october 31, 1517.

it was interesting to read the 95 theses today. because luther didn't want to split from the catholic Church, he just wanted to reform it. so it's clear he still thought the pope was cool. and purgatory. but i ignored that and was encouraged by the Truth.

i enjoyed celebrating reformation day today. it makes me want to study more reformation literature.

by Scripture alone, by faith alone, by grace alone, through Christ alone, glory to God alone!

luther threw down.

from the 95 theses:

37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God, even without letters of pardon.

42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend the buying of pardons to be compared in any way to works of mercy.

43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons;

44. Because love grows by works of love, and man becomes better; but by pardons man does not grow better, only more free from penalty.

45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.

54. Injury is done the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or a longer time is spent on pardons than on this Word.

55. It must be the intention of the pope that if pardons, which are a very small thing, are celebrated with one bell, with single processions and ceremonies, then the Gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.

79. To say that the cross, emblazoned with the papal arms, which is set up [by the preachers of indulgences], is of equal worth with the Cross of Christ, is blasphemy.

86. Again: — “Why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?”

92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Peace, peace,” and there is no peace!

93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Cross, cross,” and there is no cross!

94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hell;

95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather through many tribulations, than through the assurance of peace.

and "a mighty fortress is our God," a hymn he wrote:

1. A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

2. Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth, his name,
from age to age the same,
and he must win the battle.

3. And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

4. That word above all earthly powers,
no thanks to them, abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours,
thru him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever.

i feel dirty.

i have always been one of those people who will only read one book at a time. it bothers me to read more than one. my mind is invested in whatever i'm reading, so it's hard to invest in more than one.

somehow, i have found myself reading four books at once.

four.

here is how this slippery slope unfolded:

i started reading frankenstein. cool. my one book.

then my neighborhood group started reading a book together, so that's two. but i felt ok about it because i only read a chapter a week, and i'm doing it with other people. it's called "how people change" and it is interesting.

then...

i don't know how or why...

but i started reading a book called "lincoln and douglas: the debates that changed america." i read from every genre, but this is my first history book. i feel like i'm cheating on frankenstein. frankenstein is good, but like all classic literature...i kind of hate it, but i'm sure i will love it when i read the last few pages. i got bored with it, and started reading about lincoln. i have a pile of unread books and it was in the pile. just sitting there.

book four...

i went over to a house. these people have my dream book collection. so many different genres. quality books in each of them. i picked one up and said "were you telling me about this book? someone was." and next thing i know, it was being lent to me.

the irresistible revolution by shane clairborne.

i want to immediately rebel against anything rob bell validates, but it's good. i'm not that far into it, but i understand the thought process so far.

anyway.

i'm a literature whore. i don't know how this happened.

and if you need more material with which to mock my nerd qualities:

today i am attending a reformation day party. there will be a powerpoint presentation about church history, and then a viewing of the movie "luther." and at some point today i'm going to read the 95 theses. for fun. and because it's the anniversary of when he posted them.

happy reformation day!

buzz.

today at work we trick-or-treated across the street at a fire/police station. it was as cute as it sounds. 100 or so kids crossing the street in their costumes, getting candy from friendly firemen, and taking pictures with fire trucks.

the costumes included:

ladybugs
lions
bees
monkeys
princesses
fairies
cheerleaders
a candy corn witch
cats
pumpkins
elmo
dinosaurs
turtle
batman
superman

so cute. kind of cliche, but definitely cute.

best moment of the day:

after the fire station visit, we crossed through the parking lot of an office building to get to a nursing home. while passing through the lot, there were 3 adult pirates. taking a smoke break. while 100 children passed.

that happened.

other cuteness:

i saw a kid in another class taking a nap in his superman costume. cape and all. the man of steel all tuckered out.

batman was in my class last year. he was walking in front of me in the costume parade, and kept looking back over his shoulder to wave at me.

but no one

no one

no one

is as cute or cool as this little girl. my niece is a flower this year.

i have a martin. it smells good.

only something fabulous would make me post twice in a day.

this is going to be hard to articulate.

i used to play guitar. used to. i spent many evenings trying to learn the songs of one christian artist that wrote songs so beautiful i didn't always understand them. and then she left. she disappeared from the scene. just...gone. no one knows why. she just stopped making music, and no one would talk about it.

it made me really, really sad. i'd check the internet every now and then to see if she was doing anything. but i never could find anything.

but apparently...

she's back. almost. releasing new music in 2010.

jennifer knapp!

i'm kind of scared. i don't listen to christian music anymore. some of it, yes. i like songs about Jesus. but most of it makes me cringe. (separate topic people, separate topic...)

but in my mind she's always been one of the good ones. i'm afraid she won't be anymore. you know, like brett favre. he should have retired as a packer like...10 years ago. i don't want her to be brett favre. i'm also afraid that maybe that she never was any good. i listened to some bad music in my youth. i don't want her to become one of the bad ones who just throw Jesus' name into a song and don't care that the music sounds like crap.

because she's my jennifer knapp.

like i said, hard to articulate. i think i've said it before but music, for me, is not just about...the music. it's connected to my emotions, and periods of time in my life.

and where was she? i have always figured it was some sad story. not an external tragedy, but an internal one.

due to her exodus/hiatus/whatever you want to call it...i couldn't find any of my favorite songs on youtube. but i found this one. i haven't listened to it in years, but i started singing along without even thinking about it. brains are neat.

i don't have a point.

similarities between small children and drunk people:
- the stumbling
- the running into things
- the falling down a lot
- the incoherent mumbling

similarities between small children and animals:
- the pooping at will
- the playing with the poop
- the eating off the floor
- the shredding of anything shreddable
- the lapping up of anything liquid, whether it comes from a toilet or a puddle
- the biting and fighting to survive

used to be commander in chief of my pimp ship flyin' high

i have a random song in my head.

it's after 10pm and i'm breaking my own rule of "no blogging after 10pm." will i regret this tomorrow?

thoughts before going to bed:

i am almost out of toilet paper, and i forgot to buy more at the store yesterday. i've had to ration it this evening. i am hoping nothing goes wrong tonight, if you know what i mean.

there's a very good chance i'll regret this post tomorrow.

also:

i've been reading more c.s. lewis quotes online tonight. for fun. i don't feel weird about saying i have a crush on a dead man anymore. maybe because it's after 10, maybe not.

he just has this way of attacking an issue from every conceivable angle. i can't finish one of his books and wonder "well what about ___" because...he already went there. he's not even my favorite because he writes about Jesus. i do love Jesus. i just like his style of writing, and his use of reason. i love that i have to read some of his sentences 10 times to grasp the meaning.

anyway. tomorrow awaits. and as c.s. lewis says:

"Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done..."

i've been sucked into watching random people cover songs on youtube. i don't know the song these people are covering, but they do a good job, yes?

i do.

if c.s. lewis was alive and giving lectures...i think he would make me swoon like no rock star ever has.

is that weird to say?

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.

Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable.

Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.

Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.

Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.

Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.

Part of every misery is, so to speak, the misery's shadow or reflection: the fact that you don't merely suffer but have to keep on thinking about the fact that you suffer. I not only live each endless day in grief, but live each day thinking about living each day in grief.

There is, hidden or flaunted, a sword between the sexes till an entire marriage reconciles them.

Thirty was so strange for me. I've really had to come to terms with the fact that I am now a walking and talking adult.

This is one of the miracles of love: It gives a power of seeing through its own enchantments and yet not being disenchanted.

With the possible exception of the equator, everything begins somewhere.