And didst Thou love the race that loved not Thee

Another hymn by the author who wrote I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew, in the same meter.

And didst Thou love the race that loved not Thee? 
And didst Thou take to Heaven a human brow? 
Dost plead with man’s voice by the marvelous sea? 
Art Thou his kinsman now? 

O God, O Kinsman loved, but not enough; 
O Man, with eyes majestic after death, 
Whose feet have toiled along our pathways rough, 
Whose lips drawn human breath: 

By that one likeness which is ours and Thine, 
By that one nature which doth hold us kin, 
By that high Heaven where, sinless, Thou dost shine 
To draw us sinners in; 

By Thy last silence in the judgment hall, 
By long foreknowledge of the deadly Tree, 
By darkness, by the wormwood and the gall, 
I pray Thee visit me. 

Come, lest this heart should, cold and cast away, 
Die ere the Guest adored she entertain— 
Lest eyes which never saw Thine earthly day 
Should miss Thy heavenly reign.

(Actually an excerpt from Part II of "The Answer" in a very long poem titled "Honours")

This day

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

"Andrew Johnson was born on December 29, 1808 in North Carolina."

* Is Andrew Johnson the worst president in American history? -- "Today marks the birthday of perhaps the most-maligned president in American history. But was Andrew Johnson really that bad, or just the target of some second-guessing historians?"

Bi-vocational ministry, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Appraiser Describes Finding Beethoven Sketch Leaf in Connecticut Home -- "It’s certainly one of the highlights of my career."
• Lawsuit by ex-Atlanta fire chief critical of homosexuality to proceed -- "U.S. District Judge Leigh May said in a ruling issued on Wednesday that Cochran's claims of religious discrimination are plausible and refused to dismiss the case."
• Stop Sending Missionaries: Why More Isn’t Always Better -- "Why would you send someone to plant churches abroad who you would never hire as a pastor or nominate as a lay elder?"
• The Biggest Apology for Christian Persecution of Other Christians Ever -- "The delegates, who represented more than two billion Christians, gathered in the Albanian capital of Tirana last month under the organization of the Global Christian Forum.
• The Blessings of Bivocational Ministry -- "I stumbled into being bivocational (I had a full-time job while at the same time pastoring a church); it wasn’t a part of my life’s strategy."
• The Crucible of Bivocational Ministry, Part 1 -- "…my secular job experience has actually helped to enrich and refine my ministry."
• Unbelief As A Belief System: Core Tenet For Christians' Fight For Religious Rights -- "I don't think there really can be any question that there are forms of secularism, including some that are very prominent today in universities and other elite sectors of our society — belief systems that are comprehensive views — that function in people's lives the way that religions function in the lives of traditional religious believers."
• Wheaton College Suspends Professor After 'Same God' Comment -- "I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book; And as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God."

I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew

“He first loved me.”

I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew

He moved my soul to it Who sought for me;

It was not I that found, O Savior true;

No, I was found of thee.

Thou didst reach forth Thy hand and mine enfold;

I walked and sank not on the storm-vexed sea;

But not so much that I on Thee took hold,

As by Thy hold of me.

I find, I walk, I love, but ah, the whole

Of love is but my answer, Lord, to Thee;

For thou wert long beforehand with my soul–

Always Thou lovedst me.

Words: Anonymous, Found in One Hundred Holy Songs, Carols and Sacred Ballads. Original, and Suitable for Music, London: Longmans, Green & Company, 1878 [Issued anonymously, but modern scholars credit this as the work of Jean Ingelow (1820-1897] 

A Christmas "meditation"

I am to a large degree ambivalent about Christmas. Perhaps it's easy to have mixed feelings about a holiday that brings out such wild extremes in people. Some great acts of random kindness are associated with and arise from the "spirit" of Christmas -- while otherwise "normal" people can pummel and maul each other over the last item on the shelf at Wal-Mart. Christians on one end of the spectrum rigorously rage against Christmas as a pagan heathen holiday. Christians on the other end of the spectrum breathlessly battle with the world to keep Christ in Christmas. The cunning crusade knows no bounds, vanquishing all "opponents" of Christmas, whether on the right or the left, whether holding biblical or secular reasons.

There is no scripture that commands Christians to observe Christmas (or the birthday of Jesus). It is evidently also true that there are some pagan roots behind some of the Christmas traditions. There is not, however, one singular origin of Christmas. It is a pastiche of all sorts of religious traditions and folk customs from around the world. It is not a "Christian" holiday. In the U.S. it is a religious, secular and national holiday.

As people of the book, we should not easily dismiss the fact that there is no command to celebrate as a custom the birth of Jesus. We are given commands to observe his death, burial and resurrection in our baptism, to memorialize his body and blood in the communion, and we remember him (and resurrection) in our gathering on the first day of the week. But Christmas is just not there. However, one needs to carefully consider some precepts and examples found in the New Testament before going hog wild in hatred of the day.

It seems that folks in the early church who were Jews continued to celebrate, without compunction, days that were part of their culture and heritage. Notice Acts 2:1-2; 18:21; 20:6, 16; 21:22-24; 27:9 for examples. Some believe that the unnamed feast Jesus went up to in John 5:1 was the feast Purim (and occurred before Passover, cf. John 6:3) and that the feast of dedication in John 10:22 was Hanukkah. These were not feasts of the law, but later cultural feast added to the Jews to commemorate past events. Could this suggest that national or cultural holidays are not immediately suspect? Further, Paul shows some ambivalence toward the celebration of days in his writing to the Romans. For example, in Romans 14:5-6 it is written, “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.” Not only this, but he seems to connect this to his teaching about eating meats offered to idols. If one is not condemned for buying at the market and eating meat that only a few days before was part of an idolatrous temple service (cf. 1 Cor. 8:6-8), how likely is it that one is condemned for some long lost pagan connection that he or she knows nothing about?

We are descendants of pagans; there is no doubt that some of that has trickled down to our culture. Much of it we accept with little thought. The days of our week and names of our months are based on pagan gods, yet most of us use them daily with never so much as a nod to thoughts of paganism. Many other customs are steeped in a long forgotten past. The handshake originally was based on exposing the weapon hand to prove peaceful intent, yet a modern handshake proves little more than observance of custom. One can become so obsessed with latent paganism as to become a Pharisee preoccupied with cleaning the outsides of cups and straining at gnats. While raging against Christmas, many of the same will celebrate the July 4 declaration that energized Christian Baptists in America to raise their muskets to blow out the brains of, and thrust their bayonets to gore out the guts of, their British Baptist brethren who were guilty of little more than joining the British army (a few even bringing it into church services).

The conscience and motivation of a person has real significance. Notice such texts as 1 Corinthians 6:12; chapter 8; 10:31, Romans chapter 14, etc. Celebrating days such as a birthdays and national holidays may not necessarily be bad, but rather a matter of conscience and preference. Don’t violate your conscience, and don’t help others to violate their consciences. Even if you are free in conscience for your family’s practice, leave that practice at home. Don’t bring them into church. Church is for the worship of God and the practice of what He commanded. Christmas is not commanded.

A piece that might be of interest:
2 Reasons NOT to ‘Keep Christ in Christmas’

A Cradle Hymn

"A Cradle Hymn," by Isaac Watts (Excerpted from Divine Songs, Attempted in Easy Language, for the Use of Children, 1715)

1. Hush! my dear, lie still and slumber,
    Holy angels guard thy bed!
Heavenly blessings, without number,
    Gently falling on thy head.

2. How much better thou'rt attended
    Than the Son of God could be;
When from heaven he descended,
    And became a child like thee!

3. Soft and easy is thy cradle,
    Coarse and hard thy Saviour lay;
When his birth-place was a stable,
    And his softest bed was hay.

4. Blessed babe! what glorious features,
    Spotless fair, divinely bright!
Must he dwell with brutal creatures!
    How could angels bear the sight!

5. Was there nothing but a manger
    Cursed sinners could afford,
To receive the heav'nly stranger!
    Did they thus affront their Lord!

6. See the kinder shepherds round him, 

    Telling wonders from the sky!
Where they sought him, there they found him,
    With his virgin mother by.

7. See the lovely babe a dressing;
    Lovely infant, how he smil'd!
When he wept, the mother's blessing
    Sooth'd and hush'd the holy child.

8. Lo, he slumbers in his manger,
    Where the horned oxen fed;
Peace, my darling, here's no danger,
    Here's no ox a-near thy bed.

9. 'Twas to save thee, child, from dying,
    Save my dear from burning flame,
Bitter groans and endless crying,
    That thy blest Redeemer came.

10. May'st thou live to know and fear him,
    Trust and love him all thy days;
Then go dwell for ever near him,
    See his face, and sing his praise!

11. I could give thee thousand kisses,
    Hoping what I most desire;
Not a mother's fondest wishes
    Can to greater joys aspire!

Puppy love, and other quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources.

"Puppy love may just be puppy love, but it seems quite real to the puppy!" -- copied

"If Christianity is a psychological crutch, then Jesus Christ came because there was an epidemic of broken legs." -- Bob Prall

"The LORD causes HIS WORD to have free course, and HE does and will bless it in His time, where, when, how, and in whom HE WILL, irrespective of men's cavils and opposition as enemies of the cross." -- Ken Wimer

"The pain passes, but the beauty remains." -- Pierre Auguste Renoir

"Many look upon forgiveness as a duty, when in reality, it is a great privilege to be chosen as a vessel of mercy." -- Mike McInnis

"Mercy is kindness shown to the guilty." -- Charles Garrett

"There is a fellowship more quiet even than solitude, and which, rightly understood, is solitude made perfect." -- Robert Louis Stevenson

"God is much greater than anything we can imagine. Whatever you imagine God to be, God is other than that." -- Mark Hanson

"Don't gain the world and lose your soul,
Wisdom is better than silver or gold." ― Bob Marley

"From a commercial point of view, if Christmas did not exist it would be necessary to invent it." -- Katharine Whitehorn

"There may be those on earth who dress better or eat better, but those who enjoy the peace of God sleeps better." -- Thomas Holdcroft

Use of imperatives in the Bible

The comments below are excepted from some originally posted by Scott Ransom at the Baptist Board (I've lost the direct link). He said these were from notes he took in a class on moral theology. They address a subject of interest to me, orthopraxy/normal biblical practice. I'm not sure I agree on all points, but I found it interesting.

Summary - Use of imperatives of the Bible is enduring for us if:

• it is addressed to an enduring audience
• it is based on a permanent relationship
• it is repeated, especially transculturally
• it is supported by prescriptive, and not merely descriptive, passages
• it is supported without abusing its literary genre
• it is taught as principle, not merely a manifestation of a principle

Books and book reviews

The linking of book reviews does not constitute endorsement of the books reviewed or the book reviews.

• 20 Notable Non-Fiction Books You Might've Missed This Year -- "It's both the blessing and the curse of the modern book lover: great titles come out at lightning speed each month in buzzy lists and flashy blurbs."
• ‘Baptists in America’: A book review -- "The story of the United States is interwoven with the story of the Christian church, and prominent in those pages of history is the narrative of “Baptists in America.”"
• Book Review: The 3-D Gospel: Ministry in Guilt, Shame, and Fear Cultures, by Jason Georges -- "By all indications, Georges believes that culture essentially determines the content of the gospel, or at least what people are capable of understanding about the gospel."
• Christianity Today's 2016 Book Awards -- "CTs picks for the books most likely to shape evangelical life, thought, and culture."
• Meet This Book: Jonathan Edwards among the Theologians by Oliver Crisp -- "The goal is not to push Edwards off his pedestal, but to provide a more rounded, and realistic picture of the complexities of his thought."
• Review of The Happy Christian -- "…the most realistically positive book in the world is the Bible."
• Top 5 Commentaries on the Book of Isaiah -- "Of all the eighth century prophetic books, none matches the sheer scope of the book of Isaiah."
• Top 100 Most Searched-For Out-of-Print Books of 2014 -- "...rest assured, this list is as eclectic as they come, and has something for everyone, even (especially) if you're weird."

God of my life

1. God of my life, whose gracious power
Through varied deaths my soul hath led,
Or turned aside the fatal hour,
Or lifted up my sinking head!

2. In all my ways Thy hand I own,
Thy ruling providence I see:
Assist me still my course to run,
And still direct my paths to Thee.

3. On Thee my helpless soul is cast,
And looks again Thy grace to prove;
I call to mind the wonders past,
The countless wonders of Thy love.

4. Thou, Lord, my spirit oft has stayed,
Hast snatched me from the gaping tomb,
A monument of Thy mercy made,
And rescued me from wrath to come.

5. Oft hath the sea confessed Thy power,
And gave me back to Thy command;
It could not, Lord, my life devour,
Safe in the hollow of Thine hand.

Charles Wesley, 1740

Constitution check, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Constitution Check: Would a ban on all Muslims entering the U.S. be valid? -- "As a sovereign nation, the United States government has always had undoubted authority to decide who may enter the country, and the conditions for entry by those who seek it."
• How do perceptions of beauty vary across the globe? -- "The goal of this project is to better understand potentially unrealistic standards of beauty and to see how such pressures vary around the world."
• How Unpopular Is Trump’s Muslim Ban? Depends How You Ask -- "Respondents may be more willing to express socially unacceptable views to a machine than to a person, or automated polls may simply be reaching a differently composed population of respondents."
• Members Of Donald Trump’s Christian Denomination Are Trying To See If They Can Kick Him Out -- "[Rutgers Presbyterian Church] ask appropriate bodies of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to review his standing/membership in our denomination."
• Posting a Status Update? It’s Probably Out of Envy, Study Says -- "...people readily described feeling envy while reading social network statuses, especially statuses about travel and leisure."
• The Islamic Dilemma -- "Unlike Donald Trump, or at least the demagogue he’s playing, most Americans probably don’t want to seal our borders against Muslims. But most Americans do look at Islam and see a problem."
• Theology Is for the Humble -- "Any time we make statements about truths from Scripture we do theology."
• The "pre-born" parking plan -- Please pay your parking fee before existing.
• Title IX exemption fair, leaders say -- "At least 30 Christian schools have received exemption from Title IX provisions requiring equal treatment based not only on biological gender, but also transgendered identity..."
• Writing for an Audience of None -- "Will my writing add to and better the conversation surrounding the topic?"

If my people, briefly

2 Chronicles 7:14 King James Version:

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

The broad context

• David is dead (1 Chron. 29:28)
• Solomon is ascending the throne as king of Israel (Chapter 1)
• Solomon is preparing to build a temple in Jerusalem (Chapters 2-5)
• Solomon’s prayer and dedication of the temple (Chapter 6) 
• God fills the temple with His glory (chapter 7:1-11)

The immediate context

• God appears to Solomon (7:12a)
• God attends the prayer (7:12b)
• God accepts the temple (7:12c)
• God will honor the prayer (7:13-16)

Who and What

• God is speaking to Solomon. 
• My people are the Jews.
• This place is the temple. 
• The land is Israel.

Can America claim this promise? Not exactly; perhaps as a general principle that God responds favorably when a people turns to God and humbles themselves.

We learn that God is merciful and gracious. He desires to commune with His people. God's prescription for Israel to humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from wickedness are repeated principles for Christians in the New Testament.

"I think" or "I feel"

Another follow-up to what I've written on "offenses": Offense Welcome: Please Debate This Article

“When 'I feel' began to overtake 'I think' in my classroom, I took a closer look at disagreeing well.”

“I’ve noticed that when you’re discussing things, you rarely preface your opinions with 'I think' or 'I believe.' Do you know what you say?”

The pain passes, but the beauty remains

Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) was a French impressionist painter who helped launch the art movement called "Impressionism". In the 1890's Renoir began a battle with rheumatoid arthritis, which eventually disfigured his hands and damaged his joints. He was confined to a wheelchair for much of the later years of his life. However, he continued to paint. 

One day while watching Renoir paint, Henri Matisse (1869–1954), a friend and also an artist, asked him, "Auguste, why do you continue to paint when you are in such pain?" 

Renoir replied, "The pain passes, but the beauty remains." 

Whatever one thinks of Renoir the man or his paintings, one must certainly admire his attitude. He had learned a lesson many seem to not learn. "The pain passes, but the beauty remains." 

Renoir is also reported as saying, "For me, a painting must be a pleasant thing, joyous and pretty — yes, pretty. There are too many unpleasant things in life for us to fabricate still more."

Errata for Songs Before Unknown

Errata for Songs Before Unknown:a Companion to The Sacred Harp, Revised Cooper Edition, 2012

• Page 40, Tenth Edition: Change "This book is printed sometime after 1927..." to "This book is printed sometime after 1936..." (B. P. Poyner and the Faust brothers still owned the book in 1936.)
• Page 68, Add "by George Horne of Norwich, England" to "the text is from The Christian’s Magazine, 1760."
• Page 79, Leonard C. Everett: Add "L. C. Everett is probably the son of Nathan Everett and Sarah Holden."
• Page 86, Add "Steven Helwig passed away Sunday, January 21, 2018 in Gridley, Butte County, California."
• Page 94: Add "Elder Johnny Lee died November 1, 2016 and Delorese Lee died February 12, 2017. They are buried at the High Bluff Cemetery, Hoboken, Brantley County, Georgia."
• Page 98, in R. C. Lowry bio: change "Printed versions of this tune may possibly exist to the mid-1800s, or it may have only existed previously in oral tradition" to "The melody of Farther On is at least as early as Orestes by Leander Thompson in The Devotional Harmonist, Charles Dingley, New York, NY: George Lane and Levi Scott, 1849, p. 343. It may have existed previously in oral tradition." (Thanks to Erin Fulton.)
• Page 138, in E. F. Williams bio: change "W. L. Williams (q.v.)" to "W. L. Williams (q.v., pp. 250-251)"
• Page 143, Gathering Home (33): TEXT: replace "Isaac Watts, 1709, stanza 1..." with "Isaac Watts, 1707, stanza 1..."
• Page 144, Sessions (38a): Add a footnote: "Text altered by Rippon from “The Hardy Soldier” by Isaac Watts, which was written circa 1695."
• Page 144, Lenox (40); TEXT: replace "Charles Wesley, 1750" with "Hymns for New-Year’s-Day, Bristol: 1749." Add a footnote "Attributed to Selina Hastings in the 18th century." (Thanks to Gerald Montagna)
• Page 148 Saints Bound for Heaven (60); TEXT: consider replacing "Elliott’s The Sacred Lyre, 1828" with "Social and Camp-meeting Songs, for the Pious (9th edition), Armstrong and Plaskitt, 1827." (Thanks to Wade Kotter)
• Page 150, Show Pity, Lord (73a); TEXT: replace "Isaac Watts, 1707" with "Isaac Watts, 1719."
• Page 162 Morality (136); TEXT: replace "Hannah More, 1803" with "Hannah More, circa 1762; “Florella’s Song” in A Search After Happiness (alt.)."
• Page 162, Liberty (137); TEXT: Replace "Unknown" with "“Anthem for the Fourth of July” (Stanza 2), author unknown, printed in The Weekly Museum (New York, NY), Vol. VIII, No. 373, July 4, 1795, p. 4." (Thanks to Rachel Hall)
• Page 163 Complainer (141); TEXT: replace "Southern Harmony, 1835" with "John Purify’s A Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs in Two Parts, 1831 (maybe 1826)." (Thanks to Wade Kotter)
• Page 168 Star in the East (175); TEXT: replace "Reginald Heber, 1811" with "Anonymous, The Brick Church Hymns, New York: 1823." (Thanks to Gaylon Powell)
• Page 169, The Gospel Invitation (181): Change "Charles Wesley, 1747, with added chorus text that appears as stanza one of Room For All in Songs of the Pentecost, 1894; words credited to L. B. Bates" to "Anonymous from The Psalmist, Stowe and Smith, 1844, Hymn No. 418 (Though incorrectly credited there to Huntingdon’s Collection)" [This hymn, titled "Yet there is room," only shares the first line with Wesley’s 1747 hymn.]
• Page 176, The Christian’s Song (240): Change text attribution to "Love Triumphant, or Constancy Rewarded, Troy, NY: Luther Pratt and Co., 1797" with the footnote that Love Triumphant is generally attributed to Abner Read, though not in the book itself. (Thanks to Gerald Montagna); Add to tune attribution "Alto by Minnie Floyd, 1902"
• Page 178, Restoration New (265a): After "Rippon’s A Selection, 1787," in text attribution, Add "Altered from Sacred Hymns for the Children of God, in the Days of Their Pilgrimage, Part II, John Cennick, London: Printed by John Lewis, 1742; The first stanza of Hymn CXIV on p. 157" (Thanks to Wade Kotter)
• Page 179, Restoration (268a): Change "Alto from The Sacred Harp, 4th Edition with Supplement, J. L. White, 1911" to "Alto arranged from The Sacred Harp, 5th Edition, J. L. White, 1909 (possibly by Rev. A. B. Carrell)"
• Page 181, Cross for You and Me (279): Change "Thomas Shepherd, 1693" to "Stanza 1: Thomas Shepherd (alt.) 1693; Stanza 2: Plymouth Collection of Hymns and Tunes, Henry Ward Beecher, 1855)"
• Page 191, Jesus is My Friend (345a): Change tune attribution from "Arranged by J. P. Rees for 1860 Sacred Harp" to "Arranged by J. P. Rees for 1870 Sacred Harp"
• Page 201, The Finest Flower (411): Change "Joseph Swain, 1834" to "Joseph Swain, 1792 (alt.)" [Note: This appeared in Swain’s 1792 book Walworth Hymns]
• Page 201, The Loved Ones (413): Change "11s.8s." to "11s.8s.D." To clarify text, add "Margaret Courtney, by 1844; Printed in The Poetical Works of Margaret Courtney, 1850"
• Page 213, Behold A Sinner (479): Change "John Dobell’s Selection, 1810…" to "John Dobell in his Selection, 1810..." [Note: In his book, Dobell credits himself for the 3 stanzas of this hymn, in the place he normally lists the author.]
• Page 216, Peterborough (504a): Change "Ralph Harrison, 1786" to "The Musical Instructor, Lewis Seymour and Thaddeus Seymour, New York, NY: Printed by John C. Totten, 1803" (Thanks to Chris Brown and Karen Willard)
• Page 216, North Jersey (504b): Change "The Christian’s Magazine, 1760" to "George Horne, The Christian’s Magazine, 1760." (Thanks to Aldo Ceresa and Gaylon Powell)
• Page 220, Heavenly Grace (527): TEXT Change "A Choice Collection, Occum, 1774" to "James Maxwell, 1759" [This is in Maxwell’s, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, in Three Books] (Thanks to Chris Brown.) TUNE Change "Thomas Willard Loftin, 1911/1927" to "Thomas Willard Loftin, 1909/1927"
• Page 223, Gone Home (550): Change "W. T. Dale, circa 1886" to "W. T. Dale, 1884; first published in The Gospel Shower, 1885" (Thanks to Erin Fulton)
• Page 227, Savannah (583): Change "William Billings, 1778" to "Arranged from a tune by William Billings, 1778" (Thanks to Ron Trial and others)
• Page 306, Footnote 156: Add "J. L. White's 5th edition, 2 years...(combined 106 years)"
• Page 311, Footnote 207: Add "This song appeared in J. L. White’s 1909 Fifth Edition of The Sacred Harp, page 214 (new section)."

Deliverance

O God of earth and altar,
Bow down and hear our cry;
Our earthly rulers falter,
Our people drift and die;
The walls of gold entomb us,
The swords of scorn divide;
Take not thy thunder from us,
But take away our pride.
From all that terror teaches,
From lies of tongue and pen,
From all the easy speeches
That comfort cruel men,
From sale and profanation
Of honour and the sword,
From sleep and from damnation,
Deliver us, good Lord!

-- G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

Quotes from The Easy Instructor

Quotes from The Easy Instructor: or, a New Method of Teaching Sacred Harmony, William Little and William Smith, Albany, NY: Websters & Skinners and Daniel Steele, n.d. (copyrighted in 1798, but apparently not published until 1801)

• "...We know of no objection to this plan, unless that it is not in use..."
• "...so easy...that any person of a tolerable voice might actually learn the art of psalmody without an instructor, if they could but obtain the sounds of the eight notes..."
• "We have, therefore, the pleasure to inform the public, that since subscriptions have been in circulation, for this book, we have been honored with upwards of three thousand subscribers: In consequence of which, we flatter ourselves, that this book will meet with a kind reception."
• "Above all things affectation should be guarded against-for whilst it is contrary to that humility which ever ought to characterise the devout worshipper, it must be an enemy to the natural ease which always distinguishes the judicious performance."
• "Those who have but indifferent voices, will find great benefit, if after faithfully trying an easy tune themselves, they can get a good singer to sing with them..."
• "Beating of time should be attended too before any attempt to founding the notes is made. Counting and beating frequently while learning the rules, will be of great service. A large motion of the hand is best at first, but as soon as the learner can beat with accuracy, a small motion is sufficient."
• "Divine song is undoubtedly the language of nature."
• "Joy is the natural effect of praise, and song the proper accompaniment of joy."

How many shootings, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• ACLU enters Michigan child custody case involving same-sex parents -- "If this were a man and a woman, the decision would be easy. The biological parent has absolute control if the couple did not marry."
• Austin City Council approves gender-neutral bathrooms -- "Basically what this means is that men and women will be able to use any public bathroom they want, as long as it’s a single stall."
• How many mass shooting are there, really? -- Last week Washington Post reported there had been 355 mass shootings this year. Mother Jones's database says there have been four this year.
• I’m anti-abortion because I’m anti-murder -- "And I posted a few things on my Facebook page about the hypocrisy of the pro-choice movement that talks a good talk about the “war on women” but has no concern for the unborn women who are systematically aborted every day."
• Moms Share Their Most Common Breastfeeding Problems -- "Breastfeeding is the most natural way to feed a baby, but it doesn’t always feel that way. At some point, most nursing moms experience challenges..."
• New Study Finds That Office Air Is Slowing Your Brain Function -- "...carbon dioxide levels in offices, though not deadly, are still harmful to your health and negatively affect cognitive function."
• On ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ After the San Bernardino Shooting -- "Prayer—and lament—is the proper first response to tragedy."
• Viking hoard found in field sheds light on England's origins -- "A trove of Viking jewelry and Saxon coins unearthed by an amateur treasure-hunter in a farmer's field may help rescue an English king from obscurity."
• We’ve had a massive decline in gun violence in the United States. Here’s why. -- "In general, though, fewer Americans are dying as a result of gun violence — a shift that began about two decades ago."
• What we lose when we "prayer-shame" politicians after a mass shooting -- "I’ve been exasperated by the way politicians have used prayer, too."

I'm not offended...

..., but would you care if I were?

Yesterday I stopped by a coffee shop situated in the liberal capital of a conservative state, only to be completely confused when I went to the toilet -- labeled "gender-neutral". Now, I'm aware that there are bathroom discussions and debates raging around the country. Also, I grew up in a "gender-diverse" (not neutral) home with only one bathroom. So I understand the concept of a bathroom not being for just one gender. Plus, there are plenty of businesses that only have one bathroom (caveat usor). So I'm not unaware of this business about doing your business. But...

First, the gender-neutral bathroom struck me as a bathroom that is for people who are gender-neutral (as in a bathroom labeled "men" is for men,a bathroom labeled "women" is for women and a bathroom labeled "gender-neutral" is for gender-neutral). I'm not neutral about my gender, so I wasn't sure whether I was welcome. Second, the "gender-neutral" label that they had was confusing, if not a little disconcerting. Does having a half-man/half-woman symbol really give us the information that this bathroom is welcoming for all who apply? Third, there was a "Monty Hall problem". There were TWO doors labeled "gender-neutral". I felt like I was on "Let's Make a Deal". Do I choose door # 1 or door # 2? Is the left bathroom for gender-neutral liberals and the right one for gender-neutral conservatives? "Is there no help for the widow's son?" Finally fate took its course. Door # 1 was locked, so I chose door # 2 (and locked it).

In my opinion, the "gender-neutral" label is political correctness run amok. Why not just call it a toilet and leave it at that? Sam Killermann (doubtless with much sarcasm) suggested there should simply be a commode icon on the door. Makes sense to me! Have a look: 

Seriously, "gender-neutral" may mean different things to different people.* A toilet symbol probably makes people expect to see a toilet behind "door # 1"! Let all single service bathrooms be "first come, first serve". But don't try to make us swallow your political and philosophical agenda as well. 

*For example "relating to, intended for, or common to any gender" is radically different from "noting or relating to a person of neutral gender, neither male nor female."

Christian Harmony 1873, and other music links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• A New Selection of Sacred Music -- Samuel Dyer, 1820
• Archaeologists unearth oldest musical instruments ever found -- I don't endorse the timeline and some of the other mumbo jumbo, but this is an interesting find, nevertheless.
• Christian Harmony 1873 -- Information about William Walker's Christian Harmony
• Deaf singer 'hears' music with help from 'Not Impossible' tech-hackers -- "I look at the world and look for things that we think are impossible."
• Music Director at WJCU Breaks with National Association of Broadcasters in Letter to Congress Supporting Artist Pay for Radio Play -- "The United States is the only democracy in the world that does not pay recording artists for radio airplay."
• Science Has Great News for People Who Can’t Sing -- "It’s a skill that can be taught and developed, and much of it has to do with using the voice regularly."
• The one-hit wonder of ‘Wareham’ – William Knapp -- "William Knapp would be forgotten today if he had not composed one of the world’s most singable melodies, the hymn tune Wareham."

A famous Lewis quote

C. S. Lewis: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

With whom did Jesus eat?

Several weeks ago at church meeting we were talking about Jesus being the friend of sinners, and that He ate with “publicans and sinners”. I commented that He also ate with Pharisees, and I could see lights going on in some of the heads – they had not thought of that angle before. We must be careful, lest we be like radio teacher Steve Brown, who acknowledged, “One of my great sins in being Pharisaical about Pharisees!”

To remember only that Jesus ate with publicans and sinners is to miss an historical and theological truth of the Bible. With whom did Jesus eat? Jesus ate with publicans and sinners. He ate with Pharisees. He ate with His disciples. He even ate with (and fed) a mixed multitude of people who had gathered to see and hear Him. Jake Grogan says cutely that Jesus ate with sinners, snobs and saints. That’s a pretty good way to remember it – as long as we remember that both the snobs and saints are sinners also!

More has been written on the subject of Jesus's eating habits than one might suppose. Jeremy Sweets provides a nice brief chart of Meals in Luke’s Gospel. One author titled his book Eating Your Way Through Luke’s Gospel. Others have gone so far to say that "Jesus ate his way through [all four of] the gospels.

Let's notice a few with whom Jesus ate (and drank).

He ate with Pharisees.
Simon: Luke 7:37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment
A chief (unnamed) Pharisee: Luke 14:1 And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. (check Luke 11:45 and 12:1).

He ate with “publicans and sinners”.
Levi (Matthew): Luke 5:29-30 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
Zaccheus: Luke 19:2,5,7 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich...And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house...And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

He ate with His disciples.
In the fields: Luke 6:1 And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
The Passover supper: Luke 22:11 And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
Cleopas and another disciple: Luke 24:30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.

He ate with a (mixed) multitude.
Feeding over 5000: Luke 9:13-17 But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people. For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company. And they did so, and made them all sit down. Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.

Some other Lucan references to eating:
Luke 11:37 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.
Luke 14:15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
Luke 15:2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

If Jesus’s eating habits were important enough for God to inspire them into the eternal record, they must be important enough that we are supposed from learn from them. Well, what should we learn?

Let’s notice a few possibilities.

Jesus didn’t eat “at the devil’s table.”
Luke 4:2-4 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. After Jesus had fasted forty days in the wilderness and was hungry, the devil appeared with an “offer of bread” – particularly that Jesus satisfy his hunger by turning stones into bread. Rather than eat according to the devil’s direction, we learn from Jesus the wonderful truth of the priority of God’s word and God’s will over the physical and circumstantial. Situations such as sitting down at supper with an unbelieving neighbor are not “eating at the devil’s table,” but we need to learn what is and when to avoid it (Cf. 1 Corinthians 10:21).

Jesus is a friend of sinners.
Luke 7:34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! Though Jesus didn’t eat “at the devil’s table,” he is “a friend of sinners.” Since Jesus is a friend of sinners, we ought to learn from that to be welcoming to those who “aren’t like us”. Jesus sat down with both some immoral sinners and intolerant scribes – those who likely aren’t our first choices for “communitas.” In Jesus ate his way through the gospels, Mark Glanville writes, “We learn from Jesus fellowship meals that our tables should be places of radical welcome, especially for those who feel lonely and on the outside. This is the shape of the Kingdom of God!” What shape does your table take?

Jesus used meals as occasions of instruction.
Throughout the gospels, Jesus’s meals (and examples of food and drink) serve as occasions for teaching. For examples: after his fasting, at his temptation of Jesus teaches about the true bread (Luke 4:1-4); when his disciples pluck grain on the Sabbath, Jesus teaches his Lordship over the Sabbath (Luke 6:1-5); when sending the seventy, he teaches the laborer is worthy of his hire, and to eat what is set before them (Luke 10:1-9); with a story of three loaves, he teaches the importance of importunate prayer (Luke 11:1-13); with the example of feasting in the parable of the prodigal son and his elder brother, he teaches the joy over one sinner that repents (Luke 15:11-32); in the story of the rich man and Lazarus, he shows that faring sumptuously and begging bread are not indicators of one’s spiritual condition (Luke 16:19-31). Some mistake Jesus’s actions as an example to use meals as a pretense to evangelism, while caring little or nothing for the person or persons with whom he ate. Such is far from our Lord’s actions. Jesus did not feign feasting to cover a bare evangelistic outreach. For example, in the Gospel of Luke chapter 11:37ff. Jesus accepted an invitation of a Pharisee and spent much of his time upbraiding the Pharisees and lawyers. Jesus’s overall sharing of meals was ostensibly incidental while yet exquisitely determinate.

Jesus used meals as occasions of fellowship.
Luke 10:38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. All meals are a form of fellowship, but meals with his disciples were a family fellowship. There are times to withdraw from the world for the singular casual and peaceful fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ – when we gather together around the word of God, around his praises, around his Spirit, and, yes, around his table.

Conclusion
Jesus did not overlook, whitewash, or excuse sin, but He did not kowtow to either the culture or the religion of the day. He conversed with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:27). Jesus forgave an immoral woman who washed His feet (Luke 7:47-50). He healed a Syrophenician woman’s daughter (Mark 7:26-30). He touched the untouchable (Luke 5:13). He entered the tax gatherer Zacchaeus’s house (Luke 19:5). But, in including these “outcasts,” Jesus did not cast out the “included.” He conversed with the Pharisee teacher Nicodemus who came to Him by night (John 3:1ff) and went to eat at Simon the Pharisee’s house (Luke 7:36). He pitied the importunate young rich ruler (Mark 10:17-22), healed the daughter of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue (Mark 5:22-42) and wept over Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37). There was room in Jesus’s love for all who came to Him (There’s room in God’s eternal love to save thy precious soul; Room in the Spirit’s grace above, to heal and make thee whole. Anon.)

Jesus defied the social and religious establishment. This was not defiance for the sake of defiance, but the defiance of obedience – the obedience to God rather than men, the exaltation of truth above tradition, the being about his Father’s business rather than just being. He ate with saints and sinners, Pharisees and publicans, according to the purpose of his coming, as well as the purpose of eating. Jesus is better than any of us have imagined. He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). He feeds the hungry and sits down at the table of the undeserving. He invites himself and accepts invitations. Perhaps one day you may hear “...make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.”

Jesus Fell Asleep, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Jesus Fell Asleep -- "He didn't deliver me from my trial because the trial itself was my path."
• Mitch Landrieu: Bunny Friend Park shooting 'domestic terrorism' -- "10 of 17 injured under 21 years old"
• Paris Slowly Coming to Terms With a New Vulnerability -- "Paris is only slowly coming to terms with the idea that this assault by Islamic State supporters, many of them French-born, is unlikely to be the last."
• Pastor marries teenage bride with wife’s blessing -- "And while Miller’s ladies are both on board with their love triangle, his church in Mansfield, Ohio, isn’t."
• People Who Use Standing Desks Sit More at Home, Study Finds -- "Standing desk evangelists, you may want to sit down for this."
• Oldest U.S. Graduate Seminary to Close Campus -- "America’s oldest graduate seminary is once again blazing a trail for other mainline Protestant institutions to follow. "
• Religious groups’ policies on transgender members vary widely -- "Many other churches...do not have statements that explicitly address the status of transgender people, although many of these groups condemn homosexuality."
• The Washington Post will allow singular ‘they’ -- "The Washington Post’s ruling is the latest salvo in a style dispute that has seen skirmishes between journalism greybeards on both sides."
• When Calling Someone A Heretic... -- "All heresies are errors, but not all errors are heresies."