Sunday, May 17, 2009
Two years later...
and I thought it was time for another post. I quite positive that no one will now read this blog! That's quite alright with me. If I post much in the next days, I think I will write about my understanding of the Sabbath and why Christians are called to observe it. Anyway, I'm on now only to post some verses of Scripture that I found particularly meaningful. They're from Ecclesiastes and talk about the certain judgment of God on wickedness, even if that judgment is slow in coming.
Ecclesiastes 8:11-13, KJV
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: 13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
Ecclesiastes 8:11-13, KJV
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: 13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
Friday, March 16, 2007
"I will choose freewill!"
Anyone who listens to '70s rock will immediately know that I'm quoting Neil Peart's classic song "Freewill", sung by Geddy Lee in his inimitable nasal wail. If you have stopped headbanging to that song and ever listened to the lyrics, you would realize that it's a song that decries those who believe in predestination and not in the freewill of man. (Yeah, Rush is one of those bands that rarely ever sings of having sex with many anonymous women.) Their lyrics are intellectual, as Peart, the main songwriter, is one. His biggest influence is Ayn Rand. Rand was a hard-core believer in the power of human freewill, besides promoting Objectivism, which is essentially capitalism extended to all aspects of one's life.
I, on the other hand, am Reformed, and so hold to the Scripture's testament to freewill. The Westminster Confession says it like this: "God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass". No matter what you think of Westminster divines, you have to give it to them that they pull no punches. Their beliefs are on the table right before you. They clearly state here and in other parts of the Confession that God has written the story already and what he has ordained will happen.
The thing that is interesting for me, though, is that while I certainly believe this, the doctrine of predestination is one that I cannot experience presently. I can truly see the hand of God working to bring out His will in my life in retrospect. Yet, as I live from day to day, I rarely feel that I experience the blessing of predestination. I normally feel like I'm living in a world determined by freewill.
Interesting? What do you think?
I, on the other hand, am Reformed, and so hold to the Scripture's testament to freewill. The Westminster Confession says it like this: "God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass". No matter what you think of Westminster divines, you have to give it to them that they pull no punches. Their beliefs are on the table right before you. They clearly state here and in other parts of the Confession that God has written the story already and what he has ordained will happen.
The thing that is interesting for me, though, is that while I certainly believe this, the doctrine of predestination is one that I cannot experience presently. I can truly see the hand of God working to bring out His will in my life in retrospect. Yet, as I live from day to day, I rarely feel that I experience the blessing of predestination. I normally feel like I'm living in a world determined by freewill.
Interesting? What do you think?
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Well, I finally did it
About one half-hour ago, I finally did that which I never thought I would do: I read the history of the One Ring being cast into the Crack of Mount Doom, thus ending the War of the Ring and the reign of Sauron. I have been trying to read the Lord of the Rings off and on for eleven years. I have now seen the Ring destroyed, and soon I shall finish the book. This is a very happy moment for me, indeed.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Driving at an insanely early hour
This is a picture of yours truly, imbibing some coffee on the way from Bloomington to Pittsburgh to celebrate Thanksgiving with the in-laws. I had gotten Lauren up at 5:45 AM so we could make the most of our vacation. (In case you didn't know, that's a major feat. Her dad actually commended me on my ability to get her out of the bed that early!) At any rate, we stopped in Columbus, IN to get some breakfast, and Lauren took this picture as we traversed eastward. I had the same expression on my face until Columbus, OH. I was quite tired.
Christmas 2006, picture two
Uncle Brandon (sans hat for some reason) and the niece and nephews (see previous post for names and ages)
Christmas 2006
Auntie Lauren with Nolan (age 4), Evan (age 1 1/2), and Alli (age 11).
Thursday, January 04, 2007
The optimistic reformer, according to Mr. G.K. Chesterton
Mark these words, from my patron saint, Mr. G.K. Chesterton:
"Nor is the real reason of the triumph of the too-contented reformer particularly difficult to define. He triumphs because he keeps alive in the human soul an invincible sense of the thing being worth doing, of the war being worth winning, of the people being worth their deliverance. I remember that Mr. William Archer, some time ago, published in one of his interesting series of interviews, an interview with Mr. Thomas Hardy. That powerful writer was represented as saying, in the course of the conversation, that he did not wish at the particular moment to define his opinion with regard to the ultimate problem of whether life itself was worth living. There are, he said, hundreds of remediable evils in this world. When we have remedied all these (such was his argument), it will be time enough to ask whether existence itself under its best possible conditions is valuable or desirable. Here we have presented, with a considerable element of what can only be called unconscious humour, the plain reason of the failure of the pessimist as a reformer. Mr. Hardy is asking us, I will not say to buy a pig in a poke; he is asking us to buy a poke on the remote chance of there being a pig in it. When we have for some few frantic centuries tortured ourselves to save mankind, it will then be "time enough" to discuss whether they can possibly be saved. When, in the case of infant mortality, for example, we have exhausted ourselves with the earthshaking efforts required to save the life of every individual baby, it will then be time enough to consider whether every individual baby would not have been happier dead. We are to remove mountains and bring the millennium, because then we can have a quiet moment to discuss whether the millennium is at all desirable. Here we have the low-water mark of the impotence of the sad reformer. And here we have the reason of the paradoxical triumph of the happy one. His triumph is a religious triumph; it rests upon his perpetual assertion of the value of the human soul and of human daily life. It rests upon his assertion that human life is enjoyable because it is human. And he will never admit, like so many compassionate pessimists, that human life ever ceases to be human. He does not merely pity the lowness of men; he feels an insult to their elevation. Brute pity should be given only to brutes. Cruelty to animals is cruelty and a vile thing; but cruelty to a man is not cruelty, it is treason. Tyranny over a man is not tyranny, it is rebellion, for man is royal. Now, the practical weakness of the vast mass of modern pity for the poor and the oppressed is precisely that it is merely pity; the pity is pitiful, but not respectful. Men feel that the cruelty to the poor is a kind of cruelty to animals. They never feel that it is justice to equals; nay, it is treachery to comrades. This dark scientific pity, this brutal pity, has an elemental sincerity of its own; but it is entirely useless for all ends of social reform. Democracy swept Europe with the sabre when it was founded upon the Rights of Man. It has done literally nothing at all since it has been founded only upon the wrongs of man. Or, more strictly speaking, its recent failure has been due to its not admitting the existence of any rights, or wrongs, or indeed of any humanity. Evolution (the sinister enemy of revolution) does not especially deny the existence of God; what it does deny is the existence of man. And all the despair about the poor, and the cold and repugnant pity for them, has been largely due to the vague sense that they have literally relapsed into the state of the lower animals."
From "Charles Dickens", Chapter 11
As long as men live who write and believe like this, there is yet hope for humanity in Christ.
"Nor is the real reason of the triumph of the too-contented reformer particularly difficult to define. He triumphs because he keeps alive in the human soul an invincible sense of the thing being worth doing, of the war being worth winning, of the people being worth their deliverance. I remember that Mr. William Archer, some time ago, published in one of his interesting series of interviews, an interview with Mr. Thomas Hardy. That powerful writer was represented as saying, in the course of the conversation, that he did not wish at the particular moment to define his opinion with regard to the ultimate problem of whether life itself was worth living. There are, he said, hundreds of remediable evils in this world. When we have remedied all these (such was his argument), it will be time enough to ask whether existence itself under its best possible conditions is valuable or desirable. Here we have presented, with a considerable element of what can only be called unconscious humour, the plain reason of the failure of the pessimist as a reformer. Mr. Hardy is asking us, I will not say to buy a pig in a poke; he is asking us to buy a poke on the remote chance of there being a pig in it. When we have for some few frantic centuries tortured ourselves to save mankind, it will then be "time enough" to discuss whether they can possibly be saved. When, in the case of infant mortality, for example, we have exhausted ourselves with the earthshaking efforts required to save the life of every individual baby, it will then be time enough to consider whether every individual baby would not have been happier dead. We are to remove mountains and bring the millennium, because then we can have a quiet moment to discuss whether the millennium is at all desirable. Here we have the low-water mark of the impotence of the sad reformer. And here we have the reason of the paradoxical triumph of the happy one. His triumph is a religious triumph; it rests upon his perpetual assertion of the value of the human soul and of human daily life. It rests upon his assertion that human life is enjoyable because it is human. And he will never admit, like so many compassionate pessimists, that human life ever ceases to be human. He does not merely pity the lowness of men; he feels an insult to their elevation. Brute pity should be given only to brutes. Cruelty to animals is cruelty and a vile thing; but cruelty to a man is not cruelty, it is treason. Tyranny over a man is not tyranny, it is rebellion, for man is royal. Now, the practical weakness of the vast mass of modern pity for the poor and the oppressed is precisely that it is merely pity; the pity is pitiful, but not respectful. Men feel that the cruelty to the poor is a kind of cruelty to animals. They never feel that it is justice to equals; nay, it is treachery to comrades. This dark scientific pity, this brutal pity, has an elemental sincerity of its own; but it is entirely useless for all ends of social reform. Democracy swept Europe with the sabre when it was founded upon the Rights of Man. It has done literally nothing at all since it has been founded only upon the wrongs of man. Or, more strictly speaking, its recent failure has been due to its not admitting the existence of any rights, or wrongs, or indeed of any humanity. Evolution (the sinister enemy of revolution) does not especially deny the existence of God; what it does deny is the existence of man. And all the despair about the poor, and the cold and repugnant pity for them, has been largely due to the vague sense that they have literally relapsed into the state of the lower animals."
From "Charles Dickens", Chapter 11
As long as men live who write and believe like this, there is yet hope for humanity in Christ.
Friday, December 29, 2006
The wonder of coffee!
I'm at my in-law's until Sunday afternoon. This means that every morning that I get up I am obliged to have a large cup of espresso. Yes, espresso with hot chocolate mixed in, a large dollop of whipped cream, and caramel topping on top of it all. It's all quite glorious. One of the best parts is smelling the rapture in the kitchen while the espresso is being made.
I truly think that coffee is one of the greatest things that God has created, and I fervently hope that coffee will be served with dessert at the Supper of the Lamb. You may wonder why I think that coffee is one of the best things we have here on earth, and I would like to enumerate why I love coffee so.
(n.b. When I say coffee, I mean coffee that has just been ground. Freeze-dried coffee is alright if you are on a budget (like me), but it can never beat the real thing.)
1. Coffee is usually served hot. It warms us up when we are cold and makes us sweat when it's hot out. Its warmth causes us to reflect on the warmth of fraternal and familial love.
2. Coffee is bitter. It helps to cut the sweetness of dessert. It adds spice to bacon and eggs. It reminds us that life can be bitter, but still good.
3. Coffee takes well to condiments. You can add sugar. You can add cream. You can add chocolate. You can add whiskey... Even if it is bitter, it can still be sweetened. It can become more than it is, if you want it to be. Just like life, bitterness can become sweetness with the flick of the wrist.
4. Coffee can be made in mass quantities. You hear the knock at the door. Friends are behind it. In your rush, you wonder what you can offer to them to extend a token of fellowship. You need not worry. A little coffee can go a long way. A poor man can sit with his friends with a cup of friendship.
5. Coffee is strong. Good coffee that is. It puts hair on your chest.* It reminds us of the strength of the God who created coffee.
6. Coffee stimulates.** It wakes you up and helps you concentrate. It comes inside and causes you to work. Just like the grace of God in a sinner.
So, there you have it. My list of why I think coffee is one of the greatest things ever created. You can honor the God who made it by having a cup today or tomorrow. Drink it for his glory!
I truly think that coffee is one of the greatest things that God has created, and I fervently hope that coffee will be served with dessert at the Supper of the Lamb. You may wonder why I think that coffee is one of the best things we have here on earth, and I would like to enumerate why I love coffee so.
(n.b. When I say coffee, I mean coffee that has just been ground. Freeze-dried coffee is alright if you are on a budget (like me), but it can never beat the real thing.)
1. Coffee is usually served hot. It warms us up when we are cold and makes us sweat when it's hot out. Its warmth causes us to reflect on the warmth of fraternal and familial love.
2. Coffee is bitter. It helps to cut the sweetness of dessert. It adds spice to bacon and eggs. It reminds us that life can be bitter, but still good.
3. Coffee takes well to condiments. You can add sugar. You can add cream. You can add chocolate. You can add whiskey... Even if it is bitter, it can still be sweetened. It can become more than it is, if you want it to be. Just like life, bitterness can become sweetness with the flick of the wrist.
4. Coffee can be made in mass quantities. You hear the knock at the door. Friends are behind it. In your rush, you wonder what you can offer to them to extend a token of fellowship. You need not worry. A little coffee can go a long way. A poor man can sit with his friends with a cup of friendship.
5. Coffee is strong. Good coffee that is. It puts hair on your chest.* It reminds us of the strength of the God who created coffee.
6. Coffee stimulates.** It wakes you up and helps you concentrate. It comes inside and causes you to work. Just like the grace of God in a sinner.
So, there you have it. My list of why I think coffee is one of the greatest things ever created. You can honor the God who made it by having a cup today or tomorrow. Drink it for his glory!
*When I was younger, I actually thought that coffee put hair on your chest. This lead to me drinking a lot of coffee. Thankfully that saying is only a figure of speech. Otherwise I'd look like George "the Animal" Steele.
** Coffee actually stimulates my body too much. I once drank five or six cups one morning and by eight o'clock that evening I took myself to the ER with a heartrate of 120 beats/minute. I thought I was having a heart attack. Even now too much caffeine will cause me to have heart palpitations and cause me to become angry. Seriously. Some people are angry drunks. I'm an angry caffeine imbiber.
** Coffee actually stimulates my body too much. I once drank five or six cups one morning and by eight o'clock that evening I took myself to the ER with a heartrate of 120 beats/minute. I thought I was having a heart attack. Even now too much caffeine will cause me to have heart palpitations and cause me to become angry. Seriously. Some people are angry drunks. I'm an angry caffeine imbiber.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Christmas Loot
I had a very wonderful Christmas with Lauren and my parents and family this year. The haul this Christmas was a great one. I indulged my country music fetish with four C&W titles: The Essential George Jones, Hank Williams: Hillbilly Hero (a four disc set), Johnny Cash at San Quentin, and Van Morrison: Pay the Devil (a great covers album). My in-laws got me a very nice jacket, a welcome addition to my (small) wardrobe. My parents also showered me with some nice clothes and a Kohl's gift card. Perhaps the most unexpected thing that I received was from my brother: a $5 bill from the Confederate States of America, printed in 1864. The tastiest gift that I got this Christmas was from Dr. S. Trager: two cases of great beer.
It was a great Christmas. I got many things I needed and some things I've wanted to have for a long while. However, the best part of Christmas is worshiping the triune God who, in His everlasting mercy, power, justice, and wisdom, brought about our salvation through His Incarnation in the manger of Bethlehem.
It was a great Christmas. I got many things I needed and some things I've wanted to have for a long while. However, the best part of Christmas is worshiping the triune God who, in His everlasting mercy, power, justice, and wisdom, brought about our salvation through His Incarnation in the manger of Bethlehem.
