The Growth of the Chambered Nautilus

 

This is the ship of pearl which, poets feign,

Sails the unshadowed main, -

The venturous bark that flings

On the sweet summer wind its purpled wings

In gulfs enchanted, where Siren sings,

And coral reefs lie bare,

Where cold sea-maids rise to sun their streaming hair.

 

In webs of living gauze no more unfurl;

Wrecked is the ship of pearl!

And every chambered cell,

Where its dim dreaming life was wont to dwell,

As the frail tenant shaped his growing shell,

Before thee lies revealed, -

Its irised ceiling rent, its sunless crypt unsealed!

 

Year after year beheld silent toil

That spread his lustrous coil;

Still, as the spiral grew,

He left the past year’s dwelling for the new,

Stole with soft step its shining archway through,

Built up its idle door,

Stretched in his last-found home, and knew the old no more.

 

Thanks for the heavenly message brought by thee,

Child of the wandering sea,

Cast from her lap, forlorn!

From thy dead lips a clearer note is born

Than ever Triton blew from wreathѐd horn!

While on mine ear it rings,

Through the deep caves of thought I hear a voice that sings: -

 

Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul,

As the swift seasons roll!

Leave thy low-vaulted past!

Let each new temple, nobler than the last,

Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast,

Till thou art free,

Leaving thine outgrown shell by life’s unresting sea!

The Chambered Nautilus, Oliver Wendell Holmes

 

I recently acquired a book of poems at a birthday party….and it wasn’t even my birthday! 😊  My friend hosted a group of women who each brought a gift that they considered to be one of their “favorite things”.  Then we played a game similar to a white elephant gift exchange, and after some rounds of opening gifts and stealing, I went home with a book of poems. 

 

Admittedly, I don’t read a lot of poetry.  But I know that often stories and poems have a way of putting truth into witty and memorable prose.  The song, “To All the Poets I Have Known” encapsulates that thought so well.

 

So, when I read The Chambered Nautilus last weekend, it was just what my soul needed to be reminded of.  As the poem describes, a nautilus is a marine invertebrate with a remarkable shell.  Every 150 days or so, it adds a new, larger chamber and moves into it.  It uses the past chambers as floatation devices – filling them with the right amount of air to suspend themselves at whatever level of the oceanic column they desire.  They are able to balance weight and buoyancy as they grow.  This beautiful shell is a testament to a creature that is always moving forward, always growing, and uniquely able to use the past to rise above.

 

Oliver Wendell Holmes’ line, “Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul,” struck me.

Like the nautilus, what does it look like to keep moving forward - regardless of the joys or sorrows of the past?  What does it look like to increase in soul size…and each year have a bigger perspective?

 

I believe that type of growth can only happen when we look outside our circumstances or emotions and choose to dwell on a larger, eternal vision.  When we choose to focus on eternal life.

 

Those who follow Jesus are promised eternal life (John 3:16).  But eternal life is not something that starts after we die.  In John 17:3, we are told what eternal life is:

“And this is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God, 

and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

 

Eternal life is to know God!  And the more I know God, the more I will grow.

 

Just 2 nights ago, I was driving in my car and heard a radio host talking.  Her musings threw me into a deep dive into Scripture as soon as I arrived home.  She mentioned a concept I never thought about before.  Here’s what I learned:

 

1.        No one can see the face of God and live.

a.        Exodus 33:20 “‘But’, he said, ‘you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.’”

b.       Earlier in the chapter, we see that Moses spoke with the Lord “face to face, as a man speaks with his friend” (v.11), so clearly you can interact with God.  But the above verse seems to imply that you cannot see God in his fullness and glory or you will die. 

c.        Someday, after death, we will see God’s face (Revelation 22:4).

2.        We are told to continually seek His face.

a.        2 Chronicles 7:14 tells people to humble themselves, pray and seek God’s face.

b.       Psalm 105:4 “See the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!”

c.        Psalm 24 says that those who have clean hands and a pure heart can stand in God’s holy place, and “such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob” (verse 5).

d.       Psalm 27:8-9 says, “You have said, ‘Seek my face.’  My heart says to you, ‘Your face, LORD, do I seek.’”

Why are we told that we could die by seeing God in his fullness and yet also told to seek His face?  Are these two things contradictory?

Nope.

The Christian life is all about taking up our cross and dying.

When we see God for who He really is, we die to ourselves.  We become who we were meant to be:  bigger in soul and more enamored with and focused on Jesus.

If we want to be like a nautilus, continually moving forward and growing in size, then we need to focus on staring at the face of Jesus.  Eternal life is knowing God…not focusing on or being overrun by our own circumstances…whether they be pleasant or unpleasant.

These ideas have been such an encouragement to me in the past few days, and I pray that they encourage you as well.  Each day, may we focus on Jesus and gain a bigger vision so we may, like the nautilus, build more stately mansions for our soul.  Eternal life of knowing God can start now! 

And one day we will leave our “shells” behind and experience I John 3:2: 

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

 

 

 

 

  

A Weighty Matter

As I sat down at my computer this morning to type up what I think is my theme/thought for a new school year, I opened up “Hymns for the Little Flock” and happened to read the poetry of hymn #142. 

“Glory to God on high!  Peace upon earth and joy; Good will to man.  We who God’s blessings prove; His name all names above; Sing now the Savior’s love – Too vast to scan.

Mercy and truth unite, Oh! ‘tis a wondrous sight, All sights above!  Jesus the curse sustains!  Guilt’s bitter cup He drains!  Nothing for us remains – Nothing but love.

Love that no tongue can teach, Love that no thought can reach, No love like His.  God is its blessed Source, Death ne’er can stop its course, Nothing can stay its force; Matchless it is.

Blest in this love, we sing; To God our praises bring; All sins forgiven.  Jesus, our Lord, to Thee; Honor and majesty, Now and forever be, Here and in heaven.”

I can’t start another school year well without being overcome by the truth, mercy and hope displayed by Jesus on the cross.  Truly, His love is “love that no tongue can teach, love that no thought can reach.” 

In itself, this is a weighty matter.  It’s glory beyond all compare.  In fact, it’s so weighty that it should displace thoughts of lesser value in my mind.

But before I go any further, a thesis:  This year, with God’s help, I believe I am supposed to handle the weight (burden/pressure) of the sin and evil in and around me by weighing (pondering) my thoughts, deeds and actions so that I can understand more of the weight (glory/honor) of God and rest in His victory. 

Heavy, eh? 😊.  Let me try to explain the metaphors running amuck in my mind.

Weight #1:  Burden.   (I feel weighed down at times).

Let’s face it:  the world is heavy right now.  You can’t open up an internet browser without being stuck by sorrow, confusion and evil.  And even if you don’t look on the internet or social media, the divisions in families over health decisions, the confusions over identity and purpose in multiple generations (young and old), and the changing political and social climate is everywhere. 

There couldn’t be a more important time to determine truthful statements over lies and to help teach others to do so.  That is a burden I feel heavily this year. 

Weight #2:  Pondering.  (I need to weigh things to determine truth and best action).

We, as people of the 21^st century, are not as skilled in thinking as we used to be.  We react rather than prepare.  We assume rather than ask.  We are led by emotions, not logic.

But, as Christians, are told to have renewed minds (Romans 12:2) and to ponder.

The Hebrew word “palas” (H6424) shows up repeatedly in Proverbs. 

1. Proverbs 4:26  “Ponder the path of your feet, then all your ways will be sure.”
2. Proverbs 5:6 “She does not ponder the path of life…”
3. Proverbs 5:21 “For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths.”

“Palas” means “to roll flat; prepare; weigh (mentally)”. 

Another Hebrew word “azan” (H238/9) means to ponder with the image of weighing as scales between the ears.  It is often translated “give ear” or “hear”. 

Listening and pondering.  These are two abilities which seem to be lost in our world right now.  We are quick to speak before hearing or thinking.

Proverbs 18:13 says “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.”

Ooof.

But also, Romans 12:1-2 states “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.  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.”

This year, I know I need to be pondering and weighing and thinking.  And if I understand the true weight of matters – my decisions will be correct.  So, what weighs the most?

Weight #3:  Glory/Honor.  (God’s glory should have the most weight in my life/decisions).

The Hebrew word “kabod” (H3519) literally means weight or splendor.  It is translated into English most often as glory and honor. 

As I mentioned earlier, the weight of God’s mercy and forgiveness through the cross should displace thoughts of lesser value.  Think about dropping a rock into a container filled with water – the rock displaces the water because it is heavier.  In a similar way – I want to spend enough time with God that the knowledge of His character and glory weighs more than anything else on my mind…and allows my decisions and actions to be based more off of His character than anything else.  My concern for His glory should tip the scales.    

 

In my role as a teacher or daughter/sister or friend, I am convinced that God has called me to carry the burdens of others.  (Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”)

But if I neglect looking at the Savior and relying on His strength, I will collapse under such burdens.  The burdens I feel as I interact with those in the world should spur me to action –not to indecision or gripping fear.  And that only will occur when my vision of the cross and the recognition of His glory outweighs any burden/weight/pressure I experience here. 

This year, I will experience the weight of this world.

In response, I need to carry burdens (mine and others') to the cross.  

Once I ponder what He's already done - I can let those burdens go and rest in the realization that He will take care of them.

But I also need to ponder/think about how He most wants me to respond.

May I take care that my life is so filled with the vision of His glory that I act the way He wants me to.

And then, I’ll pick up my cross (Matthew 16:24-26), another weight worth carrying, and follow Him.

Light in the Midst of Darkness

December of 2020.  What a year it’s been!  As we look at the Christmas season – normally so full of busyness and shopping, of packed calendars and traveling to family and friends– sometimes it’s easy to wonder about how to celebrate the joy of Christmas in a year with such turmoil, upheaval, confusion and sadness.  

But the truth about Christmas has not changed. 

It is still about Light shining out of darkness.

It is still about a God who sees people in their pain and remembers His promises.

The promise of Jesus the Messiah coming has always brought joy to the people who waited for Him.  But it wasn’t until this morning that I put myself in the place of the people who would have first heard the prophecies.      

Let’s set the stage and talk about King Ahaz.  Not Ahab, the evil Israelite king who married Jezebel and threw a pity party over Naboth’s vineyard.  This is Ahaz, who ruled over the southern kingdom of Judah for 16 years.  (But he wasn’t much better than Ahab.)

Here’s what life was like during his reign (2 Kings 16; 2 Chronicles 28):

            1.       It was a time of war (with the king of Aram and the king of Israel). (2 Chronicles 28:5-8)

            2.       It was a time of unholy alliances (with the king of Assyria) that cost precious things. (2 Chronicles 28:16)

            3.       It was a time of misguided/evil worship.

a.       God’s temple was destroyed:

                                                               i.      The temple of the Lord was broken apart (2 Kings 16:17-19);

                                                             ii.      Silver and gold from God’s temple were offered to Assyria (2 Kings 16:8; 2 Chronicles 28:21)

                                                           iii.      The doors of the Lords temple were shut (2 Chronicles 28:24)

b.       False gods were promoted:

                                                               i.      Various idols were cast and set up for worship (2 Chronicles 28:2-4)

                                                             ii.      Altars were built designed off of the pagan deities of Aram, to try to win the favor of the “gods” who defeated them (2 Kings 16:10-14; 2 Chronicles 28:23-25)

                                                           iii.      Altars and high places were set up in “every town” and on “every street corner” (2 Chronicles 28:24-25)

                                                           iv.      Ahaz even offered his own children as sacrifices to other gods (2 Kings 16:3-4; 2 Chronicles 28:3).

Ahaz was described by these two phrases: 

        1.       “He had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the LORD.”  (2 Chronicles 28:19b)   

        2.       “In his time of trouble, King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD.”  (2 Chronicles 28:22)

Whew.  Wicked and unfaithful.

And when he died, Ahaz was not placed in the tombs of the kings.  He was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the royal tombs (most likely because of his unfaithfulness).

Now I couldn’t help but imagine being a faithful Jew living during the reign of Ahaz.  Talk about turmoil, upheaval, confusion and sadness!  How discouraging would it have been to watch the nation crumble and leadership refuse to be faithful to the God you knew to be true?

And in the midst of this chaos and evil, some of the most beloved prophecies proclaiming the Messiah’s birth were penned.  We still sing some of them today.

        1.       When talking with Ahaz, Isaiah the prophet said:  “Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign:  The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”  (Isaiah 7:14).  Immanuel.  God with us. 

        2.       A few chapters later, in the midst of describing the darkness and gloom that results from looking away from the LORD God, Isaiah talked about the promise of a future great light.  And as Handel so famously put to music in the masterpiece, the Messiah, Isaiah said:  “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.  He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing it and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.  The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.”  (9:6-7)

        3.       Around this same time, Micah the prophet penned:  “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.  Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.  He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the LORD his God.  And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.  And he will be their peace.”  (Micah 5:2-5).

At the time of these prophecies, the nations of Israel and Judah were DARK. 

But the promise of an Eternal, Undefeatable, Peaceful Ruler broke light a beam of light through the darkness.

That beam of light still shines.   

I’m not here to argue about the current political climate or whether 2020 is more or less dark than the time of Ahaz.  I don’t think that anyone would would argue that we’re living in darkness right now.  But I’d rather focus on remembering the God that chooses to remember us. 

This Christmas we get to celebrate that He came 2000 years ago.  The promise of His first coming from the prophecies of Isaiah and Micah was fulfilled!  Yet, we also get to look forward to when He comes again soon to make all things right – to wipe away every tear from our eyes, and to bring us to a place that will have no more sadness or mourning or pain.

Until that time, we wait. 

In the waiting, may we believers (especially me!) be searching our own hearts and asking for God to do a work in us so that we can share that light with others.   May we seek to spend time with Him so that we can see His movements in the midst of what is visibly happening in our world.  It could be that the time is ripe for many people to turn towards Him and find Him!  I want to be a part of telling the world this good news…this hopeful beam of light in the midst of darkness…that a good King, a humble King, a selfless King is coming one day to rule. 

2020 doesn’t have the last word.  And neither will COVID restrictions, political turmoil, wars, or whatever comes in 2021. 

Jesus will.  And the Bible fittingly ends with:

“Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.

Am I Ready?

According to the dictionary, the adjective “ready” has a few meanings:

          1. In a suitable state for an activity, action, or situation; fully prepared.

a.       (of a thing) made suitable and ready for immediate use

b.       keen or quick to give

c.       in need of or having a desire for

d.       eager, inclined, or willing to do something

e.       in such a condition as to be likely to do something

       2.  Easily available or obtained; within reach

Am I ready?

This has been the question I’ve been pondering since last week – when, yet again, a story struck me with the truth I needed to be reminded of.  There is something so poignant about stories, isn’t there?  Stories have a unique ability to not just tell us truth – but also to develop a love for the truth in us. 

On my 9 hour road trip just a few days ago, I listened (yet again :)) to the Chronicles of Narnia.  The interactions of people and creatures with Aslan, the Great Lion, nearly always bring me to tears.  These fictional books, written by C.S. Lewis, are meant to be in part an analogy to the Christian life – and Aslan is meant to represent Jesus Christ. 

This trip, I listened to the book, The Magician’s Nephew.  And as I drove in the darkness and thought of the things ahead of me and behind me (literally and figuratively :)), this following scene struck me. 

“Son of Adam,” said Aslan.  “Are you ready to undo the wrong that you have done to my sweet country of Narnia on the very day of its birth?”

“Well, I don’t see what I can do,” said Digory.  “You see, the Queen ran away and – “

“I asked, are you ready?” said the Lion.

“Yes,” said Digory.  He had had for a second some wild idea of saying, “I’ll try to help you if you’ll promise to help my Mother,” but he realized in time that the Lion was not at all the sort of person one could try to make bargains with.  But when he had said, “Yes”, he thought of his Mother, and he thought of the great hopes he had had, and how they were all dying away, and a lump came into his throat and tears in his eyes and he blurted out:

“But please, please – won’t you – can’t you give me something that will cure Mother?”  Up till then he had been looking at the Lion’s great feet and the huge claws on them; now, in his despair, he looked up at its face.  What he saw surprised him as much as anything in his whole life.  For the tawny face was bent down near his own and (wonder of wonders) great shining tears stood in the Lion’s eyes.  They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory’s own that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself.

“My son, my son,” said Aslan.  “I know.  Grief is great.  Only you and I in this land know that yet.  Let us be good to one another.  But I have to think of hundreds of years in the life of Narnia.  The Witch whom you have brought into this world will come back to Narnia again.  But it need not be yet.  It is my wish to plant in Narnia a tree that she will not dare to approach, and that tree will protect Narnia from her for many years.  So this land shall have a long, bright morning before any clouds of doubt come over the sun.  You must get me the seed from which that tree is to grow.”

“Yes, sir,” said Digory.  He didn’t know how it was to be done, but he felt quite sure now that he would be able to do it.  The Lion drew a deep breath, stooped its head even lower and gave him a Lion’s kiss.  And at once Digory felt that new strength and courage had gone into him.

“Dear son,” said Aslan, “I will tell you what you must do…”

Aslan - painted by the talented Lauren Kunkle! Etsy or willowbranchstudio.com

Dear friends – we live in a world of brokenness.  It has been so evident in the past months.  All of us are broken and have a part in the brokenness.

Like Digory, we may be unsure of what we can do.  How do I love people around me?  Will heartbreak never end?  How can I reach outside of myself when I inwardly struggle with sorrow and hurt?  Does God even see me?  What could I possibly do to help the world?

God doesn’t ask us if we are strong enough. 

He asks us if we are READY.

For, you see, like Digory, if we look into the face of Jesus, we will find compassion.  We will find Someone who not only knows our sorrows, but weeps with us in them.  John 11 tells us the story of Jesus weeping at the tomb of Lazarus, a man whom He was about to raise from the dead.  The Author of Life, even as He is in the process of renewal, takes time to meet us in sorrow and let us know that we are not alone. 

But, also, like Digory, if we look into the face of Jesus, we will find strength.  We find Someone who is strong enough to help us overcome.  This Defeater of Death is not unaware of what we are walking through…He is more than a conqueror, just as we can be (Romans 8:37).  We will find strength and courage when we spend time looking at Jesus, realizing what He has already done for the world...allowing ourselves to dwell on His unimaginable love for us.  We, too, like Digory, can experience the "kiss" of the Lion when we see the cross.  

We just have to remember that the strength we seek doesn’t come from us.  There are moments when we will be unsure what to say, how to respond, what next steps to take, etc.

I don’t know what is on your horizon.  I am about to start another school year as a teacher – and after 10+ years of teaching, the unknowns are greater than the knowns.  I’m not sure what to expect in my job, in my country, in the world.

But, God doesn’t ask me to understand everything.

He asks me to be spending enough time with Him so that I will hear what He asks me to do.  I can be fully prepared and within reach of the Master’s hand even as I struggle with the brokenness both inside me and around me.

He asks me to be ready.

And with His help, I know I can be.

We all can.

Orpheus & Hope

It’s been awhile since I typed on this blog.  I have a bit more time now…as school is on hiatus because of the Coronavirus.  I’ve been gardening and reading, grading and planning for online school, practicing “Sweet Home Alabama” on the guitar and working out with Heather Robinson’s free 12 week challenge (you should join me :)).  I’ve been trying to learn new things – and tonight as I watched another TED-Ed video on “Myths from Around the World”, I saw the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. 

Let’s be real for a moment.

Greek myths are RIDICULOUS.  (We can be glad that Greek gods are myths and not real beings). 

But as with any story, we can learn.

Here’s the myth in short:  Orpheus falls in love with Eurydice.  Right before they get married, she dies.  Orpheus decides to go get her back from the underworld and uses his amazing ability to sing to get past the 3-headed dog, over the river Styx, and ultimately to convince Hades to let her go.  The catch?  He has to walk out of the underworld without looking back, trusting that Eurydice is following.  And just before he makes his final steps…he looks back.

Rats.

Now, you may be thinking…I know this story!  Isn’t there a newer Broadway musical about it?  Well, you are more with it than me, because as I scrolled down to see the comments on this YouTube video – Hadestown was all anyone was talking about.  So, like any good internet user, I did some searching. 

I now have read the Wikipedia synopsis and listened to quite a few of the songs.  And, I would have to say that Orpheus and Hadestown put some things into perspective for me.  Like any good story, they took me deeper into life and reminded me of truth.

Hadestown does not follow the original myth exactly, but it does still have that shocking ending.  Instead of the hopeful reunion of Orpheus and Eurydice, it ends with a gasp and a separation as Orpheus turns at the last moment and dooms Eurydice back to Hades.

In the song, Road to Hell (Reprise), the cast slowly sings:

It’s an old song

It’s an old tale from way back when

It’s an old song

And that is how it ends

That’s how it goes.

Don’t ask why, brother, don’t ask how

He could have come so close

The song was written long ago

And that is how it goes

It’s a sad song

It’s a sad tale

It’s a tragedy

It’s a sad song

But we sing it anyway

Cause here’s the thing

To know how it ends

And still begin to sing it again

As if it might turn out this time

I learned that from a friend of mine:

See, Orpheus was a poor boy

But he had a gift to give

He could make you see how the world could be

In spite of the way that it is

Ooh.  What a line.  He could make you see how the world could be in spite of the way it is. 

Our world can be so beautiful.  But, sometimes, what we see around us is tragedy.  I’m not just talking about deaths from COVID-19 or the potential economic consequence of social distancing and government shut-downs.  I’m talking about broken relationships, broken homes, devasting natural disasters, uncertainty, fear, confusion, etc. 

But what if, my friends, there is more to the world than what we see?  Is this sadness all there is?

To quote some other fictional stories:

What if Samwise Gamgee was right when he said: 

“Gandalf!  I thought you were dead!  But then I thought I was dead myself.  Is everything sad going to come untrue?  What’s happened to the world?”  

(Tolkien, The Return of the King)

What if Emily was right? 

“It had always seemed to Emily, ever since she could remember, that she was very, very near to a world of wonderful beauty.  Between it and herself hung only a thin curtain; she could never draw the curtain aside – but sometimes, just for a moment, a wind fluttered it and then it was as if she caught a glimpse of the enchanting realm beyond – only a glimpse – and heard a note of unearthly music.”

(LM Montgomery, Emily of New Moon)

I believe the fictional stories of Orpheus & Eurydice, Sam, and Emily all strike a chord in me because they are a hint of a Greater Story.

In that Story, a powerful God created a perfect world.  Being a gentleman, He allowed his creatures to choose to follow Him or not.  When they chose to reject Him and rebel, the world became broken.  That brokenness showed up in a myriad of ways (broken relationships, natural disasters, horrible diseases).  However, this God refused to watch His creatures suffer without doing something about it.  He ENTERED His created world, took on His creatures’ form and consequences for their own rebellion, and made a way for all the sad things to be made untrue.  Simply by re-submitting to His Lordship and accepting His gift, His creatures could be restored to relationship with Him!  This God ultimately defeated death so that death was no longer the end! Yet, this God did not completely destroy all evil right away.  He knew that some of His creatures (who themselves were evil) would choose Him in time.  So, currently, His followers are left waiting to be united with the God of infinite beauty and kindness.  While they wait, they sing His songs, in the hope that others may choose to follow Him as well.

If this story is true, fictional Sam’s wish is granted – sadness will be defeated.

If this story is true, fictional Emily has sensed what is REAL – beauty beyond this world that she one day gets to join.

If this story is true, fictional Orpheus could bring people hope by singing  - not of a world he wished was true, but of world where each story can have an happy ending.

My friends, I believe with all my heart that this Great Story is not fictional at all.  It is found in the Bible and gives us HOPE in the midst of tragedy and uncertainty.  The hero of this story is not some narcissistic Greek god, but the Son of God:  Jesus Christ. 

The very last song of Hadestown is called “We Raise Our Cups”

“…some birds sing when the sun shines bright – our praise is not for them.

But the one who sings in the dead of night – we raise our cups to them.

Some flowers bloom where the green grass grows – our praise is not for them.

But the ones who bloom in the bitter snow – we raise our cups to them.”

It’s hard to sing in the dead of night and the bitter snow...unless you have hope.

Orpheus, for all his beautiful singing, failed to save Eurydice and was left to live life without her.

It doesn’t matter how many times we sing this song or watch Hadestown…Orpheus will still turn back.

But in the Greater Story, Jesus takes on the cross and wins back those He loves!

If you know Jesus as your Savior – may you be like Orpheus, singing with a song more beautiful than any earthly stain of music – so that other people seek to know the Great Story.

If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior – may I implore you to read His story and see if it’s true?  I’d love to talk to you about the hope it can bring you.

Because it’s not a myth about a failing hero.

It’s a story about forgiveness and love.

And it’s TRUE.

Cantus Firmus

Great Heart was my theme of last year.  And it wasn’t until June that I was reminded of the fact that for all of my trying, God is the one who gives me a great heart.  Psalm 119:32 says, “I will run in the path of your commands when you enlarge my heart!”  What a freeing thought!

As I sat on my porch, drinking my tea and reading back through my journal this afternoon, I realized that God has expanded on this theme of “Great Heart” throughout this school year.  This year, He has repeatedly to told me to sing.

“You turned my wailing into dancing, you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.  O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.”  Psalm 30:11-12

It started back in July, when I read about the cantus firmus.  I had just gotten through sharing with friends some of my favorite Latin phrases (carpe diem, carpe aeternitatem, coram deo…) and this appeared in my inbox as the daily Slice of Infinity from RZIM.  A new Latin phrase!  Woot! :)

Here a few direct quotes from what Jill Carattini said:

·       The cantus firmus, which means "fixed song," is a pre-existing melody that forms the basis of a polyphonic composition. Though the song introduces twists in pitch and style, counterpoint and refrain, the cantus firmus is the enduring melody not always in the forefront, but always playing somewhere within the composition. 

·       "God wants us to love him eternally with our whole hearts, not in such a way as to injure or weaken earthly life, but to provide a kind of cantus firmus to which the other melodies of life provide the counterpoint... Where the cantus firmus is clear and plain, the counterpoint can be developed to its limits." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters & Papers from Prison, p. 303)

·       For Dietrich Bonhoeffer, life was a great work of sounds and symphonic directions, and the cantus firmus was the essence, the soul of the concerto.

Ooh.  So good.  I love that musical analogy even thought I am not a trained musician by any stretch of the imagination. 

***Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote many books, but was able to use music as an analogy to the Christian life because he knew it well.  At one point it was thought that he would become a professional musician because of his skill at playing the piano.***

After reading Bonhoeffer’s words, in my journal I pondered: “In a great heart – what is the heart’s song?” 

Is my heart singing a cantus firmus on which to base my whole life around? 

And how do I get a good cantus firmus?

As I continued to read my journal, I saw God repeatedly reminding me that the way to a Great Heart and a beautiful cantus firmus is time in His Word, discovering more about His character. 

I recently read more about two women who allowed their knowledge of God to come out in beautiful expressions of worship:

1.     Fanny Crosby was born in 1820 with sight, but her eyes were blinded in infancy after a well-meaning doctor mistreated an eye infection.  She had limited physical vision but was blessed with incredible spiritual insight.  Part of that insight came from the work of her grandmother, Eunice, and Mrs. Hawley, the Crosby’s landlady.  Both women were committed to helping Fanny memorize the Bible as they read verses to her and reviewed chapters.  With their help Fanny memorized the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), the four Gospels, most of the Psalms, all of Proverbs and other portions of the Bible.  No wonder she could write more than 8,000 hymns in her 95 years!  What she filled up with flowed out of her heart.  For example:

I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long:
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.

Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child and forever I am.

I know I shall see in His beauty
The King in whose law I delight;
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps,
And giveth me songs in the night.

2.     Catherine of Siena was born in Italy in 1347, and although she only lived for 33 years, she dictated 380 letters, 26 prayers and 4 treatises.  Yet again, a Slice of Infinity from Jill Carattini in October made my mind think on this more:

a.     “In Catherine’s prayers, the editor notes, ‘Her theology becomes her doxology.’  Namely, what Catherine professed to be true about God became in her prayers – and arguably in her life – an expression of praise to God.  It struck me as a beautiful notion – what we know of God being something that moves us to sing to God.  And then I was quieted by a thought:  Shouldn’t all theology naturally lead us to doxology?”

b.     “What do you know about God?  What have you seen of God’s character and known of God’s goodness?  Might this theology become a song worth singing.  In your knowledge of God and in your knowing of Christ, might you find in word and deed, in prayer and song, your life a doxology to the goodness of a Creator who wants to be known.” 

Both Fanny and Catherine allowed what they knew of God to be displayed in their lives.  Their theology became doxology…and an offering of praise to their great God.

Is my heart so filled with Christ that like Fanny Crosby I can say, “I sing for I cannot be silent, His love is the theme of my song”?

He is The Cantus Firmus. 

He is the fixed song.

And only when He is the enduring melody of my heart can all of the other melodies find their proper place.

“Ever since you rescued me,

You gave my heart a song to sing

I’m living for the world to see

Nobody but Jesus.”

– Casting Crowns/Matthew West