January 7: Awesome God
♫ Music:
Christ with the Doctors in the Temple
Luke 2: 41-52
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
A Plea
by Scott Cairns
A third time, then, I beg of you
to keep Jesus as the sweet, sole
contemplation of your heart.
Let Jesus by the chief
preoccupation of your tongue.
Let Jesus be the honorable
shape and substance
Of your mind. In short,
let Jesus be your very breath,
and never tire of calling out
His name, which performs
and manifests the union
and the unifying agency
of both the God and man
AWESOME GOD
“Ponder” is, I think, one of my favorite words. I like the way it sounds.
Ponder.
Its opening “p” always grabs me. Like “punch” or “power.” (Okay, I’m listening.) Its next two letters –on- let me down gently to something soft . . . and moving. Its taking me somewhere: onnnn. The –d- enters now to give the word weight, as if to reassure me that this something-softly-moving is substantive, firm enough to carry me. I can give myself to it.
PonD.
And then, the closing –er- just lays me out, rolls me into the future. I am not sure where the –rrrr- stops, so gently does it carry me from sound into a full silence.
Ponder.
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What parent does not dread this moment?
In Luke 2:41, Joseph and Mary begin the journey back to Nazareth after days of Passover celebration in Jerusalem. As usual, they are caravaning home with other Galileans, a parade of hundreds of pilgrims, maybe thousands, stretching out miles along the route. It will take them about 5 days. Men and women walk separately. Children tag along, willy-nilly, now with mothers, now with relatives, now with friends, but somewhere safe in the mass.
The sun is dropping below the horizon. The caravan slows, bunches up and finds a place to camp. Mary turns to Joseph, casually: “Where is Jesus?” Joseph replies, “I thought he was with you?”
They hurry to Jerusalem. It takes them a whole day and then two days of searching. No 911 to call. No “Passover 2016” FB group to poke. Agonizing. Hard, hard. “After three days” --3 days!--they find him in the Temple. They are incredulous and “astonished” (48). Jesus sees them, looks up calmly and says innocently (in essence): “What?”
Twenty-one years later, at Passover again in Jerusalem, Mary might remember that moment. She had “treasured” it up in her heart (51). A 12-year old Jesus sits among scholars and teachers, taking careful notes, asking really good questions. The teachers may have looked up at the parents: “Is this your son?” Mary and Joseph perhaps at this moment recall the angel’s prophecy: “He will be great” (Lk. 1:32). They think to themselves: okay, this is happening.
“I must be in my Father’s house” (49). This is what he says to them, and they are the first words we hear Jesus speak in Luke’s gospel. From that time on, Jesus will always be surprising. He’s connected to some other family, some other reality, some other Person (“My Father,” again). He sees things differently. He says things differently, but once he speaks, you know it’s always been true. In many cases, it’s already “been written,” but it’s still surprising. It is like the astonishing trick of the tablecloth: the glasses and silverware remain unmoved, but the table looks different now.
Theologian Tom (N.T.) Wright, a New Testament scholar who has written a 700-page tome on Jesus and 50+ other books on Scripture, gets up most mornings and straightaway makes a large pot of tea. Then, he sits down and opens up the Bible.
“I never know what’s going to come,” he says.
He doesn’t?!
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Advice to self:
1) “Treasure up” the words and person of Jesus. Ponder them. Ponder Him.
2) “Keep Jesus as the sweet sole contemplation of your heart” (Cairns).
3) Let Jesus be “the joy of your desiring” (Bach).
3) Let him astonish you (Luke).
You never know what’s going to come.
Prayer
Go, and know that the Lord Jesus Christ goes with you; let him lead you each day into the quiet place of your heart, where he will speak with you; know that he loves you and watches over you--that he listens to you in gentle understanding, that he is with you always, wherever you are and however you may feel: and the blessing of God--Father, Son and Holy Spirit--be yours for ever more.
Amen.
(From Still Waters, Deep Waters)
Todd Pickett
Dean of Spiritual Development
Video: The Life of Jesus Christ
About the Video:
Using portraits of Christ from a wide variety of artists, this video traces the life of the Savior from his humble birth in a stable to his ascension and return to heaven. Although it is impossible to begin to capture even a bit of Christ’s beauty, painters down through the centuries have nonetheless endeavored to do so. It is no doubt the ultimate artistic challenge. Their attempts reflect the words Dostoyevsky penned in the Brothers Karamazov.
“I believe there is nothing lovelier, deeper, more sympathetic and more perfect that the Saviour; I say to myself with jealous love that not only is there no one else like Him, but that there could be no one. I would say even more. If anyone could prove to me that Christ is outside the truth, and if the truth really did exclude Christ, I should prefer to stay with Christ and not with truth. There is in the world only one figure of absolute beauty: Christ. That infinitely lovely figure is as a matter of course an infinite marvel.”
About the Music:
“Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring”
Lyrics:
Jesu, joy of man's desiring,
Holy wisdom, love most bright;
Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring
Soar to uncreated light.
Word of God, our flesh that fashioned,
With the fire of life impassioned,
Striving still to truth unknown,
Soaring, dying round Thy throne.
Through the way where hope is guiding,
Hark, what peaceful music rings;
Where the flock, in Thee confiding,
Drink of joy from deathless springs.
Theirs is beauty's fairest pleasure;
Theirs is wisdom's holiest treasure.
Thou dost ever lead Thine own
In the love of joys unknown.
About the Composer:
Johannes Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, and violinist of the Baroque period. He established his distinctly German style through skillful use of counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's compositions include “Brandenburg Concertos”, “Mass in B minor”, “Well-Tempered Clavier”, two Passions, keyboard works, and more than 300 cantatas, of which nearly 100 cantatas have been lost to posterity. His music is revered for its intellectual depth, technical command, and artistic beauty.
“Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” is the popular title given to the last movement of Bach’s cantata Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life. The melody was actually written by Johann Schop but adapted by Bach. It has become one of the most beloved and often performed pieces of classical music. It is standard repertoire at wedding ceremonies, as well as at both Christmas and Easter concerts and worship services.
About the Performers:
The Camilli String Quartet formed while its members were studying at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London. In 2015 the quartet won the Trinity Laban John Barbirolli Competition and were awarded a place on the Richard Carne Chamber Mentorship Scheme. They have performed at venues throughout the United Kingdom.
http://www.camillistringquartet.co.uk/
About the Poet:
Scott Cairns (b 1954) is an American poet, memoirist and essayist. Cairns earned a B.A. from Western Washington University, an M.A. from Hollins University, an MFA from Bowling Green State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Utah. Cairns has served on the faculties of Kansas State University, Westminster College, University of North Texas, Old Dominion University, and University of Missouri. While at North Texas, Cairns served as editor of the American Literary Review. Cairns is the author of eight collections of poetry, one collection of translations of Christian mystics, one spiritual memoir, a book-length essay on suffering, and co-edited The Sacred Place with Scott Olsen, an anthology of poetry, fiction and nonfiction. Dr. Cairns is currently the program director of Seattle Pacific University’s MFA in Creative Writing program.