Thursday, November 10, 2016

Tolkienian Hope in Debate Form: A Christmas and Easter Gift from the Professors Tolkien

"Finrod and Andreth" by murraddin


"Born to life everlasting, without any shadow."


That quotation from The  History of Middle-earth, volume 10: Morgoth’s Ring  is so important, Christopher Tolkien chose to put his father's words in italics. It comes from "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth," a debate J.R.R. Tolkien wrote but did not publish between the elven lord Finrod and the mortal lady Andreth—a debate in the best sense of the word, a sense almost lost to modern times. This is an intense but civil and courteous intellectual discussion about supremely important matters. Both parties clearly benefit from the exchange throughout their discussion, as do we who listen in, so to speak, as we read.


~~~~~ 1. "Not Made for Death"~~~~~


Lady Andreth is a middle-aged woman renowned for her wisdom, beloved by Men and Elves, and in fact specially loved in her youth by Finrod’s brother Aegnor, who instead of pursuing marriage lived up to his prophetic name Aikanár/"Sharp-flame" by dying young in battle. Andreth and Finrod nonetheless remained true friends characterized by honesty and depth of insight.



Early in their conversation here Andreth frankly remarks that all the  Elves deem that Men "are brittle and brief," and Elves "strong and lasting. We may be 'Children of Eru [God],' as [you] say in your lore; but we are children to you also: to be loved a little maybe, and yet creatures of less worth."



"Alas, you speak near the truth," says Finrod, "At least of many of my people; but not of all, and certainly not of me."



Andreth decides to reveal to her honest, kindhearted friend a hidden truth about her people: "From Wise unto Wise out of the darkness comes the voice saying that Men are not now as they were, nor as their true nature was in their beginning…. They say plainly that Men are not [all italics here are Christoper Tolkien's] by nature short-lived, but have become so through the malice of the Lord of the Darkness whom they do not name…. We were not made for death, nor born ever to die. Death was imposed upon us."


~~~~~~2. "Born to Life Everlasting"~~~~~


Finrod, we are told, "was silent; but after a while he said: 'These words are strange and terrible…. Who did you this hurt? Who imposed death upon you?... What did [you Men do] long ago in the dark? How did you anger Eru?'"



Andreth answers, "In our beginning we had been born never to die. And by that, my lord, we meant: Born to life everlasting, without any shadow of any end." Andreth has an exalted view of the human body and spirit, explaining that "death, which divides them, is a disaster to both."



"Ever more you amaze my thought, Andreth," replies an astonished Finrod. "For if your claim is true, then … mighty indeed under Eru were Men made in their beginning; and dreadful beyond all other calamities was the change in their state. Is it, then, a vision of what was designed to be when Arda [will be made] complete—of living things and even of the very lands and seas ... made eternal and indestructible, forever beautiful and new…?"


~~~~~ 3. "The Mists of Arda Marred"~~~~~


"It resides in the mind of Eru, I deem," says Andreth, "to … find the answers here in the mists of Arda Marred."



Finrod, however, responds enthusiastically, explaining that his heart "leaps up as at the hearing of good news. This then, I propound was the errand of Men … the heirs and fulfillers of all: to heal the Marring of Arda, already foreshadowed before their devising, and to do more, as agents of the magnificence of Eru: to enlarge the Music and surpass the Vision of the World.... Arda Healed shall not be Arda Unmarred, but a third thing and a greater."



"What then," asks Andreth, "would you say is the supreme moment that Eru has reserved?"



Finrod answers by describing a vision that flashes before his mind: "Arda Remade; and there the Eldar completed but not ended could abide in the present forever, and there walk, maybe, with the Children of Men, their deliverers, and sing to them such songs as, even in the Bliss beyond bliss, should make the green valleys ring and the everlasting mountain-tops to throb like harps." Finrod pauses when he notices Andreth silently weeping.



"Alas, lord!" she says, "What then is to be done now? For we speak as if these things are, or as if they will assuredly be. But Men have been diminished and their power is taken away."



"Have you then no hope?" asks Finrod.


~~~~~ 4. "What Is Hope?"~~~~~


"What is hope?" she replies. "An expectation of good, which though uncertain has some foundation in what is known? Then we have none."
Estel or "hope" as written in the Elvish Tengwar script by Morelen

"That is one thing that Men call 'hope,' says Finrod. "Amdir we call it, 'looking up.' But there is another which is founded deeper. Estel we call it, that is 'trust.' It is not defeated by the ways of the world, for it does not come from experience, but from our nature and first being. If we are indeed … the Children of the One, then He will not suffer Himself to be deprived of His own, not by any Enemy, not even by ourselves. This is the last foundation of Estel, which we keep even when we contemplate the End: of all His designs the issue must be for His Children’s joy. Amdir you have not, you say. Does no Estel at all abide?"


~~~~~5. "The One Will Himself Enter into Arda"~~~~~


"Maybe," she answers, but her faith is weak. Others of her kind speak of what is called the Old Hope, which immediately intrigues Finrod, who asks Andreth to tell him more. She replies it is the belief "that the One will Himself enter into Arda, and heal Men and all the Marring from the beginning to the end." When Finrod asks if she believes that, she replies, "How could Eru enter into the thing that He has made, and that which He is beyond measure greater? Can the singer enter into his tale or the designer into his picture?"



"He is already in it, as well as outside," says Finrod, "but indeed the 'in-dwelling' and the 'out-living' are not in the same mode."



"Truly," says Andreth. "But they speak of Eru Himself entering into Arda, and that is a thing wholly different. How could He the greater do this? Would it not shatter Arda, or indeed all ?"


~~~~~6. "He Will Not Relinquish His Work to Melkor"~~~~~


Humble Finrod is unsure how to answer, but he does say this: "When you say 'greater' you think of the dimensions of Arda, in which the greater vessel may not be contained in the less. But such words may not be used of the Measureless. If Eru wished to do this, I do not doubt that He would find a way, though I cannot foresee it…. There is no power conceivable greater than Melkor save Eru only. Therefore Eru, if He will not relinquish His work to Melkor, who must else proceed to mastery, then Eru must come in to conquer him. More: even if Melkor (or the Morgoth that he has become) could in any way be thrown down or thrust from Arda, still his Shadow would remain, and the evil that he has wrought and sown as a seed would wax and multiply. And if any remedy for this is to be found ... it must, I deem, come from without."



"Then, lord," gasps Andreth, looking up in wonder, "you believe in this Hope?"


~~~~~7. "We Should Learn of the Hope"~~~~~


Finrod answers, "It is still to me but strange news that comes from afar. No such hope was ever spoken to the Quendi ... yet through you we may hear it and lift up our hearts." Pausing and looking gravely at Andreth, he adds, "Yes, Wise-woman, maybe it was ordained that we ... should meet and bring news one to another, and so we should learn of the Hope from you ... so that while the Shadow still broods in the North we should not be wholly afraid.”


Consider this passage a Christmas and Easter gift to all from the Professors Tolkien. May each of us have hope and not be afraid in these perilous times.

A last observation about those holidays comes from Tom Shippey, Tolkien's academic colleague at Oxford University. In his book J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century Shippey discusses Easter and then Christmas calendar dates in his chapter on the mythic dimension of The Lord of the Rings: Gandalf tells Sam, "The New Year will always now begin upon the twenty-fifth of March, when Sauron fell, and when you were brought out of the fire to the King." Shippey states that J.R.R. Tolkien used March 25 "as a kind of signature, a personal mark of piety.... In old English tradition, 25th March is the date of the Crucifixion, of the first Good Friday.... It is the date of the Annunciation and the conception of Christ—naturally, nine months exactly before Christmas, 25th December. It is also the date of the Fall of Adam and Eve, the felix culpa whose disastrous effects the Annunciation and the Crucifixion were to annul or repair.... In Appendix B, December 25th is the day on which the Fellowship sets out from Rivendell. The main action of The Lord of the Rings takes place ... between Christmas, Christ's birth, and the Crucifixion, Christ's death."

This Christ-like Aragorn in glory is titled “Estel” by rajado.

The conclusion to Tolkien's famous lecture "On Fairy-stories," where he coined the word Eucatastrophe.
Christmas-like hope from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

If you liked this post, you will probably like reading this one: J.R.R. Tolkien on Númenor’s Meneltarma, the Pillar of Heaven

Monday, July 25, 2016

Classic Biblical Prayers





Not long ago I was asked to edit a collection of prayers for a book. One reason I was asked is I have been devoted to prayer since becoming a Christian out of a skeptical upbringing. My logical mind immediately perceived the very good sense of going straight to the Source of life for help with my  problems. As I grew spiritually, I came to care for the troubles of others andmore importantrealized there is a world to prayer beyond problems. Prayer is something I will be doing forever as a Christian, and it now comes almost as naturally as breathing.

Through the years and experiences of life, I have written my own biblical prayers for my husband and children, and used classic, historic prayers of the church through the ages. This is a summary of what I have collected that is truly useful for online praying or for printing to have handy in a Bible or file folder to cycle through for daily prayer.

1. Prayers in the Bible:  This lists  all the Apostle Paul's prayers, word for word in clear Englisha perfect list for memorizing. Something else sobering to consider is what the Bible says we miss out on if we fail to pray. Here are two prayers from Paul to hold in mind and heart:

It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the Day of Christ,
 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ 
to the glory and praise of God. 
(Philippians 1:9-11)

Since the day we heard about you, 
we have not stopped praying for you. 
We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,

and giving joyful thanks to the Father, 
who has qualified you to share in the inheritance 
of His holy people in the Kingdom of light.
(Colossians 1:9-12)

2. Biblical Prayers for My Husband: I assembled this short, simple list myself shortly after getting married, and have shared it with others through the years.

3. Biblical Prayers for My Wife: This is the counterpart to the other.

4. Biblical Prayers for My Children and Grandchildren: This I lovingly started when expecting my first child after talking with experienced mothers. Over the years I have refined it as I better understood the challenges of parenting.

5. Biblical Prayers for My Pastor: This short list I began assembling after reading the classic text A Plea to Pray for Pastors. This is a biblically inspired listing entitled, How to Pray Like a Pastor.

6. The Book of Common Prayer:  This treasure trove from church history is in clear, modern English with a wealth of links to practically every conceivable prayer for just about any situation, along with relevant Scripture passages and pastoral guidance. Here, for example are two, brief classic prayers written by Thomas Cranmer. The first prayer is a general confession, the second a prayer of humble access. Both prayers were written by Cranmer for the 1549 edition of the prayer book. Seven years later, Cranmer was martyred for his faith.

Almighty and most merciful Father,
We have erred and strayed from Your ways, like lost sheep.
We have followed too much the devises and desires of our own hearts.
We have offended against Your holy Laws.
We have left undone those things that we ought to have done, and we have done those things that we ought not to have done, and there is no health in us.
But You, O Lord, have mercy upon us miserable offenders.
Spare those, O God, who confess their faults!
Restore those who are penitent according to Your promises declared to mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And grant, O most merciful Father, for His sake, that we may hereafter live godly, righteous, and sober lives to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You and worthily magnify Your holy name through Christ our Lord. Amen.

7. Spurgeon's Prayers Personalized:  Charles Haddon Spurgeon earned the title prince of preachers partly because of his prayers. He made wonderful use of the Bible's prayers as well as the Book of Common Prayer. This collection is in modern English with links to a plethora of practical, profound prayers such as this:

Above all, give us spiritual help.
Give us wisdom, which is profitable to get.
Give us the absence of all self-seeking and a complete yielding up of all our desires to the will of God.
Help us be as Christ was, who was not His own, but gave Himself to His Father for our sins.
So may we for His sake give ourselves up to do or suffer the will of our Father who is in heaven.
Remember Your people in their families and convert their children; spare precious lives that are in danger.
Be gracious to any that are dying; may the life of God swallow up the death of the body.
Prepare us all for Your glorious return; keep us watching and waiting, and come quickly ... for we pray, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth, an it is in heaven, for Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever."


8. At the Throne of Grace by Pastor John MacArthur: This is the book of prayers I was asked to organize and arrange. It came out in 2012, representing 40 years of pulpit ministry, the highlight of which was and is leading the congregation to the throne of grace. The preface states, "Remember that Jesus warned against vain repetition and showy, grandiose prayers (Matthew 6:5-8). Remember also, however, that Jesus then immediately gave His disciples the most famous prototypical prayer of all time to teach them how to pray (verses 9-13). Clearly, there is a right and useful place for model prayers. They help us learn how to pray and what to pray for. They encourage and assist us in those times when 'we do not know how to pray as we should' (Romans 8:26).

"Spontaneous prayer can be wonderfully passionate and expressive.... But there is also a legitimate place for organizing our thoughts and planning the words we will take before God's throne--particularly when the prayer is for a time we have set aside specifically for worship, either in private or in the midst of a congregation. Composed prayers have the advantage of being more thoughtful, more to the point, and (when used rightly) less repetitious." The prayers in this collection are organized like this:
  • Prayers on Worship and the Attributes of God
  • Prayers on Joy and Longing
  • Prayers on the Cross and the Gospel
  • Prayers on Personal Holiness
  • Prayers on Useful Service
  • A Christmas Prayer and an Easter Prayer
9. The Majesty of Prayer: This is an exceptionally beautiful little photo gift book based on MacArthur's At the Throne of Grace.

10. Ways to Pray for Unbelievers by Tim Challies: Biblical and concise.

11. Operation World: To finish this on a global note, I suggest NOT praying  for your country only, but for them all. Operation World is an A-Z way of praying for the world in a biblical way. There have been many editions of this great work through the years. The 7th edition is the latest, and is almost 1,000 pages long. It came out in 2010. A 300-page version of it called Pray for the World came out with some updates in 2015. They both are worth investing in, but the most accessible and updatable version of Operation World is the free OW phone app


 

Biblical Prayers for My Pastor

1. To have a hunger for God's Word (Psalm 119:18, 136) and to interpret and explain it accurately (2 Timothy 2:15).

2. To be faithful to teach "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27; Titus 1:7-9; 1 Timothy 4:16).

3. To experience purity and health in body and spirit since "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41), with a special blessing on his marriage and whole family.

4. To be a bold and wise witness for the Lord Jesus (Matthew 10:16-33Acts 4:29-31; Ephesians 6:18-20; Colossians 4:2-6).

5. To experience lifelong diligence, fervency in spirit (Romans 12:11), and lasting spiritual fruitfulness by the power of God (John 15:5, 16).

6. To serve as an agent of Christ in reforming His Church as He advances His Kingdom (Matthew 6:10, 1 Peter 4:17).

7. To maintain biblical priorities, disciplining himself for godliness (1 Timothy 4:7) and being devoted to the Word of God and prayer (Acts 6:4).

8. To be faithful in labor, leadership, and instruction in truth and love (1 Thessalonians 5:12; Ephesians 4:15).

9. To feel and demonstrate sincere affection for fellow believers (1 Peter 1:22).

10. To solemnly and willingly submit to God’s Word throughout his life (1 Timothy 6:13-14).

Helpful classic resource: A Plea to Pray for Pastors by Gardiner Spring.

A biblically inspired listing by Tim Challies: How to Pray Like a Pastor.