The Message of the Martyrs

I’ve been trying to think of something substantive to write about. No one really cares to read about my day-to-day life, its just not very exciting. One of the things that inevitably comes up when reading about the early church is martyrdom. Until recently I was under the impression, like I think most people are, that martyrdom was really common in the early church. I guess that’s not the case. Martyrdom was a real threat and it was certainly dangerous to be a Christian. But I guess the biggest problem was the constant threat of martyrdom, you never knew when the hammer was gonna fall, but it was always looming overhead.

Persecutions were always possible and when they happened they were intense. They were usually quick and devastating, though rarely prolonged.The great persecution, started by Diocletian lasted from 303 to 313.

The accounts we have of these persecutions are pretty intense. It’s hard to know how reliable some of the accounts are. Stuff likeThe Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity have some pretty fanciful sections filled with visions, prophecies and lady more concerned with their modesty than the Tiger about to chomp them. According to the legend Perpetua was so special that she had to help the young gladiator raise his sword to her throat to kill her. I’d like to believe these tales are true. It would be awesome to really believe that Saturus felt now pain while being tortured and then pointed out the leopard that would kill him in one bite. I hope it’s true.

The stories of the martyrs, however true they are, do help me appreciate the severity of persecution and the incredible faith that the early church displayed, and that I think is the real point of documents like Perpetua and Felicity. To encourage and embolden the believers and to inspire the unbelievers. I have no doubt that many young women like Perpetua faced unspeakable horrors and with far more faith, hope and love than I could. I hope that should the time come I will remember their testimony and step up.

Online Classes and random Neil

So I’m not very good at following directions… I usually will skim things and get an idea of what I’ve got to do then go and do it. I just don’t really care about the details. Well that kind of back fired this week. We have to do a paper for each module in my online class and the directions on the syllabus said to write a response to one of the primary sources we read that week. So I flip back through the primary sources I read and decide on one. The paper has to be 3-5 pages and blah blah blah, I check out a sample paper he posted and then start writing and I bust out three pages pretty quickly. Today I go to upload said paper and…next to the upload link on the site, at a place where no one would look until they were ready to upload their paper it says to write the response paper about one of he following TWO primary sources. Oi.. So now I have a useless paper and have to write another one. Cool.

Neil Young is amazing and this is one of my favorite songs. I’m working on a “Best Songs Ever” list and this is close to the top.

Random Lifeness

Well Online classes are in full wing, I’m taking two, Church History 1 and Philosophy of Religion. I’m used to working at least 20 hours a week and taking 9 credits. This summer I’m taking six credits and haven’t started work yet (long story) so I’ve got a bit of free time on my hands. I’ve been watching (too much)Veronica Mars on Netflix and even started trying out some new recipes to keep myself entertained.

My usual excuse for not blogging (lack of time) by my own admission no longer holds water. So we’ll see what new excuses I can come up with.

Today I’m going to talk a bit about what I’ve learned while reading about church history this past week. I’m not going to talk about the boring parts, but about some of the more meaningful things I picked up.

The most prominent thing that I learned this, learned isn’t quite the right word, more like the thing that finally sank in, was the plight of women throughout history. I think what really made this sink in was reading Tertullian’s On the Apparel of Women. That’s right Tertullian dedicated an entire work to how women should dress. Aside from the obvious issues you’d expect to have with this, regardless of your gender (I hope), there are some really unsettling things in this document.

Example 1:

“You, however, have no cause of appearing in public, except such as is serious. Either some brother who is sick is visited, or else the sacrifice is offered, or else the word of God is dispensed. Whichever of these you like to name is a business of sobriety and sanctity, requiring no extraordinary attire, with (studious) arrangement and (wanton) negligence. And if the requirements of Gentile friendships and of kindly offices call you, why not go forth clad in your own armour; (and) all the more, in that (you have to go) to such as are strangers to the faith? So that between the handmaids of God and of the devil there may be a difference; so that you may be an example to them, and they may be edified in you; so that (as the apostle says) God may be magnified in your body.

I won’t lie, I’ve told my fair share of woman jokes, especially in relation to their geographic proximity to the kitchen, but it was all in good fun. What Tertullian seems to be saying is that women should stay in the kitchen house, essentially “why are you dressing up? Unless someones dying you should be in the house. This kind of got me down and really thinking about just how bad things have been for women throughout history. It’s not that I didn’t know that women were treated poorly throughout history. To be I honest I didn’t really care. I thought there were more important issues to be bothered by. Women are treated far better today than they were then and they weren’t treated as poorly as some minority groups were. Basically I thought they should just get over it. I don’t know what really changed my mind, or how changed it is but I think that I better understand now.

So yeah, here are a few more gems from the theologian who brought you the Trinity

Example 2:

do you not know that you are (each) an Eve? The sentence of God on this sex of yours lives in this age: the guilt must of necessity live too. You are the devil’s gateway: you are the unsealer of that (forbidden) tree: you are the first deserter of the divine law: you are she who persuaded him whom the devil was not valiant enough to attack. You destroyed so easily God’s image, man. On account of your desert— that is, death— even the Son of God had to die.

I’m sure Tertullian was a nice guy.. To put it mildly this is a tad harsh don’t you think? I’d be curious to hear is reasoning behind this. I can’t really pick it apart cause I honestly don’t know how he builds his case for this. He’s too practiced a theologian to not have a reason for he claims he’s making (though undoubtedly not a good reason) and I’m curious what that reason is.

So women I don’t think that you are the devil’s gateway or that you are the reason Jesus had to die and I’m sorry your sex has been treated like crap throughout history and I’m sorry that you sometimes still get treated like crap by the opposite sex.

‘sup?

This is the song that the title of this blog comes from. I think this band was a bit ahead of their time. A rap/house techno band. Their lyrics are (obviously) very overtly religious and good. It’s hard to find quality Christian music.

Living on no sleep, shell shocked, this love has got me grid-locked

Look into my eyes, I’m running straight bloodshot

Devoted patriot, I’ve been up all night long

Some may find it somewhat wrong but now what else you got

Should I lay my head to rest waiting for another day?

Should I stop to smell the roses like the wise men say?

This drive inside of me is killing me and I deserve it

I feel myself fading and I’m still convinced it’s worth it

I’m running it bloodshot fanatical

Can’t take time for sabbatical

Won’t make this mathematical

I’m running straight bloodshot

(Every day and every night, I’m running bloodshot fanatical

All I know is running like bloodshot fanatical)

Yes, you best believe it’s mandatory for the test

I’m making all my time invest

And won’t be settling for less

You won’t catching me off guard; I’m playing that die-hard

Even if it’s making no sense

Time stand still I know that next hour’s creeping

I’m at it always never stopping, never sleeping

Finally, yes, I’ve found something I can give my life to

Don’t think I could ever stop even if I’d like to

No sleep, shell shocked

All space grid locked

But I’ll give what I’ve got

I’m running straight bloodshot

Exponential Education, Denominational Prejudice and Christian History

It’s interesting to me that the more you learn the more you become aware of, and you start learning even more. It seems learning is, to some extent exponential. Example the more I learn about and sympathize with Catholicism the more I notice the prejudices many protestants have against them. A simple but revealing example is one of the people Justin and I work with in our internship always lists catholics as a different religion. He’ll say for example “first the Hindus came in, then the muslims, then the catholics and then the christians came in.”

This subtle prejudice really bothers me, this man has essentially condemned all catholics to hell. fail. What bothers me even more, is that if we extrapolate this idea a little further we realize that he must think that there were no christians for 1500 years. The protestant tradition is quite young. about 500 years old. The best estimates I’ve heard say jesus was crucified in (33AD give or take) and the reformation happened ~1507 (it was a process not an event) so if there weren’t any christians until the reformation, why the Hell did Jesus die 1500 years earlier? you think he would have waited a bit. Or maybe popped in a time or two to yell at people to start doing things right.

But what do I know?

In short, if you’re  a Christian, educate thyself, foo. Learn Christian history and basic Christin doctrine. For realsies. Know what and why you believe what you believe . Christian history often gets overlooked, in the protestant realm at least. I can;t help but wonder if we don’t do the for the same reason that Germany and japan just brush past WWII. I think that that needs to change. I for one value intellectual I honesty, I don’t want to hide the truth or hide from the trth for convience sake.

out of sorts

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.

Per aspera ad astra

This summer I really wanted to get away. I wanted to be somewhere else, not Michigan. With new people. Spring Arbor sounded boring, it sounded the same. I wanted new people, new places. I came to school and met new people, went new places and satisfied that desire. Now I look ahead and in not too many months I will be in a completely new place, with completely new people. All of my friends and family, everyone will be hours away.

The idea of that is scary and intriguing. Challenging. I’m not sure I want it anymore, but I’ve got it. It will be a test of my social skills and of my character. I plan to pass. After talking to my friends, from home and school, it sounds like most of them aren’t going too far. A lot of people from school are staying within and hour from campus. With friends from home its a little more varied, but none are leaving the state.

Even when I came to Spring Arbor I knew people and was only (a little over) two hours from home. And I had friends handed to me, people on my floor, in my room, etc. I suppose its possible that it will be easy again, but my friend making skills are out of practice. The friends I’ve made in the past few years, have (by and large) been friends of friends. And while I am (mostly) an extrovert, I am pretty reserved around new people. I think it comes from being very much a skeptic and a pessimist.

We’ll see how it goes.

Per aspera ad astra

Some new ideas

I think that instead of just writing about serious type things, I think I’m going to try and write about a wider variety of topics. I have some ideas floating around.

Example, I recently discovered a great modern classical composer from Italy. His name is Ludovico Einaudi. He’s sweet, I suggest checking out the song “Leo”. It’s amazing. I may do a review of his album Una Mattina. I may be doing more write ups on musicians.

I plan on purchasing a new pair of headphones at the end of the month when I get page, perhaps I’ll write about those and let my gadget nerd shine through. I’m attempting to play with the categories feature so that you can easily filter what you’re interested in and what you aren’t.

I still expect to write about religion and my thoughts in the area, I just haven’t felt inspired in that area lately. Hopefully this will keeping me writing about some things at least.

Anything you want me to touch on?

I wonder…

I wonder what percentage of blog posts are “sorry I haven’t posted lately…. I’ll do better…”  This is (kind of) one of those. Only no guarantees that I will post more. I’m busy.  This semester has been crazy busy. But good, really good.

I’m glad that I have actually met some new people this year. That didn’t happen last year, I just spent time with the same people I always did. Also, I live in a house, a real house, which is awesome.

I’m glad that I am back in my comfortable collegiate environment filled with wonderful academic stimulation. But I do miss the quiet and calm of home. The plentiful amounts of time to be wasted. But I never used it as wisely as I should have. I had time to read, to pray etc and I wasted way too much of it.

So I am attempting to make up for it to some extent now

S’all for now, peeps are here.

A habit of prayer

So I decided it was time to make a new post. I started one last week and wrote myself into a corner. So that may pop up at some point if i can figure out how to write myself out in the meantime I will attempt to write something else. I think I’m going to write about prayer. I think its something that every Christian can do better at. I certainly could. So I’m trying to new things. When I was young and stupid I thought the idea of praying prayers that others had written was stupid. I no longer think that. A big part of my interest in Orthodox Christianity was there apartment dedication to prayer. I’m not sure if there use of ikons and incense is for me. I haven’t tried that yet, its on my to do list. But I have a pile of Orthodox propaganda (thanks to Mark McGuire for supplying it). One of the little booky things is called “Building A Habit of Prayer”. I think that is something that every Christian can/should do. So yesterday i began reading.

Among other things it advocates the use of a prayer rope something my friend Justin has begun using. Prayer ropes are cool, and something I hope to acquire someday. much like a rosary they help you to pray regularly by providing a reminder and a list of sorts. There are a series of knots or beads that you assign various creeds, psalms or prayers to. The idea is to make it through the whole rope every day. You can find some pretty snazzy Anglican beads here for a reasonable price. They are smiler to a rosary or a Orthodox prayer rope.

Some other things you can do to help build a habit of prayer is to write or find a quick prayer and pray it every time you think of it(in an effort to learn to “pray without ceasing”. You can wear a bracelet or rubber band/hair tie etc on your wrist or something to help remind yourself of your prayer. You could also use something like the refrain “Lord have mercy” a popular Orthodox refrain. Since it is so short you can should repeat it several times. In a few of the Orthodox prayers I’ve read its repeated 12 times in 3 series of 4. Its a good little phrase to think meditate on.

There is, I think, no substitution for personal prayer. I think that in heartfelt sincere personal prayer we are the closest to God. These techniques for hepling to build a habit of prayer will help you get into the habit at which point I think it is safe to move on to more personal prayers. But they are useful.

So I guess that’s all for now. Pray and pray often.