Tag: Christ

SubscribeStar Saturday: Conviction

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Yours portly sometimes gets a bit strident when sharing his views, particularly when it comes to immigration.  I do believe that immigration—both legal and illegal—is one of the major problems facing the United States and Europe today.  I also believe that not all cultures are created equal, and that Western Civilization is, broadly speaking, the best and highest form of cultural and civilizational expression ever achieved.

A great deal of that greatness—indeed, so much so that, like a fish in water, we don’t even realize how subsumed in it we are—comes from Christianity.  So much of the morality we take for granted in the West comes from Jesus Christ’s Teachings:  charity, patience, love, and—perhaps most importantly—forgiveness.  Christ Died on the Cross to pay for our sins—not His.  He Is the Spotless Lamb, Sacrificed to take on the burden of our sin once and for all.  He Was Resurrected and will Return.

That idea of forgiveness—merely ask and believe, and Christ Will Cleanse you of your sins and Welcome you into His everlasting Kingdom—is hugely powerful, and often cuts against human nature.  “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31) is probably the hardest teaching in Christianity, especially when “your neighbor” includes loving your enemies (Matthew 5:44).  And, boy, do enemies abound in these blasphemous times.

I struggle mightily with the injunction to love my enemies.  Indeed, I’ve been feeling a great deal of conviction about it lately.  The enemies of Goodness and Righteousness and Truth are many, and they are cruel.  But as Nietzsche put it (proving, too, that Truth can emanate even from those who are lost), “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”  Gulp!

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TBT^4: Chapel Lesson: Listening

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One of the appeals of teaching is that there is a rhythm and regularity to the school year.  The same events occur at roughly the same times each week, each month, each year.  I became a teacher for many reasons, but the predictability of the schedule has always been a major appeal.  I like a structure of routine that allows for great variety of experiences and activities within that larger structure.

So it is that we have come, once again, to the first day of Chapel for the new academic year.  We have Chapel every Thursday morning during our Morning Break/Meeting time.

Very occasionally, yours portly is called upon to deliver a brief Chapel lesson.  Here is one from a few years ago.  My only regret is that I did not do more to tie the message specifically and overtly back to Christ.

With that, here is 22 August 2024’s “TBT^2: Chapel Lesson: Listening”:

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TBT^2: A Discourse on Disclaimers

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What a difference a year makes.  It seems as though the election of Donaldus Magnus last November ushered in a profound cultural shift.  Being Left is cringe and gay.  It always was, but now normies are saying it out loud.

Sure, there’s still a lot of weirdos out there, but it’s fascinating to see how the culture has moved so wildly in such a short amount of time.  The age of needless disclaimers may very well be coming in—or, perhaps, it will intensify during the death throes of hand-wringing.

Well, we’ll see.  In the meantime, life is too short to bottle everything up.  Drop Truth Bombs, my friends!

With that, here is 27 June 2024’s “TBT: A Discourse on Disclaimers“:

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Reblogged Guest Post: Reflections on Lent

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Regular contributor Ponty abstained from commenting on blogs and social media during the Lent season.  He really stuck with it, too—I didn’t hear a word from here, save for some very good news on on occasion.

The sacrifice of something you enjoy for Lent is an exercise in refocusing your attention on God.  By giving up even a small pleasure (or vice), it helps us to reflect on what that “small” thing actually costs.  Could it be that small indulgence is a stumbling block to our faith?  Could it be keeping us from achieving more valuable and enduring things?

Ponty explores these and other themes in this beautiful post about his Lenten journey.  Ponty originally published this piece at FreeSpeechBacklash.com, a site in the broader Portly Politico Multiverse (or maybe The Portly Politico is just a site in the broader FSB Cinematic Universe—who knows?).  Graciously, Free Speech Backlash isn’t picky about its writers republishing on other sites, so I’m taking the opportunity to do so here.  I think the piece is well worth your time.

With that, here is Ponty with his “Reflections on Lent“:

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Good Friday

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Today is Good Friday, a day to remember the Sacrifice Christ Made on the Cross so that we might be saved.  The fun part of the celebration is Easter, when Christ Arose from the tomb, proclaiming victory over Death.  Today, we Christians reflect on the magnitude of His Sacrifice.

I’ll be spending this evening with Dr. Girlfriend, and we’ll be enjoying the Easter weekend together.  We are both looking forward to a relaxing and prayerful weekend after some very busy months.

Thank God that He Sent His Son to Die for our sins.  We don’t deserve it; Christ Did not deserve it.  That makes it all the more powerful.

Praise the Lord!

—TPP

TBT^4: Go to Church

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At present, it feels like the United States is experiencing a major Christian religious revival just below the surface.  It seems like being a professing Christian has become—dare I say it?—cool.  The desire for genuine connection with Christ and a body of likeminded believers ripples throughout the nation, potentially bucking the long, depressing trend of declining faith.

While Boomers seemed to embrace the excuse to stay home from The Age of The Virus—they left churches and never returned—at least some young people are realizing the benefits of church attendance.  It feels like something is changing, that the Holy Spirit Is Moving in mighty ways.

Let’s hope that feeling is correct!  Regardless, in good times and bad (especially bad), we should be going to church, engaging in the our Christian walk with fellow believers.  The Easter season is the perfect time to get back into the habit.

With that, here is 25 April 2024’s “TBT^2: Go to Church“:

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Open Mic Adventures CXV: “From Greenland’s Icy Mountains”

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The Sunday before the Inauguration I cheekily proposed to my pastor and our deacon that we should sing “From Greenland’s Icy Mountains” for our morning congregational hymn in honor of Trump’s then-upcoming Inauguration.  I had practiced the piece a bit Saturday evening, but with a pretty gnarly bout of sinus drainage, I found the high notes hard to hit.

Instead of singing the piece—a very old missionary tune by composer Lowell Mason, with words by Reginald Heber—either on my own or in church, I played it a few times as a bit of instrumental prelude music.

The melody for the piece is interesting, with a few suspensions and some unusual timing, like the long half-note pickup at the beginning and midway through the piece.

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SubscribeStar Saturday: 2024 in Review

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2024 was one helluva year.  In some ways, it felt like three years in one, at least for me.

The first half of the year was a joyless grind.  The next quarter was a blend of summertime boredom and renewed purpose as the school year dawned.  The final quarter has been incredibly exciting and uplifting.

What a difference a few months make!  October and especially November felt like major turning points for the world, the United States, and even yours portly individually.

I’ve been thanking God for His many Blessings.  I though it would be appropriate, then, to glance back at the year that is nearly expired, and to celebrate what He Has Done.

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