My Brief History of History

I love church history, and history in general, not always popular areas for many people. One recalls dull, chalk-smelling classrooms, and monotone teachers, droning on about dates and Dukes.

So, you may be thinking, why do I like history? Because there is a lot to be learned, but more than this, investigating it can give you some sense of understanding for your self, regarding things you may know little about, but may still have a few remembered fragments tucked into a crevice of your brain, previously, that were rather fuzzy and largely, very boring tales. However, there is a feeling of excitement that one experiences as you come to comprehend a smidgen of the triumphs and trials of those who have gone before. Gradually, light begins to dawn, the drawbridge opens, so to speak, the imagination gets to work, and things start to come to life (again).

I find it exciting to turn over a few rocks of the latter days, and to see what is there: finding out who really did what, how they coped with their problems, and all of the weird and interesting things that happened or were said. Not that we can truly know with perfect knowledge - there is no time machine to really know for certain. But there are good books to read, books that are better for finding out than some others. And some documentaries are much better than others, measured in dates, and from direct sources, not merely in upper Fahrenheit’s of ideology. Ahem!

There are many cases in which historical records were tweaked to over blow the successes of the powerful and the moneyed, but an army of sterilized, politically correct practictioners is now replacing this with a new kind of bias. I think we should be especially careful to use kid gloves when we read their impressions of what people believed, particularly Christians of the past (and present), who seem to be getting a very raw deal, as we are so frequently portrayed as the (new) source of the problems in this world. One only has to pick up a book or article about the faith, to see how far they really are from understanding what and who we Christians really are. Unless you are actually a Christian, you are just comparing one group with another, and being guided by some theory from psychology or sociology, often imbued unconsciously at many higher learning centers with every whiff of oxygen.

It is very discouraging to hear, oh, so often, “well, we know that he or she never really said/did/visited this place” or some such thing. Therefore, it can be very rewarding to go back in time and find out the facts as best you can. In fact, serendipity is a frequent companion on this kind of quest, bringing wondrous gems to the surface, and gleanings of shocking and surprising events.

I love the fact that the Gospels, and the whole bible for that matter, displays the faults and failing of so many whom we would call hero’s of the faith. For instance, we see the quivering, traitorous, and cowardly desertion of Christ by his closest disciples. How much would be tempted to clean things up if we were penning the reports!? Yet, afterwards, we see the absolute revolution in their lives, charged and changed by the Holy Spirit, and epitomized most markedly by Saul, who later become Paul. I pray for more “off horse knocking” even today! We need a few more G. K. Chestertons’ and C. S. Lewis’ for our own day as well.

One thing I discovered about Anselm of Canterbury, a great 12th Century theologian, that is a wonderful tid-bit. His credo was: “credo ut intelligam“ - “I believe that I might understand”, yet, unlikely and unexpected as it might be, most of his philosophical musings about the existence of God were actually written as prayers to God. I find it very refreshing to find this kind of devotion, with which many ancients set about their work, and especially, in contrast to the cold, steely-eyed, skepticism and detachment that bids more recent scholars, bow before the empirical throne. We are probably wise to be skeptical of their skepticism.

A few quotes from actual history exams answers:

“Queen Victoria was the longest queen. She sat on a thorn for 63 years. She was a moral woman who practiced virtue. Her death was the final event which ended her reign.”

“Louis Pasteur discovered a cure for rabbis.”

“Gravity was invented by Issac Walton. It is chiefly noticeable in the autumn when the apples are falling off the trees.”

“In the Olympic games, Greeks ran races, jumped, hurled the biscuits, and threw the java.”
“Eventually, the Romans conquered the Greeks. History calls people Romans because they never stayed in one place for very long.”
“Martin Luther nailed 95 theocrats to a church door.”

“World War II began turning around when the Allies landed near Italy's toe and gradually advanced up her leg.”

“Hitler shot himself in the bonker.”

“History is nothing more than the behind of the present.”

More some hysterically funny, and slightly disturbing, answers to history tests from some of the finest college can be found at the following link – historians and parents might want to get a box of tissues at hand to stem their weeping!

http://www.dribbleglass.com/Jokes/history.htm

Cheers!

Peter

Do you ever get tired of hearing about another denominational commitee or pastor denouncing some speck of their own communion, who nevertheless, fully believe in the fundamentals of the faith? I do.

You know the scenario well. The issue at stake is not the hyperstatic union (two natures of Christ) or the Bodily Resurrection, it is just that the offending person or persons do not believe like they do, i.e., denominational HQ. It's not so much what you do or don't believe, but that you do not believe how they do. It really has nothing to do with the authority of the bible or belief in heaven, for example; it's just that you dare to have an original thought. So many times the fight is over culture, rather than upholding Christ.

When I hear this sort of thing it makes me feel both sad and angry. These denunciations are the political acts of insecure and graceless people. They use a 100-pound mallet to squash a tiny ant. Not that the ant was doing anything other than looking for a dry spot to call home.

We do not have time for this if we are serious about sharing the Kingdom of God, and in emulating the most basic tenets of the faith, such as we find in the Sermon on the Mount. I do not mean some wishy-washy, "love will conqueror all", "let's just get along" way; I mean, taking the call of Christ so seriously that we are more likely to, daily, bow our heads in shame at our own faults and pettiness, rather than looking for someone to call a heretic. Of course, those heretics can be a good diversion from this sort of discipleship, and those pesky sins we have to deal with on a personal level.

There are heretics now, and there will always be heretics. But what is a heretic? It is a baptized Christian who willfully goes against the basic dogmas or creeds of the faith, such as I have mentioned above. It is not a small diversion in understanding or preference in something like ministry style, worship music, or some misapprehension of core doctrines. I venture to say that the great streams of Christianity, apart from some really un-orthodox liberal wastrels, all hold to a core of doctrine that none would disagree with. Every good protestant should have no problem with the creeds, such as the Nicene or Apostles Creeds; which Catholics, Episcopalians, and others recite every week.

I ask you: which of us has a full understanding of even one of the great mysteries of the faith? We must certainly believe them, but we have to admit that our puny minds cannot fully comprehend them. Were you there, sitting on the Rock with the Angel, when Christ blasted out of the tomb?

For instance, I doubt whether the Apostles knew much about the Trinity even after being with Jesus every day for almost three years, or much afterwards. Or do we even know how much faith and knowledge is required for salvation? Did the woman at the well know what Jesus was saying about following Him, even though He simply spoke about having a drink of water that would not dry up? Did Nicodemus know anything about the ascension of Christ or "assurance" of salvation when Jesus told him he needed to be born again? He did not even spell that out for him, a term we hear bandied about like a brand of cereal. If a few things are needed, then a lot of things are not needed!

At the moment of salvation, all that we know is enough for us to come to believe, but it is not enough to gain a degree in theology. Rom 10:9-10; So, after how many years of being a Christian, how well do you understand that God is three and yet He is one? You are a heretic in your ignorance, but probably a worthy saint in your heart. We need to give more grace to one another.

We are really heretics when we fail to love and serve. We are heretics when we judge one another needlessly over matters that do not make any difference, or do not add any benefit to the witness of the Church (thus, damaging that witness).

I have often wondered who appointed the modern day heresy-hunters; who are so quick to damn and yet so slow to encourage. Beware of the "leaven of the Pharisees". Matt 16:6; Lk 12:1;

As the Apostle Paul writes, "I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to build you up, not to tear you down." 2 Cor 13:10; And to the Church in Rome he warns, "because of God's gracious gift to me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you should. Instead, be modest in your thinking, and judge yourself according to the amount of faith that God has given you." Rom 12:3;

How are you doing in this building up, and in not being so proud of yourself? A good question for all of us, including me.

Trust in Christ, not in People

G. K. Chesterton once wrote:

“I believe in Liberalism. But there was a rosy time of innocence when I believed in Liberals.” - “Orthodoxy”, p. 46.

One of the consequences of having a life not surrendered to Christ, which must include all of our lives at some level, is the inevitability of letting one another down. We will hurt each other and have conflict from time to time. This is a fact of our faith and life, which is not always appreciated. We either look too fondly on others, and not upon Christ as the paramount certainty, or we look too poorly on others and expect nothing much from them, which is a way of boxing them in, and somehow, limiting what Christ might be able to do in them (eventually!).

Often, I hear young Christians in the process of planting a new Church, for instance, speaking passionately about having “real” community. Surely this is a laudable goal. However, I am not sure that what they are really talking about is altogether too idealistic or is a real conception of community.

Community can exist at several levels, not always deep ones, and yet be truly meaningful to people at an unexpected (and overlooked) variety of levels. There is a limited amount of depth than one can experience in all relationships, and very few are particularly intimate, though all can be enriching (sometimes not!). Which makes me wonder whether, particularly in such a fragmented society, that there is really something else going on with this desire for authentic community.

I would not be surprised if the root of this hunger for community might not be found in the fact that people may be yearning to make up the deficit that they have from their own broken families. We then project this longing onto the Church, and pretty soon, we become rather enmeshing in relationships in a way that may actually work against our goal in the first place. After all, which of us really knows what a real community is from actual experience? We are wise to protect, affirm and contribute to the sense and form of community that surrounds us - it being a major source of life and grounding for our lives that scripture mentions in many places. Furthermore, this worthy desire for true community is something that cults take advantage of. They commonly try to ape and ensnare their victims with some kind of surrogate family. I like the notion that God builds with bananas – with people like us – even with our bruises, bends, and bad habits!

Too often we measure the love we have for others by the depth of feeling we have or something, which is notoriously difficult to categorize, and such an attempt can spoil the beauty of this connections with others. We need a realistic notion of community to aim for that is nevertheless, not just wishful thinking, but able to weather the storms together; and to keep respect for differences and levels of commitment which cannot be forced or coerced. We have to maintain a real regard for the fact that we are broken people, and will all be in process (on the way to maturity) for a while. I also think we need to define what we do not mean when use the word community.

Jesus has no illusions about what we are like, and yet, was able to accomplish His mission in a marvelous way, rubbing shoulders with, and serving all kinds of people. John 2:25; “(Jesus) Knew what was in man”. Yet, even He faced great disappointment in those He trusted the most. This is a salutary lesson for all of us. It should not cause us to shrink back with fear, but remind us to keep a level head, and put our hope in Christ above all other things and people, without ignoring or skulking about without truly engaging with people either – this is a particular challenge after having been bitten a few times!

We are told that our relationships are a sign of love to the world (Jn 13:35;), that love is the first fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22;), and the test of our faith (1 Jn 3:17;). However, I do think we can go overboard in our ideas of community. We need to be both, available to others and God, and yet, able to separate ourselves from being too close to others (e.g., sometimes emotions can get in the way), that is always congruent with our faith. Nevertheless, we will be deeply hurt at times, as I know from some painful experiences, if we trust too much of ourselves to others, other than to love and be loved (in deed and attitude, as appropriate) – which is the business of a lifetime in the faith.

This posture of availability, and yet, measured reserve can be hard to define, but ultimately, God will be the judge. We might call it balance or having boundaries; but whatever terms we use, it is important to aim for a healthy combination of these things in our lives. I think disciplines such as solitude, journaling, and reflection, combined with the counsel of a wise shepherd will help us to attain or approach this much better.

Jesus said a very challenging thing – “that we are to love our enemies”. We do not even have to be friends with people to love and serve them. I sometimes have a hard time loving the people I am close too! Let’s not chase some communal paradise that can never appear on this earth, but let’s aim to build up one-another; giving space and mercy to each another. “He that believes in Him will not be disappointed.” Rom 9:33. If you believe in man, you will not be so fortunate.

Water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink!

Almost everywhere I go, it seems that Christians are lacking in the basic knowledge of their standing in Christ by Grace, their identity in Him, and the significance of the New Covenant which has given us a new heart as promised by the great Old Testament prophets. Ezk 11:19; 36:26; Jer 31:31-34; 32:39;

Not understanding these matters, which are the heart and soul of Paul's exposition of Life in Christ, is a deeply troubling and debilitating state of affairs for individual Christians.

Over and over, Paul writes to the early churches in his letters, if I may summarize: “this is who we are and what we have in Christ Jesus, therefore, this is how we live it out”. Well-meaning people often teach us exactly the reverse - to live out the life of Christ from our own resources, which is a massive folly. Christ is not our model in some way we can actually follow without help; rather, as Paul writes, He is our very life. Col 3:4;

If you do not know who you are in Him, then you have to get your identity and therefore, your whole mode of living from somewhere else. Inevitably, it will be, from the world, the flesh or the devil. And why not? We are used to this old way. A way which seems right, but leads to death and dead works.

Now, since we are in Christ whether we realize this or not, God is going to bring pressure to bear to break us of our dependence on things that misshapen our lives. In short - He will break us. This is definitely not fun or abundance, but the fruit of this work is going to work an exceeding amount of goodness and blessing. I remember hitting this particular wall about six years ago, and today, I have scars to help me not forget.

The bible speaks about the refining fire in several places, but in our cushy, air-conditioned, drive-through churches, we are not used to hearing this side of things; as if it were some innovation, or a hang-over from medievalism, rather than a simple fact of the spiritual journey.

There is much that is done in the name of Christ with good intentions, and even outcomes, to be sure, but I assert that this is something of a trickle, compared to what might be if we were more in partnership with God, rather than striving to make things happen in our own strength. Imagine how foolish it would be to plant some nice seeds in your window box and never giving them any water, or driving a car without any oil. Withering, grinding, and great waste will always ensue!

All too often, I hear Christians begging God to do things that He has already granted us in Christ. It is not uncommon to hear people grovel before “the throne of grace”, yet Hebrews tells us that we can boldly come before Him. Heb 4:6; This status in Christ is not of our doing, and it does not diminish either, our call to holiness and wholeness in His power; nor does it mean that God is somehow relieving of us of all responsibility for our lives. Nevertheless, there are a few prize chestnuts that tie us up in knots that you will find commonly, probably seeded into our churches by the enemy and perpetuated by our performance, law-loving, and conversely, licentious flesh. I leave these lies unidentified, for you to take time out to investigate and root them out in full dependence on the Holy Spirit.

The way of God is not the way of man. The path of spiritual growth cannot be accomplished by human efforts. Spiritual disciplines, prayer, meditation and study of scripture and so forth, are rightly done as means to avail ourselves of grace – they do not produce it. There are no “1-2-3-4-5” principles that we can routinely follow or discover which will make one iota of difference - except perhaps, to strengthen the power of our flesh (and not our spirits); and religious flesh is probably the most insidious avenue that is really a “cul-de-sac”(!); just look at the Pharisees, ultimately leading us down the road to spiritual bankruptcy and hypocrisy.

I don’t mean to suggest that I have this all sown up, or that there is some magic formula to all of this, but that as the truths’ of Scripture about who we are and what we have in Christ gradually penetrates us, we will find life in Christ flowing from God Himself in our lives, as we yield to Him. This may take time, come in differing stages from person to person, but it is something God is ready and willing to grant us - for we have it already!

Resources that might be of use to you: http://www.gmint.org/go/resources/

Down with the Brussels Eurogarchy!

The Universal Church is today, it seems to me, more definitely set against the World than at any time since Pagan Rome. I do not mean that our times are particularly corrupt; all times are corrupt. In spite of certain local appearances, Christianity is not and cannot be within measurable time, 'official'. The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide.

--- T. S. Eliot

The French have finally voted "non" to the European treaty. That's an amazing thing to me, although it was predicted. It's hard for an English man like myself not to give a wry smile!

I have long felt some disquiet about the growing intrusions and secularizing power of the European Union. For instance, over 25 years the EU has issued 23,000 directives and regulations into UK law - a figure greater than the total number of Acts passed by Parliament in the whole of its history! This growing libraries of constraints, such as banning bananas that are not bent enough, mandating the use of genetically modified corn (to the universal disapproval of almost everyone), or throwing people in jail for using lb's (Pounds, weight) alongside kilo's, should be a cause for concern to anyone who values the people's right to decide. These things are the tips of a swelling iceberg.

Citizens of sovereign nations should be able to chose their own standards of commerce and discourse, and apply common sense in their own nations, for goodness sake! To say nothing of protecting their own interests and defense, as history seems to beg us. United groups with no place for God have a way of failing in a most spectacular way. Every "tower of babel" is doomed. However, the many euro-committees are populated by an army of unelected officials who are not averse to a little tyranny, such as not letting democracy get in their way. Case in point: The European Commission is a permanent unelected body of 17 people appointed by national Governments for 5 years or more. Responsible for most EU law, which passes directly into UK law, the Commission is aided by a legion of more unelected officials. I think we all know the maddening and cynical results of every bureaucracy.

Some might point out that the rejection of the constitution by the French (and other countries, though not all) is indicative of their fears of job losses, as immigration controls are weakened, of the introduction of the Euro, again, without a vote, and of the admittance of ten new nations without consulting them (what can you expect un-elected politicians to do? It must be intoxicating for them with such a free hand). These objections are likely candidates or reasons for the results of the vote, but there are other outstanding questions and issues that are overlooked. Deeper and more profound matters are in play - as are their implications.

Reuters gives some reason's for the vote here:

Do you know, that despite the urging of the John Paul II, or JP the Great(!), the "wise" drafters of the stalling constitution decided to exclude any mention of the Christian heritage of Europe. Much can be made of the errors that have been committed by, so-called, Christians, but that does not invalidate the simple truth and manifest common wisdom encapsulated in the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments, and certainly, the fact that art, science, and morality, to say nothing of the freedom of the human soul, have not been given an incredible impetus as a direct result of faith of generations of scholars and leading lights.

More on the late Pope's plea for Christian content:

http://www.cathnews.com/news/302/100.php

For the most part, the EU and its majority of citizens have little, if any, real knowledge of true Christianity. They seem to believe that Christianity, and probably America, are the causes of many of the evils plaguing our world. Whereas, in fact, communist and fascist states have singularly butchered their way through history, with incomprehensible levels of murder and systematic oppression in tow, far surpassing anything that has gone before. Although we Christians must hang our heads in total shame at travesties such as the fool-hardy crusades, (not that these crusaders were all sermon-on-the-mount believing Christians either), we must also weep at the lost opportunities and failure to live out our faith, which leaves us impotent and rightly accused of hypocrisy in too many instances - but not all.

In the days of the Romans, it was put about that Christians were cannibals, so ignorant were they of the practice of celebrating the Lord's death in Communion with simple bread and wine. I fear that European and other Western nations are holding many (though, I hope not so off-base) misconceptions about Christianity; and why wouldn't they? The Church is being overtaken (largely in the mainline churches, which are shriveling, take note!) by doubting Bishops, and those who believe that it quite OK to make cultural accommodations with the content, not just the form, of our Faith and Practice.

One remembers the great irony of York Minister being hit by lightning (July 9^th, 1984) shortly after the liberal Bishop of Durham was consecrated there. We might want to ponder the meaning of this apparent demonstration of divine displeasure, even as the dogged march of secularism, liberalizing modernism, relativizing postmodernism, and the diluting power of consumerism tries to infect our own lives. It is all a blindly foolish war against God, and its a sop to our flesh. In a way, this is akin to a surrendering of our birthright for the proverbial, mess of pottage. It is suicidal to continue in this way, firstly for the weak and helpless, but secondly, to the whole of humankind in the end. The forces of good are not just different to the forces of darkness; they are polar opposites, and their end is just as dissimilar.

Regarding the liberalizing of Christianity, I protest that the articles of faith are not up for debate, nor can the solid traditions of 2000 years and biblical authority be cast away just because they are not popular. Sure, we may need to communicate these things accurately in a way the makes sense, but we must never allow the mob to generate our creed, or politics to hold sway over our dogmas. People need to be given the opportunity to at least hear and even reject, the actual and accurate truth, and not some poor facsimile thereof. Concerning our current penchant for fast, "instant results" everything: we fall prey to a great deceit when we act like teenagers and decry the wisdom of our elders, spurn any measure of caution, and rely on our own shortsighted counsels. Not everything old is bad, and not everything new is good - despite what the marketers and advertisers attempt to portray in their quest for the supremely fast buck.

A new battle will also ensue with the relentless rise of Islam. Of course, Muslims or any other persons are not the real enemy, but nations are in darkness, serving a master they don't realize has them in bondage, just as much as any secular European.

Nevertheless, I also believe that when we are weak, we are strong in the Lord. The power of the Gospel and the oft neglected, Holy Spirit, are primed to take a vital and shining witness into the growing secular morass. Who will the new champions of Grace be? Where will the army of Lord emerge; clothed in humility and passion for Christ, the spotless lamb? I think we will be surprised. They may not be like we expect or in forms we prefer, but arise they will. Can we say "no" to Europe and then "yes" to Christ? Or can we say, "yes" to Europe by given them Christ back?

-----------------------------------------------

More cornball about the EU:

http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/unelected_eu_commission_ap_19052004.html

A few disquieting facts about the EU:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1298349/posts

“England's Declaration of Independence” - Article by Dick Morris:

http://www.frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=13791