The True Light which in enlightens men
Truth is the most important object in relation to humanity. It frames the weight of the matter and what is proposed in it's name. It is that which has been revealed, that which has been hidden, that which stands alone and erect as law, and that which alternately, is mired by diverse opinions of men. Truth is the immutable structure of what is seen, and also the unknown framework of what remains unseen. It is the unmovable constant of being in an unconstant universe in the state of becoming. It is the steady eye of condemnation upon dishonest society, as it is the judge and arbitrater of the unknown. Truth is the absurd of the dishonest, whereas what is dishonest is, alternately, the absurd to Truth. This Truth is the seat of Faith, that which has been revealed to the ones groping in darkness. It is the deep cavernous planet which sustains all inhabitants of wisdom and knowledge while supporting in it's profound deep the existential possibility of faith. Though it's surface is deeply explored, it's deep remains mysterious, yet remains there a solemn absolute testifying to the One thing. Truth is the ontological question and answer that remains. Toward man it is expressed as sunlight in the forest touching the tallest trees as well as the most obscure bush. It may also be rendered a needle sowing together the sinews of loose cloth to produce a useful article of clothing. Truth makes order from chaos, stillness from motion, productivity from unproductivity, and answers from questions.
Your eyes of eternity touch us. May we properly be filled with Your Light.
Amen.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Imperishable Love
"What is it that makes a person unwavering, more unwavering than a rock; what is it that makes him soft, softer than wax? It is love. What is it that cannot be taken but itself takes all? It is love. What is it that cannot be given but itself gives all? It is love. What is it that remains when everything falls away? It is love. What is it that does not cease when the vision ends? It is love. What is it that sheds light when the dark saying ends? It is love. What is it that gives blessing to the abundance of the gift? It is love. What is it that makes the widow’s gift an abundance? It is love. What is it that turns the words of the simple person into wisdom? It is love. What is it that is never changed even though everything is changed? It is love; and that alone is love, that which never becomes something else."
~Kierkegaard
~Kierkegaard
Fear and Trembling
"Unite my heart to fear your Name."
"The Fear of the Lord is clean."
These verses come from the ancient psalms yet remain highly relevant for the people of God today. I think that the problems within the modern Church are so plentiful because people who claim the name of the Lord do not fear Him. These problems consist of divisions, immorality, weakness of worship, weakness of interest, and an overall weakness of heart when it comes to the important business of God. I could write a whole post specifically listing the fine points of weakness in the Church, but that is not the heart of dilemma, nor is it the direct matter of my attention here. The heart of the dilemma is a general boredom when approaching the matters of God. To fear the Lord is to be lost in wonder when considering the greatness of who He is. When we do this, our consideration of our worth is reduced and we grow increasingly aware of the insignificant interests to which we hold. In fact the whole human race, because of it's brokenness, is without significance. It is like a clock that keeps on ticking but keeps the wrong time. The dance that we dance--the endless motions of drudgery day in and day out that cloud our ability to prioritize the fear an due wonder before God. We must come back to the fact that we are granted one day of breath in eternity-a people fashioned in the image of the living God. We are a people who possess the fear of Isaac. When we approach God and when we seek Him we are to do so considering all of this and what it is exactly we are coming to:
"For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, 'If even a beast touches the mountain it will be stoned.' And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, 'I am full of fear and trembling.' But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels in festal gathering, to the church of the firstborn ones, those who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel."
If we fear God then our worship will be arighted. Our actions will be seasoned with salt, our prayers will be full of understanding, our approach to the Scriptures will be humble and we will have brilliant fellowship that is pleasing to God. We fear God because we have His promises and because the One who calls us is the great I AM. Thus because God will begin His judgement with His house, we are to be holy and blameless without spot or wrinkle while traversing upon the days that God has appointed for us. If we fear God, we will recognize that this is no small thing and beg for the grace of God to aid us. We fear God because we are chosen not to be like the wicked of the world who are chaff prepared for the day of fire. God has extended His hand to us in Jesus and has saved us from our sin and damnation. The Holy One who did not know sin because it was not in His nature became sin for us that we may be displayed as the righteousness of God through eternity. We are chosen for adoption according to the pleasure of God. This monumental, ageless act of love shown by the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world should cause us to tremble, understanding the price of our consecration and being wary lest a root of bitterness against God cause us to fail obtaining Christ's grace.
To fear God is to elect wisdom and begin it's healing procedure.
May God take away the shame of a lazy ungrateful people! May God strike us with the rod from His mouth that we may fear Him! May God take away the love of the world in His Church! May God pour forth His knowledge of Himself that we may tremble because we have begun to consider the identiy of who we are because God has revealed His identity to us!
"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord."
"The Fear of the Lord is clean."
These verses come from the ancient psalms yet remain highly relevant for the people of God today. I think that the problems within the modern Church are so plentiful because people who claim the name of the Lord do not fear Him. These problems consist of divisions, immorality, weakness of worship, weakness of interest, and an overall weakness of heart when it comes to the important business of God. I could write a whole post specifically listing the fine points of weakness in the Church, but that is not the heart of dilemma, nor is it the direct matter of my attention here. The heart of the dilemma is a general boredom when approaching the matters of God. To fear the Lord is to be lost in wonder when considering the greatness of who He is. When we do this, our consideration of our worth is reduced and we grow increasingly aware of the insignificant interests to which we hold. In fact the whole human race, because of it's brokenness, is without significance. It is like a clock that keeps on ticking but keeps the wrong time. The dance that we dance--the endless motions of drudgery day in and day out that cloud our ability to prioritize the fear an due wonder before God. We must come back to the fact that we are granted one day of breath in eternity-a people fashioned in the image of the living God. We are a people who possess the fear of Isaac. When we approach God and when we seek Him we are to do so considering all of this and what it is exactly we are coming to:
"For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, 'If even a beast touches the mountain it will be stoned.' And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, 'I am full of fear and trembling.' But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels in festal gathering, to the church of the firstborn ones, those who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel."
If we fear God then our worship will be arighted. Our actions will be seasoned with salt, our prayers will be full of understanding, our approach to the Scriptures will be humble and we will have brilliant fellowship that is pleasing to God. We fear God because we have His promises and because the One who calls us is the great I AM. Thus because God will begin His judgement with His house, we are to be holy and blameless without spot or wrinkle while traversing upon the days that God has appointed for us. If we fear God, we will recognize that this is no small thing and beg for the grace of God to aid us. We fear God because we are chosen not to be like the wicked of the world who are chaff prepared for the day of fire. God has extended His hand to us in Jesus and has saved us from our sin and damnation. The Holy One who did not know sin because it was not in His nature became sin for us that we may be displayed as the righteousness of God through eternity. We are chosen for adoption according to the pleasure of God. This monumental, ageless act of love shown by the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world should cause us to tremble, understanding the price of our consecration and being wary lest a root of bitterness against God cause us to fail obtaining Christ's grace.
To fear God is to elect wisdom and begin it's healing procedure.
May God take away the shame of a lazy ungrateful people! May God strike us with the rod from His mouth that we may fear Him! May God take away the love of the world in His Church! May God pour forth His knowledge of Himself that we may tremble because we have begun to consider the identiy of who we are because God has revealed His identity to us!
"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord."
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Regarding Skepticism and Doubt
"All the objections to Christianity – what are they, after all, to the person who in truth is conscious of being a sinner and who has experienced belief in the forgiveness of sins and in this faith is saved from his sin? One conceivable objection might be: Yes, but is it not still possible for you to be saved in some other way? But how can one reply to this? One cannot. It is just like a person in love. If someone were to say: Yes, but you could perhaps have fallen in love with another – then he must answer: To this I cannot reply, for I know only one thing, that this is my beloved. As soon as the person who is in love tries to reply to this objection, he is by that very fact not a believer."
~Kierkegaard
~Kierkegaard
Friday, October 9, 2009
[to be none]
"Christ requires followers and defines precisely what he means by this. They are to be salt, willing to be sacrificed. But to be salt and to be sacrificed is not something that the thousands naturally go for, still less millions, or (still less!) countries, kingdoms, states, and (absolutely not!) the whole world."
~Soren Kierkegaard
~Soren Kierkegaard
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Godly Sorrow
"There is a longing after God, a confidence in God, a comfort and hope
in God, a love, a frankheartedness but what most surely finds
Him is perhaps a sorrow after God. Sorrow after God that is no
fleeting mood which promptly vanishes with a nearer approach
to God; on the contrary, it is perhaps deepest when it draws
nearest to God, as one who thus sorrows is more fearful for himself
the nearer he comes to God."
~Soren Kierkegaard
in God, a love, a frankheartedness but what most surely finds
Him is perhaps a sorrow after God. Sorrow after God that is no
fleeting mood which promptly vanishes with a nearer approach
to God; on the contrary, it is perhaps deepest when it draws
nearest to God, as one who thus sorrows is more fearful for himself
the nearer he comes to God."
~Soren Kierkegaard
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Dividing Line
"It is not true that everything religious is united and everything irreligious belongs to the other side. It would be nearer the truth to draw a dividing line right through both the religious and the nonreligious."
~Eberhard Arnold
~Eberhard Arnold
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