Affluence a birth right.
Groomed to desire from the cradle.
One man's dream is another man's nightmare.
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Saturday, 22 August 2009
OBSCURITY
The truth of Man in the image of God has been relegated to the mists of time with devastating results.
Man has no dignity or future without it. Thinking men are troubled but do not know where to find the answer. If the Church no longer declares this truth there is indeed darkness. This is the beginning, middle and end of our story. The theme of Scripture.
Only when we see what greatness God has bestowed on us in making us in His image do we begin to comprehend the awfulness of our fall. His grace in recreating us to something far greater, to the image of His Son, is little seen today.
Small wonder chaos and evil reign.
Man has no dignity or future without it. Thinking men are troubled but do not know where to find the answer. If the Church no longer declares this truth there is indeed darkness. This is the beginning, middle and end of our story. The theme of Scripture.
Only when we see what greatness God has bestowed on us in making us in His image do we begin to comprehend the awfulness of our fall. His grace in recreating us to something far greater, to the image of His Son, is little seen today.
Small wonder chaos and evil reign.
FINDING MY FEET
For two years I did not drive.
Why did I find such satisfaction in using my feet to motorise my day?
There were physical benefits to be sure. But it was more than this. I gloried in the knowledge that I had used my body productively and had been free from mechcanical transport. It made me value my legs in a way I had never done before. I took great care of them, fearing I would loose my newfound freedom.
Is this not what we want for our people? To appreciate and take care of their bodies? They will only do so when they value them. They will only value them when they use them productively. We no longer make or do worthwhile things with our bodies. We buy porridge at the station to eat on the train which takes us to work where we sit behind a computer and get Repetative Strain Injury from excessive use of our hands.
No wonder we tell the doctor we are sick. Yes, but we are sick of life. Smoking, eating and drinking degrade and destroy our bodies as we gaze impotently at the TV or computer screen.
What to do?
Rethink our daily activities and try to use our bodies as much as possible in different ways, to add value to our lives. And so they will aquire a value which we will treasure.
Why did I find such satisfaction in using my feet to motorise my day?
There were physical benefits to be sure. But it was more than this. I gloried in the knowledge that I had used my body productively and had been free from mechcanical transport. It made me value my legs in a way I had never done before. I took great care of them, fearing I would loose my newfound freedom.
Is this not what we want for our people? To appreciate and take care of their bodies? They will only do so when they value them. They will only value them when they use them productively. We no longer make or do worthwhile things with our bodies. We buy porridge at the station to eat on the train which takes us to work where we sit behind a computer and get Repetative Strain Injury from excessive use of our hands.
No wonder we tell the doctor we are sick. Yes, but we are sick of life. Smoking, eating and drinking degrade and destroy our bodies as we gaze impotently at the TV or computer screen.
What to do?
Rethink our daily activities and try to use our bodies as much as possible in different ways, to add value to our lives. And so they will aquire a value which we will treasure.
Monday, 17 August 2009
SNOW
Words of Bishop J C Ryle, in the mid 1850's, written out of bitter experience.
"Property values and public stocks, dependent on public confidence, melting like snow in the Spring".
' There is nothing new under the sun'
Ecclesiastes 1 vs 10
"Property values and public stocks, dependent on public confidence, melting like snow in the Spring".
' There is nothing new under the sun'
Ecclesiastes 1 vs 10
EUTHANASIA
Scripture teaches that man is made in the image of God. Each embryo is a potential being made in that image, each day becoming more like that image. God's purpose is always to bring His will to fruition and He delights in fruitfulness.
We ignore this teaching, encouraging our young to dispose of 'something' which threatens our self-centred lifestyle.
We should not think it strange that when we enter old age, they have the same attitude towards us.
It is true justice.
We ignore this teaching, encouraging our young to dispose of 'something' which threatens our self-centred lifestyle.
We should not think it strange that when we enter old age, they have the same attitude towards us.
It is true justice.
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
PROFIT
Man has gone from making money from goods and services to making a profit from money. Now he makes money out of nothing but syphers in the ether.
Others pay the bill.
Others pay the bill.
Thursday, 30 July 2009
ENJOYMENT
God made us in order to find His joy in us, as in the rest of creation.
'It is good' is pronounced at each stage. Much of creation, hidden from our sight, is marvelled over by the Creator. The Father and the Son were bound up in rejoicing, as the world was made. Proverbs 8: 30
The Holy Spirit too, was caught up in the wonder of creation.
Genesis 1: 2
Above all the Son delights in man.
Proverbs 8: 31
He has chosen to need us to complete His joy.
He is the Bridegroom, we are His Bride. We surmise that God came walking in the cool of evening, in order to enjoy fellowship with Adam and Eve. Unbelieveably, man chose to find his joy elsewhere, by becoming a god himself and so cut himself off from the only source of true enjoyment. Ever since he is a wanderer who is never satisfied.
Jesus came to restore that joyous fellowship.
John 15: 11.
While there is mourning for rebellion and self-love, we must not loose sight of that for which we have been redeemed and to enter into its fulness.
John 17: 13
One of the greatest human joys we have, is to find enjoyment in each other, mirroring the pleasure found in the Song of Songs. As Wisdom rejoiced before the Father during creation, and as God joys over us with singing, is it too fanciful to conceive of these scenes as a glorious dance, of God playing with His people, much as lovers do who are delighting in each other?
'The Lord your God in your midst,
The mighty One will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you in His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing'.
Zephaniah 3: 17
Hardly surprising that C S Lewis was 'Surprised by Joy'.
'It is good' is pronounced at each stage. Much of creation, hidden from our sight, is marvelled over by the Creator. The Father and the Son were bound up in rejoicing, as the world was made. Proverbs 8: 30
The Holy Spirit too, was caught up in the wonder of creation.
Genesis 1: 2
Above all the Son delights in man.
Proverbs 8: 31
He has chosen to need us to complete His joy.
He is the Bridegroom, we are His Bride. We surmise that God came walking in the cool of evening, in order to enjoy fellowship with Adam and Eve. Unbelieveably, man chose to find his joy elsewhere, by becoming a god himself and so cut himself off from the only source of true enjoyment. Ever since he is a wanderer who is never satisfied.
Jesus came to restore that joyous fellowship.
John 15: 11.
While there is mourning for rebellion and self-love, we must not loose sight of that for which we have been redeemed and to enter into its fulness.
John 17: 13
One of the greatest human joys we have, is to find enjoyment in each other, mirroring the pleasure found in the Song of Songs. As Wisdom rejoiced before the Father during creation, and as God joys over us with singing, is it too fanciful to conceive of these scenes as a glorious dance, of God playing with His people, much as lovers do who are delighting in each other?
'The Lord your God in your midst,
The mighty One will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you in His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing'.
Zephaniah 3: 17
Hardly surprising that C S Lewis was 'Surprised by Joy'.
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
NECROPHILIACS
Term used by Jeremy Paxman in his book, ' The English'
Unlikely as it seems, there are men who love death.
Proverbs 8 talks of those who sin against God and so wrong their own soul.
'All those who hate me love death'.
Some are set on studying fossils in order to disprove God. They become what they prize most.
Life and death are set before us.
The call comes to us to choose life.
There is death in this choice, but of self, and so we find life.
'For whoever finds Me finds life,
And obtains favour from the Lord'.
Unlikely as it seems, there are men who love death.
Proverbs 8 talks of those who sin against God and so wrong their own soul.
'All those who hate me love death'.
Some are set on studying fossils in order to disprove God. They become what they prize most.
Life and death are set before us.
The call comes to us to choose life.
There is death in this choice, but of self, and so we find life.
'For whoever finds Me finds life,
And obtains favour from the Lord'.
Saturday, 11 July 2009
ART
Further thoughts from 'The Craftsman'
Play at work turns that work into a form of art. Because the future beckons us on, there is a rhythm that develops as we craft that future. Perhaps the greatest joy a craftsman has is to help others craft their own future and dance to their own rhythm.
We also craft our relationships and institutions, political as well as social. There should always be that element of play, not taking ourselves too seriously.
Play at work turns that work into a form of art. Because the future beckons us on, there is a rhythm that develops as we craft that future. Perhaps the greatest joy a craftsman has is to help others craft their own future and dance to their own rhythm.
We also craft our relationships and institutions, political as well as social. There should always be that element of play, not taking ourselves too seriously.
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