Deus Misereatur

Self-Defense for Gentlemen and Ladies: A Nineteenth-Century Treatise on Boxing, Kicking, Grappling, and Fencing with the Cane and Quarterstaff by Thomas Hoyer Monstery My rating: 4 of 5 stars There it was, that dashing bar-fight scene where Sherlock Holmes (played by Jeremy Brett) fights Mr. Woodley as a gentleman. The scuffle ends with victory for Mr. Holmes, the prostration of Mr. Woodley and the applause of the pub patrons. The fighting style looks odd when compared to more modern versions of Sherlock Holmes, but there is a historical twinge to the scene. In the 19th Century England and America there were men putting themselves forward as experts in self-defense, some of whom had personal experience. On U.S. soil Colonel Thomas Hoyer Monstery was one of these. From December 1877 to January 1879 Monstery wrote several articles on self-defense in the New York magazine "The Spirit of the Times". These articles have been reclaimed, re-collected and republished in the 216 p...

We implore your help and governance, Good Lord, for your church throughout the world, for this congregation, and also for First Missionary Baptist, First Southern Baptist, Followers of Christ Baptist and Fortieth Street Baptist churches. May we flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. May we be planted in the house of the LORD; and flourish in the courts of our God. May we still bear fruit in old age; be ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; that you are our rock, and there is no unrighteousness in you (Psalm 92.12-15). We plead with you especially and expressly for your church in North America. Preserve us from ourselves; preserve us from amputating ourselves from the essential, directive, life-supporting connection to your Word; preserve us from caving in to the present social and sexual storm that is brewing. Raise us up and guide us in affirming the beauty of your creation ordinance of one man and one woman married for life; t...

Beauty, Order, and Mystery: A Christian Vision of Human Sexuality by Gerald L. Hiestand My rating: 5 of 5 stars The book quickly catches your attention! Early on the editors claim that the profound mystery of human sexuality “has been exchanged for a constructivist and reductionist vision of sexuality, where these gloriously sexed bodies are viewed as little more than cultural products or biological necessities” (3). That’s how “Beauty, Order, and Mystery: A Christian Vision of Human Sexuality” begins, and then it masterfully moves outward, onward and upward. This recently published 229 page softback compiles papers from fourteen different authors that were presented at the 2016 annual conference of the Center for Pastoral Theologians (CPT). It is edited by Gerald L. Hiestand and Todd Wilson, both pastors at Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Illinois, as well as cofounders of the CPT. The writers collectively seek to display a Christian portrayal of human sexuality that revels i...

Mom, Dad ... Can We Talk?: Insight and Perspectives to Help Us Do What's Best for Our Aging Parents by Dick Edwards My rating: 5 of 5 stars What can you expect when your parents draw near to their later years? Are there any way-points that can help you navigate this period and keep it from becoming a dark time in your relationship with your older parents? Dick Edwards draws from decades of experience in eldercare and shares it with the reading public in this 155 page softback. It is written for folks from all walks of life, and is a solid resource. "Mom, Dad...Can We Talk?" unfolds in fifteen short chapters that cover a number of subjects. Some chapters prepare readers for what is before them, and how it may affect them. Others talk about family dynamics, the ways these play out, and how siblings can learn to communicate with one another, especially between those who are giving immediate care and those who are at a geographical distance. A few sections present ideas...

Glory be to God on high, and in earth peace, goodwill towards men; we praise you, we bless you, we worship you, we glorify you, we give thanks to you, for your great glory. O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takes away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us. You that take away the sin of the world, receive our prayer. You that sit at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. For you only are holy; you only are the Lord; you only, O Christ, with the Holy Spirit, are most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen . Great King and Sovereign, look upon our country and the nations of this world; including East Timor; Ecuador; Egypt; and El Salvador. May all know your peace on earth, becoming men and women of goodwill. O God of armies, send forth your angels to preserve and protect our firefighters, Law Enforcement Officers, and our military members. Ya...

Preaching as Reminding: Stirring Memory in an Age of Forgetfulness by Jeffrey D. Arthurs My rating: 5 of 5 stars I have read my fair share of books on preaching through the decades. Many of them are encouraging and helpful, unpacking the "Why" and "What" of Christian preaching before they get into the "How". Each one normally has a unique perspective and pursuit. Some are trendy, many others are traditional. Jeffrey D. Arthurs, professor of preaching and communication at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA, has recently added his assessment and angle in a new 192 page softback, “Preaching as Reminding: Stirring Memory in an of Forgetfulness”. These seven chapters are easy to read and retain, while supplying strengthening substance. The first three chapters of “Preaching as Reminding” look carefully at the role of remembering and forgetting in Sacred Scripture, and how the preacher is called to be a reminder, a remembrancer. A reme...

Since you are God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth , we pray for your creation and creatures whom you made, and whom you sustain. Thank you for the rains we’ve received here this past week. Please continue to supply the showers and rainfalls we need. Replenish our resources and reserves. Preserve our continent from fires and floods, plagues and pestilence. Please continue your kindnesses to our country, and shine the light of your mercy on all nations to include Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, and Dominican Republic. Bring all peoples to recognize that in you we live and move and have our being. Bring kindness and care to be exhibited unilaterally. Calm the troubling voices and saber-rattling. We also implore your compassion for those who need our prayers, because their estate in life at present is precarious or poor (…). Lift up their heads from the dreariness or darkness that they may come to count it all joy when they meet trials of various kinds, and come to know th...