Devotional Material

Songs of Thanksgiving

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Shout out praises to the LORD, all the earth! Worship the LORD with joy! Enter his presence with joyful singing! Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give him thanks! Praise his name! For the LORD is good. His loyal love endures, and he is faithful through all generations.

Psalm 100

Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually. Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done, His marvels and the judgments from His mouth… Sing to the LORD, all the earth; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and joy are in His place. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him; Worship the LORD in holy array. Tremble before Him, all the earth; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; And let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” Let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD; For He is coming to judge the earth. O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

1 Chronicles 16

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

1 Corinthians 11

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Colossians 3

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

Revelation 7

Math, Art, Transfiguration

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I’ve written before about mathematics and beauty, and the relationship between mathematics and music. There is a deep connection between mathematics and the arts (even when being used as an educational analogy). I am always suspect of a student who tells me that they aren’t a math person (a phrase which I detest by the way…as if you have an excuse to under-perform in  math because of your genes) but then I see them sketch a great piece of art or excel in band or on the dance team. Somewhere along the way they were misinformed that math and art are separate categories – one emphasizing logic and rigor and the other emphasizing creativity and personal expression. Any mathematician worth his weight in protractors can tell you that a great deal of creativity and personal expression is needed to be successful in mathematics.

Now I believe I have come across an artist who truly sees the benefits of mathematics. As a bonus, his work is also a very real expression of his Christian faith. It doesn’t get much better than that in my book.

Transfiguration by Douglas Peden

From Douglas Peden’s Site:

I think of my paintings as visual music – tone poems that make use of mathematical, compositional, and other aesthetic relationships to call forth both intellectual and emotional responses. I enjoy that my art is inspired by such disciplines as music, literature, philosophy, mathematics, and the sciences, and the belief that the most enduring art encompasses all life. Indeed, if my painting style need be categorized in a historical context, it could be seen as an extension of Geometric Abstraction to Abstract Expressionism.

His description of the above painting, Transfiguration:

Though my painting “Transfiguration” grew out of a specific event, I feel it has many levels of meaning which touch our shared human experience. It is basically a painting of hope and faith. The specific event in question is the pain and horror of my wife’s cancer and the hope of a joyful conclusion, whether it be in the beauty of bodily healing or the painless union with God. In any event, I saw it as a transfiguration through human suffering and understanding… Again, let me stress that this is but one interpretation out of many – such as the pain, death, and resurrection of Christ or a personal experience of pain and understanding. It is my hope that others will see more, different, or deeper meanings. It was simply my intent to express the best I could, given my “all too human” limitations, the power and the poetry of our human faith and spirit regardless of our individual religious beliefs.

 

Death in Vain Forbids Him Rise

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Listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know– this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

– Acts 2:22-24

There is love that came for us
Humbled to a sinner’s cross
You broke my shame and sinfulness
You rose again victorious

You are stronger! You are stronger!
Sin is broken
You have saved me
It is written
Christ is risen
Jesus You are Lord of all!

So let Your name be lifted higher!