Song in My Heart this Friday

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to your God to order and provide;
In every change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; your best, your heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul; your God will undertake
To guide the future as he has the past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and wind still know
His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

Be still, my soul; though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then you will better know his love, his heart,
Who comes to soothe your sorrows and your fears.
Be still, my soul; your Jesus can repay
From his own fullness all he takes away.

Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

By: Catharina von Schlegel -1752

Repentance

I take a circular route to work. There is this one uncontrolled intersection not far from my home where it is easier to turn right than to turn left, so my drive to work is sort of like driving counter-clockwise from 6 to 12. Coming home I take a different route and complete the counter-clockwise circle, 12 to 6.

The other day I reversed my course and you know what? Everything looked so different -- the houses, the landmarks, the road itself. I had to concentrate because it felt so unfamiliar!

It was repentance.

Cloth Ears

I've been reading a lot of ELCA blogs recently and occasionally leaving a comment or two. Overall it has been a sobering experience. I have been shocked to the point where I was ready to tell a woman that she is neither Lutheran nor Christian (but I didn't, thank you delete key). I confess in all the debates between fundamentalist Candy and the VTC women I have never, ever felt that way about any of them.

I think in the ELCA today there exists genuine heresy.

Dr. Robert Gagnon has written an article: What Should Faithful Lutherans in the ELCA Do? It is probably the harshest commentary I have come across, but I am becoming convinced that is what it is going to take.