Sunday, The Harlot of Pleasure

WATCH, THEN WATCH AGAIN BELOW: A Beautiful Harlot Sitting In Her ChariotI'VE RECENTLY DISCOVERED THE MOST WONDERFUL WEBSITE which I'll be featuring here on many Sundays in 2011. Called Grace Gems, it highlights some of the classic Bible teachings/devotional writings from days of old, especially from classic, reformed Puritanism (The website's purpose: To humble the pride of man, to exalt the grace of God in salvation and to promote real holiness in heart and life.)

Puritanism, you will remember, has gotten a bad wrap from people who have no knowledge of the breadth and depth of its teachings and lifestyle. Though Puritans had the reputation in modern times of being prudish sticklers, in truth Puritan married couples enjoyed the best, most uninhibited lifelong sexual relationships of any people---married or otherwise---on the planet. Of course, this unfolding and deepening pleasure was within the confines of a committed and covenantial marital relationship involving piety, discipline. From this clip at Wikipedia:

Puritans by definition felt that the English Reformation had not gone far enough, and that the Church of England was tolerant of practices which they associated with the Catholic Church. They formed into and identified with various religious groups advocating greater "purity" of worship and doctrine, as well as personal and group piety. Puritans adopted a Reformed theology and in that sense were Calvinists (as many of their earlier opponents were, too), but also took note of radical views critical of Zwingli in Zurich and Calvin in Geneva. In church polity, some advocated for separation from all other Christians, in favor of autonomous gathered churches. These separatist and independent strands of Puritanism became prominent in the 1640s, when the supporters of a presbyterian polity in the Westminster Assembly were unable to forge a new English national church.

I consider it my great good fortune to know about Grace Gems and in 2011 plan to post frequently from its site and YouTube channel. I'll post what I most need to hear and take deeply to heart. Hopefully you'll find a connection and Godly inspiration there too.