The Silver Chair: I. The Scenario A. The Silver Chair is the sixth of seven stories popularly called the Narnia Chronicles. The stories generally have a lot more in them than is commonly assumed. B. In this story, two children from our world-Jill and Eustace-are taken into another world, and are given the task of …
Westminster Candy Shop
The reverend confectioners in the back of the Westminster Candy Shop one day decided to change the recipes because customers were no longer buying the Sawdust Swirl. But rather than continuing with their experiments, they took a vote and decided to return to the original recipes that had been in use when the shop first …
Blessednesses/Psalm 1
In many ways, this first psalm is a preface to all the psalms. In the space of a few short verses, we have the entire compass of righteous and unrighteous living set before us. Not every word is spoken, but the fundamental issues of life are all here. “Blessed is the man that walketh not …
Mary Jane and the Cat
Once there was a little girl named Mary Jane. Her birthday was the next day, and so her mother had spent the afternoon making her a cake, and she took special care to make just the kind of cake that Mary Jane loved, especially the frosting. When the cake was done, her mother put the …
Nicodemus and Judas
The current controversy over the objectivity of the covenant is caused, in part, by the penchant certain theologians have for ignoring the importance of plot lines in story. These plot lines obviously show up in the stories of Scripture, and consequently, a lot of confusion results from theologians treating plot problems as though they were math problems. But …
Rain to the Earth
Father and God, we thank You for the food before us. We thank You for the hands that prepared it, and for those who will help in the service of cleaning up. You give rain to the earth, and you make our food grow from the soil. You have given the rain of the new …
Sabbath Liturgy
Introduction: Below is a copy of the Sabbath dinner liturgy we follow every Saturday evening at the Wilson home, as we commence our honoring of the Lord’s Day. Our families gather, and the grandchildren are asked catechism questions usually pertaining to the Sabbath unless, like Rory, they are given a question which they can answer …
Pale Madness
Wisdom forsaken and folly embraced, Folly conceives and bears idiot children, Stubborn in creed and in mulish confession, They cling to the death of their civilization. Staggering, falling and groping through dark, Her poets and sages and pundits declare Freedom as glory and freedom as nothing, Freedom as goodness, whatever that is. Wombs are a …
Descent
Descending out of heaven Into Minneapolis, I saw outside the plane A hard, bright autumn. Far below, a parking lot, Crammed with automobiles, Flared with momentary glory Like Hopkins’ shook foil.
Reconciliation
Something glittered in the sandy bank. Gull circled noisily, but no one else was there. More than a breeze was off the bay, But the clouds were motionless, Unaware of the bite below. Scattered reeds bent back toward the cottages, The early sunlight was bitter still. Sand behind me, forgotten miles, The sand in front …