“Only after the invention of the printing press were poetry and music separated” (Gene Edward Veith, Reading Between the Lines, p. 79).
Along the Fence
“The Christian faith has a center. When Christians gravitate to the periphery in order to conduct their fights along the fence, it betrays a lack of love for the center, and perhaps reveals a desire to get over the fence entirely” (Mother Kirk, p. 85).
Contra Mundum
“The generality of men thought they did God good service in persecuting those who would not yield to the judgment of others who had a reputation for learning and piety. Those who were conscientious could not yield to their determinations, not seeing the truth of God in them, and this made the stir. While men …
They Provide
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 113 “A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again” (Prov. 19:24). Sin doesn’t make sense. If it made sense, it wouldn’t be sin. Laziness is one of …
Let ‘Er Rip
The second chapter of Rod Dreher’s book is on consumerism. He begins by telling the appalling story of what the American people were urged by the president to do in the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks, which was, unbelievably, to “go shopping.” This was hardly a blood, sweat and tears exhortation. Instead of “we will …
Because He Knows My Name
Minister: Lift up your hearts! Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! The one who dwells in the secret place, The secret place of the Most High, Shall abide and dwell in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say this about the Lord— He is my refuge and tower, My God, in whom …
A Wide Something or Other
Once there was a high school boy who was taunted mercilessly at school by another boy who was several years older. This younger boy was too big and too strong to be physically bullied, but the older boy would harass him constantly, and would always predict his own dominance in any future settings where there …
This is the Table of That Rejoicing
We live in a time when everyone wants to be the victim. This is a therapeutic age, and everyone wants to be the hurt one, the aggrieved one, the one with emotional scars—so that the certified therapists can validate us in our wounding, stamp our cards, which will then require the outside world to feel …
Cory and Katie
Cory and Katie, I am giving this exhortation to both of you as a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I am doing so in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. May our triune God seal these words in your hearts as He knits you together throughout the course of your …
Just Another Aisle in America
The British columnist Peter Hitchens recently commented on the phenomenon of “crunchy conservatism,” for which, he said, he “had a lot of time.” And so do I. I just finished reading Rod Dreher’s book Crunchy Cons, which was quite good. The subtitle is a bit more descriptive and helpful–“The New Conservative Counterculture and Its Return …