SWEDENBORG LIBRARY POSITION       Editor       1995


Vol. CXV           January, 1995               No. 1
New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
     PUBLISHED BY THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
Rev. Donald L. Rose, Editor
Mr. Neil M. Buss, Business Manager
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SUBSCRIPTION: $16.00 TO ANY ADDRESS. SINGLE COPY $1.50
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     The Swedenborg Library, Academy of the New Church, is seeking a Readers' Services/Systems Librarian to manage a full range of reference and electronic information services. This will include support of the library's future automation system and its underlying database, supervision of the library circulation desk, part-time cataloging (including original and non-book formats), and assisting the Library Director in bibliographic instruction and long-range planning for network access to information resources.
     Qualifications include an ALA accredited MLS degree or equivalent experience, a strong background in academic libraries, experience in library automation and a working knowledge of AACR2, MARC formats and OCLC. Applicant should have strong interpersonal skills, with excellent oral and written communication skills.
     Candidates may submit a letter of application, r?sum? , and three professional references to: Carroll Odhner, Library Director, Swedenborg Library, Academy of the New Church, Box 740, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Consideration for the position, which is available immediately, will continue until an appointment has been made. The search committee will consider applications for both part- and full-time positions. Notes on This Issue 1995

Notes on This Issue       Editor       1995

     The report of the Secretary of the General Church is for good reasons postponed to the January issue. 103 people have joined the church in the past year, bringing the total to 4,555.
     A year ago we reported a total of 1033 students enrolled in all our schools. You will find that this year there are nine more than that. But it is helpful to look at the particular sources of these figures. The local schools directory is always interesting. Notice that there are 108 full-time students in the College of the Academy of the New Church. Anyone who attended the Charter Day banquet in Bryn Athyn in October will vividly remember the vigor with which students and faculty spoke of the good things emerging in the college.
     Speaking of the college, your attention is invited in particular to the description of a new master's program (p. 558).
     While the editor takes two pages to tell you (p. 565) about a 40-page article in Studia Swedenborgiana, Naomi Gladish Smith (p. 556) takes only a little more than that to give you an impression of a 500-page book on Henry James, who "remained a sincere Swedenborgian, ending his long life sure of the other world, and sure that his beloved wife Mary awaited him there."
     In the Christmas sermon by Rev. Walter Orthwein we read: "The Lord's love is working through the lives of many more people than we ever realized." His kingdom is growing, and "there is reason to rejoice."
     Over the last twelve issues we have reported the particulars of more than 250 baptisms. Now they all appear in alphabetical order in our index.
     If you take a while to look at the index, you may be reminded of some good things a variety of writers have provided during the year. Some people say that the index sends them scurrying back to read intriguing things they had somehow missed.

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SNOW 1995

SNOW       Rev. ANDREW J. HEILMAN       1995

     He gives His snow like wool. He scatters the frost like ashes. He casts forth His ice like morsels. Who can stand before His cold? (Psalm 147: 16, 17).

     It is not the sun withdrawing itself and shortening the days which causes the cold of winter. Nor is it the Lord who brings cold into our life and heart. In winter the sun shines just as brightly upon the earth, but part of the earth is tilted away, and gradually the heat is lost and cold ensues. In the same way, the Lord is always present with His love and wisdom, but man in his more natural states turns his mind away. The cold he feels is not from the Lord but from worldly and selfish loves which close up his heart to the warmth of heaven. Nevertheless it appears to be the Lord who brings this cold upon us, for when we close ourselves up in the darkness of our own folly and desires we feel rather warm. Yet in the light of day, when we are exposed to the sky, the reality of the cold comes upon us. How can we receive the Lord's truth which can save us from evil loves and falsities, and yet at the same time be in those loves and falsities from which He needs to save us? How can we withstand the cold we feel when this truth comes upon us? Or as the psalmist writes, "Who can stand before His cold?"
     The answer lies in the words of this very psalm. "He gives His snow like wool. He scatters the frost like ashes. He casts forth His ice like morsels." Even though the Lord's truth feels cold when we indulge ourselves in the self-centered nature we inherit and the worldly desires we cherish; the Lord can reach us with His truth and even use it to protect us from the real source of cold. The Lord accommodates His truth in such a way that we neither reject it nor are condemned by it; it stays with us even though we really do not receive it.

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The snow, frost and ice of winter perfectly illustrate just how the Lord's truth can be so accommodated. For water is a real correspondence created in the image of the Lord's truth. In its liquid state it cleans us and sustains us, just as the truth of the Lord's Word does in our spiritual life. But even in states when love grows cold, the Lord can be with us with His truth, cleansing us, nourishing us, protecting us and actually keeping us warm.
     This state of truth without genuine love, or what is called "faith separated from charity," is described in the True Christian Religion as "the light of winter . . . . Wintry light, which is light separate from heat, because it is joined with cold, wholly strips the trees of their leaves, kills the grass, hardens the earth, and freezes the waters" (TCR 385). What was beautiful and living in the spring, summer and fall now dies, or grows torpid and dirty. So it is in our life when we fail to put into practice what we know to be right, when we follow our own enjoyment at the expense of real charity, or favor our own ideas while giving only lip service to what the Lord has to say.
     Yet with the hardening of the ground and the freezing of the water, the decay of winter is actually halted and in one sense reversed. In cold climates the freezing keeps the water and ground clean and fresh, free of many organisms which cause disease and death. As the ancients wrote in the book of Job, "If I wash myself with the water of snow and make myself never so clean . . . " (Job 9:30). The presence of the Lord's truth, although appearing cold and harsh when we are caught up with ourselves, puts a halt to our indulging our pleasures and pride, keeping us from being consumed by the lusts and persuasions of hell. Indeed, with the truth present and challenging us we can be led to examine ourselves and make a real change. In the meantime, like snow on the earth, we must keep ourselves in a state of external whiteness and purity.
     Here we have a choice. The Lord accommodates His truth to us in our worldly, unregenerate state. Will we accept it or will we contaminate it? Will it remain white and shining until the warmth of spring or will we blacken it with the soot from the fire of our own evil loves?

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We read in the Writings, "that where evil is, there is no faith may be illustrated by various comparisons, such as the following: Evil is like fire (infernal fire is nothing but love of evil), and it consumes faith like stubble, reducing it and all that pertains to it to ashes. Evil dwells in darkness and faith in light; and evil by means of falsities extinguishes faith, as darkness extinguishes light. Evil is black like ink, while faith is white like snow, and clear like water; and evil blackens faith, as ink does snow or water. Moreover, evil and the truth of faith can be joined together only as what is fetid may be mixed with what is fragrant, or urine with flavorful wine; nor can the two exist together except as a noisome corpse in the same bed with a living man" (TCR 383). Before we receive new heavenly loves from the Lord, we might attempt to warm ourselves, by means of our own selfishness and pride, from the cold we feel in the presence of the Lord. However, to really receive the genuine warmth of spring, we must turn our attention to removing the source of the spiritual cold we feel. The cold of winter keeps the decay process in check until we can rid ourselves of the corpse that haunts us. Let us remove the frozen and bury it while it is still frozen, so that we can truly receive the warmth of the Lord's heavenly love. As the Lord says in Isaiah, "Wash you, make you clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good . . . . Come, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isa. 1:16-18).
     As truth descends from above, what is spiritual is accommodated to our natural mind in the same way that water turns to snow as it falls toward the earth. In the Apocalypse Explained, spiritual truth is likened to rain, in that it is flowing and gives life to the earth, whereas truth in the natural is likened to snow, in that it is stored in the memory (see AE 644:13).

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We may know the truth, but in a merely natural state we lack the interest or energy to really understand it and find its application. Consider this description of one of the spheres of falsity and evil besetting the Christian world today. It is described as "a black cloud in winter, which brings on darkness, turns rain into snow, strips bare the trees, freezes the waters, and takes away all pasture from the sheep. This sphere . . . insinuates a kind of lethargy" or laziness in regard to spiritual things (TCR 619).
     This black winter cloud of falsity, which blocks out the warmth and light of the Lord, often comes upon us as our hearts grow cold with conceit or spite. The rain turns to snow as the warmth is withdrawn from the Lord's truth, because we could not receive the genuine warmth of the Lord's love openly in such a state.
     Yet as this happens, something amazing takes place. The darkness brought on by the black winter cloud gives way to the brightness of the snow as it begins to cover the ground, especially as the sun breaks through and gives light to the earth. Although the truth feels cold as it is accommodated to our natural affections and thoughts, it still shines forth with something of the brilliance of the truth of heaven. When the angel of the Lord descended on Easter morning, his face shone like lightning and his clothing was white as snow (see Matt. 28:3). And when the Lord revealed His glory to His disciples on the mountain, it says that "His clothing became shining, exceedingly white like snow, so as no fuller on earth can whiten them" (Mark 9:3). Also, when the Lord showed Himself to John on the Isle of Patmos His head and hair appeared white as wool, like snow (see Rev. 1:14). In each of these cases the garments and the hair represent the Lord's truth in outmosts, especially as it stands forth in the letter of His Word. At times in our life these truths may feel cold, and yet if we accept them as true they shine forth with the brilliance of snow, just as the Lord did before His disciples.
     However, the Lord's head and hair were not only white like snow, but also white like wool.

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As it says in the psalm, "He gives His snow like wool." Wool is used for clothing to keep us warm in the winter, and as it comes from lambs and sheep, it represents the warmth we receive from innocence and charity. The Lord's truth, although cold to the unregenerate mind, also gives warmth and protection. If there is innocence and charity, the willingness to believe what the Lord tells us and live according to it even though His truth seems harsh and demanding, the Lord can protect us from the real cold of hell, the hatred, revenge, lasciviousness, the lust for power, the pride of self-intelligence and the cunning of deceit which seek to freeze our hearts and possess our souls. Snow does a similar thing; it blankets the earth so that the cold cannot penetrate as deeply. Many animals and plants, being warned by the frost, withdraw and the snow serves as a protective covering. The Lord's truth shining brightly, beyond our real grasp to understand, keeps us in a degree of ignorance and simple belief, so that the genuine innocent loves implanted by the Lord in our warmer states, such as childhood, can take root and get ready to grow.
     It is similar with what we learn from the letter of the Word. As the cold of false reasonings descends upon us and the pools of knowledge we have gained begin to freeze, the stories and basic teachings of the Word are drawn inward and stay alive, not unlike fish swimming below the surface of the ice. The living creatures, or cherubim, which represent the letter of the Word, are described in the first chapter of Ezekiel. "And the likeness of the expanse above the heads of the living creatures was as the color of astonishing ice, stretched forth above their heads" (Ezek. 1:22). In some ways ice is even more astonishing than snow in the way it keeps the waters warm. It not only serves as a blanket to the water below, but actually gives off a large degree of heat just as it freezes. Water freezing forms a beautiful pattern, which can be seen especially in a snowflake as it responds to the endeavor within to higher life, and mimics, as it were, a plant in the way it grows.

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This is also true of ice on a pond or lake, which sets up a crystal structure that expands in size, keeping it from sinking to the bottom and preventing the ice from penetrating to any great depth. We read in Job, a book written from the knowledge of correspondences: "God thunders marvelously with His voice. Great things He does which we cannot comprehend For He says to the snow, Be upon the earth . . . . and cold comes out of the north. By the breath of God ice is given, and the width of the waters is tightened . . . . . Hearken unto this, O Job; stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God" (Job 37:5, 6, 10, 14). The breath of God, the Word of the Lord, even in its letter, is of such a nature that it is fluid in its use when we are in genuine love, and yet solid and interconnected into an amazing structure when challenged by evil.
     Now as long as the letter of the Word is believed in innocence and simplicity, confusion about its true meaning does no harm. In fact, simply believing in what the Lord says, more than in what the learned of the world say or in our own ideas, is the beginning of true faith. Like ice and snow it can protect our simple trust in the Lord from cold reason and persuasion, which might otherwise lead us astray. Many Christians today are sheltered by the Lord by this simple yet solid belief in the letter of the Word. "If God says it in His Word it must be true." But when the inner cold of self-merit and personal persuasion become the basis of such a statement, the protection and brilliance of the Lord's truth are soon lost. About such people we read in the book Heaven and Hell, "They were shown that their persuasion which they called faith was merely like the light of winter, in which light, because it has no heat in it, all things on the earth are bound up in frost, become torpid, and lie buried under the snow. As soon, therefore, as the light of persuasive faith in them is touched by the rays of light of heaven it is not only extinguished but is turned into a dense darkness, in which no one can see himself; and at the same time their interiors are so obscured that they can understand nothing at all, and at length become insane with falsities" (HH 482).

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     Some who have blinded themselves in the persuasive dogma and have separated faith from charity carry with them a coldness that chills those around, beginning with the feet until it reaches the chest where the heart is, beginning at the natural level working inward to freeze the spiritual love within. These are compared to icebergs which break off into the sea in the northern regions, and go southward spreading cold and danger to those who sail in ships (see TCR 385). Others, who have blurred their thinking from confirming themselves in the idea of three Divine persons, are seen in the northern frigid region with their temples buried in the snow. When faced with the confusion of what this means, they insist that the understanding must be kept obedient to faith (see TCR 185). There is indeed a simplicity in this for those who follow believing it to be the Word of God, but for those who confirm themselves in this falsity, the simplicity becomes folly and stupidity.
     Ice and snow can serve to insulate against the cold if there is some genuine warmth within. The letter of the Word is a protection and security to those in some measure of charity and innocence. But to the degree that this inner warmth is lost or rejected and the cold heart of evil takes its place, the letter of the Word is torn apart or profaned in favor of this evil, and its protection is lost. The snow and ice are no longer a protective covering given by the Lord, but rather a raging blizzard, or an ice or hail storm. This is described in one of the plagues in Egypt: "There was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very heavy . . ., And the hail struck all the land of Egypt, all that was in the field, both man and beast. And the hail struck every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field" (Exod. 9:24, 25). The Writings teach us that the size and weight of the hail is according to the amount of evil present: the greater the evil within, the greater the degree of falsification. And hail usually comes when it is warm below, yet very cold above.

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When it is more consistently cold, the water freezes more gradually and snow is formed in beautiful patterns, and gently covers the ground without the destructive quality of hail. So, when it is asked in the psalm who can stand before the cold, it does not mention hail. It says that "He gives His snow like wool. He scatters the frost like ashes. He casts forth His ice like morsels." For this psalm treats of how those in ignorance will be instructed by the Lord's Word (PP).
     Now the final and essential use of the snow and ice is the same as the fundamental purpose of the Word itself. As snow and ice are there to provide moisture to the ground when the spring returns, in the same way, when we are able to receive new loves, the stories and basic teachings of the letter of the Word are there to provide us with the truth we need in our renewed spiritual growth and life. And so the psalm continues: "Who can stand before His cold? He sends out His word, and melts them. He causes His wind to blow and the waters flow. He shows His word to Jacob" (Psalm 147:17-19). As the ice and snow, when they later melt, serve to nourish the ground, it is said that He casts forth His ice like morsels, a word used in the rest of the Old Testament to refer to a morsel of bread. Perhaps for a similar reason, when the Lord rained bread from heaven, and "when the dew was gone up, behold, on the face of the wilderness was a small round thing, small as the frost on the ground. And when the sons of Israel saw, they said one to another, It is manna. For they did not know what it was" (Exod. 16:14, 15).
     We need to be patient and accept the brilliance of the Lord's truth, even if as yet we do not understand it. We need to accept the protection and security of the Law of the Lord, even though it may seem cold and harsh at first. We need to accept the cleansing nature of His Word, although it does not satisfy our immediate desire for comfort and pleasure. For if we can stand before the Lord, with His garment shining as white as the snow, then He will in time bring us the warmth of spring, the warmth of genuine love.

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What was at first dazzling white and hard to look upon will become clear to our understanding. What was once cold and hard to our touch will become loving and flowing in our life. What was irritating and uncomfortable in the beginning will become refreshing and nourishing when we are able to receive it.

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes forth out of My mouth . . . (Isaiah 55:8-11).

Lessons: Psalm 147; Mark 9:1-9; TCR 185, 385 WOMEN'S SYMPOSIUM 1995

WOMEN'S SYMPOSIUM       Editor       1995

     The symposium will be held in Bryn Athyn from March 31 to April 2, 1995.
     Registration forms with a list of more than thirty topics are available from Chara Daum, P.O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
1996 ASSEMBLY 1995

1996 ASSEMBLY       Editor       1995

     The assembly will be held in Bryn Athyn from June 5 to June 9, 1996. People from all over the world will again join together for worship, instruction, fellowship and discussion of evangelization, education and other church uses.

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TIME OF YOUR LIFE 1995

TIME OF YOUR LIFE       Rev. MICHAEL D. GLADISH       1995

     One of the more interesting laws of nature, I've discovered, is that the older we get, the faster time goes. It's as if we are all on some sort of cosmic accelerator, or maybe since the first "fall" of mankind in most ancient times we are being pulled by a force like gravity at an ever increasing rate of speed toward . . . what?
     Time flies, we say, but like the Wright brothers and the airplane, we never expected it to go as fast as it does today.
     Then again, "time flies when you re having fun." Maybe the truth is that the older we get, the more we get of judgment to keep us from being bogged down in the present. So we look ahead, and the more we look, the farther we see. Or is it that we see so much more than before? Or is it just a matter of perspective? One of the things that has always intrigued me is that the older I get in relation to my parents, the closer I get to their age (as a percentage of the whole period of time we have lived). Up until I was 21, for example, I was always less than half my father's age; ever since then I have been increasingly more than half his age. When I graduate into the spiritual world, this progression will have advanced to the point where we are so close to the same age that, if there were "age" in that world, it would make no difference.
     In this connection it is useful to note how time, in a sense, merges into timelessness, or eternity. The older we get, the closer we get to the spiritual world, where time is irrelevant. There, we find, it doesn't matter "how long" something takes; indeed it's not a question of "how long" but rather how pleasant, how interesting, how beautiful, or absorbing it may be.
     With these things in mind it is perhaps a little easier to understand the Lord's perspective, or rather His wisdom, in the government of human life.

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For if there is an appearance that the weeks and months and years are getting shorter as we get older, maybe it is because we are being drawn at an ever increasing rate toward a Force immensely greater than ourselves, namely, the Lord Himself, who in His Divine Providence and foresight every day is teaching us to see things more and more truly as they are-not limited by what we can get done in an hour or even in a year, but by how well we can appreciate the marvelous order of His infinite love, the vast freedom provided by His truth, and the unlimited blessings we can experience as we engage in the uses of supportive human relationships. None of this is affected in the least by time-past, present, or future; indeed, as we travel through this world on the way to the next, it is of order that the burden of time should fall away until it vanishes completely, so that we are left with a sense of the enduring qualities that make us what we really are-spiritual beings interacting on a spiritual basis in the image and likeness of God.
     Here, then, is the challenge of time: will we be frustrated and annoyed by its limitations or will we be exhilarated by the joy of simply letting it go? To be sure, there is always more to do than we can possibly get done, but then that's the beauty of the freedom of choice, isn't it?
NCL FIFTY YEARS AGO 1995

NCL FIFTY YEARS AGO       Editor       1995

     In January of 1945 Rev. W. Caldwell did an article on Swedenborg and angelic language. At the end of this interesting article he noted that in the Writings there are some actual examples of spiritual words rendered into natural language. The name of the garden Adramandoni is a case' in point (CL 183).
     An attempt has been made to collect all such examples. You can find the list under "Language" in a little volume we published in 1980 entitled Additions to the Swedenborg Concordance.

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ACCOUNT OF TRIP TO GHANA 1995

ACCOUNT OF TRIP TO GHANA       Mrs. Rev. AND LOUIS B. KING       1995

     August 1994

     What a blessing to be able to visit Ghana, formerly the Gold Coast, for a second time! Freya made the journey this time so the scenery, the people, and so many remarkable experiences were the more beautiful.
     The Ghanaian people are gentle and loving, as much or perhaps more so than in any country we have visited. We felt safe in the cities day and night, marveling at the lack of crime, personal antagonism, or graffiti. Each morning as we enjoyed coffee on Michael Dei's front porch, we watched and listened while the "head-top economy" passed by. Tall, graceful ladies, and sometimes their daughters, glided confidently by with items for sale neatly arranged in the trays upon their heads-Brillo pads to baked bread, steaming pots of porridge to fresh pineapple slices, bolts of bright fabric to a sewing machine ready to be lowered for a dress custom-made on Your very own doorstep.
     The Deis' residence is more luxurious than most. We enjoyed running water and electricity, although the former we could not drink and the latter had to be turned off from Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m. until the same hour Monday evening. Low water levels behind the Volta Kiver dam mandated that one section of Accra, the capital city where we were staying, be deprived of electricity for one 24-hour day each week. No phones or street lighting or sewage systems or police or fire departments were in evidence except in certain areas in center city.
     We spent the ten nights of our visit in the gracious home of Michael Dei's family, resident in Accra, the seacoast capital city of Ghana. William and Vivian Ankra-Badu live in Accra where they minister to a growing congregation of New Church people.
     On Sunday the 28th of August, the ordinations of Kofi (Martin) Gyamfi and Kwasi Darkwah were performed in Tema, a sea-coast village about 17 miles east of Accra.

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Over 200 people were present at the happy occasion, enjoying both the service and the wonderful celebrations which followed in the adjacent yard.
     In Tema live Kwasi (Simpson), Ama (Florence), and Juliet Darkwah. A large congregation of adults and children enjoy Kwasi's services and classes. The children are instructed by Ama with assistance from Juliet. What a great privilege for us to be part of the wonderful sphere of their worship! A lovely piece of land, containing an already built foundation for their hoped-for church and school building, holds out much promise for the future. I wish each person reading this account could join the Darkwahs and lend a hand carrying cement blocks, or simply add a few dollars to help build even a minimal structure to house their beautiful worship services, and to help all those children begin a New Church education, Ghanaian style.
     We rode in the New Uses' new Toyota truck to visit Gyamfi and his lovely wife Joyce deep in the interior of Ghana at Asakraka. In Asakraka, Nteso, and Oframase, we enjoyed working with Kofi's large and growing groups of New Church people.
     We visited Chief Badu, who is allowing us to raise goats on a 25-acre piece of land. Ultimately this and two other goat farms will help support the New Church in this remote and more primitive part of Ghana. To visit Gyamfi is about a four-hour drive from Accra, with some good but many very bad roads.
     After a visit to the pineapple farm near the coast, we felt grateful to the New Uses organization of the General Church, which is building enterprises to employ Ghanaian New Church workers, to eventually make it possible for self-support of the General Church in Ghana.
     In the Lord's Providence we have three well trained New Church ministers working in Ghana.

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They can and will build the New Church according to the cultural and spiritual needs of those wonderful people. But please don't forget what they are doing, or cease to give help to prime the pump financially, so that waters of new life may quench the spiritual thirst of a proud and productive race of New Church people.
     Louis B. King

     [Two photos]

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SOUTH AFRICAN FOUNDERS ASSEMBLY 1995

SOUTH AFRICAN FOUNDERS ASSEMBLY       VERNA BROWN       1995

     October 7-9, 1994

     One of the delights of this various and disorderly world is the occasional glimpse that we have of heaven. Despite our divisiveness and our perceptions of difference, we are led by the Lord to see the Gorand Man of His heavenly creation reflected in the natural world here below. The sense of what could be and what, in fact, will be, is inspiring.
     The Founders Assembly, held in Durban on the 7th-9th October, gave all those who responded to its challenge such an opportunity.
     The function of this important South African assembly was to found the corporation, a structure to bring what were previously the "mission" churches and the "white" churches under one umbrella body. It is hoped that this will not only bring a greater sense of unity, important for a country with a divided and distorted past, but will also facilitate the awareness of each other's needs and the possible programs that can be devised to address them.
     For the last three years, an interim board of volunteers has been meeting under the wise and loving guidance of the Bishop's Representative in South Africa, the Reverend Geoffrey Childs. This body of ministers and interested lay persons has fostered a mutual trust and a desire for togetherness, culminating in the thrilling ceremony in which the corporation was founded.
     It seems fitting that the occasion was celebrated in the "Mother Church," Durban, almost as though she were gathering up her progeny, scattered throughout the land. With warm hospitality and superb organization, the Durban folk welcomed all those who had traveled the miles from their far-flung societies for the occasion. I've been to only one other assembly in my life-the Egoli Assembly of 1992-and it is inspiring to see so many of the New Church family coming together.

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Although the church exists most truly within the individual, there is undeniable inspiration in the luxury of sheer numbers!
     During the service of worship that began Saturday's proceedings, we were struck by the volume of so many voices raised in praise to the Lord. Particularly during the Zulu hymn, rich and intricate harmonies stressed the coming together of disparate voices in one melodious whole. The congregation was being subtly prepared by the affective impact of the music for the Reverend Lawson Smith's brilliant sermon entitled "Difference and Togetherness," which set the tone for the whole gathering. This was a most sensitive, even lyrical, exploration of the strengths and acceptability of both oneness and otherness. It provided a rich matrix for the events to be discussed during the assembly, allaying fears and soothing doubts.
     In focusing on "One God, One Church" Mr. Smith said that "Because there is one God, there is marvelous unity and order in all creation: wonderful repeating patterns, constancy with variety, steady rhythms of nature. And because there is one God, all good people on earth, wherever they live, also form one Gorand Man in the Lord's eyes . . . . Today we are asking the Lord to form us together more strongly into one church. The Lord loves to form a unity out of a variety of people. . . No difference is too hard for the Lord to draw into a harmony if we want to be drawn in."
     Mr. Smith's gentle style contrasted markedly with that of the following speaker at the assembly, the Right Reverend Louis King, our beloved bishop, whose vibrant gifts never fail to uplift us. He presided over the assembly at personal cost, and we cherish his remarkable commitment to this vital use. We thank Freya too for her unending enthusiasm, her great love of all things South African, and her unselfish endorsement of Providential guidance. Their dedication enabled us to realize, in some measure, the importance of the step we were taking.
     In his address on the Holy Supper, Bishop King stressed the sharing qualities of the communion, felt as powerfully as heaven itself. In focusing on our blessedness in being called to the marriage supper of the Lamb, he stressed the unity of the sacrifice, which in no way annuls the celebration of variety.

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Through the Lord's influx of love imparting life, He builds the marriage supper in our minds and hearts; He builds community, leading us to that heavenly state of communion, where we share with each other. Given our sharpened perception, we can feel this marriage supper operant in the world of nature, marriage, community and country, seeing things we had never seen before. As a result, we should constructively oppose the attempts of the hells to destroy community by deliberately placing love in its stead.
     Bishop King concluded by saying that when the Lord sends all these wonderful feelings to us through one another, He builds community, which is what is so powerful about the New Church in the new South Africa.
     Reverend Geoffrey Childs, the Bishop's Representative, then continued with the main business of the day's proceedings, which he framed with the solemn injunction:

Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it; except the Lord build the city, the watchman waiteth in vain.

     He went on to explain the primary function of the corporation: to serve spiritual uses, and the civic form it necessarily took in the promulgation of a constitution. This would aid in founding a "New Church" in the land in true faith and charity, to establish peace, grace and blessedness of life.
     Apart from uniting different elements, the corporation could focus on youth matters, children's education, Sunday schools, and strategies for evangelization. He went on to stress that the corporation would not break up or lessen our individual identities as expressed in our different ways of worshiping, but that we would be united in our goals.

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What the Lord had in the past, He longed to restore in one Gorand Man of the church, expressing a diversity of love. Since each of us has a talent to serve the New Church in our country, the Lord has called us to this use. And He works through the church specific to reach but to the church universal, flowing through the Lord's New Church to society in general. In this use we shall "Behold how pleasant it is for nations to live in unity."
     What Rev. Geoffrey Childs did not mention, however, was his guiding role in bringing the corporation to fruition. From the beginning he accepted his leadership of the project as a Divine calling, and with all humility, patience and sheer good management, dedicated himself to this precious use. Nor did Helga lag behind in her commitment to this vision for support behind her husband at a time when most couples would be content to sit back and enjoy their investment in children and grandchildren. We are deeply grateful to them both.
     After Mr. Childs' address, the floor was open to discussion and comment, which was lively and mostly affirmative. Had there been no dissenting voice whatsoever, the value that our church places on individual freedom would not have been so much in evidence. Gerald Waters, the able convener of the assembly, summed up what many people were thinking when he said that "For far too long we have been too insular. We have worried only about ourselves and have not seen the big picture. Thus by supporting the corporation we directly support the growth of the Lord's New Church in South Africa."
     Bishop King chaired the next session, in which the corporation came into being. When he invited the congregation to indicate their approval or disapproval of the creation of the corporate body, it was significant that the corporation was founded by unanimous acclamation-a wonderful beginning.
     Bishop Buss had intimated that his nomination for the position of Executive Vice President was Reverend Geoffrey Childs. (The President himself is Bishop Buss.) His name was therefore proposed by Moira Gibson and seconded by Zoe Wallis.

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Once again the assembled body was unanimous in its acceptance. The overwhelming support for Geoffrey's leadership was as much a token of appreciation for what he has already achieved as a measure of confidence in his ability to lead the corporation with distinction in the future. The positions of interim secretary and interim treasurer were accepted by Gay Waters and Paul Mayer respectively.
     As we stood in line to sign the register, Mr. Childs looked transported with happiness, and many people were in tears. No one who was there will forget the sight of "Mama" Buthelezi, mother of Reverend Ishborn, advancing her impressive form up the aisle to be among the first to sign. In this year of destiny of our formerly divided country it seems fitting that the New Church too should make its stand for unity and a new generosity of spirit. Earlier on, the Reverend Jacob Maseko had said that when we are born we have our fists clenched, but that the Lord gradually opens them and fills them full of His resources for us to share with other people. In that spirit the corporation was founded, and in that spirit we pray it will continue.
     After the morning's activities, the ladies of the Durban Society organized a wonderful lunch, which became a true "feast of charity," as people mingled, renewed old friendships and forged new relationships. After "plenty" came "piety" with the Reverend Reuben Tshabalala delivering a thoughtful and powerful prayer on this theme. He made some penetrating and challenging observations on the topic. It is sobering to realize, for instance, that "He who thinks of himself and not of the neighbor has no respect for the neighbor"-an effective antidote to self-absorption. He also dwelt on our capacity to receive the Lord's charity and to become more truly alive by a means that is readily at hand. It is simple but profound truths like these that have the power to redirect our lives.
     Rev. Alfred Mbatha followed with an entertaining account of how he became a New Churchman. As an avid "born again" Assembly-of-God adherent he was very struck by a book he came across, for which he paid the princely sum of three shillings.

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It was written by Theodore Pitcairn and entitled The Word of God Uncovered. After being put in touch with the Reverend Aaron Zungu, he stayed up half the night discussing doctrine with the New Church minister. What struck the young born-again enthusiast was the insistence on self-examination and self-compulsion as a means to the road to salvation-that man cannot expect the Lord to effect the miracle on His own, for he too must cooperate in this life-long venture. In this way the Lord can create a new will from the raised understanding, so that man is really born again and not simply hypnotized. It was this fundamental truth that set the young Alfred Mbatha on the road to becoming eventually a New Church minister. From the experience of the individual, the focus then passed on to the broader issue of the future of the New Church in South Africa. This was discussed by a panel of speakers comprising Haydn Osborne, the Reverend Jake Maseko and the Reverend Andy Dibb. All broached different aspects of this exciting and positive prospect.
     Haydn Osborne dealt with the necessity of renewing and regenerating ourselves as human beings so that we are worthy of presenting ourselves as members of the New Church, carrying those truths with us wherever we go. Having newly emerged from one of the most evil social systems ever devised by man, we have had an opportunity created for us in South Africa to redress its wrongs through the uniquely bestowed gift of the Lord's Divine Truth.
     In his contribution to the panel, the Reverend Jake Maseko also referred to the divided and unhappy past of the country. He said that in the church especially this should be handled with all the honesty required so that we do not pretend it was of no consequence. Through the church we should establish a liberating forum so that the poisonous influences of the past can be purged. To this end all role players need to understand what each is capable of doing so that they can share their talents meaningfully and with trust.

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     He then dealt with specific goals for the newly incorporated church. He urged that funds be spread to build the church in our land, and that an aggressive approach be taken towards advertising. At this point he advanced one of the most provocative views heard at the assembly when he said: "The world is awaiting the announcement of the Second Coming of the Lord and we are withholding this information from them."
     In the meantime, our house must prepare itself in charity and friendliness to receive the world, so that we are truly the crown of all churches in South Africa. In doing so we can fulfill the Lord's will as expressed in the beautiful words:

     The Lord God Jesus Christ reigns
     whose kingdom shall be for ages and ages.

     Rev. Andy Dibb was the next speaker, and he claimed everyone's attention immediately when he announced that there are more New Church people in South Africa than in the rest of the world put together. (This estimate includes, of course, the Lord's New Church and the New Church in Southern Africa, led until his death by the Reverend Obed Mooki.) In the 144 years since the New Church started in South Africa it has won 25,000 adherents. Mr. Dibb urged that a fully professional, non-racial seminary be founded in South Africa to train clergy to serve the church within the country, and that the corporation undertake the founding of such a facility as one of its most immediate tasks. The resources of the University of South Africa could be tapped, and candidates be thus enabled to obtain Bachelor of Theology degrees in addition to pursuing their New Church studies.

     In the lively discussion which ensued, members of the panel defended their various visions for the future. Mr. Childs pointed out that New Church education in South Africa was not at a highly developed level and that a balance of uses should be considered, including the pre-primary school being planned by Mr. Maseko.

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Bishop King too supported a well-planned multi-level program, and stated his firm conviction that we will be led by the Lord in our endeavors.
     After all the deliberations and reflections of the day, the evening banquet was a wonderful celebration of unity in diversity. The Dan Heinrichs Hall was transformed with round tables decked in festive cloths, beautiful flower arrangements and a wonderful sphere of warmth and hospitality. The Durban Society did us proud with superb organization and catering.
     As the day's proceedings had been conducted entirely in English, our black members being far more linguistically competent than we are, it was wonderful to have a young and very enthusiastic Zulu choir singing gospel songs in their own language. The complex harmonies, strong rhythms and percussive sounding of the notes is so different from the western cultural tradition that our differences were expressed as well as our common purpose. For some present it was a startling experience to hear "When you wake up in the middle of the night, you must praise, praise the Lord" in the restrained sanctum of the Dan Heinrichs Hall. At the end of the evening, after the singing of the two national anthems, a group formed spontaneously to sing the evening out with joy. Chester Mcaayana, Maureen and Lucky Thabede, Sylvia Nkabinde, Jake Maseko and friends-all skilled choristers-sang their valedictory praises with full-throated exultation. The different geniuses of the races described in the Writings were entirely in evidence during the evening.
     John Frost, as master of ceremonies, stage-managed the entire occasion smoothly and with dignity. There were two speakers at the banquet, the Reverend Jake Maseko and Bishop Louis King. The former concentrated on the vital doctrine of use, urging that from the instruction we receive from the Word we need to discover within ourselves those faculties which we can put to use.

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We thereby recognise our participation in a sphere of growth and harmony which will build the common good, not through a projection of regard for self but through our recognition of the Divine Will. This doctrine suggests the most wonderful resource for the growth of the church, as everyone can be involved in projects to promote this end. In this way we can all delight in having participated in the Lord's service, and His words "Ye are the light of the world" will shine most brightly in us. We come from a world where insensitive acts seem quite normal; it is up to us to start afresh like newborn babes and examine our steps. Our use should amount to more than wishful thinking; it should be our New Church version of the most affirmative action that we can conceive of as we shake off prejudice and distrust to establish the Divine service of the Lord in this beautiful country of South Africa.
     John Frost, in commenting on Mr. Maseko's theme of use, reflected that a personal challenge had been issued to each one of us. He prefaced the Bishop's address with the observation that Bishop King relishes the cultural richness of South Africa and the feeling of new beginnings that it always invokes.
     Appropriately, Bishop King began his memorable address by reflecting on what was new and now: a New Church, a new corporation, a new day and a new South Africa, all this arising from our realization of the good that truth produces in life. He stressed the obvious but startling truth that "if you have shunned evils as sins you cannot help producing uses." These are manifest in marriage, in the family, in the nation, and in the world. More wonderfully, we are given these opportunities on all three levels. From civil truths we are given the opportunity to live conscientiously so that justice and fairness will prevail. These, however, are not enough. From moral truths we shape our attitudes and thoughts towards each other so that our use flows in mercy. On the spiritual plane, however, we are led to realize that all use is from the Lord, that we are created in and for use. Thus we are led to become spiritually moral at the deepest level of our being. We are enjoined to seek the Lord while He is near, remembering at the same time that He is always near in His Word.

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If in freedom we follow His Word, all our uses will be accomplished in and from the Lord. Bishop King urged us to go forward to found a great source of joy for the church.
     As we went forward joyfully into the night, we felt inspired by the words and deeds of a momentous day.
     Sunday's concluding service was preceded by a short meeting of those who had served on the council. Mr. Childs expressed his joy at the preceding day's activities and his recognition of the powerful sphere that had accompanied the signing of the register. He explained that although the council had originally been composed of those members who wished to serve on it, in future the board would be elected on a pro-rata basis of one member per thirty members of each congregation. But the council also will continue its vital use.
     The service that followed the meeting was astounding. The Westville church was packed to capacity, and when the strains of the Zulu hymn "Ngenxa ye Zion" sounded, the soaring melody lifted to the rafters. Somehow the familiar hymn "Rise, crowned with light, Jerusalem arise" was charged with new meaning in the context of the Founders Assembly. The sermon too was inspiring. It was preached by the Reverend Louis King, and translated by the Reverend Chester Mcanyana, whose beautiful bass voice provided a counterpoint to the Bishop's vibrant tones. Bishop King took his theme from Psalm 159's wonderful words of reassurance:

     Where can I go from your Spirit?
     Or where can I flee from your presence?
     If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
     If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
     If I take the wings of the morning
     And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
     Even there Your hand shall lead me,
     And Your right hand shall hold me.

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     The infinitely protective qualities of our God were explored in a study of the two hands of the Lord. As the Bishop curved his own hands protectively around a human-sized space, we could feel the Lord's unassailable defenses of good and truth, love and wisdom, and the support of his two sacraments, baptism and the holy supper, encircle and sustain us.
     The Founders Assembly concluded, appropriately, with the administration of the holy supper, which, empowered with new significance and imbued with precious remains, resonated with meaning. Enriched and filled with a sense of the Lord's special use for our lives, we dispersed after food and fellowship, carrying with us the words of the opening worship:

With the Lord's churches, the case is that in ancient times many existed simultaneously. These differed from one another, as churches do today, on matters of doctrine, but still they made one in that they acknowledged love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor as the chief and most essential thing. And so to them doctrine existed not so much to guide their thoughts as to direct their lives. And when in every single respect love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor, that is, the good of life, is the essential thing, then no matter how many churches there are they all make one, and each is a united whole in the Lord's kingdom. The same is also true of heaven. Although there are countless societies there, and each one is distinct and separate from the rest, they nevertheless all constitute one heaven, because everyone is moved by love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor (Arcana Coelestia 2982:1, emphasis added).

     Comments from People Attending the Assembly

     Cara Dibb: The enthusiasm of the priesthood and the laity is remarkable. It is exciting to see it and to listen to it. The vision expressed by people here bodes well for the future of the country.

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     Alan Roebuck: I have found it very constructive and have enjoyed it tremendously. It was a good social time too.
     Lawson Smith: It has been a pleasure and a very exciting day, showing challenge and great promise. Both will be fun, and we can work through the challenges. Both candor and charity can be maintained.
     Helga Childs: So moving, so happy.
     Gerald Waters: Very exciting, so encouraging for the future. At last one can see real growth in the church in South Africa.
     Serene De Chazal: A unique occasion and the start of a new era for the church in South Africa.
     Tessa Palmer: I learned something new every time a minister opened his mouth. Thrilled to understand most deeply the parallel between the Lord and the soul.
     Beatrice Schuurman: Everything has been highly successful-very professional and very spiritual. It is a privilege to be part of this group.
     John Sharpe: Magnificent!
     Chester Mcanyana: It has shown the unity in the church. It has increased our affection to love the Lord. It has made us know each other better than before.
     Reuben Tshabalala: Let us proceed with this movement. It is wonderful. The assembly has been most orderly, on a par with assemblies overseas.
     Freya King: I feel most grateful to be here for this most exciting historic day of our lives. God bless South Africa, God bless America.
     Lawrence Mazibuko: I am very happy about the proceedings. It is like Christmas day. It can happen every month.
     Alison Osborne: I am amazed at the number of people.
     Vanya Meltz: I am impressed with the happy and affirmative feeling and the high level of excitement.

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There are lots of positive things to come.
     Lyn Gibson: All the people here today represent the new South Africa as it should be. Here, now, is the new South Africa.
     Haydn Osborne: There is a very positive vibe about it all.
     Nanah Modise: I have learned so many things; I'm a teacher, teaching adult school, and I've learned so many points myself. I've acquired so many new friends too, not only blacks. We should have more lively items as well, and where are the women speakers?
     George Elphick: Very warm in every sense of the word.
     Karen Elphick: I miss many of the young marrieds from the Transvaal. Where are they?
     Maggie Tshabalala: A wonderful occasion! It has given us something we didn't know before.
     Madefree Nhlapo: It brought us together to know each other. It gave us many new ideas. The talks were wonderful, especially Mr. Mbatha's on how he came into the New Church. When we see how God works, everything is exciting!
     Edward Nzimande: It was a unique occasion. We all appear to be conjoined to each other according to the doctrine of love. John Frost: Thanks to Gerald Waters, the chairman of the assembly, all the arrangements were carried out smoothly and successfully.
AS THOUGH TIME DOES NOT EXIST 1995

AS THOUGH TIME DOES NOT EXIST       Editor       1995

     When anyone enters a state of love or heavenly affection he enters an angelic state; that is to say, it is as though time does not exist.
     Arcana Coelestia 3827

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"THE NEW JERUSALEM IN BRYN ATHYN" 1995

"THE NEW JERUSALEM IN BRYN ATHYN"       Rev. LEONARD FOX       1995

     This is the title of a long-awaited article by Vladimir Maliavin in the November 1994 issue of the Russian magazine Nauka i Religiya (Science and Religion). Dr. Maliavin, a noted Russian Sinologist, visited Bryn Athyn about two years ago as a result of his interest in the Writings. He has involved himself ever since in activities to make the teachings of the New Church better known in his native country. Most recently he was one of the organizers of a conference on Swedenborg held in Moscow from November 13th to 17th, which was attended by a number of New Church people from the U.S., Great Britain, and Japan, including Rev. Alfred Acton and Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom of the Academy of the New Church, both of whom gave talks.
     Mr. Acton brought back a copy of the magazine in which Dr. Maliavin's article appears, enhanced by a photograph of the Bryn Athyn Cathedral. In fact, almost the entire article is devoted to extolling the beauty of the cathedral and the symbolic nature of its architecture and interior design. The author presents a good synopsis of the history of the cathedral, and takes the reader on a sort of mini guided tour of the structure.
     Dr. Maliavin skillfully intersperses information on New Church doctrine within his description of the aspects of the cathedral that most impressed him. Among these are the lack of repetition of motifs, expressing the infinite variety of the Lord's kingdom, and the stained glass window that portrays Adam, Noah, Abraham, and John, representing the four historical churches, and the central figure of the woman clothed with the sun, representing the New Church.
     There is a very brief introductory section in the article which gives information on Swedenborg and the New Church, with particular emphasis on the doctrine of free will, and it is mentioned there that "according to Swedenborg, every person chooses his or her own path-to heaven or to hell."

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     Nauka i Religiya is published in an edition of 56,000 copies, and is a well known magazine throughout the entire former Soviet Union. Dr. Maliavin's excellent essay on the Bryn Athyn Cathedral is only the beginning of a series that will present various aspects of New Church teachings to Russian readers. Mr. Acton also brought back page proofs of several articles slated for publication in the January issue, and the editors of the magazine have requested additional contributions from Bryn Athyn on New Church views of religion and science generally, and religion and physics in particular, as well as one on the history and basic doctrines of the New Church, to be written by Rev. Ray Silverman, and one on conjugial love by Rev. Donald L. Rose. The latter two will be translated into Russian by Dr. Andrey Vashestov, who is currently studying at the Academy of the New Church.
     It is quite evident that Russia is becoming a center of rapidly increasing interest in the New Church, and we all look forward with great anticipation to the results of present and future efforts to bring the revelation of the Lord's Second Advent to this enormous country whose people have such a great hunger for the Bread of Life.
REVIEW 1995

REVIEW       Jr. Donald C. Fitzpatrick       1995

What Is New Church Education? The Academy College, by Beth Johns; Bryn Athyn: General Church Office of Education, 1994.

     Appropriately enough, a new pamphlet about the Academy College was published by the General Church Office of Education just in time for Charter Day.
     This third pamphlet in the series What Is New Church Education? was, like the earlier ones, written by Beth Johns after she had spent time over several months visiting in classrooms, reading teachers' statements about their courses, and talking with students.

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     Her careful research and patient re-writing of the text in the light of comments from a number of readers have resulted in an up-to-date account of the life of the college, its unique mission, and its wealth of opportunities for learning, both formal and informal.
     Readers of New Church Life may want to use this pamphlet to update their own knowledge about the college and to answer questions from parents and others.
     Donald C. Fitzpatrick, Jr.
APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TO THE ACADEMY GIRLS SCHOOL AND BOYS SCHOOL 1995

APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TO THE ACADEMY GIRLS SCHOOL AND BOYS SCHOOL       Editor       1995

     Requests for application forms for admission of new students to the Academy Secondary Schools should be made by March 1, 1995. Letters should be addressed to Mrs. Robert Gladish, Principal of the Girls School, or Mr. T. Dudley Davis, Principal of the Boys School, The Academy of the New Church, Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Please include the student's name, parents' address, the class the student will be entering, the name and address of the school he or she is now attending, and whether the student will be a day or a dormitory student.
     Completed application forms should be forwarded to the Academy by May 1, 1995. All requests for financial aid should be submitted to the Business Manager, The Academy of the New Church, Box 711, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009 by June 1, 1995. Please note: The earlier the request is submitted the more likely we will be able to meet the need.
     Admission procedure is based on receipt of: 1. Application, 2. Transcript, 3. Pastor's recommendation, 4. Health forms.     
     The Academy will not discriminate against applicants and students on the basis of race, color, or national or ethnic origin.

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NEWSEARCH 1995

NEWSEARCH       Rev. Erik J. Buss       1995

     The next generation of the NewSearch program is now available. It is a program for searching the Writings to find information on various ideas and subjects. NewSearch can help you find the rest of the quote you want, or tell you all the places a topic is discussed.
     The program is easy to use. If you have the old version of NewSearch, this one is a welcome update. It is a Windows or Macintosh program which uses a mouse, and it looks clean and crisp.
     This program is available for an IBM-clone PC or for a Macintosh. Since I have an IBM clone, I'll talk about it from that perspective. My apologies to all you Apple users.

Features

     Regular searches. Say you want to find all the places where beauty is dealt with in the Writings. Simply type in "beauty," and instantly you have a list of books of the Writings to choose from. After selecting a volume, you can browse through all the occurrences of the word "beauty." It is also easy to search for all words in a word family (i.e., beauty, beautiful, beautifully, beauteous). It is a snap to save a passage or clip and copy it to your word processor.
     Combined searches. Say you want to look for the passages about conjugial love being related to women. You can ask it to search for passages where both "conjugial" and the variations of "woman" occur.
     Proximity searches. If you really want to focus, you can do a "proximity search." This means that you can look for Passages where two or more words occur within so many words of each other. For example, you could tell the computer to search for all the passages where the words "conjugial" and woman" occur within ten words of each other.

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This helps you focus in on the passages you really want to find.
     NewSearch is helpful for finding quotes too. Perhaps you remember a great passage about peace that has something about "confidence in the Lord" in it. You ask NewSearch to find all the places where the words "confidence," "in," "the," and "Lord" occur within four or five words of each other. Soon you have Arcana Coelestia 8455, which says, "Peace has in it confidence in the Lord, that He directs all things, and provides all things, and that He leads to a good end."

Advantages of NewSearch

It is fast and easy to use.
It will keep pace with the developing technology. For instance, this program should run fine in Windows 95. If not, it will be quickly updated.
It is affordable: only $50-less than a set of the Arcana Coelestia let alone all of the Writings.
It has all of the Writings on it.
It is available for both Mac and IBM clone.
It is flexible. You control the way you view passages, which volumes you look into, and more.

     I'm told that the next release will have Searle's Index on it, so you can search for all the places where a part of Scripture is discussed.
     I can't imagine having to go back to the days when the Writings weren't available to us on computer. I save hours of time doing any study, and use NewSearch all the time to look up passages when I have a question. I highly recommend the program. You can order it from: STAIRS Project, Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Or call (215) 938-2502.
     System requirements for an IBM clone: 4 meg of RAM, 30 meg free on disk, a 386 or later computer, Windows 3.1. If you can get more than 4 meg of RAM, the program runs much faster.
     System requirements for a Mac: Basically any Mac with System 7.1 and 30 meg of free disk space will run NewSearch.

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Editorial Pages 1995

Editorial Pages       Editor       1995

     THOUGHTS THAT FLOW IN ABOUT THE TIME OF OUR LIFE IN THE WORLD

     When we have undergone temptation, thoughts can flow in that give us a new perspective in life. It is not that we necessarily have new information. We have new clarity.
     We are referring to a passage in Apocalypse Explained. Those who use the "Daily Reading Plan" (see the inside cover of the December issue) will come upon AE 750 on January 30th. It says that life in this world is nothing compared with life in heaven, which is eternal.

     Yea, there is no ratio between the time of a person's life in the world and the life that will continue to eternity. Think if you can whether there can be any ratio between a hundred thousand years and eternity, and you will find there is none. These with other thoughts flow in from heaven with those who endure spiritual temptations (italics added).

     As those thoughts flow in, may they give us a different feeling about the present and the future.

     POET ROBERT FROST AND SWEDENBORG

     Some people just don't find time these days to read whole books. If you have not yet read Bruce Glenn's wonderful book called The Affectional Ordering of Experience (reviewed in our pages last June) I recommend that you just try reading what he says on pages 185-195 about Robert Frost's poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening."
     Was Robert Frost Swedenborgian? A fine new article has appeared that considers this question. Dorothy Judd Hall's piece is entitled "The Mystic Lens of Robert Frost: Bent Rays from Swedenborg." It appears in the latest (Vol. 9, Number 1) issue of Studia Swedenborgiana.

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     She says, "To what extent did Frost turn away from his Swedenborgian upbringing? What aspects of Swedenborgian thought, however transformed, did he retain? Several years of looking into this matter . . . have strengthened my opinion that Frost's early exposure-through his mother-to Swedenborg left a distinct imprint on his consciousness."
     She quotes Frost's essay, "On Emerson." He says that his mother was a Presbyterian until reading Emerson turned her into a Unitarian. Then she got to Swedenborg in Emerson's "Representative Men." And that, says Frost, "made her a Swedenborgian." He adds, "I was brought up in all three of these religions, I suppose. I don't know whether I was baptized in them all."
     What did the young mother read in Emerson that "made her a Swedenborgian"? We might guess she was impressed that Emerson should say the following about Swedenborg: "This man, who appeared to his contemporaries a visionary and elixir of moonbeams, no doubt led the most real life of any man then in the world." While others slid into oblivion, Emerson comments, Swedenborg began "to spread himself into the minds of thousands."
     Here are two more quotes from "Representative Men": "Swedenborg styles himself in the title-page of his books 'Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ' and by force of intellect, and in effect, he is the last Father in the Church, and is not likely to have a successor." "The moral insight of Swedenborg, the correction of popular errors, the announcement of ethical laws, take him out of comparison with any other modern writer and entitle him to a place, vacant for some ages, among the lawgivers of mankind." (Note: Emerson's essay also has criticisms of Swedenborg, and we hope to speak of them in a later editorial.)
     So Frost seems to have been brought up in three religions. In his older years he was circumspect about letting his beliefs be known. When he was in his eighties he asked a close friend (a Jewish Rabbi):

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"Victor, what do you think are the chances of life after death?" The Rabbi turned the same question back to Frost, who became deeply silent but presently replied: "With so many ladders going up everywhere, there must be something for them to lean against."
     Remembering that conversation, the Rabbi says, "I never forgot that poignant remark. Here was Frost, deep in his eighties, wistful about the prospect ahead. And what an image it suggested of Jacob's ladder with the angels ascending and descending."
ISN'T SWEDENBORG A MYSTIC? 1995

ISN'T SWEDENBORG A MYSTIC?       Tatsuya Nagashima       1995




     Communications
Dear Editor:
     I believe that Swedenborg was the revelator who was commanded directly by the Lord to reveal the spiritual sense of the Word in order to establish the New Church on earth as the crown of the preceding churches. This is exactly what Swedenborg testified about himself. But is this claim concordant with a common comment that Swedenborg is a mystic?
     In the Moscow Conference held on Nov. 14-16 on the topic of "Swedenborg and the Russian Tradition," the attendants were often involved with the speakers' presumption, based on the spirituality of the Russian Orthodox Church, that Swedenborg was one of the Christian mystics, and that his theology was close to the mysticism of their traditional cults and devotions.
     Coming back home from Moscow, I immediately checked the back numbers of New Church Life magazine, and in the August 1978 issue I found an article by Dr. Wilson Van Dusen entitled "Swedenborg the Mystic," and in subsequent issues, three letters disagreeing with this.

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Unfortunately, their debate gave me the impression that it had not ended up with a commonly acceptable conclusion by both sides.
     As a General Church member, I also believe that Swedenborg was the sole and unique revelator commissioned by the Lord to establish the New Church on earth for all humankind, but I also believe that the Word has been read and preserved by the Jewish and Christian Churches, and some unwritten Word has been transmitted, even though modified, by the people of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. They all have partly preserved the Divine truths and wisdom, so that they will sufficiently be able to incorporate themselves into the heavenly grand man in the long run.
     Most religions in the world have their own mysticism, such as Christian mysticism in Catholic or Orthodox monasteries, Pietism in Protestantism, Zen in Mahayana Buddhism, Kabbalah in Judaism, Sufism in Islamic religion, and so on. If we enumerate Christian mystics such as Dionysius Areopagita, Bernard, Bonaventura, Eckhart, Tauler, Schwenckfeld, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, and the like, we never think of them as the subjects of spiritism. Some of them were even canonized as saints in the Catholic Church, and most mystics in their religions are highly respected as symbolic personalities who actualized the ideal state of their religious accomplishment. The title of "mystic" is regarded as a symbol, not so much of enigmatic extravagance as of reverence and honor.
     In the light of that, can't we say that Swedenborg is one of the Christian mystics who had a direct communion with the Lord? In addition, he was especially commissioned to write his mystical experiences, not in enigmatic symbols or narratives, but in logico-analytical discourses. So he was a much greater mystic than any other Christian mystic in human history.
     We unhesitatingly say that our Lord Jesus was a carpenter who labored as an ordinary craftsman in Jewish society.

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In a similar way, can't we say that Swedenborg was a mystic? Furthermore, our Lord was a carpenter in such a prominent sense that he was a builder of the heavenly church consisting of humankind. So, similarly again, can't we say that Swedenborg was a mystic in such a prominent sense that he was commissioned to write his highly mystical experience in rational terms? Wasn't he the greatest mystic who ever lived on earth?
     Tatsuya Nagashima,
          Tokushima, Japan
MAE SONESON LINQUIST 1995

MAE SONESON LINQUIST       Richard Linquist       1995

Dear Editor:
     For the historical record of the New Church I would provide the following information.


          Old Age
     Before dawn's light touches the pine,
     Life there is resting, soft, fine.
     So all is well before we awaken,
     And we trust that the Lord also will
          keep us calm, unshaken.
     The faithful moon, above the trees, greets us if
          perchance we awake with fear,
     And, in twilight, dries every tear.
     We need not worry about being unguided,
          even near the end of night
     Because the Lord is our inner light.


     At the age of 86 my mother is well acquainted with the hardships of old age. Asthma caused by stress has cursed the last thirteen years of her life. Her heart and lungs are weakening, and her vision is very poor. In response, her inner sight often focuses on memories of a happier past.

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     Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, on September 29, 1908, she grew up in a musical and religious environment. Every Sunday her family attended services at the Swedish Baptist Church. A typical Sunday involved attending Sunday School and the adult service, which was preached in Swedish; having guests at home for dinner; returning for the 5:00 p.m. service; and then preparing a dinner at the church for the congregation. Her family lived in church on Sundays and loved doing so. For ten years Mae taught Sunday School and played the piano for the afternoon service.
     The Soneson family formed a small church orchestra. Mae played the piano; brother Larry, the clarinet; brother Carl, the trombone; and their father played several instruments. For many years they played in Baptist churches in and near Erie.
     As I noted in the January 1985 NCL, p. 41: "During the Civil War Rev. Arthur Otto Brickman, a New Church minister and a chaplain in that conflict, gave a copy of the Writings to a prisoner of war named Mr. Stedham. After the war he and my mother's great uncle, Edwin Johnson, worked together in Erie. Mr. Stedham gave a copy of True Christian Religion to her uncle. He, in turn, gave a copy of the Writings to her father, Gustaf W. Soneson. They attended doctrinal classes in the early part of this century with a small group of New Churchmen."
     In 1950 Mae and her three children moved to Bryn Athyn. She became the treasurer of the Bryn Athyn Orchestra Association and also secretary to Mr. Harry Walter He was a Certified Public Accountant who had graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She began to work for him when he was 65 and worked for 19 years until he retired at the age of 84.
     Mr. Walter tended to the financial affairs of the Bryn Athyn Church and attended monthly meetings of the Bryn Athyn Borough Council. For forty-eight years he was secretary to this council and missed only two meetings.

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He founded the Bryn Athyn Boys' Club, and for ten years was the treasurer of the International Sons of the Academy.
     In a letter to Mae in 1969 he wrote of her " . . . loyalty, sincere interest, willingness, devotion, dedication, dependability, cooperation, punctuality, promptness, efficiency and capability . . . . " I think that it is fair to say that Mr. Walter would have had some, if not much, difficulty serving uses without her. So I would honor her in New Church Life by publicly recognizing her supportive role in his life.
     After Mr. Walter's retirement, Mae became the secretary to Mr. Leonard E. Gyllenhaal. For almost four decades, Mr. Gyllenhaal was the treasurer of the Academy and the General Church. Mae worked for and with him for 14 years until her retirement at the age of 75. Again she should be honored for supporting important uses to the New Church. At the time of her retirement, Bishop Louis B. King wrote her a letter in which he said, "More than the conscientious way you have given of yourself in the performance of uses for the community and the church, Mac, is the sphere of love with which you have affected others in the performance of these uses."

     [Photo of Mrs. Linquist]

     She was less concerned with women's liberation than with love's deliberation. Finding a way to share her love with others in the service of use was her joy. In this regard, I believe that she can be considered one of the great ladies of Bryn Athyn.
     My mother is very modest and shuns praise, so I hope that she forgives me for what I have written. I thought that she should not slip out of this world without some public record of her life.

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I will miss her a lot when the angels come to guide her home.
     Richard Linquist,
          Huntingdon Valley, PA
MEN AND WOMEN 1995

MEN AND WOMEN       Stephen E. Frost       1995

Dear Editor:
     The recent spate of communications concerning men and women and their respective roles in the church and society has inspired me to write the following.
     The reason that the Writings often appear to address men directly and women indirectly is that it is through men that the church is received by women. The wife receives the truths of the church through conjunction with her husband, and together the husband and wife make the Lord's church on earth.
     Although in today's society the idea prevails that the life of an individual is unique to each man and woman apart from each other, it is nonetheless true that it is a man and woman together in marriage that are most alive, free, and whole. This is true from the creation of God; all actual existence subsists from the marriage of good and truth.
     Interiorly, a man is an embodiment of the Lord's love and thus externally a form of truth. Similarly, a woman interiorly is an embodiment of the Lord's truth and thus externally a form of love. It is the conscious effort on a man's part to embrace the Lord's truths in life to which a woman conjoins herself. Interestingly, it is from the woman that the man receives his motivation to pursue the truth.
     The means for a woman to receive the church is actually through her husband. Even when her husband is not known physically, and her good loves are being enlivened mediately through other men and women who represent the church in her life, it is to her husband that she is being conjoined interiorly.

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     It is for these reasons that organized bodies which call themselves the church have traditionally had men as their ministers. However, as the truth, which originally shone through, fades and becomes veiled, it is the women who retain the life of that body.
     The means for receiving the Lord's life is not through women becoming ministers of the body; it is instead through men waking up and knowing the Lord Himself. Women should accept nothing less.
     It is time for each individual man to quit dallying around, searching for ways to satisfy and justify his sensual and natural desires, and instead know from the Lord Himself what it is that women, and especially a wife, desire. Almost all women that I have met appreciate a man who knows and acts upon what is right.
     Stephen E. Frost,
          Woodside, New York
ANGEL BOOK SELLING WELL 1995

ANGEL BOOK SELLING WELL       Editor       1995

     The book Angels in Action, recently published by the Swedenborg Foundation, has sold very well indeed. It has the potential of bringing the truth about angels to more people than has any previous Swedenborgian publication. If you read it yourself you may be inspired to get it for friends. If you order it from a general book store it can help to promote its status in the book-selling world.

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Church News--ERIE CIRCLE 1995

Church News--ERIE CIRCLE       Pat deMaine David       1995

     It's been years since the Erie Circle, one of the oldest in the church, has reported news of our activities. We are few in numbers, but we're dynamite in enthusiasm for the doctrines and eager to grow. With at least ten children, we have much internal evangelization happening, and with the baptism of Clyde and Sylvia Magee and their daughter Alyson our enthusiasm for evangelization among those seeking the truth is increased. The Magees, coming from a Pentecostal background, are extremely excited about the Writings and are a wonderful boost to us all.
     For many years we met in the home of Paul and Dianna Murray, but as we grew we needed bigger quarters. Now we meet monthly, using rented rooms in a church in Erie for worship, lunch, and a doctrinal class. The visiting pastor holds a children's class the evening before. There is a lot of interaction between the pastor and the children, both during children's class and during the talk to children in the worship service. Our pastors are adept at fielding their questions, adding to everyone's delight.
     Over the years Erie has had the pleasure of being the circle upon which many theologs first "cut their teeth." We have also had a number of different visiting pastors in the past decade or two, including Rev. Messrs. Erik Sandstrom, Dan Heinrichs, Jim Cooper, Eric Carswell, Andy Dibb, Bill Burke, Stephen Cole, Mauro de Padua, and currently, Kenneth Alden. We've certainly not gotten into a rut. Despite the lack of continuity we have thrived on learning from so many wise and dedicated pastors.
     In August of this year our oldest member, Wyneth Cranch Woodworth Redfoot, went to the other world. Despite declining health, Wyneth attended church just as often as her health permitted. We all miss her, but it is good to know that she is now young, healthy, and reunited with family members who preceded her.
     Our regular attendance at church is eleven adults and eight children. Our hope is to increase that, of course, and to begin having pastoral visits twice a month to replace the lay services now held between pastoral visits. In that vein we would like to let NCL readers know that northwestern Pennsylvania is one of the most economical places to live in the whole country, with very reasonably priced housing, lots of rural land, Lake Erie beaches, friendly people, safe and generally conservative schools, many colleges and cultural opportunities, excellent hunting, fishing, hiking, and biking-and a lively church group interested in welcoming you.

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     The newly elected governor of Pennsylvania, who is from Erie, said he's "the man no one ever heard of from the place no one ever goes."
     He's disproved the former. We hope you'll disprove the latter. Come join us!
     Pat deMaine David
ACADEMY COLLEGE POSITIONS 1995

ACADEMY COLLEGE POSITIONS       Editor       1995



     Announcements





     The Academy of the New Church College expects to have openings for qualified English staff in the fall term of the 1995-6 academic year.
     Those with an interest in New Church higher education and with academic credentials and experience expected of instructors of English at the collegiate level are invited to apply to Dr. Robert W. Gladish, chairman of the search committee, at Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Please include full curriculum vitae.
     Applications should reach the committee chairman by February 1st.

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1995 SUMMER SCHOOL 1995

1995 SUMMER SCHOOL       Jr. Donald C. Fitzpatrick       1995

     The 1995 Summer School sponsored by the Academy of the New Church College and Theological School and the General Church Office of Education is scheduled for Monday, June 12th, to Tuesday, June 27th, on the College campus in Bryn Athyn.

     Three-credit courses to be offered include:

Arcana Study III (The Story of Joseph)     The Rev. Walter E. Orthwein
The Science of Correspondences          The Rev. Stephen D. Cole
The Growth of the Mind                    The Rev. Prescott A. Rogers

Our hope is that all three of these will be offered for either undergraduate or graduate credit as well as being open to auditors.

The credit courses will meet from 8:30 to 12:10 weekday mornings, from Tuesday, June 13th, to Tuesday, June 27th, with one Saturday session on June 17th because of the Monday, June 19th, New Church Day celebrations.

A group of non-credit mini-courses will be offered in the afternoon from Monday, June 12th, to Friday, June 16th. Topics for these courses will probably include Meteorology, The U.S. Constitution, The Ring and the Book, Toward New Church Economics, and The Hebrew Language.

Tuition for a three-credit course will be $423.00 (auditors: $105.00). The fee for mini-courses will be $50.00 per course.

Please mark the Summer School dates on your calendar and watch for further information and registration forms. Plan now to join others in the air-conditioned comfort of the Swedenborg Library for an adventure in New Church higher education.

     Donald C. Fitzpatrick, Jr.
     Summer School Director

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Notes on This Issue 1995

Notes on This Issue       Editor       1995


Vol. CXV      February, 1995     No. 2
NEW CHURCH LIFE

50




     Have you ever before now read a sermon on snow? For our readers in the northern hemisphere this may come at a time of all-too-direct experience.
     Turning now to the southern hemisphere, we observe that for the second time Bishop Louis King visited the country of Ghana, this time accompanied by his wife Freya. They greatly enjoyed the stay, a highlight of which was the ordination service for two Ghanaian ministers.
     We celebrate in this issue an historic beginning in South Africa. Last October there was Founders Assembly in Durban, Natal. There is a long history of the New Church in that country, and we thank Verna Brown for composing for us a description of an event that is an inspiration not only for South Africans but for people in all centers of the church.
     In November a conference in Moscow brought together Russians, Ukrainians, and New Church representatives from different countries. One of the things brought back to Bryn Athyn by Rev. Alfred Acton was a copy of the magazine Science and Religion. Many years ago we criticized this magazine, as it was then devoted to discrediting religion. One of the current articles (in Russian of course) is about the New Church in Bryn Athyn. We have asked Rev. Leonard Fox to give our readers an idea of what this article (read by thousands in Russia) has to say. See page 30.
     One of the participants was from Japan. He wrote upon his return that it was gratifying to see New Church ministers of different organizations speaking and listening to one another in Moscow. He also sent a letter on the question of whether Swedenborg was a "mystic." See page 37.
     We would call your attention to the subject of the college of the Academy of the New Church. See the review on page 31 of an excellent pamphlet by Beth Johns. Applications for the spring term of the present year, beginning March 13, 1995, are acceptable if received by February 1st. Contact Brian Henderson: phone (215) 938-2511; fax 938-2658.

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PREPARING FOR ETERNAL LIFE 1995

PREPARING FOR ETERNAL LIFE       Rev. KURT HORIGAN ASPLUNDH       1995

     "Take heed, watch and pray, for you do not know when the time is" (Mark 13:33).

     What is the most important thing we have to do during our life on this earth? Prepare for eternal life. But how often does this need get pushed to the bottom of our list of things to do?
     Our life is so full of many urgent things. We spend long hours, even sleepless nights, preparing for a 35- or 40-year career in the world, but how much time and effort do we devote to the spiritual career that we will have for thousands of years? We spend many dollars and rush frantically until the last minute getting ready for a single holiday celebration, but how urgently do we consider preparing for the celebration of our resurrection, which is coming inevitably at a time we cannot foretell?
     This sermon is an appeal to listen to the Lord, to learn what we should be doing about our spiritual life before it is too late.
     The Scriptures give clear advice: "Watch . . . for you do not know when the master of the house is coming . . . lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping" (Mark 13:35f). The image of sleeping is used in the Word to describe a person who is in merely natural life. Here, the "master of the house" is the Lord, who has given us responsibility for our life. For Him to "come suddenly" and find us sleeping means that at the time of our death He finds us unprepared for heavenly life.
     Another passage warns, ". . . if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come . . . ." (Rev. 3:3). As the thief steals valuable things from a home, so valuable things of our eternal life are taken away from us after death if we have neglected to cultivate and use them. This idea of the Lord's coming as a thief in the night, by surprise, is also reflected in another teaching.

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Here, we read, " . . . if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into" (Matt. 24:43f). "This means that if man knew the hour of his death he would get himself ready. . ." (AE 193:5).
     Why doesn't the Lord give us a warning about death so we can take time to prepare for it? For good reason we are not given that knowledge. If we knew the end of our natural life it would certainly motivate us in spiritual things; however, "not from a love of what is true and good," we are told. By a premonition of our death we would act "from a fear of hell," but this would make no lasting change in our character. Our doctrine teaches that last-minute repentance or spiritual reform motivated by fear alone is of no effect. Instead, we are told, we should by our own free choice and desire be "getting ready all the time . . . " (Ibid.; AR 164). "Therefore you also be ready," the Lord said, "for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him" (Matt. 24:44).
     The danger of neglecting spiritual life is also taught in the Lord's parable of the foolish rich man who built larger barns for his many worldly goods. Because of his riches he thought he had nothing more to do than to "eat, drink, and be merry." "But God said to him, 'You fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'" (Luke 12:16-21)
     The need for spiritual preparation during our life may be outlined from the doctrine: first, we are not born good; second, we can change only during our life in this world; third, no change can take place without our active participation; fourth, the change must be from our free choice, not by compulsion.
     As we examine these needs, we should keep in mind that the Lord is a constant companion and source of strength and protection. As our Redeemer and Savior, He does all that He can to bring us into His heavenly kingdom. But He will not force us.

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     As to the first proposition-that we are not born good-the Writings make the startling assertion that man "is from birth a hell in miniature." However, it is added that "he is born for heaven" (TCR 612, emphasis added). If we take no action against our hereditary inclinations during our lifetime, we will remain a hell. Only infants who die, and others of simple or irrational mind, have their hereditary tendencies nullified. The rest must be watchful, that is, consciously aware and actively in combat against them.
     The latent dangers of hereditary nature are deceptive. While gross and violent crimes have become all too common in our society today, clearly demonstrating the existence of evil, still the great majority of people we know about seem God-fearing, moral, and useful citizens. However, we are told that moral life may spring from two possible origins-a heavenly origin or a totally selfish origin-and appear just the same. To such as are hypocrites, acting good from evil intent, the admonition is given: "Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die . . . " (Rev. 3:2).
     The doctrine applies this text to "those who live a moral but not a spiritual life, because they have little regard for the knowledges of spiritual things" (AE 182). They act good outwardly from inwardly selfish ends. The appearance of good will and morality in their actions and our own is not necessarily a sign of true goodness or heavenly character. It is simply the way we have learned to get what we want. "A man may indeed live like a Christian without truths," we are told, "but this only before men, not before angels" (AR 706). " . . . all things that are with him are in themselves dead," we are told, "that is, are 'about to die,' unless they are made alive by truths and goods . . . " (AE 188).
     As to the proposition that our life can be changed only while in this world, and therefore is a matter of urgency, this is commonly accepted in Christian doctrine. The basis for it is to be found in the Lord's statement to Nicodemus about rebirth.

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"Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). While there are differing interpretations of what is meant by being born again, there is agreement that this conversion or change must take place during a person's lifetime. In this the New Church is no exception. Our doctrine teaches that if evil is not removed in the world, it cannot be removed afterwards" (DP 277), consequently the person cannot be saved. "This is what is meant by the common saying that as the tree falls, so it lies; or as man dies, such he will be" (AC 4588). "It should be known that man remains to eternity such as his whole life is, even to the end, and by no means such as he is at the hour of death; repentance at that time with the evil is of no avail, but with the good it strengthens" (AE 194).
     Where the doctrine of the New Church differs from other Christian doctrines is in the third proposition, that our change in life takes place only according to our active personal involvement in it. Why else would the Lord have asked people to be watchful and awake unless they were to have some part in the process? To "be watchful," we are told, "signifies that they should be in truths and in a life according to them" (AR 158). This is our part in the process. "He who learns truths and lives according to them is like one who is awakened out of sleep and becomes watchful," we are told. This is possible only by means of truths from the Word which have been accepted and applied.
     In the book of Revelation we find this warning: "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments lest he walk naked . . . " (Rev. 16:15). This statement is regarded as a prophecy of the second coming of Christ. But what more does it mean? We have shown before that the coming of the Lord as a thief refers to the loss at our death of any goodness or spiritual virtue which we have merely pretended to exercise. The garments mentioned here mean truths of faith from the Word by which we learn to live well. The meaning of the text is described as follows: "He who has not acquired . . . [truths] . . . from that source, or he who has not acquired truths or semblances of truths from his religiosity, as the gentiles, and applied them to life, is not in good, howsoever he supposes himself to be" (AC 5954:8).

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     Such is the one who is found naked. It is a person with no religious truths or principles. The same would apply to the man cast out from the wedding feast because he did not have a proper wedding garment. A person who has not acquired and acted on some truths of religion simply cannot enter heaven. Truths are the basis of rebirth or regeneration. This reason is given: "as he has no truths from the Word or from his religiosity, he suffers himself to be led by means of reasonings equally by evil spirits as by good spirits, and thus cannot be defended by the angels" (Ibid.).
     We cannot enter heaven apart from some means of living a heavenly life. Although the Lord is mercy itself and desires everyone's salvation and eternal happiness, He cannot give us eternal life apart from the orderly process He has provided, which includes our participation.
     We know from living experience that success in this world requires education, application, persistence, concentration, patience and many other things which are our responsibility. For success in spiritual life the Lord requires the same things of us. What is remarkable is that we seldom seem to act that way.
     The Lord's exhortation to "take heed, watch and pray" is given for good reason. He has told us to "be awake!" because it is so easy to sleep. He urges us to be "watchful" because often we are not. All of these urgings are to remind us of the most important goal of our life.
     At times, circumstances in our life are a powerful reminder of our mortality. We have a brush with death. Someone we know dies. We are brought up sharply, and perhaps make some resolutions for ourselves. This is from fear. It soon wears off and we go on with our natural life.

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So we read: " . . . whatever a man does from fear does not remain with him, but what he does from love remains; therefore he should be getting ready all the time" (AE 193:5, emphasis added). What a powerful statement! This most important process of our life, in which we have such a part to play, should be ongoing, not sporadic. We should be getting ready all the time! The challenge is to make this something done from love, not from fear.
     What, then, of your life? Do you fail to engage in the useful steps of spiritual learning and new life because you don't feel inspired to do it? Do you stay home from worship because you don't find it inspiring? Do you rarely turn to the Word in any of its forms because it doesn't seem to touch you or apply to your states of mind? Do you find greater excitement thinking about advancing your career than thinking about the needs of your spiritual life? The list could be lengthened, but suppose you already feel guilty. How can you change deep-seated habits, youthful aversions, a sense of inadequacy? How can you renew the commitment to "be getting ready all the time"? What love can motivate a change?
     The love to do this will not come naturally. What comes naturally to us is the desire to avoid anything spiritual. We should realize that strong forces are at work to obscure and dampen our efforts to follow the Lord. The Writings reveal that troops of sensuous spirits abound in the other life, spirits loving self-indulgence and scoffing at spiritual things. Their presence drags our lives down. It is said that to be uplifted from their influence, we must "think about eternal life" (AC 6201). Our daily concern about material things also has its dampening effect. Material things are said to be like weights which draw down the mind from spiritual thoughts and immerse it into earthly things (see AC 6921). We cannot "sell all that we have," but can we try to gain perspective on what is truly important in our life by not placing our love on material things alone? (see Life 66)
     The love of spiritual things is an acquired love.

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It may be developed. With self-compulsion and a sincere intention to obey the Lord, it can grow in our life.
     Obviously, the spirits of hell will do all in their power to discourage us from taking positive steps to free ourselves from their influence. If we are aware that this is one reason we may lack inspiration for spiritual things, we may succeed in rising above that influence to find a new excitement in daily spiritual efforts.
     We are familiar with procrastination as a common natural failing. It is putting off doing things we don't enjoy or find difficult. This is certainly a spiritual tendency as well. Almost any excuse will seem good enough to defer or put off the next spiritual step. Unfortunately, spiritual procrastination is the easiest of all, for its consequences are not apparent to our friends or enemies. We can easily hide it from the world-but we can never hide it from the Lord. Its results are just as serious, even more so, than the results of any natural procrastination. The longer we neglect spiritual responsibilities the more difficult it will be to face up to them.
     One example of this is given in the Heavenly Doctrine. There we are told that those who have not practiced self-examination find it an almost impossible task, as terrifying as the prospect of storming an enemy trench full of armed soldiers (see TCR 562). Here the Writings speak also of the power of habit, perhaps because the cultivation of habits can be a useful tool to combat procrastination. We would do well to institute regular habits of spiritual endeavor even if it requires serious self-compulsion. I think of such things as a time for prayer and reading of the Word, self-examination, reflection about the deeds and thoughts we have had each day. "Everyone becomes imbued with the end he has in view and the habit arising therefrom" (TCR 563).
     If you persist in the intention to overcome spiritual indifference or neglect, the Lord will strengthen your efforts. If you make a beginning, it will become ever easier to meet your spiritual responsibilities.

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The kingdom of heaven can grow within you as a grain of mustard seed, which is so small yet becomes a tree (see Matt. 13:31).
     You are never alone in your spiritual efforts, for behold, "He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep . . . . The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul" (Psalm 121:4, 7). "I lay down and slept," wrote David in a crisis of temptation. "I awoke, for the Lord sustained me" (Psalm 3:5). Let us all embrace this resolve of spiritual vigilance: "Watch, therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming" (Matt. 24:42). Amen.

Lessons: Psalm 119:57-72; Mark 13:24-37; AE 1874 APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TO THE ACADEMY GIRLS SCHOOL AND BOYS SCHOOL 1995

APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TO THE ACADEMY GIRLS SCHOOL AND BOYS SCHOOL       Editor       1995

     Requests for application forms for admission of new students to the Academy Secondary Schools should be made by March 1, 1995. Letters should be addressed to Mrs. Robert Gladish, Principal of the Girls School, or Mr. T. Dudley Davis, Principal of the Boys School, The Academy of the New Church, Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Please include the student's name, parents' address, the class the student will be entering, the name and address of the school he or she is now attending, and whether the student will be a day or a dormitory student.
     Completed application forms should be forwarded to the Academy by May 1, 1995. All requests for financial aid should be submitted to the Business Manager, The Academy of the New Church, Box 711, Bryn Athyn, PA 14009 by June 1, 1995. Please note: The earlier the request is submitted, the more likely we will be able to meet the need.
     Admission procedure is based on receipt of: 1. Application, 2. Transcript, 3. Pastor's recommendation, 4. Health forms.
     The Academy will not discriminate against applicants and students on the basis of race, color, or national or ethnic origin.

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CONFERENCE IN ROME 1995

CONFERENCE IN ROME       Rev. OLLE HJERN       1995

     After having celebrated the 19th of June in Stockholm, Ambassador Lars Bergquist, together with my wife and me, went to a conference in Rome arranged by the Pontifical Institute of Eastern Studies, a section of the Vatican.
     There we were very well received, and we immediately joined discussions concerning Emanuel Swedenborg and his importance in our time. Of course, objections against his authority were presented, but what surprised us was the extraordinarily affirmative spirit that prevailed when such matters were discussed, and the respectful attitude of those present, mostly prominent Jesuit priests. Those who expressed their opinions also appeared to be quite well read. A new understanding of Swedenborg's importance was brought to them by reading the book Face de Dieu, Face de l'Homme by Henry Corbin, which evidently was quite well known to the people in these circles. It had certainly helped them to a deeper understanding of sacred scriptures and religious doctrines.
     Lars Bergquist gave an address entitled "Some Keys for the Reading of Emanuel Swedenborg," in which he also outlined New Church teachings; and a German Jesuit father read a paper, "Swedenborg and the New Age," showing Swedenborg's tremendous indirect and direct importance for any "New Age" movement. At the same time he discussed the problem of the concept of the "New Church" confronted with the traditional ideas of Christianity-and especially those of the Catholic Church.
     Father Farrugia from Malta brought an appeal for an unprejudiced approach to the problem of sects and heresies, firmly claiming that "the Church is a sect."
     A most interesting part of the proceedings was a vivid discussion concerning the concept of "Sophia" in Eastern Christianity, from the early church fathers until Solovyov and Tarkovsky.

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With Solovyov this is combined with the idea, as he himself puts it, of "the Divine Human" manifesting itself as a Divinely creative power in this world. This was emphasized in the discussions, which were also very much concerned with a comparison with the Swedenborgian concept of the manifestation of the Lord as "Divinus Amor et Divina SapientiaDivine Love and Divine Wisdom." The woman who gave the main lecture on this subject expressed a desire for a Swedenborgian presence at the next, more specific, conference on "Sophia."
     The constant impression throughout was that these people were sincerely seeking for "the church behind the church." Those present also insisted upon having me present a talk the next morning concerning the New Church. I was not prepared for this in advance, but I did so.
ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH 1995

ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH       Editor       1995

     Secondary Schools Summer Camp

     The 1995 ANC summer camp will be held on the campus of the Academy in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania from Sunday, July 9 until Saturday, July 15, 1995.
     The camp is open to boys and girls who will have completed eighth or ninth grade in June of 1995.
     Students will receive registration details after the first week in March. We try to send to every eligible student but sometimes miss someone. If you have not received the information form by the second week in March, or you know someone who may need information, please contact the Camp Director, Cory B. Boyce. Call him at (215) 947-4200 or write to him at Box 707, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

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RESURRECTION SERVICE FOR REV. NORMAN H. REUTER 1995

RESURRECTION SERVICE FOR REV. NORMAN H. REUTER       Rev. THOMAS L. KLINE       1995

     October 26, 1994

     Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd, and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep" (John 10:14).
     We often think of the Lord as the gentle shepherd, and we are the sheep of His pasture. The Lord's ministry, as it is recorded in the gospels, is a beautiful picture of the Divine priesthood. He is the gentle shepherd that leads us to the pastures of His kingdom.
     When He was on the earth, Jesus gave us many examples of what it is to be the Divine shepherd.
     We see the merciful shepherd: that picture of Jesus taking the little children up in His arms and blessing them, or the words, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick" (Matt. 9:12).
     We see the teaching shepherd: the picture of Jesus giving the Sermon on the Mount, and the multitudes astonished at His authority.
     We see the shepherd as protector and defender of the flock: the picture of Jesus casting out the moneychangers from the temple, or the stern words, "Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites" (Matt. 23:13).
     And finally, we see the shepherd willing to lay down his life: Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10).
     The Lord as shepherd came on earth for the salvation of the whole human race. It was a call that extended throughout every moment of His life. As Jesus told His parents when He was in the temple, "Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49)

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This vision of His "Father's business" remained throughout His ministry.
     The picture of the gentle shepherd is important because it is also a picture of the use of the priesthood. The Writings of the New Church tie this picture of the good shepherd to the call of the priesthood. We read:
     Priests who teach truths and by means of them lead to the good of life, and thus to the Lord, are the good shepherds of the sheep, the very shepherds spoken of in the Gospel of John (AC 10794).
     And then the Writings go on to record all those images of the good shepherd. Priests who teach truths and lead by means of those truths to the good of life are the shepherds spoken of in the gospel of John.
     When we think of this gentle shepherd, we think of the life and priestly use of our friend Norman Reuter. Norman always knew that he wanted to be a priest of the New Church. Even when he was in third grade in the Immanuel Church School, he knew that he wanted to be a priest of the New Church. In fact, Norman will probably go on record as being the youngest minister ordained in the General Church. Norman was only 21 years old when he was ordained because there was a need for a minister to go and serve people in the outlying societies. Altogether he has been a priest of the New Church for 68 years.
     But if we think of Norman Reuter's ministry, we must think not of one person but of two people. We can think of a team known as Norman and Beth. It has been said that when we think of the names Norman and Beth we need to think of those names hyphenated: "Uncle-Norman-and-Aunt-Beth." And they are indeed Uncle and Aunt for a family of General Church congregations throughout the United States and Canada.
     When Norman was first ordained, his assignment was to be the assistant pastor of the Glenview Society. Norman's emphasis as pastor was to work with the young people of the congregation, involving them in the life of the church.

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And here he called upon the talents of a young woman nicknamed "Plinky" he had known in high school. This young woman, Elizabeth Fuller, was active in the uses of the Glenview church. Together they would put on plays which would serve and involve the young people of the congregation. Beth would produce and direct the plays, Norman would act in some of them, and in this way their friendship grew. Even during their courtship, they served the church together.

     In 1932 Norman was called to follow Father Waelchli as pastor of the Cincinnati Society, but his relationship with Beth continued to grow as they corresponded by mail. One day a letter came to Beth that now, because his pastoral salary had been increased, Norman could support a family and they could be married.
     For the first fifteen years, Norman was traveling minister to all of the church east of the Mississippi. This was a difficult time for the family, because Norman was away for long periods of time. Margaret and Justin were born during Norman and Beth's call in Cincinnati, and their youngest son, Mark, was born after they had moved to the Kitchener Society.
     Their pastorates included Kitchener and Detroit, and finally Norman was made pastoral assistant to the Bishop's office. Now that the children were raised, Norman and Beth could travel together, serving the needs of the church as a husband-and-wife team.
     It was said that when they traveled together visiting people's homes that first Beth would give the opening act and then Norman would give the main show. Norman and Beth served the congregations of Dawson Creek, Los Angeles, and the Tucson Society. Finally, after a pastoral tour of the United States, Norman and Beth settled in the home here in Bryn Athyn, serving the uses of the church. Even last week, Norman was busy giving tours in the cathedral, spreading the good news about the New Church.

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     Norman was a special person. He was sincere and enthusiastic. He was a gifted instructor, and he instructed with affection. Norman was a true counselor for so many people. As a counselor, he had the ability to listen. He listened to all those who opened their hearts to him.
     Norman loved to be of use, not because it was a good thing to do, but because he really was in the love of use. There wasn't any request that he wouldn't offer to fulfill. He had a commitment to minister to anyone living in an area of the church that he served. And this was true even after he retired. He would take on an extra service or drive an extra 200 miles just to see a New Church family. Often as he drove he was reading, composing, and even writing for the next class. And sometimes he drove right into other cars because he was so occupied with ministerial duties.
     Because of his vast doctrinal comprehension, Norman was able to speak on all subjects. His core love was the pursuit of truth. And sometimes, because of this vast doctrinal knowledge, he never hesitated to speak, sometimes at great length. But there was always a zeal and affection there. He had the ability to present doctrine with affection. To listen to him was like hearing a marriage of good and truth. The truth was connected to his heart. As he spoke, you would feel his love and zeal.
     Norman was unpresumptuous about his talents, to the point that he even doubted his abilities. He did not see himself as the successful and talented minister he was. Often he could not hear the love and affection people had for him. He felt that because he had never written a book or published a learned paper, he was not a scholar. Yet it is interesting to consider that he might not have been able to use the medium of book or paper to express that verbal affection that was so much a part of his ministry.
     Norman was a pioneer. He was a pioneer in growth and open-mindedness. He was able to see visions for the future of the General Church that were far beyond his time.

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He cared deeply about both New Church education and evangelization.
     Norman pursued the long journey of personal spiritual growth, and this even through the final years of his life on earth.

     [Photo of Rev. Norman Reuter]

     The Writings of the New Church proclaim that marriage is eternal. Marriage in heaven and upon the earth is the process of two becoming one flesh in the performance of their uses, two distinct minds becoming one angel in the sight of the Lord.

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     We read how Swedenborg visited the heaven of the Golden Age, and there the angel husband testified about his relationship with his wife. The angel husband said, "We are one. Her life is in me and mine in her. We are two bodies but one soul . . . . She is my heart and I am her lungs" (CL 75).
     We can think of Beth and Norman together now. The team is back in full operation again-Norman and Beth continuing together in the growth of the Lord's New Church in this world and now in the next.
     And Jesus said, "I am the door of the sheep . . . . If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture . . . . I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:7-11).
MESSAGE GIVEN TO SWEDENBORG 1995

MESSAGE GIVEN TO SWEDENBORG       Editor       1995

     "Tell the inhabitants of the earth among whom you live that there is such a thing as true married love, offering a million delights scarcely any of which are yet known to the world." (From the forthcoming version of Conjugial Love translated by Rev. N. Bruce Rogers)
TEACHER RECRUIT PROGRAM 1995

TEACHER RECRUIT PROGRAM       Editor       1995

     Academy Secondary Schools

     1995-96 Academic Year

     A half-time teaching position is available for the coming academic year. This includes a stipend and accommodation. Anyone interested in being a teacher recruit candidate for the secondary schools should send a letter of interest to Margaret Y. Gladish, Principal of the Girls School, or T. Dudley Davis, Principal of the Boys School, Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

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CIRCUIT RIDERS 1995

CIRCUIT RIDERS       JOHN DAVIDSON       1995

     They brought the Word to the frontier.

     And they still do.

     They traveled on muddy gumbo roads as bear and moose watched from the forest. They played duets on the violin and guitar as voices filled the small log cabin with a favorite hymn. They traveled by buckboard, they traveled by boat, they traveled by horse, they traveled by train. And they traveled on foot. They were the circuit riders. They brought the Word to the frontier. And they still do.
     The Encyclopedia Britannica describes a circuit rider as ". . . a preacher or minister who supplies several localities, preaching at each in succession and thereby forming a 'circuit.'"
     The custom was inaugurated in the United States in 1771. Any young man who showed aptness for public speaking and willingness to endure the hardships of traveling in the saddle for weeks at a time over a wild and rough country might become an assistant and finally a circuit rider. The salary was $64 a year, with the horse furnished by the circuit. There were no meeting houses, and services were held in log cabins, barrooms, or in the open.
     In the two centuries that have passed since that time, America has changed considerably. However, even today many New Churchmen live far from a resident pastor. In a sense, these people are still living on the frontier. Their contact with the church may be limited to the receipt of printed materials such as books, pamphlets, and reprinted sermons, and in more recent times to recorded materials, such as audio and video tapes.
     How are these isolated New Churchmen to receive the direct services of a New Church minister? Enter the New Church circuit rider.

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     To some extent, all New Church ministers are circuit riders, because they all devote some fraction of their time to visiting isolated families. However, several have been particularly noted for their efforts. In the early part of this century, Rev. Karl R. Alden was one of the most widely traveled circuit riders. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Mr. Alden would drive from Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, to Dawson Creek, British Columbia and back. Often he was accompanied by his friend Otho Heilman, the principal of the Bryn Athyn Elementary School. We spoke to Mrs. Janet Doering, Mr. Heilman's daughter, who gave us her recollections of her father's trips.
     "Dad and K. R. had a ball," she told us. "They were the only New Church contact for many of the people they visited."
     Mr. Alden and Mr. Heilman each had a single memorized talk that they gave "extemporaneously" again and again. When a service was over, Mr. Alden would get out his violin and Mr. Heilman would get out his guitar and they would play hymns together as their congregation sang along with them.

     "Sometimes several families would come a considerable distance to listen to them; sometimes they would meet with a single family; sometimes they would meet with a single person.
     Mrs. Doering, who is now a member of the Washington Society, recalled her father's descriptions of the families he visited, of poverty and isolation-and gratitude. "Those people loved their visits and looked forward to them," she told me.
     The roads over which the two men drove were often made from compressed layers of a clay-like prairie soil known to the Canadians as "gumbo." According to Mrs. Doering, the gumbo roads were excellent when dry, but when wet they became a slippery mess. "Getting lost was a common thing," she added.     
     Getting lost is usually no problem for a circuit rider, considering the distances traveled and the number of people visited. Rev. Christopher Smith, the minister in Dawson Creek in the mid-1970s, agreed.

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Mr. Smith recalled for me the time that he scrupulously followed directions as the roads got smaller and smaller. "Finally, the road turned into a dry riverbed and stopped," he told me.
     Sometimes the circuit rider is forced to look to local authorities to help him find his way. Rev. Stephen Cole, pastor to the San Diego Society, told me of a visit he made to a New Church family who had no telephone and no address other than a rural route number. "I finally went to the local post office," he told me, "and asked them where they delivered this person's mail." He found his man.
     The hazards of circuit riding may exceed merely getting lost. From 1946 to 1966, Rev. Harold Cranch was responsible for all of the United States west of the Mississippi, undoubtedly the largest New Church circuit ever. Mr. Cranch, who now lives in retirement in Glendale, California, recounted for me some of the hazards he had encountered in his travels. These included the four snarling police dogs that surrounded him when he stopped to visit the Chief of Police of Rockford, Illinois. The chief, who had purchased a copy of Heaven and Hell from the Swedenborg Foundation, called off his dogs when Mr. Cranch said that he had come to talk about Swedenborg. On another occasion, in rural New Mexico, while following poor directions he found himself stranded on a narrow dirt road that ran along the edge of a cliff. Only later did he learn that the name of the chasm he had almost fallen into was Holy Ghost Canyon. And with trains running off schedule at the end of World War II, he was once forced to choose between a horse and a buckboard to make the thirteen-mile ride at night from the railway station at Lovelock, Nevada, to the ranch of his host. He chose the horse.
     But Mr. Cranch's most memorable mishap as a circuit rider occurred when he was trapped for eight days in a snow-bound passenger train near Cheyenne, Wyoming. "They dropped food to us from airplanes, while cattle froze to death on the prairies all around," he told me. Did he use the opportunity to introduce anyone to the Writings? "You bet," he said.

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"Any time I had an hour to spare, I would talk religion, and there was always someone who was willing to listen."
     I spoke to several New Church laypersons who had lived in isolation at different times in their lives and asked them how they viewed the visits by the circuit rider. "It was wonderful," Greta Davidson told me. "We lived in Edmonton, Canada, and several times a year Christopher Smith would come through. We would have worship and then dinner." Greta, who is now a member of the Los Angeles Society, recalled how in the winter Mr. Smith would pull his car into her garage and change the oil. "We had the only heated garage on his circuit," she explained. On one such visit, somewhere between the dinner and the oil change, Mr. Smith performed the baptism service for the Davidson's second daughter, Amanda.
     Raymond David, also of the Los Angeles Society, lived for several years in Missouri. Ray told me of driving twice a year to Tulsa, Oklahoma. "It was about two hundred miles," he said. "We would coordinate our trip to coincide with the visit of a minister to a small group there, and arrange with one of the local people to spend the night."
     Janet Doering saw a bright side to isolation from the Church. "The more isolated you are, the stranger your family becomes if the church means anything to you at all," she said. Mrs. Doering and her late husband, George, moved to Baltimore as newlyweds in 1939. "There was no resident minister there in those days, and if you wanted to know something in the Writings, you looked it up yourself."
     Most of the ministers I spoke to found the personal contact with doctrine-starved New Churchmen to be stimulating. Rev. Cedric King, pastor to the El Toro Circle, told me: "You get to know people in a way you never do with your local congregation. You can minister to them until 1:00 a.m. and later. It's a wonderful experience to get to see them in their 'real' environment." Rev. Stephen Cole agreed. "When I was in Cincinnati, I knew the people in Cleveland better; and later when I was in Cleveland, I knew the people in Cincinnati better," he told me.

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     For most ministers the visits were a positive experience. Rev. Christopher Smith, who now teaches at the Academy of the New Church in Bryn Athyn, told me that he loved meeting with the people on his circuit. "I was like an oasis in their desert," he told me. "There were people who loved to talk about doctrine until the wee hours." One person would challenge Mr. Smith on each visit with the same doctrinal question. "He would point out that in no place do the Writings say that the hells are eternal." The two men would talk into the night on the eternity of the hells. Did he find the hours tiresome? Not at all. "It charged me up. It didn't bother me at all to get up after five hours of sleep, knowing that at the next stop there waited in store another person thirsty for doctrine."
     In holding services out of doors, the circuit rider is sometimes required to cope with unusual circumstances. Lori Odhner told me how her father, Rev. Lorentz Soneson, once convened a service in the open. As the service began, he noticed his wife quietly stand up and move to another spot. After the service, he asked her why she had moved. Mrs. Soneson calmly explained that she had discovered that she was sitting on a snake. "And you didn't say anything!" her husband exclaimed. "I didn't want to disturb the service," she answered.
     The practice of circuit riding can be perplexing to a minister's small children when they travel with their father. Lori Odhner recalled one trip in which her husband, Rev. John Odhner, pastor to the Los Angeles Society, was giving his third service in the same day. As the service opened, there was a brief moment of silence in which a little voice was heard to say, "But we've said the prayer twice already."

     Some ministers and their wives become accomplished as circuit-riding couples after their children have grown and become independent. Rev. Norman Reuter and his wife became inveterate travelers during their empty-nest years. Mr. Reuter is reported to have remarked on more than one occasion that it was his wife who was the true missionary in the family.

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     Not all New Church ministers enjoy circuit riding. One minister told me that he grew tired of being placed in the corner of a living room and told to start preaching. "I felt like some sort of spiritual humidifier," he said. Another minister told me that he enjoyed the circuit riding immensely, but that the long absences were hard on his family. "It's the only good reason I've ever heard for having an unmarried priesthood," he said.
     I asked several ministers whether they thought that visiting isolated New Church families is cost effective. "I think it is," Harold Cranch told me. "Our church has always grown by personal attention." Mr. Cranch recounted how he had begun with twenty-four individuals on his circuit and ended up with over five hundred. "Once the people I visited found the Writings, they became strong New Churchmen and continued to read on their own. But it needed someone's personal attention to get them started."
     Could one say that the Lord was a circuit rider? Perhaps so. The gospels tell of six journeys that Jesus made from Galilee to Jerusalem, a distance comparable to that from Los Angeles to San Diego. These trips, combined with smaller ones (and excluding probable unrecorded ones) bring the total distance the Lord traveled during His ministry to about two thousand miles. In terms of time spent traveling, this is comparable to a New Church minister's traveling by automobile visiting every New Church center in the United States and Canada twice a year.
     Our present-day western regional ministers have their respective circuits. Rev. John Odhner of the Los Angeles Society travels once a month by car to Hesperia and by airplane to San Jos. Rev. Cedric King of the El Toro Circle travels once a month to San Jose, and has in the past traveled to Phoenix and Seattle. And, tireless at the age of 82, Rev. Harold Cranch still visits such places as Sacramento and Mariposa.
     Times have changed since the days of Karl Alden and the young Harold Cranch.

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The Canadian gumbo roads are paved now. The violin and guitar have been replaced by a portable tape player or CD boom box. And the horse and buckboard have been retired in favor of a minivan.
     But the men and their mission are the same. They are the circuit riders. They brought the Word to the frontier. And they still do.
WOMEN'S SYMPOSIUM 1995

WOMEN'S SYMPOSIUM       Editor       1995

     The symposium will be held in Bryn Athyn March 31-April 2, 1995. Registration forms with a list of more than thirty topics are available from Chara Daum, P.O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
MAPLE LEAF ACADEMY 1995 1995

MAPLE LEAF ACADEMY 1995       Editor       1995

     A Camp for Teenagers

     Mark your calendar now, and get ready for Maple '95! Camp this year will take place June 21 through June 29 at Caribou Lodge in Ontario's beautiful Muskoka region. Maple Leaf Academy is a unique camp designed for teenagers, with a focus on their relationships with themselves, their friends, and the Lord. If you will have completed one or more years of high school by June 1995, write for an application today! Contact Sue Bellinger, 110 Chapel Hill Drive, Kitchener, Ontario, N2G 3W5, Canada. Phone (519) 748-5386.
1996 ASSEMBLY 1995

1996 ASSEMBLY       Editor       1995

     You are reminded that a General Assembly will take place in Bryn Athyn from June 5th to June 9th, 1996.

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"DR. DON" 1995

"DR. DON"       STEPHEN G. GLADISH       1995

     Patriot Physician from Glenview

     Sunshine sprinkled through the leaves and petals at the Illinois Northfield Oakwood Cemetery. It was 1993. In contrast to the church service, just nineteen relatives and friends from Glenview formed a horseshoe around the Navy memorial marker. Across the fence in the forest preserve a deer stood motionless, ears straight up, brown eyes silently reaching out to
     Rev. Eric Carswell's gentle voice floated on a June breeze into my listening heart. He said, "Dr. Don's life touched so many. What he did each day to serve his community as a doctor, to serve his country during times of war, to serve his New Church congregation as a distinguished member, showed a fruitfulness that many are thankful for." While Eric read Psalm 19, I followed along in a reverie.
     Psalm 19 sang itself throughout his life. I remember standing next to him in church, singing enthusiastically with the booming voices of the Glenview congregation. The males sang out, "The law of the Lord is perfect!" And the answering female chorus echoed, "restoring the soul." We sang, "The testimony of the Lord is sure!" and they sang, "making wise the simple." We sang back and forth, gaining momentum. It was a song to live by, a song of devotion and inspiration.
     I sang out for Dad. He couldn't sing much, but Psalm 19 ran throughout his bloodstream, every day singing life to every cell even when his natural body began to fail, limiting his ability in his later years. In his last seven years we never heard a single complaint. He never showed signs of being discouraged with his lot. He sailed in the stream of God's Providence, putting his trust and faith in the Divine. Unruffled was his spirit (see AC 8478:3, 4). And every Sunday he stood tall for all the songs of praise pouring forth from the Glenview congregation, he knelt down in prayer to the gentle God of his fathers, and he listened to the readings, brown eyes intent beneath shaggy eyebrows.

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And every Sunday during dinner he would quiz us on the lessons and the sermon.
     Eric Carswell's voice caught my ear as he changed from Dad's dedication to medicine to his dedication to country, "shown in his military service as a Marine in World War I and as a Lieutenant Commander in the Medical Corps in the U.S. Navy. We are taught that our country should be loved more than ourself. This is a law inscribed on the human heart" (see TCR 414).
     I knew it was inscribed on Dad's heart. Dad was 44 when he went off to war a second time. He had three children by then and a community that loved and respected him for his thriving medical practice and his personal integrity. He could have been exempted. But it wasn't the right thing to do. So off he went for three years in the Pacific, faithfully writing home almost every day.
     When it came to my turn, I made up for years of inattention to the fourth commandment. I wanted to set the record straight by honoring father and mother, acknowledging our teachings "to be obedient to them, to be devoted to them, and to return thanks to them" (TCR 305). I was the prodigal son coming home.
I remembered Dad standing on the basement stairs every Sunday morning, shining shoes in preparation for church. As busy as he was, and even if he was up all night delivering babies, he never missed church. At home he was a man of few words, but hundreds of people depended on his judgment. The pastor relied on his counsel. The police department prized him because he was never too tired or busy to attend victims of a midnight car accident before there were paramedics and emergency rooms.
     Let me tell you a story about my sister Joy that perfectly illustrates my father's extraordinary nature. Joy was an occupational therapist aide.

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Now after 47 years she was dying of cancer. Primary care was my responsibility, but I couldn't be with her constantly. "God," I prayed, "who will watch over her?"
     Friday, May 22, in the late afternoon, Dr. Marilyn Croghan returned my Thursday call, awakening me. I appealed to Dr. Croghan. I had everything ready for Joy's admission to the new Veterans Hospice Unit. The doctor brought me back to reality: "You can't take her if she doesn't want to go . . . . "
     "You know, I just remembered something I wanted to tell you," Dr. Croghan said. "Last February I got a call from a man. He knew everything about Joy's case."
     "What?" I said. "Who?"
     "Well, he knew we were doing all we could medically," she said. "And he said he wanted her to come and live with him after we'd done all we can. I never told you about it because I knew Joy wouldn't go live with anybody." Her pager went off, and with a quick apology she hung up. All her patients needed close attention.
     I called Joy soon afterward. As astounding as the news was, I had to tell her about Dr. Croghan's message. I couldn't think of any man who knew about her case.
     On Monday I went to see Joy, but she had died before I got there. Only our teachings on heaven got me through it all. It was Memorial Day.
     After Joy's memorial services I called Dr. Croghan again. I wanted to know more about the call.
     "You know, when I called you the day Joy died, you said it must have been a stroke."
     "Whatever it was, Steve, it was merciful," Dr. Croghan said. "She might have suffered miserably for months."
     "Extended suffering was her worst fear," I said. "Could you please tell me everything about that call?" I said. "I called everybody I could think of-six men who knew Joy and might have called, and absolutely ruled all of them out."

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     Marilyn said, "The man called when Joy was still working, in mid-February. I remember it well. It was cold, and I was walking from my car to the hospital late on a Friday night. I had a portable phone, and when it rang I stopped outside to answer it. There was a bad connection."
     "How did he get your number?" I broke in.
     "Well, I just assumed that Joy gave it to him," she said. "He knew all about her too, and I thought she had just given him the information. He gave his name, 'something Gladish.' There was static when he gave his first name or title. He said, 'I'm Joy's dad.' He talked about the spread of the new growth. He said, 'I know she's having more pain. I wanted to talk to you because she doesn't tell me everything . . . . When she isn't being treated for the cancer but needs help with the pain, that's where I could help.'"
     "At the time I thought it was odd that nobody mentioned your dad before."
     And then I knew God had provided the reassurance I needed. Dad had died in 1967, but he still watched over his children. He remembered us. In that happy moment I knew Father God loved me-He arranged the call! I knew Dad loved me too.
     It was so apropos to be standing at the foot of the new Navy marker, seeing the tiny flag, the bouquet of flowers, and the photo of Dad in uniform placed at the head. He was always there for us, and now, fresh from Arizona, I was there for him.

Editor's Note: An account concerning the unexplainable phone call mentioned in the article above was printed in the magazine Guideposts, October 1994, in the regular feature called "His Mysterious Ways."

     Guideposts, which has one of the highest circulations of all religious magazines, prints only items that have been carefully checked.

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Editorial Pages 1995

Editorial Pages       Editor       1995

     EMERSON'S CRITICISM OF THE WRITINGS

     Emerson's Representative Men is a book of 378 pages. The first chapter is entitled "Uses of Great Men." The ensuing pages deal with six men in history, the first being Plato and the second, Swedenborg. More pages are devoted to Swedenborg than to any of the others. He gets 56 pages, while Napoleon gets 39 and Shakespeare 34.
     Last month we quoted some phrases, including: "The moral insight of Swedenborg, the correction of popular errors, the announcement of ethical laws, take him out of comparison with any other modern writer and entitle him to a place, vacant for some ages, among the lawgivers of mankind."
     But Emerson has negative things to say. He complains at the way angels speak. He says the book Conjugal Love (sic) would have been grand if it were "without Gothicisms." He says that when Swedenborg mounts into heaven, "I do not hear its language. A man should not tell me that he has walked among angels; his proof is that his eloquence makes me one.
     "All his figures speak one speech. All his interlocutors Swedenborgize." When we read Swedenborg, "we are always in a church." He says Swedenborg's books "have no melody, no emotion, no humor, no relief to the dead prosaic level."
     And yet here is the final paragraph of the essay: "Swedenborg has rendered a double service to mankind, which is now only beginning to be known. By the science of experiment and use, he made his first steps: He observed and published the laws of nature; and ascending by just degrees from events to their summits and causes, he was fired with piety at the harmony he felt, and abandoned himself to his joy and worship. This was his first service. If the glory was too bright for his eyes to bear, if he staggered under the trance of delight, the more excellent is the spectacle he saw, the realities of being which beam and blaze through him, and which no infirmities of the prophet are suffered to obscure; and he renders a second passive service to men, not less than the first, perhaps, in the great circle of being-and, in the retributions of spiritual nature, not less glorious or less beautiful to himself"

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     Do all Swedenborg's angels speak alike? Dr. Jonathan Rose demonstrated in a lecture that as you look at the original language you see a variety that is not reflected in English translation. The translations can tend to flatten the style.
     Are the Writings without humor? In 1992 we did a series of editorials entitled "Serious Causes of Laughter." These showed some examples of humor in the Writings.
     Emerson wished the work Conjugial Love were without "Gothicisms." Isn't this especially a matter of translation? Perhaps a gothic way of saying, "here" is "hither," while "there" is "thither." In the Acton translation of the work, "hither" occurs more than a dozen times.
     For an example, note the use of "thither" in CL 265 in both the Acton and Warren translations; similarly, the phrase "come up hither" in n. 327. In the translation by Rev. Bruce Rogers, soon to be published, the Latin is rendered without such words.
     Would that Emerson could have read this rendition.

     RIVALRY BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN

     The rivalry between women and men is both old and new. We might tend to imagine for a moment that one of these days a winner will be declared, and the discussion will be over. But of course we know that each generation will be discussing this matter.
     Excellent books have been published in recent years that resonate with experience and common perception. Women are a certain way, and men are a certain way. And then beyond these acute human observations there is what has been revealed by the Lord on the subject. And this, although illustrated in experiences and experiments in the spiritual world, is quite above ordinary experience.

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We shall speak of that presently.
     A generalization that seems to apply through the generations is that 1) women are really superior, and 2) men tend to have a sense of themselves as superior.
     The apostles were men. In the final chapter of Luke it is recorded that women told them the great news about the Lord's resurrection. "And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them" (verse 11). In retrospect two of the men observed that "certain women" had astonished them with their report, a report which they were not ready to accept without seeing for themselves (verses 22-24). These men were called "foolish ones" and "slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken."
     Man without woman is "stern, austere, dry, and unlovely; nor is he wise save for himself alone, and then he is stupid" (CL 56:4). Just as a woman is "more beautiful" than a man, so her intelligence is modest, elegant, pacific, in contrast to the "harsh" intelligence of a man (CL 218).
     More than two hundred years ago an old man gazed from his window onto a city street. He watched the behavior of young girls and young boys. The boys made "a great noise," punched each other and threw stones. The girls behaved in a civilized, charming and endearing manner. Although Swedenborg was looking at children in our natural world, this was part of a manifestation to him of "how greatly, from their very birth, the genius of men differs from that of women" (CL 218). As he watched those children in the street, one thing really surprised him, which we will speak of in a moment.
     Swedenborg was given to see some things that run contrary to ordinary experience. Are there angels and spirits near us? How would the most learned of the world answer this question? And how would you answer it based upon what you can see and hear? The answer in the Writings begins under the heading: "The Spirits and Angels Present with a Person."

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The opening paragraph says, "I realize that this will appear to be utter nonsense because it is contrary to the appearance; but experience itself (ipsa experientia) will settle the truth of the matter" (AC 5846).
     A controversy was once settled on the matter of conjugial love. Is it with men or is it with women? It was demonstrated by experience in the other world that although it appears to be with men, it is not. The feminine sphere was removed (as described in CL 161) and then men "were convinced that nothing of conjugial love or even of love of the sex resides with them but solely with wives and women." Although they saw the truth of the matter for a while, the men later became persuaded that love resides with them!
     In our discussions it is easy for us to lapse into thinking from appearances. If we want to think clearly on the matter, however, we need to bear in mind what Swedenborg was permitted to see "attested by experience" (CL 223).
     In 1992 we published an article which quoted from De Conjugio 34:

Conjugial love depends on the wife's love, and such is the husband's love in reciprocation; and the wife's love does not depend on the husband's love.

     The writer comments: "These passages clearly teach the superiority of woman over man, of the wife over the husband." He proceeds to speak powerfully about the superiority of women. The article is called "The Revolt of Woman." Amazingly it was actually written in 1915! (See NCL, 1992, p. 106.)
     This subject will be continued in a later issue, but it is appropriate now to say that this is not about women in the clergy. If we had women in the clergy or even an all-female clergy these issues would still continue. Actually I personally am presently not in favor of women in the clergy, but I do not intend to speak with any kind of editorial authority. I tend to agree with the letter by Beryl Laidley headed "Women as Priests" in the December issue.

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     We should not be surprised if many think in a certain way about what women and men are suited to do. "It is thought by many that women can perform the offices of men if only they are initiated into them from their earliest age, as are boys" (CL 175). Because some sincerely believed that women are equally able to elevate the sight of their understanding, there was a demonstration in the spiritual world. In the presence of the women who wrote them, brilliant and learned writings were explored. But for all the genius and eloquence, the wisdom and judgment were not there (see CL 175). Will people dismiss this teaching (since it does not seem possible to replicate it on earth)? Probably many in the world will, but to leave out of our thinking what has been made known from heaven is unwise if we are trying to seek light in the church.
     We have said that women are superior and men tend to think of themselves as superior. In the natural world men do sometimes insist "that superiority in all affairs of the house belongs to them because they are men, and that inferiority belongs to women because they are women" (CL 291). And in the spiritual world, women spoke the simple truth when they said, "You men glory over us on account of your wisdom, but we do not glory over you an account of ours; and yet ours excels yours . . . " (CL 208).
     Those wives knew that their wisdom excelled that of men, but how great it is that this did not prevent them from loving their husbands. Remember Swedenborg's looking out his window upon the children playing in the streets? The girls were obviously superior, but what a sweet surprise: "What astonished me," says Swedenborg, was that the girls looked at the boys 'I just as they were" with pleased looks, or "with friendly eyes" (CL 218).
     Note: The phrase "with friendly eyes" comes from the new translation of Conjugial Love by Rev. Bruce Rogers. When this is published we anticipate people will be reading this work with rekindled interest and friendly eyes.

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PERSONAL BELIEF 1995

PERSONAL BELIEF       Dewey Odhner       1995




     Communications
Dear Editor:
     Rev. Norman Riley wrote, "We cannot choose what we like and reject what we do not like in a revelation from the Lord. The seeming hard statements in revelation are not from itself they are such from the proprium." We were not discussing whether we can accept just what we like, but what we perceive to be true. Some of us understand truths in a way which conflicts with the prevailing interpretation of the Word. Is it from the proprium for a Christian to reject the apparent meaning of the teaching that "in the resurrection they are neither married nor given in marriage" because the person sees something eternal in marriage?
     Mr. Riley wrote, "Because the priestly function is to preach the truth which leads to the good of life, it can only be with those whose very nature from the Lord is the truth from good; this is the masculine form." If this is stated in the Writings (sometimes priests state as doctrine things which are rather far from what the Word actually says), the word "the" would not be present in the Latin, and it could mean "a priestly function" rather than "the priestly function." I believe there are other priestly functions, such as administering rituals, counseling, determining church policies, and teaching truth in ways other than preaching. (I believe there are other ways to teach the truth. I know my children are not being preached to all day, but I hope what they are being taught is mostly true.) My point is that the teachings of the Word may be generally misunderstood, and what is generally accepted as the doctrine of the church may be rejected by some for reasons other than proprium.
     I would also like to know whether the other teachings in Mr. Riley's letter, such as, "Male and female are created finite forms receptive of life, not life itself" and "All revelations from the Lord . . . have been given through the instrumentality of male beings," are from the Writings.

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I hope Mr. Riley does not base these statements solely on a claim of "a true understanding of the nature and being of God."
     Dewey Odhner,
          Horsham, PA,
          [email protected]
PROCESS, NOT PRODUCT 1995

PROCESS, NOT PRODUCT       David Ayers       1995

Dear Editor:
     Possibly more than any other body of religious thought, the writings of the New Church teach how important it is to live according to our religious beliefs. Emanuel Swedenborg's Divinely inspired Writings are filled with citations reminding us that knowing the truth is not enough. To be truly religious we have to take what is true and apply it to our lives. The new translation of New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine called The Heavenly City describes the difference in the quality of spiritual life between people who live according to what they believe and those who do not. "From this you can get an idea of what religious people are like when their faith is combined with kindness-they are like gardens and orchards. But religious people whose faith is not combined with kindness are like deserts or snow-covered land" (Heavenly City 114).
     Working to transform our spiritual lives from deserts to orchards requires great labor and is laced with both joy and despair. During the most difficult times, when we have tried for what seems like the millionth time to break an old habit or forge a new one, we sometimes lift our voices to the Lord and implore Him, "Lord, I want to change and be a better person, but I just can't seem to get there. If You want me to change, why don't You just do it? You have my permission. Just change me!"

85



     Predictably, this misguided request is met with deafening silence. We don't get the Ebenezer Scrooge-like overnight transformation we asked for. Instead, we are left to muddle through, living with what feels like an unhealthy dose of failure.
     Christian writer C. S. Lewis contends that we suffer from a limited understanding of the Lord and how He operates. We think that the Lord should act in certain ways at certain times, and we can't understand it when He does not conform to our expectations or grant our requests. Lewis suggests that at these times we are often guilty of asking the Lord the equivalent of nonsense questions such as "How many hours are there in a mile?" or "Is yellow square or round?" (A Grief Observed, chapter 4) When He does not answer our earnest but ridiculous queries, we become all the more frustrated.
     The answer to this quandary can be found by examining what we are really asking for. We want what we think is good for us, we want it now, and we want it in the way we want it. By contrast, the Lord wants what is truly good for us, not only for now but for eternity. And only He knows the best way to get us there.
     In essence we become so preoccupied with the "product" of our desires that we lose sight of the process we first have to go through. Harold Kushner, author of Why Bad Things Happen to Good People, wrote of this in his book The Meaning of Life. "One of the sages of the Talmud taught nearly 2000 years ago that God could have created a plant that would grow leaves of bread. Instead he created wheat for us to mill and bake into bread. Why? So that we could be his partners in completing the work of creation."
     As the Jewish sage explained, the Lord wants and requires our participation. By asking the Lord to simply step in and change us, we ask Him to take away our free will and impose His will on us, something He will not do. And we are really asking to skip past the process and get to the product.

86



     Real change in our lives comes only when we become active participants in the process. As Swedenborg writes in The Heavenly City, "Eternal life slips into us when we are free and can think clearly. No one can be forced to be good. Things that are forced on us do not stay with us, because they do not come from ourselves. Anything we do in freedom, according to our rational thought, does become a part of us" (Heavenly City 271). While we strive to think and do what is true and good, the Lord will slowly change us, according to timetables and along paths which are custom-designed by Him for each of us.
     Real happiness, contentment and spiritual progress come when we abandon our preconceived ideas and desires and trust in the Lord's plan. As the Lord gently leads us into this state of life, we can at times get a glimpse of the eternal truth that is so rich and powerful yet so subtle and elusive that wise men throughout the ages have spent lifetimes pursuing it: that the process is the product.
     David Ayers,
          Loveland, Colorado
KINDERGARTEN TEACHER WANTED 1995

KINDERGARTEN TEACHER WANTED       Editor       1995

     There is a job opening for a kindergarten teacher at the Pittsburgh New Church School. The part-time position (Mon., Wed., Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) opens this summer for the '95-'96 school year. There is a wonderful sphere of innocence and teamwork in our school. The job could be great for someone who wants fulfilling part-time work while pursuing an advanced degree at one of the fine universities in the area. If you or someone you know might be interested for one year or more, please contact Rev. Nathan Gladish at (412) 731-7421 or write in care of 299 LeRoi Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15208.

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CORRECTION 1995

CORRECTION       Editor       1995




     Announcements





     In the December 1994 issue, under the Secretary's report, Mr. Julien de L. Chazal was included under the heading "Deaths." We noted that this listing was unconfirmed and that information was sought. We are glad that a reader has pointed out this error, which we sincerely regret. Mr. de Chazal is alive and resides in Australia.

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GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM PUBLIC WORSHIP AND DOCTRINAL CLASSES 1995

GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM PUBLIC WORSHIP AND DOCTRINAL CLASSES       Editor       1995

(Please send any corrections to the editor.)

     UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

     Alabama:
     Birmingham               
Dr. R. Shepard, 4537 Dolly Ridge Road, Birmingham, AL 35243. Phone: (205) 967-3442.
     Huntsville

Mrs. Anthony L. Sills, 1000 Hood Ave., Scottsboro, AL 35768. Phone: (205) 574-1617.
     Arizona:
     Phoenix
Rev. Fred Chapin, 5631 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85254 (church). Phone: home (602) 996-2919; office (602) 991-929-6455.
     Tucson
Rev. Frank S. Rose, 9233 B. Helen, Tucson, AZ 85715. Phone: (602) 721-1091.
     Arkansas:
     Little Rock
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Holmes, 2695 Lane, Batesville, AR 72501. Phone: (501) 793-5135.
     California:
     Los Angeles               
Rev. John L. Odhner, 5022 Carolyn Way, La Crescenta, CA 91214. Phone: (818) 249-5031.
     Orange County
Rev. Cedric King, resident pastor, 21332 Forest Meadow, El Toro, CA 92630. Phone: home (714) 586-5142; office (714) (904) 228-2276.
     Sacramento               
Jared and Marlowe Odhner, 6800 Birchwood Circle, Citrus Heights, CA 95621. Phone: (96) 723-9344.
     San Diego               
Rev. Stephen D. Cole, 941 Ontario St., Escondido, CA 92025. Phone: home (619) 432-8495; office (619) 571-8599.
     San Francisco     
Mr. and Mrs. Philip C. "Red" Pendleton, 2261 Waverley Street, Palo Alto, CA 94901.
     Colorado:
     Boulder
Rev. David C. Roth, 4215 N. Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304. Phone: (303) 404-6121.
     Colorado Springs
Mr. and Mrs. William Rienstra, P.O. Box 95, Simla, CO 80835. Phone: (719) 541-2375.
     Denver
Mrs. Joseph Orrico (Cecy), 4741 W. 102nd Ave., Westminster, CO 80030. Phone: (303) 466-9347.
     Connecticut:
     Bridgeport, Hartland, Shelton
Mr. and Mrs. James Tucker, 45 Honey Bee Lane, Shelton, CT 06484. Phone: (203) 929-6455.
     Rev. Geoffrey Howard, visiting pastor. Phone: (508) 443-6531.
     Delaware:
     Wilmington
Mrs. Justin Hyatt, 2008 Eden Road, N. Graylyn, Wilmington DE 19810. Phone: (302) 475-3694.
     District of Columbia: see Mitchellville, Maryland.
     Florida:
     Boynton Beach
Rev. Derek Elphick, 10621 El Clair Ranch Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33437. Phone: (407) 736-9866.
     Jacksonville
Kristi Helow, 6338 Christopher Creek Road W., Jacksonville, FL 32217-2472.
     Lake Helen
Mr. and Mrs. Brent Morris, 264 Kicklighter Road, Lake Helen, FL 32744. Phone: (904) 228-2276.
     Pensacola
Mr. and Mrs. John Peacock, 5238 Soundside Drive, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561. Phone: (904) 934-3691.

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     Georgia:
     Americus
Mr. W. H. Eubanks, Rt. #2, S. Lee Street, Americus, GA 31709. Phone: (912) 924-9221.
     Atlanta
Rev. C. Mark Perry, 2119 Seaman Circle, Chamblee, GA 30341. Phone: office (404) 458-9673.
     Idaho:
     Fruitland (Idaho-Oregon border)
Mr. Harold Rand, 1705 Whitley Drive, Fruitland, ID 83619. Phone: (208) 452-3181.
     Illinois:
     Chicago
Rev. Grant Schnarr, 74 Park Drive, Glenview, IL 60025. Phone: home (708) 729-0130; office (708) 729-9296.
     Decatur
Mr. John Aymer, 127 Cambridge, Decatur, IL 62562. Phone: (217) 875-3215.
     Glenview
Rev. Eric Carswell, 73 Park Drive, Glenview, IL 60025. Phone: (708) 724-0120.
     Indiana: see Ohio: Cincinnati.
     Kentucky: see Ohio: Cincinnati.
     Louisiana:
     Baton Rouge
Mr. Henry Bruser, Jr., 6050 Esplanade Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70806. Phone: (504) 924-3098.
     Bath
Rev. Allison L Nicholson, HC 33 - Box 61N, Arrowsic, MH 04530. Phone: (207) 443-6410.
     Maryland:
     Baltimore
Rev. Willard L. D. Heinrichs, visiting minister, Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Phone: home (215) 947-5334; office (215) 938-2582.
     Mitchellville
Rev. James P. Cooper, 11910 Chantilly Lane, Mitchellville, MD 20721. Phone: (301) 805-9460; office (301) 464-5602.
     Massachusetts:
     Boston
Rev. Geoffrey Howard, 17 Cakebread Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776. Phone: (508) 443-6531.
     Michigan
     Detroit
Rev. Grant Odhner, 395 Olivewood Ct., Rochester, MI 48306. Phone: (313) 652-7332.
     East Lansing
Lyle and Brenda Birchman, 14777 Cutler Rd., Portland, MI 48875.
     Minnesota:
     St. Paul
Karen Huseby, 4247 Centerville Rd., Vadnais Heights, MN 55127. Phone: (612) 429-5285.
     Missouri:
     Columbia
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Johnson, 1508 Glencairn Court, Columbia, MO 65203. Phone: (314) 442-3475.
     Kansas City
Mr. Glen Klippenstein, Glenkirk Farms, Rt. 2, Maysville, MO 64469. Phone: (816) 449-2167.
     New Jersey-New York:
     Ridgewood, NJ
Jay and Barbara Barry, 348 Marshall St., Ridgewood, NJ 07450. Phone: (201) 612-8146.
     New Mexico:
     Albuquerque
Mr. Howard Leach, 548 Mullen Rd. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107. Phone: (505) 345-5297.
     North Carolina:
     Charlotte
Rev. Bill Burke, 6010 Paddington Court, Charlotte, NC 28277. Phone: (704) 846-6416.
     Ohio:
     Cincinnati
Rev. Patrick Rose, 785 Ashcroft Court, Cincinnati, OH 45240. Phone: (513) 825-7473.
     Cleveland
Mr. Alan Childs, 19680 Beachcliff Blvd., Rocky River, OH 44116. Phone: (216) 333-4413.
     Oklahoma:
     Oklahoma City
Mr. Robert Campbell, 13929 Sterlington, Edmond, OK 73013: Phone: (404) 478-4729.

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     Oregon:
     Portland
Mr. and Mrs. Jim P. Andrews, Box 99, 1010 NB 3601, Corbett, OR 97019. Phone: (503) 695-2534.
     Oregon-Idaho Border: see Idaho, Fruitland.
     Pennsylvania:
     Bryn Athyn
Rev. Kurt Asplundh, Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Phone: (215) 947-6225.
     Elizabethtown
Mr. Meade Bierly, 523 Snyder Ave., Elizabethtown, PA 17022. Phone: (77) 367-3964.
     Erie
Mrs. Paul Murray, 5648 Zuck Road, Erie, PA 16506. Phone: (814) 833-0962.
     Freeport
Rev. J. Clark Echols, 100 Iron Bridge Road, Sarver, PA 16055. Phone: office (412) 353-2220.
     Hawley
Mr. Grant Genzlinger, 304 Maple Ave., Hawley, PA 18428. Phone: (717) 226-2993.
     Ivyland
The Ivyland New Church, 851 W. Bristol Road, Ivyland 18974. Pastor: Rev. Robert Junge. Phone: (215) 957-5965. Secretary: Mrs. K. Cronlund. (215) 598-3919.
     Kempton
Rev. Ragnar Boyesen, RD 2, Box 225-A, Kempton, PA 19529. Phone: home (215) 756-4462: office (215) 756-6140.
     Pittsburgh
Rev. Nathan D. Gladish, 299 Le Roi Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15208. Phone: church (412) 731-7421.
     South Carolina: see North Carolina.
     South Dakota:
     Hot Springs
Linda Klippenstein, 604 S.W. River St. #A8, Hot Springs, SD 57747. Phone: (605) 745-6629.
     Texas:
     Mexia
Kaia Synnestvedet Holder, 1011 Clark, Mexia, TX 76667.
     Virginia:
     East Thetford
Bobbie and Charlie Hitchcock, RR 1, Box 218, E. Thetford, VT 05043.
     Richmond
Mr. Donald Johnson, 13161 Happy Hill Road, Chester, VA 23831. Phone: (804) 748-5757.
     Washington:
     Seattle
Rev. Erik J. Buss, 5409 154th Ave., Redmond, WA 98052. Phone: (206) 883-4327; office (206) 882-8500.
     Wisconsin:
     Madison
Mrs. Max Howell, 3912 Plymouth Circle, Madison, WI 53705. Phone: (608) 233-0209.

     OTHER THAN U.S.A.

     AUSTRALIA
     Canberra
Mrs. Rex Ridgway, 7 Whalan Place, Kaleen, ACT, Australia 2617.
     Sydney, N.S.W.
Rev. Arthur W. Schnarr, 26 Dudley Street, Penshurst, N.S.W. 2222. Phone: 57-1589.
     Tamworth
See Rev. Arthur Schnarr under Sydney.
     BRAZIL
     Rio de Janeiro
Rev. Cristovao Rabelo Nobre, Rua Lina Teixeira, 109 Apt. 201, Rocha, Rio de Janeiro R.J. 20970. Phone: 21-201-8455.
     CANADA
     Alberta
     Calgary
Mr. Thomas R. Fountain, 1115 Southglen Drive S.W., Calgary 13, Alberta T2W 0X2. Phone: 403-255-7283.
     Debolt
KenandLavina Scott, RR1, Crooked Creek, Alberta T0H 0Y0. Phone: 403-057-3625.
     Edmonton
Mrs. Wayne Anderson, 6703-9811 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T6E 3L9. Phone: 403-432-1499.
     British Columbia
     Dawson Creek
Rev. Glenn G. Alden, Dawson Creek Church, 9013 8th St., Dawson Creek, B.C., Canada V1G 3N3. Phone: home (604) 786-5297; office (604) 782-8035.

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     Ontario
     Kitchener
Rev. Michael K. Cowley, 58 Chapel Hill Drive, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2G 3W5. Phone: office (519) 748-5802.
     Ottawa
Mr. and Mrs. Donald McMaster, 684 Fraser Ave., Ottawa, Ontario K2A 2R8. Phone: (613) 725-0394.
     Toronto
Rev. Michael Gladish, 279 Burnhamthorpe Rd., Islington, Ontario M9B 124. Phone: church (416) 239-3055.
     Quebec
     Montreal
Mr. Denis de Chazal, 17 Ballantyne Ave. So., Montreal West, Quebec H4X 2B1, phone: (514) 489-9861.
     DENMARK
     Copenhagen
Mr. Jorgen Hauptmann, Strandvejen 22, 4040 Jyllinge. Phone: 46 78 9968.
     ENGLAND
     Colchester
Rev. Christopher Bown, 2 Christ Church Court, Colchester, Essex C03 3AU. Phone: 011-44-206-575644.
     Letchworth
Mr. and Mrs. R. Evans, 24 Berkeley, Letchworth, Herts. SG6 WA. Phone: (0462) 684751.
     London
Rev. Frederick Elphick, 2111 Hayne Rd., Beckenham, Kent BR3 4JA. Phone: 011-44-1-658-6320.
     Manchester
Mrs. Neil Rowcliffe, Woodside, 44 Camberley Drive, Bamford, Rochdale, Lancs. OL11 4AZ.
     Surrey
Mr. Nathan Morley, 27 Victoria Road, Southern View, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4DJ.
     GHANA, WEST AFRICA
     Accra
Rev. William Ankra-Badu, Box 11305, Accra North.
     Asakraka, Nteso, Oframase
Rev. Martin K. Gyamfi, Box 10, Asakraka-Kwahu E/R.
     Medina, Tema
Rev. Simpson K. Darkwah, House No. AA3, Community 4, c/o Box 1483, Tema.
     HOLLAND
     The Hague
Mr. Ed Verschoor, V. Furstenburchstr, 6 3862 AW Nijkerk.
     JAPAN
For information about various church activities in Japan contact Mr. Tatsuya Nagashima, 30-2, Saijoh-Nishiotake, Yoshino-cho, Itano-gun, Tokoshima-ken, 771-14.
     KOREA
     Seoul
Rev. Dzin P. Kwak, Kangse-ku, Deong-chon I-dong, Ginlo-Mijoo, Apt. 101 dong No. 4Ho., Seoul, Korea 122-080. Phone: home 02-309-7305; church 02-555-1366.
     NEW ZEALAND
     Auckland
Mrs. H. Keal, 4 Derwent Cresc., Titirangi, Auckland 7, New Zealand.
     SOUTH AFRICA
     Cape Province
     Cape Town
Mrs. Sheila Brathwaite, 208B Silvermine Village, Private Bag #1, Noordhoek, 7985 R.S.A. Phone: 021-891424.
     Natal
     Clermont and Enkumba
Rev. Ishborn Buthelezi, P. O. Box 150, Clernaville, Natal, 3602. Phone: 011-27-31-707-1526.
     Durban (Westville)
Rev. Lawson M. Smith, 8 Winslow Road, Westville 3630, Natal, Republic of South Africa. Phone: 011-27-31-2628113.
     Rev. Geoffrey S. Childs, 7 Sydney Drive, Westville, Natal, 3630. Phone: 27-31-262-8113.
     Empangeni and Impaphala
Rev. Chester Mcanyana, P. O. Box 770, Eshowe, Natal, 3815, Meerensee, Natal, 3901. Phone: 0351-32317.
     Eshowe/Richards Bay/Empangeni
Mrs. Marten Hiemstra, P. O. Box 10745, Meerensee, Natal, 3901. Phone: 0351-32317.

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     Hambrook, Kwa Mashu and Umlazi
Rev. B. Alfred Mbatha, P. O. Box 27011, Kwa Mashu, Natal, 4360. Phone: 27-31-503-2356.
     Westville (see Durban)
     Alexandra Township
Rev. Albert Thabede, 140 Phase One, P. O. Bramley, Alexandra Twp., Transvaal, 2090. Phone: 011-27-11-443-3852.
     Balfour
Rev. Reuben Tshabalala, 1428 Zondi, P. O. Kwaxuma 1868, Soweto, Transvaal, 9140. Phone: 011-27-11-932-3528.
     Buccleuch
Rev. Andrew Dibb, P.O. Box 816, Kelvin 2054, Republic of South Africa, Phone: (011l) 804-2567.
     Diepkloof
Rev. Jacob M. Maseko, 8482, Zone 5, Pineville, Transvaal, 1808. Phone: 011-27-11-938-8314.
     SWEDEN
     Jnk ping
Contact Rev. Bjrn A.H. Boyesen, Bruksater, Satersfors 10, S-56691, Habo, Sweden. Phone: 0392-20395.
     Stockholm
Rev. G ran R. Appelgren, Aladdinsvagen 27, 161 38 Bromma, Sweden. Phone/Fax: 011 468 26 79 85.

     Note: Please send any corrections to the editor.
WHY DID THE LORD LET IT HAPPEN? 1995

WHY DID THE LORD LET IT HAPPEN?       Editor       1995

     A Pamphlet by Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss

     Some pamphlets are informative, and some are intellectually intriguing, and some are really helpful at a personal level to the reader. An outstanding example of the last is the pamphlet published in Glenview under the title "Why Did the Lord Let It Happen?" First published in 1984, it was revised in 1994.
     Filled with vivid examples, this pamphlet addresses perhaps the hardest questions people face in life. It is highly recommended for reading, for pondering, and for sharing. It is available from the Swedenborg Center, 74 Park Drive, Glenview, IL 60025. Phone (708) 724-0120.
     The Swedenborg Center is to be congratulated on the quality of the pamphlets it has made available in recent years.

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Notes on This Issue 1995

Notes on This Issue       Editor       1995


Vol. CXV           March, 1995               No. 3
New Church Life

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     We could hardly believe it when we heard that a conference was held in the Vatican in Rome last June in which the subject of Swedenborg was prominent. We noted in the December issue, p. 537, that we were close to having a first-hand account of this event, which seems unprecedented.
     Thanks to Rev. Olle Hjern, who attended and participated, we can furnish particulars in this issue. Note that a key part was played by a book by Henry Corbin. Corbin died in 1978. He was a profound student of the Writings, which were, as he wrote to a New Church minister, his companions throughout his life. If you wish to learn more about Corbin, see the lead article in the second issue of the magazine Arcana. The Swedenborg Foundation will soon publish a book entitled Swedenborg and Esoteric Islam. It consists of two essays by Corbin translated into English by Rev. Leonard Fox.
     What is the most important thing we have to do during our life on this earth? The question is posed in a sermon delivered a few months ago in the Bryn Athyn Cathedral by Rev. Kurt Horigan Asplundh. A number of people who heard it recommended that it be published in New Church Life. The message is brought home to us that we should "be getting ready all the time."
     "Rev. Norman Reuter and his wife became inveterate travelers during their empty-nest years" (p. 71). It is by coincidence that this account of "circuit riders" appears in the same issue as the memorial address for Mr. Reuter which was delivered in the Bryn Athyn Cathedral by Rev. Thomas Kline.
     Academy College Registration
     Applications for the fall 1945 term should be received by the college by March 1, 1995. Contact Mr. Brian Henderson. Phone (215) 938-2511; fax 938-2568.

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IDEAL OF MARRIAGE TO ETERNITY 1995

IDEAL OF MARRIAGE TO ETERNITY       Rev. Douglas M. Taylor       1995

     "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven" (Matthew 22:30).

     For centuries there has been but one standard interpretation of this teaching given by the Lord. It has been regarded as an unassailable proof that the Lord taught that there is no such thing as a married couple in heaven, that angels are not characterized or distinguished by sexes, and that consequently all marriages are dissolved at death and are never to be resumed in the other life. This is the way that people have thought when thinking from the doctrine of their church, though many, when thinking from common perception or common sense, have expressed belief in the idea that they will be reunited with their married partners. When thinking in this way, they invariably, and rightly, think of the partner as remaining of the same gender as he or she was while on earth. The notion that men in the other life are anything else but men, or women anything else but women, mercifully does not then enter their heads. Nor does the doctrine that prevails in the Christian world concerning our text come into the thought while one is thinking from common perception.
     It is good that this is so, that common perception prevails over the common doctrine, because few things destroy a marriage of love truly conjugial more readily than does the notion that there is to be no marriage lasting into eternity. The teaching on this point ought to be clear, and indeed it is; for we are definitely taught that unless there is in the mind an idea of what is eternal in marriage, that is, an eternal companionship, the woman becomes less than a wife, and the man something less than a husband, and conjugial love perishes (see SD 6110:16, CL 216).

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     Yet the error of supposing that there are no married partners in heaven, while very serious, is nonetheless understandable. If once it is supposed, as is often done, that a human being is a human being from his body rather than from his mind or spirit, then it is fatally easy to fall further into error, the error of thinking that with bodily differences erased by death, those in the other world will be neither male nor female. If, further, it is thought that the married state is something less than perfect, a kind of natural permission for the sake of the propagation of the human race on earth-if, in other words, marriage is held to be inferior to the state of celibacy, as has been taught for centuries and is still being taught-then it is only to be expected that people would believe that angels would certainly not have anything to do with marriage. Such false and twisted ideas concerning life's most precious jewel, a marriage of love truly conjugial, act like a pair of distorting spectacles before the eyes of many who read in the Word that the Lord said: "In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven" (text). Such false assumptions distort the vision of many readers of these words, causing them to see things there that were never written.
     For example, it is not said there, nor anywhere else in the Word, that there are no married partners in heaven. It is said that after death they are like "the angels of God in heaven." It is not said that the angels are a race apart from the human race, or that they live in a state of celibacy. That is an unwarranted assumption made unthinkingly for hundreds of years. Yet this is nowhere stated. The text does not say that there is no such thing as the state of marriage in the other life. For all joys from first to last, we are frequently taught and reminded in the Writings, are gathered into conjugial love; it is the container of all other delights. So it is that all in heaven are in the married state, and that in the Word heaven is actually compared to a marriage (see Matt. 22:2).

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     If married couples, while living together on earth, have begun to receive from the Lord a spiritual love of marriage, i.e. conjugial love, and if they have continued steadfastly in it and in the Lord's commandments until the end of their days on earth, then their marriage will be resumed in the other world. They enter into heaven married. It is not necessary for them to marry or be given in marriage, for they are as the angels of God in heaven. But if a married couple, believing in the eternity of marriage and having love truly conjugial as their ideal, nevertheless find in the other life that there is a hitherto unsuspected internal dissimilarity that separates them, they will each be provided with a suitable partner with whom they may live as married partners in heaven. But note: it is not that they married or were given in marriage in heaven. The suitable partner is provided on the basis of the person's ruling love, on the basis of the love that he or she attained while on earth. The partner has to be suitable to our degree of regeneration, for regeneration and acquiring conjugial love walk hand in hand. So the criterion is the same: it is our life on earth that determines the nature and quality of our married state in the other life. The marriage takes place before we come into heaven or it does not take place at all. "In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven" (text).
     This leads us to consider another kind of marriage that is also to be understood by the Lord's words on this occasion. What the Lord was referring to inmostly was the marriage that has to take place in every human mind: the marriage or wedding of the will to the understanding. The mind consists of two parts, the will or affectional side and the understanding or thinking side. The will is made up of affections or feelings, while the understanding is made up of thoughts and reasonings. The whole effort of our life on earth should be to make these two-the will side of the mind and the understanding-to act as one, to be no longer two but one flesh. This is done when we act according to what we believe and understand to be good and true.

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The understanding is first instructed in what is good and true, and then begins the struggle to bring the will into line with this new vision of heavenly life. What the understanding sees as the true and good way of life, the will must learn to love and live. Or, as the Writings express it, the doctrine of life in the understanding must become the life of doctrine in the will. In this way, when every deed matches our creed, our mind is united and at peace. One part is no longer battling with the other; the will and understanding work together in conjunction. They are wedded together, married to eternity.
     It was this kind of marriage to which the Lord was primarily referring when He said that "in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." This marriage of good and truth, of will and understanding, of deed and creed, must take place in this life or it will never take place. In the resurrection it will be too late. After death, the will and the understanding do not marry nor are they given in marriage. They must be united in this life.
     But why did not the Lord explain this to the Sadducees when they tried to trap Him with their question about marriage in the afterlife? Why did not the Lord explain plainly that there is certainly a heavenly marriage, though it differs from an earthly one? Why did He allow the Christian Church, founded upon the words of His Gospel, to remain in such obscurity with regard to marriage? Could He not have given (at that time) the unambiguous explanation He has now given in the Writings?
     No. That would have been worse than useless. The Lord in His infinite wisdom and mercy could perceive that mankind in general was incapable at that time of seeing such interior truths. Even the disciples, who were allowed to see more than the multitude, were unable to see the heavenly meaning of the parable of the sower and needed to have it explained to them (see Luke 8:9). There were many things that they could not bear, including the doctrine about the spiritual marriage of good and truth and the idea of a happy marriage to eternity. This was simply over the heads of the disciples.

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     Still less could the bodily-minded Sadducees have grasped even an introductory idea of a spiritual marriage. They were renowned for their complete denial of the afterlife. Concerning the nature of such people, we read: "When a man is such that he does not believe that he will live after death, he also disbelieves that there is anything internal which is spiritual and celestial; and such are those who live in mere lusts, because they live a mere life of the body and of the world, especially those who are immersed in loathsome avarice" (AC 1201).
     These Sadducees were like that, and because their idea of marriage was manifestly restricted to the plane of the body, the concept of conjugial love, a love pure and clean above any other love of which mankind is capable, the concept of a spiritual kind of marriage, was quite beyond them. Even the Lord's Divine wisdom itself on this subject would have been like thick darkness to their carnal minds. It was better, then, to let them think that there was no marriage in heaven than to have them defile the idea of a heavenly marriage with their gross bodily ideas. For certain it is that there is no such thing in heaven as the kind of marriage the Sadducees had in mind. There is no such thing in heaven as marriage simply and solely for the sake of the propagation of physical offspring. The Lord's words were literally true when applied to the Sadducees' concept of marriage, and that is another reason for His speaking in the way He did.
     In the work Heaven and Hell there is a passage explaining these words of the Lord with regard to marriage in the afterlife, in which it is said that while there are indeed married people in heaven, such marriages differ from those on earth. They differ principally in this, that there is no propagation of offspring. We read: "The procreation of offspring is another purpose of marriages on earth, but not of marriages in heaven, since in heaven the procreation of good and truth takes the place of the procreation of offspring . . . .

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In heaven marryings are spiritual, and cannot properly be called marryings, but conjunctions of minds from the conjunction of good and truth. But on earth there are marryings, because these are not of the spirit alone but also of the flesh" (HH 382b).
     It should not be supposed from this, however, that in the other world the inhabitants are bodiless minds without shape or form. Let us recall the familiar teaching that there is a spiritual body as well as a natural body, and that when the natural body is put off by death, we live in the spiritual body, and this is an exact replica of the mind, a beautiful mind being represented or manifested by a beautiful spiritual body, a masculine mind being manifested in a male spiritual body, a feminine mind in a female spiritual body. So it is that in the heavens also the conjunction of minds resulting from the conjunction of good and truth descends into the body, the spiritual body, the only difference being that there is, in the nature of the case, no propagation of physical offspring, but instead the propagation of spiritual offspring, that is, of new affections and delights belonging to good and truth.
     These and many other detailed teachings about marriages in heaven are given in the Writings, notably in the works Heaven and Hell and Conjugial Love, a whole chapter being devoted to the subject in each work. Besides this, there are sundry other references scattered throughout the Writings.
     But to what purpose were such details with regard to a blissful marriage to eternity revealed? The answer has already been given in a general way. We have already seen the teaching of the Writings that unless there remains in the mind an idea of what is eternal with regard to marriage, that is, an eternal conjunction of minds, the woman is reduced to something less than a wife, the man becomes something less than a husband, and conjugial love perishes. It is of the utmost importance for the men and women of the New Church to understand this teaching and the implications of it so that they can use it, because it is promised that to the New Jerusalem will be restored that precious jewel of life, conjugial love.

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     But this is not attained simply by being a member of a church organization. Conjugial love is given by the Lord according to His laws, according to His way of operation. It is received by mankind only in the proportion that what is contrary to conjugial love is shunned and rejected. And one of the forces most destructive of conjugial love in the world is the notion that there is no marriage in the afterlife, that marriage has nothing of eternity in it. Likewise, in a particular marriage, the failure to keep before the mind the ideal of a happy marriage continuing into eternity causes the loss of conjugial love in that marriage. To entertain constantly the idea that one's married partner in this life is probably not going to be one's conjugial partner in the spiritual world is to cause conjugial love to dry up in that particular marriage, leaving an inward coldness even if outwardly there is agreement.
     Such is the teaching of the Writings, especially in the following passage: "The reason why those who are in love truly conjugial look to what is eternal is that there is eternity in that love; and its eternity is from the fact that this love with the wife and wisdom with the husband increase to eternity, and in their increase or progression married partners enter more and more deeply into the blessings of heaven, which their wisdom and its love at the same time store up within them. If therefore the idea of what is eternal were eradicated, or if in any case it were to escape from their minds, it would be as if they were cast down from heaven . . . . They are disunited as far as conjugial love is concerned, though not at the same time as to friendship, for this dwells in external things, but [conjugial love] in internals. It is the same in marriages on earth. There, when married partners tenderly love each other, they have what is eternal in their thoughts with regard to the covenant, and nothing at all of its end by death; and if they do think of this, they grieve, and yet in thought are comforted with the hope of its continuance after death" (CL 216a).

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     The same number from Conjugial Love goes on to give the experience of one couple in the spiritual world who sometimes believed that they would be eternal partners, but at other times lost this belief, the reason being that internally they were really dissimilar. When this became quite clear after death, they separated; but because they both believed in the eternity of marriage, each was provided with a partner who was internally similar.
     So the conclusion is that it is the general denial of anything eternal in any marriage that destroys conjugial love. With regard to one's own married partner in this life, the thought that he or she is internally dissimilar and will not be one's eternal partner puts an end to any conjugial love in that particular marriage. However, if there remains the general acknowledgment that there is marriage in the heavens, a suitable partner can be provided in the other life; but under no circumstances can this be done if there is a confirmed denial of the eternity of conjugial love; for to deny this is to deny the inmost bliss of heaven.
     The practical purpose for which the Lord has revealed so much about the nature of marriage in the heavens ought now to be clear. We are to hold steadfastly to the ideal of the eternity of marriage. We are to enter into our marriage with the conviction that it will last to eternity, and at all times we are to abhor the corroding thought that it will end at death. We are to act as if we know for certain that we are eternal partners, for only in this way can conjugial love, the container of all joys from first to last, be given by the Lord and preserved upon the earth. Amen.

Lessons: Matthew 22:1-33; HH 382a and b, 383

(The lesson from Heaven and Hell follows on the next page.)

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Heaven and Hell

     382 a and b. In the inmost heaven there is genuine marriage love because the angels there are in the marriage of good and truth, and also in innocence. The angels of the lower heavens are also in marriage love, but only so far as they are in innocence; for marriage love viewed in itself is a state of innocence; and this is why consorts who are in the marriage love enjoy heavenly delights together, which appear before their minds almost like the sports of innocence, as between little children; for everything delights their minds, since heaven with its joy flows into every particular of their lives. For the same reason marriage love is represented in heaven by the most beautiful objects. I have seen it represented by a maiden of indescribable beauty encompassed with a bright white cloud. It is said that the angels in heaven have all their beauty from marriage love. Affections and thought flowing from that love are represented by diamond-like auras with scintillations as if from carbuncles and rubies, which are attended by delights that affect the interiors of the mind. In a word, heaven itself is represented in marriage love because heaven with the angels is the conjunction of good and truth, and it is this conjunction that makes marriage love.
     Marriages in heaven differ from marriages on the earth in that the procreation of offspring is another purpose of marriages on the earth, but not of marriages in heaven, since in heaven the procreation of good and truth takes the place of procreation of offspring. The former takes the place of the latter because marriage in heaven is a marriage of good and truth; and as in that marriage good and truth and their conjunction are loved above all things, so these are what are propagated by marriages in heaven. And because of this, in the Word births and generations signify spiritual births and generations, which are births and generations of good and truth; mother and father signify truth conjoined to good, which is what procreates; sons and daughters signify the truths and goods that are procreated; and sons-in-law and daughters-in-law conjunction of these, and so on.

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All this makes clear that marriages in heaven are not like marriages on earth. In heaven marryings are spiritual, and cannot properly be called marrying, but conjunctions of minds from the conjunction of good and truth. But on earth there are marryings because these are not of the spirit alone but also of the flesh. And as there are no marryings in heaven, consorts there are not called husband and wife, but from the angelic idea of the joining of two minds into one, each consort designates the other by a name signifying one's own, mutually and reciprocally. This shows how the Lord's words in regard to marrying and giving in marriage in Luke 20:35, 36 are to be understood.
     383. I have also been permitted to see how marriages are contracted in the heavens. As everywhere in heaven those who are alike are united and those who are unlike are separated, so every society in heaven consists of those who are alike. Like are brought to like not by themselves but by the Lord (see above, n. 41, 43, 44, seq.); and equally consort to consort whose minds can be joined into one are drawn together; and consequently at first sight they inmostly love each other and see themselves to be consorts, and enter into marriage. For this reason all marriages in heaven are from the Lord alone. They have also marriage feasts; and these are attended by many, but the festivities differ in different societies.
EVERY MOMENT 1995

EVERY MOMENT       Editor       1995

Every moment of life holds a chain of consequences stretching to eternity.
          Arcana Coelestia 6490

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NEW TRANSLATION OF CONJUGIAL LOVE 1995

NEW TRANSLATION OF CONJUGIAL LOVE       Rev. Alfred Acton       1995

     The General Church Translation Committee is happy to announce the publication of a new translation of De Amore Conjugialis by the Rev. N. Bruce Rogers. This edition is being offered in two parallel versions: one titled Conjugial Love and the other titled Married Love. From the first translation to the present one of this work, translators have debated the proper translation of the archaic Latin word conjugialis. Some of that discussion has appeared in the pages of this journal. Rather than enter into the debate, which has merit on both sides, we have opted to publish the parallel versions which will allow the reader to select a translation in line with his own understanding of the term. In all other respects the two versions are identical. The term conjugialis was used poetically by Ovid in classical times. In an effort to reflect the rather unique flavor of the term in translation, Mr. Rogers has selected the word "married" rather than the more common adjective "marital." Of course all New Church readers of past translations of the work have associated some of their fondest and deepest feelings with the coined term "conjugial." Nevertheless, almost all translators and some prominent theologians of both the past and present have felt this term can be misleading. When you order the new publication, consider for yourself how you feel about the term "conjugial" and the unique translation "married," and purchase accordingly.
     As noted in the advertisement in the February issue, copies may be bought with "The WORD" imprinted on the spine.
     Rev. Alfred Acton

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CONQUERING EVILS WITHIN OURSELVES 1995

CONQUERING EVILS WITHIN OURSELVES       HOWARD ROTH       1995

     A concerted, dedicated study of the Writings teaches us how man can be made perfect man, and woman made perfect woman,* for it is an educational process involving the preparation of one's mind and affections which best reflect the image of man and woman. To attain this noble ideal we must seek the spiritual basis, not that which is external and corporeal. This is the crux of the issue!
     * The "perfect" man and woman, in the spiritual sense, is the overcoming of evils within oneself through the process of regeneration, the attaining of salvation through the trials and tribulations of life in looking to the Lord as the one only Source of life, whose power alone can conquer evils within us. And, of course, we are taught further that perfection continues to increase to all eternity. The beginning of perfection is the acknowledgment of the Lord in His Divine Human and the keeping of His Commandments.
     The spiritual basis, simply put, is the process of reformation and regeneration. It is the conquest of our inherited evil tendencies (the natural man in us).
     We read in Psalms: "O Jehovah my God, in Thee have I trusted; save me from all my persecutors, and deliver me." (This is a prayer of the Lord to the Father, that He would assist against the hells.) " . . . lest as a lion they rend my soul, tearing it in pieces, and there be none to deliver" (Psalm 7:1, 2).
     "Tearing in pieces" in the spiritual sense does not mean tearing in pieces as by wild beasts, but the tearing in pieces of good by evils and falsities. Evils and falsities are represented in the other life by wild beasts. As soon as the good which continually flows in from the Lord comes through the internal man to the external or natural man, it is "torn in pieces." That is, the influx of good is hindered and checked. Although the man may then reason and speak, he does so from corporeal and worldly principles.

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     This "tearing in pieces" as by a lion is portrayed elsewhere in the Psalms. "The wicked are like a lion that desires to tear in pieces, and as a young lion that lurks in secret places" (Psalm 17:12; see also Psalm 22:13). In these cases a lion denotes those who devastate the church (see AC 5828).
     The great truth, which is very difficult to teach to the natural-minded man, is that the real sweetness and the sustaining spiritual food of human life practically begin only when we have conquered our natural tendencies to evil, only when in us Samson has slain the lion. We are placed in this world to learn how to live, by learning what true life is, whence and how it comes to us, and how it is to be sustained in its power and in its sweetness. Our life must continue to be a struggle until we have learned to slay our ravenous lion with the great strength which our Lord will grant in our sincere and earnest efforts in the life of regeneration.
     Every known truth is a mental way or path upon which we are called to walk in daily life, and in the beginning, on every such pathway a "roaring lion" will confront us. But our Lord is ready beside us and within us, like Samson, to rend our lion. And in due progress the spiritual bees of our mind will make their honey. And then we shall hear the Word of our Lord saying, "No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast go up thereon; it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of Jehovah shall return and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (Isaiah 35:9, 10).
GUIDEPOSTS 1995

GUIDEPOSTS       Editor       1995

     Guideposts is a religious magazine with a circulation in the millions. The March issue has an item by Helen Keller promoting the subject of Swedenborg.

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GENERAL CHURCH OFFICE OF EDUCATION 1995

GENERAL CHURCH OFFICE OF EDUCATION       Rev. Frederick L. Schnarr       1995

     Annual Report-1994

     This year we are making a somewhat detailed and expanded report because of the number of special developments that have taken place in the activities of this office.
     As you know, the Office of Education serves the entire General Church by providing courses, studies, projects and publications, and by giving counsel on all matters that have to do with New Church education.
     Since this office looks to meeting the religious needs of children, young people, and adults, it tries to respond to a wide variety of states. Sometimes this works well, and we feel the delight and reward of exciting and expanding programs; sometimes we seem somewhat weak and uncertain as to how to meet the needs created by cultural changes, the growing extension to many nations, the galloping race of technology, and our own staff and budget limitations.
     There are now nine operating divisions within the Office of Education, with separate but interrelated uses. We list them here to give an overview of the developments that have taken place since this office came into existence seven years ago.


1.      General Church Schools and Teacher Support
2.      Family and Grade-level Lessons, and New Church Kids' Connection
3.      Preschool, Festival, and Baptismal Materials
4.      Audio/Video Courses and Programs
5.      Reference and Curriculum Center
6.      Children's Literature
7.      New Church Adult Educational Publications; New Church Teacher, Pamphlets and Studies
8.      Sunday School Projects and Materials
9.      Special Programs: The Education Council, Academy College Summer School, General Church Inservices, Eldergarten Seminars

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     Over the past two years we have been increasingly involved in meeting the religious needs of those families and societies who are doing home schooling. So far we have given only modest assistance in this work, but we are well aware that throughout America, and in other parts of the world, the home-schooling movement is growing rapidly. Some believe that in five to ten years it could contain our biggest group of students. For the present we plan to assist in every way we can within our means. Religious needs are much the same in the home and in the school, and to help meet such needs in any way we can is the work of this office.
     Besides our commitment to the needs of children, we have made a conscious effort for the past four years to provide religious courses, studies and materials for the adults of the church. While we had some fine courses for adults, we really did not have much variety. And we certainly did not seem to be meeting the needs of six hundred or more college-age students around the world, many of whom could not attend the Academy College. We therefore began a concerted effort, in partnership with both the Academy College and the Theological School, to address this need.
     This led to the formation of a College Summer School and the recording on videotape of the courses offered. We now have a variety of full courses available for study, ranging from studies in the Arcana Coelestia to the fundamental doctrines of the New Church, The Divine Providence, and others. More courses are to be added in this June's session of the College Summer School, including The Arcana Study of Joseph, The Science of Correspondences, and The Growth of the Mind. What a great array! And what potential for nourishment of families and individuals all over the world. We want to express deep appreciation to the faculties of these two schools for joining us in this work. It is putting new life into the adult education program.
     This work has also led to other unforeseen but exciting and useful partnerships, especially with the Academy College.

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     Under the leadership of Carol Buss, upper-level college students in education courses and other supportive volunteers are working to produce a delightful array of children's books designed for home and school use. Consisting of adaptations from the Memorable Relations, these special books introduce some of the wonderful imagery of life after death. Staff members had to master the technique of reproducing the artists' illustrations for these books. Drawings are first enhanced by computer technology, and then printed in color. It has been a long and difficult process, but the results make it all worthwhile. And now we are trying to see how they can be redesigned and translated for use in non-English-speaking nations.
     Turning to another area, we would like to express special appreciation to Phil Cooper, now assisted by the Rev. David Simons, for work in developing videotapes of portions of the Scriptures. Looking to the use that could be made of such videos in homes, Sunday Schools and day schools, Phil has spent hundreds of hours in selecting readings, finding slides, and then recording the spoken Word. The work now completed includes a three-hour excerpt from Genesis, a three-hour excerpt from Exodus and, most recently, a three-and-one-half-hour excerpt from the Gospel of Matthew. Currently he is working on a combined Christmas and Easter video. While there have been many trials and hurdles in mastering the technical requirements of this project, what Phil is accomplishing on a volunteer basis is deserving of profound thanks.
     Last year, due to the kindly prodding and urging of some of our two thousand senior church members, we set in motion two projects to meet some of the needs of this "army of wisdom." Under the leadership of our publication editor, Donald Fitzpatrick, we published three pamphlets describing the states and uses of our senior years. We then also undertook, in conjunction with the Boynton Beach Society in Florida and the Academy College, to experiment with a one-week Eldergarten this winter.

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This may just turn into the type of program that will be desired in other parts of the world in the future.
     And as if all of these activities for adults were not enough, this June the college is hosting the meetings of the Education Council, with the Rev. Prescott Rogers as our very capable program chairman.
     Now both teachers and students can do curriculum research and study in the Reference and Curriculum Center in Cairncrest. This center, under the capable direction of Barbara Doering, is designed to provide teachers and school administrators access to much of the distinctive work done by New Church teachers of the past and present. The collection also includes "unit box" projects, Sunday School materials and standard reference works. All visitors to Bryn Athyn are welcome to stop by to see and feel the importance of this development.
     In highlighting the developing works and programs for adult education, we do not mean to suggest that not much is happening in the area of Preschool, Grade Level, and Family Lessons. Karen Schnarr, Christine Taylor and a team of assistants are doing a great deal to develop lessons and materials that meet the needs of a rapidly changing culture. The magazine, New Church Kids' Connection, for example, now goes to 1,200 homes all over the world four times a year. It has become a key ingredient in our uses. Next year we plan a full report of these areas of use.
     As you may have heard, I have informed the Bishop that I plan to retire as Director of the Office of Education in June of 1996. Naturally, much time has already been spent with the staff here, with the schools, and with the Bishop to discuss how leadership will be provided for the future. Lists of key qualifications have been drawn up and reviewed. If you have thoughts or suggestions about this, please contact either the Bishop or myself.

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     As for myself, I have always felt twice blessed-in the many wonderful uses that the Lord has allowed me to touch and in the quality and goodwill of students, parents and teachers who have offered so much friendship and support over the years. Perhaps I will go only far enough away in retirement so as not to cause trouble but still keep in touch with the ongoing uses of the Office of Education.
     Rev. Frederick L. Schnarr,
          Director
LIGHT IN MY DARKNESS 1995

LIGHT IN MY DARKNESS       Editor       1995

     This beautiful new paperback is selling well. It is for the most part the 1927 book My Religion but "revised and edited according to Helen Keller's original wishes." What those wishes were is explained by Dr. Ray Silverman in his preface. The original work is transformed in a most pleasing way. The volume also draws from Helen Keller's essays, letters and lectures, and has a new selection of photographs.
     We hope to have a review in our pages. Here are a few lines from page 33:

I have many times tried to recall the feelings that led me to take Swedenborg's interpretation of Christianity rather than my father's Presbyterianism . . . . The heart of a young girl sitting with a big book of raised letters on her lap in the sublime sunshine was thrilled by a radiant presence and inexpressibly endearing voice. There, with another of Swedenborg's books, Divine Love and Wisdom, spiritually bright, I read words that gave me eyes and gathered thoughts that quickened my ear.

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REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF EVANGELIZATION 1995

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF EVANGELIZATION       Rev. Grant R. SCHNARR       1995

     General Church Evangelization Committee

     The Evangelization Committee has been working in many areas to help foster and support the growth of the New Church. The aim of this committee is to build consensus about the value of organized evangelization within the General Church, and also to equip and support all ministers and congregations who would like to do a better job reaching out and providing a home for newcomers.
     With this aim in mind, the committee has provided for support in evangelization by putting on a church growth seminar for ministers and lay people in Ivyland in October of 1994. Over 100 people from all over North America attended this two-day seminar, which had for its theme "Becoming a More Welcoming Church." It was a wonderful time of learning, sharing, and rekindling the enthusiasm for this use. My thanks go out to Eric Carswell, Theresa McQueen, Roxanne Junge, and a whole group of people who worked so hard to make this seminar a success. With careful spending and charging a modest registration fee we just about broke even on the cost too!
     Just as in the education field, we plan to hold these seminars from time to time in different locations so that more people can get involved in this use. This way we can continue to grow in knowledge and understanding of the most useful ideas and methods in evangelization, to be inspired to try new things, and to receive support for the work they already do in this field. We will be holding our second seminar on February 9-11, 1996, at the Sunrise Chapel in Tucson, Arizona. This seminar will contain both material and instruction for those who know more than the basics about evangelization, and also general information for the novice to this work. Although individuals are welcome, we are encouraging teams to come from each church congregation, as we did in Ivyland.

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This may be more difficult for congregations farther away because of travel expenses, but we hope at least two can come from each congregation, if not more. Registration will be limited again because of the capacity of the facilities. Early registration will help ensure a place at this seminar for you and/or your team.
     This was an interesting year in evangelization. We took some significant steps forward in our church planting operations, continuing to develop the church in Seattle while launching another church planting operation in Boulder, Colorado. Erik and Ann Buss, as well as the entire congregation in Seattle, have worked hard at setting up a welcoming and friendly church. They have been establishing a positive identity in the Seattle area through advertising, flyers, special programs, and personal contact. As we expected, the first responses were few but steadily growing, indicating that the group is on the right track. And the number of visitors and inquirers is steadily growing. What is exciting is that already a handful of newcomers seem to have made their home at the Cascade New Church. (Last week they had six new visitors, also two who returned from the week before, as well as four new people who have been coming regularly since the ad campaign began!) On another front, Dave and Susan Roth have moved into Boulder, and have gathered a core group of General Church people numbering in the low 40's on Sundays. This is before beginning a formal advertising program! Already Dave has had some free publicity, a few visitors in church, and many inquiries. As the director, I am delighted with this preliminary response of the community, and also the positive response and commitment of the New Church members in the Denver area.
     In Chicago the church got off to a bumpy start early in 1994, four members leaving because of doctrinal differences. This was difficult, but the church membership rallied and visitors continued to come in, with some joining the ranks. Though the congregation had to absorb the additional loss of the Roths to Boulder, Kurt and Jenn Asplundh have been well received in Chicago, and the future looks steady and bright.

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This year the Chicago Tribune did a wonderful article on the church which gained national exposure from coast to coast in Tribune-owned newspapers. I also appeared on WGN radio for an interview, and am currently appearing on two cable television shows which Karen Fiel of the Convention and I put together about life after death and angels.
     In other areas of evangelization, the churches in Ivyland and Tucson hit new record highs in attendance this year, including a new Korean-speaking congregation developing under the leadership of John Jin in Ivyland! Recently Duncan Smith of Glenview spearheaded a joint project of the Immanuel Church and General Church evangelization, putting up a billboard on the Kennedy expressway in Chicago (probably one of the busiest expressways in the country). This 22-by-24-foot sign offers "Answers for a Better Life," including a phone number for more information, mention of Swedenborg's name, and the New Church logo.
     Besides these things and a few more, not much evangelization activity has been reported to me by other New Church centers. As work in evangelization continues in your area, please share with the rest of the church what you are doing. They need to know. It doesn't have to be the most dazzling growth campaign to be worth sharing. The day-to-day foundational work is just as important as any other evangelization activity. People find strength and hope for the church in others' reports of their efforts. Let's work together.
     This year I visited Ivyland once and Tucson twice to lead seminars, visited the Oak Arbor Society for their Swedenborg birthday banquet, and Bryn Athyn five times for Joint Committee, Advisory Council, and Evangelization Committee meetings. I also went to Seattle once and Boulder twice to help with these growing centers of evangelization, do reviews, and offer other support.
     The Missionary Memo this year focused on change within the church and becoming a more welcoming church, as well as talking about the church to inquirers.

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My thanks go out to Dave Roth who has now retired as my faithful co-editor, and to Kurt Hy. Asplundh who has joined on as the new co-editor, and who jumped right in, doing a good deal of work on the latest Memo. We've got some ideas about future issues, but could use your suggestions about themes and subjects you would like to see covered. I am also working on a pamphlet for church members which addresses how to answer basic questions about the church in one sentence or two. It is currently being edited and should be ready for publication soon.
     I look forward to becoming full-time Director of Evangelization very soon. When this happens I Will have more time for regular communication with those doing the work, and will be more free to visit established New Church centers to help with their evangelization. I will also be able to develop a stronger focus and leadership to this use. I look forward to your feedback about how the evangelization office and I can better serve you and the church in this new capacity.
     On behalf of the General Church I thank those who work on the evangelization committee and share the leadership in this field. I thank those who give not only their time but their money to this cause. I say this because some of these people are unsung heroes and wish to remain that way. But without strong and generous support from somebody, we wouldn't be accomplishing what we are today. I thank all who did what they could to help the Lord build His church in the hearts, minds, and lives of so many new people. It is working. Thank you.
EVANGELIZATION APPOINTMENT 1995

EVANGELIZATION APPOINTMENT       Editor       1995

     The Rev. Grant Schnarr has accepted appointment as full-time Director of the Office of Evangelization, effective July 1, 1995. Grant and his family will reside in Bryn Athyn.
     Rt. Rev. Peter M Buss

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ACADEMY ARCHIVES 1995

ACADEMY ARCHIVES       Archive Study Group(Multiple Authors)       1995

Introduction

     At the 1994 Charter Day banquet much of the data for the delightful program was publicly acknowledged as based on memorabilia and documents from the Academy Archives. This reference was to one of the most valuable and least known, utilized or appreciated assets of the Academy.

History

     In 1967 Eldric Klein was assigned the tremendous task of attempting to organize the mountains of memorabilia accumulated since the early days (1897) of the General Church and the Academy. The founders and immediate succeeding generations, realizing the importance of preserving the early history, were faithful in placing material in the archives. There were no ground rules or instructions; thus the archives became a deposit for not only valuable historical data but also material of little or no interest. Eldric labored faithfully in attempting to sort and index this material. Unfortunately, he did not have the resources, supplies or time to stay even with the incoming material.
     After nine years of loyal endeavor by Eldric Klein, the archivist responsibility was assigned to Lennart Alfelt on a part-time basis, as his real interest was in organizing the Swedenborgiana Collection. In 1980 David Glenn succeeded Lennart as archivist, and the Academy Archives were moved to the basement of Glencairn. For eight years David attempted to stay even with the incoming material, but it was an almost impossible task. The archives were then moved to the basement of the new Swedenborg Library, and Cynthia Walker, since then on a part-time basis, has been reorganizing the material, which has grown into a tremendous backlog of memorabilia.
     In 1989 the members of the Pitcairn families presented the John Pitcairn Archives, located in the Cairnwood garden house, to the Academy, and in 1991 work was also started at Glencairn to establish the Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn Archives.

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With these two additional archive facilities the President of the Academy, in November 1991, appointed an Archive Study Committee to "assess the actual condition of the existing collections and files and develop procedures for indexing, cataloging and retrieving material." In 1992 the committee took on the added responsibility to "inform the president on a regular basis during the academic year of the personnel, equipment, and supply requirements of the archive facilities and to report the progress and accomplishments of each archive."

Current Status of the Academy Archives


     The Academy Archives are located in the basement of the Swedenborg Library, and are the main archives of the Academy, the General Church, and Bryn Athyn. These archives contain historical material pertinent to the Academy, the General Church, Bryn Athyn, and their forerunners in the following approximate proportions:

     Academy, including affiliated organizations           55%
     General Church, including affiliated organizations      35%
     Bryn Athyn Church                               5%
     Other, including Bryn Athyn Boro and Church Members      5%

The John Pitcairn Archives

     The John Pitcairn Archives are located in the garden house and carriage house of the Cairnwood estate. The garden house contains memorabilia relative to the life of John Pitcairn, both a founder of the Academy and General Church and as a successful industrial entrepreneur. The carriage house contains the original beautifully renovated horse-drawn carriages owned by John Pitcairn.

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The Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn Archives

     The Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn Archives are located in a separate room on the ground floor of Glencairn. These archives contain memorabilia relating to the lives of Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn, including the building of the Bryn Athyn Cathedral and the building of Glencairn. In addition, the archives include data relating to Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn's active roles in community, church, and the political affairs of the country, with many letters of correspondence with Presidents Eisenhower and Nixon.

Utilization of the Archives

     All three archives are readily accessible to the members of the General Church and the Academy faculty and students. In addition, all archives are available, by appointment, to those who are interested in the general development of the New Church and its organizations, and secular topics such as the industrial revolution, and/or the politics of the Eisenhower and Nixon years. Tours of the archives or study visits can be made by contacting the archivist at each location.

Future

     The Archive Study Committee meets monthly during the academic year, and is extremely pleased with the increased interest and support of the archives. The committee is firmly dedicated to protecting, publicizing and making available the historical data of our church and the Academy in order that future generations will continually be revitalized by the understanding and appreciation of the foundations upon which the Academy and the General Church are based.
     It is hoped that more and more General Church organizations and individuals will recognize the importance of the archives and channel appropriate church historical memorabilia and documents to the archives for safekeeping and posterity.

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This can be promoted through programs such as the one at the 1994 Charter Day banquet; through increased utilization of the archives by the Academy faculty, students and alumni; and through periodic open houses. Since it was opened to the public in 1989, over 5,000 visitors have come to the John Pitcairn Archives.


     This Report Was Submitted by the Archive Study Group:


Joyce Bellinger      Archivist, Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn Archives
Barbara Buick      Assistant Archivist - Academy Archives
Walter Childs II      Secretary and Archivist, John Pitcairn Archives
Stephen Morley      Director, Glencairn
Carroll Odhner      Chair and Director, Swedenborg Library
Cynthia Walker      Archivist, Academy Archives
George Woodard      Honorary ANC Board Member
NO HARM FROM EVIL THOUGHTS 1995

NO HARM FROM EVIL THOUGHTS       Editor       1995

     It should be recognized that evil entering a person's thoughts does not do him harm; for spirits from hell are constantly pouring in evil, but angels are constantly driving it away. But when it enters the will, it does do harm, for it leads on to actions as often as external restraints do not hinder it. Evil enters the will when it is retained in one's thought, is approved of, and especially when it is acted upon and therefore delighted.
     Arcana Coelestia 6204

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PETERKIN CAMP 1995

PETERKIN CAMP       Rev. Erik Sandstrom       1995

     August 1994

     This was my first Peterkin Camp. As it progressed I automatically compared it with the early British Academy summer camps led by Rev. Frank Rose and with Rev. Alan Gill and myself as co-teachers. There was the same spirit of devotion to doctrine and the church, the same relaxed sphere of friendship, fun, song and games. That was the common denominator, while the difference was that the British camp was for young people (boys and girls), had school-type classes, examinations, grades and prizes, and was longer (two weeks as compared to four days). The Peterkin camp was family style, with programs for adults, young people and pre-schoolers.
     It was the second year at Peterkin, a conference center owned by the Episcopal Church and situated in a beautiful mountain tract in West Virginia, the western branch of the Potomac providing opportunities for both swimming and tubing (with accompanying sore armpits). There was dormitory room for all 85 of us. As in the previous year, the overall organizer was Rev. Patrick Rose, assisted by Rev. Peter Buss, Jr., who worked out the curriculum for the young people and children. Mrs. Brett (Becky) Snyder was "chief of staff" and did everything (a lot!) the ministers did not do. Other ministers on the instructional team were Rev. Grant Odhner and myself.
     While the theme of the first camp had been "Faith," that of the second was "Charity." (And to round off the series the theme for 1995 will be "The Doctrine of the Lord"). Three subjects on consecutive days were presented in lecture form, followed by coffee breaks and hour-long discussion groups. In the order they were given: I led off with a study of the application of doctrine to life, based on Doctrine of Life 48, which shows that the application areas are both in mind and in act. Peter based his talk on the Lord's miracles and the presence of the Divine mercy in all of them, and showed that our charity should image in spirit what the Lord did.

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Grant gave several examples of forms of charity, illustrated by charts, and applied them to our nearest neighbor, our spouse in marriage. Patrick gave the afternoon electives. He distributed a collection of passages which put the diversions of charity in the perspective of the primary forms (see Charity chapters VII-IX), and emphasized that pastime activities too, in the spirit of charity, should have a place in everyone's life.
     Classes for the young people and children and a program for the toddlers went on while the adults were engaged in the above studies. Several lay people as well as some ministers helped in running these very successful activities.
     There was morning and evening worship every day, and in addition a special Sunday service plus a late evening Holy Supper service the same day. We had access to a simple and dignified chapel, also to a good organ and a better organist in the person of Mrs. Fred (Carole) Waelchli. Morning and evening worship were held on "Prayer Hill," weather permitting-a bit of mountain climbing there!
     For the sports-minded there were, among other things, a soccer field, tennis courts, hiking trails, the Potomac, and the inevitable horse shoes.
     In addition to all the above there are three events that stand out in my memory with special pleasure: an unscheduled discussion on the porch the first evening; the campfire with the unrehearsed sing-along and the roasting of eatables the last evening; and the farewell ceremony at the flagpole.
     The discussion on the porch started out with eight or ten of us. Then people joined in in a steady stream, and camp chairs turned up and other chairs were brought out from the living room until there was "full house." Gradually the conversation focused on evangelization. There was unanimity as to substance, and diversion as to method. Yes, we should boldly tell the inquirer any and all of the essential doctrines, including the shunning-of-evil part, but should we worry about accommodation? Should we leave it to the Lord to care for the state of our friend, or should we try to learn his/her situation and accommodate to it?

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I think there were few, if any, young or old, who did not join in the conversation, and there were no voices raised. Midnight was not far away when we broke up.
     Three people had brought musical instruments. Somebody started singing, others joined in, then everybody joined in. The repertoire included Old Black Joe, Carry Me Back, Negro spirituals, and whatever anyone started up. Another late evening.     
     For the closing ceremony on Tuesday afternoon we marched from the dining hall to the flagpole carrying little red-and-white flags, preceded by the camp banner, and singing a special camp song. Patrick read from the Word and gave a summing-up speech, after which the oldest minister closed the camp with a prayer, the Lord's Prayer, and the benediction. Finally, Patrick and Becky were especially thanked and loudly applauded for near-flawless planning and organizing. The next camp will be held in the same place, August 12-15, 1995.
     Rev. Erik Sandstrom, Sr.

     [Photo of Peterkin Camp attendees]

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PETERKIN NEW CHURCH FAMILY CONFERENCE 1995

PETERKIN NEW CHURCH FAMILY CONFERENCE       Editor       1995

     August 12-15, 1995

     Please think about coming to the third New Church Family Conference at Peterkin. This year our theme is "The Lord our God." True Christian Religion says, "Salvation depends upon the knowledge and acknowledgment of God" (n. 98).
     This year our ministerial staff includes the Rev. Patrick Rose (Ohio), the Rev. Erik Sandstorm, Sr. (Bryn Athyn), the Rev. Peter Buss, Jr. (Washington, D.C.), the Rev. Robert Junge (Ivyland), and the Rev. Wendel Barnett (Toronto).
     The camp will run from Saturday, August 12 to Tuesday, August 15. The daily morning schedule begins with worship, followed by classes of study and discussion for adults. We will have a full program worked out for children of all ages, including instruction, arts and crafts, and music. Afternoons will be free for family recreation-hiking, swimming, ball games, tennis, horseback riding or just sitting on Gravatt porch reading and/or talking to friends. Optional afternoon discussions will be offered. After evening vespers on Prayer Hill, we will close our day with a gathering for a campfire, a talent night, or maybe even a dance. All meals will be served in the dining hall. Preparation and cleanup will be provided by the conference center staff.
     Registration forms are now available. Please contact Rebecca Snyder for a brochure and registration form, or check with your nearest church center.

     Rebecca Snyder
     6104 Lombard Street
     Cheverly, Maryland 20785
     (301) 772-6315

     Please try to get the forms to us by March 15, 1995. After that, forms will be processed on a first-come first-served basis. Once the camp is full, we will place people on a waiting list.
     Hope to see you there!

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ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH COLLEGE 1995

ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH COLLEGE       Editor       1995

     English Major Program

     The English Major Program leading to the baccalaureate degree is designed for the student wishing to pursue studies in English language and literature. Such a major not only gives the student a firm background and skills in reading, writing, and criticism-tools that are vital for effective work in large segments of society-but it also provides a solid foundation for graduate study in a number of disciplines.
     The major also immerses the student in the cultural wealth of literature written in English and in the translated literature of the rest of the world.
     
The program offers three tracks or emphases:
     
The basic Language and Literature Track includes supporting courses in philosophy, history, religion and language.
The Writing Track offers increased emphasis in writing, culminating in a Senior Writing Project, a major effort in some area of writing.
The Education Track emphasizes studies that could lead to a career in teaching English in upper elementary grades or in secondary school.

     The English major complements the majors we already offer in elementary education, religion, and inter-disciplinary studies. People can either begin a degree program here or transfer from another college. This year's graduates will include both traditional students and, for example, homemakers completing their college degrees after taking a few years off.
     Send applications for admission to: Director of Admissions, Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

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Editorial Pages 1995

Editorial Pages       Editor       1995

     RIVALRY BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN (2)

     A Warning about Women's Rights

     Some wives in the spiritual world who had striven to establish their status issued the following "warning" to men: ". . . to leave to wives their rights, and when they experience periodic states of coldness, not to regard their wives as inferior and treat them worse than they would servants" (CL 292).
     The rivalry between women and men can be on a delightful level of fun. The differences in the ways they think can provide genuine amusement. An example of this is given in what the Writings call a "pleasant" or "friendly" discussion that took place in the spiritual world. There was a lively give and take between the women and the men. At the conclusion of the discussion the wives said to the men: "To you it seems as though you love your wives, but you do not see that you are loved by your wives and so love them in return" (CL 330). They were right. It is a revolutionary truth, actually demonstrated in the other world, that women are the ones who love (see CL 161, 223). The final line of the "friendly discussion" has the men reduced to silence, and murmuring to themselves, "What then is conjugial love?"
     "Women have an interior perception of love, and men only an exterior perception" (CL 48). This is something borne out in the drama of married partners who meet each other after death. The wives easily recognize their husbands but the husbands are usually far slower to recognize their wives. The women in the discussion said to the men, "You know so little about the love of wives that it is hardly anything" (CL 330).
     We do not conclude that women are always right on the subject of love and marriage! In fact, when the discussion was on a woman's love of her own beauty, the men were right and the women were wrong!

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     This is not merely a matter of human opinion. We did not invent love. It comes from the Lord, and so does the truth concerning it. How do we know the men were right? "Some wives from heaven, who were beautiful because they were heavenly affections, heard this discussion and confirmed the three conclusions made by the men" (CL 330).
     Yes, it is fun to talk about the intriguing differences between the sexes, but there is a level at which this becomes sinister and destructive. The Writings tell us that when there is a striving for domination or control, there is a bitter enmity even under a friendly veneer. We will speak later about what the Writings reveal about the hellish aspects of this rivalry.
     We would conclude with what the Writings say is the source of "such rivalries familiar at this day." Ask yourself what brings these rivalries about. The Writings say they spring from "people's ignorance of true conjugial love and their lack of any perception or sensation of the blessings of that love" (CL 291). That is something to ponder.

     A PAPERBACK CALLED YANKEE PRESERVER

     Mr. Edward B. Lee, Jr. has published a few hundred copies of a small book. He says his book has little commercial attraction but might appeal to his family and friends and Yankees, especially those who know Vermont. Here is an author who calls himself "Teacher, Accountant, and Swedenborgian." We would like to share some of the passages relating to the Swedenborgian side.
     In a letter to teenage granddaughters he writes: "Develop from your Swedenborgian background your own code of conduct and your own set of values which is beyond peer pressure. Develop a pure conscience."
     Treasurers of church societies would appreciate his two short "reflections" on being a church treasurer. He quotes Divine Providence 210 which begins, "If you desire to be led by Divine Providence, use prudence as a servant that faithfully dispenses his master's goods."

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He insists it is not true that treasurers are always "damper" spirits. But he does disclose some of what treasurers tend to be up to in keeping church members from overspending, and then whispers that "confessions are good for the soul."
     Once Mr. Lee was attending a service at a Congregational church in Vermont when the preacher invited comments from the congregation on the story of the Garden of Eden. Mr. Lee stood and said, "I think the story is an allegory, not a history. It is a representation of the life of every man or woman who lives now, ever did live, or will live in the future. God alone is love, and truth and is the only gardener. We (mankind) can only be caretakers . . . . Once we are tempted to think that by our own efforts we can find happiness or reach eternal life, we will find only illusions such as pleasures of the intellect or the body, or lording it over lesser creatures. Then we have eaten of the fatal apple. But we don't have to. God has given us free choice so we can remain good followers, or weeders, and stay in the garden . . . . "
     When Mr. Lee had spoken, nobody said anything more. After the service he was besieged with individual questions.
     "Q.     Where did your idea come from? Can you interpret the Word of God?
     A.      No, I read the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, who did have Divine inspiration.
     Q.      Who was he? Could he talk to God?
     A.      God inspired him to be an enlightened penman, revealing heavenly secrets which he could write down to help people like me to rearrange their own communication with the Lord, Jesus Christ, who is God.
     Q.      Will you get to heaven by reading Swedenborg and not the Bible?
     A.      I read both. Nobody is promised salvation simply by reading; deeds count too.

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I have to work at what we Swedenborgians call regeneration, a process of shunning evils as sins. Sure, I'm a sinner because I covet, criticize others, am sometimes intellectually arrogant, and get mad at people, but I try to quit these things and cheerfully do a little good deed every day instead of waiting for a great one bye and bye."

     When Mr. Lee told his wife of this adventure, she said, "Better practice what you preach."
     One of the chapters says that money is not important as long as you have some. Getting more serious he says, "The Writings of Swedenborg state clearly that accumulation of wealth must not be the sole end in view, but only a means of being more useful to the Lord and the neighbor."
     In 1976 the United States was celebrating its bicentennial, and in January of that year Mr. Lee had an article in New Church Life. This is carried over into this patriotic volume as Mr. Lee talks of words and examples of the past and then says, "That puts our founding fathers squarely in the camp of the New Church, since Swedenborg's Writings state: 'Every man who looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins becomes a form of charity, provided that he honestly, justly, and faithfully carries out the work of his occupation and employment.'"

Note: Mr. Edward Lee passed into the spiritual world on February 10, 1995.
NOTHING ALLOWED UNLESS FOR GOOD 1995

NOTHING ALLOWED UNLESS FOR GOOD       Editor       1995

     Nothing is allowed to happen except to the end that something good may come out of it.
     Arcana Coelestia 6489

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TOGETHER AS ONE 1995

TOGETHER AS ONE       Editor       1995

     "Pamphlet" may not be the right word for this attractive folder produced by Rev. Grant Schnarr. It is particularly well suited to having on hand at New Church weddings in case guests are interested. As New Church Life reported some eighty weddings last year, the usefulness of such an item is evident.
     The sub-title is "New Church Teachings on Love and Marriage." Here are some selections.
     The Writings of the New Church, given through Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), tell us that there is a love which is so special that it rises above every other love. It is called "conjugial love." Conjugial love is true marriage love, a love which can thrive within the marriage of a husband and wife, giving them the greatest blessings possible as they live, work and grow together as partners in life. This love is not necessarily confined to what we typically think of as romantic love, but is something much deeper, spiritual and enduring. Therefore, in the marriage ceremony we speak of this love as being "celestial, spiritual, holy, pure and clean . . . . "
     Marriages have their challenges. If a couple believes they will get by on love alone, they may be in for some rough realizations. Love needs to be clothed in truth. The teachings of the Lord's Word are that clothing. They give a person structure for that love, and like clothing, they protect the love-from harm. For instance, many marriages are challenged by times of temptation. Whether these temptations entail sexual allurement, power struggles, or conflict of values, shunning selfishness and wandering lusts as sins against God and as hurtful to marriage guards against the destructive forces that would harm our love relationships. People make mistakes, and everyone has their ups and downs in marriage, but when religion and marriage walk hand in hand, the means for continued development remain at hand.

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GETTING HELP FROM THE WORD 1995

GETTING HELP FROM THE WORD       William A. Hall       1995




     Communications
Dear Editor:
     Most people acknowledge they need help at certain times. For example, in times of "distress, temptation, trouble" we pray to the Lord for help. An article worthy of wider circulation is "Praying" by Rev. Terry Schnarr (New Church Courier, Hurstville Society, Australia, September 1992). So is the same writer's article "Prayer" in the June 1994 Courier.
     I would like to mention four items from NCL which are helping me formulate new ways of adjusting to reality. I refer to "A Rock Higher Than Ourselves" by Rev. Erik E. Sandstorm (NCL July 1990); "Holy Supper, An Invitation" by Rev. Grant H. Odhner (NCL January 1993); "God Has Made Me Laugh" by Rev. Christopher D. Bown (NCL April 1993); and "Filled with Hope" by Rev. Mark Pendleton (NCL August 1993).
     I would be happy to give quotes, but I am sure it is part of the reader's joy of discovery to find and love the quote that opens the mind for that particular reader.
     William A. Hall,
          Queensland, Australia
IN RUSSIA, A HOMEOPATHIC CONNECTION 1995

IN RUSSIA, A HOMEOPATHIC CONNECTION       Leonard Fox       1995

Dear Editor:
     In the February 1994 issue, page 84, as a postscript to an article entitled "The Influence of Swedenborg on Russian Culture" (January 1993), I quoted from the 1888 minutes of the Swedenborg Society. The minutes mentioned a Dr. Boyanus. Here is a further quotation and then some new information.

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     "An interesting letter from Mr. James A. Besant, Orenburg [illegible], Samara, Russia, was read, in which an offer of the manuscripts in Russian of the AR, CL, AC from 4635 to end, the Psalms, the Gospels, W[hite] H[orse], NC and the NJ, D. Life, Charity, and fragments of the AC, translated by V. A. Klenovsky, a Russian Nobleman and at one time a large landowner in the government of Chansoff [?], afterwards serving under A. N. Muravieff, governor of the province of Nizhniy Novgorod; also the manuscripts of the Psalms, translated by Muravieff, an introduction to the translation of the New Testament, and the Apocalypse interpreted according to the spiritual sense by the celebrated Russian philologists Vladimir Ivanovich Dahl. The offer is made by Dr. Boyanus, a well known Russian homeopathic doctor, a sincere admirer of Swedenborg's Writings."
     Some interesting new information has recently come to light concerning both of these individuals. In a new book by Dr. T. D. Popova entitled Materia Medica: Homeopathic Medicines (in Russian), published in Moscow in 1992, the author writes, on pages 14 and 15:

     Doctor V. Dahl [while he was in Orenburg] became convinced of the effectiveness of homeopathic medicine, and from that time on became a champion of homeopathy and promoted its dissemination.
     When V. Dahl was sent by the Court Office to the Royal Hospital in Nizhniy Novgorod, one of those working under him was K. Boyanus, who was using homeopathic medicines in the surgery department, and who had written a book called Experience in the Application of Homeopathy to Surgery. He was also the author of a monograph, Homeopathy in Russia, published in 1882. His sons also became homeopathic physicians. K. Boyanus was an honorary member of the New York Medical Faculty, and represented Russian homeopathy at the International Homeopathic Congress in Chicago.

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His impressions of this forum were published in Russian homeopathic journals. In one of these articles, K. Boyanus wrote: "I am totally convinced that the results of homeopathic treatment surpass all therapeutic methods until now; I am convinced that there are no illnesses, nor will there be any, which can be beyond the range of homeopathic therapy."

     It would be fascinating to know if Dr. Boyanus met any New Church people during his stay in Chicago. In view of the close relationship between homeopathy and the New Church in nineteenth-century America, it seems almost inevitable that he did. Perhaps a search of some of the journals of the time would reveal something more about the "Russian connection" of the New Church at that time.
     Leonard Fox,
          Bryn Athyn, PA
NEWSEARCH 1995

NEWSEARCH       Rev. William Ross Woofenden       1995

     Dear Editor:
     While I find myself in complete sympathy with everything that the Rev. Erik J. Buss said about the fine new Windows version of NewSearch in the January 1995 edition, I do think it should not be lost sight of that there are still a few posthumous theological works of Swedenborg that are not included, and it is my hope that in the not-too-distant future those gaps can be filled.
     I also quite sympathize with the fundamental reason for these omissions: in each case the missing document has no paragraph numbers in the Standard Edition of the Swedenborg Foundation. This makes it difficult either to search for or identify passages. However, most of these works have had paragraph numbers supplied in Swedenborg Society, London, editions.

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The only one which seems to defy any simple way to number is Prophets and Psalms. But the other ones omitted (that I am aware of): On the Divine Love, On the Divine Wisdom, The Athanasian Creed, and On the Lord (De Domino) have all been published by the Swedenborg Society with paragraph numbers for reference supplied. It would seem logical to accept their numbering system as a standard and use the same numbering both in NewSearch and in the redesigned Standard Edition which is currently being published. (At the moment, the out-of-print volumes are being given top priority, but the plan is to redo the whole set, using as a base the same scanned text used in NewSearch.)
     It is, in fact, my intent to see that the British paragraph numbers are included in the appropriate volumes as the redesigned volumes are prepared for press.
     Rev. William Ross Woofenden,
          Sharon, MA
SWEDENBORG THE MYSTIC 1995

SWEDENBORG THE MYSTIC       Wilson Van Dusen       1995

Dear Editor:
     I would like to answer Mr. Tatsuya Nagashima (NCL Jan. 1995, pp. 37-39). I quite well recall the debate on whether Swedenborg was a mystic. The debate turned on the meaning of the word "mystic." I used the generally accepted definition that a mystic is simply one who has had the direct experience of God. Anyone who knows Swedenborg would then classify him as a mystic. My opponent was using a rare definition of the mystical as what is obscure. I have just finished writing a book surveying the experience of God in all the major religions. In it many mystics are quoted. Swedenborg appears prominently as the most quoted of the mystics.

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This is not because I favor him, but because he has given us the most detailed and extensive guidance of all of them. So, yes, I agree with you, Swedenborg is not only a mystic but quite possibly one of the greatest.
     Wilson Van Dusen,
          Ukiah, California
FREDERICK EMANUEL DOERING FUND and CANADIAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND 1995

FREDERICK EMANUEL DOERING FUND and CANADIAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND       Editor       1995

          Applications for assistance from the above funds for Canadian male and female students resident in Canada attending the Academy of the New Church in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, for the school year 1995-96 should be received by one of the pastors listed below by the end of April if at all possible.
     Ideally, acceptance for admission to the Academy should precede application for financial aid, but because academic acceptance (including processing of transcripts from other schools, etc.) can take several months to complete, the Academy business office needs to get started on the financial arrangements before then. Grants are usually assigned in the spring, hence the early deadline.
     In addition, students from western Canada may be eligible for travel assistance and even for another special grant. The vision is that no Canadian student who really wants to attend the Academy should be barred from doing so for financial reasons.
     For more information, help or application forms write:

Rev. M. D. Gladish      Rev. G. G. Alden           Rev. M. K. Cowley
279 Burnhamthorpe      9013 - 8th St.           40 Chapel Hill Drive
Etobicoke, Ontario      Dawson Creek, B.C.     Kitchener, Ontario
M9B 1Z6                    V1G 3N3                    N2G 3W5

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CHURCH SUMMER SCHOOLS AND CAMPS 1995

CHURCH SUMMER SCHOOLS AND CAMPS       Editor       1995

     Summer schools are very much a part of the life of the General Church. The British Academy Summer School started as a camp in the 1940s, and became a summer school around 1959. For 35 years it has provided special education to the youth of Great Britain and Europe. Many from the United States have also attended.
     The largest camp is the Laurel Family Camp, which is held in a state park near Pittsburgh. Last year it ran for three weeks in July and August with 342 people participating. This year the three consecutive week-long camps will begin on July 23, July 30 and August 6. This will be the 25th year of Laurel!
     Arizona Mountain Camp ran for three days in July, attended by 85 people. More than a hundred people attended Sunrise Camp in New Jersey the last week of August. This year the camp will be near New Hope, Pennsylvania from August 22nd to 27th. Sixty-five attended Camp Winding Waters in Oregon last August; 32 people attended Pineneedle Camp the same month in Sudbury, Massachusetts.
     Some camps are for special age groups, for example the Academy Secondary Schools camp (see February issue, p. 60). It is becoming easier to find a camp suited to the needs of family or individual.
JOURNAL OF DREAMS IN JAPANESE 1995

JOURNAL OF DREAMS IN JAPANESE       Editor       1995

     Mr. Yasuyuki Suzuki has translated the Journal of Dreams into Japanese, and now 5,000 copies have been printed by Tama Publishing Company of Tokyo. This company has also published one of Brian Kingslake's books and also Mr. Suzuki's translation of Window to Eternity. Published by the Swedenborg Foundation, Window to Eternity by Brace Henderson has served as an excellent introduction to the Writings.

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MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENT 1995

MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENT       Editor       1995




     Announcements






     The Rev. Fred Chapin has accepted appointment as the acting pastor of the Charlotte, North Carolina Circle effective July 1, 1995. This appointment results from the fact that the Rev. Bill Burke will be retiring at that time. Mr. Burke has served as pastor of this circle since 1989.
     Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss

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Angels in Action 1995

Angels in Action       Editor       1995

     WHAT SWEDENBORG SAW AND HEARD

     Robert H. Kirven

     "Angels live in communities, wear clothes, and have no wings! So said Emanuel Swedenborg, Swedish scientist and seer, who, for the last twenty-seven years of his life, visited heaven and hell almost daily and met angels and evil spirits. Swedenborg's visions and the meaning they can have in our lives are explained in this remarkable book. Kirven also shows how angels work for us from birth through death and how we can be angels on earth."
     Published 1994 by
Chrysalis Books
Imprint of the Swedenborg Foundation
ISBN 0-87785-147-6
     Softcover 112 pages U.S. $8.95 plus postage US. $1.25
     General Church Book Center               Hours: Mon-Fri 9-12 or by appointment
Box 743, Cairncrest                          Phone: (215) 947-3920
Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

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Notes on This Issue 1995

Notes on This Issue       Editor       1995


Vol. CXV          April, 1995               No. 4
New Church Life

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     An arresting passage in Conjugial Love speaks of a couple being "comforted with the hope" of their marriage continuing after death.
     The passage is quoted in the sermon by Rev. Douglas Taylor. Do Your friends outside the New Church have the thought of marriage continuing after death? Perhaps they are troubled by a saying in the Gospels on this subject. Mr. Taylor's sermon can be a reassurance and an inspiration.
     Rev. Alfred Acton, head of the General Church Translation Committee, announces in this issue the publication this month of the new translation of Married Love or Conjugial Love (see page 109).
     Rev. Fred Schnarr provides in this issue an overview of various activities in the department of education, while Rev. Grant Schnarr reports on the work of evangelization.
     New Church Life received in the mail an early copy of a book by Mr. Edward Lee of Pittsburgh. We were just making selections from the book to share with readers when the news came that Mr. Lee had died not many days after seeing it published. (See page 131.)
     Important resources are sometimes not even known about. We are glad to provide in this issue information about the archives. (See page 121.)

     Maple Leaf Academy 1995

     This year the camp will run from June 21 through June 29 in Ontario's Muskoka region. This is a camp for teenagers. If you will have completed one or more years of high school by June of 1995, write for an application to Sue Bellinger, 110 Chapel Hill Drive, Kitchener, Ontario, N2G 3W5, Canada. Phone (519) 748-5386.

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VEIL WAS TORN IN TWO 1995

VEIL WAS TORN IN TWO       Rev. ERIC H. CARSWELL       1995

     "Jesus, when He had cried out again with a loud voice, yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom" (Matt. 27:50, 51).

     The joy of Easter is the joy of the risen Lord. He conquered death and hell, rising to greet the women who came to the sepulcher, and later the disciples. Why are His life and His resurrection so important to us today?
     The purpose of Jesus' life in the world is central to the doctrine of the New Church. His unseen battles against the power of evil, and His work of uniting His natural life with the infinite and invisible God, began very early in His childhood and continued to His final temptation on the cross (see AC 2776:2, AE 220:5). Jesus said, "'It is finished'; and He bowed His head and gave up the spirit" (John 19:30). With the end of this last temptation, the veil of the temple was torn in two, revealing the most holy inner sanctuary. The simultaneous occurrence of this event with the end of the Lord's final temptation represents the effect of His lifetime of work.
     The veil that was torn in two in the temple of Jerusalem had the same function as the inmost veil in the tabernacle. In the tabernacle there were three veiled doorways, each of which, in series, admitted to a more interior, more sacred part of the tabernacle. The outermost served as the entrance to the courtyard of the tabernacle. The second veil served as the entrance to the interior of the tabernacle itself, giving admittance to the Holy Place. The inmost veil was within the tabernacle itself and separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. This inmost veil hid the most holy object in the tabernacle, the golden ark which contained the Ten Commandments.
     The Holy of Holies was so sacred that, except under extraordinary circumstances, it was to be entered only one day a year, and then only by the high priest after elaborate preparations of ritual cleansing (see Leviticus 16).

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The solitary day on which the priest entered the inmost sanctuary was the Day of Atonement. The detailed ritual that was performed on that day represented an atonement for all the sins of the Children of Israel. In addition to the entrance of the high priest into the Holy of Holies, the outstanding feature of the ritual included choosing one of a pair of goats to serve as that year's scapegoat. That goat had the sins of the Israelites symbolically transferred to it, and then was led off into the wilderness to carry these sins away from the people.
     The ritual of atonement represented both the process of the Lord's glorification and the redemption of the human race (see AC 9670:5, 6; 9506). It represented the Lord's work of removing evil loves from a person who is doing his own work of repentance. The ritual did not by itself remove any evil from the Israelites. It was an act of worship that represented an idea that had been clearly understood by an earlier and wiser church. In the purity of that earlier church, called the Ancient Church, all rituals were external forms that expressed the hearts and ideas of the people. In the case of the ritual of atonement, the people of the Ancient Church would have taken part in it with a spirit of genuine repentance and a desire to have the Lord remove the influence of evil loves from their thoughts and acts. Gradually this understanding was lost and the dominant concerns in people s lives became more worldly and self-centered.
     In the Lord's providence the rituals continued to be performed by people who didn't know what their actions were really supposed to mean. The Lord's church with the ancient Israelites was not a genuine church led by wisdom and love, but rather merely represented, or had rituals that looked like those of, a genuine church. The internal or spiritual life of love to the Lord and charity to the neighbor could not exist with them. In everything of their worship these internal things had to be closed up or veiled over to prevent the terrible damnation that would come to those who knew and intentionally twisted these things.

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The people of that church did not see the Lord and Divine truth clearly. Both the true nature of the Lord and the genuine meaning of His words were hidden in darkness for them. This darkness was to end with the Lord's advent. The ritual forms of worship that were empty of genuine love and understanding were to come to an end at that time.
     The ordering of the spiritual world accomplished by the Lord's glorification allowed for a new revelation of truth to human beings. The veil that had hidden the genuine qualities of a true church was torn in two by this revelation. The laws and rituals that had been handed down from the Ancient Church were unfolded to reveal the Lord's love and wisdom that had been hidden. Once again, a church could be established which had love and charity as the internal life within the external acts of its worship and daily actions. The revelation of these qualities of a true church was accomplished through the Lord's glorification. We might wonder why this revelation couldn't have been accomplished through a prophet or someone like Moses. Further written revelation by itself would have been as useless to the human race as a booklet of instructions would be to someone in a pitch dark room. An inner light was necessary for truth to be seen by each individual human being.
     The veil that had hidden the truth from human understanding was torn in two through the Lord's battles with the hells and ordering of the heavens. Light could once again shine forth from the Lord to the people of His church. An image of this new presence of the Lord was represented by the veil in front of the Holy of Holies being torn in two at the end of the Lord's final temptation on the cross (see AC 4772).
     There is a second meaning to this miraculous event that accompanied the completion of the Lord's work. This second meaning illustrates why the Lord needed to glorify His Human, or in other words, make it completely unified with the Infinite God.

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We are told in the opening of the gospel of John that "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God . . . . That was the true Light, which gives light to every man who comes into the world" (John l:1, 9). "The Word" here means the Divine truth (AC 4687:3). The Divine truth flowing down through heaven was the light that had enlightened all people from the time of the Most Ancient Church. Before the coming of the Lord into the world, spiritual light and life flowed from Jehovah to people and spirits through the angels of the highest heaven (see AC 6371:2). But at the time just prior to the advent, this spiritual light and life could no longer affect the human race because people had turned so far away from a love of good and a knowledge of truth. The people of the world, through an accumulation of evil tendencies, had removed themselves from light and cast themselves into darkness (see AC 3195).
     The influx of Divine light and life flowing through the highest or celestial angels could no longer reach people to enlighten them and thereby preserve their spiritual freedom. It could not accomplish this task because it was not purely the Lord's light and life. It was tainted by the impurities of the angels as it descended through heaven. In this sense, the angels were the inner veil of the tabernacle that hid the ark or the Lord Himself (see AC 2576:2). In its most degenerate state, the human race could not receive spiritual light from heaven or be led by it to a sight of the Lord (see AC 2814; 1894; AC 400:14). If this state of spiritual darkness had become complete, all human beings would have perished.
     To prevent this universal destruction, the Lord effected His coming in the flesh. The gospel of John states, "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). The Lord was born into the world, taking on from Mary a finite human form like that of any other human being (see AC 3061). As to His natural body Jesus was the son of Mary, but His soul was the God Jehovah. As the infant Jesus grew and developed, He had to learn the truths of the Word in the same manner in which we do.

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In this way He took into His mind the statements of the Word that were no longer seen by people in the world to contain Divine truth (see AC 2813). The Lord then allowed Himself to be tempted so that He might expel from Himself all that was limited or merely human, until nothing but the Divine remained (see AC 2814, 2816). By means of continual temptations in which His thoughts and loves were attacked by evil spirits, and by continual victories in these battles, the Lord simultaneously subjugated the hells (returned them to their proper place and influence) and provided a new order for the angels of heaven to follow (see AE 400:14). By conquest in temptation the Lord rose above limitations, revealing the flaws in each false idea or less-than-perfect love as He did so. With each victory His Human drew ever closer to a complete correspondence with the infinite Divine itself. This is what is meant by the glorification.
     The Lord by His last temptation, endured in Gethsemane and upon the cross, completed the work which He had begun in His childhood. His Human became one with the Divine Itself by dispersing the last of the limitations He had taken on in the world (see AC 2576:5). The completion of this work is also signified by the tearing of the veil of the temple (see AC 2576:5, 9670:4; AE 220:5, 400:14).
     It is absolutely essential to the purpose of the Lord's glorification or ascension to the Divine good that He did not effect merely a temporary parting of the veil during His ascent. The veil was torn in two from top to bottom. The Lord by His life of temptation and victory opened the way to the Divine Itself through His Divine Human. The glorification opened the way for the light of Divine truth to proceed to the human race and enlighten even those who were in deep spiritual darkness (see AC 3195). The Divine truth from the Divine Human can now flow into the mind of every person who is in the faith of charity, providing the spiritual equilibrium needed for salvation (see AC 2776:3). By reestablishing this equilibrium, the Lord redeemed all people from unavoidable damnation.

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The Lord can now be with each and every person and lead all toward heaven even by the natural things of their minds (see ibid.). By means of the glorification the Lord opened the way for light to flow down to all people in a manner never possible before that time. The veil that had hidden the light of Divine truth from mankind was rent in twain.
     There is a second reason for emphasizing the continuing effect of the Lord's work that is signified by the tearing of the inmost veil. The Lord came into the world and assumed the Human not only to redeem the human race, but also to make Himself visible (see TCR 786). The Lord did not disappear forever from human sight when He cast off the remaining vestiges inherited from Mary. He did not unite His Human to the Divine Itself only to be as remote from us as He had been before that unition. On Easter morning the sepulchre was indeed empty. All that had been received from Mary had been put off (see AC 2288). We are not to look to the material body which died on the cross (see Lord 32:8). That was not the Lord Himself. The women who came to the sepulchre early Easter morning were told, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen" (Luke 24:5,6). The Lord had risen. He had become one with the infinite Divine good (see AC 9199). But the veil that had hidden the true nature of the Lord from human beings was torn in two with His ascent. Even after His final victory in temptation, the Lord could appear to people in human form as the visible Lord. While it is true that we cannot see the infinite Divine itself, we are to worship a visible God in whom is the Divine good itself as a soul in a body (see TCR 787). God is now visible to those who seek Him in His Word and live according to what they learn. With the completion of the Lord's work in this world, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom, revealing the inmost sanctuary.
     There are many things about the Lord's work and His life in this world that strain our understanding or surpass it completely.

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We need not be too concerned over our lack of understanding of some of the particulars of these things. However, the universals are within everyone's grasp. The Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah, came into the world to subjugate the hells and to glorify His Human; and without this no mortal could have been saved. The work that accomplished our redemption took place throughout Jesus' whole life. The passion of the cross was but the final temptation in a series that had begun early in His childhood. When Jesus conquered in this last temptation, His work was complete. Jesus conquered and rose from the sepulcher as our Savior and Redeemer, the Lord, the one God of heaven and earth. He is now visible to all who seek Him. The veil of the temple is torn in two. His light can shine out and we can see in to behold our Lord and God.
     Amen.

Lessons: Leviticus 16:3-10, 20-22; Matt. 28:1-10; TCR 787 MAPLE LEAF ACADEMY 1995

MAPLE LEAF ACADEMY       Editor       1995

      June 21st - June 29th, 1995

     A New Church Camp for Teenagers

Write or call for an application!
Sue Bellinger, 110 Chapel Hill Drive, Kitchener, Ontario,
N2G 3W5. Phone: (519) 748-5386.
Maple Leaf Academy is sponsored by the General Church in Canada.

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DO THE WRITINGS CONTAIN SCIENTIFIC REVELATIONS? 1995

DO THE WRITINGS CONTAIN SCIENTIFIC REVELATIONS?       Dr. LEON JAMES       1995

     Professor of Psychology at the University of Hawaii

     Dr. Wilson Van Dusen raises several important issues in his reply1 to my analysis of religious vs. secular Swedenborgianism. At issue here is the way in which people think of the Writings as the Word. According to Van Dusen, "A definition of the sacred is that it is true for everyone. That is what makes it sacred. Because of this I see the Writings as the Word." In other words, since we can see for ourselves that the Writings are universally true, therefore the Writings must be sacred, or the Word. But this secular view is exactly the inverse of what the Writings indicate as the rational order. In the religious view, the assumption is that the Writings are the Word, and the conclusion is that the Writings are sacred and true for everyone.
     There is a similar distinction one can point out in Dr. Van Dusen's use of the concept "universal": "I, in contrast, see over and over in the Writings that they are clearly referring to the universal. Because of my personal love for the universal I am inclined to seek it everywhere, while Leon James feels bound to the Writings as the only truth.
     The secular view carries the idea that anyone who is good and loves truth for its own sake is spiritual and is entitled to heavenly life. In this view there are many paths to truth and many varieties of paths to it. There is no fixed and absolute truth for all. One individual's truth may not be another's However, the religious view found in Swedenborg is that heavenly life is given to those who acknowledge the Writings as the Word, and then suffer themselves to be regenerated by the Lord.
     To acknowledge the Writings and the Old and New Testaments as the Word means to designate them as the only source of truth, so one individual's truth will also be another's.

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To suffer oneself to be regenerated by the Lord means to live according to one's understanding of the Word. Thus all forms of culture and science must fit and harmonize with the truth in the Word. The Writings insist on following these two conditions as the only means by which we can acquire a heavenly character.
     There is some danger that the exposition, side by side, of a religious and a secular view might lead some to conclude that the religious view somehow denigrates the secular. Dr. Van Dusen refers to this several times in his reply. To quote just one example: "Under Leon James' definition a few thousand people on earth are spiritual and the vast majority, over five billion people, are not." In fact, it is revealed in the Writings that no one was spiritual-not one, not a few thousand. Yes, the entire population of earth was secular. This is what made the Second Advent necessary at this time in the history of the race. All spirituality had been lost, and among all the books that survived in the libraries and archives of the world, not one was spiritual. This fact is asserted many times in the Writings, as shown below.

The Writings Are in a Unique Position

     One can therefore say from the religious point of view that only the Word and its derivative revelations in other religions are spiritual, and all other books are natural. To show that this is not a dogmatic attitude that excludes non-Swedenborgians, I quote from several passages in the Writings:

Religion . . . is not a stumbling-block to those who believe that all things are of Divine Providence. These inquire wherein this Providence lies . . . . Of the Lord's Divine Providence . . . religion was raised up for the wiping out of the idolatries of many nations . . . . [Even] polygamy is not a sin with those with whom it exists from religion . . . [though] they remain natural and do not become spiritual . . . [and] after death they have a heaven of their own and there have delight in enjoyments according to their life . . . .

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For every nation the Lord provides a universal means of salvation . . . . In whatever religion people may live they can be saved . . . . Since, then, everyone in every religion knows the evils and falsities from evils that must be shunned, and having shunned them knows the goods that must be done and the truths that must be believed, it is clear that this is provided by the Lord as the universal means of salvation with every nation that has any religion. . .Christians see this from the Word, Mohammedans from the Koran, and Gentiles from their religious principle . . . .

It was told me that there is a book among the Mohammedans which is common in their hands in which some pages were written by correspondences, like the Word with us, from which pages there is some light in the heavens. Knowledge and consequent acknowledgment of God are not possible without revelation . . . . for it is by the revelation given to the human race that the individual is able to approach God and to receive influx, and thereby from being natural to become spiritual . . . . The primeval revelation extended throughout the world, but it was perverted by the natural mind in many ways, which was the origin of religious disputes, dissensions, heresies, and schisms . . . the natural mind is not capable of any perception of God, but only of the world. Consequently, . . . the natural self is opposed to the spiritual self, and . . . they contend against each other. This explains why those who have learned from the Word or other revelation that there is a God have differed and still differ respecting the nature and the unity of God (see CL 342, 348; LJ Post. 98; TCR 11:4, 833; AE 1180).

     Thus the Word and derivative revelations given to other religions are the only spiritual books. With a religious approach one acknowledges the Lord in Divine revelation and then is willing to undergo the process of regeneration A non-spiritual approach makes use of secular books or uses spiritual books as if they were secular. Contemporary psychology books about human growth, personality adjustment, or psychological functioning are not yet spiritual since they are dealing with mental phenomena strictly from the external rational perspective, which is always secular, purely natural.

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     This is true, in my estimation, even of "Christian pastoral" counseling and therapy today, since these are based on the views and theories of secular psychologists such as Freud, Rogers, Erikson, or Ellis, to which a religious context is given by treating God as a topic in the therapy session, and by using Bible passages for comfort and homework. The core psychology of the therapy, however, is not the process of regeneration through temptations, but secular views on motivational conflicts, unresolved developmental stages in childhood, or emotional maladjustment aggravated by social stress. In the future I expect the advent of dualist psychology, in which internal rational concepts and methods from revelation will create psychological theories and explanations that are spiritual-natural, not merely natural. For example, mental health is not merely a function of neurochemistry, social stress, and maladjustment, all of which are external causative agents in the life of a person. The spiritual view sees these external agents as consequences rather than causes. The actual causes of mental health stem from the growth of the internal church within each individual through the marriage of good and truth.2 This is a spiritual theory since the source of good and truth is influx from God. The laws and mechanisms of this influx have also been revealed.

Science and Revelation

     In Allen Bedford's response3 to my article on secular and religious Swedenborgianism,4 Mr. Bedford echoes the general belief that the task of science is a limited one and cannot be expected to include the investigation of natural events that are spiritually revealed, such as New Testament miracles, the virgin birth, the process of regeneration, and life on the moon. Investigating miracles and the incarnation scientifically is not appropriate according to this view.

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Only natural facts discovered by observation can be scientifically investigated.
     As a practicing scientist for thirty-five years, and an active contributor to the research in my field of psychology, I am well positioned to observe and understand what the scientific method is and what can be investigated scientifically. Thus far I have not seen any scientific evidence showing that science is necessarily limited in its scope, or that it is not capable of investigating some natural fact or topic, such as the influence of spirits on our thoughts and emotions while we still live in a physical body. Science, as I have known it, has no mandate for ignoring mechanisms of influence observable in this world, such as our actions. The brain cannot be the origin of our actions; it is the mind that originates actions through the brain. The mind is a spiritual-natural entity, not a merely natural one. Science, to remain valid and rational, must necessarily investigate and explain phenomena that are spiritual-natural. These are phenomena whose observable effects are natural and whose causal mechanisms, by which they occur, are spiritual.

Scientific Revelations

     The belief that science is limited or impotent in some ways is therefore not a scientific fact but an opinion or point of view that someone might come to adopt. It is equally possible and scientific to take another point of view on science, or within science, as I have done. This is the point of view that science is a tool of the rational mind and is shaped by it. Rational investigations form the content of modern science. Science grows and changes, sometimes in explosive or revolutionary ways, but it never lets go of the rational method. This is the essence of science.
     Swedenborg is the architect of a scientific revolution, a paradigm shift which may be called Nunc Licet, which has fashioned for scientists of the modern era a new methodology which may be called dualist science. In this new point of view, the universe is dual: natural and spiritual.

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We are born into the state of dual citizenship. There is only a methodological or technical separation between New Church theology and science, between New Church ministers and dualist scientists. Science is "dualist" when it adopts the premise that the spiritual (or "mental") world is as real as the natural (or "physical"). With this premise in the background, dualist scientists are given the professional and methodological warrant to construct theories and models about natural events which include spiritually revealed concepts.

New Church Ministers as Scientists

     In order to see the similarity between dualist science and New Church rational intellectualism, symbolized by the phrase Nunc Licet, consider General Church sermons. My content analysis shows that they make assertions about psychological and economic facts, about human nature, about why there are sociological differences among peoples, about how the cognitive and the affective mind interact, about physiological correspondences, and many more. Sermons actually contain a lot of facts about our daily life and earthly environment. In that sense they are observational or empirical. Being empirical is an essential component of science because it forces scientists to make testable assertions about our environment.
     Similarly, assertions about people's lives and conduct which are made by ministers in their sermons are empirical statements or hypotheses, since their validity may be argued and shown to be valid or invalid. Sermons are not true because they were written by accredited ministers or because they are based on the Writings. Blind faith fosters dogma or mystery; rational faith, on the other hand, offers us a methodology of invalidation, by which we can judge according to our understanding whether we should assent or dissent. This capability of shoving that an explanation is wrong is another essential component of science.

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It is clear, then, that the intellectual process which New Church ministers perform when creating a New Church sermon is essentially the same as the intellectual process scientists perform when creating a scientific theory or model. The common basis is the rational mind operating on empirical observation. New Church theology (unlike non-Swedenborgian theology) is a purely rational system that invokes science as a constant tool and companion for establishing valid theories by which to understand the entire created universe. My first reaction to reading Swedenborg's Arcana Coelestia fifteen years ago was to see it as the science textbook in psychology that I had been searching for. I referred to the Writings as "an eyewitness report of the spiritual world by an empirically oriented psychologist." Of course I was committed to a paradigm shift in science from materialism to a dualist recognition of the reality of the spiritual world. To a scientist who is committed to dualism, Swedenborg's Writings appear as scientific works.

Why the Writings Contain Scientific Revelations

     The fact that Swedenborg described himself as writing revelation ("the Heavenly Doctrine") and not merely psychological or biological science does not in and of itself disqualify the Writings from being considered valid scientific works. Swedenborg has been and will be claimed by both theology and science. The fact that Swedenborg reports on historical and empirical events occurring in the spiritual world does not disqualify his explanations and principles as unscientific. Being a dedicated and competent scientist, he could not compose as-of-self theories and principles that were disconnected, contradictory, or purely speculative. It is clear to me why the Second Advent had to be engineered intellectually by a competent modern scientist like Swedenborg. He was skilled in writing about the spiritual world within, as would a modern scientist and methodologist in the dualist paradigm. This had not been accomplished before in the history of recorded publications.

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     Modern scientific methods up to the time of Swedenborg were inadequate in handling the spiritual half of the universe. The common and honorable thing to do for the architects of the modern era, such as Newton and Leibniz, was to acknowledge the universe as God's omnipotent work and then go on with a mechanistic model that simply ignored the reality of God's providential intervention in all matters large and small.
     This schizoid approach has not changed in later centuries in such scientists as Darwin or Einstein, who continued the practice. A pessimistic attitude of scientific limitation grew as a result of this inability to handle spiritual phenomena. It is an attitude that is greatly in vogue today. It brings about a state of intellectual schizophrenia, such as thinking, "I will operate as an un-Godly scientist in my publications and in my teaching, but at home with my children and on Sunday I will be a Godly citizen and family person." Swedenborg discovered a valid and scientifically workable solution to this painful and unhealthy intellectual state of affairs.

Swedenborg's Dualist Science

     Swedenborg's solution is simple but effective: Be a dualist scientist rather than a schizophrenic one. This means to integrate in our scientific theory the natural world and the spiritual world. Swedenborg showed how to do this by doing it. For instance, he did not just go on talking about the soul, spirit, heaven and hell like a fiction writer, story teller, or uneducated disturbed person (or "mystic"). Instead, Swedenborg laid the scientific foundations for defining heaven and hell. They were not places but mental states (as explained by the Lord in the New Testament, but was it understood then by the pre-modern mind?). Swedenborg didn't just talk about the spiritual world as theosophists or spiritists do; he defined the spiritual world scientifically so that it can be understood by any rational person of any culture or future century.
     A few months prior to my stumbling upon the Writings in our university library, a student in my class asked, "Dr. J, you mentioned the spiritual self a few times.

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Just what is spiritual?" Later that day I had to admit to myself this very depressing thought: "I don't think I answered that question honestly. I don't think I know what spiritual is-as a psychologist."
     I was then being a schizophrenic scientist. I was unable to define what is spiritual within my science. Yes, I knew I could say, Spiritual has to do with God, sin, evil, salvation, heaven, and hell. I was stuck in the old paradigm framework. As a psychologist, I did not know what spiritual is.
     All at once, practically overnight, reading Swedenborg gave me the scientific tools to define spiritual within the science of psychology, which is the language of my intellect by training and avocation. Today, when asked by psychology majors what the spiritual is, I have a good answer: "Spiritual refers to your mental functions, such as the affective (will, feelings) and the cognitive (thoughts, understanding) These are substantial and make up what you are in the afterlife." Could it be more simple? Your thoughts and feelings-these are the objects in the spiritual world. What, then, is the spiritual world made of! I can easily answer: Its substance is from the spiritual sun and is called good and truth, good streaming into the affective organ and truth streaming into the cognitive organ.

The Mental Spiritual Connection

     Today I make an additional distinction between mental and spiritual, so that some types of mental operations are natural or external-rational, and some are spiritual or internal-rational. Ideas and feelings constructed out of sensory input remain natural, as for instance the difference between "lunch" and "dinner," or the relation between seconds and minutes. In contrast, an idea or feeling is spiritual when all natural sensory aspects of it have been stripped, and what remains is universal, internal-rational, spiritual, or celestial. An example would be the spiritual definition of heaven and hell as universal mental states within the mind.

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Another spiritual-scientific concept is regeneration, defined as the psychobiology of mental health. Other spiritual-scientific concepts found in the Writings include the marriage of good and truth, the proprium or as-of-self, the state of conjugial love, the concept of the Divine Human as the persona or character into which we are molded, and many more that can be found throughout the Writings of Swedenborg.
     Swedenborg had the experiential opportunity to work out many scientific details about the mental/spiritual connection. My years of studying the Writings have only brought more and more awe to my scientific mind. The task of building dualist science is only now commencing. Important Pioneers in this scientific endeavor are, in my view, New Church ministers who as a group are creating a large database of sermons which will be eagerly consulted by future graduate students in biology, psychology, economics, archaeology, medicine, and other sciences. Their integrity as ministers in their priestly or religious service is not contradicted by their integrity as "Nunc Licet" scientists dedicated to the validity of their statements about people, society, history, and the world.

     (To be continued)

     1 Wilson Van Dusen, "Another Reply to Leon James," New Church Life, November 1994, 521-2
     2 Leon James, "Swedenborg's Religious Psychology," Ibid.
     3 Allen Bedford, "A Response to Dr. James' Request for a Paradigm Shift," New Church Life, November 1994, 515-520
     4 Leon James, "Two Perspectives on Swedenborg's Writings: Secular and Religious" Part I, NCL, August 1994, 348-362; Part II in September 1994 issue, 394-9

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HOW FREQUENTLY DID SWEDENBORG ATTEND CHURCH? 1995

HOW FREQUENTLY DID SWEDENBORG ATTEND CHURCH?       H. KEITH MORLEY       1995

     Should We Encourage Others to Attend?

      (A paper presented to the Toronto Theta Alpha Guild March 9, 1994)

     There is not a great deal of information readily available on this matter, but we do know that in 1744 Swedenborg was a regular attender at the Moravian chapel in London. According to his landlord at that time, a Mr. Brockmer, " . . . the Baron went every Sunday to the chapel of the Moravians in Fetter Lane . . . [and] was pleased with hearing the Gospel . . . . So he went on for several months, continually approving of what he heard" (Documents II, p. 587). This observation, of course, was made just before he received his calling from the Lord.
     Toward the end of his life, however, the situation was very different. He criticized the Moravian Brethren severely for their doctrinal errors, as well as for their exclusiveness and lack of charity. To quote from Marguerite Block' s 1932 book, The New Church in the New World, "He lived very quietly in the house of Robert Shearsmith, working as usual day and night on his writings. He never slept regular hours but worked until he was tired, slept until he was rested, and ate whenever he happened to feel hungry. . . . He seldom went to church in his later years because the sermons annoyed him, and worked on Sundays just as he did on other days." He did, of course, have respect for the Sabbath, as we learn from Documents II, p. 549: "On one occasion Swedenborg desired the people of the house where he resided to shake his carpet, which usually had a surcharge of snuff upon it, and in the operation of cleansing excited considerable sneezing. It happened to be Sunday, of which he did not seem to be aware.

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Mr. Shearsmith observed to him that it was the Sabbath and he would prefer having it done the next day. 'Dat be good! Dat be good!' replied Swedenborg immediately, and most readily assented to the delay."
     Bearing in mind the remarkable instruction Swedenborg was daily receiving in the spiritual world, and the relentless concentration of his mind on spiritual matters, it is not surprising to learn that he was impatient with the teachings of the churches of that day. He had good reason not to attend their services of worship, and so the answer to our question seems clear. In later years at least, Swedenborg attended church very infrequently.
     All of this serves as an introduction to the real subject of this paper, which has to do with church attendance and church support. In particular we ask what our attitude should be toward those of our acquaintances who have ceased to attend our church or the services of any other New Church body.
     This concern has, of course, been voiced many times before, but for some members it remains unresolved. There are so many people, including adult children of members, who have left the fold. Why do they stay away? Few, if any, can offer the excuse that Swedenborg had-of spending all his time in contemplating the things of religion. Nevertheless, they must have some compelling reason not to avail themselves of the services of the church. It is surely not simply a matter of laziness; more likely some personal problem, even fear. Adult children of active church members may stay away to establish their independence, or because they sense a lack of charity in its activities. Not infrequently, young people who have been affected by the principles of the church feel guilty about failing to live according to them, which makes them uncomfortable. But whatever the reason may be for not supporting the church, it is important that the problem not be aggravated by the attitude we take.
     As a first step it would be wise to remind ourselves that this is a problem affecting only the organizational church, not the internal church, the membership of which is known to the Lord alone.

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Let us then review how these human institutions arose and developed.
     It is interesting to note that Swedenborg " . . . made no effort whatever towards the founding of a church. He expected the Writings to permeate gradually the old churches until a state of spiritual regeneration should be reached which would be the New Jerusalem. It was [his] idea that the new teachings would be accepted first by the intelligentsia and later filter down to the masses in a simplified form suited to their degree of intelligence. To this end he continued to write in Latin and to disseminate his works at his own expense where he thought they would be understood, i.e., among the scientists, scholars, the nobility and the higher clergy of the Protestant countries" (Block, pp. 61, 15).
     After his death a group of early readers in England adopted Swedenborg's views in this matter. They were led by an influential Anglican minister, the Reverend John Clowes of Manchester, who had been converted to the New Church in 1773 and five years later established the first New Church society among his own parishioners. Clowes and his followers remained members of the established church.
     More well known and more permanent, however, was the group organized in London by Robert Hindmarsh, consciously quite separate from the established church. It was a new ecclesiastical body which has been called "the mother of practically all of the branches of the New Church now existing." But Hindmarsh was not without his critics. William Blake, the famous poet and artist, was only one of several who strongly opposed this ecclesiasticism and the use of rituals and forms of worship taken from the Old Church.
     In the United States around the middle of the nineteenth century there were others equally upset with the way the New Church organization was developing. As reported by Block: "Besides attacks on ecclesiasticism within the Church there were also attacks from without by those who called themselves Swedenborgians but would not become members of the New Church.

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The most important of these was Henry James, Senior, who, though deeply devoted to the teachings of Swedenborg, was strongly anti-ecclesiastical in feeling."
     Another anti-clerical Swedenborgian was President George Bush's ancestor, Professor George Bush, who at one time led the New York New Church Society but never became, on principle, an authorized minister of Convention.
     However, whatever validity there was for these criticisms of the form of the church, there were never any grounds for the argument that no organization was needed at all. The Writings are quite clear on that point: " . . . unless there were a church where the Word is and where the Lord is thereby known, the human race could not be saved" (NJHD 246). While Swedenborg saw that church as a regenerated form of the Protestant Church of his day, most of his followers, as we have noted, felt the need for entirely new bodies. But that some church is in fact essential is not in question, always remembering that this is the external church we have in mind, not the internal.
     There has always been a tendency, it seems, for us to confuse our human organizations with the New Church itself, which is a new dispensation. Perhaps this has the effect of obscuring our thinking about the place of public worship in our lives, persuading us that going to church regularly somehow makes us New Church people. In 1884 a leading Convention minister referred to this same issue in addressing the centennial anniversary of the New Church in America. The Reverend Chauncey Giles defined the New Church as follows: " . . .by the New Church . . . we understand a new disclosure of Divine Truth which will constitute a New Age. Regarded abstractly from persons or places it is a new and more powerful influx of Divine Truth into every degree of creation and into every created being and thing."
     It is, of course, customary for us to call our church organizations "The New Church," and it is appropriate to do so, provided we keep in mind that our true allegiance should always be to the internal church first and to the organizational church only so far as it remains the place where the Word is and where the Lord is thereby known.

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For some of the children of New Church families our organizations do not fulfill their mandate adequately, and they therefore withdraw their support. Others move from one body to another, seeking a church which more fully meets their spiritual needs.
     The General Church is one of several bodies in the world today that aspire to meeting the requirements of the church on earth, the church specific. And for most of us it would seem to be doing very well. Our organization has always been based on principles derived from the Writings, settling all questions and differences of opinion by reference to the Writings. Over the years it has developed a unique Academy of learning, the like of which cannot be found in any other New Church body. Not only do our youth receive an education in the light of the New Church teachings at the Academy, but it is also a place where scholarship is encouraged and the thought of the church flourishes. There is no doubt that so long as we continue to be led by the Writings and resolve to be "firm in internals while yielding in externals" [a saying from the early days of the church], the General Church will go on playing a vital role in providing a home for those who are of the church specific.
     In fact, this is an organization we should all feel privileged to join, and it is only natural that we would like to have those we love become involved too. We do so want it to prosper. But what can we do about those who decline to participate? From much past experience, persuasion does not often work: it seems instead to repel. After all, once our children have become adult they have to feel free to make their own choices, even if their parents do not agree with those choices. Some time ago I heard a New Church friend say that she had no time for those people who had been brought up in the church but failed to join it. Clearly this was spoken from a deep love of the church, though with obvious impatience.

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If this has been our attitude toward reluctant churchgoers, it may help to explain our lack of success in dealing with the problem. We are taught that the Lord provides various means for the salvation of His children regardless of whether they join a church or not. Our responsibility would appear to be limited to pointing our adult family and friends in the right direction as we see it, encouraging their participation and then pulling back. Any anxiety that they will not do as we wish should be replaced by a confidence in the Lord's merciful Providence over their lives.
     For we read that " . . . they who are out of the church and acknowledge one God and live according to their religious principles and in some charity toward the neighbor are in communion with those who are of the church, for no one who believes in God and lives well is condemned" (NJHD 244). If they reject the General Church, they have not necessarily rejected the Lord.
     In conclusion it might be useful to recap the main points of this paper:
     1.      There are many and varied reasons why some of our family members and friends do not support our church, and their reasons are frequently unknown to us.
     2.      While the General Church plays a very important role in the Lord's work of salvation, it is not in itself the same thing as the New Church. It is a human institution, and could even be replaced. (There is a humbling statement in AC 587 to the effect that "the Lord has need of no one.")
     3.      We should not assume that each of our children, however well we have raised them, when grown up will be drawn to the same church body that we ourselves have chosen. As adults they must freely make their own choice.
     4.      Only the Lord knows in what way each individual may best be led to heaven. For many millions in the world it will not be through the medium of a New Church institution, at least for now.

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     5.      In the meantime, "No one who believes in God and lives well is condemned."
     6.      Should we not then resolve to lift all coercion from those we believe should be joining the church? In our enthusiasm for the well-being of our organization we need to watch that we do not impose our own convictions upon others.
LETTING GO OF CONTROL 1995

LETTING GO OF CONTROL       DAVID R. CONARON       1995

     During a recent sermon, the point was made that the Lord looks into our hearts when we pray. When I heard that, I knew that it had a special meaning for me, but it took about a week for things to become clear.
     I now have an understanding of the process by which I was prepared for my "awakening" at the 1990 Laurel camp. Before spiritual growth groups started, I was trying to lead a spiritual life-doing the right things and not doing the wrong things. However, I rarely listened to the small voice in my head, and I was looking for evils in a misguided manner. The little self-examination that I did was rather like sitting in a dark cellar for several minutes staring at the darkness. My problem was that I was looking for really big stuff to attack, which now seems funny. This process was almost as silly as:

     "Any murders this week? No.
     Any bank robberies? No.
     Any adulteries? No."

     Of course it was never as obviously foolish as this, but by looking in this way, I rarely ever found a sin to work on.
     In spite of my poor performance with self-examination, the Lord was still able to get through to me in other ways.

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There were two particularly persistent ways in which I was reminded that there were better spiritual states than mine. The first occurred whenever I met someone who had an intimate relationship with the Lord. To the limited extent that I was able to understand that person's joy, I was able to see that my view of the Lord was from a distance. The other regular reminder of my situation came when I read the public confessions in the second general office in the Liturgy. I felt numb and I knew that something was wrong when they did not seem to apply to me.
     Then I took Frank and Louise Rose's "Spiritual Growth," which caused me to look down and see the undergrowth of small evils that were thriving around my feet while I looked "out there" for the big trees. In the next service that used the second general office, I finally knew what was meant by the following:

     the allurement of the flesh
     the pride of intelligence
     the lust of power
     sordid avarice
     covetous desire
     murmuring and discontent
     ingratitude to the Lord and to my neighbor.

     My actual thinking at the time was that every minute with these evil thoughts was time when I was allowing the hells to take over my mind. This seemed an appalling waste of the Lord's creation, and an obvious way in which I was not at home to receive Him. An earlier sermon had spoken of the burglars who were able to rob a man only because he allowed himself to be tied up. Thinking hateful things about another driver, for example, surely seemed to be a case of letting myself be tied up.
     I can now see that this realization also affected me in several ways:

     I started work right away on the bad stuff, and I will never again ignore it; to this day I still have to watch myself in the car.



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     I was humbled to realize that I was not doing very well on my own (though not feeling guilty or ashamed at the time).
     I noticed that the small voice which was so easy to ignore was usually correct about what to do or not do.
     I became open to listening to my small, inner voice.     
     I became open to seeing how doctrine applied to me.
     I felt a need for, and really wanted, the Lord in my life.
     Very little about these changes was clear to my rational mind at the time, but without my realizing it, my life had actually become one of believing in the Lord and shunning evils as sins against Him. Surprise, surprise-these are the doctrinal requirements for spiritual growth.
     I thought that the significant point for me in the recent sermon was that the Lord ignores the words when we pray and looks into the heart. This is indeed a beautiful doctrine, but I now see that what happened to me was even greater: the Lord looked into my heart and answered my desires before my head understood enough to pray for them.
SWEDENBORG AND ESOTERIC ISLAM 1995

SWEDENBORG AND ESOTERIC ISLAM       Editor       1995

     This book, translated from the French of Henry Corbin, has just been published by the Swedenborg Foundation.
     There are two hundred footnotes in this unusual scholarly work. Most of them are references to books of the Writings. It is clear that Corbin not only read the Writings carefully but that he deeply pondered their implications.
     The book is available from the foundation for $9.95.

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EVERYONE THINKS HE IS RIGHT 1995

EVERYONE THINKS HE IS RIGHT       LEON S. RHODES       1995

     Once you seriously face as a problem that everyone thinks he is right, you will be astonished how often and how fully it explains mankind's miseries.
     We should start by noting that the outright "baddies" are almost universal examples. "Why did you cut his throat?" "Well, he had this diamond ring and when I grabbed it he kept yelling and hollering until I . . . ." Or, "Why did you steal that coat?" "Well, because I can't afford anything like that and it exactly matches my dress I plan to wear when I go to . . . .
     These may seem like extremes, but it's quite evident that, with very few exceptions, criminals defend their acts because they had a reason for doing what they did. This is reflected in the eloquent justifications in the defending lawyer's plea to the judge or jury. It is familiar to just about anyone in a position to deal with offenders. The local cop, the school principal, the housemother, or the parent knows that the offender has a reason for what was done-and generally a feeling of regret, not about the offense but about some little error that resulted in his apprehension.
     But these, of course, are cases where someone has actually transgressed a law or rule and been caught at it. Ponder the less obvious but more serious examples that arise from the countless cases where people knowingly disobey a rule-usually because they don't like the rule. How many motorists are breaking the speed rules on any good expressway, primarily because of one or more "good reasons" such as: "I was in a hurry," "I was late," "The road was nearly empty and clear and 55 miles per hour is ridiculous," or even, "I didn't notice the police car because it was off the road among the hushes"!
     Without dragging up examples, how many politicians have been quite willing to explain some dreadful transgression with elaborate explanations of why they had the right to do that because of the peculiar circumstances, and because "It was good for my constituency" or "It really didn't harm anyone"?

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Start thinking along these lines and you will find a dozen examples in tomorrow's morning newspaper!
     But these too were samples of actually doing something "wrong"-perhaps, "Oh, I didn't realize" or "The contract isn't worded quite like that and I interpreted it to mean . . . . " Just look around at what's going on at any one time-or look into your own life in many situations, and you will begin to be aware that people do things because they think that in their case it is all right to do so.
     But let's get away from criminal cases or actual violations of some law or rule and begin to notice how often our everyday conduct is the product of our complete satisfaction that we are right. Currently, the people who are buying hand guns are doing so with utmost conviction that it is their right to buy a handgun-and it is disgraceful that "They want me to wait five days!" (Of course, the lawyers will make a great deal of eloquent righteousness of this, as well as a considerable sum of money.)
     The people who refuse to eat certain things or insist on food without "added toxic substances" are just as sure they are right as those who cite the Bible and the Constitution as guaranteeing their inalienable right to smoke or eat more than the doctor considers the healthy maximum.
     This attitude surrounds us in countless forms and at all times, but is this what Swedenborg means in Charity by stressing that we must "shun evils because they are sins"-"They are against the Lord's teachings"? This is why it is pointed out that the only proper procedure is to "examine ourselves" and find out whether what we are so sure is right for us is really good for our neighbor, and whether we must suddenly realize that it may not be "right" and that we should therefore modify our conduct-by which is meant, shun it as a sin against the neighbor, and probably against God.

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     All parents try to do what is right for their children, and all children are pretty sure they know what is right for themselves. Any adolescent knows full well that the popular hair style and dress are "cool" although they drive most parents to despair. Think of those who write and perform various kinds of music-modern or popular-which I find so offensive, but I am well aware that they are certain that I am entirely wrong as well as stupid and prejudiced.
     Consider the romantic couple going through the agony of a first disagreement-about something some folks would consider trifling. But "He knows how strongly I feel about this," and "She has those out-of-date ideas." Even the best of marriages can face grim prospects because the husband does things his wife does not consider right and vice versa. And, of course, just wait until the lawyers discuss this in front of the judge!
     Understandably, we will resist the use of the word "sin," since we are quite sure that our little personal preferences are no worse than most people's, and are generally allowable under the circumstances, considering the other good things we are trying to do. Clearly we are to shun evils because they are sins (that is, because they are not what the Lord wants, or because they are not really to make the neighbor happier so much as to be sure we get our own way-because we are sure we are right). We will, of course, be more comfortable if we look for this particular attitude in other people-such as the heated debates between politicians or TV commentators who are absolutely certain they are right. But it might apply to us too.
WHO SPEAKS MORE PERSUASIVELY? 1995

WHO SPEAKS MORE PERSUASIVELY?       Editor       1995

     Who speaks more persuasively about the certainty of his phantasy than a naturalistic atheist? . . . . Every lunatic believes his own folly to be wisdom, and wisdom to be folly.
     True Christian Religion 759

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PUBLISHING NEWS IN ROMANIA 1995

PUBLISHING NEWS IN ROMANIA       Rev. LEONARD FOX       1995

     Since the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, we have been witnessing throughout that area of the world a development of interest in the Writings that can only be called astonishing. Within the past two to three years, enormous numbers of copies of Heaven and Hell, chapters from the Arcana Caelestia, and the Doctrine of Uses have been published in Russian and distributed in Russia and Ukraine, and translations of Divine Love and Wisdom and Divine Providence are expected to be published within the next few months, along with new translations of The Four Doctrines and The Essential Swedenborg. Heaven and Hell has been reprinted in Hungarian, and plans are under way to publish new Hungarian translations of Divine Love and Wisdom and Divine Providence. A number of Czech translations have been made and several published. In Bulgaria there is a woman who is planning to publish a translation of Michael Stanley's Emanuel Swedenborg: Essential Readings.
     Now, from Romania we have received a beautiful, well illustrated journal whose September-October 1994 issue is devoted completely to Swedenborg and the Writings. Last autumn, the editor of this issue, Mr. Liviu Vanau, visited Bryn Athyn, after having been in correspondence for some time with several New Church people in England and America. After he discovered a copy of True Christian Religion in a library in the city of Iasi, Romania, Mr. Vanau's interest in the Writings grew rapidly, and his enthusiasm led him to commission a Latinist at the University of Bucharest to translate Divine Providence into Romanian for eventual publication-the first translation of a work of the Writings into that language. In a recent letter, he writes that this translation will be ready at the end of March, and a translation of Divine Love and Wisdom will be completed by the end of May. He also plans to translate Michael Stanley's book.

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At the Frankfurt Book Fair last October, Rev. Dr. Friedemann Horn, of the Zurich-based Swedenborg Verlag, made contact with a Romanian publisher who expressed a desire to publish the Writings in his country. It seems, therefore, that providence has arranged for the Romanian people to have access very soon to the teachings of the New Church.
     The journal that Mr. Vanau sent to us is called Echidistanfe (Equidistances), and readers of New Church Life may like to know the contents of this issue. The long lead article is by Mr. Vanau, and is entitled "Spiritual Coordinates in Swedenborg's Theological Writings." It opens with a brief biographical sketch of Swedenborg, followed by a listing of several titles of books in English that are recommended as giving an overview of the Writings as a whole, and New Church theology in general (Warren's Compendium, Stanley's Essential Readings, Spalding's Introduction to Swedenborg's Religious Thought, and J. D. Odhner's Catechism for the New Christian Church). In large part, the article attempts-quite successfully-to give a summary of the basic teachings of the New Church. Among the subjects discussed are the indivisible nature of God, the concept of the Divine Human, the Gorand Man, the internal sense of the Sacred Scripture, the proprium, the life after death, the eternal character of marriage, the doctrine of correspondences, the Last Judgment, and regeneration. Toward the end of the article, there is a brief section that relates how certain well known authors and scholars, such as Emerson, Jung, Suzuki, and Corbin, view Swedenborg and the Writings. The article closes with Swedenborg's final statement about the revelation that had been given through him: "I have written nothing but the truth, as you will have more and more confirmed to you all the days of your life, provided you keep close to the Lord and faithfully serve Him alone by shunning evils as sins against Him and diligently searching His Word, which from beginning to end bears incontestible witness to the truth of the doctrines I have delivered to the world."

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     The other articles in this issue of Echidistante have, for the most part, appeared in English, but they are certainly new to Romanian readers. They include: "Swedenborg-A Plea for the Millennial Revolution" by Silviu Lupascu; "Witness of the Invisible" by Jorge Luis Borges; "Dostoevsky and Swedenborg" by Czeslaw Milosz; "The Near Death Experience Expanded from Swedenborg's Vision" by Leon S. Rhodes; "Swedenborg on Death as the Threshold to a Permanent World of Beauty" by Fred Elphick; and finally, a translation of numbers 100 to 110 of Divine Providence. There is also a chronology of Swedenborg's scientific and theological works, from his 1709 thesis at Uppsala University to the publication of True Christian Religion in 1771.
     It is certainly to be hoped that this excellent journal will serve to encourage a great deal of interest in the New Church among the Romanian people-an interest that will inevitably blossom quickly after the anticipated publication of actual works of the Writings in their own language.
CARL JUNG ON THE ALL-EMBRACING PSYCHIC LIFE 1995

CARL JUNG ON THE ALL-EMBRACING PSYCHIC LIFE       Editor       1995

     On page 210 of a paperback version of Carl Jung's Modern Man in Search of a Soul we read of an interesting concept. He writes:
     Now the doctor in me refuses point blank to consider the life of people as something that does not conform to psychological law. A people, in the doctor's eyes, presents only a somewhat more complex picture of psychic life than the individual. Moreover, taking it the other way round, has not a poet spoken of the 'nations' of his soul? And quite correctly, as it seems to me, for in one of its aspects the psyche is not individual, but is derived from the nation, from collectivity, or from humanity even. in some way or other we are part of an all-embracing psychic life, of a single 'greatest' man, to quote Swedenborg.

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REPORT OF THE EDITOR OF NEW CHURCH LIFE FOR 1994 1995

REPORT OF THE EDITOR OF NEW CHURCH LIFE FOR 1994       Donald L. Rose       1995

     New Church Life reported eighty weddings in the twelve issues of 1994. As usual, the direct participants, 160 of them, and their parents, 320 of them, and the maids of honor and the best men and bridesmaids and ushers and dearest friends (the numbers are far beyond us at this point) like to see correct spellings and details. And they just plain like to see the announcement. That means that they reach for the magazine, and this is gratifying to those who produce it and those who write for it.
     Another delightful stream of information has to do with baptisms. Two hundred and fifty-three of them came to us from localities far and near. A hundred and seventy-six of these were infants whose innocent beginnings of life for the most part occurred since the last time we filed an editor's report. In a few years they will be able to read, and perhaps they will read, their own names in a bound volume of the Life, and then several years later they may take an interest in reading the magazine itself; and perhaps some of them will meet each other as if by chance, resulting in wedding announcements in the year two thousand and something.
     But what of the baptisms that were not infants? You may not know of a feature in the index of our magazine. The index, of course, is at the back of the December issue. We put the letter "A" after an adult baptism. Look at the names listed in the index and see how frequently the letter "A" appears. Seventy-seven times in 1994, and you will take this to mean that every month half a dozen adults enter the church through the gate of baptism.
     There is another list of names in the December issue, and that is in the Annual Report of the Secretary of the General Church. A hundred and sixteen names of new members are listed. These go from July 1 to June 30th, while the names in the index go from the January issue to the December issue.

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     Those whose articles, letters and reports filled our 576 pages included 55 laity (21 women and 34 men) and 34 clergy.
     Our circulation count was 1,616.
     How New Church Life pages were used in 1994:
          Articles           151
          Sermons           68
          Reports           39
          Communications      115
          Announcements      50
          Church News      32
          Reviews           21
          Editorials      32
          Memorials           8
          Directories      24
          Miscellaneous     36
          Total pages      576

     (Compare 1993 figures in Oct. 1994 issue, p. 457.) Donald L. Rose, Editor

     NEW CHURCH LIFE 50 YEARS AGO

     In April of 1945 this magazine printed the report that in 1944 there were 15 weddings and 75 baptisms in the General Church.
IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC 1995

IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC       Editor       1995


     IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

     Insights into the Secrets of the Bible

     This is the English translation of the title of a most attractive book that has now been published in the Czech Republic. We wrote about the author, Rev. J. Samuel Marik, last June. Having completed this book, he is working on a translation into Czech of True Christian Religion.

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Editorial Pages 1995

Editorial Pages       Editor       1995

     HELEN KELLER ARTICLE IN GUIDEPOSTS

     It was in June of 1956 that Guideposts Magazine published an article by Helen Keller (who was then still alive). There is reason to believe that some readers at that time protested the favorable mention of Swedenborg. In the March issue this year the article appears again preceded by a reminder that "in every issue, we state that this is an 'interfaith' publication."
     Since the publication is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, they are choosing a few of the best things they published over the past half century. One is "My Luminous Universe" by Helen Keller.
     In the article she mentions four men who have inspired her: "and Emanuel Swedenborg, the Swedish mystic." She says, "Swedenborg has shaken down the barriers of time and space in my life and supplied me with likenesses or correspondences between the world within and the world without, which give me courage and imagination beyond my senses."
     "Since my seventeenth year I have tried to live according to the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg." Later she says, "Swedenborg's works are in many long volumes, but their sum and substance are in three main ideas-God as Divine Love, God as Divine Wisdom, and God as Power for use. By love I do not mean a vague, aimless sentiment, but a desire for good united with wisdom and fulfilled in work and deed. Because God is infinite, He puts resources into each human being that outrun the possibilities of evil. He is always creating in us new forms of self-development and channels through which, even if unaware, we may quicken new impulses toward civilization, art or humanitarianism."
     She testifies, "I have a joyous sense of personal immortality. Life in the other world is just as real and full of change and wonder as on earth, but one is given eyes and ears to perceive far more clearly the varieties of good and constructive thought that the flesh conceals on earth."

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     It was at the suggestion of Helen Keller that Guideposts began a Braille edition. This and the cassettes and large-print edition now serve half a million visually impaired subscribers. The total readership numbers sixteen million, and it is so interesting to observe that these millions will read of Swedenborg just at the time when the new version of My Religion is finding new readers. The title of this new version is Light in My Darkness (see p. 192 of this issue).

     RIVALRY BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN (3)

     Last month we talked of a fun side of the rivalry between the sexes. There is, of course, the sinister side. We concluded last time with a statement about the cause of the rivalries familiar at this day. It is ignorance of true conjugial love, and a lack of perception of its blessings (see CL 291).
     The blessings of conjugial love, we are told, can be extinguished by a love of control or dominating (see HH 380). The love of dominating has a way of taking away the feeling of love and also the knowledge of it. The result can be that if you talk to some people about conjugial love, it evokes either laughter or downright anger (Ibid.).
     There is a remarkable passage in Conjugial Love about married partners who seem friendly but who are inwardly "bitter enemies." It speaks of men who unconsciously contracted a terrific fear of their wives.

     They could not help but slavishly obey their wives' wishes and do their bidding more submissively than the humblest of servants, so that they became practically spiritless weaklings . . . . This included not only men without any standing or position, but also men in high standing and great position, even strong and distinguished leaders. They said, too, that after contracting this terror they could not work up any courage to speak with their wives in other than a friendly way, or to do for them anything but what met their wives' fancy.
     Conjugial Love 292

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     The passage goes on to say that once the wives have them under their control they treat their husbands in friendly fashion. And then we read:

     The real reason wives are able to gain control by such guile is that a man acts in accord with his intellect and a woman in accord with her will; and the will can be stubborn, but not the intellect.

     Wives justified their use of controlling tactics. They said they would not have entered into them "except that they foresaw the supreme contempt, future rejection, and therefore utter ruin that lay ahead of them if they were to be beaten down by their husbands. Thus, they said, out of necessity they had taken up these weapons of theirs" (Ibid.).
     Yes, the love of dominating is one of the enemies of conjugial love. Another enemy was described in the following in NCL ten years ago under the heading "A Loathing for Women":

     Some men would be very surprised if told that they were cold toward the opposite sex, for they think they are anything but cold. Swedenborg saw some in the other life who were utterly cold, and he marveled that they did not realize how cold they were, for "they had in themselves no sense of coldness." They were likened to fish that live under the ice which have no sensation of coldness, because they are cold by nature (TCR 385). Of some men it is said, "They abominate conjugial love and the whole female sex, consequently all the derivative love, so that their life is at last a life of winter" (SD 3453).
     Depraved lust toward women is not warmth but rather an actual loathing coldness. Seeming attraction toward a woman can within a day or even an hour become "as intensely cold toward her as it had previously been hot" (CL 509). What is being described is not simply an alternating state of cold. It is a hatred toward women.

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Those in it are called in the Writings frozen things or "things of ice" (CL 453). It is known "though little divulged" that those in the love of adultery become "cold even to the sex" (CL 433).
     An amazing phenomenon of our day is that pornography is not merely a way of making a little profit. It is a multi-million dollar business. Nor is it merely playfully degrading of women. It is related to real hostility toward them. The "hot" literature is as cold as ice.
     The feminist movement may be many things for different people. In part it may be a realization by women that there is a climate of hostility toward them against which they instinctively wish to defend themselves.

     A GENTLE QUARREL OF THE VIRGIN SEX WITH THE EVIL

     Early in the morning I observed above the head that the attempts and insults of the evil were repelled, and by those too that were of the virgin sex; but their quick resistances, made in an instant, and their modest rejections of the evil assaults, I cannot describe. They were as quick as a flash, and yet with such modest gentleness that they seemed unwilling to hurt those who threatened them. This hasty resistance was without any premeditation, and was as if they foresaw what was threatened, and would immediately remove it, yet in the manner described, and at the same time with such exquisite tact that they seemed as if unwilling to do anything against their assailants, while still meeting every attempt with a resistance exactly adapted to the menacing intentions. The thing cannot be described; it was not so much a contention as a decent, instantaneous, and perfectly fit removal or turning aside, on the part of these virgins, of all the evil assaults made against them-749, August 25.
     Spiritual Diary 4377

185




     THE WORLD KNEW HIM NOT

     Upon a certain day almost twenty centuries ago the first disciples saw the Lord as He walked near the banks of the River Jordan.
     What could they think of Him then? Eighteen years before this, the most learned men of Jerusalem had been "astonished" at the understanding of a twelve-year-old. But eighteen years is
a long time. Thirty years had passed since a few shepherds had made known in the town of Bethlehem what angels said concerning a newborn child. The infant looked like any other, but the angel had said that He was "Christ, the Lord." Men of wisdom from the east had come and bowed down to worship the Child, and then had silently returned to their far-away home. The old man Simeon and the old woman Anna (see Luke 2) had been given to see the Child with deeper vision than that of the material eyes, but they and their generation had passed on.
     The young disciples saw a man 30 years of age. They had no evidence that He was more than a man, but that great preacher John the Baptist had pointed Him out as One whose sandal strap John was unworthy to unloose.
     "This is the Son of God," declared the Baptist (see John 1:34). And the disciples believed it. They believed that He was the promised Messiah. But what did they have in their minds in accepting Him as "the Messiah" and "the Son of God"?     
     They had some concept, and it was an affirmative beginning, but the progression of the story shows that whatever idea they had was only a faint shadow of what was to come. A year and a half from this time the Baptist himself was to find that his belief concerning the Lord needed to be changed and enlightened.

186




     "There stands one among you whom you do not know," declared the Baptist. The world knew Him not, but on that certain day on the banks of the Jordan, the Baptist pointed Him out to two of his disciples, whereupon they left John to follow Jesus. One of these two young men was Andrew, who found his brother Simon and announced, "We have found the Messiah." A similar announcement was made to Nathanael, who doubted it but was at least persuaded to come and see Jesus. And it was then that the Lord gave those disciples their first evidence of His identity. He showed that He knew Nathanael's heart before they met. This amazed Nathanael, who thereupon exclaimed, "You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel!" (John 1:49).
     Nathanael was expressing a belief, but it was only the beginning. The Lord said, "You will see greater things than these."
     Nathanael had not "seen" something with his material eyes. He had come to "see" in his spirit that the Lord had a wonderful knowledge above other men. The words then spoken to Nathanael at his profession of belief apply aptly to every disciple. "You shall see greater things than these."
     Soon after this the disciples witnessed the first "sign" or miracle. Water was turned into wine. By this means the disciples had a glimpse of the Lord's glory. In this way Jesus "manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him" (John 2:11).
     Once again note that the disciples believed. It is likely that they went back to their fishing in the months that followed, but their belief was such that, when a year later the Lord came and invited them to follow, they left all to follow Him.

Note: Above are the first two pages of a booklet of two dozen pages telling the story of the Lord's ministry. The booklet ha CIRCUIT RIDERS 1995

CIRCUIT RIDERS       Mary Waelchli Griffin       1995

s just gone out of print, and I am engaged in revising it. The Easter season seemed a good time to do this.

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     Communications
Dear Editor:
     "They brought the Word to the frontier. And they still do" (February issue p. 67, article by John Davidson). Perhaps a note should be added. Mr. Davidson was probably unaware that he missed some earlier circuit riders of the New Evangel. There was a Mr. Zacharias, of whom I know very little, and there was the earliest pioneer for the church in the West, who was affectionately known as Father Waelchli.
     Rev. Fred Edwin Waelchli was pastor of the Kitchener Society. He was proficient in German, and quite a few of the Western Canadians were of German origin. So to Western Canada he went. Many a forkful of hay he tossed as he helped reap the yield of the field in wheat and in doctrine. His mission took him into all of the Western Canadian provinces and into Washington and Oregon seeking those people who sought the doctrines of the New Church.
     There were months away from home and family, administering the rites and sacraments of the church, preaching and teaching and sometimes being the lone contact that isolated people had with the church. I remember a few of the comments he made on what seemed to me as a youngster a very romantic pursuit. One time he told me how beautiful Portland, Oregon, was and about the lovely roses that grew there. Another time he described the vast prairie land of Alberta, but most of all he radiated the joy of the people he met on his circuit. I learned early the names Friesen, Heinrichs, Bogey Creek, Vancouver, and how to spell S-a-s-k-a-t-c-h-e-w-a-n.
     I was blessed with this grandfather who exemplified gentleness and compassion, but who could fight like a knight (in 1898) when real conflict and separation erupted in the church in Canada.

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He displayed a real love for the church he served on the Canadian circuit, Southeastern United States circuit, in Baltimore, Kitchener, and Cincinnati. He was certainly a pioneer circuit rider for the church.
     Mary Waelchli Griffin,
          Horsham, PA
PERSONAL BELIEF 1995

PERSONAL BELIEF       Rev. Norman E. Riley       1995

Dear Editor:
     I must admit to being somewhat at a loss to know why Mr. Dewey Odhner (February issue) appears to be challenging what I wrote (December 1994), since in general we seem to be in agreement. I too believe that if an interpretation of the Word is in conflict with what the Word teaches, then it is right to reject the interpretation.
     That marriage is eternal in no way conflicts with the Lord's words, "they neither marry nor are given in marriage" (my emphasis), which has reference to what belongs to the natural world, whereas "but are as the angels" has reference to the spiritual world (see HH 382:aandb).
     With regard to his comment in connection with the teaching of his children, one has to bear in mind the distinctive uses of a parent, a teacher, and a priest. It is plainly stated in Genesis chapter 1, verse 27, " . . . male and female created He them." As such they are finite, whereas God is infinite and is not created. For more on this see DLW numbers 4-6.
     One has only to look at the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Word of the Second Advent to see that those revelations were given through male beings.
     Rev. Norman E. Riley,
           Rochdale, England

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CAMP WINDING WATERS 1995

CAMP WINDING WATERS       Editor       1995

     June 1995

     Menucha Retreat is our site for the 1995 Winding Waters Family Church Camp. It is located 20 miles east of Portland, Oregon, five minutes off Interstate 84.
     This year our early camp is designed to get your summer off to a great start. It will run from Thursday, June 8, arrival 5:00 p.m. through Sunday, June 11 at 1:00 p.m. The program begins Thursday night with dinner at 6:00 p.m. and socializing and vespers afterwards. The camp theme is twofold, "What is heaven like?" and "How do I get there?," with instruction on spiritual growth. The camp programs will be presented by Bishop Louis King, Rev. Erik Buss, and Rev. Mark Pendleton.
     We anticipate that many people will be attending camp for just the weekend, so the main topic ("How do I get to heaven?") will be presented Friday evening through Saturday evening, with Sunday worship and lunch. After lunch on Sunday all are invited to visit Multnomah Falls, hike on nearby Larch Mountain trails, or enjoy an easy Sandy River rafting trip (cost still to be determined, and dependent on interest).
     Menucha has a large lodge and about five houses on 100 beautiful acres overlooking the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area. Most rooms are handicapped-accessible. We have reserved private, semi-private, and dorm rooms. All are very comfortable. Child care will be available.
     The grounds have volleyball and tennis courts, a sun-heated swimming pool, picnic area, hiking trails, and a rose garden. Camping is available on site, but the rates are the same as the dorm rates, whether you fix your own meals or not.
     This will be a great camp for just a weekend or to expand into a longer vacation. Do consider bringing some friends.
     For registration information contact Peggy Andrews, P.O. Box 99, Corbett, OR 97019; phone (503) 695-2534.

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MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENT 1995

MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENT       Rev. Peter M. Buss       1995




     Announcements






     The Reverend Kurt Hyland Asplundh has accepted a call to become the Pastor of the Chicago Society, effective July 1, 1995. He and his wife Jennifer have been in Chicago during this year while Kurt serves as the assistant to the present pastor, the Reverend Grant Schnarr, who will move to Bryn Athyn to assume the full-time directorate of the Office of Evangelization.
     Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss

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Light in My Darkness 1995

Light in My Darkness       Editor       1995


My Religion
by Helen Keller
Revised and expanded by Ray Silverman
     In this edition, "passages that were only loosely strung together have been rearranged and placed in more coherent patterns. The eight unwieldy sections of the first edition have been reordered into twelve distinct chapters with subheadings to clarify their contents."
     Paragraphs or excerpts from letters and addresses have been added to elucidate and expand the original text. Other revisions include grammatical modernization and the emendation of a few historical inaccuracies. "Extra paragraph breaks have been added and a very few passages that distracted from the main message have been delicately pruned. It must be emphasized, however, that these revisions are negligible next to all that has been retained."
     With these changes and the addition of some illustrations, Mr. Silverman has strived to give the author the editorial assistance she had often sought, and to produce a work "worthy of Helen Keller, the great and noble soul, who, while living in darkness, saw a great Light."
     Published by
Chrysalis Books
Imprint of the Swedenborg Foundation
68 pages Softcover U.S. $9.95 plus U.S. $1.24 postage
     General Church Book Center                    Hours: Mon-Fri 9-12 or by
Box 743, Cairncrest                              appointment
Bryn Athyn, PA 19009                         Phone: (215) 947-3920

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Notes on This Issue 1995

Notes on This Issue       Editor       1995


Vol. CXV     May, 1995     No. 5
NEW CHURCH LIFE

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     Notes on This Issue

     "The glorification opened the way for the light of Divine truth to proceed to the human race and enlighten even those who were in deep spiritual darkness. The Divine truth from the Divine Human can now flow into the mind of every person who is in the faith of charity, providing the spiritual equilibrium needed for salvation." This is from the sermon in this issue.
     "As a practicing scientist for thirty-five years, and an active contributor to the research in my field of psychology, I am well positioned to observe and understand what the scientific method is and what can be investigated scientifically." This is what Dr. Leon James says on page 158. The next sentence goes further than scientists usually do!
     Do you know people young or old who do not frequently go to church? "Why do they stay away?" asks Keith Morley on page 165, and he offers thoughtful observations.
     "Within the past two to three years, enormous numbers of copies of Heaven and Hell, chapters from the Arcana Coelestia, and the Doctrine of Uses have been published in Russian . . . . Now, from Romania . . . . " See page 176.
     In a recent discussion, one of the teachers at the Academy Theological School read aloud a passage from the Spiritual Diary. When he had finished, all were silent for a moment, and the editor of NCL quietly resolved to print that passage. See page 184.
     As we go to press we hear that Rev. Brian Kingslake passed into the spiritual world in March. His books have been a source of inspiration to many.

     1996 Assembly

     The assembly will be held in Bryn Athyn from June 5 to June 9, 1996. People from all over the world will again from together for worship, instruction, fellowship and discussion of evangelization, education, and other church uses.

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GENDER AND THE REPRESENTATION OF THE LORD 1995

GENDER AND THE REPRESENTATION OF THE LORD       Rev. STEPHEN D. COLE       1995

     Increasingly, there has been discussion about the role of women in the church, and specifically as to why the priesthood has not been an area where women have served the church. The subject of representation, the representation of the Lord, the representation of the masculine and the feminine in specific, sheds light on this issue. But before turning to the issue of the priesthood in particular, it is essential to be clear about how the Lord appears to us, and how we are to picture the Lord.

The Divine Itself

     The Divine Itself cannot, as I understand it, be limited by the categories of masculine and feminine. God is Human, Human in the truest sense of all, but cannot be said to be either a male or a female.
     To be human is to have love and wisdom. More specifically it is to have the marriage of love and wisdom. The term marriage may suggest to our minds the marriage of man and woman, but the concept is actually much broader. There is a marriage of good and truth in God and in all created things. But this marriage takes the specific farm of the joining together of male and female only in a certain limited arena within creation (emphasis has been added):

From that Divine marriage there is such a marriage in universal nature, and in every particular of it, but under other form and appearance, otherwise nothing whatever would there subsist (AC 2173).

. . . Goodness and truth are universal in creation, and are therefore in all created things, but they are present in their created vessels according to each ones form . . . .

In members of the animal kingdom, good's truth or truth resulting from good is masculine, and truth's consequent goodness or good resulting from that truth is feminine (CL 83:1, 4).

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     So although there is a marriage in all things, there is not a marriage of masculine and feminine in all things, masculine and feminine applying only to the animal kingdom and human beings. The marriage which is in all things can be called the marriage of good and truth in general, while the marriage of masculine and feminine is more specifically that of the truth of good with the good of truth.

     I take CL 83 above as saying masculine and feminine are forms that good and truth take in certain created subjects. They are categories of finition that cannot apply to God. Is God therefore neuter? God cannot be less than male or female, being the origin of both. God can be more than either, though, being the Infinite from whom the particular qualities distill as appropriate. Bishop King addressed this most eloquently in his 1982 sermon "Marriage-Divine, Heavenly, and Conjugial" (NCL 1982:533).
     It may be objected that it is difficult to conceive of a humanity which transcends masculine and feminine. Indeed, this may be an impossible task. The Divine Itself is unknowable and inconceivable. This is the very reason that the Lord is also presented in visible form.

The Visible God

     The New Church is said to be the crown of all the churches that have hitherto existed in the world because it worships the visible God. God made this visibility possible for us today by taking on the flesh as the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the central fact of the Christian religion. This was the most important event in all of human history. And whether we like it or not, whether we find it comfortable or not, the Lord took on the flesh in the form of a male.
     It is important to try to understand why this choice was made. It is important to understand how women can relate to God (who is ultimately above gender) when yet the outward presentation of God is through the male form. Indeed, these considerations will form the bulk of this study.

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But in all the thinking and discussing of this subject we must never lose sight of the fact that the visibility of God is through the masculine form. If we begin to think that we should picture God as sometimes male and sometimes female, we risk dividing our idea of God and losing the vision of the one visible God, the Lord Jesus Christ. If we lose this, we lose all.
     There are those in the world today who suggest that the portrayal of God in masculine form has resulted from cultural bias. It is possible to see how this might explain artistic renderings or even the representation of God by male priests, but if we really believe in the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must acknowledge that the masculine form of the incarnation itself was a choice made by God, not by mortal humans. Surely the Divine Providence governing this most crucial event acted for spiritual and not merely sociological reasons.
     That Jesus was born and lived in this world as a male is evident. But what of the glorified Human, reunited to the Divine Itself! The Lord who appeared to the apostles after the resurrection was still clearly recognizable as the same person. And the Lord who appeared to John and who is described in the book of Revelation was called the Son of Man, and had a beard.
     In one of the most important charges given by the Lord to His followers, He taught: "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father . . . . " To be conjoined with the Lord we must approach the visible Human form of God, and that form we must continue to picture, to visualize, and to see as our Father in heaven.
     Some have pointed out that the Word does, in fact, in some places use feminine imagery for the Lord. One notable point about this imagery is that it is generally phrased as simile (the Lord is like, or the Lord is as):

As an eagle stirreth up its nest, fluttereth over its young, spreadeth abroad its wings, taketh them, beareth them on its wings: So Jehovah alone leadeth him (Deut. 32:11, 12).

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I have long time been silent; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a woman in travail; I will destroy and swallow up at once (Isaiah 42:14).

As a man whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and in Jerusalem shall ye have comfort (Isaiah 66:13).

Jesus said, O Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings (Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34).

     I would suggest that these passages, and others like them, are not intended to call to mind a picture of the Lord as a female doing these things, but rather that these feminine behaviors image activities of the Lord. Bearing and caring for young, comforting and protecting-when a woman is engaged in these or other feminine roles, she is doing the Lord's work, work done from the Lord's love through her. All the uses that people serve, man or woman, are not their own, but derive ultimately from the Divine Love Itself, from which both the masculine and feminine loves descend.
     Later I will suggest in more detail that both men and women, both priests and laypersons, can do work or act in ways that represent or? it could be said, participate in the Lord's work or actions, but that this is not the same thing as representing the person of the Lord.

Representatives and the New Church:
Is the New Church to Employ Representatives?

     The churches prior to the Lord's advent were "representative" churches, that is, they saw the Lord only through representative symbolic forms and used such forms in their worship. When the Lord actually came into the world, there was obviously a change. Quite a number of passages in the Heavenly Doctrine speak of representatives' being abrogated, or set aside, at the time of the advent. Looking closely at the passages, however, we find that, rather than a blanket abolition of all representatives, two different and more specific things are being spoken of:

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     (1) Certain representatives simply ceased. These were those that represented the provisional order set up by the Lord to sustain the human race from the time of the fall of the Most Ancient Church to the time of the coming of the Lord into the world. Once the Lord actually came, there was no longer any need for these. Other representatives, those relating to the ongoing provisions for the human race, continued as before.
     (2) The role of representatives in general changed. The churches before the advent were all representative churches; that is to say, they knew the Lord only through representative forms. After the Lord came into the world, He, as it were, represented Himself. Representatives ceased to be the sole means through which the Lord could be known. Nevertheless, representatives still continued to have a function, calling to mind the Lord as He had revealed Himself.

Is the Priesthood a Representative Office?

     I thought about putting most of the following section into an appendix because much of what is included may cover familiar teachings and defend that which many people may feel is too obvious to need defending. I have kept it in the main body of the article because it is really addressing its central theme, and furthermore, because I wish particularly to draw attention to the fact that I have tried to articulate the argument against viewing the priesthood as representative (which I do not recall having seen before), and have set much of the rest of the section in answer to this argument. Those who have no doubts that the priesthood is a representative office and who would have preferred this section to be, in fact, an appendix, may take the simple recourse at this point of skipping this section now and reading a summary of it later. For the rest, let us proceed:

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     In the early days of the church there was much study and discussion of the application of representatives to the priesthood in particular and to our worship in general. I have not been able to discover in the literature of the church any studies at any time which ever denied the central importance of representatives. And yet, it would seem, people have lost interest. If the issue of representatives is raised, the attitude, if informed at all by doctrine, seems to be: "Weren't those basically abrogated by the Lord's advent? How can they be important today?"
     Lacking in the literature any substantial assault on the importance of representatives in the priesthood, let me try to supply one.

a) That the priesthood of the New Church should not be (cannot be?) representative.

1. Almost all the references in the doctrines to the representation of the priesthood are speaking of the priesthood of the Israelitish Church (AC 1038, 3325:9, 9477-10279 passim; AE 324, 502, 768:19, 865:4; SS 44=TCR 218; AR 245; TCR 114), and this priesthood, at least as far as its representative role, came to an end when the Lord came into the world.
     2. A handful of passages (AC 3670:2, 4311:3, 9954) that do seem to speak of representatives in relation to the priesthood today (or at least 200 years ago) seem simply to be describing existing practices rather than prescribing for the priesthood of the New Church.
     3. Where passages do seem to be stating more plainly what the priesthood ought to be (AC 8121e, 10794-10799=HD 314-319; D. Love 13:2; Life 39; Charity 160; TCR 422, 666:2), representation is not mentioned.
     Now let me respond to my own assault:
     1. Yes, most of what is said about the representation of the priesthood is said in relation to the Israelitish Church. But this is just what one ought to expect, given that most of these passages come from the latter part of the Arcana, which is explaining the parts of Exodus that deal with the Israelitish priesthood.

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In themselves they do not, it must be confessed, tell that the priesthood of the New Church should have a representative function.

     On the other hand, if from other passages we conclude that a representative priesthood is appropriate in the New Church, then the passages about the Israelitish priesthood provide us with information about different facets of a representative priesthood.
     This is not to say, obviously, that all features of the Israelitish priesthood can simply be adopted by the priesthood of the New Church. No, we must examine each facet and see if that which it represents is appropriate to the New Church. Sacrificial worship, having been abrogated, clearly has no place in the worship of the New Church. The laying on of hands in ordinations and blessings, on the other hand, is a representative ritual that we have adopted with, I believe, good justification.
     In our next issue we will actually look at two of the passages cited above.

     (To be continued)
FROM THE SWEDENBORG FOUNDATION 1995

FROM THE SWEDENBORG FOUNDATION       Editor       1995

     Aim, the Spiritual Workbook, by Peter Rhodes, 163 has been published by Johnny Appleseed and Co The price is $9.95.

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ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH 1995

ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH       Editor       1995

     Financial Career Position

     The treasurer's office is seeking qualified candidates for a challenging growth position in the financial office. The person would be responsible for handling general ledger accounting functions, payroll and benefit accounting, student billing and prepaid tuition program, and supporting accounting standard changes and computer system upgrades. Growth in responsibilities can lead to organizational advancement.
     Resumes should be submitted as soon as possible to Ian Henderson, Controller, Box 711, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
APPOINTMENT OF ACTING SECRETARY 1995

APPOINTMENT OF ACTING SECRETARY       Rev. Peter M. Buss       1995

     Mr. Donald C. Fitzpatrick, Jr. has accepted appointment as the Acting Secretary of the General Church effective July 1, 1995. Mr. Fitzpatrick will be filling this position in a way similar to the way in which Mr. E. Boyd Asplundh did from 1989 to 1993.
     Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss
NEW LITURGY 1995

NEW LITURGY       Editor       1995

We expect an announcement concerning the new Liturgy in our next issue. If all goes as planned, it will be published by the 19th of June.

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MUHAMMAD, MUSLIMS, AND ISLAM: A NEW CHURCH PERSPECTIVE 1995

MUHAMMAD, MUSLIMS, AND ISLAM: A NEW CHURCH PERSPECTIVE       Rev. ERIK E. SANDSTROM       1995

     (This paper was presented to the Council of the Clergy In 1995 and is based on research done in a summer study (1994) investigating how new members in the General Church come to the New Church from various backgrounds It follows the studies on those from Catholic or Orthodox background (1992) and those of Reformed background (1993). It followed a graduate proseminar in Islam, spring term 1994, Temple University.)

Introduction

     Who are invited to the New Jerusalem? There are twelve gates, which mean:

     The Lord continually invites every person to come to Him . . . "He who comes to Me shall never hunger, never thirst . . . I will by no means cast [them] out" (John 6:35, 37) . . . . Who does not know that the invitation or call is universal, and also the grace of reception? (TCR 358)
     The New Church will be established into which those who are of the former church are invited (AE 948). [And the gates themselves] mean all the knowledges of truth and good through which anyone is introduced into the church (AR 899).

     Are other world religions than the Christian invited? Those who will come to the New Jerusalem are those

     . . . who are in the love or in the affection of good, more or less . . . or in wisdom or the affection of truth, more or less (ibid).

     The invitation to the New Jerusalem is constant; the gates are never shut, which means:

     All are constantly received into the New Jerusalem; . . . all are admitted who want to enter (AR 922).
     [Those who are admitted into the city in the other life] live according to the commandments of the Lord for the sake of being in the Lord and the Lord in them through love, and of being in His New Church by knowledge concerning Him (AR 951).

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     So it is clear that all religions qualify to enter the New Church. So far in the history of the New Church, mostly those of Christian background have become members. But past and present members include a few of Muslim and Jewish background. There is no record of former Hindus or Buddhists joining the General Church. However, Islam is a "religion of the Book." The Qur'an (Koran), considered "uncreate" by Muslims, refers to both testaments, thus sharing a base with both Judaism and Christianity.
     It may seem a strange time to emphasize Islam, considering the negative publicity it receives in modern media. But in the interest of New Church awareness and understanding, I submit this short summary and analysis of what constitutes a one-billion-member-strong religion: Islam.2
     2 Or one fifth of the world population. Islam has gained international positive repute for: eliminating alcoholism, prostitution and adultery (on mostly voluntary basis); restoring local religious practices endangered by westernization; and very high conversion to Islam among black U.S. prisoners, who then become model prisoners, earning respect by reforming and controlling others.

New Church Life

     New Church Life contains half a dozen or so articles on Islam, from Stanwood Cobb in 1912, p. 696, to Rev. Robert S. Junge in 1961. Alfred Acton I wrote on it in 1919, as did Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner in 1924, and Editor William B. Caldwell in 1946. All except Mr. Junge mainly repeat the wealth of quotes from the Writings on Muhammad and "the Mohammedans."3
     3 The Qur'an mentions "Islam," meaning submission to Allah, and "Muslim," meaning those who have submitted to Allah. To call them "Mohammedan," although not intended to offend, is still not of their own choice, and is similar to our being called "Swedenborgians."
     Mr. Junge (1961, p. 326) quotes the Qur'an extensively to show the life and faith of the Muslims.

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He says that more "Christians reject the Word than Muslims reject the Qur'an." Muslims are taught in the other life " . . . from doctrines suited to their apprehension . . . [which are] in harmony with the good tenets of their religion, . . . lived in the world" (HH 516).
     He also treats of the Muslim practice of polygamy. I found Mr. Junge's article very stimulating.

Orthopraxy

     Islam is an "orthopraxy," i.e., a correct form of behavior based on the Qur'an. Its main doctrine is the Shahada: "La Illaha illallah, Muhammad ur-rasul Allah"?There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah."
     This is brought home in the Qur'an: "This day have I perfected for you your religion . . . and chosen for you Islam as a religion" (Sura 5.3). "And I [Muhammad] am the first of the Muslims" (6.164). "Die not unless you are Muslims" (2-132).4
     4 Of course according to Muslim teaching, all people are created Muslim, and become Muslim actually upon realizing that fact. Thus Abraham was a Muslim, as were all the prophets, including Jesus. Muhammad was thus the last prophet, and the leading example of what a Muslim should be.

Main Teachings

     There are several main doctrines: Allah is the Creator, who is omnipotent, omniscient, and provident:

Allah! There is no God save Him . . . . Unto Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth. Who . . . intercedes with Him save by His leave? He knows what . . . is in front of them and behind them . . . . His throne includes the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them (2.255).

He is Allah, than whom there is no other god, the knower of the invisible and the visible. He is beneficent, Merciful . . . . glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe as partner unto Him. He is Allah, the Creator, the Shaper out of naught, the Fashioner . . . (59.22-24).

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     Allah has no partners: Islam labels "shirk" the Christian or idolatrous practice of ascribing partners to God:

Lo Allah forgives not that a partner should be ascribed unto Him. He forgives all save that to whom He will [sic]. Whoso ascribes partners to Allah, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin, . . . has wandered far astray (4.48, 116).

     So there is no idolatry, no polytheism.

Muhammad

     The Writings state that Muslims worship Muhammad. It is true that Muslims honor him much: "In him the essence of goodness is undivided . . . . How excellent is the person of the Prophet! Good nature adorns him." This is far more honor than the New Church gives to Swedenborg! But is there worship of him?
     It seems that Muhammad is regarded as a "universal human" and "exemplary model." He is generally regarded as a fulfillment of what Christians would call the Holy Spirit: "I am indeed the Messenger of God to you, confirming the Torah that is before me, and giving good tidings [gospel] of a Messenger who shall come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad" (61.6).
"Ahmad" may actually be an elusive reference to the Second Coming. But Muhammad says of himself, "Muhammad is but a messenger, . . . like those who passed away before him. Will it be when . . . he dies or be slain, you will turn . . . on your heels? He who turns back does no hurt to Allah, and Allah will reward the thankful" (3.144).
     In other words, Muhammad says Muslims will only harm themselves by turning away from Islam upon Muhammad's own death; but Allah will reward those who remain Muslims even after Muhammad is gone! No idolatry there.     
     Both testaments are included as the Word of Allah, teaching salvation to all those who do good: "The mark of them is in their foreheads from the traces of prostration.

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Such is their likeness in the Torah and the Gospel, like the sown corn that sends forth its shoot . . . . Allah has promised unto such of them as believe and do good works forgiveness and immense reward" (48.29).

Muhammad's Life (circa 570-632 A.D.)

     The Prophet was illiterate. He received his "call" over a 22-year period, first when he was meditating in a cave near Mecca. He recited what the angel Jibreel (Gabriel) told him, and those who then heard him memorized the exact wording of Muhammad's recitations:

The angel . . . drew near and suspended two bows' length away . . . then revealed to his servant [all] that he revealed (53.5-10).

     The angel first commanded Muhammad, "Recite." He said, "I am unable to recite." The angel then pressed down on him so hard he thought he would die, and he was told again, "Recite." Again he said he could not. This happened three times. Finally he said, "What shall I recite?" Jibreel's answer:

Recite: In the Name of thy Lord who created . . . man of a blood-clot: Recite: And thy Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the Pen, taught man that which he knew not (96.1-5).

     From those early recitations comes the Islamic outlook on authenticity: the Sunna, which was the oral transmission of the recitation, and the Hadith, the written record that resulted. Only recitations that can be traced through a trustworthy lineage of narrators, called Isnad, are accepted. Since Muhammad, being illiterate, never wrote anything himself, everything attributed to him has come through his wives, especially 'Aisha, and the first converts to Islam, the "Companions," who were trusted leaders and relatives. They became "successors" or Caliphs. They were "Caesar-Popes" as Muhammad himself had been, that is, they had both temporal and spiritual authority, since the Qur'an pronounces many sayings on both.

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From the Writings

     The most often repeated statement in the Writings concerning Islam5 is that Muslims believe "Jesus is the Son of God" (CL 68, TCR 828, LJ 50, CL 341, et al). However, that is the very point that the Qur'an disputes: There are no partners to Allah. From the Qur'an:
     5 I.e., Mohammedanism, of which one Muslim author says, "Although this term has been used so long in Western languages . . . Islam is a religion based not on the personality of the founder, but on Allah Himself. The Prophet is the channel through whom man received a message pertaining to the nature of the Absolute" (Ideals and Realities of Islam, Hossein Seyyed Nasr, 1966, London).

"On that day He will call unto them and say: Where are My partners whom you imagined? Cry to your so-called partners of Allah . . . . they will give no answer . . . . If they had but been guided! Who is a God beside Allah who could bring you light?" (28.62-71) "Surely they disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is the third of three; when there is no God save the One God" (5.73).6

     6 According to one passage, one Muslim in the spiritual world said, "the Lord was not the Son of Joseph as they believed in the world, but the Son of God Himself, by which was insinuated the idea of unity of the Lord's person and essence with the Father" (CLJ 69). The Qur'an calls Jesus "the son of Mary" (4.171, 5.75).

     When the idea was introduced to Muslims in the other life that "the part of the body rejected by those born of human parents, and which rots away in the grave, was with the Lord glorified and made Divine from the Divine in Itself, and that He rose again, leaving nothing in the tomb," they listened attentively and "wondered they had not heard of such things" (LJ post. 87).
     Other Muslim spirits complained about Christians from Greece (i.e. Eastern Orthodox) who worshipped three gods, not one (LJ post. 100). That is why they called Christians "fanatics" who "say God is one, and mutter three" (TCR 831). This verdiet is what the Writings also decree on the Christian creeds.7
     7 See, however, Lord 58, the Writings' own "rewrite" of the Athanasian Creed to acceptable standards. Should it be in our Liturgy?

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     Muslims, however, could not accept the Lord as Creator come on earth, but instead see Jesus as a "perfect natural man" (CL 341). Thus they pass Him by in their worship, declaring "Muhammad the greatest prophet." Only in the other life can they comprehend that the "Trine is in one Person" (see LJ post. 89).
     The other main teaching of the Writings regarding Islam is that it came into existence to destroy idolatry (see CLJ 71, DP 255). The Qur'an verifies this anti-idolatry, mainly directed against Christians who adore the Trinity. The Muslims were most condemning of idolatry as a practice, but were very tolerant of idolaters provided they could give it up.

They [non-Muslim Arabs] invoke in His [Allah's] stead only females [all Arab idols were female]; they pray to none else than Satan . . . (4.117).

     The idolatry of stone or wooden images is harshly condemned, as is also the adoration of other human beings: "They have taken their doctors of law and their monks for lords besides Allah," following blindly the "behests of great men" (9.31). This likewise is shirk, or adding partners to Allah, a sin.
Another form of idolatry condemned by the Qur'an is to take "one's own low desires for his god" (25.43). This too is "shirk," a sin: "So shun the filth of the idols and shun false words, being upright for Allah, not associating aught with Him" (22.30).
     However, with idolaters themselves, the Muslims made treaties, calling these subjects "dhimmies." Muslims protected them as allies. But the idea was to protect them for the sake of their conversion. When the treaty ran out, unless they had converted, they immediately became "enemies" again: "When the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever you find them . . . . But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor due, then leave their way free. Lo, Allah is forgiving, Merciful" (9.5, 6).

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Polygamy

     There are just a few references justifying polygamy in the Qur'an: "And if you fear that you will not deal fairly by the orphans, marry such women as seem good to you, two, three, four; but if you fear you will not be equitable, then only one" (4.3). "You will not be able to be equitable between your wives, be you ever so eager" (4.129).
     Muhammad's first wife was a wealthy widow, Khadija, for whom he worked as caravan manager. He was monogamous with her for 25 years, till her death. After that, he had four wives whom he treated with model equality, building each separate quarters attached to the Mosque in Medina. The reasons were to help them from poverty and provide for their children (orphans). Only 'Aisha was a virgin wife.
     Three reasons are brought forward for polygamy: 1. Only up to four wives, the reason being to prevent embezzlement of the inheritance to orphans by unscrupulous owners of slaves; 2. Fear of not being just to orphans or many wives prohibits having too many of either; 3. The fear of the "great sin of adultery." To "shun adultery you are allowed up to four wives."8
     8 All, the Religion of Islam, Book Crafters, Michigan 1990, p. 473
     Polygamy is not seen as concubinage in Islam. Slaves were not coerced into sexual service, but could be married, and thus enter the harem:

Whoso is not able to afford to marry free believing women, let them marry from the believing maids whom your right hand possess. Allah knows best concerning your faith . . . . So wed them by permission of their folk, and give unto them their portions in kindness, they being chaste, not debauched nor of loose conduct. This is for him among you who fears to commit sin (4.25).

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     However, practices of large harems in later history strayed from this ideal.9
     9 Muslim polygamy has been glamorized by the West, but the original statements in the Qur' an allow polygamy only for the sake of protecting widows and orphans when men have been lost in battle against idolaters-Islam's first and foremost enemies. The Turks went in for polygamy in a big way, as did the Abbassid Empire-ancient Iraqis. They were not the original Arabs, and interpreted the Qur'an in their own schools of thought. Swedenborg may have been aware mostly of the Turkish odalisques, which do not represent all of Islam.
     The permission of polygamy is generally credited with the almost total absence of adultery and prostitution in Islamic countries. And where Muslim prostitutes exist, they are "sheltered" by many local authorities and helped back to morality.
     There are also specific rules of divorce, which are too complex for treatment here. Generally, women have complete authority at home, and such great freedom that it seems even greater than the western ideal. However, the restrictions that come with it are a moot point, and modern Muslim women are using the Qur'an to overcome such sayings as the Muslim scholar, Al-Ghazali: "It is despicable for a man to be less than a woman in matters of religion or of this world." Thus misogyny has been a battle for Muslim women to overcome. Also, the Qur'an gives less inheritance to women than to men, another point of contention, especially for Western critics, labeled as "Orientalists" and "ignoramuses" by Muslims.

Common-ground Doctrines

The Second Advent was prophesied at the First Advent. However, since Islam came between the two from 610 to 632, it is only to be expected that since the Lord revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad,10 it should contain doctrines similar to those expected at the Second Coming. Thus the bridge for Muslims who may wish to enter the New Jerusalem, that is, the New Church here on earth, seems to be these commonly held beliefs.

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Our interface with Muslims is best conducted on doctrinal grounds.
     10 DP 255: "This form of religion was raised up by the Divine Providence of the Lord to destroy the idolatries of many nations."
     Let us now summarize some of the Muslim teachings which are practically identical to New Church teachings, omitting the beliefs already dealt with above (God the Creator, no idols, etc.). We start with the Writings and find in the Qur'an a parallel doctrine.

Freedom

There is spiritual freedom, or free will, as taught all through the Writings: "Who does not know that man has freedom of choice in spiritual things? . . . . to deny it would be folly" (TCR 463). So also the Qur'an: "There is no compulsion in religion . . . . He who rejects false deities and believes in Allah has grasped a firm handhold which will never break" (2.256).11
     11Predestination is another matter, but is not like Presbyterian dogma: it is "Allah's will": "Whomsoever God guides, he is rightly guided; and whom He leads astray, they are the losers" (7.178). He leads astray the "ungodly [who] break the covenant" (2.26).

Salvation

     In the New Church, "Every person who has religion knows and acknowledges that he who leads a good life is saved, and that he who leads an evil life is damned" (Life 1). In the Qur'an: "Each one believes in Allah and His angels and His scriptures, and His messengers . . . . We hear and we obey. Unto You is the journeying . . . . Condemn us not if we forget or miss the mark!" (2.285, 2.286) "Theirs will be home . . . . Gardens of Eden which they enter along with all who do right of their fathers and their helpmeets and their seed. The angels enter unto them from every gate"(13.23).

The Ten Commandments

      The Writings: "Listen: [The Ten Commandments] were promulgated with so great a miracle [because] they are also spiritual laws: to act contrary to them . . . is also a sin against God . . . .

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He commands in order that it may be of religion . . . and for the sake of man that he may be saved" (Life 53). So the Qur'an: "And We [Allah] wrote for him [Moses] upon the tablets, the lesson to be drawn from all things and the explanation of all things then bade him hold it sacred, and command your people saying, Take the better course made clear therein. I shall show you the abode of evil livers" (7.145).

The Virgin Birth of the Messiah

     This is a monumental truth in the Writings: "The Lord was like other men except that He was conceived of Jehovah but still was born of a virgin mother, and by birth derived infirmities from the virgin mother like those of man in general" (AC 1414; cf. AC 8909, TCR 538). That he was "the son of Joseph is an insane notion" (TCR 94). Islam is approachable on this: "Lo, Allah gives you glad tidings from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary . . . one of those brought near to Allah. He will speak to mankind in His cradle, in His manhood, and He is of the righteous" (3.45, 46). Mary said, "My Lord, how can I have a child when no mortal has touched me? He said, So it will be. Allah creates what He will. If He creates a thing, He says unto it only, Be, and it is" (3.47).

The Lord Is God

     The Writings: "Jehovah God descended as Divine Truth, which is the Word, although He did not separate from it the Divine Good . . . . God assumed the Human in accordance with His Divine Order" (TCR 85, 89). The Qur'an puts it: "We make of Him [Jesus] a revelation for mankind and a mercy from Us, and it is a thing ordained" (19.21). "Allah took Him [Jesus] up unto Himself" (4.158).

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"The likeness of Jesus with Allah is truly as the likeness of Adam" (3.58).12
     12 This is perhaps what lies behind the Writings' teaching that the Qur'an teaches that Jesus is the "Son of God."

Life after Death

     "Man after death is a complete human form" (HH, passim). In the Qur'an: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good, they have their reward with their Lord" (2.62). "We have ordained death among you . . . that We may change your state and make you grow into what you know not" (56.60-61). "Certainly the Hereafter is greater in degrees and greater in excellence" (17.21).

The Book of Life

     The Writings reveal that man's own interior memory contains his entire life: "Man carries with him all of his memory, and nothing can be so concealed in the world as not to be disclosed after death" (HH 462). In the Qur'an: "Do they think that We hear not their secrets and private counsels? Aye! and Our messengers with them write down" (43.80). "And the book is placed, then you see the guilty fearing for what is in it, and they say: O woe to us! what a book is this! It leaves out neither a small thing nor a great one, but numbers them all" (18.50). "Every nation will be called to its record. This day you are requited for what you did" (45.28). "Read your book; your own soul is sufficient as a reckoner against you this day" (17.14).13
     13 We need to point out that no one is condemned for what he or she has done here, however. The Lord does not impute evil. It is our continued life that judges us, meant by the Lord's words, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." This means that "the Lord does not impute a single sin to anyone" (TCR 639).

Last Judgment

     And so the final common-ground category covered here: "The Last Judgment must be where all are together, thus in the spiritual world, and not on earth" (LJ 28).

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"No one is judged from the natural man, thus not so long as he lives in the natural world . . . but everyone is judged in the spiritual man,. . . when he comes into the spiritual world . . . ; the natural . . . cannot be held guilty of any fault or crime, since it does not live of itself but is only the servant" (LJ 30). "In the spiritual body, man appears such as he is" (ibid).
     So the Qur'an: "We will set up a just balance on the Day of Resurrection" (21.47). "And the heaven, He raised it high, and He set up the measure that you may not exceed the measure, and keep up the balance with equity nor fall short in the measure" (55.7-9). "And the judging on that day will be just, so as for those whose good deeds are heavy, they are the successful. And as for those whose good deeds are light, those are they who ruined their souls" (7.8,9). "Allah shows them their deeds to be intense regret to them, and they will not escape from the fire" (2.167). "Whoever does good, it is for himself; and whoever does evil, it is against himself" (45.15).

Conclusion

     There is a rising discontentment among Muslims, because "modernization" has brought with it "westernization" or, even worse for them, "Americanization" Generally they favor the first but not the second or third.
     There is a difference! Some Islamic nations such as Egypt and Turkey have become westernized, but at least Egypt remains heavily Muslim under some trappings of western culture. Other nations are further from the modernizing trends, and are thus able to withhold their peoples from the "damaging effects" of western influences. It is among the latter that the "Jihad" has been turned from the original meaning of Jihad, namely warfare against their own weak flesh, into warfare against those who would disrupt the Islamic way of life.
     Their pillars of orthopraxy-salat: five times daily prayer, zakat: their poor-dues, saum: fasting during Ramadan, Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca, and tahard: purification-provide a method of living which appeals to one billion inhabitants of this planet.

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Their official tolerance of other beliefs within their borders has resulted in mixtures of local customs with Islam, so that all brothers and sisters in faith in the international community meet on equal terms, without prejudice. In fact, everyone is already "Muslim," and being converted is when we recognize the fact!
     One task for the New Church is understanding. Muslims in the other life heard the doctrines of heaven, and "on hearing these things, they were silent, and many acquiesced" (LJ post. 100). And yet, "communication between Christians and Muslims is taken away" in the spiritual world. If not, none could be saved! (CL 352) But when communication does take place, Muslims wonder why "they had not heard such things" (LJ 87). Given the contents of the Qur'an, no wonder!
     New Church doctrines are spiritual truths stated in rational language. That is the bridge: to state our teachings in their own wording, without fear, and then in our own wording, for personal communication. The Qur'an has many of our main doctrines. We can converse with the Muslims.*
     * I wish to thank two people who responded to my questionnaire. Mrs. Nuhad (Abed) Zachariah: "We have great respect and affection for our Moslem friends . . . . They are very tolerant and respectful of other religions. They believe it is a sin to convert from Islam, while converting to Islam is as easy as saying, 'There is no God but God and Muhammad is his prophet'; no instruction is required; Islam is not synonymous with Arab; Muslims can understand something special about Jesus." Capt. Gregory Rose: "We need to learn a lot about accommodation before we . . . hope to find receptive ears. There is no intermediary between God and man. We [in the West] are immediately identified as strangers, outsiders, and a reason to be suspicious and guarded; to leave family, clan, and tribe has far greater meaning for them than for us. We need to think not only what to present, but how to present it. Sufis [esoteric Islam] were among the most successful Islamic missionaries because they attributed local folk religions to Islamic origins."

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OUR ANIMAL MIND 1995

OUR ANIMAL MIND       HELEN KENNEDY       1995

     For a long time I have had a deep interest in understanding how the Lord created the world and also human beings. In my smarter days I thought this would be possible, but now I see that I can get only a few clues that fit into this giant puzzle. I must be happy with a small picture, and if it is a hologram, I can look into the bigger picture by seeing the smaller one.
     Anthropologists say that the oldest known predecessor of human beings is an apelike animal named Ramapithecus who lived in Africa 12 million years ago (mya). After this comes a hominid named Lucy* from 4 mya. She was 3' 10" tall and a vegetarian. By 3 - 2 mya three species of hominids roamed Africa, and any one could have developed into human beings: Australopithecus boisei, Australopithecus boisei, Australopithecus Africanus and Homo habilis (Handy Man). At a point unknown to anthropologists, Homo habilis went on to develop into a human being and the other two hominids died off.
     * Anthropologists report finding pieces of skeletons of "chimpanzee-like" apes. They are older than Lucy, and the earliest known link connecting humans with the ancestors of apes. The species is named "Australopithecus ramidus."
     Between 12 and 3 mya our hominid forebears went from walking on four legs to walking on two, "much the same way as modern humans walk around modern cities," says anthropologist Richard Leakey in his book, People of the Lake. People thought it was so that our ancestors could hunt and run away from danger better. But now some anthropologists, including Leakey, think differently. Leakey observes, "our ancestors did not adopt an avaricious taste for meat at this time (3 mya); indeed, the teeth tell us quite the opposite."

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Running away is also off-base. Watch any toddler go from crawling to walking, then draw your own conclusions.

     Standing
I used to think standing was a given,
     Feet squarely on the ground,
     Shoulders back.
It is not.

Crawling in the muck,
     Falling down, kneeling low,
     Winding snakelike through the path of least resistance,
     As gravity holds me to the ground-
     These are all ways.

Yes, standing,
     Feet squarely on the ground,
     Shoulders back-
     Is a gift.               Peggy Mergen

     Perhaps there is another reason why this gift was given to humans. In the Writings we read, "At man's first creation he was endowed with wisdom and the love of wisdom, not for his own sake but so that he might share it with others" (TCR 746:1). Did this spiritual change in our ancient forbear evoke the physiological one also? Things of the spirit are creeping into science and lending themselves as possible reasons for things. According to Leakey the most important invention that "transformed the early hominids' subsistence . . . into a food-sharing economy" was "the carrier bag." And this was the cause of a major technological revolution. Chimpanzees and other apes eat at the places where they find their food. A bag allows for the postponement of consumption and a sharing of the enjoyment of eating with others. To stress the fact that this is different, Leakey says, "no primate gathers food-ever."
     Continuing on after Homo habilis, the next forbear we humans have is the hominid Homo erectus.

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Erectus was special because, for the first time a hominid developed a culture with his fellow hominids to the extent that they could escape the climate of the tropics and live elsewhere. Tangible evidence of the change in Homo erectus can be seen by the brain size. The brain sizes of the early hominids Australopithecus Africanus and boisei were 450cc and 550cc respectively, while habilis' brain was 800cc with no sign of growing. But Homo erectus's brain was growing bigger and bigger: 1.5 mya Homo's brain was nearing 1,000cc; by half a million it was 1200cc.
     This caused other changes. "Because his brain was developing rapidly, Homo erectus needed meat to help it develop and sustain its new functions," says anthropologist Donald Johanson in his video, "Human Origins." Homo erectus had a body much like modern man's, but the bones were long and thin, showing that both he and she were used to much exercise. They made axes of flint and also scavenged meat, either before or after buzzards, hyenas or other scavengers. With their skeletons have been found animal bones with two sets of marks on them: hyenas' teeth appear under the scrapings of an axe. This shows that Homo erectus scavenged from the scavengers. Also, he and she used their intelligence to follow leopards. Leopards put their fresh kill up a tree to preserve it where buzzards can't see it through the leaves and other scavengers can't get to it. Homo erectus knew this and followed the leopards, stealing their kill.
     An infant of Homo erectus had a brain not as fully developed at birth as the brains of primates. If Homo erectus' brain had continued to develop, it would have grown too large to pass through the birth canal. Consequently, the infants of that species were totally dependent at birth for a year or more while their brains continued to develop. Like modern infants, they demanded round-the-clock care, and this implies a family organization developed well enough to support the infant.
     Homo ancestors of ours lived on the earth up to half a million years ago; then the basic Homo sapiens emerged.

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During their time on earth, Homo erectus learned to use fire. The fact that using fire came after the long period of infancy was established shows that brain growth was developed for reasons other than technological ones. Leakey says, " . . . the pressures of social life were an important engine in the evolution of intelligence. Important to the gathering and hunting . . . was the intensely enhanced social interaction, particularly the psychological and emotional complexities of reciprocal altruism . . . . Restraint, persuasion, tact, submission, aggression, perception and a good sense of humor all play their part in successful co-operation. And on top of all is the desire-conscious and unconscious-to ensure that the system of reciprocal altruism operates as it should, with no one gaining unfair advantages . . . . Because the potential benefits to the individual of reciprocal altruism are great, we can be sure that the galaxy of emotions that underlie the system has been evolving in us for a very long time."
     Being interested in the natural mind, Leakey calls problems arising among our Erectus ancestors "moralistic aggression" caused by failing to cooperate. Those open to the spirit might give the name "evils" to these failings, but still it is unclear whether Homo erectus' spirit was developed enough for him and her to be capable of sin.
     Leakey's way of seeing the development of speech in the hominids at times follows along with Swedenborg's. Where Swedenborg says that language had developed when man learned to deceive (see AC 8250), Leakey says that with a spoken language "individuals are certain to arise who try to cheat in the altruism game. They may produce convincing . . . sham guilt, sham sympathy, and sham gratitude in an 'attempt' to take more than they give." Consequently they can be seen as "cheating in the altruism game."
     It can be seen that our Homo erectus forbears had good qualities, such as sharing food and caring for infants, but also negative qualities, such as cheating and moralistic aggression.

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While they did good things, still they were imperfect creatures. Yet these the Lord developed into human beings.
     A New Church member once wrote, "While we reject the materialistic theories and explanations [of evolution], we are not free to reject the data and evidence on which the evolutionist builds his false superstructure. His facts, insofar as they are facts, are God's own truths on the material plane. The same Lord who gave us the Bible and our revelations also gave us the book of nature. Rightly interpreted, every fact of nature testifies to the wisdom and goodness of God" (Lloyd Edminston, NCL Sept. 1993, p. 416).
     When religion and evolution are brought together, we see that God used an animal body and mind to develop into a human being. He did this by joining spiritual states to the animal mind, creating an internal and an external person. This allowed His creatures to do things more as He would like, i.e., share food with others, and also wisdom. How close Homo erectus was to the pre-Adamites Swedenborg describes in his Writings as having lived "so many ages before" (SD 3340) no one knows. Is it important to know or is it important only to know of their spiritual influence on us? Swedenborg wouldn't be telling us about them if they weren't important. He describes the pre-Adamite he met as having acquired "his reformation, as it were, in sleep" (SD 3394). Sleep in the spiritual world means being in natural states, or "to live a natural life separate from the spiritual" (AE 374:15).
     Swedenborg says the pre-Adamite was "not evil but had a little of life remaining" (SD 3390). If the pre-Adamite was our spiritual ancestor, who was his equivalent in the natural world? I think we can exclude Ramapithecus and the early hominids. Perhaps it was Homo erectus whose brain was developing.
     Swedenborg continues to describe the pre-Adamite as "an external man, but still one who had internals in his externals, and only a little of them" (SD 3390). His main fault: "His desire for glory in life was such as to exceed that of almost all others" (SD 3394).

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And his desire for glory Swedenborg likens to that of the Romans in their time. All this shows that the pre-Adamites were imperfect creatures. Yet these the Lord developed into human beings.
     No matter how far mankind develops, it will never get away from the fact that an animal mind and body are the basis upon which a human being is built. The Writings say, "Man, as concerns his nature, is not the slightest bit different from an animal" (TCR 574). But what does that mean for us today?
     By watching documentaries on PBS and reading articles and books, I learned some things about animals. Many of the things are good, but others are not good. These not-good things are the very things in our heredity that trouble us the most. Some examples are:

     Lions and hyenas are in deadly feuds and cannot tolerate each other's presence on the plain. Filmed were hyenas separating from the pack a female lion who just had cubs. The hyenas persecuted her unmercifully, and for two days she had neither food nor water. Luckily the hyenas grew bored and left.
     Dolphin males kidnapped a female mating with a male. They separated her off by making a ring around her. A second female noticed this. Swimming over, she distracted the males and allowed the distressed female time to escape.
     Chimpanzees at times kill one another, especially the infants of other females. It is done very sneakily.
     Rival prides of lions converged on the same part of a plain during the night. They fought and an older female was separated out. She became isolated and was attacked and tormented until she lost all her strength and died.

     Sounds like the evening news to me.
     Animals also lie. Time Magazine carried the story of Koko, a gorilla who had been taught hand signals.

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One day she broke the sink in the room where the trainer was keeping her. When the trainer came, Koko hurried to him and used hand signals to sign, "Kate there bad," pointing to a female attendant (3/22/93). The author of the article asks, "Was the muscular animal trying to shift the blame" or "was she merely making signs vaguely associated with the event?" Later on, a conclusion is drawn: "There are enough examples of such ape trickery to suggest that perhaps Koko really was lying when she made the signs."
     In addition to saving face, status and worldly position are important parts of the animal kingdom:

     On the veldt, the dominant female African dog is the only female who has babies.
     When little food is available, the babies of high-status female apes are fed while the babies of subordinate or low status females are killed.
     High-status female apes tend to have more sons than daughters. Male fetuses are more vulnerable to stress than female fetuses. Because mothers low down in the hierarchy usually suffer more social harassment than those higher up, some of the male fetuses abort. In higher primates the social status of sons usually reflects pretty accurately the social standing of their mothers.

     Because naturalists have been studying animals for longer and longer periods, they have learned things that weren't easily seen before.
     If these are some of the things coming down to us in our natural heredity, no wonder where the Writings say man isn't the slightest bit different from animals, they also say, "he is equally untamed" (TCR 574).
     Something that has puzzled me for a long time is why God, who is love itself and wisdom itself, developed such a system in the natural world that one animal has to kill another for food, and in such a gory way. It seems the opposite of what a loving God would do.

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The problem is further compounded for us because we humans have these traits in our external man but are not supposed to do them. It's quite a paradox. What we receive through the heredity in the natural man the Writings call "a hell of the smallest scale." Can it be anything other than hard for us at times?
     The earlier quoted passage from TCR where it says that man is like an animal goes on to read, " . . . but this regards his will. In respect to the understanding, however, he differs from the animals, for the understanding can be raised above the cravings of the will to see and control them."
     We may at times succumb to the will with its crazy lusts and passions. But with the prodding of our understanding, we can learn.
     Animals can learn. Time Magazine tells of Alex, an African gray parrot who learned to count pieces that were rose-colored mixed in with other objects on a tray. One time, after incorrectly answering the number of pieces, the parrot said, "I'm sorry." A moment later, frustrated, Alex said, "I'm gonna go away," and turned his back to the tray.
     Animals learn other things too. Leakey tells of a magnificent male baboon named David, that "although he's still not fully mature, he is physically very impressive, both in size, coat and canines. And he's obviously anxious for social success. He is able to terrorize simply by displaying his physique and by threatening. But he is not socially successful. He often fails to make alliances with other baboons in the troop and he is not very good with the women. In fact, he's a typical immature macho who's overimpressed with his physical abilities, and has not yet discovered that intelligence, not muscle, is the key to social and political advancement."
     If it was hard for the baboon to learn, it was hard for our pre-Adamite ancestors too in using their intelligence to develop spiritual qualities. SD 3391 speaks of the pre-Adamites regetting their externals to "correspond with internals," that this "occurred with torment."

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Swedenborg also observed that when the pre-Adamite "praised the Lord with interior motion and gave thanks . . . there was still a resistance from his desire for glory in life" (SD 3394).
     Things don't necessarily come easily for us either. The Writings speak of the lowing of the cows and "the difficult conversion of the lusts of evil of the natural man into good affections" (DP 326:12). This needs to be done for "it is from the will that all things with man originate" (AC 808).
     Emotions die hard. Fox Chase Farm, which is run by the Philadelphia School District, has sixty cows. The Polled Hereford Association requires breeders to keep the calves with their mothers 205 days. After that "in order to wean the young from their mothers, the farmer separates them and puts the young calves into the livestock barn. All the doors get closed, and for about three to four days the mothers and calves put up a fuss" (Training Manual). The natural mind always raises a ruckus when it has to give up something it loves.
     From all this we see that it took a lot of time and effort for the Lord to create man to become spiritual. At times I think it was a betrayal of the human race for the Most Ancients to fall. But was it really, or was it just too hard to stay open to the spiritual? I don't know. But I do know that life is harder for us because they fell-harder than it has to be.
     When I first read the Writings in the late 70s, I didn't realize the Most Ancients had to go through a process to become spiritual and then celestial. I had the idea they were created from scratch to be good. So in reading Conjugial Love 75 I wondered how the Most Ancients could possibly know about adulteries. Swedenborg writes, "those who have so thought of more than one wife said that instantly the heavenly blessedness of their souls receded from the inmost to the outermost of their bodies, even to the nails." Where one did think of adultery or more than one wife, the person was "instantly banished from their society."

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     More than just an intellectual argument, this created a lot of envy in me to think that the Most Ancients got their spirituality for free. With the idea of all of mankind starting from an animal mind and having to struggle, it all makes better sense to me. The system the Lord set up is a long and at times arduous one, always depending on the Lord's withholding us from our evils. "For the human being, by force of his hereditary evil, is ever panting for the lowest hell" (DP 183).
     "All the angels of heaven turn their forehead to the Lord as a sun, and all the angels of hell turn the back of their head to Him. The latter receive influx into affections of the will, which in themselves are lusts, but the former receive influx into the affections of their understanding, and make the will favor them" (Influx 13). So in the case of the evil, the will makes the understanding go along, but in the case of the good the understanding teaches and trains the will to comply. The new will can be joined with the understanding because it is created in the understanding. What the understanding does for the new will is take its boundless love and passion and give boundaries to it. This creates the heavenly marriage within the individual. Love needs to be bounded by truth, and real love appreciates its teaching.
     Truth also brings with it quality, so that what is in the will can be known. For "everything is known by its quality" (TCR 763). But "quality is determined by its opposites" (Ibid.). Good and its opposite-evil; truth and lies; day and night; natural and spiritual. The natural world is opposite the spiritual world and provides a base for this spiritual to act into. Can the spiritual be perceived only because of the natural? Is this one of the reasons for the natural world? If man were placed only in the spiritual world, would he have no choice? If there were no evil, would we be able to perceive or want its opposite-God?
     TCR 470:4 states that one of the qualities of a God is that He cannot create other gods.

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Since the Divine is good and truth itself, is it that the only way God could create beings other than Himself was for them to have things in them other than good and truth? And in the absence of good and truth, evil and falsity are present. This is because evil and falsity separate from God, but they are not yet sin. Sin is a deliberate turning away from God.
     DLW 305 talks of the origin of the earth and its substances and matter, saying that the earth's origins are in "the endings and terminations of the atmospheres whose heat has ended in cold, light in darkness, and activity in inertia." All these qualities: cold, darkness, inertia, imply the absence of God. Is this inertia and resistance in the natural mind put in us from birth? So it can be a basis for the spiritual to flow into, the spiritual being fluid and accepting? Can a bowl hold liquid because the materials in it are harder than the liquid? If the molecules in the bowl were as fluid as the molecules in the liquid, there would be no separation of quality-and no useful container. When the Lord forgives, does He overcome our resistance to Him, separating it and making it a useful container?
     "They were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed" (Gen. 2:25) means they were innocent. "To be exact, the Lord instilled innocence into their proprium to keep it from being unacceptable . . . Man's proprium is nothing but evil, and when presented to view is terribly ugly; but when charity and innocence are instilled into the proprium by the Lord, it looks fine and attractive . . . . The charity and innocence not only excuse the proprium, that is, a person's evil and falsity, but also virtually do away with it, as anyone may see in the case of young children" (AC 163, 164).
     The result in learning about our animal mind and also in associating with animals is to recognize that there are creatures different from us and lower than us that we can come to love. The result in learning of the spiritual is to recognize that there is a being different from us but higher than us. We can come to love Him too.

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DO THE WRITINGS CONTAIN SCIENTIFIC REVELATION? 1995

DO THE WRITINGS CONTAIN SCIENTIFIC REVELATION?       Dr. LEON JAMES       1995

     Part 2: The Reciprocal Relation Between Science and Revelation

The Controversy

     There are two issues to be resolved: 1) Can science be expected to concern itself with spiritual things such as regeneration, salvation, influx, miracles, conjugial love, Sacred Scripture, the laws of Divine Providence, and so on?
     The "strong" version: If these are real things happening to people on earth, then it is a matter for science inasmuch as science is the scientific investigation of real events.
     The "weaker" version: Science and religion are uses for different aspects of human knowledge and understanding-science for this world and religion for the next; or, science for the outer, temporary, natural life and religion (also theology) for the inner spiritual life.
     2) Can revelation be expected to concern itself with natural things such as facts about history, chemistry, and biology or psychology?
     The "strong" version: Spiritual truths about faith are rational (Nunc Licet1) and we can understand them to the extent that we have acquired an external rational mind. The Latin Word cannot exist as a document separate from culture and history. In order for the Writings to be believable, understandable, and lovable to the modern mind, they must be written in a scientific style, that is, on the level of thinking of the external rational mind. Without history, psychology, medicine, geography, etc., which make up so much of the Writings, they could not have been written and presented to the modern mind as a religious document to be honored as Divine. The Writings are therefore a source of both religious and scientific revelations.

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     The "weaker" version: As a matter of principle, revelation avoids dealing with scientific issues to avoid conflict between new scientific discoveries and old outdated principles of science which would get stuck in the literal sense of the Word. The Writings appear to depart from this principle in some places where illustrations or examples are given from common scientific knowledge, and some of these are indeed outdated in the light of modern science. However, these minor examples do not affect in any way whatsoever the validity of the spiritual explanations or doctrinal principles laid out.
     These two issues have been debated in exchanges that have appeared in New Church Life, and the present installment will, I hope, clarify and strengthen the principal issue which is, I believe, that science and religion are reciprocally and inescapably interdependent. One important implication is that science education is an essential component of rational literacy, that is, of mental skills needed to understand the literal sense of the Writings. Readers will no doubt make up their own minds as to whether or not the "strong version" is more valid and desirable than the "weaker version." The arguments I present try to show that the "strong" version is valid.
     Acknowledging the Writings in the contemporary modern world requires familiarity with rational concepts. Modern science, which includes science education, supplies the content of this external rational mind, as well as its mode of reasoning and making decisions. This is why the language of revelation must necessarily include scientific concepts for the elucidation of spiritual truths; "Doctrinal matters . . . would not be at all received, and thus no respect would be entertained" were it not integrated and made consistent with "natural things," that is, science (see AC 2553). It is thus necessary for the Writings to be grounded in modern scientific ideas, else they would not continue to be acknowledged and studied by succeeding generations.
     What about those who feel that the threefold Word contains outdated, hence erroneous, statements about natural or historical things?

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Let's wait to see if anyone can actually come up with proof of such errors. This is not a simple matter since scientific proof is normally by probability. Thus, one can point to the moon exploration in the space age and point to the low probability that there could be life there-low but not zero! While we are waiting for proof, therefore, we can retain the idea that Swedenborg's Earths in the Universe (EU) is a scientific revelation as well as a spiritual one in its more internal sense. Even if proof were found that some scientific statement in the Writings was erroneous, this would not invalidate ipso facto all other scientific statements in the Word.

Pre-modern vs. Modern Minds

     Pre-modern science is non-mechanistic: the Deity or Spirit rules by fiat, by a command or the motion of a finger, and all obey, whether animate or inanimate. The pre-modern concepts of the Apostles could not accommodate to or fathom a spiritual kingdom "within themselves"; this remained a mystery, hence a barrier to their understanding, acknowledgment, and love. The Writings reveal that their concretized, sensuous, semantic framework could not admit that the Lord and the Father are one Person, or that people are to forgive others because condemnation is from the hell within them, or that they were to rule no one in the Lord's heavenly kingdom.
     John could write about the mysterious Logos being One with God, but was not able to acknowledge and see the inner meaning of Exodus or the Psalms. Paul was the brilliant Talmudic architect of a new Judaeo-Christian doctrine of salvation in Christ that stimulated nearly two thousand years of scholarly activity in theology, philosophy, education, politics, music and art, yet Paul was not capable of believing his own rhetoric because his ideas were pre-modern. Though he preached universal love, in practice he and his followers insisted more on faith and matters of church, and his views on women were more cultural than spiritual.

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More than fifteen hundred years of intellectual development had to happen before the modern mind was reborn in the objectivism of Renaissance art and mechanistic empiricism. (This will be discussed further on.)

The Significance of the Second Advent for Science

     The intellectualism of the Second Advent conforms to the evidential rationality and empirical methodology of modern science. God rules through intermediaries, and nothing unconnected can exist or function. God governs and manages by ordered sequences arranged in hierarchies that are discoverable and usable as explanatory concepts for observable phenomena. The entire Writings are made of interconnected and consistent explanatory systems. This is not different from the handbooks or textbooks of mature sciences. The actions of God in human behavior are in accordance with discoverable laws of precedence, such as the issue of which actions are more harmful than others (e.g., imputation; see CL 524:4), or when the Lord permits events that otherwise He does not will Himself (DP 249).
     Divine providence is not magical or unknown, but is presented in scientific terms that help explain in a rational way natural events in the world such as evil, crime, luck, accidents, evolution, instinct; and it accomplishes this by using only the logical exposition of operational "laws" of Divine Providence. This is how I see the meaning of Nunc Licet applied to science.

Traditional vs. New Christian Mentality

     The old Christian Church retains pre-modern explanations of salvation, regeneration, and prayer. The principle of vicarious atonement of sins through spilling of the blood of Christ on the cross is an explanation of salvation that can no longer be accepted by modern scientific minds. Indeed, "blind faith" is called for, which darkens the understanding.

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No inner confirmation or agreement is possible, only an outward, literal and ritualistic acknowledgment.
     In contrast, the Swedenborgian description of the process of salvation is modern and mechanistic in the sense that it gives the etiology, diagnosis, and symptoms of the mental changes that constitute sin and regeneration. Salvation is not by fiat, but by the slow, tortuous, biological process of the struggling individual as-of-self, a process which is called regeneration, and which can be witnessed and recorded through one's perceptions, reflections, and the retrospective illustration (or insight) with which the Lord gifts the repentant and regenerating individual while studying the Writings.
     As another example, take the scientific concept found in the Writings that affections and thoughts are spiritual substances (not physical, temporal), and are arranged in certain shapes according to their quality (e.g., whether good or harmful).2 Let's call this the "spiritual biology" premise. To be able to see or comprehend this scientific concept, one needs to operate cognitively at the external rational level, which is the modern standard in society today. At the pre-modern level, the spiritual biology premise appears difficult to believe, and easy to dismiss as poetic expression. Indeed, most scientists today dismiss the scientific truth and reality of a dual universe as religious sentimentalism or, sometimes, as psychosis.
     Going still deeper (or higher), the internal rational level of thinking allows one to see from this spiritual biology premise that the self is immortal and lives as a fully functioning person in the spiritual world. Thus, internal-rational ideas (e.g., heaven and hell as eternal habits of mental states) are grounded in scientific or external rational concepts (e.g., thoughts and feelings are shaped, non-physical substances). Imbuing New Church mentality with early science education thus becomes even more imperative now than it seemed half a century ago, as argued by Bishop George de Charms, who predicted that faith in the Writings will be threatened unless Nunc Licet scientists, or dualists, construct scientific explanations of miracles reported in the Word.3

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Science Education and Understanding the Writings

     The two parts of the rational mind, external and internal, are thus interdependent. Spiritual truths from revelation, now being rational (no longer natural), cannot be fully understood without the development in each individual of the external rational mind. Science and science education are the means by which the external rational mind of the modern individual is built up. Science and science education teach us the skills of critical thinking without which rational faith is impossible (thus only a blind, persuasive one). Without this scientific foundation, spiritual truths cannot be fully understood rationally, and without this rational understanding of spiritual truths, there is for us no regeneration, no conjugial, no heavenly life.4
     I would predict that those who have not been exposed to science education may have a certain handicap to overcome when coming into contact with the Writings (which may then appear "hard to read" or "inconsistent"). One antidote to finding the Writings hard to understand is, I think, the improvement of one's literacy skills, both scientific and humanistic. There is a built-in reciprocity between science and revelation. Science needs revelation because the external rational is "in appearances of good and truth" (AC 2516), and cannot discover the inner states of people. Only the internal rational, or spiritual, can receive facts about the inner world of spirit. Scientifically viewed, revelation is empirical data from the inner world. Revelation is thus a new kind of scientific methodology. At the same time, revelation needs science because the internal-rational ideas are grounded in the external rational mind. Spiritual truths such as the doctrine of faith cannot be given or fully understood without these scientific externals. Viewed from revelation, science is data from the external world. Science is thus the basis of religion and its containant, as the natural world is the basis and containant of the spiritual and celestial.

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Scientific Paradigm Shift to Dualism

     In order for science to realign itself with religion, scientists must be willing to become dualists, that is, they have to acknowledge the reality of revelation as a source of data for spiritual phenomena and their action on natural phenomena. Because this intellectual evolution is inevitable, as foretold in the Writings, dualist concepts must gradually appear, first as maverick proposals, but eventually establishing themselves as mainstream scientific theory. One such unusual but solid proposal comes from no less an expert in neurobiology and neuroscience than Nobel Prize winner Sir John Eccles, who defines two types of neuronal events in the brain, one strictly neural (NE) and the other mixed mental-neural events (MNE).5 MNEs fire either from NEs or MEs (mental events); the latter are mental events such as "attention or intention." Eccles reviews positive physiological evidence that convinces him that MNE neurons exist and can be fired by purely MEs, such as attending to some thought or intending some action.
     The recognition by a leading scientist of the existence of non-physical events (MEs) interacting with physical events (NEs) through an intermediary substance (MNEs) is proof that science is well on its way to dualism, that is, to the recognition of the reality of two worlds, one physical, the other non-physical or spiritual. After recognition comes application, and soon dualist theories in physics, biology, or economics will be incorporating in their formulae and models such constants as the law of correspondences, and such variables as discrete degrees or acquired hereditary character traits. (To be continued)

     NOTES

     1 See TCR 508, where it is also warned that entering into spiritual things in the wrong way may be dangerous. The wrong way is to take up inner rational ideas from the Word, and then question their validity on the basis of external rational ideas.

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     2 E.g., the ideas of thought are nothing else than purer substances (AC 6326); and in DLW 209 it is explained that thoughts and feelings are states of the person, and since a person is substance, his various states (thoughts and feelings) must also be substances. See also DP 174, which states that the interior substances of the mind are infinitely numerous and under the Lord's continuous management.
     3 George de Charms, "The Doctrine of Miracles," NCL, 1958, pp. 218-9
     4 "For the end of regeneration is that the internal mind may be conjoined with the external, thus the spiritual with the natural through the rational. Without the conjunction of both of these there is no regeneration. Nor can this conjunction be effected until good has first been conjoined with truths in the natural; for the natural must be the plane, and the things that are in the natural must correspond" (AC 4353). See also AC 8351.
     5 John Eccles, "Brain and Mind, Two or One?" In Mindwaves: Thoughts on Intelligence, Identity and Consciousness (Basil Blackwell), p. 296
Editorial Pages 1995

Editorial Pages       Editor       1995

     THE HOLOGRAPHIC UNIVERSE

     During a lecture by Rev. Walter Orthwein called "The Human Face of Nature," there was reference to a book by Michael Talbot (published in 1991 by Harper Collins). The name of the book is The Holographic Universe. The copy at the Swedenborg Library was not currently available, but the above-mentioned lecturer was willing to lend his for a short time.
     I have at least looked at the passages the previous reader underlined and have perused the references to Swedenborg.
     In the introduction Mr. Talbot says that beliefs can be like addictions. "And since Western science has devoted several centuries to not believing in the paranormal, it is not going to surrender its addiction lightly." On page 54 he, refers to a concept which "may some day even lead to the inclusion of God or Mind within the framework of science."

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References to Swedenborg

     Swedenborg is first mentioned on page 183. Talbot cites the teaching of Arcana 6200 that thought concerning a place or person can appear like a flowing wave. In a chapter called "Traveling in the Superhologram" three pages are devoted to introducing Swedenborg to the reader. The author's footnotes show that he has studied the big Swedenborg Foundation anthology. He quotes George Dole and mentions an article by Leon Rhodes in a footnote. This little introduction to Swedenborg ends with Swedenborg's saying on his deathbed that everything he had written is true. Then on page 272 Talbot quotes the teaching of the Writings that in heaven, art is the source of art itself. Finally, on the next-to-last page of the book he notes that Swedenborg said that beyond the heaven he visited was a heaven even more brilliant.
     Speaking of holography, the popular book by Dr. George Dole, Sorting Things Out, has a three-part section titled "Christian Theology and the Holographic Model."
     Sorting Things Out was published last year by J. Appleseed and Co. There is a review of it in the March issue of Theta Alpha Journal.

     RIVALRY BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN (4)

     We have spoken of "rivalries familiar at this day" (CL 291). It is useful to know that the word rendered "rivalry" is the same Latin word (aemulatio) that is also rendered "struggle," "striving" and "contest." One of the causes of cold in marriage is "a striving for super-eminence between partners," a rivalry for supremacy.
     What would you think of entering a contest in which you were certain to lose? The Writings say that in a contest between husband and wife for supremacy there can apparently be one who is victor and one who is subjugated. It would seem that somebody wins the contest. But they both lose. They are both cold (see CL 248). Both have lost that precious pearl, the warmth of conjugial love.

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     Another way the winner loses is that he or she becomes the victim of his or her own love of controlling. "One is a slave and the other who rules is also a slave, for he is led as a slave by his craving to rule" (HH 380).
     On the wider plane, a certain kind of contest between the sexes seems destined to produce many losers. It is sad to picture someone thinking he is on the way to victory when the road is really leading to defeat. "Well, then," says the chauvinist, "let's not have any more talk about men and women. Let us keep things exactly as they are."
     That is like the position of some spirits encountered by Swedenborg. They wanted to keep several wives and were very reluctant at the thought of what monogamy might do to their situation. They protested that with only one wife "we would not have the deference of submission but the irritation of equality. Nor would we have the bliss of ruling with its accompanying honor, but the annoyance of struggling for superiority. After all, what is a woman? Is she not born subject to a man's will, and born to serve and not to rule? For this reason every man here in his own house is like a royal majesty. Because this is what we like, it is also the blessing of our life."
     Swedenborg began his response by asking, "But where, then, is conjugial love, which forms two souls into one, and joins minds together and blesses a person?" (CL 78) But they brushed his words aside, saying they did not know what he was talking about.
TRANSLATION OF CONJUGIAL LOVE 1995

TRANSLATION OF CONJUGIAL LOVE       Editor       1995

     The above quotations are from the current translation of Conjugial Love by Rev. Bruce Rogers.

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ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL, COLLEGE AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS CALENDAR 1995-1996 1995

ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL, COLLEGE AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS CALENDAR 1995-1996       Editor       1995

     1995

Aug      31 Thu 9:30 a.m.      College Faculty Opening Worship and Meeting
                         New College resident students arrive on campus by 8:00 p.m.
Sept 1 Fri                New College students' registration and classes begin
     2-4 Sat-Mon           New College student orientation continues
     4 Mon                Labor Day College resident students arrive
     5 Tue               Secondary Schools resident students arrive on campus
               8:15 a.m.      Academy faculty meeting: President's Address (Pendleton Hall)
               9:30-12:30      Registration of returning College students
          1:00 p.m.      Local Secondary Schools students' registration
               8:30 p.m.      Secondary Schools Parent-Teacher Forum meeting
     6 Wed      8:00-12:00      Orientation and registration for all new Secondary Schools students (Benade Hall Auditorium)
               8:05 a.m.      Returning College students' classes begin
               11:05-11:50 College chapel and opening convocation
     7 Thu      8:00 a.m.      Orientation and testing in Secondary Schools
               7:30 p.m.      Cathedral worship service for students, faculty, parents
     8 Fri      7:55 a.m.      Classes begin in Secondary Schools
Oct 20 Fri                Charter Day 8:00 a.m. Annual Meeting of ANC Corporation (Pitcairn Hall)
          10:30 a.m.     Charter Day Service (Cathedral)
          9:00 p.m.     Charter Day Dance (Society Building)
     21 Sat      7:00 p.m.      Charter Day Banquet (Society Building)
Nov 6-10 Mon-Fri           College registration week for winter term
     14 Tue           College classes end
     18 Sat               College and Theological School fall term ends
     21 Tue      8:30 p.m.      Secondary Schools' fall term ends and Thanksgiving Recess
     26 Sun           Resident students return in all schools
     27 Mon           Winter term begins in all schools
Dec 15 Fri               Christmas recess begins for Secondary Schools at 12:15, College at 6:00 p.m.

     1996

Jan 2 Tue               Resident students return in all schools
     3 Wed           Classes resume in all schools
Feb 19-23 Mon-Fri      College registration week for spring term; College classes end on Friday
     26 Mon                 College examinations begin
     29 Thu           College and Theological School winter term ends
     Mar 1 Fri               Secondary Schools winter term ends
     2-9 Sat-Sat           Spring recess
     10 Sun           Resident students return in all schools
     11 Mon           Spring term begins in all schools
May 3 Fri     3:30 p.m.      Semi-annual meeting of Academy Corporation (Pitcairn Hall)
               7:45 p.m.      Academy Evening
     13-17 Mon-Fri           College registration for fall term
     24 Fri               College classes end
June 5 Wed      9:30 a.m.      Graduation (Field House); Assembly begins

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Notes On This Issue 1995

Notes On This Issue       Editor       1995




     Announcements






Vol. CXV     June, 1995     No. 6
NEW CHURCH LIFE

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     Notes out This Issue

     Why has the priesthood not been an area where women have served the church? One of the major presentations at the recent meetings of the Council of the Clergy was made by Rev. Stephen D. Cole. We begin in this issue to publish the results of this new study.
     A study group in Ivyland, Pennsylvania, has been reading up on this subject. Mr. John Abele sent along two excerpts of interest. See page 200.
     To some the acceptance of Islam by many in the world is cause for doubt about Divine Providence. But the Writings teach that it was under the Lord's Divine Providence that this religion was raised up (DP 255). Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom provides a New Church perspective in this issue.
     "Man, as concerns his nature, is not the slightest bit different from an animal" (TCR 574). But what does that mean for us today? Helen Kennedy offers her observations and reflections.
     Dr. Leon James undertakes in this issue to strengthen and clarify the concept that "science and religion are reciprocally and inescapably interdependent."
     When is Charter Day this year? You can find the answer in the Academy calendar on page 238.
     Note that two items on the subject of baptism are advertised on the inside back cover.

     Swedenborg Scientific Association Essay Contest

     The first SSA Essay Contest has just concluded. The committee of SSA board members and specialist readers have unanimously awarded the graduate prize to Mr. Allen Bedford of Bryn Athyn with his entry, "A Molecular Marriage: A Metaphorical Look at DNA Structure and Its Function in Protein Synthesis," and the undergraduate prize to Mr. Alan Lewin of Manchester, England, for his entry, "Chaotic Regeneration."
     We congratulate the winners and thank all other entrants.
          Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom

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SPIRITUAL GRAVITY 1995

SPIRITUAL GRAVITY       Rev. Grant H. ODHNER       1995

     "And He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her" (Mark 1:31).

     It takes energy to overcome inertia. In this world everything has a certain mass: a door, a chair, a book in our hands. Our bodies have mass-our feet as we walk, our arms as we reach for a pan, our torso as we rise out of bed. But the reason it takes energy to move is not only that we have mass; there's a force at work called gravity. Gravity is the mysterious attraction between things that have mass. This attraction is what gives each thing weight. Our bodies have weight because they are attracted to the earth's mass. To move we must overcome that tug.
     Gravity is a property of the natural universe. As such it does not exist in the spiritual world (the world of the mind). When we enter the spiritual world, gravity is left behind, like space and time, set size and set duration. There are different forces at play in the mind's world.
     In our story this morning, the Lord became present with a sick woman, He took her hand, He lifted her up, and the fever left her. In the language of correspondence (according to which the Word was written), the force by which Jesus lifted up the woman is the force by which the sick mind is uplifted and drawn toward the Lord and so toward wellness. We might call this force spiritual gravity. This force is the fundamental force in the spiritual world (in fact, the fundamental force in the natural world as well).
     In the spiritual world the Lord is the "center of gravity" (see HH 142; AE 159:3). His love is like spiritual mass. It draws all things toward itself, just as the central mass of a galaxy draws the myriad stars together and holds them in a relationship to itself. On a smaller scale the Lord's love is just like the sun in our solar system which draws all the planets toward itself and holds them in their orbits.

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Or, again, it is just like the center of our planet which draws to itself our moon and all things within its sphere. About the Divine pull we read: "There is actually a sphere proceeding continually from the Lord, and filling the entire spiritual and natural worlds, which raises all toward heaven. It is like a strong current in the ocean which unobservedly draws a vessel" (TCR 652:3). "The life which is from the Lord has [this] power of attracting, because it is from love, since all love has in it this power, inasmuch as it wills to be conjoined so as to be a one That the Lord draws human beings to Himself the Lord Himself teaches in John: 'I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself' (12:32)" (AC 8604:3,4). "[The Lord's] love has in itself such efficacy that it cannot otherwise be expressed than as an attracting. By the same mercy also, each and all things are held together in connection . . . " (SE 322).
     The force of the Lord's love is incredibly powerful, just like the sun's pull, yet no human being is ever drawn completely to Him. From ourselves we have a contrary motion that draws us away from the Lord, just as the planets have a motion that keeps them from being drawn into the sun. No human being could ever acquire enough spiritual mass to overcome that pull away from the Lord and be drawn into a complete oneness with Him. The Lord Himself, when He was in the world, took on a human that acquired infinite "mass." His human became one with the Father by becoming perfect love. But with finite people it is different, as we read in True Christian Religion: "[The Lord] draws all people to Himself. But since angels and people [in the world] are finite, they can only follow the current of the attraction according to their measure. Still, the force of the attraction persists to infinity" (TCR 350).
     What gives us the spiritual mass to be drawn toward the Lord at all is the love and wisdom that we receive from Him. The more we receive, the more fully we are drawn to Him, for it is His love and wisdom with us that are drawn toward their source.

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So each of us finds an "orbit" at a certain "distance" from the Lord (so to speak), according to our capacity for receiving His love and wisdom. Arcana Coelestia reminds us here: "A person cannot uplift anything into heaven from himself, but the Lord uplifts it. In a human being there is merely the capacity that this can be done. He is endowed with this capacity during regeneration. But all the activity and life of this capacity are from the Lord" (AC 10203).
     Putting all this into other words: "The Lord flows into the goods and truths that are with [a person], and raises them to Himself, and with them He raises the person" (AC 10299:2). "So when a person is in good, and from good in truth, he is drawn by the Lord, and is conjoined to Him" (AC 8604:3, 4).1
     1 Essentially, then, the Lord alone is raised into heaven! As He said: "No one has ascended into heaven but He who came down from heaven, even the Son of Man. . . " (John 3:13; cf. L 35:11). We ascend in Him, that is, in what is His with us.
     This drawing toward the Lord of all the good and truth that resides with us is not just a matter of words; it is a reality. In the spiritual world the reality of this is quite obvious. Reading from the Arcana: "The interiors of a human being . . . are lifted upward by the Lord when the person is in the good of faith and in the good of charity . . . . [This] uplifting by the Lord takes place actually, and from it comes a removal from evils and falsities. The angels perceive this by the very sense." The passage continues: "This is like the tendency to the center of gravity: the center [in the spiritual world] is where the Lord is in His sun. The angels' heads are lifted up toward this [center], but the feet of spirits from hell [are lifted up]" (AC 6952:6).
     This sounds strange in our frame of reference, but in the spiritual world, evil spirits actually appear upside down to angels (though not to themselves-see AC 3641). "Feet" symbolize the outer person, the "head" the inner person, or the "real us." Angels' heads are drawn "upward" toward the Lord, because love for the Lord and for the neighbor make up their "inner selves" and rule in them; and these loves have "mass."

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Angels' "outer persons" are made up of a love for themselves and for life's accessories. This "weighs down" their feet (where they belong).
     Evil spirits, on the other hand, make love for themselves and for life's accessories the head, and love for the Lord and for others the servant or "feet." As a result, their feet, which have more "mass," are drawn upward and their heads appear to be "weighed down." Of course, all this sounds like mere symbolism, yet in the spiritual world (the world of the spirit), mental realities are reflected symbolically in the way things appear.
     Another way in which this symbolism is seen in the spiritual world has to do with apparent location. Heaven appears "on high," hell appears "below," and the world of spirits appears in between. The good and true things with people "lift" them into heaven, toward the Lord. The evil and false things "weigh them down" into hell. As long as there is a mixture of good and bad qualities in people, they are in the world of spirits. But as good spirits in the world of spirits are prepared for heaven, they give up the lusts and false persuasions that had plagued them in the world; and as they let go of them, they come into a state of heaven. This appears as a casting off of weights and as a rising or walking upward. As evil spirits are prepared for hell, they give up pretenses of goodness and the true ideas that they had merely used to appear good on the outside in order to harm others and to get their way. As they are deprived of these outwardly held goods and truths, they come into a full state of hell. This appears as a "clipping of their wings" and a sinking down and falling (see AC 8279, et al.).
     Note an interesting thing here: in the spiritual world, gravity does not draw downward as it does on earth; it draws upward. Spiritual gravity is constantly drawing all things upward into closer harmony with the Lord. Evil seems to have a power to draw spirits downward against the gravity of the Lord's love.

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It actually has no such power. Think of a helium balloon: it seems to have power to draw away from the earth's center of gravity. In fact it is not drawing; it is receding from the earth because it lacks the mass to draw nearer.
     So with us: when we are involved in evil, it seems to drag us downward (and it is sometimes useful to think according to this appearance). But actually, the reason why evil seems to pull us away from the Lord is that it lacks spiritual mass, and so must recede from Him. It cannot be drawn by the current of the Lord's attraction. And because it lacks mass and drags behind, living a good life requires more force from us when we are in evil.
     Reflect on it: which is easier-living with an evil choice or living with a good one? There is no question! No matter how irresistible we may find a certain evil delight, we choose it only at the loss of peace of mind. It gives us hours of panting anticipation, brief moments of satisfaction, a thrilling surge of mastery, but then it's gone. And we mourn its loss, like a person on withdrawal; we itch for its fleeting delights. At the same time (or alternately) we grovel in self-doubt and a feeling of shame; we lose our ability to face others honestly; we feel we are living a lie. This is the story of all evils. Some people are willing to put up with the pain that evil causes, and they become somewhat hardened to the shame and self-loathing, but the bad effects never go away altogether.
     Living with evil is hard work! Nothing saps our energy more! Evil feels heavy! It weighs us down so that we lose spiritual force or power.
     Picture yourself when you are set on having your way, or when you are struggling with resentment or anger, or when you are being chased by some lust. Is there sometimes tension in your neck or back? Do you more often lose concentration and your efficiency in doing the task at hand? Are you anxious about whether or not you will attain your desires? Isn't there a depleting of the source of calm in you, of the healing sense that you are "all right" with the world, that the future is secure whatever life may bring?

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Isn't there a loss of healthy life force when you're being dominated by selfish goals and emotions?     
     Being in a state of love for the neighbor and for the Lord does not require so much force. It's like going with the current or breeze. It's like riding in a car that has mass to it: the mass carries us along with it, even up a hill (while without so much mass we would be struggling with our lightness). Force or power is provided by the Lord's love and truth as they are drawn to Himself. When we have these in us and let them work there, the Lord does the work even as we do it. This is why He could say: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden light" (Matt. 11:28-30)
     ". . . all you who labor and are heavy laden . . . . " The real labor and burdens of life do not come from living for others and living for the sake of what is eternal; they come from selfishness and materialistic world-centeredness. The Lord's yoke appears heavy and enslaving when we are "laboring after the food which perishes." In reality that yoke is light! It is being drawn upward continually by the force of Divine love! It is easy to take on our shoulders! It actually bears us up and makes us lighter! (Interestingly, the better the angels are, the "heavier" they must be. Weight corresponds to good-see AC 5658. But this weight only makes them lighter!)
     Here is the wonder of the truth that we take upon ourselves. It has the power to lighten our burdens! In the midst of a selfish slumber, when we wake up to why we are here, it restores force to us. In an ugly mood, when we ask for a kind thought, it restores force. When we are willing to see a bad attitude clearly in the light of truth, it restores force. For when we let truth enter our minds, the Lord's love flows in and gives our minds mass. And this mass is drawn silently upward closer to heaven, toward the Lord.

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Our "head is lifted up above [our] enemies round about [us]."
     And as we are lifted up by Him, the "fever" leaves us-the fever of selfishness, which makes us feel now spiritually over-heated, now cold, which makes us feel anxious and self-absorbed, which makes us feel heavy, weak, stiff, and without force. This restoring of life is the Lord's doing. "There is actually a sphere proceeding continually from the Lord, and filling the entire spiritual and natural worlds, which raises all toward heaven. It is like a strong current in the ocean which unobservedly draws a vessel. All who believe in the Lord and live according to His precepts enter that sphere or current and are elevated" (TCR 652:3).
     "And He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her" (Mark 1:31). Amen.

Lessons: Psalm 30; Mark 1:14-31; AC 7607Arcana Coelestia 7607

     What it is to look inward, and what it is to look outward, shall be briefly told.
     A person has been so created that he can look above himself to heaven, even to the Divine, and can also look below himself to the world and the earth. In this a human being is distinguished from the brute animals. A human being looks above himself, or to heaven, even to the Divine, when he has as his end his neighbor, his country, the church, heaven, especially the Lord. And he looks below himself when he has self and the world as his end. To have as an end is to love, for what is loved is as an end, and what is loved reigns universally, that is, in every detail of the thought and will.
     While a person looks one way he does not look the other. That is to say, while he looks to the world and to self, he does not look to heaven and to the Lord; and the reverse. For the determinations are opposite.

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     From the fact that a person can look above himself, that is, can think of the Divine and be conjoined with the Divine by love, it is very evident that there is an elevation of the mind by the Divine. For no one can look above himself except by means of an elevation by Him who is above. From this it is also evident that all the good and truth with a human being are the Lord's. It is also evident from this that when a person looks below himself, he separates himself from the Divine, and determines his interiors to self and to the world, in a similar way as they have been determined with brute animals, and that so far as he does this he puts off humanity.
NEW LITURGY 1995

NEW LITURGY       Rev. Peter M. Buss       1995

     After many years of preparation, the new English Liturgy for the General Church is at the printers. They have promised delivery at the General Church Book Center (P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009) before June 19th. Initial cost will be $10 U.S.A. Individuals may wish to consider a gift of a copy to their society, circle or group in celebration of New Church Day.
     Next month's New Church Life will contain a description of what you may expect to find in the Liturgy. At this time I would like to express warm appreciation to the many people who have worked on this project, some of them for many years. One of the big advantages of this publication is that all our music and special services are now computerized, making any future revisions much easier to accomplish.
     Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss

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GENDER AND THE REPRESENTATION OF THE LORD 1995

GENDER AND THE REPRESENTATION OF THE LORD       Rev. STEPHEN D. COLE       1995

     Part 2

      (Still responding to my own assault on the importance of representatives in the priesthood,)

     2. Let's actually look at two of the passages cited above. I have added emphasis to the passages:
     
3670:1, 2-It is immaterial what is the quality of the man who represents, as to whether he is evil or good, and that evil men equally with good men can represent and have represented the Lord's Divine. . . . The same may be seen from the representatives which exist even to this day; for all kings, whoever they may be, and of whatever quality, by the royalty itself that appertains to them represent the Lord, in like manner all priests, whoever and of whatever quality they may be, by the priestly office itself. The royal and the priestly office itself is holy, whatever be the quality of him who ministers therein.

AC 9954-"And thou shalt anoint them." That this signifies a representative of the Lord as to the good of love is evident from the signification of "anointing" as being inauguration to represent (see n. 9474). That it denotes inauguration to represent the Lord as to the good of love, or what is similar, to represent the good of love which is from the Lord, is because by the oil wherewith the anointing was done is signified the good of love . . . . It is important to know about this, because anointing has remained in use from ancient time to the present day; for kings are anointed; and anointing is accounted holy at the present day in like manner as it was formerly . . . . The reason why Aaron was anointed, and why his sons were anointed, and even their garments, was that they might represent the Lord as to Divine good, and as to the Divine truth thence derived.

     Now it may be fair to say that these are describing, not prescribing.

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But what is important about these passages is not that they dictate what kind of priesthood the New Church shall have, but rather that they indicate that the representatives of the priesthood and inauguration to represent by anointing survived the abrogation of representatives at the Lord's Advent.
     The language of AC 9954 explaining anointing is interesting. The part that says "anointing is accounted holy at the present day," if taken out of context, might even be thought to be describing an erroneous belief. The words which precede it, however-"It is important to know about this because anointing has remained in use from ancient time to the present day. . ."- indicate not only that the belief is true, but also that it is significant.
     3. The cited passages which speak about what priests ought to do don't mention representation, but neither do they mention preaching, nor hardly mention worship. They stick mostly to the theme that priests are to teach truths and lead thereby to the good of life (e.g. NJHD 315). In other words, they speak of the general end or purpose for which the priesthood exists without getting into the specific means by which the end is carried out.
     Having, perhaps, undermined some of the arguments against viewing the priesthood of the New Church as representative, let us turn to positive evidence.

b) That the priesthood of the New Church should be representative.

     The priesthood in heaven and on earth:
     In CL 21:4 it is observed that in heaven it is not necessary to have a priest officiate at weddings. The reason: that in heaven the representation of the Lord by the bridegroom is sufficient representation. Note that the issue is decided based on whether it is necessary for him to be there in a representative role, implying that in other contexts in heaven the priest is needed in his representative capacity-for the lack of need here cannot be generalized to other rituals. In the same passage, indeed, it is explained that even in heaven a priest performs betrothals and consecrates consent.

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     A further implication of this passage is that while the priest's representative function is not needed at weddings in heaven, it is needed at weddings on earth. This is supported also by CL 308: "The marriage should be solemnized by a priest . . . . Now, because the ecclesiastical order on earth administers matters which reflect the priesthood lodged in the Lord, that is, which reflect His love, thus also matters which require His blessing, it follows that marriages ought to be solemnized by His ministers." The ministry of blessing which this passage singles out is obviously a representative ministry.
     Indeed, if the priesthood were not a representative office, if it did not entail bringing a representative presence of the Lord to the rituals of the church, there would be no reason to set the office apart with the representative ritual of inauguration.

c) Inauguration and Representation:

     In AC 878:5-7 mention is made of both inaugurations and benedictions as representative rituals still in use:

Indeed "hand" was so significant of power that it became also its representative . . . . Thus it was that hands were laid upon those who were being consecrated, as on the Levites by the people (Numbers 8:9, 10, 12), and on Joshua by Moses, when he was substituted in his place (27:15, 23), in order that power might so be given. Hence also come the rites still observed of inauguration and benediction by the laying on of hands (emphasis added; cf. DLW 220; CL 396).


     And while this passage may still be open to the charge of being description as opposed to prescription, surely that claim cannot be made of the following familiar passage:

The clergyman, because he is to teach doctrine from the Word concerning the Lord, and concerning redemption and salvation from Him, is to be inaugurated by the promise of the Holy Spirit, and by the representation of its transfer; but it is received by the clergyman according to the faith of his life (Canons, Holy Spirit, IV, 7, emphasis added).

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     The language here could not be more prescriptive ("is to be . . ."), and quite plainly speaks of representation.
     The whole concept of inauguration seems to me to imply being introduced into a representative office. Let me dwell a little longer on this subject therefore.
     The Latin term inaugurate is usually used for introduction into the priesthood as a representative office.1 The doctrines speak of inauguration into the priesthood (e.g. AC 2830:2, 9985, 10019; DP 606; CL 396e; TCR 815:2; etc.), of inauguration into the ministry (here clearly in the sense of the priesthood-DLW 220:2; TCR 146, 297), and even of the inauguration of a clergyman (dericus) (Can. HS iv:7). It is also used of other introductions, but not, as far as I am aware, for introduction into any other office. I can see that there are other offices served in the church, but I cannot see that "inauguration" is the proper introduction into these offices.
     1 The Latin cognate for "ordain" (ordinare) is not actually applied to introduction into the priesthood (at least Chadwick does not note such a usage). AR 799:2 seems to apply ordinatus to the Catholic clergy; nor is it applied to the introduction into any office, for that matter. It generally means simply to set something in order. [Scanner note: this footnote was numbered 2, but footnote #1 was not indicated.]
     The three things-inauguration, representation, and priesthood-seem to me, therefore, to be so closely tied together that they cannot be separated. I can't see how you can have the kind of priesthood spoken of in the passages that we have been looking at without representation; and representation of the Lord, at least as far as the things of the church, is the office of the priest. How does one come to represent? Inauguration is that which confers representation (see AC 9474). Representation, indeed, is said to begin from the moment of inauguration (see AE 375:7). And, as I have already said, it does not seem that "inauguration" is properly used of the introduction to any other office.

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d) Why do we have an ordained clergy?

     There does not seem to have been any distinct priesthood in the Most Ancient Church. That church was a celestial church, and in the celestial kingdom there are no priests because that kingdom taken as a whole is in the priestly office in the heavens (see HH 226). The establishment of a distinct priesthood relates to the externals of the church (see AC 1241:2), of which the Most Ancient Church had few (see AC 4493:3).
     The ordained priesthood, then, was one of the things that came into existence with the transition from the Most Ancient Church to the Ancient Church-the transition from the celestial mode of regeneration to the spiritual mode. This transition was the point at which the will and the understanding were separated (see AC 640, 875:4, 5), when it became necessary for people to be led from without by the written Word (see AC 2897; De Verbo 27) and through preachings (see DP 172) and the externals of worship (see AC 1083), which are drawn from it. In the Ancient Church there were priest-kings at first, but in course of time these two offices were separated, priests representing Divine Good, and kings, Divine Truth (see AC 6148:3).
     Until the will and understanding are reunited, until there can be a return to the celestial mode, it will be necessary that there be a written Word, and these things which go along with it: external worship and preachings drawn from it. And both of these imply the ordained priesthood. External worship, at least the external worship which is to benefit us, must have what is internal within it:

Where there is a church, there must needs be what is internal and what is external, for man, who is the church, is internal and external. Before he becomes a church, that is, before he has been regenerated, man is in externals, and when he is being regenerated he is led from externals, nay, by means of externals, to internals (as has been already stated and shown); and afterwards, when he has been regenerated, all things of the internal man are terminated in the externals.

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Thus of necessity every church must be both internal and external, as was the Ancient Church, and as at this day is the Christian Church. [2] The internals of the Ancient Church were all the things of charity and of the derivative faith-all humiliation, all adoration of the Lord from charity, all good affection toward the neighbor, and other such things. The externals of the Ancient Church were sacrifices, libations, and many other things, all of which by representation had reference to the Lord and regarded Him. Hence there were internals in the externals, and they made one church. The internals of the Christian Church are exactly like the internals of the Ancient Church, but other externals have succeeded in their place, namely, in place of sacrifices and the like, the sacraments (symbolica), from which in like manner the Lord is regarded; and thus, again, internals and externals make a one (AC 1083, emphasis added).

     Pardon the length of the extract, but as you can see from the "emphasis added," I see several important things suggested by this passage.
     Although it speaks of the necessity of external worship, there may be an implied exemption of the Most Ancient Church, which is not mentioned. I will speak more of this below. Setting aside for the moment the question of the Most Ancient Church, let us note that external worship with internal worship within it must be, by its very nature, representative, and that the Christian Church differed from the Ancient Church not in the total abolition of externals, but rather by the adoption of new externals corresponding to the new spiritual state after the advent.
     The situation with the New Church is to be similar: "By 'I saw no temple therein' is not meant that in the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, there will not be temples, but in it there will not be an external separated from the internal" (AR 918). It is not said that the New Church will have no externals, but rather that it is to have no externals in which there are no internals.
     The quotation from AC 1083 indicates that although externals play a part both during and after regeneration, their role changes.

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While people are being regenerated, while people are still in what I call the spiritual mode, they are led by means of the externals to internals Once they have been regenerated, then the internal things find their ultimation in the externals.
     This latter role of externals, as I picture it, is the role that externals had in the Most Ancient Church. And this is what is meant then by the teaching that the Most Ancients had no externals of worship (see AC 4489:3). Anyone who lives in this world obviously has externals. Anyone who is in inward worship of the Lord will assume external forms that correspond to the inward worship. The difference with the Most Ancients, or anyone celestial, is that they do not stop to think in some self-conscious way about the external forms that they assume, these coming forth spontaneously from the internal
     Since everything in this world has something spiritual to which it corresponds and which it therefore represents, it seems as though it would be useful to have a way of distinguishing such general representatives from those that are assumed in a self-conscious way by those still regenerating.

e) The Nature of the Representation of the Priesthood

     To say that the office of the priest represents, and that other offices do not, requires explanation. Unfortunately, my explanation is somewhat speculative, meaning that I will make some suggestions here, but I have not, even in my own mind, settled the matter. So here, for what it is worth, is my doctrinal theory on this.
     Everything in the natural world is representative. Each thing reflects or re-presents that to which it corresponds. In this sense every office must represent. The natural fisherman represents the spiritual fisherman, and so on. A forriori, then, every office in the church and its collateral organizations represents, again in this sense. But the priesthood is different-it is, as philosophers might say, a "performative representation."
     At a wedding rehearsal a bride and groom may actually practice saying their vows.

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But they don't really "mean" them yet. In the actual ceremony, the same words work differently. The bride and groom are not just making statements; they are making performative utterances,2 their words are changing their relationship to each other, to the Lord, and to society at large. There is a self-consciousness and intention beyond normal speech.
     2 J. L. Austin is responsible for the term "performative." (See his How to Do Things with Words, Oxford University Press, 1962.) He begins a 1956 discussion of the concept as follows: "You are more than entitled not to know what the word 'performative' means. It is a new word and an ugly word, and perhaps it does not mean very much" ("Perfomative Utterances" in Philosophical Papers, Oxford University Press, 1961, p. 233). Nevertheless, I and obviously other people have found the concept useful in thinking about the way language works. I have even mentioned the idea in counseling people with regard to the utterances in the rites of the church.
     The representatives in worship, the representatives of the priesthood itself, are self-conscious in this same way. We order them in a certain way for the sake of the representation. The fisherman catching a fish may represent an aspect of the work of the Lord, but rarely does the fisherman or anyone observing him think about that representation. The recognition that the representation exists is not an essential part of the work of the fisherman.
     In the case of the priest, on the other hand, so far as there is no recognition of the representation of his work, so far as the representatives are not performative, so far there is no point to his work as a priest. AC 4581:2 makes an interesting point relative to coronation: without performative representatives (I'm paraphrasing into my language here) coronations would be "no more than the kinds of games that young children play, though on a grander scale, or else like plays that are performed on the stage." Sometimes I wonder if even some people in the New Church have difficulty seeing this difference between representation and play-acting.

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     Understanding representation in this way helps, I think, in understanding what is meant by the representation of the bride and groom. Conjugial Love says that the bride represents the church and the groom the Lord, but that the representation lasts for that day only (see CL 21). On that special day in the wedding ceremony they self-consciously act out representative roles. The ceremony and the setting cause them to represent on that occasion. Afterwards, however, when they turn back to the business of day-to-day life, they put the performative representation behind them.

Significatives vs. Representatives

     What the Heavenly Doctrine most often means by "significative" is a representative whose meaning is recognized. Rites which in the Ancient Church had been significative became merely representative in the Israelitish Church (see, for example AC 3147:3).
     This significative/representative distinction is something like the one that I am now trying to sort out. But there is a difference. The Israelitish Church had been wholly vastated as to the real significance of the representatives that were practiced in that church. People of that church were, we are told, generally under the impression that the outward forms themselves constituted their religious life. Yet the representatives of that church had great power.
     There were simple spirits who were able to be associated with the sense of holiness with which the Israelites viewed their representative forms; and through the spirits, the angelic heavens could be inspired with the things to which the outward representative forms corresponded (see AC 8588:5, 6).
     My point here is that it was apparently not simply the outward forms themselves that made the representative of a church possible, but also something of the attitude of the people carrying out the forms. That something, as has already been noted, was not any understanding of what the forms stood for.

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It was certainly not that the people were in the internal things to which the externals corresponded. So what was it? We could refer to the sense of holiness, since this is something explicitly referred to in the doctrines. But I think part of the picture has to be the sense that the people had that by carrying out the prescribed actions they were carrying out something else at the same time.
     The Israelites as a group, we are told, simply did not take the implication that outward ritual washings of the body were supposed to suggest inward cleansings of the spirit. But they did still have a sense that the washings were going to get them right with God somehow. While not in the spiritual sense, they still had to have some belief that the washings were not simply washings.
     I have mentioned the Israelites to try to isolate a certain attitude. But this attitude is not restricted to those who are ignorant of the true meaning of representatives. In a church where the true spiritual significance of outward actions is appreciated, there is all the more reason to carry out the actions, not for their own sake but to achieve something beyond them.
     The attitude that I am trying to get at here seems to me to be similar, if not identical, to that which accompanies performative language: the belief that by doing one thing you are at the same time and by the same action accomplishing something else.
     Each thing in the natural world, whether artificial or natural, whether object or action, represents whatever spiritual thing brought it into existence. Most actions done in the natural world, most forms that are assumed, are so done or assumed for their own sakes. Certain things, however, are done because they are understood or believed to represent something other than themselves. (Note that I do not say that they are done because their true representation is understood.) In the arena of language, such actions or utterances are called (if we follow Austin) "performative."

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What shall we call representative actions that are carried out with the same kind of motivation? I propose, until a better idea comes along, that they be called "performative representatives."

Let Me Summarize.

     An example of an ordinary everyday representative: Every time a person washes his feet it corresponds to and represents the cleansing of ultimates. But that person (or anyone else for that matter) rarely thinks about the representation while he is doing it.
     As to significatives: When feet were washed as a ritual in the Ancient Church, the people understood and reflected on the spiritual representation and looked to the ritual as a way of reminding them of the importance of the cleansing of the ultimates of life and of strengthening the people in the performance of the spiritual cleansing (see AC 3147 for the distinction between "signifying" and "representing").
     Concerning performative representatives: When the Israelitish representative of a church performed foot washing as a ritual, they (at least as a church) had no idea of the spiritual significance of the ritual. They supposed that the ritual itself resulted in some improvement in their standing with God. The representatives were not significative for them. Yet this clearly does not just put them right into the category of ordinary representatives. They engaged in foot washing for reasons beyond getting their feet clean. This is what I am calling "performative."
     Now I should probably clarify another point about performative representation: I introduced the concept in order to argue for a distinctness about the way in which priests represent the Lord. But I am not trying to say that priests are the only ones in the church engaged in performative representation. Indeed, I have already mentioned the participation of bride and groom in the wedding ceremony as performative. In every worship service that we have, the members engage in performative representation: bending knees, bowing heads, etc.

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     So what's the big deal with the priesthood? I think that what I am trying to say is that the priesthood is the only ongoing office in the church which is a performative representative. I said "ongoing office" because you might regard the roles of bridegroom and bride as "offices," but these are just temporary. What I am trying to get back to is the point that I mentioned when I first started talking of performative representatives: there are or can be a number of ongoing offices in the church. Some of these may represent the work of the Lord. But the priesthood is the only ongoing office which is performatively, self-consciously representative of the Lord.
     Here, perhaps, is another way of getting at the distinction: It has been traditional wisdom in the General Church to note that while the priestly office represents the Lord, the man himself does not. I suggest that the picture actually given in the doctrines is three-fold: the office of the priest represents the Lord's work of salvation; the man as a priest represents the Lord Himself; the man as himself does not represent. (I base this on passages such as AC 9809:7: "The Lord in respect to every work of salvation was represented by the high priest and the work of salvation itself by his office, which is called the priesthood" (emphasis added; cf. 9928, 9937, 1664:7).
     The point that I am getting at here is that people other than priests may represent something of the work of the Lord. (We even sometimes speak of people entering into something of the priesthood-teachers, fathers, etc.) But in these cases, it is really only the work that is doing the representing. Only in the case of the priest do we have the person doing the work representing as well. This is what ordination is about.
     I am confident, however, whether the term I suggest makes sense or not, that a distinction is being made in passages such as those that we have already looked at, a distinction between representation as it naturally, spontaneously, and unself-consciously occurs on the one hand, and those representatives which are artificially or self-consciously assumed for the sake of representing.

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Recognition of this distinction is of fundamental importance to understanding the priestly office.
     This has been a long and tortuous section. Here is a brief review:

     a)      That the priesthood of the New Church should not be (cannot be?) representative. I made three observations which, especially if taken together, might be taken to suggest that the Lord did not intend that the priesthood of the New Church should be representative.
     b)      Considerations undermining the points just made:
          i)     That the priesthood of the New Church should be representative-focusing on two passages from CL (21:4 and 308), which indicate fairly strongly the proper representative of the priest in the heavens and on earth.
          ii)      Inauguration and representation, pointing out that the very act of ordaining or inaugurating into the priestly office carries with it, even into modern times, the idea of being set apart to represent.
          iii)     Why do we have an ordained clergy? Although related to the last point, this section goes on to relate the idea of having a distinct priesthood to the idea of external representative worship in general, and further implying that such external worship and distinct priesthood are necessary as long as the church remains spiritual, and not celestial, or, to put it another way, until people are no longer still being regenerated but have reached the point of having been regenerated.
          iv)      The priesthood is representative in a way that other offices in the modern world are not. Every kind of work that people do represents some spiritual work, whether or not we realize it and think about it. Only in the priesthood, however, is the representation actually an integral, self-conscious part of the work itself.

     (To be concluded)

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DO THE WRITINGS CONTAIN SCIENTIFIC REVELATION? 1995

DO THE WRITINGS CONTAIN SCIENTIFIC REVELATION?       Dr. LEON JAMES       1995

     Part 3: Dualist Science and the Writings

     In his response to my proposal,1 Mr. Bedford says that it might be best for the sake of human frailty to have science remain ignorant of spiritual things.2 After all, he asks, is there not a danger here? Were scientists to get hold of the knowledge of how the Lord made Himself be born as a virgin's Child, they might trample on it and misuse it. Also, Mr. Bedford cautions us, "Spiritual things are not subject to systematic natural study," and Not all real things are subject to scientific study." He states that "Science is limited to those things that are controllable, reproducible, and observable." Finally, he announces the ultimate demise of science: "Soon, scientists and non-scientists alike will see the limitations of the scientific method and look for greater enlightenment elsewhere."
     There is a legend about science that is being fostered by many high school teachers and some university professors. I've received it; you've received it. Mr. Bedford resonates to this legendary picture when he writes, "Science is limited to those things that are controllable, reproducible, and observable." Or in the following, "We cannot change our concept of what is going on today because of a single anomaly reported two thousand years ago." For according to this legend, "If we did, we would be abandoning the basic, well established and well founded methods used successfully by science over the last several hundred years." It is time we exposed this legend about science.
     The fact is that science is a social activity and a profession, and "normal science" is what scientists do. And in actual life, scientists do investigate phenomena that they cannot control, reproduce, or observe. Think of the Big Bang or of the first so-called primordial protein cell that came into being, or hurricanes and earthquakes and mutations and missing links and ultra-small particles that are too weak or exist too short a time to be measured directly.

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Most of these natural phenomena are not controllable, reproducible, or observable. Yes, all sorts of other, indirectly related things are indeed observable: the path of racing sub-atomic particles, or the color shift in a star galaxy, or the burned-out remains of an object. And it is from these other facts that scientists infer the character of the Big Bang or the Missing Link or the Disappearing Mesons. It is not the case that everything that science investigates or makes theories about is reproducible, observable, or controllable. Some things are, but not others. I believe we can expose and oppose this falsified legend about science.
     From my perspective of three decades of scientific work, I offer the following definition as a more valid and realistic assessment of science:

Everything and anything is the proper object of scientific study. Anything that is anything is grist for the scientist's analytic tool. Nothing that is something is excluded from the purview of scientific thinking. This is true as long as scientific methods are used to study whatever is under investigation. All scientific methods are rational; no method of reasoning that is not rational can be part of science. Rational methods must involve a stated process of verifiability which can be followed by others as a group or profession. Verifrability requires that others be given the means to inspect the logic of all statements and concepts used.

     This position gives science its proper sphere. I believe that limiting science would doom it. Science is our racial and cultural as-of-self by which we are given to understand the Lord's creation and what our place is in it. Revelation by itself is not sufficient to open the rational mind. If it were, the Lord would have been able to open the interior rational minds of the apostles and disciples during the First Advent. The opening of the interior rational had to wait until modern science permeated the general level of intellectual orientation of our planet. To be educated came to mean to know science.

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This is why the as-of-self architect of Nunc Licet rationality had to be a modern scientist writing for the future modern mind that is capable of encompassing such notions as these: the Divine Human; the internal sense of the Word making one with regeneration and with the history of human evolution; the rational understanding of correspondences. None of these ideas can be received by the non-modern mind. Even the modern mind is resistant to the new revelation, as evidenced by the general historical practice in the sciences of excluding the works of Swedenborg. However, I am convinced that a gradual process of change has already taken hold and will continue and thrive unstoppably.
     Science is thus necessary to open the external rational mind, and this in turn is necessary for the opening of the interior-rational component of the mind. In a sense, there are no non-scientists in the modern era. Every individual living today is surrounded by the scientific model, whether or not there is access to college or graduate school. The external rational mind is the modern mind, and only in this mind can the Writings of Swedenborg live and thrive. Science will thus continue to be the vehicle and tool for the rational mind.
     It is necessary for dualist science to grow and strengthen so that revelation can be understood, accepted, and used as a source of knowledge. True, as Mr. Bedford reminds us, we need to stay humble and not imagine that we can discover everything through our science. But we will stay humble if we are good scientists, like the angels, who know much but attribute all to the Lord. We need not fear that scientists will trample or misuse the virgin birth or other miraculous events

we uncover, since the Lord, through the cherubim, protects both the Word and the individual from entering more deeply than can be honored.
     Bishop de Charms wondered whether science should attempt to offer an explanation for particular miracles reported in the Word: "After careful considerations in the light of the Writings, we have come to the conclusion that the discovery of such an explanation is not only possible but necessary.

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Indeed, we believe it is coming to be increasingly imperative: this because a simple faith in the miracles of the Word, based on ignorance of how they are performed, cannot be maintained indefinitely in the face of the skepticism that is so completely capturing the minds of people in our modern age . . . . The knowledge of how these wonders are performed is therefore important to our spiritual life because it helps us to understand the laws of the Divine providence."3
     In other words, natural facts from revelation (miracles) are to serve as data for scientific theories. Dualist science, which I predict for the future, will incorporate this methodology. Understanding better how the Lord governs and manages "will make His immediate presence and protection more real to us" (p. 219). The current distant view we have of miracles requires merely "a blind faith that the miracles of the Word are real because they have their origin in God. We have no rational grounds on which to defend this faith against . . . powerful attacks . . . unless we can form some idea bf how these wonders were performed" (p. 220).
     Mr. Bedford recounts a common legend in New Church folklore, namely that "Only when he [Swedenborg] left the scientific method behind did he see God." I believe it is important to resist the idea that the Theological Writings of Swedenborg left science behind. The fact is that it is hard to find a chapter, or even a page, in any one of the books of the Writings that does not contain some historical, natural, or scientific information. This is also true of the Old and New Testaments. Swedenborg has never left science behind, because science is the cognitive architecture that is the foundation of the rational mind. Science is all over the pages of revelation.
     We don't actually know the limits of what scientific information may be contained in the Writings. Recently, Leon Rhodes brought to my attention the work of Christen Blom-Dahl who claims to show that the Writings mention scientific facts of a biochemical nature which were not discovered until decades and centuries later.

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Blom-Dahl finds many such instances in the Writings where the grand man and its anatomy and physiology are discussed, so that it becomes "firmly established that Swedenborg has recorded in reliably dated papers empirically unattainable scientifical information with an anticipative anachronism of up to two centuries."4 One example from morphology is "the axle like or alternatively oblique coiling of the combined RNA-and-protein strand of the rabies virion-SD 4708m-4709m," and other shapes mentioned in SD 2866 and 4361.
     A second example from physics and astronomy is the descriptions of shapes of atoms and their orbital electrons in AC 1624, 1531 and HH 118, 159.5 An important insight by Blom-Dahl is that Swedenborg began adopting a viral theory of sickness as a result of his travels through the grand man, where he witnessed noxious spirits attacking certain organs in ways which suggest modern virology.
     There are still other possibilities not yet discovered by scientists or New Church ministers relating to the inner meaning that lies hidden in the threefold Word. It is possible that the Writings contain series of meanings at several levels of depth.6 I have worked on taxonomic frameworks for feelings and thoughts as a psycholinguistic research project based directly on passages of the Writings.7 I think we ought not to take premature positions on how information in the Writings may be limited. Instead, we ought to go with the affirmative principle of assuming for the Writings a potential as an infinite source of facts for scientists for the entire future yet to devolve.
     It is sometimes argued that the Old Testament cannot be trusted as a scientific source of information, and that Creationism is a religious and political issue, not scientific and educational. The Writings reveal that chapters 1 through 11 of Genesis were not written in historical descriptive language, but were composed allegorically.

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They are thus filled with secret correspondences (arcana) to scientific facts about the mental development and evolution of the human race (church).
     Creationism is anti-scientific not because it is based on revelation, but because it is based on a false and incorrect literal view of the early chapters of the book of Genesis. If we focus our attention on the historical, descriptive, and physical information in the Old Testament, we find that it is full of scientific and natural facts about the world (e.g., agriculture, animal husbandry, jurisprudence, botany, geography, geology, and more). For the science of psychology and political science, the threefold Word reveals the scientific fact that God intervenes in the behavior of individuals and the affairs of state. I am still searching for a single passage in the Bible that gives us fallacious information about people and things on earth. I do not expect to find any. In the Writings the scientific fact is revealed that many earths in the universe are inhabited (e.g., in HH 417; SD 3245).
     The use of the word "scientific" in relation to God may not be familiar to materialistic science but, as a practicing scientist, I insist that factual data about the mechanism of God's intervention on earth is properly scientific within the dualist paradigm of science, now evolving. I get the impression from some of Mr. Bedford's statements that his thinking is not all that far from what is being proposed here. For instance, when trying to get into the spirit of Nunc Licet science, he wonders how to start the process: "Where would we begin an investigation into the molecular biology of Jesus Christ's conception? . . . . Did conception start with Mary's ovum reproducing its own set of chromosomes and then splitting, or did another set of independent chromosomes arise from the mass of chemical precursors already present? We do not even know if Jesus Christ's cells were haploid or diploid."
     I believe that asking these questions is a start. They presuppose that the event happened and that science can investigate it. This is precisely the attitude I think we need in order to succeed in developing the new scientific methodology.

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Mr. Bedford is pessimistic right now because of the thought he formulates that revelation has no information on these matters. But wait-we do not know this. We do not know what scientific information lies hidden in revelation. There is a long future ahead for the human race on earth, as we know from the Writings. And the Writings are the last written formal revelation to be given. This means that it is supposed to last for thousands and millions of years of scientific history. Surely it is easy to think that a continuous and unending source of information lies hidden there, and that it will be gradually extracted over the millennia and eons of scientific work.

     (To be continued)

     NOTES

     1 Leon James, "Two Perspectives on Swedenborg's Writings: Secular and Religious. Part I," NCL, August 1994, 348-362; part II in September 1994 issue, 394-9
     2 Allen Bedford, "A Response to Dr. James' Request for a Paradigm Shift," New Church Life, November 1994, 515-520
     3 George de Charms, "The Doctrine of Miracles," NCL 1958, 218-9
     4 Christen Blom-Dahl, The Third Source: A Physical and Metaphysical Revelation, The Associated Press, p 7
     5 These hypotheses still need to be confirmed by Swedenborgian researchers. I am confident that Mr. Allen Bedford and Ms. Linda Simonetti Odhner, who are now investigating Blom-Dahl's work, will give us in due time a competent assessment based on their perspective and expertise in both natural science and the Writings. See their November 1994 comments on the Internet electronic Swedenborg discussion list made available through the courtesy of Mr. Michael David in Bryn Athyn: [email protected]
     6 This possibility has been intensely explored by the contributors to De Hemelsche Leer, (Swedenborg Genootschap, The Hague), where interesting examples have been worked out in linguistics, philology, and semantics; see for example, Anton Zelling, "New Things," Sixth Fascicle, 1937, 171-200, and Ernst Pfeiffer, "On the Difference Between Natural and Rational Cognitions," First Fascicle, 1930, 67-81.
     7 Leon James, "Swedenborg's Religious Psychology: The Marriage of Good and Truth as Mental Health," Studia Swedenborgiana Vol. 8, December 1993, 13-42; Jakobovits, Leon A. and Diane Nahl-Jakobovits, "Learning the Library: Taxonomy of Skills and Errors," College and Research Libraries, 1987, 48(3), 203-214.

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POLARIZATION, PARADIGM SHIFT, AND THE GENERAL CHURCH 1995

POLARIZATION, PARADIGM SHIFT, AND THE GENERAL CHURCH       BERYL SIMONETTI       1995

     "Polarization" is a word we often hear these days in reference to the General Church organization. What does it mean? It is defined in Webster's Collegiate Dictionary as "division into two opposites" or "concentration about opposing extremes of groups or interests formerly ranged on a continuum."
     One of the more obvious kinds of polarization that can be observed in the General Church today seems to be around the issue of appropriate worship and ritual. At one pole there are those who prefer traditional worship with a solemn, formal approach which appeals mainly to the intellect. At the other pole are those who prefer informal worship which appeals more to the affections and applies more directly to their lives. And there are several other related issues that lie beneath the surface of this one.
     How does polarization happen? What are the mechanisms involved? How should we deal with it? It may be helpful at this point to look at the concept of paradigms as described in Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.

Paradigms

     "The term 'paradigm' . . . stands for the entire constellation of beliefs, values, techniques, and so on shared by the members of a given community" (Kuhn, p. 175).
     Kuhn discusses paradigms as they apply to scientific inquiry, but there seems to be an analogy for other types of inquiry, even of religious systems. Kuhn asserts that the practice of science encompasses law, theory, application, and instrumentation, and that from the combination of these, coherent traditions emerge which guide inquiry and development. I believe a valid analogy can be drawn here. The practice of religion encompasses revelation, doctrine, application, and ritual; and from the combination of these, coherent traditions emerge which similarly guide inquiry and development.

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     The General Church seems to fit this model. Its paradigm includes the Writings and their interpretation, and it has "coherent traditions" which its clergy and members have developed over several generations. But now some of these traditions are being challenged because they no longer seem to meet the needs of a significant group of its members. We need a way to deal with this situation in a constructive manner. Kuhn's ideas may be of help to us.

Paradigm Shifts

     We have seen that a paradigm is a shared frame of reference which provides a pattern or model for guiding our endeavors. Kuhn has also observed and described what he calls "paradigm shifts," which happen in predictable ways. As any system of thought develops, changes inevitably take place. These changes do not occur in a smooth logical progressions from one idea to another. Sudden shifts in viewpoint and a widening of context are required to accommodate new discoveries which do not fit into the old patterns.
     We have noted that in the church, paradigms are not composed only of revelation. They are also affected greatly by our outlook and assumptions concerning revelation. Our doctrine, our applications, and our ritual can be expected to change from generation to generation. A great many of the members of the General Church seem to be undergoing what Kuhn would call a paradigm shift in regard to what patterns of thought and action are believed to be most conducive to leading a spiritual life. This is what has led to polarization of factions within the organization. What are the issues involved in this polarization?

General Church Paradigms

     The General Church, while it has avoided dogmatic interpretation of the Heavenly Doctrines (the Statement of the Order and Organization of the General Church of the New Jerusalem mentions specifically that it is "not a written constitution"), still has a definite coherent tradition, much of it unwritten.

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This tradition strives for unanimity in the decisions affecting the life of the organization, and agreement among the entire membership is highly valued. Emphasis is on authority and obedience, and on seeking the Lord in His Word.
     In worship there is emphasis on love to the Lord rather than on love of the neighbor, and the preferred kind of worship is reverent, respectful, reserved, formal, and intellectual.
     A major assumption of this paradigm is that our relationship with the Lord is private and that spiritual work must be done individually and in solitude. One reason for this is fear that we might infect one another with our evils. Since "all evils are contagious" (TCR 120:2), it is regarded by some as dangerous and disorderly to share one's spiritual life.
     Solutions to all problems facing the church are seen as depending upon a more detailed study of revelation carried out within the present tradition. When things aren't working, we must study more and try harder.
     This paradigm appears to have met the needs of most church members for many years. It has provided a framework of ideas and given them guidance. Why would anyone want something different?
     There are today a number of people who find that the old ways are not working for them, so they are participating in a struggle to find a new paradigm for the church. They, like those who subscribe to the old paradigm, believe in the authority of the three-fold Word, but there is a new emphasis on the New Testament, on love and charity. There is emphasis on love of the neighbor, on seeing and appreciating the Lord's love as it is manifested in the lives of others. Mutual love and community are primary values. "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20).

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     Worship is desired which is affectional, interactive, participatory, often informal, and which has immediate application to our lives.
     A major assumption of this paradigm is that we can help one another in the development of our spiritual lives, and that the understanding and support of a community are most helpful. We don't have to do it alone. The Lord can be with us through the compassion of other people, and we can gain a new understanding of what the Lord wants for us when we are affected by the words and actions of others.
     Why is this kind of support important today? Many problems confront us. Marriages are breaking up, and our society is prone to addictions of all kinds. There is an effort to deal with old problems in new ways. Diversity is encouraged. Spiritual Growth Groups, Twelve-step Programs, and Marriage Enrichment activities are being tried-experimented with-in hopes of making a difference in the lives of people who are suffering.
     In this newer paradigm there is no claim to a perfect understanding of the truth. If things aren't working, it is time to examine assumptions. Old assumptions are being challenged and replaced. A new paradigm is evolving, but chaos and confusion are still with us.
     So there are two paradigms. Authority and obedience are key aspects that underlie the older one. The newer one is held together by mutual love and community (charity). Both paradigms have valid ways for supporting spiritual life, even though neither of them seems to work as well as we would like. What can we do next?

General Church Paradigm Shifts

     I think that we can shed light on this situation by examining paradigm shifts as they are described by Kuhn. Here are some of the characteristics of paradigm shifts that seem to apply in the case of the General Church:

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When the old paradigm does not adequately explain the available data and no longer helps in the solution of existing problems, a new one is developed. (An example of unexplained data: many young people are not joining the church or participating in it. Why not?)

There is always a period of chaos and uncertainty while a new paradigm is being formulated. The transition between an old paradigm and its replacement is not smooth, but there is a sudden shift when the new paradigm is accepted.

     Those who work out the form of the new paradigm can see both the old and the new, and comprehend that neither one is the only way of looking at things, but that both are viewpoints which may be valid in certain contexts. There is an effort to find a paradigm which is more inclusive than its predecessor.
     Those who see only the old paradigm have no place to stand while they try to comprehend the new. They see only the losses that will result from change, and they are unable to change their point of view sufficiently to contemplate the benefits of change. They see only the destruction of what they value.
     A characteristic of those who see only the old is their confidence that the Writings can be considered without bias or preconceptions-without adding anything from themselves to their interpretation. To those who have this confidence, a commonly held, correct interpretation of doctrine seems to be an attainable goal for the church organization. If that is true, the possibility of the existence of other valid paradigms must be denied. New ways of thinking are then regarded as human inventions rather than God's revelation and so are unacceptable.
     If the analogy with Kuhns model is valid, it would seem to follow that those who are fully persuaded of the value of an old paradigm will not be able or willing to comprehend any new one, and, unfair as it may seem, I believe that this is what has happened in the General Church and has caused much misunderstanding on both sides of many questions.

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     Those who see a new paradigm side-by-side with the old know from experience that they see everything through one lens or another, and that they cannot divorce themselves from their assumptions and point of view-they can only become aware of what their assumptions are, and thus take them into consideration when attempting to find the truth for themselves. They do not condemn old ways, but have moved into new insights which include elements of the older ways, but which seem to them to offer better solutions to the problems that they regard as most important. They see both the values and the limitations of the old ways.
     As an example, in the paradigm of the New Testament, obedience to the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament is not to be left behind, but is to be included in the new way of looking at things. "You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends . . . " (John 15:14, 15).

Relevant Passages from the Writings

     What teachings in the Writings apply to this situation in which we find ourselves? How do they help us deal with paradigm shifts?
     1) To begin with, we are encouraged to accept doctrinal differences within the church.

If all . . . are governed by charity or mutual love, they have but one end in view, namely the common good, the Lord's kingdom, and the Lord Himself. Variations in matters of doctrine and in forms of worship are like the variations that exist with the physical senses and with the inner parts of man's body, which . . . all contribute to the perfection of the whole (AC 1285:3).

Because its matters of doctrine are drawn from the literal sense of the Word, the Lord's church differs from one group to the next, and not only from group to group but sometimes from individual to individual within a group.

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But dissent in matters of doctrine concerning faith does not mean that the church cannot be one church, provided all are of one mind in willing what is good and doing it (AC 3451:2).

Although there are so many variations and differences in matters of doctrine, . . . nevertheless they all form one church when everyone acknowledges charity to be the essential thing of the church, or what amounts to the same, when everyone regards life as the end in view of doctrine-that is, when everyone asks, How does a member of the church live? rather than, What does he think? (AC 3241:3).

[If charity were the essential thing, everyone would then say of another, no matter what form his doctrine and his external worship take, "This is my brother; I observe that he worships the Lord and is a good man" (AC 2385:5).

     2) Truth is seen differently by different people:

Understanding within the church is the understanding which members of the church have about truth and goodness, that is, about matters of doctrine regarding faith and charity. Thus it is the notions, conceptions or ideas which they possess about these matters. Truth forms the spiritual area of the church, and good the celestial area. But one member's understanding of truth and goodness is different from another's, and therefore the nature of each member's understanding of truth determines the kind of truth known to him. And the same is so with each person's understanding of goodness (AC 5354:10).

The same expression may be used by two persons who disagree, and yet the perception be different; and it is the perception of a thing that causes it to be true or false (AE 810:2).

Truths which are in themselves truths are more true with one person, less so with another; and with some they are not truths at all but indeed falsities. [Examples are given.] (AC 2439:2)

. . . It should be recognized that in themselves, known facts are neither true nor false. Rather, they become true in the hands of those who are guided by truths, and false in the hands of those who are steeped in falsities.

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What use they are put to and then made to serve is what determines which of these they become (AC 6917).

     3) Subjects which are foreign to the primary premises of a paradigm are not even seen because people aren't looking for them:

If a basic assumption is false, nothing but falsities can possibly result from it. In fact everything conforms to the basic assumption. Indeed . . . people who confirm themselves in such basic assumptions concerning faith alone and who have not been governed at all by charity pay no attention to, and so to speak do not see, all that the Lord has said so many times about love and charity. [Many references to the Gospels follow.] (AC 1017)

A person takes in only as much of a description given by others as fits in with ideas of his own or else which he acquires by coming to see the thing in himself. All else passes him by (AC 3803).

     4) We wish that a change of paradigm could occur without turmoil, but this doesn't happen. The Writings also state clearly that in spiritual life some chaos is inevitable, and that change is likely to be painful:

With anything that is brought into an ordered condition chaos exists at first (AC 3316).

Before anything is restored to order, it is very common for everything to be reduced first of all into a state of confusion resembling chaos so that things that are not compatible may be separated from one another. And once they have been separated, the Lord arranges them into order (AC 842:3).

When order is being turned around and good plainly takes up the first position, that is, when it starts to have dominion over truth, the natural man experiences fear and distress, and also enters into temptations (AC 4256).

When the truth of the spiritual church becomes good, a reversal takes place in that the person no longer sees truths from the point of view of truths but of good . . . .

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From this comes sadness, which also arises from the fact that a different order is introduced at that time within the factual knowledge, and that is not accomplished without pain (AC 6507).

     The last two passages refer to the change that takes place when good replaces truth as the leading principle. This is a paradigm shift that each of us must undergo if we are to be regenerated.
     Many teachings of the Writings seem to be anticipating and preparing us for the struggles we will have with paradigm changes, and reassuring us that differences of opinion about interpretation of doctrine are not necessarily a sign that one point of view will be evil or false. We need not be afraid to search for forms that meet our particular needs.
     The Writings were not written to fit only one earthly paradigm. Paradigms will change from generation to generation as our historical faith gives way to a renewed and revivified understanding of revelation. We need paradigms that offer ways to include more of revealed truth in forms that apply to our present needs. "It is not the Word that makes the church, but how it is understood" (TCR 243).

Shall We Live with Differences, or Is Integration Possible?

     In recent years, new forms of worship have been developing, and many people have found that these meet today's needs. Still, perhaps the most sensitive and divisive issue in the church today is not the issue of forms of worship, but the issue of whether we should attempt to develop our individual spiritual life and work always in solitary prayer with the Lord alone, or whether it is permissible to share our spiritual struggles with others (as is done in Spiritual Growth Groups, some forms of Marriage Enrichment, 12-step programs, and Laurel and Sunrise camps). Should we always work in privacy, or is it sometimes useful to tell other people about parts of our spiritual journey, and to listen to others tell us about parts of theirs? Can a single paradigm accommodate both of these views?

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Even the staunchest defender of the old paradigm wants the warmth and support of community on a social level. Even the most group-oriented of us sees the value of individual prayer Are we too far apart to join in a new viewpoint with a wider context that can encompass both sets of values without judgment or condemnation?
     When we as individuals are faced with polarization and disagreement in the church organization, we have several choices. We may choose to insist that proposed changes are not healthy and strive to make people who disagree with us see the error of their ways. We may become alienated and choose to leave the organization. Or we can work within the system to allow for change, painful as it may be, to a new paradigm which will meet present needs. Let us be patient with one another as we strive to find a coherent tradition which may serve the church, allowing for new forms while including all that is valuable from the older ways.

     Bibliography

Kuhn, Thomas S. (1970), The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (2nd ed.), Chicago: The University of Chicago Press
ASSEMBLY 1995

ASSEMBLY       Editor       1995

     The chairman of the committee for the General Assembly (June 1996) is Mr. Hyland Johns. The co-chairman is Mr. Steven Asplundh.
INDIVIDUAL CHURCH 1995

INDIVIDUAL CHURCH       Editor       1995

     Whatever is said of the church may also be said of every individual member of it, who, unless he were a church, could not possibly be a part of the church.
     Arcana Coelestia 82

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Editorial Pages 1995

Editorial Pages       Editor       1995

     A WONDERFUL FUNCTION OF A CHURCH

     A church can be a single individual. It can also be a collection of individuals, large or small.
     When Swedenborg beheld a temple which signified "the New Church," one of the details he noticed was the sanctuary. It signified "the conjunction of that church with the angelic heaven" (TCR 508). It is intriguing to ask oneself: "Do I really know what that means?"

Totally Unknown to Anybody

     From the first volume of the Arcana to the last we are taught that a church has a function comparable to a heart in a body. "The Lord's church on earth is as the heart, and from it the human race, even that part of it lying outside of the church, has life. The reason why is totally unknown to anybody" (AC 637).
     The Lord has provided a conjunction with the heavens by means of the Word. The Word has a wonderful function that few know about. Would they believe it if they did know about it? One of the mind-boggling passages about this ends with the "words: "But few will believe that the Word is of such a nature or of so great a use."
     The passage is AC 10452. It says, "They who do not know the nature of the Word cannot possibly believe that by means of it there is conjunction of the Lord with the human race, and of heaven with the world." It goes on to say what would happen if there were not a medium of conjunction. We would then see the deterioration of "that very humanity which consociates man with man" and then "one society after another would perish." It would be as if the heart of a body ceased to function.
     We would like to explore this arcanum further later.

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Would we deign to claim to be part of what is meant by "the New Church"?

     Would You Dare Claim to be of the New Church?

     "Many suppose that they worship the Lord by faith when they believe the things of the doctrine of the church, and that they worship the Lord by love when they love Him. Yet the Lord is not worshiped by merely believing, and by merely loving, but by living according to His commandments, because these persons alone believe in the Lord and love Him." Others, we are told, say that they believe in Him and love Him (AC 10645:2).
     This and other passages emphasize the sayings in John 14 and 15. One who keeps the commandments is one who loves the Lord. "You are My friends if you do what I command you." When we get to the other world we will not be asked what church we belong to or what our doctrine is. The questions will have to do with our lives (see Divine Providence 101).
     Suppose you were born where the Word is. One definition of the specific church is "where the Word is and by it the Lord is known." But we are told, "Nevertheless, those born where the Word is and by it the Lord is known are not on that account of the church, but only those who have lived a life of charity" (HH 318 note).
     We can say that we are trying or that we intend to live in a certain way. And we do care about "the New Church" insofar as we understand it. (To be continued)
WONDERFUL THINGS 1995

WONDERFUL THINGS       Editor       1995

     From the Lord's light in heaven wonderful things appear, too numerous ever to be listed (Arcana Coelestia 1532).

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VOICES SOLO AND HARMONY 1995

VOICES SOLO AND HARMONY       Donnette Alfelt       1995




     Communications
Dear Editor:
     I hope and pray that in our search for our individual and collective gender roles, we place a very high priority on preserving and honoring the precious differences between the sexes.
     On Easter Sunday I was touched, as I always am, during the singing of Psalm 48. The beauty and power of the men singing alone, then the women alone, then in unison and then in harmony moved me deeply.
     Let us not only allow but celebrate areas where men or women have their unique voices. There are other areas where unison is possible and pleasing, and of course wonderful opportunities for cooperation where our differences blend and harmonize in beautiful and useful ways.
     Donnette Alfelt,
          Bryn Athyn, PA
MARRIED WOMEN'S NAMES 1995

MARRIED WOMEN'S NAMES       Ruth Cranch Wyland       1995

Dear Editor:
     I am writing about the manner in which a married woman's name needs to be published in church publications.
     I note in your December issue the list of new members of the church. If Mary Smith is married to John Doe, she is listed as Doe, Mary (Smith). This gives the married woman's maiden name, but it would be even better if you used your present listings as given for those who die. This would be shown as: Mary Smith Doe (Mrs. John Doe). I commend you for using this type of listing, and hope to see lists in other publications following this example.
     Ruth Cranch Wyland,
          Huntingdon Valley, PA

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BEING RIGHT 1995

BEING RIGHT       Bill Kuhl       1995

Dear Editor:
     I was very much interested in the discussion brought up in New Church Life about being right, or what is even closer, not being right. When I first heard the discussion, the thing that came immediately to mind was Plato's discussion in the Republic with someone who was ardently convinced of his rightness. The thing that Plato ended up arguing with him about turned out not to be rightness but justice. Justice, as Plato points out, is different from other forms of right in that it actually is directed toward the neighbor's happiness, and by virtue of the attributes of fairness and equality, stands up for the neighbor as much as for self. The problem with other forms of right is that they do not justify people but rather make them look awfully silly when the light of heaven is put upon them. It is the same thing with the spirit of judgment when it is not from justice. This is why spiritual judgments are not permitted. It is different when judgment is done from justice, for justice is not a spiritual quality but a celestial quality because it has perception.
     "Government in the Lord's celestial kingdom is called justice, for all who are there are in the good of love from the Lord, and what is done from that good is called just" (HH 214).
     Bill Kuhl,
          Kitchener, Ont., Canada
NOT SURPRISING 1995

NOT SURPRISING       Editor       1995

     "The things which exist in the spiritual world have appeared to many, before and after the Lord's advent. Why should it be surprising for them to appear also now, when the church is beginning and the New Jerusalem is coming down from the Lord out of heaven?" (Conjugial Love 26)

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COLLEGE CATALOGUE 1995-1996 1995

COLLEGE CATALOGUE 1995-1996       Editor       1995




     Announcements





The attractive 80-page catalogue is now available. On the first page is the following mission statement: "The Academy of the New Church College exists to provide higher education in the liberal arts and sciences as these studies are directed and enriched by our faith in the doctrine of the New Church, looking to active participation in civil, moral, and spiritual life."

     What the College Provides

     "The College provides education in the doctrines and philosophy of the New Church and in the arts and sciences. Baccalaureate programs include a Major in Education to prepare teachers for New Church schools, a Religion Major for pre-theological students but also open to others, and Interdisciplinary Majors designed to meet individual needs and interests. A two-year liberal arts program leads to the Associate in Arts degree and to baccalaureate studies in the Academy College or institutions of transfer."

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Why Did the Lord Let It Happen? 1995

Why Did the Lord Let It Happen?       Editor       1995


by
Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss

     This very popular pamphlet, first published in 1984, has been revised and reprinted. In its new slightly smaller size it is even better than before, with new examples and clear explanations of some difficult questions. Written in a style for inquirers as well as seasoned members of the New Church, this invaluable material offers sincere help in times of need.
     Price U.S. $1.00 plus U.S. postage 55
     Published by
The Swedenborg Center
Glenview, Illinois
     General Church Book Center                    Hours: Mon-Fri 9-12 or by
Box 743, Cairncrest                              appointment
Bryn Athyn, PA 19009                         Phone: (215) 947-3920

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Notes out This Issue 1995

Notes out This Issue       Editor       1995


Vol. CXV     July, 1995     No. 7
NEW CHURCH LIFE

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     In a memorable and unusual sermon Grant Odhner asks which is easier to live with, a good decision or a bad one? He quotes the teaching of the Writings about a powerful attraction drawing people to the Lord.
     As we celebrate New Church Day we begin a series of editorials on a wonderful function of a church. Should the priesthood of the New Church be representative? Why do we have an ordained clergy? (See p. 263.) These are questions addressed in the continuation of the study begun in the May issue.
     "Swedenborg has never left science behind because science is the cognitive architecture that is the foundation of the rational mind. Science is all over the pages of revelation" (p. 267). Dr. Leon James challenges us on the way we have thought of science.
     "The Writings were not written to fit only one earthly paradigm. Paradigms will change from generation to generation . . . . We need paradigms that offer ways to include more of revealed truth in forms that apply to our present needs." Beryl Simonetti makes an appeal for us to be patient with one another.
     Our last page advertises a "very popular pamphlet" called Why Did the Lord Let It Happen?

     Received for Review


Gold from Aspirin: Spiritual Views on Chaos and Order from Thirty Authors. This "Chrysaals Reader," edited by Carol Lawson, is being sold by the Swedenborg Foundation for $12.95.
     Among the thirty authors are Naomi Gladish Smith, Gregory Baker, and George Dole.

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NEW ENGLISH LITURGY 1995

NEW ENGLISH LITURGY       Rev. PETER M. BUSS       1995

     For some years now we have been promising a new English Liturgy, and it gives me great pleasure to introduce it to you at this time.

The Value of Ritual

     Ritual is simply an orderly way of worshiping. It doesn't matter if the ritual is formal or informal. In our church today there are "contemporary services," and they are carried out according to patterns. Those patterns are rituals. They may change, but as long as they exist, they are "an orderly way of worshiping."
     In describing the order of a church, the Writings say that its purpose is that " . . . God should be in every single part of it, and the neighbor the object toward which order should be directed. The laws of this order are as many as the truths in the Word . . . " (TCR 55).
     Then they add an interesting concept: "The laws which relate to God make up the head, those which relate to the neighbor relate to the body, and the rituals make the clothes. For if the rituals were not there to contain the other things in their proper order, it would be like stripping the body and exposing it to heat in summer and cold in winter, or like taking away the walls and the roof of a church, so that the chancel, altar and pulpit were in the open air and exposed to all the various extremes of the weather."
     By the way, this passage also observes that rituals, "like clothes, can be changed."

The Writings Don't Prescribe a Specific Ritual.

The beauty of the Writings is that they were written for all times and cultures. They set out universal principles, and we are left in freedom to develop ways of expressing those principles. There is no one correct way to worship the Lord.

But the Writings Give Some Essentials of Worship.

     Here is a short list. There are others.

     1.      All things of worship should regard the Lord.

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A simple application of this is that whenever we worship we should remember that He is present. That seems obvious, but sometimes we are caught up in the events of a service and may forget His presence.
     2.      There has to be charity in our worship. "If you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5:23, 24; see AC 1038, 2037).
     Sometimes one of these two is emphasized in a service, but it doesn't negate the other. For example, at a wedding, the love we have for the couple is at the forefront of our minds; but within that is our gratitude to the Lord for the blessings He is giving to them, and our knowledge that marriage descends from Him.
     3.      Humility: "When the heart is truly humble, nothing of the love of self and of the love of the world stands in the way" (AC 8873). Then the Lord can be present. "To this man will I look, even to him who is humble and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My Word" (Isaiah 66:2).
     4.      Worship must come from the Word. The Writings say that if we design worship from our own reason without consulting the Word, our rituals don't have a connection with the Lord (see AC 1176, 1194). In another place we are taught that if worship doesn't come from the Word, the Lord can't hear it (see AC 10299; 10203). The point is that if we use the Word, He Himself is leading our minds in worship, and so we are led by His truth and His love. This doesn't mean that we must use only the actual words of the Word, although that is often done. The concepts of the Word are to be imbedded in our worship.
     In designing the new Liturgy we have tried, as have our forerunners, to use these and other essential principles of worship. You will notice, for example, how many quotes from the Word appear in the Liturgy. A delightful feature of the new Liturgy is that all references to the threefold Word are listed, so you know where they come from. An index of these quotations appears at the back.

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Variety in Worship

     The form of worship with which many of us grew up is a beautiful form: liturgical, quite formal, starting with praise, moving to humility and prayer, then passing to instruction, and finally closing with praise once more.
     In our church today other forms of worship have developed. To some this is a source of joy, and to some, of concern. It is important to repeat that the Writings themselves do not prescribe specific forms of worship, and that they frequently endorse the concept of various forms. For example, they say that in the Ancient Church there were many forms of worship, and each one contributed to the perfection of the whole (see AC 1285). "For then, through charity, the Lord inflows and works in diverse ways, in accordance with the genius of each one, and thus, both in general and in particular, disposes all into order, on earth as in heaven. And then the will of the Lord is done, as He Himself teaches, as in the heavens so also upon the earth" (AC 1285).
     We can rejoice in the various forms of worship which have developed in our church, for they are manifestations of the different forms of charity which we ourselves hope to become. They are also an image of the variety within the Lord's creation-His way of ensuring that each of us has something different to offer toward the perfection of the whole.

Why a New Liturgy?

     Stocks of our old Liturgy are sold out. In addition, the old Liturgy uses the Old King James version of the Old and New Testaments, and the new one will use the New King James, which is in use in our societies and in our schools. Therefore, children will be able to say in church the recitations they have been learning at home or in school-not a different version.

Will I Like the New Liturgy?

     Let me guarantee one thing. Everyone will be able to find something he or she doesn't like. Probably everyone will say at some stage, "Why did 'they' do that?" Or even, "How could 'they' be so stupid as to do that?" Yet the "that" may be something about which someone else says, "Thank goodness 'they' finally had the sense to do that."

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     Let me make a plea. Don't look at the Liturgy to find out what you don't like, because almost surely there is something which does not suit you but does suit the forms beloved by others. Ask instead, "Can this Liturgy serve the worship needs that I have?" Then don't use the parts that you personally are not thrilled with, but use what is satisfying to you.

Why Does the New Liturgy Use the New King James Version of the Bible?

     About ten years ago, Bishop King asked the church to use the New King James version in worship and instruction, after counsel to that effect from the great majority of ministers. Understandably this has been hard on a whole generation of New Church people. They love the well-known phrases of the older version, and grieve at their loss. They also find it hard to substitute "You" for "Thee" when talking of the Lord.
     Why is the change necessary? There may be many reasons, but the education of our children is the most important. The language of the Old King James, beautiful though it is, is archaic. It may be easy for the more intelligent children to embrace, but to most children it is a serious barrier to their understanding of the Word. For seven years I taught third grade religion. We covered primarily the book of Exodus. In the Old King James I had to stop and explain what almost every verse meant-the language was that foreign to them. When we changed to the New King James, that problem almost disappeared The Writings are very clear that the Word should be in our own language, easily available and understandable
     For the last decade, therefore, the children of many congregations have said one set of recitations in school or family worship and another set in church. We need to make this change in worship also.

The Change from "Thee" to "You" in Referring to the Lord

     To many the terms "Thee," "Thou," and "Thy" in reference to the Lord were forms of respect. The change to "You" has seemed disrespectful. It is important to honor that wish to show respect, and to acknowledge that the change has been hard for many.

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However, the archaic terms were used for all people in the Old King James, not only the Lord, so they were not actually forms of respect. The Lord said of the Pharisee, "Thou hypocrite!"
     The main problem, however, is that "Thou" requires archaic verb forms! You cannot say "Thou anoints." It has to be "Thou anointest." Of all the barriers to children's understanding of the Word, the strange verb forms are probably the greatest.
     Together with many, I mourn the passing of many of the beautiful, well-known passages of the Old King James. However, I rejoice in the clarity of a more modern version, and know that a new generation will love the new translation as dearly as many have loved the old, for it is a good translation, and the Word of the Lord is within it. He and His angels breathe holy loves into this new translation of the Word as it is read by us and by our children-loves which will be with us to all eternity.

Some Aspects of the New Liturgy

     1.      The offices are traditional-deliberately so, since more contemporary worship does not use them.
     2.      Music: Some of the music has been changed. The musicians were convinced that the changes were good, and they successfully defended them against the logical question, "Why change?" There are four Psalms (plus a portion of a fifth) from the Whittington Psalmody, the traditional hymns, children's hymns from the 1964 Hymnal, many new hymns, and a selection of informal ones. The informal hymns have chords written in so that guitar players can use them easily.
     3.      We didn't "update" the words of all hymns. It's fine to sing well-loved songs in an older form of language. Specifically we tried to be fairly conservative with Christmas and Easter hymns, not only for the sake of ourselves, but also for visitors to our church. We tried to change things only if a good reason for the change emerged.
     4.      Some of the newer hymns are "modernized." We have tried to take out gender-specific language-not always possible because many of the hymns are copyrighted.

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     5.      The special services-weddings, etc.-have been greatly improved. There is a greater choice of readings from the Word. There are two holy supper services-one meditative, one joyful. We have a second resurrection service, a home memorial service, and services for a blessing on a marriage and for home dedication.
     6.      A number of items were omitted. The antiphons-once loved, but seldom if ever used today-were left out. The chants, prayers, and psalters are reduced in numbers.

Are There Enough Contemporary Hymns?

     Probably not. Contemporary hymns are being written in the church all the time, so the moment the Liturgy was printed it would be out of date. A bound Liturgy would probably not be used in most of our contemporary services. However, a selection of more contemporary hymns was included to allow for some favorites to be available, and to make it clear that this music is now an integral part of our church worship.

What Will It Cost?

     The General Church has underwritten the production and printing of the Liturgy, and in addition a generous gift has helped to keep the price down. Initially, therefore, the cost will be $10. It may increase after a year. Some people may wish to give a copy to their congregations as a gift for New Church Day or Christmas.

Conclusion

     The Liturgy has accomplished what it set out to do-provide a general framework for the worship of our church, honoring the variety in the worship which takes place in our congregations, and allowing the established societies to maintain, uninterrupted, the forms of worship to which they are accustomed. It also provides many resources to congregations and individuals, from special services of worship to doctrinal summaries to printed prayers to favorite hymns.
     It remains only to extend the warmest appreciation to the many people who have worked so hard over the years to produce this Liturgy.

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I will not name them all-the music committee, the organists throughout the church who submitted music and advice, proofreaders of text and music. I would like to say a special thank you to some, however. First, to the Worship and Ritual Committee members, who have labored so hard at this task, and whose contribution has stretched over many years: Mr. Robert Glenn, the faithful secretary; the Rev. Messrs. Erik Sandstrom Sr., Don Rose, and Tom Kline (and earlier Alfred Acton, Kurt Asplundh, and Bishop King). Then there is the Rev. Lorentz Soneson, who, until his passing into the spiritual world, worked tirelessly on this project; and his son-in-law, the Rev. John Odhner. John put the Liturgy together, using his skills with computers, music and doctrine to give us a matchless contribution. Finally, thanks to Lisa Cooper, the project manager, and to Sue Simpson, the bishop's secretary, who took care of thousands of little details. We hope their labors are rewarded by seeing how this work promotes our worship of the Lord and our joy in expressing our adoration of Him.


     (See inside back cover about purchasing the Liturgy.)
MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS 1995

MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS       Rev. Peter M. Buss       1995

     The Rev. Robin W. Childs has accepted appointment as a teacher of religion in the Academy Secondary Schools.
     The Rev. Mauro S. de Padua has accepted appointment as Assistant to the Pastor of the Glenview Society effective July 1, 1995.
     The Rev. Thomas L. Kline has accepted a call by the Bryn Athyn Society to serve as its pastor effective July 1, 1996.
     Candidate Philip B. Schnarr has accepted appointment as Director of the Office of Education upon successful completion of his Theological School program, effective July 1, 1996. The Rev. Frederick L. Schnarr retires from this position as of June 30, 1996.
     Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss

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GENDER AND THE REPRESENTATION OF THE LORD 1995

GENDER AND THE REPRESENTATION OF THE LORD       Rev. STEPHEN D. COLE       1995

     (Conclusion)

     The Representation of Masculine and Feminine, or Why is the Lord Represented in Masculine Form?
     I. That It Is So vs. Why It Is So
     We have already noted that the Lord Himself, when He was born into the world, took on a male form. Relative to the representation of the Lord by the priesthood, we can note that two more things are so:
     
All priests mentioned in the Word were male. The priesthood of the Israelitish Church, by the command of the Lord (Exodus 28, Lev. 8, Num. 4): was masculine. Such priests of the Ancient Church as are mentioned (Melchizedek, Potiphera, Jethro) were male.
Those whom the Lord Himself chose to teach and to baptize in the nascent Christian Church (the twelve apostles) were male.

     So the challenge is to try to understand why the masculine form was used.

2. Masculine and Feminine


     In trying to see why the masculine is used in representing the Lord, we need to go beyond the simplistic assignment of truth and good to male and female. This is not to say that this association is never made in the Word. Indeed, it is far and away the most common association made when the letter speaks simply of male and female or man and woman. But when it comes to the specific area of the representation of the Lord by masculine images, never, to my knowledge, does the Heavenly Doctrine say that it is because the masculine is a form of truth.

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a) The Truth of Good and the Good of Truth

     The simple formula (male-truth, female-good), as we all know, is the reflection of a deeper and more complex reality.
     First of all, both men and women have both good and truth, the difference being in which predominates:

Every one, whether man or woman, possesses understanding and will; but with the man the understanding predominates, and with the woman the will predominates, and the character is determined by that which predominates (HH 369; cf. AC 568).

     As was noted earlier, men are the truth of good, and women are the good of truth (see CL 61). This language, or that of predomination, can also be translated as inner and outer:

The inmost quality in masculinity is love, and its veil wisdom, or in other words, it is love veiled over with wisdom, while the inmost quality in femininity is that same wisdom, the wisdom of masculinity, and its veil the love resulting from it (CL 32).

     To get at the issue of the essential masculine and feminine, we must look to love. Since love is a person's very life, the real question of the qualities of masculine and feminine has to do with love: What is the love that defines the masculine and what is the love that defines the feminine? The familiar teaching is that the masculine love is the love of growing wise, while the feminine love is the love of wisdom:

The wise man replied, . . . "But as I said, after the wedding the representation changes, for then the husband represents wisdom and the wife represents love of that wisdom. This love, however, is not the first love referred to before, but a secondary love which the wife has from the Lord through the wisdom of her husband. The Lord's love, which is the first love, is the love in the husband of becoming wise" (CL 21:2, emphasis added; cf. CL 32).

     This last sentence is intriguing, in that it seems to imply that the masculine love is the plainer reflection of the Lord's own love.

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(Please note that I have chosen the word "plainer" not "better.")

b) The Active and the Reactive

     The love of becoming wise is a love of process; the love of wisdom is a love of product. Thinking of these loves in such terms makes it easy to see why a man can safely continue in the first love, but the second, unless taken from the man and transcribed into the wife, becomes a selfish and evil love (see CL 88, 32, 33).
     To go a little further in developing this theme, we could say that the masculine love is an active love, and the feminine reactive. Again, we get from this a glimpse of why the masculine love is the more obvious image of the Lord's Love. The Divine Love is the active itself, as it is Esse Itself and Life Itself. The Divine Love can never be passive or even reactive.
     AE 1209:2-4 speaks of three forces: active, creative, and formative. The active force is clearly the Divine Itself. I have thought of the creative force as the masculine and the formative as the feminine. What I don't see is going as far as calling the creative and formative forces Divine Masculine and Feminine. Certainly the force within men and women that makes them creative and formative is the life of the Lord. And of course everything that men and women do is, in some sense, done by the Lord alone. But to invoke the passage as speaking of the Lord as Father and Mother seems to cross the boundary of imposing finite limitations on the Lord, and also confuses our idea of God as one person.
     One last point about this passage: it speaks of the creative force as acting in a descent from the First through intermediates to ultimates, and of the formative force as being that which raises up animals and plants from ultimates. This suggests another image of the masculine and the feminine which I wish to pursue: the masculine as descending order (internal to external, good to truth) and the feminine as ascending order (external to internal, truth to good).

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c) Fathering and Mothering

     I used to resent the asymmetry in meaning between these terms. "Fathering," as traditionally understood, means simply the act of begetting, of getting with child, whereas "mothering" suggests ongoing care and nurturing. This hardly seems fair to the faithful father. And yet I have come to feel that there is a truth reflected in the dichotomy. The masculine love, the paternal love for that matter, is an initiating love, and the feminine and maternal is a responding love.
     The father's contribution to the birth of a child is that the masculine love descends and is clothed, first with truth and then with material substances (see CL 220; DLW 269).1 The seed thus produced is still highly active, being covered over with the merest envelope of natural matter. The seed, when received by the mother, is supplied with all the rest of what is necessary for life in this world, and this is woven together according to the pattern inscribed on the soul (see TCR 103).
     1 The CL passage emphasizes the seed as truth descending. The DLW passage is a useful counter-balance: "For the seed, which is from the father, is the first receptacle of life, but such a receptacle as it was with the father; for the seed is in the form of his love, and each one's love is, in things greatest and least, similar to itself; and there is in the seed a conatus to the human form, and by successive steps it goes forth into that form."
     Just as with the creative and formative forces in creation in general, the paternal and maternal contributions to the birth process are, respectively, the descent from the Lord's life in the soul to ultimate things, and the ascent from the ultimates to the living being. A person gets the soul from the father, it is true. But the soul is actually coming, of course, from the Lord. And even then, what the father contributes is really only the potential, which does not become real until the incipient soul is actualized by the mother.

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     Although the male generally represents "truth" and the female "good," when father and mother are referred to the situation is reversed:

That in the internal sense "father" signifies good is because good is that from which all things are, both in general and particular, and truth is that through which they all come into manifestation; thus from the marriage of good and truth . . . . From this it is evident that good is like a father, and truth is like a mother; and that therefore in the internal sense of the Word by "father" is signified good, and by "mother" truth, and indeed the good and truth from which the lower or derived goods and truths have their birth, which are relatively as daughters and sons, and therefore in the Word are also called "daughters" and "sons" (AC 3703:2).

     So with daughters and sons, we are back to goods and truths, respectively (see AC 489-491). Trying to sort this out, perhaps we could say that "father" is originating good, "mother" is clothing truth, "sons" are produced truth and "daughters" are produced good.
     If we think of the woman clothed with the sun and the man child that she brought forth, we can see that they are both on the truth side: the woman standing for the church, and the child its doctrine. If we add the Lord as Husband and Father to the picture, we can see that He is the originating Love or Good, and that through the medium of the church, that Love brings forth the doctrine as a product.

d) Husband and Wife

     Here again, as with father and mother, the representations are reversed from the simple male/truth, female/good model. For generally the husband stands for good and the wife for truth. Especially plain is the case where the Lord is depicted as bridegroom and husband, and the church as bride and wife. In all such passages the Lord always relates to good, and the church to truth.

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     This, of course, must be reconciled with the teachings that the church comes through the husband (see CL 125), and conjugial love through the wife (see CL 223, 393). But the truth of the church which comes by means of the husband is the truth that descends from His creative love. And the conjugial love conveyed from the Lord by the wife is the ascending, inspiring love.

e) Heart and Lungs

     This is one more way to try to comprehend the dynamics between husband and wife and their mutual contributions. The heart and lungs are connected in two ways:

From this it is evident that the blood flows into the lungs by two ways, and flows out from them by two ways. This enables the lungs to respire non-synchronously with the heart (DLW 405; cf. 413).

     By pulmonary circulation the oxygen which the lungs receive from the outside world is infused into the blood and sent back to the heart for circulation to the whole body. Part of the whole body circulation, however, is the bronchial circulation, whereby oxygenated blood is sent back to the lungs by another way, in order that the lungs themselves should have the oxygen that they need to carry out their function.
     The more obvious connection is the conveying of oxygen from the outside world through the lungs to the heart. This relates, as I see it, to the truth that is conveyed by means of the husband to the wife. The less obvious connection is the heart's sending back enriched blood to the lungs to sustain them. This would then be the hidden influence (see CL 161, 166, 208) of the wife's love, inspiring the husband to perform his function.

f) The Hidden and the Obvious

     The Lord is connected with us in both more hidden and more obvious ways. His teaching comes from without and approaches the conscious part of the mind.

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His leading is from within, and guides as in the unconscious part of our minds (see DP 175; AE 1175). The more apparent influence of the Lord-the teaching-takes place through the descent of Divine Wisdom, but in a certain sense the focus must remain on the Divine Love from which it descends. This is the reason, as was noted above, that the Ancient Church had the offices of priest and king conjoined. It is the reason also why two of the chief masculine images in the Word, those of husband and father, relate more to good than to truth.

g) Priest and Father

     Note the similarity between what has been said about the representation of husband and father, especially of the Lord as Husband and Father, with what was said above about the representation of the priest. The similarity is so great, indeed, that we are told that the ancients began the tradition of calling priests "father": "As kings and priests represented the Lord, kings, by their royalty, the Lord as to Divine truth, and priests the Lord as to Divine good, therefore priests were called fathers" (AC 3704:5).
     This drives home the point, I think, that we are not speaking in accord with the doctrines if we say that the masculine form is used to represent the Lord because the masculine is the form of truth. Husband, father, and priest are all masculine images representing the Lord because they relate to good, specifically, the creative good from which is truth.
     We can visualize the relationship of the Lord to the church as that of husband and wife. But I think that this is the image when we are seeing both of these as distinct from us. When thinking of our own relationship with the Lord, the emphasis shifts to the Lord as Father and the church as mother. If we see the priest in the role of father, it implies that there are offices or activities of the church that carry out the mothering function as well.

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h) Church and Mother

     The pressure to consider admitting women to the priesthood, indeed the pervasive presence of women in masculine offices, suggests that the genuinely feminine offices are not being given their due, whether in society at large or in the church in specific.
     One reason for this, I think, is the erosion of the home as the essential unit of society and of the church. I have observed, as a traveling minister, that the church can flourish anywhere there is a New Church family, while no society, however large, could be healthy without New Church families. Likewise, in my contact with New Church schools, it has become obvious that New Church homes can exist without the support of the schools, but the schools cannot really exist without the support of New Church homes. What I am trying to say is that I suspect that the most important work in the church goes on in the New Church homes, and that it is done by New Church "homemakers."
     Here are some uses traditionally served in the home which, to a greater or lesser extent, have been taken over by larger society:

     1. Childbirth
     2. Child care
     3. Establishment of values
     4. Instruction
     5. Job training
     6. Small business
     7. Entertainment and recreation
     8. Care for the elderly

     The more of these that can take place in the general sphere of the love, security, and support of the home, the healthier will be our society and our church.

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Conclusion

1.     Representatives still have a place in the New Church.
2.      The priesthood cannot be properly understood except as a representative office.
3.      The priest represents the Lord as to Divine Good, specifically as it descends in the form of teaching the truth and leading thereby to the good of life.
4.      This descending and visible aspect of the Lord's Love relates to and is represented by the masculine, as is also seen in the images of husband and father.
5.      Only the masculine form, therefore, is appropriate to the representation of the Lord in the priesthood.
6.      There needs to be a greater appreciation of genuinely feminine offices.


     Epilog: The Little Red Rooster,
     or "Who's really important anyway

     Once upon a time there was a little red rooster. One day the little red rooster found a grain of wheat. He crowed and he strutted, he strutted and he crowed. "Look, everyone! Look, everyone! I have found a grain of wheat!" he let out at the top of his rooster lungs (which, as he was a rather small rooster, were not really all that large). The little red hen left what she was doing and came down to find out what all the commotion was about. The little red hen looked at the rooster and she looked at the grain of wheat. "My, what a fine grain of wheat you have found," she said. "And what are you going to do with it?" she asked as she began scratching up a patch of soil. The little red rooster stopped his crowing and he stopped his strutting. He paused and he started to think. And after thinking deeply he decided to plant the seed. He looked around and found a nice soft patch of soil into which he put it. No sooner had he done so than he began to get all worked up again. "Look, everyone! Look, everyone! I have planted a grain of wheat!" he crowed as loudly as he could (which, as he was a rather small rooster, was really not all that loudly).

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He went off parading around the farm yard telling of the wonderful grain of wheat that he had planted. Meanwhile it occurred to the little red hen that it might be wise to sprinkle a little water on the seed. And by and by it began to sprout. And no sooner had the first green shoots pierced through earth than the little red rooster happened by. When he saw the shoots he began to run and he began to shout, "Mr. Duck, Mr. Duck, come and see the wheat that I am growing, the healthiest wheat that you ever did see!" While he was running and shouting, the little red hen noticed that some little green weeds were beginning to poke out around the wheat stalk and so she deftly plucked them out. Well, the days went by and wheat kept growing until it stood tall and golden. One day, when the little red rooster was out for a stroll, he came upon the beautiful stalk of wheat. "My wheat, my wheat," he cock-a-doodle-dooed, and bustled off calling, "Mr. Pig, Mr. Pig, come and tell me if this in not the handsomest wheat that you ever did see!" The little red hen took one look at the wheat and knew that the time had come to harvest the stalk. Quickly, she cut the wheat and threshed the stalk. When the little red rooster returned, he was overjoyed at the large pile of grains that had come from his stalk of wheat. He began to flutter wildly in the direction of the farmhouse, yelling, "Mr. Dog, Mr. Dog, come and observe the greatest pile of grains of wheat that you ever did see!" As he flew out of sight, the little red hen gathered up the wheat and ground it into flour. The little red rooster bounced back into the farmyard riding on Mr. Dog, and looked with pleasure on the tub of new flour. He turned toward the pasture shrieking, "Mr. Bull, Mr. Bull, come now and admire my flour, the finest flour that you ever did see!" But while he was out in search of the bull, the little red hen had baked the flour into a large brown loaf of bread. When the little red rooster returned this time, he was even more excited than before. "Look, everyone; come, everyone; see my delicious bread.

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Come, Mr. Duck. Hurry, Mr. Pig. Run, Mr. Dog. Don't wait, Mr. Bull. Come everyone and share my wonderful bread." The little red hen came back from cleaning up her pans and said, "You certainly have good bread, Mr. Rooster."

     The moral of this story, as we all well know, is that the male is better because he plants the seeds.

     CL 296. Without the love of the sex there is no interior pleasantness of life. Therefore, if they are to exalt their life by that love, it is incumbent on men to be pleasant with women, soliciting and entreating them for this sweet addition to their life with courtesy, deference, and humility.
     CL 56. The universe created by the Lord is a most perfect work, but nothing is created in it more perfect than a woman attractive in appearance and becoming in behavior, in order that a man may thank the Lord for such a gift and repay it by receiving wisdom from Him.
MAGAZINE CALLED ARCANA 1995

MAGAZINE CALLED ARCANA              1995

     The third issue has a study by Anders Hallengren, "Kabbalah, Qur'an, and the Crisis of Christianity." Another issue will be out this summer. Subscriptions for this quarterly are only $15.00 (Box 533, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009).

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BRIDEGROOM AND HUSBAND OF THE CHURCH 1995

BRIDEGROOM AND HUSBAND OF THE CHURCH       Rev. DOUGLAS M. TAYLOR       1995

     Is There a Feminine in God?

     The Lord is called the Bridegroom and Husband of the Church in the Old and New Testaments, and in the Heavenly Doctrine. In Isaiah 54:5 it is said, "For your Maker is your husband. Jehovah of hosts is His name." The book of Revelation speaks of the marriage of the Lamb, "and His wife has made herself ready" (19:7), and John saw the New Jerusalem prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband.
     It is no surprise, then, that the Lord is presented in the Scriptures as a male.
     "Jehovah is a man of war" (Exodus 15:3). ("Man" here is not the generic term but means "a male person" in the original Hebrew and in the Latin translations.) "Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given . . . . And His name shall be called . . . Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). This prophecy was fulfilled in New Testament times. "And she brought forth her first-born Son" (Luke 2:7).
     "While He was an infant, was not the Lord like an infant, and while a boy, like a boy?" (TCR 110).

No Feminine in God

     This should have dispelled forever any thought that there is a "feminine side" to God. Yet in the past there have been those even in the New Church who have propagated the idea of the "Divine Feminine." Today that idea seems to be making a comeback, linked as it is with the laudable campaign for the equality of women. But it is an idea that needs to be evaluated according to what the Lord has revealed.
     It has a long history. It appears in Greek and Roman mythology, with their gods and goddesses, being prominent in the waning years of the Ancient Church, when naturalism began to rule, as is always the case when a church is near its end, or when it has been superseded.

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At the turn of this century Mary Baker Eddy, founder of Christian Science, became an advocate of the feminine in God, "improving" on the Lord's Prayer by addressing it to "Our Father and Mother God, all harmonious."

The Modern Form

     The most modern form seems to have originated in the teaching of some psychologists that every man has something of the feminine in him, and every woman has something of the masculine. This is in sharp contrast with the teaching of the New Revelation, which states categorically that "in the male, the masculine is masculine in every part of his body even the most minute, and also in every idea of his thought, and in every grain of his affection; and so likewise, the feminine in the female" (CL 33).
     That Divinely revealed teaching needs to be known and borne in mind when considering this subject. A masculine soul has a masculine body. But we may be confused when we read that "the Divine essence is love and wisdom" (DLW 28), and that "women are born loves" (CL 160), and "the male is born to become understanding" (CL 159), leaping to the conclusion that the Lord's love must be the feminine and His wisdom the masculine.
     However, a woman is not love alone, nor is a man understanding alone. "Everyone, whether man or woman, possesses understanding and will; but with the man the understanding predominates, and with the woman the will predominates, and the character is determined by what predominates" (HH 369). The understanding predominates with the man because his wisdom is his outer garment (see CL 32). The man receives his masculine love of wisdom from the Lord according to his reception of wisdom, and the woman also receives from the Lord her feminine love, the love of the male's wisdom (CL 32).
     That does not mean that the Lord is feminine. His will does not predominate.

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In Him His love and wisdom, being infinite and unchanging, are exquisitely balanced and equal. Gender arises from the differing receptions of His love and wisdom, as we have already seen.
     Yet, notwithstanding that the Lord, as He is in Himself, is Divine love and wisdom equally, when He goes forth to angels and people on earth, He always reveals Himself as the Divine wisdom, in which is the Divine love (AC 5307, 5337), or what is the same, Divine truth from the Divine good, which is the masculine form (see CL 61). Be is the Word, the Logos, made flesh to dwell among us (see John 1:1-5, 14).

The Divine Marriage

     Some confusion has arisen because of teachings concerning the Divine Marriage, which is the marriage of good and truth in the Lord, from which comes the heavenly marriage, the conjunction of good and truth in angelic people. If we were to assume that the Divine Marriage is like that between a man and a woman, then it would be easy to conclude that the Divine love or good is the feminine, and the Divine wisdom or truth is masculine. But the assumption is mistaken, so the conclusion is mistaken. "The union of the Divine Essence with the Human, and of the Human Essence with the Divine, is the Divine marriage of Good with Truth, and of Truth with Good, from which comes the heavenly marriage Good itself is the 'Father' and Truth itself is the 'Son'" (AC 2803) In the same passage and elsewhere the Divine Marriage is called "the union of the Divine and the Human in the Lord," which union is said to be only "as it were a marriage" (AC 1432).
     The reason for this union being only "as it were" a marriage is explained in this passage: "The unition of the Divine Essence with the Human Essence is not to be understood as that of two who are distinct from one another, and who are only conjoined by love . . . but it is a real unition into One" (AC 3737, emphasis added).
     The important distinction between union and conjunction must never be glossed over, lest confusion reign.

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A husband and wife are only conjoined, because they will always be "two who are distinct from one another." They are of opposite sexes. That distinction is implicit in the very word "sex" as used in the Writings. The Latin sexus comes from secare-to separate, and is often more akin to what we now call "gender."
     To attribute femininity to the Divine Love (the Divine Itself) and masculinity to the Divine Wisdom (the Divine Human), and to think therefore that the Divine Marriage is like a human marriage, is to make God two separate Beings. A marriage involving genders implies separation into "two who are distinct from one another," who can only be conjoined. In other words, it actually destroys the real Divine Marriage and returns us to the old heresy of (at least) two Persons in God.
     To repeat: the Divine Marriage is a complete union of the Divine Itself and the Divine Human. God is one and indivisible. In fact, the Divine Truth is nothing but the manifestation of the Divine Good; it is the Divine good standing forth to view. "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him [or brought Him forth to view]" (John 1:18).
     Incidentally, it is regrettable that this vital distinction between union and conjunction is obliterated in a recent publication, A View from Within, a well-organized collection of newly translated passages from the Writings, this despite the clear teaching that "there was a union of the Lord with Jehovah; but there is no union of man with the Lord, but conjunction" (AC 2004), and that "there was a union of the Divine Essence with the Human Essence; but there is a conjunction of the Lord with the human race" (AC 2021; emphasis added in both numbers).
     The fact that the Lord God is masculine raises a very important practical question.

Can a Woman Represent the Lord?

     All priests represent the Lord (see AC 3670:2, 6148:7, 9809, 9946, etc.). In the Israelitish and Jewish Churches the sons of Aaron were Divinely chosen as priests to represent the Lord.

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So can a woman represent the Lord? Can the feminine represent the masculine?
     The question can only be rhetorical. The masculine is one thing and the feminine another (see AC 4005:2), nor can the one be changed into the other (see CL 32). "The truth of good, or truth from good, is masculine; and the good of truth therefrom, or good from that truth, is feminine" (CL 90). "The truth of good or truth from good is in the male and is the masculine itself (CL 61, emphasis added).

     Nothing could be plainer. Truth from good is not in the female, so she cannot represent it. She cannot re-present outwardly what she does not have inwardly. Being in the feminine form, she cannot re-present the Lord, who is in the masculine form.
     This is no more discrimination against women than the fact of creation that they can never be fathers. The whole effort in the Christian Churches to make the non-ordination of women a matter of discrimination or sexism is a red herring, diverting attention away from what the Lord has revealed. Nothing in the Writings on the subject of male priests takes away from their universal teaching that men and women are equal though different, performing different uses for the Lord. What would the church be without the gentle, tender sphere of women? What brutes the men of the church would be without the sphere of women (see CL 218)!
AUSTRALIAN MONTHLY 1995

AUSTRALIAN MONTHLY       Editor       1995

     The June issue of The New Age contains a lot of good news about the way enterprising Australians are making the name of Swedenborg and New Church concepts more widely known. Mr. Neville Jarvis has had considerable success in promoting lectures and displays with emphasis on the subject of angels.

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SHOULD WOMEN BE PRIESTS? 1995

SHOULD WOMEN BE PRIESTS?       Rev. KENNETH O. STROH       1995

     A few months ago I was invited to introduce this subject for discussion at an Ivyland Saturday morning men's breakfast. The topic of concern was not "the place of women in the life of the church"-the various ministrations of women which are so vital if any church is to function. Nor, for that matter, was "the place of men in the life of the church" at issue. A pastor needs to address each or both of these issues from time to time. And I have done so through the years wherever I have been called as a pastor. Rather, the topic for discussion was limited to the question, "Should women be priests?" Here is a somewhat condensed version of the presentation which was given to initiate that discussion.
     In exploring this subject, we look to the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem-the Writings of the New Church. These Writings present the doctrines of the New Church from the Lord. We believe that the Heavenly Doctrine is the Lord speaking to us. Our effort is to try to hear what the Lord is telling us. In this effort we will not always agree with each other on what we are supposed to be hearing. Hopefully we may agree that it is from the Writings that the Lord speaks to us.
     In the Heavenly Doctrine the Lord tells us that there is one God-Man, from whom are all things. He tells us that the Divine essence itself is love and wisdom. He tells us that this love and wisdom must be and must exist in others created by Him because the essential of love is to love others outside of oneself, and to long to be conjoined with others by love. So the Lord's love and wisdom go forth from the Lord united into one to create those whom it can love, and by whom it may be loved in return (see DLW, part one).
     So from the Lord there goes forth a conjugial sphere, a sphere of the marriage of love and wisdom, or of good and truth-a sphere which pervades the universe, from angels to worms. However, this inflowing sphere, this influx, is received according to the form of the receiving vessel (see CL 92). How, then, do we human beings receive this influx?
     The Lord created mankind to receive and return His love and His wisdom. However, the Heavenly Doctrine tells us that "wisdom cannot exist with mankind except by the love of growing wise.

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If this love be taken away, man is entirely incapable of becoming wise . . . But when from that love man has acquired wisdom and loves that wisdom in himself, or loves himself on account of it, then he forms a love which is the love of wisdom . . . . Therefore there are two loves in man (vir-masculine), of which one, which is prior, is the love of becoming wise, and the other, which comes after, is the love of wisdom. But this love, if it remains in the man (vir), is an evil love and is called conceit, or love of his own intelligence. It will be established in the following pages that it was provided by creation that this love should be taken from the man, that it might not destroy him, and transcribed into the woman, so that it may become conjugial love, which restores him to integrity" (CL 88).
     To further clarify this, the Heavenly Doctrine states: "The distinction [between the male and the female] essentially consists in the fact that in the male the inmost is love and its clothing is wisdom, and that in the female the inmost is that wisdom of the male, and its clothing is the love therefrom. But this love is feminine love, and is given by the Lord to the wife through the wisdom of the husband; and the former love is masculine love, and is the love of growing wise, and is given by the Lord to the husband according to his reception of wisdom. It is from this that the male is the wisdom of love, and that the female is the love of that wisdom. There is therefore, from creation, implanted in each the love of conjunction into one" (CL 32). That the feminine is from the masculine, or that the woman was taken out of the man, is pictured in Genesis 2 by a rib being taken from man and made into a woman.     
     The Writings tell us that "it flows from this primitive formation that the male is born intellectual and the female volitional; or what is the same, that the male is born into the affection of knowing, understanding, and of growing wise, and the female into the love of conjoining herself with that affection in the male" (CL 33). So we are taught that the male and the female, from creation, are different, and the difference is complete, from the inmost souls even down to the toenails, which is why we sometimes hear the expressions, just like a girl" or "Wouldn't you know it-he's just like a boy."
     So, then, the male is love veiled over with wisdom; that is, he is a form of wisdom, while the female is that wisdom of the male clothed with the love of that wisdom; that is, she is a form of love.

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So it could be said that the male is the wisdom of love (from the love of growing wise), while the female is the love of that wisdom.
     However, this cannot mean that women are in any sense inferior or the "second sex." Unfortunately, sometimes they may get the impression that they are being told that they are inferior. I remember a religion class in which a fifth grade girl exclaimed, "The Lord is a Man; men get all the breaks!" Men and women are "equal." However, they are not the "same" on any level of life; they are complementary, and entirely necessary to each other. This fact is recognized by psychologists. However, the true nature of the internal differences between the masculine and the feminine, and that these differences are from creation, is not known. These differences can be known only from Divine revelation.
     Divine revelation tells us that men are forms of wisdom from the love of acquiring wisdom, and women forms of love-love from that wisdom. Both of these forms-the form of wisdom and the form of love-are from the Lord from creation. And each of these forms has its own uses and the duties, offices, employments, or jobs which give form to those uses. Properly, then, the duties of men and of women are distinct and conjunctive, but not competitive. Only when the two are conjoined-love with its own wisdom, and wisdom with its own love-can mankind be restored to integrity, and men and women together can become in fullness a least form of the Lord's church.
     So the Heavenly Doctrine tells us that "a perpetual union of love and wisdom, or of the marriage of good and truth, flows in from God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, and created subjects receive this, each according to its form. But from this marriage, or this union, the male receives the truth of wisdom, and to this the good of love is conjoined by the Lord according to reception. This reception takes place in the understanding, and from this the male is born to become intellectual. Reason can see this by its own light from various things in the male . . . . " One of these things is his "application, which is to such things as are intellectual, or in which the understanding predominates, very many of which are forensic [out of doors?] and look to uses in public" (CL 90).
     "On the other hand, the female is born to be volitional . . . . This too is evident . . . from her application . . . to the various duties which are called domestic and adjoin themselves to the duties of the men . . . " (CL 92).

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     Regarding the distinction between the duties of men and the duties of women, the Writings are unequivocal: "That a wife cannot enter into the duties proper to the man, nor on the other hand a man into the duties proper to the wife, is because they differ as do wisdom and its love, or as thought and its affection, or as understanding and its will. In the duties proper to men, understanding, thought, and wisdom act the leading part; but in the duties proper to wives, will, affection, and love act the leading part; and from the latter the wife does her duties, and from the former the man does his. Their duties are therefore of their own nature different and yet are conjunctive, in a successive series. It is believed by many that women can perform the duties of men if only they are initiated into them from their earliest age, after the manner of boys; into the exercise of them they can indeed be initiated, but not into the judgment on which the right performance of the duties inwardly depends . . . . Also it is supposed by some that women are equally able to lift up the sight of their understanding into the sphere of light in which men are, and to view things in the same altitude, which opinion has been induced upon them by the writings of some learned authoresses. But these writings, explored in their presence in the spiritual world, are found not to come of judgment and wisdom, but of genius and eloquence, and the products of these two, from elegance and beautiful fitness in the composition of words, appears as if sublime and erudite, but only to those who term all ingenuity wisdom. That on the other hand men cannot enter into the duties proper to women and rightly perform them is because they cannot enter into their affections, which are entirely distinct from the affections of men" (CL 175).
     Regarding the functions of men and of women in marriage, the Writings also have this to say: "It is a common saying in the church that, as the Lord is the head of the church, so is the husband the head of the wife; from which it would follow that the husband represents the Lord, and the wife the church. But the Lord is the head of the church, and man (homo)-man and woman (vir et femina)-are the church; and still more, husband and wife together. The church with them is first implanted in the man (viro), and through the man in the wife (uxori), because the man receives its truth in his understanding, and the wife from the man.

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If the contrary, it is not according to order. This however does sometimes occur, but with men who either are not lovers of wisdom, and therefore are not of the church, or else who depend as slaves on the beck of their wives" (CL 125).
     Hopefully none of us will panic at the thought that we may not yet have attained the ideal which the Lord appears to be setting before us. Surely He is not trying to intimidate us, but rather is trying to inspire us to work toward the fulfillment of His purposes in creation. We live in a disordered world, society and culture. The Lord knows that much better than we do. Often we do what we do from natural necessity. The Lord does not blame us for the culture in which we are born. He is merciful. He does not ask the impossible of us. But He does offer His Word to those who are looking to Him, and who are able to receive Him.
     So what does the Lord tell us about the duties of men and of women? He describes the duties of men as forensic, and those of women as domestic (see CL 90, 91). I would suggest that the question we should be asking ourselves is not "Can women perform the duties of men?" They can do so, as the doctrine points out in CL 175. Sometimes they can perform them better than the men are doing, especially if the men are not doing their jobs properly. But women do not have the innate masculine judgment on which the right performance of these offices inwardly depends. We should not be asking, "Can women perform the duties of men?" Rather, we should ask: "What is the inherent nature of the function about which we are talking? Is it forensic or domestic? Is it masculine or feminine? What kind of judgment is needed for the 'right performance' of the duties involved?"
     What, then, about the priesthood? The Heavenly Doctrine tells us that priests "must teach men (docebunt . . . homines) the way to heaven, and must also lead them. They must teach them according to the doctrine of their church, and they must lead them to live according to it. Priests who teach truths and by means of them lead to the good of life and thus to the Lord are good shepherds of the sheep; but those who teach and do not lead to the good of life and thus to the Lord are evil shepherds. The latter are called by the Lord 'thieves and robbers' in John 10:7-16" (AC 10794). Again, "Priests must teach the people and lead them to the good of life by means of truths"(AC 10798).

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Again, "Good can be insinuated into another by anyone in his country, but not truth, except by those who are teaching ministers; if others do this, heresies arise, and the church is disturbed and rent asunder" (AC 6822). Clearly, this function of teaching and leading is that of the intellectual, as distinguished from the volitional. It is forensic, not domestic. It is masculine, not feminine.
     Regarding the internal differences between the masculine and the feminine, hear what is said in parts of a number from the Arcana Coelestia. "To know truth belongs solely to the intellectual part, but to will truth to the will part." The number goes on to talk about the difference between knowledge and affection, and says: "They who are in the knowledge of truth and good . . . are not affected with truth and good, but only with the knowledge thereof; consequently they are delighted with truths for the sake of knowledge. But they who are in the affection of truth and of good . . . are not affected with knowledge but with the truths and goods themselves when they hear them and perceive them in others. Such affection is common with good women, but the affection of the knowledge of truth is common with men. From this it is that they who are in spiritual perception love women who are affected with truths, but do not love women who are in knowledges; for it is according to Divine order that men should be in knowledges but women solely in affections; and thus that women should not love themselves from knowledges, but should love men; whence comes the conjugial. From this also it is that it was said by the ancients [a veteribus'by those of old'?] that women should be silent in the church" (AC 8994).
     So I think that it is the burden of the teaching of the Heavenly Doctrine that, according to the Divine order, women should not be priests. Men's functions are said to be of a forensic nature, women's domestic. And surely the priesthood involves forensic duties. Besides, regeneration is by means of the understanding, and the masculine form is intellectual, while the feminine is volitional.     
     Obviously any application of principles involved here needs careful thought, based on careful study of the Heavenly Doctrine not on appearances or cultural references or pressures. After all, the church is from the Word, and is according to the understanding of the Word.

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GOD AS MOTHER AND FATHER 1995

GOD AS MOTHER AND FATHER       MICHAEL V. DAVID       1995



"Children of the Lord" was the theme for three Laurel Family Camps held in 1992. This paper is based on a lecture given during the third week of that camp. Note: The word "Church" when capitalized here (following Swedenborg's usage) refers always to something Divine with people, not to an organization or building.

     "The Lord is our Father and the Church our Mother" and "The Marriage of the Lord and the Church" are very familiar phrases in our church. Our picture of the Lord and the Church and of this marriage are significant because they are our highest symbols of fathering and mothering, and of marriage. The meanings we give to these terms and symbols affect our approach to marriage and to parenting. It is easy to think of "the Lord" as purely Divine, infinite and separate from us, and of "the Church" as merely human, finite and identified with us. The Word gives us a different picture, however. "The Lord" is God with us in human form (AC 14). "The Church" is also God with us:

. . . when the Church and heaven are mentioned, what is meant is the Lord's Divinity in those who are there (AC 10125; see also 768:3, 3700e, 7268, 9166:4, 5).

     Heaven as a whole is even called "God":

The first and foremost thought that opens heaven to us is thought about God, because God is the whole of heaven, to the extent that whether we say God or heaven, it is the same thing. The Divine things that make the angels (of whom heaven consists) to be angels, when taken together, are God (AE 1096:2).

     We know from the Word that human beings, male and female, are created in the image and likeness of God, and so embody qualities and uses that are in God: "So God created a human being ([Hebrew symbols] adam, red) in God's own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1: 27).

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The word adam becomes homo (human being) in the Latin of the Writings: "It is from the Lord's Divine Humanity that heaven as a whole and in part resembles a human being" (HH 78). Everything human comes from the human form of God expressed in us, so everything that we call "masculine" or "feminine" reflects something of God. In the Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture 67 we learn about some meanings of the fourth commandment, "Honor your father and mother":

By "father" and "mother" a mortal (homo) understands father and mother on earth, also all those who act in the place of a father and mother, and by "honor" to respect and obey them. But a spiritual angel understands by "father" the Lord, by "mother" the church, and by "honor" to love them. Moreover, a heavenly (celestial) angel understands by "father" the Lord's Divine Love, by "mother" the Lord's Divine Wisdom, and by "honor" to do good from Him.

     Our one God is both our Father and Mother. In everything God does, Love and Wisdom, Fathering and Mothering, are perfectly united.

From First to Last to First

     How can we picture these fathering and mothering activities in creation, and in our own birth, growth and rebirth? At the end of Apocalypse Explained, we learn something about how Divine Truth (the Mother) operates:

. . . as the whole of Divine truth and of Divine food are simultaneously in their ultimate, which is the literal meaning of the Word, it is clear that that is where the power of Divine truth resides-or the Lord's omnipotence-in saving human beings; for when the Lord operates, He does not operate from first things through intermediates into ultimate things, but from the first things through the ultimates, and thus into intermediate things (AE 1086:5).

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     [Charts]
The Lord's Omnipotence                    First
Salvation                          Intermediates
The Literal Meaning of the Word          Last (Ultimate)

     This idea has many applications. In the passage quoted, it applies to the Word and the way the Lord forms our spiritual life on the basis of the Word's literal meaning.
     Apocalypse Explained 1209 pictures creation as a result of three forces:

[2] . . . There are three forces inherent in everything spiritual-the active, the creative, and the formative.
The existence of the active force is plain, because the Spiritual proceeds from the primal source of all forces . . . the Divine Love of the Lord. . . .
[3] The creative force is that which produces causes and effects from the beginning to the end, extending from the First, through intermediates, to the last. The First is the very Sun of heaven, which is the Lord: intermediates are spiritual things, in the next place are natural things, and then earthly things, from which the productions are finally derived. . . . The productions . . . which are chiefly animals and plants, are the continuations of creation. It does not affect the point that those continuations take place by means of seeds; it is still the same creative force which produces them.
[4] The formative force is the ultimate force from ultimates; for it is the force which produces animals and plants from the ultimate substances of nature collected in the earth. The forces inherent in nature from its source, which is the sun of the world, are not living but dead forces.

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     [chart: an arrow leading from "First" to "Last" had the following in the middle: heavenly, spiritual, rational, natural, sensual, human, animal, plant, cell, molecule, electron shell, nucleus, and mass energy]

     Active Force (Love)
                                             First
Creative Force                              Evolution
"produces causes               
and effects . . .               
from the
First,                          "The force from
through                    ultimates. . .which
inter-                         produces
mediates,                    animals and plants from
to the last."                         the ultimate substances
AE 1209                               of nature. . . ." AE 1209

Creation                    Formative Force
                         
Last (ultimate)                              
mass-energy; mater-ia                    Active Force (Love)
     
The active force is love acting, and it lies within the other two forces, the creative and the formative. The creative force works "downward," from Divine Love, creating the material of the universe, flowing in and giving life to the receptive forms in the universe. The formative force works "upward," organizing dead matter into living bodies, and lower forms into higher. Both forces manifest the one active force. I have called these activities creation and evolution. In the process of evolution, the formative force organizes a "lower" form of life to receive a new, "higher" kind of life; the creative force flows in, bringing the new life "down." In this way matter turns into living bodies, animal forms turn into human ones, and natural human life turns into spiritual and heavenly human life. This can happen because the formative and creative forces are from the same source.

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     I would suggest that the creative force, working from first to last, is God as father in creation, and the formative force, walking from last to first, God as mother. From our perception of this formative force in nature we see our environment as a mother, and speak of "Mother Earth" and "Mother Nature." From our perception of the creative force coming "down," we get such images as "Father Sky."

     (To be continued)
1995 LAUREL FAMILY CAMPS 1995

1995 LAUREL FAMILY CAMPS       Editor       1995

     Laurel family camps are religious camps based on the Heavenly Doctrine as revealed through Emanuel Swedenborg. This year our theme is "trust." We'll explore what the Lord teaches about trust and how we experience it. We'll also look at anxiety and worry as expressions that can move us either toward or away from trust.
     Week 1 is July 23-29; week 2 is July 30-August 5; week 3 is August 6-12. The camp is held at Laurel Hill State Park, 65 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
     One or more weeks may be filled. Registration information is available in many church society offices and other locations, or from our registrars, Susie and Rob Andrews at (215) 672-5776. Laurel looks forward to welcoming you to a week of community and growth.
TEACHER-PRINCIPAL POSITION 1995

TEACHER-PRINCIPAL POSITION       Editor       1995

     The Carmel Church School is seeking applicants for a teacher-principal position for the 1996-1997 school year and following. Applicants should send their resumes as soon as possible to: Rev. Michael K. Cowley, 40 Chapel Hill Drive, Kitchener, Ont. N2G 3W5 Canada. They should be received no later than August 10, 1995.
     Questions? Call Mr. Cowley at (519) 748-5802 (work) or (519) 748-5605 (home), or Rev. Kenneth Alden at (519) 748-5802 (w) or (519) 748-6820 (h).

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DO THE WRITINGS CONTAIN SCIENTIFIC REVELATION? 1995

DO THE WRITINGS CONTAIN SCIENTIFIC REVELATION?       Dr. LEON JAMES       1995

     Part 4: Four Ways of Intellectualizing about God

     In previous installments (April through June), I have tried to show that science and revelation are not merely compatible but interdependent. To help put things into perspective, I present the following diagram which outlines four different ways civilizations have dealt with the human race's relationship to God and creation:

SPIRITISM                                             RELIGION
               (individual experience)
               PERSONAL
                    
SUBJECTIVE                                             OBJECTIVE
(individual expression)                          (group consensus)

               IMPERSONAL
               (collective discipline)
          ART                               SCIENCE

     The four corners are jointly defined by two bi-polar dimensions. The Personal-Impersonal continuum distinguishes between human activities that focus specifically on individual experience versus collective discipline. The Subjective-Objective dimension separates individual expression versus group consensus. Art is in the Subjective/Impersonal corner, meaning that it deals with God and His creation in terms of individual expression (subjective) through a collective discipline or form (impersonal).

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Science also deals with God and the world through a collective discipline (impersonal), but through a group consensus or methodology (objective). Spiritism lies in the Subjective/Personal corner. This means that its relation to God and the universe is an individualistic expression (personal) based on individual experience (subjective). Religion is in the Personal/ Objective corner and deals with God and His creation as an individual experience (personal) aligned with a group consensus or faith.
     The diagram also helps one see the relation among the four corners of intellectualism. Horizontal contrasts are between individual versus group focus. Thus, spiritism and religion both involve individual experiences (personal), but spiritism is justified as an individualized expression or purpose (subjective), while religion is a group creation to serve all its adherents (objective). (It is easier to see and enjoy these relations if the reader looks at the diagram while reading each sentence in this paragraph and the next, and verifies its reference visually.) Note that diagonal contrasts differ on both dimensions simultaneously, so their distance is greatest from each other. For instance, science is more distant from spiritism than it is from religion. Similarly, art is closer to science than to religion.
     These relations which the model suggests are just scientific hypotheses that need to be investigated. Perhaps ANC students and researchers might find this an interesting project to pursue. For instance, consider recent new-age spiritualistic experiences which I have seen widely discussed in the media. These include near-death experiences, "psychomanteum," extra-terrestrial abductions, psychic powers of prediction or telepathy, apocalyptic visions, and so on.1 All of these phenomena are individual expressions (subjective) based on individual experiences (personal). This fits the spiritism corner, which thus highlights the fact that they lack the safety and corroboration of group consensus (objective) and collective discipline (impersonal). From a Swedenborgian perspective, spiritism is not recommended and is considered dangerous to the spiritual welfare of the person (e.g. see AE 1107).

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     Note how the diagram shows that spiritism is the only one of the four corners that has all its borders within the Personal/Subjective frame. It has neither collective discipline (impersonal) nor group consensus (objective), and thus the individual is left unprotected from fantasy, delusion, illusion, fallacy, narcissism, and other spiritual viruses. Swedenborg's Writings, in contrast, fit the Religion/Science corners, as the diagram shows. As religion, the Writings are the Latin Word, the Heavenly Doctrine for the New (universalized) Church, focusing on individual experiencing of salvation (personal) yet grounded in group consensus (objective), such as the letter of the Word or membership in some specific New Church. As science, the Writings present an empirical description of the standardized spiritual development of all people collectively (impersonal) couched in rational arguments verified by group effort and consensus (objective).
     The diagram also suggests a way of making sense of religious cults which can be viewed as ideas or principles that slide toward the left, from religion to spiritism. One example might be the nationally advertised "prayer lines" to which people call in, and for a fee have other Christians pray for them and their troubles. This practice converts the objectivity of religion based on group consensus to the subjectivity of spiritism based on individual expression, whim, or special "gift."
     Note art's position in the Subjective/Impersonal corner of the diagram. This may seem surprising at first, given the long-standing tradition of art and music in religion. One's view of God through art is indeed an individual expression or vision (subjective), as is evident in the artist's unique style and meaning, but at the same time this artistic depletion of God or God's creation is standardized, and coerced by a collective discipline (impersonal), such as the medium of the work of art, or the contemporary age, school, or genre involved. On the other hand, one's view of God through religion is not through the church's collective rituals, which people treat as symbols, but through felt individual experience (personal) interpreted through the consensual doctrines of the group (objective).

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The diagram thus shows that art is impersonal while religion is personal, and that art is subjective while religion is objective.
     What then explains the close connection between visual art or music and the Christian religion? One would have to investigate this issue for an answer, but in the meantime the diagram suggests that religion, which is objective, may seek an alliance with art or music, which are subjective. In other words, music and art are ways of introducing a subjective element in religion, which otherwise remains strictly objective.
     Some scholars2 today recognize that the split between science and religion has been artificially, and unjustifiably, engineered by "liberal theologians [who] redescribed theology in such a way that science became irrelevant to it" (p. 41). Margaret Wertheim elaborates on Nancey Murphy: "From the late 18th century, religion was reformulated so that rather than having 'cognitive content' it merely 'had to do with symbolic expressions of human values and that sort of thing.' In other words religion was disconnected from the domain of empirical knowledge, and conversely, science was disconnected from the domain of morality and spirituality. That split not only has proved psychologically dissatisfying to many people, but according to Murphy it is philosophically insupportable. 'Now however,' she says, 'we're at a position where we've got the intellectual tools to argue that theology and science should not be kept in water-tight compartments, and in fact that they really can't be' " (p. 42, emphasis added).
     The words "now however . . . we've got the intellectual tools" are strikingly similar to Swedenborg's announcement, well known to all New Church people, of "Nunc Licet-It is now permitted to enter understandingly into the mysteries of faith" (TCR 508). The intellectual tools that integrate religion and science have been fashioned by the mind and effort of 18th century scientist-theologian Emanuel Swedenborg.

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When Prophecy Fails Science

     Referring to my article that promotes a distinction between religious and secular Swedenborgianism, Mr. Allen Bedford states: "I wonder, does my reluctance to force science into compliance with the notion that there are men on the moon merit my removal from the 'religious perspective'? My less strident personal perspective allows me to see Swedenborg's 'mistakes' as possible errors in fact, but allegories to truths. After all, Swedenborg did not write the Second Coming to teach chemistry, biology, or physics. He delivered God's revelation so that we can become more like children of God. Can I be placed in one of James' camps now?"3
     I do not mean or intend any personal judgment. This is to me a definitional issue. Take the position that says that Swedenborg was duped by spirits who falsely persuaded him that they are from the moon. This speculation is unacceptable. Swedenborg had constant access to angels and wrote only what the Lord permitted. His perceptions were thus objectified by the presence of angels and spirits with him, and he was thus protected from falling into subjectified delusions created by insane spirits. Here is a crucial point that we all need to examine within ourselves. Surely we do not want to question the virgin birth or the splitting of the Red Sea on account of some argumentation that seems logical from current theory in biochemistry or geology. The virgin birth did happen. The splitting of the Red Sea did occur. Water did turn into wine. The normal curve of probability and randomness retains its bell-shaped curve only because the Lord operates on coins and atoms to conform to the curve. Hence it is the scientific argumentation denying these things that needs to improve. We need to find scientific explanations for every event revealed in the Word. Thus, when prophecy fails science by contradicting it, it is science that needs to be forced into realignment with prophecy. This is because prophecy or revelation, when true or genuine, is reality, while science that contradicts reality must be corrected.
     And so, it is by definition and not by my personal judgment that Mr. Bedford finds himself in the secular camp.

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I trust, however, that the arguments I have outlined would make it easier for him to cross sides. We need first to win the battle for science within the Swedenborgian camp, and then we can be successful in exporting Nunc Licet science to the mainstream of scientific activity.

     1 Readers may be interested in an article by Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom titled "An Analysis of the Life-after-Death Phenomenon" in New Philosophy, Vol. XCV, Nos. 3and4, July-December 1992, pp. 101-128, in which one will also find a revealing discussion on Jung and the Bardo Thodol.
     2 Nancey Murphy, who teaches Christian philosophy at the Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, as quoted in a well written article by Margaret Wertheim in Omni Magazine, vol. 17 no. 1, October 1994. Her article is entitled "ScienceandReligion: Blurring the Boundaries."
     3 Allen Bedford, NCL Nov. 1994, p. 520 Editorial Pages 1995

Editorial Pages       Editor       1995

     A WONDERFUL FUNCTION OF A CHURCH (2)

     Where is the Church located?

     We noted in the June issue that it is necessary that there be a church on earth. Like the heart in the body it may be small, but it performs a function for those outside the church (see AC 637).
     Where is the church? Let us first talk of the wide sense of "the church" and then let us look at the specific meaning of the church. The two are quite different. Where is the wider church? It is scattered all over the world, not only transcending national boundaries but also transcending religious boundaries!
     A good defining phrase is "those who have lived in good in accordance with their religion." In this sense the church is "spread throughout the whole world" (AC 9296:4).

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Muslims and Hindus as well as Christians are part of "the church" in this sense. There is a much more specific way of speaking of the church, and in this sense the Muslim and the Hindu are "outside" of the church.
     The passage we have just quoted says that the church (in the wide sense) is spread throughout the world, and then it immediately says, "But the Lord's church itself on earth is like the Gorand Man in the heavens, whose heart and lungs are where the Word is, and the rest of whose members and viscera which live from the heart and lungs are where the Word is not."
     (If you do not believe in the spiritual world and our dependence upon it, and if you do not believe that the Word is a conjoining medium between the two worlds, the above would be incomprehensible. The whole concept is a challenge.)
     Next month we will talk about the specific geography of the church.
TOO CLOSE TO RECOGNIZE? 1995

TOO CLOSE TO RECOGNIZE?       John Kane       1995




     Communications
Dear Editor:
     I find Dr. Leon James' article in NCL of this April of particular interest. I have long wondered about the spiritual within the natural world that we do not seem to recognize. So much of our world originates in our minds prior to being "ultimated" in the natural world: architecture, music, literature, etc., etc. Is it not clear that these concepts are of spiritual origin? Today there is so much more. The vast financial services industry is on computers, as is our money in the bank.
     Then there are the world-shattering industrial and scientific revolutions that have happened in an instant of recorded time.

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If this has not been a consummation of an age then what is? We are inclined to think that everything spiritual is good, but you do not have to look far to see that this is far from the case. After all, hell is in the spiritual world as well as in the natural world where war is endemic.
     Surely our very spirituality, that is, being above the natural/animal world, should be clear for all to see, but are we too close to be able to recognise it? See Luke 12:56.
     John Kane,
          Braintree, Essex, England
CHRISTIANBORGS? 1995

CHRISTIANBORGS?       Kingsley Prentiss Thompson       1995

Dear Editor:
     Why don't we call ourselves "Christianborgs"? No, really, I'm serious!
     Hear these comments: Wasn't the ending of Emanuel Swedenborg's name ("borg") given to him when he entered the Swedish House of Lords? We have been honored to enter the Lord's house come down from heaven, the Church of the New Jerusalem. When we call ourselves "Swedenborgians" we do not convey the immediate information that we are Christians with an added something.
     It sounds sort of strange, sort of funny. Okay, it will create questions. Let's be ready with some answers like: "We are believers in the Divinity of Christ, with an added twist related to the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg."
"Do you think it's the name of a city, like Pittsburgh? Well, in a sense it is. We are residents of the Holy City."
     "You've heard of the Judeo-Christian heritage. Well, we believe there's a new phrase- Judeo-Christian-Swedenborgian heritage, which we abbreviate as "Christianborg," with the Jewish prefix understood." Think about it.
     Kingsley Prentiss Thompson,
          Arlington, Virginia

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ORDINATIONS 1995

ORDINATIONS       Editor       1995




     Announcements

Anochi-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, June 4, 1995, Nicholas Wiredu Anochi into the first degree of the priesthood, Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss officiating.

     Asplundh-At Chicago, Illinois, April 30, 1995, Kurt Hyland Asplundh into the second degree of the priesthood, Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss officiating.
Title Unspecified 1995

Title Unspecified       Editor       1995

     COUNTDOWN FOR THE ASSEMBLY. It is less than a year away. The 5th of June in 1996 will be a Wednesday. Assembly registration will be in the afternoon, the Academy graduation being in the morning.

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Notes out This Issue 1995

Notes out This Issue       Editor       1995

Vol. CXV     August, 1995          No. 8
NEW CHURCH LIFE

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     Notes out This Issue

     We found as we put this issue together that we had received enough material to fill two issues with ease. It gives us a good feeling to have so much input, and it is a lively time for this magazine, but it may be disappointing for writers to find that their offering did not make it this time. We will apologize to them in a moment.
     The new Liturgy has been so long in coming that some may find it hard to believe it is now in print. Why do we need a new one anyway? Are there enough contemporary hymns? What will it cost? Questions like that are addressed by Bishop Buss in the following pages. Will I like the New Liturgy? In answering this question he first gives a guarantee! Yes, he does.
     In this issue we publish the final installment of the series by Dr. Leon James of the University of Hawaii. Just a few days ago we were asked by a publication in another country for permission to reprint the April installment. That is one upon which John Kane comments in his short letter this month.
     There were three editorials ready for this issue, but we had room to publish only half of one of them. The editor is a little miffed that he was unable to fit in more about the way the Writings speak of the geographic location of the "church." So, writers, be assured that there is empathy for you. In some cases you will find that we have room for only a fraction of your presentation, and in other cases there is considerable delay. It is a fact of Life that we have a flow of material exceeding our space constraints.
     Speaking of material for publications, we are pleased to see that the magazine Arcana has continued to appear and has maintained its high quality. Of the various publications to which we refer, this particular magazine stands out as one of interest and value to those who love the Writings. (See page 308.)

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STARTING THE DAY WITH A SONG 1995

STARTING THE DAY WITH A SONG       Rev. ERIC H. CARSWELL       1995

     One of the descriptions that we have been given of heaven speaks of how each morning begins with a song sung by young women and girls. It seems to set the tone for the day. The singers play an important role in reminding the angels of the different qualities of the affections to which the Lord calls them and us each day. Here is how the angels described the singing to visitors.

     Every morning we hear the most charming singing of young women and girls coming from the houses around the public squares, filling the whole city with its sound. Each morning they express some particular affection of spiritual love in song, which is to say that they express it in sound by the intervals and rhythms of their singing voices, and the affection is perceived in the singing as though the singing were the affection itself. The sound infuses itself into the souls of its hearers and stirs them to a corresponding state. Such is the nature of heavenly song. The singers say that the sound of their singing seems to be inspired and to take life on its own from     within, and by itself to rise delightfully in quality, according to the reception of it by its hearers (CL 17).

     Many people begin their days quite differently from hearing a heavenly song. Some start with dullness and loathing of having to leave sleep and bed. Others begin with nagging reminders of what wasn't done yesterday and needs to be done today. Reading the morning paper often doesn't uplift us.
     The role of the young female singers in heaven is to stir the hearts of their listeners, bringing to consciousness the feelings and motivations that make the happiness of heaven. The paragraph just before this description speaks of songs sung by men and women together, sometimes separately, but apparently the morning songs are specifically by young women and girls. If you can call to mind the times that you have heard such choirs, it is not hard to hear their songs as the opening of a new day in heaven.

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May we seek something of this morning song in our own lives and in the life of the congregations and communities that we live in.
MAGAZINE IN RUSSIA 1995

MAGAZINE IN RUSSIA       Rev. LEONARD FOX       1995

     In a recent issue of Nauka i Religiya ("Science and Religion"), the well known, large-circulation Russian journal, a series of articles appeared devoted to Swedenborg and the Writings. On six triple-column pages of the magazine, there is a wealth of material that serves as an excellent introduction to the New Church for those unfamiliar with it.
     The series begins with an article by I. Smirnova entitled "King of the Spirit-Seers," which is a relatively brief treatment of Swedenborg's life, with rather heavy emphasis placed on the Marteville letter and the Stockholm fire incidents. There is also mention of the fact that while in Amsterdam, Swedenborg had a vision of the sudden death of the Russian Tsar Peter III. This is followed by a translation of extensive selections from an essay by Jorge-Luis Borges on Swedenborg. Next comes a short piece, "Prophet of the New Era," which considers the question of whether Swedenborg can, indeed, be considered to be a prophet, and answers that question in the affirmative. Mention is made of the early Russian receivers of the Writings, as well as a number of famous Russian writers, philosophers, and scientists who read and were influenced by them. Some of Princess Kleopatra Shakhovskaya's comments on the relevance of New Church teachings to the spiritual state of the Russian people are also quoted.

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The final article bears the title "Care Is Imperative!" and is a restatement of the warning given in the Writings with regard to seeking contact with the world of spirits. In view of the present state of spiritual chaos in the former Soviet Union, where spiritism, magic, and other potentially destructive practices are being experimented with, it is encouraging to see a strong caution against the hazards of these negative forms of pseudo-religion.
     At the bottom of each of the six pages of articles, numbers 311 to 314 of Aksakov's Russian translation of Heaven and Hell, which concern the teachings that heaven and hell are from the human race, are printed continuously in a two-column format.
     If any further evidence were needed as to the rapidly developing interest in the New Church among the Russian people, this issue of Nauka i Religiya certainly provides ample proof that the devoted reception of the Writings that began in Russia in the late eighteenth century is undergoing an astonishing revival, which, in the Lord's Providence, will bring many to the "marriage supper of the Lamb."
MINISTRY IN THE NEW CHURCH: DOING THE LORD'S WORK 1995

MINISTRY IN THE NEW CHURCH: DOING THE LORD'S WORK       ROSLYN CALDWELL       1995

     Recently in the church we have heard many voices expressing viewpoints, feelings and opinions about women serving as ministers in the church. I would like to add my voice to the discussion by looking at an expanded view of what ministry is and can be in the New Church, and at who can be involved in ministry. Many people in the church are already familiar with this broader concept of ministry in common usage today in other churches.
     A broad understanding of ministry was adopted by the early Christian churches, as can be seen in the letters of Paul.

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These concepts have served other Christian Church organizations well for a long time. In recent years we in the New Church have been willing to learn many useful things from our fellow Christians, such as in church planting and church growth. We could doubtlessly benefit from examining successful experiences of other church organizations in the area of ministry.

What Is Ministry?

     Ministry can be defined as "doing the Lord's work" (Numbers 8:11), or "supplying that of which another is in need" (AC 4976), or "the act of serving; the profession, duties and services of a minister of religion" (American Heritage Dictionary).
     Biblically, "doing the Lord's work" involved working in the tabernacle (see Numbers 8:15), making atonement for the Children of Israel (Numbers 8:19), instructing (I Timothy 4:6), outreach to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13), ministry of the spirit (II Corinthians 3:6), the priesthood (Exodus 28:1, Hebrews 8:2), the work of angels and spirits (Psalm 104:4), ruling as a civil authority (Romans 13:4), and "ministry in all things" (II Corinthians 6:4). In the Writings for the New Church the term ministry includes "priestly offices and duties" (Charity 134), but also the ministry of angels in regeneration and other processes (AC 4122, 49-52). We learn that "minister" is said of good, and "servant" is said of truth (AC 5164:3). Christian churches typically recognize ministries of music, church administration, evangelism, youth leadership and education; there are Christians involved in urban ministry, counseling ministry, social ministries, ordained ministry and many less formalized (lay) ministries.
     The concept emerges of ministry as being multi-faceted service. Ministry is serving the needs of people in many contexts. Ministry is serving from the Lord, by being the hands, ears, voice and love of God reaching out to touch people's lives. Of course this work can be done in every day-to-day situation in our lives, at home and at work.

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It can be a more organized personal or "lay" ministry. Or it can take the form of a professional vocation of some sort.
     Who can minister? Obviously, anyone and everyone: women and men, angels and mortals, priests and non-priests. Doing the Lord's work in supplying people's needs is a commission open to anyone who hears the Lord calling and takes on the task.

The Priesthood and Ministry

     The priesthood can be seen as one form of ministry, one piece in the complex of ministering activities. In the Word, priests were anointed to perform worship rituals and other religious functions. The Word of the Lord was brought to the people by prophets and prophetesses, who were not anointed but nevertheless were called by the Lord. The Writings indicate that "priests of Jehovah" represent celestial people, and "ministers of our God" represent spiritual people (AC 1097). The priesthood of heaven is said to be the celestial kingdom, but preachers are from the spiritual kingdom (HH 225, 226). Priestly functions are frequently distinguished from preaching or teaching functions of ministry. Yet priests are asked to lead to the good of life by teaching truths (NJHD 315).
     "The priestly office" represents the Lord's Divine, or the Lord as to the good of love (AC 3670:1, 2; 9954). "Representing" the Lord in worship situations seems to be a function of the priesthood which other forms of ministry do not have. Certainly the Lord is present in the actions of all ministers "doing the Lord's work," but not necessarily in the same correspondential or representative way (see "Gender and Representation" by Rev. Stephen D. Cole).
     The representative function of priests brings up the questions of who is this God whom priests represent for us, and who can represent God for us? The answers to these questions are much less obvious. I believe that through the struggle to clarify the issues around the "feminine" and "masculine" in God, we will be better able to look at the question of having women in the priesthood form of ministry in the New Church.

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     Ministry in the New Church

     I would like to see us move to the position of welcoming and embracing all ministries in the New Church. A Biblical precedent is given to us in the dedication of the tribe of Levi "to do the Lord's work." The people of this tribe were ordained by the laying on of hands (Numbers 8:10, 11), and from this group of people came the anointed priests. The Levites represented truths ministering to good, and Aaron the priest represented the good to which they ministered (AC 10083).
     In the New Church we too can set aside, by education and by consecration or ordination, a group of people who feel called to do the Lord's work as a professional vocation. Some may feel called to education, some to counseling, some to working with young people, some to translation, some to evangelization, some to the priesthood. In fact, in the General Church today there already are ordained people serving in focused ministries in all of these areas. There are also women and men who have not been ordained serving in all these areas except the priesthood. Currently this latter group is considered to have, if anything, a "lay" ministry. Yet I contend that their work is every bit as valid in terms of ministry as the work of their colleagues who have been ordained.
     I would suggest that we should recognize all existing and future ministries of men and women, priests and non-priests, in the church. It is time for us to adopt an inclusive approach to ministry so that anyone who feels called to serving the Lord and the church can joyfully "do the work of the Lord."

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GOD AS MOTHER AND FATHER 1995

GOD AS MOTHER AND FATHER       MICHAEL V. DAVID       1995

     (Part 2)

     [chart]

     The Lord
     acts from
     inmost things

     at the some time

     and from ultimates


     In general, we are taught that "The Lord acts from inmost things and from ultimate things at the same time . . ." (DP 124:4) and "Where there is a first principle there will in all cases be an ultimate, and because in the ultimate everything intermediate co-exists from the first, the work of creation in ultimates is perfect" (AE 1207:4). This is important. Ultimate things are not separate from first things, but contain them; and first things do not exist separately from their ultimate forms. The Divine is just as present in ultimate things as in first things, and the formative work from ultimates upward is just as loving and wise as the creative work from first things downward. When life evolves, it is the Divine Wisdom that is unfolding.
     What does this mean in our lives? The Divine operates in both ways with each of us, from our souls through our minds into our bodies, and from the ultimates of our bodies up toward our souls. At conception, we have a soul which builds a body. On the basis of the body, our mind is built up from the outside in, especially after birth. Each step of our growth involves a new form, built from the outside in, receiving new life that flows from the inside out.
     Here are some descriptions of our rebirth, how we begin from a "new seed," grow in a "womb," and are finally born and educated in a new world:

Human beings have no other seed than something filthy and hellish, in which and from which is their selfhood (proprium), and this by inheritance from the father, as everyone knows; because of this, unless they receive from the Lord a new seed and a new selfhood, that is, a new will and a new understanding, they cannot but be consigned to hell, from which all people, not only mortals but also spirits and angels are continually pulled out and constantly withheld by the Lord (AC 1438).

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     [Chart]


     Naturally loving

     Spiritual good

     Ethical (moral)     Law-abiding (civil)


Rebirth takes place in a manner parallel to the way a human being is conceived, carried in the womb, born and educated [T]he spiritual body must be formed within the material body, and is formed by things true and good that flow in from the Lord through the spiritual world, received by a human being inwardly in the qualities he acquires from the natural world, which are called civil and moral . . . (TCR 583).


     In the spiritual world heaven and the Church appear as a great human form, reflecting the Divine Humanity (HH 78-86). In this Greatest Human Being we find the structures and functions of both sexes (see AE 985:2). About the symbolism of the womb, we read:

In its genuine meaning, "the womb" symbolizes the inmost level of marriage love, where there is innocence, because in the Greatest Human Being the womb corresponds to this love. . . . Since "going out from the womb" symbolizes rebirth and the resulting Church, the Lord is described in the Word as "One who forms from the womb, One who brings out from the womb." Those who have been reborn and have become a Church are described as "carried from the womb" [references] (AC 4918).


     In our spiritual lives, the Church is that womb, our spiritual environment, which forms us so that we can keep receiving new life from the Lord.

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As I picture it, God in me is my Father, called "the Lord." God in others, called "the Church," is my Mother. The Lord in me begins with that "new seed" from which I am born again. The Church in others encourages, supports, feeds and nurtures that new seed:


     [Chart]


The Lord in you          

The Lord in me

The Lord in you


Since God cannot do good to us directly, but indirectly by means of [other] people, God inspires us with His own love, as he inspires parents with love for children. One who receives this is conjoined with God, and loves the neighbor from God's love (TCR 457:3).

As soon as a person loves his neighbor, the Lord is present (AC 904:3).

Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20).

     Notice how intertwined these are. We do not have one without the other. The Lord in you is your Father, but from my standpoint, is the Church, my Mother. Our Mother, God with all of us, loves our Father, God with each of us. Many organizations and external activities in the world identify themselves with "the church." To the extent that we receive the Lord in our lives, these externals will embody the real Church. To the extent that we claim to be the church without receiving the Lord in our lives, these externals will be empty and disappointing. We will feel that our mother has abandoned us.

New Testament Images

     As our rebirth corresponds to natural birth and growth, so does the Lord's Glorification. Jesus compared His final temptations to a mother giving birth:

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. . . you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. . . . Whenever a woman is in labor, she feels sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world (John 16: 20, 21).

. . . the Lord's Divine Humanity was not only conceived, but was also born from Jehovah. . . . It is known that he was born from the virgin Mary, but like another man; but when He was born again, or became Divine, it was from Jehovah who was in Him (AC 2798:1, 2; see also 2628, 2649:2).

     Notice that "conceived from" refers to the father, and "born from" to the mother, so in the Glorification, Jehovah was both Father and Mother.
     Jesus compared Himself to a mother hen:

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing (Matthew 23:37).

     When Jesus says, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life . . ." (John 6:54), we can imagine a mother nursing her child, this being a way that we actually experience feeding on another person. "Milk" is a conjunction of solid and liquid food, also of water and fat, and so involves the same ideas as "flesh" and "blood" or "bread" and "wine." When we are fed in the Holy Supper, we can think of the nourishment we receive from the Lord in and through the Church.
     Jesus told a story about a woman to illustrate a way that God operates in our lives:

Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?

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And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!" In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:8-10).

     Who is this woman? God alone can find a lost soul. I think the image of a woman is used here to remind us that this work happens in and through the Church. When we are striving to be a true church, what happens? We discover that we are losing people. We are unable to care for them. If we go back to the Word, re-examining the belief system (doctrine) from which we are acting, questioning and changing our assumptions, we "light a lamp for our further progress" (SS 59). In this new light, we can examine ourselves, uncovering the harmful ways of relating that block our love for others. We repent, "sweeping the house" (see AC 3142). This allows us to find our lost neighbors, and the lost things in ourselves, discovering new ways of nurturing that were impossible for us before. The lost coin can also stand for lost truth (see AE 675: 10). Perhaps the lost truths that the church is to seek out are those truths of charity that the Ancients had, by which they knew how to care for people in different states (see AC 6705). Jesus referred to these differences and distinctions when He said:

. . . I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me . . . . inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me (Matthew 25:35, 36, 40).

Old Testament Images

     In the Old Testament we find powerful and moving passages that express God's motherly care for us:

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And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:2).

The "Spirit of God" means the Lord's mercy, which is said to "move" or "brood," as a hen broods over her eggs (AC 19).
     
an eagle stirs up its nest,

Hovers over its young,
Spreading out its wings, taking them up,
Carrying them on its wings,
So the Lord alone led him . . . (Deuteronomy 32:11, 12).

. . . .You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust when I was on My mother's breasts.
I was cast on You from birth.
From My mother's womb
You have been My God (Psalm 22:9).

When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the Lord will take care of me (Psalm 27:10).
O taste and see that Jehovah is good! (Psalm 34:8).

Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God (Psalm 90:2).

Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned child with his mother,
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
From this time forth and forever (Psalm 131:2, 3).

I have nourished and brought up children (Isaiah 1:2).

I have held My peace a long time,
I have been still and restrained Myself.
Now I will cry like a woman in labor,
I will pant and gasp at once (Isaiah 42:14).

Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,

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Who have been upheld by Me from birth,
Who have been carried from the womb:
Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I shall carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you (Isaiah 46:3, 4).

But Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me,
And my Lord has forgotten me."
Can a woman forget her nursing child,
And not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely they may forget,
yet I will not forget you (Isaiah 49:14, 15).

"Rejoice with Jerusalem,
And be glad with her, all you who love her;
Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her;
That you may feed and be satisfied
With the consolation of her bosom,
That you may drink deeply and be delighted
With the abundance of her glory."
For thus says the Lord:
"Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream;
Then you shall feed;
On her sides shall you be carried,
And be dandled on her knees.
As one whom his mother comforts,
So I will comfort you;
And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem" (Isaiah 66:10-13).

I taught Ephraim to walk,
Taking them by their arms;

But they did not know that I healed them.
I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love,
And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck.
I stooped and fed them (Hosea 11:3, 4).

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Husbands and Wives

     A husband and wife together are the Church that is married to the Lord (see CL 125), and the marriage love between them corresponds to the marriage of the Lord and the Church (see CL 62, 127).
     "Rational and moral wisdom" with people are related to the "creative and formative" forces in creation. We are taught:

. . . when the interiors of the rational mind are opened, then a person becomes a form of wisdom, and this is what receives true marriage love. "The wisdom that makes this form and receives this love is rational and at the same time moral. Rational wisdom regards the good and true things that appear inwardly in a person, not as the person's own, but as flowing in from the Lord. Moral wisdom shuns things evil and false, like leprosies; especially lewd things (lasciva) that taint its marriage love" (CL 102).

     Rational wisdom, the strength of men, emulates the creative force by reaching up for the light of heaven and striving to bring it down into life on earth. Moral wisdom, the strength of women, emulates the formative force, reaching down to life on earth and striving to draw it up into the warmth of heaven, putting it in an order that is open and responsive to heaven. Compare this with TCR 583, quoted above. Spiritual life (love for others) flows into civil and moral life (our obedience to external law, and beyond that, to ethical principles). This can happen only if there is a mutual effort from both sides: Our perception of spiritual things must be seeking an expression in worldly life (creative, rational), and our outward practices must come from a longing and effort to receive something deeper (formative, moral). Notice that this distinction is not between "higher" concerns and "lower" ones, but between two different efforts to conjoin the higher and the lower. Rational wisdom asks "What is the Lord showing me, and how can I bring it into my everyday life?" Moral wisdom asks: "What do I do with the life I have, so that Heaven can be at home here?"

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     Not all natural morality is open to spiritual life (see AC 1835:3, HH 319). Distinguishing and nurturing this openness is, I think, the particular mission of women in the church. I think of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42) representing things that women do. Martha welcomes the Lord to her house, and creates a nurturing environment. Yet in her busy serving she feels alienated and alone: "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me!" Mary sits still and listens to the Lord, who says, ". . . one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." Serving may come naturally, even compulsively to women, but serving more, better and faster may not create the kind of space the Lord needs. At some point a busy woman may need to stop serving and start listening.
     A man's spiritual mission also carries risks. Think of Joseph, the dreamer, sold into slavery by his angry brothers, and Joseph, the man of principle, thrown into prison because he would not commit adultery (Potiphar's wife represents a kind of natural morality that rejects and condemns spiritual things-see AC 5030 ff.). Look at Elijah, the warrior prophet, who called fire down from heaven, killed the prophets of Baal, ended a three-year drought, and outran Ahab's chariot-but still had to flee, alone, from Jezebel. He was good at presenting the truth, dramatically, even violently. He too had to learn to listen to another voice, a still, small voice that asked, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:13).
     From our picture of the Lord as Father and the Church as Mother, we can be reborn as fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, men and women.

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to Jehovah our God (Psalm 123:2).

     Write to the author at [email protected] or Box 493, Bryn Athyn PA 19009 USA.

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Editorial Pages 1995

Editorial Pages       Editor       1995

     A WONDERFUL FUNCTION OF A CHURCH (3)

     Where is the church located? (cont.)

     Most people on earth are not part of the church, because they do not have the Word. Note how geographically specific the following passage is. It is number 39 of The Word of the Lord from Experience, often referred to by the Latin phrase De Verbo: "They who have the Word are few as compared with those who have not the Word. The Word is found only in Europe with the Christians who are called the Reformed. The Word is indeed with the Roman Catholics, but it is not read, and the kingdoms devoted to that religion, such as France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, more than half of Germany, and also of Hungary, as well as Poland, do not read it. The Word is also but little read in Russia, but yet it is believed to be holy."
     These are broad generalizations, and we notice a distinction made between merely having the Word and actually reading it. Because the Word was so little read in the early times of the Roman Catholic Church, it was necessary that Protestant nations should come into being. The Roman Catholics had the Word, but there was need that there be people who would read it. "For this purpose the Lord raised up simultaneously so many people who contended. He raised up Sweden, Denmark, Holland, and England that they might receive" (Inv. 24).
     The passage above (De Verbo 29) continues with the heading, "Communication through the Word." Here it says, "Only in England, Holland, certain duchies in Germany, and in Sweden and Denmark is the Word taught and preached; but in Asia, Africa, and the Indies, with the Gentiles, who are more numerous than the Reformed Christians, the Word is unknown."
     The American Indian in this global view does not have the Word, and that is why it is said in Divine Providence that Gentilism prevails in America (330:7).

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     Look at a globe or a map of the world and ponder these generalizations and then the evolution that takes place; for example, the revival of Bible reading in the Roman Catholic Church, and of course the emergence of such countries as the United States, Canada, and Australia as predominantly Christian countries.
     Do questions arise? They do for me! I would like to mention some later along with some attempted answers.

     VOLUME 10 OF ARCANA CAELESTIA

     Pearls from the New Translation

     It is a delight to see the tenth volume of the Arcana in print, and we congratulate the Swedenborg Society and the translator, Rev. John Elliott. There are some wonderful pearls in this particular volume; for example, that passage (a favorite of many) which mentions the "stream" of Providence and which says that for those who trust in the Divine "all things are moving toward an everlasting state of happiness, and that no matter what happens at any time to them, it contributes to that state." It goes on to say that Divine Providence is "present within the smallest details of all, and that people in the stream of providence are being carried along constantly toward happier things" (AC 8478).
     Here are a few of the other striking passages in volume ten in this new translation:

     Think about This and Remember It.

Let anyone who wishes to be happy for evermore know and believe that he is going to be alive after death; let him think about it and remember it, for it is the truth (8939).

     In Prayer Let the Lord's Will Be Done

In prayer, when inspired by God, there is always the thought and belief that the Lord alone knows whether what is sought would be beneficial or not.

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Therefore the one who prays leaves the Lord to decide whether to listen to what he asks for, then accordingly pleads that the Lord's will may be done, not his own, in keeping with the Lord's words uttered in Gethsemane during His severest temptation (8179).

     Brought from the Slope into a State of Hope

[When people are in the despair of temptation] they are on a slope so to speak, or slipping down to hell. Yet thinking in that way at such times does no harm, and the angels take no notice of it; for each person's power is limited, and when temptation stretches him to the absolute limit of his power, he cannot stand up to anything further and starts to slip. At that point however, that is, when he is on the slope and starts to slip, he is raised by the Lord and thereby delivered from despair. More often than not he is then brought into a bright state of hope, and the comfort this brings (8165).

     The Lord Provides

The Lord provides the good, who accept His mercy during their time in the world, with such things as contribute to the happiness of their eternal life. He confers wealth and important positions on those to whom they can do no harm, and withholds wealth and important positions from those to whom they can do harm. To the latter, nevertheless, during their time in the world, He imparts the ability to be glad with a few things instead of important positions and wealth, and to be more content than those who have wealth and important positions (8717).

     The Lord Does Not Need the Angels.

He acts indirectly through heaven not because He needs their help but in order that the angels there may have functions and duties, and therefore life and happiness in keeping with the duties and services they perform. This accounts for the appearance to them that they act independently; yet they perceive that what they do comes from the Lord (8719).

     Singing in Former Times

Those who sang and those who listened to the songs experienced heavenly gladness as a result of the holy and blissful influence from heaven, gladness in which it seemed to them as though they were transported to heaven. Such was the effect the songs of the church had among the ancients. Such also is the effect they have at the present day, for the affections of spiritual angels are specially stirred by songs which refer to the Lord, His kingdom, and His church (8261).

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     Six Levels of Truth

There are many levels of God's truth, not just one. The first level of God's truth and also the second, is that truth going forth directly from the Lord; it is above angels' understanding. But the third level of God's truth is as it exists in the inmost or third heaven; its nature is such that man can grasp nothing whatever of it. The fourth level of God's truth is as it exists in the middle or second heaven; this is not intelligible to man either. But the fifth level of God's truth is that truth as it exists in the lowest or first heaven; this may to some small extent be perceived by man, but only if he is enlightened, though even then it is such that human language is incapable of expressing a large part of it. When it passes into ideas, it generates the ability to perceive it, and also to believe that it is indeed the truth. But the sixth level of God's truth is as it exists with man; it is adjusted to his discernment, thus it is the sense of the letter of the Word (8443).

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HISTORLA DE LA SOCIEDAD SWEDENBOPG DE ESPANA 1995

HISTORLA DE LA SOCIEDAD SWEDENBOPG DE ESPANA       Editor       1995

     A short booklet has just been published in Spain telling of the endeavors of Jorgen Hartvig Andersen to spread Swedenborg's teachings in Spanish-speaking countries. The author is Prof. Jos Antn Pacheco of the University of Seville. There is a short introduction by Christen A. Blom-Dahl Andersen, the grandson of J. H. Andersen.
NEW PHILOSOPHY 1995

NEW PHILOSOPHY       Editor       1995

     The January-June issue of this magazine is outstanding. There are articles by Horand Gutfeldt, Linda Simonetti Odhner, and Alfred Acton. The book Swedenborg En France has been translated into English, and the first 34 pages are printed in this issue.
CHOSEN PASSAGE SERIES 1995

CHOSEN PASSAGE SERIES       Editor       1995

     We begin this month a series in which individuals mention a passage of the Writings which has inspired or helped them. This is somewhat similar to a "favorite passage" series we did in the issues from 1986 to 1989.
     This magazine is "devoted to the teachings revealed through Emanuel Swedenborg," and we are particularly pleased to contact people who read the Writings with affection. The contribution this month comes from a couple who discovered the Writings relatively recently. Next month we will hear from a woman in California who is also a relative newcomer to the Writings.
     There are a number of reading groups scattered around the various church societies. Usually they meet once a week having read an assignment agreed upon by the group. We may be hearing from some of them.

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CHOSEN PASSAGE 1995

CHOSEN PASSAGE       Editor       1995

     Here is a passage from the Writings that inspires us because it addresses the issue of salvation only through Christian dogma. It speaks of the Lord's mercy for all humankind by what we love in our hearts, not what we know in our minds.
     "Anyone who thinks with some enlightened rationality can see that no one is born for hell. The Lord is actually Love itself, and His love is a desire to save everyone. So He provides that everyone may have a religion, and through it may have a recognition of something Divine and a more inward life. For living by something religious is living more inwardly. Then the person focuses on the Divine, and to the extent that he does focus on this he does not focus on the world but moves away from the world. He therefore moves away from a worldly life, which is a more outward life" (HH 318). Jon and Dianna Widerstrom, Canton, Georgia [Photo of Jon and Dianna Widerstrom]

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PARADIGM SHIFT 1995

PARADIGM SHIFT       Rev. Lawson M. Smith       1995




     Communications
Dear Editor:
     I would like to thank Beryl Simonetti for the article on changes. I especially appreciated the collection of beautiful passages on doctrinal differences not dividing, and the passages on the painfulness of change. Hopefully such passages will help us empathize with people who are in turmoil as they feel earthquakes in the church.
     One aspect of Kuhn's paradigm shift model that I don't think necessarily applies to the church is the idea of progress. In science one can demonstrate that with at least some of the paradigm shifts, doors opened to explain mysterious phenomena, to integrate them into one's understanding of how the world works, and to develop new technology-even to go to the moon.
     But in the church, it seems to me we cannot say with such assurance whether the church is moving forward, backward or sideways with any particular change. An individual can say, "This change seems to bring me closer to the Lord and strengthen my life of charity," or "This change does not seem to help me." But we cannot say, "Because this seems good/not good for me, it is therefore good/not good for everyone."
     Take hymns as an example. The hymns in the 1966 Liturgy, as Jeremy Rose pointed out, have a strong emphasis on praying to the Lord for help in temptation. These hymns obviously made a lot of sense to the people who put that Liturgy together, and suited the affections of a large part of the church at that time. The world wars and the great depression surely had a strong impact on their sense of what the life of religion is, and I guess that other churches' liturgies of that era had similar hymns.

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     Now there are people, mostly younger, who want hymns or songs that are more joyful and thankful and perhaps less formal. These people have a somewhat different experience of life. We do not have to say that one kind of hymn is inferior to the other, or that one sense of the life of religion is inferior to another. AC 6628 says it is an important part of the life of charity to inform each other about the truths of our faith, but we should try not to let ourselves be annoyed or fearful if someone doesn't go along with our opinions. Everyone accepts the truth insofar as he is governed by good (and in the way that he is governed by good).
     The trouble is that at times we feel the earth shaking under our feet, and we fear that our spiritual home is likely to be destroyed. Or on the other hand, we feel that we will be homeless unless we are allowed to do some things differently; spirits take the opportunity to inject bitterness toward people with other opinions, and fear that the Lord is not taking care of the church.
     If we can regard different views and styles of worship as varieties of gems in our King's crown, then we might be pleased that the organization is broadening. Maybe it will include more of the twelve gates, or at least more niches where people feel at home.
     It seems a fair question to ask whether or not it would be useful and productive to have more organization, or if the General Church would work better more loosely structured to accommodate varieties of approach. But the main thing is the spirit of charity and a common allegiance to the Word, even if we read it differently. If we can call others who believe in the Lord and keep the commandments our brothers, no matter how much we differ from them in truths, the Lord will be able to lead us into some useful paths.
     Rev. Lawson M. Smith,
          Westville, South Africa

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MORE PARADIGM SHIFTS? 1995

MORE PARADIGM SHIFTS?       Tatsuya Nagashima       1995

Dear Editor:
     Since Beryl Simonetti's article in the June edition was so stimulating, I was moved to write something of other paradigm shifts than the one which might be kindled by the ongoing new liturgy in the General Church. We have also hidden paradigm shifts in countless other areas in which our private and churchly lives are being involved now and in the future.
     Whenever something undesirable happens in our way of life, we cry in our hearts, "Why did it happen to me?" If it is seemingly tragic, our cry becomes more poignant by saying, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1). Having undergone such temptations, we notice that our minds are little transformed with new paradigms which change the old ego-centric world view into a new Lord-centered one. A small chaos, pain, distress and confusion are reorganized and rendered into a new order by the Lord.
     Throughout such temptations, our scientific understanding of the doctrines collapses, but thereafter we are given a new insight on the doctrines which once disappeared from our sight. This is a reversal which takes place in that the person no longer sees truths from the point of view of truths but from good (see AC 6507).
     Those who are to be reformed undergo inescapable temptations, which last all their lives for their regeneration. Swedenborg's diary describes many such distresses and pains in contrast to his much fewer descriptions of the elevated experiences of peace, joy and heavenly bliss.
     Most probably we are now near a time when we have to undergo more paradigm shifts than ever, because our church is increasingly exposed to the secular problems of the modern world through thousands of media and communications.

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We are all entangled with such issues as generation gaps, inter-ethno-cultural problems, and cross-religious/denominational interplays as well as those of a new outlook of the religious-scientific synthesis.
     While the earth is getting smaller and communications faster, how can we escape from such urgent paradigm shifts? In such a way the Lord's kingdom may be more closely at hand.
     Tatsuya Nagashima,
          Tokushima, Japan
MUSLIM BELIEF 1995

MUSLIM BELIEF       D. Gregory Rose       1995

Dear Editor:
     I was happy to see the treatment of Islam in the May issue. Relations between east and west have often been contentious, at least partially because both Christianity and Islam see themselves as universal religions that will or should encompass the globe. Since Islam is currently the fastest growing religion on earth, it is well worth taking a closer look at what Muslims believe. As Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom's paper pointed out, there are many common doctrines because the qur'an (literally "recitation") was revealed to provide a means of salvation for people of a certain genius. There are several points that I think warrant emphasis and closer scrutiny.
     First, I think it is important that we translate the shahada aestification/witness of faith) fully. In Arabic the shahada reads: la ilaha ille allah wa muhammad rasuul allah. I believe it should be translated: "There is no god but the (only) God, and Muhammad is the messenger of the (only) God." I think this is an important point. If you do not translate the Arabic word allah, it gives the impression that Muslims worship a different god than Judaism or Christianity, which is not the case. The God who revealed the quran to Muhammad is the same God who made revelations to Moses, David, etc.

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The word allah is simply the Arabic word that means "the God." There are many Christian Arabs. In their Bibles the first verse of Genesis says that the God-allah-created the heavens and the earth.
     The first part of the shahada emphasizes the monotheism that is the special mark of Islam. God is seen as the sole and unassisted author and sustainer of creation. The second part introduces Muhammad as a role model for the faithful-an exemplar. One scholar puts it this way: reciting the first part makes you a muslim, someone who submits to God's will. Reciting the second part makes you a Muslim, an adherent to the religion of Islam.
     The position of Muhammad is a key consideration, and the theory is somewhat different from the practice. In theory, Muhammad is seen as God's final prophet. From the Muslim perspective there have been many prophets, most of them shared with Judaism and Christianity: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, John the Baptist, and Jesus are all honored prophets in Islam. Muhammad is the last in this long train of messengers from God, and he is held in great esteem because he was chosen to reveal God's final and perfect revelation in its perfect form: Arabic. How then does Muhammad end up as a subject of worship as described in the May article? It would be hard to pin down a precise cause-and-effect relationship, but I will offer a couple of observations: It's interesting that the first of the five pillars of the Islamic faith, the shahada, in which Muhammad figures prominently, is not from the qur'an. From the viewpoint of the Writings there is a big difference between the revelation made to Muhammad-the quran-and the record of his prophetic traditions-the hadith. It is also interesting to note the position of Muhammad in Muslim homes. His name is often displayed on an equal footing with the name of God in framed calligraphy or wrought iron, etc. My tentative conclusion is that at least regarding the person of the prophet, the traditions of honoring Muhammad and his commentaries rival revelation.

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     From my experience, the biggest hurdle the New Church has to overcome in the Muslim world is not doctrinal, but cultural, and I think this is reflected in the separation of the Muslim heaven from the Christian heaven. The doctrines are overcoming cultural hurdles in Africa. It will be interesting to see the progression of events in a culture that believes it is the vanguard of a universal religion. For those interested in further exploration of Islam, I highly recommend John Esposito's latest offering: Islam: The Straight Path.
     D. Gregory Rose,
          Colorado Springs, CO
SCIENTIFIC REVELATION 1995

SCIENTIFIC REVELATION       Erin C. Martz       1995

Dear Editor:
     In response to the article "Do the Writings Contain Scientific Revelation?" by Dr. Leon James (beginning in the April 1995 issue), several ideas come to mind. Firstly, if the Writings are indeed the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ, then the Writings will be sacred with or without the approval of anyone, and without anyone claiming them as sacred. That is, the Word or the Words of the Lord Jesus Christ are sacred because of the fact that the Words are coming from the Lord Jesus Christ (whether they are the truth in print or truth in our lives).
     Thus, one need not argue about the Word's application, since there are infinite ways and means in which the truth of the Word is applied, integrated and understood, because the source of the Words is the Infinite God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Though the Second Coming occurred in the world of spirits, the real meaning to us individually is the Second Coming in our own life: the integration, internalization and fulfillment in our life-occurring uniquely to each of us. In this the Word becomes living words; the Second Coming becomes a reality in our life, not just a series of externally described events.

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     Thus the question of whether or not the Writings contain scientific revelations that are useful to the scientific world is a valid one. Yet, instead of focusing on a definitive response, one can view the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ as infinitely applicable to all aspects of our own unique being and existence. And in our own individualized way we will uniquely experience the Lord Jesus Christ.
     Erin C. Martz,
          Adelanto, CA
DUALIST SCIENCE OR DUAL ENLIGHTENMENT?1 1995

DUALIST SCIENCE OR DUAL ENLIGHTENMENT?1       Allen Bedford       1995

Dear Editor:
     Dr. Leon James tells us that "Everything and anything is the proper object of scientific study."2 He goes on to say that science leaves no room for irrational thought, and that verification is a necessary component of scientific investigation. He writes this to "expose and oppose [a] false legend about science."3 This "legend" holds that science is limited to those things which are observable, reproducible, and controllable.
     We might say the practice of science occurs in two phases: experimental and interpretive The experimental phase of scientific work requires good laboratory practices which include controlling the conditions of observation, observing data before recording it, and reproducing data under the same conditions. The "legend" James speaks of must not have to do with the experimental phase of scientific work because he acknowledges the need for verification, and one would be hard pressed to reproduce reported results of an experiment free from the inconveniences of observation and control. James must be speaking of the interpretive phase of science. After collecting data, the investigator's next job is to put it into context and to extract meaning. This endeavor is not exacting and has fewer guidelines.

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     Most scientists agree that theories should be as simple as possible and should evoke testable mechanisms. James might disagree with these guidelines, and this may be the legend he hopes to end. Each person can interpret data as he or she sees fit. However, the reason that interpretations in scientific work normally avoid spiritual subjects is that this phase instigates another experimental phase. This cycle breaks when explanations employ supernatural phenomena. Nothing is wrong with getting out of the scientific endeavor, but we should know when we have left it behind. Invoking God's Finger when considering how water becomes wine, whether through the grape or not, does not lead to further laboratory work.
     In James' view, science is unlimited. In my view, scientific experimentation is limited, and interpretation is limited too, but to a lesser degree. I see advantages in this situation. When we realize that experimentation can take us only so far, we can conclude that some questions will not yield to the scientific method. This conclusion receives support from twentieth-century science. As far as we know, no technical advance will allow us to exceed the speed of light or disregard Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.4 These are two physical limits to what we can discover through our senses. Until we see evidence to the contrary, we may assume that we will never overcome these limits. So when Dr. James asserts that we can study "anything that is anything,"5 he denies some fundamental properties of the universe as we currently understand them. To make his case, James would have to present us with observations that counter these absolute limits, or at least give rational reasons for ignoring them.
     Our modern belief in insurmountable limits to natural knowledge can encourage us to look elsewhere for greater enlightenment. If we feel our understanding penned in by natural limits such as the speed of light or quantum uncertainty, we can allow increased enlightenment by believing in God and God's Words.

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Furthermore, our comprehension of the Lord and what the Lord wants for us will increase the more we live in His ways. By investigating and interpreting portions of the natural world, and combining love and wisdom in us from God, I imagine we might turn our great natural powers toward good uses. What I am describing is dual enlightenment: one form obtained through natural investigations and the human creative spirit, and the other as a gift from God to all who will have it. This will not lead to "the ultimate demise of science," as James suggests.6
     What is the difference between dualistic science and dual enlightenment? Am I just splitting hairs? In Dr. James' view, dualistic science represents an alignment between Swedenborgian theology and science. In this perspective, disagreements are hunted down and errant scientific views forced into agreement with religion. Others advocate correcting religion to suit science. Both positions represent real dangers. Why force one held into alignment with the next? The main purpose in life is to learn to follow God. When ideas clash, is their resolution necessary for our salvation? Resolution is a goal to work toward, but it is not as simple as saying one is completely correct and the other must agree or be cast out.
     James quotes Bishop de Charms to strengthen his call for investigating miracles.7 In his six-part study of miracles, de Charms never solidifies the statement James quotes from the first installment, where he suggests that scientists study miracles. Instead, de Charms points to a simple solution. Our participation is not a requirement of creation, so a miracle is simply a natural mechanism free of human involvement. In one sense, it is a miracle that God creates nature such that humans can participate at all. De Charms mentions the human components of making bread and wine. We gather the ingredients and mix them in a certain way and we get some product. We even imagine we have done something. However, it is the Lord who has given us pieces we assemble, and it is the Lord who ensures that these pieces congeal in a useful, nourishing way. We should not imagine that God needs us to do this.

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The Lord violates no physical law when He employs another, faster, chemical route to synthesize carbohydrates and ethanol apart from human participation.
     De Charms' point is that sometimes a need arises that cannot wait for human involvement, or would be too corrupted by it (e.g., human evolution or the virgin birth). In these cases, the Lord simply bypasses us, using a modification of His causes, leading to effects that seem extraordinary. But if we are to participate in uses, what good would it do us to learn to bypass usefulness? Is it possible? Both James and de Charms agree that causes of effects are beyond us. God is the cause, not humans. Then how can we imagine we might leap into God's realm? De Charms stops short of suggesting we try but James seems to encourage taking shortcuts through the world of effects. James writes, "If we focus our attention on the historical, descriptive, and physical information in the Old Testament, we find that it is full of scientific and natural facts about the world."8 Maybe we need no experimental work at all! He continues, "I am still searching for a single passage in the Bible that gives us fallacious information about people and things on earth."9
     Apparently Dr. James has not looked very closely, for, leaving aside the first eleven chapters of Genesis, Bishop de Charms, in the very article James cites, points out two misleading Biblical passages.10 In the first example, Joshua 10:12, 13, the sun and moon stand still for one day, but in AE 401:18 we read that this miracle was "prophetical," and that "If it had thus taken place, it would have inverted the whole order of the world; the rest of the miracles in the Word would not do this." In the second example, II Kings 20:8-11, Hezekiah saw the shadow recede ten degrees on the sundial of Ahaz. Of this miracle de Charms writes, "If this had been a cosmic happening it would have involved the reversal of the proper order of nature, and this the Lord never does."11 Unmoved by de Charms' reasoning, James says the Writings contain scientific revelation, and he concludes, "When prophecy fails science by contradicting it, it is science that needs to be forced into realignment with prophecy."12

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So, according to James, experimental results, if studied at all, must take second place to physical events described in the Word. The concluding segment of this correspondence will explore a danger associated with James' paradigm.
     Allen Bedford,
          Bryn Athyn, PA

     NOTES

     1 This communication builds off an earlier one published in the November 1994 issue of NCL, pp. 515-521.
     2 Leon James, "Do the Writings Contain Scientific Revelation?" part 3, NCL, June 1995, p. 265
     3 Ibid.
     4 The interested reader can find an excellent and readable account of our limits to knowledge provided by Professor Greg Baker in his book, Religion and Science: From Swedenborg to Chaotic Dynamics, Jamaica, New York: Solomon Press, 1992, chapter 9
     5 James, part 3, NCL, p. 265
     6 Ibid. p. 264
     7 Ibid. pp. 266-267, George de Charms, "Doctrine of Miracles," NCL 1958, pp. 218-223; 269-275; 314-319; 384-391; 413-419; and 463-468
     8 James, part 3, June 1995, p. 269.
     9 Ibid.
     10 de Charms, NCL, 1958, p. 385
     11 Ibid. p. 391
     12 James, part 4, NCL, July 1995, p. 329
EXCERPTS FROM WOMANS PLACE AND WORK 1995

EXCERPTS FROM WOMANS PLACE AND WORK       Editor       1995

     by James Reed, Boston, New Church Union, 1893

     The constant tendency is to make the intellectual or the masculine phase of our church life too prominent. We act too often as if we thought that preaching and doctrinal teachings were the sole objects for which the church exists. And yet we know that truth without love is cold hard, proud, and unpractical.

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The remedy is not to be found by calling women into the pulpit, or by inviting them to participate in public debates, but by enlarging and multiplying their opportunities to fill the church with that spirit of mutual love and friendly usefulness which prevails in a happy home (p. 23).
     Men tend to think of women only from the point of view of the personal benefits and privileges that they confer upon men as wives, neglecting the general conjugial sphere that should be influencing our society in general and the church in particular (p. 23).
     . . . this great power for good is one which we have learned but imperfectly how to utilize (p. 24).
EXCERPTS FROM "Swedenborg and Feminism" 1995

EXCERPTS FROM "Swedenborg and Feminism"       Editor       1995

     by Rev. Gilbert H. Smith

     The great cry of the New Church should be Freedom! Both man and wife in the New Church recognize this as one of the first essentials to the growth of the church in the family and between themselves. The wife is as anxious not to trespass upon the offices proper to the husband as that he should not trespass upon hers. Normally and ideally each wishes the greatest freedom for the other. But this ideal condition cannot even be known unless, like all vital matters, it is learned from the Heavenly Doctrines (NCL 1914, p. 225).
     . . . a woman thinks more from the will, a man more from the understanding. This is the real reason for the differences in form and figure. No one who understands the matter will say that superiority or inferiority are in any way involved. There is absolute equality, yet there is a difference between the sexes. Who will say that the will is inferior to the understanding or the understanding inferior to the will? (p. 225)
     It is not of Divine order that each individual should be accounted a unit of society, but each married couple. And all other general relations between the sexes should look to and be determined from this (p. 229).
     Excerpts submitted by John Abele

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CELESTINE PROPHECY AND THE NEW CHURCH 1995

CELESTINE PROPHECY AND THE NEW CHURCH       Rev. RAY SILVERMAN       1995

     "The Word is very near you. . ." (Deuteronomy 30:14).

     The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield (Warner Books; 1993) has been heralded as one of the most important books of our time, "a book that comes along once in a lifetime to change lives forever." Supposedly drawing on the ancient wisdom of a Peruvian manuscript, it reveals "nine insights" which provide "a positive vision of how we will save our planet" (quoted from the jacket cover).
     This book has swept across the imagination of America, along with other contemporary classics in spirituality, Mutant Message and Embraced by the Light. These books remain at the top of best-seller lists everywhere, and are currently being translated into foreign languages so that they may be read around the world. In Moscow, for example, Embraced by the Light now ranks third on their list of best-selling paperbacks. In America, The Celestine Prophecy has spent 30 continuous weeks as number one on the New York limes best-seller list.
     The good news for the New Church in all of this is that we can know that there is a real hunger for literature which deals with the world of spirit. The distressing part is that much of this material is contained in the teachings of our church, in wondrous detail, and without the addition of any false teachings, and yet, after 200 years, very few people know about the existence of our church, or that the Lord has indeed made His Second Coming through the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.
     In the past few months I have received letters from people who, while not members of the New Church, do know that I have a very keen interest in spiritual topics. They have asked me, "What do you think of The Celestine Prophecy?" It is an important part of my job as a minister to stay abreast of contemporary trends in spirituality, and to be able to fairly assess the literature that is currently available. Allow me, therefore, to offer some of my views about The Celestine Prophecy in the pages of this magazine.

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Timeless Truth

     While written as fiction, The Celestine Prophecy incorporates timeless truth (said to be found in an ancient Peruvian manuscript written in 600 B.C.) in a modern tale of high adventure. These ancient truths are set forth in nine chapters, and each chapter describes an exciting journey, fraught with danger for those who risk their lives to find the manuscript and read its valuable lessons. These lessons are summarized as Nine Insights. Very simply, they are as follows:

     1.      All things are connected. Therefore there are no accidents.
     2.      People have become pre-occupied with economic and material progress.
     3.      Everything is related to energy, and it is possible to see "energy fields" around people and objects. We can get energy from and give energy to each other.
     4.      Human beings have made the mistake of "competing for each other's energy." Rather than give energy to one another, human beings steal it from others by controlling and manipulating them.
     5.      We need to understand that the universe itself provides all the energy we need-the "energy of God"-and when we realize this we don't need to steal energy from others.
     6.      Everyone needs to discover his or her true path in life by understanding and reconciling the primary aims in life that their parents had. People also need to understand their "control dramas"-the manipulative styles they have used to get their way.
     7.      Every event has significance and contains an answer to our current questions.
     8.      Beware of addictive relationships. These are relationships where our well-being depends on another person's giving us his energy. This is called being "co-dependent" and makes us forget that the universe contains all the energy we need.
     9.      The emerging culture will usher in a new religion based on human evolution and higher and higher states of consciousness. Eventually people will be vibrating so fast that they will become invisible to those in lower states of consciousness.

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This is to find heaven on earth.

     Students of the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg will realize that many of these "timeless truths" are recorded-in wondrous detail-in Swedenborg's Writings. The book Divine Providence, for example, explains with precision and beauty the reasons why all things are related, and helps us to understand why "there are no accidents." In Arcana Coelestia we read that "nothing unconnected ever occurs" (2556). The book Conjugial Love, while not using the term "control dramas," does describe in eloquent detail how the battle for dominion undermines the marriage relationship. It describes the misery that ensues when couples try to rule over one another rather than mutually submit to the leading of God in their lives. In addition, it describes the boundless joys of heavenly marriage. The book Divine Love and Wisdom contains a wondrous discourse on higher and lower states of consciousness, explaining this by means of the theory of discrete degrees. And in various works, especially in Heaven and Hell, Swedenborg explains how evil spirits drain people's energy, while good spirits and angels do all they can to uplift and inspire people. Swedenborg uses the term "influx" to describe how angels flow into our thoughts and affections with healing truths and tenderest affections. They are, of course, vessels of the Lord's Divine Love and Wisdom-the Lord's inmost Life flowing out of Himself and into all people everywhere, at all times-as much as an individual chooses to receive. This is the "Divine Energy."

No Dress Rehearsal

     If people are truly hungry for spiritual food, can't we do more to make it available? James Redfield does an admirable job of describing the lengths and depths that a person will go to, even to the risk of one's own life, to find the truth. The tragedy, however, is that the truths are scanty, limited, and some are not truths at all. For example, the ninth "insight" speaks of people becoming so highly evolved that their vibrational level makes them invisible to others: "As we humans continue to increase our vibration, an amazing thing will begin to happen. Whole groups of people, once they reach a certain level, will suddenly become invisible to those who are still vibrating at a lower level" (p. 241).

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This ability to evolve to the point where you become invisible to others is seen as the "conscious crossing over" from the physical to the spiritual plane, "crossing the barrier between this life and the other world." From this point of view, Christ is seen as "the first to cross over"-vibrating at such a high level of energy that He was able to walk on water, rise from the grave, and "transcend death right here on Earth."
     For those who are unacquainted with the teachings of the New Church, this may explain the Lord's transfiguration on the mount, the disappearance of His body in the tomb, and His invisibility to some after the resurrection. This analysis of Deity emphasizes a Nirvana-like escape into nothingness and invisibility. It is a wonder that this idea, which differs so radically from our teachings, has endured for so long and appeals to so many. The New Church teaches that the goal of the incarnation was for the Invisible God to become Visible Man, not to turn visible men into invisible gods. We are given life in this world so that we may fill it to overflowing with the joy of useful service, and so that, while here, we may freely choose our eternal destinies when we lay aside (not vibrate out of) our earthly bodies. Life on earth is not a dress rehearsal; it is the real thing. This is the plane upon which our love can be made visible through useful service.

Sharing the Sacred Manuscript

     I would like to encourage my brothers and sisters in the New Church to become familiar with the current literature on popular spirituality, and to be able to discern both for themselves and for others what is clearly taught in the Writings and what is man-made. The Celestine Prophecy contains many useful and provocative thoughts, and for the most part is a good book, written by a man who sincerely wants to save the planet earth. I have made good use of many of Redfield's points, and appreciate his efforts to share the truth, as he knows it, with others. In the final chapter, he claims that the sacred manuscript (which contains the nine insights) will "clarify many religions. And would help them fulfill their promise. All religion, it says, is about humankind finding relationship to one higher source" (p. 239).

376



     Is this not the hope of the New Church? Do we not believe that we indeed possess the Sacred Manuscript? Do we not believe that this Manuscript will clarify all religions, and lead all people to the One Higher Source? The great wonder is that we need not go to Peru to find it, nor risk our lives in any way. For most of us, it sits quietly on our bookshelves, waiting to be read, waiting to be lived, waiting to be shared with others. This Manuscript, as old as time, as fresh as the dew on the morning grass, is the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem-the breath of God with man. Is it not our sacred responsibility to make the real Manuscript available to all people, everywhere-to rest not until every ear has heard and every eye has seen? Is it not written that the Word is very near to us? "It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us that we may hear it and do it?' Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us that we may hear it and do it?' But the Word is very near you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that you may do it" (Deuteronomy 30:12-14).
     The Word is very near; we need not travel around the world, or go to Peru to find it. It is in our mouths and in our hearts, to be lived in our own lives and shared with others.
ANCIENT WORD RESEARCH IN CHINA DEVELOPMENTS 1995

ANCIENT WORD RESEARCH IN CHINA DEVELOPMENTS       Dr. JAMES S. BRUSH       1995

     In the most recent issue of the Academy Journal there is presented a report of my research-and-studies trip to China in the summer of 1994. The research was carried out to determine if there could be found some preliminary basis for forming an expedition to find the Ancient Word-an aim that was more successful than expected, as subsequent events reported herein indicate.

377



     In the Academy Journal paper there were reported two findings supporting the presence of the Ancient Word among the Manchus of Northeast China (formerly called Manchuria):
     1. A meeting was arranged by Prof Chaoke (see below) with two curators of a special collection of documents (in Manchu) produced by the Manchu Dynasty (1644-1911) Emperors in Beijing. They reported that there was nothing in their collection relating to the Ancient Word. Nevertheless they told of an unusual book called the Manchu Book of the Dead's Progress, published first in the 1950s in Manchu. A second edition translated it into Chinese, and a third very popular one was published in the Soviet Union in Russian, but it went out of print in the 1960s. It was said to describe the progress of man's spirit after death "going either up or down" (presumably to heaven or hell). Such a progression of states toward heaven or hell in the spiritual world is foreign to all of the other significant religions of the Far East. Its nearest kinship would seem to be the doctrine of the New Church with some quite distant relationship to the Shamanist religions of the Mongols and the Indians of the Americas. The latter, however, have no concept of heaven and hell or a progression of states after death. The Chinese edition has now been located in two library collections at Harvard and Brown Universities, from which it is being sought currently. When it is obtained, work upon its translation will proceed. The Russian edition is being sought as well, but it is apparently less accessible.
     2. Through scholars at Beijing University, contact was made with linguistics professors Dular Chaoke and his wife Wang Li Zhen (now my personal friends). Prof Chaoke is of Ewenk-Mongol parentage, and Prof Wang Li Zhen is of Manchu-Mongol parentage. There was described to them an account printed in the "First Reports of the London Society" (New Church) for 1807 from someone called only "a correspondent." In summary it stated that a man named Mr. Goodyer was a "medical gentleman" on a ship, the Thames East Indiaman, which sailed to the Orient from England in 1798. He had been commissioned by a New Churchman to inquire about the Ancient Word with a "Tartar Mandarin" (perhaps a governmental official) of his acquaintance in Canton, China.

378


It is said he purchased from him a document of "large volume" written in Manchu on "the rinds of some tree" whose authenticity he presumably checked against its characteristics described in True Christian Religion, n. 279. It was learned from Prof. Wang Li Zhen that the Manchus wrote religious documents on birch bark-a fact little known outside of the Manchu communities themselves. The copy of the putative Ancient Word was, however, said to be lost when Mr. Goodyer died on the return trip while the ship was docked in Calcutta, and his effects, presumably including the Ancient Word, were sold to support his widow. A person named Watts who resided in Calcutta in 1807 was asked to inquire of the fate of the Ancient Word copy and to try to obtain another one, but apparently without success.
     A section of the British Library preserves the log books for the commercial sailing of British ships. When inquiry was made with the library, it was found that a ship called the Thames did sail from England to China in 1798. It was confirmed that William Goodyer served on the ship as a surgeon's mate. He did die on the trip (July 29, 1799) but in Bombay, not in Calcutta, and on the way to China, not on the return trip as the original report stated. Obviously Mr. Goodyer could not have obtained the Ancient Word copy in Canton on the 1798 sailing of the Thames. Unfortunately, these discrepancies leave many questions unanswered. It possibly is a blending of two or more separate strands, the combination having several verifiably true elements from one strand and several from at least one other. The aspect concerning the putative Ancient Word's being written on the "rinds of some tree" and its correlation with a true element of Manchu religion give the report evidence of someone's having real contact with Manchu culture. It seems to justify pursuit of the problem. During this summer of 1995 I will be going to England to investigate the issue further.

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BRAZILIAN SUMMER CAMP 1995

BRAZILIAN SUMMER CAMP       Editor       1995


     Church News

     BRAZILIAN SUMMER CAMP

     This year (1995) in January we had our third organized summer camp for New Church young people and their friends in Brazil. It took place in a lovely spot up in the mountains about 50 minutes outside Rio de Janeiro. We had twelve attendants. I know that twelve doesn't sound like too many, but three people who attended last year's camp couldn't come and we still had more people than last year.
     Everyone seemed to have enjoyed not only the scenery but the lively discussions about the Divine Providence, looking for the good in others, life after death, marriage in heaven, etc. This kind of activity is very important for the life of the church among the young people. It gives them a sense of connection with the church, and what is also very important, a sense of connection among themselves. The bonds they build at camps will stay with them for the rest of their lives, even with geographical distance. What they learn about the church and about how to conduct their lives will also stay and serve them as a survival kit in the journey of life. They know that somewhere in their memory box there are tools and information (truths) that will assist them in making the ultimate choice in their lives, the choice between life and death spoken of in Deuteronomy 30. They also will know that there are others near them and far away that can share with them the belief in the same one God, Jesus Christ, and who will also support them when they need support. Rev. Mauro S. dePadua, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

     [Picture (l to r): Rev. Mauro dePadua, Othoniel do Couto, Marcus Paes, Ana Paula Rodigoes, rica Nobre, Poliana Nobre, Estella Sarah Arraes, Daniela Nobre, Anita Nobre. Kneeling: Silvia Martins, Jenny Pokorny (from Sweden), Pedro Pontes Castro. Missing: Marta Silva]

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UNKNOWN ADDRESSES 1995

UNKNOWN ADDRESSES       Editor       1995

     Anyone who can supply information as to the whereabouts of the people listed below is asked to communicate with the Office of the Secretary, General Church of the New Jerusalem, P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Last known addresses, from prior to 1990, are shown.

Ellen Adum-Yeboah
Rose Adum-Yeboah
Ghana

Joan (Dennis) Anderson
Roland Anderson
3004 E Sequoia Drive
Newport Richey FL 33552

Borghild (Eckhoff) Berner
Syrinvn 30
N-4022 Stavanger
Norway

Robert Brown
Mrs. Robert Brown
1870 Kelton Ave - 101
Los Angeles CA 90025-4571

Cesilee Coulson
England
Dan de La Hunt
5819 West 74th Street
Westchester CA 90045

Danny Dube
Nancy (Kendrick) Dube
608 - 96th Ave, Dawson Creek,
BC Canada V1G 1G3

Richard Dumas
1944 Lawn St
Duluth MN 55805

Margaret (Klimas) Ewald
43 Brannan St
Calistoga CA 94515

Edward Falconer
1147 West 10th St
Erie PA 16502

Dorothy (Hall) Fox
Lisa Fox, Michael Fox
605 Hancock Dr
Americus GA 31709

Malcolm Fraser
Scotland

John Gorandfield
2750 NW 112th Ave
Coral Springs FL 33065

Penny (Ligler) Harrison
Kristin Harrison
Paul Harrison
Stephen Harrison
4 Golf Dr
Florida NY 10921

Melva (Schelly) Harthill
P O Box 70
Kahlotus WA 99335-0070

Harriet (Johnson) Hazen
12605 James River Dr
Hopewell VA 23860

Jayne (Campbell) Hedges
English Village Apts, Bldg 11-C7
North Wales PA 19454

Mona (Nilsson) Johansson
Rullaregarden, Kymbo
Kalvene, Sweden

381




David King
2136 Ewing Street
Los Angeles CA 90039

Susan (Tillman) Kressman
415 Miller
Dyersburg TN 38024

Andre Lucas
25 Rue Des Caillandiers
Paris, France

Patricia Maseko
1 Anchor Road
spring Valley NY 10977

Candida (Evens) McKee
(No address)

Bryan McKinnon
8470 H Street
Hesperia CA 92345

Laurie Moore
6405 Irwin Ct
Oakland CA 94069

Sarah (Reynolds) Munz
William Munz
PO Box 254
Mound City KS 66056

Thabi (Nyide) Ndaba
801 - 2nd Ave, Suite 45
New York NY 10017

Larry Person
Katherine Person
2542 Fillmore St - NE
Minneapolis MN 55418

Georges Plan
Henriette (Wetzig) Plan
Residence Lou Paradou
06600 - Antibes, France

Dominique Robin
95 Bd Mansort
Dijon 21000 France

Robert Dorlan Smith
Carol (Neumuth) Smith
Cheryl Smith
Claudia Smith
164 Ridge Ave
Yonkers NY 10703

Joan Steen
29 E Schoolhouse Lane
Philadelphia PA 19144-2234

Diane (Friesen) Turner
Canada

Arne G. F. Weise
Madeleine Weise
Per Weise
Banergatan 29
S-115 29 Stockholm
Sweden

Dorothy (Blake) West
4715 S E 35th Avenue
Portland OR 97202

Kenneth Williams
Laurie (Brown) Williams
113 North Chevy Chase
Glendale CA 91206

Danielle Winandy
Glenview IL 60025

Steven Winslow
13191 Automobile Blvd
Clearwater FL 33516

Ruth Woudenberg
2626 - #4 Arbor Place
Norwood OH 45209

Joseph Yaple
7931 Sandridge Way
Citrus Heights CA 95621

382


ORDINATION 1995

ORDINATION       Editor       1995




     Announcements
     Buss-At Mitchellville, Maryland June 18, 1995, Peter Martin Buss, Jr., into the second degree of the priesthood, Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss officiating.
COUNTDOWN TO THE ASSEMBLY (June 5, 1996) 1995

COUNTDOWN TO THE ASSEMBLY (June 5, 1996)       Editor       1995

     The committees are already at work. Here are the names of some of the heads'-treasurer: Malcolm Walter; registration: Lynn and Reade Genzlinger; accommodations: Mimi Gunther and Joyce Bostock; public relations: Peter Boericke.

385


Notes on This Issue 1995

Notes on This Issue       Editor       1995


Vol. CXV     September, 1995     No. 9
NEW CHURCH LIFE

386




     Notes on This Issue

     Thanks to Eric Carswell, this issue starts as if with a song. There is a passage in the 10th volume of the Arcana about singing in ancient times (see p. 357 of this issue). It is remarkable that just as we are giving editorial attention to this volume newly translated in England, the Swedenborg Foundation has come out with the same volume, not in a new translation but in a new form. The volume was electronically scanned, allowing the book to be reset completely in a more readable typeface. There have been a number of improvements which readers will appreciate.
     Last month we exclaimed about the many things received for publication. In June we noted that we had "received for review" the book Gold from Aspirin: Spiritual Views on Chaos and Order from Thirty Authors. Now the review has been written, and we look forward to finding a "window" for its publication.     
     The June article on "Paradigm Shift" by Beryl Simonetti got some quick response, and this month we are publishing letters relating to it from South Africa and Japan.
     "I would like to encourage my brothers and sisters in the New Church to become familiar with the current literature on popular spirituality, and to be able to discern for themselves what is clearly taught in the Writings and what is man-made." This is from the article by Dr. Ray Silverman on The Celestine Prophecy.
     It is fascinating to know that New Church concepts are being expressed in a magazine in Russia. That magazine, called Science and Religion, has a remarkable history that we may mention another time. Thanks to the efforts of such friends as Dr. Vladimir Maliavin we have seen some of the articles in print and have learned that there are more to come. See the report on page 340.
     We have received a copy of another magazine called Urtania, which is published in Moscow six times a year. The second issue of 1995 has four separate items under the heading "Swedenborg and Russia," one by Rev. Goran Appelgren.

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HOW THE LORD CAN LEAD US 1995

HOW THE LORD CAN LEAD US       Rev. BRIAN W. KEITH       1995

     Show me Your ways, O Lord,
     Teach me Your paths.
     Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
     For You are the God of my salvation . . . (Psalm 25:4, 5).

     We all want the Lord to lead us. That is why we are here-if there is a God who has created and sustains us, then it is our obligation to discover His will and follow it. After all, a God powerful and wise enough to fashion the universe and the human race can surely direct our paths better than we can!
     Also, we know what it feels like to be lost. When we wonder if we have any use in this world, or when someone we deeply care for hurts us, our sadness is disorienting, bewildering; then, like the Psalmist, we are apt to cry out, "Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I" (61:1, 2).
     But in spite of our occasional cries for help and a vague sense that the Lord should be leading our lives, we often feel a strong pull to manage our own affairs. For who has not found that a lack of planning results in a frenzied rush just before a trip or the start of school? Even when we have a general idea of what we should be doing, it is amazing how confused things become and how little we get done.
     We have also found that we can accomplish a great deal. With good planning and hard work we can earn quite a bit of money, become successful in our jobs, and be respected by our neighbors. While a flat tire may slightly delay a trip, or a dip in the stock market may affect our finances, good planning can take care of most contingencies!
     So we can be seduced into thinking that we are masters of our own destiny-that while the Lord may be out there somewhere, doing something, we are really in charge of what happens.

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     It is not surprising, then, that the Lord posed this question to His disciples: " . . . what is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?" (Matt. 16:26) The question to us is: So what if we get what we want? So what if we are relatively successful? Is planning and achieving a set of goals the purpose of life or is it more than that?
     Consider Moses. He was a great organizer and leader of the Children of Israel. Even without the Lord's help he might well have been a successful commander But the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Church make this fascinating comment: "Moses knew that he could indeed bring the people into the land of Canaan, but that if this were done without the Divine leading . . . they would not come into possession of It (AC 10561).
     In other words, if the leading were done from conceit or self-love, with a sense that the Lord was not necessary, they might have entered Canaan, but it would never have been a land flowing with milk and honey. This is why Moses' sin of providing water from his own efforts rather than following the Lord's directions prevented him from entering the promised land-it showed his desire to elevate himself to a Divine level, supplanting the Lord.
     The message to us is clear: if we are so wrapped up in ourselves that we assume our planning, our work, has done it all, then no matter how successful we are, no matter how emotionally confident and secure we feel, there is an inner emptiness which will eventually consume all our happiness. It is only when the Lord has been our guide that we can experience genuine, lasting happiness.
     How, then, can the Lord lead us?
     In one sense the Lord is always leading us. For "a person takes no step into which and from which the Lord does not lead" (AE 1174:2).

389


His Providence is unceasingly with us, allowing us the freedom to choose but never leaving us, regardless of what happens.
     What we need is something more-an open leading to which we can respond. The Lord does show us His ways and teach us His paths as we look to Him (see AE 1174:2). It sounds so simple, and in one sense it is! If we look to ourselves or the world, we see less of the Lord. It is only when we recognize the Lord as our Savior, our Guide, that we have any trust in what He may say.
     It is of note that the Lord did miracles only for those who had some openness to Him. In His own country they could not accept a carpenter with Divine power, so He could do almost no miracles there. Until there is a basic belief, a basic confidence that the Lord has something to offer, we do not look to Him.
     But looking to the Lord is meaningless unless there is also affection. Fortunately, feelings of warmth for our Creator are almost inherent with us. Every child cares for the Lord, and our childlike states are ever stored with us. These tender loves call out to the Lord, enabling Him to draw near to us. As the Heavenly Doctrines state, "to him who loves, the Lord enters in and teaches and leads him, and enables him also to love the Lord" (AE 213).
     The question is, how does the Lord then teach and lead us? By a voice from heaven? An inner dictate? Advice from friends? An inspired speaker?
     While the Lord does use an array of means (for after all, some of His truth is present in a greater or lesser degree with everyone), His primary way to guide us, and ultimately how we evaluate the validity of all sources of information, is by what we accept as Divine-His Word. The principles, the ideals, of the Word are the Lord's. The threefold Word reveals Him and shows us His ways (see AE 118). Indeed, "without the knowledges of truth and good from the Word the Lord cannot be present with a person and lead him, for when he knows nothing of the Lord, of heaven, of charity and faith, his spiritual mind . . . is empty, and has nothing from the Divine in it" (AE 112:3).

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     This does not mean He leads us via a mass of memorized facts from the Word. But from the true concepts we have learned and embraced, Divine light is shed on our paths. We are able thereby to identify and rejoice in our good feelings while rejecting distorted ideas and hellish impulses. While we will always have false ideas which, like clouds or night shadows, make it difficult for us to distinguish right from wrong, the Lord can lead us in spite of our fallacies when we seek truth from the Word to guide us. From the Divine source we can see to avoid some major missteps and recognize the good counsel others might offer!
     For the Lord would lead us to walk in His ways-not the enticing but frustrating side excursions into the pain of worldliness and despair of an isolated self. As we sincerely aspire to follow Him, He touches the good in our lives and draws it back to Himself (see AC 7761). As we turn from unhealthy love of self and the world, the Lord leads us. For "by so doing, a person's internal is purified, and when this is purified he is led by the Lord and not by self; and so far as he is led by the Lord he loves truths, and receives them and wills them and does them" (AE 808:2, 979e, 825:3).
     Does this mean that at some stage in regeneration the Lord's leading becomes clear and open? In some ways, yes it does. Some truths from the Word almost shout out to us. They may be the commandments seen in a new light-you shall not steal, you shall not commit adultery, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Or they may be less obvious-angels see only the good of others, God is omnipotent, friendship is the clothing of conjugial love. Whichever truths we see, they speak to our hearts and we know that the Lord has surely been in this place.
     This open leading is described in the Heavenly Doctrines where it is declared that a person who is regenerating "is daily taught by the Lord what he must do and what he must say, also what he must preach or what he must write; for when evils are removed he is continually under the Lord's guidance and in enlightenment" (AE 825:2).

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     "Is daily taught by the Lord what he must do and what he must say . . . . " Do we sense such immediate direction from the Lord? Does He speak to us in this way? We may think not, for how many of us have heard the Lord's voice or clearly known His will? And when we have prayed for guidance, have we heard a specific answer which solved the problem? (Or wondered if the answer we heard was actually coming from the Lord or another less benign source?)
     But consider how the quote continues: "Yet a person is not led and taught immediately by any dictate, or by any perceptible inspiration, but by an influx into his spiritual delight, from which he has perception according to the truths of which his understanding consists."
     Even the direct leading of the Lord is not a voice from on high nor a perceptible hand grasping ours. For the Lord "does not command, but leads" (AC 6390). He "does not openly teach anyone truths," for to do so would deprive us of our freedom of thought and action (see AC 5952). But through the good we have come to love, through the delight we have in heavenly things, He leads us to see His ways. His presence gives us a perception of what is true, of what we should do. Even when He is openly leading us, we need to engage our understandings to see and move our feet to act.
     Then will we know for certain exactly what He wants us to do? Then will we be able to avoid the pitfalls of life in this world? Is this how He will lead us? Unfortunately, no. His leading is to guide us away from evil. To the extent we follow Him we shall be kept in good. But His leading cannot insulate us from all problems. For when we are selfish, we reject the Lord's leading and protection. And in this world the disorders of the hells can reach us no matter how regenerate we are.

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     What the Lord's leading will do is insure that as we look to Him, He will be with us and bring good into our lives. "For when the Lord is with anyone, He leads him, and provides that all things which happen, whether sad or joyful, befall him for good: this is the Divine Providence" (AC 6303). The Lord is our sun and shield not by eliminating all difficulties, but by guiding us through all problems, enriching and strengthening, so that the heavenly states He is creating will be happier and fuller than we could ever imagine.
     This is how the Lord leads us-not in a deeply shrouded or mystical fashion, not by a living voice or forceful hand, but by our reaching out to Him in affection, learning His ways, fleeing from evils, doing His goods. Then He can lead us each moment of each day, always guiding us to the heavenly happiness for which we were created.

     We are to the ask the Lord's guidance so that He may show us His ways. We need Him to teach us His paths. For as we turn our faces to Him He can lead us in His truth and teach us all that we need to know and do. And as we use our minds, increasing our understanding and freely walking in His ways, the Lord will indeed become the God of our salvation. Amen.

Lessons: Psalm 25, AE 1174:2, 3 S.P.I. NEWSLETTER 1995

S.P.I. NEWSLETTER       Editor       1995

     In the latest issue of the newsletter of Swedenborg Publishers International Dr. Erland Brock writes: "We are delighted to draw attention to two developments this year: (1) the official registration of both the Russian Swedenborg Society and its sister organization, the Arcana Coelestia Foundation and (2) new projects in the translation into Chinese of selected works . . ."

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY NEXT JUNE 1995

GENERAL ASSEMBLY NEXT JUNE       Rev. Peter M. Buss       1995

     The Bryn Athyn Society will be hosting the next General Assembly from June 5 to 9, 1996. The topic of the assembly is "Towards a New Church Culture." In the program there will be five full sessions. The first is on Wednesday evening, when I will introduce the subject. Subsequent speakers will take the teachings about the Lord, the life after death, and charity, and show how these teachings have worked and can work their way into the fabric of our culture. A final session will deal with how to promote the vision of the church through evangelization and education. Following each session there will be discussion groups, at which people are invited to discuss particular aspects of the topic. In addition, there will be mini-sessions in the afternoons, in which people may present topics on the subject of the assembly. We hope to have many of these sessions, to accommodate different viewpoints from the priesthood and the laity of the church.
     If you would like to offer a presentation at a mini-session on some topic allied to the theme of the assembly, you are warmly invited to submit a request through the Acting Secretary of the General Church, Mr. Donald C. Fitzpatrick, at P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009, USA. A special program committee will review all such offers, and choose as many of them as space and circumstances will allow.
     The time allotted for presentations will be an hour and a half, including time for discussion. Please send your submission to Mr. Fitzpatrick by September 15, 1995. You should write a short description of the topic so that he can circulate it to the Program Committee for its consideration.
     Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss

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NEW CHURCH EDUCATION 1995

NEW CHURCH EDUCATION       BRUCE HENDERSON       1995

     The Call to Disciples

     Address to Graduates of the Academy of the New Church

     June 1995

     The voice of the Lord called, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And Isaiah answered, "Here am I; send me."
     We have all been called by the Lord-just as Isaiah was, just as Samuel was, just as the disciples were. We should be as ready, and as confident, to answer: "Here am I; send me." But you may be wondering: Send me? Send me where? Before you answer the call, you need to know where you are going-and why.
     There is a scene in "Alice in Wonderland" where Alice is hurrying along a path that suddenly splits in two. She frantically wonders aloud which way she should go. Suddenly the Cheshire Cat appears in a nearby tree and asks: "Where are you going?" And Alice wails, "I don't know!" so the Cheshire Cat replies, "Then it doesn't matter."
     When you come to times in your life when you must make choices, what matters is knowing where you are going. And where you are going has a lot to do with where you have been.
     Where you have been, of course, is at the Academy, learning New Church education. But is New Church education really distinctive and special, as we say it is?
     Yes, it is.
     The Academy of the New Church-its secondary schools, its college and its theological school-is unique in the world. It is unique because it teaches the spiritual man and woman in each of us, as well as the natural. It recognizes that our spiritual life is not something that begins when we die. It is with us right now, and needs as much nurturing and guidance as our natural body.

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     This is essential education in a world badly in need of spiritual focus. Every day in the news we see problems, crises, tragedy. But at the root of all of them is something spiritual. That is our great challenge. We need practical answers to our problems, but we need spiritual context and spiritual solutions.
     One of the uses of education is to make us comfortable and confident with choices-at every level. Traditional education is what prepares us to make good choices-for this world. But the most important choices we make-for our lives, our communities, our world-are essentially spiritual, even if we don't always realize it at the time. We like to say that New Church education is preparation for heaven. It really prepares us to make the choices that lead to heaven.
     What sets New Church education apart from other schooling is that it is about not just knowledge but wisdom. Wisdom is the acknowledgment of God in all things. It is knowing right from wrong, good from evil. Knowledge without wisdom and moral judgment is easily corrupted. Without the clear vision of Divine truth, values diffuse into a kaleidoscope of colors and shadings where everyone sees what he wants to see-and we witness the fallout all around us.
     The world is alive with progress but confused about where it is going. We know so much more than our ancestors did. But we are not any wiser-indeed, probably less so, because we are so preoccupied with things of the world, not of the spirit. We are better educated than ever, but what has it gained us? We have no-fault divorce, no-fault insurance, no-fault choices. We know hundreds of TV jingles-and no poetry. We live on fast food-and starve our souls. And the eternal conflict between good and evil has been reduced to "I'm OK, you're OK."
     But we are not a world without hope. Yes, we have enormous challenges. Yes, the values of our culture are in decline. But there are millions of good people of all faiths doing the Lord's work. There is a revival of interest in spiritual things. We see it in the hunger for religion sweeping the former Soviet Union.

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We see it in Americans making best sellers of books like The Celestine Prophecy, Care of the Soul, and The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.
     There is an emerging awareness that the welfare of the world depends not just on laws and treaties but on the development of moral and spiritual conscience. Yes, there are many candles in the darkness, but only one true light. And it is for us, as modern disciples, to let the Lord-in the words of the seniors' beautiful banner: "Enlighten our darkness"-and then to reflect that light throughout our lives. When the Lord was on earth, He told of a new church to arise from the light He gave. He appointed disciples to carry this beacon to a waiting world. The New Church is the hope of this world. That does not make us better than anyone else. It should make us humble. We have not been anointed. We have been given a responsibility-a sacred trust.
     You have been called by the Lord-just by attending the Academy and being exposed to the New Revelation. Each of you is free to answer the call as you wish-even to ignore it. But you have been called.
     When the Lord called Moses from the burning bush, Moses was a common man, tending a flock. But the Lord made him the leader of the Children of Israel, took him up on Mount Sinai and gave him the ten commandments. All of the Lord's disciples were ordinary men who did not hesitate to leave their nets and follow Him. Jesus took three of them-Peter, James and John-up on a mountaintop and was transfigured before them. That means they saw Him in all His glory as the Son of God. Imagine the experience. They must not have wanted to come back down to earth.
     Every one of us, every generation, needs to become a disciple and go up the mountain. But the church is not just a vision from on high. We all have our mountaintops-our moments of inspiration and idealism. This graduation day is one of them. But to make the inspiration meaningful, we must bring it down to ground level, where we build the church through the work of our lives.

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     Jesus said, "Upon this rock I will build My church." You have that rock to build your church and take it into the world. And the growth of our church begins with its growth in each of us.
     The call to be a disciple may sound ominous. It's not. Being a disciple isn't hard and it isn't boring -and it can be fun. Most of the time we are not even conscious of being disciples. It just shines through in how we live-how we influence other people for good. I have seen many of you already doing this-on athletic fields, in Delta Mu, on college working vacations to Boynton Beach.
     Last November, Carol and I had the privilege of accompanying the seniors to Washington-and two years before that, doing the same for the class receiving their associate degrees today. This was a great opportunity to see our students off campus, being themselves, having fun. Other contacts I have had with you reinforce the image. You are great young people-terrific ambassadors for the Academy. You make us proud. And you give us great hope for the future.
     You may not all think of yourselves as leaders, but you all can lead by example. And by the examples you set-of love, morality, charity, use-you will be missionaries for the church and disciples for the Lord.
     A fundamental doctrine of our church is that "All religion has relation to life, and the life of religion is to do good." It is that simple-and that profound. New Church education conveys a sense of how religion is part of life-every day, in every choice we make. It is not something abstract and irrelevant. And the more we allow our faith to become a natural part of our lives, the more life will make sense, the easier and more rewarding it will become, and the more useful we can be.
     Many popular books, such as The Road Less Traveled and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, speak of the power of spiritual focus-the power of spiritually centered people.

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This is not a power of control but a power to be useful. You have that power.
     Everyone wants to make a difference. New Church education makes it possible. You can make a positive difference in this world.
     Everyone, for instance, wants to know the secret to peace and happiness. The secular world would have us believe the power is within us-that we can find paradise on our own if we just read the right books, listen to the right tapes, believe in ourselves. Many a seeker has been sadly disillusioned and still is searching. But you know the secret. The beginning of wisdom is discovering that peace and happiness come only from keeping the Lord at the center of our lives. And that is the beginning of being a true disciple.
     There are great challenges and opportunities in our world-in medicine, in technology, in government, in science. But our greatest need is simply for loving marriages, stable families, strong communities, sure faith. This is your calling. This is how to build the church, honor the Academy and serve the Lord.
     The Lord said to His disciples, "You have not chosen Me but I have chosen you." Each of you has been chosen by the Lord. Each of you has been prepared by the Academy. The Lord is still calling, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"
     And each of you should be ready to answer now-with confidence and with humility-"Here I am, Lord. Send me."
NEW EDITION OF CHARITY 1995

NEW EDITION OF CHARITY       Editor       1995

     The book Doctrine of Charity has been published in an attractive paperback with the subtitle "The Practice of Neighborliness." This is available from the Swedenborg Foundation, P.O. Box 549, West Chester, PA 19381.

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ACADEMY SEARCHES FOR COLLEGE DEAN 1995

ACADEMY SEARCHES FOR COLLEGE DEAN       Editor       1995

     The Academy of the New Church has begun a search for the next Dean of the College, to begin serving after the retirement of Dean Brian Schnarr on June 30, 1996. Applicants are invited to send letters and curricula vitae, together with a statement about their understanding-of the mission of the Academy College, to the Office of the President, Box 711, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009 USA. In addition, anyone who may have an interest in this position or questions about it is encouraged to contact President Dan Goodenough.
     Applications and supporting material are requested by September 30. The Academy will not discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, color, gender, or national or ethnic origin.
CHOSEN PASSAGE 1995

CHOSEN PASSAGE       Mary Elizabeth Booth       1995

     I was thumbing through A Book of Angels by Sophy Burnham and found "Swedenborg" for the first time. There are five selections from his works in the book. That was October 29, 1993.
     Since then I found a church, pastor, and bookroom in La Crescenta. I have had private instruction of inestimable value from Rev. John Odhner.
     This quotation was printed on p. 98 of A Book of Angels.

     Those who are in a state of innocence attribute nothing of good to themselves, but consider themselves receivers, and ascribe all things to the Lord; that they wish to be led by Him and not by themselves; that they love everything which is good, and are delighted with everything which is true because this . . . is to love the Lord.     Emanuel Swedenborg, Memorabilia

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     From the same book, p. 187:

     Because He is Love in its essence, that is, Divine Love, [God] appears before the angels in heaven as a sun, and from that sun heat and light go, forth; the heat . . . being in its essence love, and the light . . . wisdom; and so far as the angels are recipients of that spiritual heat and light they are loves and wisdoms; not loves and wisdoms from themselves, but from the Lord. Emanuel Swedenborg, Love and Wisdom

     I purchased a set of Arcana Coelestia and 20 other books by Swedenborg. I live 35 miles from La Crescenta, so I receive, from John Odhner, computer printouts on words I am led to by the Lord.
     John puts in his computer the word(s) I ask for, and selects numbered writings for me and mails the pages to me. I read and let the Spirit quicken me. Mary Elizabeth Booth, Santa Monica, CA

     [Photo of Mary Elizabeth Booth]

     Note: The above two passages as quoted from A Book of Angels are n. 278 of Heaven and Hell and n. 5 of Divine Love and Wisdom.

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Gold from Aspirin 1995

Gold from Aspirin       Helen Kennedy       1995



     REVIEW

Gold from Aspirin, edited by Carol S. Lawson, Swedenborg Foundation, West Chester, PA, 180 pp.

     In spite of the uninspiring title, Gold from Aspirin is quite an interesting collection of essays, poems and artwork. It has evolved from the magazine Chrysalis, and is designed to place "a larger number of essays in conversation with one another." Concerning the choice of title, publisher David B. Eller explains, "This book is about chaos, order, and the process of reclaiming order out of chaos. This re-ordering is a difficult task; it may indeed require much aspirin" (or perhaps something stronger).
     Alice Skinner leads with "And, Once Again, Order." The essence of the essay is poems and artwork, delicately chosen; I found myself slowing down and paying close attention to them. Within it is the poem "Without the Violence," which threw my mind into chaos by asking, "Is turbulence an inevitable fact of life?" The answer is contained within the poem. The essay "Dark Eye on the Atlantic" details a businessman's nervous approach to a Maine snowstorm, throwing him into one of the "very few moments when I am free from the order I impose on myself for work."
     "High Price of Order" by Wickham Skinner was quite fascinating, as the sensual mind and its chaos is surprisingly illuminated by the mad rush and confusion of a factory being run, and the description of how "complexity grew." This essay chronicles the development of more centralized control and authority, American manufacturers' imitation of Japan, and finally their learning that "too much order and top-down control sentences the factory to mediocre performance." American companies, always risk-takers, are now "risking some chaos in order to unleash the latent power of employees at every level." This brings to mind Erich Fromm's observation that the psychic task of man is not to gain greater security but to learn to live with insecurity.

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     Except for the stirring essay about the factory, the other essays in the beginning of Gold from Aspirin are of the same order as Chrysalis' quiet, thoughtful, world-view approach that allows meaning to creep into the reader's mind. But hard work overtook me with Greg Baker's "Motion: A Spectrum of Order" and Walter Christie's "The Nature of God." (At times I love to work hard.) "Motion" walks the reader through the "apparent order in different types of motion," showing that in physics, chaotic systems of motion "display a richness of behavior not found in regular motion." The essay was hard for me because the text is too complex for my non-scientific mind, but it won't be for science lovers. I am grateful, though, for the basic things I did learn from it.
     From reading the blurbs about the authors' lives in Gold from Aspirin, one thing I learned is that there are a lot of nature-lovers living in Maine who also like to write for Chrysalis.
     "When I'm younger, I want to open up a lot of things. I want to try many, many options, but when I get older I want to reduce my options a little bit so I can complete some," Zalman Schachter tells us in "Spiritual Eldering." Then he goes on to tell of his work helping people into the more contemplative states that come with growing older. "Everything in Its Place" by Barbara Casey is a little girl's imagination of her grandparents' farm. The poem "Offerings of Chaos" I understood better with the second and third readings, and I never want to forget the term "a fertile disorder."
     George Dole's "Is Good Citizenship Dual Citizenship?" leads one to be open to the possibility of being a good citizen of heaven simultaneously with being a good citizen on earth. It is written in George Dole's usual good way of provoking thought. "The Water's Edge," a work of fiction, is a sensitive piece. "Return to the Summer House" is a grandmother's poem, and its loving imagery deserves to be re-read.

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"How fresh the sheets of night air that surround a child of eight" is an example.
     For me it was worth struggling through the first parts of Michael Phillips' essay "The Problem with Evil" to reach some of the insights of "Process Theory." I was helped to see God's exercise of power in terms analogous to how a brain works with the body, and that cells of the body are allowed a freedom to work differently than the brain wants them to. Also important was learning that "order is the limit imposed upon chaos. It is not the alternative to or the absence of chaos." The conclusion of the essay centers on the knowledge that God is perfectly related to all of us, so much so that He experiences torment when we do evil against others. I had to quietly consider this, and finished the essay with a recognition of the immediacy of the Lord's presence with everyone.
     The intriguing artwork of the book takes time to admire, especially "Three Worlds," a lithograph on Page 158. I won't describe what just needs to be looked at. Also curious is the untitled painting on p. 144 depicting the Navaho legend of the creation of the Milky Way. "To Live the Faith" is a wonderful essay of four women, each of a different faith. The first to be spoken of was a lawyer working in the bottom rung of a law office when she married a man of the Islamic faith. This essay touches upon the very topical disenchantment many women have in pursuing careers. In the poem "Molten Transformations" we follow the author's path from the church of her childhood through the necessary risking of doubt, and then her arrival at matured images of the Divine, altered from her childhood ways of seeing God.
     I read essays toward the end of the book before realizing they were working toward bringing the reader back into order. In "Cosmic Order" Wilson Van Dusen tells of Swedenborg's answer to a demon who challenges Swedenborg with "Tell me briefly what order is" (TCR 71). Swedenborg responds with seven statements. In points 4 to 7 Van Deusen sees Swedenborg stating an essential paradox, that we are to do things but "if we reflect on all our efforts, we come to see that we are simply a part of order, and that order is assisting us . . . .

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[W]e are assisted by the order we did not create and barely understand."
     "Meaning out of Chaos" teaches that "we are complex and unpredictable beings, which are qualities parallel to those that are studied in chaos theory." John L. Hitchcock then draws on his knowledge of that subject to gain insights into creativity. His words best speak for themselves as he explains that "systems get loaded with unused energy, such as the buildup of dead wood on the floor of a forest, which then can be touched off with a tiny spark."
     Would that there were more space to go into all of the essays and poems in the book! Only a few of them draw directly on Swedenborg's theology, but throughout the pages there is constant explanation of it without saying so. Gold from Aspirin brings together many varied ways of thinking, believing and feeling, so much so that it stretches the reader, demanding of her or him an appreciation of others' intellectual and emotional struggles, and the hard work they do with the life God gave them. Strong in my mind is George Dole on page 60 of Sorting Things Out, where he encourages readers to "find out how the Lord is offering salvation through other religions, and see whether there is anything we can do to help." Drawing on one theme, order and chaos, and continually referring back to it in essay, poetry and art drew emotional meaning from deep in my mind. I did not relate to or agree with all of the essays and poems in Gold from Aspirin, and I don't find that to be a prerequisite for reading the book. Rather, the feeling I am left with is similar to that when I read of the Ancient Church, that there were many different ways of believing, but all people were united under the spirit of charity. This new offering from the Swedenborg Foundation goes a long way toward having me clearly understand the rich diversity the Lord creates in the mind of every human on the face of this earth.
     Helen Kennedy

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Editorial Pages 1995

Editorial Pages       Editor       1995

     DIFFERENT BODIES OF THE NEW CHURCH

     Is it an advantage or disadvantage to have different organizations of the New Church? Let us compare this to the Bible societies of the world. Elsewhere in this issue we note that there are now complete Bibles in 341 languages, and that the work of increasing this number continues. There happen to be in the world dozens of Bible societies. But they are able to communicate with each other and to co-operate on pooling information and also in undertaking joint enterprises.
     It was at a General Assembly in 1910 that this question was addressed by the Bishop of the General Church. His topic was "Unity in the New Church." Here follow some of his remarks.
     "As in all churches, there will be variety of opinion in the New Church, variety in understanding and in application to life of the truth of the Word, but still there will be unity and harmony if there be charity, that is, if charity be present as a spiritual principle of life and not merely a natural thing such as the concept of charity often held in the world. Now, if there are differences of opinion in respect to the truth of the church and at the same time charity, there will be present a spirit of toleration . . . .
     "A great use to be accomplished by variety in organization is to be found in the freedom of choice it gives to the individual. For men do not think alike as to the application of doctrine to use, which suggests at once the need and importance of free choice. This can hardly be provided for with any effectiveness in or by one organization alone, but it may be provided for by several, each organized under a particular view of doctrine and use.
     "It is unreasonable to expect that all the variety of view and opinions that exist and will continue to exist in the New Church can have full and free operation in a single body."
     In concluding, Bishop W. F. Pendleton spoke of the eventual formation of a general body in which several organizations could participate.

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"In such a body we could contribute our portion to the peace and good will of the church, and make common cause with other bodies in the evangel to the Christian world of the Second Coming of the Lord. May the Lord in His good Providence lead to this desirable event."

     A WONDERFUL FUNCTION OF A CHURCH (4)

     Last month we quoted from De Verbo 29 which gives a fascinating geographical picture. It specifically mentions nations on the earth where the Word is taught and preached. It also lists nations which have the Word but do not read it. The reference is to nations that are predominantly Roman Catholic. Relative to this there is the remarkable statement in Invitation to the New Church that because the Roman Catholics do not read the Word, the Lord raised up Sweden, Denmark, Holland and England.
     That passage (Inv. 24) even mentions an individual (Gustavus Adolphus) raised up by the Lord for the sake of the restoration of the reading of the Word. One thinks of the individuals in more recent years in the Roman Catholic Church who contributed to the emergence of increased attention to the Bible.
     As we look at events in history, then, we sense the hand of the Lord in promoting the reading of the Word, because the reading of the Word effects conjunction with heaven. (See the chapter in Heaven and Hell on conjunction of heaven by means of the Word.)

     Somewhere on Earth

     "There can be no conjunction with heaven unless somewhere on earth there is a church where the Word is, and where by it the Lord is known." This passage (SS 104, TCR 267) goes on to say: "It is sufficient that there be a church where the Word is, even if it consists of comparatively few, for even in that case the Lord is present by its means in the whole world, for by its means heaven is conjoined with the human race."

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The concept is truly a wonderful one.
     Does it matter whether the "few" are located in one place or spread around the world? We will discuss that question later.

     BIBLES IN MANY LANGUAGES

     There are sayings in Divine Providence relating to the practical work of getting the Scriptures out to remote parts of the world. No. 254 speaks of the limitations of missionaries in providing that the Gospel shall reach remote parts of the earth. No. 257:5 speaks of the good accomplished by very zealous missionaries, even when the motives were not the best. No. 256 speaks of the benefit of having people spread around the world who read the Word reverently, and that this is a by-product (so to speak) of the propensity of Europeans to extend their commerce globally.
     There are in the world a number of organizations devoted to the spread of the Bible. If there were only a few languages on the earth, this task would be much simpler! Translation work has to be done, and then printing work, and then distribution.
     The Bible societies do not rest on their laurels, but they do speak of milestones of accomplishment. Looking at the facts and figures tends to expand the mind. One marvels at the work that has been done, and one marvels at the diversity of languages upon this earth.
     In how many languages does the entire Bible now exist? The current answer is 341. There are far more languages that have only the New Testament-822 of them. And there are other languages which may have only portions of the Bible. Those languages that have at least one book of the Bible number 929. (Add the figures and consider that there are more than two thousand languages in which something of the Bible can now be read.)

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     A collector's item years ago was a volume in which a single verse of the Bible was rendered in a thousand tongues. Some of the languages are fascinating just to look at. (In this respect the November issue of New Church Life last year became something of a collector's item by putting a sentence from the Doctrine of Life into fifty languages.)
     During 1994 the complete Bible was published in the Basque language in Spain, and there were complete new Bibles done in Ecuador, Gabon and Micronesia. New Testaments appeared for the first time in some of the languages in India, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Solomon Islands, and so on! The Gospel of Luke was published last year in the Gullah language, which is still spoken by thousands in the southeastern coastal region of the United States. More power to the Bible societies!

     RIVALRY BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN (5)

     What about Equality?

     In the May issue we quoted a saying of an extreme male chauvinist in the spiritual world. He liked the idea of having more than one wife and keeping them in their place. He did not like the idea of "equality," with the annoyance that would go along with it (CL 78).
     Do angels regard each other as "equals"? According to AC 7773 they do. And yet that passage goes on to say that one angel, as it were, looks up to another. In heaven, since another angel has a quality you don't have, you set that angel before yourself. In an ideal world, therefore, we might say that men and women are equals, but that they should look up to each other (put each other on a pedestal?).
     Well, we are not angels, and we experience a range of emotions on this matter, some of which are not heavenly. One of the feelings is represented in the words of a song: "Anything you can do, I can do better." There can be good old friendly competition: the girls against the boys.

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     Recently, in order to make it possible for women to join a particular fire company, the physical strength requirements were lowered. May one, therefore, make the generalization that men have a "stronger physique" (as Bruce Rogers translates CL 33)? There are people who are not willing to concede that. And they have valid arguments. The female body can withstand cold temperatures better. Women seem to be able to endure pain better than men. The female body tends to last longer in this world. But are men stronger in some respects? Those not ready to concede this can rightly point to some excellent physical specimens, such as women marathon runners who can beat most of the men on the block. And then there is the thought that with the right physical regimen in the future, women can get more massive and muscular, and approach the goal of equality!
     If by "equality" we start to think of "identity," then there is no masculine or feminine. It is the part of wisdom to look for purpose in the created differences between the sexes. It is remarkable that near the very temple of wisdom, Swedenborg encountered angels who excelled in wisdom. And what was the subject of discussion, then, among angel husbands? It was about the causes of things, specifically the cause of the beauty of the female sex (see CL 56).
     What a conversation that was! Swedenborg wrote down some of the things we can understand. One speaker said that the universe was created by the Lord a most perfect work, but that nothing more perfect was created in it than woman. Another ascribed to women "the life in wisdom." Could Swedenborg grasp what that meant? Apparently it was to help him that an angel wife said to her husband, "Speak, if you wish." And when he spoke, Swedenborg could hear in his voice that life of wisdom that came from his wife. This served as a confirmation of what had been expressed before.
     Swedenborg returned from that enlightening conversation filled with joy. As we ponder and discuss this subject, may we get a glimpse of some of that light and a taste of that joy.

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NEW LITURGY 1995

NEW LITURGY       Vera Kitzelman       1995




     Communications
Dear Editor:
     The article by the Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss in the July 1995 issue of New Church Life helped explain some of the reasoning behind the perceived necessity for a new liturgy.
     Change can be positive; however, there are some of us who worry that certain changes in our worship service will lessen the affectional impact on the sphere of worship. I personally have an additional concern that some of the songs sung in the informal service, which are borrowed from other religions, have words opposed to New Church doctrine, and have the potential of implanting false ideas in the minds of our children.
     In regard to using modern pronouns versus the more poetic language of the old King James version of the Word, an article written by Rev. W Cairns Henderson some years ago gives a convincing argument for why we should not necessarily employ the more modern language in our forms of worship. As stated by Mr. Henderson: " . . . we believe also that there is great value in using the King James Version in public and family worship; for there is power in reading the Word in language that is now associated only with [the Bible] in the minds of most English-speaking people" ("The Bible in Modern English," Selected Editorials, 1977, p. 16).
     Although Bishop Buss points out the confusion of verb forms precipitated by the pronouns "Thee" and "Thou," many of us as children had an affection for these more archaic pronouns, and they were not mistaken for any other pronouns. The old King James rendition has a poetry and rhythm that evokes an affectional response. Poets often use this form in their songs of love and beauty. There is a softness and warmth to the biblical phraseology of the old King James version which makes the Word special and invites reverence in reading.

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     Let us hope this new liturgy will, in the Lord's Providence, lead all to the love of worship despite the discomfort it causes for some of us.
     Vera Kitzelman,
          Glenview, Illinois
DUALIST SCIENCE OR DUAL ENLIGHTENMENT?1 1995

DUALIST SCIENCE OR DUAL ENLIGHTENMENT?1       Allen Bedford       1995

Dear Editor:
     Dr. Leon James writes, "When prophecy fails science by contradicting it, it is science that needs to be forced into realignment with prophecy."2 What is the danger associated with this paradigm? The revelation given us in the Second Coming emphasizes corrections to human misuse and misinterpretations of previous revelations. Perhaps revelation serves our salvation by correcting our flawed ideas as much as giving new information. Do we admit we are making mistakes right now? or do we imagine we have it all straight already? When our theological errors distract from salvation, how does the Lord correct them?
     God might use fields other than religion to teach us. Information from the sciences might not agree with our current understanding of doctrine. Perhaps this gives a clue that a particular consensus in theological thinking is incorrect. Perhaps we may not resolve the conflict, or, possibly, renewed study may show the doctrines provide more than one way of viewing it. I believe any field of human experience serves as external parameters for religious understanding and motivation. Goya's paintings of war, for example, may help us correct misplaced religious motivations for fighting.
     I do not believe God speaks only through our own church membership. The rest of the world hears Him too, and what they hear is important to us. We must hold true to a belief in God, and in the truth of God's revelations. The evidence we are doing this is probably a charitable outlook on our neighbors, and a love for the good and truth in their contributions. Perhaps we can continue improving this skill.

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     One way to improve our listening skills may be to increase our awareness of the methods and assumptions used in the general community, and in our own. Do we assume science leads to belief in Divine revelation? or that belief in Divine revelation leads to science?3 These two assumptions probably contradict each other, and both may be false. When James advocates scientific inquiry into the virgin birth or the glorification of Jesus Christ,4 he sounds as if he believes the first assumption. But when he says that errant science must be forcibly realigned with prophecy5 it sounds as if he believes the second. A difficulty I have in reading James is that he does not differentiate these basic issues. Can we decide which of these assumptions is more valid?
     In explaining Genesis 2:17, "But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat of it, for on the day that you eat of it you will surely die," the Arcana Caelestia makes a strong case against the first assumption (AC 126-130). In portions of AC 126-129 we read:

     It is allowable, by means of every perception obtained from the Lord, for anyone to discover what truth and good are, but it is not allowable to do so from self and the world, that is, to probe into mysteries of faith by means of sensory evidence and factual knowledge. If he does, the celestial in him dies. Men's desire to probe into mysteries of faith . . . [in this way] was the cause of the downfall of every church. For that desire leads . . . to falsities . . . [and] evils of life.

     The worldly and bodily-minded man says at heart, "Unless I am taught about faith and about things that belong to faith by . . . sensory evidence . . . I am not going to believe." And he confirms himself in this attitude from the consideration that natural phenomena cannot be at variance with spiritual. This arises out of a basic assumption he makes. But the person who wishes to be made wise not from the world but from the Lord says at heart that he must believe the Lord. This is the basic assumption of his thinking. He confirms himself by means of rational, factual, sensory, and natural evidence. And things that are not confirmatory he sets aside.

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Anybody can recognize that the basic assumptions a person makes . . . govern him, and that all knowledge and reasoning buttress those assumptions (emphasis added).

     From this it seems we can discard the first assumption, but what of the second-that belief in Divine revelation leads to science? At one level this must be true-without Divine revelation there would be no humans to do science or anything else! But does Divine revelation suggest experimental work? Maybe it does, but in the passages cited above, we read two statements (which I emphasized) that indicate separations between lab results and theology. I conclude that sometimes Divine revelation aids in scientific experimentation, but we will have some variance. We cannot rely on it to generate conclusive experiments. The above passages also suggest, however, that belief in Divine revelation is a tremendous aid in the interpretive phase of scientific work. One can argue that without this belief, interpretations of scientific experimentation could be horribly confusing and misleading, especially when involving assumptions concerning purposes or causes of creation.
     This leads us to another pair of contradicting questions: Does the secular community provide nothing but confusion? or can all people make contributions that include good and truth? I choose the latter. Neither Swedenborgians nor Swedenborgian scientists hold Divine copyright protection on dualism. All of us have a door in our minds available to the Lord, and a window open to the world. I think we are to use both the window and the door, and not pretend one is the other.
     The danger we face in forcing experience into alignment with prophecy is that this ignores natural contexts given by the Lord to help understand revelation. Disregarding these natural foundations is like seeking to exist in the air. As anyone can see, that is an unstable situation. Rather than soaring through the wonders of God's revelation and creation, we will be left standing on unappreciated ground, gazing dreamily at clouds drifting by.
     Allen Bedford,
          Bryn Athyn, PA

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     1 This communication is a continuation of a response to a recent articles, "Do the Writings Contain Scientific Revelation?" NCL 1995, April, May, June and July issues, written by Dr. Leon James, Professor of Psychology at the University of Hawaii.
     2 Leon James, "Do the Writings Contain Scientific Revelation?" Part 4, NCL, July 1995, p. 329
     3 The author thanks Dan Synnestvedt, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Academy of the New Church College, for pointing out this central question, and for directing me to the Arcana Caelestia passage cited herein.
     4 James, "Two Perspectives on Swedenborg's Writings: Secular and Religious," NCL, August 1994, pp. 360-361, and James, part 3, June 1995, p. 269
     5 James, part 4, July 1995, p. 329
PSYCHOLOGY AND THE WRITINGS 1995

PSYCHOLOGY AND THE WRITINGS       Wilson Van Dusen       1995

Dear Editor:
     Professor Leon James has recently done two articles in four installments, of which I've seen three in these pages. I would stay out of this matter since I shun controversy, but he brought me into the issue even after I pled that he allow me to be spiritual in my own way (Sept. 1994 issue, p. 409). I would still remain out except that his articles contain errors which I've seen others make in the General Church. So perhaps there is a wider use in making some points clear.
     Curiously, Professor James and I are both psychologists. I am a clinical psychologist but I don't know his specialty.
     Very basically, Leon James is making a plea for a merging of science and the Writings. He is searching for a new paradigm which will put the insights of the Writings on the same footing as modern science. I can understand this desire. Two great bodies of understanding: science and the Writings-surely there is a way of using them together.
     We can better understand his position if we see it in conventional philosophical terms. For "science" read "materialism"; for "the Writings" read "the spiritual."

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We are in the ancient controversy of the material versus the spiritual. James evinces total loyalty to the Writings. I am seen as secular for even daring to compare them to other religious writings (p. 349 of the August issue). In the controversy over which is supreme, clearly he answers "the spiritual" (in the form of the Writings only). Somehow the Writings must not only inform science but also be its superior. In the materialism-spirituality controversy he clearly comes down on the side of the spiritual.
     I would like to point out a fine article by Professor Robert Kirven entitled "Swedenborg's Contribution to the History of Ideas" (in A Continuing Vision published by the Swedenborg Foundation). In this he points out that the Writings offer a unique and creative solution to this controversy. Both sides are true. Both are real. They are different realms, both of which really exist. Among other ways they are linked by correspondences, the material being an image of the spiritual. This is the first error: the attempt to subsume the material under the spiritual. A tree is really a complex living system. It is also a representation of the spiritual, which can be seen as such if one thinks spiritually. Swedenborg was a scientist, though at the very beginning of science. It is surprising how relevant his solution is, even after two centuries of fantastic scientific development. The Writings say there is no conflict. Both are real, but they are different and related realities.
     There is a second and related error in this series. Psychologists vary radically in their understanding of science. In most of the hard physical sciences the scientific method and how it is used is crystal clear. But I have seen psychologists vary all the way from very hard and competent scientists to those who have no clue as to what science is about. It happens I had to prove myself as a scientist even before I was allowed to deal with what really interested me-the examination of people. My thesis was an extension of relativity theory, and Albert Einstein consulted with me on it. So what really is science?

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So often I've seen people view any careful work as scientific, or as James does, confuse it with theorizing (p. 355).
     At its heart, science is a group of methods for confirming what is possibly true. These methods differ somewhat among different sciences, but all are based on observation and measurement of physical things. These methods are all very logical and, to an increasing extent, even mathematical. For instance, there has been a major development in my own lifetime in statistics, permitting tests that were unknown before. I expect chaos theory (a new form of mathematics) to be another quantum leap in science.
     To make this crystal clear: science is a group of methods, which are themselves slowly evolving, for approaching truth in the material realm. Above all else the methods are designed to overcome human prejudice, opinions and fancies of all sorts. I still remember, as a young man, using science to prove I was wrong. Secondly, these findings are tested out in the scientific market place. Scientists, like everyone else, are slow to accept what is new and contrary to expectations. Plato tectonics was seen as ridiculous at first. It was only when hypotheses it generated were found to be true that it gradually gained acceptance. But it is also characteristic of science that nothing is ever totally certain. Newton's mechanics ruled until Einstein's relativity was found to cover various anomalies. At any time established understandings of science might be overturned. This contrasts sharply with theology, which finds certainty.
     The most critical thing I've said about science here is that it can use its methods only on observable and measurable phenomena. In effect, like it or not, it is limited to the physical world. If you want relative certainty in the material world, science is the way to go. This is not to say science can't be wrong and later revised, but it is a vast improvement over opinion. Science, by its very method, is limited to the material. The hypothesis that God exists is simply untestable and quite beyond the bounds of science.

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     The confusion in psychology as to whether it is a science or not runs deep. In my view and that of many psychologists, only part of present-day psychology is in the realm of science, i.e., physiological psychology, statistics and most rat studies. These follow the canons of the scientific method. Much of my own field of clinical psychology does not. In my field I see the greatest leaps forward in neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). Almost month by month I see major and humanly useful advances. Instead of resembling science, NLP resembles someone's figuring out gasoline-powered lawn mowers. He has a general idea how the machine works, and tinkers until he learns how to fix each problem. This part of psychology is really more of an art or a craft. Swedenborg's findings on demons were of practical use to me as a therapist trying to understand schizophrenia.
     So the parts of psychology that are really an art or craft might draw useful understandings from the Writings. But for the controversy of science (and materialism) versus the spiritual I still abide by the Writings. These are discretely different, though related, realms. I would not seek to undo this but simply to accept and respect the position of the Writings. I find myself in accord with pages 162-163 of Dr. James' article in the April New Church Life. Once we abandon the Pretense of being scientists, then we can move more rapidly in the direction of seeking what helps people. Once what helps becomes clear, then we can later theorize as to why it works, and maybe even figure out a scientific test.
     The mental and spiritual worlds are close to the same thing. The difference is mostly a matter of viewpoint. The mental view looks downward to the senses and comfort. The spiritual looks up to God. The difference is not so much in substance but in how it is regarded. I see every possibility in one's being both a helpful clinician and a follower of the Writings.
     Wilson Van Dusen,
          Ukiah, California

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Paradigm Shift 1995

Paradigm Shift       Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom       1995

Dear Editor:
     I wish to comment on the welcome subject raised by Beryl Simonetti in "Polarization, Paradigm Shift and the General Church" (June NCL). She refers to "traditional formal worship" as one pole, and the "informal worship applying more directly to their lives" as the other (p. 271). The question is: " . . . what patterns . . . are believed to be most conducive to leading a spiritual life?" (p. 272) Mrs. Simonetti refers to spiritual growth groups, 12-step programs, and marriage- enrichment activities as examples of the shift in paradigms.
     1.      "Sharing programs" and "paradigm shifts" are actually concepts of the New Age movement, which mentions Swedenborg, Mesmer, and eastern ideas among its early sources. If we use the format, we should know that the New Age agenda is to contact God's immanence in everything, a modern pantheism called "monism": All is one. Catharine L. Albanese says, "The Swedenborgian's Divine Human [promises that] if God was Man, a path might be open for humans to become Gods as they walk the earth" (Melton, Perspectives on the New Age, 1992, p. 71). Well, the Nephilim "giants" already tried that one (see SD 4933), so it is not a good paradigm. Discrete degrees are omitted, the external is mistaken for the internal. Churches "fall" when distinctions between infinite and finite, spiritual and natural, good and evil, even female and male, are removed. This monism gives a "flat earth" view of creation.
     2.      Talking about oneself runs the risk of confessing oneself guilty of all evils, which "is the lulling to sleep of all and at length blindness" (DP 278). Not that this happens just by sharing! But sharing can open a bottomless pit, blinding us to our top need even as we sense relief. (Jung, for example, warned westerners to keep in control.) We may blind ourselves to the very faults we confess! It is the Lord alone who overcomes, not our neighbor. And we are not expected to overcome all hell-the Lord already did!-just evil tendencies.

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Since these do not condemn and are easy to overcome (not so actual evils), this is the Lord's promised "easy yoke."
     3.      What is the best way to examine and confess our evils? The Lord said, "Shut the door, pray to the Father in secret" (Matthew 6:6). This means to examine "interior things, what [we] have thought, intended . . . and tried to do." These are things "that [are] not to appear" (AC 5694). Many people prefer to keep it that way. And doing this in private works because when alone, we think "aside from doctrine . . . from the spirit and not from the memory of the body"; but we do this "in another way [when] with others" (AE 114:4, 193a). This indicates that we discuss doctrine best "when with others," and confess our faults to the Lord best when we are "alone . . . aside from doctrine . . . from the spirit." We must in any case avoid thinking we are "saved" by all that confessing. That could "induce" a false security, which abolishes religion (see DP 340).
     4.      Many people clearly are helped by growth groups. I enjoy them. The way we are "when alone, in spirit, aside from doctrine" can then be compared with how we are "when with others," and try making "the latter . . . one with the former" (AE 114:4). Here is a "method" for regeneration: make these two one and you are regenerated! Thus, after sharing, we should know exactly what to confess to the Lord in private.
     5.      Sharing and 12-step programs rely on mystic connections with our "spirit." Eastern research yields fascinating insights into the coenesthesis (body-knowledge) at work from flower arranging to martial arts. Yet any "immediate revelation" from spirits is inferior to the "indirect" written Word (see De Verbo 29). Spirits may in fact confirm "falsities which can never be extirpated," while "mediate revelation . . . through the Word" is "from the Lord alone." Subjective mystic experiences leave the evil of the will untouched, while the written Word only "enlightens . . . so far as [the] will is in good" (ibid.).

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This does make charity the essential, but it begins by "putting away evils" (TCR 435). The Lord alone conquers our evils. (Back to #3 above.)
     6.      Mrs. Simonetti quotes well: for example AC 3451, that dissent does not prevent the church from being one. But if one "pole" emphasizes what "applies more directly to life," it seems to make charity an alternative to faith. Yet they need to be together. The Lord cursed the fig tree because it had only leaves but no fruit. Life's purpose is not faith but charity. Yet leaves precede fruit. Faith leads to charity, or actually charity leads faith to itself (see AC 3207:5). We need both. And it is when we are on our own that temptations occur, when we can overcome all we have talked about.
     It is most useful to go forward with our eyes open, and for all of us to turn to the Lord directly in the Writings, since He is Doctrine Itself (see AC 5321). If the General Church is "polarized," then she has "two wings"! Both are needed to keep her aloft.
     Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom,
          Huntingdon Valley, PA
WOMEN IN THE PRIESTHOOD 1995

WOMEN IN THE PRIESTHOOD       Karen J. Hyatt       1995

Dear Editor:
     I would like to add my two cents on the topic of women in the priesthood. In my understanding, it seems quite clear in the Writings that ministers should be men. As a woman, I do not have a problem with this. To me, this is the revealed Word of God, and therefore the truth. One of the most important reasons that men are the ones who need to be priests is that they have the unique ability to separate their understanding from their will in a way that women cannot. I think that the preacher needs to be able to preach the truth from a detached point of view. Women cannot detach their emotions from their thoughts to be able to present the truth apart from their own feelings.

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I can also see the importance of the masculine's representing the Lord as a minister does. I believe that the Lord does incorporate all masculinity and femininity in Himself, but that the ministry represents the masculine side of Him.
     I wonder at the motivation of the women (and men?) who are seeking ordination of women. I haven't spoken to any proponents of this personally, so I'm really only going on the letters in New Church Life. These women seem not to feel respected, and need validation that their opinions and work are really worth something. I understand this feeling; I have felt it. They need to find a solution, but I do not think that ordination is the answer. If they want power and authority, it may be right there for the taking. As mothers, I hope we are leading our children toward the Lord. I think a mother's influence over her children is much more powerful than any minister's will ever be. A wife can sway her husband for either good or bad. Women talking together help each other to see the Lord's plan for their lives and how to work with Him on it. I think that a wise woman has incredible power. (Perhaps the power that ministers have has been over-estimated.) At the heart of the problem, I think, is whether or not a woman is happy being a woman. Feminine power is not the same as masculine power; feminine uses work differently from masculine ones. Because of this, men and women receive recognition differently for what they do. Men's jobs seem to garner more public and tangible rewards! But that certainly does not mean that their uses are more valuable.
     I think that the Lord is both masculine and feminine, and that goad and truth cannot exist without each other. From the pulpit, though, I want to hear the truth preached. It is up to all of us to unite the good to the truth that we have heard. That is an area where women can excel-the application may be easier for the women to grasp and just do.
     Are there jobs in the church that women can do? I would think so, just so long as they don't preach.

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For example, I wouldn't have a problem with women doing "pastoral counseling." And many New Church teachers are already being paid by the church to lead children toward the Lord, among other things.
     How big an issue is this in the church? If we did a poll, what percentage would say they think women ought to be ministers? Is the feeling widespread, or are we just hearing from a vocal minority? I think it is important for all the women of the church to speak up. From those who do believe that women should be priests, I would want to see specific places in the Writings where it says it would be allowable. So far the arguments that I have read have been heavy on emotion and light on doctrine (which seems to me to be a very feminine approach).
     The more that I think about this issue, the more I feel that it is part of the greater issue of the "war of the sexes." Despite all the information that we have in Conjugial Love, and all that is written about the relationship of good and truth, and even the insight that is contained in many secular works, every once in a while I am amazed at how poorly so many of us are getting along! As a church I think that we need to redouble our efforts to learn about the differences between men and women, so that we can really appreciate each other's strengths. I loved Mrs. Alfelt's analogy: a song sung in harmony is so much richer than one sung in unison!
     Karen J. Hyatt,
          Mitchellville, Maryland
WOMEN IN THE PRIESTHOOD 1995

WOMEN IN THE PRIESTHOOD       Tiny Frances       1995

Dear Editor:
     I do not understand the discussions about women being priests in the church. As a matter of fact, it never occurred to me as a problem. And I never wanted to stand on the chancel. From my mind (and Swedenborg's Writings), women differ in mind from men. They react more to love, men to truth.

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Love and truth together form a person; together they can be or become an angel in the other world. Each of the two has a task in this fulfillment. As a woman you do not need a white robe to be a partner in a oneness (with your partner on earth or in the other world). I must always think about the funny but real dialogue about the difference in sexes. It is a joke!

     Woman: "Do you love me?"
     Man: "Of course I love you."
     Woman: "Why don't you ever say it?"
     Man: "But you know it, so why should I?"
     Perhaps I am old-fashioned; if so I apologize.
          Tiny Frances,
               Rijswijk, Holland
SWEDENBORG SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP 1995

SWEDENBORG SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP       Editor       1995




     Announcements





     Last year 32 new members were enrolled in the Swedenborg Society of London, bringing the total to 854.
     The membership of the Swedenborg Foundation in West Chester, Pennsylvania, is approximately 600.

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GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM PUBLIC WORSHIP AND DOCTRINAL CLASSES 1995

GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM PUBLIC WORSHIP AND DOCTRINAL CLASSES       Editor       1995

     (Please send any corrections to the editor.)

     UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

     Alabama:
     Birmingham               
Dr. R. Shepard, 4537 Dolly Ridge Road, Birmingham, AL 35243. Phone: (205) 967-3442.
     Huntsville
Mrs. Anthony L. Sills, 1000 Hood Ave., Scottsboro, AL 35768. Phone: (205) 574-1617.
     Arizona:
     Phoenix
Rt. Rev. Louis B. King, visiting pastor; Contact: Lawson and Carol Cronlund, 5717 E. Justine Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85254. Phone: (602) 953-0478.
     Tucson
Rev. Frank S. Rose, 9233 B. Helen, Tucson, AZ 85715. Phone: (602) 721-1091.
     Arkansas:
     Little Rock
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Holmes, 2695 Lane, Batesville, AR 72501. Phone: (501) 793-5135.
     California:
     Los Angeles               
Rev. John L. Odhner, 5022 Carolyn Way, La Crescenta, CA 91214. Phone: (818) 249-5031.          
Orange County
Rev. Cedric King, resident pastor, 21332 Forest Meadow, El Toro, CA 92630. Phone: home (714) 586-5142; office (714) (904) 228-2276.
     Sacramento               
Jared and Marlowe Odhner, 6800 Birchwood Circle, Citrus Heights, CA 95621. Phone: (96) 723-9344.
     San Diego               
Rev. Stephen D. Cole, 941 Ontario St., Escondido, CA 92025. Phone: home (619) 432-8495; office (619) 571-8599.
     San Francisco     
Mr. and Mrs. Philip C. "Red" Pendleton, 2261 Waverley Street, Palo Alto, CA 94901.
     Colorado:
     Boulder
Rev. David C. Roth, 4215 N. Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304. Phone: (303) 404-6121.
     Colorado Springs
Mr. and Mrs. William Rienstra, P.O. Box 95, Simla, CO 80835. Phone: (719) 541-2375.
     Denver
Mrs. Joseph Orrico (Cecy), 4741 W. 102nd Ave., Westminster, CO 80030. Phone: (303) 466-9347.
     Connecticut:
     Bridgeport, Hartland, Shelton
Mr. and Mrs. James Tucker, 45 Honey Bee Lane, Shelton, CT 06484. Phone: (203) 929-6455.
     Delaware:
     Wilmington
Mrs. Justin Hyatt, 2008 Eden Road, N. Graylyn, Wilmington DE 19810. Phone: (302) 475-3694.
     District of Columbia: see Mitchellville, Maryland.
     Florida:
     Boynton Beach
Rev. Derek Elphick, 10621 El Clair Ranch Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33437. Phone: (407) 736-9866.
     Jacksonville
Kristi Helow, 6338 Christopher Creek Road W., Jacksonville, FL 32217-2472.
     Lake Helen
Mr. and Mrs. Brent Morris, 264 Kicklighter Road, Lake Helen, FL 32744. Phone: (904) 228-2276.
     Pensacola
Mr. And Mrs. John Peacock, 5238 Soundside Drive, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561. Phone: (904) 934-3691.

426



     Georgia:
     Americus
Mr. W. H. Eubanks, Rt. #2, S. Lee Street, Americus, GA 31709. Phone: (912) 924-9221.
     Atlanta
Rev. C. Mark Perry, 2119 Seaman Circle, Chamblee, GA 30341. Phone: office (404) 458-9673.
     Idaho:
     Fruitland (Idaho-Oregon border)
Mr. Harold Rand, 1705 Whitley Drive, Fruitland, ID 83619. Phone: (208) 452-3181.
     Illinois:
     Chicago
Rev. Kurt Hy. Asplundh, 1334 W. Newport Ave., #2, Chicago, IL 60657. Phone: home (312) 472-0282; office (312) 525-7127.
     Decatur
Mr. John Aymer, 127 Cambridge, Decatur, IL 62562. Phone: (217) 875-3215.
     Glenview
Rev. Eric Carswell, 73 Park Drive, Glenview, IL 60025. Phone: (708) 724-0120.
     Indiana: see Ohio: Cincinnati.
     Kentucky: see Ohio: Cincinnati.
     Louisiana:
     Baton Rouge
Mr. Henry Bruser, Jr., 6050 Esplanade Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70806. Phone: (504) 924-3098.
     Bath
Rev. Allison L Nicholson, HC 33 - Box 61N, Arrowsic, MH 04530. Phone: (207) 443-6410.
     Maryland:
     Baltimore
Rev. Willard L. D. Heinrichs, visiting minister, Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Phone: home (215) 947-5334; office (215) 938-2582.
     Mitchellville
Rev. James P. Cooper, 11910 Chantilly Lane, Mitchellville, MD 20721. Phone: home (301) 805-9460; office (301) 464-5602.
     Massachusetts:
     Boston
Rev. Geoffrey Howard, 17 Cakebread Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776. Phone: (508) 443-6531.
     Michigan
     Detroit
Rev. Grant Odhner, 395 Olivewood Ct., Rochester, MI 48306. Phone: (313) 652-7332.
     East Lansing
Lyle and Brenda Birchman, 14777 Cutler Rd., Portland, MI 48875.
     Minnesota:
     St. Paul
Karen Huseby, 4247 Centerville Rd., Vadnais Heights, MN 55127. Phone: (612) 429-5285.
     Missouri:
     Columbia
Mr. And Mrs. Paul Johnson, 1508 Glencairn Court, Columbia, MO 65203. Phone: (314) 442-3475.
     Kansas City
Mr. Glen Klippenstein, Glenkirk Farms, Rt. 2, Maysville, MO 64469. Phone: (816) 449-2167.
     New Jersey-New York:
     Ridgewood, NJ
Jay and Barbara Barry, 348 Marshall St., Ridgewood, NJ 07450. Phone: (201) 612-8146.
     New Mexico:
     Albuquerque
Mrs. Carolyn Harwell, 1375 Sara Rd., Rio Rancho, NM 87124. Phone: 505-896-0293.
     North Carolina:
     Charlotte
Rev. Fred Chapin, 6625 Rolling Ridge Dr., Charlotte, NC 28211.
     Ohio:
     Cincinnati
Rev. Patrick Rose, 785 Ashcroft Court, Cincinnati, OH 45240. Phone: (513) 825-7473.
     Cleveland
Mr. Alan Childs, 19680 Beachcliff Blvd., Rocky River, OH 44116. Phone: (216) 333-4413.

427



     Oklahoma:
     Oklahoma City
Mr. Robert Campbell, 13929 Sterlington, Edmond, OK 73013: Phone: (404) 478-4729.
     Oregon:
     Portland
Mr. and Mrs. Jim P. Andrews, Box 99, 1010 NB 3601, Corbett, OR 97019. Phone: (503) 695-2534.
     Oregon-Idaho Border: see Idaho, Fruitland.
     Pennsylvania:
     Bryn Athyn
Rev. Kurt Asplundh, Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Phone: (215) 947-6225.
     Elizabethtown
Mr. Meade Bierly, 523 Snyder Ave., Elizabethtown, PA 17022. Phone: (77) 367-3964.
     Erie
Mrs. Paul Murray, 5648 Zuck Road, Erie, PA 16506. Phone: (814) 833-0962.
     Freeport
Rev. J. Clark Echols, 100 Iron Bridge Road, Sarver, PA 16055. Phone: office (412) 353-2220.
     Hawley
Mr. Grant Genzlinger, 304 Maple Ave., Hawley, PA 18428. Phone: (717) 226-2993.
     Ivyland
The Ivyland New Church, 851 W. Bristol Road, Ivyland 18974. Pastor: Rev. Robert Junge. Phone: (215) 957-5965. Secretary: Mrs. K. Cronlund. (215) 598-3919.
     Kempton
Rev. Ragnar Boyesen, RD 2, Box 225-A, Kempton, PA 19529. Phone: home (215) 756-4462: office (215) 756-6140.
     Pittsburgh
Rev. Nathan D. Gladish, 299 Le Roi Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15208. Phone: church (412) 731-7421.
     South Carolina: see North Carolina.
     South Dakota:
     Hot Springs
Linda Klippenstein, 604 S.W. River St. #A8, Hot Springs, SD 57747. Phone: (605) 745-6629.
     Texas:
     Mexia
Kaia Synnestvedet Holder, 1011 Clark, Mexia, TX 76667.
     Virginia:
     East Thetford
Bobbie and Charlie Hitchcock, RR 1, Box 218, E. Thetford, VT 05043.
     Richmond
Mr. Donald Johnson, 13161 Happy Hill Road, Chester, VA 23831. Phone: (804) 748-5757.
     Washington:
     Seattle
Rev. Erik J. Buss, 5409 154th Ave., Redmond, WA 98052. Phone: (206) 883-4327; office (206) 882-8500.
     Wisconsin:
     Madison
Mrs. Max Howell, 3912 Plymouth Circle, Madison, WI 53705. Phone: (608) 233-0209.

     OTHER THAN U.S.A.

     AUSTRALIA
     Sydney, N.S.W.
Rev. Arthur W. Schnarr, 26 Dudley Street, Penshurst, N.S.W. 2222. Phone: 57-1589.
     Tamworth
See Rev. Arthur Schnarr under Sydney.
     BRAZIL
     Rio de Janeiro
Rev. Cristovao Rabelo Nobre, Rua General Alfredo Assuncao, 187, Cosmos, Rio de Janeiro R.J. 23058-540. Phone: 21-974-5746.
     CANADA
     Alberta
     Calgary
Mr. Thomas R. Fountain, 1115 Southglen Drive S.W., Calgary 13, Alberta T2W 0X2. Phone: 403-255-7283.
     Debolt
KenandLavina Scott, RR1, Crooked Creek, Alberta T0H 0Y0. Phone: 403-057-3625.

428



     Edmonton
Mrs. Wayne Anderson, 6703-9811 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T6E 3L9. Phone: 403-432-1499.
     British Columbia
     Dawson Creek
Rev. Glenn G. Alden, Dawson Creek Church, 9013 8th St., Dawson Creek, B.C., Canada V1G 3N3. Phone: home (604) 786-5297; office (604) 782-8035.
     Ontario
     Kitchener
Rev. Michael K. Cowley, 58 Chapel Hill Drive, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2G 3W5. Phone: office (519) 748-5802.
     Ottawa
Mr. and Mrs. Donald McMaster, 684 Fraser Ave., Ottawa, Ontario K2A 2R8. Phone: (613) 725-0394.
     Toronto
Rev. Michael Gladish, 279 Burnhamthorpe Rd., Islington, Ontario M9B 124. Phone: church (416) 239-3055.
     Quebec
     Montreal
Mr. Denis de Chazal, 17 Ballantyne Ave. So., Montreal West, Quebec H4X 2B1, phone: (514) 489-9861.
     DENMARK
     Copenhagen
Mr. Jorgen Hauptmann, Strandvejen 22, 4040 Jyllinge. Phone: 46 78 9968.

     ENGLAND
     Colchester
Rev. Christopher Bown, 2 Christ Church Court, Colchester, Essex C03 3AU. Phone: 011-44-206-575644.
     Letchworth
Mr. and Mrs. R. Evans, 24 Berkeley, Letchworth, Herts. SG6 WA. Phone: (0462) 684751.
     London
Rev. Frederick Elphick, 2111 Hayne Rd., Beckenham, Kent BR3 4JA. Phone: 011-44-1-658-6320.
     Manchester
Mrs. Neil Rowcliffe, Woodside, 44 Camberley Drive, Bamford, Rochdale, Lancs. OL11 4AZ.
     Surrey
Mr. Nathan Morley, 27 Victoria Road, Southern View, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4DJ.
     GHANA, WEST AFRICA
     Accra
Rev. William Ankra-Badu, Box 11305, Accra North.
     Asakraka, Nteso, Oframase
Rev. Martin K. Gyamfi, Box 10, Asakraka-Kwahu E/R.
     Medina, Tema
Rev. Simpson K. Darkwah, House No. AA3, Community 4, c/o Box 1483, Tema.
     HOLLAND
     The Hague
Mr. Ed Verschoor, V. Furstenburchstr, 6 3862 AW Nijkerk.
     JAPAN
For information about various church activities in Japan contact Mr. Tatsuya Nagashima, 30-2, Saijoh-Nishiotake, Yoshino-cho, Itano-gun, Tokoshima-ken, 771-14.
     KOREA
     Seoul
Rev. Dzin P. Kwak, Seoul Church of New Jerusalem, Ajoo B/D 2f, 1019-15 Daechi-dong, Kangnam-ku, Seoul, Korea 135-281. Phone: home 02-309-7305; church 02-555-1366.
     NEW ZEALAND
     Auckland
Mrs. H. Keal, 4 Derwent Cresc., Titirangi, Auckland 7, New Zealand.
     SOUTH AFRICA
     Cape Province
     Cape Town
Mrs. Sheila Brathwaite, 208B Silvermine Village, Private Bag #1, Noordhoek, 7985 R.S.A. Phone: 021-891424.

429



     Natal
     Clermont and Enkumba
Rev. Ishborn Buthelezi, P. O. Box 150, Clernaville, Natal, 3602. Phone: 011-27-31-707-1526.
     Durban (Westville)
Rev. Lawson M. Smith, 8 Winslow Road, Westville 3630, Natal, Republic of South Africa. Phone: 011-27-31-2628113.
     Rev. Geoffrey S. Childs, 7 Sydney Drive, Westville, Natal, 3630. Phone: 27-31-262-8113.
     Empangeni and Impaphala
Rev. Chester Mcanyana, P. O. Box 770, Eshowe, Natal, 3815, Meerensee, Natal, 3901. Phone: 0351-32317.
     Eshowe/Richards Bay/Empangeni
Mrs. Marten Hiemstra, P. O. Box 10745, Meerensee, Natal, 3901. Phone: 0351-32317.
     Hambrook, Kwa Mashu and Umlazi
Rev. B. Alfred Mbatha, P. O. Box 27011, Kwa Mashu, Natal, 4360. Phone: 27-31-503-2356.
     Westville (see Durban)
     Alexandra Township
Rev. Albert Thabede, 140 Phase One, P. O. Bramley, Alexandra Twp., Transvaal, 2090. Phone: 011-27-11-443-3852.
     Balfour
Rev. Reuben Tshabalala, 1428 Zondi, P. O. Kwaxuma 1868, Soweto, Transvaal, 9140. Phone: 011-27-11-932-3528.
     Buccleuch
Rev. Andrew Dibb, P.O. Box 816, Kelvin 2054, Republic of South Africa, Phone: (011l) 804-2567.
     Diepkloof
Rev. Jacob M. Maseko, 8482, Zone 5, Pineville, Transvaal, 1808. Phone: 011-27-11-938-8314.
     SWEDEN
     Jonkoping
Contact Rev. Bjrn A.H. Boyesen, Bruksater, Satersfors 10, S-56691, Habo, Sweden. Phone: 0392-20395.

     Stockholm
Rev. Goran R. Appelgren, Aladdinsvagen 27, 161 38 Bromma, Sweden. Phone/Fax: 011 468 26 79 85.

     Note: Please send any corrections to the editor.
ASTONISHING BOOK FOR MORMONS 1995

ASTONISHING BOOK FOR MORMONS       Editor       1995

     Of the numerous books about near-death experiences, one stands out for two reasons. The first is that it uses more direct quotations from Heaven and Hell than any such book we have seen. The second is that its intended readership is members of the Latter-day Saints.
     It is written by Dr. Brent Top together with his wife Wendy. They have done a splendid job and have an excellent grasp of the teachings about heaven, which they share with other devout Mormons.
     A quote from page 280 exemplifies the spirit in which this book was written. "Sometimes, like many people who are members of a church which claims to be 'the only true church,' we may fall into the trap of thinking we have a corner on all truth and righteousness.

430


We may suppose that we are above learning spiritual truths from those outside the Church, since they couldn't possibly be more inspired than we are or have access to any truth that we don't. However, as pointed out above by the Prophet Joseph Smith, we are to be open to truth wherever it may be found."
     The publisher is Bookcraft, Inc., Salt Lake City; ISBN 0-88494-895-1.
UNKNOWN ADDRESSES 1995

UNKNOWN ADDRESSES       Editor       1995

     Anyone who can supply information as to the whereabouts of the people listed below is asked to communicate with the Office of the Secretary, General Church of the New Jerusalem, P. O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Last known addresses, from 1990 and 1991, are shown.

Duan Anderson
Durban, Natal
Rep of South Africa

Ingrid Andreasson
Box 450, Rt 1
Sawyer MI 49125

James Banfill
Lani Banfill
Marion (Burg) Banfill
Randy Banfill
Susan (Horton) Banfill
Detroit MI

Margaret Blythe
Tylers Wood House
Hazlemere, High Wycombe
Bucks England HB13 7HA

Ronald Brockman
202 S Wabash Ave
Glendora CA 91740-3430

Helen (Hilldale) Cadden
4015 Cottonwood Dr
Cocoa Beach FL 32926-2330

Stephane Diconne
Stremy France

Anna (Blose) Dlamini
Mandlakayise Dlamini
3051 - 37th Avenue
Clermont Township
P O Clernaville
3602 - Rep of S Africa

Selina (Biyela) Dumakude
A310 Ngwelezane Township
Empangeni
3880 - Rep of S Africa

Alysha Eck
Jason Eck
Dayton OH

431




Samuel Esak

William Esak
c/o 917 - 94th Ave.
Dawson Creek BC
Canada V1G 1G3

Robert Ford
49 Brook Ave
N Plainfield NJ 07060

Marie-Louise (Weise) Frojd
Banergatan 29
S-11529 Stockholm
Sweden

Mary Gilbert
2919 George Washington Blvd., Apt. #1
Wichita KS 67210

Christopher Groves
Hurstville NSW
Australia

Tom Hale
235 Manchester Drive, #180
Euless TX 76039

Olive (Tilson) Harrison
2 Aspin Avenue Crag Top
Knaresboroough Yorks
England HG5 8EJ

John Hedegaard
Tomsgardsvej 32tr
DK-2400 Kopenhamn
Denmark

Dorothy (Kennedy) Herrick
Edwin Herrick
27479 Tiera-Del-Sol Lane
Bonita Springs FL 33923

Christopher Hirsch
51 Brook Rd Apt #2
Milton MA 02186

Eirene (Gardiner) Hunt
67 Victoria Ave
Vereeniging TVL
1930 - Rep of S Africa

Shirley (Mark) Jensen
Star Rt 3 - Box 4400-173
Tehachapi CA 93561

Jessie (Dormer) Johnson
2800 Lake Blvd
N St Paul MN 55109-1618

Innocent Langa
Rep of South Africa

Neil Lantzy
PO Box 22
Carnegie PA 15106

Cyril Mthalane
Margaret (Ntombela) Mthalane
A153 Ngwelezane Township
Empangeni
3880 - Rep of S Africa

Nancy (Ngema) Mthalane
Box 888
Empangeni
3880 - Rep of S Africa

Miss Doris Sbongile Ngema
Mabuyeni L P School
Private Bag 20022
Empangeni
3880 - Rep of S Africa

Hiroshi Ohta
Tokyo, Japan

Frida (Christensen) Rasmussen
Odensegade 184
DK-2100 Copenhagen O
Denmark

Robert Reynolds
1911 NE 56th St
Ft Lauderdale FL 33308

432




Michael Rich
Michael Rich, Jr.
Morley D Rich II
2604 Invemess Lane
Birmingham AL 35243

Mary (Straughan) Schaeffer
Robert Schaeffer
296-7th St NW
Medicine Hat Alberta
Canada T1A 6N6

James Search
Marguerite (Thorn) Search
3031 S Washington #B6
Lansing MI 48910

Sonny Sherman
Star Rt 1, Box 97
Days Creek OR 97429

Gwen (Wilkinson) Silk
Kurt Silk
Lincoln Silk
Michael Silk
#204 - 816 Watson Cres
Dawson Creek BC
Canada V1G 1X9

Mpumelelo Sithole
Rep of South Africa

Beth (Odhner) Smiley
c/o 710 Maryland Ave NE
Washington DC 20003

Jody (Pacacha) Smith
Williamsport PA

Judy (Black) Stocker
Matthew Stocker
725 S Summit Ave
Lake Helen FL 32744-3403

Daniel Sullivan
108 Pleasant St
Manlius NY 13104

William Talley
13360-A SW 90 Terrace
Miami FL 33186

Elizabeth (Schnarr) Taylor
Canada

Joseph Utin
495 Fulton St - #1739
Atlanta GA 30312

Adrian Vath
Port Hardy BC
Canada VON 2P0

Wayne Walker
3063 Barnard St - #3
San Diego CA 92110-5619
ETERNAL LIFE - THE LIFE AFTER DEATH IS THE GOAL 1995

ETERNAL LIFE - THE LIFE AFTER DEATH IS THE GOAL       Editor       1995

     In the life of the body, the goal of all human thoughts and actions ought to be the life after death, or eternal life, for what is eternal, that is, and what is in the life of the body, not even is, unless it is for the purpose of eternal life. Therefore all a human being's thoughts ought to be directed to this goal. (Spiritual Experiences 2809).
     The above is a fresh translation of n. 2809 of what we are used to calling the Spiritual Diary.

433


1995 CHARTER DAY 1995

       Editor       1995


Vol. CXV           October 1995               No. 10
New Church Life

434




     1995 CHARTER DAY

     All alumni and friends of the Academy of the New Church are invited to attend the 118th anniversary of the granting of the Academy charter. The Charter Day celebration is to be held in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, Friday and Saturday, October 20th and 21st. Highlights of the weekend are:
     Friday the 20th      Cathedral Service      10:30 a.m.
                    Charter Day Dance      9:00 p.m.
     Saturday the 21st      Charter Day Banquet      7:00 p.m.
     Banquet ticket prices are: adults $10.00, students $5.00. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Mrs. David Roscoe at the Academy switchboard: Academy of the New Church, P.O. Box 707, Benade Hall, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009; phone (215) 947-4200. Tickets can be mailed to you (please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope), held at the switchboard for pick-up by 10:00 a.m. on Friday the 20th, or Picked up at the door Saturday night. In Bryn Athyn, tickets can also be purchased at the Development Office in Pitcairn Hall or at the college office in Pendleton Hall. Tickets will also be on sale in the Society Building before and after Friday Suppers. Checks should be made payable to the Academy of the New Church.
     Note the advertisement on the inside back cover of this issue. This is not the first time we have reported on this new translation of De Amore Conjugiali. In the March issue it was announced by Rev. Alfred Acton on behalf of the Translation Committee. The book is a pleasure to see and to read.

435


LORD WANTS US TO BE USEFUL 1995

LORD WANTS US TO BE USEFUL       Jr. Rev. PETER M. BUSS       1995

     "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you (John 13:15).

Introduction

     The Lord wants us to be useful. At the end of His life on earth He chose to teach this fundamental truth in an especially powerful way. It was at the Last Supper with His disciples. Jesus knew the end of His life on earth was near. He knew that Judas would betray Him, which would lead to His capture and crucifixion.
     In that context He did something which amazed His disciples. He rose from the table, wrapped a towel around Himself, poured water into a basin, and began to wash their feet.
     It was Peter who gave voice to the astonishment of the disciples by saying: "Lord, are You washing my feet?" (John 13:6). Maybe it would have been all right if it were the other way around-if he were asked to wash Jesus' feet. But this was his Mentor and Teacher. This was the Miracle-Worker-the Man who made even the scribes and Pharisees look foolish. Why would He do such a thing? Why would He humble Himself in this way?
     As the Lord Himself explained: "I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you" (John 13:15). They too should take on the role of a servant. They too should help other people. He asked them to be useful.
     The Lord wants us to be useful. This was one of His core messages while He was on earth. We can see it in His actions. He spent all His time helping other people. He healed the sick-people others wouldn't even come near because they believed their diseases were punishments for their sins. In contrast, Jesus dined with sinners. He taught even the gentiles. He forgave people and comforted them. This was His "example," symbolized by washing the disciples' feet (see AE 254:2).

436



     We can also see this message of service repeated over and over again in the Lord's teachings:
     To His disciples He said: "This is My commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12).
     In the presence of a great multitude He said: "Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching" (Luke 12:37). Blessed is the servant who is ready to serve.
     In response to James' and John's request to sit at His left hand and right hand in His Kingdom, He explained: "Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant . . . just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve . . . " (Matt. 20:26, 28).
     But even that's not all. This truth is so important that the Lord explained it even more plainly in His revelation to the New Church:
     "To love the Lord and the neighbor," He said, "means in general to perform useful services" (HH 112).
     And again: "'Serving the Lord' means performing useful services, because true worship consists in the performance of such services, thus in the exercise of charity" (AC 7038:1).
     Another way of putting this is: the Lord wants us to be good, and "regarded in itself good is nothing else than use" (AC 4926).
     The Lord wants us to care for our neighbors. This truth is so important that He came on earth twice to teach us: once in Person, and a second time in the form of a revelation to clarify His message.

Three Reasons for Being Useful

     Why does the Lord put so much emphasis on serving other people? Why is it so important to Him? Here are three reasons.

437



     First: The Lord needs us to be useful. This reason stems from His love for us. As we know, the Lord is love itself. He desires nothing more than to bless us with happiness, and to do anything possible to help us (see DLW 230; cf 47; TCR 43).
     This desire needs to be expressed. As we read: "Love cannot rest unless it acts, for love is the active force in life" (CL 183:3). The image of the Lord as a Parent will illustrate this point. Picture a child falling off his bike and scraping his knee and chin. Say his mother watched this accident. She may feel tremendous love for her son, and a great deal of sadness at his pain. But it doesn't do her child any good for her to stand there feeling sad. Her love is expressed by picking him up, comforting him, and bandaging his wounds. This is love expressed in a useful action. Such is the Lord's love-it needs to be expressed.
     But the way the Lord expresses His love is through people. He too loves that little boy who fell off his bike. He expresses this love by inspiring the mother to care for her child.
     Of course the Lord is present with each one of us directly, but His main way of serving us is through other people. As Conjugial Love explains: "The Lord loves all people, and so wills good to all . . . . [He] performs good or useful services indirectly through angels, and in the world through people" (CL 7:3).
     There are plenty of examples of this. The Lord wants little children to learn the stories of His Word. He uses a whole team of parents, teachers, ministers, and others to make it happen. The Lord wants to give people His greatest gift: the delights of marriage. He grants these delights by means of two people who love each other. He even inspires a police officer to keep order in society, or a plumber to help people fix their faucets. In every useful service one person does for another the Lord is in the background, master-minding, inspiring, encouraging.
     Because the Lord works through us, He created us to be useful. Arcana Caelestia says: "A person is born for no other purpose than that he may perform use to the society in which he is" (AC 1103; cf. CL 249; AE 1194:2, 1226:6; Charity 126, 128).

438



     Another teaching says: "From God the Creator nothing can have form, and therefore nothing can be created, except something of use" (DLW 308). In other words, we have been put together into a form which can carry out the Lord's goals of service.
     Take a simple object as an analogy-a bowl. Bowls have been in the same shape for centuries. Many of the earliest civilizations had bowls in much the same form as we do today. Why is it in the form it is? Because people wanted something to hold food, and created a form to serve that purpose.
     The Lord wants us to be useful. Therefore He has created us with hands and eyes and legs and brains. He has given us autonomy. He has given us the ability to understand the teachings of His Word. He asks us to recognize that we have been created in this form, with these abilities, so that we may serve our neighbors.
     So great is the blueprint of use ingrained upon creation that the universe is called "a theater of useful services" (TCR 67). And many times the Word refers to the kingdom of the Lord as a "kingdom of uses" (see AC 696, 3645; HH 112; DP 26; CL 7:3; SD 5155).
     To summarize: the first reason the Lord wants us to be useful is that His love requires it. He manifests His love by means of people. Therefore He has created us for the very purpose of being useful, so that His goals of blessedness, unity, and peace can be accomplished.
     Second: Being useful keeps us out of trouble. This is an added benefit to the Lord's order of creation. When we are involved in helping someone else, we are not thinking about ourselves. Conjugial Love puts it this way: "The love of being useful, and its consequent application in useful service, keeps the mind from being dissipated and wandering, and from taking in all sorts of seductions which pour in alluringly through the senses from the body and from the world" (CL 16:3).

439


This passage uses the analogy of an anchor. Being useful anchors us in a good life.
     Another passage uses the image of a house to get the idea across. A person who is busy helping someone has a mind which is fenced in; it is as though inside a house. The passage goes on to say that our sanity and reason live in this house. In other words, we can hear the Lord speaking to us in this house. From that perspective we can stay focused on His will-to continue serving (see CL 249).
     It might be even easier to see the benefit of serving others by looking at its opposite: idleness. "Idleness is," as Spiritual Experiences (Diary) puts it, "the devil's pillow" (SE 6072). It's fine to take a break sometimes-a vacation or some personal time. It's even healthy to do so. But to be habitually lazy-that is what the Lord is warning against. Idleness of this sort is likened to a sponge which draws dirty water to itself (SE 6072). When we are not engaged in something useful, then our minds are open to every sort of "nonsense and foolishness" which they encounter (see CL 249; cf. AE 1226:6).
     The Lord provides us with a powerful example of the dangers of idleness in the form of King David. In his early kingship, and even before that time, he was a busy man-serving the Lord, conquering enemies, establishing his kingdom. It was only when the enemies were conquered for the most part, when he let Joab fight for him, when he stayed behind in Jerusalem, that he got into trouble. In one of his idle moments he spotted Bathsheba from his rooftop, and so began a treadmill of adultery, deception, murder, and punishment (see 2 Samuel 11, 12).
     One of our most important goals in life is to shun evils as sins against the Lord. Here the Lord is teaching us one way to go about doing it. We don't always have to fight our evil tendencies head on. If we get busy doing something useful, the urge to sin will be dampened.

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It is as if we are in that house where our sanity and reason live, where we can hear the Lord, and feel His guiding us in the right direction (see CL 249).
     So the Lord wants us to be useful, first because His love requires it, and second, because it helps us stay on the right path.
     Third. But there is a third reason that the Lord wants us to be useful-perhaps the most important reason of all, at least to the Lord. Being useful makes us happy.
     When the Lord had washed the disciples' feet, He explained to them that it was an example of how they should act. Then He assured them: "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (John 13:17). Because we are doing the Lord's will when we're useful, because we are working for Him at the same time, He gives us feelings of delight. As He teaches, "Every love has its own delight, for love lives through delight," and being useful brings heavenly delight itself (CL 18:3).
     Every one of us has experienced this delight at some point. We know that it's not always apparent. Sometimes we're just going about our business and we don't feel much reward. I picture a stay-at-home mom who does many routine chores such as laundry, shopping, and keeping the house in order. She probably doesn't feel much reward from these duties.
     But then there are times when the Lord gives us a real boost. Say a daughter comes up to that mom and gives her a kiss and a great big hug. It's not just because that child suddenly felt a wave of love that she did this, but also because she feels cared for-she lives in an orderly home where she is clothed and fed, and where she feels secure. A mom does a great deal to provide such a safe environment, and deserves the reward of love.
     There are other times that we feel such a boost from the Lord. A teacher who makes a particular impact on his students with his lesson may feel joy in being a teacher. A doctor who is successful at alleviating someone's pain may feel pleasure and satisfaction in having her specialized skills.

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At times like these the Lord arouses in us feelings of blessedness and happiness. They are His special gifts to us for doing His will. And when we feel these gifts, we also recognize the truth in the following teaching: "The person who is led by the Lord . . . is given an affection and desire for doing what is good, and then nothing is more delightful to him than to perform useful services" (AC 6325).

Conclusion

     After the Lord washed the disciples' feet, he asked them a simple question: "Do you know what I have done to you?" (John 13:12) What He had done was teach them one of His most central truths. He had shown them, and us, His will. What He wants more than anything else is for us to follow His example and serve one another. Why? Because it is His will. Because it will lead us to heaven and keep us away from hell. Because it will bring us genuine happiness. After all, when we serve other people, the golden rule is in effect: we are doing to others as we would have them do to us (see Matthew 7:12). Such a rule of life will create an environment where people live in harmony. This is the way things work in the heavens.1
     1 On the subject of joy in the heavens arising from serving others, see CL 5:3; AC 6388, 997:1, 7038:1, 3; SE 5155; HH 402; DLW 431; AE 1194:2.
     The Lord went on to explain to His disciples that they were His disciples-they served Him by serving each other. He said, "Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer . . . . A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another" (John 13:33-35). Amen.

Readings from the Word: John 13:1-17; CL 149

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CYCLE OF LIFE 1995

CYCLE OF LIFE       Rev. ERIK J. BUSS       1995

     A Model for Viewing Gender-related Concerns

     (A paper presented to the Council of the Clergy, March 1995)

     INTRODUCTION

     We know from the Lord that men and women are equal. Each sex has its special abilities and its weaknesses. We can point to many passages in the Word that support this principle, and our common sense demands it. Over the past few years, however, people have been struggling with some specific teachings that can be hard to understand. If men and women are created equal, why does God appear as male? Does this imply that men are somehow better than women, somehow more in God's image? If men and women are created equal, why do the Writings teach us that women were created from men, and appear to say that men's affections are internal while those of women are external? If men and women are created equal, why does the soul of a child come from the father?
     Although I have not heard concern expressed about them, there are also some teachings which appear to elevate women above men: women are said to be celestial while men are spiritual; when a couple meets and marries after death, they go to the woman's heaven; women's wisdom is said to be superior to the wisdom of men; conjugial love, which is the fundamental of all loves, comes from the Lord through women; women are the most perfect form in all creation.
     In this paper I will offer two models from the Word which can give perspective on these issues. Science has long recognized that the perspective from which we view an occurrence changes our perception of what happens. It is called a frame of reference. For instance, if we stand on the side of a road while a car drives by at 100 miles per hour, we will see the event one way. If we are in another car driving next to that car, we will see it another way-the car will seem to be standing still, while the scenery around us appears to move.

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     Our perspective on doctrinal issues also differs, depending on where we are standing. The teachings which we consider central to a subject will cause us to interpret other teachings in their light.
     I call the two models the generative cycle and the regenerative cycle. For the beginning of this paper we will step away from the issues and look at the grand cycles of creation and regeneration.
     We will be looking at maleness and femaleness at their most basic level. Each makes up half of creation. Each is responsible for half of what goes on. The generative cycle, taken from Divine Love and Wisdom, and the regenerative cycle, show us the part that men and women play in the Lord's creation. As we will see, men make up the first half of each cycle, and women the second. The first part of this paper focuses on showing what the cycles are and how they relate to men and women. The last three parts apply this cycle to the issues mentioned above.

Cycles within Cycles

     I will be presenting two cycles that have extremely wide application. They could be applied to an individual, a married couple, the celestial and spiritual heavens, men and women, and in many other ways. The dynamics of the cycles are slightly different in each context. I am trying to focus only on how these cycles apply to malekind in general and femalekind in general. So as you read, you will find statements that you think apply to men just as well as women, or vice versa, in their individual regeneration. These observations will probably be correct, but since my focus is on one application of the cycles, I have tried to limit my discussion to it.

     PART 1: THE TWO CYCLES

     1) THE GENERATIVE CYCLE

     In Divine Love and Wisdom, the Lord offers a model for viewing creation and, by extension, all that comes into being from Him. The governing principle is that all of creation moves in cycles. The Lord has designed creation as a cycle so that everything returns to Him as its source (see DLW 167, DP 29:3, AC 10057:2-4; cf. DLW 307).

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     The love, which is the end, progresses through causes to effect, and to further effects even to the last. And from this it returns to the first effect, but by another way, and produces . . . an image of the first love. (2nd Index to Missing Work on Marriage, "Cause"-Post. II, p. 549; cf. DLW 316)2
     2 All italics are mine.
     The Lord, from His love, has created the spiritual and natural worlds for the purpose of supporting life. That life begins with the lowest life forms and builds up to human beings, who can receive an image of the Lord's love in them, and be conjoined with Him (see figure 1).

Creation of Inanimate Matter: The Movement Downward

     Divine Love and Wisdom talks about the need to have both a spiritual and a natural sun (or suns) to support creation. The spiritual sun is necessary because it is the source of all life and activity in creation. The natural sun is necessary because from it proceeds matter that is "fixed, settled, and constant." It provides the forms that are "permanent and durable" (DLW 165). The "living sun" is the source of life, and the "dead sun" is the source of its permanence.


     [Figure 1 is the diagram of "The Generative Cycle."]


     Atmospheres, waters and lands proceed from each sun.

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The atmospheres are the receiving vessels of heat and light, or good and truth (see DLW 183, 191, 296; cf. 185).3 There are three degrees of atmospheres in the spiritual world and three in the natural world.
     3 After speaking of atmospheres, waters and lands, Divine Love and Wisdom deals primarily with the atmospheres. I will do the same.

Some Qualities of the Outmost Degree

     When the degrees of creation come to their final resting place in inert matter, they find a permanent rest. This inert matter is the complex, containant, and base of all the inner degrees. Although it is devoid of Divine life in itself (see DLW 305), it acts as the vessel for the higher degrees, and has these degrees "actually" within it (see DLW 215).
     This outer degree is the end of the downward movement. In itself, this degree is dead, but it is striving to create life. In one sense, the progression of the Lord's life is finished now because it has come to completely inert matter. In another sense, that matter is just a beginning because now the Lord can create life out of it.

The Creation of Life: the Movement Upward

     The rest of part four of Divine Love and Wisdom focuses on use. These uses are all things of the vegetable and animal kingdoms, and, ultimately, humans. "The uses of all created things ascend by degrees of height to people, and through people to God the Creator from whom they are. The purpose of creation takes form in outmosts, a purpose which is that all things may return to the Creator and that there may be conjunction" (DLW 316).
     As mentioned above, the outmost elements of nature act as the complex, containant and base of the Lord's life force in the world. When we look only at creation of inert matter-the downward movement of the Lord's life-this is unequivocally true (figure 2). However, when we broaden our frame of reference to consider the entire creation cycle, these outmost elements are simply the means to a far more important end: the creation of people who can become angels.

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People are (potentially) the true outmost, the complex, containant and base for the Lord's life. In them the Lord's life is in its fullness and power when they live according to the Word (figure 3): "The purpose of the creation of the universe is the existence of an angelic heaven; and as the angelic heaven is the purpose, humankind . . . is also the purpose, since heaven is from humankind. From this it follows that all created things are mediate ends, and that these are uses in the order, degree, and respect in which they have relation to people, and through people to the Lord" (DLW 329). Everything in creation is simply a way of achieving this purpose.


Lord                    Lord
Outmosts               People
of nature               Outmosts of nature
                    
Figure 2               Figure 3


     In order to achieve this purpose, the Lord creates three natural degrees of animal life, corresponding to the three natural degrees in the descending series. The three degrees of animal life are fish and shellfish, birds, and the rest of the good mammals-i.e., elephants, horses, sheep, etc. (see DLW 346). Only people exist on the spiritual degree (ibid.), so they are the representation of life in the three spiritual degrees (see chart on page 444).

The Cycle of Life Related to the Days of Creation in Genesis

     We can add to the picture of creation given in Divine Love and Wisdom by examining the days of creation in the first chapter of Genesis. It is easy to view the first six days of creation as a linear progression from an unregenerate state to a regenerate state. However, we can also see two distinct halves. The first three days represent states of reformation, or states where the understanding plays the lead, while the second three days represent states of regeneration, or states where the will takes the lead (see AC 30:2). The passage just noted also points out that the product of the first three days is inanimate matter (waters, land and vegetation), just as in the first half of the generative cycle.

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Similarly, both the second half of the generative cycle and the second three days describe the Lord's creation of living things: birds, fish, animals and people. The cycle of life is shown in the days of creation as well.
     A consideration of the days of creation adds two important ideas to our model. The first is the fact that each half of the series begins with the creation of light in some form ("Let there be light" in the first half, and the creation of the sun, moon and stars in the second half). In the internal sense, this light is symbolic of some ability to see, as if from above, the nature of spiritual reality or of one's life. It is something internal. The significance of this becomes clear when we return to the generative cycle in Divine Love and Wisdom. We would normally consider the second half of the creative cycle to begin from externals (fish and mollusks) and rise to internals (people). The Genesis creation story indicates that there must be an inner vision of what can take place-the creation of the sun, moon and stars in us-that allows the creation of animate life to occur.
     The second point is that plant life is created on the third day, rather than on the fourth or fifth. In other words, by comparing this creation story with the generative cycle, we would have to say that plant life is part of the downward movement of the generative cycle. In the second story of creation given in Genesis 2, vegetable life is also prominent in the first half of the series, and animal life in the second. From the generative cycle in Divine Love and Wisdom, we would expect vegetable life to be part of the ascending part of the cycle. I don't fully understand how this aspect of the Genesis creation story fits with the cycle given in Divine Love and Wisdom. However, if we assume that it is true, it bears fruit when we apply the DLW model later.

A Summary of the Generative Cycle

     The Lord has created the world in such a way that the Divine activity and life has become muted and inert by degrees. The most inert matter is the substance of the natural. This matter, as complex, containant and base, holds within it the potential for all the uses of creation.

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This dead matter is not the final purpose of creation, but is simply a means to a greater end: the creation of life, ascending progressively to people who can then be conjoined to the Lord, completing the cycle. The Lord's presence in people as they regenerate, and the conjunction this effects, is the true purpose or outmost of creation. This is the first of the two cycles. I will explain the other cycle, the regenerative cycle, before showing how it relates to gender issues.

     2) THE REGENERATIVE CYCLE: THE CYCLE OF LIFE RELATED TO THE WORD AND THE CHURCH

     We can see many parallels between creation and the way in which the Lord gives us His Word. As with creation, the truth of the Lord's Word descends by degrees of truth, becoming progressively more external until it reaches the literal sense of Scripture (see AC 8443). We are told that "as there are degrees of atmospheres" so there are degrees of love and wisdom (DLW 191). In fact, the atmospheres are simply the vessels receptive of light and heat on each degree (DLW 296, 191). So the descent of the Lord's Word through the heavens by degrees of good and truth and into the literal sense matches exactly the process of creation.
     This can be taken a step farther: On each degree of creation in heaven, the good and truth there are received in atmospheres, and become bounded into lands. The same thing happens with the Word as it descends from the Lord: the good and truth present in each heaven are bounded in a Word designed for that heaven (cf. AE 1079; HH 258ff.; SS 71). That Word could be said to be the "land" on which that heaven rests.
     How this process occurs in the natural world is more open to question. Some have suggested that the Writings appeal to the rational degree of our natural mind, the New Testament to our middle-natural degree, and the Old Testament to our sensual degree.*
     When the Word comes to rest in outmosts, it is in its fullness, holiness and power, but it is not yet a living truth. It is living in the sense that God's life is fully present within it, but not in the sense that it has borne fruit.

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A copy of the Word is useless by itself unless we read it and live it-unless we use the elements of each revelation as the "soil" in which good works and a life of usefulness grow. "The life of religion" is quite literally receiving those truths into our life in such a way that we can become spiritually alive. These living truths correspond to the various animals and plants of the created universe, culminating in the image and likeness of God- the human form (see figure 4).

     [Figure 4 entitled "The Regenerative Cycle."]

     The creation of natural life and the creation of spiritual life or the church in a person correspond perfectly. They are the two things that are called uses in the Word. Just above, uses were defined as being those things which lead to the natural creation of human beings, and so to a possible conjunction with the Lord. Uses are also defined as those things that move a person from being natural to being spiritual: "By uses from the Lord are meant all things that perfect the rational faculty of a person, and cause him to receive the spiritual from the Lord" (DLW 336).
     We can draw many comparisons between the generative and regenerative cycles. For instance, the Word in its outmost form is in its fullness, holiness and power, just as creation is. This is particularly true when we see only the downward movement of the Word being presented to humanity (see figure 5).

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When we view the entire cycle, the Word becomes a means for bringing the truth into the lives of people. In the truest sense, the Lord's truth is in its fullness, holiness and power when it acts by means of the Word into the lives of people and so brings conjunction with God.

Lord                         Lord
                         The church
"Divine truth in outmosts"
                         The Word

Figure 5                    Figure 6

Truth from Good and Good from That Truth

     One more facet of the regenerative cycle needs to be considered before applying these cycles to gender issues: connecting this seemingly unrelated model to men and women. We can do this by comparing their inner structures. First, let's look at the inner structure of the second cycle (and by relation to it the first, since they really are the same cycle discussed on two different levels):
     The Lord in Himself is good. He proceeds as the Word, which is Divine truth (see AC 2803:3, 2813:3, 3137, 3195:4, 3454, et al.). In fact, "the Divine truth proceeding from the Divine good is the absolute reality and the absolute essential in the universe" (AC 5272:2, 6880, 8861:2). So we can understand the Lord as being truth from good, or truth exteriorly and good interiorly.**
     The church, on the other hand, is based on the Word and springs from the Word. It is the second half of the cycle. From an understanding of the Word comes a life of good. "When a person reads the Word and draws truths from it, the Lord attaches good" (CL 128). "A person of the church becomes wise as though on his own, and as he becomes wise, he receives love from the Lord" (CL 21:2). So we can understand the church as being good from truth. Or, interiorly the church is truth (an understanding of the Word), and exteriorly it is the good of life based on the Word. The Word is the link, the place the two meet, and so is called the medium of conjunction between God and humanity (see CL 128, 130; AC 4217:3; TCR 142).

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     As I said at the beginning of the paper, the first half of the cycle corresponds to the Good male form and the second half to the female form. Just as the first half of the cycle moves from good interiorly to truth externally, so men are good interiorly and truth externally. In fact, truth from good is "the essence of masculinity" (CL 61; cf. CL 32, 66, 88, 90, 91, 193). And just as the second half moves from "that truth" to good, so women are good from truth. Good from truth is "the essence of femininity" (Ibid.). This leads to the second section of the paper.

     Good Truth Good

     Figure 7

     (To be continued)

     NOTES

     * In brief, here is the rationale: The truths of the Writings are clearly written for the rational mind: "Now it is permitted to enter with understanding into the mysteries of faith" (TCR 508; cf. Documents, p. 232). The spiritual sense, revealed in the Writings, is for the intellectual or rational level of the mind (cf. AC 9407:4, 9828e). The Old Testament, on the other hand, is clearly related to the sensual because it is written in "pure correspondences" (AE 351, 369, cf. AC 2179), which are sensual (AC 1361). Although there are genuine truths available in the Old Testament, the bulk of Old Testament teachings seem clearly to be sensual truths, and are often apparent truths. The New Testament, by process of elimination, and by virtue of its appeal to the imagination ("The kingdom of heaven is like . . . "), appeals primarily to the middle natural degree. We are also told that the Lord taught "interior truths" while on earth, and that "interior truth is called natural truth, and exterior truth is called sensuous truth" (AC 3294:2). The "interior truth" can be interior only to the sensual truth of the Old Testament. The middle natural is frequently referred to in the Arcana and AE simply as the natural (e.g., AC 4570:2, 5126:2-3, 5497; AE 1147, 1056:2, 543:2).
     While this way of understanding the three revelations may appeal, it raises some questions. It implies that only the Old Testament would be the true external sense in which the fullness, holiness and power of God resides. This is certainly supported by the teaching that the Lord revealed interior things while in the world, and things still more interior in the Writings (see AE 641, 948). However we understand this issue, what is clear is that there are three levels of natural creation, and there are three revelations that seem to correlate to them in some way.

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     ** It is true that there are many passages that speak of God's good and truth proceeding together and being indivisible in God. Only in reception does either good or truth become predominant. However, there are also a great many passages that speak of the Word as Divine truth and the Lord in Himself as good-creating a seeming predominance of truth in the Word rather than a perfect union. I understand this to be because truth is the form that good takes: "The Divine [itself] cannot appear to anyone . . . except through the Divine Human; nor can the Divine Human except through the Divine truth that goes forth from Him" (AC 6945). By becoming visible, God shows us the form rather than the substance within, the truth rather than the good.
TRIP TO JAPAN 1995

TRIP TO JAPAN       Mrs. Rev. AND PETER M. BUSS       1995

     August, 1995

     In all the countries which we have had the privilege of visiting, we have found a remarkable amount of dedication to the New Church and to the revelation which the Lord has given to it. Our recent visit to Japan was no exception.
     We had not visited the Orient until this twelve-day trip to Korea and Japan. Our preparations were aided immensely by Mr. Tatsuya Nagashima, who wrote many letters beforehand, with advice ranging from the program itself to the kind of instruction which people would appreciate.
     Mr. Nagashima has translated into Japanese three books containing 152 sermons, but his more significant contribution has been his modern translations of the Writings into his own language. Several of these books are in the Swedenborg Library in Bryn Athyn, and Japanese speakers applaud the clarity of the translations.
     Mr. Yasuyuki Suzuki, a leader of what they call the "Vine Group" in Tokyo, translated my sermons and class notes into Japanese and circulated them. This was most useful for each group we visited. I discovered, however, that an extemporaneous style was preferable. It was humbling to realize that my English sentences were too long for easy translation-a salutary lesson for the future.

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     Like many others, we could comment on the country itself-the beauty of the mountains, the politeness and thoughtfulness of the people, the tasty and healthful food. Our chief impression, however, is of several groups of New Church people who are devoted to the Writings, having found them in many different ways, and who are working for the furtherance of the New Church in Japan.
     We arrived in Shikoku, an island of Japan, and were met by Tatsuya Nagashima and Dan Frost, his son-in-law. They drove us to their home in Tokushima, where we met the rest of the family-Sumie, Tatsuya's wife, Dan's wife Mineko, and their son Robert. The Nagashimas live in an attractive modern home in the middle of rice fields. That evening we met Mr. Hidetaka Kudo, who is a preacher in a local church and teaches from the Writings, and Mr. and Mrs. Oga and their children, who were about to leave for a year's study at the Academy of the New Church.
     For four days Mr. Nagashima was our translator. I grew to appreciate his skill more and more, and also his endurance. It is hard to listen to people speaking in two different languages, and to translate their thoughts readily. It also requires consistent concentration. Everyone else in the room gets to rest while the translator speaks in the language the speaker doesn't understand, but the translator is listening intently, understanding every single point, and couching it in another medium. At his home the first night we were there I had the privilege of presenting Mr. Nagashima with the tie pin of the Glencairn Award which he received last year-an award from the Academy in recognition of outstanding service to the church, Academy or community. Mr. Nagashima has certainly earned our gratitude for his leadership in the church in Japan over many years, and especially for his legacy in the translation of the Writings, which will serve the church for many decades to come.
     The second day we flew across the water to Osaka, the second largest city in Japan. There we met 21 people for a service, a luncheon where there was time for questions, and a class. The leader of the group, Mr. Kawahara, is a man in his early sixties with a very kind face. He had everything arranged, including a meal in a private room served by the catering department of the public building in which we were. A feature of the church in Japan is that there are considerably more men than women, and at the present, few children.

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Among the people we met were a man who would love to make a playground in which children act out their religion. He pictures them climbing mountains, walking along a narrow path and avoiding the apparently attractive broad one, meeting challenges on the way, finding opportunities to help people at certain spots.
     We were also given translations of two books-Bruce Henderson's Window to Eternity, and the children's book Life Is Forever by Lisa and me (which, by the way, the Rev. Dzin Kwak and his wife Kim have also translated into Korean). The Japanese translations are by Mr. Yasuyuki Suzuki, a leader of the "Vine Group" of New Church people in Tokyo, who also journeyed to Osaka for our one-day visit.     
     The following day Mr. Nagashima accompanied us to Soma City, north of Tokyo and on the Pacific Ocean. It is a small town of 30,000 people, where the Kanamaru family lives along a dirt road leading up to beautiful mountains. There are two brothers and a sister. Both brothers are married, each with an adult son and daughter. Their sister Michiko is an artist. They are all in the church, and live together in three lovely homes, surrounded by attractive gardens.
     We spent two days with them, and felt we had stepped into a piece of heaven. On the sensual plane, there was the food. We had already had this experience at the Nagashimas. Remarkable varieties of food seemed to appear, all tastefully laid out in separate dishes, whenever we were hungry-just as in heaven. We knew better, and marveled at the artistry and the hard work that went into the preparation of each meal.
     Then there were the questions which occurred at mealtimes and afterwards. The group (22 in all) wanted to know about aspects of the Lord's glorification and the Divine providence. They were particularly interested in heaven and the laws that govern life there, and also in conjugial love, and how they could develop this wonderful ideal in a land where Christianity does not flourish. They were very interested in the General Church, and how it was developing in other countries of the world, and expressed appreciation for the visits they had had from the Rev. Robert Junge and Bishop and Mrs. King.
     Lastly, the sphere of these people was beautiful. There was a warmth and an easy communication among them. They seemed able to arrange things-and a lot of arranging took place over two days -in a companionable way; they seemed genuinely interested in each other, and clearly had fun together.

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     [Photos of Mr. Tatsuya Nagashima and his wife Sumie; and Bishop Buss and Lisa with Rev. and Mrs. Yoshii Yanase]

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     Among those we met were Mrs. Keiko Yoneda, who had known of the Writings for a decade but only recently found the Soma Group. She and her husband were baptized. She is translating The Shorter Heaven and Hell, an abridged version of Heaven and Hell published in London. She is most interested in translating children's literature into Japanese, and has ordered many items from the General Church Book Center in order to choose the most suitable. Yumiko Blair, wife of Breton Blair (Yumiko found the church in Illinois through a member of the Glenview Society), is also interested in this work.
     Then there is Miss Kanamaru. She has painted several pictures as covers for the copies of the Writings translated by the Rev. Yoshii Yanase and by Mr. Nagashima. These covers are amazing. They capture the spirit of the Word. One painting of heaven depicts a mother helping her little child to feed doves. There is a dramatic representation of the woman clothed with the sun (Revelation chapter 12) being persecuted by the dragon. I cannot describe her cover for Heaven and Hell, except to say that it is in three sections, portraying with each heaven, resurrection from the dead, and hell. In the General Church we need to cover our own English publications with similar depictions which capture the magic of the doctrines.
     A feature of our visit was that they specifically asked Lisa questions about the Writings as well. She was invited to speak at the meetings, and found herself discussing such subjects as what the Writings teach that bears on organ transplants, and how to raise a New Church family. (They were far too polite to say she did a better job than I did, but it was clear that they much appreciated her answers and her perspectives.)
     From Soma we journeyed by train to Tokyo, where we were met by Mr. Suzuki and Mr. Kumazawa, two leaders of the Vine Group. They drove us two hours out of the city to the Hakone resort area, a beautiful setting high in mountains which surround a lake. Here we had a two-day assembly with 23 people. One of the participants, Mr. Michio Hayashi, is working on a Japanese version of an electronic search program for the Writings. He found the Writings at the Rev. Yanase's church, where he worked for ten years, and there also he met his wife Terue. He is editor of a quarterly New Church magazine called Quarite, and has published several translations of New Church literature.

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     We were amazed at the volume of work which is done by the people of Japan. Each month General Church sermons are translated from English for worship (and, by the way, the people expressed warm appreciation for these sermons). Mr. Yoshiro Goto is translating the Rev. Brian Kingslake's Inner Light. Mr. Mutsuo Oga has been studying the Arcana Coelestia and producing a summary of each chapter to help future readers. He has completed 20 chapters. Mrs. Yuriko Tadano edits a newsletter for the Vine Group. She and Mrs. Mariko Suzuki spent four days with us, because they were also at Soma City, and we became good friends.
     In Hakone, our translators were Dr. Mine and Mrs. Blair. Dr. Mine and his wife have a daughter Asako, who recently graduated from the Academy College. He and Mrs. Blair were invaluable, speaking quietly to us in English as others made speeches, and translating my actual addresses.
     Before our visit, 78 people had been baptized by the Rev. Robert Junge, the Rev. Terry Schnarr, and Bishop King, and 36 of them had joined the General Church. On this visit, six more were baptized, one infant. In each case it was clearly a most important step for the individual or for the parents. I was deeply moved by the commitments made, and the love and the hopes that went with them. To choose the New Church in a culture where not only the new Christianity but also the first Christian Church is little regarded is a step which people take after a great deal of reflection. Once the decision is made, it is clearly a deeply important one.
     From Hakone we took a cable car over the mountains, then two tram cars down them, and finally a train into Tokyo. Mr. Kumazawa's son and daughter-in-law, Ryuuichiro and Naoko, whose baby Ayano I baptized, found us a seat right at the front of the train. The engines are covered with glass in the front, so we felt we were driving the train all the way to Tokyo-a most enjoyable experience, especially since we weren't!
     We had a final party that evening at the Kumazawas' home, and spent a delightful evening with their family, coming to know and appreciate them more. Their son played the cello for us (he likes rock music too), and baby Ayano celebrated her baptism by getting up onto her hands and knees for the first time.

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     Time and again during the visit we heard of the Rev. Mr. Yanase, who converted to the New Church after finding his earlier experience with the Christian Church unsatisfying. He has had a congregation in Tokyo for decades, and many of the New Church people in Japan found the Writings through his translations or his church. In his lifetime he has translated all of the Writings. I don't know if anyone else in the history of the church has equaled that task. We asked Mr. Kumazawa if we could visit Mr. Yanase, and he set it up for our last morning in Tokyo. It was a memorable experience. Now in his upper 80's and somewhat frail, Mr. Yanase showed remarkable energy and alertness. He and his wife greeted us with the warmest friendship, and showed us their little church and their many translations. He spoke with passionate sincerity of the great and simple truths of the Writings which he feels are vital to the future happiness of the world. His sphere seemed to be approaching a celestial one, reminding us of Bishop de Charms in his later years. We felt so privileged to meet this wonderful couple whose service to the church would be hard to exceed in any period of our history.
     We left Japan with a sense that the Lord is working for the growth of His church in ways that we can scarcely imagine. The General Church is one small vehicle in His hands. As we heard how people had found the Writings, and sensed in them the Lord Himself speaking His truth, we realized once again how immense is His New Church, and how privileged we are to be one service organization to the new life and light which the Lord is spreading throughout His world. And we now have many new friends, whose talents and loves we respect, and we feel richer for knowing them.
NEW LITURGY OMISSION 1995

NEW LITURGY OMISSION       Editor       1995

     NEW LITURGY OMISSION: On p. 397 of the new Liturgy a line of music is missing. We have available in any quantity self-adhesive stickers containing that line of music. Make your request to the Bishop's Office, Box 711, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009 or phone (215) 938-2620.

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NEXT THOUSAND YEARS 1995

NEXT THOUSAND YEARS       Dr. WlLLIAM R. KINTNER       1995

     In a February 1994 sermon Bishop Peter M. Buss stated: "We live in a time when the New Church is growing slowly. We try to spread the Church and have little success. We see how uninterested so many people are and we wonder what hope the Church has in our culture."
     By 325 A.D. Christianity had become the official religion of the Roman Empire. Christianity flourished because it replaced with spiritual faith the myths that existed in most countries of the time. The growth of the New Church has been greatly different. Two hundred years after the death of Emanuel Swedenborg, apparently fewer than a hundred thousand people throughout the world have any interest in what we believe to be the second coming of the Lord.
     Today the Writings of Swedenborg must first overcome three basic religious blockages: first, the Catholic doctrine of the Trinity; second, the Protestant doctrine of faith alone; third, the widespread reluctance of many western intellectuals to accept the Divinity of Christ. These false and misleading doctrines must be destroyed before the ground will be prepared far the acceptance of the Writings.
     As to the first falsity, the Lord called together His twelve disciples and commanded them to preach the gospel anew throughout the heavens. The church which He had established had so nearly reached its consummation that scarcely any of it remained.

     This has come to pass because the Divine Trinity has been separated into three Persons, each of whom is God and Lord. In consequence of this, a kind of insanity has pervaded the whole of theology, and also the Christian Church, so called from the name of the Lord. The term "insanity" is used because it has rendered men's minds so confused that they do not know whether there is one God or three; one is on their lips, but three are in their minds, so that their minds and their lips, or their thought and their speech, are at variance.

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The result of this confusion is the denial that there is a God. This is the source of the materialism prevalent today. For while the lips speak of one God, and the mind thinks of three, does not the one idea destroy the other? Consequently, if a man thinks at all, he thinks of God as a mere name without any definite meaning. Since the idea of God, with every perception regarding Him, has been destroyed, I propose to treat in due sequence of God the Creator, of the Lord the Redeemer, and of the Holy Spirit the Operator, and finally of the Divine Trinity, in order that what has been destroyed may be restored. This will happen whenever human reason is convinced by enlightenment from the Word that there is a Divine Trinity, and that this Trinity is in the Lord God the Savior Jesus Christ, just as the soul, the body and the operating energy are in man; and therefore that this article in the Athanasian Creed is true: "In Christ, God and Man, or the Divine and the Human, are not two, but are in one Person; and that as the rational soul and body is one man, so God and Man is one Christ" (TCR 4:2, 3).

     That the doctrine of three Gods can be found today is evident in the April 4-June 18, 1994 Sunday and weekday mass guide, "Celebrating the Eucharist."

     Father, all powerful and ever-living God,
     we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks.
     We joyfully proclaim our faith
     in the mystery of your Godhead.
     You have revealed your glory
     as the glory also of your Son
     and of the Holy Spirit:
     three Persons equal in majesty,
     undivided in splendor,
     yet one Lord, one God
     ever to be adored in your everlasting glory.
     And so, with all the choirs of angels in
     heaven we proclaim your glory
     and join in their unending hymn of praise.

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     The next false doctrine which stands in the way of the acceptance of the Writings is that of faith alone. Among the doctrines of the Reformed Church are the following:

     The Roman Catholic Council of Trent joined faith and charity, or faith and good works. But the Reformed churches, from their leaders, have separated them, declaring salvation to consist in faith, and not at the same time in charity or works, to the intent that they might be totally severed from the Roman Catholics, as to the very essentials of the church, which are faith and charity . . . . [T]hey established such separation by the following considerations, namely, "that no one can do good which confers salvation of himself, nor can he fulfill the law"; and moreover, lest thereby any merit in man should enter into faith. That from these principles, and with this view, they excluded the goods of charity from faith, and thereby also from salvation (Brief Exposition, 23).

     In the Writings there are many other specifics concerning the destructive impact of the doctrine of faith alone.

     Those who from religious principles omit such inquiry [searching out sin in themselves] are especially those who separate charity from faith; for such a one says to himself, "Why should I search out whether there is evil or good? Why should I search out whether there is evil when evil does not condemn me? It is faith alone, thought of and declared with assurance and confidence, that justifies and purifies from all sin; and once I am justified I am whole in the sight of God. I am indeed evil, but God wipes it away as soon as it is committed, and so appears no more" (DP 278b2).

     The third blockage is a most corrosive doctrine relating to the Divinity of Christ. An article published by U.S. News and World Report on Dec. 20, 1993, entitled "Who Was Jesus?-A New Look at His Words and Deeds," clearly sets forth this erosion concerning His Divine. Oddly enough, most of the people cited in this article are associated with so-called Christian institutions located across the United States.

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The article begins as follows:

     Jesus walked out of the Judean desert nearly 2,000 years ago, an unknown itinerant preacher, proclaiming to all who would listen that the Kingdom of God was at hand. It was said that he was a healer and a gifted teacher who challenged conventional wisdom and spoke with authority and wit. In the villages and hillsides of Galilee, curious crowds would gather to witness his deeds and hear his teachings. Some followed him, believing he was God's anointed one, while others dismissed him as a pretender and a troublemaker. Less than three years after he began, he was arrested in Jerusalem and executed on a Roman cross. His death, and the testimony of his followers that he arose from the dead, would change the course of history.
     Today, as in his own time, Jesus of Nazareth remains one of history's most intriguing and enigmatic figures. The religion founded on his teachings counts nearly a third of the world's population as members, yet his words and deeds and the meaning of his life, death and Resurrection are subjects of intense debate . . . . The quest for the historical Jesus begun in earnest during the Enlightenment has focused as much on the veracity of the New Testament Gospels as on the figure of Jesus himself. The late-18th century skepticism dramatically altered the scholarly view of the Gospels. They came to be viewed not as pure biography or objective historical documentation, but as theological proclamations based on historical events believed to have occurred decades earlier.
     In the Gospels, Jesus frequently refers to himself ambiguously as the Son of Man and to God as Father. Yet he shies away from publicly proclaiming himself as Israel's Messiah. Only in the Gospel of Mark, when asked after his arrest if he is Israel's Promised One, does he respond "I am." Some scholars doubt Jesus ever spoke these words. They argue instead that the declaration reflects the view of his followers as they came to understand the meaning of his life, death and Resurrection.

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     The quest for the historical Jesus is likely to continue, yet the belief that He was the Messiah who, after His resurrection, became God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit-the Infinite Creator-is less and less believed by many so-called Christians.
     Swedenborg succinctly explains why the above religious falsities must be removed before the New Church can be strongly established on earth.

     It is according to Divine order that a new heaven should be formed before a New Church is established on earth . . . . Just so far as this new heaven, which constitutes the internal of the church in man, increases, so far the New Jerusalem, that is, the New Church, comes down from that heaven. Now this cannot take place in a moment but only as the falsities of the former church are removed; for what is new cannot enter where falsities have previously been implanted unless those falsities are first rooted out. This will take place with the clergy, and similarly with the laity (TCR 784).

Other Developments

     The two established false doctrines and the declining belief in the Divinity of Christ are obstacles to the acceptance of the New Church. Much the same conclusion was reached years ago.

     At the very beginning of church membership there are always some who find the teaching of the Writings concerning the slow growth of the New Church a hard saying of a different kind from those that we have been considering [divorce and adultery]. In their joy that they have been brought to the light, their gratitude for the effect this has had upon their lives, and their enthusiasm to share with others the blessings they have received, they feel certain that there must be countless thousands who would respond as they did-if only the church had the means, the methods and the man power to engage in mass evangelization. That the church must first be with a few, and increase successively, seems a hard saying indeed.

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     If this were something the church had formulated to compensate for being a minority, or to foster the idea of a spiritual elite, it would, of course, be indefensible. But we are dealing here with some very explicit teachings in the Writings (Selected Editorials: Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, p. 111).

     The General Church of the New Jerusalem must take the lead in destroying the intellectual acceptance of the pernicious doctrines of three Gods, faith alone, and the denial of the Lord's divinity. The Theological School and the College of the Academy of the New Church at Bryn Athyn should establish a doctrinal council to critically examine these doctrines and create guidelines for weakening and later demolishing their appeal. At least one or two expert protagonists must be developed to organize and sustain the intellectual assault on these erroneous spiritual debasements. The Writings of Swedenborg will provide much ammunition for this counter-attack. The intellectual environment of today and tomorrow differs from that of the 18th century. Furthermore, the communications environment differs markedly from what it was just a few years ago.
     During the next thousand years the human environment will change dramatically, especially in North America. What appears to be happening in the United States and Canada is the creation of a new human race. In the U.S., for example, there are 25 million blacks, the same number of Hispanics and some 5 million assorted orientals. Gradually these people will merge into a new racial group. In the process they will lose many of their current beliefs. This will be particularly true of the Catholics, who possess the strongest and most dogmatic negative theological belief-that of three gods supposedly being one Divinity. A Catholic journal, The New Oxford Review, asks, "Why Is the Catholic Church So Hated?," overlooking this central Catholic doctrine. This and other beliefs will erode as the new human race emerges in North America. This process will ease the acceptance of the essential doctrines of the true Christian religion.

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     Finally, a third factor will alter the world and its role in the universe in the next thousand years. This will be the emergence of effective and safe travel within our solar system and then farther into space. As this happens it will be possible to send into outer space the Old and New Testaments as well as a package of the Writings of Swedenborg. Thus the passage of time will enable the future New Church to grow on this earth and to begin an expanded spread of the Word of God, as developed on earth, throughout the universe.
     When and how the future leaders of the General Church will recognize and act on this essential doctrinal expansion remains to be seen. But it seems obvious that it must be done if the Writings of Swedenborg-the second coming of the Lord-are to be widely accepted here, and eventually everywhere.
JORGE LUIS BORGES AT BRYN ATHYN 1995

JORGE LUIS BORGES AT BRYN ATHYN       DAVID P. MILBY       1995

     Associate Professor of Visual and Integrative Arts Penn State University, Ogontz Campus

     In the winter of 1984, Jorge Luis Borges visited Bryn Athyn's Swedenborgian Cathedral of the New Jerusalem. Borges had been lecturing at Penn State, University Park, Pennsylvania, where my Spanish-speaking colleague Stan Nowak met him and found out about his interest in visiting the cathedral. I received a phone call from Professor Nowak who knew that I regularly had been taking students to (and photos at) Bryn Athyn for years for artistic reasons. "Could I arrange a visit on his swing to Philadelphia?" Stan asked. I called the good rector of the cathedral, who immediately realized the importance of the request and was generous enough to accommodate Borges's Saturday schedule.

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     Meeting Borges at the cathedral was truly a dream realized, very surrealistic. On a cold, rainy, wintry, blustery day, a wisp of a man emerged with determined and graceful movements like a dancer. Despite his advanced age and 95% blindness, Borges moved through the cathedral with ease. He had helpers-two young women who appeared to be his secretaries, interpreters, confidants, sometimes giving physical support; and a young man who may have been a husband of one of the women. Outside, Borges had appeared to be almost blown away by the wind; inside, as he whisked around the part Romanesque mostly Gothic structure, he seemed already to be a part of it.
     When told that all of the details in the wooden pulpit had been carved in the round, he felt with his nimble, extremely sensitive fingers behind the sculptured carving. He ran his hands over the stone as though it were very expensive fabric. I regret that he did not hear the organ and could not see the windows, both of which are so beautiful, moving and dramatic. Before he left, Borges was kind and playful enough to sign my copies of his works. Finally, we saw him "dance" like a dervish to his chauffeured limousine, going south to Philadelphia to catch his plane to wherever, perhaps London. It wasn't until ten years later that I was to read exactly how interested and impressed he was by the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, about the time of his entry into the spiritual world.
     I learned later that between University Park and the cathedral, Borges visited Pennsylvania' s Crystal Cave, an experience he had had years ago before losing his sight-an interesting choice of last "re-experiences" for an unsighted writer, I thought. Ablind renowned writer touring a cathedral and a cave-sounds like the subject of another Borges story.

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Editorial Pages 1995

Editorial Pages       Editor       1995

     A WONDERFUL FUNCTION OF A CHURCH (5)

     Two Different Sprinklings

     The Writings speak of the "church" being scattered, dispersed, spread (sometimes the word is "sprinkled") throughout the earth. For example, it is said in Heaven and Hell 325 that "the Lord's church is distributed over the whole world" or "spread over all the globe."
     This is not talking about the church where the Word is. It is talking about people of differing beliefs, all those who have lived in charity in accordance with their religious belief. This "church" is both within the church and outside the church. It knows no boundaries. Notice the two different ways "church" is used in the following: "The church of the Lord is not here, nor there, but is everywhere, both within those kingdoms where the church is, and out of them . . . . Hence it is that the church of the Lord is scattered through the whole world" (AC 8152). In the new Swedenborg Society translation this reads: "The Lord's church is not in this particular location or in that, but resides wherever people lead lives in keeping with the commandments of charity."
     Many in the world affirm that the true church is "spread and dispersed throughout the whole world, existing also with some who are ignorant of the Lord and do not have the Word" (DP 325). (In the August issue we noted a distinction between "having" the Word and actually reading it.)
     What about the church in a different sense, that church that is by definition where the Lord is known through the Word? "There can be no conjunction with heaven unless somewhere on earth there is a church where the Word is, and where by it the Lord is known" (SS 104). The church in the wide sense is scattered all over. And the church where the Word is may also be scattered.

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     The Writings link the above passage about "somewhere on earth" to a wonderful thing. "It is a wonderful thing that where the Word is read with reverence and the Lord is worshiped from the Word, the Lord is present together with heaven . . . . This may be effected with the Word by Europeans in many parts of the habitable globe because their commerce extends over the whole world; and everywhere the Word is read by them or there is teaching from it. This appears like fiction, but still it is true" (DP 256).
     The above passage refers to the spreading of the Old and New Testaments. Your attention is now invited to what the Writings say about the Jewish people who read the Old Testament with reverence and preserve it in the original Hebrew. Think of the way they have been sprinkled around the world. They have been "dispersed over a great part of the world for the sake of the Word in its original language, which they more than Christians hold sacred" (DP 260). Something wonderful has been accomplished through a certain people dispersed widely in the world. Of this more next time.
OUR FATHER 1995

OUR FATHER       Rev. Erik Sandstrom       1995




     Communications
Dear Editor:
     Regarding the article "God as Mother and Father" (July and August issues), the Word never teaches that God is a mother-not anywhere: not in the many books of the Old Testament, nor in the five books of the Word of the New Testament, nor in the many books of the Writings. Moreover, the Lord is universally referred to as He (or forms of "He"); and the universal defines the singulars.

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And the singulars include the many passages where the Lord is spoken of but no pronoun occurs. In the same way His kingdom, in heaven and the church, where a pronoun is called for, is universally she (or forms of "she"), as in Isaiah 66:10-"Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her; rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her." This is because the Lord in relation to heaven and the church is Bridegroom and Husband, and His kingdom is Bride and Wife.
     Mr. David's doctrine of "God as Mother and Father" is an innovation. He comes by it, I think, by confusing origin and essence, and by a mistranslation.
     Origin and Essence. The argument appears to be that, since God creates women as well as men, therefore there must be something feminine in God. God, the Creator, is Origin; woman, His created daughter, has a feminine essence. That of course is the popular argument of the feminist movement insofar as religion enters into it.
     The sun of the sky gives the heat and light from which the rose and the carnation live, but the essence of the rose is whatever defines it as a rose and what distinguishes it from the carnation. Neither the rose nor the carnation is in the sun. Electricity is the power source in the electric iron, the TV, the shaver, and the lamp bulb, but the essence of the iron is heat; of the TV, sound and visual image; of the shaver, motion; of the lamp, light. The origin is what flows into a receptacle, but the essence is the beginning of what flows out of it. There is no sameness between the one and the other. There is correspondence. All things sustained by the sun of the sky correspond to the sun in one way or another; yet there are no samenesses of all these things in the sun. So the Lord in His Divine Human is the Maker (origin) of all things, including women, but there is no sameness of a woman in Him-nor is there any sameness of an imperfect, fallible man in Him.
     There is a parallel question as to an earthly father and his daughter, the soul of an offspring being from the father.

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Since, therefore, a father can beget a daughter, is there something feminine in the father? The Writings address that question: When I asked how the feminine is propagated from a masculine soul, I received the answer that it is from intellectual good, this in its essence being truth; for the intellect can think that a thing is good, thus that it is a truth that a thing is good (CL 220, emphasis added). This intellectual good, a masculine quality, is the origin of a feminine soul, in whom that good takes the form of the love of truth.
     But the doubter asks, "Are you sure this intellectual good is not a feminine quality?" The Writings have an answer to that too: "In the male, the masculine is masculine in every part of his body, even the most minute, and also in every idea of his thought, and in every grain of his affection; and so likewise, the feminine in the female" (CL 33). Further: "In a word, nothing whatever in [the male and the female] is alike; and yet, in their single parts, there is what is conjunctive" (Ibid.).
     A mistranslation. The Writings teach that between God and man there is no continuity but only contiguity (see DLW 56). Contiguity means touch. The Divine touches the human being, and by the Divine touch a finite and non-Divine activity is enkindled in the created human being, which is called his or her "life," and is in a human being an activity of choice. That life, as taught in DLW 1, is his or her love, clarified in DLW 368 as his or her "own love," and still further clarified in DLW 369 as the person's "reigning love."
     And since the Divine life is not continuous with the life of the man or the woman, therefore there can be conjunction of God and a human being as between two (see DLW 56). Contiguity is the order of creation, and it is of paramount importance to understand and acknowledge it. (See further in AC 1999:3-5 and 2004:3.)
     But Mr. David, apparently thinking that the Divine is continuous in us His creatures, sees both a "God in me" and a "God in others." So he declares: "God in me is my Father, called 'the Lord.'

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God in others, called 'the Church,' is my Mother" (August, p. 347). This doctrine seems to stem from his interpretation of AE 1096:2, which (apparently in his own translation) he quotes thus: "The first and foremost thought that opens heaven to us is thought about God, because God is the whole of heaven, to the extent that whether we say God or heaven, it is the same thing." That statement, thus translated, he applies to the creation of the human being ("In the image of God He created him, male ,d female He created them"), and then he draws his conclusion: "Everything human comes from the human form of God expressed in us, so everything that we call 'masculine' or 'feminine' reflects something of God" (July, p. 321).
     But "God is the whole of heaven" is a mistranslation Omne caeli means "the all of heaven." The word for "whole" is totus, which occurs in the passage Mr. David quotes in his very next paragraph: "It is from the Lord's Divine Humanity that heaven as a whole (in toto) and in part resembles a human being (HH 78)" (July, p. 321).
     The distinction may seem trivial, but it is vital. "Whole" is encompassing; "all" is infilling. The principle is stated in HH 7: "The angels taken collectively are called heaven, because they constitute heaven, but yet it is the Divine proceeding from the Lord which inflows with the angels and is received by them that makes heaven in general and in part." The Divine makes; angels constitute. And because the Divine makes heaven "in general and in part," therefore it is the All in all of heaven, by infilling, and is heaven itself. Nothing from the angels "makes" heaven. The Divine of the Lord, omnipresent in heaven, is contiguous with all angels, never continuous with them. It is, therefore, profoundly true that "because God is the All of heaven, to the extent that whether we say God or heaven it is the same thing." But "the angels, taken collectively, constitute heaven."

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     I would urge Mr. David to rethink his words: "The Lord in you is your Father, but from my standpoint, is the Church, my Mother. Our Mother, God with all of us, loves our Father, God with each of us" (August, p. 347). This comes perilously close to having two gods among us.
     Since the Lord is the All of heaven and the church, therefore heaven and the church are totally from Him. And therefore heaven and the church are our mother. But the Lord in His Divine Human is our Father.
     Rev. Erik Sandstrom, Sr.,
          Huntingdon Valley, PA
FORMAL WORSHIP AND PARADIGMS 1995

FORMAL WORSHIP AND PARADIGMS       Winyss A. Shepard       1995

Dear Editor:
     I was interested in Beryl Simonetti's article "Polarization, Paradigm Shift, and the General Church" (June issue, p. 271), claiming to discern and suggesting the need for a new paradigm or shift in frame of reference in the General Church in regard to patterns of thought and action that should lead to a spiritual life. She also sensed a polarization within the church on the issue of appropriate worship and ritual.
     It is hard for me to see this as a reason for polarization, since none of the forms of ritual in our church are exactly hoary and brittle with age. We have already changed our Liturgy at least once in my lifetime, and by the time this letter appears, we will have done so again, unlike, for example, one Protestant denomination which has a whole branch that finds its identity in preserving the use of their 1928 Prayer Book, long since replaced by the rest of their congregations.
     But assuming for the sake of discussion a possible need for a "new paradigm," it would seem necessary that the "old" one should first be accurately defined, something I feel the article fails to do. First, a dichotomy is presented between love to the Lord and love of the neighbor.

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But surely all worship within the church should lead to both. I had always thought the aim of any sermon was to help us understand, through explanation of doctrine, what the Lord was telling us about how to be a better person.
     This is certainly possible either in an informal setting, such as is usual when the few church members in our Birmingham area gather to hear a visiting minister, or in the formal setting of the Cathedral. But what is missing in a small gathering in a home, however warm and friendly, is the great emotional power of a Cathedral service in all its beauty and, yes, formality. How could this be considered purely intellectual? Shortly before I read Mrs. Simonetti's article, I had visited Bryn Athyn and enjoyed the wonderful experience of a Sunday service. Frankly I do not now recall exactly what the sermon was about (except that it seemed good at the time), but the spirit of togetherness in the worship service and the singing of the hymns (in harmony, no less) is still vivid.
     I can, of course, recall sermons when I was growing up in Bryn Athyn when an individual minister got so involved in doctrine that he failed to convey a relevant message. But this did not seem the fault of the form of service. And while I would agree with Mrs. Simonetti that there has in the past been a good deal of authoritarianism and perhaps paternalism in church governance, I fail to see what is authoritarian about our form of worship. Rather I think a relatively formal service is the best possible protection of individual freedom.
     One reason is that it allows people who will inevitably be in a variety of spiritual states to join together without anyone's feeling forced to participate at a level he or she may not be ready for. Another is that it provides protection against spiritual domination by some charismatic individual skilled, consciously or unconsciously, at manipulating others through emotions. Examples of such manipulation are all too common in some present-day charismatic Christian movements.

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     There is a large Episcopal church in downtown Birmingham which I have attended with my husband. It has a big congregation of all ages, and every Sunday holds services at 7:30, 9 and 11 a.m. The worship service is quite traditional, although a very informal talk to children is usually included in the nine o'clock service, and between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. there is a choice of classes and discussion groups.
     There is a considerable group within the congregation who participate in the "Cursillo" movement. (The term was adopted from a Catholic Church movement in the Southwest, thus the Spanish name.) I have not participated in a Cursillo weekend, held at the Episcopal Church camp for this area, but from all reports it sounds much like some of the General Church's spiritual growth or enrichment programs. Those who have attended have found it meaningful, and generally continue to meet with their Cursillo group at least occasionally. But the point is that such participation is voluntary, and I have never heard anyone involved in this program even consider substituting it for their regular forms of Sunday worship. They seem quite comfortable with both. This may not be a model for the General Church, but it is at least a good example of accommodation without fragmentation.
     I am also concerned with the fact that in places Mrs. Simonetti implies that those involved with her "new" paradigm are somehow in greater mutual love and charity than other church members. ["Authority and obedience are key aspects that underlie the older one. The new one is held together by mutual love and community (charity)" p. 174.] To me this seems to show not only an astonishingly uncharitable view of those preferring our traditional forms, but also a lack of understanding of those in our past who helped to create them. Anyone at all familiar with the early days of the Academy would be hard put to find people with a greater sense of community, despite the strong individualists among them. Faith was of tremendous importance to them-but faith alone was never preached.

475


Keeping in mind the passages from the Arcana cited by Mrs. Simonetti on combining diverse understandings within the church, surely we should be able to maintain a structured church ritual which preserves the spiritual freedom and emotional well-being of all, while developing a variety of additional group programs to meet the needs of those who wish to participate in them.
     Winyss A. Shepard,
          Birmingham, Alabama
CONCERNING BULGARIA 1995

CONCERNING BULGARIA       Rev. Olle Hjern       1995

     Dear Editor:
     Quite a new interest in Swedenborg has recently been shown in Bulgaria. A lady from Sofia, Mrs. Vera L. Gancheva, has several times approached me in Sweden, suggesting Swedenborg publications for her country.
     Recently she found a solution for having a good first introduction to Swedenborg in Bulgaria. Mr. Carl Goran Eckerwald's book Memorabilia, quite a good summary of Swedenborg's True Christian Religion, published in 1987, will be translated into Bulgarian, without postscript or pictures, but with a comprehensive introduction by me instead. Vera L. Gancheva is a managing director of Hemus International Publishers in Bulgaria, active in cultural communication between our countries and close to the present Bulgarian authorities. She reports a great interest in philosophy and occultism, but also in Swedenborg and the New Church, in her country. I have been invited by her to come next year to lecture in Bulgaria. We are also preparing a Swedenborg anthology in the Bulgarian language.
     Rev. Olle Hjern,
          Stockholm, Sweden

476


Correction 1995

Correction       Editor       1995




     Announcements




     The baptism report of Linnea Heinrichs in the August issue, p. 382, had a mistake in the birth date. Linnea was born on May 11, 1994.
EVANGELIZATION SEMINAR 1995

EVANGELIZATION SEMINAR       Theresa McQueen       1995

     The General Church Evangelization Committee is sponsoring another seminar this coming February. To meet the needs of those closer to the west coast of the U.S., the location will be the Sunrise Chapel in Tucson, Arizona, from February 9 to 11. As with the last seminar, there will be large group sessions as well as many workshop offerings on topics of interest. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn new ideas, share information, and support one another in the exciting and often challenging work of helping the Lord build His church on earth. If you are interested in attending, please contact your local pastor or me: Theresa McQueen, Coordinator, 74 Park Drive, Glenview, Il 60025; E-mail: [email protected]; phone (708) 998-9258.

479


UNKNOWN ADDRESSES 1995

UNKNOWN ADDRESSES       Editor       1995

     Anyone who can supply information as to the whereabouts of the people listed below is asked to communicate with the Office of the Secretary, General Church of the New Jerusalem, P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Last known addresses, from 1992, are shown.
          
Sandra (Smiley) Armstrong
Summit Lane - #41
Newtown, PA 18940

Edward Bouillet and Mary (Martin) Bouillet
P O Box 490
Hendersonville, TN 37077-0490

Joseph Carchedi
Monique Downes-Carchedi
4824 N Hermitage Ave - #1F
Chicago, IL 60640

Gary Clarke
1405 Rogers Road - D-5
Bristol, PA 19007

Price/Diane (Bowman) Coffin
Daniel, Steven, and James Coffin
4N Hill Ct.
Spring Valley, SC 29204

Christopher and Tari (East) Davidson
Justin Davidson
232 N Blair Mill Village East
Horsham, PA 19044

Tammy Friesen
1029 - 119th St
Dawson Creek, BC
Canada V1G4H9

Yvonne Friesen
3440 - 13th Street
Brandon, Manitoba
Canada R7A4R1

Alan Fountain
Box 695, Gravenhurst, Ontario
Canada POC1GO

Barbara (Betz) Hobbs
PO Box 311
Bakersfield, CA 93302-0311

Eric/Darlene (Graham) Hovland
Matthew Hovland
Rachel Hovland
303 Ormond Dr
Oshawa, Ontario
Canada L1K 1J1

Todd and Sharyl (Olsen) Huseby
Deric Huseby
Ryan Huseby
2800 Lake Blvd
N St Paul, MN 55109

Claire (Murdoch) Kaminsky
11223 Huston St
North Hollywood, CA 91601

Mr. and Mrs. James Kivett
322 Salisbury Rd
Statesville, NC 28677

Mark Lowry
909 Walker Ave
Greensboro, NC 27403

Joyce (Puckey) Massick
Kit, Nina and Scott Junge
11451 SE 326th Pl
Auburn, WA 98002

480


Now Available 1995

Now Available       Editor       1995

ARCANA CAELESTIA
by Emanuel Swedenborg

     VOLUME TEN

     John Elliott's new English translation
Published by

Swedenborg Society
     Hardcover - U.S. postage paid $19.75
Softcover - U.S. postage paid $14.75
     General Church Book Center                     Hours: Mon-Fri 9-12 or by appointment
Box 743, Cairncrest                              Phone: (215) 947-3920
Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

481


Notes on This Issue 1995

Notes on This Issue       Editor       1995

Vol. CXV           November 1995       No. 11
New Church Life

482




     Notes on This Issue

     "So great is the blueprint of use ingrained upon creation that the universe is called a theater of useful services." This is from a sermon by a clergyman named Buss.

     Another clergyman with the same last name writes: "For the beginning of this paper we will step away from the issues and look at the grand cycles of creation and regeneration. We will be looking at maleness and femaleness at their most basic level."
     As we put this issue together we smiled to see the first two items followed by a report by the father of the two writers. In the report he writes, "We were amazed at the volume of work which is done by the people of Japan. Each month General Church sermons are translated from English for worship . . . . Mr. Yoshiro Goto is translating the Rev. Brian Kingslake's Inner Light. Mr. Matsuo Ooga has been studying the Arcana Coelestia and producing a summary of each chapter to help future readers" (p. 457).

     Dr. William R. Kintner invites us in this issue to take the long view. He not only speculates on the distant future on this planet but also invites us to consider the spread of the Word throughout the universe.
     A decade has passed since famous author Jorge Luis Borges visited the Bryn Athyn cathedral. Professor David Milby recalls the scene. Readers are reminded that Mr. Borges wrote a little poem called Emanuel Swedenborg. The first lines are:

     Taller than others, this man
     Walked among them, at a distance,
     Now and then calling the angels
     By their secret names. He would see
     That which earthly eyes do not see.
Academy Enrollments 1995

Academy Enrollments       Editor       1995

     Enrollments at the Academy of the New Church are 123 in the Boys School and 112 in the Girls School (110 and 105 last year).

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DIVINE CALL 1995

DIVINE CALL       MICHAEL F. PERRY       1995

     In his recent book A World Waiting to Be Born, M. Scott Peck speaks to the issue of a person's "vocation." The Thorndike dictionary1 defines vocation as "a particular occupation, business, profession, or trade," which is the definition that we are all familiar with. The second definition is as follows: "A Divine call to a state of union or salvation with Christ or God." It is in the latter that we find the real call to vocation, that represents the challenge from the Maker to each and every one of us; and it is important that we do understand the nature of this call.
     1 Thorndike-Barnhardt, World Books Dictionary of the English Language, 1982 edition
     There is much evidence that certain individuals do indeed answer a clear and specific call to an occupation. In the political arena, we might well say that Sir Winston Churchill "stepped into the breach," answering a direct call to fulfill the much quoted saying, "cometh the hour, cometh the man." Surely the call to the priesthood, an occupation offering few of the financial fineries of life, and asking for complete self-submission, can only be in answer to a deep call; and if not, it must then be a naked lust for the power to rule, which seems a remote option. In business, there can also be little doubt that the aspiring Young South African accountant Donald Gordon, observing some flaws relative to the functioning of the insurance industry, was surely answering a call to occupation when from nothing he created the Liberty Life empire that is almost beyond the contemplation of the word "empire." In these examples, as well as in the endeavors of the many others, there is no attempt here to evaluate, nor to be concerned with the moral or spiritual issues of the people concerned-only the call to action along a vocational path.

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     We are all distracted by many worldly considerations from feeling a sense of the true Divine calling. For example, the occupational ladder in relation to eminence stretches from the likes of the people mentioned above downward to, let's say, the street-sweeper. We should be mindful, however, of the Lord's teaching: "Judge not that ye be not judged" (Matt. 7:1), so as not to degrade the sweeper's usefulness, on whose operation in cleanliness may well hang the health of many. And from a spiritual standpoint, who of us mortal beings is it that can measure the value of a man's life?
     It is my opinion that much more so in this land of ours [South Africa] than, for argument's sake, in the USA, do we find a tendency among people to attach the person to the work that he/she does; and a consequence of this is that one then operates on the faulty notion that lowly job = lowly person and vice versa, which tends to overlook and often discount the values that lie within the individual. This leads us on to evaluate people and occupations by their financial success, but the Lord reminds us that "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than far a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." On this subject, the Rev. W. Bruce, in his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, has this to say: "It is almost self-evident that the Lord intended to convey a higher than natural truth in these declarations. In regard to wealth, He himself so far expounded his own statement by saying that it is not possessing but trusting in wealth that excluded man from heaven. But this judgment not only applies to natural but to spiritual riches." He then goes on to say that the individual has a choice: "But spiritual knowledge, like natural and material wealth, must be employed for noble purposes or used for unworthy ends."
     Now the vast majority of life's "good people," as polls and psychotherapy will attest2 (and I count myself amongst this honorable throng), have not sensed a higher call to a vocation as it is commonly understood and will, in all probability, not have the luxury of hearing such a call.

485


It is my humble opinion, which is in contrast to those of Peck and others on the subject, that it is unimportant in the greater scheme of things that in this life we should have this flash of inspiration. What we can be certain of, however, is that universally, God has called each and every one of us to use and service. The definition says, "A Divine call to a state of union or salvation with Christ or God." This call is to each of us from the Lord, that man may in freedom "submit his will to the Divine leadership." It is not simply the occupational vocation that Peck and others refer to.
     2 See Scott Peck's A World Waiting to Be Born.
     Another tragedy is that life tends to stereotype the individual, the problem being that the street-sweeper who is given the gift of artistic talent may not be allowed by our culture to see himself alongside a Van Gogh, though his rainbow of happiness lies in art; and so his call to be an artist will go unanswered. So, too, on the other end of the occupational ladder, the specialist physician who senses the call to art but who cannot see, through the "haze of loss" of social and financial good fortune, the huge personal joy and happiness to be had as the artist, will elect to stay in bondage, never allowing the fulfillment of that vocational call.
     If one has not sensed such a call, when authors at large say that we should, it can and often does provoke feelings of guilt, or a sense of having been cheated by life-a wondering if God has left one out in the icy cold. But my theory is that few in this lifetime will sense a specific call to occupational vocation, and that we should accept that. Rather, the universal call from the Divine is to do everything that we attempt as well as we are able, for the sake of our Lord and the neighbour. In the words of True Christian Religion 442, "Real charity is dealing fairly and faithfully in whatever position, business or work one is engaged in, and with those with whom one comes into contact."
     In his book Peck speaks of this latter call, as he brilliantly talks to the issue of what he calls "civility."

486


The web spun, he gives us an indelible picture of honest, moral behavior, which is good for the individual, the organization, and the uplifting-of the entire uncivil world that we live in today. Quite beautifully, he defines civility as follows: "consciously motivated organizational behavior that is ethical in its submission to a Higher Power." Is this not a small glimpse of what heaven is like, and a major challenge to mankind to, in freedom, do unto the neighbor as he would have the neighbor do unto him (see Matt. 7:12) only because it is right and good to do so? How we seem to have wandered, and at times seem to have been led directly by the hells, from this noble cause in the quest for the super ego, the "I." If you have not yet found this gem of Peck's, you deserve a journey in what he terms civility.
     My contention, though, is that civility as described by Peck should not be seen as an end in itself; it is rather a by-product of man's acceptance of the Lord's challenge. His call asks for the submission of the will to His Divine leadership. In doing this, it follows that the action that flows forth will automatically be "man's consciously motivated behavior," and that will be ethical! Surely this, as an ultimate challenge, will test the very mettle of us all. Are we in fact prepared to take on a new and constant Friend and Companion-the Lord, to whom we will turn throughout our wakeful states, checking to see if He is indeed happy with our motives? Each one of us has a well endowed natural man to contend with, and we can be sure that "he" will always want to be right, so he will try to persuade us, often against our better judgment. So for us to have to toss the super ego "1" overboard, when others see things differently and want an opposing course of action to ours, is hard. But we must be mindful that we are not necessarily right, nor are they necessarily wrong; they are just different from us in approach, and see things differently. The doctrine teaches us, "There is infinite variety, and nowhere is anything the same as another" (TCR 422).

487



     When we broaden the picture, from civility in our occupation to an overall submission of the will to the Lord, we can see how these ideas relate to organizational behavior in a church. Some people seem to think that simply belonging to a church is enough. Recently, an acquaintance, reporting on an incident in the work place where a colleague was caught with "fingers in the till," said, "It is a terrible thing for him to have done, and he's a Christian!" He seemed to be saying, "If only the whole world were awash with Christians, would not its troubles be over?"
     There does seem to be universal acceptance among the order of Christian organizations that membership automatically confers goodness. How wonderfully easy all would be if being Christian magically placed the convert not only beyond temptation, but beyond reproach as to motive. That would be heaven on earth!
     But the Lord has clearly taught us in His Word that we too will be tempted, and that only through these states can we be led to our very own land of Canaan. This does not mean that we mortals will not fall afoul of the dragon of self-will in our efforts to be "freely in submission." Rather, we will at times fail, but His promise to us is that He is always there, watching and waiting for us. Our hope should be to be received by the Lord as the prodigal son, whose father said to the older brother, "It was meet that we should make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost, and is found" (Luke 16:32).

     What, then, is the purpose of the organization of the church? Inherently, man has and exhibits a need to belong, and it is, I venture, this sense of belonging that keeps the country clubs going, and, to a large extent, many churches. It is my belief that membership in the organization of the church ought to convey more than is often the appearance. If we take cognizance of civility-"consciously motivated organizational behavior that is ethical in its submission to a Higher Power,"-combine this with the ten membership rules of the Lord's church, and with His call in respect to our life's vocation, what qualities would one expect to find?

488


Surely it would not be a merit-seeking community of individuals, in groups when expedient, looking inward to self for answers, each ready to support his own cause at any price, failing to support the uses of the church. Yet isn't this what we often seem to find?
     The Writings describe two loves which seem to characterize business, the churches, and the world today generally. These loves, 1) the love of ruling from the love of self and 2) the love of possessing the goods of others by any device whatever, "are like blood relations" (DP 215:5). They are indeed the dragon to the man of the church, and the dragon is alive and well. When we leave at home our sling with pouch of smooth stones, those simple truths given us by the Lord, we are defenseless in battle and cannot "consciously motivate our behavior" in ways acceptable in the Lord's sight. It is one thing for us to recognize the Lord's call in our vocation, another to accept it; but what do we do with it, and where do we go with it?
     Can we say that it could be at this very point that we find ourselves now in our organizations of the Lord's New Church? What are our clearly defined goals? What is our objective? And do we have the 100% commitment of all our members to make a forward move? If not, why are we here?
     Could our direction lie in that of the bee? The hive is a hive of activity. The goal is clear: production is the name of the game. No one is left off the team, all willingly perform, all work at their given roles, and the sweetness is in the honey. The Lord is our patient Farmer, waiting to harvest. What is the "honey" that we are preparing for Him? Our task is clear. It is to answer the Divine call, to see our daily lives as a vocation that celebrates the Lord, and we all need to join the team, where the healing is in the doing! We need to get beyond social chatter and get busy doing what the Lord calls us to do, for we are told, "Act precedes; man's willingness follows; for that which man does from the understanding, he at last does from the will, and finally puts it on as habit" (AC 4353).

489



     Life is not easy; it is hard. It calls each and every one of us to action in defense of the goods and truths given us by the Lord. Mercifully He holds the rational mind in perfect equilibrium between the sphere of heaven and the sphere of hell, leaving us with no excuses but with the freedom to choose. When we do this from an affection of truth, AC 6047 tells us that "we are enlightened by the Lord as to what is true, and we are confirmed in it according to the good in which we are" (AC 6047). The Lord will show us the contributions we can make. Yes, perhaps we are at the beginning of the road, a long way from uniting the internal and external. Perhaps our focus has been in the external separated from the internal, but if we are prepared to be in submission of the will to His Divine leadership, the work can begin. The rational, enlightened by the Lord, can become like the good earth in the parable of the sower, on which the seed of the Divine Sower fell and yielded fruit, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirtyfold.
     We have all been charged with tasks to perform, and each has been given the special gifts needed to carry out these uses. We must put these talents3 to good use, because we are told, "For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him" (Mark 4:25).
     3 "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25:21). "Good is a quality of the will, and faithfulness is a quality of the understanding; the one is an attribute of charity, and the other of faith. To be entitled to the approbation of having done well, we must be both good and faithful" (Rev. W. Brace).
     So, let us hear the Lord's call.

490


CYCLE OF LIFE 1995

CYCLE OF LIFE       Rev. ERIK J. BUSS       1995

     A Model for Viewing Gender-related Concerns

     Part 2:

     THE LORD APPEARS AS MALE AND THE CHURCH AS FEMALE.

     The Lord has almost always presented Himself in revelation as male. I have found a few female analogies (e.g., a hen nurturing her chicks-AC 19, Matt. 23:37), and some similes (e.g., "Now like a woman in labor I will groan"-Isaiah 42:14, "Like an eagle that stirs up her nest, that hovers over her young, He spread His wings and caught them . . ."-Deut. 32:11; cf. Isaiah 46:3, 4, Psalm 123:2). I have found one passage that presents a human female image without simile:

Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been upheld by Me from birth, who have been carried from the womb: Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you (Is. 46:3-4).

     These passages should prevent us from trying to say that God is male. However, one Old Testament passage and several analogies and similes almost disappear compared to the consistent and overwhelming presentation of the Lord in a male human form. In fact, these very passages repeatedly use male pronouns to refer to the Lord right after using a female image. There must be a spiritual reason for the consistently male form the Lord takes on.1
     In God Himself love and wisdom are perfectly united. But when we receive the life flowing out of the Lord, we receive more good or truth, and that makes us female or male, respectively (HH 369). The equal union of good and truth in God is perfect. Only in that perfection can a perfect union exist. When the Lord presents Himself to finite human comprehension He needs to do so by means of a finite visible form, and so chooses that either truth or good is predominant. As shown above, He chose to present a form of truth springing from good-the male form. Yet both men and women are created in God's image-both maleness and femaleness are finite receptions of the perfect union of good and truth.

491



     I said above that God "chose" to present Himself as male. I believe that it was not a matter of choice but of necessity. Good, especially Divine good, is invisible and can be seen only when it takes form in truth (see AC 5737:2; DLW 409). The Lord had to proceed as a finited form of good or as truth. (Women, or the church, are presented as good visibly, but, as we will see in the next section, that good is a different kind of good. It is more related to good works than to good loves.)
     The Lord tells us that Divine good by itself is insufficient to redeem us. The following passage explains why the Lord needs to proceed as Divine truth from Divine good:

Jehovah God came down into the world as Divine truth in order that He might work redemption. Redemption was conquering the hells, restoring the heavens to order, and after this, establishing a church. The Divine good is not powerful enough to achieve these aims, but Divine truth from the Divine good is. The Divine good, viewed in itself, is like a round point on a sword, or a blunt piece of wood, or a bow without arrows; while Divine truth from Divine good is like a sharp sword, or wood in the form of a spear, or a bow with its arrows, all of which are effective against an enemy. . . . There is no other way in which the falsities and evils, in which the whole of hell is perpetually plunged, could be attacked, defeated and conquered except through Divine truth coming from the Word. Nor could the new heaven that was then founded have been built up, formed, and arranged in order by any other means. Nor could a new church on the earth have been established by any other means. Moreover all the strength, energy, and power of God belong to Divine truth from the Divine good. This explains why Jehovah God came down as Divine truth, which is the Word (TCR 86).


     The Lord still needs to come into the world as truth today to redeem us, just as He did two thousand years ago. The Lord does not arbitrarily choose to present Himself as male, but rather does so because He saves us by coming to us as truth from good-the male form.2

492



     Similarly, the church can appear in no other form than as the bride and wife of the Lord. The church must depend on the Word as its source, and must live a life of good from that. Because of this necessary order, it will always be a form of good from truth, or a feminine form. To the extent that the church becomes truth oriented without living a good life, it falls into faith alone, and so dies.3
     Before moving on, I want to add the caution so clearly given in the Word: there is no general correspondence between the Lord and men and between the church and women (see CL 125). A correspondence does exist in a few functions men and women perform, such as "insemination, procreation, and love for little children" (CL 127). In other words, the Lord inseminates the truth into the church, and the church receives that truth and gives birth to a good life based on it. The love for the "offspring," which are uses, is shared by the Lord and members of the church. This is shown clearly in the seed parables of the New Testament. Beyond these few correspondences, there is no overall correspondence.

     PART 3:

     PASSAGES WHICH SEEM TO PLACE MEN ABOVE WOMEN

     I have already related the first half of the generative and regenerative cycles to men and the second half to women. In this section I will consider some passages that have concerned people because they appear to elevate men above women. If men are one half of the cycle and women the other half, perhaps the challenging passages appear in a different light when seen from the perspective of the cycle of life. In this section I will take up three teachings: women are created from men; men's affections are internal and those of women are external; the soul of a child comes from the father.

1. Women are dependent on, or created from, men.

     The Word tells us in many places that women are dependent on men.

493


For example, we are told that "the male was created that he might become wisdom from the love of growing wise, and the female that she might become the love of the male from his wisdom and so according to it" (CL 66, 21, 32 et al., emphasis added). These passages seem to indicate that men have an independent life and focus, whereas women were created to look toward men, and their fulfillment seems largely to depend on their husbands. We are frequently told that men are "wisdom" and women "its love" (e.g., CL 175, 115:5, 122, 211, 216). Women are defined here in terms of the wisdom of their husbands, a teaching that is hard for many to understand and accept.
     Furthermore, passages state that women are created from men. The story of the creation of Eve is more literal than we might think. For instance, we are taught that "the female is born to be will-oriented, but will-oriented in response to the intellectual orientation of the male, or in other words, to be a lover of the wisdom in a man because she was formed by means of his wisdom" (emphasis added-see CL 91, 88, 89, 122). This is stated even more directly elsewhere. An angel husband reports to Swedenborg once that

woman was created by the Lord through the wisdom in man because she was created from man, and that she is therefore a form of wisdom inspired by the affection of love (CL 56:3).

     In another passage this principle is related to the creation story in Genesis.

A woman is actually transformed into a wife according to the description in the book of creation. We are told in this book that woman was created from the rib of a man, and that when she was brought to him, the man said, "She . . . is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'Ishshah (Woman) because she was taken from 'Ish (Man)" (Genesis 2:22-24). . . . It follows from this that woman was created from man by a transmission and replication of his distinctive wisdom, which is formed from natural truth, and that man's love for this wisdom was transferred to woman so as to become conjugial love. . . .

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Once this secret of the creation of woman from man has been understood, it can be seen that in marriage a woman is similarly created or formed, so to speak, from her husband, and that this transformation is brought about by the wife, or rather through the wife by the Lord, who infuses into women the inclination to achieve it (CL 193, 32e, emphasis added; cf. CL 173, 325:3).


     In other words, a woman is transformed into a wife in the same way womankind was created from mankind. This is done by the Lord without either the man or woman being aware of it (CL 193:2). The truth of this teaching can be easily seen when we consider the creation cycle.
     In the generative cycle, the man is represented by the downward moving part-truth from good. The "product" of that half of the generative cycle is inert matter and vegetation. By connecting this fact to the regenerative cycle, we could suggest that the Lord creates "inanimate and vegetative matter" through men by gifting them with truths from an understanding of the Word. This is a natural result of their love for growing wise. But without something more-without a life according to them-these truths are dead. They are faith alone. Recall the passage about what men were like when the aura of love of the sex was removed (see CL 161). The men became cold and lifeless. Their wisdom achieves nothing by itself.
     The Lord uses women to take that dead matter and give it life. Conjugial love, the Lord's special gift to women, is essentially the desire and effort to conjoin wisdom with love in use. If women use that wisdom, or inspire its use, life is created. This, of course, relates women to the upward part of the cycles. The life that they create occurs by using the material provided by men, and in this sense women are created from (but not by) men.
     If one considers the products of each part of the cycle-inert and vegetable matter in the "male" portion and life in the "female" portion-the fact that women are created from men is not a denigration of women. The second step in many series is better than the first. We crawl first and then we walk. Walking is a result of crawling. Yet no one would say that crawling is better simply because it came first and was the source of the walking.

495


It is the same with men and women. The product of women is life-conjugial love, the conjunction of love and wisdom in use. It is the purpose of creation.
     Furthermore, the cycle of life doesn't stop after one time through. Women act on men also. The conjugial love that they receive from the Lord is communicated from them to men, so that from crawling, men as well as women can learn to walk.

Ways Women Depend on Men

     A man's job is to provide the building blocks. A woman's is to use and to inspire the use of those blocks to create something useful. A woman is limited by the materials her husband, and to a lesser extent her male acquaintances, give her. If they offer genuine wisdom that she is willing to love, she can form herself around that, but if not, she has a limited ability to fulfill her use. If she is single, she can use only the more general wisdom she receives from her male friends and from the great male writers. It is because women rely on men for these building blocks that the state of a widow is said to be more grievous than that of a widower (see CL 325). Or to put it another way, "In men the mind is elevated into a higher light, and in women the mind is elevated into a higher warmth; moreover, a woman feels the delights of her warmth in the light of a man" (CL 188, emphasis added). Without that light, a woman has less ability to enjoy her warmth.
     I want to reiterate that simply because women depend on men for a kind of spiritual wisdom, they are not in any way inferior. Men depend on women to become sensitive, caring human beings, which is another kind of spiritual wisdom and is a far more fundamental quality. Consider the following passage: "The intelligence of women is by nature modest, gracious, peaceable, compliant, soft and gentle, while the intelligence of men is by nature critical, rough, resistant, argumentative, and given to intemperance" (CL 218). There is a real benefit to what is rough, resistant and argumentative in that it will challenge us and see what has not been seen.

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I think, however, that any angel would say that women are described considerably better in this list. Women may depend on men for a kind of objectivity, but men depend on women to become subjective in the correct way-to love peace and gentleness, to care more for what is useful than for being right, to cherish and to nurture. All of these involve engaging our feelings-being subjective-which is what women excel at and what men cannot do without them.4

Ways Men Depend on Women

     In the ideal interrelationship of a husband and wife, the woman is like the heart and the man like the lungs (see CL 75:5). The same principle is presented in Heaven and Hell: " . . . the will of the wife is also the husband's will, and the understanding of the husband is also the wife's understanding, since each loves to will and to think like the other, that is, mutually and reciprocally" (HH 369). A quick perusal of the final section of Divine Love and Wisdom shows that love or the heart is interior to wisdom or the lungs. So by this reasoning, wives are interior or superior to their husbands.5 In one sense, husbands in heaven depend on their wives in a greater degree than their wives on them.
     The only way that men can become equal partners in this process is to have a part in the formation of the woman's love, which then becomes the guiding force in both their lives. By contributing to the quality of that love, they can let their wives guide them from within because they share the same values. Isaac Newton once said of his success, "If I have seen farther than others it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants." What women offer is the pinnacle of human endeavor, but they could not get there alone. Men have had a part in the formation of that love by giving the women the materials with which they could work.

Although they are "created from men," women have an independent existence.

     This is obvious. An unmarried woman has a mind and thoughts.

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From birth the woman's mind has the beginnings of the wisdom of wives; this does not occur only after marriage (see CL 208, 21, 44). What, then, is meant by the teaching that a woman is created from a man? I believe that what is being spoken of is the process by which men and women find their purpose in life and their fulfillment, rather than the structure of their minds.
     What has been described above cannot relate to the structure of the minds of men and women. If that were so, the structure of a woman's mind would be truth internally and good externally, when we know that good is always the inmost in any person (see AC 6872:2; DLW 1). In terms of the structure of women's minds, conjugial love must be their inmost (see CL 188, 223).
     Truth is inmost in women in that they form their loves from that truth. So the truth is prior in the sense of causing their love to be such as it is (as far as the women are willing to receive the truth). We could return to the idea of crawling and walking. Both are processes, not structures. I believe that the Writings are talking about the process by which men and women interact and are conjoined.
     The fact that the truth from the man appears to be higher than the woman's love might be what is meant by the statement that the heavenly marriage occurs between truth of a higher degree and good of a lower degree (see AC 3952). In other words, although women have other deeper parts of their characters, the way that men and women are joined is principally from the woman's absorbing what is true from her husband and uniting herself with that (see CL 193-198).

Spiritual Ecology: the Effect of Men and Women on Each Other

     Since women symbolize the "living" matter of the creation cycle, and men the inanimate and vegetative matter, we could apply some of the principles of ecology to the way people and animals affect nature.
     Men affect women by offering them the appropriate "soil" and "vegetative matter." Women choose the truths which they can love, and form their loves around those. The man's role is essentially passive in this process (see CL 161).

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Life forms choose the inanimate materials out of which they build themselves. An animal chooses certain foods over others. If none of its preferred foods is available, it will eat what is available or it will starve. Maybe even some loves (like certain animals) will not be able to survive if the ecological climate is too harsh or provides too little of a critical nutrient. On the other hand, in a healthy environment, new animals come and flourish.
     Women affect men just as people and animals affect the environment. A few beavers can turn a river into a lake. The introduction of a new predator can change the mix of all the animals below it on the food chain, and that change in distribution can affect the environment tremendously. This can be very positive, as we have seen recently when wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone Park to help keep down populations of deer that had grown too large.
     This would seem to correspond to the effect for good or bad that women have on men. Men's effectiveness depends largely on being able to contribute the right mix of "soil" and "plant life" to provide for life on any degree. That ability changes as women affect men.
     The Writings describe how the Lord and women jointly moderate men's affections so that they do what is appropriate, the Lord from within, the woman from without (see CL 208). This seems to be illustrated well by how animals and people (representing women) affect nature. The Lord operates on nature interiorly, and people operate on it from without. When people lead animals to overgraze an area, what was once a fertile region can become barren. Similarly, judicious planting, pruning and fertilizing can allow the Lord to bring a dying garden to blossom. Even the dead bodies of animals decompose into a rich soil capable of sustaining plant life. The process is truly a cycle.
     Of all living creatures, people affect the environment far more than any others. People symbolize the most interior level of life. Similarly, women's most profound effect on men comes in the inner parts of men's beings.

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The effects are so subtle that men are usually unaware of them, and a woman will frequently hide her influence because a man's knowledge of that influence would limit it (see CL 208e).

The church comes through men and conjugial love through women.

     Men offer a kind of insight and wisdom that women cannot achieve on their own (see CL 188). In this arena they are active. In the arena of building a relationship, and of inspiring the application of that wisdom, women offer something men cannot. Here they are the active parties and men are relatively passive. Our present culture values best the things that men dodetaching from their feelings and looking at issues objectively.6 It fails to see that detaching is only half the process. Re-attaching and then applying what has been seen is the next and final stage. One might say that men provide the raw materials; women design the house. Then they build it together.
     This relates well to the teaching that the church is received first by the man and so by his wife (see CL 125), and conjugial love first by the wife and so by her husband (CL 224, 223, 161).7 We read further that "conjugial love depends on the state of the church in a person, because it depends on the state of his wisdom" (CL 130). Unless the man is providing the building blocks, the woman cannot fully enter into her deepest role.8

2. Men's affections are internal and women's are external.


     "With men there are internal affections, and with women external affections" (1st Index to the missing work on marriage: Affection). We are also told that

this [love], however, is not the first love referred to before, but a secondary love which the wife has from the Lord through the wisdom of her husband. The Lord's love, which is the first love, is the love in the husband of becoming wise (CL 21:2).

     When we take these passages and combine them with the passages given above about women being dependent on men, it can appear again as if women are in some way lower than men.

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As ever, this is an appearance, resulting, I believe, from the natural appearance that intellect is superior to will.

Another Way of viewing the Ascending Half of the Cycle

     I have been speaking of a cycle of descent and ascent, with men represented by the descending part of the cycle and women by the ascending part. Spatial metaphors are inherently limiting when speaking of non-spatial concepts. Strictly speaking, it is an appearance that there is an upward-moving cycle. The ascent is real in that as we grow both naturally and spiritually we become aware of the Lord's influx on successively higher degrees of our minds. Or to put it another way, "terminations" develop in the higher levels such that we can now actively receive life on that level (see AC 5145). This parallels the "ascent by degrees" of created forms of life (see DLW 170, 316). So in this sense the appearance is true. The Lord frequently deals in appearances because that is the best way to convey meaning to our natural minds. I believe that there is a deeper reality underneath the apparent ascent.
     This truer reality, although less useful in helping us understand some of the passages, is useful to us for this particular issue. This reality is that there is a continual descent (see figures 8-10). When speaking about the outmosts of nature and the Word, I made the observation that, although they are the outmost in one sense, they are actually only a means to a greater end-either the creation of people or the regeneration of the people (the creation of angels).

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Influx always descends; it cannot rise. So by definition, the final steps in each are lowest. These final steps are the ones that represent women. It should not be considered a lesser object by virtue of being last. We must think in terms of process, not structure. What comes last is the whole point of the process. This becomes abundantly clear when we consider the relation of James, Peter and John to this process.
     Lord                    Lord                         Lord

     Outmosts of nature     The Word                    Truth

     People               The Church (a life of good)     Good (of life)

     Figure 8               Figure 9                    Figure 10

Correlations with James, Peter and John, or Love, Wisdom and Use

When men and women are described, recall that men are truth from good and women are that same truth clothed with good. There is really a trine-good, truth, then good. The job of men is, from a love for understanding truth, to come to understand it (i.e., bring truth down from God). The job of women is to inspire and to do the work of applying that truth. This is the good of life-a different good from that of men.9
     Women's affections are "lower," then, in the sense that they are more closely tied to use-as the celestial angels' affections might be said to be lower than the spiritual angels'. Yet the celestial heaven is also above the spiritual heaven. We know that conjugial love is the fundamental of all loves, and that women are preeminently in this love, so there is a sense in which they are clearly higher. We might refer to the wisdom of wives which is interior to the wisdom of men as an illustration of the interior qualities women possess (see CL 208). Men may be higher than women in one sense, but women are interior to men in another. The Lord's creation is perfectly balanced.

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3. The soul comes from the father.

     The final issue in this section is the teaching that the soul comes from the father (see AC 1815, 2005). While it is critical to an understanding of the doctrine of the Lord, its relevance to the creation of finite people is unclear to most people. By using the model of creation, we can see why the soul must come from the father. Creation begins with the "male" part of the cycle. The three diagrams shown on the prior page make that point. The "male" part of the cycle is the interior part. Since the soul is also the interior part of a person, it is logical that the father would provide what men provide in all other places. As we have established, the fact that women provide what is lower does not mean it is in any way inferior. If one considers that the receiving vessel affects the soul's ability to express anything, and so the soul's very character (what cannot be expressed will fade away), it is easy to see that the mother and father affect their child equally.
     The teaching that the soul is from the father is confirmed by the teaching that within lands (the result of the "male" side of creation) there is an effort to bring forth forms of uses (see DLW 310). This inner drive to create is part of the male, and it springs from an intellectual quality (CL 220). In fact, the soul descends into the sperm as truth descends by degrees (ibid.), adding one more link between the first half of the creation cycle and the soul coming from the father.

     (To be continued)

     NOTES

     1 Some have argued that God is also our mother ("God as Mother and Father, Michael David, NCL July 1995 ff.). The argument seems to be taken from a few passages which seem to say that the church is Divine. In other words, the church is the female representation of the Divine: "Regarded in themselves, people themselves do not constitute the church, but the Lord in them; and so neither do the angels regarded in themselves constitute heaven, but the Lord in them" (AC 10125, 10157, 9479, 4997). However, this seems to take a half truth and turn it into a whole truth. This Divine which fills heaven and makes heaven is referred to as the Lord (i.e., Jesus Christ); thus it could not in any way be a female presentation of the Divine (DLW 113, etc).

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Furthermore, we are taught that the "Divine is called angelic when it is in angels" (DLW 114). The Divine that makes up heaven is the Divine as received by angels (see AC 10151), and so is not God in Himself but God finitely received, since all reception is inherently finite (see DLW 53, 68; AC 3938:2 and 3, 2004:3, 1999). Furthermore, all things in heaven are said to be "from Him, and all things in heaven correspond to Him" (AC 3637). What is from God and corresponds to God does not appear to be another part of God.
     This paradox that the Lord is the all in all of heaven yet is finitely received is really a restatement of the paradox of acting as if from ourselves-the power is from God and is God, but by acting as if by ourselves, we finitely receive the love and wisdom, and we make it our own (although only as receiving vessels and not the source of the love and wisdom). In that appropriation, the love and wisdom become finite with us and are not God.
     Besides, the marriage of the Lord and the church is important because it involves free human choice to respond to God's love. The Lord desires to love someone outside of Himself, rather than another form of Himself (TCR 43).
     So in summary, God is not male, but He proceeds in the male form. The church which is cast in the female form is characterized by the finite reception of the Lord's love and wisdom and so is not God or Divine. All things in creation, men and women included, are created from God, but, as we will see, maleness and femaleness are really qualities of finite creation. God chooses to appear in one form (which happens to be male) so that we can see Him as one Human God whom we can know, understand and come to love.
     2 Other passages say that the Lord is the bridegroom and husband of the church from good, and the church is the bride and wife from truth (AC 3207, 9182:9, 9198). These seem to be focusing more on the fact that the Lord is active and the church passive or receptive, just as good is active and truth receptive (AC 9961:3). Unless we see the passages referring to the Lord as good in this way, the two sets of passages contradict each other.
     3 Interestingly, this means that the church should be a gentle, nurturing form. Perhaps we in the General Church have not allowed the "femininity" of the church to emerge. Few would question that we have wrestled with the truth, but many more might say that we have not struggled as a church to express the good of life (organizationally, not individually). I suspect that there would be fewer concerns with a male priesthood if the church were more motherly. That more nurturing environment would empower women to find their own, different roles.
     4 In the interest of keeping this paper reasonably short I am not addressing some important issues in depth. For instance, women can read God's Word and understand what is true in order to regenerate. Similarly, men can choose to apply what they see to be true without the direct influence from a woman. They can do this individually because of the general influence of the opposite sex in their lives. If men and women lived completely isolated from each other, women would not be able to understand spiritual truth, and men would not do anything or apply any of their knowledge.

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The sexes influence each other simply by existing together.
     5 There is a qualification to this line of reasoning that I have not resolved to my own satisfaction: When Swedenborg visited the heaven of the Golden Age, and was told that "she is my heart and I am her lungs" by the angel husband, the angel went on to say, "her love outwardly clothes my wisdom, and my wisdom is inwardly within her love" (CL 75:5, emphasis added). This indicates that there is a sense in which men are always interior to women, especially since this statement is made in the context of the relationship of the heart and lungs. The last part of DLW makes it quite plain that the heart is interior to the lungs, yet this statement from CL 75:5 seems to qualify that general assertion. Perhaps we could understand the angel husband simply to be saying that his wisdom is prior in the sense of being formative of her love, rather than more interior. Perhaps it is interior in the sense that the next section speaks of men being interior to women. That is my current understanding, but it does not sit easily in my mind
     6 I recognize that in daily life many women are able to detach from their feelings better than some men. I don't believe the Lord is talking about our external minds when He says that men are able to rise into a superior light and think apart from their loves. I believe this is an interior quality which may or may not be evident in the decisions of daily life. Any woman can separate from her own feelings enough to examine them and then shun those that are selfish. If she could not do this she could not regenerate. But for a woman to separate her thoughts from her loves in the interior way a man does would be to lose the essential gentleness and heartfelt desire to conjoin herself to her husband (or husband-to-be) that makes her a woman. Similarly, for a man to refuse to disengage from his feelings when it is appropriate would harm his masculinity.

     7 Note that this is a different use of the term "church" than what was used above when it related more to women than to men. This seems to be relating more to the reception of truth in the Word, while the former related more to the good of life that springs from that reception.
     8 For whatever reason, there seems to be a lack of study of the truth by men in the church and in our culture. Without the wisdom and study, what do women have that they can form their loves around? Addressing ways to help men and women feel good about studying the Word and pondering its meaning is one of the strongest messages that has come out of this study for me.
     9 Many have noted that, although women frequently work as many hours away from home as men, they still do the lion's share of the household chores. Perhaps this is simply a holdover of a sexism that needs to die. Perhaps it also reflects the fact that women are more willing to do something because it needs to get done. They are more willing to engage in the seemingly mundane jobs because the conjunction of love and wisdom in use is closer to their hearts. This is something men learn from women.
     We could connect this trine to the three key disciples: James (charity), Peter (faith) and John (good works). The "Peter" part both sexes share, but each has a distinctive love: Men have the James-love-charity in abstract, love in concept; women have John-love-love in action, conjugial love, the conjunction of love and wisdom in use. John was the disciple whom Jesus loved because good works are the purpose of creation.

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BEAUTY IN SWEDENBORG'S LATIN WRITINGS 1995

BEAUTY IN SWEDENBORG'S LATIN WRITINGS        Rev. JONATHAN S. ROSE       1995

     A SERIES OF TIDBITS

     How would you describe the language and style of the Writings? Many find it less than pleasing. I asked my ANC College students for a list of adjectives; they gave me both positive and negative terms. On the positive side, they found the Writings fascinating, concise, comfortable, easy, ancient, clean, challenging, thorough, doctrinal, and powerful. There was, however, a predominance of negative adjectives about the language and style: hard, dull, repetitive, thick, monotonous, boring, drab, frustrating, redundant, wordy, trying hard to be official, non-appealing, complex, intellectual, Latinate, fierce, old-fashioned, confusing, and stuffy. Devoted readers of Swedenborg, including these very college students, can see the doctrinal beauty of the Writings and derive great delight from it. But most of these young people, although devoted enough to attend ANC College, evidently have not received an overwhelming impression of beauty from the form of the Writings.
     Now the Writings were not originally written in English, of course. The works that Swedenborg authored in Latin and carefully published are a significant step away from us when we read; we look through the filter of a translator and a different publisher. So despite what many people would automatically assume, the qualities that spawned these unhappy adjectives are not intrinsic to the Writings.
     There is something in us that believes good medicine has to taste bad, and the Writings are very good medicine. Therefore they ought to taste quite bad, at least until one gets used to them. Perhaps it was such an attitude, combined with a predominantly left-brained or cognitive approach to translation, that led the translators and publishers to give the Writings their present form. Yet the Writings themselves say that a lack of delight at the outset can stop us from ever taking a journey into the Word.

     The external sense [of the Word] is also full of delight because it is natural, concealing what is spiritual within itself.

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It needs to be full of delight too if a person is to accept it, that is, to be taken into it and not left standing on the threshold (Arcana Coelestia 5620:13, Elliott translation. The Latin for Elliott's "left standing," deterreatur, actually means to be scared off!)

     When I set out to learn enough Latin to attempt translating the Writings myself, I was a little afraid of what I might find in the original. What if the translators had improved the original? How would I deal with an apparent unpleasantness in their form and style? Yet when I became skilled enough in Latin to read the Writings in the original devotionally, I was stunned by their beauty. There was a vigor and color, a richness and variety and joy that had been lost in the translation. For a while I tried looking back and forth between the Latin and the English to see what had happened, but it was beyond me to tell at the time, so I simply gave up reading the English. In comparison it was no fun.
     Over the years, however, I have begun to be able to analyze what causes the Latin to be so different from the English, and I have some tidbits on it that I would love to share with the readers of these pages.
     For a first example, it took me a while to realize that the physical form of the book in my lap made a difference. The green standard edition conveys none of the pleasure available from Swedenborg's physically gorgeous, handsomely bound large volumes lavished with a pleasing typeface, substantial paper, generous margins, and decorative graphics here and there throughout. It is an entirely different feeling to sit and read a book like that. It is my dream that some day our publications of the Writings will reflect the physical beauty of the originals. Until then I can at least tell you about it, and invite you to come look at the first editions with me in the Swedenborg Library's Swedenborgiana collection on the Academy College campus in Bryn Athyn. Other tidbits another day.

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STORY OF JOHN CLOWES 1995

STORY OF JOHN CLOWES       HOWARD ROTH       1995

     Introduction

     This paper is about the life of John Clowes (pronounced Clooz), born in Manchester, England, October 31, 1743, a man who, in my humble estimation, played a pivotal role in the history of the New Church. As an instrument in the Lord's hands, he helped create and establish a solid base of devoted believers in the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. His life's endeavors in bringing the Writings to the English-speaking world are a story that bears retelling to every new generation of New Churchmen! My personal affections have been strongly moved by the exquisite and animated presentation skills he possessed. He made the Writings easily understood, comprehensible and loved. He was truly a great teacher!     
     John Clowes was the second son of Joseph Clowes, a provincial barrister. John's mother was the daughter of the Rector of "Llanbedar" in North Wales; his surname was "Edwards." He was a pious and learned man, transmitting these virtues to his daughter, John's mother. She, in turn, was assiduous in the upbringing of her children. They practiced the habit of private devotion, and regularly attended public worship. Sadly, she died when John was seven years old.
     John's father was a religious man. He attended church regularly with his family. He would assemble them every Sunday evening to hear a sermon and join in private devotions. Joseph Clowes was firm and a man of methodical habits, requiring steadfast obedience from his sons.
     Another important influence on Clowes was his schooling. John attended Salford Grammar School, gaining a competent knowledge of the classical languages Latin and Greek. Afterwards he was sent to Cambridge and then later was admitted as a pensioner of Trinity College. John Law (who would later become Bishop of Elphen) and Allott, Dean of Raphoe, were among his friends at college.

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These prominent men would later play important roles in Clowes' life.
     Noted for his mathematical achievements, Clowes earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in January 1766, and earned a subsequent election to a fellowship of Trinity College in recognition of his classical scholarship.
     In 1769 Clowes was ordained into the ministry of the Anglican Church by Dr. Terrick, Bishop of London. A church building and parish of St. John's-Manchester-were offered to Clowes by its founder, Edward Byrom, an old and dear friend of John's father. It was here that he began his ministry in which he would remain for nearly 62 years, practicing habits of temperance and punctuality he obtained from his mother. (They would be essential to his advancement in the world.)
     Clowes became noted among his clerical brethren for his sentiments on the subject of the trinity. He renewed his intercourse with John Law, then Bishop of London and a suspected skeptic of the trinity. Law would write to him, "Clowes, I would give all I possess to believe in the Divinity of Christ, as you do."
     In later years Clowes would recall events at Cambridge-as the time he was "made sensible that the love of science prevailed in his mind over the love of fame," and that the "delights of friendship were far sweeter than the credit of great connections." He would later tell of one particular day when he was powerfully struck with the sentiment that these two gifts the love of science and the delights of friendship-were imparted from above, and he was compelled to fall down on his knees before the Lord "in the devout adoration of his Divine bounty." Clowes later wrote how he communicated his love of knowledge to children by opening to their view the "new world of wonder which knowledge discovers."
     Clowes wrote of an impression he would never forget: the occasion when an internal dictate said to him, "Thou dost well to wonder and adore; but wait patiently and thou shalt see greater things than these."

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What the greater things were was not made known to him until he began, several years afterwards, to apply his mind more earnestly to the "contemplation and pursuit of religious knowledge."
     Clowes' theological researches and religious views were very limited by his own estimation. He read the "Thirty-nine Articles" which form the code of the doctrine particular to the Church of England, but "this was all." He wrote that he had no clear nor distinct views of eternal truth (which he would later write of) in his own mind, and that his ideas on the subject were those of others rather than his own.
     In the spring of 1773, in an event that would forever change his life, Clowes was introduced to a Mr. Houghton, an ardent reader of Swedenborg's Writings. Houghton was a close friend of John Wesley, who shortly after Swedenborg's death declared in a most solemn manner, "We might burn all the old books of theology, for God has sent a teacher from heaven," and "in the Writings of Swedenborg we might learn all that is necessary for us to know!"
     Impressed by these comments, Clowes agreed to Houghton's recommendation to read Swedenborg's Vera Christiana Religio (True Christian Religion). The book was ordered from London and arrived ten days later. By that time, Clowes later admitted in recounting the story, his inclination to read it was gone! In fact the book was left on a shelf all summer, neglected and almost forgotten.
     In October of that same year, Clowes made his customary annual trip to County York to visit a former college pupil of his, the Honorable John Smyth of Heath. The evening before he set out on his visit, he took the then dusty book off his shelf, not with the intent to read it, but merely to get a better idea of its contents. As he turned over the book's pages, the term "Divine Human" caught his eye. This term was unfamiliar to Clowes' scholarly eye. Still, it did not affect his mind in a manner to produce any lasting impression. On closing the book it seemed to be forgotten and gone.

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     Awakening early one morning a few days following his arrival at Smyth's home, Clowes found his mind being powerfully drawn into a state of "inward recollection accompanied with a state of inexpressible calm and composure never before experienced." Suddenly it was made manifest to him what he could call by no other name, but that the "peaceful state was in close connection with the 'Divine Humanity,' a strong persuasion that this was no other than the Divine Humanity of Jesus Christ!" Recollections of this experience would follow him throughout the day, whether alone or with company. The next morning the same experience occurred, but, according to Clowes' reports, "with increased splendor!"
     Clowes soon felt an irresistible desire to return home-immediately-to reexamine the neglected volume he had left behind. So powerful was this desire that he terminated his visit a week early and hastened back to Manchester where he resided.
     Upon alighting at his father's house, Clowes sought the much-desired volume. Pressing it to his chest with an ardor of piety, he dedicated every morning thereafter, until completion, to the attentive study of Vera Christiana Religio! He wrote that there were "no words to express the effect wrought in the mind by its perusal."
     Clowes' mind was truly changed! He was then convinced, beyond all doubt, that what was happening to him was of the "Divine Presence and operation of the Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ in His Divine Humanity . . . inclining and preparing me to receive and bear testimony to the second glorious advent of God." He soon devoured other books of the Writings: Heaven and Hell, Arcana Coelestia, Apocalypse Revealed, The Divine Love and Wisdom, Divine Providence and Conjugial Love.
     It's important to consider that the Writings at this time were in their original language-Latin-and that no society of people or church professing these doctrines existed anywhere in the world!

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That such a church would eventually be manifested, Clowes was "most entirely convinced."
     John Clowes was not a man to confine any good to himself. Soon he was expounding the teachings of the Writings from the pulpit of the Church of England, and rapidly drawing increased attention to his ministry. To relieve his conscience from the uneasy feelings he was experiencing by appearing in ministerial robes and preaching this profound doctrine without acknowledging his source, Clowes boldly declared Swedenborg as his author! This courageous and, for the times, indiscreet behavior raised the anger of the neighboring clergy and then their jealousy, as the simple-hearted poor began to flock in crowds to his ministry.
     Private applications were made to Clowes for further information respecting the New Jerusalem, which he satisfied by opening the doors of his own home two evenings a week, giving extemporaneous lectures on various theological subjects. At the same time, societies were being formed in neighboring towns and villages for the "mutual edification of the Heavenly Doctrines," and Clowes was asked to attend their meetings. What was first perceived as a duty soon became a delight. Clowes later recounted that some of the happiest hours of his life were passed on these occasions.
     The pulpit, however, was not sufficient to satisfy his ardent desire to make known the Heavenly Intelligence he felt called to communicate. Clowes believed that many minds were fainting for want of more substantial nourishment than the popular theologies of the time were able to finish. The sheer number of these people was beyond the reach of his voice. To reach them the Latin Writings of Swedenborg had to be translated into English!
     At this point in time, Clowes began a communication with the Rev. Thomas Hartley (whom he met through Houghton), proposing that they jointly translate Vera Christiana Religio (True Christian Religion).

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It was soon determined that this would be a disjointed affair. It was finally arranged that Clowes should undertake the whole work, which in spite of all his other clerical duties was completed in two years!
     Clowes saw Hartley but once in London and proposed to his more experienced friend this puzzling dilemma: How far could he, Clowes, conscientiously remain a beneficed clergyman of an establishment whose avowed tenets the New Doctrines were apparently at variance with?! Hartley urged Clowes to remain in the duty of the occupation Providence had marked for him as a priest in the Church of England, enduring the cross that would be put upon him over promoting the New Doctrines. Hartley believed this path would better serve Clowes' purification and usefulness as a pastor than resigning from the church and seeking change from outside the organization. He recommended that Clowes eschew the excitement of self-sought martyrdom and its "insidious sense of merit." Clowes acted on his colleague's temperate advice and stayed with the Church of England. He would remain a non-separatist his entire life.
     Clowes' zeal for the propagation of what he held to be the truth, and the growing crowds of inquirers from neighboring parishes, soon brought upon him serious opposition, a cross he would have to bear. Three clergymen in particular took on Clowes. Initially, they held weekly meetings for the purpose of crushing "the growing heresy" in its infancy. Pamphlets were issued with false charges against him. These were at once replied to and rendered harmless.
     The opposition then took on a more serious form of persecution in a direct appeal to the Bishop of the Diocese (later of London), the celebrated Dr. Porteus. The complaint to the Bishop was accompanied by a hint that Porteus had neglected his duty in having passed no censure on Clowes at the preceding visitation.
     The Bishop wrote to Clowes at once, requesting an interview. Clowes immediately responded and repaired to the palace at Chester.

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Four distinct charges were brought against Clowes:

     1)      That Clowes denied the Trinity
     2)      That Clowes denied the Atonement
     3)      That Clowes went about the country endeavoring to propagate the New Doctrines
     4)      That Clowes held private meetings in his own house for the same purpose.

     The Bishop, in receiving Clowes, invited him to defend against the charges with a full explanation. Hours later, Clowes emerged from the meeting. The Bishop had responded to each answer, saying, "I have no differences with your opinions since they mirror my own. You are vindicated." He dismissed Clowes, but cautioned him to be prudent and circumspect in his conduct. It was plain that Clowes had enemies on the watch, looking to find any cause of complaint.
     Their accusations dismissed, Clowes' accusers never gave him further trouble. A few months later the three clergymen who had taken a leading part in the persecution were gone; two had died and the third left the neighborhood. Clowes wrote in his autobiography that during the persecution he was made sensible of Divine protection. The tranquility and composure in which he believed his mind was preserved was proof to Clowes that he had experienced a degree of the blessing announced in these words of the eternal truth: "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake."
     When he was church rector, one of Clowes' bitterest persecutors was his own curate. His bitterness was probably increased by a debt of one hundred pounds, which Clowes, among other kindnesses, had lent him on his note of hand. The story goes that soon after the curate failed in his attempt to bring his rector, Clowes, under ecclesiastical censure, Clowes sent for him. Producing the note of hand in his possession, Clowes informed the curate he was determined the affair should be settled that day, at which time he tore the note into pieces.

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"Now," said Clowes, "our affairs are settled!" The curate continued in his post and continued with his open resentments against Clowes and the New Doctrines. Shortly thereafter, the curate was taken ill and died a few days later!*
     *It is not the intent or purpose of this paper to sensationalize these amazing events, but rather to record them for your edification.
     In addition to his many pastoral duties and services of worship, Clowes conducted services of worship in his home two evenings each week. He made periodic visits to the country societies around Manchester as well. He would ride in the early morning to some manufacturing village where a society had been formed and where most of the members worked.
     Upon his arrival at a factory, a bell would ring and the members could leave work and assemble in a large room allowed by the proprietors for the purpose of gathering, the proprietors being happy to welcome a minister whose adherents were the most orderly of those in their employ. There men and women with features hardened by difficult work and living conditions would listen intently. Their faces would soften, with tears of tenderness and joy running down their cheeks. They were eager to know the measure of their duty and how to practice it. It was reported that "Mr. Clowes would hold forth in such animated strains that his own fine countenance seemed at last radiant, even to glistening with the light of heaven beaming from it."
     Clowes' missionary visits were not confined to the neighborhood of Manchester. Societies for reading the New Theology were formed in London, Bath, Bristol, Stroud, Birmingham, Liverpool, Hull and elsewhere. But Clowes was a man of intense energy and productivity. In addition to time-consuming activities of extensive travel, he continued the immense concentration and labor involved in translating, and managed to render all but two volumes of the Writings from Latin to English.

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He was a prodigious writer, producing 29 books in addition to the countless number of sermons he composed.
     So vast were the undertakings which occupied his time that Clowes feared he might resign his care for souls. All this labor, he feared, was more than he could bear. While pondering the subject one morning, he sensed the presence of an angelic society from which seemed to come an internal communication: "Do not do it; we will help you!" From that time on, he declared, his sermons gave him no trouble.
     The Reverend John Clowes served the Lord in 58 years of concentrated and dedicated service. He never married. He was the ultimate missionary and preacher, and his unwavering zeal in spreading the Heavenly Doctrines has filled me with awe when I consider all that he was able to accomplish. He was 88 years old when he died May 29, 1831.
     Clowes remained a "non-separatist" to the end. He affected the lives of countless people. From his hard work and devotion arose the beginnings of the New Church organization as we know it. At an April 19, 1787 meeting, a group of New Churchmen proposed to establish a distinct place of worship with forms of prayers and preaching more in harmony with the New Doctrines than those in the established church and the various "dissenting chapels." Among the first group were two famous names, Noble and Hindmarsh, both early parishioners of Rev. John Clowes!
FROM A BOOK BY JOHN CLOWES 1995

FROM A BOOK BY JOHN CLOWES       Editor       1995

     The angelic heaven is an appointed channel of communication and power between God and people. The angels receive Divine love and wisdom, and act under this continual guidance; they are always present with us. They are constantly instilling into us that same love and wisdom they receive from God (Channels of Spiritual Strength, published by New Church Collateral Publishing).

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CHOSEN PASSAGE 1995

CHOSEN PASSAGE       Christina Larissa Steciuk       1995

Dear Editor:
     In response to the invitation to share a personally significant passage of the Writings with the readership of New Church Life, I introduce myself: Christina Larissa Steciuk of Royal Oak, Michigan. I was born in 1944 in Neubistritz, Germany, of Ukrainian nationality. In addition to English I speak Ukrainian, Russian and Polish.
     Approximately two and a half years ago, while listening to a local classical music station on the radio, I caught a portion of an announcement: "If you're interested in the source of Helen Keller's spiritual inspiration and wish to receive a free book, call 1-810-652-3420." Since I had long been deeply moved by Helen Keller's life, but knew little more than what I had seen portrayed in film and documentaries, I called the number given, which I later learned was the number at the Oak Arbor Church of Rochester, Michigan. Under the auspices of the Swedenborg Information Society, I soon received My Religion by Helen Keller and a list of books that I could order for a minimal charge.
     Eagerly reading every single word of My Religion, I felt newly honored and privileged to discover that there was such man as Emanuel Swedenborg, who had given his life to ideas/truths of such luminous, living power, giving Helen Keller a bedrock of unworldly strength throughout her remarkable life. I felt awe-inspired, having come across something incredibly precious, as if in secret. It was as though I was walking through the late autumn woods alone, and in the diffused soft light of an overcast day, stumbled upon something with the toe of my shoe. Moving the damp leaves aside, I discovered/uncovered a huge, vibrantly glowing jewel.
     Having read My Religion, all because of a radio announcement (which I could have missed altogether had it not been that my temporary residing in Colorado had been interrupted by a brief return to Michigan), I can only begin to tell you how powerfully moved I was.

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I knew that something had come to me that I had been looking for all my life. In the depth of my being I sensed a turning point, coming at a time when my father had died, leaving the fruits of his life for me to use.
     Next I ordered Heaven and Hell, which I absorbed with a child's purity of belief, which suddenly, after half a lifetime of yearning, pulsated before me in every single word.

     (To be continued next month)
IN OUR CONTEMPORARIES 1995

IN OUR CONTEMPORARIES       Editor       1995

     The October issue of the Missionary Memo features on the front page a tribute to Gretchen H. Lindsay. "Gretchen has taken the Writings to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of readers. She has distributed the Writings to libraries, hospitals, and prisons all over the United States. Many people who have and will continue to discover the works of Swedenborg through the library system owe thanks to her for the books being there." Mrs. Lindsay writes, "Each time I send out books I pray the Lord will send them into receptive hands."
     The same issue has photographs of a billboard put up in the Chicago area by people in Glenview. "Through the inspiration and tremendous effort of Duncan Smith and several dedicated helpers, for four months a billboard along the Kennedy Expressway carried four different messages to try to attract new people to contact the church or learn more about Swedenborg's writings. These messages offered 'answers for a better life, about the life after death, about angels, and about the second coming.'"
     The Missionary Memo is sent to any member or friend of the General Church who is interested in New Church evangelization. The editors are Rev. Grant R. Schnarr and Theresa S. McQueen.

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Editorial Pages 1995

Editorial Pages       Editor       1995

     A WONDERFUL FUNCTION OF A CHURCH (6)

     In the book Divine Providence is a paragraph about the people of the Jewish Church. They have been "preserved and scattered over a great part of the world for the sake of the Word in its original language, which they, more than Christians, hold sacred; and the Lord's Divinity is in every particular of the Word, for that which goes forth from the Lord is Divine truth . . . and there is a presence of the Lord and of heaven wherever the Word is read with reverence. Such is the end in the Divine Providence for the sake of which the Jews have been preserved and scattered over a great part of the world" (DP 260).
     It is vital that there should be people on earth who read the Old Testament in a reverent way. The very first page of the Writings laments that in the Christian world "the Old Testament is but little cared for" (AC 2). The Jews have been preserved for the sake of the Old Testament (see AC 7051e). "They regard the Word of the Old Testament as holy," and they fill a need left by the disregard for the Old Testament by Christians (see AC 3479:3).
     "That the Word might not be lost, it has been provided by the Lord that the Jewish nation, with whom is the Word of the Old Testament in its original tongue, should still survive and be well dispersed through much of the earth" (De Verbo 39).
     Notice the way this is put in Last Judgment Posthumous, and notice what is added.

Because it was foreseen by the Lord that Christians would not hold the Old Testament so holy as do the Jews, therefore the Jews have been preserved up to this day, and have been scattered throughout the whole Christian world, in order that the Word might still be in its holiness by means of correspondences (n. 254).

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     Who that speculates upon the use performed by the Jewish people realizes the wonderful function performed in the conjunction with heaven by the Word?

     SWEDENBORGIAN ART SHOW UPCOMING IN JUNE 1996

     Friends of New Church Art is proud to announce its upcoming art show at the General Assembly in Bryn Athyn in June of 1996.
     This year's show's focus is "Lilies," which you may address if you wish, but all visual artists who use the theological concepts of the Writings in their work are welcome. Entries must include a cited quotation therefrom.
     Friends of New Church Art encourages artists to express Swedenborgian concepts in their work. Our goal is to develop distinctly Swedenborgian art forms.

About the Show:

     Cash awards for both adult and junior divisions (under age 17) are based on a jury's decisions. One adult work will receive a popular vote prize.
Works receiving cash awards will be donated to the General Church for inclusion in its collection of Swedenborgian art.

Entry Fees.

     Junior category and members of Friends of New Church Art exhibit free of charge.
Adult non-members pay an entry fee of $10.00, which includes one-year membership.
     For entry form contact:
          Friends of New Church Art
          % Helen L. Lee
          1015 Jefferson Heights Road
          Pittsburgh, PA 15235
          Phone (412) 373-0209

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SCIENTIFIC METHOD 1995

SCIENTIFIC METHOD       David and Hugh Lister       1995




     Communications
Dear Editor:
     We have followed with interest the debate aroused by Leon James. In a letter in the August 1995 issue p. 367, Allen Bedford says that in James' view, science is unlimited, with which he disagrees. He then continues to say that some questions will not yet yield to the scientific method, and he says we cannot disregard Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.
     Isaiah predicted, against all the usual observations, that a virgin would bring forth a child and call his name Immanuel (see Isaiah 7:14). This prediction was based on an observation at present outside scientific verification, but worth thinking about in the context of Heisenberg's principle, which though dealing with quantum physics gives scientific expression to uncertainty. Though at present the link between science and the state of mind of prophecy that Swedenborg describes (Heaven and Hell 254) is tenuous, what up till now has been a religious observation can perhaps be opened up to mathematical and scientific analysis, if not at present, at some time in the future.
     It's odd that such a number of unusual events took place in the immediate neighborhood of the Lord when He was on earth, events that are usually few and far between, but certainly well known and attested to all over the world.
     On a more mundane level we would like to take issue with Allen Bedford's statement that the scientific method is limited to what we can observe. With modern theoretical physics we can explore realms of thought far beyond what we can observe in the physical world. Sometimes these theories can be verified as methods of observation improve, but lack of observation does not do away with their validity, though actual observation helps the theorists. The theory can also explain anomalies found by observation.

521


For example, when it can be seen during an eclipse that starlight passing close to the sun is actually bent, this supports Einstein's previously unverified forecast that space-time is bent in the presence of a mass.
     To take another example: Stephen Hawkings predicted, on purely theoretical grounds against all previous supposition, that "things" could come out of a black hole, and this has been verified by observation as the means improved. The prediction is based on Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. In a black hole, due to quantum fluctuations in the electromagnetic or gravitational field, pairs of particles are created, one with positive energy, the other with negative energy. Ultimately it is the particle with positive energy which escapes from the black hole to become radiation. So black holes are not so black as first thought. The created particles can now be detected by small changes they cause in electron orbits in atoms, which can be measured, and they agree with theoretical predictions with a remarkable degree of accuracy. (See Stephen Hawkings, A Brief History of Time, Cambridge University Press, 1988, p. 106). Here the observational possibilities have expanded to a degree unimaginable a generation ago.
     The theoretical basis, too, expands all the time, so we think Leon James is on the side of history, and Allen Bedford fails to appreciate the possibilities of science.
     David and Hugh Lister,
           Bramshill, England
GENDER 1995

GENDER       Sarah Headsten       1995

Dear Editor:
     Thank you for giving so much space to the many thoughts about gender in the church. They helped crystallize my thinking. The questions are powerful ones, stretching our understanding of the nature of the Lord, His heaven, and His church; and perhaps the questions are more important to women than to men. I want to share some reflections I have on this topic, as these are issues which I have thought about for a long time.

522



     First of all, I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is above gender; He appears in a masculine form, but His real essence is feminine and masculine. Genesis says, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:27).
     Furthermore, we learn from the Writings that the Gorand Human has both the masculine and the feminine form.
     Apocalypse Explained 985:2 states that "All things in the human body, from the head to the heel of the foot, both interior and exterior, correspond to the heavens, and in consequence a person is a heaven in its least form, and also angels and spirits are in a form perfectly human, for they are forms of heaven. All the members devoted to generation in both sexes, especially the womb, correspond to societies of the third or inmost heaven
     Further, from Arcana Coelestia 3637: "Relatively to man, the Gorand Human is the Lord's universal heaven, but in the supreme sense the Gorand Human is the Lord alone, for heaven is from Him, and all things therein correspond to Him."
     And still further, from Arcana Coelestia 3021: " . . . for all the parts of the human body correspond to spiritual and celestial things in the Gorand Human which is in heaven . . . .
     Not being able to visualize the Gorand Human can be a stumbling block, just as not being able to visualize the Lord except as He appears in the form of truth can be.
     As for the issue of representation of the Lord, I believe that it is mothers who represent the Lord to their infants, and that later, fathers represent the Lord to these children, and that feminine representation is a more interior, tender one that resides more deeply within each person.
     Thank you for allowing me to add my contribution to the discussion. I hope it continues.
     Sarah Headsten,
          Huntingdon Valley, PA

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SPIRITUAL GRAVITY 1995

SPIRITUAL GRAVITY       Walton Coates       1995

Dear Rev. Grant Odhner and the Editor:
     Thank you for the writing and publication of the insightful sermon "Spiritual Gravity," New Church Life, June 1995.
     Gravity-the force that draws all things in the sphere toward the center.
     In the spiritual world the Lord is the center of gravity. His love draws all things toward itself. The sick woman was drawn up and became well (see Mark 1:31). True, she had received love and a measure of wisdom from Him. The Lord saw truth and good and her faith and charity planted in her. He could and did, by lifting her up, show the unity of her truth and goodness, the faith and charity in her implanted with His Divine truth and love.
     Salvation is the Lord's work. He implants in us. He waters (with ministers and lay people assisting), and He lifts up His human seeds and fruits for His pleasure. His pleasure is human wellness. "The fever left her!" Drawn to the Lord's center, we are freed from the feverishness of the peripherals of political, financial, physical and sociological self-seeking, and from the nit-picking of the theologians.
     Mr. Odhner, I perceive your insight, and hope that you will have many more opportunities to preach and publish expositions for "mere Christians" like me-unlearned in the minutiae of Swedenborg's writings. Be sure to speak and write for the enlightenment of "mere Christians" and also for the flock which is in the great field and wilderness outside of our parochial fold.
     Walton Coates,
          Jenkintown, PA

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Church News 1995

Church News       Ruth Greenwold       1995

     COLCHESTER

     A New Church society is a microcosm of life, and here in Colchester is no exception. We have worshipped and studied together, attended useful meetings, rejoiced at weddings, anniversaries and birthdays, and comforted the bereaved.
     Two lovely weddings took place in 1994, one in July on a hot summer's day between Hilary Davies and Frederik Bryntesson-England and Sweden joined-with the service and reception in both languages. Then in December, on a sunny New Year's eve, Hilda Place and Jared Rogers were married, with Jared's parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters flying over to be present.
     A ruby wedding (40 years) anniversary was celebrated by Fred and Enid Appleton in April 1995 with a big party at the church.
     The Colchester chapter of Theta Alpha continues to flourish under a new president, Kath (Rose) Wyncoll. Several meetings a year are open to the whole society, such as a talk by Bishop Buss and one by an ex-police officer. Another meeting involved preparation of Religion Lesson projects sent around the country to isolated families.
     Four members have departed for their spiritual abodes since our last report: Jani and Roman Szymbra-a year apart-in July 1994 and July 1995, Peter Sherry in April 1995, and Owen Pryke in July 1995. We miss them, but are grateful for their whole-hearted support for the church they loved.
     A gift enhancing the church was given by Mrs. Lavender Ridgway in memory of her husband Rex: a small oak table matching the chancel, for use at children's talks and baptisms. New radiator shelves were donated by David and Margaret Appleton. And with new replacement windows for the sanctuary, library and vestry, along with a new bicycle shelter and a fresh coat of paint for the whole outside of the church, the church looks very smart.
     Our harvest produce, after gifts to older members and sick friends, goes to Hamilton Lodge, a home for the mentally handicapped at Great Bromley just outside Colchester. We have also raised funds for them and we support their fete days. The management of the home, as a result of our efforts and an ongoing support from the General Church Council, offered the General Church here a "Tree of Friendship," which was dedicated on August 16th. Members are invited to picnic under the mature oak at any time!
     We have been honored with visits from three American ministers during the 1995 summer. The Rev. Eric Carswell came for our June 19th celebration. The Rev. Brian Keith gave a talk in an open Theta Alpha meeting about his work as Dean of the Theological School; he also took part in the annual British Academy Summer School.

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The Rev. Walter Orthwein gave two services and gave an Arcana workshop for over 25 people. Thank you, gentlemen, for coming-and bringing your wives too.
     Many thanks as well to our minister, the Rev. Chris Bown, who not only looks after the Colchester Society but travels through the country and the continent, as a pastor and as Bishop's Representative. Ruth Greenwold
BRITISH ASSEMBLY 1995

BRITISH ASSEMBLY       Rev. Peter M. Buss       1995

     The 67th British Assembly of the General Church of the New Jerusalem will be held at the High Leigh Conference Centre on Friday, August 9, through Sunday, August 11, 1996, the Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss presiding. All members and friends of the General Church are cordially invited to attend. For further information contact Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Waters, Robin Hill, Church Lane, Stanway, Colchester, Essex, England C03 5LR.
     Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss
EVANGELIZATION SUPPORT NETWORK 1995

EVANGELIZATION SUPPORT NETWORK       Editor       1995

     The General Church Office of Evangelization is offering an information and support network for people involved in the work of evangelization. Those who are actively involved in this use will benefit from being a part of this network. They will receive periodic updates from other network members on their evangelization efforts, as well as new ideas, reflections, and articles of interest relating to this field. There are no dues or fees to join the Evangelization Support Network (ESN); however, contributions would help with the cost of mailing. If you are interested, please write to: Evangelization Support Network, c/o Office of Evangelization, P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. You can also sign up by calling Gall Steiner (secretary) at (215) 947-8098.

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Notes out This Issue 1995

Notes out This Issue       Editor       1995




     Announcements







Vol. CXV     December, 1995     No. 12
NEW CHURCH LIFE

530




     Notes out This Issue

     Some of our readers in North America will soon have the opportunity to meet Mr. Michael Perry, author of the article on the opposite page. Actually it was a speech at a church program in South Africa. Mr. Perry is the father of Rev. Mark Perry of Atlanta. He is traveling from his home in Westville, Natal, to spend several weeks in the United States.
     Please note that the information on the June assembly art show is to be found on page 519.
     Also note (on page 525) that there will be a British Assembly in Colchester next August. And notice that Ruth Greenwold has sent us material from Colchester for the "Church News." She begins by saying, "A New Church society is a microcosm of life." This magazine used to print much more church news than it has lately. We would welcome more news, but would add that we always have far more material than we can print.
     We were glad to be able to print a communication from Christina Steciuk of Michigan, and next month expect to print a photograph with her "chosen passage."
     A Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation is required by the Post Office. Our ownership and management appear each month on the back cover and contents page. Our current circulation is 1581.
MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENT 1995

MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENT       Peter M. Buss       1995

     The Rev. Jeremy F. Simons has accepted a call to become Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society, effective July 1, 1996.
     Peter M. Buss,
          Bishop

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GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST 1995

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST       Rev. Walter E. Orthwein       1995

     A Christmas Sermon

     "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14).


     The immense joy and hopefulness expressed in this angelic outpouring may seem quaint and outdated in our cynical, modern world. And yet it still strikes a chord in our hearts, and if there should ever come a time when these words lose their power to lift our spirits, that would be a sad day indeed.
     If our own time seems dark, it was darker then, on the night when the Lord was born. There was sadness even in heaven over how cold and dark the spiritual atmosphere of our world had grown; but then, when the great event which had been foretold for so long came to pass, the angels' hearts were uplifted and overflowed with joy, and the good tidings from heaven spilled over onto earth.
     Shepherds were watching over their flocks when suddenly a bright light from heaven lit up the night sky over the fields of Judea, and an angel announced the joyful news that the Savior had been born. "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
     Do not imagine that because this story has such a sweet and childlike simplicity about it that it is less than true. Nothing truer was ever recorded in all history! Nor is the truth of it just historical-these good tidings are repeated for us whenever we take up the Lord's Word and read it with a humble desire for the Lord to speak to us. "The multitude of the heavenly host" that sang to the shepherds are the truths of the Lord's Word (see AC 344).
     Our text expresses a beautiful sentiment, but more than that, this brief chorus sums up everything the Lord taught while He was in the world, namely, love to the Lord and love to the neighbor.

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The whole Word is contained in this heavenly greeting!
     "Glory to God in the highest . . . . " This comes first. This is the context and condition which is necessary if the angelic promise of peace on earth is to become a reality. The Lord is the Source of all peace, and however much people may wish for peace and strive to bring it about, without Him we can do nothing. To "give glory to God in the highest" means to acknowledge Him and worship Him and love Him above all else, and to live in the light of His Word (see AE 678).
     The world wants peace, but is the world willing to turn to the Source of peace and give glory to God in the highest? The two things are inseparable, because the Lord is the Prince of Peace, and only where He rules can there be peace. Wanting peace while ignoring the Lord is like wanting the warmth of the sun while rejecting its light; it is impossible.
     There is some question about how to translate the last part of the angelic greeting, but the meaning is clear enough. The familiar King James version says "peace on earth, good will toward men." An alternate reading is "toward men of good will." Both ideas are correct; the Lord and angels will nothing but good to men on earth, but only those whose will is also good can receive heaven's blessing of peace.
     Peace comes from within, or above. When the natural part of our being is opened to the Lord's life flowing in through the internal mind, then we can know peace. And only through the influence of people in whom this is the case can the world know peace. A peaceful world cannot be realized by any device of human reason, but only from the sphere of peace going forth from people whose hearts and minds and lives are ruled by the Lord.
     Everything that comes from the Lord brings peace with it (see AR 306). All things of heaven and the church create peace-the warmth of love, the soft light of truth, the sweetness of charity, the satisfaction of use, the delights of marriage and offspring, trust in Divine Providence, the worship that exalts the soul and gives meaning to all of life.

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Peace flows from the two heavenly loves-love of the Lord and love of the neighbor-as a stream flows from a fountain.
     Yet one might think: "So it is only wishful thinking after all, because apparently those loves are in short supply." But they are not in short supply, any more than the warmth and light of the sun are in short supply in winter. The problem is just that the earth is turned away. All that is necessary for spring to come is for the earth to turn back. All that is necessary for a spiritual spring to come to earth is for people to turn back to the Lord.
     It is an old, old message, but as true today as when John the Baptist first cried "Repent!" It is the only solution. Only when people turn from self and the world to the Lord and heaven can the angelic promise be fulfilled. And it will be fulfilled! But we must look for its fulfillment and work for its fulfillment in ourselves. Rather than lament the lack of peace in the world around, we should concentrate on preparing ourselves to contribute to the sphere of peace from heaven that the world so sorely needs.
     Shepherds watching over their flocks by night-what a strange audience to choose for the greatest announcement ever made. But they represent innocence, the essence of which is willingness to follow the Lord. And although night-time represents an obscure state, lacking knowledge, it is also a reflective time, when the world is still and we are not distracted by so many busy sights. If we will reflect on the Lord's Word from a simple, humble willingness to live by it, we too can become more certain of our faith, and return to our lives glorifying and praising God for the marvelous things He has revealed to us.
     Perhaps one of the things that will be revealed is that we are not alone, but that the Lord's love is working through the lives of many more people than we ever realized, that His kingdom is growing, and that there is reason to rejoice.

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     It is not by human will and effort that this comes to pass. The Lord was born on earth to make it possible. He united the Divine and the Human in Himself so that we might see God, and in following Him, have the internal and external parts of our lives joined together. Then the "heaven" within us will draw near to the "earth" with its blessed news. That is, the good and true principles, the shining ideals we have gained from the Word, will inspire our everyday thoughts and decisions, affections and actions, and set us on a new path-the one leading to the Lord Himself.
     "And so it was, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, 'Let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.'" Amen.

Lessons: Isaiah 60:1-6, Luke 2:1-20, AE 678:2-4 Title Unspecified 1995

Title Unspecified       Editor       1995

     [Greek capital letters]

     These are the words the angels sang to the shepherds, as recorded in the original Greek of the New Testament. They are among the many Scripture passages that C. J. Whittington set to music for the New Church. Unfortunately, he was not told where the accents were, and his music has led us to emphasize the wrong syllables. This has been remedied in the new Liturgy. On page 641 you will find new music along with the Greek words in capital letters, which are closer to the original as well as more familiar than the lower case. Please learn this new version, and make it part of your celebration of Christmas. It may seem strange, but be assured that you are singing Greek more correctly than before.

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CYCLE OF LIFE 1995

CYCLE OF LIFE       Rev. ERIK J. BUSS       1995

     A Model for Viewing Gender-related Concerns

     Part 4:

     PASSAGES WHICH SEEM TO PLACE WOMEN ABOVE MEN

     This section will be short since I have already dealt with most of the passages in the preceding section. It is noteworthy that the passages which appear to place women above men are less frequent but are stronger statements. My belief is that the statements that appear to place men above women are only counterbalancing teachings to these statements. If they were not there, the
Lord would be saying that women are better than men. I will explain why later in the section.
     You will notice that in this section I make fewer efforts to explain how men are equal to women despite these passages. I do this because I have already covered that in the preceding section. I will simply present the teachings which show women's unique strengths, then comment on them as a group at the end of the section.

Women are celestial, men spiritual.

     This statement is made only once that I am aware of:

Now, in a like manner, spiritual and celestial things are distinguished in heaven; and how they are distinguished one from the other can be plain from the above-mentioned representations. As established from creation the masculine sex pertains to the class of spiritual things, but the feminine sex to that of celestial things. Hence it was a precept of the first marriage that the man should cleave unto his wife, that is to say, that intellectual things must be associated with celestial things, that they may become one body (SE 1061).

     Many other passages could confirm this general teaching. Women are tied to goodness and men to truth, and in countless places goodness is said to be celestial and truth spiritual (e.g., AC 1470, 1613, 1672).

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     We can see the truth in this teaching in the cycle of life. In our spiritual growth, states of truth come first, then states of good (see AC 3539, 3600, 3726). Men's primary role is to make truth visible (a spiritual quality); women's is to apply and inspire the application of truth (a celestial quality).
     Since this statement is made only one time, I don't want to make too large a point of it. However, its very existence points to the fact that we need the other passages which show the unique strengths of men to balance teachings such as this. However you look at it, what is celestial is higher than what is spiritual.

When a couple meets and marries after death they live in the woman's heaven.

     This is a striking statement since it is the exact reverse of what is commonly done in this world. The teaching is that when infants who died in this world grow up in heaven and reach a marriageable age, they are given in marriage. This is provided by the Lord and is celebrated in the heaven where the young man dwells; but immediately after the marriage, the latter follows his wife to her heaven, or, if they are in the same society, to her house (CL 411:2; SE 6027).
     This teaching is quite obvious when you think about it because affections rule in heaven. Women are more affectionally oriented so they would be closer to the true spiritual "home" that the couple has.
     From the perspective of the cycle of life it is also obvious: the goal of creation is the creation of people. The goal of spiritual growth is the creation of an angel. Because women are in the second half of the creation series, they are more involved with the goal, and not as much in the means of achieving that goal as men are. The home that a couple has in heaven is a representation of that goal. From that perspective we would expect the couple to move to the woman's home. (I don't think that this necessarily applies to this world because couples here have not "arrived" yet.)

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     When a couple meets and marries in this world, we would less be able to say that they go to the wife's heaven when they die since their loves have become one by choice. They will go to their heaven. When they meet and marry after death it is the men who move toward their wives. This probably also reflects something that happens in all marriages in this world as well.
     Taken in isolation, this passage seems to say that men give up more than women (just as some women today do not like giving up their maiden name when they many. "Why can't the man do that?" they ask).

Women's wisdom is superior to the wisdom of men.

     Once when Swedenborg was visiting some married couples in heaven, the wives told him that they perceived that they were allowed to tell him one more of the secrets about marital love:
     "But why do you say one," I asked, "when I have come here to learn many more?"
     "They are secrets," they replied, "and some of them so transcend the wisdom of you men that the comprehension of your intellect cannot grasp them. You men vaunt yourselves over us on account of your wisdom, but we do not vaunt ourselves over you on account of ours even though our wisdom is superior to yours because it enters into your inclinations and affections and sees, perceives and feels them.
     "You know nothing at all about the inclinations and affections of your love, and this despite the fact that it is because of them and in accordance with them that your intellect thinks, consequently that it is because of them and in accordance with them that you have your wisdom. Yet wives know these things in their husbands so well that they see them in their husbands' faces and hear them in the intonations of the speech of their mouth-indeed so well that they feel them with the touch of their hands on their husbands' breasts, arms and cheeks. But from a zealous love for your happiness and at the same time our own, we pretend as if we do not know these things, while at the same time moderating them so discreetly that whatever our husbands' wish, pleasure or will, we accede to it by allowing and enduring it, and only redirecting it when possible, but never compelling" (CL 208:2).

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     Many women who have read this passage have expressed confusion because they don't feel that they know their husband's inner affections. Perhaps, as the end of the passage quoted above suggests, this claim of ignorance is simply women's way of keeping men from an awareness of this ability (see CL 208:5). Perhaps this awareness is something they don't become consciously aware of until they reach heaven. These are, after all, angel wives who are speaking. I suspect that women are aware of their husbands' affections, but they assume that this is normal because that's what they feel. It is like the air they breathe to them-they don't think about it so they don't realize that men can't do the same. (This would obviously be true only of a marriage where there is real love. And even in a good marriage, I suspect that wives would at times simply perceive that their husbands' affections are very distant from their own, but not necessarily what the nature of the affections are.) However this ability works, the angel wives say it is a wisdom superior to that of their husbands, and their husbands who are present do not disagree.
     We can see how this ability works in the cycle of life by considering that the cycle does not end after one time what women offer affects men from through. It continues. And as it continues, within, whereas what men offer affects women from without (see figure 11).


     [Figure 11]


     This statement is really quite similar to the statement that women are celestial and men spiritual. Conjugial love is the marriage of love and wisdom in use, which is also the aim of celestial angels, and of the wisdom of wives.

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Conjugial love comes through women.

     This has already been shown above. In this context, we should note again that conjugial love is not simply a desire for marriage. It is the desire to bring together love and wisdom in use. This finds its most perfect expression in the marriage of a man and woman, but it has many other applications as well.

Women are the most perfect form in all creation (including men).

     Once when Swedenborg was talking to angel husbands about wisdom and women, one of the angels said, " . . . the universe created by the Lord is a most perfect work, but nothing is created in it more perfect than a woman" (CL 56:5).

Analysis of these passages

     All of these passages can be explained within the context of the cycle of life. What women offer is the endpoint of creation, just as human beings are the endpoint of natural creation. Women represent the most perfect form in creation. Because of this they offer the most important abilities: conjugial love and the wisdom of wives. And because women are the second half of the cycle, of course a couple would go to the woman's heaven-the goal for both men and women is to get to that final goal, a goal which is guided most closely by women.
     If these passages were given in isolation, they would strongly suggest that women are better than men. However, in the context of the passages we have seen above, we can see that women would not be able to achieve the heights they do without men. An analogy might be that men and women are trying to climb onto a tall wall. To start, the man needs to boost the woman up onto the wall, then the woman needs to reach back down and pull him up to her.
     Another way of putting it is that women are more involved in the end or goal, men more in the means of getting there. Women are more affected by goodness, and are focused on the goal more.

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That goal is useful action. Men are more affected by truth, which is the means for making good things happen. For example, take the stereotype that men like to tinker with cars and understand how engines work (this is a metaphor, so don't take it too literally). According to this stereotype, women tend to want to use the car, but don't want to know how it works. Men often smirk at this attitude. They seem to say, How can you use something if you don't understand how it works? And there is an element of truth to this statement, especially when the car has problems. On the other hand, how many men will tinker with cars, getting them working just right, when they could have been out using the car to do something productive? An interest in the means has value. And interest in the goal has value. Together they make a whole.

A Closing Thought

     Most of the statements that place women above men are made in the context of marriage. Unless we value marriage as an institution as highly as the Lord does, we will pass over these passages as irrelevant to the "real" issues like power and intellectual prowess. Women have been given the care of, and special abilities in protecting, the pearl of great price. Conjugial love is what saves us because it inspires us to apply what we know. Men have other abilities. Until we can accept that the gifts the Lord gave to women relating to marriage on all levels are profoundly important, those passages about men's abilities will be hard to accept.

     CONCLUSION

     Because men represent the movement from what is internal to what is external, what they offer is visible, obvious, and easy to value. Women, representing the movement from the external to the internal, offer what is less obvious and less easy to value. We need to make a conscious effort to see the entire cycle. As we strive to become internal in our own lives, we will come to appreciate the beauty of what women offer as well.
     Because the cycle of life is the broadest of frames of reference, it holds within it the ability to bring any teaching into a truer order.

541


Because it focuses on process rather than structure, it allows us to see the flow of the Lord's life into the world. When we see this flow, this process, passages that otherwise seem unfair blend and interweave to become part of a beautiful tapestry.
     One of the most beautiful qualities of the Lord's Word is how the truths there interconnect. Subjects as seemingly unrelated as the creation of the universe, our personal spiritual growth, and how men and women interact can be studied together and shed light on each other. By using a model given by the Lord-the cycle of life-we can take what would otherwise be perplexing passages and see them in a new way. Instead of stirring a sense of injustice, they can arouse a deep awe and wonder at the beauty of the Lord's creation. We can see the sparkling interplay of truths, and feel set free by principles that lift us above the material world and give us perspective on it. We can say of the Word, as God did of His creation, that it is "very good" (Genesis 1:31).
COMPUTER NETWORKS 1995

COMPUTER NETWORKS       Editor       1995

     Following a report from the Computer Networks Committee, chaired by Laird Pendleton, the Board of Directors of the General Church approved a major five-year project to develop a variety of computer network uses on the Academy campuses and, in time, an extended network throughout the General Church. The board approved a first step to wire the campuses and purchase necessary computers. This is an exciting program and a major commitment for the future of the Academy, our students and our worldwide outreach.
Two New Books Published by the Swedenborg Foundation: 1995

Two New Books Published by the Swedenborg Foundation:       Editor       1995

     A Thoughtful Soul and Testimony to the Invisible

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IN MEMORIAM 1995

IN MEMORIAM       R. Castro and C. R. Nobre       1995

     The Reverend Jos Lopes de Figueiredo

     1905-1995

     On July 14, 1995, the Rev. Jose Lopes de Figueiredo was called to the spiritual world at the advanced age of ninety years, sixty of them as a member of the Rio de Janeiro Society of the New Church in Brazil.
     He was born on March 17, 1905, and was brought by the Lord to His New Church in 1933 by his uncle, Mr. Gilberto Caire de Roure, who had been a member of our society since its founding.
     Mr. Figueiredo had several occupations within the Brazilian government, starting as a simple worker on the Central do Brazil Railroad and retiring in 1982 as Chief of Office (the main secretary of the Secretary of State) after fifty years of good work for the country, being often called by leading members of several governments.
     Mr. Figueiredo started working on the society board during the time of the Rev. Henry Leonardos, serving from 1933 until 1950 as Treasurer, and then with the Rev. Joae de Mendonca Lima, from 1950 until 1965, as Secretary. Both of these pastors were champions in establishing the basis upon which the Lord is building His church in Brazil in our day.
     When the Rev. Joao de Mendonca Lima passed to the spiritual world thirty years ago, Mr. Figueiredo became very concerned about the future of our small society, and for this reason was led by his enormous dedication and zeal to accept a call to serve the church as its next minister. At the age of sixty he received some training from the Academy Theological School and was ordained into the first degree of the priesthood in Bryn Athyn on October 24, 1965, by Bishop Willard D. Pendleton.
     From then on Mr. Figueiredo courageously kept the society alive even while facing his own family problems and lacking physical health. He worked with great devotion in the Lord's vineyard. He faithfully accomplished the duties of his ministry, bringing everything which was within his reach into order so as to keep the church in order and union, according to the statements of its foundation in 1921 and its affiliation with the General Church of the New Jerusalem, relying on the Lord's guidance and protection.

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     In 1978, since he seemed seriously ill, and was again concerned with the society's welfare, he asked the Bishop of the General Church, the Rt. Rev. Louis B. King, to nominate a pastor to take over the direction of the church in Brazil, because his most likely successor, General Alberto Mendona Lima, had died in a plane crash in 1975.
     Mr. Figueiredo's request was promptly heard, and the Rev. Andrew J. Heilman came to Brazil in 1978 for a period of five years with the mission of preparing a young Brazilian man to replace him. Mr. Cristovao Rabelo Nobre, the present pastor, was then prepared and took this duty.
     Even as a retired minister, the Rev. Jose Lopes de Figueiredo, having recovered from his illness, continued to serve the church as assistant minister. He performed the worship service once a month until last May 28, when he last did it. A few days after that, he went to the hospital, expecting to return soon to his activities. But once there, he was found to have the severe infirmity which resulted in his being taken out of this life.
     On Sunday, July 16, we had a memorial service in our church and were joined by his relatives, who were not members of the society. At that time, we said that the words spoken after the worship service were not in homage to Mr. Figueiredo himself, but ones of comfort to all of us, friends and relatives, since our homage to him we had had the happy opportunity to express last March, at his birthday. In March all the society had been gathered in formal assembly in order to expressly present the gratitude of all people in regard to two of our devoted ministers: Figueiredo himself, who was arriving at his ninetieth birthday that day, as well as at thirty years of service in the church, and also the late Rev. Alberto Mendona Lima, at the time of the thirtieth anniversary of his death. Mr. Mendonca Lima's daughters, Ela and Antonieta, received the society's expression of gratitude in their father's name.

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     Later on that very happy day, Mr. Figueiredo was invited to a special dinner with most of us, and during all that afternoon he seemed very touched, always repeating that he was not worthy of such acknowledgment. Fortunately the society had the privilege of making him feel how much we appreciated his efforts toward the church in this country.
     Mr. Figueiredo was, until last May, the Editor of the Nova Igreja, a monthly bulletin of our society devoted to evangelization, leaving the June number half done.
     However, maybe the most remarkable fruit of Mr. Figueiredo's efforts was the translation from Latin and the publication in Portuguese of the work Apocalypse Revealed, a work which took some years and, completed in 1987, is as clear and faithful as a translation can be.
     This beloved old man was a worthy servant of the Lord and a great friend of ours. We will surely miss him, though we are comforted by faith in the Lord's designs.
     R. Castro and C. R. Nobre
MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENT 1995

MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENT       Rev. Peter M. Buss       1995

     The Rev. Christopher Bown has accepted a call to become an Assistant Professor in the Academy Theological School, piloting a new program which will result in the Academy's offering a master's degree in religious studies, and theological training by correspondence around the world. He will take up this position in July of 1996.     
     This new program is of great benefit to the church at large. Through the master's program, lay people anywhere in the church will have the opportunity to study the doctrines in depth, and to see how they apply to specific subjects of interest to them. Some will attend classes in Bryn Athyn; others will be able to take the courses by correspondence, either by mail or through the Internet by computer. Recently the Academy carried out a survey and found extensive interest in such a program.
     Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss

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GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM 1995

GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM       Editor       1995

     GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

     1994-1995

     Officials

Bishop:                Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss
Bishops Emeriti:           Rt. Rev. Louis B. King
                         Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton
Acting Secretary:      Mr. Donald C. Fitzpatrick, Jr.

     Consistory

     Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss
Rt. Rev. Louis B. King; Rev. Messrs. Alfred Acton, Kurt Ho. Asplundh, Christopher D. Bown, Eric H. Carswell, Geoffrey S. Childs, James P. Cooper, Michael D. Gladish, Daniel W. Goodenough, Daniel W. Heinrichs, Geoffrey H. Howard, Robert S. Junge, Brian W. Keith Thomas L. Kline, Donald L. Rose, Frank S. Rose, Frederick L. Schnarr, and Grant R. Schnarr

     "GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM"

     (A Corporation of Pennsylvania)

     Officers of the Corporation
President:                Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss
Vice President:           Rt. Rev. Louis B. King
Secretary:                Mr. E. Boyd Asplundh
Treasurer:                Mr. Neil M. Buss
Assistant Treasurer:      Mr. Bruce A. Fuller
Controller:           Mr. Ian K. Henderson

     BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CORPORATION

Jill A. Brickman, Michael A. Brown, Rosemary B. Campbell, Barbara Tryn G. Clark, Nancy S. Dawson, Sonia S. Doering, Theodore C. Farrington, B. Reade Genzlinger, Robert L. Glenn, Howard B. Gurney, Zenon Harantschuk, Glenn H. Heilman, Thelma P. Henderson, Hugh D. Hyatt, John A. Kern, Michael C. Kloc, Michael G. Lockhart, Kim U. Maxwell, Roger S. Murdoch, Wayne Parker, Cameron C. Pitcairn, Bruce A. Reuter. Roger W. Schnarr, Lincoln F. Schoenberger, Kathy G. Schrock, Beryl C. Simonetti, Warren Stewart, Wendy K. Walter, Gerald G. Waters, Kenneth L. York
     Ex-officio Members:      Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss
                              Rt. Rev. Louis B. King
                              Mr. Neil M. Buss
     Honorary Life Member:      Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton

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     BISHOPS

Buss, Peter Martin. Ordained June 19, 1964; 2nd degree, May 16, 1965; 3rd degree, June 1, 1986. Continues to serve as Executive Bishop of the General Church, General Pastor of the General Church, Chancellor of the Academy of the New Church, President of the General Church in Canada, and President of the General Church International, Incorporated. Address: P.O. Box 711, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

King, Louis Blair. Ordained June 19, 1951; 2nd degree, April 19, 1953; 3rd degree, November 5, 1972. Retired. Bishop Emeritus of the General Church. Address: P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Pendleton, Willard Dandridge. Ordained June 18, 1933; 2nd degree, September 12, 1934; 3rd degree, June 19, 1946. Retired. Bishop Emeritus of the General Church, Chancellor Emeritus of the Academy of the New Church. Address: P.O. Box 338, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     PASTORS

Acton, Alfred. Ordained June 19, 1964; 2nd degree, October 30, 1966. Continues to serve as an instructor in the Academy of the New Church College and Theological School, Academy of the New Church College Chaplain, and Regional Pastor. Address: P.O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Alden, Glenn Graham. Ordained June 19, 1974; 2nd degree, June 6, 1976. Continues to serve as part-time Pastor of Dawson Creek and Visiting Pastor to Crooked Creek, Canada. Address: 9013 801 Street Dawson Creek, B.C., Canada V1G 3N3.

Alden, Kenneth James. Ordained June 6, 1980; 2nd degree, May 16, 1982. Continues to serve as Assistant to the Pastor of the Carmel Church Society (Kitchener), Principal of the Carmel Church School and Visiting Pastor to the Erie Circle. Address: 107 Evenstone Road, RR 2, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2G 3W5.

Alden, Mark Edward. Ordained June 10, 1979; 2nd degree, May 17, 1981. Resigned. Assistant Professor, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Radiation Oncology. Address: P. O. Box 204, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Ankra-Badu, William Ofei. Ordained June 15, 1986; 2nd degree, March 1, 1992. Continues to serve as a Pastor of the Accra Group, Ghana, West Africa. Address: P.O. Box 11305, Accra, West Africa, Ghana.

Appelgren, Goran Reinhold. Ordained June 7, 1992; 2nd degree, July 3, 1994. Continues to serve as Resident Pastor of the Stockholm Society and Visiting Pastor of the Copenhagen Circle, Denmark. Address: Aladdinsvagen 27, S-161 38 Bromma, Sweden.

Asplundh, Kurt Horigan. Ordained June 19, 1960; 2nd degree, June 19, 1962. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church. Address: P.O. Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Asplundh, Kurt Hyland. Ordained June 6, 1993; 2nd degree, April 30, 1995. As of July 1, 1995 became Pastor of the Chicago Society. Address: 134 W. Newport Ave., #2, Chicago, IL 60657.

Barnett, Wendel Ryan. Ordained June 7, 1981; 2nd degree, June 20, 1982. Continues to serve as Assistant Pastor of the Olivet Church (Toronto) and Senior "Protestant" Chaplain 514 AMW McGuire AFP, New Jersey.

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Address: 134 Smithwood, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada M9B 4S4.

Bau-Madsen, Arne. Ordained June 6, 1976; 2nd degree, June 11, 1978. Continues to serve as Associate Pastor to Kempton, Visiting Pastor to Wilmington, Delaware and Hawley, Pennsylvania. Address: Box 527, RD 2, Lenhartsville, PA 19534.

Bown, Christopher Duncan. Ordained June 18, 1978; 2nd degree. December 23, 1979. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Colchester Society, Visiting Pastor of the Hague Circle, and Bishop's Representative for Great Britain and Europe. Address: 2 Christ Church Ct., Colchester, Essex, England C03 3AU.

Boyesen, Bjorn Adolph Hildemar. Ordained June 19, 1939; 2nd degree, March 30, 1941. Retired; translator of the Writings from Latin to modern Swedish, and as Pastor of the Jonkoping Circle. Address: 1 Bruksater, Saterfors 10, S-566 91, Habo, Sweden.

Boyesen, Ragnar. Ordained June 19, 1972; 2nd degree, June 17, 1973. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Kempton Society and Principal of the Kempton New Church School. Address: R.D. 2, Box 225A, Kempton, PA 19529.

Burke, William Hanson. Ordained June 7, 1981; 2nd degree, August 13, 1983. Retired. Address: 755 Arbour Glenn Court, Lawrenceville, GA 30243.

Buss, Erik James. Ordained June 10, 1990; 2nd degree, September 13, 1992. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Cascade New Church, Seattle, Washington and Visiting Pastor of the Northwest District. Address: 5409 - 154th Ave. NE, Redmond, WA 98052.

Buss, Peter Martin, Jr. Ordained June 6, 1993; 2nd degree, June 18, 1995. Continues to serve as Assistant to the Pastor of the Washington Society and Visiting Pastor to the Southern Virginia Group. Address: 3805 Enterprise Road, Mitchellville, MD 20721.

Buthelezi, Ishborn. Ordained August 18, 1985; second degree, August 23, 1987. Recognized as a General Church minister, November 19, 1989. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Clermont Society, Enkumba Society and also Hambrook Society at times. Address: P.O. Box 150, Clernaville 3602, Rep. of South Africa.

Carlson, Mark Robert. Ordained June 10, 1973; 2nd degree, March 6, 1977. As of July 1, 1995 continues to serve as a teacher of religion in the Academy Secondary Schools and Academy College. Address: P.O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Carswell, Eric Hugh. Ordained June 10, 1979; 2nd degree, February 22, 1981. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Glenview Society, President of the Midwestern Academy, and Regional Pastor. Address: 73 Park Drive, Glenview, IL 60025.

Chapin, Frederick Merle. Ordained June 15, 1986; 2nd degree, October 23, 1988. As of July 1, 1995 appointed Pastor of the Charlotte Circle. Address: 6625 Rolling Ridge Drive, Charlotte, NC 28211.

Childs, Geoffrey Stafford. Ordained June 19, 1952; 2nd degree, June 19, 1954. Retired. Continues to serve as Bishop's Representative in South Africa and EVP of the General Church in South Africa.

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Address: 7 Sydney Drive, Westville, 3630, Rep. of South Africa.

Childs, Robin Waelchli. Ordained June 6, 1984; 2nd degree. June 8, 1986. As of July 1, 1995, became teacher of religion in the Academy Secondary Schools. Address: P. O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Clifford, William Harrison. Ordained June 6, 1976; 2nd degree. October 8, 1978. Resigned. Address: 1544 Giddings Ave. SE, Gorand Rapids, MI 49507-2223.

Cole, Robert Hudson Pendleton. Ordained June 16, 1963; 2nd degree, October 30, 1966. Retired. Address: P.O. Box 356, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Cole, Stephen Dandridge. Ordained June 19, 1977; 2nd degree, October 15, 1978. Continues to serve as Pastor of the San Diego Society. Address: 941 Ontario Street, Escondido, CA 92025.

Cooper, James Pendleton. Ordained June 13, 1982; 2nd degree, March 4, 1984. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Washington Society and Principal of the Washington New Church School. Address: 11910 Chantilly Lane, Mitchellville, MD 20721.

Cowley, Michael Keith. Ordained June 13, 1982; 2nd degree, May 13, 1984. Pastor of the Carmel Church Society, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Address: 58 Chapel Hill Drive, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2G 3W5.

Cranch, Harold Covert. Ordained June 19, 1941: 2nd degree. October 15, 1942. Retired. Acting Pastor of the Sacramento Circle, assisting local pastors as needed. Address: 501 Porter Street, Glendale, CA 91205.

Darkwah, Simpson Kwabeng. Ordained June 7, 1992; 2nd degree, June 12, 1994. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Tema, Ghana Circle and Visiting Pastor of the Madina Circle. Address: House #AA3 Community 4, c/o P. O. Box 1483, Tema, Ghana, West Africa.

de Padua, Mauro Santos. Ordained June 7, 1992; 2nd degree June 12, 1994. As of July 1, 1995 became Assistant to the Pastor of the Glenview Society and traveling minister to the Midwestern District. Address: 73A Park Drive, Glenview, IL 60025.

Dibb, Andrew Malcolm Thomas. Ordained June 6, 1984; 2nd degree, May 18, 1986. Continues to serve as Pastor of the New Church Buccleuch, Pastor to Cape Town, Dean of the South African Theological School. Address: P.O. Box 816, Kelvin 2054, Rep. of South Africa.

Echols, John Clark, Jr. Ordained August 26, 1978; 2nd degree, March 30, 1980. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Sowers Chapel, PA. Address: 980 Sarver Road, Sarver, PA 16055.

Elphick, Derek Peter. Ordained June 6, 1993; 2nd degree, May 22, 1994. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Boynton Beach Society and Visiting Pastor to the Florida District. Address: 10621 El Clair Ranch Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33437.

Elphick, Frederick Charles. Ordained June 6, 1984; 2nd degree September 23, 1984. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Michael Church London, England, Visiting Pastor to the Surrey Circle. Address: 21B Hayne Road, Beckenham, Kent, England, BR3 4JA.

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Gladish, Michael David. Ordained June 10, 1973; 2nd degree, June 30, 1974. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Olivet Church (Toronto Society), Principal of the Olivet Day School, and Executive Vice President of the General Church in Canada. Address: 2 Lorraine Gardens, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada M9B 424.

Gladish, Nathan Donald. Ordained June 13, 1982; 2nd degree, November 6, 1983. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Pittsburgh New Church and Principal and Head Teacher of the New Church School. Address: 299 Le Roi Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15208.

Goodenough, Daniel Webster. Ordained June 19, 1965; 2nd degree, December 10, 1967. Continues to serve as President of the Academy of the New Church. Address: P.O. Box 711, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Gyamfi, Martin Kofi. Ordained June 9, 1991; 2nd degree, August 28, 1994. Continues to serve as Resident pastor for Asakraka-Kwahu Group, and Visiting Pastor for Nteso and Oframase Groups. Address: The New Church, P. O. Box 10, Asakraka-Kwahu, E/R, Ghana, West Africa.

Heilman, Andrew James. Ordained June 18, 1978; 2nd degree, March 8, 1981. Continues to serve as Assistant to the Pastor of the Kempton Society and part-time teacher in the Kempton New Church School. Address: R.D. 2, Box 172, Kempton, PA 19529.

Heinrichs, Daniel Winthrop. Ordained June 19, 1957; 2nd degree, April 6, 1958. Retired. Address: 9115 Chrysanthemum Drive, Boynton Beach, FL 33437-1236.

Heinrichs, Willard Lewis Davenport. Ordained June 19, 1965; 2nd degree, January 26, 1969. Continues to serve as an instructor in the Academy of the New Church Theological School and College, and Visiting Pastor to the Baltimore Society. Address: P.O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Howard, Geoffrey Horace. Ordained June 19, 1961; 2nd degree. June 2, 1963. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Boston Society. Address: 17 Cakebread Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776.

Junge, Kent. Ordained June 10, 1979; 2nd degree, June 24, 1981. Resigned. Address: 9870 SE 41st Street, Mercer Island, WA 98040-4202.

Junge, Robert Schill. Ordained June 19, 1955; 2nd degree, August 11, 1957. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Ivyland Circle. Address: 851 W. Bristol Road, Ivyland, PA 18974.

Keith, Brian Walter. Ordained June 6, 1976; 2nd degree. June 4, 1978. Continues to serve as Dean of the Academy of the New Church Theological School and Regional Pastor. Address: P.O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

King, Cedric. Ordained June 10, 1979; 2nd degree, November 27, 1980. Continues to serve as Resident Pastor of the El Toro Circle, Visiting Minister to the Bay Area Circle, and marriage and Family Therapist in the Orange County area. Address: 21332 Forest Meadow, Fl Toro, CA 92630.

Kline, Thomas Leroy. Ordained June 10, 1973; 2nd degree, June 15, 1975. Continues to serve as Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society. As of July 1, 1996 will become Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society. Address: P.O. Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

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Kwak, Dzin Pyung. Ordained June 12, 1988; 2nd degree, November 11, 1990. Continues to serve as a pastor of the General Church in Korea (on special assignment). Address: #101-704, Jinlo Apt., B-2 block, Deangchon-dong, Kangseo-Ku, Seoul, Korea 157-031.

Larsen, Ottar Trosvik. Ordained June 19, 1974; 2nd degree. February 16, 1977. Resigned. Address: 1505 Grove Avenue, Jenkintown, PA 19046.

Lindrooth, David Hutchinson. Ordained June 10, 1990; 2nd degree, April 19, 1992. Continues to serve as Assistant Pastor of the Tucson Society. Address: 561 N. Gollob Road, Tucson, AZ 85710.

Maseko, Jacob. Ordained November 29, 1993; 2nd degree, September 18, 1994. Pastor of the Diepkloof Society. Address: 8482 Zone 5, Pimville, Soweto 1808, Rep. of South Africa.

Mbatha, Bhekuyise Alfred. Ordained June 27, 1971; 2nd degree, June 23, 1974. Recognized as a General Church minister November 26, 1989. Pastor of the Kwa Mashu Society and Visiting Pastor to the Hambrook Society and Dondotha and Umlazi Groups. Address: P.O. Box 27011, Kwa Mashu, Natal 4360, Rep. of South Africa.

Mcanyana, Chester. Ordained November 12, 1989; 2nd degree, September 25, 1994. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Impaphala Society and Visiting Pastor of the Empangeni Group. Address: P. O. Box 770, Eshowe, 3815, Rep. of South Africa.

McCurdy, George Daniel. Ordained June 25, 1967; Recognized as a priest of the New Church in the second degree July 5, 1979; received into the priesthood of the General Church June 9, 1980. Retired. Continues to serve as Visiting Pastor to the Connecticut Circle. Address: P.O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Nemitz, Kurt Paul. Ordained June 16, 1963; 2nd degree, March 27, 1966. Unassigned; translators consultant Experientiae Spirituales, theological scholar. Address: 887 Middle Street, Bath, ME 04530.

Nicholson, Allison La Marr. Ordained September 9, 1979; 2nd degree, February 15, 1981. Retired; continues to serve as Pastor of the Bath Society. Address: HC33-Box 61N. Arrowsic, ME 04530.

Nobre, Cristv o Rabelo. Ordained June 6, 1984; 2nd degree. August 25, 1985. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Rio de Janeiro Society and Campo Gorande Group. Address: Rua General Alfredo Assuncao, 187, Cosmos, Rio de Janeiro, 23058-540, Brazil.

Odhner, Grant Hugo. Ordained June 7, 1981; 2nd degree, May 9, 1982. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Oak Arbor Society and Principal of the Oak Arbor Church School. Address: 395 Olivewood Court, Rochester, MI 48306.

Odhner, John Llewellyn. Ordained June 6, 1980; 2nd degree, November 22, 1981. Continues to serve as Pastor of the La Crescenta Society, and Visiting Pastor to San Jose and Apple Valley. Address: 5022 Carolyn Way, La Crescents, CA 91214.

Orthwein, Welter Edward, III. Ordained July 22, 1973; 2nd degree, June 12, 1977. Recognized as a priest of the General Church June 12, 1977. Continues to serve as Assistant Professor of religion, Academy of the New Church Theological School and College and Visiting Pastor of the Central Pennsylvania Group. Address: P.O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

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Pendleton, Dandridge. Ordained June 19, 1952; 2nd degree, June 19, 1954. Retired. Address: P.O. Box 278, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Pendleton, Mark Dandridge. Ordained June 9, 1991; 2nd degree, May 29, 1994. Continues to serve as Assistant Pastor of the Oak Arbor Church and Visiting Pastor to the mid-Michigan Group. Address: 4535 Oak Arbor Drive, Rochester, MI 48306.

Perry, Charles Mark. Ordained June 9, 1991; 2nd degree, June 19, 1993. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Atlanta Society. Address: 2119 Seaman Circle, Chamblee, GA 30345.

Pryke, Martin. Ordained June 19, 1940; 2nd degree, March 1, 1942. Retired. Address: P.O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Riley, Norman Edward. Ordained June 14, 1950; 2nd degree June 20, 1951. Recognized as a priest of the General Church January, 1978. Retired. Address: 69 Harewood Road, Norden, Rochdale, OL11 5TH, England.

Rogers, Prescott Andrew. Ordained January 26, 1986; 2nd degree, April 24, 1988. Continues to serve as an Assistant Professor of religion and education and Head of the Education Division in the Academy of the New Church College. Address: P.O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Rose, Donald Leslie. Ordained June 16, 1957; 2nd degree, June 23, 1963. Continues to serve as Editor of New Church Life and Assistant to the Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society. Address: P.O. Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Rose, Frank Shirley. Ordained June 19, 1952; 2nd degree, August 2, 1953. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Sunrise Chapel (Tucson) and Bishop's Representative for Western United States. Address: 9233 E. Helen Street, Tucson, AZ 85715.

Rose, Patrick Alan. Ordained June 19, 1975; 2nd degree, September 25, 1977. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Cincinnati Society, Visiting Pastor to the North Ohio Circle, and South Ohio District, Indiana, Southern Ohio and Kentucky. Address: 785 Ashcroft Ct., Cincinnati, OH 45240.

Rose, Thomas Hartley. Ordained June 12, 1988; 2nd degree May 21, 1989. Continues to serve as Bryn Athyn Church School Pastor. Address: P. O, Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Roth, David Christopher. Ordained June 9, 1991; 2nd degree October 17, 1993. Continues to serve as Pastor of the New Church at Boulder, Colorado. Address: 4215 N. Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304.

Sandstrom, Erik. Ordained June 10, 1934; 2nd degree, August 4, 1935. Retired. Member of Worship and Ritual Committee and General Church Publication Committee. Address: 3566 Post Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006.

Sandstrom, Erik Emanuel. Ordained May 23, 1971; 2nd degree, May 21, 1972. Continues to serve as an Assistant Professor of religion, Academy of the New Church College; instructor in the Academy Theological School; Head of the Religion and Sacred Languages Division; Director of Evangelization of the Academy of the New Church College; and Visiting Pastor to the New Jersey Circle. Address: P.O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

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Schnarr, Arthur Willard, Jr. Ordained June 7, 1981; 2nd degree, June 19, 1983. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Hurstville Society, and Visiting Pastor in Australia and New Zealand. Address: 26 Dudley Street, Penshurst, 2222 NSW Australia.

Schnarr, Frederick Laurier. Ordained June 19, 1955; 2nd degree, May 12, 1957. Continues to serve as Bishop's Representative for Education; Director of the General Church Office of Education; Chairman of the Education Council. Address: Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Schnarr, Grant Ronald. Ordained June 12, 1983; 2nd degree, October 7, 1984. As of July 1, 1995 became full-time Director of Evangelization. Address: P. O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, Pa 19009.

Simons, David Restyn. Ordained June 19, 1948; 2nd degree, June 19, 1950. Retired. Address: 561 Woodward Drive, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006.

Simons, Jeremy Frederick. Ordained June 13, 1982; 2nd degree, July 31, 1983. Continues to serve as Assistant Pastor of the Glenview Society and Principal of the Immanuel Church School and Midwestern Academy. As of July 1, 1996 will serve as Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society. Address: 156 Park Drive, Glenview, IL 60025.

Smith, Christopher Ronald Jack. Ordained June 19, 1969; 2nd degree, May 9, 1971. Continues to serve as religion teacher in the Academy of the New Church Secondary Schools. Address: P.O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Smith, Lawson Merrell. Ordained June 10, 1979; 2nd degree, February 1, 1981. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Durban Society. Address: 8 Winslow Road Westville, 3630, Natal, Rep. of South Africa.

Stroh, Kenneth Oliver. Ordained June 19, 1948; 2nd degree, June 19, 1950. Retired. Address: P.O. Box 629, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Synnestvedt, Louis Daniel. Ordained June 6, 1980; 2nd degree, November 8, 1981. Unassigned. Address: RD 2, Box 227, Kempton, PA 19529.

Taylor, Douglas McLeod. Ordained June 19, 1960; 2nd degree, June 19, 1962. Retired. Address: 2704 Huntingdon Pike, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006.

Tshahalala, Reuben Njanyana. Ordained November 29, 1993; 2nd degree, September 18, 1994. Pastor of the Balfour Society. Address: P. O. Box 851, Kwaxuma, Soweto, Transvaal, 1868, Rep. of South Africa.

Zungu, Aaron. Ordained August 21, 1938; 2nd degree, October 3, 1948. Recognized as a General Church minister November 25, 1989. Retired; still works on translation of the Writings into Zulu. Address: Box 408, Ntumeni 3830, Rep. of South Africa.

     MINISTERS

Anochi, Nicholas Wiredu. Ordained June 4, 1995. Continues to serve as a minister in Ghana, West Africa. Address: c/o Box 1305, Accra, Ghana, West Africa.

Barry, Eugene. Ordained June 15, 1986. Resigned. Address: 150 Onondaga Ave., #4, San Francisco, CA 94112-3254.

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Fitzpatrick, Daniel. Ordained June 6, 1984. Resigned. Address: 5845 Aurora Court, Lake Worth, FL 33643.

Halterman, Barry Childs. Ordained June 5, 1994. Continues to serve as Assistant Executive Vice President of the General Church in Canada and Executive Director of Information Swedenborg, Inc. Address: 22 Clissold Road, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada M8Z 4T5.

Jin, Yong Jin. Ordained June 5, 1994. Continues to serve as Assistant to the Pastor of the Ivyland New Church and providing outreach to Korean-speaking peoples in the United States. Address: P. O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Rogers, N. Bruce. Ordained January 12, 1969. Continues to serve as General Church editor and translator, Associate Professor of religion and Latin in the Academy of the New Church College. Address: P.O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Rose, Jonathan Searle. Ordained May 31, 1987. Continues to serve as a translator, instructor of Greek and religion at the Academy of the New Church College, and Curator of Swedenborgiana. Address: P.O. Box 740, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Schorran, Paul Edward. Ordained June 12, 1983. Unassigned. Address: RD 2, Box 14, Kempton, PA 19529.

Thabede, Ndaizane Albert. Ordained August 29, 1993. Continues to serve as Minister to the Alexandra Township Society. Address: 140 Phase One, Alexandra Township, P. O. Bramley, Rep. of South Africa.

     AUTHORIZED CANDIDATES

Bell, Reuben P. Address: P. O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

Guerra, Vincius. Address: c/o Rev. Crist vo R. Nobre, Rua General Alfredo Assuncao, 187 Cosmos, Rio de Janeiro, 23058-540, Brazil.

Nzaminde, Edward E. Address: 1701-31st Avenue, Clermont Township, P. O. Clernaville, Natal 3602, Rep. of South Africa.

Schnarr, Philip P. Address: P. O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Upon successful completion of his Theological School program will become Director of the Office of Education, effective July 1, 1996.

     ASSOCIATE MINISTER

Nicolier, Alain. Ordained May 31, 1979; 2nd degree, September 16, 1984. Address: Bourguignon-Meursanges, 21200 Beaune, France.

Sheppard, Leslie Lawrence. Ordained June 7, 1992. Invited by the Brisbane New Church to take up a pastorate in the Association of the New Church in Australia, for which he is working. This assignment was taken up with the full support of the Bishop of the General Church. Address: 3 Shadowood Street, Kenmore Hills, Queensland 4069, Australia.

     EVANGELIST

Eubanks, W. Harold. Address: 516 US 280, Americus, GA 31709.

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     SOCIETIES AND CIRCLES

Society                                   Pastor or Minister
Alexandra Township, R.S.A.           Rev. N. Albert Thabede
Atlanta, Georgia                    Rev. C. Mark Perry
Balfour, R.S.A.                    Rev. N. Reuben Tshabalala
Baltimore, Maryland                Rev. Willard L. D. Heinrichs
Bath, Maine                     Rev. Allison L. Nicholson
Boston, Massachusetts                Rev. Geoffrey H. Howard
Boynton Bench, Florida                Rev. Derek P. Elphick
Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania           Rev. Kurt Ho. Asplundh
                              Rev. Thomas L. Kline, Assistant Pastor
                              Rev. Donald L. Rose, Assistant to Pastor
                              Rev. Thomas H. Rose, School Pastor
Buccleuch, Rep. S. Africa           Rev. Andrew M. T. Dibb
Chicago, Illinois                    Rev. Kurt Hy. Asplundh
Cincinnati, Ohio                    Rev. Patrick A. Rose
Clermont, Rep. of S. Africa           Rev. Ishborn M. Buthelezi
Colchester, England                Rev. Christopher D. Bown
Detroit, Michigan                    Rev. Grant H. Odhner
(Oak Arbor Church)                Rev. Mark D. Pendleton, Assistant Pastor
Diepkloof, Rep. S. Africa           Rev. Jacob Maseko
Durban, Rep. S. Africa                Rev. Lawson M. Smith
Enkumba, Rep. S. Africa           Rev. Ishborn M. Buthelezi
Freeport, Pennsylvania                Rev. J. Clark Echols, Jr.
Glenview, Illinois                    Rev. Eric H. Carswell
                               Rev. Mauro S. de Padua, Assistant to Pastor
                               Rev. Jeremy F. Simons, Assistant Pastor
Hambrook, Rep. S. Africa           Rev. B. Alfred Mbatha
Hurstville, Australia                Rev. Arthur W. Schnarr, Jr.
Impaphala, Rep. S. Africa           Rev. N. Chester Mcanyana
Kempton, Pennsylvania                Rev. Ragnar Boyesen
                              Rev. Andrew J. Heilman, Assistant Pastor
                               Rev. Arne Bau-Madsen, Associate Pastor
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada           Rev. Michael K. Cowley
(Carmel Church)                    Rev. Kenneth J. Alden, Assistant to Pastor
Kwa Mashu, Rep. S. Africa           Rev. B. Alfred Mbatha
La Crescenta, California           Rev. John L. Odhner
London, England
(Michael Church)                Rev. Frederick C. Elphick
Phoenix, Arizona                         
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania           Rev. Nathan D. Gladish
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Rev.           Rev. Cristovao R. Nobre
San Diego, California                Rev. Stephen D. Cole
Stockholm, Sweden                Rev. Goran R. Appelgren
Toronto, Ontario, Canada           Rev. Michael D. Gladish
(Olivet Church)                    Rev. Wendel R. Barnett, Assistant Pastor
                              Rev. Barry C. Halterman, Assistant to Pastor
Tucson, Arizona                    Rev. Frank S. Rose
                              Rev. David H. Lindrooth, Assistant Pastor

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Washington, D. C.                    Rev. James P. Cooper
                               Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr., Assistant to Pastor

     Circle                              Visiting Pastor or Minister
Albuquerque, New Mexico                
Americus, Georgia                    Rev. C. Mark Perry
                               W. Harold Eubanks, Evangelist
Auckland, New Zealand                Rev. Arthur W. Schnarr, Jr.
Charlotte, North Carolina           Rev. Fred M. Chapin
Connecticut                     Rev. George D. McCurdy
Copenhagen, Denmark                Rev. Goran R. Appelgren
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Dawson Creek, B. C., Canada           Rev. Glenn G. Alden
Denver, Colorado                    
El Toro, California                Rev. Cedric King
Erie, Pennsylvania                    Rev. Kenneth J. Alden
The Hague, Holland                Rev. Christopher D. Bown
Ivyland, Pennsylvania                Rev. Robert S. Junge
                              Rev. Yong J. Jin, Assistant to Pastor
J nkping, Sweden                Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen
Lake Helen, Florida                Rev. Derek P. Elphick
Letchworth, England                Rev. Christopher D. Bown
Madina, Ghana                    Rev. S. Kwasi Darkwah
Manchester, England                Rev. Christopher D. Bown
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
North New Jersey/New York           Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom
North Ohio                          Rev. Patrick A. Rose
Puget Sound, Washington                
(Cascade New Church)               Rev. Erik J. Buss
Sacramento, California                Rev. Harold C. Cranch
St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota
San Francisco, California                
South Ohio                          Rev. Patrick A. Rose
Surrey, England                    Rev. Fred C. Elphick
Tamworth, Australia                Rev. Arthur W. Schnarr, Jr.
Tema, Ghana                         Rev. S. Kwasi Darkwah
Wallenpaupack, Pennsylvania           Rev. Arne Bau-Madsen

     Note: Besides the General Church societies and circles there are groups in various geographical areas that receive occasional visits from a minister. This information is published in New Church Life periodically in "Information on General Church Places of Worship" (see September 1995 issue).

     New Assignments for Ministers

     1995-1996

     The Rev. Kurt Hyland Asplundh has accepted a call to become the Pastor of the Chicago Society, effective July 1, 1995.
     The Rev. Fred Chapin has accepted appointment as Pastor of the Charlotte Circle, effective July 1, 1995.

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     The Rev. Robin W. Childs has accepted a call to be a teacher of religion in the Academy Secondary Schools, effective July 1, 1995.
     The Rev. Mauro S. de Padua has accepted appointment as Assistant to the Pastor of the Glenview Society and traveling minister in the Midwestern District effective July 1, 1995.
     The Rev. Thomas L. Kline has accepted a call to become Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society, effective July 1, 1996.
     The Rev. Grant R Schnarr has been appointed full-time Director of the Office of Evangelization, resident in Bryn Athyn, effective July 1, 1995.
     Candidate Philip B. Schnarr, upon successful completion of his Theological School program, will become Director of the Office of Education, effective July 1, 1996.
     The Rev. Jeremy F. Simons has accepted a call to become Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society, effective July 1, 1996.
     The Rev. Louis D. Synnestvedt is taking a leave of absence beginning July 1, 1995. He will continue to serve the church part-time as a visiting pastor.
Life of Henry James, Sr., The Father 1995

Life of Henry James, Sr., The Father       Naomi Gladish Smith       1995

     A Life of Henry James, Sr., The Father, by Alfred Habegger, 578 pp, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1994, $30 (ISBN 0-374-15353-3)

     When reading the two pages of acknowledgments (where among the several hundred libraries, institutions, and people mentioned in fine print, Habegger thanks Carroll Odhner of the Swedenborg Library and Nancy S. Dawson of Swedenborg House), one gets a glimpse of the prodigious research that went into this book. For over five hundred pages Habegger takes us through the life of Henry James, Sr., giving us chapter and verse on this remarkable, contradictory man. Whether Habegger succeeds in presenting the man's philosophy as well as he does the minutia of James' life, however, is something for scholars rather than this reader to decide.
     Henry James, Sr., well known philosopher and the father of two even more famous sons (eminent psychologist William James, and writer Henry James, Jr.), is of special interest to New Churchmen because he became a fervent Swedenborgian when, as a young man of thirty-two and overcome with an obsessive depression, he came into contact with Swedenborg's writings, finding in them the deliverance and redemption he sought.

557


But what a Swedenborgian!-one who loathed the idea of an organized church and enjoyed nothing better than flaying Swedenborgians with vehement arguments and harangues. The fact that James used New Church publications to print his interminable diatribes must have been particularly galling to the Swedenborgian ministers who were his special targets.
     James was a Swedenborgian, moreover, who came under the sway of Fourierism, and was used by Fourierists to clarion their doctrine of free love. And James gave them ample fodder when he claimed: "Since no man can act in opposition to God, every sexual act must reflect some divine concurrence." James, however, who in his private life seems to have been a faithful, if trying, husband, later repudiated Fourierist views on sexuality.
     Though he thoroughly enjoyed propounding his philosophy to women, he did not appreciate being argued with, much less contradicted, by them; and his view on a woman's place seems an amalgam of Victorian mores and doctrinal interpretation. Woman, he wrote, bears "a strictly subsidiary or dependent relation toward man," for man is "her pole star and glory, and her highest dignity and pleasure must be found in being the mother of his children."
     James' understanding of the Writings seemed to vary wildly. At one point Habegger gives quotes of James' that seem to justify the evils of murder and the love of dominion. But this reader wonders whether, rather than an indication of James' psychological flaws, this is merely James' bombastic attempt to explain that the evil a man does is from hell and imputed to him only if he makes it his own. Habegger has obviously read Swedenborg extensively, but between giving his view of what Swedenborg wrote and his view of James' interpretation of Swedenborg, the author makes statements that many New Church readers would dispute.

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Dispute, however, is in keeping with the subject of the book, for it was a central focus of James' life. When assessing this genial, irritating man who was a friend or acquaintance of every leading thinker in the nineteenth century, and at one time or another disagreed with all of them, Habegger succinctly observes that "for all his talk about society he always seemed to assail whatever group he joined."
     Perhaps the most instructive thing about this book for today's New Churchmen is that it demonstrates how far afield one may go while sincerely attempting to interpret and follow the Writings. For despite his erratic interpretations of them, James was and remained a sincere Swedenborgian, ending his long life sure of the other world, and sure that his beloved wife Mary awaited him there. His last words were, "I am going with great joy," and finally, "There is my Mary."
     One hopes that when he reached that other world, the old philosopher found the enlightenment he sought. It's interesting to conjecture that perhaps James was instructed in those truths in the company of the Swedenborgian ministers he so excoriated during his life on earth.
     Naomi Gladish Smith
NEW MASTER'S PROGRAM 1995

NEW MASTER'S PROGRAM       Editor       1995

     The Academy of the New Church Theological School is pleased to announce a new master's degree program in religious studies, with primary focus on New Church doctrine, beginning in September 1996. This will be the first time the Academy has offered an advanced degree open to all qualified New Church lay people which does not lead to ordination.

559


(The Master of Divinity will remain intact as a separate program.)
     Lay people anywhere in the church will now have the opportunity to study the doctrines in depth, and apply them to specific subjects of interest to them.
     A major feature of the new program is distance learning. Courses will initially be available over the Internet in addition to traditional classroom learning. A computer with access to the Internet will enable students to engage in discussions with fellow students and instructors. We are looking into developing other types of distance learning for those who cannot get access to a computer.
     The program will consist of core courses in New Church doctrine-for example, the Lord, the Word, Regeneration, Divine Providence, and the Human Mind-plus the opportunity to minor in such areas as Education, Church History, Psychology, Philosophy and Science.
     The full program consists of eight courses and a written integrative thesis; however, with faculty approval, additional courses could substitute for the thesis. The program also welcomes those who wish to take courses occasionally without seeking a degree.
     Admission requirements for the degree program include a bachelor's degree, but courses will also be available for students who have been appropriately prepared without having received an undergraduate degree.
     Additional details will be worked out in the next month. If you have interest in the program, or would like to receive more information, please contact the Rev. Brian W. Keith at Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009; telephone (215) 938-2525; E-mail [email protected].

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LOCAL SCHOOLS DIRECTORY 1994-95 1995

LOCAL SCHOOLS DIRECTORY 1994-95       Editor       1995

Office of Education: Cairncrest, Bryn Athyn      General Church Schools Support System
Rev. Frederick L. Schnarr               Director
Carol Buss                               Assistant Director

Bryn Athyn: Karl Parker                    Principal
Barbara Doering                          Vice Principal
Tom Rose                               School Pastor
Kathy Orthwein                          Kindergarten
Kit Rogers                               Kindergarten
Robin Morey                              Grade 1
Candy Quintero                          Grade 1
Claire Bostock                         Grade 2
Linda Kees                               Grade 2
Lois McCurdy                          Grade 2
Gael Lester                              Grade 3
Kris Ritthaler                         Grade 3
Judy Soneson                          Grade 3
Melinda Friesen                          Grade 4
Vanessa Heinrichs                     Grade 4
Beth Bocheank                         Grade 4, Reading
Rosemary Wyncoll                         Grade 4 Aide
Sheila Daum                              Grade 5
Jill Rogers                          Grade 5
Heather Klein                         Grade 6
Kim Simons                              Grade 6
Melodie Greer                          Grade 7-Girls
Steven Irwin                          Grade 7-Boys
Gail Simons                          Grade 8-Girls
Eyvind C. Boyesen                         Grade 8-Boys
Reed Asplundh                         Computers
Robert Eidse                           Physical Education
Nol Klippenstein                     Physical Education
Christopher Simons                     Music-Director
Dianna Synnestvedt                    Art
Judith Smith                          Librarian
*Marion Gyllenhaal                    Remedial and Support Uses
*Fay Lindrooth                         Remedial and Support Uses
*Gretchen Glover                          Kindergarten Aide
*Amy Jones                               Kindergarten Aide
*Margit Irwin                          Primary Music/Tutor
*Elizabeth Childs                         Grade 6 Aide
*Alex Rogers                         Grade 6 Aide
*Carol Nash                              Grade 8 Aide
*Karen Harantschuk                    Tutor
*Evangeline Lindrooth                    Tutor
*Eileen Rogers                          Tutor
*Robin Trautmann                         Tutor

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     *Major Part-time

Durban: (1995 school year-January 1-December 31, 1995)
Rev. Lawson M. Smith                     Headmaster, Religion
Sarah Berto                          Grades 1-2
Jane Edmunds                          Grades 3-7
*Elizabeth Andrew                     Grades 3-7 Geography, History, Science, Math, Art
*Oonagh Chaning-Pearce                    Afrikaans, Zulu

Glenview: Rev. Jeremy F. Simons           Principal
Laura Barger                          Grade 1
Marie Odhner                          Grades 2
Rebekah Brock                          Grade 3-4
Trudy Wright                         Grades 5
*Yvonne Alan                         Grade 6
Jeryl Fuller                          Grades 7-8
Gordon McClarren                         Math, Science, P.E.
*Jennifer Overeem                     Art
*Connie Smith                         Resource Center
     
Kempton: Rev. Ragnar Boyesen           Principal, Religion
Anthea Pike                          Grades 1-2
Alix Smith                              Grades 3-4
Curtis McQueen                         Grade 5-6
Mark Wyncoll                          Vice Principal, Grades 7-10
Eric Smith                               Grade 7-10
*Rev. Andrew Heilman                    Religion, Science
*Kate Pitcairn                         Science, H.B., Latin
     
Kitchener: Rev. Kenneth J. Alden           Principal, French
Mary Jane Hill                          Grades 1-3
Josephine Kuhl                          Grades 4-6
Lynn Watts                          Grades 7-8
*Nina Riepert                          Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten
*Rev. Michael Cowley                    Scripture Study

Oak Arbor: Rev. Grant H. Odhner           Principal
Gail Grace                               Grades 1-3
Nathaniel Brock                          Grades 4-6
*Nancy Genzlinger                     Grades 3-4 Language Arts
*Rev. Mark Pendleton                    Religion
     
Pittsburgh: Rev. Nathan D. Gladish           Pastor/Principal, Religion
Natasha Rhodes                         Grades 1 and 3
Jim Gese                               Grades 5-6
*Jennifer Lindsay                         Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten

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Toronto: Steve Krause                     Principal, Grades 3-5
Natalie Baker                          Grades 1-2
James Bellinger                         Grades 6-8
*Gillian Parker                          Jr. and Sr. Kindergarten

Washington: Rev. James P. Cooper           Principal, Religion, History
Karen Hyatt                          Kindergarten and Misc.
Kim Maxwell                              Grades 1-2
Jean Allen                               Grades 3-4
*Jana Sprinkle                          Grades 5-6
Kathy Johns                              Grades 7-8
Carole Waelchli                          Grades 9-10
*Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr.                Worship, Latin, Religion

Midwestern Rev. Jeremy E Simons           Principal
Academy (MANC):
*Yvonne Allen                          Grades 9-10

     SCHOOL ENROLLMENTS 1995-1996

The Academy
      Theological School (Full-time)           10
      College (Full-time)                     108
      Girls School                          112
      Boys School                          122
      Total Academy                          352

Midwestern Academy
      Grades 9 and 10 (Part-time)           4

Local Schools
      Bryn Athyn                          365
      Durban                               37
      Glenview                               48
      Kempton                               74
      Kitchener                          40
      Oak Arbor                          22
      Pittsburgh                         23
      Toronto                              29
      Washington                          48
      Total Local Schools                     686
Total Reported Enrollment in All Schools          1042

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BEAUTY IN SWEDENBORG'S LATIN WRITINGS 1995

BEAUTY IN SWEDENBORG'S LATIN WRITINGS       Rev. JONATHAN S. ROSE       1995

     THE SECOND IN A SERIES OF TIDBITS

     Last time I wrote about the physical beauty of Swedenborg's original Latin writings. Another form of beauty is their vocabulary. Swedenborg's Latin vocabulary is immense, rich, colorful, varied, and down to earth. When you first read Swedenborg's Latin you immediately notice the same few abstract nouns again and again-Latin words for good, truth, charity, faith, love, wisdom, the Lord, God, human being, heaven, and so on. But as you read more, you find that alongside that small number of frequently used abstract nouns is a vast number of infrequently used concrete nouns, that is, words for things perceivable by the five senses (for example, leopards, bramble bushes, horses and carriages).
     I have been working on a Latin analysis software package called NeoSearch. At one point I experimented with the possibility of tagging the nouns as either abstract or concrete. As I went through Chadwick's Lexicon to categorize them, however, every noun was concrete. So few of the nouns used by the Writings are abstract that I never ran into any in my test sample.
     Bjornar Larsen, programmer for the NeoSearch project, then wrote software that lists every different string of letters occurring in Swedenborg's published works, counts the number of occurrences of each and sorts the strings by frequency. From this data a fascinating picture emerged. Fewer than a hundred abstract nouns occur more than a thousand times each. To visualize this I picture a three-dimensional graph with the vertical dimension representing the number of times a word occurs. These few abstract nouns I picture as a very tall, thin column in the middle of the graph: thin because there are so few such words, but tall because each occurs many times. This central column slopes off quite steeply and spreads out into large, shallow foothills extending far in every direction, representing the thousands of different concrete nouns that Swedenborg uses only a few times.

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     Our data are colored by the fact that Latin is more heavily inflected than English, and our counting software is not yet able to associate all inflections of a given word, but rather counts the different strings of letters or each inflection separately. (Inflection is the change of form a word undergoes in order to play different roles in a sentence. English does this a little; Latin does it a lot.) Although statistics on words might be more conclusive, the statistics on strings still serve to portray the wide range of expression in the Writings. Of 67,175 Latin strings used in Swedenborg's published volumes, 22,355 (about a third) occur only once in all the Writings! Another 29,715 occur between twice and nine times. The 7294 pages of Swedenborg's first editions contain about three and a half million words, yet each different string of letters occurs on average just three times. Perhaps this can give you some impression of how immensely rich and varied is the Latin vocabulary of the Writings.
IN OUR CONTEMPORARIES 1995

IN OUR CONTEMPORARIES       Editor       1995

     We are pleased to see the birth of a new monthly periodical produced by students at the College of the Academy of the New Church. It is called Marathon. Information on obtaining it is available from Thane Glenn, phone (215) 947-0681. Communication by mail should go to Joel Brown, Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     The New Philosophy January-June 1995 has a real feast for readers. If you have not read it yet, we commend two illustrated articles to your attention: "Comparative Embryology and the Story of the Flood" by Linda Simonetti Odhner, and "What Were They Fighting About?: A Review of the Argument over the Nature of Spiritual Creation" by Rev. Alfred Acton.
     The issue begins with an inspiring article by Dr. Horand Gutfeldt called "Impressions from a Conference in Moscow, Heightened by Memories from My Former Experience."

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Editorial Pages 1995

Editorial Pages       Editor       1995

     A WONDERFUL FUNCTION OF A CHURCH (7)

     Last month we mentioned the unknown use performed by the Jewish people who regard the Word of the Old Testament as holy. "There is a presence of the Lord and of heaven wherever the Word is read with reverence." That is a reason why in Providence these people are scattered widely in the earth (see Divine Providence 260).
     There are groups in the New Church who meet regularly for the reading and discussion of Arcana Coelestia. This is a focus on the Old Testament stories of Genesis and Exodus with a sense of their holiness. Those reading about the call of Abram are aware from the Arcana that this has to do with "the Lord's state from earliest childhood" (AC 1401). The stories are not just history, for within them "there are arcana of heaven which lie stored up and hidden there." Think at Christmas time of the few people who love the Arcana and who have a sense that every particular in the Old Testament stories "bears reference to the Lord, who is the very Life itself" (AC 2)
     In a later issue we will talk of uses a church may perform.

     SWEDENBORG'S LONG SUNRISE

     An article in Studia Swedenborgiana treats the reader to a panoramic reflection on what took place in the years in which the Writings came into being. Mr. Steve Koke has evidently brought much knowledge and reflection to this subject. As the article is almost 40 pages long, we will not attempt a summary. But here is a sampling.
     "Swedenborg's writing sequence should be best understood as a regenerative process, most likely tracing the descent of the Lord within him from the highest to the lowest and most exterior levels of his mind . . . . The Lord opened the spiritual sense of the Word to him and allowed him to sense it like an angel.
     "The Arcana Coelestia, which explains the spiritual sense of Genesis and Exodus, was the first literary creation to achieve useful articulation.

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It begins in the spiritual sense of Genesis with a very high wisdom, the most ancient and primal visions and insights of our earliest religion."
     Mr. Koke alludes to a passage in the Spiritual Diary (1464) which speaks of those in the world "who will simply say that they have the Word and have no need for a [new] revelation, thus rejecting those things which come out of heaven and descend."
     He raises the question of why we are given the spiritual sense of only Genesis, Exodus and Revelation. Calculating the rate of speed at which Swedenborg moved through Genesis and Exodus, he says that it would have taken seventy-seven years to go through the entire Bible at the same pace.
     "He has to write only from the divine mercy. The divine mercy is the Lord's unconditional and undeserved love for the human race . . . . To write by the divine mercy is to write from the Lord rather than from oneself or one's own ideas. He had to interpret Scripture from divine insight and therefore in accordance with the Lord's own pace for the Arcana, covering only what would be required by the Lord, not necessarily everything."
     He quotes the saying that the internal sense "has been dictated to me from heaven" (AC 6597). Swedenborg held himself open to the Lord rather than rely on "any definitive planning of his own, any generic idea of what he should be doing . . . . So he makes a strenuous effort to remain open to heaven's guidance. He repeats the words, by the divine mercy any time anything new is contemplated, even if it is only a few pages ahead. Only in the Arcana do we find him being so ritually watchful; he apparently wants to keep it constantly in front of everyone that the Lord, not himself or some presumptive idea, is in charge of this work.
     "Now if we do assume that Swedenborg worked from any serious presumptions about the Arcana's coverage, we encounter an interesting problem. It becomes hard to account for his precise timing in ending the Arcana right at the judgment when his agenda was destined to be changed.

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For he stopped in 1756 neatly at the end of a book of the Word, and the judgment began in January of 1757. He did not have enough information to accomplish that by himself. The whole story looks miraculous.
     "We may be forced to conclude that he needed to know only one thing: the Lord wanted him to work comfortably but steadily in order not to compromise the quality of the work; if he would just do that, he should just expect continual guidance about what to write."
     Who would read Swedenborg and accept what he wrote? "People can read him, but it is always the Lord, the source of the good in the soul, who convinces and converts."

     The above is from Vol. 9, Number 2 of Studia, May, 1995. Part 2 of Mr. Koke's study is anticipated in a later issue.

     SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN ARTICLE DISCOUNTS DESIGN

     The title of an article in the November issue of Scientific American is "God's Utility Function." The author maintains that "life has no higher purpose than to perpetuate the survival of DNA."
     Richard Dawkins says that when you find an artifact designed by humans it is appropriate to ask what its purpose is. But he says it is an error to ask for the "purpose" of something that exists in nature. "Reverse engineering" observes the characteristics of an object and tries to determine what its maker had in mind. Do not do this with nature, says Dawkins.
     If you look at a cheetah and study its teeth and claws you might conclude that God designed the cheetah "to maximize deaths among gazelles." And if you study the swift gazelle perhaps you will see in its evasive design a machine aimed at "starvation among cheetahs."
     This author sees in nature abundant proof that there is no Creator. The Writings observe that "confirmations" in favor of a godless nature are possible, but the same evidence may be seen if one is willing to see it as confirmations of the Divine.

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We are urged to take in the confirmations in favor of the Divine (see DLW 357).
     As you look at nature, do you see the wonders spoken of in this part of Divine Love and Wisdom? Or do you see confusion and chaos, cheetahs in meaningless pursuit of gazelles? Swedenborg observed angels reviewing the life of an individual who saw no meaning or purpose in life. "He saw so much confusion." And he was in total amazement when he died to find that there is a life after death! (See AC 6484.)
UNKNOWN ADDRESSES 1995

UNKNOWN ADDRESSES       Editor       1995

     Anyone who can supply information as to the whereabouts of the people listed below is asked to contact the Office of the Secretary, General Church of the New Jerusalem, P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Last known addresses from 1992 are shown.

Ruth Matthews
47 Oak Dr SW
Atlanta, GA 30354

Elizabeth (Murray) McGinley
3650 Queensland Pl
Colorado Springs, CO 80918

Glen Miller
PO Box 2940
Breckenridge, CO 80424

Shirley Reams
695 - 19th St SE
Salem, OR 97301-6438

Mr/Mrs William Salminen
821 Taft Road
Duluth, MN 55803

Dennis and Phyllis Siegen-Smith
London, England
Michele Smith
2920 Forest Hills Blvd - #3G
Coral Springs, FL 33065

Charles/Robyn (Glenn) Spangenberg
PO Box 260
Willow Grove, PA 19090

Bruce/Patricia (Friesen) Switzer
Austin Switzer and Emily Switzer
RD 18 - Mangawhere Rd
Eltham, Taranaki, New Zealand

Burton/Jane (La Roche) Thomas
Allyson Thomas
57 Pinehill Ave
Manchester, NH 03102

Tholakele (Nenearr) Zungu
Sgananda Zungu
1412 Newton NW
Washington, DC 20010

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HEAVENLY PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL 1995

HEAVENLY PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL       John Sabol       1995

     (Adapted from AE 1148, this prayer is given in a singular and plural form so that it may be used by one person or a group. It was submitted by John Sabol.)

     Let Us Pray
That the Lord may be with us continually,
That He may uplift and turn His countenance upon us.
That He may teach, enlighten, and lead us, since we can do nothing of ourselves that is good, and
That He may grant to us to live.
And we pray
That the devil may not lead us astray and not pour evils into our hearts, knowing that if we are not led by the Lord, the devil will lead us and breathe into us evils of every kind, such as: hatred, revenge, cunning and deceit, as a serpent instills poison;
For the devil is present, stirring up and continually accusing, and when he meets with a heart turned away from God, he enters in, dwells there, and draws down that soul to hell.
O Lord! Deliver us!
Amen and Selah!
     I Pray
That the Lord may be with me continually,
That He may uplift and turn His Countenance upon me,
That He may teach, enlighten, and lead me, since I can do nothing of myself that is good, and
That He may grant me to live.
And I pray
That the devil may not lead me astray and not pour evils into my heart, knowing that if I am not led by the Lord, the devil will lead me and breathe into me evils of every kind, such as: hatred, revenge, cunning, and deceit, as a serpent instills poison;
For the devil is present, stirring up and continually accusing, and when he meets with a heart turned away from God, he enters in, dwells there, and draws that soul down to hell.
O Lord! Deliver me!
Amen and Selah!

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LETTER ALL ABOUT THE ASSEMBLY 1995

LETTER ALL ABOUT THE ASSEMBLY       Editor       1995




     Announcements






     Young volunteers stuffed envelopes a few weeks ago in Bryn Athyn so that 4,918 letters about the assembly could be sent out. We trust you received one.

     Christmas Gift Ideas

New Liturgy, red hardcover               U.S.      $10.00
Liturgy, loose-leaf pages for organists           10.00
Liturgy, flexible special binding                55.00
Arcana Caelestia, Vol. 10, hardcover           18.00
Arcana Caelestia, Vol. 10, softcover           13.00
Married Love, Rogers translation                15.00
Conjugial Love, Rogers translation                15.00
Married Love, the WORD                     15.00
Conjugial Love, the WORD                     15.00
Glossary of Terms, Bogg                     17.50
     The Book Center will gift wrap and send your gifts directly for you. Postage will be a minimum of U.S. $2.00 per book.
     General Church Book Center                    Hours: Mon-Fri 9-12 or by
Box 743, Cairncrest                              appointment
Bryn Athyn, PA 19009                         Phone: (215) 947-3920