Prayers of Adoration

You are kind and gracious Father.  You are so far above us that we cannot imagine how great You are.  The vastness of space is not big enough to hold You, yet You are here with us.  You invite us in to meet You in Your word and table.  Please reveal Yourself to us Father; make us see Your glory and know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Thank You for making us.  Thank You for saving us.  Thank You for Your great promises of future glory with You.  Amen.

Mars Hill Audio has started a new series called Dialogues on Justice and Judges and they’re giving away the first issue for free. It’s on the the first year of the Roberts court and how Chief Justice Roberts seems to be returning the court to a humbler role in American society. God bless him!

The kids and I finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the other night so I finally got to read Alan Jacobs’ review. I had been saving it and all other Harry-related stuff to avoid spoilers. Professor Jacobs’ review is very good. He passes over J. K. Rowling’s many shortcomings as an author and celebrates her strength, her ability to weave a moral universe. He pulls in Chesterton and his celebration of “penny dreadfuls” and says Harry is the same sort of thing, only better.

Here is J. K. Rowling herself saying she made the epilogue vague on purpose and then filling in some detail. It’s kind of an epilogue to the epilogue and most welcome.

Charles Murray again, this time on why so many Jews are so smart:

[T]his Scots-Irish Gentile from Iowa hereby undertakes to tell the story. I cover three topics: the timing and nature of Jewish accomplishment, focusing on the arts and sciences; elevated Jewish IQ as an explanation for that accomplishment; and current theories about how the Jews acquired their elevated IQ.

Charles Murray rocks, as usual.

The evidence has become overwhelming that the SAT no longer serves a democratizing purpose. Worse, events have conspired to make the SAT a negative force in American life. And so I find myself arguing that the SAT should be ended. Not just deemphasized, but no longer administered. Nothing important would be lost by so doing. Much would be gained.

Everything is Yours Father. You made the galaxies and the atoms. You invented space and time. Mater and energy are Your idea and it all exists and endures because You said so. You are the beginning and the end. Nothing surprises You, nothing escapes Your notice and nothing is hard for You to understand. History unfolds exactly as You decree, even down to our innermost thoughts and prayers.

Father, Your glory in creation is greater than we can take in but You show more glory in Jesus. In Him You came to die among us as a common criminal. In His death You show Your awesome wrath that does not let evil go unpunished and You show love that stoops to terrible humiliation to save Your people.

Thank You for this great salvation! Please fill us with Your Holy Spirit and make us know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. Amen.