Letters On The Page

Monday, December 4, 2023                                                    2 Peter 1:1-21 When Peter says in his letter to the church at large: “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.” And then in verse 15, “I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.”  I immediately thought of that ever-present and ever-useful invention known as the sticky note.  I’ve got a stack and they serve as delightful reminders of what to do, list of errands, list of authors and books to explore, list of items to purchase at the store.   But Peter is speaking of things that are much more profound than a to-do list.  He is speaking of how we shall be in this world.   Despite the immense beauty of this world, our innate selfishness and pride brings unbridled corruption.  We make this beautiful world dark and occasionally ugly because we are beholden to the prince o

 Nadya Williams has a delightful essay explaining the role of books in her family's life.  She and her family have just moved.  In their residence, they are still finding places to put books.  We have a few books too and I can relate to her conundrum.  I also think that moving the books is well worth the effort.  Nadya speaks for her family in explaining why it is worth it for her.  https://www.frontporchrepublic.com/2023/12/for-the-love-of-books/ The image below is above her article.  What a home library! https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arbeitszimmer_des_Alexander_von_Humboldt_in_Berlin,_Oranienburger_Str._67_(Gemälde).jpg

Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol What a delightful book! I have seen two movie adaptations but the book is far better because we not only hear the character's dialogue but also the narrators comments which add so much to the story. Dickens is a masterful storyteller.  I saw the biblical themes of the Great Reversal, repentance, feast and celebration with food, drink, family, and friends. The Christmas Carol made me think of the biblical story of Zacchaeus. When Jesus calls Zacchaeus into His friendship, Zaccaeus responds by giving away much of his wealth.  The ghost of Christmas Past showed Scrooge how he changed over time. In fact, one scene shows him with a young woman whom he must have been engaged to marry, but she broke it off. She saw that he chose "the gold idol" over her. She did not want wealth at any cost. She wanted love and a family with a present husband and father.  I am certain that A Christmas Tale was originally intended as a moral lesson. Dickens warns

https://in.lcms.org/in-the-very-midst-of-death/ In the Very Midst of Death I had the privilege of being at my own congregation, Emmaus in South Bend, this past Sunday, and the Holy Gospel (from the historic lectionary) was the “little apocalypse” from St. Luke. It opens with the sobering forewarning of our Lord, that “there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world” (St. Luke 21:25-26). These are familiar words, of course, but it also struck me how apropos and timely they are in this present day and age, all the more so at a time of year when anxiety is at a peak. Not only are the days of December darker and shorter, but the stress of the world’s “holidays” can be particularly hard and taxing on many people, as we are all aware, directly or indirectly. But what struck me even more poignantly was our Lord’s immedi