Month: May 2013

  • Hidden Art: Gardens and Gardening

    Adding Where Garden Meets Wilderness to my library and TBR list, I thought my fellow book-clubbers might be interested in E. Calvin Beisner’s book as well.

    Edith Schaeffer mentions ecology and environmental concerns in her sixth chapter of The Hidden Art of Homemaking.  

    Ecology is a subject everyone is now discussing in a worried sort of frenzy. (1971) 

    Mrs. Schaeffer presents perspective immediately by reminding us homemakers that our duty is first and foremost to our own plot of ground.

    Nevertheless, we all know that we are bombarded with environmental data, challenged to re-cycle, and restricted by regulatory authorities.

    That’s the reason for reading the analysis of a trusted writer who has researched the issues.  

    Here’s a link to a 2006 informative interview of Beisner by Bill Moyers where you will get a glimpse into the debate.

    While this title was originally published in 1997, Dr. Beisner continues to write about Christian stewardship of the environment at the Cornwall Alliance.

    I rely on his insight and commend him to your attention.

    A Christian, who realizes he has been made in the image of the Creator and is therefore meant to be creative on a finite level, should certainly have more understanding of his responsibility to treat God’s creation with sensitivity, and should develop his talents to do something to beautify his little spot on the world’s surface.
    Edith Schaeffer

     

    Read along with our book club by visiting Cindy Rollin’s blog, Ordo-Amoris.

     

  • Hidden Art: Music

    We sing to Him, whose wisdom form’d the ear,
    our songs, let Him who gave us voices, hear;
    we joy in God, who is the Spring of mirth,
    who loves the harmony of Heav’n and Earth;
    our humble sonnets shall that praise rehearse,
    who is the music of the Universe.
    And whilst we sing, we consecrate our art,
    and offer up with ev’ry tongue a heart.

    Henry Purcell
    English Composer
    1659 – 1695

    Author of The Gift of Music:
    Great Composers and Their Influence,
    Jane Stuart Smith, is the *Jane* whom
    Edith Schaeffer references in her book
    The Hidden Art of Homemaking,
    as well as L’Abri

    I enjoyed listening to this interesting interview of her from 2008.

    Join us online book clubbers as we read Hidden Art and learn to develop our talents.