28 March 2011
Now Playing: Felix Mendelssohn, "Overture: The Hebrides."
Went for a very, very long walk yesterday. Though it was a bit chilly, it was so good to be outside! There are lots of saucer magnolias on 1st St., near the church, and several of the trees are in full bloom, absolutely gorgeous.
I also walked down the southernmost part of the B-Line. This particular corner of this field always makes me think of N.I.
There's a lovely footbridge at the end of the B-Line.
I also walked down the southernmost part of the B-Line. This particular corner of this field always makes me think of N.I.
22 March 2011
Now Playing: Corelli, Violin Sonata in A, Op. 5.
The race to the finish has begun, so I may not be posting much in the next six weeks. Tonight I made a list of all the big deadlines coming up: the first one is 12 April and the last 3 May, at least if professors leave everything where it is now. Between now and then, I have to lead discussion twice, write three papers, one of them a twenty-five-pager, and potentially take a final exam if the midterm today in Middle English didn't go well, which is a distinct possibility, despite my best efforts to the contrary.
On the upside, daffodils are blooming on campus, on the hillside below Bryan House, which is the President's house and sits like a gem at the center of a small diamond of woodland and gardens. I sat outside this afternoon briefly and admired the daffodils and watched a titmouse. It's wonderful that the weather is mild enough to sit outside again, although that won't last for very long!
Despite the amount of work that lies ahead, I've really been spending a ridiculously small amount of time working lately. On Saturday Laura invited people over for a barbecue, and it turned into a party somehow. She bought a wee charcoal grill a couple of weeks ago, and this was its maiden voyage, complete with marinaded chicken, bell peppers, onions, and pineapple. Quite delicious, as you can imagine.
The race to the finish has begun, so I may not be posting much in the next six weeks. Tonight I made a list of all the big deadlines coming up: the first one is 12 April and the last 3 May, at least if professors leave everything where it is now. Between now and then, I have to lead discussion twice, write three papers, one of them a twenty-five-pager, and potentially take a final exam if the midterm today in Middle English didn't go well, which is a distinct possibility, despite my best efforts to the contrary.
On the upside, daffodils are blooming on campus, on the hillside below Bryan House, which is the President's house and sits like a gem at the center of a small diamond of woodland and gardens. I sat outside this afternoon briefly and admired the daffodils and watched a titmouse. It's wonderful that the weather is mild enough to sit outside again, although that won't last for very long!
Despite the amount of work that lies ahead, I've really been spending a ridiculously small amount of time working lately. On Saturday Laura invited people over for a barbecue, and it turned into a party somehow. She bought a wee charcoal grill a couple of weeks ago, and this was its maiden voyage, complete with marinaded chicken, bell peppers, onions, and pineapple. Quite delicious, as you can imagine.
20 March 2011
12 March 2011
Now Playing: Indelible Grace, "Let Us Love And Sing And Wonder."
11 March 2011. Thick frost on everything this morning, but the day warmed quickly into the 50s. I went to the gym alone after breakfast, listened to a sermon by Pastor D on John 7 (Christ as the bread of life—good), came home, did my quiet time, and ate lunch while reading Middlemarch.
At two Lisa and I went over to the Hs’ house to help them get ready for their spring break trip to Florida. When we pulled up, Amy was outside, cleaning out their van, apparently as cheerful as ever. Inside we played Monopoly and Go Fish with Anne all afternoon. Amy went to pick Maggie and Grace up from school, and then the scramble really began. While Amy and Lisa made sandwiches for tea, I woke Jane up from her nap and sat with her, making faces while she snacked on cheese and crackers.
They were out the door by about five o’clock. The girls all hugged us as they clambered into the car; we waved them one last good-bye as we walked out of the garage, and as soon as we had left, we heard them give a cheer of excitement. Laughing, we drove home. Spring break in the air! At home Laura was packing up for her weekend trip to Chicago. We said good-bye to her, too. Lisa and I watched part of Beauty and the Beast while she worked on school and I made cards to send to Anna, Laura, Rach, and Crystal.
At a quarter to seven, Mary showed up, and the three of us drove out to Scott’s house for another readings night. It turned out to be a quiet wee neighborhood tucked away in the forest about ten minutes outside Bloomington, between Bloomington and Ellettsville, a neighborhood of small, low, cream-colored houses, all fairly new, all almost exactly the same.
Eric and Carmen were already there; Eric was making the main course tonight, but Mary had brought salad, and Lisa had baked a Bailey’s-and-chocolate cheesecake. The first wee while of such a gathering must always be awkward, I suppose, even when we all know each other fairly well. Perhaps it’s the awkwardness that comes from knowing each other—but not being total strangers, because that would lead to conventional small talk—and not being best friends, because that would make us all at ease immediately. The meal, when it came, was wonderful, though, and Mary kept us entertained by explaining to us the differences between saber, epée, and rapier fencing.
After tea we sat around the living room and had our first round of readings. Lisa warmed us up with some hilarious Shel Silverstein. Then Scott read some French prose from a 16th-century novel, and Eric read some Spanish poetry about the sea. Carmen followed that with “My Autopsy” by Michael Dickman and a Philip Larkin piece: beautiful, beautiful, eerie, visceral language. She had a perfect voice for it, too, precise, careful, but deep enough that it’s matter-of-fact, serious, as though she’s speaking to you about very important but very real things. Mary read the portion from Moby-Dick about the painting—which was fantastic. She had the drunken sailor voice down pat, and she put her whole heart, soul, and body into it, so that we were all rolling with laughter; l laughed until my face and my chest were aching. So, so funny.
When she finished reading, we had some of Lisa’s cheesecake, and then embarked upon round two. More Shel Silverstein from Lisa, some of The Siege of Krishnapur from Scott (an excellent, dark-humour sort of passage), some sea poetry from Eric, and a Saki short story from Carmen, a chilling piece about a boy and his ferret. Mary read us a children’s book about a Siamese cat who thought he was a Chihuahua. That had us all in stitches, too. As a finale, Lisa gave us some more Shel Silverstein. It was midnight before we realized it.
09 March 2011
Now Playing: Bach, Mass in B minor, "Gloria/Laudamus te."
So I've been doing an abysmal job of keeping this thing up for the past couple of weeks, but there's good reason for it: last weekend was an embarrassment of riches as far as live music is concerned.
On Friday night we went to an IU Opera production of Gounod's Faust. To start with, since this was the French turn-of-the-last-century opera, everything was in French, and the music was lushly beautiful. This was a new production for IU, though, with freshly-designed sets and costumes, and I must say that it was quite a work of art. Lighting and backdrops resulted in gorgeous, rich textures and colours that enhanced the story beautifully. Of course the singers and instrumentalists were good, too.
The singer who played Mephistopheles was perhaps the creepiest combination of suavity and menace I've ever seen: I had no idea that a big, burly, round-faced man could be so terrifying, but the way his role was staged and directed, he became a terrifying (but not irresistible) force of evil.
The best part about the production, though, was the story itself. One didn't really focus so much on Faust as on Marguerite, his love interest. Her life ruined because of Faust's successful seduction, and facing tremendous temptation from Mephistopheles to renounce her belief in God's forgiveness, she continues to cry out to God in faith for mercy. Finally, recognizing that the devil is trying to trap her, she refuses to turn away from her faith in order to go with Faust. The opera ended with Marguerite freed from her (literal) prison cell, walking away toward a glorious, light-filled backdrop.
Perhaps what made this moment of redemption so powerful was that throughout the performance, I didn't see how any redemption was possible: I knew the story of Faust, but not this particular version of it; I knew that Faust goes to Hell, but not what happens to Marguerite. Seeing her cry out to God from the pit of despair and then have that prayer answered was just really beautiful.
So much for Faust. On Saturday evening we went to see a performance of Handel's oratorio Judas Maccabeus, put on by the IU choir and Baroque orchestra. It was also very good, but in a completely different way. Whereas a great deal of Faust's appeal lay in the visuals, most of Judas's appeal lay in the intricacy of the music--and in listening for Handel's idiosyncrasies! I couldn't help laughing every so often because he'd do something so very Handel-ish that it was really funny, like bringing in trumpets just when the characters were talking about trumpets, or having an enormous chorus at a particular point in the story.
Despite the nationalistic overtones, this performance also was lovely for its emphasis on God's power to help and save His people when they need it most. The final Hallelujah chorus was delightful for its sheer exuberance.
So that's what I was doing last weekend. This week it's been school, school, school, but on Friday night we're having another reading party, and on Saturday my parents and Stephen are coming for a visit. Hooray!
So I've been doing an abysmal job of keeping this thing up for the past couple of weeks, but there's good reason for it: last weekend was an embarrassment of riches as far as live music is concerned.
On Friday night we went to an IU Opera production of Gounod's Faust. To start with, since this was the French turn-of-the-last-century opera, everything was in French, and the music was lushly beautiful. This was a new production for IU, though, with freshly-designed sets and costumes, and I must say that it was quite a work of art. Lighting and backdrops resulted in gorgeous, rich textures and colours that enhanced the story beautifully. Of course the singers and instrumentalists were good, too.
The singer who played Mephistopheles was perhaps the creepiest combination of suavity and menace I've ever seen: I had no idea that a big, burly, round-faced man could be so terrifying, but the way his role was staged and directed, he became a terrifying (but not irresistible) force of evil.
The best part about the production, though, was the story itself. One didn't really focus so much on Faust as on Marguerite, his love interest. Her life ruined because of Faust's successful seduction, and facing tremendous temptation from Mephistopheles to renounce her belief in God's forgiveness, she continues to cry out to God in faith for mercy. Finally, recognizing that the devil is trying to trap her, she refuses to turn away from her faith in order to go with Faust. The opera ended with Marguerite freed from her (literal) prison cell, walking away toward a glorious, light-filled backdrop.
Perhaps what made this moment of redemption so powerful was that throughout the performance, I didn't see how any redemption was possible: I knew the story of Faust, but not this particular version of it; I knew that Faust goes to Hell, but not what happens to Marguerite. Seeing her cry out to God from the pit of despair and then have that prayer answered was just really beautiful.
So much for Faust. On Saturday evening we went to see a performance of Handel's oratorio Judas Maccabeus, put on by the IU choir and Baroque orchestra. It was also very good, but in a completely different way. Whereas a great deal of Faust's appeal lay in the visuals, most of Judas's appeal lay in the intricacy of the music--and in listening for Handel's idiosyncrasies! I couldn't help laughing every so often because he'd do something so very Handel-ish that it was really funny, like bringing in trumpets just when the characters were talking about trumpets, or having an enormous chorus at a particular point in the story.
Despite the nationalistic overtones, this performance also was lovely for its emphasis on God's power to help and save His people when they need it most. The final Hallelujah chorus was delightful for its sheer exuberance.
So that's what I was doing last weekend. This week it's been school, school, school, but on Friday night we're having another reading party, and on Saturday my parents and Stephen are coming for a visit. Hooray!
Now Playing: Bach, Orchestral Suites, No. 4 in D, BWV 1069.
Just for fun, a link to a very interesting blog is here, thanks to Miles.
Just for fun, a link to a very interesting blog is here, thanks to Miles.
01 March 2011
Now Playing: Bach, "Concerto for Violin, Strings, and Continuo in E major BWV 1042."
Bear with a longer quote from Glorious Freedom by Richard Sibbes, which I was reading this morning with Earl Grey and toast.
Use 3. Let us sustain ourselves, when we walk in darkness, by considering the gloriousness of God's mercy in Jesus Christ.
It is no less mercy than glorious mercy that will satisfy us when our conscience is distressed; and if this will not, what will? Let Satan join with conscience to aggravate our sins as much as he can. But set this glorious mercy against all our worst sins - they are sins of a finite creature. But here is infinite mercy, triumphing and rejoicing over justice, having won the victory over it. Oh, when the time of temptation comes, and the hour of death, and conflict with conscience, and all together that may discourage, Satan will bestir himself. He is cunning and eloquent and will focus completely upon sin, especially in the time of despair. But you, be as cunning to focus upon mercy, glorious mercy. If God were glorious in all other attributes, and not in mercy, what would become of us? The glory of other attributes without mercy leads us to despair: glory in wisdom to find us out, glory in justice to deal with us in rigour. These fill us with dread, but what sweetens all other attributes is his mercy.
What a comfort this is to sinful man, that in casting himself upon Christ and upon God's mercy in Christ, he yields glory to God; that God has joined his glory with our special good; that here is a sweet concurrence between the chief end and the highest good of man! The last end of man is the glory of God, for that is the point from which all came (for he made all for his glory) and in which all ends; so is the chief good.
And so it is in vain for some to think, 'Oh, we must not look to our own salvation so much; this is self-love.' That is true if we sever the consideration of the glory of God's mercy and goodness from it. But we must see that both of these wrapped and indissolubly knit together in our salvation is to God's glory. We hinder God's glory if we do not believe his mercy in Christ to us. So we wrong both ourselves and him. And we wrong him not in a lesser attribute, but in his mercy and goodness, in which he has appointed to glorify himself most of all.
And so I beseech you, let us yield to him the glory of his mercy, and let us think that when we sin we cannot glorify him more than to have recourse to his mercy. When Satan tempts us to run from God and discourages us, as he will do at such times, then keep this in mind: God has set himself to be glorious in mercy above all other attributes. And as this is the primary moving attribute that stirs up all the rest, God will account himself honoured if we have recourse to him. Let this thought be as a city of refuge. When the avenger of blood follows you, flee immediately to this sanctuary. Think: Let me not deny myself comfort and God glory both at once. 'Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more' (Rom. 5:20). Though sins after conversion stain our profession more than sins before conversion, go still to the glorious mercy of God. To seventy times seventy times, there is yet mercy. We beseech you be reconciled, said St Paul to the Corinthians, when they were in the state of grace and already had their pardon. Let us never be discouraged from going to Christ.
'Oh, but I have offended often and grievously.' What does the prophet say? 'My thoughts are not as your thoughts but are as high as the heavens are above the earth' (Isa. 55:8-9). With men, offences often cause permanent alienation, but with God this is not so. As often as we have spirit to go to God for mercy and spread our sins before him with broken and humble hearts, we may receive pardon....
.... And, as I said before, it must be glorious mercy that can satisfy a distressed conscience. In the time of ease and peace we think a little mercy will serve the turn; but when conscience is once awaked, it must be glorious and infinite mercy that allays it.
If you find your conscience at all wounded with any sin, do not hold back from God any longer. Come and yield, lay down your weapons; there is mercy ready. The Lord is glorious in his mercy in Jesus Christ. It is a victorious triumphing mercy over all sin and unworthiness whatever....
Bear with a longer quote from Glorious Freedom by Richard Sibbes, which I was reading this morning with Earl Grey and toast.
Use 3. Let us sustain ourselves, when we walk in darkness, by considering the gloriousness of God's mercy in Jesus Christ.
It is no less mercy than glorious mercy that will satisfy us when our conscience is distressed; and if this will not, what will? Let Satan join with conscience to aggravate our sins as much as he can. But set this glorious mercy against all our worst sins - they are sins of a finite creature. But here is infinite mercy, triumphing and rejoicing over justice, having won the victory over it. Oh, when the time of temptation comes, and the hour of death, and conflict with conscience, and all together that may discourage, Satan will bestir himself. He is cunning and eloquent and will focus completely upon sin, especially in the time of despair. But you, be as cunning to focus upon mercy, glorious mercy. If God were glorious in all other attributes, and not in mercy, what would become of us? The glory of other attributes without mercy leads us to despair: glory in wisdom to find us out, glory in justice to deal with us in rigour. These fill us with dread, but what sweetens all other attributes is his mercy.
What a comfort this is to sinful man, that in casting himself upon Christ and upon God's mercy in Christ, he yields glory to God; that God has joined his glory with our special good; that here is a sweet concurrence between the chief end and the highest good of man! The last end of man is the glory of God, for that is the point from which all came (for he made all for his glory) and in which all ends; so is the chief good.
And so it is in vain for some to think, 'Oh, we must not look to our own salvation so much; this is self-love.' That is true if we sever the consideration of the glory of God's mercy and goodness from it. But we must see that both of these wrapped and indissolubly knit together in our salvation is to God's glory. We hinder God's glory if we do not believe his mercy in Christ to us. So we wrong both ourselves and him. And we wrong him not in a lesser attribute, but in his mercy and goodness, in which he has appointed to glorify himself most of all.
And so I beseech you, let us yield to him the glory of his mercy, and let us think that when we sin we cannot glorify him more than to have recourse to his mercy. When Satan tempts us to run from God and discourages us, as he will do at such times, then keep this in mind: God has set himself to be glorious in mercy above all other attributes. And as this is the primary moving attribute that stirs up all the rest, God will account himself honoured if we have recourse to him. Let this thought be as a city of refuge. When the avenger of blood follows you, flee immediately to this sanctuary. Think: Let me not deny myself comfort and God glory both at once. 'Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more' (Rom. 5:20). Though sins after conversion stain our profession more than sins before conversion, go still to the glorious mercy of God. To seventy times seventy times, there is yet mercy. We beseech you be reconciled, said St Paul to the Corinthians, when they were in the state of grace and already had their pardon. Let us never be discouraged from going to Christ.
'Oh, but I have offended often and grievously.' What does the prophet say? 'My thoughts are not as your thoughts but are as high as the heavens are above the earth' (Isa. 55:8-9). With men, offences often cause permanent alienation, but with God this is not so. As often as we have spirit to go to God for mercy and spread our sins before him with broken and humble hearts, we may receive pardon....
.... And, as I said before, it must be glorious mercy that can satisfy a distressed conscience. In the time of ease and peace we think a little mercy will serve the turn; but when conscience is once awaked, it must be glorious and infinite mercy that allays it.
If you find your conscience at all wounded with any sin, do not hold back from God any longer. Come and yield, lay down your weapons; there is mercy ready. The Lord is glorious in his mercy in Jesus Christ. It is a victorious triumphing mercy over all sin and unworthiness whatever....
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