I love your writing, Anne. Every time, you cut a clear path through the twisted wilderness of modern thought, issuing out into a clearing where is to be found truth and peace.
My latest pet peeve is with the wimpescence of the 1928 BCP Lectionary designers, who cut out (i.e., have us pass over in the readings) all the parts of Scripture which sound "hard" to the modern ear. Just the other day, they cut out most of what Jehu did after becoming ... umm ... the "head" ... including the exciting death of Jezebel. No wonder TEC eventually took the path it did.
The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbour's glory should be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken. It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.
Anne, in keeping with your observation of the corruption in which we share, especially his words, "else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare." Yet, the Gospel announces a surprise, that our corruption has been covered, our shame clothed, our guilt appeased, our brokenness repaired, not by ourselves, but in the righteousness of Christ our Lord. His robe of righteousness clothes us, His blood cleanses; His holiness is mine and yours. All by grace through faith.
Yet, what your shared, clearly and boldly, must first be heard, first swallowed, first seen.
I love your writing, Anne. Every time, you cut a clear path through the twisted wilderness of modern thought, issuing out into a clearing where is to be found truth and peace.
My latest pet peeve is with the wimpescence of the 1928 BCP Lectionary designers, who cut out (i.e., have us pass over in the readings) all the parts of Scripture which sound "hard" to the modern ear. Just the other day, they cut out most of what Jehu did after becoming ... umm ... the "head" ... including the exciting death of Jezebel. No wonder TEC eventually took the path it did.
Oh man! That’s the best part!!!
From C.S. Lewis' sermon, The Weight of Glory:
The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbour's glory should be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken. It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.
Anne, in keeping with your observation of the corruption in which we share, especially his words, "else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare." Yet, the Gospel announces a surprise, that our corruption has been covered, our shame clothed, our guilt appeased, our brokenness repaired, not by ourselves, but in the righteousness of Christ our Lord. His robe of righteousness clothes us, His blood cleanses; His holiness is mine and yours. All by grace through faith.
Yet, what your shared, clearly and boldly, must first be heard, first swallowed, first seen.