A Red Sun Rises

GCD Weekly Newsletter 08/22/2022

The opticians pulled a giant mechanical pair of glasses down over my eyes. As the machine switched out one lense for another the optician asked, “Is this one better, or this one? Were the circles more slanted with A, B, or C?” After the test, I put my own glasses back on and I was shocked. Before the test, they’d felt fine, but having just been granted a few moments of clear vision, the idea of going back was an uncomfortable one.

Each of last week’s articles challenges the way we look at our present moment. Whether in prayer or at the communion table, in finally coming to the Lord after a lifetime of rejection or falling to our knees in humility as a still-maturing saint. In Tolkien’s the Lord of the Rings, Legolas remarks:

“A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night.”¹

―J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

This line is beautifully delivered in the film, Legolas looks up, downcast, and we’re struck by the reality of the moment they’re in. By the end of the third film though, once victory has been won and the fellowship are reunited, that moment feels like a distant memory. As Christians we know how the story ends, victory has already been secured. It is finished.

Whatever the circumstances we’re in, let’s fix our eyes upon Jesus, the victory he won upon the cross, and the day of his coming again which is ahead of us.

Grace and Peace,

Adsum Try Ravenhill is married to Anna and together they are passionate about seeing young men and women discipled within the context of the local church. You can find Adsum through his writing at The Raven’s Writing Desk and alongside Anna as the co-host of the Consider the Ravens Podcast, you can also find Adsum’s articles for GCD here.

Recently at GCDiscipleship.com

When Watering, Watching, and Waiting Feel Far Too Slow
Adapted from Analog Christian
— Jay Kim (@jaykimthinks)

Ted was in his early fifties when I had the privilege of baptizing him. I met with him a week before his baptism, and he shared his story with me. He’d grown up in a Christian home, going to church every Sunday. But he always had doubts. He remained open throughout his life, even wanting Christianity to be true. But he’d never had a real encounter with the risen Christ until now. Near the end of our conversation, with great emotion in his voice, he said, “It took me half a century to get here. But now that I’m here, with Christ, I’m not going anywhere.”

God-Centered Prayer
This article has been adapted with permission from John’s book God-Centered Christianity: The Bible’s Antidote for Self-Centered Religion
— John Davis (readingfortheglory.com)

My 9-year-old daughter prayed for dinner the other night. She thanked God for being good and giving us some wonderful food, and then she said, “Help it to be nourishment to our bodies.” Nourishment?! Where’d that come from? She’s never said the word nourishment in her entire life. Who taught her to pray like that?

Is God A Narcissist?
— Adam Salloum (@adamesalloum)

The church is no stranger to narcissism. In our celebrity-saturated culture, the cult of personality wields extraordinary power. And like Boromir in The Lord of the Rings, it seems the church has asked that dangerous question about these powers: “Why should we not use it?”

Not “Just” Bread and Wine: The Vision of Christ In Eucharist
Adapted from Earth Filled with Heaven: Finding Life in Liturgy, Sacraments, and Other Ancient Practices of the Church
— Aaron Damiani (@aarondamiani)

“Some say that Communion is simply a remembrance. Jesus isn’t present in any special way when Christians take it. Others contend that Jesus is present in an unseen spiritual way to people taking the meal. Yet still others believe that in addition to His spiritual presence, Christ is present physically in the bread and the wine, which become His literal blood and body. But is the bread really Jesus? Much blood and ink has been spilled in debate of this issue.”

Poll of the Week

The GCD Writer’s Guild

Here at GCD, we run a small social network catered to Christian writers. As a writer myself, I know that it can often feel like a thankless and solitary task, and it sometimes leads me to believe the lie I must be the only one experiencing that. If you’re a writer and you feel like that too, the GCD Writer’s Guild is for you. We provide regular writing prompts, we help to provide each other helpful critique, and we champion and cheer on the work of other writers in the Guild. We welcome writers of every level, from communicators who are just getting started to published authors. Our aim is to encourage and help each other along in saying what is good, true, and beautiful and to create a culture that glorifies Christ. If you’d like to join, or you simply want to know more, click here for more details:

1. As a Christian publication, we’re contractually required to include at least one Tolkien quote every year—as well as another three or four from C.S.Lewis.