tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89293010856075825802024-02-07T18:00:18.238-08:00HagiographyNOW"The Power of Holy Example"Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-52837016214561435222016-12-16T13:34:00.000-08:002016-12-16T13:34:03.866-08:00Athanasius (297-373 AD) and the Church’s Brush with Paganism by Chris White<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i>Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the
eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good
confession in the presence of many witnesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>–I Timothy 6:12</i></div>
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<i>The Greek word which was chosen to express this mysterious
resemblance bears so close an affinity to the orthodox symbol, that the profane
of every age have derided the furious contests which the difference of a single
diphthong excited between the Homoousians and the Homoiousians.</i></div>
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<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>--Edward Gibbon in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Vol. 4</i></div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">Bishop Athanasius of
Alexandria was a good theologian and a towering leader in the ancient church,
but more than anything else, he is remembered today for his lifetime battle to
preserve the orthodox faith as defined by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His stubborn position concerning the deity of
Christ cost him personally, sometimes forcing him into hiding to avoid arrest,
sometimes forcing him to live in exile far from his home diocese and the people
he lovingly shepherded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Athanasius’s
uncompromising position is part of why Christianity remains the totally unique
and living faith it is today, instead of just another dead pagan religion among
many from antiquity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what is
Athanasius’ story?</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mo-eHzF6FU00VRS8G61jlXmqXIemmJLI0U9U1tI4UxHyaML73zGYkAH7tErHWL7YPxi_hfveHn34IE9NcOhg_4nQh04EldajCqJQAJFbeSwOhcEbGwy-0oxIgottuW9JjDABaMBCqmg/s1600/A8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mo-eHzF6FU00VRS8G61jlXmqXIemmJLI0U9U1tI4UxHyaML73zGYkAH7tErHWL7YPxi_hfveHn34IE9NcOhg_4nQh04EldajCqJQAJFbeSwOhcEbGwy-0oxIgottuW9JjDABaMBCqmg/s320/A8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ancient Alexandria</td></tr>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">Athanasius is a
transitional figure in the church having lived through the last major
persecution of the church under Diocletian and then in adulthood serving the
church in the early days of imperial sponsorship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alexandria was a major center of Christianity
in the world of this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The patriarch
or bishop oversaw 100 dioceses in the region and virtually all decisions,
activities and appointments in the church required his approval.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bishop Alexander of Alexandria<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(yes, it was a very unimaginative name) saw a
lot of promise in Athanasius and appointed him to the office of deacon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Athanasius was only 28 when the Council of
Nicaea was called, but Alexander invited him to come with him and serve as his
clerk at the proceedings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Athanasius
knew exactly what this council was all about because the controversy that
sparked it happened right in his backyard.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arius the Heretic</td></tr>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">In 318 there was a gangly,
oddly-dressed preacher with a bit of a tremor by the name of Arius who was
getting a lot of attention over his new theological views about Jesus in Alexandria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arius ran afoul of Bishop Alexander for a
couple of reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only was his
doctrine in error, but also when it came to church policy, Arius almost always
sought to take the view that was contrary to his bishop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now Arius, always the grandstander, had taken
his bad theology and put it to the music of a well-known drinking song and the
people of Alexandria were singing it everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may sound mildly noxious by today’s
standards but think if a treasured song such as </span>Amazing Grace<span style="font-style: normal;"> was put to popular strip-tease music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t just a matter of bad taste; it was
blasphemy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">So what was this new viewpoint
of Arius that was considered so heretical?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He taught that since God is uncreated and self-existent then the Son
[Jesus] cannot be God because he owes his existence and beginning to the Father
when he was begotten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arius took verses
such as John 1:1, and John 3:16, to mean that the Son was created in time and
that there was a time in eternity when he didn’t exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Colossians 1:15 speaks of Christ being the
firstborn of all Creation which also on the surface seems to make the Son part
of creation rather than eternity. Truth be told, the incarnation of the son of
God is time-bound because humans are contingent beings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the mistake Arius makes here is taking
the terms “begotten” and “firstborn” and making them only analogous to human
generation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The implication of what Arius is teaching is
that Christ is not truly God but a very sophisticated creature of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Higher than humanity but lower than God, the
Son would be like the highest level of the angelic realm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this view, if Jesus were truly God, it
would mean there were two Gods in the universe (which Arius knew contradicted
Scripture) but it also would mean that if God begot another God as man begets,
then God is not immutable but also subject to changes in life and
circumstance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In trying to make
theological sense of this, Arius came to the tidy conclusion that the Father is
the one eternal God and the son of God is a beautiful work of God’s creation
given the task of being our redeemer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
this sounds familiar to you it might be because the error of Arius has been
given new life by the Watchtower Society or Jehovah’s Witnesses of today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worse yet, if this view would have prevailed,
Christianity would have been just like pretty much every other pagan religion
of the Mediterranean with higher gods working through lesser gods to accomplish
things. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I mention in the title, the
fact that such teaching had at least some momentum and persisted was definitely
a “brush with paganism”.</span><br />
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<span style="font-style: normal;">Generally speaking, many
of those teachers we would have to rightly label heretical (from the Greek
“haireses” meaning the party or group [opposed to the widely held orthodox
position] we shouldn’t think of as sinister and malicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Orthodox (meaning “right belief”) view
was not made up over the centuries of Church councils, but was the faith held
prior entrusted to the church “once for all” (Jude 1:3).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Councils clarified what the fifth-century
church father Vincent of Lerins called the faith that was believed everywhere,
always, and by everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parties within
the church that were heretical often thought of themselves as being faithful to
the scriptural record and perhaps even making the best sense of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The challenge of heresy actually was a
long-term blessing because it made the earliest Church leaders commit to
writing what they had long believed into the creedal statements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The patrimony of the Creeds has never once
eliminated a heretical group, but they have always provided a basis of unity as
a touchstone for the authentic Christian faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But moving from speaking generally about heretics to speaking specifically
about Arius, in my estimation he was a bit more malicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was corrected, refuted, and then even lied
about what he really believed to get reinstated in his church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I confess no special historic knowledge about
the internal motives of Arius, but his external actions point in a more negative
direction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">After two years of Arius’
antics, bishop Alexander called a synod ( a meeting of bishops within the
patriarchate Alexandria) where he was allowed to present his views and then
have them evaluated by his fellow clergy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The view of the synod was that Arius was heretical and should be deposed
from his church and be excommunicated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Arius fled to the care of a close friend by the name of Eusebius who was
the bishop of Nicomedia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arius and
Eusebius were indeed good friends having been taught in their early years by
the same teacher, but also Eusebius was very close to the Roman emperor
Constantine who lived nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eusebius
then was someone who had the ear of the emperor and he was in essential agreement
with his friend Arius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eusebius urged
Arius to return to Alexandria with the knowledge that he had friends in high
places.</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">When Arius came back to
Egypt riots broke out between his supporters and those who supported bishop
Alexander.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This outbreak of violence is
what got the attention of Constantine and was the impetus behind the calling of
the first Church Council of Nicaea in 325.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Constantine saw first-hand that heresy was actually a threat to national
security and wanted this matter settled once and for all time.</span></div>
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Arius was the defendant at the Council of Nicaea where
three hundred bishops gathered to hear his doctrine and pass judgment on it as
to whether it was heretical. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An
interesting sidelight of this council is that bishop Nicholas of Myra (the
person we know as Santa Claus or St. Nick) was in attendance at this council.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Arius shared what he believed, Nicholas
was so angered by how it diminished Jesus Christ that he jumped up from his
seat in the middle of this solemn assembly and punched Arius in the mouth!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When that happened Constantine had Nicholas
arrested for his outburst and because it was illegal to commit any violence in
the presence of the imperial dignity. </div>
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<a href="http://hagiographynow.blogspot.com/2013/12/saint-nicholas-real-santa-claus-by.html">Read more about St. Nicholas here</a></div>
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When the Council made its judgment about the doctrine of
Arius the vote was 298-2 against Arius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The only reason Arius got two votes was because one of them was his
own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the Council unfolded a written
statement, known as the Nicene Creed, was developed for future generations to
clarify what was believed by the entire church about God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it came to describing the relation of
Jesus to the Father there were a couple of ideas floated at the Council that
are important to our story.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Council of Nicaea</td></tr>
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The hardest documents to produce are ones like this,
where the views of an assembly are encapsulated in a brief statement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Language used can sometimes be deliberately
imprecise as to be inclusive of many viewpoints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the case of Nicaea, there were two terms
floating around about how to describe the nature of Jesus as it relates to the
Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first word was “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Homoiousion”</i> which means the Son of God
is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">like</i> the Father in his
substance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second word, which was
eventually accepted and acclaimed by the council was “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Homoousion” </i>which means that Son is of the same substance as the
Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, even as Edward Gibbon has
noted, the orthodox position was determined by a mere diphthong, but the
difference between “oi” and “o” is fairly huge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The former leaves open the possibility of belief that Jesus is not fully
God while the latter makes Jesus and co-equal and co-eternal with the Father as
a member of the Trinity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One God who
exists in Triunity is what was expressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://www.ccel.org/creeds/nicene.creed.html">Read the Nicene Creed here</a> </span></div>
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It is an interesting detail that in all of his known
writings Athanasius never once used the actual word “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">homoousion”</i> that came from Nicaea and yet devoted his life to
defending the concept.</div>
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Arius went into exile, Bishop Alexander was vindicated,
and he and Athanasius now aged 27 returned to Alexandria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One would think the matter was settled with
the creed of Nicaea, but it was not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
this matter was to affect Athanasius the remainder of his life.</div>
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In 328, Athanasius was elected by a synod of bishops in
Alexandria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was Alexander’s choice to
succeed him and some strings were pulled to make this happen as Athanasius was
actually not quite the legal age of 30 to hold this office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Athanasius inherited a badly divided church
in Egypt and demanded submission of all factions with an iron hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lest it be thought this was merely the fruit
of youthful zeal, Athanasius was this way the remainder of his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was an awesome and intelligent theologian
but not given to any compromise or diplomacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His way was the right way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
agree with him was to be on the side of truth, to disagree was to obviously be
on the side falsehood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that frame
of mind it’s easy to see why Athanasius always found himself in conflict and
controversy.</div>
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After a few years Arius came back to the emperor
Constantine and asked that he be reinstated in the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said he was not in conflict with Nicaea
and agreed with the creed (he didn’t really) but the humble approach worked and
soon a letter arrived in Alexandria telling Athanasius to reconcile with Arius
and stop quibbling over words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Athanasius refused taking a stand that compromise of the faith for the
sake of harmony in the church was a price too high to pay.</div>
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<a href="http://taylormarshall.com/2012/10/how-arius-heretic-died-in-bathroom.html">The Strange Death of Arius is a lesson to all heretics. Click here for the story.</a> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By
the way, Athanasius was an early advocate of complete freedom of the church
with regards to belief and practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
really felt that Constantine, even if he was a Christian, should run the
government and had no right to inject himself into matters of the Kingdom of
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Constantine felt differently and
some regards the Church is still recovering from his favor and blessings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Athanasius by this time had made a lot
of enemies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One schismatic group from
his see known as the Meletians joined Arians and brought charges against him at
a Synod in 334.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was charged with all
sorts of crimes of misconduct ranging from illegally imposing taxes, murder,
and witchcraft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The case against him
unraveled with the person he supposedly murdered turned up alive and well and
unaware of his recent demise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even as the
charges were dropped the next year he was deposed by the Council of Tyre which
was filled with Arian sympathizers (335).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 years later Constantine dies and
Athanasius seizes the opportunity to return to Alexandria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After 2 years pass, his opponents in
Alexandria make things so hard on him that he flees to Rome and is protected by
the pope who states that Athanasius’ views are the orthodox views.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is able to return in 346 but the Emperor
Constantius (the successor of Constantine the Great) is an Arian and within a
decade, Constantius sent troops to Alexandria to depose Athanasius and install
and Arian bishop in Alexandria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The military
tried to take him down in the middle of a church service but he was able to
escape in all the confusion that was caused and hid from house to house for the
next 6 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes he was in
Alexandria, sometimes he was in the Egyptian deserts hiding with the monks
which is where he met St. Antony.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Although he had been replaced by an
Arian bishop, the faithful knew their true bishop and Athanasius was able to
lead the faithful by letter and intermediaries during this time of hiding.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When Constantius died he was succeeded
by a family member known in history as Julian the Apostate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Julian had been raised a Christian but truly
loved paganism and thought it was what made Roman society truly great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, when he ascended to the throne he
didn’t persecute the church <i>per se</i>, but did whatever he could to make things
hard for the Christian church.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkj846s5qSA9dB7FYiIKieC_aZlX4sJXHKI6BXJPxaTi5Xy27vOc7BgErMMccq3UsFeFTy6E5y2fo3a70peGGo3UDmgIOsOGpq-kSKjX4wowgbpoEdDapmHINm6Hb6qbnQPvMqvpwvyU/s1600/A7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkj846s5qSA9dB7FYiIKieC_aZlX4sJXHKI6BXJPxaTi5Xy27vOc7BgErMMccq3UsFeFTy6E5y2fo3a70peGGo3UDmgIOsOGpq-kSKjX4wowgbpoEdDapmHINm6Hb6qbnQPvMqvpwvyU/s320/A7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julian the Apostate</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thinking it would stir up trouble,
Julian ordered all exiled bishops to return to their sees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It backfired completely in Alexandria where
Athanasius was welcomed back with open arms and his replacement bishop was
actually burned to death by the local citizens in a very cruel and painful
fashion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Athanasius was able to remain on in
Alexandria until his death in 373.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was their bishop for 46 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only 29
of them were spent in Alexandria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout
his ministry he found himself surrounded and opposed by those who wanted the
church to move in the direction of Arius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Athanasius was so firm in his belief that Nicaea was right he said even
if the whole world disagreed, it would be Athanasius against the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although he never lived to see it, his views
were fully vindicated by the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/free-resources-pastors/162528-free-ebook-on-the-incarnation-of-the-word-by-saint-athanasius.html">Download a free ebook written by Athanasius</a> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Athanasius’ most famous doctrinal
writing was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">De Incarnatione </i>(On the
Incarnation of the Word) from which came this affirmation:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Word of God [the Logos] was made man so
the we might be made God; and he manifested himself through a body so that we
might receive the idea of the unseen Father; and he endured the insolence of
men that we might inherit immortality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>Athanasius
emphasized that through Christ, God was accessible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is literally Emmanuel “God with us.”</div>
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Before closing this brief essay, I want to mention two lesser known
contributions of Athanasius to the Christian story that are actually equal to
his lifelong defense of orthodoxy in the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first contribution is a very short book
he wrote called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Life of St. Antony</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Antony was a desert monk in Egypt who was a
revered teacher of other monastics but also a respected sage who counseled
thousands who made the trek out to the desert to seek his advice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Athanasius met Antony during one of his many
exiles and formed a strong friendship with him and later wrote a short
biography about his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The importance
of this book is immeasurable as its reading inspired the development of
monasticism in the Western church which in turn became an engine of cultural
growth and development for all of Western Civilization.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6455BX8e7B_PYnCCaJsEsIB9nZVg-QFNJzW9fw74RLQKwe5p2dAdMhyphenhyphenPkiQG0zzhR1OF29oqsu0sv33EawW1VIr9v9E1-mkbKQyGaF8iCZAJxDnDO2YH7Z2yMvPP-gnyQKPi8NeSwNI/s1600/A9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6455BX8e7B_PYnCCaJsEsIB9nZVg-QFNJzW9fw74RLQKwe5p2dAdMhyphenhyphenPkiQG0zzhR1OF29oqsu0sv33EawW1VIr9v9E1-mkbKQyGaF8iCZAJxDnDO2YH7Z2yMvPP-gnyQKPi8NeSwNI/s320/A9.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antony of Egypt</td></tr>
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The other contribution is Athanasius’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Festal Letter #39</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Festal
Letter was something he wrote every year and sent out to his leadership in
every diocese of the Alexandrian See.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
letter would inform as to when and how Easter was to be observed (hence “festal”)
but would also advise on matters such as pastoral care and doctrinal
understanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">FL#39</i> Athanasius writes out a list of the only books that are to be
taught as scripture as they have always been considered by the church as
authentic and canonical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is
important about this list is that it stands as one of the earliest witnesses of
what the church included and considered to be the New Testament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are other pieces of evidence from
Church councils and synods to combine with this, but Athanasius, because of his
authority and importance as a theologian, is considered an importance ancient
voice in the discovery of the canon of scripture.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://hagiographynow.blogspot.com/2014/09/st-anthony-of-egypt-new-kind-of-athlete.html">Read more about St. Antony of Egypt here</a><br />
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Sources:</div>
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Anatolios, Khaled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Athanasius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></i>(London : Routledge, 2004)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Athanasius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Life of Antony and Letter to
Marcellinus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Robert Gregg, ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(New York : Paulist Press, 1980)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Athanasius”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The New Dictionary of Theology. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ferguson, Wright, Packer eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Downers Grove : Intervarsity Press, 1988)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Athanasius of Alexandria”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Encyclopedia of Ancient
Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Angelo Di Berardino
ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Downers Grove : Intervarsity
Academic, 2014)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brakke, David.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Athanasius and the Politics of
Asceticism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Oxford : Clarendon
Press, 1995)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hill, Jonathan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The History of Christian Thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Downers Grove : Intervarsity Press,
2003)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pope Benedict XVI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fathers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></i>(Huntington : Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2008)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reynolds, H. R.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Athanasius : His Life and Life Work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(London : The Religious Tract Society,
1889)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shelley, Bruce L.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Church History in Plain Language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Dallas : Word, 1995)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Von Campen-Hausen, Hans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fathers of the Greek
Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(London : Adam and Charles
Black, 1963)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-88238541992832487252016-08-16T06:52:00.001-07:002016-08-16T06:52:49.321-07:00St. Boniface (680-754 AD): Apostle to the Germans by Chris White<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
St. Boniface is known as the Apostle of Germany and is
credited with being one of the most effective missionaries in the history of
the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boniface is not without his
detractors and some of his evangelistic style seems pretty insensitive by the
standards of today, but he was a man of his times with a heart for making
Christ known where he was not before and a man of boundless energy when it came
to caring for the faithful and organizing a church that would stand the test of
time in Northern Europe.<br />
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St. Boniface was born in Devonshire England in 680.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christianity was a relatively new faith in
Britain at this time having only been established in south and central England
for 90 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boniface’s birth name was
Wynfrith (sometimes called Winfred) and he was of a strong Saxon family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Early in life Wynfrith wanted to become a
Benedictine monk but for some time his father was opposed to this calling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually his father came to support him and
Wynfrith enters the monastery in his early twenties and is ordained a priest by
age 30.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mH_3Lgy6_WVukxX1JRhVzIw1yUduyyzFqf4Ec3DTyKiPqRtO8xMb8dQNTHPPM-R5ujgZbpJID3dgPohbe-OQzL_-jR4-RzYf0ZKTWMy5YoLv_XnRX2DmgLSqgnsj6GnUgNmhbnL6suY/s1600/mon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mH_3Lgy6_WVukxX1JRhVzIw1yUduyyzFqf4Ec3DTyKiPqRtO8xMb8dQNTHPPM-R5ujgZbpJID3dgPohbe-OQzL_-jR4-RzYf0ZKTWMy5YoLv_XnRX2DmgLSqgnsj6GnUgNmhbnL6suY/s1600/mon.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ruins of monastery in England</td></tr>
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Although Wynfrith showed great promise as a scholar, he had
a deeper calling welling up within his soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He felt duty-bound to return to the land of his ancestors and evangelize
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His initial missionary trip was to
Friesland (what we would call Holland or the Netherlands today) to assist a
work among those people that had been going on for several years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The situation on the ground was quite
difficult largely because of political reasons and soon Wynfrith returned to
England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was not discouraged in the
slightest by the lack of fruit he saw in Friesland, but rather stimulated to
even greater exertions in the future.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When he returned to England we might not have ever heard of
him again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was offered the office of
Abbot in his monastery which was an office with dignity and privilege.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most anyone would have considered this God’s
promotion of them, but Boniface, true to his character, was restless and looked
again towards the mission field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he
took the next step, Wynfrith would never set foot in England the remainder of
his life.<br />
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For several centuries the German peoples had been exposed to
the Gospel by Celtic and Frankish missionaries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While they were strong in evangelistic zeal they were often weak in
organizational skill. This coupled with the societal chaos in the wake of the
tribal invasions from Central Asia pretty much left what churches existed in a
weakened and floundering state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4vC8iw6uN_tL9Jba5sdcdz8gjYAs6Q96EbF1M_Ay4R2MNhWGGIK7WjP2Z8R4t7QM7aVZUfrJdEWJbvghOBMZLSvpVy3_VNxDRcVGxrOfE0NAwEIWOV_Q9J4Kzuh4MZYK_cQnYd0DmCs/s1600/Bon3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4vC8iw6uN_tL9Jba5sdcdz8gjYAs6Q96EbF1M_Ay4R2MNhWGGIK7WjP2Z8R4t7QM7aVZUfrJdEWJbvghOBMZLSvpVy3_VNxDRcVGxrOfE0NAwEIWOV_Q9J4Kzuh4MZYK_cQnYd0DmCs/s1600/Bon3.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boniface preaching to a local ruler</td></tr>
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In 718, Wynfrith makes his way to Rome and presents himself
to the pope for mission service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is
given a commission from the papacy to travel beyond the Rhine river and
establish the Roman church in Germany.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With the prestige of a papal endorsement behind him,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boniface was well-received by the local
rulers and over the next few years was quite successful in his work of re-building
the existing Christian church and evangelizing the pagans.<br />
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5 years later (723) Wynfrith returned to Rome and was
ordained a bishop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gave him the
right to oversee the new churches and ordain its ministers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is on this occasion of ordination that
Wynfrith is given the new name Boniface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Boniface was the name of a Roman martyr whose feast day was about to
happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His new name would have been
Wynfrith Boniface but he so identified with his role as a bishop and shepherd
that from that day forward chose to only go by his new name.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Boniface returns as the bishop of Germany with the
authority of the Pope and then gets a further letter of endorsement from
Frankish King Charles Martel that perhaps the most storied moment of his
ministry occurs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3Ns0sNSNIifykz0Vmo-ouwdDtf4Bjo_Y6VMfHYA6eVrk1spPzLBwtF3VG9k5dg5jQlXFP4NR5qv5_QwW6VDjUB3Es2iD-vXrP9ji0zoT1bz2K7-s_CPrXtqLH9dCIIAlftgIauMsBSY/s1600/Bon7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3Ns0sNSNIifykz0Vmo-ouwdDtf4Bjo_Y6VMfHYA6eVrk1spPzLBwtF3VG9k5dg5jQlXFP4NR5qv5_QwW6VDjUB3Es2iD-vXrP9ji0zoT1bz2K7-s_CPrXtqLH9dCIIAlftgIauMsBSY/s1600/Bon7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacred Grove</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
While he had been away from Germany, some of Boniface’s new
converts in the area of Geismar had fallen back into their old pagan ways of
magic and superstition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The particular
temptation and draw in this region was centered in the sacred oak tree of Thor
the god of thunder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sacred trees have
long been part of animist cultures throughout the world (even the Biblical
Canaanite culture) but were especially prevalent in Northern Europe which was
so heavily forested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sacrifices of all
kinds were offered to the trees and if a person so much as picked a piece of
bark of the tree they would pay for it with their life.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5o5K99Yet7uue6xVBHuIFSj5vGxRwEUVvjreUxxBG3-IKzDF3YecnitRtKWjbH7iBGVwsHTGJdaqrnTKwNRTz1Reg2wfZUIti95akACaCMbXQ6g-jBOeC1yvHM9e6pGJ3HlmIRCi1gw/s1600/Bon1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5o5K99Yet7uue6xVBHuIFSj5vGxRwEUVvjreUxxBG3-IKzDF3YecnitRtKWjbH7iBGVwsHTGJdaqrnTKwNRTz1Reg2wfZUIti95akACaCMbXQ6g-jBOeC1yvHM9e6pGJ3HlmIRCi1gw/s1600/Bon1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boniface with cross and hatchet!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Boniface, wanting to ‘root paganism out of the people for
good’ came to the sacred tree and to the shock and amazement of everyone took
his axe out and chopped it down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
people expected him to drop dead for touching the sacred oak but instead when
all was said and done, he was still standing and the tree was not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This had a strong effect on the people for
they realized Boniface represented the one true God and the tree had no power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is said that Boniface used the wood from
the sacred tree to build a small chapel dedicated to St. Peter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another variation on this story has Boniface not chopping
but preaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he preaches the Gospel
at the site of the oak, a huge gust of wind comes and blows the tree down
splitting it conveniently into four pieces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However this happened, it is representative of many instances where
Boniface destroyed pagan temples, sacred rocks, and trees so that the people would
truly believe that there was no spiritual power in the object which in turn
paved the way for his message. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
certainly not a culturally sensitive policy to be sure, but it was effective
and often resulted in mass conversions. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At some point Boniface abandoned this “power encounter”
approach and took a more philosophical approach with people asking questions
about their local gods and what they believed and then would teach them about
Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People often saw this as a
superior message coming from a greater culture and would convert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Boniface, if the people renounced their
pagan beliefs and confessed faith in Christ, he would prepare them for baptism.<br />
<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqTDFq1snlr1k3zjaqzhuWi7F_Lmbkn6jwwfRHdAb411kvrzshp6sDMMbvrQm4aUHPrmNxu5iO47UKGbhWLwrR7gpstW_4lN6ywxpu05EayWUOrjHhcjyz9AzQpS3z_ikrRxmVCaPY_E/s1600/Bon5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqTDFq1snlr1k3zjaqzhuWi7F_Lmbkn6jwwfRHdAb411kvrzshp6sDMMbvrQm4aUHPrmNxu5iO47UKGbhWLwrR7gpstW_4lN6ywxpu05EayWUOrjHhcjyz9AzQpS3z_ikrRxmVCaPY_E/s1600/Bon5.jpg" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boniface baptizing new Christian</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
But the great missionary evangelist has more than a good
message and a winning presentation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
also has a plan for establishing church communities and building local leaders
so that when he leaves the work will be self-sustaining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boniface’s plan was to establish
monasteries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may seem odd from our modern
perspective today, but in the early Middle Ages, the monastery was the closest
thing to a university there was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The men
and women who lived there were taught to read, taught the scriptures, and
learned and developed practical and useful knowledge for the entire world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The perfect example of this is how monks
advanced agriculture through crop rotation and the development of plow
harnesses for animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This could only
happen in a monastery at the time because its environment of security and
efficiency allowed the leisure necessary for innovation and advanced thinking.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Boniface would recruit men and women monks from England to
start monasteries in Germany and then as German people became Christians some
of their number would be invited to join the monastery, become educated, and
then would serve as leaders for the growing church in their nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The greatest and largest monastery was at
Fulda which is said to be in Germany what the Benedictine Monastery at Monte
Cassino is to Italy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgIPmQ4BjLGkVff43kmmVh-5gJf0dJeg5Rrf6sAa7jc8eUiROMuL1x_3y-I_x9h0ISae_ttIIsu282WDgfSi0BwxKkt7e78foAvrgxTVQPzT3qPS562H3-cRqWLHXRQ2a1_tfN-0kHWw/s1600/Bon4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgIPmQ4BjLGkVff43kmmVh-5gJf0dJeg5Rrf6sAa7jc8eUiROMuL1x_3y-I_x9h0ISae_ttIIsu282WDgfSi0BwxKkt7e78foAvrgxTVQPzT3qPS562H3-cRqWLHXRQ2a1_tfN-0kHWw/s1600/Bon4.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
In 747 AD, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boniface
again is recalled to Rome and is made the Archbishop and spiritual leader of
the German people by the pope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
empowers him to organize the church into many different dioceses (church
districts) and appoint bishops to oversee them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Boniface himself was a stickler that holding high office in the church
was not a call to privilege (as some in his day saw it), but a call to
service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would remind those under him
that the Lord Jesus Himself washed the feet of the disciples at the Last
Supper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whenever he received a gift from
one of his subordinate bishops, Boniface would send a gift in return and it was
always the same: a hand towel for washing feet.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At this point Boniface is poised to end his life in Germany
serving the church with distinction as archbishop. But shortly after his 70<sup>th</sup>
birthday, he resigns his high office to return to his calling as a
missionary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His choice?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boniface returns to Friesland, the place of
his first missionary effort to give it another try. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this, Boniface shows that as a Christians
you are never too old to take on another challenge or assignment from the Lord.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The second mission in Friesland proved to be a very fruitful
period for Boniface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had a large team
of people helping him and thousands were baptized and again the church was
expanding there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately in June
of 754 AD, while Boniface and 50 of his assistants were encamped at Dockum on
the river Borne preparing for a mass baptism, they were attacked and killed by
a gang of robbers thinking they had a large sum of money to take.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcqGsFNijmW20VT_V-7_s1nedAwhYxr-h2tkiZuAma-Ch9WORN5NbPceLHz9C3yyKGJKVELOOo_PtVAkGloNni98MNcEJDXr6mFpPU6YNPLVrSvu4d42X7NUS9JRH7oEQk6SjwEoAi_c/s1600/Bon2..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcqGsFNijmW20VT_V-7_s1nedAwhYxr-h2tkiZuAma-Ch9WORN5NbPceLHz9C3yyKGJKVELOOo_PtVAkGloNni98MNcEJDXr6mFpPU6YNPLVrSvu4d42X7NUS9JRH7oEQk6SjwEoAi_c/s1600/Bon2..jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martyrdom of Boniface</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tragic as this was, the gospel had taken root and by the end
of the 8<sup>th</sup> century paganism in Friesland had almost completely been
replaced with Christianity.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To sum up, Boniface is considered one of the most powerful
influences on the future history of Western Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only were the Teutonic tribes who
occupied most of the land we know as present day Germany evangelized, but by
connecting them with the Catholic church there was a great transference of the
seed of ancient Roman culture into a world that was at one time barbaric and
superstitious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This seed when fully
germinated (or should I say “German-ated”) would later develop into an even
greater movement of Christianity centuries later with the Protestant
Reformation which would change the face of Western Civilization forever.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sources:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Boniface”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and
Ecclesiastical Literature. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>McClintock and Strong eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grand Rapids : Baker Book House, 1981)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Boniface”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dictionary of Christian Biography<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Michael Walsh ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Collegeville : Liturgical Press, 2001)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Boniface”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Angelo Di Berardino gen. ed. (Downers
Grove : Intervarsity Press, 2014)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cairns, Earle E.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christianity Through the Centuries : A
History of the Christian Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Grand
Rapids : Zondervan, 1981)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cohn-Sherbok, Lavinia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Who’s Who in Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(London : Routledge, 1998)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Curtis, A. Kenneth,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>J. Stephen Lang, and Randy Peterson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The 100 Most Important Events in
Christian History.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Grand Rapids :
Fleming Revell Publishing, 1998)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ferguson, Everett.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Church History : From Christ to the
Pre-Reformation </i>Vol. 1<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grand Rapids
: Zondervan, 2013)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Frazer, James George, Sir.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Golden Bough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>New York : Macmillan, 1922; Bartleby.com,
2000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.barltleby.com/196/">www.barltleby.com/196/</a>. April 13,
2015.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Latourette, Kenneth Scott.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A History of Christianity </i>Vol.
1<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(New York : Harper and Row, 1975)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
McManners, John.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Oxford History of Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2002)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Schaff, Philip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">History of the Christian Church </i>Vol.
IV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grand Rapids : Eerdmans, 1910)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tucker, Ruth A.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya : A
Biographical History of Christian Missions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></i>(Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1983)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-65529753661277013192015-06-19T06:41:00.002-07:002015-06-19T06:41:38.397-07:00William Carey (1761-1834) : Pioneering Protestant Missions in the Modern Age by Chris White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7P0w1xkdz1tfGkUziGotOvBDI-dbx8gBnvEq7v1FRF1CFVNH6EUSqTI5JHATNOqdSy9iDbtYcky4VW8odXRcUcyXGlRnfPQlp0M4FiJvGIx3CQXDf2BGW6nBorbOz9JaUSG9hyOFtDk/s1600/WC1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7P0w1xkdz1tfGkUziGotOvBDI-dbx8gBnvEq7v1FRF1CFVNH6EUSqTI5JHATNOqdSy9iDbtYcky4VW8odXRcUcyXGlRnfPQlp0M4FiJvGIx3CQXDf2BGW6nBorbOz9JaUSG9hyOFtDk/s320/WC1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="text">Therefore, I urge you, brothers and
sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–Romans 12:1</span></div>
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“To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open
map.” –William Carey</div>
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The year was 1993.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
that year two very important people were honored with commemorative stamps by
their respective postal services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
United States, 16 years after his untimely death at age 42, Elvis Presley, was
remembered as the King of Rock n’ Roll and acclaimed for his rise from
obscurity and poverty to become one of America’s great success stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other side of the world, the nation of
India honored William Carey with his own stamp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Carey had been gone 159 years by this time and had lived a relatively
long life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And just like Elvis, Carey
too had risen from obscurity and poverty in his early life to become famous in
Britain, Europe, and America as well as India.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Carey was not an entertainer but an esteemed missionary linguist whose
influence has been felt by countless millions around the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But how could somebody you’ve probably never
heard of (at least not as much as Elvis) come to have such a great impact?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a story that needs to start from the
beginning.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv53tClsAtt4ZiDmwP8arJwAruiCtkgeIe8biIn_73qQxCdw5pYupigCZbGF3QWa-XsMkDiJdmBQs2pg5z1gTcRpwXSb1mDfGHOWvbDScfvfdaxGdua2ioFgaoKc11kZRFVWGSiDVOg0s/s1600/WC2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv53tClsAtt4ZiDmwP8arJwAruiCtkgeIe8biIn_73qQxCdw5pYupigCZbGF3QWa-XsMkDiJdmBQs2pg5z1gTcRpwXSb1mDfGHOWvbDScfvfdaxGdua2ioFgaoKc11kZRFVWGSiDVOg0s/s1600/WC2.jpg" /></a></div>
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William Carey was born in the small village of Paulerspury
England in 1761.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not much is known about
his early life except that when he was a young boy, his father Edmund Carey
became the village schoolmaster and this gave William access to learning and
many books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carey had an insatiable
curiosity and was a disciplined self-directed learner all his life.</div>
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As a young man Carey wanted to have a career as a
professional gardener but was prevented from doing so because of his great
allergies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead he pursued a humble
career as a shoe cobbler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cobbling was
not lucrative but it was an honorable profession and always steady work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He found an apprenticeship opportunity in a
nearby village of Piddington and there he learned his craft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During this period in his life Carey comes
under the influence<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of a fellow
apprentice who sways him away from the Anglican (Church of England) and towards
a Reformed Baptist congregration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Carey’s master also has a sister-in-law named Dorothy who is a woman of
a good reputation, single, and a devout Christian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are introduced and soon afterwards they
marry.</div>
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Carey biographers have long puzzled over this union for it
seems a great mismatch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dorothy was from
a well-known and well-established family and marries a man who lives at the
edge of poverty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carey is constantly
learning even mastering several foreign languages while Dorothy was actually
illiterate (not common at this point in time).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And finally there is no evidence of their relationship being a great
love match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever their reasons were
for marrying, Dorothy was supportive of her husband despite their difficult lot
in life that was quickly compounded just as Carey was becoming a journeyman.</div>
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At this point in time the Carey’s had been married a
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to making shoes, Carey
was at this time a part-time preacher at a local Baptist church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between both jobs, the Carey’s were not
comfortable but they were not starving either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But then the owner of the shoe shop dies unexpectedly and he is faced
with inheriting the business, all its debt, and financially caring for his
former boss’s widow and children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carey
faced this situation with his characteristic faith and continued on despite
being reduced to abject poverty.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYn4Hyl88KsquxcdstKHOsC51GfVZbONZ_Enss2wM1J2N6Zn29A3i03t51KbGhA_9Y9G6Ht_jTwKBR4qM56x7EUKNxbOhT0VO83WlSs29Gtu2bixTe2rPKWW9QToXpnttfEK0geqDKgQ/s1600/WC4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYn4Hyl88KsquxcdstKHOsC51GfVZbONZ_Enss2wM1J2N6Zn29A3i03t51KbGhA_9Y9G6Ht_jTwKBR4qM56x7EUKNxbOhT0VO83WlSs29Gtu2bixTe2rPKWW9QToXpnttfEK0geqDKgQ/s320/WC4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In time Carey was able to become a full-time minister by
serving two different congregations subsidizing his family with making shoes on
the side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those who knew Carey referred
to his shoe shop as “Carey’s College” because he taught himself to read and
study while working at the cobbler’s bench.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Basically every spare moment of his day was given over to reading and
studying and learning all he could about the original languages of the Bible,
theology, world geography, and history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dorothy did something at this point that I
think is very much to her credit:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as an
adult she conquered her illiteracy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>First she learned to write her name and to spell and then began learning
to read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although her husband was so far
ahead of her in his intellectual pursuits, she determined that she was going to
grow as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you think about the
fact they had no modern conveniences and she had to cook and clean and raise boys
without a lot of support, this was really quite an achievement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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During the many hours of reading in the shoe shop, one book
in particular that changed the course of Carey’s whole life: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Last Voyage of Captain Cook</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This awakened in him the idea of world evangelization
and from that point on he read everything he could get his hands on about
foreign countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His interest led him
to make lists and catalogues of peoples who had never been reached with the
Gospel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As is so often the case, what
starts as an interest becomes a passion that God was kindling all along the
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This culminates with William Carey
offering himself as a living sacrifice to the Lord in his cobblers shop to take
the Gospel to the nations where he is unknown.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_JlBQJN-4iU65QjxU5Y0Y6YyUI7H9HMgxI1DLtckz5gwA5OnUkyyIErMTgtEy_wq24O6Hp2fyBspEorCrPvvuy7YIc9mB8P_9D11vO5tizOW2FqOjfddb3AV-ks9sp3etRpUUneVnmU/s1600/WC5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_JlBQJN-4iU65QjxU5Y0Y6YyUI7H9HMgxI1DLtckz5gwA5OnUkyyIErMTgtEy_wq24O6Hp2fyBspEorCrPvvuy7YIc9mB8P_9D11vO5tizOW2FqOjfddb3AV-ks9sp3etRpUUneVnmU/s320/WC5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sketch of Carey's Baptist Church interior</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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At the next Baptist ministers meeting that Carey attended,
he shared his views about going to do foreign missions and was met with a stern
rebuke and opposition from his leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The head of their denomination actually told him that “when it pleases
God to convert the heathen, He will do it without our help or mine!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Carey’s commitment and temperament led
him on and some Churches eventually <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>got
behind him and sent him as their first missionary to India.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Carey was greatly influenced by the Moravians who were a
protestant group from Bohemia which were deploying missionaries all over the
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Moravians looked for ways to
become self-supporting on the field and sometimes did things as radical as
selling themselves into slavery or servitude as a means of staying in an area
they wanted to evangelize.</div>
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In 1792 Carey writes a famous booklet<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An
Enquiry into The Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of
the Heathens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>This is a moderate
Calvinist statement on world mission and how the mandate remains for the church
in all times not just the apostolic age which was a popular belief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Enquiry</i>
Carey also preaches that the missionary is not to rely on Imperial power or
convincing arguments for conversions but on fervent and united prayer asking
God for favor and for changed hearts among the heathen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carey watched the great mercantile
organizations of his day who invested greatly in building outposts in foreign
countries where they could sell and purchase goods to market elsewhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their great profitability and effectiveness
inspired Carey that the same could be done for missions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why couldn’t churches pool together and do a
similar thing for the profit of winning souls for the Kingdom of God?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLBX49gAbKcLZ9bCReU7CfVnVtOx8VueO5YrVLJqdmfDJBrMwD5ouO0SnLZwaSFd3rpsH2xzKrMrQFaa7b24US9EO3ddKnZ6qeWHMNOWTaeZiMyEyNk6OjgMezX9goYwXHAKfEnU9QgQ/s1600/WC10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLBX49gAbKcLZ9bCReU7CfVnVtOx8VueO5YrVLJqdmfDJBrMwD5ouO0SnLZwaSFd3rpsH2xzKrMrQFaa7b24US9EO3ddKnZ6qeWHMNOWTaeZiMyEyNk6OjgMezX9goYwXHAKfEnU9QgQ/s320/WC10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So as Carey puts forth this great effort of mobilizing his
denomination in missions and helps co-found their first mission society finally
offering himself as a field missionary, where is his wife in all this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although a strong Christian, she is adamant
about one thing: she isn’t going anywhere especially in a land as strange and
inhospitable as India!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We musn’t
chastise Mrs. Carey for her lack of vision though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was by now age 40 and half-way through
her fourth pregnancy with three small children at her side when William
announces they were going to India.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
had great ideas about doing missions but not the foggiest idea of how to live
in a foreign culture either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And to top
it all off, the trip would require a 5 month voyage by ship.</div>
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What follows is even more unbelievable at least by today’s
standards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Dorothy will not
go, she sees her husband is so impassioned and determined, that she tells him
to go without her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had been married
for 16 years by this point and had a family, but she was willing to sacrifice
her husband to the Lord’s call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
was no promise he would even make it there much less come back.</div>
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Eventually she felt so worried about his mental health, that
she wanted him to take their 8 year old son Felix so he wouldn’t be totally
alone without anyone from their family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m pretty sure taking the son was also a means whereby Dorothy would be
certain that William would return at some point so his son could get a proper
English education.</div>
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William continued to work on convincing Dorothy to come, but
to no avail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the day came to sail
he got on the boat to leave with John Thomas, who was another missionary with
the Baptists, and their son Felix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
waved goodbye to one another on the deck of the ship not knowing if they would
see one another ever again.</div>
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But before the ship left the port, John Thomas was stopped
by the local authorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently he
had not cleared all of his debts and he would not be permitted to sail until
all his creditors had been paid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine
Dorothy’s surprise when her husband walked in the door that afternoon after
that emotional goodbye.</div>
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This delay proved to be quite providential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the next few weeks Dorothy Carey had her
baby and after recovering realized she would regret having a divided family the
rest of her life just because she was unwilling to leave her village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She offered to go if William would also
permit her younger sister Kitty to accompany them to help with running their
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carey gladly made the concession
and eventually sailed for India to fulfill God’s call for him with his wife and
family all together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was quite good
that this happened because William Carey never left India the remainder of his
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There probably would have been no
return trip.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkCEO3qlsy81JhgvsiCeUNO5wMwVcQkqck6p03wWDi-ulURtDYTcxRib1kUepY0mka9hZwPB-0_sWKSYy5roRBYGt4Z2qe93j5mpMEo0_cDW4qLFbl2gsw2xVBLz90NLRxuomxenhVOM/s1600/WC11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkCEO3qlsy81JhgvsiCeUNO5wMwVcQkqck6p03wWDi-ulURtDYTcxRib1kUepY0mka9hZwPB-0_sWKSYy5roRBYGt4Z2qe93j5mpMEo0_cDW4qLFbl2gsw2xVBLz90NLRxuomxenhVOM/s320/WC11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The family landed in Calcutta in 1794 and found the stress
and pressure almost unbearable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carey’s
mission agent had misappropriated a lot of their funds and put the family in
terrific straits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God provided relief
through an English national who needed a manager for his indigo factory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carey took the job which enabled him to earn
a living while learning the language and gave him a host of Indian nationals
with whom he could converse and eventually share the gospel message.</div>
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Unfortunately the following year the Carey’s five year old
son Peter becomes ill and dies suddenly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The compound of grief, the stress of living in a different culture, and
the hard living conditions all took their toll on Dorothy and she ended up
having a breakdown which turned into a slow descent into insanity over the next
decade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dorothy really never gets well
ever again and at several points other missionaries who later joined Carey’s
work urged him to have her committed to an institution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>William Carey never did this but chose to
keep her at home even if at times she had to be locked in her room and tied
down for her own safety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we think of
all the language work and Bible translation that was accomplished by William
Carey in the ensuing years, it must not be forgotten that much of this work was
done at a table outside of Dorothy’s room where he would labor as he heard his
wives moans and shrieks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Initially Carey
and others thought Dorothy might be afflicted with demon possession, but after
much reading on psychological disorders he felt certain that a paranoid
psychosis fit most of the symptoms she was displaying.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZLKfWu8uubgAu7tUVHfhCUVV70oKGSyJSynEYqWEK16PoQ2941tdf0UjfZsPVrx_tW-b42kwuBKxZ-xwwJaqgwZFfMNNnv_NAggkgl6MliQk69OKw9L5oK9n9ODZ4kMah1IByFSF-Fg/s1600/WC9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZLKfWu8uubgAu7tUVHfhCUVV70oKGSyJSynEYqWEK16PoQ2941tdf0UjfZsPVrx_tW-b42kwuBKxZ-xwwJaqgwZFfMNNnv_NAggkgl6MliQk69OKw9L5oK9n9ODZ4kMah1IByFSF-Fg/s320/WC9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There are some who have questioned why Mr. Carey did not
seek medical help for his wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First of
all, there was little hope in the treatments that were available in that day
and secondly the missionary community was not welcome and barely tolerated by
the East India Trading Company who had charge of the region in which Carey and
his team were working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps bringing
them into the picture might have led to the expulsion of he and the other
missionaries.</div>
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In 1807 Dorothy finally died at age 51 following the
complications of another illness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
had never felt any calling to the mission field and yet she died after living a
decade as a missionary’s wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In many
regards Dorothy Carey died as a martyr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hers was a martyr’s sacrifice to serve Christ as the wife of one with a
higher calling she did not share.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
gave up all security and any comforts she might have had in this life, to go to
a place she didn’t want to live and lived in fear and deprivation. She was
utterly broken and ill-suited for mission work, but out of loyalty to Christ,
she followed her husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although it
was a cause she barely understood, she should be given credit along with her
husband for their pioneering contribution to world missions. </div>
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Lest anyone feel sorry for William Carey, less than 6 months
later he was remarried to a woman who was his own age, strikingly beautiful,
and intellectually and spiritually his soulmate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His fellow missionaries were scandalized with
the brevity of his grieving period but accepted Charlotte Carey in due
course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They spent the next 13 years
working together in Bible translation work before she died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carey married a third wife who was
significantly younger than he whom he said made the burdens of his old age and
illnesses lighter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was to outlive
Carey for many years.</div>
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William Carey did not work alone as a solo act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact he had two other men, Joshua Marshman
and William Ward, who with their families,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>later joined him in the work he started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was their lifetime partnership and commitment to one another that
allowed so much to be done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carey was
not really a success until he had the help that released him to focus on his
gifts in languages and education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a
team they called themselves the “Serampore Trio”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through their combined efforts they managed
to establish a college, publishing house, and did the many Bible translations.<br />
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Carey translated the Bible into 6 major Indian languages and
portions of the scripture for another 29 languages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a considerable achievement when you
realize the depth of preparation it takes just to make a single
translation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carey also translated other
Bengali works such as some of their oral folklore and published them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In many ways this helped Carey to know the
people but also served to preserve some of their culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In time Carey became so knowledgeable in
Indian languages he was appointed as professor of Sanskrit and Bengali at Ft.
William College in Calcutta in 1801.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This teaching post offered many opportunities for ministry but also made
him a respected person in an area that was not enthusiastic about having
Christian missionaries present.</div>
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Biographer R. E. Hedland says that despite all the knowledge
Carey had about Hebrew, Greek, and Indian languages, his own English
composition was very poor with lots of mistakes in punctuation as is seen in
his letters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it should be
remembered that our subject did not complete what we would consider a basic
high school education.<br />
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Carey certainly was also involved in preaching the gospel in
addition to translating the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
preached his first seven years without making a single Indian convert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually he had a breakthrough and a small
congregation formed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Carey knew the
reality of just how many people live in India and early on realized he must
work on multiplication of preachers more than the addition of new
Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Towards this end, Carey’s
team worked on establishing Bible colleges for the training of native pastors
and evangelists as part of their strategy.</div>
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In addition to his Christian ministry, Carey’s influence
also helped move India towards a ban on the practice of Sati which happened in
1829.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was an ancient practice where
a widow would be burned alive on her husband’s funeral pyre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were a variety of social and religious
reasons why this form of self-immolation was practiced but it was a practice so
ingrained that women were forced to participate even if they didn’t want to die.<br />
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Carey served an even 40 years on the mission field before he
passed away in 1834 at the age of 73.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When he left England for the mission field he was virtually unknown but
in his latter years he was a household name among Christians in Britain and
America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was requested by publishers
to write books on the spiritual life for his English reading audience but
declined to do so because he felt it would draw attention to himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was only one portrait ever done of
William Carey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only reason he
allowed it was because there was such a demand to know what he looked like by
the public and because he was offered 800 pd. Sterling by the publisher which
he donated all to the mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The engraving
made from the portrait sold like wildfire in England.</div>
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William Carey’s mission inspired many others to follow in
his path.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three of his sons grew up to
become missionaries and most notably he inspired America’s first missionary
couple Adoniram and Ann Judson to go to Burma (present-day Myanmar) where they
did similar translation work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carey’s
work of Bible translation also inspired the formation of the British and
Foreign Bible Society who developed an even broader ministry of literature
evangelism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of his contributions
to society and higher learning, school children in India study about William
Carey as part of their history courses.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTVUS-MUhf0xt8julTDy-Dz9otQ1XCEbUQ-0RcDDxKi30lUZeEE2hyphenhyphenO6jA716kTOcpR3gJkqEEdukFG4c-a6aYy_bvtVeEQYI_RkmKvn7hp3Y9Q5LkyDuDwsGqYuJ748g8pyEBc17KpM/s1600/WC8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTVUS-MUhf0xt8julTDy-Dz9otQ1XCEbUQ-0RcDDxKi30lUZeEE2hyphenhyphenO6jA716kTOcpR3gJkqEEdukFG4c-a6aYy_bvtVeEQYI_RkmKvn7hp3Y9Q5LkyDuDwsGqYuJ748g8pyEBc17KpM/s320/WC8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ft. Williams College in Serampore</td></tr>
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Carey is generally thought of today as the Father of Modern
Missions because of his influence in the development of Protestant missions of
the last two centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In many regards,
his methods and practices defined how mission was done for several generations,
but I wonder of Carey would agree with that assessment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No doubt he, like all men, would appreciate some
recognition for his labors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I think
Carey would also be quick to point out that the only greatness he had was that
he offered himself to a great Lord and was obedient to what he was called by
him to do and this greatness can be had by anyone.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSGSQuGs5APld0_0EmwnxpuE06ejlO2Nb4Oi0eTyAil8zrGWE_hi2Q-3ZRPNHbJl1UMgcnDrxMtmcf99Z9_oVrqPidpzRB871_E5J4R3h-2oIOoRrFFwTuGKpLrkNtTGA2xHzLnAXtyc/s1600/WC12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSGSQuGs5APld0_0EmwnxpuE06ejlO2Nb4Oi0eTyAil8zrGWE_hi2Q-3ZRPNHbJl1UMgcnDrxMtmcf99Z9_oVrqPidpzRB871_E5J4R3h-2oIOoRrFFwTuGKpLrkNtTGA2xHzLnAXtyc/s1600/WC12.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carey is portrayed in feature film "Candle in the Darkness"</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-60064621524174134302015-06-13T16:06:00.001-07:002015-06-13T16:06:23.030-07:00John Wycliffe (1328-1384) : First Light of the Reformation by Chris White<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgoVFKJPJPVB0_K2E27Gu9YCNfKsGlgoyiidxqv7XjG8dUss9utSdJGAV_tL0zNinvwP9yFM6p2Vu5DNn14qIAq9amOoh75pTbJEBdS_IXcdzSE1qvdxfQre7vqRrDbH3-M9aSYrH-Yk/s1600/wycliffe6fp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgoVFKJPJPVB0_K2E27Gu9YCNfKsGlgoyiidxqv7XjG8dUss9utSdJGAV_tL0zNinvwP9yFM6p2Vu5DNn14qIAq9amOoh75pTbJEBdS_IXcdzSE1qvdxfQre7vqRrDbH3-M9aSYrH-Yk/s320/wycliffe6fp.jpg" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Wycliffe</td></tr>
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In 1302, pope Boniface VIII issued a papal decree known as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Unam Sanctum </i>[one holy church] to all of
Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This official message declared
that there was one true church composed only of those who were baptized and obedient
to the Roman pontiff because as the vicar of Christ, he is the supreme ruler
over the inhabitants of the earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
assertion of supreme authority came at a time when the papacy and church
hierarchy was receiving pushback from many quarters throughout Europe including
branches of the church and different monarchs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although the statement is the epitome of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">superbia</i> and was considered so by many at the time, it reflected an
overall view of the nature of the Christian church that was so deeply seated,
it truly was considered heresy to think otherwise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In many regards the idea of papal supremacy
is the debate that led to the Catholic-Protestant division two centuries
later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In looking at the life and career
of John Wycliffe, it is important to understand this conflict because he was a
devoted clergyman and theologian who in his public life and pastoral practice
both implicitly and explicitly challenged this idea.</div>
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<a href="http://www.catholicplanet.com/TSM/Unam-Sanctam-English.htm">Read "Unam Sanctum" in modern English here</a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldbxkfvXT0Lyhcj5lbF6rygpgQjTqRNlR1a7x_gF92DAXZm0qW6uz9kJFLvEEEDn-0Z0ytBgTCwpI9FCaOAsyShgFRhCYQzZwFstZlH-AdzYJL6iY7ug9msoBoZOvwF79VYI5xNYRDxg/s1600/wycliff+boniface.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldbxkfvXT0Lyhcj5lbF6rygpgQjTqRNlR1a7x_gF92DAXZm0qW6uz9kJFLvEEEDn-0Z0ytBgTCwpI9FCaOAsyShgFRhCYQzZwFstZlH-AdzYJL6iY7ug9msoBoZOvwF79VYI5xNYRDxg/s320/wycliff+boniface.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pope Boniface VIII</td></tr>
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Wycliffe’s life intersected with what was one of the darkest
centuries in Western Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Born in
1328 in the county of Yorkshire England, Wycliffe would witness in his lifetime
the Black Death which took as much as 50% of the populace in some places, the
bloody conflict of the Hundred Years War with France (which actually lasted
well beyond 100 years), and finally the Western Schism of the Church where
rival claimants to the papacy divided Christians for nearly 40 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christ promised his disciples that as long as
they were in this world there would be tribulation (Jn. 16:33) but it seems
that the life and times of John Wycliffe received an extra portion of trouble
somehow.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Black Death took 50% of the populace in places</td></tr>
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Of John Wycliffe’s early life not much is known.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Wycliffe family raised sheep and lived in
a village some 200 miles outside of London.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What early education he received probably came from his local
priest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1342 Wycliffe’s village comes
under the leadership of the Duke of Lancaster, John of Gaunt, the second son of
King Edward III.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later in life there
would be strong ties between the Duke of Lancaster and Wycliffe but it is not
likely the two knew each other prior to Wycliffe’s rise to national prominence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1345, when Wycliffe is 17 years old, he
begins to attend Oxford University starting what would be a long and
distinguished academic career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like most
students in his socio-economic status paying for college was a struggle, but he
was able to work his way through college living very modestly in a residence
near his school.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZBAREsY272Vpsk49PYnukqT2Jb8aHcIZbObxY31OysWQlwq-aoBVQMvH1ALLt_vqyF1lg873mOBtuETfUuC6sA2KulrX_3hcWgZSStVS7JFbmSR6lWgzYSN1QY9AtslF0_TdSHrHKWE/s1600/oxford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZBAREsY272Vpsk49PYnukqT2Jb8aHcIZbObxY31OysWQlwq-aoBVQMvH1ALLt_vqyF1lg873mOBtuETfUuC6sA2KulrX_3hcWgZSStVS7JFbmSR6lWgzYSN1QY9AtslF0_TdSHrHKWE/s320/oxford.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oxford today</td></tr>
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Wycliffe was to be associated with the colleges of Oxford as
a student, academic, and teacher for almost the remainder of his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1361 he received his Master of Arts degree
and in 1372 was made a doctor of theology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If this seems like a long time to be in school it should be remembered
that the length of training to teach and be ordained for ministry was much
longer in this period of history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
Wycliffe received the Master of Arts, he worked as a minister and a professor
while continuing his studies towards his doctorate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he received his doctorate he was also
made the rector of Lutterworth church, a position he held for the remainder of
his life.</div>
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In terms of biography, speaking of Wycliffe’s education is a
bit more important than just explaining that he had credentials he could put on
a resume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a man of humble
beginnings who was able to attain expert status in interpreting and
understanding the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had equal
interest in law and philosophy and studied them quite deeply as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sum of this prepared him to be an able
spokesman for the English crown to the papacy as well as made him one of the
most well-known and trusted theologians in all of Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In essence, Wycliffe’s greater influence was
that he was truly learned and intellectually honest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would bring both fame and controversy as
time went on, but it is why he is important as a forerunner of the Protestant
Reformation.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigaN1PTZjqK2T7WWlg95-8H_80NO6hhyphenhyphentP35gdUFE6HgeI90FgD4dAOMuRKQx1amypspCoIF3TKE3Lt0xGPQyhpr66Seubw-l2klsqH25b2dEL-ludjNbM2xMpbwneW3amD7jOOS6l9AQ/s1600/wyc+preaching.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigaN1PTZjqK2T7WWlg95-8H_80NO6hhyphenhyphentP35gdUFE6HgeI90FgD4dAOMuRKQx1amypspCoIF3TKE3Lt0xGPQyhpr66Seubw-l2klsqH25b2dEL-ludjNbM2xMpbwneW3amD7jOOS6l9AQ/s320/wyc+preaching.gif" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wycliffe the preacher</td></tr>
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Between 1374-76 Wycliffe develops and publishes what has
been called his “Dominion Theory.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is the idea that all resources in the world are God’s and He alone gives them
to men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anyone misuses these in some
way, God is quite justified in removing them and giving them to another as an
act of discipline or punishment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one
possesses anything by “divine right” but at the pleasure of God.</div>
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As this idea played out in historical context, England was
at the time facing a possible war with France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Strapped for cash, England was also facing great demands from the Catholic
Church for more and more support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wycliffe
goes against the church and urges parliament not to comply with their demands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He argued the church already had enough
wealth and Christ urged his disciples to poverty not aggrandizement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This certainly made him popular with the
state (at least for the moment) but earned him the attention of Pope Gregory XI
who issued five papal bulls against Wycliffe on this theory calling it error
from the master of errors.</div>
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In 1377, Wycliffe is condemned at a meeting he has with
church officials at St. Paul’s cathedral in London.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later that year he is put under a house
arrest when he refuses any further questioning before the bishops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Wycliffe is summoned to a trial at
Lambeth Palace (home of the Archbishop of Canterbury) the following year, the
queen mother and other prominent citizens of London show up to give their
support which in turn made a conviction of heresy exceedingly impolitic in that
moment.</div>
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And then, as so often happens in history, the sudden death
of Pope Gregory XI that year stopped all efforts to silence Wycliffe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Western Schism</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The papal election that summer was to result
in the division of Christendom for the next 36 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gregory XI had only recently returned the
papacy to Rome after a 70 year hiatus in Avignon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gregory and several of his predecessors were
Frenchman as well as many of the cardinals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The fear that the cardinals would elect another Frenchman and the papacy
would return to Avignon caused riots in Rome and death threats against the
conclave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under duress, the cardinals
elected an Italian bishop who took the name Urban V.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feeling bad about making such a choice under
pressure and not particularly liking their choice, most of the French cardinals
leave Rome and hold another election where they choose Clement VII as a rival
pope and they do return to Avignon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
so with all the confusion and division that ensued in the wake of rival
papacies, John Wycliffe found himself out from all the scrutiny for at least a
while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gave him the room to enter
into even greater controversy the following year.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqyr2c-9HJexXTmJSbOwwEacljM_hvfijIjkAijYI6fQbetcTSbLaCLgbGyR1nUZVlEGF-r5F0s8mFLA-6k77RM3PnIDKxRUIVOCm7s0OaYoyQm4JvGO5KRaBqaJIXlYk0Rwy48x7S1Y/s1600/eucharist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqyr2c-9HJexXTmJSbOwwEacljM_hvfijIjkAijYI6fQbetcTSbLaCLgbGyR1nUZVlEGF-r5F0s8mFLA-6k77RM3PnIDKxRUIVOCm7s0OaYoyQm4JvGO5KRaBqaJIXlYk0Rwy48x7S1Y/s1600/eucharist.jpg" /></a></div>
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In 1379, Wycliffe publishes his controversial views on the
Eucharist (also known as Communion or the Lord’s Supper).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his day the idea of transubstantiation was
accepted as dogma by the Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Transubstantiation is the belief that when an ordained priest
consecrates the bread and wine used in this ceremonial meal, it actually
becomes the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ even though its external appearance
is unchanged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This idea, which has a
long and deep root system in Christian history, comes from an extremely literal
understanding of John 6:53 which reads: “So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly,
I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you have no life in you.’”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is being
suggested in this view is that the eternal life is assured and sustained by
regular participation (eating the body and blood of the Lord) in this meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A further entailment of this idea is that
only an ordained priest under the authority of his bishop and ultimately the
pope is authorized to consecrate the meal and thus confer this benefit to the
Christian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>This doctrine also became a
means of enforcing the pope’s views or wishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On many occasions, if a prince, king, or even teacher in the church said
or did something at odds with the pope, what was known as an interdict would be
issued against them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An interdict
withholds some or all the sacraments until further notice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine being a king with an entire
population fearing for their souls because they are being denied the Eucharist
because of some choice you made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More
than once was this used to bring pressure to bear on a secular ruler.</div>
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Wycliffe saw this idea as something quite novel (it had only
become the official teaching of the Church at the Lateran Council of 1215) and
from his theological and philosophical perspective thought the idea to be
unsound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From a pastoral perspective, he
felt the practice to be idolatrous and superstitious and putting too much
emphasis on the priest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wycliffe came to
write a treatise called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">De Eucharista</i>
which directly attacked transubstantiation.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZujBgk9PyJtZQj61fziXFOSqPvZbYW60yrs_z1-xBPpcGQ1gRT-VUK2e-OESL2sIRivNQo3XnCgQvWMUH7uZtBXXKTsAjxB3be7VzkUYVHfYYRIA9LYYgF0Azu-9BX6aRg34DbrgX7g/s1600/1!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZujBgk9PyJtZQj61fziXFOSqPvZbYW60yrs_z1-xBPpcGQ1gRT-VUK2e-OESL2sIRivNQo3XnCgQvWMUH7uZtBXXKTsAjxB3be7VzkUYVHfYYRIA9LYYgF0Azu-9BX6aRg34DbrgX7g/s320/1!.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"it all depends on the definition of 'is'"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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When President Bill Clinton was facing impeachment during
January of 1999, he famously deflected the idea that he perjured himself when
he had previously denied a relationship with Monica Lewinsky with the now
famous “that all depends on what the definition of ‘is’ is”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently John Wycliffe preceded Mr. Clinton
by several centuries in his parsing of the word ‘is’ when it came to his
understanding of the Eucharist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On this
topic Wycliffe gave special meaning to the word ‘is’ when it came to his
understanding of Christ’s words “this is my body.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wycliffe believed that the consecrated host
was still bread, but “is” the body of Christ in terms of its significance and
effect in the believer partaking in the Eucharist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Known as the “receptionist view”, Wycliffe
emphasized the faith of the communicant over priestly consecration as to how
the body and blood of Jesus are partaken in the Lord’s Supper. He believed that
the bread and the wine on the altar remained bread and wine after their
consecration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christ was present and
received in the Eucharist on the basis of faith by the individual communicant.</div>
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By 1381, Oxford University was put under pressure by the
church and Wycliffe was so controversial that he is officially banned from his
teaching post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still a pastor he moves
to the parish church of Lutterworth where he serves the remainder of his
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is in this exile of sorts,
Wycliffe develops some of his most influential theology which gives shape to
what a reformed Christian church will eventually look like in the next 200
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwQcNBkIJ3zcVgyoFcE2_nkZhmqwJk1ZHo7ojhB1SHlqoK0yYM1ql2gV0Qjuiwl5tkV1eEvzu30ulZaiz9EdCD2y488dHKcUKIT6v367AP_YNL3XFWYTjRZFtq3r3jc9RvrLCo7Gx_Is/s1600/wycliffe+and+lollys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwQcNBkIJ3zcVgyoFcE2_nkZhmqwJk1ZHo7ojhB1SHlqoK0yYM1ql2gV0Qjuiwl5tkV1eEvzu30ulZaiz9EdCD2y488dHKcUKIT6v367AP_YNL3XFWYTjRZFtq3r3jc9RvrLCo7Gx_Is/s320/wycliffe+and+lollys.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wycliffe influenced many preachers to go out in England</td></tr>
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Wycliffe, himself a noted preacher, felt that preaching of
the Word of God was the most important thing people needed and the most
neglected task of the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was
also critical how many of the common practices of church were connected only by
tradition but not by direct teaching from scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things like confession to a priest or masses
to relieve the dead in purgatory he believed to be unbiblical and
abominable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wycliffe emphasized in his
teaching that the believer only needed one mediator before God and that was
Christ alone.</div>
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During this period Wycliffe and several aides translated the
Bible from Latin to English. Technically this would be a translation of a
translation but it is the first English Bible and sets a tone for future
reformers such as Tyndale and Luther to produce vernacular scriptures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is important to know is that the audience
for this Bible was the common person. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Latin was the language of educated clergy and
French the language of the educated Englishman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In Wycliffe’s time more and more ordinary people were learning to read
and Wycliffe believed it was God’s will that the common man could have greater
access to the Bible by hearing it preached in his own language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both Wycliffe and Luther strategically
published their books in the common language to give their ideas a broader
reach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wycliffe, unfortunately lived
prior to the mass-production of books and so his audience was obviously more
restricted than Luther’s but it still had a wider reach than it would have if
it were only written in Latin.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjKgxtyZ4kRgOp0IAzAwjHTcoH4VTTZ2qTigMQBzNSKvTlOuvhMvLZ7Z8fO23iiFjE7mVCMhkyODpurVKbADH2tqKBn00RhFJY6RIj9lOELRcXcXF7w5jq0DUFux3a0tYhbHqIGsLQC0/s1600/wycliff+translating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjKgxtyZ4kRgOp0IAzAwjHTcoH4VTTZ2qTigMQBzNSKvTlOuvhMvLZ7Z8fO23iiFjE7mVCMhkyODpurVKbADH2tqKBn00RhFJY6RIj9lOELRcXcXF7w5jq0DUFux3a0tYhbHqIGsLQC0/s1600/wycliff+translating.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wycliffe the Bible translator</td></tr>
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The detractors of Wycliffe had great criticism of his Bible
translating activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the Church,
Latin was the language of the learned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Something as important as the Bible should not be available to the
unlearned and untrained to read on their own, but should be interpreted for
them by the clergy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this sense, it
was said that Wycliffe had “thrown pearls before the swine.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In one sense, this criticism is not entirely
unjust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People who attempt to interpret
the Bible without proper understanding can and do make a mockery of its
contents all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, on the
other side of the equation, the general message of the Bible is relatively
clear and accessible to all who read it, even those without a faith
commitment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, a lay person who reads
the Bible, although they may require some guidance at times, can certainly read
it to his or her own edification without much problem. </div>
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An interesting unintended consequence of Wycliffe’s
translation of the Bible was that it unified the form of English that was
spoken in Britain because of the Bible’s popularity.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpFwrL2j6u_la8OaWoScReSs1NsPzuqiCUp1TLOoRGpO6QsMU36KVPFxYIkvF-6ResaFLjpUtoJNFdqnpvs5z8nSUoco8XQIxiCF6DB2J6cYENK9TLAw5vC-00_a5hJFW8SKzseYY5xs/s1600/26475313-line-drawing-of-the-death-of-pioneering-english-bible-translator-and-reformer-john-wycliffe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpFwrL2j6u_la8OaWoScReSs1NsPzuqiCUp1TLOoRGpO6QsMU36KVPFxYIkvF-6ResaFLjpUtoJNFdqnpvs5z8nSUoco8XQIxiCF6DB2J6cYENK9TLAw5vC-00_a5hJFW8SKzseYY5xs/s320/26475313-line-drawing-of-the-death-of-pioneering-english-bible-translator-and-reformer-john-wycliffe.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wycliffe actually died in the pulpit</td></tr>
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Probably one of Wycliffe’s more influential writings was his
treatise known as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">De Ecclesia.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In it he explains the nature of the Church is
not the visible organization (with its pope, cardinals, bishops) but the
congregation of the predestined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
only head of the church then is not the pope, but Jesus himself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wycliffe, not one to fear controversy, pointed
out that it was quite possible that even the pope may not be of the elect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the church on earth will always be a
mixture of wheat and tares as Jesus said it would, the true church will always
be composed of those whom the Lord has called to himself and who live by
faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even as the Medieval church
emphasized the external structures and the use of sacraments as the guarantee
of eternal life, Wycliffe pointed to the ancient path of the prophets and apostles
who taught that the just shall live by faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This too would be an idea picked up and carried forward by the later
Reformers.</div>
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Even as the Roman Catholic church has a long memory of those
it considers saints and martyrs, it has an equally long memory of those it
considers heretics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John Wycliffe had
the good fortune of dying and going to heaven in 1384 after a second stroke and
a life wearied by conflict with the church hierarchy and the burden of many
labors on behalf of its people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1418,
some 34 years after his death, 260 separate charges of heresy were brought
against him at the ecumenical council of Constance and the conclusion of the
council, which also condemned to the flames John Huss a popular preacher also
influenced by Wycliffe, was that he was to be posthumously condemned, executed
and deprived of Christian burial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
job of carrying out the sentence fell to the newly elected Pope Martin V who
didn’t get around to carrying out this sentence for another 11 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1429, the pope had the bones of John
Wycliffe disinterred from the church yard where he was buried, and then burned
to dust (as would be done if he were burned at the stake) and the ashes cast
into the nearby river Swift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was
considered an ‘obstinate heretic’ by the Church but later generations would
look upon his influence and contributions and call him “the Morningstar of the
Reformation.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His light was the
Scripture alone and his call was for the church to consider them the true voice
of the Lord on earth.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQqIDRG6VMr2PExw9BfwepEu90sO3F6BA3TRKqrdaMvysTdxAN2XpIWbA9oom-QbfQZmL3WSC3Ap8RQVkDfWOi3bX_jbVq6ElIJzj7Z_TChWIqCJ3yxECZh3lkdgOpvRXswFS0JDsSSU/s1600/en-wycliffe-bones-burned.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQqIDRG6VMr2PExw9BfwepEu90sO3F6BA3TRKqrdaMvysTdxAN2XpIWbA9oom-QbfQZmL3WSC3Ap8RQVkDfWOi3bX_jbVq6ElIJzj7Z_TChWIqCJ3yxECZh3lkdgOpvRXswFS0JDsSSU/s320/en-wycliffe-bones-burned.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wycliffe's macabre posthumous execution</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjfFrxVS3yo">Watch an outstanding film on Wycliffe here</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-86380670909895734562015-05-20T07:21:00.000-07:002015-05-20T07:21:41.006-07:00George Washington (1731-1799) : The Spiritual Life of the Father of our Country by Chris White<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb69DWISf1YGoRvFNffQAG7cO2n59T69Eeg6c0uOUoGZrMfbL_akQb6WAqvc2wXsuHwqZoKhONrH4dt-SlczpCvnxtfAhPzrY_0K3hkJTIHo74x3L6XD9tqP44v6y-2RDDlxIsb3QKJd8/s1600/G10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb69DWISf1YGoRvFNffQAG7cO2n59T69Eeg6c0uOUoGZrMfbL_akQb6WAqvc2wXsuHwqZoKhONrH4dt-SlczpCvnxtfAhPzrY_0K3hkJTIHo74x3L6XD9tqP44v6y-2RDDlxIsb3QKJd8/s1600/G10.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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“And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on
all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the
boundaries of their dwelling place”</div>
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--Acts 17:26</div>
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Men are made for their times and those times shape the
destiny of the man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Matthew Henry the
great English Bible commentator says of this verse, from our perspective the
times are changeable, from God’s perspective they are set because they are
based on the eternal counsels of his will. </div>
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I believe there is a reason George Washington came on the
scene when he did and led our nation as its first president.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t just good timing and blind
circumstance, it was the hand of Providence guiding a man and a nation to His
specific destiny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nYnoxHO2soGaIjfOFnP7B2Zt4FFlczgdQk_QxFG_zkBEd-zxTNArOjQYj2cZJTtiny6GZGqDqeE8kthIia5WeZDsD3113mFKCN-tOh6etvt4C3lUyv8JSYstJ_-YmVLOPOgxNG6JUg0/s1600/G6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nYnoxHO2soGaIjfOFnP7B2Zt4FFlczgdQk_QxFG_zkBEd-zxTNArOjQYj2cZJTtiny6GZGqDqeE8kthIia5WeZDsD3113mFKCN-tOh6etvt4C3lUyv8JSYstJ_-YmVLOPOgxNG6JUg0/s1600/G6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the Delaware (without lifejackets!)</td></tr>
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Washington is a huge figure in American history and much has
been written of his leadership both as General of the Continental Army and the
first President of the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
terms of accomplishments, few American presidents share his stature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He led us through the dark days of the
Revolution where an ill-equipped, part farmer, part slave and lower class army
took on the Britain which was a super-power nation at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the war was finished, Washington took
the helm as leader of a fledgling nation and led us through the stormy period
of passing and ratifying a constitution with 13 disparate states who all had
different agendas and in many regards differing conceptions of how our nation
should work<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxS90R5eS20ZCwVT2S_IgP0FjLqvr7zBXNxMgn5MU_SrLY__DNO_no9cYNtRtjDVlnJpJYv3gSB9CXeMQ6bTGGG1moYKI9OJukQrjG7MXoWzFSzkULzmfTTCvHgYNWTEkH29wNl5lV7j4/s1600/G8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxS90R5eS20ZCwVT2S_IgP0FjLqvr7zBXNxMgn5MU_SrLY__DNO_no9cYNtRtjDVlnJpJYv3gSB9CXeMQ6bTGGG1moYKI9OJukQrjG7MXoWzFSzkULzmfTTCvHgYNWTEkH29wNl5lV7j4/s1600/G8.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washington portrayed as Roman Senator</td></tr>
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Of course Washington had help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was surrounded by a well-known fraternity
historians call our “Founding Fathers.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These men were brilliant and some were arguably far smarter than
Washington himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But keen
intelligence is not always linked with great leadership in the same
person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, one study done at U.C.
Davis suggests that some of our smartest presidents, with a few exceptions,
were actually quite ineffectual leaders (to see article go to :<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-15-smartest-us-presidents-of-all-time-2015-3">http://www.businessinsider.com/the-15-smartest-us-presidents-of-all-time-2015-3</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The greater strength of Washington was his
integrity, fortitude, and inner resolve to make the best decision possible as
opposed to what is politically expedient and will build his personal legacy.</div>
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But greatness aside, there is another measure of George
Washington that I would like to discuss in this article; that is, what is known
about the spiritual life and orientation of our first president?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some have suggested that Washington was a
deist much like Franklin or Jefferson and that certainly would be in keeping
with the times and fashion of his social class and the company he kept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others have conflated references to morals
and religion Washington made in his letters and speeches and have equated him
with a Bible-toting evangelical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think
there reason to believe that George Washington had a true Christian commitment
and this was a long standing fact in his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, he was sensitive to his position as a leader in both the
military and new government and spoke of religion in such a way as to be
positive but inclusive and respectful of all people and their right to hold
their own religious commitments. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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According to a historic timeline, when George Washington was
born, the earliest sparks of the First Great Awakening were happening in New
England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time Washington was 15
years old, the evangelist George Whitefield was the most well-known man in
America and revival in all 13 colonies was in full-flower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is said that George Whitefield recognized
America’s destiny before the American people did and his evangelical movement
sowed the seeds of democratic thought that later germinated into the
Declaration of 1776.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUtZQLWCqru5s_RL6_Y9j8l-8mm-ukB4DPlKY5v5i-pne92tlKsPwl-akBjIy1UnyRG4Ea_3QdxTEH_nph2jyOX7kul00qdDVhcRTPQUBWi66eKV51VlKpQdhDODd3t8ZTi_nXr59soY/s1600/whitfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUtZQLWCqru5s_RL6_Y9j8l-8mm-ukB4DPlKY5v5i-pne92tlKsPwl-akBjIy1UnyRG4Ea_3QdxTEH_nph2jyOX7kul00qdDVhcRTPQUBWi66eKV51VlKpQdhDODd3t8ZTi_nXr59soY/s1600/whitfield.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George Whitefield</td></tr>
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I wonder if the Washington family, aristocratic plantation
owners in Virginia and members of the Church of England, were touched by this
revival as so many other Americans were at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had to be aware of it, as a young man in
his mid-thirties named Benjamin Franklin (who would later be a colleague of
their famous son in the Revolution), was Whitefield’s publicist and made it his
mission to keep him in the news as much as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any case, George Washington was affected
because the Great Awakening set in motion among the colonists a movement
towards independence that would dominate the majority of his adult life.</div>
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Many of the stories later generations (including my own)
learned about Washington came from an Episcopal clergyman named Mason Locke
Weems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Weems published an immensely
popular biography of Washington
just 3 years after his death that attributed every virtue in great measure to Washington.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Washington
was extraordinarily honest, brave, wise, and had incredible physical
prowess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is in a later printing of
this book that the story of the chopping down the cherry tree appeared with
young George unable to tell a lie to his parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though little was based on more than
fiction, Washington was considered a demigod within a couple of decades of his
passing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, if Washington really <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">could
not</i></b> tell a lie, he was the first and last president in American history
to possess that extraordinary skill!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-Vfa-SyDTL7VM-8NtVkwZ9CUKMhf-_EQ1WOZTpmJpMIbnQm0uR0LXwQKaGjTRJ2UCgD2TlYIN7FQEjPbv5fOJx6FohU5jC_xRccGWxV47sSkUZsRyDtvSCSa5WqjEaMKDhP64VHZ2yQ/s1600/G1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-Vfa-SyDTL7VM-8NtVkwZ9CUKMhf-_EQ1WOZTpmJpMIbnQm0uR0LXwQKaGjTRJ2UCgD2TlYIN7FQEjPbv5fOJx6FohU5jC_xRccGWxV47sSkUZsRyDtvSCSa5WqjEaMKDhP64VHZ2yQ/s1600/G1.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Parson Weems was not intent on deceiving people through lies
about Washington but cashing in on a hot publishing trend of his day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very popular (in terms of sales anyway) were
books for young people that focused on instilling virtue by telling stories of
great people (much like the Roman author Plutarch did in his famous <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lives</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Washington was a great person in life and a cherished hero of the
founding generation and so the perfect subject for such a book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no evidence of the cherry tree story
or Washington throwing a silver dollar across the Potomac actually happened,
but their inclusion is to point us to the fact the George Washington was a
honest and strong person who could be trusted.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
In his early twenties Washington lived an exciting life
doing various military exploits with a measure of success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also was learned the work of land
surveying and did this with his brother a number of years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But eventually he married and married well
which increased his wealth and landholdings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He married a woman named Martha Custis who was a widow aged 27.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George was 26 years old at the time and she
nicknamed him the “old man”.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLb_zsEt8B-qdtlTkytZMxde2-nT53skEnd91FBqkydfFYW9Tz9f0pszMKoAzfS8OE31Aoc6FWEn8si0rKOlNAfa3V29oKZhJfpW9CAB-ttv_BcECCrJ7OHKaMDKlH_MQuUd1BqYEMcmY/s1600/G7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLb_zsEt8B-qdtlTkytZMxde2-nT53skEnd91FBqkydfFYW9Tz9f0pszMKoAzfS8OE31Aoc6FWEn8si0rKOlNAfa3V29oKZhJfpW9CAB-ttv_BcECCrJ7OHKaMDKlH_MQuUd1BqYEMcmY/s1600/G7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha Custis Washington </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It is also well-known that Washington loved another woman
named Sally Fairfax all of his adult life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This love was never consummated and was kept very secret, but there are
love letters from him to her that span his life to the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an inconvenient fact when writing
about the spiritual measure of a man as loving someone who isn’t your wife is
truly a violation of God’s 7th commandment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On balance, it should be acknowledged that all people are sinners even
if they are Christians which is why we need a Savior in the first place.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
George Washington was not so much an intellectual, but was
knowledgeable in many ways mainly in practical things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a man of action more than a man of
ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not to say he didn’t
grasp philosophical ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He most
certainly did and lived by them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Washington just wasn’t the “ivory tower” intellectual type.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
In keeping with his proclivity for the practical, as a young
man he copied long passages from a book written by Jesuit priests called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rules for Civility</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These aided him as he moved upward in Virginia society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the maxims found in his personal
notebook included: it is bad manners to clean your teeth with the tablecloth
following a meal and keep a proper distance from people to whom you are
speaking so you don’t shower them with your spit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some very good wisdom indeed!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Washington was raised Anglican, and then migrated to the
Episcopal church after the revolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was baptized and served on the board of trustees of his church in
Virginia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was also known to attend
religious services once a month which was considered quite regular for the
times. More often than not, it was weather making the roads impassable or
illness preventing one from leaving their bed that caused an absence from
church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Washington possessed devotional
books of sermons in his library and would read them to his family on Sundays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Washington was at church he did not
participate in communion like his wife Martha did but rather slipped outside
the service and got the carriage ready to take his family home.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJGtDepLy1ZHNbQ81wSRDzGuHAjsA-9hB2qiP9H-yBhne7xaUj1yHJgXDmdR63KVKY-uDlGWA8b-2VzlyLJLqs8XmD9kSrFiM8Xa_XNLi0jAwH7ZciPLXbMY-SZ_HKq-q-pWB6Wf9UCI/s1600/G11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJGtDepLy1ZHNbQ81wSRDzGuHAjsA-9hB2qiP9H-yBhne7xaUj1yHJgXDmdR63KVKY-uDlGWA8b-2VzlyLJLqs8XmD9kSrFiM8Xa_XNLi0jAwH7ZciPLXbMY-SZ_HKq-q-pWB6Wf9UCI/s1600/G11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washington Attending Church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Jared Sparks, a well-known American historian who compiled
and read nearly every extant document of Washington believed it was impossible
to accurately give the measure of the man without considering him a Christian
believer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sparks also corresponded with
Washington’s granddaughter Nellie Custis-Lewis who was raised by George and
Martha when her mother and father died suddenly during her childhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Custis-Lewis gave unequivocal testimony of
her Grandfather’s faith and religious exercises which she witnessed a great
deal during her formative years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her
presence in George and Martha’s lives was before and during his presidency
which adds weight to its value in giving the measure of this man.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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When Washington was general he was quick to attend religious
services with the Continental Army.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was also known to pray privately in his officer’s tent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kneeling Washington at Valley Forge is
likely to be an inaccurate painting that takes an accurate measure of the
man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Washington very much sought the
guidance and favor of God in prayer during the Revolutionary war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also would have prayed in private as to
not make a public show of his religion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He probably didn’t kneel in prayer as that was neither the custom of his
day or something a person of his social standing would do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prayer was usually done standing up with the
head uncovered (more in the Jewish tradition).</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3UC2CVKDsmnZHofRgQxli42gkcM2eXRaxN-b3VBupBrtWTiP5NvFYhsphnfgBGMaMKbcQdHakd-KMZlbV7Wf1TILkllpoERci01jyfnTAUUjmMt_rJ4gGxNmV2Q-dgvT_L3KX7eDMq4/s1600/G5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3UC2CVKDsmnZHofRgQxli42gkcM2eXRaxN-b3VBupBrtWTiP5NvFYhsphnfgBGMaMKbcQdHakd-KMZlbV7Wf1TILkllpoERci01jyfnTAUUjmMt_rJ4gGxNmV2Q-dgvT_L3KX7eDMq4/s1600/G5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washington at Valley Forge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Interestingly, Washington issued orders which forbade all
cursing and swearing in his army.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did
this because he wanted divine favor on his undertaking and felt it might be
withheld if his troops were blaspheming God in the heat of battle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That might seem quaint or even a bit superstitious
today, but it reveals that Washington possessed reverence for God based on his
inner faith.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Later when the congress was deliberating on the presidency
and what it should be, it made it a stronger office in part because they had
their eyes on Washington to occupy it and they knew they could trust him with
power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it is very telling about
Washington that when monarchy was suggested to him after winning the war, he
rejected it immediately and completely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Equally so, his example of laying his power down at the end of two
terms, a tradition that only later became law, shows that in him was the heart
of a public servant and not someone with an inner hunger for power over others.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Washington took the Presidential oath of office, he did
so with his hand on the Bible and then bowed down and kissed the Bible
according to recorded accounts of the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He also is the one who added “so help me God” to the oath of the
Presidency.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2roUK7_MLJHe3W1BzoCjXzibpv3C93LeuYR89FMjr1jN9gnRDG0VOFiJJRF4hR4KypDIsKIHfPQKU_b7KRFJ6fMuj89hBd5x4xUCwah_ji-BbOCrgaAP0qvQo5fbcTLJhBMxS9hiMuQE/s1600/G9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2roUK7_MLJHe3W1BzoCjXzibpv3C93LeuYR89FMjr1jN9gnRDG0VOFiJJRF4hR4KypDIsKIHfPQKU_b7KRFJ6fMuj89hBd5x4xUCwah_ji-BbOCrgaAP0qvQo5fbcTLJhBMxS9hiMuQE/s1600/G9.jpg" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"..so help me God."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Washington did read the Bible and often quoted from it in
his personal and public correspondence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In his high office he also often referred to Christian virtues as the
backbone of our freedom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was Washington who wrote:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>reason and experience forbid us to expect
that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a shame that today there can be no
discussion of a national morality with regards to our liberty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>True liberty has classically been defined as
the freedom to choose to do the right thing without coercion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>American liberty today is largely what the
Bible would call licentiousness or ‘doing what is right in our own eyes’
without regard for the moral law of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>American presidents (and most public officials) get queasy about the
subject of morality because the only objective standard of it is based in
religious belief and practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George
Washington had clarity on this because he knew and practiced his religion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Something else I believe speaks to the spiritual core of
Washington was his view on slavery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
must be remembered that African slavery was legal and commonly practiced in all
the colonies and states in this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you could afford them (and most people couldn’t) then you owned them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Washington was a slave-owner
himself, from 1770 onwards he slowly committed himself to the abolition of
slavery.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bw1EHZttgFdSZ5AQYvE0WR8BQ9YLpoNytfQBoQ1WGyTVOOxu94dkTp1EnpWU3yWS_2c19AHP_Uy7TeHkHZ7l5BnobFNDwLlqBZz_mUnuc4AlShRM9-yeb6AtkjYeyknfLYxYsqLiAoU/s1600/G13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bw1EHZttgFdSZ5AQYvE0WR8BQ9YLpoNytfQBoQ1WGyTVOOxu94dkTp1EnpWU3yWS_2c19AHP_Uy7TeHkHZ7l5BnobFNDwLlqBZz_mUnuc4AlShRM9-yeb6AtkjYeyknfLYxYsqLiAoU/s1600/G13.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Vernon was kept by slave labor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Something Washington did which set a tone for the next
generations was to free his slaves upon his death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was actually his desire they be set free
earlier, but it would be to their hurt and to his wife’s in her old age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he knew and believed that slavery was
inconsistent with the Constitution and did by example something the nation
would not do until they were forced to by the tragedy of the Civil War.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If Washington was merely a warm deist who saw the utilitarian
value of religion in promoting civic virtue, it is still hard to ignore the
Christian spirit that seemed to be present within him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it would be even harder to believe a
man who sought to live with great integrity would feign Christian faith when in
fact, he didn’t have any.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Washington was simply a devout man who just didn’t make a
lot of public statements about his own religious beliefs.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ybUrP2Chue9dNXt1t7mdx67FiOSf_hTeqT15-Zyq9Ju4Ozob-41Edy-RNuvpxWo79TI5fWd5_mJQ1TM-RbjqhnEyu3TKN647ZM9qya2ezOddxexgilfCN6FTunXs6riPnh-RYOiXDi0/s1600/G2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ybUrP2Chue9dNXt1t7mdx67FiOSf_hTeqT15-Zyq9Ju4Ozob-41Edy-RNuvpxWo79TI5fWd5_mJQ1TM-RbjqhnEyu3TKN647ZM9qya2ezOddxexgilfCN6FTunXs6riPnh-RYOiXDi0/s1600/G2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washington with family on Sunday afternoon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Personally, I would rather see a President live out his
faith in his personal and public life through his actions rather than his words
than to be very vocal about his faith and yet live and govern as if he were an
atheist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>America could use another
George Washington.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-69573545609208479592015-05-13T06:19:00.001-07:002015-05-13T06:19:31.735-07:00St. Helena (255-330): The Empress Who Discovered the True Cross by Chris White<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWiPOWTSLfXGN_MBOiM6wCZxyULZhEgc7hPWJjoyTiMrVz_MM43PX947tUV5EGIpZeHU1vQ_4C_1aGL610gIG1hzrlChb30K8ZMuB0H3fhHmjwR6oWTUWInud19vc9OnvDm5VgKMICNuY/s1600/H13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWiPOWTSLfXGN_MBOiM6wCZxyULZhEgc7hPWJjoyTiMrVz_MM43PX947tUV5EGIpZeHU1vQ_4C_1aGL610gIG1hzrlChb30K8ZMuB0H3fhHmjwR6oWTUWInud19vc9OnvDm5VgKMICNuY/s1600/H13.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Helena--St. Peter's Basilica in Rome</td></tr>
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Let me ask you a question: what is the main symbol of
Christianity?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you said “the cross”
you would be correct Biblically (Gal. 6:14, 1 Cor. 2:2) and factually (nearly
every church in the world displays a cross somewhere in its building), but not
so historically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I could put you in a
time machine and send you back to the 1<sup>st</sup>, 2<sup>nd</sup>, and 3<sup>rd</sup>
centuries AD, you would find many different symbols in use by the church (such
as the sign of the fish, the dove, the anchor, even loaves and fishes) but not
a cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why so?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, for one reason crucifixion was still
practiced as a form of capital punishment at the time and it would seem very
odd for anyone to wear or display a cross anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would you think if you walked into your
neighbor’s home and saw a beautiful painting of an electric chair on the wall
or possibly a hangman’s noose over the door?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You would probably think this person has an odd taste for home décor at
best and at worst a macabre fetish for instruments of human torture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secondly, a cross was largely associated with
criminal behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus was not a
criminal himself, but according to the gospel, as the Son of God he was taking
upon himself the sins of all humanity and judicially paying the penalty for
them on our behalf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bible teaches
that the wages of sin is death before a holy and perfect God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what makes Christianity stand apart
from all other religions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of us
sacrificing to atone for our sins, God Himself makes the sacrificial atonement
on our behalf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this took some
explaining in the early days of the church because the common understanding was
a person who died by crucifixion must be a horrible person and accursed by God
in some way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Jesus was God and so
good, then why would he die in that way?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is why St. Paul called the cross “folly” and a “stumbling block” to
those who have no spiritual understanding (1 Cor. 1:18). So why did this all change and suddenly the cross become a
beloved and universal symbol of Christianity?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is where the story of St. Helena becomes our important connection. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoU7daAUDzELvHd4lpx7Sr39z8Ue_HRwY3Rg28Pb7ZYDKcpwjZnh7lVHFfRI2V_pKXzLCpu02XwdKMGZDOl_dW3X9YKgf3Er7voOHp5z_BKExTRwNwt6n5_jTKdP_JvvC1TBX7MriaYLk/s1600/H4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoU7daAUDzELvHd4lpx7Sr39z8Ue_HRwY3Rg28Pb7ZYDKcpwjZnh7lVHFfRI2V_pKXzLCpu02XwdKMGZDOl_dW3X9YKgf3Er7voOHp5z_BKExTRwNwt6n5_jTKdP_JvvC1TBX7MriaYLk/s1600/H4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cross a cherished symbol by Christians</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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St. Helena was born into a humble family of Bithynia
(Northern Turkey).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her father is
believed to have been an Innkeeper or perhaps a shepherd according the bishop
Ambrose of Milan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Helena apparently was
a very attractive woman who caught the attention of Constantius Chlorus, a man
rapidly rising in the ranks of the Roman military.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Helena became what we would call the common
law wife (a concubine) of Constantius and when she gave birth to their son he
was given the name Constantine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This son
would grow up to become the Roman emperor who not only legalized Christianity
but openly practiced it and governed as a Christian ruler.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7hDZkxh5qOvm_bPoZ2PKGRdi4alUDhdqifJXey9NSVOggo-o8vo0GJwYItiSk1XoQznuwl4hlr5JkKXaSZPpkH_y6DrEugSly7Qn22kIOHsA3N4WZiDoJSAH-Du75OIhzem5eAbvHM4/s1600/H14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7hDZkxh5qOvm_bPoZ2PKGRdi4alUDhdqifJXey9NSVOggo-o8vo0GJwYItiSk1XoQznuwl4hlr5JkKXaSZPpkH_y6DrEugSly7Qn22kIOHsA3N4WZiDoJSAH-Du75OIhzem5eAbvHM4/s1600/H14.jpg" /></a></div>
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But long before Constantine’s rise to power, his father too
was visited by good fortune and was elevated to the rank of Caesar of the
western Roman empire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For reasons of
state, Constantius was required to put his wife Helena away and marry the
daughter of the Augustus (the Emperor).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Constantine remained with his father living in Britannia (England) and
Helena went into seclusion and obscurity for many years.</div>
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When Constantius died unexpectedly, his son, now a general
in the Roman army, is proclaimed the western Caesar and through conquest and
acclamation of the people begins his meteoric rise to power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Constantine is firmly in control he
brings his mother out of seclusion and gives her a place of honor and leadership
in his court as the Imperial mediatrix or Augusta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this time Helena herself is also a
Christian with a reputation for acts of charity and devotion to Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Augusta, Helena is given the Sessorian
Palace in Rome where she lives and helps conduct governmental affairs in the
west while her son is building and ruling in the east from the new capitol he
named ever-so-modestly Constantinople.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3loNgbLxKAPzf8vSFoH9aUn_PaGIPyICf1J5qDGGx3yt-2SeXv9bLN_DUcsayqBaefp8qjb3E6c15sNlXMSX7zUC4-PfJybsdzrHqky5G4r_Ft6ZSWs4r_MOap_m97of5GjMscyEePs/s1600/H15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3loNgbLxKAPzf8vSFoH9aUn_PaGIPyICf1J5qDGGx3yt-2SeXv9bLN_DUcsayqBaefp8qjb3E6c15sNlXMSX7zUC4-PfJybsdzrHqky5G4r_Ft6ZSWs4r_MOap_m97of5GjMscyEePs/s1600/H15.jpg" /></a></div>
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It is now the year 325 AD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Constantine the Great respects freedom of religion but believes
Christianity is true and that Jesus Christ has raised him up to unite the Roman
empire under the Christian faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Paganism is tolerated but is no longer supported by the state as
Constantine lavishes public and private funds on the Church building
magnificent buildings and elevating the clergy, once poor and beleaguered by
persecution, to positions of honor and yes, even wealth, in society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fortunes of the church had changed
rapidly, but Constantine was reversing a governmental policy of repression and
persecution that had been going on for several centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he believed the future blessing of the
empire hinged on promoting the faith of Christ in every way he could.</div>
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One of the unique ways Constantine promoted Christianity was
through what some have termed “sacred geography.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rome had always been the capital of the
empire and to its citizens, both Christian and pagan, the very heart of
civilization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But part of the reason why
Constantine moved his capital city to Byzantium (before renaming it
Constantinople) was for a fresh start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rome had been a city long polluted with idol worship and paganism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new capital was to be a place marked by
Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact later visitors
were so impressed with the splendor of the city and its many, many churches,
they wondered if it wasn’t already a province of heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Constantine took this even one step
further. Part of his empire was a province called Palestine by the Romans, and
it was the very stage where Jesus Christ lived his life, conducted his
ministry, suffered death on the cross, rose from the grave, and will be
returning in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was holy
ground and it must be preserved to reinforce the faith of Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And just as Christianity triumphed in Rome,
its triumph would also be shown in Jerusalem through Constantine’s efforts.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPhfqGvOWjA6w0jV1Lz3RpIyb0FwkiTy-G1cPozIxdGTkosPZPxX4r7kNdfMSmRf0Ic78aPLXklmikOCH7bIjD38hTdEfehzKVHx2bKqh9VlkmGKxW6XtmKNYTocDAkjjkWbeRkDzm8s/s1600/H16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPhfqGvOWjA6w0jV1Lz3RpIyb0FwkiTy-G1cPozIxdGTkosPZPxX4r7kNdfMSmRf0Ic78aPLXklmikOCH7bIjD38hTdEfehzKVHx2bKqh9VlkmGKxW6XtmKNYTocDAkjjkWbeRkDzm8s/s1600/H16.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Israel named Palestina by Romans</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Israel has a very sad history after Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he arrived in Jerusalem on what we call
Palm Sunday, Jesus looked upon the city with its great temple and with a heart
of sadness prophesied that it would be left desolate (Mt. 23:38).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the chief priests rejected Jesus of
Nazareth before Pontius Pilate they declared “we have no king but Caesar (Jn
19:15)!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They really did mean to reject
Christ, but the stuff about Caesar, not so much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within one generation, sedition was in the
air and Rome enthusiastically retaliated destroying Jerusalem and its temple in
70 AD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearly 62 years later the Jews
under Simon bar Kokhba attempted to seize control of Jerusalem and restore the
Temple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the failure of this
revolt,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the emperor Hadrian kicked all
Jews out of Jerusalem and changed the name of the city to Aelia
Capitolina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Temple mount, so sacred
to the Jews, was defiled with a shrine dedicated to Jupiter built on top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wanting to be equally offensive to Christians,
Hadrian had a temple of Venus built over Golgotha, the very place Jesus was
crucified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jerusalem eventually became a
small, run-down city that was a mere shadow of its former glories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its population included a small Christian
community, a few stalwart Jews and a lot of Bedouins and foreigners who were
down on their luck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But now, after
nearly 200 years, on outskirts of Jerusalem the Empress Helena and her royal
entourage were arriving on a very special assignment.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRJ1Sxpsk-kFLmlvWgm1GLTmVPF8LBKA1DymKiyOO2T_ViZhIjxF9dphSZRMn9g8BM6WE9xf_3oQYZmlkNNms66UtPIYnFgTOmsQnLLm2oBT7qQykurLjQDbclrB7EI3gtFB9hA54nl8/s1600/H8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRJ1Sxpsk-kFLmlvWgm1GLTmVPF8LBKA1DymKiyOO2T_ViZhIjxF9dphSZRMn9g8BM6WE9xf_3oQYZmlkNNms66UtPIYnFgTOmsQnLLm2oBT7qQykurLjQDbclrB7EI3gtFB9hA54nl8/s1600/H8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern pilgrims trace Christ's steps on Good Friday</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Constantine had sent his mother with a large amount of funds
and imperial authority to locate, preserve, and aggrandize as many sites
pertaining to the gospel as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even though it is known that Christian believers have always traveled to
Israel to see Biblical points of interest, the number of people who actually
made this journey is relatively small.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Helena,
who made her one and only journey to Israel at age 79, is rightly the mother of
Holy Land pilgrimages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, it is
either her or Constantine that is credited with first referring to Israel as
the Holy Land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But from Helena’s time to
the present day, Christians have for reasons of faith, penance, and simple
curiosity have ventured in great numbers to Israel to see the sites where the
Gospel drama unfolded.</div>
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When Helena arrived in the Holy Land she was baptized in the
Jordan river, visited Bethlehem and the cave where Joseph and Mary welcomed
Jesus into the world, and went in search of the places where Jesus was
crucified and then buried and rose from the dead.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjv0feWH6WNRl-x9CL0kugGYbTMB0WVHiCqIjp5Fzafg3poJicqsZj9nJRbnKvhothhLSohCLMyOT6Dr35BqNKUYn65heK1UDhJRT74-nr8d7zlm0HHOUhK7CTfd6Yc6jztklrwJDfTM/s1600/H7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjv0feWH6WNRl-x9CL0kugGYbTMB0WVHiCqIjp5Fzafg3poJicqsZj9nJRbnKvhothhLSohCLMyOT6Dr35BqNKUYn65heK1UDhJRT74-nr8d7zlm0HHOUhK7CTfd6Yc6jztklrwJDfTM/s1600/H7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helena also built church of Nativity</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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That Calvary could still be found nearly 300 years later is
neither impossible or even improbable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All sorts of important events and their locations are recalled by locals
long after they occur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Humans are story
tellers by nature and most history, even if not totally accurate, is oral
before it is committed to writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Combine this with the knowledge that within a century after the
crucifixion of Jesus, there was a shrine of Venus built there, the spot
wouldn’t be hard to detect even if only ruins remained.</div>
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However it was detected (and it has been suggested that Helena may have had her Roman guard use torture to get this information), Helena was able to find the Holy Sepulcher
(the tomb of Jesus) nearby and there a glorious church has stood (rebuilt
several times) up to the present day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The discovery of the Sepulcher no doubt led to another question:
whatever happened to the cross that Jesus was actually crucified on?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A search ensued, and near the area of the
Holy Sepulcher in an empty cistern were found the remains of three crosses and
separate and unattached the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">titulus
crucis</i> or the sign that hung above Jesus mentioned in the gospels.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZ5PSUb_lcpygiZveBm7fS1PAtWWeZrUi7rqbNC3LwlBTvG6nGY58xZMKBgGm7ye9K6SZTZ01ZIGs9X0ATTYxcD6eLm-Jz_rF-HZuda_IBqu-0ehR95tGg_YswmR_kPjapoVoxQT3_JY/s1600/Finding+of+the+True+Cross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZ5PSUb_lcpygiZveBm7fS1PAtWWeZrUi7rqbNC3LwlBTvG6nGY58xZMKBgGm7ye9K6SZTZ01ZIGs9X0ATTYxcD6eLm-Jz_rF-HZuda_IBqu-0ehR95tGg_YswmR_kPjapoVoxQT3_JY/s1600/Finding+of+the+True+Cross.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helena and the discovery of the True Cross</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem who was in attendance suggested
the one which was used by Jesus Christ could be determined by a miracle and it
was suggested that three incurably ill people be brought to the site and have
them touch one of the crosses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
person that was cured was obviously touching the cross of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The experiment happened as described and one
of the three people was miraculously cured by touching the cross and so this
was identified as the true cross from that day forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, it didn’t occur to anyone to have
the other two unhealed persons also touch the cross of Jesus and see if they
got well too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, this was a
prescientific era and so the idea of double-checking your results was not yet
known.</div>
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The story of finding the true cross is found in the works of
4 credible historians of the times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
there is a huge difficulty in the fact that the premier church historian
Eusebius, who was in the court of Constantine and possibly knew the empress as
well, speaks only about the discovery of the Holy Sepulcher but says nothing
about this relic or that Constantine received a portion of it for himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously this is an argument from silence
but that silence seems rather loud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, it could simply be that for Eusebius the discovery of the Holy
Sepulcher was the headline event and the discovery of the relic an entailment
that was implied but not mentioned.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_FZVA_YlZrCokLzvPbKUZWMgABu0aT_uuLTIURQ35NV80TRkw89ge0SAOjPX_uEx3tCcPA_9JRiTNYAykOAMqk5N_bVxpU_diAiO7z19JuxqfOY8o-KF_TrEjHxBtEA1EAqaMnbKMFg/s1600/H3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_FZVA_YlZrCokLzvPbKUZWMgABu0aT_uuLTIURQ35NV80TRkw89ge0SAOjPX_uEx3tCcPA_9JRiTNYAykOAMqk5N_bVxpU_diAiO7z19JuxqfOY8o-KF_TrEjHxBtEA1EAqaMnbKMFg/s1600/H3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Titulus Crucis housed in Rome today</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Although the story is not completely absurd, what is absurd
is what happened to pilgrims in later years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As they gathered at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to view the relic
of the cross, they were offered an opportunity to bring a sliver of it home as
a souvenir for a price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When asked how
it could be possible to do this with so many people coming every year, the
pilgrims were told the cross has a special power to regenerate itself. But this was many centuries after Helena’s visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWUJeT_zLKmnxlz1Us3_CdNrniajR-no0OcPJRvP9TABmMReQQcb4MSNhsuoViyj7jVeeck2ADbiWU2axi0DAzbeV624NqasyjjolEJfOHCFBW_62ux8QQ_wYAvhE4u9s3CjG7ZSzfJo/s1600/H11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWUJeT_zLKmnxlz1Us3_CdNrniajR-no0OcPJRvP9TABmMReQQcb4MSNhsuoViyj7jVeeck2ADbiWU2axi0DAzbeV624NqasyjjolEJfOHCFBW_62ux8QQ_wYAvhE4u9s3CjG7ZSzfJo/s1600/H11.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical size of most relics of the cross</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time of the visit, a significant
portion of the cross was left to be shown the pilgrims when the Church of the
Holy Sepulcher was completed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Helena
sent to her son Constantine the great a piece of the true cross and two of the
nails that were found with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Constantine is said to have incorporated the nails in his military
helmet and the wood was put inside a huge statue of himself in
Constantinople.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would enhance his
image as Christ’s ruler on earth as people would look at him or his statue and
would be reminded that they were also in the presence of the relics of Christ’s
passion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, Helena took a
significant portion of the true cross and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">titulus crucis </i>back to her palace in Rome along with a large
shipment of soil from the area of the Calvary that was being excavated for the
building of the Basilica that stands today. </div>
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Shortly after her death in 327 AD, the Sessorian palace was
converted into a church in Rome called Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Holy Cross
of Jerusalem) where pilgrims to Rome, also a holy city, could also be in the
presence of these relics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, the
only portion of the original Sessorian palace that remains is the small chapel
of St. Helena underneath the apse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
said that under the floor of the chapel is the soil that Helena brought back
from Jerusalem so that technically visitors are standing on an outpost of the
Holy Land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The relics once housed in the
wall of the chapel now reside in their own chapel on the top floor of the
church.</div>
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Helena lived long enough to return to Jerusalem one more
time to inspect the progress of the construction of the churches being
sponsored by her son and then died in her early eighties in the imperial palace
at Nicomedia (in Bithynia the region of her birth).</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyeB-aCttUorMk8dyHWYpJlcbdWV94RiKz7XOKB9DmoAuQ2pLwvn8nc6IWSl71mnzn7p4q7-qEsocjOoY-LMm0yZUyaQ1iZmuB2Er2L7N6zRUCRzWV36cUA74eYx8cJbmA87-OVJ4A3A/s1600/H5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyeB-aCttUorMk8dyHWYpJlcbdWV94RiKz7XOKB9DmoAuQ2pLwvn8nc6IWSl71mnzn7p4q7-qEsocjOoY-LMm0yZUyaQ1iZmuB2Er2L7N6zRUCRzWV36cUA74eYx8cJbmA87-OVJ4A3A/s1600/H5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pilgrims at Church of Holy Sepulcher today</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Pieces of the true cross were shared with many of the
churches throughout the Roman empire to the extent that Bishop Cyril of
Jerusalem said several decades after Helena that the whole world was filled
with pieces of the cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With such
widespread awareness of the cross and the memory of its appearance, it became
after Helena’s discovery the most popular symbol of Christianity as it remains
today.</div>
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Whether or not the relics of the true cross were actually
found by Helena so many centuries ago is a question of endless debate between
scholars, skeptics and believers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Authentic or not, the cross represents a physical connection to the
passion of Jesus Christ which is the centerpiece of all Christian hope and
confidence and an event beyond doubt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
that sense, the relics of the cross that exist today are holy as reminders to
all who view them that the son of God did in fact take our sins upon himself on
a Roman cross that by faith we too may become sons and daughters of the living
God.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXpd-vNvp2cimJFgr1649iCjwSF20jOqL9Urkc841qI2Ww-jWBgQI9m1ZGAl9uo5-dus2NXDh9E8EBP3Kpp3drgCByL0sWKyq7NsQVaxIpICnTxJdvPzf67KFU8GuODCqpUsTq41ySO8/s1600/H2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXpd-vNvp2cimJFgr1649iCjwSF20jOqL9Urkc841qI2Ww-jWBgQI9m1ZGAl9uo5-dus2NXDh9E8EBP3Kpp3drgCByL0sWKyq7NsQVaxIpICnTxJdvPzf67KFU8GuODCqpUsTq41ySO8/s1600/H2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Empress Helena</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Today, over 4 million people a year visit the Church of the
Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The church
of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem in Rome has significantly less visitors, but has
always been a popular with Christian pilgrims visiting the city.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Sources</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cairns, Earle E.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christianity Through the Centuries : A
History of the Christian Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Grand
Rapids : Zondervan, 1981)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Chapel of St. Helena.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Santa Croce in Gerusalemme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>12,
Piazza di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Roma, Italy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feb. 5, 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Personal visit.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chidester, David.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christianity : A Global History.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2000)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cohn-Sherbok, Lavinia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Who’s Who in Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(London : Routledge, 1998)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Day, Malcolm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Treasury of Saints: Their Lives and
Times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(New York : Chartwell, 2002)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ferguson, Everett.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Church History : From Christ to
Pre-Reformation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Grand Rapids :
Zondervan, 2013)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Guy, Laurie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Introducing Early Christianity: A Topical
Survey of Its Life, Belief, and Practices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></i>(Downers Grove: Intervarsity, 2004)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Helena”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and
Ecclesiastical Literature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>McClintock
and Strong eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grand Rapids : Baker
Book House, 1981)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Helena”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dictionary of Christian Biography.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michael Walsh ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2001)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Helena”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Angelo Di Berardino ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2014)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Leithart, Peter J.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an
Empire and the Dawn of Christendom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Downers
Grove : Intervarsity Press, 2010)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
McCulloch, Diarmaid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christianity: The First Three Thousand
Years.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(New York : Viking, 2009)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Schaff, Philip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">History of the Christian Church </i>Vol.
III.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grand Rapids : Eerdmanns, 1910)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-64691222259895462352015-05-07T06:58:00.001-07:002015-05-07T06:58:25.380-07:00St. Monica (331-387 AD): The Persistently Praying Mother by Chris White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgbDh_a8zJSGtrfKGwjKj6WKH4Goc-XcZPKO2LwEVrWvLdnxd5V1Z-igVDcGIudmwhHOikZvsqk51Cv2zB1dZu8amsgoyPQmDqxuPlz8FaYFGfDR46as1sr2aV86TDwY75Z06x8UyyuU/s1600/M1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgbDh_a8zJSGtrfKGwjKj6WKH4Goc-XcZPKO2LwEVrWvLdnxd5V1Z-igVDcGIudmwhHOikZvsqk51Cv2zB1dZu8amsgoyPQmDqxuPlz8FaYFGfDR46as1sr2aV86TDwY75Z06x8UyyuU/s1600/M1.jpg" /></a></div>
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</div>
William Ross Wallace once wrote “the hand that rocks the
cradle is the hand that rules the world.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These 19<sup>th</sup> century song lyrics express the undeniable truth
of motherhood’s great influence on the future history of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the greatest theologians of the
Christian church in ancient times, indeed for all times, is Aurelius
Augustinius Hipponensis more commonly known to the world as Saint
Augustine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Augustine’s bequest to
Western Civilization is his corpus of more than 1000 writings from which we
derive the ideas of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Original Sin</i> and
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Just War Theory</i> and most
famously, his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Confessions</i>, which is
believed to be the earliest form of autobiography in existence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Augustine was not always a brilliant
thinker, theologian, and passionate follower of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, from his early adolescence until his
early thirties, Augustine’s life was a story of out of control passion, ego
gratification, and spiritual confusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But standing behind Augustine (sometimes to his chagrin and irritation)
was a godly, longsuffering, praying mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And although only Jesus Christ can truly convert the heart of any
sinner, frequently, there is a pivotal person (or two or three) the Lord uses
in that process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Augustine’s life one
of those persons was definitely his mother Monica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is her story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But her story is the story of every Christian
mother who has struggled with a wayward son or daughter and so if you find
yourself in that position today, perhaps the life of St. Monica will be an
encouragement for you today.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monica's famously wayward son</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Monica was born in 331 AD at Thagaste (modern day Souk Ahras
in Algeria).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Monica’s name indicates a
Berber lineage as the name is derived from the Libyan god Mon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is raised in a devoutly Catholic home and
remains a practicing Christian her entire life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although she was a strong Christian, her faith was shaped by the
widespread atmosphere of superstition that was the culture of North
Africa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She kept a fast on the Sabbath
day and was known to participate in “death anniversary” observances where a
picnic was brought to the grave of a departed Christian and “shared” with them
on their special day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Monica also paid
very close attention to her dreams and considered them to be messages from the
other world.</div>
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When she was of marriageable age, she was joined to
Patricius who was a local town prefect for the Roman government and a pagan as
concerning his religious beliefs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
had 3 children (at least that we know about) Augustine being the first-born
(when Monica was 24 years old), another son Navigius, and a daughter whom we
are not given a name for but is known through Augustine’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Confessions</i> as having made a religious profession and heading an abbey
in adulthood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rounding out the family
was her mother-in-law who came to live with them late in her life (presumably
when she was widowed).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her name is also
unknown to us but what is known is that she had a real gift for being quite
cantankerous.</div>
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Patricius and Monica had a secure but troubled
marriage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patricius had a least one
extra-marital affair, was possibly an alcoholic and on occasion given over to
domestic violence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Monica was
instrumental in her husband’s conversion to the Christian faith the year before
he died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was humble, spoke of God to
him, and worked very conscientiously in carrying out her household duties
(winning him over with her deeds more than her words as we read in 1 Peter 3).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also believed her mother-in-law was won
to the faith in the same way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Monica was
known for being longsuffering and a peacemaker at heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On one occasion she rebuked her fellow
friends who were complaining about their husbands for speaking evil towards
their masters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Monica became a widow at
age 40 and never pursued marriage again but rather devoted her remaining time
on earth to her children, especially her famously wayward son Augustine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxDU67oJ48Jr3Ift4lWDdg-Ysm77p0ZYcq0DpQydQO8QpgR-sAhpe95-wxfu8sYZjtT_5gb1Z3hWo4BuapkTB03RSVZf0afL3G3cT5XR4kjupvCOZRBAPv9OvVEd0lD1kAcWvs_2OZko/s1600/M10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxDU67oJ48Jr3Ift4lWDdg-Ysm77p0ZYcq0DpQydQO8QpgR-sAhpe95-wxfu8sYZjtT_5gb1Z3hWo4BuapkTB03RSVZf0afL3G3cT5XR4kjupvCOZRBAPv9OvVEd0lD1kAcWvs_2OZko/s1600/M10.jpg" /></a></div>
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As a mother Monica was known to be a caring but strict disciplinarian
of her children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was very dedicated
to their education and religious upbringing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are conflicting stories about Monica and Augustine’s baptism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some say Monica had Augustine baptized as an
infant and even in early adolescence when it was feared he may not live through
an illness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others say that Monica had a
strong belief that Augustine should put off his baptism until the raging
hormones of teenage life had passed because baptism only covered prior sins and
penance (what you did when you sinned afterwards) was quite arduous in the
early church.</div>
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Either way, Augustine was to prove a great disappointment at
this stage of his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was attending
school near home and had enrolled in the Catechumenate (classes which prepare
you for baptism and church membership), but when he moved to Carthage to
receive his higher education in rhetoric (a communication degree) he, like many
college students even today, abandoned his parent’s faith and joined an eastern
religious sect known as the Manicheans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When he came home from college for a weekend visit and announced his new
found faith, Monica was so mad at him she refused to eat with him and didn’t
let him sleep in the house.</div>
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She was so distraught about her son that she went and sought
the counsel of her local bishop who told her “it is not possible that a son of
so many tears will be lost.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then one
night the Lord gave her assurance that Augustine would eventually come back to
the faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From that day forward she
fasted and patiently prayed for his conversion until it happened.</div>
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It’s funny how none of us truly know what is in the hearts
of the people we know and love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Augustine writes in his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Confessions</i>
(written after his mother’s death) that he drank of the milk of Christ’s love
from his mother and that he had always loved and was fascinated with
Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He just didn’t think Christianity
was intellectually satisfying enough for him and he of course didn’t like any
of the moral restraints that came with it either.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6oOt9IyzsL6rgdmGonaPeEV1AuFkbC9sak-wsxGKgjUOGgUqt6gplbxypq97f0tSY6vVVpDJXolfYxIWBe48V3HIdZ1w-GXWgOiz9IYcFED-ZRqa42NitGnJ544oAjK2Cjfz1ddyENOk/s1600/M7.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6oOt9IyzsL6rgdmGonaPeEV1AuFkbC9sak-wsxGKgjUOGgUqt6gplbxypq97f0tSY6vVVpDJXolfYxIWBe48V3HIdZ1w-GXWgOiz9IYcFED-ZRqa42NitGnJ544oAjK2Cjfz1ddyENOk/s1600/M7.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monica left behind in Carthage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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But Monica was the ‘hound of Heaven’ in his life and seemed
to follow her son wherever he was living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She sternly warned him about his dissipation and sexual exploits as she
saw this tendency in him and knew it was the undoing of his father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She stood by and watched with disappointment
as her son took a concubine (what we would call today a live-in girlfriend) and
received her first grandson from her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She loved him through his rebellion against God and continued her
prayers for him.</div>
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When Augustine had had enough of Carthage, he wanted to move
to the greener pastures of Rome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Apparently, he also wanted a break from his mother and so he told her
they would be leaving the next morning by boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When she arrived, she found out that Augustine had lied to her and had
already set sail on a much earlier ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Augustine found his work in Rome difficult and even more competitive
than it was in Carthage, but it did lead to a connection for him in civil service
work in the imperial capital of Milan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was a great career move for Augustine who is soon joined by his
mother, younger siblings, and some cousins who all get to share in his good
fortune.<br />
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</div>
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Monica begins attending the main church of Milan which is
pastored by bishop Ambrose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ambrose is a
man of towering intellect but is also an extremely engaging preacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This factor attracts Augustine to attend
services with his mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He, being a
rhetorician, enjoyed hearing powerful communicators even if he didn’t believe
in their message.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in time, Augustine
found the message itself quite compelling and slowly but surely began to open
his heart to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Outside of church, Ambrose
also made time to meet with Augustine to answer his questions and concerns
about the faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Augustine and Ambrose
were intellectually equals and I think this inspired, at least on a human
level, confidence in the answers Augustine was getting to his questions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Augustine’s spiritual struggle gives way to faith as he
reads the Scriptures for himself and to the joy of his mother announces his
conversion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the answer to her
heartfelt prayer of 30 years and her son’s life and future ministry were to
prove how God answers prayers with an abundance beyond our hopes and dreams.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8t8h8zZoEmsJYkMPuEIcNSWy3NWMJtidMa-U_bkrAvEI2gpLw6Qp_JKjRfcjknDc8BfDfRB6rXhZyOrmA2tMiREzDqnwVGoWzj9e8F90RzhC_djD-aRoq2G_uVwRMv6-c6Q2ITZjDktg/s1600/M4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8t8h8zZoEmsJYkMPuEIcNSWy3NWMJtidMa-U_bkrAvEI2gpLw6Qp_JKjRfcjknDc8BfDfRB6rXhZyOrmA2tMiREzDqnwVGoWzj9e8F90RzhC_djD-aRoq2G_uVwRMv6-c6Q2ITZjDktg/s1600/M4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Augustine's spiritual crisis ends in his backyard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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Over the next few years Augustine, Monica, his son
Adeodatus, his brother and some friends move to the villa of a friend on the
shores of Lake Como.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Inspired by the
desert monk Anthony of Egypt, Augustine wants to form a community that seeks
truth through the study of scripture and the exploration of philosophy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a period of great joy and new
learning that lasted over several years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Augustine also found his estimation of his mother quite inaccurate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though she was largely illiterate (as many women
were in this time) and was known to be a bit superstitious, she held her own in
many philosophical and theological discussions and was often found to have
penetrating insight.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPTkt9X4RGQkcCXHZ9U_xwRaXzqTqIIqcWjbhfE8G3iQVkcBSm4lmti5I5KeSVz-c5yaiHpokI3Aoji2I6QatrGc8HoCJGkufEuHFiQ2ZIyDDfE3P_grd-RbcDmkckVi7LuNWRGBj-30/s1600/M9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPTkt9X4RGQkcCXHZ9U_xwRaXzqTqIIqcWjbhfE8G3iQVkcBSm4lmti5I5KeSVz-c5yaiHpokI3Aoji2I6QatrGc8HoCJGkufEuHFiQ2ZIyDDfE3P_grd-RbcDmkckVi7LuNWRGBj-30/s1600/M9.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Como in Italy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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Ostia was a place of embarkation back to Africa. After a few
years Augustine wanted to return to his homeland of North Africa and pursue a
similar community devoted to learning and serving the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Making their way to the port of Ostia (the
ancient sea port of Rome) they found they would have to wait for a while as the
outbreak of war was making travel to North Africa impossible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The group rented a home there in Ostia until
they could get back home.</div>
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During this time of waiting, Augustine and Monica sat
overlooking the garden of their home and were caught up in a mutual vision of
glory and felt such peace and delight that nothing on earth seemed of any
importance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Monica expressed that now
that her son was truly a strong Christian, she was content to die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which she did shortly thereafter
following<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a sudden illness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As she died in the arms of Augustine, she
told him she didn’t mind dying in a foreign land because it makes no difference
at the resurrection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just bury me
anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But wherever you live, just
remember me at the altar of God.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPv8UMb2GABX3JNl2Y9TH6DtbB3DT7Gw6l3smbAWXuCzh1YlkVlS19Qk_V5AdBEoPAbd0AQyNdDjfpYnUfUIEd7dOubs-fWv0PJWPd7Ndh8wSGj4NCgYW147b0UgwDAiytka-G2JeTbi8/s1600/M2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPv8UMb2GABX3JNl2Y9TH6DtbB3DT7Gw6l3smbAWXuCzh1YlkVlS19Qk_V5AdBEoPAbd0AQyNdDjfpYnUfUIEd7dOubs-fWv0PJWPd7Ndh8wSGj4NCgYW147b0UgwDAiytka-G2JeTbi8/s1600/M2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Augustine and Monica at Ostia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Augustine buried Monica in Ostia and eventually journeyed
back to North Africa but was never really able to fully realize the monastic
community he envisioned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Duty called and
he was pressed into the service of the church as a bishop leading through a
period of great turmoil and trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite
the demands of ministry, Augustine was prolific as a writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At age 46, 16 years after his conversion he
writes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Confessions</i>, an honest,
unvarnished look at his spiritual pilgrimage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is in this book that posterity knows of Monica, the mother who prayed
her entire family into the Kingdom of Heaven. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1000 years after her death, the Pope ordered her remains to
be removed from Ostia and reburied in a chapel dedicated to her in the Basilica
Saint Augustine in Rome.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Christian historian Philip Schaff says that Monica
travailed with him to be born of the Spirit with greater pain than when she
gave birth to him in the flesh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also
calls her the encouragement to all Christian mothers who worry about the salvation
of their children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her life is an
illustration of Jesus’s teaching that we should pray at all times and not lose
heart (Lk.18:1).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Sources:</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Augustine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Confessions of St. Augustine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Edward B. Pusey trans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(New York: Pocket Books, 1952)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cairns, Earle E.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christianity Through The Centuries : A
History of the Christian Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Grand
Rapids : Zondervan, 1981)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Day, Malcolm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Treasury of Saints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(New York : Chartwell Books, 2002)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Knowles, Andrew and Pachomios Penkett.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Augustine
and His World.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Downers Grove :
Intervarsity Press, 2004)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Latourette, Kenneth Scott.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A History of Christianity Vol. 1
rev. ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(New York : Harper and Row,
1975)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
MacCulloch, Diarmaid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christianity: The First Three
Thousand Years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(New York : Penguin,
2009)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Monica, St.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and
Ecclesiastical Literature Vol. VI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>McClintock
and Strong eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grand Rapids : Baker
Books, 1981)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Monica”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angelo Di Berardino, Gen. Ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Downers Grove : Intervarsity, 2014)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Monica”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saint of the Day: Lives, Lessons, and
Feasts.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Foley & McCloskey O.F.M.
eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Cincinnati : St. Anthony Messenger
Press, 2001) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pope Benedict XVI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fathers. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Huntington : Our Sunday Visitor Publishing,
2008)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Schaff, Philip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">History of the Christian Church Vol. 3 </i>(Grand
Rapids : Eerdmanns, 1910)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shelley, Bruce L.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Church History in Plain Language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Dallas:Word, 1995)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wills, Garry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">St. Augustine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(New York: Viking Publishing, 1999)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-82689426504232742212015-04-30T07:38:00.000-07:002015-04-30T07:38:01.852-07:00Martin Luther King Jr. : The Man With a Dream by Chris White<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pFfEnX_ANrtPntCDfRnoKXo5d1pb5EMPFs105VvQFnIYrge3d3qYxV57sBBe4L8ZAkgT8rLhIqsMtfjFqUE-s3FFTw0x335gUYx9xVpgKYJVFxmNXaVungZUhRHoblRYev4x9y24j90/s1600/mlk1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pFfEnX_ANrtPntCDfRnoKXo5d1pb5EMPFs105VvQFnIYrge3d3qYxV57sBBe4L8ZAkgT8rLhIqsMtfjFqUE-s3FFTw0x335gUYx9xVpgKYJVFxmNXaVungZUhRHoblRYev4x9y24j90/s1600/mlk1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin Luther King Jr.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 60.0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was born January 15<sup>th</sup>,
1929 in Atlanta Georgia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His birth name was Michael Luther King but
later adopted his father’s name and went as Jr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Both his father and grandfather were preachers at Ebenezer
Baptist Church
in Atlanta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>King and his only brother Alfred also grew to
become preachers.<br />
<br />
Martin was a gifted student and
because of his test scores managed to skip two grades in high school and entered
college at age 15.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His academic career
was quite distinguished earning degrees in sociology, divinity, and
eventually a doctorate in systematic theology from Boston University.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout his career as a civil rights leader he accumulated 20 honorary
doctoral degrees from some of America’s
most distinguished schools.<br />
<br />
King was ordained at age 19
by his home church and after graduation from seminary he pastored a congregation
in Montgomery Alabama for 5 years. This first pastorate would give direction to the rest of his life. His first year in Montgomery was 1954. It was also the same year Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on one of the downtown
buses. This in turn led to a citywide boycott of the municipal bus system. Organizers elected the young pastor King to lead this effort
and this brought about his rise to national prominence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosa Parks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The boycott lasted more than a year but resulted in Alabama’s segregation laws being struck down
by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was during this time that he realized
his new calling and eventually resigned the church in Montgomery to move back to Atlanta. There he founded and
became the 1<sup>st</sup> director of the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference whose mission it was to peacefully protest for Civil Rights.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin and Coretta Scott King</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
In 1959,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>King and his wife Coretta go to India
as the guests of Prime Minister Nehru to study Gandhi’s methods of non-violent
protest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>King did not waver from
Christian beliefs in his thinking, but felt that Gandhi’s methodology of
non-violent and non-destructive change was the best vehicle for appealing to
people’s minds and consciences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>According to King, “Jesus Christ provided the spirit of non-violence,
while Gandhi presented the method.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gandhi’s
work on behalf of the Indian people in South
Africa and later in British controlled India was
against laws designed to deny certain races of people basic human rights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had been extremely effective and King saw a direct parallel with the race issue in America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lesser known influence on both King and
Gandhi was the early American essayist Henry David Thoreau who wrote on civil
disobedience.<br />
<br />
Martin Luther King Jr.'s 4 Cornerstones of Non-Violent Change:<br />
<ol>
<li>No agressive or violent actions towards your opponent. The opposition must see they are mistaken through spiritual means and spiritual change. </li>
<li>Do not seek defeat or humiliation of your enemy, but rather seek to win their friendship and understanding. The aftermath of violence is always bitterness, the aftermath of non-violence is redemption, reconciliation, and community.</li>
<li>The battle for Civil Rights is a spiritual one. Those who practice and perpetuate injustice have been provoked to do so by spiritual forces of darkness. Only light can dispel the darkness.</li>
<li>The chain of hate can only be broken by loving your enemies. Thus, non-violent resistance eschews not only physical retaliation but also hating your opponent which is a form of violence of the spirit.</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
King was not universally heralded by all groups within the
black community because of his principles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other movements such as
the Black Power Movement and Nation of Islam stressed self-defense, and acts of
violence to bring about change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such
leaders would include Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael. King actually lived out these principles in the heat of
battle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He never used bodyguards during
protests and was assaulted and arrested numerous times.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Zc6PDGry7aZz_UFAaa-L1aPfVKww4Me23M23Cwy94bYM3m3NiDFy_XC1iVnVmCUNTBthTtKhXikQUkd8yOz6hLgB5j-eMUjmmVReVNcZR_qZHc8PCp-nbgaqOCone1mE2SEaMlWGt70/s1600/gandhi-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Zc6PDGry7aZz_UFAaa-L1aPfVKww4Me23M23Cwy94bYM3m3NiDFy_XC1iVnVmCUNTBthTtKhXikQUkd8yOz6hLgB5j-eMUjmmVReVNcZR_qZHc8PCp-nbgaqOCone1mE2SEaMlWGt70/s1600/gandhi-01.jpg" height="320" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ghandi's Methods inspired MLK jr.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
Transcending King's non-violent approach to racial discrimination was his gift of oratory. He was at core a preacher and his message and rhetoric was riveting. The most noteworthy speech he gave was at the August 1963 March on Washington. In front of the Lincoln memorial before a crowd of 250,000 he delivered his famed "I have a Dream" speech. It has entered into the canon of American literature and speech-making as one of the most important and well-crafted in the history of our country.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smEqnnklfYs">Watch Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" Speech here</a><br />
<br />
Even as King gave that speech, civil rights for blacks in America was really still just a dream. This is the same year "Bull" Connor ordered firehoses to be used on black
protesters on Birmingham<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> along with police dogs. But by this time the nation and world were watching these things on the evening news and the contrast between agression and non-violence was seen and having its effect. One of those watching was then President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy began work on getting the Civil Rights Act started that same summer but was killed four months later.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BEhKgoA86U">Watch President Kennedy's Speech on Civil Rights</a> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Although </span>loved by many, there were some whites who considered him uppity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
Although Billy </span>Graham has a long record of standing against racial discrimination, even he publicly said he<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>thought King was moving
“too fast”.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbno4pcpxrAFB4YtLSUNaCACHLxzW-JaDHA-_VdYZnFF7zoX8lSv-AuhDDgd_9-8Z8dC0jDe9Uevj9wTpJ0nZoxNCoTm4BqiJPmY07awBlBnfEzBe0kEIekbn0TSOhe7WRwTdRmC1QZc/s1600/mlk2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbno4pcpxrAFB4YtLSUNaCACHLxzW-JaDHA-_VdYZnFF7zoX8lSv-AuhDDgd_9-8Z8dC0jDe9Uevj9wTpJ0nZoxNCoTm4BqiJPmY07awBlBnfEzBe0kEIekbn0TSOhe7WRwTdRmC1QZc/s1600/mlk2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MLK was incarcerated many times</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Just prior to the 1963 March on Washington King was in jail and there he wrote a public letter to the clergy of America that is quite revealing of his perceptions about the church and the average Christian in the day: “I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the
negro’s great stumbling block in his stride towards freedom is not the white
citizens councilor or the Ku-Klux-Klanner, but the white<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>moderate, who is more devoted to order than
justice.”<br />
<br />
In 1964, despite great opposition in congress from several southern states, President Lyndon Johnson was able to get passed the Civil Rights Act which effectively ended legal racial discrimination in the United States. This was a great victory for Martin Luther King Jr. and many others who had labored long and hard in this battle, but winning a battle doesn't mean a war is over. Even in the 21st century, "the race issue" continues to have lingering effects in America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MLK minutes before his death</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">In </span>1968 MLK was gunned down in Memphis by James Earl Ray
under suspicious circumstances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
likely a paid ‘hit’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>King had nearly
died some years early when he was attacked and nearly stabbed to death while in
Harlem. In 1999, wife Coretta Scott King and their children of launched a civil
trial to try the case as a conspiracy in which city officials of Memphis along with state
officials and certain members of the federal government had colluded in the
assassination of Dr. King.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 12 person
jury in Memphis Tennessee ruled in favor of the King family.<br />
<br />
In 1969 King’s younger brother died accidentally and in 1974
King’s mother was shot and killed by an assailant while she was playing the
organ at Church on a Sunday morning.<br />
<br />
In his work Martin Luther King Jr. traveled over 6 million miles and spoke
publicly over 2500 times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through his and the efforts of so many others, the Civil Rights Act was passed 100 years after the end of the Civil War. A down payment was made on "the Dream." At age 35, MLK was the youngest man ever to receive the
Nobel Peace Prize.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7A4bBzqd7kmqu4wFLKbVMDjIZZwFw9zL0tUBNY85mAONhsGPwiZm5_jBjB2S4cejgcvH82XrFESczcWplOLNngaoEE6XGP3squSFI8pfP5qKtJNjmgTmsSB02mOMaIBW96mOBbHCg-iU/s1600/mlk6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7A4bBzqd7kmqu4wFLKbVMDjIZZwFw9zL0tUBNY85mAONhsGPwiZm5_jBjB2S4cejgcvH82XrFESczcWplOLNngaoEE6XGP3squSFI8pfP5qKtJNjmgTmsSB02mOMaIBW96mOBbHCg-iU/s1600/mlk6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King with President Johnson in 1964</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
One author has wisely assessed that to understand Martin Luther King as
only a black leader fighting for the rights and liberation of black people is
to miss the wider scope of his work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
worked with many people both black and white to end, at least legally, our
nations ultimate hypocrisy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were
founded under the principle that all men are created equal and have certain
unalienable rights, but that did not apply until recent history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had the civil rights movement of 1954-1964
never happened, America
would hardly be able to call herself the leader of the free world.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQSnNmns1p6ihHsMjtNt5aPq9moCLclDerLbMLgGu1vV10Q4IIbMiEZzz-xzSbMchxsVzuX0FNOFnJmnO4Xtt-tBi8sAm3BNi_38G3e0k2Cje2a-dM5wS3V2a4CxpLSl-WJhSceuiok4/s1600/mlk5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQSnNmns1p6ihHsMjtNt5aPq9moCLclDerLbMLgGu1vV10Q4IIbMiEZzz-xzSbMchxsVzuX0FNOFnJmnO4Xtt-tBi8sAm3BNi_38G3e0k2Cje2a-dM5wS3V2a4CxpLSl-WJhSceuiok4/s1600/mlk5.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
On the internet there are some fairly vicious sites geared
at discrediting Dr. King.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the
material is false or greatly exaggerated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Suffice it to say MLK was a good man who like most of us had his sins and
failures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A fact of life he shares with many of our greatest American heroes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we honor Martin Luther King Jr. not as a
saint but a great leader whose life and career (only 13 years) was cut short.<br />
<br />
King is the only American clergyman who is honored with a
national holiday.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-5154059509550300552015-04-22T05:36:00.000-07:002015-04-22T05:36:01.026-07:00Aimee Semple McPherson (1890-1944): The Celebrated Soul-Winner of Echo Park by Chris White<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihsdqzyjWCW3v80QJruHHjVmt4aYLtPuiFqfNY9Xv5RUjzGjJ3PBifbpA1znzo2YV2QgDi5YDmWqQjMFICHLMnFZtuJhWtUuwzOS93PAEosk7YGU-f9GbpN9muFe21akCZYUT46Me0-yg/s1600/A4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihsdqzyjWCW3v80QJruHHjVmt4aYLtPuiFqfNY9Xv5RUjzGjJ3PBifbpA1znzo2YV2QgDi5YDmWqQjMFICHLMnFZtuJhWtUuwzOS93PAEosk7YGU-f9GbpN9muFe21akCZYUT46Me0-yg/s1600/A4.jpg" height="320" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical Sunday preaching outfit</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I must confess a personal fascination with Aimee Semple
McPherson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was a 5-star,
gold-plated, American Pentecostal preacher par excellence who was so popular,
so committed to doing the work of the Lord, so loved by her people, that her
deeply flawed personal life seemed to be of little concern to anyone but her
detractors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her ministry was in
Hollywood during the ‘Golden-Age of Hollywood’ and her life seemed to imitate
the filmmaker’s art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aimee was in fact a
glamorous Hollywood star except that her work wasn’t shown on the silver screen
but rather at Angelus Temple before capacity crowds three times each Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was a tireless soul-winner and her church
a model of Christian charity during the years of the Great Depression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aimee exploited the opportunities her life
and times afforded her to make the Gospel of Christ famous among the
nations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I deeply respect that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other side of the equation there is
this person who was often married and divorced, an extreme workaholic, and
thrived on public attention that is not appalling, but let’s say very
unappealing in someone who is a servant of the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hence, a very complex and fascinating subject
to my mind and as you read her story I’m sure you’ll feel the same way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aimee’s mother, Mildred (Minnie) Pearce was 14 years old
when she was hired to come into the household of 50 year old James Kennedy of
Salford Ontario.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pearce was hired as a
nurse for Kennedy’s dying wife Elizabeth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Within a few months, Elizabeth Kennedy passes away and a couple of
months later the 50 year old Kennedy and 14 year old Minnie announce their
engagement much to the scandal of their small town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of the scandal the couple ends up
slipping over the U.S. border where they are quietly married in Michigan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several years later (1890), a daughter, Aimee
is born to the couple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By 1903, Aimee (aged 13) was already showing the promise of
her future vocation and controversial life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well-known as a gifted public speaker in her rural and largely Christian
community, Aimee claimed to be an atheist and was gaining notoriety as an
evangelist for Darwin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this all
changes in 1907 when a young and handsome Christian evangelist from Ireland
named Robert Semple holds a revival service near her home town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aimee’s intention in attending the rally was
to poke fun and be disruptive, but instead she finds herself greatly touched by
the message and becomes a convert to Christianity.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlScIXi14puZmL6bHpoAR2HBJGzCl70SvJ7j7lQUAZiQqvIWOZ04ECNIWQHqRg779FTBqIZLll_ASl6C3EdCu_q5LYLEikfRj_NZx7i4D_VoqwbyojzrtRSsOd9BajEndn3ZOdMkd7Hs/s1600/A15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlScIXi14puZmL6bHpoAR2HBJGzCl70SvJ7j7lQUAZiQqvIWOZ04ECNIWQHqRg779FTBqIZLll_ASl6C3EdCu_q5LYLEikfRj_NZx7i4D_VoqwbyojzrtRSsOd9BajEndn3ZOdMkd7Hs/s1600/A15.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aimee and Robert Semple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By the end of the series of revival meetings, Aimee humbly
asks God how she is to serve Him and He impresses on her heart that she is to
be a winner of souls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to impugn
Aimee’s motives or ability to hear God, but the fact is Aimee was quite in love
with the young Mr. Semple and would end up marrying him 6 months later and so
it stands to reason she would want to be a soul-winner since he was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But to her credit, Aimee proved true to this
calling the remainder of her life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The roots of modern Pentecostalism began in 1900.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although there were many spiritual charisms
operating within this branch of Christianity, at the heart of the movement was
the charism of tongues which is what came upon Jesus’s disciples on the Jewish
holiday of Pentecost and inaugurated the entire Christian movement in the 1<sup>st</sup>
century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This charism gave them the
supernatural ability to speak in languages they didn’t know which attracted the
attention of foreigners in Jerusalem that day who then heard for the first time
the message of Jesus the Messiah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Modern
Pentecostalism saw this gifting (at least initially) as a new wave of the Holy
Spirit’s workings to finish evangelizing the world and usher in the Kingdom of
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many Pentecostal Christian
missionaries went out into foreign lands in this early period, some thinking
that their gift of “tongues” was all they needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many were quite shocked when they arrived
overseas and not a soul understood what they were saying!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Although there is no indication that Robert
and Aimee were thinking of going out that ill-prepared, by 1910 the couple were
preparing for a move to Hong Kong and join the ranks of missioners in China. On their way to China, Robert and Aimee stop in England to
visit some of his relatives but also to visit a Christian millionaire whom they
hope will give them a large gift for their missionary expenses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The night before their departure to China,
the millionaire friend asked Aimee to give the message that night at the
Christian services being held in Royal Albert Hall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had never actually preached before and
was extremely nervous about it, but with a possible large donation in mind,
Aimee got up, overcame her fear, and preached a sermon that had the 15,000
people in the auditorium spellbound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
the end of the evening their hoped for donation was handed to them in an
envelope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they opened it, it was a
measly $15 dollars (I guess this particular Christian man wasn’t a millionaire
because he was generous with his money!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomlWTYER75VoWwlm_deQd4cbzuM2PFGegpQLmQtdc0A2hdnTfxj2ji5gq65BQY-PGDlI2yMFviUz_WlPVnKeKp4CvsCz3yTVBGPMhVMc4tyPyOX4M_s0jTtwlkuydrlLAT06i-3edQkM/s1600/A1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomlWTYER75VoWwlm_deQd4cbzuM2PFGegpQLmQtdc0A2hdnTfxj2ji5gq65BQY-PGDlI2yMFviUz_WlPVnKeKp4CvsCz3yTVBGPMhVMc4tyPyOX4M_s0jTtwlkuydrlLAT06i-3edQkM/s1600/A1.jpg" height="320" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aimee and the rotating cross</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In June of the same year the couple arrives in China.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aimee is pregnant with her first child and
both Robert and her are sick with malaria and dysentery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By August, Robert Semple dies of his sickness
leaving Aimee a widow heavy with child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Still sick herself, Aimee returns to the United States with her infant
daughter Roberta Star Semple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There she
moves in with her mother Minnie who is now estranged from her husband and living in
New York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the help of her mother,
Aimee is able to recover from the trauma of losing her husband and regain her
health again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From this point forward
Aimee’s mother Mildred Kennedy will be, for better or worse, her constant
companion and support.</div>
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The following year (1911), Aimee meets her 2<sup>nd</sup>
husband Harold McPherson and remarries giving birth to a son the following
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After child-birth Aimee goes into
a deep, post-partum depression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around
this time she receives a reminder from the Lord of her calling to win souls and
her health does not improve until she agrees to follow her calling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With her marriage on the rocks in 1915 Aimee
leaves Harold McPherson to become a traveling revivalist on the east coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was moderately successful in the
enterprise and was able to raise enough money beyond expenses to purchase a
used canvas revival tent and her trademark “gospel car”, a 1912 Packard that
doubled as transportation and her headquarters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On the doors of this car were painted “Jesus is coming soon—get ready!”
and “where will you spend eternity?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
traveled in this car through neighborhoods passing out gospel tracts, preaching
to crowds from the backseat, and even typed up her sermons in the car balancing
a typewriter on her lap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During this
venture, her estranged husband joins her, gets saved, and even becomes a
revivalist himself, but the marriage never works and the couple end up formally
divorcing a few years later.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzHnsyv44JuAdJDdvmjpJ4Phmxvykm48GtkTxSYcJEJWOr_i5XzK6csmU3bqbUU-mBl1CKEYqipRSdDCxJtVxVb9DJ8-oRnTaPkfCKYV0GfdOL9cru7NOLdA7jffKRP06Q3ruoz29nZo/s1600/A8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzHnsyv44JuAdJDdvmjpJ4Phmxvykm48GtkTxSYcJEJWOr_i5XzK6csmU3bqbUU-mBl1CKEYqipRSdDCxJtVxVb9DJ8-oRnTaPkfCKYV0GfdOL9cru7NOLdA7jffKRP06Q3ruoz29nZo/s1600/A8.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aimee and the "Gospel Car"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In 1918 Aimee drives across the U.S. continent with her
mother and two children to settle in Los Angeles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is the first woman to accomplish this
feat in an era long before freeways or even a lot of paved roads had joined the
nation together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No doubt Aimee stopped
and preached on every leg of the journey.</div>
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The next year (1919) Aimee joins the fledgling Assembly of
God denomination as an evangelist and envisions Angelus temple—a facility for
continuous revival and ministry training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This building, located across from Echo Park, was by far one of the
largest church buildings of its day with seating for over 5000 people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took several years to raise the funds, but
as Aimee continued to itinerate, she was able to raise the $1.5 million dollars
required to build and in 1923 Angelus Temple is dedicated and opened completely
debt-free. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMe8wEJP8ORfztQpSWPrB2ancmIcjd-No4Ki5TrySTPMRA5Bb_hbyGx4R9TOWQVX3i8YD9beZe9pZUkJ7auhielT2St53KDqB_CE2G4TalAScAJTBL8gV6WtMmDlAdYVUEKTW04oUlpo/s1600/A7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMe8wEJP8ORfztQpSWPrB2ancmIcjd-No4Ki5TrySTPMRA5Bb_hbyGx4R9TOWQVX3i8YD9beZe9pZUkJ7auhielT2St53KDqB_CE2G4TalAScAJTBL8gV6WtMmDlAdYVUEKTW04oUlpo/s1600/A7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Souvenir Postcard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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When the people of Los Angeles first walked through the
doors, I can only imagine the surprise as this was a church like no other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s sanctuary was round and the ceiling
which was painted with clouds and a sky was 125 feet tall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The building was topped with a rotating and
illuminated cross which could be seen for 50 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The temple had a huge velvet throne for Aimee
to sit on, an orchestra pit, a fabulous parsonage for her and her family, a
radio station and eventually a Bible college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Aimee is the first woman in the U.S. to hold an FCC license for a radio
station and hers was only the 3<sup>rd</sup> station on L.A. at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angelus Temple (still in use today and on the
National Register of Historic Places) is an amazing building and in many ways a
reflection of Aimee’s larger than life personality, frenetic lifestyle, and
bold vision for ministry. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvXCXoKa1efLsisE9OXC-lLs8XoLDTT0sb9z3X_wv30Z6XRse3xBc5MtWoN2tmORZWqJUazgOe2kivvxVnN33cMnwEFK-9PxqZAOGaK1cog2lY_QP6zj7J2cLeaHd29pxIAVUKDLZdOA/s1600/A9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvXCXoKa1efLsisE9OXC-lLs8XoLDTT0sb9z3X_wv30Z6XRse3xBc5MtWoN2tmORZWqJUazgOe2kivvxVnN33cMnwEFK-9PxqZAOGaK1cog2lY_QP6zj7J2cLeaHd29pxIAVUKDLZdOA/s1600/A9.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aimee with sermon props</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Two events in 1921 are quite important<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to her future ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, Aimee had an epiphany based on the
vision of the four faced winged creatures of Ezekiel chapter 1 (verse 10).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although it is a relatively obscure passage
of scripture to most people, Aimee’s understanding of it is in the van of a
long tradition of Bible interpretation which considers the odd creatures to be
pictorial representations of the Messiah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And so, the ox which is a beast of burden speaks to the messiah’s
ministry of bearing our sins; the eagle, which is a bird that goes wherever it
wishes, speaks of the Holy Spirit which is sent to the church by the Messiah;
the face of a man speaks of the incarnation of the Messiah in which his life
imparts healing to a race living under the curse of Adam; and the lion, which
is the king of beasts, speaks of the Kingdom of God which will be realized in the
second coming of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aimee saw in
this fourfold message of salvation, spirit baptism, divine healing, and the 2<sup>nd</sup>
Coming of Christ, a mission statement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These were the cornerstones of the gospel of Christ from which she would
later name her organization the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. </div>
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The second event happens at a revival service she is
conducting in the Midwest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, Aimee
pulls a paralyzed woman from a wheelchair and gains a reputation for being a
preacher with a gift for physical healing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is a genuine charism given to some in the church by the Spirit of
God that is often looked upon, and often rightly so, with suspicion because
some people have faked healings as a means of ginning up attendance at their
churches and revival services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is
no evidence that Aimee was a charlatan in this regard and in fact over the next
21 years of her ministry there was a room in Angelus Temple called the “miracle
room” which was filled with a display of crutches, braces, and other personal
artifacts people left behind in the church after they had been spontaneously
healed at a service. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwsjPvA38XwBTZx0WKlpgID28dCWC0hyKJcebW3axekZm300H7kgGnaHzuziiR6_tg8q8Ydkf7qQiPQAkVu5ZMzEXMW6I3CK5cKqgU3eNrG8tCLA2cZsfXJ7ZVtJlqSH1YKFR2h0UDVNY/s1600/A6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwsjPvA38XwBTZx0WKlpgID28dCWC0hyKJcebW3axekZm300H7kgGnaHzuziiR6_tg8q8Ydkf7qQiPQAkVu5ZMzEXMW6I3CK5cKqgU3eNrG8tCLA2cZsfXJ7ZVtJlqSH1YKFR2h0UDVNY/s1600/A6.jpg" /></a></div>
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Three years after the opening of Angelus Temple (1926) Aimee
is caught in a great scandal that is almost as big as her personality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Called “The Great Kidnapping Scandal”, it
starts in late May as Aimee and her secretary go to Venice beach to rest, swim,
and work on sermons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aimee leaves her
secretary to go take a swim and never comes back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fearing that she has drowned, a frantic
search is made for her which eventually turns to an effort to find and recover
her body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the news spreads across Los
Angeles, thousands of her congregants keep a day and night vigil on the beach
waiting for her to come back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her church
members cannot believe she is dead, her mission was so important, her life too
great to end this way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely God will
work a miracle and restore her life if she is found dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as days pass, hopes wane and Aimee is
thought gone forever.</div>
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But on the third day, no, check that, the third week, Aimee shows
up in a small town on the border of Arizona and Mexico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She claims she was kidnapped by some people
who recognized who she was at the beach and got her in their car to go and pray
over their sick child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead she was
taken to a small shack 50 miles in to the Mexican desert and where she was held
captive in hopes of getting a sizeable ransom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Somehow Aimee was able to escape and walk out of the desert to
safety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a few days of recuperation
in an Arizona hospital she returns to Los Angeles and is cheered by a crowd of
50,000 people when she arrives at the train station.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUwsNK5WeMQncAfb3LrGCI190v_Qmvbz0vKjBSCINNL2OgZhBcUGZoWYnxTsEdy4e82c-qVE0Hn0dSLFrnxX-ubere5Zvxt4MkPZMN19Vx0J0lthUkZoYyaUq73TiBn9A18qC0tqhUN0/s1600/A14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUwsNK5WeMQncAfb3LrGCI190v_Qmvbz0vKjBSCINNL2OgZhBcUGZoWYnxTsEdy4e82c-qVE0Hn0dSLFrnxX-ubere5Zvxt4MkPZMN19Vx0J0lthUkZoYyaUq73TiBn9A18qC0tqhUN0/s1600/A14.jpg" height="258" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crowd welcomes Aimee back</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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But the story seems suspicious to some, incredulous to
others, and pressure from the press and other groups in the city including a
ministerial association brings about the convening of a grand jury to consider
a criminal case against her not once but two times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It proves to be a firestorm with evidence
presented that Aimee and her radio station engineer Kenneth Orniston (who was
married and had children) had run away to Carmel for an illicit tryst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other claims were made that Aimee was seen
with another man at various hotels in Los Angeles during this time using an
assumed name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Claims are made that
Aimee’s clothing and shoes were pristine and shiny which would be inconsistent
with someone who had escaped through the desert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worst of all there were claims that Aimee had
snuck over the border to get an abortion (which was proven untrue because she
had a surgery long before this that rendered her unable to conceive any more
children).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That said, there were plenty
of reasons to believe Aimee’s story which she stuck to without ever
incriminating herself under court examination and that many witnesses and
evidences against her were disproven and even published in the newspapers
(usually deep within where they wouldn’t be read). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhe0G76jSsRnDdz7smr1xPHdZMBsXuj4mgGYcXS5F6HK5m2TvVEtKdMJquGPb2o66Y7U3nqO2avH42yn4lTCvVdjTFmcprAaor1L8m5BoqoZE5m7NEEwKy1MDHhVKQ9536rXvpnYffGM/s1600/A11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhe0G76jSsRnDdz7smr1xPHdZMBsXuj4mgGYcXS5F6HK5m2TvVEtKdMJquGPb2o66Y7U3nqO2avH42yn4lTCvVdjTFmcprAaor1L8m5BoqoZE5m7NEEwKy1MDHhVKQ9536rXvpnYffGM/s1600/A11.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aimee and Ken Orniston her engineer</td></tr>
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This was truly a case tried by the press and though in the
long run Aimee did prevail, the reality was her reputation received a real
smearing even if her guilt couldn’t be proven in any legal sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My opinion is that most of those who brought
a case against her stood to benefit in some way from either bringing her down
or at least scandalizing her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would
rather give her the benefit of the doubt and have my charity proven foolish and
misguided than take the other side of pronouncing someone guilty without proof
when in fact they are innocent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bearing
false witness is a violation of God’s 10 Commandments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not a sin to think the best of someone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that said, Aimee was a public person with
celebrity status and she loved publicity and when you live that kind of life
you have to realize your life will be under greater scrutiny.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pq7lDSD3lDDM3UD2EgbWYaEbK2PlSRQlTXDYxH-T9t8EVMCai8issqfAjgmMV6J2cCVDy_U4QXXSBqAw6FQj3Ve-FREo2TbplOGXjY3dc9WYzpduZkOEbSdBKWUh5ypgx2yLI1BfJ68/s1600/A12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pq7lDSD3lDDM3UD2EgbWYaEbK2PlSRQlTXDYxH-T9t8EVMCai8issqfAjgmMV6J2cCVDy_U4QXXSBqAw6FQj3Ve-FREo2TbplOGXjY3dc9WYzpduZkOEbSdBKWUh5ypgx2yLI1BfJ68/s1600/A12.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, some costumes were over the top!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The decade of the 1930s is a period of full-flower for her
ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She breaks her ties with
Assembly of God to found the independent Foursquare Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is on the radio more than 20 times a week
and producing new material for each broadcast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She also publishes several magazines and is the pulpit 5 or more times a
week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She will always be remembered for
the incredible spectacles her Sunday evening services frequently were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With her proximity to Hollywood she had
access to props and scenery and sometimes had live animals in her illustrated
sermons and many times she herself appeared in costume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One time she arrived on the stage of her
church on a motorcycle and it is rumored that film-actor Charlie Chaplin
advised her several times of staging and special effects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aimee wore make-up and jewelry which is quite
commonplace in church today, but in her era was considered questionable for a
woman of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wasn’t afraid of the
arts or looking pretty and tried to turn all her efforts to win a hearing for
the Gospel.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9SZdQCdmygZRrXnYhdvmecgtiYpxxs2zr_BqCBgxiEFU-TFRph8QKfLdMOe2tLFYVLLqLcYuLft08saXbtoenS9X9uVJviTxwXNMmG_VC-HaWV5DWrOSZPqOr35piQWhANnd8HpF5Hk/s1600/A2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9SZdQCdmygZRrXnYhdvmecgtiYpxxs2zr_BqCBgxiEFU-TFRph8QKfLdMOe2tLFYVLLqLcYuLft08saXbtoenS9X9uVJviTxwXNMmG_VC-HaWV5DWrOSZPqOr35piQWhANnd8HpF5Hk/s1600/A2.jpg" height="258" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just another service at Angelus Temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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What is less remembered about her was her great relief
efforts during the years of the Great Depression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angelus Temple was the center of extensive
relief and Aimee herself a tireless fundraiser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She also used her community ties to arrange for free dental and medical
clinics to help those who couldn’t afford a doctor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When World War 2 broke out<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aimee was probably more patriotic than anyone
in Hollywood and when it came to selling War Bonds, her charisma often outsold
the other stars making the same effort.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-yd2RXIxlO3Geh80T3J50BLHtLwtCUdmINfGEvlQLxAjg8qgfSIVA0aud07leNDUFg1NLFeXWD3vbnPmv4N8MRPRJHJl5RHzBOu5vJTULUoRkTa3e-O7XbE2PfWCQBK5kmu12iPRw9w/s1600/A13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-yd2RXIxlO3Geh80T3J50BLHtLwtCUdmINfGEvlQLxAjg8qgfSIVA0aud07leNDUFg1NLFeXWD3vbnPmv4N8MRPRJHJl5RHzBOu5vJTULUoRkTa3e-O7XbE2PfWCQBK5kmu12iPRw9w/s1600/A13.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aimee doing food relief in Depression</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But once again, it is not all sweetness and light in her
personal life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1930 Aimee is
hospitalized with a nervous breakdown (no doubt from overwork) and then the
next year enters into a secret marriage against the rules of her church with
David Hutton that ends in another divorce three years later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All along the way there are also family
problems and strains between she and her mother over the business affairs of
the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems like her
ministerial success took a great toll on her personal life<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems like her ministerial success took a
great toll on her personal life which is not uncommon to people in other professions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In late September of 1944, Aimee flies to Oakland to speak
at the opening of a new Foursquare Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At this time she struggles greatly with insomnia due to her erratic
hours, overwork, and family problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She had a new prescription for sleeping pills and was used to taking
several to knock her out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently she
had awakened in the night and took a few more not understanding how powerful
they were and went into shock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By
morning she was dead at age 54. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In true
fashion with who she was in life, in death she was buried in an elaborate grave
alongside the many other celebrities of her day in Forest Lawn cemetery in Los
Angeles.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0n80j96_I-jcnQ6qr4vqEnxD1skxkYbekTk35O9SjixO_1WYd9PnjFWu1A9y8nCU_daOaSYcJWU2pgClHDYvOB6EHN0UfsX7MdsmqqFXHMxnZIZok6XTCmib7dc3_949ZQKN0Ob0lW_c/s1600/A5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0n80j96_I-jcnQ6qr4vqEnxD1skxkYbekTk35O9SjixO_1WYd9PnjFWu1A9y8nCU_daOaSYcJWU2pgClHDYvOB6EHN0UfsX7MdsmqqFXHMxnZIZok6XTCmib7dc3_949ZQKN0Ob0lW_c/s1600/A5.jpg" height="320" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aimee in costume for sermon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what should we think about Aimee Semple McPherson?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First of all, big people usually have big
faults.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By every assessment one could
make, Aimee was a larger-than-life person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She was flamboyant, big hearted, she loved deeply and she served
greatly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also was racked with family
strife, was divorced twice, and seemed to have an inordinate desire (or need)
to be in the spotlight of media attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thank God, he uses flawed people to do his will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>True to the vision of the Foursquare
gospel—thousands were saved, healed, helped, and trained for service through
her ministry.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aimee was an innovator and trail-blazer in many
respects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She lived at the dawn of the
media age and used broadcasting, drama, print, and media attention to spread
the gospel ahead of almost everyone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While commonplace today, the church in general shunned most of these
things (except the printed word) for quite some time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aimee saw the opportunity and embraced them
to great effect.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9cmpJt5prop92jS5T1_kBoMTQSXhCpjlUBvR6xdWS8GVjFS_Y_4GPtmDqL7jcpWozwRZFfI77Bmj2Eht6ub6hOu2ATsRexp_7mjcQ25k96i1HCB6qyACiMaX8DcdTCsHEZkbt9eLZ7k/s1600/A3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9cmpJt5prop92jS5T1_kBoMTQSXhCpjlUBvR6xdWS8GVjFS_Y_4GPtmDqL7jcpWozwRZFfI77Bmj2Eht6ub6hOu2ATsRexp_7mjcQ25k96i1HCB6qyACiMaX8DcdTCsHEZkbt9eLZ7k/s1600/A3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She was obedient to her calling as a soul winner and though
she was vilified as a charlatan and fraud by some, to the masses, she was a
true heroine and mother of the faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She was a complex person and a product of the modern era that made a
great impact for Christ in her generation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And that was the purpose for which she and all of us are made.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel today has
about 3 million members worldwide.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-72591503632424882362015-04-13T06:29:00.001-07:002015-04-13T06:29:52.249-07:00Tertullian: Lawyer Theologican of North Africa by Chris White<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbthvlKN6MQMyaRx3Oc-n61wJ6uo9kZWrnsvrUjKLqPIaohn8UGXCpu0km7Vq7WU7DbqrwaRzvTtLgpsdbyoiU_xCQPM5ZHL-KZwdkejVouaXOiGuvlDDMv2yF_b_H0YNi_9e74n9ONg/s1600/Tert1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbthvlKN6MQMyaRx3Oc-n61wJ6uo9kZWrnsvrUjKLqPIaohn8UGXCpu0km7Vq7WU7DbqrwaRzvTtLgpsdbyoiU_xCQPM5ZHL-KZwdkejVouaXOiGuvlDDMv2yF_b_H0YNi_9e74n9ONg/s1600/Tert1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tertullian </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Quintus Septimus Florens Tertullian<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(160-225 AD) became a Christian at age 37 but left no record for posterity of how his conversion came about. Many believe he was moved by the
testimony of the many Christian martyrs he witnessed in North
Africa. It was him who said "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church" meaning that Roman persecution was supposed to destroy the church but often had the opposite effect and instead was a powerful inspiration to the world that the gospel was so true that believers were willing to die for it. And so,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> w</span>hatever the actual cause of Tertullian's conversion, his writings indicate his in particular was both sudden and decisive.</div>
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Tertullian was a Carthaginian by birth and it seems his entire life, with the exception of a brief period in Rome where he was a lawyer, is centered in Roman North Africa (modern day Tunisia). What little we know about his background is that his father was a Roman centurion and this comes from the historian Eusebius and Saint Jerome.<br />
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His ministry for which he is known as a "church father" was that of an apologist (or defender of the faith) and a polemicist (one who defends a point of view within the Christian community). Some believe he was a priest for a period of time which sheds some light on the fact that in the early church priests were certainly allowed to have wives. We know that two of Tertullian's many books were actually dedicated to his wife.<br />
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As a "church father" Tertullian is known for his outspoken and critical viewpoints. He had great clarity on many doctrinal and moral issues but also was prone to be rigid and some might say even judgmental. After a time he left the Catholic fold, apparently because he felt they were not 'Christian' enough and joined a sect known as the Montanists. In time, they too, were not Christian enough and so he abandoned them and formed his own group called the "Tertullianists". Although there is scant evidence to prove it, St. Augustine claims that in the end, Tertullian came back to the Catholic church before he died. In point of fact, he was never considered for sainthood, as many of the other fathers were, but he is universally considered the father of Latin or Western theology because his writings were so influential on both St. Cyprian and St. Augustine.<br />
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In a time of persecution, Tertullian writes to the Roman authorities: “We are but of
yesterday (Christianity was a fairly new movement at the time), but we have filled every place among you---cities, islands,
fortresses, towns, market places, the very camp, tribes, companies, palace,
senate, forum---we have left nothing to you but the temples of your gods.” Tertullian stated that Christians should be tolerated
because they were the best citizens and were no threat to the Empire because of their strong scriptural ethic of obedience to government as appointed by God.<br />
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Tertullian also argued for complete separation from the
pagan culture in the area of theater, gladiator games, banquets and the
like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such things were incompatible with
the Christian faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The North African
tradition in the Church was ultra strict moral codes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In general they were quite austere and
disciplined in their personal life and expected all in the Church to
agree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were not a lot of gray
areas concerning matters of preference or amusement. This certainly stands in sharp contrast to our day where many Christians are entirely too engaged with the secular culture.</div>
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Tertullian obviously would have a very difficult time living in
today’s Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Theater was absolutely
incompatible with all that was of God and developing human virtue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He saw immorality on the stage and called it
utterly godless and believed Christians should shield their eyes from such
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Married women were to put away all
fancy jewelry and precious stones and dress modestly and simply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A single woman was to be completely veiled in
public.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second marriages were considered
a form of adultery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a man of
extreme moral standards but he also is known to have had a lifestyle that
reflected this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On balance, he was a later in life convert and had indulged in many of the sins of his
culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was not prudish, but saw
things as they were in Roman society and was not impressed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7H_XZNA5hhyphenhyphenQcfvuyHCnh5aKEu5Deqrbt-c5Sdyz89xW59VpWLrUPea25sFrAz9sCa7Zh6pVPe7U7vz-myteuM-7CKDNv9Vjyr9yWrPzpgG86nikHx_rKqUaoCOaL38WFAwc2CZujBY/s1600/tert8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7H_XZNA5hhyphenhyphenQcfvuyHCnh5aKEu5Deqrbt-c5Sdyz89xW59VpWLrUPea25sFrAz9sCa7Zh6pVPe7U7vz-myteuM-7CKDNv9Vjyr9yWrPzpgG86nikHx_rKqUaoCOaL38WFAwc2CZujBY/s1600/tert8.jpg" /></a></div>
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Theologically, Tertullian was a strong proponent of the idea that God is the same in
the Old Testament as the New Testament. Christ was the fulfillment of all messianic prophecy and the
Church alone carried on the legitimate faith of the Apostles. His view has shaped Bible interpretation ever since making the Old Testament an extended introduction to the New Testament and not seeing it as something incompatible with the faith of the Cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Tertullian was not much into interfaith dialogue: “You will
lose nothing but your breath and gain nothing but vexation from their
blasphemy.” He also viewed efforts to harmonize Christianity with philosophy (as was popular in his day) as wrong-headed. "What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?" was his statement on this subject. In contradistinction to many others before and after him, Tertullian didn't look at Plato and Aristotle as Greek forerunners of the gospel, but forerunners of many pagan heresies that infected the church.<br />
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<a href="http://www.tertullian.org/">A site with all things "Tertullian"</a><br />
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Tertullian himself developed his theology in the same <i>ad hoc</i> tradition of the apostles. He was less inclined to speculate about the mysteries of God and more interested in applying the faith to the issues facing the church in the here and now. Some have thought him to have a streak of anti-intellectualism but nothing could be further from the truth. His writings indicate a broad awareness of the philosophical and theological issues of his day, he just was not enamored with philosophy and secular wisdom. Tertullian did love a good argument, especially with heretics, and this is what makes his writing and points lively and engaging even today.<br />
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Many of Tertullian's theological viewpoints are widely held today. For example on the origin of the human soul, he held the Traducianist idea that human souls are neither pre-existent or a completely new creation by God, but rather the human soul is generated from Adam through the natural process of human generation.</div>
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Regarding Original Sin, because the soul proceeds from your natural parents, it is born fallen and is actually in bondage to Satan. That said, he held that there was an innate goodness and naturally Christian soul in everyone that remains asleep until it is reawakened by the Gospel and comes to spiritual health. This view tends to be far more optimistic than what many statements in the New Testament would allow from my perspective, but nonetheless, it is held in some parts of the universal church.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVNGUx56JDc">A short video on the Life of Tertullian</a><br />
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Probably what Tertullian should be best known for is his very early formulation of the doctrine of the Trinity. Although this doctrine would receive further refinement in later theologians and Church councils, Tertullian provided an early enunciation that the Godhead was three persons with
one substance. Obviously more needed to be said, but it's existence shows that sects which malign this doctrine as a much later innovation in the Christian faith are wrong. It, in fact, was a very early doctrine.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icon of the Trinity</td></tr>
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Tertullian had very strong views about baptism including a complete rejection of infant baptism which was widely practiced by the ancient church. His thought is that the redemption of the Cross only became efficacious to an individual through adult water baptism. Of course this viewpoint feeds the idea that the grace of God is only received by sacramental works, but this was a development in a later time. Tertullian, like other Christians of his time period, struggled with the issue of post-baptismal sin. Specifically, they wondered how believers could be right with a holy God having sinned after leaving the purifying waters of baptism where all sins were once washed away? For some Christians the solution was quite simple. They would postpone their baptism until they were on their deathbed. A smart solution in some regards because if you are on your deathbed, you probably aren't going to commit too many sins afterwards. Of course this is risky behavior in the sense that death comes without prior notice to many people and so there might not be an opportunity for a last-minute baptism.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early baptistries often looked like crosses</td></tr>
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In this vein, Tertullian and others believed that sins committed after baptism could be regularly atoned for by works of penance where godly sorrow was expressed to the church for having sinned after baptism and then efforts were made by the repentant to do good works which would 'counter-act' the effect of the sin. Tertullian took this even further suggesting that in some cases a person might have sinned so grievously that the safest course of action was to receive what is called a 'baptism of blood'. This idea comes from Christ's words in Luke 12:50 where he speaks of going to Jerusalem to die on the cross as a baptism. In this case, Tertullian is suggesting that post-baptismal sin could be atoned for by the shedding of your own blood by offering oneself to martyrdom. It is odd that it didn't occur to him that Christ's death on the cross was efficacious to cover all sins past, present, and future, but every generation of the church has its points of insight and blindness, including our own.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The New Prophecy</td></tr>
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Finally, Tertullian had a very high view of Scripture in his
writings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He believed they were the
authoritative tradition handed down by the Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Gospels especially have full apostolic
authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Old Testament prophets because
of their ancient origins and their proven authority by fulfilled prophecy are
superior to all other philosophies and religions. Where Tertullian differs from the long standing orthodoxy of the church is that he believed the Holy Spirit was continuing to speak with authoritative revelation to the church after the close of the canon. In this regard, he may be forgiven because though he lived after the last of the apostolic books were composed, he lived long before the canon was fixed in the 4th century. This viewpoint is largely a result of his engagement with a sect known as "the New Prophecy" or more commonly the Montanists. This group was led by a man named Montanus who claimed to be the incarnation of the Holy Spirit and two women who were his prophetesses. They were claiming to be receiving new information from God that was actually contrary to the explicit statements of scripture. This is not just an issue regarding a viewpoint of prophecy, but one of theology proper. Would God speak in such a way as to be inconsistent with what He spoke in earlier times?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKxrJmakiBrGXJZpnu7JPU1N7eDRXRwhPZ3_nsRbWJVPzSpeqgXbM5hJp_Apir_waMs8Ko0QpEdTFNayKtV762F7feExMDlYTKlqjstshMk1YYROBzbdQ9XaTKMhDvGdtoXNZByTuwtc/s1600/tert7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKxrJmakiBrGXJZpnu7JPU1N7eDRXRwhPZ3_nsRbWJVPzSpeqgXbM5hJp_Apir_waMs8Ko0QpEdTFNayKtV762F7feExMDlYTKlqjstshMk1YYROBzbdQ9XaTKMhDvGdtoXNZByTuwtc/s1600/tert7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Holy Spirit speaks primarily through the Apostles</td></tr>
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The long view of this issue is that the Holy Spirit does speak to the Church in every generation and time, but it is in concord with what He has already spoken by the Apostles and Prophets who wrote the scriptures. Although the Montanists were discredited by the church at large in their own time, it is a mistake that occurred at other times in the history of the church. In our day a couple of well-known varieties of this error are found in the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Latter Day Saints.</div>
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Many have attacked Tertullian’s orthodoxy because of his association with the Montanists and his supposed anti-intellectualism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> In some regards this is not without warrant. But on balance, Tertullian was a pioneer theologian and a man with deep passion for the truth and the Lord of that truth. Like all those who gone before us, we must learn from both their insights and mistakes and trust that God has the ability to use both for the building up of his church. </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-34388387947068428502015-04-02T18:36:00.000-07:002015-04-02T18:36:18.411-07:00St. Cecilia (c. 225) : The Light to the Blind by Chris White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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St. Cecilia is the patron saint of music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, when she is depicted in sacred art,
she is always seen tickling the ivories of a pipe-organ and making melody to
the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only problem with this is
that the pipe organ (or anything remotely like it) didn’t exist in her time and
St. Cecilia is more known for being a preacher than a singer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But to loosely quote Emerson here,
consistency (even in historic details) is the hobgoblin of little minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are even some who suggest that this
most popular and beloved of Roman saints is a pious fiction because the
earliest “Passion of St. Cecilia” comes to us in the form of a Greek religious
romance which suggests the story is more legendary than factual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that said, one of the oldest places of
worship in Rome is St. Cecilia’s Church in Trastevere and it is built over a
home that stood in the 2<sup>nd</sup> century and belonged to the Caecillii
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The archeological evidence
points to this house as having been used for Christian worship in later
centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While embellishments to the
story are certain, there is no reason to doubt that Cecilia was a real person
and that her life made an impact on the Christian community of Rome so many
centuries ago.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CkIOAzaVohmDXP8I1rbxOcQBZUR31p7aJdBEx7BSlDfbkgV5JbmwKCmmQKXThri1exAhCl-6qNXc_I7m9xAWdfg08VLRQP8F1MPa8rmH-GtObleGwh8crxADiHjp5cr_en1sXL3-Z88/s1600/Cc8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CkIOAzaVohmDXP8I1rbxOcQBZUR31p7aJdBEx7BSlDfbkgV5JbmwKCmmQKXThri1exAhCl-6qNXc_I7m9xAWdfg08VLRQP8F1MPa8rmH-GtObleGwh8crxADiHjp5cr_en1sXL3-Z88/s1600/Cc8.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Cecilia in Trastevere</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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According to Caxton’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Golden
Legend</i> the name “Cecilia” means either a light to the blind or a lily of
heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As often happens in ordinary
life, Cecilia lives up to her name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cecilia came from a senatorial family and was said to be a Christian
from a very early age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was given in
marriage to a noble pagan youth by the name of Valerianus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may be an indicator that her parents
were not Christians themselves as it seems a bit odd they would marry their
godly daughter off to a pagan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may
also be that because of the family’s social status there wasn’t a suitable man
of her class in the church who was available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although the Christian faith does not teach the idea of social status
and the church has done much to ameliorate class distinctions among believers,
Roman society was extremely stratified and it is unlikely this idea didn’t have
any coin among the faithful at this early date.<br />
<br /></div>
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Cecilia sought holy chastity and didn’t want to be married
but was required by her father to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When the hour came for the couple to enter the nuptial bedchamber,
Cecilia told her husband a secret that was unknown to all but her: Cecilia had
an angel that watches and wards off any who would touch her that she may retain
her virginity.<br />
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Valerianus wanted proof (as would any man in his situation)
and Cecilia told him he must first believe in God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is sent to pope Urban who speaks with him
and then baptizes him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Valerianus
returns to Cecilia he sees her in her chamber praying and there is an angel
standing by her with flaming wings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
angel is holding a crown of lilies and roses which he places on both their
heads and then vanishes.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5Rb1mLxIQfMv2eG4FZgZ85BAtFQNVVqC484Xte-7vJZtBMuvx48hV8ofh2nIbQ9Ul3_ntIjvQdtSO8cDCgVk5sOBGEXZICnFGGJk8TGbZzn51rhfFlJIZdBN3Bp6XgnUTWI686lggzc/s1600/Cc4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5Rb1mLxIQfMv2eG4FZgZ85BAtFQNVVqC484Xte-7vJZtBMuvx48hV8ofh2nIbQ9Ul3_ntIjvQdtSO8cDCgVk5sOBGEXZICnFGGJk8TGbZzn51rhfFlJIZdBN3Bp6XgnUTWI686lggzc/s1600/Cc4.jpg" height="320" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cecilia and Valerianus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Valerian’s brother Tiburtius drops by to see the happy
couple and is so astonished by the floral crowns which were completely out of
season that he believes their story and he too submits to Christian baptism.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After their conversions, Valerian and Tiburtius devote
themselves to burying those Christians who were being martyred by the prefect
of Rome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Burying the dead with dignity
was considered in this time a holy work of charity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was also quite risky if you were trying to
avoid persecution yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually
the brothers are hauled in and questioned about their dedication to burying
Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When asked to make a
sacrifice to the pagan god Jupiter, the brothers refuse and suffer death in the
Roman fashion of beheading.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cecilia was apparently a stalwart evangelist and through her
many contacts over 400 people reported to Pope Urban for baptism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She too is eventually caught and is sentenced
to death by suffocation in her bath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Romans heated their baths with wood fires underneath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently Cecilia was to be locked in her
bathroom and the water would be heated 7 times hotter than normal which was expected
to steam her to death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are records
of this form of execution being used by other Roman emperors and so it must
have been a practice in her day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it
was discovered that instead of being fully cooked Cecilia was unscathed and
singing praise songs in her bathroom (the origins of singing in the shower?),
the Prefect dispatched an executioner to put her to the sword.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether he didn’t have a heart to kill
Cecilia or he had a very dull “gladus” (Roman sword), he was unable to succeed
in removing Cecilia’s head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently
if this wasn’t accomplished in three strokes the law required the executioner
to stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although alive, she was mortally
wounded and lived 3 more days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many
around Rome came to see her as she lay dying in her home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cecilia prayed for some and others she
evangelized.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiroOtck9kgI4xEbHAwNasU3zxW-aaeYO-0RwfUlc9-xGkmNQ7YciqXn1GV7V5axlyQWXs6rMBcAYcE_IRE0xGgMArRrum-FUldUfFYat_WKo_cg4k4H9QzEft7ZVI_4VxIDoDtUvbQelU/s1600/Cc5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiroOtck9kgI4xEbHAwNasU3zxW-aaeYO-0RwfUlc9-xGkmNQ7YciqXn1GV7V5axlyQWXs6rMBcAYcE_IRE0xGgMArRrum-FUldUfFYat_WKo_cg4k4H9QzEft7ZVI_4VxIDoDtUvbQelU/s1600/Cc5.jpg" height="193" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cecilia being asked to sacrifice to Jupiter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of those who came by to see her was Pope Urban.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cecilia gave him her house and asked that it
be made into a church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she
eventually died she was buried by Urban and his deacons in the catacombs of
Callistus.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So that’s the story of St. Cecilia as it comes to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like many of the ancient Christian martyrs,
her story is filled with elements of the supernatural and this is where I would
expect you to say “yes, but you did say at the start that there embellishments
and those things like the angel with flaming wings are one of them.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the funny thing is, the harder part to
believe is the historical context not the spiritual details.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why wouldn’t a sincere Christian have a
guardian angel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But consider the
prominent place of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pope Urban I in the
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His reign as pope was early in
the 3<sup>rd</sup> century (222-230 AD).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is problematic is that the Christian church was not under any
persecution at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the
Roman emperor Alexander Severus was quite positive in his treatment of the
Christians.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Emperor Alexander gave Christians the right to have
houses of worship in Rome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a
protest by tavern owners over this, but the emperor felt that any kind of
worship of God was preferable to tavern keeping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This trend continued and built momentum until
the persecution of Diocletian when he started confiscating and razing church
buildings.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uaOzW42GoY0R_u-Dk7p8H0S0bpuuKY-z_eMWmUix4UnTJGhr6sjkmFbaOEvPvD7CAlNxaW6GNZYi4p4kdMFULwXCcwVVXWXcgHQ-s6YrPcertMXCJSswGM7f8zvReA2ktUXARqoBBoE/s1600/Cc3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uaOzW42GoY0R_u-Dk7p8H0S0bpuuKY-z_eMWmUix4UnTJGhr6sjkmFbaOEvPvD7CAlNxaW6GNZYi4p4kdMFULwXCcwVVXWXcgHQ-s6YrPcertMXCJSswGM7f8zvReA2ktUXARqoBBoE/s1600/Cc3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cecilia before executioner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This makes it difficult to understand how Cecilia,
Valerianus, and Tiburtius could be martyred for their faith when there wasn’t
any oppression of Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two
possible solutions to this dilemma is Urban was not the pope but a church
leader assumed to be pope because of his name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This then allows the story room to be in the 2<sup>nd</sup> Century when
there was persecution under Marcus Aurelius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The other solution which is embedded in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Golden Legend</i>, is this was a localized persecution in Rome done by
lower level government officials without the knowledge of the emperor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know this could never happen today (my
tongue is thoroughly embedded in my cheek) but back then governments didn’t
always know what everybody was doing.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another problem with the story is that St. Cecilia is
unknown in literature until 496 AD when Pope Gelasius introduced her name into
his sacramentary (a book of Christian liturgy).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That seems long after the fact to get your first mention, but where did
he get the idea to mention her?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could
be that Cecilia was known but places of her mention in literature simply did
not survive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not unusual
especially when the total number of books were few prior to the printing press.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>821 there is a
record of an old church in Rome dedicated to St. Cecilia that is being restored
by Pope Paschal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pope Paschal made a
search for grave in the catacombs and when he couldn’t find it assumed it (like
other relics of saints) had been stolen by the Lombards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One night, St. Cecilia appears to him in a
dream and tells him he was close to her resting place in the catacombs of
Callistus and to make another try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
pope did so and had her body moved from the catacombs along with her husband,
brother-in-law, and Pope Urban to the church in Trastevere when its restoration
was complete.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4uMLp-kNIGtjSnmemwqFiMAVLahTsu1Bq46TDPaEXca9vR3IiLn3PEscPZglwzxbsRmKHPPSU-xGyjrbpGqFStdWinG3lJpEZ8kDg6AwwRkqJVQnwANXP2jnwraQw6if9vv2ZR2kyXI/s1600/Cc7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4uMLp-kNIGtjSnmemwqFiMAVLahTsu1Bq46TDPaEXca9vR3IiLn3PEscPZglwzxbsRmKHPPSU-xGyjrbpGqFStdWinG3lJpEZ8kDg6AwwRkqJVQnwANXP2jnwraQw6if9vv2ZR2kyXI/s1600/Cc7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mosaic of St. Cecilia and Pope Urban</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just an aside, if you ever visit the Catacombs in Rome (and
you should if you ever visit Rome), you will find most of them are empty
especially of anyone who was famous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is because many Europeans in the early Middle Ages wanted to take a
souvenir bone of a saint home with them from their trip and were robbing the
graves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This led the Church of Rome to
begin moving the graves of saints into the churches and out of the catacombs as
a means of protection.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GPw8fajzNk">Watch a short video on Life of St. Cecilia here</a><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 1599 the church of St. Cecila was refurbished a second
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time the sarcophagus of
Cecilia was opened to inspect the contents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Her body was found to be incorrupt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A sketch was made and sent to the pope who came to see the body for
himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He commissioned the sculptor
Stephano Maderno to see the body and sculpt what he saw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In front of the sculpture in the church is an
oath sworn by the artist that we are looking at in stone what he actually saw
with his own eyes.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSf61DBm2y9E0SNssbBl-PFRzJrzlIkmsfmTALylHY0p0IAIrvJj3J-hbowWYfznAM5FENnhMc7uPJSpR7alY0DExkFTRfs8mz5XfPaTwRI2C3joZhwiMx0LUUmygHPlLo6FgaHx-vH4E/s1600/Cc2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSf61DBm2y9E0SNssbBl-PFRzJrzlIkmsfmTALylHY0p0IAIrvJj3J-hbowWYfznAM5FENnhMc7uPJSpR7alY0DExkFTRfs8mz5XfPaTwRI2C3joZhwiMx0LUUmygHPlLo6FgaHx-vH4E/s1600/Cc2.jpg" height="124" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maderno's St. Cecilia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So if Cecilia is legendary, she is certainly a persistent
imaginary person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the patron saint of
music many poems and songs are written about her or for her feast day known as St.
Cecilia’s Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Cecilia should be
remembered as a woman so completely given over to Christ that when people came
into contact with her, they too were convinced the gospel is true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that is a legacy we should all aspire to
ourselves.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuZzwxZxCNY">Listen to a beautiful song about St. Cecilia as patron of Music here</a><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOI7W4hLWBS3EWm1ACnwp_hvCmrp7j91LTkqXbZUeqdg-E8Rj1rUInGiLxZ8WUDxERfF7P7wvG1dpClJ90HkAi4TMWYIebZ9lse55IsHba1A80NMixmk3CVgnlRUKcxnuMCDVziCOtUI/s1600/Cc6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOI7W4hLWBS3EWm1ACnwp_hvCmrp7j91LTkqXbZUeqdg-E8Rj1rUInGiLxZ8WUDxERfF7P7wvG1dpClJ90HkAi4TMWYIebZ9lse55IsHba1A80NMixmk3CVgnlRUKcxnuMCDVziCOtUI/s1600/Cc6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catacomb where Cecilia was found</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<u>Sources:</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Caxton, William.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Golden Legend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><a href="http://sites.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/canttales/secnun/cecilia.html"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">http://sites.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/canttales/secnun/cecilia.html</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mar. 4, 2015<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Cecilia, martyr”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Angelo Di Berardino gen. ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Downers Grove : Intervarsity, 2014)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Incorrupt Bodies”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mar. 5, 2015<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.marypages.com/IncorruptBodies.htm">http://www.marypages.com/IncorruptBodies.htm</a><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“St. Cecilia”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Catholic Encyclopedia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Feb. 20, 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“St. Cecilia”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and
Ecclesiastical Literature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>McClintock
and Strong eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grand Rapids : Baker
Books, 1981<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Saint Cecilia”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mar.
5, 2015<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><http: saint.php="" saint_id="34" saints="" www.catholic.org=""></http:></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“St. Cecilia of Rome”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dictionary of Christian Biography.
</i>Michael Walsh ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Collegeville :
The Liturgical Press, 2001).<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Day, Malcolm<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Treasury of Saints : Their Lives and
Times<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(New York : Chartwell Books,
2004)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saint of the Day :
Lives, Lessons, and Feasts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Foley
and McCloskey O.F.M. ed. & rev.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Cincinnati : St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2001)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Schaff, Philip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">History of the Christian Church Vol. 2<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Grand Rapids : Eerdmanns, 1910)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Basilica of Santa
Cecilia Rome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Genova : Edizioni
D’Arte Marconi, 2010)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-75672566125811358592015-03-27T05:31:00.001-07:002015-03-27T05:31:34.309-07:00C.S. Lewis : Mythmaker and Apologist of the 20th Century by Chris White<!--[if !mso]>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLerJXytalxRXf5KxkzxNnZbu_50Nhk0c5WU6j44hj86RMgqg3WjkY1MDW1Kbf8OgXspQA8gybNEHfi3aBDLDudjGACAdbz3uPxgI3QRufYO5gQRe-m6QjzB0JpuGG7n8TXdf6hplkKc/s1600/L2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLerJXytalxRXf5KxkzxNnZbu_50Nhk0c5WU6j44hj86RMgqg3WjkY1MDW1Kbf8OgXspQA8gybNEHfi3aBDLDudjGACAdbz3uPxgI3QRufYO5gQRe-m6QjzB0JpuGG7n8TXdf6hplkKc/s1600/L2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">C.S. Lewis</td></tr>
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The late British Theologian John Stott has said of C.S. Lewis, “He
was a Christ-centered, great-tradition mainstream Christian whose stature a
generation after his death seems greater than anyone ever thought while he was
alive, and whose Christian writings are now seen as having classic status.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I doubt whether the full measure of him has
been taken by anyone”.</div>
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That Stott would say his stature seems greater today than
ever is a classic understatement when you consider that his books continue to
sell in the millions, Hollywood films have been made based on his life and <i>The Chronicles of Narnia</i>, and that there is literally a C.S. Lewis industry that
centers on conferences, lectures, and books that interpret his life and work.</div>
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When the Hollywood
film version of<i> The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe</i> was released (2005), Christianity Today magazine noted the similarities between
C.S. Lewis and Elvis Presley:</div>
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<span class="artdate1"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">.</span></span></div>
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<i>"At first glance, C. S. Lewis and Elvis Presley seem
like polar opposites. But a closer look will show that these two cultural
icons have a lot in common.</i></div>
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<i>Like Elvis, C. S. Lewis had been a soldier. Both men came
to fame on the radio. Both men's homes (Graceland
and the Kilns) have become pilgrimage sites. Both left behind estates now
valued in the millions. And both rose from relative obscurity—Elvis, a Mississippi truck driver, and Lewis, a tutor at Oxford—to become
larger-than-life figures profiled in books and movies and beloved by
legions of adoring fans. Like Elvis, even after death, Lewis remains a
superstar."</i></div>
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So who is this man behind the books and why is he important
to Christians today?<br />
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<u>The Early Years</u><br />
<br />
Born Clive Staples Lewis in 1898 to Albert and Florence Lewis in Belfast Ireland, Lewis disliked his name and as a young boy
insisted his family call him “Jacksie.” In adulthood he was known as
Jack to his friends and associates and in the publishing world he stuck with the ever-so-popular convention of his day of reducing his name to his initials .</div>
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By his own reckoning, two things in childhood were to
influence the entire direction of his future life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First was the rain and fog that were
constantly present at their home in Ireland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His parents feared that he and his older
brother Warren would get sick and die if they played outside in the wet and so
they spent much of their childhood in the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This led to voracious reading and lots of
imaginative play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As young as age 7,
Lewis and his brother were writing children's stories about imaginative lands
and animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One such book in print
today is called<i> “Boxen”</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the
precursor to the later and more well-known children's series <i>“The Chronicles of Narnia”</i>.</div>
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His second great childhood influence was the death of his mother from
cancer when he was 10 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
loss of his mother in the prime of her life and his father’s subsequent grief,
left Lewis functionally bereft of both parents for the remainder of his formative years. Lewis's father never truly
recovered from his grief and withdrew emotionally from both his sons.<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Lewis and older brother Warnie both attended boarding schools. </span>Although there is nothing extraordinary
about this since it was a very common practice in the day, neither of the boys had loving parents to come home to that would be a balance to that
world. This made the boarding school experience for Jack seem for the most part cruel and sadistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgxTP16138a2RBMbaGZGrnIverhyUmak_Hzub-GMHt0wkKMl3n4q2RAA3JNFLPJSETZ1uzV6oDLx3WX7o-7TiTyZkNL-X820LgbTedtc-TR78ij9BHjULS2dQK1YFzeFOgXKZIOOL83U/s1600/L4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgxTP16138a2RBMbaGZGrnIverhyUmak_Hzub-GMHt0wkKMl3n4q2RAA3JNFLPJSETZ1uzV6oDLx3WX7o-7TiTyZkNL-X820LgbTedtc-TR78ij9BHjULS2dQK1YFzeFOgXKZIOOL83U/s1600/L4.jpg" height="320" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lewis and brother Warren</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although Lewis grew up in a Christian home, the traumas of
his childhood combined with the influence of some of the atheistic teachers he
had led him to abandon his faith by age 13. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Young Adulthood</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having prepared for University through private tutoring and
attending college prep schools, Lewis won a scholarship to Oxford University
at age 18.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was interrupted by the
outbreak of World War I (supply year).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lewis enlisted in the
army and was an officer at the front until he was wounded in France in the final year of the
war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During his officers training he met
“Paddy” Moore who became a close friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Both Moore and Lewis promised to care for each others parents should
they be killed in the war, and in the final month of conflict, Paddy Moore was
killed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following year, Lewis set up
a household back at Oxford
with Mrs. Janie Moore and her daughter Maureen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many have supposed Lewis’ relationship with Mrs. Moore was possibly
beyond just caring for an old war buddies mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is largely because Lewis concealed the nature
of his living arrangements from his father for many years which begs the
question, if he was being so honorable why was this a secret?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe the answer is found in Lewis’
journal which was published under the title “All My Life Before Me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
Lewis, like many people of his generation,
was receiving a living allowance from his father to help him make ends
meet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Concealing such an arrangement
would prevent his father from discontinuing it at an inopportune time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lewis would have been able to conceal this
quite easily because he lived in England
while his father, a fairly reclusive man, lived at the family home in Ireland. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although it was a complex and stormy
relationship at times, Lewis supported and cared for her until her death 33
years later. This is utterly consistent with his character. C.S.
Lewis valued and retained lifelong friendships with many people. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the remainder of his twenties, Lewis's life consisted mainly
of finishing university, trying to write poetry for publication, and trying to
support his adopted family on his meager allowance for college and the funds he
could make tutoring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At age 27 he became
part of the faculty of Magdalan College at Oxford.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following year he published his first
book of poetry and by age 31 he begins his return to the Christian faith.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The conversion of CS Lewis was fairly undramatic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He renounced his faith as a young lad and
tried to live consistently with this view for many years but found himself
constantly being troubled by God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 31
he decided once again he believed in the existence of God but said he would never
become an enthusiast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he was 33, he
had a long late-night discussion about Christianity with his friend J.R.R.
Tolkien himself a devout Roman Catholic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The next morning he and his older brother Warnie set out for the
Whipsnade Zoo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he got in the
motorcycle side-car he did not believe Jesus Christ was the son of God, but
when they reached the zoo he did. That's it. His conversion happened while riding to the zoo!<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the great ironies of C.S. Lewis is that for
all intents and purposes he is regarded as a saint in the evangelical world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Lewis was certainly not an evangelical
himself at least in the American sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did not subscribe to
biblical inerrancy or Christ’s substitutionary atonement. He also believed in
purgatory and baptismal regeneration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lewis was by denomination an Anglican, but probably why he is popular
with Christians of many denominations is that he never emphasized
denominational distinctives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He boiled
things down to the essentials that have been believed by Christians throughout
all time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This approach is what is
behind the title of one of his most popular books <i>Mere Christianity</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the next 31 years, C.S. Lewis quietly taught college
students and wrote his many books and essays which presented and defended
Christianity to the World War II generation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His early publications drew next to no attention at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sales were lackluster and Lewis was even
having his manuscripts returned or turned down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But then he wrote a book called <i>The Problem of Pain</i> in 1940 which dealt
with the existential problem of how a good God can allow suffering in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1940, England was in the darkest days of
World War II and this was a topic that resonated with many people.<br />
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the early readers of that book was the director of
religious programming for the BBC and he approached Lewis about doing a 4 part
series for broadcast on the basic beliefs of Christianity for the common
man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lewis enjoyed the task and the
audience enjoyed him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His 4 part series
was extended to a total of 29 shows and next to Winston Churchill, C.S. Lewis
was the most recognized voice in England at the time.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHxs3gdtV8A">Hear one of Lewis's broadcasts on the BBC</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is said that broadcasting actually shaped Lewis’ writing
style quite a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had to speak in
short, crisp sentences that were easy to listen to and understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This in turn made him a better communicator
in print.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After his stint with the BBC, his writings became more well-known and there was greater demand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This launched him as a
popular writer on Christianity for the lay person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another innovation in this era that helped Lewis’ career was releasing
books in paperback.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having them in this inexpensive format meant his works would be purchased by a wider reading
public. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He also frequently wrote on social issues for magazines and
newspapers published in England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two of his books: <i>Present Concerns</i> and <i>The
Screwtape Letters</i> are both compilations of this work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lewis was also a public speaker and
lecturer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important to remember
that Christianity was not all he talked about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His main expertise was that of late Medieval English literature.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.truthaccordingtoscripture.com/documents/apologetics/mere-christianity/cs-lewis-mere-christianity-toc.php#.VQIprOFOJa4">Get "Mere Christianity" audio or print book for free here</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the late 1940’s and 1950’s Lewis became very
popular in the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was featured over 8 times in Time magazine
and even appeared on its cover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
perennial appeal of Lewis was the gravitas he had as an Oxford don, yet able to write on religious
subjects with such clarity and humor. One of the fruits of his popularity as a writer was the large amounts of letters he received. Lewis felt it was an important part of his calling as a writer and a sacred obligation to answer every letter he received. Lewis himself burned the letters he answered and so collections of his extant letters are very one-sided. When he grew wealthy through his writing, he gave away by
his brother’s estimation nearly 70% of his income to needy people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He never upgraded his wardrobe, his home, or even
bought a car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a thinker and
writer and though celebrated he himself never cared to live like a celebrity.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although a bachelor most of his entire life, he had a two to three
year marriage to Joy Gresham, an American woman who came to the Lord through
his writings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lewis married her shortly
before her death and this is the subject of a movie called Shadowlands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joy Gresham had two son’s whom Lewis adopted
and raised after her death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Douglas
Gresham is still living speaks very warmly of the love and Christian witness of
C.S. Lewis to him and it being the central reason he is a Christian today.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Lewis’s own words he said that he was destined to be a
writer and academic because he was so utterly uncoordinated, he couldn’t make a
living at anything else. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lewis never considered
himself a great writer, but did feel his writing was his best and only real
contribution he could make to the world. In fact, Lewis was part of a literary self-improvement group called the
Inklings for most of his writing career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They would meet Tuesday mornings at an Oxford Pub called the Eagle and
Child and on Thursday nights at Lewis’offices at Oxford.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The membership was informal and flexible but the mainstays through the
years were Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
should be noted that this was not an mutual admiration society. Lewis himself was criticized for his
evangelistic writing and the Chronicles of Narnia in this group.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u> </u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lewis was a life-long smoker and drinker of beer, wine, and
spirits. While frowned upon by most evangelicals in the United States, this was a normal part of his context in England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was once asked in a letter
from a child in the United
States why he smoked since he was a
Christian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His reply was that he had
smoked for so long, that to quit would require him to spend too much of his
time thinking about not smoking and this in turn would leave little time to think about
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, he felt it might be more honorable
at his stage in life to keep smoking and keep his focus on God. He died of cancer a week before his 65<sup>th</sup> B-day on November
22, 1963.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because it was the same day of
President Kennedy’s assassination, his passing was almost unnoticed even though
he was a widely known writer.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why is C.S. Lewis important to the Church today?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">First
and foremost, he is an example of creatively sharing the faith in a way
that is meaningful to modern man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lewis did not dwell on evidence for the existence of God so much as
he dwelt on the philosophical problems of mankind and how Christianity
answers them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People respond more
to what’s on their heart than convincing arguments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is partly why C.S. Lewis’s
writings sell as widely today as they did when he was living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">He is
also an example how Christians best influence their culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many Christians invest huge amounts of
energy into political action because political power has a top-down effect
on culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But culture is
influenced more profoundly by the arts and sciences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These connect with both decision makers
and common people alike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lewis
focused his art of writing towards the culture in a variety of ways and
did it well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christians are going
to have a greater influence in America not through democratic
politics but when the best books on any topic are written by Christians,
when the best films and music are written by Christians, when the best art
is produced by Christians. </li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">He
focused on the universals of Christianity, not the small intramural
differences between Churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
denominational distinctives are only important to those within them but
are pointless to an outsider.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lewis
was concerned that the essentials be clear for all people of all
ages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was Mere Christianity.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u> </u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-although a bachelor his entire life, he had a two-three
year marriage to Joy Gresham, an American woman who came to the Lord through
his writings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lewis married her shortly
before her death and this is the subject of a movie called Shadowlands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joy Gresham had two son’s whom Lewis adopted
and raised after her death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Douglas
Gresham is still living speaks very warmly of the love and Christian witness of
C.S. Lewis to him and it being the central reason he is a Christian today.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Lewis’ entire library and the wardrobe that inspired “the
Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” are located today at Wheaton
College near Chicago Illinois.<br />
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<br />
C.S. Lewis said himself, the best way to know an author is not to read their biography or autobiography, or even an introduction to their works. Just jump in and read what they have written first and then read other works about them. Having read nearly the entire corpus of Lewis's work there are very few of his books I wouldn't recommend. However, let me make a recommendation based on the category of reader you are:<br />
<br />
<b>Category 1 "Never read any of his books but want to now"</b>---for you I would recommend starting with his fantasy <i>The Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe. </i>It is technically a children's book but it is very engaging, humorous, and presents the truth of the gospel in a unique and disarming way. Next I would read <i>Mere Christianity</i> which is a basic explanation of essential ideas of the Christian faith. Then I would read <i>The Screwtape Letters.</i> This entire book is written from "a devil's" point of view and so you the reader are supposed to listen to his advice and do just the opposite. It is actually a very clever book and gets you thinking.<br />
<br />
<b>Category 2 "I've read a couple but I think I might want to read some more"</b>---if you are in this category read <i>God in the Dock</i> which is another longer and more detailed apologetic work and read the <i>Space Trilogy</i>. I know its hard to envision Lewis doing sci-fi but this works and of course in true fashion the stories explore other important themes of morality, the meaning of life, and the existence of God. Lewis afficianados will also enjoy the clever tie-in between this trilogy and <i>The Chronicles of Narnia.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Category 3<i> "</i>I am thinking of making a pilgrimage to the Kilns"</b>---you, of course, are the deeply committed Lewis reader. If you haven't read <i>Til We Have Faces</i> you should. Lewis was fascinated with Norse tales and this was his attempt at this genre. Not knowing a thing about Norse literature I couldn't say whether it was a successful attempt, but having read the book it is a gripping story. Definitely read <i>Pilgrim's Regress</i> and <i>All My Life Before Me.</i> Both give great insights into the formation of Lewis's early life and thoughts.<i> </i><br />
<br />
By the way, if the Kilns and Oxford are an impossibility for you, there is a delightful spot in the United States for the C.S. Lewis fan at Wheaton College<i> </i>near Chicago. The C.S. Lewis Library contains Lewis's personal library, writing desk and the Wardrobe that inspired the unique portal into Narnia.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wheaton.edu/wadecenter/Welcome/Museum">Information about Lewis collection in Illinois here</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-7756060300832503612015-03-10T15:04:00.000-07:002015-03-10T15:04:23.200-07:00The Tears of St. Lawrence of Rome (d. 258) by Chris White<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEj-xEIzPbiO8inb2wsBW8Gb5cFTSbzyNqPCxkJ1jVqbPm0cdtkX1ejCvZYR07LTLsuUnqd8GP-3QbmxNumWi8ALv1ELOAmpdzwjNgwoEzWMf6kBPiHXCHF2yXaciJlsfgC7ZivPUXVkY/s1600/stlaw4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEj-xEIzPbiO8inb2wsBW8Gb5cFTSbzyNqPCxkJ1jVqbPm0cdtkX1ejCvZYR07LTLsuUnqd8GP-3QbmxNumWi8ALv1ELOAmpdzwjNgwoEzWMf6kBPiHXCHF2yXaciJlsfgC7ZivPUXVkY/s1600/stlaw4.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perseid Meteor Shower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Every August my wife and me enjoy laying on a blanket in our
backyard to observe the night sky and the beautiful celestial event called the
Perseid Meteor shower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This event lasts
for several nights (which is nice because Oregon summer nights are not always
clear) and is quite dramatic to watch as brilliant streaks of light are seen as
the evening sky is covered with “falling stars.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surprised to find that this event is
also known as the ‘tears of St. Lawrence’ because the meteor shower coincides
with his feast day in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it is axiomatic that tears cleanse the
soul, the story of St. Lawrence’s tears brought cleansing of a different sort
to his adopted city of Rome with his martyrdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here’s how it happened.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCfnKEWzvckBGqk5lBICRw3JFPlN-f2FKdgJ5rlyW5x4Bw4r9l76NOENUJb9RduAjiFFM70PCSqPTdfB2bvKHrewb5IYoXtU5uABCt1g5LTDtek5LfarWBlpv7KzV7gW9X_1ixgq7-_I/s1600/stlaw6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCfnKEWzvckBGqk5lBICRw3JFPlN-f2FKdgJ5rlyW5x4Bw4r9l76NOENUJb9RduAjiFFM70PCSqPTdfB2bvKHrewb5IYoXtU5uABCt1g5LTDtek5LfarWBlpv7KzV7gW9X_1ixgq7-_I/s1600/stlaw6.jpg" /></a></div>
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Although Lawrence (aka Laurentius or Lorenzo) received the
crown of martyrdom in Rome, he was born in Spain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although some of the story of his beginnings which are supplied to us by
a man from antiquity named Lucio Morinco are legendary to some degree,
they are not completely unbelievable and are all we have about his early life: “ St. Lawrence was a son of the duke of Spain whose name was
Orenzo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His mother was called Patience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an infant, the devil took him away from
the cradle and placed him in the midst of the forest hoping he would perish
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During that time the bishop who
later became Pope Sixtus II was preaching in Spain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Providence directed his path in such a way
that he found the child which was lying under a laurel tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He took the child, and nourished him and gave
him the name Laurentius (because of the laurel tree).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Italian he was known as Lorenzo and in
English, Lawrence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he became an
adult having many skills and aptitudes, he came with his master to Rome where Sixtus
was eventually elected pope and made Lawrence archdeacon of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
In some ways, this story brings more
questions than it answers (such as how do we know his parents names if he was
a foundling) but it does establish that Lawrence had a relationship with Pope
Sixtus II that was close and familial and the laurel tree is a portent of the
future, for the crown of laurels was the victor’s prize in Greco-Roman culture,
and Lawrence was proven to be a champion both in his ministry and martyrdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also follows the paradigm of Jesus’s life
where the devil attempted to destroy him as a child and was only successful in
his adult life through the agency of corrupt government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such would be true of Lawrence in the end.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Timothy+3%3A8-13&version=ESV">Read the Scriptural requirements for Deacons here</a><br />
<br /></div>
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So, while most of us at least partially understand who the
pope is, what is an archdeacon?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
office of deacon (in the original language of the New Testament “diakonos” or
servant) originates in the early church (Acts of the Apostles chapter 6) as a
second layer of leadership devoted largely to practical acts of service on
behalf of the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The efforts of the
deacons were to free up the Apostles to concentrate their efforts on prayer and
teaching the church in the truths of the gospel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the church of Rome was very large and
known for its organization, no doubt the role of archdeacon was one of
oversight over the many deacons assigned to serve throughout the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deacons in the city of Rome were also known
to assist the bishop in his liturgical functions, teach new converts in
preparation for their baptism (catechumens) and finally to distribute charity
to the poor through a network throughout the city.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSjctg2gW1Z8Vyeiy1chrO-rZN5f6Szi5SSpY2K4gMLn8y2Zmbv5x2d9zBq6dIVHdp8VTbec9HauW-2uRhdiuF6ueuk4mTV2X5wIkGrlqgsosteBkdNCseNYMq80-82Czt4_FRIdLQhY/s1600/ststephen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSjctg2gW1Z8Vyeiy1chrO-rZN5f6Szi5SSpY2K4gMLn8y2Zmbv5x2d9zBq6dIVHdp8VTbec9HauW-2uRhdiuF6ueuk4mTV2X5wIkGrlqgsosteBkdNCseNYMq80-82Czt4_FRIdLQhY/s1600/ststephen.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Stephen was the first deacon</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
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Rome would have tolerated Christian doctrine out of
diversity, but because the church was well-organized and hierarchically
constituted, it needed to be destroyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Decian persecution of 249-250 was where the Roman government first
recognized the organized church was truly a threat to them. This later
persecution under Valerian began as the result of an epidemic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All persons were ordered to offer sacrifice
to the gods on behalf of Rome to bring protection to the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christians refused to participate for obvious
reasons and this started the backlash.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Rome authorities held forth that anyone found to be a
Christian will be executed and will endure the seizure of their property to the
benefit of the Imperial state treasury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the background of this persecution is another reality: the emperor was
badly in need of funds to pay the Roman army and so he had a greater interest
in the “seizure” part of the persecution than he did in mass executions.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because of this, most rank and file Christians were ignored,
but Christian leaders, influential personalities, and Christians known to be
wealthy were directly sought out by the government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would have fewer victims but definitely
more riches with this approach.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From the moment of Sixtus II’s election as pope, Lawrence
his archdeacon was always by his side. Lawrence worked day and night, busy
running to and fro with great zeal for his office and for doing good to those
within and without the church of Rome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was well known to the people and some even called him ‘the angel of
Rome’ because of his many acts of mercy and charity.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually the Pope’s
location was discovered and he was arrested in the persecution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Lawrence watched his spiritual father
undergo the indignity of arrest, his eyes were filled with tears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was sad not only for the loss of his
shepherd and mentor, but also because he would not have the honor of dying
together with him.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Fj9DHPkhyphenhyphenAVbVK8ksfdBkJaWjihfTue-gdVsuVB8FjyI-MZy-YXtYti5KspLyB2eEFzT0EseUcQ7IyVtA8HISFsMj-QGliBCuzO_tcqqYWyLM7iuEwneavKFvv5QAsNlk5uFeMwB_oQ/s1600/sixtus2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Fj9DHPkhyphenhyphenAVbVK8ksfdBkJaWjihfTue-gdVsuVB8FjyI-MZy-YXtYti5KspLyB2eEFzT0EseUcQ7IyVtA8HISFsMj-QGliBCuzO_tcqqYWyLM7iuEwneavKFvv5QAsNlk5uFeMwB_oQ/s1600/sixtus2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pope Sixtus II</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pope Sixtus consoled
him with these prophetic words: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will not leave
you or abandon you son, but there are more difficult tests reserved for
you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because I am already old, I will
receive an easy test, but because you are young you will face a more difficult
test from the tyrant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not cry for in
three days you will join me.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.deaconsplace.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=98&Itemid=32">A classic poem on the Life of St. Lawrence</a><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sixtus quietly recommended that Lawrence distribute all the
treasures of the church to the poor so that they who would not fall in the
hands of the persecutors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The holy
deacon, enthusiastic about the prediction of the martyrdom and that he will
soon be gaining glory did not waste any time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He rounded up all of his assistants and distributed all the wealth of
the church among the poor according to their needs.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOg6mthI5NjfKp_Vx-6BjQMMHbmZwVPKI47aAQ6vMlIXST4vn2CfubQ6N2TMd2XN3lr67YiC4HbaUex1mkBmTDYgK16cywRfhOiC-TO5qtHdF8aB4D9ZsvpY8ukGUdRWav4pLbCj0GaNo/s1600/stlaw5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOg6mthI5NjfKp_Vx-6BjQMMHbmZwVPKI47aAQ6vMlIXST4vn2CfubQ6N2TMd2XN3lr67YiC4HbaUex1mkBmTDYgK16cywRfhOiC-TO5qtHdF8aB4D9ZsvpY8ukGUdRWav4pLbCj0GaNo/s1600/stlaw5.jpg" height="143" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lawrence distributing "treasures" to the poor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saint Ambrose, who provides us with many of the most
credible details of Lawrence’s story, explains that the church did accumulate
gold and silver in the form of beautiful chalices, plates, and accessories for
their worship services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although some
churches still met in homes, the church was also in the stage of development
where they were also beginning to build buildings and it was quite natural for
the faithful who had means to want to furnish them with beautiful accessories.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ambrose tells us that the church did not give away the church
treasure as liturgical implements but would melt them down and distributed the
gold and silver as the need warranted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The view was taken from the Old Testament when the Babylonians came and
plundered the Temple in Jerusalem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
took the implements of gold and silver that were intended for use in
worshiping God and used them idolatrous purposes (something for which God
would judge that nation for at a future date).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The thought of the church was if they were going to be plundered by the
government, better to melt the gold down themselves and give it away for good
purposes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bu3xKci7CdSI1k1z8dc8eMa1Q0jgRvqeEoTFUVD7FM_rV0SYE4vTraCnVPsp_IeLwvkliaTYsKQGGz3s5wup8sJiqqUpAJnqV2N9ZOw-Dnquf_YxJglEIDxO1-iCdKnZK6PnTN4pipI/s1600/stambrose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bu3xKci7CdSI1k1z8dc8eMa1Q0jgRvqeEoTFUVD7FM_rV0SYE4vTraCnVPsp_IeLwvkliaTYsKQGGz3s5wup8sJiqqUpAJnqV2N9ZOw-Dnquf_YxJglEIDxO1-iCdKnZK6PnTN4pipI/s1600/stambrose.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beyond that idea, the church also felt that although
beautiful things are a wonderful adornment to their worship, the more beautiful
adornment is that of good works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes,
even if there was no threat of seizure, the church would still melt down its
precious metals to redeem someone from slavery or to help Christians in a time
of famine to be able to purchase food.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SaintLawrenceDeaconAndMartyr">St. Lawrence is so awesome he has his own Facebook page. Like him here!</a><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Getting back to St. Lawrence, upon taking leave of the pope
he went to the home of a noble woman by the name of Ciriaca.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her home is where the church’s treasures were
stored and it was also a distribution center for the poor and for Christian
pilgrims needing assistance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the
persecution, Ciriaca hid Christians and church leaders in her home which
eventually was found out by the authorities in a later time and led to her own
martyrdom.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In today’s Rome, the church of Santa Maria in Domenica at
the top of the Coelian hill is built on top of the site of St. Ciriaca’s
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This church is also known as “the
Navicella” because there is a fountain in the front of the church in the shape
of a ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is from this point that centuries
ago St. Lawrence made haste to give away the treasures of the church.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While Sixtus was being led to his execution, Lawrence
followed him saying “Oh holy father, do not abandon me;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made good use of the treasures that you’ve
entrusted to me.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Upon hearing this, the soldiers immediately arrested
Lawrence and brought him to the tribune Partenio who questioned him about these
treasures and where they were being kept.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually this information was brought to the emperor Valerian
who wanted to meet with Lawrence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
demanded that the treasures be brought to him and so Lawrence shrewdly
requested three days that he could make a ‘proper accounting of them’ before
turning them all over to the emperor.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the next three days, Lawrence went to all the people
who had received his gifts and asked them to gather at a certain place on the
following day. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he reported to
Valerian, all the poor people were gathered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Here,” as Lawrence pointed to all the poor, sick, crippled, aged, and
ragged of the city, “is the treasure of the church.”<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitF1Izilgg3tX0tGBwvvwvw2qUWGC_JDR0Gg29yphN-Guhsvrp-6sq17Q5Od9qXGouQpqQTmMEibXwwLyxmH5lNVlDTkD2cRi8Ak8LfyNY5kKDREY0qpHX6HnvceMa-iMwZWSsk0Y2kwA/s1600/stlaw7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitF1Izilgg3tX0tGBwvvwvw2qUWGC_JDR0Gg29yphN-Guhsvrp-6sq17Q5Od9qXGouQpqQTmMEibXwwLyxmH5lNVlDTkD2cRi8Ak8LfyNY5kKDREY0qpHX6HnvceMa-iMwZWSsk0Y2kwA/s1600/stlaw7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lawrence before the Prefect of Rome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The emperor was enraged and stunned, but Lawrence pointed
out that according to scripture, these truly are the trophies and wealth of the
church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This led to Lawrence being given
the sentence of death.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The emperor informed Lawrence that he knew he was ready to
die for his faith, but it was not going to be an easy and painless death by the
sword.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, he was going to be a
burnt offering himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it would be
even more horrific because he would be roasted on a lower temperature over a
longer time.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although it was not as common a torture as it became in the
Middle Ages, the tradition is that Lawrence was cooked while still alive on a
Roman gridiron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine a large barbecue
grill with legs high enough to build a cooking fire underneath.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ou50nZDVZTs6tpgms-XqqBSie7-8A2_x0o1gCTLYOi6eLV2Nh8lsQpUA5wXXdg4d5XK3zM6qdFoUJiOL4OIa6J-iFH5X5kkAbzkjFpNS3lt154Utj0oO6twxhscoa5lDOZIpOevYWpk/s1600/stlaw2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ou50nZDVZTs6tpgms-XqqBSie7-8A2_x0o1gCTLYOi6eLV2Nh8lsQpUA5wXXdg4d5XK3zM6qdFoUJiOL4OIa6J-iFH5X5kkAbzkjFpNS3lt154Utj0oO6twxhscoa5lDOZIpOevYWpk/s1600/stlaw2.jpg" height="320" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lawrence on the gridiron</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are two
traditions related to this event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One is
that fuel used to burn Lawrence was copies of the Bible which had been seized
from the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other one is that
Lawrence asked his tormenters to flip him over because he was done on the
backside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither of these details are
likely to be true, but they have been a part of the story so long that it would
be unthinkable to leave them out.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.slocc.com/images/St.%20Lawrence.pdf">Get a great downloadable book on St. Lawrence here</a><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The execution in such a brutal way was shocking even to the
Roman people who watched blood sport for entertainment. Several senators who
came to watch this horrid spectacle were converted on the spot by Lawrence’s
grace and prayers for the salvation of the lost while undergoing intense
suffering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They took his body and gave
him an honorable burial.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lawrence came into the presence of Christ on August 10, 258
AD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was his death that marked the
death of idolatry in Rome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it
wasn’t outlawed until the next century, the injustice of persecution and the
steadfast witness of St. Lawrence and many others in the face of government
sponsored violence put its practice into sharp decline that very year.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznfE1RkJi7-w7aGfKPG2URgVHLJgEycL3O-9Hcl1X9dAZE29ugIkOomkiz1MYSUVl_hQRIcvOBZp1DsCXhqHRX2h_zdDMwz5YJCga9-_hIrO1-ZK4FJBgkPEb2PGkBtdr5P4SiJcV-RA/s1600/stlaw3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznfE1RkJi7-w7aGfKPG2URgVHLJgEycL3O-9Hcl1X9dAZE29ugIkOomkiz1MYSUVl_hQRIcvOBZp1DsCXhqHRX2h_zdDMwz5YJCga9-_hIrO1-ZK4FJBgkPEb2PGkBtdr5P4SiJcV-RA/s1600/stlaw3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Lawrence outside the walls church in Rome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so the tears of St. Lawrence, seen in the night sky of
August, are not the tears of sadness but tears of joy that can only come when
you realize God has used your life, every bit of it, to make His name hallowed
on earth even as it is in heaven.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Sources: </u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ambrose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On the Duties of the Clergy Book II. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>26 Feb. 2015<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<http: ambrose1.htm="" books="" html="" www.brainfly.net=""></http:></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ferguson, Everett<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Church History Vol. 1 : From Christ to the
Pre-Reformation. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grand Rapids :
Zondervan, 2013)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Frend, W.H. C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Martyrdom and Persecution in the Early
Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Cambridge : James Clarke,
2008)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kirsch, Johann Peter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“St. Lawrence”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 9<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(New York : Robert Appleton Company,
1910)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>20 Feb. 2015 <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09089a.htm"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.newadvent.org/cathen/09089a.htm</i></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">“Lawrence”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dictionary
of Christian Biography.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michael
Walsh ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Collegeville : The Liturgical
Press, 2004)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">“Lawrence, Roman
Martyr”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angelo Di Berardino Gen. Ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Downers Grove : Intervarsity Press, 2014)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Martina, Fr.
Sergio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Papal Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls and its
Saints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Dina Saliola trans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Roma : Prima Edizione, 2012)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">“St.
Laurentius”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature Vol.
5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>McClintock and Strong Eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grand Rapids : Baker Books, 1981)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Saint of the Day: Lives, Lessons, and Feasts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Foley and McCloskey O.F.M. ed. & rev.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Cincinnati : St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2001)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Schaff,
Philip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">History of the Christian Church Vol. 2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></i>(Grand Rapids : Eerdmanns, 1910)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ubodi, Flavio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">St. Lawrence Deacon and Martyr (between
history and legend). </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A.M. Barnido
and Norberto Mariani trans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Rome:
Basilica St. Lawrence Fuori le Mura, 2008)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-55769529129763367142015-02-25T17:48:00.000-08:002015-02-27T09:23:51.768-08:00St. Agnes of Rome (292-304 AD) : A Model of Sacrificial Purity by Chris White<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPFbx5myZxGtmzE_LmC-WdHd02Kh8TU8_KM1IIDU7zX3Wp8ryI464Gz-enty8utYuDdQ8bbfK6VTi0niXKKJzrGKJS65Cj5qeT8zpFNqMhXzh8UN2AN3m7l2vm0NOssGFIowN8Zq0lu4/s1600/aggie10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPFbx5myZxGtmzE_LmC-WdHd02Kh8TU8_KM1IIDU7zX3Wp8ryI464Gz-enty8utYuDdQ8bbfK6VTi0niXKKJzrGKJS65Cj5qeT8zpFNqMhXzh8UN2AN3m7l2vm0NOssGFIowN8Zq0lu4/s1600/aggie10.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Agnes "Pure"</td></tr>
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<br />
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXIDPnXczFwAB0msHfrhMvU7GY_pt2xXJMs_eohLNPeUzUXnb5Dp1xQFOQA56HfJ1rETvGkMv2-j-P5ovh5IRIrhYnTrOL7fa5H1nrU0UbvHMEkj8XwO6sLdEnFu9nCT57sSjdT_Z0jpw/s1600/aggie9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXIDPnXczFwAB0msHfrhMvU7GY_pt2xXJMs_eohLNPeUzUXnb5Dp1xQFOQA56HfJ1rETvGkMv2-j-P5ovh5IRIrhYnTrOL7fa5H1nrU0UbvHMEkj8XwO6sLdEnFu9nCT57sSjdT_Z0jpw/s1600/aggie9.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piazza Navona in Rome Italy</td></tr>
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In present day Rome is a site popular with tourists called
the Piazza Navona.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has three
fountains that are considered Baroque masterpieces and adding to its charm are
many sidewalk café’s, gelato stands, street musicians, artists, and
entertainers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a beautiful summer
night, this is truly one of the more magical spots in all of Italy. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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On the western side of the oblong piazza stands a church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It too is a masterpiece of the Baroque
although some have criticized the façade of the Church as being poorly
designed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not being qualified to
evaluate such things, I simply accept St. Agnese in Agone Church as it is and
enjoy the lovely art treasures inside caring little about building symmetry and
the like.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_E0FAwbjcFsf5EhRRMOxTzB2cBJ7oMAoX51n3bIwxorhOQGKFsFtJjMZ7DspURqMFq96S0LjvPUrV6991iFzNLYSwumlPAZrLMDxWvevoVWQgHVYSIFGTUqbArE6x6VJVv_z7XHKbtjU/s1600/Aggie3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_E0FAwbjcFsf5EhRRMOxTzB2cBJ7oMAoX51n3bIwxorhOQGKFsFtJjMZ7DspURqMFq96S0LjvPUrV6991iFzNLYSwumlPAZrLMDxWvevoVWQgHVYSIFGTUqbArE6x6VJVv_z7XHKbtjU/s1600/Aggie3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Agnese en Agone Church</td></tr>
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But behind the beautiful art and all the activities and
entertainments of the piazza is a story of Christian heroism that is quite
important .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the first
century, the Emperor Domitian built a stadium with seating for 30,000 people on
that very site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a popular place
for horse racing and gladiatorial games and was in use until the 5<sup>th</sup>
century when it was abandoned and its materials were repurposed in many other
buildings and homes around Rome. It was here that a young Christian girl known to us as Agnes
was martyred for her Christian faith at the tender age of 13.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her story has continued to inspire Christians
and people of all persuasions ever since. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje05gQJceLPUb2fnohoboYoj0kqU5BsQRXJdirq4HWiRjcRqxy7K7h0we-Kz97v4SuuDfxM96kz3kPo3J2xgvS5vXK5WYbZxRSQPyDRTUz3ULPM6fwtz2JRwZ0IMq1P7EcoCl-qQ0soYE/s1600/aggie8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje05gQJceLPUb2fnohoboYoj0kqU5BsQRXJdirq4HWiRjcRqxy7K7h0we-Kz97v4SuuDfxM96kz3kPo3J2xgvS5vXK5WYbZxRSQPyDRTUz3ULPM6fwtz2JRwZ0IMq1P7EcoCl-qQ0soYE/s1600/aggie8.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artistic Model of Domitian Stadium</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCTlFdLaTg7VwFViKfZtR-TTHKDID3_DwDir9Hne-TIkeIeW20m4fRfIvnWZWSnRCErXAUAiOWZptdqjMfka_6TbsP0JZ2zm-ePxu_t7oshsIIJU57aDTG5Sv6FUD9Y6Y3EtjDVHMBZU/s1600/aggie7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCTlFdLaTg7VwFViKfZtR-TTHKDID3_DwDir9Hne-TIkeIeW20m4fRfIvnWZWSnRCErXAUAiOWZptdqjMfka_6TbsP0JZ2zm-ePxu_t7oshsIIJU57aDTG5Sv6FUD9Y6Y3EtjDVHMBZU/s1600/aggie7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piazza footprint of Domitian Stadium</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In March of 303 AD, faced with all sorts of internal and
external pressures, the emperor of the Roman Empire named Diocletian launched
an all-out assault on the Christian church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Typical with despotic rulers, if things aren’t going well, scapegoating
a segment of the population is a good way to divert unwanted attention on your
own leadership failures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reasoning
goes like this: (1) things used to be great in the Roman Empire (at least for
the elite classes); (2) Rome was founded on loyalty to the ancient<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>gods; (3) This one group does not respect or
sacrifice to our gods; (4) therefore, destroy this one group and all problems
will dissipate and our normal good fortunes will return.</div>
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In the case of the Diocletian persecution, the picture is
not wholly unlike what happened to the Jews in Hitler’s Germany in the 20<sup>th</sup>
century except that the Christians as a whole were a much larger segment of the
populace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Diocletian started with the
prohibition of Christian meetings and then moved to the razing of any church
buildings, imprisonment of church leaders, destruction of the Scriptures, and
finally a mandatory requirement that anyone accused of being a Christian was
required to make a sacrifice to the pagan gods of Rome upon pain of death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some parts of the Roman Empire, Christians
were sent to “work camps” where they were essentially executed by being
underfed and worked to death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eusebius,
the early Christian historian, who was contemporaneous with these events, said
in some locales, the jails were so full of Christians there was no room for
criminals anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although this
persecution slackened a bit with the unprecedented retirement of Diocletian in
305, it was continued in his successors until 313 when the Edict of Milan effectively
brought freedom of religion to all people within the Roman world under
Constantine.</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjqdhyBgXqk">A video tour of St. Agnes Church</a> </div>
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There are several traditions regarding St. Agnes which seem
to emphasize different facets of her story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rather than present them separately, I am going to synthesize them into
a single narrative leaving it to the reader to do further research if they are
inclined to know the other alternatives.</div>
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Agnes was born in 292 to an upper class Roman family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is believed the entire family was
practicing Christians although the current times required them to keep a low
profile about their faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Prefect
of Rome (a mayor with power) at the time was named Sempronius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knew Agnes and her family and really
wanted her to marry his son Procop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
was apparently quite a beautiful person both in appearance and personality and
therefore quite a “catch” for any young man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Agnes was approached with a marriage proposal a couple of times which
she refused on the basis that she had consecrated her life to Jesus Christ and
intended on living as a virgin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQdbb1bhxSAuNDLQEXWMs6RGZpxygE7MY8uC7cUTxDSSJza02n14DAjn0Sxymb04trvx5yJUwjaD-z_CddK-MOaFToEYR2nQ2CnndcS61Z_y9ugqNnhPGFQuuoFpL1SF7af71BpbU-_Y/s1600/aggie11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQdbb1bhxSAuNDLQEXWMs6RGZpxygE7MY8uC7cUTxDSSJza02n14DAjn0Sxymb04trvx5yJUwjaD-z_CddK-MOaFToEYR2nQ2CnndcS61Z_y9ugqNnhPGFQuuoFpL1SF7af71BpbU-_Y/s1600/aggie11.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">English version of Agnes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
today’s sexual economy this may sound absurd, but it has a long tradition in
the Christian church and is found in the Scriptures in 1 Corinthians chapter
7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The purpose of such a consecration
had nothing to do with the idea that sex and marriage were inherently evil,
something the Bible does not teach, but rather this mode of life was a means of
diverting all of your energy and attention on the pursuit of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The phrase often used by those in that
station in life was “my spouse is Jesus Christ and my heart belongs totally to
Him.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Agnes couldn’t have made such vow
without her parent’s consent at her age and so the refusal of marriage
proposals was also with their permission.</div>
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Whether it was boldness, impetuosity, or simply the
knowledge that her tender age exempted her from criminal punishment under Roman
law, Agnes spoke quite freely about her consecration to Jesus Christ and that
she was unavailable for a marriage contract.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After her second refusal of marriage to his son and the spurning of the
offer of many gifts if she would change her mind, Sempronius went to the local
courts to report Agnes as a Christian.</div>
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There might have been some politics involved in Agnes’s case
that went beyond just her youth because when she appeared before the court, the
governor made her lavish promises if she would publicly renounce her faith and
then treated her with extreme harshness when she wouldn’t comply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On either side of the equation, Agnes was a
high profile example and useful to the Roman government for propaganda
purposes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To renounce her faith would
provide a powerful testimony to the community that nothing is worth dying for
especially your religion, to cling to her faith would give opportunity for the
government to show just how cruel they can be in punishing those who do not
comply with their policies.</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AWUBNetiAA">A short video on offering your life in St. Agnes' example</a> </div>
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When Agnes explained that she was virgin consecrated to
Jesus Christ alone, the governor set about to torment her before having her
executed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Agnes was condemned to die and
it is said she faced this prospect with the joy of a woman on her wedding
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the governor hoped that the
miseries he had planned for her might cause her to reconsider her manner of
life.</div>
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First, Agnes was sentenced to live in a well-known brothel
next to the stadium of Domitian where the prostitutes serviced those attending
the games and races there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Rome, a
young virgin girl could not be given a death sentence, but if the girl was
living as a prostitute, then the situation changes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When game-day arrived,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Agnes was stripped naked along with the other
prostitutes, and brought into the stadium much like a half-time commercial on a
ball game today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A different product to
be sure, but the marketing strategy was still same.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghv6mgMCvEmtnsLpQerjWTx7a2zz3EOPkC4vs7dKg7XzXEHq36qlSF4ZFIq7mg_I1ZHn3Khhryd2szqygkB3BLCL2sgVyOoEU1VEMH3RNqwLTSIOiGB0bZoJiTG_vs1NnCMd_0CPBpahA/s1600/Aggie1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghv6mgMCvEmtnsLpQerjWTx7a2zz3EOPkC4vs7dKg7XzXEHq36qlSF4ZFIq7mg_I1ZHn3Khhryd2szqygkB3BLCL2sgVyOoEU1VEMH3RNqwLTSIOiGB0bZoJiTG_vs1NnCMd_0CPBpahA/s1600/Aggie1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agnes covered by hair</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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There are a couple of traditions at this point in the story
that may or may not be true but certainly add to the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first one is that when Agnes was stripped
naked and brought before the crowd, which would have been utter humiliation for
a chaste young girl of her character,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>God caused the hair on her head to suddenly and spontaneously grow to
cover her private parts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second
story is that a man at the arena who wanted to purchase her services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he came down and tried to touch her, he
died suddenly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Agnes told the guard
detail that was leading her around that an angel unseen to them but visible to
her was protecting her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To prove this
she prayed and the man was brought to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Did this actually happen?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could it actually happen? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the same God who says not hair on your
head or a sparrow in the air falls to the ground without his knowledge and
permission</div>
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( Lk.21:18, Mt. 10:29) is more than capable of helping a person in
this manner.</div>
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When this was reported to the governor, he ordered that
Agnes be taken to be burned alive as a pagan sacrifice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since she wanted to be a holy virgin to God,
she was to be made an offering by fire to Minerva.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the fire was lit beneath her rather than
consume her, it continually went out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Lord was not going to allow her to become a sacrifice to anyone but
Himself.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKS4F7yngn0skRrNZYKpZobkVvikzzlCRX1oLr9lofDK0QFwVqaiZCby7QUDdti0EP0R2LVIjHaq-GQnUlsuDpjOWAAb4WTeKq_ra3tsOzZKy4UM_fIS4865hmzzhmhsXWtq5T2XPy-c/s1600/aggie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKS4F7yngn0skRrNZYKpZobkVvikzzlCRX1oLr9lofDK0QFwVqaiZCby7QUDdti0EP0R2LVIjHaq-GQnUlsuDpjOWAAb4WTeKq_ra3tsOzZKy4UM_fIS4865hmzzhmhsXWtq5T2XPy-c/s1600/aggie2.jpg" /></a></div>
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Finally it was decided to put Agnes to the sword. The Roman
guard who was dispatched to decapitate her, cut her throat instead causing her to
die quickly and mercifully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this
reason iconography depicts her with a lamb (because lambs have their throats
cut before they are used as a sacrifice) to symbolize her as a pure sacrifice
before God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This happened in a support
room at the stadium of Domitian.</div>
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At the time of this incident, the harsh treatment and
execution of Agnes was a shock and scandal to the citizens of Rome and brought
pressure to bear on the government to bring an end to persecution of Christian
citizens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only was Agnes admired as
an example of steadfast faith as she innocently endured evil, but was held
forth as a model of purity and chastity for both women and men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The name Agnes actually means “pure and
chaste.”</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsIeg_XeXyZlVnHF1uSmbsAxAJaLTzAu8E6DOP6WsgAiG7OiZcs42WDoWhJQb_HRsY0xpyKKxCwwfUqtzOdE6TVMcxnCRyP_pYVTpOBRsDRM5ZlC2Q0dFDNfVk9Hp1QRjwL0SBYG5qq0/s1600/Aggie4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsIeg_XeXyZlVnHF1uSmbsAxAJaLTzAu8E6DOP6WsgAiG7OiZcs42WDoWhJQb_HRsY0xpyKKxCwwfUqtzOdE6TVMcxnCRyP_pYVTpOBRsDRM5ZlC2Q0dFDNfVk9Hp1QRjwL0SBYG5qq0/s1600/Aggie4.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agnes as sacrificial lamb at sword</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It is important to remember Agnes’ steadfast devotion was
not the result of her great efforts or maturity, but really was made possible
by the support of God given to her in her time of trial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Agnes’ story was immortalized in her own
generation when Constantine the Great built a church in her honor at the urging
of his daughter Constanzia who visited her memorial shrine in Rome and claimed
she had been healed of a disease.</div>
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January 21<sup>st</sup> is her memorial day on the calendars
of the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since medieval times there has been a curious
custom related to her feast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If an
unmarried woman skips her supper on the eve of the feast of St. Agnes, that
night she will see her future husband in her dreams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, that being a true thing would be a
terrific comfort to some women and to others, perhaps warning enough to pursue
the path of St. Agnes herself and becoming the spouse of Jesus alone.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7T5Arf250JqlHPUPQpktJuOtx3nc9aA6nbK9rW5TfOijqX91UKZPYD6pvrli1bVb7eN_N_Ec6Zrav_mpYiZsBV_f5onEGzhKT3FrwsLMkPm1dMu8ASKMX9TvpUYrOR6sdI2XSZu64Ys/s1600/Aggie5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7T5Arf250JqlHPUPQpktJuOtx3nc9aA6nbK9rW5TfOijqX91UKZPYD6pvrli1bVb7eN_N_Ec6Zrav_mpYiZsBV_f5onEGzhKT3FrwsLMkPm1dMu8ASKMX9TvpUYrOR6sdI2XSZu64Ys/s1600/Aggie5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reliquary with Agnes' Skull</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<u>Sources</u></div>
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“Agnes, Saint”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saints and Angels Catholic Online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Catholic.org </i>20 Feb. 2015</div>
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“Agnes, Saint”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Encyclopedia of World Biography. </i>2005. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Encyclopedia.com. </i>20 Feb. 2015</div>
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“Agnes, Saint and Martyr”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyclopedia of Biblical,
Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature Vol. 1<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>McClintock and Strong eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grand Rapids : Baker Books, 1981)</div>
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“Saint Agnes of Rome”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marypages.com<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>20 Feb. 2015</div>
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<br /></div>
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“Agnes”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity Vol.
1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Angelo Di Berardino Gen. Ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Downers Grove : Intervarsity Press, 2014)</div>
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Cairns, Earle E.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christianity Through The Centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1981)</div>
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Chidester, David<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christianity : A Global History.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(San Francisco : HarperSanFrancisco,
2000)</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Guy, Laurie <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Introducing Early Christianity: A Topical
Survey of Its Life, Beliefs & Practices<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></i>(Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2004)</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Kirsch, Johann Peter<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Saint Agnes of Rome”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 1<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(New York : Robert Appleton Company,
1907)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>20 Feb. 2015<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.newadvent.org/cathen/01214a.htm</i></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saint of the Day:
Lives, Lessons, and Feasts<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Edited
and Revised by Leonard Foley O.F.M. and Pat McCloskey O.F.M. (Cincinnati : St.
Anthony Messenger Press, 2001)</div>
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Todescato, Gianni<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Brief Guide to St. Agnese in Agone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Rome : LazziRoma, 2009)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-18898740638016477692015-02-21T10:30:00.000-08:002015-02-21T10:30:23.688-08:00Francis Schaeffer : A 20th Century Prophet by Chris White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you ever noticed that God fits men (and women) to a ministry suitable to their times and place? As a student of history I have often imagined what it would be like to have been a minister (or even a monk) in an epoch different from my own, but I don't operate under any illusion that the times were simpler or that people were more godly than they are now. Every era has its challenges and blessings and the voice of Providence says to each of us what Mordecai said to Queen Esther: you have been raised up for such a time as this (Esther 4:14). We are given our day and our challenge is to serve the Lord in the times in which we live. The 20<sup>th</sup> Century was a
time of great spiritual darkness all over the world, and one of the voices God
raised up to challenge the darkness was that of Francis A. Schaeffer. <br />
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Newsweek magazine called Schaeffer a “guru to fundamentalism” and this was entirely appropriate. By the mid-twentieth century, young university age people in the West were disenchanted with the structures and institutions of their society (including the church and their families) and were seeking the meaning of life in alternative ways and communities. Like a mystic of the East, Schaeffer and his wife Edith lived in a mountain village in Switzerland and the young looking for wisdom and direction came and lived with them in a small community.<br />
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That said, Francis Schaeffer didn't look like your typical guru. In fact his appearance was more than a bit eccentric with his long white hair and goatee (long before this was common) and his trademark knickerbocker pants with knee high socks no matter what the occasion. It makes sense if you live in the Swiss Alps, but I fear that if Schaeffer ever went to Hawaii on vacation (I don't know if he did or didn't) that you'd find him on the beach with the same outfit. He also had a higher pitched voice (not the first choice of great orators) and as Time
magazine noted “he was sad-faced.”<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j-MXm1DH2w">Chuck Colson explores the legacy of Francis Schaeffer here</a> </div>
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Although his teaching was thoroughly Christian, Schaeffer rarely
quoted from the Bible and was just as comfortable using the secular as he was
the sacred to make his point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had an
encyclopedic knowledge of history that allowed him to connect important events
together and show how the present course is the result of a long flow of human
history. Francis Schaeffer was a prolific reader, writer, and
teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although he was to later engage
in political activism, his core belief was that “ideas are totally a matter of
life and death” and thus his life work was mostly about shaping the thoughts of
a new generation of Christians.</div>
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Francis Schaeffer’s ministry can easily be divided up into three
phases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First he was a pastor, later he
moved into being an apologist for the faith, and finally in the last part of
his life he was more a prophet.<br />
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The Pastoral Phase:</div>
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Schaeffer was born in 1912 and grew up in a working class
home and community in Eastern Pennsylvania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His upbringing ignored the intellect and
nurtured the technical and practical arts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Francis spent much of his childhood working side by side with his father
learning home repair and construction and seemed destined to a life of working
with his hands. When he was in grade school his parents received a letter
from his teacher telling them that Francis seemed to have real intellectual
promise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather than build on this, they
concealed it from him for fear he might join the ranks of the ivory tower elite
which they thought to be of no value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, his parents constantly steered him towards a technical education and
career.</div>
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Although the Schaeffer family were not what anyone would categorize as deeply religious, Francis and
his family attended a very liberal Presbyterian Church on a weekly basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Francis was a teenager he was asked by
the church to tutor a Russian count in English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Francis went to a bookshop to get an English book to use and quite
mistakenly the bookseller gave him a book on<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Greek philosophy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the process
of tutoring, Schaeffer read this book and was captivated by its approach to
answering the big questions in life.</div>
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For a time, Schaeffer looked only to philosophy for answers
but in time felt that before he gave up on Christianity, he would read the Bible
from cover-to-cover to see what it really was about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What he found was that the Bible was filled
with answers to life’s deepest questions and began to trust that the Bible was
truly the truth mankind needed.</div>
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With his home and church background, Francis, then 17,
thought he was completely alone in his belief that the Bible was the Word of
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was by chance that he passed by
a revival tent one night and over heard the preacher saying things that he
believed as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was overjoyed to
find that there were Christians who believed as he did.</div>
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As Francis grew in his faith he felt a strong call to
ministry, but his parents strongly objected and wanted him to become an
electrical engineer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Francis wanted
to leave his technical school for a Christian college there was a great
confrontation between he and his father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Before he decided to disobey his father, Francis went into the basement
and put what once would call a fleece before the Lord (Judges 6:36).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Schaeffer flipped a coin three times changing it from heads to tails and back to
heads on whether he should go and prepare for ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each time, the Lord’s cause won and Francis
stood in real confidence that despite his parents objections, he was to become
a minister of the Gospel.<br />
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By 1935 Schaeffer had graduated college and entered
Westminster Theological Seminary to begin ministerial studies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a very turbulent period in the
Presbyterian Church as they were dividing along the lines of Modernism and its
attendant questioning of the Bible, and Evangelicalism and its strong
confidence in the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately (at least in my opinion), Francis held a firm belief in the Scriptures and remained within the
Evangelical camp of his Church.</div>
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During his first ten years of pastoral work, Francis and his
wife Edith, worked among working class congregations in Pennsylvania and Missouri.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is telling that although Francis was by most human measures a
brilliant thinker, when he ministered and called upon the members of his
Churches, he was frequently working on projects or home repairs with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He saw both humble people and humble work as
sacred and never felt it was beneath his dignity as a clergyman.</div>
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Francis and
his wife were also very talented children’s and youth ministers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you read his weighty books or see his
films, its hard to imagine him doing flannel-graphs and teen barbecues. But he did this both in the United
States and then as a missionary working in Europe after World War 2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, his work grew into an international ministry called Children
for Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And really his being able to
relate to the younger generation was an integral part of his work with the L’Abri
community and the college age generation of the 1960’s.</div>
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In 1948 Francis Schaeffer and his entire family moved to Switzerland to
serve with the efforts of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Children for
Christ and also to work on the formation of the International Council of
Christian Churches.</div>
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Like most Christians of strong conviction, Francis Schaeffer had his
own ‘dark night of the soul’ in 1951.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>During this time there was deep division within his denomination and the
way people were talking and acting really caused him to question the reality of
Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had also been working
very hard and was experiencing burnout which robbed him of a lot of joy and well-being. For
several months he went through a deep crisis where he reevaluated everything he
believed, reading the Bible and praying and walking for hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end he concluded that what the Bible
teaches is true, but that men were emphasizing the things we believe for
salvation to the exclusion of our need to live in holiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This crisis led him to eventually sever some
of his denominational ties but also led him to a foundational belief that true
spirituality is marked by belief and behavior.</div>
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The Apologetic Phase:</div>
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For several years the Schaeffers had been seeking God for
new avenues of ministry in Switzerland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1955 a whole new phase of his ministry was
inaugurated when his eldest daughter brought some friends home from college who
were struggling with some big questions about life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Francis was able to share in a way that
really made sense to the younger generation that historic Christianity had the
answers to life’s biggest questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Before long, more college students started coming for the weekend and
the long discussions held around the table evolved into a ministry known as
L’Abri which is French for shelter.<br />
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Schaeffer said later that it was never intended to be an
evangelistic ministry to the young, to intellectuals, or to drug users.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was simply a commitment to their prayers
that God would somehow use them to demonstrate his reality in their
generation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 1957, L’Abri was filled
with 25 guests each weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
developed a pattern of meals, walks, discussions and Sunday Church
services that created a conducive atmosphere for philosophical and religious
ideas to be shared.<br />
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<a href="http://www.labri-ideas-library.org/lecture-list.asp?s=5">Download Teachings from Francis Schaeffer from the L'Abri Website</a> </div>
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Francis would read and teach classes throughout Italy and Switzerland
during the weekdays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of his
students were Europeans who were very much aware of the post-Christian existential
philosophies floating around at this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In a way, these students served as tutors to Schaeffer as he would see the
consequences of existential thought being lived out in their lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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By 1960, the work of L’Abri had expanded so much that the
sheer numbers required the informal weekends to be replaced with a full-time
study program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>L’Abri actually caught
the attention of Time magazine who called it a mission to intellectuals. With the steady stream of visitors to their home in Switzerland,
Francis read and prepared and became fueled with a passion to take his messages
to a wider audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He felt he had the
answers for a generation that was rapidly becoming lost but his wife Edith
really put the brakes on any sort of speaking tours that would take him away
from home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This caused a real strain in
their marriage at one point, but eventually Edith relented and eventually
Schaeffer embarked on another phase of ministry which found him lecturing at
some of the leading universities of the Western world.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Francis and Edith Schaeffer</td></tr>
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The Prophetic Phase:</div>
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By the 1970s, the Schaeffers were well-known throughout the
world in evangelical circles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were
quite different because rather than encourage disengagement from the culture as
was the standard practice in the day, they encouraged an engagement which would challenge
cultural presuppositions.</div>
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Surprisingly, the Schaeffers were even involved with
politicians in Washington DC seeking to influence the government for
Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then President Gerald Ford
invited them to the White House for dinner as their oldest son Michael had been
a L’Abri student.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the late 70’s
Schaeffer had begun to focus much of his efforts on fighting abortion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He joined C. Everett Koop who would later
become the Surgeon General under Ronald Reagan and started a series of seminars
and films which challenged the ideas of abortion and euthanasia based on the
premise that all life has dignity because it originates with God.<br />
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One of his greatest projects was making How Should We Then Live? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a 10 part film series and book he
wrote in the mid 70’s which crystallized his thoughts on the decline of Western
Culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The film series and book were
intended to be a Christian rebuttal to another popular film series produced by
historian Kenneth Clark called Civilization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although the film series was very well received in the United States,
it proved quite divisive in the L’Abri community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The community had always prayed together over
big decisions before they were made, and in this case the decision was made
quite unilaterally by Francis and Edith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They also broke with their longstanding tradition of no direct
solicitation, and solicited funds from their large mailing list of supporters
for the film project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The film series is
guilty of being almost too sweeping in its summary of history, but it has made
a complex subject accessible to many and though now over 30 years old, it is more
relevant today than it was when it was produced.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAaKEGzw-Go">Watch How Should We Then Live on Youtube here</a> </div>
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In 1981 Schaeffer wrote his book “A Christian Manifesto”
which called Christians to civil disobedience, and even resisting the
government by force if need be especially over the issue of abortion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book along with ‘The Great Evangelical
Disaster” written in 1984 which sharply criticized many evangelical leaders for
being so accommodating to American culture had many critics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many felt he had become uncharitable and had
become too involved in politics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
reality, the things he criticized and saw ahead for the Church did come to pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prophets are frequently without honor in
their own day.</div>
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Schaeffer was diagnosed with cancer in 1978 and after a 6
year battle with it died in his home in Minnesota.</div>
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The Legacy:</div>
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The L’Abri community today has an outpost in the United States
and sites in 6 other countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each
community is engaged in reaching their culture through various projects but
also runs a 2-3 month study program for visiting students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of Schaeffer’s daughters and their
husbands are involved in the work.</div>
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Schaeffer’s influence has extended to many ministries and
careers such as Chuck Colson, Randall Terry of Operation Rescue, Social
commentator Cal Thomas, and Jerry Falwell</div>
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How Shall We Then Live?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although it was criticized for its simplicity the film series is
credited with moving many evangelicals in the 1970’s to become politically
active.</div>
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One of the greatest of Schaeffer’s legacies is his writings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His first couple of books Escape from Reason
and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The God Who is There actually put
the publisher Intervarsity Press on the map in the Christian publishing
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Schaeffer wrote many books and
pamphlets, however he was not the traditional writer who sits pen in hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of his books were from lectures that
were taped, transcribed, and then edited for print.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the ideas were not his alone, but
rather came from long discussions with his circle of friends at L’Abri.</div>
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The big thing that make his books important is that he
explains some of the most difficult theological and philosophical issues of the
20<sup>th</sup> century in a way that is very non-technical and is accessible
to the everyday Christian. Vernon Grounds, a fellow classmate of Schaeffer and a
leading evangelical teacher in his own right, wrote this about the life of
Francis Schaeffer:</div>
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“It is difficult for a contemporary to pronounce definitive
judgement on the achievement of his peers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Time performs a winnowing process in which once-towering heroes sink
into oblivion, and those who were little applauded while living gain stature
and significance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My own surmise,
however, is that, while many evangelical luminaries will fade into obscure
references in church history, Francis Schaeffer, will be recognized as a key
figure in 20<sup>th</sup> Century Evangelicalism.”<br />
<br />
<a href="http://francisschaefferstudies.org/home/works/Francis-Schaeffer/book-films">View more pictures and a timeline of Schaeffer's life here</a> </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-48770952261338154602014-12-12T12:17:00.001-08:002014-12-12T12:17:44.836-08:00Ignatius of Antioch (ca. 30-107 AD) : Brilliant Light in the Winter Sky by Chris White<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzQdj3b8aIXPp6c9mhFwVO_6oBKhy4fLaeDF5H0CxeyMJoUd63vvbLRqdLFl3kt-1HC7ZXXWq9hqvwpbuDVxmIKlREMlljZVpitB-M1tf6zegx_sL11EvFTqhiMjAE_hLUebdaOdVCdY/s1600/ignatius-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzQdj3b8aIXPp6c9mhFwVO_6oBKhy4fLaeDF5H0CxeyMJoUd63vvbLRqdLFl3kt-1HC7ZXXWq9hqvwpbuDVxmIKlREMlljZVpitB-M1tf6zegx_sL11EvFTqhiMjAE_hLUebdaOdVCdY/s1600/ignatius-1.png" height="260" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ignatius of Antioch being eaten by beasts</td></tr>
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It was late in the fall when the emperor Trajan and his army
arrived in Antioch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was time to
resupply and rest for in two days they would be continuing their march east to
battle the Parthians (ancient Persia) who had been encroaching upon the Roman frontiers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Antioch Syria (now part of present-day
Turkey) had a very large Christian community which had once been taught by both
the Apostles Peter and Paul and was actually the place where people were first
called “Christians” (Acts 11:19).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Church of Antioch was born out of Roman persecution and had suffered from it
sporadically for many years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ignatius of
Antioch was the beloved bishop of the city and gave loving oversight to the
church much like a father would his children. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqIH1szU3jkLopbWVbzGgJqke7pbziwgDkL1X-nZCfi4-fnSkkpUNjb15kdjMtzSUCp6-_rk-iefpSCkJgrBbJ176Li-6gSqpEvUy54ji4r2sRjRlrQiLqDJ7IYYxDXRZbb6LRIc5i40/s1600/_map_antioch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqIH1szU3jkLopbWVbzGgJqke7pbziwgDkL1X-nZCfi4-fnSkkpUNjb15kdjMtzSUCp6-_rk-iefpSCkJgrBbJ176Li-6gSqpEvUy54ji4r2sRjRlrQiLqDJ7IYYxDXRZbb6LRIc5i40/s1600/_map_antioch.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antioch is in present-day Turkey</td></tr>
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Antioch was a long ways from Rome and Trajan saw that this
distance had provided the freedom for the Christian “disorder” as he called it,
to take root there like an aggressive weed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The citizens of Antioch were among those he and his army had come and
would possibly give up their lives to defend but to his thinking they were
hardly loyal to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like other Roman
emperors before and after, Trajan decided to make a stand against this
movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through the torture of several
citizens, he learned who the Christians were and where they could be found and
many in the Christian community were rounded up to be publicly “reconverted” to
the gods of Rome (which among them was often the emperor himself) or be
executed for treason.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ancient "enhanced interrogation"</td></tr>
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As a crowd assembled in the amphitheater to see what was
going on, an elderly gentleman made his way through the streets to the
gathering. He was on a mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trajan was seated on his
portable throne to look upon the proceedings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Church members were going to be brought forward and be asked if Caesar
was lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they said yes, they would
be asked to fully apostasize by offering incense to the genius of the emperor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they denied Caesar and continued to only
acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord, they would be tortured and then put to death
before Trajan left town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But something
entirely different happened that day.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybFOUCP92mm25jY_ZIn3DrNWsQ3rdlzYVq7JAY3Clwhnztz64zrTX45EkREdxSO_Sntqv12NgabvqcFXuKV7Nf-dD7nqpNf_de45ZHBTxfTmpfq9ZIbpHU9W_UnoArU_Zetn1i3dIT9o/s1600/antioch_city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybFOUCP92mm25jY_ZIn3DrNWsQ3rdlzYVq7JAY3Clwhnztz64zrTX45EkREdxSO_Sntqv12NgabvqcFXuKV7Nf-dD7nqpNf_de45ZHBTxfTmpfq9ZIbpHU9W_UnoArU_Zetn1i3dIT9o/s1600/antioch_city.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A computer generated model of the ancient city</td></tr>
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That same elderly gentleman seen on the streets was
well-known to everyone in Antioch as bishop Ignatius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite fearlessly Ignatius entered the theatre
and walked directly towards Trajan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Trajan’s guard tried to stop the meeting, but Trajan recognized that
Ignatius must be a key person in town and wanted to hear what he had to say and
so the two men met face to face.</div>
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“You have no call to harass these people!” said
Ignatius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I am their spiritual leader
and it is I who have taught them to give all their allegiance to the Lord
Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blame for this should fall
upon me, and me alone.”</div>
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“And who are you old man?” replied Trajan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“My given name is Ignatius, but my true name is Theophorus (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">meaning
“God-bearer”</i>) because as the bishop of this town, I bear the truth of God
and the sacred meal of our religion which is the body and blood of our Lord and
God Jesus of Nazareth.”</div>
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Most all of this was incomprehensible to Trajan, but as a
skilled politician, senator, and military man, he had long ago learned to
identify the strategic moment in most situations and this was certainly one of
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ignatius was the head of this
subversive movement in Antioch and once he was disposed of, this whole
Christian craze will likely die for lack of leadership or splinter apart with
in-fighting about who will be his successor.</div>
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And with that thought in mind, Trajan had Ignatius the
bishop of Antioch arrested and placed in chains and sent to Rome with a
detachment of ten soldiers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Normally the
death sentence would have been executed then and there, but as I mentioned
before, Trajan was a strategic thinker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The people of Rome loved watching execution by wild animals as part of
the entertainment program at the Circus Maximus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not let them watch a great religious
leader be torn apart in front of them at the very least, or, in a best case
scenario, watch him cower in fear at the sight of the lions and renounce his
faith in Christ and find his new found allegiance to Caesar in the capitol of
the Empire?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9j5s2UesLS2MthLeW5_fqwKiIsooG5N9XErjNVhoSNaXChjFQazahzPS8uyIZeVQ-dMMpGeZQ26JZLVpNi_nt4P9oQwFZrOJb3QteURIgoMbzJu9EvwVoQLKSjvTh2SgYZfJnrdJrPDc/s1600/Trajan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9j5s2UesLS2MthLeW5_fqwKiIsooG5N9XErjNVhoSNaXChjFQazahzPS8uyIZeVQ-dMMpGeZQ26JZLVpNi_nt4P9oQwFZrOJb3QteURIgoMbzJu9EvwVoQLKSjvTh2SgYZfJnrdJrPDc/s1600/Trajan.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trajan a man skilled in war and politics</td></tr>
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Normally the trans-shipment of a prisoner was done by sea,
but with winter closing in the sea route was not going to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so, even as Trajan’s army marched east
towards Persia, Ignatius of Antioch, his Roman guard detail, and a few friends
who were allowed to attend to him began the march west moving first though
Anatolia (Asia Minor) and then joining the via Egnatia in Macedonia which would
take them overland to Rome. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All along
the way to Rome, in something providentially akin to the book of Acts, local
Christians come to meet Ignatius, most likely feeding him and his traveling
companions, and then staying to hear a brief homily (short sermon).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ignatius also takes time to dictate letters to Christian communities and
friends such as bishop Polycarp of Smyrna along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These letters are the primary source of information we have about
Ignatius as a person but also what he believed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Because he is a person who lived during the apostolic age and just into
the sub-apostolic age, his writings give us a picture of the pattern of life
and theology of the earliest church.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIY8Tzwb-XA-tm3L2bWH_70kQbhu4FlKflvXs_oYVlLPupEUu8434hw2RDUeLv8Og2Dbx2DSZQmgUEL0jGRd1qAnp5vIMYDSqWmLPHmGneTNtBa5GKfFLqyScUgomZgoRv3RtP_Fl0sKA/s1600/ignatius+journey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIY8Tzwb-XA-tm3L2bWH_70kQbhu4FlKflvXs_oYVlLPupEUu8434hw2RDUeLv8Og2Dbx2DSZQmgUEL0jGRd1qAnp5vIMYDSqWmLPHmGneTNtBa5GKfFLqyScUgomZgoRv3RtP_Fl0sKA/s1600/ignatius+journey.jpg" height="118" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Possible routes that could have been taken</td></tr>
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The question I ask when I read these letters is why these
receiving congregations thought these letters valuable enough to collect them
long after the fact (which they did) and why Ignatius, in the absence of there
existing anything remotely akin to a monarchial bishop in the day, felt the
freedom to exhort these congregations who had their own bishop?</div>
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<a href="http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/ignatius.html">Read the full text of the Ignatian Epistles</a></div>
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If there is any truth to some of the later accounts that
come to us through the historian Eusebius and other church fathers, Ignatius,
though not an apostle, was an eyewitness of Jesus himself but also knew
personally the Apostles Peter and Paul, and was later taught, along with
Polycarp, by the Apostle John in Ephesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Martyrium of Ignatius</i> says
that when Jesus took a child into his arms and said let the children come to me
(Mk. 9:36) the actual child he held was Ignatius at possible 4 years of age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is very possible if Ignatius lived to be
in his 80s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bulk of his letters are
to congregations in Asia Minor with the exception of the final one directed to
the Church of Rome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could be that
Ignatius was simply well-known in that part of the world because he was one of
the last living eyewitnesses at the time or just as plausible, he actually knew
many of the congregational leaders because of his strong connection to Ephesus
and the Apostle John.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever the
reasons, the letters of Ignatius were valuable at the time they were written
and are of greater importance today as the only testimony from an era in
Christian history we know so little about.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFc406FoqxEuPhohtNUZENqprIH8l0EYDZkxq3dZK7aTg_2Fg4psUR8BRZNw8RJ0C8prXm2DjZPqn131JYesyqxofCxIn_hK3IVzOxUvL6z8HBK_Trn4TTpg9mevjP8ctWN3LubfJUNeM/s1600/Christ_and_the_Children.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFc406FoqxEuPhohtNUZENqprIH8l0EYDZkxq3dZK7aTg_2Fg4psUR8BRZNw8RJ0C8prXm2DjZPqn131JYesyqxofCxIn_hK3IVzOxUvL6z8HBK_Trn4TTpg9mevjP8ctWN3LubfJUNeM/s1600/Christ_and_the_Children.jpg" height="250" width="320" /></a></div>
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So what do we learn from the epistles of Ignatius?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In all of them there are three principle
concerns: Christian unity, remaining steadfast in sound doctrine, and finally
that Ignatius himself would bravely face his martyrdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ignatius considered being killed by the
Romans for his testimony of Christ to be the ultimate form of discipleship,
laying down his life for his church, even as Christ did at the cross.</div>
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Christian unity is a theme that must be understood in the
context of the schismatic churches and teaching that were in blossom during
this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ignatius is the first
Christian to actually use the term “catholic church” in his writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For him, this church went beyond local
congregation to a world wide body of true Christians walking faithfully with
the Lord and in unity with one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The basis for that unity was walking in fellowship and concord with your
local bishop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bishop was the spiritual
father of the area who was in charge of all instruction and celebration of the
Eucharist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churches had a divinely
charged threefold ministry of bishop, elders, and deacons and these correspond
to the Father, Son, and the Apostles.</div>
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Two of the controversies that Ignatius dealt with in his day
was those who believed Jesus was God but didn’t have a true human body but
rather only appeared to have one as a concession to our weakness as
humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other was the age-old issue
of whether Christians should keep the Sabbath day or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To these issues we find Ignatius quite direct
and unequivocal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He directly states that
Jesus is God and that Jesus is God incarnate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would guess that even as a young lad, Ignatius would have noticed or
not if Jesus didn’t have a real physical body when he held him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is important as Ignatius shows us the
earliest theology is very much that of the later ecumenical councils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To the Sabbath, Ignatius points out that
Christians have always worshipped on Sunday because this is the day of the resurrection
of Christ and it is the new day of God’s choosing for worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, something Christians believed
long before the day of Constantine and his legislation of Sunday as a day of
rest for all.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEFoZxXDc9_gtbLV5cdmLQ54eVZKm97Fwn-KHehaTMrwCdMDSYM1BCRprBh9DMYAE-NpiD30hPyoi7VDrHu0BuHGHic9_agjzGgi2HYB1yNWAEjkMc9Z4S3BwyyIIN2OfhtaiMJWKHSI/s1600/x-euch-rav.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEFoZxXDc9_gtbLV5cdmLQ54eVZKm97Fwn-KHehaTMrwCdMDSYM1BCRprBh9DMYAE-NpiD30hPyoi7VDrHu0BuHGHic9_agjzGgi2HYB1yNWAEjkMc9Z4S3BwyyIIN2OfhtaiMJWKHSI/s1600/x-euch-rav.jpg" height="219" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ and Apostles Mosaic in Antioch </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Most important is the theme of martyrdom as a sacrifice and
offering in the letters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has a
benefit for the faith of the entire church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The mood of his correspondence on this topic is exaltation bordering on mania. Martyrdom is following Christ in his passion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
was the highest form of discipleship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ignatius sets his face like flint to Rome in this matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may have been partly out of an internal fear that he
apostasize to save his own life or that a rumor get started that he did. </div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEeMSHVyIiY">Hear a dramatic reading of Ignatius' epistle to Rome</a> </div>
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Ignatius writes “Near the sword is near to God.” And elsewhere
“I am the wheat of Christ, and am ground by the teeth of wild beasts, that I
may be found the pure bread of God.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
echoes the teaching of Jesus about God’s judgment being a separation of the
wheat and the chaff (Mt. 3:12).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he
sends a letter forward to the Christians in Rome he writes: do not show
inopportune kindness to me but let me meet my doom as a witness and
martyr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He asks several times in the
letter for their non-intervention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
request to me is quite intriguing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does
it suggest that they did have some power to save him?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Were there powerful people in the Roman
church or did they have people on the inside of the military who could arrange
for a timely escape?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe107zEt5_SV8z0AioG7kiesaZjkbyqsKGJp6V6fEKKsw88P4dr69TfAk7I7cnF6Tc4Fh50qH0a4OYNVWU_N6ZNCYM7_Jkdx7qNcxhq7PsONxXaJ9OFhzXq1d5nxITn3wXFDOWeYyo54M/s1600/antakya_peter_church+cave+church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe107zEt5_SV8z0AioG7kiesaZjkbyqsKGJp6V6fEKKsw88P4dr69TfAk7I7cnF6Tc4Fh50qH0a4OYNVWU_N6ZNCYM7_Jkdx7qNcxhq7PsONxXaJ9OFhzXq1d5nxITn3wXFDOWeYyo54M/s1600/antakya_peter_church+cave+church.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cave church of St. Peter in Antioch today</td></tr>
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Traditionally it is believed that Ignatius was fed to the
lions during the Saturnalia festival in December at the Circus Maximus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although grueling and violent, the lions were
apparently quick and thorough leaving only a few bones behind at the end of
their meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Schaff writes, “His faithful
friends who accompanied him to Rome dreamed that night that they saw him standing
next to Christ covered in sweat as if he had just come from great labor.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This dream gave them the joyful confidence their
bishop <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was with the Lord and they
carried his remains (or should I say leftovers) home for burial in Antioch.</div>
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Recently Pope Benedict XVI wrote that Ignatius is a ‘doctor
of unity’ because he teaches the church that unity comes by common faith in
Christ but also our devoted efforts to one another because we are part of a
common body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To this I add the summation
of Michael Holmes:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Just as we become
aware of a meteor only when, after traveling silently through space for untold
millions of miles, it blazes briefly through the atmosphere before dying in a
shower of fire, so it is with Ignatius, bishop of Antioch in Syria.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> As we recall the brave witness of this early Christian bishop, </span>truly a brilliant light is still seen by all
in the skies of winter.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisduVNDeixMHVBQtmK8I1eTKkXkAfYF_Mot1J3QmPj-_MrDT4DRvTzlDEMNV2HHuwtr0VFG3aO4xS26BF9LrNKubBu4Fb2f8bH4L1AynOD6BPQJwWfJcnAaAbiXLRs4169tZZ6ZuaT4uo/s1600/Circus_Maximus_SE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisduVNDeixMHVBQtmK8I1eTKkXkAfYF_Mot1J3QmPj-_MrDT4DRvTzlDEMNV2HHuwtr0VFG3aO4xS26BF9LrNKubBu4Fb2f8bH4L1AynOD6BPQJwWfJcnAaAbiXLRs4169tZZ6ZuaT4uo/s1600/Circus_Maximus_SE.jpg" height="156" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Circus Maximus in Rome today where Ignatius was killed</td></tr>
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Sources</h1>
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Ferguson, Everett.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Church History vol. 1 : From Christ to the
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Zondervan, 2013).</div>
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<br /></div>
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Frend, W. H. C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Martyrdom and Persecution in the Early
Church.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Cambridge : James Clarke
and Co. Ltd., 2008)</div>
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Ignatius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Letter to
the Ephesians, Letter to the Romans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Early Christian Fathers.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bettenson, ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1984)</div>
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“Ignatius of Antioch”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyclopedia of Biblical,
Theological, and Ecclesiological Literature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></i>McClintock and Strong eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Grand Rapids : Baker, 1981)</div>
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<br /></div>
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“Ignatius of Antioch”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Encyclopedia of Ancient
Christianity.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angelo di Berardino
ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Downers Grove : Intervarsity, 2008)</div>
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Jefford, Clayton N.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Apostolic Fathers : An Essential
Guide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Nashville : Abingdon Press,
2005)</div>
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Pope Benedict XVI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fathers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></i>(Huntington : Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2008)</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saint of the Day:
Lives, Lessons, and Feasts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Foley
and McCloskey O.F.M. eds., rev.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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Schaff, Philip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">History of the Christian Church Vol. 2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Grand Rapids :<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eerdmans, 1994)</div>
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<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Apostolic Fathers
in English.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michael W. Holmes,
translator and ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>( Grand Rapids :
Baker Academic, 2006)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-19171779719680295332014-12-04T16:54:00.000-08:002014-12-04T16:54:09.808-08:00Origen (185-255 AD) : The Scholar with an Iron-Will by Chris White<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Dh-5Vt7J7iliuIWJe2I-LKdh4H0G3BchQ1XQ9fSMOVipzpP48CjGk1nUoNshdqS9JCkJ4btqI2thAPbBSOzv6MDCkfKeWmIT92xsRjImBpNJ0oABX4_IQcflt7SH9dHO07JYFBGjb9A/s1600/Origen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Dh-5Vt7J7iliuIWJe2I-LKdh4H0G3BchQ1XQ9fSMOVipzpP48CjGk1nUoNshdqS9JCkJ4btqI2thAPbBSOzv6MDCkfKeWmIT92xsRjImBpNJ0oABX4_IQcflt7SH9dHO07JYFBGjb9A/s1600/Origen.jpg" height="320" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Origen Adamantius</td></tr>
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Like so many human stories, the story of Origen is deeply connected
with his hometown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In ancient times,
Alexandria Egypt was known as the 2<sup>nd</sup> City of the Roman Empire and
the teacher of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its great
library (which stood until Muslim control of Egypt in the 7<sup>th</sup>
century) had once been the repository of all human scholarly endeavor and was
considered a wonder of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a
result, Alexandria attracted scholars, philosophers, religious leaders and
students from all over the Mediterranean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>200 years before Christ, Alexandria had a larger Jewish community than
did Jerusalem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was because of this
that the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew to Greek (known as the
Septuagint) and this became the Bible that Jesus and his apostles would later
read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Christianity came to
Alexandria and the church became established, it was a natural thing for them
to establish a school there to teach young Christians and seekers of the
truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This school was also to be a
witness in a city dedicated to higher learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By the time Origen was born, the School of Alexandria was considered a
great center of Christian scholarship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This reputation would only increase as the years passed and Origen
became its leader.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zukPckFTNWws5px5JkVjdRTPkH6gOYnMFRaPPPGq7a9jLN0fONJCfrkMCblHJ_oCZVvCFXGJhju7ptqCEkHoxeaZOL06wwGrhQfx24Wp95LdZs_L_IOEyHSpRa0kAKu5IhCV3wUjPSA/s1600/1356207508_such-was-the-ancient-alexandria.-famous-lighthouse-located-on-the-island-of-pharos-connected-to-the-mainland-by-a-causeway.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zukPckFTNWws5px5JkVjdRTPkH6gOYnMFRaPPPGq7a9jLN0fONJCfrkMCblHJ_oCZVvCFXGJhju7ptqCEkHoxeaZOL06wwGrhQfx24Wp95LdZs_L_IOEyHSpRa0kAKu5IhCV3wUjPSA/s1600/1356207508_such-was-the-ancient-alexandria.-famous-lighthouse-located-on-the-island-of-pharos-connected-to-the-mainland-by-a-causeway.gif" height="154" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexandria in Ancient Times</td></tr>
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Born around 185 AD, Origen is said to have received his name
from the mountain range or village where his devout and wealthy parents were
hiding out from an early persecution of Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At some point his parents returned to
Alexandria and when Origen was old enough he was given the best education of
his day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a young boy Origen was known
to have memorized large portions of scripture and often astounded his parents
with his penetrating questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later he
went to a school of Greek philosophy and then the famed School of Alexandria
where he studied under the church father Clement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Origen was also given the surname ‘Adamantius’
(from our word adamant) because of his remarkable firmness in thought and
iron-will as regarding bodily discipline.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQpa4xRjl1hP3WDBObjQse70exA-ySy9343MIQ4Nr5jQ8akbc1pfmix0abfhqhugT4OPCd9-sfJG9uYr7I3dR_sLOd4PPt4Z8x0IeMiL4U52DGOaDtRsUN0JwvS7qOQ1vvy0d9aFPDDY/s1600/Nicholas-Saves-Three-Prisoners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQpa4xRjl1hP3WDBObjQse70exA-ySy9343MIQ4Nr5jQ8akbc1pfmix0abfhqhugT4OPCd9-sfJG9uYr7I3dR_sLOd4PPt4Z8x0IeMiL4U52DGOaDtRsUN0JwvS7qOQ1vvy0d9aFPDDY/s1600/Nicholas-Saves-Three-Prisoners.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roman persecution lasted centuries</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Around the time Origen was 17, his father Leonidas was
imprisoned<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with other Christians during
a Roman persecution in Alexandria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daily
Origen would write his father and others he knew not to recant their faith and
hold strong even if it meant certain death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So passionate was Origen that he wanted to turn himself into the
authorities and invite martyrdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
life was saved by his well-meaning mother who hid all his clothes from him so
he couldn’t go outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Origen’s father
was eventually put to death and the family property was confiscated leaving
Origen’s mother and his 7 siblings in poverty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Origen in those days was able to help support his family by teaching
philosophy and copying manuscripts of great books for the wealthy.</div>
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Many Christian scholars including Clement fled Alexandria
because of the persecution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This huge
brain drain led the bishop of Alexandria to appoint Origen as the head of the
great school when he was just 18 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Far from being a questionable move, the brilliance and intensity of love
for the Lord by this “Teen Dean” attracted many new students to the school.</div>
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To say that Origen was intense is a bit of an
understatement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Origen was known to
sleep on a bare floor after spending most of the night in prayer and study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the rare occasion he stopped to take a
meal, he never indulged in a glass of wine or ate meat of any kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He went without shoes at all times, had only
one coat, and refused all gifts from his students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had no money and took no thought at all
for the morrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was neither a kook or
an eccentric, but rather an advocate for the idea that a disciplined body
serves a disciplined mind that more readily perceives the voice and presence of
God.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGT7doSI0Wp2PtNp9g4dUlSDQzwKudkZjEf-O0TQJte7f21Tdj-vomO8ZsfiXSQU8hzaURGxEoeSA5HyyaiBmm9VqLLNhXDs7yKuWytu94rgnVR5n_aTP39V8SfnFS9EMNiJmIodJ7WA/s1600/Alexandria+Library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGT7doSI0Wp2PtNp9g4dUlSDQzwKudkZjEf-O0TQJte7f21Tdj-vomO8ZsfiXSQU8hzaURGxEoeSA5HyyaiBmm9VqLLNhXDs7yKuWytu94rgnVR5n_aTP39V8SfnFS9EMNiJmIodJ7WA/s1600/Alexandria+Library.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scholarship was a sacred calling</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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At one point in his 30s, Origen did something quite
controversial and had himself castrated in literal obedience to Matthew 19:12
which says that some are eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is said to have done this as a defense
against fleshly temptation, but it may have been a matter of practicality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was constantly teaching and working with
girls and women and such a bodily state would free him from both temptation and
scandalous accusations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The great irony
in this whole affair is that Origen has never been known for literal exegesis
of any passage of scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is odd
that the only record we have of him interpreting scripture in this fashion is
found when he emasculates<br />
himself.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://hagiographynow.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-adventurous-story-of-st-mark.html">Read more about how Christianity first came to Alexandria</a> </div>
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For the remainder of his life Origen tried to relate
Christianity to the science and philosophy of his day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He believed that philosophy could prepare
someone to understand the scriptures and used the phrase “spoiling the
Egyptians” to describe his process of taking from the wealth of pagan learning
to explain and defend Christianity to the people of his day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not an original idea (pardon the pun)
but an inherited idea from the Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was the first to integrate the teaching of
the Greeks with the revelation of the Old Testament and this enterprise was
picked up later by the Christian church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In his day Origen did more than anyone to promote the cause of Christian
scholarship and to make the church respectable in the eyes of the learned.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5FS6nHrvX6LgslzzfQZCM85ATXRLCJFxu4vrvtLz0dLNY8mHwnp3ntpBYcRp491P0s1nBb-U0FakPxQL37RpbFyVXAdmnTwa-HxQrMCrWLvjeGNl-wNq-IW-wNBOQDjzo_qAYzzfsZo/s1600/hypatia_teaching.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5FS6nHrvX6LgslzzfQZCM85ATXRLCJFxu4vrvtLz0dLNY8mHwnp3ntpBYcRp491P0s1nBb-U0FakPxQL37RpbFyVXAdmnTwa-HxQrMCrWLvjeGNl-wNq-IW-wNBOQDjzo_qAYzzfsZo/s1600/hypatia_teaching.jpg" height="136" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexandria attracted scholars from all over</td></tr>
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In his later 30s and 40s his reputation as a Christian
scholar had spread well beyond Alexandria and he was invited to Rome, Greece,
and Antioch to debate prominent leaders of a false religion known as
Gnosticism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Origen was also a notable
preacher and was asked by many churches to speak and expound the
scriptures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through conflict with his
bishop in Alexandria over his guest speaking <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(partly from jealousy over his success and
partly because being castrated precluded a man from ordination in the church) ,
Origen eventually left his hometown of Alexandria and settled in Caesarea where
he started another school of philosophy, literature, and theology that would in
time eclipse the school of Alexandria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zUUEQOpyr0_GznpJp1SQ_4WSdMiJQ2N_EkDBHFjENqEBgvL9yFXXqaeiwm7dpO1bZe7U4N6XE5kVi_CNerURLFKgwqFhNRLcgx31NuGcz2d9OdpZBANe25QDGtouhyx1tcm7-LqzqPY/s1600/caesarea-aerial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zUUEQOpyr0_GznpJp1SQ_4WSdMiJQ2N_EkDBHFjENqEBgvL9yFXXqaeiwm7dpO1bZe7U4N6XE5kVi_CNerURLFKgwqFhNRLcgx31NuGcz2d9OdpZBANe25QDGtouhyx1tcm7-LqzqPY/s1600/caesarea-aerial.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruins of Caesarea today</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
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Systematic presentation of theology begins with the books of
Hebrews and Romans, but Origen is to many the father of this method.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is known for preparing short summaries of
biblical teachings on various theological ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is considered by many to be the greatest
Bible teacher outside the apostolic circle and the greatest biblical scholar in
ancient times having done more than anyone else to master and research the
text.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the greatest contributions
to the Church was a 28 year long project where ancient manuscripts of the Old
and New Testaments were collected, compared, and collated and then published
for side-by-side study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book known
as the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hexapla</i> (the sixfold Bible)
was lost forever during the Muslim invasions of Egypt in the 7<sup>th</sup>
century but was an invaluable resource to Bible scholars for centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jerome himself made extensive use of it when
he translated the Bible into what is known as the Latin Vulgate.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtaUQiGIqTA">Watch a short video here on Origen and his historic context</a> </div>
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Origen’s method of Biblical interpretation shaped the Church
for more than a thousand years and still does to some extent today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His interpretive formula was based on the
idea that the Bible had three layers of meaning corresponding to human nature
of body, soul and spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
attributed by some to Origen’s affirmation of Platonic philosophy and it
certainly may be true, but it is not without any biblical precedent
either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His method called for a literal
sense, a moral sense, and finally a mystical or spiritual sense.</div>
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As an example, in Numbers chapter 33, 42 stopping places for
Israel in the wilderness are listed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
the literal sense, this is a catalog of their journeys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Morally, we must understand that our lives
are a long spiritual journey to prepare us for heaven and we must not allow
this time to be wasted by sloth and neglect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Spiritually, the purpose of our journey is to end up on the banks of the
Jordan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we arrive at the river of
God, the waves of divine wisdom and knowledge of God will water us and purify
us and make us ready and worthy to enter into the Promised land.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/origen/prayer.html">Read or download a book by Origen on prayer here</a> </div>
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The organizing principal is that every verse in the Bible
leads the believer in his advance towards perfection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When that insight is found, the deepest
meaning of a passage is fully understood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The strength of this idea is that it demonstrates the Old and New
Testaments are rightly a guide to Christians and need to be interpreted in
light of Christian doctrine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Origen felt
that in some cases the spiritual sense of a passage was the only possible
interpretation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was especially true
of passages where what is said seems to be difficult to believe or needs
reconciliation with other passages that seemingly contradict it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Origen took such passages as a cue from the
Holy Spirit that a deeper sense was intended.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The great weakness
of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this method was that often the
literal sense of a passage has much to say, but is ignored or undeveloped in
favor of a more mystical understanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Such interpretive methods remained popular throughout the Middle Ages
but with the Renaissance and Reformation, came a return to the emphasis on the
grammatical-historical setting of a scripture verse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, this is not a denial of the
legitimate existence of layered meaning in the scriptures.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35GTKZnyISSZ3OBFccYuQmHthK3A9KFq1WD6c1mraeEx6cD7q9kViluUqtTl0k31Bxde7E2pF7Hfw4SyYwRxxg5VVlUppgUdPFvetYo1C5lh9gjqaIZYPN6fWQeoa66kfnejDvDhIEvk/s1600/copyist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35GTKZnyISSZ3OBFccYuQmHthK3A9KFq1WD6c1mraeEx6cD7q9kViluUqtTl0k31Bxde7E2pF7Hfw4SyYwRxxg5VVlUppgUdPFvetYo1C5lh9gjqaIZYPN6fWQeoa66kfnejDvDhIEvk/s1600/copyist.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copying books was an art in the ancient world</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Through the patronage of a wealthy Christian, as Origen
taught, a staff of stenographers would write down his every word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These notes in turn would be given to a staff
of secretaries for editing and then would be turned over to calligraphers who
would turn them into artfully produced books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Using this method, Origen was able to write nearly 6000 books in his
lifetime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of these books presented
either theology or arguments against heretics and pagans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>St. Jerome is believed to have said “all that
Origen wrote was more than a person could read in a lifetime.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, nearly two centuries after his
death, a great controversy erupted in the church over some of his ideas and
because they were not understood in their original context, he was declared a
heretic at a church council (Constantinople II in 553 AD) and many of his works
were destroyed or no longer copied, thus today very few of his works remain in
their complete form.</div>
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Critics of Origen are many and their charge that he employed
the speculative thinking of his philosophically trained mind a bit too much in
his theology is not unwarranted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Origen
believed all of us pre-existed in eternity before being born on earth and that
we had a Pre-fall even before the one in the Garden of Eden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was also one of the first Christian
universalists who held that all people would be eventually redeemed by God
including the possibility of even the devil repenting!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did believe in the Trinity and believed in
the divinity of Christ, however, he believed that Jesus was somehow less than
the Father and the Holy Spirit somehow less than Christ.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67YirT0_Z3rzbwX8_lZBdZjXe-ZxUxmtHjNAfO0KQ8Qz0f0_gPpNrh5ukwyON0BN-iDv2zGT6DHiF5Aiegs-IB24ORYeqzq7vnFxincmuF2dCi3vo02oOO4ZXU8BAD1gnvME-aYMq4WU/s1600/devil-temp-Jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67YirT0_Z3rzbwX8_lZBdZjXe-ZxUxmtHjNAfO0KQ8Qz0f0_gPpNrh5ukwyON0BN-iDv2zGT6DHiF5Aiegs-IB24ORYeqzq7vnFxincmuF2dCi3vo02oOO4ZXU8BAD1gnvME-aYMq4WU/s1600/devil-temp-Jesus.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe a bit optimistic on that point!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Origen believed the redeeming work of Christ even had
significance for rational creatures living on distant stars and galaxies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also believed that creation is eternal and
is constantly going through metamorphosis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The creation is eternal because God is eternally and a creator.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not surprisingly Origen denied a bodily resurrection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was not out of incredulity or disbelief,
but more from his philosophical leanings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He didn’t think the body had much purpose in this life except to house
the spirit and so looked forward to leaving it behind and having solely a
spiritual existence.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Origen also did not look for a millennial reign of Christ on
earth, but like many Christian teachers of his day interpreted Revelation 20 as
happening in heaven and upon death, Christians are immediately transferred to
the Kingdom of God which is in heaven.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Against this, it has been argued that Origen was orthodox by
the standards of his time as he lived prior to the more formal creedal
statements set by the Church councils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was an early thinker and began planting the seeds of thinking and
interpretation of the Bible that would be considered orthodox at a later
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had he died as a martyr he
probably would have been forgiven for his shortcomings and over speculation as
martyrdom has always had the effect of covering a multitude of sins.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Schaff estimates Origen as a man who held erroneous views
but was anything but a heretic, especially in an era where the theology of the
church was still emerging and was far from fixed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That said, Origen was not orthodox in the
Catholic or Protestant sense, but more of a guide from philosophy and Gnosticism
to Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had a fertile mind
and moral imagination (including a bit of over optimism it would seem) but had
no heart to knowingly lead people into apostasy or error.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 250 Origen was imprisoned and sentenced to death in
another Roman persecution of Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was eventually released but his health was broken and he died in the
next few years at age 70.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since his death Origen has been vilified as a heretic for
some of his doctrinal ideas and hailed as a hero by others for his pioneering
efforts in critical biblical scholarship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even heathens and heretics admired the brilliant talent and vast
learning of Origen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the Eastern Church today, Origen is considered the father
of Christian theology. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h1>
Sources</h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cairns, Earle. E.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christianity Through the Centuries: A
History of the Christian Church. </i>(Grand Rapids : Academie, 1981)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ferguson, Everett.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christian History </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>vol. 1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 2013)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jenkins, Philip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Lost History of Christianity: The
Thousand Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and
Asia----and How It Died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(New York :
HarperOne, 2008)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
McManners, John.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Oxford History of Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Oxford: Oxford University Press,2002)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Origen”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dictionary of Major Biblical Interpreters</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Donald K. McKim ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Downers Grove: Intervarsity,2007)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Origen”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity</i>
vol. 2<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angelo Di Berardino ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Downers Grove: Intervarsity, 2014</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Origen”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and
Ecclesiastical Literature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>McClintock
and Strong Eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grand Rapids : Baker
Books, 1981)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Schaff, Philip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">History of the Christian Church </i>vol.
2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grand Rapids : Eerdmans, 1994)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-34093005225200559392014-11-30T09:19:00.000-08:002014-11-30T09:19:00.161-08:00Justin Martyr: The Christian Philosopher by Chris White<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</span></h1>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Justin Martyr was born in Roman Palestine in the province of
Samaria around 100 AD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His parents were
not Jewish by race or faith but were Greek and Roman and had migrated to Israel
for reasons of employment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Justin
grew up he knew about the Jewish and Christian religion as both had their
origins in his homeland and were the faith of most of his neighbors, but as
Justin began his own quest for ultimate things, he looked in the direction of
philosophy and the life of the mind and was inspired to begin his journey.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-i5TyqAUMup9IqC8niyhps2DbOYLNsK0RWq6-1Ufjes0bvT2NLmyaC52UzqepBEo6BmV9iy7gCSrBiwwx_EDFQ2qowmDMg6ao236Zx8J3Cw-hPmUSfMpm6j7zrFmy5HAzBy7IgdSh-Kg/s1600/justin+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-i5TyqAUMup9IqC8niyhps2DbOYLNsK0RWq6-1Ufjes0bvT2NLmyaC52UzqepBEo6BmV9iy7gCSrBiwwx_EDFQ2qowmDMg6ao236Zx8J3Cw-hPmUSfMpm6j7zrFmy5HAzBy7IgdSh-Kg/s1600/justin+8.jpg" height="145" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Philosopher Plato</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Justin’s day institutional universities as we understand
them didn’t exist but higher learning certainly did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophers and scholars would teach pretty
much any student who was a paying client.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Justin traveled through several schools of philosophy studying
Aristotle, Pythagoras, Stoicism, and finally found himself at home studying
Plato.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Justin truly was studying
philosophy to understand the deeper meaning in life and Platonic teaching on
the soul’s vision of God captured his mind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaAPSSW6zGMN3bzcSO1jkmdorliC_R4s3m6kBzHqQWKoxNlqvSuDbUK5Cm_sjc4xZiJZkECQa-vTFZ-MRBF6jH_FbwC1cHTZC4UuUdQXfajCoT9MWv7K2cSzNI3RTWx2GicTiq1M8TqFo/s1600/justin+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaAPSSW6zGMN3bzcSO1jkmdorliC_R4s3m6kBzHqQWKoxNlqvSuDbUK5Cm_sjc4xZiJZkECQa-vTFZ-MRBF6jH_FbwC1cHTZC4UuUdQXfajCoT9MWv7K2cSzNI3RTWx2GicTiq1M8TqFo/s1600/justin+7.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ephesus seaport dried up today</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Justin was at the time living and studying in the seaport
town of Ephesus in Asia Minor where only 30 years earlier the last of Jesus’
apostles St. John had died at the ripe old age of 100 and was buried outside of
town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is during this period that
Justin has a fateful encounter with an elderly Christian man while in the midst
of meditating on the existence of God at the seashore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is an illustration here of Jesus’
principle that if we act on the light we are given, we will be given more (Mt.
13:12).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We don’t know the exact content of this conversation or even
who really initiated it, but we know three important details.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, that the evidence that proved
convincing to Justin was how the Old Testament prophets gave detailed
information about the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ centuries
before it happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secondly that there
was a gentle, yet firm confrontation of Justin’s motives in studying philosophy
as being more about winning debates than seeking to live by the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And finally an exhortation to seek the God of
the Bible in earnest prayer asking Him in humility to reveal Himself <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and Christ to his heart and mind rather than
trust his own philosophic reasoning.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His encounter in Ephesus set the tone for his future
ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After coming to the Christian
faith he became the first apologist (from the Greek <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">apologia</i> “a defense”) for the Christian church, writing books aimed
at showing ordinary people the reasonableness of the Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ultimately Justin ends up coming to Rome
where he opens a school where he teaches Christianity as the fulfillment of all
philosophy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An interesting sidelight to
this is that for the remainder of his life he wears the costume of a
philosopher which makes him the first minister in the church who wore any
specific clothing to conduct their ministry.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFyVKY49497MfJqpMdGvTq9KYHdzFnladjsaNFx3OAMqE35oV082eJ6BgNxU299HQ2wz1V2c98k-LAN2iWNfTbH7tXwKGY4eRAXECRKTwHlXgijwkVeq0unxblMKbU-HL0NASf_-805w/s1600/justin+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFyVKY49497MfJqpMdGvTq9KYHdzFnladjsaNFx3OAMqE35oV082eJ6BgNxU299HQ2wz1V2c98k-LAN2iWNfTbH7tXwKGY4eRAXECRKTwHlXgijwkVeq0unxblMKbU-HL0NASf_-805w/s1600/justin+2.jpg" height="154" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Philosophic debate a public activity in the ancient world</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For what is believed to be the next 35 years, Justin
studied, collected information, wrote, taught, and even debated other
religionists and pagans in an effort to show Christianity was the reasonable
path to take and the true philosophy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Justin was eventually beheaded in Rome under
the emperor Marcus Aurelius in 165 after being betrayed by a disgruntled critic
of his work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Justin was brought to trial
and refused to renounce his faith and make a sacrifice to the Roman gods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He famously said “you may be able to kill us
(fellow Christians) but you can never actually do us any harm.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Justin faithfully ended his life and laid
down his work here on earth, it was taken up by others and has been an
important ministry in every generation of the church ever since.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWf9YK0o1YkgllLKsZPqg4vYn_UWR_jrEFFJI9UNyk0kldXDmLop4M2gkvEiKfVjM5ahLpvraeKuT5pOSMIoRTrlksaAWIqNx_wKJHJvmgWhckf7xE4ndFVErOTD-Sfb3QXagZPgyG2pw/s1600/justin+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWf9YK0o1YkgllLKsZPqg4vYn_UWR_jrEFFJI9UNyk0kldXDmLop4M2gkvEiKfVjM5ahLpvraeKuT5pOSMIoRTrlksaAWIqNx_wKJHJvmgWhckf7xE4ndFVErOTD-Sfb3QXagZPgyG2pw/s1600/justin+4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can kill us but you can't really hurt us</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although Justin is quite removed from us by time and
culture, I would like to end this essay by focusing on 10 ways his thinking has
become a legacy to the Church:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christ is the
culmination of all partial knowledge discovered by the Greeks (in philosophy)
and the completion of all Jewish history.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Justin believed Christ is the Logos who was present in
the Greek philosophers and is in germ form in all men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God dwells in men insofar as they are
susceptible and open to Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To the
pagan and evil man he dwells not at all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All truth, no
matter where it comes from is God’s truth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prophecy is the
supernatural basis by which the Christian faith is established.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While Christianity
can be understood philosophically, intellectual powers alone will not make you
a Christian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You must have a changed
heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teaching must include reaching
the mind and heart.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He believed that
Plato was like Abraham.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a
Christian before Christ who acted upon the light he had by God’s universal
revelation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Justin took the
Apocalypse of John quite literally and believed Christ would return to earth,
rebuild Jerusalem as his capitol and would reign there for 1000 years.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
8. Justin one of the earliest writers to refer to the
Eucharist as a sacrifice offered to God and that the bread and wine once “eucharized”
become the actual flesh and blood of Christ to the faithful.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
9. Oddly, virtually all the knowledge in the world today
that we possess about Gnosticism and other mystery religions which were
Christianity’s competitors, is found only in the writings of Justin, Irenaeus,
and Hippolytus (the Church’s most important ancient apologists).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These groups themselves did not produce their
own theologies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People must be
reached with a language they can understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In Justin’s day philosophy was an important medium and culturally
relevant way of communicating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
speaking in terms of philosophy is not as important today, the principle of
finding the language of a culture in evangelization remains.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCYEgYkQ5lg4GZus3QDCsJGrqjrIlXWaAhuGtNvlOs0njZMvc0ykvc55Sm4vkyAqi4fFoKGxJqqlwn3UFNhunLbwpP6wV_3T17jXp1SPRIljvuiTfCmf2F6wcQn0i5oEOr6pEnCS9Qa8/s1600/justin+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCYEgYkQ5lg4GZus3QDCsJGrqjrIlXWaAhuGtNvlOs0njZMvc0ykvc55Sm4vkyAqi4fFoKGxJqqlwn3UFNhunLbwpP6wV_3T17jXp1SPRIljvuiTfCmf2F6wcQn0i5oEOr6pEnCS9Qa8/s1600/justin+5.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Justin's burial spot today</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<h1>
Sources</h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Apologists”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Dictionary of Theology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Ferguson, Wright, Packer Eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Downers Grove : Intervarsity Press, 1988)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bartlet, J. Vernon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Early History of Christianity.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(London: Religious Tract Society, 1897)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chadwick, Henry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Early Church. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Middlesex: Penguin Books, 1984)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Christie-Murray, David.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A History of Heresy.</i> (Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 1989).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eusebius. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The History
of The Church.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>G.A. Williamson
Trans. (New York: Barnes and Noble, 1965)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Justin”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and
Ecclesiastical Literature.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>McClintock and Strong Eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grand
Rapids : Baker Books, 1981)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kelly, J.N.D.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Early Christian Doctrines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(San Francisco : Harper and Row, 1978)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Peterson, Curtis, Lang and.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The 100 Most Important Events in
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-16230366636947548142014-11-20T05:28:00.000-08:002014-11-20T05:28:17.588-08:00Gregory I “The Great” (540-604): Founder of the Medieval Church by Chris White <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gregory I</td></tr>
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Rome had once been the powerful center of the civilized
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military victories and political will of its leaders to expand their empire and
protect and defend their holdings at any cost necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that was all in a historic past that was
growing dimmer and dimmer with every year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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Into this time was Gregory born in the palace on the Caelian
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and power that remained in Rome, his father being a senator (which must have
been more like a town council by this time) and his mother a part of the
highest social circles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gregory’s family
was also Christian and had been so for some time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the past, the family had produced two
popes, but Gregory had been carefully educated in law and was prepared for a
career as a public servant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By his
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</span>The Lombards were a group from Scandinavia who had been migrating south
for centuries prior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were a
Christianized people and had lived within the borders of the Roman empire for
so long that they had even adopted parts of Roman culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But need and opportunity came together and in
568 they began to conquer and take the Italian peninsula for themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Italy still belonged to the Roman
Empire which was now situated to the east in Constantinople, they were
ill-prepared to defend this territory and little resistance was able to be made
against this warring people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
problem doesn’t touch Rome or Gregory directly for nearly a decade, but year by
year it draws closer and nothing seems to be able to stop it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAt6DVcF2A1DspHu-4qCkhiaEu5GrGZ69IEp8_vFboFlOMBnVrmp-Uz95jB4DKLI3GG7vbIQkWdxAgeIou-DgiENvWQKbTYcSnehzpEK4x1Kd5ku4jM66BFfwrGyrbvjYKZe0xN2AfNs/s1600/lombardic+invasion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAt6DVcF2A1DspHu-4qCkhiaEu5GrGZ69IEp8_vFboFlOMBnVrmp-Uz95jB4DKLI3GG7vbIQkWdxAgeIou-DgiENvWQKbTYcSnehzpEK4x1Kd5ku4jM66BFfwrGyrbvjYKZe0xN2AfNs/s1600/lombardic+invasion.jpg" /></a></div>
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In the meantime, when Gregory is in his forties, his father
dies and he inherits the family’s great wealth and landholdings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he considers the turmoil of his times and
watches the great cities of Italy fall to siege, famine, and plague, he makes a
rather bold decision: he decides to retire from public life and become a Christian
monk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since a vow of poverty was part of
being a monk, part and parcel with this decision was to take the family wealth
and endow 6 new monasteries dedicated to St. Andrew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having done this, Gregory retires to the
monastery in Rome and embarks on his new vocation of religious life pursuing a
life of worship, prayer, contemplation, and acts of charity in preparation for
eternal life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It should be known that
Gregory thought the end of the world might be near (a thought many Christians
leaders have had during times of social upheaval and catastrophe) and if Christ
was to return soon he wanted to be found doing the business of the kingdom of
God rather than planning a better sewer and water system for Rome.</div>
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Gregory pursued his life as a monk with great enthusiasm and
unfortunately, like many man in this career, undermined his health by over
rigorous fasting and sleep deprivation; something that would plague him greatly
in later years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon Gregory was elected
by his fellow monks to be their abbot or spiritual leader and as his reputation
grew he was later ordained a deacon by the pope.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAl67rUJNaONggUSy_jFl0Oi647eN7WdBBBTu9N2jHBI8HAG-7JoUxF0bXot_ifPgi2zyv-WY3Bx32Vl3l3YTKf3j73x-u8i74jBH5u5xv7CuFrp6Fp1K-0j6uFJixgj3a-vbqkzd6CzM/s1600/!2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAl67rUJNaONggUSy_jFl0Oi647eN7WdBBBTu9N2jHBI8HAG-7JoUxF0bXot_ifPgi2zyv-WY3Bx32Vl3l3YTKf3j73x-u8i74jBH5u5xv7CuFrp6Fp1K-0j6uFJixgj3a-vbqkzd6CzM/s1600/!2.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monks carried the gospel to all of Europe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Later Pope Pelagius II asked him to be his representative at
the Emperor’s court in Constantinople.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
was a great honor but one in which Gregory was quite ‘tone deaf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He really never learned much Greek as Latin
had by his day become the sole language of Rome and he didn’t care much for the
pretensions <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the Byzantine world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That to say, being a diplomat was not a good
match Gregory, but in this time as he frequently corresponded with the pope,
his writing skills were noticed and upon his recall to Rome, he was asked to
become the papal secretary and in this he served with great distinction.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdeUz4q1-jqNQTZPshRwFJagGb7IcKwWFl0wwNmWllugemoVT7hDzGn7I_viccfeofLDZNs57jAguN9nGX9BmcNPw2RhZvdYafqenwT-c6uNTLD_wYpHvs6WUqPJY6MldIGdEG4_2FmI/s1600/Gregory+sees+English+slaves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdeUz4q1-jqNQTZPshRwFJagGb7IcKwWFl0wwNmWllugemoVT7hDzGn7I_viccfeofLDZNs57jAguN9nGX9BmcNPw2RhZvdYafqenwT-c6uNTLD_wYpHvs6WUqPJY6MldIGdEG4_2FmI/s1600/Gregory+sees+English+slaves.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gregory encounters Angle children</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It is during this time that Gregory and two brother monks
have an encounter that was to have an impact on the future history of
Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As they were passing by a slave
market (and yes, slavery was still practiced in the day) Gregory was impressed
with the beauty of some children that were being sold there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having never seen people of this race he
enquired of one of his companions where they were from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon being told they Angles (English),
Gregory was said to have famously replied:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Indeed they would not be Angli, but Angels if they were Christian.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later when he became pope he promoted and
supported missions to many groups of people, but closest to his heart were the
English and the mission he sent there took hold and firmly tied the Christians
of England to Rome for the next thousand years until King Henry VIII made his
famous break with the papacy.</div>
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In the course of time as Gregory neared his 50<sup>th</sup>
birthday, a terrible plague struck the city of Rome taking as one of its
victims pope Pelagius II.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following his
death, a papal election was held and the people and clergy of Rome called on
Gregory to take the office of St. Peter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Gregory at first resisted but saw the need and in 595 AD became the
first monk ever elected to the papacy.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FXa8t7Jp__mdC_pMnYFf-QlDEfHAUEgBq-Hzzj7eeqcCFS4tsDfKF51vss90G1S-HOCqPIn0nIr5X4Ja00ftVKKtwQpW5wYIyRfH2YqPDnsF_CQ-kwMCosLfijA721E6qV4-kFKYmd4/s1600/gregory+procession.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FXa8t7Jp__mdC_pMnYFf-QlDEfHAUEgBq-Hzzj7eeqcCFS4tsDfKF51vss90G1S-HOCqPIn0nIr5X4Ja00ftVKKtwQpW5wYIyRfH2YqPDnsF_CQ-kwMCosLfijA721E6qV4-kFKYmd4/s1600/gregory+procession.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castel San Angelo today</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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One of Gregory’s first acts was to hold a public procession
of humility and repentance before God in hopes of staying the plague that was
continuing to rage in the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the
procession neared the tomb of Hadrian a vision of the archangel Michael was
seen there putting his sword of destruction back in its sheath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hadrian’s tomb, now known as the Castel San
Angelo, is decorated on top with a beautiful statue of an archangel to
commemorate this event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely it is
only a pious legend but it is an amazing coincidence that the plague did stop
that very day.</div>
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As pope, Gregory was an able administrator, tireless worker,
and visionary, bringing his monastic viewpoint to bear on the life of the
church as well as a mind that had been disciplined in prayer and
contemplation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His pontificate lasted
just short of 14 years but in that short span, he put an impress on the church
that it was hold throughout the Middle Ages and arguably in some ways still
holds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me share some concrete
examples.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZr9XrbzVyrApnhQgxxCbfPl2aC57JhF8JJMpZ-sql-G9KAeSikCHJc1ZdCvuhqQq_9PoPTs0pUuPg2Jqg6l-h15_nUUs4QmEQqWHZC8If4V1nSrbcq9LsnCJLP2m7gHHKGXiJ2VA5rw/s1600/gregory+music.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZr9XrbzVyrApnhQgxxCbfPl2aC57JhF8JJMpZ-sql-G9KAeSikCHJc1ZdCvuhqQq_9PoPTs0pUuPg2Jqg6l-h15_nUUs4QmEQqWHZC8If4V1nSrbcq9LsnCJLP2m7gHHKGXiJ2VA5rw/s1600/gregory+music.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A great influence on music</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Although he did not invent Gregorian chant, Gregory was a
hymn writer and poet and wrote in a metered style that was easily chanted and
sung by choirs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of hymns are still
sung in Catholic liturgy and were made part of the mass.</div>
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The Latin mass was largely shaped by Gregory I.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The theology of the Eucharist being an un-bloody
but actual repetition of Christ’s sacrifice for the sins of the world precedes
his day but Gregory fills the idea with even greater meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it is served there is a reconciliation
of heaven and earth, time and eternity and a spiritual benefit is conferred
upon the living and the pious dead in a communion of the church.</div>
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In the early church there had long been the belief and
practice of offering prayers for the dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But in the Christian east purgatory was unknown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the west it was an idea that was
embellished and came to blossom under Gregory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To his mind, purgatory was a foregone conclusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As each of the Christian faithful died there
were remaining sins and infirmities that needed purging before entrance into
glory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gregory promoted the ideas of
saying 30 masses exclusively for the benefit of dead Christians as well as
adding almsgiving as an efficacious means of reducing your purgatory time or
that of a loved one. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The provision for
this eventuality in the life of every Catholic unfortunately degenerated into a
form of Holy Fire Insurance over the next millennium.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwgdWqH-AiOYchtxJqhPHsiIn5XbPgh3ISlVIwoKpaLP6MgAnQPTgmUTmEZRxMVwZoCnZaxDWj0mpNISPNjOvv_jgmJgdZxm334SrN_EymV52obnQRWvwo0qPMMFtjZevmez8hi62Bdw/s1600/Dante.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwgdWqH-AiOYchtxJqhPHsiIn5XbPgh3ISlVIwoKpaLP6MgAnQPTgmUTmEZRxMVwZoCnZaxDWj0mpNISPNjOvv_jgmJgdZxm334SrN_EymV52obnQRWvwo0qPMMFtjZevmez8hi62Bdw/s1600/Dante.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dante was famous for his book on Purgatory</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12575a.htm"> Read an excursis on the doctrine of purgatory here </a> </div>
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Although Gregory would disclaim any jurisdiction over other
bishops around the Christian world he definitely held the view that the Bishop
of Rome has the commission of Peter and is above all other bishops in
Christendom as a first among equals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
certainly advised other bishops, churches, kings, queens, and nobles, as if he
had jurisdiction over them and sometimes this was not greatly appreciated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gregory also acted as a head of state. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Italy’s civil government continued to
suffer neglect and further barbarian attacks, Pope Gregory more or less made
the church the government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He organized
social welfare and military protection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He also governed well the many papal lands around Italy, Europe, and
North Africa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This action set the stage
for the development of the later Papal States which were their own country with
the Pontiff as the governmental head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Having actual territory under papal governance was a good thing under
Gregory as he used the lands to finance and provide food for the poor of Rome,
but later popes would become quite distracted with maintaining control of this
property to the point of abandoning their spiritual mission altogether.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The point is Gregory may have disclaimed
being a monarchial pope in his writings and words, but is betrayed by his
actions despite his protestations.</div>
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Gregory was a prolific writer and promotes monasticism as
the biographer of St. Benedict of Nursia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He also writes a book that directs priests in their spiritual ministry
called the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pastoral Rule.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book was very insightful and for
centuries the textbook on the care of souls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Gregory is also the person who articulated the idea of the 7 deadly
sins:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pride, covetousness, lust, envy,
gluttony, anger, sloth or apathy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although he borrowed the idea from the early church, he promoted it and
transmitted in his writing to future generations.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87CJKhhQ3_41g0nbChjrv08iS9wmsgPuuYz40OpUqj4dpDDGJPW8z2LIYMaIjpTDx1Ff6CyMdx_oOQx3UIeCFuH89iWSRGr8eG8atdAxrUb8na-3tvWMOdDI2GWksVkY6PDlto72nmKw/s1600/z5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87CJKhhQ3_41g0nbChjrv08iS9wmsgPuuYz40OpUqj4dpDDGJPW8z2LIYMaIjpTDx1Ff6CyMdx_oOQx3UIeCFuH89iWSRGr8eG8atdAxrUb8na-3tvWMOdDI2GWksVkY6PDlto72nmKw/s1600/z5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Papal throne of Gregory I in Rome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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Pope Gregory was untiring in his service to the poor caring
for thousands in Rome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He stood up for
the rights of widows and orphans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
he sat down to a meal, it was never before taking the food prepared for him off
the table and giving it to the hungry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He even sold expensive chalices and sacred vessels belonging to the
church to help Rome’s impoverished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Gregory personally punished himself if anyone died of starvation in his
city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although some later popes were
very much guilty of indulging their pleasures, this pattern of charity for the
most part has remained a tradition within the papacy.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWJDHY11xQ-ZV6YVwMgUQqkcG2hd5uHDIsD-YEMvCzShH4cx_f9rvOYc3MSmozBGcXRmGT2SYq5SV0WfMBdm0fSOXN-ZIYBIh7QzPoTFgYX8MyWPD-SYy95PGx7-f6SJXXSCkGVWSVWg/s1600/Gregory_Tomb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWJDHY11xQ-ZV6YVwMgUQqkcG2hd5uHDIsD-YEMvCzShH4cx_f9rvOYc3MSmozBGcXRmGT2SYq5SV0WfMBdm0fSOXN-ZIYBIh7QzPoTFgYX8MyWPD-SYy95PGx7-f6SJXXSCkGVWSVWg/s1600/Gregory_Tomb.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gregory I tomb in St. Peter's today</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Upon his death in 604, Gregory was immediately beatified
(made a saint by the church) by popular acclamation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 11<sup>th</sup> century the church
began referring to him as “the Great” a title that has only been applied to one
other pope in the entire history of the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the 13<sup>th</sup> century Gregory I was declared <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a Doctor of the Latin Church in 1298 by then
Pope Boniface VIII (one of the few things he did right). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Doctor” in Latin means a teacher and so this
classification denotes an important contribution was made to the teaching of
the church in their lifetimes or through their writings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Protestant 19<sup>th</sup> century
historian Philip Schaff sums up his life well:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Goodness is the highest kind of greatness, and the church has done
right in according the title of great to him rather than other popes of
superior intellectual power.”</div>
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<h1>
Sources</h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bede.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A History of the English Church and
People.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(London : Penguin Books,
1968)</div>
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<br /></div>
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Collins, Roger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Early Medieval Europe 300-1000. </i>(New
York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2010)</div>
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Dawson, Christopher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Religion and the Rise of Western
Culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(New York : Doubleday,
1957)</div>
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“Gregory I”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and
Ecclesiastical Literature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>McClintock
and Strong Eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grand Rapids: Baker
Books, 1981)</div>
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Gregory the Great, bishop of Rome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Pastoral Rule. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James Barmby D.D.
trans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Peabody : Hendrickson
Publishers, 2004)</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Ferguson, Everett.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Church History Vol. 1: Christ to
Pre-Reformation. </i>(Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 2013)</div>
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Kelly, J.N.D.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Oxford Dictionary of Popes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1986)</div>
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La Due, William J.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Chair of St. Peter: A History of the
Papacy. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Maryknoll : Orbis, 1999)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Peterson, Curtis, Lang and.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The 100 Most Important Events in
Christian History.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Grand Rapids :
Revell, 1994).</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Schaff, Philip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">History of the Christian Church vol. 4:
Medieval Christianity 590-1073. </i>(Grand Rapids : Eerdmanns, 1994)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-29841624448161050092014-11-05T17:23:00.000-08:002014-11-07T15:16:37.112-08:00Thascius Caecilius Cyprian (c200-258 AD) and the Shape of the Church by Chris White<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icon of Cyprian</td></tr>
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St. Cyprian was born to a prominent Roman family in Carthage
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senator and his position afforded Cyprian with the best this world had to offer
in terms of education, material goods, and opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his early adulthood Cyprian became a teacher
of law and rhetoric (a path to politics and/or public acclaim).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His teaching was in high demand and soon
Cyprian was a wealthy man with his own household in Carthage and Roman Villa in
the countryside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgaomYVTsQxLan4g9iawodHd5pydsKDCvzyMmkIAKAxztGSRVUNR0bA_DqUP2INNX3W3um0qcIgx2B7x3aUBwLubwGiQHFtcgEfPlTyyHGR9KH3ePJpWSWxW5KJJEGX7KsPWOYzbqYow/s1600/carthage01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgaomYVTsQxLan4g9iawodHd5pydsKDCvzyMmkIAKAxztGSRVUNR0bA_DqUP2INNX3W3um0qcIgx2B7x3aUBwLubwGiQHFtcgEfPlTyyHGR9KH3ePJpWSWxW5KJJEGX7KsPWOYzbqYow/s1600/carthage01.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carthage rivaled Rome for sophistication and power</td></tr>
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But like many of us in middle-age, Cyprian went through a
period of soul-searching and disenchantment with the world around him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roman society was never secular but it’s
religious foundation lay in the idolatry of the Greeks and Cyprian found this
to be trite and full of falsehood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
had questions about the meaning of life and they were not answered by a
pantheon of gods he didn’t believe to be true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As people begin to search for God it is not uncommon for God to send
someone out to find them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Cyprian’s
case it was an elder in the Christian church of Carthage by the name of
Caecillius who shared the good news of Jesus with him and after his conversion
served as his instructor as he prepared for baptism.</div>
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Cyprian was baptized in the year 246 AD when he was
approximately 50 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In gratitude
for his instruction and leadership, Cyprian took as his middle name
“Caecillius” to honor his spiritual father. Cyprian was an earnest
convert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By his own testimony he felt
his heart was renewed and his life had meaning and purpose. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having an intellectual gift, he gave himself
earnestly to Christian studies reading the Bible and early theologians in a
dedicated fashion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon he also divested
himself of some of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>his land and wealth
and gave it all to the poor as a means of worship.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oLv2TLQN1gvNQd8Eki4aTIpYNXdC1B9BGoohlihMimhzWq559Ag4jOq3jZCu-MRegZuSa61mQtaOe1zNNCO599aXoxco2_Jq8RHBJv6rfHFxQPhOGBDTJnMPkbivdZA0MDX1dSsnuuI/s1600/bptsm+in+Tunisia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oLv2TLQN1gvNQd8Eki4aTIpYNXdC1B9BGoohlihMimhzWq559Ag4jOq3jZCu-MRegZuSa61mQtaOe1zNNCO599aXoxco2_Jq8RHBJv6rfHFxQPhOGBDTJnMPkbivdZA0MDX1dSsnuuI/s1600/bptsm+in+Tunisia.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An ancient baptismal near present day Carthage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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According to Acts 17:26, God determines the time and place
of our existence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are rightly men and
women of our times at the behest of God and thus we have a part in the specific
history and destiny of where we live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even as Cyprian was growing towards maturity in his new found faith, he
had no idea the challenges he would face and the burdens he would bear through
the remaining years of his life.</div>
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In 248 AD the beloved bishop of the people of Carthage dies.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the Christian community considers a
successor the name of Cyprian is on everyone’s mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was something quite natural about their
selection<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in that Cyprian was
well-known, was well-educated, and from a family that was widely respected and
proven leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there was equally
something unnatural about this as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>St. Paul’s Epistle to Timothy clearly states that an elder or bishop
should not be a new convert lest they become swollen with pride and become the
prey of the devil (I Tim. 3:16).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a
man with a commanding knowledge of the scriptures, Cyprian knew this and
rejected the intentions of the congregation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately for Cyprian, the Church rejected his rejection and
literally forced upon him the mantle of being their bishop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although his election was resented by some in
church leadership who questioned mere popularity as a qualification for bishop,
God used Cyprian in a mighty way and his viewpoints were to have a future
impress on the entire church for generations to come.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4xyfYS1LjBLw4I-pAGjkMGqGWGr2bMGcI8mJdBO-PO1W0QGE_LRfIn9DqVnuTOvD_wIl6avewgw4YHwyBDv5JXyozy6XJrQpihdENrnl6uD1iPRNwOTkfbmLmS6O2K9Q9MRldlWeZT0/s1600/persecution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4xyfYS1LjBLw4I-pAGjkMGqGWGr2bMGcI8mJdBO-PO1W0QGE_LRfIn9DqVnuTOvD_wIl6avewgw4YHwyBDv5JXyozy6XJrQpihdENrnl6uD1iPRNwOTkfbmLmS6O2K9Q9MRldlWeZT0/s1600/persecution.jpg" /></a></div>
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To understand the context of Cyprian’s teachings and
ministry you need to be aware that his ministry started with the Decian
persecution for the first two years of it, continued with controversy in the
aftermath of the persecution and then ended with the Valerian persecution
(257-260) of which Cyprian was one of its casualties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Decian persecution was very harsh on the
church and was very effective in terms of driving many nominal Christians to
apostasize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cyprian had observed that
the years of prosperity and ease that preceded the persecution had caused the
discipline and morals of the church to become quite lax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cyprian had only started to enforce stricter
discipline when the persecution broke out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cyprian viewed the persecution as a divine cleansing of the church which
led him to set strict standards by which those who came back to the church
would be restored to fellowship.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.earlychristianhistory.info/donatus.html">Read more on the later Donatist Controversy in North Africa </a> </div>
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But Cyprian was destined for controversy because during the
persecution, he, the bishop of the city, went into hiding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cyprian defended his position as thoroughly
biblical: “Our Lord commanded us in times of persecution to yield and fly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He taught this and practiced it <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For since the martyr’s crown comes by the grace of God, it cannot be
gained before the appointed hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He who
retires for a time and remains true to Christ, does not deny his faith, but
only abides his time”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though very much
criticized for his pattern of hiding and avoiding arrest during persecutions,
Cyprian’s extant writings show that he was actively leading his people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He instructed all to not offer themselves up,
but if caught not to cave-in and apostasize but stand faithful in the face of
persecution and torture.</div>
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In the wake of this persecution,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cyprian was faced with the issue of dealing
with those who failed to stand and yet wanted to be re-admitted to the
church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He believed their failure to
stand in persecution sundered their bonds with Christ and the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Cyprian didn’t originate the idea of
penance, this idea certainly crystallized in his times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the community of the faithful was going to
remain truly that, grievous failure (such as apostasy) and the desire to be
restored to the church needed an orderly connection.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Odnrk1Fw_rq-WyTrSBiE3ilmOizgNdGJNgMcPkXQGqGPnNpcwSO3YGslyZoD3E_mBMkf2_grpfd5ZOs5iPuswo4BUfrqTNqE6Zd4ucDCrKOirZs2Ldrdfmbc291Au4JoJuiRnMTIFm0/s1600/Saint_Cyprian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Odnrk1Fw_rq-WyTrSBiE3ilmOizgNdGJNgMcPkXQGqGPnNpcwSO3YGslyZoD3E_mBMkf2_grpfd5ZOs5iPuswo4BUfrqTNqE6Zd4ucDCrKOirZs2Ldrdfmbc291Au4JoJuiRnMTIFm0/s1600/Saint_Cyprian.jpg" height="227" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cyprian was committed to theology and the scripture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In truth, Cyprian dealt with this quite circumspectly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some had been faithful in their confession
but had been tortured severely and had a momentary break in their loyalty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others had used money to buy off the
authorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And still others, even lay
leaders, gave up without a fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
recognized that there were degrees of failure and made allowances for human
frailty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems that his strongest
policy was directed towards those who willingly cooperated with the Roman
government.</div>
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In this case if you were penitent you may attend a sermon or
church gathering but you will be deprived of the sacraments until you are on
your deathbed or so sick that death might be imminent. </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Cyprian also advocated an alternative if you
felt<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>your soul was in peril.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The alternative was to offer yourself in
martyrdom during another persecution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This offering of your lifeblood was believed efficacious in cancelling
out your previous betrayal of Christ by undergoing a second baptism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Luke 12:50 Jesus referred to his going to
the cross as “a baptism” and so it was implied that this was a baptism in
blood. Others were critical of this and cited a tradition that a Christian who
had been faithful in a persecution and didn’t die could and did have the right
to forgive and restore the lapsed.</div>
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Cyprian’s view may seem stern but in fact was a ‘golden-mean’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Novatus, a priest in Carthage who set himself
up in Cyprian’s place when he went into hiding the first time, readmitted
everyone who had lapsed without any question of their motives or circumstance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand, the Pope in Rome had taken
the view (at least for a short period) that never under any circumstance could
a lapsed Christian return to the church.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ex2Q_kavrE">Watch a short 2 minute video on Cyprian and Pope Cornelius</a> </div>
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Penance was considered a medicine for the soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It allowed a person to demonstrate over time
their sorrow for their sin and eventually be received back into the church as a
full member.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It allowed for grace and
forgiveness but also restoration and discipline in the community of the
faithful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may seem that the church
forgot the fact that Jesus took back Peter after Peter denied him on the night
of his betrayal and arrest (Mt. 26:75) and that Christ is our advocate and
mediator before the Father when we sin (I John 2:1).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From my own perspective it seems withholding
the benefits of the sacraments from a sorrowful believer is a denial of grace,
but the modern viewpoint tends to cheapen grace by extending it often at the
sacrifice of all church discipline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
would also suggest that today’s evangelicals do actually have a form of penance
in their ranks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Witness the complete
predictability of what happens when a high-profile minister is caught having
committed a grievous sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although the
names and sins vary, their elders uniformly send the pastor and his spouse away
to a counseling center for 10 weeks and then they return with several
accountability advisors and then they are officially restored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ancients were seeking the same end in the
absence of a therapeutic culture.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhJGaBF_l1pBP0jiHUsZVzUi-9D2tkz_x-RFywDuWQJnYhHyw6ZtYgDAvJrFypTIKS8ba11kvrGqWm5wnLIr5oPBBgZzAWreig6BBPOfvZRdBlgqQ1G8ZwwYgtq3JR51rqMQ_Lcab6Ew/s1600/cyprian.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhJGaBF_l1pBP0jiHUsZVzUi-9D2tkz_x-RFywDuWQJnYhHyw6ZtYgDAvJrFypTIKS8ba11kvrGqWm5wnLIr5oPBBgZzAWreig6BBPOfvZRdBlgqQ1G8ZwwYgtq3JR51rqMQ_Lcab6Ew/s1600/cyprian.bmp" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cyprian in bishop's clothing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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But far beyond his policies regarding lapsed Christians,
Cyprian’s impress on the office of the bishop and the role of the church came
to be the dominant view of Christendom and centuries later contributed to the
development of the Roman papacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cyprian
held a high view of his office as a bishop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In his day, the bishop was the leader of a church in a particular area
(such as a city) and governed the life of the church in its worship and
discipline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other ministers of
congregations were his deputies and served under his authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His view was that “Bishop is in the church,
and the church is in the Bishop and outside of the church there is no
salvation”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What Cyprian was doing was
pointing to the reality, much more clearly known in his day, that bishops
either succeeded or were connected in their succession to the original apostles
of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lists were kept and
maintained because it was believed this would maintain and conserve the truth
and apostolic foundations of the true church (as opposed to any heretical or
schismatic churches).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being connected
with a true bishop in church membership and the receiving of the sacraments
ensured that one had believed in the true gospel and was rightly connected into
the body of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apostolic succession
and the inheritance of the churches knowledge and experience is important to
all Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Protestant
Christians the inheritance of the faith is found in the Apostolic writings (The
New Testament) alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Eastern
Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism the inheritance of the faith comes the
scriptures but also the long and unbroken chain of bishops from the ancient
times to the present.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIOwZbdL6iu93KSe0Tuq4YEXsqI1UWdHn1lBxdHwqpZmyNqaB4p9WJsDJ_28jaTbOkL-Mxm6pZlMQbwmFm9a-3oMHnXnAacntdMPKg_ctSMDidfznPY0Jtgrd0KqrUNQ9Q4nim1VT5zg/s1600/nicaeacouncilfathers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIOwZbdL6iu93KSe0Tuq4YEXsqI1UWdHn1lBxdHwqpZmyNqaB4p9WJsDJ_28jaTbOkL-Mxm6pZlMQbwmFm9a-3oMHnXnAacntdMPKg_ctSMDidfznPY0Jtgrd0KqrUNQ9Q4nim1VT5zg/s1600/nicaeacouncilfathers.jpg" height="320" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bishops met in councils to discuss problems and theology</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Cyprian, like others in his day, also believed that the
bishop of one church was the equal to all other bishops in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He believed in praying for other bishops and
also to gather with them to discuss and make judgments on matters of faith and
teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The practice of councils was
in place and the practice of the North African churches prior to Constantine
and Nicea although it is marked as the first world council.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One should also note that Cyprian, strong as
he was on the importance of the bishop, believed in collegiality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The concept of the Roman Papacy having
primacy over all the bishops of the church would have been utterly contrary to
his thought on this office despite the fact that his thinking was adopted to
support it.</div>
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The Valerian persecution (257-260 AD) was more fierce and
more torturous than many of the other persecutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Empire wide, it was directed specifically to
Church leadership, members of the senate, military and aristocracy that were
Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Valerian sent a letter to
the pro-consul of Carthage naming Cyprian as one he wanted targeted for death.</div>
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In 257 he was demanded to sacrifice to the god Jupiter by
the local pro-consul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cyprian refused
and found himself banished from Carthage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He continued to write and teach his church from a distance at his
country estate in Utique. But the next year a death sentence was handed down
and Cyprian was to report to the proconsul there for it to be carried out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he was officially summoned to the
magistrate, Cyprian fled Utique and went back to Carthage. There and there only
would Cyprian present himself to bear witness and seal his testimony, for it
was Carthage and not Utique that Cyprian was the chief bishop.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-cyprian-of-carthage/">Great resource landing page for further study of St. Cyprian here</a> </div>
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Cyprian writes “For whatever the bishop as confessor says at
the moment of his confession he speaks, under the inspiration of God, as the
mouth of them all (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">meaning the Christian
community of Carthage). </i>On Sept. 14, 258 AD<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cyprian was taken outside the city where he gave the executioner 25 gold
pieces (to do his job well), stripped off his outer garments, prayed, and then
kneeled to receive the sword.He was buried on the spot and church was built over his
grave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately the later invasion
of the Vandals ended up causing the church to be demolished. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYaRjkrKAXgqoGHRIBGlabjg-Y0LNAegFR9e139qqrNC7ANLHQvHWEcGPoVf-WovpI6brG_3kQPOUlE1__-GCsI8zaorz-PUCUNmZd3u121iClCxQPHx2RwJ_D6zUGcTi9TYbf53URJY4/s1600/martyrdom+of+cyprian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYaRjkrKAXgqoGHRIBGlabjg-Y0LNAegFR9e139qqrNC7ANLHQvHWEcGPoVf-WovpI6brG_3kQPOUlE1__-GCsI8zaorz-PUCUNmZd3u121iClCxQPHx2RwJ_D6zUGcTi9TYbf53URJY4/s1600/martyrdom+of+cyprian.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beheading of Cyprian in church frescoe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Cyprian truly had no view of the visible and invisible
church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For him, all Christian life was
directly related to your external connection to the visible church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His most well-known words must be understood
in that context:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He cannot have God as
his father who does not have the church as their mother.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Outside the church there is no
salvation.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be outside the church is
to be outside the ark of God’s provision drowning in the flood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a time when church membership is minimized
in its importance and is seen as contributing nothing to a person’s salvation,
Cyprian seems hard to understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
his passion was that Christians be connected to Jesus and that connection was
made from within the body of Christ which was a very visible presence in his
world. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Sources:</u></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Born to New Life :
Cyprian of Carthage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Oliver Davies
Ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(New Rochelle : New City Press,
1992)</div>
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Cyprian of Carthage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On the Church.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Allen Brent, trans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Crestwood : St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press,
2006)</div>
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Chadwick, Harold J. and John Foxe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The New
Foxes’s Book of Martyrs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(New
Brunswick :<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bridge-Logos Publishing,
1997)</div>
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“Cyprian”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and
Ecclesiastical Knowledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>McClintock
and Strong Eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grand Rapids : Baker
Book House, 1981)</div>
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“Cyprian”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Dictionary of Theology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Ferguson, Wright, and Packer Eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>( Downers Grove : Intervarsity Press, 1988)</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Oxford History of
Christianity.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John McManners
Ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Oxford : Oxford University Press,
1990)</div>
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Latourette, Kenneth Scott<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The History of Christianity Vol.
1. Rev. Ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(New York : Harper and
Row, 1975)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saint of the Day:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lives, Lessons, and Feasts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Leonard Foley O.F.M. Ed., Pat McCloskey
O.F.M. Rev.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Cincinnati : St. Anthony
Messenger Press, 2001)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Schaff, Philip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">History of the Christian Church Vol. II:
Ante-Nicene Christianity AD 100-325.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Grand
Rapids : Eerdmans Publishing, 1910)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-73016776732745946752014-10-15T16:51:00.000-07:002014-10-15T16:51:12.845-07:00St. Lazarus of Bethany:4 Days Dead and the Friend of Jesus by Chris White<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvK19srEz4absk4jZ1CMdShTGpU-f1LdFIqFD8FnknXs5fqhRedFTh1fp5kBvxbcjQVa9CTIZFMQzzKbxdZ4uFd2NC5MX5iJZ6fgZtUU4rcsJEkZNeH2h1fqqZH7o2Li4wgZr5BNb8WE/s1600/com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvK19srEz4absk4jZ1CMdShTGpU-f1LdFIqFD8FnknXs5fqhRedFTh1fp5kBvxbcjQVa9CTIZFMQzzKbxdZ4uFd2NC5MX5iJZ6fgZtUU4rcsJEkZNeH2h1fqqZH7o2Li4wgZr5BNb8WE/s1600/com.jpg" height="132" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The story of St. Lazarus is forever intertwined with his
personal friendship with Jesus of Nazareth and the miracle wrought on his
behalf by the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lazarus, whose name
means “God Helps”, and his two older sisters Martha and Mary are some of the
few people we know by name who were actually personal friends of the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had a large home in Bethany (2 miles
from Jerusalem) which Jesus visited several times and we know that during
Passion week it is likely this same home that served as headquarters for Him
and the other disciples.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZU_P2Nq4AhzWjvxXyU8IUyQ9mnaYJfW1QmuD-nH2VP3C3CehIbe-z9Xb5RtDSeGJN9DJ_M7c4RaUuw1foLRQRIOhJmDxph6rPVhBGdRUczT-db1UZwhPUxR86JoDXrsCbLqTONUFLVXA/s1600/may+mar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZU_P2Nq4AhzWjvxXyU8IUyQ9mnaYJfW1QmuD-nH2VP3C3CehIbe-z9Xb5RtDSeGJN9DJ_M7c4RaUuw1foLRQRIOhJmDxph6rPVhBGdRUczT-db1UZwhPUxR86JoDXrsCbLqTONUFLVXA/s1600/may+mar.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary, Martha and Jesus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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From what we read in the Gospels, Jesus loved all three of
this family which shows his love and appreciation for the different varieties
of personalities one finds in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mary, the quiet one, Martha the busy and active one, and Lazarus, the
retiring one, all have a place in his accepting love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In John’s gospel chapter 11 we read that
Lazarus fell sick and his sisters sent for Jesus to come, but Jesus delays
coming to his sickbed for the purpose of working his greatest miracle (aside
from His own resurrection).</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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When Jesus arrives in Bethany from Galilee he finds himself
at a house of mourning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this we learn
a couple of things about the customs surrounding death in this culture and
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First of all Martha is surrounded
by mourners as she greets Jesus. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
the sacred duty of Jews to come and assist a family in mourning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would accompany to the grave and file
around the family of the deceased and speak to them words of consolation.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alfred Edersheim
notes that Lazarus, though a friend and follower of Jesus, was not considered
an apostate in his synagogue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For in the
time of Jesus there was an elaborate code of behavior surrounding the death of
someone in the synagogue that had apostasized or was considered fallen away
from God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would dress in white, and
instead of being somber, they would be festive and full of laughter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was to show complete disrespect to the
dead to be glad they were gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Obviously Lazarus had lived a good and holy life and was being mourned
appropriately in his passing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jesus’ delay in coming was neither neglect nor a denial of
their request.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sisters believed if
the Lord just heard about it, he would make the illness go away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus did come but his delay was purposeful
that it might glorify God and sharpen the faith of his friends and followers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is reason to believe that the Jews held
the belief that the spirit of a person hovered over the body until the end of
the third day when corruption set in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jesus made certain that it was understood by all that Lazarus was
sleeping in the dust of death.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYLemzZphtUHPVLBd29rIikv2p33WLmxoxv9BUF4i_vaNx6wS9dtkH6HrNyHujhfn7sZWVMWLcdVd7EoMeOcuEEe8e-Vee6i9-glLz4zUk_OfE_hSub9HWf8v1Bxbc4UXa2pO1nWV_9E/s1600/lazarus+tomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYLemzZphtUHPVLBd29rIikv2p33WLmxoxv9BUF4i_vaNx6wS9dtkH6HrNyHujhfn7sZWVMWLcdVd7EoMeOcuEEe8e-Vee6i9-glLz4zUk_OfE_hSub9HWf8v1Bxbc4UXa2pO1nWV_9E/s1600/lazarus+tomb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lazarus Tomb in Holy Land</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the Bible, we are given nothing about Lazarus as to what
he said or did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are told by the
Apostle John that Jesus loved him deeply and wept over him as he stood at the
door of his tomb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did he weep over what
Lazarus had gone through in the journey of death or was he weeping because of
what this would cost Lazarus personally to return from the grave and leave
heaven behind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jesus then had, to the horror of the family because of the
odor, the door of the tomb opened, and after a prayer, called Lazarus by name
to come forth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you believe Jesus is
who He said He was, the specificity of the name being called becomes an
important detail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had Jesus said “come
forth” all the dead in the family tomb would have come back to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus we read that only Lazarus came forth
and needed to be unbound from his burial linens and was restored to his sisters
and friends to the astonishment of nearly everyone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our curiosity about this experience is not satisfied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know nothing of what Lazarus experienced
or if he even had a memory of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
know nothing of whether his values or thinking in any way changed through this
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we do learn are a
couple of things here:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. That the wisdom of divine love does not always shield its
subjects from suffering, sorrow, and death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Lord sometimes puts His loved ones in uncomfortable places for a greater
purpose.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Man and God are combined in the miracle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the man, Jesus sympathizes in our sorrows,
as God he has the power to banish them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. He alone is the resurrection and the life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is our resurrection and he is our life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we die, we are beyond the help of anyone
except the one who has the power to raise from the dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we know from Lazarus’ resurrection is
that in like manner, the Lord will come for us in our death.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like everything related to Jesus’ life and ministry, this
event brought about different responses from different people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some who witnessed this miracle believed in
Jesus completely, while others for fear that Jesus would surpass their place in
the religious establishment began plotting immediately to have Jesus murdered
(which eventually took place not long afterward in Jerusalem).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still others plotted to kill Lazarus as well
to destroy him as evidence of Christ’s power to raise people from the dead.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From this point we move beyond the pages of scripture to the
traditions of the church about what happened to Lazarus after this event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is believed he was raised from the dead at
age 30 and lived an additional 30 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is also a legend that Lazarus never smiled again the remainder of
his life because he knew that once again he would have to undergo death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From here the story of Lazarus of Bethany
diverges in two directions that might be contradictory but also might be true
with a little reconciliation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4hPz11VeePN-Dh6Lm2BjnUpW83XsKVDNZhnHhii5sjbNRNXRDIH95almhilwBH9vpcQrqMWk16mMOcFQyzzNtYCY0KhyphenhyphenpVGu2s7oQ7ZLBOGeIZPOCcAWVGOGa10gUJxYwdpcSmjpZmg/s1600/laz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4hPz11VeePN-Dh6Lm2BjnUpW83XsKVDNZhnHhii5sjbNRNXRDIH95almhilwBH9vpcQrqMWk16mMOcFQyzzNtYCY0KhyphenhyphenpVGu2s7oQ7ZLBOGeIZPOCcAWVGOGa10gUJxYwdpcSmjpZmg/s1600/laz.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to one
version of the story, Lazarus escaped to Cyprus because of death threats by the
Jews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he arrived, he was appointed
by Paul and Barnabas (who first brought Christianity to Cyprus) as the bishop
of Kition (modern-day Larnaca).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There he
lived out the remainder of his days and died being buried inside the church he
had led for so many years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later,
representatives of the Eastern Roman Emperor came in search of his relics
taking at least some of his bones from Cyprus to Constantinople to be placed in
a new cathedral there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another version of the story is that the Jews in a rage put
Lazarus, Martha, and Mary to sea in a boat with no oars or sails and they
drifted to France where they lived the remainder of their lives with Lazarus
preaching and becoming the bishop of Marseille. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also a legend that he died as a
martyr after making many converts in Gaul. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a tomb to St. Lazare that possibly
contains bones taken from Constantinople in the 4<sup>th</sup> Crusade (1204
AD) by the Franks as the spoils of war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This would explain their presence in France.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At first these might seem like contradictory facts but both
are certainly possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
Mediterranean of Lazarus’ day, travel from Judea to Marseille and back again
could have been done readily over the sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Could it be that he never went back to Judea for fear of the Jews and
lived in Cyprus until his death but indeed had gone to France first?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is another story that Lazarus longed to visit with
Mary the mother of Jesus, whom he knew and sent her a letter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wouldn’t think of him coming to see her
because of the danger in Jerusalem but offered to come to Cyprus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lazarus being a man of means sent a boat for
her and John the Apostle whom Jesus had placed in charge of his mother’s care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boat was blown off course by a storm and
they ended up in Ephesus (Asia Minor) but eventually did visit Cyprus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is said the bishop’s robe that Lazarus
wore was made by hand and given to him by Mary.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGAPzmB5dvB8DHF7Wme3LN4j4mYVXXS7A6XTMnlIVnMJYP4iGFyCxfmJmpkpcT1JV0_HUoGGAn9ch2losvFvmbvxAWmV6Y1qd7QCZgUgjOngD2jIjCTwN9dwthYn-LYrYiTNRkWNz1Pw/s1600/laz+church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGAPzmB5dvB8DHF7Wme3LN4j4mYVXXS7A6XTMnlIVnMJYP4iGFyCxfmJmpkpcT1JV0_HUoGGAn9ch2losvFvmbvxAWmV6Y1qd7QCZgUgjOngD2jIjCTwN9dwthYn-LYrYiTNRkWNz1Pw/s1600/laz+church.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lazarus Church in Cyprus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today’s Church of Lazarus in Larnaca is a beautiful and
peaceful place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the front of the nave
is a reliquary with part of a skull bone visible that was taken from the tomb
of Lazarus beneath the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An
inscription reads “Lazarus, 4 days dead and the friend of Jesus”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have visited this wonderful church and consider
it a great place to pray and meditate on the wonderful story of this resurrection
miracle performed by Jesus on his dear friend. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we must all contemplate our own mortality it is
especially comforting to know the Lord who calls us His friends, is one and the
same as who called forth Lazarus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this story is the story of everyone who
dies in the grace of Christ.</div>
<h1>
Sources</h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Blaiklock, E. M.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Today’s Handbook of Bible Characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Minneapolis : Bethany House Publishing,
1979)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Edersheim, Alfred.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Life and Times of Jesus the
Messiah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(McClean : McDonald
Publishing, 1886)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Lazarus”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and
Ecclesiastical Literature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>McClintock
and Strong Eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Grand Rapids : Baker
Book House, 1981)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Lazarus of Bethany”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Vol. 2 </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walter A. Elwell Ed. (Grand Rapids : Baker
Books, 1988)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Lazarus of Bethany”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Green, McKnight, and Marshall Eds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Downers Grove:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Intervarsity, 1992)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lockyer, Herbert<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">All the Miracles of the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1961)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-36630737475456097452014-10-08T17:04:00.000-07:002014-10-08T17:04:14.979-07:00Joy Ridderhof (1903-1984) and her Gospel Records by Chris White<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkWV-bc_Uu9arU7BMs945YOfNJcAUxJ2C6_VWNlDN0jQG4SPR1Fya9jqqCKhTP8cBKu1G5Zwl3vtuBxEKWuRuRYO1ttwED7j5MMPBqF8OnUChYcJTqxC0DW8yikDizo3mIp8sW39WUfA/s1600/joy4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkWV-bc_Uu9arU7BMs945YOfNJcAUxJ2C6_VWNlDN0jQG4SPR1Fya9jqqCKhTP8cBKu1G5Zwl3vtuBxEKWuRuRYO1ttwED7j5MMPBqF8OnUChYcJTqxC0DW8yikDizo3mIp8sW39WUfA/s1600/joy4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joy Ridderhof</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Elisabeth Elliot in her thoughtful book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Path Through Suffering</i> writes, “When a man or woman belongs to
God (when the branch dwells in the vine) it is the hand of God at work when the
pruning comes, regardless of second causes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A life’s work---what to us is a perfectly good branch, perhaps the only
‘important’ branch---may be cut off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
loss seems a terrible thing, a useless waste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But whose work was it?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s
husbandry in our lives never diminishes us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pruning is always done to shape us and point us in the direction of
greater growth and fruitfulness. </div>
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In<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1937 Joy Ridderhof
(1903-1984) returned to her parent’s home in Los Angeles after only six years
on the mission field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joy had prepared
for and planned on spending a lifetime at her missionary post in Honduras, a
people and country she loved, but dysentery and malaria had taken their toll
and she no longer had the health or strength to remain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A different kind of person might have assumed
this “pruning” was from their missionary career altogether, but for Joy, even
as she lay on her sickbed, her prayer was “what next Lord?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what followed proved to be a ministry on
a global scale.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDmXglWyxvZ9mRHRXPlwjBD21xjf5On_mng_R29WRMXX2STXQAU6Xt_K6XHc5txgTZlh_kkiodo3NQp36QXWBePA2McZ0JrtlxoTGaVGhxKbQjVZ5nV7EnceNpj5LhXQUjO9ak-A2iGI/s1600/joyyoung.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDmXglWyxvZ9mRHRXPlwjBD21xjf5On_mng_R29WRMXX2STXQAU6Xt_K6XHc5txgTZlh_kkiodo3NQp36QXWBePA2McZ0JrtlxoTGaVGhxKbQjVZ5nV7EnceNpj5LhXQUjO9ak-A2iGI/s1600/joyyoung.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joy in college</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An important part of this story begins long before Joy left
for the mission field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joy was greatly
influenced by Robert C. McQuilkin, a popular author and conference speaker, who
spoke at her home church as a young woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He introduced the idea that worry was sin and that we are to rest in the
truth we are under God’s hand in all things and therefore we rejoice in all
circumstances be they good or hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joy
took this to heart and watched it modeled when she was able to go to college at
Columbia Bible College and live with the McQuilkin family (she was one of the
school’s earliest students attending before they even had dormitories).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To understand this concept of prayer and
rejoicing, is to understand the foundation of Joy’s life and ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This included praising God in the hard things
and the prayers that were unanswered as well as the good things that came her
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Joy, this was not some sort of
denial of her circumstances, but a sign of her faith that God is good and
deserves praise no matter what is in front of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She knew want, hardship, and illness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also saw miraculous provision, answers to
prayer, and souls saved through the years.</div>
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As she recuperated in her parent’s home and prayed for
guidance from the Lord, soon two memories were brought to mind. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First she had a memory from childhood when her
father brought home a used gramophone for the family with a few records.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She remembered listening to those records and
even remembered the songs 25 years later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Second, she recalled a conversation with a fellow missionary while she
was in Honduras.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had passed by a
saloon and heard some unsavory Spanish song playing on the gramophone
inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The missionary said “if only we
had gospel recordings in Spanish” to play for these people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This idea began to take shape and soon came
to fruition.</div>
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On December 31<sup>st</sup> 1938 Joy and some friends who
were singers and native speakers of Spanish living in L.A. went into a small
recording studio run by a friend and recorded a program Joy had written of
scriptures and Christian songs in Spanish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This program was transferred to gramophone disc (early records).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joy packed these gramophone records up
carefully with a letter and mailed them to the missionary who replaced her in
Honduras.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These records were to be given
to people who had record players in their homes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCee9GCZhdCkQlVniFs62VfEg8kAM09jq1TCjFexU8J7lIn88UqWBIpxQZg66_33ujEbz5TVW-54RHYFPwZQaoEPU21ygLSk57blT50n1t_Z381E2ew9T5fLpuIkO7XKiwMvVHyl5VI0/s1600/joy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCee9GCZhdCkQlVniFs62VfEg8kAM09jq1TCjFexU8J7lIn88UqWBIpxQZg66_33ujEbz5TVW-54RHYFPwZQaoEPU21ygLSk57blT50n1t_Z381E2ew9T5fLpuIkO7XKiwMvVHyl5VI0/s1600/joy1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joy on mission to the Phillippines</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Soon an enthusiastic letter arrived for Joy at her home in
Los Angeles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please send more
records.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people are listening over
and over again to the records, they understand the message and they are
converting to Jesus Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon these
records began circulating in other Latin American countries and as word spreads
around the mission world about them, there come more requests for records to be
made in different languages.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Joy Ridderhof was a one-woman show working at her world
headquarters which also happened to be her upstairs bedroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She saw the vision but without any resources
of her own was compelled to lay this whole ministry before the Lord.</div>
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From that day forward, piece by piece, person by person,
country by country, the Lord provided an incredible team to supply this need in
world evangelism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When funds or know-how
was needed, prayers and trusting in God’s provision alone, yielded every single
need. Originally Joy’s vision was for Spanish speaking countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later she was convinced to take on the Navajo
language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was this beginning which
moved here along the path to a more global scope.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They went from using rented studios to a home studio but
eventually Joy saw that the work would only be able to expand if they could go
to the native speakers and record them in the field rather than depend on their
ability (which was non-existent in most cases) to travel to Los Angeles.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Ridderhof was a faith missionary along the lines of George
Mueller, where the only one in the world familiar with her needs and the needs
of her burdgeoning mission was God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was informed daily, hourly in prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But that was all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ridderhof had
the unshakeable belief she was doing God’s work and God would direct her with
his supply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She didn’t wait for things
to “just show up” all the time though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes she believed she needed to step out and move forward and God
would provide in the moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And He did.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcobiSDlqMpWKOvR2JyoCc8ok4kqwtcowHtaWbJcLEplzYUQ4uV4kgnJbGbFViHzLYuDjvmxblkDRBgrOlvbqpco0rr8glBMdOSYia1cL7m8kBYjvrAKOHqhm-W5tILFYr54xX7IUCkU/s1600/joy6eskimos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcobiSDlqMpWKOvR2JyoCc8ok4kqwtcowHtaWbJcLEplzYUQ4uV4kgnJbGbFViHzLYuDjvmxblkDRBgrOlvbqpco0rr8glBMdOSYia1cL7m8kBYjvrAKOHqhm-W5tILFYr54xX7IUCkU/s1600/joy6eskimos.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alaskan "Eskimos" listen to a Gospel Recording</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Early trips were made to Mexico, Alaska, and the
Philippines, and later throughout Asia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These trips were often years at a time and many times were just Joy and
a couple other women missionaries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
With the help of missionaries on the ground, tribes with no written languages
would be located.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes days of
traveling and hiking would be required to get to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes through several translators, the
simple gospel would be stated and then translated until the speaker understood
it enough to speak into a microphone and record it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Millions of records were produced and eventually heavy duty
gramophones gave way to hand-cranked cassette players, which in turn have been
replaced by the digital phones which are used by nearly every people group
around the world no matter how remote or poor they are.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many branches of the ministry have opened up, each providing
its own expertise and access to different language groups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lighter weight and heavier duty recording
equipment were developed along the way to speed the process of recording in the
field.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrn586cCvlI_dG0_EQD72Tu0OsrjwbJ6qQkwTep0md95Yj3c9UDHHbTZVtXrwOs51yiNSFNAQi64UhTo9_jFnVHkAVYxx45ohQuN9Z4NicfTpWq43vWhwxhoEdJp750yDHoe8l8XW5hYo/s1600/joy5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrn586cCvlI_dG0_EQD72Tu0OsrjwbJ6qQkwTep0md95Yj3c9UDHHbTZVtXrwOs51yiNSFNAQi64UhTo9_jFnVHkAVYxx45ohQuN9Z4NicfTpWq43vWhwxhoEdJp750yDHoe8l8XW5hYo/s1600/joy5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a simple record player for field</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Though Joy Ridderhof passed away in 1984, her mission, known
today as Global Recordings Network, continues to thrive and work among groups
of people who might otherwise not get the opportunity to hear the Gospel in
their own language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A major thrust of
GRN is the Tailenders Project which targets languages of less than 10,000
speakers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although usually passed over
by traditional missionaries, GRN is able to take a simple approach to reach
these people with recorded Bible stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most of these are illiterate cultures, which doesn’t mean they have no
intellectual life but rather that your society is less inclined to printed
words and more inclined to learn orally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Gospels of Jesus and most of the Old Testament are given to us not
as theological propositions but in stories that we must reflect upon to learn
their meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is God’s revelation
and it suits the oral learner as well as the reader.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pRWkbSNkZVO03Nxe_KvRY8yr6sqLbKqTGhpLe26dbe475Kt91DwIxAW3wFQCHIWuuk_34cR5619sL8T6Ki3A6EjkC25pCx8BAgoQwlKieDhymbg3AqDLvme4vQAzToji0frPKFcDcBU/s1600/joy3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pRWkbSNkZVO03Nxe_KvRY8yr6sqLbKqTGhpLe26dbe475Kt91DwIxAW3wFQCHIWuuk_34cR5619sL8T6Ki3A6EjkC25pCx8BAgoQwlKieDhymbg3AqDLvme4vQAzToji0frPKFcDcBU/s1600/joy3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For many of the tribal groups it was the very first time
they heard the Bible, but also a voice recording in their own language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today Global Recordings have captured nearly
6000 languages and produced a gospel message for each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are available for download free of
charge at <a href="http://www.globalrecordings.net/">www.globalrecordings.net</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sources:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Amazing Stories from
Global Recordings Network.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Allan
Starling Editor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Temecula : Global
Recording Network, 2014)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thompson, Phyllis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Faith By Hearing: The Story of Gospel
Recordings.</i> (Hong Kong : China Alliance Press, 1960)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tucker, Ruth A.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya : A
Biographical History of Christian Missions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></i>(Grand Rapids : Academie Books, 1983)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
http://globalrecordings.net/en/380</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-22464585636841700592014-09-30T15:50:00.000-07:002014-09-30T15:50:41.946-07:00Prophet William Wade Harris (1860-1929) : Translator of Christianity in West Africa by Chris White<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBhr7xN8DvNFE9XoAkxAFy2pDcPZu5Yhurl5FkxW6hC-gP9cHuq9d6LM-CdU-P3cPYCPUciqS7lKQS5KWy7UVA8FWML-piUIxeEzgzWQVrjW1dDXmWoPjg5CuugUAgp6Np0KGoiDd2u8/s1600/_harris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBhr7xN8DvNFE9XoAkxAFy2pDcPZu5Yhurl5FkxW6hC-gP9cHuq9d6LM-CdU-P3cPYCPUciqS7lKQS5KWy7UVA8FWML-piUIxeEzgzWQVrjW1dDXmWoPjg5CuugUAgp6Np0KGoiDd2u8/s1600/_harris.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prophet Harris</td></tr>
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Lamin Sanneh in his book <i><span style="text-underline: words;">Whose Religion is Christianity?</span></i>, makes the
case that Christianity is always a translated religion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What he means by this is that the autographs
of the Gospels were not even written in the original language of Jesus and thus
from the start the message and religion of Jesus Christ was not the property of
any particular people or geographic locale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead, it should be considered normative that Christianity is going to
have a vernacular quality as it enters the different cultures of our world while
at the same time transforming individuals and social structures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this article I reflect
upon the ministry of William Wade Harris of Liberia and what it tells us about
God, ourselves, and the need for a translated Christianity. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqE6ybIlFke1-RLo4VomRxrLKl0vnSbIoTElTL8kZQPOxjgaxjL_7VemVrZEQgiF5UJIi9h-O_ajTVvAMAWK8ismHnvx6L6ixObEa3Z73rM_hDTSChr6E_gEFuFp-acHOHq-3n_HlZUs/s1600/liberia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqE6ybIlFke1-RLo4VomRxrLKl0vnSbIoTElTL8kZQPOxjgaxjL_7VemVrZEQgiF5UJIi9h-O_ajTVvAMAWK8ismHnvx6L6ixObEa3Z73rM_hDTSChr6E_gEFuFp-acHOHq-3n_HlZUs/s1600/liberia.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liberia in western Africa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A brief sketch of Liberian history is
required to appreciate the context of William Harris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Liberia (Latin for “Land of Freedom”) was founded in 1822 as an
independent colony for the repatriation of slaves from North
America and the West Indies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Space does not permit much detail here but Liberia has
never been able to live up to its name or objectives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First of all the majority of slaves who did
come died within three years having no natural immunities to the tropical
diseases of the region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secondly, the
government they established took American freedoms and hypocrisy to another
level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Liberia has over 16 indigenous
peoples who were far greater in number than the colonizing former slaves, yet
an unjust system was put in place where virtually all political power and
economic opportunity resided with the newcomers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ironically, even within Liberia there
was also a replication of American racism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mulattos held the highest position in society and actually had a policy
of separation, while others, former slaves or indigenous had their place in
society determined by the shade of their skin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Liberia
was a land of freedom but some were freer than others.<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>William Wade’ Harris was born in Liberia around
1860.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His parents were of the Grebo
tribe which was one of the larger indigenous peoples living in the colony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time Harris was a teenager war broke
out between the Grebo tribes and the Liberian government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The conflict started when the Grebo tribes
wanted to secede from Liberia
and confederate into their own kingdom which would enable them to begin trading
with the outside world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The United States
was called in to negotiate the conflict (which, given the Civil War and the
subsequent misdeeds of Reconstruction seems laughable) and their emissary was
able to negotiate of compromise where the Grebos would be given full
citizenship and allowed to participate in the economy but they must remain as
Liberians. In the end the Americans went home with a warm feeling in their
hearts and nothing was to change in Liberia.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>One of the good aspects of the Liberian
constitution was that it recognized and protected religious freedom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Christianity held a predominate
place in the thinking and structures of their society, the African traditional
religions were also allowed to be practiced by their adherents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Space was also made for many Christian
missionary endeavors to the indigenous peoples who eventually touched the life
of Harris as he was fully converted and baptized a Methodist in his mid to late
twenties.<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Eventually Harris was to leave the
Methodists and join the Episcopalians where he later became a catechist and
school teacher in one of their mission church schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In time he also held a second job working for
the Liberian government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But his
conversion to Christianity did not make him apolitical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By his late 40’s Harris became active in a
group that was trying to get the British government of neighboring Sierra Leone to
make the Grebo lands of Liberia
a protectorate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While not offering them
the autonomy that their earlier plan of secession did in 1875,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harris and the others felt the English would
rule them with more equity than the Americo-Liberians did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing of this plan ever materialized;
however, Harris miscalculated the situation and was caught flying a Union Jack
instead of a Liberian flag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For his
activism, William Wade’ Harris now around 50 with a wife and children, found
himself unemployed and a political prisoner.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8I8Jc3Cn3OtaSb7AEpps8uQYWNNFlJFmsjaLtnztWBcwPJeNU9VpnI_5iYy5oI3t5Hwe1CE77Dujl7NyLZ-ZaG0kiVHZETkN7cw-jX8SCYeKqaOCCKYT-Z4zIIitwtv2BYEEhEaC7YL4/s1600/gabriel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8I8Jc3Cn3OtaSb7AEpps8uQYWNNFlJFmsjaLtnztWBcwPJeNU9VpnI_5iYy5oI3t5Hwe1CE77Dujl7NyLZ-ZaG0kiVHZETkN7cw-jX8SCYeKqaOCCKYT-Z4zIIitwtv2BYEEhEaC7YL4/s1600/gabriel.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
While in prison, Harris has a life
transforming experience of epic proportion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Harris claims to have had a visitation from the angel Gabriel who comes
to him and commissions him as a prophet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I can’t resist inserting here that Jewish and Catholic traditions regard
Gabriel the Lord’s first minister of encouragement and consolation which seems
quite apropos for someone in Harris’ position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Different accounts of this event yield different details but the essence
of the divine encounter is that God<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>anointed
Harris as a prophet sent to prepare hearts to follow Christ and be ready for
His second coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of this
prophetic commission was to discontinue dressing in western style clothing
including the wearing of shoes and to shun all alcohol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One source suggests that the rejection of
European dress was to be the sign of his conversion and the symbol of the
simplicity and humility of the Gospel.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently Harris was quite ready to obey
his new commission as he adopted a new wardrobe which included a long white
robe, a white turban for his head, a tall cross made of cane, a calabash to
fill with baptismal water, a gourd rattle, and a Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The white clothing, according to Isichei<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8929301085607582580#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a>,
was a symbol of purity and separation from the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Unlike the prophets of Israel, it was
not apparently completely clear to Harris who his audience was to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He started preaching in Liberia, but
like all before him, he was a prophet without honor in his homeland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, Liberia was heavily Christianized
and more likely his message of turning from the ancient religion to the living
God didn’t apply to many people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
story does get interesting when Harris crosses the border to the Ivory Coast and
begins going village to village preaching to a largely non-Christian audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harris would be accompanied by two or three
women who would sing, dance, and play the rattle as an accompaniment to his
preaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His basic message was that:
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>God and Christ came to vanquish and replace the spirits
of tradition</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Christ’s Second Coming was imminent</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Preparation for the Parousia required keeping the Ten
Commandments, observing a Sunday Sabbath, accepting the authority of the Bible,
and the rejection and burning of fetishes.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Be baptized immediately.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>From a western perspective this message
may seem imbalanced or even sub-Christian but taken from the milieu of African
traditional religion this is on par with John the Baptist’s line “Repent for
the Kingdom of God is at hand!!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Traditional African religion has several core
beliefs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One is that of a Supreme
Creator who made all things and people and executes justice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This god is far off and very distant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also the belief in lesser spirits
who dwell in all natural things and in close proximity to people and must be
dealt with through ritual magic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
spirits of ancestors must also be ritually honored. The presence of formal
cults with temples and priests are not found in these cultures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Traditional religion is more free-wheeling
with local practices and practitioners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRFKkb1vknElo-7x7mEF9udjHHHcbQBSXpUxLD65EKwgmRS0qi0x4aWkHzspdRCODrzBzlX0JVa2NsUntDibv4QuQMypOQ7derlB1HTvEGZxnTPxVDoFzryeLZQUUO68ETyqJFg5yw4A/s1600/Nail_fetishes_1902_Boma_Congo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRFKkb1vknElo-7x7mEF9udjHHHcbQBSXpUxLD65EKwgmRS0qi0x4aWkHzspdRCODrzBzlX0JVa2NsUntDibv4QuQMypOQ7derlB1HTvEGZxnTPxVDoFzryeLZQUUO68ETyqJFg5yw4A/s1600/Nail_fetishes_1902_Boma_Congo.jpg" height="205" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fetishes like these are a part of traditional tribal religious practice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Such practitioners are called
witch-doctors or shamans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These have
special skills in which they are able to get these lesser spirits to inhabit
material objects either made by nature, such as a rock, or crafted by man such
as a wood carving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Known as fetishes,
these then are inanimate objects that have the power of the spirits in them
because of the shaman’s incantations.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>In essence, the use of fetishes is
prophylactic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are not objects of
veneration or worship, but rather preventatives of evil or illness or misfortune
of body or soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their use offers a
sense of security in an insecure world of good and evil spirits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Burning them, would be making a decisive
break with the lesser spirits and turning fully to the Creator God for your
security.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Harris, with the chanting, dancing,
shaking of the gourd rattle, the large walking stick with a cross, and long
while robe, while looking quite weird to us, would not be too big of a reach
for his audience who might look upon him as a new kind of shaman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given this context the message is strongly
biblical:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no god but God and
his Son Jesus Christ,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus Christ is
coming soon,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>don’t be making up your own
religion any longer but turn to the authority of God, and put your faith in the
God who is sovereign over the world not in your ability to manipulate your
circumstances through magic.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The burning of fetishes and immediate
baptism are linked together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Harris’
day a convert to Christianity had to go through a long period of preparation
before receiving baptism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This long
period of waiting would be a hindrance to conversion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could be a dangerous thing to live without
the protection of your fetishes while you wait for the protection of God that
would come from your baptism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus
Harris was also recognizing a cultural issue that missionary community was
overlooking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like an authentic prophet, Harris was not
on a church planting crusade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In most
instances he would direct those who responded and were baptized to join
themselves to the congregations of the missionary churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those who lived in areas where missionaries
had not yet come were baptized and formed into congregations under the
oversight of 12 elders or apostles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
were told to wait until teachers came with the Bible for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Years later when Methodist missionaries
reached Ivory Coast
and Ghana,
to their surprise and delight they had a whole group already waiting and eager
to join their churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The
foray into Ivory Coast
and Ghana
which lasted only a year and a half was ended abruptly by his deportation back
to Liberia
by provincial authorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the next
15 years he made many attempts but was never able to return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He spent the remainder of his days in Liberia wearing
his distinctive clothing and preaching but with little effect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He passed away in 1929.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>During his brief ministry he baptized an
estimated 120,000 converts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their fruit
has remained and Harrist Churches are spread throughout Africa
today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although not mentioned in this article, it should be noted that several other prophets were also working
in Central Africa around the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Harris they were not commissioned by any
mission board or Church but from a divine call given in a supernatural way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were imprisoned and then they would have
a brief but very successful period of preaching in which a great harvest would
come in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While not definitive proof of
Harris’ encounter with Gabriel, when you see a trend it is difficult to ignore
it or write it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>So what does this fascinating story tell
us about God, ourselves, and the need for a translated Christianity?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me propose several ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First of all while God does work through our
structures of evangelism and mission work, in many cases He works in spite of
them or even around them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus told
Nicodemus that “the wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it,
but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so it is with
everyone who is born of the Spirit (John 3:8).”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The work of redeeming humanity is God’s responsibility and He will use
whomever and whatever method He wishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is not to suggest that all strategy should be abandoned in
Christian ministry but those of us in the work should hold such things lightly
and be open to the mysterious and surprising ways God works.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuFnCFK3KNQVAtZxkux1rff2AqaXwP1gIUiXx0PFxMlmLUFv-6aD_06s3dNNRGMY6vPiisrLvFYyOXBOcFGnN1tRWWhP0Iyd8-_vOhAiJ7tLEiePHk__NLY3Sf-y_eeKnk6h-jjBU0QM/s1600/harrist-christians.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuFnCFK3KNQVAtZxkux1rff2AqaXwP1gIUiXx0PFxMlmLUFv-6aD_06s3dNNRGMY6vPiisrLvFYyOXBOcFGnN1tRWWhP0Iyd8-_vOhAiJ7tLEiePHk__NLY3Sf-y_eeKnk6h-jjBU0QM/s1600/harrist-christians.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harrist Church women today</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>This story also serves as a reminder that
spiritual crisis often precedes our greatest usefulness to the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What happens to Harris in the crucible of
imprisonment is a total transformation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He is no longer the catechist of an imported Christianity wearing the
clothing of an imported culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
previous life is stripped away and a new message and image emerge that is
influential far beyond the size and scope of one man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of us go through our toughest years
around age 50 (as Harris did) and there is a need to look to God through the
hard times and let Him remake us for His purposes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only other option in such times is to
remake God to fit our disappointments and grow increasingly bitter and lukewarm
towards him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, the Harris story reflects another
truth concerning the nature of Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Christianity is a religion that has all the answers for mankind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But mankind is not all asking the same set of
questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To reference Dr. Sanneh
again, Global Christianity seeks make Christianity one-size-fits-all, where
World Christianity allows for central orthodox thought but a richness of
difference that is in line with the tapestry of cultures that inhabit our
globe.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8929301085607582580#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Missionary work then must bring the message
with as little distortion as possible but not try to control the outcome or
implications of living out that message.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is the work of the receiving culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Chidester points out there was a rejection
by the prophets of African traditional religion but also foreign missionary
Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What the African prophets
point to is the need to take Christianity and make it African.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8929301085607582580#_edn3" name="_ednref3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[iii]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is true in every setting.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%;">
Sources: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8929301085607582580#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a> Isechei,
Elizabeth, “A Soul of Fire” 4
Aug, 2005, <u style="text-underline: words;">Christian History and
Biography, </u></div>
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<u style="text-underline: words;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></u>http://www.ctlibrary.com/7847</div>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8929301085607582580#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a> Sanneh,
Lamin, <u style="text-underline: words;">Whose Religion is Christianity? : The
Gospel Beyond the West</u>, Grand
Rapids: </div>
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Eerdmans, 2003</div>
</div>
<div id="edn3" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8929301085607582580#_ednref3" name="_edn3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[iii]</span></span></span></span></a> Chidester,
David, <u style="text-underline: words;">Christianity: A Global History,</u> San Francisco:
HarperSanFrancisco, 2000. p. 419</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-22513308701866536272014-09-23T06:13:00.000-07:002014-12-05T16:06:49.699-08:00St. Anthony of Egypt : A New Kind of Athlete by Chris White<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjoTNYKa0JPSX5vzfypB9DwJdubJruRrBCY_2Bf9B77z3tu_NDqap7pVPaCTl1foaNd-w8kVAFsUTa-LL3LGgw5yIt5YlHWF2kEottqfi-cu3Xn6Wy8unzOA0KdilYpZCaJ-5IawN3MdE/s1600/St.+Anthony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjoTNYKa0JPSX5vzfypB9DwJdubJruRrBCY_2Bf9B77z3tu_NDqap7pVPaCTl1foaNd-w8kVAFsUTa-LL3LGgw5yIt5YlHWF2kEottqfi-cu3Xn6Wy8unzOA0KdilYpZCaJ-5IawN3MdE/s1600/St.+Anthony.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icon of St. Anthony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
St. Anthony (c. 251-356 AD) is considered the “Father of Monasticism” in
Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wasn’t the one who
started this movement because he learned how to be a monk from someone else and
later joins others who are doing the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But a famous Christian leader named Athanasius of Alexandria, wrote a
book about him that not only made his story famous, but inspired many others to
take a similar calling which eventually became a mainstream movement in the
Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So in the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sense of being a great influencer, Anthony of
Egypt is considered the father of a movement.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I find most people hold two common perceptions about
monasticism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first is that living a
life separated from society, from family life, even married life is an unworthy
goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From a Christian perspective,
there is from the Lord Jesus a command to be a part of society, that the Gospel
will have a seasoning effect on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is what Jesus means by being ‘salt and light.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The other perception is that living under a form of daily regulation
which all monastic people do is a form of sanctified legalism, one again
denying the reality of God’s grace and promoting a lifestyle of works
righteousness.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDd0QNwNmVnsZ5ci4O4Vwl4DP5K9uKYH5eqJoYdpiC-eHOqyIfm3RC7961MQOsD5G8EdEP3Wvy8w4xvV65wH-kx78gPxfi3Odbcy0LzrjkoiEMaSipdZ7MqwV22s7R2bjwevMNLLyk-m4/s1600/OrthodoxChristianMonksWorldWide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDd0QNwNmVnsZ5ci4O4Vwl4DP5K9uKYH5eqJoYdpiC-eHOqyIfm3RC7961MQOsD5G8EdEP3Wvy8w4xvV65wH-kx78gPxfi3Odbcy0LzrjkoiEMaSipdZ7MqwV22s7R2bjwevMNLLyk-m4/s1600/OrthodoxChristianMonksWorldWide.jpg" height="308" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The solitary life for prayer and seeking God</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before I share the historic context of Anthony and his
movement, I would point out that our modern society very much honors the goals
of withdrawal and discipline at many levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Artists, writers, and musicians often must live a solitary life in the
pursuit of creativity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also honor the
soldier, the athlete, even the scholar who has regulated and disciplined their
daily life as to achieve an excellence in their task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In every respect a monastic is living a fully
human existence but are re-channeling their personal energies towards the
pursuit of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is certainly no
less worthy of a goal than writing a novel or running a 5 minute mile.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anthony, however, had a different motivation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the society of antiquity, the monk
philosopher was a venerable person and his work considered a noble pursuit. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the ancient world, if you were fully
devoted to philosophy, it was expected you would live a single and solitary
life so that you could devote all your energies in the direction of thinking
and learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Syria and Egypt,
Christianity took on a hue of philosophy and so the isolated holy man became a
viable option for many.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And like the
monk philosopher, though they lived alone, they would be pursued by disciples
and members of the community for their advice and counsel on how to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this way they were the salt and light in
their society.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The goal of monasticism is a life fully alive to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This aliveness to God was a two-pronged
activity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First there was a full
schedule of worship, prayer, meditation, and study of the scriptures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These were done in cycles throughout the day
and night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often sleeping and eating
were minimal which created more time for this (think how much time a day is
centered around the preparation and eating of meals). Secondly, there were
disciplines of the mind and body that had as their end bringing the passions of
the flesh come under the control of the spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Monks had a realistic view of the fallen human nature and realized that
bodily appetites were natural and yet often disordered and out of control. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The monk saw this as an ongoing spiritual
training that was never complete and never perfected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did some monks become legalists, lazy, or
even a bit crazy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course some did, but
we must not paint everyone with the guilt of an excessive few.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifThV0g87hrw8NUD06AKWe4OxXWpDn1PAnkWB0H9ERbpmmLd5eFyUy9lb5mI49-j71ZSDg30oMIVAz00L94v_BjEgoS78TbWS4CSmZ6HYdZkg0YGZFE9h2y1fTbFM3QAzgYheF-vMNSVY/s1600/190_Dirt-Debut-DOA-on-FX52298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifThV0g87hrw8NUD06AKWe4OxXWpDn1PAnkWB0H9ERbpmmLd5eFyUy9lb5mI49-j71ZSDg30oMIVAz00L94v_BjEgoS78TbWS4CSmZ6HYdZkg0YGZFE9h2y1fTbFM3QAzgYheF-vMNSVY/s1600/190_Dirt-Debut-DOA-on-FX52298.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Ancient Athlete </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another word that is commonly used for monks is
ascetic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ascetic comes from the Greek
word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">askesis</i> meaning athletes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Monks are spiritual athletes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The idea is actually given to us by the
Apostle Paul who speaks of bodily exercise being of little profit while
spiritual exercise is of great profit (1 Tim. 4:8).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, as we speak of Anthony of Egypt, we
will think of many of his activities as spiritual training exercises that build
his strength and endurance to follow Christ as a monk philosopher.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anthony of Egypt was also a species of monk known as a
Desert Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why the Desert? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, most of the population of Egypt lives
and works in a narrow swath that follows the Nile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are going to leave civilization, you
have to go to the desert or at least it’s edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The desert is also barren and limited in its palette of colors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lack of visual stimulation made
concentration and the life of the mind easier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The desert was considered by early Christians as the habitation of the
devil. In Luke 11:24, Jesus speaks of demons habiting the dry places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was also in the desert that Jesus battled
Satan for 40 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this reason the
Desert fathers often regarded themselves as being warriors on the front lines
and their testimony is that they regularly encountered evil spirits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8692zTmIHJ-u5Jvmzc2Sk7I-aGok_s-IL19QhFMVgbY8bnQTz2G-gX26U_ErbxUJfBkaXgluPWJfFyQkJYYltlEr4UGD1V1s3E-0w22U3ilWPrbQUjM6dgcmHE2uRmWdiIP6ZCPXljg/s1600/desert-area-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8692zTmIHJ-u5Jvmzc2Sk7I-aGok_s-IL19QhFMVgbY8bnQTz2G-gX26U_ErbxUJfBkaXgluPWJfFyQkJYYltlEr4UGD1V1s3E-0w22U3ilWPrbQUjM6dgcmHE2uRmWdiIP6ZCPXljg/s1600/desert-area-.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Desert in Egypt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So here is Anthony’s story:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Anthony was between 18-20 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was a wealthy man by the standards of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His parents had recently died (perhaps an
epidemic but no one is certain) leaving him with 207 acres of farmland, a home,
and a younger sister to look after.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
he walked to church he was thinking about how the early Christians sold all
their belongings and gave the money to the apostles.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
During the morning service the scripture reading is Mt. 19:21 which says: “<span class="text"><sup> </sup>Jesus said to him, </span><span class="woj">‘If you
would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’”</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Anthony recalls his thoughts before church
he takes this to be a direct word from Christ and immediately acts upon it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within a very short period of time he gives
his land away, distributes his belongings to the poor and sells his home to
provide a fund for a convent to take care of his younger sister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following his divestment of resources Anthony
went into training to enter monastic life.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSgymwm4tG-afRf_aSXDgFYQ275V9BJx859JkqS8JXfOTl8kzCeoXHMVdU24uVwhYIjNYsjINaybimkHW1gDpCII5AmYN2OFY5qSsny9SiliIqKLxwsHfiK64NEPb_KhfEJz4fark_UE/s1600/Jesus+and+rich+young+ruler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSgymwm4tG-afRf_aSXDgFYQ275V9BJx859JkqS8JXfOTl8kzCeoXHMVdU24uVwhYIjNYsjINaybimkHW1gDpCII5AmYN2OFY5qSsny9SiliIqKLxwsHfiK64NEPb_KhfEJz4fark_UE/s1600/Jesus+and+rich+young+ruler.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesus and Rich man</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Such training is done in stages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Anthony first started out living on the edge of his village near another
monk who mentored him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he grew in his
discipline he would seek mentors further out in the wilderness, learn from
them, and then return to his monks hut near town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All this time he disciplined his memory to
not think of relatives, his past position in society, or the resources he once
had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He sought to be like St. Paul who
said he forgot what lies behind that he might reach forward to what lies ahead
(Phil. 3:13). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the day he would do
work to earn money for bread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After buying
his own daily allotment of bread (which was the normal diet of a monk) he gave
the remainder of the money to the poor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another part of his training was the intensive memorization of scripture
that it could be prayed and meditated upon while going through daily tasks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not uncommon for monks to have
memorized the entire New Testament, Psalms, and parts of the Old
Testament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within a short period of time
Anthony received the acclaim of his local townspeople.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They saw he had become a person of virtue and
goodness and was for them a role model.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Having received his inauguration into the monastic life, Anthony
prepares to move out on his own.<br />
<br />
<br />
As he takes this step, like Jesus, he underwent a great period of satanic harassment
and temptation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The intent of the devil
was to shipwreck him on the heels of his initial victory, but Anthony, like
gold was purified in this process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The temptations
he underwent are quite instructive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
first temptation was that of his memory and mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Past failures and concerns were brought to
mind and the goal ahead was made to seem like it would be too hard to attain so
why even start?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second temptation
was that of lust and foul thoughts stirring up physical drives which were set
aside in this pursuit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently the
devil even appears to him as a nude woman to beguile him and get him to turn
aside from the path ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The third and
final temptation was that of comfort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The desert offered no comfort and the devil placed in his mind all the
comforts and pleasures he would never have access to again.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmomZuZ3YroOAB85yZSbIy17sTzWuE_i85h5yPcCbAP5klHJ-FFlaXO4g-Tk2clGdxi94uRVQ9rXvl3yH20o1dCEe6MTmimu4gpRCpVbaV9gf6y_2DsN6RN6et4N384Y8x9GlCgwIHgc/s1600/the_temptation_of_saint_anthony-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmomZuZ3YroOAB85yZSbIy17sTzWuE_i85h5yPcCbAP5klHJ-FFlaXO4g-Tk2clGdxi94uRVQ9rXvl3yH20o1dCEe6MTmimu4gpRCpVbaV9gf6y_2DsN6RN6et4N384Y8x9GlCgwIHgc/s1600/the_temptation_of_saint_anthony-large.jpg" height="197" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The devil plays on our fears and lusts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
This barrage of temptation did not hit Anthony of Egypt in a state of
helplessness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He actually stood up
against the enemy by meditation on the excellence of Jesus Christ, fully
trusted that God would assist him in his weakness (I Cor. 10:15) and was
strengthened in his continual prayers and fasting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At some point this temptation resolves as
Anthony confronts the devil and he leaves him for a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anthony knew however, that the devil is never
conquered in this life and continues to set traps and so he gave no quarter to
complacency and arrogance but remained ever vigilant.<br />
<br />
<br />
One of Anthony’s means of vigilance is what is called
self-mortification.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In essence this is a
denial of bodily comforts and needs at a level that the soul is alert and
intensified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many people unaccustomed to
such an idea often think of this as something very unhealthy physically and
possibly a form of psychological self-hatred.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is an extreme where this is probably so and many Christians who
have taken this path with too much zeal early in life did in fact ruin their
health in later life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, when done
in a balanced way, it must contribute to overall health and longevity as many
holy men who practiced self-mortification lived to be centenarians including
Anthony himself!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugfuKcJXkp6lx5BisC5iB0u3K8cbC9PnTSC4iqpbaoDHbV6quKmuTL_SWIcH30y1NJaQ1RjMzv9EAVSlnSewLeuwv8GF44dQOxpjhIAK-C57nN4GMh0TDMxuEoaeGelsH0RmPLrX2kVI/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugfuKcJXkp6lx5BisC5iB0u3K8cbC9PnTSC4iqpbaoDHbV6quKmuTL_SWIcH30y1NJaQ1RjMzv9EAVSlnSewLeuwv8GF44dQOxpjhIAK-C57nN4GMh0TDMxuEoaeGelsH0RmPLrX2kVI/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
How did Anthony practice self-mortification?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>First of all he slept very little giving as much time as possible
through the night to pray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he did
sleep it was not in the comfort of a bed but a woven mat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would promote shorter sleep periods in
general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although sometimes he went
without eating, for the most part he observed a very simple diet of bread,
salt, and water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gave up wine and all
forms of meat completely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last of all,
Anthony maintained a healthy attitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He never focused on his victories or failures of yesterday, but started
each day as a fresh opportunity to live for God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think how often many of us choose to let
yesterday use up today by focusing on our failures and regrets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Living in the now, the present, is a wisdom all
it’s own.<br />
<br />
<br />
After 15 years of initial training, Anthony partakes in a transformative
experience that seems bizarre and macabre to our modern sensibilities, and
maybe it is, but it made sense to him and more than that, it sets the stage for
the next phase of fruitful ministry in his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what did Anthony do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had himself sealed inside a tomb for an
period of weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because he had reached the age when Jesus
died and was buried and resurrected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was not dead physically, but he wanted to pass through the tomb to an entirely
new period in his life just like Jesus did.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
In Anthony’s day it was not uncommon for people to build mausoleums for
family burials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was also not uncommon
for them to be broken into by grave robbers looking for valuable items buried
with the dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was also not uncommon
for a tomb to be vacant and abandoned and be repurposed by a monk or even a
poor family as a temporary home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
probably not my first choice for a dwelling, sometimes practicality and
availability prevail over aesthetics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I digress.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUT-7YgPJ5nh4RAWfnzt01GyD1Vv6_3yuFBsZF0-Vjl-ijVRSvTm2XVyWxQUYusTCWtNDehf6zcD4CCoxOJsyIxmRx8-LOUQFTLxYVW9TqraQ7qcKXz25LDUMsJxICcG5p0ySiSpVRO2Y/s1600/Temptation+of+St.+Antony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUT-7YgPJ5nh4RAWfnzt01GyD1Vv6_3yuFBsZF0-Vjl-ijVRSvTm2XVyWxQUYusTCWtNDehf6zcD4CCoxOJsyIxmRx8-LOUQFTLxYVW9TqraQ7qcKXz25LDUMsJxICcG5p0ySiSpVRO2Y/s1600/Temptation+of+St.+Antony.jpg" height="320" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern depiction of Anthony in Tomb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
So Anthony with the help of some local townspeople has himself sealed in a
vacant tomb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No doubt some water and
food were put in for him before the final brick was mortared in place but no
lamps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All that Anthony encountered was
darkness and eerie silence as he began his ordeal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my dear friends moved to Oregon (where
I live) from Phoenix Arizona.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only
did he move from the hustle and bustle of a large city to the quietude of an
isolated piece of land in the forest, he moved from leading a vibrant company
with many employees that he had built up and sold to working by himself in a
tiny office above his garage with nothing more than a laptop and phone connection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this might sound like an introvert’s
paradise, (which it is) my friend was anything but an introvert and so this was
an incredibly difficult adjustment for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It really took him more than a year to feel at ease with his new living
and working environment but in the end he told me he discovered more about his
true character and the reality of God’s presence working alone than he ever did
surrounded by people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t help but
think that as St. Anthony of Egypt contemplated his move to the outer desert to
live as a hermit, he felt drawn to first test his mettle as a man to see if he
was spiritually, emotionally, and physically prepared for such a change.<br />
<br />
<br />
As the days turn into weeks, Anthony finds himself under great spiritual
attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He feels great fear which
translates in his body into excruciating pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He begins to see demons taking the form of grotesque creatures and this
too scares him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he cries out to God
with loud prayers for his assistance and resists the temptation to be released
from his fear and pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As this ordeal
nears the end, the Lord Jesus appears to him and tells Anthony, “I have been
watching you and assisting you this whole time.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly the fear and the pain end and
Anthony senses his divine deliverance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As the townspeople come on the appointed day to open the tomb they are
shocked by his appearance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of a
gaunt man half-crazed by light and sensory deprivation, Anthony comes out of
the tomb more healthy and vibrant than when he entered it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From this point forward, his vocation as a
monk-philosopher soars to new heights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Literally.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTGDjI_gmAPRPkhIsA2X-GOSmpbp3VnaZE0TGZEizH7_-T5JYGlPVaF793dtiMWyON8hFCo_vx8q6GkTv6e5XzxwHauUJdwG0W_FuWV5gAnSFEg9bZSD8dpQq7CTUUY9Nh-Hs6C33pxQ/s1600/920d.+Hermit+Fr+Lazarus+Coptic+Monk+lives+in+desert+area+of+Egypt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTGDjI_gmAPRPkhIsA2X-GOSmpbp3VnaZE0TGZEizH7_-T5JYGlPVaF793dtiMWyON8hFCo_vx8q6GkTv6e5XzxwHauUJdwG0W_FuWV5gAnSFEg9bZSD8dpQq7CTUUY9Nh-Hs6C33pxQ/s1600/920d.+Hermit+Fr+Lazarus+Coptic+Monk+lives+in+desert+area+of+Egypt.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
At this point St. Anthony heads to the edge of the desert to
take up residence in a deserted fortress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As he walks cross country he encounters in the middle of nowhere a store
of silver and gold plate worth quite a bit of money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He considers the situation and concludes this
was actually placed in his path by Satan to distract him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He steps over the plate and continues his journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reaching his destination, Anthony begins
praying and worshipping God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has
been enemy territory but Anthony’s goal is that it will become part of the
kingdom of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The enemy continues to
assail him but now he is unmoved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Anthony is actually attacking the demonic realm himself through his
prayers and fastings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anthony stays at
the fortress for 20 years and attracts many followers who want to pursue the
monastic life under his tutelage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is
now the holy man of the desert, able to counsel others, able to advise, to
heal, to reconcile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the people
of Egypt journey out to seek his spiritual advice and we are told the desert
literally becomes a city of monks.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ids4SySw7tM">Watch a video on St. Anthony's Monastery today</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At age 55, St. Anthony moves to what is known as the “inner
mountain”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is told about this new
place by a group of Arabs he encounters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The decision to move was based on the crowds and continual adulation he
was receiving from the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He felt
that if this continued he would become a victim of pride and self-conceit and
lose the ground he had gained in the spiritual realm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The inner mountain was a cell in an isolated
spot on a mountainside several miles inland from the Red Sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the foot of the mountain there was a
natural spring and date palms which became a source of foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the fresh water Anthony is also able to
plant a small garden and eat food from it thus freeing anyone from having to
bring food out to him.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHTo0vSZEe8MU5Bun88CQ03DU7WExQDsqIRoULhdvnJu5fRCB_6wtpB6-ME4THlNzX61T0GaVlVHhgdXob0i7iqnFG9K1IHxbZ0U1TsyQNhwS9LdWGh1ofV2Vr65MVH3y01okSAkGwzw4/s1600/St+antony+inner+mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHTo0vSZEe8MU5Bun88CQ03DU7WExQDsqIRoULhdvnJu5fRCB_6wtpB6-ME4THlNzX61T0GaVlVHhgdXob0i7iqnFG9K1IHxbZ0U1TsyQNhwS9LdWGh1ofV2Vr65MVH3y01okSAkGwzw4/s1600/St+antony+inner+mountain.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stairs leading up to Antony's cell on Mountain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These are the mature years of Anthony’s monastic calling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He spends the remainder of his days giving counsel
to fellow monks and any who venture out to see him at his cave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He reports even in old age he had to continue
to battle temptations and lusts of the flesh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>St. Paul in 2 Timothy 2:22 tells his protégé Timothy to “flee youthful
lusts and pursue righteousness”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
author Gordon T. Smith says perhaps the reason Timothy was to do this was
because old age presents you with a whole new set of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever the case, Anthony had an unusual way
of dealing with his lusts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He kept a “sin
record book”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knew his human tendency
was to deny his sinfulness and his lustful thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of denying he had them, he wrote them
down as not to hide his evil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He felt in
exposing it to himself, to the Lord and others, he was able to gain ground in
his thought life.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGWgeuutMl2RmHqoR6ysQpy2lAqMi30MHQZWATC92usP1Ou0_tJN4ag4kqnL1E-eyzuT2J9hCPn_DGtWQbOfLcs9sjPpvAy9zmpXnlCTltoJqdTXtThnW3__N338uowbxfoYakWfR-hk/s1600/st_anthony_monastery_primis_egypt_1976-5000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGWgeuutMl2RmHqoR6ysQpy2lAqMi30MHQZWATC92usP1Ou0_tJN4ag4kqnL1E-eyzuT2J9hCPn_DGtWQbOfLcs9sjPpvAy9zmpXnlCTltoJqdTXtThnW3__N338uowbxfoYakWfR-hk/s1600/st_anthony_monastery_primis_egypt_1976-5000.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Anthony's Monastery today</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anthony ends his years in a state of great popularity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is seen as the ‘spiritual physician’ of
Egypt and had the supreme honor of everybody wanting him to be their
father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great theological controversy
broke out in Egypt and Anthony visited Alexandria to refute heretics and
philosophers who tried to come against orthodox Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like a papal visit today, huge crowds
gathered to see this great holy man and many conversions were recorded as a
result of seeing him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As he nears the end of his life, like Moses and the
Patriarchs and Paul and the Ephesian elders, Anthony gathers his fellow monks
in the desert and gives them a final charge to faithfulness to God before
passing away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anthony arranged to have
himself buried in a secret place that his grave would not be venerated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did have his few articles of clothing and
possessions distributed among friends and they were immediately considered sacred
relics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the best thing he left
behind was a life well-lived and a holy example that still inspires today.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zb1tnWnXnTVgMUQKJoOa9BJttKzo92Na2ZsoY9Jhq0t5uLqueFZXy1Lsa-e___t4Qug_ytpxYaeRH9aSM70AAEcf0XfpBc9DfDEse7t8hblT8wJrWKnQq_rkhRwfRijHvvt2OdkMcDY/s1600/death+of+St.+Antoy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zb1tnWnXnTVgMUQKJoOa9BJttKzo92Na2ZsoY9Jhq0t5uLqueFZXy1Lsa-e___t4Qug_ytpxYaeRH9aSM70AAEcf0XfpBc9DfDEse7t8hblT8wJrWKnQq_rkhRwfRijHvvt2OdkMcDY/s1600/death+of+St.+Antoy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Death of St. Antony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The legacy of St. Anthony in the history of the Church is
huge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story of his life inspired
people such as Ss. Augustine, Jerome, Benedict and many other men of God who
would also shape the life of the Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But more important are Anthony’s inspiring principles for living the
Christian life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I summarize them below:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
<br />
1. Do not to grow fainthearted in the disciplined life
because we receive a far greater return in </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>eternity than we
ever invested.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Do not to lose heart about the renunciation of this
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will lose it all at death
anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So why not grow in
virtue which can be taken into the next life?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. Live circumspectly and constantly for the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each day is new and gains can be made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Conversely, great
losses can occur daily simply through laxity</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dying daily---live
each day as it is your last day—you will not sin, you will forgive, you will </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>live earnestly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5. The ultimate weapon against the Devil:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a just and godly life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fasting, vigils, prayers,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>meekness and gentleness, contempt for money,
lack of vanity, love of the poor, gentleness </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>towards others
will all drive the enemy underfoot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01770983799660999008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929301085607582580.post-29921907457629098912014-09-12T11:21:00.000-07:002014-09-12T11:21:12.348-07:00Joan of Arc (1412-1431) : God's Heroic Prophetess by Chris White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbT82ThAhpzVywpUt5HPwBwyn-vQjhNLnv98TBUiDDGiyoS1M0ycYkLcKJPCWx9x8FzEnVYyaE4omx2RCgA5Zo5w8dqYaPc4Hw8koEMZdyY5gXLPNM0_cpUbtNctD4pMHQLbqSg3F9i4/s1600/Picture4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbT82ThAhpzVywpUt5HPwBwyn-vQjhNLnv98TBUiDDGiyoS1M0ycYkLcKJPCWx9x8FzEnVYyaE4omx2RCgA5Zo5w8dqYaPc4Hw8koEMZdyY5gXLPNM0_cpUbtNctD4pMHQLbqSg3F9i4/s1600/Picture4.jpg" height="320" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A romantic depiction of Joan</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This story happens in the context
of the Hundred Years War which was in essence an ongoing conflict between
England and France that lasted more than 100 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>England had owned part of Northern France
for centuries and wanted to stay and expand their rule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Kings of France wanted them out but were
not strong enough to dislodge them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Eventually France did prevail but it took a heavy toll on the nation in
terms of destruction of life and property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, given the historic English penchant for hanging on the every
inch of property they can, even if it serves no real purpose, the French
probably should consider themselves lucky it wasn’t a 400 year war!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As this touches Joan of Arc, the battles
that she participates in are essentially wars of liberation from an outside
oppressor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why she is highly
regarded as a French heroine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the
story unfolds you will see the English regarded her as something quite
different.<br />
<br />
<br />
Joan of Arc was born in January of 1412 in a sleepy little village called
Domremy la Pucelle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a typical
village in eastern France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People made
their living from the land and were very religious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joan’s father was a successful farmer and
believed to have been one of the town fathers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Her mother was known as God fearing and quite affectionate to her
children teaching them most of their religious beliefs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joan shepherded her father’s sheep and
learned to spin wool and lived like most young girls did in the late Middle
Ages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was well-liked in her town,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>active in Church and participated in
charitable activities.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPEz4H7ZK4YNfMo2KLGE4r3OePb4kWnAd8pXTm-99cVxNAvfE0Zo3J5rHE56icMnrGi2zPV2LYKrp9D2jRam-DuUY6IflV_YutYrLBY9DbG0-JQygFZpzbmqFSely_pM3VvpUodZtVDU/s1600/Picture2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPEz4H7ZK4YNfMo2KLGE4r3OePb4kWnAd8pXTm-99cVxNAvfE0Zo3J5rHE56icMnrGi2zPV2LYKrp9D2jRam-DuUY6IflV_YutYrLBY9DbG0-JQygFZpzbmqFSely_pM3VvpUodZtVDU/s1600/Picture2.jpg" height="252" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joan's birthplace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Joan had grown up with the war between the French and English and
according to historian Will Durant, would have believed like most folk in their
area that the English really were devils who were able to hide their tails
under their coats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was also a
prophecy floating around the countryside at the time that someday God would
send a young virgin who would deliver France from this long siege of Satan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is very possible that Joan heard this
prophecy as a young girl.<br />
<br />
<br />
In 1424, When Joan is about 13 she has her first experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She sees a bright light over her head and
hears a voice speak to her telling her to be an obedient child and to go often
to Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be honest, I don’t know how
much more obedient a child could be since she had by this time a reputation of
being very pious and stopping to kneel and pray every time the bells at the
town Church were rang.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgratDQgsgchSsqBJ2ZPXSaepqPvzSNMnVPi0uAJGfPn1Q3C1Xje8pluQbaiY8-nGg45eFP36wyWtMMe941_R2CckGq7d9DojZ3DJqXRIpV1XiJtyIwBkOX-pjVmTsI9_y8MUpoUdvk9G8/s1600/Picture3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgratDQgsgchSsqBJ2ZPXSaepqPvzSNMnVPi0uAJGfPn1Q3C1Xje8pluQbaiY8-nGg45eFP36wyWtMMe941_R2CckGq7d9DojZ3DJqXRIpV1XiJtyIwBkOX-pjVmTsI9_y8MUpoUdvk9G8/s1600/Picture3.jpg" height="320" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joan received visions several times</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Over the next couple of years, Joan claims further visitations by Michael
the Archangel, St. Catherine of Alexandria, and St. Margaret of Antioch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some interesting connections
here:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Margaret was a virgin who was
martyred because of false accusations made against her, Catherine was a
virtuous woman who came to faith in Christ because of visions she saw, and
Michael the Archangel led the battle against the forces of Lucifer when he
rebelled against God. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems hardly
coincidental that all three of these persons were represented by statuary in
Joan’s church and that they reflect in their life story aspects of what played
out in her own life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Joan’s
testimony at her later trial she saw a full image of Michael and only the faces
of Catherine and Margaret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They spoke
perfect French to her and were beautiful in appearance but also smelled
beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Originally these voices only
spoke to her about her piety and maintaining her virginity but eventually they
spoke to her about her mission to save France.<br />
<br />
By the summer of 1428, Joan is now around 18 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was described as a handsome and healthy
girl with dark hair and smiling face with a quiet if not silent disposition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this point in the story, France is in deep
trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paris is controlled by the
English, and the key city of Orleans is under siege.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this city falls, it will only be a matter
of time before the rest of the country does.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xYM3qwcF22eVI3Z9IQFdA0zkQt9pp3Av7oWe9ipS1nHLiX9lcJB-CEoz-zrjjvkVv8nOcRV_Cqbd8tF7ayWexXdsB40Otq9syKEwPaa5qiTFxLAP1kV4l4fXGwnu9GbtAlMP456L3-g/s1600/Picture5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xYM3qwcF22eVI3Z9IQFdA0zkQt9pp3Av7oWe9ipS1nHLiX9lcJB-CEoz-zrjjvkVv8nOcRV_Cqbd8tF7ayWexXdsB40Otq9syKEwPaa5qiTFxLAP1kV4l4fXGwnu9GbtAlMP456L3-g/s1600/Picture5.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joan hears from Michael the Archangel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
It is at this time that the voices become quite insistent with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michael himself tells her to go to the aid of
the King.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At another time she is told to
take the King to Rheims, which was the spiritual capital of the country at the
time, and have him properly crowned and anointed by the clergy so that the
French would unite behind him and fight for freedom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joan is given a specific plan by her divine
voices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is to present herself to the
King’s commander and he will bring her to the King.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is immediately dismissed by him as a girl
who needs to go home and get a good spanking by her father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But she persists by staying in town and when
the French are defeated in another battle, she finally gets a hearing and is
sent with a military escort to the King.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is where she dons the male military attire and cuts her hair
short (believed to be the origins of the popular french "bob" hairdo by some).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is most likely for her
protection but possibly a response to her voices to prepare to be a warrior.<br />
<br />
After traveling for 11 days through enemy territory, in March of 1429 she
is able to speak with the Dauphin or the Kings heir-apparent Charles VII.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wanting to check her out, the Dauphin disguised
himself as a servant but when she came into the room she immediately identified
him and shared her message with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many
in the King’s court thought she was mentally disturbed and Charles was not
thoroughly sold either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He sends Joan to
be further examined by the clergy regarding her authenticity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But after several weeks they send her back to
the King with their blessing and he decides to make use of her.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfgMIlNumqn4i2YpqkmwH2OJRX93KLNIP1V46OAbhb7Xp-HAT0djFJjWfCNUhG1MSeiCBSYQKBGWpLLx6gQpffm_1CnnWcminyE_a0WCc2n_qmR7FrwlC2tav8oChNYWaILnWK0pNExM/s1600/Picture6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfgMIlNumqn4i2YpqkmwH2OJRX93KLNIP1V46OAbhb7Xp-HAT0djFJjWfCNUhG1MSeiCBSYQKBGWpLLx6gQpffm_1CnnWcminyE_a0WCc2n_qmR7FrwlC2tav8oChNYWaILnWK0pNExM/s1600/Picture6.jpg" height="251" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joan meets Charles VII the Dauphine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Over the next year and a half, Joan leads and rallies the French in a
series of battles which successfully push back the English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her banners of white with the fleur- de- lis,
the name of God and Mary, her sword, and her conviction that she is on God’s
mission for the King, strengthens the troops and encourages them to great risk
and great achievement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She eventually
leads the King to his coronation and seemingly her mission is complete.<br />
<br />
<br />
King Charles VII, however, convinces her to continue with the army and
she does even though she no longer hears any of the voices and has great
misgivings about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is shot with an
arrow in one skirmish and eventually in another taken captive by French forces
loyal to the English crown. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The English
are so angry with her that they purchase her for the sum of $80,000 in today’s
money so they can try her as a witch.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_AavU9oN15CGPArtt-nRIuv0Bf8IRxJYIhrqQaxFtrUximSmHkgs49R_FzW4rjaIroh3a6sQj-UMR3cgYQe1Ty_LT1kSqEZzJ9oUPj6wCeD5gazfJsFJI7ZMYGt4yvmXb_5y6HaAWG4/s1600/Picture7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_AavU9oN15CGPArtt-nRIuv0Bf8IRxJYIhrqQaxFtrUximSmHkgs49R_FzW4rjaIroh3a6sQj-UMR3cgYQe1Ty_LT1kSqEZzJ9oUPj6wCeD5gazfJsFJI7ZMYGt4yvmXb_5y6HaAWG4/s1600/Picture7.jpg" height="320" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joan was a symbol more than a warrior</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At the start of the next year Joan endures a 4 month trial where she is
charged with heresy and witchcraft by the English Clergy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is interrogated about her visions and in
the end they were found to be “false and diabolical”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They threatened her with burning at the stake
unless she made a full retraction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under
great pressure Joan eventually signed a statement retracting her visions and
promising allegiance back to the Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>there were those
who wanted her dead no matter what.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
Part of her agreement was to stop
wearing her military clothing and wear only women’s clothing in prison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within a few days she was wearing the men’s
clothing again as many believe to protect her chastity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was taken by several bishops that she
was a relapsed heretic and this time she would be burned at the stake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was quite frightened by this but was
strengthened in the moment and even forgave her accusers and executors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many left the scene realizing they had
probably killed a saint and were going to be damned for it.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwjJVAvkVUn4MIBYwGGAm1MGKD7fX62O-DSdfDtgxDcJoPN_Q5fjZfnQHshiMNxRVD5bqMawqlD7OZMZsMyVU9YO7YdFL9mKqToOrjX6y5-AjGwJwgB1-OPxhfanvIjs8iwTWhXKUrnE/s1600/Picture9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwjJVAvkVUn4MIBYwGGAm1MGKD7fX62O-DSdfDtgxDcJoPN_Q5fjZfnQHshiMNxRVD5bqMawqlD7OZMZsMyVU9YO7YdFL9mKqToOrjX6y5-AjGwJwgB1-OPxhfanvIjs8iwTWhXKUrnE/s1600/Picture9.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burned alive like a witch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Several years after Joan’s death, the English were completely driven from
France and King Charles ordered a new trial for Joan of Arc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An official trial of the Church was held and
her surviving mother and brothers attended seeking to have their family name
and sister restored to the Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A six
year investigation followed and eventually Joan of Arc was declared innocent of
heresy and wrongly executed therefore she was a martyr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 19<sup>th</sup> century the Pope put
her name up for beatification and in the 20<sup>th</sup> Century, Joan of Arc
was officially canonized.<br />
<br />
So, there it is—the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>story of one
of the greatest heroines of the Church and of Western Civilization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was faithful to God and if anything her
main mistake was taking things too far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But we are left with a question: did she really receive her orders from
heaven as she claimed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There seems to be
three basic trains of thought on this:<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></b><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joan had a psychological
disorder</i></b>—in 2002 a court in Maryland held a mock retrial for Joan of
Arc with defense and prosecution lawyers and found her innocent by reason of
suffering from a delusional disorder that caused her to hear audible voices in
her head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She could not be held
criminally responsible was the conclusion because her actions were consistent
with her delusions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is striking to
me about this is that I have spoken on several occasions with delusional people
and what they believe is generally not true and in fact is sometimes way out
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What Joan of Arc heard and acted
upon came to pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It did hold true<i><b>.</b></i><br />
<br />
<i><b> </b></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joan had some connection to
the Devil</i></b> ---She had been accused in her trial by the English of
practicing divination and that the visions and information she received was the
result of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>conjuring demonic
spirits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the testimony of her
life for piety and devotion to the Lord Jesus that was given at her retrial
would hardly suggest someone involved with the Kingdom of darkness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also strikes me that the realm of the
demonic does not have future knowledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They certainly have a thorough understanding of human nature but no
understanding of the end of a matter before it begins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only God holds the species of knowledge that
Joan was operating within<i><b>. </b></i><br />
<br />
<i><b> </b></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joan was appointed by God and
exercised an authentic form of prophecy</i></b>—Jean Brehal who acted as the
Inquisitor General for the Church retrial of Joan points out that the type of
messages Joan received are consistent with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Christian doctrine. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scripturally
speaking, messages from God can be impressed upon the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A person has a strong sense of God’s will and God speaking into their
lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes messages can come
symbolically in a state of meditative prayer<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>or in a dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were plenty
of these cases in the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A third way
is when God chooses to reveal messages in a tangible outward form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was true of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daniel and of John the Apostle. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
final way seems to be the mode in which Joan of Arc received her revelation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was hesitant to act upon them and was not
self-promoting as is the hallmark of false prophets, and the methods she used
promoted godly actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, what
was spoken by her as revelation from God did come to pass which is the acid-test
of a true prophecy (see Deuteronomy 18:22).<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2aUZ3vkSyOWfME2lMe_FuTwY02-klmEUs-iGlLR_UrE5f_Kq06AtQIEHCN5UR7MeKDoRYPR6T4FAcX71k0n_zq_aVe2QuA1XY-xMbdtxxUsHfYct9Sd3iubp9xO1eu3lT_h5RqJnDcyA/s1600/Picture8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2aUZ3vkSyOWfME2lMe_FuTwY02-klmEUs-iGlLR_UrE5f_Kq06AtQIEHCN5UR7MeKDoRYPR6T4FAcX71k0n_zq_aVe2QuA1XY-xMbdtxxUsHfYct9Sd3iubp9xO1eu3lT_h5RqJnDcyA/s1600/Picture8.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joan at her heresy trial</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
So what do I think about Joan?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is a built-in skepticism in all modern people, even people of
faith such as myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our society’s
pre-commitment to reason is in the air we breathe making the story of Joan of
Arc seem odd and probably not true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
guess is most Christians probably wouldn’t expect something like what happened
to Joan to happen to them today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if
there is a God (which I believe to be true) what would preclude Him from
speaking into a national emergency in the lives of a specific people and
place?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And why wouldn’t the same God who
sent his own Son 1400 years before Joan’s time into the humblest of
circumstances, speak to those in power in a later time through a humble young
woman of simple faith?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story of Joan
of Arc is inconsistent with philosophical naturalism, but very consistent with
a Biblical worldview.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God raises up
specific persons to speak for him in specific situations and specific places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the spirit of prophecy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our own nation, threatened by enemies from
without and moral rot from within, would that God raise another Joan of Arc in
our midst.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEW0nMu8Afh0g3ihlsC4FpsYm-1NwNBOkBrHCntTFLlC7VPRE7drWBdv22QQah2l6FBcJhOP0IfUeruXfnFdZl7P-s0GG2KO6I3A5AhPed-5HiGu_2FsGs521b7_XY3teBGMxFyNxDhSs/s1600/Picture10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEW0nMu8Afh0g3ihlsC4FpsYm-1NwNBOkBrHCntTFLlC7VPRE7drWBdv22QQah2l6FBcJhOP0IfUeruXfnFdZl7P-s0GG2KO6I3A5AhPed-5HiGu_2FsGs521b7_XY3teBGMxFyNxDhSs/s1600/Picture10.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A "useful" story for other causes too!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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