Deus Misereatur

Soul Recreation: The Contemplative-Mystical Piety of Puritanism Tom Schwanda Pickwick Publications (Wipf and Stock) 199 West 8 th Ave, Suite 3 Eugene, OR 97401 http://www.wipfandstock.com ISBN-978-1-61097-455-4; $35.00; 2012. Reviewed by Dr. Michael Philliber for Deus Misereatur (12/12)  Puritan Piety (3 stars out of 5) When one thinks of meditation or contemplation, rarely does Puritanism race to the forefront of the mind. Instead, other traditions will be quickly thought of and looked into. But Tom Schwanda, Associate Professor of Christian Formation and Ministry at Wheaton College, seeks to give a scholarly corrective to this perception. In his recent 292 page paperback titled, “Soul Recreation: The Contemplative-Mystical Piety of Puritanism” he lays the groundwork for reclaiming a Reformed and Evangelical heritage of contemplative piety, looking primarily at one 17 th Century Puritan, Isaac Ambrose. In “Soul Recreation, Schwanda strives to raise, a...

LORD GOD , the Almighty Maker of heaven and earth, who has broken into the darkness of our lives, coming to our rescue in person; in person as a child born for us, as a son given to us: and in coming to our rescue now the people who once walked in darkness have seen a great light, and those who once dwelt in the land of the shadow of deep darkness, upon them a light has shown! We confess our obstinacy and sheer knuckleheaded impiousness. We have followed too much the ruses and innovations of our own hearts, by doing those things we knew we shouldn’t, and not doing the good things we knew we were supposed to. In truth, in more incidents than we can count, we allowed our pride and pleasure to twist our relationships and warp our actions. O God, what a mess we are!  … [ silence for personal confession ]... In spite of what we are, you have promised that if we confess our sins, that you –faithful and just – will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and that the blo...

[The sermon can be heard here:  http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?m=t&s=1226121020243 ] There is just something about Christmas time. The tinsel, the pine trees, ornaments, lights, smells, the sounds of families laughing and being together again, along with the songs that conjure up memories of Christmases past. And yet there are the “other” Christmases that don’t warm the heart. Those two shoppers you saw fighting over the last toy on the shelf at the store. Scenes of harried and hassled people in the shopping malls, fretting over the quantity of gifts or the mounting debt they were accruing. The family meltdown last Christmas when Uncle Joe and Aunt Mary exploded with stabbing words and ghastly stares that poisoned everyone’s heart, as well as the advertisements that glorify and exalt selfishness, greed, lust, and envy. These are the sad scenarios of Christmas, which make it a repugnant and dreadful season for some. But underneath the sounds and smells there is...

“Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, “Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.” Contemplating this passage, I am probably going to say things that are not too surprising, and I might say a thing or two that are. And again, just in case I get lost along the way...

O GOD Most High, you are great and abundant in power, your understanding is beyond measure (Psalm 147.5); we cry out to you in the midst of this cataclysmic event because we are distraught. Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants (Psalm 90.13)! O dear God, the loss of life, the undeserved violence foisted on the children, the death brought to those who did no wrong, the robbing of safety, security and well-being! How long, O Lord? Will you look on (Psalm 35.17)? How long, O LORD? will you hide yourself forever (Psalm 89.46)? O Lord, have mercy! But you, O Lord, know what it is to have injustice and vicious brutality poured out on someone you love! Your own Son faced torture, and bore the bloody slaughter of the cross for us and our salvation! He too asked, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27.46) as evil clouded his perception. You know! And not only do you know, but through his resurrection on the third day, you have inaugurated the new...

Isaiah 35.1-10: “1-The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; 2-it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. 3-Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4-Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." 5-Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6-then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7-the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8-And a highway shall be there, and i...

This prayer has been on my mind and heart for a long while. I thought it time to post it with a few very short reflections: O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. It appears this prayer has roots that go as far back as 1714. It is found in the 1928 and 1979 Book of Common Prayer. Give us grace to lay to heart : It is the Spirit of God who gifts his church with unity (Ephes...