The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture here. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts here.
Showing posts with label Llewelyn Powys. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Llewelyn Powys. Show all posts

Day Off Week 48 2022



I try and do a walk at least once a week. As I was planning to be out all day the next day, I decided lat Tuesday to do a walk on my day off, which I should be doing every time I guess. Anyway, I was up a little late but got a good walk in. Also made some phone calls. When I got to Golders Green Caffe Nero's coffee machine was broken so I had to go to Costa. First world problems, eh? Through the day I read all the essays in Christmas Lore and Legend by Llewelyn Powys. I've read some of them before but it was nice to read them all consecutively. Powys died in 1939 and his style is very much of its age. He is no Christian but he is sympathetic to many aspect of Christmas. Quite stimulating little collection.
Of course, Wales played England in the evening and that was fairly painful. Wales did well to hold them to 0-0 in the first half. Once Rashford scored, however, it was a blessing that we only conceded three. It has been good that Wales made the finals. At the very least people now know we exist. It is very interesting how Yma o hyd has taken off with the fans. I think there is probably greater cohesion between Welsh speakers and monoglots than ever. We all agree that the language is ours even though most of us don't speak it. We are more one nation than we have been in a long time and things like the football help. Having said that, Welsh society is as rotten through and through as English society and sport will never satisfy the spiritual hunger and thirst that is destroying is.

Christmas Books 2016

People often buy me books at Christmas. It's not easy to be sure what I haven't got or what I'd really like but my wife and sons did well this year (four sons and their spouses went for books, the youngest bought me a zebra tie).
So my wife bought me Sinclair Ferguson's beautifully presented Banner book Child in the manger; My oldest son and his wife perhaps scored best with Blitzed a newly translated pharmacological investigation of Hitler and the Third Reich; the next pair did well too with the massive Silk Roads a new history of the world; number three and his fiancee went for The A-Z of Pointless spot on again and a different sort of book; my fourth son went for the daunting 712 More things to draw - I say daunting as I haven't completed my copy of 642 Things to draw yet.
I must admit that I did supplement this with one or two Christmas books of my own, including P D James' The mistletoe murder and Llewelyn Powys's Christmas Lore and Legend a little book of seasonal essays.
I've read most of Blitzed and I've completed the four short stories in The Mistletoe murder and dipped into The A-Z of Pointless and drawn three or four things in the drawing book. Great fun.