actually, scientists can't agree, even after the International Astronomical Union (IAU) - the folks who officially keep track of celestial bodies - ruled in August 2006 that tiny Pluto isn't a planet after all.

Yet for the time being Pluto has been plutoed!

enjoy using the word, revdrron

Free Will!

Are you interested in reading something secular about the enduring problem of free will? Check out this New York Times article (click link on title).

SCIENCE (January 2, 2007)
Free Will: Now You Have It, Now You Don’t
By DENNIS OVERBYE

Quote:

Experiments suggest that the conscious choice is an illusion, but some
philosophers and physicists choose to disagree.

BTW: Toward the end of the article the author quotes Dr. Libet who in turn quotes the writer Issac Bashevis Singer. The quote by Bashevis is profound in its own right but I have more fun with his following quote.

“We have to believe in free will. We have no choice.”

enjoy, ron

Gloria!

Still enjoying the Immanuel!? Feast your eyes on this portrait by Caravaggio (1609) and enjoy a modern English version of the ancient Christian Gloria (hum along with me), translated from the Latin that was adapted from the original Greek:

Glory to God in the highest,
And peace to His people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King,
Almighty God and Father,
We worship you, we give you thanks,
We praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
You take away the sin of the world,
Have mercy on us;
You are seated at the right hand of the Father,
Receive our prayer.

For You alone are the Holy One,
You alone are the Lord,
You alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit
In the Glory of God the Father. Amen.

enjoy, ron

Christmas Grace: Salvation!

Grace is impossible for sinners to grasp. And as soon as we gather that it is impossible, we turn the “grasping of it” into a contest. Once we get it, we begin to work it! And the winner of the best “grace project” award gets a stint at “the head of the class”. Yet in the end, grace means that some with the wrong answers will be saved and some with the right answers won’t be. The salvation that came to the world was all of grace!

Ephesians 2.8-9

Luke 18.26-27
Matthew 25.31-46

Immanuel, ron

God’s Plan: Immanuel!

I’m posting a small excerpt from my upcoming Sunday sermon (Christmas Eve, 12/24/06)

During the Christmas season we celebrate the fulfillment of God's intimate plan to be visibly present among us (Matthew 1.21-23). God’s Immanuel! The promise to become evident to His people given some 730 years before its time (Isaiah 7.14). Today we celebrate the birth of the "Immanuel"; we celebrate the birth of "God with us."

So the meaning of Christmas is that God’s intimate, visible presence with fallen mankind has been reestablished. God is now with us in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The question is: “What does it mean for you and me that the Immanuel has been born?” Three things!

First, it means salvation. The Immanuel is a sign of God's visible saving presence. The Immanuel is a sign that God will deliver His people. Remember what the angel said to Joseph, the husband of Mary! (Matthew 1.21) The Savior is the Immanuel and the Immanuel is the Savior!

The birth of the Immanuel means salvation from sin for everyone who believes (Rom 1:16), for everyone who repents of their sin and exercises faith in the powerful presence of Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah.

Second, the birth of the Immanuel means that God will not leave, forsake, or fail His people. The name "Immanuel" is a watchword among God's people; it is a word of hope. No matter how desperate conditions become we know that God is with us (Romans 8. 38-39).

Third, the birth of the Immanuel means we have no reason for ungodly fear. "If God is for us and with us, who can be against us?" asks Paul (Rom 8:31)? We know that no evil, no world, no flesh, no devil is so great that the actual presence of God in Christ Jesus and in our lives is not more than able to overcome it.

enjoy, ron

Bible Humor?

It’s been some time now since I’ve posted a little humor. I know that the below story isn’t new but what is? Besides I’m going with a safe one here. I hope it doesn't bomb!

There was this Christian lady that had to do a lot of traveling for her business, so she did a lot of flying. Flying made her nervous, so she always took her Bible along with her to read and it helped relax her.

One time, she was sitting next to a man of letters. When he saw her pull out her Bible, he gave a little chuckle and went back to what he was doing.

After awhile, unable to resist, he turned to her and asked, "You don't really believe all that stuff in there do you?"

The lady replied, "Of course I do. It is the Holy Bible."

He said, "Well, what about that guy that was swallowed by that whale?"

She replied, "Oh, Jonah. Yes, I believe that, it is in the Bible."

He asked, "Well, how do you suppose he survived all that time inside the whale?"

The lady said, "Well, I don't really know all the details. I guess when I get to heaven, I’ll ask him."

"What if he isn't in heaven?" the man asked mockingly.

"Then you can ask him." replied the lady confidently.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Rom 1.16).

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Rom 10.17).

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4.12)

enjoy, ron

Hebrews 9 & 10

Our Wednesday night Bible Study group is just entering a verse by verse study of the book of Hebrews. This video is from the WorshipGod06 Conference Aug. 9-12, 2006. Ryan Ferguson is giving a memorized dramatic recitation of Hebrews 9 & 10 from the ESV Bible. Take a listen! God’s Word is powerful! The Holy Bible, English Standard Version is copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Einstein & a personal God

We read in 1 Corinthians 2.6-16 that a message of wisdom is spoken among the mature or spiritual. But this sort of wisdom remains a mystery to those without the Spirit, regardless their genius.

Albert Einstein knew something about mystery and considered himself to be a deeply religious man. We are told that he came to this position through his deep sense of the incomprehensible mystery in which he thought the cosmos was implanted. As far as we know, Einstein also looked favorably on the ethical teachings of Jesus and the prophets. However, he considered belief in a personal God to be the main obstacle to the reconciliation of science and religion. What do you think? Is belief in a personal God compatible with a scientific understanding of the world?

The Apostle Paul informs us that a person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God (2.14). So how is it that a human being, even an unscientific one, can know the wisdom of God? How can a person make such a high and exalted claim as to know the very mind of God, specifically, to have the mind of Christ (16b)?

In other words, how does the Spirit work? How does He impart this wisdom, this mind, to humankind? We are told that the Spirit's activity is an action of inward illumination (vv. 10, 13). That is, a person's natural, spiritual blindness is removed, the veil is taken from the eyes of their heart, their pride & their prejudice are alike broken down, & they’re given an understanding of spiritual realities.

The wisdom of God would have never been discovered by scientific investigation alone. Further, without the Spirit’s intervention, it would have never occurred to Einstein that God was (and is) personal. For as verse 7 says, it’s a "secret & hidden wisdom," or it’s a wisdom "in a mystery & concealed." So the only way for anyone to know it is for God to reveal it. Revelation is the act of God whereby what once was concealed from us is now made known to us.

Paul tells us something about this process in vv 10–13. He uses an analogy: among humankind a person's thoughts & concerns are only known to the spirit of that person. And only if he wills can another person become privy to what those thoughts & concerns are. If one desires one can reveal his thoughts. So it is with God: no one knows God’s mind except God’s own Spirit. But God has willed to impart God’s wisdom by his Spirit.

Consequently, it is not belief in a personal God that stands as the main obstacle to the reconciliation of science and religion. It is unbelief! After all without faith in a personal God (revealed by and through the Spirit in the Person and work of Jesus Christ) no one can even begin to plum the elements of compatibility between religious truth and a scientific understanding of the world?

Mind Games!

As most of you know the word "philosophy" means "love of wisdom." Personally, I have long considered myself a lover and seeker of wisdom. Christians would be hard put to oppose philosophy in principle. After all, in light of 1 Corinthians 2.6 “…we do speak wisdom!" There is a wisdom which we are commanded to seek and which we should treasure and which we speak. In that sense all Christians should be amateur philosophers - lovers and seekers of wisdom

All through the early years of my call to Christ, I was relentlessly challenged by and compelled to read the biblical wisdom literature. For example, “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding…” (Proverbs 2.1-6).

Of course there can be no saving faith that rests on the wisdom of men (1 Corinthians 2.5). After all, according to 1 Corinthians 1.18ff worldly wisdom considers salvation through a crucified Christ to be foolishness! Absolute nonsense! Now the reason it does is because, on the one hand, the death of Christ is a severe indictment of humankind’s utterly sinful condition, but, on the other hand, the wisdom of the world is totally devoted to achieving and maintaining its own self-sufficiency and ground for boasting.

It’s important to note that the use of the mind per se isn’t evil. Believer’s are not to be anti-intellectual. Rather the Scripture is concerned with how you use your mind, what it comes up with, what it is motivated by (Romans 12.1-2). Which means that the alternative to a self-important use of the mind should not be no use but rather a Christ centered use. The alternative to self-righteous competence is not selfless incompetence but Christ competence.

Wilberforce & salvation!

There is a famous story from the days following the Great Awakening. It concerns two prominent men of that day, William Wilberforce, the member of Parliament who was so instrumental in the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire and his friend, William Pitt, the younger, who was once Prime Minister of Britain.

Now Wilberforce had become a devout Christian and Pitt was a Christian only in the nominal, formal sense. One common among the upper classes in Britain in those days. But, notwithstanding this difference in viewpoint, the two refined gentlemen remained personal friends.

But, as Christians will be, Wilberforce was concerned for his friend and wanted him to find Jesus Christ. After many attempts, Wilberforce finally prevailed upon Pitt to accompany him to hear the renowned evangelical preacher, Richard Cecil. Cecil was a gospel luminary in that second generation of Awakening men, a good friend of John Newton.

So the two men went along to the service. According to Wilberforce, Cecil was at his very best that day and preached the gospel in a most powerful and elevating way. Wilberforce himself was carried away by the sermon and wondered the whole time what his friend Pitt was thinking as he heard this masterful presentation of salvation in Christ.

Well, he didn't have long to wait before finding out. As they were still making their way out of the building after the service, Pitt turned to his friend and said, "You know, Wilberforce, I haven't the slightest idea what that man has been talking about." And, of course, he didn't. He couldn't grasp it. It made no sense to him. What was light and life and the plainest sense to Wilberforce was so much confusion and silliness to Pitt.

But the natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God (see 1 Cor. 2.14). Indeed, it is this fact that explains why, in the Bible, no one is ever surprised by unbelief. Jesus never was. Paul never was. Unbelief is mankind's natural state and it will never be surmounted unless the Holy Spirit works.

Cross-Living!

What is Cross-living? Sounds like the title to a new TV mini-series. What does Cross-living have to do with a world of pleasure seekers?

Jesus stated in Luke 9:23 - "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself & take up his cross daily & follow me." When Christ died on the cross for sinners he not only stood in my place, doing what I never could do, but he also showed me how to Cross-live.

Christ’s death saves us from eternal death but not from the cross life! He died so that we could be glorified, but not to keep us from being crucified. "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself & take up his cross daily." For the Christian the cross of Christ isn’t merely a past place of substitution. It’s also a present place of daily putting to death. That is Cross-living!

We can never let the cross lose its crucifying power in our life! We can never let it slip into the muted & murky past as though Christ died for sinners so that we can live for pleasure. That is pleasure-living!

Eternal pleasures are coming! Many are already here! (forgiveness & acceptance & holiness & healing). But just like Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before him, so it is with us in this fallen age (Hebrews 12:1-11). Since most of the joy we long for is still over the horizon, we are to "…go forth to him outside the camp, bearing abuse for him. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come" (Hebrews 13:13-14).

In other words if you would save your life you must lose it & if you would follow Jesus you must take up Cross-living daily. The huge calamity of much contemporary Christianity is that Cross-living has no appeal. And practically what it means is that Jesus lived in poverty so that I might live in wealth. And the more stuff we have the more we honor the cross - so goes the prosperity gospel.

So what is Cross-living? Plainly put it is taking up my own cross & dying to self, daily.

Thank You!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Word of the Cross!

Note: It's been some time since I posted. Thought I might show a couple paragraphs from today's sermon. I'm currently preaching through 1Corinthains.

In verse 18 of 1 Corinthians 1, the Apostle Paul begins by saying: "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing…" They are perishing precisely because they don’t know themselves to be perishing. They have no idea of their desperate need for salvation. As Paul says of himself in Rom 7, Christ never made any sense to him until he first realized himself a sinner, in bondage to sin, & in desperate need of redemption.

The word of the cross doesn’t belong to the perishing but to those "who are being saved." God has built His kingdom in such a way that the Saved are entrusted with the word of the cross. Plain & simple! The word of the cross stands alone! It alone will cut to the heart of all self centeredness. It alone is central to salvation.

It belongs to the saved but it stands alone! We need not "decorate" the cross with any earthly wisdom or technique so as to make it more acceptable to the perishing. The power of the cross rests in the Word! There’s nothing we can do to make the Gospel more palatable to a hard heart. Only if the Spirit of God goes forth first & makes dead people alive will the word of the cross be effectual. Therefore, we rely on God's good purposes in regeneration, not our oratory skill or technological prowess or worldly wisdom.

Enjoy, Ron

David Eugene!

David Eugene Edwards is the lead singer, main songwriter and principal musician of the Woven Hand band. He is the former lead singer of 16 Horsepower. His music defies simple genre categorization and his lyrics often combine the apocalyptic elements of darkness, judgment and redemption. It’s my kind of popular Christian music never heard on popular Christian radio stations. His theological bent is Reformed/Calvinistic and on stage his performances are evangelistically intense, eerie and persuasive.

Edwards performs on the soundtrack to the short film "Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus," playing the traditional "Wayfarin' Stranger." He also appears in this religiously agile film, playing a fragment of "Phyllis Ruth," a Sixteen Horsepower song from 1997's Low Estate.

If you haven’t heard David Eugene, it’s time! Don’t delay! Start now my little Pilgrim’s Progress!

The above image is of David Eugene Edwards of 16 Horsepower/Woven Hand performing solo at Debaser in Stockholm, Sweden, 2004-05-25. (c) Anders Jensen-Urstad.

enjoy!

Back to school!

My youngest daughter (12 yrs) is attending a charter school this year. It was established in our community a couple of years ago and begins with the 6th grade. The interesting thing about this school is its emphasis on a classic education and its curriculum has a medieval flavor.

The focus is on the liberal arts. First the "trivium" of grammar (including Latin) , rhetoric (with an emphasis on letter writing), and dialectic (logic and reasoning). Then the "quadrivium" of arithmetic, history, science, and music.

This course of study could be arduous for my daughter who spent her grammar school years in a French Immersion school. She is a high energy gal and bound to become bored and impatient. She is not alone in this matter. It is a time honored experience. The story goes that a number of students evidently grew impatient toward the end of the day during medieval school days as well. It seems there was a law on the books in Padua that prohibited students from pounding on their desks to force the teacher to dismiss class early.

Nevertheless, despite the rigors and boredom of formal education, many new students are flocking to this charter school. Also, my daughter’s classical curriculum may once again transform my own educational horizon. Vicariously, I’m feeling a pinch of educational excitement, thanks partly to the challenge of learning Latin and reading Homer again.

Want to learn more?
Explore the medieval curriculum

Be Reasonable Pope!

Islamic militants in Iraq and the Palestinian Territories (PT) have threatened to destroy churches and kill Christians in response to Pope Benedict's speech at the University of Regensburg. It seems that a 14th Century Byzantine emperor quoted in the Pope's address had asserted that violent Islamic jihad is evil and essentially unreasonable because it is contrary to the very nature of God. The pope himself has said his talk was meant to increase dialogue between religious traditions. If his only true intention was to cultivate dialogue and not to criticize, why did the pope decide to evoke Islamic violence rather than the history of Catholic violence to make his point? What, exactly, does he mean to say about the differences between Christianity and Islam? For that matter, what about the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism?

Let’s look at some raw and painful facts. Two of seven churches already attacked in PT have been destroyed. A 70-year-old nun was ambushed and shot in the back in Somalia. Al-Qaeda in Iraq has vowed to 'destroy the cross', slit the throats of Christians and make their belongings and children the bounty of the mujahideen.

Note 1: Pray for these most vulnerable and endangered Christian believers, that God will be their deliverer.

Note 2: Ramadan starts on 24 September - the 30 Day Muslim Prayer Focus is available at <http://www.30-days.net/>.

Note 3:For the full text of the Pope's speech at the University of Regensburg: <http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=46474>

Note 4: I personally disagree with the Pope's assertion that the Reformers sacrificed reason in the pursuit of Biblical faith but do not see this as grounds for global Protestant rioting.

Just Walk'n

Listening to Dylan’s Modern Times isn’t the only reason I haven't been posting lately. Things are dreadfully busy in my life. For example, within the past thirty days, I started a new company, began a novel bi-vocational relationship with my church and refereed five of my seven children back to school (three in college).

Be with you soon, ron

Levee's gonna break muse!

Although “Everybody saying this is a day only the Lord could make”, a broken levee was the chief culprit behind the deluge of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina last year. Unfortunately, it kept on rainin’ and many were flooded out of their homes; some died!

Floods are insidious that way. Since the days of Noah, they remain one of humanity's greatest scourges. Despite all our modern times know-how, handymen and engineers still reckon with a simple truth: "The levee gonna break."

And according to ancient myth when the levee broke:

The gods were frightened by the deluge,
And, shrinking back, they ascended to the heaven of Anu.
The gods cowered like dogs
Crouched against the outer wall.
- Utnapishtim, The Epic of Gilgamesh

Of course, there’s always the Millennium, Few more years of hard work, then there'll be a 1,000 years of happiness, at least, for those who are awake when she breaks: “Some people still sleepin', some people are wide awake.”

Reminiscent of the Preacher’s verdict in Ecclesiastes: “Without you there's no meaning in anything I do.” Speaking of meaning, I’m thinking of Christ Jesus when I hear:

Well, I look in your eyes, I see nobody other than me
I look in your eyes, I see nobody other than me
I see all that I am and all I hope to be.

If it keeps on rainin’ the levee gonna break! Yet, some of these people don't know which road to take!

On the sinner impose his sin,
On the transgressor impose his transgression!
Yet be lenient, lest he be cut off,
Be patient, lest he be dislodged.
Instead of thy bringing on the deluge,
Would that a lion had risen up to diminish mankind!
Instead of thy bringing on the deluge,
Would that a wolf had risen up to diminish mankind!
Instead of thy bringing on the deluge,
Would that a famine had risen up to lay low mankind!
Instead of thy bringing on the deluge,
Would that pestilence had risen up to smite down mankind!
- Utnapishtim, The Epic of Gilgamesh

"So, Put on your cat clothes, mama, put on your evening dress!"

After the deluge in Genesis, Noah gets his reward, not only in the form of God's covenant, but also in grilled steak and a nice merlot. Genesis notes that God allows Noah and his descendants to eat meat (9:2-4) and that Noah, thirsty for more than water, plants a fine vineyard (9:20). "I woke up this morning, butter and eggs in my bed."

"Riches and salvation can be waiting behind the next bend in the road!"

A little "gutter" talk, ron