Author Archives: reveds

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About reveds

Occupation: Pastor, Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Lennox, SD Education: BS - Christian Education, Sterling College; MDiv. - Princeton Theological Seminary Family: Married, with Four children. Hobbies: Running (will someday run a marathon), Sci-Fi (especially Doctor Who and Sherlock), Theater, and anything else my kids will let me do.

She’s Nothing Like the Sun

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My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
William Shakespeare

I know my wife doesn’t read my blog very often, but this is for her. 

At first glance, it would seem that Shakespeare doesn’t think much of his mistress, the sun shines brighter than her eyes, her skin isn’t as white as the driven snow, her breath sometimes doesn’t smell like perfume.  The truth of the matter is, though, that his love for his mistress doesn’t need to exaggerate her beauty.  Other men may have to embellish and wax elegant to make up for the emptiness of love, but not here.  He describes their love as rare and makes it clear that he doesn’t need to make false comparisons about her to know that in his heart he has tremendous love for her. Some men may utter false words, but he doesn’t need to because he accepts her as she is and is truly in love with her.

Christi and I celebrate our 15th anniversary today.  We’ve had our ups and downs, we’ve seen each other through the good and the bad.  And still our love grows stronger every day.  I am truly blessed to call her my wife and my friend.  Happy Anniversary!

Ethan

How to Celebrate Christmas: God’s Glory

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This is the final installment of J.M. Boyce’s “How To Celebrate Christmas” from the book, The Christ of Christmas.

If these four means of Celebrating Christmas seem right to you, and if you want to put them into practice, I suggest that you begin not with the first verse (Luke 2:17) but with verses 18, 19, and 20.  Verse 17 says that we are to tell others what we have seen and heard; but we can hardly do that effectively until we have first been amazed at Christ’s birth, pondered its meaning, and glorified and praised God for it.  You cannot tell that which you have not first felt and experienced.

So begin by wondering – wondering at the fact that you have not suffered the just punishment of your sin, that God has loved you, that Jesus came and died for you, that God called you to faith in Himself when you were yet without hope of salvation, and that you are now God’s child and secure in His love.  Continue by thinking upon these things.  Ponder the great doctrines of the Christian faith – doctrines of the incarnation, atonement, grace, sanctification, heaven, perseverance, and others – so that you begin to grow strong in doctrine.  Glorify and praise God for what you know.  Sing God’s praises. Then, when you have done that and are qualified to speak, go back and tell others.

Furthermore, do not think that you need to go back to church in order to do those things, but learn rather to do them wherever God sends you – in your home, school, business.  That is what the shepherds did.  We are told that they “returned,” glorifying and praising God.  To what did they return”  Why, to their sheep, obviously.  And there, where they had first heart the angels’ song, they themselves were heard to be singing God’s praise.

May God give you grace to do that.  If you and I and all others who call upon the name of our God should do it, the whole world would rightly resound with His praise.

SDG