Midweek Musings

Some thoughts this week...

Sunday - Sanctity of Human Life Day
For You yourself created my inmost parts;
You knit me together in my mother's womb.
I will thank you because I am marvelously made;
Your works are wonderful, and I know it well.
Psalm 139: 12-13

Monday - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
King's "I Have a Dream" speech ~ Lincoln Memorial ~ August 28, 1963

Tuesday - Inauguration Day
"The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."
Barak Hussein Obama ~ Inaugural Address ~ January 20, 2009
(Depending upon how he defines "all", it would seem that this should include the unborn. Just saying.)

Wednesday - Day 1
Yesterday, our new president told us, "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourseslves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."

Whatever he meant by remaking America, did he mean this?
Worst Inaugural Day Slide
The Dow's 4 percent slide was the most on an Inauguration Day in the measure's 112-year history...

Did he mean this?
Now that Obama has announced that we are stopping off-shore drilling, the gas station I pass has raised its price 10 cents. Since yesterday.

I need some Hope and Change...Mmmm...Let's see...How about this?


The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the republican model of government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.
George Washington ~ First Inaugural Address ~ April 30, 1789

Day One. We've obviously got work to do. It's going to be a long four years. Don't give up hope. Pray. And preserve the sacred fire of liberty.

The Imitation of Christ - Part 8

The Imitation of Christ - Thomas a Kempis
Book 1 Chapter 8
Of the Danger of Too Much Familiarity

I have just been praying about the importance of good friends for our children, and how we can foster healthy Christian relationships between them and their peers.

God was gracious to point me to this quote from Kempis.

Let thy company be the humble and the simple, the devout and the gentle, and let thy discourse be concerning things which edify.

Lord, help me to teach my children these truths and to discern between those relationships that fit this standard vs. those that don't.

(our daughter with her dear, dear friend from ballet)

"We Know That Christ Is Raised"

I was looking for hymns about baptism to go along with today's church calendar, and there aren't very many. The words for this hymn were written in 1969 by John B. Geyer (b. 1932). The melody was written by Charles Stanford (1852-1924) as the music for "For All the Saints." Two years later, Ralph Vaughn Williams, wrote a different, and very effective, melody for "For All the Saints," which has prevailed to this day. Stanford's music was virtually forgotten until it was matched with Geyer's words.

As we study the baptism of our Lord by John at the River Jordan, we can understand more fully our own baptism into the family of faith. Although it's probably speaking of the resurrected Christ, verse three gives a symbolic picture of Jesus being in the presence of the other two persons of the trinity at His own baptism, and our relationship with the same.

The Father's splendor clothes the Son with life.
The Spirit's power shakes the Church of God.
Baptized we live with God the Three in One.
Alleluia!

The hymn is still under copyright, but this site published the words and a simple piano version of the music for "study" purposes.

Pretty COOL

Two weeks ago I was at the grocery store buying ground beef. I noticed that the country of origin label (COOL) said, "Product of Canada, US, or Mexico." Huh? I buy a pound of ground beef, and the best they can do is tell me it comes from one of three countries?! Not cool!

Luckily, we had already planned to visit our ranch friends over Christmas break and buy a 1/4 side of beef from them. Now, not only do we know the country of origin, we know the ranch and the family of origin! We were there when the calves were branded in the spring. We know our meat wasn't pumped up with hormones. Our friends are letting us pay on the installment plan. And their kids played with my kids for hours the day we drove there to pick up the beef. Pretty cool!

(Two happy girls: our daughter, and their younger daughter on the right, after spending time in heaven - AKA with the horses.)

Epiphany

When I was a girl, January 6 meant: my younger brother's birthday. We never took our tree down until after his birthday. I suppose Mom thought having the tree for his birthday made it more festive somehow, and somewhat lessened the downside of having a birthday so close to Christmas. And she was right. Now that I'm married and have a family of my own, I still leave our tree up through Epiphany, in his honor, even though my brother lives half-way across the country.

Now that I'm a Christian, I can see Epiphany in another light. In Sunday's sermon, pastor said:

There is no star, no baby to draw people in. Where will God lead people? To us. Ephesians 3 says, through the church God is showing His wisdom to heavenly rulers and powers. Through the church, God will manifest His glory. We are the light of the world. The grace, patience, and mercy that God has shown us, we should extend to others. Let's be what we are; the light of the world.

Dear Lord, help me to show grace, patience, and mercy. Help me to be a light in my little corner of the universe.

"As With Gladness, Men of Old"

You may be familiar with this first stanza of the Epiphany hymn, As With Gladness, Men of Old:

As with gladness men of old
did the guiding star behold;
as with joy they hailed in light,
leading onward, beaming bright;
so, most gracious Lord, may we
evermore be led to thee.

These last two verses are probably less well known, but so full of hope and wonder:

Holy Jesus! every day
keep us in the narrow way;
and, when earthly things are past,
bring our ransomed souls at last
where they need no star to guide,
where no clouds thy glory hide.

In the heavenly country bright,
need they no created light;
thou its light, its joy, its crown,
thou its sun which goes not down;
there for ever may we sing
alleluias to our King.

This hymn, written by William Chatterton Dix (1837-1898), is not his most famous. Dix, the manager of a marine insurance company in Scotland, is most famous for writing the words to "What Child Is This?" (Photo above is of the Parish Church in Somerset, England, where Dix was buried.)

Crowded Out

We have an antique chest that serves as a buffet not five steps from the front door. Contrary to my original plans, it unfortunately often becomes a dumping ground.

A few days ago I spied this scene on top of said buffet.

It reminded me of how much we crowd Jesus out of our lives. We become so very preoccupied with the trappings of this life. We fail to acknowledge or even remember the Babe, the Twelve-year-old, the Teacher, the Healer, the Worker of miracles, the Lamb that was sacrificed, the very Son of the one true God who was resurrected, and sits at the right hand of the Father.

"Infant Holy, Infant Lowly"

The grocery store has relegated their Christmas stuff to a corner at huge discounts. They don't care about the visual beauty of their displays. Ornaments are scattered hodge-podge, the boxes of Christmas lights are askew on the shelf, and the Christmas candy sits unceremoniously next to the Hannah Montana doll.

It doesn't bother me, for this is not what Christmas is anyway. Just as this hymn title is a study in contrasts, so is our Lord. It's about the Baby Who came to die. The Baby, wrapped in cloths, foreshadowing His inevitable purpose. The Son of God, placed in a feeding trough; He, Who is the bread of life.

The link below takes you to an accompaniment of this hymn, but unfortunately it doesn't accurately capture the correct harmony. As written, the soprano and alto parts "clash" at least once in every line of this hymn. It's that sound that makes you think, "Is that the right note?" But, when you look at the part, it is correct. The dissonance builds tension, and then is resolved to a chord that sounds right. Isn't this just what our Lord did? He built tension, He took everyone by surprise. Then, He resolved the ultimate tension between God and Satan. Between God and us. Between God and me.

Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
Infant holy, Infant lowly, for His bed a cattle stall;
Oxen lowing, little knowing, Christ the Babe is Lord of all.
Swift are winging angels singing, noels ringing, tidings bringing:
Christ the Babe is Lord of all.

Lessons and Carols

We've been busy around here. Nutcracker. Church jobs. The usual Christmastime activities.

Just wanted you to know: KVOD (FM 88.1 Denver) is broadcasting Lessons and Carols, live from Kings College, at 8am (MST) on December 24.

Wherever you are, try to catch Lessons and Carols this Christmas Eve.

Second Sunday of Advent

Want to listen to some good Advent hymns?

Go to Sing for Joy and you won't be disappointed. (If you like the same kind of music I do, that is!)

No need to silence my blog music, by the way. It'll stop on its own when you go to the link above.

Comfort, Comfort Ye My People
verse 3

Make ye straight what long was crooked,
make the rougher places plain:
let your hearts be true and humble,
as befits his holy reign,
For the glory of the Lord
now o'er the earth is shed abroad,
and all flesh shall see the token
that his word is never broken.

Have a blessed week.

Be Fruitful and Multiply

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
James 2:10

The kids and I reread the creation story from Genesis as our Jesse Tree reading for the day. Although I must have read those verses at least 20 times, something new jumped out at me this morning. (I love when that happens!)

As early as Genesis 1:11, God says, "Let the land produce vegetation..." (NIV). The King James translates it as, "Let the earth bring forth grass...". Verse 12 says that the land produced (brought forth) vegetation. When God creates sea creatures and birds, He blesses them and tells them, "Be fruitful and increase in number..." (NIV); "Be fruitful and multiply... (KJV). The land animals are to do the same. And finally, in Genesis 1:28, God tells Adam and Eve, "Be fruitful and increase in number (multiply), fill (replenish) the earth, and subdue it. Rule (have dominion) over [every living creature]."

Having experienced infertility for many years, I always saw these passages as the command I could never fulfill. The big glaring spotlight trained right on me, reminding everyone I had failed. But with the scripture readings from just a few Sundays ago about the Parable of the Talents still fresh in my mind, I realized this morning that our being fruitful doesn't just have to mean giving birth to biological children. An economist recently said, "Our country is in financial trouble because instead of producing and saving, we are consuming and spending." I can produce and be fruitful in the smallest of ways. I can do it by cleaning the bathroom mirror without inwardly grumbling. I can do it in a life-changing permanent way. By teaching my children about God, His word, His Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Wow. Hopeful words. Humbling words. Hard words.

(I typed in the phrase "be fruitful and multiply" and searched images, only to find this photo above. Interesting, don't you think?)

"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

The words to this advent hymn have been around since the 1100s. Imagine that! Although originally sung in Latin, this hymn has been heard in churches great and small for 900 years. Not only do churches all over the globe sing this hymn on this first Sunday of Advent, but we are joining our voices with generations of saints who came before us. That's a comforting thought.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O, Lord, we are captives on this earth. We mourn in lonely exile at times. Feeling so alone. So not-of-this-world. Thank you for your presence in our midst. In our hearts. In our hopes.

Giving Thanks

God's grace.

Last Saturday, we had driven out into the country to glean the fields at Miller Farms and pick some free food. Unfortunately, so had 40,000 other people. The generous Miller family certainly didn't have that much parking space. They didn't have that much food either. So they had to call in a sheriff to direct traffic and turn people away.

Two nights ago, a friend from church called. Another friend of hers had been one of the fortunate few to pick some food last Saturday, and she had more than she could use. My friend brought us some of the excess food. Thanks to the generosity of others, we ended up getting food from Miller Farms after all! He provides!

I put the traditional five kernels of corn on everyone's plate yesterday as I finished up the last of the table setting. Thirty minutes later, I sat there, eating my fill of food, gazing at those kernels. Thankful for the perseverance of the Pilgrims. Thankful that I've never, ever had only five kernels of corn to serve my children. And knowing full well that it's nothing I have done to deserve this bounty.

It's just God's grace.

God's Divine Design

We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the culture of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never allow that the haphazard is anything less than God's appointed order, and be ready to discover the Divine designs anywhere.

Oswald Chambers - My Utmost For His Highest - November 14

Our son likes to take pictures of clouds and the sky, and every so often he'll send one to my phone from his. He took this one when he was in the mountains about two months ago. As one who appreciates the never-ending variety of skyscapes offered in Colorado, I am so pleased that he sees beauty in it, too.

He and I were in the car this afternoon, talking about the Stealth bomber, the cruising altitude of commercial jets, the elevation of Mt. McKinley vs. Mt. Elbert, and the unusual cloud shapes to the southwest, over the foothills. Typical 14-year-old boy talk, I suppose. But then, he said something that made me pause.

"I'd like to fly through a sunset."

It was something I'd never thought about. Imagine that. Flying through a sunset. It sounded so poetic. We wondered if the clouds were as colorful while you were in them, or if the colors were enhanced by gazing upon them from the ground.



This is a sunset photo he sent me last week. Not bad for something taken from a moving car! When he got home, he said,

"It looked better in real life."

Things often do look better in real life. And just as that sunset was God's Divine design, so is the fact that our son is our son, and so are his poetic statements about life. The sweet little details of life. Real life.

Shallow and Profound

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
1 Cor 10:31

Beware of allowing yourself to think that the shallow concerns of life are not ordained of God; they are as much of God as the profound. It is not your devotion to God that makes you refuse to be shallow, but your wish to impress other people with the fact that you are not shallow... Beware of posing as a profound person; God became a Baby.

To be shallow is not a sign of being wicked, nor is shallowness a sign that there are no deeps: the ocean has a shore. The shallow amenities of life, eating and drinking, walking and talking, are all ordained by God. These are the things in which Our Lord lived. He lived in them as the Son of God, and He said that "a student is not above his teacher."
Oswald Chambers - My Utmost For His Highest - November 22

Today, we took a little drive in the farmland north of us. We crossed the South Platte River at one point, and it looked pitifully puny. It's seldom roaring in our part of the state, but it was especially shallow today. Despite its looking seemingly insignificant; it joins up with the North Platte in Nebraska. Little streams continue feeding into it, and it widens and deepens until it feeds into the Missouri River just south of Omaha. It twists and turns through the state of Missouri, until it empties out into the mighty Mississippi in St. Louis; where, of course, the little trickle of water that started in the mountains of Colorado makes its way down to the Gulf of Mexico.

Just as God plans for little streams to feed into rivers and eventually empty into the oceans; we, too, spend our days with little pursuits, which accumulate into a full life. Without the shallow, we never get the profound. If we aim to seek God and please God in the shallow, we shall likewise seek and please Him in the profound.