Surprised by The Song of Songs Song of
Surprised by The Song of Songs
Song of Songs 2: 3 – 7; 4: 3 – 11 CEB Like an apple tree among the wild trees, so is my lover among the young men. In his shade I take pleasure in sitting, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. He has brought me to the house of wine; his banner raised over me is love. Sustain me with raisin cakes, strengthen me with apples, for I’m weak with love! His left arm is beneath my head, his right embraces me. Make a solemn pledge, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the wild deer: Don’t rouse, don’t arouse love until it desires.
Song of Songs 2: 3 – 7; 4: 8 b – 11 CEB Descend from the peak of Amana, from the peaks of Senir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountain lairs of leopards. You have captured my heart, my sister, my bride! You have captured my heart with one glance from your eyes, with one strand of your necklace. How beautiful is your loving, my sister, my bride! Your loving is so much better than wine, and your fragrance better than any perfume! Sweetness drops from your lips, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue, and the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
Why does Song of Songs surprise people?
All of Life is Sacred.
“Being like the angels, we are near to God. Being like the earth, we a near to nothing. ” - Augustine
D U A Good - Spiritual L I S M Bad - Material
Good – Spiritual Spirit Celibacy Mind Masculine Sacred D U A L Clergy I Eternal S Heaven M Bad – Material Body Sexual Activity Emotions Feminine Ordinary Laity Here and Now Earth
Making love can draw couples into God’s presence so that love is prayer and worship.
Acquitted 415 Entirely true and orthodox 417 Condemned by Imperial Edict 418
“There are some who call themselves Christian, and who attend worship regularly, yet perform no Christian actions in their daily lives. There are others who do not call themselves Christian, and who never attend worship, yet perform many Christian actions in their daily lives. Which of these two groups are the better disciples of Christ? ”
“. . . Jesus’ teaching was almost entirely concerned with action, and with the motives which inspire action. He affirmed goodness of behavior in whoever he found, whether the person was Jew or Roman, male or female. And he condemned those who kept all the religious requirements, yet were greedy and cruel. ”
“You ought to measure the good of human nature by reference to its Creator. If it is God who has made the world good, exceeding good, how much more excellent do you suppose that he has made humanity. . . fashioned in God’s own Image and likeness. . Learn to appreciate the dignity of our human nature. ”
God’s light burns within all people. Every child is conceived and born in God’s image. People can be good, kind and just. People have freedom to choose between doing good or doing evil. God’s goodness has gotten buried because life is hard. Goodness gets obscured because people are confused. We are not true to ourselves. There is human brokenness but God’s grace lives in the human heart.
By the power of his life, death and resurrection, Jesus comes to free the goodness that lives deep inside of us. Jesus is the standard of true human nature. You and I need to respond to Jesus with our hearts and in our actions. Believing in Jesus doesn’t matter unless we become like Jesus.
Procreation
Glorify God Worship Union Procreation Pleasure
All of Life is Sacred.
- Slides: 30