Presenting the Nutcracker for Your Enjoyment!

What Will You Do In Eternity?

I love to sing.  Once upon a time I could.  Sadly, my age and my physiology has left me with a wizened vocal range and a tonal quality that sounds like someone has poured motor oil on my vocal cords.  Most days I can't even hope to eke out a few lines. 

I've been thinking about eternity lately.  Given the cartoons we often see, I suppose many Americans think of eternity as a place where we float around on clouds and play harps all day.  I think of eternity as a time when God has set things right again.  Part of that package entails the granting of a new "glorified" body, a body that functions properly.  One that operates as God designed it and without fail.

You know what I am going to do with mine?  I'm going to sing.  I am sure that we can't conceive of the quality and clarity with which we will be able to praise God with our new bodies and I am sure that our current abilities are but weak approximations of that glorious reality.  But someday, when by God's amazing grace I can once again sing, I hope to sing His praise in like fashion to the following clips.  

A Quote For My Preacher Friends

".  .  .  my mentor gave me some good advice:  your praying and your preaching should be of the same length.  You don't want to find yourself limping, with one leg shorter than the other.  God works as a result of prayer and faithfulness, not technique and cleverness."

-- N. T. Wright in Surprised by Hope (p. 226)

A Quote for Today

But idolatry is always the perversion of something good. 
-- N. T. Wright in Surprised by Hope (p. 212)

The Knack Part II

Can you tell what is wrong with this picture?  If you are young problem solver I'll bet you can!

Earlier this week Sam came downstairs and saw the Charlie Brown tree we had set up on the table.  In a matter of moments he became deeply troubled.  "Dad", he said, "the ornament is on the wrong part of the tree!  You need to move it to the branch that is bent!"  

So we did 

As you might surmise, he is a observant kid who loves the Charlie Brown Christmas special and has analytical problem solver skills.

How Did I Miss This?

Today I was checking in on one of my favorite blogs, (Justin Taylor: Between Two Worlds) and he had highlighted a Christmas collection that was unfamiliar to me.  Behold the Lamb of God is by Andrew Peterson and it is well worth listening to.  I enjoyed the musical style and quality, but I also appreciated the depth of the lyrics.  It starts out like this: 

Gather round, ye children, come
Listen to the old, old story
Of the powr of death undone
By an infant born of glory
Son of God, Son of Man
Gather round, remember now
How creation held its breath
How it let out a sigh
And it filled up the sky with the angels
Son of God, Son of Man

How is it that I am only know becoming aware of this wonderful collection?  Listen to and enjoy "Behold the Lamb of God" for free by steaming it online here.