Now Thank We All Our God

Now thank we all our God
With heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done,
In Whom the world rejoices;
Who, from our mother's arms,
Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today.

-Martin Rinkart

God Loves Jazz

Alright, time to lighten up a bit. Take a load off, take a walk, don't wear tan. The weather this week has been astounding. I love fog and overcast skies in the fall. The trees have been amazingly beautiful this year. The other day I was working and looked out a window to see a leaf storm. The oak trees all decided at the same moment to give up the ghost for the year. It was incredible.

Thursday was positively warm, and Friday started that way too. Thinking it was a trend, I neglected to pack a jacket on Friday. It got down below forty degrees by three. My boss was very happy when I had to work twice as fast to stay warm. In reality he loaned me a jacket.

But there is something about this time of year. Anticipating the holidays, grabbing a coffee for the trip home (yes, it's a trip), and getting to wear sweaters, scarves, and coats. It's jazz weather. It's like everything is preparing to rest. Or feast. I think it is feast and then rest. And yes, when nature prepares for a feast, it dances.

Wuthering Heights, a review

When I began reading Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte, I was under warning from several sources that it wasn't worth reading for a Christian. It's too dark, it glorifies evil, it doesn't have any redeeming factors, etc. On the other hand, the book is a classic, it has stood against , and is a renowned example of good writing. So I read it.

Wuthering Heights is the story of Heathcliff, an orphan gypsy boy brought into a comfortable life, and those whose lives he affects. Upon being adopted he becomes a favorite, to the resentment of his new brother, and sister to a lesser degree. He goes through life getting anything he wants, until the father dies. The the brother's cruelty is unleashed. Heathcliff appears to bear it, until he recieves dissappointment and leaves, bitter and resentful. The rest of the story is seemingly a twisted tale of revenge and vengeance.

In reality, what I read was a story full of grace, though it may not be easy to see. The problem arises when we expect our grace to come in comfortable packages. The idea of darkness and evil are relegated to the devil and his cohorts. We will take our grace with sugar and cream, let the sinners have the vinegar. We lose a lot if we think of pretty things all wrapped in pink bows when Paul admonishes us to meditate on those things which are pure and noble. But, by affirming a disconnect between God and that which we call evil, we deny His soveriegnty over all things.

The Bible is full of dark things that would give us heeby-geebies and nightmares if we tried to understand them, and they are example of God giving grace. The life of King David's family makes Wuthering Heights look like Leave It to Beaver. Job didn't exactly walk through a bed of roses. The crucifiction of Christ was the darkest, most evil event in human history, and the most unfathomable act of grace. If there had been no fall in the garden, there would be no redemption.

Wuthering Heights looks at the effects of both indulgence and vengeance. The characters are all flawed, but somehow that makes it real. It tends to sting because it tends to touch home. It doesn't end in a nice comfortable way. Some don't get redemption like hoped, and some get it where it was unexpected. The book has its flaws, and it may not be for all, but I gained a lot from reading it.

Peace of Christ to You

It saddens me when I find myself defending the importance of the Lord's Supper to other believers. How does the church lose sight of a gift from the Lord Himself for the unity of the body? The more I think and pray about it, the more clearly I see that it is because the church has lost sight of Christ as He is, seated on the throne of Heaven, at the right hand of the Father. Or, put more specifically, the more I study them, the more I see that sacrementology and eschatology are connected. When we partake of the Supper, we partake with Christ enthroned in Heaven ruling now, victorious over death and sin. We are not a huddled band of believers sneaking bites and piering around the corner waiting for the antichrist to kick us out. We are feasting in the midst of our enemies. I would be tempted to mock those nibbling on their crackers and sipping their grape juice once every four months, but I miss them dearly at the table. I urge them to come, not because it makes more sense and works better theologically, but because it offers peace. Peace of Christ to you.