spirituality | dual personalities

March 30, 2023

More things of minor consequence

by chuckofish

“There is hardship in everything except eating pancakes.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)

I read this article about Welsh male voice choirs still singing and my heart was glad. I hope they can keep that Welsh torch lit for music. We have a lot of men in our PCA congregation and, praise Jesus, they all sing out throughout the service. It is indeed wonderful. (And such a change from the Episcopal churches I have belonged to.)

I liked this true story about Lyman Beecher’s prodigal son.

And Kevin DeYoung explains the fight of faith in this sad world.

Meanwhile the Christmas cactus is blooming again!

The big questions in life are not “Who am I?” The big question in life is “Whose am I?” You have got to answer that question. Whose are you? Whose are you? That’s the issue. In the twentieth century, we get all bent out of shape about self-identity and stuff. Who am I, and my worth, and my esteem, and my value, and all that — man. When you read the Bible, the huge issue is right relationship with God and to whom you belong, whose you are.

–John Piper

Whose are you?

3 Comments

March 29, 2023

Through cloud and sunshine

by chuckofish

Well, I had a wonderful time visiting my precious daughter #2 and her wee family over the weekend. How could I not? I did nothing but hold/gaze at little Ida…

…and hang out with Katie…

I also spent copious amounts of time having deep conversations about important subjects with daughter #2 while the little ones napped. When DN returned from his wedding festivities on Sunday, we were able to catch up as well and celebrate his birthday.

Time well spent indeed.

Daughter #1, Mr. Smith and the OM held the fort.

Now it is back to my old routine. I caught up with my Bible reading. I did laundry and watered the plants. I hung out with the boy who dropped by on his way to work.

Our pastor sent this recording of the hymn Abide with Me, a hymn that the church has often sung in days of grief and mourning, to our congregation following the shooting at our sister PCA church in Nashville. This version, sung by Jeremy Casella, was recorded in the sanctuary of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville.

For our brothers and sisters in Nashville we pray that even as they grieve, they would know the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, a peace that will guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7), amidst their tears.

Anne of course had something meaningful to say about all the ““takes” in [her] feed, from every conceivable point of view, a cacophony of grief and schadenfreude.” You might want to read it.

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.

2 Comments

March 13, 2023

Abide with me

by chuckofish

Another gloomy, cold, rainy weekend in flyover country–par for the course now that all the flowering trees have popped. Daughter #1 and I drove to Jeff City again to start packing up her apartment. She has a lot of stuff to pack…

But we made a start and we brought some plants home.

We were exhausted when we got back. We tried to watch The Robe (1953) but only made it as far as Marcellus being converted. We’ll watch the rest this week.

On Sunday morning the OM and I picked up the twins per usual since lacrosse season started and took them to church. Because the OM was an usher, we had to get there a little early, so the twins were able to indulge in coffee hour donuts.

I think I know why the OM volunteers to usher so often–it is because he can pretend he doesn’t know us and sit elsewhere. This week I gave the twins a C+ on the depravity scale for their behavior. I blame Satan and not the donuts. After church one of the Sunday School teachers told me Wheeler was “sad” and I said, “I’m sure he was–I took his toy away and made him sit right next to me with my arm around him.” She said, ‘Well, I told him I’m sorry you are sad,’ and he said ‘Thank you.'”

After church we drove them to their Dad’s store where they were going to hang out for awhile.

Good times. I am really looking forward to lacrosse season settling down.

Meanwhile daughter #2 tried the Easter dress my mother made for daughter #1 back in 1988 on Katie. It fit and so did the matching doll dress on her baby doll.

It was the last dress my mother made before she died and so we were all happy to see Katie in it. Someday Ida can wear it too.

Sunrise, sunset.

In other news, Mr. Smith got a quick bath in the kitchen sink.

Enjoy your Monday! May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you today.

4 Comments

March 6, 2023

“There’s two angels sittin’ on my shoulders/All they ever do is disagree”

by chuckofish

It rained cats and dogs for about 18 hours on Friday here in flyover country. Thank goodness it wasn’t snow. I went to my biannual cancer checkup on Friday and had my annual infusion of bone medicine. Always nice to get that over with.

But we had a nice weekend with temps in the 60s. On Saturday daughter #1 and I drove over to Jeff City to check on things there and water her plants. We went to Walmart and bought some bins and made an initial swipe at packing things up. There is a lot to pack.

It was a lovely day to drive through the rolling hills of Osage and Gasconade Counties in mid-MO. I am always up for that. When we got home the OM took us to Hacienda for dinner and Margs.

On Sunday we picked up the twins again and took them to church where they earned an A- on Mamu’s depravity scale for keeping theirs in check. We brought them to our house afterwards so they could play with Mr. Smith. Daughter #3 joined us for bagels. Sadly, the boy was working (of course) and so no pictures were taken.

He did send pictures of a long story the wee bud wrote about a tornado. Here’s a sample:

He’s in kindergarten! I was impressed.

Meanwhile in Maryland, Katiebelle and Idabelle had a visitor. Their Mom’s oldest friend, whom she met in vacation bible school when she was six, came to visit.

They had a super fun time…eating donuts and introducing Julia to Pete the Cat.

Now it is Monday. Have a good one.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

praise him all creatures here below;

praise him above, ye heavenly host;

praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
–Thomas Ken, 1709

And here’s a bonus treat: before he became a country music superstar Chris Stapleton was in a bluegrass band…

Woohoo! They were smokin’!

5 Comments

February 27, 2023

While the nearer waters roll

by chuckofish

Well, of course, I had a really lovely time at my Big Event on Friday. I cut the ribbon on a newly renovated room named after me with a pair of hand-crafted wooden scissors which I now have in my office at home.

My former boss, the Dean Emeritus, said kind words about me and I was able to make some extemporaneous remarks without making a fool of myself. I even gave a little testimony about reading through the Bible under the heading “What I’ve been doing since I retired”. I read a poem. There was punch and cookies and I was hugged by a lot of people. Time well spent. God is good.

And in answer to the question, “What did you wear?”–I went full Eileen Fisher–i.e. old work clothes. And I got a corsage.

I spent the rest of the weekend recovering. I did make it to the Kirkwood Historical Society’s Black Heritage event on Saturday at Mudd’s Grove where I met some interesting people and reacquainted myself with a few others. And I got an idea for a Kirkwood Review article about Kirkwood’s own Tuskegee Airman.

The OM and I picked up the twins for church–The boy is still working seven days a week at his store–and I gave them a B+ for depravity control. Pappy was an usher so he was able to distance himself from them, that is until he went up to start passing the plate for the offering and the twins waved vigorously and stage-whispered “Pappy!” to get his attention. Soli deo gloria.

Meanwhile daughter #1 has been hanging out with daughter #2 and her petite famille in Silver Spring.

(That baby is growin’!)

If all goes according to plan and the creek don’t rise, she’ll return home later today. Mr. Smith will be so happy.

Blessed Lord, who wast tempted in all things like as we are, have mercy upon our frailty. Out of weakness give us strength; grant to us thy fear, that we may fear thee only; support us in time of temptation; embolden us in time of danger; help us to do thy work with good courage, and to continue thy faithful soldiers and servants unto our life’s end.
B.F. Westcott (1825-1901)

3 Comments

February 23, 2023

A spirit of power and of love and self-control

by chuckofish

Daffodils,
That come before the swallow dares, and take
The winds of March with beauty; violets dim,
But sweeter than the lids of Juno’s eyes.

–William Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale (1610–11) act 4, sc. 3, l. 121

Yes, the big storm missed us. It just rained and then the sun came out. No big deal.

Tomorrow I do have a Big Deal–an Event to attend back at my flyover university. It is the kind that makes me very nervous, so pray for me. People always think I am so calm, cool and collected, but little do they know. I will be inwardly reciting my mantra: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power and of love and of self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Plus, I don’t even know what I’m wearing.

But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
–Lamentations 3:21-23

4 Comments

February 21, 2023

My worried windowpanes

by chuckofish

Don sent this terrific poem, The Man Watching, by Rainer Maria Rilke:

I can tell by the way the trees beat, after

so many dull days, on my worried windowpanes

that a storm is coming,

and I hear the far-off fields saying things

I can’t bear without a friend,

I can’t love without a sister.

The storm, the shifter of shapes, drives on

across the woods and across time,

and the world looks as if it had no age:

the landscape, like a line in the psalm book,

is seriousness and weight and eternity.

What we choose to fight is so tiny!

What fights with us is so great!

If only we would let ourselves be dominated

as things do by some immense storm,

we would become strong too, and not need names.

When we win it’s with small things,

and the triumph itself makes us small.

What is extraordinary and eternal

does not want to be bent by us.

I mean the Angel who appeared

to the wrestlers of the Old Testament:

when the wrestlers’ sinews

grew long like metal strings,

he felt them under his fingers

like chords of deep music.

Whoever was beaten by this Angel

(who often simply declined the fight)

went away proud and strengthened

and great from that harsh hand,

that kneaded him as if to change his shape.

Winning does not tempt that man.

This is how he grows: by being defeated, decisively,

by constantly greater beings.

–Rainer Maria Rilke

I thought this was inspiring and true. “That’s the blessing of God. Just like we hear every Christmas: Immanuel–God with us. No matter the suffering we go through, God’s presence is better than anything our hearts desire. Though my body may fail, my faith and life is fireproof: though there are rumors of war, pestilence, and ruin, and our little sheep eyes can’t hazard what’s ahead, we can trust in the voice of our Shepherd, who is ever near.”

Enjoy your day. Read a poem. Know that God is with you. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

The painting is “Before the Storm” by Isaac Levitan (1860- 1900).

3 Comments

February 16, 2023

The sun breaks through

by chuckofish

I have seen the sun break through
to illuminate a small field
for a while, and gone my way
and forgotten it. But that was the pearl
of great price, the one field that had
the treasure in it. I realize now
that I must give all that I have
to possess it. Life is not hurrying

on to a receding future, nor hankering after
an imagined past. It is the turning
aside like Moses to the miracle
of the lit bush, to a brightness
that seemed as transitory as your youth
once, but is the eternity that awaits you.

“A Bright Field” by R. S. Thomas (1913–2000)

The painting is by Jacob Van Ruisdael – “View of Haarlem from the North West with the Bleaching Fields in the Foreground” c.1670-1675.

P.S. This is a wonderful response to the Michigan State University shooting by Kevin DeYoung. “As long as there is sin and suffering in the world the gospel will be relevant. Is there more hostility to authentic biblical Christianity than a few decades ago? Probably. But people are still people. They don’t want to be scared, and they don’t want to die. They need forgiveness, they need comfort, they need hope. They need Jesus.”

And Brett McCracken makes a good point here: “In a twist Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel likely never saw coming, the avant-garde has, in the 21st century, become middlebrow ennui. Subversion has scaled up like Starbucks, going stale in the process. This means “normal” starts to feel unexpectedly radical…In an age where amoral excess is the bland standard, disciplined restraint is the flavorful exception.”

Have a good day. Read some poetry. Think for yourself.

2 Comments

February 9, 2023

Deep thoughts for Thursday

by chuckofish

We live in the valley of Elah, and daily, Goliath stomps into our terrified lives, shouting, “I defy you!” (1 Sam. 17:10) In God’s powerful name we must come to take our stand. Like David, we must say, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (v. 45 NIV). If we tremble in the face of Satan, it is never because Satan has grown large, but because our God has grown small.
–Calvin Miller, The Unchained Soul

This is a thoughtful piece about how people need a spiritual life and church. “As we continue to confront the despair pervading our society, we must seek to be the means of God’s grace toward those struggling with the threat of death. And as churches foremost—but also as political communities and society as a whole—we must help people find spiritual life.”