Alden Swan dot com

The Eternal Search for The Ideal Banjo

me — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:37:45 +0000

A little over a year ago, my wife and I were sitting in a restaurant in Seattle with some friends when I announced, “I think I’d like to buy a banjo.” My wife, not knowing what she was saying, said, “Go for it.” So began my search for the perfect banjo, by no means a [...]

Law and the Rich Young Ruler – New Covenant Law #5

me — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 06:48:36 +0000

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” [...]

The Heart of God is not in keeping the Law – New Covenant Law #4

me — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:54:52 +0000

Wheatfield Soul At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” He said to them, “Have [...]

The Golden Rule Is the Law? or, “Which way to the narrow gate?”

me — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:02:15 +0000

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. ~Matt. 7:12 In my last post, I discussed Jesus’ “mount” teaching on the Law and righteousness, and ended with the question, if perfection is unattainable by keeping rules, then how are we to [...]

Did Jesus “Raise the Bar” in the Sermon on the Mount? – Law 2

me — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:14:45 +0000

In my last post, I began talking about Jesus’ teachings on the Law (the Old Testament Law of Moses, not necessarily Roman or other statutes). As I stated there, it appears from the context and his statements that he is speaking primarily to the “teachers of the Law,” who were seemingly obsessed with who was [...]

New Covenant Law – 1

me — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:50:07 +0000

This is hopefully the first in a series of posts talking about a New Covenant perspective of the Law; that is to say, what the New Testament and Paul in particular say about the Law. When I talk about the Law, I’m talking about the Law of Moses, that which the Jewish people were expected [...]

It’s Football, People!

me — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:18:04 +0000

Okay, already I’m sidetracked. But, I just can’t help myself. About two thousand years ago, Jesus told a story: Two guys walk into a synagogue. One stands up and makes a big deal about praying in public. The other guy doesn’t. (Luke 18:10-14) It’s one of those parables that doesn’t get talked about all that [...]

Uses of the Law

me — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:43:57 +0000

Although I spent the first 20+ years of my life as a Lutheran and have continued to hold true to many Lutheran ideals (including the benefits of folk music, beer, and the love of a good woman), I’ve only recently become aware of the dispute about the valid uses of the Law (that would be [...]

Nothing but the dead and dying

me — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:13:59 +0000

I spent a few hours today in my yard with a leaf-blower, a rake, and a great many large green plastic bags. I appreciate my trees very much. In fact, I planted two of the trees—an ornamental cherry and a bloodgood Japanese maple— in our yard myself, not to mention a dozen or so evergreens. [...]

Thanks, part 2: Keeping on the Sunny Side

me — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 20:33:32 +0000

We all know the analogy about the half-full glass—or is it half-empty? It is a fact that two people can look at the same set of facts and come away with much different ideas. The facts didn’t change; the difference is how the people interpret the facts. One of my favorite songs has become the [...]