The First Rednecks

On this day in 1638 the National Covenant was signed in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was one of many covenants adopted by the Scots regarding the liturgy and polity of the Church of Scotland. Liturgy refers to the manner in which a worship service is conducted. Polity refers to the how the business of the church is conducted and by whom. The King of England, Charles I, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud, wanted the Church of Scotland to conform to the Church of England. Scotland was under the authority of King Charles, and he was in charge of the church. The King preferred the Episcopal structure with a hierarchy of bishops. It made sense for the church to be uniform across the kingdoms. The Scots disagreed. They favored a system that would become the Presbyterian Church (To my church history friends: I know this is an oversimplification).

Many of the Scots preferred the liturgy and polity of the Calvinist Reformers. They signed the covenants to show their dedication to their vision of the Church of Scotland. It was a serious matter tying religion and politics together that didn't always work well. Some of the Covenanters, as those who signed the National Covenant were known, also rejected the authority of Charles I. They tied the covenant to Scottish Nationalism. However, there were many Scots who wanted to remain loyal to Catholicism. Violent conflicts would eventually break out between Scottish Separatists and Loyalists as well as Protestants and Catholics. The entire event demonstrates the danger of state churches.

Eventually, the Covenanters did establish the Presbyterian Church as the dominant church of Scotland.  Predominantly drawn from the poor and lower classes, the Covenanters were criticized as unruly and uneducated by the Loyalist upper classes. The Covenanters were dedicated to their cause and put their lives on the line for their faith. Many of the Covenanters signed the National Covenant and the covenants that followed it in their own blood. To show their convictions, they wore red cloths tied around their neck. The Loyalists started calling the Covenanters "Rednecks." Though intended as an insult, the Covenanters adopted the name with pride. For many years in Scotland, Redneck became synonymous with Presbyterian. The first Rednecks were Scots who boldly proclaimed their faith as Reformed Protestants.

The White Rose

On this day in 1943, Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, and Christoph Probst were executed by the Nazi government. The three were members of a resistance group known as The White Rose.

Hans Scholl had been a member of the Hitler Youth, but after growing disillusioned he quit and began to explore avenues banned by the Nazi Regime. Drafted in 1939, he served in the medical corp of the Wehrmacht. He also attended medical school at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Hans initially supported the war effort as a typical patriotic German. However, he quickly became disillusioned with the war as he saw atrocities committed in France, Poland, and the Soviet Union. Along with some friends, Hans formed a group opposed to the Nazi government. They secretly distributed leaflets appealing to the intelligentsia of Germany to reject Hitler and Fascism. The leaflets quoted from the Bible, philosophers like Aristotle, and writers like Goethe. The most destructive activity the White Rose engaged in was graffiti. 

On February 18, Hans and his sister Sophie distributed White Rose pamphlets at the University of Munich. Though usually cautious, this time they were seen by a janitor who was also a member of the Nazi party. He immediately called the Gestapo, and the two were arrested. After they had been searched, evidence was found implicating another member of the group named Christoph Probst. 

On February 21, Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, and Christoph Probst were brought to trial before Judge Roland Freisler of the People's Court. Freisler was brought in from Berlin to ensure a guilty verdict. Though Probst asked for mercy on account of his sick wife, he was shown none. All three were condemned as traitors. There was supposed to be ninety days from the time of the judgment till the sentence was carried out, but the Nazis expedited the process. They were executed on the February 22 in Munich. On his way to the guillotine, Hans Scholl shouted, "Long live freedom!"

Both Hans and Sophie Scholl were raised in a devout Lutheran home. Though neither was overzealous in their faith in their youth, they were guided to resistance by their Christian faith. They bravely stood for righteousness when so many were willing to turn a blind eye to the crimes of the government. 

Too few people know about the White Rose Movement outside of Germany. In Germany, the martyrs of the White Rose are regarded as heroes. There are many books and movies about their brief lives. I highly recommend the film Sophie Scholl - Die letzten Tage made in 2005. It is in German with English subtitles and was available on Netflix. 

An Exile for Christ

On this day in 362 AD, Athanasius returned to Alexandria as his third exile came to an end. He had been in exile for six years in Upper Egypt evading arrest. He was about 65 years old when he returned from exile, but this would not be his last exile. He would be exiled two more times for various lengths of time and would die in 373.

Athanasius of Alexandria was the assistant to the Bishop Alexander of Alexandria at the Council of Nicaea. Athanasius would succeed Alexander as the Bishop of Alexandria. He would also take up his mentor's battle for orthodoxy in the church. Athanasius was well educated and well liked by the people. He was a Greek scholar, a textual critic, and expert theologian. If he had minded his own business, he probably would have been left alone in his city. However, Athanasius was dedicated to God and orthodoxy. He was a prolific author and he ably defended the doctrine of the Trinity. 

Athanasius of Alexander was a man that remained committed to God even when the world was against him. Several Roman Emperor's favored the heresy Arianism, but Athanasius wholeheartedly stood his ground against the false teaching. He never wavered in his commitment, even though it led to life-threatening conflict and exile. Athanasius could have experienced fame and comfort, but chose his commitment to God over the pleasures of the world. 

When the pressure comes to compromise our convictions, let us look to Athanasius. He stood his ground in faith and led the church toward orthodoxy. 

What's in a Name?: Deus vult!

The name of this blog is the combination of two mottos or battle cries. At the moment, I will focus on the first slogan: Deus vult! Deus vult is Latin for "God wills it" and was the battle cry of the Crusades. The Crusades were a series of events in history that are both fascinating and controversial. Often they are reduced to a caricature and their true nature is overlooked. In Western history, the crusades were often regarded as a heroic, though doomed effort. In the Mid East, the Crusades are portrayed as an evil endeavor that was ultimately overcome by God's heroic warriors. In recent years, the term Crusade has fallen into disrepute as it symbolizes European colonization and oppression. All of these approaches are problematic as they discard actual history and the lessons we can learn from it.

It is important to understand that, like all historical events, many factors led to the Crusades. The destruction of Christian Holy Sites, as well as the harassment of Christian pilgrims, contributed to a growing outrage amount European Christians. The catalyst that launched the Crusades was a  request for help from the Byzantine Emperor. The Byzantine Empire was the old Eastern Roman Empire, but it was under increasing assault from the Ottoman Empire. Though there was a great deal of tension between the Byzantine Empire and Western Europe, the Byzantine Empire was still within the realm of Christendom. The Byzantines wanted the West to open a new front against the Ottoman's in order to relieve some of the pressure against them. This endeavor also appealed to a dream of restoring the Holy Land to Christian control. In 1095, Pope Urban II issued a declaration for an endeavor to take back the Holy Land.

Unfortunately, the efforts of the Crusaders largely ended in failure. Though Crusaders did conquer the Holy Land and establish temporary kingdoms, they were eventually overwhelmed by Islamic forces. Perhaps the worst part of the entire effort befell the Byzantine Empire. The capital of Byzantium, Constantinople, was sacked by the Crusaders. Then it was conquered by the Ottomans. The Byzantine plan to save their empire led to their demise.

That is a condensed history, and there are specific elements I will address in the future. At the moment, though, my focus is on the motto of the Crusades: "God wills it." They truly believed that they were doing the work of God and that God would give them the victory. But the results would indicate that God did not will it. Ultimately the Crusades sought to solve a problem that could not be solved with a sword. Evangelists were needed, not knights. The church sought to solve a Spiritual challenge with worldly methods, and the results were disastrous. We must make sure that our methods are as righteous as our objectives. The ends do not justify the means if the means are abhorrent to God. We must be very careful in claiming God's sanction on our goals and activities. The battle cry of "Deus vult" should remind us that we cannot claim God's authority for something that we want, while ignoring the actual commands of God.

Marked for Christ

Last night as I was watching the news I saw many people with ash upon their foreheads. On Ash Wednesday Catholics and others involved in liturgical tradition are marked with ash. It is a declaration of their faith and participation in the Lenten season. Traditionally Baptists and other members of the Radical Reformation do not participate in these traditions and cite Matthew 6:16-18 as their reason to refuse wearing ash. As a Baptist, I think we have the right interpretation, but too often we make no external sign of fasting because we are not fasting at all.

One of the positive aspects of the mark of ash is identifying with the body of Christ. That mark proclaims that you belong to Jesus. Many people take that mark as merely ritual, and it does not have daily significance for them. Rather than being marked once a year for Christ, we should wear our mark daily. Paul spoke of his marks in Galatians 6:17: From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus (ESV). Paul was not speaking of ashes on his forehead but of the physical scars he had received because of serving Christ. Paul lived daily to demonstrate Christ in his life, and that resulted in real wounds. Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ still receive physical marks if they demonstrate they are true Christ followers.

Many of us, though, are fortunate that we will never face physical persecution for our beliefs. But we still need to wear the mark of Christ daily. We need to live a life that demonstrates in word and deed our submission to Jesus. We need to live obediently to the commands of Christ and let our light shine in a dark world. People should know that we are Christians, not by the t-shirts and jewelry that we wear, but by the love that we show for one another (John 13:35).

Headed to the Cross

Today is Lent, also known as Ash Wednesday. For many, it is the day to recover from Mardi Gras. However, it seems that many people are excited about Mardi Gras, but they want to skip Lent. On a local news broadcast, they were announcing the events of the week. They made a big deal about Fat Tuesday but didn't even mention Lent.

On the Liturgical calendar, Lent is the major event of the year and is of far greater significance than Mardi Gras. Many churches discard the Liturgical Calendar regarding it as a Catholic thing. There are, however, many Protestants that use the Liturgical Calendar, and the Calendar can be a useful tool for the development of Spiritual disciplines.

Lent is an opportunity to think intentionally about Easter. The cross was not an accident but was the plan of God for the redemption of mankind. The first sign in the Gospel of John is the miracle at the wedding in Cana. Mary, the mother of Jesus, asks Jesus to help with the wedding. In John 2:4, Jesus responds, "My hour has not yet come." Throughout John, the term "hour" pops up in different places. Hour is a reference to the cross, and the Gospel of John is on a trajectory to the cross. Jesus was aware of the hour, and that guided his revelation to the world.

Christians are supposed to celebrate the Resurrection every Sunday, but there is a special emphasis on celebrating the Resurrection at Easter. As we approach Easter, we need to reflect on our need for the cross and the impact that it has on our life. Even though many of us do not follow the Liturgical Calendar, we should use this as a time to prepare our minds and hearts for Easter. In doing so, we will also increase our spiritual disciplines and our walk as disciples.