Elliott's Muses

Romans 4:1-3 1  What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2  For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3  For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” i think our american culture bristles at the notion of "Grace Alone, Faith Alone".   "Sola Gratia", "Sola Fide"  were appropriated by the Reformers - Luther and Calvin, and others - to express their opposition to the Catholic ideas of Salvation thru the merits earned in the church. Well, the modern American doesn't believe in either option anymore, although that person is much more closer to the idea of "earning" salvation (if they even believe in Salvation)...or at least "earning entry into Heaven" on the basis of doing good, performing, doing the best they can. It probably insults the average person to think they cannot earn...

On This Date – Sept. 27 th,  In Praise of Little Known Poets – Thomas Traherne died Sept 27, 1674. I didn't think to blog on Poets.  I am not one, although I have done a couple that I thought were ok.   My son, Christopher, is our family Poet.  He is good and I truly love reading what he has done.  And with his permission I will post some from time to time. I get this Church History page that lets me see what happened in History on this date.  That a little of google searching led me to a "little known poet" named Thomas Traherne. He was born in Hereford, England, a son of a shoemaker.  He was educated at Hereford Cathedral School and Brasenose College, Oxford, in 1652, achieving an MA in arts and divinity nine years later. For most of his career he served as a Parish Minister.  He did end it as a private chaplain to one of the officers of the royalty under Charles II.  He died on Sept. 27, 1674...today being the 339th year sin...

One of the greatest minds - not just spiritual, but minds in general - comes from the 17th century, Blaise Pascal.  A French believer, Pascal was home-schooled by his Father, a tax collector.  He was a brillant thinker who wrote extensively.  Trained in Mathematics, he was also an inventor, physicist, philosopher, and as stated, a writer.   I was introduced to Pascal in the early 1990's.  A group of friends met together every month as a book group (sorry Oprah, we were there first).  Our goal was to read one of the classics that all of us had not previously read and then over coffee and drinks, discuss what we read.  I had little knowledge of Pascal and had never read any of his writings.  We all agreed to read  Pensees .   Pensees  was written as an apology for his Christian faith...a defense of the faith in a society of increasing doubters and skeptics.  What's interesting is that Pascal didn't "sit down" to write this ...

On Sept 18, 1905,  a great author, poet, and Pastor, George MacDonald went home to be with His Lord. Today is the 108th anniversary of his death. Unfortunately, a lot of people have no idea who he was. You may not know him, but did you know he was the person who C.S. Lewis and Madeleine L`Engle both said most influenced their writings.  He was friends of such writers, even influenced them, as Mark Twain, G.K. Chesterton, Walt Whitman. As an  author he  who wrote with an amazing imagination, and utilized fantasy and fairy tales to share truth, morality and faith.  My introduction to MacDonald was years ago after reading a C.S. Lewis book in which he repeatedly referred to MacDonald's book Phantastes.   Lewis said that he had read the book and it changed his life because it opened up a world of imagination with faith.  I bought Phantastes  and it began my MacDonald appreciation. Born in 1824, in Scotland, MacDonald was raised in a farm family,...

One of the great joys of life is that I get to teach scripture.  I've been doing it for 40+ years and I have read the Bible through dozens of times.  Yet often I am startled, amazed at the words that appear. The bible has this ability to come alive and grab me, make me sit up and take notice. I remember years ago I was teaching a class of 20+ year old young adults.  I love teaching young adults because they are often first beginning to think through the implications of what faith means to them.  That's not necessarily true of all young adults.  Some of them, raised in households of faithful parents, often were dealing with those things at a much earlier age.  But in the absence of that, I saw many at those early 20's wrestle with issues of faith and seek understanding that was truly wonderful for me to be a part of. In one situation, as the class took a break, this beautiful young woman saw me in the hallway - on my way to get a cup of coffee.  I ...

29  They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, Romans 1:29 (NIV)  I began teaching through the book of Romans on Sept. 1st.  I began with a message, "The Good News is the Good News" and it culminated with -  Romans 1:17 (ESV)    "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”   Beautiful in it's scope, the verse defines so amazingly the beauty of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. Yesterday we dove into the latter part of chapter one and the message was entitled, "The Bad News is Bad News".  It is a diagnosis of depravity - there's that word again.  Depravity?  Depraved?  In a 21st century world is it even applicable anymore.  I think most people would say "Yes" when it's applied to an Adolph Hitler, a Ariel Castro, or any n...

The Good News is Good News - the Gospel tells us that God has reached into our world and done something about the way we direct our lives.  SIN is nothing more than the pride of our own individual decisions that are often/usually selfishly made.  Sin is the decision to ignore God and do what we want to do -even if we still seek God's help and faithfulness. The answer to our Selfish, Sinfulness, is Grace.  Grace is God reaching into our lives and showing us a better way.  Grace is God helping us to step our of the false assumption of our own security and instead learn to "trust" God for the choices we make in following his commands. Grace is God's idea...and we should be glad he thought it up.  We love Grace...We use it almost everyday in various ways.  We have "grace periods".  We see people in the public eye who "fall from grace".  Musicians have a "grace note".  We speak of an artist, or dancer, or musician as "graceful"; a...

This next Sunday - in our fellowship - I'm going to embark on a teaching journey through the book of Romans.  I awoke this morning at 3:00 a.m. and began to think about this first message.  I already had something on my heart, but as I've "mused" on the opening verses of Romans it has only become more solidified in my heart. We who have "received" Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, have received from the riches of God's grace. This Grace is abundant, and free to us...but it was costly for our Father to give us - it cost him His Son's life. So, what do we then do with this Grace? Paul calls us to live it out... Romans 1:5-6 (ESV)  5  through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6  including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, This grace leads us to a place of obedience.  It does not mean we will never fail.  I know to well how my failur...

I have been reading - since May 1st - the Psalms and Proverbs.  I've gotten to Psalm 111, and have read through Proverbs 3 times now, working on the fourth.  I love the Wisdom literature. Now, I don't want to assume anything, so let me point out that the Wisdom literature is that part of the Old Testament that contains the books Job, Psalm, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs (Solomon).  It's known as the Wisdom literature even though it could be appropriately called the Poetry literature.  Most of the writings in this part of the Old Testament is written in Poetic styles.  It's beautiful literature and contrasts life in a nitty gritty way.  I've recently finished a summer series in Ecclesiastes.  If you're interested you can catch some of that nitty gritty aspect of life - "Life Under the Sun" - on our church's web site -   http://www.nlfellowship.org/ .  Just check under the section under the heading "Teaching" to listen. Here...

Hi my friends, I've taken some time off over the last month from writing, primarily just to take a break - a writing vacation - but the summer is fleeing quickly, and it's time to get back to writing. At the beginning of May I began reading the Psalms and Proverbs - a chapter of each day.  This of course means I'm in my third reading of Proverbs, and about 2/3 of the way through the Psalms.  I have found this to be one of the more enriching times in scripture I've had in a while. Today I read from Psalm 90, and Proverbs 28...here's an interesting verse that made me stop and ponder a bit. Proverbs 28:2 (ESV) 2  When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue.   The "land"???  How does the "land" sin? Some other translations may or may not help clarify the statement: Proverbs 28:2 (NIV) 2  When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a man of ...

Yesterday, Major League Baseball handed down a 65 game suspension to Ryan Braun, effectively ending this year of Baseball for him, and for the Brewers and their fans.  I don't know Ryan Braun in any personal way.  I am a casual baseball fan, not an avid fanatic.  I watch Brewer's baseball 5-10 times a year, and it's been 2 years since I've gone to a game.  Part of the reason for not going to games is the cost, and part of it is that I'm not the kind of person who loves to be anywhere where there are 40,000 people. That being said, my friends and family know that I am two things (among a few others): 1.  I am a Sports fan in general, with my great love cast to football.  But I love sports...basketball, hockey, soccer (sorry my English friends), and yes Baseball.  I pay attention to standings, watch for major stories... I watch Mike and Mike almost everyday for the latest news.  SO, put me down as a lover of all things sports. 2.  I am a C...

We're headed off to the airport in a little while. If all goes well we'll be back home by tonight - late - but I'd rather be home. I mentioned all of the various elements, people and places that were involved in the Reformation tour. One thing I didn't mention was the people we went with. Of the many things you can get out of a tour like this, one of the more lasting ones is new friends. This tour had some amazing people on it who came because they loved the Reformers, and want to see the church reclaim its legacy of being a Reformed Church. Linda and I had some great conversations over meals, in the bus, while touring, listening, looking at the sites and places. A real deep appreciation was there, by all, for Doug and Cheryl Bond. Doug is a high school teacher who has been taking people on tours since 1996, and unless one either goes on a tour and watches his work, or has been on his side as an organizer and leader (I have been), you cannot understand the amount...

The journey to visit the land of the Reformation comes to a close today. It's a happy/sad day. We came to Geneva yesterday morning. The ride along the Swiss valleys was beautiful. We worshipped with a English speaking Scots Presbyterian Church in the chapel next door to the great Cathedral. I genuinely missed worshipping back home yesterday. It's great to worship with people, but when you know them personally it makes such a difference. This Scottish church of believers welcomed us in and gave us a fellowship meal after - a nice hospitality of believers to believers. Not unlike the stream of strangers that came to Geneva in the era of John Calvin's leadership in the mid 16th century. Geneva is a beautiful city. Our last place on this journey is significant because it was in Geneva that John Calvin came to lead the full character of the Reformation - the Spiritual Worship and Spiritual living of the people of God. When the Reformation began to spread in Europe, there...

We've arrived in Zurich, Switzerland...it's a drab, dreary, rainy day, so thus far Switzerland looks anything but stellar. The ride from Coburg in Germany was long, and it was rain all the way! The trip to Zurich is to visit the home of Ulrich Zwingli, the leader of the Reformation in the German speaking Swiss Cantons, chiefly centered around Zurich. Of the three Reformers, he, by far, gets the least press. Luther and Calvin dominate the Reformational scene, but Zwingli should be recognized for the significance of his bringing reform to the Swiss. He was born two years before Luther, in 1481, and trained classically to be a priest. He eventually became the head of the church in Zurich. As a Catholic priest, he found himself - like Luther - opposing the sale of indulgences (those pay-your-way-out-of-purgatory certificates sold by the church). But, perhaps, what most affected his "re-looking" at Catholic doctrine was in witnessing the deaths of 1000's of Swiss ...

We went to Wittenberg yesterday, what a great day it was. As we arrived, I could see the tower from the original castle, and the Castle church that was right next door. As we left the coach, we were directly in front of the Castle Church door. It's been replaced since Luther's day, and now has a Brass door with the 95 Theses embossed. In 1517, Martin Luther nailed the "95 Theses" - a series of statements that were meant to be debated by theologians and Bible teachers. He wanted to start a public debate about the use of indulgences - he ended up beginning the Reformation! Luther went to Wittenberg at the invitation of the Elector - the Prince in charge of the territory which was Saxony. The Prince had wanted to build a university and wanted Pastors and Theologians to give the best theological education. Luther came as a young Augustinian Monk with his Doctor's degree in Theology. Eventually he would be joined by a young man named Phillip Melanchthon on the fa...

We travelled several hours into the heart of Germany to the village of Eisenach. There is the castle called Wartburg. Luther spent almost two years here, and from the time here translated the scriptures into his native German language. The story that goes with this is interesting. Luther was tried at the Diet of Worms for his writings. There he said, "Here I stand, I can do no other" when asked if he would or would not recant of his writings. He had been given safe passage by the Emperor to appear -which meant no matter what the outcome of the trial, he was allowed to return home to Wittenberg. But Luther and the Prince were suspicious of the Emperor's safe passage, and well deserved to be so. Jan Hus had been given safe passage and after he was tried he was arrested and burnt at the stake. So, as the trial ended, Luther was declared a heretic of the church. He was condemned and made an outlaw, subject to death if caught. On the way back to Wittenberg his party...

We've moved about five hours east, well into Germany. We're in Luther country! We're in Pollasch ancestors' country! The fields are strangely and eerily similar to southern Wisconsin. There is lots of farming here, especially corn and vegetables. I don't know what it would have looked like 500 years ago, but Luther came through these areas in the early 1520's - to go on trial and defend his writings. Quick history here. In 1517 Luther posted his 95 theses...I'll deal more with that later. By that time the printing press (invented in 1542 by Gutenberg) was being used and Luther's writings hit the road and were known throughout the German kingdoms. Germany wasn't a united nation but a series of smaller kingdoms - palatinates, or electorates. Each had its own prince or nobleman in control. Luther was in Wittenberg as the parish priest and a faculty member of Wittenberg University. He had a pulpit and a classroom to teach from and he did his...

The Reformation lecture tour I'm on is a visual history come alive. Yesterday we took the morning and afternoon to explore the inner - old - city of Strasbourg. This city on the French/German border was Calvin's destination when forced to flee from Paris because he not only embraced the Reformation but was teaching it's principles publicly and many were embracing it with him. Roman Catholicism was powerful with its institutional religious control, and the power it extended over civil rulers, including Kings and Princes. If Calvin had stayed in Paris he would have been killed. So he fled Paris with his brother and sister and headed for Strasbourg...but he didn't make it then. A war was being fought in that same area I blogged yesterday between the King of France and the Holy Roman Empire's armies and the way to Strasbourg was blocked. So, Calvin headed to Geneva, intending on staying one night, until William Farel found out he was in the city. Farel, who was a...

Yesterday we spent traveling...it was a long bus day, the longest we will be on. Our bus ride took us from Noyon, France (Calvin's birthplace) to Strasbourg...the city on the border between France and Germany. This section of France saw two world wars in a little over 30 years last century. It is beautiful country of rolling hills with farm fields of barley, wheat, corn and Hops. In many ways it reminds me of Wisconsin. The hills and valleys are perhaps a bit more like western Wisconsin but the country side makes me think of home. Perhaps the most notable part of the day was not connected to the Reformation, but to the battles fought here in World War I at the Argonne forests and the city area around Verdun. The battle of Verdun was the costliest battle of the war. Over 700,000 soldiers from France and its Allies, and Germany were killed. The roadways leading to the sites that commemorate the battle weaved through wooded countrysides with inundations in the land covered ov...

One of the delights of Europe's cities and towns is that it is not unusual to hear Church bells ringing morning, noon and night. As I began this blog the bells of the local church in this village called Pierrefonds began to ring. It's a beautiful little village. As we drove into the village we caught sight of this magnificent castle - I plan on taking a walk after breakfast (when I'm writing this) and walking around it. We are very near John Calvin's birthplace of Noyon, France. Noyon is notable for more than Calvin as it was a contested battle field place in WWII. The church John Calvin grew up in has pieces of the side of the church that show the affects of bombings and machine gun fire. I had recently read a biography of Calvin by a man name Godfrey that I would heartily recommend. He is well versed in Calvin's life. Calvin was born in 1509, just 8 years old when Martin Luther posted his 95 theses to the church door at Wittenberg. His father was a church a...