O Come, O Come Emmanuel

A Dark and Quiet Room:

O Come, O Come Emmanuel (redux) From http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0374.html: According to Professor Robert Greenberg of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Benedictine monks arranged these antiphons with a definite purpose. If one starts with the last title and takes the first letter of each one - Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia - the Latin words ero cras are formed, meaning, “Tomorrow, I will come.” Therefore, the Lord Jesus, whose coming we have prepared for in Advent and whom we have addressed in these seven Messianic titles, now speaks to us, “Tomorrow, I will come.” So the “O Antiphons” not only bring intensity to our Advent preparation, but bring it to a joyful conclusion. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9) posted by Seth Ben-Ezra at 12/23/2005

Oatmeal Cookies to Die For

Our Family's Blog:

Oatmeal Cookies to Die For Mix- 3/4 cup shortening (we use lard) 1/2 cup butter 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1 tablespoon vanilla add 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda mix add 3 cup oats (optional) 3/4 nuts and/or 1 cup raisins/chocolate chips mix Bake at 375 for 9-12 minutes enjoy!!! Bryan

Intelligent Design

A federal judge has ruled that intelligent design and public school curricula are not at all compatible. But some of us already knew this. - Doug Wilson dlr

Leithart.com | Joseph, son of Yahweh

Leithart.com | Joseph, son of Yahweh

Joy to the World!

The whole rise of Western Civilization—science and technology, medicine, the arts, constitutionalism, the jury system, free enterprise, literacy, increasing productivity, a rising standard of living, the high staus of women—is attributable to one major fact: the West has been transformed by Christianity. True, the transformation is not yet complete. There are many battles ahead. But the point is that, even in what is still largely an early Christian civilization, God has showered us with blessings. Many Christians do not realize it, but the Hope is the the basis for many of the great old hymns of the faith, written before the modern era of evangelical despair and pessimism. Think about that the next time you sing Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress is our God,” Isaac Watts’s “Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun Doth His Successive Journeys Run,” or George Duffield’s “”Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus.” Do you really believe that Jesus is now leading us “from victory unto victory…till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed”? That is what the Church has historically believed. That is what they sang in their hymns. This can be seen most clearly in the traditional Christmas carols, which, like Athanasius’s reflections on the Incarnation, are unabashed expectations of Christ’s triumph over the world through the gospel. Carols such as “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus,” “O Come, O come, Emmanuel,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “God Rest You Merry Gentlemen,” and many others are written from the same basic perspective as the present book. The conviction that —as a result of His first advent—Christ is now reigning from heaven and conquering the earth underlies the message of “Joy to the World!” – from David Chilton’s Paradise Restored dlr

Hot Chocolate To Die For (or from)

Our Family's Blog

R. J. Rushdoony on the Third Commandment

God is thus the principle of definition, of law, and of all things. He is the premise of all thinking, and the necessary presupposition for every sphere of thought. It is blasphemy therefore to attempt to “prove” God; God is the necessary presupposition of all proof. To ground any sphere of thought, life, or action, or any sphere of being, on anything other than the triune God is thus blasphemy. Education without God as its premise, law which does not presuppose God and rest on His law, a civil order which does not derive all authority from God, or a family whose foundation is not the word, is blasphemous. - from The Institutes of Biblical Law dlr