“Those who, in the absence of written documents, have believed this faith, are barbarians, so far as regards our language; but as regards doctrine, manner, and tenor of life, they are, because of faith, very wise indeed; and they do please God, ordering their conversation in all righteousness, chastity, and wisdom. If any one were to preach to these men the inventions of the heretics, speaking to them in their own language, they would at once stop their ears, and flee as far off as possible, not enduring even to listen to the blasphemous address.”
[Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies 3.4.1]
Dah, my Tumblarity has shot up to double-digits (13!) in the past 2 days. I’m not sure what to do other than to cease posting so I can feel good about myself again.
Not sure what an “Art Chapel” is, but this is some more interesting Finnish churchly architecture (in Turku).
St Henry’s Ecumenical Art Chapel
“We should be under no illusion that renewed emphasis upon the creed will in and of itself renew the life of the church: it will not. The church is created and renewed through Word and Spirit. Everything else—love of the brethren, holiness, proclamation, confession—is dependent upon them. Yet it is scarcely possible to envisage substantial renewal of the life of the church without renewal of its confessional life. There are many conditions for such renewal.
One is real governance of the church’s practice and decision-making not by ill-digested cultural analysis but by reference to the credal rendering of the biblical gospel. Another is recovery of the kind of theology which sees itself as an apostolic task, and does not believe itself entitled or competent to reinvent or subvert the Christian tradition. A third, rarely noticed, condition is the need for a recovery of symbolics (the study of creeds and confessions) as part of the theological curriculum—so much more edifying than most of what fills the seminary day. But alongside these are required habits of mind and heart: love of the gospel, docility in face of our forebears, readiness for responsibility and venture, a freedom from concern for reputation, a proper self-distrust. None of these things can be cultivated; they are the Spirit’s gifts, and the Spirit alone must doe his work. What we may do—and must do—is cry to God, who alone works great marvels.”
[John Webster, Confessing God, 83]
“The act of confession is an episode in the conflict between God and sin which is at the center of the drama of salvation. Confession is a counter-movement to human wickedness, a counter-movement brought about and sustained by the overflow of God’s abundance. Sin is in part the refusal to confess—the sullen and hard-hearted refusal to acknowledge God’s self-gift, failure to respond to God’s lavishness by voicing God’s praise. Confession refuses these refusals. It is a repentant act, a turning, and therefore a decisive ‘No’ to silence about God, or to that murmuring against God which is the response of the wicked to God’s generosity. Confession, therefore, is an aspect of the church’s holiness. To be holy is to be elect, caught up in God’s drastic negation of disorder and unrighteousness; and confession is the first work of the elect as they are separated by God for acknowledgment and praise of God.” — » John Webster, Confessing God, 72–3
An amazing poster for a wonderful duo.
grain edit · The Swell Season Concert Poster by Doublenaut
The mysteries of divorce, Finnish style -
Here is an incredibly interesting article from Helsingin Sanomat about divorce in Finland. It has a divorce rate over 50%, and new marriages now last an average of 7 years in Helsinki. Some revealing or insightful comments from the story below:
“There is one group who are bucking the trend. In our liberal society, there is a group of staunchly conservative people who feel that divorces should not be granted except for very weighty reasons. They are children.”
“What kind of a country is the Finland where people get divorced? It is a developed urban consumer society, where the Church, which sanctifies marriages, has mainly a ceremonial role.
Our Protestant church takes quite a tolerant attitude toward divorce, confirms Jouko Kiiski, who holds a doctorate in theology. ‘Even ministers and bishops get divorced. As divorces become more commonplace, part of the reason is that the surrounding community no longer takes as negative a view toward divorce as it used to.’”
“Finally, researcher Anna Rotkirch takes up an important point: talk about divorce, how ‘easy they are to get’, or how there are ‘too many divorces’, contains a moral statement.”
Kärsämäki Shingle Church in Finland by Lassila Hirvilammi Architects @ Dailytonic
Animated map of US Unemployment Rates by county, Jan 07–present.
“The Ilúvatar spoke, and he said: ‘Mighty are the Ainur, and mightiest among them is Melkor; but that he may know, and all the Ainur, that I am Ilúvatar, those things that ye have sung, I will show them forth, that ye may see what ye have done. And thou, Melkor, shalt see that no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite. For he that attempteth this shall prove but mine instrument in the devising of things more wonderful, which he himself hath not imagined.’” — » J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion, 5
WNYC - Radiolab » Killing Babies, Saving the World -
Another interesting short from the guys at Radiolab.
On a related note, there are a few moments in the new documentary Collision in which pastor Doug Wilson rebuts Christopher Hitchens’ supposed “morality from evolution” with, approximately, “If that is true, then nothing is absolutely immoral because morality is always going to change.” Hitchens seemed to assert that this conclusion was invalid. Listening to this Radiolab episode makes it abundantly clear what happens when evolution is the bedrock of human morality: it will always change; we will “grow” into different morals. Long live progress.
“I think sometimes that being overly type-sensitive is like an allergy,” said Michael Bierut, a partner in the Pentagram design group in New York. “My font nerdiness makes me have bad reactions to things that spoil otherwise pleasant moments.” —
Absolutely true. I have the unfortunate problem of attending a church that uses power point slides for worship lyrics rather than actual hymnals.
Mistakes in Typography Grate the Purists - NYTimes.com
“1. Play fair: Winning is without value if victory has been achieved unfairly or dishonestly. Cheating is easy, but brings no pleasure. Playing fair requires courage and character. It is also more satisfying. Fair play always has its reward, even when the game is lost. Playing fair earns respect, while cheating only brings shame. Remember: it is only a game. And games are pointless unless played fairly.” — Apropos of nothing: FIFA.com - Fair Play Code
“Where’s the horse placenta I can rub on my faith in the game?” — Twitter » The Run of Play
Dah. Cheaters. Another reason to despise Arsenal.
Mood darkens as recriminations begin: Henry’s handball secures France 1–1 Ireland