tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435397741311425232024-03-13T10:32:10.617-06:00Presbyterian SojournerThe Musings of J. Edward KnoxFor His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-19456623891068615192019-01-01T02:35:00.000-07:002019-01-01T02:35:11.853-07:00Books Books Books (3.0)The past few years I have done a comparison of what I planned to read and what I actually read in addition to coming up with a specific reading list to read for the next year. This year has been a year of change and so I won't have a thorough reading list for next year (but I have ideas!). I started using audiobooks this last year and so my reading goals have become much more fluid. I read a For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-87911240142407230372018-07-03T15:58:00.001-06:002018-07-09T17:29:19.413-06:00Sacramental Elogy
Sacramental Elogy
by: J Edward Knox
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Part 1: The Washing
Born of water and Spirit
One baptism offered
Into the blessed name
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
As surely as you are washed by blood
You are forgiven and made whole
As surely as you pass through water
You emerge with a purified soul
Born of water and Spirit
One baptism offered
The purification of sins
A glorified new For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-38061036059300953982018-06-11T15:37:00.001-06:002018-06-11T21:52:59.335-06:00Never Ending Sleep
Never Ending Sleep
by: J Edward Knox
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Open your eyes to a bright new day
Nothing left to want; still less to say
Eyes still drooping
From wearied restless sleep
Open your eyes to a stale old day
So much need; even more to say
Eyes frozen wide
From anxious restless dreams
Pray for sleep
Never ending sleep
Days grow longer with a tyrant sun
Nights grow shorter For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-43634568281024863082018-06-07T04:01:00.001-06:002018-06-07T18:04:51.116-06:00Remades And Human Dignity
I've been reading Perdido Street Station by China Mieville. I'm not exactly sure how to classify it. It is recommended on NPR's 100 must read sci-fi and fantasy list, it is recommended on a number of steampunk lists, and it is also a defining book behind the new weird genre.
So what is it? I am about 140 pages in right now and there are a few different story lines going on so I can't really For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-65963826090201506032018-06-06T15:46:00.000-06:002018-06-06T15:48:41.663-06:00The Two Stories Of David And SaulIn my private devotions I just finished 1 Samuel. It's a fascinating book every time that I read through it. We see the rise of the age of the kings of Israel. Samuel warns the people that they should not desire a king like the nations, but the thrust of the book of Judges is that Israel needs a king. 1 Samuel is the story of the rise of the king of Israel.
When Saul is appointed king, we read For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-88555301315693764382018-05-28T14:33:00.003-06:002018-05-28T14:33:59.465-06:00What Is Love?
There is a scene in Black Panther where Ulysses Klaue is being interrogated. As he is taped to the chair he sings "What is love? Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more". Though intended as a mockery in the movie, it's a good question. Love is commonly appealed to, and very rarely described or defined. This is an unfortunate reality today. In order to actually love, we must understand what For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-77407776072224249992018-04-28T02:53:00.000-06:002018-04-28T02:57:42.069-06:00Chameleon
Chameleon
by: J Edward Knox
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A call to the sleeper,
Stir yourself awake
Rouse your spirit
Facing your grim reaper
Anguish he can take
Chameleon
Longing for a new day
Tears filling your cup
Drink your sorrow
No more words left to say
Time to sober up
Chameleon
Exist solitary, alone amidst the crowd
Cling to your smile as if in a death shroud
Another damn For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-87924907630037253082018-01-15T01:34:00.000-07:002018-01-15T01:37:57.275-07:00Jesus Is Jacob's Ladder
Today in morning worship, the pastor preached on John 1.43-51. In this Passage Jesus finds Philip, Philip finds Nathanael, and then Nathanael finds Jesus. It has the oft used phrased "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" It also has a New Testament allusion to Genesis 28.12.
"And he said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-59052221287176922872017-12-21T02:37:00.000-07:002017-12-21T02:37:58.252-07:00Books Books Books (2.0)I read a lot this year. Less than I had hoped, but more than I've read in a long time. Like last year, my 2017 reading list is listed below. Books that I did not read are shown with strikethrough text. Underneath that is my projected list for 2018.
2017
The Road To Serfdom (FA Hayek)
Bird Box (Josh Malerman)
The Four (Peter Leithart)
Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-59459191351330085782017-11-20T00:10:00.003-07:002018-04-28T02:58:48.971-06:00Breathe
Breathe
by: J Edward Knox
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Breathe in, breathe out
Release your fears, release your doubt
Breathe out, breathe in
Prepare to start over again
Alone again within the crowd
Pulse beating so violently and loud
Time slows down to a creeping pace
Eyes dart around for a friendly face
Warmth of smiles from many faces
Reflecting back from hollow places
A cycle For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-69255529827010004222017-05-08T02:20:00.003-06:002017-05-08T02:20:51.008-06:00Massah-Meribah And The Judgment Of God
The events that transpired at Massah and Meribah have fascinated me for years. While as a child I received the story on it's most surface level, that God was giving his people water so that they didn't die of thirst in the desert, a few considerations from men that I deeply respect have brought this passage to life for me in profound ways. Edmund Clowney helped me understand that what was goingFor His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-82811392008463010202017-04-24T00:57:00.001-06:002017-04-24T00:57:13.911-06:00Tale Of Two TreesReading through the law, there are a number of things that point to Christ and his work. As I have been going through a the scriptures cover to cover with a friend, a few things have jumped out to me in new ways. Two pieces of the law, both involving a tree, foreshadow not just Christ and his work but also point specifically to the cross itself and what is accomplished at the crucifixion. One of For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-72431542358840955482017-03-01T12:18:00.002-07:002017-03-01T12:18:17.771-07:00Sabbath: Creation And RedemptionReading through the Pentateuch again has been helpful. I have been seeing a number of things in a new light. One of those things, something I knew was there but never really thought through, is the two explanations for the Sabbath. While the substance of the Decalogue is the same in both Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, there are different explanations given for certain commandments. The explanationsFor His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-6410610507403947122017-02-17T15:16:00.002-07:002017-02-17T15:16:48.699-07:00Sinai: Sabbath And New Creation
"Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud and went up onFor His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-40131419883642609552017-02-01T17:23:00.002-07:002017-05-08T02:21:54.375-06:00A Brakel On Neighbor LoveThe following passage is from Wilhelmus A Brakel’s The Christian’s Reasonable Ser vice. It is the conclusion to chapter 82, “Love For One’s Neighbor”. While I commend the entire chapter, I thought this was a particularly helpful bit of advice.
Guidelines for the Proper Exercise of Love
It almost seems to me that I have done needless work in stirring you up by way of various arguments toFor His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-72579241139454139092017-01-29T20:20:00.001-07:002017-05-08T02:22:15.228-06:00Give Rest To Those Who Are Weary
"[Jesus] does not think the Pharisees are mostly right about the Sabbath. They miss the most basic point of the Sabbath. Jesus does not think healing someone on the Sabbath is an 'exception' to the Sabbath rules. He thinks the opposite: Sabbath-keeping means doing good, healing, relieving distress. The Sabbath laws themselves require Israelites to give rest to their sons, servants, and evenFor His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-59419529378188623922017-01-01T09:04:00.001-07:002017-05-08T02:22:55.322-06:00Books Books BooksLooking back over the last year, I read a lot more than I did in 2015. The following is my projected reading list for last year. Books I did not get to are shown with strikethrough text. My projected reading list for 2017 is underneath the 2016 list.
2016
Common Grace and the Gospel (Cornelius Van Til)
Grave Peril (Jim Butcher)
Kingdom Prologue (Meredith Kline)
Fellowship of the Ring (For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-51406196555484297892016-11-08T16:21:00.003-07:002016-11-08T16:21:58.832-07:00Book Review: The Law of the Covenant[A blog I wrote for Torrey Gazette.]
James Jordan’s The Law of the Covenant is an exposition of Exodus 21-23. It was published in 1984 and is currently out of print, but I managed to get ahold of a copy at the recommendation of a friend. I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading it (I have rather enjoyed some things Jordan has written, but I was also very aware of his Christian For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-73769295090143959192016-11-08T16:15:00.001-07:002016-11-08T16:15:37.389-07:00Alyona Ivanovna And The Image Of God
I'm reading Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. I am loving the book, but one scene in particular toward the beginning of the book caught my attention. In this scene the main character, Raskolnikov, overhears a few people contemplating a world without Alyona Ivanovna, a shrewd old pawnbroker. During the exchange the following observations are made in justification of the murder of Alyona:
"For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-79627602344327373532016-11-01T16:06:00.000-06:002016-11-08T16:22:10.816-07:00Tabernacle Glory Is Reversed In Christ
I am currently working my way through the Meredith Kline collection. While Kline says many weird and frustrating things, and his writings can be a chore to understand, occasionally there is a gem, an "Aha!" moment. I had one of these moments reading Images of the Spirit. Sometimes Kline makes you read a paragraph multiple times because it is confusing, and other times he makes you read a For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-51349559153035496772016-10-03T03:51:00.000-06:002016-10-03T03:51:01.738-06:00Jesus Christ: Our Ark
One of the podcasts that I listen to regularly is Christ the Center. On their most recent episode, they played a Sunday school lesson taught by Daniel Ragusa on the biblical theology of Joshua. In this lesson he talks about the crossing of the Jordan in Joshua 3 and goes into explaining the geographical context of the treachery of the Jordan river, especially at the time of its flooding, and For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-10150515051373801302016-09-23T16:27:00.004-06:002016-09-26T00:36:10.127-06:00Hart On Nevin's View Of The ChurchD.G. Hart has some very interesting insights into the mind of a unique man in American Reformed theology, John Williamson Nevin:
“The occasion for Nevin’s resumption of disputing with Hodge was the publication in 1856 of the Princeton theologian’s commentary on Ephesians. Whether Nevin felt he had a score to settle with the man who could interpret his Christocentric theology only as For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-82317993600256139582016-09-20T16:11:00.000-06:002016-10-03T03:52:08.248-06:00A Relationship With God?I recently heard some people talking about having a personal relationship with God. While I grew up in an evangelical culture, I can put meaning to this phrase, but as I have grown in my understanding of God and theology, I have developed a distaste for this type of language. Given the nature of the phrase and the ways in which it is used, I am not convinced that there is a technical definition For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-85693634237437196782016-08-19T03:08:00.000-06:002016-10-03T03:52:24.187-06:00Delight In The SabbathI was recently turned onto the Theology Simply Profound podcast. On one episode, they addressed the topic of worship, specifically why and when we worship. It was a very helpful episode and furthered my thoughts on something that has come up time and time again in my life: sabbatarianism.
Anyone who knows my theological journey knows that my views on the Lord's Day, or Christian Sabbath, have For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43539774131142523.post-11933739267967901302016-06-27T03:45:00.000-06:002016-06-27T03:45:09.401-06:00Christ Came To Save Sinners
I've been working my way through Walter Marshall's The Gospel Mystery Of Sanctification recently. Thus far it has been a fantastic book, one in which I will likely find myself reading again (and again). Marshall has been paving a road between those who would add works to faith and those who seem to have a total disregard for the works of faith, and he does so through the lens of our union For His Namesakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13434754636922783006noreply@blogger.com0