Brunner: Christ Himself

Saturday, December 18, 2010
Meditation:
Posterity will serve [the LORD];
    future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness
    to a people yet unborn—
    for he has done it.
    —Psalm 22:30-31 (NIV)
Quotation:
    For the Platonic or Aristotelian philosophy it is of no importance whether Plato or Aristotle ever lived. For the mystical practice of an Indian, Persian, Chinese, or Neo-Platonic mystic it is a matter of indifference whether Rama, Buddha, Laotse, or Porphyrius are myths or not. The mystic has no personal relation to them. It is not here a question of somebody telling me the truth which of myself I cannot find, but of my finding an access to the depths of the world in the depths of my soul. And everywhere the tendency is to eliminate personality. Even where religion does not have this mystical character, it has no relation to an historical person, who communicates himself to me. That is the characteristic essence of the Christian faith alone. Even where a prophet plays the role of a mediator-of-divine-truth, as for example in [Islam], the religious act is not directed toward him ... but toward his teaching or message. But the Christian does not believe in the teaching of Jesus—which would not be Christian faith, but general religion—he believes in Christ Himself as being the Word of God.
    ... Emil Brunner (1889-1966), The Word and the World, London: Student Christian Movement Press, 1931, p. 20 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You are Christ. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Lidgett: a share in the saints

Friday, December 17, 2010
    Commemoration of Eglantine Jebb, Social Reformer, Founder of ‘Save the Children’, 1928
Meditation:
    Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
    —Colossians 3:11 (NIV)
Quotation:
    As we look out upon history and the world, it is with the same vision of all things in Christ which dominates the perceptions of all believers, without distinction of age, or race, or Church. Not a saint, a thinker, a hero, or a martyr of the Church, but we claim a share in his character, influence and achievements, by confessing the debt we owe to the great tradition which he has enriched by saintly consecration, true thought, and noble conduct.
    ... John Scott Lidgett (1854-1953), Apostolic Ministry: Sermons and Addresses, London: Charles H. Kelly, 1909, p. 13 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, prompt us to honor the work of Your Holy Spirit. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Barclay: hand of Christ

Thursday, December 16, 2010
Meditation:
    And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
    —Revelation 21:3-4 (NIV)
Quotation:
    The hand of Christ is strong enough to uphold the heavens and gentle enough to wipe away our tears.
    ... William Barclay (1907-1978), The Revelation of John, v. I, Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1961, reprint, Saint Andrew Press, 1965, p. 63 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, I place my trust in You for all things. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Babcock: the real peril

Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Meditation:
    For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
    —2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV)
Quotation:
    The tests of life are to make, not break us. Trouble may demolish a man’s business but build up his character. The blow at the outward man may be the greatest blessing to the inner man. If God, then, puts or permits anything hard in our lives, be sure that the real peril, the real trouble, is that we shall lose if we flinch or rebel.
    ... Maltbie D. Babcock (1858-1901), Thoughts for Every-day Living, New York: C. Scribner’s sons, 1901, p. 2 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, teach me to hold fast to Your word. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Newton: talk about Christ

Tuesday, December 14, 2010
    Feast of John of the Cross, Mystic, Poet, Teacher, 1591
Meditation:
    I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.
    —Romans 16:17 (NIV)
Quotation:
    I endeavour to keep all Shibboleths, and forms and terms of distinction out of sight, as we keep knives and razors out of the way of children; and if my hearers had not some other means of information, I think they would not know from me that there are such creatures as Arminians and Calvinists in the world. But we [would] talk a good deal about Christ.
    ... John Newton (1725-1807), in a letter quoted in John Newton: a biography, Bernard Martin, Heinemann, 1950, p. 275 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, help us to fix our focus on You. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Johnson: we try to reform

Monday, December 13, 2010
    Feast of Lucy, Martyr at Syracuse, 304
    Commemoration of Samuel Johnson, Writer, Moralist, 1784
Meditation:
    [Jesus:] “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
    —Luke 18:7-8 (NIV)
Quotation:
    We took tea, by Boswell’s desire; and I eat one bun, I think, that I might not be seen to fast ostentatiously.
    When I find that so much of my life has stolen unprofitably away, and that I can descry by retrospection scarcely a few single days properly and vigorously employed, why do I yet try to resolve again? I try, because reformation is necessary and despair is criminal. I try, in humble hope of the help of God.
    ... Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), Prayers and Meditations, London: Verner, Hood, and Sharpe, 1806, Good Friday, April 14, 1775, p. 114-115 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, renew my hope for true obedience to Your law. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Ellul: the work is complete

Sunday, December 12, 2010
    Advent III
Meditation:
    When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
    —John 19:30 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Are we to think that God has failed? But the failure of a Christianity that expresses what we have made of revelation does not change at all what God has accomplished. He became incarnate. Jesus Christ, the Son, died (and our sins were pardoned). He is risen (and death, chaos, and the devil are defeated). No matter what may be the mischances of history or the errors and aberrations of the human race, these things endure. What is done is done. Irrespective of what we make of Christianity, God’s work and accomplishment are complete, and they are inscribed in human history.
    ... Jacques Ellul (1912-1994), The Subversion of Christianity, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1986, p. 12 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, Your victory is final. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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