Category Archive: Miscellaneous
Pelagian Drinking Song
While surfing the net a while back, I came across Vers Libre, a poetry site. There’s some great stuff there, among which I found this wonderful and fun song by the lesser known half of the Chesterbelloc, G. K. Chesterton’s good friend Hilaire Belloc: “The Pelagian Drinking Song“:
Pelagius lived at Kardanoel
And taught a doctrine there
How, whether you went to heaven or to hell
It was your own affair.
It had nothing to do with the Church, my boy,
But was your own affair.No, he didn’t believe
In Adam and Eve
He put no faith therein!
His doubts began
With the Fall of Man
And he laughed at Original Sin.
With my row-ti-tow
Ti-oodly-ow
He laughed at original sin.Then came the bishop of old Auxerre
Germanus was his name
He tore great handfuls out of his hair
And he called Pelagius shame.
And with his stout Episcopal staff
So thoroughly whacked and banged
The heretics all, both short and tall —
They rather had been hanged.Oh he whacked them hard, and he banged them long
Upon each and all occasions
Till they bellowed in chorus, loud and strong
Their orthodox persuasions.
With my row-ti-tow
Ti-oodly-ow
Their orthodox persuasions.Now the faith is old and the Devil bold
Exceedingly bold indeed.
And the masses of doubt that are floating about
Would smother a mortal creed.
But we that sit in a sturdy youth
And still can drink strong ale
Let us put it away to infallible truth
That always shall prevail.And thank the Lord
For the temporal sword
And howling heretics too.
And all good things
Our Christendom brings
But especially barley brew!
With my row-ti-tow
Ti-oodly-ow
Especially barley brew!
Dullest Blog
A friend just drew my attention to this, the dullest blog ever.
Welcome!
A hearty welcome to the world of blogging to B. J. Kennedy, the Angliterian from Ruston, Louisiana.
Meyers & Witteveen
Good news! Jeff Meyers has started blogging! Jeff is one of the pastors of Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church (PCA) in St. Louis, Missouri, and is the author of a forthcoming book on worship, an earlier edition of which I’ve quoted on this blog. He’s also a doctoral student at Concordia Theological Seminary, where he’s studying the doctrine of the Trinity (the subject of another forthcoming book, I hope). You’ll find some of his papers here. On my recent trip to and from Red Deer, I listened to Jeff’s very helpful talks on apostasy, given at the 1996 Biblical Horizons conference.
As well, a belated welcome to Jim Witteveen. He commented on one of my blog entries, but I didn’t notice until now that he’s started a blog, entitled Cartas de Santiago. Jim is a member of the Canadian Reformed Church in Abbotsford, BC.
Welcome to the world of blogging, Jeff and Jim!
Christmas
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Upsaid Down
Hmmm…. I can’t seem to access any of the blogs hosted by Upsaid — Matt‘s or Tim‘s, for instance. Something has turned Upsaid down!
Eight Glasses?
I feel vindicated. Never in my life have I imbibed eight glasses of water a day, and I’ve always suspected that that “requirement” was a myth. And now, at last, Heinz Valtin, a Dartmouth kidney specialist, has debunked that myth.
Only in the Dark
John van Popta, my friend, colleague, and neighbour, has just informed me that he has a webpage. John is the minister of the Canadian Reformed Church in Coaldale, just a few miles east of Lethbridge. His page includes links to some of his articles and sermons (including an interesting series of four sermons on the parable of the prodigal son), but I’d especially encourage you to read his journal of his son’s battle with leukemia.
Nick
Here’s a big welcome to another Reformed blogger — my old friend, Nick Smith. Back when I was in seminary, I tutored Nick in Latin. He must’ve learned at least five or six words and maybe even a conjugation or two from me, but most of the time we just talked (in English, in case you were wondering). Now he’s a Covenant College grad and a computer programmer who’s planning (someday) to head to seminary. Welcome to the world of blogging, Nick!
Dr. Luther’s Advice
Here’s some advice from Dr. Luther’s letter to Prince Joachim of Anhalt (1534), who suffered from melancholy and “dejection of spirit”:
I should like to encourage Your Grace, who are a young man, always to be joyful, to engage in riding and hunting, and to seek the company of others who may be able to rejoice with Your Grace in a godly and honorable way. For solitude and inwardness are poisonous and deadly to all people, and especially to a young man. Accordingly, God has commanded us to be joyful in his presence; he does not desire a gloomy sacrifice. [Luther quotes Ecclesiastes 12.] No one realizes how much harm it does a young person to avoid pleasure and cultivate solitude and sadness. Your grace has Master Nicholas Hausman and many others near at hand. Be merry with them; for gladness and good cheer, when decent and proper, are the best medicine for a young person–indeed, for all people. I myself, who have spent a good part of my life in sorrow and gloom, now seek and find pleasure wherever I can. Praise God, we now have sufficient understanding of the Word of God to be able to rejoice with a good conscience and to use God’s gifts with thanksgiving, for he created them for this purpose and is pleased when we use them (Martin Luther, Letters of Spiritual Counsel, trans. Theodore G. Tappert [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1955], pp. 92-93).
How many pastors give that kind of advice to depressed young men today?
Congratulations!
More good news! Bill and Kim had a baby boy at 4:30 this morning. His name is Ian Nathanael DeJong, and he’s a big boy: 10 lbs 13 oz. Congratulations, Bill and Kim!
Christ Church Ministerial Conference
The Christ Church Ministerial Conference coming up in October this year looks fantastic. The title is “Liquid Gospel, Edible Words: The Sacramental Theology of Historic Protestantism.” Here’s the lineup:
Doug Wilson
The Early Reformers and the Lord’s Supper
True Blessings, Real Curses
Worthy Participation
The Puritan Approach to MetaphorDoug Jones
A Theology of Taste and Touch
Sensing Bread, Sensing Wine
The Poetics of WaterDuck Schuler
Music of the SupperPeter Leithart
In Defense of Ritual
Neither Jew Nor Greek
One Loaf, One Body
Do This
I can hardly wait!