Music and the Gospel

MUSIC AND THE GOSPEL

The following quote is from P. T. Forsyth [numbers added]:
(1) There is at once a compelling grasp and a pervasive idea in great music, which lifts us, if we seek something more than mere amusement, into the vision which sees all things as working together for glory, good, and God.
(2) Music is a universal speech, not only in the sense of coming home to almost all hearts. In that sense it is true only of simple and homely music. But great music is universal in a deeper sense than the simple, as Christianity itself is. Its nature and destiny is universal. It sweeps over us with a wave of emotion, which is humane, universal, and submersive of our own petty egoism.
(3) It exists to purify and organise the selfish emotions, not simply to soothe them, excite them, or indulge them. It lifts us into a world of things which includes our little aches and joys, laps them in a diviner air, and resolves them into the tides and pulses of an eternal life.
(4) It raises us to our place, if but for an hour, in the universal order of things, and makes our years seem but moments in the eternal process. It is not then our personal welfare we think of, or our private enjoyment.
(5) Music, like Scripture and Nature, is of no private interpretation. We feel then that our passions and affections, however real, are but rills and streams in an infinite world of love, sympathy, and consummation. (Forsyth, Christ On Parnassus, p. 209-210).
(6) ‘…we have in a piece of great music the world’s order in miniature.’ (P. T. Forsyth, Christ on Parnassus, p. 212)

Adelaide Berean Community Church

Our congregation - NWCC - is linked with the ABORIGINAL BEREAN COMMUNITY CHURCH. They are an Aboriginal Congregation, primarily. Formerly an AEF - Aboriginal Evangelical Fellowship congregation. Their name is taken from Acts 17:10-11.

"The brethren at once sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and they, on their arrival, went to the synagogue of the Jews. The Jews at Berea were of a nobler disposition than those in Thessalonica, for they very readily received the Message, and day after day searched the Scriptures to see whether it was as Paul stated."

This congregation is of a noble disposition!

It is great to meet with them.
And you know what?

We are one in Christ, reconciled. What a great practical beginning to living as a reconciled people (after all that has happened in Australia, in these last 200 years).

A work of grace, is a work of grace - given by God, established in Calvary, wrought through forgiveness. Formed by the Spirit of God. Grace: Black and White - One in Christ.

"Why I Write" - Extracts from Andrew Lansdown

Andrew Lansdown is one of Australia's very gifted poets, and writers:
From his article: 'Why I Write', the following are his eleven reasons:

1. Writing is a means of discovery. ...the work becomes something different from and more than I had imagined at the outset.
2. Writing is a means of clarification.
3. Writing is a means of paying attention and attributing worth.
4. Writing is a means of expressing praise and gratitude.
5. Writing is a means of keeping record.
6. Writing is a means of expressing interest and love.
7. Writing is a means of protest and protection.
8. Writing is a means of communication.
9. Writing is a means of exploring and enjoying language.
10. Writing is a means of achievement and satisfaction.
11. Writing is a means of satisfying a compulsion.

(These 11 are just the headlines. And good headlines at that. The details appear in his book: Andrew Lansdown, 'Abiding Things', Studio, 1996, p. 86-88.)

I too like writing, but have been busy writing theological teaching papers, of late, and have neglected a little enjoyable scribble, of thoughts, and insights. Have a try at writing! You may get a nice surprise!

Shallow View of Evil

Our society has a shallow view of evil.
We know about Terrorists.
But we miss the human condition, and the present outworking of the curse on creation.
And we deny, or miss, or ignore, or laugh at - the action, in destruction, of 'the evil one'.

N.T. Wright says:

Firstly, we ignore evil when it doesn’t hit us in the face.
Second, we are surprised by evil when it does.
Third, we react in immature and dangerous ways as a result.

Let's come to terms with a more nuanced view!

Charlie Wilson's War

My wife won some free tickets to see the movie "Charlie Wilson's War". Unfortunately we sat a bit too far towards the back, where the theatre got a tad hot, and I was quite uncomfortable - and sleepy. However, Tom Hanks played his roll well - a drinking, womanising, low morals, mover and shaker American congressman - the usual.

Charlie was a bit of a hero - in the way he gave short shrift to the fundamentalist 'Christian' who could no longer have his nativity scene in a public place... "... take it to the Baptist church a mile down the street - 'everybody lives!')

*** Note: Everyone laughs at the Yanks, because they think they are so, so wrong, and humanitarianism ideals are so, so, right). Post-modern mindset people naively think: "we can do it, if only more people, were without 'Christian' or other God-morals and god-values"].

Charlie Wilson managed to "win the war", by utilising his contacts, and his sharp political manoeuvring. A true story according to the intro. I fell asleep a couple of times - the start was a bit slow. But I think this is how it went (could have a detail or two wrong - sorry but):

Now, Charlie needfully socialised with the Moslem nations, Pakistan, Egypt and so on - and even Israel lent a hand. Funny socialising occasions! They chipped in billions to get the Communist Russians out of Afghanistan. They purchased and supplied these extra-fancy bazooka type anti-aircraft guns, so that the poor Afghan people, could drop the destuctive, horrifyingly good Russian helicopters out of the sky. They did it. And the Russians lost a real battle to invade, for the first time in a long while. (And it stopped that domino effect, for other nations... etc.)

The emotional, moving, part was when Charlie - the US congressman - agreed to sit down in the dirt and really feel the plight and pain, of the maimed kids, innocent victims of war.
The Russians, you see, were just carelessly slaughtering women, kids and men, from the safety of their unreachable sky transport. The innocent victims picked up bombs and were maimed. Sad. Very sad. Anyway, Charlie fixed it.

The Russians retreated. Communism (... now in decline, ) being defeated here, ... precipitated the eventual fall of the Berlin Wall! Ah Charlie!)

And the reason Charlie bothered to help the Afghanistan people?
Because he was asked to sit with the suffering ones? He was moved.
So were we. It appeals to our poor view of our own will, ... that we could somehow do it right, if we had the chance..
Yes, in it all, the 'dumb' Americans were managed to be portrayed as such.
Then came the twist.

The Afghans wanted money for a new school!
"No, was the reply - Why? - coz no one give a toss about them!"
Irony. Blame back on the dumb USA - again! (Always a good scapegoat for all other nations!)

Amidst all this was the yarn - wise advice of a Zen Master - a spiritual man: "We'll see".
The yarn:
A boy was bought a horse? Good hey? Reply: "We'll see".
He fell off and was paralysed? Bad hey? Reply: "We'll see".
War broke out in Vietnam and he did not have to go? Good hey? Reply: "We'll see".

As with the yarn, so with the politics and hopes in humanity for the Charlie Wilson's of the world to do more good...
Reply: "We'll see".

Now, for the few conclusions, I am drawing..
You see... one bloke left the movie thinking ... that was good, but...
Now we've got a bloody religious war (in Afghanistan).
Underlying message ... if only it was all left to sensible, left, liberal minded people, we could fix it.
Underlying message of movie ...shallow. Politics can fix some things, But mostly it comes down to "We'll see".
No conclusion. No hope. No destiny. Just more of the same. Up. Down. Defeat. Triumph. Politics - good. Politics - not so good. And one big "We'll see".

I say 'no'. I say, 'there is a cross'. There is a theodicy. There is a Sovereign hand. History, in itself is not our hope. Christ is. And he is. And he will. And he has. And he does. Reconciliation. That is the plan, the outworking of the cross. Redemption is the action, working up our futile answers. And "We'll see" is a futile conclusion - if that is all there is.

Not - "we'll see", but our God reigns, from the place of deepest suffering, to the place of greatest triumph. Christ is Risen.
It is his war! And he is Victor. And we are the objects of his grace. All races. Wow!

Into the sea

(1) Crossing the Red Sea, was quite a moment, for the people of God.

"The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left" (Exodus 14:22).

Have you entered "the sea", the chaos, the impossible place to be?
Do you have faith? Do you trust God? Are you led by His Word, and Spirit?

Those who are called, and are resolved to follow the Lord, and to find in him, saving grace, know that the only place to be, is "into the sea", when this is the will of the Lord. His will is to reveal his saving power, to the nations - that all might put their trust in him.

To die, to enter "the sea", is a once only event for us all.
Facing death, as a person, who has already trusted the Lord, is a good place to be.
It is dry land. It is secure. It is leading into the promised land.

Baptism, rightly understood is the entry into 'the sea'. Baptism, is at once the funeral day, and the day of salvation.
Enter the waters of death, with in, and by the work of Christ, and you will know the security of venturing forth, on dry land.

"All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea" (1 Corinthians 10:2).

(2) Living beyond the Red Sea is also quite 'a moment'; a calling - a holy calling, and a place of grace, and of judgments, within the salvation which has come. For, the new life comes with warnings, not to become idolaters - do 'not put Christ to the test'. 23,000 Israelites fell in a single day, for their sexual immorality. God was not pleased with most of them. "Dear friends, flee from the worship of idols.I speak as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I say" (1 Corinthians 10:15)

Much is to be learned from Israel, and her failings. Much. Cheers!