As of some time ago

My blog was moved to my faith blog @ my web site. This was done in order to allow me to post whatever I wanted with no concern it would be censored by WP. Old posts here will remain until such time I want to cancel the blog or Blogger “kills it” for lack of activity.

The Dream of the Rood

One of my interests is Scotland, "especially" the (Scottish) Gaelic language and I am a student of that language. I am very interested also in "Old English" (Anglo-Saxon). I have been reading, and almost completed, The Faded Map: Lost Kingdoms of Scotland and ran across the following, which I sent to friends and have copied/pasted here.

Dream of the Rood

The poem is written in Anglo-Saxon, and here is a link to a video (in modern English) of the poem.

Video of Dream of the Rood

Another Christian verse I read of is Caedmon's hymn. Here it is, in Anglo-Saxon:

Video of Caedmon's Hymn.

Am I worthy?

Well that depends. Worthy of what, exactly? Of entering heaven? Not without accepting Christ as Savior, and trusting in His substitutionary death on my behalf. Scripture is quite clear on that subject. It (Scripture) is equally clear that God "loved the world" so I believe I am worthy of His love. Not because I have done anything to deserve it, but because it's the nature of God. That does not mean He loves everything I do but there is a difference between loving behavior and loving the behaver. Now you might be asking what impelled me to bring up this subject? Simply because I grow uneasy when some speakers talk as though I am unworthy of anything and God views me as I might view the contents of the garbage pail; stinking and needing to be binned. I might be wrong but I will accept, as Scripture states, that God loved me even when I was His enemy (because of unforgiven sin) and use that as a positive motivator to pursue a strong relationship with Him through Christ my Savior. Comments?

I don't like Christian music

Shocking statement, eh? For that matter there is a considerable amount of secular music I don't like. I find much music to be insipid; lacking in flavor, interest or liveliness.

Let me explain: if a musician is singing a song that is supposed to be meaningful, then sing the song with emotion. All voice performances; play, movie, singing, etc. need voice inflection and passion or the result ... is ... dull ... and ... monotonous. Furthermore, the statement made by some that "It has a nice message so you should listen to it anyway" is ridiculous.

With all that said, there are a few contemporary Christian songs that do move me, and here are links:

In the Light

Water Grave

I Can Only Imagine which was actually a wee bit of a cross over hit several years ago.

Now you know what I think, let me know what you think.

ETA: I am researching why obvious links are no longer blue in color which has been the past default.

UN-supernatural Christianity?

Talking to a friend the other day our discussion turned to faith. I had heard from a mutual friend that he is a Christian, and he stated that during our conversation. I was a bit stunned though that he also stated he does not believe in the supernatural. When I asked him if he did not find that to be a bit strange, after all Jesus Christ, God, the Holy Spirit, Heaven, angels, etc. are all outside of the realm of our natural world, he informed me he does not take the Bible literally (because it was written by men) and he wanted to discuss the meaning of supernatural. I suggested that he should be lawyer.

Did Jesus smile? Or laugh? Or simply have fun?

In Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of The Christ there is a scene of Christ as a young man laughing and engaging in horse play with His mother. Is that accurate? I don't know for sure but I don't believe so.

Scripture does tell us that He expressed emotion; He wept (over the death of Lazarus, and Jerusalem), and He became angry and threw the money lenders out of the temple. But nowhere do we read that He smiled, laughed or joked. On the contrary, Isaiah 53:3 (NASB) tells us He was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”

I personally believe His sorrow and grief was because this, the world in which we live, is not as it was supposed to be. But fear not, He will make all things new !!!

Do you have character? Or are you a character?

A September 10 message from Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest presented this food for thought: a crisis does not build something within us, it reveals our content. Another way to say the same thing, perhaps better known is: adversity does not build character, it reveals it.

One of the most interesting depictions I've ever seen of adversity revealing character is the HBO program “Band of Brothers”. Some had character, others did not. Some were characters. It was also interesting to note that some with character eventually reached the end of their mental/emotional rope due to a traumatic event.

The question I ask myself is “do I have character?” I've been told I do; the word used was “integrity”. But then I consider my reaction to various stresses and wonder. I pray to be delivered from the thorns but am not. Perhaps I am not praying enough? Perhaps my faith is not real? I don't know. Meanwhile I strive on.