the artful diva

Beauty for Ashes, My Song of Gratitude

2005-05-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

Beauty for Ashes
Joy for Despair
Comfort for Anguish
Courage for Fear
Love for Hostility
Peace for my Strife
Freedom for Bondage
Your Death for my Life

Value for Worthlessness
Jewels for Dust
Fruit for my Barrenness
Faith for Mistrust
Blessings for Curses
Virtue for Blame
Laughter for Crying
Glory for Shame

Truth for Deception
Riches for Debt
Vision for Blindness
Hope for Regret
Health for Affliction
Victory for Loss
Kindness for Cruelty
A Crown for a Cross

Love for Hostility
Peace for my Strife
Freedom for Bondage
Your Death for my Life

Kathryn Berkowitz 1993 Olive Branches Music
To my Shepherd,

I love you, Lord. Thank you for laying down your life so that I might live in You. Thank you for transforming me by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for Your amazing Love and Mercy. Help me love others the way you love me today.

From, your Sheep

Jesus makes my heart rejoice
I'm His sheep and know His voice
He's my Shepherd, kind and gracious
And His pastures are delicious
Constant love to me He shows
Yea, my very name He knows

Trusting His mild staff always
I go in and out in peace
He will feed me with the treasure
of His grace in richest measure
When athirst to Him I cry
Living Water He'll supply

Should I not for gladness leap
Led by Jesus as His sheep
For when these blessed days are over
To the arms of my dear Savior
I shall be conveyed to rest
Amen, yea, my lot is blessed

Moravian Hymn

Blessed Are The Hungry...

2005-04-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled - The Words of our Lord Jesus Christ

Whoever is simple, let him turn in here. Whoever lacks understanding, come. Eat of my food, and drink the wine which I have mixed.
Proverbs 9 : 4 & 5

But I, by Your great Mercy will come into Your house; in reverence will I bow down toward Your holy temple. Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies - make straight Your Way before me. Psalm 5 : 7 & 8

My quest continues, and I trust the Author and Finisher of my faith will guide me according to His everlasting Word.

The question of the source of authority and accountability in the church ( I am speaking of the Protestant churches at this time ) has always been
troubling for me. When I came to believe in Jesus Christ as the Way to salvation, I was in Presbyterian church which, of course taught reformed doctrine. I cannot say that they were all 5 point Calvinists, and some of them were really quite liberal. The faithful ( to the scriptures ) remnant succeeded from the union of the PCUSA, at great peril of loosing the church property, and joined a pro-life, anti-homosexual ordaining, quasi-charismatic Presbyterian denomination. I was relieved that we had come out from among the "apostates" and could never knowingly be a part of a church which supported and even promoted abortion with ridiculous statements like "Prayerfully Pro-choice !"

When my husband's job caused us to be relocated, we joined non-denominational churches and a few of them had Pastors with some very strange teachings indeed. Some were Calvinist, some Armenian, some "pre-trib" some "post-trib". Some were Kenneth Copelandites and others were Kenneth Haganites or Bill Gothardites or Rod Parsleyites. Some were charismatic others taught that tongues were "of the devil". Some dunked, some dripped, some poured. Some baptized, some dedicated, some confirmed. Some also seemed to think that "Don't drink or smoke or chew, or go with girls who do" was in the Bible. And I am sure that somewhere not too far from my home in the NC foothills of the Blue Ridge there are some churches that take those scriptures about taking up serpents a little too literally !

It would be very refreshing to have consistent instruction in the faith by men who are accountable and have the fear of the Lord upon them.

We Evangelicals say we want to know the deep things of God, but how can we go there without first being established in the foundational elements of the Truth of what God is really desiring from us as His people? How can all of these factions and denominations be correct in teaching what seem to me, even in my blonde condition, to be mutually exclusive concepts ?

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church's slogan is " In Essentials, Unity- In Nonessentials Liberty, In All Things, Charity." What the heck does that mean, and who determines what is essential and what isn't ? And "All things" could eventually mean things like, ordaining people with perverted sexuality and the other stuff that caused them to succeed from the union in the first place. I am reminded that that the Lord repeats three times in the book of Proverbs " There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death. "

Lord, by Your grace, I choose life and Your will. Help Your people be One in You as You are One with the Father.

A Faith Reborn ...Treading Water in the Tiber

2005-04-26T06:36:00.000-07:00

"The Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should; but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings to deep for words. " Romans 8 :26

I have never been more grateful for this promise than I am right now.
My blog begins as I am in a free fall, and a state of abandonment to the Divine Mercy Who guides me.

I am experiencing a divine disorientation. It is a bit uncomfortable. OK, it is terrifying. It is equally, exquisitely both painful and pleasurable.

For 24 years, I have been an Evangelical, multi-denominational Christian. Recently, I have been examining the teachings of the Catholic church, comparing and contrasting them with what I have been taught as an Evangelical.

I have been meditating on the significance of the sacrament of Holy Communion, and the words of our Lord, "Do this in rememberance of me."

Right now, it is Passover. My husband is a Jewish man who has faith in Jesus as the Messiah. We have celebrated the Passover seder in our home
and it is a very holy time of reflection for us. The Lord Jesus Christ is our Paschal Lamb. He is the One True Way to the Father and to eternal life, and I now believe that He is truly Present in the sacrament of Holy Communion.

In Evangelical churches today, it has seemed to me that the only "sacrament" required to prove devotion while promising spiritual and material blessing from God is "The Tithe."

Every week, we hear "And now it is time to present God with His Tithe and our offerings". Only occasionally do we "celebrate" Holy Communion and, opon that rare occasion, we are told the elements are only a symbol.

We Evangelicals claim to believe the Bible is true, especially the words in red letters. So where do we get off telling Jesus that He doesn't know what He is talking about when He says everything He says ( in red letters ) in John, chapter 6 ?

Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments."
If we love Him, why do we keep trying to give Him something that we think is His favorite thing when it clearly is not ? Why would we think that giving God something that is "already His " would be more pleasing to Him than becoming intimate with Him in His Passion in the sacrament of the Eucharist ?

Evangelicals also put a high premium on "praise and worship" which in evangelical-eeze means lively followed by contemplative music which is supposed to get people focused on God and usher in His presence.
To support this practice we quote the scripture which says "God inhabits the praises of His people."

While I believe this is true, and scriptural, and should be a part of worship, why do we neglect the Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist ?
Why is it easy for us to believe that His Presence is real when we worship Him in singing, but not when we partake of His Body and Blood ?

These are just a few of the questions that are troubling me, but there are many more. I so appreciate the wit and wisdom of Mark Shae http://www.markshea.blogspot.com/ and Scott Hahn http://www.scotthahn.com/. I am also grateful for my spiritual midwife alicia who publishes http://fructusventris.stblogs.org/ where I am off to glean.