Title Unspecified              2004


Vol. CXXIV     January, 2004     No. 1

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

     The Number Four     3

     Report on the Liturgy
          John Odhner 5

     Learning About Our Relationship with the Lord
          Kent Rogers 16

     William James and His Influence on American Education (1)
          Sonia Soneson Werner 20

     A Poem to a House
          Erik E. Sandstrom 24

     Editorial Pages
          More About That Elusive "It"          27
          Observing a Wonderful Sequence      27

     Communications
          A Different View of Sharing Groups
               Dawn Barnitz Potts 29
          "Some Sticky Stuff, A Candy Dish, and a Highland Journey"
               Robert H.P. Cole 32

     Announcements      35


     PUBLISHED BY

     THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM


     Rev. Donald L. Rose, Editor


     PRINTED BY FENCOR GRAPHICS, INC.


     PHILA., PA 19111


     SUBSCRIPTION: $16.00 TO ANY ADDRESS. SINGLE COPY $1.50


     Second-class postage paid at Bryn Athyn, PA


Vol. CXXIV     February, 2004     No. 2

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

Cleanliness
     A Sermon on Zechariah 3:4     Jeremy F. Simons 43

William James's Influence on Psychology and Spiritual Healing (2)
     Sonia Soneson Werner 50

Editorial Pages
     The Faces of Canadian and Chinese Mothers      57
     A Magnificent Volume in Russian       58
     Les Miserables Writer and Swedenborg       58

Communications
     Minnesota Neighbors in New Church History     Robert H.P. Cole 61
     Announcements      63

Contact Persons for Public Worship and Doctrinal Classes      67

Vol. CXXIV     March, 2004     No. 3

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

     Remembering and Forgetting
          A Sermon on Isaiah 49:15-16     
               Eric H. Carswell 75

     The Evolution of William James's Attitude About the Writings (3)
          Sonia Soneson Werner 80

     Valentine's Day Redefined?
          Dan A. Synnestvedt 89

     How Shall We Think of Jesus?
          Dan Goodenough 110

     Review
          Take a Deep Breath
               Jessie P. Rose 113

     Editorial Pages
          Farmer's Almanac and Appleseed      115
          Another Angle on the Word "Conjugial"      115
          Sunday Magazine Speaks of Marriage After Death       116
          A Chapter on Swedenborg in a Popular Book      117

     Announcements      118

     Vol. CXXIV     April, 2004     No. 4

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

     The Lord Foretells His Passion
          A Sermon on Matthew 16:21
               Andrew M.T. Dibb 123

     Aggressive or Passive? The Role of Young Women Before Marriage
          Keir L. Hyatt 129

     Si Sapis, Sis Apis (If You Want to be Wise, Work as a Bee)
          Tatsuya Nagashima 146

     Some Thoughts on Education
          Carl R. Gunther 150

     Salve for My Soul: What the New Church Has Meant to Me
          Ellen In 157

     Review
          Faith and Learning at Bryn Athyn College of the New Church
               Vera P. Glenn 160

     Editorial Pages
          Henry James Discovering the Writings      162
          Newspaper Comments on the Passion Film      163

     Announcements      165


Vol. CXXIV     May, 2004     No. 5

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

Prudence and Providence
     A Sermon on Genesis 4:9
          Alfred Acton II 171

The Benefits of Having Church in Your Life
     Garry B. Walsh 180

A Dramatic Novel Entitled The Arrivals      190

Eldergarten: California, March 2004
     Dotty Hammond 191

Editorial Pages
     When the Writings Say "Know This" or "Keep This in Mind"      195
     Remembering After Death      196
     
Communications
     My Story of the Bryn Athyn Cathedral
          Richard Lindquist 197
     The Passion of the Christ
          Roberta Stein Hitchcock 198
     The Passion of the Christ
          Grant Schnarr 200
Announcements      204

Vol. CXXIV     June, 2004     No. 6

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

Mixed Motives
     A Sermon on Luke 17:10
          Peter M. Buss 211

Gibson's Passion of the Christ-Another Response ....
     Grant Odhner 217

Editorial Pages
     Church Dedication in Korea and Other Developments in Asia      226
     Photographs of the Church in Korea      227
     The Philadelphia New Church Korean Group      228
     The Inner Life of Jesus Christ      229

Communications
     James and Swedenborg
          Richard Lines 231

Announcements      233

Secondary School and College Graduates      238


     Vol. CXXIV     July, 2004     No. 7

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

Collecting Vessels
     A Sermon on II Kings 4:3
          Bradley D. Heinrichs 243

The Bishop's Newsletter      249

Disaster, Disease, and Divine Providence
     Arne Bau-Madsen 250

Declarations of Faith and Purpose
     Olaf Hauptmann and Sylvain Agnes 273

Editorial Pages
     Gathered to His People      275
     How a Bulgarian Translation Came About      276
     Resolution Regarding the Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss      277

Communications
     The Role of Young Women Before Marriage
          Joseph S. David 280

Announcements      281

     Contact Persons for Public Worship and Doctrinal Classes       284


     Vol. CXXIV     August, 2004     No. 8

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

What Makes the Church?
     A Sermon
          Derek Elphick 291

Bryn Athyn College, Worldviews, and Globalization
     Dan A. Synnestvedt 297

Editorial Pages
     More Available to Danish Readers: Striking Sayings from Marriage
     and Invitation to the New Church      312

Johnny Appleseed Outdoor Historical Drama Inaugural Season
     Jane Williams-Hogan 315

Announcements      317


     Vol. CXXIV     September, 2004     No. 9

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

The Dangers of Prayer
     A Sermon on Matthew 21:21-22
          Michael Gladish 323

On Letting Go of Injury
     Donald Brandis 331

Why We Have a Duty to Take an Interest in Politics
     Walter E. Orthwein 341

Editorial Pages
     Gathered to His People (2)       345
     A Religious View of Olympic Games      346
     Adventure in the Ukraine       348

Pastoral Moves      349

Announcements      351


Vol. CXXIV     October, 2004     No. 10

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

The Rebirth of the Mind
     A Sermon on John 3:3
          Douglas M. Taylor 355

The Transfiguration
     Kent Rogers 363

Dream Come True-Visits to the Orient
     Yong Jin 372

Publications in the Former Yugoslavia
     Risto Rundo 374

Choice
     Anna Woofenden 377

The New Church in Germany
     Barbara and Friedemann Schmidt 380

Editorial Pages
     Gathered to His People (3)       384
     "Johnny Astroseed" in Scientific Journal      385
     A Great Mystery Now Revealed: Japanese Translation of Arcana
     Volume with the Beginning of the Doctrine of the Gorand Man      386
     Publishing Achievement in the Czech Republic      387

Communications
     Appleseed Drama
          Duncan Smith 388
     "Gathered to His People"
          Don Fitzpatrick 388

Laurel Family Camp     Wendy Hoo 390

Announcements      397


     Vol. CXXIV     November, 2004     No. 11

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

Truths That the Soul Can Touch
     An Address
          Peter M. Buss 403

Report from a Trip to the Ukraine
     Goran Appelgren 415

General Church Schools Directory      424

Editorial Pages
     Helen and the Saints      428
     Miss Keller Among New Church Friends      429

General Church Development Committee      433

Accountability
     Robert Heinrichs 434

Announcements      436

One Man, One Woman: The Teaching of the Word on Marriage
     Thomas L. Kline 439


Vol. CXXIV     December, 2004     No. 12

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

Tidings of Great Joy
     A Sermon on Luke 2:10
          George F. Dole 443

Report of the Secretary of the General Church, 2003-2004
     Susan V. Simpson 447

Directory of the General Church, 2004-2005      453

Editorial Pages
     Providence Working Through People       464
     In Search of the Absolute      465

Review
     The Throne Room of Heaven
          Lawson M. Smith 467

Accountability: Part I     Robert Heinrichs 468

Announcements      471

Vol. CXXIV     January, 2004     No. 1

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

Notes on This Issue 2004

Notes on This Issue              2004

     People have asked for indications of progress on the revised General Church Liturgy, and we are glad to be able to print an extensive report in this issue. From this report you can get a fairly good idea of what to expect in the coming revision. For example, organists will appreciate hymns that have been reduced from three pages to two pages. The final paragraph of the report invites the feedback of people who are interested. Rev. John Odhner welcomes your help.

     We are pleased to begin a series of short articles by Dr. Sonia S. Werner on the subject of William James. James had a considerable influence in the educational world. As Dr. Werner points out, he was himself influenced by the Writings.

     Kent Rogers now lives in Nepal. He has sent a thoughtful article about three stories in the Gospel of Matthew. The stories begin at chapter 24 verse 42 which tells us to watch, "for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming." The stories end in the 13th verse of the following chapter, where we read, "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the son of Man is coming."

     The General Church Office of Evangelization invites you to a new website devoted to supporting you in your outreach efforts. See page 4.

     Faith and Learning at Bryn Athyn College

     In the October and November issues we have quoted from the new book about Bryn Athyn College. We are pleased to say that the book is now available. See page 37 for information on its contents.

3


NUMBER FOUR 2004

NUMBER FOUR       D.L. Rose       2004

     The number four has a feeling about it. When an organization or an individual gets it all together, the good result could be expressed simply by the number four. Sometimes when angels communicate by writing they convey their meaning by numbers.

     Can you imagine it? Swedenborg was allowed to see remarkable angelic messages. We read in Heaven and Hell 263, "I have seen writings from heaven made up of mere numbers set down in order and in a series, just as in writings made up of letters and words."

     Swedenborg learned that the number four has to do with the conjoining of what is good and what is true. "This has been made evident to me by much experience from the spiritual world; for when angels spoke there of the conjunction of good and truth, or of love and faith, and their speech was determined into numbers, the number four was exhibited" (AE 384).

     Sometimes the number four is used in a grand and majestic way. A chapter in the Book of Revelation begins, "After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth . . ."

     Somewhat similar in its majesty is a saying in Isaiah in which we see God watching over the earth: "It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in" (40: 22).

     The circle calls to mind the Divine sphere, holding things together. The most holy object in the tabernacle of Israel was the golden ark containing the Ten Commandments. The ark had on it four rings. The meaning of the rings is "the Divine sphere which surrounds and embraces heaven as a whole, and every heavenly community and actual angel specifically" (AC 9498).

4




     We are into the fourth year of the century, and you will be writing the number four rather often. May it be a symbol of the Lord's holding us all in His hand and blessing us with His conjoining sphere.

     D.L. Rose
GENERAL CHURCH OFFICE OF EVANGELIZATIONPRESENTS GCOUTREACH.ORG 2004

GENERAL CHURCH OFFICE OF EVANGELIZATIONPRESENTS GCOUTREACH.ORG              2004

     A new website devoted to supporting you in your outreach efforts.

     At www.gcoutreach.org you will find:

     -     Inspiration and support

     -     Download able logos, pamphlets, business cards and more

     -     Featured Books to help you learn more about effective outreach

     -     General Church Outreach Magazine (formerly Missionary Memo)

     -     The latest pamphlets to download and print on your own printer

     -     Effective Advertisements for all types of events and holidays

     -     Professional Development including indepth reviews of recent church seminars and recommended secular seminars and training programs

     -     Support in developing effective publications of your own such as newsletters, business cards, and advertisements.

     Visit this new website and benefit from the experience, training, and insights of other New Church people who, like you, are engaging in the important work of New Church outreach.

5


REPORT ON THE LITURGY 2004

REPORT ON THE LITURGY       Rev. JOHN ODHNER       2004

     Just over two years ago, Bishop Buss appointed a committee to prepare a revised Liturgy. The Liturgy Committee has included:

     -     Tom Kline, Chairman     (Bryn Athyn Pastor)

     -     Margit Irwin          (BACS music teacher)

     -     John Odhner               (Bryn Athyn pastoral staff)

     -     Terry Schnarr          (organist at Bryn Athyn Cathedral)

     -     Jeremy Simons          (Bryn Athyn pastoral staff)

     -     Alaine York               (organist at Ivyland New Church)

     The Bishop asked us to take out a few songs that were unwanted or unused, change many songs back to the traditional words, add some songs as space permits (especially songs for children), and make any other needed corrections or changes. The committee has been working hard to go through all the songs in the 1995 Liturgy and many more that are not in the Liturgy, to decide what changes to make and what to include. We are now reaching the end of our decision-making process, and have begun getting copyright permissions (with the help of Sue Simpson, Secretary of the General Church). Within a few months we should have a preliminary copy of the new Liturgy. After review and corrections, we hope to publish it in Spring 2004.

What to Expect

     At this point we want to let you know what to expect from the new Liturgy. Our hope is that everyone will be able to find welcome changes. What you find below is a summary of our current plans, but changes can still be made. For example, we may not be able to obtain permission for some songs that we hope to use, or a strong reaction to a particular decision may lead us to change a song.

6




Traditional Words

     For many people, one of the most noticeable features will be that many of the hymns have been changed back to more traditional words. Many of the songs that had "you" in the 1995 Liturgy will have "thee" or "thou" in the 2004 Liturgy. For example:

     -     1995 Humbly, Lord, we ask Your blessing

     -     2004: Humbly, Lord we ask Thy Blessing

     [Music]

     1. Hum-bly, Lord, we ask Thy bless-ing, Keep us, Fa-ther, in Thy care.

     2. Gath-ered here, to-geth-er kneel-ing, we would ask of Thee, O Lord,

     3. May this light dis-pel our dark-ness. Then when doubt and fear shall cease,
                              

     -     1995: Lord, we pray You, now draw near us.

     -     2004: Lord, we pray Thee, draw Thou near us.

     [Music]

     Note: Music in this article has been reduced in size.

     Some people will especially appreciate the more traditional words in songs such as these:

     -     Arise, O Lord, into Thy Rest

     -     1995: He has desired it

     -     2004: He hath longed for it

7




     -     Exalt the Name of God the Lord

     -     1995: The Lord shall reign forever more,

     -     2004: Exalt the name of God the Lord,

     -     1995: His truth for length of days

     -     2004: His truth shall reign for length of days

     -     Thy Testimonies Are Very Sure

     -     1995: Holiness adorns Your house

     -     2004: Holiness becometh Thy house

Traditional Music

     In some cases it is the music rather than the words that has changed back to a previous version. For example, many people have requested that "Watchman, Tell Us of the Night" be set to the familiar tune (which is also used for "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come." Again, some people miss the older version of "0 Lord our Help in Ages Past," so we have both the melody from the 1995 Liturgy by Croft and the one from the 1966 Liturgy by Tye.

New Arrangements

     In some cases neither the words nor the melody has changed, but harmony for the hymn has been added or changed. For example, the following hymns have new arrangements:

     -     When Very Early in the Dawn

     -     Whence Is This Beauty All around Us?

     -     All Night, All Day

     -     Standin' in the Need of Prayer

     Harmony or accompaniment has been added to

     -     O Give Thanks

     -     Praise the Lord (with the sound of trumpet)

8




More Music

     Perhaps the most significant change will be the addition of much more music in many different categories, including old favorites, anthems and Psalms, children's songs and contemporary music.

New Church Composers

     Some of the new songs are by New Church composers, such as:

     -     I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes to the Hills by Catharine Odhner

     [Music]

     -     Dominus ab Aeterno     by Richard Yardumian

     -     The Lord God Jesus Christ Reigns!     by Brian Kingslake

     -     Myriad     by Diccon Lee

     -     Praise the Lord!     by Terry Schnarr

Old Favorites

     One of our goals was to reintroduce a number of old favorites that had been omitted from the 1995 Liturgy. Some of these are by New Church authors or composers:

9




     -     As Warriors True

     -     Blessed the Man who Confideth in the Lord

     [Music]

     -     Grace Be Unto You

     -     Psalm 48 (Great is the Lord)

     -     'Odhkha

     -     Vivat Nova Ecclesia

     [Music]

     -     Psalm 23 (Whittington)

     -     Psalm 19 (The heavens are telling)

     -     Praise the Lord! Ye Heavens Adore Him!

     Others are ones we have come to love from other sources:

     -     From the Eastern Mountains

     -     Lord, Thy Glory Fills the Heavens (Wesley)

     -     March, March Onward, Soldiers True

     -     March On, March On to Victory

     -     Now Blessed Thou, O Christ Our Lord

10




     Some of the hymns are favorites in other churches although they have not been used in the General Church much. Some of you will recognize many of these:

     -     Cast Thy Burden upon the Lord

     [Music]

     -     God of Our Fathers

     -     How Great Thou Art!

     -     I Vow to Thee My Country

     -     Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

     -     Lead Me, Lord

     [Music]

     -     Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming

     -     Once in Royal David's City

     -     The Lord Bless You and Keep You

     -     The Lord Is in His Holy Temple

     -     The Lord's Prayer (Malotte)

New Traditional Hymns

     Some of the hymns we have chosen are new hymns, recently composed, but with a more traditional style.

11




     -     Come, Risen Lord (this day and be our Guest)

     -     Here I Am, Lord

     -     Sanctus (Prouix)

     -     How Good a Thing It Is

     -     If My People Will Pray

     -     My Soul for God Does Thirst

     -     0 Son of God, in Galilee

     -     You Satisfy the Hungry Heart

     -     Go Forth, All Ye Who Follow Him

New Children's Songs

     There are a number of new children's songs to be included. Some of are by New Church composers or authors, such as:

     -     The Two Great Commandments (Bradin)

     -     The Fourth Commandment

     -     Come, O Shepherds, Angels Are Singing,

     Others are favorites from other sources:

     -     Trust and Obey

     -     All Things Bright and Beautiful

     -     Now the Day is Over

New Informal Hymns

     In Bryn Athyn the Contemporary worship service does not use the Liturgy, but in other congregations and in some of our schools there is a need for more contemporary music. Those who have enjoyed contemporary worship services may be delighted to find some of these songs in the 2004 Liturgy.

     -     As the Deer Panteth

     -     Cross Over the Road

     -     He Gave Me Beauty for Ashes

     -     As We Gather

     -     Brother, let me be your servant

12




     -     Change My Heart, O God

     -     Come to Me (and I will give you rest)

     -     I Was Hungry

     -     He Is Exalted

     -     Healer of My Soul

     -     How Majestic Is Your Name

     -     Humble Thyself in the Sight of the Lord

     -     Humble Yourself (before your Lord and King)

     -     I Am the Bread of Life

     -     I Love You, Lord (and I lift my voice)

     -     In His Time

     -     King of Kings

     -     Love (One Another)

     -     Lord, Have Mercy on Us

     -     My Peace (I give unto you)

     -     How Majestic

     -     Obey My Voice

     -     Only in God (is my soul at rest)

     -     Open Your Eyes

     -     Seek Only Thy Perfect Way

     -     Show Me Your Ways, O Lord

     -     Simple Gifts ('Tis a gift to be simple)

     -     The Servant Song

     [Music]

     -     The Trees of the Field

     -     Thy Word (is a lamp unto my feet)

13




     -     You Are My Hiding Place

     -     You Are the Potter

Toasts and Blessings

     Toasts are not used in worship services, but are often sung following special services. The committee felt it would be useful to include these songs which would not otherwise be available to congregations.

     -     The Lord upon You Send His Blessing

     [Music]

     -     First in Our Hearts

     -     Here's to Our Friends

     -     Our Glorious Church (Pacius)

     -     Our Glorious Church (Whittington)

     [Music]

Music that Has Stayed the Same

     There are many changes in the new Liturgy, but overall there are many more things that have not changed. Many of the songs have changed only in their format, and many have not been changed at all.

14


Few changes have been made to the text portion of the Liturgy. So the offices and Psalter, etc. will stay essentially as they have been. While there will be a fair amount of new music, most of the music and text will not require relearning.

Numbering

     The new Liturgy will have a single numbering system throughout the book (like the Hymnal for Schools and Families). This will end any confusion between page numbers and hymn numbers, and also the confusion that can result when more than one hymn is on a given page.

Reformatted Music

     Sometimes the change in the music has been primarily in the layout. The 2004 Liturgy has been typeset with superior notation software that has allowed us more control over spacing of music. In many cases this has made it possible for us to fit more music on a page.

     Many songs that had taken a page and a half or two pages will be on a single page. This may be very helpful to people who wish to include hymns in bulletins or pamphlets. Examples:

     -     1995: Angels We Have Heard on High, 1.5 pages.

     -     2004: Angels We Have Heard on High, 1 page.

     -     Great and Wonderful Are Thy Works, 1 page.

     -     Prepare the Royal Highway, 1 page.

     -     When the World Was White with Winter, 1 page.

     Organists will especially appreciate hymns that have been reduced from 3 pages to 2 pages so that no page turn will be needed in the middle of the song. For example, the accompanist will no longer need to turn a page in the middle of:

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     -     Lift Up Your Heads, Rejoice! 2 pages.

     -     Behold, How Good and How Pleasant, 2 pages.

     -     Arise! (Go across Jordan), 2 pages.

     -     Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem, 2 pages.

     -     The Lord God Jesus Christ Doth Reign, 2 pages.

     In some cases there are still page turns but not as many. For example, these two hymns have only one page turn each, and it comes between verses.

     -     Away in a Manger (English tune), 3 pages.

     -     Calm on the Listening Ear of Night, 4 pages.

Feedback

     We have made many more changes than we anticipated three years ago when we started this project. Our feeling has been that the extra time and effort required will be worthwhile considering the improvements that we are making. It is always a challenge to balance conflicting needs and wishes, and we may have changed too little or too much for your taste. Now is a time to make your voice heard. We are eager to have feedback on the Liturgy before it goes to press. If you have comments, please pass them on to the committee as soon as possible. If you are willing to do a careful examination of the Liturgy and provide corrections and suggestions, please contact the committee. We hope to provide advance copies for that purpose. We want as much as possible for the Liturgy to be a means for joyful, reverent worship.

16


LEARNING ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIPWITH THE LORD 2004

LEARNING ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIPWITH THE LORD       KENT ROGERS       2004

     In Matthew 24:42 through Matthew 25:13 we see a series of three related stories which the Lord spoke to His disciples. In the first, He compares Himself to a thief that comes at night to steal. He points out that had the house owner known the thief was coming, he wouldn't have slept. In the second, Jesus compares Himself to a master of a house with servants. The servants, He says, should remain dutiful, for they don't know when the master will return; and should he return to find the servants doing nothing, there will be much strife. In the third parable, Jesus compares Himself to a bridegroom who delays in coming. Five virgins had enough oil to light their lamps despite the delay; but five did not. The latter were excluded from the celebration.

     There is an interesting progression planned here. Precisely before the first parable, Jesus commands that we watch continually because we don't know when He will come. Yet if we think of a house owner watching fearfully through the night every night waiting for a thief, we see that a dreary, paranoid and impossible task is given us. We can't possibly watch night after night waiting for a thief to come. Yet, this is a perfect description of the first state of our regeneration when we are still immersed in evil desires. We view the Lord and His ways as a thief who threatens to steal away that which we love.

     In the second parable we see a progression to higher ways of interacting with the Lord. Now in our minds, He is no longer a thief threatening to steal our lives, but our Master. A servant serves a master in return for food, clothing and money. This describes the second state of regeneration in which we begin to act more willingly according to the Lord's commands, but we do it at least in part for selfish reasons-we want something back in return from the Lord.

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We want eternal salvation, or we want Him to bless us in our earthly lives with earthly things such as a good reputation. Yet from this relationship, our task is more doable even if not joyful. We need to do our duty daily as if the master is going to return at any moment, rather than laze off until when we think he will come. While this may not be thrilling, it is easier than waiting up all night, every night for the thief.

     In the final parable we see the relationship we can have with the Lord in the third state of regeneration. The five wise virgins are attending the wedding not out of fear, not out of duty, but from a sense of joy which they are eager to share. They are eagerly awaiting the bridegroom so that they can celebrate with him and his bride. It is interesting, too, to note that unlike the house owner in the first parable, these young ladies are not scolded for sleeping. In the Arcana we read, "'going to sleep' means nurturing doubt, in the case of the wise' doubt that goes with an affirmative attitude of mind, but in the case of the foolish' doubt that goes with a negative one" (AC 4638:4). Sleep here might also be seen as a state of peace that accompanies full trust and commitment to the Lord; whereas in the first parable spiritual deadness.

     The foolish virgins whose oil proved insufficient perhaps represent those aspects of ourselves that at first serve to help us regenerate, but finally must be abandoned. We see a parallel to this idea in the life of Moses and the first generation of Israelites who left Egypt. Many motives help us to exodus from our selfish ways. Some of them, such as love of reputation, fear of punishment, and love of success are not of the Lord and so cannot exist with Him in heaven. These motives while at first burned useful in our lives, eventually sputter out and simultaneously are no longer necessary.

     They are not necessary because, finally, the Lord provides us with motives that verge towards more pure-love of the happiness of others, for instance, which must have been a part of what motivated the five wise virgins to attend the wedding.

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Another motive is love for the Lord Himself and a desire to give back a portion of the many gifts He gives us. The five wise virgins must too have had love for the bridegroom and wanted to bless His marriage by being a part of the celebration.

     Several months ago, the issue of bridal mysticism arose within the pages of New Church Life. This parable can shed a bit of light on how we are to understand our relationship with the Lord. We as individuals are not the Lord's bride. Neither are we collectively His bride. We are guests at His wedding.

     So who is the Lord's bride? The Lord must wed Himself to one who is not Himself, not His creation and which is free. Can there be such a one? Were He to marry any aspect of His creation, or His creation as a whole, this would be the ultimate act of selfishness. We are His creation as individuals and collectively. But the love that flows between human beings, healing, wholesome, rectifying, and peace-producing interactions between free human beings-is something that the Lord does not control and create. Love is the Lord's, and only His. But when finite, flawed, and faulty humans allow the Lord's love to flow from them to others something unique is made. Each person transfers a love that is unique to that person. And if this giving of love is done in freedom, it is something holy enough for the Lord to wed, but it is not an extension of Himself. This is why it is so vital for us to love each other, I believe. In doing so, we offer the Lord something that He can love.

     This brings us back to an important difference in the last of the three stories that Jesus told. In the last story we aren't a lonely, fearful house owner, nor are we a lone chief of servants, but we are a friend among friends. It is not us, but our loving and wholesome interactions to which the Lord can join Himself. Love is freedom itself and only to the extent we join ourselves to love by means of the truths of the Word, are we free.

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Without loving, we are mere extensions of the natural universe bound like a cog in the mechanics of time and space. States of love lift us out of this bondage and transform time and space into an arena for the expression of love.

     The essence of love is eternal and timeless, but its expression requires time and space. Love is freedom, but the order of its expression is immutable truth and is expressed in the mechanics of the universe. The freedom of love is only realized in the arena of non-free space and time and according to non-changing, non-free truth. So there is a necessary marriage of time and timeless eternity, and there is a similar marriage of freedom and non-freedom, or love and order. We are guests at these marriages. As we dedicate ourselves to loving in time according to the Lord's example, we rise from fearful thief-watching and come to witness the marriage between eternity and time, love and order, freedom and non-freedom.

     When time and eternity, freedom and non-freedom, love and order are married, something exists which is good, pure, holy and above human reality. This is what the Lord can marry, but again, we are not more than the guests, the witnesses.

     We are guests at the Lord's wedding. We can choose to show up by joining in the celebrations, that is, by loving each other and especially by dedicating ourselves to our partner and our marriage, where we are permitted to experience the holy joy of marriage. To do this we must turn to the Lord for help. If we turn to the Lord, at least some aspects of our being will be able to remain even to the end, like the five wise virgins.

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WILLIAM JAMES AND HIS INFLUENCE ONAMERICAN EDUCATION-PART 1 IN A SERIES 2004

WILLIAM JAMES AND HIS INFLUENCE ONAMERICAN EDUCATION-PART 1 IN A SERIES       Dr. SONIA SONESON WERNER       2004

     Most of us find it challenging to explain the doctrines of the New Church to newcomers. In addition to the strategy of telling a personal story about favorite doctrines, another approach is to mention how much the doctrines have already influenced American culture. This approach makes the ideas seem more familiar and less odd. If we point out examples of our culture that were directly or indirectly influenced by the Writings, perhaps it will increase the likelihood that the seeker will accept them. Most seekers are skeptical of new religious movements that have unusual doctrines. But there is something powerful about hearing of an influential person, who redirected a large group of people at a turning point in history.

     One specific example of this historical influence can be found through a study of the famous James family of the 19th and early 20th century. Henry James, Sr., was a devoted reader of the Writings, and he raised some remarkable children. He and his wife Mary home schooled their children, or arranged for tutors, during their childhood and adolescence. It was during this time that their son William James came to be familiar with the Writings through daily study with his father. Henry was known for paying attention to his children's interests and providing instruction accordingly. For instance, when William showed a curiosity about painting, Henry arranged for him to give full-time instruction with a famous painter in Rhode Island.

     When William grew to adulthood, he became an energetic, brilliant author and teacher. His written and spoken ideas had an enormous impact on American psychology, philosophy, education, and even the civil rights movement.

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     We will be publishing a series of short articles on the specific concepts that William James may have learned from the Writings of Swedenborg, and then derived into paradigms which helped to shape our nation.

     For this first article, let's focus on William James' impact on the field of education.

     In the 1800s not all children even went to school, and those that did had teachers with limited training. Teachers studied at Normal Schools, rather than universities, and they mostly studied children's physical development and curriculum ideas. However, they had very little training in how to motivate children to learn. Most of them finished their professional development in a year or two and then went to work in one-room schoolhouses. These were often places where children experienced harsh corporal punishment if they did not memorize facts. If their parents thought the "book-learning" was irrelevant to running their farm, then the children were pulled from school to help with the chores. As a result, education for the majority of the children in our country was inconsistent, repetitious and often painful. If this pattern of education continued to this day, we would have a very different country. What was the turning point in the history of American education?

     Soon after the Civil War, William James finished his home-based study of the Writings, philosophers, and psychology, and he was invited to become a professor at Harvard University. At first he was teaching about human physiology and philosophy, but he soon decided to combine some of his ideas and establish the first Psychology department. Here he focused on issues, such as "how do people learn?" After writing the first psychology textbook in this country, his influence grew. Within a few decades, nearly every schoolteacher and college student of psychology in this nation had read James' book The Principles of Psychology (James, 1890).

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He even went on a speaker's tour across the nation talking directly to teachers of one-room schoolhouses. His speeches were eventually printed under the title: Talks to Teachers (James, 1899). They were a hit! People came for miles and it was often standing room only.

     What did he say to them that had such an enormous influence? He urged them to notice what children love and what they are interested in. He explained why it was important to lead children by their affections, so that they would be eager to learn more knowledge. He enthusiastically explained how teachers should make their classrooms places where children would learn to be practical and useful. He asked teachers to see each child as a unique individual.

Love, Wisdom, Use

     Guess where he got these new ideas? We can document that William James learned ideas about the Writings through his father. We know the way his father tried to raise his children, applying the method of following the childrens' affections.

So the children are led throughout by pleasures in their proper sequence: first by the pleasures of a love for discernment and its wisdom, and finally by the pleasures of a willing love that becomes their life's love. Then whatever they have internalized through the earlier pleasures is kept in order under this love. (DP 136:6)

     We can find out the extent to which he debated with his father about religion and philosophy. We are pretty certain of most of the other influences on William James, such as from Jean Jacques Rousseau and Charles Darwin. Therefore, it is an educated guess that William James derived concepts from the heavenly doctrines about teaching to the affections, changed the terminology, synthesized the ideas with new thoughts from Darwin and Rousseau, and spread the educational philosophy to masses of educators.

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When James shared these ideas with John Dewey at the University of Chicago, together they totally changed the way we motivate and teach children through their establishment of the Progressive Education Movement. Dewey gives credit to James for the essential ideas of the Progressivism, but chose not to include any reference to spirituality. It is here that the ideas definitely became secularized. "This movement emphasized freedom and activity in the classroom and suggested a form of . . . education that would reflect the everyday life of the child. . . . By the middle of the 1920s, the reform of the kindergarten that had begun at the turn of the century was essentially completed" (Spodek, 1987, p. 23). After changing the way kindergarten children were taught, the influence continued into the education of children in the upper grades, in the mid-1900s.

     The next time you are conversing with a newcomer to the New Church, ask them if they know about the old one-room schoolhouses, where harsh discipline and rote memorization was the norm, back 130 years ago. Do they see the difference from schools today that focus more on individual interests in learning about the world, children's feelings, and useful habits? Which type of education do they prefer?

     Then tell the story about William James and how he made a difference. In his own way he applied religion to life.

     List of References

James, W. (1890) The Principles of Psychology, New York: Henry Holt & Co. James, W. (1899) Talks to Teachers New York: Henry Holt & Co.

Spodek, B. (1987) Foundations of Early Childhood Education, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

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POEM TO A HOUSE 2004

POEM TO A HOUSE       Rev. ERIK E. SANDSTROM       2004

     There is an inscription on a metal plate close by Swedenborg's summer Pavilion, at Skansen, Stockholm, Sweden. This pavilion, often reproduced in pictures and photographs, is the actual house in which Swedenborg spent his summers. It stood at the bottom of his large property on Hornsgatan, on the southern side of lake Malaren, in the district Mullvaden, or The Mole.

     Swedenborg moved into this property sometime between 1743 and 1746, thus at the beginning of his visions and preparations. It was by that time that Swedenborg received his pension by Royal assent, from his over 20 years service as Assessor of the Royal Board of Mines. This gave him the income to have his own property, and free time for his work. The first volume of Arcana Coelestia was published in 1749. But the summer house was not built until 1767, thus well into his mission. He published Conjugial Love in 1768, so may have had at least some of the enlightenment for that work, while in that little house.

     The summer house was moved to Skansen, the famous open air museum and cultural center cum zoo, in 1896. This building is of course one of the few physical items left from Swedenborg's own property. The main house where he wintered, was razed at this same time. There are a few more surviving items, such as marble inlay tables and pictures he made himself.

     In commemoration of this summer house, a recently constructed model of it stands on the exact same spot, but now it is in a grassy courtyard of residential housing, with a porter admitting you through a gate.

     At the time of the move to Skansen, the poem by Gullberg was penned, and is inscribed near the site. At least three translations have been made of it. First the original:

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     Jag ar ett lusthus som man gar forbi.
     Jag stod pa Soder i min herres gard.
     Hans anglar fyllde mig med harmoni,
     Och andevarlden trivdes i min yard.

     En maktig forskare, en stor profet,
     Har haft min enkla hydda for sitt hem.
     Hrinne sag han himlars harlighet,
     Hr skapades ett nytt Jerusalem.

     Kring anden som har flytt var jag ett skal.
     Nu star jag overgiven med min sorg.

     Men jag var fylld av harpa och cymbal

     Nar Gud kom pa besok hos SWEDENBORG.
          Hjalmar Gullberg

     Then a translation by Dr. Hugo Lj. Odhner:

     I am a pavilion which men pass by.
     I stood in Stockholm in my master's yard.
     His angels filled me with their harmonies.
     And spiritual values flourished in my care.

     A mighty man of research, prophet, sage,
     He used my simple shelter as a home.
     Here he beheld the glory of the heavens,
     And here was built a New Jerusalem.

     For the spirit now fled I was a shell;
     Now I stand forsaken in my grief.
     But harp and cymbal filled me quite well
     God came to visit with our SWEDENBORG.

     The next translation is by Rev. Erik Sandstrom Sr, from 1964.

     I am a summer house that people pass.
     In Stockholm's south I stood within my master's yard.
     His angels filled me with their harmony,
     As I gave shelter to the spirit world.

     A zealous seeker for the truth, a prophet great,
     Did make his home beneath my humble roof.
     T'was here he saw the glory of the heav'ns,
     And here a New Jerusalem was formed.

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     I did contain the spirit that has left;
     And now I stand forsaken in my sorrow.
     But once I heard the sound of harp and cymbal,
     When God came down to call on Swedenborg.

     Finally, my own more interpretative translation:

     I am a summer cottage people idly overlook.
     My master's sunny Stockholm manor's where I used to stand.
     His angel visitors filled me with their accord, which took
     Into my sheltered home the spiritual realm, so vast, so grand!

     As mighty scholar once, and then as prophet and as sage,
     My master used my spartan dwelling as his residence.
     Inside my hall the glory of the heavens turned its page,
     And here, for New Jerusalem he bared the evidence!

     The spirit of the man now gone, I served as humble shell.
     Forsaken now, I hunch my gavels in my saddened grief.
     But once I echoed with the joyous sounds of harp and bell,
     When God to SWEDENBORG, Himself trod down to fully brief.

          Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom, Sept. 12, 1997.
www.NewChurchVinevard.org 2004

www.NewChurchVinevard.org              2004

     An on-line family magazine from the G. C. Office of Education featuring materials for all ages focused on a new theme every month.

     Hearing and Obeying the Lord in January 2004

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Editorial Pages 2004

Editorial Pages              2004

     MORE ABOUT THAT ELUSIVE "IT"

     A November editorial referred to the love of self as "it." "If you do not recognize it (for it does not wish to be recognized) it dwells securely" (DP 210). We take a little snapshot of "it," when we picture it dwelling securely.

     Let's take another picture of it (although it hates to have its picture taken). Let's have it warming itself by the hearth, enjoying the shadows and lack of sunlight. Its "mate" is the conceit of one's own intelligence. To quote: "It has closed the window of its roof which opens heavenward, as well as the side windows, lest it should see and hear that the Lord alone governs all things, and that nature in itself is dead, and that man's own is hell, and consequently the love of one's own is the devil. Then, with its windows closed it is in darkness, and there it makes a hearth for itself at which it sits with its mate, and they reason together in a friendly way in favor of nature and against God, and in favor of one's own prudence ad against the Divine providence" (DP 206).

     Contemplating it and its mate, can make us thankful that we can seek better company!

     OBSERVING A WONDERFUL SEQUENCE

     I am aware of only one passage in the Writings about observing events in some wonderful series. That is Divine Providence 187, which will be quoted below.

     Not quite the same thing is seeing a series of objects. Heaven and Hell 270 speaks of the wisdom of the highest angels who see Divine and heavenly things in a single object, "and wonderful things in a series of many objects." The subject is taken up in Spiritual Experiences 5153 as follows:

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     "When they keep their eyes on external objects, their mind is kept in internals, thus in divine things. The objects which appear are ineffable, as Paradises, with trees, fruits, flowers, etc. etc. In all of these they see such things as they represent in a series; for instance just at the same time that the eye beholds fresh verdure, the mind sees, in a complex, all things in a wonderful series, which relate to the Divine Wisdom."

     In Spiritual Experiences we read of the wonderful series of things in the development of a human being (number 2483). The Arcana Coelestia speaks of series in the Word. There is the external series in the literal sense of a story. In the internal sense there is a wonderful series even when the external may seem disjointed (See, for example numbers 3304, 3900.)

     The passage about a series of events, says that some "see events unfold in some marvelous sequence." Something happens that leads to something else, and there is a chain of results that makes one wonder. People who acknowledge the Divine Providence "when they see events in some wonderful series, see the Divine Providence, as it were, from an interior acknowledgment, and confess it" (DP 187).
ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCHSECONDARY SCHOOLS 2004

ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCHSECONDARY SCHOOLS              2004

     2004 Summer Camp

     The 2004 ANC Summer Camp will be held on the campus of the Academy of the New Church in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania from Sunday, July 11 until Saturday, July 17, 2004.

     The camp is open to boys and girls who will have completed eighth or ninth grade by June 2004.

     Students should receive registration details by the end of April. If you know of any student who may need information, please contact Martha Nash at [email protected], 215-938-2538 or Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

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DIFFERENT VIEW OF SHARING GROUPS 2004

DIFFERENT VIEW OF SHARING GROUPS        Dawn Barnitz Potts       2004


     

     Communications
Dear Editor,

     I feel the previous discussions (September issue, p. 283) of the value of groups should take a broader view than people have been taking. I feel it should include an awareness of the evolution of a whole new social movement that is occurring, for it is not just in the New Church that these forms of communication and interaction between people have developed.

     We in the church can look at the course which history has taken from a perspective quite differently than others. We can see clearly all that has emerged because the Lord is present in His Divine Human in His New Word.

     Out of the New Heavens a completely new "Freedom" has come into being, a freedom never before possible.

     These new truths allow for a new judgment which can more clearly distinguish between things of heaven and hell. From this new Revelation an internal Divinely enlightened understanding is possible, surely this will also be represented in changes where man interacts in the externals of society.

     In the same century that the hells were reordered and a new heaven created great music was composed which had never before been heard and still are. New forms of art appeared never before seen. Now new forms of communication are being created which are completely changing the way we interact in society and with each other. This new electronic communication is completely tearing down the "class system" making it possible to communicate with anyone, and everyone throughout the whole earth.

     All of us if we are strong enough to be able to face our evils are going to have many tough experiences and tough battles in this life.

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For some people it is only when an evil appears in some external form in themselves that it can be seen and thereby shunned. Knowing this should make us all the more willing to understand and have sympathy with each others' faults and miseries. This is what evolves and happens in sharing groups.

     They who are being regenerated are let into combats and undergo temptations, if not in this world then after death, thus the Lord's church is called militant. It is The Lord alone who fights and sustains (See AC 1692).

     In most New Church spiritual growth groups an atmosphere is created in which people actually begin speaking from their real selves no matter who they are, about their real struggles without the facade and outward appearance which all people have to assume in daily life. We know when we enter the other world, there will be no hiding our thoughts there.

     People who have not gone to groups ask why people who go to these groups are so "buggy" and affectionate to each other. I say it is because there they have met the "real" person and been able to see them in the hands of The Lord, and so can no longer look at them without affection.

     The "Writings" are now the Word given to mankind for this age and can lead man into the internals of his own mind, into his spiritual self and into the interior states of regeneration. However reading about spiritual things in what I call "the new Latin Word" does not make us spiritual. Reading and knowing from the Arcana how the spiritual mind is opened does not open it.

     A full vision of the Lord's Divine Human depends on our regeneration, putting into life what we see, and only then can the universal ordering of our mind occur whereby we can come to a totally new realization of the brotherhood in human society and experience for ourselves how The Lord is working interiorly with us and with every single person on this earth to bring them to heaven.

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The Revelation of the Lord's Divine Human is only acknowledged in the New Church but His New Presence will be felt throughout the whole earth.

     All this has a double consequence for man. It means that these truths can open ours mind into heaven itself, but also that now our more deeper internal evils can appear to us because we now have the truths to fight against them. To me this explains the emerging of the negative and sometimes grotesque forms of modern art that have been created in the past century which are representing these truths in perversion. Freedom allows for this.

     There have never been in the history of man so many hundreds of books written on communication of how to change one's own behavior. They may be found in any bookstore. It is true that many of these "self help" books seem to point to only "self indulgence. But lets not forget that often The Lord uses our love of self to open us up to the delight of what we call good and by this prepares us for some future more interior sight. I believe all this sudden interest of society in self awareness is in Providence and not just a coincidence. Of course there are faults to find with groups, because we are all full of faults. But there are beautiful feelings of communication in groups, affectionate empathic support, things gained from self observation.

     Should we object if groups are called only "natural?" I say, of course groups are only natural, for all of at this day are mostly only natural. The natural mind is almost the last to be regenerated, this in the Arcana is the mighty Jacob. Our external mind must first be reformed out a new internal created by The Lord. This is the long struggle with the hells which continues throughout life.

     "Seed time and harvest" signify man who is to be regenerated and thus the church.

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"There never will be lacking to man the sowing of seed from the Lord, whether he be within the church or without, that is, whether he be acquainted with the Word of the Lord or be not acquainted with it. All the good of charity, even with the gentiles, is seed from the Lord" (AC 932).

     The New Church shall be the "Crown of all Churches." This can also be translated the "Garland of all Churches." I love this latter translation because I see the truths of the New Church someday woven throughout all the different peoples and societies on the earth as a garland, allowing for a conjunction in the good of charity between all men that is out of that which is from this new presence of The Lord.

     Dawn Barnitz Potts
"SOME STICKY STUFF, A CANDY DISH, AND A HIGHLAND JOURNEY" 2004

"SOME STICKY STUFF, A CANDY DISH, AND A HIGHLAND JOURNEY"       Robert H. P. Cole       2004

Dear Editor,

     The year 1841 marked the beginning of the Academy Movement at the Cincinnati First Society's Annual Meeting, as well as the birth of John Pitcairn in Johnstone, Scotland. A key figure at later Southwestern Ohio Gatherings, was young Samuel Sangsten Carpenter of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His persistence, as well as that of the Rt. Rev. William Henry Benade, was most notable. Samuel's patent-attorney son, Paul, with Paul Synnestvedt, founded the very distinguished Philadelphia Law Firm, now known as Synnestvedt and Lechner.

     Paul Carpenter left the Firm to others later in his life and moved to the Glenview New Church Society, built a home on Park Drive, and accepted leadership roles in the Church. He also opened a Law Office in Winnetka, Illinois. One day, his secretary knocked on the door to his inner office and said, "Mr. Carpenter, there is a Mr. McKnight here to see you from the Twin Cities."

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"Oh, yes, Miss Smith, please show him in! I have been expecting him."

     "Carpenter, your fine reputation has preceded you to Chicago. I have heard about you and your excellent patent work. Several of us have been working up at the 'Mesabi Range' in Northern Minnesota, developing a viscous substance from the iron mines slag that Henry Ford finds acceptable to use in two-toning his cars. Recall that he used to say, 'You can have any color car you want, as long as it's black'! He was afraid that the paint would come off or smear, if you shaded it with another color. We would like you to patent this new product of ours that safely holds the black paint in place, while white or another color is applied."

     Paul Carpenter put his head in his hands, and lay face down on the office couch. "Well, Carpenter, if that is all you care about my offer," (McKnight scowled), "I will return to the Twin Cities on the next train!" "Wait, McKnight! I will be pleased to accept your offer. I will patent your product. Lying down on the couch is the way that I think. I will join you in the Twin Cities with my wife, Venita, if she is willing to go!"

     Later, in St. Paul, Paul Carpenter, now Chief Counsel and a Business Partner in McKnight's Company, was sitting in the Board Room on a Friday afternoon. McKnight was describing a new venture involving the now patented viscous substance product. "Several of us, Carpenter, have decided that we would like to find a way to get this product, not only used on Ford Cars, where it has been enormously successful, thanks to you and a number of others, but we think that it is time to involve the consumer, make a public product out of it, perhaps even a household-word. Gentlemen, let's all go home now, and come back on Monday with a catchy name for our product!" . . . "Venita, we need a good name that will become popular with the buying public!" "Why that's easy, Paul. McKnight is a Scotchman. You will call it 'SCOTCH TAPE!'

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     On Monday, Paul Carpenter walked into the Board Room, where all were waiting eagerly to hear what he had to say. He said: "I have it, Gentlemen! We will call our consumer product `SCOTCH TAPE,' in your honor, William L. McKnight, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of our Company. I will copyright the name, along with new patents for the product and the roll-form that it will take!" McKnight was absolutely delighted with the name! The rest is great American business history; except, that after the meeting, Paul Carpenter called his broker and ordered two thousand shares of MINNESOTA MINING & MANUFACTURING COMPANY stock at two dollars a share on the New York stock Exchange! These shares later formed the nucleus of the Carpenter Fund Grant at the Academy of the New Church. The Candy Dish?-A most appreciative and gracious German-Silver gift from the McKnights to the Carpenters! Besides candy, it probably contained the tickets for an all-expense-paid-trip to Scotland on one of the great Ocean-Liners of the 1930s to locate a "Scotch Tape" plaid! Also, besides the United Kingdom, the Carpenters managed to travel throughout much of Europe, visiting various New Church Societies and Circles.

     All the above is as factual as we could reasonable cause it to be. Some is the result of reliable hearsay, and rational speculation.

     This is a continuation of something I wrote in March of 2001 called "Were They New Church?" And I hope to continue and add to this bit of New Church history.

     Robert H. P. Cole
          Bryn Athyn

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OMISSION 2004

OMISSION              2004


     

     Announcements





     In the December issue the list of ministers was not complete. It should have included the following:

     Bell, Reuben Paul. Ordained May 25, 1997; 2nd degree April 11, 1999. Inactive. Address: P.O. Box 554, Fryeburg, ME 04037.

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NUNC LICET 2004

NUNC LICET              2004

     ******     

     BRYN ATHYN COLLEGE

     of the New Church

     FAITH AND LEARNING AT BRYN ATHYN

     COLLEGE OF THE NEW CHURCH

     This 320-page case bound volume with an attractive dust jacket includes fourteen essays by college teachers, and is indexed. It includes line drawings and color plates. The titles and authors are given below.

     You Shall Be My Disciples: Academic Freedom in Religion Courses (Ray Silverman)

     Philosophy: Friend or Foe of Faith? (Dan A. Synnestvedt)
     Every Word: A Spiritual Basis for Written Composition (Thane P. Glenn)
     Chaucer's Wife of Bath-And Us (Robert W. Gladish)
     Swedenborg's Influence on the Painters of the French Symbolist Movement (Martha Gyllenhaal)
     Teaching Social Science in a New Light (Sonia Soneson Werner)
     Psychology in the New Millennium (Thomas W. Keiser)
     History: Developing a New Church Perspective (Jane Williams-Hogan)
     Chemical Education in a New Church College (Allen J. Bedford)
     Physics and New Church Collegiate Education (Gregory L. Baker)
     Correspondences in Nature (Erland J. Brock)
     The New Church and Biological Science (Sherri R. Cooper)
     Mathematics and Its Young Relative Computer Science (Gregory L. Baker and Neil O. Simonetti)

38


WINTER WEEKEND GET-AWAY 2004

WINTER WEEKEND GET-AWAY              2004

What does a winter weekend get away mean to you...
-     relaxing in front of a fire
-     beautiful scenery
-     shopping in Woodstock
-     sledding & hiking on a mountain
-     morning yoga
-     sharing thoughts & ideas with old & new friends.

Where: The Lermitte's Home at Tonche Mountain in the Catskills of New York State (If you are from out of town, we will get you from Bryn Athyn to the event).
When: 20-22 of February, 2004 (But you can come as early as Thursday night)
Who: Young adults ages 21-35
Cost:     $75 per person or $110 per married couple
******Limited space available.******
$25 deposit will reserve your space.
For more information and a registration form contact:
Joanne Kiel, Box 708, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Phone: 215-9144931. Email: [email protected]

39


Title Unspecified 2004

Title Unspecified              2004

     "Behold, I make all things new."
     Available on CD or Cassette

     For many, the beginning of a new year is a time of reflection, change and new beginnings. The following recordings speak to these times in our lives.

     Sermons

     Thou Shalt Endure, #104588 - Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner

     When Time Stands Still, #101763 - Rev. Kurt Ho. Asplundh

     Community, #102358 - Rev. Frank S. Rose

     A New Year and a Story of Saul, #101619 - Rev. Donald L. Rose

     New Beginnings, #101747 - Rev. Brian Keith

     Reflection, #101011 - Rev. Grant R. Schnarr

     Contemporary Worship Services - including music

     All Things New in the New Year, #103656 - Rt. Rev. Louis B. King

     A Time to Change, #101394 - Rev. Frank Rose

     Other Recordings

     A Good New Year, #100968 - Rev. Ragnar Boyesen

     Open Your Eyes, #101680 - Rt. Rev. Louis B. King

     Continuity in Human Life, #101394 - Rev. Donald L. Rose

     Please order using the catalog numbers listed.

     Cassette - $2.00, CD - $4.00, Catalog - $5.00

     Additional postage charges will be included on your invoice.


     GENERAL CHURCH
     SOUND ))     
     RECORDING
     LIBRARY

          Box 752 - 1120 Cathedral Road
          Bryn Athyn, PA 19009-0752
          [email protected]
          215-914-4980

40


GENERAL CHURCH BOOK CENTER at the Cairncrest Annex & Cathedral Bookroom 2004

GENERAL CHURCH BOOK CENTER at the Cairncrest Annex & Cathedral Bookroom              2004

     1. Joseph's Coat

     2. Crossing the Red Sea

     3. The Sewer

     4. The Plagues

     5. Shadrach, Medusa and Abednego

     6. Pharaoh's Dream

     7. The Twelve Disciples

     8. Noah

     9. I'm Joseph

     10. Books of the Word

     11. Angel Song

     12. Twelve Tribes

     13. Easter Song

     14. Kingdom of Heaven

     15. I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes

     16. Wait On the Lord

     17. Blessed is He

     18. He Hath Showed Thee, O Man

     19. And I Saw a New Heaven

     20. I Am the Door

     21. The Good Samaritan

     22. The Ten Blessings

     23. Go Ye, Therefore

     24. Conjugial Love Song

     Lori's Songs
     arranged and performed by
     Lori & John Odhner

     Distributed by the General Church Book Center

     1120 Cathedral Rd. Box 752

     Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

     215.914.4920

     [email protected]

     www.newchurch.org/bookstore

Title Unspecified 2004

Title Unspecified              2004



41




Vol. CXXIV     February, 2004     No. 2

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

Cleanliness
     A Sermon on Zechariah 3:4     Jeremy F. Simons 43

William James's Influence on Psychology and Spiritual Healing (2)
     Sonia Soneson Werner 50

Editorial Pages
     The Faces of Canadian and Chinese Mothers      57
     A Magnificent Volume in Russian       58
     Les Miserables Writer and Swedenborg       58

Communications
     Minnesota Neighbors in New Church History     Robert H.P. Cole 61
     Announcements      63

Contact Persons for Public Worship and Doctrinal Classes      67
Notes on This Issue 2004

Notes on This Issue              2004


     PUBLISHED BY

     THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

     Rev. Donald L. Rose, Editor

     PRINTED BY FENCOR GRAPHICS, INC.

     PHILA., PA 19111

     SUBSCRIPTION: $16.00 TO ANY ADDRESS. SINGLE COPY $1.50

     Second-class postage paid at Bryn Athyn, PA

42


     One could say that the subject of the sermon in this issue is chastity, but chastity is a word with diverse connotations. The Rev. Jeremy Simons entitles it "Cleanliness." He writes, "In one sense, purity, chastity and spiritual cleanliness is what the life of religion is all about. We want to do everything we can to foster these things and to reject their opposites. On the other hand, religion is about reformation, change of life, mercy and forgiveness - a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints . . ."

     We stopped the quote in mid sentence and commend this sermon to your attention.

     "Let us take heart that the Lord's truths are traveling to people and places across the globe, just when they are most needed." So writes Dr. Sonia Werner in this issue. She has an intriguing suggestion. Without telling you the suggestion directly let me quote from page 51. There she writes, "One might think that an academic setting would be an ideal place for curious minds to come together and seek the truth about man's relationship to God. But at least during most of the previous century, secular college campuses have not become the setting for spreading the New Church. Ironically, a completely different setting has emerged as a place where people are seeking to invite the Lord into their lives . . ."

     We still manage to fit onto four pages the information on contact persons for public worship and doctrinal classes. There has been discussion of revising the way we present this information, and so it is possible that in the future we may be doing it differently from the way you find it in this issue.

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CLEANLINESS 2004

CLEANLINESS       Rev. JEREMY F. SIMONS       2004

     A SERMON

     "And the Lord answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, 'Take away the filthy garments from him.' And to him He said, 'See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.'" (Zechariah 3:4)

     The imagery of this incident is beautiful and satisfying. A person stands before the Lord, imperfect and impure-and the Lord lovingly removes the impurity, clothing the person with garments that are new and clean.

     The concept of spiritual cleanliness is perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of religion. A focus on clean living is tremendously attractive for many people. It is hard to miss the significance of stories like this one, and the many washing rituals commanded by Moses, and the sacrament of baptism-a sacrament about removing the stain of evil and becoming new and clean. A clean life is a beautiful and wholesome one, free of guilt and shame. Everyone wants to be clean.

     At the same time, the implications of the idea of cleanliness are also probably among the most common reasons for hostility to religion. If some are clean, then others are unclean. The labeling of ideas, actions, and even individuals, as unclean, impure, or unchaste is uncomfortable for almost everyone, and highly objectionable to many. This is perhaps especially what causes religious people to be seen by many as narrow, judgmental, rigid, shaming, exclusive and self-righteous.

     The contrast here creates a problem for people who love the truths of the Word and try to live by them. It creates a problem for churches and church communities. In one sense, purity, chastity and spiritual cleanliness is what the life of religion is all about. We want to do everything we can to foster these things and to reject their opposites. On the other hand, religion is about reformation, change of life, mercy and forgiveness - a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints, as people often say.

44


Official policies and social attitudes that shun people who fall short would seem to contradict the spirit of these teachings. How do you resolve this contradiction?

     Our topic this morning is the importance and beauty of spiritual cleanliness, the unhappiness of its opposite, and also about the way that the Heavenly Doctrines integrate the concepts of mercy, forgiveness and reformation with this ideal. The point is always to love other people and not hate them, and to love and obey the Lord. Everything else hangs on these two principles. Our topic is especially the purity related to marriage that is called chastity, for conjugial love "is celestial, spiritual, holy, pure and clean, more so than any other love which exists from the Lord in angels of heaven or people of the church" (CL 64).

     It is ironic that cleansing and purity is often seen, and has often been used, as a tool of judgment, hatred and bigotry. It is ironic because the essence of purity is innocence, acceptance and love. The highest angels are the purest of all and they have the greatest love for all people, regardless of who they are or what they are like (HH 450). The truth is that to be pure is to be free of hatred, judgment and bigotry.

     Unfortunately, the process of becoming free of these evils, or any evils, is not always an easy one. The beautiful and satisfying imagery of the washing away of sins does not translate into an effortless rinsing in real life. Whether this process is going on inside of you or around you, it can be a difficult matter, and it is often challenging to distinguish between the legitimate actions of conscience and principle, and positions that are extreme or bigoted.

     The example of chastity may be a good one. The teachings of the New Church attach supreme importance to the love of marriage, or conjugial love, for "the sphere of the love of marriage is the very sphere of heaven" (CL 54).

45


Their universal testimony is that marriage, and everything supportive of it, brings heaven into a person's life, while things that oppose marriage bring the opposite. Conjugial love is the fundamental love of all heavenly loves, and it is the precious treasure of human life (see AC 3021, 3960, 5053, 9960; AE 981, 993, 997; CL 57, 58, 65, 67, 68, 71, 143, 203, 240, 457; De Conjugio 19).

     Chastity is "the love of a man for a maiden or married woman beautiful in form and lovely in manners, which is free of any idea of lasciviousness, and vice versa [that is, the same sort of love of a woman for a single or married man]" (CL 55). But the essence of chastity is marriage itself, for "truly conjugial love is pure and sacred-so pure and sacred that it may be called the essence of purity and sacredness, consequently of chastity. All the delights of truly conjugial love, even the end delights, are chaste" (CL 143, 144).

     Chastity, or a wholesome family environment, has always been seen as important in Christianity. This has been especially true in the organized New Church. Perhaps one of the primary reasons for the creation of religious communities in the General Church has been to provide an environment that would foster moral behavior and prepare young people for happy marriages. This was the key ingredient of what was called "distinctive New Church social life."

     The emphasis on proper behavior between the sexes and on obedience to the laws of marriage is not an end in itself. Since the Writings teach that this love is central to all aspects of religion in a person's life, promoting a sphere of chastity and innocence also promotes charitable behavior, lasting friendships, honesty and other virtues. In the end it can be seen as essential to passing on a belief in the teachings of the church itself, and to having a church and community environment that is open, friendly, caring and loving, for all of these things are implicit in conjugial love.

46




     Inevitably, of course, people fall short of the ideal in this area. How does a community and a church promote a wholesome environment, advance the ideals of conjugial love, and preserve innocence, without being harsh and judgmental or creating a hypocritical climate in which behaviors simply go underground?

     This is no small challenge, with no easy answers. Fundamentally it rests on the state of enlightenment and charity of the community as a whole, and more particularly on the quality of each person and how they deal with these issues. As you might expect, when people have good relationships and love each other, correction and criticism are easier to give and receive than when this is not the case.

     One thing that the Writings emphasize is the value of instruction to make these distinctions and change behavior. They teach, for example, that well understood principles have great power to change the way that people believe and act:

How strongly principles operate, may be evident merely from this: if any one believes that the food in which he has delighted is injurious to him, he then, by virtue of that principle, abstains from that food. At length, he even turns away from it in dislike-if he only adopt that persuasion, or be in it from some physician whom he supposes to know. It is this way in many other cases: so that principles subdue affections. (Spiritual Experiences minor 4613)

     When evils are common, however, the opposite is going on all the time, for evil continually seeks to justify itself and hide its true nature. We read:

When (a person is immersed in an evil) he looks around for ideas such as will support the notion that the thing is not an evil, until he becomes thoroughly convinced it is not. At this point he strives so far as he can to get rid of external restraints and to make it allowable and smart, and at length even attractive and honorable, to engage in adulterous practices, theft involving trickery and deceit, various forms of arrogance and boasting, contempt for others, insults, persecution carried on under a cloak of righteousness, and other things like these. (AC 6203)

47




     The results are inevitably that people are confused. One important remedy is clear instruction, and especially people going to the Word for themselves, so that they are confident about what the Word teaches.

     People often don't realize that a genuinely religious community is also a merciful and forgiving one, a community where gossip, and a prudish interest in the details of other people's lives is not the rule. Misbehavior needs to be pointed out, but the emphasis is on reformation not shame.

     The example of our lesson from Zechariah is a poignant one. Zechariah has a vision in which he sees the high priest, Joshua, standing before the Angel of the Lord. Satan is standing at his right hand opposing him. The Lord rebukes Satan, but there stands Joshua at his side, his garments filthy. The unclean garments stand for the limitations, the impurities, and the falsities of the person of the church (see Prophets and Psalms). He is guilty, yet the Lord does not rebuke him. Instead He simply orders that the garments be taken away, and says: "See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and will clothe you in rich robes."

     The Writings are very clear that no one is pure, not even angels (CL 146). Our lesson from the Brief Exposition showed, however, how we are to think about this. Christians often point out that no one is pure because if you break even one commandment you have broken them all. But the Writings point out that this is only true in the sense that intentionally opposing any aspect of divine law indicates a lack of respect for divine law in general. It is therefore not the specific act but the general orientation that condemns a person.

     The beautiful aspect of this is that the reverse is also true-that one who abstains from one evil abstains from all evil.

48


It is not the specific act but the general orientation of desiring to respect and obey the Lord that accomplishes this. Swedenborg then describes how the angels observe the similar actions of many different people doing the normal worldly things that people do. In some cases they hold them guilty of sin, in other cases guiltless. When he questioned them about this they said that they "view all people from their purpose, intention or end, and make distinctions accordingly. Thus those whom the end excuses or condemns, they excuse or condemn, for all in heaven have good as an end, and all in hell have evil as an end" (BE 113; see also CL 527, 453).

     This simple formula is very helpful in resolving the issue of being cleansed of evils and the nature of forgiveness. Your purpose, intention or end is what counts, and this is what is manifested in everything that you do. As we read: "A person comes into this kind of purpose, if he examines himself once or twice a year, and repents of the evil he discovers in himself. It is otherwise with him who never examines himself" (ibid.). Elsewhere the Writings suggest that the Holy Supper is a good time to do this, and that this sacrament is then like a token of forgiveness (TCR 526, 728).

     The concept of spiritual cleanliness is both an appealing one and a source of discomfort for many people. An emphasis on it carries the danger of narrow and judgmental attitudes that many people see as shaming rather than loving. But a true emphasis on it, in a balanced and charitable community, is an essential ingredient for promoting the safety, innocence, and long term happiness of its members, young and old.

     No one, of course, purifies himself. Only the Lord has this power. As He removed Joshua the high priest's filthy garments, replacing them with clean ones, He can do the same for every person-removing guilt and shame, and replacing them with joy. A clean and wholesome life is a beautiful and happy one. Everyone wants to be clean, and no one's prayers for this state will be denied.

49




     "'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the LORD, `Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool' (Isaiah 1.18). Amen.

Lessons: Zechariah 3:1-5; Matthew 23:23-26; Brief Exposition 113 www.NewChurchVineyard.org 2004

www.NewChurchVineyard.org              2004

     An on-line family magazine from the G. C. Office of Education featuring materials for all ages focused on a new theme every month.

     Marriage to Eternity in February 2004

     Children in Heaven in March 2004
TAKE A DEEP BREATH 2004

TAKE A DEEP BREATH              2004

     There is a new 71 page book by Rev. David R. Simons available from the Office of Education. Take a Deep Breath costs $7.95. P.O. Box 571, Bryn Athyn.

50


WILLIAM JAMES'S INFLUENCE ON PSYCHOLOGY AND SPIRITUAL HEALING- 2004

WILLIAM JAMES'S INFLUENCE ON PSYCHOLOGY AND SPIRITUAL HEALING-       Dr. SONIA SONESON WERNER       2004

     PART 2 IN A SERIES*
          * Note: In this second article in our series, we continue the exploration of the influence of Swedenborg on William James, and James's impact on our western culture. See the January issue for the article about William James's guidance in the field of modern education.

     William James, who lived from 1842 to 1910, was considered the father of American psychology. He also came from a Swedenborgian family. Approximately a century ago, he combined his interests in theology, philosophy and physiology and started the first college program in psychology at Harvard University. Probably every academic psychology department in this country can trace its roots back to William James and the first psychology textbook: The Principles of Psychology. In fact, many campuses even name major buildings after him, including the Psychology Department's building on the Harvard University campus (right across the street from Cambridge's Swedenborg Chapel, by the way!). There is no doubt that William James was a major historical figure in the study of the social sciences in this country. But did his Swedenborgian perspective travel along with this influence in academia?

     "James inherited his lifelong interest in religion from his Swedenborgian father," Henry James, Sr. (Niebuhr, 1997). They both felt that religion was the most important aspect of a human being, and that it had the capacity to change lives. One would hope that with all of William James's fame and notoriety among the well educated people at the turn of the century, that the New Church would spread through his influence on academic curricula. This seems like the obvious path of the transmissions of these ideas.

51




     But something happened that filtered out the emphasis William James placed on religion, even though his focus on the human mind was adopted. Perhaps it was due to the emerging modern age of science. Maybe it was because Darwin wrote a widely read book during that same era, entitled The Origin of Species, which de-emphasized theology. For whatever reason, religion went out of vogue on college campuses, around the same time that psychology was established as a new discipline. Even though William James was a theist and encouraged people to study the spiritual aspect of human life, this "most important of all human functions" according to William James, was not widely studied by most of his students and followers on college campuses (Gorsuch, 2003). So, the majority of the psychologists of the twentieth century studied people, but ignored religion, as if it was irrelevant.

     One might think that an academic setting would be an ideal place for curious minds to come together and seek the truth about man's relationship to God. But at least during most of the previous century, secular college campuses have not become the setting for spreading the New Church. Ironically, a completely different setting has emerged as a place where people are seeking to invite the Lord into their lives, and William James has been credited with influencing this other setting, even though it began 20 years posthumously. The setting is in self-help, Twelve-Step meetings held by recovering addicts and alcoholics (Walle, 1992, Finlay, 2000).

     Just as the birth of Jesus Christ occurred in a humble stable rather than in a grand palace, perhaps New Church ideas are being born in people's hearts while they are in a small, simple, rented room for a Twelve-Step meeting, rather than in a beautifully designed college campus building, listening to a famous lecturer of psychology.

     As the story goes, William James wrote a book entitled Varieties of Religious Experience in 1902 and this book has been in print continuously since that time (Gorsuch, 2003).

52


He was one of the first authors to describe the many ways that people come to know God, or their "Higher Power." He did not focus on the specific dogma of every religion, but rather he emphasized the individual's experience of knowing God. In his analysis of the various states of mind an individual might encounter, William James described one key state which he named "sick-souled." Not everyone goes through this state of mind, but for those who do, they reach a point of utter despair. These people acknowledge that their lives have gone out of control, and then in their desperation they surrender their lives and seek a "Higher Power" to help them experience sanity again. For some people this conversion is rather sudden, as it was for the founder of the Twelve-Step movement, Bill W.; while for others it is a gradual change (Harting, 2000, Raphael, 2000).

     In the 1930s, Bill W. had been struggling with alcoholism, and had reached an extremely low point in his life. Although I have often heard the legend that Bill W. had a wife named Lois Burnham, who had relatives in the New Church, I am not convinced that this is the line of influence of New Church ideas on the Twelve-Step movement. Bill W. was notorious for NOT listening to his wife, unfortunately. I think the Swedenborgian influence which helped him the most was through William James.

     Up until this low point of despair, Bill W. had kept a distance from any organized religion. But one night in a hospital, when he felt extremely discouraged, he said, "If there is a God, let Him show Himself. I am ready to do anything, anything!" (Raphael, 2000). Soon after that, Bill W. claims that he saw a bright light and he was caught up in a peaceful ecstasy, which changed him forever. From then on, he decided to turn his life over to the Lord, and to dedicate his time to the charitable work of helping others recover from addiction.

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He never drank again. A friend gave him a copy of William James's book, Varieties of Religious Experience , and Bill W. stated that this book was the only thing he ever read that explained what happened to him in that moment of conversion. Since then, Bill W. considered William James to be one of the founders of the Alcoholics Anonymous movement (Venable, 2003, Bridgers, 2001, C'de Baca & Miller, 2003).

. . . The conversion is the process, gradual or sudden, by which a self hitherto divided, and consciously wrong, inferior and unhappy, becomes unified and consciously superior and happy, in consequence of its firmer hold upon religious realities . . . To say that a man is converted means in these terms, that religious ideas, previously peripheral in his consciousness, now take a central place, and that religious aims form the habitual centre of his energy . . . Religion is the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine. (James, 1902)

     In Swedenborg's Writings we read, "There are three things through which man is regenerated: the Lord, faith and charity" (TCR619). And further, "The reason no one can come into the Kingdom of God unless he is born again, is that man is born into evils of every kind, with the faculty that by the removal of these evils he can become spiritual; and unless he becomes spiritual, he cannot come into Heaven. From being natural to become spiritual, is to be born again, or regenerated" (DP 83).

     Did William James read about regeneration in the Writings of Swedenborg, or was he drawing ideas from other philosophers and theologians?

     Although William James was home-schooled by his father and studied Swedenborg's Writings for many years under his tutelage, he rarely gave direct references to the Writings. Therefore, we can speculate that he borrowed unique ideas from this source and described spirituality in his own words, particularly when he wrote Varieties of Religious Experience (James, 1902).

54


We know from several biographies that during William James's midlife he was striving to distance himself from his Swedenborgian father, who had the reputation of being a religious eccentric (Simon, 1998). Perhaps this is why William James avoided direct reference to Swedenborg, so as not to appear that he was just like his father. However, as William James entered into his own elderly years, he often wrote in letters that he was becoming more receptive to his father's religion. Perhaps he was finally willing to discuss the impact that Swedenborg had on his life, when he was less concerned with what his more secular peers thought of him.

     According to Eugene Taylor (currently a Professor of the History of Psychology at Harvard Medical School),

James's proper intellectual lineage and the true spiritual roots of the pragmatist movement in America, I maintain, and the archival documents show, is the intuitive, literary, and philosophical inheritance of the Swedenborgian and transcendental milieu . . . The origin of his philosophy is neither Cartesian, Kantian, nor Hegelian, but rather Swedenborgian and transcendentalist in the sense of his father's interpretation of the Swedish seer, Emanuel Swedenborg, and in the tradition of Emerson's 'American Scholar' . . . James, however, was generally ignored by the discipline he helped to found, on the grounds that psychology was just then aligning itself with the basic sciences and had only just recently ejected all the philosophers, whom they encouraged to go and found their own national associations. (Taylor 2003)

     So throughout most of the twentieth century, the discipline of psychology in academic circles has been based on reductionistic materialism. In other words, they focused more on the psychology of the external human rather than on the internal spirit.

     In summary, the line of influence in the applied psychology movement of self-help groups appears to be that Swedenborg's Writings were read thoroughly by Henry James, Sr., who home-schooled his son, William James. William James later wrote Varieties of Religious Experience, which Bill W. read nearly 30 years later, soon after his 'flash' conversion experience.

55


Then Bill W. established the Twelve-Step program, about having a spiritual awakening and surrendering to one's Higher Power in order to change one's life. (In addition, the Oxford Group which held meetings in the 1930s for individuals trying to live their religion more completely, was influenced by William James, and they, in turn, guided Bill W. as he wrote up the "Big Book" and the Twelve-Steps to recovery.)

     If this is the case, then I stand in awe of the workings of Divine Providence, and the amazing ways in which the Lord's truths will reach people who are receptive. Participants in the Twelve-Step movement are not required to join a specific church when they attend meetings and they may remain anonymous. They do not actually sign up and become counted as members of an organized church. However, they state at every meeting that they are ready to turn their lives over to God, as they know Him. Sounds like the Church Universal!

     When any of us might become discouraged by our small number of official members, let us take heart that the Lord's truths are traveling to people and places across the globe, just when they are most needed. This outreach might be even broader than the sending of a newsletter to a list of members in our congregations. The Lord is in charge of this progression of the spread of His church and it may happen in ways we haven't even dreamed of yet.

     As a postscript. . . . The good news is that there has been a shift in academia that I never would have predicted when I entered this secular profession in the 1970s. In the past decade, the American Psychological Association (which William James founded and served as President) has added a subgroup called "The Psychology of Religion," which I have joined. There are journals and meetings being offered as a growing number of psychology professors are beginning to embrace the study of spirituality in mental health.

56


With this remarkable shift among academic psychologists, the works of William James are once again coming to the forefront. Perhaps even on secular college campuses, there may be a growing number of receptive listeners to the truths offered in the Writings of the New Church. In fact this very year, a Swedenborgian psychology professor at the University of Hawaii is offering a new seminar on theism and psychology, with a special emphasis on New Church ideas. Maybe the time has come for psychology to finally focus on the whole human being, including the body, mind and spirit.

     References

Bridgers, L. (2001). Closer to the Threshold: Kagan, Temperament and William James's Varieties. Streams of William James, Volume 3, Issue 2, Summer, p. 28-33.

C'de Baca, J. and Miller, W.R. (2003). Quantum Change: Sudden Transformation in the Tradition of James's Varieties. Streams of William James, Volume 5, Issue 1, Spring, p. 12-15.

Finlay, S.W. (2000). Influence of Carl Jung and William James on the origin of Alcoholics Anonymous. Review of General Psychology, Volume 4, Issue 1, p. 3-12.

Gorsuch, R.L. (2003). James on the Similarities and Differences Between Religious and Psychic Phenomena. Streams of William James, Volume 5, Issue 1, Spring, p. 26-29.

Harting, F. (2000). Bill W., New York: St. Martin's Press.

James, W. (1902). The Varieties of Religious Experience, New York and London: Longmans, Green and Co.

Raphael, M.J. (2000). Bill W. and Mr. Wilson, Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press.

Simon, L. (1998) Genuine Reality: A life of William James, New York: Harcourt.

Taylor, E. (1995). Oh those fabulous James boys! Psychology Today, March/ April, p. 56-66.

Taylor, E. (2003). Have we engaged in a colossal misreading of James's Varieties? Streams of William James, Volume 5, Issue 1, Spring, p. 2-6.

Venable, P. (2003). Overcoming Half-Hearted Surrender. Streams of William James, Volume 5, Issue 1, p. 25.

Walle, A.H. (1992). William James's legacy to Alcoholics Anonymous: An analysis and a critique. Journal of Addictive Diseases, Volume 11, Issue 3, p. 91-99.

57


Editorial Pages 2004

Editorial Pages              2004

     THE FACES OF CANADIAN AND CHINESE MOTHERS

     Last September's issue of Infant and Child Development published results of an interesting study of the way mothers communicate through their faces with their infants. They studied mothers while they were interacting with their 4 to 7 month old babies. Because they wanted to have different cultures represented, they chose Canadian and Chinese mothers.

     They identified three distinctive facial expressions. One of the expressions is described as "puckering and slightly spreading the lips, often with a slight smile or subtle eyebrow raise." This expression is to convey concern and caring.

     Another is "raising the eyebrows sharply while opening and stretching the mouth, with a hint of a smile." "This display imparts a mother's sense of pride in her baby." The third is "smiling and raising the cheeks with a slightly open mouth." There is "an unmistakable look of love in the eyes."

     The magazine Science News reported on this on October 11 11th. The heading they gave it was, "Mothers reveal their baby faces."

     Why do we mention this in a magazine devoted to the teaching of the Writings? It is because the Writings say a lot about the way early people in the world used their faces for exquisite communication. One of the editorials on which we got the most comment in 2002 was one entitled "Muscles of the Face." We pointed out the teaching of the Writings about the muscles in the face and early communication between humans. (See AC 607. See also nos. 118, 1762, 7745, 10587.)

     The New Yorker magazine gave an extensive report on a major study of the muscles of the face (August 5, 2002).

58


The Writings say, "The face has been fashioned so that it can produce an image of a person's interiors" (AC 9306).

     A MAGNIFICENT VOLUME IN RUSSIAN

     Last October we gave brief news about the publication in Russia of a major book. We mentioned that the translator's photo appeared in our pages in 2002.

     Now we have a copy of the book in hand. It is amazing. It is 880 pages, and yet it is quite portable. And what does it contain? After introductory remarks by the translator, Vladimir Maliavin, it provides a translation of C. Sigstedt's biography, The Swedenborg Epic. That takes us to page 300.

     Then we have a few pages by the late P.A. Aksakov, and then we have his translation into Russian of the book Heaven and Hell. This takes less than 400 pages. After that we have the work The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine. This takes 65 pages (whereas a typical English translation is around a hundred pages).

     After that we have a hundred or so pages of quotations from Apocalypse Explained, including the material on the Ten Commandments. (This has been produced in English with the title Religion and Life.)

     For now let us thank and congratulate Mr. Maliavin and take pleasure in the fact that a volume in Russian contains a biography of Swedenborg and two books of the Writings and more!

     LES MISERABLES WRITER AND SWEDENBORG

     Did Victor Hugo know about the Writings? If you are interested in this question, do read the article in the Autumn issue of Things Heard and Seen. The article was written by the late Alfred Regamey more than fifty years ago. It may have been originally written in French.

59


In any case it is a most enjoyable and informative article.

     The bottom line might be that it would be wrong to consider Victor Hugo as a disciple of Swedenborg. But it is interesting to see how closely he was associated with people who read the Writings. Hugo was three years younger than Balzac and delivered his funeral oration. Regamey shows that Hugo must therefore have read about Swedenborg. He also supplies us with the lines of a poem (not published in Hugo's lifetime). Swedenborg is named. "One day Swedenborg . . . thoughtfully started his quest of the heavenly realms."

     Regamey says, "Probably what had attracted him (V. Hugo) to Swedenborg was the way the invisible was treated, and his own interest in psychic phenomena and all that Swedenborg has to say on the other life. For, without doubt, Victor Hugo believed in the life beyond and sought to understand and explain it to himself. He firmly believed that the dead are constantly present at our side."

     The article closes with words attributed to Victor Hugo which could be called "his spiritual testament." We are not doing justice to this fine article, but we can let Victor Hugo have the last word.

     "Thou sayest that the world is nothing else than the result of material powers. How then can my soul be full of life at the very time when my material force begins to decline? Winter is on my brow, but in my heart there is eternal springtime. In my old age I love to inhale the scent of lilies, violets and roses, just as I did at twenty years of age. The nearer I approach my end, the more distinctly I hear all around me the symphony of the unseen which calls me. It is full of awe, it is marvelous, but so it is. One could call it a tale and yet it is a genuine and truthful story.

     "For half a century I have put down my thoughts in prose and in verse; I have written about history, about philosophy, drama, novels, tales, satires, odes, songs, I have tried all known paths.

60


But I feel that I have not expressed the thousandth part of what is in me.

     "Moving towards the grave, I can say as many another has said, 'My earthly task is finished.' But I cannot say: 'My life is ended.' New tasks await me. The grave is not an end, an entry into nothing; it is a night which leads to dawn. I feel refreshed each day, because I love the other world as one does his native country. My work is only beginning, has laid foundations. I shall rejoice to see it rising up unto eternity."

     We salute editor Patrick Johnson for making this available.
BRYN ATHYN COLLEGE OF THE NEW CHURCH 2004

BRYN ATHYN COLLEGE OF THE NEW CHURCH              2004

     Applications for fall 2004 are being accepted. You may apply online at www.newchurch.edu or call the admissions office at 215-938-2511. The late application fee went into effect on February 1, but you may request to have it waived.

     Bryn Athyn College - An Education that Changes Lives!

61


MINNESOTA NEIGHBORS IN NEW CHURCH HISTORY 2004

MINNESOTA NEIGHBORS IN NEW CHURCH HISTORY       Robert H.P. Cole       2004


     

     Communications
Dear Editor,

     I have been talking about the invention of "SCOTCH TAPE" and the work of Paul Carpenter in the MINNESOTA MINING & MANUFACTURING COMPANY (January issue). I speculate that a greeting from the neighbors of the Carpenter family might have read as follows:

We are your neighbors: the Bokers, the Coulters, the Johnsons, the McGinns, the Riches, the Zicks, and others. Congratulations and best wishes on your success over at "The Mining." We look forward to socializing with you. Rumor has it, though, that you belong to a somewhat strange sect, something about a "Schmorgisborg." Several of us are of Scandinavian or German ancestry as well as Scottish. We would like to know more about your religion. What does it teach? Who is the God that you worship? Do you read the Bible?

     Mrs. Carpenter would respond,

Thank you so much for your kind welcome. Paul and I would like to invite you all to dinner tomorrow evening. Our pastor, the Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton of Pennsylvania will be here to conduct a worship service and a class on the teachings of the great 18th century Christian Revelator, Emanuel Swedenborg. We worship the Lord Jesus Christ as the one God of heaven and earth. Swedenborg's followers began the Church of the New Jerusalem. We call ourselves, "New Church." Swedenborg wrote some thirty volumes on theology and religion. Our Bible is the Old and New Testaments and Swedenborg's theological Writings.

     Like the late Otho Heilman, Venita Carpenter distributed many copies of the Writings. Her "Largenteau Library" was well known in the Upper Midwest.

62


You could borrow Arcana Coelestia, True Christian Religion, Divine Providence or Heaven and Hell with Venita's blessing. But you had a card, and you must return bound volumes so that others could read them after you.

     The Carpenters and others formed the St. Paul New Church Circle. Nearly a hundred people came on Festival occasions for services and classes held in the spacious handsomely furnished Silver Lake-front room at "Largenteau." I attended a Children's Service in 1941. Besides Bishop Acton I, other pastors would come and go, among them, Rev. Ormond Odhner, and Rev. Harold Covert Cranch.

     The St. Paul Circle managed to thrive, led by the Coulters, the Bokers, the Riches, the Johnson, the McGinns, the Zicks and others. I became the visiting pastor in 1965 and served for six years, and several more years as associate visiting pastor.

     In this historical rambling I think the Writings should have the last word:

     Charity in the Man of Business. If he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, and transacts his business sincerely, justly and faithfully, he becomes charity. He acts as from his own prudence, and yet trusts in the Divine Providence . . . Even his prudence he ascribes to the Divine Providence. He loves business as the principal of his vocation, and money as its instrumental . . . He loves his work, which is in itself a good of use. (Doctrine of Charity 167)

     Robert H.P. Cole
          Bryn Athyn

63


ORDINATIONS 2004

ORDINATIONS              2004


     

     Announcements
     Kline-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, November 30, 2003, Thomas Leroy Kline, into the third degree of the priesthood, Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss officiating.

     Genzlinger-At Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, August 10, 2003, Matthew Laird Genzlinger, into the second degree of the priesthood, Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss officiating.
SPRING COURSE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII 2004

SPRING COURSE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII              2004

     At the end of this month's article on William James there is information about a course at the University of Hawaii to be taught be Dr. Leon James. The course has been advertised in part as follows: "This seminar explores whether it is possible to use God as an explanatory concept in psychology and still remain within the scope of the definition of science. "Theistic psychology" makes use of the knowledge about God from the `scientific revelations' which are found in the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). We will examine the data and experiments he presents in his Writings concerning the spritual world, life after death, and the human mind with a view to evaluating whether such a system can remain scientific."

67


Contact persons forPUBLIC WORSHIP AND DOCTRINAL CLASSES 2004

Contact persons forPUBLIC WORSHIP AND DOCTRINAL CLASSES              2004

     GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

     UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Alabama:

Birmingham

     Dr. Winyss A. Shepard, 4537 Dolly Ridge Road, Birmingham, AL 35243.

     Phone: (205) 967-3442.

Arizona:

Phoenix

     Rev. Michael Cowley, 3607 E. Delcoa Drive, Phoenix AZ 85032. Phone: home (602) 493-0619; office (480) 991-0048. Tucson

     Rev. Glenn G. Alden, Sunrise Chapel, 8421 E. Wrightstown Rd., Tuscon AZ 85715. Phone: (520) 298-1245.

Arkansas:

Little Rock

     Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Holmes, 65 Haertlein Lane, Batesville, AR 72501.

     Phone: (870) 251-9998.

Northwest Arkansas

     Rev. Daniel Fitzpatrick, 1001 N. Oriole Ave., Rogers, AR 72756. Phone: (501) 621-9011.

California:

El Toro

     Candace Frazee, 1933 Jefferson Drive, Pasadena, CA 91104.

     Phone: (626) 798-8848.

     E-mail: [email protected]

La Crescenta

     Rev. Jong-Ui Lee, 5022 Carolyn Way, La Crescenta, CA 91214.

     Phone (818) 249-9163

Sacramento/Central California

     Mr. Bertil Larsson, 8387 Montna Drive, Paradise, CA 95969. Phone: (530) 877-8252.

San Diego

     Rev. C. Mark Perry, 7911 Canary Way, San Diego, CA 92123. Phone: (858) 492-9682. San Francisco

     Mr. Jonathan Cranch, 2520 Emerson St., Palo Alto, CA 94301. Phone: (650) 328-2788.

Colorado:

Boulder

     Rev. David C. Roth, 3421 Blue Stem Ave., Longmont, CO 80503.

     Phone: (303) 443-9220.

     
Colorado Springs

     Mr. & Mrs. William Rienstra, 1005 Oak Ave., Canon City, CO 81212.

     Phone: (719) 275-4546.

Montrose

     Bob and Karen Heinrichs, P. O. Box 547, Montrose, CO 81402. Phone: (970) 323-6220.

Connecticut:

     
Bridgeport, Hartford, Shelton

     Rev. Thomas H. Rose, 5 Washington Ave., Derby, CT 06418. Phone: (203) 735-7774.

District of Columbia: See Mitchellville, Maryland.

     
Florida:

     
Boynton Beach

     Rev. Kenneth Alden, 7354 Shell Ridge Terrace, Lake Worth, FL 33467.

     Phone: (561) 736-9235.

Jacksonville

     Kristi Helow, 6338 Christopher Creek

     Road W., Jacksonville, FL 32217-2472.

Lake Helen

     Mr. & Mrs. Brent Morris, 264 E. Kicklighter Rd., Lake Helen, FL 32744. Phone: (904) 228-2276.

Pensacola

     Mr. & Mrs. John Sherman, 6096 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563. Phone: (850) 932-4433.

Georgia:

Americus

     Mr. W. Harold Eubanks, 516 U.S. 280 West, Americus, GA 31709. Phone: (912) 924-9221.

Atlanta

     Rev. Patrick A. Rose, 502 Knollwood

     Place, Woodstock, GA 30188-4588.

     Phone: (678) 319-0041.

Illinois:

Chicago

     Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton, Regional Pastor,

     P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Phone: (215) 914-4994.

Glenview

     Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr., 73 Park Drive, Glenview, IL 60025. Phone: (847) 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.

68




Maine:

Bath

     Rev. George Dole, 876 High St., Bath, ME 04530. Phone: (617) 244-0504.

Maryland:

Baltimore

     Rev. Robert S. Junge, 8551 Junge Drive, Kempton, PA 19529.

     Phone: (610) 298-2333.

Mitchellville

     Rev. James P. Cooper, 11910 Chantilly Lane, Mitchellville, MD 20721. Phone: (301) 805-9460 home;(301) 464-5602 office.

Massachusetts:

Boston

     Rev. Stephen R. Simons, 138 Maynard Rd., Sudbury, MA 01776. Phone: (978) 443-3727.

Michigan:

Detroit

     Rev. Derek P. Elphick, 395 Olivewood Ct., Rochester, MI 48306.

     Phone: (248) 652-3420, Ext. 102.

Mid-Michigan

     Lyle and Brenda Birchman, 14777 Cutler Rd., Portland, MI 48875. Phone:

     (517) 647-2190. E-mail: [email protected]

Minnesota:

St. Paul

     Karen Huseby, 4247 Centerville Rd., Vadnais Heights, MN 55127.

     Phone: (612) 429-5289.

Missouri:

Columbia

     Mr. & Mrs. Paul Johnson, 1508 Glencairn Court, Columbia, MO 65203.

     Phone: (314) 442-3475.

Kansas City

     Mr. Glen Klippenstein, P. O. Box 457, Maysville, MO 64469-0457.

     Phone: (816) 449-2167.

New Hampshire:

Hanover

     Bobbie and Charlie Hitchcock, 63 E. Wheelock St., Hanover, NH 03755.

     Phone: (603) 643-3469.

New Jersey:

Ridgewood

     Jay and Barbara Barry, 474 S. Maple, Glen Rock, NJ 07452. Phone: (201) 445-3353.

New Mexico:

Albuquerque

     Mrs. Carolyn Harwell, 1375 Sara Rd., Rio Rancho, NM 87124. Phone: (505) 896-0293.

North Carolina:

Charlotte

     Steven and Gail Glunz, 6624 Providence Lane West, Charlotte, NC 28226. Phone: (704) 362-2338.

Raleigh/Durham

     Mr. and Mrs. Charles Runion, 106 Maple Lane, Rosedale NC 27889. Phone: (252) 946-7138.

Ohio:

Cincinnati

     Rev. J. Clark Echols, 4418 Main Street, Darrtown, OH 45046-8914.

     Phone: (513) 523-0005 (home) or

     (513) 772-1478 (church).

Cleveland

     William B. Alden, 4142 Brecksville Rd., Richfield, OH 44286.

     Phone: (330) 659-6060.

Oklahoma:

Oklahoma City

     Mr. Robert Campbell, 13929 Sterlington, Edmond, OK 73013. Phone: (405) 478-4729.

Oregon:

Portland

     Mr. and Mrs. Jim Andrews, Box 99, 1010 NE 365th Ave., Corbett, OR 97019. Phone: (503) 695-2534.

Pennsylvania:

Bryn Athyn

     Pastor: Rev. Thomas H. Kline, Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Phone: (215) 947-6225.

Elizabethtown

     Mr. Meade Bierly, 523 Snyder Ave., Elizabethtown, PA 17022. Phone: (717) 367-3964.

Erie

     Dianna Murray, 5648 Zuck Road, Erie, PA 16506. Phone: (814) 833-0962.

Freeport (Sarver)

     Rev. Leslie L. Sheppard, 980 Sarver Road, Sarver, PA 16055. Phone: (724) 353-2220.

Harleysville

     Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Odhner, 829 Stoney Run Valley Rd., Kempton, PA 19529. Phone: (610) 756-3168.

Hawley

     Mr. Grant Genzlinger, Settlers Inn, #25, 4 Main Ave., Hawley, PA 18428.

     Phone: (800) 833-8527.

Ivyland

     The Ivyland New Church, 851 W. Bristol Road, Ivyland PA 18974. Pastor: Rev. David Lindrooth. Phone: (215) 957-5960. Secretary: Sue Cronlund (215) 598-3919.

69




Kempton

     Rev. Lawson M. Smith, 171 Kunkles Dahl Rd., Kempton, PA 19529.

     Phone: (610) 756-0093.

Philadelphia

     Philadelphia New Church Korean Group, Bryn Athyn College, 2895 College Drive, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Pastor: Rev. John Jin, 537 Anne Street, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006.

     Phone: (215) 914-1012 or (215) 947-8317.

Pittsburgh

     Rev. R. Amos Glenn, 299 Le Roi Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15208.

     Phone: church (412) 731-7421.

Sarver (see Freeport)

South Carolina:

Charleston area

     Wilfred and Wendy Baker, 2030 Thornhill Drive, Summerville, SC 29485.

     Phone: (803) 851-1245.

South Dakota:

Hot Springs

     Linda Klippenstein, 604 S. River St. #A8, Hot Springs, SD 57747.

     Phone: (605) 745-6629.

Texas:

Austin

     Aaron Gladish, 10312 Bilbrook Place, Austin, TX 78748. Phone: (512) 282-5501. E-mail: [email protected]

Washington:

Seattle

     Rev. Martie Johnson, Jr., 7708 171' St. NW, Edmonds, WA 98026-5013.

     Phone: (425) 776-2524.

Washington, DC: See Mitchellville, MD.

Wisconsin:

Madison

     Mr. Warren Brown, 130 Greenbrier Dr., Sun Prairie, WI 53590.

     Phone: (608) 825-3002.


     OTHER THAN U.S.A.

AUSTRALIA

Perth, W.A.

Sydney, N.S.W.

     Rev. Garry B. Walsh, 26 Dudley St., Penshurst, NSW 2222.

     Phone: 61-02-9594-4205.

BRAZIL

Rio de Janeiro

     Rev. Cristovao R. Nobre, Rua Henrique Borges, 54 Santa Amalia, Vassouras-RJ,

     Caixa Postal 85711 CEP.27.7000-000 Brazil. Phone: 55-(0)24-2471-6686.

CANADA

Alberta

Calgary

     Rev. Michael Gladish, 248 Arbour Crest Drive, NW Calgary, Alberta T3G 4V3. Phone: (403) 374-0087.

Debolt

     Lavina Scott, RR 1, Crooked Creek, Alberta TOH OYO. Phone: (780) 957-3625.

Edmonton

     Michael Hamm, C/Frame 30 Productions #202, 1081A-82 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6E 2B3.

British Columbia

Dawson Creek

     Dorothy Friesen (Secretary), P. O. Box 933, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H9. Phone: (250) 782-1904.

Ontario

Kitchener

     Rev. Bradley D. Heinrichs, 58 Chapel Hill Drive, Kitchener, Ontario N2R 1N2. Phone: office (519) 748-5802.

Ottawa

     Mr. and Mrs. Donald McMaster, 684 Fraser Ave., Ottawa, Ontario K2A 2R8. Phone: (613) 725-0394.

Toronto

     Rev. David W. Ayers, 2 Lorraine Gardens Rd., Etobicoke, Ont. M9B 4Z4.

     Phone: church (416) 239-3054.

DENMARK

Copenhagen

     Mr. Jorgen Hauptmann, Strandvejen 22, 4040 Jyllinge. Phone: 46 78 9968.

ENGLAND

Colchester

     Mr. Leif Wombwell, 272 Maldon Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 3BE.

     Phone: (0)120-636-9829.

London

     Rev. Frederick Elphick, 21B Hayne Rd., Beckenham, Kent BR3 4JA.

     Phone: 44-208-658-6320.

Oxford

     Mr. Mark Burniston, 24 Pumbro, Stonesfield, Witney, Oxford OX8 8QF. Phone: 44-(0)-199-389-1700

     Surrey

     Mr. Nathan Morley, 27 Victoria Road, Southern View, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4DJ.

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FRANCE

Beaune

     The Rev. Alain Nicolier, Bourguignon, Meursanges, 21200 Beaune. Phone: 33-80-26-62-80.

GHANA

Accra

     Rev. William O. Ankra-Badu, Box 11305, Accra North. Phone: 233-21-243662. Asakraka, Nteso, Oframase

     Rev. Martin K. Gyamfi, Box 10, AsakrakaKwahu E/R.

Dome

     Rev. Nicholas W. Anochi, 2 Rocky St., Dome, P. O. Box TA 687, Taifa. Phone: 233-21-405518.

Madina, Tema

     Rev. Simpson K. Darkwah, Hse. AA3, Com. 4, c/o Box 1483, Tema. Phone: 233-22-200583.

IVORY COAST

Abidjan

     Mr. Roger Koudou, B.P. 944, Cidex 1, Abidjan 06.

JAPAN

     Mr. Tatsuya Nagashima, 30-2, SaijohNishiotake, Yoshino-cho, Itano-gun, Tokoshima-ken, Japan 771-14.

KOREA

Seoul

     Rev. Dzin P. Kwak, Seoul Church of New Jerusalem, Ajoo B/D 205-1019-15, Daechidong Kangnam-Ku, Seoul 135-281. Phone: church 82-(0)2-555-1366.

NETHERLANDS

The Hague

     Mr. Ed Verschoor, Van Furstenburchstraat 6, 3862 AW Nijkerk, Netherlands.

NEW ZEALAND

Auckland

     Mrs. H. Keal, 4 Derwent Cresc., Titirangi, Auckland 1007. Phone: 09-817-8203.

SOUTH AFRICA

Gauteng

Alexandra Township

     Rev. Christopher D. Bown, Supervising Pastor (see Buccleuch).

Balfour

     Rev. Reuben Tshabalala, P.O. Box 851, Kwaxuma, Soweto 1868. Phone: 27-11-932-3528.

Buccleuch

     Rev. Christopher D. Bown, P. O. Box 816, Kelvin 2054. Phone: 27-11-804-1145. Diepkloof

     Rev. Jacob M. Maseko, P. O. Box 261, Pimville 1808. Phone: 27-11-938-8314. KwaZulu-Natal

Clermont

     Rev. Bhekuyise Alfred Mbatha, Supervising Pastor (see Impaphala).

Durban (Westville)

     Rev. Erik J. Buss, 30 Perth Rd., Westville, 3630. Phone: 27-31-2629043.

Enkumba

     Rev. Bongani Edward Nzimande, P. O. Box 848, Pinetown, 3600.

Eshowe, Richards Bay, Empangeni

     Mrs. Marten Hiemstra, P. O. Box 10745,

     Meerensee 3901. Phone: 27-35-132317.

Hambrook

     Rev. Bongani Edward Nzimande (see Enkumba).

Impaphala, Empangeni

     Rev. B. Alfred Mbatha, c/o 7 Sydney Drive, Westville, 3630.

Kwa Mashu

     Rev. Edward Nzimande, P. O. Box 848, Pinetown 3600.

Midlands

     Rev. Erik J. Buss-see Durban.

Westville

     Rev. Erik J. Buss-see Durban.

Western Cape

Cape Town

     Mrs. Gwyneth Collins, 601 Chezmont, Bower Road, 7800, Wynberg, Cape Town.

SWEDEN

Jonkoping

     Pastor: Rev. Ragnar Boyesen,

     Oxelgatan 6, S-565 21 Mulls* Phone: home 46-392-13396; office 46-392-13339

Stockholm

     Rev. Goran Appelgren, Aladdinsvagen 27, S-167 61 Bromma.

     Phone/Fax: 46-(0)8-26 79 85.


     When dialing from abroad, leave out zero in parentheses.

     Note: Please send any corrections to the editor.

71


APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TOTHE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCHGIRLS SCHOOL AND BOYS SCHOOL 2004

APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TOTHE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCHGIRLS SCHOOL AND BOYS SCHOOL              2004

     At the Academy of the New Church Secondary Schools, we prepare our students for a good and useful life. As an educational arm of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, we lead students through a rigorous academic curriculum so that they may find meaning, fulfillment, and happiness. As we instruct our students in the teachings of the New Church and encourage a life according to New Church principles, we develop their intellectual powers, teach them about spiritual realities of life, and offer them many avenues to practice spiritual and moral virtues.

     In early February we will mail recruiting packages to age appropriate families who appear in the General Church database. These packages include an application form for admission of new students to the Schools. If you do not received a recruiting package and would like one, please contact the School Secretary at 215-938-2556. Requests for application should be made by March 1, 2004. Letters should be addressed to Mrs. Margaret Gladish, Principal of the Girls School, or Mr. R. Scott Daum, 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 dormitory student. We should receive completed application forms by April 15, 2004.

     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, 2004. 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 the following: Application, Transcript, Pastor's Recommendation, Agreement Form, and Health Forms.

     The Academy will not discriminate against applicants and students on the basis of race, color, gender, and national or ethnic origin.

72


NUNC LICET 2004

NUNC LICET              2004

     BRYN ATHYN COLLEGE of the New Church

     Alumni Weekend-April 29-May 2,2004

Thursday 29 All day Visit college classes

     4:00 PM Colloquium on Faith and Learning

     at the Swedenborg Library

Friday 30     All day Visit college classes

     8:00 PM Dr. Dan Synnestvedt at Glencairn speaking on Bryn Athyn College, Worldviews, and Globalization. Also an update on the College Outreach Initiatives by Dean Lindsay. Refreshments will be served.

Saturday 1 9:30 AM Brunch at homes of Alumni

     1:00 PM Family Fun Fair and BBQ Lunch with an educational and International flair at the College Circle

     3:00 PM Volleyball at the College Circle

     8:00 PM Bryn Athyn College Rocks College band will entertain you at the Social Center

Sunday 2 9:15 AM Special Worship Service with Chaplain Ray Silverman in Pendleton Hall. Special Music begins at 9:15 Service at 9:30. Complimentary Brunch will follow the service.

     All Welcome! Bring the kids!

     Interested?          Contact the Development Office with

     questions or comments [email protected] or Susan Asplundh 215.938.2623

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"And They Shall Be One Flesh" 2004

"And They Shall Be One Flesh"              2004

Selections About Marriage

     Marriage

     -Ideals and Expectations

     -The Natural Degree

     -The Journey

     Doctrinal Class Series

     by the Rt. Rev. Thomas Kline

     This three-part series comes in an audio album and makes a

     lovely gift. $8.00, cassettes only

     Tenderness in Marriage - sermon, Rt. Rev. Peter Buss, #100031

     Innocence in Life and Marriage - contemporary service,

     Rev. Grant Schnarr, #104302

     Growing In Love - sermon, Rev. Kenneth Alden, #104258

     The Beauty of Marriage - sermon, Rev. Donald Rose, #103743

     Preparation for Marriage - family service,

     Rev. Prescott Rogers, #104439

     Drawing Together in Marriage - sermon, Rev. Brian Keith, #104717

     Please order using the catalog numbers listed.

     Cassette - $2.00, CD - $4.00, Catalog - $5.00

     Additional postage charges will be included on your invoice.

     SOUND )))

     RECORDING

     Box 752 - 1120 Cathedral Road

     Bryn Athyn, PA 19009-0752

     [email protected]

     215-914-4980

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ARCANA COELESTIA 2004

ARCANA COELESTIA              2004

Audio Books Available

     Arcana Coelestia is the largest theological work to be written by Emanuel Swedenborg. The first six volumes have long been available on cassette. We are therefore delighted to announce that this project is now continuing. Volume seven is currently being digitally recorded, with the other volumes to follow. The reader, Siri Yardumian Hurst has been hailed as most pleasing to listen to.

     Currently Available - $25.00 each

     Volume One - 16 cassette series #192 Volume Two - 17 cassette series #193 Volume Three - 16 cassette series #194 Volume Four - 14 cassette series #196 Volume Five - 13 cassette series #197 Volume Six - 18 cassette series #198

     Soon to be released - Volume Seven

     On CD or cassette series #333

     More volumes to follow!

     Please order using the series number(s) listed.

     Complete catalog of recordings - $5.00

     Additional postage charges will be included on your invoice.

     SOUND ))) RECORDING

     Box 752 - 1120 Cathedral Road

     Bryn Athyn. PA 19009-0752

     [email protected]

     215-914-4980
Notes on This Issue 2004

Notes on This Issue              2004



New Church Life
     "When we sense that bad things are happening and apparently no one is noticing or doing anything about it, we assume that we have been forgotten." That is from the sermon by Rev. Eric Carswell on the opposite page.

     The last of the three part series by Dr. Sonia Werner appears in this issue. It is the longest, and, to me, the most interesting segment. On page 86 Dr. Werner gives a quote from William James and concludes that James is "revealing his opinion that the Writings of Swedenborg are divine revelation." On the same page she writes, "As a developmental psychologist, I am intrigued with the evolution of William James's stages of professional and spiritual life."

     Dr. Dan Synnestvedt offers a thorough study, "Valentine's Day Redefined?" Dr. Synnestvedt is the editor of the book recently published by Bryn Athyn College. We have in previous issues given some excerpts from this book, and it is our intention to print a review of it in the April issue.

     Are you planning to see the Mel Gibson movie on the Passion of Christ? You will find food for thought in the article by Rev. Dan Goodenough entitled "How Shall We Think of Jesus?"

     Jessie P. Rose from Colorado Springs is particularly interested in books for children and young people. She provides a review of the new book Take A Deep Breath.

     For a hundred years New Church people have discussed the word "conjugial." See the note about this on page 115.

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REMEMBERING AND FORGETTING 2004

REMEMBERING AND FORGETTING       Rev. ERIC H. CARSWELL       2004

"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. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands" (Isaiah 49:15-16).

     The Word speaks of God remembering and forgetting. We are assured that this is an adaption to our perspective. We, as fallible human beings, tend to think that when we are obviously being cared for, someone has remembered us. When we sense that bad things are happening and apparently no one is noticing or doing anything about it, we assume that we have been forgotten or at least rate rather low on the list of the other's priorities. For example, Psalm 13 opens with the statement: "How long, 0 Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?" (Psalm 13:1).

     In writing this psalm, David's words reflect a sad and anguished state in which he is convinced he has been forgotten. Another example is the words of Psalm 44: "Why do You hide Your face, And forget our affliction and our oppression?" (Psalm 44:24).

     The reality is that the Lord knows all things, constantly. The tiniest flicker of a thought that we have ever had is ever present before His eyes. The smallest concern or motivation that has touched our hearts is entirely known to Him.

From this it may be seen how far someone errs who believes that the Lord has not foreseen and does not see the smallest individual thing with a person, or that within the smallest individual thing He does not foresee and lead, when in fact the Lord's foresight and providence are present within the tiniest details of all the smallest individual things with him, and in details so tiny that it is impossible to comprehend in any manner of thought one in many millions of them. For every smallest fraction of a moment of a person's life entails a chain of consequences extending into eternity.

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Indeed every one is like a new beginning to those that follow, and so every single moment of the life both of his understanding and of his will is a new beginning. And since the Lord foresaw from eternity what every person was going to be like in the future and even into eternity, it is clear that providence is present in the smallest individual things, and, as has been stated, is governing all people and diverting them so that they may be such, this being achieved by constant re-shaping of their freedom. (Arcana Coelestia 3854:3)

     This genuine truth is often not the way people speak in the Word. But, as is often the case, many ideas that are presented according to the external appearance in the earlier books of the Old Testament, have their counterparts in the Prophets that are much closer to the reality. The text for this sermon is one of those statements from Isaiah that much more accurately describes the reality that is the Lord. He will never forget us. It is as if He has your individual name permanently written on the palm of His hand as an everlasting reminder.

     Most of the time we like to be remembered. But there are times when we would rather that certain events of the past would drift into oblivion. This is reflected in the words of the prayer contained in Psalm 25: "Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions" (Psalm 25:7).

     The idea that the Lord knows all of our thoughts and motivations can be disconcerting or deeply embarrassing. We know quite well that there have been and still are things we've said and done that have been wrong and hurtful. We know we've disobeyed the Lord in these things. Even more so in our hidden thoughts and intentions. There is much that mercifully the people around us do not see, yet the reality is that the Lord knows these tiniest parts of our minds with perfect detail. Part of us would rather He didn't. We would rather He forget. This desire is reflected in these words from Isaiah: "Do not be furious, O LORD, Nor remember iniquity forever;

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Indeed, please look; we all are Your people!" (Isaiah 64:9).

     The Writings of the New Church assure us of the Lord's love for us, and His perfect mercy means that He does not hold our past evils as an account against us. He is never angry at us. He is never feeling apathetic about or even antagonistic to helping us. He loves us perfectly. So it is that Isaiah has the Lord speak with these words: "I will not remember your sins" (Isaiah 43:25). It seems that He does not remember because of His mercy and forgiveness.

     But we also know this mercy and forgiveness does not mean that He will intervene to stop every consequence that comes from our choices. If He did, there would be no possibility of people ending up in Hell. If He did, there would be much less heartache and harm in this world. It is from a deeper mercy that the Lord allows us freedom and also allows us to experience consequences from this freedom. This is not from any anger on His part. It is not from any desire for punishment. It is because without consequences of some kind we would not learn to be better human beings.

     Sometimes our hurtful choices are not the matter of a sudden explosion or decision. They are more the accumulation of many small choices that have, as it were, had us wander far from what we should be doing. When this wandering gets far enough the consequence can be sudden and powerful. It is as if a long list of issues has suddenly been totaled and we are held accountable. This state is reflected in these words from the book of the prophecy of Jeremiah:

Thus says the LORD to this people: "Thus they have loved to wander; They have not restrained their feet. Therefore the LORD does not accept them; He will remember their iniquity now, And punish their sins." (Jeremiah 14:10)

     But this again is according to the appearance. All punishment is from hell. The Lord is constantly working to protect us from this punishment.

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He is trying to lead us away from motivations, thoughts, words and deeds that would hurt us and others. He loves us perfectly. He created each of us with hope and possibility of a heavenly home to eternity.

     We will never be like the Lord. We will always be finite and limited in our perspective. We may joke about a person who cannot walk and chew gum at the same time, but in reality it is very hard for many people to simultaneously keep more than a handful of considerations at the front of their minds. We do forget very important things that others hope we will remember. We don't remember the needs of others at times that can be very important.

     Forgetting and remembering is a function of the human mind that has everything to do with what we love. A child may forget apparently instantly a request to do a chore and yet with vivid detail remember a vague promise of something good for days. What we think about, what we remember is not the result a machine-like process. We can remember trivial issues and yet we can fail to remember a promise made to someone who is very near and dear to us, at the time we most need to remember.

     We also can remember with anger or sadness all the wrongs we sense have been done to us or to those near and dear to us. We, as human beings, can hold a grudge against someone for decades or even throughout our lives. No matter what happens after a particularly hurtful event, sometimes a person says, "I can never forgive her or forget what she has done to me.

     Part of our regeneration or spiritual rebirth is becoming more and more like the Lord. We want to remember the things that are most important and be able to apparently forget those failings of others.

     Over and over again in the Lord's Word, He prompts us to remember Him, His commandments, His care and help. We need to make conscious efforts to keep the Lord and His commandments in the front of our minds.

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Because of our limited focus, we will not always be thinking directly of Him, but this is to be expected. Consider the following quote about a soldier heading into battle:

Before the battle [a soldier who has charity in his heart] raises his mind to the Lord, and commits his life into His hand; and after he has done this, he lets his mind down from its elevation into the body and becomes brave; the thought of the Lord-which he is then unconscious of remaining still in his mind, above his bravery. (Charity 166)

     We can ask in prayer that this quality may exist within our own lives and the daily battles each of us face. We can also ask in prayer for the merciful heart that indeed sees and recognizes the significance of the words and deeds of people around us, but also is able to forgive and as it were forget. We can ask the Lord for a mind that focuses on what is most important. We will not be changed in an instant, but we will be changed if we cooperate with the Lord. He will create us anew. He will give us a blessed forgetfulness of much of our past patterns of motivation and thought. The Lord speaks of this in the prophecy of Isaiah. He tells us: "Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it?" (Isaiah 43:18-19).

     May we be grateful for the Lord's constant perfect wisdom and love for each of us. He will always remember us and seek our welfare in ways that completely exceed any idea we could have of His efforts. But He also is capable of great mercy and forgiveness and, as it were, is able to forget some of the failings we have sought to put behind us with His help. He will create us anew. May we seek this new life day by day. May we ask the Lord's help in remembering and also forgetting in an image of His life. Amen.

Lessons: Genesis 7:17-20, 23-24, 8:1-4; Arcana Coelestia 9849:1

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EVOLUTION OF WILLIAM JAMES'SATTITUDE ABOUT THE WRITINGS-PART 3 INA SERIES* 2004

EVOLUTION OF WILLIAM JAMES'SATTITUDE ABOUT THE WRITINGS-PART 3 INA SERIES*       Dr. SONIA SONESON WERNER       2004

     * Note: In this third article in our series, we conclude the exploration of the influence of Swedenborg on William James, and James's impact on our Western culture. See the January issue for the article about William James's guidance in the field of modern education. See the February issue for the article about his role in shaping the field of psychology.

     What are the spiritual roots of the current field of psychology? Is there some relationship between religion's focus on the human spirit and the science of human behavior? Instead of viewing psychology and religion as polar opposites as some do, I believe it is fruitful to analyze the historical origin of American psychology in the mystical context in which it was born. Inevitably such an analysis must include a focus on the father of American psychology, William James, who lived from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. He was at the height of his career just about a century ago, when he was establishing the first psychology department at an American university. But to truly understand his professional contributions, we should try to broaden our scope and observe his entire life. In this way we can see how his career and his attitude about spirituality evolved.

     In this third and final article in our New Church Life series, let's describe the stages of the professional and spiritual metamorphoses of William James. Hopefully, this will lead to two outcomes: a deeper appreciation of the spiritual origin of the secular field of psychology, and the provision of a model for understanding our own personal path towards regeneration.

William James's Childhood

     According to several biographers of James, he was home-schooled in a very protective environment, led by his Swedenborgian father, Henry James, Sr.

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While the parents of this household encouraged their children to consider spiritual ideas, they completely avoided organized religions. They were distrustful of established churches because of corruption and materialism, so the children were isolated from other families in their early years. Therefore, everything they learned about the Writings of Swedenborg was filtered through the perspective of their scholarly father, Henry James, Sr.

     It was a stimulating and enriching home, with a high degree of permissiveness, in contrast to the strict authoritarian style of most parochial schools in their New England neighborhood. Yet because of his developmental age, the young William James did not question his father's emphasis on theology, and accepted it in his historical faith. He felt loved and appreciated by his parents, but he also felt encouraged to start to think for himself (Simon, 1998). James's initiative was applauded when he put on parlor theatrics and debates at the dinner table. (Actually this parental style planted the seeds for the next phase of William James's life.) In sum, his childhood and early adolescence was a time of innocently following his father's lead in studying spiritual matters, particularly from their favorite books, the Writings of Swedenborg. One can imagine the remains that were implanted by the Lord during this stage, and we can assume he gained a fondness for feeling the closeness of angels as they all studied the threefold Word around the hearth.

William James's Adulthood

     Since the family was financially secure, this made it possible for William James's parents to tell him to take lots of time figuring out what career to select. Unlike many of his lower income peers, James had the luxury of exploring many jobs while remaining dependent on his family's fortune, even decades into his adulthood. He tried to become an artist, a biologist, a medical doctor, and a philosopher.

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There were many years of training and productive learning, but there were also those intermittent years of stagnation during his young adulthood, and William James despised his own dependency on his father. He experienced long periods of depression, aggravated by his worry about his use in society. Eventually, in mid-life he was invited to teach physiology and philosophy at Harvard, and finally, he discovered his own voice. Although Henry James the Elder always hoped that James's scientific college education would lead to a deeper appreciation of the Writings' concept of correspondences, he had other ideas. He became eager to strike out in his own direction.

     While teaching at Harvard, William James actively distanced himself from his father's influence. He rejected his father's erratic style of relating to an audience, and sought to refine his own skills in public speaking. He carefully edited his own published speeches and books to make sure they were clear enough for his readers, because he was embarrassed that his father's spiritual books were often rejected as confusing and sentimental. He rebelled against Henry's emphasis on humbling the self for the sake of regeneration, and chose to emphasize the human will. Instead of directly quoting the Writings extensively as his father had done, William James rarely even mentioned Swedenborg in his published work. Again, this might have been part of his rebellion against the smothering influence of his father. There are stories of James's reluctance to even travel a short distance to his father's house to return a borrowed book, choosing instead to deliver it through another person. It has been reported in his letters to family members that his intention was to avoid direct contact with his elderly father during these years.

     According to Croce (1996), "William James gravitated toward a belief in a universe without certainty but with only a chance of spiritual meaning . . . ironically, his scientific education became a deep and constant impediment to William's full embrace of his father's thought and the spiritual impulses that sprang from his youthful education."

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He even publicly expressed his differences with his father's published books about Swedenborg, yet indicated in letters to family that he somewhat regretted these debates, because he still admired his father. It actually pained him to be disrespectful.

     Beginning in the 1870s and until the turn of the century, James combined his interests in the scientific study of human anatomy with his curiosity about philosophical questions. He felt torn between the influences of natural science (Darwinism) and his father's spiritual philosophy, and it was in his attempts to mediate the natural and spiritual world that psychology was born. This led to the creation of the first American laboratory and department of psychology, at Harvard University. According to Taylor (1987), William James served as president of the American Psychological Association twice after originally organizing it with G. Stanley Hall. He formulated a controversial theory of emotion, asserting that people are afraid because they show fearful expressions on their faces, rather than grimace because of their fear. James explained the dimensions of automatic behavior and habit, he described the relationship between instinct and emotion, and he also asserted that personality included the power of exercising a strong will. Taylor also indicates that William James became well known for the concept that our individual consciousness is a stream that flows ever onward. James attempted to demonstrate that while attention and cognition may be easier for psychology to experimentally measure, of more importance was what lay beyond the fringe of consciousness. He was fascinated with psychics that claimed to transmit messages from heaven, and he witnessed hundreds of seances (Taylor, 1987).

     William James lectured extensively on the psychology of religion, educational practices, and philosophy, and continued to evolve in his perspective on belief.

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His students went on to establish psychology departments across the nation, and his published textbooks were broadly used. He had achieved his goal of becoming a famous lecturer on two continents, and his influence was extensive.

     However, the scientific, secular study of human behavior became the predominant voice in the early 1900s and references to the specific psychology of religion were diminished. Apparently William James forged another path as he continued to reconcile the spiritual and the natural worlds, and this was with a focus on morality. He felt religion that was applied to life in charitable actions had more validity. Moral behavior has a core of spirituality, but it operates in the natural world much like science (Croce, 1996).

     In his own manner of interacting with students and colleagues, James became known as a man of remarkable moral integrity. He was a pioneer in confronting racism and sexism on college campuses decades before the civil rights movement of the 1960s. It is well documented that he was an inspiring mentor and teacher to W.E.B. DuBois, one of the first African-American students to attend Harvard. DuBois went on to establish the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), after he graduated from Harvard, and he claims to have been inspired by William James for his respectful treatment of every person, regardless of the color of a person's skin. James was also known for his morally courageous interactions with the first female college students at his college. Gertrude Stein was among those first females, and she claims that he was her favorite professor because of his respectful manner to students of both genders. He even convinced local homeowners to donate their big houses in their wills, so that the Harvard Annex could be housed near Harvard Square. This was the beginning of the institution later known as Radcliffe College for women. This advocacy for female and black students over a hundred years ago went against the social norms of the campus, but James was fearless in his defense of the dignity of every individual.

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One wonders where he got such courage, actually changing the attitudes of many of his colleagues (Simon, 1998).

William James's Later Years

     In the well-preserved correspondence between William James and his family members, we detect a changed man during the last decades of his life. He wrote to his sister, reflecting on human consciousness that "there's more in it than has ever been told to so-called science" (1891). He indicated that he decided to turn for enlightenment to "all sorts of despised spiritualistic and unscientific ideas" (1891). Apparently he had become frustrated with the limits of science in explaining the most meaningful human experience of religious belief. He stated, "Father would find in me today a much more receptive listener-all that philosophy has got to be brought in" (1891). In his very last letter to his dying father, he wrote, "All my intellectual life I derive from you . . . what my debt to you is goes beyond all my power of estimating-so early, so penetrating and so constant has been the influence . . . though we have often seemed at odds . . . I'm sure there's a harmony somewhere, and that our strivings will combine" (1882). These letters show that he was entering into a phase of reconciling the spiritual education of his childhood with the professional roles he played in establishing the field of psychology. Even without direct quotes from the Writings of Swedenborg, William James was carrying the doctrines into the secular world.

     Finally, just a few months before his death, William James wrote a letter to a Swedenborgian minister, Mr. John Whitehead, and in this epistle he asked, "Could you possibly do something about disentangling the accidental from the eternal in Swedenborg's philosophy?" According to Johnson, an assistant professor at the Pacific School of Religion (2003),

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"James distinguishes the form and the content of Swedenborg's revelations and states that the content is eternal, i.e., true or of lasting value, even though the form is inadequate." I would agree with Johnson's interpretation that William James is revealing his opinion that the Writings of Swedenborg are divine revelation.

A Developmental Perspective of William James

     As a developmental psychologist, I am intrigued with the evolution of William James's stages of professional and spiritual life. Of course we cannot completely know anyone else's path of regeneration, but by analyzing James published works and his letters, we can appreciate his progression. With the help of the tool of modern psychological theory, we can attempt to interpret what may have actually been happening to him as he aged. Then we can apply this same tool to our own development, if we choose.

     In the twenty-first century, developmental psychology professors across the western world teach their students about the stages of human life. One of the best known theories was developed by the Canadian psychologist James Marcia. This developmental theory of identity can be helpful in explaining the stages of William James's life (and our own!). Marcia's theory states that people in the western world usually evolve through predictable stages as they figure out their identity. In the first stage, as children, they have not spent much time contemplating their identity, so they are called "confused." They may have impulsive ideas of being a "fire fighter" or "rock star" when they grow up, but these are mostly fantasies. Most likely William James was in this stage of Identity Confusion when he was still being home-schooled by his father (Marcia, 1980).

     Marcia claims that many adolescents and young adults experience the second stage, called Identity Foreclosure. Characteristics of this stage involve making a premature decision about their career or their belief system.

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They might imitate their parents or teachers to follow some predetermined path, without much reflective thought. Another version of this stage happens when young people impulsively choose the opposite of their parent's plan, as an act of rebellion. In either situation, they have not adequately explored their options. They just follow the script for their lives provided by their elders, or they rebel and do the opposite just to be different. In the case of William James, he enthusiastically worked to publicly state that he was a believer, yet he made a point to tell people that he was religiously different from his father, and in that sense he was demonstrating identity foreclosure during his early adult years (Marcia, 1980).

     The third and most interesting phase is called the Identity Moratorium. In this phase, an adult actively searches for and tries out various alternatives, but makes no commitments. It is not unusual for a person to experience some anxiety in this phase because of the uncertainty of the future. In William James's career, he was in a moratorium for decades as he tried painting, doing biological research, studying medicine and finally teaching. He was very unsettled as he searched for his most satisfying career, as he expressed in many letters to his siblings. However, when considering James's stance on the divinity of the Writings, it appears that he experienced a spiritual moratorium after his foreclosure period. William James analyzed many religions and searched for his own specific belief, even reconciling with his father's religion (Marcia, 1980).

     Finally, Marcia describes the stages of Identity Achievement. Obviously, this is a stage in which a person makes a choice and a commitment, after considering alternatives. Decisions are made and become public, and one's identity is more solidified than in any previous stage. William James wrote to his brother that "I have never felt so well" as when he started teaching at Harvard (Simon, 1998). But it took many more decades to achieve his religious identity achievement.

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It is my interpretation that it took him until his final years to evolve to this level of identity achievement, spiritually. As he was dying, he asked his family to bury him in a cathedral, because "I am really a religious man" (Simon, 1998). He didn't have to convince me!

     Perhaps we can apply this same developmental theory to our own professional and spiritual lives. Have we progressed from a time of identity confusion, avoiding the tendency to just follow in our parents' life choices, or impulsively rebelling against their scripts for our lives (foreclosure)? Do we spend an adequate amount of time seriously considering our own faith and use in this world (moratorium), until we finally discover our niche (achievement)? Do we find ways to integrate our career with our spiritual life? I believe William James was an inspiring model for living the examined life. We would do well to be as reflective as he was.

     References

Croce, P. J. (1996). Between Swedenborgianism and science: William James on religion and human nature. Speech prepared for American Academy of Religion: Swedenborg Seminar, November 1996.

James, W. (1891) William James letter to Alice James (his sister), Chocorua, NH, July 6, 1891, in The Letters of William James, 1:219.

Johnson, G. R. (2003). William James on Swedenborg: A newly discovered letter. Studia Swedenborgiana, June, 13, 1, 61-67.

Marcia, J. E. (1980). Identity in adolescence. In J. Adelson (Ed.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (pp. 159-187). New York: Wiley.

Simon, L. (1998). Genuine Reality: A Life of William James. New York: Harcourt Brace and Co.

Taylor, E. (1987). Stamp for William James. Harvard Psychological Review, Feb 26, 1987, II, 1, 18-19.

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VALENTINE'S DAY REDEFINED? 2004

VALENTINE'S DAY REDEFINED?       Dr. DAN A. SYNNESTVEDT       2004

     In several countries of the world, one day a year is set aside for the celebration of romantic love and marriage. It is generally known as "Valentine's Day." In the United States, Valentine's Day is an occasion for elementary school children to exchange innocent greeting cards and candy hearts with messages written on them like "Be my valentine." Men buy flowers, give jewelry, and pay special attention to their spouse, fianc?, or girl friend.

     For at least the past six hundred years, February 14 has been associated not only with the third century Christian martyr, St. Valentine, but also with the exchange of affections and courtship between men and women.1 In recent years, however, this sweet holiday has been accompanied by a troubling trend in Western countries: the increasing legal and moral acceptance of a profoundly false redefining of romantic love and marriage.

     This altered definition of marriage and romance is one that aims to legitimate in law and society the sexual attraction of any two people for any amount of time, regardless of their sex. Since I am an American, let me use the United States as an example. Thirty years ago the laws concerning divorce were changed to make divorce easier and to de-criminalize adultery. Last year saw the legal approval of homosexual relations by the U.S. Supreme Court and a state court in Massachusetts, and its ecclesiastical approval by some churches when they ordained openly practicing homosexual men as ministers and bishops.

     In an effort to stem the tide of judicial activism and minority pressure, an amendment to the U.S. Constitution has been introduced into Congress.

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The amendment, promoted by Alliance for Marriage (a non-partisan, ecumenical, multi-ethnic group), reads as follows:

     Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution or the constitution of any state, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups.

     Putting aside the details of this amendment and other legal solutions, the general question to ponder is this: Should a New Church person take action to support heterosexual monogamous marriage on the civil plane of life, or is the redefining of marriage and romance something a New Church person can passively accept or even actively promote? Is it acceptable if Valentine's Day is redefined? On the basis of my research, I have concluded that heterosexual monogamous marriage needs to be supported in the civil law and through social pressure. But let us consult the Word together for guidance on this important, and now pressing, question.

The Metaphysics of Marriage

     Since this is an emotionally-charged issue for some people, it is essential to first consider passages from the Heavenly Doctrines that teach about marriage, from the metaphysical foundation of marriage on the spiritual plane of life to the laws regulating marriage on the civil plane of life.2

     An inclination and also a capacity for conjunction as though into one was implanted in man and woman from creation, and man and woman still have this inclination and capacity in them. That this is so appears from the book of creation, and at the same time from what the Lord said. In the book of creation, which we call Genesis, we read:

     Jehovah God fashioned the rib which He had taken from the man into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And the man said, "This one, this time, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.

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She shall be called woman (`ishshah), because she was taken from man (`ish). For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (Genesis 2:22-24)

     The Lord said something similar in Matthew:

     Have you not read that He who made them from the beginning . . . male and female . . . , said, "For this reason a man shall leave father and mother and cling to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh"? Therefore they are no longer two, but one flesh. (Matthew 19:4-6)

     It is apparent from these verses that woman was created out of man, and that they each have both an inclination and a capacity for reuniting themselves into one. (CL / ML 156)

     Both the Old Testament and the New Testament proclaim that men and women were purposefully created for each other. That a man and a woman are intentionally designed to cling together means that this is the ideal of creation, not a chance event of a merely natural process or the psychological projections of a bourgeois bachelor. Heterosexual marriage is a metaphysical standard, a norm based in the structure of reality. Note that one does not need to draw upon controversial passages about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah or "evils not to be named" (CL/ML 450, 459) to support this conclusion. Any Jew or Christian that takes the creation story seriously can see that God intended that a man and a woman marry one another.

     Married love is from the Lord, and it corresponds to the marriage of the Lord and the church. It descends from the marriage of between good and truth. It is the fundamental love and the head of all celestial and spiritual loves. It is truly the seedbed of the human race and consequently of the angelic heaven. The use it serves is thus more excellent than the other uses in creation. (CL/ML 143)

     Again, the metaphysical basis of the marriage relationship is asserted: heterosexual marriage is an essential aspect of creation, not a social construction of ancient nomadic or agrarian culture.

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A man's body and a woman's body were designed by the Lord for physical conjunction and reproduction so that the outmost physical plane of life can correspond to, first, the couple's state of mind and, second, to the kind of relationship the Lord and the church can have.

     In addition, we see how important married love, and so marriage, is to the Lord relative to all the other uses in creation. God not only intended marriage between a man and a woman, but God also intended new human beings who would live to eternity as a result of their becoming one flesh. In other words, through our cooperation God created the family, and this use is elevated to the top of the list of uses. Through marriage, the Lord lets us have a taste of the joy that He experiences when He is creating and conjoined with His creation. The fundamental metaphysical principle of marriage is this: to be, means to be conjoined, for where there is no conjunction, there is no being (AC 5002). This applies to relationships on many levels of life, from our relationship with the Lord, to the relationship between the good an individual wills and the truth an individual knows, to the marriage relationship. Yet not all conjunctions are heavenly; heavenly conjunctions require a commitment to spiritual selflessness.

     True married love is a chaste love, and has nothing in common with unchaste love. It is with one and only one of the opposite sex, with all others set aside, for it is a love of the spirit and consequently of the body, and not a love of the body and consequently of the spirit, that is, it is not a love that infests the spirit (CL/ML 44:5).

     If there was any doubt about God's intention in the Old or New Testament concerning His ideal for the human race, this passage clears it up. True married love is monogamous and heterosexual. It stems from a transcendental union and this reality is then imaged on the material plane.

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     These blessings [of innocence, peace, tranquillity, inmost friendship, complete trust, bliss, felicity, delight, pleasure, and happiness] are not at all possible except in a marriage of one man with one wife. (CL/ML 181)

     In other words, despite appearances to the natural eye, blessings from God are not possible with one man and several wives, or one woman and several husbands, or two "husbands," or two "wives," or some other multi-partner or homosexual configuration. While this passage is stating the case negatively, i.e., these blessing are not possible except . . . , it is important to keep in mind the general context for it. Married Love is a book that tells people how to experience the deepest most satisfying delights and happiness known to humanity. The reason the Lord is communicating this important qualification is so that we might rightly order our liberty and enjoy heavenly happiness. It is certainly not because God hates people.3 New Church people know that the Lord does not hate anyone, that He is Divine Love and Wisdom, and His greatest wish is to enter into a loving relationship with us and so render us happy.

     Nevertheless, marriages in the world are to continue to the end of life. We cite this point to present more clearly to the eyes of reason how necessary, useful and true it is that in marriages where married love is not genuine, it should still be affected or be made to appear as though it were. It would be different if marriages once entered into were not compacts to the end of life, but could be dissolved at will. Such was the case in the Israelite nation, which arrogated to itself the right to put away wives for any reason, as is apparent from this account in Matthew:

     The Pharisees...came..., saying to (Jesus), "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?"

     Then when Jesus answered that it was not lawful to divorce a wife and marry another excepting for licentiousness, they replied that Moses had nevertheless commanded them to give her a certificate of divorce and put her away.

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And the disciples said,

     If such be the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry. (Matthew 19:3-10)

     Since the marriage covenant is accordingly a covenant for life, it follows that appearances of love and friendship between married partners are necessary.

     The principle that marriages once contracted are to continue on to the end of life in the world is based on Divine law, and being based on this, it is a matter also of rational law and therefore of civil law. It is based on the Divine law which says that it is not lawful to divorce a wife and marry another excepting on the ground of licentiousness, as cited above. It is a matter of rational law, because rational law is founded on spiritual law, since the Divine law and rational law are the same. In the light of the one and the other together, or by considering the rational law in the light of the Divine law, it may appear to a great number of people what monstrous and destructive ruinations of society and dissolutions of marriages would result if divorcings of wives were at the good pleasure of husbands prior to death. What monstrous and destructive ruinations of society would result may be seen in some measure in the narrative account in which the origin of married love was discussed by the people gathered from the nine kingdoms, nos. 103-114, to which it is unnecessary to add further arguments. (CL/ML 276)

     For the "me generation" of any culture, this passage constitutes a "hard saying." Why should the modern, or postmodern, unencumbered individualist put up with a marriage that is no fun and a partner who is seen as boring? Why not engage in adventurous liaisons with a variety of people? There are two reasons.

     First, keeping one's promise to be committed to another human being of the opposite sex until the end of one's mortal existence is a very powerful means of spiritual growth. If we believe that this message of fidelity is from God, and that God is love and wisdom itself, then we should also believe that God is telling us to remain faithful to our marriage covenant because it will help us to become regenerate.

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How? By consistently putting the gratification of our selfish desires for variety, "fun," and license behind our desire to follow the Lord's path, we rightly order our loves so that they mirror heaven. In the beginning, love makes the marriage, but then the marriage will make the love. Unlike the typical homosexual relation or that of "open marriage," being committed in full fidelity to loving one person who is truly other than oneself does wonders for our capacity to become increasingly human and reflect the likeness of God (who also loves those who are truly other, that is, finite). In a society geared toward immediate results and instant gratification, this can seem very difficult, if not impossible. Yet with God all things-even order in sexual relations-are possible.

     The second reason that is emphasized in the above passage and in the two that follow is that by keeping our promise to remain married, we prevent "monstrous and destructive ruinations" of society.4 If we keep our part of the marriage covenant faithfully to the end of life in this world, this, too, helps us attain heavenly happiness. How? Again, by consistently putting the needs of other people-in this instance society in general, our local community, or our church community-ahead of the satisfaction of our selfish desires.

Marriage and Civil Society

     Notice that this principle of marriage is a matter of civil law because it descends from rational law and, ultimately, Divine law. In other words, our legal code can and ought to reflect rational and Divine law. Where the Divine law or revelation is silent, we must make use of our prudence and reason carefully from Divine principles in order to apply them to the civil plane of life. But, as we will see, revelation is not silent, but very vocal, when it comes to direct teachings on law and marriage.

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     Toward the end of the chapter on the origin of married love from the marriage of good and truth, Swedenborg relates his experience of a symposium on the origin and potency of married love. Representatives from various European kingdoms gathered in a palace to discuss their views on the matter. Each room in the palace was located under a window. When discussion ended, their written answers were read aloud by an angel.

     We fellow countrymen under our window have decided that the origin of married love is the same as the origin of love for the opposite sex, because it results from it. The difference is only that a love for the opposite sex is unrestricted, uninhibited, liberated, indiscriminate and fickle, while married love is restricted, directed, contained, sure and constant. Married love has therefore been prescribed and established by the prudence of human wisdom, because otherwise there would be no empire, no kingdom, no commonwealth, indeed no society, but people would roam through the fields and forests in bands and troops with licentious and stolen women, and they would flee from place to place to escape bloody slaughter, rape and pillage, by which the whole human race would be wiped out of existence. (CL/ML 107)

     We fellow countrymen in our party looked around for the causes of the origin of married love, and we agreed on two. One of these is the proper upbringing of children, and the other, the clear claim of heirs to their inheritances.

     We selected these two, because they are aimed and directed toward the same objective, this being the public good. This is achieved by these means, because children conceived and born of married love become the proper and true offspring of both parents; and as objects of a parental love that is deepened by their being of legitimate descent, they are raised to become the heirs of all their parents' possessions, both spiritual and natural. Reason sees that the public good is founded on a proper upbringing of children and on the clear claim of heirs to their inheritances.

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     . . . married love has engraved on it the salvation of the whole human race, which is what we mean by the public good. (CL/ML 109)

     This narrative account ends with an African entering and, after he has correctly identified the origin and potency of married love as God, the prize (a gold miter) is awarded to him (CL/ML 113-14).5

     The reasons presented here for encouraging and supporting marriage throughout life on this earth are not lofty ones. Yet these pragmatic considerations ought to make the civil and moral maintenance of marriage clear to people who do not have a belief in Divine law. Clearly these passages are suggesting that it is the wild, unrestrained behavior of men and the chaotic consequences for women and children that lead to the destruction of society and bring an end to civilization. People with common sense can see that divorce apart from adultery undermines society and the public good. Frankly, it is in the nation's interest to support heterosexual monogamy and fidelity.

What the Social Scientists are Saying

     It is only now, at the beginning of the 21st century, that social scientists are realizing the damaging psychological, economic, educational, and social consequences of the "divorce and sexual revolution" of the 20th century in the West. It turns out that children really do need a mom and a dad. Research shows that children from heterosexual married two-parent households do better academically, financially, emotionally, and behaviorally than children from "alternative" families.6 In addition to these positive outcomes, "they also experience much lower rates of many social pathologies, including: premarital childbearing, illicit drug use, arrest, health problems, poverty," and expulsion from school.7 These benefits are then passed on to future generations as well, because children raised by married moms and dads are themselves less likely to cohabit or to divorce as adults (Ibid).

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     But what about homosexual "couples" and "families"? Do they provide the same kind of stability and social benefits that heterosexual marriages do? Consider this statement from Thomas E. Schmidt:

     As homosexuality enters the media mainstream, homosexual activities are carefully portrayed as parallel in every respect to heterosexual sex except for the incidental difference of the sex partners. . . . homosexual couples are portrayed as highly attractive people who enjoy stable relationships. But the camera always cuts away, or the page turns, before any display of affection goes beyond a brief kiss or caress. . . . On closer inspection, though, what we observe in homosexual practice is altogether different than heterosexual practice in at least three respects.8

     Schmidt then discusses these three differences: frequency of sex outside of long-term relationships, sexual techniques, and alcohol and drug use. It is the first difference that we will examine.

     Let's look at the evidence. According to Schmidt, in one study only 10% of the male subjects and 28% of the female subjects (all homosexual) were found to be cohabiting in a stable relationship.9 This same study found that 74% of male homosexuals reported having more than one hundred partners during their lifetime and 41% more than five hundred partners. A second study found that 50% of homosexual men over the age of thirty experienced no relationships that lasted more than one year.10 Another large survey reports that only 7% of male homosexuals had been in a relationship that had lasted more than ten years; 55% had never been in a relationship that lasted more than two years." A fourth study compared instances of "cheating" in the previous year among different groups and found that among "close-coupled" homosexual males, 79% reported at least one instance of cheating, as compared to 19% among homosexual women, 10% among married heterosexuals and 23% among cohabiting heterosexuals.12

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Schmidt draws the logical conclusion: "Promiscuity among homosexual men is not a mere stereotype, and it is not merely the majority experience-it is virtually the only experience."13

     The latest research confirms this conclusion:

     -     In their study of the sexual profiles of 2,583 older homosexuals published in the Journal of Sex Research [1997], Paul Van de Ven et al. found that "the modal range for number of sexual partners ever was 101-500."

     -     This same study found that only 2.7 percent of older homosexuals had only one sexual partner in their lifetime.

     -     A study published in the journal AIDS in 2003 found that among homosexual men in the Netherlands, the 'rate at which men with a steady partner acquire casual partners' averaged eight per year.

     -     A survey conducted by the homosexual magazine Genre found that 24 percent of the respondents said they had had more than 100 sexual partners in their lifetime.

     -     A study of sexually transmitted disease among lesbians reviewed in The Washington Blade [a homosexual newspaper] notes: 'Behavioral research also demonstrates that a woman's sexual identity is not an accurate predictor of behavior, with a large proportion of lesbian women reporting sex with (often high risk) men.'

     -     The same study found that the median number of lifetime male sexual partners was significantly greater for women who have sex with women than controls (twelve partners versus six). Women who have sex with women were significantly more likely to report more than 50 lifetime male sexual partners.'14

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     While the passage above (CL/ML 107) describes a love for the opposite sex as uninhibited, indiscriminate, and fickle, these same descriptors obviously apply to homosexuals and bisexuals as well. This sort of "love" is more accurately described by the now old-fashioned word "lust."

     The figures on homosexual promiscuity stand in stark contrast to the statistics regarding sexual fidelity in heterosexual marriage. They vary with the study or survey, but between 75 and 88 percent of husbands and wives have never had sexual relations outside of marriage.15 While there is room for improvement, it is clear from the social science research that heterosexual monogamy provides a better environment for raising well-adjusted productive citizens. And this does not even take into account the correlation between homosexual behavior and the increased incidence of disease, drug and alcohol abuse, and pedophilia.16

Am I My Brother's Keeper? Marriage and Law

     How should we respond to this promiscuous behavior? One way is to redefine marriage and cultural events such as Valentine's Day to include homosexuals and confer economic benefits, new civil rights, and social praise upon these "couples" in the hope that they will "settle down." Some might claim that what they do is none of our business, that we should "live and let live." Another way to respond is to do a better job of educating young men and women about the most orderly ways to prepare themselves to experience true married love in a satisfying monogamous heterosexual marriage.

     As we have seen from the passages above, there is no theological support for the first alternative and quite a bit for the second. Based upon the findings of the social sciences, there is also no empirical support for the first alternative and plenty for the second.17 Moreover, assuming that the status of divorce law in the U.S. does not change with the recognition of "gay marriage" in some states, we have no empirical reason to suppose that rates of homosexual cheating (and thus "divorce") will be reduced.

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     Let us turn to some teachings from the Writings on marriage and law. Here is the first one:

     Before the celebration of the wedding, a marriage covenant should be established in the presence of witnesses. A marriage covenant ought to be established before the wedding is celebrated in order that the requirements and ordinances of true married love may be acknowledged and a remembrance of them be retained after the wedding. Such a covenant also serves as a bond, obligating the couple's minds to an honorable marriage. For after some initial tastes of marriage their former state preceding betrothal recurs at times, and in that state their memory fails and they begin to forget the covenant they entered into. Indeed, enticements by unchaste people to unchaste desires cause them to forget it altogether, and if it is then called to mind, they curse it. To deter such transgressions, however, society itself has taken under its jurisdiction to protect that covenant, and has set penalties for those who break it.

     In sum, a prenuptial covenant makes plain the requirements of true married love, establishes these, and binds libertines to complying with them.

     In addition, such a covenant establishes the legitimacy of any children they produce, and legally secures for the children a right to inherit their parents' possessions. (CL/ML 307)

     Teachings such as this are not only filled with beautiful ideals set before humanity so that we have something uplifting to strive for, but also contain accurate observations and practical considerations. As with other aspects of human behavior, the Lord is "realistic" when it comes to marriage and sexuality. He is telling us that people are tempted to break their marriage promise and they go through states in which they regret having entered into that sacred covenant. So He advises us to deter transgressions against marriage through social and legal penalties and protections.

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Doing this is especially important for the protection and nurturing of children, upon whose welfare the future of a society rests. He does not specify the exact legal means for protecting the marriage and family covenant or the penalties for those who break it. But it is clear that we must use our prudence to find legal and social measures, such as contracts, that will have a positive effect upon human behavior and attitudes. Another passage recommends a combination of penalties that deter and amend bad behavior, and rewards that function as incentives for good behavior (NJHD 312).18

     In order that it may be known again how extraordinary the grossness of this age is, that its wise counselors do not see anything sinful in adultery-I will add the following account: (repeated, with minor changes from AC 2733, HH 385, SE 4405)

     . . . [Swedenborg speaks to a famous commander of an army who, when he had lived in the natural world, regarded adulteries as nothing.] But I was able to say to him that adulteries are unspeakable, even though they appear to people like him . . . to be not so, indeed permissible. Moreover he could know that adulteries are unspeakable from the fact that marriages are the seedbed of the human race, and also the seedbed of the kingdom of heaven, and therefore are not to be violated but held sacred . . . At least he might have known, I said, that to violate marriages is contrary to Divine laws, contrary to the civil laws of all countries, and contrary to the true light of reason, and is thus contrary to universally accepted morality, because it violates both Divine and human order. (CL/ML 481)

     Notice that it is wrong to violate marriage on all three planes of human life: the spiritual, the moral, and the civil. Marriage is not just a private spiritual issue. In opposition to today's relativists and subjectivists, this passage, along with the ones above, asserts that support of monogamous heterosexual marriage is consistent with a universal morality, one that can be seen with the true light of reason.

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Without civil and moral laws to penalize adultery and illegitimacy, and reward fidelity and legitimacy, we encourage the violation of

     Divine and human order. There are many passages in the Heavenly Doctrines which teach this; here are a few:

     All in the entire world are saved who acknowledge God and live according to civil laws of justice as a matter of religion. By civil laws of justice we mean such injunctions as are found in the Ten Commandments, namely, not to commit murder, not to commit adultery, not to steal, and not to bear false witness. These injunctions are civil laws of justice in all countries of the earth, for without them no state would survive. (CL/ML 351)

     All peoples and nations know without immediate revelation, and moreover their laws decree, that man is not to be killed, as also that adultery, theft, and false witness are not to be committed. (AC 8902:17)

     What nation in the wide world is not aware that it is evil to steal, to commit adultery, to kill, and to bear false witness? If men were not aware of this, and if they did not by laws guard against the commission of these evils, it would be all over with them; for without such laws the community, the commonwealth, and the kingdom would perish. . . . (Life 53; AR 529)

     There is not a nation in the whole world which does not know that it is wicked to murder, to commit adultery, to steal, and to bear false witness, and that kingdoms, republics, and every form of organized society, unless these evils were guarded against by laws, would be at an end. (TCR 282)

     The following passage from Heaven and Hell is even more specific:

     Furthermore, the laws of spiritual life, the laws of civil life, and the laws of moral life are set forth in the ten commandments of the Decalogue; in the first three the laws of spiritual life, in the four that follow the laws of civil life, and in the last three the laws of moral life. (HH 531)

     Among the four commandments that follow the first three, is the commandment forbidding adultery and thereby promoting marriage between one man and one woman.

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This, the Writings declare, is supposed to be a law of civil life. Why? There are two major reasons, one "earthly" and the other one "spiritual."

     As this set of passages makes clear, without such civil laws, society degenerates and eventually fails. It is painful to live in, even to contemplate living in, a nation "so barbarous" that it does not prohibit through the civil law such things as adultery (DP 322). Without civil society, the necessities of life are very difficult to obtain. To put it mildly, daily living becomes very difficult. This is the earthly reason.

     The spiritual reason is that just as the "chastity of marriage makes one with religion," so "the lasciviousness of adultery makes one with naturalism" (AE 981:2). As Swedenborg found through repeated experiences in the spiritual world, people who love adultery scorn the things of religion. Such a person "does not raise his eyes above nature, but turns to it as to a deity that sanctions his lust, the influx of which then moves his spirit" (CL IML 464). In other words, a person justifies his or her actions by making an idol out of nature, an idol that can justify evil behavior. This is strikingly illustrated in a narrative account toward the end of Married Love.

     Once, Swedenborg heard thousands of spirits shouting for the punishment of three priests who had dared to assert that adulterers lack any acknowledgement of God (CL /ML 500). The priests were surrounded by people from "the Christian world" and "not a hundred in a thousand" among them believed adulteries were sins. How did these people justify their adulterous behavior? Sometimes they did it by committing the ad hominem fallacy, saying that clergymen, monks, legislators, and judges have committed adultery too and that they made adultery unlawful just to gain power (CL/ML 500:23).19 But most of the time they supported their actions by invoking naturalism, saying that marriage love is just sexual love, like the kind that exists in birds and animals, so that it is natural and they are free to enjoy unrestrained (promiscuous) love (CL/ML 500:2).

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In fact, "only the simple and religious believe that adulteries are sins. Not so the intelligent, who, like us, view them in the light of nature" (Ibid., emphasis added).

     Indeed, today's debates over homosexuality are infused with naturalism. Several apologists for homosexuality resort to biological research which has discovered the "gay gene." Of course this line of reasoning only works if one accepts the claim that our genetic heredity determines all, or at least our sexual, behavior and is therefore incapable of being regulated by the state, by society, or by individual choice. It should come as no surprise to readers of the Heavenly Doctrines that there is a genetic basis for homosexuality, for this is the case with all evils and inclinations to them. True, individuals have stronger tendencies toward some evils and not others, yet it is clearly and repeatedly taught that we have the freedom to choose what is good and fight against our hereditary inclinations.20 Were this not the case, religion itself would be an absurdity.

     The Heavenly Doctrines make it abundantly clear that if we allow people to engage in whatever form of sexual activity they want and weaken the civil law regarding adultery and heterosexual marriage, we in fact encourage people to live sexually promiscuous lives. The result is that people do not acknowledge God. Instead they have an incentive to acknowledge nature. Light from heaven is shunned by people who indulge in sexual evils. Their aim is to destroy society and instead of a Creator, they acknowledge nature (AC 2747). In the end spirituality is replaced by naturalism (CL/ML 483). By allowing the civil law to be changed so that it undermines heterosexual monogamy, we frustrate one of the major purposes of having civil law in the first place, namely, to help people get to heaven.21 Religion is a human good and the civil law can and should support it.22

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A Call to Action

     I have not canvassed all the reasons for and against marriage and homosexuality,23 nor have I delved into the pros and cons of passing a constitutional amendment as a partial remedy for the challenges we face in the U.S.24 Yet, I hope that I have laid before the reader a number of reasons for sustaining and bolstering heterosexual monogamous marriage through the civil law. Toward this end I invite you to show your love for your spouse, your society, and the Lord by taking action to support true marriage love on the spiritual, moral, and civil planes of life. It is with joy that we contemplate the growing realization that Valentine's Day is a time to celebrate the increasing happiness that true married love can bring to people everywhere. With gladness and gratitude we cooperate with the Lord as He restores that priceless pearl of life, conjugial love, to the people of our planet.

     Endnotes

     1. According to some sources, such as The New Encyclopedia Britannica (15th edition, vol. 12, Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1998, p.242), there was at least one Catholic priest named Valentine who was murdered for his faith by the Roman emperor Claudius II Gothicus. This source also asserts that the modern tradition of sending special greeting cards has no relation to the saint, or saints.

     2. The following passages are from the N. Bruce Rogers translation of Conjugial Love /Married Love. All italicized emphasis in the following quotations has been added by me.

     3. One Christian protest group that has received media coverage marches with signs proclaiming, "God hates fags." When asked by a reporter why they assert this, one member of the group replied that anyone can see from reading the Old Testament that God hates evil people of all kinds. This is yet another reason why we need to spread the good news about an internal sense to the Old Testament and how the portrayal of God in the Old Testament was accommodated to people's state at the time it was written. Unfortunately this misunderstanding of the character of God and His revelation can be used to legitimate violent behavior and hateful attitudes toward people who engage in homosexual acts. Like the angels in heaven, New Church people on earth should be able to defend what is good and true while being motivated by love for the neighbor.

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     4. The Acton translation has "social destructions" and the Gladish translation "social shambles". Of course the same negative social consequences could, and do, occur when the divorcing of a husband is at the good pleasure of a wife. This does not mean that all divorces are unjustified. On the contrary, there are times when divorce (and separation) is justified and the reasons for legitimate divorce are given in the Heavenly Doctrine (CL/ML 255, 339, 468). In keeping with the Lord's words in the New Testament, the main reason for divorce is adultery by the spouse.

     5. Interestingly, while there has been some resistance to ordaining homosexual clergy in the U.S., the most vociferous and strident resistance has come from members of the clergy in Africa. I don't mean to idolize all Africans, for when it comes to sex and marriage they-like human beings the world over-face their own challenges. However, some well-known African leaders are crystal clear about the incompatibility of homosexuality and Christianity.

     6. For a summary of the research on the harmful consequences of the divorce and sexual revolution in the U.S. and why heterosexual monogamy is important for the long-term health of society, see Why Marriage Matters: Twenty-One Conclusions from the Social Sciences (New York: Institute for American Values, 2002) and Hardwired to Connect: The New Scientific Case for Authoritative Communities (New York: Institute for American Values, 2003).

     7. Getting It Straight: What the Research Shows about Homosexuality, by Peter Sprigg and Timothy Dailey, co-editors, (Washington D.C.: Family Research Council, 2004), p. 118. Using only social science research (no theology or philosophy), this book dispels the following six "myths" or misconceptions: people are born gay, ten percent of the population is gay, homosexuals are seriously disadvantaged by discrimination, homosexuality is harmless, children raised by homosexuals suffer no harm, homosexuals are no more likely to molest children than heterosexuals are. In other words, all these oft-repeated assertions are false.

     8. Thomas E. Schmidt, Straight & Narrow? Compassion and Clarity in the Homosexuality Debate. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Pr., 1995), p. 105.

     9. Schmidt, p. 106.

     10. Ibid.

     11. Ibid.

     12. Ibid., pp. 107-108.

     13. Ibid., p. 108.

     14. Sprigg and Dailey, pp. 84, 103-04. Despite the promiscuity of homosexuals, the percentage of the population that is homosexually active in a given year is quite small, three to two percent for males and less than two percent for females. See Stanton L. Jones and Mark A. Yarhouse, Homosexuality:

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The Use of Scientific Research in the Church's Moral Debate (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Pr., 2000), p. 46.

     15. Sprigg and Dailey, p. 105.

     16. Sprigg and Dailey, pp. 69-93, 109-132. As the co-editors of this book note, what is called "male intergenerational intimacy" in the homosexual literature, is actually pedophilia (pp. 128, 136-9).

     17. See the sources cited in endnotes six and seven above.

     18. This passage in New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine does not specify the penalties or rewards. It is up to each nation to apply this principle to its own citizens through prudential means.

     19. This same type of reasoning can be found in today's society too: "The leaders of the churches and our politicians can't live up to this standard, so let's lower the standard."

     20. In their chapter "Can Homosexuality Be Changed?" Jones and Yarhouse summarize their findings this way: "The research on change of sexual orientation is intensely debated today. Most of the research was conducted and published between the 1950s and the 1970s, with an average positive outcome of approximately 30%." "Definitions of 'positive outcome' vary across studies." "There are a number of methodological limitations to the early studies published on change, including small sample sizes, the reliance on self-report and therapist-report of change, and lack of control groups." "Research on change of orientation is not formally relevant to the moral debate in the church, as the church's moral concern is not with changing experiences of same-sex attraction but with how a person chooses to express those inclinations across relationships." (Homosexuality: The Use of Scientific Research in the Church's Moral Debate, pp. 150-51).

     21. See "Toward a New Church Philosophy of Law" by Eli A. Echols, unpublished manuscript, April 2003, p.18 where he refers to HH 358 and TCR 74:3. For a doctrinal study of how the civil law and government of a nation can effect its people's spiritual condition, see "The Life of Justice" by Rev. Daniel W. Goodenough, Jr. (New Church Life, July and August, 1968), pp. 334-52, 370-77.

     22. By "religion" here I refer to the "church universal" or religion in its generic form as a heartfelt acknowledgement of God and a life according to the Ten Commandments, not just the New Church.

     23. For additional discussion of the arguments surrounding homosexuality and marriage, see The Broken Hearth by William J. Bennett (New York: Doubleday, 2001) and several books by Christopher Wolfe, especially Same Sex Matters: The Challenge of Homosexuality (Dallas: Spence Publishing Co., 2000). The chapter by philosopher Michael Pakaluk, "Homosexuality and the Principle of Nondiscrimination" is cogently written. This chapter can also be found as an on-line article: "'Gay Rights' Is Not a Civil Rights Cause" at http://www.newoxfordreview.org/aprOl/michaelpakaluk.html

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     24. I have not considered addressing the legal status of marriage by amending state constitutions, nor have I said much about the use of the civil law as only one means of changing people's minds and behavior regarding the sanctity of heterosexual monogamy. There are moral, rational, and religious means that should be used to ensure that a culture in general supports laws regarding marriage. Based upon the polls I have read, sixty to sixty-five percent of Americans are opposed to redefining marriage to include homosexuals.
TOOLS 4 LIFE CAMP 2004 2004

TOOLS 4 LIFE CAMP 2004              2004

     Tools 4 Life will be held July 18-24, 2004 in Bryn Athyn, PA. It is open to all rising high school juniors and seniors.

     What do you need to succeed after high school? Do you know where you're going? Do you have a plan?

     Tools 4 Life is a camp dedicated to helping you find direction. We provide the experiences and you do the learning. Tools 4 Life focuses on:

     -     College               - Careers

     -     Relationships          - Teamwork

     -     Leadership               - Spiritual growth

     -     Community service          - Communication

     -     And much more...

     Interested in attending Tools 4 life 2004 on July 18-24? Would you like to contribute to Tools and enhance the experience for high school juniors and seniors? For all inquiries, please refer to the contact information below:

     -     Lindy Bochneak: 215-947-6225 x206

     -     Susan Asplundh: 215-938-2623

     -     Joanne Kiel: 215-914-4931

     For more information visit www.tools4life.org

     Susan L. Asplundh

     Director of Special Events Academy of the New Church

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HOW SHALL WE THINK OF JESUS? 2004

HOW SHALL WE THINK OF JESUS?       Rev. DAN GOODENOUGH       2004

     The Mel Gibson Movie, The Passion of the Christ, is getting high publicity these days, and with the Easter season not far away, many people are thinking about seeing it.

     Let me share why I think I probably will not see it. I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as God-Man, the incarnation of the "I AM." Jesus is the Word of God in human flesh. I don't see Him as the Person whose sacrificial crucifixion as God's Son somehow persuaded His Father to allow human beings to be saved, and whose physical blood bought our salvation.

     I believe His real blood is the Divine truth by which He overpowered the forces of hell, through the strength of His boundless love-on the cross He said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." His real struggles were less centered on bodily torture (ghastly as that was) than on the cosmic issue of whether the human race could be lifted to eternal peace; and on His own inner despair from feeling remote from the Father, which was His own soul of love inside Him.

     So as I think of His life on earth I try to develop in my mind a picture of a Divine Human Person, who indeed suffered horribly, but who also triumphed as Champion of Truth and Love. And the image I seek as my dominant picture is Jesus as Teacher, Shepherd, Healer, both Leader and Servant of people. I do not want my primary thought to be Jesus the Sufferer-even though at Easter I will remember the details of His final temptations and victory over hell, which restored human freedom to every one of us. Of my many mental images of Jesus, my favorite is as a shepherd with outstretched hands; very early Christians painted it in the Roman catacombs.

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     By all reports the Gibson movie is highly faithful to Gospel accounts, and this has led to charges of anti-Semitism. It may be no more anti-Semitic than the Gospel of Matthew.

     On the other hand, from all reports, the theology in this film clearly suggests that the true importance of Jesus lies in His role as a man, in His suffering and dying. Such a portrayal of Jesus as the suffering and sacrificial atonement is consistent with many traditional pictures of Jesus. But it puts in shadow His primary mission of showing goodness and love in His living; His overcoming evil in His own temptations; and becoming completely one with the Father (See TCR 132). So personally I don't want to have highly graphic images of His bloody suffering as the core of my picture of my Divine Human Lord.

     The Gospels talk as much about Jesus' resurrection as they describe His passion. The earliest Christians worshiped Jesus as Teacher and risen Lord, not primarily for His death. I've heard the Gibson movie's only gesture towards the resurrection is a concluding shot of the empty tomb.

     The movie I wish I could see (besides one about Jesus' teaching, His loving and His working miracles) is about my Lord risen from the dead, speaking to Mary Magdalene, the Apostles, and talking to Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24).

     If Jesus Christ were not God-Man whom I worship, this movie would not be much of an issue for me. And I admit that a compelling reason to see it may come up-such as the need to discuss the movie in detail with others. Still, as a believer in the risen Jesus Christ as the one God of heaven and earth, I seek His face in all the pictures and events described in the Gospels, not primarily during the week on earth when, at His lowest, He suffered the severest attacks.

     This Easter season I will once again think with sorrow about Jesus' final suffering.

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But my principal worship will be for His resurrection, His defeat of evil through love, and the living power He then took on to raise people to Himself, if they will follow Him.
APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TOTHE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCHGIRLS SCHOOL AND BOYS SCHOOL 2004

APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TOTHE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCHGIRLS SCHOOL AND BOYS SCHOOL              2004

     At the Academy of the New Church Secondary Schools, we prepare our students for a good and useful life. As an educational arm of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, we lead students through a rigorous academic curriculum so that they may find meaning, fulfillment, and happiness.

     If you have not received a recruiting package and would like one, please contact the School Secretary at 215-938-2556. Requests for application should be made by March 1, 2004. Letters should be addressed to Mrs. Margaret Gladish, Principal of the Girls School, or Mr. R. Scott Daum, 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 dormitory student. We should receive completed application forms by April 15, 2004.

     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, 2004. 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 the following: Application, Transcript, Pastor's Recommendation, Agreement Form, and Health Forms.

     The Academy will not discriminate against applicants and students on the basis of race, color, gender, and national or ethnic origin.

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REVIEW 2004

REVIEW       Jessie P. Rose       2004

     Take a Deep Breath, by David R. Simons

     "How does the Lord love everybody all the time?" "I'm not sure I'd like heaven, with life going on and on and on." "Why did the Lord ride into Jerusalem on a donkey?-it should have been a horse." "The Lord loved one of the disciples best. Isn't that unfair?" "Why didn't the Lord leave His body in the sepulcher?" "Why won't the Lord just tell me my future?" If children around you look for religious answers, you may enjoy Rev. David Simons' new children's book Take a Deep Breath. By using examples from childhood (his own, his childrens', everyone's), Rev. Simons makes connections between doctrinal concepts and a child's everyday world.

     For example, while reading about Mr. Simons' own fun with fishing, we learn how our minds delight in catching knowledges. He tells us he once caught a shark as big as he was, and points out that not all knowledges are good for us! With warmth and energy, he addresses topics such as Divine Love, choice, use, conscience, freedom, generosity, talent, and time. About half of the stories deal with religious celebrations, such as Easter, Christmas, and New Church Day, providing adults with material to draw on at those times.

     Rev. Simons also offers inspiring messages. From the chapter on heaven's happiness:

Angels wake up every morning thinking, "What is there that I can do today? How can I do it better?" And they are eager to get started. There is an urgency, a desire for excellence, that adds zest to what they do. This is nothing like the competitive striving to outdo others that we so often feel in this world. That kind of selfishness has been purified. When an angel is thanked for what he has done, the reply might be, "Why else do we live?"

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     The book's easy appeal makes it attractive to a wide range of ages, but it may be most enjoyed as a collateral companion in preteens' worship and Word studies. In this way, Take a Deep Breath acts as a welcome bridge from a young child's need for sense exploration to an older child's early reasoning. Its quality may remind readers of Freya H. Fitzpatrick's bracing Swedenborg Gets to the Heart of the Matter, Rev. Andrew Dibb's adventurous Brad, Minh, and Michael series, and Rev. Frederick Schnarr's important The Story of Revelation.

     Jessie P. Rose
NUNC LICET 2004

NUNC LICET              2004

     BRYN ATHYN COLLEGE OF THE NEW CHURCH

     Applications for fall 2004 are being accepted. You may apply online at www.newchurch.edu or call the admissions office at

     215-938-2511.

     Bryn Athyn College-An Education that Changes Lives!

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Editorial Pages 2004

Editorial Pages              2004

     FARMER'S ALMANAC AND APPLESEED

     Benjamin Franklin started his Poor Richard's Almanac in 1732. And so the Farmer's Almanac, being inspired by that former almanac, likes to call this its 272nd anniversary. It is known for its weather forecasts and facts about eclipses and holidays and calendars.

     This year there are a few pages devoted to Johnny Appleseed including some apple recipes. Johnny, we read, "embraced the Swedenborgian faith of Christianity. An important tenet of this faith is that religion touches all areas of life. For Swedenborgians, religion permeates the daily life of people. Johnny's religious sentiments had an important impact on his life's work." Later we read that Johnny "religiously visited the cabins of settlers to preach good news right fresh from Heaven."

     William Ellery Jones is a leading expert on Johnny Appleseed. He revised the book A Voice in the Wilderness. This year he is arranging the opening in Ohio of the Johnny Appleseed Heritage Center and Outdoor Historical Drama. It will offer programs combining conservation, recreation and education. It is located within 118 acres owned by Ohio's Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District. The center is expected to host thousands of visitors each year.

     June 26 is the scheduled opening of the drama. Read about this in the Spring issue of Logos published by the Swedenborg Foundation.

     ANOTHER ANGLE ON

     THE WORD "CONJUGIAL"

     Your attention is called to an article in the current edition of The New Philosophy. (See Vol. CVI. Nos. 3 & 4, page 529). It is in the "Translator's Corner."

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     In 1995 there was a new translation of the book about love and marriage. The translator was Rev. N. Bruce Rogers. Rev. Alfred Acton, head of the translation committee, wrote: "From the first translation to the present one of this work, translators have debated the proper translation of the archaic Latin word conjugialis." (See NCL 1995 page 109). He pointed out that some of the discussion that has gone on for more than a century has appeared in the pages of New Church Life. So it has! It is interesting to look at the discussions that have continued with interesting observations made by fond readers as well as by learned scholars.

     It was the late Durban Odhner who made the point that the word conjugalis is related to the word for "spouse," whereas the word conjugialis was related to the word for "marriage." Rev. Dr. George Dole took an interest in this point some years ago. Now he is "inclined to suspect that Durban got it right." The reason for this affirmation is explained with examples in four pages of The New Philosophy to which your attention is invited.

     You will note that as Dr. Dole translates this work, a phrase in which he sees merit is "the love of marriage."

     SUNDAY MAGAZINE SPEAKS OF MARRIAGE AFTER DEATH

     Parade magazine is mailed out with many Sunday newspapers in the United States. Its circulation must be immense. The February 8th edition has a cover story by Mitch Albom about the belief that one will meet one's married partner after death.

     Mr. Albom says, "I have spoken with a great many people who say they have known the one true love of their lives, and the lesson is always the same; Life has to end; love does not." He says that the heart "has room to love those in this world and those who have left it."

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He quotes a widow: "We'll meet again. I believe that day is coming."

     One recalls the beautiful saying: "Because the two are not actually separated by the death of one; for the spirit of the deceased continues to dwell with the spirit of the one not yet deceased, and this until the death of the other, at which time they come together again and are reunited, loving each other even more tenderly than before, because they are in the spiritual world" (CL 321).

     A CHAPTER ON SWEDENBORG

     IN A POPULAR BOOK

     Dan Millman has written several books, notably, The Peaceful Warrior. Mr. Millman was invited to address a men's gathering in Bryn Athyn in January. I learned from him that his book Divine Interventions has a chapter on Swedenborg. Now I have obtained the book and notice that it is the third chapter. It is entitled "Mysteries of Heaven and Hell," and the subtitle is "Science's Magnificent Mystic."

     We have here six and a half positive pages. To quote: "For many of us, the word 'mystic' conjures up images of impractical, otherworldly souls with their heads in the clouds and their feet God-knows-where. But the early life of Emanuel Swedenborg reveals an eminently rational man . . . a scientific genius."

     The chapter goes on to say that Swedenborg's whole life before his call was one of "supreme ability and sanity. And the quality of his accomplishments and writings that followed also judge the matter in his favor."

     "He swore that the angels in Heaven revealed these truths to him." "His sole purpose was to spread spiritual truth to as many souls as possible, as he had been assigned by Heaven."

     The chapter ends with Swedenborg's saying before his death, "As true as you see me before your eyes, so true is everything that I have written."

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www.NewChurchVineyard.org 2004

www.NewChurchVineyard.org              2004


          

     Announcements





     
     An on-line family magazine from the G. C. Office of Education featuring materials for all ages focused on a new theme every month.

     Children in Heaven in March 2004

     Having Faith in the Risen Lord in April 2004

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Looking for the right thing to say? 2004

Looking for the right thing to say?              2004

Can't find a card that is appropriate for the occasion?

     We can help...

     GENERAL CHURCH BOOK CENTER

     CAIRNCREST ANNEX & CATHEDRAL

     [email protected] - 215.914.4920 - WWW.NEWCHURCH.ORG/BOOKSTORE

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NEW FULL-TIME POSITION FROM SUMMER 2004THE MANAGER OF THE SWEDENBORG OPENLEARNING CENTRE, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND 2004

NEW FULL-TIME POSITION FROM SUMMER 2004THE MANAGER OF THE SWEDENBORG OPENLEARNING CENTRE, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND              2004

     The Swedenborg Open Learning Centre ("SOLCe") is formally to open in June. This new vision for the work of the British New Church College follows upon the successful change over some years from residential training for a few to "Open Learning" for many-see www.swedenborg-openlearning.org.uk. Development of modules, their delivery, and student support will continue to be the responsibility of the Director of the Centre-Rev John Presland, a Minister of the General Conference of the New Church-and his team.

The Manager

     The holder of this new post will be responsible for the overall management of the non-academic work of SOLCe. This will involve liaison with the Director and his team, and with students, and responsibility for support staff, for the building and for the control of the budget.

     We are looking for someone who either has experience of, or a willingness to develop, appropriate skills in administration, computing and personnel management. The working week will be 40 hours, normally during office hours but there will be the occasional need to work evenings and weekends. The salary offered is between L14,000 and L18,000 ($26,600-$34,200 at $1.90 / L1), dependent on skills and experience. A three-year initial contract is envisaged.

How Do I Find out more about the Position or Apply?

     Contact David Haseler, the Secretary of the New Church College, who will be pleased to discuss the position with you. A detailed job description can be obtained from him. Letters of application and Curriculum Vitae should be sent to David at:

     44 Michael Court               Tel: 0044-121 440 8070
     Bristol Road               e-mail: [email protected]
     Birmingham B5 7TS
     England

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What is the secret of the Unicorn? 2004

What is the secret of the Unicorn?              2004

     by Carl & Patricia Odhner     

     "It was discovered on a fragment of text in a hidden temple overgrown with vines, in the world's deepest jungle. The answer, forgotten for centuries, lies in this rhyme:     

     Love without Truth is defenseless and blind.      
     Truth without Love is severe and unkind.     
     And yet when the Two into One are combined,      
     A power more vital you never will find"     

     A fanciful story that inspires the reader to use the power of Truth to guide them on their life's quest.     

     ISBN:0-974-3353-0-4, 16 pages, 5.5 x 5.5, color, includes treasure box & unicorn horn necklace, hb, $19.95, 2003.


     Faith and Learning at Bryn Athyn College

     Edited by Dan A. Synnestvedt

     Drawing on the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, college faculty members of Bryn Athyn College of the New Church show how trust and confidence in divine revelation enlivens and deepens the study of the liberal arts. With articles on fields as diverse as philosophy and physics, composition and chemistry, art history and geomorphology, the reader experiences the breadth of learning available to a student at the college and the range of subjects touched by the new Christian faith. Faith and Learning at Bryn Athyn College shows how the new Christian theology changes our perspective on academic endeavors. At the same time, the spiritual aspect of the pursuit of truth knits the essays together as each professor writes about the ways that his or her specialty can both serve and reflect the Divine. Faith and reason can work together harmoniously, drawing on insights from both Athens and Jerusalem. The faculty at Bryn Athyn College continue to build a coherent foundation for future scholarship and a unique learning experience for its students.

     ISBN 0-910557-27-6, 298 pages, 6 x 9, color plates, dust jacket, indexed, hb, $24.95, 2004.

     GENERAL CHURCH BOOK CENTER - 215.914.4920 - [email protected]
Notes on This Issue 2004

Notes on This Issue              2004


New Church Life
     Rev. Dr. Andrew Dibb provides the sermon this month, entitled "The Lord Foretells His Passion." We published last month some thoughts from Rev. Dan Goodenough about the film on the Lord's Passion, and we have some further material from him in our editorial pages. On the subject of that film we would mention a fine article by Rev. Kenneth Alden which appeared in the March-April issue of The New Church Voice of Florida. He recommends reading from the Gospels before and after seeing the film (if you choose to see it). "If you start your reading at Matthew 26:36, Mark 14:32, Luke 22:39 and John 18:1, and read to the end of each gospel you should find the story line that is covered in the film. This amounts to 16 to 20 pages."

     Speaking of society news letters, the Park News of Glenview, Illinois, kindly sent us the presentation by Ellen In. Her statement serves as an inspiration for many.

     And speaking of inspiration, think of yourself in Japan. It is so early in the morning, that the stars are shining in the sky above. Tatsuya Nagashima rises to apply himself to a task which he regards as sacred. His article provides a rare insight.

     People will be talking about the thoughtful article in this issue by Mr. Hyatt who teaches at the Academy of the New Church. This is an example of a fine article that has been held for some time until there was space to print the whole thing in one issue. The same holds true for the welcome presentation by Mr. Carl Gunther.

     To her review of Faith and Learning Mrs. Vera P. Glenn adds a note on a published lecture series, New Reflections from Academia.

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LORD FORETELLS HIS PASSION 2004

LORD FORETELLS HIS PASSION       Rev. ANDREW M.T. DIBB       2004

     "From that time forth Jesus began to show to His disciples how he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up again on the third day" (Matthew 16:21).

     As the Gospel of Matthew unfolds, it becomes clear that the Lord met increasing hostility from the religious leaders of the time. The Pharisees and Saducees at the beginning of His ministry noted that "He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes" (Matthew 7:29), and grew increasingly concerned. This man, Jesus, a Nazarene, flouted the laws and conventions of His day-gathering huge crowds around Himself in the process. His closest followers were, in their eyes, ruffians, fishermen and tax-collectors who joined Jesus in eating with publicans and sinners. Their pressure on Him mounted, driven by the sight of multitudes following Him, touching Him and being healed, hanging on every word He spoke. Their irritation grew each time they debated with Him, for He had a habit of pointing out their weaknesses. Increasingly they gathered into groups to decide what to do with Him. Perhaps they could trip Him up and make Him condemn Himself. If that did not work, then something else would.

     The Lord, of course, knew about this hostility. It did not deter Him from His work. He walked the land, preaching to the multitudes, healing the sick-performing the work of redemption in sight of a few in order that the whole human race could be saved. He knew that His time in this world was drawing to a close-this was not a thought that would have worried Him, for His kingdom is not of this world. He understood that His birth, life and death were for a purpose.

     Before He was ready to put the physical aside, however, He had to make sure His disciples knew exactly who He was and what His mission in life had been-for they would become the bearers of the Good News to future generations.

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Through them the Lord would fix the story of His being firmly in the minds of this world.

     So it was, one day that as the Lord and His disciples walked along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, near the town of Caesaria-Philippi that He asked His disciples a question: "Who do people say that I, the Son of Man, am?" His life would have been pointless if people had not known who He was. The answer shows how we can look through blinders until eventually we are blinded. The ancient Jews could not, would not, consider that the prophecies of old times would be fulfilled, that Jehovah would actually "bow the heavens and come down" (Psalm 18:9), for they believed that God was invisible and would always remain so.

     Changing peoples' beliefs is one of the most difficult things to do. The Lord had to be very careful. His disciples were simple men, the intrigues of theology rightly belonged to the Priest, not to them. So the Lord led them gently. "Whom do you say that I am?" And Simon Peter, answered with the greatest of insights: "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." "The Christ" means the anointed one, the one chosen of God. The recognition of this fact is the first step to understanding truly who this man was. In time people would come to see that He is the visible God, for as He said, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30), and to Philip, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).

     Once the disciples began to realise who the Lord truly was, they could begin to understand His work in this world. The Lord began to prepare them for the things to come. So it was that,

From this time forth Jesus began to show to His disciples how he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up again the third day.

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     The disciples, in their simplicity, would only see the things happening to the Lord's body. The time was not far off when His words would come true-they had seen too many miracles, heard too many truths from Him to doubt that. As the Son of the Living God, He would be the supreme martyr for the people. It is only with the revelation to the New Church, centuries later, that the Lord has been able to show what really happened at that time.

     The Man they saw in front of them, whom people thought was John the Baptist, or Elijah, or Jeremiah, and whom they thought was the Christ, the Son of the Living God, was in fact Jehovah God, come down in Human form, in order to redeem and save all people (TCR 82). He had taken on the Human form from Mary because the people had removed themselves so far from the Divine, that contact was all but lost. The attitudes and actions of the Priests, Scribes and Pharisees is an example of who people at that time had twisted religion beyond recognition.

     By coming to earth as a man, the Lord could get close to people, walking among them, healing and preaching to them, setting to rights things that were wrong. The greatest act of ordering this world, however, lies in His words that He would be taken to Jerusalem, to suffer, be killed and raised again on the third day. That statement holds the key to understanding not only Who the Lord is, but why He came into this world in the first place.

     The Lord came into this world to do three things: Firstly to subdue the hells, secondly to glorify His Human, and finally to save the Human race (TCR 2).

     These three things together form the act of Redemption, or to put it another way, by doing these things the Lord rescued people from the clutches of hell, gave them spiritual freedom and showed them a path of life to follow if they choose salvation.

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     He could only do this by taking on a human form. In Providence, the Lord was born as each of us is born, grew up, learned the same skills we learn and became a man. During His developmental years, He became increasingly aware of the Divine within, His soul that was the source of His power to heal and His inspiration to preach. Outwardly He looked as we do. Inwardly His mind was like ours, but steadily becoming more and more receptive of the Divine. Eventually it would become fully receptive, and the man Jesus would become a Divine Human Being-God visible in the Lord.

     As He spoke to His disciples He was not yet at this point. He still had to suffer many things, be crucified and rise again on the third day. We may find ourselves asking why He had to go through these things. Surely He could have saved people by simply appearing to them? The answer is that certainly He could have done this, but it would have forever removed our human freedom to believe or not believe. It would have undermined His creative purpose of a people who choose to love Him from their own free will. So He took a different, perhaps more difficult route.

     At the time of the Lord's birth, people had lost touch with true spirituality, their minds were influenced by hell. They were callous and cruel, making a mockery of goodness and justice. Anyone who showed them up was in danger for their lives, on a physical level by those who has stoned the prophets and beheaded John the Baptist, and on the spiritual level by the force of hell controlling peoples thoughts and actions. True spiritual freedom was in danger of being irrevocably lost.

     By taking on a human form, the Lord put Himself onto the plane of the body, where He could suffer. He also, however, took on a human mind, just like ours, open to the influences of hell, so that like us He could be tempted away from goodness and innocence. At first it was only His soul that was Divine; the rest of Him was like anyone else, able to be approached by evil, to be tempted-as we saw Him tempted in the wilderness.

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     The Lord had our human character, but He never gave into it. As the hells tempted Him, He faced their onslaught. Evil spirit by evil spirit, hell by hell He conquered them, putting them into order, until eventually He controlled hell. Like criminals in prison He keeps them in order, preventing them from doing their worst. People on earth would be set free from this hellish influence if they so wished, and once again light and truth would penetrate people minds to lift them up from darkness to light.

     Heaven could not have affected people unless the Lord became a human being. At the time of His birth the love and wisdom of heaven could not penetrate the dark cloud of evil and falsity from hell and bring light to the world. But as the Lord talked and healed people, so He created platforms in their minds that could receive this light, and it became possible for angels once again to affect people.

     The hells were able to draw near to the Lord because of the human He took on from Mary. Each approach was a battle, a temptation, yet the Lord never gave in. At the time we read of Him at Caesaria Phillipi, the battle was not yet over. His worst temptations were yet ahead of Him-He would have to put off fully the things taken on in this world, in order to fully bring hell into order and completely open communication with heaven. This was the supreme act of love, for only in this way would people be free.

     So He prepared His disciples. He would go to Jerusalem, suffer things and be killed. The last of His temptations loomed before Him. Yet from His increasing awareness of His Divine soul, He knew that His love for people was so great, His desire to bring them into His kingdom so powerful, that He would be victorious. And so He promised, He would "be raised again on the third day."

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     As we prepare for Easter, it would help us to remember how the Lord prepared the disciples well in advance. We need to remember that as an event the Lord's crucifixion and resurrection happened a long time ago. It also happens daily in our lives. The Lord calls us to take up our crosses and follow Him, He reminds us that the greatest love is to lay down our lives for our friends. He promises us the victory of peace if we do so.

     In preparation for Easter, then, search your heart for the willingness to follow the Lord's footsteps. As we identify the hells influencing us, and drawing from the strength of the Lord, as He drew strength from His inner divine soul, we are able to overcome as He overcame. It is in letting go of the habits, attitudes and actions that make it possible for us to be regenerated.

     The Lord assured His disciples that in spite of all He would have to suffer, especially death, He would be raised again on the third day. He promises us no less. Easter is an act of faith in the Lord, of confidence that He keeps His word. Our lives at times may seem hard, but His promise is secure. He will raise us up into the new life of regeneration, and eventually when we leave this world, into the new life of His kingdom.

     Such is the promise of Easter. Amen.

     Lessons: Matt 16:13-28; True Christian Religion 114 TEACHING JOB OPPORTUNITY 2004

TEACHING JOB OPPORTUNITY              2004

     The New Church Preschool in Glenview, Illinois is searching for a part-time teacher for the Junior Preschool program (3's turning 4), for the 2004-2005 school year.

     For more information please contact Rev. Peter Buss, Jr. at 847-724-0120, [email protected] or Roxanne Junge at 847-724-8800, [email protected]. Resumes may be sent to Rev. Peter Buss, Jr, 74 Park Drive, Glenview, IL, 60025. The deadline for applications is April 30th.

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AGGRESSIVE OR PASSIVE?THE ROLE OF YOUNG WOMENBEFORE MARRIAGE 2004

AGGRESSIVE OR PASSIVE?THE ROLE OF YOUNG WOMENBEFORE MARRIAGE       KEIR L. HYATT       2004

"Girls aren't supposed to pursue boys"

     I have spent the last twelve months living in Glenn Hall, the girls' dormitory at the Academy of the New Church. My wife is one of four housemothers directly charged with the care of the girls residing here. In our time here, we have found ourselves in countless discussions with various residents of the dormitory. These conversations have ranged from long to short, from serious to trivial, and from hilarious to tearful.

     To say the least, the past year was a difficult one in the Secondary Schools. Between the deaths of loved ones, national tragedies, and seemingly countless other unimaginable events, we were all forced into situations of emotional intimacy that none of us would have previously anticipated. In these times, my wife and I sought to provide counsel for the girls as they struggled to understand and deal with the unthinkable events that befell them and their loved ones. In doing so, I found that I became very familiar with (and hopefully proficient in applying) the doctrine of Divine Providence, and with the concepts of permission and freedom.

     However, in the past year, the area in which I found myself most frequently at a loss had little to do with the aforementioned earth-shattering events. The one topic on which I consistently had to concede my ignorance was that of conjugial love.

     I found it fascinating to have the opportunity to view the topic through the eyes of adolescent females. I realized that, when it came to issues concerning behavior before marriage, I had previously only appreciated those teachings directly concerning my own gender. I had never truly considered the female side of the topic.

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Acclimating myself to this new perspective actually turned out to be fairly simple (for the most part). In fact, in a conversation towards the end of the year with a male student concerning relationships, I found that I had become so comfortable dealing with the role of the female that I had to remind myself that I was actually now speaking to a boy.

     However, there was one particular doctrine that caused me confusion:

The man ought to court the woman and ask her to marry him, and not the other way around. This is a consequence following his choosing whom to court. Moreover, it is also honorable and seemly for men to court women and ask them to marry them, whereas it would not be seemly for women to do so in reverse. If women were to do the courting and asking, they would not only be censured, but after several times of asking they would also be regarded as contemptible, or after marriage as slaves to lust, with whom it would be impossible to have any domestic relations other than cold and disgusting ones. Marriages would be thus changed into tragic scenes. (CL 297)

     Direct and open communication is the way to go. Honesty is always the best policy. You can't go wrong in a relationship in which you are voicing your needs. These are things that I had always held to be true. It's a general philosophy that certainly seems to work and work very well. So why is it in this case that the woman is supposed to take a passive role, withholding her true thoughts and feelings? Not only that, but the alternative is to be described with phrases like, "contemptible," "slaves to lust," and "cold and disgusting"? That seems to be pretty harsh language.

     I have come to believe that exclusive high school relationships are generally a bad idea. But then again, who am I to talk? My own marriage is, in all reality, a product of a high school relationship (and yes, one of the initiating events of our relationship was her asking me to the Sadie Hawkins dance).

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     Regardless of all this, high school relationships are a reality, and they always will be. And as long as that is true, adolescent girls will be confused about how to deal with adolescent boys.

     So here I was preaching honesty:

     So why don't you just call him up and tell him that?

     Well, we're not supposed to call boys and I already called him once this week.

     What?

     That's what the Writings say, girls aren't supposed to pursue boys.

     I found myself in some version of the above conversation a number of times. In fact, it came up so frequently that I found myself in the offices of ministers inquiring as to specific interpretations of these teachings. How do these teachings apply to modern society? Does this really apply to picking up the phone when you're sixteen years old? From these ministers I received enough of a satisfactory reply that I no longer feared feeling like an ignoramus as teenagers fed me doctrine as a rebuttal to my advice. But I still felt that I had no real ownership of this newly acquired doctrine. It was something that I would eventually forget to some degree or another. It was like a physics formula that you memorize right before the test. You never establish any working understanding of how or why the formula actually works, so, in time, your brain discards it as irrelevant.

     To be honest, if I was the only one struggling with this confusion, I probably would have just moved on by now. I had rationalized it enough in my head that I could live with it and eventually ignore the secret truth that I didn't really get (agree with?) it. Anyway, I was already married, so it didn't really matter to me. It was the girls who pushed me to seek a real understanding. The conviction with which they spoke was incredible to me.

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They weren't messing around; they took this very seriously.

     These girls had been introduced to this concept in their religion classes. They were confused and confounded by these teachings. They felt that they were being instructed to take a passive role in the most important process of their lives. They are supposed to wait idly on the sidelines for their counterparts to take action. This is not a strategy that is easy to embrace when teenage boys tend to show little signs of any such actions, much less any rational behavior at all. The frustration, fear and confusion precipitated by these combined concepts seemed overwhelming.

     Trying to be a "good New Church girl" in modern American society is a miserable task. First, they cannot help but be a product of their environment; and yes, Bryn Athyn is in America-we watch MTV just like everyone else. Secondly, being a "good New Church girl" apparently means waiting patiently and quietly while there are plenty of other girls who are perfectly willing to aggressively approach and pursue boys. How could these boys be expected to look past these advances to see the virtue of the "good New Church girl"? These girls must feel like they're trying to sustain a cotton plantation in the old South without employing slaves-they may have honor and a clear conscience, but they're destined to fail. But this is no simple business venture. Bankruptcy is a preferable alternative to the fears that occupy these young women.

     It seems that the right course is not clearly defined (at least not in my own mind). These girls desperately want to do the right thing. Finding their conjugial partner is a consuming concern. Being left out is the one fear they all share. Their fear can only be countered by confidence. I believe they lack this confidence due, in no small part, to a lack of clarity.

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"Like the difference between understanding and will"

     Part of what is upsetting about this issue is that it seems the Writings are telling us that, solely because of one's gender, we are incapable of (or at least incompetent in) performing certain tasks. It is understandable that we get ourselves up in arms when we are told such things. The source of our resentment at such times lies in a tendency to believe this must mean that there exists some measure of gender inequality. We must remember one of the great truths of the New Church lies in our belief that the sexes are completely different, yet entirely equal: "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 . . . a man is born a form of the intellect, and a woman a form of love" (CL 218). With the right keywords, one can easily find numerous other places where the Writings refer to the differing natures of men and women (CL 33, 66, 159, 161, 175, 184, 187, 209, 296, AC 568, HH 369). These differences complement each other perfectly "like [the] difference between understanding and will, or between thought and affection; so, too, between truth and good and between faith and love . . ." (HH 368). Amazingly, it seems that we sometimes lose sight of this basic doctrine when we try to address gender roles.

     It is clear that not only do these distinctions exist, but that they are inflexible. "A woman shall not have on the garment of a man, nor a man the garment of a woman, for it is an abomination . . ." (Deuteronomy 22:5). It is stated that "the two qualities [are] so different that one cannot be converted into the other . . ." (CL 32).

     And yes, we are actually taught that our capabilities are limited by our gender: "This perception is a wisdom that the wife has. A man is not capable of it, neither is a wife capable of her husband's intellectual wisdom" (CL 168).

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Similar statements are also made elsewhere (CL 168, 174, 175).

     Clearly there are certain qualities associated with each gender. Even if it were not stated explicitly (and it is), it is a simple extension to understand that there must therefore be certain roles particular to one gender or the other. We may have a hard time swallowing this reality in this particular case because the stakes are so high. To believe that this, the defining decision of our lives, hinges on the intellectual capabilities of a young man, who is in many cases barely rational, is a bit disconcerting. But that is a misrepresentation of the truth. Yes, this one event does rely on the male, but it is one step in a complex process reliant on all parties, most importantly the Lord.

"A prerogative of the man"

     So there are roles particular to each gender and clearly some of these roles should not be taken on by the opposite sex. That "Choosing whom to court is a prerogative of the man, and not of the woman" (CL 296) is no different. The first two headings in the chapter in Conjugial Love concerning betrothals and marriages states this explicitly: "(1) Choosing whom to court is a prerogative of the man, and not of the woman." "(2) The man ought to court the woman and ask her to marry him, and not the other way around" (CL 295). And it is immediately (and elsewhere-CL 98 and AC 266) explained in detail:

. . . it is not unbecoming for men to speak of love and to declare it, while it is unbecoming for women to do so. (CL 296)

As regards the first reason, that choosing whom to court is a prerogative of men because they were born to be forms of the intellect-the reason is that the intellect can discern congruities and incongruities and distinguish between them, and with judgment make a suitable choice. It is different in the case of women.

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Because they were born to be forms of love, they do not have the same clarity of sight, and decisions to marry would in their case be based only on inclinations of their love. Even if they have from men the knowledge to distinguish between men, their love is still swayed by appearances. (CL 296)

Furthermore, men do not have any innate love for the opposite sex, . . . and without that love, they lack an inner enjoyment of life. Consequently, to enhance their life by that love, it is incumbent on men to make appeals to women, by politely, respectfully and humbly courting them and asking them to grant that sweet addition to their lives. The beauty of that sex in face, form and manners, surpassing that of men, also adds itself as an obligation of the vow. (CL 297)

     The reality is that the Writings are quite clear on this point. It is not really subject to debate, unless we want to try to delve into the cultural differences between our time and that of Swedenborg. Perhaps we could dispute the definitions of the words "court" or "prerogative." Ultimately, this would be a waste of time. There is no getting around what is being said here. For many, this particular doctrine is hard to stomach. Some of the phraseology used in Conjugial Love 296 and 297 is quite harsh. In order to come to terms with the hard truths here, one must seek a broader understanding of the doctrine of conjugial love.

"Wives have this gift . . ."

"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." (CL 208)

     So who wears the pants? No, who really wears the pants? When it comes to marriage, it seems that everyone has at least an innate understanding of the idea that wives really `wear the pants' in just about any marriage.

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Now this is a crude depiction, associating the concept of power with a marriage relationship. However, it is clearly represented in the Writings that wives possess a certain power-perhaps influence would be a better word-over their husbands.

. . . a wife is given a perception of her husband's affections, and also the highest prudence in knowing how to moderate them. (CL 166)

. . . 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)

     This influence takes the form of redirection and moderation. Most any husband can easily concede the truth of this situation (though few would claim to fully understand it).

     This influence possessed by wives is enshrouded in a certain level of secrecy: "This transformation is accomplished by the wife in secret ways" (CL 194).

. . . it is a point of wisdom kept deeply hidden in the hearts of our sex, which is not revealed to any husband except to one who is in a state of truly conjugial love. There are many reasons for this, which we conceal within and keep to ourselves. (CL 155)

     Perhaps the secrecy stems from inability to comprehend such things on the part of men: "Wives are . . . continually turning over in their minds ways of inducing their men to be warm to them and not cold, and they do this with a keenness of perception incomprehensible to men" (CL 208). This secrecy is associated with a certain degree of oblivion on the part of men: "This transformation is accomplished by the wife in secret ways, which is what is meant by woman's having been created while the man slept" (CL 184).

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Also, "It can be amply demonstrated from passages elsewhere in the Word that to be asleep symbolically means to be unaware or oblivious" (CL 194). It should be made clear that wives have no nefarious motive here but rather look ". . . to turn and guide [their husbands'] hearts to becoming wise . . ." (CL 294). On the other hand, husbands seem to have no such secrets, "Our wives know all the states of our mind, nor is anything hidden from them" (CL 155r).

"Invaded with coldness"

     Two things need be established at this point: One, "most men have in them a deep-seated coldness to marriage" (CL 167); and two, "it is a matter of prudence inherent in the wisdom of wives to hide their love for their husbands" (CL 330).

     First, men are inherently cold "in [their] inmost elements" (CL 294). Apparently the baseline behavior of men is to be cold to marriage. Bachelorhood is an accepted institution whereas the female counterpart might be some support group of 'old maids'. This inherently sexist terminology is derived from the respective comfort levels that society assigns to each gender when it comes to the concept of growing old while single.

     Second, at least some elements of a wife's love are "kept hidden from men" (CL 161). This is related directly to all that secrecy discussed in the previous section. "Wives keep this perception in them hidden and conceal it from their husbands for reasons that are necessary in building conjugial love, friendship and trust . . ." (CL 167). Elsewhere it is said to be ". . . for the preservation of the friendship and trust in marriage . . ." (CL 155).

     The inclination to coldness may be the ultimate reason for all the secrecy:

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. . . if their perceptions became known, they would alienate their husbands from bed, bedroom, and home. . . . to the extent wives open their mouths about this, to the same extent their husbands grow cold and desire separation. (CL 167)

     This connection is also made elsewhere (CL 155, 294). It would seem that this stems from the shortcomings of men. The fact that men possess the role of choosing whom to court may be more of an indictment of their character than an endorsement of their virtue.

"He wants them to appear so"

     Men want to be in control. But perhaps more importantly they want to appear that they are in control: "the actions of his life, meant by behavior, are directed by reason-or if they are not, he wants them to appear so" (CL 90).

     Power is a real issue (at least for men) in marriage relationships: "The dispute over who has what power then arises from the fact that men insist on having superiority in all matters affecting the household just because they are men, leaving women in a position of inferiority just because they are women" (CL 291).

     The preservation of illusion of power is apparently essential in some way to a husband's happiness within a marriage:

. . . wives persuade them that men alone are the lovers, and themselves recipients, or that men are forms of love, and themselves forms of compliance. (CL 161)

. . . you do not know the wisdom and prudence of wives, because they hide it altogether from men and keep it hidden precisely in order to be loved by them. (CL 294)

"Who does not envision ... ?"

     Most of what is presented here about the nature of the sexes is difficult to put into words. The concepts presented seem to fall under the category of the unspoken wisdom of experience.

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There are some things that cannot be taught, they are simply inherent realities, the way it is. These things are generally understood and accepted, and for whatever reason they are generally unspoken.

     It seems that because of the supposed acceptance of these unspoken realities concerning the sexes, the Writings assume that the harsh language of Conjugial Love 296 and 297 is nothing exceptional. Interestingly, 297 itself seems to demonstrate that this assumption exists:

Who does not envision that if women were to court men, they would rarely be accepted, but would be either shamefully rejected or seduced into wanton acts, in addition to prostituting their modesty? (CL 297)

     Here the concept of cultural difference between Swedenborg's time and ours holds relevance. It is likely that the "harsh language" in question would have raised few eyebrows in eighteenth-century western society. The content is not, however, compromised by the language.

"The definition of conjugial love"

     Possessing the choice of whom to court does not mean that men are the originators of conjugial love. ". . . Conjugial love indeed begins with a love for the opposite sex, or rather, through the agency of that love, but still it does not originate from it" (CL 98). Nowhere does it say that they are choosing their conjugial partner. In fact, conjugial love originates in the wife:

. . . in women is love that unites itself with the intelligence and wisdom in men. Taken in its broadest terms, this is the definition of conjugial love, and when given a specific focus it becomes conjugial love. (CL 188)

     On the surface, women are asked to take a passive role in the courting process. But how passive can it be when it lies in them "to feel conjugial love" (CL 296)?

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It is the actions of the wife, not the husband that creates conjugial love. This is clear:

. . . 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. (AC 8994)

. . . a wife continually draws her husband's conceit in his own intelligence to herself, extinguishing it in him and causing it to live in her, thus turning it into conjugial love. (CL 353)

"It is its first stage"

     Choosing whom to court is but one step of the many that make up the process that results in a marriage. As stated above, this step

. . . is not the origin of conjugial love, but it is its first stage, being first in time, but not in end. For that which is first in end is what is first in the mind and its intention, this being the primary objective. But no one reaches this primary objective except gradually, through intermediate steps. These steps are not primary goals in themselves, but only means of advancement to that which is primary in them. (CL 98)

     Additionally, the fact that the man holds prerogative in this initial stage by no means sets the stage for the nature of the entire relationship, for, "The states of life in men and women before marriage and their states of life after marriage are different" (CL 184).

     It is but one step, but its importance and standing should be honored. For, "If conjugial love is hastened prematurely without an orderly development and its proper steps, it burns out the marrows and dies" (CL 295).

"The will can be stubborn"

     If we are to concede that this action, choosing whom to court, is one that is particular to one gender, could any of us truly argue that it should be held by women?

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     The innate coldness of men to marriage actually provides them with credibility and objectivity in making such a choice. Women, on the other hand, have such a desire to be married that, certainly in many cases, their objectivity would be compromised. The consequences could clearly be quite tragic.

     This is not to say that all men would make the right choice and all women would make the wrong choice. However, "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" (CL 292).

     It is often said perspective is required to realize what it is that we truly want. We never realize how much we love our hometown until we leave it behind. It would appear that women are simply incapable of such perspective when it comes to marriage, "A desire to unite her husband to her is constant and continual in a wife, but inconstant and intermittent in a husband" (CL 156). The clarity of a man's judgment here is derived from precisely the fact that he does not perpetually meditate on the idea of marriage; a clarity which women do not possess:

It is different in the case of women. Because they were born to be forms of love, they do not have the same clarity of sight, and decisions to marry would in their case be based only on inclinations of their love. Even if they have from men the knowledge to distinguish between men, their love is still swayed by appearances. (CL 296)

"The Lord the Creator has provided and continues to provide"

     What is paramount to any other point that could be made here is that one must maintain faith in the Lord. When we struggle with these teachings on our behavior before marriage, almost invariably, our angst originates with a lapse of faith. We get hung up in our apprehension in the idea that we should place faith in some twenty-year-old "man" and we all too quickly forget that we need to place our faith in the Lord.

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Anyway, a suitor is going to be acting simply as an agent of the Lord.

     Our anxieties and insecurities drive us to seek to be in control. For young women, it is not easy to be told that they must, even in some small way, relinquish their measure of control to their male counterparts. It is essential to remember that a conjugial relationship is between three parties, and that, at this stage in the game, only One of them possesses anything even remotely resembling control.

     There can be no doubt that, "the Lord the Creator has provided and continues to provide marriages of truly conjugial love" (CL 204). This is a point that is so basic in our church that it is almost embarrassing to point it out, but it seems like we, especially when we are single, have a tendency to forget this basic doctrine: Without the Lord, conjugial love, at any stage, simply would not exist (CL 21, 63, 90, 98, 122, 188, 193).

Empowerment and anxiety

     Looking objectively at what the Writings have to say, this stands as something of an indisputable issue. However, there are numerous contributing factors as to why this topic can be such a source of confusion.

     We live in a culture where the role of women is in a massive state of flux, and therefore this role is very much undefined. Similarly, within the church the paradigm of a New Church woman is anything but defined. Recently a great deal of what is written concerning gender roles has been called into question. The seeds of doubt have certainly been sown so that any time gender issues come up, we are not quite sure what to believe.

     Additionally, modern society has redefined the way in which females operate. Many boundaries have been torn down, for better or for worse.

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The lines between gender roles have been blurred, in so many ways that we are hardly aware. To honor this tradition, when so many others have been discarded, seems unnatural.

     There are more opportunities now than ever before for females to exercise aggressive behavior. In most cases, this newfound freedom is celebrated and rewarded. Again, this old tradition feels unnatural.

     Insecurity and issues concerning one's self-worth are other factors. Modern media bombards young people perpetually with the idea that they are not worthwhile. They are not pretty enough. They are not thin enough. They are not tan enough. They are not enough.

     Having someone ask to marry you is the ultimate tangible endorsement of your self-worth. Given the strange combination of empowerment and anxiety these girls experience, it is no wonder that they would very much like to take an active role in this episode of their lives.

     It seems that much of the emotion surrounding this issue is derived simply from this anxiety. There are probably few that actually doubt this doctrine. It seems that most of these girls know in their hearts this is what is right and orderly. It's just that this teaching does little to quell their fears, and in many cases, it seems to feed them.

"From an innate discretion"

     It would be a really bad idea for a sixteen-year-old boy to be completely frank and honest about his desires concerning the opposite sex. ". . . The beginning of Conjugial love is felt as lust. . . . This . . . does not refer to the female sex" (CL 98). Rather, he ". . . treats the opposite sex with courteous morality," because he does have ". . . a deep-seated inclination to marriage with one, which lies hidden in the inner sanctum of his mind" (CL 98).

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     Similarly, for a sixteen-year-old girl to completely disclose her desires to a boy would likely ensure that he would have little to do with her in the future. This is why "young women . . . from an innate discretion conceal their inclinations towards marriage" (CL 187).

     It probably does not matter a great deal whether or not a girl picks up a phone and calls a boy. She is not likely to compromise her potential to achieve a conjugial relationship by taking any such action. However, she should know that her forwardness may cause him to become cold in some way. The real danger arises when the topic of marriage is broached.

     If these girls had a better grasp of the reasoning behind this doctrine, then they would have a much easier time knowing how to exercise their innate discretion.

The unwitting pawn

     For the reasons discussed above, this can be a very emotional issue. The way in which the doctrine is presented seems to add to the frustration. It is important to look past the language and see the true content. In a way, I think we all have an innate understanding that what is taught here is the truth.

     Clearly men and women are different, and clearly they have different roles. This does not compromise the equality of the sexes. It is plainly stated that "choosing whom to court is a prerogative of the man" (CL 296). This is simply another gender-specific role.

     In the same manner in which wives "redirect" and "moderate" their husbands, it can be assumed that young women possess similar capabilities when it comes to eliciting responses from young men. Undoubtedly, young women take on a role that is in some manner aggressive, though in appearance, it seems passive. They are, by no means, sitting on the sidelines.

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     Only on the surface does this role seem to be of supreme importance. It is just one step in a process. The man seems to hold this office more as a function of his inadequacies than his virtues.

     It cannot be denied that women, as a whole, would experience (at least) difficulty in performing this task. This is not so much an indictment of their character as it is confirmation of their role as the holders of conjugial love.

     Most importantly, the Lord will provide. Few husbands would profess that they felt they were truly making a choice when they asked their wives to marry them. The Lord leads two conjugial partners together. It just so happens that the man plays the role of the unwitting pawn a bit better in the early stages of the process.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS AT THE PITTSBURGHNEW CHURCH SCHOOL! 2004

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS AT THE PITTSBURGHNEW CHURCH SCHOOL!              2004

     PNCS is hiring an enthusiastic and caring person to teach our students about the Lord and His creation. This is a full-time opportunity to work as part of a team of friends in one of the fastest growing New Church Schools in North America. Contact Amos Glenn right away (412-731-0122 or [email protected]) for details before this opportunity slips away.

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SI SAPIS, SIS APIS 2004

SI SAPIS, SIS APIS       TATSUYA NAGASHIMA       2004

(IF YOU WANT TO BE WISE, WORK AS A BEE)

     The above is one of the cliches which my Latin teacher taught me in my junior year. Instead of bees, our nation prefers ants as the hard-working model in the animal kingdom. The cliche says, "Work hard, and you will be wise." But is it true?

     I work hard translating the Writings into my language. But when it comes to translating the Arcana Coelestia, diligence as such does not work. It seems to me that the Arcana is distinctively in a higher level than the other Writings. The more I work the less I feel wise, or more humble than ever.

     What I have known from my experience was that I was not "good" enough to be wise. The truths should be conjoined with good in each step of regeneration. Otherwise, the truths are only empty vessels in which little grows, much less multiplies. The series of the Arcana tells me in what level I am in the process of regeneration. The genuine sense of the Word is only open to a regenerating person.

     The Arcana has quite a few shining gems here and there, but it's almost impossible for me to make them converge into a grand scheme in my mind. So many passages bewilder, puzzle, and even frustrate me. This challenge comes from what transcends my reasoning, thoughts, ideas and experiences. The flow of the context suddenly disappears from my sight, leaving me alone and at a loss. All those concepts such as the internal and external, interior and exterior, affection of truths and affection of good, natural, rational, spiritual and celestial, mediate truths and mediate good are all complicatedly intertwined.

     The Writings show my situation in the following passage

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These are matters which no one can possibly comprehend who does not dwell in the light of heaven; for one who dwells in the light of the world, and relies for his perception on that light, hardly knows what truth is or what good is, still less what it is to rise up by degrees to more interior levels of truth and good, and so hardly knows anything at all about the countless manifestations of truth and good in every degree which are visible to angels in light as clear as that shining at midday. This shows the nature of angels' wisdom in comparison with men's. (AC 4592)

     The translation of the Writings is a sacred work. It is much more so for the Arcana Coelestia in which the Adventus Do-mini is crystallized. My daily translation starts early in the morning when the dark sky is often studded with innumerable stars, which reminds me of the Divine promise given to Abraham. Translation hours much be sacrosanct. Yet the hellish influx sneaks in whispering that my work is of no avail. How can a reader understand the contents if the translator doesn't understand them? How can my work bring anyone to regeneration if I am not regenerate? My reply is, Vade Satana! Let me continue my work. It's not your business, nor mine. It is the Lord's.

     I summarize though, as follows, why I continue my work.

     1. The Lord's glorification does not so clearly show in other books as in the Arcana. They also representatively describe our human regeneration. No doubt the volumes of the Arcana are the most valuable books which human history has ever had. How can you compare, with other worldly affairs, the utmost miraculous Divine program made for the sake of human salvation? In addition, only through the Arcana do we know the inner struggle of the Lord's life on earth. It was a continual temptation from his early childhood up to the final agony on the cross. What was known to the disciples and written by them in the Gospels was scarcely nothing (vix aliquid).

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His temptation was more grievous than can ever be comprehended and believed by any human mind. No one can know what temptation is except the one who has been in it. (AC 1690)

     The Arcana is the detailed blueprint of our Lord's redemptive endeavors. As a result, it represents His followers' regeneration process.

     2. The conjugial unity of good and truth is one of the main topics of the Writings. The Lord's glorification and the human regeneration process are nothing but the unifying process of truth with good.

     The Lord's Divine rational (Isaac) is glorified by the celestial good (Abraham) which conjoins with spiritual truth (Sarah). But His Divine natural (Jacob) had to be glorified through various mediate goods and truths, until finally His Natural was totally purified and integrated with His Divine Rational.

     In the whole story of Genesis, Isaac is mentioned in six chapters (ch. 21-26), and Jacob in twenty-four chapters (ch. 26-50), four times longer than Isaac's story. The Lord's natural had to be glorified through a much longer process until He was totally glorified. Similarly, our human natural has to have a much longer period of time than the rational for its regeneration. The purification process is hard and long until our natural imaginations, emotions, sensitivity, sensuality and corporeal desires are purified. But the Lord's glorification process is not a mere example to be followed by us, but His eternal presence with us is the sole origin and power for our regeneration. How could one know such a Divine therapy except in the Arcana?

     3. You can hardly know how good our Lord is without the Arcana. Goodness can never by described by human hands, but it is only by the finger of God. "Hic est digitus Dei." No human being in the present degenerate state can describe the Lord's salvific intention and drama so vividly and clearly as the Arcana does, unless they are shown by Divine revelation.

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Man, with a proprium imbued with evils and falsities, can never produce such a highly planned Divine program of human regeneration in detail. Evils can be written by man's hand, but goodness can only be written by the Divine hand. And the strongest proof of the Adventus Domini through the Writings is that an evil man can become better until finally being the best in his/her potentiality in heaven.

     4. The vocabulary used in the Writings has a connotation of objective reality. The author consistently uses the noun form of the neuter gender of adjectives such as verum, bonum, naturale, spirituale, intellectuale, voluntarium, instead of their formal nouns such as veritas, bonitas, intellectus, voluntas, etc. This shows that such terms are not merely common abstract nouns, but are those which try to convey objective reality at their best. The internal sense is also based on the objective reality which comes from the Lord through the real communications with the spirits and angels in the spiritual world.

     The Arcana Coelestia is the most valuable treasure given by the Lord on earth. It is the eternal gift from the Lord, or the Lord Himself, granted to all human beings on earth, who will live in the decades, centuries, and millennia from now.

     But we must be thankful to the Lord for His pipeline of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. Without such human organization, we would not have been given the most genuine interpretation and preservation of the Word on earth. Although geographically isolated, I am surrounded by plenty of books, tapes, magazines, newsletters, and communications through letters. Many highly inspired sermon tapes, healing and encouraging articles of New Church Life and Missionary Memo, and especially 270 recorded tapes of 15 years of lectures by Bishop King on all the volumes of Arcana Coelestia are all my treasures for life. "Si sapis, sis apis" does not work here so much. But is can somehow serve the final end in view.

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SOME THOUGHTS ON EDUCATION 2004

SOME THOUGHTS ON EDUCATION       CARL R. GUNTHER       2004


     
     Ever since the presentation of Divine Truth given by the Lord through a man on earth (Emanuel Swedenborg), just as He gave the Old and New Testaments through men on earth, it was recognized that a New Church was to be formed for the purpose of disseminating these new truths among people throughout the world. The Lord revealed His Divine plan so that we could know the truth and the truth could set us free.

     In pursuit of this goal, those who helped establish the organized New Church were aware that it would be necessary to establish schools to help foster these new teachings. Ministers would have to be trained and priests ordained to help prepare parents and teachers to lead the coming generations to know, understand and love this new way of life that the Lord had now given.

     One particular group became the spearhead of the educational movement. They became known as the Academy Group, and their work was crowned with success when the Lord provided a man with the financial means to bring to reality externals to make it happen. When the State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted them a charter for the right to establish schools and a library, New Church education became a powerful tool to aid in the establishment and growth of the New Church on the earth.

     Yes, growth has been slow. However, it has also been sure. The foundations have been carefully and strongly laid. Now it is up to those of us in the current generations to build on those substantial foundations to help bring to fruition the New Church culture to a world embracing all the inadequate and wrong sources.

     It is not at all unusual for parents to want what is best for their children. Realizing they cannot provide all that is necessary on their own they look to others for help.

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Feeding, clothing and sheltering them are just a beginning. Thoughtful parents are also aware of the need to provide good nourishment for their minds as well. Minds need to be fed with knowledge, clothed in truths and sheltered from evil and falsity if healthy mental growth is to take place. But where can these higher, farther-reaching necessities be found? Again, outside help is obvious.

     The usual first source of help arises from our own past experience in the family life provided by our parents. It isn't long before the limitations of this source become apparent. At this point we often turn to friends and relatives whose experience and knowledge surpasses our own. Often books by professionals such as doctors, educators, psychologists, and others are suggested. These all render some help, but something seems to be missing.

     What about the Creator? Surely He wouldn't provide this miracle of offspring without giving us some sort of path to follow to achieve the goal! Of course, that is exactly what He did. He gave us His three-fold Word where sincere parents can, by means of some diligent search and study, discern the path that will lead our children and us to the joy of usefulness in this world and eventually in His Kingdom of Heaven.

     Perhaps a good place to initiate the search can be found in the sacrament of baptism. The teachings of the Heavenly Doctrine (the Lord in His Second Coming) provide a number of key ideas parents should be aware of in raising and leading their children. From the True Christian Religion 429 we learn: "there are duties of charity; some public, some domestic and some private. The domestic duties of charity are the duties of a husband towards his wife and of a wife toward her husband: also duties of a father and mother toward their children and of the children toward their father and mother." And further in 431 of True Christian Religion we read:

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"With those in charity their love for their children goes along with their love for the neighbor and for God; for such people love their children for their morals, their virtues, the things they devote their energies to, and the qualifications for serving the public."

     From these teachings we learn that parents and their children have "duties" in their relationships with each other. By fulfilling these duties we are, in fact, performing love to the neighbor and to the Lord. Love to the neighbor and to God is not innate in us. It must be learned and trained by means of the reciprocal love of parents and children for each other and by self discipline. And these duties are not something we can perform "when we feel like it." They are the requirements necessary to change our loves of self and the world which lead to an eternal life of hell, to the true loves of charity to the neighbor and to the Lord that the Lord promises will lead to eternity in heaven.

     For this reason, when we bring a child to be baptized the priest asks the father and mother some deeply consequential questions. Among them are: "Do you for yourselves and for this child acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ to be the one God of heaven and earth; that the Lord reveals Himself in the Sacred Scriptures and in the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem; that evils are to be shunned as sins against Him and that a life of good is to be learned and lived?"

     Parents are then exhorted to teach the child the Lord's prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the things contained in His three-fold Word to prepare him/her for regeneration and in that way promote happiness in this life and eternal welfare in the spiritual world.

     In making these promises before the Lord in a sacred ceremony, we are entering into a solemn covenant with Him to do all that we can to lead our children to lives of usefulness by means of the special talents the Lord has created in each of them. If they are then encouraged to live well from a good conscience and the later convictions of a mature understanding of the good to be achieved in eternal life, eternal happiness is the promised reward.

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     In order for this to take place there must be knowledges in the mind into which the Lord can flow. In a sermon on this subject, Rev. Philip Schnarr calls our attention to an important number from Arcana Coelestia 9088. "The Lord inflows into those things with a person which the person knows, and not into those which he does not know: and therefore He does not amend what is evil and false until the person has been instructed in what is evil and false" (AC 9088:2).

     "Is this a clarion call for New Church Education?" observes Rev. Schnarr. This truth is self-evident. He further makes the point that aside from the fact that the Lord is the "Master Teacher," society's most influential teachers are parents in their own homes. Perhaps this is why more and more parents are electing to "home school" their children as they see God being driven from public education, and falsities pervading most private and religion-sponsored education. Arcana 9196 points out that those who desire to be instructed in the truth and good of faith are not to be molested with the falsities of faith or the evils of life. Unfortunately, not even New Church schools are immune to these destructive influences, but at least in these schools teachers and administrators are alert to such influences and are free to take steps to make correctional measures when necessary.

     In the New Church it has long been a principle of educational practice that the school is the "extension of the home." As the Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton points out in many of his writings, the primary function of New Church education is to hold the mind in the thought and acknowledgement of the Lord. Only the Lord has the power to restore the human mind (which from birth is hereditarily influenced by evils of every kind) to the order necessary to allow heavenly states to prevail. This is why the founders of the General Church sacrificed so much and went to great lengths to establish New Church schools-primary, secondary, and college.

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We are extremely fortunate today to have these sources available to us to help us keep our baptismal commitment to the Lord on behalf of our children. Without the knowledges gained by this educational experience, our children may become prey to those very falsities and evils that can make life hell on earth.

     All around us we see a world struggling to make sense of the issues that daily plague human society. Yet, even with all the emphasis on education today, things only seem to get worse. Perhaps this is because the attempt to discover causes by ever-deeper examinations of external truth goes directly against Divine order. A principle reiterated over and over again in the Writings is that we must learn to think from higher things to lower things and not the reverse. As is pointed out in Arcana Coelestia: "It is from sensory evidence that he [a person] wishes to learn about heavenly and divine matters. But this is no more possible than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. The more he wants by this method to become wise the more he blinds himself until in the end he believes nothing, not even in the existence of anything spiritual or in eternal life" (AC 128).

     In fact in the two previous numbers in the Arcana we read the following: "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" (AC 126).

     So often this path seems to be the one most earnestly trod by those engaged in the delivery of "higher learning" in the colleges and universities of the world. Again the Lord reveals through Swedenborg: "People's desire to probe into the mysteries of faith by means of sensory evidence and factual knowledge was not only the cause of the downfall of the Most Ancient Church, it is also the cause of the downfall of every church.

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For that desire leads not only to falsities but also to evils of life" (AC 127).

     The wonderful fact is that New Church parents have an excellent secondary school and college where they can send their children to be trained according to the path of learning laid out and revealed by the Lord. By this means they can provide their young people with the facts and knowledges they will need to succeed in performing the uses the Lord has ordained for them. Most importantly they will also be shown the way to think from higher things to lower things, which opens their minds to true wisdom.

     Yes, the decision to pursue the New Church path to higher education for their children and young people often involves considerable sacrifice on the part of parents; a sacrifice that sometimes severely tests that commitment made at their baptism. But compared to the Lord's sacrifice to save the human race, it is nothing. The longer we can forestall the exposure of their minds to the falsities and evils of the world, and instead fill them with the truths the Lord provides in His Word, the easier it will be for them to make right decisions in their own future lives and bring them the happiness we wish for them.

     When it comes to the big decision about where to send a child to college, often the argument is raised, "but my child can't get the courses needed to enter into the field s/he wants to prepare for at Bryn Athyn College." The truth is that the basic courses required at most colleges in the first two years are substantially the same. The difference at Bryn Athyn College is that the smaller class size, the leadership of well qualified teachers (not graduate assistants), and the personal interest in each student by the teachers provides a superior level of education. This was recently testified to by the evaluating team of the Mid-Atlantic States Association of Schools and Colleges. In addition, Bryn Athyn College is continually expanding its offerings and interdisciplinary studies in cooperation with other local colleges and universities.

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Just inquire at the College office to find out what can be worked out.

     Perhaps the most important thing that is not available to your son or daughter at any other college or university is the spiritual training they get on the spiritual level of life. Not only the religion courses, but also parents and students have a right to expect that the curriculum be taught in the light of the three-fold Word. This is vital because: "Things that exist in the world are different in appearance from what they really are, and so they are full of illusions. When therefore the sensory level relies solely on those appearances the thought which takes place there is inevitably opposed to any good or truth of faith because that thought is based on illusions, and when Divine Truth flows in the sensory level turns to falsity" (AC 6948).

     As the Rev. Jeremy Simons pointed out in a recent sermon: "The acquisition of factual information is never by itself the way to heaven, even if they are from the Word. They always need to be lifted up (as Moses was commanded to lift up the serpent) so that they look to the Lord and serve Him as a means for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven."

     In order for the New Church to grow and become a valuable influence in the world, it is important, even vital, that each of us does all we can to support our New Church institutions, not only financially but especially by insuring our children, grandchildren, and children of fellow New Churchmen, get the education the New Church can now offer on every level. Teach the children in your homes, send them to our schools and counsel them to always look to His Word for help. A New Church culture will only come about as we live the truths and do the goods the Lord has given us. Let us support one another in this "work of charity." If we do, the Lord can accomplish wonderful things for the whole human race.

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SALVE FOR MY SOUL: WHAT THE NEW CHURCH HAS MEANT TO ME 2004

SALVE FOR MY SOUL: WHAT THE NEW CHURCH HAS MEANT TO ME       ELLEN IN       2004

     A PERSONAL TESTIMONY

     Introduction: Ellen In is a newcomer to the Glenview New Church. She has been worshiping with us and learning about the New Church for nearly a year. At a recent evangelization program held in our church, Ellen shared a personal testimony of what the New Church has meant to her since her arrival. The people who heard her testimony appreciated it so much that they thought it would be nice to include it in our newsletter. Here is what Ellen shared with us:

     The thing that struck me during the New Church memorial service for my friend's mother was how certain everybody seemed to be about her eternal destination. There was calm and peace and joy in the midst of grief and loss. Having just lost my own mom, this service brought up a lot of issues for me. I feared that in my almost 20 years of being a "New Testament Christian," I had done more to take away from my Mom's faith than to honor it because of my conservative beliefs. I feared that part of the difficulty she experienced in letting go and dying could have been related to her uncertainty about her eternity. I no longer felt I could support or cohabit with such an exclusionary doctrine. I was in spiritual crisis.

     After that service, I had a conversation with a member of the New Church who listened carefully to my questions and doubts and confusion. Though the conversation was brief, his response felt life-giving to me. Since that memorial service, I have experienced a number of teachings that have given me that same sense-of giving life and meeting the needs of my soul. Here are some of them.

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     I love the definition that was given to me of the New Church: "A non-denominational Christian church which looks for and honors the goodness and truth in all religions and in all cultures-including agnosticism and atheism." I love that it is an active process. The New Church doesn't just notice the truth, it goes looking for it. And it doesn't just tolerate the beliefs of others, it honors the good and truth in them. I no longer sit in judgment of others, thinking "if only they knew the real truth." God is everywhere, so truth can be everywhere. I can find it if I just look for it. This has changed the way I view people. When I look for and honor the good and the truth in people, I think perhaps I may be helping them to realize their value before God. I would like to be part of letting others know how beautiful and desirable they are in the eyes of God, and how they are loved beyond their wildest imaginings.

     I love the freedom I feel in the New Church. I have felt the freedom to ask questions, to not be sure, to sit and wait until I get an answer, and most importantly, to understand what God has freely given. I have been "invited" to consider things, never coerced, pressured or made to feel guilty. I can choose my level of involvement and I now know for the first time what was expressed in a New Church sermon I read online somewhere: "Unless I can turn to God in freedom, I can't turn to Him at all." What a joy to have worship be motivated by love, thanksgiving and delight, instead of duty.

     The steps of repentance have been enlightening to me. I used to identify things in my actions or character and say "that's not how Jesus would be, so I won't be that way." But I missed an important part, which was acknowledging where I actually was. Until I could admit who I was, then give it to God, I could not make deep or lasting changes.

     Seeing evil as separate and distinct from me has changed my life. For years I beat myself up, feeling like the emotions of anger, or anxiety, or other such things were me.

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It has been amazing to see and feel the difference when I acknowledge the motives of evil spirits and call on God to fight those battles for me.

     My view of God has been drastically altered. As a parent, I've wanted to understand the unconditional love from my God as a parallel to the way I love and accept my children, yet I just didn't feel it. I worried that I disappointed or angered God, and always had an underlying fear of being eternally separated from Him. Since coming to the New Church, it has been solidified in my heart that God is love, and true love can't be poked and provoked to anger. There is no such thing as an angry or punishing God. It is awesome to draw close to a loving God! This has been the quest of my faith my entire life and the single most valuable gift I have received as part of my walk with the New Church. Now if anything or anyone tells me that God is angry or doesn't accept me, I resist.

     Finally, the idea of sharing my faith has changed. I have felt for a long time that the Lord's great commission was to be taken seriously. It has never been easier to share about God or church, because I'm excited about them. I listen to my friends and what they long for-peace, good relationships, integrity-and I know where they can find those things. I know the plans God has for each of them-"plans to prosper and not to harm," "plans to give a hope and a future." I ask God to use me and He sets up situations, one after another. I no longer worry about what to say. It seems like the words come automatically!

     These are the things I love, that resonate with me, that have touched my heart and have satisfied my mind. I think I have only touched the tip of the iceberg in my understanding of some of the concepts of the New Church. But I am grateful for what I have received. And I am happy. I have found salve for my soul.

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REVIEW 2004

REVIEW       Vera P. Glenn       2004

Faith and Learning at Bryn Athyn College of the New Church, Edited by Dr. Dan A. Synnestvedt

     From Religion to Computer Science the essays in this book explore the opening of the rational mind to the knowledges of the natural world and to their causes and eternal ends in the Lord's spiritual kingdom. There are articles in every field from mapping the mind, "Psychology in the New Millennium" by Dr. Thomas Keiser, to the map of the earth, "Correspondences In Nature" by Dr. Erland Brock. The first, by the Rev. Dr. Ray Silverman, "'You Shall Be My Disciples': Academic Freedom in Religious Courses" should dispel any fears that Bryn Athyn College of the New Church might be becoming a merely secular institution.

     With some understanding of the workings of Divine providence it is not difficult to see how the study of history and human society could be given a New Church slant, as we read in the essays by Dr. Jane Williams-Hogan and Dr. Sonia Werner. We can see the Lord, also, wherever there is a reflection of the Divine Human, as in the fine arts (Martha Gyllenhaal), and in literature (Dr. Robert Gladish). But what about in language itself? The particularization of this concept is shown by Thane Glenn in his essay "Every Word: a Spiritual Basis For Written Composition."

     And then, there are the sciences. How can a technical subject like biology (Dr. Sherri Cooper), chemistry, or physics be taught without compromising our religious philosophy of a Divine creation? Even the lay reader in the sciences, who never had a physics course in her life, can learn enough by reading "Physics and New Church Collegiate Education" to grasp the points made and illustrated by Dr. Greg Baker. And the essay by Dr. Allen Bedford, "Chemical Education in a New Church College," gives at least a partial answer to the questions-

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How do we see the Lord in His natural creation? and How can the wonderful truths of a spiritual revelation be brought into the very facts of higher education?

     It was the intent of all the writers in the book not to give final answers for any of the disciplines, but to open up new categories of thought and new questions-to begin a continuing discussion on New Church Education at the collegiate level.

     Reading this book is like visiting a Bryn Athyn College classroom, indeed, over a dozen classrooms taught by master teachers. The reader can see first hand what is going on inside, not only what is being taught, but how and from what inner conviction. The love of teaching the subject in a New Church way shines through the pages. For this is not a religious educational philosophy forced on the instructors and professors, but one that is joyously accepted and applied.

     Vera P. Glenn

     Note: Another book recently published by the Academy of the New Church that gives a look at how concepts from the Writings can be woven into every subject is a volume compiled from the E. Bruce Glenn Memorial Lecture series titled, New Reflections from Academia, edited by Dr. Gregory Baker. Both books can be ordered from the General Church Book Center, Cairncrest, 1100 Cathedral Rd., Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA, 19009. Email: [email protected]

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Editorial Pages 2004

Editorial Pages              2004

     HENRY JAMES DISCOVERING THE WRITINGS

     We concluded last month a series by Dr. Sonia Werner, about William James. In it we read that William's father, Henry James, Sr., was an avid reader of the Writings. My purpose is to tell of his discovery of the Heavenly Doctrines. I borrow from the 1994 biography by Alfred Habegger.

     On page 229 of his biography Habeggar speaks of readers of Swedenborg in the 1830s and 1840s. He mentions George Bush, who became a "committed" Swedenborgian. And he mentions Henry James's doctor. But it was an accomplished woman named Sophia Chichester who recommended the reading of the Writings. She said to Henry James, "You need Swedenborg . . . go up to London, and bring him down in the shape of one or more of his ponderous books."

     He went to a London book store and asked for Swedenborg. Several volumes were placed on the counter before him. He chose two of them, Divine Love and Wisdom, and Divine Providence. Divine Providence became his favorite. We must add that another scholar has suggested that Henry James first read True Christian Religion and "a composite volume." His copies of these are inscribed "H. James, London, 1844."

     James became increasingly interested in "those newly revealed Truths." Habeggar writes: "The most vivid evidence of James's ardent embrace of his new gospel is his private collection of Swedenborg texts, part of which is now stored at a Swedenborgian seminary in one of the family's steamer trunks. Many of the books have been read and marked and marked again." On the back of the title page of Divine Providence he wrote: "A man has nothing which is proper to himself (no proprium) but it appears to him as if it were."

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     Many letters from William James to Dr. Garth Wilkinson are now stored in the basement of the Swedenborg Society on Bloomsbury Way.

     Henry James did not approve of New Church organizations and warned of narrow sectarianism. He did attempt to educate his children in "interior truths" disclosed by Swedenborg. "I instruct my family in the knowledge of these truths, so far as their tender understandings are capable of receiving them."

     NEWSPAPER COMMENTS ON

     THE PASSION FILM

     The Sheridan Press, a newspaper in Wyoming, printed the same article by Dan Goodenough that appeared in our March issue. There were letters responding to the article, and Dan wrote an answer that was printed on March 13. Here is part of what he wrote:

     The movie's theology implicitly separates Father and Son into two different functions, one person to judge and the other to love.

     One reviewer even saw the movie as "the Father's" view of the passion. This divides Father, Son and Holy Spirit instead of uniting them in one divine human Godhead of soul, body and spiritual activity.

     The Gospels don't portray Jesus' primary mission as bleeding and dying to take our sins away from us-any more than detailing a soldier's wounds portrays what he achieved in battle.

     Jesus' essential work was to restore spiritual balance to our universe through victory in temptation, to reveal the invisible God, to show we will live forever, and to become the divine human embodiment of the love that he taught.

     God is love and wishes eternal happiness for everyone, forgiving 70 times 7. God needs no reconciliation to the human race. It is we who need to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:19).

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     His redemption as Son of God overcame vicious evil by the strength of love in his own inner struggles, and by subduing hell he provided spiritual freedom to all human beings.

     As risen Lord, as divine love in human form, he is truly the face and form of the eternal "I AM." May our picture of God center on this reality of Jesus.

     Whether we see the movie matters less than how we see God, and what we choose to do about that vision as we live among people.

     On March 12 an article by me appeared in the Intelligencer newspaper. I emphasized the saying, "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" I commented on the inclusion of evil spirits in the movie "showing that our Lord's combats went beyond the earthly dimension." And I wrote, "the inward suffering (according to Swedenborg) was even worse than the physical suffering and was more grievous than we can comprehend" (Heavenly Secrets 1690).
NEW CHURCH FAMILY CAMPAT JACOB'S CREEK 2004

NEW CHURCH FAMILY CAMPAT JACOB'S CREEK              2004

     If you're looking for a doctrinal camp for all ages that is also lots of fun and has very comfortable, air conditioned accommodations, we would be happy to have you join us at Jacob's Creek Camp. Located in the mountains of southwestern Pennsylvania about an hour east of Pittsburgh, the camp will be held August 8-12. The ministerial staff this year consists of Rev. Brad Heinrichs, Director, Rev. David Ayers, and Rev. Amos Glenn, ably assisted by Rev. Dan Heinrichs and Rev. Daniel Fitzpatrick.

     The theme for the camp this year is "Discriminate Charity." We will be discussing such topics as what kind of judgments we should make and how to make them, who is our neighbour and how we are responsible for them, what are the conditions of forgiveness for us and for others, how the nature of charity evolves as we get older, and how charity can be lived in today's workplace.

     For further information contact Pat David at 724-458-6825 or email [email protected]. Everyone is most welcome.

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PLANNED GIVING POSITION 2004

PLANNED GIVING POSITION              2004


     

     Announcements





     
     Applications are being accepted for the position of Planned Giving Coordinator by the Joint Planned Giving Committee of the Academy and the General Church. This is a temporary, part-time, contract position, beginning in June, 2004, for a one-year trial.

     This is a professional position, reporting to the Development Officer. Responsibilities will include: educating people about the benefits of planned giving; contacting those interested in making planned gifts to the Academy, General Church and/or their local church society; providing liaison with legal, tax, financial planning, insurance, real estate and other professional advisors, as needed; and requisite computer skills.

     Some travel is expected. Appropriate college degree, certification, applicable experience, desired compensation, and proven track record of success should be provided. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity or national origin.

     A letter of application, with resume, references and supporting information should be sent to: Bruce Henderson, Development Officer, Box 708, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. For further information, please call 215-938-2526.

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Bryn Athyn College...an educationthat changes lives! 2004

Bryn Athyn College...an educationthat changes lives!              2004


     

     -     Fantastic internship and service learning opportunities around the world.

     -     Now participating in Federal Student Aid programs in addition to our traditional financial aid.

     -     7 to 1 faculty-to-student ratio & a mission of helping students find academic, moral and life success.

     NUNC LICET

     BRYN ATHYN COLLEGE

     of the New Church

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Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life ( 2004

Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life (              2004

John 11:25)     Worship Services

     The Power of the Lord's Resurrection - Rt. Rev. Thomas Kline - full service - #106064     

     Palm Sunday     - Rev. Kurt Ho. Asplundh - festival service - #100496

     The Lord's Quiet Restraint - Rev. Donald Rose - sermon -#101160

     Thomas - Rt. Rev. Peter Buss - festival service -#106063     

     Touching the Lord     - Rev. Jeremy Simons - contemporary service - #106062

     The Glorification of the Lord     - Rt. Rev. George deCharms - sermon - #104321

     Doctrinal Classes     1

     The Lord's Life Prior to Easter IP     Rt. Rev. Louis King - #106468     

     The Triumph of Easter Sunday - Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton II - #102249     

     The Lord's Pre-Crucifixion Address to His Disciples - Rev. Erik Sandstrom, Sr. - #13813 & #103814

Please order using the catalog numbers listed.     
Cassette - $2.-00, CD - $4.00, Catalog - $5.00

Additional postage charges will be included on your invoice.     

     SOUND )))     Box 752 - 1120 Cathedral Road

               Bryn Athyn. PA 19009-0752     

     RECORDING     SRLibraryOnewchurch.edu
Title Unspecified 2004

Title Unspecified              2004



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Vol. CXXIV     May, 2004     No. 5

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
Notes on This Issue 2004

Notes on This Issue              2004

     Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton's sermon is about prudence and providence. Readers have asked for something to be written addressed to the matter of human cloning. They will welcome this sermon where we read, "How do we know how to properly exercise our prudence in the development and use of this new technology?" "What does the Lord tell us about cloning or genetic engineering?"

     What are the benefits of having church in your life? It is an excellent question, and it is thoughtfully dealt with in this issue by Rev. Garry Walsh of Australia.

     In the month of March there was an Eldergarten event. This time it was in California. We are pleased to be able to provide an idea of what it was like, and we thank Dotty Hammond for her account.

     This month sees the publication of the novel, The Arrivals. See page 190 of this issue. Do the characters in this novel know that they have died and entered the spiritual world? You may find that the editorial on page 196 has a bearing on this question.

     Mr. Richard Lindquist has a wealth of experience relating to the Bryn Athyn Cathedral. We were pleased to learn that he has written about it. See page 197.

     We have mentioned the movie The Passion of the Christ in previous issues. There are two letters about it in this issue.

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PRUDENCE AND PROVIDENCE 2004

PRUDENCE AND PROVIDENCE       Rev. ALFRED ACTON       2004

     "And Cain said, 'I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4:9)

     These words, spoken so long ago, have echoed through the pages of history. Again and again in different generations people have asked the same question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" They have said, "What is my responsibility to other people? What is my responsibility to people yet unborn? How do I exercise that responsibility once I know what it is? Am I my brother's keeper?"

     When the Lord created the world He gave mankind the responsibility to have dominion over everything that He had made. We learn from the Lord's New Word that there are two different kinds of dominion. There is the kind of dominion that exists in hell. That kind of dominion constantly wants to take from others. It wants to enslave people. It wants to get its own way, caring not for the good of others. Then there is the dominion of heaven. The dominion of heaven wants to serve, wants to share, wants to care for others. Clearly, if we seek to understand how we can be our brother's keeper, we need to reflect upon how to exercise heavenly dominion. How to properly care for others. How to share of ourselves as servants for others. How to use our prudence as a servant and minister to our Heavenly Father's goals for the human race.

     But who are our brothers, and in what way are we their keepers? Our brothers come in various classes, each demanding different concern. First there are the unborn generations of those who will follow us on this planet. We owe them the opportunity to enjoy life here. They must find life here of such a quality that they can in fact find their way to heaven. Then there are children who need to mature in such a way that they will share the freedoms we enjoy, freedom to exercise our rationality as we practice the life of charity.

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We owe children both the discipline to become responsible adults, and the right to exercise that freedom. Another group of brethren are the irresponsible who would exercise the freedom of hell. It is our duty to demand that such individuals are restrained from their intended exploitation. Such demands take form in both moral and civil acts. So we expect our country to enact laws to protect us even as we exercise moral sway to control evil. Finally there are those with us who practice the life of heaven. They are responsible for their conduct, seeking to live the life of religion which in essence is to do good. They practice the golden rule seeking to do unto others what they would expect from them. Our country should also protect the rights of the responsible. A country is like a parent. It must treat all its citizens as its own offspring. But the job of being a parent is to stop. When children grow up they must be free. So with citizens in a country. Unless citizens are irresponsible, they should be left alone. As long as that freedom is in turn reciprocated. That is what true brethren do. They live together in the life of mutual love, in the life of love one to another. But as citizens we need to be assured that actions are responsible. We need to ask why, and expect an acceptable answer.

     Ever since the devastation of the Most Ancient Church, people have had to use their heads to control tendencies towards evil within themselves, and so to change their lives, in order to enjoy the happiness of heaven. The wise use of understanding, learning from the Lord's Word what is truth and then forcing ourselves to live by that truth is the only path to heaven people today may follow. We must use our head if we seek the kingdom of God. But how do we use our head? In our lesson from the Divine Providence the answer is clear. We must use prudence which is the use of understanding. We must use prudence as the servant and minister to humbly do the bidding of our Heavenly Father. But, how do we know what is the Lord's bidding?

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Obviously there is only one source of truth and that is the Lord's Word.

     The use of peoples' heads has produced on this planet a wealth of technology. Think back in history to the invention of the plow, a dramatic use of a person's head to produce an instrument which allowed one person to feed three others. A wonderful event! From the leisure time that the people freed from farming had came great literature, art and other wonderful gifts as people exercised their prudence to learn how truth can be used for the good of others. But at the same time, when we look at that invention we find people starting to covet. We find people enslaving others. We find all kinds of tragedies.

     Some might want to blame the plow, but of course you can't. The plow is no more responsible for the evils arising from the leisure time it produced than it is for the good which came from it. A piece of technology is only as good as the people who use it. Just as all things of this world can be for good or can be turned toward ill depending on how people exercise dominion, so with technology. It is either good or ill depending upon how it is used.

     Think of medicine. Medicine tries to cure disease. We know very well that disease is from hell, so the use of medicine to cure disease has to be a valuable thing. But how often in the name of medicine have we seen tragedy? How often have we seen people experimenting medically and end up hurting the innocent? It is not the medicine that is the problem. It is the experimenter.

     Still we must keep in mind that the wise use of technology is a wonderful gift. The Lord was born on this planet because we had a certain kind of technology. We were able to print; to write books; to give the history of the world in a formal sense. It is specifically taught in The Earths in the Universe that the Lord chose to be born here because of that piece of technology.

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Yet when you look at the press, what terrible things people have printed. Just think of all the pornographic literature and you get some idea of how perverted the press can be although it is also the basis for the Lord's Word with us. It is again not the technology, but how it is used that makes the difference.

     Throughout history people have experimented in developing new technology. With success they have opened marvelous potential for human development. They have crossed thresholds for the betterment of mankind. But crossing thresholds into new forms of technology is scary. What will the consequences be?

     For example, we know that during the Second World War the people who were working on the atomic bomb probably thought they were going to bring that war to an end quickly. They saw some important value in the development of the technology in which they were involved. But look what happened at Chernobyl. Was that good? Was crossing the threshold into atomic power something we should have done? Certainly we now have kinds of energy that we never had before. Once again it is not the technology, it is the use that we put it to which determines the value of the technology.

     I was once talking to a person who wanted to do something with a computer. I said, "Why do you want to do that?" The answer was, "Because I can." That's not good enough. It is not good enough to do something simply because "I can." We must see some good as a clear outcome when we use our prudence. For the use of prudence in its proper place is to work with the Lord seeking His Divine ends.

     Recently in Scotland people cloned a sheep. Still more recently people have cloned a cow. Presumably, we might be able to clone ourselves. Cloning opens a new threshold for technology. In fact, the whole field of genetic engineering opens up the possibility perhaps for good, but also the possibility for evil.

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     How do we know how to properly exercise our prudence in the development and use of this new technology? We need to look at the Lord's Word. But what does the Lord tell us about cloning or genetic engineering? Where in the Word would we look to find answers to questions of such a nature? The fact is that the Word tells us a good deal about cloning, but only indirectly. The Word has infinite truth but its application takes careful study.

     What about cloning? We learn from the Word that the soul of a human being begins in the ovum, a very important teaching (See AC 3570). Now what does "beginning in the ovum" mean? Many people think of the soul as some little person waiting to be born. But that is not what the Writings teach. The soul is not a preformed entity waiting to be born. It comes from the father, but develops successively. All you have to do is think of identical twins. One soul in one seed from the father begins the process. Then that fertilized cell divides and produces two separate people each with their own soul. The soul begins in the ovum as chromosomal pairing takes place. It then goes through a process of growing along with the physical body and more and more that soul becomes capable of being human. It eventually exercises true humanity by making free will decisions. The first phase of the process after fertilization is for the soul to align itself with the brain. This soul-brain interaction is what dominates during the period of the embryo. The next phase of the soul's development happens when the brain and the heart start working together. The soul takes another step in becoming a human being. This is the state of the soul in the fetus. At birth the soul finds full conjunction with the body as the lungs open. With the act of breathing we find a new interaction between the soul with the body. The brain's motion changes from a corresponding motion in the heart, to a harmony with the lungs. This change marks the beginning of a person who will live to eternity.

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So the soul gradually forms in the womb, after it begins in the ovum.

     How does this process relate to cloning? When you clone you take a single cell that is alive. It has the living person's soul which was from the father within it, just as the cell which divides in producing identical twins has the soul within it. When cell division begins it differentiates from its former host. It will grow. It will eventually form a new being, someone other than the person from whom that cell was taken, with its own life before it. It is an identical twin to the person who donated the cell from which it sprang.

     Why would we want to clone ourselves or another person? What motives are involved in cloning? One motive people have suggested is to get fetal tissue. We can use fetal tissue to cure certain kinds of diseases. Remember, the soul begins in the ovum. Fetal tissue is part of a new person in process. If we take the fetal tissue of a cloned entity and use it, we must abort that fetus. The very same issues that we would apply to abortion apply to that use of the cloned being. Another motive suggested is to get spare parts which can be used to cure the donor. The donor might think, "I will make another person, that is clone myself, and then I'll take his kidneys, or perhaps I'll take his heart, and I'll be much better off for it." But when a person is born, that person is a separate entity. It is a new soul, a new person.

     In fact, if we are cloning to take a heart, we are committing murder, because we will kill another person. If we are cloning for some other kind of spare part, do we have such a right? Ethically the only person who can decide whether or not to donate organs is the person who has them. So the cloned person needs to make the decision as to whether he will give something of himself. So the donor will have to wait until that cloned person is an adult and capable of making a rational decision. Such maturity will take at least eighteen years which will probably be too long for the donor to wait.

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     Another suggested motive for cloning is to reproduce a loved one. You have a little boy. He was hit by a car and he is dying. If you can clone your little boy, you can get him back. Of course it is not going to happen. You will not get your little boy back. Instead you will get his identical twin. We know identical twins are often very different in the way they behave.

     In the Arcana Coelestia 1270, we are shown a very wrong reason for reproduction. The passage is talking about the people of the antediluvian race, the worst people who ever lived, the people at the time of the flood. It says these people gloried in their large number of children. They could line them up in a curved line and point to each in turn saying, "There am I, there am I, there am I." Certainly, if we are cloning simply to see ourselves continue, to see ourselves continue after our own death, our motivation is selfish. "There am I" is a very faulty reason.

     We have talked about the use of technology. Advances in technology must look to some use. It is not good enough to say, "because I can." We might see some real value in cloning either a sheep or a cow. The cloned animal might be of such a nature that its unique form is most desirable. But we as individuals looking at technological advances must constantly say, "What is the use?" Why are you developing this particular thing? People who are in charge of technology need to be held accountable. We are our brother's keeper. We need to ask why, why are you doing this? What is the good that you seek to promote?

     The field of genetic engineering is indeed a scary one. There are many implications of things we can do as we start to take charge of our own reproduction, of our own heredity. There are some interesting teachings about the nature of heredity that perhaps look to a good use of genetic engineering. We hear people saying that they could change our genes in such a way that certain tendencies to inherited diseases could be eradicated. A person with an inherited trait for insanity might have a genetic change which would eliminate the birth of insane children.

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In the Arcana Coelestia 310, we read about people before the Most Ancient Church, people called Preadamites. These people regenerated from being merely natural to being spiritual. At length they became celestial. When they became celestial, there was a change in their seed, a genetic change that allowed them to pass on to their children celestial tendencies. When people fell they passed on to their children tendencies toward evil once again probably through genetic change. Could we, if we practiced wise use of genetics, eradicate tendencies toward evil in our children giving them a better background for choosing heaven? Certainly, a wonderful thought. Such a development may be possible, but people of today being what they are have no sense of promoting such good. Again, we need to ask why. Why are you doing this?

     We do know that people today do pass on good inclinations to their children. Conjugial Love 202 says that couples in love truly conjugial pass on to their children, if a boy an inclination toward greater wisdom, and if a girl an inclination toward deeper love. We can through the medium of genetic engineering pass inclinations to good to our children, but will we? The fact is that we are our brother's keeper. As our world crosses a new threshold into greater technology we need to be concerned, we need to say, "Why?" It is not good enough to simply say, "I can do it, so I will do it." We must ask what is the good, what is the good you see in the technology that you are developing?

     Technology will continue to cross many thresholds. Look what is happening in our world in the field of communications. But whatever the threshold, we as individuals need to ask, What is the use in what is contemplated? How will new technology promote the well-being of the human race? What are the potential problems which might arise? Long ago the question was asked;

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the answer needs to be given in every generation. It is not good enough to say, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

     Lessons: Genesis 1:24-28, 4:1-9; DP 210 SWEDENBORG SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION 2004

SWEDENBORG SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION              2004

     On April 24th about ninety people attended the annual meeting of the Swedenborg Scientific Association. The main attraction was the speech by Rev. Dr. Reuben Bell who talked of the whole corpus of what Swedenborg wrote from the work On Tremulation (written in 1719) to True Christianity (published in 1771). This excellent address will be available on tape.

     Prior to this there was a business meeting. We learned that the Association now has 161 members, who (according to treasurer, Dr. Allen Bedford), provide ample financial support. We learned that new editions of all Swedenborg's works will be published. The Association intends to cooperate with the Swedenborg Foundation whose New Century Edition will eventually include the pre-theological works.

     Dr. Erland Brock reported that the current issue of The New Philosophy will feature studies on the subject of "Reflection" written by the late Rt. Rev. George de Charms. He also brought to attention a new marketing group that has been meeting in recent months. The chairman of the group is Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton II.

     With the present title of New Church Associated Publishers the group intends this year to produce a catalog featuring some eighty-five publications from four entities. The four entities are The General Church Publication Committee, the Publication Committee of the Academy of the New Church, the General Church Office of Education and the Swedenborg Scientific Association. They have been discussing ways to publicize two books, Faith and Learning at Bryn Athyn College of the New Church, and Divine Providence, as translated by Rev. N. Bruce Rogers.

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BENEFITS OF HAVING CHURCH IN YOUR LIFE 2004

BENEFITS OF HAVING CHURCH IN YOUR LIFE       Rev. GARRY B. WALSH       2004

     A passage from the book The Doctrine of Life tells us that, "religion is of life and the life of religion is to do what is good" (8).

The Typical Realities of Life

     We live in a tremendously hectic world. Many people find that there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything they feel they need to accomplish. Between employment and housework, kids' school, sports and artistic pursuits, shopping and social obligations, it can seem like we never have a chance to sit still and relax. Just completing the tasks we feel we have to can seem overwhelming. Taking time to quietly contemplate life is often out of the question.

     In contrast, when we reach retirement age, we may find ourselves with too much time on our hands. We have too much time to think. With this added time to think we may find that we begin to experience a new type of worry. This brings with it a sense of helplessness when it comes to solving our personal troubles, and even greater hopelessness when it comes to helping other people with theirs. We will speak more to this challenge later. For the moment though, we will focus on the challenges that come when there is too much to do.

     How do we get out of stress-filled states? How do we get away from rushing around while rarely seeming to get ahead? How might we begin to start feeling less stress? How might we start to experience real and lasting satisfaction and peace in our lives? There are no simple answers. Perhaps, however, we can find some remedies by examining just a few of the things that, in a normal person's life, are often left out.

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People and Companies Can Be Much the Same

     Before we address the nature of these missing areas of life, it might be helpful to examine something that can start to happen when a company feels stressed. In the business world it is not uncommon to find that in tough financial times, two areas of expense are among the first to lose funding. These two areas are R&D (Research and Development) and Marketing. There is no doubt that in the short term a company will save money by cutting these expenses. The trouble though, is that by making cuts in these two areas, it's putting itself at a longer term competitive disadvantage.

     Cuts to R&D mean that a company will likely lag behind when it comes to meeting new and changing customer demands. Better ways may exist to bring products and services to customers. The company, however, fails to invest in the search for these better ways.

     Similarly, when a company reduces its marketing budget, there will be a reduction in new customers. There may also be a gradual ebbing away of existing customers, attracted by someone else's improved products and marketing.

     Investing in R&D and Marketing are ways to secure the future. Dedicating resources to these areas during lean times is often the best way to secure good times ahead.

     As in the case with a company, we sometimes find ourselves barely coping with the stress of our daily lives. These are lean times when it comes to our personal feelings of peace and satisfaction. It is then that we may also find ourselves falling into the trap of doing what many companies do. We lose our focus on those key areas of life that can bring in a much brighter, more satisfying, and lower-stress tomorrow.

Finding Relief

     Stress has been addressed by a wide array of books, courses and therapies. Many of the methods presented are genuinely helpful.

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For example, if people follow the advice of taking as little as fifteen minutes a day to relax in a hot bath or to listen to music they find comforting, their levels of stress will go down. Diet has been highlighted as playing a vital role. People under stress tend to eat poorly, eat too much, or get overly obsessed about their diet. Each of these responses has the potential to increase health problems and exaggerate the person's level of stress.

     Many stress alleviation courses advocate simple time management techniques that put the priorities and demands of life in order. Other stress remedies are based on focused breathing or meditation, such as Yoga.

     Any of these techniques and approaches can make a real difference. They may represent some of the basic things that are missing or neglected in a person's life. Some people come to realize that they have been so busy running around taking care of all those things that seem urgent, they fail to stop and take care of themselves. This is not to say that there are not potential pitfalls that can go along with focusing on ourselves. Too much relaxation or introspection can bring as many if not more problems as being too busy. However, if people never take the time to invest in themselves, to put their priorities in order, to eat right, and to contemplate the true essentials of life, chances are they will find they never achieve a sense of personal fulfillment and satisfaction. On top of that, their health and relationships are likely to suffer.

     The great challenge in life is to achieve balance. Stress is a sign that the balance is not there. And, while self-help books and therapies can go some way towards helping people effectively refocus and rebalance their lives, the most effective refocusing and life-balancing tool is easily overlooked.

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Religion as a Practical Solution

     For the most part, people find it difficult to identify religion as a practical solution to everyday problems like stress. Yet, the truth is that religion is tremendously important in order for a person to achieve the state of well-being that has been referred to as 'interiority'. Dr. Mary Kathryn Grant1 describes `interiority' as being,

The inner quality of centeredness, spiritual grounding, and living one's values and faith tradition every day. Its outward manifestations are peacefulness, self-confidence, resilience, and adaptability. Practices that enable interiority are spiritual reading; personal prayer; an attitude of self-reflection; and the habit of taking a few minutes out of each day to be with oneself, away from computers and e-mail, pagers and beepers, cell phones and faxes.
     1 Dr. Grant is executive director, Ministry Leadership Development, Catholic Health Association, St. Louis

     In order for us to make sense of our physical and emotional lives, it is helpful to first consider our place in the grand scope of God's creation. Too often people place value on temporal things that soon fade. This is why we are given the instruction in Matthew to, "not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroys and where thieves break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19).

     Most of us are familiar with what we are instructed to do instead,

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:20, 21, emphasis added)

     It is sometimes hard to for us to recognize how and where we have been storing up "treasures on earth."

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To one degree or another, we all accumulate earthly treasures. These 'treasures' are more than just material objects, such as reputation, honour and gain. When we get right down to it, the things we are likely to get from a stress-filled life are colds, the flu or a bad back. We may have stomach ulcers, depression, and perhaps even cancer, a short temper, and lack of patience. We may end up with broken relationships. The one thing we usually don't get is peace of mind.

     The treasures of heaven offer very different life outcomes than the treasures of the world. The treasures of heaven offer peace of mind and confidence expressed by this prayer,

I bow my knees to the Father, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with His might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14-19)

"Religion Is of Life"

     This is the first portion of our opening quotation, which comes from the book The Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem. Many have questioned what this word, "life" really means. In the lyrics of a John Lennon song, we hear "life's what happens when you're busy making other plans." This is an idea that has resonated with many because it seems so true. Life seems to be the reality of daily existence: all of the tasks, stresses and problems that come with being here in this world. But, the truth is that for most of the time, what people experience as life is not really life. We may exist and we may survive, but this doesn't mean that we live. True life is something we attain to, not something we struggle through.

     The Lord said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6, emphasis added). Later in the same chapter we read:

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"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).

     True peace of mind and a true experience of "life" can come from the Lord alone. There is no earthly substitute. Yet, while many people realize they are lacking inner peace, or that there must be more to life than their current stress-filled situation, it is rare for them to seek the Lord as a legitimate solution. Few people view religion as a practical tool for improving the quality of life, and many seem unprepared to accept that churches might have something important to offer.

     A person who sees no benefit in seeking the Lord or engaging in the active life of religion is like a company that fails to invest in R&D or Marketing. Failure to invest in the things that are eternally important, both physically and spiritually, leaves him poorer in every aspect of life.

The Life We Acquire for Ourselves

     If people are not actively seeking the Lord, what type of life do they end up having? Obviously there is no blanket answer for this. We are all unique in our experiences and in the things we take from those experiences. Certain aspects of life bring us more pleasure than other aspects. We have a teaching that says:

It is through a whole chain of pleasures and through love of the world and self-love, and so through the desires which are in the unceasing activities of those loves, that a person has acquired a life to himself. (AC 760)

     The life we acquire is therefore a by-product of both experiences and reactions. Regrettably, many people allow their experiences to be determined by their need to satisfy selfish and worldly desires.

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     Sometimes this quest for personal satisfaction manifests itself in external and harmful ways. Those who becomes addicted to alcohol, for instance, will tend to seek opportunities to satisfy that desire. A portion of their "life" will therefore revolve around the quest for and consumption of alcohol.

     While instances of addiction are common in our society, most people's desires to fill physical or emotional needs will be expressed in less overt ways. Some people find they are unhappy whenever things are untidy or unclean. Others will be happiest when they are engaged in fits of verbal anger. Some are happiest when they isolate themselves from others, reading a favorite book or watching television. Some are happiest, or at least most comfortable, when they are unhappy.

     Contrary to what some might believe, the life we live is not forced upon us. The life we live is a product of our desires, our priorities, and the situations we allow ourselves to experience. External situations do not determine the quality of our life. Others may be perfectly comfortable in situations that we would find excruciating. Two people may experience essentially the same external situation and have entirely different responses to it. The outside world does not dictate the type of life we have. Our true life is within.

Investing In Our Life, Through Church

     Many people realize the use of self-investment, i.e., diet and exercise. Great benefits can come from higher education or other types of learning for the sake of learning. These can also be of tremendous benefit to older people who might otherwise spend too much time alone with their thoughts. Yoga, meditation, or even a good strong cup of tea can do wonders for the body, mind and spirit. None of these investments however, comes close to the positive effects of having the Lord in your life. And, there is no vehicle for having the Lord in your life that compares to participation in church.

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     If "religion is of life," then there is no inner life without religion. A person who actively shies away from religion will have a lower chance of knowing, at least in this world, what real life is like. It is a bit like a man never knowing what it is like to think the way a woman thinks or a woman never knowing what it is like to think the way a man thinks. A non or antireligious person cannot know the essentially different quality of life that can be experienced by a religious person. However, unlike the man who will never know what it is like to think like a woman, or vice versa, because their minds are fundamentally different, a nonreligious person can choose to explore religion. And, a nonreligious person can, over time, come into the new experience of life that only religious people know.

     Participation in church provides a unique and irreplaceable opportunity to experience life. Not only does it provide a person with the chance to hear about the Lord and the things of His will, and thereby highlight the differences between the way things are now and the way the Lord would have them be from now on, participation also provides the opportunity for the Lord to send His Spirit upon us communally in a way that is not possible individually. Most of us are probably familiar with the teaching that says: "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20).

     We need to provide opportunities for the Lord to be with us. We need Him because He is "the way, the truth, and the life." We need Him because He is "the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25). To experience the Lord is to experience life. Conversely, to experience life requires an experience of the Lord. A person who has no positive experience of church and who has not gathered with two or three in His name, is like a man who cannot know what it is to think like a woman. He has no idea what it is like.

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He can never appreciate the difference between that experience and the one he has become accustomed to.

The Idea That We Can Experience the Lord by Ourselves

     One of the challenges for the New Church may come from the legacy of Emmanuel Swedenborg himself. Swedenborg appears to have been somewhat of a religious loner. He regularly describes things he experienced during those times he was alone, meditating on the Word of God.

     The New Testament can also give the impression that interaction with God is primarily a solitary matter. In Matthew we read,

When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. (6:6)

     While the value of private reading, meditation and prayer can never be overstated, we need to practice the things we read about, meditate about, and pray for. "The life of religion is to do what is good."

     There is no better venue for practicing the things we believe than in the company of other believers. The old adage "charity begins at home" has some truth to it. We have a certain freedom to act in an overtly religious way when we are in the company of similar religious people. We can read and listen to the Word together, sing and pray together, and join together in the exercise of charity to the neighbor.

     The first of charity, we are taught, is to shun evils because they are sins. The second is to do what is good because we can see that the thing is useful. We are also taught that charity involves acting "honestly, justly, and faithfully, in every work that belongs to anyone's occupation." On top of this, the "signs of charity are all the things that are of worship" (see the introduction to The Doctrine of Charity).

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     While we may be able to work hard, shun evils, and see and do what is good in our private and independent lives, it is difficult to practice charity in the things of worship if we are engaged in worship with others. There are real personal and community benefits from worshipping together, as well as personal growth opportunities when we show tolerance for the worship habits and preferences of others.

     Certain things within worship appeal to us. And, there may also be aspects of particular types of worship that are less appealing and which discourage us from attending. Signs of charity within worship involve accepting and participating in worship that may not always appeal to us, because it is charitable to others to do so. The life of charity also involves being willing to change the way worship is conducted to accommodate people whose needs and preferences are different from our own. We should never forget though, that unless the Lord and His Word are leading the way in our worship, what we have can soon become no worship at all.

"Religion Is of Life, and the Life of Religion Is to Do What Is Good"

     True life and religion go hand in hand. They cannot be divided. The overworked and stress-filled life can benefit from an active participation in the life of religion. So can the life that is often solitary and empty. If we gather together in groups or two or three, the Lord will surely be there in the midst. If we seek His truth and His help, He will fill us with a life immeasurably more fulfilling than what we are probably experiencing right now.

     Feelings of anxiety, stress or depression are symptoms of a life not fully engaged with the Lord and the true life of religion. Having church in your life should not add to the burdens of the week. It may add appointments to a busy calendar, or mean that some other activities can occur less often.

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But the positive effects of church far outweigh any expected negatives. To be able to join together with others, to listen to the Lord's Word with them, to pray with them, sing with them, and grow with them, is priceless, for others and for us.
DRAMATIC NOVEL ENTITLEDTHE ARRIVALS 2004

DRAMATIC NOVEL ENTITLEDTHE ARRIVALS              2004

     We are pleased to announce the publication this month of a novel by Naomi Gladish Smith. Heretofore it has not been the policy of the Swedenborg Foundation to publish novels. But the quality of this one makes it a suitable exception.

     On the back cover we read: "Naomi Smith dramatizes the afterlife as a place in which we learn who we truly have been, or rather who we truly are." Tributes to the book include the following phrases: "sobering, provocative and thoroughly entertaining," "extremely imaginative and ennobling," "intelligently conceived, articulately written . . . deep insight into the mysteries of love, life and beyond."

     It is a book about waking up after death, but it does not mention the Writings! It sets the reader to thinking. Then at the end of the book there are eighteen questions for thought and discussion. Here is one of those questions:

The story posits that angels are human beings who have lived on earth and have made choices that have led them to a life of love and usefulness in heaven . How does this idea differ from previous depictions of angels you are familiar with? What other aspects of angelic life, as portrayed in this story, did you find intriguing or objectionable?

     The reader is asked whether the depiction of the after life was "satisfying or troubling."

     Finally there is a page which pictures the book Heaven and Hell. Above this picture in large letters we read, "Intrigued by this view of the afterlife? GO TO THE SOURCE."

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ELDERGARTEN: CALIFORNIA, MARCH 2004 2004

ELDERGARTEN: CALIFORNIA, MARCH 2004       DOTTY HAMMOND, DIRECTOR       2004

     The California Eldergarten held at Asilomar on the Monterey Peninsula from March 24-28, 2004, opened with registration at the Fred Farr Forum. This building was our main meeting place for the next 5 days. About 50 people joined together to have dinner in the main dining hall at Asilomar and we enjoyed meeting and greeting new friends and old.

     At a gala reception, eldergarten attendees were greeted by Jonathan Cranch, Assistant Director and Financial Officer for the California Eldergarten. Details of the daily events were discussed as were the class schedules and plans for excursions.

     We were pleased to greet the ministers who would be leading the classes during the next few days. Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton led a class on "The New Church and Current Events." It was suggested by Rev. Acton that advance reading of Divine Providence 71-187 might be helpful in attending his classes, however it was to be more of an open forum. Popular topics of discussion were "Same sex marriage" and "Quality of Life."

     Rev. Mark Perry talked about "Mentoring-A Critical Use." Mark presented a visual class that he produced on his computer. References were made to:

     Call of Samuel: 1 Samuel 3:1-21
     Elisha follows Elijah: 1 Kings 19:19-21. 2 Kings 2:1-15
     Opening of the eyes: 2 Kings 6:1-20
     Call of the Disciples: Called to follow the LORD: Matt 4:19

     Mark's presentation was well received with time for comments and questions.

     Rev. Lou Synnestvedt's class was titled "Our Connection With Angels and Spirits: Amazing Teachings, Wonderful Reality." Lou's class encouraged participants to read, think, and fill in the blanks.

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The main source of his class came from the Arcana on our utter dependence upon angels and spirits.

     Everyone was thoroughly inspired by the class presentations and appreciated the time and effort each minister took to prepare to teach, instruct and renew beliefs in the Doctrines of the New Church.

     Our mornings began with breakfast together in the main dining hall. We then adjourned for the morning worship service and announcements for the day. Each minister gave three 45 minutes classes each day. The attendees were divided into 3 groups of 18 people so each group met with each minister every day. Everyone joined together for lunch at the main dining hall.

     On Thursday afternoon everyone enjoyed free time to explore the area. Some of the popular attractions were "17 mile drive" and local wineries. Many people joined into larger groups and dined together at various restaurants. One of the buildings where our group was housed was called "Stuck Up Inn," where we gathered after dinner to chat, enjoy the fire, play bridge and enjoy some music by Brent Schroeder. The culmination of Thursday was a wonderful Vesper service officiated by Lou Synnestvedt. Brent played the prelude and postlude and Joyce Caldwell played the piano for the hymn singing, as she did each morning for worship. The day went well with lots of sunshine and laughter.

     During the Friday morning announcements we were pleased to hear from Bruce Henderson and William Buick on "Planned Giving."

     On Friday afternoon many went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and toured Cannery Row. Too much to see in one day. The evening ended with a Holy Supper service officiated by Tom Kline and assisted by Lou Synnestvedt. Again we were pleased to hear some original compositions by Brent. We were so very fortunate to have our newly elected Bishop with us and to have the musical artistry of Brent and Joyce.

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I am wondering if we should extend this event; there is so much to learn and so many to people to get acquainted with.

     Saturday morning we all realized this was going to be our last full day. We spent a bit more time over breakfast and still were able to follow the timelines for all the morning activities. The planned excursion was a whale watching trip, which had to be cancelled due to rough seas. A wonderful Saturday evening banquet was held. The tables were decorated with beautiful plants wrapped in red foil. Thanks to the fantastic talent of Hannah Cranch, the room looked festive. Jonathan called everyone to dinner and we sang the grace. During dinner many took pictures and got addresses of people they wanted to connect with again. After dinner Hannah presented "gifts" to Tom Kline, Alfred Acton, Mark Perry and Lou Synnestvedt. Lou and Aileen then presented a beautiful ceramic tile made by Judy Scalbom Synnestvedt of "The Loaves and the Fishes" to Dotty and Paul Hammond, Merrily Evans, and Jonathan and Hannah Cranch for their work in organizing the Eldergarten. The speaker for the evening was Tom Kline, and he gave an interesting bio of the time he has spent in the New Church, his humble beginnings and his move up the ladder to the position he holds today. He and his wife Nina had ties to the Los Angeles area as well as Bryn Athyn. We heard many comments from the group, how successful this Eldergarten was, how enjoyable and inspiring. Personally I did not want this evening to end.

     Sunday morning we again met for breakfast. The Church service was led by Tom Kline and accompanied by Brent Schroeder on guitar and Joyce Caldwell on piano. We still had time to have lunch before departing.

     Merrily Evans did a wonderful job arranging the rooms and tried to please everyone, accommodating special needs and requests. The variety of excursions gave a wonderful overview of the area for our visitors.

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     We had a total of 60 people from 11 different states in attendance.

     The joint California Eldergarten Committee was:

Dotty Hammond, Director from Central California
Jonathan Cranch, Asst. Director & Financial Officer from Bay Area
Merrily Evans, Housing & Excursions from Bay Area
Hannah Cranch, Refreshments & Banquet from Bay Area
Paul Hammond, Usher and Maps from Central California
Rev. Lou Synnestvedt, visiting pastor for both Bay Area and Central California
Brent Schroeder, guitarist from Central California
Joyce Caldwell, pianist

     Our special thanks to the California New Church Board for their confidence and financial support and to Rev. Fred Schnarr and the National Eldergarten Board for their assistance and advice.

     As a representative of the Bay Area and Central California groups, I was overwhelmed by this experience and know that in days to come I will not remember the work, but will joyfully recall the memories. Thank you for letting me be a part of this event.
JOHNNY APPLESEED HERITAGE CENTER 2004

JOHNNY APPLESEED HERITAGE CENTER              2004

     The Johnny Appleseed Heritage Center is due to open this summer in Ohio. It will be in the wooded hills within the 118-acre Johnny Appleseed Forest (about midway between Cleveland and Columbus).

     On June 26th there will be the first performance of a musical history of Johnny Appleseed. Then every week it will be performed Tuesday through Sunday until Labor Day.

     This will take place in a natural wooded amphitheater that seats 1600 people.

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Editorial Pages 2004

Editorial Pages              2004

     WHEN THE WRITINGS SAY "KNOW THIS" OR

     "KEEP THIS IN MIND"

     There is a passage in the New Testament about something to be said to people who don't really accept the message. It reads, "Nevertheless, know this, that the kingdom of God has come near to you" (Luke 10:11).

     Remotely similar are two passages in the book Divine Providence which I find particularly interesting. The final lines of these two passages seem to say "nevertheless, know this." More about that in a moment.

     One Bible translation renders the phrase "know this" as "keep this in mind." This reminds me of a saying at the end of paragraph 984 of Apocalypse Explained. "Reader, treasure this up within you, and after death, when you are living as a spirit person, inquire whether this is true, and you will see."

     We are told that the Lord has provided that some people who are not Christians should have at least some knowledge planted in their minds to recall when they went to the other world. The Lord provided them "with some awareness of the Lord before they came into the spiritual world" (see DP 255:4).

     Now for the interesting concluding words of two passages in Divine Providence. Number 251 is a key passage about the permission of war. At the end it speaks of the individual who thinks that outcomes are brought about by human prudence. And then we read:

But let him do so, if he likes, for he has complete freedom to think affirmatively of Divine providence or in opposition to it, indeed affirmatively of God or in opposition to Him. Only let him know that not a whit of any strategy or plan originates from him. Everything flows in either from heaven or from hell-from hell by permission, from heaven by providence.

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     The other passage is number 313. It outlines the meaning of the story of Adam and Eve, and anticipates that some may prefer to think only literally of the story. We read, "But let anyone who wishes remain in the literal sense. Only let him know that the foregoing is the meaning in heaven."

     REMEMBERING AFTER DEATH

     After writing the above editorial, I discovered the following at the end of number 293 of Divine Providence. "Keep this in mind, and if you wish you will have it corroborated by the angels when after death you go to the spiritual world."

     But I want to talk about the phenomenon of not knowing that one has died. Quite early in the process of awakening from death one is informed about the situation. We read that the angels "now tell him that he is a spirit" (HH 450).

     But people can let this message pass over them or can forget it. A later chapter in Heaven and Hell notes: "So it is that he then does not know but that he is still in the world unless he gives attention to what he encounters and to the things told him by the angels when he was resuscitated-that now he is a spirit" (493). Another translation says, "This is why it still seems to us as though we were in this world unless we notice things that are out of the ordinary and remember that angels told us we were spirits when we were awakened."

     A dramatic example of this is given in True Christian Religion. An evil spirit had been claiming there is no life after death. It was said to him, "Recall to mind that you have lived in another world which you have forgotten, and that you are now living after death."

     "Recollection was given him, and he remembered and was ashamed; and he cried out, 'I am mad!' I saw heaven above, and I heard angels there uttering things ineffable; but that was when I first came here" (TCR 80).

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MY STORY OF THE BRYN ATHYN CATHEDRAL 2004

MY STORY OF THE BRYN ATHYN CATHEDRAL       Richard Lindquist       2004


     

     Communications
Dear Editor,

     My Story of the Bryn Athyn Cathedral is a 70-page work of research by a gentleman whose name is spelled exactly like mine. In my unbiased view he has done outstanding work and is to be highly commended for his attention to detail, fine organizational skills and clarity of expression. Also, his work is quite fascinating as can be seen in this history of Lawrence Saint, one of the designers of the stained glass windows at the Cathedral.

     "Now I will tell you an interesting story about Mr. Saint and a bottle of ketchup. I am referring to that brand that has the statement on the front '57 Varieties.' On the back, there are the words, 11.J. Heinz Co., Pittsburgh, PA.' When Mr. Saint's work was nearing completion at the Cathedral in Washington, he sought employment at the Heinz Memorial Chapel on the University of Pittsburgh campus. As a postscript to his letter asking for employment, he wrote, 11.J. Heinz was born in Sharpsburg (PA) where I first saw the light, and my grandfather lived next door to him for years. He called my father by his first name and bought a number of his fruit pictures. He also liked my book, A Knight of the Cross, and he bought 500 copies of distribution in the paperback edition.

     "I have been fascinated by the opportunities that this story has for opening conversations about Swedenborg in millions of locations. Just imagine that you are in a restaurant or food store, anywhere in the USA (or perhaps in another country). You are with someone unfamiliar with Swedenborg. While holding a bottle of ketchup in your hand you look at the back of it and comment, 'Oh yes, the H.J. Heinz Company is still out there in Pittsburgh.

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You know, Mr. Heinz was born in Sharpsburg, PA and was a neighbor to the Saint family. Mr. Saint was a great stained glass artist whose windows can be seen at the National Cathedral in Washington. Every time there is a television broadcast from there, such as a funeral for one of our political leaders, I look for his stunning North Transept Window. You know, he also designed stained glass windows for that Swedenborgian Cathedral, near Philadelphia.' Of course these statements might be considered to be devoid of truth if in your hand, you are holding a bottle of Hunt's ketchup. I happen to have a fondness for the ketchup approach, but some of you might prefer the Heinz pickle approach in your evangelical efforts. It's strictly a matter of personal taste."

     Mr. Lindquist's study is a good resource for serious and not so serious scholars of the Bryn Athyn Cathedral. It is truly fascinating and it does not require much reading to become swept into his world of building materials, maxims, minutiae and many quotes from his friend, Ariel Gunther.

     Richard Lindquist
          Huntingdon Valley, PA
PASSION OF THE CHRIST 2004

PASSION OF THE CHRIST       Roberta Stein Hitchcock       2004

Dear Editor,

     In reading Rev. Goodenough's article on why he didn't plan to see The Passion of the Christ (NCL March 2004), I couldn't help but notice that our shared belief in "the Lord Jesus Christ as God-Man, the incarnation of the 'I AM,' . . . the Word of God in human flesh," was the precise reason I looked forward to seeing the movie!

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I wondered whether the director, who by his own account has experienced the healing and saving power of Christ, would be able to communicate both something of the Lord's Humanity and His Divinity in his telling of the passion.

     An upbringing in the New Church allowed me to bring New Church eyes to the film. Between a New Church background and avoiding watching some (okay, many) scenes, I found myself emotionally protected from the depiction of horrific, unrelenting ill-will showed to Jesus. And I was delighted and surprised by the spiritual symbolism that spoke to me. The portrayal of evil, the unique strengths and wisdom of the feminine, and the treatment of "the Word made flesh" were all addressed directly and in keeping with teachings of the Second Coming, in my mind. I thought the film brilliantly and painfully juxtaposed true loving kindness and its killers, cowardice, greed, and hate, asking viewers the same question I find in the New Testament and the Writings: "Which will you choose?"

     The movie spares no sensibilities in showing the Lord suffering-but then again our teachings say to me that He really didn't spare anything of Himself to reclaim our spiritual freedom. Although this movie is one man's rendition of what that suffering was like, I will never wonder again whether the Lord really knows how I feel when my own going gets a little rough.

     In regard to Rev. Goodenough's statement that portraying Jesus as a suffering and sacrificial atonement "puts in shadow His primary mission of showing goodness and love in His living," my experience of the this movie is that it did the opposite; it demonstrated palpably His goodness and love in His every breath, against a backdrop of horrendous evil. Could anything but Divinity do that? My original question, "Will this movie show that He was both Human and Divine?" was answered for me with a clear "Yes."

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     The last scene is not an empty tomb, but a short and tantalizing suggestion towards a sequel, which might just be the movie Rev. Goodenough longs for: "the Lord risen from the dead, speaking to Mary Magdalene, the Apostles, and talking to Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus."

     It continues to amaze me that the Lord can speak with the very same words to different places in our various human hearts. To anyone feeling drawn to seeing this movie I would say, "perhaps you need to." To those who are clear that they are not interested, then clearly it is not for them. But as a truly cinematically squeamish individual, I have no regrets about viewing this movie. I have brought away from it not horrendous visual memories but an overwhelming sense of the Lord's essential message to "Love one another, as I have loved you."

     Roberta Stein Hitchcock
          Hanover, New Hampshire
PASSION OF THE CHRIST 2004

PASSION OF THE CHRIST       Rev. Grant Schnarr       2004

Dear Editor,

     I have always appreciated the Reverend Dan Goodenough's views, and I respect his opinions about Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ. With this in mind, I would like to respectfully offer a different view. I have seen the movie twice. My sense is the movie does no more portray a separation of the Father and Son than do the Gospels themselves. I just don't see any depiction of false doctrine in this movie except for what people have done with it in spreading their own religious views or in some of the advertising.

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I think you have to read between the lines to figure out what Mr. Gibson thought, and no doubt there is a lot of room for a Catholic interpretation of many of the events, but what he presented was, except for a few scenes, fairly accurate, or well within the realm of possibility (except for the silly scene with the crow). Though the movie was brutally violent, I felt that it captured the essence of the final hours of our Lord on earth and helped me understand what the Lord went through and what people did, on a spiritual level, to the Word itself, which Jesus represented. I cannot recommend the movie, because it is such a personal decision as to whether one wishes to see this or any depiction of the last hours of Christ's earthly life. I do admit, however, that I loved the movie.

     I was struck with the beauty of the movie. It flows like a poem. The depiction of an actual devil walking amongst those who would put the Lord to death represented beautifully for me that this was a battle, not against people of the earth, but against hell. That the devil was cast back into hell at the crucifixion and resurrection was astonishingly New Church in my view. I also found that all the flashbacks of Jesus with His disciples were moving and quite powerful. I was astounded that of all the words of Jesus that could have been selected at the time of these flashbacks, one of the few sayings chosen heralded the coming of the New Church, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth." I was struck with the way the trial was handled and how when Jesus was asked if He were, indeed, the Son of God, the movie quoted Him from John as saying, "I AM," and Gibson chose to put this in capitalizations signifying the great "I AM" or Yahweh. That was amazing! Though the resurrection scene was short, it knocked me over. I thought it said it all; Jesus rose from the dead, as He said He would.

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     I found two scenes of the movie, which were clearly derivations, most powerful. They are within the realm of possibility. But mostly, they reinforced deeper truths for me. First was the scene of Jesus on the way to Golgotha. With all the horrors of the way the Lord was treated, one begins, as we know the angels did, to lose sight of what the Lord was accomplishing or what it was about. As He is carrying the cross through the loud city streets of jeering crowds, the movie flashes back to a week earlier when these same people laid palms before Him and welcomed Him as their king. As He walked, Gibson shows Mary and John trying to get to a place to see Him along the way. Jesus stumbles and falls hard on the road, and Mary His mother flashes back to a time when He was a child and falling. She reaches for Him. As the movie returns to the present she kneels before Him, and He says to her, "See, I am making all things new." For me, suddenly I came to the clear realization that this was the reason for His birth, life, death, and resurrection. It was not in vain. The second scene was of Simon helping to carry His cross. It may or may not have happened the way it was depicted, but the picture of the two of them arm in arm trying to climb the hill at Golgotha, Simon doing all possible to help the Lord make it, opened my eyes to the humanity of that part of the story that we so often gloss over.

     Finally, whether Mel Gibson could have done a better job or not, I want to honor him for what he did. As I sat in the theater the day after the movie's opening, I watched the many young people, somewhere between ages 18 and 30, who crowded the theater and ate their popcorn and talked before the movie began. As the movie started, these young people became hushed, mouths open, eyes wide, as they silently drank it in. At the end of the movie, as the Lord springs from the Tomb, they cheered, and walked out in tears, in silence, or with gently spoken words of awe. I thought to myself, "Well, Mel, you did it."

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As war rages across the world, as terrorists attack the innocent in the name of religion, as good and evil clash on so many levels in our culture and Christianity seems so powerless to bring any good in the world, along comes this movie which gives them just a glimpse of the most important person who ever walked this earth. And I could hear so many of them say without words, "So, this is Jesus Christ." Maybe it's not the whole story, but it is a beginning. I believe this movie is going to change our culture. Now, if only we could convert one of these big stars to the New Church!

     Rev. Grant Schnarr
          Bryn Athyn
www.NewChurchVineyard.org 2004

www.NewChurchVineyard.org              2004

     An on-line family magazine from the G. C. Office of Education featuring materials for all ages focused on a new theme every month.

     "God Meant It for Good" in May 2004

     The Lord on the White Horse in June 2004

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ORDINATION 2004

ORDINATION              2004


     

     Announcements
     Simons-At Sudbury, Massachusetts, March 14, 2004, Stephen Restyn Simons into the second degree, Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss officiating.
ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCHTHEOLOGICAL SCHOOL, COLLEGE AND SECONDARYSCHOOLS CALENDAR 2004

ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCHTHEOLOGICAL SCHOOL, COLLEGE AND SECONDARYSCHOOLS CALENDAR              2004

     2004

Aug     25     Wed     New College international students orientation
     26-27     Thu-Fri     College faculty retreat
     28     Sat     All College students arrive on campus
     29-4     Sun-Sat     Sports camps
     30     Mon     College registration
     31     Tue     College and Theological School Service Day
Sept     1     Wed     College and Theological School begin classes
     5     Sun     Secondary Schools resident students arrive on campus
               8:00 p.m. Secondary Schools Back-to-School Night
     6     Mon     Labor Day Holiday
     7     Tue     Secondary Schools orientation/registration for all students
               7:30 p.m. Opening worship (Cathedral)
     8     Wed     Secondary School classes begin
               4:15 p.m. President's address, reception (MPAC)
Oct     15     Fri     8:00 a.m. Charter Day: Annual Meeting of ANC Corporation
          (MPAC)
               10:30 a.m. Service (Cathedral)
               9:00 p.m. Dance (Asplundh Field House)
     16     Sat     7:00 p.m. Banquet (Asplundh Field House)
Nov     8     Mon     Secondary Schools grading day, no school
     19     Fri     College and Theological School fall term ends after exams
     24     Wed     Secondary Schools break for Thanksgiving
     29     Mon     Winter term begins in College and Theological School
     30     Tue     Secondary Schools resume classes
Dec     17     Fri     Secondary Schools Christmas vacation begins at noon
               College and Theological School vacation begins after classes

                    2005

Jan     2     Sun     Resident students return in all schools
     3     Mon     Classes resume in all schools
     17     Mon     Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (in-school observance all schools)
     24-25     Mon-Tues Secondary Schools winter break
     31     Mon     7:30 p.m. Secondary Schools Back-to-School Night
Feb     21     Mon     Presidents' Day holiday in all schools
     25     Fri     College and Theological School spring break begins after exams
Mar     14     Mon     College and Theological School Spring Term begins
     24     Thu     Secondary Schools spring break begins after exams
     25     Fri     Good Friday holiday for all schools
     28     Mon     Easter Monday holiday for College and Theological School
               (Secondary Schools on break)
Apr     4     Mon     Secondary Schools classes resume
May     6-8     Fri-Sun     Bryn Athyn College Alumni Weekend
     7     Sat     11:15 a.m. Semiannual meeting of Academy Corporation
               (MPAC or Pendleton Hall Auditorium)
     30     Mon     Memorial Day holiday
June     3     Fri     2:00 p.m. College and Theological School Graduation (MPAC)
     4     Sat     Secondary Schools Graduation (AFH)
Title Unspecified 2004

Title Unspecified              2004



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Vol. CXXIV     June, 2004     No. 6

     New Church Life

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Notes on This Issue 2004

Notes on This Issue              2004

     This month Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss concludes his period of service to the General Church as Executive Bishop. He has served this use for thirteen years. His sermon on "mixed motives" was presented in the Bryn Athyn cathedral on May 9.

     Rev. Grant Odhner offers another point of view about the Mel Gibson movie.

     The dedication of a church building in Seoul, Korea, is an important milestone, and we have gathered some information about Korean New Church activities.

     Again this year, we are printing the names of this year's graduates of the Academy of the New Church and the names of the graduates of Bryn Athyn College. Among the college graduates six different countries are represented.

     In this issue you will see mention of Mr. Richard Lines of the Swedenborg Society. Mr. Lines has a letter in the June issue of The Christian Parapsychologist. In his final paragraph he speaks of C.S. Lewis: "I suspect that Lewis knew rather more about Swedenborg than he was prepared to let on and borrowed heavily from Heaven and Hell in the Great Divorce."
REV. BRIAN KEITH, PROPOSED AS ASSISTANTBISHOP OF THE GENERAL CHURCH 2004

REV. BRIAN KEITH, PROPOSED AS ASSISTANTBISHOP OF THE GENERAL CHURCH              2004

     You will have received the special May edition of the Bishop's Newsletter. There are outlined the steps of affirming an assistant bishop. Provided in the Newsletter is an account of Brian's professional life, and there are two of his sermons, one of them entitled "How the Lord Can Lead Us."

     This month, if you are a member of the General Church, you will receive a ballot. The ballots will be tabulated in September, so be sure to send yours by August 31.

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MIXED MOTIVES 2004

MIXED MOTIVES       Rev. PETER M. BUSS       2004

"So likewise you, when you have done all those things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do" (Luke 17:10).

     We have lots of mixed motives. We might feel a satisfaction in the knowledge that we have helped people and yet we also work hard because we want the money and the recognition. We might go out of the way to help someone who is hurt or miserable, because they needed help; but it's also nice if people know how kind we have been, and give us the credit for it. For a lot of our lives it seems we're both thoughtful and self-seeking. We have not yet allowed the Lord to make us into the kind, and totally unselfish people that He promises we will become.

     We can change our habits, but how can we change our motives? It's an amazing part of the Lord's mercy that He can do so, and that He shows us a path which makes it possible for Him to do it.

     The most common mixed motive with a well-disposed person is merit. Doing good is a reward in itself, but we don't at first think that way. We want a bonus; we want to have our goodness seen by people, and appreciated and rewarded. Often we aren't sure which emotion is the strongest in us-the wish to do what's right, or the need to be appreciated. Just as strong is the hope that the Lord is keeping close tally of the good things we've done, noticing them, not counting our bad acts, and preparing a special reward for the wonderful people we are becoming.

     This tendency shows itself in many ways. The little child will tell you exactly what she has done that's good, and sometimes she will tell you the reward she is expecting. The older they get, the less innocent is the feeling.

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Adults sometimes have a tendency to barter with their goodness, exchanging kindness for a reward they're hoping for, and withholding it if they don't get it. There's the person who will work for a charity, and resign if he is not appreciated enough-never mind the poor or needy he was supposed to help. There's the business that gives to well-publicized charities or causes, and then takes out advertisements telling people what they did. These are ugly examples. On a lower plane, adults find ways to let people know if they have done something good. They secretly hope for special recognition, or feel hurt when what they've done isn't noticed.

     This is an instinctive part of life, so much so that the Lord in His mercy accepts it. He has revealed in the Writings that if at first a person didn't think that he merited heaven by his goodness he would never do any good (AC 4145)! Mixed motives are very much a part of our lives for many, many years. It is only after a lifetime of learning kindness that slowly the pure joy in helping others becomes our real motive. In the meantime, the Lord accepts the mixed one. He looks at the innocence with which we, His children, try to do and think charity, and He overlooks, and seeks to turn aside the selfishness that walks hand in hand with it (AC 4063). He even leads us through merit (AC 3701). Think how often He allowed the disciples to expect rewards. "What will we have?" Peter asked once (Matt 19:26). The Lord promised them twelve thrones. He knew that in time they'd come to realize that they couldn't judge anyone, nor were they the highest in the kingdom of heaven. But He allowed them to keep their dreams of glory until the time should come when glory meant nothing to them.

     Still, taking merit is wrong. We shouldn't want to take the credit for what is not ours. We don't have the power to do good. We don't have good feelings by our own strength. We don't have the wisdom or the judgment to help others. All the real work is the Lord's, all that is good in us is planted by the Lord, and nurtured, and breathed in new every moment.

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He wants us to have it, and use it as our own; but we must come in time to acknowledge that it did not come from us. To claim it as our own is a lie, and it is in the last analysis spiritual theft to claim the credit for what the Lord has done. The angels of heaven call those thieves who persistently want the credit for kindness. Some day-we may live for many years unconsciously thinking of ourselves as good-but some day we will face, and find our joy in the truth that all is from the Lord. "For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory."

     That is what the Lord was teaching the disciples when they said unto Him, "Lord, increase our faith." It was rather a lovely request, and He responded in a way they probably could not have conceived. They were like the huge majority of humankind, they liked the rewards, the visible approval and appreciation of the world for being good. Like people all over the world, they called attention to their goodness, they found subtle ways to let people know when they'd done something right, they even kept the score, and hoped their friends felt properly indebted to them. The Lord increased their faith by teaching them about merit.

     A servant has been working in the field. That was his job, as was the duty to serve food to his master. Does the master feel so indebted to the servant for doing his job that he reverses their roles, and serves him? Hardly. So, said the Lord. When you have done all the things I've told you to do, say, "We are unprofitable servants: we have done what was our duty to do."

     The message of the story is obvious. A servant is paid to do a job. When he does it that doesn't make him marvelous. That is the contract, and his reward is the pay he receives. Any praise is extra. Our job on this earth is to do what the Lord has told us to do. When we do this, we're not marvelous. We've done only what was our duty to do.

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     In the internal sense, the same message goes further. A servant in the Word always represents someone who does good for the sake of reward. He is a hired servant, like the ones in the story of the prodigal son, or the laborers in the vineyard -he does what is good in return for the happiness of heaven. His motive is selfish, but his deeds are good, and the Lord accepts the mixture, for a time. But the Lord increases our faith by letting us realize that we can go further. The first step in this progress is to acknowledge that we are not terribly special by doing only what we were put on earth to do!

     "We are unprofitable servants." A servant doesn't turn a profit if he only does his duty. If he goes beyond his duty, if he does some special job the master didn't expect of him, he becomes more than a servant, he becomes a friend. Then he does things because of his bond of friendship with the person he works for. He's not doing his duty, he's acting from friendship, and enjoying it.

     We're not "profitable" until we do what is right, not for reward, but from joy, and when we do that, we do more than is required. Doing good because it will get us to heaven, or because the Lord will make us happy is a motivation, but not a very strong one. It makes us want to do just what is required-no more. Doing good because someone needs us, or because we love someone is a gift from the Lord-the love that leads us into heaven.

     The Prodigal Son said to himself, "I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight and am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants." The Prodigal Son represents the person on the road to repentance. In doing the Lord's will, in shunning evil, he is returning to his Heavenly Father, and as he does so he thinks of the hired servants' food he will receive at the journey's end. He thinks he deserves a reward for his new found goodness.

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     But what happens when he reaches his father? He says the words he had promised to say, but he leaves out the last sentence! He does not ask to be a hired servant. The penitent person, at the journey's end, finds that the wish for reward has gone. It is replaced by a love of doing what is good without thought of reward. In embracing this motive he becomes truly a child of the Lord. "For this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found."

     The important point is that it is through the understanding that the Lord rejects merit in us. For our motives may be mixed, but we can see the true ideal, clearly, in its purity, in our understanding. We can see right now that the ideal is to give all the glory to the Lord, and take no credit ourselves. This is because the human understanding is made to see clearly, and in the light. It rises above our feelings, sees what should be. Then we are free to use what we have seen, and through the truth to rise above impure motives to cleaner ones.

     And the exciting thing about the Lord's words is that He not only teaches a truth, He shows a way. He tells us what we can consciously do each time we are tempted to seek reward. First, let's remember that we are the Lord's servants. We are supposed to do what's right. We have no right to do what's wrong. We have the freedom, but we have no right to do it, because this is the Lord's universe, and the rules are His rules, and there is only one hope of happiness-His way. When we do what's right, we're not being marvelous and wonderful, we're just keeping our side of a very simple bargain. We do what's right, He gives us happiness. Up to that point, we haven't turned a profit for the Lord.

     But like servants, we can go beyond our bargain. We can do what is not required of us. We can say, "I'm an unprofitable servant, so I won't seek credit. I'll do what's right, and not expect reward."

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     And isn't it appropriate that the very next story in the Gospel of Luke should be about ten lepers, who asked the Lord to help them? He did, and on the way to see the priests, they were cleansed. Nine of them thought only of the happiness which now awaited them-the families they could return to. They hurried on, intent on their joy. One of them remembered the source of his joy, and turned back, and fell at the Lord's feet, and thanked Him. What did the Lord say to him? "Your faith has made you well." This man knew, far more deeply than the others knew, what was expected of him. Never mind why the other nine were cleansed. His faith made him whole. "Lord, increase our faith!" If we think we have earned heaven, we are not grateful for it. We think it is our right. But when we know that the Lord gave it to us out of His lovingkindness and His infinitely wise leading, we are truly thankful.

     That spirit of gratitude is what does away with merit: the realization that all is from our God. Our spiritual health is from Him, our joy, our satisfaction, our clean conscience. The power to walk across the room and say kind words to someone who's miserable-that too comes from Him. When we can see this, we can say of ourselves when we do what is good, "We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do."

     And that is the moment when we stop being servants. The motive of reward begins to die, and the Lord can say of us, "Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant does not know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known to you." To replace the wish for reward with genuine love is the Lord's great work of mercy. Amen.

Lessons: Luke 17:5-19; Luke 15:11-24; AC 4145

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GIBSON'S PASSION OF THE CHRIST-ANOTHER RESPONSE 2004

GIBSON'S PASSION OF THE CHRIST-ANOTHER RESPONSE       Rev. Grant ODHNER       2004

Different Responses to the Film

     Some of you are familiar with the scene in Fiddler on the Roof, where a group of men is standing in the marketplace discussing the news. One man asserts his opinion about something. Tevya (the humorous main character) responds, "You're right." Another man counters with a different opinion. Tevya says, "You're right too." A third man accosts Tevya: "They can't both be right!" Tevya pauses . . . then: "You know, you're right, too!"

     We can all identify with this situation. When we get together and share perspectives we often see truth in what different people say, even when the views differ and appear to contradict. This is not because there is no absolute truth. There are things that we would mutually agree on, in fact, insist on. But in respect to lesser issues, what makes a perspective ring true is that it makes sense in the framework of a given person's life (where they've been, and where they're going).

     In late April the Bryn Athyn College hosted an evening to share perspectives on Gibson's recent movie. A panel of people presented its views. Then there was dialogue with the audience (about 40 people, mostly people from the Bryn Athyn community). It was a charitable exchange. A number of people spoke appreciatively of what the film had done for them. Comments were along the following lines. The events of the Lord's passion had been "two-dimensional" (without much connection with their imagination, emotions, or understanding); but through the film they had become "three-dimensional."

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For some people this was a matter of having heard the words from childhood but never having been challenged to understand them as adults. For others it was a matter of overcoming their penchant for remaining in matters of the "head" and not letting things engage their "heart." Another admitted that he was accustomed to "ordinary" violence, so that the extraordinary violence of this film served to get through to him. Yet another person felt that the film brought alive for him the "ultimates" (outmost images) of the Word, which serve as the basis for the spiritual message and help convey it with power. Specifically, the power for one of the panelists was in causing him to reflect on the ways in which we can abuse the truth, and how manipulative and hurtful this can be.

     As one minister there observed, it is wonderful that this film is shaking people up and getting them thinking and talking about the Lord! On balance, I too am grateful for this "teachable moment" (as that minister described it). And, regardless of the inherent quality of the film, we know that the Lord brings good out of everything that He allows to happen.

The Need for Clarity

     It is useful to remember that the fact that the Lord can bring good out of everything does not make everything equally good and useful. What may be useful to one person in viewing this film may be harmful to another. For example, the movie was of benefit to people like Roberta Hitchcock (letter in last issue), who noted that she was able "to bring New Church eyes to the film." Others may benefit because they are ignorant of what the film was really trying to say. This frees them to see only ideas that "hit them where they are" and lead them closer to the Lord than where they were before. To others, the film will be damaging, because they find in it persuasive confirmation of terrible falsities (the falsities that necessitated the Lord's Second Coming).

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Still others are not well served in being led to think that what they saw in the film was the actual teaching of the Bible, when in fact a great deal of it was not.

     I don't mean to suggest that there was nothing good about this film. On balance I am hopeful that the useful effects that stem from it will outweigh any damage it will do. (And, after all, this film will be little more than a "flash in the pan" of time.)

     Nevertheless, I do want to shed light on some aspects of the film which I believe we should see clearly and be critical of.

Gibson's Doctrinal Vantage

     This film is thoroughly steeped in Catholic doctrine (Mr. Schnarr's comments in the May issue notwithstanding). Though he did not see the movie, Rev. Goodenough's comments (March issue) were based on accurate reviews of the film, and his assessment was correct. From the opening quote from Isaiah 53:5 ("He was wounded for our transgressions .. . And by His stripes we are healed"), the film is about nothing else than the vicarious sacrifice of Christ. This was clearly recognized by the authors of the interesting Time Magazine feature "Why did Jesus have to die?" (April 12, 2004), which summarized a few contrasting views of how Christ accomplished atonement.

     Let us note here that every film about the Lord's life is done according to the doctrine of its creators. I've never seen such a film that hasn't had some evidence of a belief in the vicarious atonement. But most I've seen have been done by Protestant producers who have wanted to stick more closely with the Biblical text, because they believe it is authoritative. As a Catholic, Gibson was not so concerned with this. The Catholic church teaches that the Bible is authorized by the church and its doctrine. The Bible is not the source of the church and its doctrine, only part of the record of what the church believes. I am guessing this is why The Passion does not follow the Gospel account very closely, and especially why it contains so many touches of Catholic belief.

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For example, the stages of the cross are all observed. (e.g. did you know that the woman who offers Jesus a cloth to wipe His face is Veronica, a story that explains a relic?) Mary is seen in superhuman terms, is called "Mother" by believers, and is clearly party to Jesus' mission. Some have called the film "authentic." This may be true of certain visual details, but make no mistake: it is not very authentic to the Gospel account.

     But the most significant doctrine is Gibson's notion of salvation (shared by most Protestant churches). Jesus saved us by this single "12-hour" event-not by a lifetime of inner combat with hell in His own will and understanding, as we believe. He saved us by paying the penalty for our sin. The idea here is that God, being perfect justice, requires that when a law is broken the offender must pay a penalty for it-or if not, somebody must pay! The human race had sinned so much that no one could pay; all were damned. So Jesus paid the price! He bought us our salvation! The doctrine can be phrased in different ways. For instance, some people play down the Father's "anger" and exacting justice, and emphasize the power of love that moved the Son to lay down His life, and moved the Father to accept His Son's sacrifice on our behalf. But in all forms it comes down to a God who is divided in His ability to save us: there is a Father who somehow can't do it without a Son; He needs the Son to persuade Him or serve as a mediator to reconcile Him with us.

     The idea of God here is all wrong! Aside from the egregious tri-Personalism, this God's wisdom/justice is divorced from His love! And what an idea of justice! It supposes that God requires payment for sin rather than removal from sin-removal through our accepting the truth in freedom, and practicing it, and experiencing change of heart from that. The vicarious aspect of this doctrine removes from us our freedom and rationality in responding to God.

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It makes a mockery of the hundreds of places in the Old and New Testament which tell us we need to make the personal decision to cease from evil and do good, to practice repentance, to live rightly if we are to be saved. It supposes that we can be changed only by an act of faith in what someone else has done for us, rather than by a lifetime of choices, and effort to live well in cooperation with our God. In short, it is an insidious doctrine.

The Violence

     Gibson's film is incredibly violent, as all have attested. Practically from the opening scene, when He was taken in Gethsemane, Jesus is violently beaten. He is not merely roughed up. He is brutally struck in the head-again and again, as He walks to the High Priest's, as He is led to Pilate, in the Praetorium by Pilate's soldier, and from there to the cross. The scourging is dreadful beyond imagination. Jesus is not just scourged on the back, but they turned Him over and did the front. Nothing is done by "suggestion" here: it is long and drawn out, blow by blow. Every effort is made to depict the Lord suffering the worst abuses. Many cruelties are the direct result of the abusers' intent. Others are secondary effects-Jesus stumbling or falling from a blow and smashing His face or having His limbs wrenched in hideous ways, or being strangled by His fetters (at one point He falls off the road and over a cliff and gets tangled in a tree by His ropes).

     Why such violence? First, most people today (as countless studies have shown) are so inured to violence that Gibson could get away with it, and in fact wouldn't be able to move many people without it. To leave anything to the imagination would have been insufficient and ineffective for this group! (Add to this Gibson's own evident fascination with violence. Some of his other films even suggest a sadistic pleasure in it.) But, more significantly for us, the violence is a direct result of Gibson's belief that the Lord saved us by taking hits for every sin we ever committed!

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And that if we do not realize this, we cannot be saved.

     An aside . . . Mr. Schnarr mentioned favorably the flashbacks to other scenes of the Lord's ministry. I had expected these to be more frequent, giving us more glimpses of the Lord's glorious teaching and healing. They proved to be few and far between. They offered little reprieve from the violence.

The Gospels and the Lord's Suffering

     Gibson's concept of the Word is significant here. If he believed that the Lord gave the Gospels to guide our thinking about this event, I do not think he would have portrayed it as he did. The Gospels have only a few brief suggestions of violence touching the Lord's passion. A summary from the various Gospels:

     -     at His arrest: they "lay hands on" Jesus and "bound" Him (perhaps this was done roughly?)

     -     at Sanhedrin trial: they "spat in His face and beat Him; others struck Him with palms of hands"; they "blindfolded Him" (Luke adds mocking at this point)

     -     with Pilate's soldiers: they "scourged" Him, "spit on Him" and "struck Him with reed" (the mocking is described in some detail in this scene)

     -     with Herod (Luke only): they "treat Him with contempt" and mock Him

     -     on way to cross: Jesus "bore His cross" (John only; in Matthew-Mark-Luke Simon carries it)

     -     at Golgotha: they "crucified" Him (verbal mocking goes on here, and giving vinegar to drink)

     The emphasis in the Gospels is more on the Lord's mental states (and note the progression from Matthew to John, which seems to be from a more external to a more internal view of the Lord's states):

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     -     His despair: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34)

     -     His forgiveness of others: "Father forgive them..." (Luke 23:34)

     -     His concern for others: "do not weep for Me, but ...for yourselves and for your children" (Luke 23:28); "Woman, behold your son!"... "Behold your mother!" (John 19:26-27)

     -     His total self-possession, sense of being above the violence: "Into Your hands I commit My spirit" (Luke 23:46); "It is finished" (John 19:30)

     -     His sense of laying down His life according to His own plan: "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself' (John 10:18)

The Lord as the Word-Mistreated

     It has been pointed out that the Writings teach that the abuse the Lord suffered corresponded to the way the Jews treated the Word. Some have suggested that the film usefully accentuated this point.

     I concede that the violence can serve this use. At the same time I believe that Gibson goes way beyond the picture given us in the Word. He blows it way out of proportion-to the point of incredulity for me. I have been told by historians that the Romans were very violent. But they also observed strict discipline in their troops. It seems unlikely that Jesus would have been beaten every step of the way to the Sanhedrin (by temple guards) before their higher-ups had even seen Him. And surely the Roman guards charged with scourging and executing Jesus would have been more prudent about getting Him to Golgotha. He never would have made it to either destination the way Gibson showed it.

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(Only TV audiences believe that people can actually endure more than two or three blows like that and get up again!)

     One might argue that the Jews treated the Word really badly, therefore it is appropriate to depict them treating the Lord so. But where does this line of reasoning end? How far might we go? I'm sure we could conceive of even more disgusting ways that could represent the mistreatment of the Word!

     The net effect of all the violence for me was that I felt manipulated by it-at the hands of a producer who has often demonstrated a love of shocking with it, at the hands of a very improbable concept of what happened, based on an even more insidious notion of what was at issue. I found myself resenting the perceived need for the violence, the jaded sensibilities of our culture which cause us to accept it, and the ugly doctrine which required it. Ironically, for a person who invariably tears up at the least show of tenderness, poignancy or significance, I came out of this film nearly dry-eyed! Its manifold "problems" caused it to engage my head more than my heart.

A Few Things I Liked

     I liked the use of Aramaic. This fed my imagination of the story and "the times" in a new way.

     I appreciated the fact that the devil was depicted hanging around in Gethsemane and in the crowd at the trial and on the way to Golgotha. This is an interesting example of something that wasn't accurate to the Biblical account, but part of Gibson's doctrinal interpretation. Yet in this case New Church doctrines also recognize the inner conflict that was going on throughout the passion. A New Church producer might have done the same sort of thing.

     In the opening scene the prophecy from Genesis 3:15 was brought in. (Again not authentic to the Gospel account, but doctrinally present in the Lord's mission.) A real snake slithers out from the Satan figure, and slinks around Jesus.

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In a dramatic sudden movement, Jesus stamps on it-just as the delegation of guards is entering the garden to arrest Him. (Interestingly the dead snake was left to our imagination!-unlike most gory details in the film!)

     Let me end on this note of appreciation. And also with the hopeful thought that some day there might be films produced by people who are thinking from the doctrines of the New Church. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see a film that used the light of the Heavenly Doctrine to stir people's awareness of who that Man really was whom "the world did not know," of what His real work was, and of how He is with us today, calling us to respond to His redemption!
www.NewChurchVineyard.org 2004

www.NewChurchVineyard.org              2004

     An on-line family magazine from the G. C. Office of Education

     featuring materials for all ages focused on a new theme every month.

     "God Meant It for Good" in May 2004

     The Lord on the White Horse in June 2004

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Editorial Pages 2004

Editorial Pages              2004

CHURCH DEDICATION IN KOREA AND

     OTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN ASIA

     On Sunday, April 25th, Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton officiated at the dedication of a New Church place of worship in Seoul, Korea. There are two ministers who will share the pulpit of this church. They are Rev. Dzin Kwak who is well known to Bryn Athyn residents and also Rev. Yang Kyu. More than seventy people attended the dedication.

     Here are a few of the things that have been published in Korean.

     Rev. John Jin has done a translation into Korean of New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine. He has printed it with a parallel English version.

     Miss Elaine Kim, a teacher at Bryn Athyn College, did a translation of Heaven and Hell into modern Korean. It was recently advertised in the newspaper, Seakeailbo, and may be obtained in Korean book stores.

     Paragraphs 1-546 of Arcana Coelestia translated by Rev. Dzin P. Kwak, has been published in Korea. A book entitled The Spiritual Documentary has also been published. This consists of selections from Spiritual Experiences. This was translated from a Japanese version. That version is said to have sold several thousand copies in Japan. The translator was Professor Dakahasi Kazuo.

     The book by Rt. Rev. Tom Kline, The Journey of Life, has been translated into Korean, and copies are available in Korea and at the General Church Book Center.

     In April of 1993 we printed a page from a Korean pamphlet produced and distributed by Rev. Dzin Kwak. Its title in English translation is What Can the New Church Serve for the Human Race?

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[Photographs of the church and congregation.]

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[Photograph of the congregation.]

     Rev. John Jin was ordained in June of 1994. (There is a photo of him with his statement of faith and purpose in the August issue of that year.) In January, 2001, he traveled to China where he officiated at the baptism of Huiling sun (see the photo in the July issue of 2001). Miss Sun now lives in Sydney, Australia. Her Chinese translation of Helen Keller's book Light in My Darkness is, we understand, on a web site in China. This month Rev. Jin will be in China again and will also visit Nepal.

     THE PHILADELPHIA NEW CHURCH

     KOREAN GROUP

     A Korean group that formerly met for worship in Ivyland, Pennsylvania, has in recent months been holding services in Bryn Athyn. The services are held in Pendleton Hall of Bryn Athyn College.

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They are in the Korean language and headphones are available providing English translation. Pastor John Jin reports an average attendance of fifty.

     THE INNER LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST

     In 2001 an important book was published by Fountain Publishing. The writer is Rev. Geoffrey S. Childs. The title of the book is The Path. The subtitle is The Inner Life of Jesus Christ.

     This is a remarkable undertaking which required a careful study of the volumes of the Arcana Coelestia. In 250 pages Mr. Childs undertakes to outline the Lord's inner life, and he endeavors to do so in such a way that even someone not familiar with the Writings can appreciate.

     In the introduction we read: "The New Testament is silent about much of Jesus' life as an infant and child. What was happening then? What was He experiencing?" He goes on to say, "I believe that the Lord's answers to these questions are in the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. From these works called by many simply 'The Writings,' we learn that within the stories of the Old Testament lie hidden stories which treat of the Lord's lifetime on earth in great depth and detail . . . of His inner history, that is, His loves and His struggles, and the development of His mind and character. This highest 'sense' or meaning in the Bible tells of the successive mental states of His infancy, childhood, youth, and then His entire life on earth."

     We are told that chapter twelve of the book of Genesis "begins to tell the story of the Lord's life on earth, from His birth and first infantile awareness to the completion of His Divine mission. This is revealed in the inner meaning of the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph."

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     "To read about Genesis chapter 12 in the Arcana Coelestia of Swedenborg is to discover a new world, for one finds, as if by a divine miracle, that Abraham's life viewed from within is the story of the Lord's infancy, childhood, and youth."

     Here are some of the chapter headings of the book.

     The Birth and Infancy of Jesus

     The Early Education of Jesus Christ The First Temptation of Jesus

     Comforts and Insights for the Child Jesus The First Rational of the Lord as a Child The Salvation of Humankind

     There are forty-one chapters. In the final chapter we read as follows:

     "The Lord's life in the world was an example according to which the people of the church are to live, as the Lord Himself teaches in John: 'I have given to you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."'

     "He shows us The Path. He founded it and then re-established it on earth. He invites us to take this spiritual highway and gradually, step by step, to come to Him. He reveals to us what He thought and felt in His own glorification: His joys and insights, His awful temptations, His liberating victories. We do not lose Him when He is glorified. We find Him. The Lord says to us, 'Peace be with you."

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JAMES AND SWEDENBORG 2004

JAMES AND SWEDENBORG              2004


     

     Communications
Dear Editor,

     I was interested to read the short piece "Henry James Discovering the Writings" in the Editorial Pages of the April 2004 number. About the time that James was recommended to read Swedenborg by Sophia Chichester he met James John Garth Wilkinson, a London doctor and a member of the Swedenborg Society, who was to become his lifelong friend. As Habeggar puts it in his biography, "The Englishman must have proved a comforting guide for a disturbed convert struggling to find his way." James and his wife already had two young sons, William and Henry, and when a third son was born to them he was named Garth Wilkinson James. "Wilky," as he was known in the family, did not have the intellectual distinction of his elder brothers, but he fought bravely in the Civil War (as an officer in a Massachusetts regiment of Black soldiers) and was severely wounded. He died comparatively young, just a year after his father and was much mourned by his siblings.

     Henry James senior wrote many books expounding Swedenborg's philosophy, among them The Secret of Swedenborg, of which the novelist William Dean Howells said that he "wrote The Secret of Swedenborg and kept it"! The Swedenborg Society does not, to my knowledge, have letters from William James to Garth Wilkinson, but we have a huge collection of Wilkinson letters to Henry James senior. Of particular interest is a letter dating from 1895 from Wilkinson to Henry James junior, the novelist, congratulating him on his play, Guy Domville, which the 82 year old Englishman had just seen at the Haymarket theatre. James was bitterly disappointed at the failure of his play (he was greeted with boos on the first night and it ran for only a month) and must have been much comforted by the kind words of his father's oldest friend.

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     A final, but little known chapter of the Swedenborg/James connection was written in 1910 when the great American novelist, long resident in England but not yet a British citizen, became a Vice-President of the International Swedenborg Congress held in London that July, along with his friend and fellow-writer William Dean Howells and Julian Hawthorne, son of Nathaniel Hawthorne, and himself a prolific novelist and a New Churchman.

     Richard Lines
     The Swedenborg Society
     20 Bloomsbury Way
     London WC1A 2TH
BOOKLETS FROM THE OFFICE OF EDUCATION 2004

BOOKLETS FROM THE OFFICE OF EDUCATION              2004

     I look on the shelf at the book room in the Bryn Athyn cathedral. A booklet catches my eye. It is called "The Birthday of the New Church." It is written by Carol Buss and it is illustrated by Mary Cooper. The cost is $ 5.95. What is it about these books that spring like blossoms from the Office of Education? It's the color. It's the quality. It's the evident love that is in them.

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ORDINATION 2004

ORDINATION              2004


     

     Announcements
     McCardell-At Sarver, Pennsylvania, March 21, 2004, Ethan Derek McCardell, into the second degree, Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Kline officiating.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN ONE YEAR 2004

GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN ONE YEAR              2004

     The next General Assembly will be held in Bryn Athyn, PA from June 5th-8th, 2005.

     Next month we expect to have a formal announcement about it.

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SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADUATES 2004

SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADUATES               2004

     Senior Girls-2003-2004

Kendra Emily Adams
Kristina Leigh Andrews Lindsey
Marie Arrimour
Aleksandra Anatolievna Andreyeva
Brooke Elizabeth Barnett
Kaitlyn Ryan Baum
Lisa Marie Bond
Martha Rose Buhner
Jerre Katherine Carter
Sarah Marie Elder
Elizabeth Gardam
Emily Victoria Genzlinger
Kelly Anna Greer
Joelle Marie Harantschuk
Lanaya Katelyn Holm
Kelly Maureen Horigan
Natalie Karas
Jeanine Guthrie Kern
Ingrid Grace King
Kendra Elizabeth Knight
Sarah Christine Lehman
Jennifer Elizabeth Longstaff
Maia Rose Ludwin
Anna Louise Neiger
Marianne Lorna Odhner
Tammi Danielle Palagruto
Nicole Geneva Pitcairn
Amanda Lee Rose
Stephanie Gina Rose
Simma Woods Rosner
Meray Schmucker
Leslie Elaine Seckelman
Diane van Zyverden
Kaylee Walter
Mackenzie White
Siri Esther Yardumian-Grubb
Constance Margaux Zimmer

     Senior Boys-2003-2004

Eric Benjamin Acton
Preston Bruce Alden
Jonathan Garrett Allen
Derek Ariel Austin
John Quentin Bau-Madsen
Jordan Davis Cooper
Christopher Edward David
Gregory James David
Brandon Robert Fazio
Brian Scott Furry
Braden Grant Glenn
Ethan Robert Glenn
Blake Junge Holmes
Edward Gordon Hyatt
Bradley Hyland Johns, Jr.
Joshua Blair King
Louis Jackson
Linus King
Adam Klippenstein
Woo Hyun Lee
Erik David Lexie
Christopher James Maddock
Benjamin Lucas Mansbach
Garrett Bruce Nash
Andrew Lachlan Nehlig

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Rowan Edward Pennink
Roland Alexander Pitcairn
Anders Kirk Rosenquist
John Starkey Schauder
Steven Kent Schnarr
Lane Erik Synnestvedt
Shalako James Umbach
Max Benjamin Walko
Zachary Edward Walko
Jesus Nestor Zarzosa

     BRYN ATHYN COLLEGE GRADUATES

     Bachelor of Arts

Rhys Kendall Asplundh           English
Rodolphe Bazin de Caix           Art/History
Percy Blake Hill               Math/Philosophy
Elizabeth Anne Hollister      History
Gregory Abbott Jackson           History
Dumehlezi Maseko               History
Nathan Joel Odhner           Biology, minor: Religion
Jason Dandridge Schnarr      Religion
Ronald Doering Schnarr           Religion
Gregory Richard Simons           Business/Eng
Jennica Rae Smith               Biology

     Bachelor of Science

Michelle Marie Biermann          Education
Johnathan Micah Deckert          Biology, minor: Religion
Cailin Ferguson               Biology
Johanna Austin Smith          Biology

     Associate in Arts

     AA-History/Social Science

Lisa Parker Adams
Chloe Elizabeth Bell
Cailin Ferguson
Lauralyn Ashley Kern
Sarah Marie Walker

     AA-Humanities

Patricia Opokua Appiah
Joralyn Suzanne Echols
Alaina Joyce Johns
Tamera Rose Keal
Erin Louise Schnarr

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     AA-Math/Science

Margaret Ruth Glover
Edwin Molaleni Mabaso
Rachel Lynn Mergen
Johanan Hugo Odhner
Joshua Philip Schnarr
SOME COMING NEW CHURCH SUMMER CAMPS 2004

SOME COMING NEW CHURCH SUMMER CAMPS              2004

     This month (June 23-July 1) all roads lead to Canada for the annual Maple Leaf Summer camp. The theme this year is "The Promise of the New Church." Another camp for young people is the one hosted by the Academy of the New Church. It will be held on the Academy campus from July 11 to July 17.

     The "Tools 4 Life" Academy camp begins on July 18 and goes until July 24.

     There will be three Laurel Family Camps. The first begins on July 18, the second on July 25 and the third on August 1. The theme this year will be "Cycles of Spiritual Life." The green brochure says. "Just as Jehovah promised Noah an unending succession of seasons, so the Lord promises everyone the corresponding experience of spiritual cycles. What part of a cycle of spiritual life are you in? Come explore the many cycles of life as we study the Word in relation to our experience."

     The Jacob's Creek family camp will be held from August 8 through August 12.

     The director this year will Rev. Bradley Heinrichs of Kitchener, Ontario. The subject to be explored in the camp classes is "Discriminate Charity." "We will be discussing such topics as what kind of judgments we should make and how to make them, who is our neighbor, how the nature of charity evolves as we get older, and how charity can be lived in today's workplace."

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RISE ABOVE ITSPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 2004

RISE ABOVE ITSPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS              2004

     by Ray & Star Silverman $19.95US, pb

     $24.95US Leaders Guide

     "Rise Above It is a breakthrough in religious writing. Nothing else is comparable to it. Rising above mere religious intellectualism, it clearly

     RISE ABOVE IT

     demonstrates how all religion is related to life. Every major religion is quoted. Ancient teachings that lead to heaven are applied to the daily problems of modern life. The journal entries from course participants, striving to apply sacred texts to their own lives, are rich and moving. This book is full of love and discovery-the discovery of one's self, the discovery of others, and the discovery of God in the greatest and in the least of details of our daily existence. What a wonderful accomplishment!"

     -Wilson Van Dusen, author of The Design of Existence

     GENERAL CHURCH BOOK CENTER -215.914.4920- [email protected]

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Notes on This Issue 2004

Notes on This Issue              2004

     Here is a sermon on the value of formal New Church education. It is by Rev. Bradley Heinrichs of Kitchener, Ontario. There is inspirational thought here for New Church teachers and parents. The visual image that may stay with you is that of numerous vessels.

     This issue has something that just may shake up our readers. The Lisbon earthquake of 1755 is asserted to be the most powerful one ever to be known by man. On page 260 Rev. Arne Bau-Madsen says, "We may be permitted to speculate a bit." And speculate he does, bringing out things not widely realized. He says, "The earthquake not only shook the European landmass from one end to the other; but it also sent powerful shockwaves through the financial, philosophical, and religious establishments of the entire Christian world."

     We have decided to print this article in its entirety in one issue even if it delays other interesting material.

     Voltaire did a poem in 1756 about the Lisbon disaster. It comes to eleven pages. He sees events that prove that philosophy is false and vain.

     Say, what advantage can result for all,
     From wretched Lisbon's lamentable fall?

     Speaking of poems, a line came to mind from the poem by Oliver Wendel Holmes, The Deacon's Masterpiece. It was 1755 when the legendary one horse shay suddenly disintegrated.

     That was the year when Lisbon town
     saw the earth open and gulp her down,
     and Braddock's army was done so brown . . .

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COLLECTING VESSELS 2004

COLLECTING VESSELS       Rev. BRADLEY D. HEINRICHS       2004

     A SERMON

"Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors; empty vessels; do not gather just a few" (II Kings 4:3).

     Both our stories about Elijah and Elisha involve vessels and widows. Elisha commanded the widow of the prophet to borrow all the empty vessels she could from her neighbours. And Elijah commanded the widow of Zarephath to make him a cake first from her jar of oil and bin of flour, and then promised her that her vessels would never be empty.

     Now, believe it or not, these two stories about vessels demonstrate very powerfully the importance of New Church education. And with the beginning of a new school year almost upon us, it is useful for us to reflect upon just why we put so much time and energy into New Church schools. They aren't money makers for the Church. Public school education is cheaper for the parents. So why do we bother?

     Because of vessels! New Church education is all about providing appropriate vessels for our children. Vessels of all shapes, sizes, and materials. So with that in mind, let's look at Elisha's story of the widow and the vessels first.

     The widow in this story was the wife of one of the good prophets in Israel. He had died and left her and her two sons behind. She cried out to Elisha for help because the creditor was coming to take her two sons as slaves since she could not repay the debt she owed.

     To fully appreciate her desperate plight, you have to realize that by the laws of the land the creditor was fully within his rights to take her sons, and that as a woman in that time period, she had almost no rights and very few means of supporting herself or earning any money.

     A widow we are told symbolizes those people who have some basic goodness, but have an affection and a longing for the truth which they lack (AC 9198).

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     In her case this point is emphasized because she had been the wife of prophet, whose job it was to teach the truth (AC 2534). Her sons also now orphaned by their father represent the similar desire to be conjoined with the truth that was now absent.

     This was the state of intense longing for the truth that the widow and her two sons were experiencing. And who better to turn to than Elisha, the great prophet of the Lord. Elisha, in fact, represented the Word of the Lord and in particular the truth of His Word (AC 8408:5, 10105:3).

     Now in making the connection between this story and New Church education, it is important to think of our children as being in a similar state to that of the orphan or the widow. They have been brought up with some basic principles of right and wrong, and possess some degree of natural, basic goodness.

     But nevertheless, they are at an age where their minds thirst for truth. There is so much that they don't know about this world, about heaven, hell, and the world of spirits. How do you multiply numbers? Why is the sky blue? How do you write "cat"? Are there angels with us? Why do bad things happen to good people? How big is God?

     Their minds are like dry sponges waiting to soak up anything that they hear. And that is why New Church education becomes so vitally important. They are ready to soak up anything that they hear-truth, falsity, appearances of truth, and fallacies of the senses. To a child, most things that are presented to them by an adult or an authority are received by them and accepted as truth.

     In New Church schools there is a concerted effort to make sure that all the knowledge they soak up is truth on one level or another. Truths about the importance of prayer, the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, and about developing good moral character; being honest, acting with integrity, and knowing the difference between right and wrong.

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     In addition to these things they are also taught the basic natural truths as they would be in other schools. Truths about math, geography, art, music, history, language, and science. But with this difference, all these things are taught in the light of the Word, with an emphasis on how they relate to the bigger picture of spiritual realities.

     These truths are the vessels that New Church education tries to equip their young minds with. Now as we see in our story, there are two things required for the collecting of vessels or truth. The first is the affection or desire for it, and the second is action. The widow and her two sons obviously had the desire for the truth, but Elisha told them to go out and collect the vessels. He didn't just hand them a huge sack of vessels. It required initiative on their part.

     This illustrates very important techniques in teaching. All children, as said earlier, have some natural desire or curiosity about learning the truth. This affection or love is the small jar of oil that the widow started out with. With some the affection is a bit greater, but with others it is very little indeed. So one of the first things we need to do as adult teachers is inspire a greater love of learning. This involves appealing to affections, even very external and sensual ones such as taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing (AC 1900:2). Hands on projects, cooking, music, art, and games. Whatever hook you can use to catch their interest. For affection is what makes truth stick in their minds (cf. AC 3068).

     Then once they have that desire to seek further for the truth of the matter, then you must encourage them to take initiative and look further on their own. You don't just spoon feed them and give them the vessels, but you require them to go out and seek for the vessels themselves. Through their positive action, they take a certain sense of ownership, and make the truth their own.

     And particularly noteworthy is that Elisha told them to gather many vessels not just a few.

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Now at first glance, this may seem just common sense, if your going to gather vessels anyway, you might as well gather a lot. But the importance of this is underscored by this teaching in the Writings: "All truths are recipient vessels. And as truths are the vessels into which good flows, truths set the limit to the inflow of good" (AC 4205:1).

     Think about that for a moment. Truths are the vessels into which the goodness and love of the Lord flows. And as a vessel, truth sets the limit on the amount of good that can flow in from the Lord. Just as a glass or a bucket holds a fixed amount of liquid, so truth holds a fixed amount of good that it can contain. This is the reason why the oil from the small jar ceased flowing once all the collected vessels had been filled.

     So if a child only gathers a few truths as vessels, the goodness of the Lord that can flow in is limited to that amount. This is why New Church education places such great emphasis on collecting as many truths as possible, for the goal is that the children have limitless vessels within them to contain as much of the Lord's inflowing goodness, love, and mercy that they can possibly hold.

     The vital importance of New Church education is magnified even more so, when you consider the teaching of our third lesson: "The more genuine and pure truth is, the better is good from the Lord able to be accommodated to it as the recipient vessel; but the less genuine and pure truth is, the less is good from the Lord able to be accommodated" (AC 2269:3).

     By teaching them the truths of the Word we are giving them the most genuine and pure vessels there are on the planet. And these are able to contain more of the Lord's goodness than any other vessels. We are giving them buckets instead of thimbles. And by teaching natural and worldly truths in the light of the Word, we are expanding the size of those vessels too, so that they are better accommodated to receiving the Lord's love.

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     By contrast our third lesson points out the damage that can be done, if falsities are collected as vessels instead of truth. If a child is taught from authorities that God is a harsh vindictive judge, or the opposite, that all truth is relative and therefore anything goes; then these falsities can only be receptive of evil, and therefore repellant of good. As our lesson put it, vomiting would be induced and the one would throw up the other (AC 2269:3). Again this places a real emphasis on the vessels we allow our children to collect, because influx is according to the receiving vessel-if the vessel is truth, then good inflows, but if the vessel is false, evil inflows (CL 86; SE 3635; AC 3387:1).

     Now let's quickly turn our attention to the story of Elijah and the widow. Due to King Ahab's incredible wickedness, the land was suffering from three years of severe drought without any rain. Elijah met the widow as she was out gathering sticks so she could build a fire in order to bake a cake out of her last bit of oil and flour, so that she and her son could have a last meal before they died.

     She was in a tragic circumstance to be sure, and what did Elijah do? He asked her to use the last bit of oil and flour to make a cake for him first, and then he promised her that her jar of oil and bin of flour would not be used up until the Lord sent rain again upon the earth. Imagine how those words must have sounded to the widow. Here, she and her son were about to die from starvation, and a prophet of God tells her to feed him first! What incredible faith she must have had to even contemplate the idea.

     There is a powerful lesson about vessels here for us. The Writings state that "it is a universal law that influx adjusts itself according to efflux, and if efflux is blocked influx is blocked" (AC 5828:3; cf. TCR 814). This is perfectly illustrated by the widow's jar of oil and bin of flour. As long as there was an efflux or flowing out from her vessels, there would be a corresponding influx or flowing in to match it.

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     Her outflow of charity towards Elijah, placing his needs above her and her son, creating the necessary room in the vessels of her mind and heart for the Lord's love to flow in and sustain her in her time of need (AC 9198:7). The Lord did not command Elijah to ask to be fed first out of heartlessness, but because He knew that in that state of self-pity, the solution was for her to look outside herself and seek to help another.

     This lesson about the efflux and influx into vessels is also valuable in the context of New Church education. Once we have helped those students to collect all the vessels of truth they can, then we need to teach them that there must be an outflow of good deeds and charitable acts. For this will provide for a limitless inflowing of the Lord's goodness into those same vessels.

     All the truth that they have obtained as vessels for goodness, is useless unless that goodness is directed towards others. The oil of the Lord's love would indeed flow into their vessels of truth, but if it just sat there for a long period of time, it would eventually become rancid and stagnant and turn to evil because it only sought to serve self. However, if it is used to bestow the Lord's love upon other people than the oil keeps flowing and is continually renewed. Consequently, the drought ends and the gentle rain of new truths from heaven comes down and refreshes the mind (AC 10570:5).

     So as we contemplate the beginning of a new school year, we should reflect on these powerful lessons from the Lord's Word, and rededicate ourselves to supporting the vital use of New Church education. It really is all about helping the children obtain the best and the biggest vessels of truth, so that they can receive the greatest amount of the Lord's love that they can. And then go out into the world and share the joys of His wondrous love with others.

     The education of children to become useful members of the Lord's kingdom is our privilege and responsibility, so let us heed the words of the Lord.

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     "Hear, 0 Israel: The Lord our God . . . is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Deuteronomy 6:4-7). Amen.

Lessons: II Kings; I Kings 17:1, 8-16; AC 2269:3 BISHOP'S NEWSLETTER 2004

BISHOP'S NEWSLETTER              2004

     Most of our readers will have received the final Newsletter from Bishop Peter M. Buss. That's ten highly interesting pages. If you did not get a copy, we can probably find one for you.

     This has become a conversation piece, and it is evident that people are touched by some of the things said. For example: "I have served this Church for 40 years now, and history will determine how well." And later, "It has been a great privilege to serve as the Executive Bishop. I know it has been a hard job at times, but I signed on to that fact because I see the uses of the Church as so important. Part of the stress is my own fault for caring so deeply about some things and working (and worrying) to accomplish them."

     Here are some more random quotes which will remind people who have already read the Newsletter itself.

     "I have come to see the love and dedication of ministers and their wives and families, of teachers and secretaries and our wonderful laity who give of themselves to this cause."

     "There are many people who worry about the future of our Church. They know that the New Church will last, but they worry that the General Church may not. They see danger

     (Continued on page 279)

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DISASTER, DISEASE, AND DIVINE PROVIDENCE 2004

DISASTER, DISEASE, AND DIVINE PROVIDENCE       Rev. ARNE BAU-MADSEN       2004

     PART ONE: DISASTER*
     * Parts 2 and 3 will hopefully be completed within a year.

The Great Earthquake

     In the mid-eighteenth century Lisbon, capital of Portugal, was struck by an earthquake of tremendous power and devastating impact. We don't know, of course, how powerful it actually was, since no means of measuring it existed at the time, but based upon contemporary accounts of the extent of the destruction, experts estimate that it must have registered somewhere between 8.5 and 9 on the Richter scale, which would have made it the most powerful earthquake known to man. This is even more remarkable when we consider that Lisbon, though not entirely unacquainted with such phenomena, was not situated in one of the earthquake zones.

     It is thought that up to 70,000 people died in the disaster, and most of the city was certainly destroyed. Indeed the quake was so powerful that the tremors were felt throughout the entire Christian world, even to the most remote corners of northern and eastern Europe, where they sometimes caused the church bells to ring, and raised ripples on the ponds and lakes.

     That was not all, however, that made this a most unique event in the history of mankind. Both the time, place, and particulars of this disaster are all quite noteworthy, to say the least.

     The quake struck on November 1, 1755, at about 9:30 a.m., that is, on All Saints Day, one of the most important religious celebrations in the Christian world, and at a time of day when the churches were filled with worshipers, who were crushed and killed as the buildings collapsed.

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     Because of these peculiar circumstances the disaster was widely regarded as an act of Divine vengeance or judgment upon the church, and this even more so since the prescribed text on this day of worship was taken from the Book of Revelation, chapter VII, verses 2 and 3, where it is said:

     And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a great voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea. Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.

     The rest of this chapter describes the sealing of the servants of God, and the next chapter treats of the opening of the seventh seal, which is followed by earthquakes, destruction by fire, and, among other things, the sinking of many ships.

     The words of this prophecy do indeed bear a striking resemblance to the events that took place in Lisbon on that November day in 1755, for the earthquake was not the only destructive force descending upon that unfortunate city. In the wake of the earthquake great fires broke out everywhere, burning for many days, and finally great tidal waves or tsunamis crashed into the harbor, wrecking all the ships, and drowning thousands of the inhabitants of the city.

     Indeed, the number three, for whatever it is worth, figured prominently in the whole context of this disaster. There was, first of all, not just one earthquake, but three powerful tremors, followed by three enormous tidal waves, and, as mentioned above, there were three destructive forces at work, namely earthquakes, fires, and water. But was this of any significance? And what, if anything, did all this really mean? Was it really an act of Divine vengeance or judgment upon the Christian world, and upon the Catholic church in particular?

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And if so, why, we might wonder, was the target not Rome, but Lisbon?

The Queen of Cities

     Yet, to the people living at that time this was not surprising at all, for Lisbon was without a doubt the most splendid city in the Catholic world. It was not only the capital of Portugal, but also the center of a great colonial empire.

     It was known all over Europe as the Queen of Cities, and was often called one of the wonders of the world. It was the fourth largest city in the Christian world, famous for its beauty and wealth, and one of the most important hubs of commerce and finance, rivaling London and Amsterdam in this respect.

     Known also as the most Catholic of cities, it abounded in churches, monasteries and convents, and of the roughly three million inhabitants of Portugal no less than 200,000 were members of the clergy and various religious orders. In addition to this, all the most important government offices were held by priests and cardinals. It was truly a stronghold of the Catholic church, containing the palace and court of the grand inquisitor, and the headquarters of the Jesuit order. It was also the repository of the greatest collection of sacred relics in the whole world.

     It is no exaggeration to say that at the time Lisbon, and not Rome, was the center of the Catholic world, and it is thus no wonder that its destruction was regarded as a judgment upon the Catholic church, both by many of its own members, and even more so by the various Protestant denominations, as evidenced by the sermons preached after the disaster.

     Even to a New Churchman this idea of judgment may not seem all that far fetched when we consider the year in which this event took place, namely 1755, that is, on the very eve of the Last Judgment.

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     Could there be a connection, and if so, what exactly might it be?

Preparations for the Last Judgment

     There are two facts that may be helpful in leading us closer to an answer to this question. We know, for example, from the Heavenly Doctrine, that the cities of this world have their counterparts in the spiritual world; and also that there were preparatory judgments preceding the Last Judgment.

     Concerning the latter we are taught in the Heavenly Doctrine:

     Before the Last Judgment which was a general one, less general judgments preceded which might be called preparatory. (LJ post. 133)

     And that the Catholic church would be subjected to such judgments before others is also evident from what we are told in the work on the Last Judgment:

     How this Last Judgment was effected cannot be described in all its details in this little work, for they are many. . . . For the judgment was accomplished not only upon all the men of the Christian church, but also upon all who are called Mohammedans, and moreover upon all the Gentiles in the whole world. And it was effected in this order: first upon those of the Papal religion, then upon the Mohammedans, afterwards upon the Gentiles, and lastly upon the Reformed. (LJ 47)

     And regarding the spiritual counterparts of the great cities of this world we are also taught in the Spiritual Diary:

     There appear, with spirits, cities, similar to cities in the world; hence they have London, Amsterdam, Stockholm and the rest. (SD 5092)

     It is true that Lisbon is not mentioned in this passage, but the words "and the rest" make it safe to assume that a spiritual counterpart to this city did in fact exist, and the following description of the destruction of a certain city in the world of spirits does indeed support this assumption:

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     After the Last Judgment, the Babylonians were for a long time gathered together upon mountains in the west as before. The reason is, that a spirit after death can go nowhere else than the place where his life is. They were thus there upon mountains, where a part made to themselves as it were new heavens. (LJ post. 105)

     The southern quarter, where the richest were, and where the great city of the Jesuits is, which quarter was altogether overturned, as may be seen from the description of the Last Judgment, is still a desert land; and I saw the monks there sometimes, who, as they had heard that treasures were hidden away there, still flocked thither for the purpose of exploring; but in vain. (LJ post. 106)

     In that quarter, moreover, there was a great city, extending nearly from east to west, and somewhat into the west, situated very near the center where the Reformed were. Myriads of men or spirits tarried in that city. It was full of temples and monasteries. The ecclesiastics also carried into it all precious things which they were enabled by their various artifices to scrape together, and they hid them in its cells and subterranean crypts, which were so elaborately formed, that no one besides themselves could enter, for they were disposed around in the form of a labyrinth. On the treasures there amassed, in the full confidence that they could never be destroyed, they had set their hearts. When I saw those crypts I was amazed at the art displayed in constructing them, and enlarging them without end. The most of those who call themselves of the society of Jesus were there, and cultivated amicable relations with the rich who dwelt round about. Towards the east in that quarter was the council where they consulted on the enlargement of their dominion, and on the means of keeping the people in blind obedience. (LJ 58)

     What other city than Lisbon could be more aptly described as being rich and associated with the Jesuits when we consider what was said about it in the preceding?

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Surely this "great city of the Jesuits" must almost certainly be the spiritual counterpart of the Lisbon of this world, and the destruction of this city seems to be described in some detail in the work on the Last Judgment:

     Destruction was effected after visitation, for visitation always precedes. The act of exploring what the men are, and moreover the separation of the good from the evil, is visitation; and the good are then removed, and the evil are left behind. This having been done, there were great earthquakes, from which they perceived that the Last Judgment was at hand, and trembling seized them all. Then those who dwelt in the southern quarter, and especially in the great city there (see n. 58), were seen running to and fro, some with the intention of betaking themselves to flight, some of hiding themselves in the crypts, others of hiding in the cells and caves where their treasures were, out of which others again carried anything they could lay their hands on. But after the earthquakes there burst up an ebullition from below, which overturned everything in the city and in the region round it. After this ebullition came a vehement wind from the east which laid bare, shook, and overthrew everything to its foundations, and then all who were there were led forth, from every part, and from all their hiding-places, and cast into a sea of black waters: those who were cast into it, were many myriads. Afterwards from that whole region a smoke ascended, as after a conflagration, and finally a thick dust, which was borne by the east wind to the sea, and strewn over it; for their treasures were turned into dust, with all those things they had called holy because they possessed them. This dust was strewn over the sea, because such dust signifies what is damned. (LJ 61)

The Spiritual Diary

     It is quite intriguing that the forces of destruction mentioned here include earthquakes, conflagration, black waters, and indeed clouds of thick dust, for such dense clouds of dust and smoke did indeed envelop the ruined city of Lisbon after the earthquake.

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     It is not clear, of course, from the above description, exactly when this calamity occurred in the world of spirits, in relation to the Last Judgment itself; but an examination of certain passages in the Spiritual Diary may be helpful in determining this.

     It is true that the Spiritual Diary is not a diary in the traditional sense, where dated entries were made each day of the year. It seems that sometimes several passages were penned on a certain day, while the next entries were made at a later date, and actual dates attached to particular passages are furthermore few and far between.

     It is possible, however, to get some idea of a timeline from the dates given in certain passages, or clearly implied by the context of other passages.

     It must be admitted that we cannot arrive at such a timeline simply by counting the number of passages, or pages, included in each of the intervals between known dates, for these vary a great deal. The first interval, for example, extends from SD 154 to 1538, the former passage dated August,1747; and the latter March, 1748; and the entries contained fill no less than 420 pages in print. It is thus proportionally much longer than the following one, namely SD 1539-4573, penned between March, 1748 and August, 1752, and having a length of 1132 pages.

     In the first interval the average entry per day was thus approximately 3 pages, while the average in the second was a little over one half of a page, and in some of the other intervals the averages are even lower than that.

     Despite these irregularities, which indeed make it very difficult to reconstruct an accurate timeline, and notwithstanding the fact that no dated entries are found for 1755, it is still possible to form a reasonably clear idea of the state of affairs in the world of spirits at the end of 1755.

     If we turn to SD 4727 we find an account of the fate of the German philosopher Christian Wolff after his passing into the spiritual world.

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He died in April, 1754, and this account was probably written not too long after his entry into that world. In SD 5099, on the other hand, we are told about the arrival of Erik Brahe in the spiritual world. He was executed on July 23, 1756, as one of the ringleaders in a failed plot to seize power in Sweden, a plot which is actually mentioned in SD 5093.

     We may thus conclude that the passages between SD 4727 and 5099 were written in the approximately two year long period between the spring of 1754 and the summer of 1756, and as November 1755 is well into the second half of this period it would be reasonable to assume that the entries related to that particular month would be found somewhere around number 4900.

     An examination of the passages following number 4900 will soon make it evident that this is a valid assumption. In SD 4925-4988 we find a series of descriptions of cities in the world of spirits being destroyed, and more specifically in SD 4964-4978 we hear about a great city of the Catholics suffering this fate. Bearing in mind what was taught in LJ 47 about the sequence of the preparatory judgments, namely that the Catholics were judged first, and then the Mohammedans, it is also of interest to notice that this end of the great city of the Catholics is followed in SD 5060 by a description of the judgment of the Mohammedans.

     Against the background of all this it seems quite reasonable to assume that the two cities, one in this world and the other in the world of spirits-cities which shared certain specific similarities-also shared a common and strikingly similar fate at approximately the same point in time.

The Spiritual Sense of Revelation 7:2-3

     As we consider this it may also be of interest to look into the internal sense of the words of the prescribed text which was read in the churches on November 1, 1755, namely Rev. 7:2, 3. We are taught about these verses:

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     And he cried with a great voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, (verse 3) saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, signifies the preventing and withholding by the Lord of a nearer and stronger influx into the lower parts.

     "Not to hurt the earth, the sea, nor the trees," signifies that they should not operate by a vehement, but by a moderate, influx. For the Lord, by various degrees of influx into the heavens, disposes, regulates, tempers, and moderates all things there and in the hells, and, through the heavens and the hells, all things in the world. (AR 346)

     . . . as the separation of the good from the evil and the casting out of the evil into hell is effected by Divine influx from the Lord as a sun, the separation of the good from the evil by a gentle and moderate influx, and the casting down of the evil into hell by a strong and intense influx (as may be seen above, n. 413, 418, 419), so these three verses treat of the former influx by which the good are separated from the evil, while the good who are separated are treated of in the rest of the chapter even to the end. (AE 426)

     This pattern of a moderate influx followed by a stronger and more intense one is also described in LJ 61:

     Destruction was effected after visitation, for visitation always precedes. The act of exploring what the men are, and moreover the separation of the good from the evil, is visitation; and the good are then removed, and the evil are left behind. This having been done, there were great earthquakes, from which they perceived that the Last Judgment was at hand.

     We may perhaps see the reading of this text in the churches of all Christendom as a warning or declaration, a representative act announcing that the moderate influx pertaining to visitation and separation has ceased, which is immediately followed by the great earthquake representing the more intense influx, the rumble that signaled the beginning of judgment.

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Providence in the Natural World

     But why, we may wonder, would this spiritual event manifest itself in such a spectacular manner in this world? It is true that the changes that happen in the spiritual word do manifest themselves in the natural world, or, as we are also taught in the Arcana Coelestia: "the universal visible world is a theater representative of the spiritual world" (AC 5173).

     Yet it seems that as a rule this happens in subtle and even secret ways in accordance with what is taught in the work on the Last Judgment:

     The state of the world hereafter will be altogether similar to what it has been heretofore, for the great change which has taken place in the spiritual world, does not induce any change in the natural world as to external form. . . . (LJ 73)

     Yet it is also true that we are given some examples of a more direct and open Divine intervention in human affairs and historical events. We are thus taught about Martin Luther that when he was fashioning the doctrine of faith alone he was warned by an angel of the Lord not to do it (DP 258). Louis the Fourteenth of France was likewise sent in a dream to his grandson Louis the Fifteenth to exhort him to oppose the Bull Ungenitus (LJ post. 104), while angels and spirits repeatedly admonished Charles XII of Sweden to make peace and return home (SD 4763).

The Swedish Conspiracy

     As a final example we may also consider an incident which has already been mentioned above, namely the failed plot in Stockholm in June, 1756, about which we are told:

     There was a conspiracy in the (natural) city in which I was, and the common people were on the side of the conspirators; wherefore, those spirits who were rebellious, or seditious, were then at once driven away thence, and other spirits brought in, in their place.

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Hence the intentions of those (in the natural city) were changed, and the tumult quieted. (SD 5093)

     It is true that Stockholm is not specifically mentioned in this passage, but we know that that was where Swedenborg was at that time, and that there indeed was such a conspiracy in Stockholm at that time, which led to the execution of Erik Brahe, who is mentioned in SD 5099.

     The aim of the conspirators was to re-establish the absolute monarchy in Sweden, where the power of the king, Adolf Fredrik, had been severely limited by the council of the Estates, which was dominated by the nobility.

     Being reduced to mere figureheads the king and queen finally found the situation so unbearable that they started to organize an armed revolt, confident that the common people, who loved the king, would rise in support.

     But when the time came this support failed to materialize, just as mentioned in the passage just quoted, and the government quickly suppressed the revolt, and had the ringleaders, excluding the king and queen, executed.

     We may wonder why these events are mentioned in the Spiritual Diary, since they seem to belong entirely to the civil or political realm, but the fact that all this took place in Sweden, where Swedenborg had his residence and means of support, may make it more relevant. Could it be, we may ask, that the outcome of this attempt to seize power might have some significance in helping to prepare the way for the Lord's Second Advent?

     We are not given any clear or even tentative answers to these questions in the Heavenly Doctrine, but we may perhaps be permitted to speculate a bit.

     What would have happened if the revolt had been successful and an absolute monarchy had been established? We cannot be sure, of course, but most likely it would have led to a form of government which would support and protect established values and beliefs most strongly, oppose and suppress anything that might call these into question or undermine them, and exercise a much more rigid and universal censorship than the one already in existence.

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     These, at least, seem to be traits that all absolute or dictatorial regimes have in common.

     It is not inconceivable that this could have adversely affected Swedenborg's ability to live and work in Sweden, considering the controversial and even heretical nature of the doctrines he was publishing. It might even, for all we know, have put him in greater peril than that.

     Another possible consequence of the establishment of an absolute monarchy is also mentioned by a contemporary observer of the events surrounding the failed revolt. He writes:

     Each and every individual who has a well cultivated understanding and thereby an intelligent vision, foresees what an unfortunate people we would be, were our fine Government to be changed and altered. . . . One has indeed no right to leave his life and property under the arbitrary power of a human being . . . To describe all the hard and dreadful consequences and practices that might be feared here in the north under an autocracy, would be too prolix, for they are manifold. Here I will mention and bring forward only one, namely, popish darkness. It is well known from experience how that the Babylonish whore which is the Catholic religion, has bewitched and taken in the ruling princes in Saxony, Cassel, and Zweibrucken, and also the king of England just before the House of Hanover was chosen, and is continuing her endeavors with the Pretender; and in Prussia has also tried with the king now ruling there, when he was crown prince, through his own father; not to mention king Sigismund and queen Christina here in Sweden. And one knows how this whore is still going around to the courts in reformed Christendom. . . . What could bishops and priests and the general public do against this force? Against the desire which has captivated the sovereign, and against the cunning of the Jesuits? Must they not cast themselves out of the light of heaven into a barbarian darkness?

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And if they do not wish to become martyrs, adore images, idols, and Satan? This, with all other kinds of slavery, the enumeration of which would be too prolix, would stand to be feared in the future were our noble Government to be changed and our priceless freedom transformed.

The Power of the Jesuits

     The Catholic church, and especially the Jesuits, the shock troops of the counter reformation, were indeed exceedingly active, not only in Protestant Europe, but all over the world.

     In the mid-eighteenth century the Jesuits were at the peak of their power. Their ranks had swelled into scores of thousands, and their wealth and influence were unrivaled. They had gained access to the courts of Europe by whatever means necessary, be it flattery, bribery, intimidation or even assassination. Their ruthlessness and lust for power were without bounds, and world dominion was their end.

     It is not hard to imagine what the consequences would have been for Swedenborg, if the Jesuits had been able to establish themselves in Sweden, and it does indeed seem that a curbing of the power of the Catholic church, and especially of the Jesuits, was a necessary part of the preparation for the Last Judgment and the Second Advent. We are here reminded of what is taught in the Apocalypse Revealed:

     Who cannot see that if the papal dominion had not been broken at the time of the Reformation, they would have scraped together the possessions and wealth of all the kingdoms in the whole of Europe? and then that they would have become the sole lords, and all the rest slaves? Have they not extraordinary opulence from former ages, when they had authority over emperors and kings, whom, if they were not obedient, they could excommunicate and dethrone? And have they not still annual incomes which are immense, and great treasuries full of gold, silver, and precious stones? A like barbarous dominion is seated still in the minds [animus] of very many of them; and it is restrained solely through the fear of its loss, if it is extended beyond bounds.

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But of what use are such great revenues, treasures, and possessions, except that they may delight and take pride in them, and confirm their domination to eternity? (AR 759)

     It is obvious, of course, that this passage is speaking about certain circumstances related to the time of the Reformation; but it should be equally obvious from what has been mentioned above, that these same circumstances closely resemble those which existed at the time of the great earthquake.

     Furthermore, just as the power of the Catholic church was reduced or broken by the Reformation and the events preparing the way for it, so was the same accomplished by this great disaster and its aftermath.

     The Lisbon earthquake not only destroyed the headquarters of the Jesuits in Lisbon, and with it the great power and wealth they possessed in that country; but it heralded the end of the Jesuits and the menace they represented. In the following years they were expelled from one country after another in Europe, until Pope Clement XIV finally signed a decree in 1773 abolishing the order. That, however, was only the beginning.

Other Great Changes

     The earthquake not only shook the European landmass from one end to the other; but it also sent powerful shockwaves through the financial, philosophical, and religious establishments of the entire Christian world.

     Lisbon was, as already mentioned, one of the great commercial centers of the world, and its destruction had immediate and very serious consequences for all the other great centers of commerce and finance, such as London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Hamburg. Investments and outstanding loans-enormous amounts-had to be written off, crippling many commercial establishments and causing numerous bankruptcies.

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But this was only an immediate and short-term effect of the earthquake. The real and lasting convulsions happened in the worlds of philosophy and religion.

Intellectual Foundations Fall

     As the earthquake leveled the splendid palaces and churches of Lisbon, so also the philosophical and religious structures of "the best of all possible worlds" came crashing down. Complacency, certainty, and submission to established authority, civil and ecclesiastical, was replaced by apprehension, doubt, and a search for new answers.

     The psychological shock waves sent through the Christian world brought to the fore a number of issues that had been simmering under the surface, and helped usher in new attitudes and thoughts.

     In the first half of the 18th century traditional Christianity had found great support in the teachings of Leibnitz and Pope, who emphasized that all misery, suffering and misfortune in Providence leads to good, that all is well, and that we live in the best of all possible worlds -thoughts which the authoritarian rulers of church and state found most acceptable.

     This was not the case, however, with the more liberal or radical intellectuals of the day, and the great earthquake acted as a catalyst, encouraging them to openly question and challenge these ideas.

     No one among them, of course, exerted a greater influence in this respect than Voltaire, who blew the worship of the status quo, the giddy optimism and complacency of Leibnitz and Pope, right out of the water; first with his great "Poeme sur la disastre de Lisbonne," and finally and completely with his satirical novel Candide. The dogma of the best of all possible worlds was dead, and the pillar upon which the old order rested began to crumble.

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     The ability of the authorities, civil and ecclesiastical, to put up barriers to the freedom of speech, and punish those who disseminated heretical ideas, was gradually reduced.

     It is no exaggeration to say that the Lisbon disaster helped change the philosophical and religious consciousness of the Christian world. It broke the power of orthodoxy as effectively as did the Reformation (AR 759), and opened minds to new thoughts and ideas, and might remind us of this teaching in the Arcana Coelestia:

     Before anything is reduced into a state of order, it is most usual that things should be reduced into a confused mass, or chaos as it were, so that those which do not well cohere together may be separated, and when they are separated, then the Lord disposes them into order. (AC 842)

All Things are Determined by the State of the Church

     In this way the earthquake played an important role in the Last Judgment, and in preparing the way for the Lord in His Second Advent. Ironically, it confirmed the views of Leibnitz and Pope in many ways, for it was indeed a state of misery, suffering and destruction which served a higher good. Its real significance can only be understood when it is viewed in the light of what we may call the spiritual history of mankind, and of the church in particular, which reminds us of another teaching in the Arcana Coelestia: "It is here only to be remarked, that all things are determined by their relation to the state of the church" (AC 509).

     It is, to my knowledge, the shortest passage in the Heavenly Doctrine, but its brevity belies its importance. It is, in my opinion, the cornerstone of a New Church understanding or philosophy of history.

     We know from the doctrines that there are principal and instrumental causes, or primary and secondary ones, the former belonging to the spiritual world, and the latter to the natural:

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     . . . there is a spiritual world; and that world is prior, interior and superior to the natural world, consequently everything in the spiritual world is a cause, and everything in the natural world is an effect. Even in the natural world one thing exists from another in a progression, but this is done through causes from the spiritual world, for where the cause of the effect is, there also is the cause of the effecting effect; for every effect becomes an effecting cause in order even to the lowest, where the effective force subsists; but this is effected continually from the spiritual, in which alone is that force. (AE 1206)

     The secular historian, seeing only effects and their secondary causes, must-however brilliant he may be-end up with a fragmented and somewhat incoherent picture of the great movements, changes and developments of history.

     An example of this, and a well known one, has to do with the state of the Christian church in the 4th century A.D. To most, if not all non-New Church scholars this was the century when the Christian church, after much persecution, was victorious over paganism, and began to extend its sway over all the tribes and nations of Europe. Promoted, protected and richly endowed by the emperor Constantine it rose triumphant to greater and greater glory and power-or so it seemed. Yet, behind the appearance was a very different truth. Within the external signs of growth and success was nothing but decay and death:

     It is said in heaven that when the Nicene Council had finished its work, that had come to pass which the Lord foretold to His disciples:

     The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken (Matt. 24:29); and in fact the Apostolic church was like a new star appearing in the starry heaven.

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But the church after the two Nicene councils became finally like the same star darkened and lost to view. (TCR 176)

     One can hardly conceive of a more profound difference between appearance and reality. It is only from a knowledge of the internal and real state of the church that it is possible to view the events of the following centuries in their proper perspective, and see their significance as either the effects of the fall of the church, or as part of the preparation for the coming of the New Church.

The First Global War and the British Empire

     When we consider the nature of these preparations it becomes quite evident that 1755 was indeed a watershed in history in more ways than one, especially when we consider that it was that same year, just a few months before the great earthquake, that the first global war in human history began, namely the Seven Years War, or the French and Indian War, as it is usually known in this country. It involved a lot more than the French and the Indians, however. From the Americas, where it started with Braddock's defeat near Fort Duquesne, the war spread to Europe, Africa, and Asia, and when Great Britain and her allies, after early setbacks, emerged victorious, it was truly the end of an era.

     The treaty of Paris in 1763 became a gateway into a new and different world. It laid the foundations of the British Empire, upon which the sun never set, making it the dominant world power for more than a century. It led to a vast increase in the merchant fleet of Britain, and provided the one ingredient still wanting for the industrial revolution to commence. In addition to this it also sowed the seeds from which American independence would emerge.

     To mention the latter first, the conquest of Canada during the war, and the removal of the French threat against the Colonies, made them feel much less dependent upon the British, something which the French statesman, Count De Vergennes clearly perceived as early as 1763, when he said about the Americans:

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     Delivered from a neighbor, whom they always feared, your other colonies will soon discover that they stand no longer in need of your protection. You will call on them to contribute towards supporting the burden which they have helped to bring on you, and they will answer you by shaking off all dependence.

     And the British did indeed call on the Colonies for contributions. The enormous costs of the Seven Years War, and the crushing national debt that was the inevitable consequence, led, as we know, to the British attempts to tax the Colonies, and thereby provided the spark that lit the flames of rebellion. A great nation was born, the repository of a new state of human freedom and dignity on all planes of life.

     But even though the loss of the North American colonies was a severe blow to British interests, it did not halt the march to empire. The conquests in Africa, and especially India, made this inevitable.

     The battle of Plassey in 1757 ensured British dominion of the Indian subcontinent, and released a flow of gold from the treasury of Bengal to Britain, where it helped finance the industrial revolution. The ideas, inventions, and initiative were already present, and now the gold became the catalyst that brought all these things together and started the process.

The Spread of the Word

     This extraordinary industrial expansion, together with the growing colonial empire, caused, as already mentioned, a vast increase in the worldwide seaborne commerce of Britain. This fact, in my opinion, is the key to understanding what the Seven Years War and its aftermath really was all about, that is, how these events were related to the states of the church, and, more specifically, to the Second Advent and the establishment of the New Church.

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     We are thus taught in the Heavenly Doctrine:

     . . . communication with the universal heaven is effected by means of the Word. And for this reason there exists of the Lord's Divine Providence a universal commercial exchange of the kingdoms of Europe-and chiefly of those where the Word is read-with the nations outside the church. (SS 108)

     That the Word could afterward be published throughout this whole earth, is because there is here an interaction of all nations, both by overland travel and by navigation, to all places on the globe. Therefore the Word once written could be carried from one nation to another, and could be everywhere taught. That there should be such an interaction has also been provided by the Lord for the sake of the Word. (AC 9354)

     . . . it is a wonderful thing that where the Word is read with reverence and the Lord is worshipped 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)

     And this is exactly what happened. As British colonization and commerce spanned the globe, Christianity and the knowledge of the Sacred Scripture followed close behind. The main reason for this was that the evangelical revival in England in the 18th century had led to the emergence of numerous missionary and Bible societies in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and chief among these the British and Foreign Bible Society in London, whose aim was to translate, publish, and distribute the Bible in all languages, and encourage the reading of the Bible. The worldwide extension of the British empire, of course, greatly facilitated and supported these efforts.

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The Gentiles and Fallen Christianity

     Some might wonder, however, how this really could serve as a means for preparing the way for the New Church. How could the spread of the false doctrines of a dead church serve such a use?

     To understand this we need to consider some other teachings in the Heavenly Doctrine, such as the following:

     . . . it is said of Christians in the other life that they worship three gods, because they think of three, however much they may say one. But they who have been Gentiles and have been converted to Christianity, in the other life adore the Lord alone; and this for the reason that they have believed that it could not but be that the Supreme God has manifested Himself on earth as a man, and that the Supreme God is a Divine man; and that if they had not this idea of the Supreme God they could have none at all, and so could not think about God, consequently could not know Him, still less love Him. (AC 5256)

     It is otherwise with the converted Gentiles outside the church. These worship and adore Him as their one only God, and they say with the mouth, and think at heart, that they acknowledge Him as God, because He has appeared in a human form. (AC 9198)

     Many of those who are in that middle celestial kingdom, are from the gentiles, from Asiatic regions; and very many of them have been converted to the Christian religion by missionaries. These, when they acknowledge the Lord, and so receive faith, believe in the Lord, and do not care for those intricate questions and disputes concerning faith, whether it, or whether charity, is saving, nor concerning the Pope, whether he is the head of the Church; but they live as Christians. (AC 4676)

     In other words, the Christianity that was received by the gentile nations was relatively untainted by the falsities of the church that brought it to them, and this was likewise supported by one of the fundamental principles of the Bible Society, namely, that the Scriptures should be printed without note or comment, leaving understanding or interpretation to the recipient.

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     The reason why this great missionary effort began shortly after the Last Judgment may perhaps be gathered from the following teaching:

     When evil thus begins to prevail, and the equilibrium begins to incline to the side of evil, it is thereby clearly perceived that the last time is at hand, and that the equilibrium is going to be restored by the rejection of those who are within the church, and the reception of others who are outside. (AC 2122)

     Although most of these converted gentiles never joined the New Church in this life, their reception of the knowledges of the Lord and His Word nevertheless laid a foundation upon which the New Jerusalem could descend and rest when they entered into the spiritual world. Through them, especially as they are instructed in the genuine truth, the spheres of the New Heaven and the New Church has been and will be strengthened and extended.

Conclusion

     So we have on one hand a deadly earthquake, a bloody war, both of them disasters, causing immense loss of life, and untold grief and suffering, and yet on the other hand both of them, each in their own way, serving as means to open the way for the New Revelation, and support the establishment of the New Church.

     To the non-New Church student of history these cataclysmic events are indeed profoundly important, having caused a complete re-drawing of the map of human affairs; but the essence of their significance and use must inevitably escape him, because he is entirely ignorant or heedless of the spiritual reality from which they sprang and to whose ends they served as means.

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AC 509, the short passage which teaches that "all things are determined by their relationship to the church," points the way to a new and vast field of inquiry, into which only the New Church scholar can enter and bring out treasures of knowledge and understanding, in which, as in so many mirrors, we may behold the mercy and wisdom of the Lord, and the wonders of His Divine Providence.
POPULAR COLUMN MENTIONSHAPPINESS INGREDIENTS 2004

POPULAR COLUMN MENTIONSHAPPINESS INGREDIENTS              2004

     I needed to fill a space in this magazine and happened to notice a popular column (by Mary Hunt) in The Intelligencer newspaper. The heading was: "What do you need to be happy?" Having done past editorials on this subject I read with interest. It said that many people think that greater happiness would be brought about by some more money.

     The columnist comments that having more money might be nice, "but it's not likely to make you happier." She mentions the ingredient of marital and family relationships and says, "Based on ten years of research the authors of The Case for Marriage (Broadway 2001) concluded that all the money in the world cannot take the place of meaningful personal relationships."

     She emphasizes a spiritual component to a happy life. (I was reminded of some of the things noted by Rev. Gary Walsh in the May issue of this magazine.) She wrote, "If you are attempting to fill your spiritual needs with human relationships or with money you will be left feeling empty, unsatisfied, and unfulfilled."

     A phrase that comes to mind is "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4).

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DECLARATIONS OF FAITH AND PURPOSE 2004

DECLARATIONS OF FAITH AND PURPOSE              2004

     OLAF HAUPTMANN

     I believe in the Lord God Savior Jesus Christ. He created all the heavens and the earth. He created men in His own image. I believe that He can regenerate people so that they become His likeness. I believe that a person can be regenerated by the Lord if that person willingly doing the Lord's will.

     Doing the Lord's will is to live according to the Lord's commandments. For those who live well their lives will continue forever in heaven. For those who live a life of evil there is hell.

     When many people went to hell, the powers of evil rose to such an extent that heaven was in danger of destruction.

     Then God Himself was born by a virgin, and came into the world. And when the Lord Jesus Christ was in the world He reunited people with God, and He put down the powers of hell.

     When the hells rose again, the Lord came again, and put down the powers of hell, and made a new heaven and a new church.

     I have long desired to make the truths of the Lord's New Church more widely known, so that more people may know these truths, live them, and be blessed. This is why I have pursued the ministry.

     And since I have been educated about the Lord, and how He has come again, I am now not only willing but also obliged by my conscience to preach and teach this glad message.

     I pray that the Lord may work through me to build His church.

     SYLVAIN AGNES

     I believe in the one God, in whom is the Divine Trinity, and He is the Lord God the Savior Jesus Christ.

     A saving faith is to believe in Him.

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     I believe that evil actions must not be done because they are from the Devil and of the Devil. Good works should be done because they are of God and from God. These things can be done by a person as of himself; but he should believe that they are from the Lord in him and through him.

     I believe that the Lord has instituted the priesthood as a means of conveying His truth. The priest, therefore, must not attribute this truth to himself. The Lord grants him to be affected with truths, when he is in the love for salvation of souls.

     In presenting myself for ordination into the priesthood, my purpose is to serve the Lord with love in helping to bring His presence to people.

     I pray that He alone guide me in this most holy work.
www.NewChurchVineyard.org 2004

www.NewChurchVineyard.org              2004

     An on-line family magazine from the G. C. Office of Education featuring materials for all ages focused on a new theme every month.

     Our Loving Heavenly Father in July 2004
     The Holy Supper in August 2004

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Editorial Pages 2004

Editorial Pages              2004

     GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE

     The phrase "gathered to his people" occurs repeatedly in the Old Testament. Abraham, the man called by God to journey from his home, was eventually "gathered to his people" (Genesis 25). Isaac, who married the beautiful Rebekah, was "gathered to his people." Jacob, who dreamed of a ladder that reached to heaven, eventually said to his family, "I am to be gathered to my people." This is in Genesis 49, which says in its concluding verse that Jacob "breathed his last and was gathered to his people."

     The Writings tell us that it was customary with the ancients when any one died to say that he was gathered to his people, "and they understood by this form of expression that he actually went to his parents, relations, and kinsfolk in the other life. They derived this form of speech from the most ancient people, who were celestial people, of while living on earth these were at the same time with the angels in heaven, and thus knew how the case is" (AC 3255).

     This evident meaning of the phrase is illustrated beautifully in the Writings. We read:

     "All, as soon as they enter the other life, are recognized by their friends, their relatives, and those in any way known to them; and they talk with one another, and afterward associate in accordance with their friendships in the world. I have often head that those who have come from the world were rejoiced at seeing their friends again, and that their friends in turn were rejoiced that they had come" (HH 494).

     This passage actually mentions people "congratulating" the newcomer to the spiritual world. That is pleasant to imagine. Another pleasant scene is that of new guests being astonished at the news that they have arrived.

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"They exclaim from joy of heart, 'thanks be to God that we are alive, and that death has not extirpated us!'" (Five Memorable Relations 7).

     We hope in a later editorial to talk about other applications of the saying about being gathered to one's people.

     HOW A BULGARIAN TRANSLATION CAME ABOUT

     The book Heaven and Hell has been published in Bulgarian, probably the first Swedenborg item ever to appear in that language. Here is how it happened. At a book fair in Frankfurt, Germany, Ms. Joanna Hill met a representative of a prestigious publishing house called Kibea. The conversation came around to Swedenborg.

     Yes, he would be interested in having one of the books translated into Bulgarian. Which one would she suggest? Heaven and Hell. The Swedenborg Society in London took an interest in this idea and helped to support the translation. And their own David Lorimer provided the introduction for the volume. 1000 copies have been printed in Sofia, and there is already some discussion of doing another book of the Writings.
EVERY CHILD 2004

EVERY CHILD              2004

     Every child-wherever born, whether within the church or outside it, whether of devout or irreverent parents-is accepted by the Lord at death. Every child is raised in heaven, is taught and is permeated with affections for what is good according to the divine design and thereby with firsthand knowledge of things true, and is then perfected in intelligence and wisdom, so to speak, and admitted into heaven to become an angel.

     Heaven and Hell 416, New Century Edition

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RESOLUTION REGARDING THE RIGHT REVEREND PETER M. BUSS 2004

RESOLUTION REGARDING THE RIGHT REVEREND PETER M. BUSS              2004

     "On this 8th day of May, 2004, the Board of Directors of the General Church of the New Jerusalem do hereby pass and adopt the following resolution:

     "WHEREAS, commencing on July 1, 1991, the Right Reverend Peter M. Buss has served as the Executive Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem and as President of the Corporation of the General Church of the New Jerusalem for the past thirteen years;

     "WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Corporation of the General Church of the New Jerusalem desire to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of Bishop Buss' priestly leadership in his role as President of the Board, of which among the many accomplishments are the following:

     "Encouraging and facilitating the development of a skilled, diverse and deliberative Board truly representative of the lay people of the Church, with an emphasis on the inclusion of qualified and committed women to constitute a greater percentage of Board membership;

     "The appointment as the Assistant to the Bishop of the Right Reverend Alfred Acton, who has applied his particular talents to serve as Vice President of the Board, establish and manage the work of the Translation Committee, create programs for pastoral education and support through the Pastoral Development and Pastoral Transition committees, and serve as ambassador for the Church around the world, among his other duties in support of the Office of the Bishop;

     "The establishment of the Office of Evangelization, which along with its mission to spread the Lord's Word around the world has undertaken as a major project the facilitation of "church plantings";

     "The initiation of the Regional Pastor system to support and evaluate pastors and local congregations;

278




     "The establishment of the Office of Young Adults to reach out to, and serve the spiritual needs of, young adults between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five;

     "The enlargement of the Office of Education, which in addition to giving support to the schools of the Church, has created and published on its New Church Vineyard website stories and projects for little children;

     "The growth and development of the worldwide Church in areas relatively new to the Church, such as Africa, Japan, South America and Korea and in areas that have long-established congregations, such as Sweden and England;

     "The significant improvement in the technology utilized by the Church and the Board for evangelization, services to Church members without access to a congregation, business and financial management, digitalization of archival and other materials; and educational purposes;

     "The initiative in undertaking a number of studies to improve the operation of the Board, including a governance study and strategic planning;

     "The promotion and establishment of updated policies necessary to the efficient and humane operation of Church institutions, among which is the sexual abuse prevention policy; and

     "His contributions to the heart of the Church through programs for marriage and family and family worship.

     "THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Directors of the Corporation of the General Church of the New Jerusalem do heartily express their appreciation for these and countless other demonstrations of devotion and service to the Church and this Board, and their affection and support for Bishop Buss in his future service to the Church and his fellow man.

279




     "I, Nancy L. Heilman, Secretary of the Corporation of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, do hereby certify that the resolution appearing above is a full, true, and correct copy of a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Corporation duly and regularly passed and adopted at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Corporation that was duly and regularly called and held in all respects as required by the bylaws of the Corporation on the 8th day of May, 2004.

     "IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have here set my hand as Secretary of the Corporation this 8th day of May, 2004."
Title Unspecified 2004

Title Unspecified              2004

     (Continued from page 249)

signs, they see faults in the General Church-in its bishop or its ministers or its laity."

     "I am a great optimist. I believe, with all my heart, that the General Church, with all its weaknesses, is as strong an organization as the world knows, and I pray that its people can rejoice in its strength. We mustn't be complacent. We must surely not be self-righteous. But let's feel sure that if we stay true to the Word, it will not fail to build the Church in our individual hearts, and therefore in this organization."

     "My main message about the international Church is that we need to see ourselves as an international body. Those of us in the North American continent have a tendency to see the Church through the North American lens."

     "It has been truly amazing to see the development of the Church in new lands, and its strengthening in some others . . . I want to pay tribute to those ministers who work in overseas societies."

     "Lisa and I have been privileged to see the Church in many cultures and to feel humbled by it."

     "In retirement I will be removed from all administrative matters." "One of the reasons I am moving out of Bryn Athyn (to Colorado) is to make a strong statement that the new bishop needs a free hand to change whatever he sees needs changing. You know that I have confidence in Tom. He can call me (if he can find me), but I won't be calling him."

280


ROLE OF YOUNG WOMEN BEFORE MARRIAGE 2004

ROLE OF YOUNG WOMEN BEFORE MARRIAGE       Joseph S. David       2004


     

     Communications
Dear Editor,

     I enjoyed very much the article in the April issue by Keir Hyatt. He wrote about his discussion experiences with the girls of Glenn Hall. His change in perspective brought about by the seriousness of the concern of the girls themselves, as outlined in his first section, is an interesting instance of being confronted by doctrine that had not meant much before. Parenthetically, it also illustrates that the Academy is getting religious teachings across to the girls. But to go back to the confrontation, it is heartening to see Mr. Hyatt's acceptance of the relevant teachings once he really looked at them. He speaks of "one of the great truths of the New Church" and "the reality is that the Writings are quite clear" and "there is no getting around what is being said" along with many other such comments. It's refreshing to hear this very positive approach because even in the General Church there exists doubt and resistance to the reality of the doctrines. So I'm glad that Mr. Hyatt, with this attitude, is with his wife in Glenn Hall where he can take part in discussions with the girls.

     We all need to remember that the Lord gave us the Writings as a new or expanded revelation to form a new church. They are the Lord speaking to us on the level that we can grasp. And He has given these truths for our sake, so that we can reach a heavenly state where we can be happy and useful to eternity. When the Writings speak plainly and openly about how we, women and men, should act (and actively think) we ignore what they say at peril to our happiness. This is true even if the surrounding culture declares that it is not and goes its own way.

     Joseph S. David
     Grove City, PA

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DEDICATION 2004

DEDICATION              2004


     

     Announcements
     At Seoul, Korea, April 25, 2004, the Seoul Korea New Church, Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton officiating.
ORDINATIONS 2004

ORDINATIONS              2004

     Agnes-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, May 23, 2004, Sylvain Apon Agnes into the first degree, Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss officiating.

     Hauptmann-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, May 23, 2004, Olaf Hauptmann into the first degree, Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss officiating.
Correction 2004

Correction              2004

     The date of the death of Herbert N. Schoenberger was not March 14, as reported in the June issue. It was March 9, 2004.

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GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEMContact persons forPUBLIC WORSHIP AND DOCTRINAL CLASSES 2004

GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEMContact persons forPUBLIC WORSHIP AND DOCTRINAL CLASSES              2004


Alabama:

     Birmingham

     Dr. Winyss A. Shepard, 4537 Dolly Ridge Road, Birmingham, AL 35243.

     Phone: (205) 967-3442.

     
Arizona:

     Phoenix

     Rev. Michael K. Cowley, 3607 E. Delcoa Drive, Phoenix AZ 85032. Phone: home (602) 493-0619; office (480) 991-0048. www.newchurchofphoenix.org

     Tucson

     Rev. Glenn G. Alden, Sunrise Chapel, 8421 E. Wrightstown Rd., Tucson AZ 85715. Phone: (520) 298-1245. [email protected]

     
Arkansas:

     Little Rock

     Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Holmes, 65 Haertlein Lane, Batesville, AR 72501.

     Phone: (870) 251-9998.

     Northwest Arkansas

     Rev. Daniel Fitzpatrick, 1001 N. Oriole Ave., Rogers, AR 72756. Phone: (501) 621-9011.

California:

     La Crescenta

     James Synnestvedt, 230 E. Orange Grove Avenue, #230, Burbank, CA 91503. Phone: (818) 563-2332. [email protected]

     Orange County Area

     Bergen Junge, 21321 Vintage Way, Lake Forest, CA 92630. Phone: (949) 586-6554. Sacramento/Central California

     Mr. Bertil Larsson, 8387 Montna Drive, Paradise, CA 95969. Phone: (530) 877-8252. San Diego

     Rev. C. Mark Perry, 7911 Canary Way, San Diego, CA 92123. Phone: (858) 610-WORD (9673). [email protected]

     San Francisco Bay Area

     Jonathan Cranch, 2520 Emerson St., Palo Alto, CA 94301. Phone: (650) 328-2788. [email protected]

     
Colorado:

     Boulder

     The New Church of Boulder Valley, 1370 Forest Park Circle, Lafayette, CO 80026.Phone: (303) 443-9220. www.bouldernewchurch.org. Pastor: Rev. David C. Roth,

     [email protected]

Colorado Springs

     Mr. & Mrs. William Rienstra, 1005 Oak Ave., Canon City, CO 81212.

     Phone: (719) 275-4546.

     Montrose

     Bob and Karen Heinrichs, P. 0. Box 547, Montrose, CO 81402. Phone: (970) 323-6220.

Connecticut:

     Bridgeport, Hartford, Shelton

     Timothy O'Connor, 441 Newtown Tpke., Redding, CT 06896. Phone: (203) 938-0744.

     
District of Columbia: See Mitchellville, Maryland.

     
Florida:

     Boynton Beach

     Rev. Kenneth Alden, 10621 El Clair Ranch Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33437. Phone: (561) 736-9235. [email protected]

     Jacksonville

     Kristi Helow, 6338 Christopher Creek Road W., Jacksonville, FL 32217-2472. Lake Helen

     Mr. & Mrs. Brent Morris, 264 E. Kicklighter Rd., Lake Helen, FL 32744. Phone: (904) 228-2276.

     Pensacola

     Mr. & Mrs. John Sherman, East Highway 98, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561.

     Phone: (850) 932-4433.

     
Georgia:

     Americus

     Mr. W. Harold Eubanks, 516 U.S. 280 West, Americus, GA 31709. Phone: (912) 924-9221. Atlanta

     Rev. Patrick A. Rose, 502 Knollwood Place, Woodstock, GA 30188-4588.

     Phone: (770) 516-5846. [email protected]

     
Idaho:

     Boise Area

     Heidi Shields, 1835 E. Meadowgrass St., Meridian, ID 83642. Phone: (208) 2882503.

     
Illinois:

     Chicago

     Rev. David H. Lindrooth, P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Phone: (215) 914-4910. [email protected]

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     Glenview

     Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr., 74 Park Drive, Glenview, IL 60025. Phone: (847) 724-0120. glenview.newchurch.org

     
Indiana: See Ohio: Cincinnati.

     
Kentucky: See Ohio: Cincinnati.

     
Louisiana:

     Baton Rouge

     Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom, Visiting Pastor, P.O. Box 740, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Phone: (215) 938-2584. [email protected]

     
Maine:

     Bath

     Rev. George Dole, 876 High St., Bath, ME 04530. Phone: (617) 244-0504.

     
Maryland:

     Baltimore

     Rev. Robert S. Junge, 8551 Juno" Drive, Kempton, PA 19529. Phone: (610) 298-2333. baltimorenewchurch.org Mitchellville

     Rev. James P. Cooper, 11910 Chantilly Lane, Mitchellville, MD 20721. Phone: (301) 805-9460 home;(301) 464-5602 office. washnewchurch.org

     
Massachusetts:

     Boston

     Rev. Stephen R. Simons, 138 Maynard Rd., Sudbury, MA 01776. Phone: (978) 443-6531. [email protected]; www.swedenborg-chapel.org

     
Michigan:

     Detroit

     Rev. Derek P. Elphick, 395 Olivewood Ct., Rochester, MI 48306. Phone: (248) 652-3420, Ext. 102. newchurch.org/oakarbor Mid-Michigan

     Lyle and Brenda Birchman, 14777 Cutler Rd., Portland, MI 48875. Phone:

     (517) 647-2190. [email protected]

Minnesota:

     St. Paul

     Karen Huseby, 4247 Centerville Rd., Vadnais Heights, MN 55127.

     Phone: (612) 429-5289.

Missouri:

     Columbia

     Mr. & Mrs. Paul Johnson, 1508 Glencairn Court, Columbia, MO 65203.

     Phone: (314) 442-3475.

     Kansas City

     Mr. Glen Klippenstein, P. O. Box 457, Maysville, MO 64469-0457. Phone: (816) 449-2167.

New Hampshire:

     Hanover

     Bobbie and Charlie Hitchcock, 63 E. Wheelock St., Hanover, NH 03755.

     Phone: (603) 643-3469.

New Jersey:

     Ridgewood

     Jay and Barbara Barry, 474 S. Maple, Glen Rock, NJ 07452. Phone: (201) 445-3353.

New Mexico:

     Albuquerque

     Mrs. Carolyn Harwell, 1375 Sara Rd., Rio Rancho, NM 87124. Phone: (505) 896-0293.

North Carolina:

     Charlotte

     Steven and Gail Glunz, 6624 Providence Lane West, Charlotte, NC 28226.

     Phone: (704) 362-2338.

     Raleigh/Durham

     Mr. and Mrs. Charles Runion, 106 Maple Lane, Rosedale, NC 27889. Phone: (252) 946-7138.

     
Ohio:

     Cincinnati

     Rev. J. Clark Echols, 4418 Main Street, Darrtown, OH 45056-8914. Phone: (513) 523-0005 (home) or (513) 772-1478

     (church). [email protected]

     Cleveland

     William B. Alden, 4142 Brecksville Rd., Richfield, OH 44286. Phone: (330) 659-6060.

Oregon:

     Portland

     Mr. and Mrs. Jim Andrews, Box 99, 1010 NE 365th Ave., Corbett, OR 97019.

     Phone: (503) 695-2534.

Pennsylvania:

     Bryn Athyn

     Pastor: Rev. Jeremy F. Simons, P.O. Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Phone: (215) 947-6225. [email protected]

     Elizabethtown

     Mr. Meade Bierly, 431 Sunrise Blvd., Elizabethtown, PA 17022. Phone: (717) 367-3964. Erie

     Dianna Murray, 5648 Zuck Road, Erie, PA 16506. Phone: (814) 833-0962.

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     Freeport (Sarver)

     Rev. Ethan D. McCardell, 980 Sarver Road, Sarver, PA 16055. Phone: (724) 353-2220. [email protected]

     Harleysville

     Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Odhner, 829 Stoney Run Valley Rd., Kempton, PA 19529. Phone: (610) 756-3168.

     Hawley

     Mr. Grant Genzlinger, Settlers Inn, #25, 4 Main Ave., Hawley, PA 18428.

     Phone: (800) 833-8527.

     Ivyland

     The Ivyland New Church, 851 W. Bristol Road, Ivyland PA 18974. Pastor: Rev. Thomas H. Rose. Phone: (215) 957-9760. Secretary: Sue Cronlund (215) 598-3919.

     Kempton

     Rev. Lawson M. Smith, 171 Kunkles Dahl Rd., Kempton, PA 19529.

     Phone: (610) 756-0093.

     Philadelphia

     Philadelphia New Church Korean Circle, Bryn Athyn College, 2895 College Drive, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Pastor: Rev. John Jin, 537 Anne Street, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006. Phone: (215) 914-1012 or (215) 947-8317. [email protected]

     Pittsburgh

     Rev. R. Amos Glenn, 299 Le Roi Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15208.

     Phone: church (412) 731-7421. [email protected]

     Sarver (see Freeport)

     
South Carolina:

     Charleston area

     Wilfred and Wendy Baker, 2030 Thornhill Drive, Summerville, SC 29485.

     Phone: (803) 851-1245.

     
South Dakota:

     Hot Springs/Rapid City

     Sharon Romey, HCR 52 - Box 120, Hot Springs, SD 57747. Phone: (605) 745-6768.

Texas:

     Austin

     Aaron Gladish, 10312 Bilbrook Place, Austin, TX 78748. Phone: (512) 282-5501. [email protected]

     
Washington:

     Seattle

     Rev. Martie Johnson, Jr., 7708 171" St. NW, Edmonds, WA 98026-5013.

     Phone: (425) 776-2524. [email protected]

     Washington, DC: See Mitchellville, MD.

Wisconsin:

     Madison

     Mr. Warren Brown, 130 Greenbrier Dr., Sun Prairie, WI 53590. Phone: (608) 825-3002.

     OTHER THAN U.S.A.

     
AUSTRALIA

     Perth, W.A.

     Sydney, N.S.W.

     Rev. Garry B. Walsh, 26 Dudley St., Penshurst, NSW 2222.

     Phone: 61-02-9594-4205. [email protected]

     
BRAZIL

     Rev. Andrew Heilman, Pastor. 1050 Mountain Road, Kempton, PA 19529. Phone: (610) 756-4415. [email protected]

     Campo Gorande

     Sr. Marcus Marques, Rua Heitor Mota Ferreira, 117, Campo Gorande 23071-080, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Phone: 213316-5528.

     Fatima

     Rev. Vinicius Guerra, Rua das Gracas, 45, Bairro de Fatima, 20240-030, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Phone: 21-3155-5380.

     
CANADA

     Alberta

     Calgary

     Rev. Michael Gladish, 248 Arbour Crest Drive, NW Calgary, Alberta T3G 4V3. Phone: (403) 374-0087. [email protected] Edmonton

     Michael Hamm, C/Frame 30 Productions #202, 1081A-82 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6E 2B3. Phone: (780) 499-1245 (cell).

     Gorand Prairie

     Lavina Scott, RR 1, Crooked Creek, Alberta TOH OYO. Phone: (780) 957-3625. British Columbia

     Dawson Creek

     Dorothy Friesen (Secretary), P. O. Box 933, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H9. Phone: (250) 782-1904.

     Ontario

     Kitchener

     Rev. Bradley D. Heinrichs, 58 Chapel Hill Drive, Kitchener, Ontario N2R 1N2. Phone: office (519) 748-5802.

287




     Ottawa

     Mr. and Mrs. Reynalds Becherel, 121 Donald Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1K 1N1. Phone: (613) 745-5117.

     Toronto

     Rev. David W. Ayers, 2 Lorraine Gardens Rd., Etobicoke, Ontario M9B 4Z4.

     Phone: church (416) 239-3054. [email protected]

DENMARK

     Copenhagen

     Mr. Jorgen Hauptmann, Strandvejen 22, 4040 Jyllinge. Phone: 46 78 9968.

ENGLAND

     Colchester

     Rev. Matthew Genzlinger, Colchester New Church, 175-181 Maldon Road,

     Colchester, Essex CO3 3BL. Phone:

     (home) 44-1206-767644, (church) 44-1206576337.

     [email protected]

     London

     Rev. Frederick Elphick, 21B Hayne Rd., Beckenham, Kent BR3 4JA.

     Phone: 44-208-658-6320. [email protected]

     Oxford

     Mr. Mark Burniston, 24 Pumbro, Stonesfield, Witney, Oxford OX8 8QF. Phone: 4440)-199-389-1700.

     Surrey

     Mr. Nathan Morley, 27 Victoria Road, Southern View, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4DJ.

FRANCE

     Beaune

     The Rev. Main Nicolier, Bourguignon, Meursanges, 21200 Beaune. Phone: 33-80-26-62-80.

GHANA

     Accra

     Rev. William O. Ankra-Badu, Box 11305, Accra North. Phone: 233-21-243662. Asakraka, Nteso, Oframase

     Rev. Martin K. Gyamfi, Box 10, AsakrakaKwahu E/R.

     Dome

     Rev. Nicholas W. Anochi, 2 Rocky St., Dome, P. O. Box TA 687, Taifa. Phone: 233-21-405518.

     Madina, Tema

     Rev. Simpson K. Darkwah, Hse. AA3, Corn. 4, c/o Box 1483, Tema. Phone: 233-22-200583.

IVORY COAST

     Abidjan

     Mr. Roger Koudou, B.P. 944, Cidex 1, Abidjan 06.

     JAPAN

     Mr. Tatsuya Nagashima, 30-2, SaijohNishiotake, Yoshino-cho, Itano-gun, Tokoshima-ken, Japan 771-14.

KOREA

     Seoul

     Rev. Dzin P. Kwak, Seoul Church of New Jerusalem, 75-21 Nokbeon-Dong Eunpyeong-Ku, Seoul, Korea 122-828. Phone: 82-(0)-2-555-1366. [email protected]

NETHERLANDS

     The Hague

     Mr. Ed Verschoor, Van

     Furstenburchstraat 6, 3862 AW Nijkerk, Netherlands.

NEW ZEALAND

     Auckland

     Jenny Keal, 186 Atkinson Road, Titrangi, Auckland 1007, New Zealand. Phone: 649-817-7949.

SOUTH AFRICA

     Gauteng

     Alexandra

     Rev. Christopher D. Bown, Supervising Pastor (see Buccleuch).

     Buccleuch

     Rev. Christopher D. Bown, P. O. Box 816, Kelvin 2054. Phone: 27-11-804-1145. [email protected]

     Diepkloof

     Rev. Jacob M. Maseko, P. O. Box 261, Pimville 1808. Phone: 27-11-933-4815. KwaZulu-Natal

     Clermont

     Rev. Bhekuyise Alfred Mbatha, Supervising Pastor, P.O. Box 817, Clernaville 3602. Phone: 27-31-519-1390.

     Durban (Westville)

     Rev. Erik J. Buss, 30 Perth Rd., Westville 3629. Phone: 27-31-262-9043. [email protected]

     Hambrook

     Rev. Bongani Edward Nzimande (see Kwa Mashu).

     Impaphala, Empangeni

     Rev. Bhekuyise Alfred Mbatha (see Clermont).

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     Kwa Mashu

     Rev. Bongani Edward Nzimande, P. O. Box 848, Pinetown 3600. Phone: 27-31707-5463.

     Midlands (services held at Howick) Rev. Gerald Waters, 9 Chiltern Gardens, 39 Pitlochry Road, Westville, KwaZuluNatal 3630. [email protected]

     Zululand Group (services held alternately at Eshowe, Empangeni, Richards Bay)

     Rev. Gerald Waters (see Midlands) Mpumalanga

     Balfour

     Rev. Reuben Tshabalala, P.O. Box 851, Kwaxuma, Soweto 1868. Phone: 27-11932-3528.

     Nkkumba (see Hambrook).

     Westville (see Durban)

     Western Cape

     Cape Town

     Janey Moore, 35 Cromer Road, Mizenberg 7945. Phone: 27-21-788-1752, (cell) 27-83490-3009. [email protected]

SWEDEN

     Jonkoping

     Pastor: Rev. Ragnar Boyesen,

     Oxelgatan 6, S-565 21 Mullsko. Phone: (home) 46-392-13396; (office) 46-39213339. [email protected] Stockholm

     Rev. Goran Appelgren, Tegnelunden 7, SE-111 61, Stockholm. Phone: 46-(0)8411-13-99. [email protected]

     When dialing from abroad, leave out zero in parentheses.

     Note: Please send any corrections to the Secretary of the General Church: Sue Simpson, P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2004

GENERAL ASSEMBLY              2004

     Please mark your calendars for next summer's General Church Assembly, June 5th to June 8th, 2005, in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. It will be the first Assembly with our new Bishop, Tom Kline. The theme for the gathering is "Renewing Our Purpose." Please plan to be a part of the refocusing and future of our beloved Church.

289


INDEPENDENCE AND FREEDOM 2004

INDEPENDENCE AND FREEDOM              2004

     available on CD and cassette

     Independence and freedom are celebrated in America on the 4th July. However these topics are gifts from the Lord and therefore are desired and rejoiced throughout the world.

     Sermons

     Country and Church, #106223 - Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton II

     The Redeemed Land, #103823 - Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner

     Peace, #100479 - Rt. Rev. Peter Buss

     Providence Over the Nations, #100402 - Rev. Donald Rose

     Spiritual Freedom, #100511 - Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton, II

     Building Community, #100399 - Rt. Rev. Louis King

     Forgiveness, #100424 - Rev. Mauro de Padua

     Independence, #100394 - Rev. Brian Keith

     All Things New, #103263 - Rev. Reuben Bell

     Real Freedom, #104507 - Rev. Walter Orthwein

     Micah's Levite, #102992 - Rev. Jeremy Simons

     The Fight for Freedom, #105798 - Rev. Derek Elphick

     Other Recordings

     Freedom, #104491

     Family Service, Rev. Daniel Goodenough

     Church and State Symbols, #104517

     Contemporary Worship Service, Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton, II

     Celebrating Liberty, #105837

     Family Service, Rev. Jeremy Simons

     The Pursuit of Happiness, #104504

     Family Service, Rev. Christopher Bown

          

     Please order using the catalog numbers listed.

     Cassette - $2.00, CD - $4.00, Catalog - $5.00

     Additional postage charges will be included on your invoice.

     SOUND)))

     RECORDING

     Box 752 - 1120 Cathedral Road Bryn Athyn, PA 19009-0752 [email protected] 215-914-4980

     

     
     



290


LOVE IS NOT A FEELING 2004

LOVE IS NOT A FEELING              2004

     by Erik J. Buss $4.95US, pb

     "Love is not a feeling; it is a commitment. When people make a commitment to do something, they show what they value...Commitment shows what you love more than strong feelings do. What you make time for, what you do regardless of how you feel, shows you what you really love...although we cannot control the feelings that flow into us, we can control the loves we develop. If we can recognize that love is not a feeling, but a commitment, and that we can choose to love something by deciding to act on it no matter what we feel, we will negate the hells' power. We will still feel terrible at times, just as the Lord did while He was on earth. But more and more often we will be able to rise above the strong feelings the hells inspire in us."

     

     Take a Deep Breath

     by David Simons $7.95US, pb

     "How would you like to learn what the Lord is like in such a way that you will never forget it?... How would you like to understand how someone who truly loves you gives that gift in such a way that you feel it is your own, and that you have control over it?"

     Take a Deep Breath offers the clear presentation of truths only a gifted teacher can provide. The many examples Mr. Simons offers bring the teachings of the Word to life in ways that delight as they instruct us.

     His conversational style and tone give us easy access to the important ideas he presents.

     GENERAL CHURCH BOOK CENTER -215.914.4920- [email protected]
Title Unspecified 2004

Title Unspecified              2004

     Vol. CXXIV     August, 2004     No. 8

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
Notes on This Issue 2004

Notes on This Issue              2004

     Derek Elphick, formerly of Boynton Beach, Florida, is now pastor in Oak Arbor, Michigan. His father is the pastor of the Michael Church Society in London.

     We are printing this month the text of an address given by Dan Synnestvedt on April 30th. Dr. Synnestvedt says, "It is a philosopher's job to raise questions that he does not have ready answers to." He does so, and he shares some interesting facts. On page 306 he gives figures that indicate that young people seem in the last twenty years to have greater interest in religion. And yet college teachers in America are less inclined to provide for religious discussion in their courses. Three quarters of college students surveyed said that we are all spiritual beings and 58% rated integrating spirituality into my life as either essential or very important. Yet 62% report that their professors never encourage discussions of this nature in class,

     Dr. Synnestvedt sees this as an opportunity for Bryn Athyn College to reach out to thirsty students. He says, "My vision of the future is to make Bryn Athyn the magnet that attracts people who have an affection for our spiritual mission . . . Bryn Athyn can be like a well for the thirsty from the parched regions of the world, a place to grow strong in a truly spiritual Christianity."

     The Johnny Appleseed Heritage Center has had its grand opening, A small number of New Church people have attended the center in Mansfield, Ohio. We are grateful to have a direct report from Dr, Jane Williams-Hogan who attended the first presentation of a drama that will continue to be shown until September 5th, We are told that 1,680 people were on hand. Dr, Hogan says, "There were at least six references to Swedenborg, the New Church and books of the Writings."

     This center is the dream of Bill Jones, who hopes to welcome thousands of people each summer. He is to be congratulated on the auspicious beginning.

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WHAT MAKES THE CHURCH? 2004

WHAT MAKES THE CHURCH?       Rev. DEREK ELPHICK       2004

     A SERMON

     What makes the church? Is it a building, a congregation, a particular set of beliefs, an earthly organization or is it some sort of spiritual entity? What comes to mind when you hear the word, "church"?

     The common perception of "church" today isn't very positive, In fact, many people have a distorted picture of churches and organized religion-and in many ways you can't blame them for feeling the way they do. Think of the horrible images that flash across our television screens of people committing terrible crimes, terrible acts of violence, and this in the name of God, in the name of religion. Think of all the religious cults and fanatical religious groups who brainwash their members with ludicrous belief systems and codes of behavior. Mainstream churches are not immune to scandal and hypocrisy either which hardly helps those who already keep themselves at a safe distance from the doors of any church.

     So it's not uncommon for people to think of churches as elite, private clubs where the "pure" and "righteous" are invited to join, and the riff raff are invited to leave. Of course, perceptions can be wrong too. Take the T.V. evangelists. Think of all the people both inside and outside the United States who base their perception of the "American Church" on that sweaty, screaming, Bible thumping preacher who makes you think the world is going to end tomorrow!

     Well, a long time ago "church" had a very simple, beautiful connotation, All around the world, people would gather into groups, some large, some small, and have "church." Meeting in a building was optional. Some of these groups would meet on a hillside or mountain, others in small huts or simple structures and others in large, ornate buildings dedicated to the study and worship of God.

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     The point of church was also simple: people gathered together to worship God and support each other in living the life that leads to heaven. There was a deep sense of community, of young and old working together, learning together, and growing together. These people didn't classify themselves into groups saying we're Lutheran and they're Methodist, or I'm a Baptist and he's Catholic. They called themselves, "Christian" and lived peaceably with their neighbor.

     The "church" I'm talking about is the early Christian Church which remained strong and faithful to the gospel message for a little over 300 hundred years until the Holy Roman Emperor, Constantine, converted to Christianity and forever changed the face of Christianity. For in 325 AD Constantine forced 450 squabbling bishops into one room and said, "You can't come out of this room until you come up with a religious document, a creed, that settles once and for all your theological differences,"

     Well, these bishops did their job. They came up with a religious decree (equivalent to a legal, binding document) that butchered the simple, beautiful gospel message of Jesus Christ and effectively shattered the Christian Church into a thousand pieces.

     So why the history lesson?

     Well, it explains our heritage. It reminds us of the fact that there was a time in our history when "church" didn't have a bad connotation. The early Christian Church of the first three centuries satisfied a deep spiritual thirst and hunger. Whole communities, villages and towns were built by Christians who wanted to live their religion, not debate it. The rest is, as they say, history. The Christian Church splintered into thousands of different denominations each with their own "niche" in the theological market. Rather than following the direct, no-nonsense approach of the gospels, churches started splitting hairs over silly, unimportant points of doctrine.

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     The other reason for the history lesson is to give the New Church a context. The role of the New Church in this world is to get people back on track to worshipping God and living the life of religion in the simple, direct way of the early Christian Church.

     So I'd like to talk about the "church" as the Lord defines it in His Word and how He wishes us to experience it.

     You might be surprised to learn that the word, "church" doesn't appear in the Old Testament although the concept is implicit throughout, especially with respect to Jehovah's relationship with the people, Israel. And when you turn to the four gospels in the New Testament, the Lord only mentions the term once, and this in response to Peter's famous declaration, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,"

     So the broadest definition of the "church" is the Lord's kingdom on earth (see AC 768:3); and it exists wherever you have good people living out their faith (see AC 10765). So it doesn't matter whether it's the farmer in Pakistan, or the mother in Bulgaria, or the businessman in Japan, or the airplane pilot from the Ukraine, or the bus-driver in Mexico or the factory worker in China-the church exists wherever God is acknowledged and the neighbor is loved.

     This is the broadest definition of the church and it's the integrity of life that determines the quality of the "church" in that individual. So it's not the belief system, per se, which makes the church, but how well that individual lives his religion. As the book, The Divine Providence, points out, the first question people are asked when they die and come into the spiritual world is not, "what was your faith," or "what was your doctrine?" but rather, "What kind of life did you live?" (DP 101:3),

     Still, a person's life cannot find expression without a belief system and so it's more accurate to say that it's a life according to doctrine or faith that makes the church in a person (see AC 2454, 4468, 6272).

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It would also follow from this that the more accurate and precise the doctrine is, the more meaningful and fulfilling one's life promises to be.

     This is where the New Church religion comes in for in the narrowest sense, the church exists "wherever the Lord is acknowledged and the Word is [read]" (AC 10765). This applies to the Judeo-Christian world (which has access to the Sacred Scriptures) and now to the New Church which worships the Lord in His Divine Human and which stresses the importance of living the life of religion.

     So a church is only so good as its ability to teach and lead. For example, imagine trying to assemble a piece of furniture, say a bookcase or cabinet with instructions that are written only in French. Unless you happen to speak French or are exceptionally gifted in the mechanical department, you will most likely throw up your hands in despair and give up. The same is true in life. Unless people have instructions that clearly explain why God put them on this planet they are likely to throw up their hands in despair or "muddle along" in life without any particular focus or direction.

     For over two millennia, the Christian religion has provided people with an "instruction booklet" to help them piece together their lives and now the new Christian religion, the New Church, has arisen. The New Church exists to take people one step further by providing them with the most complete, detailed "instruction booklet" for living in this world.

     So how does this apply to the individual?

     Well, you've heard the expression, "Every man is an island." The church exists to bring people together, not leave them out in the cold, in isolation, The church exists to build community. In a way, the church is the "antidote" to living on an "island," to keeping our neighbor at a "safe distance" where we don't have to deal with him! Put another way (and perhaps more bluntly) the church exists to remind us not to be so selfish. The sphere of the church helps us to remember that we're on this planet to help other people, to want their happiness as much, if not more, than our own!

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     So now think of what happens when we come together to worship the Lord and support each other in living the life that leads to heaven. Think of the friendships you have forged in this church. Many of our friendships end up lasting a lifetime, Think of the church members you respect and admire, who so patiently and consistently put their religion into practice (as the New Church teaches over and over again). These people become our mentors, our trusted friends, Or think of all the different types of relationships that are formed within the sphere of the New Church. Some of you met your husbands and wives here. Some of you will meet your future husband or wife in the church. Then there are the baptisms, the marriages, the memorial services-all of which honor the individual for the commitment made or the life lived.

     These are the things that "make" the church and which give it the simple, beautiful connotation it deserves.

     So when we talk about the church, let us first remember that it's much larger than any one building, congregation or denomination. The church is the Lord's kingdom on earth and it can be found in every corner of the globe, in the hearts and minds of millions and millions of different people. This universal church crosses every cultural and ethnic boundary, and exists wherever God is acknowledged and the neighbor is loved.

     But let us also remember that the church has a more focused presence in the hearts and minds of people who wish to worship God in Human form, as the Lord Jesus Christ, This church, the New Church, is what we wish to be a part of, and it will grow in us as we model ourselves after its teachings and ideals. It will grow in our children and amongst our neighbors and friends as we practice what we preach and as we gather together as a community in Christian friendship and love.

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     And finally, let us thank the Lord for the countless benefits we receive from His New Church for as the Psalmist says: "What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people" (Psalm 116:12-14). Amen.

Lessons: Psalm 116; AC 10765 General Church Assembly 2005 2004

General Church Assembly 2005              2004

     "Renewing Our Purpose"

     June 5th to 8th, 2005 Bryn Athyn, PA, USA

     General Church Assembly 2005 is collecting applications for workshops! If you are interested in running a 90-minute workshop at the Assembly, you must apply by September 1st to be considered, You may find the letter and application online at www.newchurchyoungadults.org and click on "What's New?" Or you can call on our new Assembly phone number: 267-502-2696 and ask for a copy to be sent to you in the mail.

     Don't delay! The deadline for the application is September 1st, and we have a limited number of spaces for workshops!

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BRYN ATHYN COLLEGE, WORLDVIEWS, AND GLOBALIZATION* 2004

BRYN ATHYN COLLEGE, WORLDVIEWS, AND GLOBALIZATION*       Dr. DAN A. SYNNESTVEDT       2004

     * This article was originally presented as a speech on April 30, 2004 at Glencairn Museum for the Bryn Athyn College alumni weekend.

     It is a privilege to speak with you tonight about Bryn Athyn College. It is a subject that I care very deeply about,

     Last year I bought a book entitled The Future of Religious Colleges (in the U.S.) and immediately I began by reading the final chapter. I wanted to know how it ended! What is the future of religious colleges? Of our religious college? Of course the book does not say; it does not predict the future. Yet we will write the ending, either consciously and deliberately or unconsciously and accidentally, either cooperating with the Lord's Providence or struggling upstream. In our report to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, we stated that Bryn Athyn College is at a threshold and the Commission agreed. Thus each year that passes is like a step beyond the threshold. The question is, are the steps leading down to a dark basement or are they leading up to a bright living room?

     First a bit of history. The first school of the Academy was the theological school, the second was the college. Later, education for young boys and girls was started and grew into high schools when people moved from Philadelphia to Bryn Athyn. Since the educational standard for many in North America at that time was high school, those schools of the Academy received much attention during the 20th century. As the educational standard was raised in the second half of the 20th century, the college as a largely two-year school with majors for teachers and ministers began its separation from the high schools and created its own campus in the 1960s.

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Subsequently, the educational standard for many in North America has been raised to that of a four year college, and Bryn Athyn College has also developed to meet that standard, But what was sufficient 30 years ago is not sufficient now and of course we have not yet fulfilled our founders' vision of a university. The era of high school education as the pinnacle of educational achievement is over, and the era of collegiate and university education for the many is well underway, I am concerned that if Bryn Athyn College remains at its present size that it will be squeezed out of the higher education market. So my central question for you tonight is this: do we see the use in continuing to develop Bryn Athyn College and if so, will we marshal the resources necessary to actually do it?

     The 19th century philosopher Karl Marx famously said that the philosophers have only interpreted the world, when the point is to change it. What Marx forgot is that a new interpretation of the world can often lead to change. Let me give you my interpretation of the world. Divide reality into two parts: the external environment and the internal environment. The internal environment includes the faculty, students, administration, board, church members (people), our worldview (Neo-Christian Theism), our assets (such as facilities), and our liabilities (such as the lack of a sign for the college on Huntingdon Pike). The external environment includes the government, the economy, competing institutions of higher education, and rival worldviews. Consider the external environment and globalization first.

     Globalization is a controversial term and process. When people hear it, some automatically think of the exploitation of the world's poor by greedy multinational corporations. The contemporary philosopher Robert Solomon characterized Postmodern philosophy as the return of the oppressed, that is, people who, such as the Indians, some Asians and Africans, were colonized by Westerners. Some describe the Postmodern condition of globalization as the Coca-Colonization of the world. Others think of the United Nations becoming the governing body for the planet.

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For some "globalization" means new problems, such as global warming, that we face. Still others think the term synonymous with "baloney" (as in "globaloney").

     I disagree with the last characterization and will state what I take to be globalization in as neutral and descriptive a way as possible. Globalization is the increased mobility of goods, services, labor, technology, capital, ideas, and people throughout the world. It is the tendency toward an interconnected marketplace, international competition, culture, and a political arena increasingly unhampered by time zones, national boundaries, and ancient traditions. Given this definition of the term, we can assert that globalization has been going on for 500 years. While there has always been some contact between various cultures upon the earth, it has only been within the past five centuries that the world's major civilizations have had a significantly increasing quantity of contact with one another, (The world's major civilizations I take to be the Asian, the Indic, the Russian, the sub-Saharan African, and the Western, that is, European and North American.)

     The New Church has also been part of globalization. If you don't believe me, look at back issues of New Church Life and the list of overseas ministers in the Bryn Athyn telephone directory. The college also reflects globalization. Here are some examples. When I was a student at the college in the 1980s I acquired friends from several different countries. Moreover, I met my wife, Lisa, who grew up in England, at the college, Last year the college had students from 12 countries, By teaching at the college I acquired a good friend from South Korea (Sung-won Paek) who has become my "brother," I acquired a "nephew" from Sri Lanka (Kanchana) and, oddly enough, when I was residence hall director of Childs Hall, a man from Ghana (Kwasi Darkwah) who is 20 years older than I am became my "son." To complete my New Church family all I need now is a 22 year-old great aunt from Karachi!

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Is this strange? We certainly never did this sort of thing back in Ohio! Yet other Christians and the Writings themselves use this familial language. Consider the early Christian church's language. Charitable feasts "took place among such people as called themselves brothers in Christ" (TCR 434). Why? Because there was a spiritual brotherhood (Ibid.).

     Although I could tell you some stories about my spiritual family, let me give you a couple of examples of globalization and change in the external economic environment. The Economist is a weekly British newsmagazine on politics and economics. A few months ago it ran an article on a study done by GoldmanSachs about the big economies of the future, namely Brazil, Russia, India, and especially China. Right now the Group of 7 economic powers includes Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada, and the U,S. The report from GoldmanSachs predicts that by mid century, the current G7 members are unlikely to be eligible to attend meetings. In 40 years the total output of BRIC will overtake that of the G7. Of today's G7, only America and Japan would still be among the world's biggest economies. Like all forecasts, this one could be wrong in several ways, but it does make one think differently about the future, specifically about the locations of the wealth needed to fund the New Church,

     It also makes one think about the global competition in higher education, As two researchers, Cynthia Ryans and William Shanklin, noted nearly 20 years ago, just as there are "shakeouts" underway in various industries, surely there is one in progress in higher education. "The shakeout is more evident," they write, "in the private school sector because state dollars have saved many public schools that would have otherwise folded." The decline in the number of two year colleges, the bankruptcy of some private colleges, and the merger of others, is mounting evidence to support the claim of Ryans and Shanklin. As schools compete for students and a listing in national rankings, this process will continue.

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With the advent of international rankings of colleges and universities, I believe this process will intensify.

     Now consider global political change. Even though the last century was dominated by conflict revolving around totalitarian regimes, it was also a century of increasing democratization. At the beginning of the 20th century there were less than 20 democracies in the world and now, a century later, there are over 100. Due to the growth of democracy and capitalism, it won't be long before social ties and traditions are loosened enough that religious liberty advances. It looks as if more people will have more economic, political, philosophical, and religious choices in the future.

     Consider global changes in religion. You've no doubt noticed that Eastern thought and religion have been pouring into Western countries. From acupuncture to zen, philosophical ideas and healing practices are being imported almost as fast as plastic toys from China. But remember that Christian countries have been exporting their religion for centuries, and that a different form of Christianity is taking hold. An evangelical form of Protestantism is spreading in south and central America. This is giving the Catholic church, which has been entrenched in south and central America for decades, stiff competition for members, There are even illegal "house churches" of evangelicals in China. Even if people in the West are tired of Christianity, people elsewhere are not and they are learning the Bible.

     History of religion scholar Philip Jenkins states that "Christians are facing a shrinking population in the liberal West and a growing majority of the traditional Rest. During the past half century the critical centers of the Christian world have moved decisively to Africa, to Latin America, and to Asia. The balance will never shift back." Jenkins says that, if present trends continue, "By 2025, 50% of the Christian population will be in Africa and Latin America, and another 17% will be in Asia." North America, probably, and Europe certainly, will no longer define what it means to be a Christian.

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This news is hard for some Christian Americans to take. Many Americans have traditionally thought of America as a Christian nation. In terms of many of our laws, our founding, our great social movements, and the religious majority of the population, the U.S. was and still is a Christian nation. So we might be tempted to see this growth elsewhere as threatening our status as the only city on a hill or shining beacon of liberty and Christian virtue.

     Globalization often includes the loosening of traditional social ties and this produces chaos. But it also produces the opportunity to inquire after the truth, compare different worldviews and religions, and choose which one to adopt. Our own students study major worldviews, such as the Classical, Deism, New Age, Existentialism, and Eastern Pantheistic Monism. None of us can guarantee that our children will choose to attend Bryn Athyn College or join the General Church, Today they have a tremendous range of options. The Lord seems to be working to create the material and social conditions around the world to allow for a transition from an age of historical faith, to an age of rational faith. We are moving toward an era in which faith is based on the exercise of one's rationality when faced with a choice between customary religion and new religions and worldviews.

     Another part of our external environment is the dominant worldview. What is a worldview? A worldview is a philosophy of life. It is a set of fundamental assumptions that we hold either consciously or not, consistently or not, about reality, knowledge, human nature, morality, politics, beauty, and the meaning of life. The dominant worldview among some powerful culturally influential groups of the West is naturalism. (The groups I have in mind are some people in the mass media, academics in universities, some businesses, and certain government officials.)

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     What is naturalism? Naturalism is the belief that reality consists entirely of Nature, or that whatever exists is natural only. It is the belief that only natural things are knowable and frequently that the methods for acquiring knowledge in the natural sciences are the only legitimate or rational methods. There are many conclusions that follow from such premises. For example, human beings have no transcendental or spiritual dimensions to them; instead, we are complex animals or soft machines. For naturalists there is no such thing as the God who is worshipped by Jews, Christians, and Muslims; instead naturalists assert either that there is no God at all, or that Nature is God, or some aspect of nature such as its laws or fundamental forces is God. Apart from passing on some genetic material through offspring or having one's good deeds memorialized in stone, there is no life after death according to naturalists. Morality and politics are products of evolution, What about the meaning of human life? The meaning of life is either determined by the forces of nature (such as genes or scarcity) and we have no choice in the matter, or it consists in the avoidance of pain and boredom while seeking the maximization of pleasure and the satisfaction of preferences. As one article in a weekly news magazine put it: "scientists are finding that, after all, love really is down to a chemical addiction between people." This might be shocking to some of you, but naturalism is de rigueur at meetings of the American Philosophical Association. In 1996 the president of the Pacific Division of the A.P.A, stated that most philosophers have been naturalists for the last century and that the question is not whether to be a naturalist or not, but rather what is to be included in one's concept of nature.

     Obviously naturalism is diametrically opposed to the New Christianity. Naturalists do not hide their contempt for such a fantastically supernatural, or supra-natural, worldview as the one contained in the Heavenly Doctrines.

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To a naturalist, a Swedenborgian appears as a simpleton, a dullard, or demented, as one deluded by fables of the priesthood, whose thoughts are fantasies, whose actions are ludicrous! And these are just the polite terms used in the Writings (TCR 639, 178)! On the other hand, Swedenborg reports that the angels were able to dish it out equally well, but with a charitable attitude of course, saying that naturalists are hellish, beastly, dead, insane, lustful bone-headed atheists (TCR 639, 178, 77, DLW 357, HH 354)!

     Why is this important? The naturalism that began to flower in the mid-eighteenth century burst into full bloom in the 20th century and is our primary competitor when it comes to the hearts and minds of people everywhere, but especially those in the developed nations, Naturalism functions not only as a competing worldview, but as a form of pseudo-religion, what the Writings call a "religiosity." This claim is asserted not only by theologians and the Writings, but by philosophers and social scientists as well. For example, Communism has been called a "Christian heresy" and "the god that failed," It was one form of naturalism. Lest we Americans get smug though, we should remember Alexander Solzhenitsyn's warning in his Harvard University speech that there is a kind of naturalism among us too. When he came to the U.S. he found that while religious citizens were not persecuted by the government as they were in the Soviet Union, Americans were very materialistic. American naturalism is advertised and packaged in very seductive ways,

     What's encouraging is that some Christians realize that naturalism is damaging to people and must be resisted. They are learning not to attack Darwin or the theory of evolution, but to attack naturalism. This awareness of naturalism and the willingness to publicly criticize it seems to be part of the phenomena that Prof. Alan Wolfe has dubbed "the opening of the evangelical mind." Evangelical Christians have become increasingly engaged with the larger culture.

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They are no longer content to be privately spiritual. There are several indicators that point toward this. One is the spate of books from evangelical academics that take very seriously the harmonizing of Biblical Christianity with the academic disciplines without watering them down. The author of the philosophy of biology textbook that we are using in our philosophy of biology course this term is one step away from a New Church approach to religion and science. For example, he speaks of accepting the theory of evolution when it comes to the natural development of humans and reading Genesis in such a way that Adam is not literally the first human. Instead, God chose two people from an existing human population that could have been the outcome of evolution. Thus Adam is the "first religious head of the human race. . . ." Is this not very close to the concept of Adam as a symbol for a church?

     What do these changes mean? We used to see other Christians as our foes, but in a popular culture awash in the American version of naturalism, conservative Christians could be our best friends, Based upon what I've read, I think it is becoming increasingly likely that a small Christian college could become our competitor, True, the claims that Swedenborg makes are a lot to swallow for today's average Christian. But the possibility that they could accept the claims has improved. How would we feel if a Christian college of 4,000 students gradually embraced the ideas of the New Church and this other college already had many sports teams, residence halls, clubs, laboratories, and academic majors? Would we be happy for them and for the competition that would inspire us to grow stronger? Or would we feel disappointed in their success and give up? If this is a realistic possibility, it means that we have increased competition in what some thought was an exclusive unique niche. I raise this possibility because it helps us question our assumptions-something that is part of a philosopher's job-and it helps us not take the existence of the college for granted.

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     On the other hand, this shift in Christian thinking also means that if students are attracted to such religious colleges, the possibility that they could be attracted to our college has also increased, Consequently, we would have to rethink how we present ourselves to Christians. Due to a liberal mass media in the West, the sins of Christians past and fundamentalist Christians of the present, it is with understandable reluctance that we identify ourselves as Christian. But we either identify ourselves as Christians, or allow ourselves to be categorized and labeled by other people-and the category and label might not be very accurate or complimentary.

     Recent survey results about interest in spirituality and religion among teenagers in the U,S. show that they are more interested in these topics than was previously thought. The percentage of 12th graders who said that religion was a very important part of their life declined slightly from the late 1970s to the late 1980s. However, from the end of the 1980s to the late 1990s, the percentage of 12th graders who said religion was a very important part of their life actually increased from 25% to 33%,

     Not only that, but students are being starved for reflection upon these topics in the big universities and colleges. There is evidence of this in the Spirituality in College Students Preliminary Finding from a national study conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute of UCLA in 2003. Here is just a sampling: While 78% of students discuss religion and spirituality with friends, only 58% have such discussions in class and only 8% report that their professors frequently encourage classroom discussions of religious or spiritual matters. 77% of students surveyed said that we are all spiritual beings and 58% rated integrating spirituality into my life as either essential or very important. Yet 62% report that their professors never encourage discussions of this nature in class. To me this information represents an opportunity for the college to reach out to these thirsty students.

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     Another change that reflects the intersection of naturalism and globalization is the important finding from religions scholar Philip Jenkins' work that people in non-Western countries are not afraid to believe in spiritual reality; they are not ashamed to be supernaturalists. Since the Heavenly Doctrines contain a super-supernaturalist worldview, this is good news for the long-term global growth of the New Church.

     Out of all the institutions that are linked to the General Church, it is the college and theological school that are best positioned to take advantage of the opportunity provided by globalization and the growing flight from denominations and naturalism. In fact, they are the only institutions where young adults and future leaders of the General Church meet on a daily basis, The college and theological school provide the opportunity to learn about different cultures, about how to look first at the character of a person and the good of his or her soul, and look beyond the external differences in dress, personal habits, skin color, economic class and even style of worship. Both schools help bring the world to the New Church and help bring the New Church to the world.

     What sort of opportunity does globalization present to Bryn Athyn College and the New Church? The developing countries lack infrastructure and are not yet self-sufficient. There is a lack of self-sufficiency in North American congregations too. Rather than fight over a shrinking financial pie, I recommend that we form a partnership to enlarge the pie. We must teach people how to fish in the natural and spiritual worlds, so that New Church societies can become interdependent. How can we do this? One way is to teach people how to become good successful New Church business people who can generate wealth ethically. For example, we can offer a business and economics major at the college. We have the opportunity to take globalization from a process that is largely about money as an end and earthly power and add a spiritual dimension to it.

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     And what will Americans gain from this? A new generation of contributors, a more balanced and accurate perspective on life, and spiritual renewal through the joy of giving without thought of reward. For all of us it is an opportunity to serve the next degree of the neighbor. This is known as loving the Lord's kingdom. It is the highest degree of the neighbor. The Heavenly Doctrines state that the Lord's kingdom is the church throughout the whole world, what is called the communion of saints (TCR 416). If a person loves the Lord's kingdom, he or she loves everyone in the whole world who acknowledges the Lord, has faith in Him, and charity toward the neighbor (Ibid,). This love dwells at the highest level in a person and flows into what is lower, bringing it to life. This is why the Lord said "Seek first the kingdom of the heavens and its righteousness, then everything will be added unto you" (Matt. 6:33) (Ibid.).

     What has the college done to position itself and meet the needs of its students? We have supported an International Student Organization, we have added courses on the history of non-Western regions of the world, such as Asia and Africa, and we have changed our student orientation program, Students go to countries such as Australia and Ghana on internships and to the Bahamas for community service. I have also changed my philosophy courses, Philosophy 111, Introduction to Moral and Political Philosophy, illustrates my point: it now includes a brief look at globalization. Could we do more? Yes, of course. We could, for example, sponsor a symposium on how the idea of the Gorand Man can be used as a model of complimentary strengths and coordinated yet differentiated opportunities for service. We could hire students from both U.S. and other countries to research the opportunities for the growth of the church in particular nations. This is both an educational and practical project that can help the church allocate its resources in the most useful way.

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     While these changes in the external environment are important, there are changes in the internal environment that are equally significant. From the point of view of a casual observer, one might conclude that Bryn Athyn College has not grown much. True, we have added majors in biology, English, and history, but over the last 25 years our enrollment has not increased nor has the size of faculty. There are many changes in the college that I could list, but the most important change of all is that the faculty, students, and administration have decided that it is time to reach out to other people interested in our mission. Faculty and students are now eager for the rest of the internal environment to catch up with us and help us reflect this change in tangible ways.

     What are the barriers to having a successful outreach effort? Well, I think that two major ones are fear and suspicion. It is a philosopher's job to raise questions that he does not have ready answers to and this is the case. So I offer these for our reflection. (This is the part that calls to mind Socrates and the last time he made a public speech!) Do Americans fear the growing power of non-Western New Church people or people who are new to the church? Do some suspect that people from developing countries or from America's inner cities will use that power to take over the church and/or drain the finances? Do African and South American New Church people fear the lack of commitment to the global New Church by North Americans and Europeans? Do they suspect that we will become increasingly corrupted by the naturalism in our culture and spend the church's money and other resources on ourselves?

     A third barrier is ethnic Swededenborgianism: you know, having a familiar last name, such as . . . Synnestvedt! Again, let me address this in the form of a question that I do not have the answer to. Will we move away from a natural concept of the neighbor and ethnic Swedenborgianism toward the spiritual concept of the neighbor (that is, good as the neighbor, especially good of the soul)?

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This is the concept of the neighbor that is openly and repeatedly taught in our revelation, but will we accept it and use it in our decision making?

     There are many ways that you can nurture Bryn Athyn College. Let me mention three. First, you can continue to welcome international and domestic students into your homes and places of work, New Church people have a well-deserved reputation for being good hosts. Amongst our fellow Christians, this is known as the virtue of hospitality. The continuing cultivation of this virtue is vital to the success of the church and the college, Students and faculty welcome the gifts of your home, time, and talents in the service of New Church education.

     Next, you can recommend good students to us, especially the ones that can be teaching and research assistants. Assisting a college professor will prepare our students for graduate school and leadership positions. Also, it will enable us to do the research that the church needs in this new century. It builds on our strength of genuine friendly relationships between faculty and students, In the long run, it will help ensure succession of good teachers and researchers at Bryn Athyn College and other colleges. Every powerful lasting cultural movement must have a consistent, coherent, and comprehensive worldview. The New Church provides the world's greatest philosophy of life. Now this does not mean that current New Church people are the best people in the world, for we have miles to go when it comes to applying the truth to life. Yet the new Christian worldview is comprehensive and should be expressed with a confidence born of personal experience. As Aristotle would say, confidence is the mean between two extremes, namely, arrogance (too much confidence) and timidity (too little confidence).

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     Apocalypse Revealed talks about the challenges facing the New Church, but says that the New Church will prevail. Do you believe it? We feel excitement and some existential angst facing an uncertain global future. Based upon his monumental study of history, Arnold Toynbee concluded that a society without challenges, or very weak ones, withers. On the other hand, a society with tremendous challenges is overwhelmed and dies. But a society with just the right challenge actually grows stronger and improves by meeting the challenge, The challenge before us now is to continue to develop the college in such a way that we meet the problems of globalization and naturalism while taking advantage of the opportunities they afford.

     My vision of the future is to make Bryn Athyn the magnet that attracts people who have an affection for our spiritual mission-the way that art lovers are attracted to Paris and outdoor enthusiasts to Machu Picchu. Bryn Athyn can be like a well for the thirsty from the parched regions of the world, a place to grow strong in a truly spiritual Christianity. People in the U.S. and around the world can associate Bryn Athyn with a beautiful and inspiring cathedral, an educational and culturally enriching museum, a community of good friendly people, and an institution of higher education that has a sound mind in a sound body, Let it be so!

     The third thing we can do to nurture the college is pray for the development of the New Church on the earth and ask for the inspiration to love the Lord's kingdom which is the church throughout the whole world, for without Him, we can do nothing.

     I am grateful to the people who helped me with this speech and I thank you for your attendance and attention.

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Editorial Pages 2004

Editorial Pages              2004

     MORE AVAILABLE TO DANISH READERS

     Striking Sayings from Marriage and Invitation to the New Church

     Rev. Gudmund Boolsen has completed the translation of four small works of the Writings. These come to a total of just over 150 pages. Over the years Mr. Boolsen has translated several of the major works of the Writings. We will list these later.

     You are probably aware of the two volumes of Posthumous Theological Works, which have been produced by the Swedenborg Foundation. Mr. Boolsen has translated into Danish the first three works in the first volume. From the second volume he translated the work On Marriage. I take this occasion to present the beginning sentences from this work using the translation produced by the Swedenborg Society in 1975. Then I will give some examples from Invitation to the New Church.

     On Marriage

     "Truly conjugial love is represented in heaven by various means. It is represented by diamond auras, glistening as if with rubies and garnets, also by the most beautiful rainbows and showers of gold, the sight of which fills bystanders with such pleasure and delight that their minds are stirred to their depths. I have heard the angels in the gardens of heaven when conjugial love was so represented, and they said that they were filled with such delight that they could not express it otherwise than by saying it was delight itself, from which all other delights sprang as from their origin. They said that this was pure mental delight, without any arousing of lust. For such is conjugial love in origin."

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     Invitation to the New Church

     "It is an arcanum from the spiritual world, that he who does not approach the Lord directly and immediately with the idea concerning Him, presence is not effected, and still less can he become a recipient of any communication, It is as if someone stands at the side, and appears in the dark. In like manner, no one can converse with another, unless he looks directly at him; communication is then granted when each reciprocally looks at the other. Thus, and not otherwise, do ideas enter into another; and if at the same time there is love, conjunction is effected. If anyone, therefore, approaches the Father immediately, He stands as it were at the side; and hence is unable to grant and to impart redemption; that is, He is unable to regenerate and afterwards to save him" (42).

     "The manifestation of the Lord in person, and the introduction by the Lord into the spiritual world, both as to sight and as to hearing and speech, surpasses all miracles; for we do not read anywhere in history that such conversation with angels and spirits has been granted from the creation of the world. For I am daily with angels there, even as I am in the world with men; and now for twenty-seven years. Evidence of this communication are the books which I have published concerning heaven and hell, and also the relations in my last work entitled True Christian Religion" (43),

     "In addition . . . there is the fact that the spiritual sense of the Word has been disclosed by the Lord through me; which has never before been revealed since the Word was written with the sons of Israel; and this sense is the very sanctuary of the Word; the Lord Himself is in this sense with His Divine, and in the natural sense with His human. Not a single iota in this sense can be opened except by the Lord alone, This surpasses all the revelations that have hitherto been made since the creation of the world. Through this revelation a communication has been opened between men and the angels of heaven, and thus conjunction of the two worlds has been effected;

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because when man is in the natural sense the angels are in the spiritual sense" (44).

     "It has pleased the Lord to prepare me from my earliest youth to perceive the Word, and He has introduced me into the spiritual work, and has enlightened me with the light of His Word more proximately. From this it is manifest that this surpasses all miracles" (55).

     Besides the two works just quoted Mr. Boolsen has translated Coronis and The Consummation of the Age. He began his translating work in 1971 producing Heaven and Hell in that year. He then translated the Spiritual Diary (a labor of twelve years). He has also translated Divine Love and Wisdom, Conjugial Love and Apocalypse Revealed.

     In 1971 we did a couple of editorials entitled "Something Wholesome in Denmark." These described some of Mr. Boolsen's work. A photograph of him with his wife, Laura is on page 512 of the November issue of that year.
www.NewChurchVineyard.org 2004

www.NewChurchVineyard.org              2004

     An on-line family magazine from the G. C. Office of Education featuring materials for all ages focused on a new theme every month.

     The Holy Supper in August 2004

     The Parable of the Talents in September 2004

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JOHNNY APPLESEED OUTDOOR HISTORICALDRAMA INAUGURAL SEASON 2004

JOHNNY APPLESEED OUTDOOR HISTORICALDRAMA INAUGURAL SEASON       Dr. JANE WILLIAMS-HOGAN       2004

     The Johnny Appleseed Heritage Center is the dream of Bill Jones. It was established to honor the legacy of John Chapman (1774-1845), humanitarian, philanthropist and conservationist. The dream has been over ten years in the making. Land was secured in 1996, an auditorium/library was built in 2002 and 2004 saw the inauguration of the amphitheater. Future construction will include a museum, a classroom and office space. The attractive and spacious outdoor amphitheater is beautifully situated in a wooded glen in the rolling hills of north central Ohio. The view is quietly breathtaking. Two miles south of Mifflin, in Ashland County, the Heritage Center is located in the heart of the territory where John Chapman, known as Johnny Appleseed, established his nurseries almost two hundred years ago.

     As a representative of the Swedenborg Foundation, I was fortunate to attend, with my husband, the opening night of the musical drama Johnny Appleseed on June 26th. I was delighted to discover at least six other members of the Church in attendance, It will play six nights a week all summer with the final "curtain" of the season descending on September 5th.

     Arriving at the site in the early evening as the sunlight filtered through the trees, I was immediately impressed by the large throng of folks happily milling about and sampling the complimentary hors d'oeuvres and apple cider. By show time at 8:00, the amphitheater that seats 1,600 was full. Needless to say, the Board of the Heritage Center was delighted. The opening remarks that preceded the ribbon cutting and the show highlighted Bill Jones's vision, and the many sponsors of the amphitheater, both public and private. The Swedenborg Foundation sent a lovely bouquet of white roses that were presented to Bill Jones.

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It was great to watch these events close up as invited guests, but I must say there is not a bad seat in the house,

     Opening night was an important evening in Ohio for Johnny Appleseed, as the drama addressed the myth with the facts about this real American hero. It was also an important night for Swedenborgians and for the New Church. There were at least six references to Swedenborg, the New Church and books of the Writings in the story. Toward the end of the drama, when Johnny faced a personal spiritual crisis, an angel appeared to help him more clearly see the way ahead. The company of actors and singers was large, talented and impressive. The story of the settlement of Ohio was moving to me as an American, and as a New Church person. Johnny Appleseed helped to transform both the earthly and the spiritual frontier. It is a wonderful thing to witness history-the Johnny Appleseed outdoor drama allows that to happen in an engaging and spirited fashion. John Chapman's connection to the New Church is embraced as a natural and taken for granted aspect of his life. It was a delight to be in the audience and I would recommend the evening in the heart of Johnny Appleseed country to anyone up for witnessing New Church Americana.

     For information go to www.SeeJohnnyAppleseed.com

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ELDERGARTEN IN JANUARY 2004

ELDERGARTEN IN JANUARY              2004


     

     Announcements





     
     The 2005 Eldergarten will be held in sunny Florida from January 16 through January 23. The previous record attendance was 152, and there is good reason to think that a capacity enrollment of 160 will be recorded this year.

     Even if you don't make it this year, it is a pleasant thing to contemplate this event, which is an important factor in the life of the General Church,

     Boynton Beach will be welcoming the crowd with three main instructors. They are Rt. Rev. Thomas Kline, Rev. Eric Carswell and Dr. Dan Synnestvedt. Bishop Kline will take the subject of "The Exodus," You may be aware of his book The Journey of Life which is related to this part of the Word.

     Rev. Carswell will speak of "Noah and the Flood." The focus will be on the Lord's care for us as we grow spiritually.

     Dr. Synnestvedt will address the subject of "Two Approaches to (the) Truth." Is there such a thing as absolute truth? If so, what is it, and can we know it?

     Eldergarten has four key ingredients, The first (and the most important) is "A Clear Focus and Study of the Doctrines of the New Church." The second is "Forming and Nurturing New Church Friendships." The third is "Experiencing the Delight of Interesting Recreational Excursions." And the fourth is "Escaping the Breath of Old Man Winter."

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International New Church Education Conference 2004 2004

International New Church Education Conference 2004              2004

     Cassettes & CD's

     Available

     Listen to what

     New Church Education

     is all about

     Order Now

     Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania was host to a large group of teacher's and laypeople that attended the Education Conference. This event has received a very positive response and we are delighted to make the following recordings from it available to you.

     -     Opening Worship & Welcome Event - Worship by the Rt. Rev. Thomas Kline and "Introduction to the New Church Education Society" by the Rev. Phil Schnarr & Task Force, #106576

     -     Truths That Ca. Touch the Soul - Address by the Rt. Rev. Peter Buss, Includes worship by the Rev. Lawson Smith, #106577

     -     Enhancing Student Achievement - Address by Charlotte Danielson. Includes worship by the Rev. Nathan Gladish. #106578

     -     New Church Education: How Are We Doing? - Address by the Rev. Brian Keith. Includes worship by the Rev. Bradley Heinrichs, #106580

     -     Growth of the Mind Revisited - Workshop by the Rev. Eric Carswell, #106581

     -     The Heavenly Doctrine As Systematic Theology is the four-part mini-course given by the Rev. Prescott Rogers, #106598-106606

     All of the above recordings are available in two attractive audio albums.

     One album contains the first five recordings listed.

     The second album contains the eight recordings from the mini-course.

     Please specify cassettes ($3.00) or CD's (55.00) when ordering.

     Please order by catalog number(s)

     SOUND )))      PO Box 332, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

     RECORDING     215-914-4990

     [email protected]
Title Unspecified 2004

Title Unspecified              2004



322



     "Come to Me, all you who

     labor and are heavy laden, and

     I will give you rest." -Matthew 11:28

     LESSONS & SERMONS

     Take Up Your Cross - Rt. Rev. Thomas Kline, #101707

     The Work of Our Hands - Rev. Derek Elphick, #105669

     Formed From and For Use - Rev. Kenneth Alden, #106293

     Celebrating Work - Rev. Frank Rose, #105817

     To Be of Service - Rev. Brian Keith, #101008

     Taking Up Your Cross - Rev. Eric Carswell, #103697

     My Burden is Light - Rev. Dr. Reuben Bell, #103344

     The Value of Work - Rev. Brian Keith, #102242

     FAMILY SERVICES

     Uses - Rev. Jeremy Simons, #106288

     The Use of Work - Rev. Daniel Goodenough, #104283

     Laborers in the Vineyard - Rev. Thomas Rose, #104034

     Please order using the catalog number(s) listed.

     Also specify whether you would like cassettes, $2.00 or CD's, $4.00.

     Catalogs are also available for $5.00.

     SOUND )))     PO Box 332, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

     RECORDING     215-914-4980
     SRLibrary(c)newchurch.edu
Title Unspecified 2004

Title Unspecified              2004

     Vol. CXXIV     September, 2004     No. 9

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
Notes on This Issue 2004

Notes on This Issue              2004

     Rev. Michael Gladish is pastor in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He did a series of four sermons on aspects of prayer. One of them was on the importance of prayer. He chose to send the one on the dangers of prayer, and he offers to send other sermons to interested readers. His text may be considered "one of the most inspiring and at the same time most challenging passages in Scripture."

     Donald Brandis lives in Seattle, Washington. He invites us first to read the words of the 30th Psalm and then the words of a passage in Arcana Coelestia about human states of despair. Then he speaks directly to our own common experience. We deal with misfortune "all the time." Here is an article which effectively relates truth to life.

     In this issue we have information on a number of pastoral moves in the General Church. The last pastor mentioned is Rev. Martie Johnson of Seattle. His work in the future will be as a full-time chaplain in the United States Army. In that work he has the opportunity to touch many lives. We look forward to the time when he can return to pastoral work in the General Church.

     The article by Rev. Walter Orthwein entitled, "Why We Have a Duty to Take an Interest in Politics" was written for an American audience, and readers from other countries are invited to bear that in mind. The article has a wider application than the original audience. It first appeared on the website of the Cole Foundation.

     Charter Day is October 15th. See page 340.

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DANGERS OF PRAYER 2004

DANGERS OF PRAYER       Rev. MICHAEL GLADISH       2004

     A SERMON

". . . If you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive" (Roman added; Matthew 21:21-22).

     Here is one of the most inspiring and at the same time most challenging passages in Scripture. Of course psychologists and coaches have known forever that if you really believe you can have or do something the chances are greatly increased that you will succeed, For naturally you will work hard believing that success is possible, whereas if you don't believe it possible, what's the point of making any effort at all?

     But can we really have whatever we ask for in prayer, believing?

     I have titled this sermon "The Dangers of Prayer" deliberately to provoke you. I think we all know that prayer is important, that it has power, and that we should pray every day, perhaps often every day according to some Scriptures, You all have probably also heard the expression, "Be careful what you pray for, because you just might get it," But this is not what I mean by the danger of prayer. In the title I am referring to two things: first, that if we are not careful we may expend a great deal of emotional energy in fruitless and frustrating prayer that the Lord cannot answer, and second, that if we are not careful we may be very easily deluded into thinking that God is answering our prayers when in fact it may be an imposter, an evil spirit or our own wishful thinking that "speaks" to us.

     Here, for example, is an important passage from the New Church book about Providence. We read, "It Is a Law of the Divine Providence that a Person (Should) Not Perceive or Sense Anything of the Operation of Divine Providence, But Still (Should) Know About and Acknowledge It" (DP 175: heading).

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Why is this so? The answer is given: "If a person were to perceive and sense the operation of Divine providence, he would not act in freedom in accordance with his reason, nor would anything appear to him as his own doing. So, too, if he were to foreknow events" (DP 176).

     How does this relate to prayer? Well, most simply, it comes down to a sense of our own identity and responsibility. Unless we are able to act in freedom, not knowing for certain how God is acting in our lives, we might easily lose that sense of identity and feel like little more than chessmen on some infinite game board, or marionettes on strings pulled from above.

     Of course you may say, "But we can still choose whether to pray or not, and also what to pray for," and that's true, but if you knew without a doubt that what you heard in answer to prayer was the absolute truth, what kind of a world would you have? And what if your prayers conflicted with the prayers of others-which they often do? Who wins? Only the most devout? Only the ones with the most compelling belief? And does this mean the Lord doesn't care as much for the rest of the people who do not know about Him, or who may have lost their way? Besides, a lot of the things we want are not necessarily the best things for us, and even if they are good, sometimes we fail to see the implications or the responsibilities of having them.

     For example, there was the story in the news the other day about a woman who won a $25 million lottery and then had a heart attack-which she attributed to the unexpected stress of dealing with all the people who called her asking for a share of the windfall. On the other hand there are countless stories of people who have suffered incredible hardship-not at all what they would have prayed for-and yet have achieved tremendous levels of accomplishment and personal satisfaction while making significant contributions to the arts, science and human development in general.

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     These are just some of the reasons why it is so important when we pray to pray above all that "Thy will be done." Only the Lord really and truly knows what is best for us, and of course the Lord is primarily concerned about what is of eternal value for us; we are taught over and over, especially in the New Testament and in our New Church books, that the Lord is only concerned about our material welfare to the extent that it supports our spiritual welfare in the long term. And if doing well materially would interfere with our eternal welfare, then He may very well withhold that success from us (see Matthew 16:25-26, DP 214, etc.).

     But let's look more carefully at what is going on when we pray. As I said, the Lord certainly teaches the importance of prayer, He tells us that we should pray often, that we should pray with humility and gratitude . . . that whatever we pray for we can receive . . . and so on, He does not, however, leave it at that. He also tells us specific things that we should pray for and some things that we should not be concerned about. For example, He says that we should love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us and pray for those who spitefully use us and persecute us (Matt. 5:44), On the other hand He says, "Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body, what you shall put on" (Matt. 6:25). He likewise warns us that when we pray we should "not be like the hypocrites," who pray to be seen, but that we should instead "go into our room" and pray in secret, avoiding "vain repetitions" (Matt. 6:5-7).

     "Prayer" itself is an interesting word, In the Old Testament it comes from a root word that has to do with judgment, and this then develops to include intercession or supplication in regards to a judgment, especially the judgment of one's self, So we get the idea of appealing to God lest we be judged harshly- as we may well deserve!

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     In the New Testament the words for prayer have a variety of meanings. Some of them simply convey the idea of asking for something (whether of God or another person), but the most common term is one that sounds in Greek like "prosecute," literally meaning to pour forth, or to pour out, but obviously referring, as in the Old Testament, to the appeal for a favorable judgment.

     But when we think about prayer we should not just think about those particular passages that use this word, or those particular postures that we associate with it. Rather we should think in terms of any wish or desire that we have, any plea for help or support, any request, any sort of petition or speech with God. And here's the key point that seems so important and so often overlooked in our considerations of prayer: when we ask for what we want or what we think we need, we are going to be looking for that specific thing in the response.

     This isn't necessarily bad! After all, if we don't ask for and seek specific things, how can we ever expect to get them? Wishful thinking in general, like asking for happiness or peace of mind, or that we may be "good" and not "evil" doesn't usually help much. It's sort of like wishing for the skill to draw, but not asking for the courage or instruction to pick up a pen and start drawing.

     On the other hand, when we ask the Lord for what we want rather than for what is good for us in His eyes, we are definitely putting our finite limits on His love, His wisdom and His power. Not only that, but we are limiting our ability to perceive the truth because-as I said-we are setting ourselves up to expect only certain kinds of answers. Then one of two or three things typically happens: either we are disappointed, maybe even bitter and angry if we don't get what we want (this leads many people to reject the very idea of a loving God!), or we get ideas that we think are God answering us, because they favor our assumptions, when in fact they may be falsities inspired by the hells.

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And note: Even if we ask for something the Lord Himself says is good, if we neglect our responsibilities for a life according to His Word we are not likely to get a very good or true answer.

     For example, if someone is wishing and praying for a truly spiritual marriage, a deep and intimate relationship with someone who shares his convictions and loves the things he loves, but is convinced that his wife cannot fulfill these expectations, he may be led easily into an extramarital affair thinking, "Finally . . . the Lord has given me the partner I really need or deserve. Now I can 'move on' from this failed relationship and start over with 'the right' person." No. This answer is not from the Lord, it's from the hells who love nothing more than to inspire adultery and self-centeredness.

     A truer and more spiritual prayer in this case would have been for this man to ask the Lord how he could be a better husband to his wife, or what he could do to improve his relationship with her.

     Many people feel (or have been taught) that if they pray to God for what they want or need He will give it to them, or at least, that He will answer their prayers in some obvious, external way. But let's think about this. In the first place it is a manipulative idea-as if we can tell God what He should do! But beyond that it assumes a sort of infallibility of our perceptions about what God is saying to us, and how He is saying it. Perhaps you have heard someone say-or perhaps you yourself have been convinced -that "God told me to do this or that." "God told me," for example, "to go to the library and get a certain book," or "God told me that I should go here and not there today."

     Well, maybe. But then again, maybe not! The problem is that you cannot be sure. For if there's one thing that our New Church teachings make abundantly clear it is that apart from certain general rules of behavior (like the Ten Commandments) God does not speak to us unequivocally in a given situation and say, "This is what you must do now."

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Indeed, as a rule, if we think He is doing this we can almost take it as given that we are under the influence of spirits (or other people in this world) who would like to dominate or control our behavior in some way (DP 321:3). We read,

. . . It is according to the laws of order that no one ought to be persuaded about truth in a moment, that is to say, that truth should be so confirmed in a moment as to leave no doubt whatever about it, because the truth which is so impressed becomes persuasive truth, and is devoid of any extension, and also of any yielding quality, Such truth is represented in the other life as hard, and as such that it does not admit good into it so as to become applicable, Hence it is in the other life that as soon as any truth is presented before good spirits by a manifest experience, there is soon afterwards presented something opposite which causes doubt. In this way it is given them to think about it and to consider whether it be so, and to collect reasons, and thus to bring that truth into their minds rationally. (AC 7298:2)

     So important is this concept that it is explained further in even more forceful terms where we read,

The Lord does not teach a person truths either from Himself or through the angels immediately, but He teaches mediately by means of the Word, preaching, reading, conversation and communication with others, and thus by thoughts within one's self about these things, A person is thus enlightened in the measure of his affection for truth from use. Otherwise he could not act as if from himself. (AE 1173:2).

     The principle here is that the Lord wants us to take responsibility for our actions, which we cannot do if we are simply following a plan dictated by some outside force, even though that force is God. Instead He teaches us through His Word, which is written for everybody, and we must go to the Word, not to some mystical meditation process, in order to see those teachings in the context of our lives.

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That's how we get answers to our individual prayers. Yet even so, we must acknowledge our biases and the limitations of our understanding, so that we approach it with humility, an open mind and, so far as possible, a spiritual point of view.

     My favorite story about prayer is of the little girl whose mother was dying of a certain illness. She prayed and prayed for her recovery until finally one day the mother died. Of course the little girl was heartbroken, but when one of her cynical uncles tried to tell her this was proof that God does not hear prayers she replied earnestly, "Oh, yes, He does, but this time He said, 'No."'

     Coming now full circle, we return to our text from Matthew about moving mountains and the idea that whatever we ask in prayer, believing, we can receive. What does this mean? And what about this teaching, also from Matthew, where Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matt. 7:21)?

     Well, obviously, prayer, to be real must be sincere, and the sincerest form of prayer is a life according to the Word (AE 325:3). It should therefore come as no surprise to learn that the mountain referred to in this verse is not actually a physical mountain, but the mountain of arrogance and self-love that the Lord can and will remove from us if we cooperate with Him!

     So if we really believe and really live according to the Word, then can we get whatever we ask for in prayer? Literally the answer is yes, but it is yes only because really to believe and really to live according to the Word is to believe and live that His will may be done, and we have to be prepared at all times for the fact that His will may not be our will for our lives in this world. For as He said, ". . . Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

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For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Amen.

Lessons: Luke 11:1-13; Matthew 6:9-13; Psalm 143; AC 2535

     Note: The above sermon is one of a series of four sermons by Rev. Michael Gladish about prayer. One is on the importance of prayer. One is on how to pray and one is on what to pray for and what to expect in reply. All four sermons are available in print or by e-mail from the author. His e-mail is [email protected]
PRAYER 2004

PRAYER              2004

     Prayer, regarded in itself, is speech with God, and some internal view at the time of the matters of the prayer, to which there answers something like an influx into the perception or thought of the mind, so that there is a certain opening of the man's interiors toward God; but this with a difference according to the man's state, and according to the essence of the subject of the prayer. If the man prays from love and faith, and for only heavenly and spiritual things, there then comes forth in the prayer something like a revelation (which is manifested in the affection of him that prays) as to hope, consolation, or a certain inward joy.

     Arcana Coelestia 2535

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ON LETTING GO OF INJURY 2004

ON LETTING GO OF INJURY       DONALD BRANDIS       2004

     I shall exalt you, Lord; you have lifted me up and not let my enemies be jubilant over me, Lord my God, I cried to you and you healed me. You have brought me up, Lord, from Sheol, and saved my life when I was sinking into an abyss,

     Sing a psalm to the Lord, all you his loyal servants; give thanks to his holy name, In his anger there is distress, in his favor there is life, Tears may linger at nightfall, but rejoicing comes in the morning,

     I felt secure and said, "I can never be shaken," Lord, by your favor you made my mountain strong; when you hid your face, I was struck with dismay, To you, Lord, I called and pleaded with you for mercy: "What profit is there in my death, in my going down into the pit? Can dust praise you? Can it proclaim your truth? Hear, Lord, and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper,"

     You have turned my laments into dancing; you have stripped off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that I may sing psalms to you without ceasing. Lord my God, I shall praise you forever. (Psalm 30)

     Through despair people are led in an effective and perceptible way to acknowledge that nothing true or good comes from themselves, and to acknowledge that what is their own has caused them to be damned but that with the Lord's aid they are delivered from damnation, with salvation entering in through what is true and good. Despair also exists to the end that life's bliss which the Lord imparts may be felt; for when people come out of that state of despair they are like those who have been condemned to death but then freed from prison. Periods of desolation and temptation also serve as the means by which people gain insight into states contrary to heavenly life and from them are given a perception and insight into the bliss and happiness of heavenly life. For a perception and insight into bliss and happiness can come in no other way than from a contrast with their opposites.

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Therefore so that they can have the one fully demonstrated as against the other, periods of desolation and temptation are protracted to the utmost, that is, to the point of despair. (AC 6144, see 8567)

     We all know how common misfortunes are. We deal with them all the time. Traffic makes us late, taxes increase, it rains when we have planned a picnic, and we have some neighbors who are moody, devious, malicious and all but useless. We suffer when we can no longer cope, when misfortunes exceed our skills and patience, our resourcefulness and resilience. Sometimes this happens by accumulation of misfortunes, sometimes by crisis. We live in a world of all but continuous conflict, in a life between heaven and hell from which all thoughts and affections come to us unseen. The purpose of this life is to prepare for heavenly life in the next by sorting these spiritual influences, shunning the one sort and choosing and owning the other. Our inner lives, i.e., our thoughts and our affections and intentions, are spiritual. This is an uncommon truth, a spiritual truth, one our natural self or ego immediately rejects as it does all spiritual truth. It does so because it senses in spiritual truth its primary opponent. Ego is a creature of the hells; spiritual truth is from the Lord and the heavens.1 When we suffer we are separated from the good we cherish and its truth by its opposite, and reversing the situation is beyond our powers.
     1 AC 3813, 6368, 233.

     Injury by malice often causes suffering, and Psalm 30 teaches us that suffering ends when we can let go of it, trust the Lord and rise above it, How can we let go of suffering when we are injured through someone else's malice? Suffering seems to cling to us; in what sense do we cling to it? In Psalm 30 the psalmist rejoices in his deliverance and praises God for it, and he praises God for His holiness or goodness. The deliverance is from a specific injury not named, brought on by enemies acknowledged but also not named.

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The psalm serves us. "My sheep listen to my voice," the Lord says in John 10:27, "I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." Can we hear the Lord's voice in this psalm of suffering, of redemption and praise? Can we see the psalmist take it up and own it as his deliverance, and do likewise?

     We know how terrible the suffering can be that is caused by the malice of others. None of us need search far in his or her memory for the stories and that pain, both physical and mental. We all have influence in the lives around us, and those lives have similar influence in ours. The Writings tell us we each have a spiritual sphere that radiates into those around us, a sphere of influence according to our loves and intentions, What injures us is not so much the acts of another and the worldly and bodily effects of those acts as his or her intentions, and our suffering from presence of the other's malicious spiritual sphere,2 Our inner suffering is a spiritual perception of the other's malicious intent toward us, and the fearful implications of that malice for our relationship with him or her. The natural self pushes these spiritual truths away, intent on remaining in the natural. As ego it insists that what matters is the injury to its body and its status, reputation, wealth and power. These are important, but are they primary? No, they are not. They are secondary, as they are conditioned by our spiritual state and so are either a blessing or a curse, and the psalmist's recognition of this is the beginning of his deliverance.3
     2 AC 4464.
     3 DP 217.

     Suppose you are having a perpetual conflict with your teenage daughter, who has recently dyed her hair green and had her tongue pierced, skips school, dates a different boy every week, and you also suspect she's taking drugs.

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Or suppose that you worked for Enron for a decade, and since it has recently gone bankrupt as a result of corruption by many of its officials, you have lost not only your job but also your pension, and if you don't find a new job soon you will lose your house as well. Or that you are the parent of one of the soldiers recently charged with abusing Iraqi prisoners. You are a faithful person; you go to Church, reflect on its teachings and believe them, and practice what you understand of charity. You have felt the Lord's blessing in your life, and have weathered some hard times, but this time you cannot, You find yourself thinking, why is this happening to me? I've done nothing to deserve this; it is the malice of others. This isn't supposed to happen to me. Where is God?4
     4 see AC 8567.

     Psalm 30 begins with praise to God and thanksgiving for deliverance, so we might suppose it begins after that deliverance. The outer sense of the Word is temporal, but its inner sense is eternal, where temporal states represent spiritual states and their sequence is less important than their togetherness. This can be seen from the literal sense by those who are spiritually perceptive, but for the rest of us it is more easily grasped from the inner sense.5 What does it mean that the spiritual states concerning the psalmist's suffering are all together? It means that they are shaped and guided by the Lord, who is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, whose Divine providence is a loving, reliable, and decisive influence on all the events of our lives, in time and in the eternity that temporal states represent.6 It means that the process from conflict and temptation to despair and deliverance that we and the psalmist experience reflects the Lord's providence in our lives.

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It also means processes in Divine order terminate in ultimates that contain the whole process and its good or value, and that the Lord works in all things, including this one, to bring our lives into such order, which is charity and faith.7
     5 AC 2500, 2494.
     6 AE 41.
     7 AC 9430, 9824.

     The end is in the beginning, and the beginning in the end.8 Knowing this, we still despair until by regeneration and then spiritual perfecting we are lifted beyond despair, except perhaps for cyclical lapses. We may enter the cycle anywhere, so let us enter at despair. The psalmist believes in Divine providence but cannot find it in his current passion. He believed he could never be shaken, for the Lord had made his mountain stand firm. Mountains represent the heavenly loves, charity and love to the Lord, and also true worship; in the contrary sense they represent love of self and of the world.9 His mountain, the psalmist's gifts from the Lord of charity toward others and of love to the Lord, is vital to him as to us despite our inability to see them clearly in this life. Now the Lord has hidden His face, and the psalmist is in shock and in free-fall. His certainties have deserted him, and he begs the Lord for mercy. What is to be gained by the Lord from our despair? Can dust praise the Lord, and proclaim His faithfulness? In the Writings "dust" represents that which is damned, lowly or distant from the Lord and His order, and the grave.10 The speaker demonstrates his faithfulness, showing that he believes the Lord is at work in his misfortune, and that his own tasks in despair as in blessedness are to trust the Lord and to love and worship and obey Him. He knows he cannot now do these with a full heart, for his misfortune consumes him. He falls fearfully toward spiritual death, into the pit that represents falsities from evil and states of temptation and vastation, from which he knows he cannot love his neighbor and worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.11

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What can he do? What should he do?
     8 DP 220.
     9 AC 2425, 2430, 2454:4, 4210, 1691.
     10 AC 7418.
     11 AE 419:7, AC 4728, 5246, 5249.

     We know from the inner sense of the Word that the Lord who is mercy itself does not test us, punish us, or turn his face from us.12 We turn our faces away from the Lord when we are tempted by the siren call of the hells, and we punish ourselves with our own evil intentions toward others, for these bring spiritual misery upon us according to the Divine order of the universe, the same order by which the seasons turn and churches rise and fall. Suffering from whatever cause that brings us to despair reveals the truth about evil loves and their allied falsities, a truth the hells work always to conceal from us. Love of self and of the world, when not subordinated to charity and love of the Lord, are hellish loves whose consequences are misery and despair; here I mean by despair a perception and insight into hellish spiritual states in contrast to heavenly ones, from Divine truth, along with the insight that heavenly states are beyond individual attainment.13 The malice of others can and does bring suffering upon us, but not despair unless we are also tempted into intent and action by spiritual falsities from the hells concerning that suffering and its meaning. Has God turned his face from us? Does God assure us of health and prosperity in return for faithfulness? Does God periodically tempt us, withdrawing his favor for a time in order to teach us its value, or to punish us? The answer to each of these questions is no. They express falsities that come from the hells and tempt us sometimes when we suffer. We can learn to suffer without despair by acknowledging suffering as inevitable in this life and that by our choices concerning it can serve various ends.
     12 TCR 56, AE 412, 426:4.
     13 DP 206.

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     Faithful people suffer along with the faithless, and particularly from the malice of others, over which they have little influence and no control. One might argue that we are somewhat more likely to come into temptation, i.e. to find ourselves in a crisis of faith bordering on despair when we can attribute our suffering to someone else's malice, I think this is not so, because our spiritual states are shaped by what we choose from the options we are given. Those who intentionally wrong us have chosen among similar options, some from the hells and some from heaven. They have chosen to be one of hell's agents to us, and as with any other temptation what matters is what we choose, not the intermediate means of hell's offerings and not that we are tempted.

     Let us follow the speaker in Psalm 30 as he or she lets go of an injury. The predominantly affirmative language of this psalm might be taken to mean that the psalmist is looking back on suffering now eliminated, but that may not be the case and is not necessarily so. The speaker may still be suffering physically or materially or socially, but his internal suffering is healed. How is this so? Like us the psalmist lives in the world between heaven and hell and chooses freely between their contrasting influences. Like us he is partly ego and partly a developing true self, and sometimes acts and reacts out of the one, sometimes out of the other. With worldly and bodily losses large enough to cause inner suffering, we will all but certainly react as ego some of the time. If we have some history of charity we can choose to react from it, and the psalmist's plea to the Lord for mercy and help is a plea to allow him to react charitably, as well as a petition for comfort and healing of external suffering. The pit he is falling toward is that of the characteristic responses of ego; it is a spiritual death when contrasted with charity, and by the contrast he sees more clearly the worlds of ego and of the true self.

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He might or might not have enough true doctrine and experience to know that worldly values are conditional on spiritual values, and that he lives between heaven and hell, being sustained and renewed by the one and tempted by the other. He certainly knows that in the current crisis he is so intensely drawn to egoist responses that even though he knows their source he cannot shun them by himself. Feeling himself slipping, he begs the Lord for help he knows he is already given but cannot receive.14 Despair is a dark, powerless, grief-like state in which we feel our very lives slipping away. What does he do in despair, and what comes of it?
     14 AE 637, on sackcloth as desolation of good and truth due to their non-reception.

     He shuns evil as best he can, refusing to act on the falsities that cloud his thinking and the dark loves that surround his will. Any faithful effort we make the Lord joins, raising it toward effectiveness and blessing.15 We see this in our early experience with the Lord's commandments, which we compel ourselves to obey because the Lord commands us and not because we understand them very well or because we know and love the good they present. Afterwards, sometimes long afterwards, we see we have grown in spiritual love and understanding. The psalmist recognizes that he alone is powerless against the hells and their temptations. The Lord however is much more powerful than the hells, and never endures losses against them except temporarily: "in his anger there is distress, in his favor there is life. Tears may linger at nightfall, but rejoicing comes in the morning." Anger here is our turning away or slipping away from the Lord in temptations, even into despair, and a return to life and rejoicing is certain for the faithful even though we sometimes lose sight of it. Our external suffering is real, and it is not brought on by the Lord but He does allow it because it has a use. Temptation suffered into despair is essential to our regeneration.

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"For a perception and insight into (heavenly) bliss and happiness can come in no other way than from a contrast with their opposites. Therefore so that they can have the one as fully demonstrated against the other, periods of desolation and temptation are protracted to the utmost, i.e. to the point of despair."
     15 AE 427:4, DP 220.

     We, like the psalmist, may or may not see the whole cycle when we are in it, and may not see it until we have been through it a number of times, but it is always there to be seen, It is spiritual truth, and is within or allied to any spiritual truth we know. When we are dealing with another who is suffering in this way, we must not, like Job's friends, counsel him or her that they must somehow be at fault or they would not be suffering, since God is merciful and just, We are all subject to these cycles so long as we can be tempted by the hells, and the Lord's truth does not condemn us for being tempted, only for giving in to it. By being tempted severely enough to reflect on it we come to see evil and falsity for what they are, and by then turning away from them we see more clearly their differences from heavenly love and truth. By this repeated process and by many other ways unseen, the Lord in His Divine providence is leading all of us, always, toward heavenly life; even the most resistant of us.

     That all things are in Divine providence means that all serve the Lord's purpose in the whole of creation, which is to create and maintain a heaven from the human race, If we had angelic love and wisdom we would see this, but since we do not we have the Lord's Word that is the means to such love and wisdom. Let us therefore let go of injury caused by others, knowing that what we should fear most is not the malice of others but our malice toward them, and that by shunning evil even when it tempts us most we remain in the unseen stream of providence, and some awareness of that providence will soon return to us.

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In eternity and to some degree in this life our laments will be turned to dancing, and every good thing we do will praise the Lord.16 Amen.
     16 AC 2736.
CHARTER DAY 2004OCTOBER 14-18 2004

              2004

     The Academy of the New Church welcomes alumni, students and friends to renew acquaintances and create memories during the celebration of the 127th anniversary of the granting of the Academy Charter.

     The theme for Charter Day 2004 is "Between Dream and Destiny," The speaker at the banquet will be the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Rose; the Master of Ceremonies, Rev. Walter Orthwein. Tickets for the banquet-$18.00 for adults and $6.00 for students-may be purchased from Noelene Rose at the Academy Development Office, PO Box 708, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009, or by calling 215-914-4895,

     A complete schedule for the Charter Day weekend will be mailed to alumni and friends with the September Alumni Update, The schedule can also be found now at www.ancalumni.org. Highlights include: Thursday evening a "Back to the Beach Boys" concert fund raiser; Saturday evening prior to the banquet a silent and live auction from 5:00-7:30 pm; Sunday a round robin tennis tournament, concluding Monday with the Tenth Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament.

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WHY WE HAVE A DUTY TO TAKE AN INTEREST IN POLITICS 2004

WHY WE HAVE A DUTY TO TAKE AN INTEREST IN POLITICS       Rev. WALTER E. ORTHWEIN       2004

     With privilege comes responsibility. Those of us who are privileged to live in a free society have a responsibility to participate in the political process whereby that freedom is preserved. And those of us who are privileged to be acquainted with the spiritual truth which the Lord has revealed in His Word, and specifically in the doctrines of the New Church, have a responsibility to apply that truth on the civil plane of life. The spiritual principles of the New Church need to be brought down into actual life, so that they may have a tangible effect in our world. Otherwise those principles have no power and might as well not have been revealed.

     There is a strong doctrinal foundation for the premise that New Church people should take an active interest in the civil order of society and be involved in politics. I do not mean that the church organization should involve itself in politics; this is deadly to the life of the church because individuals must be free to apply the truths of religion according to their own conscience. But if individual New Church people wish to get together and form a political club of some kind, separate from the church body itself, that is fine,

     The nature of a person's involvement in the political realm will vary from person to person, but to completely ignore politics as something unimportant or unworthy of a spiritual person's attention runs counter to the teachings of the church. One well-known teaching is that being "spiritual" does not mean forsaking the business of this world, On the contrary, engaging in useful natural work promotes our regeneration.

     It is true that the words "politics" and "politician" have acquired some unsavory connotations, but if spiritually minded people refuse to participate in politics the situation will only grow worse.

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Every use is subject to abuse, but let's not let our distaste for the abuses cause us to forsake the use.

     The New Church exists to raise up that which has been cast down by human evil and folly. This is true of religion generally, and such important aspects of human life as marriage, for instance. Similarly, politics, which by its very nature is subject to various abuses resulting from such human weaknesses as the love of dominion, hypocrisy and greed, can be restored to its rightful place in a civilization whose spiritual soundness has been renewed by the New Church.

     Politics per se is not a bad thing. The dictionary defines politics as "the science and art of government." Since government is a necessary function of human society, engaging in that science and art is a useful enterprise and a way of exercising charity toward the neighbor. The involvement of each citizen in the government of the country and the local community is especially important in a democracy, in which the course of the ship of state is determined by the people themselves. Our American form of government is not a pure democracy, but is a republic, in which the people elect representatives to run the government. In such a system, the people choose a "captain" and "crew" to run the ship of state, but the people own the ship.

     Not everyone has the interest or ability to serve as such a representative, but most of us are capable of participating wisely in the process of selecting our representatives. If we do not exercise wisdom in this, then we shouldn't complain about the state of the government. I am not suggesting that everyone should become a student of political science, a politician, or a government worker. The most basic governmental responsibility each of us has is simply to vote in elections, and to vote wisely.

     Voting in elections is not just a right, but a privilege and a duty. It is not just a civic duty, but a spiritual responsibility because the spiritual dimension is embodied in and rests upon the moral and civil planes of reality.

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Those lower planes provide a foundation for the spiritual plane, and if that foundation is not attended to then the presence and vitality of spiritual goodness and truth in our earthly life will be weakened. Then the civil government we live under will not support the spiritual welfare of the people, and may even be harmful to their spiritual well being.

     The teaching of the Writings about "discrete degrees" gives us a great model for understanding politics and government, In terms of the whole order of human life, the spiritual, moral, and civil planes of life are related as end, cause, and effect. The end (the desired good) enters into the cause and into the resulting effect and gives them their quality. The end is like the soul in the body.

     All real freedom is, in essence, spiritual; civil liberty cannot be sustained apart from spiritual liberty, and spiritual liberty is a gift from God. It is not something we have or can keep by ourselves, but is a perpetual Divine gift. And since civil liberty is derived from and depends upon spiritual liberty as its very soul, the same may be said for it. Freedom on every level is a gift from God.

     Freedom is the most essential human faculty, along with its companion reason. A free system of government, therefore, is the most favorable for the spiritual development of human beings. It follows, then, that "patriotism" is an important spiritual virtue, especially in a country dedicated to human liberty. Real patriotism is not just a blind love of one's country, but a love of the spiritual good which the country embodies and serves. Civil freedom is for the sake of spiritual freedom. Civil freedom is the natural expression and support of the spiritual freedom the Lord gives to every human soul.

     There are three distinct degrees of reality, according to the teaching of the New Church, the lowest degree is the "complex, containant, and base" of the two prior degrees.

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The civil plane, therefore, is formed out of the spiritual and moral planes which are above it, and it is the foundation upon which those higher degrees of life rest. Free thought, for example, needs free speech to express it. Without freedom of speech, freedom to think is incomplete and powerless. The outmost degree is where power resides. This is why, in regard to the Word, the power is said to be in the letter. It is in the plain, literal, down-to-earth teachings about how we are to live (especially the Ten Commandments) that the celestial and spiritual senses, or the goodness and truth within, become actual and permanent and can affect our lives.

     The quality of natural life is determined by the kind of spirit that enters into it; conversely, the condition of the natural determines the kind of spirit that can enter in and dwell there. A better spirit will enter in when natural conditions are changed for the better. Raising the "standard of living" is not the most important thing for a country, but raising the moral standard so that a new, heavenly spirit can enter in and prevail in society. Political wisdom is the application of spiritual and moral principles to the civil order of the community so that it may represent and foster spiritual order.

     All of this shows why our involvement in the civil life of our community and country is a spiritual responsibility. The New Jerusalem, the New Church promised by the Lord in the Book of Revelation, descends out of heaven from God more or less perfectly and fully depending upon the moral and civil order that exists on earth. Political activity is one of the ways in which that natural order is perfected, which is why New Church people have a duty to pay attention to political issues, examine them in light of truth from the Word, and participate wisely in the civil life of the country.

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Editorial Pages 2004

Editorial Pages              2004

     GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE (2)

     In our July editorial we spoke of the ancient custom of saying, when someone died, that he was "gathered to his people." An obvious application of this saying is that a person entering the other world meets previously deceased "friends, relatives and those in any way known to them." Swedenborg witnessed the joy of people meeting again in the life to come (See, for example, HH 494).

     Another application has to do with meeting people you have never seen before. Because they are so like you in affection and thought, they are also "your people," and you recognize them as such.

     This is one of the wonderful things about the life to come. "Everyone comes after death into a society of his own people, who are people who possess a similar love, and he recognizes them as relatives and friends. Remarkably, moreover, when he meets and sees them, it is as though he had known them from early childhood. It is spiritual relationship and friendship that occasions this" (DP 338:4).

     "People of similar quality all recognize each other there just the way people in this world recognize their neighbors and relatives and friends, even though they may never have seen each other before." This is from Heaven and Hell 46 which goes on to say, "I have often been allowed to see this when I was in the spirit and therefore out of body and in the company of angels. Then some of them looked to me as though I had known them from infancy, while others seemed totally unfamiliar. The ones who looked as though I had known them from infancy were the ones who were in a state like that of my own spirit, while the unfamiliar ones were in dissimilar states."

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     In a later editorial we hope to discuss another application of the saying about being gathered to one's people.

     A RELIGIOUS VIEW OF OLYMPIC GAMES

     One who has become wise "sees divine providence in the world as a whole and in each and all things in it." This is taught in Divine Providence 189 which says that one can see Divine providence "in things great and small." We might say that seeing Divine providence all about us enables as to affirm the words of a song. "I say to myself, What a wonderful world."

     In this international event we see people of the earth taking their God-given talents and exercising them with their very best efforts. We are reminded of the saying about activities in heaven. We read of foot races and games and also trials of skill to test quickness in speech, action and perception. "Those who excel receive as a reward a wreath of laurel; and there are many other ways of calling forth their latent talents" (TCR 745:4).

     A special international occasion is described in Conjugial Love nos. 103 to 114. Teams from nine nations entered an arena "in high spirits." The representatives of each nation were to prepare their best answer to a matter of inquiry. The participants from nine European countries evidently tried for the prize, but it is good to see that they seemed to acclaim the winner. When the African had made his effort, they all stood up, and a voice said, "The tiara shall go to the African."

     There is a section in Doctrine of Charity about our "neighbor in the widest sense." That neighbor is the human race. It is good to have occasions when we focus on the whole human race, and when we do so we see the human race divided up into different countries and kingdoms (Charity 87). The Writings often speak of the love that motivated the Lord when He was in this world.

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It was a love of "the whole human race." He declared, "I will draw all peoples to Myself."

     Although the Olympic Games are about competition, the opening and closing ceremonies are for many by far the most moving ingredient. As a team marches by in distinctive uniform with distinctive flag, it is as if the entire nation were present. This year's Olympics in Athens include two hundred nations.

     We are told that on occasion an entire nation is presented to the sight of angels as if it were one person (Charity 84).

     There is a remarkable passage in the work Divine Love (usually found at the end of Apocalypse Explained). Here we read: "Whereas all in any kingdom appear before the Lord as one person according to their love of uses, it is plain that all the English appear before Him as one person; likewise all the Dutch, all the Germans, all the Swedes and Danes, also the French, the Spaniards, the Poles, the Russians; but each national according to it uses" (D. Love VI).

     People at the Games refer to "the glory of sport." All glory really belongs to the Lord, and many athletes openly confess that when they have done their very best. There are many emotions in this event for the whole world. There is triumph, and there is disappointment. There is acknowledgment of attainment, and ideally there is, even if unconsciously, an acknowledgment of a Divine Creator. For the whole earth is a theatre representative of the glory of the Lord (See AC 3000, 5273, 3518, 3648). "The universe is like a stage, upon which are continually exhibited testimonies that there is a God, and that He is one" (TCR 12).

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     ADVENTURE IN THE UKRAINE

     In May of this year Rev. Goran Appelgren of Stockholm made a visit to the Ukraine. He writes, "The purpose of the trip was to visit the Dnepropetrovsk and Crimean Swedenborg Society, to get to know them better, to learn more about their activities, to offer them an opportunity to invite interested friends, and finally to offer them support and help in the future.

     "The trip was planned after a suggestion by Mr. Duncan Smith when we met in Boulder, Colorado, in October, 2003."

     He gives the following bit of New Church history: "Around 1993 there was a group of young people in Dnepropetrovsk who wanted to study the Bible together. After some time they felt a need to have expository works to help them in their study. They happened to find Heaven and Hell, the Moscow edition which I had seen through the press in 1993. When they realized that so little was published in Russian they started to translate and publish themselves. That is how the Dnepropetrovsk Swedenborg Society came into being. When some of them later moved to the Yalta area on the Crimean peninsula they changed the name to the Dnepropetrovsk and Crimean Swedenborg Society, but it is still one society."

     Rev. Appelgren's previous visit was in February of 2003. Concerning this Mr. Duncan Smith wrote, "The conference in Yalta brought together twenty individuals who for the most part had never met but who shared a common interest in the Writings of the Lord's Second Coming" (See NCL March, 2003 p. 96).

     We hope to have further information in the next issue.

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PASTORAL MOVES 2004

PASTORAL MOVES              2004

     The Rev. Thomas Rose has accepted a call to become the next pastor of the Ivyland New Church in Pennsylvania, effective July 1. He has been the pastor of the Connecticut Circle, and before that was assistant to the pastor in Bryn Athyn. He replaces the Rev. David Lindrooth, who becomes the Director of Evangelization for the General Church.

     The Rev. Stephen Simons has accepted a call to become the pastor of the Boston Society. He has been acting pastor during his first year in the ministry, He was ordained into the second degree of the priesthood on March 14.

     The Rev. Ethan McCardell has accepted a call to become the pastor of the Freeport Society in Western Pennsylvania. He spent his first year in the ministry as assistant to the pastor in the Carmel Church in Kitchener, Canada. He moved to Freeport in March and was ordained into the second degree on March 21. As announced earlier, he replaces, the Rev. Les Sheppard, who has retired, and is now settled in Brisbane, Australia,

     The Rev. Gerald Waters has been approved by the Corporation of the General Church in South Africa as its Executive Vice President, He replaces the Rev. Albert (Lucky) Thabede, who had to retire due to ill health. Gerald came into the ministry in retirement to assist wherever he could, and has served the Midlands Group of the General Church and a group in northern KwaZulu/Natal in South Africa. He now undertakes a leadership role in South Africa and will be ordained into the second degree on October 17.

     The Rev. Robin Childs will leave his position as teacher of religion in the Academy Secondary Schools, and will move into a new occupation. Robin has taught there for nine years, Robin is a special human being, a most caring and principled man who has given 20 years of service to the Church and Academy, and I want to thank him for all his service to our Church and our young people.

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For personal reasons Robin can't leave the Bryn Athyn area, so he cannot take up a pastoral assignment in the Church at this time.

     The Rev. Barry Halterman will become the new teacher of religion in the Secondary Schools next year. Barry has been assistant pastor of the Olivet Society in Toronto for 10 years. He is well prepared for this new work, having a master's degree in comparative religions as well as one from the Academy Theological School, and having worked for all his time with young adults in Toronto and at the Maple Leaf Academy, which he has led for the last two years.

     The Rev. Jong Ui Lee has been appointed as the assistant to the pastor in the Olivet Church to replace the Rev. Barry Halterman, Jong Ui has been the pastor of the La Crescenta Church in California. We are not yet certain how service will be delivered to the Church in California, but Tom Kline, David Lindrooth and Alfred Acton are working on this,

     The Rev. Martie Johnson has applied to become a full-time chaplain in the United States Army. Martie has been a reserve Army Chaplain for some years. The events of September 11, 2001 changed many things in our world. As a result Martie's duties as a reserve chaplain would have taken him out of the country so often that it would have been very difficult for him to continue to serve as a full-time minister. This decision was taken mutually. We value Martie very highly, and will miss him as a full-time minister, but honor him for serving his country in this time of need. Ironically, he may be able to serve the Church as a visiting minister more when he joins the full-time service than as a reserve chaplain. We know that he will be an outstanding proponent of the New Church, and ambassador for the General Church, in service to his country.

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www.NewChurchVineyard.org 2004

www.NewChurchVineyard.org              2004


     

     Announcements


     
     An on-line family magazine from the G. C. Office of Education featuring materials for all ages focused on a new theme every month,

     The Parable of the Talents in September 2004

     Baptism in October 2004

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Temple of Wisdom 2004

Temple of Wisdom              2004

     by Karin Alfeft Childs $5.95US, pb

     Eadric laid a hand on the scepter. "You see hat my scepter is crumbling away. It is because I am dying. A new scepter must be brought to the kingdom of Haefen."

     There is only one place this scepter can be acquired - at the mysterious Temple of Wisdom, where somewhere in the Jahaziel Mountains. Brandun doesn't feel ready for a journey there. He is only thirteen, and the death of his uncle, King Ead has broken his heart. But there is no choice. Danger threatens the King's widow, Queen Aeldra, in the form of a sinister lord who wants power. The only way Brandun can help her is to prove himself worthy, to be the heir to the throne. And tradition demands that this worthiness be proved by bringing back a new scepter from the Temple of Wisdom.

     But will Brandun be the one chosen at the Temple, or will it be his aloof older cousin, Kempe, who has been sent on this journey as well? Their quest is further complicated when they are joined by Larke, a girl haunted by frightening dreams, who is trying to escape from danger of her own.

     Together, these three enter the strange world of the Jahaziel Mountains, a place where good and evil are revealed in ways they have never seen, Here, Brandun comes face to face with truths about Kempe, about himself, and about a God he had never given much thought to.

     GENERAL CHURCH BOOK CENTER -215.914.4920- [email protected]
Title Unspecified 2004

Title Unspecified              2004



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Vol. CXXIV     October, 2004     No. 10

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
Notes on This Issue 2004

Notes on This Issue              2004

     In reading this issue you might want to be near a map of the world, or a globe. We have been receiving reports from different countries about the publication of the Writings,

     Perhaps the top of the list is Ukraine and the former Soviet Union. We had information last month, and hope to have more next month. We know that Rev. Goran Appelgren and Rev. Christopher Hasler were in Moscow for an inauguration ceremony. More about that later. (See pages 362 and 396.)

     Rev, Risto Rundo noticed in our July issue the news about the first translation of Heaven and Hell into Bulgarian. This inspired him to put together information about translation and publication in the former Yugoslavia. He is uniquely qualified to talk of the history, since he played an important role. Friedmann Schmidt and his daughter Barbara have supplied information on events in Germany, We can report on a new publishing achievement in the Czech Republic, and on yet another volume in Japan. It is particularly arresting to have news from China. Rev. Yong Jin speaks about intriguing developments there,

     The article from Kent Rogers was sent to us from Nepal on the other side of the earth.

     The sermon this month is about regeneration or the rebirth of the mind. What are the characteristics of a regenerate person? Such a person feels delight in worshipping God for His sake and in being of service to the neighbor for the neighbor's sake, "He has no wish to gain credit on account of anything of charity and faith; he shuns, and turns away from evils such as enmities, hatreds, acts of revenge, adulteries, and will not allow himself even to think about intending such things." This quote from the Writings calls to mind a popular phrase, "Don't even think about it,"

     We are pleased to have a full write up of Laurel camp which involves such a large number of people each summer. Other camps, notably the Jacob's Creek camp, make a significant part of New Church activity.

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REBIRTH OF THE MIND 2004

REBIRTH OF THE MIND       Rev. DOUGLAS M. TAYLOR       2004

     A SERMON

     "Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

     No one is born an angel, but everyone, if he or she is willing, may be reborn an angel. The life that we receive from our parents is natural life-natural loves and natural light or lumen. If we are to see the kingdom of God, that is, if we are to see in the light of truth and enter into heavenly loves, our whole mind must be born again; we must become, so to speak, a new person-as far as our basic ruling love is concerned. Otherwise, we will not feel comfortable in a heavenly sphere, either in this world or in the next, and we will consequently exclude ourselves from the sphere of heaven, and thus be condemned to live within the sphere of our hellish loves and lusts, for these we would really prefer to the loves of heaven.

     Everyone born into the world, since the gradual decline and fall of celestial love among mankind, inherits a disposition to be delighted by what is evil. It is our natural tendency at this day to find all the evils condemned in the Ten Commandments delightful. By natural inclination, mankind, if left to itself, loves all forms of idolatry, blasphemy, irreverence, mockery, theft, adultery, murder, false witness, and covetousness. In a word, mankind if left to itself, is at this day inclined to revel in the loves of self and the world -to find delight in the various manifestations of these two ruling loves of hell.

     It is an observable fact of experience that where society does not impose restraints, either by law or moral sanctions, or where there is little or no influence of the Word of God upon a society, all those previously mentioned evils will break forth into open act.

     The teaching of the Writings is that the human mind is of three degrees, or grades, three levels.

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The highest of these is called the celestial degree, middle level of the mind is called the spiritual degree, and is characterized and ruled by love towards the neighbor, or charity-also called spiritual love. These two levels of our mind are above our conscious awareness, and may be called our internal man, or our supraconscious mind. The third lowest level of our mind is called the natural degree, and is the conscious level. It is at this conscious level (or natural degree) of our mind that we are aware of things in the natural world. This is the level of mental activity that we use, must use, while living in this world. It is our home and dwelling place,

     Now, the two higher levels, the celestial and the spiritual, are always in the order of heaven. They respond and vibrate to the warmth and light of heavenly goodness and truth. But of this, as already said, we are entirely unaware. The feelings and thoughts of the internal man are completely above our conscious experience. They do not consciously influence us at all, except while we are infants, thus before we begin to exercise our own will. While yet a babe, everyone is acted upon secretly by the influx from the Lord through which is characterized and ruled by love to the Lord, or celestial love. The heaven, and this influx is received first by the two higher degrees, or the internal man, and then it even penetrates down into the inmost recesses of our conscious or natural mind, producing that delightful sphere of innocence and peace that surrounds a newborn babe. Of this everyone has had personal experience.

     This heavenly sphere of innocence remains and is stored up in our natural mind at the very borderline between our conscious mind and our supraconscious mind. It is a hidden secret storehouse, a remnant of goodness and truth that we may later draw upon and evoke. But this can be done only to the extent that we live within the order of heaven, that is, to the extent that we commit the commandments of the Lord to life, not just to memory.

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If this is done, the early remains of heavenly affections are aroused and can become of service in activating us with a strong desire to possess for ourselves the heavenly loves of the inner man.

     However, the great obstacle is that the lower or conscious level of our mind is entirely opposed to heaven and to all that is in it. It is characterized, not by love to the Lord or charity towards the neighbor, but by their very opposites-love of self and love of the world. It is completely twisted and inverted against heaven. In fact, in a statement about the quality of our natural mind before regeneration, the work True Christian Religion teaches that "viewed in himself the natural man in no way differs in his nature from the nature of beasts. Like them he is wild; but it is as to his will that he is like that; in understanding he does differ from beasts, in that the understanding can be elevated above the lusts of the will, and not only sees but also moderates them; and for this reason man is able to think from understanding, and speak from thought, which beasts cannot do" (TCR 574).

     In this is our salvation, the way we may be saved, rescued from the dominion of our natural man over our spiritual man. It is because our understanding can act independently of our natural will and its inclinations that we can be saved at all. It is because we can raise our natural understanding above the lusts of our natural will that we are able to see those lusts in the light of heaven. Or, to say it in another way, our natural or conscious understanding, in which we think and deliberate while on earth, can be influenced by the influx from the inner man, or the spiritual man. It can be acted upon from above. That is what makes us salvable. If it were not so, we would be slaves of our natural will and its self-centered inclinations. There would be no escape.

     The whole purpose of our life, then, is that we allow ourselves to be influenced from above, that is, that the two higher degrees may exert their proper influence upon the natural, conscious level of our mind. That is the meaning of being reborn.

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It is involved in the very language of our text, for the words translated "born again" could with equal faithfulness be translated "born from above." In fact, that is the alternate translation offered in the margin of the King James Version of the Word: "born from above"!

     That is the concept we should have of the regeneration of our mind-the bringing forth of heavenly loves in our natural, conscious mind, so that our ruling love is no longer the love of self or of the world, but either love to the Lord or charity towards the neighbor. Regeneration (or the rebirth of our mind) is nothing less than a complete change in one's ruling love. No wonder we are also taught that this process cannot be accomplished in an instant, but takes a lifetime of active cooperation with the Lord.

     When the two higher levels of our mind do in fact pervade and infill our natural mind, we are regenerated. In that case, we readily acknowledge that the Lord is indeed the Father of our mind, our newborn mind, the Creator of every good affection and true thought that dwells in it, and our Redeemer from the bondage of the natural man. This regenerated people gladly recognize, for they truly worship the Lord. They worship Him as being the sole origin of everything good and true and useful. Our mind is then at last in complete order, with the internal man ruling over the external man, our external or conscious mind performing its proper use of being a servant.

     The signs that such a state has been attained are given in the Writings as follows: "[Such a person] feels delight in worshipping God for His sake, and in being of service to the neighbor for the neighbor's sake, thus he feels delight in doing good because it is good and in speaking truth because it is true; he has no wish to gain credit on account of anything of charity and faith; he shuns, and turns away from, evils such as enmities, hatreds, acts of revenge, adulteries, and will not allow himself even to think about intending such things" (NJHD 167, emphasis added).

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     On the other hand, the signs that a person has not yet had his mind completely re-born are these: ". . . that he does not worship God for His sake, nor is he of service to the neighbor for the neighbor's sake, thus he does not do good or speak truth because it is good or true, but for the sake of self and the world; he wants to gain credit by what he does; evils like enmity, hatred, revenge and adulteries, give him no pain, and from them, he indulges freely in thoughts of committing them" (NJHD 167, emphasis added).

     "Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). There can be no doubt about the meaning of our text. Yet we should know that it is repudiated by a large segment of modern thought. The notion that everyone born into the world inherits a tendency or inclination towards evil is rejected as being a medieval concept, It is mistakenly supposed, on the contrary, that human beings are inherently good, and that it is their environment - social, economic, and physical-not their heredity, that is responsible for the conditions known as evil. Supporters of this position therefore have great faith in social programs designed to change people's environment into something more suitable and conducive to the expression of their supposed inherent goodness. Human beings are thus pictured as creatures of their surroundings, lumps of clay moulded by their fashioner, their environment.

     While it is undoubtedly true that we are most certainly influenced by the environment in which we live our lives, it is by no means true that heredity has no bearing on the matter. Nor is it true that mankind is inherently good. Selfishness, greed, the love of dominion, and all the manifestations of those evils set forth in the Ten Commandments and elsewhere in the Word, all these abound even in an approved environment. For the fact is that each one of us is a free agent.

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     We can passively acquiesce in our environment or actively rebel against it, and indeed change it. We are also free to accept our hereditary evils or rebel against them; otherwise, why would the Lord, the God of wisdom, exhort us to have our mind reborn or regenerated?

     But if we are to obey this Divine exhortation, what exactly are we to do? How does this spiritual regeneration take place? The answer given in several places in the Writings is that "regeneration is brought about in a manner analogous to that in which a person is conceived, carried in the womb, born and educated" (TCR 583).

     The first of these four stages, conception, takes place when people begin to be affected by the truth in such a way that they see that it applies to them, to their life, and their loves. In this way, they gain their first real conception of the truth, of reality. Their understanding is conceived anew, from above, and because they are affected in this way by the truth, they seriously resolve and determine to live the life that the truth teaches. They then enter upon the second or embryonic stage of regeneration.

     This second state, the stage of gestation or of being carried in the womb, corresponds to what the Writings call reformation, when from truth we look to good (TCR 571). Even as the embryo is formed in the womb, so is our mind in this state reformed- according to the order of heaven. Our understanding is brought into line with the thinking of heaven.

     This is the arduous state in which our spiritual life is obscured and, so to speak, imprisoned by temptations -temptations with regard to the truth, temptations to believe what is false. We cannot yet think entirely for ourselves from the true things of faith; we have not yet attained the state of having an independent spiritual life. A long period of preparation is necessary, during which our embryonic spiritual life is formed and fashioned.

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This is done by the rigorous process of sheer obedience to spiritual laws as revealed in the Word and in the doctrinal things of "mother church."

     We are not yet ready to be born again until the truth has passed from the intellectual side of our mind to the voluntary or will side, until we not only see the truth of the doctrine but also see and feel the good of it. This can only happen to the extent that we live the doctrine and experience it. In that case we think from the truth, and not merely about it. More and more we judge and apply it to life, to our life.

     Then and only then are we ready to come forth from the womb and be completely born spiritually. This takes place when we begin our own independent life, independent of the protective womb of mother church. When we habitually act freely and spontaneously as if of oneself, when we are accustomed to act from the goodness of love, then we are regenerated. We are "born from above" when we delight in living the life that the Lord would have us lead. We love to do it; it is a matter of delight and of freedom, and no longer one of self-compulsion. Our spiritual life is free and independent; we are looking only to the Lord.

     Such is the generation of spiritual life, which corresponds in all its details to the generation of natural life. This is the way we are born anew, born from above. This is the way we exchange our natural kind of life and loves for spiritual life from the Lord. For let us remember that our natural man or our human nature cannot be changed. It is absolutely impossible to change human nature, It will always be self-centered and worldly, looking to self-glory and status. It cannot be changed. But it can be exchanged. It can be, so to speak, pushed out to the circumference of our mind, and exchanged for a second nature, a spiritual nature, born not from anything of our own but born of the Lord, born from above. When shunning evils as heinous in the sight of the Lord, and when doing what He declares to be good has become second nature to us, then we may know that the Lord has created in us a clean heart and renewed a firm spirit within us.

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He has begotten us anew, and we may enter into the kingdom of heaven to be educated, that is, perfected, to eternity. Amen.

Lessons: Psalm 51:1-13; John 3: 1-7; AC 5354:1-3 CUCIS 2004

CUCIS              2004

     Committee for Uses to the Commonwealth of Independent States

     There is exciting news to report from the CIS. There has been a ground swell of interest in the Writings that have been translated into the Russian language. Seven major works have been translated and published, as well as some smaller works; just last week news arrived that True Christian Religion is now translated and a publisher is being sought. Hundreds of thousands of volumes of the Writings have been bought over seven time zones . . . and now, a big step forward is being made, to open a Swedenborg center in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. A deposit is made and it is hoped that it will open by the first of the year! It will be the first of it's kind!

     "If God will's we will service this end."

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TRANSFIGURATION 2004

TRANSFIGURATION       KENT ROGERS       2004

     We learn from the Arcana, and elsewhere in the heavenly scriptures, that God is never angry:

. . . no anger at all, still less any rage, resides with Jehovah or the Lord, since He is mercy itself, is goodness itself, and is infinitely beyond wishing evil on anyone. Neither does a person possessing charity towards the neighbor do evil to anyone; and as this is true of every angel, how much more must it be true of the Lord Himself? But the situation in the next life is as follows: Because of the newcomers there the Lord is constantly reordering heaven and its communities, imparting bliss and happiness to them. (AC 5798:6)

     Keeping this in mind, our challenge is to come to understand why the Lord sometimes appears angry and even cruel. It is sometimes true that we focus on the parts of the Word and the Lord that make sense to us and stay away from the more bitter teachings. But we can let the Lord affect and change our lives more profoundly if we are willing to trust His goodness in even the harsher stories and lessons, When we come to see His infinite love hidden even in His sometimes harsh words and deeds, our ability to trust Him becomes richer and fuller, whereas if we only focus on the "nice" Jesus, we actually prevent Him from infilling us with the fullness of His blessings.

     The following three episodes from the Lord's life offer us windows into the depth of the Lord's love. In all three episodes the Lord speaks quite harshly.

     1) A woman with a demon-possessed daughter is crying out for help from Jesus. He ignores her. His disciples tell Him to send her away at which point the following is recorded in Matthew 15:24-27:

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"I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." The woman came and knelt before Him. "Lord, help me!" she said. He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the little dogs." "Yes Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour,

     2) This scene is from Luke 8:22-25. While Jesus is asleep in the boat,

A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. He asked his disciples, "Where is your faith?"

     3) In John chapter 8 we read about Jesus' conversation with some Jews claiming to be children of Abraham and God.

Jesus said to them, ". . . You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth. For there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!"

     In each of these three scenes, Jesus speaks harshly, even cruelly to people, Why does the God whose essence is Divine love compare this woman to a little dog? Why did Jesus chide the disciples for lack of faith? After all, the Word tells us that "they were in great danger." What did they do wrong by waking up Jesus? Why does He tell these Jews that they are the children of the devil?

     From one point of view, we could read these things and shy away from God. Do we really want to associate with a God that says such things to people? Did He really have to call her a little dog?

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     Similarly, in our lives, when we approach God and try to grow closer to God, it can seem a bit harsh. And sometimes the journey of regeneration feels cruel. It can feel as if God doesn't care. It can seem like whatever we do, it's just not enough for God. We look at our lives in relationship to the truth and we feel worthless, condemned. Our best efforts have been to no avail. Like the people in the above accounts, God seems to be treating us excessively harshly.

     At these times it's easy to think things such as, "It would be easier to not even try,"; "God's plan is impossibly demanding. I just can't do it,"; "I wish I weren't raised religiously!"

     But in thinking this way, we risk missing important opportunities for healing and growth. Despite Jesus' words, He healed the woman's daughter. Despite Jesus' words, He did save the disciples. The Lord can and will heal us too.

     The Writings tell us about two attitudes with which we can approach faith: affirmative and negative. In essence, the negative attitude refuses to believe anything that can't be proved, whereas the affirmative tries to support and prove that which the Word teaches (AC 2568; 2588).

     The Word teaches us that the Lord is mercy itself. If we shift our point of view to one in which we assume that what the Lord says and does is loving by the fact that He says it, we suddenly gain some important insights- insights that can heal us.

     Assuming Jesus has nothing but pure love for all people, why did He call that woman a little dog?

     Light can be shed on this from the Arcana. In Genesis 17:1 the Lord refers to Himself as "God Shaddai" to Abram. Shaddai means tempter and was a name used by people in the area at the time including Abram's father Terah. The Lord used this name rather than Jehovah, we read, because He is gentle and was willing to use what Abram was familiar with, even if not entirely correct, to lead him closer to Himself (AC 1992).

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In essence, the Lord lets Himself be seen as a harsh tempter out of mercy.

     I think we see the same thing mirrored in the story of the Canaanite woman whom Jesus called a little dog. Taking the affirmative attitude, we must assume that the Lord spoke exactly what the woman needed to hear to grow and become spiritually happy. I believe that He must have seen that this woman, being a Canaanite rather than a Jew, and a woman rather than a man, felt inside like an insignificant, almost worthless little dog. She must have seen Jesus as the exclusive God for the Jews, just as Abram felt God to be a harsh tempter.

     So Jesus speaks to where she is. The Lord let Himself appear to be the exclusive God of the Jews, and this out of mercy for the woman because this is how she at the time understood Jesus.

     We may ask "But why didn't the Lord just tell her that He loves her too?"

     I think the answer is that when we feel unworthy of love we cannot easily perceive love. Even when it is poured upon us, we defer and explain it away as a mere show of pity for a pitiful person. The demon of feeling unworthy can't be cast out by an immediate show of love from God, because we can't feel His love at those times.

     When we think of ourselves as too evil for the Lord's love, our faith in God is not very different from Abram's faith in Shaddai, The Lord will meet us there. He will take on that name, Shaddai; and not just the name. He has to ignore us and antagonize us to the point where we are willing to do anything to gain contact with the Lord.

     The Lord must have seen that this Canaanite was ready to go to any lengths to have her daughter healed. She was willing to push through the disciples disdain for her. She was willing to push through Jesus' ignoring of her. She was even ready to push through this apparently belittling comment spoken to her by the Lord.

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Jesus forced her to exert herself. In forcing her to exert herself, Jesus put His power into her hands. The woman left feeling that her persistence paid off. She came to Jesus feeling like a little dog, but she left feeling like an empowered human being with a vital interactive relationship with God.

     In our lives, if we feel like nothing more than a little dog, we will feel ignored by God. When we feel bad about ourselves, we can't perceive love. The Lord is training us. He is training us to want His healing love intensely, He is training us to pray so fervently that we end up perhaps even upset with Him. He is revitalizing our sense of value and power. He wants us to demand that He heal our lives.

     The woman's daughter was demon-possessed. When we feel unworthy of God's love, in a real way our idea of the truth is demon possessed. The Lord has to get us to realize that He already loves us absolutely. The Lord is not Shaddai the tempter, but Jehovah, whose essence is Divine Love Itself. To wake us up to His real essence and our real relationship with Him, the Lord will do anything necessary-He will even seem to ignore us and insult us. In this situation we are forced to give everything we have to find a meaningful relationship with the Lord in our lives. Having given it our entire effort, finally the Lord will answer us. We will feel like our efforts paid off. We will feel empowered. Our sense of being valueless will be cast out of us by the Lord the same way He cast the demon out of the Canaanite's daughter. Instead of feeling like a worthless little dog, we, like the Canaanite, will feel like an empowered human being with a vital relationship with God.

     It is true that in and of ourselves we are evil through and through (AC 154). However, our selfishness can manifest itself as an obsessive self hate. In this state we are unable to receive God's love. God allows these demons to possess us until we are so fed up that nothing is going to stop us from deciding that we deserve love. We persistently search for mercy from God.

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Even Jesus' own harsh words didn't stop the woman. Even the powerful truth that convicts us of our evils and illuminates our unworthiness is no longer powerful enough to keep us from demanding God in our lives. Finally, God has masterfully, skillfully maneuvered our mental state to one where we are able to receive His healing love. He has given back to us a sense of value.

     In the second account, God asked His disciples, "Where is your faith?" It seems a harsh question since all they did wrong was to wake Him up because they were in great danger. Yet He calmed the sea and the wind proving He actually does love His disciples.

     So what was Jesus trying to do by asking this question? In essence the Lord is saying, even in the harshest, most terrifying times in life, we never need to fear anything at all. We can, if we dare, rest absolutely secure in our relationship with the Lord through any challenge of any magnitude, be it emotional, physical or spiritual.

     Had the Lord simply said, "You don't need to be afraid," the disciples would have heard it. But think of the powerful impact Jesus had on them by exclaiming, "Where is your faith?" He must have seen that asking in such a way would increase their faith more effectively than by any other means. He is demanding that they learn to have faith in Him even in the most extreme situations, By criticizing their lack of faith while simultaneously saving them, He had an enormous impact on them as evidenced by the next statement in the story, "In fear and amazement they asked one another, 'Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him!"

     Sometimes we feel as if we are being left to drown by God, Our lives are out of control and our emotions are out of control. The boat of our life is filling up with fear. God seems asleep in our lives. We cry out for help. We go to the Word and read. Suddenly, miraculously, things get calm.

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     The Word proclaims to be the Rock, the Light, the Way and the Truth. When we feel its power in our lives, the Word exclaims at us, "Where is your faith?" Our hearts hear it as, "Why on earth don't I read the Word more often?" We know we should seek and find the Lord in the Word. Why don't we make our relationship with the Lord in His Word central in our lives? Where is our faith?

     In the last account, Jesus calls us the sons of the devil, Again, it must be just what we need to hear at times. It must be just what we need to hear to help us enter into His love. When we, like those Jews, get so enamored with our own religious beliefs and spiritual life that we think we don't need help, or to listen to other people, or be kind, or keep searching for truth, then it's true that we've become children of the devil. God speaks the truth. The devil in the form of selfishness has taken control of our faith and religious life.

     In this case, God sees that the best way to deal with us is to tell us the harsh truth-that we are in the hell of arrogance, This is intimidating enough that it can break our confidence and shake us out of our arrogance.

     The truth is perfect. Wherever we are spiritually, it affects us exactly how we need to be affected. It appears differently in each situation, but its intent is always one and the same-to draw us into states of selfless love for life, for God and for other people. These are the states of heavenly joy. Jesus is the truth incarnate drawing people to the Father, But Father and Son are One. The truth is the perfect expression of God's love for us. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

     When we see the truth from our selfish side, our proprium, it seems harsh, inconsistent, and something to avoid. But if we raise our perspective from the valley of selfishness, the truth suddenly transfigures before us. It gleams white and holy. We can ascend the mountain on which this transfiguration takes place by not allowing our intellect to be employed by doubts against Jesus, God of the universe made manifest as man and recorded in the Word of God.

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     Whatever we read in the Word, we must assume to be a message of love. We must ask ourselves how God is trying to help us. In the New Testament He calls us dogs, hypocrites, brood of vipers, and sons of the devil. In the Old Testament He seems to slaughter us. Here too we must ask, "God, what are You showing me? What are You teaching me? What branch are You pruning in me?"

     The truth hurts our self-oriented consciousness because it does indeed condemn such consciousness. Our selfishness cannot comprehend what love is. The truth seeks to gain control of our consciousness, but our selfishness doesn't want to relinquish control. When our consciousness is controlled by selfishness, the truth of God seems to attack and even slaughter us. But it isn't we who are being slaughtered. If we put our faith in the truth, that it is good and that it is healing us despite the pain we feel, suddenly we can see everything from a new perspective. The same truth that was previously hurting us terribly now brings tears to our eyes because we see how it is overflowing within pure Divine love for us. Once we enter a state of selfless love for God, or life, or other people, we see that the truth is nothing less than Divine love itself made manifest, come to set us free. We see the truth transfigure.

     How miraculous that the account of the transfiguration of Jesus occurs immediately after Jesus says to Peter, "Get behind me Satan!" Surely to be called Satan by Jesus caused Peter great pain, especially in light of the fact that Peter had given his life to following the Lord. Yet here too we can know that Jesus said exactly what needed to be said to help Peter become a happier, more loving person. Perhaps Peter's ambition and self-confidence had to be deflated before he could be permitted to see the transfiguration of the Lord.

     There is another transfiguration that occurred on a mountain in the Land of Canaan. When Abraham ascended the mountain, he believed that God Shaddai wanted him to kill Isaac.

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Had he killed Isaac, Abraham would have effectively killed his lineage, But once at the top of the mountain, Abraham's idea of God transfigured as God revealed that He did not want Isaac's death. Abraham was being tested.

     As we allow God to regenerate us, it feels as if He is asking us to kill everything we know and love for His sake. We feel like we are dying. But as we obey, in the final moment of despair, we see that God isn't killing us at all; rather He is giving us a new and better life. Our perception of the Lord suddenly transfigures before us. We realize that the climb up the mountain is well worth the view.
www.NewChurchVineyard.org 2004

www.NewChurchVineyard.org              2004

     An on-line family magazine from the G. C. Office of Education featuring materials for all ages focused on a new theme every month,

     Baptism in October 2004

     Praise the Lord! in November 2004

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DREAM COME TRUE-VISITS TO THE ORIENT 2004

DREAM COME TRUE-VISITS TO THE ORIENT       Rev. YONG JIN       2004

     At the beginning of my ministry, in 1994, I had a dream of sharing New Church teachings in China to help people have happier lives. In pursuit of this dream I studied Chinese philosophies, religious ideas, history, mindset, and missions in China. I focused on missionary work in China: what they do, what results they have had, what are their difficulties/challenges, I found this information in essays from missionaries to China.

     In 2001 I began putting the dream into action, and baptized Huiling Sun into the New Church. She translated Heaven and Hell and Helen Keller's My Religion into Chinese.

     In the past two years (through a correspondence course), I trained a Korean-Chinese couple living in China to be missionaries for the New Church. This couple was very receptive to the teachings of the New Church and wanted to share them, but they did not wish to receive outside funding for their study and therefore could not continue studying because of economic hardship.

     About a year ago a Korean Missionary Training Program was started. It meets at the Academy of the New Church Theological School classroom on Sunday evenings. There are twelve courses in all, and I teach many of them, but also invite other New Church ministers to lecture. The classes are taught in Korean, and when other ministers lead the classes in English, I translate for the participants. (We have ten participants who have started this exciting program and continue to study hard.) Each course is ten weeks long, covering topics including heaven and hell, the Lord, the Word, faith, and more. This is a similar program to one being implemented for the Ghanaian theological school.

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     In May 2004 I traveled to China hoping to help spread the teachings of the New Church. While in China, I connected with the leader of seventy underground movements. I spoke with this leader for two days regarding New Church teachings. He proclaimed to me that he really wanted to learn more about our ideas. I promised him I would send him teaching materials (sermons, doctrinal classes, etc.) and we prayed together about how to go forward with a plan to share these ideas with the underground church movements. I have sent him sermons and classes by fax, and I continue to do this.

     While in China, I met missionaries serving North Korea. I continue to communicate with these individuals as to how I can support them. They are not interested in financial support, but only in spiritual encouragement, insight, and discussions.

     One gentleman from the Korean Missionary course revealed to me, on this Asian mission trip, that he plans to open a mission center in China in September, 2004, with his own funds. He plans to live in China six months of the year, and in America the other six months.

     The New Church people in Korea have shown enthusiasm for this work and want to support missionary work in China.

     In conclusion, this is all just the beginning. The possibilities are endless, and I do not know exactly what to do or what will happen next. I need the Lord's wisdom and helping hand. Please join me in praying for the future of the Asian mission and for the Lord's blessing to be upon it.

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PUBLICATIONS IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA 2004

PUBLICATIONS IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA       Rev. RISTO RUNDO       2004

     To my knowledge the first translation of the Writings in Yugoslavia appeared in London in 1938 in connection with a Swedenborg anniversary celebration. This was The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine translated by a St, Ferri. St. Ferri was a member of the Conference in England, and a lawyer from the town of Split in Croatia. He also translated portions of Heaven and Hell, which were given, in manuscript, by his brother Raphael to myself in 1960.

     I made a new translation of Heaven and Hell in 1958 but could not publish it until 1987 with financial assistance from The Lord's New Church. With this money, two more books were also published at the same time. Helen Keller's book, My Religion in my translation, and also a photo copy edition of The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine.

     The publisher, Mr. M. Mladenovich, used part of this money for the advertising of this publication of Heaven and Hell. This publication sold in Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro. This had fruitful results. As a result of this advertising, Swedenborg's name and teachings began to be known there. A well known composer in Serbia, Enrico Josip, spoke about Swedenborg on television and the writer and now member of the Academy of Art and Sciences, Mitija Beckovich, also mentioned Swedenborg in his speeches.

     An interesting twist of Providence provided another Serbian writer, Moma Dimic, to become involved. Mr. Dimic lives in both Stockholm and Belgrade, and is the author of an essay, "Garden of Swedenborg," which was inspired by his first encounter with Swedenborg's Writings, This is how it happened.

     I was visiting Stockholm in 1991 and went to visit Swedenborg's Summer House in company with Rev. Olle Hjern.

     Mr. Dimic happens to live in an apartment which overlooks this Summer House.

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He told us when he saw two men entering the little house he was curious as to what the house was, and came down to see for himself. He spoke first with Rev. Hjern in Swedish and then with me in my native tongue. I was there in Sweden to conduct the resurrection service for Inga Hjern. He came to visit the Lord's New Church in Stockholm and then later came to my hotel to interview me.

     This is how he first learned about Swedenborg and consequently wrote "The Garden of Swedenborg," which was published in the early nineties and recently republished in Belgrade. He was at that time the secretary of the Association of Writers of Yugoslavia (now Serbia). He was recently one of the signers of a petition addressed to the New Church in America to ask for help with publications of all Swedenborg's works into the Serbian or Croatian language.

     The initiator of this petition was Mr. Veselin Djuretich who is a historian and also a member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences. He fully believes that the teachings of the New Church, which came through Swedenborg, will contribute to the understanding and reconciliation between Serbs and Croats who are divided basically on religious grounds (the former being Eastern Orthodox and the latter being Catholics).

     Rev. Dusan Sever, who is now pastor of the Philadelphia Society of The Lord's New Church, first came into contact with the New Church through my translation of Heaven and Hell in Croatia. Another man in Croatia, Mr. Bosko Vasic, became so taken with the teachings of the Writings that he translated and published at his own expense, in 1992, three chapters of Apocalypse Revealed.

     Concerning what is happening at the present time I want to tell you about a group of believers in the Writings who have formed a publishing house which is called in Serbian, Izvori which means "Sources." The main editor in this house is Nenad Maksimovich.

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He spoke on the radio several years ago on Swedenborg and then received prepaid subscriptions for 250 copies to republish Heaven and Hell. This book was published in 1000 copies.

     Maksimovich also published a month ago, Divine Providence, (translated by a young girl, Biljana). He plans to publish all the works of Swedenborg if possible. His next project is to publish a small book of selected passages from the Writings, even passages from The Spiritual Diary to try to reach a large audience.

     Rev. Dusan Sever has begun the translation of Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture, and I myself have already translated Doctrine of Life, hoping to publish these Four Doctrines together or separately.

     Finally I will tell you about a man whose name is Mr. Dimitrije Niketich. Several months ago Rev. Sever received a message from Mr. Niketich asking that we in America do more for Swedenborg in the former Yugoslavia. In a recent letter to me he said, "I cannot describe to you the feeling when I read the first pages of Heaven and Hell. I don't think I will ever experience anything similar." Mr. Niketich publishes a Bulletin at his own expense on spiritual matters.

     Mr. Maksimovich has also republished New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine, this time in updated language. He has lectured on Swedenborg at Peoples University, and he has written an article on Swedenborg as the greatest western mystic in a publication called Trece Oko which in English means "Third Eye." Currently he was asked to give a series of lectures on a subject of his choice at a private club, and he is giving them on Swedenborg.

     It is with great satisfaction that I see that the small amount of books that have been translated and published in that country have been amazingly received. It appears that where man's freedom was taken away by Communism, the desire for truth is stronger than before. It is my prayer that these desires may be filled.

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CHOICE 2004

CHOICE       ANNA WOOFENDEN       2004

     I was once asked, "So, if all of my good thoughts come from the Lord and the angels, and all my bad thoughts come from hell and the evil spirits, then who am I?" After pondering this question over time one explanation that rings true to me is this: choice. Our part and participation in our existence exists in our choices. Every moment we are faced with choices; some feel large and overwhelming; some have the appearance of being insignificant. Each impact our lives.

     The Writings for the New Church teach us that, "Even the smallest moment of our lives involves a series of consequences extending to eternity. Each moment is like a new beginning to those that follow, and so with each and every moment of our lives."

     What a staggering thought! Every word I speak today, every action I take today will have repercussions to eternity.

     In the book of Deuteronomy Moses speaks to the Children of Israel about this. He sets before them the choice of blessings and curses and the repercussions of each. In Deuteronomy he declares,

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond you to reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. See I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

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But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter to possess, This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life, and He will give you many years in the land He swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,

     This passage touches my core when I read it. "Choose life!" "Choose life so that you may live!" This is something I want to strive for, moment by moment. To choose to give life to others rather than cutting them down. To make the important things in life take priority. To be conscious of my thoughts, words and actions and let them come from love. To use my time wisely. To actively listen to and love the people around me. To live with energy and joy! To choose life,

     Look for a moment at how Moses' statement starts out. "Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach." The Lord hasn't asked us to take on some impossible feat by asking us to choose life. He has given us an attainable and tangible goal. He is asking each of us to be aware of our choices, moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day. He is asking us to look to Him and to live according to His commandments. He is asking us to live a life that is full, abundant and joyful.

     There is a German proverb that says, "Choose thy love. Love thy choice." That thought is such a great reminder of this concept. We need to make our choices according to the Lord's teaching and then love what we choose, even when things get difficult. The Lord did not promise the children of Israel that life would always be easy and blissful. They knew better after wandering in the wilderness for forty years. He did not promise that they would always want to choose life.

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He did not promise that it would be painless. What He did promise is that if they loved Him and kept His ways and commands, that they would live and increase and that He would bless them. We can hold onto the same promise. The Lord makes it very clear throughout His Word that life has its ups and downs and pain and struggle but that He will always be with us. He makes clear that He loves each of us, has amazing plans for each of our lives and will lovingly guide us through our life. Our job is to choose to follow God and live according to the teachings He gives us. Our part is to choose life. And as we choose life, moment by moment, we are building His kingdom on earth.
SCIENCE MAGAZINE ON HUMAN BRAIN GROWTH 2004

SCIENCE MAGAZINE ON HUMAN BRAIN GROWTH              2004

     Nature is an international weekly magazine of science. The September 16th issue has an item about the distinction between human brains at birth and in infancy as contrasted with that of other primates. The article says, "Humans differ from other primates in their significantly lengthened growth period." At birth a kind of monkey has a brain 70% the size of an adult. A human brain at birth is only 25% the size of an adult brain.

     At the age of one year an ape has a brain 80% the size of an adult, while a human brain is only 50% at the age of one. See Nature page 299.

     This is of interest in connection with the discussions described in Conjugial Love 132-136. "It takes a number of years for a human being to grow to maturity , . . An animal develops in only a few years" (CL 134). Causes behind this were discussed in the spiritual world.

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NEW CHURCH IN GERMANY1 2004

NEW CHURCH IN GERMANY1              2004

     1 This article was forwarded to and translated by the Rev. Kurt P. Nemitz, a warm friend of the New Church in Germany and Switzerland, under the title, "Some Comments on the Activity of Pastor Werner S. Schmidt for the New Church in Germany, and on the Story of the Congregation of the New Church in Southwestern Germany." For more information on the New Church in Germany, see the article in New Church Life, May 2001, p. 204.

     BARBARA SCHMIDT AND FRIEDEMANN SCHMIDT

     Pastor Werner S. Schmidt labored for the New Church in Germany from 1960 to his death in 1975. The church's rectory was located in the Schmidt family house in Freiburg in Breisgau, at the foot of the Black Forest, in southwestern Germany,

     From there, through long trips and extensive correspondence he ministered to the societies of members of the New Church and people interested in Swedenborg, living in Bochum, Detmold, Bremerhaven, Stuttgart, and around Lake Constance. Besides this, through letters and visits, he also ministered to individual families and persons scattered from the north to the south of Germany.

     He also dedicated himself to working intensively with young people. In 1963 and 1967, together with Pastor Horand Gutfeld, he organized three international young people's camps in Austria and Switzerland, in which youths from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, England and the USA participated.

     After Horand Gutfeld moved to the USA at the end of the 1960s, Pastor Schmidt also regularly visited the New Church society in Vienna and New Church groups and individuals in all of Austria as well.

     As a result of the visits and religious services of their minister, Pastor Schmidt, the members of the New Church and friends of the doctrines of Emanuel Swedenborg came together again and again and developed the life of a church society in little regional centers.

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Many had previously been distant members of the Berlin society, but due to the political situation (the division of Germany and island status of West Berlin), after the death of the Berlin Society's pastor, Erich Reissner, in 1964, that society lost its function as the chief organizational center for the church in all of Germany,

     Therefore it was an important goal of Pastor Schmidt to organize the individual members living in scattered places in West Germany by developing regional centers as independent congregations. So in 1966, a society was established in Bochum for North Rhine-Westphalia and adjacent zones. Then, in 1967, followed the establishment of The New Church in Southwest Germany in Freiburg in Breisgau.

     As a result of this, Berlin indeed "lost" a number of the distant members on its rolls to these new societies, but these people gained something dear and valuable to them near where they lived-little partnerships in which they could meet one another, hold services of worship and develop a feeling of community.

     In 1969, as an umbrella organization for the regional society centers in Germany, Pastor Schmidt together with lay leaders Johannes Klotter (in Freiburg) and Walter Sundays (in Detmold) created the Union of the New Church in Germany, to which the Berlin society as well as the centers in Southwest Germany and Bochum were to belong.

     The Berlin Society, however, maintained a certain independence vis-a-vis The Union of the New Church in Germany. Its relations with the other communities of the New Church in Southwest Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia, to Werner Schmidt, and to Walter Sunday and Johannes Klotter, was frequently strained-above all because of the increasing influence of the followers of the Austrian mystic (1800-1864) Jakob Lorber in the Berlin Society.

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     After the death of Pastor Schmidt in the year 1975, Walter Sunday and Johannes Klotter led the communities in West Germany, held lectures, organized discussion groups, readings and religious services. To these activities the New Church minister from Zurich, the Rev. Dr. Friedemann Horn, was regularly invited, who now also gave pastoral counsel to the societies in Germany.

     However, the activity of The Union of the New Church in Germany and the thought of organizational unity among the little regional centers and isolated members of the New Church grew weaker and weaker, and finally expired with the death of Johannes Klotter.

     In 1982, when due to ill health Herr Klotter had given up his office as a chairperson of the Society of the New Church in Southwest Germany, Barbara Schmidt (Pastor Schmidt's widow) became his successor. She guided the continuing activity of the New Church in Southwest Germany for 15 years. As the society in North Rhine-Westphalia in the course of time became too small to carry on its own activities, its remaining members affiliated themselves with the society in Southwest Germany.

     When Barbara Schmidt, in 1997, resigned as a chairperson because of age, she was succeeded by Ilse Volker from the town of Moos, and the seat of the society was moved from Freiburg in Breisgau to Moos, on the shore of Lake Constance.

     As a result of the change of location, the society in southwest Germany was reorganized and became officially recognized and registered under the name, The Society of the New Church according to Emanuel Swedenborg. Rev. Thomas Noack in Zurich now carries responsibility for its spiritual leadership. For the society, however, this is problematic, because he has engaged himself at the same time in spreading the doctrines of Jakob Lorber, while The Society of the New Church According to Emanuel Swedenborg in Southwest Germany wants to show through even its new name that it is important to have the doctrines of Swedenborg exclusively as the foundation of its church life.

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     Barbara Schmidt and Friedemann Schmidt
     Freiburg in Breisgau, October 28, 2001
General Church Assembly 2005"Renewing Our Purpose" 2004

General Church Assembly 2005"Renewing Our Purpose"              2004

     June 5th to 8th, 2005 Bryn Athyn, PA, USA

     Please put the dates-June 5th to 8th, 2005-on your calendar and plan to join us at the 34th General Church Assembly!

     The dictionary definition of "member" is:

     member n

     Somebody who belongs to and participates in a particular group

     We point this out solely to encourage you to come to the 34th General Church Assembly-whether member, or associated* with the General Church.

     * as so ci ate     adj

     1. Joined with others in purpose on an equal or nearly equal basis

     The General Church needs you to come help us renew our purpose.

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Editorial Pages 2004

Editorial Pages              2004

     GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE (3)

     "Gathered to his people" is a phrase in the Old Testament used when someone dies. We have in previous editorials applied this to the meeting of relatives after death and also to the meeting of people not known previously but who are instantly recognized as "your people."*
     * footnote: In the translation by N. Bruce Rogers a footnote lists a dozen places in the Bible where this phrase is used.

     In True Christian Religion 607 we read that a deceased person "comes into the company of those who are like him as to their will's affections, and whom he then acknowledges, as kinsmen and relations acknowledge their own in the world; and this is what is meant where it is said in the Word of those who die, that they are brought together and gathered to their own."

     In Conjugial Love 28 we read, "In respect to the affections and thoughts of his mind a person is in the midst of angels and spirits and is so associated with them that he could not be severed from them without dying. It is still more remarkable that this, too, is not known, even though every person who has died from the beginning of creation, after death has gone and continues to go to his own, or, as the Word says, has been gathered and is gathered to his people."*

     This brings us to a third application of the phrase. This is to the meeting of people who have been our spiritual companions during our life. Beyond our consciousness we are associated with spirits and angels. Think of spirits having been close to you perhaps for years. Then you go to the other world. Will you be able to meet those spirits?

     "When any one died the ancients said that 'he was gathered to his peoples' . . . For during his bodily life every one is as to his spirit in company with spirits and angels, and also comes among the same after death" (AC 4619). Some who desire it are shown after death the society of spirits in whose company they had been and who are later associated with him (AC 5861).

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It is indicated that those associated unconsciously with us later become consciously associated with us.


     "JOHNNY ASTROSEED" IN SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL

     "Books are powerful things." That is the final line in a letter in Sky & Telescope, an impressive monthly journal of astronomy. The writer tells about his random discovery of a book on astronomy in his local library. That book really turned him on to the subject of astronomy, and he suggests to readers that they donate books on astronomy to their local libraries. Lives can be touched by the discovery of a book, for books are indeed powerful things. The title given to his letter is "Johnny Astroseed" (September issue p, 12).

     It is interesting that there is an awareness that Johnny was someone who spread the good news about books, Years ago some of us assumed that Johnny Appleseed would become less and less famous as the years go by. But the opposite has occurred.

     The report in our August issue by Dr. Jane Williams-Hogan about the Johnny Appleseed Heritage Center in Ohio has inspired people to go and see for themselves. New Church people take pleasure sitting in an audience with hundreds of others and hearing about heaven, Swedenborg, and the New Church.

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GREAT MYSTERY NOW REVEALED:JAPANESE TRANSLATION OF ARCANAVOLUME WITH THE BEGINNING OF THEDOCTRINE OF THE GORAND MAN 2004

GREAT MYSTERY NOW REVEALED:JAPANESE TRANSLATION OF ARCANAVOLUME WITH THE BEGINNING OF THEDOCTRINE OF THE GORAND MAN              2004

     At this time last year I received a copy of the Japanese translation of Volume three of Arcana Coelestia. I did an editorial about it in the October issue with some reference to the prodigious work of Mr. Tatsuya Nagashima. Well, I have received yet another handsome volume, which, of course, I cannot read.

     There are special things about the fourth volume, one of which I will mention this month. It is the volume that begins in dramatic fashion to reveal the truth about the Gorand Man of heaven. (This subject continues in the Arcana all the way into volume seven.)

     Think of what the Japanese reader now has available. A great mystery is revealed. Here is how the subject begins.

     The Correspondence with the Gorand Man Which is Heaven, of All the Organs and Limbs, Both Interior and Exterior, of the Human Being

     Let me now tell of and describe marvels which, so far as I know, have not as yet been known to anyone, nor has even the idea of them entered anyone's head-the marvel that the whole of heaven has been formed in such a way that it corresponds to the Lord, to His Divine Human; also the marvel that the human being has been formed in such a way that every single part of him corresponds to heaven, and through heaven to the Lord. This is a great mystery which is now to be revealed, it being the subject here and at the ends of chapters that follow this, (AC 3624)

     We salute and congratulate Mr. Nagashima for his achievement. May his efforts continue to bear fruit.

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EDITORIALS 2004

EDITORIALS              2004

     PUBLISHING ACHIEVEMENT IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

     In November of 2001 this magazine printed a six page history of New Church efforts in the Czech republic. In the last paragraph, the writer, Lenka Machova, wrote, "I believe that publishing activities are of prime importance now, in order to give out information to people, so that hopefully, if the Lord wills and provides for it, we may reach the same degree of New Church religious life in our country as in those times before. It was twice destroyed, but now we can work to make our church even much larger and richer."

     We have just seen an inspiring publishing achievement. It is a small set of books within a presentation case. It includes Miss Machova's translation of the Four Doctrines and the Doctrine of Charity. She has done a splendid job seeing the books through to publication. Miss Machova says that the best thing that ever happened to her in her life was to come to Bryn Athyn to study for two years. This came about through a series of improbable events, It began when she found an old book in a second hand bookshop. Later there was the discovery of a small group of New Church people in the Czech Republic. She says, "I know from my own experience, in finding this religion, that nothing is impossible for the Lord."

     Miss Machova is the editor and producer of the magazine of the Czech Swedenborg Society, The title of the magazine is Arcana. After her discovery of the Writings and her stay in Bryn Athyn she wrote a little book called Looking for Meaning. One of her projects is a book containing all of the "Memorable Relations" that appear in the Writings.

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APPLE SEED DRAMA 2004

APPLE SEED DRAMA       Ducan Smith       2004


     

     Communications
Dear Editor,

     It was good to see the article by Dr. Jane Williams-Hogan in the August issue telling about the Johnny Appleseed drama in Mansfield, Ohio. It is one of the better missionary opportunities I have seen. From beginning to end the two hour program makes clear that John Chapman is a believer and missionary with life's purpose of spreading the Writings given through Swedenborg and testifying to their effect on life,

     The state of Ohio has invested heavily in making this a "must see" historical drama, advertised in the media. It was worth a trip for five of us from Glenview, Illinois.

     Ducan Smith
          Glenview
"GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE" 2004

"GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE"       Don Fitzpatrick       2004

Dear Editor,

     The phrase "gathered to his people" and the discussions of it in New Church Life are comforting, especially to readers with loved ones in the other world. That phrase seems similar to the phrase "gathered to his own," which also suggests the reunion of like-minded people after death.

     Number 14 of True Christian Religion includes the latter phrase. Toward the end of the number we read: "In respect to his spirit every man is associated in the spiritual world with his like, and becomes one of them. It has frequently been granted me to see there in societies the spirits of men still living, some in angelic and some in infernal societies, and also to converse with them for days;

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and I have wondered how the man himself while still living in the body could be wholly ignorant of this."

     The number concludes, "Thus it was made clear to me that he who denies God is even now among the damned, and that after death he is gathered to his own." This seems like a useful reminder in light of other passages teaching that our belief in the Lord is not real unless we try to live by His commandments.

     Don Fitzpatrick
          Bryn Athyn
ASSISTANT BISHOP AFFIRMED 2004

ASSISTANT BISHOP AFFIRMED       Rev. Thomas L. Kline       2004

     I am pleased to announce the affirmation of the Rev. Brian Keith as Assistant Bishop of the General Church, The statistics of the ballots are listed below in the Secretary's report.

     I am confident that Brian will serve well in the office of Assistant Bishop, and look forward to working with him, I am planning to ordain Brian into the third degree of the priesthood this coming Charter Day Sunday, October 17th, at the 11 o'clock Cathedral Service. We have chosen this particular Sunday, because it best represents the membership of the world-wide church. Brian will remain as Principal of the Bryn Athyn Church School until July of 2005, but will be able to help with the administration of the church before then.

     May the Lord send his blessings to both Brian and Gretchen.

     Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Kline

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LAUREL FAMILY CAMP 2004

LAUREL FAMILY CAMP       WENDY HOO       2004

     The blue smoke drifts from the campfire even after torrential rains. It never seems to go completely out, Invisible fire attendants keep the coals alive, and whether they are angels or humans, I am never quite sure. Like the Olympic torch, the fire is a consistency amid the years and activities of Laurel Family Camps. I have just returned from a week at Laurel, one of twenty or so I have spent there, including the first fledgling experiments in an outrageously green Pennsylvania Allegheny Mountain State Park. The cabins and main buildings were built by workers of the WPA in the depression, and are sturdy and beautiful, almost Arts and Crafts elegant in their proportions and exposed rich wood and stone. Those grateful, skillful builders may have had an inkling of the uses their buildings would someday encompass, from looking at the care and beauty invested in them.

     Here participants put aside everyday concerns to live in a community encouraging connections between people and their Lord. When you return from Laurel, back to the land of cell phones and aggressive drivers, there is a reentry process as you realize that the waitress in the turnpike restaurant is not a gentle soul that you recognize as your fellow spirit. (Or is she?) As you start to regain your awareness of the dirt on your clothes and feet, you remember a dentist appointment next week. But something has changed permanently in your attitude towards the flotsam of daily life. Deep peace and a sense of detachment from the material world rests somewhere in the cells of your body. This helps you explain to unbelieving friends that you spend your only vacation week in the woods, in the rain, with bugs and critters, working hard, and studying religious life.

     The theme this year was cycles of time, and our spirit. Each morning, after chores and a lively worship with lots of wake up singing, and usually some theatrical event to set the visual tone of the day, the children are marched off to classes taught by the adults.

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We settle down on hard metal chairs to listen to ministerial and lay presentations. Women speak out with courage on difficult subjects, such as sexual abuse, for the sake of abolishing evils poisoning our society. Some are intense personal stories of growth, some exciting practical doctrinal explorations of the theme. Some of the presenters are barely out of their teens, and we are impressed with the wisdom they offer. We should not be surprised. These are the children, and sometimes grandchildren, of the pioneers of the mission Laurel began the year of Woodstock Music festival, that explosive time of the late sixties.

     I remember clearly driving to this camp for a "College Weekend Retreat" organized by Bryn Athyn College. I was all ears and eyes as the slightly older boys, Peter Rhodes and his friends, sat around a fire late into the night telling us that we had a voice and we needed to use it. To me, they were Bob Dylans, forecasting the changing of times, and the fate of those who didn't "get out of the new way if they couldn't lend a hand." Next day, when a brave Bishop Pendleton addressed the gathering, he was interrupted often with comments, questions, and demands. This had never happened before in my experience. We usually sat and listened to ministers politely, and tried to follow what they said. But this was the sixties and we couldn't help but be caught up in the cry for freedom of thought, and expression of emotions that the past had suppressed. From this weekend came a week long camp the following year, led by ministers and lay people who saw potential in this group of thinking, powerful young people, for a new way of living the doctrines.

     In the beginning it was a young people's camp. It grew to be family camp as we all had children and wanted them to have the experiences we were having. It was a retreat from the wild events of the time: the war in Vietnam, the upheavals in government and culture.

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My cousin came back from the war with hair-raising stories we couldn't believe, and others came with emotional crises that needed nonjudgemental support. I used to think of it as an emotional emergency ward. Now after 30 some years, it is more like a spiritual health maintenance spa. No more surreptitious drinking in the background, and practically no one smokes anymore. Most of the campers are familiar with twelve step programs, and there is a flavor of "program" talk in most discussions.

     How did this come about? We can find theories today that explain the evolution of organizations. They talk about stages of initial community, chaos, descent, and eventual restructuring. I have witnessed some of this over the years. I remember late nights of crying and screaming in family groups, until we got out some of our frustrations, and were willing to explore rules of group. We had to learn the value of sleep, even at Laurel. But I don't seem to need as much sleep there. Maybe it's the closeness of the tall trees, the kindness of everyone you see, and the safeness of being in a place that constantly entreats the presence of angels.

     Back in the early days we tried out various psychological theories, bared our inner thoughts and feelings, and had our moments of cathartic revelations of self. There was less structure of the day, so not so much balance between light and dark, work and play. Through the endless planning and evaluation by revolving teams of advocates of the dream of Laurel, there is now a complex but flexible enough structure to allow for all the good things we want to happen, but less unnecessary emotional wear and tear, and fewer germs. It used to be a given that you'd come back from Laurel with a stomach or respiratory bug, but thanks to preventive measures, it rarely happens now. Chaos no longer is necessary for freedom. Now the raising of hands can instantly silence the hum of conversation, when announcements are needed, and you know the silverware is clean.

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     What remains is the best of what we were after, I feel even more free now in the schedules of work and duties to do the creative things I come for: both the exploration of my spiritual life, and finding places to try the art ventures that are my calling. I know that if I don't have a chance to work out my reaction to something poignant that a speaker said earlier in the day because I have to wash floors, I will have the comfort of my family group that evening. I knew this year that Laurel would be the safe place to try out playing the guitar for evening vespers, even though my voice and skills are rusty, and that I could choreograph my first dance, and have an appreciative audience. I tried building altars with heavy rocks on cool afternoons, and worked in quiet company with a fellow introvert, sweeping the floors rhythmically in the dark Rec. hall. Feeling the weight of each stone falling into place, and staying there, satisfied my echoing thoughts on the morning sessions. Taking the altars apart and starting over each day gave a feeling of readiness for new ideas and feelings to sort out. Decorating them with wild flowers from a nearby flower farm expressed my deep gratitude for the many gifts of Laurel.

     Each morning, after waking to the sound of the morning bell drifting through the mist, you pad though the woods to the old dining hall, with smells of pancakes beckoning. If you're lucky you get Keith's individually made omelets. You feel more at home each day, knowing you will see lovable faces and hear kind thoughts to help you greet the dawn. Ties with old and new friends have grown exponentially in a matter of hours and days. Your world of safe people has mushroomed like the red fungus you passed in the woods on the way. On the serving tables, the teenagers' smashed styrofoam cups and spilled cocoa powder you noticed the night before are gone. There are instead thoughtful varieties of breakfast foods, with no strong food agenda, but a gentle guiding toward healthier choices.

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You don't mind when its your turn to cut vegetables for lunch, or scrub a toilet, because you know everyone at camp is working, and it doesn't seem so bad to only have to do it once a week. By the time you reach mid afternoon you are floating on the Laurel sphere of cooperation and inspiration to higher thinking. No one who goes to Laurel escapes the fleeting thought: Have I died and gone to heaven?

     The children might be muddy, but they look angelic. The older men might have less hair than you remember, but they look wise. When you walk through the wood path ways, there are fairy gardens built by boys and girls, some with basketball courts of leaves and acorns or moss beds, and they are even more enchanted than fairy gardens usually are: you fully expect to see a real fairy sleeping there. Someone always seems to be at your side to hand you an umbrella for the rain, or hang up your towel if you forget. Its not unusual to be sitting quietly and suddenly to be hugged from behind by a child you just met, and had a loving interaction with at Laurel Mountain School. The random acts of kindness they talk about on bumper stickers are a way of life for this brief time. Perhaps, knowing the proprium as well as we all do, this is not a sustainable way of living, but it's valuable to pretend.

     This year I ran a teen group, which means in addition to my own core family group, I met another hour and a half each day. These eight older teens, being mostly Laurel babies, probably could have managed on their own. The rules of group are rooted in their psyches: rules like freedom to speak or not, confidentiality, one person at a time, not giving advice, and devices of dissention. At first they are hesitant with me, not sure if I will be dictatorial, awkward with them, or just not cool. But after a while I am silently approved of, and they are even impressed with my open-mindedness (for my age) and are interested, to a degree, about my days as an instigator of the more open societies they now inhabit. But mostly they want me to just be quiet and be there in case of a crisis, be it a scary storm while we are sequestered in the most remote cabin, or a divergence into uncharitable talk.

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I, in turn, am amazed, honored and impressed with the maturity, intelligence and confidence of these beautiful young people. I feel the hard work their parents and elders have done to create this entitlement to self-determination they seem to have. They are facing a harsher world than we did, but are handling it with more emotional balance and courage than when we were that age. I know the future of Laurel, in whatever form it may take, is safe when these eight, and the hundreds of other young people, enthusiastically come to a family religious camp, and are out there making changes we older folk won't have the energy for.

     Wednesday night is talent night. It can be a mixed bag but is always the cause of raging laughter and tears. "Talent" can range from an indecipherable skit by eight-year-old boys, to professional level violin concertos. A tiny girl sang a quiet tune to a transfixed audience. Wednesday is also coming of age night, with a new tradition of the men taking the boys off into moonlit woods to do rituals and have talks about manhood, while the women do the female version of this with more flowers and candles. Thursday night is Holy supper. All the stops are out as the altar is transformed into a glow of spilling candlelight, wildflowers and rocks. We expect innovative activities, devised by the ministers and crew, to help us dine with the Lord in meaningful ways. Friday is the last night and is interspersed with opportunities for appreciation and affirmation of the sacrifices and hard work so many have given to bring Laurel about yet again. Ending with a gospel-like exhilaration of song and dance, we explode with the joy filling our hearts from the transforming events of the week. Saturday is sad with picking up the pieces of lost items, and tearful good-bye hugs. We cheer ourselves up with thoughts of future camps and a warm dry bed at the end of the car ride. We know it will be hard to face those whom we have left behind, and may have needed our attention, so are possibly not in the mood to hear the stories of our full hearts.

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     Now that we are more stable and abundant in the power of our hard emotional and spiritual work, we have an obligation and hopefully a desire to think about larger issues beyond our cloistered world. Can we find ways to address the waste of our culture, the environmental problems that threaten the future of our children? Can we break the taboo of our church of blending the world's social issues with our church activities? How will the Lord lead us in our part of bringing the New Church to our earth?

     My wish is that this phenomenon of Laurel will become the focus of the church's hope for the future. The ripple effects go far beyond the several hundred people that attend each year. We must find ways to support these endeavors, encourage similar ventures, and research why they are successful. This is a crucial matter for a church that is struggling with issues of growth.
SEPTEMBER POST CARD FROM RUSSIA 2004

SEPTEMBER POST CARD FROM RUSSIA              2004

     I have received a post card from Russia dated September 11, 2004. Here is the message.

     "Today is an historical day in Russia and in what is going to be New Church history. Russia has its first ever New Church minister working in Russia. A group of about twenty people took part in the celebration. The location of this inauguration of Alexander Gobenko was near the walls of the Kremlin in Moscow. Rev. Christopher Hasler officiated, and he and I gave speeches for the occasion.

     Rev. Goran Appelgren"

     In preparation for this visit Mr. Appelgren, who already spoke Russian, took some classes to improve his use of the language.

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CORRECTION 2004

CORRECTION              2004


     

     Announcements




     For a May wedding in our July issue on page 283, we were not aware of a military custom of putting nmi for "no middle initial" in an individual's name. We unfortunately supplied the middle name "Nmi" to the groom, whose name is actually Joseph Civitello. We apologize.

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Threefold Word 2004

Threefold Word              2004

     Twelve-part Doctrinal Class Series Rev. Prescott A. Rogers

     On Sale Now!

     Price: $25.00

     An Audio

     Cassette Album

     Includes:

     -     Five classes on the Old Testament

     -     Four classes on the New Testament

     -     Three classes on the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

     -     Eighty-eight pages of handouts

     SOUND))) RECORDING

     PO Box 752

     Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

     (215) 914-4980

     [email protected]

     The Throne Room of Heaven     

     adapted and written by Karin Alfeft Childs      

     Illustrated by Anna K, Cole Volden      

     $19.95US, hb     

     John, the beloved disciple, has been banished to the isle of Patmos.     

     There, a door opens in heaven, and he is shown the most amazing     

     things...

     The Lord protects us in many ways. He protects us with true ideas, that we can learn in the Word or in other places, because God is everywhere. True ideas from God are powerful, like a lion.     

     GENERAL CHURCH BOOK CENTER -215.914.4920- [email protected]

     WHERE IS HEAVEN?

     BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

     In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. [Genesis 1:1]

     The purpose of creation is a heaven from the human race. [Divine Providence 323]

     Where is Heaven?

     by Carol Buss

     Illustrated by Sharon Holm $9.95US, pb

     Beautifully illustrated, this teaches little children about heaven. The illustrations are rich and the multi racial angels make book universally appealing.
ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCHSECONDARY SCHOOLS2005 SUMMER CAMP 2004

ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCHSECONDARY SCHOOLS2005 SUMMER CAMP              2004



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     The 2005 ANC Summer Camp will be held on the campus of the Academy of the New Church in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, from Sunday, July 10 until Saturday, July 16, 2005. The camp is open to boys and girls who will have completed eighth or ninth grade by June 2005.

     Students should receive registration details by the end of April. If you know of any student who may need information and is not in the General Church database, please contact Martha Nash at [email protected], 215-938-2538 or Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

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Title Unspecified 2004

Title Unspecified              2004

     Vol. CXXIV     November, 2004     No. 11

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

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Notes on This Issue 2004

Notes on This Issue              2004

     How do you like the title of the presentation by Bishop Peter Buss? "Truths That the Soul Can Touch"! It is fitting that the title itself has a kind of beauty, because it invites readers to something of special quality. Someone who heard this address offered the view that it was Buss the educator at his best.

     We are pleased to be publishing this article, and we hope that the author will in retirement favor us with more of his insights.

     Do we grasp what is going on in the New Church world? We see the current story of the New Church in bits and pieces. Last month we had a virtual travelogue of items. Well, we have asked Rev. Goran Appelgren to give us more of the facts and of the flavor of his adventure in the Ukraine. Don't read this too quickly. Allow yourself to gain a sense of one of the facets of New Church activity in the world.

     Thanks to the Office of Education we are able to publish in this issue a directory of General Church Schools. On page 427 there is information on the enrollment of the Academy Schools as well as the Elementary Schools of the General Church. For example we see that a total of 153 are enrolled in Bryn Athyn College this year.

     Notice at the end of this issue a statement from the Bishop about marriages with pertinent passages from the Word.

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TRUTHS THAT THE SOUL CAN TOUCH 2004

TRUTHS THAT THE SOUL CAN TOUCH       Rev. PETER M. BUSS       2004

     How do you prove religious truths? There is no proof. You cannot see God, visit the after-life, prove that married love is eternal, that the souls of men and women are eternally different and perfectly complementary.

     How do adults know that these are true? The deepest answer is that there is a message from within, from our souls, that lets us see that truth is true.

     How do we choose what is good? What power can cause us to choose the inconvenient good over the much more convenient evil? What causes a mother to waken out of exhausted sleep at the cry of a child and go to its help? What causes a normally selfish man to put himself to great inconvenience for a distressed friend? The deepest answer is that the soul gives us the freedom to make these choices, and it inspires a desire to make the right choice.

     How do little children respond to truths and see that they are good? Well, we might say, they tend to believe what trusted adults tell them. True. Or, we may say, the angels give them a delight in truths. Very true. But the deepest secret lies in their own souls. The thing the Writings call "intellectual truth" or "celestial truth" is speaking to them when they hear the truth their teachers speak. Perception is teaching them.

What Do We Mean by "The Soul?"

     In general the Latin word refers to what is living, and thus often to the spirit that lives after death (DLW 394; cf 379; 383). In one passage the Writings say that "the soul" of something is just whatever gives it life. "Thus the soul of the body is its spirit, for from this the body lives. But the soul of the spirit is still more internal life, from which it has wisdom and understanding" (AC 2930).

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     The way I plan to use this term is that the soul is the inmost part of us, that unpervertible entrance of the Lord into us. This is the way the term is used very often, as for example in the following passage: "Every person consists of three components which follow in order in him: soul, mind, and body. The inmost one is his soul. The intermediate one is his mind. And the outmost one is his body. Everything that flows into a person from the Lord flows first into his inmost component, which is the soul, and descends from there into his intermediate component, which is the mind, and through this into his outmost component, which is the body" (CL 101; cf. 158; 206, et al).

The Degrees of Creation

     There are three amazing passages in The Arcana Coelestia which speak of the way in which the Lord creates human life on different levels, and how He accommodates Himself to them. The following diagram is an interpretation of AC 1999, 7270 and 8443.

     The Writings teach that the Divine flowing from the Lord is at first too full of love and wisdom to be received by any conscious thought and feeling. Therefore, in the heaven of human internals (AC 1999) or the two radiant belts around the spiritual sun (AC 7270) there are degrees of life which are not conscious, but through which the Lord acts into us. These are the realms of the soul.

     The soul is the inmost dwelling place of the Lord in us. It is made of "superior spiritual substances," and thus receives influx "directly from God" (ISB 8). It is above consciousness. "It is into the soul that the conjugial of love and wisdom or good and truth from the Lord first flows. They are imperceptible and hence ineffable, being delights of peace and at the same time of innocence. In their descent they become more and more perceptible-in the higher regions of the minds as blessings, in the lower as happiness, and in the bosom as the delights from these" (CL 69. See also CL 16, 46, 69, 183; 203; 236; 302).

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     THE SIX DEGREES OF               WHAT DEGREE OF THE
     TRUTH DIVINE IN                    MIND IS IN EACH
     CREATION     

FIRST: In the first radiant          The human internal, or soul
belt, above the heavens     

SECOND: In the second               The truth from the internal, or
radiant belt, above the               "intellectual truth."     Not
heavens                                   conscious

THIRD: In the celestial heaven     The celestial or inmost rational

FOURTH: In the spiritual          The spiritual or interior
heaven                                   rational

FIFTH: In the natural heaven          The genuine natural rational
                                             or the external rational

SIXTH: On earth-specifically          The natural, divided into three
in the Word and thus in the          degrees or planes:
church                                   A. The merely natural rational
                                        B. The middle natural
                                        C. The sensual

     The important thing is that there is this hallowed place where the Lord can touch us, and we can't spoil it. The soul is in the image and likeness of God. The Divine truth flowing in from Him enters the soul and "causes the soul to be what it is" (AC 6115:3). It is the love and wisdom from the Lord in us (DLW 395).

     It is the soul that makes the body. Think of the incredible way in which the body operates-almost as if it is wise from itself. The Writings describe it thus:

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"Unless the soul in universal and in singular flowed into the viscera of the body, nothing could take place in the body with order and regularity; but when the soul flows in singularly and thus universally then all things are set in order as if of themselves" (AC 6338:2; cf AC 3570:4; 4727:2; DLW 269). Thus conjugial love is implanted in the soul (CL 46, 69, 183; 203; 236; 302). If fact there it is in "its spiritual holiness and purity" longing to flow down into our minds and bodies (CL 482). For the genesis of conjugial love is the marriage of good and truth, and these are one in the soul. They are only separated as they descend lower into the mind, and are reintegrated in those who follow the Lord (ISB 8e).

     The soul is not life itself, but the first receptacle (AC 1999, 1940; 2004; 2019; 2025:4). He gives life to us as if it were our own (AC 1594:5). "The soul is a form of all things pertaining to love, and all things pertaining to wisdom. Being the inmost human, it is the person himself, and therefore its form is the human form in all fullness and perfection. Yet it is not life but the nearest receptacle of life from God, and thus the dwelling-place of God" (CL 315).

All the Love and All the Wisdom. . . .

     Therefore the soul is most loving and most wise. All the love of which we are capable has been written on our souls. That love has truth within it, married to it. It is called "celestial truth," and is represented by Sarah in the Word, while Abraham represents celestial good. Celestial truth is said to be "beauty itself" (AC 1470; cf 1598).

     This love and wisdom-though separated as they flow on down (See ISB 8)-unceasingly look for an opportunity to be received in the mind. For until we willingly receive it, a love from the soul is not "ours," but is in potential.

     So what do we receive from the soul? The Writings make it clear that the ability to be human comes from there, and the twin faculties that make humanity-freedom and rationality-flow from it.

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In addition all delights spring from the soul, for the Lord through the soul "activates them" (CL 461). Otherwise there would be no delight in the mind and body.

     And what about our reception of truth? Well, living truth is from the soul. Knowledges and memories are not truths, the Writings say, they are receptacles of the living truth that flows from within (AC 1469). And especially does the soul rejoice in the deepest truths-about the Lord and His kingdom, about love to Him and mutual love. These truths, the Lord says, become "happy in the internal man, and delightful in the external man" (AC 1470; cf also 1495).

     In summary, the soul is constantly seeking for a home for its loves and insights in the mind. To that end it inflows into true affections and vivifies them, and into knowledges which are genuine and gives them life. This is the meaning of the strong statement in the Writings that "all instruction is simply an opening of the way" for heavenly things to inflow. When the receptacles are there in the mind, the soul flows down and gives them life (AC 1495). That is an essential principle of our educational philosophy. We don't teach. We open the way for the Lord to teach through the souls of our students.

Poor Education

     When there is disorder in the mind, the soul won't support it, and separates itself from it. One passage simply points out that all external loves, if considered to be paramount, try then to dominate higher ones, and the higher ones won't allow it. They withdraw (CL 235). The soul won't be ruled by the mind, so it cannot send down its messages, and this - a frightening, and inevitable consequence-produces "separation from the Lord" (AC 1999:3). The soul can look down on disorder in the mind and "dissents and disagrees with" it (AC 1999).

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     What happens then? Two things. First, when the soul as it were withdraws, then true delight is no longer felt. The pleasure we then feel is from some outside source-not from the true source of all love and joy but from some ancillary or collateral source. When the Lord gives us the power to love and we choose to love ourselves above others, then we are cut off from the purpose of that gift. The result is coldness-an absence of the internal warmth of life. As the Writings put it with regard to married love, "the striving seated in souls" for that love can't affect the person, and coldness results (CL 238; 240, 236).

     There is a second result. Because the soul is still trying to send its messages into the mind, there is a conflict between its activity and what a person has chosen. Evil is contrary to order, and the soul is trying all the time to produce order. So the soul keeps sending its message of discontent into the mind, and that produces a state of unrest, and eventually of undelight in the evil one has chosen.

     An ancient Jewish poet said, "Evil shall wax old with them that glory therein" (Ecclesiasticus: Book of Sirach 11:16). Swedenborg reflected in The Rational Psychology that the soul (or pure intellect) opposes disorder or evil in the mind and produces a loathing for that evil. This is reflected in the fact that evil delights lose their charm, and people plunge into deeper and deeper perversions.

     An illustration of this is that the devils of hell cannot enjoy their evils for long. The misers close to hell pretend that they possess all the wealth of the kingdom, but after a while they lose the ability to enjoy this phantasy, and they have to return to work. Through use of some kind, the soul sends new power into their minds, which they immediately pervert and now they can enjoy their evils again-for a short time. Then it grows cold again, and they have to go back to work once again. For it is only in use that the soul can continue to send messages to their minds (See CL 268).

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     Two things separate the soul from the mind. The first is ignorance or unbelief. Far more important is the choice to follow the loves of self and the world which, when we get them out of order, stand against the very pulse of heaven-that we should love the Lord and our neighbor (AC 1594:1-3; cf. CL 236,238, 240).

     Perhaps one may also say that the soul leads from without when there is disorder. The world that the Lord created is generally in order, and the Word itself is perfectly in order, and when these come into the mind, especially through sight and hearing (AC 2557), the soul recognizes them. Then the person sees that his life and his feelings are discordant with what he is learning, and there is a feeling of fear or anxiety or perhaps depression-which spur him to reflect and perhaps repent (see AC 5470).

     The important thing to realize is that the soul is always seeking to express itself in the mind and body. "A person's soul, being in the marriage of good and truth, is not only in a perpetual striving for union but also in a perpetual striving to be fruitful and produce a likeness of itself" (CL 355). When it can, there is peace. If it can't, then there cannot be peace.

Application to Education

     The love of the soul is turned into the natural delight in learning with a little child (AC 1472; 1480). This is because learning is a means to the end of charity. Or, as the Writings say, learning produces first the ability to think, then the power to see the use of a truth, and finally the power to use it (AC 1487).

     So a little child feels a delight in sensing things. She or he didn't make that delight. That is the first touch of the soul. As a baby grows it finds an innocent joy in reaching out towards the world, feeling, touching, tasting, seeing, hearing. His joy in his senses is from his soul. He is learning.

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He is recognizing things-and it is the wisdom of the soul that recognizes them!

     As he grows older he begins to want to know things. He enjoys learning to read and write, he delights in stories that tell him of lands he has never seen, events that he has not heard before. He imagines things, and often lives in a world of make-believe. He plays, and develops a kind of knowledge-or skill.

     Why does a child develop as he does? We take it for granted. It is because his soul is causing him to delight in learning. It is so very wise! It knows what things he cannot yet understand or appreciate, so it does not yet inspire a delight in those things. Have you wondered why all children show no interest in certain moral issues, or in reasoning or politics, or indeed in working eight hours a day when they are eight, but develop some of these things later? Well, it is partly because the child does not have the background to comprehend much of these things, but also because the soul takes care that first delights come first, and it is most sensitive to the ability of the mind to respond to it. With incredible wisdom it inspires the right affections in each age for the mind to grow.

     So gently does the Lord allow the child's mind to grow. Working through the soul, He causes it to develop in an orderly way. As knowledges fill the mind the young boy or girl begins to be ready to bring various facts together, to reflect on them and to begin to reason about them. Before that he doesn't reflect. Now he begins to be able to do so, and to draw conclusions for himself. Does he always use that power wisely? Of course not, but the Lord works through the soul, and through angels and good spirits even in negative states. The soul works with the young man's pride and even his obstinacy to make him hone his reasoning skills and to seek for excellence in whatever field he is good at. Then it bends him, ever so slowly, towards wisdom and humility and the service of others.

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     There are many things that obstruct the work of the soul. If what a child is being taught is not true or what he is experiencing is not good, then there is a barrier to its work, and it labors to get its message through to the mind. On the other hand, when the child is learning good and true things in life, there is a beautiful harmony between the soul and the mind. The child's mind is growing in harmony with his own soul. It has truths in it which the soul can touch.

     As we look at certain truths or falsities, think of the fact that the soul itself already knows the truth. It is wise; the Lord has implanted both love and its wisdom there. It does not teach directly, but it senses falsity in the mind and there is a lack of harmony with the soul whenever falsity is taught.

     You can go to school in this world and learn all about geography and nature and biology and these studies can illustrate how God made the earth. If so, the soul is delighted as a child learns these knowledges. It senses the truth in them, it supports them, it gives the child a deep delight in learning them.

     You can go to school and learn the same things, yet they exclude the idea of God. They make the child feel that the universe happened by accident, that the original form of nature was chaotic, unplanned, that the disorders of nature point to harshness in creation, not to a loving God. If a child is taught this, his soul grieves. It can't work together with the mind as it wishes. How can the soul, which is the Lord's first gift to us, rejoice in knowledges which deny Him?

     Take another kind of falsity. People are sometimes taught that if they do something wrong, God is looking for a way to punish them. Therefore if they get sick or if a loved one dies they assume it is because God was angry with them for some evil and this is their punishment. That's not true. The Lord doesn't dream up cruel ways to punish His children. But if a loved one dies in an accident, and a person believes this was God's way of punishing her, there is a barrier to the deepest healing powers from within.

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     Wherever there is grief, the soul labors to heal. Its work is so much harder when people are oppressed by false notions. It doesn't have the corresponding truth in the lower mind with which to work. But if a person loses a loved one, and knows the true God as a loving, merciful One who works every second to bring good, even despite evil; if she knows that the Lord provides true and everlasting happiness to His faithful children and that tragedy is only for a period of time, she can be healed. Her soul can find these truths, truths that harmonize with its own wisdom, and slowly bring peace back to the mind.

     We can teach a student the Golden Rule-"Do unto others as you would that they do to you." But we can teach it backwards. We can make him think that being nice to others is a good plan because others will be nice back to him. The soul cannot rejoice in teaching like that; but it does rejoice if he learns that it is good to treat others in a way that he would like to be treated.

     When the teaching is true, there is a harmony between the soul and the mind. The person has a peace with him, peace between his deepest sensitivities and those things he is being taught. That doesn't mean he won't have to fight battles in life, or that everything will be plain sailing. But what it does mean is that those who teach him on earth are doing the same kind of work that the heavens and his own soul are doing. They are making it easier for him to find the path to heaven and to choose it himself.

     And, of course, the wonder of the Lord's glorification is that the truth of the Word He made flesh is perfectly attuned to that life that inflows through the soul. It is that truth which the soul recognizes as its God, and it worships it.

     That is why in the New Church we feel so very deeply about the proper education of our children.

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We want to work together with the Lord Himself in guiding our childrens' minds, so that He and the childrens' souls, and the truths of the Word and the truths of nature may be in harmony.

     What more precious gift can we give to our children than truths which the soul can reach down and touch? It can make them live, make them delightful, cause them to grow strong. What better way can we show our love for them than by allowing them to learn things which delight their deepest beings, and induce a harmony on the mind?

     We are told that the truths which the soul loves above all are those which teach mutual love and charity (AC 1999). That should be the goal in all that we introduce them to-for all knowledge looks to love and to use. It is a momentous challenge, for we are very ordinary people, prone to all the uncharitable failings there are. We are bound to look at our efforts and at the many times we don't come anywhere close to such an ideal, and get discouraged. We know that our goal should be that mutual love is taught in all we say and do: that is a large challenge.

     What we don't see is the secret, the deep success of our teaching if we are sincere. It must often seem that all we do is teach and instruct, and maybe the children do get these deep messages and maybe they don't. But we wonder what we've done to affect the outcome.

     To encourage us, the Lord has told us of the incredible effect on the mind if it is the truth that is taught, with charity. It does matter. It matters very much, for when we teach the truth, from a love of truth and the goodness it produces, the result far exceeds anything we did. We communicate an idea and a feeling about it. But the heavens and the soul and the Lord Himself take over. They take that truth and store it up safe and sound. They give it a delight. They arrange it in the proper place of the mind so that it is there, ready for use at the appropriate time.

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     So when the child becomes a young man or woman and decides to follow the Lord, there are riches beyond compare present to speed her or him on the way. That is what we are a part of doing.

     The education of our children in the truth-any truth, whether natural or spiritual-if done with gentleness and the sphere of mutual love, bears fruit beyond our wildest dreams. There are forces mightier by far than we are which ensure that. And we do have a power-to let our children drift through the world, learning values sometimes true, sometimes false, learning about the world without any connection to Him who made the world-or to dedicate ourselves to providing them with the truths which the soul can touch and quicken to all eternity. It makes a difference!

     This is our dream. And in seeing the effect on the minds of those we teach we find our reward. "Whoever gives to one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward" (Matthew 10:42).
www.NewChurchVineyard.org 2004

www.NewChurchVineyard.org              2004

     An on-line family magazine from the G. C. Office of Education featuring materials for all ages focused on a new theme every month.

     Praise the Lord! in November 2004

     Christmas Prophecies in December 2004

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REPORT FROM A TRIP TO THE UKRAINE 2004

REPORT FROM A TRIP TO THE UKRAINE       Rev. GORAN APPELGREN       2004

     In May I spent a week in the Ukraine, half the time in the city of Dnepropetrovsk and half on the Crimean peninsula. The purpose of the trip was to visit the Dnepropetrovsk & Crimean Swedenborg Society, to get to know them better, to learn more about their activities, to offer them an opportunity to invite interested friends, and finally to offer them support and help in the future.

     The trip was planned after a suggestion by Mr. Duncan Smith when we met in Boulder, Colorado, at the Evangelization Seminar in October 2003. The sponsors of the trip were the General Church Evangelization Committee and the Swedenborg Publishers International. But without Mr. Smith and CUCIS (more later) none of what you will hear about would have happened.

     The Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe, Russia being the largest. The population amounts to 52 million people. Seventy three percent are Ukrainians and twenty two percent Russians. The rest consists of different minorities. The capital is Kiev with a population of at least 3 million. Dnepropetrovsk is the third largest city with a population of about 1.2 million people.

     Ukrainian is the official language, but going far back into the czarist times Russian has always been used. The situation today is that all Ukrainian speaking people read, speak and understand Russian.

     A majority of the population, about 70 percent, belong to the Orthodox Church. There are also Roman Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostals, Lutheran as well as Jews and Muslims. But the Ukraine differs from Russia in that there is a much wider variety of religions and no dominance of one faith like the Russian Orthodox Church.

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This is a strength in the Ukraine, and this is the background for the efforts we put in for the development of the New Church in this country.

     Looking back a bit I would like to mention three things about New Church history in the former Soviet Union. Firstly, when I went to Moscow in the spring of 1992 I met Alexander Vasiliev of the town Lviv for the first time. Shortly afterwards, he registered a New Church society in his home town. He is now the pastor of that society and connected to the Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma.

     Secondly, about the same time, there was a group of young people in Dnepropetrovsk that wanted to study the Bible together. After some time they felt a need to have expository works to help them in their study. They happened to find Heaven and Hell, the Moscow edition which I had seen through the press in 1993. When they realized so little was published in Russian they started to translate and publish themselves. That is how the Dnepropetrovsk Swedenborg Society came into being. When some of them later moved to the Yalta area on the Crimean peninsula they changed the name to the Dnepropetrovsk and Crimean Swedenborg Society, but it is still one society.

     Thirdly, a man from Glenview felt moved to take the initiative to support the people in the Russian-speaking world, primarily in the Ukraine. He instituted the organization CUCIS, which stands for Committee for Uses to the Commonwealth of Independent States (former Soviet Union countries). It is now also a branch of the world outreach committee of the General Church. CUCIS has been instrumental in supporting and inspiring people to do translation and publishing in the Russian language, and has a system of distributing whatever is published to all parties involved in spreading the Writings in the Russian speaking world.

     The background for this trip was a Translators' Conference in Yalta in February of last year (2003).

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That conference was initiated, organized and hosted by the Dnepropetrovsk & Crimean Swedenborg Society and supported financially by CUCIS. Each of the three days, a different topic relating to translation and publishing was discussed and a couple of lectures were given in the evenings. The participants came from four different countries: the Ukraine, Russia, USA-Mr. Smith - and Sweden - myself.

     It was a very useful conference, and the raison-d'etre for the trip I am reporting on now goes back to that occasion. I would like to quote from what I wrote after the conference in the SPI Newsletter about the people from Dnepropetrovsk and Yalta: "It was so nice to meet these young people who had been touched in their lives by Swedenborg's Writings-and even more to realize that they on their own accord have started to translate them."

     Having been there with Mr. Smith and having talked to him in Boulder, I felt a strong need to go there and give support.

     The group has already achieved a tremendous amount. How about this:

     Helen Vozovik did Apocalypse Revealed, 2 volumes, (2000), Doctrine of Charity (2001), Doctrine of Charity and Faith [extracts from Arcana Coelestia (2001)], Arcana Coelestia, vol. I (2003). She is now working on Arcana Coelestia, vol II.

     Svetlana Manayenkova-Grafskaya did The Last Judgment and Continuation of the Last Judgment (2001), and is now working on a Dictionary of Correspondences.

     Dmitry Vasiliev did Earths in the Universe (2001). Prophets & Psalms came out this summer. Helen Vozovik did most of the translation and also the general editorial work, but Svetlana Manayenkova-Grafskaya and Dmitry Vasiliev also helped translating. This book also includes the smaller works previously published.

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     Ms. Vozovik translates from English but with the Latin text at her side. The other two translate only from English, but they all use all translations available in English. The reading I've done of several of the works tells me they are very reliable translations.

     When it became clear that I was about to go, I asked the people there how they wanted to use my time with them. They felt the most useful thing would be to arrange meetings where I could give talks and answer questions to newcomers. In preparation for the trip I had some tutoring in Russian, because the goal was to be able to do everything in Russian. Dmitry Vasiliev was ready to help out when needed, but happily we only occasionally had to interpret back and forth.

     I left Stockholm on Monday the 17th of May and arrived in Dnepropetrovsk late in the evening. Tuesday, Wednesday and most of Thursday I stayed in Dnepropetrovsk. Dmitry Vasiliev and I took the night train to Yalta, where we spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Early Monday morning, the 24th of May, we flew to Kiev, where we met with Vadim Belyayev. Then I left for Stockholm.

     In a few words, in Dnepropetrovsk there were meetings and of course time privately with the members there, but in Yalta there was rest, get-to-know each other, good talks and a lot of practicing the Russian language.

Dnepropetrovsk

     Each of the three days in Dnepropetrovsk we had one or two meetings a day. The Dnepropetrovsk & Crimean Swedenborg Society has a list of more than fifty addresses of people who either are members or have bought books, been to see them or talked to them on the phone about the Writings. All those people where invited to come to Dnepropetrovsk for these meetings. Not all came, and not all answered, but many came, and some 16 of them said they were sorry they could not make it.

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First Day's Morning Meeting

     A quite unusual meeting. A priest from the Orthodox church has read the Writings for ten years and has used them in his preaching for the last eight years. He lives in a small village outside Kiev. We met for a private conversation at home and talked for a couple of hours. His perspective was both spiritual and practical. What he saw in the Writings was application to life. He wanted to help his people live better lives. For the last three years his boss has known about his interest in Swedenborg, but so far he has not been told to stop what he is doing. His name is Father Nikolai Budzhak.

First Day's Late Afternoon Meeting

     We met in a rented room in the biggest complex for sports and gatherings in Dnepropetrovsk, Dvorets Kultury. The meeting started at four o'clock and we kept going for four hours. There were about 14 people of which 9 met the group for the first time. One woman, Lena, kept asking about the role of the priest in helping a person see the wrongdoings. She came together with Yuri Borisovich. Another person, Svetlana, was interested in the interpretation of the Bible. All in all it was a good meeting. Apart from having had some new information, they had a chance to connect to the Dnepropetrovsk & Crimean Swedenborg Society.

Second Day's Afternoon Meeting

     This was the best meeting of all. It was a smaller group, 5 new people, but they were all on the same wavelength. One older man, Stepan, had travelled 960 km (600 miles) to attend. He lives in the western part of the Ukraine. He has read all that is published in Russian and goes around to his friends and encourages them to read. He is thinking of setting up a reading group. He was very pleased to meet a minister of the New Church. Priestly leadership was something he felt was very important.

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He wondered about the usefulness of setting up a separate church. In his town there were already so many different churches. Two younger men came from not so far away, Donetsk, 200 km away; one of them had met the group in Dnepropetrovsk before. They were very interested and brought a present to the group. Another man said when he left: "Now I know I am not alone."

Second day's evening meeting

     In the evening we were invited to visit Svetlana Stulova who belongs to the Society. She had many questions about how to view the difficult literal statements in the Bible. We talked for at least two hours. She was very happy to have been given the opportunity to discuss those questions.

Third Day's Midday Meeting

     Yuri Borisovich from the first meeting had told us he belonged to an independent church. He did not say much more. He called us up and said some other people wanted to come and meet with me. We arranged a meeting on the third day. Guess if we were surprised when the leader himself appeared with his wife and another woman? They seemed very nice, but soon it became clear that they did not want to listen to us but for us to listen to him. It was very interesting in many ways.

     This man claims to have direct revelations from God. He claims to be awake in the spiritual world and to be surrounded by spirits and angels. He claims he is an instrument for revealing new truths, truths that will fill in what is missing in Swedenborg's revelations. He said that with Swedenborg you could reach a certain level, but if we would follow him, we would get further. He said he could see each person's spiritual state. That is what Lena was hinting at in the discussion on the first day.

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     A very interesting and important observation in all this was the reaction from the four people from the Dnepropetrovsk & Crimean Swedenborg Society who attended. Not only did they-of course-oppose what he was saying, but they presented very sound arguments showing a deep knowledge and conviction coming from the Word and the Writings. At the same time they were charitable in their approach. I was very impressed by the way they handled this man. When he realized he wouldn't achieve his goal, he gently withdrew from the battle. He said he would like to keep in touch, and we took a picture of all of us together and parted in peace. All of this was recorded on a video camera-something he was not opposed to.

     Afterwards, when we were alone, we all felt exhausted but also so relieved. It had been a real battle, a real spiritual attack, and we felt a need to get clean again. After a very nice meal with everybody Dmitry and I left for Yalta by night train.

     The meetings were held in rented accommodation for which the group paid a fair amount of money each time. Also, it wasn't self-evident for the visitors where to go. One day we had a look at a house that might be for sale. Having looked at it we agreed that it would be very useful as a center for the Society.

Yalta

     My time in Yalta was intense- and very nice. I got to know the people in the group there very well. They showed me beautiful places, invited me to their homes and shared the stories of their lives and really made me feel welcome and included in their community. As mentioned above, it was a very useful time for me to practice the Russian language even more. Knowing the day-to-day vocabulary really helps also in the communication of spiritual matters.

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     We talked about the work they do in translation. The person who has the most time to spend on translation, and who has the best qualifications is Ms. Helen Vozovik. Apart from a few smaller works (see above) she has done an impressive work having translated Apocalypse Revealed, Arcana Coelestia, vol I, and is now working on Arcana Coelestia, vol II. She uses all available English translations as well as the Latin text. She has a degree in languages and a strong interest in finding a translation that is readable and also faithful to the original. As I mentioned, I am impressed and delighted with what I have read. As indicated above, the group meets to study the texts together. Therefore it is a group effort even though Helen is the translator.

     The members of the Dnepropetrovsk & Crimean Swedenborg Society are predominantly younger people. In each place they are about ten each with several people who are well connected and help out in different ways. In Dnepropetrovsk we have Dmitry and Tatyana Vasiliev, and their son Alexander, 5, Valery and Svetlana Manayenkov, and their daughter Katya, 14, who is right now translating The Pomegranates by Louis Pendleton into Russian. This highlights another of my observations, which is their interest in reaching out to children with religious material. There is also Svetlana Stulova and Uri Felenuk. In Yalta we have Alexander and Helen Vozovik, Olga Shunder, Yevgeny Bakhmutov and Lyudmila Melikova, married with three children, 6, 8 and 11 years old.

And Today ...

     During the summer and autumn there has been a very happy development regarding the prospects of buying a place where a center can be set up. It is done! In the very center of Dnepropetrovsk a two room apartment has been bought and can now be reconstructed for the needs of a Swedenborg center, reading room, book seller and meeting place for gatherings.

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As said at the beginning of this report, without the strong support of Mr. Duncan Smith this could not have been achieved. Yes, some church funds have generously been made available, but I want to give recognition to Mr. Smith.

     Finally I want to say that there is so much talent, so much energy in the Dnepropetrovsk & Crimean Swedenborg Society! It is very promising indeed, and finally . . . a warm thank you goes to my friends in the Ukraine who welcomed me with open arms, took such good care of me and sent me home with lots of good memories and many, many very nice gifts.
General Church Assembly 2005 2004

General Church Assembly 2005              2004

      "Renewing Our Purpose"     

     June 5th to 8th, 2005 Bryn Athyn, PA, USA

     "It seems useful that there should be . . . Assemblies, that the Bishop of the Church should meet face to face the members as he goes around, not only individually, personally, and socially, but also in such a form as this, that those who are leading in the affairs of the Church may come in touch with the members, and so be acquainted with the state of the Church; and it is useful also for the members of the Church to be in touch with those who lead."

     These words were written in 1898 in New Church Life when the first assembly was discussed, but they are certainly still apropos. Please come to the 34th General Church Assembly in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, USA, from June 5th-8th, 2005 to assure that the leadership understands the state of our beloved Church.

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GENERAL CHURCH SCHOOLS DIRECTORY 2004

GENERAL CHURCH SCHOOLS DIRECTORY              2004

     2004-2005

Office of Education:

     Rev. Philip B. Schnarr     Director
     Jill Rogers          Assistant Director, Curriculum, New Church Teacher
     Barbara Doering     Teacher Support, Testing, Arts Fund, Home Schooling
     Gretchen Keith     Curriculum Support, Unit Box Development
     Rachel Glenn     Publications Coordinator

Bryn Athyn:

     Rev. Brian Keith     Principal/Religion 8
     Gail Simons          Assistant Principal
     Linda Kees          Kindergarten
     Kit Rogers          Kindergarten
     Christine DeMaria     Grade 1
     Robin Morey          Grade 1
     Jena Pellani     Grade 1
     Aline Brown          Grade 2
     Lois McCurdy     Grade 2
     Sheila Daum          Grade 2
     Alex Rogers          Grade 3
     Judy Soneson     Grade 3
     Cynthia Conaron     Grade 3
     Lucas Mergen     Grade 4
     Jo Anne Hyatt     Grade 4
     Cara Dibb          Grade 5
     Aurelle Genzlinger       Grade 5
     Drew Hyatt          Grade 6
     Jessica Baker     Grade 6
     Carol Nash          Grade 7 -Girls
     Reed Asplundh     Grade 7 -Boys
     Debbie Cook          Grade 8-Girls
     Greg Henderson     Grade 8-Boys
     Melodie Greer     PC/Math Coord.
     Robert Eidse     Physical Education
     Heather McCurdy     Physical Education
     Margit Irwin     Music
     Dianna Synnestvedt     Art
     *Judith Smith/Sharon Neiger      Librarians
     K Harantschuk     Science 5-8
     Steven Irwin     Resources and Special Projects Administrator
     Lisa Synnestvedt     Director of Student Support Center
     *Gretchen Glover      Kindergarten Aide

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     *Amy Jones          Kindergarten Aide
     *Wendy Clymer     Grade 5 Aide
     *Sandra Pellani     Grade 6 Aide
     *Sarah Gladish     Grade 7-8 Aide
     *Kirsten Boatman     Student Support Center
     *Claire Bostock     Student Support Center
     *Jodi Carr          Student Support Center
     *Clare Engelke     Student Support Center
     *Anika Kistner     Student Support Center
     *Janna Lindsay     Student Support Center
     Lori Nelson          Student Support Center
     *Keith Gruber     Student Support Center
     *Kiri Rogers     Student Support Center
     *Barbara Rose     Student Support Center
     *Rev. George McCurdy     Grade 7 Religion
     *Rev. John Odhner     Grades 4 & 6 Religion
     *Rev. Grant Schnarr     Grades 5 & 8 Religion
     *Kenneth Rose     Enrichment
     *Sue Hyatt          Enrichment

     * Part-time

Durban:

     Rev. Erik Buss     Principal /Religion 4-7
     Vivienne Riley     Grade 1
     Marie Rose Sparg     Grades 2-3
     Jane Edmunds     Headmistress
     Gail Mitchell     Grades 4-5
     Heather Allais     Grades 6-7
     *Carl Delange     Music
     *Warren Shorts     Sports

Glenview:

     Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr.      School Pastor/Religion 5-8
     Philip Parker     Principal/Sci/Math/PE/Grades 5-8
     Sarah Berto          Assistant Principal /K-2
     Laura Barger     K-2
     Deborah Lehne     Grades 3-4 /His 7-8
     Yvonne Alan          Grades 7-8 LA
     *Rebekah Russel     Grades 5-6 I La I Sci
     *Lucinda Edmonds     Ma 3-4 I SS 5-6/PE PE K-2
     *Jennifer Overeem     Art
     *Rev. Mark Pendleton     Religion 3-417-8
     *Susan Bellinger     Music

Kempton:

     Rev. Lawson M. Smith     Principal /Religion 7-8
     Mark Wyncoll      Vice Principal/Grades 7-10

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     *Lori Friend     Kindergarten
     Kathy Schrock     Grades 1-2
     Michelle Biermann     Grades 3-4
     Rev. Louis Synnestvedt     Grades 5-6
     Barbara Karas      History 7-10
     Eric Smith     Grades 7-10
     *Rev. Andrew J. Heilman     Rel 3-419-101 Science I Hebrew I Computer
     *M. Kate Pitcairn     Science/Latin
     *Judy Synnestvedt     Art

Kitchener:

     Rev. Bradley D. Heinrichs      Principal/Religion 1-8
     Liz Longstaff     Assistant Principal
     *Suzanna Hill     Pre-Kindergarten /Kindergarten
     Laura Carter     Grades 1-2
     Nina Riepert      Grades 3-4
     Mary Jane Hill     Grades 5-6
     Stephanie Kuhl     Grades 7-8
     *Muriel Glebe     French
     *Linda Eidse     Resource Teacher

Oak Arbor:

     Rev. Nathan Gladish      Principal /Religion 5-6
     *Elise Gladish     Pre-Kindergarten /Kindergarten
     Karen Waters     Grades 1-2
     *Nancy Genzlinger     Grades 3-4
     *Julie Elder      Grades 3-4
     Nathaniel Brock     Grades 5-6
     *Rev. Derek Elphick     Pastor/Religion 5-6
     Dawn Genzlinger      Grade 7

Pittsburgh:

     Rev. Amos Glenn     Principal /Religion 4-8
     *Gerda Griffiths      Pre-Kindergarten /Kindergarten
     Colleen Murray-Donaldson     Grades 1-2 2/ Art 6-8
     Venita Smith     Grades 3-5
     *Rev. Olaf Hauptmann     Religion /Grades 3-5
     *Cynthia Glenn     Head Teacher/Grades 6-8/Music Music P K-8
     *Caroline David     Grades 1-8
     *Gabrielle Uber     Science 6-8
     *Julie Uber     Art/Grades 1-5 5/ Social Studies 6-8
     *Burgandy Smith     French

Toronto:

     *Rev. David Ayers     Pastor/Religion 5-6/7-8
     *Sara Gatti      Jr. & Sr. Kindergartens
     *Judith Pafford     Grades 1-2

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     Rev. Jong Ui Lee     Asst. Pastor/Religion     3-4
     Gabriele Pulpan     Grades     3-4
     James Pafford     Grades     5-6
     James Bellinger     Principal/Grades     7-8
     *Barbara Horigan      Geography     7-8
     *Rachel Hasen     Grades 1-2 /Music
     *Jean Matlin     French

Washington:

     Rev. James P. Cooper     Principal/Religion     7-10
     Karen Hyatt          Kindergarten I     Misc.
     Kim Maxwell          Grades     1-2
     Jean Allen          Grades     3-4
     James Roscoe     Grades     5-6
     Kathleen Johns     Grades     7-8
     Carole Waelchli     Grades     9-10
     *Erin Stillman     Music I Art I     Misc.
     *Rev. Frederick M. Chapin     Religion     5-6

     * Part-time

     SCHOOLS ENROLLMENTS 2003-2004

     The Academy

     Theological School (Full-time)                12
     Theological School (Part-time)               1
     Theological School Masters Program (Full-time)      1
     Theological School Masters Program (Part-time)     7
     College (Full-time)                         140
     College (Part-time)                          11
     College (auditors)                          2
     Boys School                                   132
     Girls School                              126
          Total Academy                              432

     Midwestern Academy

     Grades 9 & 10 (Part-time)                         4

     Society Schools

     Bryn Athyn Church School                    327
     Immanuel Church School (Glenview)               27
     Kempton New Church School                    58
     Carmel Church School (Kitchener)               39
     Washington New Church School (Mitchellville)     52
     Oak Arbor Elementary School (Detroit)          35
     Pittsburgh New Church School                    28
     Olivet Day School (Toronto)                    42
     Kainon School (Durban)-2003                    56
          Total Society Schools                         664

     Total Reported Enrollment in All Schools ....           1100

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Editorial Pages 2004

Editorial Pages              2004

     HELEN AND THE SAINTS

     The editorial on this subject printed in 1980 is probably the longest editorial I have written. With Mount St. Helens active again, I want to repeat a part of that August editorial and one from the following issue. The following is quoted from page 367.

     "A welcome eruption of publicity has arisen from the media on the subject of Helen Keller. While a mountain in the American Northwest rumbles and clamors for attention, we also want to speak of a certain St. Helen of long ago.

     "The Writings tell us that those good people who have been sainted are now quite happily unaware of this fact. As part of his work as servant of the Lord, Swedenborg met saints by the dozens. The best known example is that incident in which he saw Mary dressed in white. The few words she spoke were markedly humble.

     "Was St. Helen among those Swedenborg met? We do not know. She was a woman who was converted to Christianity in 313 A. D. and who exercised considerable influence on her son-none other than Constantine the Great! The year of Helen's conversion was the year that Constantine, himself not yet a Christian, issued his famous Edict of Toleration. This put an end to the persecution of Christians.

     "Constantine had more than fame and authority. He had clout, and he used this clout to spread Christianity as no one else had done. To what extent his mother was behind this is a most interesting question. The Writings point out that of the Lord's Divine Providence the Emperor Constantine had dominion extending 'not only over many kingdoms of Europe... but also over the neighboring countries outside of Europe' (TCR 636). He convoked the Nicene Council to refute the doctrine of Arius 'who denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ.

429


This took place in the year of our Lord 325' (TCR 632).

     "Our readers in Colchester, England, are aware of the place names in honor of Constantine's mother. (For he traveled to Colchester.) A chapel dedicated to St. Helen before the Norman Conquest still stands in Colchester today. It was pointed out in this journal a half century ago that the beginnings of the New Church in Colchester can be traced to a building on St. Helen's Lane (NCL 1928, p. 300), a street named after a woman who found Christianity so many centuries ago and who was called a saint for what she did for the spread of that religion."

     MISS KELLER AMONG NEW CHURCH FRIENDS

     In the summer of 1932 Helen Keller had an eventful stay in Great Britain. She was received by the Royal Family. She met with celebrities. She was honored by a fine old university.

     What interests us is a memorable evening she spent with New Church people in London. It was the eighth of July, a Friday evening. She had consented to meet with a gathering of church members. Should it be with a selected few? "Invite whom you like," was her response to this question. And so it was that when she and Polly Thompson arrived, there was not an empty seat at Swedenborg Hall. This was on Hart Street, for the Swedenborg Society had not yet moved to Bloomsbury Way.

     The people present that evening said that they would never forget it. Among the names of those in attendance were Chadwick, Buss, Dicks, Drummond, Friend, Mongredien, Presland, Prince, Tilson. (These names will be familiar to those who have visited London.)

     Miss Keller spoke to the audience both formally and informally. She acknowledged their tributes. She enjoyed music with them.

430


She showed how she could identify flowers. She answered a number of questions from the floor. One of the questions was: "Who are your favorite authors?" Her response: "Of course Emanuel Swedenborg." Then she mentioned the poets and her friend Mark Twain. She told them that she had just had a meeting with George Bernard Shaw and that he had "a twinkle in his hand-shake." She gave no indication that her encounter with Shaw had been a little prickly. This she later described in a newspaper article as follows: "I held out my hand. He took it indifferently. I could scarcely believe my sensations. Here was a hand bristling with egotism as a Scotch thistle with thorns."

     One of her questioners at Swedenborg Hall asked if she could see colors. First she evoked laughter by answering, "Yes, when I get mad." But then, answering seriously, she said, "No, but I like to imagine what colors must be like from the poets and from the way my friends describe colors." Readers will recall that she writes of color occasionally, and says that the Writings gave "color" to her thought of the life to come.

     Miss Keller told her audience, "I had a delightful evening with my New Church friends in Glasgow; and I felt very much at home with them, as I do here tonight." Her meetings with New Church people were really quite rare. If ever there was an "isolated" New Church person she was one. Once she wrote: "Now I am a Swedenborgian. For many years I had only one friend of that faith near me, and he was always most anxious for me to be independent in my religious views. Now there is no one near me who takes the slightest interest in the New Church." When she addressed the enthusiastic gathering in London, she could feel the vibrations of frequent loud applause and cheering. Sensing the warmth of this assemblage, she said (through Polly Thompson), "Need I tell you how happy I am to be with my New Church friends in London."

431


Then she extended her arms and with the brightest of smiles went on to say, "It is like a homecoming, for wherever our faith is fostered there is where my heart country is. I may wander far through many lands of thought, but always I return full of gratitude for what the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg have meant to me in my life. As I stand here I remember with a thrill how vitally important the discovery of deep truths in the Bible as interpreted by Swedenborg has been to me. It has opened to me a new earth and heaven."

     (Much of the above is taken from the New Church Herald of July 23, 1932 and New Church Life, 1932, p. 476.)
VISITORS TO BRYN ATHYN 2004

VISITORS TO BRYN ATHYN              2004

     The Head of the Hospitality Committee in Bryn Athyn is now Mrs. Jerome V. Sellner. If you are in need of accommodation you are invited to use the address below. Kindly call at least two weeks in advance if possible. (Other arrangements are made during the time of Charter Day and the General Assembly.)

     Mrs. Jerome V. Sellner, P.O. Box 302, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Phone: 215-947-5206; Email: [email protected]

     Note: For the past ten years, Bryn Athyn Hospitality has been headed by Gwyn (Mrs. George P.) Brown.

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NUNC LICETBRYN ATHYN COLLEGE of the New Church 2004

NUNC LICETBRYN ATHYN COLLEGE of the New Church              2004

     POSITIONS AVAILABLE

     In light of its plans for growth, Bryn Athyn College of the New Church is seeking applications for three full-time or percentage-time faculty position starting in the 2005-06 academic year, pending budgetary approval. Bryn Athyn College will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, and nationality or ethnic origin.

     In the field of history: We especially invite candidates whose area of specialization includes modern and/or nonwestern history. Background in the social sciences also welcome.

     In the field of psychology: We especially welcome candidates whose area of specialization includes clinical/counseling psychology and one or more of the following: physiological, abnormal, experimental, or personality psychology.

     In the field of English: We especially welcome candidates with a Ph.D. (or M.A. with progress toward a Ph.D.) and with some expertise in the following areas: pre-17th century English literature, world literature, history of the English language, and composition studies.

     A resume, letter of application, and the names of three references should be mailed by December 15th to:

     Dean Charles W. Lindsay

     Bryn Athyn College of the New Church P.O. Box 717- Pendleton Hall

     Bryn Athyn, PA 19009-0717

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GENERAL CHURCHDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE 2004

GENERAL CHURCHDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE              2004

     Did You Know...

     1. The General Church operates under an Episcopal-not congregational-form of government.

     For more information see www.generalchurch.net*
     * On www.generalchurch.net, click on Organization and Resources for: Mission; How to Join the General Church; How to Join the General Church Corporation; Order and Organization; Bylaws; Board of Directors; Standing Committees; A Plan for the General Church (Summary); The Oak Arbor Series; A Study of New Church Governance. Click on News and Events for summaries of past Board meetings.

     2. The General Church Board has eight operating committees that work with the Executive Bishop and the General Church administration.

     See www.generalchurch.net

     3 Only members of the General Church Corporation may be elected to the Board of Directors.

     For more information on how to become a member of the General Church-and a member of the General Church Corporation-see www.generalchurch.net

     4. All members of the General Church Board of Directors financially support the General Church, as well as their local congregations.

     5. The General Church-at least in modern times-has always balanced its budget.

     6. The General Church has been growing worldwide (baptized members) by just over 1% per year, but is gradually declining in numbers in North America.

     7. New goals for New Church growth-both in the Corporation and general membership-have been established by the Executive Bishop, the Office of Evangelization and the General Church Board to counter past and current trends.

434




     8. General Church growth will require increased funding from all available sources.

     9. The General Church Administration and Board take the issue of growth seriously and are determined to launch a new trend of prudent growth.

     10. New vision, new attitudes and new ways must be implemented if the General Church is to increase its membership in North America and throughout the world.

     11. If every member of the General Church gave $100.00, the General Church would have a balanced budget in 2005. Now, where is the money for growth?

     12. He who wills the end also wills to provide the means (TCR 13).
ACCOUNTABILITY 2004

ACCOUNTABILITY       ROBERT HEINRICHS       2004

     Introduction to a Series

     The concept of accountability is one that looms large in each of our lives. In early childhood parents begin to teach this concept to their children. At first it is simple, but as the root starts to grow, so does the stalk. Think how differently a six year old deals with accountability compared to a teenager. And a fourteen year old teenager has a very different concept of it than a nineteen year old. If you are married with children, can you remember the change in accountability that took place in your own life when your first child was born?

     The Lord has created us because he wants each of us to be an angel in heaven (TCR 13). He has made it clear in His Word that we are to be accountable.

     (continued on page 438)

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Academy of the New ChurchMaster of Arts in Religious Studies Program 2004

Academy of the New ChurchMaster of Arts in Religious Studies Program              2004

     Facts are the ultimate and outermost things, in which in their order interior things are inclosed; and because facts are ultimate and outermost things, these more than all other things must be things of service . . . Every fact must exist for the sake of a use, and this is its service (AC 1486).

     No matter what our life's work is, we need facts in order to do the work. More importantly than facts, however, we need to understand the meaning and purpose of life so we can order and arrange knowledge to make it more useful and effective.

     The Master of Arts in Religious Studies program at the Academy of the New Church is a program in which students learn

     -     the facts of their religion

     -     how to organize them into ideas and concepts that affect every other thing they know and do

     Exploring a range of knowledge in the light of the Doctrines helps people to see interior things previously hidden. A new base of understanding expands our world view, with the result that we are better able to be of use and service in every other sphere of life.

     We are currently taking registration for the

     2004/2005 Winter and Spring terms

     Please contact:

     Becky Henderson

     Administrative Assistant to the Dean

     P.O. Box 717 - Pendleton Hall

     Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

     (215) 938-2640

     e-mail: [email protected]

436


ACCOUNTABILITY 2004

ACCOUNTABILITY       ROBERT HEINRICHS       2004


     

     Announcements





     
     (Continued from page 434)

     This is a fundamental and complex topic. It resonates both intellectually and emotionally. It is pervasive in all aspects of our lives, from early childhood to the end of our natural lives and, in fact, to eternity.

     The topic of accountability will be examined in a series of articles as we focus on its many and various dimensional aspects. It is a concept that beautifully demonstrates the teaching of continuous and discrete degrees.

     Here is something to ponder. How does the concept of accountability relate to the teaching of discrete and continuous degrees when applied to the following-who?, why?, when? and how?

439


ONE MAN, ONE WOMAN: THE TEACHING OFTHE WORD ON MARRIAGE 2004

ONE MAN, ONE WOMAN: THE TEACHING OFTHE WORD ON MARRIAGE              2004

     A MESSAGE FROM BISHOP KLINE

     The question of same-sex unions has become an active issue in the political world and in many churches. Does the General Church have a position on this question? Yes, it does. The General Church stands on the acknowledgment that the Writings are the Word of the Lord, and are to be taken at face value on this matter. Our position is the message of the Word: True married love is only between one man and one woman.

     In His mercy, the Lord leads and guides every individual, and He makes it possible for all our disordered states to return to order. As a church, we are committed to a compassionate and helpful response to all people who are facing marital, sexual or other relationship challenges. Still, we can rejoice in proclaiming the clear message of the New Church as taught throughout the Lord's Word.

     Please read these beautiful statements from the Word:

     "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).

     "And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matthew 19: 4,5).

     "For the conjugial union of one man with one wife is the precious jewel of human life and the repository of Christian religion" (CL 457).

     "These blessings are not at all possible except in a marriage of one man with one wife" (CL 181).

440




     "The conjugial element in the male and the conjugial element in the female are not the same, but the conjugial element of the male possesses a capacity for conjunction with the conjugial element of the female, and vice versa, even in the least particulars" (CL 316).

     "A male is then still a male, and a female still a female. Since a person lives as a person after death, and people are male and female, and since it is one thing to be masculine and another to be feminine, with the two qualities being so different that one cannot be converted into the other, it follows that after death a male still lives as a male and a female still lives as a female, each of them being a spiritual person" (CL 32).

     "In a marriage of one man with one wife, in which there is a truly conjugial love between them, the wife becomes more and more a wife, and the husband more and more a husband. It may be seen above in nos. 177, 178, that truly conjugial love joins two partners more and more into one person. So, because a wife becomes a wife by union with her husband and according to that union, likewise a husband a husband by union with his wife and according to it, and because truly conjugial love lasts to eternity, it follows that a wife becomes more and more a wife, and a husband more and more a husband.

     "The fundamental reason for this is that in a marriage of truly conjugial love, each partner becomes more and more deeply human, for that love opens the deeper aspects of their minds, and as these are opened, a person becomes more and more human. To become more human is, on the part of a wife, to become more a wife; and on the part of a husband, to become more a husband" (CL 200).

     (Additional readings: CL 79, 141, 346, 480, 482, 500; TCR 847; Rev. 19:7)
THANKSGIVING& GRATITUDE 2004

THANKSGIVING& GRATITUDE              2004

     A bounty of recordings for the celebration of the Lord's

     Available on Cassette & CD

     Additional recordings are available.

     -     So Sweet and Clear-Selected New Church Festival Hymns, #1020000 ,CD only $12

     -     New Church Liturgy Selection-The College Singers,

     Chris Simons-Director, #102773, Cass, $7, CD $10

     -     Peace, Plenty, Freedom and Rest-Service by the Rev. Donald Rose, #105072, Cass. $2, CD SS.

     -     Thanksgiving Customs-Service by the Rev. Harold Cranch, #104455, Cass. $2, CD $5.

     -     The Offerings of Thanksgiving-Service by the Rev. Jeremy Simons, #101453, Cass. $2, CD $5.

     -     First Fruits-Festival Service by the Rev. Brian Keith, #106371, Cass. $2, CD $5.00

     -     Feast of Harvest-Sermon by the Rev. Andrew Dibb, #106334, Cass. $2, CD $4.

     -     The Essence of Thanks-Sermon by the Rev. David Ayers, #105825, Cass, $2, CD $4.

     -     The Greatest Divine Gifts Are Invisible-Doctrinal Class by the Rev. Erik Sandstrom, Sr. Cass. $2, CD $4.

     -     Needs and Gratitude-Festival Service by the Rt. Rev. Louis B. King, Cass. $2, CD $5.

     NEW CHURCH     PO Box 752

     AUDIO)))     Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

     (215) 914-4980

     [email protected]

441


Title Unspecified 2004

Title Unspecified              2004

Vol. CXXIV     December, 2004     No. 12

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

442


Notes on This Issue 2004

Notes on This Issue              2004

     Rev. Dr. George F. Dole is pastor of the society in Bath, ME. In his sermon he reflects, "We have the clues we need, but we keep missing the point. We have those moments of joy telling us what it is like to be in the Lord's love."

     In this issue we have both the Directory of the General Church and the annual report of the Secretary. In the latter we learn that the membership of the General Church is 4911, and we may be thinking of a time in 2005 when the figure will be an even 5,000.

     Glancing at the index for 2004, I estimate that we have reported some three hundred baptisms, more than a third of them being adult baptisms.

     The Directory lists three dozen General Church societies and provides a good fund of information.

     The review by Rev. Lawson Smith of The Throne Room of Heaven is a reminder that there are books and booklets being printed of which many are not aware. We hope next year to have reviews of such books as Countless Are Your Children by Helga Childs, Comfort and Hope by Donnette Alfelt, Rise Above It by Ray and Star Silverman, also Landmarks in Regeneration by Douglas Taylor.

     The Swedenborg Society production called In Search of the Absolute which is mentioned editorially in this issue, will soon be available from the General Church Book Center. Notice on page 466 the booklet on the history of the New Church in Sweden.

     The editorial in this issue mentions five passages in the Writings that mention the way the Lord in His Providence works through people. I am thinking now of the people who have written for New Church Life this year and of those who work faithfully to organize the information and to bring the magazine into its printed form.

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TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY 2004

TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY       Rev. GEORGE F. DOLE       2004

     A SERMON

     "But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good tidings of great joy" (Luke 2:10).

     "Actual heavenly joy as it is in and of itself is beyond description," but that is not the end of the story. I've been told that I cannot draw a perfect circle, and I believe it, but give me a compass and I can still draw a reasonably good one. Even freehand I can draw some that are better than others, and I can certainly tell the difference. So even though we may not be able to describe heavenly joy, we can tell the difference between happiness and misery, and we can tell the difference between being reasonably happy and being on top of the world, between moderate happiness and "great joy."

     What the angel was telling the shepherds about was "great joy." Obviously, it was not something the shepherds could get for themselves, it was something the Lord was going to give. This would seem to be telling us that happiness is not something that we go out and get, it is something that comes out and gets us.

     If we could remember the times when we have been happiest, most completely filled with joy, I suspect that this would be clear as day. It might happen when we looked at a beautiful nighttime sky and were overcome with a sense of cosmic order and peace. It might happen when we were holding a baby and that little hand grasped one of our fingers. It might happen when we looked at a husband or a wife or a parent or a child and caught a glimpse of the unique, irreplaceable inner angel. Whatever the circumstances, one thing is always the same-the joy that fills us is not something that we manufacture, but something that seems to flow in, often catching us totally by surprise.

444




     In fact, the moment we try to hang on to it, it starts to slip away. As soon as our attention shifts from the sky or the little hand and turns toward "how we are feeling," the flow is cut off. We are never truly happy when we are feeling self-conscious.

     As it is, though, at such moments time seems to stand still, and the reason is not far to seek. What we are feeling is love, the heart's response to goodness and beauty, and love is not bound by time and space. Perhaps that is what the Lord was trying to tell His disciples when He said,

As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and so that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:912)

     It is all there. To be "in the Lord's love" is not just to feel loved, it is to feel that love within ourselves, to feel toward each other as the Lord feels toward us. In case we were too dense to realize this the first time, it is made explicit: "This is my commandment, that you love each other as I have loved you." To abide in that love is to enter fully into its timelessness. When we abide in His love, that feeling about each other is the rule rather than the exception for us.

     What would it be like to walk around in the constant consciousness of the irreplaceable beauty of every human soul? It is hard to imagine, especially since that beauty is so often buried under layers of fear, anger, and defensiveness. Still, the Gospel promise is clear-it is the Lord's intent that we not only experience that joy but abide in it. Since life itself is love, that is when we are truly alive, and we are created for eternal life. We are created to have those rare moments last forever, quite literally.

445




     Of course, we know better. We know what we need to make ourselves happy; and we keep reaching for happiness and discovering that something is still missing. A recent survey used some means or other of trying to measure how happy people were in different countries. I have no idea how "scientific" it was, but by its standards, our rich and powerful country came in sixteenth, and the happiest country was Nigeria. Suppose for a moment that this could be proved scientifically. How many Americans would emigrate to Nigeria? How many would look for some way to cash in on this information? Obviously, if I can write a book about happiness that will hit the best-seller list, I'll be happy. Strange indeed that no Nigerian has realized that. If they knew what we know, maybe they wouldn't be so happy.

     Will Rogers was quite right when he remarked that "It ain't what people don't know that hurts them, it's what they do know that ain't so." We "know" perfectly well what will make us happy, and it ain't so. We have the clues we need, but we keep missing the point. We have those moments of joy telling us what it is like to be in the Lord's love. We have the testimony of both Scripture and doctrine telling us that we are designed and created to abide in that love. That is why heaven is not simply a multitude of regenerated individuals but a multitude of communities. That is why there are two great commandments, not just one, and it is why the two are inseparable. To love the Lord God with heart and mind and soul is to love the neighbor, for the simple reason that the Lord God loves the neighbor.

     "Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good tidings of great joy." The heart of the Christmas message is that the Lord does not even ask us to meet Him halfway. He comes all the way down to our level. He really comes all the way, right to the bottom of our social ladder. We do not have to put on our Sunday best and come to church to meet Him, because He is right there and right at home when we are mucking out the stables.

446


At any time, in any place, we can be "surprised by joy."

     Essentially, our theology tells us, the neighbor to be loved is the good within each individual. Sometimes that good is so deeply buried that we cannot see it. Sometimes it is hidden behind pretended goodness, outward warmth and courtesy. We have every reason not to let our critical faculties be lulled to sleep, but of one thing we can be sure-we are not likely to see beauty in anyone unless we try. This means that we are not likely to find joy. The message of the angels will be just words to us.

Actual heavenly joy as it is in and of itself is beyond description because it dwells in the deepest natures of angels. It flows from there into the details of their thought and affection and from these into the details of their speech and action. It is as though their deeper levels were wide open and freed to accept a delight and bliss that spreads out through all their fibers and therefore through their whole being, giving them a kind of sense and feeling that simply cannot be described. (HH 409)

     "Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good tidings of great joy." Amen.

Lessons: Isaiah 52:7-10; Luke 2:1-7; Heaven and Hell 409

     A JOY TO THE ANGELS

     Angels perceive nothing more delightful and happy than to remove evils from a person, and lead to heaven. That this is a joy to them, see Luke 15:7.
                                   Arcana Coelestia 5992

     I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
                                   Luke 15:10

447


ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THEGENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM2003-2004 2004

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THEGENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM2003-2004              2004

     Between July 1, 2003 and June 30, 2004, 176 members were received into the General Church. One member was reinstated. During the year the Secretary's office received notice of the deaths of 53 members. 9 members resigned during the year.

     Membership July 1, 2003     4796

     New Members (Certs. 9528-9703)     176

     Reinstated Member                    1

     Deceased                         -53

     Resigned                         -9

     Membership June 30, 2004          4911

     NEW MEMBERS

     BRAZIL
Dourado, Mauricio da Costa

     CANADA
Alden, Gabriel Elizabeth
De Cristoforo, George James
De Cristoforo, Karen Ann
Dyck, Kenneth Norman
Friesen, Helene Simone
Hill, Jeremy Paul
Kilber, Faron James
Starkey, Colin Douglas
Wyncoll, Brian John

     COTE D'IVOIRE
Aka, Honore Amahin
Gnomplegou, Seraphin Mao
Konan, Michel Konan
N'Guessan, Oliver Konan
Tchotch, Monique
Yedoh, Aristide Lath

     GHANA
Abakah-Williams, George
Abban, Edmund
Aboagye, Derrick Osafo
Abou, Sylvie Anne
Afari, Michael Appah
Akrong, Abel Nii Lartey
Amponsah, Lucy
Ansah, Emmanuel Yaw
Asante, Kwadwo Amos
Asantewah, Evelyn Amma
Awusi, Josephina Akosua

448



Boadi, Kwabena
Boateng, Edward Kwaku
Brampah, Veronica
Cudjoe, Daniel
Danquah, Godwin Ofori Atta
Dickens, Pearl Adubea
Dickens, Spencer Ofosua
Donkor, David, Sr.
Dziekpor, Aisha
Germain, Louan Dion Gba
Gyamfi, Ruth Boakyewaa
Kakraba, Godwin
Lartey, Vida Owusu
Mensah, Ahenkora Kwasi
Mirekua, Adwoa Comfort
Nkansah, Agyare Daniel
Nketia, Agnes Shirley
Nyanueke, Grace
Oba, Marc
Osei-Owusu, Lester
Owusua, Comfort Adwoa
Owiredu, Kwabena Ohenebeng
Quarshie, Erasmus
Sarpong, Jonathan Kofi
Sasu, Emmanuel Badu
Sefa, Mary Akosua
Thomford, Mark Ato
Twumwaa, Abena Janet
Yamba, Seidu

     KENYA
Marisa, Nicks Osingo
Osingo, Estellah Nyamisa

     TOGO
Abla, Sylvie Amezotchi
Alexandre, Klouvi Akouete
Avla, Lawson Kaissan
Avla, Lawson Tchotcho Cecil
Dieudonne, Attipple Koffi
Fedy, Emmaneul Yaovi Delali
Fedy, Yawa Beatrice
Martine, Agbeya Ayawavi
Mawuse, Honorine Degboe
Messan, Germain Agbo
Sabine, Essivi Afansinou

     JAPAN
Ando, Masahiro
Hagino, Rika Nagai
Matsumoto, Mikiko
Takegahara, Mitsuru
Takimura, Wako

     KOREA
Yang, Se Yong

     NEPAL
Rogers, Shovha Budhathoki

     SOUTH AFRICA

Bulwer
Radebe, Brightness Phindile
Radebe, Fikile Goodness
Radebe, Wiseman Siphephelo

Clermont
Mavundla, Nomathemba Cynthia
Mbhele, Babongile Pretty

Cowies Hill
Riley, Vivienne Jill

Eshowe
Biyela, Buzabani

Kwa Mashu
Mkhwanazi, Sikelela Phayo

Musgrave
Gillespie, Byrne Dennis

449




     SWEDEN
BjorkstrOm, Olle Gustav
Bjorkstrom, Rakel Annie Louisa

     UNITED STATES

     Arizona
Woofenden, Louis

     California
Daniels, Judith M. U.
Echols, Rhaina Kimberly
Lehman, Cassandra Lynn
Lubanski, Steven Robert
Soderberg, Barbara Home

     Colorado
Dunlap, Frederick Scott
Wright, Marcia de Mendonca L.

     Florida
Furry, John Walter

     Illinois
Cole, Garrett Snowden

     Indiana
Niles, Stefanie Davis

     Massachusetts
Echols, Eli Aragorn
Echols, Nicola Sydney
Gantz, George Robert

     Michigan
Curtis, David Willard
Elder, Dustin Joshua
Elder, Jesse Arthur
Genzlinger, Brent
Lehne, Alice Anne
McCardell, Lon Frederick
Rogers, Kathleen Kalcec
Rogers, Paul Edward
Synnestvedt, Blake
Synnestvedt, Jane Sharp
Synnestvedt, Kurt Blackman

     New Jersey
Reuter, Mark William

     New York
Alden, Laif Robert

     North Carolina
Glunz, Gail Childs
Lawing, Elizabeth Orthwein
Lawing, Sean Bruce

     Pennsylvania
Alden, Lisa Michelle
Baltz, Annette
Barnett, Brittany Diane
Bolton, Debra
Bostock, Thomas Andrew
Boyesen, Glen Erik
Brown, Edmund Emanuel
Campbell, Harris Ernest
Campbell, Virginia Norman
Cole, Nathan Field
Echols, Deborah
Echols, Joralyn Suzanne
Elder, Denielle Charis
Evans, Michael Gideon
Evans, Stella Rose
Frazier, Nicole Hill
Genzlinger, Aurelle Cooper
Genzlinger, Kyle Glenn
Glenn, Cory Null
Graham, James Elder
Graham, Kimberley Beckwith
Haus-Roth, Naomi Mara
Henderson, Gregory Dean
Henderson, Jenna Lee
Horwitz, Sarah Lillian

450



Hyatt, Drew
Kees, Linda Even
Kees, Robert James
Kern, Lauralyn Ashley
Kim, Jae Ki
Kim, Seung Suk
Knoble, Cynthia Gerling
Kwak, Byung Ho
Kwak, Phos Basileia
Lee, Young Gum
McQueen, Craig Stewart
Mansbach, Richard Arnold
Martz, Daniel Philip
Nam, Che Bong
Niblick, Sharon Aim
O'Sullivan, Rosellen
O'Sullivan, Terry
Pendleton, Thayer Brent
Rogers, Norbert Alexander
Rohtla, Margret Ann
Roscoe, John Odhner
Ruch, Sandra Nell Synnestvedt
Schnarr, Jason Dandridge
Schnarr, Ronald Doering
Smetanick, Alison Leigh
Smith, Becca Synnestvedt
Smith, Brian Donald
Smith, Lincoln Kent
Synnestvedt, Dora

     Virginia
Brown, Jake Cole
Cronlund, John Somerville

     Washington
Gallup, Peggy Anne
Graber, Dan Edward
Helman, Teresa Lynn

     DEATHS

Alan, Donald Edward; 75; August 24, 2003; Blanchardville, Wisconsin
Anderson, Catherine Bernard Alderson; 79; January 13, 2004; Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Bellinger, Leigh Roger; 78; August 9, 2003; Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Betz, Doris Adalyn Whitlock; 77; July 2, 2003; Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania
Brecht, Rosa Eleanor Blanche; 70; January 2, 2004; Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Briggs, Ivy Moss; 85; April 9, 2004; Texas
Brown, George Percy, Jr.; 85; May 21, 2004; Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
Bruser, Henry Bernard, Jr.; 82; April 17, 2004; Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Bundsen, Fredrik David; 95; January 24, 1998; California
Childs, Beatrice Elsie Cook; 83; October 9, 2003; Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
Cooper, Pamela Jo; 53; June 28, 2004; Mitchellville, Maryland
Croll, Greta Constance Grenman; 94; May 5, 2003; Illinois
David, Warren Frederick; 80; August 19, 2003; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ebert, Charles Henry, Jr.; 89; December 16, 2003; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
vens, Mabel Rose; 86; December 2, 2003; Alberta, Canada
Fallon, Patricia Josephine; 66; October 10, 2003; Australia

451



Gill, Enid; 76; February 28, 2004; Colchester, England
Gladish, Keith Douglas; 32; January 15, 2004; Abington, Pennsylvania
Henderson, Albert Dean, Jr.; 74; March 23, 2003; Boynton Beach, Florida
Hill, Elizabeth Brown; 86; August 20, 2003; Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Hill, Elsie Evens; 86; July 3, 2003; Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Johns, Virginia Gertrude Demmer; 79; March 15, 2002; Anacortes, Washington
Kline, Marcelite Elizabeth Mancell; 82; January 12, 2004; San Dimas, California
Latta, Virginia Merrell; 80; June 20, 2004; Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Lavine, Marianne Laftman; 95; February 9, 2004; Tucson, Arizona
Law, Ella Muriel Clennell; 85; December 30, 2003; London, England
Mcanyana, Nhlanhleni Chester; 45; December 2, 2003; Kwa Mashu, South Africa
Merson-Davies, Sandra Geraldine Wheatley; 59; March 10, 2004; Westville, South Africa
Mitchell, Barbara Ann Borden; 63; December 5, 2003; Alabama
Mthalane, Dunnet Wolsely Langalibalele; 72; November 10, 2003; Kwa Mashu, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Odhner, Marie; 52; February 15, 2004; Glenview, Illinois
Olson, Patricia Naomi Coffin; 71; August 7, 2003; Abington, Pennsylvania
Parker, Clive Stanley; 75; December 19, 2003; Pietermartzburg, South Africa
Rand, Harold William; 79; March 17, 2003; St. Helen, Oregon
Pryke, Zara Bostock; 85; September 14, 2003; Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
Ritchie, Carla Jane Cronlund; 64; October 11, 2003; Chester Springs, Pennsylvania
Sandstrom, Bernice Goodwin Stroh; 92; August 3, 2003; Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania
Schmucker, Dorothy Burson Connor; 93; September 5, 2003; Buckingham, Pennsylvania
Schnarr, Ronald Doering; 79; May 15, 2004; Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
Schoenberger, Herbert Nathaniel, Jr.; 78; March 9, 2004; Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
Schoenberger, Shirley Hyatt; 78; March 30, 2004; Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
Serfontein, Dawid Jacobus; 55; July 10, 2003; Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa
Sibiya, Florence Laura Khumalo; 97; April 12, 2003; Durban, KwaZuluNatal, South Africa
Simons, Keneth Alden; 91; June 11, 2004; Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania

452



Smith, Jeanne Evelyn Spall; 87; October 15, 2003; Cleveland, Ohio
Smith, Oliver Minard; 81; August 29, 2003; Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania
Smith, Renee Alice Clifford Mayer; 85; March 3, 2004; Hillcrest, KwaZuluNatal, South Africa
Thurnell, Bertil Edward; 96; December 26, 2003; Arizona
Tshabalala, Nontuthuzelo Joyce; 53; April 21, 2004; Leondale, Gauteng, South Africa
Tshabalala, Valelani Bennett; 54; 1992; Diepkloof, South Africa
Uber, Heather Anne Nelson; 55; December 4, 2003; Cameroon, Africa
Walter, Joanne; 66; September 2, 2003; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
White, Ethel Baldwin Westacott; 87; May 11, 2004; Oregon

     RESIGNATIONS

Bond, Julia; January 22, 2004; Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada
George, Meredith; January 6, 2004; Chicago, Illinois
George, Rick William; January 6, 2004; Chicago, Illinois
Fuller, Sharon Gaye; January 22, 2004; Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Larson, Kurt Alan; October 2, 2003; Stockholm, Sweden
McCoy, Faye Anderson Cella; June 1, 2004; Tucson, Arizona
Mallette, Linda Carol; February 9, 2004; Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Rogovoy, Dmitry; March 3, 2004; Kharkov, Ukraine
Weaber, James Francis; September 5, 2003; Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania

     Susan V. Simpson, Secretary
OUT OF SILENCE 2004

OUT OF SILENCE              2004

     The new issue of Out of Silence contains personal stories, definitions, church history, prevention information, and resources for the healing of child sexual abuse. Copies are available in the Bryn Athyn pastors' office, or by contacting the editor at 215 947-4849.

453


DIRECTORY 2004

DIRECTORY              2004

     GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

     2004-2005

          Officials

     Bishop:
          Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Kline

     Bishop Emeritus:
          Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss

     Bishop Emeritus:
          Rt. Rev. Louis B. King

     Secretary:     Mrs. Susan V. Simpson

     Consistory
     Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Kline
     Rt. Rev. Brian W. Keith; Rev. Messrs. William O. Ankra-Badu, Kurt Ho. Asplundh, Erik J. Buss, Eric H. Carswell, Geoffrey S. Childs, James P. Cooper, Michael D. Gladish, Daniel W. Goodenough, David H. Lindrooth, B. Alfred Mbatha, Prescott A. Rogers, Donald L. Rose, Philip B. Schnarr, Jeremy F. Simons, and Lawson M. Smith

     GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

     (A Corporation of Pennsylvania)

     Officers of the Corporation
     President: Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Kline
     Secretary: Mrs. Nancy L. Heilman
     Treasurer/Chief Administrative Officer: Mr. William W. Buick
     Director of Finance /Controller: Mr. Ian K. Henderson
     Assistant Controller: Mrs. Tina H. Bartels

     BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CORPORATION

     Linda F. Abelkis, Louisa Allais, Dean R. Boyce, Jonathan P. Cranch, R. Andrew Damm, Edmond P. de Chazal, Jeryl G. Fuller, Terry K. Glenn, Nancy L. Heilman, Robert L. Heinrichs, Steven D. Hendricks, Murray F. Heldon, D. Lee Horigan, Jr., Leslie G. Horigan, Amanda M. Hyatt, Judith M. Hyatt, Wendy S. Lindquist, Fay S. Lindrooth, Tracy L. McCardell, Nathan J. Morley, Bryon Odhner, Pamela H. Olson, Keith M. Rodda, Robert C. Simons, Donald O. Synnestvedt, Arthur E. Uber III, John H. Wyncoll, and Candace N. Zeigler

     Ex-officio Members: Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Kline Mr. William W. Buick

     BISHOPS

     Acton, Alfred, II. Ordained June 19, 1964; 2nd degree, October 30, 1966; 3rd degree, May 16, 1999. Retired, continuing travel in southern Africa representing the Executive Bishop; Chairman of the General Church Translation Committee. Address: P.O. Box 306, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Buss, Peter Martin. Ordained June 19, 1964; 2nd degree, May 16, 1965; 3rd degree, June 1, 1986. Retired. Bishop Emeritus of the General Church. Travels to Australia, Brazil, and other countries on the request of the Executive Bishop. Address: 950 Pendleton Ave., Longmont, CO 80501

454




     King, Louis Blair. Ordained June 19, 1951; 2nd degree, April 19, 1953; 3rd degree, November 5, 1972. Retired. Bishop Emeritus of the General Church. Serves as Visiting Pastor to La Crescenta, CA. Address: P.O. Box 512, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Keith, Brian Walter. Ordained June 6, 1976; 2nd degree, June 4, 1978; 3rd degree, October 17, 2004. Assistant Bishop; Serves as Principal of the Bryn Athyn Church School, Address: P. O. Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Kline, Thomas Leroy. Ordained June 10, 1973; 2nd degree, June 15, 1975; 3rd degree, November 30, 2003. Serves 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, President of the General Church in South Africa, and President of the General Church International, Incorporated. Address: P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     PASTORS

     Alden, Glenn Graham. Ordained June 19, 1974; 2nd degree, June 6, 1976. Serves as Pastor of the Sunrise Chapel in Tucson, Arizona Society. Address: c/o Sunrise Chapel, 8421 E. Wrightstown Road, Tucson, AZ 85715.

     Alden, Kenneth James. Ordained June 6, 1980; 2nd degree, May 16, 1982. Serves as Pastor of the Boynton Beach Society in Boynton Beach, Florida. Visiting Pastor in south Florida (Melbourne, Bonita Springs, Vero Beach) Address: 7354 Shell Ridge Terrace, Lake Worth, FL 33467-7703.

     Alden, Mark Edward. Ordained June 10, 1979; 2nd degree, May 17, 1981. Unassigned. Address: P.O. Box 204, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Ankra-Badu, William Ofei. Ordained June 15, 1986; 2nd degree, March 1, 1992. Serves as Pastor of the Accra New Church in Ghana, West Africa, Principal of the New Church Theological School, Accra, Bishop's Representative for West Africa and Visiting Pastor to Togo and the Ivory Coast. Address: P.O. Box 11305, Accra-North, Ghana, West Africa.

     Anochi, Nicholas Wiredu. Ordained June 4, 1995; 2nd degree, November 2, 1997. Serves as Pastor of the New Church Dome Circle, Ghana, West Africa. Address: c/o The New Church, No. 2 Rocky Road, Dome, P.O. Box TA687, Taifa, Ghana, West Africa.

     Appelgren, Goran Reinhold. Ordained June 7, 1992; 2nd degree, July 3, 1994. Serves as Pastor of the Stockholm Society in Stockholm, Sweden. Address: Aladdinsvagen 27, S-167 61 Bromma, Sweden.

     Asplundh, Kurt Horigan. Ordained June 19, 1960; 2nd degree, June 19, 1962. Retired. Address: P.O. Box 26, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Asplundh, Kurt Hyland. Ordained June 6, 1993; 2nd degree, April 30, 1995. Serves as a teacher of religion in the Academy Secondary Schools. Secretary of the Council of the Clergy. Address: P.O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Ayers, David Wayne. Ordained May 23, 1999; 2nd degree, November 12, 2000. Serves as Pastor of the Olivet Church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Address: 2 Lorraine Gardens, Etobicoke, ON, Canada M9B 4Z4.

     Barnett, Wendel Ryan. Ordained June 7, 1981; 2nd degree, June 20, 1982. Unassigned. Address: P.O. Box 542, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

455




     Bau-Madsen, Arne. Ordained June 6, 1976; 2nd degree, June 11, 1978. Serves as Associate Pastor to Kempton Society in Kempton, Pennsylvania; Visiting Pastor to the Wallenpaupack, Pennsylvania, Circle; part-time instructor of religion at Bryn Athyn College. Address: P.O. Box 333, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Bell, Reuben Paul. Ordained May 25, 1997; 2nd degree April 11, 1999. Inactive. Address: P.O. Box 554, Fryeburg, ME 04037.

     Bown, Christopher Duncan. Ordained June 18, 1978; 2nd degree, December 23, 1979. Serves as Pastor of the New Church Buccleuch in Buccleuch, South Africa, Visiting Pastor to the Cape Town Circle, overseeing Pastor of the Alexandra Society, and Dean of the South African Theological School. Address: Box 816, Kelvin, Gauteng, 2054, South Africa.

     Boyesen, Ragnar. Ordained June 19, 1972; 2nd degree, June 17, 1973. Serves as Pastor of the Jonkoping, Sweden, Circle, and Copenhagen, Denmark, Circle and Visiting Pastor to Oslo, Norway. Address: Oxelgatan 6, S-565 33, Mullsjo, Sweden.

     Burke, William Hanson. Ordained June 7, 1981; 2nd degree, August 13, 1983. Retired. Address: 755 Arbour Glenn Court, Lawrenceville, GA 30043.

     Buss, Erik James. Ordained June 10, 1990; 2nd degree, September 13, 1992. Serves as Pastor of the Westville New Church in Durban, South Africa, and Principal of the Kainon School. Address: 30 Perth Road, Westville, 3629, South Africa.

     Buss, Peter Martin, Jr. Ordained June 6, 1993; 2nd degree, June 18, 1995. Serves as Pastor of the Immanuel Church Society in Glenview, Illinois, President and Principal of the Midwestern Academy, and Headmaster of the Immanuel Church School. Address: 73 Park Drive, Glenview, IL 60025.

     Carlson, Mark Robert. Ordained June 10, 1973; 2nd degree, March 6, 1977. Unassigned. Address: 30 New Road, Southampton, PA 18966.

     Carswell, Eric Hugh. Ordained June 10, 1979; 2nd degree, February 22, 1981. Serves as Dean of the Academy of the New Church Theological School and Regional Pastor of the Northeastern District of the United States. Address: P.O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Chapin, Frederick Merle. Ordained June 15, 1986; 2nd degree, October 23, 1988. Serves as Assistant Pastor of the Washington New Church Society in Mitchellville, Maryland, and Visiting Pastor of the Charlotte Circle in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Raleigh/Durham Group, central Florida, the North Florida Group and the Pensacola Group . Address: 13720 Old Chapel Road, Bowie, MD 20715.

     Childs, Geoffrey Stafford. Ordained June 19, 1952; 2nd degree, June 19, 1954. Retired. Address: P.O. Box 550, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Childs, Robin Waelchli. Ordained June 6, 1984; 2nd degree, June 8, 1986. Unassigned. Address: P.O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Clifford, William Harrison. Ordained June 6, 1976; 2nd degree, October 8, 1978. Unassigned. 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. Serves as Assistant Professor of religion and philosophy in the Bryn Athyn College and of theology in the Academy of the New Church Theological School; Head of Religion and Sacred Languages Division in the Bryn Athyn College; working for the General Church in compiling a history of its doctrine. Serves as Visiting Pastor to Connecticut. Address: P.O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

456




     Cooper, James Pendleton. Ordained June 13, 1982; 2nd degree, March 4, 1984. Serves as Pastor of the Washington New Church Society in Mitchellville, Maryland, Principal of the Washington New Church School; and Regional Pastor of the Southeast US. Address: 11910 Chantilly Lane, Mitchellville, MD 20721.

     Cowley, Michael Keith. Ordained June 13, 1982; 2nd degree, May 13, 1984. Serves as Pastor of the Phoenix Society in Phoenix, AZ and visiting pastor to the Albuquerque Circle in Albuquerque, NM. Address: 3607 E. Delcoa Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032.

     Cranch, Harold Covert. Ordained June 19, 1941; 2nd degree, October 15, 1942. Retired. Address: 501 Porter Street, Glendale, CA 91205.

     Darkwah, Simpson Kwabeng. Ordained June 7, 1992; 2nd degree, August 28, 1994. Serves as Pastor of the Tema, Ghana, Circle in Ghana, West Africa, Visiting Pastor of the Madina Circle in Ghana, West Africa, and Principal of the Tema New Church School. Address: House #AA3 - Community 4, Box 1483, Tema, Ghana, West Africa.

     de Padua, Mauro Santos. Ordained June 7, 1992; 2nd degree, June 12, 1994. Serves as a teacher of religion and Chaplain in the Academy Secondary Schools, and as Assistant Pastor to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Address: P.O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Dibb, Andrew Malcolm Thomas. Ordained June 6, 1984; 2nd degree, May 18, 1986. Serves as Assistant Professor of religion in the Bryn Athyn College and of theology in the Academy of the New Church Theological School. Chairs the General Church Publishing Committee. Serves as Visiting Assistant to the Pastor of the Carmel Church in Kitchener, ON. Address: P.O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Echols, John Clark, Jr. Ordained August 26, 1978; 2nd degree, March 30, 1980. Serves as Pastor of the Cincinnati Society in Cincinnati, OH; Visiting Pastor to Indianapolis, IN, and Dawson Creek, BC. Address: 4418 Main Street, Darrtown, OH 45056-8914.

     Elphick, Derek Peter. Ordained June 6, 1993; 2nd degree, May 22, 1994. Serves as Pastor of the Oak Arbor Society in Rochester, Michigan. Address: 395 Olivewood Court, Rochester, MI 48306.

     Elphick, Frederick Charles. Ordained June 6, 1984; 2nd degree, September 23, 1984. Serves as Pastor of the Michael Church, London, England, and Visiting Pastor to the Surrey Circle, England, and The Hague, Netherlands, Circle. Address: 21B Hayne Road, Beckenham, Kent, England, BR3 4JA.

     Genzlinger, Matthew Laird. Ordained May 27, 2001; 2nd degree, August 10, 2003. Serves as Pastor of the Colchester New Church, Colchester, Essex, England. Address: 8 Stoneleigh Park, Lexden, Colchester, Essex, England CO3 5FA.

     Gladish, Michael David. Ordained June 10, 1973; 2nd degree, June 30, 1974. Serves as Pastor of the Calgary New Church, Calgary, Alberta, a society of the General Church and Western Canada Conference (General Convention) members cooperating together.; Regional Pastor for Western Canada, and continues as Executive Vice President of the General Church in Canada. Address: 248 Arbour Crest Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T3G 4V3

     Gladish, Nathan Donald. Ordained June 13, 1982; 2nd degree, November 6, 1983. Serves as Assistant Pastor of the Oak Arbor Society in Rochester, MI, and Principal of the Oak Arbor New Church School. Address: 320 Oak Arbor Drive, Rochester, MI 48306.

457




     Glenn, Robert Amos. Ordained May 28, 2000; 2nd degree, June 2, 2002. Serves as Pastor of the Pittsburgh New Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Principal of the Pittsburgh New Church School. Address: 299 Le Roi Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15208.

     Goodenough, Daniel Webster. Ordained June 19, 1965; 2nd degree, December 10, 1967. Retired. Serves as Visiting Pastor in the eastern portion of the Northwest U.S. Address: P.O. Box 748, Big Horn, WY 82833.

     Gyamfi, Martin Kofi. Ordained June 9, 1991; 2nd degree, August 28, 1994. Serves as Resident Pastor for Asakraka-Kwahu Group and Visiting Pastor for Nteso and Oframase Groups in Ghana, West Africa. Address: The New Church, P. O. Box 10, Asakraka-Kwahu, E/R, Ghana, West Africa.

     Halterman, Barry Childs. Ordained June 5, 1994; 2nd degree, September 8, 1996. Serves as a teacher of religion in the Academy Secondary Schools. Address: P.O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

     Heilman, Andrew James. Ordained June 18, 1978; 2nd degree, March 8, 1981. Serves as Assistant Pastor to the Kempton Society in Kempton, Pennsylvania, and as Visiting Pastor to the Campo Gorande and Rio de Janeiro (Fatima) Societies in Brazil. Address: 1050 Mountain Road, Kempton, PA 19529.

     Heinrichs, Bradley Daniel. Ordained May 23, 1999; 2nd degree, November 19, 2000. Serves as Pastor of the Carmel Church in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada and Principal of the Carmel Church School. Address: 157 Chapel Hill Drive, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2G 3W5.

     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. Retired. Serves as Visiting Pastor in the central United States. Address: 7358 Mt. Sherman Rd., Longmont, CO 80503

     Howard, Geoffrey Horace. Ordained June 19, 1961; 2nd degree, June 2, 1963. Retired. Address: 17 Cakebread Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776.

     Jin, Yong Jin. Ordained June 5, 1994; 2nd degree, June 16, 1996. Serves as Pastor of the Philadelphia Korean New Church, and responsible for outreach to the Korean-speaking community in the United States. Address: 537 Anne Street, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006.

     Junge, Kent. Ordained June 10, 1979; 2nd degree, June 24, 1981. Unassigned.

     Johnson, Martie. Ordained May 27, 2001; 2nd degree, June 16, 2002. Serves as Pastor of the Cascade New Church, Seattle, Washington and Visiting Pastor to the western portion of the Northwestern United States. Address: 2948 Eagle Way, Boulder, CO 80301

     Junge, Robert Schill. Ordained June 19, 1955; 2nd degree, August 11, 1957. Retired. Serves as Visiting Pastor to Baltimore, Maryland, Society. Address: 8551 Junge Drive, RD 1, Kempton, PA 19529.

     King, Cedric. Ordained June 10, 1979; 2nd degree, November 27, 1980. Unassigned. Address: 21332 Forest Meadow, Lake Forest, CA 92630.

     Kwak, Dzin Pyung. Ordained June 12, 1988; 2nd degree, November 11, 1990. Serves as a Pastor of the General Church in Seoul, South Korea (on special assignment). Address: Seoul New Church, 75-21 Nokbeon-Dong, Eyunpyeong-Ku, Seoul, Korea 122-828.

458




     Larsen, Ottar Trosvik. Ordained June 19, 1974; 2nd degree, February 16, 1977. Unassigned. Address: 2145 Country Club Drive, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006.

     Lee, Jong-Ui. Ordained May 31, 1998; 2nd degree, June 17, 2001. Serves as Assistant to the Pastor of the Olivet Church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Visiting Pastor to the Ottawa Group. Address: 134 Smithwood Drive, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada M9B 4S4.

     Lindrooth, David Hutchinson. Ordained June 10, 1990; 2nd degree, April 19, 1992. Serves as Director of the Office of Evangelization. Address: P. O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Maseko, Jacob Mokaka. Ordained November 29, 1992; 2nd degree, September 18, 1994. Serves as Pastor of the Diepkloof Society, South Africa. Address: P. O. Box 261, Pimville, 1808, South Africa.

     Mbatha, Bhekuyise Alfred. Ordained June 27, 1971; 2nd degree, June 23, 1974. Serves as Pastor of the Impaphala Society, Visiting Pastor to the Empangeni Group, and overseeing Pastor of the Clermont Society in South Africa. Address; P. O. Box 60449, Phoenix, 4080, South Africa.

     McCardell, Ethan Derek. Ordained May 25, 2003; 2nd degree March 21, 2004. Serves as Pastor of the Freeport Society in Freeport, PA. Address: 980 Sarver Rd., Sarver, PA 16055

     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. Serves as Visiting Pastor to Harleysville, PA, preaches on a regular basis where Church needs are and teaches part-time in Bryn Athyn College. Address: P.O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Nemitz, Kurt Paul. Ordained June 16, 1963; 2nd degree, March 27, 1966. Unassigned. Address: P. O. Box 164, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Nicholson, Allison La Marr. Ordained September 9, 1979; 2nd degree, February 15, 1981. Retired. Address: 1 Somerset Place, Topsham, ME 04086.

     Nobre, Cristovao Rabelo, Ordained June 6, 1984; 2nd degree August 25, 1985. Serves as a Translator for the General Church. Address: Rua 13, 800, Bairro do Farol, 45990-000 Alcobaca, Brazil.

     Nzimande, Bongani Edward. Ordained November 14, 1999; 2nd degree May 25, 2003. Serves as Pastor of the Kwa Mashu Society and Visiting Pastor to the Enkumba Group, South Africa. Address; P.O. Box 848, Pinetown, 3600, South Africa.

     Odhner, Grant Hugo. Ordained June 7, 1981; 2nd degree, May 9, 1982. Serves as Assistant Professor of religion in the Bryn Athyn College and of theology in the Academy of the New Church Theological School, and Visiting Pastor to the Northern New Jersey Circle. Address: P.O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Odhner, John Llewellyn. Ordained June 6, 1980; 2nd degree, November 22, 1981. Serves as Assistant to the Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church in Bryn Athyn, PA, and religion instructor in the Bryn Athyn Elementary School. Address: P.O. Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Orthwein, Walter Edward III. Ordained July 22, 1973; 2nd degree, June 12, 1977. Recognized as a priest of the General Church June 12, 1977. Serves as an Assistant Professor of religion in the Bryn Athyn College and of theology in the Academy Theological School, and Visiting Pastor of the Central Pennsylvania Group. Address: P. O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

459




     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. Serves as Assistant Pastor of the Immanuel Church in Glenview, IL. Address: 2700 Park Lane, Glenview, IL 60025

     Perry, Charles Mark. Ordained June 9, 1991; 2nd degree, June 19, 1993. Serves as Pastor of the San Diego Society in San Diego, California. Address: 7911 Canary Way, San Diego, CA 92123

     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, Lancs., England, OL11 5TH.

     Rogers, Prescott Andrew. Ordained January 26, 1986; 2nd degree, April 24, 1988. Serves as President of the Academy of the New Church. Address: P.O. Box 711, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

     Rose, Donald Leslie. Ordained June 16, 1957; 2nd degree June 23, 1963. Serves as Editor of New Church Life and Assistant to the Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society in Bryn Athyn, PA. Address: P.O. Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Rose, Frank Shirley. Ordained June 19, 1952; 2nd degree, August 2, 1953. Retired. Address: 9233 E. Helen Street, Tucson, AZ 85715.

     Rose, Jonathan Searle. Ordained May 31, 1987; 2nd degree, February 23, 1997. Serves as Translator for the Swedenborg Foundation and General Church Translation Committee. Address: P.O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Rose, Patrick Alan. Ordained June 19, 1975; 2nd degree, September 25, 1977. Serves as Pastor of the Atlanta Society in Atlanta, GA, and Visiting Pastor to Birmingham, AL and other locations in the Southeastern US. Does internet work for the clergy. Address: 502 Knollwood Place, Woodstock, GA 30188-4588

     Rose, Thomas Hartley. Ordained June 12, 1988; 2nd degree, May 21, 1989. Serves as Pastor of the Ivyland New Church in Ivyland, Pennsylvania. Address: 851 W. Bristol Road, Ivyland, PA 18974.

     Roth, David Christopher. Ordained June 9, 1991; 2nd degree, October 17, 1993. Serves as Pastor of the New Church of Boulder Valley, Boulder, Colorado. Address: 3421 Blue Stem Avenue, Longmont, CO 80503.

     Sandstrom, Erik. Ordained June 10, 1934; 2nd degree, August 4, 1935. Retired. Address: Apt. 108, P.O. Box 550, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

     Sandstrom, Erik Emanuel. Ordained May 23, 1971; 2nd degree, May 21, 1972. Teaches part time in the Academy of the New Church Theological School, and does traveling pastoral work for the General Church in Connecticut and elsewhere. Address: P.O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Schnarr, Frederick Laurier. Ordained June 19, 1955; 2nd degree, May 12, 1957. Retired; Chairman of the General Church Eldergarten Programs for the Office of Education. Address: 11019 Haiti Bay, Boynton Beach, FL 33436.

     Schnarr, Grant Ronald. Ordained June 12, 1983; 2nd degree, October 7, 1984 Serves as Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. Address: P.O. Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Schnarr, Philip Bradley. Ordained June 5, 1996; 2nd degree, May 31, 1998. Serves as Director of the Office of Education. Address: P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

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     Sheppard, Leslie Lawrence. Ordained into 1st and 2nd degree, June 7, 1992. Retired. Address: 35/56 Dunmore Tce., Auchenflower, 4066, Queensland, Australia.

     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. Serves as Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society in Bryn Athyn, PA. Address: P.O. Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

     Simons, Stephen Restyn. Ordained May 25, 2003; 2nd degree, March 14, 2004. Serves as Pastor of the Boston Society in Boston, Massachusetts. Address: 138 Maynard Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776.

     Smith, Christopher Ronald Jack Ordained June 19, 1969; 2nd degree, May 9, 1971. Retired. Does traveling work for the General Church. Serves as Associate Pastor, preaching in Kempton. Address: 741 Old Philly Pike, Kempton, PA 19529.

     Smith, Lawson Merrell. Ordained June 10, 1979; 2nd degree, February 1, 1981. Serves as Pastor of the Kempton Society in Kempton, Pennsylvania and Principal of the Kempton New Church School. Address: 171 Kunkles Dahl Road, Kempton, PA 19529.

     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. Teaches in the Kempton New Church School; serves as Visiting Pastor to northern California. Address: 151 Vole Hollow Lane, Kempton, PA 19529.

     Taylor, Douglas McLeod. Ordained June 19, 1960; 2nd degree, June 19, 1962. Retired. Address: 2704 Huntingdon Pike, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006.

     Thabede, Ndaizane Albert. Ordained August 29, 1993; 2nd degree, March 2, 1997. Retired. Address: 303 Corlett Drive, Kew, 2090, South Africa.

     Tshabalala, Njanyana Reuben. Ordained November 29, 1992; 2nd degree, September 18, 1994. Serves as Pastor of the Balfour Society, South Africa. Address: P. O. Box 851, Kwa Xuma, 1867, South Africa.

     Walsh, Garry Brian. Ordained May 27, 2001; 2nd degree, September 8, 2002. Serves as Pastor of the Hurstville Society in Hurstville, Australia. Address: 26 Dudley Street, Penshurst, NSW, 2222 Australia

     Waters, Gerald Gilbert. Ordained March 17, 2002; 2nd degree October 17, 2004. Serves as Visiting Pastor to the Howick, Natal Group, the Midlands and Zululand Groups in Kwa-Zulu, and is Executive Vice President of the Corporation of the General Church in South Africa. Address: 9 Chiltern Gardens, 39 Pitlochry Road, Westville, 3630, South Africa.

     Weiss, Jan Hugo. Ordained June 19, 1955; 2nd degree, May 12, 1957. Retired, President of New Church Outreach. Address: 1020 Marina Drive, Placentia, CA 92870.

     MINISTERS

     Agnes, Sylvain Apoh. Ordained May 23, 2004. Serves as Minister to Cote d'Ivoire and other French speaking countries in West Africa. Address: 01 BP 12161 Abidjan 01, Republique Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa.

     Barry, Eugene. Ordained June 15, 1986. Unassigned. Address: 116 High Street, Clawson, MI 48017-2185.

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     Borketey-Kwaku, Jacob Borteye. Ordained May 18, 2003. Serves as a Minister assisting Rev. Kwasi Darkwah. Address: Teshie-Nungua Estates, P.O. Box 1278, Accra, Ghana.

     Fitzpatrick, Daniel. Ordained June 6, 1984. Unassigned. Address: 1001 Oriole Avenue, Rogers, AR 72756.

     Hauptmann, Olaf. Ordained May 23, 2004. Serves Assistant to the Pastor of the Pittsburgh New Church, Visiting Minister to Erie, PA and Cleveland, OH. Address: 7123 Card Lane, Pittsburgh, PA 15208.

     Mkhize, Sibusiso Protus. Ordained May 25, 2003. Serves as Minister for the Clermont Society, South Africa. Address: Box 16932, Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal, 3815, South Africa.

     Paek, Sung-Won. Ordained May 27, 2001. Continues to further his studies in educational administration. Address: P. O. Box 686, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Rogers, Norbert Bruce. Ordained January 12, 1969. Serves as a General Church translator; Associate Professor of religion and Latin in Bryn Athyn College. Address: c/o P. O. Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Schorran, Paul Edward. Ordained June 12, 1983. Unassigned. Address: 631 Old Philly Pike, Kempton, PA 19529.

     AUTHORIZED CANDIDATES Dube, Jerome. PO Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009 Ferrell, Michael. PO Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

     Xaba, Langalibalele Abraham. Acts as leader of the Alexandra Society. Address: P/Bag 511, Eshowe, 3815, South Africa.

     ASSOCIATE MINISTER

     Nicolier, Main. Ordained May 31, 1979; 2nd degree, September 16, 1984. Address: Bourguignon, Meursanges, 21200 Beaune, France.

     EVANGELIST

     Eubanks, W. Harold. Retired. Serves as Pastor of the Americus Circle, Georgia. Address: 516 US 280 West, Americus, GA 31709.

     SOCIETIES AND CIRCLES

Society                         Pastor or Minister

Alexandra, South Africa           Rev. Christopher D. Bown, supervising Pastor
Atlanta, Georgia                    Rev. Patrick A. Rose
Balfour, South Africa                Rev. N. Reuben Tshabalala
Baltimore, Maryland               Rev. Robert S. Junge
Bath, Maine                         Rev. George Dole
Boulder, Colorado                    Rev. David C. Roth
     (New Church of Boulder Valley)
Boston, Massachusetts                Rev. Stephen R. Simons
Boynton Beach, Florida               Rev. Kenneth J. Alden

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Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania          Rev. Jeremy F. Simons
                              Rev. Grant R. Schnarr, Assistant Pastor
                              Rev. Donald L. Rose, Assistant to the Pastor
                              Rev. John L. Odhner, Assistant to the Pastor
Buccleuch, South Africa           Rev. Christopher D. Bown
Campo Gorande, Brazil                Rev. Andrew J. Heilman, Visiting Pastor
Chicago, Illinois                Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom, Visiting Pastor
Cincinnati, Ohio                     Rev. J. Clark Echols
Clermont, South Africa               Rev. Bhekuyise Alfred Mbatha, supervising Pastor
Colchester, England                Rev. Matthew L. Genzlinger
Detroit, Michigan                    
     (Oak Arbor Church)           Rev. Derek P. Elphick
                              Rev. Nathan D. Gladish, Assistant Pastor
Diepkloof, South Africa           Rev. Jacob M. Maseko
Durban, South Africa                Rev. Erik J. Buss
Freeport, Pennsylvania                Rev. Ethan D. McCardell
Glenview, Illinois               Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr.
                              Rev. Mark D. Pendleton, Assistant Pastor
Hurstville, Australia                Rev. Garry B. Walsh
Impaphala, South Africa           Rev. B. Alfred Mbatha
Ivyland, Pennsylvania                Rev. Thomas H. Rose
Kempton, Pennsylvania               Rev. Lawson M. Smith
                              Rev. Andrew J. Heilman, Assistant Pastor
                              Rev. Arne Bau-Madsen, Associate Pastor
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada          Rev. Bradley D. Heinrichs
     (Carmel Church)
Kwa Mashu, South Africa           Rev. Bongani Edward Nzimande, Pastor
La Crescenta, California          Rev Rt. Rev. Louis B. King, Visiting Pastor
     (Los Angeles)
London, England (Michael Church)      Rev. Frederick C. Elphick
Phoenix, Arizona                     Rev. Michael K. Cowley
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania           Rev. R. Amos Glenn
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil               Rev. Andrew J. Heilman, Visiting Pastor
                              Rev. Mauro S. de Padua, Assistant Pastor
San Diego, California                Rev. C. Mark Perry
Stockholm, Sweden                Rev. Goran R. Appelgren
Toronto, Ontario, Canada          
     (Olivet Church)               Rev. David W. Ayers
                              Rev. Jong-Ui Lee, Assistant Pastor
Tucson, Arizona                     Rev. Glenn G. Alden
Washington, D. C.                    Rev. James P. Cooper
                              Rev. Frederick M. Chapin, Assistant Pastor

     Circle                    Visiting and /or Resident Pastor or Minister

Albuquerque, New Mexico           Rev. Michael K. Cowley
Americus, Georgia                W. Harold Eubanks, Evangelist
Auckland, New Zealand                Rev. Richard Keyworth
Cape Town, South Africa           Rev. Christopher D. Bown
Charlotte, North Carolina           Rev. Frederick M. Chapin
Connecticut                         Rev. Stephen D. Cole, and Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom
Copenhagen, Denmark                Rev. Ragnar Boyesen

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Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas           Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom
Dawson Creek, B. C., Canada          Rev. J. Clark Echols, and others to total 2 visits per month
Erie, Pennsylvania               Rev. Olaf Hauptmann
The Hague, Netherlands                Rev. Frederick C. Elphick
Hambrook, South Africa                Rev. B. Edward Nzimande
Harleysville, Pennsylvania           Rev. George D. McCurdy
Jonkoping, Sweden                Rev. Ragnar Boyesen
Lake Helen, Florida               Rev. Frederick M. Chapin, and Rev. George D. McCurdy to total 1 visit/month
Madina, Ghana                    Rev. S. Kwasi Darkwah
Northern New Jersey                Rev. Grant H. Odhner
North Ohio                         Rev. Olaf Hauptmann
Perth, Australia                     Rev. Garry B. Walsh
Philadelphia New Church (Korean)     Rev. Yong J. Jin
Sacramento, California                Rev. Louis D. Synnestvedt
St. Paul/Minneapolis,
Minnesota (Twin Cities)               Rev. Willard L. D. Heinrichs
San Francisco, California          Rev. Louis D. Synnestvedt
Seattle, Washington               Rev. Martie Johnson, Jr.
Surrey, England                    Rev. Frederick C. Elphick
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 General Church Places of Worship.
www.NewChurchVineyard.org 2004

www.NewChurchVineyard.org              2004

     An on-line family magazine from the G. C. Office of Education featuring materials for all ages focused on a new theme every month.

     Christmas Prophecies in December 2004

     The Lord in January 2004

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Editorial Pages 2004

Editorial Pages              2004

     PROVIDENCE WORKING THROUGH PEOPLE

     The Lord accomplishes things by inspiring people with the love of doing them. At this season you may like to contemplate some teachings on this subject. There is a delightful section of the book Conjugial Love which teaches that "the operations of uses by the Lord through spheres going forth from Him, are the Divine Providence" (CL 391).

     It is an essential of love to render others blessed. That such is the nature of the Divine love is known from its sphere, which pervades the universe. "It especially affects parents, and is the source of their tender love for their children .. . What else does a mother think about when she has brought forth her child than uniting herself with it, as it were, and providing for its good? What other concern has a bird, when she has hatched her young from the egg, than to cherish them under her wings, and through their little mouths put food into their throats" (TCR 44).

     We see the love; we see the Providence in the case of parents and children. We may also see it in wider application. The Lord "inspires people with His own love, as He inspires parents with love for their children" (TCR 457). God's love is within a person's love towards the neighbor "and produces in him the will and the ability" (Ibid).

     In number eight of the Doctrine of Charity we read, "The Lord does good to every one chiefly through others, but yet in such a manner that a person scarcely knows but that it is from himself."

     At the end of number three of True Christian Religion it is said that we are to do good actions, doing them as if of ourselves, but believing that they come from the Lord working in us and through us. We hope to comment on this another time.

465




     IN SEARCH OF THE ABSOLUTE

     The Swedenborg Society has just published a book of essays on Swedenborg and literature. We have had time to sample some of its pages and to find that it is an impressive piece of work. The editor, Stephen McNeilly, is to be congratulated.

     There are essays by H. J. Jackson, Anders Hallengren, Richard Lines, Lars Bergquist and Emilio R. Baez-Rivera. The essay by Richard Lines is entitled "Swedenborgian ideas in the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning."

     Lines says, "The influence of Swedenborg's religious writings (and Conjugial Love in particular) on the poetry of the Brownings may, I believe, be seen most clearly in their treatment of the spiritual nature of marriage. In Conjugial Love Swedenborg depicted true marriage love between man and woman as a perfect mirroring of the divine. The theme of marriage love runs like a leitmotiv through the poems of both Robert and Elizabeth."

     A letter from Elizabeth to her sister is quoted in which she says that a friend loaned them a copy of Conjugial Love. She writes, "Robert and I are reading it devoutly . . . though I do assure you, Henrietta, it contains some very extraordinary-sounding paragraphs, which Robert makes a point of reading aloud just because I don't like it. After we have done, we hide the book in the shadiest corner of the room, lest somebody, not quite as spiritual as a Swedenborgian, might make the wrong deductions from it: but there are some beautiful things really, & the angels who float up & down the pages in blue tunics, are refreshing to look upon."

     Elizabeth wrote to another friend, "I have not read the Arcana and some other of his works, and, of what I have read, the Heaven and Hell struck me most. He is wonderful, it seems to me-his scheme of the natural and spiritual worlds and natures appears to me, in an internal life of its own, divine and true. . . ."

466




     Mr. Lines has made use of the study by Robert Gladish that was published in New Church Life in 1965.
GLIMPSES INTO THE HISTORY OFTHE NEW CHURCH IN SWEDEN 2004

GLIMPSES INTO THE HISTORY OFTHE NEW CHURCH IN SWEDEN              2004

     Rev. Gustaf Baeckstrom (1878-1962) wrote a booklet of memoirs, which was published in Swedish in 1957. It is now available in English. In about fifty pages it covers the story of the New Church in the whole of Scandinavia. Baeckstrom was a remarkable missionary who proclaimed the doctrines of the New Church to many hundreds of people. The book is available from the General Church Book Center. $3.00.

     The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined . . . For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
                                        Isaiah 9:2, 6

     The Lord is called the Prince of Peace and says that peace comes from Him and that peace is in Him. So too angels are called angels of peace and heaven the dwelling place of peace . . .
                                        Heaven and Hell 287

467


REVIEW 2004

REVIEW       Rev. Lawson M. Smith       2004

The Throne Room of Heaven, Adapted and Written by Karin Alfelt Childs, Illustrated by Anna K. Cole Volden

     Fountain Publishing has done the church a service, producing another beautiful children's book, this one a presentation of Revelation, chapter four. With their earlier book on the woman clothed with the sun, they have the beginning of a series of books on Revelation.

     John's visions in heaven are actually beyond any artist's ability to represent in this natural world, but Anna Volden has done a series of lovely drawings to help us imagine what John saw. Karin Childs has written a short introduction and very slightly adapted the text of Revelation 4. Then, in the second part of the book, Anna's beautiful pictures are printed again smaller, about two by three inches, next to Karin's summaries or applications of the spiritual sense, written in words suitable for children of intermediate to upper elementary school age (about 10-14 years old). Finally the last two pages are short excerpts from Apocalypse Revealed and Apocalypse Explained where the spiritual meanings of various things that John saw and heard are explained.

     This is a beautiful book, and it is wonderful to have more illustrations of Revelation, along with the ones Mary Cooper and others have drawn. Having a variety of illustrations enriches our imagination of what the Word is saying and helps us not be limited to a certain way of picturing the scenes in the spiritual world. I hope that Anna and Karin will offer more books as the years go by.

     Rev. Lawson M. Smith

468


ACCOUNTABILITY 2004

ACCOUNTABILITY       ROBERT HEINRICHS       2004

     Part I

     In the November issue of New Church Life, where we introduced this topic, we said the concept of accountability beautifully demonstrates the teaching of continuous and discrete degrees, and that in the consideration of these we focus on how they relate to: Who? Why? When? and How? This month we consider: to whom are we accountable?

     First, let us review the definitions of discrete and continuous degrees, remembering that "Each and all things that have existence in the spiritual world and in the natural world have conjoint existence from discrete degrees and from continuous degrees together . . . " (DLW 185).

     Also in Divine Love and Wisdom 184 we read, ". . . Continuous degrees is a term applied to the gradual lessenings or decreasings from grosser to finer . . . and increasings from finer to grosser . . . precisely like the graduations of light to shade or heat to cold. Discrete degrees are called discrete because the prior is by itself: the subsequent by itself: and the final by itself: and yet when taken together they make one. . . . Such degrees are discrete (or separate) because each has a distinct existence, and these degrees are what are meant by 'degrees of height'; but the former degrees are continuous, because they increase continuously and these degrees are what are meant by 'degrees of breadth."'

     The first time in the Word where accountability is a topic is in Genesis where man was given the charge by the Lord to take care of the Garden of Eden and was instructed from what trees of the garden he could eat (Gen. 2, 15-17). It is obvious that the highest degree (discrete) of accountability is to God, for not only did He create us but it is He only who can save and redeem us if we are willing to live by His commandments.

469




     To assist each of us the Lord has revealed Himself in His three-fold Word. He has led our forefathers to organize His church on earth so that we may learn about Him and share that knowledge with others. To the degree (continuous) we do God's will we are being accountable to Him.

     General Church Development Committee
BOOKLET CALLED COMFORT AND HOPE 2004

BOOKLET CALLED COMFORT AND HOPE              2004

     We intend to print a review of this new book in the next issue. For now we want readers to know that it is available and to have some idea of its nature. The writer is Donnette Alfelt of Bryn Athyn, who has ample contact with widows and widowers.

     She wanted to provide something handy and reasonably short which touched on issues faced by the bereaved. The text of the book, under a dozen headings, appears on the right hand page. On the left are quotes either from the Writings or from well known thinkers. See a few examples below.

     The cost of the book is $ 8.95 It is available from the General Church Book Center and also from Fountain Publishing, P.O. Box 80011, Rochester, MI 48308.

     Here are some of the quotes that are used.

     "If I choose, I shall but love you better after death" (Elizabeth Barrett Browning).

     "Our spirits are not limited by space and time. The spirits of loved ones remain together" (Rev. Grant Odhner).

     "God has taken away the beloved and left us here for some purpose. There is work to be done, and people to be loved and helped" (Helen Keller).

     "Even as we mourn, our loved ones are awake to the glories and wonders of new life" (Rev. Dennis Duckworth).

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General Church Assembly 2005 2004

General Church Assembly 2005              2004

     "Renewing Our Purpose"

     www.assembly2005.org

     June 5th to 8th, 2005 Bryn Athyn, PA, USA

     The General Church Assembly next June in Bryn Athyn will be for people of ALL ages. There will be all the traditional adult sessions, workshops, and activities of course. But we are making a special effort to have really fun and entertaining activities for children as young as 4 years old. We also have great things planned for teens during the days, as well as in the evenings. Bottom line is-we want you to come and to bring your families. More specific information will be coming soon. See you there.. .
COMING OF THE LORD 2004

COMING OF THE LORD              2004

     The Lord emerges and rises again with man when He is acknowledged. Previously He is enveloped in night because He does not appear. He rises again with every person who is being regenerated.
                              Arcana Coelestia 2917 COMING AGAIN 2004

COMING AGAIN              2004

     The Lord's coming does not consist, as the letter has it, in His appearing once again in the world, but in His presence within everyone. He is present there as often as the gospel is preached and that which is holy is contemplated.
                              Arcana Coelestia 3900:9

471


ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCHSECONDARY SCHOOLS2005 SUMMER CAMP 2004

ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCHSECONDARY SCHOOLS2005 SUMMER CAMP              2004


     

     Announcements





     
     The 2005 ANC Summer Camp will be held on the campus of the Academy of the New Church in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, from Sunday, July 10 until Saturday, July 16, 2005. The camp is open to boys and girls who will have completed eighth or ninth grade by June 2005.

     Students should receive registration details by the end of April. If you know of any student who may need information and is not in the General Church database, please contact Martha Nash at [email protected], 215-938-2538 or Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
CHRISTMASRECORDINGS ON CD 2004

CHRISTMASRECORDINGS ON CD              2004

     Miracle of the Virgin Birth

     Complete Adult Service - Rt. Rev. Thomas Kline

     Catalog #102256 - $5.00

     So Sweet and Clear CD

     Selections of New Church Festival Hymns. It captures the special quality of New Church holiday music with 18 songs for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Palm Sunday, Easter and New Church Day #1020000 - $12.00

     Bethlehem - Sermon - Rt. Rev. George de Charms

     Catalog #103746 - $4.00

     A New Light in Bethlehem

     Complete Family Service - Rt. Rev. Louis King

     Catalog #100307 - $5.00

     New Church Christmas Selections

     Eleven Christmas Hymns

     sung by the College Choir, Chris Simons-Director

     #102772 - $10.00

     The Lord's Descent to Earth

     Sermon - Rt. Rev. Peter Buss

     Catalog #104688 - $4.00

     The Divine Child

     Complete Adult Service - Rt. Rev. Willard Pendleton

     Catalog #105067 - $5.00

     Please order using the catalog numbers listed.

     The above recordings are also available on cassette.

     S&H charges will be included on your invoice.

          PO Box 752 - 1120 Cathedral Road

     NEW CHURCH      Bryn Athyn, PA 19009-0752

     AUDIO)))     [email protected]

     267-502-4980

          

     GENERAL CHURCH BOOK CENTER -215.914.4920- [email protected]

     BOOKS FOR      

     CHILDREN     

     In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. [Genesis 1.1]

     The purpose of creation is a heaven from the human race.

     [Divine Providence 323]

     Beautifully illustrated, this special book teaches little children about heaven. The illustrations are rich in jewel tones, and the multi racial angels make this book universally appealing.

     Where is Heaven?

     by Carol Buss

     Illustrated by Sharon Holm $9.95US, pb

     The Throne Room of Heaven

     adapted and written by Karin Alfeft Childs Illustrated by Anna K. Cole Volden $19.95US, hb

     John, the beloved disciple, has been banished to the isle of Patmos. There, a door opens in heaven, and he is shown the most amazing things...

     The Lord protects us in many ways. He protects us with true ideas, that we can learn in the Word or in other places, because God is everywhere. True ideas from God are powerful, like a lion.
Academy of the New ChurchMaster of Arts in Religious Studies Program 2004

Academy of the New ChurchMaster of Arts in Religious Studies Program              2004

     Facts are the ultimate and outermost things, in which in their order interior things are inclosed; and because facts are ultimate and outermost things, these more than all other things must be things of service . . . Every fact must exist for the sake of a use, and this is its service (AC 1486).

     No matter what our life's work is, we need facts in order to do the work. More importantly than facts, however, we need to understand the meaning and purpose of life so we can order and arrange knowledge to make it more useful and effective.

     The Master of Arts in Religious Studies program at the Academy of the New Church is a program in which students learn

     -     the facts of their religion

     -     how to organize them into ideas and concepts that affect every other thing they know and do

     Exploring a range of knowledge in the light of the Doctrines helps people to see interior things previously hidden. A new base of understanding expands our world view, with the result that we are better able to be of use and service in every other sphere of life.

     We are currently taking registration for the

     2005 Spring term

     Please contact:

     Becky Henderson

     Administrative Assistant to the Dean

     P.O. Box 717 - Pendleton Hall

     Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

     (215) 938-2640

     e-mail: [email protected]
APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TOTHE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCHGIRLS SCHOOL AND BOYS SCHOOL 2004

APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TOTHE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCHGIRLS SCHOOL AND BOYS SCHOOL              2004

     At the Academy of the New Church Secondary Schools, we prepare our students for a good and useful life. As an educational arm of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, we lead students through a rigorous academic curriculum so that they may find meaning, fulfillment, and happiness. As we instruct our students in the teachings of the New Church and encourage a life according to New Church principles, we develop their intellectual powers, teach them about spiritual realities of life, and offer them many avenues to practice spiritual and moral virtues.

     In early February we will mail recruiting packages to age appropriate families who appear in the General Church database. These packages include an application form for admission of new students to the Schools. If you do not receive a recruiting package and would like one, please contact the School Secretary at 215-938-2556. Requests for application should be made by March 1, 2005. Letters should be addressed to Mrs. Margaret Gladish, Principal of the Girls School, or Mr. R. Scott Daum, 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 dormitory student. We should receive completed application forms by April 15, 2005.

     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, 2005. 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 the following: Application, Transcript, Pastor's Recommendation, Agreement Form, and Health Forms.

     The Academy will not discriminate against applicants and students on the basis of race, color, gender, and national or ethnic origin.