Thoughtful Posts:
Almost everything I ran into this week is pretty deep. It fits both the sorrow of yesterday’s crimes and the ancient longing for redemption from this sinful world along with the brightness of our hope in God. I can’t describe the way reading through these posts has touched me, just call you to join me in searching out the depths of our need and God’s measureless love for us.
Light over at Adventures in Thanks-Living has a winsome connection between the glory of the stars and our place in God’s universe with an added bit about Saint Lucy, one of Jesus’ early martyrs and her festival of light.
The tragedies of school violence around the world has left my heart sore and tender to the pain and loss of this present world. For me, the more I feel something, the less I can put it into words. This post by ShannonParker’s blog was almost too much to pass on, but her honest faith is so poignant I wanted to offer it to you (if you’re old enough to know what “poignant” means, you’re ready): When The Clouds Would Dance.
Of all things, there is an animated video of The Story of Christmas that puts life with all it’s grief and difficulty in God’s context. I”ll send you over to straightup faith who first connected me to it. At 12 minutes, this video is just the right length for a devotional time with your kids. I highly recommend it.
Warning: It has a drawing of God the Father, but I didn’t find it offensive as much of the art throughout is symbolic. Watch for the dino in the Garden of Eden! Way to go, “action jones,” keep up the good work!
The Parish of St. Augustine Coatbridge, Scotland has a post on Psalm 104, A Poet’s Profession of Faith. Their take on creeds and statements of faith tied to David’s song is quite moving and thoughtful. They, too, point out our constant awareness of life’s frailty and the presence of death in this world.
On a more lighthearted, but connected note, I Just Can’t Wait to Be King (Advent—Day 13) at The Midnight Song is a joyful look at Jesus’ connection with us:
He just enjoyed being a homosapien so much that he constantly reminded people, “I’m a human! Can you believe it?!” In retrospect, I share his amazement, though with a pinch of bewilderment. That God would have the slightest affinity for being confined to his own creature’s frame seems outright silly!
That post’s placement of God in time as a passive bystander is inaccurate, but useful for us as a tool to think through why God allowed what He did. My guess is that the author would agree, but didn’t want to muddy his post with extra explanations.
One last thoughtful post: Parenting Counter-Culturally: Nature and Work at This fertile ground makes your heart almost break for the quiet loss people suffer being confined in cities. How much more difficult is it for us to understand God’s silent and passionate care for us if we don’t recognize the everyday sources of our food? How can we know the pleasure and satisfaction of the work God has set for us if we’ve never tended in the soil? God didn’t curse us with work, He blessed us with it!
Psalm and Prayer Posts:
Even the Psalms are a little subdued today, but so sweet
Near to the brokenhearted… by Becoming Esther is a short prayer with Scripture post on those suffering loss.
Psalm 24 – Be lifted up on ancient doors! at Illumination. No commentary, just a lovely photo with the Word of God
Deb’s blog has a short poem on the stillness and worship of Psalm 46:10- Know
Lift our Hands….Lift Our Hearts at worthabowedhead is a fit closing post with reminders of God’s worthiness.
Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. Habbakuk 3:17-19
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Thank you for all you do here. I was so blessed by the links you shared, leading us closer to His heart. You are a blessing .. .God bless you!
You’re quite welcome. This week’s collection was particularly moving, but you could say I was just the editor! God is real and He can bring comfort, hope and meaning where nothing else can.
I echo what thisfertileground said. Thanks! I do agree that he definitely wasn’t a passive bystander. I mean, he was sustaining the heartbeats of everyone he was talking to! And intentional in every way, of course. But you’re right, it would’ve “muddied” the post a bit to go into details and drift away from the purpose of the post. That’s what all the other blog posts are for
It is my pleasure to pass on posts like yours. The more reminders we all have that there is still “faith on the earth” the better!
Great blog! Thanks for the mention!
You’re welcome! My parents worked in inner city Detroit when I was born and tell about kids who had never even seen the river just a mile or two away. The disconnect of such a world from God’s reality is mind-boggling.