dual personalities

Tag: spirituality

Happy New Year!

by chuckofish

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Can you find the pixilated Dual Personality in this festive bunch?

I give you an old reliable–but still wonderful–poem for the new year by Alfred Tennyson. Nothing much has changed since he wrote it in 1850. I mean people are still people and it is good to keep that in mind. Tennyson was writing about the “faithless coldness of the times” back then too.

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light;
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more,
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darknss of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

 

“Who in these latter days was born for blessing to a world forlorn”*

by chuckofish

four Advent candles

Advent Four. In the gospel lesson Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel, who says, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” Mary, not surprisingly, is perplexed by this and “pondered what kind of greeting this might be.” Our assisting priest, who gave the sermon, informed us that the word “ponder” is only used twice in the gospels, both times referring to Mary. He advised us to do more of our own pondering, but not to worry when the Big Questions remain unanswered. He reminded us that we don’t have to wait for complete understanding to act in faith. I get that.

I will miss our assisting priest–who is technically retired–as he heads off to Florida for several months. His sermons actually make sense. C’est la vie.

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Since daughter #2 came home on Friday, I have been busier than probably in the entire prior four weeks (combined).

Best friends since Vacation Bible School

Best friends since Vacation Bible School

No kidding. Well, I expect to be busy when we have a full house at this time of year. And that’s okay.

I will do my best to fit in some ponder-time during the twelve days of Christmas,  but I ain’t makin’ any promises, y’hear? There will be plenty of time in January for pondering.

By the way, I just finished a ponder-worthy book: Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel.

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A.S. Byatt described it as “a terrible and swirling horror comedy about a very fat medium on the perimeter of the M25, haunted by mean and nasty spirits veering between damnation and the trivial.” Mantel really is a genius and this book is pretty disturbing. She reminds me of Shirley Jackson–brilliant and slightly cracked and a great, great writer. I highly recommend it.

* Hymn 63

“‘Sleepers, wake!’ A voice astounds us”*

by chuckofish

I had a lovely long holiday weekend. How about you?

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I ate a delicious Thanksgiving meal and celebrated the boy’s birthday the next day with tortellini and salad and leftover pie.

I watched 22 Jump Street, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, The Wizard of Oz,  La Belle et La Bête (1946) and Miracle on 34th Street (1947)–all of which I enjoyed immensely.

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I went to church twice on Sunday. I debated going to the morning service, knowing that I would be going back at 4:00 p.m. for Advent Lessons & Carols, but I thought I should go because it was the first Sunday in Advent and that means Rite I! As you know, I am one of the few people who still enjoys saying “And with thy spirit” instead of “And also with you”–so I went and I’m glad I did.

The service started off with The Great Litany (BCP p. 148-153) with all the great “Good Lord, deliver us” stuff, i.e. “From all inordinate and sinful affections; and from all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil” and also “From all false doctrine, heresy, and schism; from hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word and commandment.” It is so easy nowadays to forget about “the crafts and assaults of the devil,” isn’t it? Well, Good Lord, deliver me!

Our rector gave his usual nonsensical sermon, full of misquoting and mispronouncing, but I must say, that listening to him week after week has taught me a lesson in humility. While I am listening (and wincing), I inevitably come away with something. He is a brave soul to get up every week and try. He is no Phillips Brooks–although he attempted to quote him–and that’s okay.

After church I prevailed upon the OM to assist me in hanging the outside Christmas lights on our humble abode. The boy usually does this for us, but he was working on Sunday, and as the temperate weather was forecasted to end, I thought we better get to it. Of course, it was much more complicated without the nimble and manly boy, who executed this job previously with nary a grumble. It took us twice as long and the OM blurted out quite a few goddammits while breaking more than a few light bulbs and bumping his head. Anyway, the lights are up.

lights

Advent Lessons & Carols was lovely too. We sang all the good Advent hymns we didn’t sing in the morning. I got to read the second lesson–Isaiah 40:1-8 which is “Comfort, O comfort my people…”. The best (or at least most adorable) reader was a little third grader who read Zechariah 2:10-13 with a lisp right out of central casting. “For lo, I will come and dwell in your midst…”–she had a little trouble with “midst” (and who doesn’t)–but so cute.

Photo from the Grace Church Facebook page.

Photo from the Grace Church Facebook page.

Afterwards we had the annual Advent dinner and “craft”. I passed on the craft. I got hugs from the boy’s old friends, Michael visiting from NYC and Weezer visiting from L.A. It was a win-win.

Have a great week!

*Hymn 61, The Hymnal 1982

Our shelter from the stormy blast*

by chuckofish

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Yes, the Christmas cacti are blooming! Can it really be that time of year again?

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It must be…’cause it snowed too!

Note the leaf bags!

Note the leaf bags!

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The anthem at the Offertory at church on Sunday was the poem “Love” by George Herbert (1593-1632) which is a particularly lovely one:

Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,

Guilty of dust and sin.

But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack

From my first entrance in,

Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning

If I lacked anything.

“A guest,” I answered, “worthy to be here”:

Love said, “You shall be he.”

“I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,

I cannot look on thee.”

Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,

“Who made the eyes but I?”

“Truth, Lord; but I have marred them; let my shame

Go where it doth deserve.”

“And know you not,” says Love, “who bore the blame?”

“My dear, then I will serve.”

“You must sit down,” says Love, “and taste my meat.”

So I did sit and eat.

It snowed all day, but never amounted to too much. Time to get serious, though, about the snowball descent to the end of the year.

Have a good week!

*Hymn #680, Isaac Watts

Let me think about that for a moment

by chuckofish

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Here is some food for thought on this Thursday n November. Take a moment (or two or three) for some deep thoughts.

1. “The trouble with you,” Walter had said in a recent phone conversation, “is that you’re too prepared. You don’t give the Holy Spirit room to do wondrous things. You need to take risks now and then–that’s what makes life snap, crackle and pop.”

–Jan Karon, At Home in Mitford

2. “When I was an object of much contempt and derision in the university,” he later wrote, “I strolled forth one day, buffeted and afflicted, with my little Testament in my hand … The first text which caught my eye was this: ‘They found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; him they compelled to bear his cross.'”

–Charles Simeon

3. “That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.”

–Henry David Thoreau

4.

British 2nd Division at Kohima, India war memorial

British 2nd Division at Kohima, India war memorial

Discuss among yourselves.

 

Strengthen such as do stand

by chuckofish

Today is the lesser feast day of evangelical Anglican Charles Simeon (1759–1836) on the Episcopal calendar. Simeon is best known for serving Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge, and Cambridge University for 54 years, practicing and popularizing biblical, expository preaching and pioneering on-campus discipleship among university students. He is also credited with starting the evangelical revival in the Church of England.

Two hundred years ago students at the English Universities were required to attend church regularly, and to receive the Holy Communion at least once a year. This latter requirement often had bad effects, in that it encouraged hypocrisy and an irreverent reception of the sacrament. Occasionally, however, it had a very good effect, as with the Cambridge student Charles Simeon. He wrote: “On 29 January 1779 I came to college. On 2 February I understood that at division of term I must attend the Lord’s Supper. The Provost absolutely required it. Conscience told me that, if I must go, I must repent and turn to God.”

Kings College Chapel

Kings College Chapel

By this experience his life was transformed. Upon finishing his college work he was ordained, and shortly appointed chaplain of Holy Trinity, Cambridge, where he remained for 55 years, until shortly before his death on 12 November 1836. His ministry helped to transform the lives of many undergraduates, of whom we may mention two in particular. Henry Martyn inspired by Simeon, abandoned his intention of going into law and instead devoted his life and his considerable talents to preaching the Gospel in India and Persia. William Wilberforce, also led in part by Simeon’s ministry of teaching and example, devoted his life to the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire. Simeon’s enthusiasm and zeal brought him much ridicule and abuse, which he bore uncomplainingly. Though he himself remained in one place, his influence extended through the Anglican world. (Lectionary Home Page)

Holy Trinity, Cambridge

Holy Trinity, Cambridge

Simeon's black Wedgewood teapot used at his Friday night Conversation Parties

Simeon’s black Wedgewood teapot used at his Friday night Conversation Parties

Simeon's preaching Bible

Simeon’s preaching Bible

Bust of Simeon just outside the entrance to the Gonville and Caius Library.

Bust of Simeon just outside the entrance to the Gonville and Caius Library.

Simeon prayed the following prayer each Sunday before delivering his sermon:

“O God, who hast caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our hearing, be with us now to sanctify unto us the truths that shall be delivered from them.
“Be with us especially to enlighten our minds by the Holy Spirit; and by the mighty working of thy power, bring in to the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceived.
“Be pleased also O Lord, to strengthen such as do stand, and comfort and help the weak hearted, and raise up them that fall, and finally to beat down Satan under all our feet.
“All this we humbly ask in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Looking south, down the River Cam, is Simeon's Bridge. In 1816 Simeon financed the major portion of this bridge connecting King's College property on both sides of The Backs. This is also the river into which Simeon threw a guinea (coin) as a self-prescribed punishment for not rising at the hour to which he had committed himself for Bible reading and prayer.

Looking south, down the River Cam, is Simeon’s Bridge. In 1816 Simeon financed the major portion of this bridge connecting King’s College property on both sides of The Backs. This is also the river into which Simeon threw a guinea (coin) as a self-prescribed punishment for not rising at the hour to which he had committed himself for Bible reading and prayer.

I like that prayer. And I want to go to there.

Photos are from the Charles Simeon website.

 

An attitude of gratitude

by chuckofish

givethanks

It being November again (!) it seems liked a good time to talk about thankfulness. “Nothing,” says Billy Graham “turns us into bitter, selfish, dissatisfied people more quickly than an ungrateful heart. And nothing will do more to restore contentment and the joy of our salvation than a true spirit of thankfulness.”

I have been re-reading Jan Karon’s seventh Mitford book In This Mountain and this is one of her main themes. Toward the end of the book, Father Tim preaches on this very subject (and I Thessalonians 5:18).

I admit to you that although I often thank God for my blessings, even the smallest, I haven’t thanked Him for my afflictions.

I know the fifth chapter of First Thessalonians pretty well, yet it just hadn’t occurred to me to actually take Him up on this notion. I’ve been too busy begging Him to lead me out of the valley and onto the mountaintop. After all, I have work to do, I have things to accomplish…alas, I am the White Rabbit everlastingly running down the hole like the rest of the common horde.

I want to tell you that I started thanking Him last night–this morning at two o’clock, to be precise–for something that grieves me deeply. And I’m committed to continue thanking Him in this hard thing, no matter how desperate it might become, and I’m going to begin looking for good in it. Whether God caused it or permitted it, we can rest assured–there is great good in it.

So no matter what happens to us, no matter how difficult our situation or how much our friends disappoint us, no matter how alone we feel–we must never forget that God is with us. No matter what happens, God has promised that He will be with us in whatever tribulation or trial that comes. God will not waste this experience. He doesn’t waste anything. And so we are thankful for everything. We try to be anyway.

Nobody said it would be easy, right?

 

“Everything passes, only the truth remains.”*

by chuckofish

According to some sources, Fyodor Dostoyevsky was born on this day in 1821.

Dostoevsky

Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist, journalist, and philosopher, Dostoyevsky was also, Malcolm Muggeridge wrote, “a God-possessed man if ever there was one, as is clear in everything he wrote and in every character he created.”

“What’s mystery? Everything’s mystery, my friend, everything is God’s mystery. There’s mystery in every tree, in every blade of grass. When a little bird sings or all those many, many stars shine in the sky at night–it’s all mystery, the same one. But the greatest mystery is what awaits man’s soul in the world beyond, and that’s the truth, my boy….

…No, my friend, you’ve got me wrong; I’ve always respected science since I was a boy and, although I can’t understand it myself, that’s all right: science may be beyond my ken, but it is within the ken of other men. And it’s best that way because then everyone has what comes to him, and not everyone is made to understand science…”

–Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Adolescent

Fyodor and I are on the same page.

I have read Crime and Punishment and a wonderful book of excerpts edited by the Bruderhof, The Gospel in Dostoyevsky. I think it is time for me to tackle The Brothers Karamazov this winter. I have read parts, but never the whole thing.

So a toast to the great Dostoyevsky! Поехали! (Let’s get started!)

* Father Zossima in The Brothers Karamazov 

“In silence the three of them looked at the sunset and thought about God.”*

by chuckofish

trees

This is one of the trees in my front yard. These last few days of Indian Summer have really reminded me of Maxfield Parrish paintings–especially the light at the end of the day when the setting sun reflects so beautifully off of the orange leaves.

Maxfield Parrish (2)

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maxfield-parrish-riverbank-in-autumnKnow what I mean?

If you haven’t noticed, be sure to look this evening.

*Maude Hart Lovelace, Betsy-Tacy and Tib

Weekend reading

by chuckofish

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I had a quiet weekend and spent a good part of it reading Marilynne Robinson’s new novel Lila. 

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In this third novel that takes place in the town of Gilead, Robinson revisits the characters we have met in the earlier books (Gilead and Home), in particular the mysterious woman who marries the old minister John Ames. As usual, the author examines the mystery of existence. She quotes John Calvin freely–without smirking. It is terrific.

Robinson just blows me away. Her characters are thoughtful and have inner monologues that are deep and penetrating. The story takes place some time after WWII when people did not have attention spans reduced to tweets. They still think about things. And we are encouraged to think about them (and the mystery of existence) as well.

Anyway, of course, I highly recommend this book and the first two if you haven’t already read them. (Why haven’t you already read them?)

Have a great week!

Almighty God, who hast bestowed thy grace upon thy people by thy Son Jesus Christ: Grant us, we beseech thee, to be enriched with his manifold gifts; that patiently enduring through the darkness of this world, we may be found shining like lamps in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, when he cometh in his kingdom; to whom be praise and glory for ever and ever.

(Prayer posted by Kendall Harmon on TitusOneNine)