Deus Misereatur

“Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more”” (Matthew 2.16-18). So the story goes! Imagine the parents wailing as the gruff soldiers slammed through their doors, cleared the houses, yanking up the frightened infants and startled toddlers from sleeping mats, out of mother’s arms, and away from dirt-floor homes. The crying sounds, blood and carnage spewing through the air, while helpless mothers and fathers are held back at spear point. What despair must have drowned their parental hearts! In a strange way, these infants and...

The Easter Jesus and the Good Friday Church: Reclaiming the Centrality of the Resurrection Gregory S. Athnos Outskirts Press, Inc. 10940 S. Parker Rd - 515, Parker, CO 80134 Copyright: 2011 ISBN: 978-1-4327-7450-9; $19.95 (Reviewed for ReaderViews http://www.readerviews.com ) For Christians there is a central set of defining, distinctive, unbendable, tenets. One crucial portion of those dogmas focus on Jesus, who he is and what he has done. The chief assertion is that Jesus, after his crucifixion, rose from the dead. This becomes the event through which everything about Jesus is interpreted, from his birth to his burial and beyond. To lose or lessen this principal declaration is to undermine, and eventually, negate Christianity all together. That’s Gregory S. Athnos’s point in his new work, “The Easter Jesus and the Good Friday Church: Reclaiming the Centrality of the Resurrection,” an easy to read 230 page paperback, written for Christians and non-Christians alike. Athnos b...

I picked up a book I hadn't looked into for a while and a piece of paper slipped out. I reached out & took it up and started reading it. My heart welled up with delight and solemn gladness. Some years back I had meditated on this ancient Hymn and fondly remembered how I was comforted. I hope you will find it refreshingly comforting, strengthening and devotional. It can be sung to this tune: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/o/lojthink.htm 1. Lord Jesus, think on me; And this poor offering, Which I do humbly weave for Thee, Accept, O Christ, my King. 2. Lord Jesus, think on me, And purge away my sin: From earthborn passions set me free, And make me pure within. 3. Lord Jesus, think on me, With care and woe oppressed; Let me Thy loving servant be, And taste Thy promised rest. 4. Lord Jesus, think on me Amid the battle's strife: In all my pain and misery Be Thou my Health and Life. 5. Lord Jesus, think on me, Nor let me go astray: Through darkness and p...

Union with Christ: Reframing Theology and Ministry for the Church J. Todd Billings Baker Academics Copyright: 2011 ISBN: 978-0-8010-3934-8; $19.99 I’ve heard it said that most preachers have only one sermon, delivered in hundreds of different ways throughout their ministry. J. Todd Billings is a theologian with one, central theme that rings out in many of his works, and is the point of his most recent piece, “Union with Christ: Reframing Theology and Ministry for the Church.” This short 180 page paperback is the work of a skilled craftsman hammering out further applications and repercussions of his chief message - union with Christ. As Billings notes toward the close of his book, “Union with Christ is a biblical, catholic, and Reformational theme that has astonishing implications for our identity” (173). This is a great read for pastors, theologians, and other serious church leaders. Billings opens the subject with an introduction that describes what he’s about to dish out in t...

{Nota Bene: Sometimes we read or hear this subject as if it were a prison house, a bondage, a set of shackles that confiscates our independence. Yet God, who has liberated us in and through Christ gives us a plan to live out, to enjoy and be refreshed by, this liberty. As you peruse the following, read it through the lens of liberation.} Beyond the plodding practical stuff of preparing for Sunday, there are ways in which wholeheartedly practicing the sacredness of the Lord’s Day starts to show itself as indisputably countercultural. Here is where you will start getting flack from family, friends, and society; this is when you’ll start getting asked if you belong to a cult or get treated like you’re a nut case. The simplest way to enjoy the sacredness of the Lord’s Day is to refrain from all commercial and organizational recreation/sports activities as possible . For starters, seek to avoid internet shopping on Sunday, along with fundraising work, all non-immediate home repairs, ho...

In 2 Chronicles 14, King Asa had just experienced a rousing, surprising victory. His army was outnumbered almost 2 to 1, but the LORD wrought a great victory, in response to Asa‘s prayer. His prayer of confident humility in verse 11 is instructive for God’s people in any age, especially as they confront far superior foes. After the victory, Asa and his army were returning to Jerusalem. The Spirit of God came on a priest, Azariah, who prophesied (to declare & announce God’s standard) a strong, firm promise. “The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you ; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.” Very simple, firm, and covenantal. Asa and God’s people took the Word to heart. They gathered in the liturgical, public framework of the Temple and there renewed their part of God’s covenant (12-14): “Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; and whoever would not seek...

The wholehearted practice of keeping the Lord’s Day sacred is an adventurous enterprise! But it requires practice and some plodding. Besides getting to bed early enough on Saturday that Sunday becomes a pleasure, there is another piece to the puzzle, especially if you find yourself rushed and flushed on Sunday. Prepare your clothes on Saturday. Getting them laid out in advanced, and having the ironing done, means Sunday morning you can rise without frantically rummaging through your closet, growling at everyone to get out of your way as you scramble to the ironing board. Instead, you will find that having been prepared the night before, makes the Lord’s Day morning set the tempo of the day at “Comfy”. Also, it aids you to a clearheaded charitableness with the rest of the family - which means, there’s one less sin to unload at the Sunday Morning Confession of Sin. Finally, it will make getting to Sunday School, and arriving on time a far more likely affair. The day will feel far mor...