“A sentimental Christmas is a Christmas without conflict . . . a moralistic Christmas is a Christmas without sin . . . a spiritualistic Christmas is a Christmas without matter” (God Rest Ye Merry, pp. 32-33).
Tag Archives: Chrestomathy
“From the moment Simeon spoke those fateful words, the winnowing has been in effect. Come to Jesus or go away. In Him is light, and away from Him is only darkness” (God Rest Ye Merry, p. 31).
“But in the face of this false doctrine, God was made flesh. This means that we may build, sew, pick up a knife and fork, make love, spank our kids, shovel the walk, and do all to the glory of God. Earthiness is not the gospel, but the gospel did come to earth. Earthiness is no savior, but earthiness is saved” (God Rest Ye Merry, pp. 26-27).
“In one sense, of course, Jesus is the reason for the season. But in another fundamental sense, sin is the reason for the season. We have not entered into a season of feel-goodism, where we think about soft snow and candlelight, with silver bells in the distance. Remember Ramah weeping for her children, remember our abortion mills, remember how dark this world is without Christ, and then cling in faith to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ” (God Rest Ye Merry, p. 26).
“The doctrine of the Incarnation proclaims frankly and without embarrassment the most stupendous miracle that can be imagined” (God Rest Ye Merry, p. 22).
“The one who spoke the galaxies into existence at the beginning of all things took on human flesh and consented to have his diapers changed. But He did not do this in order to demonstrate how low He could stoop, as though that stooping were arbitrary or aimless. Rather, He ordained that stooping this low would be the means by which He overcame the world. And He ordained that stooping in this way would be the means by which His disciples followed Him into the kingdom” (God Rest Ye Merry, p. 19).
“The first Christmas was the time in history when God began announcing His mastery of irony . . . The great day of resurrection, the eschatological climax, will be what Tolkien called eucatastrophe, and will be literary catharsis writ large, although large is far too small a word for it . . . In worshiping Christ, in worshiping the Word, Christians are worshiping God’s irony” (God Rest Ye Merry, pp. 17-19).
“The apostle Paul said that it was designed this way — eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, what God has prepared for those who love Him. Do you love Him? Then brace yourself, and sing to a world that needs to brace itself” (God Rest Ye Merry, p. 15).
