Grace

"Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves... the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession.  Cheap grace is grace without discipleship....

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sough again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock...

It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life." 

 Dietrich Bonhoeffer {The Cost of Discipleship}  

SPIRIT OF GOD, DESCEND UPON MY HEART

This lovely hymn is my prayer today:

Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;

wean it from earth, through all its pulses move.

Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art,

And make me love Thee as I ought to love.

Hast thou not bid us love thee, God and King?

All, all Thine own - soul, heart and strength and mind.

I see Thy cross - there teach my heart to cling;

O let me seek Thee, and O let me find.

Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh; 

Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear - 

To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;

Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,

One holy passion filling all my frame.

The baptism of the heav'n-descended Dove - 

My heart an altar and Thy love the flame.

Text:  George Croly                 Music:  Frederick C. Atkinson

Simple Theology

 "...Christianity originally centered on Christ and His kingdom - not on the fine points of theology.  It's rather difficult to put together a detailed theological statement just from the teachings of Jesus.  That's because in essence the gospel of the kingdom is not theology.  It's about people entering into an obedient faith-love relationship with Jesus the King, bearing fruit.  Jesus didn't talk much about theology because that wasn't particularly important to Him.  However, He did talk a lot about fruit.  And He talked a lot about how we are to live as citizens of His kingdom   He taught us what it means to love one another and to love God.  Those things are important to Him." (emphasis added)

p. 38-39, Will the Theologians Please Sit Down, David Bercot, copyright 2009 Scroll Publishing Company

A Plea from an Echo Boomer

In her article "More Than Teacups...a Plea for Biblical Literacy," Megan Gariss practically begs the older generations to teach the twenty-somethings (and younger?) how to study the Bible.  I wept when I read it.  We have failed these young people, and they know it.  I so appreciated her humble request.  I didn't detect any bitterness on her part, only an almost-desperate plea for us "olders" to do what we should already have been doing.  (I think that's what Jesus would call "making disciples.")  We parents must take seriously our responsibility to disciple...starting first with our own children (and granddies).  I believe the Lord will not ask us how many folks we won to the Lord "out there" before He asks if we made disciples of our own little ones.  Sobering.