The following lyrics and unattached music received an honorable mention in a carol writing competition for the Amadeus Choir near Toronto, Canada. (If someone wants the music, please email FD to let me know where to email the .pdf. If performed, I request that you let me know the performance date and location.)
This sleaze reminds me of Alberto Magliozzi’s tasteless calendar and Danuta Nieznalska’s blasphemous "art". (Fedora Tip: Pyromaniac)
"A German Protestant youth group has put together a 2006 calendar illustrated with erotic scenes from the Bible."
"The 12 re-enacted passages feature a bare-breasted Delilah cutting Samson’s hair and a nude Eve offering an apple."
"The Nuremberg-based group said they wanted to represent the Bible in a way that would entice young people. "
I have often heard Mary spoken of as the ark of the New Covenant. Tonight at RCIA, I learned of a parallel between Mary and the original ark that I had not heard before.
"And David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, ‘How can the ark of the LORD come to me?’…And David danced before the LORD with all his might;" – 2 Samuel 6:9,14a
"And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. " – Luke 1:43-44
Interesting, ain’t it? Of course, the entire notion of the Immaculate Conception doesn’t (and couldn’t) hang on these verses, but I think they’re interesting nonetheless.
What can be said that hasn’t already been said about the surprisingly widespread practice among churches of a certain size and disposition of cancelling Sunday services this year because they happen to conflict with the Feast of Our Lords’ Nativity, a.k.a., Christmas? Amy Welborn tackles it here. Terry Mattingly at GetReligion shakes his head here. (Ack! Even while I was typing this I see that Jim Kushiner of Touchstone’s Mere Comments reports on the story by way of the Middle West’s “Paper of Record”.) Get the seminal, lowly, and unassuming Louisville Courier-Journal article here, from which I quote:
Southland Christian Church near Lexington is joining several evangelical megachurches across the country in canceling services for the holiday, which this year falls on a Sunday.
Officials at the church, where about 7,000 people worship each week, said the move is designed to allow staff members and volunteers to spend the holiday with their families.
The Detroit Free Press, in expanded coverage, adds this bit to the story:
“It’s more than being family friendly. It’s being lifestyle-friendly for people who are just very, very busy,” said Willow Creek spokeswoman Cally Parkinson.
What can be said that hasn’t been said, indeed? Leave it to me to try…
A UK paper is reporting that a new letter C.S. Lewis wrote to a child has been found by literary advisor to Lewis’ estate, Walter Hooper. It supposedly puts to rest any doubt that The Chronicles of Narnia are explicitly Christian.
As soon as I read the first line of the letter, "Supposing there really was a world like Narnia…", I knew for certain that I’d read it before. To make sure I wasn’t just experiencing deja vu, I did a little digging.
I was right. I had indeed heard that line before.