04 December 2009

New Lutheran Quote of the Day

Adoration arises when we experience something so wonderful that we are filled with amazement and awe, sheer joy and utter delight, something so overwhelmingly good that we cannot take it all in. Words fail us. we resort to poetry and music and song. -- John Kleinig, *What's the Use of Praising God?* p. 18

5 comments:

Anastasia Theodoridis said...

Poetry, music, song - and tears, nearly always.

William Weedon said...

Yes, and tears. I remember one service when I was at seminary. The hymn was "Of the Father's Love." The bells were doing random rings throughout the piece and the women only sang the second verse:

O that birth forever blessed
When the Virgin full of grace
By the Holy Ghost conceiving
Bore the Savior of our race,
And that Babe, the world's Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face,
Evermore and evermore.

I saw it. I don't know how to say it except that I saw it. And it reduced me to tears indeed. And with tears I joined in the next stanza:

This is He whom seers in old time...

Mike Keith said...

I have grown to very much appreciate Dr. Kleinig. I had the opportunity to hear him as he was a speak at one of our conventions several years ago. I have his Levititcus which I must really sit down and read soon. I read Grace Upon Grace and found it to be excellent. However, I have a question: What did you make of his take on prayer in the book - especially his section on "Friends of the King" p.153 ff.?

William Weedon said...

I thought it well done, Pr. Keith. At least mine is all marked up, if that's any indication. Is there something particular there that is troubling that I am not perceiving?

Mike Keith said...

Yes - I am unconfortable, or perhaps don't fully understand, the way he seems to put us through prayer as advisors to God.