the trouble with sin...

... is that it makes God seem less important to those around us.

I wonder how many of my friends have been tempted to take God less seriously because they've seen me blatantly sin.

Something to think about.

The Lion Roars

We're about to start a sermon series on Amos. This lyric was inspired by Amos 3:8. The book of Amos is pretty bleak - 99% judgement. Hope only comes in the last 2 verses. Alas, no-one would sing a song like that (except maybe Gordon) so I ventured away from Amos for 3 of the verses.

What do you think?


The Lion Roars

The lion roars and light dispels the reign of darkness
From chaos order's issued by his plan
A world is born, she cries in joy, her Lord adoring
The stars, the earth, all creatures, every man.

The lion roars! Creator enters his creation
The oceans bow, the rocks, the rivers sing
The Lord of all is here, he shares our pain and burdens
But guilty hearts mock, crucify their king.

The lion roars! The cords of death too weak to hold him
Ascended high he reigns forever more
He calls his people draws us near to him in mercy
Our future certain, our forgiveness sure.

The lion roars! Oh nations will you heed the warning
Before in judgement stubborn hearts are torn?
For every knee will bow and every tongue will worship
Flee to his side find shelter from the storm.

SAR 2008

bonhoeffer and disappointment

Today I have been watching dvds from Moore College's 2006 School of Theology. The topic was the consolation of theology. Great stuff. So far I've listened to lectures on Robert Banks speak about C.S. Lewis and pain, Peter Bolt speak about Kierkegaard and anxiety, and Brian Rosner talk about Bonhoeffer and disappointment.

I'm quite taken with this Bonhoeffer quote:

"Nothing can fill the gap when we are away from those we love, and it would be wrong to try and find anything. We must simply hold out and win through. That sounds very hard at first, but at the same time it is a great consolation, since leaving the gap unfilled preserves the bonds between us. It is nonsense to say that God fills the gap; He does not fill it, but keeps it empty so that our communion with another may be kept alive, even at the cost of pain" Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Thinking about the many emotional 'gaps' God leaves unfilled in our lives. Our want for partner, child, friend.. whatever, are real longings and God in his wisdom doesn't fill them. Perhaps his leaving them empty legitimises them as longings and we should thank him, in spite of the pain we feel.

sayings to live by

'This too shall pass'

Honoria mentioned this saying in the comments section of Jean's blog post: 'the seasons of life'. Here's the legend behind it...

"King Solomon once searched for a cure against depression. He assembled his wise men together. They meditated for a long time and gave him the following advice: Make yourself a ring and have thereon engraved the words 'This too will pass.' The King carried out the advice. He had the ring made and wore it constantly. Every time he felt sad and depressed, he looked at the ring, whereon his mood would change and he would feel cheerful" -(Israel Folklore Archive # 126) (from wiki)

I like it. And not just as a cure for depression - in times of ease, of joy, of wealth, of strength, of nappies, of homework, of church crisis's, of temptation... we do well to remember it and stay patient and humble. On this side of eternity, life is transitory. This too will pass.

Here's another phrase I like. Thought alot on the idea a couple of years ago.

'This, too, is grace'

Everything. Happiness, ill health, that slow driver in front of you... This, too, is our loving father's sovereign care of us.

a prayer

Save me, Father!

I feel my soul a pillar of salt.

My neck strains.
Fix my eyes forward

to you.

sar 2008

sin and 'honesty'

Honoria's recent post on confessing our sins (the devil loves secrecy) got me thinking. I'm a fairly open person and don't find it all that difficult to share my struggles (not sharing... now there's a challenge!) but I'm thinking increasingly that it's unhelpful to talk about some sins. If I confess that I am struggling with, say, hateful thoughts, and everyone else in my bible study group says 'yeah, me too', I stop thinking that hate is such a dreadful thing. It's been normalised. Unless there is a very godly woman in my group who will take us to a passage and show us that murderers etc will not inherit the kingdom and then ask us all to repent and bring the gospel to us, nothing good has been gained.

Bonhoeffer wrote about this kind of thing. Men in his prison were talking openly about how scarred they were during air-raids. Bonhoeffer thought fear was sin and ought to be concealed. I think his point has applications for other sins. What do you think?

"I've been thinking again over what I wrote to you recently about our own fear. I think that here, under the guise of honesty, something is being passed off as 'natural' that is at bottom a symptom of sin; it is really quite analogous to talking openly about sexual matters. After all, 'truthfulness' does not mean uncovering everything that exists. God himself made clothes for men; and that means in statu corruptionis many things in human life ought to remain covered, and that evil, even though it cannot be eradicated, ought at least to be concealed. Exposure is cynical, and although the cynic prides himself on his exceptional honesty, or claims to want truth at all costs, he misses the crucial fact that since the fall there must be reticence and secrecy."

Deitrich Bonhoeffer Letter and Papers from Prison p.41

I'm a princess, sweet and fair...

I've just read Kerri Newmarch's very thorough article 'Look at me! I'm a Princess' (thanks Ali) which analyses princess culture* both in and outside the church. The article concludes by advising us to be cautious in using princess themes in our ministries to children.

It's got me thinking. I wonder if my little song 'I'm a knight' (from J is for Jesus) is leading kids astray. For the uninitiated, here it is:

I'm a Knight

I’m a knight from long ago
If you’re in trouble, let me know.
I’m brave as brave and strong as strong
I ride my horse and sing my song

La, la, la. La, la, la.
I’m a knight from long ago
La, la, la. La, la, la.
If you’re in trouble, let me know.

I’m a princess sweet and fair
With sparkling eyes and golden hair
I’m kind and loving all day long
I dance around and sing my song.

La, la, la. La, la, la.
I'm a princess sweet and fair,
La, la, la. La, la, la.
With sparkling eyes and golden hair.

But Jesus is the best of all
He heals the sick and helps the small
He’s brave and strong, he is our king
He loves us more than anything

La, la, la. La, la, la.
Jesus is the best of all.
La, la, la. La, la, la.
He heals the sick and helps the small. **

© 2007 Simone Richardson

We've used it quite a bit in school RE ('scripture' for those in NSW), play group, and kids club, but always with my very un-princessey theology surrounding it. I've never told any little girl that she's God's princess. We do knight and princess dress ups, tell a few heroic stories, and then explain that Jesus is far better than any of that.

But the song is out there now. I wonder if it's being used to promote ideas that I don't share. Not that there's much I can do...


* Basically, 'princess culture' is telling little girls (and grown women too) that they are God's princesses. So special, beautiful etc etc. Kerri Newmarch argues that it promotes vanity and narcissism. I agree.

** I wrote another verse for this song which I sometimes use, even though the big and mean emu management :-) wouldn't let it go on the cd (for the feeble reason that it's got nothing to do with Jesus!) Here it is for anyone who's interested:

I’m a dragon from the mire,
My claws are sharp, my breath is fire
I’m sad and lonely as you see,
‘Cause everyone’s afraid of me!

La, la, la. La, la, la (etc)