"Mysticism keeps men sane. As long as you have mystery you have health; when you destroy mystery you create morbidity...the whole secret of mysticism is this: that man can understand everything by the help of what he does not understand. The morbid logician seeks to make everything lucid, and succeeds in making everything mysterious. The mystic allows one thing to be mysterious, and everything else becomes lucid."
-G. K. Chesterton
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Psalm 40
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.
Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,
who have no confidence in the proud
or in those who worship idols.
O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.
You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand[a]—
you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.
Then I said, “Look, I have come.
As is written about me in the Scriptures:
I take joy in doing your will, my God,
for your instructions are written on my heart.”
I have told all your people about your justice.
I have not been afraid to speak out,
as you, O Lord, well know.
I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
of your unfailing love and faithfulness.
Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me.
Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.
For troubles surround me—
too many to count!
My sins pile up so high
I can’t see my way out.
They outnumber the hairs on my head.
I have lost all courage.
Please, Lord, rescue me!
Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
May those who try to destroy me
be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
be turned back in disgrace.
Let them be horrified by their shame,
for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”
But may all who search for you
be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”
As for me, since I am poor and needy,
let the Lord keep me in his thoughts.
You are my helper and my savior.
O my God, do not delay.
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.
Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,
who have no confidence in the proud
or in those who worship idols.
O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.
You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand[a]—
you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.
Then I said, “Look, I have come.
As is written about me in the Scriptures:
I take joy in doing your will, my God,
for your instructions are written on my heart.”
I have told all your people about your justice.
I have not been afraid to speak out,
as you, O Lord, well know.
I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
of your unfailing love and faithfulness.
Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me.
Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.
For troubles surround me—
too many to count!
My sins pile up so high
I can’t see my way out.
They outnumber the hairs on my head.
I have lost all courage.
Please, Lord, rescue me!
Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
May those who try to destroy me
be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
be turned back in disgrace.
Let them be horrified by their shame,
for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”
But may all who search for you
be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”
As for me, since I am poor and needy,
let the Lord keep me in his thoughts.
You are my helper and my savior.
O my God, do not delay.
Meanderings through Miry Clay
I only like to pretend it is easy to mistake Your voice for something I want.
I know truth.
And I do not want to let my Calvinist friends have any points on this...but the truth is I hate the truth, I hate what is good and cling to my own selfish needs. I would never have chosen You unless You would have intervened and pulled me out of this mud...this Hell.
Why else would I be so short tempered, cranky and all around a jerk to those who need help the most?
Why is it so hard for me to just openly communicate my fears, doubts, pain...all of these negative things that about drive me mad at times? Why can I not simply let them out in small bursts opposed to letting them all build up until I explode like I did the other week?
I know I am human...but I want to be like my Jesus...the one who bled and died to redeem a belligerent and apathetic people. The Jesus who was a friend to tax collectors, prostitutes, beggars, cripples, freaks, rejects from society...
The music is so beautiful because I somehow...in someway...feel Your grace...as if I was one step closer to being with You with no more separation between us...like writing...it goes beyond time and space...and there You are.
The darkness, this taint within me that screams for bloodshed...that surrender my soul to the depraved...
...and yet...hope remains.
Hope hasn't died.
The end is not here...
I will not simply give into despair and die.
I refuse.
This great salvation will not have been in vain.
I know truth.
And I do not want to let my Calvinist friends have any points on this...but the truth is I hate the truth, I hate what is good and cling to my own selfish needs. I would never have chosen You unless You would have intervened and pulled me out of this mud...this Hell.
Why else would I be so short tempered, cranky and all around a jerk to those who need help the most?
Why is it so hard for me to just openly communicate my fears, doubts, pain...all of these negative things that about drive me mad at times? Why can I not simply let them out in small bursts opposed to letting them all build up until I explode like I did the other week?
I know I am human...but I want to be like my Jesus...the one who bled and died to redeem a belligerent and apathetic people. The Jesus who was a friend to tax collectors, prostitutes, beggars, cripples, freaks, rejects from society...
The music is so beautiful because I somehow...in someway...feel Your grace...as if I was one step closer to being with You with no more separation between us...like writing...it goes beyond time and space...and there You are.
The darkness, this taint within me that screams for bloodshed...that surrender my soul to the depraved...
...and yet...hope remains.
Hope hasn't died.
The end is not here...
I will not simply give into despair and die.
I refuse.
This great salvation will not have been in vain.
Matthew 18:1-9
"About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
“And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.
"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell."
Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
“And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.
"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell."
Psalm 59
"You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me,
for you, O God, are my fortress.
In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me.
He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies."
-Psalm 59:9-10
I have no strength right now.
I am so weak.
I feel so tired.
I just am exhausted.
I ache.
Do you understand?
Do you feel the pain I am talking about?
Do you know how I feel right now?
As though I am caught in between two worlds...not truly on earth or in eternity...but this incredibly painful mishmash of the two.
I am so tired of hurting...of disappointments, of pain, of feeling so weak and empty and just...burned out beyond understanding.
So dry.
So empty.
I can't breath...I feel so far, far, far from You or from understanding.
You are supposed to be my strength...yet You feel so far away right now...as if You were nothing but mere wisps on the furthermost reaches of my mind.
But I have hope this will not last forever...I long so desperately for You...You are my life and my Love...and never shall we parted...so soon...oh so soon...
for you, O God, are my fortress.
In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me.
He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies."
-Psalm 59:9-10
I have no strength right now.
I am so weak.
I feel so tired.
I just am exhausted.
I ache.
Do you understand?
Do you feel the pain I am talking about?
Do you know how I feel right now?
As though I am caught in between two worlds...not truly on earth or in eternity...but this incredibly painful mishmash of the two.
I am so tired of hurting...of disappointments, of pain, of feeling so weak and empty and just...burned out beyond understanding.
So dry.
So empty.
I can't breath...I feel so far, far, far from You or from understanding.
You are supposed to be my strength...yet You feel so far away right now...as if You were nothing but mere wisps on the furthermost reaches of my mind.
But I have hope this will not last forever...I long so desperately for You...You are my life and my Love...and never shall we parted...so soon...oh so soon...
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