I thought I had already died and was surely in heaven when I slipped in the door of Powell's Bookstore in Portland, Oregon. This eclectic, funky bookstore takes up an entire city block and is several floors containing rows and rows and rows of reading material. Being a writer--and a voracious reader--I wanted to sublease personal space in the store.
In addition to the books, Powell's had some really fun things for the bibliophile at heart. One of my favorites was a T-shirt that said "I read dead people." I love that T-shirt!
Well, it's true that many book lovers have an ongoing love affair with dead authors. During the last two years one of my favorite "dead guys" to read has been C.H. Spurgeon. I was introduced to this British reverend by my former pastor. And wow, am I glad to make the acquaintance. Spurgeon's Morning and Evening was my devotional book for 2009. I soaked up every sentence of that book and my thirst was still not quenched. Imagine how happy I was to find a copy of Spurgeon's Daily Help at a deep discount book sale right after Christmas. (The fact that all the really good books sell for next to nothing is something I'll have to address in a post one day).
So it was with great anticipation that I opened Daily Help on January 1 to begin another year's journey with this great British preacher (who, by the way, received his education as a journalist). What I found blew me away. Here's the entire entry for January 1.
In addition to the books, Powell's had some really fun things for the bibliophile at heart. One of my favorites was a T-shirt that said "I read dead people." I love that T-shirt!
Well, it's true that many book lovers have an ongoing love affair with dead authors. During the last two years one of my favorite "dead guys" to read has been C.H. Spurgeon. I was introduced to this British reverend by my former pastor. And wow, am I glad to make the acquaintance. Spurgeon's Morning and Evening was my devotional book for 2009. I soaked up every sentence of that book and my thirst was still not quenched. Imagine how happy I was to find a copy of Spurgeon's Daily Help at a deep discount book sale right after Christmas. (The fact that all the really good books sell for next to nothing is something I'll have to address in a post one day).
So it was with great anticipation that I opened Daily Help on January 1 to begin another year's journey with this great British preacher (who, by the way, received his education as a journalist). What I found blew me away. Here's the entire entry for January 1.
We will be glad and rejoice in Thee. We will not open the gates of the year
to the dolorous notes of the sackbut, but to the sweet strains of the harp of
joy. "O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise unto the
rock of our salvation." What heavens are laid up in Jesus! What rivers
of infinite bliss have their source, ay, and every drop of their fullness in Him!
Since, O sweet Lord Jesus, Thou art the present portion of Thy people, favor
us this year with such a sense of Thy preciousness, that from its first to
its last day, we may be glad and rejoice in Thee.
So my first thought on reading this was, what the heck does dolorous mean and what's a sackbut? (dolorous means marked by misery or grief and a sackbut, according to Websters, is a medieval type of trombone). So, imagine a trombone playing a funeral dirge and a harp plucked by an angel. I'll take the angelic harp any day.
So, now I get it, we are asking the Lord to be our joy.
My favorite part of this entry is the last sentence, which I would sum up like this "You are everything to me Lord. Help me to remember how important my relationship with you is and please Lord, allow this very thought to fill me with overflowing, beautiful joy every day of this year."
But, of course, it took a dead guy to say it so eloquently.
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