The Whole Thing

In the days when I was visiting Dairy Queen way too many times, my favorite treat was a parfait consisting of layered pecans, hot fudge, caramel and vanilla ice cream.  It was a version of the old treat called the Pecan Mudslide (doesn't that sound great!).  When I served St. Luke in Montgomery, there was a Dairy Queen just across the street.  It was not good for my concentration or my waistline.

There was an art to properly eating the Pecan Mudslide, if you were to get the full effect.  To fully enjoy the treat, you needed to relish each layer.  Pecans, hot fudge, ice cream, caramel sauce, and then repeat the whole thing.  It is way better than it sounds (and it sounds pretty good).

I was reflecting on this joyful treat, when I thought of two things.  First, a C. S. Lewis quote about reading old books.  "Every age has its own outlook.  It is specially good at seeing certain truths, and specially liable to making certain mistakes.  We all, therefore, need books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period."  He is saying, in a manner, we should stop demeaning the value of either old or new books, because they both have value and worth to where and when we are living.  It would be a mistake to ignore either the old or the new.

Second, the Bible understands this universal truth.  Isaiah 43:19 says "See, I am doing a new thing ..." as God proclaims the newness of His plan.  But God precedes this "new" message with a reminder of His history with the people.  "I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom ... (Isaiah 43:3)."  Do you see what God is doing?  God is saying, the present situation and the future hope of newness is built upon who/what God was in the past.  Over and over again, Scripture proclaims the connection to past, present and future, all held in the hands of a loving God.

Let me relate this to the Pecan Mudslide (and old books).  You will miss the point of the treat if you only ate the pecans that are sprinkled on the top.  You will go right past the genius of this dessert if you skip the hot fudge.  It only works properly if you eat the whole thing!

Last Sunday, at 1st service, we sang This Little Light of Mine (1920), All My Tears (1993), My Jesus I Love Thee (1864), I Will Wait for You (2018) and Above All (1995).  The 2nd service shared similar musical range with The Church's One Foundation (1866) and How Majestic is Your Name (1981).  I am honored by a music team that gets this eternal truth!  And I hope you are getting the point that the treat (and the depth) is better when we "eat the whole thing!"  

There is a parallel between old books and old music.  There is value in old, new and in between.  I could repeat C. S. Lewis' words about books, replacing "books" with the word music.  "We need music that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period."  So ... we eat the whole thing, realizing the value in all generations of music.  And, we read "all" of Scripture, realizing that Biblical truth and hope is built upon a God who commands our worship as demonstrated by the four living creatures in Revelation 4:8,  as they said ... "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."  AMEN!  Randy