Spring Swan Song

Photo by Andrew Stark
(click on photo for larger view)It’s the time of the year when the trumpeter swans return to McClintock Bay, and this year there have been a record number of them. Each spring, migrating trumpeter and tundra swans and other waterfowl gather together there in the open water, waiting for the smaller lakes of their nesting grounds to open up. It’s an attractive place to wait things out because not only is it the first open water around, but there are good pickings, food-wise, and not much to disturb the peace except the noisy commotion of the swans themselves.

Right now, today, there were 2009 pausing trumpeters in the bay. When it’s all said and done, fifteen percent (or more) of the world’s trumpeters will have passed through. Believe me, that makes for a bit of a racket. Check out this recording of a few swans honking, multiply it by about 200 and you’ll get the idea.

Yep, very loud, and not just loud, but big and loud. Trumpeters are the largest of the world’s waterfowl, commonly weighing over 12 kilograms. That’s 25 pounds, for those who are metrically challenged.

The easiest way to tell the difference between trumpeter and tundra swans is in their bills. Most tundra swans have a yellow spot on the upper edge of the bill, while the trumpeter’s bill is all black. Here’s a handy-dandy guide that pictures the difference for you.

And yes, I was saving the best part for last: the web-cam at Swan Haven on McClintock Bay. Click on the link to see the real live migrating swans in the Yukon for yourself. If you play the swan call recording at the same time, it’ll be just like you are here, and without the cost of the plane tickets.

Theological Term of the Week

illumination
The work of the Holy Spirit within us, enabling us “to grasp and to love the revelation that is in the biblical text” as we hear and read it, and as it is explained to us by teachers and writers.1

• From scripture:

  Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 

  The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:12-14 ESV)

• From The Westminster Confession, Chapter 1:

  The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word…. 

• From Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem:

  Another aspect of the Holy Spirit’s revealing work is teaching certain things to God’s people and illumining them so that they can understand things. Jesus promised this teaching function especially to his disciples when he said that the Holy Spirit” will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you (John 14:26), and said “he will guide you to all the truth” (John 16:13). …

  The illuminating work of the Holy Spirit is seen in the fact that he enables us to understand: “We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12) Therefore, “The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts (literally, things) of the Spirit of God” but “The spiritual man judges all things” (1 Corinthians 2:14-15). We should pray that the Holy Spirit would give us his illumination and thereby help us to understand rightly when we study Scripture….

Learn more:

1. J. I. Packer: Illumination
2. Bernie Gillespie: The Illumination of the Holy Spirit
3. Bob Burridge: The Holy Spirit in the Ministry of the Word
4. Daniel Wallace: The Holy Spirit and Hermeneutics
   
5. S. Lewis Johnson: Illumination, or Truth Made Clear (mp3 with transcript)

1Concise Theology by J. I. Packer

Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it.

I’m also interested in any suggestions you have for tweaking my definitions or for additional (or better) articles or sermons/lectures for linking. I’ll give you credit and a link back to your blog if I use your suggestion.

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms organized in alphabetical order or by topic.

Round the Sphere Again

Bookish…

TCG Reviews
is an online publication of The Gospel Coalition that brings readers helpful appraisals of books and other resources. The purpose of TGC Reviews is to serve the church of Jesus Christ by becoming one of the most trusted review sites on the Web. Here is a list of all the reviews to date.

The Big Picture
John Bird reviews Mark Dever’s What Does God Want of Us Anyway?, which he says “is s a quick overview of the whole Bible,” and adds that it would be difficult “to find a more concise yet more helpful book on understanding the Word of God.” (While We Sojourn) 

Birthday Girl
Today was Beverly Cleary’s 94th birthday. In honor of the big day, here are 10 tidbits about Beverly Cleary and her books. (mental_floss Blog)

Did you know Mrs. Cleary was a librarian who started writing children’s books because “she didn’t believe any of the books in her library properly represented the way kids really acted?” 

I read more Beverly Cleary books aloud to youngest son than I can count. He loved Henry, Ribsy, and Beatrice. (Pesky little Ramona, however, frustrated him.) Oldest daughter read them for herself. How about your family? Anyone read these books?

Saddest Cookbook
Any guesses as to which cookbook is the saddest one in the whole wide world? (Make sure you don’t just look at the picture, but read the text for the story of what might be the worst gift ever.) (Serious Eats)