An Abundance of Words

There's an interesting character (I think it's Thorpe - last name) in Northanger Abbey that we all know. Sadly, at times we know this character because we resemble it most.

It's the person who has an abundance of words, particularly the kind that are self-promoting, that increase our importance or at the least the attention paid to us, that assert at one moment what we contradict the next or even sometimes our words accomplish all of this at one time.

The Bible often calls our mouths, our words, into account. James 3 does this. Romans 3 does this. Even in Isaiah 6 the prophet points out that he is a man of unclean lips...his sinfulness is best evidenced by how unholy his mouth is, and this is the prophet Isaiah!!!

Words can't be taken back, only apologies made.

Exaggerations are entertaining in stories but make determining facts difficult.

Trustworthiness once last is practically impossible to earn back.

Our words matter.

What characters in books can you think of whose words cost them dearly?
What was the cost?

I Spoke Too Soon...Church (and Twilight?) in Austen

Found it, my apologies to Miss Austen, I spoke to soon.

They (briefly) mention church (in a non-occupational, non-wedding way) in Chapter 4 of Northanger Abbey.

Catherine and Isabella are referenced as attending chapel in the morning (the divine service in ch 5).

Don't know Catherine and Isabella...Catherine is the main character and is an awesome caricature of a teen girl (though I'd say 13-15 more than the 17 years old she's attributed).

Isabella is slightly older at 24 I think.

Only 54 pages in but I've seen excerpts of what's to come and it has to do with reading too many novels (although Austen has a great defense of the value of novels...I'll talk about that more soon).

In fact, it sounds like Twilight to me! It's "The Mysteries of Udolpho" by Ann Radcliffe but the way it plays in Northanger Abbey and since it's a gothic novel it sounds like an early version of Twilight...not that there are any 17 (or 47) year old ladies getting caught up in surreal romantic stories of love anymore.

But like I said, there is a church in use in Austen and it's in Bath, England. Probably this Abby in fact: http://www.world-guides.com/images/bath/bath_bath_abbey.jpg

Pretty cool looking (if over the top and not in a necessary way) which makes me wonder, what's the coolest church you've ever been to?

Time to Start Reading Again

Summer is over and Fall is here...at least for youth ministry purposes.

Time to start reading again, either Northanger Abby or Emma, I'll decide sometime this week I think, just have finish up the last part of Alice in Wonderland (Through the Looking Glass actually) first.