Rebecca Stark is the author of The Good Portion: Godthe second title in The Good Portion series.

The Good Portion: God explores what Scripture teaches about God in hopes that readers will see his perfection, worth, magnificence, and beauty as they study his triune nature, infinite attributes, and wondrous works. 

                     

Sunday
Apr182021

Sunday's Hymn: Be Still, My Soul

 

 

 

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

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy 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 blessèd we shall meet at last.

Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the sun of life divine
Through passing clouds
Shall but more brightly shine.

—Ka­tha­ri­na A. von Schle­gel

Other hymns of worship songs for this Sunday:

Saturday
Apr172021

Selected Reading, April 17, 2021

 

A few interesting things I found this week.

Christ

The Water-Providing, Stricken Rock
Why does Paul say that the rock Moses struck in Exodus 17:1-7 was Christ? How is the rock a type of Christ? Nicholas Batzig explains.

Northern

Dawson City By-Law Officer
He’s the animal control officer in Dawson City, Yukon, and he takes selfies with the dogs he picks up. The dogs, by the way, all seem to be enjoying themselves.

“Getting it on canvas”: Yukon artist paints to heal residential school memories 
Mary Caesar paints her childhood experiences in residential school: ““I get a lot of strong reactions, both from the native and white communities. Some residential school survivors, when they see my paintings, it brings up memories for them. It brings up feelings. And I understand because I know how they feel. Some non-native people just get shocked when they see my paintings. They get really emotional and I get emotional too.”

Fiction

So Brave, Young, and Handsome
This is so good.

It’s the third novel by Lief Enger that I’ve read, and probably the third one that I’ve recommended here. From the publisher’s blurb:

“… a rugged and nimble story about an aging train robber on a quest to reconcile the claims of love and judgment on his life, and the failed writer who goes with him.”

Do you need some good fiction to read? You might enjoy it as much as I am.

Thursday
Apr152021

Theological Term of the Week: Ambrose of Milan

Ambrose of Milan
A “Catholic provincial governor who became bishop or Milan in 374.”1 He lived from 239-297.

  • From 2000 Years of Christ’s Power by N. H. Needham:
  • … Ambrose attained to fame as a magnificant preacher, a resolute enemy of Arianism, and a pioneer hymn-writer… . Ambrose also popularised in Western worship the Eastern practice of singing hymns. By “hymns” I mean newly written songs of worship, as opposed to the Old Testament psalms and other songs or poetic passages of Scripture set to music (e.g. the Manificant of Luke 1:46-55). Ambrose wrote his own hymns to teach his congregation the orthodox doctrine of Christ during the Arian controversy.  

Learn more:

  1. Got Questions: Who was Ambrose of Milan?
  2. Theopedia: Ambrose of Milan
  3. Christian History: Ambrose of Milan
  4. Christian Classics Ethereal Library: Ambrose

 

Related terms:

 

Filed under Christian History

1From 2000 Years of Christ’s Power by N. R. Needham.


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