Frank Hubeny

Sunday Walk 43 – Fruits of the Spirit

ο δε καρπος του πνευματος εστιν αγαπη χαρα ειρηνη μακροθυμια χρηστοτης αγαθωσυνη πιστις
πραοτης εγκρατεια κατα των τοιουτων ουκ εστιν νομος
Galatians 5:22 and 23 with various translations

It is not merely that I can know them by the way they express, or don’t, the fruits of the Holy Spirit, but I can know myself by the way I express those fruits as well.

These fruits do not come from consuming therapies, taking drugs or following self-help programs to not behave badly. They are not my fruits, but the fruits of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit.

There is nothing easier than expressing them in stillness. There is nothing harder than giving up the addiction to my own spoiled fruits since faithlessness suggests that’s all there is.

For more on this, see The Brew Is A Musing’s Spirit-Led Lifestyle.

Keith and Kristyn Getty – Still, My Soul Be Still

Weekly Bible Readings: Genesis (Audio: King James Version read by Alexander Scourby)
Commentary: David Pawson, Genesis Part 3 of 7 and Part 4 of 7, Unlocking the Bible

Mingle – Relationships

A drop of water doesn’t mingle.
It has no name to stand alone.
But we have names. We each are single.
We are, and we are not, our own.

As the prompt this week Eugenia offers the word “mingle”. I got the idea for the poem from David Pawson’s lecture, Unlocking the Bible, Genesis, Part 4. Hopefully I didn’t distort it too much.

The victory is God’s we know.
Before that there is much to do.
Some details haven’t been worked through.
True. Tragedies will come and go
and cancers ever want to grow
and dragons want a bit of fun.
They’ll run their mouths. Their lies will stun
like fists that crush into a cheek
confounding those who try to speak,
but lies will end and then they’re done.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “cheek” to be used in a D line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s Décima Poetry Challenge. The idea of assured victory in the midst of tribulation comes from Revelation.

Ronovan's Decima Poetry Challenge Image — Ronovan’s Decima Poetry Challenge Image

Powerful – Six Sentence Story

Saul consented to the stoning of Stephen outside of Jerusalem. Little did he realize that years later he himself would be stoned in Lystra, stoned to death so his enemies thought. And perhaps it was to death, but after being dragged out of town and left for dead by men who supposedly knew what they were doing, he would stand up.

On his way to Damascus, Saul once again was up to no good. This time the Lord Himself knocked him down, or rather, he fell down unaccustomed to the blinding light. When his blindness left, so too did his powerful delusion.

Denise offers the prompt word “powerful” for this week’s Six Sentence Stories. The story is a recounting of some events from Acts 6-9,14.

GirlieOnTheEdge Denise Farley's six-sentence-stories icon — GirlieOnTheEdge Denise Farley’s six-sentence-stories icon

Freestyle

Dale offers the “freestyle” theme this week for the Cosmic Photo Challenge which means post anything you want. These were taken at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Giant Solomon Seal, Chicago Botanic Garden

Siberian Bugloss, Chicago Botanic Garden

Sunday Walk 42 – Greek Influence On Christianity

I used to find Plotinus, a 3rd century Platonist, interesting. His idea of the One suggested a kind of naturalistic or pantheistic spirituality. To the extent I understood any of this, the One was like a force field having the attributes philosophers might assign to a deity.

Little of this is attractive to me today, but that earlier exposure has kept me wary of Platonic or even Aristotelian influences. When I hear discussions of God that do not lead to repentance, salvation or a personal relationship with Jesus grounded in the special revelation of the Bible I wonder if there aren’t hidden presuppositions underlying the arguments that might be coming from ancient Greek, rather than Jewish or Christian, sources.

I’ve noticed these hidden ideas within various Christian traditions going back to Augustine or earlier. Some of them are fine, but it’s easy to forget that even the acceptable ones are cultural additions. So, I try to distinguish what is in the Bible from what is outside trying to get in. Then I put scripture over tradition should a conflict arise between the Word of God and that other stuff.

For those who wish more information on this especially as it pertains to questionable Greek cultural influence, see David Pawson’s lecture on “de-Greecing” the church:

David Pawson, De-Greecing the Church

Weekly Bible Readings: Genesis (Audio: King James Version read by Alexander Scourby)
Commentary: David Pawson, Genesis Part 1 of 7 and Part 2 of 7, Unlocking the Bible

Hand of God

Our partying about the hall
was stopped by writing on the wall.
That magic hand mysteriously
wrote words we didn’t care to see.
Daniel told our heads of state –
the kingdom’s numbered: It’s too late.

Eugenia offers “magic” as this week’s Thursday Prompt. I was thinking of Daniel 5. The hand wrote these words: מנא מנא תקל ופרסין

Shooting Star, Primrose Family, Chicago Botanic Garden

Rivalry – Six Sentence Story

Bernard’s confidence returned as he began drinking the last can of his six-pack. He was ready to point out every nit that needed picking from the members of a social networking community he frequented.

In righteous rivalry he led his own charge condemning the “freaks, flakes and morons” to fiery hells that he himself didn’t believe in. They knew he was drunk.

Eventually his demons, unforgiving accusers themselves, led tired Bernard to bed one last time. As a reward for his long service, they prepared terrifying dreams.

Denise offers the prompt “rivalry” for this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

Thursday Doors Writing Challenge

We built them close to form a wall.
Within them we shall make our stand.
The devil’s prowling on the land
devouring the weak who fall
from sin that undermined it all.
They’ve burnt their buildings, turned them black.
Their walls have tumbled. See that crack?
Today let’s have bright doors, fresh light,
and neighborhoods prepared to fight.
Let’s trust in God, resist attack.

Dan Antion offers the Thursday Doors Writing Challenge. I selected Sofia Alves’ photograph of the doors of Guimarães for the décima above.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “black” to be used in a C line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s Décima Poetry Challenge.

Buildings of the Past

Dale offers the prompt “buildings of the past” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge. The photos are from an old home preserved in a park in northern Illinois.

Here is my poem for Linda Kruschke’s Paint Chip challenge.

A tiny trinket out of jade
deceptively was smoothly made.
I bought it. Why? I do not know.
My dreaming mind got caught, went slow.
I wonder now how much I paid.