Mourning and Dancing

...A time to mourn, and a time to dance. Ecclesiastes 3:4b

How often do these things alternate in life? It seems that most often they come in seasons. Seasons of mourning, seasons of dancing. Occasionally they come close to each other. I'm looking for some dancing. I already have my dance partner picked out. Maybe a week's work is necessary prior to a Friday night out.

Solomon and Luther: Don't Be Too Righteous

"Do not be excessively righteous, and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?" -Ecclesiastes 7:16

Michael Spencer, the Internet Monk, writes a post around a quote of Martin Luther on the remedy for nagging legalisms that plague us. Luther's quote:

“Whenever the devil harasses you, seek the company of men or drink more, or joke and talk nonsense, or do some other merry thing. Sometimes we must drink more, sport, recreate ourselves, and even sin a little to spite the devil, so that we leave him no place for troubling our consciences with trifles. We are conquered if we try too conscientiously not to sin at all. So when the devil says to you: do not drink, answer him: I will drink, and right freely, just because you tell me not to.” -Martin Luther

Adding CS Lewis into the mix, iMonk continues:

"But Lewis (and Luther) were especially aware of the spiritual dangers of trying to not sin. Yes…trying to not sin. Since encouraging people to try and not sin is a major occupation of confused evangelicalism, Luther sounds strange."

Indeed.

Love of Labor (2)

I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor - it is the gift of God. Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

In a previous post, I wrote about Solomon's observation that it was a blessing of God to eat, drink and enjoy his labor. Here again in Ecclesiastes chapter 3, he repeats something similar. As a basic theme in life, laboring that results in eating one's food and drinking one's wine is a gift from God. Not only this, but labor that can result in eating and drinking is a labor that is good. Solomon notes several times in Ecclesiastes that laboring only to have the product of one's labor go to others is a severe evil.

I desire to rejoice over eating and drinking from my labor. I am praying for this gift from God. To my readers: What about you? Do you ever pray for anything like this? Is this what Jesus means when He teaches us to pray, "give us this day our daily bread"? I'd like to hear your opinions.

The Wisdom of Solomon

For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice, and I saw among the naive, I discerned among the youths, a young man lacking sense, passing through the street near her corner; and he takes the way to her house... Proverbs 7:6-8

It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart. Ecclesiastes 7:2

King Solomon wrote a good deal of wise things, and much of his writing found in the bible is found in what are considered the "wisdom books." Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. In my estimation, I would say Solomon was a "people watcher." He watched other people's actions and lives. He took note of them. He saw patterns in living. He made special notes of cause and effect. He was informed. He knew God's precepts and the advantages and disadvantages of following them. He knew what blessings and curses were. He knew what certain life situations "felt" like to people; even to himself, and he knew these things aside from what God's word really meant.

If I could summarize Solomon's writing in a short quote I would say the following. "I spent a good part of my life acting like a fool, and all of my life watching others act like fools. I've learned my lessons, and I'm telling you about them so you don't have to suffer quite as many consequences. Everybody suffers simply from being human, but listen to God so that your suffering might be less."

Wisdom is applying knowledge to life. Solomon knew how to do that. We should listen to him.

Ecclesiastes Thread?

I'm reading Ecclesiastes right now, and it seems that a thread on Solomon's thinking is in the works on this blog. I don't think I'll make these posts into a series of connected ideas, but may just offer random comments on Solomon's observations.

Love of Labor

There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen, that it is from the hand of God. Ecclesiastes 2:24

I have been reading the book of Ecclesiastes lately, and have been pondering it for a while now. Being out of work and trying to decide what more to do in life, what to do next, why do it at all, I keep coming back to certain sayings in the book that have long given me a sense that there is something missing. There are several verses that say something similar to this one. These are Solomon's versions of Miller Time.

A day of labor, even if hard, can result in satisfaction. Taking joy in the labor of one's hands and marking the progress. Celebrating the accomplishment of labor with a cold beer with friends. The end of a day of labor can bring a sense of completion. I've lacked this in much of my professional life in the business world, but have found it in home projects, whether woodworking, consructing a patio, or a kitchen remodel. I always find it extremely difficult to relax in life. I'd like to get some kind of work that will allow me to do that.

Whatever I do next, I pray that I might be able to see the end of each day as a gift from God's hand. Am I dreaming or asking too much?