Christ's Passion.
FIRST PART. L.M.
1. Come, all ye chosen saints of God,
That long to feel the cleansing blood,
In pensive pleasure join with me,
To sing of sad Gethsemane.
2. Gethsemane the olive press!
(And why so called, let Christians guess)
Fit name! fit place! where vengeance strove,
And gripped and grappled hard with love.
3. 'Twas here the Lord of life appeared,
And sighed, and groaned, and prayed and feared;
Bore all incarnate God could bear,
With strength enough, and none to spare.
4. The powers of hell united pressed,
And squeezed his heart, and bruised his breast;
What dreadful conflicts raged within,
When sweat and blood forced through the skin!
5. Dispatched from heaven an angel stood,
Amazed to find him bathed in blood;
Adored by angels, and obeyed;
But lower now than angels made.
6 He stood to strengthen, not to fight;
Justice exacts its utmost mite.
This victim vengeance will pursue;
He undertook, and must go through.
7. Three favored servants, left not far,
Were bid to wait and watch the war;
But Christ withdrawn, what watch we keep!
To shun the sight, they sunk in sleep.
8. Backwards and forwards thrice he ran,
As if he sought some help from man;
Or wished, at least, they would condole
('Twas all they could) his tortured soul.
9. Whate'er he sought for, there was none;
Our Captain fought the field alone;
Soon as the chief to battle led,
That moment every soldier fled.
10. Mysterious conflict! Dark disguise!
Hid from all creature's piercing eyes;
Angels, astonished, viewed the scene,
And wonder yet what all could mean.
11. O Mount of Olives! sacred grove!
O garden, scene of tragic love!
What bitter herbs thy beds produce!
How rank their scent! How harsh their juice!
12. Rare virtues now those herbs contain;
The Savior sucked out all their bane;
My mouth with these if conscience cram,
I'll eat them with the paschal Lamb.
13. O Kedron, gloomy brook, how foul
Thy black polluted waters roll!
No tongue can tell (but some can taste)
The filth that into thee was cast.
14. In Eden's garden there was food
Of every kind for man, while good;
But banished thence, we fly to thee,
O Garden of Gethsemane.
SECOND PART. L.M.
1. And why, dear Saviour, tell me why,
Thou thus would'st suffer, bleed and die?
What mighty motives could thee move?
The motive's plain, 'twas all for love.
2. For love of whom? Of sinners base,
A hardened herd, a rebel race;
That mocked and trampled on thy blood,
And wantoned with the wounds of God.
3. When rocks and mountains rent with dread,
And gaping graves gave up their dead;
When the fair sun withdrew his light,
And hid his head to shun the sight.
4. Then stood the wretch of human race,
And raised his head and showed his face,
Gazed unconcerned when nature failed;
And scoffed, and sneered, and cursed and railed.
5. Harder than rocks and mountains are,
More dull than dirt and earth by far,
Man viewed unmoved thy blood's rich stream,
Nor ever dreamed it flowed for him.
6. Such was that race of sinful men,
That gained that great salvation then;
Such, and such only, still we see;
Such they were all, and such are we.
7. The Jews with thorns his temples crowned,
And lashed him when his hands were bound;
But thorns, and knotted whips, and bands,
By us were furnished to their hands.
8. They nailed him to the accursed tree;
(They did, my brethren, so did we);
The soldier pierced his side, 'tis true,
But we have pierced him through and through.
9. Oh love of unexampled kind!
That leaves all thought so far behind,
Where length, and breadth, and depth, and height;
Are lost to my astonished sight.
10. For love of me the Son of God
Drained every drop of vital blood;
Long time I after idols ran,
But now my God's a martyred Man.
The Christian's Duty, exhibited in a series of hymns, 1791
Joseph Hart (Posted as found in A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship by William Gadsby, Hymn # 153)
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Encouragement to pray
And if you meet with troubles
And trials on the way,
Then cast your care on Jesus,
And don’t forget to pray.*
God the Father. Matthew 6:9; John 1:12; Jeremiah 33:3
Who He is. He is not only the Creator and Ruler of the universe, He is our Father. He is not a distant deity. We are in a relationship with Him.
What He does. He invites us to pray and promises to answer.
God the Son. Hebrews 4:14-16; Romans 8:34
Who He is. He is the Son of God, and He is our great High Priest. He is a priest made like unto sinful man, but has no sin. He knows and He feels our infirmities.
What He does. He intercedes for us. His standing as a substitutionary offering and a compassionate High Priest motivates us to come boldly to the throne of grace.
God the Spirit. John 14:26; Romans 8:26
Who He is. He is our Comforter, our Teacher, our Guide.
What He does. He teaches us to pray, and intercedes for us when we know not how to pray as we ought.
Jesu, my Savior, Brother, Friend,
On Whom I cast my every care,
On Whom for all things I depend,
Inspire, and then accept, my prayer.**
Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us
* Excerpt from John Leland, 1793, in "Heavenly Armour," No. 129 in The Sacred Harp, 1844
** Excerpt from a 7-stanza hymn by Charles Wesley (1707-1788) in Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1742
And trials on the way,
Then cast your care on Jesus,
And don’t forget to pray.*
God the Father. Matthew 6:9; John 1:12; Jeremiah 33:3
Who He is. He is not only the Creator and Ruler of the universe, He is our Father. He is not a distant deity. We are in a relationship with Him.
What He does. He invites us to pray and promises to answer.
God the Son. Hebrews 4:14-16; Romans 8:34
Who He is. He is the Son of God, and He is our great High Priest. He is a priest made like unto sinful man, but has no sin. He knows and He feels our infirmities.
What He does. He intercedes for us. His standing as a substitutionary offering and a compassionate High Priest motivates us to come boldly to the throne of grace.
God the Spirit. John 14:26; Romans 8:26
Who He is. He is our Comforter, our Teacher, our Guide.
What He does. He teaches us to pray, and intercedes for us when we know not how to pray as we ought.
Jesu, my Savior, Brother, Friend,
On Whom I cast my every care,
On Whom for all things I depend,
Inspire, and then accept, my prayer.**
Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us
* Excerpt from John Leland, 1793, in "Heavenly Armour," No. 129 in The Sacred Harp, 1844
** Excerpt from a 7-stanza hymn by Charles Wesley (1707-1788) in Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1742
Friday, October 24, 2014
Calvin Coolidge, and other quotes
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence." -- Calvin Coolidge
"From the Cross flows an abundance of grace. From the Christian should flow an abundance of compassion." -- D. L. Payton
“Unresolved anger is like drinking poison expecting the other person to get sick.” -- Gary Smalley
“Everything in time, everything in eternity, in this world and in the world to come, are all on your side, who are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.” -- J. C. Philpot
“If you are separated from the world by being brought into the wilderness; if you are passing through trials and afflictions; if you are exercised with a variety of temptations, and are brought into that spot where the creature yields neither help nor hope...it is painful; but it is profitable, because by it we learn to look to the Lord and the Lord alone.” -- J. C. Philpot
"Bible study is not just learning, it's living." -- copied
"From the Cross flows an abundance of grace. From the Christian should flow an abundance of compassion." -- D. L. Payton
“Unresolved anger is like drinking poison expecting the other person to get sick.” -- Gary Smalley
“Everything in time, everything in eternity, in this world and in the world to come, are all on your side, who are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.” -- J. C. Philpot
“If you are separated from the world by being brought into the wilderness; if you are passing through trials and afflictions; if you are exercised with a variety of temptations, and are brought into that spot where the creature yields neither help nor hope...it is painful; but it is profitable, because by it we learn to look to the Lord and the Lord alone.” -- J. C. Philpot
"Bible study is not just learning, it's living." -- copied
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Philosophy Matters, 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.
* 4 Ways Theology Is Practical for Everyday Life -- "If we can’t explain why theology matters, we have a problem."
* Confederate officer's wartime diary decoded -- "The just-cracked code...was to protect gossip from the front lines."
* Debating God: Notes on an Unanswered Question -- "What was the point of talking to a bunch of philosophers about religious belief?"
* How many soldiers were involved in the American Civil War? -- "In a country that contained approximately 31 million persons during the time of the war, over 3 million were enlisted as soldiers. Of that three million plus, about 2.1 million fought for the Union while approximately 1 million fought for the Confederacy...More Americans died in the Civil War than in all other conflicts combined."
* The Affect of Sherman's Actions in Georgia on Andersonville Prison -- "Andersonville Prison commandant Captain Henry Wirtz was arrested and charged with war crimes...He was the only man executed for crimes during the Civil War."
* The Eva Braun story: Behind every evil man... -- "The Eva Braun who has until now only made sporadic and brief biographical appearances comes across as someone whose most remarkable quality was her emptiness..."
* Why Philosophy Matters for Christians -- "...philosophy matters for Christians because many of the debates are about the 'big questions' of human existence."
* 4 Ways Theology Is Practical for Everyday Life -- "If we can’t explain why theology matters, we have a problem."
* Confederate officer's wartime diary decoded -- "The just-cracked code...was to protect gossip from the front lines."
* Debating God: Notes on an Unanswered Question -- "What was the point of talking to a bunch of philosophers about religious belief?"
* How many soldiers were involved in the American Civil War? -- "In a country that contained approximately 31 million persons during the time of the war, over 3 million were enlisted as soldiers. Of that three million plus, about 2.1 million fought for the Union while approximately 1 million fought for the Confederacy...More Americans died in the Civil War than in all other conflicts combined."
* The Affect of Sherman's Actions in Georgia on Andersonville Prison -- "Andersonville Prison commandant Captain Henry Wirtz was arrested and charged with war crimes...He was the only man executed for crimes during the Civil War."
* The Eva Braun story: Behind every evil man... -- "The Eva Braun who has until now only made sporadic and brief biographical appearances comes across as someone whose most remarkable quality was her emptiness..."
* Why Philosophy Matters for Christians -- "...philosophy matters for Christians because many of the debates are about the 'big questions' of human existence."
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Wendy Davis for governor...
...not!
Time is running out on the Texas gubernatorial race, and apparently Wendy Davis is getting desperate. One of the first signs of desperation was attacking the guy in a wheelchair. Republican candidate Greg Abbott has long been confined to a wheelchair since an accident left him partially paralyzed. If a broad sense, if Davis attacks Abbott she is attacking a guy in a wheelchair. But that aside, she decided to go directly after the wheelchair. Who is her campaign manager, and is he or she still employed? Actually there was a legitimate concern in the ad that opens with the shot of an empty wheelchair and complaining about Abbott. But, really, who thought this approach would fly with the public?
The legitimate concern is the possible hypocrisy of Abbott -- he sued after his accident and won, but may have fought to deny the same kind of justice to other accident victims. I believe that is a fair question for Abbott to answer. But the ads by Davis simply don't sell to the Texas public.
Now perhaps Davis is in dire straits. Recently she has implied that Greg Abbott opposes interracial marriage -- despite the fact he is married to a Latina. Not enough, another article shows that Wendy Davis hyperventilates, attacks Greg Abbott over dildos.
That writer concludes that “Wendy Davis, the Texas Democrat known as 'abortion Barbie,' never learned the first rule about holes. Digging them, that is...”
[Note: This post should not be considered an endorsement of Greg Abbott, but an anti-endorsement of Davis.]
Time is running out on the Texas gubernatorial race, and apparently Wendy Davis is getting desperate. One of the first signs of desperation was attacking the guy in a wheelchair. Republican candidate Greg Abbott has long been confined to a wheelchair since an accident left him partially paralyzed. If a broad sense, if Davis attacks Abbott she is attacking a guy in a wheelchair. But that aside, she decided to go directly after the wheelchair. Who is her campaign manager, and is he or she still employed? Actually there was a legitimate concern in the ad that opens with the shot of an empty wheelchair and complaining about Abbott. But, really, who thought this approach would fly with the public?
The legitimate concern is the possible hypocrisy of Abbott -- he sued after his accident and won, but may have fought to deny the same kind of justice to other accident victims. I believe that is a fair question for Abbott to answer. But the ads by Davis simply don't sell to the Texas public.
Now perhaps Davis is in dire straits. Recently she has implied that Greg Abbott opposes interracial marriage -- despite the fact he is married to a Latina. Not enough, another article shows that Wendy Davis hyperventilates, attacks Greg Abbott over dildos.
That writer concludes that “Wendy Davis, the Texas Democrat known as 'abortion Barbie,' never learned the first rule about holes. Digging them, that is...”
[Note: This post should not be considered an endorsement of Greg Abbott, but an anti-endorsement of Davis.]
Can the Hitching Post deny homosexual marriages?
Advocates of same-sex marriage have long said that they want the right to marry, but aren't interested in forcing religious officials to consecrate those marriages in violation of their own religious beliefs. Apparently some same-sex couple in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, does think this way.
This month the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals invalidated Idaho's ban on same-sex marriage. This apparently makes gay marriage legal in the state (at least barring the Supreme Court ever weighing in on the issue) and changed some of the outlook of city anti-discrimination ordinances. Friday, October 17th the Hitching Post Wedding Chapel was contacted by a man wanting a same-sex wedding. The chapel turned him down. This put Donald and Evelyn Knapp, who own and operate the wedding chapel, in violation of a 2013 Coeur d'Alene discrimination ordinance. "Violation of the ordinance is a misdemeanor punishable by fines and jail time." (Up to 180 days in jail and $1,000 per day in fines, and the ADF claims "each day the Knapps decline to perform a requested same-sex wedding ceremony, they commit a separate and distinct misdemeanor, subject to the same penalties.") When it was passed, opponents of the ordinance said, for example, that the rule would "discriminate against those with religious beliefs, especially in the business world, by forcing them to go against their conscience for the benefit of a select few."
In 2013 Coeur d'Alene passed an ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. This includes housing, employment and "public accommodation". The city's position seems to be that since the Hitching Post is a for-profit business, this is a matter of "public accommodation" and they will be required to perform homosexual weddings. The Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Knapps. Attorney Jeremy Tedesco contends that “The city is on seriously flawed legal ground, and our lawsuit intends to ensure that this couple’s freedom to adhere to their own faith as pastors is protected just as the First Amendment intended.” He asserted, “The government should not force ordained ministers to act contrary to their faith under threat of jail time and criminal fines.” According to ADF, punishing ministers under this ordinance violates both the US Constitution and Idaho's Free Exercise of Religion Protected Act.
Backers of the Knapps call the Hitching Post Wedding Chapel a "ministry" and point out that they are ministers of the gospel (though not pastors). Online sources state that the Knapps are ordained by the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, a Pentecostal denomination. Opponents contend that this is not a freedom of religion issue because Churches are not being forced to perform same-sex weddings, and that this is a for-profit business.
The lawsuit is a preemptive attack by ADF to prevent the city from enforcing the ordinance re the Knapps (i.e., they have not yet been fined or jailed). To me it seems pretty clear that the Knapps are ordained ministers and that they run a for-profit business -- that is, the purpose of the Hitching Post is to conduct wedding ceremonies for paying customers. I can't confirm that last part for sure. It seems that the excitement caused by this uproar has brought so much traffic to their website that they have exceeded their band width.
I found it interesting that the HuffPo crowd is spinning this that it not a church that is "being forced to perform same-sex weddings." Technically they are correct, and we should note the other side has their spin too (e.g., referring to the wedding chapel as a ministry rather than a business).* But as a Baptist minister I can say that it is ministers and not churches who perform weddings -- and they often are paid for their service. I don't pretend to know how it works in other denominations, but in my case I alone -- with my conscience -- decide whether or not I will marry someone. If the Knapps, as ministers, become unable to choose whom they will marry -- even if they do it for profit -- how long will it be before other ministers are herded into the same corral?
Don't worry about the "slippery slope," you say, we won't go there. Really? Homosexual marriage has been part of a creeping agenda. With every victory comes a new iteration as the movement takes courage and remakes itself. First it was civil unions. We just want the same legal advantages as marriage, it doesn't matter what you call it. I said then that the passing of civil unions would prove that will not satisfy. Now having legal homosexual marriage does not satisfy (some, at least). We don't just want those who want to perform such marriages to perform them, we want those who don't want to perform them to perform them as well. At least that's what this Coeur d'Alene Hitching Post casesays to me. I'm not sure why it shouldn't?
Don't worry about the "slippery slope," you say, we won't go there. Really? Homosexual marriage has been part of a creeping agenda. With every victory comes a new iteration as the movement takes courage and remakes itself. First it was civil unions. We just want the same legal advantages as marriage, it doesn't matter what you call it. I said then that the passing of civil unions would prove that will not satisfy. Now having legal homosexual marriage does not satisfy (some, at least). We don't just want those who want to perform such marriages to perform them, we want those who don't want to perform them to perform them as well. At least that's what this Coeur d'Alene Hitching Post casesays to me. I'm not sure why it shouldn't?
Links to news and opinion on Coeur d'Alene and the Hitching Post Wedding Chapel
* I think groups like ADF may over-sensationalize issues such as this in order to "boost their ratings" among their supporters, as well as gain new supporters. (Groups on the other side do this too.)
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
The Man Comes Around
There's a man going around taking names,
And he decides who to free and who to blame.
Everybody won't be treated all the same.
There'll be a golden ladder reaching down
When the Man comes around.
Johnny Cash's The Man Comes Around is an intriguing mix of half talking/half singing that is recognizable to a lot of people -- at least in its opening lines, "There's a man going around taking names, And he decides who to free and who to blame." It has numerous biblical references which leave me wondering exactly what Johnny believed and what he meant. Generally it must speak of the judgement day, but specifically I'm not sure.
What do you think?
And he decides who to free and who to blame.
Everybody won't be treated all the same.
There'll be a golden ladder reaching down
When the Man comes around.
Johnny Cash's The Man Comes Around is an intriguing mix of half talking/half singing that is recognizable to a lot of people -- at least in its opening lines, "There's a man going around taking names, And he decides who to free and who to blame." It has numerous biblical references which leave me wondering exactly what Johnny believed and what he meant. Generally it must speak of the judgement day, but specifically I'm not sure.
What do you think?
Monday, October 20, 2014
Freaky coincidences, 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.
* 6 Ways to Benefit from Reading Genealogies -- "Most Christians inwardly, if not outwardly, groan when they arrive at a genealogy in their Bible reading. This is a shame."
* 14 Freakiest Coincidences Of History -- "Very rarely, we witness or hear about moments that amaze us with how weirdly coincidental they are."
* Catholic Bishop: 'Homosexual Relationships' Destroy 'Identity' of Man and Woman -- "Archbishop Zbigevs Stankevis...said foreigners, including the U.S. government, are trying to impose a pro-gay agenda on Latvia and other East European countries..."
* Pastor who admits to having AIDS and sleeping with parishioners won't step down -- "A pastor in Alabama is refusing to step down after confessing to having AIDS, sleeping with church members without telling them about his HIV infection, taking drugs, and misusing funds."
* Rights group asks for probe into shooting range that refuses to cater to Muslims -- "This is more than enough loss of life on my home soil at the hands of Muslims to substantiate my position that Muslims can and may follow the directives in their Koran and kill here at home."
* Slave photo discovered from Robert E. Lee's home -- "It's extremely rare to have an identified photo of an enslaved person."
* When guys find out I’m a virgin -- "Dating is hard — especially when you're a 26-year-old woman who wants to save sex until marriage."
* Why Are You Tired All The Time? -- "While the benefits of a good night's sleep are well documented, chronic and more ambiguous tiredness afflicts millions of people over 50."
* 6 Ways to Benefit from Reading Genealogies -- "Most Christians inwardly, if not outwardly, groan when they arrive at a genealogy in their Bible reading. This is a shame."
* 14 Freakiest Coincidences Of History -- "Very rarely, we witness or hear about moments that amaze us with how weirdly coincidental they are."
* Catholic Bishop: 'Homosexual Relationships' Destroy 'Identity' of Man and Woman -- "Archbishop Zbigevs Stankevis...said foreigners, including the U.S. government, are trying to impose a pro-gay agenda on Latvia and other East European countries..."
* Pastor who admits to having AIDS and sleeping with parishioners won't step down -- "A pastor in Alabama is refusing to step down after confessing to having AIDS, sleeping with church members without telling them about his HIV infection, taking drugs, and misusing funds."
* Rights group asks for probe into shooting range that refuses to cater to Muslims -- "This is more than enough loss of life on my home soil at the hands of Muslims to substantiate my position that Muslims can and may follow the directives in their Koran and kill here at home."
* Slave photo discovered from Robert E. Lee's home -- "It's extremely rare to have an identified photo of an enslaved person."
* When guys find out I’m a virgin -- "Dating is hard — especially when you're a 26-year-old woman who wants to save sex until marriage."
* Why Are You Tired All The Time? -- "While the benefits of a good night's sleep are well documented, chronic and more ambiguous tiredness afflicts millions of people over 50."
* Why I Want My Range to be a Muslim Free Zone -- "One mistake in judgement on my part could cost innocent people their lives."
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Gone to the country
Local Nacogdoches humorist and lawyer Bob Murphey observed that rural is a relative thing. As best I remember, his story went like this:
Murphey was called upon to repossess a refrigerator. He drove out of town into the country. He pulled up at a bank on the side of the road and then followed a small trail into the woods to find the house. He found a rope to swing across the creek that ran in front of the house, then walked up to the front door. What did he find but a note on the door that said...
"Gone for the weekend. Gone to the country."
Friday, October 17, 2014
Quotes from here and there: wise, witty, weird and wild
“It’s déjà vu all over again.” -- Yogi Berra
"Let us do with any other philosophy what we will, but let us not hesitate to accept all that the Scriptures teach...There are many true things in and out of the Bible beyond our satisfactory explanation. Let faith apprehend even where the finite mind cannot comprehend. " -- B. H. Carroll
"It doesn't take a lot of strength to hold on. It takes a lot of strength to let go." -- J. C. Watts
"Everyone tries to define this thing called Character. It's not hard. Character is doing what's right when nobody's looking." -- J. C. Watts
"Our success has not been as complete as we could desire, but God knows best." -- Robert Edward Lee
"I would rather spend Sunday morning in a saloon than sitting in a church under the preaching of a modern Higher Critic." -- Cyrus I. Scofield
"Sometimes stress is the desire to excel in disguise." -- Kasi Dickerson
"Only shallow people know themselves." -- Oscar Wilde
"A highly intelligent man should always choose a primitive and stupid woman." -- Adolf Hitler
"It would be wrong for me to identify one of my children as my favorite. To pick one as favorite is necessarily to relegate all of the others to secondary status. In the same way, even from my childhood, it has always felt wrong to me to try to pick out a favorite verse of the Bible." -- Bart Barber
"Let us do with any other philosophy what we will, but let us not hesitate to accept all that the Scriptures teach...There are many true things in and out of the Bible beyond our satisfactory explanation. Let faith apprehend even where the finite mind cannot comprehend. " -- B. H. Carroll
"It doesn't take a lot of strength to hold on. It takes a lot of strength to let go." -- J. C. Watts
"Everyone tries to define this thing called Character. It's not hard. Character is doing what's right when nobody's looking." -- J. C. Watts
"Our success has not been as complete as we could desire, but God knows best." -- Robert Edward Lee
"I would rather spend Sunday morning in a saloon than sitting in a church under the preaching of a modern Higher Critic." -- Cyrus I. Scofield
"Sometimes stress is the desire to excel in disguise." -- Kasi Dickerson
"Only shallow people know themselves." -- Oscar Wilde
"A highly intelligent man should always choose a primitive and stupid woman." -- Adolf Hitler
"It would be wrong for me to identify one of my children as my favorite. To pick one as favorite is necessarily to relegate all of the others to secondary status. In the same way, even from my childhood, it has always felt wrong to me to try to pick out a favorite verse of the Bible." -- Bart Barber
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Houston, we have a problem
...and Houston is the problem!
Over the past several days, a Houston, Texas controversy has lit up TV news, newspaper, and especially the internet. At question is the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (or HERO for short), a petition for a referendum to the ordinance, and subpoenas of five (some say four) Houston pastors for records, including the content of their sermons. On May 28, 2014, the Houston City Council passed HERO. The ordinance was go into effect on June 27, 2014. It has not because of legal wranglings over it. Though there are numerous problems with the ordinance, but perhaps the most prominent issue is over bathroom usage by persons with gender identity issues -- prompting the nomer "Bathroom Bill."
A great deal of misinformation has gone out on the internet, including that all pastors (not just the five) have to submit sermons to the city -- even that sermons will be reviewed prior to being preached -- and that the ordinance allows men to go into women’s bathrooms (partially true, but not that simple).
Here's where things seem to be at the moment:
The city passed the "Bathroom Bill", 11 for, 6 against.
A petition was floated to vote to repeal the ordinance, garnering about 3 times as many signatures as needed.
The city secretary certified the petition.
The city attorney and mayor invalidated the petition, claiming too many irregularities (that would be about 33,000 irregularities).
A group of citizens have sued the Mayor, City Secretary and the City of Houston.
Seeking "discovery of evidence" for the lawsuit, the city has subpoenaed records of five Houston ministers.
This subpoena of records from these ministers is what has created the firestorm.
An example of City of Houston subpoena request in Woodfill v. Parker can be found HERE. The purpose of the subpoena is discovery of admissible evidence. In itself, this is a legitimate exercise of subpoena. I’m not a lawyer but here is a simple way I can illustrate it. If a pastor confessed to breaking the law in a sermon (or libeled someone), there would be a legitimate reason to get a transcription or recording of that sermon as evidence. So their might be some legitimate reason within the subpoena. The subpoena posted requires 17 different records (with various subpoints to some of the 17). This goes beyond looking for information, and is at least harassing these people or exacting retribution for daring to fight the mayor and city council on this issue. While it may not be a direct assault on religious liberty, it is what some people call “chilling effect.” The extreme nature of the request -- even asking for -- can produce desired response beating into silence those who wish not to encounter "the long arm of the law." Further, it distracts persons from the regular life and ministry and ties them up with frivolous searches for minutia.
The five ministers from whom the records have been demanded are not parties to the lawsuit against the city. But the city attorney defended the subpoena on the basis of:
* the five were actively involved in leading the fight against the "Bathroom Bill" and launching the petition drive
* they appeared before the city council repeatedly regarding the ordinance and the petition
* the petition was organized at the churches
* the organizing of drives and rallies, as well as signing parties, were held at the churches
It seems now that the mayor and city attorney are backing away from these subpoenas now that they see the enormous push-back that they are getting. A report in Religion News states: “Mayor Parker agrees with those who are concerned about the city legal department’s subpoenas for pastor’s sermons. The subpoenas were issued by pro bono attorneys helping the city prepare for the trial regarding the petition to repeal the new Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) in January. Neither the mayor nor City Attorney David Feldman were aware the subpoenas had been issued until yesterday. Both agree the original documents were overly broad. The city will move to narrow the scope during an upcoming court hearing. Feldman says the focus should be only on communications related to the HERO petition process.”
The “Notice of Intention to Subpoena Pastor Steve Riggle to Produce Documents or Tangible Evidence” lists three law firms and the “City of Houston Legal Department” (they are representing the mayor). It was submitted by Susman Godfrey L.L.P., a law firm that is listed in the subpoena notice as “Lead Counsel for City of Houston.” City Attorney David Feldman is also named on the document. It also states, “Issued at the instance of the City of Houston, represented by the undersigned attorneys of record.” If they didn’t know it seems like they chose not to know so they would have plausible deniability! A letter from Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to Houston City Attorney Feldman put it this way, "Nevertheless, these lawyers acted in the City’s name, and you are responsible for their actions."
The upside of all this is that a judge will probably quash these subpoenas -- if the city doesn't withdraw them before that happens!
Finally, is men going into women's bathrooms -- and vice versa -- a legitimate concern if this ordinance goes into effect? Yes, I believe it is. Now there was specific "bathroom" language in the original draft of the ordinance. The language was: "It shall be unlawful for any place of public accommodation or any employee or agent thereof to deny any person entry to any restroom, shower room, or similar facility if that facility is consistent with and appropriate to that person’s expression of gender identity." This was was removed before HERO was passed. Then all is well, right? Wrong. The removal the specific wording about restrooms and showers does not mean that "public accommodations" (i.e. businesses) cannot be sued under this ordinance. HERO makes it unlawful for “any place of public accommodation…to intentionally discriminate against any person on the basis of any protected characteristic…” The protected characteristics include “gender identity,” which means one own’s gender identification, “although the same may not correspond to the individual’s body or gender assigned at birth.” If a man identifies as a woman, e.g., a store cannot prohibit that man from using the women's restroom.
This is an issue that is not going away, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out in Houston.
Over the past several days, a Houston, Texas controversy has lit up TV news, newspaper, and especially the internet. At question is the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (or HERO for short), a petition for a referendum to the ordinance, and subpoenas of five (some say four) Houston pastors for records, including the content of their sermons. On May 28, 2014, the Houston City Council passed HERO. The ordinance was go into effect on June 27, 2014. It has not because of legal wranglings over it. Though there are numerous problems with the ordinance, but perhaps the most prominent issue is over bathroom usage by persons with gender identity issues -- prompting the nomer "Bathroom Bill."
A great deal of misinformation has gone out on the internet, including that all pastors (not just the five) have to submit sermons to the city -- even that sermons will be reviewed prior to being preached -- and that the ordinance allows men to go into women’s bathrooms (partially true, but not that simple).
Here's where things seem to be at the moment:
The city passed the "Bathroom Bill", 11 for, 6 against.
A petition was floated to vote to repeal the ordinance, garnering about 3 times as many signatures as needed.
The city secretary certified the petition.
The city attorney and mayor invalidated the petition, claiming too many irregularities (that would be about 33,000 irregularities).
A group of citizens have sued the Mayor, City Secretary and the City of Houston.
Seeking "discovery of evidence" for the lawsuit, the city has subpoenaed records of five Houston ministers.
This subpoena of records from these ministers is what has created the firestorm.
An example of City of Houston subpoena request in Woodfill v. Parker can be found HERE. The purpose of the subpoena is discovery of admissible evidence. In itself, this is a legitimate exercise of subpoena. I’m not a lawyer but here is a simple way I can illustrate it. If a pastor confessed to breaking the law in a sermon (or libeled someone), there would be a legitimate reason to get a transcription or recording of that sermon as evidence. So their might be some legitimate reason within the subpoena. The subpoena posted requires 17 different records (with various subpoints to some of the 17). This goes beyond looking for information, and is at least harassing these people or exacting retribution for daring to fight the mayor and city council on this issue. While it may not be a direct assault on religious liberty, it is what some people call “chilling effect.” The extreme nature of the request -- even asking for -- can produce desired response beating into silence those who wish not to encounter "the long arm of the law." Further, it distracts persons from the regular life and ministry and ties them up with frivolous searches for minutia.
The five ministers from whom the records have been demanded are not parties to the lawsuit against the city. But the city attorney defended the subpoena on the basis of:
* the five were actively involved in leading the fight against the "Bathroom Bill" and launching the petition drive
* they appeared before the city council repeatedly regarding the ordinance and the petition
* the petition was organized at the churches
* the organizing of drives and rallies, as well as signing parties, were held at the churches
It seems now that the mayor and city attorney are backing away from these subpoenas now that they see the enormous push-back that they are getting. A report in Religion News states: “Mayor Parker agrees with those who are concerned about the city legal department’s subpoenas for pastor’s sermons. The subpoenas were issued by pro bono attorneys helping the city prepare for the trial regarding the petition to repeal the new Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) in January. Neither the mayor nor City Attorney David Feldman were aware the subpoenas had been issued until yesterday. Both agree the original documents were overly broad. The city will move to narrow the scope during an upcoming court hearing. Feldman says the focus should be only on communications related to the HERO petition process.”
The “Notice of Intention to Subpoena Pastor Steve Riggle to Produce Documents or Tangible Evidence” lists three law firms and the “City of Houston Legal Department” (they are representing the mayor). It was submitted by Susman Godfrey L.L.P., a law firm that is listed in the subpoena notice as “Lead Counsel for City of Houston.” City Attorney David Feldman is also named on the document. It also states, “Issued at the instance of the City of Houston, represented by the undersigned attorneys of record.” If they didn’t know it seems like they chose not to know so they would have plausible deniability! A letter from Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to Houston City Attorney Feldman put it this way, "Nevertheless, these lawyers acted in the City’s name, and you are responsible for their actions."
The upside of all this is that a judge will probably quash these subpoenas -- if the city doesn't withdraw them before that happens!
Finally, is men going into women's bathrooms -- and vice versa -- a legitimate concern if this ordinance goes into effect? Yes, I believe it is. Now there was specific "bathroom" language in the original draft of the ordinance. The language was: "It shall be unlawful for any place of public accommodation or any employee or agent thereof to deny any person entry to any restroom, shower room, or similar facility if that facility is consistent with and appropriate to that person’s expression of gender identity." This was was removed before HERO was passed. Then all is well, right? Wrong. The removal the specific wording about restrooms and showers does not mean that "public accommodations" (i.e. businesses) cannot be sued under this ordinance. HERO makes it unlawful for “any place of public accommodation…to intentionally discriminate against any person on the basis of any protected characteristic…” The protected characteristics include “gender identity,” which means one own’s gender identification, “although the same may not correspond to the individual’s body or gender assigned at birth.” If a man identifies as a woman, e.g., a store cannot prohibit that man from using the women's restroom.
This is an issue that is not going away, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out in Houston.
Houston HERO links
To go with the "Houston we have a problem" post above, here are links to some things available online related to the Houston "HERO" ordinance.
* A Draft of Houston's HERO ordinance -- Makes it "unlawful for any place of public accommodation...to intentionally discriminate against any person on the basis of any protected characteristic..." Protected characteristics include "gender identity," which means own gender identification, "although the same may not correspond to the individual's body or gender assigned at birth."
* Annise Parker Has a Discrimination Issue -- "If opposition to the ordinance is a matter of partisan politics, wouldn’t promotion and approval of the ordinance by implication also qualify as an example of partisan politics?"
* An example of City of Houston subpoena request in Woodfill v. Parker
* Attorney General Greg Abbott Asks Houston City Attorney to Withdraw Subpoenas Seeking Sermons, Other Documents from Houston-area Pastors -- "If we err, it must be on the side of preserving the autonomy of religious institutions and the liberty of religious believers. Your aggressive and invasive subpoenas show no regard for the very serious First Amendment considerations at stake."
* City subpoenas pastors' sermons in equal rights ordinance case -- "City attorneys issued subpoenas last month during the case's discovery phase, seeking, among other communications, "all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to HERO, the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession."
* Houston subpoenas pastors’ sermons in equal rights ordinance case, prompting outcry -- "The ordinance, which exempted religious institutions, was passed in June, though its implementation has been delayed due to legal complaints."
* Houston subpoenas pastors’ sermons -- "Attorneys for several Houston pastors are challenging the city’s attempts to subpoena their sermons as part of a lawsuit against the recently passed transgender-rights law, also known as the 'bathroom bill'."
* Is it constitutional for a court to enforce a subpoena of ministers’ sermons? -- "In principle, I don’t think there’s a First Amendment bar to subpoenaing the text (or video or audio recordings) of sermons, if they are sufficiently relevant to a case or an investigation...But all this presupposes that the information in the subpoenaed sermons really is substantially relevant to a case or an investigation."
* Memorandum in Support of Nonparty Pastors’ Amended Motion To Quash Subpoenas to Produce Documents or Tangible Evidence Or Otherwise Issue a Protective Order
* Pastors to mayor: Don’t mess with Texas pulpits -- "But City Attorney David Feldman told me that doesn’t matter. He said in an interview Tuesday that the five pastors were actively involved in leading the fight against the Bathroom Bill and launching the petition drive."
* A Draft of Houston's HERO ordinance -- Makes it "unlawful for any place of public accommodation...to intentionally discriminate against any person on the basis of any protected characteristic..." Protected characteristics include "gender identity," which means own gender identification, "although the same may not correspond to the individual's body or gender assigned at birth."
* Annise Parker Has a Discrimination Issue -- "If opposition to the ordinance is a matter of partisan politics, wouldn’t promotion and approval of the ordinance by implication also qualify as an example of partisan politics?"
* An example of City of Houston subpoena request in Woodfill v. Parker
* Attorney General Greg Abbott Asks Houston City Attorney to Withdraw Subpoenas Seeking Sermons, Other Documents from Houston-area Pastors -- "If we err, it must be on the side of preserving the autonomy of religious institutions and the liberty of religious believers. Your aggressive and invasive subpoenas show no regard for the very serious First Amendment considerations at stake."
* City subpoenas pastors' sermons in equal rights ordinance case -- "City attorneys issued subpoenas last month during the case's discovery phase, seeking, among other communications, "all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to HERO, the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession."
* Houston subpoenas pastors’ sermons in equal rights ordinance case, prompting outcry -- "The ordinance, which exempted religious institutions, was passed in June, though its implementation has been delayed due to legal complaints."
* Houston subpoenas pastors’ sermons -- "Attorneys for several Houston pastors are challenging the city’s attempts to subpoena their sermons as part of a lawsuit against the recently passed transgender-rights law, also known as the 'bathroom bill'."
* Is it constitutional for a court to enforce a subpoena of ministers’ sermons? -- "In principle, I don’t think there’s a First Amendment bar to subpoenaing the text (or video or audio recordings) of sermons, if they are sufficiently relevant to a case or an investigation...But all this presupposes that the information in the subpoenaed sermons really is substantially relevant to a case or an investigation."
* Memorandum in Support of Nonparty Pastors’ Amended Motion To Quash Subpoenas to Produce Documents or Tangible Evidence Or Otherwise Issue a Protective Order
* Pastors to mayor: Don’t mess with Texas pulpits -- "But City Attorney David Feldman told me that doesn’t matter. He said in an interview Tuesday that the five pastors were actively involved in leading the fight against the Bathroom Bill and launching the petition drive."
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
No Neutral, 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.
* How liberalism became an intolerant dogma -- "Human beings will be religious one way or another. Either they will be religious about religious things, or they will be religious about political things."
* Irrational Atheism -- "The idea that the atheist comes to her view of the world through rationality and argumentation, while the believer relies on arbitrary emotional commitments, is false."
* Liberalism’s Parochialism -- "...what I’ve been reading accords with my experiences in higher education where certain thoughts trigger an almost primitive response from liberal intellectuals."
* Religious Language and Everyday Discourse -- "We are moving in the West further along this path as a post-Christian culture. No longer are Christian terms and biblical concepts commonplace."
* The Illusion of Neutrality -- "...you cannot have a Half-Nude Beach. A beach on which some people stroll without a stitch of clothing is a nude beach, period."
* Why do so many liberals despise Christianity? -- "Liberals increasingly want to enforce a comprehensive, uniformly secular vision of the human good. And they see alternative visions of the good as increasingly intolerable."
* Will Someone Explain Christianity To The New York Times? -- "...maybe the New York Times can get an in-house Christianity consultant to help them navigate the topics not covered in journalists’ education any more."
* Irrational Atheism -- "The idea that the atheist comes to her view of the world through rationality and argumentation, while the believer relies on arbitrary emotional commitments, is false."
* Liberalism’s Parochialism -- "...what I’ve been reading accords with my experiences in higher education where certain thoughts trigger an almost primitive response from liberal intellectuals."
* Religious Language and Everyday Discourse -- "We are moving in the West further along this path as a post-Christian culture. No longer are Christian terms and biblical concepts commonplace."
* The Illusion of Neutrality -- "...you cannot have a Half-Nude Beach. A beach on which some people stroll without a stitch of clothing is a nude beach, period."
* Why do so many liberals despise Christianity? -- "Liberals increasingly want to enforce a comprehensive, uniformly secular vision of the human good. And they see alternative visions of the good as increasingly intolerable."
* Will Someone Explain Christianity To The New York Times? -- "...maybe the New York Times can get an in-house Christianity consultant to help them navigate the topics not covered in journalists’ education any more."
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
The Praise of Folly
Yesterday I noticed the recommendation of a book titled The Praise of Folly: The Enigmatic Life and Theology of C.I. Scofield by David Lutzweiler. Interested to see what it is, I did some searching online. Looks like it will be an interesting book, and I'm going to order a copy.
C. I. Scofield (1843–1921) was preacher, theologian, writer, and compiler of a the popular Scofield Reference Bible (and a soldier, lawyer, and politician before that). It was common to see his Study Bible among churches and preachers I came up amongst. It is perhaps most loved and hated for its pretributional premillennial dispensationalism. I have long since ditched Scofield's Study Bible, and I do not recommend it. (In fact, though I own several "Study Bibles" I don't regularly use any of them, or recommend them.) While searching online it became apparent that Scofield's life is the source of much controversy. Was he a saint or a scalawag, or a bit of both? Detractors point to financial and personal dealings that seem less than upright, while supporters explain that most of this was before he was converted. Some pretribulationists and anti-pretribulationalists write as if the doctrine stands or falls with the life of Scofield!
Whoever or whatever Scofield was, his signature doctrine must stand the test of the Scriptures and rise or fall with them.
Further reading, which I found while "Googling" the internet
* Book Briefs: The Praise of Folly: The Enigmatic Life and Theology of C.I. Scofield by David Lutzweiler from FundamentallyReformed.com
* C. I. Scofield - The Rest of the Story by Thomas Williamson, From the Northern Landmark Missionary Baptist Newsletter, March, 2012
* Cyrus Ingerson Scofield on Find-a-Grave.com
* From Confederate Deserter to Decorated Veteran Bible Scholar, a Master's thesis by D. Jean Rushing
* Lutzweiler's "Folly" (Part 1) by Robert L. Sumner, Editor of The Biblical Evangelist
* Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty by Dave MacPherson
* Scofield, Cyrus Ingerson from The Handbook of Texas Online
* Wikipedia article
C. I. Scofield (1843–1921) was preacher, theologian, writer, and compiler of a the popular Scofield Reference Bible (and a soldier, lawyer, and politician before that). It was common to see his Study Bible among churches and preachers I came up amongst. It is perhaps most loved and hated for its pretributional premillennial dispensationalism. I have long since ditched Scofield's Study Bible, and I do not recommend it. (In fact, though I own several "Study Bibles" I don't regularly use any of them, or recommend them.) While searching online it became apparent that Scofield's life is the source of much controversy. Was he a saint or a scalawag, or a bit of both? Detractors point to financial and personal dealings that seem less than upright, while supporters explain that most of this was before he was converted. Some pretribulationists and anti-pretribulationalists write as if the doctrine stands or falls with the life of Scofield!
Whoever or whatever Scofield was, his signature doctrine must stand the test of the Scriptures and rise or fall with them.
Further reading, which I found while "Googling" the internet
* Book Briefs: The Praise of Folly: The Enigmatic Life and Theology of C.I. Scofield by David Lutzweiler from FundamentallyReformed.com
* C. I. Scofield - The Rest of the Story by Thomas Williamson, From the Northern Landmark Missionary Baptist Newsletter, March, 2012
* Cyrus Ingerson Scofield on Find-a-Grave.com
* From Confederate Deserter to Decorated Veteran Bible Scholar, a Master's thesis by D. Jean Rushing
* Lutzweiler's "Folly" (Part 1) by Robert L. Sumner, Editor of The Biblical Evangelist
* Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty by Dave MacPherson
* Scofield, Cyrus Ingerson from The Handbook of Texas Online
* Wikipedia article
History and the making
The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.
* 1000-year old Viking treasure hoard found in Scotland -- "Derek McLennan, a retired businessman, uncovered the 100 items in a field in Dumfriesshire, southwest Scotland, in September."
* Britain to hunt for King Harold's body to test theory about his death -- "King Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, has long been thought to have been killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066."
* Forgotten facts about George Washington’s private life -- "At one time, Washington’s distillery produced 11,000 gallons of whiskey in one year."
* Kennewick Man, an ambassador from the past -- "Eighteen years ago two teenagers made news when they found a skull on the bank of the Columbia River near Kennewick, Wash. Suspecting foul play, they called the police who thought the skull looked very old."
* The Diario of Christopher Columbus (October 11-15, 1492) -- "All of them go around as naked as their mother bore them; and the women also, although I did not see more than one quite young girl. And all those that I saw were young people, for none did I see of more than 30 years of age. They are all very well formed, with handsome bodies and good faces. Their hair coarse—almost like the tail of a horse—and short. They wear their hair down over their eyebrows except for a little in the back which they wear long and never cut. Some of them paint themselves with black, and they are of the color of the Canarians, neither black nor white; and some of them paint themselves with white, and some of them with red, and some of them with whatever they find."
* Why Columbus Day isn’t really a national holiday -- "A federal holiday is a day off with pay for people who work for the federal government in what are classified as non-essential positions...Many states have chosen to honor some of the federal holidays, and in the long run, it is the states, and not the federal government, that control the observance of the holidays within their borders."
* 1000-year old Viking treasure hoard found in Scotland -- "Derek McLennan, a retired businessman, uncovered the 100 items in a field in Dumfriesshire, southwest Scotland, in September."
* Britain to hunt for King Harold's body to test theory about his death -- "King Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, has long been thought to have been killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066."
* Forgotten facts about George Washington’s private life -- "At one time, Washington’s distillery produced 11,000 gallons of whiskey in one year."
* Kennewick Man, an ambassador from the past -- "Eighteen years ago two teenagers made news when they found a skull on the bank of the Columbia River near Kennewick, Wash. Suspecting foul play, they called the police who thought the skull looked very old."
* The Diario of Christopher Columbus (October 11-15, 1492) -- "All of them go around as naked as their mother bore them; and the women also, although I did not see more than one quite young girl. And all those that I saw were young people, for none did I see of more than 30 years of age. They are all very well formed, with handsome bodies and good faces. Their hair coarse—almost like the tail of a horse—and short. They wear their hair down over their eyebrows except for a little in the back which they wear long and never cut. Some of them paint themselves with black, and they are of the color of the Canarians, neither black nor white; and some of them paint themselves with white, and some of them with red, and some of them with whatever they find."
* Why Columbus Day isn’t really a national holiday -- "A federal holiday is a day off with pay for people who work for the federal government in what are classified as non-essential positions...Many states have chosen to honor some of the federal holidays, and in the long run, it is the states, and not the federal government, that control the observance of the holidays within their borders."
Monday, October 13, 2014
This Be The Verse
Below is a slightly sanitized version of "This Be The Verse" by Philip Larkin:
They mess you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you.
But they were messed up in their turn
By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were soppy-stern
And half at one another's throats.
Man hands on misery to man.
It deepens like a coastal shelf.
Get out as early as you can,
And don't have any kids yourself.
I think there is some truth in "the verse" despite its pessimistic fatalistic tone. Judith Harris apparently felt sorry for the parents having had no chance to reply to the son's charges, so she spoke for them in this manner:
How sharper than a serpent's tooth
To hear your child make such a fuss.
It isn't fair — it's not the truth —
He's messed up, yes, but not by us.
They mess you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you.
But they were messed up in their turn
By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were soppy-stern
And half at one another's throats.
Man hands on misery to man.
It deepens like a coastal shelf.
Get out as early as you can,
And don't have any kids yourself.
I think there is some truth in "the verse" despite its pessimistic fatalistic tone. Judith Harris apparently felt sorry for the parents having had no chance to reply to the son's charges, so she spoke for them in this manner:
How sharper than a serpent's tooth
To hear your child make such a fuss.
It isn't fair — it's not the truth —
He's messed up, yes, but not by us.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Till He come
1. Till He come O let the words
Linger on the trembling chords,
Let the little while between
In their golden light be seen;
Let us think how Heaven and home
Lie beyond that, Till He come.
2. When the weary ones we love
Enter on their rest above,
Seems the earth so poor and vast,
All our life joy overcast?
Hush, be every murmur dumb;
It is only, Till He come.
3. Clouds and conflicts round us press;
Would we have one sorrow less?
All the sharpness of the cross,
All that tells the world is lost,
Death and darkness, and the tomb,
Only whisper, Till He come.
4. See, the feast of love is spread,
Drink the wine, and break the bread;
Sweet memorials, till the Lord
Calls us round His heavenly board;
Some from earth, from glory some
Severed only, Till He come.
Edward Henry Bickersteth, 1861
Linger on the trembling chords,
Let the little while between
In their golden light be seen;
Let us think how Heaven and home
Lie beyond that, Till He come.
2. When the weary ones we love
Enter on their rest above,
Seems the earth so poor and vast,
All our life joy overcast?
Hush, be every murmur dumb;
It is only, Till He come.
3. Clouds and conflicts round us press;
Would we have one sorrow less?
All the sharpness of the cross,
All that tells the world is lost,
Death and darkness, and the tomb,
Only whisper, Till He come.
4. See, the feast of love is spread,
Drink the wine, and break the bread;
Sweet memorials, till the Lord
Calls us round His heavenly board;
Some from earth, from glory some
Severed only, Till He come.
Edward Henry Bickersteth, 1861
Saturday, October 11, 2014
More Barberisms
"Progressive Christianity" acts as though Christians should, if they would find difficult a year of consistently living biblically, pledge instead to consistency in living unbiblically. -- Bart Barber in A Ragamuffin Fundamentalist
"I think discipleship is impossible without indulging in at least some measure in something that could be called hypocrisy. Thinking, 'If I can't grow immediately in everything, I'm not going to grow in anything,' is a recipe for perpetual immaturity. God seems to me to be far more concerned with your holiness and your progress in sanctification than in your consistency at every point along the way." -- Bart Barber in A Ragamuffin Fundamentalist
"I think discipleship is impossible without indulging in at least some measure in something that could be called hypocrisy. Thinking, 'If I can't grow immediately in everything, I'm not going to grow in anything,' is a recipe for perpetual immaturity. God seems to me to be far more concerned with your holiness and your progress in sanctification than in your consistency at every point along the way." -- Bart Barber in A Ragamuffin Fundamentalist
Friday, October 10, 2014
Random thoughts...
...on homosexuality, choice and nature.
Last week I read Mark Baer’s The Cause of Homosexuality Is Irrelevant, an articulate writing that fails to meet the expectation of its title. You can read it for yourself, but I want to highlight two points.
First, failure to prove what the title asserts. Baer says that the cause of homosexuality is irrelevant. He writes that “[m]any people seem fixated on the fact that the actual cause of homosexuality has not yet been established with any degree of certainty.” But his point that the cause is irrelevant only applies if we accept his dismissing of certain causes, leaving only the “right” causes as being possible causes and therefore irrelevant. In Baer’s mind the cause of homosexuality is genetic, environmental, or some combination of the two. It cannot be a “lifestyle choice.” He seems willing to allow it to be a choice in the case of bisexuality, but will not allow it in cases of heterosexuality and homosexuality. How strange.
Baer points to a story by Lee Thompson telling of his father’s point that no one would “choose a lifestyle that included discrimination or being subjected to violent acts.” That is just foolish, and contrary what anyone might easily observe – human beings regularly make choices that they intellectually know can and will yield bad results, even discrimination and violence toward them.
Contra Baer and Thompson, choice is clearly and explicitly relevant to all our sexuality, as far as acts are concerned. Inherent and learned behavior may affect how one thinks about sex, but whether and with whom one has sex is a choice – usually a consensual one made by two or more parties (except in cases of rape, in which case the choice in only made by the perpetrator.)
In addition to his comments about cause and choice, Baer ventures into the field of nature, writing, “If something is occurring in nature and cannot be changed, I'm afraid that it is natural.” Supporting this, he references Arash Fereydooni in Yale Scientific Magazine, "Currently, homosexual behavior has been documented in over 450 different animal species worldwide."
Nature does not determine what is spiritual or moral. Without contradiction, heterosexual sex is “natural” in a way homosexual sex is not and can never be. Heterosexual sex is as natural as parking your car in the garage rather than the bathroom or the kitchen. Beyond that, Christians err in establishing heterosexuality as moral and homosexuality as immoral based on nature. As a purely physical act, sex with an opposite sex (hetero) prostitute is just as “natural” as sex with an opposite sex (hetero) spouse. It may be just as natural. It may be just as consensual. But it is not just as moral. Morality is not established by a simple appeal to nature.
So, one argues that since homosexual acts are found in nature, so it is natural. And so it may be, in that sense of the word “natural.” It may also be natural for a bull to take his fill of all the cows in the pasture, if he is the biggest and baddest. But do we wish to take that as our guide for human relationships? It may be natural for a dog to hump his master to relieve his sex drive (it’s probably not consensual!). But do we wish to take that as our model? Nature alone cannot be our model for proper sexual morality. We must look elsewhere. In the Christians’ case, we must look to the Bible as our rule of faith and practice. When we do so, we are bound to come up with different results from those who look elsewhere.
Last week I read Mark Baer’s The Cause of Homosexuality Is Irrelevant, an articulate writing that fails to meet the expectation of its title. You can read it for yourself, but I want to highlight two points.
First, failure to prove what the title asserts. Baer says that the cause of homosexuality is irrelevant. He writes that “[m]any people seem fixated on the fact that the actual cause of homosexuality has not yet been established with any degree of certainty.” But his point that the cause is irrelevant only applies if we accept his dismissing of certain causes, leaving only the “right” causes as being possible causes and therefore irrelevant. In Baer’s mind the cause of homosexuality is genetic, environmental, or some combination of the two. It cannot be a “lifestyle choice.” He seems willing to allow it to be a choice in the case of bisexuality, but will not allow it in cases of heterosexuality and homosexuality. How strange.
Baer points to a story by Lee Thompson telling of his father’s point that no one would “choose a lifestyle that included discrimination or being subjected to violent acts.” That is just foolish, and contrary what anyone might easily observe – human beings regularly make choices that they intellectually know can and will yield bad results, even discrimination and violence toward them.
Contra Baer and Thompson, choice is clearly and explicitly relevant to all our sexuality, as far as acts are concerned. Inherent and learned behavior may affect how one thinks about sex, but whether and with whom one has sex is a choice – usually a consensual one made by two or more parties (except in cases of rape, in which case the choice in only made by the perpetrator.)
In addition to his comments about cause and choice, Baer ventures into the field of nature, writing, “If something is occurring in nature and cannot be changed, I'm afraid that it is natural.” Supporting this, he references Arash Fereydooni in Yale Scientific Magazine, "Currently, homosexual behavior has been documented in over 450 different animal species worldwide."
Nature does not determine what is spiritual or moral. Without contradiction, heterosexual sex is “natural” in a way homosexual sex is not and can never be. Heterosexual sex is as natural as parking your car in the garage rather than the bathroom or the kitchen. Beyond that, Christians err in establishing heterosexuality as moral and homosexuality as immoral based on nature. As a purely physical act, sex with an opposite sex (hetero) prostitute is just as “natural” as sex with an opposite sex (hetero) spouse. It may be just as natural. It may be just as consensual. But it is not just as moral. Morality is not established by a simple appeal to nature.
So, one argues that since homosexual acts are found in nature, so it is natural. And so it may be, in that sense of the word “natural.” It may also be natural for a bull to take his fill of all the cows in the pasture, if he is the biggest and baddest. But do we wish to take that as our guide for human relationships? It may be natural for a dog to hump his master to relieve his sex drive (it’s probably not consensual!). But do we wish to take that as our model? Nature alone cannot be our model for proper sexual morality. We must look elsewhere. In the Christians’ case, we must look to the Bible as our rule of faith and practice. When we do so, we are bound to come up with different results from those who look elsewhere.
Thursday, October 09, 2014
TV Time
According to answers.com, John Logie Baird was the first to demonstrate a television system. He did so in London in 1925. The BBC began the world's first regular television broadcasts in January 1929. In 1939 RCA began the first commercial public television broadcasts in the United States. The growth from there has been tremendous. The Grolier Encyclopedia says that the number of U.S. homes with TVs was 6,000 in 1946, then rose to about 12 million by 1951. By 1955 half of all U.S. homes had a TV, and by the late 1990s, 98% of homes in the U.S. had at least one television. In 2010, Nielsen reported that the average American home had 2.93 TV sets. The number of people in homes with TVs averages 2.5, meaning the average home has more TVs than people. According to surveys reported by Grolier, Americans spend from 2-1/2 to 5 hours per day watching television. That's not that hard to do. Sit down at 8 p.m., watch a couple shows and then the 10 o'clock news, and you've got your 2-1/2 hours right there. In 2012, Nielsen reported that “The average American watches nearly five hours of video each day, 98 percent of which they watch on a traditional TV set.” This report does not include “consumption on computers, phones or tablets like the iPad.”
I'm not of the persuasion and owning a television or watching it is a sin. But I am persuaded that the overall effect of television is a detriment to our society, and generally at enmity with/to Christian principles. The combined mind-numbing drivel and graphic portrayals that bombard us with ?? eventually effects how we think.
The “idolatry of the star.” Famous & not-so-famous actors and actresses are exalted to heroes, idols, and “role-models.” Why does the internet follow every move the Kardashians make? Why do we care what some star’s political views are? What qualifications do they have to guide us down philosophical paths? Why do Christians ask for prayer for figments who are only characters in a TV show? (Yes, this has happened and is not just an urban myth.) Just because someone has fortune and fame does not mean they know anything about anything else, or are positioned to be a role model to our youth.
The rejection of moral principles. I would say that many of the producers of television fare are probably faithful to their own principles, whatever they are. But a steady diet of television will sometimes lead the viewer to compromise or reject his or her moral principles. Take a Christian who is convinced that personal revenge is wrong, and just retribution belongs to God. Sit him or her down in front of a well-written, well-directed and well-acted western in which the family of the protagonist meets an ill fate – say desperadoes rape his wife and kill his children. Nearing the end of the movie, the Christian is cheering the hero on to get his revenge! Take a Christian who is convinced that sex outside of marriage is wrong. Sit him or her down in front of a well-written, well-directed and well-acted “love story” in which against all odds the hero and heroine come together in the end – and before they are married! At the point, the Christian is has tears of joy because all has turned out all right. What is happening? A dramatic presentation – not necessarily conspiratorial, but reflective of the Hollywood culture – is slowly changing how we think and feel. Enough of that, and how long is it before we begin to act on it?
Watch what you choose wisely, and choose wisely what you watch.
I'm not of the persuasion and owning a television or watching it is a sin. But I am persuaded that the overall effect of television is a detriment to our society, and generally at enmity with/to Christian principles. The combined mind-numbing drivel and graphic portrayals that bombard us with ?? eventually effects how we think.
The “idolatry of the star.” Famous & not-so-famous actors and actresses are exalted to heroes, idols, and “role-models.” Why does the internet follow every move the Kardashians make? Why do we care what some star’s political views are? What qualifications do they have to guide us down philosophical paths? Why do Christians ask for prayer for figments who are only characters in a TV show? (Yes, this has happened and is not just an urban myth.) Just because someone has fortune and fame does not mean they know anything about anything else, or are positioned to be a role model to our youth.
The rejection of moral principles. I would say that many of the producers of television fare are probably faithful to their own principles, whatever they are. But a steady diet of television will sometimes lead the viewer to compromise or reject his or her moral principles. Take a Christian who is convinced that personal revenge is wrong, and just retribution belongs to God. Sit him or her down in front of a well-written, well-directed and well-acted western in which the family of the protagonist meets an ill fate – say desperadoes rape his wife and kill his children. Nearing the end of the movie, the Christian is cheering the hero on to get his revenge! Take a Christian who is convinced that sex outside of marriage is wrong. Sit him or her down in front of a well-written, well-directed and well-acted “love story” in which against all odds the hero and heroine come together in the end – and before they are married! At the point, the Christian is has tears of joy because all has turned out all right. What is happening? A dramatic presentation – not necessarily conspiratorial, but reflective of the Hollywood culture – is slowly changing how we think and feel. Enough of that, and how long is it before we begin to act on it?
Watch what you choose wisely, and choose wisely what you watch.
Wednesday, October 08, 2014
Southern Baptists and Homosexuality
Below are a few links on Southern Baptists and Homosexuality. I am not Southern Baptist, and neither is many of my readers. But am I a Baptist. Without doubt as the largest Baptist body in the world, Southern Baptist views are those most frequently noticed and reported on any variety of subjects. I think you may find the following articles interesting.
* Former President Jimmy Carter On Gay Rights: Jesus Christ Never Discriminated Against Anyone -- "However, Carter said that the government shouldn't force ministers to marry same-sex couples if doing so would violate church doctrine."
* Homosexuality Debate Will Not Harm Southern Baptists Like It Did Other Churches, SBC Leaders Say -- "...whatever debate that could have befallen the SBC on homosexuality was resolved back in the 1980s with the conservative ascendancy in the denomination."
* Resolution on Same-Sex Marriage, 2003 -- "...we call on Southern Baptist churches to commit to guard our religious liberty to recognize and perform marriages as defined by Scripture..."
* Southern Baptist Leaders Seek Softer Approach To Homosexuality -- "The Southern Baptist Convention still preaches that marriage can only be between one man and one woman. But some pastors are softening their message."
* Southern Baptists oust ‘Third Way’ church -- "The nation’s largest faith group after Roman Catholics amended its constitution in the early 1990s to exclude gay-friendly congregations, after two affiliated churches in North Carolina made headlines for blessing a same-sex union and licensing an openly gay person to the ministry."
* Southern Baptist pastor accepts his gay son, changes his church. -- "The church just voted two Sundays ago, on May 18, 2014, to not dismiss me, and to instead become a Third Way church..."
* There Is No ‘Third Way’ — Southern Baptists Face a Moment of Decision (and so will you) -- "A church will either believe and teach that same-sex behaviors and relationships are sinful, or it will affirm them. Eventually, every congregation in America will make a public declaration of its position on this issue."
* Your Questions on Homosexuality Answered by The Ethics and Religion Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
[Note: Jimmy Carter and Plains Baptist Church were once affiliated with the SBC, but are no longer so connected.]
* Former President Jimmy Carter On Gay Rights: Jesus Christ Never Discriminated Against Anyone -- "However, Carter said that the government shouldn't force ministers to marry same-sex couples if doing so would violate church doctrine."
* Homosexuality Debate Will Not Harm Southern Baptists Like It Did Other Churches, SBC Leaders Say -- "...whatever debate that could have befallen the SBC on homosexuality was resolved back in the 1980s with the conservative ascendancy in the denomination."
* Resolution on Same-Sex Marriage, 2003 -- "...we call on Southern Baptist churches to commit to guard our religious liberty to recognize and perform marriages as defined by Scripture..."
* Southern Baptist Leaders Seek Softer Approach To Homosexuality -- "The Southern Baptist Convention still preaches that marriage can only be between one man and one woman. But some pastors are softening their message."
* Southern Baptists oust ‘Third Way’ church -- "The nation’s largest faith group after Roman Catholics amended its constitution in the early 1990s to exclude gay-friendly congregations, after two affiliated churches in North Carolina made headlines for blessing a same-sex union and licensing an openly gay person to the ministry."
* Southern Baptist pastor accepts his gay son, changes his church. -- "The church just voted two Sundays ago, on May 18, 2014, to not dismiss me, and to instead become a Third Way church..."
* There Is No ‘Third Way’ — Southern Baptists Face a Moment of Decision (and so will you) -- "A church will either believe and teach that same-sex behaviors and relationships are sinful, or it will affirm them. Eventually, every congregation in America will make a public declaration of its position on this issue."
* Your Questions on Homosexuality Answered by The Ethics and Religion Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
[Note: Jimmy Carter and Plains Baptist Church were once affiliated with the SBC, but are no longer so connected.]
Tuesday, October 07, 2014
Today's quotes
"The book of Revelation is not a road map to the future. Rather than an apocalyptic road map, Revelation is a book of worship." -- Zack Hunt
"I can't work with you if you talk more about Israel than you do Jesus. Neither ethnicity nor nationality gets you into heaven." -- Joel Rainey
"Many churches measure success by nickles, numbers and noise." -- J. R. Riddle
"We in America tend to remake Jesus in our own image."-- Zack Hunt
“A worldly kingdom cannot exist without an inequality of persons, some being free, some imprisoned, some lords, some subjects.” -- Martin Luther
“The darkest clouds in due time will break, the most puzzling enigmas will sooner or later be un-riddled by the blessed Spirit interpreting them, and the darkest providences cleared up; and we shall see that God is in them all, leading and guiding us "by the right way, that we may go to a city of habitation" (Psalm 107:7).” -- J. C. Philpot
"Our Articles of Faith may very well become of dire legal importance as this world of sin progresses against God’s laws and commandments." -- Norman Gowens
"I can't work with you if you talk more about Israel than you do Jesus. Neither ethnicity nor nationality gets you into heaven." -- Joel Rainey
"Many churches measure success by nickles, numbers and noise." -- J. R. Riddle
"We in America tend to remake Jesus in our own image."-- Zack Hunt
“A worldly kingdom cannot exist without an inequality of persons, some being free, some imprisoned, some lords, some subjects.” -- Martin Luther
“The darkest clouds in due time will break, the most puzzling enigmas will sooner or later be un-riddled by the blessed Spirit interpreting them, and the darkest providences cleared up; and we shall see that God is in them all, leading and guiding us "by the right way, that we may go to a city of habitation" (Psalm 107:7).” -- J. C. Philpot
"Our Articles of Faith may very well become of dire legal importance as this world of sin progresses against God’s laws and commandments." -- Norman Gowens
Monday, October 06, 2014
Today's links
The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.
* Black holes cannot actually exist, according to mathematical proof -- "Black holes are so entwined in the established scientific narrative these days that it's easy to forget that their existence is still completely theoretical."
* FCC Considering Move To Ban Washington Redskins Nickname -- "...legal activist John Banzhaf...says the word is racist, derogatory, profane and hateful, making its use 'akin to broadcasting obscenity'."
* Hope Solo and the domestic violence case no one is talking about -- "...as the NFL grapples with its domestic-violence crisis, Solo, who has been accused of the same crime, continues to play for her pro soccer team as well as the national team as she awaits trial in November."
* Jessa Duggar: Abortion is the Holocaust of Our Time -- "I walked through the Holocaust Museum again today... very sobering. Millions of innocents denied the most basic and fundamental of all rights--their right to life."
* NFL Admits Mistake in Penalizing Muslim Player for Praying After Touchdown -- "NFL spokesman Michael Signora said players are not allowed to celebrate while on the ground but this was different...The officiating mechanic in this situation is not to flag a player who goes to the ground as part of religious expression..."
* Politics, the Church, and a South Carolina Pastor who refuses to compromise -- "The church is afraid to step out of its comfort zone."
* This Week in the Civil War -- "A Confederate force moving northward around Atlanta clashed with Union troops for several hours on Oct. 5, 1864, near Allatoona Pass."
* What U.S. Religious Groups Really Think About One Another -- "If you're Jewish, Catholic or Evangelical, you're one of the three most highly regarded religions in the U.S., according to a Pew survey."
* Why colleges' insistence on 'diversity' actually fails disadvantaged kids -- "It's time for a new strategy."
* Black holes cannot actually exist, according to mathematical proof -- "Black holes are so entwined in the established scientific narrative these days that it's easy to forget that their existence is still completely theoretical."
* FCC Considering Move To Ban Washington Redskins Nickname -- "...legal activist John Banzhaf...says the word is racist, derogatory, profane and hateful, making its use 'akin to broadcasting obscenity'."
* Hope Solo and the domestic violence case no one is talking about -- "...as the NFL grapples with its domestic-violence crisis, Solo, who has been accused of the same crime, continues to play for her pro soccer team as well as the national team as she awaits trial in November."
* Jessa Duggar: Abortion is the Holocaust of Our Time -- "I walked through the Holocaust Museum again today... very sobering. Millions of innocents denied the most basic and fundamental of all rights--their right to life."
* NFL Admits Mistake in Penalizing Muslim Player for Praying After Touchdown -- "NFL spokesman Michael Signora said players are not allowed to celebrate while on the ground but this was different...The officiating mechanic in this situation is not to flag a player who goes to the ground as part of religious expression..."
* Politics, the Church, and a South Carolina Pastor who refuses to compromise -- "The church is afraid to step out of its comfort zone."
* This Week in the Civil War -- "A Confederate force moving northward around Atlanta clashed with Union troops for several hours on Oct. 5, 1864, near Allatoona Pass."
* What U.S. Religious Groups Really Think About One Another -- "If you're Jewish, Catholic or Evangelical, you're one of the three most highly regarded religions in the U.S., according to a Pew survey."
* Why colleges' insistence on 'diversity' actually fails disadvantaged kids -- "It's time for a new strategy."
Sunday, October 05, 2014
Old Prospect Anniversary today
We hope you are up getting ready to attend the 40th anniversary of Old Prospect Baptist Church of the Sand Flat Community, near Mt. Enterprise. If not, consider it. We will start at 10 a.m., have Bible study, singing and preaching. Dinner on the grounds at noon, then start back at 1:15 p.m. We will recognize charter members, pastors, etc., as well as have more singing, followed with preaching by Pat Windham of Center, Texas. If you are on Facebook, find us here: HERE.
We have printed a history booklet that will be available at this service.
Y'all come.
We have printed a history booklet that will be available at this service.
Y'all come.
Saturday, October 04, 2014
Just because...
Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean folks aren't out to get me.
Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it isn't so.
Just because you don't meet the standard doesn't mean the standard isn't true.
Just because there is no proof doesn't mean it isn't true.
Just because I can't sing, doesn't mean I won't sing.
Just because we have common enemies doesn't make us friends.
Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it isn't so.
Just because you don't meet the standard doesn't mean the standard isn't true.
Just because there is no proof doesn't mean it isn't true.
Just because I can't sing, doesn't mean I won't sing.
Just because we have common enemies doesn't make us friends.
Thursday, October 02, 2014
Today's links
The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.
* How Busy People Make Time to Read—And You Can Too -- "Reading is one of the most pleasurable activities out there...We just assume we don’t have time for this indulgence in our busy lives."
* Imitate Me -- "Who in their right mind would be so self-aggrandizing as to think that others should strive to be just like them?"
* Incest a 'fundamental right', German committee says -- "The German Ethics Council stated, “The fundamental right of adult siblings to sexual self-determination is to be weighed more heavily than the abstract idea of protection of the family.”"
* Iowa Couple's Big Tip For Bad Service Goes Viral -- "At the end of the evening, the couple left a $100 tip on their $66 tab."
* The Abbreviation of Worship and Why We No Longer Sing the Third Verse "...I have uncovered something I didn't anticipate when I started this."
* The Myth of Religious Violence -- "The popular belief that religion is the cause of the world’s bloodiest conflicts is central to our modern conviction that faith and politics should never mix. But the messy history of their separation suggests it was never so simple."
* How Busy People Make Time to Read—And You Can Too -- "Reading is one of the most pleasurable activities out there...We just assume we don’t have time for this indulgence in our busy lives."
* Imitate Me -- "Who in their right mind would be so self-aggrandizing as to think that others should strive to be just like them?"
* Incest a 'fundamental right', German committee says -- "The German Ethics Council stated, “The fundamental right of adult siblings to sexual self-determination is to be weighed more heavily than the abstract idea of protection of the family.”"
* Iowa Couple's Big Tip For Bad Service Goes Viral -- "At the end of the evening, the couple left a $100 tip on their $66 tab."
* The Abbreviation of Worship and Why We No Longer Sing the Third Verse "...I have uncovered something I didn't anticipate when I started this."
* The Myth of Religious Violence -- "The popular belief that religion is the cause of the world’s bloodiest conflicts is central to our modern conviction that faith and politics should never mix. But the messy history of their separation suggests it was never so simple."
Wednesday, October 01, 2014
The Solitary Reaper
Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.
No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.
Will no one tell me what she sings?—
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That has been, and may be again?
Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;—
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill,
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.
By William Wordsworth
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.
No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.
Will no one tell me what she sings?—
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That has been, and may be again?
Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;—
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill,
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.
By William Wordsworth
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