All Things Seen & Unseen

I have been reading the above title written by a Paul E Billheimer. It's a book about prayer, praise and the Church's place in the world. However, it's unlike any other book I've read on the subject because of the framework in which he places prayer. (If you look it up on Amazon you can get a reasonable idea of the contents at least.) The major thesis of this work according to the author is that: 'The one purpose of the universe from all eternity is the production [?] and preparation of an Eternal Companion for the Son, called the Bride, the Lamb's Wife'. Her creation comes by way of the new birth (Jn 3.3), a regeneration brought about by 'spiritual water' (Jn 3.5). Her preparation, a weighty matter, is the core of the book's message. Part of the preparation is learning to wage spiritual warfare which involves conquering.

One of the great themes running through Anglican worship is the theme of MERCY. Someone has said that whereas John Calvin focussed on the Sovereignty of God which is an important theme of the Scriptures, Martin Luther could never forget the mercy of God particularly as shown in the Incarnation and in Christ's Redemption. For Luther, God's coming to the creation in the Person of His Son and our Lord's dying on the cross was the greatest act of mercy that the universe has ever beheld. (Cranmer was heavily influenced by Martin Luther as is evident in the former's liturgy and preaching. He even married his first wife while in holy orders even though on arriving back in England he was forced to give up holy orders because of this decision!) In a letter to Philipp Melanchthon his closest friend, Martin Luther with characteristic vigour said: If you are a preacher of mercy, do not preach an imaginary but the true mercy. If the mercy is true, you must therefore bear th...

Recently a gifted friend of mine sent me a sermon she had written in a few days before delivering it on a Sunday in January 2012. The sermon is about praise and the power of praise to rout the enemy of our souls. It begs to be read! It touches on the theme of God's glory! Read it HE RE .