St Patrick's Breastplate

Legend says that St. Patrick wrote the words which Cecil Alexander made into an English hymn. Here is part of it:

I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.

I bind this day to me for ever,
by power of faith, Christ's Incarnation;
his baptism in Jordan river;
his death on cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spicèd tomb;
his riding up the heavenly way;
his coming at the day of doom:
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
of the great love of cherubim;
the sweet "Well done" in judgment hour;
the service of the seraphim;
confessors' faith, apostles' word,
the patriarchs' prayers, the prophets' scrolls;
all good deeds done unto the Lord,
and purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
the virtues of the starlit heaven
the glorious sun's life-giving ray,
the whiteness of the moon at even,
the flashing of the lightning free,
the whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
the stable earth, the deep salt sea,
around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay,
his ear to hearken, to my need;
the wisdom of my God to teach,
his hand to guide, his shield to ward;
the word of God to give me speech,
his heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ be with me,
Christ within me,
Christ behind me,
Christ before me,
Christ beside me,
Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort
and restore me.
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ in quiet,
Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of
all that love me,
Christ in mouth of
friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.
Of whom all nature hath creation,
eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
praise to the Lord of my salvation,
salvation is of Christ the Lord.

---

Words: attributed to St. Patrick (372-466);
trans. Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895), 1889

What's Your Temptation?

Interesting post from Justin Taylor quoting some writers on the erosion of religious liberty in America.

Interesting to consider: which temptation are you more likely to face in cultural adversity? Silencing/suppressing your conscience OR reacting in anger or pugnaciousness?

LINK: Erosion of religious liberty

Not What Betty Friedan Had In Mind: The Working Mother Underclass

Caitlyn Flanagan (an uber-upper class working mom) writes a frank (slightly coarse language alert) discussion of feminist history, unintended consequences, and, as she says, the cruel self-service of the "smarty-pants" upper-class feminist ennobling of prosperous mothers by conflating their lot with working class and domestic laborer mothers.

For the purposes of this article, she only addresses two extremes: 1. upper-class women working strictly for self-fulfillment and 2. working-class women doing menial work full time to put food on the table. Basically -- those who hire nannies and those who are nannies.

How Serfdom Saved the Women's Movement

Is Christ "Just Another Theme" in the Old Testament?

Here is my brother, Dr. Scott Redd, pulled aside to discuss briefly with the Gospel Coalition how we can correctly understand Christ in the Old Testament. (Seven minutes so just short-enough for carpool line!)

I am not biased, right? But I think this may be enlightening and encouraging as one starting point for those who want to make sure they see Christ in the Old Testament without falling into the mistake of wrongly allegorizing every narrative and event.

Here is the 7-minute video

VIDEO

Here is an article:

ARTICLE

Beguiling

Here is a video you may have seen going around, perhaps back during the Gosnell trial. (Warning: graphic clinical descriptions and some tragic pictures in the sidebar of the YouTube clip.)

First of all, the clinical discussion of what goes on in a late term abortion is the best argument against it.

(And for the record, let's hope the person who posted this "literally" did believe what she saw and heard, or she wouldn't have posted it, right?)

Second of all, in this scenario, the white male government "suits" stick up for the rights of little babies, while the educated young doctor and bespectacled grandma-type want to make sure you personally aren't "tortured" over the fact that your mutilated, born-alive, aborted baby may be left to die on a table.

We must be shrewd. Evil does not often look evil. It does not always look like Lord Voldemort or even like  Hollywood's tired stereotypes. Evil is good at being beguiling; it can seem like the kindly, warm, and gentle option. It is very interested in "killing you softly."

As C.S. Lewis once wrote, addressing things in his day and age:

The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid "dens of crime" that Dickens loved to paint. It is not done even in concentration camps and labour camps. In those we see its final result. But it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voices.

LINK

Local Giving Opportunity

Dear friends,

I think most of the readers of this blog are out of state family and friends, but for those of you who may be reading and are local to North Texas:

My son's Christian school (affordable classical education, link below) is raising money to help fund their baseball program. Will has enjoyed being on this team, and we are impressed by the coach's determination not only to build athletic skills but to build character and leadership in these young men. (And Will has also learned a lot about baseball.)

If you are interested in contributing $20 to help this team's program, I can send you a coupon book that has some useful coupons for places like Dickeys at 121/Custer, Sport Clips at 121/Custer, Denny's in McKinney, Gatti Town in Frisco, The Purple Cow (all locations), and more.

A little bit goes a long way with a small program like ours.

If you are interested, e-mail me at annechamb@yahoo.com.

Link to Coram DeoAcademy

Thank you! Back to our regularly scheduled program.

Anne

Rosaria Butterfield on Identity

Developing one's identity by consuming "large chunks" of the Bible every day.

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on this law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree, planted by streams of water..." Psalm 1

Butterfield LINK here