Stephen the Sabaite: Art thou weary, art thou languid

Saturday, July 23, 2011
    Commemoration of Bridget of Sweden, Abbess of Vadstena, 1373
Meditation:
    He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
    —Isaiah 53:3-5 (KJV)
Quotation:
Art thou weary, art thou languid,
    Art thou sore distrest?
“Come to me”—saith One—“and coming,
        Be at rest!”

Hath He marks to lead me to Him,
    If He be my Guide?
“In His Feet and Hands are Wound-prints,
        And His Side.”

Is there Diadem, as Monarch,
    That His Brow adorns?
“Yea, a Crown, in very surety,
        But of Thorns!”

If I find Him, if I follow,
    What His guerdon [reward] here?
“Many a sorrow, many a labour,
        Many a tear.”

If I still hold closely to Him,
    What hath He at last?
“Sorrow vanquish’d, labour ended,
        Jordan past!”

If I ask Him to receive me,
    Will He say me nay?
“Not till earth, and not till Heaven
        Pass away!”

Finding, following, keeping, struggling,
    Is He sure to bless?
“Angels, Martyrs, Prophets, Virgins,
        Answer, Yes!”
    ... St. Stephen the Sabaite (725-796) & John Mason Neale (1818-1866), Hymns of the Eastern Church, London: J. T. Hayes, 1870, p. 156-158 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, the whole church praises You for salvation.

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Calvin: death by Law

Friday, July 22, 2011
    Feast of Mary Magdalen, Apostle to the Apostles
Meditation:
    The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
    —1 Corinthians 15:56-57 (NIV)
Quotation:
    The doctrine of the Law transcending our capacity, a man may indeed look from a distance at the promises held forth, but he cannot derive any benefit from them. The only thing, therefore, remaining for him is, from their excellence to form a better estimate of his own misery, while he considers that the hope of salvation is cut off, and he is threatened with certain death. On the other hand, those fearful denunciations which strike not at a few individuals, but at every individual without exceptions, rise up; rise up, I say, and, with inexorable severity, pursue us; so that nothing but instant death is presented by the Law.
    ... John Calvin (1509-1564), The Institutes of the Christian Religion, v. I [1559], tr. John Allen, Presbyterian Board of Publication and Sabbath-School Work, 1921, II.vii.3, p. 316 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, without Your grace, I am lost. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Owen: fail but do not abandon Christ

Thursday, July 21, 2011
Meditation:
    Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
    —James 4:8 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Consider that it is not failing in this or that attempt to come to Christ, but a giving over your endeavors, that will be your ruin.
    ... John Owen (1616-1683), The Glory of Christ [1684, 1691], in Works of John Owen, v. I, London: Johnson & Hunter, 1850, p. 428 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You reward those who persist. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Luther: the reason for the commandments

Wednesday, July 20, 2011
    Commemoration of Bartolomè de las Casas, Apostle to the Indies, 1566
Meditation:
    [Jesus:] “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”
    —Revelation 3:17 (NIV)
Quotation:
    The commandments are not given inappropriately or pointlessly; but in order that through them the proud, blind man may learn the plague of his impotence, should he try to do as he is commanded.
    ... Martin Luther (1483-1546), The Bondage of the Will, Revell, 1957, P. 160 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, only You can cure my blindness. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Bonhoeffer: patience in meditation

Tuesday, July 19, 2011
    Feast of Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, & his sister Macrina, Teachers, c.394 & c.379
Meditation:
    Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
    —1 Corinthians 14:1 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Above all, it is not necessary that we should have any unexpected, extraordinary experiences in meditation. This can happen, but if it does not, it is not a sign that the meditation period has been useless. Not only at the beginning, but repeatedly, there will be times when we feel a great spiritual dryness and apathy, an aversion, even an inability to meditate. We dare not be balked by such experiences. Above all, we must not allow them to keep us from adhering to our meditation period with great patience and fidelity.
    It is, therefore, not good for us to take too seriously the many untoward experiences we have with ourselves in meditation. It is here that our old vanity and our illicit claims upon God may creep in by a pious detour, as if it were our right to have nothing but elevating and fruitful experiences, and as if the discovery of our own inner poverty were quite beneath our dignity. With that attitude, we shall make no progress.
    ... Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), Life Together [1954], tr. Daniel W. Bloesch & James H. Burtness, Fortress Press, 2004, p. 88 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, I am content with whatever You ordain. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Gossip: love's noon

Monday, July 18, 2011
Meditation:
    Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
    —1 Chronicles 16:34 (NIV)
Quotation:
    God’s love is a sun that never sets, and never sinks; is always, always at its full noonday glory!
    ... A. J. Gossip (1873-1954), From the Edge of the Crowd, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1924, p. 113 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, Your love is never less than it was and never more than it will be. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Engstrom: guidance

Sunday, July 17, 2011
Meditation:
    He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
    —Micah 6:8 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Our responsibility is to walk with courage and integrity, continually looking to our Lord for Guidance.
    ... Ted W. Engstrom (1916-2006), former president, World Vision US, in a private communication from World Vision
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You lead our walk. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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