What does the LORD require of you?

'Josephine and Mercie' by Edmund Charles Tarbell

Micah 6:8  

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?  

  This is one of my favorite Scripture verses.  I even painted the verse on chairs at my home.  As I reflected on it the past few days, it crossed my mind that this relatively short verse could sum up how I should seek to live each day.

There are three basic things listed, easy for my mind to grab hold of as I go about my day-
1. To do justice/justly
2. To love mercy/kindness
3. To walk humbly with my God

As I go about the day doing my work - interacting with people in person, over the phone, online; and even thinking to myself...I  can easily remind myself of these three requirements which to me consist of, at the very least, doing all things with integrity, standing up against injustice; showing kindness and mercy, with patience and gentleness; and knowing my status before my God (not some impersonal God out there but my God, the God who is personal, who created and redeemed me, who knows and loves me, and who is with me wherever I go).

It has helped me to have these three requirements in my head throughout the day.  My naturally impatient, self-centered self with a tendency towards rudeness would now pause and think if I am showing kindness in how I speak to the person across from me or on the phone (I'm especially guilty of rudeness here), or if I am true to my word, or if I am being cowardly and selfish by not doing my part in securing hope for the oppressed (not necessarily always on a grand scale but equally crucial in everyday encounters like speaking up for the widow who is being bullied).

But more importantly, the verse reminds me to start each day cognizant of my status before my God, humbly obeying Him in everything and every way as His Spirit leads, not for fear of punishment by some distant oppressive God, but out of love of a personal God who loves me first and is ever present with me.  To me, it is like a child holding on tightly to her father with adoration and respect as he leads her with loving authority and impeccable wisdom.

I have failed and will continue to fail as I go about my day, stumbling as I act out in anger or without integrity, or  when I treat God and man with contempt, seeking to do things my way.  But my God's love is steadfast, He does not give up easily and is gracious to let me see my erring ways,then pulls me back up and set me once again on the journey with Him for another mile, for another day.

Before I end this post, I would like to point out that other than the use of the personal possessive pronoun "your" before "God," the name of God used in this verse "YHWH," translated "I AM WHO I AM" or "I AM" ("the LORD" in English Bibles) was first revealed to the Israelites during the Exodus.  God told Moses to tell the people before they set out that it's "I AM" who had  sent him to lead them out of Egypt (Exodus 3:14).  Up to this point, God's chosen people, including the Patriarchs, knew God only by titles.  YHWH is the first personal proper name that God revealed of Himself. It is this YHWH, this personal God who redeemed His people from the bondage of the Egyptians and who was with them every step of the way to the promised land.  It is YHWH (the LORD) who saved His people and overthrew all who opposed Him.

It is the same God, revealed now in the fullness of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit that is leading me to live my days to do justice, to love mercy and to live humbly before my God.

Death Be Not Proud

Painting by Kenneth Rowntree

My mom died this day four years ago.  I miss her with all my heart.  Absent from me, but joyfully present with her God!

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;

For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow

Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,

Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,

And soonest our best men with thee do go,

Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.

Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,

And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,

And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well

And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?

One short sleep past, we wake eternally

And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

John Donne

1 Corinthians 15:25-26

For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 

These Inward Trials

Photography by A. Monaco

These Inward Trials

John Newton

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek, more earnestly, His face.

‘Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answered prayer!
But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favored hour,
At once He’d answer my request;
And by His love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry pow’rs of hell
Assault my soul in every part.

Yea more, with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

Lord, why is this, I trembling cried,
Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?
“‘Tis in this way, the Lord replied,
I answer prayer for grace and faith.

These inward trials I employ,
From self, and pride, to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”

He Has His Hands on You

Photography by Lauren Monaco

LIstening to NPR this weekend, I came across a beautiful gospel song that brought much comfort to me.  It reminded me of God's shelter and providence during times of trouble and uncertainty.  I do not normally gravitate towards gospel music, but my husband and daughter introduced me to that world of music and have drawn me in.  My daughter Kathryn was part of a gospel choir at her university, one of a handful non-African Americans in the group.  It was a highlight of her time on campus.

Here is Marvin Sapp singing his composition, He has His Hands on You.  

He sees the tears you cry
He shares your pain inside
And sometimes you wonder why He allows you to go through what you go through
Just know He has His hands on you.

Your days are filled with dark clouds
Even when the sun is out
And from the top of your lungs you shout will there ever be a change, what shall I do
Just know He has His hands on you

He has his hands on you

He says He'll see you through
When you cry He's holding you
So just lift your hands up high
For He will provide
Just know He has his hands on you

Sometimes you feel so alone
Like a child lost with no home
They keep telling you to be strong
But you say when will it end?
When will I win?
But just know He has His hands on you.

He has His hands on you
He says He'll see you through

When you cry He's holding you
So just lift your hands up high
For He will provide
Just know he has his hands on you.

When times are hard and it seems no one can understand
But it's in those times that we, we tend to forget what it means to be in His hands.

He has His hands on you
He says He'll see you through
When you cry He's holding you
So just lift your hands up high
For He will provide 
Just know He has His hands on you.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Psalm‬ ‭138‬:‭7-8‬

An Afternoon with a Beloved Professor

Painting by Charles Rennie Mackintosh

I attended a luncheon recently that featured Dr. Sinclair Ferguson as its keynote speaker.  Dr. Ferguson was my Systematic Theology professor back in the day.  I had him for the Intro class, Doctrine of God, Doctrine of Man, and even Doctrine of the Church.  What a privilege it was to study under him. He is a God-fearing, brilliant theologian with a big warm pastoral heart.  A rare combination!  It was a joy to see him that afternoon, to sit once again, even for so short a time, under his profound tutelage.

His message that afternoon gave me much to ponder, as do many of his teachings. He taught out of Romans 8:29-29, a very familiar passage on the surface yet packed with nuggets of truth that would take a long time to mine.  It is a passage ever so crucial to our Christian walk.

Here are some nuggets that stood out to me this time.  I am weaving some of my own reflection into Dr. Ferguson's teaching, so not all that I am about to write is what he said at the lecture.

In v. 31, the Apostle Paul asked "What then shall we say to these things?"  This first interrogative pronoun What is then followed by a string of the interrogative pronoun Who.  Who can be against us? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?  Who is to condemn? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  I don't know about you, but I had not given the Who much thought before, concentrating more on the list of terrible circumstances like tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword.

Who then is the Who?  Satan is the obvious answer.  Because we are so entrenched in our material world, it is easy to forget that there are forces in the invisible world hard at work to bring about either good and evil.  I think if we were more mindful of how much is going on in the invisible realm, we would be more grateful for the good that surrounds us, and less taken by surprise by the evil that confronts us.  In this passage, we are reminded that we have an enemy who is perniciously out to  destroy the enjoyment and assurance of our life in Christ.  He will throw at us distressful and painful circumstances to try to undermine our assurance of Christ's love.  But we are to remember that in all our trials and sorrows, we are more than conquerors through our Lord Jesus who loves us immensely as to die for us.  Our ability to triumph over our sorrows and hardships does not come from our own inner strength but through Him who loves us.  Nothing, absolutely nothing, can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.  Instead, all things, even the wiles of Satan, are being worked  together for the good of those who love God and are called by him for his purpose (v 28).  And the "good" according to Dr. Ferguson is that we are being transformed to be like our Lord Jesus.

I have often taken the phrase "all things work together for good" in v. 28 to mean that God will work  all things out for good in the end, maybe not in my lifetime, but in the life to come or when Jesus returns.  For instance, all injustices will be put right in the end. I am currently working on a short story exploring that concept.  I certainly believe there is much truth in that.  It certainly gives us hope when we see evil triumphing.  However, to think of  all things working out for good  as first and foremost being transformed to be like Jesus is a new take to the verse for me. But if you really think about it,  it makes good sense.  Isn't to be molded like Jesus the ultimate "good" for all believers?  All else pales and appears temporal in light of our being changed to be like our wonderful Big Brother (the firstborn among many brothers/sisters).

I leave you now with this important question:  Do you, do I, really want to be transformed to be like our Lord Jesus?  Let us seriously think about that and not be satisfied with the expected surface  answer.

Romans 8:31-39

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I Am with You Wherever You Go

Painting by Abraham van Strij

The beginning of each year brings about a certain trepidation to my naturally anxious heart.  I don't know what awaits me or my loved ones in the year to come.  I know it will have its fair share of happiness and disappointments as that is just the way of life.  What I fear most, however, are the big challenges - the unexpected tragedies, the formidable twists of life.  

And then I cloak myself with God's promise and assurance that He is with me wherever I go.  God Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth; loving Shepherd who gathers his lambs in his arms and carries them in his bosom; my Strength and my Shield; my Heavenly Father who spared not His Son but gave him up for me - it is He who promises to be with me wherever I go. 

And how do I daily cloak myself with God's promise?  By reading His Word - by studying it,  meditating on it and applying it to my daily living.  Then my way will be prosperous and I will have good success.

Chinese New Year will be upon us in about a month, and the words prosperity and success are auspicious words -- already adorning cards, banners, foods, etc; often etched in gold or red lettering.  Wealth and promotion in life are usually what these words evoke in this context.  But in the context of Scripture, one's ways are prosperous and successful when life is lived in the context of God's commands, facing the daily challenges of life with His strength and His integrity.

So whatever awaits me, even the formidable twists of life, I will have good success because God's Word is imprinted in my heart and God is with me wherever I go.

Come journey with me this year, by reading (or listening) to the Bible, and taking a passage or two to meditate on each day so that your way also will be prosperous and you also will have good success!

⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 4:8-9

Making Absolute What God Has Left Relative

Painting by Kenneth Rowntree

"It is an error for Christians to make relative what God has made absolute.  But it is equally an error for Christians to make absolute what God has left relative." - Os Guinness

I tend to agree with Os Guinness that there is no one Christian form of politics, just as there is no one form of poetry, raising a family, running an economy, pursuing a career, or planning a retirement, etc.  He goes on to say that many ways are definitely not Christian, but no one way alone is.  Like him, I am especially wary of organizations, be they political or social, that tout that they are doing things God's way, for when they blunder, as all humans are apt to do, and let their own ego and interests come in the way and fail to serve Christ's end, they will not only damage the reputation of the church but the head of the church, the Lord Jesus.  They also have the potential of corrupting the Gospel, of shifting our focus from the absolute allegiance to Christ alone by faith and dependence on the Holy Spirit for our growth to an additional identification with "Christians" of a certain political or social persuasion. 
 

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. ⁹ As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. 

Galatians 1:6-9

A Time to Contemplate

Fisherman's Cottage by Harald Sohlberg

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom...Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days...Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! (Psalm 90:12, 14, 17)

In April 2012, I was diagnosed with musK myasthenia gravis, a neuro-muscular, auto immune disorder that greatly compromised the strength of my voluntary muscles. Without treatment, I would be feeling tired and weak all the time—seeing double, having difficulty keeping my eyelids up, swallowing, walking, holding my head, speaking, and breathing.  The first symptom of double vision manifested itself in November 2011, soon to be followed by others, one after another.  In the months prior to proper diagnosis and treatment, I was quite afraid, not knowing what to expect as the muscles of my body shut down one after another.

Since the medication kicked in, I have been able to function better, some days better than others. When I am feeling well, I forget (and let those around me forget) that I have this chronic illness, and that I am artificially propped up by steroids.  I did not want MG to define me, determined to live life as normally as I had been, adamant about not letting it limit me.

Lately, however, I am beginning to question the wisdom of it all.  Yes, MG does not define me, but like it or not, it is as much a part of who I am now as my age, ethnicity, marital status, etc. As a married woman, for example, my lifestyle is different from that of a single woman in many respects. As someone living with MG, why do I think I could live life like I used to? Or worse, live life like others who are in good health?  Instead of battling my new status, I need to learn to embrace it with grace.  It will hopefully cut down on the lament and the envy. 

It is in accepting the limits that this sickness has set on me that I can begin to live life fully within its constraints.  It will not be the life I used to have as I am no longer the physically healthy me. But I can become a better me by accepting and living within my new limitations.  There will be times I will disappoint those around me, especially myself, because we live in a world that values outward accomplishment and activity, both of which will now be much curtailed for me.

Living with MG happily allows me to lead a more contemplative life. The need to close my eyes throughout the day provides me with time to think and especially to pray.  Because of my limited energy, I am now forced to eliminate or restrict unnecessary activities and concerns.  To conserve the strength of my eyes, I learn to rely more on my ears--to listen to the Bible, to books like Middlemarch read by Juliet Stevenson, to sermons by Sinclair Ferguson and Tim Keller, and to the great music of Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Schubert.  Though my voice may sound crackly and my words garbled at times, I can still laugh (though crookedly) and jibber-jabber with family and friends (maybe not for long nor with as much wit!).

And above all, the constant need to rest assures me of time alone with my God, to come to him for love, respite, comfort, and strength...to reach up to my Heavenly Father for his warm, loving embrace throughout the day!

I say, that sounds to me like a pretty full and special way to live!
 

It's all about me!

Painting by Harald Sohlberg

"Our selfishness knows no bounds.  In more or less naïve self-love we look upon everything in our environment with which we come in contact as our agencies, as things which exist for our sakes, something for us to make use of and utilize to our own advantage. We think and act as though everything, inanimate things, plants, animals, human beings, even our own souls, were created for the purpose of bringing gratification to our selfish desires.

And we make no exception of God.

As soon as we encounter him, we immediately look upon him as another means of gaining our own ends. Natural persons in their relation to God have this one purpose more or less consciously in mind: How can I, in the best way, make use of God for my own personal advantage? How can I make him serve me best now, in the future and throughout all eternity?

Natural persons look upon prayer, too, in this light. How can I make use of prayer to the greatest possible advantage for myself? This is the reason why the natural person seldom finds that it pays to pray regularly to God. It requires too much effort, takes too much time and is on the whole impractical, for the simple reason that one even forgets to pray.

But when the same person gets into trouble in one form or another and cannot help themselves or get help from anybody else, then they think that it might pay to pray to God. They then pray to him incessantly, often crying aloud in their distress.

And when God does not put himself at their disposal immediately and answer them, they are not only surprised, but disappointed and offended, deeply offended.

Why should there be a God, if he is not at the disposal of those who need him? That God should exist for any purpose then to satisfy people's selfish desires  does not even occur to such people.

Many are they after an experience of this kind are forever done with prayer. When you cannot get what you ask for, and in times of great need even ask for imploringly, why should you pray?"       

from Prayer by Ole Hallesby
 

The above passage by Norwegian theologian, Ole Hallesby, caused me to pause.  Throughout the day, how often do I consciously or unconsciously try to manipulate other people and things, let alone God, for my own personal advantage?  Even with such a lofty endeavor as praying, I often loom big, making God small.  Not your will, O Lord, but my will be done!

Pray Earnestly

Jean Francois Millet, The Gleaners, 1857

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” 

Matthew 9:37-38

I woke up this morning thinking of this verse and have been mulling over it since.  I am not so much dwelling on the part about the harvest being plentiful but that section on prayer.  Notice that Jesus  said "...therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."   He did not say "...therefore go send out laborers into the harvest."  Don't you think, more often than not, that we go about our activities (especially supposedly Christian activities), planning on how things should get done, then carrying them out, and along the way quickly whispering a prayer, using it like a lucky charm so that the things we have planned will go well?  We are more inclined to plan, do and then maybe pray.  In complete reversal of what Jesus is teaching in this passage. Think about it, how many times have we heard this passage used as an endorsement to send out Christian workers, emphasizing on the sending and not even touching on the praying!

I wonder what it would be like if when I see a need or have a concern that I first pray earnestly to the Lord of the situation to send his help into the situation...to pray earnestly and patiently seek his will.  I have to admit that it would be quite hard for me to do.  Quite counter-intuitive.  But I can certainly start by praying earnestly for the Holy Spirit to work that mindset so taught by our Lord Jesus into my being.

A Tribute

Vermeer's The Concert, 1665

Our very dear friend Lois Nielson died two weeks ago.  She was 91.  She lived such a full and abundant life, committing herself unreservedly to her calling, touching so many with her love and dedication that despite the advanced age, it still felt like an untimely death to all who knew her.  She was musically and pedagogically gifted (training pianists for 71 of her 91 years, including our daughter Kathryn), possessed of a brilliant and curious mind, a sharp eye for things beautiful, and a magnanimous heart that beat passionately for her family, friends, students...and above all her God.

She was a woman who exuded beauty, and her memorial service aptly captured that beauty.  Hers was the kind of beauty that I can only describe as transcendent.  It is because she (and her memorial service) pointed to the ultimate Beauty, her Lord Jesus Christ.  The music at her memorial service lifted hearts heavenward, the eulogies and Scripture readings moved the mourners to seek more urgently the God who had  transformed her into the incredible, unforgettable woman that she was; it was a most suitable tribute to how she lived her life.  In death, as in life, Lois Nielson pointed and gave praise to her Lord and Redeemer!

Here is  Alex McDonald playing Chopin Nocturne in C Minor, Op. 48, No. 1.  Alex was a student of Mrs. Nielson, a 2014 Van Cliburn Competition finalist; he lovingly performed this transcendent piece at her memorial service.

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 

John 10: 10b

One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple.

Psalm 27:4 

A Better Story

Painting by Norman Rockwell

I recently read a promotional blurb on a book that got me a little riled up.  It goes something like this:  "...when the credits roll in your life, are people going to think your story sucked? If there’s any chance of that happening, read this book and start living a better story."

Seriously?  In the first place, when the credits roll in my life, what other people think about it, whether it sucked or not, will be the least of my concerns.  And why are there people standing around judging if other people's lives sucked (such a grating word, by the way) in the first place?  Are they not busy enough living and appreciating their own lives?

I did go on to read the book as it was recommended to me, on a loan, I might add.  The book, thankfully, is less arrogant and less condescending than the promotion.  The author, a single man in his 40s, gave some good insights, but was eschewed towards promoting life's "better stories" as introducing inciting incidences like biking across the country, starting a mentoring program, hiking the Inca trail in Peru, inviting world leaders into your home, etc.

That is all very exciting and commendable.  And I know people who live such intriguing lives and I do find their stories appealing and exciting.  Maybe I am just not one to be impressed with showiness in lifestyle or personality for at the end of the day, the people whose life stories I find the most compelling are the ones who have very "uninteresting" stories to tell.  They will never be recognized for starting any programs, for dining with world leaders, for living and traveling to remote locales, or for writing books telling others how to live their lives...They just live their quiet lives filled with love for what they do and especially for the people who fill their lives.  They do not feel the need to feed their lives with inciting incidences but instead make their lot as "exciting" as possible.  They are the ones who wake up in the morning, content with their lot:  grateful to go to work; hold their babies; call their loved ones; write an encouraging note; pray; contribute time and money without ever being recognized by anyone, let alone world leaders; clean bathrooms; give a smile; listen; hold a hand; cook a meal, etc.
 
I think we can all start "living a better story" right where we are now by filling our very ordinary days with love and gratitude for what we do have instead of looking for the next inciting incidence.  If we can't appreciate the work we have at hand and love the people who now fill our lives, what makes us think that we will enjoy drilling for water in Africa or loving the destitute in Indonesia?  We will carry the same discontent wherever we go and to whomever who meet.  If you can't be generous, love and sacrifice for your family and friends at hand, you will not be able to do so with strangers in faraway lands.

Don't get me wrong, I am not against starting mentoring programs or biking across America, but pursuing such endeavors does no equate to living a better story than living a seemingly "mundane" life  with a grateful attitude and loving the people around you.  Not many of us have such privileged lives that we can take time off from our responsibilities to hike the Inca trail

I want to salute my octogenarian friend Lois who spent the past 50 years of her life teaching piano, loving and encouraging the students who sat at her piano bench; my other octogenarian friend Catherine whose eyesight though dim spends her day praying fervently for her family and friends; for my mailman in Winchester who always delivered our mail with a smile (and once in a Santa suit); for my daughter's school bus driver Mr. Ephraim in Wilton who made sure she was never let off the bus unless we were at the driveway to collect her; to my friends who mentor one-on-one, teach bible studies to the blind, make the effort to encourage a friend, take in an ailing friend, love their families...all very ordinary people, living very ordinary lives but with so much love for what they do and the people they do it for.

I Corinthians 13: 1-3

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,^[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.

The Pianist of Willesden Lane

August Renoir:  Two Young Girls at the Piano, 1892

Our daughter Lauren treated us to the play "The Pianist of Willesden Lane" at the Royal George Theatre in Chicago this past week.  It was a moving one-woman poignant tribute by concert pianist Mona Golebek to her mother's harrowing experience during WWII.  It traces the life of Lisa Jura as a young talented, aspiring musician as she played the piano through the turmoil and adversity of the Holocaust.  Golebek interspersed her theatrical  performance with her own stirring piano performances of well-loved music by Grieg, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Beethoven and Debussy. 

As I sat mesmerized by the exquisite music as it weaved through the tale of survival, I was once again reminded of the crucial role fine arts plays in our humanity.  In this case, music helped Lisa Jura survive the darkest of times as she sought to carry out her own mother's parting charge to hold on to her music as she was swept up in the Kindertransport to London.  (Her parents later perished in Auschwitz.)

I don't think my father was trying to be high-brow when he guided my brothers and me to appreciate the fine arts, for it is in the realm of great music, art, and literary works that we are catapulted from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

Here's a little preview of "The Pianist of Willesden Lane".

Psalm 71: 22-23

²² I will also praise you with the harp
    for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
    O Holy One of Israel.
²³ My lips will shout for joy,
    when I sing praises to you;
    my soul also, which you have redeemed.

I Am His Favorite

Painting by Claude Monet

My husband and I walked by a florist shop recently and there was this little plaque with the inscription:  Jesus loves you but I am his favorite.  My husband said he thought those were my exact sentiments.  We laughed.  My first thought was how silly and how theologically unsound.  But the little saying kept nagging at me.  As silly as the saying goes, I do feel like I'm God's favorite in the sense that He loves me most intimately and exclusively.  It reminds me of how the Apostle John described himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved.   I don't think that in so describing himself,  John was implying that Jesus did not love the other disciples or that He did not love them as much, but that in his mind and heart, he knew without a doubt that the Lord Jesus loved him immensely and exclusively.  I think everyone of us who loves our Lord would feel that way; God loves the world but He also most definitely loves each one of us exclusively!

Do you feel that you are the one whom Jesus loved?  And if not, why not?  May I venture to say that if you do not feel like you are His favorite, that perhaps it's because He is not your favorite. 

John 20:2
So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

John 21:20
[ Jesus and the Beloved Apostle ] Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?”

Memento Mori

Painting by Edouard Vuillard

Memento mori means "remember that you must die" in Latin.  Some say it serves to remind us of our mortality, of our mistakes and failures, and of the inevitable transformation of life into death.  It that sense, it is quite a morbid reminder.

But I like to think that as much as it reminds us of our mortality, Memento mori can be a freeing and positive life transformation reminder.  Instead of living our lives without much thought  about death, we should remind ourselves frequently that this is the fate awaiting us all, young and old, rich or poor.  There is no greater certainty in life, no greater equalizer than that we will die.  The Bible tells us that it is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all humankind, and in this way, the living will take it to heart (Ecclesiastes 7:2).  If we allow ourselves to remember that death awaits us all, I think we who trust God would  live life more purposefully, with more compassion and humility, with greater generosity, and with less resentment toward the injustices of this world.

Memento mori, how then shall we live? 


Psalm 90:12, 17

¹² So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.
¹⁷ Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands upon us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands!

Luke 12:16-21
And [Jesus] told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Psalm 73:23-28

²³ Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
    you hold my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will receive me to glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

²⁷ For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
    you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
²⁸ But for me it is good to be near God;
    I have made the Lord God my refuge,
    that I may tell of all your works.

Hebrews 9:27-28
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. 

Psalm 37: 7-11

⁷ Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
    over the man who carries out evil devices!

⁸ Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
⁹ For the evildoers shall be cut off,
    but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

¹⁰ In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
    though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the land
    and delight themselves in abundant peace.

Good Friday

Painting by Edouard Vuillard

This Friday is good Friday because Christ has died for us, and this Sunday is happy Easter because Christ was raised!

- Sinclair B. Ferguson

Here are links to two talks by one of my favorite professors, pastors and theologians, Sinclair B. Ferguson, that I highly recommend you listen to this Easter season:
- Resisting the Cross
- Experiencing the Necessity of the Cross

⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Romans 5: 8-10

¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹ If in Christ we have hope^[b] in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

1 Corinthians 15:17-19

Pollini and Muti

 Painting by Edouard Vuillard: Window overlooking the Woods

Apparently, Maurizio Pollini will be performing with the Chicago Symphony late April.  I wish I could be here for it - other than being confident it will be a superb performance, it'll be wonderful to treat my girls to the collaboration of two of their grandfather's favorite musicians, pianist Pollini and conductor Riccardo Muti.  Interestingly, they are both Italian, both graduates of the Giuseppe Verdi Music Conservatory in Milan.


 The piece they will be collaborating on April 25-27 is Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21.  Another wonderful composition that will be showcased is Schumann Symphony No. 3 (Rhenish), as well as Beethoven's Consecration of the House Overture and Mendelssohn's Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage Overture.  A pretty good lineup, I would say.

 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 

James 1: 16

Training Our Minds

Painting by Edouard Vuillard

I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about teaching you how to think is actually shorthand for a much deeper, more serious idea: learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed. Think of the old cliché about "the mind being an excellent servant but a terrible master". 

 - David Foster Wallace

My daughter Kathryn alerted me to this commencement speech given by David Foster Wallace at Kenyon College in 2008.  I read it last night and was struck by what he said about "learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think."  He said that the default setting of our mind is to think that we are the center of the universe.  We are so hard-wired to think that way that we are not even aware of it, like the case of fish to water.  To him, this kind of default thinking is "totally wrong and deluded" as much as it is automatic and unconscious. We therefore need to consciously break out of it and choose "to do the work of somehow altering or getting free of [our] natural, hard-wired default setting, which is to be deeply and literally self-centered and to see and interpret everything through this lens of self."   We can and need to exercise control over how and what we think instead of being swallowed up by our worship of self.  Which brings him to his next point that there is  no such thing as atheism because everybody worships something.  And most of us fall back on our default setting of the worship of self because it is unconscious and the world encourages it.  To him, the truly important kind of freedom is the effort to choose to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over again, and that is what will keep us alive rather shooting ourselves in the head.

As much as I agree with him, I feel that that is not enough.  It is still rather self focused.  I agree with him that it is within our power to experience not only meaning but compassion and love in any situation but I think he needs to go further and consider the source of that compassion and love.  It can't be me and it can't be the people I am choosing to care and sacrifice for.  I don't know about you, but "other people" can be pretty disappointing at times.  No matter how many kind thoughts and gestures we offer to others, we often come away disillusioned.  How then can we keep on thinking positively toward others, toward loving and serving them?  I think the only way is to remind ourselves of the compassion and love and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.  To me, the truly important kind of freedom is the effort to choose to love and worship God above all else, recognizing that in God we find the ultimate source of meaning, love and compassion.  It is from Him then that  we draw the power to love, care and sacrifice for others, over and over again.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 

Romans 12:1-2

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God,which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  ⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 

Philippians 4:4-8

To Whom do I belong?

Golding Constable's Flower Garden (1815)

A reflection by Henri Nouwen that caused me to pause this morning:

At issue here is the question: "To whom do I belong? God or to the world?" Many of my daily preoccupations suggest that I belong more to the world than to God. A little criticism makes me angry, and a little rejection makes me depressed. A little praise raises my spirits, and a little success excites me. It takes very little to raise me up or thrust me down. Often I am like a small boat on the ocean, completely at the mercy of its waves. All the time and energy I spend in keeping some kind of balance and preventing myself from being tipped over and drowning shows that my life is mostly a struggle for survival: not a holy struggle, but an anxious struggle resulting from the mistaken idea that it is the world that defines me.

I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
    Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

Psalm 81:10

In Life and In Death

 Photography by A. Monaco

In the last two days, I received news first that my friend, Martha, is dying of lymphoma and then news that my friend Melinda’s son, Michael, is fully recovered of his lymphoma.  The pains of death surround one family; the joys of life suffuse the other.

Both however testify of God’s goodness, mercy, power, and love.  Michael’s mom acknowledges that it is an awesome God who has healed her son, who has eradicated every cancer cell that was in his body.  Martha’s husband tells of a loving God who is sustaining them, of the sense of safety in the arms of Jesus Christ who is bearing them up as Martha's body slowly shuts down. 

Two outcomes to a dreadful disease.  Yet both give thanks to the God they have each come to love and trust in their life journey.  Why?  Because in life and in death, for every Christian, we are the Lord’s.  “For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.  For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living”  (Romans 14:8-9).

Let us now ponder together the beautiful psalm that Martha and her husband are meditating on this day:

I love the LORD, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.

The pains of death surrounded me,
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!”

Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
Yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.

Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
 

Psalm 116:1-7

In life and in death, can you and I say,  "We are the Lord's"  and “We love the LORD”?