Growing Old Ain't For Sissies

NUMBER SIXTY-ONE
Very Good

Behold a fine pair – giant garden slugs, “Limax Maximus.” These two were over 2 inches long, catching a few rays on the side of our house above the tomato plant. I wondered what God was thinking when he made the slugs and other creeping things.

+++++++

“…this tendency of what is created to reveal the divine points back to the power of God the Word to express himself—and so it points back to the pleasure of the Creator; and the Word itself points back to the relationship of expression within the Godhead, to the Father’s joy in begetting.”

Hans urs Von Balthasar
"The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics"

+++++++

“Can you be Holy without accomplishing the end for which you were created? Can you be Divine unless you be Holy? Can you accomplish the end for which you were created, unless you be Righteous, unless you be just in rendering to Things their due esteem? All things were made to be yours, and you were made to prize them according to their value: which is your office and duty, the end for which you were created, and the means whereby you enjoy. The end for which you were created is that by prizing all that God hath done, you may enjoy yourself and Him in Blessedness.”

Thomas Traherne
"Centuries of Meditations"

+++++++

“Praise the Lord from the earth,
You great sea creatures and all the depths;
Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
Mountains and all hills;
Fruitful trees and all cedars;
Beasts and all cattle;
Creeping things and flying fowl;
Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Princes and all judges of the earth;
Both young men and maidens;
Old men and children.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For His name alone is exalted;
His glory is above the earth and heaven.”

Psalm 148.7-13

NUMBER SIXTY
Some CCM

During our recent visit out west we twice attended the early service at High Street Community Church in Santa Cruz, California. High Street has tried to solve the musical/style generation gap by having an early traditional service and a later contemporary service each Sunday morning. Although there are still some who complain that “their” service is at the wrong time, for the most part this seems to be working pretty well.

On the second Sunday I asked our grandchild (Torunn, 12) what kind of music they had in the contemporary service; “It’s a Seven-Eleven song service,” she said, “they sing seven choruses eleven times each.”

This poem I wrote last year relates to this kind of song service. Often a Christian Rock Worship Band dominates such services.


SOME CONTEMPORARY
CHRISTIAN MUSIC

It goes round and round and round
And round and round and round
And round and round and round
And round and round……….
And never knows
When
To
Stop.

Contra Yeats, this gyre does not widen,
This center always firmly holds
Because this center is
Always
Firmly
Me!

JS
6.8.03