faith
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Insignificant in Life, Glorious in Death
There’s a tree at the end of my street that is unfairly beautiful right now. It’s nice enough throughout the rest of the year, but in the early autumn it turns a vibrant red. I slow down whenever I drive past just to marvel at it. There’s something somber about this tree. It spends its… Continue reading
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Wednesday
Wednesday is a day of reorientation. Monday and Tuesday, I reflect on Sunday’s services. What went well? How did the music interact with the message? Was my preparation enough? On Wednesday, I turn my gaze toward the coming Sunday. I finalize my service binder, confirm my prelude and postlude, and rehearse with the choir. I… Continue reading
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2022 Reading List
This weekend, I had the privilege of attending the Maranatha Christian Writers’ Conference. Perhaps the most invigorating part of this experience was swapping book recommendations. This inspired me to update my abandoned GoodReads account. This year has been a good one for reading and writing. I’ve finished my first draft of Fruitful Worship and, in… Continue reading
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Leaning toward Grace
Too often, I’ve heard professing Christians say, “I just lean more grace than truth.” This statement is used to simultaneously claim Christ while committing the sins that crucified him. Such statements ignore the nature of grace, which does not leave us to stew in sin but saves us from sin. Grace is not separate from… Continue reading
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Good Friday 2022
Art, beauty, Bible, blog, blogger, christ, christian, christian blogger, Christian living, Christian poetry, christianity, church, devotional, faith, hope, journal, poem, poems, poet, poetry, poets, reflection, sacred music, sacred poetry, theology, theology and the arts, word, worship, write, writer, writing -
Joseph’s Magnificat
My troubled soul shall magnify the LordWhose glory proves through my humiliation.May it be unto me according to his wordFor the promised hope of this, my own nation. The Master works through my humbled estateAs the fitting tool to smooth my splintered grain.He gives and takes away and by his greatCraft turns my lonesome loss… Continue reading
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Reel Talk
I have developed a bad habit of swiping aimlessly through Instagram reels. Today, though, I nearly dropped my phone like a hot coal. Why? I saw the following advertisement: This reeks of heresy. We are not made in our own image, but in the image of God and, for believers, the likeness of Christ. To… Continue reading
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Fall Reading 2021
Seeing as A Bookish Charm began as a book review blog, I thought I’d return to my roots and share a bit of what I’ve been reading this season. It’s an eclectic bunch of books, but that’s the way I like it, and I hope you will too! Eat this Book by Eugene Peterson: This… Continue reading
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Historical Humility
I’m currently enjoying Theology in the Democracy of the Dead, by Matt Jensen, a former professor of mine from the Torrey Honors College and a fellow (though much more accomplished) St. Andrew’s alum. First of all, I highly recommend this read, as it offers a comprehensive yet relatively brief look into the lives and work… Continue reading
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“Water, Water, Everywhere”
The value of poetry is often found in its ability to capture the core of nuanced situations. Prior to moving to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I did some research on the area and was shocked to discover this article by The Gospel Coalition: It’s an article worth reading, at once eye-opening and encouraging. It lays bare… Continue reading
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Girded Minds
We have a generation of weak runners, tripping and falling and denying that either is a problem. But we are called to more, Reader; we are called to run like athletes, to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, ESV). No successful athlete… Continue reading
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Pruned: A Parable
In a garden in the desert there was a tree. She was beautiful, lush and healthy and growing with a swiftness unknown to most desert plants. She had been planted in good soil and her roots drank deeply from a nearby stream. One day, the Gardener was walking along the stream. As he went, he… Continue reading
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