Burning Throne

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Forgive Us, O God

A poem by Derek Brown, posted on his website here.

Saints and Sinners

When somebody yields to temptation

And breaks one of man’s or God’s laws,

We look for no good in his make-up,

But oh! how we look for the flaws!

No one cares about how he was tempted,

Nor praises the battles he’s fought;

His name becomes food for the jackals --

For us who have never been caught.

“He has sinned!” we shout from the house-tops,

We forget the good deeds he has done,

We focus on that one lost battle,

And forget all the times he has won.

“Come, gaze at the sinner!” we thunder,

“And by his example be taught

That his footsteps lead to destruction!”

Cry we who have never been caught.

I’m a sinner, O Lord, and I know it,

I’m weak, I blunder, I fail.

I’m tossed on life’s stormy ocean

Like ships embroiled in a gale.

I’m willing to trust in Thy mercy,

To keep the commandments Thou’st taught,

But deliver me, Lord, from the judgement

Of saints who have never been caught!

Anonymous

Monday, November 21, 2011

Mike Cain's article "Have You Got The Whole Story?" (click to view) is a really good overview of the story line of the Bible.

If you are having trouble seeing the big picture, this essay will help you.

It has a few British idioms in it so I've given the American "translations" below:

"chocolate digestive biscuits" - a semi-sweet cracker, something like a Graham cracker with a milk-chocolate covering on top; frequently eaten with tea or coffee.
"Sainsbury bag" - a plastic shopping bag. Sainsbury is a large supermarket chain in the UK, probably like one of our Super Walmart stores.
"sticking plaster" - a band-aid.
"a bed-sit in Balham" - a one-room apartment in a neighborhood in south London.
"holidays in Bognor" - Bognor is a seaside resort town on the south coast of England.

Two of my favorite quotes from the article:

Living for him is not shackles, it is freedom. And it is fun. Life with the one who made the stars and dragonflies is not long-faced and "bible black." The body is not a prison from which to escape. He made our bodies for us to enjoy. So he didn't give us fuel to stick in our sides, he gave us food to taste: he gave us pineapples, grilled sea bass, potato salad, chocolate fudge cake and raspberries

The Bible says God looked at what he made and called it, "very good."

When God expels Adam and Eve from the Garden, He also makes a promise. He promises that someone descended from this woman will come to put things right and restore us to life with God again. And the story of the bible turns out to be the story of God keeping that promise.