Epiphany: Such Glorious Radiance and Representation

Posted on January 6, 2024 by Karen Thomas Olsen

“What an epiphany!” I exclaim when something strikes me as a profound realization. I see it! I’m enlightened. This is how we tend to use the word, epiphany. Yet, note its beautiful and ancient usage as the name for the twelfth day of Christmas. Epiphany: every January 6, the celebration the coming of the Magi to see the Christ child. Epiphany: the incarnation and manifestation of Christ to the world. Christ, the Light of the world. A-ha!

Therefore, today is an appropriate day to bring to light an essay I wrote last year that has been hidden in my Word documents, unused.

This essay presents some themes, quotations, and insights developed in my unpublished Bible study, which I am re-writing as a book to be published later this year. (If you’ve been with me for years, you’ll recognize certain themes.) I’ll be writing more in coming posts about my new adventure, working with a publisher.

For now, I’ll bring to light some thoughts I’ve pondered about our glorious Savior and the radiance of His Epiphany.

Such Glorious Radiance and Representation

When we look at Jesus, we see no strong points. None. What?

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Categories: Being Like Jesus, Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil, Spiritual Growth | Tags: , , , | 5 Comments

“Near Drowning of the Bells”: A Christmas Reading

Posted on December 16, 2023 by Karen Thomas Olsen

My dear readers,

I wrote the following script as an Oral Interpretation (interpretive reading) ten years ago for a “Candlelight Carols” event in our home in Arizona. Recently, I found it in my Christmas music, edited it a bit, and then re-wrote the ending, giving it a different turn.

If you can use the script in any way, a home advent reading or with a group, feel free to use it. It is very fitting this year to give attention to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem/carol, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” written on Christmas day in 1863. And to provide fascinating balance, I’ve brought in Phillips Brooks’ “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” written in 1867. What may we gain from their perspectives on heartache, war, providence, and the wondrous gift so quietly given to a noisy world?

Paul and I are going to be presenting this revised version this Sunday evening to our Home Group (five couples from our church that meet twice a month). We are calling our evening “Candlelight Carols and Cafe.” We will sing together, eat a fellowship meal together, and sing some more, scattering a few short readings in here and there, with this reading culminating toward the end.

So, how did Longfellow resist the encroaching despair when heartache upon tragedy invaded his world? Does the loudest noise need to be the most influential voice in your life? Listen to this reading:

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Categories: Devotional | Tags: , , | 5 Comments

A Holiday Homily: “For Unto Us”

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Karen Thomas Olsen

Our church hosted a Ladies’ Christmas Tea on December 3, and I was involved in the planning and preparation. Then I was asked to give the devotional or lesson. I chose to call it a “tea talk” or a “holiday homily”. It could be used as an Advent lesson. I’ve decided to share my tea talk with you, my JNC readers.*

[My opening remark: My mind has been percolating like a boiling tea kettle on and off for weeks now on our theme, “For Unto Us,” so I scripted my thoughts to control their flow.]

For Unto Us

“For Unto Us.” Such a little phrase – “For unto us.”  But what does it mean? Continue reading →

Categories: Devotional | Tags: , , | 4 Comments

News and Invitation: “To Thee, O Lord, I call…”

Posted on November 12, 2023 by Karen Thomas Olsen

This post will be shorter and more personal. I would like to invite you into my current experience and planning.

In my last post I mentioned my unpublished Bible study entitled A Traveler’s Guide through Suffering and Joy. Since then, after several years of exploring publishing options, I have finally committed to working with a particular publisher, so the book should be  available sometime next year.

I set up a new writing station in the window nook facing the back yard. Note that the fabric on the table matches my book’s travel theme.

Over the next three months, I plan to rework the study, deleting the “workbook” part, and creating a solid, nonfiction work, closer to a textbook, but hopefully appealing enough so that it doesn’t read like a textbook. I think I’ll end each chapter with a page of study prompt questions, so I could still label this a Bible study book. I’m not sure yet.

Years ago, I presented some of my research or book material on this blog. It has been so long ago. I wonder if any of you remember. Life has gotten harder for most people since I first started my research ten years ago on this theme of suffering and joy — as viewed through the lenses of Scripture.

A Traveler’s Guide through Suffering and Joy. Subtitle? I’ve written pages of ideas for sub-titles.

I have many decisions to make, so I’d like to ask you three questions.

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Categories: A Personal Note, Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil | 4 Comments

From Longing to Longing: Richard and the Crude Russian Officer

Posted on October 9, 2023 by Karen Thomas Olsen

Today, I’m going to tell a fascinating story which will take us back to the series my last post interrupted .

The series I interrupted was about atheism, secularism, religion, and education, in response to some questions from a reader. Rather heavy, I suppose. So, in my previous post I lightened the reading up by telling  you a heartwarming story from my own experience recently in which I spent three days with two friends from high school, our memories reaching back many decades.  I hope you enjoyed the account and photos.

Today’s true story reaches back to World War II (yes, before my time!). I referred to this incident in my post on September 14. I have included this story in chapter 11 of my unpublished Bible study, A Traveler’s Guide through Suffering and Joy. This is the story of  “Richard and The Crude Russian Officer”.

Last week I took this photo a few blocks from our home. The trees are changing color earlier this year.  I wonder, “What time of year did the Russian officer meet Richard?” I don’t know, but the meeting brought more color into the lives of each man, and mine too, just by reading the story.

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Categories: Dr. A.A. Hodge, Education, Government, Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil, Perspectives on Culture | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Gathering with Friends 50 Years Later: Encouraged by “Whatever”

Posted on October 1, 2023 by Karen Thomas Olsen

Sandy suggested this idea last spring. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was willing.

That’s a yellow, Can-Am Spyder RT. You see Sandy’s face in the mirror. This is her bike!

Yes, I’m interrupting our current series which is rather heavy in order tell a story. A true story. Well, an episode within the life-stories of three ladies who were friends in high school. Fifty years have passed since we graduated. Yes, yes, I’m one of the three.  Yes, yes, I’m that old! Get me on Sandy’s bike? Ha! And what do you think?

Sandy moved to Fremont, Ohio with her family right before her sophomore year. My parents and I moved there before  my junior year. (My sister went off to college.) Since Sandy and I did not grow up in Fremont, it was not important to us to attend our reunion, so Sandy suggested that we two plus another friend from our class create our own friendship reunion — a three girl retreat.

And so we did. Just two weeks ago.

Paula made our third person. She did grow up in Fremont, so she attended the class reunion in August. Paula liked Sandy’s idea and even agreed to the location that she suggested — Karen’s house in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A good deal for me!

Sandy (less than 5 feet tall) drove up from Anderson, South Carolina on her yellow, three-wheeled motor bike, a 12 hour trip she did in one day. Gutsy is her middle name, and everyone knows it. Paula drove over from Columbus, Ohio, a 3 1/2 hour trip, in her truck — a big, black Silverado. Paula’s a can-do woman who lived until recently on a horse ranch and still has horses. Hmm, and then there’s wimpo me! I have to summon up discipline and bravery to walk around my beautiful block. Sore legs, ankles, and feet (and whatever) talk back to me: “You really don’t want to do that, do you?! Sit down!” No wonder these wonder women traveled to my house!

Sandy, Paula, and Karen. What a mix.

How long has it been since you graduated from high school? Amazing, isn’t it? Well, we three “retreated” from Sunday afternoon to Wednesday morning. I was surprised and I wasn’t surprised. It was not what I expected, although I did not know what to expect, since I hadn’t seen Paula in over 45 years and nearly 50 years since all three of us were together. How would we do together? And what would it mean?

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Categories: A Personal Note, Spiritual Growth | Tags: , | 4 Comments

Provoking More Thought While Harvesting Some Produce

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Karen Thomas Olsen

In this post, I will continue my response to Amanda O and incorporate some photos from a recent trip we took to Aunt Mary’s farm (the Findlay Family Farm, as I call it, where my mother was born and reared). I’ll address the following portion of  Amanda’s thought-provoking, recent comments:

Regarding Mr. Hodge’s claim “the United States’ system of national popular education will be the most efficient and wide instrument for the propagation of atheism which the world has ever seen”, I doubt this. Atheism is very rare in our country and, as best as I can tell, it is very unnatural. Most people want a transcendent explanation of our world. I haven’t looked it up, but I would bet Atheism is very rare globally for exactly this reason. Instead, I think Mr. Hodge’s statement would be far more potentially accurate if he simply substituted the word “secularism” for “atheism”.

When I first read Dr. Hodge’s statement, and then in its context, I wondered the same thing. Would “secularism” be a better term for him to employ? With further reading and thought, I realized, not so. Changing the word “atheism” to “secularism” would not accurately clarify his thought.

Paul, picking apples at the Findlay Family Farm last week.

Why? First, in this context, it would be redundant or circular. Earlier in your comment (note previous post) you had quoted more of Dr. Hodge’s statement: “I am … sure … that a comprehensive and centralized system of national education, separated from religion… will prove the most appalling enginery for the propagation of … atheistic unbelief.” 

Dr. Hodge’s description of public education as “separated from religion” concisely defines secularism: to separate from religion is to secularize. His point was not to say that secularism will produce more secularism.

He meant that secularism leads to atheism — especially when it is made into a comprehensive, nationally centralized system of education.

The question then arises, is this so?

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Categories: Dr. A.A. Hodge, Education, Grandparenting, Parenting, Perspectives on Culture | Tags: , , , | 2 Comments

Thought-Provoking Thoughts that Provoke Thoughts About Secularism, Schools, and Christianity

Posted on August 30, 2023 by Karen Thomas Olsen

Over a week ago, I received a probing response to my June 8 post, “From Trans to Trans: Getting Involved in the Transformative Activity of the Gospel.” This kind of response in the comment section of the blog requires an entire post or series of posts in reply. So, please read Amanda O’s thought-provoking contribution below. You may need to read or re-read my June 8 post before reading the rest of this post. I’ll break down my response to Amanda in a series that I’ll publish closer together in the next weeks, so you can follow the conversation without being overwhelmed.

From Amanda O:

This is thought-provoking.

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Categories: Education, Grandparenting, Parenting, Perspectives on Culture | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments

#4: “Only the Informed Can Act” Really? What if…

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Karen Thomas Olsen

Amazing. I am overwhelmed at all the ideas and information I encounter daily. You know I spend a fair amount of time reading. And I listen to some podcasts. I also listen to some news on various outlets. But reading is my main avenue of information.

Here are some of the books I’m in the middle of reading:

…

Yesterday, I was reading The Origins of Sectarian Protestantism, subtitled ” A Study of the Anabaptist View of the Church.” My religious heritage is the Brethren, originating in 1708 in Schwarzenau, Germany. The Brethren were influenced by the Roman Catholic, Reformed (Lutheran and Presbyterian), Anabaptist, and Radical Pietist elements of the universal church. So, I pulled out my two volume Brethren Encyclopedia and spent hours in them reading.

 

…

I inherited The Brethren Encyclopedia from my father, the author of that poem, “Suppose” (included in my post from May).  I was amazed at what I found inside these books. No, I should not have been surprised. What I found was just what I should have expected. My dad added lots of highlighting, commentary, photographs, and articles.

In his retirement years, besides writing sermons and poetry, my dad wrote letters to elected officials and submitted many “letters to the editor” of the local newspaper which were printed in the Findlay Courier (Findlay, Ohio). He wrote these letters for the editorial page for years, and we heard about them (mostly positive responses) from family and friends. I’ve often wished that we had paid more attention to this. We were busy living our own lives, and I don’t remember reading dad’s submissions. I found a number of them taped inside the encyclopedia volumes. I want to share one of them with you today that fits perfectly with my current JNC series. Dated March 30, 1984, it is entitled “Bible Reading Needed For Freedom.”

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Categories: Education, Grandparenting, Parenting, Perspectives on Culture | Tags: , , , | 4 Comments

#3: From Trans to Trans: Getting Involved in the Transformative Activity of the Gospel

Posted on June 8, 2023 by Karen Thomas Olsen

In the midst of the messy times in which we live, I have so much encouragement to pass on to you today! Let the exclamation point communicate anticipation and excitement!

(Confident in their Creator, these tall irises transform our front yard.)

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This is the third in a series dealing with certain, current social issues and some needed, biblical responses. I began with a contrast between the trans movement of today and the ancient, biblical trans movement of Christ-transformation. Then, through my father’s poem, “Suppose,” we considered what life would be like if Jesus had never entered human history, observing that the world in which our children live today is rather like that “suppose He never came” world. For many, such supposing is so. Sigh.

But Christ did come, fulfilling Old Testaments promises and bringing us hope.

I concluded the previous post by reminding us of Jesus’ proclamation in the synagogue at the beginning of His ministry when He read aloud from the Isaiah scroll:

The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me because He anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor.

He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind,

to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

Luke 4:18-19

Closing the scroll, with all eyes fixed on him, Jesus explained:

 “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (verse 21).

 I concluded:

“Today. Today is the worst of times; today is the best of times. Today is the “favorable year of the Lord.”

Let us seek Him.”

In this worst-best of times, I ask in today’s post, how can we help hurting people find Him who is seeking them?

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Categories: Dr. A.A. Hodge, Education, Grandparenting, Parenting, Perspectives on Culture | Tags: , , , , | 8 Comments

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