In his book, The Reformers and Their Stepchildren*, Leonard Verduin points out that the New Testament church was a complete break with all of preceding human history: “the world was being treated to a new and very revolutionary concept of society, namely, that men can get along peacefully in the market place even though they … Continue reading Christianity betrayed
One God, two kingdoms
In 1660 AD, Thieleman J van Bright, a deacon of the Mennonite church in Holland, published the result of his exhaustive historical research of the beliefs and the persecutions of faithful Christians from the time of Christ up to the date of publication. This book, the Martyrs Mirror, runs to more than 1100 pages and … Continue reading One God, two kingdoms
Anabaptists and their persecutors
The following statement was made in 1538 by an unnamed Anabaptist leader during a meeting between the Swiss Reformed and Anabaptists in Berne: "While yet in the national church we obtained much instruction from the writings of Luther, Zwingli, and others, concerning the mass and other papal ceremonies, that they are vain. Yet we recognized … Continue reading Anabaptists and their persecutors
What is wrong with me?
I have been having repeated bouts of extreme lassitude, characterized by headaches, aching legs and a lack of energy that is unusual even for a guy in his seventies. Several days ago, I woke up with a nosebleed, something that hardly ever happens to me. At that point a light came on. Five weeks earleir … Continue reading What is wrong with me?
A gentle admonition
[Benjamin Eby was bishop of the Mennonite churches of Waterloo County. The other Mennonite churches in Ontario, in the Markham and Niagara areas, had their own bishops. Nevertheless, Benjamin Eby was highly regarded and he was often called upon by the others for counsel. This letter gives a hint of the reason for this respect. … Continue reading A gentle admonition
Start somewhere progress report
Well, I haven’t got as far with the weight loss project as I had hoped. After 30 days I was down six pounds. But hey, that’s still six pounds that I don’t have to carry around anymore. I am doing OK with the eating less part, not so well with the part of moving more. … Continue reading Start somewhere progress report
No place to hide
A young man from Africa once made the following comment in a letter: "God can see a little black ant on a black rock, at the back of a cave, in the middle of the night, when the sky is overcast."
The foolishness of preaching
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is … Continue reading The foolishness of preaching
The living word
N.F.S. Grundtvig was a Danish Lutheran minister who proposed a new form of adult education. His teachings eventually led to the Danish folk high schools, outside of the mainstream Danish education system. These schools are open to all over the age of eighteen, noncompetitive and confer no diplomas. There are no exams or marks given. … Continue reading The living word
Food for thought
It is a high German notion that life is explainable before it is experienced, and that it must submit itself to change according to the dictum of the learned. Wherever this fanciful idea is incorporated into the educational structure, all such schools become workshops for dissolution and death where the worms live high at the … Continue reading Food for thought
