Steven Curtis Chapman - "Beauty Will Rise"

For the moment, while I am still mesmerized by the sheer depth and beauty of Steven Curtis Chapman's new album, "Beauty Will Rise", here for the moment only the lyrics to the title song, a review soon to follow.

It was the day the world went wrong
I screamed 'till my voice was gone
And watched through the tears as
Everything came crashing down

Slowly panic turns to pain
As we awake to what remains
And slip through the ashes that are left behind

But buried deep beneath
All our broken dreams we have
This hope

Out of these ashes
Beauty Will Rise
And we will dance among the ruins
We will see it with our own eyes
Out of these ashes
Beauty Will Rise
For we know joy is coming in the morning
In the morning
Beauty Will Rise

So take another breath for now
And let the tears come washing down
And if you can't believe
I will
Believe for you

'Cause I have seen
The signs of spring
Just watch and see

Out of these ashes
Beauty Will Rise
And we will dance among the ruins
We will see it with our own eyes
Out of these ashes
Beauty Will Rise
For we know joy is coming in the morning
In the morning


I can hear it in the distance
And it's not too far away
It's the music and the laughter
Of a wedding and a feast
I can almost feel the hand of God
Reaching for my face
To wipe the tears away
And say
"It's time
To make everything new"

Make it all new

This is our hope
This is the promise
This is our hope
This is the promise

It will take our breath away
To see the beauty that's been made
Out of the ashes
Out of the ashes

It will take our breath away
To see the beauty that He's made
Out of the ashes
Out of the ashes

Out of these ashes
Beauty Will Rise
And we will dance among the ruins
We will see it with our own eyes
Out of this darkness
New light will shine
And we will know the joy that's
Coming in the morning
In the morning
Beauty will rise

Beauty will rise


(Steven Curtis Chapman, "Beauty Will Rise" from: "Beauty Will Rise")

pondering a new series...

...this time: "we are soooo past this Christian stuff - OR: whatever happened to that beloved saying from the Bible and how did we forget it?"

first up:

"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." (John 8:7)

Theology without faith is a mere intellectual exercise...

Theology without faith is a mere intellectual exercise

"“Faith is above all an individual and intimate encounter with Jesus; it means experiencing His closeness, His friendship and His love.” " THAT was helpful. (watch the video by clicking on the link...)

Theology - quo vadis?

The last few weeks have been a character-building experience. It’s been now more or less exactly five weeks since I arrived in Bristol, 5 weeks that I have spent doing nothing but reading and writing and thinking. I have read some of the giants of theology of the last two hundred years, reflected some more, and as the leaves are slowly turning, I have also become much more aware that a new period in my life has begun. The next weeks, months, years will probably be some of the decisive moments of my own theology, my faith, my position on a whole number of issues.

There are only two things (amongst many others) that I have become aware of that I have formed some kind of initial conclusions on. One of them derives directly from the research work that I have done, the other one comes more from a general reflection time, yet is nonetheless somewhat related.
The first is the centrality of Jesus as a basis of theological appropriations – especially when talking about a Christian theology. A lot of things will depend on your interpretation of the person of Jesus Christ – everything should be interpreted in the light of Jesus’ death and resurrection. If you have an impoverished interpretation that is caused by willfully dismissing aspects of Jesus as they are revealed in Scripture, everything will be up for discussion, reinterpretation, relativity. This can come in blunt and obvious forms, but much more often in sophisticated and at first hard-to-recognize ways. Any attempt to diminish God’s sovereignty as revealed in Jesus Christ will be reflected in a poorer interpretation of faith. One can never shift Jesus Christ from the center of theology.
A second thing: one needs a theology of suffering. No, I am not talking about trying to understand natural disasters, and finding answers of evil – although this is a part of it. I am talking about suffering that cuts to the heart, personal tragedy, the very nature of personal physical and emotional pain. God will have to fit into that construct, one will need to make sense of utter hopelessness and grief, somehow. A Christianity that only makes you feel better about your sin, elevates your satisfaction with yourself – what good is it if things do not work out according to plan? And no, trying to rewrite some books just that it fits your own feeble understanding better, that does not qualify. One needs a theology of suffering.

That being said – it is a long process. I’ve had the opportunity to think long and extensively about this. Do I have perfect answers? No, and I doubt that a perfect answer will ever be in reach. Yet, through prayer, seeking God and allowing Him to draw near, this is a weak, but it nonetheless is a starting point. May this be a ground that will eventually bear fruit.

...and in other news...

my personal favorite:apparently there is a word for this. Well, thankfully, my Bible is signeth by Jesus Himself...

hmmm.... This is interesting...Come, Lord Jesus...

"I was a guest musician at a church in Winnipeg, engaged in the familiar liturgies of a pre-service prayer huddle. One person prayed for the congregation's safety in inclement weather, another for the technical aspects of the service, and a third kindly remembered my family back home.

When my turn came, I must have used a phrase like, "God, we invite you here among us." I clearly recall the minister's prayer, which followed mine: "We know we do not have to request your presence, because there is nowhere you are not. So we celebrate the fact you are already here with us now."

(....) read the full article here.

Come, Lord Jesus | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

What if Britney Spears wrote a Theology PhD...

I apologize for this in advance, but there are rumors that PhD Students do not have a sense of humor.

... this started as a lighthearted joke, but here we go, I just had a few minutes to spare on a Sunday afternoon . Possible (Theology and Biblical Studies) PhD theses by Britney Spears:

…Baby (none) more time… - The supremacy of Christ in the Epistle to the Hebrews

(You Drive Me) Crazy… - Towards a new Understanding of Psalm 139

Born To Make You Happy – Reading the Beatitudes in the 21st Century

I’m A Slave For You – Understanding Discipleship in Matthew 20

Overprotected (?) – Ephesians 6:10-18 in a new light

Me Against The Music – Interpreting Selah in the Psalms

Toxic – Taming the Tongue as a motif in Proverbs

Oops!...I Did It Again – Habitual Sin and the New Testament

Stronger – Power in the Spirit in Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians

Don’t Let Me Be The Last To Know – The motif of longing in the Pauline Epistles

Lucky – The “treasure in heaven” in the parables of Matthew’s Gospel

Can’t Make You Love Me – Grace in the Epistle to the Romans

And, hot off the Press:

3 – Evidence for the Trinity in the New Testament