axegrinder

The Inscrutable Ways of God

2008-06-29T16:57:00.000-05:00

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God’s ways are not our ways. To us, his up often seems down, and his down up.

The world in sin is in such disarray that Christ’s methods, message, works and dictates often seem cruel, austere and uncharitable. When, in fact, he is the prince of peace, the sun of righteousness who will rise with healing in his wings. He is the annunciated one who brings “peace on earth, good will to all men.”

The re-establishing of priorities is taking place in the Gospel (Mt 10:34-42). For families to be truly unified in love, they must receive one another in the name of Christ. A blood relation is corrupted as sin reigns through death in a family. That blood relation is holy, as God intended, as members of the family die to sin through Christ’s death in baptism (Rom 6:3-11).

God’s strength is exhibited through death and resurrection. God’s victory comes after a seeming defeat. His fullness arrives after a complete emptying.

Passages like Psalm 89 and Isaiah 2 are promises of God’s strength overwhelming the strength of his people’s enemies. God’s power is unmatchable. However, the conquering king came as a baby who grew up to be a man who was misunderstood, sold out, arrested, abused and killed while his followers scattered.

It all looked lost, undone, defeated. The message was torn to shreds and thrown to the wind, like an old love letter between two people who are no longer together.

It’s over and done, friends. The boss is dead and gone. Let’s pick up our stuff and head back home. Turn off the lights and lock the doors on your way out.

Nope.

It didn’t end in death. It doesn’t end in death for us, either. The oaks of Bashan will topple. Sin and death will be cast in the lake of fire. We win. There is victory, glory and goodness at the end of the world for each of us together with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

6th Sunday After Trinity
Lectionary Readings:
Isaiah 2:10-17
Psalm 89:1-18
Romans 6:3-11
Matthew 10:34-42

God the Initiator

2008-06-15T13:29:00.000-05:00

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God is the initiator. He creates a context within which we respond by serving him and reaching out to others. Israel was responsible to the nations/gentiles. The Church is sent to all peoples. The Church’s outward movement began with and in Israel.

God acts and acts again as we continue to find ourselves in trouble:

In Exodus 19, God initiates the exodus of Israel from Egypt, bringing them from slavery to freedom, from serving Pharaoh to serving the Lord.

In Psalm 100, God initiates through “creating” something from nothing. The shepherd creates a flock, where before there were only scattered sheep.

In Romans 5, we are justified from sin by blood/death; we are saved from wrath by life/resurrection/intercession.

In Matthew 9-10, we are scattered sheep who are gathered in a kingdom by Christ, the King and Shepherd) and his apostles. Those who are disordered and alienated become one in and under Christ.

The results of God’s initiatory acts are he moves us from trouble to blessing:

In Exodus 19, we become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation that benefits the entire world.

In Psalm 100, we become a flock that offers thanksgiving, blessing and praise to God.

In Romans 5, the atonement of Christ brings us from a state of sin unto a state of rejoicing.

In Matthew 9-10, we go from being sick and scattered to being healed and gathered, to being harvested and a kingdom.

4th Sunday After Trinity
Lectionary Readings:
Exodus 19:2-8a
Psalm 100
Romans 5:6-11
Matthew 9:35-10:8

Trust is Not Passivity

2008-06-10T11:57:00.000-05:00

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I can't tell you how annoyed I become with the way some people talk about trusting the Lord. The way trust is presented is often a sign that they don't know what the heck they are doing and will probably continue to be clueless and/or frustrated. "Trusting the Lord" is often detrimental passivity. I'm ranting.

I'd like to be able to build up and plant in the place that I am tearing down and destroying. I fear that many Christians are crippled by wrong conceptions of trust and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Waiting, waiting, waiting for an answer that God doesn't intend to give, or in a way that he doesn't intend to speak.

Is it enough to do the work-a-day things that indicate our trust in the Lord (pray, do good, give, guard our thoughts, etc) and then make decisions according to what we see in front of us? If our motive is to do what pleases the Lord, shouldn't we go forward humbly, knowing that we might be mistaken but also that the Lord knows our hearts? Is it wrong-headed fear that complicates things? Is it our experience of the negative consequences that our mistakes have on others? It's a hard road to avoid presumption, passivity, fear.

Suffering and the Second Advent

2008-05-25T15:27:00.004-05:00

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Suffering and the Second Advent
or, On the Road

A common theme in the Old Testament is the triumph of the saints and the judgment of the wicked. That is, the people of God will be vindicated as the gentiles are abased. In the promises offered by God to his oft-suffering family we see that he frequently directs them to hope, and that in the future, where hope always resides.

The hope of salvation in the Old Testament is explained in the New Testament. God’s people will experience proximate suffering, privation and destitution. However, they can look forward to ultimate glory and justification. The Eschaton, or Second Advent/Coming, solves the problem of God’s “unrealized” promises. Unrealized is in quotes for a reason that I will offer in a moment.

The big theme of God’s defense of the righteous and their promised victory over the wicked presents a problem. How do we explain the reality that bad things happen, and continue to happen, especially to good people? Where is God? Why isn’t he keeping his promises?

The Passion of Christ is the matrix within which we understand the aforementioned conundrums. Jesus entered into both the common sufferings of all humanity and the peculiar sufferings of the righteous. In this vale of sorrow, we never know the embrace of the Trinity more fully than when we suffer for righteousness sake. “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.”

1st Sunday after Trinity
Revised Common Lectionary
Isaiah 49: 8-18
Psalm 62
1 Corinthians 4:1-13
Matthew 6:24-34

Trinity Sunday

2008-05-18T16:24:00.002-05:00

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Quicunque Vult, or The Creed of St. Athanasius

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith.
Which Faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

And the Catholic Faith is this:
That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance.
For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one, the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost.
The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate.
The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible,and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible.
The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal.
And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal.
As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible.
So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty.
And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God.
And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord.
And yet not three Lords, but one Lord.For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be both God and Lord,
So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion, to say, here be three Gods, or three Lords.
The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten.
The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten.
The Holy Ghost is of the Father, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.
And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other; none is greater, or less than another;
But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal.
So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man;
God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world;
Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting;
Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father, as touching his Manhood.
Who although he be God and Man, yet he is not two, but one Christ;
One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the Manhood into God;
One altogether, not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person.
For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ;
Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works.
And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.
This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.

What It Takes

2008-05-09T16:18:00.001-05:00

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To excel, prodigies do what others can't.

To excel, the rest of us must do what others won't.

A Weighty Tome Is On The Way

2008-04-23T18:57:00.001-05:00

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After conducting much market research regarding the relevance of Christianity to the felt needs of the postmodern psyche, I have written my new book. It will arrive just in time for Christmas.

title: The Secret Principle of Powerful Living
subtitle: Authentic Conversations for Reaching Your Full Potential

Scylla and Charybdis and You

2008-04-15T14:46:00.001-05:00

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Sometimes our principles overrule common sense.

Sometimes our sentimentality overrules our principles.

The wise man is able to navigate the tricky waters between these two mistakes.

Did You Know?

2008-04-10T13:52:00.001-05:00

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Q: What is axegrinder’s favorite band?

A: Molly Hatchet, of course.

Hymns vs. Praise and Worship Music

2008-04-03T10:31:00.005-05:00

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This post is a response to an excellent article over at the blog of Warwickensis. I encourage you to read his thoughts and patronize his blog.

I have dealt with this issue continually for probably 10 years. I have many Evangelical friends and occasionally visit their services at times when my church is not gathering.

If I offend you with either the tone or content of this post, please forgive. At those certain places in the following paragraphs simply imagine me sitting across the table from you. There is a smile on my face. I am speaking as one engaged in a friendly debate.

Anything you perceive as an attack on you, please do not take it as such. Imagine that I am trying to push your buttons a little. Again, as friend to friend, not as someone who is trying to harm you. We all tease each other sometimes.

I am just telling you that you spilled something on your shirt. If I tweak your nose when you look down, I won't blame you if you take umbrage with my immaturity. I only ask that you believe me when I say that there is no malice involved. But, seriously, you have something on your shirt.

{Rant Mode: Engaged}

The cultural and intellectual degeneration perpetuated, though not initiated, by Rock and Roll music has almost completely overwhelmed the Church in America (and I assume Britain). The inability to understand and articulate the Gospel and even the most basic doctrines of the faith, while not solely the fault of, is directly tied to the ubiquity of "Praise and Worship" "music" in churches (Roman, Anglican, Evangelical, etc.).

I am very thankful that both Anglican parishes where I’ve attended sing only hymns. It is painful to me to see otherwise intelligent friends fall into silliness and irrationality when it comes to music. The defenses that I have heard for P&W have caused my jaw to drop in disbelief. The vigor and emotion with which they defend this golden calf within churches are only outstripped by the vacuity of their reasoning.

And the whole idea of "blended worship?" Don't even get me started. Either have a rock concert or a service of worship. Either sink into the confusion and despair of Existentialism or rise in the likeness of Christ and sings songs that exhibit excellence, reverence and profundity of thought that has been enabled by revelation. Sing of the mighty acts of God in time and space. Sing of the acts and nature of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Thank him that we can participate in the Son, through the Holy Spirit, unto the Father.

If Hymns and P&W were to have a fistfight, P&W would run away the second Hymns raised their hand.

People have asked me if I think that we can no longer write music and if we are stuck with the body of hymns written before the 20th century. First, the breadth of our hymns has not been broadly explored in generations. So, the idea that we would ever reach a point where every quality hymn has become over-used is ridiculous.

Second, there are very, VERY few people who have the requisite combination of gifts, intelligence and training in literature, poetry and divinity to offer the Church songs worth singing. The same goes for the musicians who would write the new tunes to go with our new songs.

I hear the protest, “You can’t say that only smart people can write songs for the Church!” Please, hush up. You’re embarrassing yourself. And if someone in the audience is going to quote the verse from Psalms that says, “Sing to the Lord a NEW song,” again, please, quiet yourself. The adults are trying to talk.

The music of hymns is absolutely better than the music of P&W. I will say that with no hesitation whatsoever. I’m going to have to disagree with those who think that it is simply a matter of taste. I assert that it is not a matter of personal taste. That is the kind of fuzzy, relativistic thinking that we need to be combating, not coddling.

If a kid is raised only eating junk food, his health will suffer and he will have no taste for those foods that would truly nourish his body. A compassionate and wise person would not indulge such a child. He would do whatever possible to help him see the danger of his inadequate and harmful nutrition.

The idea that there is no objective way to say that some forms of music are better than others is so obviously foolish that I feel like, on those rare occasions nowadays when I stumble into a debate on the subject, I’m talking to a child, a mentally-handicapped person or a college freshman who is in the middle of his first semester of politically-correct, “multi-cultural” indoctrination. I realize that I need to write more about this point. Let me get my thoughts together a bit more, and I will get back to you. This epistle was hastily written after I was inspired (?) by Warwickensis’s thoughts.

One more note: I listen to rock music. Do not read me as some post-modern Essene who is completely ignorant and unaware of music, movies, and TV. Who knows him some pop culture? This guy. A Snickers bar never killed anybody. Just make sure it’s not your main diet. Also, don’t ever serve one at a formal dinner with royalty.

{Rant Mode: Disengaged … For Now}

Fr. Gordon Anderson on Anglican Spiritual Formation

2008-04-01T16:49:00.001-05:00

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It may be April Fools Day, but I ain't pullin' your chain. I heartily concur with Fr. Anderson's sentiments. I feel every year I travel the Anglican way I learn so much that I do not realize until after the fact. My Anglican spiritual formation has primarily been through weekly participation in the Liturgy, practice of the Daily Office and interaction with the rectors of the churches I have attended. I have not done a tremendous amount of reading in Anglican theological sources. John Wesley's writings, Lancelot Andrewes's collection of personal devotions, and a number of Anglican blogs have been my other, secondary influences. I've been an Anglican for a shade over six years. I have four more years until I become an Anglican (read on).

"A wise priest colleague remarked to me once that it takes ten years for a convert to become an Anglican: that is, to be truly formed by the liturgy and ethos of the classical Book of Common Prayer and the English spiritual tradition. Having been on this journey myself for so long now I definitely agree with that. Anglican formation is a very long and slow process. It involves a complete reorientation of ones general thinking, theological method, and spirituality. It is so slow, in fact, that half the time one doesn't even know it is happening! Once one is formed in the tradition, though, he could hardly imagine being anything else, and such a strong and solid base has been established that the spiritual life beings to really blossom. By far the critical error people make is thinking they know something of Anglicanism after just a few services, or a few years of membership in an Anglican parish, but after brief time, in frustration, they leave. It takes so much longer than that to really explore and experience our tradition.

"On a related note, I wonder if it is even possible for anyone to get a truly Anglican formation in the Episcopal Church anymore, since that body has abandoned on a local and institutional level the classical Anglican tradition and rule of life. Because of that, I tend (perhaps wrongly) to be very leery of people who come to us from TEC proudly boasting that they are "life long episcopalians". I wonder what, if anything, they have learned about English spirituality in The Episcopal Church - even if it is a "conservative" parish. Lord knows they know nothing about the Book of Common Prayer in many cases, and they certainly have not read even popular Anglican writers like C.S. Lewis, much less the classical divines, such as Jewel, Taylor, Thorndike, etc.

"Our formation process is slow, and I think sometimes people get impatient with it. But things that grow slowly grow strong. And I think having strongly formed Christians is much better than having great numbers of poorly formed souls, which is, sadly, what many other churches focus on these days."

Two additional points from me:

I think that I fell in love with the 1928 Book of Common Prayer liturgy within 2-3 services. I find the Mass in the parishes where I have worshiped to be beautiful, theologically instructive, and spiritually formative and edifying. Don't even get me started on the music and hymnody. The Daily Office of Prayer and liturgies are so accessible. I really could go on and on and probably will write a detailed post or series at some point on the things that I find so wonderful about Anglican worship. I might also include some critiques of the areas where we could improve. We'll see.

I know that the majority of the people who visit this blog are not Anglicans, so let me offer a few basic words of explanation. Continuing Anglicanism, aka the Anglican Continuum, is separate from what used to be known as ECUSA (the Episcopal Church USA) and is now simply called TEC (The Episcopal Church). The general difference is that the Continuum claims to hold to many of the traditional beliefs and practices that TEC has changed or jettisoned over the years. I have strong opinions about these issues but am seeking to avoid polemics here. Some of the differences are pretty straight forward. Some of the areas of conflict are quite complicated. Most of the astute, American, Anglican and Episcopal bloggers I read remain in TEC and are trying to chart a very difficult course. They have my prayers and respect. For simplicity, while not technically correct, when I use the term Anglicanism on this blog, I am talking about the Continuum. If I say Episcopalianism, I am referring to TEC. If I am talking about worldwide Anglicanism I call it the Anglican Communion.

OK, enough of that.

Captain Jack Revisited

2008-03-27T10:41:00.001-05:00

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It has been a month and a half since I wrote this post. I have become a little fascinated with Stephen Jackson in that time. I read an ESPN magazine story about Stephen Jackson that portrayed him as very sympathetic. I've also read some other info about him in various places. His teammates and coaches speak very highly of him. He has done a lot of charity work. It sounds like he is involved in a Bible study and probably church. He continues to do good things for his hometown, Port Arthur, TX (near Houston).

There is no question that Stephen Jackson has done some regrettable, ill-advised things. It seems that he sometimes lets his emotions get the better of him. On the other hand, he comes across as fiercely loyal to friends and teammates and will stand up for them whatever the cost to himself. In a weird way, I kind of identify with him. Like most of us, his life seems to be a mixture of good and bad as he seeks to become a better person in the midst of numerous temptations, both inward and outward. Add to all of that the religious element and the fact that he is a very good basketball player, and you have someone with whom I would probably enjoy sharing a meal (He worked in a relative's soul food restaurant as a kid. I could eat me some soul food.)

I decided to write this update because I felt like I had spoken unfairly about another bearer of the image of God. There's always more to the story that we see. That doesn't mean that we don't make judgments based on what we know. It does me that we recognize that our judgments should always be provisional. We (almost) never have the whole picture before us. That being said, maybe my original post could simply be taken as a tongue-in-cheek comment on a strange situation.

"Do unto others ..."

Come to the Table

2008-03-23T15:41:00.004-05:00

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"You that have kept the fast, and you that have not,
rejoice today for the Table is richly laden!"

I was thinking about this quote from St. John Chrysostom this morning at Mass. I did not have the most focused Lent, but this Holy Week has been full of inspiration and edification. I was thinking about how every good desire, every thought about God, every move toward repentance, every ounce of contrition that I have begins with God. He is always the initiator.

When we are reaching out for God, we should always take heart. If we are reaching out to God we should know that it is only because he has been reaching out for us. It is that continual movement by which we receive life: from the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit and then back to the Father, in the Son, by the Holy Spirit.

You can find St. John Chysostom's Easter Sermon many places. My cyber-pal, Death Bredon, featured it on his blog today. It is brief. Please, do yourself a favor and read it.

Easter Day

2008-03-23T12:44:00.002-05:00

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Collect for Easter Day:

"ALMIGHTY God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen."

Our priest made the point today that the Gospel story has been faithfully told for two millennia. That may seem like a "no duh" assertion. I was glad that he said it. Everyone knows that there are a lot of visitors on Easter. There are too many voices, both among those who profess Christianity and those who don't, claiming that the Church lost the message of Christ at some point or never had it at all. A simple reminder that this is not the case is a good thing. How wearying is all the talk about recapturing, rediscovering and reimagining (?) the Gospel?

Along similar lines, our rector said a few words about love. He mentioned that it is constantly misunderstood and abused. Then he said that Christians are the ones who know what love is. No apology. No qualification. Simply stated as a fact. He went on to talk about the elements of sacrifice and other-orientation that are essential in love in the world.

You know when you are listening to something but are hearing it from someone's else's perspective. That was what I was experiencing this morning. I could hear people scoffing in my head about the rector's confidence in the Church as the messenger of the Gospel and expression of Christ's love. I was glad that he was bold.

Holy Saturday

2008-03-22T17:26:00.002-05:00

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The Collect for Holy Saturday:

"GRANT, O Lord, that as we are baptized into the death of thy blessed Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, so by continual mortifying our corrupt affections we may be buried with him; and that through the grave, and gate of death, we may pass to our joyful resurrection; for his merits, who died, and was buried, and rose again for us, the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

There is, of course, an element of darkness and mourning in Holy Saturday. But, there is a wonderful tension due to the fact that there is such an anticipation of triumph today. Christ continues his saving work as he descends into hell as Victor. Yes, he DESCENDS as VICTOR. What a day of transition between the death and suffering of Good Friday and the resurrection and life of Easter.

Passions

2008-03-22T14:19:00.003-05:00

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I mentioned Fr. Jonathan Tobias on Maundy Thursday. There's another Orthodox priest who is consistently offering meditations which will feed your soul.

Go read Fr. Stephen Freeman's daily posts. He is writing on the passions right now. I hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to receive some great pastoral thoughts.

Good Friday

2008-03-21T16:57:00.002-05:00

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Collect for Good Friday:

"ALMIGHTY God, we beseech thee graciously to behold this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ was contented to be betrayed, and given up into the hands of wicked men, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen."

Today is a day for mourning. We behold the Passion of our Lord culminating in his death. We see that we are there, guilty.

Jesus was not compelled by justice to offer himself, but rather moved by compassion. Do not believe that horrible lie that the Trinity was constrained by anything towards the Cross. It was the desire to have man as an active participant in their shared life that the Persons of the Trinity committed to this action.

"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14)

It was love. It was love. It was love.

God grant us the grace to behold these things and weep.

TS Eliot Weighs In

2008-03-21T14:32:00.003-05:00

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The wounded surgeon plies the steel
That questions the distempered part;
Beneath the bleeding hands we feel
The sharp compassion of the healer's art
Resolving the enigma of the fever chart.

Our only health is the disease
If we obey the dying nurse
Whose constant care is not to please
But to remind of our, and Adam's curse,
And that, to be restored, our sickness must grow worse.

The whole earth is our hospital
Endowed by the ruined millionaire,
Wherein, if we do well, we shall
Die of the absolute paternal care
That will not leave us, but prevents us everywhere.

The chill ascends from feet to knees,
The fever sings in mental wires.
If to be warmed, then I must freeze
And quake in frigid purgatorial fires
Of which the flame is roses, and the smoke is briars.

The dripping blood our only drink,
The bloody flesh our only food:
In spite of which we like to think
That we are sound, substantial flesh and blood—
Again, in spite of that, we call this Friday good.

- T.S. Eliot, from Four Quartets - East Coker (Quartet 2) Part 4

[HT: Andy Whitman]

Maundy Thursday

2008-03-20T22:49:00.002-05:00

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Christ has entered the Darkness of sin, temptation, desolation and abandonment. He empties himself before his Father on behalf of mankind.

May we enter the darkness with him, as much as we can bear it.

Lord, help us to empty ourselves of all of our conceit.

Drink It In

2008-03-20T14:33:00.002-05:00

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I know that I've pointed you over there more than once, but for good reason.

Fr. Jonathan Tobias is knocking it out of the park every day right now. Get over there.

Collect for Maunday Thursday:

"ALMIGHTY Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, did institute the Sacrament of his Body and Blood; Mercifully grant that we may thankfully receive the same in remembrance of him, who in these holy mysteries giveth us a pledge of life eternal; the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen."

What Would You Do With Your Final Six Months?

2008-03-13T13:23:00.004-05:00

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Kevin Kelly is the founder of Wired magazine and is involved in a ton of cutting edge tech stuff. He was on NPR's "This American Life." Kelly's portion starts at 4:19 and ends at 27:15.

I'll offer a bit of a teaser. The story is about his conversion experience and what happened during the months after. It kind of begins when he spent a night in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. It really could be a novel or movie.

Go listen to Kelly's tale. Hang in to the end. It's worth it.

Ah, Holy Jesus

2008-03-10T10:12:00.003-05:00

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This hymn is one of my Lenten favorites.

Listen to the hymn sung while you read the lyrics.

Here's another version.

Ah, holy Jesus, how hast Thou offended,
That man to judge Thee hath in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by Thine own rejected,
O most afflicted.

Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon Thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone Thee.
’Twas I, Lord, Jesus, I it was denied Thee!
I crucified Thee.

Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;
The slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered;
For man’s atonement, while he nothing heedeth,
God intercedeth.

For me, kind Jesus, was Thy incarnation,
Thy mortal sorrow, and Thy life’s oblation;
Thy death of anguish and Thy bitter passion,
For my salvation.

Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay Thee,
I do adore Thee, and will ever pray Thee,
Think on Thy pity and Thy love unswerving,
Not my deserving.

*Note* You can often find a hymn or song sung if you search the title and/or author + mp3, ie "Ah, Holy Jesus mp3." That's good for those of us who don't read music but would like to learn new hymns.

The Great Dane (Not Hamlet)

2008-03-07T03:40:00.004-06:00

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“People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.”

- Soren Kierkegaard

I didn't even have to read a book to find this fantastic quote. Thanks, Ironic Catholic!

One Piece Of Paper

2008-02-26T15:02:00.004-06:00

See them all. (Click the Papercut tabs after following the link.)

False Advertising

2008-02-19T21:00:00.002-06:00

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This movie poster makes one of the greatest movies of all time look like a WWII version of the Ice Capades.

"The Great Escape ... On Ice"

"Feel the Excitement of Skating Away from a Nazi Prison Camp!"

"Fun for the Whole Family"

I can just imagine Charles Bronson doing a double axel to the theme song.