Batter My Heart, John Donne

Oh, to vex me, contraries meet in one:
Inconstancy unnaturally hath begot
A constant habit; that when I would not
I change in vows, and in devotion.
As humorous is my contrition
As my profane love, and as soon forgot:
As riddlingly distempered, cold and hot,
As praying, as mute; as infinite, as none.
I durst not view heaven yesterday; and today
In prayers and flattering speeches I court God:
Tomorrow I quake with true fear of his rod.
So my devout fits come and go away
Like a fantastic ague; save that here
Those are my best days, when I shake with feare.

This is one of the incredible Holy Sonnets of John Donne. If you have any interest in the Reformation and its theology, this man's writings are an absolute must. I picked his complete poems up in Manhattan this weekend and have been glued to them. They are so powerful!

I must thank my friend Tom Becker (a true Reformation theologian) for wandering in the book store with me. He happened to get a very nice 1928 Book of Common Prayer (I thought they were outlawed in New York).

Jacob Smith (scroll down to bottom) was ordained a presbyter in the Diocese of New York this weekend. He is the only Trinity graduate in 20 years to have been ordained in that diocese. Dean Zahl preached a sermon that knocked everyone flat and the service was beautiful. New York City is quite a fortunate town to have a minister of Jacob's caliber. - DOB