Earlier today I was pondering the old question of what Kelly Clarkson, Moses, and the Supremes have in common with 20th century Lutheran theologian Wilfried Joest.
Fortunately for us all, I finally hit on the answer!
They all agree that we need to stop what we’re doing and just kind of chill out.
It’s obvious once you start looking for it:
Stop! In the name of love.
– The Supremes
God begins his work with us when our own activity goes quiet—when we have become passive before him, both inwardly and outwardly. The zero point of human activity is the place where God does his work.
– Wilfried Joest, Gesetz und Freiheit: Das Problem des Tertius usus legis bei Luther und die neutestamentliche Parainese, p. 25
Be still, let it go… Slow, slow it down Why do we run? We’re missing so much babe Just lay in my arms for a while Be still, be still now.
– “Be Still” by Kelly Clarkson
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.
– Exodus 14:14
Q.E.D.
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10 responses to “Kelly Clarkson and Moses, Meet Wilfried Joest and the Supremes”
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Short, sweet, and to the point. And dripping with loving irony–straight to the heart of the Gospel.
Finally, the mystery solved:)
Thanks Sim. The Joest quote reminds me a bit of the opening line in your Two Words devotion (which I quoted in my sermon last week):
“To admit powerlessness is to invoke the power of the Holy Spirit.”
I loved “fortunately for us all.”
This was great.
PS. I love the Supremes.
this post is the essence of mockingbird
Isn’t it interesting that becoming passive is also something that we do not do, but happens to us. God forces the issue every time. I don’t know about anybody else, but I am never still on my own. Even when I am sitting still in a quiet room my mind rages, and I am desperate for God to bring peace. Thankfully, He always brings us to that place of desperation, which leads exactly to what Simeon says in his Two Words devotion (as JAZ pointed out).
Praise God.
Thanks for this Sim.
Eph 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”
Sorry for the deletes above. They’re all mine. 🙂
Wanted to say that, Sean, I completely agree. I believe that our sinful wiring is Pelagian at its core (i.e., we play God; we are only capable of trying to control our lives, that is our human default, and it is an _active_ default). Because of this, we cannot choose faith. In other words, passivity is the one option we do not have. In AA they call this passivity: “the gift of desperation”, which is faith, totally dependent like a child’s need for its parent. Like you said, the admission of powerlessness is not a choice, it’s a consequence, an implication. The admission of powerlessness is the thing that we avoid at all costs. It is the same with repentance, which is passivity born out of failed activity. It’s no wonder that Luther’s first thesis (of the 95) stated that “all of the Christian life should be characterized by repentance”. Isn’t that what it says? I’m working from memory. Passivity is the opposite of “the principles of this world”. Passivity is the thing that distinguishes faith from works, and salvation from virtue.
Amen John!
I just put up a post that was partially inspired by this “discussion”.
“Since You Been Gone” is an ALL-TIME great.