Notable and Quotable

3 comments on “Notable and Quotable”

1. DonGander says:

   September 22, 2007 at 11:31 pm

   As I grow older I am more and more drawn to children’s songs and Negro Spirituals. Perhaps my mind’s ability to meet complexities is becomming dimminished, but I think more that it is the clarity of simple theology that meets the absurd complexities of an existential society.

   So; my objective is not to smile at the existential storm but to have Christ in my vessel. Smiling at the storm is just one result of Christ being in the vessel.

2. Kendall Harmon says:

   September 22, 2007 at 11:35 pm

   I am not so sure that is all there is to it, DonGander.

   The great Swiss-German theologian Karl Barth delivered one of the closing lectures of his life at the University of Chicago Divinity School. At the end of the lecture, the president of the seminary told the audience that Dr. Barth was not well and was very tired, and though he thought Dr. Barth would like to open for questions, he probably could not handle the strain. Then he said, “Therefore, I’ll ask just one question on behalf of all of us.” He turned to Barth and asked, “Of all the theological insights you have ever had, which do you consider to be the greatest of them all?”

   This was a remarkable question to ask a man who had written tens of thousands of pages of some of the most sophisticated theology ever put on paper. The students sat with pads and pencils ready. They wanted to jot down the premier insight of the greatest theologian of their time.

   Karl Barth closed his eyes and though for a while. then he smiled, opened his eyes, and said to the young seminarians, “The greatest theological insight that I have ever had is this: Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so!”

   –As related in Let me Tell You a Story by Tony Campolo.

3. DonGander says:

   September 27, 2007 at 8:27 am

   Dr. Harmon:

   You may not see this old post but I was thinking again of the chorous that you posted and a verse came to mind with a bit of challenge that often goes with it.

   Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

   We humans often pray and worry about God’s working all things together for good – and I even disagree with God over what “good” is on occasion. But such is really wasted time as we are to have the faith that God WILL work all things together for good. If we truely believe God will do so then our greatest concern must be that WE are called according to God’s purpose.

   In these times of tumult within the Church and without, we must not faulter in our faith that God shall work all these things out. But it must be our continual payer that we seek and find God’s purpose for us. What does God want me to think or do or be, today?

   It is then that we can smile at the storm!

   God bless!