Longing for the Lord

Responding to USCCA, chapter 7: The Good News: God Has Sent His Son, For-Discussion Questions

The questions as written don't excite me!  "Why is it important to appreciate the truth that...", "what is the value...in appreciating...", and all such language is so oriented to analysis, words, thoughts ABOUT the Lord, and all with an emphasis on Revelation ABOUT God's PLAN for our salvation.  While everything the questions here infer is correct, they don't point to or evoke from me the call from Jesus Christ to become alive IN Him.

I would rather ask:
How have I experienced Jesus as my Savior and Lord?
How does my life show I have died to self and live in Him?
How have I experienced Christ's divinity and His humanity?
How would my life be different without Christ?
How does unity with God through life in Christ lead me to love all people?
How am I currently challenged to allow Christ to be more completely my Lord?

I need to write my biography!  To answer these questions with the fullness that delights me (because in so doing I celebrate God's grace to me), I would have to write many pages.  Someday I hope to do that.

For now:
My soul longs for Thee, my Lord; please grant me the grace to long for Thee ever more and forever more.  Amen.

An Unaltered Faith

The  following texts are excerpts I've highlighted while reading The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM).  From the Introduction; Testimony of an Unaltered Faith:

The sacrificial nature of the Mass, solemnly defended by the Council of Trent, because it accords with the universal tradition of the Church, was once more stated by the Second Vatican Council, which pronounced these clear words about the Mass: "At the Last Supper, Our Savior instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of his Body and Blood, by which the Sacrifice of his Cross is perpetuated until he comes again; and till then he entrusts the memorial of his Death and Resurrection to his beloved spouse, the Church."
..."for whenever the memorial of this sacrifice is celebrated the work of our redemption is accomplished..."
So, in the new Missal the rule of prayer (lex orandi) of the Church corresponds to her perennial rule of faith (lex credendi), by which we are truly taught that the sacrifice of his Cross and its sacramental renewal in the Mass, which Christ the Lord instituted at the Last Supper and commanded his Apostles to do in his memory, are one and the same, differing only in the manner of their offering; and as a result, that the Mass is at one and the same time a sacrifice of praise, thanksgiving, propitiation, and satisfaction.
...the royal Priesthood of the faithful... For the celebration of the Eucharist is the action of the whole Church... For this people is the People of God, purchased by Christ's Blood, gathered together by the Lord, nourished by his word, the people called to present to God the prayers of the entire human family, a people that gives thanks in Christ for the mystery of salvation by offering his Sacrifice, a people, finally, that is brought together in unity by Communion in the Body and Blood of Christ.  This people, though holy in its origin, nevertheless grows constantly in holiness by conscious, active, and fruitful participation in the mystery of the Eucharist.

Singing To The Lord

This is one of my favorite quotes from "Sing To The Lord; Music In Divine Worship":
"Persons designated for the ministry of psalmist should possess 'the ability for singing and a facility in correct pronunciation and diction.'"

;)

reference:
GIRM, no. 102
LFM, no. 56

I Was Found Of Thee

In Sabin's "The Gospel According To Mark" (New Collegeville Bible Commentary), she notes that in Jesus' day, it wasn't customary for teachers to seek out their disciples; normally, teachers attracted disciples.  She furthers compares Jesus to "Wisdom" who "calls those who are in need of her -- 'the simple ones' (Proverbs 1:22)"

How exciting and wondrous it must have been to be sought out by Jesus.  I can imagine how thoroughly compelling His call would have been.

And as I write that, I realize I do know how exciting and wondrous it is to be sought out by Jesus!  My Lord is truly compelling!  (Praise You, Jesus-Christ!)

My all-time favorite hymn describes this experience of being sought by the Lord Who Is Love:

I Sought The Lord

I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew 
 he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me. 
 It was not I that found, O Savior true; 
 no, I was found of thee. 

Thou didst reach forth thy hand and mine enfold; 
 I walked and sank not on the storm-vexed sea. 
 'Twas not so much that I on thee took hold, 
 as thou, dear Lord, on me. 

I find, I walk, I love, but oh, the whole 
 of love is but my answer, Lord, to thee! 
 For thou wert long beforehand with my soul; 
 always thou lovedst me. 

~Anonymous

My favorite setting for this text is that by J. Harold Moyer, as found in The Mennonite Hymnal, published in 1969