NARNIA READING PROGRAM AUGUST 14 – OCTOBER 1, 2016

THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW THE MAGICIAN’S WEEK 6: 9/18-9/24 NEPHEW CHAPTERS 11-12 Introductory Paragraph Might we have known God all along? We say we have not seen him. Have we not? The Cabby seemed to have known Aslan of old. So seemed his wife. And the plans Aslan has for them are

bigger than the plans they’d cobbled. A Cabby? I think not. A king! A washerwoman? No. A queen. There is no shame in driving a cab or doing the washing – in fact, it’s by the labor they’ve done that they’ve accumulated the stuff that makes a king and queen. So what to do when we’re challenged to increase – to be greater, to do more, to dare mighty things? Anyone could understand Strawberry’s concern that, well, how could he be chosen. This nagging self-criticism is familiar to us all. He’s not so clever or special a horse, after all, he reminds Aslan. But Aslan silences the strangling doubt that would keep a creature small: “Be winged.” So might we hear that voice that shook the ground when we doubt whether we can be the creatures he intends for us to be. Be winged.

Enjoy your contemplations this week, With Love, Tricia Wagner

THEOLOGICAL CONCEPTS / QUOTES / EXCERPTS SCRIPTURES WISDOM Confession “We must lay before him what is in us, not Psalm 32 “Son of Adam,” said the Lion. “There is an evil what ought to be in us.” – Letters to Malcolm: Witch abroad in my new land of Narnia. Tell Chiefly on Prayer. James 5:13-18 these good beasts how she came here.” A dozen different things that he might say flashed through Digory’s mind, but he had the sense to say nothing except the exact truth.

The heart of the matter “We may, indeed, be sure that perfect chastity Joshua 23:6 ““I brought her, Aslan,” he answered in a low – like perfect charity – will not be attained by voice. any merely human efforts. You must ask for Psalm 51:1-17 “For what purpose?” God’s help. Even when you have done so, it may seem to you for a long time that no help, “I wanted to get her own world back into her or less help than you need, is being given. own. I thought I was taking her back to her Never mind. After each failure, ask forgiveness, own place.” pick yourself up, and try again. Very often “How came she to be in your world, Son of what God first helps us towards is not the Adam?” virtue itself but just this power of always trying “By – by magic.” again. For however important chastity (or The Lion said nothing and Digory knew that he courage, or truthfulness, or any other virtue) had not told enough. may be, this process trains us in habits of the “It was my Uncle, Aslan,” he said. “He sent us soul which are more important still. It cures out of our own world by magic rings, at least I our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to had to go because he sent Polly first, and then depend on God. We learn, on the one hand, we met the Witch in a place called Charn and that we cannot trust ourselves even in our best she just held onto us when –“ moments, and, on the other, that we need not despair even in our worst, for our failures are “You met the Witch?” said Aslan in a low voice forgiven. The only fatal thing is to sit down which had the threat of a growl in it. content with anything less that perfection.” – “She woke up,” said Digory wretchedly. And Mere Christianity. then, turning very white, “I mean, I woke her. Because I wanted to know what would happen if I struck a bell. Polly didn’t want to. It wasn’t her fault. I – I fought her. I know I shouldn’t have. I think I was a bit enchanted by the writing under the bell.” “Do you?” asked Aslan; still speaking very low and deep. “No,” said Digory. “I see now I wasn’t. I was only pretending.”

A Love that Would Do Anything “Though our feelings come and go, His love for Psalm 5 “You see, friends,” (Aslan) said, “that before the us does not. It is not wearied by our sins, or our new, clean world I gave you is seven hours old, indifference; and, therefore, it is quite Psalm 36:5-10 relentless in its determination that we shall be a force of evil has already entered it; waked and brought hither by this Son of Adam.” cured of those sins, at whatever cost to us, at Titus 3:3-7 The Beasts, even Strawberry, all turned their whatever cost to Him.” – Mere Christianity. eyes on Digory till he felt that he wished the ground would swallow him up. “But be not cast down,” said Aslan, still speaking to the Beasts. “Evil will come of that evil, but it is still a long way off, and I will see to it that the worst falls upon myself.”

Acquaintance with God “To believe that God – at least this God – exists Job 37 “Son,” said Aslan to the Cabby, “I have known is to believe that you as a person now stand in you long. Do you know me?” the presence of God as a person. What would, a Philippians 2:1-11 moment before, have been variations in “Well, no, sir,” said the Cabby. “Leastways not opinion, now become variations in your in an ordinary manner of speaking. Yet I feel John 1:1-14 somehow, if I may make so free, as ‘ow we’ve personal attitude to a Person. You are no met before.” longer faced with an argument which demands your assent, but with a Person who demands Matthew 26:26-28 “It is well,” said the Lion. “You know better your confidence. – The World’s Last Night and than you think you know, and you shall live to Other Essays. know me better yet.” John 20

“It is just the recognition of God’s positive and concrete reality which the religious imagery preserves. The crudest Old Testament picture of Jahweh thundering and lightning out of dense smoke, making mountains skip like rams, threatening, promising, pleasing, even changing His mind, transmits that sense of living Deity which evaporates in abstract thought…. Perhaps we may rightly reject much of the Old Testament imagery. But we must be clear why we are doing do: not because the images are too strong but because they are too weak. The ultimate spiritual reality is not vaguer, more inert, more transparent than the images, but more positive, more dynamic, more opaque.” – Miracles.

“I have found as a tutor in English Literature that if the average student wants to find out something about Platonism, the very last thing he thinks of doing is to take a translation of Plato off the library shelf and read the Symposium. He would rather read some dreary modern book ten times as long, all about “isms” and influences and only once in twelve pages telling him what Plato actually said. The error is rather an amiable one, for it springs from humility. The student is half afraid to meet one of the greatest philosophers face to face. He feels himself inadequate and thinks he will not understand him. But if he only knew, the great man, just because of his greatness, is much more intelligible than his modern commentator.” – God in the Dock.

“For the dream of finding our end, the thing we were made for, in a Heaven of purely human love could not be true unless our whole Faith were wrong. We were made for God. Only by being in some respect like Him, only by being a manifestation of His beauty, lovingkindness, wisdom or goodness, has any earthly Beloved excited our love. It is not that we have loved them too much, but that we did not quite understand what we were loving. It is not that we shall be asked to turn from them, so dearly familiar, to a Stranger. When we see the face of God we shall know that we have always known it. He has been a party to, has made, sustained and moved moment by moment within, all our earthly experiences of innocent love. All that was true love in them was, even on earth, far more His than ours and ours only because His. In Heaven there will be no anguish and no duty of turning away from our earthly Beloveds. First, because we shall have turned already; from the portraits to the Original, from the rivulets to the Fountain, from the creatures He made lovable to Love Himself. But secondly, because we shall find them all in Him. By loving Him more than them we shall love them more than we now do.” – The Four Loves.

The irresistible call “When you come to knowing God, the Psalm 42 Aslan threw up his shaggy head, opened his initiative lies on His side. If He does not show mouth, and uttered a long, single note; not very Himself, nothing you can do will enable you to Psalm 63 find Him. And, in fact, He shows much more loud, but full of power. Polly’s heart jumped in her body when she heard it. She felt sure that it of Himself to some people than to others – not Matthew 4:18-22 was a call, and that anyone who heard that call because he has favorites, but because it is would want to obey it and (what’s more) would impossible for Him to show Himself to a man whose whole mind and character are in the be able to obey it, however many worlds and wrong condition. Just as sunlight, though it has ages lay between. no favorites, cannot be reflected in a dusty mirror as clearly as a clean one. – Mere Christianity.

Belonging “Continue seeking Him with seriousness. Psalm 103 Polly knew at once that it was the Cabby’s Unless he wanted you, you would not be wife, fetched out of our world not by any wanting Him.” – Letters of C.S. Lewis. tiresome magic rings, but quickly, simply and sweetly as a bird flies to its nest.

The stuff of kings and queens “’Seek ye first the Kingdom… and all these Psalm 37:3-5 “Begging your pardon, sir,” (the Cabby) said, other things shall be added unto you.’ Infinite “and thanking you very much I’m sure (which comfort in the second part; inexorable demand I Thessalonians 5:23-24 my Missus does the same) but I ain’t no sort of in the first. Hopeless if it were to be done by chap for a job like that. I never ‘ad much your own endeavors at some particular eddycation, you see.” moment. But ‘God must do it.’ Your part is “Well,” said Aslan, “can you use a spade and a what you are already doing: ‘Take me – no plow and raise food out of the earth?” conditions.’ After that, thorough the daily duty, through the increasing effort after “Yes, sir, I could do a bit of that sort of work: holiness – well, like the seed growing being brought up to it, like.” secretly…” – A Severe Mercy, Letter to “Can you rule these creatures kindly and fairly, Sheldon Vanauken. remembering that they are not slaves like the dumb beasts of the world you were born it, but Talking Beasts and free subjects?” “I see that, sir,” replied the Cabby. “I’d try to do the square thing by them all.” “And would you bring up your children and grandchildren to do the same?” “It’d be up to me to try, sir. I’d do my best: wouldn’t we, Nellie?” “And you wouldn’t have favorites either among your own children or among the other creatures or let any hold another under or use it hardly?” “I never could abide such goings on, sir, and that’s the truth. I’d give ‘em what for if I caught ‘em at it,” said the Cabby… “And if enemies came against the land (for enemies will arise) and there was a war, would you be the first in the charge and the last in the retreat?” “Well, sir,” said the Cabby very slowly, “a chap don’t exactly know till he’s been tried. I dare say I might turn out ever such a soft ‘un. Never did no fighting except with my fists. I’d try – that is, I ‘ope I’d try – to do my bit.” “Then,” said Aslan, “you will have done all that a King should do.”

Willingness to trust “To love involves trusting the beloved beyond Proverbs 3:1-6 “Son of Adam,” said Aslan. “Are you ready to the evidence, even against much evidence. No undo the wrong that you have done to my man is our friend who believes in our good sweet country of Narnia on the very day of its intentions only when they are proved. No man birth?” is our friend who will not be very slow to “Well, I don’t see what I can do,” said Digory. accept evidence against them. Such confidence, “You see, the Queen ran away and –“ between one man and another, is in fact almost “I asked, are you ready?” said the Lion. universally praised as a moral beauty, not blamed as a logical error. And the suspicious “Yes,” said Digory. man is blamed for a meanness of character, not admired for the excellence of his logic.” – The “You must get me the seed from which that World’s Last Night. tree is to grow,” (said Aslan). “Yes, sir,” said Digory. He didn’t know how it was to be done but he felt quite sure now that he would be able to do it.”

Manipulating God “The petition, then, is not merely that I may Joshua 1:7-8 He had had for a second some wild idea of patiently suffer God’s will but also that I may saying “I’ll try to help you if you’ll promise to vigorously do it… Psalm 1:1-3 help my Mother,” but he realized in time that “Thy will be done – by me – now” brings one the Lion was not at all the sort of person one back to brass tacks.” – Letters to Malcolm, could try to make bargains with. Chiefly on Prayer.

God’s compassion “The world, knowing how all our real John 11:1-44 Up till then he had been looking at the Lion’s investments are beyond the grave, might great feet and the huge claws on them; now in expect us to be less concerned than other his despair, he looked up at its face. What he people who go in for what is called Higher saw surprised him as much as anything in his Thought and tell us that “death doesn’t whole life. For the tawny face was bent down matter”; but we “are not high-minded,” and we near his own and (wonder of wonders) great follow One who stood and wept at the grave of shining tears stood in the Lion’s eyes. They Lazarus – not surely, because He was grieved were such big, bright tears compared with that Mary and Martha wept, and sorrowed for Digory’s own that for a moment he felt as if the their lack of faith (though some thus interpret) Lion must really be sorry about his mother but because death, the punishment of sin, is than he was himself. even more horrible in His eyes than in ours. The nature which He had created as God, the nature which He had assumed as Man, lay there before Him in its ignominy; a foul smell, food for worms. Though He was to revive it a moment later, He wept at the shame; if I may here quote a writer of my own communion, “I am not so much afraid of death as ashamed of it.” And that brings us again to the paradox. Of all men, we hope most of death; yet nothing will reconcile us to – well, its unnaturalness. We know that we were not made for it’ we know how it crept into our destiny as an intruder; and we know Who has defeated it. Because Our Lord is risen we know that on one level it is an enemy already disarmed; but because we know that the natural level also is God’s creation we cannot cease to fight against the death which mars it, as against all those other blemishes upon it, against pain and poverty, barbarism and ignorance. Because we love something else more than this world we love even this world better than those who know no other.” – God in the Dock.

Grief is great “Human Death is the result of sin and the Psalm 92 “My son, my son,” said Aslan. “I know. Grief is triumph of Satan. But it is also the means of great. Only you and I in this land know that redemption from sin, God’s medicine for Man Romans 8:1-11 yet. Let us be good to one another.” and His weapon against Satan. – Miracles.

God’s Strength “What we have been told is how we men can Psalm 27 The Lion drew a deep breath, stooped its head be drawn into Christ – can become part of that even lower and gave him a Lion’s kiss. And at wonderful present which the young Prince of Isaiah 40 the universe wants to offer to His Father – that once Digory felt that new strength and courage had gone into him.” present which is Himself and therefore us in I Thessalonians 5:23-24 Him. It is the only thing we were made for. And there are strange, exciting hints in the Bible that when we are drawn in, a great many other things in Nature will begin to come right. The bad dream will be over: it will be morning.” – Mere Christianity.

Willingness “To love involves trusting the beloved beyond “Yes, sir,” said Digory again. He hadn’t the least the evidence, even against much evidence. No idea of how he was to climb the cliff and find man is our friend who believes in our good his way among all the mountains, but he didn’t intentions only when they are proved. No man like to say that for fear it would sound like is our friend who will not be very slow to making excuses. But he did say, “I hope, Aslan, accept evidence against them. Such confidence, you’re not in a hurry. I shan’t be able to get between one man and another, is in fact almost there and back very quickly.” universally praised as a moral beauty, not blamed as a logical error. And the suspicious man is blamed for a meanness of character, not admired for the excellence of his logic.” – The World’s Last Night.

Doing away with self-doubt “God has given us the Morning Star already: Proverbs 4:18 “My dear,” said Aslan to the Horse, “would you you can go and enjoy the gift on many fine like to be a winged horse?” mornings if you get up early enough. What 2 Peter 1:16-21 more, you may ask, do we want? Ah, but we You should have seen how the Horse shook its want so much more – something the books on mane and how its nostrils widened, and the Revelation 2:25-29 little tap it gave the ground with one back aesthetics take little notice of. But the poets hoof. Clearly it would very much like to be a and the mythologies know all about it. We do winged horse. But it only said, not want merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want “If you wish, Aslan – if you really mean – I something else which can hardly be put into don’t know why it should be me – I’m not a words – to be united with the beauty we see, to very clever horse.” pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to “Be winged. Be the father of all flying horses,” bathe in it, to become part of it. That is why roared Aslan in a voice that shook the ground. we have peopled air and earth and water with gods and goddesses and nymphs and elves – that, though we cannot, these projections can, enjoy in themselves that beauty, grace, and power of which Nature is the image. That is why the poets tell us such lovely falsehoods. They talk as if the west wind could really sweep into a human soul; but it can’t. They tell us the “beauty born of murmuring sound” will pass into a human face’ but it won’t. Or not yet. For if we take the imagery of Scripture seriously, if we believe that God will one day give us the Morning Star and cause us to put on the splendor of the sun, then we may surmise that both the ancient myths and modern poetry, so false as history, may be very near the truth as prophecy. At present we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the splendors we see. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumor that it will not always be so. Some day, God willing, we shall get in. – The Weight of Glory. The response of God’s creation “God is not merely good, but goodness; Psalm 5:1-9 “Is it good, Fledge?” said Aslan. goodness is not merely divine, but God.” – “It is very good, Aslan,” said Fledge. Christian Reflections, “The Poison of Subjectivism.”

“The freedom of God consists in the fact that no cause other than Himself produces His acts and no external obstacle impedes them – that His own goodness is the root from which they all grow and His own omnipotence the air in which they all flower.” – The Problem of Pain.

Asking of God “Prayer is either a sheer illusion or a personal John 4:10 “Well, I do think someone might have arranged contact between embryonic, incomplete about our meals,” said Digory. persons (ourselves) and the utterly concrete “I’m sure Aslan would have, if you’d asked Person. Prayer in the sense of petition, asking him,” said Fledge. for things, is a small part of it’ confession and penitence are its threshold, adoration its “Wouldn’t he know without being asked?” said sanctuary, the presence and vision and Polly. enjoyment of God its bread and wine. In it God “I’ve no doubt he would,” said the Horse (still shows Himself to us. That He answers prayer is with his mouth full). “But I’ve a sort of idea he a corollary – not necessarily the most likes to be asked.” important one – from that revelation. What He does is learned from what He is.” – The World’s Last Night and Other Essays.