No Time to Post

Please excuse my absence from this blog, between work and trying to spend enough time with my wife and family, I have had no time to blog. While I do not want to quit blogging, I also do not want to neglect my family. This being the case, my posting here will be much less frequent. Please keep visiting if and when you can and I'll try to post as often as I can. Hope everyone has a wonderful Lent Season and Easter. Peace be with you.

Third Sunday of Lent

The Collect:

Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

"I have enough; I have taken the Saviour, the hope of the Gentiles; into my yearning arms. I have seen him, my faith has clasped Jesus to my heart; now I desire only even today to depart with joy from here. I have enough!"

- Johann Sebastian Bach

The Power of the Emptied and Weak is the Story of the Church

“Christians today often think that the Church needs to be powerful and well-ordered to attract notice. This is nothing less than unbelief. Think of Ruth the Moabitess, who attaches herself to Naomi when Noami has nothing (Ruth 1:15-18). Naomi went out of Israel full—with husband, two sons, everything she needed. While in Moab, she loses everything.

The Lord has made her life bitter. But precisely at that moment, when Naomi has nothing and can produce nothing, when she’s reminding Ruth that she can’t possibly produce another husband—just at that moment of utter emptiness, Ruth commits herself to Naomi, and to Israel. Naomi says, God has dealt harshly with me. He’s emptied me of everything. And Ruth says, I want your God to be my God. Somehow, mysteriously, uncannily, miraculously, Ruth finds something in a woman who has nothing. Somehow she knows the God of empty Naomi is the God of salvation.

By attaching herself to the empty widow, Ruth finds a place in the family tree of David and of David’s greater Son. Clinging to the widow with nothing, she becomes an agent for the restoration of everything.

Paul was thinking not only of Jesus and the early Church when he said, ‘God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong” (1 Cor. 1:27). That is the story of Israel, and the story of the Church.”

- Peter J. Leithart

The Majesty and Glory

I finally found a link to one of my favorite recent hymns. The song was written by Tom Fettke and Billy Hearn in the 1970's (early 70's I think) and has become increasingly more popular in churches. While this link takes you to just a sample of the song, you can get the whole song on iTunes.

I heard this song performed some years ago with a chior of over 100 people and a small orchestra and it was absolutely amazing. Recently, our church chior performed this hymn with a small orchestra at the end of our liturgy just prior to the benediction and it brought tears to my eyes. IMHO this is one of the best hymns ever written, I wish I could provie a link which played the entire song, hope you enjoy.

Second Sunday in Lent

Collect:

"God our Father, help us to hear your Son. Enlighten us with your word, that we may find a way to your glory. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever."

Prayer:

"We have stumbled in our sinful ways, as if we could not be healed.Let us return to the Lord, our God. Though our sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Though they are red as crimson, they shall be made like wool. God of mercy, uncover your face and be gracious to us. Heal us and out of your own bounty give us new life, through Christ our Lord."

Ten Propositions on Ecumenism & Scripture and Tradition

I have not been able to read too many blogs this week simply because my work has demandedd more of my time and energy. However, several days ago I ran into this article over at Faith and Theology and really enjoyed it. Granted, there are not too many posts by Kim Fabricius that I dislike, or that at least make me think deeper, of that I am grateful to Kim for his posts, but this article is one of his better ones, so obviously I would recommend it to anyone.

Thanks for the post Kim, and thanks go to Ben for allowing Kim to guest post. Kim should get his own blog so we can read his work on a more regular basis (hint, hint).

Another blog I now read as regular as possible belongs to a good friend of mine named Josh. His blog is called Just Musing and he recently posted an article on Scripture and Tradition. Of course this is an issue I have tackled on several occasions here at "Shadows", just look to the left hand side of my blog under the "Favorites" section. While Josh does not take a hard and fast stance in his article, it is still well worth the read. If you have a chance, go check it out.