Watch out for things that are getting legs around presbytery!

So many books to read!

Books on my read-soon list:

1. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand.  Supposed to be a really, really good book (according to Tim Challies, at least), and it’s about a guy from Torrance!
2. The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God by John Frame.  I’d like to read the whole Theology of Lordship series (especially the newly-released Doctrine of the Word of God), but the beginning is a very good place to start, especially with an epistemology semester in the Torrey Honors Institute coming up.
3. The King James Version of the Bible.  2011 is the 400th anniversary of the KJV, so I’d like to give it a read through (h/t Will Sprague for the idea).  [UPDATE: see here.]

What books are you planning to read?

Tim Challies has a list of his favorite albums of 2010.  In an effort to expand my musical horizons, I’ve decided to give his list a listen.

Thoughts?  Suggestions?

Yesterday at Branch of Hope Orthodox Presbyterian Church we sang “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” (or here).  While this was not the first time I’d sung this hymn, I was struck by its beauty, and I really appreciate how it is set to the tune of Picardy.  I definitely have a new addition to my list of favorite hymns.  Here are the words:

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

When the Word became Flesh, the second person of the Trinity did not lose his omnipresence.  At the same time, the physical body of Christ is not omnipresent; omnipresence is a characteristic of his divine nature while his physical body is proper to his human nature.  This is the Extra Calvinisticum as I understand it (in its simplest form).  Quite an important thought while celebrating the incarnation!

I picked up a copy of The Christian Year and Other Poems by John Keble this summer in a used book store in Keswick, Cumbria, England.  Incidentally, I recommend giving his “National Apostasy” sermon a read.  Anyway, without further ado, here is “Christmas Day” from The Christian Year.

What sudden blaze of song
Spreads o’er th’ expanse of Heaven?
In waves of light it thrills along,
Th’ angelic signal given –
“Glory to God!” from yonder central fire
Flows out the echoing lay beyond the starry choir;

Like circles widening round
Upon a clear blue river,
Orb after orb, the wondrous sound
Is echoed on for ever:
“Glory to God on high, on earth be peace,
And love towards men of love–salvation and release.”

Yet stay, before thou dare
To join that festal throng;
Listen and mark what gentle air
First stirred the tide of song;
‘Tis not, “the Saviour born in David’s home,
To Whom for power and health obedient worlds should come:” –

‘Tis not, “the Christ the Lord:”
With fixed adoring look
The choir of Angels caught the word,
Nor yet their silence broke:
But when they heard the sign where Christ should be,
In sudden light they shone and heavenly harmony.

Wrapped in His swaddling bands,
And in His manger laid,
The Hope and Glory of all lands
Is come to the world’s aid:
No peaceful home upon his cradle smiled,
Guests rudely went and came, where slept the royal Child.

But where Thou dwellest, Lord,
No other thought should be,
Once duly welcomed and adored,
How should I part with Thee?
Bethlehem must lose Thee soon, but Thou wilt grace
The single heart to be Thy sure abiding-place.

Thee, on the bosom laid
Of a pure virgin mind,
In quiet ever, and in shade,
Shepherd and sage may find;
They, who have bowed untaught to Nature’s sway,
And they, who follow Truth along her star-paved way.

The pastoral spirits first
Approach Thee, Babe divine,
For they in lowly thoughts are nursed,
Meet for Thy lowly shrine:
Sooner than they should miss where Thou dost dwell,
Angela from Heaven will stoop to guide them to Thy cell.

Still, as the day comes round
For Thee to be revealed,
By wakeful shepherds Thou art found,
Abiding in the field.
All through the wintry heaven and chill night air,
In music and in light Thou dawnest on their prayer.

O faint not ye for fear –
What though your wandering sheep,
Reckless of what they see and hear,
Lie lost in wilful sleep?
High Heaven in mercy to your sad annoy
Still greets you with glad tidings of immortal joy.

Think on th’ eternal home,
The Saviour left for you;
Think on the Lord most holy, come
To dwell with hearts untrue:
So shall ye tread untired His pastoral ways,
And in the darkness sing your carol of high praise.