February 2010 Archives

                For this week's assignment, I chose to read The Gospel for the Early Christmas Service and Trade and Usury. Both of these readings are written by Martin Luther. The first, The Gospel for the Early Christmas Service was written by Luther during his time in hiding in the Wartburg Castle. It was written to address what a Christian's actions and disposition should be towards their job or vocation, when they become Christian as opposed to being a pagan. The second reading, Trade and Usury, was written in 1524 to address the ethical issues that arise in the business world and how a Christian should respond to these issues and pursue a calling in the business world. According to Luther, the particular work which God is calling you, one of the questions from this time period, is whatever work is before you and whatever work you have been doing. Becoming a Christian does not affect the external position of a person; it changes the internal disposition of a person. These readings do not directly answer the second question of this time period but do say that serving God is done through doing fair trade and through doing the external work which God has given a person with an inner disposition that will allow them to do the things which others disdain.

            Luther writes that a true "Christian life, in regard to the external aspects:" shows very little on the outside but on the inside is full of happiness, joy, and bliss. In regard to business, Luther writes that people who do trade should price their goods at a fair price. This price should reflect the work, time, and risk in procuring the goods they sell. Both of these ideas were quite foreign to the way that the world worked at the time of Luther. Most business people used their position to try and make as much money as possible. They sold their goods at exuberant prices. Many times these prices were just within the reach of poor customers, whom bought them and then had no money left over for other necessities.

            From the way that I understand Luther's writings, Christianity should improve how a person works. It does not elevate the person above those around him or her, but, provided the person is a true Christian, will cause the person to be willing to do any work. A Christian should go about their work with a cheery disposition, on the inside. From any others person's point of view, a true Christian should look like a fool for doing the work that they do. Luther's writings also lead me to believe that a person's faith should influence their work. For example, Luther's take on people who do trade. A man should price his goods fairly, considering his time, risk, and work that was put into the goods, acquiring the goods, or moving the goods. At the same time the man should also consider the needs of his neighbors and their means. This would be how Luther view's Christianity in the public square and how Luther would view that Christianity should influence me in my project site.

This week's assigned reading was by Thomas Aquinas. I chose to write my blog about the first question. The whole reading is titled Summa Theologiae. This book is written between 1250 and 1274. The book is written to construct a combination of Aristotle's philosophy and between biblical revelation. In answer to the question of the section, Aquinas believes it is better to be one who prays, part of the monastic society. He also says that the religious life should be ordered as a Benedictine.

The question that I have selected is "Q. 182, a.1: Whether the active life is more  excellent than the contemplative?" Thomas Aquinas answers this question in the section titled "I answer that,". Aquinas says that there are eight reasons given by Aristotle and a ninth given by Jesus. The eight reasons have to do with sitting at the Lord's feet and resting in his presence. The ninth reason that Jesus adds is that Mary has chosen better, speaking of the time when Jesus went to the house of Mary and Martha.

I disagree with Aquinas that the contemplative life is better than the active life. Are not we as Christians called to go to all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? How is it possible for Christians to go to all nations and baptize if we are supposed to be contemplative, sitting in a monastery? From my understanding it is better to go and do as the disciples and spread the Good News instead of sit on my butt and read the bible and the theological works of the Church Fathers.

For this week's blog I decided to use The Mission of Joan of Arc. It is written by an unknown author. The reading is about two things, first comes the trial of Joan at Poitiers. The next part is the story of Joan's decision to go to Chinon to meet with the Dauphin, the heir to the kingdom of France. These two things happen between 1429 and 1431. The interesting thing is that the author decided to present these two things out of chronological order. Joan goes to Chinon to present herself to the Dauphin and to take control of the army of France and drive the English out of Orleans and the rest of France. Joan is eventually captured by the English, tried as a witch, and then burned at the stake. In relation to the question of the section, what kind of Christian should I be? Joan chose to be one who fights, a noble, but is by social status a peasant, one who works.

                The trial testimony presents Joan as a fraud and a deceitful person. The English are skeptical of Joan. They do not trust her or believe her when she says that the voices she hears are angels. In contrast the French seem to more willing to believe Joan. They use the test that she suggest they use because she suggests them from a biblical reasoning. The French are also willing to accept her because the Dauphin has asked for a sign from God as to whether or not he should believe her. Joan tells him that he will have his sign at Orleans.

                I think that others view me with respect. I am not paid but I show up when I say I will and I do each and every job that is asked of me without complaining. In relation to Joan, I am not as zealous or as confident in what I am doing. Many times I question whether or not I am making a difference. Then, I remind myself that either what I am doing could benefit a poor or marginalized person or it could free up a person that would be doing the job that I am to help a poor or marginalized person. I think that I would pass the king's test but I think that I would still be viewed with suspicion. Many people will think that I am working just for my grade. In some sense I am, but I still think that what I am doing is the right thing. I am being compensated for my time not with money but with a grade. I would compare myself to a social worker. They help people every day by what they do, so they are doing the right thing. But they are also being paid. Does this mean that they should be viewed with suspicion because they are being paid to do a job or are they doing it because they truly want to make a difference?

For this post, I am going to use The Flowing Light of the Godhead by Mechthild of Magdeburg. This book. or books since it is a couple of entries from another book, is about the visions of Mechthild of Magdeburg and her reflections on them. The author also believed that the religious life should be ordered like that of the mendicant orders. I found that while I did not relate to many of the entries. It was relatively simple to view them from her perspective and time frame and thereby understand what she was saying.

The quotation that I have chosen from this book is,

"Whoever wants to follow God in faithful toil should not stand quietly. He should often rouse himself. He should consider what he was in sin, how he is now in virtue, and what can yet become of him if he falls. He should lament and praise and pray day and night. When the faithful bride awakens, she thinks of her lover. If she cannot possess him, then she begins to weep. Alas, how often this happens spiritually to God's brides!"

I read this paragraph three or four times before I can even remotely close to understanding any part of what the author is saying. After the third or fourth time, I started to get a small understanding of what the author is saying and how it pertains to my project. The first sentence, I find seems to be aimed directly at me. God wishes that we Christians faithfully toil beside him in the field that is this world. We should work towards sharing the good news with others that they too may become part of the bride that is the church. In my project I did not get started on time, and while there were extenuating circumstances, I feel that I did not fulfill my calling as a Christian in this part. The second sentence is what each Christian should do daily in bringing himself to repentance. It is something that we as Christians now must teach to the next generation and the new Chrstians that join us. The third sentence is the most simple but is the one that I have the most trouble with. I do not lament, praise, or pray nearly as much as I should now, but when I read that I should be doing those things day and night I find it difficult to think that I can do that or even meet half of those expectations. With the last couple of sentences, I think more of God as the bride, but from the author's stand point we, as Christians, should think only of God daily. When I look at my project from the scope of this section of The Flowing Light of the Godhead, I see that I am falling far short of the expectations of me as a Christian. I do not feel that people see me and say, "Hey, he's definitely a Christian." This is what I really want through my project. I want to be the best possible witness that I can through this project.