I think the Lord is trying to do some major work on my heart these days…
Category Archives: Faith
Fernando Ortega
Why is it that I didn’t know about him until now? I’m listening to his version of “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” on Napster and it’s bringing me close to tears…
Why Husband and Wife Shall Not Write Curriculum Together
While working on curriculum, Jon started being snarky and playing devil’s advocate on me. My response:
Does the devil have an answer or should I smack him and send him off with some devil’s food cake?
Can you tell we’re doing a little too much and our brains are mush now?
The Annunciation
In my Advent/Christmas devotional book, I read an interesting essay by Kathleen Norris on the Annunciation. It’s been a few days since I read it (it was the reading for November 30th) but her main point has stuck with me.
She argues that we cheapen the miracle of the Annunciation in our hasty attempt to rationalize our religion. One example she cites was a speaker at a conference who said the following:
We all know there was no Virgin Birth. Mary was just an unwed, pregnant teenager, and God told her it was okay. That’s the message that we need to give girls today, that God loves them, and forget all this nonsense about a Virgin Birth.
Norris (as well as the Russian Orthodox and Baptists she was sitting with) was shocked and angry at this woman’s comments and she traced it back to the “de-mythologizing of religion” that she experienced as a teenager that led her to feel that there was very little that religion could offer her.
I agree — we de-mythologize religion today in our attempts to give creedence to the increasingly scientific world in which we live. This cheapens those things in Christianity that are meant to show God’s power — such as the Annunciation — and takes the quiet joy out of seasons like Advent. Mary was not just some un-wed teenager and her example is not cause to tell teenage mothers that they’re OK. She was chosen by God to bear Jesus, and her submission to God’s will is something to be admired, not degraded.
As for “[us] all [knowing] that there was no Virgin Birth”, I’d counter by saying that I would have no faith if I had to know empirically that everything Biblical happened. There are some things that I’m comfortable knowing are God’s mysterious workings on earth. I mean… this person has already denied the Virgin Birth, so is Jesus’ death on the Cross next? What about the resurrection? Once you eliminate those three, you pretty much have lost what it takes to be a Christian. If the Cross didn’t happen, there was no atonement for our sins and we’re all in big trouble. I cannot fathom how people can say that “we all know that [certain event] did not happen” when our faith is so dependent on it having actually happened.
Advent I
Light one candle to watch for Messiah:
Let the light banish darkness.
He shall bring salvation to Israel,
God fulfills the promise…
–WOV 630 (stanza 1)
Prepare the royal highway;
The King of kings is near!
Let every hill and valley
A level road appear!
Then greet the Lord of glory,
Fortold in sacred story:
Hosanna to the Lord,
For he fulfills God’s Word!
God’s people, see him coming:
Your own eternal king!
Palm branches strewn before him!
Spread garments! Shout and sing!
God’s promise will not fail you!
No more shall doubt assail you!
Hosanna to the Lord,
For he fulfills God’s Word!
Then fling the gates wide open
To greet your promised king!
Your king, yet every nation
Its tribute too may bring.
All lands will bow before him;
Their voices join your singing:
Hosanna to the Lord,
For he fulfills God’s Word!
His is no earthly kingdom;
It comes from heav’n above.
His rule is peace and freedom
And justice, truth, and love.
So let your praise be sounding
For kindness so abounding:
Hosanna to the Lord,
For he fulfills God’s Word!
-LBW 26
All Saints’ Day
All Saints’ Day was technically a week ago, but we celebrated it yesterday in church. This was one of our hymns…
Rise, ye children of salvation,
All who cleave to Christ the Head;
Wake, awake, O mighty nation,
Ere the foe on Zion tread;
He draws nigh, and would defy
All the hosts of God most high.
Saints and martyrs long before us
Firmly on this ground have stood;
See their banner waving o’er us,
Conquerors through the Savior’s blood.
Ground we hold, whereon of old,
Fought the faithful and the bold.
Fighting, we shall be victorious
By the blood of Christ our Lord;
On our foreheads, bright and glorious,
Shines the witness of His Word;
Spear and shield on battlefield,
His great Name; we cannot yield.
When His servants stand before Him
Each receiving his reward,
When His saints in light adore Him,
Giving glory to the Lord;
“Victory!” our song shall be
Like the thunder of the sea.
—LBW 182
A Reformation Day Song
When I was just ein junger Mann I studied canon law;
While Erfurt was a challenge, it was just to please my Pa.
Then came the storm, the lightning struck, I called upon Saint Anne,
I shaved my head, I took my vows, an Augustinian! Oh…
Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let’s start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!
When Tetzel came near Wittenberg, St. Peter’s profits soared,
I wrote a little notice for the All Saints’ Bull’tin board:
“You cannot purchase merits, for we’re justified by grace!
Here’s 95 more reasons, Brother Tetzel, in your face!” Oh…
Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let’s start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!
They loved my tracts, adored my wit, all were exempleror;
The Pope, however, hauled me up before the Emperor.
“Are these your books? Do you recant?” King Charles did demand,
“I will not change my Diet, Sir, God help me here I stand!” Oh…
Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation –
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let’s start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!
Duke Frederick took the Wise approach, responding to my words,
By knighting “George” as hostage in the Kingdom of the Birds.
Use Brother Martin’s model if the languages you seek,
Stay locked inside a castle with your Hebrew and your Greek! Oh…
Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation –
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let’s start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!
Let’s raise our steins and Concord Books while gathered in this place,
And spread the word that ‘catholic’ is spelled with lower case;
The Word remains unfettered when the Spirit gets his chance,
So come on, Katy, drop your lute, and join us in our dance! Oh…
Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation –
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let’s start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!
(ganked from Old Lutheran.Com)