A Man for all Seasons

I have a post card on the bulletin board above my desk that is a reproduction of a famous painting of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger. I viewed this breathtaking portrait firsthand at the Frick Gallery in NYC on a family vacation a few summers ago. It is an exquisite rendering of a an extraordinary human being, and the image keeps rewarding prolonged reflection, I can't wait to get back to see the original again. I remember Brennan Manning telling me that 'A Man For All Seasons' is his favourite movie, so I purchased a copy - it's well worth the view. More was an example of integrity; in the face of personal loss and ultimately, death, he stuck to his principles and gave the glory to God. While I'm equally fascinated by and sympathetic to fallen heroes with feet of clay, it's worth spending time with those who make the right choices and allow them to inspire us.

Some Just Get It Right

The Collect for Trinity

Almighty and everlasting God,
who hast revealed thyself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
and dost ever live and reign in the unity of perfect love:
Grant that we may always hold firmly and joyfully to this faith,
and, living in the praise of thy divine majesty, may finally be one in thee;
who art three persons in one God, world without end.

Quoted from T.F. Torrance in 'The Trinitarian Faith' (T&T Clark: 1988)
P.340.

New Web-sites

We have updated the glensoderholm.com site and added a site moveablefeastresources.com which gives the ministry a little more of a focused presentation. The idea is that down the road MFR will include other people and resources beyond what we offer. David is having fun (he might describe it differently) learning how to use iWeb so that we can make all of our changes in-house. There are still some things that need to be added and rejigged, but it's a step in the right direction.

Fear and Trembling

The apostle Paul enourages the believers in Philippi to 'work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.' (Philippians 2:12-13) I take it that the triune God of grace is the initiator of our salvation in Christ, but, in a very generous and mysterious fashion invites us to take that gift and make something of it. It's a partnership of sorts that will achieve God's ultimate dream and purpose for creation.
Can a blog make a positive contribution to this vision? I think so. I'm going to use it as a way of keeping friends of our work and art, as well as of the Moveable Feast Resources ministry, up to date on what we're doing, thinking, and praying. I do this with 'fear and trembling' because many blogs degenerate into maudlin self-indulgence and the author, in order to fill the gap, loses self-transcendence and good taste! I will leave it open to dialogue in the hopes that it will be honest, helpful, and respectful discussion about things that matter. If it appears that nobody gives a rip, then it will morph into some other way of keeping people up to speed. Here we go!