Hard core hymns

For those who appreciated hymns with brutally honest words, here's another that rattles my cage, called Jesus, I my cross have taken:

Go, then, earthly fame and treasure,
Come disaster, scorn and pain
In Thy service, pain is pleasure,
With Thy favor, loss is gain
I have called Thee Abba Father,
I have stayed my heart on Thee
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather;
All must work for good to me. (igrace)

It takes courage to sing those words: "Go, then, earthly fame and treasure . . ." yet I don't know a better way to wean my heart of those things than to sing words like those in worship.

[The other five verses are just as potent, for those who are interested.]

More tulips

The tulips are fading, but I hadn't yet posted this picture . . .

All that feeds my busy pride . . .

In our family worship times, we have been singing Jesus Cast a Look on Me from the Indelible Grace 3 album. (Then we can sing along to the CD, as Matthew Perryman Jones is a much better guitarist than I am.) The second verse has been ringing in my ears:

All that feeds my busy pride
Cast it ever more aside
Bid my will to thine submit
Lay me humbly at thy feet

"Busy pride" is a good description of my pride. I need daily to pray and sing these words, and I pray that they will shape Elisabeth as she sings and hears them.

The privilege and responsibility of parenting

I love reading with Elisabeth. That discovery has been one of the greatest joys of parenting. Gladys Hunt captures well my sentiments:

"Children and books go together in a special way. I can't imagine any pleasure greater than bringing to the uncluttered, supple mind of a child the delight of knowing the may rich things God has given us to enjoy. Parents have this wonderful privilege, and books are their keenest tools. Children don't stumble onto good books by themselves; they must be introduced to the wonder of words put together in such a way that they spin out pure magic and joy." (Honey for a Child's Heart p17)

I would nuance what she has said to state that it is the privilege and responsibility of parents to teach children to delight in God and His gifts. For she is surely right that children don't stumble onto good books by themselves. Yet that in no way negates or diminishes her point that it is a tremendous privilege to discharge this responsibility. Our job as parents is to enjoy the goodness, truth and beauty of God in all things, and to introduce our children to this delight. That is a gloriously happy responsibility.

Sunshine and Flowers

Developing 'the taste buds of the mind'

At the grocery store recently, I was appalled by one family's shopping cart. It was heaped high (quite literally) with all manner of processed food. I couldn't help thinking, "Those are going to be fat kids." Their parents, who are responsible for their health and well-being, are shaping their taste buds for life. Growing up on potato chips and sugar water will not help them savor the foods that are really good for them.

What may not be as obvious as a family walks through the grocery store is how parents influence their children's taste for truth, goodness and beauty. Gladys Hunt observes:

"Good books have genuine spiritual substance, not just intellectual enjoyment. Books help children know what to look for in life. Reading develops the taste buds of the mind as children learn to savor what is seen, heard, and experienced and fit these into some kind of worthwhile framework." (Honey for a Child's Heart p21)

A diet of 'junk food' literature cripples the mind and soul just as a diet of lousy food disables the body. If you're wondering how to build a balanced literary diet, the annotated book lists in Honey for a Child's Heart is a great place to start.

Well-chosen words

"Every child ought to know the pleasure of words so well chosen that they awaken sensibility, great emotions, and understanding of truth. This is the magic of words - a touch of the supernatural, communication that ministers to the spirit, a true gift." (Honey for a Child's Heart p18)

Art on Top of the Met

I can do it!

Elisabeth has been timid to try this hanging aparatus, as it rotates with the weight of the child. Finally she tried it, and (not surprisingly) was just fine. She announced with glee, "I can do it!"

Rich language, or poverty-stricken vocabulary?

Last night I was re-reading Honey for a Child's Heart (yes, again), and came upon this selection:

"The right word in the right place is a magnificent gift. Somehow a limited, poverty-stricken vocabulary works toward equally limited use of ideas and imagination. On the other hand, the provocative use of the right words, of a growing vocabulary, gives us adequate material with which to clothe our thoughts and leads to a richer world of expression." (Honey for a Child's Heart p18, emphasis mine)

In the phrase poverty-stricken vocabulary, I experienced precisely what Gladys Hunt was describing: 'provocative use of the right words.'

As I walk through our neighborhood, and scarcely hear a sentence without the f-bomb, I cannot think of a better description than poverty-stricken vocabulary. There is no question in my mind that words and imagination are tightly knit.

This is the cycle of poverty: language, imagination and life. To break that cycle, there must be a profound change in all three. Yet in order not to suck those leaving the cycle of poverty in to the whirlpool of greed, there must be conversion. The new words, imagination and life must be characterized by visions of the Kingdom and its King, and not visions of 'progress.' That is precisely the role that literature, and Christian literature in particular, can and should play.

Gardening

Elisabeth tried her hand at gardening this week!

We love this kid

Overheard at our house recently:

"Elisabeth, would you like ice cream or applesauce for dessert?"

"Applesauce, please, Daddy."

"Elisabeth, what would you like to listen to at bedtime?"

"Bach, please, Mommy."

Not a compelling vision

A recent letter to parents from our principal closed with these words:

"Reading, writing and math are lifetime skills we should all continue to sharpen."

It struck me that those words, while true, are not at all a compelling vision of education. What teachers, to say nothing of children, get excited about the mechanics of reading and writing, or the ability to perform mathematic procedures? Those skills are the means to meaningful ends, and when they are employed to meaningful ends are exciting. Using math to solve a real problem provides satisfaction; using words effectively to persuade someone to stop littering is gratifying; reading literature that provides a compelling vision of what is good, true and beautiful is a delight.

I pray that we, as parents, would be gripped by a compelling vision of truth, goodness and beauty (rooted in the gospel) that shapes our understanding and pursuit of education - and our dialogue with those who are intellectual descendants of John Dewey.

What does "fear" mean?

Recently I was reading with Elisabeth from a portion of the Bible that calls on the readers to "fear the LORD your God."

Elisabeth turned and asked me, "What does fear mean?"

I answered almost reflexively, "It means to honor and respect." But as soon as the words were out of my mouth I realized that I had spoken the same words that dissatisfied me when I was young. The fear of the LORD certainly entails honor and respect, but it also means something closer to the common meaning of that word (which is why we continue to translate it that way).

Does anyone have suggestions on how to explain the fear of the LORD to a 4 year old?

Sitting pretty

Of course I couldn't let her take all the pictures.