"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you . . . .Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid" (John 14:27). God intends that we rest in Him and are possessed by His peace. As Augustine famously observed, our hearts are restless until we rest in Him. How do we avail ourselves of this peace? The key is the commitment of complete trust. We receive God's peace as we realize afresh that we are completely in Him and engulfed in His love.
Again, one's self is the problem. To desire peace simply as a possession of the self--something we covet and want to own--is subtly but terribly to miss the point and remain in doubt and restlessness. As in all aspects of our relationship with God, complete surrender and trust are the indispensable elements. To place one's self afresh in the body of Christ and rest completely in Him ("abide in me," Christ commands) is the way into the peace that He bestows.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
More Garden Pictures
These shots were taken by Stephanie Larson
These shots were taken by Mary Brown:
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
George MacDonald: "Tell Me"
I was freshly struck by this poem of GMD"s, "Tell Me":
"Traveller, what lies over the hill?
Traveller, tell to me:
Tip-toe-high on the window sill
Over I cannot see."
"My child, a valley green lies there,
Lovely with trees, and sky'
And a tiny brook that says, 'Take care,
Or I'll drown you by and by!'"
"And what comes next?"--"A little town,
And a towering hill again;
More hills and valleys up and down,
And a river now and then."
"And what comes next?"--"A lonely moor
Without one beaten way,
And slow clouds drifting dull before
A wind that will not stay."
"And then?"--"Dark rocks and yellow sand,
Blue sea and a moaning tide."
"And then?"--"More sea, and then more land,
With rivers deep and wide."
"And then?"--"Oh, rock and mountain and vale,
Ocean and shores and men,
Over and over, a weary tale,
And round to your home again!"
"And that is all? From day to day,
Like one with a long chain bound,
Should I walk and walk and not get away,
But go always round and round?"
"No, no; I have not told you the best,
I have not told you the end.
If you want to escape, away in the west
You will see a stair ascend,
"Built of all colours of lovely stones,
A stair up into the sky
Where no one is weary, and no one moans,
Or wishes to be laid by."
"Is it far away?"--"I do not know:
You must fix your eyes thereon,
And travel, travel through thunder and snow,
Till the weary way is gone.
"All day, though you never see it shine,
You must travel nor turn aside,
All night you must keep as straight a line
Through moonbeams or darkness wide."
"When I am older!"--"Nay, not so!"
"I have hardly opened my eyes!"
"He who to the old sunset would go,
Starts best with the young sunrise."
"Is the stair right up? Is it very steep?"
"Too steep for you to climb;
You must lie at the foot of the glorious heap
And patient wait your time."
"How long?"--"Nay, that I cannot tell."
"In wind, and rain, and frost?"
"It may be so; and it is well
That you should count the cost.
"Pilgrims from near and from distant lands
Will step on you lying there;
But a wayfaring man with wounded hands
Will carry you up the stair."
--George MacDonald
"Traveller, what lies over the hill?
Traveller, tell to me:
Tip-toe-high on the window sill
Over I cannot see."
"My child, a valley green lies there,
Lovely with trees, and sky'
And a tiny brook that says, 'Take care,
Or I'll drown you by and by!'"
"And what comes next?"--"A little town,
And a towering hill again;
More hills and valleys up and down,
And a river now and then."
"And what comes next?"--"A lonely moor
Without one beaten way,
And slow clouds drifting dull before
A wind that will not stay."
"And then?"--"Dark rocks and yellow sand,
Blue sea and a moaning tide."
"And then?"--"More sea, and then more land,
With rivers deep and wide."
"And then?"--"Oh, rock and mountain and vale,
Ocean and shores and men,
Over and over, a weary tale,
And round to your home again!"
"And that is all? From day to day,
Like one with a long chain bound,
Should I walk and walk and not get away,
But go always round and round?"
"No, no; I have not told you the best,
I have not told you the end.
If you want to escape, away in the west
You will see a stair ascend,
"Built of all colours of lovely stones,
A stair up into the sky
Where no one is weary, and no one moans,
Or wishes to be laid by."
"Is it far away?"--"I do not know:
You must fix your eyes thereon,
And travel, travel through thunder and snow,
Till the weary way is gone.
"All day, though you never see it shine,
You must travel nor turn aside,
All night you must keep as straight a line
Through moonbeams or darkness wide."
"When I am older!"--"Nay, not so!"
"I have hardly opened my eyes!"
"He who to the old sunset would go,
Starts best with the young sunrise."
"Is the stair right up? Is it very steep?"
"Too steep for you to climb;
You must lie at the foot of the glorious heap
And patient wait your time."
"How long?"--"Nay, that I cannot tell."
"In wind, and rain, and frost?"
"It may be so; and it is well
That you should count the cost.
"Pilgrims from near and from distant lands
Will step on you lying there;
But a wayfaring man with wounded hands
Will carry you up the stair."
--George MacDonald
Monday, July 12, 2010
Books Authored
I have authored or edited the following books:
(Ed.) Life Essential: The Hope of the Gospel. 1974. Regent, 2004.
(Ed.) Creation in Christ: The Unspoken Sermons of George MacDonald. 1976. Regent, 2004.
(Ed.) The Miracles of Our Lord. Harold Shaw, 1980.
The Harmony Within: The Spiritual Vision of George MacDonald. 1982, 1989. Rev. ed., Cornerstone of Chicago, 1999.
George MacDonald: Victorian Mythmaker. 1993. Johannesen, 1999.
The Heart of George MacDonald: An Anthology. 1994, Regents, 2004.
(Ed.) Lilith: A Variorum Edition. 2 vols. Johannesen, 1997.
Christian Mythmakers. Cornerstone of Chicago, 1998. Rev. ed., 2002.
George MacDonald: Images of his World. A pictorial biography, with pictures taken by Prof. Larry E. Fink of Hardin-Simmons University. Pasture Springs Press, 2004.
Growing with My Garden: Thoughts on Tending the Soil and the Soul. Cornerstone of Chicago, 2004.
(Ed.) Life Essential: The Hope of the Gospel. 1974. Regent, 2004.
(Ed.) Creation in Christ: The Unspoken Sermons of George MacDonald. 1976. Regent, 2004.
(Ed.) The Miracles of Our Lord. Harold Shaw, 1980.
The Harmony Within: The Spiritual Vision of George MacDonald. 1982, 1989. Rev. ed., Cornerstone of Chicago, 1999.
George MacDonald: Victorian Mythmaker. 1993. Johannesen, 1999.
The Heart of George MacDonald: An Anthology. 1994, Regents, 2004.
(Ed.) Lilith: A Variorum Edition. 2 vols. Johannesen, 1997.
Christian Mythmakers. Cornerstone of Chicago, 1998. Rev. ed., 2002.
George MacDonald: Images of his World. A pictorial biography, with pictures taken by Prof. Larry E. Fink of Hardin-Simmons University. Pasture Springs Press, 2004.
Growing with My Garden: Thoughts on Tending the Soil and the Soul. Cornerstone of Chicago, 2004.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
As I See It
Christian experience is primarily relational, not simply intellectual. An individual self enters by faith commitment into a new relation with God and, as a consequence, an entirely altered relation to others.
Christian commitment begins with a total capitulation to the claims of God upon one's life. The individual confesses and determines with God's help to forsake one's sins, receives God's forgiveness, and is encompassed with his love. God, who was formerly ignored, avoided, or openly rejected, now takes residence in the individual's live, replacing the self as its value center. Other people, who were formerly resented, envied, opposed, hated, or at best viewed in terms of what contribution they could make to one's own life, now become objects of concern.
Note how Paul writes: "Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us . . ." (Eph 4:31-5:2). "Imitate God. Live in love" says it all.
The Christian therefore finds oneself in a relational triangle of God, others, and self. All purpose and meaning in life derives from the dynamic of complete self-giving love. We are to imitate that.
To love as God loves is humanly impossible apart from the motivation and strength and grace which this relationship supplies. "Abide in me as I abide in you," Christ said. "Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me" (Jn 15:4). The true Christian goes in Christ's name, not one's own, draws upon the strength which God provides, and sees life become a profound adventure.
Christian commitment begins with a total capitulation to the claims of God upon one's life. The individual confesses and determines with God's help to forsake one's sins, receives God's forgiveness, and is encompassed with his love. God, who was formerly ignored, avoided, or openly rejected, now takes residence in the individual's live, replacing the self as its value center. Other people, who were formerly resented, envied, opposed, hated, or at best viewed in terms of what contribution they could make to one's own life, now become objects of concern.
Note how Paul writes: "Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us . . ." (Eph 4:31-5:2). "Imitate God. Live in love" says it all.
The Christian therefore finds oneself in a relational triangle of God, others, and self. All purpose and meaning in life derives from the dynamic of complete self-giving love. We are to imitate that.
To love as God loves is humanly impossible apart from the motivation and strength and grace which this relationship supplies. "Abide in me as I abide in you," Christ said. "Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me" (Jn 15:4). The true Christian goes in Christ's name, not one's own, draws upon the strength which God provides, and sees life become a profound adventure.
Monday, June 14, 2010
As I See It
Scriptural Symbolism
The Bible is first of all to be interpreted in its literal sense. The books of Scripture were not written primarily for "the wise and prudent" to give them license for sophisticated interpretations, but for ordinary people with common sense understanding. The Bible means what it says.
However, it does have symbolic levels of meaning, and it gives definite indications as to how its symbolism is to be understood. It is simply that images both speak themselves and also contain a significance larger than themselves, of similar spiritual import. (Charles Williams masterfully employs this same principle in shaping the symbolic significance of images in his novels.)
For instance, the Bible often refers to God as the God of Jacob. Jacob was a man, a man with severe shortcomings. The Lord changed his name to Israel, and the term Israel begins to designate something larger than Jacob, that is, all his offspring, who became the Jewish nation. Further, in the New Testament the term Israel is sometimes used to designate the entirety of redeemed humanity. The movement from the ancient Jacob with all his questionable dealings to the ultimate body of the Redeemed is a remarkable display of the grace of God. Similarly, the ancient shepherd poet David becomes the godly King in whose line Christ is born, the son of David, the Ultimate King who sits upon the throne of David, and who, at his Second Coming, will rule in righteousness and justice.
The principle can be applied to each Christian. Each one comes to Christ sincerely repenting of sin, some bringing a past laden with evil behavior and moral disgrace. God forgives, forgets the past, and the individual is given a fresh start. Then begins the efforts of grace which work to create a new individual, changing "Jacob" to "Israel." This process, which the Bible speaks of as sanctification, progresses as the individual obeys Christ's commands and tries earnestly to live daily in a manner that pleases God. Scripture teaches that as God has begun a good work in each individual Christian, he will bring it to completion in the day of Jesus Christ (Phil 1:6). Each Christian will one day be a glorious being, the same person as on earth but also very different, all imperfections which mark earthly exisitence having been removed.
The Bible is first of all to be interpreted in its literal sense. The books of Scripture were not written primarily for "the wise and prudent" to give them license for sophisticated interpretations, but for ordinary people with common sense understanding. The Bible means what it says.
However, it does have symbolic levels of meaning, and it gives definite indications as to how its symbolism is to be understood. It is simply that images both speak themselves and also contain a significance larger than themselves, of similar spiritual import. (Charles Williams masterfully employs this same principle in shaping the symbolic significance of images in his novels.)
For instance, the Bible often refers to God as the God of Jacob. Jacob was a man, a man with severe shortcomings. The Lord changed his name to Israel, and the term Israel begins to designate something larger than Jacob, that is, all his offspring, who became the Jewish nation. Further, in the New Testament the term Israel is sometimes used to designate the entirety of redeemed humanity. The movement from the ancient Jacob with all his questionable dealings to the ultimate body of the Redeemed is a remarkable display of the grace of God. Similarly, the ancient shepherd poet David becomes the godly King in whose line Christ is born, the son of David, the Ultimate King who sits upon the throne of David, and who, at his Second Coming, will rule in righteousness and justice.
The principle can be applied to each Christian. Each one comes to Christ sincerely repenting of sin, some bringing a past laden with evil behavior and moral disgrace. God forgives, forgets the past, and the individual is given a fresh start. Then begins the efforts of grace which work to create a new individual, changing "Jacob" to "Israel." This process, which the Bible speaks of as sanctification, progresses as the individual obeys Christ's commands and tries earnestly to live daily in a manner that pleases God. Scripture teaches that as God has begun a good work in each individual Christian, he will bring it to completion in the day of Jesus Christ (Phil 1:6). Each Christian will one day be a glorious being, the same person as on earth but also very different, all imperfections which mark earthly exisitence having been removed.
Many Scripture passages foretell this glorious future, such as:
"For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life" (2 Cor. 5:4).
"Beloved, we are God's children now, what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is" (1 Jn. 3:2).
C. S. Lewis writes: "The command Be ye perfect is not idealistic gas. Nor is it a command to do the impossible. He is going to make us into creatures that can obey that command. He said (in th Bible) that we were 'gods' [Psa. 82:6] and He is going to make good His words. If we let Him--for we can prevent Him, if we choose--He will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a god or goddess, a dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now imagine, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly (though, of course, on a smaller scale) His own boundless power and delight and goodness. The process will be long and in parts very painful, but that is what we are in for. Nothing less. He meant what He said" (Mere Christianity, book 4, chapter 9).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
