Details

Just an update. This has been a difficult and busy week. I'll be back with a song on Sunday, and then hopefully back on schedule after that.

Trying Technorati Claim Code again. JTF9YQFKVVGG

Lyrics- Whiter than Snow

Every Sunday the lyrics from some great piece of Christian music will be featured. It's not that I want worship to revert to using all hymns, it's just that many modern Christian songs don't SAY anything. I really miss some deeper meaning. So I'm going to remind us of some great words.

Whiter than Snow
James L. Ni­chol­son, 1872

Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;
I want Thee forever to live in my soul.
Break down every idol, cast out every foe;
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Chorus:
Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow.
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, let nothing unholy remain,
Apply Thine own blood and extract ev’ry stain;
To get this blest cleansing, I all things forego—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Chorus

Lord Jesus, look down from Thy throne in the skies,
And help me to make a complete sacrifice.
I give up myself, and whatever I know,
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain

Lord Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat,
I wait, blessèd Lord, at Thy crucified feet.
By faith, for my cleansing, I see Thy blood flow,
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Chorus

Lord Jesus, Thou seest I patiently wait,
Come now, and within me a new heart create;
To those who have sought Thee, Thou never saidst “No,”
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Chorus

The blessing by faith, I receive from above;
O glory! my soul is made perfect in love;
My prayer has prevailed, and this moment I know,
The blood is applied, I am whiter than snow.

Chorus

We had our first snow of the season here on Friday. It brought this song to mind. I've chosen a video with a "country" feel to it. I just liked the way it brought the peace of the setting into the modern world, and the singer seems to be paying attention to the words, too.

Name Game - Oholibamah

Rebecca and the wives of Esau, detail from the "Gates of Paradise" by Lorenzo Ghiberti

O-who? Throughout Biblical history, women occasionally show up in prominent places. Although her name is seldom recounted in Sunday School, this is a woman whose simple appearance in a genealogical line commands attention.

She is mentioned in Genesis 26, and 36, as one of the wives of Esau. He was criticized for taking these wives because they were Hittites, not Hebrews. We do know that her name was changed to Judith, which simply means “a Jewess.” Her Hittite name means “a tent in a high place.” There is a good chance that this indicates she was a priestess. “High Places” usually refers to places of idolatrous worship.

She may also have been the daughter of a strong and famous (in her time) woman. Commentators can’t seem to agree on whether her parent, Anah, is a man or a woman. The King James Version implies the feminine in one place and masculine in another (but it’s possible the term “son” could simply indicate that this is the person through whom the line of descendancy is traced.)

It is clear that she was the mother of three sons who became important chiefs: Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah. Their lines continue through Biblical history. We would call them sheiks.

In the desert, it is a descendant of Korah (also named Korah) who led the rebellion against Moses (Numbers 26), although the name of Dathan is usually associated with that fiasco. The people who participated were swallowed up by an earthquake!

It is also a descendant of Oholibamah who found a spring of water in the desert- better than gold!

One thing is certain. Her name is mentioned repeatedly, which is unusual in itself when no particular story is told about a person. This clearly indicates that she was a person of importance.

Some of us will have no other claim to fame than that we raised our children to do great things after us (or notorious things... we don’t have much control over continuing generations!). Oholibamah was one of these people. But that’s a pretty important accomplishment!

Genesis 26
Genesis 36

Answer to Laddergram

In Revelation 1, Jesus appeared to John, wearing a GOLD SASH.

The words of the laddergram are:
1. STRUNG
2. TURNS
3. RUNT
4. OAKLEY
5. LEAKY
6. KYLE
7. SLIDE
8. SIDE
9. DIE
10. SHADE
11. ASHE
12. SEA

Revelation 1

Friday Fun- Laddergram

Are you familiar with Laddergrams? Answer the clues for each numbered space. Answer 2 is made from answer 1 with one letter removed, and the rest (usually) rearranged. Put the discarded letter in the left hand square. Answer 3 is made from answer 2 the same way. Put that discarded letter in the right hand square. Start over with clues 4-6, 7-9, etc. When you are done the discarded letters will vertically spell the answer to the puzzle.

Note that there is a clue that can help you solve the puzzle, too.



The clue for this puzzle is: What John saw Jesus wearing



You can right click and choose view image to see the puzzle larger.

The Mind of God - We Exist In the Mind of God

image by a Brentwood, CA first-grader

There is some essential connection between knowing the mind of God and the idea that if God were to stop thinking about the world, it would disappear. This post gets a little mystical, but it can’t be helped, that’s just where the topic goes.

C.S. Lewis said, in Surprised by Joy (his personal journey toward becoming a Christian), “we could not have imagined God. He could only have imagined us.” This was one of his conclusions when trying to logically work out a basis for his newfound faith.

There are always limitations in comparing God to things in the physical universe. But, consider a fantasy world that you create in your daydreams. You might imagine a landscape, and various races of creatures with differing abilities. However, the moment that you stop thinking about that world, it would cease to exist.

God not only has brought our universe into existence from his mind, but he sustains it, and us, in some metaphysical way that we can’t fully grasp with our finite minds. Pretend that you were able to give the creatures in the world you imagined powers to act independently of your thoughts. That would begin to be a bit like the way God has established the creation that we know.

Does this sound too weird? Well, just consider these thoughts in the context of Acts 17:28, where Paul states, “In him [God] we live and move and have our being.” And, Colossians 1:17, “in him [Jesus] all things hold together.”

I have no great conclusions here. I just find this an amazing concept to ponder, and to apply to the problem of how to know the mind of God.

Christian Symbolism- Introduction

stained glass by Olsztynku studio

Today is known as All Saints' Day in some Christian denominations. It's no coincidence that it follows All Hallow's Eve. Celebrating the lives of various saints was a tradition from the early church. Many local celebrations were held on various dates, possibly as early as 270 AD. But in 873, Pope Gregory IV made it an official Roman Catholic holiday. The date was probably chosen on purpose to follow the pagan Samhain, or Festival of the Dead.

This post isn't really meant to be a history of All Saints Day. I'm simply going to use it to kick off a new set of posts on this blog. These will focus on Christian symbolism.

Symbols are a common way to represent a truth. The problem with them, particularly religious symbols, is that when their meaning is forgotten they simply become stereotypes. We use symbols all the time. Think of international road signs, logos, pictures on the buttons of your DVD player, school and team mascots, etc. They mean something to us. But consider how silly some of those same symbols might look a thousand years from now. Similarly, we look at paintings of saints and see them adorned with odd items, wearing halos and perhaps holding up two fingers.

It all looks really strange. It's a bit like the satire of the old adages, "Keep your eye on the ball, your shoulder to the wheel, and your nose to the grindstone. Now try to work in that position!"

So, I'm going to occasionally explain what some of those symbols were supposed to mean. They won't always be associated with a saint... I'm just using All Saints' Day to kick off the series.

One of the symbols of All Saints' Day itself is the hand of God with rays coming from it, known as the "Manus Dei." For the first eight centuries of Christian history the hand of God was almost the only symbol used for God the Father. It comes from the many references in Scripture to the "hand of God." Not surprisingly, it represents the fact that God provides for his creation.

The emanating rays stand for God's power, extending to some particular group or person, in this case the saints. Of course, I Corinthians 1:2 (and other references) indicate that all who are Christians are saints.

So whenever you see the Manus Dei, you can think of how much God provides, and the power he has to work in your life.