Retrograde Motion

I’m called to stand before the throne and, knowing well my countless crimes, must stand and ponder which has caused my lord command my presence here. My father’s sin, ‘fore I was born, alone would forfeit me to death, or for my flight in youthful sins,  a fall for which I’ve payed the price.  I, a worthless Benjamite,  for all my wretched wrongs, am brought to give account without defense, and destitute to justly die. Yet as I fall down in the dust I fell my judge’s steady hand, which stoops to lift me from my grave. He kindly calls me by my name,  then leads me to a place prepared. He bids me eat his bread and wine, and that same lord, ‘gainst whom I vied, now seats me at his noble side. 

O gracious heavenly Father, from whom we receive all that we have, including the time in which we live, guide me that I may redeem the hours of this day and use them to glorify your name. Teach me through every trial to bless you and faithfully perform your will in imitation of your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name I pray. Amen

Though I never thought to leave you Even though I meant to linger, Now it seems I must abandon– Nay, but take a brief hiatus, Even as the palmers do. Still, you’ve reared me well, and I will Shed a tear to go. But you are  Ever in my thoughts, and when my Errand’s done, I’ll come again.

You hop about in cap of grey quite wary of my eye, but when you spout your lively lay, you’re never very shy. Your name’s a cruel homonym for vermin in the trap, but in dun coat with tawny trim you’re such a dapper chap.

The World has hid her sprightly face behind a pearly gossamer veil,  that while she waits her coming groom  no man may see her maiden eyes. Though she was long a charge of night, he is not loth to let her go, for he but fostered her a while, ‘till one arose to take his place. The East proclaims her lover comes in splendour: robed in violet hues, to raise her from her humble state and rend in her a wondrous change. And as his face looks o’er the hills it beams to see her waiting there. He casts aside the vexing veil and wraps her in his loving arms.

I fought to push the sleep away, but long beneath the sheet I lay. At last, I rose to start the day, and then the rain came down. The kettle in the kitchen sighed all pensive for what would betide. I sipped my tea all bleary eyed as still the rain came down. I turned the pages to the sound of liquid bullets coming down and watched my garden slowly drown as loud the rain came down. And though I want so much to stay, that tyrant time pulls me away. I step out bold to meet the fray as still the rain comes down.

A canopy of cloud is coming down to touch the glist’ning ground, and birds are not yet singing. And people in their beds are dreaming, fears forestalled by a steady sound: the hourly bells are ringing. The violet velvet sky is stirring life upon the dismal downs, and soft the birds are singing. The gentry rise with drowsy grumbling: souls that to the world are bound. The hourly bells are ringing. At last the scarlet veil is lifting, and Earth is shown in glory crowned, and still the birds are singing; the hourly bells are ringing.

  When the planets had been set in their motion, Atestalume called all the Æteslae together to hold council. They came all to him, and he gave to them this charge, “My brothers and sisters, this world: the seas, land, and all the stars beyond, Umare has placed in our care. Look therefore to the tasks you have been given. Tend the Earth, guard its inhabitants, and teach them to sing the song of Umare. For he taught us to sing it first that we might spread it throughout all creation and grow further what he has begun.” And all present swore to be faithful to Umare and honour Atestalume, whom Umare had appointed to rule them.  Each of them set to the tasks they had been given. As they work, they sang each their own harmony which they learned from Umare, and the stars where they dwelt altered their dances in response to the new sound. Arwevina was found the most glorious of the singers, and his star and tower shone brightest among them all save only those of Atestalume and Nyeva...

  What make we here, we well read fools, assembled in these languid halls with books, and poems, and weary rules that bind the wards which fill our walls? What mar we here with books that some will scoff that we should ever read and thoughts that they would keep us from in favour of the common creed. Oh, listen not to idle droll, for we are fools enough to know before us sits a human soul, and that is what we seek to grow.

The noble old horologist, his lens stuck in his eye,  condescends to enter in upon his menial task. Small fame or fortune comes to him from what he daily does, yet through his humble trade he’s glimpsed the workings of the world. For on his bench he masterfully lays the stars that roam the sky and moves the sun ‘round which they turn and daily dance with glee. A microcosm in his hand: the cosmos in his grasp. For his delight the spheres will turn, and at his frown they cease. The balance of this world obeys the judgement of his hands. Tis his to mend and his to mar where e’re his pleasure lies. But gently he performs his work, with love he orders all, and with a gentle shake he brings his dying world new life. 

One of my favourite things to talk about with my students each year are ancient myths. Myths shape culture and have become so deeply woven into the way that we think and speak today that they become essential to understanding much of the literature we read and even the various traditions that have developed in our own society. One of the books I use in teaching writing second semester spends some time focusing on myths. In the first chapter of this book, they set about defining myth. When we get to this part, I always ask my students to think of the different myths they have heard and tell me what a myth is. Most of them end up giving examples from greek mythology, and I usually get the same basic list of criteria for a myth: heroes, creation of the world, origin of cities and people, wars, invention of technology, explanations of events using supernatural means, etc. I then ask them, “Are the stories that the ancient greeks told about Zeus, and Hermes, and Poseidon myths?” To whic...

From the song of Umare the stars were born. And from these stars seven were placed apart to govern and serve the Earth. Here were built the dwellings of the dosciumae, and on each of these stars, which are the planets, Umare placed a ruler entrusted to govern and protect the Earth. These seven rulers the men call the Æteslae. The first of the Æteslae is Atestalume. He was appointed by Umare as the king of the Æteslae. His dwelling is the Sun, and the dwelling of Nesaluma, his queen, is the Moon. Together they watch over the day and night. Atestalume is counted the wisest of the dosciumae, yet he is not proud. He perceives all the doings of men and judges between them. He is benevolent, and deals kindly with them.  Nesaluma is queen of the night, and she cares for all creatures that wander under her pale light. She nurtures the plants that grow. As the rest she feeds the soil and coats them with her blanket of dew.  Uthlome is the strongest of the dosciumae. It was he w...

In the darkness before all time, there was a tone: a solitary note which Umare sung out into the void. No other tone has ever equaled this tone in fullness or beauty. And within this tone resounded other tones emanating from the one. They proceeded from the root distinct, yet inseparable from the purity of the one. And the fullness of Umare sang into the void. And from Umare, the one, came to be all that ever has been. The first created beings were the Dosciumae: called thus by men because they were created first to glorify Umare. He created them from his song to sing harmony with his song, and he taught them first of all creatures to sing his song and to devise harmonies to accompany his own. All the dosciumae sung together the glorious song with the one.  As the harmony of the dosciumae progressed, lead by Umare, the void began to be changed. At the new sound the Earth was brought forth. The mountains rose from the seas and pierced the sky. Grass sprouted in the fields, and...

The sky is but a purple haze. Afar a glimmer of sun appears The crispy quiet, a steady calm, has lain its peace upon the land. The moon, he rests at noon and turns his face to where his lover shines and hails the life that she will bring. I see them speak as parents, when their children sleep, whisper a word  unheard that brings an understanding smile, which warms their hearts in times of cold brought on through life’s dismays and promises a brighter world.

 This is a hymn that I wrote intended to be used as a call to worship. As believers gather to worship on the Lord's day, we are told that we are actually drawn up into heaven and standing in the presence of God. I wanted to write a hymn that reflected this both lyrically and musically. 

  This morning, May 6, A.D. 2023, many witnessed the coronation of England’s King Charles III. As a devoted admirer of English history, the coronation this morning was something I had been anticipated for months, since the passing of the late Queen Elizabeth II. I was up at four this morning to turn on the tv (or should I say the “telly”) to watch the procession to Westminster Abbey before the coronation began. I have been talking to many of my friends and coworkers in the past week asking if they were planning to watch the broadcast as it went out live. Often, I was met with the same question: “Why do you care? It doesn’t effect you.” It is true, as an American citizen, the rule of King Charles does not have any sway over my daily life, but I would contend that it also does not mean I should disregard the coronation for a number of reasons.      Firstly, America was settled largely by the English and is built on English tradition. Our ideas of liberty, freedom fro...

The light is lower than it used. There was a time when it was near, yet as of late, o’er in the east I’ve seen and felt it move away. The air grows cold and day is turned to night. And now the only light is but the pale reflection from  the sun, whose face we may not see. Yet from the dark, this light reborn will rouse this shadow world to life and westward travels back to us that death may die and light bring life.

  What is Retrograde Motion? As ancient astronomers observed the movement of the heavens they noticed that seven stars moved independent of the others. These they called planets or “wandering stars.” They believed them to orbit the Earth in perfect circular patterns. However, upon closer study they discovered that rather than moving in perfect circles a planet would often stop in its path, loop back on itself, and then proceed forward. This phenomenon of a planet doubling back on itself is what is known as retrograde motion. Why is this blog called “Retrograde Motion?” Man throughout history has sought progress and advancement in his understanding of the world and reality. God designed man to cultivate the world He created, so it is only right and fitting that we should desire to work and discover new things. We cannot live in the past. To progress means we must move on from the past. However, we do not disregard the past. We return to and examine the past, and using the infor...

  In her book The Need for Roots , Simone Weil discusses the needs of the human soul. She says that a soul needs to be rooted, and that there are negative repercussions when it is not rooted. In the latter half of the book, she examines what it looks like to be uprooted, but in the first section she begins by examining the things the souls needs to be rooted. Society has become more and more rootless, and it is not only Weil who has observed this. In his book The Man Who Was Thursday, G.K. Chesterton observes a group as they wrestle with how to maintain stability in society. He follows them through their struggles and to their differing conclusions about the world and its meaning. Likewise, Evelyn Waugh in A Handful of Dust shows what a society is like without roots. He constructs a setting in which there are no truly connected and rooted people and demonstrates the effects that culture has on a society. Three of Weil’s needs of the soul that are very apparent both of these st...