Spat from the Whale

Get Out of Jail Free: Hurt people hurt people (sometimes)

2008-04-26T09:13:00.001-05:00

It's been a long time since I've blogged...since Easter Sunday, in fact!

What brings me to blogging again? An excellent post on another blog, on forgiveness. "AnneDroid" writes:

Forgiving has absolutely nothing to do with human fairness which demands an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, and it doesn't mean excusing and brushing things aside. When we forgive someone we still recognise the hurt for what it is, but instead of lashing out or biting back, we try to see beyond it and to view the person with good will rather than ill will, whether they deserve it or not, because forgiving them makes us better.

The entire post is chock-full-o-wisdom. Check it out.

hat tip: 42: Bitterness vs forgiveness

christ the lord is risen today

2008-03-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

It's no longer Lent--it's Easter Sunday! And here's one last Charles Wesley Hymn to celebrate.

Easter Sunday

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
(United Methodist Hymnal #302)

1.
Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

2.
Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!

3.
Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!

4.
Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

5.
Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia!

6.
King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!

christ, whose glory fills the skies

2008-03-22T08:41:00.000-05:00

1.
Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only light,
Sun of Righteousness, arise,
triumph o'er the shades of night;
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Daystar, in my heart appear.

2.
Dark and cheerless is the morn
unaccompanied by thee;
joyless is the day's return,
till thy mercy's beams I see;
till thy inward light impart,
cheer 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.

'tis finished the messiah dies

2008-03-21T09:11:00.000-05:00

o love divine, what hast thou done

2008-03-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

1.
O Love divine, what has thou done!
The immortal God hath died for me!
The Father's coeternal Son
bore all my sins upon the tree.
Th' immortal God for me hath died:
My Lord, my Love, is crucified!

2.
Is crucified for me and you,
to bring us rebels back to God.
Believe, believe the record true,
ye all are bought with Jesus' blood.
Pardon for all flows from his side:
My Lord, my Love, is crucified!

3.
Behold him, all ye that pass by,
the bleeding Prince of life and peace!
Come, sinners, see your Savior die,
and say, "Was ever grief like his?"
Come, feel with me his blood applied:
My Lord, my Love, is crucified!

o the depth of love divine

2008-03-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

1.
O the depth of love divine,
the unfathomable grace!
Who shall say how bread and wine
God into us conveys!
How the bread his flesh imparts,
how the wine transmits his blood,
fills his faithful people's hearts
with all the life of God!

2.
Let the wisest mortals show
how we the grace receive;
feeble elements bestow
a power not theirs to give.
Who explains the wondrous way
how through these the virtue came?
These the virtue did convey,
yet still remain the same.

3.
How can spirits heavenward rise
by earthly matter fed
drink herewith divine supplies
and eat immortal bread?
Ask the Father's wisdom how:
Christ who did the means ordain;
angels round our altars bow
to search it out, in vain.

4.
Sure and real is the grace,
the manner be unknown;
only meet us in thy ways
and perfect us in one.
Let us taste the heavenly powers,
Lord, we ask for nothing more.
Think to bless, 'tis only ours
to wonder and adore.

come, sinners, to the gospel feast

2008-03-19T06:00:00.001-05:00

sinners, turn: why will you die

2008-03-18T06:00:00.002-05:00

Each day of Lent I am publishing one of Charles Wesley's hymns or poems. In my experience, the selection of Charles Wesley's hymns that we actually use in worship is very small. This is sad, because his hymns are filled with deep theological truths and great beauty.

Use these as a part of your Lenten disciplines, and share any thoughts or reactions in the comments.

Lent Day 36

Sinners, Turn: Why Will You Die
(United Methodist Hymnal #346)

1.
Sinners, turn: why will you die?
God, your Maker, asks you why.
God, who did your being give,
made you himself, that you might live;
he the fatal cause demands,
asks the work of his own hands.
Why, you thankless creature, why
will you cross his love, and die?

2.
Sinners, turn: why will you die?
God your Savior, asks you why.
God, who did your souls retrieve,
died himself, that you might live.
Will you let him die in vain?
Crucify your Lord again?
Why, you ransomed sinners, why
will you slight his grace, and die?

3.
Sinners, turn: Why will you die?
God, the Spirit, asks you why;
he, who all your lives hath strove,
wooed you to embrace his love.
Will you not his grace receive?
Will you still refuse to live?
Why, you long-sought sinners, why
will you grieve your God, and die?

4.
You, on whom he favors showers,
you, possessed of nobler powers,
you, of reason's powers possessed,
you, with will and memory blest,
you, with finer sense endued,
creatures capable of God;
noblest of his creatures, why,
why will you forever die?

5.
You, whom he ordained to be
transcripts of the Trinity,
you, whom he in life doth hold,
you, for whom himself was sold,
you, on whom he still doth wait,
whom he would again create;
made by him, and purchased, why,
why will you forever die?

6.
You, who own his record true,
you, his chosen people, you,
you, who call the Savior Lord,
you, who read his written Word,
you, who see the gospel light,
claim a crown in Jesu's right;
why will you, ye Christians, why
will the house of Israel die?

7.
Turn, he cries, ye sinners, turn;
by his life your God hath sworn;
he would have you turn and live,
he would all the world receive;
he hath brought to all the race
full salvation by his grace;
he hath no one soul passed by;
why will you resolve to die?

8.
Can ye doubt, if God is love,
if to all his mercies move?
Will ye not his word receive?
Will ye not his oath believe?
See, the suffering God appears!
Jesus weeps! Believe his tears!
Mingled with his blood they cry,
why will you resolve to die?

Notes

Charles was brilliant.
The first three stanzas have a trinitarian form: Maker, Savior, Spirit. I'll forgive Charles if there's a hint of modalism there.
I've always loved the imagery of God wooing us sinners. I'm pleased to see it in the third stanza.
Stanza eight seems to be a direct response to the Calvinist doctrine of limited atonement.

how can we sinners know

2008-03-17T06:00:00.002-05:00

o for a thousand tongues to sing

2008-03-15T06:00:00.003-05:00

Each day of Lent I am publishing one of Charles Wesley's hymns or poems. In my experience, the selection of Charles Wesley's hymns that we actually use in worship is very small. This is sad, because his hymns are filled with deep theological truths and great beauty.

Use these as a part of your Lenten disciplines, and share any thoughts or reactions in the comments.

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, the day we remember and celebrate Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and the kick-off to Holy Week. Charles wrote O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing to commemorate his own conversion--Christ's entry into his heart.

The original poem that Charles wrote contained 18 stanzas, 17 of which are included in the United Methodist Hymnal as #58. I'm only including here the seven stanzas found in #57, including the "optional" sixth stanza. Apparently, there was some fear of causing offense when the Hymnal was edited.

Lent Day 34

O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
(United Methodist Hymnal #57)

1.
O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!

2.
My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of thy name.

3.
Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease;
'tis music in the sinner's ears,
'tis life, and health, and peace.

4.
He breaks the power of canceled sin,
he sets the prisoner free;
his blood can make the foulest clean;
his blood availed for me.

5.
He speaks, and listening to his voice,
new life the dead receive;
the mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
the humble poor believe.

6.
Hear him, ye deaf, his praise, ye dumb,
your loosened tongues employ;
ye blind, behold your Savior come,
and leap, ye lame, for joy.

7.
In Christ, your head, you then shall know,
shall feel your sins forgiven;
anticipate your heaven below,
and own that love is heaven.

jesus, united by thy grace

2008-03-14T07:48:00.003-05:00

jesus, lover of my soul

2008-03-13T19:46:00.000-05:00

"translating" john wesley

2008-03-13T17:07:00.004-05:00

I subscribe to Sojourners SojoMail a part of which is Verse and Voice. Yesterday's edition included a quote from John Wesley, which I paraphrase (in contemporary English):

What should you do? ... Do good. Do all the good you can. Let your abundance supply your neighbor's needs, and you will never be bored. Can't you find any who don't have the basics of life, who are worn down by cold or hunger; any who don't have clothes to wear or a place to live; any who are depressed; any who are languishing in prison? If you would pay attention to our Lord's words, "You will always have the poor with you," you would never ask, "What should I do."

Here's the original quote:

What shalt thou do? ... Do good. Do all the good thou canst. Let thy plenty supply thy neighbor’s wants; and thou wilt never want something to do. Canst thou find none that need the necessaries of life, that are pinched with cold or hunger; none that have not raiment to put on, or a place where to lay their head; none that are wasted with pining sickness; none that are languishing in prison? If you duly considered our Lord’s words, "The poor have you always with you," you would no more ask, "What shall I do?"

From "On Worldly Folly"

First of all, I wanted to post this because I think JW has an excellent point, one that I need to be reminded of from time to time.

Second, I've been following a series of articles by Wayne Leman over at Better Bibles Blog about translation equivalence, which is the task of expressing the thought written by the biblical author in contemporary language.

So, my "translation" of John Wesley was an amateur attempt at using translation equivalence from a text written in 1700's English to contemporary English.

I found the exercise fascinating. What to do with "pinched with cold or hunger"? It's actually a nice turn of phrase--should I "translate it literally" (leave it as is), or should I try to "modernize" it?

How about "pining sickness"? Or "languishing in prison"?

I made my decisions, and you see the result. How would you have approached it?

come, and let us sweetly join

2008-03-12T17:15:00.000-05:00

come, let us join our friends above

2008-03-11T15:03:00.003-05:00

let us plead for faith alone

2008-03-10T06:50:00.003-05:00

come, let us use the grace divine

2008-03-08T09:38:00.004-06:00

christ, from whom all blessings flow

2008-03-07T22:29:00.004-06:00

o for a heart to praise my god

2008-03-06T08:06:00.003-06:00

lo, he comes with clouds descending

2008-03-05T07:47:00.001-06:00

I love the phrase from verse 2, "dreadful majesty". I think there's danger of our relationship to Christ becoming either too "cuddly" or too distant. In the current environment, we probably should renew the use of phrases such as dreadful majesty to describe Christ.
This is a hymn about the second coming of Christ, and in verse 3, Wesley uses the term rapture. But he's not talking about the faithful being taken up into heaven. I wish I knew my history well enough to know if Charles was doing this on purpose, or if it's just a wonderfully ironic coincidence.

love divine, all loves excelling

2008-03-04T08:10:00.003-06:00

blow ye the trumpet, blow

2008-03-03T08:22:00.002-06:00

and can it be that i should gain

2008-03-01T20:04:00.004-06:00

Each day of Lent I am publishing one of Charles Wesley's hymns or poems. In my experience, the selection of Charles Wesley's hymns that we actually use in worship is very small. This is sad, because his hymns are filled with deep theological truths and great beauty.

Use these as a part of your Lenten disciplines, and share any thoughts or reactions in the comments.

Lent Day 22

And Can It Be that I Should Gain
(United Methodist Hymnal #363)

1.
And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Savior'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 God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

2.
'Tis mystery all: th' Immortal dies!
Who can explore his strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
to sound the depths of love divine.
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
let angel minds inquire no more.
'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!
'Tis mercy all, immense and free,
for O my God, it found out me!

4.
Long my imprisoned sprit lay,
fast bound in sin and nature's night;
thine eye diffused a quickening ray;
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
my chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.

5.
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in him, is mine;
alive in him, my living Head,
and clothed in righteousness divine,
bold I approach th' eternal throne,
and claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th' eternal throne,
and claim the crown, through Christ my own.

soldiers of christ arise

2008-02-29T07:45:00.000-06:00

jesus! the name high over all

2008-02-28T08:04:00.002-06:00