The Imitation of Christ - Part 4

Book 1
Chapter 4
Of Prudence in Action

~Unhappily we are so weak that we find it easier to believe and speak evil of others, rather than good.

~Take counsel with a man who is wise and of a good conscience; and seek to be instructed by one better than thyself, rather than to folllow thine own inventions.

~The more humble a man is in himself, and the more obedient towards God, the wiser will he be in all things, and the more shall his soul be at peace.

That's Not Fair!

Children are quick to say, "That's not fair!" They will blurt this out to someone, anyone, in charge when they feel they've been wronged. We adults think it, but we're usually too proud to utter it verbally. Instead, we just stew about it and grumble. If we read this thoughtfully, we can't but admit that God IS fair and merciful.

The Fairness of God’s Judgment

12 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’ 13 When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die. 14 Again, when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, 15 if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
17 “Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair! 18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. 19 But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. 20 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.”

Ezekiel 33:12-20 (New King James Version)
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

At the top is a Wordle of these Bible verses.

"O Ye Immortal Throng"

This hymn is listed in today's reading from Phyllis Tickle's The Divine Hours. Its author, Philip Doddridge (1702-1751), pictured here, lived in England, and was the youngest of 20 children. (Whew!) These words weren't paired with the current tune until more than one hundred years later. Charles H. Steggall (1826-1905), another Brit, wrote this melody in 1865.


O Ye Immortal Throng

O ye immortal throng of angels round the throne,
Join with our feeble song, to make the Savior known:
On earth ye knew His wondrous grace;
His glorious face in Heav’n ye view.

Ye saw the Heav’n-born Child in human flesh arrayed,
Benevolent and mild while in the manger laid:
And “Praise to God, and peace on earth,”
For such a birth, proclaimed aloud.

Around the bloody tree ye pressed with strong desire
That wondrous sight to see, the Lord of life expire:
And could your eyes have known a tear,
Had dropped it there in sad surprise.

Around His sacred tomb a willing watch ye keep
Till the blest moment come to rouse Him from His sleep:
Then rolled the stone, and all adored
Your rising Lord with joy unknown.

When, all arrayed in light, the shining Conqueror rode,
Ye hailed His rapturous flight up to the throne of God,
And waved around your golden wings,
And struck your strings of sweetest sound.

The warbling notes pursue, and louder anthems raise,
While mortals sing with you their own Redeemer’s praise:
And thou, my heart, with equal flame,
And joy the same, perform thy part.

A Process Steadily Maintained

"It is easy to imagine that we will get to a place where we are complete and ready, but preparation is not suddenly accomplished, it is a process steadily maintained. It is dangerous to get into a settled state of experience. It is preparation and preparation."

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
(Sept. 24 entry)

I seem to get my best blog ideas while reading during school. The kids each get one end of the couch and I get the rocking chair. Well, wouldn't you know...I'm finally able to sit down at the computer and now I forget what pearls of wisdom I had to say about this quote.

There have been times in my life when I've thought, "I'll really start enjoying life when...a boy asks me out on a date, I graduate from college and get a job, we buy a house, we get pregnant, we get out of debt, etc." I'm getting better at being content with where I am in life. I guess you could call it a "bloom where you are planted" philosophy. God has placed me here, at this time, with these limitations, these talents...and I think He expects me to use them for His glory.

So the next time I am tempted to sow seeds of discontent in my life, I should remember that my preparation is a process steadily maintained. This preparation can be for many things: school, meetings, maintaining our home, raising our children, studying God's Word, and even walking our dog.

The Imitation of Christ - Part 3

I love our public library. I go there often to get books for our home school, especially our history/English curriculum. The past few weeks, I've been using the free service of making five copies/day from the internet so I can build a copy of The Imitation of Christ from Project Gutenberg.

Book 1
Chapter 3
Of the Knowledge of Truth

The previous chapter about being humble dovetails nicely into this one. Again, Kempis cautions against striving after much knowledge.


~The more a man hath unity and simplicity in himself, the more things and the deeper things he understandeth; and that without labour, because he receiveth the light of understanding from above.

~A lowly knowledge of thyself is a surer way to God than the deep searching of man's learning. Not that learning is to be blamed, nor the taking account of anything that is good; but a good conscience and a holy life is better than all.

~And he is the truly learned man, who doeth the will of God, and forsaketh his own will.

(Chester Cathedral in England)

"Thy Strong Word"

I know this melody as "O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus," text by Samuel T. Francis, music by Thomas J. Williams (1869-1944). The melody pops up again in this hymn with words written by Martin H. Franzman (1907-1976).

Thy Strong Word

Thy strong word did cleave the darkness; at thy speaking it was done;
For created light we thank thee, while thine ordered seasons run.
Alleluia, alleluia! Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia without end!

Lo, on those who dwelt in darkness, dark as night and deep as death,
Broke the light of thy salvation, breathed thine own lifegiving breath.
Alleluia, alleluia! Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia without end!

Thy strong word bespeaks us righteous; bright with thine own holiness,
Glorious now, we press toward glory, and our lives our hopes confess.
Alleluia, alleluia! Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia without end!

God the Father, Light Creator, to thee laud and honor be;
To thee, Light of Light begotten, praise be sung eternally.
Holy Spirit, Light Revealer, glory, glory be to thee;
Mortals, angels, now and ever praise the Holy Trinity.

The Imitation of Christ - Part 2

Book 1
Chapter 2
Of Thinking Humbly of Oneself

Yesterday I posted about a man who calls himself a futurist. This excerpt from Kempis's book is the perfect rebuttal to the so-called miracle of information accessibility 24/7.

Rest from inordinate desire of knowledge, for therein is found much distraction and deceit. Those who have knowledge, desire to appear learned and to be called wise. Many things there are to know which profiteth little or nothing to the soul.

Many words satisfy not the soul, but a good life refresheth the mind, and a pure conscience giveth great confidence towards God.

Thank you, God, for drawing me close to you on this day 24 years ago. The more I learn about You, the more amazing your mercy becomes to me.

The Futurist

Kind of sounds like the title of a movie. But it's the job title of a guest speaker at our Library Board meeting a few weeks ago. I heard the term "futurist" and I thought, "You can make money doing that??"

Our unabridged dictionary defines a futurist as someone who practices or advocates "a point of view that seeks life's meaning or fulfillment in the future rather than in the past or present: utopianism."

Trying to process the speaker's world view through the lenses of my world view was a bit of a struggle. He spent considerable time talking about the amount of information that is available to us 24/7, and the speed with which we can access that information. He seemed to marvel at the means and speed with which we will be able to access even more information in the future.

No talk of cultivating human relationships. Just acquisition of facts. No talk of how to separate the wheat from the chaff in the huge sea of information. Just more so-called knowledge. Faster.

Quite telling is this fact. On the same dictionary page as futurist, is the term future farmer (a member of Future Farmers of America). If I got to pick a lunch companion...I'd go with the future farmer. I know I'd learn more facts. Only, it'd be a lot more enjoyable!

Kind of like utopia! Right now!

"O God, Beyond All Praising"

Check out today's broadcast of Sing for Joy.
The first hymn, Praise to the Lord, is a very nice choral arrangement. The final hymn, "O God, Beyond All Praising", is a new one to me. It is set to the tune of a movement from Gustav Holst's The Planets, which nearly always brings me to the verge of tears. Go here to listen to the melody and sing along with the words.


"O God Beyond All Praising"

O God beyond all praising,
we worship you today
and sing the love amazing
that songs cannot repay.

Holst grew up in the church pictured above and sang in the choir. (All Saints, Cheltenham, England)

Greenest Convention Ever?

Before I forget...

A day before the Democratic Convention opened here in Colorado a few weeks ago, I heard Denver Mayor Hickenlooper say that the DNC was going to be the Greenest Convention In History.

We heard that the waste was going to be composted. Carbon credits were being sold. Bicycles were provided for convention goers. Etc., etc., etc.

Making a proclamation like this merely shows our ignorance of history. Our ignorance of the excesses of the times we live in. I'd be willing to bet our house that this year's Democratic National Convention used more energy than any other convention ever.

(Photo of American flags taken from the DNC stadium site, all bagged up in garbage bags and sitting by the trash.)

Farmers

I sit in the front yard, hand pulling little weeds. The yard looks nice from the street. You don't notice the weeds unless you're walking by. But here I am, pulling these little buggars before they go to seed. I look up the street, and across the way at the soccer field. Then it hit me. We're all farmers.

This doesn't make me happy. We raise a fairly useless "crop". Grass. Kentucky blue grass, to be specific. In arid Colorado. Doesn't make much sense, does it? We can't eat it. No livestock eats it. The wild bunnies do, but I'm not speaking to them. They ate too much of my garden this summer. Well, I take that back. I do speak to them. I tell them, "You can eat the grass. You can even eat the flowers. Just leave my vegetable garden alone! You see that fence? That means keep out!" That's what I tell them these days. I empathize with Mr. MacGregor. Ole Peter Rabbit doesn't get my sympathy anymore.

But back to the grass thing. I think of all the time and expense we suburbanites spend on keeping the yard looking good enough to keep the neighbors from talking and the city from giving us a citation. Sure, it's fun to walk out there barefoot. But I'd rather put on shoes and walk in a pasture. I'd rather be a useful farmer. A real farmer.

So what I do is plant seeds. Ideas, actually. In our children's heads. Thoughts of living away from the city. Living off your land. Living simply. And then I pray for those seedlings to take root.

Maybe I am a bit of a farmer after all.

Remembering

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.

Proverbs 21:30


There is much to distract us: What to make of Obama's "lipstick on a pig" reference? Should Sarah Palin be running for high office given that she's a Christian and still has children at home? What does the latest Hollywood bimbo du jour say about the Palin pick? Was 9/11 an inside job? Should we even be in Iraq? Football standings. Baseball standings. And on and on to distraction.

This day, we should be praying for the thousands of families who are hurting. They either lost their loved ones on September 11, 2001; or on the battlefields in the years that have followed.

May God comfort those families. May we be ever thankful for our freedoms. And may we be bold in fighting, when necessary, for what's good in America.

"God rules as surely on earth as He does in heaven. He permits, for reasons known only to Himself, people to act contrary to and in defiance of His revealed will. But He never permits them to act contrary to His sovereign will."

Trusting God Jerry Bridges

Pruning

"...every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."
John 15:2b

Pruning controls the shape and appearance of plants. It brings about new growth. It makes the plant stronger. The increased light that reaches the leaves, aides many things. Pruning, done well, improves the size, quantity, and quality of the fruit.

It is also true that remnants of the pruning process can sometimes be nurtured into taking root elsewhere and beginning a new plant. Both the original plant and the new sprout may look a little small and lonely at times, but persistence pays off.

Blessings to Greg and Anna as you take root in new soil.

The Imitation of Christ - Part 1

Our ladies' Bible study has decided to read The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis (c. 1379-1471). Kempis (so named, for his native town of Kempen) was an Augustinian monk. The version I am reading states that his was "...an uneventful life spent in copying manuscripts, reading, and composing, and in the peaceful routine of monastic piety."

The book is arranged into four books, which are then subdivided into very short chapters. My public library version, updated in 1993, lacks the preciseness and beauty of the Gutenberg version I'm reading on line.

For example, the title of Chapter 1 in the modern version is On Following Christ Our Model. The Gutenberg version has translated the title as Of the imitation of Christ, and of contempt of the world and all its vanities.

It may be quicker to read, "It is better to experience contrition than to be able to define it."

But I prefer the poetry of, "I had rather feel contrition than be skilful in the definition thereof."

(This photo I found on line may be the monastery where Kempis lived.)

"All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night"

Here is a hymn from this week's Sing For Joy program. The last piece on today's broadcast, this hymn for Compline is a fitting way to end the day.

(You can access Sing for Joy without silencing my blog music, but if you want to listen to the melody highlighted below, you must silence the blog music.)

All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night

All praise to Thee, my God, this night,
For all the blessings of the light!
Keep me, O keep me, King of kings,
Beneath Thine own almighty wings.

Forgive me, Lord, for Thy dear Son,
The ill that I this day have done,
That with the world, myself, and Thee,
I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.

Teach me to live, that I may dread
The grave as little as my bed.
Teach me to die, that so I may
Rise glorious at the judgment day.

O may my soul on Thee repose,
And with sweet sleep mine eyelids close,
Sleep that may me more vigorous make
To serve my God when I awake.

When in the night I sleepless lie,
My soul with heavenly thoughts supply;
Let no ill dreams disturb my rest,
No powers of darkness me molest.

O when shall I, in endless day,
For ever chase dark sleep away,
And hymns divine with angels sing,
All praise to thee, eternal King?

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

(Photo of Canterbury Cathedral, England. Thomas Tallis, composer of the hymn, spent some of his career here.)

Aha Moment

The kids and I were at our home school co-op today, discussing Ancient Egypt in the context of Moses and the Exodus. We've been studying the culture, its polytheism, the oppression of the Israelites, etc. Ancient Egypt was, despite all of its innovations, a big G, Godless place. You tell yourself, wasn't it a good thing that the Israelites finally got out??? And good riddance, too!

But then, I thought... It was that very same land which earlier had sustained Joseph and his brothers and families. It was that very same land to which baby Jesus and His family would flee when Herod killed all the baby boys. This very same oppressive place sheltered our Lord and saved His life.

God can use anything for His purposes, in His time, for His glory, and for our salvation.

"Lift High the Cross"

The last hymn in this week's Sing for Joy broadcast is "Lift High the Cross." If you go towards the end of the broadcast, you'll hear this version sung with organ and brass.

"Lift High the Cross"

Refrain

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,
Till all the world adore His sacred Name.



Led on their way by this triumphant sign,
The hosts of God in conquering ranks combine.

Refrain

Each newborn servant of the Crucified
Bears on the brow the seal of Him Who died.

Refrain

O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
As Thou hast promised, draw the world to Thee.

Refrain

So shall our song of triumph ever be:
Praise to the Crucified for victory.

Refrain