Sometimes talking to other people slaps you upside the head with what your own reality is.
I was talking with the pastor's wife earlier this week. Having noticed that Maggie wasn't at Didache on Monday night, she wondered what was up with regard to surgery, and if Maggie might be in the hospital now. I told her that surgery was still almost two weeks away and that Maggie had stayed home because she was tired and wanted to go to bed early. I told her that I wasn't going to encourage Maggie to come out late for class on Monday because the "punies" seemed to be making headway in our house. The germs haven't won an all-out battle, but the germies were sapping the vitality of a few family members last weekend.
My friend suggested that, with two weeks to surgery, that wasn't so bad because that'd give people time to get sick, pass it around, and still get over it in plenty of time to be healthy for surgery. And that would make sense: in most other families, she'd be exactly right. But it is so far from my reality. For a kid with a depressed immune system, two weeks into an illness is just getting started on the down-time.
Somehow, that gave me a jolt as to how what I now consider "regular life" isn't actually so regular. Kinda bummed me out.
But what is important for me to remember is that everybody has things like this -- things that other people are unaware of, or that other people don't understand. Some people have struggles because of money problems that aren't obvious to others. Some people have sons or husbands fighting in the mid-East. Some people have conflict with their children or spouse, or maybe really rough waters with the extended family. Some people have personality conflicts with the folks at work. Some have health issues. Some are mourning and taking "too long" to get over it (as if the length of mourning has a prescribed cut-off time). How often is the mom-with-a-job jealous of the stay-at-home mom for the time she has with her kids? And how often is the stay-at-home mom jealous of the income of the employed mom (and the adult conversation available to her)? How often is the person with a physical disability jealous of someone who appears healthy, not knowing of the person's debilitating allergies or mental illness?
My friend Cheryl commented on the homeschool email list the other day about how she just can't keep up with everything like other people seem to. But the others don't!! Everybody is failing. We're just failing at different things.
It's like reading those demoralizing homeschool magazines. Gertrude's kids are violin whizzes. And Marybell's kids are starting college at age 15. And Ernestine's kids have home-grown businesses. And BettyMae's kids do all the housecleaning and cooking while Mom teaches Latin to the 3-yr-old. And my kids just want to play legos and video games, often "forget" their chores, fuss with their siblings, don't take music lessons or play soccer. My kids don't do all the things "their kids" do. Thing is, none of those kids do all the things the "other kids" do.
Sometimes we're so accustomed to our own struggles (like with an immune-depressed child) that we don't even recognize the facts of how it slows us down, and we wonder what's wrong with us that we can't keep up with everything that everybody else is doing. Other times, we see the ease that other people enjoy, while we're very much aware of the struggles we face each day, and our little hearts cry out, "But it's not fair!" And yet, those other people have "realities" that I'm not privy to. So I don't even have sense enough to rejoice in all the ease that I have. Or on the flip side, I don't even have the sense to rejoice in the fact that sometimes I can take "struggles" for granted and simply go on, plowing through life with them as if it's just "regular life"; no biggie. :-)
You know what? I think this has turned into a Thanksgiving post.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Cost of NASA
We watched the conclusion of Connections this evening. It reviews and connects everything in the preceeding installments. Then there was analysis about society's possible responses to the accelerating rate of changes in technology. One tidbit was startling.
The amount of money spent on the Apollo space program was huge. A lot of people said it was a waste. And yet...
the amount of money spent on the space program during those years was equivalent to the amount of money spent on cosmetics and beauty products during that same period. Kinda puts things in a different perspective, eh?
The amount of money spent on the Apollo space program was huge. A lot of people said it was a waste. And yet...
the amount of money spent on the space program during those years was equivalent to the amount of money spent on cosmetics and beauty products during that same period. Kinda puts things in a different perspective, eh?
John 19:32 + Romans 6:6
From the end of the passion account: "Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him."
When Pastor was reading that the other night during Didache, I wondered about which one was "the other." Checking out Luke's account, I found that the "first" was the unbeliever, and the "other" was the one who repented.
Toss that into the mix with what Romans 6 says about being baptized into His death, and being united with Him in His death. Then throw in a bit of
Let us also die with Jesus.
His death from the second death,
from our soul's destruction, frees us,
quickens us with life's glad breath.
Let us mortify, while living,
flesh and blood and die to sin.
And the grave that shuts us in
shall but prove the gate to heaven.
Jesus, here I die to Thee
there to live eternally. (TLH 409:3)
And you start to think that maybe John's comment about "the other who was crucified with Him" isn't just a historical statement about the people who died in a particular place on a particular day. After all, it doesn't mention that the "first" was crucified "with Him." Maybe this comment by John is also a theological statement about our old man being crucified with Him that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When Pastor was reading that the other night during Didache, I wondered about which one was "the other." Checking out Luke's account, I found that the "first" was the unbeliever, and the "other" was the one who repented.
Toss that into the mix with what Romans 6 says about being baptized into His death, and being united with Him in His death. Then throw in a bit of
Let us also die with Jesus.
His death from the second death,
from our soul's destruction, frees us,
quickens us with life's glad breath.
Let us mortify, while living,
flesh and blood and die to sin.
And the grave that shuts us in
shall but prove the gate to heaven.
Jesus, here I die to Thee
there to live eternally. (TLH 409:3)
And you start to think that maybe John's comment about "the other who was crucified with Him" isn't just a historical statement about the people who died in a particular place on a particular day. After all, it doesn't mention that the "first" was crucified "with Him." Maybe this comment by John is also a theological statement about our old man being crucified with Him that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
In Memory of Scott
Five years ago, Pastor Marincic died.
How firm a foundation,
ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith
in His excellent Word!
And today we had a funeral here for a man in the congregation who died quite suddenly and unexpectedly this weekend. And people sang the hymns -- really sang! That's not common here, and especially not for funerals. It was great!
How firm a foundation,
ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith
in His excellent Word!
And today we had a funeral here for a man in the congregation who died quite suddenly and unexpectedly this weekend. And people sang the hymns -- really sang! That's not common here, and especially not for funerals. It was great!
Monday, November 13, 2006
Acts of Mercy
In Bible class last week, somebody asked about whether "we" (as in, the congregation as an organized entity) should be doing more good works to help people, be they Christian or non-Christian. She wondered if it mightn't be easier for people to hear the Gospel and come to faith if first their temporal needs are met. That is a standard line you hear from most missionaries. And she's right about the kindnesses we show to others not being contigent upon what they believe, but that these things are done for the sake of being kind and merciful and good to anyone, particularly to those who don't "deserve" it.
In the last couple of years, "acts of mercy" has become a popular new buzzword, frequently heard from the folks running our deaconess programs and synod's Human Care office. But there are a few things I don't understand.
1. If we say that people will be more willing to hear the Gospel if we first attend to their temporal needs, are we trusting in our good works to change their hearts instead of depending upon the Word of God to create faith in them?
2. Sometimes it almost sounds like good works are being promoted to intentionally entice people into the Church, rather than good works being the natural outgrowth of a lively faith.
3. So many people are already doing "acts of mercy" simply by changing their children's diapers, or taking their elderly grandparents to the doctor, or helping neighbors, or adopting an abandoned child, or working in hospice. But I've heard professors and synodical officials speak as though these mundane everyday acts "aren't enough" and we need to be doing different "bigger" acts of mercy.
4. If we institutionalize our "acts of mercy" through church programs and paid employees, is it easier for people to excuse themselves from actually getting involved in their neighbors' lives?
5. If we start programs (food pantry, English as a Second Language, homeless shelter, day care, etc), will it ever be enough? Of course, like Coral posted a while ago, we do what we can, and those small efforts matter a great deal to the ones who receive these temporal blessings. But we must also take care not to buy into the idea that these things are necessary to "get people to listen." If so, then churches will turn into social agencies, because we will never be able to do enough to solve all poverty and suffering. I think Jesus might've even said something about having the poor with us always. That's not to say Christians are callous to suffering, but that the Church's focus is on Jesus and not on social work.
6. Do we ever fall into the theology-of-glory trap of thinking that Christianity is primarily about having less suffering in this life?
7. Are these programs in our congregations being run entirely by willing volunteers, or is it possible that people are being guilt-tripped into maintaining these programs? Are we taking care that volunteers are never encouraged to consider "helping others" to be more important than the time they need to spend caring for their own families? Are young women encouraged to go into church work instead of into the holy estate of being wives and mothers?
8. In this synod, it is not common to hear the Gospel preached in all its sweetness; there's too much moralism preached. Furthermore, it is an exceedingly rare thing to hear the Law preached fully, with intent to kill the sinful flesh. If we can't get the basic message of Christianity preached rightly in our pulpits, it seems a dangerous thing to branch off from that into encouraging "acts of mercy." If we really believe the Law, and if we really trust the Gospel to be the power of God, and if it were really preached rightly, then wouldn't that Gospel capture hearts and change lives, and wouldn't "acts of mercy" just be abounding all over the place?
In the last couple of years, "acts of mercy" has become a popular new buzzword, frequently heard from the folks running our deaconess programs and synod's Human Care office. But there are a few things I don't understand.
1. If we say that people will be more willing to hear the Gospel if we first attend to their temporal needs, are we trusting in our good works to change their hearts instead of depending upon the Word of God to create faith in them?
2. Sometimes it almost sounds like good works are being promoted to intentionally entice people into the Church, rather than good works being the natural outgrowth of a lively faith.
3. So many people are already doing "acts of mercy" simply by changing their children's diapers, or taking their elderly grandparents to the doctor, or helping neighbors, or adopting an abandoned child, or working in hospice. But I've heard professors and synodical officials speak as though these mundane everyday acts "aren't enough" and we need to be doing different "bigger" acts of mercy.
4. If we institutionalize our "acts of mercy" through church programs and paid employees, is it easier for people to excuse themselves from actually getting involved in their neighbors' lives?
5. If we start programs (food pantry, English as a Second Language, homeless shelter, day care, etc), will it ever be enough? Of course, like Coral posted a while ago, we do what we can, and those small efforts matter a great deal to the ones who receive these temporal blessings. But we must also take care not to buy into the idea that these things are necessary to "get people to listen." If so, then churches will turn into social agencies, because we will never be able to do enough to solve all poverty and suffering. I think Jesus might've even said something about having the poor with us always. That's not to say Christians are callous to suffering, but that the Church's focus is on Jesus and not on social work.
6. Do we ever fall into the theology-of-glory trap of thinking that Christianity is primarily about having less suffering in this life?
7. Are these programs in our congregations being run entirely by willing volunteers, or is it possible that people are being guilt-tripped into maintaining these programs? Are we taking care that volunteers are never encouraged to consider "helping others" to be more important than the time they need to spend caring for their own families? Are young women encouraged to go into church work instead of into the holy estate of being wives and mothers?
8. In this synod, it is not common to hear the Gospel preached in all its sweetness; there's too much moralism preached. Furthermore, it is an exceedingly rare thing to hear the Law preached fully, with intent to kill the sinful flesh. If we can't get the basic message of Christianity preached rightly in our pulpits, it seems a dangerous thing to branch off from that into encouraging "acts of mercy." If we really believe the Law, and if we really trust the Gospel to be the power of God, and if it were really preached rightly, then wouldn't that Gospel capture hearts and change lives, and wouldn't "acts of mercy" just be abounding all over the place?
Labels:
society,
theology,
theology (sanctification),
vocation
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Serves 8
We finished working on a physics lesson this afternoon. Not having the energy to get up and start housecleaning (aren't we supposed to take naps on Sunday afternoons?) I picked up the newspaper, noticed a special food section in the weekly magazine, and browsed for a few minutes.
I saw a recipe for chicken chimichangas. Looked good, but there's the big "but." How much would I have to make?
I'm just tired of cooking SO much of the time. I want fast-food. I want insta-food. I want food that will take me only an hour of prep time, so that I have time for physics and decimals and auditory therapy and all those things I'm supposed to be doing with the kids. I thought this chimichanga recipe looked like it would take less than an hour to prepare the recipe as written. But I can't make a recipe as written.
It said it "serves 8." I busted a gut laughing! So I asked one of the boys. "This recipe calls for 8 flour tortillas and about 3 cups of chicken meat and 2 cups of cheese. There's also some sauce and some chilis and some onions, but the bulk of the recipe is the tortilla, chicken, and cheese. How many servings is that?"
He looked at me with some skepticism, and answered slowly, "One."
Yup. That's about what I figured! Actually, with my old age and decreasing appetite, I figured it would be about 1.5 servings, not just one. Serving that amount of food to growing children, no wonder it takes me so much time to prepare meals!
I saw a recipe for chicken chimichangas. Looked good, but there's the big "but." How much would I have to make?
I'm just tired of cooking SO much of the time. I want fast-food. I want insta-food. I want food that will take me only an hour of prep time, so that I have time for physics and decimals and auditory therapy and all those things I'm supposed to be doing with the kids. I thought this chimichanga recipe looked like it would take less than an hour to prepare the recipe as written. But I can't make a recipe as written.
It said it "serves 8." I busted a gut laughing! So I asked one of the boys. "This recipe calls for 8 flour tortillas and about 3 cups of chicken meat and 2 cups of cheese. There's also some sauce and some chilis and some onions, but the bulk of the recipe is the tortilla, chicken, and cheese. How many servings is that?"
He looked at me with some skepticism, and answered slowly, "One."
Yup. That's about what I figured! Actually, with my old age and decreasing appetite, I figured it would be about 1.5 servings, not just one. Serving that amount of food to growing children, no wonder it takes me so much time to prepare meals!
Saturday, November 11, 2006
For It Is the Way of the Devil...
Tonight's reading from Day by Day We Magnify Thee was a quote from Luther's sermon for tomorrow, 1544. Part of it said:
"For it is the way of the devil, where he cannot overcome a heart with suffering and sorrow to beset it continuously, and so that it is too much and too long for the patience and it appears as though it would never end, so that at last it makes the person weak and weary and robs him of courage, and the hope of overcoming the enemy.... We need most of all the power and the might of God through prayer, so that we are not overcome in such hard fighting, but reach the end. Such patience and longsuffering you should have and practice joyfully."
While what Luther wrote is good and true and wonderful, it is also good to have a father-confessor who absolves you for the inability to practice your patience and longsuffering always with joy. And for those of you who identify with that quote, you might also be interested in checking out some of the past posts at I Trust When Dark My Road.
(Hey, Coral and Melody... we love you, dears!)
"For it is the way of the devil, where he cannot overcome a heart with suffering and sorrow to beset it continuously, and so that it is too much and too long for the patience and it appears as though it would never end, so that at last it makes the person weak and weary and robs him of courage, and the hope of overcoming the enemy.... We need most of all the power and the might of God through prayer, so that we are not overcome in such hard fighting, but reach the end. Such patience and longsuffering you should have and practice joyfully."
While what Luther wrote is good and true and wonderful, it is also good to have a father-confessor who absolves you for the inability to practice your patience and longsuffering always with joy. And for those of you who identify with that quote, you might also be interested in checking out some of the past posts at I Trust When Dark My Road.
(Hey, Coral and Melody... we love you, dears!)
Labels:
depression,
private confession,
spiritual warfare,
theology
Men Who Fix Things
My husband's radio was broken. He asked a repairman about fixing it. The value of the radio wasn't going to be worth the cost of repairs. But before tossing it, he checked out the inside of the equipment. All it needed was a little piece soldered. Our eldest son had learned to solder at work, so he fixed it, and now the radio gets a clear signal. Yee haw!
My washer decided to break yesterday. It would pump water out during the spin cycle, but not spin. I was going to be a very resourceful girl and use repairclinic.com to figure out the problem and solve it. So much for resourcefulness: it took nearly three hours just to take the machine apart enough to see what was going on inside. And for that I needed help because (dummy me) my injured hand isn't back to full use yet. Finally I got resourceful enough to call the local appliance dealer and ask if they did repairs. Gloriosky! They do! And they could come out the next morning. (That was the biggest shocker -- usually we have to wait at least a week for repairmen or deliveries way out here in the boonies. This incident is just one more incentive to look for businesses to patronize closer to home instead of over in the City.) Now I have an operative wash machine. Yee haw again!
On the way to town for paper route today, my youngest son remembered what I had pitifully failed to recall on my last 15 trips to town. He reminded me to take the route into town which avoided the detour. Yee haw once again! (Funny thing is, we got stopped on the road for a couple of minutes, just waiting, while the combine was filling the truck with corn, and both trucks were stopped next to each other, blocking the whole road. LOL!)
It's nice to be surrounded by helpful and competent men.
My washer decided to break yesterday. It would pump water out during the spin cycle, but not spin. I was going to be a very resourceful girl and use repairclinic.com to figure out the problem and solve it. So much for resourcefulness: it took nearly three hours just to take the machine apart enough to see what was going on inside. And for that I needed help because (dummy me) my injured hand isn't back to full use yet. Finally I got resourceful enough to call the local appliance dealer and ask if they did repairs. Gloriosky! They do! And they could come out the next morning. (That was the biggest shocker -- usually we have to wait at least a week for repairmen or deliveries way out here in the boonies. This incident is just one more incentive to look for businesses to patronize closer to home instead of over in the City.) Now I have an operative wash machine. Yee haw again!
On the way to town for paper route today, my youngest son remembered what I had pitifully failed to recall on my last 15 trips to town. He reminded me to take the route into town which avoided the detour. Yee haw once again! (Funny thing is, we got stopped on the road for a couple of minutes, just waiting, while the combine was filling the truck with corn, and both trucks were stopped next to each other, blocking the whole road. LOL!)
It's nice to be surrounded by helpful and competent men.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Linen
There is something so beautiful about freshly laundered white linen, ironed until it's dry and crisp and smooth. You almost have to wonder if, when God created flax on the third day, He made it specially to have the honor of being altar linens.
follow-up to Wednesday's post on the liturgy
Pastors Weedon and Cornelius (and Pr Cornelius again) have written some articles that are definitely worth reading!
Thursday, November 09, 2006
The Propers
I had been completely unaware of how often I referred to the section in TLH with the propers.
As things were being discussed for the new hymnal, I thought it was good to have propers in the hymnal, but, hey, y'know, there's limited space, and something has to go. I didn't much care for the idea of ditching the propers from the pew edition, but I didn't realize until the last couple of months what a huge thing it is that they've done.
I prefer the one-year pericope series. Some others prefer the three-year series. Although I have lots of excellent reasons why my preference is better ;-) I figure they probably think the same thing. But now, missing the collects and introits and graduals from my LSB, I am beginning to think that that reason alone (having the propers in the pew edition of the hymnal) is reason enough for the synod to go back to the one-year series across the board.
As things were being discussed for the new hymnal, I thought it was good to have propers in the hymnal, but, hey, y'know, there's limited space, and something has to go. I didn't much care for the idea of ditching the propers from the pew edition, but I didn't realize until the last couple of months what a huge thing it is that they've done.
I prefer the one-year pericope series. Some others prefer the three-year series. Although I have lots of excellent reasons why my preference is better ;-) I figure they probably think the same thing. But now, missing the collects and introits and graduals from my LSB, I am beginning to think that that reason alone (having the propers in the pew edition of the hymnal) is reason enough for the synod to go back to the one-year series across the board.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Breezy Day
It's a beautiful sunny day. It's warm. The youngest child wanted to eat dinner outside at the picnic table. The mother with Seasonal Affective Disorder thought it would be a good plan. Sure, it's a little breezy today. But hey, it's time to break into a chorus of John Denver's "sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy...."
When it's a "little breezy" to the tune of having the wind knock over your full milk glass, when it's a "little breezy" to the tune of having the wind blow your cowboy soup off your spoon on the way to your mouth,...
maybe it would've been better to forego the sunshine and eat indoors.
When it's a "little breezy" to the tune of having the wind knock over your full milk glass, when it's a "little breezy" to the tune of having the wind blow your cowboy soup off your spoon on the way to your mouth,...
maybe it would've been better to forego the sunshine and eat indoors.
Election Results
Wow -- if yesterday was a referendum on That Nasty War over there, I think we just voted to allow That Nasty War to come back onto our soil.
And then the other election results -- we voted in favor of higher taxes, higher gasoline prices, more govt control of private business. And in Wisconsin we voted for allowing voter fraud to continue unabated.
This week's psalm (36) and this week's verse (continue in the faith; we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God) sound different today than they did on Monday.
And then the other election results -- we voted in favor of higher taxes, higher gasoline prices, more govt control of private business. And in Wisconsin we voted for allowing voter fraud to continue unabated.
This week's psalm (36) and this week's verse (continue in the faith; we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God) sound different today than they did on Monday.
The Law No Peace Can Ever Give
The law reveals the guilt of sin
and makes men conscious-stricken.
The gospel then doth enter in,
the sinful soul to quicken.
Come to the cross, trust Christ, and live.
The law no peace can ever give,
no comfort and no blessing.
I've been told that pastors must "use" the law to teach us how to live. I've also been told frequently in the past year that the liturgy is "law."
Pastors certainly ought to use the law to smash our self-righteousness and to show us that we are sinners. When they do that, the law will additionally function to inform the Christian as to how he should live. But the point of Christianity is primarily about forgiving sinners, not about teaching people to be "good." (All other religions teach that.) So things begin to get off-base when the focus is on how the law can guide us into good works.
I know people who find peace in obeying man-made ideals of being environmentally friendly. I know people who find peace by obeying the laws of the fundamentalist Christians (homeschooling your kids, tithing, women banned from jeans and haircuts). I know people who find peace in their adherence to the liturgy and the rubrics. I know people in each of those categories who enjoin their activities upon others so that others can be assured that they too are making God happy by their behavior.
Now, certainly, there's nothing wrong with buying consumer goods that come with less plastic packaging. And there's nothing wrong with homeschooling or wearing long hair and dresses. And there's definitely nothing wrong with tithing or the liturgy; on the contrary, these last two in particular are good things. The problem comes when we find comfort in our obedience to these things we see as rules, when we see ourselves as better Christians for following these rules.
Christians love God's law. So do Pharisees. But for very different reasons. Although the outward behavior of the two may be quite similar, the motivation is different. Because of original sin, Christians still have pharisaical motivations at one and the same time as they have a holy and pure love of the law.
If we see the liturgy as "law," and we are happy that we know the law so that we can obey it and do it, then the law is being used unlawfully. That would be an example of the law being used to show that we're so good, rather than the law accusing us and showing us our need for a Savior who actually did measure up. Or maybe, conversely, the law being used to instruct us as to our failings so that we can then make the necessary changes to measure up ourselves.
Instead, we cling to the liturgy because it is Gospel: the aural Word of God which bestows on us Jesus' forgiveness.
Thy grace alone, dear Lord, I plead,
Thy death is now my life indeed
for Thou hast paid my ransom. ...
The law no peace can ever give,
no comfort and no blessing.
Faith clings to Jesus' cross alone
and rests in Him unceasing.
and makes men conscious-stricken.
The gospel then doth enter in,
the sinful soul to quicken.
Come to the cross, trust Christ, and live.
The law no peace can ever give,
no comfort and no blessing.
I've been told that pastors must "use" the law to teach us how to live. I've also been told frequently in the past year that the liturgy is "law."
Pastors certainly ought to use the law to smash our self-righteousness and to show us that we are sinners. When they do that, the law will additionally function to inform the Christian as to how he should live. But the point of Christianity is primarily about forgiving sinners, not about teaching people to be "good." (All other religions teach that.) So things begin to get off-base when the focus is on how the law can guide us into good works.
I know people who find peace in obeying man-made ideals of being environmentally friendly. I know people who find peace by obeying the laws of the fundamentalist Christians (homeschooling your kids, tithing, women banned from jeans and haircuts). I know people who find peace in their adherence to the liturgy and the rubrics. I know people in each of those categories who enjoin their activities upon others so that others can be assured that they too are making God happy by their behavior.
Now, certainly, there's nothing wrong with buying consumer goods that come with less plastic packaging. And there's nothing wrong with homeschooling or wearing long hair and dresses. And there's definitely nothing wrong with tithing or the liturgy; on the contrary, these last two in particular are good things. The problem comes when we find comfort in our obedience to these things we see as rules, when we see ourselves as better Christians for following these rules.
Christians love God's law. So do Pharisees. But for very different reasons. Although the outward behavior of the two may be quite similar, the motivation is different. Because of original sin, Christians still have pharisaical motivations at one and the same time as they have a holy and pure love of the law.
If we see the liturgy as "law," and we are happy that we know the law so that we can obey it and do it, then the law is being used unlawfully. That would be an example of the law being used to show that we're so good, rather than the law accusing us and showing us our need for a Savior who actually did measure up. Or maybe, conversely, the law being used to instruct us as to our failings so that we can then make the necessary changes to measure up ourselves.
Instead, we cling to the liturgy because it is Gospel: the aural Word of God which bestows on us Jesus' forgiveness.
Thy grace alone, dear Lord, I plead,
Thy death is now my life indeed
for Thou hast paid my ransom. ...
The law no peace can ever give,
no comfort and no blessing.
Faith clings to Jesus' cross alone
and rests in Him unceasing.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
On Charlie Today
For those out-of-staters, I need to explain that our governor would have to become more ethical to rank right up there with Bill Clinton in terms of morality and ethics.
So the question was raised on Charlie Sykes's talk-radio show this morning about what would happen if we re-elect our governor today but the Republican is chosen for Attorney General. My husband said the big winner would be Barbara Lawton, the Lieutenant Governor. And Charlie responded that Gary was very insightful! Oooooh, high praise indeed!
So the question was raised on Charlie Sykes's talk-radio show this morning about what would happen if we re-elect our governor today but the Republican is chosen for Attorney General. My husband said the big winner would be Barbara Lawton, the Lieutenant Governor. And Charlie responded that Gary was very insightful! Oooooh, high praise indeed!
Polly's Bubble-and-Squeak
I saw a recipe on a friend's blog that met all the requirements for a really great recipe. It still took me a few weeks to get around to trying it out. I thought it looked great because it's quick and easy, yummy, inexpensive, nutritious, and uses ingredients that are often already on hand. When I mentioned it to my eldest daughter who aspires to be a pirate sailing tall ships on the seas [I'm rolling my eyes...] she squealed and bounced because this is pirate food! This weekend we took it to our homeschool group's foreign-food potluck, and it was declared delicious by a lot of friends. So this is definitely going to have to go into the regularly used repertoire of meals.
1# sausage
1 onion
1/2 head cabbage
4 potatoes
Brown the sausage and chopped onions. Throw in the chopped cabbage and chopped potatoes. Polly said to cook it with a little water on the stove until the potatoes were done. I couldn't do that at a potluck, so I seasoned it with salt and pepper, and baked it (covered) in the oven in my iron stewpot for about an hour. I suppose it would also work well in a crockpot. Polly said season it with vinegar, but [oops] I forgot that. It was fantastic!
1# sausage
1 onion
1/2 head cabbage
4 potatoes
Brown the sausage and chopped onions. Throw in the chopped cabbage and chopped potatoes. Polly said to cook it with a little water on the stove until the potatoes were done. I couldn't do that at a potluck, so I seasoned it with salt and pepper, and baked it (covered) in the oven in my iron stewpot for about an hour. I suppose it would also work well in a crockpot. Polly said season it with vinegar, but [oops] I forgot that. It was fantastic!
Monday, November 06, 2006
I Like to Cook
I keep writing about the hymnal. It must be boring Coral, Melody, Shannon, and Maria to tears. So maybe I should write about food for a while. (Of course, probably there will be something about the hymnal mixed in with my musings on food!)
We were at a Higher Things conference once. Klem Preus was speaking on the Gospel of John and evangelism. Somehow it came up that his mom is a really good cook. Somebody teased that he oughtn't let his wife hear him say that. He explained that it didn't matter because his wife wasn't a good cook. Gasps of horror ensued! He said that about his wife?? In public?? He was a little surprised by the response; he said she knew she couldn't cook, and what was the big deal?
For some reason, that really stuck in my brain. (I do remember some of the things Pr Preus wanted us to learn from John too!) Y'know, it wouldn't offend me in the least if my husband got up in front of huge group of people and told them that his wife didn't know the first thing about decorating or landscaping or flowers or anything about making a home pretty. It would be a perfectly true statement, and it wouldn't bother me if he said it, any more than it would bother me if he said his wife has brown hair.
What I wonder is: Would people respond with gasps of horror to "My wife can't make the house pretty" as people responded to "My wife can't cook"? For some reason, I think most of us think it's more integral to "wifeliness" to cook than to make a home pretty. Or maybe that's just my perspective because I love to eat good food so very very much.
(And yes, I know this is an incredibly sexist post. Deal with it!)
We were at a Higher Things conference once. Klem Preus was speaking on the Gospel of John and evangelism. Somehow it came up that his mom is a really good cook. Somebody teased that he oughtn't let his wife hear him say that. He explained that it didn't matter because his wife wasn't a good cook. Gasps of horror ensued! He said that about his wife?? In public?? He was a little surprised by the response; he said she knew she couldn't cook, and what was the big deal?
For some reason, that really stuck in my brain. (I do remember some of the things Pr Preus wanted us to learn from John too!) Y'know, it wouldn't offend me in the least if my husband got up in front of huge group of people and told them that his wife didn't know the first thing about decorating or landscaping or flowers or anything about making a home pretty. It would be a perfectly true statement, and it wouldn't bother me if he said it, any more than it would bother me if he said his wife has brown hair.
What I wonder is: Would people respond with gasps of horror to "My wife can't make the house pretty" as people responded to "My wife can't cook"? For some reason, I think most of us think it's more integral to "wifeliness" to cook than to make a home pretty. Or maybe that's just my perspective because I love to eat good food so very very much.
(And yes, I know this is an incredibly sexist post. Deal with it!)
Sunday, November 05, 2006
St. Robert
Today, as many of us celebrated All Saints Day, some of us remember that Dr Robert Preus died twelve years ago.
Oh, how blest are ye whose toils are ended,
Who through death have unto God ascended!
Ye have arisen
From the cares which keep us still in prison.
Christ has wiped away your tears forever;
Ye have that for which we still endeavor;
To you are chanted
Songs that ne'er to mortal ears were granted.
Oh, how blest are ye whose toils are ended,
Who through death have unto God ascended!
Ye have arisen
From the cares which keep us still in prison.
Christ has wiped away your tears forever;
Ye have that for which we still endeavor;
To you are chanted
Songs that ne'er to mortal ears were granted.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Forgetful Again
I was thinking that I was just going to delete the previous post; it was too dumb. We all forget things. But then I started thinking how this is like my "forgetting" with the hymnal. Habits just don't go away easily. I know there's road construction, but nevertheless I keep driving on the road I normally use. I know the words in the new hymnal are different, but nevertheless I keep saying the old words, no matter how hard I try not to. Just the other day in Bible class, we were praying Ps 46 out of the hymnal, and I noticed the words were different. I concentrated on saying the right word. My eyes saw the right word. My brain was attuned to the change. But even so, my mouth just couldn't say "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." (Sheesh, even when I try to type it, I start typing "refuge" and have to go back and erase.)
I feel like a little kid learning to read. When a child is struggling to decode the words, the reading comprehension isn't really there. That's where I am with the new hymnal. When there's so much attention required to try to wrestle the right word out of my mouth, I miss the message of the hymn or the collect. I think it's called "losing the forest for the trees." But maybe in a few years I'll be back in the forest rather than clumsily bumping into one tree after another.
I feel like a little kid learning to read. When a child is struggling to decode the words, the reading comprehension isn't really there. That's where I am with the new hymnal. When there's so much attention required to try to wrestle the right word out of my mouth, I miss the message of the hymn or the collect. I think it's called "losing the forest for the trees." But maybe in a few years I'll be back in the forest rather than clumsily bumping into one tree after another.
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