Tag Archives: Christianity

June 11, 2012 · 10:33 pm

Postscript and explanation

I have said that I started these writings so that my errors could be made more obvious, by being exposed to light. And I often see my sloppy thinking just by writing it down. Sometimes, I see my errors through comments made by others.  Concerning my recent post, “The Last Post of This Story ” it has happened again.

I have spoken with several people concerning this post. Some, but not all, were happy with it. However even those who expressed support and appreciation were somewhat unsure as to my point.  I have been accused before of being sometimes obtuse. I have to take that seriously. So here is my remedial effort, and my attempt to clarify what is on my heart by opening it fully. ======= Continue reading →

3 Comments

Filed under ALL, Christianity, Marriage

Tagged as , , , , ,

June 10, 2012 · 5:29 pm

The Last Post of This Story

“You give and take away, blessed be the name” Popular worship song by Matt Redman (Listen here)

“ …The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21

“…Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil (or disaster)? Job 2:10

=====================

One of the more difficult things in theology is how we are to understand the existence of evil; particularly, since we Christians affirm that God is all good, all loving, and all powerful – that God is One, and has no rival equal but opposite dark force who fights for evil while our God fights for good. No, we are forced to wrestle with Isaiah 45:7 “I make light and create darkness. I make blessings and create disasters. I, the LORD, do all these things.”

I say it is difficult, but it is not beyond our depth. At least, it is not beyond our depth when we are just talking in the abstract, in the absence of the screaming pain of real, fresh loss. But that is when we must talk of these things, so that we may be equipped when the waves threaten to overwhelm us. If we avoid wrestling with the problem until the day of trouble, we will be like a swordsman who avoids learning about his sword and shield until the enemy is upon him. Here on the Gulf coast, we are in the early days of Hurricane season. If we wait to prepare, to think about what must be done, until the wind is howling around our doors, how shall we stand? The time of need is too late.

I long to write more exploring the idea; but today, that is a diversion and a temptation. I need to be more personal.

Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under ALL, Marriage, Theology

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 14, 2012 · 6:26 pm

Postscript: it’s OK

Well, I am smarting a bit, but I have discovered another of the benefits of really embracing a doctrine of depravity – the idea contained in one of the earlier prayer books of my tradition that “…there is no health in (me).”   I have re-discovered the comfort in this idea. There are of course many benefits to owning this –certainly the fact that Jesus came to save and heal such is at the heart of all. But specifically today I have in view the fact that it makes me darn hard to insult. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under ALL, Christianity

Tagged as , , , ,

April 6, 2012 · 4:40 am

Meditation on Good Friday

Because today is Good Friday, I’ve decided to change the date and bring this post forward. It was originally written in 2007.

I had been pondering a part of the creed little used in the branch of the Church I grew up in: “He descended into hell” particularly in connection with Jesus’ words from the cross “it is finished” and “Into thy hands I commend my spirit.”

Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under ALL, Christianity, Heaven and hell, Theology

Tagged as , , , , ,

March 25, 2012 · 3:10 pm

“…to love what you command and desire what you promise…”

“Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”

Collect for the Fifth Sunday in Lent, from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979

For those not familiar with the use of collects, I’ll get back to that in a moment, but for now, let me just say that this prayer, little altered from its earliest known form in the late fifth century is one of my favorites.

Here’s why.========================= Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under ALL, Christianity, Church, Theology

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

February 24, 2012 · 9:31 pm

“And the Word became flesh…” “The Gospel According to John” Chapter 1 (cont.)

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'”)16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under ALL, Bible, Christianity, Gospel According to John, Theology

Tagged as , , ,

February 24, 2012 · 9:18 pm

“In the Beginning” – “The Gospel According to John” Chapter 1

In case anyone should stumble upon these notes while trying to learn something about “The Gospel According to John”  and of the Christ John presents, I feel compelled to again offer an apology and an explanation. My posts on this topic as part of a project of writing through this account of the Gospel, with the primary end in view as the revelation of my own ignorance, and clarification of my own thought. I am no scholar, as will be painfully obvious.  Nor am I a cleric. But I have discovered that one of the best ways to learn something is to try and explain it for someone else. To that end, I welcome your input in these writings; your questions, your comments, and (most helpfully), your challenges.

1 In the beginning was the Word, Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under ALL, Bible, Christianity, Gospel According to John, Theology

Tagged as , , , , ,

November 19, 2011 · 10:34 pm

Is the Bible the “Word of God” or is it a human book?

I had a thought last week during a Bible study class on Deuteronomy.  The leader of the group is a thoroughly “Bible-Believing” Christian. He is highly educated, with advanced degrees in Biblical scholarship, and is thus immersed in current academic understandings of the authorship of the ancient texts of the Hebrew scriptures.

 This presented a challenge, and something of a threat, to some members of the group, who understood the Torah as being of Mosaic authorship, and any move away from that as a move away from Divine inspiration.

 Now, I have no dog in that fight. But the ideas expressed had a familiar ring to them. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under ALL, Christianity, Church, Theology

Tagged as , , , ,

November 19, 2011 · 8:12 pm

Singing in Harmony: an objection to Deitrich Bonhoeffer (or what I learned from the music ministry of Church of the Redeemer)

 “ ‘Sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord’ (Eph. 5:19). …

‘Because it is bound wholly to the Word, the singing of the congregation, especially of the family congregation, is essentially singing in unison. Here words and music combine in a unique way. The soaring tone of unison singing finds its sole and essential support in the words that are sung and therefore does not need the musical support of other voices. …

‘Unison singing, difficult as it is, is less of a musical than a spiritual matter. Only where everybody in the group is disposed to an attitude of worship and discipleship can unison singing, even though it may lack much musically, give us the joy which is peculiar to it alone.’ ”

from Life Together, The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

It is only with the greatest trepidation that I would dare to dissent from such a saint as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, but this section of “Life Together” has bothered me since I first read it over thirty years ago. The ideas have nagged at me as I have seen changes in congregational singing between parishes, and even in the way congregational music is published. My renewed time and extended visitation among the folk of Houston’s Church of the Redeemer (Episcopal) has both confirmed and solidified my objections.  It is time I gave them voice. Continue reading →

4 Comments

Filed under ALL, Christianity, Church, Theology

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

November 2, 2011 · 5:04 pm

A review of “This is My Story, This is My Song” by Betty Pulkingham

Many people who will read this will already know who Betty Pulkingham is. Her first husband, the Rev. Graham Pulkingham was a founding visionary in the Renewal movement in the Episcopal Church, and very important Rector of Houston’s Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

In her own right, Mrs. Pulkingham is one of the most important contributors of the music from that period and beyond. This description is totally inadequate, but if I used all the space this format will allow, I would still fall short.

Probably the best short summary of Betty’s true importance came to me from a local Methodist pastor, who voiced to me his private and very serious opinion that in years to come, Betty Pulkinghman will be honored, for her musical gift to the church, as of equal importance with Charles Wesley.

  I have just finished reading Betty Pulkingham’s new book,
“This is My Story, this is My Song: A Life Journy”

What a beautiful, grace-filled little book! Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under ALL, Christianity, Church, Marriage, Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , ,