Saturday, January 30, 2010

Newbigin: asking the wrong question

Saturday, January 30, 2010
    Commemoration of Lesslie Newbigin, Bishop, Missionary, Teacher, 1998
Meditation:
    Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.
    —1 Peter 3:8 (NIV)
Quotation:
    If [instead of beginning with the fellowship,] we begin by saying that the Church exists where the Word is truly preached and the Sacraments rightly administered, we are immediately involved in the attempt to answer the question, “What is correct doctrine and correct administration?” In fact, the latter question has tended to drop out of the centre of Protestant discussion, for the Word was really central and the Sacrament was conceived essentially as the Word made visible. “The Word,” says Luther, “is the one perpetual and infallible mark of the Church.” The natural result of this position is that the question of doctrinal correctness becomes the all important one. And, ex hypothesi, this question has to be discussed in isolation, apart from consideration of the character of the fellowship in which the doctrine is taught. The Church is defined in terms of agreement about doctrine, and this doctrinal agre! ement must be agreement on paper. A written theological statement becomes the one determinative centre of the Church’s life [instead of the unity of the believers in Christ].
    ... Lesslie Newbigin (1909-1998), The Household of God, London, SCM Press, 1953, New York: Friendship Press, 1954, p. 51 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, grant us Your Spirit, that we may be united.
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Friday, January 29, 2010

La Rochefoucauld: the triumph of pride

Friday, January 29, 2010
Meditation:
    [Jesus:] “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
    —Matthew 7:1-2 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Pride has a greater share than goodness of heart in the remonstrances we make to those who are guilty of faults; we reprove, not so much with a view to correcting them, as to persuade them that we are exempt from those faults ourselves.
    ... François La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680), Moral Reflections, Sentences and Maxims of Francis, Duc de la Rochefoucauld, New York: W. Gowans, 1851, p. 15 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, in my pride, I sin against Your grace and holiness.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Drummond: on Pilgrim's Progress

Thursday, January 28, 2010
    Feast of Thomas Aquinas, Priest, Teacher of the Faith, 1274
Meditation:
    [Jesus:] “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”
    —Matthew 23:23 (NIV)
Quotation:
    The tendency of the religions of all time has been to care more for religion than for humanity; Christ cared more for humanity than for religion—rather, His care for humanity was the chief expression of His religion. He was not indifferent to observances, but the practices of the people bulked in His thoughts before the practices of the Church. It has been pointed out as a blemish on the immortal allegory of Bunyan that the Pilgrim never did anything—anything but save his soul. The remark is scarcely fair, for the allegory is designedly the story of a soul in a single relation; and, besides, he did do a little. But the warning may well be weighed. The Pilgrim’s one thought, his work by day, his dream by night, was escape. He took little part in the world through which he passed. He was a Pilgrim travelling through it; his business was to get through safe. Whatever this is, it is not Christianity.
    ... Henry Drummond (1851-1897), The Programme of Christianity, New York: J. Potts, 1891, p. 9 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, keep our eyes on the substance of faith in You.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Pascal: the centrality of Christ

Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Meditation:
    The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
    —Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Not only do we not know God except through Jesus Christ; we do not even know ourselves except through Jesus Christ.
    ... Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), Pensées (Thoughts) [1660], P.F. Collier & Son, 1910, #548, p. 177 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You are the only path to true knowledge.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Luther: the true treasure

Tuesday, January 26, 2010
    Feast of Timothy and Titus, Companions of Paul
    Commemoration of Dorothy Kerin, Founder of the Burrswood Healing Community, 1963
Meditation:
    [Jesus:] “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
    —John 12:27-28 (NIV)
Quotation:
    The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God.
    ... Martin Luther (1483-1546), Luther’s Ninety-five Theses, Harold J. Grimm, ed., Fortress Press, 1957, thesis #62, p. 14 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, arouse Your church for Your Gospel.
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Monday, January 25, 2010

Marshall: why the Church didn't work

Monday, January 25, 2010
    Feast of the Conversion of Paul
Meditation:
    [Jesus in prayer:] For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
    —John 17:8 (NIV)
Quotation:
    In [Father Smith’s] opinion the leaders of the Church had grown so used to the spectacle of the world neglecting the wisdom of Christ that they had ceased to be shocked by it and what was wanted was a renewal of the apostolic spirit among cardinals and archbishops and papal nuncios. It was no use preaching the gospel only to those who came to church to hear it. The gospel ought to be preached to those who didn’t want to hear it as well: to industrialists in their offices, to clubmen in their windows, to workers in their yards and factories, to bibbers in their taverns, to harlots in their doorways, to all those should the sweet tidings of Christ be taught. It was a sorry matter for reflection that it was only heretics who dared to brave the sneers of the mob by crying aloud the Name of Jesus at street corners and in the market place.
    ... Bruce Marshall (1899-1987), The World, the Flesh, and Father Smith, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1945, p. 127 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Let all the world hear Your Gospel, Lord!
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Sunday, January 24, 2010

de Sales: the believer's lot

Sunday, January 24, 2010
    Feast of François de Sales, Bishop of Geneva, Teacher, 1622
Meditation:
    For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
    —1 Corinthians 12:13 (NIV)
Quotation:
    We must not be unjust and require from ourselves what is not in ourselves... Do not desire not to be what you are, but desire to be very well what you are.
    ... François de Sales (1567-1622), Spiritual Maxims, Longmans, Green, 1954, p. 138,114 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, grant me the grace to be Your servant in the role You have ordained.
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