Friday, March 24, 2023
On trial—again!
Stasis!
<idle musing>
He develops these ideas of the accusation of stasis ("rebellion, sedition") much more in his previous book, World Upside Down, which is definitely worth your time reading. I excerpted from it a few years back; you can search for it to see them.
</idle musing>
And can it be?
No condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.
AND can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Saviour’s blood?
Died he for me, who caused his pain?
For me, who him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be,
That thou, my Lord, shouldst die for me?
2 ’Tis myst’ry all,—the’ Immortal dies
Who can explore his strange design?
In vain the first-born seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine;
’Tis mercy all! let earth adore:
Let angel minds inquire no more.
3 He left his Father’s throne above;
(So free, so infinite his grace!)
Emptied himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race;
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For, O my God, it found out me!
4 Long my imprison’d spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night:
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray;
I woke; the dungeon flamed with light:
My chains fell off, my heart was free,—
I rose, went forth, and follow’d thee.
5 No condemnation now I dread,—
Jesus, with all in him, is mine;
Alive in him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the’ eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Thursday, March 23, 2023
A new beginning
<idle musing>
And praise God for that new beginning!
</idle musing>
Kindness and mercy
Take flight!
Peace in believing.
JESUS, to thee I now can fly,
On whom my help is laid:
Oppress’d by sins, I lift mine eye,
And see the shadows fade.
2 Believing on my Lord, I find
A sure and present aid:
On thee alone my constant mind
Be every moment stay’d.
3 Whate’er in me seems wise, or good,
Or strong, I here disclaim:
I wash my garments in the blood
Of the atoning Lamb.
4 Jesus, my strength, my life, my rest,—
On thee will I depend,
Till summon’d to the marriage-feast,
When faith in sight shall end.
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
But it's not supposed to happen that way!
Early Christology?
<idle musings>
Agreed! I never understood the late Christology position. Even Bart Ehrmann, a self-avowing agnostic, when he researched for his book on Christology ended up in the early Christology camp.
</idle musing>
The presence of God
Hope springing up.
MY soul before thee prostrate lies;
To thee, her Source, my spirit flies;
My wants I mourn, my chains I see;
0 let thy presence set me free.
2 Jesus, vouchsafe my heart and will
With thy meek lowliness to fill;
No more her power let nature boast,
But in thy will may mine be lost.
3 Already springing hope I feel,—
God will destroy the power of hell,
And, from a land of wars and pain,
Lead me where peace and safety reign.
4 One only care my soul shall know,—
Father, all thy commands to do;
And feel, what endless years shall prove,
That thou, my Lord, my God, art love.
Christian Friedrich Richter; trans. John Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
More than an analogy
Right next door
A cry for companionship
The Light of light.
O DISCLOSE thy lovely face!
Quicken all my drooping powers ;
Grasps my fainting soul for grace,
As a thirsty land for showers:
Hasten , Lord, no more delay;
Come, my Saviour, come away.
2 Dark and cheerless is the morn,
Unaccompanied by thee;
Joyless is the day’s return,
Till thy mercy’s beams I see:
Till thou inward life impart,
Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.
3 Visit then this soul of mine;
Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill me, Radiancy divine;
Scatter all my unbelief :
More and more thyself display,
Shining to the perfect day.
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Tozer for Tuesday
Monday, March 20, 2023
Not a self-help/self-improvement program
Caesar, a god? Not so much
<idle musing>
He develops this idea a good bit more in his earlier book, World Upside Down, which I read and excerpted from a few years ago (do a search on "World Upside Down" to find them). That book is also definitely worth your time—or as one of my theology profs used to say, "You owe it to yourself to read this book." Love that line!
</idle musing>
Grieving the Spirit
The surrender.
HOW oft have I the Spirit grieved,
Since first with me he strove;
How obstinateiy disbelieved,
And trampled on his love!
How have I sinn’d against the light;
Broken from his embrace;
And would not, when I freely might,
Be justified by grace.
2 But after all that I have done
To drive him from my heart,
The Spirit leaves me not alone,—
He doth not yet depart;
He will not give the sinner o’er;
Ready e’en now to save,
He bids me come as heretofore,
That I his grace may have.
3 I take thee at thy gracious word;
My foolishness I mourn;
And unto my redeeming Lord,
However late, I turn:
Saviour, I yield, I yield at last;
I hear thy speaking blood;
Myself, with all my sins,
I cast On my atoning God.
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Saturday, March 18, 2023
Thank you, Fitbit
Because it's an older model, it lacks some of the newer bells and whistles, but I don't miss most of those things. What I did miss was Saturation Percentage of Oxygen (SPO2), Heart Rate Variance (HRV), and Resting Breathing Rate (RBR). But I love the sleep tracking and heartrate monitoring.
The sleep tracking confirmed to me what I had thought for years: I sleep more deeply than average and have fewer dreams. Below is a screen shot from my sleep profile from about six weeks ago, but it's typical. The shaded range is average for men my age. You can see that I'm well below average for REM and well above average for deep sleep:
Now, what I said about SPO2 isn't quite true. Probably about nine months ago now Fitbit made SPO2 tracking available on the Versa 2 and above. With the Versa 1, you could add the SPO2 watch face and see your SPO2 from the night before, and in the sleep profile, if you scrolled all the way down, you could see the variation for that night. But, you couldn't track it day-to-day to watch for trends.
But, man, does SPO2 tracking drain the battery! After activating it, I was getting about 48 hours per charge. But recently, that has become 36 hours. So, I decided to start looking at replacements—not that I was planning on taking the plunge soon, but I wanted to see what was available. I was really attracted to the Garmin stuff because nothing was behind a paywall—no subscription required. But, their basic models weren't touch screen and didn't include an altimeter for hill tracking. But I certainly wasn't happy that in order to access some of the more advanced stuff on Fitbit you had to subscribe. I didn't want the information that badly!
But all that changed about four days ago. Fitbit made SPO2, HRV, RBR, and skin temp variation available outside the paywall! And, what truly surprised me is that the Versa 1 can track HRV and RBR!
To activate it, go to your Fitbit app and click on Health Metrics; it will ask to you approve the tracking and then show you the metrics. See the screen shot below:
Because I have a Versa 1, the HRV, RBR, and skin temp spots were empty, which didn't surprise me because I knew it wasn't being tracked. But, the next day, I was very surprised to see the HRV and RBR there! (See the screen shot below.)
So, thank you Fitbit! The next smartwatch/fitness tracker I get will be a Fitbit. It has the best bang for the buck and fits my needs very well—especially now that more data is available without a subscription.
By the way, I'm not sure how Fitbit calculates the RHR, but using the more traditional way of looking at your heart rate when you first get up, my RHR whould be about 47 bpm, not 53. In the summer, Fitbit tells me it is about 50, whereas I see it as 45 bpm—but I'm not going to quibble; it's still in the excellent range!
And a further note about HRV: The higher the number, the better. Do a quick google search to find out more, but it varies by age. And as far as RBR, unless you are in excellent shape, my RBR would be a warning about sleep apnea. But, for a person in good physical condition (i.e., an athlete), anything in the 8–10 breathes/minute is normal. Again, do a quick google search for more info.
An added little tidbit that many people don't know: On the Fitbit, swipe up to see your stats for the day. Scroll down to the heart rate and swipe left twice. It will show you your cardio-fitness score. It will give a range and tell you where you fall in your age bracket. I'm in the 56–60 range, which for a 67-year old is considered excellent.
Now, if only I could find out how to calculate my functional threshold power (FTP) on my Cycleops mag trainer (it's a dumb trainer). It's about seven or eight years old now; it was given to me by our son-in-law and replaced a fifteen-year-old Cycleops mag trainer. I don't have wireless speed/cadence detectors on this bike, either, so it's all guesstimation. I always keep the resistance set to maximum, too. I've looked everywhere on the internet for help calculating it, and the closest I can come is a graph that shows average speed mapped to approximate FTP. Based on that, I'd guesstimate it at about 200 watts. Is that good? Apparently it's pretty fair, earning a Cat 4 rating.
Sun of Righteousness
The Sun of righteousness.
O SUN of righteousness, arise
With healing in thy wing;
To my diseased, my fainting soul,
Life and salvation bring.
2 These clouds of pride and sin dispel,
By thy all-piercing beam:
Lighten mine eyes with faith; my heart
With holy hope inflame.
3 My mind, by thy all-quick’ning power,
From low desires set free;
Unite my scatter’d thoughts, and fix
My love entire on thee.
4 Father, thy long-lost son receive;
Saviour, thy purchase own;
Blest Comforter, with peace and joy
Thy new-made creature crown.
5 Eternal, undivided Lord,
Co-equal One in Three,—
On thee all faith, all hope be placed;
All love be paid to thee.
John Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Friday, March 17, 2023
Separate? Nope!
Death, the great equalizer?
<idle musing>
Quite a bit different from the Stoic view. They were more interested in accomodating life to the fact of death than overcoming it.
</idle musing>
Rend the heavens!
To God all things are possible.
O THAT thou wouldst the heavens rend,
In majesty come down,—
Streteh out thine arm omnipotent,
And seize me for thine own.
2 Descend, and let thy lightnings burn
The stubble of thy foe;
My sins o’erturn, o’erturn, o’erturn,
And make the mountains flow.
3 Thou my impetuous spirit guide,
And curb my headstrong will;
Thou only canst drive back the tide,
And bid the sun stand still.
4 What though I cannot break my chain,
Or e’er throw off my load;
The things impossible to men,
Are possible for God.
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Thursday, March 16, 2023
Sophia? Not so much
Precisely because of its multifaceted reality, sin’s reach is broad and its damage deep. What normally appears as wisdom, for example—the quintessence of the philosophical quest—turns out to be nothing of the kind. Foolishness, says Paul, is the real name for human Sophia in the sight of God. Standing the truth on its head, he tells the struggling church in Corinth that genuine wisdom is what looks like foolishness. “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe … [and] we preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor 1:20–21). In short, Paul argues, sin blinds us, and our quest for the wise life leads us to reject as foolishness that which is really wise, the crucifixion of Christ (1 Cor 1–3).—One True Life: The Stoics and Early Christians as Rival Traditions, 97
What is freedom, anyway?
<idle musing>
Or, as Bob Dylan put it, "You gotta serve somebody." God lays the choice before us: Either we accept the redemptive offer in Christ and become adopted sons and daughters, participants in the redeemed. Or, we reject it and serve sin and death.
Pretty start contrast, but I believe it is true.
</idle musing>
Heart of stone
The heart of stone.
O THAT I could repent,
With all my idols part,
And to thy gracious eye present
An humble, contrite heart;
2 A heart with grief oppress’d,
For having grieved my God;
A troubled heart, that cannot rest.
Till sprinkled with thy blood.
3 Jesus, on me bestow
The penitent desire;
With true sincerity of wo
My aching breast inspire.
4 With soft’ning pity look,
And melt my hardness down:
Strike with thy love’s resistless stroke,
And break this heart of stone.
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
D-E-A-D
Tozer for Tuesday (yes, I know it's Wednesday, but I forgot)
The love of sin
The man on Calvary.
O THOU who hast our sorrows borne,
Help us to look on thee, and mourn,
On thee, whom we have slain:—
Have pierced a thousand, thousand times,
And by reiterated crimes
Renew’d thy sacred pain.
2 O give us eyes of faith to see
The Man transfix’d on Calvary,—
To know thee who thou art;
The One Eternal God and True;
And let the sight affect, subdue,
And break my stubborn heart.
3 Lover of souls,—to rescue mine,
Reveal the charity divine,
That suffer’d in my stead
That made thy soul a sacrifice,
And quench’d in death those flaming eyes,
And bow’d that sacred head.
4 The veil of unbelief remove;
And by thy manifested love,
And by thy sprinkled blood,
Destroy the love of sin in me,
And get thyself the victory,
And bring me back to God.
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
<idle musing>
"Destroy the love of sin in me." That's sanctification in a nutshell. The replacement of the love of sin with the love of God. Wesley had it right: sanctification in nothing but the love of God. He put as "to feel nothing but love toward God and my fellow man."
Where there is love, nothing that isn't of God can live.
Make it so, Lord!
</idle musing>
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
But, who is this god?
Not so the biblical God!
My infected nature
Only by faith.
LORD, I despair myself to heal;
I see my sin, but cannot feel;
I cannot, till thy Spirit blow,
And bid the obedient waters flow.
2 ’Tis thine a heart of flesh to give;
Thy gifts I only can receive;
Here, then, to thee I all resign;
To draw, redeem, and seal,—are thine.
3 With simple faith, on thee I call,—
My light, my life, my Lord, my all:
I wait the moving of the pool;
I wait the word that speaks me whole.
4 Speak, gracious Lord,—my sickness cure,—
Make my infected nature pure:
Peace, righteousness, and joy impart,
And pour thyself into my heart!
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
<idle musing>
I like that: "Make my infected nature pure." It reflects who we are: infected. I don't buy the theology that says that in the garden the imago dei was destroyed. I've said that it was damaged, but infected is a better word.
It's sick, and without an infusion of Holy Spirit blood, it's on life support. But with an infusion of the Holy Spirit, we become whole again, or as Paul puts it, we are a new creation, the old has passed; the new has come.
Even so, Lord, even so!
</idle musing>
Monday, March 13, 2023
A radical claim—even now
Au contraire, Paul might reply, God’s eternal majesty and glory as Creator leads precisely to this: “In the fullness of time, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman” (Gal 4:4). Indeed, Paul would continue, the glory of the God who made “the light shine in the darkness” is seen most fully “in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). To see God’s glory, says Paul, one must believe in the life, death, and resurrection of his Son—that is, after all, what it is to look on the face of Jesus.—One True Life: The Stoics and Early Christians as Rival Traditions, 88 (emphasis original)
And we come to Paul
What's holding me back?
To whom should we go
AH! Whither should I go,
Burden’d, and sick, and faint?
To whom should I my trouble show,
And pour out my complaint?
My Saviour bids me come;
Ah! why do I delay?
He calls the weary sinner home,
And yet from him I stay.
2 What is it keeps me back,
From which I cannot part,—
Which will not let the Saviour take
Possession of my heart?
Searcher of hearts, in mine
Thy trying power display;
Into its darkest corners shine,
And take the veil away.
3 I now believe, in thee,
Compassion reigns alone;
According to my faith, to me
O let it, Lord, be done!
In me is all the bar,
Which thou wouldst fain-remove;
Remove it, and I shall declare
That God is only love.
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Sunday, March 12, 2023
Return!
The wanderer recalled.
RETURN, O wanderer, return,
And seek thy Father’s face;
Those new desires which in thee burn
Were kindled by his grace.
2 Return, O wanderer, return;
He hears thy humble sigh:
He sees thy soften’d spirit mourn,
When no one else is nigh.
3 Return, O wanderer, return;
Thy Saviour bids thee live:
Come to his cross, and, grateful, learn
How freely he ’ll forgive.
4 Return, O wanderer, return,
And wipe the falling tear:
Thy Father calls,—no longer mourn;
‘Tis love invites thee near.
5 Return, O wanderer, return;
Regain thy long-sought rest:
The Saviour’s melting mercies yearn
To clasp thee to his breast.
William Bengo Collyer
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Saturday, March 11, 2023
A history of the Fundamentalist-Evangelical divide
I remember Key-73; our UMC church participated. I remember knocking on doors and handing out scripture supplied by the ABS and talking about Jesus—I had become a Christian the year before. I also remember the fundies not participating and the “church on the hill” across the street from us (SBC) being very narrow and critical of BGEA and anything remotely Evangelical. The Northern Baptists were of a different stripe altogether; the local pastor was the IVCF advisor and brought in some excellent speakers.
One farmhouse I visited for Key-73 was an SBC one. The mother was very friendly and warm. We were having a good time talking about what God was doing in our lives when their son, around 24 or so, came home. He was quite militant and said that Christians needed to get involved in politics and basically “take the country back for God.” The mom was appalled at the idea and said we were to be leaven and pray, not militant and divisive.
Obviously, the son’s version of Christianity has carried the day : ( Whenever I travel back toward Menomonie (WI) on I-94, I pass that farmhouse and I wonder what became of the mom, her son, and their family. That was 50 years ago now, so she has undoubtedly died and the farm might not even be in the family anymore.
I also recall the rise of the home school movement. It was when forced integration was mandated; probably around 1973 or so. I don't recall the exact year, but I do recall one specific interview, largely because of a comment my dad made at the time.
One woman, who was working full-time and also teaching a home school class, said that it was exhausting, but misapplying Isaiah 40:31 (they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength) and Philippians 4:13 (I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me), she said that because she was doing the Lord's work by taking her kids out of an integrated school, she would be able to endure. My dad's comment (he's a master of understatement)? "I'm not sure that's the Lord's work." Amen and amen.
All that to say, Roger’s version is the one that rings true in my experience. YMMV, obviously, depending on where you lived and the circles you moved in. Menomonie was a college town, so the dynamics were a bit different.
Break our hearts of stone
The hammer of God’s Word.
COME, O thou all-victorious Lord.
Thy power to us make known;
Strike with the hammer of thy word,
And break these hearts of stone.
2 O that we all might now begin
Our foolishness to mourn;
And turn at once from every sin,
And to the Saviour turn.
3 Give us ourselves and thee to know,
In this our gracious day;
Repentance unto life bestow,
And take our sins away.
4 Convince us first of unbelief,
And freely then release;
Fill every soul with sacred grief,
And then with sacred peace.
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Friday, March 10, 2023
O vain attempt!
Where to turn
But how, most basically, do we achieve the kind of happy life that comes from the practice of philosophy? Marcus’s answer is simple: turn inward. “Go into yourself” (7.28). “Look within” (6.3). When the world's chaos rages, Marcus says over and over again, “go immediately into yourself” (6.11). People seek “retreats for themselves—the country, the seashore, the mountains—and you, too,” Marcus says to himself, “are rather prone to experience this yearning.” “But all this,” he continues, “is most unphilosophic given the fact that you can retreat into yourself at any hour you wish. For nowhere can a person retreat into more tranquility or solitude than in his own soul, especially the one who has the sort of inner habits of thought that immediately bring comfort. And by ‘comfort,’ I mean a well—ordered life. Continually, therefore, grant yourself this retreat and renew yourself” (4.3).—One True Life: The Stoics and Early Christians as Rival Traditions, 78-79
<idle musing>
The advice hasn't changed a whole lot in 2000 years, has it? Turn inward. But what happens when the inward is empty, as it is for so many?
The Stoic life seems designed for those who are well-off, aristocracy even, and who have a strong inner constitution. As for the rest of us? Well, tough cookies.
No wonder they thought Christians were weak-minded!
</idle musing>
Look at me!
The inbred leprosy.
JESUS, a word, a look from thee,
Can turn my heart, and make it clean;
Purge out the inbred leprosy,
And save me from my bosom sin.
2 Lord, if thou wilt, I do believe
Thou canst the saving grace impart;
Thou canst this instant now forgive,
And stamp thine image on my heart.
3 My heart, which now to thee I raise,
I know thou canst this moment cleanse;
The deepest stains of sin efface,
And drive the evil spirit hence.
4 Be it according to thy word;
Accomplish now thy work in me;
And let my soul, to health restored,
Devote its deathless powers to thee.
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Thursday, March 09, 2023
But what about family?
Stoics and empathy
This does not mean, however, that the Sage cannot appreciate the gifts Providence brings his way, or exhibit affection toward wife or children; indeed, Socrates himself quite clearly “loved his own children.” Yet he loved them as a “free man who remember[ed] that it is first necessary to be a friend to the gods”—which is to say that Socrates’ “love” was free of pathos; it was an affection shaped by reasonable judgments about the mortality of his offspring (Disc. 3.24.59–60).—One True Life: The Stoics and Early Christians as Rival Traditions, 55
<idle musing>
Sounds pretty depressing to me. You can't truly love if you hold your emotions that tightly in check. Part of love is sharing in the joys and griefs of those you love, which includes grieving with those who grieve—but I'm coming at it from a Christian viewpoint, which just highlights the point that Rowe is making: You can't truly understand a different philosophical tradition without becoming part of it.
</idle musing>
The great physician
Sin’s incurable disease.
GOD, to whom, in flesh reveal’d,
The helpless all for succour came;
The sick to be relieved and heal’d,
And found salvation in thy name:-
2 Thou seest me helpless and distress’d,
Feeble, and faint, and blind, and poor;
Weary, I come to thee for rest;
And, sick of sin, implore a cure.
3 My sin's incurable disease,
Thou, Jesus, thou alone canst heal;
Inspire me with thy power and peace,
And pardon on my conscience seal.
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Wednesday, March 08, 2023
Be gone with you!
<idle musing>
Quite a bit different from a college class in philosophy or ethics, isn't it? It sounds more like Paul's "boxing against the air" metaphor. Or James, "show me your faith by your works."
Frankly, we could use more of that in the church. I think they used to call it discipleship back in the day. But, we can't have that, can we? No dying to self for us! No sirree! Live your best life now!
Only problem with that attitude is that the best life is one that is united with Christ—and his sufferings, his emptying himself.
Kenosis. Cruciformity. Theosis.
Good words, all of them. And necessary. May we learn to live them!
</idle musing>
Philosophy is a way of living
Heart of stone
Without God in the world.
GOD is in this and every place;
But O, how dark and void
To me!—’tis one great wilderness,
This earth without my God.
2 Empty of Him who all things fills,
Till he his light impart,—
Till he his glorious self reveals,—
The veil is on my heart.
3 O Thou who seest and know’st my grief,
Thyself unseen, unknown,
Pity my helpless unbelief,
And break my heart of stone.
4 Regard me with a gracious eye;
The long-sought blessing give;
And bid me, at the point to die,
Behold thy face and live.
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Tuesday, March 07, 2023
Helpless!
Dead in trespasses and sins.
HOW helpless nature lies,
Unconscious of her load!
The heart unchanged can never rise
To happiness and God.
2 Can aught but power divine
The stubborn will subdue?
'Tis thine, eternal Spirit, thine
To form the heart anew:—
3 The passions to recall,
And upward bid them rise;
To make the scales of error fall
From reason’s darken’d eyes.
4 O change these hearts of ours,
And give them life divine;
Then shall our passions and our powers,
Almighty Lord, be thine.
Anne Steele
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Envy (Tozer for Tuesday)
The Holy Ghost says to put all that away. What do you do with it? What do you do with dirt? You expose it to water and soap. What do you do with the dirt of the heart? You expose it to the blood of the Lamb and the power of the Holy Ghost.—A.W. Tozer, Living as a Christian, 85
<idle musing>
Ain't that the truth. I can't draw worth squat, and I'm doing well to find middle-C on a piano, so go ahead and praise them all you want; it doesn't matter because it's not my lane. But, I know what he's talking about—and I'll bet you do too.
I don't know, but I think maybe academics are especially susceptible to it. OK, I know I am. I might hide behind imposter's syndrome, but maybe, just maybe, if I'm honest with myself, that shield of imposter's syndrome is just a nice way of saying I'm envious.
What do you think?
Just an
</idle musing>
Monday, March 06, 2023
Image of God?
God has made us, fashioned us as a master craftsman, begotten us as a father would his children. “Zeus has made you”; “you are the workmanship of the Craftsman" (Disc. 2.8.19, 21, dēmiourgos). Even Caesar can only adopt a divine son, says Epictetus, taking aim at standard imperial practice for securing an heir. “But you,” he tells a student, simply “are the son of God” (Disc. 1.3.2; cf. 1.9.6).—One True Life: The Stoics and Early Christians as Rival Traditions, 47
<idle musing>
Ah, there we go. We have the demiurge popping in, so god to Epictetus isn't fully transcendent, but a step down the ladder of divine beings. That's more in line with what I've always understood Stoics to believe.
</idle musing>
Stoic praise
<idle musing>
Interesting, isn't it? I had always thought of Stoics as having a far-off god. This puts a different light on things, though. Wonder where this is going…
</idle musing>
The year of jubilee
The jubilee trumpet.
BLOW ye the trumpet, blow
The gladly-solemn sound;
Let all the nations know,
To earth’s remotest bound,
The year of jubilee is come;
Return, ye ransom’d sinners, home.
2 Jesus, our great High Priest,
Hath full atonement made:
Ye weary spirits, rest;
Ye mournful souls, be glad:
The year of jubilee is come;
Return, ye ransom’d sinners, home.
3 Extol the Lamb of God,—
The all-atoning Lamb;
Redemption in his blood
Throughout the world proclaim:
The year of jubilee is come;
Return, ye ransom’d sinners, home.
4 Ye slaves of sin and hell,
Your liberty receive,
And safe in Jesus dwell,
And blest in Jesus live:
The year of jubilee is come;
Return, ye ransom’d sinners, home.
5 Ye Who have sold for naught
Your heritage above,
Shall have it back unbought,
The gift of Jesus’ love:
The year of jubilee is come;
Return, ye ransom’d sinners, home.
6 The gospel trumpet hear,—
The news of heavenly grace;
And, saved from earth, appear
Before your Saviour’s face:
The year of jubilee is come;
Return, ye ransom’d sinners, home.
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Sunday, March 05, 2023
The joyful sound
The joyful sound.
SALVATION! O the joyful sound!
What pleasure to our ears;
A sov’reign balm for every wound,
A cordial for our fears.
2 Salvation! let the echo fly
The spacious earth around,
While all the armies of the sky
Conspire to raise the sound.
3 Salvation! O thou bleeding Lamb!
To thee the praise belongs:
Salvation shall inspire our hearts,
And dwell upon our tongues.
Isaac Watts
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Saturday, March 04, 2023
What majesty and grace…
Our debt paid upon the cross.
WHAT majesty and grace
Through all the gospel shine!
‘Tis God that speaks, and we confess
The doctrine most divine.
2 Down from his throne on high,
The mighty Saviour comes;
Lays his bright robes of glory by,
And feeble flesh assumes.
3 The debt that sinners owed,
Upon the cross he pays:
Then through the clouds ascends to God,
‘Midst shouts of loftiest praise.
4 There our High Priest appears,
Before his Father’s throne;
Mingles his merits with our tears,
And pours salvation down.
5 Great Sov’reign, we adore
Thy justice and thy grace,
And on thy faithfulness and power
Our firm dependence place.
Samuel Stennett
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Friday, March 03, 2023
Position of power
Demiurge? or Creator?
Thursday, March 02, 2023
But I'd rather watch TV!
<idle musing>
Some things never change, do they? That's why bread and circuses is so effective.
</idle musing>
Embodied living
<idle musing>
Boy, we could sure use some embodied examples now, couldn't we?
The 18th and 19th century German Lutherans had a term for those who spouted orthodoxy but didn't live it: Confessionalism. And they created Pietism as an antidote.
Granted, pietism taken to extreme can be just as bad as confessionalism, but combine the two and you get a good recipe for effective change.
</idle musing>
A communion hymn
Figure and means of saving grace.
AUTHOR of our salvation, thee,
With lowly, thankful hearts, we praise;
Author of this great ’mystery,—
Figure and means of saving grace.
2 The sacred, true, effectual sign,
Thy body and thy blood it shows;
The glorious instrument divine,
Thy mercy and thy strength bestows.
3 We see the blood that seals our peace;
Thy pard’ning mercy we receive;
The bread doth visibly express
The strength through which our spirits live.
4 Our spirits drink a fresh supply,
And eat the bread so freely given,
Till, borne on eagles’ wings, we fly,
And banquet with our Lord in heaven.
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Wednesday, March 01, 2023
Tozer for Tuesday: Hypocrisy
That does not mean I must publish the amount of my income tax or that I must tell all of the embarrassing intimacies that are a part of any human life. That is another matter. It does mean, as far as moral conduct is concerned, that there is nothing to hide, Do not be a hypocrite, but be exactly what you are. Do not pretend to be what you are not, and do not pretend not to be what you are.—A.W. Tozer, Living as a Christian, 84
Buffeted here and there
<idle musing>
And there's the rub, isn't it? We are on our own. If we don't make the most of our lives, it's our own fault. Sure, we're gods, but gods without any real power. The only power we have is to live for the present—but in a reasonable way.
I don't know about you, but I'll take Christianity, with a personal (in the sense of having personality) god, who doesn't just show the way, but lives inside us to enable us. We aren't on our own.
We might still appear powerless, but we have "exceeding great and precious promises" that the Holy Spirit is within us and that God is in the process of re-creating all things new—including not just us, but the whole of creation.
Just an
</idle musing>
Tormented
<idle musing>
Again you can see the intersections with Christian thought. It's easy to understand why Stoicism was attractive and Christians raided from its thought. But, again, the differences are greater than the similarities, as we'll see in the next post.
</idle musing>
Day of God! Thou blesséd day!
Life and immortality; brought to light.
DAY of God! thou blessed day,
At thy dawn the grave gave way
To the power of Him within,
Who had, sinless, bled for sin.
2 Thine the radiance to illume
First, for man, the dismal tomb,
When its bars their weakness own’d,
There revealing death dethroned.
3 Then the Sun of righteousness
Rose, a darken’d world to bless,
Bringing up from mortal night
Immortality and light.
4 Day of glory, day of power,
Sacred be thine every hour,—
Emblem, earnest , of the rest
That remaineth for the blest.
Hannah F. Gould
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Beware of gifts—not just Greeks bearing them
<idle musing>
It's lines like this that enabled the early Christians to say that Stoicism was a tutor—handmaiden is the word Rowe uses, I think—leading to Christianity.
It sounds almost Christian, doesn't it? "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be," as Jesus said. But, if you know much about Stoicism, you know that the theological presuppositions are diametrically opposed to Christianity. Their concept of God is pantheistic and impersonal.
</idle musing>
Sickness doesn't kill you—being mortal does (Seneca)
<idle musing>
Can't say as he got the diagnosis wrong, but I think he badly misjudges people's response! But, then again, probably not, because he's tutoring Lucilius on what his proper response to death should be.
Truth be told, I prefer the Christian response; it seems a good bit less fatalistic!
Just an
</idle musing>
Eschatological Hope
God her everlasting light.
HEAR what God the Lord hath spoken:
O my people, faint and few,
Comfortless, afflicted, broken,
Fair abodes I build for you:
Scenes of heartfelt tribulation
Shall no more perplex your ways;
You shall name your walls salvation,
And your gates shall all be praise.
2 Ye, no more your suns descending,
Waning moons no more shall see ;
But, your griefs forever ending,
Find eternal noon in me:—
God shall rise, and, shining o’er you,
Change to day the gloom of night;
He, the Lord, shall be your glory—
God your everlasting light.
William Cowper (pronounced "Cooper")
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Monday, February 27, 2023
Sickness unto death? Or fear of death as a sickness?
Are we missing the point?
<idle musing>
Scholarly abstraction. That's what we're trained to do, isn't it? To stand aside from our biases (as much as possible) and analyze the data. But in so doing, we miss the point, don't we? The ancients were altogether serious when they considered study a life-changing endeavor.
Let's enjoy the ride as Rowe takes us on the journey. We might discover that our techniques are lacking…
</idle musing>
Serendipity
706 7th P. M. 8 lines 7s
Many, but one.
CHRIST, from whom all blessings flow,
Perfecting the saints below,
Hear us, who thy nature share,——
With thy mystic body are.
Join us, in one spirit join;
Let us still receive of thine:
Still for more on thee we call,
Thou who fillest all in all.
2 Move, and actuate, and guide:
Divers gifts to each divide:
Placed according to thy will,
Let us all our work fulfil:
Never from our office move:
Needful to each other prove:
Let us daily growth receive,—
More and more in Jesus live.
3 Sweetly may we all agree,
Touch’d with softest sympathy;
Kindly for each other care;
Every member feel its share.
Many are we now and one,
We who Jesus have put on:
Names, and sects, and parties fall:
Thou, O Christ, art all in all.
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
What is really interesting, though, is that hymnary.org has shorter verses and more of them. I think they are worth posting too, so here you go.
1 Christ, from whom all blessings flow,
perfecting the saints below,
hear us, who your nature share,
who your mystic body are.
2 Join us, in one spirit join,
grant us still your help divine;
still for more on you we call,
you, O Christ, fill all in all.
3 Move, and animate, and guide:
various gifts to each divide;
placed according to your will,
let us all our work fulfil;
4 Freely may we all agree,
touched with loving sympathy;
kindly for each other care;
every member feel its share.
5 Love, like death, has all destroyed,
rendered all distinctions void;
names, and sects, and parties fall;
you, O Christ, are all in all.
So, an interesting rabbit trail. I wonder which version is correct? Or, more likely, which version was first and Wesley went back a revised it? I'm not interested enough to chase it down, but if it tickles someone else's fancy and they do research it, please post it to the comments.
Glorious and spotless; may it be so!
Glorious and spotless.
JESUS, from whom all blessings flow,
Great Builder of Thy church below,
If now Thy Spirit moves my breast,
Hear, and fulfill Thine own request!
2. The few that truly call Thee Lord,
And wait Thy sanctifying word,
And Thee their utmost Savior own,
Unite, and perfect them in one.
3. O let them all Thy mind express,
Stand forth Thy chosen witnesses,
Thy power unto salvation show,
And perfect holiness below!
4. In them let all mankind behold
How Christians lived in days of old,
Mighty their envious foes to move,
A proverb of reproach—and love.
5. Call them into thy wondrous light,
Worthy to walk with thee in white;
Make up they jewels, Lord, and show
Thy glorious, spotless Church below.
6. From every sinful wrinkle free,
Redeemed from all iniquity,
The fellowship of saints make known;
And, O my God, might I be one!
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Sunday, February 26, 2023
Jesus, the name high over all
The minister’s only business.
JESUS, the Name high over all;
In hell, or earth, or sky; ’
Angels and men before it fall,
And devils fear and fly.
2 Jesus, the Name to sinners dear,-
The Name to sinners given;
It scatters all their guilty fear;
It turns their hell to heaven.
3 Jesus the pris’ner’s fetters breaks,
And bruises Satan’s head;
Power into strengthless souls he speaks,
And life into the dead.
4 O that the world might taste and see
The riches of his grace;
The arms of love that compass me,
Would all mankind embrace.
5 His only righteousness I show,-
His saving truth proclaim:
‘Tis all my business here below,
To cry,—Behold the Lamb!
6 Happy, if with my latest breath
I may but gasp his name;
Preach him to all, and cry in death,
Behold, behold the Lamb!
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Entire dependence on Christ
Entire dependence on Christ.
EXCEPT the Lord conduct the plan,
The best concerted schemes are vain,
And never can succeed;
We spend our wretched strength for naught;
But if our works in thee be wrought,
They shall he blest indeed.
2 Lord, if thou didst thyself inspire
Our souls with this intense desire,
Thy goodness to proclaim;
Thy glory if we now intend,
0 let our deeds begin and end
Complete in Jesus’ name.
3 In Jesus’ name behold we meet,
Far from an evil world retreat,
And all its frantic ways;
One only thing resolved to know,
And square our useful lives below,
By reason and by grace.
4 Not in the tombs we pine to dwell,
Not in the dark monastic cell,
By vows and grates confined;
Freely to all ourselves we give,
Constrain’d by Jesus’ love to live
The servants of mankind.
5 Now, Jesus, now thy love‘ impart,
To govern each devoted heart,
And fit us for thy will;
Deep founded in the truth of grace,
Build up thy rising Church , and place
The city on the hill.
6 O let our love and faith abound;
O let our lives, to all around,
With purest lustre shine;
That all around our works may see,
And give the glory, Lord, to thee,
The heavenly light divine.
Charles Wesley
Methodist Episcopal hymnal (1870 edition)
Saturday, February 25, 2023
Reflections and links (updated)
John Wesley's journals record supernatural manifestations, but don't emphasize them. The emphasis was always on heart holiness to the Lord, which manifested itself in changed lives, reconciliation, and social action as a result of that. Wesley's favorite book of the Bible was 1 John, so all of the above flow naturally out of 1 John.
That being said, Christianity Today has published three very good articles/op-eds in the last two days that are worth reading:
- No Celebrities But Jesus. This post reflects on the behind the scenes work that enabled the Holy Spirit to control the flow. It reflects the best of the Wesleyan view on revival that I mentioned above.
- What Our Reaction to Revival Reveals About Us. This paragraph says enough to give you an idea:
When I was there, I saw that the leaders had made a deliberate decision to amplify only the voices of the students and leaders on the campus. Both well-meaning Christian celebrities and grifting hucksters were turned away. There were no lights, smoke, or lasers. There was lots of prayer, Scripture, and testimony. Contrary to the complaints of some on social media, many spoke of God’s holiness, our sinfulness, and Christ’s saving work on the cross.
- What Revivals Can Teach Us. By a historian of revival. He lists four important points that the current outpouring highlights, and then ends with this:
Asbury is a reminder that salvation is supernatural. God’s Word is supernatural. Conviction of sins is supernatural. Compassion for the suffering and the lost is supernatural. We need a broad bandwidth and full-spectrum picture of the Spirit’s works. (emphasis original)
Amen and Amen!
I know that there can be a lot of cringe-worthy, ego soaked performance-y stuff in church. I know that when it comes to Christianity there are legitimate reasons for commentary and critique at every turn. But, as I like to say, nothing is only ever one thing. Because there is also God’s Spirit, who I believe is still stirring in the hearts of God’s people (is that what is happening at Asbury? Maybe). And while I remain suspicious of most human claims of a human project having “God’s favor” or being “Spirit led” (because it feels conveniently like using divine camouflage for human ego trips) I do trust more and more what I feel in my spirit and in my body.I'm sure there are lots of other posts out there, but I'll leave you with one from John Fea, who has been doing a daily summary. Do a search for the name Leonard Fitch in that post. I worked at Fitch's IGA for about 18 months while we lived in Wilmore. Everything they say about him is true; if anything, they understate.
Update:
David Reimer posted two very good links in the comment section. I'm moving them into the main body for those who don't read the comments. Both are by Timothy Tennent, the president of Asbury Seminary:
- Thoughts on the Asbury Awakening, February 14th, 2023
- Asbury Awakening Continues, February 21st, 2023