Notes on This Issue       Editor       2010

Vol. CXXX

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

Joy from Heavenly Treasures
     A Sermon
          Gerald G. Waters 3

A Peek at the Future
     Kenneth J. Alden 10

The Origin of Life
     Olaf Hauptmann 13

Editorial Pages
     The New Year      17

Communications
     A Reply to "Tearing Down High Places"
          George E Dole 25
     Letter to the Editor
          Samson M Abuga 26

Church News
     Episcopal Visit to Kenya
          Brian W. Keith 27

Duncan Smith honored      38

"There's Gold in Them There Hills"
     Duncan Smith 39

Announcements      42

Swedenborg's Mission
     A Sermon
          Kurt H. Asplundh 47

Memorial Address for Rev. Donald L. Rose
     Thomas L. Kline 57

Seeing New Beginnings in Life's Long Journey
     Donald L. Rose 63

Go and Preach to Every Creature
     Norman E. Riley 65

Editorial Pages
     Mercy Itself      68
     Remembering Swedenborg      77

Church News

Episcopal Visit to Kenya, Concluded
     Brian W. Keith 79

Announcements      87

An Evening Sacrifice
     A Sermon
          Alan Lewin 91

The Way To Heaven
     A Sermon
          B. E. Nzimande 97

What are We Waiting for?
     Martie Johnson, Jr. 103

It's Just the Bible, Right?
     Martie Johnson, Jr 108

Editorial Pages
     Lord, When Did We See You Hungry?      111

Communications
     Letter to the Editor
          Doreen Gordon 124

Reviews
     Discovering David (Book)      125
     To Enlighten the Eyes (Book)
          Doreen Carey 125

Announcements      127

Smitten by God
     A Sermon
          Ragnar Boyesen 131

Editorial Pages
     Touch Me Not, Touch Me and See      144

Communications
     Letter to the Editor
          David Lomax 155
     Letter to the Editor
          Fred Odhner 158
     Letter to the Editor
          Teryn Synnestvedt Romaine 159

Church News
     Arcana Coelestia
          Willard Ridgway Mansfield 161

Announcements      167

In Your Patience Possess Your Soul
     A Sermon
          Mark Pendleton 171

The Last Judgment
     Goran Appelgren 180

A Brief History of Urbana University
     Tom Brecht 191

Editorial Pages
     The Era of the Holy Spirit      196

Church News

Announcement from the Bishop's Office      210

Announcements      211

The Woman and the Dragon
     A Sermon
          Alain Nicolier 215

A Most Precious Revelation
     A Sermon
          Peter M. Buss, Jr. 225

What is Impossible?
     Brian W Keith 233

What's Your Co-Pay?
     Martie Johnson, Jr 244

Editorial Pages
     What is the New Church?      247

Announcements      255

The White Horse
     A Sermon
          Jeremy F. Simons 259

What is Impossible? Part Two
     Brian W. Keith 266

The Uses of Aging: Part One
     Kenneth J. Alden 278

Declarations of Faith
     Guillaume Anato      285
     Ronald Schnarr      285
     Brian Smith      286
     Malcolm Smith      287

Memorial Service, Bishop Louis B. King
     Thomas L. Kline 290

Communications
     Letter to the Editor
          Keith Morely 295
     A Response to "Urbana University"
          Quentin D. Hyatt 296
     A Response to "Origins of Life"
          Lavina Scott 297
     A Response to "Arcana Coelestia"
          Barrie R. D. Ridgway 299

Announcements      303

Memorial for Bishop King      311

The Uses of Old Age (part 2)     Kenneth J. Alden 312

Memorial Service, Rev. Robert Cooper
     Andy Dibb and Garry Walsh 319

Declarations of Faith and Purpose      324
     Nicks Maris
     Moise Gogable Doukourou
     Evariste Daligou Dakouri
     Henry Joel Kouassi Kouhoui
     Honore Amahin Aka
     Mangoua Cyprien Kouame

Applying Religion to Life
     Tom Fiedler 329

Oh How True
     Richard Linguist 332

Editorial Pages
     How Can Anyone "Born Evil" Be Saved?      334

Communications
     Letter to the Editor
          Julie Conaron 345
     Response to Letter
          Olaf Hauptmann 347

Church News      350

Swedenborg's American Family
     Rev. Robert H.P. Cole 360

New Church Life SURVEY to all readers      363

Announcements      365

Memorial for Ragnar Boyesen
     Thomas H. Rose 371

     Disaster, Disease, And Divine Providence
      Arne BauMadsen 378

Alleluia! The Lord Has Returned!
     A Proposed Outreach Training Program
          Vance Genzlinger 388

Sincerity and Severity
      Soni Werner 396

Reflections On Aging Well
     Growing Old And Continuing
     To Ripen And Ripen
          Ed Allen Jr. 403

Editorial Pages: New Church Worship      409

A Swedish Perspective Of The
     Present Religious Situation
          Olle Bjorkstrom 421

Announcements      427

Vol. CXXX     November 2010     No. 11

New Church Life

A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS
REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

Love Your Enemies
A Sermon
Rev. Lawson M. Smith 431

Disaster, Disease, And Divine Providence Part 2
Arne Bau-Madsen 437

Alleluia! The Lord Has Returned!
A Proposed Outreach Training Program Part 2
     Vance Genzlinger 448

Editorial Pages
How The Lord Governs The Church      456

Letter to the Editor
Karen Doering DeLue 465
     General Church Schools Directory      466

Annual Report of the Secretary of the General Church      471

Announcements      475

Vol. CXXX     December 2010     No. 12

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

Elizabeth and Mary
     A Sermon
          Rev. Alain Nicolier 479

Gabriel And Mary: The Love Of Two Angels And Their Ministry
     A Sermon
          Rev. Martie Johnson Jr. 485

Editorial Pages
     A New Look at the Advent      488

Church News
     "Were They Soccer Players?"     Duncan Smith 493

Directory of the General Church 2010-2011      498

Announcements      516

     NEW CHURCH LIFE (USPS 378-180)

     PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY

     THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

     The Rev. Dr. Erik E. Sandstrom, Editor

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     and at additional mailing offices
----------
     Welcome to Rev. Gerald G. Waters. His sermon on Joy From Heaven,
takes up how often we are beginning a new stage or awareness in our life of
regeneration. We begin to notice all the ways the Lord can help, then how we
can't cope. We notice material needs, how much of self there is in all we do.
How do we turn our concern towards others' needs? There are rewards which we
notice.

     Rev. Kenneth Alden's reflection on the Lord's Patience has great appeal:
we are always stumped by the vastness of space, and impossibly large timeframes.
Here is a direct eye-piece to see how God's hand in our lives dips in and out of
"time."

     Similarly, Rev. Olaf Hauptmann's entry on Origin and Creation asks us to
view the planet and creation from the perspective of the Heavenly Doctrine. How
does that differ from Darwinian interpretation?

     We enjoy so much seeing the New Church grow in Kenya. Notice the report by
Bishop Keith, which will be concluded in next's month issue, where Bishop Keith
refers to Uses World Wide.

     Also, there are letters to the Editor from Kenya, and a report from the
Founder of Uses Worldwide, Mr. Duncan Smith. Another letter from Rev. Dr. George
Dole responds to Kent Rogers' article, "Tearing down the high places."


3


JOY FROM HEAVENLY TREASURES 2010

JOY FROM HEAVENLY TREASURES       Rev. GERALD G. WATERS       2010


----------
     A SERMON

     "These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy may remain in you, and
that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as
I have loved you." (John 15:11)

     The Lord, shortly before He was taken captive by the officers of the chief
priests and Pharisees to be judged and condemned to death, gave beautiful
teachings to His disciples which included the text we have just heard. His
underlying message, in all that He taught them, was the need for them to abide
by His teachings and to love one another so that His joy could be with them and
make their joy full. This is the message the Lord gives to all of us and is one
that we love to hear as joy and happiness is what we all want in our lives.

     And yet as much as we strive for this happiness, it seems, a lot of the
time, to elude us. Instead the stresses and strains of life bear down on us and
we can become absorbed in them. How well these stressful states were expressed
by the Psalmist who, in prayer, cried out to the Lord saying, "Have mercy on me,
O Lord, for I am in trouble; my eye wastes away with grief, Yes, my soul and my
body! For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing; my strength
fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away" (Psalm 31:9-10). But then, after
this lament, he proclaims his trust in the Lord and says, "But as for me, I
trust in You, O Lord; I say, You are my God" (Psalm 31:14) And then he
concludes by urging others to turn to the Lord by saying, "Oh, love the Lord,
all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, and fully repays the
proud person. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you
who hope in the Lord" (Psalm 31:23, 24).

4




     Here was a man who was experiencing grave difficulties in his life and yet
he came to see that if he trusted in and turned to the Lord, he would be
protected and comforted. When we find ourselves stressed out, the same can be
true for us, and yet we can fail to see this if our minds are focused only on
things of this world. If we are more concerned about worldly than spiritual
matters we will not begin to be aware of all the help the Lord offers us in His
Word; we will not hear Him tell us that we need Him in our lives and that
without Him we can accomplish nothing of spiritual value. Consider this teaching
when He said, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of
itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I
am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much
fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:4, 5).

     Do we ever imagine that without the Lord we can do nothing? That's not the
way it appears to us. A lot of the time we seem to do just fine without Him. In
fact we can think we're pretty smart the way we conduct ourselves, finding fault
only in others. So, why is there any need to pay much attention to the Lord's
invitation to 'abide' in Him? It's interesting to note, if we think about it,
that as long as things are going well it seems there is no need, but once things
start going wrong - when we get into trouble - when we begin to feel we can't
cope with the challenges of life then, suddenly, we experience the need to turn
to the Lord. The Psalmist said, "Have mercy on me, 0 Lord, for I am in trouble."
He acknowledged that he could not do without the Lord and was, only then,
willing to turn to Him for help. Only through suffering did he come to see that
without the Lord he could do nothing really meaningful - nothing really good
that was motivated by his love for the Lord that would bring lasting happiness.


5




     In reality it seems we can achieve many things on our own and even be very
successful in our worldly pursuits but often not have any feeling of contentment
and true, lasting happiness. This is because we are all flawed with self-
interest and pride and it is these traits that are our motivation and they keep
the Lord out of our lives. The consequence is that we do not make it possible
for Him to bestow His blessings upon us. The Lord warns us, many times, of these
human weaknesses, but if we don't hear Him and respond, there is little He can
do to help us, because He wants to leave us in freedom. We can do our own thing
or we can have the Lord lead us. In the lesson we heard earlier the Lord said,
"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love." It's as
straightforward as that if only we are willing to listen.

     And so we come to see that the Lord's love and the true happiness it
brings is given to us by Him when we come to love to do what He asks of us. It
is interesting though to learn that the nature of the happiness we enjoy changes
with our various states in life. To begin with, we feel happiness in terms of
material possessions or rewards or benefits for the things we do for others, and
we are told that initially this is permitted, since what appears good to us will
cause us to want to do the right things (Arcana Coelestia 3816:2). For example,
in our jobs or business operations or any other activity we might be involved
in, our motivation may well be for the amount of money we can make, the assets
we can accumulate or the recognition we can gain and not so much for the use we
can perform for others. In allowing us to strive for these things, the Lord
knows that we will, in fact, provide goods and services for others thereby doing
what is good.

     On a spiritual level, it may be that we will try to do the right things so
that we will go to heaven, where there is happiness, rather than to hell where
we will suffer. Our motivation is the reward of happiness rather than the desire
to show our love for the Lord and concern for others.

6




     In both these cases we do things to benefit ourselves and concern
ourselves little about other considerations (Arcana Coelestia 3816:3). These are
our natural inclinations and although the Lord initially allows them, He
cautions us about them. In His Sermon on the Mount He taught the multitudes
saying, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust
destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6: 19, 20). The wonderful truths He delivered in
that sermon were given for mankind to look to heavenly rather than worldly
things. The worldly ones, He says, will not last whereas the heavenly ones will
swell our hearts with love and will become the treasures that will last forever.
We recall that He went on to say, "For where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also" (Matthew 6:21).

     The teaching is clear but only if we understand what the Lord means by
'treasures in heaven.' We learn from the Writings that many who enter the
spiritual world have a totally incorrect idea of what the joys - or treasures if
you like - of heaven are. In the first section of the work Conjugial Love it is
related that ideas concerning the joys of heaven ranged from continual worship
to feasting to on-going blissful conversations with angels, and even to "super-
eminent dominion, with boundless wealth." But then we hear that those who
thought this way were soon shown that these things were merely external delights
of the body and that true happiness came from the internal delights of the mind
that love to serve the Lord and the neighbor.

     What then are the heavenly treasures that the Lord tells us to 'lay up'
for ourselves and how do we go about doing that? The 'treasures' the Lord is
referring to are joys and delights we come to feel in our lives when we do the
good things the Lord asks us to do.

7


We have only to think of the
great happiness a healthy marriage can bring husband and wife and the wonderful
devoted, parental love it brings them for their children; the delight we can
feel in the various uses we all perform if love for our fellow man is our
motivation; the appreciation and gratefulness we sense and the pleasure we
derive for all our worldly possessions if we acknowledge that the Lord provides
them for us, and so forth. Earlier we heard the Lord say that if we kept His
commandments we would abide in His love. It is His love that brings us these
wonderful joys - these 'heavenly treasures' - if only we will abide by what He
teaches us; when self is removed from the equation of what represents true
service to others. From the Heavenly Doctrines we learn that, "heaven and the
joy of heaven first begin in man when his regard to self in the uses which he
performs dies out" (Arcana Coelestia 5511:2). We are also told that the
angels of heaven derive their greatest joy from serving others (Arcana Coelestia
454). The Lord Himself demonstrated the importance of service to
others when He took a basin of water and washed the feet of His disciples and
when Peter showed dismay at what He was doing, He said to them, "You call Me
Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and
Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I
have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you" (John 13:13-15).

     It becomes quite evident then that if we are to acquire the treasures of
heaven we must learn to move the emphasis or focus of our lives away from self.
To begin with, this is not easy since we are born with the sole desire to please
ourselves and, innately, our concern is not for others. However, we are
perfectly led by the Lord in this challenge since He tells us in His Word, in
every detail, how we can and must change and that as we begin to do so, He can
inflow with His love and help us to be a little wiser and slowly gain the
passion to do what is right.

8


He can inflow with His love because
His love is such that He created us in His image and likeness to be able to
respond to it and thereby receive His joy, the joy that He says will make our
joy "full" (See Arcana Coelestia 3539:4). Furthermore it is in His
Providence, through what is called "mutual love," that is His love for us and
our reciprocal love for Him, that we can overcome our hereditary nature and be
given happiness (Arcana Coelestia 1388). This the Lord constantly wants
for us since the essence of His love is to "render others blessed from Himself"
(True Christian
Religion 43:4); and we are also told that "Everyone is created to
live in a blessed state forever" (Divine Providence 324:6).

     This blessed state is a genuine, eternal happiness that exists with the
angels of heaven and begins, to some degree, with those striving to regenerate
in this world. It is a happiness that far exceeds the external, temporal
happiness we experience in this world; it is truly the Lord's gift to us. It is
a blessing we receive when we learn to serve and not be served. It is a treasure
of angelic happiness that the Writings say is indescribable and "consists in
use, stems from use, and is proportionate to use, that is, to the good deeds of
love and charity" (Arcana Coelestia 454). It is the uses that angels
perform for others, with love and with the intention of bringing happiness to
them that in turn brings this incredible happiness to themselves (See Arcana Coelestia
6478).

     In summary then if we want to come into the 'full joy' that the Lord
offers us, we must work towards acquiring 'treasures in heaven'. Heavenly
treasures, we have seen, are all those wonderful feelings of delight and
happiness the Lord gives us as we try to do the good things He asks of us
(Conjugial Love
10). These good things are nothing other than serving our neighbor
in our jobs, in our social engagements, in our family lives and in other
activities.

9


All these things must be done, seeking no
recognition, no reward or any form of acknowledgment; they must be done with the
love of wanting to give to or serve others so as to bring them happiness. We are
told that in heaven, "When an angel does good to somebody else he also
communicates to that person the goodness, blessedness, and bliss he himself has
received; and he does this in a spirit of wishing to give the other everything
and hold nothing back. When that spirit of communication is present in him, he
receives far more goodness flowing in with blessedness and bliss than he
imparts; and this goes on unceasingly with increasing returns" (Arcana Coelestia
6478). Amen.

Lessons: John 15: 1-
12; Heaven and Hell 396

The Rev. Gerald G. Waters was inaugurated into the priesthood in 2002, and
ordained as Pastor in 2004. One of our second career Pastors, Gerald began in
2002 as visiting Pastor to the Midlands and Zululand groups and occasionally
assists with visiting the Cape circle. He also assists the Westville society by
taking classes and occasional worship services. He is also the Executive Vice
President of the Corporation of the General Church there. Gerald lives with his
wife Gabrielle (Mansfield) in Westville, South Africa.

[Photograph of Rev. Gerald Waters.]

10


PEEK AT THE FUTURE 2010

PEEK AT THE FUTURE       Rev. KENNETH J. ALDEN       2010


----------
     In July our family traveled to Utah and to what Florida may look
like in 200 million years. That many years ago, the rocks exposed 2,000 feet
below us in Canyonlands National Park, were shifting sands beneath a shallow
sea. (Sounds a bit like the sands in the Gulf of Mexico off our west coast.) Now
they are sandstone over 2,000 feet above sea level with another 2,000 feet of
more recent sandstone bonded on top of them. What will Florida be like in
another 200 million years?

     Think of it! Roughly 100 million years for each 1,000 feet of rock beneath
our soles! A million years for every 10 feet! 8,333 years for every one-inch of
sandstone! Surely the Lord is very patient when it comes to preparing the earth
for human habitation.

     A Biblical literalist might claim that it was all done in a single day,
but we might stretch that a bit further: "A thousand years in Your sight are
like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night" (Psalm 90:4). In
the literal sense, with four watches (4,000 years in the Lord's sight) in a
twelve-hour night, a day stretches out to be 8,000 years (which was only enough time
to lay down one inch of Canyonlands sandstone)!

     Whether we accept geological theory or not, reflecting on the Lord's sight
of time has to impress us with His patience. When it comes to being born again,
the pace at which we are created anew seems ever so slow. Like sand piled up
with the incoming tide and washed away again when it goes out, our progress in
subordinating our natural passions to heavenly uses can seem to be undone as
quickly as it is done.

     But even knowing what the Lord has disclosed to the New Church: that
regeneration is not the miraculous event of instantaneous salvation envisioned
under the doctrine of faith alone;

11


we have to admit that, in the
Lord's sight, the lifetime of regenerative work accomplished in this world takes
place very quickly.

     Rebirth is a process just like birth. Miraculous as both processes are,
they take time. But, when viewed from the Lord's perspective, perhaps Paul's
notion of our resurrection can also be applied to our rebirth: "We shall all be
changed-in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye...and the dead will be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

     Thinking further of the Lord's patience, imagine His yearning to tell His
disciples the many things that they were not yet ready to hear (See John 16:12), and
then waiting over 1,700 years to reveal them! Or, picture Him casting the dragon
out of heaven and then patiently protecting the New Church for "time and times
and half a time" (see Revelation 12:14), that is, through the state while it is
as yet among a few, until it increases to its appointed state among many (See
Apocalypse Revealed
547, 561, 562).

     If the Lord could wait hundreds of millions, even billions of years, while
He prepared the earth for human habitation, we have no way of telling how long
He is willing to wait for the New Church to reach that state when it may be
among many.

     But this much we do know: it will increase. The Lord loves all the people
He creates and He longs to be conjoined with them as fully as possible. He has
said, "The earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters cover
the sea" (Isaiah
11:9). In the spiritual sense, this means that there will be from
the Word a fullness of truth about the Lord in His Church, (See Apocalypse Revealed
50, Apocalypse Explained 275:6), and that Church will be
among many.

12




     When standing on a mesa in Canyonlands, it is hard to grasp the hundreds
of millions of years that went into fashioning the marvelous formations before
us, just as when standing surfside in Florida, it would be hard to imagine the
sandstone cliffs that may retain the memory of our footprints in another 200
million years.

     But the past and future are present to the Lord. In that present, the Lord
sees us and many people, as angels, and His Church as full with His truth. May
that be a future we too can glimpse, so that in this present, we can act to be
part of His future.

A PEEK AT THE FUTURE Reprinted from The New Church Voice of Florida vol. 8, no.
1; September-October 2009. Recommended by a reader.
Errata: 2010

Errata:              2010


----------
     In the December 2009 issue, page 518, the end note, it mentions a
"mutation cycle." This is an error, and should be "a 25,800 year nutation cycle,
changes astrological sign every 2160 years." Nutation (lit. nodding) is a slight
but regular wobble in earth's rotation axis.

13


ORIGIN OF LIFE 2010

ORIGIN OF LIFE       Rev. OLAF HAUPTMANN       2010


----------
     The Heavenly Doctrine tells us that we human beings seize upon
falsity rather than truth (see Divine Providence 318). Once we have caught hold of a
falsity then we tend to hold unto it tenaciously. For example, "once
substantiated, falsity has all the appearance of truth; indeed it appears to be
more true than the truth itself" (Arcana Coelestia 5008:6).

     The angels of heaven observe the same: "I can report the following, that
angels sorrow on account of the darkness in this world. They say that scarcely
anywhere do they see light; that people seize on fallacious appearances and
defend them, and in so doing multiply falsities, one after another" (Divine Love and Wisdom
188). In other words, we have a tendency to hastily draw
conclusions. Such conclusions are often only based on flimsy evidence of what we
have in front of us here and now. We can only see the effects, but as to the
cause we can only guess.

     To illustrate it with math: we know that 2+2 = 4. However, if we have 4 it
is practically impossible to find out if they are the product of 2+2 or 1+3 or
2.9+1.1., etc. If we know the cause then both the cause and effect are easy to
see, but if we can only see the effect then it is impossible to deduce what the
cause might have been.

     Darwin's Theory of Evolution seems to have become a tenet of faith
accepted by most. Some tend to get very upset if it is drawn into question.
However, could it be that it has fatal flaws? Darwin was trying to find the
origin of the species. He looked at many different animals, saw that they each
were uniquely suited to the place that they lived, and within the habitat they
each had their niche. He concluded that it was the opportunities within the
habitat coupled with survival of the fittest, which had molded each species.

     The rule book of argumentation from my college days* lists two most common
mistakes in argumentation.

14


The first is drawing conclusions from
too little evidence, the second is to overlook other possible explanations when
drawing one's conclusions.' Darwin looked at various species of animals and
sought to find the cause as to why they had come to the shape, size, and colour
that they had. From the effect he sought to find the cause. In this impossible
task might he have succumbed to the second of the "Two Great Fallacies?" That
is, he overlooked other possible explanations. He failed to consider that there
might be a spiritual explanation.
     * Weston Anthony, A Rule Book for Argumentation. Hackett Publishing
Company, Indianapolis 1992. pp 80-81.

     The Heavenly Doctrines tell us that it is impossible to reason from
effects about causes. "[E]ffects teach us nothing but effect, and if these alone
are examined, they do not bring light to any cause" (Divine Love and Wisdom
119). Or as it is said in Arcana, "no one can apprehend higher
things from lower ones" (Arcana Coelestia 2568:5).

     We can look at the pyramids in Egypt and make many theories about how they
might have been built, but unless we find some papyrus scroll which tells us, it
is impossible to know. We can look at all the plants and living creatures and
wonder how they came to be, but unless the Lord told us, it is impossible to
figure it out on our own. For example, indeed we are told: "It is most necessary
for it to be known that there are two suns, one spiritual and the other natural-
the spiritual sun for people who are in the spiritual world, and the natural sun
for people who are in the natural world. Unless this is known, one cannot
properly understand any facet of creation and mankind" (Divine Love and Wisdom
107, Emphasis added).

     Darwin did not want to attribute the creation of the species to God, and
he knew nothing of the spiritual sun, and influx from the spiritual world. He
was therefore blinded and unable to see the real cause. So he made up his own
cause or reason, and called it "the survival of the fittest." By doing so, he
created a compelling fallacy. The world has seized on this fallacy, because we
humans are ignorant of the true causes.

15


Also because the
unregenerate mind prefers to attribute the causes to nature rather than to God
(see True
Christian Religion 22). Furthermore, once we have seized upon a
falsity we hold on to it tenaciously, defending it with reason upon reason. But
maybe it is time we let go?

     If the species were not formed by natural selection, how then might they
have been formed? About this we read, "...nature has not been endowed with any
power; for it is lifeless, and contributes no more to the production of these
forms than a tool in the work of a craftsman, which to act must continually be
wielded. It is something spiritual, something which takes its origin from the
sun where the Lord is and descends to the outmost elements of nature, which
produces the forms of plants and animals and creates the marvels that exist in
both, filling them with substances from the earth so that those forms remain
fixed and constant.... It can be seen that plant and animal forms have sprung
and continue perpetually to spring from no other origin than the Lord through
[the spiritual world]-thus that there is a continual influx from the spiritual
world into the natural world" (Divine Love and Wisdom 340). Further: "[Animals and
plants] as to productions into their forms, derive their origin by spiritual
influx and operation from the Sun of heaven where the Lord is, and not from the
influx and operation of nature from her sun, except the fixation of them"
(Divine Love and
Wisdom 346).

     Note well that not only life, but also the forms of living things come
from the spiritual world. The Heavenly Doctrine repeatedly points out that
nature has no power to "produce these forms." The natural world only provides
the material and fixation. The plants and animals, as well as all the non-living
things have their form from the spiritual world. The species that we see have
the shape or form that they do because they represent some affection in the
spiritual world.

16


Divine Love and Wisdom continues by explaining
that hurtful plants and noxious animals are effected by operation of influx from
hell (Divine Love
and Wisdom 341, see also Heaven and Hell 112-113).

     We are told, "Mt follows that an influx from there immediately produces
these phenomena whenever the conditions are favorable.... Consequently when
affections or lusts which in themselves are spiritual meet with homogeneous or
corresponding things on earth, there is present both the spiritual which
provides a soul and the material which provides a body. Also within everything
spiritual there is a conatus to clothe itself with a body" (Divine Love and Wisdom
343).

     Now that we see that the plants and animals get their form from the
spiritual world, you may wonder why it is that each species is so uniquely
shaped for its particular niche within its habitat. If it was not shaped by the
natural selection in accordance with the opportunities that the habitat affords,
how come they so often seem to fit so nicely? We ought to remember that not only
the animal kingdom, but also the plant and mineral kingdoms get their forms from
the spiritual world. Therefore it should not surprise us that there are swamps
where flies and frogs can frolic, and there are meadows where more useful
animals may graze. Each animal has a corresponding habitat where it can find its
corresponding food. Or as it is said, "wherever such foul odors exist, such
noxious creatures are found, because they correspond" (Divine Love and Wisdom
341).

     Whether you agree or disagree with the conclusions put forth here, do not
take my word for it, or other peoples' word. Rather, go to the Lord's Word for
yourself After all, "now it is permitted to enter into the mysteries of faith."


17


NEW YEAR: CELEBRATING THE ANCIENT CHURCH 2010

NEW YEAR: CELEBRATING THE ANCIENT CHURCH       Editor       2010


----------
     There are so many practices and sayings still with us from the First
Ancient Church. Their wisdom was far greater than ours today. It was an
"internal church, given intelligence and wisdom" (Arcana Coelestia 1224), but
far greater "intelligence [than in] the churches that followed" (Apocalypse Explained
577:5). They understood and loved "enigmatical things" (Arcana Coelestia
920), such as wrapping up spiritual meaning in made-up historical
sequences, where "characters conversed together" thus "giving personalities" to
different spiritual qualities (Arcana Coelestia 4442). They composed the Ancient Word
in that fashion, and it was so deep or remote that is was "for that Church only"
(Arcana Coelestia
10632). They loved to speak "remotely" about the uses of things,
which they called "speaking to the fifth, the ninth, the fifteenth, the
twentieth, even to the fiftieth use" (Arcana Coelestia 10709). They loved to
wrap things up so much, that they "at once knew to what degree [anything went]
...without counting it". It was an automatic way of speech, thus of thought.

     Well, that proved too much for later generations, which is why the Ancient
Word was lost and was replaced by "another Word, less remote", i.e. the Old
Testament (Sacred
Scripture 102). Only Genesis chapters 1 through 11 remind us of those lost
"remotest" meanings, which is probably why people today believe that creation
took just seven days and that Adam and Eve were actually the first two people on
earth! The ancients would raise both eyebrows and exclaim, "What? How
ridiculous!" They would explain Genesis 1 and 2 to mean the spiritual
progressions and changes of the entire human race!

     The New Year is not mentioned in the Writings.

18


Still,
ancient cultures like the Mayans devised calendars so precise that some believe
the year 2012 will be when we all breathe our last! Well, they had relics of the
ancient wisdom in regard to time. But "end of eras" have occurred, called
"judgments", and Nebuchadnezzar's image recorded several of these ages. The same
goes for the Yugas of Hindu belief, i.e. spiritual seasons which come to an end.
We now live in the Kali Yuga. The Writings refer to such cycles as dispensations
ending in a Last Judgment. There have been five such cycles! Like the Maya, the
ancients knew generations, the passing of time, and delighted in relating family
kinships in that same light. So the New Moon celebrations of the Church Israel
when they blew the trumpet (Isaiah 1:14, Numbers 29:1-6, Psalm 81:1-3, Arcana Coelestia
10709, 3969, Apocalypse Revealed 935:2) were derivations of the
passing of seasons and years; so also was the month Abib, the first month of the
Jewish calendar, referring internally to the beginning of any new state
(Arcana Coelestia
7827, 8053, 9291 etc.). Most deeply, the meaning of the New Year
referred to the Lord's Advent when He would "deliver and save" all people.
(Arcana Coelestia
7828).

     Are there any other ancient traditions with us today? Would it surprise
you that the Writings reveal a dozen or so "sayings" from the Ancient Church? We
are taken through the "time machine" to when these ancient proverbs were used,
and hear again what they used to say to each other at what occasions; and to see
their spiritual meaning. Some of them seem en par with similar phrases from the
Old Testament, and we just wake up to the fact that it was a common saying back
then. These old sayings may prompt some thought for us in the New Church. Not
that we should incorporate them. However, since charity prevailed with them, to
which we also aspire, it is interesting just to reflect on them.

     The Lord's providential foresight was what they turned to in all their
dealings.

19


Now we see someone entering another's home, or down
the street others are starting out on the first day of a new business, and they
say the same thing, "May God bless it." It means all prosperity and happiness
comes from the Lord (Arcana Coelestia 3260). Variations can also be heard:
"Blessed be Jehovah" (Arcana Coelestia 1096, 1422), or "Peace be unto
you" (Arcana
Coelestia 5662, 3780.5, Heaven and Hell 287, Apocalypse Revealed
599), meaning that all blessings and happiness come from Him. They
were all commonly heard greetings or sayings. Of course "peace" is still today a
very common saying in many languages and cultures! Shalom, we hear and sometimes
say. Salaam means the same. "Pax" or just "Peace" can perhaps become our own
candidate for use. But we mean the same when just waving one hand. Ancient north
American Indians had a universal sign of peace. Any friendly greeting today
incorporates "peace."

     Other Ancient Sayings: "God reigns!" or "May God reign forever!" would be
heard at Church activities at the Temple back then, for the Church is from Him
alone (Arcana
Coelestia 8331). However, if they were talking about some danger to
the Church, and a threat of its destruction, or if a falsity has just been
spoken which threatened the Church, then someone would call out "don't smite the
mother upon the son!" (Arcana Coelestia 4257). If you said this today you
would certainly catch everyone's attention. It reminds us of another stark
Levitical prohibitions, not to "boil a kid in its mother's milk" (Exodus. 23:19;
34:26). Those used to "remote meaning" would instantly know, "Hmmm, speaking to
the 34th use!"

     It is remote enough for us to scratch our heads. "Smiting the mother upon
the son"?! Perhaps some good people with light from the Lord might discern it
meant to compound any evil, making it worse; they might remember that "enemies
shall be of your own household." So family memberships here depict warnings
against evil, as well as good things.

20


How smart were they to
categorize spiritual qualities as the "poor" "needy", "hungry" "naked" etc.?
(Arcana Coelestia
4302:5, Apocalypse Revealed 209, 764). The Lord's parable of
the sheep and goats - "when were we hungry?" - showed that people were still
conversant with this kind of proverbial speech, also called "gnomic wisdom,"
during Gospel times. Thus the Genealogies, the 'begats' in Genesis 4 and
5,
10 and
11,
detail the Ancient Church's grasp of categories of faith and charity. These
genealogies from the Ancient Word contain much "more than anyone can possibly
believe" (Arcana
Coelestia 1264, cf. 1224, 1876, 1888, 4442). "Everything was embodied in
allegory and woven together as an historical tale. And the better everything
held together as an undivided tale the more it appealed to those people"
(Arcana Coelestia
605). So did the genealogies cohere to them. When they composed the
verse, "And Enoch begat Methuselah... [and lived to] three hundred and sixty-
five years, and Enoch walked with God, and was no more, for God took him"
(Genesis
5:24), they would see in a rapture of comprehension that "the
seventh church had so few left, ...but as the church began to die..., they
preserved the doctrine of faith for the use of posterity!" (Arcana Coelestia 520,
527).
Simple. So now we understand a bit more of why they said "Smiting the mother
upon the son" as meaning the "church destroyed." The outward hereditary tendency
passed on from mother to son, when confirmed, kills the Church. "The
Church...declines and degenerates...chiefly because of the increase in
hereditary evil" (Arcana Coelestia 494). Watch out.

     If calling out this saying during our retroactively envisioned Ancient
Church meeting, did not halt the contention, then some elder or priest might
stand up and announce, "Let Jehovah look and judge!" A lull settles on the
audience. Here is yet another Ancient Saying revealed in the Writings.


21


It means that since the Lord alone has Divine Foresight of all
evil, "the Divine alone disposes" (Arcana Coelestia 7160). No person can
do this. So it was customary, when "someone was at fault for evil that occurred"
to say this. The Lord alone can judge. It was their version of the impartiality
of justice.

     Suppose the lull is interrupted, and the disagreement continues, then the
cry from the back bench might be heard, "Let us enter our chamber, and shut the
door!" It means to go more deeply into things, beyond what is seen at the time,
and what is thus "unseen" by others (Arcana Coelestia 5694). Everyone must
have time to think more deeply in private before making a decision. 'Let's sleep
on it.'

     Still others might sing out, "You know what to do," or "Now you are in
it." Others nod vigorously and pick up variations: "Now it is in you!" Some
laugh and point at each other: "Yes, now it is in you!" All were common sayings,
thousands of years ago. They all mean the same: an "obligation" to carry out
what "is touching their heart" ("quis devincit alium per talia quae sunt amoris
ejus" Arcana
Coelestia 10709). Here everyone's conscience receives the appeal,
the inner knowing from the Word, what is of justice. At specific moments this
may occur to you, sort of "by heart." Conscience is to have a knowledge of the
Word with us. So just by saying "It is in you" reminds us of the truth. It must
be true, because the Lord has so said in His Word.

     Let us say it is now the following day, the meeting has reassembled, and
someone stands up and repeats the same very doubtful information, and now a
group is suspected of making round-about or wily arguments. This might be met by
a chorus of "The serpent stops up the ears!" referring to "reasoning about the
things of faith" (Arcana Coelestia 195), - another ancient saying to add
to our growing collection. Now things have become really serious.


22


Should the proceeding go from bad to worse for the dissidents,
and the "stopping up the ears" reach a sentence worthy of death, the phrase
would change to the more solemn: "Lift up the head." Everyone knew that to "lift
up the head" involves judging someone guilty, while yet the real judgment must
always take place in the afterlife! So remotely did they see "lifting up the
head": no one can be judged "guilty" here on earth, but must be "lifted up to
interior things," thus towards heaven after death, with "vastations" clearing
out all evil and false things along the way (Arcana Coelestia 5124). That however,
did not save criminals from execution, or "having their head lifted up" from
their shoulders first! You just could not condemn anyone to hell as well. Their
final "lifting up" awaited them in the other life!

     Since they knew very clearly that no one can judge another's internal or
mental states, but only his outward deeds and words, to "Lift up the head" was
matched on the other side of the aisle by the defending council, with "A man to
his brother! A man to his brother!" It means mutual agreement (Arcana Coelestia
4725). In other words, 'Is the verdict one-sided, or genuine?' A
culprit after being straightened out, might admit to just being silly. Everyone
might see the light, nod vigorously and agree, "A man to his brother. A man to
his brother." Those who had "stopped the ears" now stand corrected, mumbling
regrets. Everyone cheers and the meeting breaks up in high spirits.

     Now we follow some of them home: some parents find their lay-about son,
old enough to get married and start his own home, lolling by the garden pond
doing nothing. You hear them say, "Son, why don't you 'go out and meditate in
the field!"' To "meditate in the field" was the common expression for thinking
of taking a wife (Arcana Coelestia 3196). Isaac followed that tradition
(Genesis
24:63). I suppose young ladies did it too, but probably in their own
chamber. Well, the son did and several months later, we come to a wedding day:


23


we hear joy and laughter after the vows are exchanged, and the
couple are hailed: "Be for thousands of ten thousands!!" meaning immeasurable
fructification. The marriage of good and truth is at the core of all marriage
(Arcana Coelestia
3187.2). Everyone was wise to prolification in marriage being for
the sake of a heaven from the human race. Others may call out the bit more
mysterious saying, "May your seed inherit the gate of your enemies!" while
others still would vary the ending: "May your seed inherit the gate of those
that hate you!" We'd perhaps better not try that one today! We'd have little
time to explain it while tossing "choose and rice" at the departing happy
couple. It means, however, "charity and faith succeeding where evil and falsity
had been before" (Arcana Coelestia 3187.2, 2851). Marriage is thus
recognized as being a higher state of life, and the joys of conjugial love
received only by first shunning the opposite evil, i.e. promiscuity or wandering
sexual desire, and adultery, as sins against the Lord, as an "offense to the
nostrils" (Conjugial
Love 49). This is to displace hatred and "inherit the enemies'
gate."

     By now, in our look back at the Ancient Church, another Holy Day or
Shabbat has come. This most ancient celebration returns to the creation story of
the Ancient Word, "God rested on the seventh day." There has always been a "holy
day." People troop out on all streets heading to the Temple. We hear cheerful
calls of neighbors, "are you going on a journey?" and the reply, "we are
dwelling in the tent," both of which mean holy worship (Arcana Coelestia 1102).
They were ancient common sayings. One family has a child with a toy duck which
is narrowly missed by a cart carrying a family: "God cause it to the hand!" is
the apology, and dismissing any malicious intent! It meant Providence over all.
(Arcana Coelestia
9019). One friend just visiting the city after a long time away,
drops by the home of an old friend and asks, "Is Jabal at home?"

24



A veiled coeval lady smiles with gladness, "Seth, how good to see you! `Jabal is
not at home,' meaning he is already with God, i.e. at worship (Arcana Coelestia
10709). It was code for 'He is already at the Temple' or 'You just
missed him!' But should Jabal be really gone, i.e. dead, then his widow Zilpah
might say a bit more somberly, "He has been gathered to the fathers," or "to his
people" (Arcana
Coelestia 3255). Everyone still knows and uses this one. The
ancients knew very well it meant "taking leave of those among whom he had been
until then, and passing over to his own" (ibid.). It was Doctrine. But they knew
the 9th or 13th levels of remoteness of it! Since heaven is being married, to go
to "one's own people" also meant being "married in the next life" (ibid.) If a
daughter died young, they could at least take some comfort in her marriage to a
young man in heaven, and say, to the 5th remoteness? - "Me-zahab has been
gathered to her people." Marriage and eternal life automatically went together.
"They knew that all who are governed by the same good meet and remain together
in the next life, as do all who are governed by the same truth" (Arcana Coelestia
3255).

     The continuity of this life with the next was even incorporated in such
common expressions as "going in," "coming out," "entering" and "departing." We
remember the blessing at Church services: "The Lord shall preserve your going
out and your coming in from this time forth and even forever." (Psalm 121:8).
Thus "'Your going out and your coming in has been good in my eyes' was an
ancient saying We can imagine grandparents in the ancient church nodding at
their son's family gathering at a birth-day party, or a grand-aunt looking over
an up-and-coming grandniece entering into a new business, to hear such a formal
phrase in full. It "stands for pleasure with the entire condition of another
person's life" (Arcana Coelestia 9927). We might mean the same today
when we say, "have a good journey" or "drive carefully."

25


We
might mean today "We'll see you in heaven, if not before," "We are all in the
Lord's hands," "He calls all to enter His Heavenly Kingdom," or "Peace to you,"
while we just end up saying "See you later," "Good bye."
Communications 2010

Communications       Various       2010


----------
A Reply to "Tearing Down High Places" (October 2009, pp 403-415)

     In his article "Tearing Down High Places," E. Kent Rogers notes that
"...some of them were likely places where people worshipped YWHW, the true God"
(p. 406). The larger context, I think, strongly supports this likelihood.

     According to Deuteronomy 12, where the demolition of high places is
commanded, the centralization of worship in Jerusalem was an innovation. That
chapter includes the statement "You shall not act as we are acting here today"
(verse 8); and for a guide to the practice that was being forbidden, we need
only turn to Exodus 20:24: "You need make for me only an altar of
earth and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your offerings of well-being,
your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered
(emphasis mine) I will come to you and bless you."

     Of interest also is the Samaritan woman's statement, "Our fathers
worshipped in this mountain, but you Jews [which might better be translated
"Judeans"] say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."
Considering the fact that her own "father Jacob" (John 4:12) had given Luz the name
"Bethel" (House of God), and had said, "This is none other than the house of
God, and this is the gate of heaven" (Genesis 28:17), her case could not be
lightly dismissed.

     I would note also that when we turn the page from Second Kings to Isaiah,
we suddenly encounter a God who is sick and tired of the whole sacrificial
scene, and that there is no temple at all in the Holy City Jerusalem (Revelation
21:22).

26




     This is not to dispute Mr. Rogers' insightful understanding of the
spiritual meaning, but to suggest that the centralization of worship in
Jerusalem, with the concomitant "tearing down of high places," pictures a
particular episode in the lifelong story of regeneration, and that it may help
to see it as such.

     George F. Dole Bath, Maine

Dear Editor:

     Thank you so much for the New Church Life booklets. It is exciting to read
the New Church societies in Kenya in the General Church of the New Church
organizational contacts. This is an achievement to us indeed. We are happy to
inform your office that the two New Church societies in Kenya, both are in Kisii
region. They are; Riounde New Church society and the New Church Etora society.
In my call to serve the Lord in the New Church ministry, I am now serving at the
New Church Etora society. Actually this was the first New Church society to be
established in Kenya in 1990. It has now purchased its church land for its
permanence in its area through New Church Uses Worldwide. It is our prayer to
the Lord that the foundation that the Lord has led us to lay at Etora will help
in its tremendous growth even to the surrounding areas.

     We hope you will consider this information as providing you the picture of
how and where we are working.

     Blessings.

     Rev. Samson M. Abuga

     General Church Board Chairman in Kenya

     Kisii, Kenya

27


CHURCH NEWS 2010

CHURCH NEWS        BRIAN W. KEITH       2010


----------
     EPISCOPAL VISIT TO KENYA - SEPTEMBER 20091

      (Report concluded in the February issue.)

     Gretchen and I had the pleasure of visiting the growing New Church in
Kenya. It was an amazing experience. We visited most groups there and engaged in
conversations about their hopes and dreams. They have done an incredible amount,
especially starting with so little. Since most people have been unaware of what
is going on there and what they have developed, this report is intended to give
an overview of the Church uses there and indicate some of the potential for the
future.

     Background

     Two key purposes of the visit were to provide general support and to
ordain both Samson Abuga and Khalid Rangi into the second degree of the
priesthood and accept them into the General Church. The background here is that
the beginnings of the New Church in Kenya were rather tentative. In the early
1990s a Kenyan minister of another church, the Rev. Patrick Magara, contacted us
expressing interest in the New Church. He was also looking for support to start
a school and infirmary. He claimed to be preaching New Church doctrine in the
Kisii region of western Kenya with a growing following. We engaged with him very
carefully and slowly. Visits there by the Rev. Andy Dibb, who at that time was a
pastor in Buccleuch, near Johannesburg, and Dr. Bill Radcliffe were extremely
helpful in eventually determining that he was probably more interested in
community development than the doctrines of the New Church. (And discovering
that he was hiding an additional wife from us was also an issue!)


28




     However, one of the young men working with him, Samson Abuga, did seem to
have a sincere interest in the New Church. In fact, he had converted a friend of
his, Khalid Rangi, and they both sought theological training from us. It was not
feasible to have them educated at the Academy in Bryn Athyn, but we were able to
arrange for them to travel periodically to South Africa. There, the Rev. Alfred
Mbatha provided most of the instruction, with assists from Andy Dibb and then
the Rev. Chris Bown when he moved there to replace Andy. Alfred also made
several extended trips to Kenya to provide instruction there.

     In May of 2003 they were ordained into the priesthood of the New Church.
Because we were still going carefully, they were not immediately accepted into
the General Church clergy, as is typically done in our ordination service. We
wanted to work with them over time and see what developed. The Rev. David
Lindrooth as Director of Outreach then served as the primary contact and support
for them. Through his efforts and what they have done there, we felt it was time
to recognize that they were indeed committed to the New Church and the General
Church.

     Generals

     There are two main congregations in the Kisii area, about a six hour drive
west from the capital of Nairobi, and at least four smaller groups scattered in
a southerly direction from there, nearly to the Tanzania border. In addition,
there are also two small groups in the neighboring Tanzania and Uganda. They are
as follows:

     Riounde - Pastor Khalid Rangi

     Church attendance: 40-60 adults; 100-130 children (services every Sunday)

     School: 180 in a preschool through 8th grade (11 teachers) Orphanage: 50
children who are housed and cared for on campus

     Etora - Pastor Samson Abuga

29




     Church attendance: 30-50 adults; 20-30 children (services every Sunday)

     School: 90 students in a preschool through 4th grade (7 teachers)

     Orphanage: 35 children who live in member homes Maasai - Lay leader Isaac

     Church attendance: 15-25 adults; 30-35 children (services every Sunday)

     School: 30 students in a preschool through 1st grade (1 teacher)

     Kiagware - Khalid supervises

     This group is a 45 minute walk from Riounde (lay services every Sunday,
and once a month they travel to join with Riounde)

     Getumo - Samson supervises

     Church attendance: 10-20 adults; 25-35 children (services are every
Sunday)

     Nyakeyo - Candidate Nicks Marisa

     Church attendance: 20-30 adults; 10-15 children (services every Sunday)

     Dar es Salam (Tanzania) - Khalid supervises

     Church attendance: 4-5 families with many children (services 4-5 times
annually)

     Kampala (Uganda) - Khalid supervises

     Church attendance: 8-12 adults; 8-15 children (services 4 times annually)

     To reach the Etora congregation one travels south from Kisii town. (Kisii
town is the largest in the area, but the general region is also called Kisii.)
It is on the paved road to Ogembo, a growing town in the region. Continuing
south and passing through Ogembo, one then takes dirt roads higher into the
hills to reach Riounde. (Etora and Riounde appear to be more locally named
areas, not towns, so they don't show up the maps I have found.)

30




     Each of the two major congregations has its own board. In addition, there
is an overall board for the General Church in Kenya whose focus is growth
outside of those congregations.

     The land is very hilly and very lush. This is predominately an
agricultural area so the people appear to work very hard yet do not have much
ready cash. Laborers can be hired for $1 per day, although land is rather
expensive since it has been subdivided repeatedly for inheritance and is
essential for producing income. Unlike farm land in the United States, this is a
fairly heavily populated area, so there are higher numbers available for schools
and churches than might be expected.

     A significant feature is the openness of the people there to religion. It
is a public topic of conversation and outreach efforts such as preaching on
street corners and the use of loud speakers is common. The population is
primarily Christian, with Protestantism predominating. The Seventh Day
Adventists have many churches and schools there. There is also a strong Mormon
presence as well. Muslims comprise about 10% of the population.

     Among the New Church people there, one of the elements that is very
prominent is their fierce desire to be "New Church" and "General Church." This
was seen in many ways. They are adamant that their teaching has to convey the
distinctiveness of the New Church. They openly preach the Second Coming, the
internal sense of the Word, life after death, and conjugial love. We saw
Religion and Life, which is extracts from Apocalypse Explained on the internal
sense of the Ten Commandments, being used as a textbook in the classrooms of the
Riounde school. Organizationally, they emphasized to me that they want to do
things in the General Church way. Samson and Khalid even requested that I do New
Church weddings for them at their Church services, although both have been
married for many years.

31


(They wanted this to "complete" their
African weddings, and to serve as an example for their congregations of how
people should get married. I adapted our Blessing on Marriage ceremony to be as
close to a wedding ceremony as possible to provide for this.)

     They also place a strong emphasis on evangelization and growth. They view
the schools and orphanages as means to this end. The ministers are active in
regular community outreach efforts. And they are establishing smaller groups
wherever there is an interest.

     Arriving There

     We flew into Nairobi and had to spend the night there before setting out
for Kisii. We could not fly to Kisumu (still several hours north of Kisii)
because they were working on the airport there. It was about a 6 hour drive, but
journeying through the Rift Valley was fascinating. We saw a giraffe wandering
along the side of the road, a couple of baboons, and several small groups of
antelope (Springboks). And the Maasai tribesmen were a regular feature -
standing tall with their herds and flocks. The road is now paved for all but
about 1 mile, so the trip is easier than earlier travelers have found.

     Etora

     The congregation in Etora was founded in 2003 by Samson. They were meeting
in rented facilities for Church and school until this year when Duncan Smith,
through his Uses Worldwide organization, purchased land with a small house on
it. (More on Duncan and his activities there later.) This is where they hold
their school, saving rental fees. They have also constructed wood walls and
rafters for their temporary Church building. (The tarps they spread over the
rafters for Church kept out much of the direct sunlight!)

     The property is on the paved road between Kisii town and Ogembo, closer to
Ogembo.

32


I cannot stress how important this is - in a land with
few paved roads and the General Church tendency to hide churches in out-of-the-
way places, this is a great opportunity to be visible. The property is actually
a plot divided into three lots, and they have purchased the middle lot - mainly
because of the small house that was on it. They need to purchase the lot that
adjoins the road so they can erect their permanent church building there. The
owners would like to sell it to them, and they are in process of determining a
price.

     We held Church services in Etora our first Sunday there. The service was
broadcast to the surrounding community with two large speakers. Many people came
during the service, so eventually a number of people were standing outside,
looking in. I did not get an exact count, but there had to have been close to
100 children and at least 200 adults, and probably more.

     The service was filled with singing and a sense of joyousness. There were
many prayers also, which is a feature there. Prayers are offered at the
beginning and end of every gathering and one feels that it is much more in the
lifeblood of the people than it is with Westerners. I gave a children's talk and
sermon, baptized four young people - two of Samson's high school age children
(one adopted). After that I ordained Samson into the Second Degree and accepted
him into the General Church.

     We then took a short break, with the people remaining in their seats, so
that Samson could get out of his robe for the blessing on his and Jackline's
marriage. Samson and Jackline had the full program - about 10 children in a
formal procession, a white wedding dress, exchange of rings, and vows. There
were also a couple of local variations. Both husband and wife proceeded forward
with their own parents, who then gave their children to each other at the start
of the ceremony. Then, immediately after the blessing on the couple, they were
seated in the front of the Church with well wishers coming forward with hugs,
kisses and gifts - a reception as part of the service.

33


A
luncheon was then served to everyone, probably around 2:00 pm or so. A very
joyous occasion.

     Samson's outreach efforts are also impressive. On just about a weekly
basis he leads a team of lay people in going door to door, offering to talk to
people about the spiritual truths of the New Church. On most Saturdays he does
open air preaching in Ogembo at the marketplace - a large gathering area. (This
is not unusual and there are others also preaching there.) Five to eight times
each year they hold 3 day instructional seminars or camps for members which also
attract visitors. And he uses his loud speakers to read and then give short
instruction on chapters from Heaven and Hell to the surrounding community early
in the mornings.

     Their congregation also provides a state sanctioned counseling location
for HIV victims. One might presume that this involves some type of medical
treatment, but it does not. Rather, they teach people about morality between the
sexes, regeneration, conjugial love, and the life after death to prepare them
for what lies ahead. So it is a marvelous opportunity to share the Heavenly
Doctrines in the community.

     Samson also has an orphanage of 34 children. They do not reside on site,
as Khalid's do, but are farmed out to church members. The members are given a
small amount of money to feed the orphans. There are apparently a large number
of orphans in Kisii. Much of it is due to diseases such as malaria and AIDS, but
the tribal violence of last year has produced more. One of Khalid's orphans
watched his parents murdered before his face. Khalid's number increased to 50,
the maximum Loving Arms Mission, who is funding it, will allow him to ensure
safe sanitation and supervision. It is hard not to take in orphans there because
the need is so great, in addition to their great love of children.


34




     Etora School

     The school in Etora is a preschool through the 4th grade. They have been
gradually adding grades and hope to complete

     through 8th grade. Most of the teachers are not church members, but are
newly trained teachers. Samson does screen them to make sure they will support
the New Church doctrinal curriculum. While the school must follow the general
Kenyan school curriculum for standardized exams, including religious
instruction, they attempt to integrate the General Church religion curriculum
into it. Victor, one of the young men who wishes to study for the ministry,
provides doctrinal support to the teachers and also teaches in the school.
Because the pay is so low, less than half of what a public school teacher makes,
these teachers will remain with them for 2-4 years as a kind of training, until
they can obtain an appointment to a government school. Academically, they appear
to be a doing a very good job since the school's scores are high enough for them
to be invited to participate in a region-wide testing program. As Samson said,
this puts them on the educational map in that area and will help with recruiting
in the future.

     Funding for the school is meager. The same is true for the school in
Riounde and in the Maasai area. The General Church, through the Office of
Outreach, has been sending some funds, but these are very limited. They charge
tuition, but collecting it is often not successful - and when one adds in the
fact of how many orphans are in their schools, their tuition base is not great.

     Samson plans to add a 5th grade next year. When I asked him how he was
going to pay for it, he said "We will sacrifice more."

     Maasai

     We spent Wednesday visiting the Maasai group. It is about a four hour
drive, so we left very early in the morning and got back very late in the
evening. Khalid and his wife Josephine, Samson and Jackline, Nicks, and Duncan
Smith all came with us.

35




     There, we joined up with Isaac, a man from Kisii who teaches in a school
in Maasai land. He is the lay leader of the Maasai group and preaches there
every Sunday - using General Church sermons Khalid gives him. He also is hoping
to train for the ministry. Khalid had somehow gotten this group going by talking
about the Church with a friend of his from the area. (The Maasai and Kisii
people are not inherently friendly with each other and there has been conflict
between them, making this all the more remarkable.)

     This area is very close to the massive game preserve of Masai Mara, with
wild animals apt to wander about outside the grounds - we saw a number of zebras
in the area and the children are rightfully concerned about the presence of wild
animals. An elephant recently killed someone bathing in a local river. The land
is primarily "bush" with many open spaces. And it is something of the wild west
there. They showed us a corral where they keep some of their cattle. It was
empty and we were informed that a tribe from Tanzania had recently stolen those
cattle. When asked if the police or government could help, they gave us an odd
look and indicated that they had their own ways of getting the cattle back.

     We then had a full Church service in their small one room stick and mud
structure they had constructed for a church and school. There were over 30
children present, since they

     comprise the preschool through 1st grade. There were also probably about
30 adults. There was much singing and a unique style of Maasai dancing that goes
with the singing - it looks like jumping up with a forward lunge. When 15-20 of
them do this in a group it is very impressive, especially seeing the joy in
their faces as they are singing praises to God.

     Their school has one teacher for the preschool through 1st grade.


36


A real challenge is providing funding for this teacher and to
develop facilities. For example, they do not even have pit toilets or anywhere
books can be stored, of which they have almost none.

     Apparently they were very pleased with the meeting because after a late
lunch when we were a few miles down the road, with the afternoon rains beginning
to cascade down, we had to turn around and collect a goat they were giving us
for the Sunday celebration at Riounde. He fit rather well in the back of our
van!

     Oh, and I should add, that a section of the nearby road was primarily mud,
about a foot deep. If it had not been for five local youths who pushed our van
through, we never would have made it up the hill. As it was, we all had to walk
and no one escaped without some earthy reminders of the road.

     [Photograph of Etora school children and faculty.]

     Etora New Church School - preschool - grade 4

37




     [Photograph of Riounde's church building during the overflow service.]

     Riounde on Sunday

     There were over 700 people at Church which included a worship service,
baptisms, ordination, and renewal of Khalid and Josephine's wedding vows. The
area chief, assistant chiefs, and a member of parliament were among those who
came.

38


"THERE'S GOLD IN THEM THERE HILLS" 2010

"THERE'S GOLD IN THEM THERE HILLS"       DUNCAN SMITH       2010


----------
     [Photograph of Duncan Smith accepting gifts.]

     Duncan Smith honored in Riounde, for all his work and help for the New
Church in Kenya.

39




     The world is a gold-mine of opportunity for New Church growth! We should
not miss the opportunity to capitalize on this, especially where there are
interested people from all walks of life seeking more information on these
truths now revealed. Much of our evangelization of these peoples can be done at
a very reasonable cost, a fraction of what we are used to spending here in the
'new world,' because many of them are in what we know as third world! A
relatively small investment can have a big effect. It really is a small burden
that may then affect so many souls.

     Over the past eighteen years I have been blessed to serve growing New
Church groups in Ghana, Mexico, the Philippines, Kenya, and the Ukraine [now
part of the free world]. Just a little bit of support and interest has made it
possible for New Church schools and places of worship to be built, for New
Church Libraries and books to be made available

     The third world and now free world show the greatest potential; all of
eastern Europe and Africa are fertile ground. The people are poor and hungry or
just hungry for what has been withheld from them. Much of Africa has poor
populations that have not had the distractions we have had in our materialistic
world. The cultural developments of our European heritage have not come their
way; or if it has, corruption already consumed any benefits to the population.
Their reception of spiritual teachings are a welcome source of hope for a real
and better life. They are content that the Lord is leading them, even though for
the present life is hard, and for some very hard! They highly regard the truths
given as a start of something new, and when they recognize the existence of the
growing New Church, it is most often regarded as "mother church."


40




     My first experience of evangelizing in the U.S. had little result, yet in
comparison with later experiences starting in Ghana, the same effort with less
capital had an overwhelming effect. There were people wanting what we had, and
there were those in place to make it happen. They just needed a little support,
and all their efforts have continued to produce fruits. Yes, the support does
need to be managed, giving to where there is more than one beneficiary.

     The greatest value can be gained in the building of schools; it provides
the best future for all generations. The greatest society use of our New Church
has been education of our children. Our dedicated people in poor Africa who are
working on this, are not much different from the early efforts of New Church men
and women in Manchester, England to develop "cheap schools" to give children a
foundation for development. That was the start of public schools.

     In the Ukraine and eastern Europe, the Russian speaking people are eager
for the truths revealed through "Baron Swedenborg." They have been the hungry
souls, withheld from religion. But now they can buy translated works from a
Swedenborg Center in Dnepropetrovsk Ukraine, or from bookstores across their
land. And if our information is correct, they are selling by the hundreds of
thousands! The publishers are responding by printing to the public demand;
profit is their motive.

     Most recent activities in Kenya, East Africa show great promise of
substantial Church growth. They have organized as the General Church of Kenya.
Three ministers are serving to spread the Church. Missionizing the Church is an
active part of their life. There are two societies and three schools, having a
combined population of over 300 students up to 8th grade. There are hopes for
starting a high school to serve the older children this coming year.


41


They are so worth it. This past year substantial improvements
have been made to better enable them to carry on their work: including the
opening of: a girl's dorm, washrooms, a pavilion and a Swedenborg library.

     May we all do our part to spread the Church throughout the world. The
opportunities could not be better or more rewarding.

     Respectfully submitted

     Duncan G. Smith

     Uses Worldwide


42


Notes on This Issue 2010

Notes on This Issue       Editor       2010


----------

     Announcements




----------
     Many people only have to hear the name Rev. Kurt Ho. Asplundh, to
recall the solid fare in sermon material. Here Kurt examines exactly how
Swedenborg was given to be the instrument of the Second Advent, which we make
note of around the time of Swedenborg's birthday (Jan. 29, 1688) at this time of
the year. We know "unique" does not decline, but exactly how unique was
Swedenborg's call?

     We mark the passing of our dear friend, the Rev. Donald Leslie Rose, with
his memorial address, Bishop Tom Kline officiating. Don's contributions are
legendary, and we warm at our thoughts of him, also with much sympathy to his
family. The address is like meeting Don again, and seeing him already at work.

     A short article, Seeing New Beginnings, by Don Rose which appeared in the
Hurstville Courier in 2002 is submitted in his honour, by Bill Hall, Queensland,
and serves as a good example of Don's ability to draw attention in useful
directions.

     The Rev. Norman Riley informs us of the secret strength we possess as
potential missionaries for the New Church, in "Go and Preach to Every Creature."
The power to take up serpents translates into something we are familiar with.
Many other powers may encourage us to try missionary work for the New Church.

     The joyful visit to Kenya by Bishop Brian Keith is here concluded from the
January issue. We are encouraged by all the interest and activity of the New
Church in this part of Africa.

     This year 2010, Emanuel Swedenborg turns 322! Can you draw a fairly good
picture of him? A couple of portraits can be found, and also how to access many
more on the web.

47


SWEDENBORG'S MISSION 2010

SWEDENBORG'S MISSION       Rev. KURT H. ASPLUNDH       2010


----------
     A SERMON

     "The Second Coming of the Lord is effected by means of a man to whom the
Lord has manifested Himself in person, and whom He has filled with his spirit,
that He may teach the doctrines of the new Church from the Lord by means of the
Word" (True
Christian Religion 779-780 heading).

     The remarkable claim of the New Church is that the Lord has made His
promised Second Coming and has established a new Christian Church which is the
New Jerusalem. Perhaps even more remarkable is how this happened.

     The Lord clearly taught that He would make a second coming. When His
disciples asked when it would happen, the Lord spoke of many signs and wonders
that would announce His coming, and that they would then see Him coming "in the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (Matthew 24: 30). Many
followers of the Lord believed this would happen just as described in their
lifetime. As time passed, however, and Christ did not appear, the Church began
to revise its predictions of the time of His coming. Some sects of Christians
have read the signs of the times and have set specific dates for the great
judgment day only to be disappointed time and again when the day passed without
incident. Many Christians have ceased to wonder about the Second Coming, content
to live according to simple Christian principles without concern for theological
speculations.

     The fact is that the Lord has made His Second Coming and that it "concerns
the eternal welfare of all Christians" (Swedenborg's Letter to the King, Tafel
Documents 245 X). Unless the Lord had come again to establish a true Christian
religion in place of the former, no man could be saved; indeed the human race on
earth would have perished.

48




     The source of confusion about the Second Coming is the idea that the Lord
will return to earth in person. It is written that we shall see Him coming in
the clouds of heaven. "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see
Him..." (Revelation 1:7). It is assumed that the Lord will return
as a great king and judge of the earth and will then rule forever. This is a
literalistic and misleading interpretation of what the Word actually teaches.

     The statements about the Lord's coming are explained in a new way for the
New Church. It is possible to have an entirely new and rational understanding of
the nature of His coming. "The Lord is now to appear in the Word," we are told.
"He is not to appear in person..." (True Christian Religion 777).

     What is a coming of the Lord? Is it anything but a manifestation of He
Himself? In His first coming, the Lord revealed Himself by means of the body of
flesh and blood which He took on from Mary. In His Second Coming, the Lord has
revealed Himself in another way. He has made His Divine qualities manifest by
revealing them in the Word. He has opened for us the spiritual meaning of the
Scriptural accounts and made His nature visible to our rational mind. The
Writings teach the reason for this: "Since [the Lord] ascended into heaven He is
in His glorified Human," we are told. This is beyond our natural powers of
sight. We cannot see this "glorified Human" with our natural eyes. It can be
seen only with the eyes of the spirit, eyes ordinarily closed until the time of
our death when we awaken in the spiritual world. If the Lord were to return to
earth now no one would see Him. "It is idle therefore, to believe that the Lord
will appear in the clouds of heaven in Person; but He is to appear in the
Word..." (True
Christian Religion 777).

     But let us return to the imagery of Scripture.

49


"They shall
see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory"
(Matthew 24:
30). The "clouds of heaven" refer to the visible teachings of
Scripture, what the Heavenly Doctrine calls "the sense of the letter of the
Word." The "power and glory" in the statement refer to the invisible spirit of
Scripture which illuminates and gives inner strength to the letter.

     The image of a cloud is used to picture the visible Scriptures because the
Divine truth as it proceeds from the Lord into the heavens takes on the
appearance of clouds. Just as we are shielded from the naked brilliance and heat
of the sun in our natural world by means of atmospheres and clouds, so we are
shielded spiritually from the full brilliance and power of Divine truth. It must
be covered, as it were, moderated and adapted to the ability of our
understanding.

     A cloud can become dense, darkening the sun's rays completely. So, the
sense of the letter of the Word in itself may obscure the truth that it is
intended to convey rather than transmit light to us in a measure that we can
receive.

     One of the beautiful sights on earth is a sunrise. Here, the clouds are
dramatically touched with the glory of the sun's rays. We can think of this
moving moment of brilliant color as a demonstration of the true marriage of the
letter and spirit of the Word. The clouds are the letter; the sun and its glory,
flaming in the clouds, the spirit.

     In His Second Coming, the Lord has opened the heavens so that the
brilliance of Divine truth may illumine His Word on earth.

     But how did the Lord effect this? We are told that He did it by means of a
man. Much as He used men to write the Scriptures which prophesied and recorded
the events of His first coming, so the Lord raised up and prepared a man to be
the instrument of His Second Coming. Moses, Isaiah, and John were notable among
those divinely inspired to set down in writing the sacred scriptures.


50


These men were human and are not worshipped, nor did they claim
any credit to themselves for their part in conveying the Lord's teachings. The
same may be said of Emanuel Swedenborg who was called by the Lord to be the
instrument of the Second Coming. He was a man. We do not worship him. He did not
claim credit for his works. "It has pleased the Lord to open the sight of my
spirit, and to teach me," he says. "Do not believe, therefore, that I have taken
anything...from myself" (Arcana Coelestia 1886) "...nor has any spirit dared or
any angel wished to tell me anything, still less to instruct me, about any
matter in the Word...but I have been taught by the Lord alone" (Divine Providence
135).

     The Writings explain how the Second Coming took place. It was effected 'by
means of a man to whom the Lord has manifested Himself in person, and whom He
has filled with His spirit, that he may teach the doctrines of the New Church"
(True Christian
Religion 779). This was the mission of Emanuel Swedenborg, called by
the Lord in the year 1743 to perform a work for which he had been prepared from
childhood. Although Swedenborg was like the prophets and evangelists in being
inspired by the Lord, there were differences in the preparations and in the
revelation which make the Writings unique. Swedenborg declares in the little
work called The Invitation to the New Church "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...and this sense is the very sanctuary of
the Word....This surpasses all the revelations that have hitherto been made
since the creation of the world" (Invitation 44).

     There are three aspects of Swedenborg's call and mission that we would
note especially, things Swedenborg calls "greater than all miracles." These are:
the manifestation of the Lord to him; his intromission into the spiritual world
while he yet lived on earth, and the disclosure of the spiritual sense of the
Word (Invitation 43, 39, 52).

51




     We have seen that the Second Coming of the Lord could not be a coming
again of the Lord in person since in His glorified Human, His Divine Person is
invisible to people on earth. The Lord can be seen, however, by one whose
spiritual sight is opened. It was through the opening of his spiritual sight
that Swedenborg was able to see the Lord Himself. Swedenborg recorded this
remarkable incident in his Journal of Dreams: After a day of travel in which he
experienced spiritual thoughts more profound and beautiful than ever before,
Swedenborg records that he retired to bed. During the night he was shaken by a
powerful tremor which prostrated him on his face. Wholly awake, he exclaimed
words that were put into his mouth: "0 Almighty Jesus Christ that Thou of Thy
great mercy deignest to come to so great a sinner, make me worthy of this
grace." Then, folding his hands, he prayed. "Then came forth a hand which
squeezed my hands hard...." In the same moment "I lay in His bosom and saw Him
face to face. It was a countenance of a holy expression and...I believe that His
countenance was also such while He lived [upon earth]" (Journal of Dreams p.
22f).

     On a separate occasion in the year 1745, according to Swedenborg's report,
the Lord appeared to him again saying that He had chosen him [Swedenborg] to
declare to men the spiritual contents of scripture; and that He Himself would
declare to Swedenborg what he should write on this subject. From that day
Swedenborg gave up other studies and work and devoted his labor to things
spiritual (Robsahm's Memoirs #16, Tafel Documents 426).

     Are such appearances of the Lord actually possible, we might ask? We know
that it is possible for angels to see the Lord. Often, He is seen at a distance
as the sun; but also He appears in heaven in the form of an angel with the
Divine shining through from His face.

52


So Swedenborg declares, "I
have been taught by the Lord alone, who was revealed to me, and who has since
appeared and now appears constantly before my eyes as a Sun in which He is, in
the way that He appears to the angels, and has enlightened me" (Divine Providence
135; Invitation 55).

     The Second Coming of the Lord has taken place by means of a man to whom
the Lord has manifested Himself in Person, and whom He has commissioned to this
office (True
Christian Religion 779). Swedenborg not only received the doctrine
of the New Church in his understanding, but also published it. Printed books
were the medium of this revelation even as written manuscripts preserved the
Word of the Old and New Testaments until they could be printed and widely
published throughout the world. Our earth is said to have been chosen for both
the first and Second Coming of the Lord because the Word could here be written
and preserved to all posterity (Earths in the Universe 113-122).

     The second notable aspect of Swedenborg's mission was his introduction
into the spiritual world. That the Lord opened his spiritual senses and allowed
Swedenborg to converse with spirits and angels over a period of 28 years he
declares to be absolutely the truth. Other men have seen into the heavens:
Moses, the prophets, John on the isle of Patmos. People of most ancient times,
in fact, talked face to face with angels, but Swedenborg's intromission was
unique. Those who formerly spoke with angels did so only in natural light, he
explains, "but to me it is granted to be in both spiritual and natural light at
the same time" (Invitation 52 emphasis added). This remarkable dual
existence over more than a quarter of a century was unique. "Such intercourse,
as far as I know, has not been granted by the Lord to any one before,"
Swedenborg declares. "Being in the spiritual world, seeing the wonders of
heaven, and the pitiful things of hell; and being there in the very light of the
Lord in which the angels are, surpasses all miracles" (Invitation 39).


53




     Swedenborg could change alternately from one world to the other and "by
reflection" could look at one from the other. Through this dual existence
Swedenborg was able to learn, as no other man ever could, the distinctions and
differences between the two worlds and between people in the natural world and
people in the spiritual world. In no other way could the things of the spiritual
world be described to those in the natural world so as to be understood
rationally (Divine
Wisdom VII). This, we are told has been granted "for the sake of the
New Church, which is the crown of all the Churches, and which will endure
forever" (Invitation 39).

     The intromission of Swedenborg into the life and light of the spiritual
world while still living in the natural world was absolutely essential for the
accomplishment of the Lord's Second Coming. In this way, Swedenborg was prepared
to teach spiritual truths to the natural mind. Furthermore, the doctrine for the
New Church cannot be comprehended without a clear knowledge of the existence and
nature of the spiritual world. The life of the two worlds is intimately bound
together and an explanation of the spiritual sense of the Word would not be
understood without knowing the correspondential relation of the two worlds.

     "The manifestation of the Lord in person, and introduction by the Lord
into the spiritual world, both as to sight and as to hearing and speech,
surpasses all miracles," Swedenborg repeats, "for nowhere in history do we read
that such an intercourse with angels and spirits has been granted from the
creation of the world. For I am there with the angels daily, even as I am in the
world with men, and now for twenty-seven years" (Invitation 43).

     "By this means," he adds, "it has been granted to me to see the wonderful
things of heaven, to be among angels as one of them, and at the same time to
imbibe truths in light, and thus to perceive and teach them; consequently, to be
led by the Lord" (Invitation 52).

54




     The third notable aspect of the Lord's Second Coming is the revelation of
the spiritual sense of the Word. This, finally, is the glory in the cloud.

     The Writings distinguish the spiritual sense from the literal sense of the
Word. The spiritual sense is said to be within the letter as "the soul in the
body, as thought in the eyes, and as affection in the face, which act as a one,
like cause and effect. It is this sense chiefly which renders the Word
spiritual," we are told, "not for men only but for angels also; and therefore by
means of this sense the Word gives communication with the heavens" (Sacred Scripture 5).

     The revelation of the spiritual sense "surpasses," we are told, "all the
revelations that have hitherto been made since the creation of the world"
(Invitation
44). This sense is called "the very sanctuary of the Word." "Not a
single iota of this sense can be opened except by the Lord alone," Swedenborg
declares, and also that "through this revelation a communication has been opened
between men and the angels of heaven" (Invitation 44).

     This then is the final end for which the Lord made His Second Coming: that
there might be a conjunction of the natural world with the spiritual world and
that a communication of life between them might be preserved.

     By means of the opening of the spiritual sense of the Word and its
presentation in the doctrine of the Church, a way of understanding and seeing
the Lord has been opened. Just as the angelic heavens are continually bathed in
the light of His countenance, so now our minds may be enlightened by the
spiritual sense of the Word shining upon the ideas of thought we have drawn from
the sense of the letter of the Word. Because of this new light, the letter of
the Word becomes transparent to us and conveys the deeper truths of the
spiritual sense into our mind.

55


The Writings teach that the light
of heaven flows in to illuminate our rational mind, causing us to see and
recognize Divine truths, "both where they stand in plain view and where they lie
concealed" (Sacred
Scripture 41).

     We are told that it was of the Lord's providence that the spiritual sense
had been hidden from the world until the present age...and now it is again
opened through the instrumentality of a man, prepared and called by the Lord
Himself to undertake the most important mission ever assigned to a man. Yet
Swedenborg has humbly declared, "It is not my work, but the Lord's" (Spiritual Experiences 6101:
2).

     "I affirm...that from the first day of that call I have not received
anything whatever pertaining to the doctrines of that Church from any angel, but
from the Lord alone while I have read the Word" (True Christian Religion
779).

     "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him..."
(Revelation 1:
7). "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with
power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look
up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21: 27f).
Amen.

Lessons: Matthew
24: 3-22, 29-31; Five Memorable Relations (15-19 pts.)

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     [Photograph of Rev. Kurt Ho. Asplundh.]

     Kurt Horigan Asplundh was inaugurated into the priesthood in 1960, and
served in the Pastoral Degree since 1962, in Pittsburgh, as Principal of Bryn
Athyn Church School, and both as Dean and Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society. He
was Editor of New Church Life
from 2005 to
2007. He lives in retirement with his wife Martha (Lindsay), in Bryn
Athyn, Pennsylvania.

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MEMORIAL ADDRESS FOR REV. DONALD L. ROSE 2010

MEMORIAL ADDRESS FOR REV. DONALD L. ROSE       Rev. THOMAS L. KLINE       2010


----------
     December 22nd, 2009, Bryn Athyn Cathedral

     We are gathered here to remember our beloved friend Don Rose.

     In remembering Don, we begin with a quote from the Heavenly Doctrines of
the New Church: "Priests who teach truths and by means of them lead to the good
of life, and thus to the Lord, they are the good shepherds of the sheep; the
very shepherds spoken of in the Gospel of John" (Arcana Coelestia 10794).

     Think of how these words reflect the Lord's life on earth as the Good
Shepherd.

     The teaching shepherd: the picture of Jesus giving the Sermon on the
Mount, and the multitudes, astonished at His authority; or Jesus touching the
eyes of the blind that they may see.

     The merciful shepherd: that picture of Jesus taking the little children up
in His arms and blessing them, or the words, "They that are whole have no need
of the physician, but they that are sick" (Matthew 9:12).

     The pastoral shepherd: the Lord visiting the sick and those in prison.

     The healing shepherd: Jesus touching the lame, the blind and the sick.

     The shepherd willing to lay down his life: Jesus said, "I am the good
shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10). "A greater
love hath no man than this, than to lay down his life for his friends"
(John
15:13).

     At Christmastime we celebrate the Lord being born on earth for the purpose
of the salvation of the whole human race.

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It was an act of
Divine Love, Jehovah God coming down from heaven to dwell with us as the Word
made flesh. At Christmastime we celebrate the Lord's love and care for all of
humankind. He is the good shepherd.

     We began with the quote: "Priests who teach truths and by means of them
lead to the good of life, and thus to the Lord, they are the good shepherds of
the sheep; the very shepherds spoken of in the Gospel of John" (Arcana Coelestia
10794).

     This brings to mind the life of our good friend the Rev. Donald Leslie
Rose. Don Rose was a priest of the New Church for fifty-two years. He dedicated
his life to that love which the Writings suggest is the core love of the priest
and pastor, that is, the priest's love for the salvation of souls (Heavenly Doctrine
317). Teaching, writing, preaching, visiting, counseling and
touching the lives of little children, Don's life was that of the true shepherd
and his love for the sheep.

     Don was born here in Bryn Athyn in 1931, the 12th child of Don and
Marjorie Rose. He attended the Bryn Athyn Schools, graduating from the Academy
College and Theological School. After ordination, his first pastorate was
Hurstville, Australia and visiting pastor to New Zealand. It was here that Don
and Noelene met, fell in love and were married.

     Just think of all of the uses Don was involved in as a priest of the New
Church. He was pastor of the Sydney Society, pastor of the London Society as
well as visiting pastor to The Hague, Paris and West England countryside. He was
pastor of the Pittsburgh Society and the Freeport area. He was an assistant
pastor for the Bryn Athyn Society for twenty-seven years. Don was the Editor for
New Church Life for twenty-five years. He was a member of the Swedenborg
Foundation for twenty-four years. He published many books including "The World
Knew Him Not," "Come and See," "Conversations with Angels," "Debates with
Devils," and just recently, "Chance, Good Fortune and Divine Providence;" and in
the last few weeks, "Coincidence Viewed from Above."

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     He performed many uses, serving the Church - but what was the man behind
these uses?

     Don was a true student of the Writings. He loved the Heavenly Doctrines.
You could ask Don for a particular passage from the Writings and without looking
it up he could give you the paragraph number. He could tell you how many times a
particular word appeared. He approached the Divine truths revealed in the Word
with innocence and humility.

     Don was an evangelist. He wanted to share the good news that he had found
with others. This was the reason for his many books. This was the reason for his
work with the Swedenborg Society in England and his work with the Swedenborg
Foundation in America. Early on, Don Rose and Grant Doering became active in the
Swedenborg Foundation, taking the train up to New York to serve on committees
and boards. This was at a time when few people from the General Church were
invited to be part of the Foundation. Yet, through Don and Grant's gentle
leadership a General Church presence has become welcomed and embraced.

     Evangelization: Every month Don would submit editorials to the local
newspaper, the Intelligencer, and every month they would print his words, more
times than any other minister in the Delaware Valley. He would always begin his
articles with some relevant subject and somehow work his way to Emanuel
Swedenborg's words on the subject. All 144 of his articles printed in the
Intelligencer are going to be put into a book - a book to bring the Heavenly
Doctrines to people in a relevant way.

     Don Rose was a pastor. To hear Don read the Word, with a smile on his face
and joy in his heart, was like beholding the Lord's love within those words.


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He loved to preach, give classes, teach in New Church schools,
and visit the sick and shut-in. He was a leader for New Church Societies.

     Don Rose was a letter-writer. He was a letter-writer before the days of
email. How many of us have received Don Rose letters, speaking on some point of
doctrine, Church activity, or just a letter of friendship? Once a woman's
husband was concerned that this man was writing so many letters to his wife! Her
answer, "Oh, it is just Don Rose, and he writes to everyone in the world."
Sometimes his letters were just snippets of a page, typed out, cut and stuffed
in an envelope.

     Don Rose was a comedian. You could always say, "Don, tell a joke" and
without hesitation you would hear the one about the three blind men in a bar or
the priest and rabbi on the golf course.

     It has been said that Don had two great loves in his life: Noelene Rose
and sports.

     Marriage: Noelene is a key part of Don's ministry as pastor's wife. They
had five children born on three continents: Greg, Angela, Michelle, Gavin and
Moya.

     Sports: Don loved the physical challenge of sports; not his physical
challenge, but watching others strive for greatness through physical excellence.
At the time of the Olympics he would always weave sports and competition into
his sermons and chapel talks.

     When Don was a young man in France attending the university in Grenoble,
he happened to walk by a sports field where a pole-vaulting competition was
being held. Not having sport attire with him, he ran home, put on his pajama
bottoms as the best he could do for sports trousers, ran back, entered the
competition and won. His picture appeared in the newspaper with both trophy and
pajamas!

     Don has dealt with the disease of cancer for the last year. The cancer
never got him down or kept him from doing the things he loved doing for the
Church.

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Two months ago he gave a Church service sitting down;
nothing would stop him. One great ambition was to see his two recent books
published, to hold them in his hands before he died. He realized that goal.

     Three weeks ago it seemed that Don was ready to make the transition from
this world to the next. He was in a state of consciousness and in a state of
talking with angels and seeing people in the next life. At one point he said
that he saw the "Temple of Wisdom," that beautiful heavenly temple referred to
in the Writings. Don was in this state between the two worlds for twenty-two
hours. And then suddenly he said, "I am awake" and he was back in this world.

     During the next few weeks Don was in and out of consciousness. His family
wrote down many of the things he said at his times of consciousness. One time he
woke up and said, "One thing I have learned in life - if you have a good
feeling, act on it - I see this more clearly than I have before - it is the Lord
who does the workings." At another time he woke up and said, "When we read the
Word, we may say that we have read that part of the Word before - and this is
the Lord's doing - He knows on a given day what truth will strike us." Don was
active with the life of religion even to the end.

     Throughout his life Don studied, preached and wrote about the reality of
heaven, angels and the spiritual world. Imagine Don now experiencing that
reality.

     Don did have one favorite passage from the Writings and I want to end by
reading portions of this passage, because this passage describes Don and his
gentle trust in the Lord. Picture Don Rose in these words:

     "Those who trust in the Divine are altogether different. Though concerned
about the morrow, yet are they unconcerned, in that they are not anxious, let
alone worried, when they give thought to the morrow.

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They remain
even-tempered whether or not they realize their desires, and they do not grieve
over loss; they are content with their lot. If they become wealthy they do not
become infatuated with wealth; if they are promoted to important positions they
do not consider themselves worthier than others. If they become poor they are
not made miserable either; if lowly in status they do not feel downcast. They
know that for those who trust in the Divine all things are moving towards an
everlasting state of happiness, and that no matter what happens at any time to
them, it contributes to that state" (Arcana Coelestia 8478).

     May the Lord continue to bless Don's ministry. "Well done, good and
faithful servant."

     Amen

     [Photograph of Rev. Don Rose.]

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SEEING NEW BEGINNINGS IN LIFE'S LONG JOURNEY 2010

SEEING NEW BEGINNINGS IN LIFE'S LONG JOURNEY       Rev. DONALD ROSE       2010


----------
     (Reprinted from the New Church Courier, Sydney, Australia, June
2002. Submitted by Bill Hall, Queensland, in honour of Don Rose.)

     The first word in the Bible is "b'reshith," which means "in the
beginning." Its application extends to all the instances of beginnings in human
life. In the last chapter of the Bible Jesus says, "I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the Beginning and the End." And He there calls Himself "the Bright and
Morning Star."

     A friend of mine recently dedicated a new church building. Those who
laboured to build the church sought to find a name that would be acceptable to
them all. When someone suggested calling it "The Morning Star Chapel," there was
instant approval. The imagery had just the right inspirational quality. A star
in a dark sky is inspiring, but this is true in a special way of a star in a sky
that is gradually becoming brighter! The bright and morning star may be a symbol
for each of us as we look to the possibilities of a new year.

     Another friend is fond of invoking a Latin phrase: "carpe diem."
Dictionaries associate this phrase with the idea of holding one's focus on the
present moment. We grasp this day of our lives, heeding the words of the Psalm:
"This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
Grasp the day; seize the moment.

     I personally have often turned at the time of a new beginning to a saying
in a theological book of Emanuel Swedenborg. Here is what it says: "Every
smallest moment of man's life involves a series of consequences extending into
eternity, each moment being as a new beginning to those which follow, and so
with all and each of the moments of his life, both of his understanding and of
his will." This is paragraph 3854 of "Heavenly Secrets."

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That is the version with which I have been familiar for many years. A new
translation from the Latin does not speak of a "man" but of "a person." The
original Latin has no gender implication. So here is a new version to which I am
to become accustomed. "Every smallest fraction of a moment of a person's life
entails a chain of consequences extending into eternity. Indeed, every one is
like a new beginning to those that follow, and so every single moment of the
life of both his understanding and of his will is a new beginning."

     I invite you to consider how precious are the moments and the days that
lie immediately before you. The moments have consequences, not just for you but
for the people whose lives you touch. Even if you have had regrettable moments
in the past, the moment at hand is there as an opportunity. Seize those moments,
not just as your own, but as moments made by God.

     The Psalm says to rejoice in the day. Does this mean merely to eat, drink
and be merry? Merriment has its place, but think of another kind of rejoicing in
the day or the moment made for us by the Lord. Reach out in that moment in the
name of God and feel the joy that He intends for you, making a difference for
good in this world.

65


GO AND PREACH TO EVERY CREATURE 2010

GO AND PREACH TO EVERY CREATURE       Rev. NORMAN E. RILEY       2010


----------
     "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature"
(Mark
16:15). With these words, the Disciples received their charge to
carry out the work for which the Lord had prepared them.

     The Disciples themselves had not been chosen by the Lord because they were
better than others, but because of their various temperaments required by the
Lord, for the ultimate of those things which He was effecting on the Spiritual
plane for mankind, and on the Divine plane for the sake of His glorification.
This had been made clear to them on several occasions. Had He not said to them,
"You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that you should
go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain"? (John 15:1416).

     In His name, they had also been commanded to preach and baptize.

     It is of interest to note that in carrying out their command to baptize in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, they never used
that formula, but on every occasion they used the name Lord Jesus, thereby
acknowledging that this is the name of the Trinity. It was in a later age that
leaders of the Christian Church divided the Trinity into separate persons,
ignoring what the Lord had said, that it was to be in His name.

     The twelve, being disciplined in the truths of their Lord and Master, were
able to go forth and preach the gospel with conviction and certainty. These were
the truths that prepared the way for the Second Coming. In this they also
received the comforting words of the Lord, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto
the consummation of the age" (Matthew 27:20).

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     It was these Twelve whom the Lord had chosen that were called together by
Him and sent throughout the whole spiritual world, to preach the gospel that the
"Lord God Jesus Christ reigns, whose kingdom shall be unto ages of ages"
(True Christian
Religion 791).

     However, we should not let our minds dwell on persons, but think rather of
the qualities of life from the Lord which they represented. We therefore read in
The True
Christian Religion 300, "The names of persons and places in the Word
do not mean persons and places, but things of the Church." We are also informed
that the twelve disciples represented all the goods and truths of the Church,
the Church which has to be formed in us. We are warned not to look to the
literal sense of the former Revelations of the Word, but to their meaning in
relation to our life in the process of our regeneration. This is the purpose for
which the Word of the Second Advent has been given.

     So now we look at what the meaning for us is by the injunction, to "go
into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature." It is for us to
first be disciplined by the truth that there might be a going forth by it into
the world of our own self, which has been formed by what has been received by
our bodily senses.

     When we do this, then the signs mentioned in Mark 16, in verses 17 and 18
directly after this charge in Mark 16:15, will be able to take place. Not immediately,
but each according to what the truth reveals in opposition to it in our love of
self. For when the truth has been sought for the sake of life, then such evils
can be overcome. The Lord Himself assures us that He has overcome the world, and
therefore we only need to keep steadfastly to the truth, and what is in
opposition will have no power.

     Here are the signs (Mark 16:17-18):

     "Cast out devils." This is to shun the evils of self as sins because they
are contrary to the Divine ends of life.

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     "Speak with new tongues." I.e. receive an enlightened understanding and
thereby to see what is of spiritual worth.

     "Take up serpents." This is to subdue the fallacies of the senses.

     "Drink any deadly thing." This means be able to test and reject the
falsities that come into our thoughts.

     "Lay hands on the sick and they shall be healed." By the power of truth,
meant by the hands, you can restore to health whatever had become infested by
self-interest alone (cf. Apocalypse Explained 706:14).

     If the truth, as said, is for the sake of life, we have nothing to fear.
Only when either a rejection of the truth or a faith alone rules, then the order
of life is halted and man remains in the life of self alone. We cannot be born
into the order of life since this would be a state of compulsion which is
contrary to the very nature of Divine love. The Lord has made possible the means
by His revelations through the ages, whereby we can advance toward the order. Is
it not stated that He who wills an end also provides the means?

68


MERCY ITSELF: WHY EVIL PEOPLE SUCCEED 2010

MERCY ITSELF: WHY EVIL PEOPLE SUCCEED       Editor       2010


----------
     There are people making it their 100% business to fleece others
through the mail and internet system. Those are the scam artists, the identity
theft criminals. Out of 1000 mailings or attempts, they probably "succeed" with
about 10%, and out of them they "earn" enough ill-gotten gains to live on. They
of course need to send out 100,000 scam letters to recoup enough to live in the
'black', - in more senses than one! Same with identity theft foxes. The wicked
person who is rich, however, uses riches to feed his wicked desires. Their
wealth however will turn into dust in the spiritual world! (Last Judgment 61). Such
people are mentioned in several well-known scripture passages: "These are like
the merchant who hid his talent underground, and hid his myna* in a napkin"
(Matthew
25:25; Luke 19:20). They are also like hard paths and rocks on
which seed falls (Matthew 13:4, 5); and like fig-trees with luxuriant
foliage, but which do not bear fruit (Mark 11:13). Their hearts are adamant and do
not turn to flesh (Zechariah 7:12). They are like partridges which gather
eggs but do not lay them, they amass riches, but unjustly; in the midst of their
days they leave them behind, and at the last become fools (Jeremiah
17:11). They are like the five virgins, who had lamps but no oil
(Matthew 25:1-
12)" (True Christian Religion 527:2).
     * Myna, one sixtieth of a talent, sometimes translated 'pound.'

     From Divine Mercy, however, the Lord came into the world to suffer the
most severe temptations, to "save those trapped in misery" (Arcana Coelestia 9528,
passim). He forgives us for just being human: "When on the Cross He prayed for
His enemies, and so for all people in the whole world" (Arcana Coelestia 1690),
"The Lord, being mercy itself, forgives everyone his sins, and does not hold
even one of them against a person.

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For the Lord says, 'They do
not know what they are doing.' But still this does not mean that the sins are
abolished" (True
Christian Religion 539:2). He knows that the material world and
natural body are only coverings of the spirit of man. Only the spiritual man is
judged, not the natural, which is "not guilty of any fault or crime, since it
does not live from itself." Therefore the judgment only takes place after the
"body is put off" (Last Judgment 30).

     In the other world, those who became unjustly wealthy are at first allowed
to amass the same great wealth they had on earth. For no one is judged by the
wickedness committed on earth, but only for "what they then do" (Heaven and Hell
509). We don't have to worry, however, that evil-doers then escape
their punishment - although it is worth noting that good people, even victims of
robbery, need not add their retaliation to the punishment of their tormentors,
since after death "they rush into doing evil and at the same time bring on
themselves the evils of their punishment,... which is pain and torment"
(Arcana Coelestia
5798). That is how "evil punishes itself' (Arcana Coelestia 696), by
the principle that those who do evil from the heart, the "Lord cannot protect."
Having stripped themselves of protection, they are then left to the punishment
which is "inseparable from their evil" (Heaven and Hell 550).

     This non-retaliatory response of good people even if they are victims,
after a trial where the culprits have been found guilty as charged, is summed up
by their statements that "justice has been served." This is actually the
attitude meant by "turning the other cheek." It means the willingness to give
good for evil! It does not mean "hit me again", but "I will not hurt you the way
you have hurt me." Besides turning the other cheek, such a positive attitude by
good people is also meant by "giving to those who ask" and "resist not evil"
(Apocalypse
Explained 556:8).

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"Vengeance is Mine, and
recompense, in time their foot shall slide; for the day of their destruction is
near, and the things that are to come upon them make haste" (Deut. 32:20,
26-
28, 3235) means "that [the evil-doers] are angry with the
Lord, and breathe vengeance against Him" (Apocalypse Revealed 806). Vengeance and
punishment are never "from the Lord, but from man" (Arcana Coelestia 9306:4).
The eternal law is that "The Lord Imputes Good To Every Man, But Hell Imputes
Evil To Every Man" (True Christian Religion 650. Title).

     And the fact that evil-doers seem to get away with all their evil deeds
done on earth without punishment, need not worry us, on three accounts: firstly,
law enforcement constantly catches up with criminals. Second, punishment does
catch up with him or her after death, for "it amounts to the same and is the
same thing whether it be said that they suffer punishment on account of their
evils in the world or that they suffer punishment on account of the evils they
do in the other life." The reason is meant by "can a leopard change its spots?"
(Jeremiah
13:23). Namely, "everyone after death returns into his own life and
thus into like evils; and the man continues the same as he had been in the life
of the body (n.
470-484)" (Heaven and Hell 509). And still, the Lord's mercy
wills that they should not be punished: there however is no other way of
subduing devils except by the pain of punishment. Talking to them is useless,
instructing devils is even more so: "They are punished because the fear of
punishment is the sole means of subduing evils in this state. Exhortation is no
longer of any avail, neither is instruction or fear of the law and of the loss
of reputation, since everyone then acts from his nature; and that nature can be
restrained and broken only by punishments" (Heaven and Hell 550).

     And of course, we relax a bit when we realize that we are not aspiring to
become like that. Still, "there but for the grace of God go I." We are in the
same boat, because if every infraction of ours were to be met instantly with the
commensurate pain of punishment, we'd all flare into an infernal temper tantrum
that would leave a sorry trail all the way down to the lowest hell.


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The human race would disappear in three seconds flat! That is
because our proprium will burst out of its boundary if the slightest Divine
intervention were felt. It would be like cancer or gangrene that would spread
and consume us entirely. That, believe it or not, is why "wars are permitted" to
prevent such hidden anger or evil from consuming the host as to his very spirit
(Divine Providence
251). Then he could not even live after death, let alone be
"insanely happy" but in hell. He would instead cease to be, which the Lord would
never allow.

     And, third, criminals not getting caught need not worry us, simply because
good people never get too excited about the wicked getting what they deserve!
"Turning the other cheek" means no vengeance, while a love of justice means
praising the Lord whenever evil is stopped. It also means supporting all our
law-enforcers, since as civilians and citizens of our own nation we are equally
under the same laws that are enforced on the wicked.

     So supposing that evil-doers will continue to be of the same wicked
caliber after death, when their last judgment finally reaches its zenith, one
should say nadir, which is when their internal evil desires can no longer remain
hidden, then various scenarios of a Last Judgment are played out, again and
again as each group believes it has succeeded in entering heaven: either gulfs
open up, or crevices, and they plunge into them of their own accord. They are
judged from mercy if they have love in them, but from justice if they by their
evil actions do not (cf. Arcana Coelestia 3921). For left to Divine Judgment
alone, everyone is condemned (Arcana Coelestia 1728). As was said, the Lord can no
longer protect them.

     And their wealth? Something like a great wind comes along and it turns
into dust, and is blown away. That is how their own love actually appears on
earth, but it is experienced only after death.

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Their exit from
the World of Spirits describes their real nature as seen in the light of heaven.

     We should also be reminded here that when someone is "cast into hell," the
falsity or evil which they had done, is not removed from them. Rather it remains
with them and links them to the "hells where such things exist" (Arcana Coelestia
7704). Because their evil is linked to hell, and they refuse to give
it up, their evil actually drags them, the doers of it, into hell. If they could
just "let go of it," which is repentance, it would not drag them down. For all
evils are "owned" by hell.

     Finally, upon entering hell, the pain that corresponds to their evil
desire now instantly tortures them. In the World of Spirits, the pains felt
there were just tokens of the torment to come once they enter hell (Apocalypse Revealed
784). The hatred of doing evil to other devils, but even more
against angels, and most of all to the Lord Himself, and the pain felt at
actually doing it, is all expressed in "hell fire."

     For people intent on equality, it should be satisfying to know that "no
one is exempt" from this law by virtue of rank: "king and commoners" alike
receive the same pain for carrying out their own evil. Since no evil rests
content in just contemplating evil, but longs to carry it out, the "pain" they
receive is so great that it exceeds their joy of doing the evil.

     Many devils at first question why they deserve such a lot as being in
hell. Well, "during some of their more quiet moments, they are reminded that
their punishment in hell stems from the evils they did in the world" (Arcana Coelestia
7721). If you are a victim of robbery or crime, knowing that
unrepentant devils that do such things are reminded of the evils they did,
perhaps can bring a degree of closure. Although condemnation is for evils done
after death, those who have caused pain by their evil works on earth are
reminded that they brought this on themselves, and that there was no mistake
that they are in hell.

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For everyone who is not saved, "it is his
fault, not the Lord's" (Divine Providence 327).

     Is anyone who goes to heaven guilty of evil-doing? Are we pure as the
driven snow? No, good people have also done evil. These evils however do not
condemn. They were "not done purposely in opposition to the truth, or from any
other badness of heart than that which they received by inheritance from their
parents, and that they were borne into this by a blind delight when they were in
externals separate from internals" (Heaven and Hell 509). Obviously, that
may change if a person makes a habit of evil. It takes a life-time of choices to
render our ruling love permanent. And so the law of repentance, or turning to
evil, is written for all time in Ezekiel:

     "If the wicked turn from his sin, and do judgment and righteousness, none
of his sins that he hath sinned shall be remembered against him; he hath done
judgment and righteousness; living he shall live. When the wicked turneth from
his wickedness, and doeth judgment and righteousness, for these he shall live
(Ezek.
33:14, 16, 19)" (Arcana Coelestia 9263:9). It means "If the evil man
becomes good, his evil is forgiven; if the good man becomes evil, his good is
not regarded. These things are Divine justice" (Prophet and Psalms, Ezekiel).

     It is hard to believe: but an evil person stopped directly in his tracks
by God's own hand, would instantly be consumed by his own infernal love. Some
Biblical phenomena, such as Sennacherib's army destroyed overnight by the "angel
of Jehovah" (2
Kings 19:35), just as with Sodom and Gomorrah, describes a like
self-inflicted destruction from "hell opened up" by man. (Arcana Coelestia 7879). A
cornered wild beast might give you another view of man's proprium in the act of
evil. That is not the time to exhort a devil to desist!

     The Lord God still wills that evil people turn away from evil. But who
will turn away from evil if they have been caught in the act, and felt the sting
of a whip-lash already?

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Would anyone be ready to talk reasonably
about it? Such a person would be in no mood to listen, but rather snarl in even
greater anger. And so evil-doers "get away with it." Only then can they notice
how much they are hurting innocent people, their victims. Perhaps to our
incredulous ears the Lord explains how it works:

     "The reason why the wicked prosper the more the craftier they are, is that
God's order prescribes that each person should act from reason in what he does,
and also by free choice." The freedom of the evil-doer is protected just so that
he can reform: "Unless therefore it was left to a person to act in freedom by
the light of his reason, and if too the tricks which he devises by the use of
his reason did not succeed, people could by no means be so disposed as to be
able to receive everlasting life. For this is introduced into a person when he
is in freedom and his reason is enlightened" (Heavenly Doctrine 271).

     So next time we wonder why so many crooks seem to get away with it, let us
remember: it takes time and the Lord's mercy to let the wicked man "forsake his
ways" and for the angels to rejoice that the "lost sheep has been found."

     Others may not want to remember, but rather complain against the Lord, and
"confirm [themselves] against the Divine Providence when he sees the impious
advanced to honors and become great in the state and leaders in the Church, and
that they abound in riches and live in luxury and magnificence, while he sees
the worshippers of God living in contempt and poverty" (Divine Providence 250).

     Yes, we are all in the same boat.

     Do you sometimes laugh at how crooks are caught? It is justice that
laughs. But we cannot be malicious about it, or add our own "sweet revenge"
since that would be to strike back rather than turn the other cheek. That is why
the Lord said "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

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Leave the Lord's rule alone, and let the penalty attached to the evil do its own
work. Let's not add to it our own "Take this!" That is hard for a good person,
isn't it? But that is what the Lord meant in the Sermon on the Mount, referring
to the wicked: "They shall have their reward." He could not even say "have their
punishment" since no punishment comes from God. The "reward of evil" is the pain
attached, since evil was invented by man. By turning good into evil, the reward
of joy attached to goodness stays attached, but now as pain to the evil. The
perpetrator "falls into the pit made for his enemy." The pain inflicted on
others is returned on the doer's head.

     It is relatively rare that any evil-doer, or criminal, once having entered
into the world of crime, is reformed. But it does happen. Such reformed
criminals are perhaps not welcomed everywhere, but there are programs in every
nation for returning such people to a productive society. They are often
welcomed besides on lecture circuits, to schools or prisons: "look at me, I quit
and life is much better." They also help in catching others, thus preventing
harm and returning a measure to the society they had hurt. We would love to see
more of this.

     We are of course all born with tendencies to evils of every kind. Only
tendencies are inherited, never the evils themselves. This allows parents to
discipline themselves first in order to teach and discipline their own children!
"They do not inherit or have transmitted to them the parents' actual affections
or resulting modes of life, but only tendencies to these.... [thus] it is
Divinely provided that corrupt inclinations may be rectified, and that a
capacity for this is also implanted. Resulting from this capacity are an ability
and power in people to mend their habits" (Conjugial Love 202). In fact, young
couples who follow the Lord's order of courtship, betrothal and marriage, and
avoid promiscuity before marriage, may then pass on a better heredity!


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"The offspring born of couples who are in a state of truly
conjugial love derive from their parents a conjugial connection between good and
truth, from which they have an inclination and faculty, if a son, to perceive
matters having do to with wisdom, if a daughter, to love the things that wisdom
teaches" (ibid.). That is why turning, or returning, to the legitimate marriage
couch carries such a hope for the future of the human race, more and more rid of
the tendencies from which spring so much harm we endure.

     In all of this we see the Lord's merciful hand. Overcoming tendencies to
evils before they turn into actions is the Lord's "easy yoke, His light burden."
The more we do it, the easier it becomes (True Christian Religion 523). Let us
"pray for our enemies," as the Lord did on the cross, so that they too can enter
heaven. "It is not as difficult to live the life that leads to heaven as some
suppose" (Heaven and Hell, 359, 528, title).

     Note: In my January 2010 editorial p. 17, I managed to extend the First
Ancient Church to one of the planets in the starry universe! The reference
(Arcana Coelestia
10709) refers to that earth and to angels, knowing levels of
meaning.

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REMEMBERING SWEDENBORG 2010

REMEMBERING SWEDENBORG       Editor       2010


----------
     Emanuel Svedberg, born Stockholm, Jan. 29, 1688, ennobled in 1719
with name changed to Swedenborg, died in London March 29, 1772.

     [Drawing of Swedenborg.]

     August Tholander 1876 portrait of Swedenborg, "leaving his room for a
walk."

     WHAT DID SWEDENBORG REALLY LOOK LIKE?

     Please visit the web site if you have access to a computer. You may start
at http://www.brynathyn.edu/academics/swedenborg-
library/electronicresources.html (cut and paste into "open" window), which is
Swedenborg Library, and follow the line to Digital Collections, same again, then
Swedenborgiana, then Images of Swedenborg, finally Protraits. You might also try

     http://digitalcollections.swedenborglibrary.org:8080/awweb/main.jsp?smd=
2&nid=155/160/288. I hope you enjoy all the ones on the web. We may wonder
what he looks like in heaven.

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     Two portraits of Swedenborg used for his 1734 Principia, the left by
Bernigroth, with an inscription "ad viv. Delin.", meaning Swedenborg posed for
this "in the flesh". The one below is an updated version labeled Cooke, used for
a later printing of the Principia.

     [Two portraits of Swedenborg.]

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EPISCOPAL VISIT TO KENYA - SEPTEMBER 2009 2010

EPISCOPAL VISIT TO KENYA - SEPTEMBER 2009        BRIAN W. KEITH       2010


----------
     (Conclusion of Report by Bishop Keith, first part in January 2010
issue.)

     General Church Board in Kenya

     An overall board was established so that the church could be registered
and recognized as legitimate by the government. Samson is the chair, Khalid is
the secretary, George (one of the leaders of the Riounde school) is the
treasurer, and then they have an elected membership designed to represent
various groups there. This makes sense because its focus is in promoting the
growth of the New Church throughout East Africa.

     They communicated, in the strongest possible way, their desire to be
mainstream General Church. This had nothing to do with money, but was an
expression of their desire to faithfully follow all our policies and practices
since they view the Writings as we do and want to be part of us. They want our
curriculums, our training for the priesthood, our books, and anything else that
will promote the growth of the New Church there. And they asked me to tell them
if I saw anything that was not General Church, and they would immediately get
rid of it. Wow.

     We also discussed the translation efforts underway there. Some private
donors are providing funds to have the Four Doctrines translated into Swahili
under the auspices of the board. (Virtually everyone there is at least tri-
lingual: local language, Swahili, and English.) There are two groups doing this,
one in Etora and one in Riounde. When one group completes a section, the other
group comments on it for changes. They are also translating shorter pamphlets
for use by newcomers and as advertising. Duncan has helped with publishing some
pamphlets.

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     Kiagware and Nyakeyo

     We visited these two places on a Saturday. We left from Riounde to visit
Kiagware. It is about a 45 minute drive, and the same distance walking - using
shortcuts. It should be noted that one cannot drive very fast on hard dirt and
stone-strewn roads. Walking to get places is very common for transportation. A
walk of less than an hour is considered normal. They prefer not to walk more
than 2-3 hours at one time, but several of the congregation have been doing that
for years to get to services.

     At Kiagware they have no church building and hold services outside. This
is not a problem since even in the two rainy seasons the downpours reliably
start in the afternoons. Once a month they all walk to Riounde to join with them
in services.

     We then traveled further south about 1 1/2 hours to Nyakeyo, which is
close to the Tanzania border. This is a small village of approximately 300
people. It is the home village for Khalid. His half brother Nicks Marisa still
lives there with his family.

     Nicks is a candidate for the ministry who trained at the Academy in Bryn
Athyn. He joined the New Church about when Khalid did and was instrumental in
obtaining the property where the Riounde church is located. He was able to
attend Bryn Athyn College and obtain a degree in teaching before entering the
theological school.

     Last year Nicks returned to his wife and children. He lives in Nyakeyo,
but spends the weekdays in Riounde teaching in the school and helping bring New
Church doctrine into their entire curriculum. He then returns home, about a 2
hour walk, if not muddy, every weekend to preach.

     They hold church every Sunday. They have been meeting outdoors, but a
newer member has offered a room. In the three months Nicks has been there, the
attendance has grown to slightly over 30 adults and continues to increase.
(Note: that is about 10% of the local population!)

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     As I thought we were starting to leave, they asked if we would like to see
the room where they hold church. We were happy to walk over there, but were
surprised to find it filled with about 30 women, a few men, and over 10
children. These people were introduced as a widow's group that is in the process
of joining the New Church. Apparently a widow's plight in that culture is not
easy since other family members move in, take control, and often use up their
limited assets. They asked me to read a lesson from Scripture, and then give a
sermon on it. Ah, one has to be adaptable there!

     Riounde

     The Riounde property is on a hill side, as is most of the land in that
part of Kenya. The incline is perhaps 25 degrees, which makes it hard to have a
soccer (football) game, and presents some challenges when it regularly becomes
muddy. They also have numerous buildings. There are classrooms for 180 students
comprising a preschool through 8th grade. There are two dormitory buildings
which house the 50 orphans who are cared for there. A small five room building
has two offices, a meeting room, and a very small computer room. There is also a
large gathering building with a kitchen attached. This is where they eat, hold
worship, and stay when the afternoon rains pour during their two rainy seasons.
And there are four pit toilets for sanitation.

     However, one should not think in terms of gleaming large buildings as
might be the case in the Western world. All but one of the buildings is very
small and made of mud and sticks, with metal roofs. These are easy to construct,
but tend to fall apart after 10-13 years since the termites eat the sticks and
the mud falls off. (The five room building is made of fired clay bricks, which
will last for many years.)

     Water has to be drawn by the children daily from a local well.


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(A spring was just discovered above the property, so if pipes
are installed they may have ready access to water in the future.) Electricity is
provided for by solar panels which produce, at best, 2 hours of electric power
each day. This is how they run their computers, but on a very limited basis.
(Etora does not have electric power either. Their gas generator enables them to
use the loud speakers and provide some lighting in the classrooms.)

     Riounde School

     Visiting the school was a delight. The children are extremely well-behaved
and welcoming. I gave worship for the school one morning and visited in all the
classes. Gretchen visited in all the classes here and in Etora, and from her
part-time role in the Office of Education, provided support for teachers and
administrators.

     Academically, they test around the median level for schools in their small
area. However, when the wider district is included, they are in the top third.

     Riounde Church Service

     I hardly know where to begin on this one. The service began around 10:00
am and I did not take off my robe until close to 6:00pm. Church was held in
their large gathering building that has the kitchen attached to it. They also
had put up an equally large temporary tent-like covering next to it since they
expected a rather large crowd. Not everyone was there from the beginning, but
the total number was over 700, at least 200 of which were children - standing on
all the open sides of the building, crowding under the tent, and swelling into
the classroom building. There were also many visitors. Most of the New Church
groups had representatives there. Six ministers from other faiths were present,
and two brought 10-15 person choral groups who sang. And government officials
were there - the local chief, his two assistants, the retired chief, and a
member of parliament who had grown up in the area.

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     The service began with extensive singing, which also occurred periodically
throughout the day. We then had prayers, lessons and a sermon from me. At that
stage the government officials were introduced, since they could not stay for
the full service. They expressed their greetings to everyone and
congratulations, and then made a strong plea for us to establish a high school
there - something high on the wish list for the congregation. Apparently there
is not one in the area, and the member of parliament promised a paved road,
water, and electric if we did it. (I doubt he could deliver on all of these, but
they might get some of it.)

     After those visitors departed we continued with the service. I performed
six baptisms, two of which were adults. Then we moved to the ordination. All was
going according to schedule until I said the words of inauguration. Then the
place erupted with singing, dancing, and congratulatory hugs and kisses. Plastic
boas were produced and hung around all our necks and it took about 20 minutes
before things were settled down enough for me to continue with the ordination
service.

     We then took a short break while Khalid left his place to get out of his
robe, in preparation for the blessing on a marriage for him and Josephine.
Probably about 20 children formed the processional and Khalid and Josephine
walked together to the altar. They did not have their parents involved, and
Josephine selected to wear an attractive, but not wedding, dress. Otherwise, the
services were identical. Afterwards, the couple and the rest of us were seated
and the giving of gifts in a type of reception line occurred. Then the feasting
began with a donated cow and the Maasai goat.

     Theological Training

     One of their top priorities is to establish a theological school there.
They have about 15 young and not so young men who would like to train for the
ministry, but it is unlikely that any of them could make it to the Academy.


84


(While they value education, very few are able to go beyond high
school.) One step has already been taken, namely, the Rev. Lou Synnesvedt
visited last August and gave a three-week course on the True Christian Religion.
The Rev. Dr. Andy Dibb is in conversation with them about how to make this
happen, and hopes to travel there in the next year.

     There are a number of challenges to do this: Internet access is very poor
which makes distance learning virtually impossible, several of the students are
full time teachers in the Riounde school with others having full time jobs, and
some live at a distance. (Isaac, the lay leader of the Maasai, lives in that
area and only returns home on weekends and holidays). And there does not appear
to be any local funding that could be used for this.

     On the plus side, both major congregations also have fairly good
libraries, with full sets of the Writings and a good selection of collateral
works, much of it from the estate of Edward Cranch. High School

     They have high hopes of starting a high school in the very near future.
They see this as a way to extend New Church education as the higher levels of
the mind develop, and a way to ensure that the students are well connected to
the Church. Both Etora and Riounde have it on their long range plans, but it is
more likely to happen in the Riounde area first. The practical reasons for this
are that there might be some suitable land available in their area, they have
the ability to staff it with New Church teachers, and as their orphans are
reaching high school age it might actually be cheaper to keep them there rather
than pay tuition to have them in boarding schools a number of hours away.


85




     The Loving Arms Mission is doing a sterling job of supporting and giving
direction to the orphanage, and has provided financial support for the orphans
to attend high school and may be interested in participating in the development
of a high school for them. Duncan Smith, through his Uses Worldwide
organization, is also exploring land options and possible buildings. And now
that the local government wants to help, I would not be surprised to see
something happen.

     Uses Worldwide

     Duncan Smith, a long-standing General Church member from Glenview, has
used his retirement years to devote time, energy, and money to helping the New
Church develop throughout the world. His Uses Worldwide organization is
supporting projects in the Ukraine, Philippines, Mexico, and elsewhere in the
world. In Kenya, he has been instrumental in helping erect the infrastructure
for the congregation in Riounde and elsewhere. Through money contributed to his
Uses Worldwide organization he is gradually replacing the mud and stick
buildings in Riounde with permanent fired clay brick construction. What's more,
he spends several months each year living there - acting as a general contractor
to supervise the construction, and doing much of the manual labor himself (He
has been warmly embraced by everyone there, and it is beyond touching to see the
orphans singing church hymns with him in the evenings when the sun goes down.)

     He also found the money to purchase the much needed land for the Etora
school. And he has extended an offer to several groups that if they will build a
church, he will provide the corrugated metal roof (He is big on people there
providing for themselves or in cooperation with him, rather than him giving them
all the funds.)

     It is wonderful to see such a dedicated lay person who is giving so much
that the truths of the New Church might be shared around the world.


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     Final Thoughts

     While this report was rather long, I hope it gives some sense of what is
going on there. It barely touches the surface of what could be said. It is such
a joy to be with the people there. They are welcoming and fun to be with. Their
love for the Heavenly Doctrines is evident, and they really want it proudly
proclaimed everywhere in their land. They have innumerable challenges -very
limited resources and huge needs. But they move ahead with what they have. And I
look forward to returning there to ordain Nicks next year.

     There is incredible dedication and promise for the growth of the New
Church in East Africa, perhaps more than anywhere else in the world right now. I
hope this is an area we can nurture so the Lord can establish His New Church
there.

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Notes on This Issue 2010

Notes on This Issue       Editor       2010


----------

     Announcements





----------
     We welcome the Rev. Alan Lewin, the Pastor of the Michael Church
Society in London, whose sermon examines our evening states: what natural loves
move us?

     Welcome also Rev. B. Edward Nzimande, our Pastor in the Kwa Mashu Society,
South Africa. The Cherubim on the lid of the Ark of the Covenant guard the ways
of the Lord. How do we pass these guardians, and move from the truth we know to
the good of love?

     The Rev. Martie Johnson has a knack of saying much in a short time. Two
items may be read as sermons or classes, or just interesting reflections: "What
Are We Waiting For?" asks us if we feel sluggish towards the New Church.

     Martie's second item, "It's Only the Bible," brings us to face the impact
reading the Writings may have on our understanding of the Scriptures. Now, for
2010, he shows how the Internal Sense of the Word, in particular, may change our
lives for the better.

     A letter from England appreciates earlier contributions. You never know
when someone will pick up a copy of New Church Life, and what contributors have
said that has helped someone across an ocean. Thanks Doreen Gordon, in London.


91


EVENING SACRIFICE 2010

EVENING SACRIFICE       Rev. ALAN LEWIN       2010


----------
     A SERMON

     "Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as
the evening sacrifice." (Psalm 141:2)

     The aroma of incense which many people find pleasant can bring to mind
that other people should experience a pleasant side to our lives. This
pleasantness, which we receive from the Lord, is our care and concern for the
good and true spiritual things we recognise within others and so is our love for
them in their lives. This love is what the Writings call spiritual good or the
good of charity towards the neighbour. This is what incense in the Word
signifies. The Writings also tell us that prayers are "matters having to do with
faith in people who pour forth prayers, and at the same time matters having do
to with charity, since without these, prayers are not prayers but empty sounds"
(Apocalypse
Revealed 278).

     From this we can understand that if we ask the Lord that our prayer be set
forth before Him as incense this can only happen if we are trying to live a life
of spiritual good or the good of charity towards the neighbour. Our care and
concern for someone else needs to come before our own desires and wants. For
this care to be spiritual we have to be loving the Lord first. This happens when
we love the truths in the Word because they are truths, live in the ways of them
because they are good and at the same time acknowledge that they come from the
Lord alone who is the Word. This love is celestial good which in our text is the
'evening sacrifice'. We read of the relationship of celestial good, spiritual
good and our lives in this passage from the Apocalypse Explained, "...spiritual
good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour, derives its essence
and soul from celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord...all
worship of the Lord which is truly worship comes from celestial good through
spiritual good;

92


for spiritual good, which is charity towards the
neighbour, is an effect of celestial good, for charity towards the neighbour is
the performance of uses, and living a moral life from a heavenly origin, this,
therefore, is spiritual good; while celestial good is looking to the Lord and
acknowledging that every good and truth is from Him, and that from man, or from
what is man's own, there is nothing but evil" (Apocalypse Explained 324:7).

     The last idea in that passage that from what is our own there is nothing
but evil is a strong and possibly disturbing one. Anything that is opposite to
good is evil, even the comparatively minor acts of selfishness we all get into
from time to time. When we just put our own wants and desires first, use only
our own opinions, we turn away from the Lord and His ways of doing and thinking
things, with the result that for us our thoughts and motives are evil. They
might still be good and useful for someone else but spiritually they are not
good for us. This state is what one of two meanings of what a spiritual evening
can be. A spiritual evening state from where we go into a spiritual night. In
this evening state we are closing ourselves down to spiritual and celestial
influences to indulge in a spiritually dark night of selfishness enjoying the
pleasures of this world and our body and mind only for the pleasures, self
satisfaction and comfort they give to us. Living in this world we will all
sometimes choose to do just this to some degree or other. When we do, we turn
away from the Lord but He will not desert us. Stories from the Word like the
shepherd going to find the lost sheep remind us there is always a way back when
we see what we have done. In the third lesson we saw this first meaning of
evening and also find the second.

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We read, "In the Word the
expression 'the evening' is used in various places, and by it is meant a last
phase of a Church and also a first phase of it - a last one with those among
whom the Church is coming to an end, and a first with those among whom it is
just beginning" (Arcana Coelestia 7844:3).

     In thinking about the second and the spiritually positive meaning of
evening we come to see the importance and necessity of living in this world. In
the natural light of this world spiritual things are not as obvious as they are
in clear spiritual light. We experience spiritual light in clearness in a
spiritual morning state when we are close to the Lord in, for example, reading
the Word, church or classes, where the focus for the while is much more on the
Lord than the things of this world. At these times we may not have to worry for
a short time about the everyday things of this world. However we need to come
back into them, into our natural lives, because it is in these natural lives we
practically live out what we believe and love. These are our spiritual evenings.
Again we read earlier,

     "All people are made more perfect by the implantation of faith and charity
in their external or natural man. Unless they are implanted there no goodness or
truth can flow in from the internal or spiritual man, that is, from the Lord by
way of the internal man, because they are not accepted" (Arcana Coelestia 8452).

     This is the area of our lives we take responsibility for and the qualities
of these we keep and use to eternity because as we saw,

     "...when in the next life the state corresponding to evening arrives, good
spirits and also angels are taken back to the state of natural affections that
moved them when they were in the world. Consequently they are taken back to the
delights belonging to their natural man. This is done in order that good may
thereby be imparted, that is, in order that they may thereby be made more
perfect" (Arcana
Coelestia 8452).

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     If we take the truths the Lord has given us in a morning state, and use
them in a good way, the evening leads us onto a new morning and indeed mornings
to eternity. The spiritual evening is a state in which to make the best and most
thoughtful use of our faith in how we live our day to day lives. How we spend
our time, how we regard and treat others, how we view and relate to the church,
world and the important things in our lives are examples of evening state
matters. If we thoughtfully and diligently work on them the Lord will then
enable us to bear spiritual fruits to eternity.

     Evening is a state of living in which we can choose what we want to make
of our lives spiritually. We may give up or turn away to the world and its
comforts or just rest in our past efforts with no wish to progress any further.
If we choose these things we will come into the spiritual night. If, on the
other hand, we really do try to live in spiritual and celestial good in our
natural life, the evening becomes like the twilight which will give way to a new
morning. A new day begins, with new enlightenment and new things to see and do,
so that the spiritual good we receive from the Lord is even more empowered by
celestial good and becomes more as the Lord and we desire it to be, and this to
eternity. "Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my
hands as the evening sacrifice" (Psalm 141:2) Amen

Lessons: Psalm
141, Luke
15: 1-10, Arcana Coelestia 7844: 3, 8452

Lesson for sermon.

     There will be one day, which is known to Jehovah, not day nor night,
because around evening time there will be light. It will happen, that on that
day living waters will go out from Jerusalem. And Jehovah will be King over all
the earth Zech.
14:7-9. This refers to the Lord, and also to a new Church. 'Light
around evening time' is Divine Truth which is to appear then (Arcana Coelestia
6000:7)

95




     In the Word the expression 'the evening' is used in various places, and by
it is meant a last phase of a Church and also a first phase of it - a last one
with those among whom the Church is coming to an end, and a first with those
among whom it is just beginning. This explains why 'the evening' primarily means
the Lord's Coming, for that was the time of the end of the former Church and of
the beginning of the new. The first state of the new Church is also called 'the
evening' since a member of the Church starts with light that is dim and advances
to that which is clear, and this for him is the morning (Arcana Coelestia 7844:3).

     For when in the next life the state corresponding to evening arrives good
spirits, and also angels, are taken back to the state of natural affections that
moved them when they were in the world. Consequently they are taken back to the
delights belonging to their natural man. This is done in order that good may
thereby be imparted, that is, in order that they may thereby be made more
perfect (n.
8426). All people are made more perfect by the implantation of faith
and charity in their external or natural man. Unless they are implanted there no
goodness or truth can flow in from the internal or spiritual man, that is, from
the Lord by way of the internal man, because they are not accepted. And if that
goodness and truth are not accepted the influx of them is halted and perishes,
indeed the internal man is also closed. From this it is evident that the natural
must be perfectly adjusted to act as a receiver; this is done through delights,
for forms of good as they exist with the natural man are called delights, since
they are feelings ....[2] This is the natural or external man's delight
complementing the spiritual or internal man's good. This delight holds spiritual
good within itself (Arcana Coelestia 8452).

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     [Photograph of Rev. Alan Lewin.]

     The Rev. Alan Lewin was recognized as Priest in the General Church on
November 19, 2006, and ordained into the Pastoral degree December 2, 2007. Alan
was called to serve as Pastor of the Michael Church, London, England, and
Visiting Pastor to the Surrey Circle. Alan lives with his wife Diane in
Beckenham, Kent, England.
Title Unspecified 2010

Title Unspecified              2010


----------
     Wherever a Church exists, heresies arise in it as a consequence of
people basing their thinking on one particular article of faith to which they
attach supreme importance. For man's thought process is such that when he
focuses his whole attention on any one matter he makes that more important than
any other, especially so when delusion claims it as a discovery of his own, and
when self-love and love of the world inflate his ego. In that case everything
seemingly agrees with it and supports it, even to the extent of his being ready
to swear to it when in fact it is false. Arcana Coelestia 362

97


WAY TO HEAVEN 2010

WAY TO HEAVEN       Rev. B. EDWARD NZIMANDE       2010


----------
     "And you shall make two cherubim of gold, of hammered work you shall
make them at the two ends of the mercy seat." (Exodus 25:18).

     We are here seeking the way to heaven or means whereby we can be conjoined
with the Lord. Faith with man would be ridiculous when man is ignorant of how he
could be conjoined with the Lord, enter into heaven and have eternal life. The
Lord's Word has in it means in terms of which a person could be conjoined with
the Lord. We are to seek the way to the Lord from the Word that the Lord has
given us. From the Word we will be informed how we can be conjoined with the
Lord.

     The Ten Commandments written on the two tables of stone provide the way.
Moses was commanded by the Lord to build an ark of the Covenant: the ark is
called the "covenant" because in it there are commandments which are a covenant
between the Lord and man, that is, the conjunction of the Lord and man depends
on these commandments. Moses was commanded to make a mercy seat and thereby
cover the ark which contained the covenant.

     Moses was commanded further to make on the mercy-seat two cherubim, one on
each end, and let them face each other, and make them stretch out their wings
above the mercy-seat. This Moses did.

     The placing of the cherubs signifies the guarding of the way to the Lord
so that no one should approach the Lord except through good of love. When man is
still not in the good of love, he is precluded from invading the sanctuary of
the Lord. Some people endeavor to approach heaven through ways not ordained by
the Lord, but they fail.

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The cherubs are there guarding the
heavens from such invasion. Attempts to enter through other means always become
fruitless.

     There is no approach to the Lord except through the good of love. This is
because love affords spiritual conjunction and all good is of love. Those in the
good of love are in the Lord. These are admitted to the Lord because they are in
Him and in the love of the neighbor (Arcana Coelestia 9509).

     There are two things that culminate in the existence of heaven within man,
and these need to be married inside a person. These are goods and truths in the
external man. The truth is learnt by man when it is being taught, and or when
man acquires it through reading. But when truth in a person is still in the
understanding only, he cannot be then conjoined with the Lord and heaven.

     The Cherubim stand in guard and man cannot then advance to the ark wherein
the Ten Commandments are kept in the Holy of Holies, which represents the Lord.
The cherubim guard lest anyone by chance advance to the holy place when he only
has truth in his understanding, and not at the same time the good of love.
Without the good of love, conjunction with the Lord and heaven is impossible.
When anyone already knows the truth that enters into him through external ways,
what does he need to do so that he could be in the good of love, and the
cherubim then open to him the way to the Lord? One thing man needs to do; he
must flee from evils which are clearly stated in the Ten Commandments in the
ark, covered by the mercy-seat above which the cherubim were placed. When man
recedes from evils on account of the fact that they are sins against the Lord,
the cherubim open the way to the Lord for him. Then the Lord appears to him in
the internal way with good which then flows into man through truths that are in
him. The good in him then becomes the good of love towards the neighbor, as well
as love to the Lord.

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In such case, it is said that a man has
faith in himself.

     When man does not recede from evil even though he knows the truth, it
cannot be said of him that he has faith. He has no faith hence he is not in the
Lord. The cherubim will not allow him access to the Lord (Arcana Coelestia
10047:3).

     There are many people who think that there is faith in themselves merely
because they affiliate in the Church, partake of the Holy Communion and do other
charitable acts, like supporting the welfare organizations. But if they do not
flee from evils, they do not have faith inside themselves but are outside of
heaven and are not conjoined with the Lord. They did not meet the Lord on the
border when He comes with good introducing it into the truths they may have
learned, for the reason that they did not flee from evil. There has been no
conjunction with the Lord, and of such people the Lord says, "Many will say to
me in that day, Lord have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in
Your Name and done many wonders in Your Name?

     And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who
practice lawlessness" (Matthew 7:22-23).

When anyone is being regenerated, they pass through two states: First: they are
led by means of truths of faith to the good of love. Second: this is when they
are already in the good of love; they then are in the Lord and in heaven
(Arcana Coelestia
9509:2).

     This good is heaven in man, and it is also the Lord in man.

     Many people think that by the truths of faith only, they can advance to
the Lord. This is impossible. By the truths of faith apart from the good of
love, one cannot advance to the Lord. When truths of faith endeavor to advance
to heaven, they are prohibited; heaven is closed to them and as a consequence
the way through to the Lord is not available.

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The Cherubim
represent such closure and guarding the Lord's sanctuary from invasion.

     There is no way to the Lord through the truths of faith only, apart from
the good of love. (Ibid.)

     When a person is in the good of love, he is being led by the lord by good
and has peace, but when he is still in the truths apart from good, he has no
peace in himself, and there is no tranquility.

     The reason why there is peace in man while he is being led by the Lord in
the good that he is in, is that he is then under protection from infestation by
evil spirits, which are powerless against good, and cannot infest the good. Upon
approaching these evil spirits, they flee away. The cherubim become a stumbling
block to them.

     The evil cannot contend with the good which has the Lord in it. But the
evil spirits can attack and infest the truths when they are apart from good. It
is the good that has the Lord in it, which evil spirits do not dare attack. This
is why when anyone is still in truths only he is vulnerable to attack by evil
spirits. He thus cannot have peace in himself. There is then nothing in him that
the evil spirits fear. What they fear is the good from the Lord Himself. The
Lord alone has power over the evils. It is crystal clear that they that are in
the Lord have peace in themselves (Arcana Coelestia 8722).

     When man is still in the truths only, he is what is represented by the
Children of Israel when they were journeying in the wilderness where they faced
various kinds of temptations. But when anyone is thereafter in the good, he is
like the children of Israel when they are already in the promised land, Canaan.
The cause for suffering is that when man is still in the truths only, he is by
then out of heaven and everything then done by him still has truths only as its
basis. The good by this time is still excluded.

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The man is in a
heavenly state when he now operates from good. He is under the auspices of the
lord and operates in the heavenly order. Man reaches this state when he is in
the good of love, and is being led by the Lord (Arcana Coelestia 8539, 8772).

     The proof that man is already in heaven is that what he now is being moved
by is love and affection to do what is good. As stated already, man goes through
two states. When man is being regenerated, the good that he first has is from
the truths of faith, and everything he does is from truths; by this time the
affection for truth is not yet in existence; he still compels himself to do what
is moral. This means that he compels himself no matter what pain that compulsion
induces. But when man is regenerated he does good from ardent affection to do
it. What he is now doing is from good. In that state in which he now is, there
is no longer any compulsion or experience of pain by doing what is good, but man
is now moved by the affection to do it. He feels delight in it because he now
does it moved by love. Compulsion is no more. He now rushes to do it; he now
only feels pain when someone stands in his way from doing it. A person in this
state is now already in the ark of the covenant. He is in other words in heaven.
He is in the Lord; the cherubim have given him access through to the covenant of
the ark.

     Therefore the gateway to heaven is through the cherubim. They on the other
hand will only allow man through on condition that he flees from evils, on
account of the fact that they are sins against the Lord. This being the case,
the Lord will inflow into the man by the internal way, with the good of love;
and thereby man will qualify to be in heavenly order. Whatever he does, he is
being guarded and led by the Lord. Such a man is in the Lord and the Lord is in
him. This is meant by, "You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half
cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width" (Exodus 25:18).
Amen

102




Lessons: Exodus
25:10-22, Matthew 7 :13 -33 Arcana Coelestia 9509.

     [Photograph of Rev. Edward Nzimande.]

     The Rev. Bongani Edward Nzimande was inaugurated in 1999 and ordained as
Pastor in 2003. He was called first to serve as the minister in Kwa Zulu,
visiting the Enkumba group, South Africa. In 2001 he became acting Pastor in the
Kwa Mashu Society, still visiting the Enkumba group, becoming full Pastor in
that position with his ordination in 2003. Edward lives with his wife Sybil in
Pinetown, South Africa.

103


WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR? 2010

WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?       Jr. Rev. MARTIE JOHNSON       2010


----------
     Chaplain, U.S. Navy, USS Emory S. Land (AS-39)

     A few months ago, a sailor asked me, "If the Second Coming has happened,
what are you waiting for?" Ever fielded this question before as New Churchman?
Having muffed this question a time or two before, I rattled off my standard
response that the Second Coming of Christ was a spiritual phenomenon that helps
me and all of us to have His Kingdom come within us. Fortunately, this sailor
was a reader of Scripture, so he knew I was referencing Jesus' words in the
Gospel of Luke about our being unable to find the Kingdom by observation alone.
I expected him to follow up with another question that you also may have fielded
before: "Didn't God say that neither we nor the angels know the day or the hour
of the return of the Son of Man?" How would you have responded to either of
these questions? In any case, what are we waiting for? I believe the parable of
the ten virgins may be of great help in finding the answer.

     What can ten virgins teach us about our Church, ourselves, and the Kingdom
of Heaven? The 'ten virgins' are all who are in the Church, namely, both those
who are in good and truth, and those who are in evil and falsity. 'Ten' in the
internal sense denotes remains, and also fullness, thus all; and 'virgins'
denote those who are in the church" (Arcana Coelestia 4638). This is a
mighty parable about the Kingdom of Heaven and all of us in the Lord's Church
who watch and wait on the Lord with faith.

Our Church

     This parable is cited by almost every Christian denomination, and its
meaning is very simple:

104


it is a call to all of us for
vigilance, preparation, and prudence with the Lord's truth in our lives, and
this is what is preached in many churches, including ours. Because most people
are waiting for the Lord's return, this makes the message all the more powerful
to them. Certainly, it metaphorically speaks of a wedding and of the coming of
the Lord.

     The parable is opened or exposited differently for us than for believers
still waiting for the Second Coming, although we would not disagree with the
requirement for all of us to be vigilant with the Lord's truth. We have our
human nature which inclines away from God by hereditary evil all the time, and
we all have to be mindful and wait on the Lord's mercy in temptations. So what?
Our church has people who are in truth and in falsity, too, even as we are the
New Church. As members of our church, we must live together in love,
forgiveness, reconciliation, and humility so that we can continue to receive
power and strength from the descent of the New Jerusalem.

     In the parable, the bridegroom (Christ) is late and half of the virgins,
like the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, went to sleep. "To 'slumber' in
the internal sense is to grow sluggish from the delay in the things of the
church, and to 'sleep' is to cherish doubt" (Arcana Coelestia 4638).

     How many of us have grown sluggish "about the things of the church" or the
people and ourselves in it?

     The Lord is a visible God, most of all by the light that can shine in us.
Often, in our congregations and other places, we hear people say, "I believe in
God, I believe in Jesus Christ, but I don't believe in the Church." One of the
things I have reflected on in military ministry is that this statement allows
the person to confine God to heaven. It is understandable, but it is not right.
Our church as an earthly organization has "publicans," politics, and pettiness
like all others. Our Lord has come again and is among us.

105


If we
cannot recognize the Lord hidden among our own in their different states of
truth and falsity in the Church, how will we see His hand of mercy and love in
the world and our role in bringing the Kingdom? The Lord said plainly that His
disciples would be easy to find by their fruit (useful endeavors). Are we and
our Church taking and using the oil (love) with us, we who have the Bridegroom
with us?

Ourselves

     As believers, we must always be vigilant. To be vigilant is to be ready
for whatever evil throws at us daily. Evil and Hell itself remain in constant
pursuit of our souls. Our free will is fully intact, and we are maintained in
this freedom to choose for or against the Lord. Do not be afraid: "Do not fear,
little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom"
(Luke
12:32).

     The wise virgins watch, making sure that they have oil in their lamps.
They are making sure that the Holy Spirit is within them, so that they can act
from the Lord abiding in their hearts. This is the love we must foster, nurture,
and keep burning. The concept for us to consider is that we must have charity
and love to live from God's truth and watch over it. "[The virgins] that were
foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them...But the prudent
took oil in their vessels with their lamps; [this] signifies that they had the
good of charity and of love in their truths" (Arcana Coelestia 4638:3, emphasis
added).

     The fire that is the love of God in our heart must be tended. This tending
is a state of constant spiritual struggle and is the opposite of spiritual
sleep. When we discover that we are loved, we ourselves begin to love: "We love
because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). Faith leads to love, and love leads to
faith. This is how we grow. This is one of the ways we are not led into
temptation. Why? The Kingdom of Heaven must grow in us. We are redeemed and
saved for reformation and regeneration.

106


The Lord is always
creating ways for us to see and return to Him. Each step we take toward the Lord
is our preparation for His kingdom to grow in us. He asks us to wed the love we
have for our neighbor as our part in loving the Lord and His Kingdom.

The Kingdom of Heaven

     In a recent movie titled "The Kingdom of Heaven," Orlando Bloom becomes
the King of Jerusalem during the time of the Crusades. After he surrenders the
city to Muslim attackers, he states, "The kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of
conscience." This is an application he makes of the truth he thought he knew and
his experience of it.

     The ten virgins give us a much better answer, although it is quite
similar, I think. As this short parable details, five of them were shut out and
five of them entered into the wedding feast.

     "And while [the foolish virgins] went away to buy, the bridegroom came.
This signifies their too late application. Heaven is likened to a wedding from
the heavenly marriage, which is the marriage of good and truth; and the Lord is
likened to the bridegroom, because they are then conjoined with Him; and hence
the church is called the bride. And the door was shut" (Arcana Coelestia 4638:8).

     Can we learn to be watchmen who are enacting the very things we are
watching? The answer must be yes because it will not be enough to know about the
kingdom and long for it, and to be the bride. We are called to attend to
ourselves as members of this kingdom by growing it from within. We are called to
enter the wedding feast as a Church because "Thy kingdom come" and "Thy will be
done on earth as it is in heaven" are prayers for now and for His having
arrived.

107




     Let us pray for the prudence spoken of in the Lord's Divine Providence as
well as the same prudence and readiness of the five virgins, whose vigilance in
prayer, actions with love, and preparation from truth will help us never sleep
in applying the Lord's truth in our lives and measuring up, as a Church, to "a
[constant and unrelenting] application of life in accordance with the precepts
of faith" (Arcana
Coelestia 4638.6), so that, indeed, the kingdom within us will come.
2010 WOMEN'S (Gathering Leaves)WEEKEND, A "FEAST OF FRIENDS" 2010

2010 WOMEN'S (Gathering Leaves)WEEKEND, A "FEAST OF FRIENDS"              2010


----------
     When?               July 8-11, 2010
     Where?          The Lord's New Church, Bryn Athyn, PA
     For Whom?          All New Church/Swedenborgian women who would like to
attend
     Purpose?           To get together, learn and connect with others in our
own and our sister denominations.

     Theme?          A Feast of Friendship

     What do we still need?

     1) Workshop proposals by April 15, 2010 to Linda Odhner
     2) Women willing to house people during the retreat.


     For more information and pictures?
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=205898382754&ref-ts

     The signification of 'holding a feast' is worship from a glad mind.
AC
7093

108


IT'S JUST THE BIBLE, RIGHT? 2010

IT'S JUST THE BIBLE, RIGHT?       Jr. Rev. MARTIE JOHNSON       2010


----------
     I don't think so. A few years ago, I was sent to Camp Lemonier in
Djibouti, a tiny base in a tiny African country where American, French, British
and some Eastern European countries have forces undertaking mission in the
global war on terrorism. If you look on a map, it may prove difficult to find
(just look across the gulf of Aden from the country of Yemen). As a chaplain, I
was sent to support our naval personnel and allies with religious ministry and
work with the Chaplains there. It was good duty and I had never been to eastern
(the horn) Africa. It is a very lawless and dangerous part of the world and is
teaming with refugees from the entire region. Islam is the primary faith of most
I met there. I did some work on base and spent a fair amount of time out in town
and took a few trips to Ethiopia. Somalia is really a tough place as I learned
hearing story after story. Sadly, this region is the origin of many of the
pirates operating in the Indian Ocean. I asked myself, what on earth could
change a region like this?

     Overseas service is surreal. On one of my trips, I met a Romanian priest,
who spoke English and he told me a story about a book. I talked to him about the
Writings, and if I remember correctly he was a Byzantine Catholic. This made our
conversation great, no one knows a thing about them or about us in the New
Church! Anyway, I learned that the Byzantine Catholics are "Uniate" churches
that are under the Roman Pope instead of the Russian Patriarch for the Orthodox
Church.

     He told me that growing up in Romania meant that the Soviets held an iron
hand over all religious life and assembly. He said the Soviets had no problem
with folks owning, sharing, and printing volumes of Russian theological works,
that were dense, at least 300-500 pages, and attempted to explain everything,
everyone, and God.

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The one book the Soviets did not want
printed, shared, available or read in Romania was the Bible. The Bible, the most
printed text in history and humanity's best seller of all time. Fear of a book?
It's just the Bible, right?

     As I reflect on this story now, I can't help but think about what role the
Writings play in our faith. It is certainly true that the texts Heaven and Hell,
True Christian Religion and The Divine Providence are texts that have brought
peace, joy and goodness to people who have entered the faith, but I also think
that the Bible's role as a single text about the Lord's love, His testimony, and
the lessons and stories about our human condition and efforts to reunite with
the Lord (the ways we do what we can to rejoin our will and understanding)
certainly can be something to be feared. Why? The Bible offers ways to treat
other people and its source is not just human. It is a text that has a message
about eternal life, and the plain and "simple good" that we can give and receive
from and about Lord, the Divine Human; and no system of humanity can compete
with it (see True
Christian Religion 272). In fact, the Writings teach that "[knowing
the Word] as to the sense of its Letter, is the Divine medium of conjunction
with the Lord, and of association with the angels of heaven" (True Christian Religion
235). May we all view and follow the Lord's Word just as it teaches
in the gospel of John, where we read: "It is the spirit who gives life; the
flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and they are
life...From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no
more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you also want to go away?' But Simon
Peter answered Him, `Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal
life" (John 6:62-
68).

     One final thought: as a chaplain, I am often sent to servicemen who are
incarcerated, and a prisoner is allowed two books without a request: the Bible
and the military manual for courts-martial.

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I have done this a
fair amount and it is part of the job. I have read both of these texts and I
think I know why these are given. As I tell the prisoners who may find
themselves there for 3 days, 3 months, 3 years or 3 decades: Both of these
books, if you read them and see yourself in them, will set you free, no matter
where you find yourself right now.

     As we begin the year 2010...when you read through the Bible, allow the
Writings to not just open the internal sense of the books of the Word or
accentuate those powerful messages in the New Testament epistles that are "good
books of the church", but use these interior truths to inspire and form your
life anew. These words of the Bible can take root in you as the Lord's will
becomes manifest in your life....just as it did for Emanuel Swedenborg, another
servant of the Lord, who tells us and the world that the Lord's truth did not
originate with him, but from the Lord alone as he read the Bible. Swedenborg
states, "I affirm in truth; as also that from the first day of that call I have
not received anything whatever pertaining to the doctrines of that church from
any angel, but from the Lord alone while I have read the Word." (True Christian Religion
779 emphasis added). May we all continue to read the Word, and
receive and act on the Lord's blessings for our lives.

     May Almighty God bless you and keep you this year and to eternity. Amen.


111


"LORD, WHEN DID WE SEE YOU HUNGRY?" 2010

"LORD, WHEN DID WE SEE YOU HUNGRY?"       Editor       2010


----------
     Both the "sheep" and the "goats" in the Lord's parable in Matthew 25 asked
this question: "Lord, when did we see You hungry?" In explaining this parable,
we are told that the motive is what counts: "if they had seen the Lord Himself,
all of them would have performed these acts of kindness to Him." However, public
behavior is often putting on a bit of a show, meaning many people behave "not
for the Lord's sake," or in obedience to His law, but for "their own [sake], and
so not because of anything present more internally in them, in their hearts, but
for quite external reasons, and in outward conduct alone" (Arcana Coelestia 5063). In
short, such people may look more like the goats who "did not do it to the least
of these, and thus did not do it to the Lord." But if someone "did it to the
Lord," then they acted sincerely and honestly, and also spontaneously, and not
just for their reputation or profit, or worse, to be seen by others.

     We can see how poignant is the question we often pose to ourselves,
therefore: "what do I deserve?" Don't we sometimes worry if our good deeds are
witnessed or not? Every "individual is thinking all the time about his own merit
and righteousness" (Arcana Coelestia 874). He wants either "to be seen by
the eyes of the world, or by those of the angels" and thus to "merit heaven or
be the greatest in heaven. Such considerations occupy his proprium and everyone
of his ideas even though as to outward appearance" his deeds may "look like the
good and truth of faith" (Arcana Coelestia 876:2). Do we find we fit in this
description? We know that goods that anyone "carries out from himself cannot be
good since it has come from self, an impure and most unclean origin," from which
"no good can possibly emerge" (Arcana Coelestia 874). But is this something to worry
about?

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Can we do something pure and clean?

     Yes. It all depends on the view taken. "Genuine charity and genuine faith
is without any merit, for good itself is the delight of charity, and truth
itself is the delight of faith; wherefore they who are in that charity and faith
know what good not meritorious is, but not they who are not in charity and
faith" (Heavenly Doctrine 153). Only good people will know
which job is meritorious, and which is genuine, in other words. In short "Good
is to be done without an end of remuneration. Then Genuine charity is without
anything meritorious (2343, 2371, 2400, 3887, 6388-6393)" (Heavenly Doctrine 158).

     So right away we realize that human agents are capable of performing
genuine charity. The problem of meritorious good is well known in the New
Church, and performing uses on earth in our occupations and in the Gorand Man of
uses in heaven after death, is well established. The wrong idea that no one can
perform any genuine charity, free of the taint of merit, comes down to an entire
Christian tradition: it holds that Adam's original sin has tainted the entire
human race, and therefore everyone is incapable of performing genuine good
works. Only by "faith alone" can we be redeemed. The argument of faith alone is
that "nothing of man's salvation can be attributed to good works" since they are
"in grace". Their sins are therefore "not infirmities of nature" and are thus
"forgiven, either immediately or after some repentance of the mouth, since he
who has been justified by faith is in good and has no need of repentance of
life...the merit of the Lord is ascribed and imputed to him... consequently his
works are accepted, and his evils are not evils like evils with others; and as
they do not condemn they cannot be called sins, but infirmities, such as cling
to everyone as an inheritance from Adam, and which, as soon as they come forth,
are forgiven and cast out" (Apocalypse Explained 805:6, quoting the false view).


113




     Because Christ's merit is believed to save, seeing that every person is
thought (wrongly) corrupt from birth, from "Adam's sin", that is why this
"original sin" is by Christians called "the work of the devil, spiritual poison,
the root of all evils" (recorded in Brief Exposition 10). It is believed that
this "Original sin is not a crime which is perpetrated in action," i.e. it is
not something anyone does, but instead it is "something intimately implanted and
inherent in man's nature, substance and essence, acting as the spring from which
well up all sins realized in action, such as wicked thoughts, conversations and
evil deeds" (p. 577 of Formula Concordia, 1577, referring to the even earlier
Augsburg Confession 1530, all cited in True Christian Religion 464).

     But there is no such thing as original sin, or the sin of Adam condemning
the entire human race. The Writings over and over explain that "hereditary evil,
which is called original sin, is not from Adam, but from parents successively"
(Apocalypse
Revealed 776). "It is declared to be from Adam and his wife, but
this is an error; for everyone is born into it from his own parent, and this
parent from his parent, and he also from his" (Divine Providence 277).

     And besides, Christ's merit is not transferable! The goats in the question
"when did we see You hungry?" refer to those who are in faith alone, that is who
do not live by their professed faith, but believe that a mere 'utterance" may
save them by the "imputation of the merit of the Son" to appease, or "make
atonement for" the anger of the Father (Apocalypse Explained 805:6, Lord 18). This
would be to "impute Christ's merit" to the person deemed deserving of it, by his
"faith". However, this can never be done, because "the Lord's merit and
righteousness, [can] never can be imputed to man; ...this is never done, nor can
be done." If it were done, then a "wicked person could impute the Lord's merit
to himself, and so think himself justified, and yet this would be to defile what
is holy with things profane, and to profane the Lord's name" (Lord 18:3).


114




     Instead, everyone has to live by the faith they have. The truer the faith,
i.e. the truths of the Word that are believed, the more genuine the good works
that can be performed, once evils are shunned. But there is another false idea
to remove: namely that God judges anyone to hell, to begin with. This is not so
either: For the Lord does not send anyone into "eternal fire" or render judgment
on anyone, - but "everyone sentences himself, that is, casts himself into that
place" (Arcana
Coelestia 4663). It all depends on how they live their lives. We can
see the danger then of believing that saving faith produces good works. The
"faith alone" creed maintains that good works are the fruits of faith: "Those
who maintain that a person is saved by faith alone cannot explain the things
which the Lord speaks of as [good works] as anything else than the fruits of
faith" (Arcana
Coelestia 4663:2). These fruits of faith mean you first have faith,
and then good works follow, as "fruit from the tree" of faith! However, this is
false: "A tree moreover signifies a man, its leaves and blossoms signify the
truths of faith, and its fruit the good of love" (Life 46). Why else the
parable of the fruitless fig tree? "By their fruits you shall know them" is
instantly understood to mean by everyone's deeds. It is not "by their leaves"
you shall know them, or by having faith! So, here is the corrective: "The fruits
of faith are nothing else than a life led in keeping with what faith commands,
and therefore it is a life in keeping with what faith commands that saves a
person, not faith apart from life. For a person takes with him after death every
state of his life, so that he is like what he was when in the body" (Arcana Coelestia
4663:2). Hence the fruits of faith is an "empty expression"
(Brief Exposition
49).

     So great! No original sin, no fruits of faith, no meritorious goods,
however not all good is merit-seeking: you can perform genuine good work.


115


So instead of original sin, now we just have to plug in
"hereditary tendencies to evils of every kind" received generation by generation
from parents and ancestors. This inheritance is what makes all people equal! All
human beings have exactly the same accumulation of tendencies, with "particular
proclivities" or spins received from their immediate parents and grandparents.
This tendency to evil, moreover, and importantly, "does not condemn" anyone from
birth! (Apocalypse
Explained 989) "No one, therefore, after death is judged on his
hereditary evil, but the actual evils he has himself committed" (True Christian Religion
52:2) We are not condemned from just being born! Nor is there evil
"from creation"! Instead, evil was invented by humans after creation, and every
adult has an equal chance to overcome it: This "proclivity to the evils that are
transmitted by parents to children and their posterity, are broken only by the
new birth from the Lord, which is called regeneration" (True Christian Religion
521).

     And so we come back to regeneration, and facing the problem of taking or
receiving credit, and for what? How does imputation or appropriation work? (i.e.
how is someone `credited' by the good he does, or 'blamed' for the evil?) "If
Man Believed, As Is The Truth, That All Good And Truth Originate From The Lord,
And All Evil And Falsity From Hell, He Would Not Appropriate Good To Himself And
Account It Meritorious, Nor Would He Appropriate Evil To Himself And Account
Himself Responsible For It" (Divine Providence 320, IV title).

     Here is the method: don't attribute anything good or true to yourself, but
to the Lord. Don't blame any evil or falsity on yourself, but on hell for
putting it into you! Send everything back to their points of origin.

     But how can we tell what is happening in ourselves? It comes down to how
we behave when no one is watching.

116


The Writings inform us that
we are judged by how we are when "alone, by ourselves, not together with others"
(Apocalypse
Explained 114, 193, etc.) unless of course we are regenerated, and
"the two make one." It means that our inner self comes into the open when our
guard is down, when alone. "The internal man pertains to the will, from which
man thinks when left to himself, as when he is at home; but the external man is
his actions and words, such as come forth from the internal when man is with
others, thus when abroad" (True Christian Religion 592). When alone we "think and
speak by themselves aside from doctrine. But be it known, that man is in one
state when he is thinking and speaking from doctrine, and in another when he is
thinking and speaking aside from doctrine....man's state after death becomes
such as were the thought and speech of his spirit by himself aside from
doctrine, and not such as they were from doctrine, if the latter was not one
with the former" (Apocalypse Explained 114:4).

     "Aside from doctrine" is an unusual concept. But it means when we are not
thinking or acting from principle. It is during such unaware moments, or unself-
conscious ones, that we act out our real nature. In other words, in the after-
life, we end up "meriting" or "appropriating" the way we are inwardly, when we
are by ourselves. This is when we "think and act aside from doctrine" "when we
are not with others" but more by ourselves. But this applies only for any given
moment. We are not judged by one example, but by a whole life-time of decisions.
Every new day, we start on our regeneration afresh: "each smallest moment is a
new beginning of consequences extending to eternity" (Arcana Coelestia 3854). If
during our public times, out there in the world, performing our uses, we are
becoming regenerate, that is reborn, - - then we have nothing to hide. Obstacles
are removed one by one as we shun evils as sins, mainly by planning for the
future! Our loves are sorted out at our business, when we remove unpleasant
things which interpose, and plan for the outcome:

117


"the means
are chiefly the delights of meditation, thought and reflection for the
attainment of certain ends which are uses...of one's business and office [when
reflecting on the] attainment of certain ends, ... besides the undelightful
things which interpose" (Divine Providence 296:10)

     As we work with others for the future of any project, our evils are
removed "by groups and companies", we might say by categories and levels. We are
rather unlikely to be taking credit for anything during such times.

     Do our private moments thus "make one" with our public side? Are we
different when alone or when we others? Of course we are different, it takes a
long time to remove all obstacles. Even a regenerated person simulates for good
ends; the so-called "love of means" which is for good people too to use prudence
in what they say even under the best of circumstances (Divine Providence 109,
110).
But if we are civilized also in private, that is a good sign! If however the
hidden side when we think and speak "aside from doctrine" or when alone, still
has something to hide, this will after death inevitably become our public
behavior and everyone else's view of us as well. We can imagine that someone
with unfinished spiritual business might be quite embarrassed by this. "Why,
grandma, what big teeth you have!" If we were wondering here on earth, "Who is
watching us, who will give us credit from this?" we might after death end up
saying it aloud and in company. Someone like that might then be quite mad at
others for not singing their praises, instantly!

     A phrase sometimes heard from New Church members is "if I only make it to
the lowest heaven, that will be enough." Well, is it? There are those who set
out on purpose to be "the least", knowing from the Word that they will then be
"the greatest"! I doubt that is what they mean by saying the above. Still, no
one can perform good deeds while keeping in mind that such works will be repaid
with salvation.

118


This equals "wanting to be the least in the
kingdom of heaven" just to fulfill the Lord's prophecy of the "least" entering
heaven! It is like saying, "I'll practice being least, and expect a big payoff!"
"They know this from the Word, [and so] they wish to be the least in heaven."

     So we cannot do good deeds, or work at our business, just "to attain
salvation" for this is ruinous: "evils lie hidden in this, of which the doer is
quite unaware." It involves the "denial of God's influence and working on
people, trusting in one's own powers in matter of salvation, faith in oneself
and not in God, self-justification" which in effect "cancel Divine grace and
mercy" and reject the very means of mercy, which are "reformation and
regeneration" (True Christian Religion 439). So we see that desiring
to be just a "little angel" still contains the impure origin that "they may
become great, and so they still have the same end in view." The only way to
escape this whole mess is just get down and be of service: "be of service
without any thought of repayment" (Arcana Coelestia 6393:4).

     It is the whole question of merit. Those who "had done it to the least of
these My brethren, have done it unto Me." The real credit we receive, which
saves us, is performing genuine good works, without any thought of credit. Don't
think about it.

     Angels actually become "indignant" - they appear mad at you - if you
attribute anything to them which belongs to the Lord (Heaven and Hell 9). For
example, when John bowed to the angel, he twice told John "See that you don't do
that!" (Revelation 19:10, 22:9). "Worship God"!
"[T]he angels of heaven are not to be adored and invoked, ... the angels of
heaven are not superior to men, but are their equals,... they are therefore
equally the Lord's servants as men are, because all angels have been people,
born in the world, and not any of them were created immediately" (Apocalypse Revealed
818). Angels were people, and people become angels. Both kneel
together before the same Lord.

119


Heaven is totally merit-free! It
is quite egalitarian. No angel is higher than another, even though there are
ranks of uses; for all who enter heaven, "there is no peculiar mercy for one in
preference to another" (Heaven and Hell 364). They are subordinated just as
"uses are subordinated in the Divine order; and for this reason a dignity is
connected with every function according to the dignity of the use. Nevertheless,
an angel does not claim dignity to himself, but ascribes all dignity to the use;
and as the use is the good that he accomplishes, and all good is from the Lord,
so he ascribes all dignity to the Lord" (Heaven and Hell 389).

     We see here how deeply merit-seeking can go: "People who have assumed that
righteousness and merit lay in their good works and so have attributed the power
of achieving salvation to themselves, not to the Lord and His merit" (Arcana Coelestia
1110) have believed in "salvation through faith alone" (Faith 42,
True Christian
Religion 391). Some new corners from earth who were like that as
adults, when they neared their judgment, sounded like an orchestra of pipes
squeaking just one single note! Angels ask them, "Surely you know something more
than having faith about salvation!" But when it was clear they did not, the
angel said "You answer like a fifer who sounds only one note: I hear nothing but
faith." (Ibid.). Their "reward" looked a bit like a desert.

     The faith alone which acts this way may look very similar to what we are
trying to do. We may feel fear that we are like that! But there are subtle
differences which we find a relief. For the "faith alone" belief that used merit
as a reward in heaven, includes in that faith also that "God the Father sent the
Son to make satisfaction for humankind, and that they are saved who believe
this" (Reported in Faith 42).

     What then is the connection between the Lord and how our life is imputed
to us?

120


The wrong belief we know by now: the Original sin from
Adam" has been imputed to the entire human face, and Christ's merit and
justification by faith alone" "by "His gifts to be merits" can extract us from
this condemnation. (As stated in Brief Exposition 17, 26). We know we do not believe that!
Instead we believe in the truth, that the "merit of the Lord is from His own
power, He subjugated the hells and glorified His Human, and by this means put
Himself in the power of saving all who believe in Him, and do what He taught.
This merit cannot be attributed or imputed to anyone, still less by the Father,
because it is the Lord's own merit, and salvation is from the Lord, by the
Lord," and not for Christ's sake because He 'died for us', thus "not for the
Lord's sake" (A point the we sometimes get wrong! Apocalypse Explained 805:6
added emphasis). Christ did not die for us, but died from our hereditary evils!
If anything, He died from us, by "bearing our heredity" (True Christian Religion
130:2)

     This merit could not have been effected except by means of His Human, that
is through combats with the hells from His human. As the Lord did this from his
own power, thus alone, therefore "to the Lord alone belong merit and
righteousness." It is "He alone who still conquers the hells with man, for He
who once conquers them, conquers them forever" (Arcana Coelestia 9715:2 emphasis
added). All that anyone must do to be saved by the Lord's power of salvation,
therefore, is to "learn what the sin is that he is to shun, and what the truth
is that he is to do; and that if he is living contrary to truths he must do the
work of repentance" (Apocalypse Explained 805:6). We are allowed to think
and say to ourselves that it is by the Lord's merit that we are saved. But
merit, i.e. receiving credit for good, always follows repentance as to our very
life: that is "learn what the sin is that he is to shun, and what the truth is
that he is to do." Thus the "remission of anyone's sins" only takes place after
repentance, and indeed, by the Lord's merit: "THE IMPUTATION OF THE LORD'S MERIT
IS NOTHING BUT THE REMISSION OF SINS AFTER REPENTANCE" (Lord 18 title).


121




     We can easily see that it would be "blasphemy to say that a person can
live wickedly, and yet live from the Lord" (Apocalypse Explained 805:6). It just
makes no sense. But do we end up wishing for it? "I want to enjoy my evils" we
may joke. But don't worry quite yet: there are some fun things in life often
linked with evils, that we are perfectly free to enjoy: "living outwardly as
others do, growing rich, keeping a plentiful table, dwelling in an elegant
house, wearing fine clothing according to our condition and function," a bit of
a fashion statement here!, and to "enjoy delights and gratifications" in
combination with our "occupation and business" for the sake of both "our mind
and body." All these are things we sometimes worry we cannot have when we feel a
bit pious! But don't worry, you can have all of these, "provided [you] inwardly
acknowledge the Divine and wish well to the neighbor" (Heaven and Hell 359). So
although we may never enjoy our evils, the love of the world need never be
shunned as a means of entering heaven: "a heavenly life is to be lived in the
world, not apart from it." (Heavenly Doctrine 126-120) We are allowed to enjoy
whatever level or luxury or finesse we can manage in honest living, and have
entertainments, etc. Such fun and enjoyments are not in and by themselves
sinful, nor does any of that claim merit while so doing. Therefore, "it is
evident that to enter upon the way to heaven is not so difficult as many
believe" (ibid.). At least you do not have to worry about any of that being
merit seeking.

     We see then that our worries about receiving credit, or our conscience or
revulsion against taking undue credit, or being thanked for something we did not
deserve, or for not getting thanked for what we really feel we do deserve, are
all caught up in the question of receiving due credit.

122


It is
tied to being something, being someone, being appreciated. But it is also shows
how to accept praise and recognition. For no one who is actually being
regenerated, consciously seeks credit, approval or praise. This is because
"esteem" and "honors" are connected to the use being performed. If someone loves
doing a use in their employment or occupation, then the proper esteem and honor
is attached to the job done! "[A]s anyone loves, esteems, and honors a use, he
also loves, esteems, and honors a person with whom the use is connected"
(Heaven and Hell
390). But there is another trick to the praise one receives. It
comes with not only knowing that esteem and honor, thus recognition, are
attached to the genuine deeds, but also with the knowledge that the amount of
praise anyone receives, depends on "the measure in which he ascribes the use to
the Lord and not to himself' (Heaven and Hell 390). I.e. The more honor we give to
the Lord, the more it becomes our due.

     We of course may wonder how on earth we attribute our use to the Lord! We
are not used to going around thanking Him for our job. It may be a sensitive
point, since people do give the Lord thanks for what they have done. There is
however, the unself-conscious aspect to a genuine use: it does not reflect on
anything of credit along the way. It only does so afterwards. So the thanks we
give the Lord with or without the praise we might receive, perhaps comes as a
gratitude to the Lord for having a job to begin with. We realize how happy we
are when working normally, compared with any enforced idleness either too much
and too soon in life.

     We come to realize this at times in our lives, when things are going well
and job satisfaction is ongoing and growing. That is when credit is not being
actively sought, but may come your way as promotions and benefits, etc. It is
then we are in fit mood to think that work also equals worship!

123



"True worship of the Lord consists in performing useful services; and such
services during a person's life in the world lay in a proper fulfillment of his
function by each person, whatever his own position, that is, in serving his
country, its communities, and his neighbor with all his heart. They also lie in
honest dealings with fellow human beings and in the diligent discharge of
duties, with full regard for each person's character. These useful deeds are the
principal ways of exercising charity and the principal means of worshipping the
Lord. Going to church regularly, listening to sermons, and saying one's prayers
are also necessary; but without the useful deeds they have no value at all, for
they do not constitute a person's life but teach what that life ought to be
like" (Arcana
Coelestia 7038). This is how we saw the Lord hungry, and fed Him.

----------

     The Writings are all matters of doctrine

     Matters of doctrine also have connections one with another and relate one
to another. Consequently unless they are first gathered into one a defect would
exist and things that are missing would have to be supplied from the person's
rational. And how blind and deluded the rational is so far as spiritual and
Divine things are concerned when it relies on itself in the conclusions it
reaches has been shown in various places already. To the Church therefore the
Word has been given which contains all matters of doctrine concerning good and
truth. Arcana
Coelestia 3786:2

124


Communications 2010

Communications       Various       2010


----------
To the Editor:

     I was on retreat at Purley Chase New Church Center, where I found your Aug
09 New Church Life magazine. I was attracted by one title, The Bright Lady, by
Landon Synnestvedt. I adore C.S. Lewis books, and I was so thrilled at this
article, that I have posted it to Catholic priest in Malta. Years back, I read
Till We Have Faces, Impressed by Joy, and The Great Divorce. I recall in this
last one that there was the man with a demon of lust on his shoulder, and how it
turned into a great white charger which he mounted, and rode into heaven upon
it. It has made me want to re-read The Great Divorce to see what I missed. And
in the Screwtape letters, Satan's "deviant trick was to teach Christians that he
did not exist!" as Lewis himself wrote. Everyone should see Al Pacino in "The
Devil's Advocate" and his brilliant dialogue and expose of how Satan works.

     I also read the naval chaplain the Rev. Martie Johnson Jr.'s sermon, and
thought it was brilliant. I plan to post it to a Pentecostal friend. It was so
good I think I have to make a copy for a Roman Catholic priest also.

     I fell in love with Jesus at age of 12 when a Methodist lady teacher told
us what He had done for us. I never had any reason to doubt it or deviate. Not
that I didn't search and reject many ideas. Then in 1977 I committed to the
Roman Catholic Church, but as a compromise. Now I have found the New Church,
namely the one in West Wickham, Kent. I was thrilled to hear that Emanuel never
sought to create any "church" but rather to just let his Writings be known to
all denominations. I agree, but once when I stayed in Birmingham England, I
could not resist putting New Church Temple on the door!

     Yours, Doreen P. Gordon (Croydon, London).

125


Reviews 2010

Reviews       Editor       2010


----------
Discovering David

     Ian Johnson, a retired minister of British Conference (and also a Quaker),
has recently finished writing a book on David. It's freely available for anyone
to download from the Lifeline web site http://www.new-church-
lifeline.org.uk/discoveringdavid.htm.

     The publishers hope that it will be a useful resource for anyone studying
David, leading worship, or interested in using the Bible for their own spiritual
development.

     From the author's introduction: "I firmly believe that David reflects
something important and noble in our human nature. Why else should he have been
remembered with such respect and love through many centuries? If we can find the
'David' in ourselves, let him tackle our inner enemies with his amazing drive
and confidence in his God, while encouraging our true character with generosity
and compassion, then he will build a strong kingdom in us - a character of
power, wealth and beauty! Then through us and others he may build 'God's
kingdom' in the world around."

To Enlighten the Eyes

     Are you interested in art? Love to debate philosophical topics? Then this
book might be for you: - a 350-page illustrated anthology of interviews about
New Church artist Nishan Yardumian - is now available.

126


Read
about Nishan through the recollections of colleagues, family, and friends (Bruce
Glenn, Kent Junge, Martha Gyllenhaal, and Siri Yardumian Hurst, to name a few)
as they explore the realms of artist and art; product and process; the role of
the artist/New Churchman; and the influence of one gentle man who, above all,
was perceived as a mentor and friend.

     Nishan had several connections with Glencairn Museum: he served on the
Museum Committee for eight years, contributing to layout and exhibit designs for
Glencairn's transformation from a home into a museum; like Raymond and Theodore
Pitcairn, he loved and studied the craft of the medieval artisan; and he taught
art at both the Academy Secondary Schools and Bryn Athyn College, inspiring
countless students to see natural objects in new and enlightening ways.

     His colleagues and teachers describe Nishan as a philosopher-artist in the
truest sense of the word - an artist who was also a "lover of wisdom," whose
personal art philosophy challenged both him and those who viewed his artwork to
think, feel, communicate, and explore. He used the objects and landscapes of
nature in which to couch the themes of the spirit. Michael Hogan, who conducted
all of these interviews, writes, "He fervently believed that [commonplace]
objects possessed a spiritual dimension. He believed that a visible natural
world both hid and revealed the world of spirit . . . . His great hope [was] to
uplift the soul by 'enlightening the eye. '"

     For purchase from Glencairn Museum, please contact Doreen Carey at 267-
502-2981 or [email protected]. $20.00 plus shipping and handling.


127


Notes on This Issue 2010

Notes on This Issue       Editor       2010


----------

     Announcements





----------
     A powerful study on the Easter story by Rev. Ragnar Boyesen was
delivered at a local gathering of ministers near Freeport several years ago. He
cites several sources to back up a wide awareness of the immense importance of
the Lord's salvation and redemption.

     Thank you to several Letters to the Editor: One writer comments on Rev.
Dr. Andy Dibb's series on the Book of Revelation. Another comments on the
structure of Church and Academy Boards. And one writes comments on Rev.
Haupmann's article on Creation.

     Mr. Willard Mansfield makes a fascinating contribution and asks readers to
partake in it. How difficult is reading the Arcana Coelestia? If you want an
easier version, Willard offers one. He also gives some insights into the history
of the Durban Society in South Africa. Hence his ABRIDGED ARCANA item is located
in the usual Church News area of this magazine.

131


SMITTEN BY GOD 2010

SMITTEN BY GOD       Rev. RAGNAR BOYESEN       2010


----------
     AN EASTER SERMON

     (Given at a Ministeriums Easter Preparation Service, Freeport, PA)

     "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed
Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our
transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our
peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:4, 5).

     Christians in all ages have been drawn to Calvary with a sense of grateful
wonder, even a fear that they have not drawn close enough to the inner sanctum
of Christianity. In the Formula Concordia, we are told that "Christ overcame the
devil, hell and damnation" (p. 767). Traditionally it has been accepted that the
Lord won His greatest victory over the powers of evil while He lived in the
natural world. Because of His own love offering of Himself, mankind has been
saved from eternal damnation. While battling the hells, the Lord endured the
strictures of the most severe temptation combats. In this sense He was "smitten"
for the sake of our safety. -"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are
You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? 0 My God, I cry
in the daytime, but You do not hear: And in the night season, and am not
silent...But I am a worm, and no man: A reproach of men, and despised of the
people. All those who see Me laugh Me to scorn; They shoot out the lip, they
shake the head saying, 'He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; Let Him
deliver Him, since He delights in Him! I am poured out like water, And all My
bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. My
strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have
brought Me to the dust of death.

132


For dogs have surrounded Me;
The assembly of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I
can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among
them, And for My clothing they cast lots' (Psalm 22:1, 2, 6-8, 14-18).

     Picture the Easter story in four scenes: First, in the garden of
Gethsemane on the lower slope of the Mount of Olives. Here the Lord prayed in
deep distress, where later Judas and the mob made the Lord a prisoner
(John 18:1-
12). Second, in the high priests' palace in Jerusalem the priests
meet in the night and more formally in the morning. Here they decided on a
charge against Him. Here Peter also denied the Lord three times (John 18:13-23).
Third, in the morning at Pilate's palace the priests gathered at the entrance.
They refused to go into the house of a heathen for fear of defiling themselves,
for the next day was the Sabbath of the holy Passover week. "Crucify Him," was
their angry demand! Pilate questioned Jesus. When he came out again he reported:
"I find no fault in this Man" (Luke 23:4). Now facing the angry mob which had been
incited by the priests, Pilate made the statement: "Behold your King"
(John 18;
28).

     Fourth, outside of Jerusalem, three crosses are erected at Golgotha. Two
robbers are crucified for their misdeeds. Jesus of Nazareth is condemned and
nailed to the cross for speaking the truth about His own identity. So we ask:
What is so special about the death of Jesus on the cross outside the capital of
Israel, more than 2000 years ago? This has been called "the day that shook the
world." Why? This event has reportedly changed the history of the world. How
could the symbol of the cross change from its external brutality to its internal
compassion? We can hardly state that the physical fact of His suffering and
death accounts for the impact this single event has had in history. We can
recall the death of Peter, of Socrates. Not even the unfair infliction of
punishment on an innocent person explains the all encompassing effects of this
one event - the execution of Jesus.

133


Socrates was innocent of
his crime, so was Solzhenitsyn. Even the way the Lord was killed was not that
remarkable for the times. This was the accepted mode of capital punishment
inflicted by Roman authority. There are records of much more horrible deaths
than the ones reported on Golgotha. What then is so unique about this
crucifixion?

     Our question cannot be answered in the realm of history, science or
philosophy. Only the spiritual reality in each of us is capable of fathoming the
impact of this all important event. Without a spiritual cause for this event,
the claim based on these historical facts can easily be taken as nonsense.

     But on the other hand, if the man executed on that cross was God Himself
in our own lowly human form, inconspicuously taking part in the history of
mankind, then the cross represents the suffering of God's Own Divinely Human
presence in the midst of the most cataclysmic battle that has ever occurred,
namely the battle between the powers of heaven over the powers of hell. At stake
was not only the survival of all humans in the world at that time, but primarily
the ability of God Himself to rescue all previous and later mankind from the
eternal damnation imposed by the overpowering presence of satanic and demonic
forces in the realm of spirit, mind and body.

     We do not speak as much about hell today as was once the custom in the
Christian world. In a recent survey, however, it was noted that Americans are
again beginning to believe in the existence of hell, not all perhaps in the
traditional flaming horror of eternal suffering, but as noted among many
Catholics, as a "state of being." Evil is then to be understood as a way of
life, for those who deliberately chose it, close to the devious hypocrisy
described by psychologist Scott Peck in his well-known book: "The People of the
Lie."

     If the Lord came to save the world from evil, why do we see so much of
evil in our own day?

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Did the Lord not accomplish His mission?
Many people will say if they heard this: "What do you mean?" What I mean is that
to save people from the effects of evil is not the same as eliminating evil all
together. We are all too aware of the presence of evil throughout history. The
Lord saved the world from the hells even as He also allowed the hells to
maintain an eternal balance of evil against good because this would maintain an
eternal freedom among humans in the world. We are very aware of the presence of
evil all around us. We certainly recognize the damage when we read what Dorothy
Sayers, expert on Dante and on modern society, has to say. Her insight brings
into the open such insidious activity from hell which we normally strive to
deny. The continued need for salvation from evil in order to reach spiritual
freedom is all too evident: "That the Inferno is a picture of human society in a
state of sin and corruption, everybody will readily agree. And since we are
today fairly well convinced that society is in a bad way and not necessarily
evolving in the direction of perfectibility, we find it easy enough to recognize
the various stages by which the deep of corruption is reached. Futility; lack of
a living faith; the drift into lose morality, greedy consumption, financial
irresponsibility, and uncontrolled bad temper; a self opinionated and obstinate
individualism; violence, sterility, and lack of reverence for life and property
including one's own; the exploitation of sex, the debasing of language by
advertisement and propaganda, the commercializing of religion, the pandering to
superstition and the conditioning of people's minds by mass hysteria and
'spellbinding' of all kinds, venality and sting-pulling in public affairs,
hypocrisy, dishonesty in material things, intellectual dishonesty, the fomenting
of discord (class against class, nation against nation) for what one can get out
of it, the falsification and destruction of all the means of communication, the
exploitation of the lowest and stupidest mass emotions;

135



treachery even to the fundamentals of kinship, country, the chosen friend, and
the sworn allegiance; these are the all-too-recognizable stages that lead to the
cold death of society and the extinguishing of all civilized relations."

     If the God of the universe faced and still faces conditions such as these,
what could He do to help mankind, without destroying it? No other than His own
answer would be satisfactory, or indeed effective. When Christians stand before
the cross at Easter time, reflection, contemplation, sympathy and the awareness
of both gratefulness and indebtedness may go through their minds. Indeed, this
most complex of all events speaks to our capacity to fathom Divine love. And
yet, people miss the point of Easter, as for instance the TV personality Phil
Donahue, who explained that he was disillusioned about Christianity. He asks:
"How could an all-knowing, all-loving God allow His Son to be murdered on a
cross in order to redeem my sins? If God the Father is so 'all-loving' why
didn't He come down and go to Calvary?"

     The answer, as you already know, is that it was indeed God Himself who
came to earth and suffered death for our sins. This is beautifully expressed in
the prophet Isaiah. Here is a prophetic statement of holy truth which Jesus of
Nazareth lived out in its most minute detail. Dostoyevsky has picked up on this
when he writes:

"We are all the children of God, living in the fire of the furnace. There is
only Christ. He showed His Mercy on all, and so they mocked Him.... And when He
has judged all the world, He will say, Come, come, all of you....And we shall
all appear before Him...and He will spread open His crucified hands, and throw
out His arms, and He will say: Come to Me, all ye who are suffering and heavy-
laden."

136




     John Payne in his biography of Dostoyevsky sums up his modern faith: "for
Dostoyevsky there were no gods, only the One God, Who walked on earth and was
crucified." Does God in Himself exist above suffering? Could God be smitten by
God? The answer is both yes and no. It depends on how we understand God.

     Karl Barth in his brilliant conceptualizing of the trinity calls the
Divine Subjective, "Father" while he calls the Divine Objective, the "Son," and
the Subjective in the Objective with man, he calls the "Holy Spirit" (See:
Swedenborg's: The Doctrine of the Lord # 46 for the original formulation of this
concept).

     Here we have been given a bridge by which we can pass on to an
understanding of Divine Suffering. In Himself, as Barth would say, in His
"Subjective Self', the Lord never suffers. But in His "Objective Self," He
suffered, because Divine love grieves at not being received by human. This is
the Self which the Gospels call the Son, that Human which was put on the cross
and died, which also was raised from the dead, and is now glorified and Divine.
The Lord experiences sadness at not being received by man when He constantly
pours out His love for us. In the sense that He goes out from Himself to be with
those whom He has created and loves, in "the Subjective in the Objective with
man," the Lord constantly labors for our salvation, and in this humanized
Divine, the Word with us, He suffered and still suffers at heart. This is mercy
feeling compassion, which from the Latin "misericordia" means "a pain in the
heart".

     Put graphically, God Himself could from first creation foresee the sweat
on His forehead in Gethsemane. He was able to be aware of the cutting crown of
thorns about His head, and to perceive the weight of his body against the nails
in the cross. But more than the grisly reality of what He had to endure, He knew
that this was only a small part of the price He had to pay for the freely given
love mankind could give back to Him.

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In Sophie Burnham's Angel
Letters, there appears a letter from a young woman in Canada, Brenda Brown. She
gives a beautiful account of how an angel comes to comfort her when she is in a
state of utter despair over her own ignorance and stupidity. She is completely
distraught over the depraved state of the world after she has seen a film of the
crucifixion of Christ. As a recent believer in Jesus Christ, she is uncertain
that she can sustain her faith. Calmly the beautiful angel looks at her with
great tenderness. He explains that Jesus died for her also. Brenda was well
aware of the common Christian belief. Yet in her state of perceived loss, she
had not connected the historic event of Calvary with herself personally. When
she looked into the lovely eyes of the angel, she was given a vision of Jesus on
the cross. She was given to see, as if through the Lords eyes. She could see
that He was able to see even her, and all other suffering humans like her from
the cross through all time. Rather than a gruesome event, the crucifixion now
becomes filled with love and tender compassion for the future welfare of all
humans. Brenda was almost chocked at the intimate comfort of this vision. She
describes strikingly the impact of this enlightenment and the angel's gentle
departure.

     It is the first law of Divine Love that man shall be free and not
compelled to believe or love, for a forced faith has no value either here or
after death. God knows that He had to come in such a way that He did not compel
anyone to believe in Him. If the Lord had come in Divine Glory such as He
appeared to Peter, James and John on the mountain of transfiguration when His
face shone as the sun, all would have been compelled to believe on Him. If those
who in the world chose evil over good were to be compelled to believe in Him,
their state after death would have been far worse than if they had no faith, for
they would make a profane mixture of faith with their evil life.


138


The Lord taught this when He said:

     "And their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with
their eyes, and hear with their ears" (Matthew 13:15). "Jesus said, for judgment I
am come into this world, that they which see not might see, and that they which
see might be blind...If ye were Smitten by God blind, ye should have no sin but
now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remains" (John 9:39, 41).

     To call oneself a Christian and to regard Jesus as only a lovable man,
does not make sense. How is it that no one has been able to explain away the
miracle of how a man born in an underprivileged nation, with no formal education
and with a few fishermen as followers, was accepted as God by the nations of
Europe, Africa and later America? Was it purely by chance? Was this only a
gentle enthusiast preaching the social gospel, or did He speak as He Himself
says in parables, for "without a parable spake He not?" - We may readily see how
the parable of the Old Testament applies to the Lord's life in the world: "He
has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we
should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was
despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried
our sorrows, Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He
was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the
chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes are we healed"
(Isaiah 53:2-
4).

     Seven chapters later in Isaiah we are told that indeed it is God Himself
who calls Himself the Savior: "You shall know that I, the Lord am your Savior
and your Redeemer, the Mighty one" (Isaiah 60:16).

139




     The Mighty one is none other than Jehovah because here Jehovah calls
Himself "Savior," one of His many names. Has not God managed to tell us who He
is? Has He not prepared us for the truth about Himself? He has inspired the
writers of the Old Testament to use various names in describing His own Divine
qualities. This is not a God speaking of anyone else but Himself as we see in
the names: "Jehovah Sebaoth, Elohim, El-Shaddai, Jehovah-Shalom, Jehovah our
Justice, Jehovah our Savior and Redeemer, Lord Jehovih, Lord (Adonai), Immanuel,
or God with us, God of Israel, the Holy One of Israel, the Rock of Israel,
Messiah, or the Anointed of Jehovah, King, David, Strong One of Jacob, Lion of
Judah, Shepherd of Israel, High Priest, Priest after the manner of Melchizedech,
Son of God, Son of Man, Angel of Jehovah, Angel of the Covenant, the Great
Prophet, Shiloh, also Counselor, Prince of Peace, Father of Eternity, Jesus
Christ" (Coronis
59).

     In Isaiah God prophesies about His own pain in delivering mankind when He
says: "For He said, Surely they are My people, children who will not lie. So He
became their Savior. In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of
His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He
bore them and carried them all the days of eternity" (Isaiah 63:8, 9).

     Why is it so important for us to see that God Himself came to take the
sins of mankind on Himself, and to suffer at the hands of evil? It is all a
question of spiritual safety, both for the heavens and for the earth. At the
cross the Lord willed to resist the evils of all the hells so totally that the
Divine within Him could reach out and demonstrate the reality of Divine love in
the most complete way possible. Through the titanic struggle with all the forces
of evil the appearance that there was a Divine "above" the Lord, made God in the
world to freely take on suffering as if He had a "higher" Self, even if this
"Self' was His own soul.

140


Jesus on the cross had now fully
prepared for the Jesus of the Resurrection even when He cried: "My God, my God
why have you forsaken Me?"

     While He yet was in the darkest depth of temptation, it appeared that His
own soul was no longer fully present to bring about salvation, when in fact the
Divine soul which He called Father, had left this external struggle fully up to
the Human presence in the world. There in the world the Divine Jesus could be
reached by all the grim forces of evil without destroying hell in the effort to
limit and control it. An omnipotent Divine presence in the world would in stead
have destroyed a world which could not have sustained such an intense presence.
When the Lord demonstrated that He had power even over death itself, then the
hells could no longer dispute His spiritual royalty and eternal Divinity. They
had to buckle down to the order He now could impose on them without destroying
them. Did He not say: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on
earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew
28:18,19)?

     As we all know, the qualities of one person cannot be transferred to
another as if they belonged to that other. Without training, no one could become
a qualified doctor. However, everyone knows that a doctor worth his salt takes
the health of his patients very seriously. He fights diseases in his mind, while
the body of the patient fights the disease itself with the physician's medical
help. The Lord came into the world to become the Divine Physician for all of us.
The blood atonement of the Lamb means that not only did He take all the sins of
mankind on Himself, as if He had all the diseases mankind could ever contract.
More importantly the Lord rose above these diseases, because He conquered their
causes, which was selfishness and worldliness, and in so doing gave His own
example as the real and spiritual medicine of mankind.

141


What is
critical for us to remember is that the Lord is our Divine Physician, and
prescribes His own medicine for us, the medicine of self-denial, where we learn
to oppose our own selfishness and possessiveness with His divine help.

     When the Lord fought all the hells and conquered them by offering Himself
on the cross, the hells thought they had won a great victory over Him. For a
short while they thought they had killed God! Little did they know that the
nature of love is to give oneself to others so that it appears that the love no
longer comes from the giver, but inheres in the receiver when receiving it. This
is our debt of love at the foot of the cross every Easter.

     When God carries our burdens, when He personally fights for us in our
temptation struggles, we are allowed to endure and experience hardship while we
live in this world. Yet He comes to us and draws near to us in the same
proportion we are willing to draw near to Him. When we, like Him are smitten by
temptation, which is not just the simple impulse to acquire something for our
self from "out there", but primarily a feeling of having to give up selfish
affections and thoughts "in here" which are contrary to Divine love and wisdom,
then we can count on His help and healing. If we are willing to ask Him honestly
and fully to come to us to help us, He will, because in His Divine Human, He can
now come so close to us that the evils of our inheritance cannot stand His
presence when we welcome Him. Here we stand before one of the eternal laws of
heaven. Unless there is a mutual effort at reciprocation between God and man,
there is only an external, not an internal conjunction possible because it is an
immutable law that in so far as man draws near to the Lord, the Lord draws near
to him.

     Based on this law, the Lord's Human had to draw close to His Divine, to
demonstrate to all mankind how faithfulness and the willingness to sacrifice
bring enduring results in conjunction with God.

142


What we all are
re-inspired to think of this Easter, is not so much the burden of suffering we
all have to endure as Christians, but rather what good has the Lord achieved in
my life without me having to experience the suffering of evil? If we are
uninformed of evil, we will refuse to deal with it. Once we remember that in His
Divine love and wisdom He permits evil to come close to us for our own freedom
and development, it becomes easier to bear, although perhaps not less painful.
Yet we are to remember that in all temptation the Lord is personally present,
fighting for us because He alone resists evil with man by Himself No angel of
any heaven is capable of this. To resist evil with us humans is a personal work
of the Lord Himself from His Divine omnipotence, Divine omniscience and Divine
Providence.

     The cross of Easter stands for the intersection of what is eternal with
what is temporal, therefore it stands for temptation. Man is not lifted above
the temporal without struggle. This the Lord demonstrated by His own life in the
world. Did the Lord not say: "Whosoever shall come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up His cross and follow Me" (Mark 8:34)? "For whosoever will
save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and
the gospel's, the same shall save it" (Mark 8:35).

     As we go home to prepare for Easter with our families and friends, let us
remember the most precious lesson the Lord taught us. He taught us self-
sacrifice for the sake of truth. The love of truth for its own sake is the love
of truth for the sake of the truth itself, and this is for the sake of the Lord
who is that Truth. This is not for the sake of self and for the world. A love
that will lead a man or a woman to sacrifice himself or herself for the sake of
truth, and not the truth for the sake of self; a love that makes both willing to
give up fame, reputation, gain, friends, even his own life, for the sake of the
truth; that causes him to be faithful regardless of consequences to himself,
where it is necessary to uphold that standard of truth.

143


This is
what is meant by the words of the Lord, that we like Him can be "smitten by
God": "He that finds his life shall lose it, and he that loses his life for My
sake shall find it" (Matthew 10:39).

     The Rev. Ragnar Boyesen was inaugurated into the priesthood in 1972 and
ordained as Pastor in 1973. He first served as Assistant to the Pastor at Olivet
Church, Toronto, while also visiting Montreal, Canada. He then accepted the post
of Pastor of the Stockholm Society, visiting Scandinavia as a whole! He accepted
a call to serve as Pastor of the Pittsburgh Society in 1982, and moved in 1986
to be Pastor of the Freeport Society, Pennsylvania. Starting in 1993, he served
as Pastor to the Kempton Society, and in 1996 he accepted the post of Pastor of
the Jonkoping Circle, Sweden, while again visiting elsewhere in Scandinavia.
Ragnar has now retired, and lives with his wife Dorrit (Pedersen) in Jonkoping,
Sweden. They plan to move to Warminster, Pennsylvania this June.

[Photograph of Rev. Ragnar Boyesen.]

144


TOUCH ME NOT, TOUCH ME AND SEE. 2010

TOUCH ME NOT, TOUCH ME AND SEE.       Editor       2010


----------
     In the Gospel of John, Jesus said to Mary Magdalena, "Touch Me not,
for I have not yet ascended to My Father," (John 20.17) but in the Gospel of Luke, He
says to Thomas, "behold My hands and My feet, touch Me and see; for a spirit
hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have" (Luke 24:38, 39). Why did He say both "Touch
Me not" and "Touch Me and see"?

     The Lord came on earth as the Word made flesh. Over His lifetime on earth,
He made "continual progress" from the Human to the Divine (Arcana Coelestia 2523). He
thus fulfilled all prophecies of His Advent, of His mission, and thus also of
death and now the Resurrection (Lord 11). For in their internal or Divine sense, the
Old Testament told the story of the whole of the Lord's life, such as it was to
be, even down to the very thoughts (Arcana Coelestia 2523). It was already
written. When fully glorified, the Lord "became Jehovah as to the Human Essence
also" (Arcana
Coelestia 1502, 1568, 7014). However, in order to see this point, we must
know that the Word contains an internal sense, and it was this sense that the
Lord fulfilled, not just the literal sense. That is what is involved with the
Lord's words to Mary Magdalene, "Touch me not."

     It is strange that He said this, because in the other Gospel stories, the
women already clutched the Lord's feet, thus most obviously touching Him. Touch
together with see means to really understand. To understand how the Lord is the
Word incarnate, and seeing how the Lord made His Human Divine, calls for seeing
the internal sense of the Word. In the human condition or the state represented
by Mary Magdalene, this understanding had not yet been reached.

145



"Touch Me not" is thus telling us to look more deeply before we understand the
real story of how the Lord was glorified. The answer can be found only in the
internal sense of the Word.

     Every word of the Gospels holds that deeper internal meaning. Why for
example did the Lord call Mary "Woman" here? And why was she weeping? Why did
she suppose that He was the gardener? If she thought the Lord our God was a
gardener, that of course explains how much her understanding had to be
corrected. All these things mean how we have to understand how the Lord
glorified His Human. Then He can say, "Touch Me and see."

     To cry or grief, means an interior affection; both Mary and woman means
the Church. The interior affectional state of the Church, therefore; Magdalene
is derived from magdala meaning tower. This in turn means interior truths
regarding communication with heaven (Apocalypse Explained 918:4). That tower
means this is illustrated in the Lord's referring to a well-known accident about
the Tower of Siloam which slew 18 men (Luke 13:4), referring to the interior things
in contained in the literal sense (Apocalypse Explained 239:19,
Arcana Coelestia
4599). Eighteen means combat of temptations (Arcana Coelestia 1709).
Mary Magdalene thus refers to a very complex stage of all of us, the Church in
us wanting to believe, but not seeing the internal sense, leading to interior
temptations.

     A garden means intelligence. Mary Magdalene crying, and the Lord saying,
"Woman, why are you weeping?" means in general the grief of the Church at the
end when there is a judgment; and when the Lord asks a question, it means that
we will receive an answer: the Lord protects and guards the interior truths of
the Church during the judgment, leading its members to the state of
intelligence.

     And Mary or Miriam means literally rebellion: Jesus called her, "Mary!"
and she turned and said, "Rabboni."

146


The rebel-prone or ignorant
Church which still can receive Divine Truth, faces both redemption and its end
and judgment, but is turned by the Lord towards a new beginning, by recognizing
the Lord as our Master, which is what Rabboni means. He is our Master when we
hear His Word, His Heavenly Doctrines or teachings. For a Master teaches the
truth.

     Then the Lord said, "Touch Me not, but go to My brethren and say to them,
I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Brethren
means states of charity, love towards the neighbor or mutual love, which is one
of the two great loves, the second of the two great commandments. It refers to
the spiritual church, which is in charity. The mention of both `Father' and
'God' is a typical case of two names referring to a union, here the Divine Good
meant by Father, and the Divine Truth meant by God (Apocalypse Explained 200).
The meaning is thus that the genuine Christian Church is to be a spiritual
church, it will be in love to the neighbor, and worship the Divine Human, that
is the Divine Love and Wisdom in the form of the Lord Jesus Christ.

     So our text explains how the Christian Church is to be converted to a true
view of the Lord, that He is the God of heaven and earth. To have this view, the
members of the Church need to have a true view of the Divine Human, and how the
Lord made His Human Divine. For the Lord was not resurrected bodily, nor are
humans resurrected as to their bodies. But the Lord's body was not found in the
tomb. It was empty. Unlike every other person who dies, the Lord left no body
behind, leading people to believe that it was bodily resurrected. But it was
not. It was glorified, and that is not the same as the bodily resurrection.
"Touch Me not" until we see this point.

     We do desire to see this. Mary reached out to touch the Lord after saying,
Rabboni, or Teacher. "Jesus said, Touch me not." We have to be ready, as a
Church, to understand that the Lord's resurrection was by way of glorification,
not a bodily resurrection.

147


A bodily resurrection carries with
it a belief in a trinity of persons, and Jesus as the Son of God being the
intermediator for the Father; and the Holy spirit being sent by both of them.
This is just way too murky and needs many corrections.

     Others too were corrected by the Lord, and led to understand Him more
completely. Thomas for example refused to believe in the resurrection until he
had physical proof. The Lord rebuked him saying, "blessed are those who have not
seen, yet have believed." That means to believe in the Lord's existence not from
the light of their two eyes, but "from the light of the Word" (Faith 10). The
Word alone teaches the truth, not our natural investigations, which should only
verify what the Word already teaches as true. Thomas then fell down and said,
"My Lord and my God." He surmounted the murk, and saw most clearly of all: The
Lord is God, the Divine Human, because the Word says so.

     So how can we understand how the Lord glorified His Human? The mystery of
the Father and Son is now revealed, namely how the Lord made His Human Divine.
We read:

     "In the Word, in the internal sense, are described all the states of the
Lord's life in the world, how He then made His Human Divine. ... He afterward
grew in intelligence and wisdom, and continually instilled into these the Divine
love, even until He became the Divine love, that is, the Divine being or
Jehovah, as to His Human also. And as the Lord in this way successively put on
the Divine, He therefore first made Himself truth from the Divine, afterward
Divine truth, and at last the Divine good. These were the steps of the
glorification of the Lord which are described here and elsewhere in the internal
sense of the Word" (Arcana Coelestia 7014).

148




     "The Lord took up into heaven all His Human glorified, that is, made
Divine from Himself, and left nothing of it in the sepulcher, otherwise than is
the case with man. That the Lord glorified His very body even to its ultimates
which are the bones and the flesh, the Lord manifested to His disciples, saying,
"Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself Touch Me and see, for a spirit
hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have" (Luke 24:39) (Arcana Coelestia 10125).

     Here we see the process: He instilled Divine things from the Divine of His
soul, who was Jehovah the Creator of the Universe, God the Father, into his
maternal human, until "He became the Divine love... as to His Human also." These
steps of the glorification are what are described "in the internal sense of the
Word." These steps the Lord first read about in His own Old Testament: He had
revealed this on earth, then while reading it on earth, had revealed its Divine
meaning to Himself, and then, as an actor taking on a role, fulfilled it word
for word. On the cross, He finally completed the role: "It is finished." Thus He
finally made Divine even the body itself. Only after we have seen that His body
also was made fully divine, are we invited: "Touch Me and see." Before that,
"Touch Me not." Afterwards, "Touch Me and see." First see it, and this is to
touch or be touched by, the Lord, as in the benediction: He lays His divine
palms on our finite head.

     So when the Lord told Mary, "Touch Me not," He was still in the process of
glorification, and our attitude is in the midst of instruction. For the Lord
"first made His Human Divine Truth... and afterwards, He completely glorified
His human and made it Divine Good" (Arcana Coelestia 6864 added emphasis).
Two stages: The first stage took place at the crucifixion, that is He at that
point became Divine Truth.

149


But the second stage took place at
His "departure out of the world" (Arcana Coelestia 9670, 9987). "Before
the Lord was glorified He was in respect to his Human the Divine truth ... But
after the Lord had been glorified in respect to His Human, He became the Divine
good; and then from Him as the Divine good proceeded and proceeds the Divine
truth" (Arcana
Coelestia 4577). Thus "after the temptation on the cross, He then
made His human also Divine good, or Jehovah" (Arcana Coelestia 7499).

     It seems that between the resurrection and the ascension back into heaven,
this final stage of the glorification took place: hence for Mary, after the
crucifixion, but before "His departure out of the world," we may think of the
Lord glorified or made Divine as to Truth, but not yet as to Good. He had not
yet become the Divine Good. "Touch me not." For by His ascension, the process
was complete, and He said, "Touch Me and see."

     Why do we have to understand this? First, because we can. All truth is
comprehensible. "Now it is permitted to understand." We can see the truth, and
believe it, have faith in it. "Faith itself is an acknowledgment that a thing is
so, because it is true. For he who is in real faith thinks and speaks to this
effect: 'This is true, and therefore I believe it' (Faith 2). The second reason
is that every truth leads to good. If a truth is not seen, it will be falsified,
and a falsity eventually invites an evil. But truth leads to or invites good. So
it is good for us to understand why Jesus said "Touch me not." Let us try to see
even further.

     The main reason to understand how the Lord, by His glorification and
resurrection, leads us from truth to good, is to see how the Lord became the
same as Jehovah, as He already was from the beginning. "He became Jehovah also
as to the Human Essence," the Human that He had glorified (Arcana Coelestia 1502).


150


What before was a potential power, was now an "actual power,"
also called the "Divine natural" (Divine Love and Wisdom 233, Sacred Scripture
99), and many things were changed by this one change: After the
first Advent, the modern era could begin, "man could become internal and be
informed about internal things" (Arcana Coelestia 1003), and all heavenly and Divine
things could be "explained in natural language using rational terms" (De Verbo 3:4).
All former recondite symbolism and representations could be unveiled, and seen
clearly. Today, for us, what more is there to see than that the Lord is God in
One Person, both Jehovah and Lord? Jehovah the Creator is as a soul, and the
Lord our Redeemer and Savior is as the body or embodiment of the Creator. God in
One Person.

     But we see this only if we heed the warning, "Touch me not," and learn the
internal truths. If we had instead just gone ahead and accepted the risen Lord,
"touched Him" when told not to, we would end up in the same confusions over the
trinity of persons as befell Christianity, and not know by whom or how we were
redeemed and saved. But the truth is simple: God has a soul and a body, He has
three discrete degrees (Divine Love and Wisdom 230). The soul is Jehovah, the
Father; the body always was embodied so to speak in pre-Advent days by the Angel
of Jehovah, meant in the Gospel by the Son of God; after the Advent, however,
the Divine Human became His own embodiment of Jehovah. He made Divine His own
embodiment. The Lord our God has clothed Himself for our understanding. Thus
"[t]he New Church will worship one visible God, in whom is the invisible God, as
the soul is in the body" (True Christian Religion 787).

     Any initial ignorance of all of this is not our fault. We cannot be blamed
just for being finite and material. Divine things are higher than material
things. The condition of our eternal existence begins by birth into a world
limited by time and space.

151


But because the Infinite Lord
created the finite universe, He certainly can reach His own creation and inform
it of His reality: He has ever done so with His Word, and it teaches us of Him.
He is therefore our Teacher and Master. He can reveal the truth about who He is,
and how He made His Human Divine. Mary Magdalene, the Church that is a tower,
prone to topple and kill those under it, prone to rebellion and self-love, but
also a sinner who underwent a judgment and returned to the Lord, she represents
our ignorance, thus also the innocence of ignorance. It needs wisdom to replace
the ignorance (Arcana Coelestia 10225). Mary Magdalene shows the
beginnings of love for the neighbor, and intelligence is meant by a garden: "She
supposing him to be the gardener, said, Sir, tell me where you have laid him,
and I will take him away." Her ignorance expected to find a corpse. Merely
natural concerns are dead, but she represents receiving instruction in the
spiritual things that really matter. That is the spiritual sense of this story.
So she ended up talking to the very risen Divine Truth in Human form that she
was seeking. Divine Truth itself in Human form, now reached out to her to guide
and instruct her. It is seeing the Lord face to face. The innocence of ignorance
is converted into the "innocence of wisdom" yet strangely keeping a preferred
ignorance even together with the wisdom, which the Writings label the "ignorance
of wisdom" (Arcana Coelestia 10225). The celestial angels know
that compared to Infinite Wisdom, they know nothing, and love it to be so!

     But as long as Mary was ignorant, she could not "touch" the Lord. Human
ignorance is inborn. Human hereditary tendencies towards evils and falsities of
every kind are inborn, and ignorance is our only protection from them (cf.
Divine Providence
275). Ignorance is what blocks out the light of truth. Such are all
we from birth.

     But it is possible to see and understand the Lord. Hence the paradox in
Matthew, where we read, "And behold Jesus met them, saying, Rejoice.


152


And they came and held Him by the feet and worshipped Him"
(Matthew
28.9). And in Luke we read, "Look at My hands and My feet to confirm
that it is I; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as
you see Me have" (Luke 24:37, 39). "Touch Me and see." He did not tell
them, "Touch me not." What is the difference?

     The explanation here is that the disciples saw the Lord correctly the same
way they had seen Him before the resurrection. They had not yet been educated to
a different view. Their ignorance preserved the truth. Thus we read: "The Divine
Itself cannot be seen such as it is in itself, but such as it is through the
Lord in heaven, ... no one has ever seen Jehovah the Father, but ... when He has
been seen, it was the Lord who was seen, for the Lord is the very 'face' of
Jehovah" (Arcana
Coelestia 10579).

     The Lord is the face of Jehovah. But that was before the Advent. That was
the way Moses spoke with Jehovah 'face to face.' The disciples also could hold
the Lord with this view. Thus the disciples had asked about the Lord. "Show us
the Father." The reply: "If you have known Me, you have known My Father also,
and from now on you have known Him and seen Him. ...He that has seen Me has seen
the Father" (John
14.7,9).

     Although the disciples did truly see the Lord, i.e. could `touch' Him,
they still had to go through a transformation to a true view of The Lord, the
One God of heaven and earth. This view became possible only after His
glorification, seeing the risen Lord. But at first, during the "touch Me not"
stage, it was still the face of Jehovah that was seen. If this was the case,
they could and did 'touch' the Risen Lord. But the full glorification was when
He was glorified also as to Good, and became "Jehovah also as to the human."
Truth can be touched, it is conscious and sensible, but not good, which is
intangible. "Touch Me not." Here is another aspect of the difference between
"touch Me and see" and "touch Me not."

153


Jehovah must be seen
visibly in a Divinely Human form. If Jesus is the 'face' of Jehovah, you can
touch Him. Also, if God becomes fully comprehensible and thus also visible, that
is the glorified and risen Human, or Divine Human. This is as He has now been
fully revealed it in Heavenly Doctrine, the Word of the Lord in His Second
Advent. We may touch Him at will.

     Although Moses could speak face-to-face with God, it was an angel of
Jehovah He actually saw (Arcana Coelestia 6280:3). The spiritual sense had as
yet to be seen. The Old Testament "faces of Jehovah" becomes the New Testament
"Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Feel Me and see, for a spirit
has not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have" (Luke 24:3639). In this way the Lord
"pointed out that He was not only Man as to the Spirit, but also as to the body"
(Last Judgment
21).

     So Easter has a profound doctrinal message from the New Church to all
people: see the Lord, actually, comprehensibly, and really. It involves our own
regeneration or gradual rebirth, and also hearing the Word of the Lord in His
Second Coming. The books constituting this Coming are already here. Easter
depends on the rational explanation now given of what actually happened, the
spirit of truth that the Lord willed to speak even back then, "but you cannot
bear them now" (John
16.12). Now all can bear them. The truth is no longer in danger of
profanation, and so can be presented to all of humankind: namely that the
Creator of the universe, Whose existence we need not see with our own eyes to
believe, but Whom we know from the truths of the Word (Faith 10), - He has shown
Himself, face to face in the Heavenly Doctrines, just as we see our God in the
internal sense of His Word. The Human was made Divine, the maternal human was
completely rejected (Apocalypse Explained 899), and "divine forms took the
place of the extirpated maternal forms" (Arcana Coelestia 6872). Thus Jehovah
"wrought redemption" on earth.

154


Thus "touch Me not" from
ignorance of Divine Goodness made flesh, is replaced by "Touch Me and see," and
the confession of Thomas, the affirmative doubt wanting to believe, says "My
Lord and my God." Human sin crucified the Lord, and now He by His conquest of
the hell of our invention, allows us to Touch Him, receiving from Him the
strength to overcome what He has already conquered, and thus to conquer it anew
as we shun evils as sins against Him. He who said, "It is I Myself," gave us His
last words to humankind, as to all Disciples: "Peace be with you."
Title Unspecified 2010

Title Unspecified              2010


----------
     As men rise again after death, therefore the Lord willed to undergo
death and to rise again the third day, but to the end that He might put off
everything human that He had from the mother and might put on the Divine Human;
for everything human that the Lord took from the mother He rejected from Himself
by temptations, and finally by death; and by putting on a Human from the Divine
Itself that was in Him He glorified Himself, that is, made His Human Divine;
therefore in heaven His death and burial do not mean death and burial, but the
purification of His Human, and glorification. That this is so the Lord taught by
this comparison with wheat falling into the earth, which must die that it may
bear fruit. The same is involved in what the Lord said to Mary Magdalene:

     Touch Me not, for I am not yet ascended unto My Father (John 20:17).

     "To ascend to His Father" means the uniting of His Human with His Divine,
the human from the mother being fully rejected. Apocalypse Explained 899.14

155


Title Unspecified 2010

Title Unspecified       Various       2010


----------
To the Editor,

     I'd like to start by apologising for the length of this letter and for the
amount of time it has taken me to send it to you. Some of the time-lag has been
due to my struggling to make my points as briefly as possible.

     Having worked in various ways with the Book of Revelation over the last
ten years, I was keen to read the series of articles published towards the end
of last year by Andy Dibb in New Church Life. I enjoyed his determination to
impress on the reader the impact of the Book of Revelation, but I would have
liked more in some areas.

     I have been loosely involved with a group known as the Apocalyptic Study
Group within the Conference organisation. This group was set up before the
millennium to endeavour to present something of the New Church message regarding
the millennium and other elements of Revelation to the wider world. It is
currently concentrating on setting up an exhibition of twenty-five original
pictures from the Book of Revelation commissioned from Roland Smith, which it is
hoped can be presented in Bryn Athyn.

     More recently, my role at SOLCe (the Conference equivalent of the Academy
of the New Church Theological School) has involved me in the production of two
expressions by one of my predecessors, Rev. Michael Stanley, of what Swedenborg
says about the Book of Revelation. One is a half-year course which we offer to
students and the other is a short book, Personal Revelation, published by SOLCe
(and reviewed by Goran Appelgren in the March 2009 edition of New Church Life).

     It may be because most of the work in which I have been involved has
focused very much on how we can apply the Book of Revelation to our own
regeneration that I felt that something was missing in Andy Dibb's pieces.


156


Although he stated at the outset that he did not intend to
cover this aspect, it felt to me that it was a shame that a major series on this
book did no more than mention this in passing. Doubtless, there is a value in
looking back at the Last Judgment, but to my way of thinking this also needs to
be accompanied by seeing how this relates to our current situation (both
personally and as part of the church) and the wider religious/spiritual
environment of today. Andy Dibb's articles certainly brought things up-to-date
by talking about today's TV shows, but the central image of the "murder inquiry"
seemed to bring a number of problems with it. I'm left with more questions than
answers as a result of the articles. Some of my questions follow.

     Is the question of judgment (and hence "trial") more accurately applied
today (two hundred and fifty years after the Last Judgment took place in the
spiritual world) to individuals (and hence also potentially to various human
groupings) rather than solely to religious institutions?

     Is there not a need in relation to the Book of Revelation always to
balance talking about the "internal historical sense" (in which Swedenborg
refers to the relationship between the church denominations of his day and the
Last Judgment) with the spiritual sense relating to our own regeneration and
also the level which refers to the Lord and His glorification?

     Are there not ways that we as individuals can also fall into the same trap
as the historical Christian church? Is it an example of "faith alone" whenever
we fail to live out the Lord's love? Might we not use a passage or image in the
Word to avoid looking at something in us which we know at some level that the
Lord needs to change? Might we also fall prey to temptations around power or
wealth in some form?

     If the Christian church is the "murder victim" and both the Protestant and
Roman Catholic churches are the "murderers", doesn't that mean that they have
killed themselves?

157


How does it make sense therefore to talk
about the need for an "investigation" and "trial"? (If we do use the "trial"
image, why is there no mention of the defence counsel, which is also an integral
part of the American Constitution and justice system?).

     Is there any possibility that the Christian church today is not "dead" but
could be harbouring "new life" in certain respects and in the lives of
individuals in it?

     Doesn't it make more sense to think, rather than about "murder", about an
"illness", possibly "terminal", in which something of the behaviour of the
"victim" has contributed to the contracting of this "illness"?

     Continuing using the image of "illness", what are the ways that we in the
New Church can work to bring "healing" through the Lord's love and wisdom?

     I'd like to thank Andy Dibb for stimulating my thoughts in many ways with
his series of articles, which have only served further to emphasise for me how
much the Lord has to reveal to us through this exciting, if challenging, part of
the Word.

     Yours sincerely,
     David Lomax
     Principal,
     Swedenborg Open Learning Centre, (SOLCe),
     Manchester, England.

158





To the Editor:

Our Own Academy?

     The Academy of the New Church is generally thought of as the educational
arm of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. However the Academy's
Corporation has continued to be a self-defined and self-perpetuating governing
body. That Corporation, in turn, elects its own Board of Directors. (Apparently
this is not an unusual structure for a private educational institution.) While
the Academy can presumably continue to function as a self-directed and
separately funded institution, it would seem that its vitality, validity and
base of support would depend upon its serving the mission of the General Church.
Yet there is at present no structured way for the membership of the General
Church Corporation (the actual defined membership of the General Church) to have
formal influence on the directions or priorities of the Academy. So, to
encourage broader involvement in determining those directions and priorities, to
assure fuller support for them, and to minimize any potential polarization and
dissension, might it be useful for the Academy to include in its Corporation a
significant and effective proportion of members who are elected by the
Corporation of the General Church?

     Respectfully,
     Fred Odhner
     Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania

159




To the Editor:

     I would like to make a brief response to Rev. Hauptman's January article
on the origin of life: I don't see that it is necessary to prove Darwin wrong in
order to hold Swedenborg to be right.

     As I understand it, Darwin tangled with his amassed evidence for decades,
aware that he was opening a can of worms by suggesting physical mechanisms in
natural selection. From a strictly scientific perspective, which is what
evolution is, he lead the way to understanding the processes that lead to the
variety of life as we see it. Add on all the post-Darwinian findings based on
DNA, like pseudogenes, and endogenous retroviruses and it is pretty clear that
one species descended from another.

     Science does not presume to imply an intent to the process. The original
cause can't be tested in any objective way, and lies in the realm of religion.

     Frankly, when investigating the natural world, I do not think we will ever
come to an actual impasse at which scientists say, "This is it: God did this
part because there is no natural explanation," because such would negate our
freedom to not believe, i.e. it would force faith, which isn't faith at all.

     Fortunately, being raised in the New Church, I always had the
understanding that whatever is in the natural world exists because it
corresponds to something in the spiritual world, which is actually why I ended
up in science. I believed that the more I understood about the natural world,
the more I could see of the spiritual world.

     Further, we have the teaching of the affirmative Principle, which states
that if you believe that the hand of God is responsible for things, you will see
Him everywhere, and if you don't you will see Him nowhere. So mutations occur by
random chance (wink wink), both views entirely defensible within their realms.


160




     I agree with Rev. Hauptmann's selection that "once substantiated, falsity
has all the appearance of truth" (Arcana Coelestia 5008:6). I just
question whether this topic is in conflict with the truth.

     Teryn Synnestvedt Romaine,
     Biology Teacher, Stanton College, Florida, USA
Evolution? Elevation! 2010

Evolution? Elevation!              2010


----------
     Creation advances to this ultimate end continually by means
of...end, cause and effect.... [T]he Divine is present through all space
independently of space...and is the same in the greatest and least of things
....[T]he Lord the Creator continually raises up from the earth [ex tellure a
Domino Creatore elevantur continue] forms of useful endeavor and activity in
succession, culminating in the human being, who in respect to his body is from
the [earth]...The human being is then raised up [spiritually] by his reception
of love and wisdom from the Lord. Moreover, in order that he may receive love
and wisdom, all the means have been provided. He has also been formed such that
he is capable of receiving them if only he is willing. From what we have now
said it can be seen...that the end in creation finds expression in the lasts of
it, which is for everything to return to the Creator and conjunction take place.
Divine Love and Wisdom, Amsterdam 1763, # 171.

161


CHURCH NEWS 2010

CHURCH NEWS              2010


----------
     AN ABRIDGED PRESENTATION OF SWEDENBORG'S ARCANA CAELESTIA

     BY WILLARD RIDGWAY MANSFIELD

     The history of the beginning of the Church in South Africa has been fairly
well documented. Alfred Sydney Cockerell, who was not a New Churchman at that
time, arrived in Durban from England on the third. May 1850. He was a young
bachelor and arrived in a 'town' that was no more than a number of mud huts
scattered amongst bush that was teeming with wild animals. James Ridgway and his
wife Elizabeth arrived two months later on the fourth of July 1850 from England
with their five children, one of whom was Emma who later became a profound
reader of the doctrines. They also brought with them a full set of the Writings.
Elizabeth Upton at the age of six arrived from England about that time with her
parents.

     Emma Ridgway and Alfred Cockerell some years later married and had ten
children and Roland the oldest Ridgway married Elizabeth Upton. They also had
ten children. These two large families were the core of what was to become the
Durban Society in later years. Delia Cockerell was one of the Cockerell
daughters and she married James Henry Ridgway and were my grandparents. Their
daughter Doris later went to the Academy and graduated as a teacher, where she
met Robert (Bob) Mansfield who graduated from High School in Bryn Athyn. They
were my parents.

     I only mention all of this to show that I was steeped in what one might
call 'New Church Culture' from a very young age and was even named after Bishop
Willard Pendleton and my sister Gabrielle, who is married to the Reverend Gerald
Waters was named after his wife!

162




     We lived much of our early life with our grandparents who regularly used
to read aloud to each other from the Writings, much of it from the Arcana and I
used to listen, thinking how boring it was! That generation seemed to be real
students of the doctrines and many seemed to have some kind of competition as to
how often they had read the Arcana. Many years later as a Chemical Engineering
student, I attempted to emulate them but my state was not right - it was still
boring! I met my wife Jenny Bowyer and we moved to Johannesburg so I could
complete my post-graduate studies. We later returned to Durban so our children
could go to Kainon School and at the same time help Dan Heinrichs badger the
Society into moving out to a more suitable environment, which is where we are
today, in Westville.

     Some of us at that time formed what was called a `Men's Discussion Group'
where the men of the Society would meet on a monthly basis to discuss doctrinal
issues, taking turns in preparing suitable topics, which continues to this day.

     A topic that interested me in particular was the point made by several
ministers, particularly Dan Heinrichs and Peter Buss, who later became Bishop,
that there is a continuous internal sense throughout the whole of the Word. This
is proclaimed by the Writings themselves and the basis for this is presented in
the Arcana. This intrigued me, bearing in mind my early exposure with my
grandparents and the fact that later I had tried on several occasions to read
the Arcana because the word 'boring' tended to repeat itself! I therefore
decided as a topic for the discussion Group to see if I could find this
'continuity' because all I could see for the most part was a series of what
appeared to be disconnected statements. I found that by suitably connecting
these 'disconnected statements' together, a continuous picture of the internal
sense in fact emerged, which I have subsequently found to be hugely rewarding.


163


That was thirty years ago and Jenny and I were in the midst of
raising five children and by then I was immersed in a high pressure business and
later academic environment. I resolved that once I had retired I would examine
this much more thoroughly to perhaps assist those lay people, who like me, have
found the Arcana rather difficult to read.

     I have in fact, after eleven years, written ten of the twelve volumes of
this abbreviated version and am on the eleventh, but at this point I feel it is
useful to let those in the laity of the Church who have had a similar problem be
aware of what is available. One needs to be clear that there are many in the
Church today and there are several in the Westville New Church, who like to read
the Arcana 'as it is' and this presentation therefore is not for them and it is
obviously also not for the ministry, except of course should they wish to use it
for an Arcana class.

     The structure of what is presented is I believe quite readable and is
helped by the use of more modern language. There are nevertheless areas that
continue to be difficult and specifically this is often where there is direct
treatment of the Lord's Glorification. The Writings point out many times that it
is just not possible for us mere mortals to understand much of the
Glorification. One can read this for instance in Arcana Coelestia 3141 where
there is reference to 'the Lord's Divine Rational being born from Divine Truth
Itself joined to Divine Good'. Here it is explained that what is being presented
'shows the nature of the secrets contained in the internal sense of the Word and
that these secrets are such that even the most general of them can hardly be
understood by man' We should therefore not be too discouraged in these
circumstances!

     An important aspect of this presentation is that for the most part there
is little reference to the literal story except where this has been particularly
appropriate. The reason for this is that the emphasis has been to concentrate on
the 'continuity' of the internal sense and to see it as clearly as possible and
to make it as readable as possible.

164


Any attempt to include the
literal story in detail would detract from what is presented. One should also be
aware that it is the internal sense only that the angels are aware of when man
is reading the Word. They see nothing of the literal story. There are many in
the Church however who love to see the correspondence between the two and as a
consequence this presentation is also not for them!

     There are times however where it has been appropriate to refer
specifically to the literal story and this applies particularly to the Ten
Commandments and the laws or judgments that the Lord gave from Mount Sinai.

     A further point is that the very important numerous references from the
Word that are used in the Arcana to support what is presented in the internal
sense are, for the most part, not included because they are not necessary for
this abbreviated version.

     There has been no attempt whatsoever for any `interpretation' because this
is the prerogative of the priesthood. There are times however where it has been
useful to clarify some issue and under these circumstances italics have been
used, and assistance from the priesthood has often been sought in these
circumstances. An important issue however is that in linking together what is
referred to above as a series of 'apparently discontinuous statements', words
have had to be added to make the link, as for instance the internal sense in
Arcana Coelestia
1439 relating to Genesis chapter 12 verse 6 where in the literal story
it is said:

     'And Abram passed through the land even unto the place Shechem, even unto
the oak-grove Moreh; and the Canaanite was then in the land'.

165




     The internal sense of 'And Abram passed through the land, even unto the
place Shechem' refers to the Lord's second state, when the celestial things of
love, which are meant by Shechem became apparent to Him.

     The internal sense of 'even unto the oak-grove Moreh' refers to a third
state, namely a first perception which is the oak-grove Moreh'.

     The internal sense of 'and the Canaanite was then in the land' refers to
the evil hereditary from the mother in His external man.

     These apparently discontinuous statements can be linked as follows by
means of the words in italics:

     The Lord's second state followed in which the celestial things of love
became apparent to Him, after which He reached a third state, in which He had a
first perception. He nevertheless still had hereditary evil from the mother,
which was present in His external man.

     This is an example of the link but in addition the Arcana invariably
expands considerably on these issues. An example of this is an explanation of
what is meant by 'perception'. The nature of the Lord's temptations is also
explained. Explanations such as this have been included in this abbreviated
presentation.

     This study was started in 1999 and after the first four volumes were
complete, four members of the Westville Society who read the Writings frequently
were asked to assess what had been done. They comprised Caroline Lester, Dr. Ted
Palmer, David Draper and John Elphick. Their assessment was very positive and
they considered this should be helpful to those in the Church who for various
reasons do not read the Arcana. This assessment was later supported by John
Sharpe from the Buccleuch Society who has been particularly supportive.


166


Some have subsequently read several volumes and consider this
to be a worthwhile contribution to Church literature.

     Later after completing nine volumes I decided to re-do volume one in its
entirety based on the experience I had gained at that point. This took a further
year.

     I have not asked anyone to check in detail what has been presented because
that would be a monumental task. Fundamentally I do not believe there is
anything 'heretic' in the sense that there is no departure from what the Arcana
is telling us - it has just been presented in a more readable format showing the
continuous internal sense. In order to be as accurate as possible I have
therefore read each volume many times and so emulating my forefathers! One has
to say however that at the end of the day even this version cannot be read 'just
like a novel'. This should hopefully appeal to those who have a genuine
affection for the internal sense of the Word, who are currently readers of the
Writings but who find the Arcana itself either difficult or somewhat boring. The
hope is that this abbreviated version will encourage reading of the Arcana
itself.

     All ten volumes are available at present on a single DVD. A hard copy of
each volume is also available on A4 with an easily readable font size of 14 and
bound with a plastic spine binding. This abbreviated version is approximately
40% of the length of the original.


167


Notes on This Issue 2010

Notes on This Issue       Editor       2010


----------

     Announcements





----------
     The Rev. Mark Pendleton illustrates the topic of Patience from
several timeless Biblical stories, and presents us with a clear outline of what
promotes this kind of patience.

     One of the General Church ambassadors to the growing New Church in Russia,
Rev. Goran Appelgren, gave a great lecture in 2004 on the Writings as the final
revelation, couching it in the history of Last Judgments on this earth. With
this extract from the full article we celebrate 253 years of Post-Apocalyptic
world history.

     A short look at the history of Urbana University by Tom Brecht compares
notes with the Academy of the New Church, both having started with a dedication
to teaching the Heavenly Doctrines along with other courses. This article was
submitted in 2007.

171


IN YOUR PATIENCE POSSESS YOUR SOUL 2010

IN YOUR PATIENCE POSSESS YOUR SOUL       Rev. MARK PENDLETON       2010


----------
     A SERMON

     I wonder how many of you in this room, if invited, could tell a story from
your own childhood of a time when you were eager for the arrival of Christmas
morning, and you were having a hard time being patient and waiting:- for example
two weeks before Christmas...one week before Christmas...two days before
Christmas...on Christmas Eve you had a hard time getting to sleep...and when
Christmas morning finally arrived, you tore into your first present so fast that
it got damaged.

     Sometimes it's hard to be patient and to wait for things we really want-
even if we may know that being patient and waiting are the things that are most
needed in a situation for a good and healthy outcome to occur. A young man
proposes to his favorite girl; and now he's having a hard time waiting for her
answer, until one evening he "blows it" and gets upset with her for the time
she's taking. With that, her decision leans in the direction of saying "No" to
his proposal. Or, you know that dinner is just one-and a-half hours away, and
even though you aren't hungry and you don't need the extra calories, that slice
of pumpkin pie on the counter is just too inviting to pass up. There are many
other examples that we could think of.

     One of the interesting things about the need for patience in our lives is
the broad variety of things that call for it. For example, the patience that's
required if we're suffering from a longstanding and painful illness; or the
patience that's required when we're in a state of emotional turmoil, mental
confusion, or some form of spiritual conflict. At a time like that we may long
for resolution or for answers to pressing questions, and yet it may seem like
the resolution just isn't happening, and the answers aren't forthcoming.


172




     Just think of what it must have been like for Saul and the two thousand
men who were with him when the Philistines came to attack (1 Samuel 13:1-
15). Samuel the prophet had told Saul to wait for seven days until
he arrived on the scene, at which time Samuel would show Saul what he ought to
do (1 Samuel
10:8). Saul waited for seven days but Samuel didn't come. By that
time the Philistines had gathered an army against him-thirty thousand chariots,
six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand on the seashore in number.

     For just a moment, picture in your mind's eye a hilly or desert scene in a
movie-a scene in which the enemy is advancing toward a tiny outpost; and as the
enemy forces advance, they cover the hills or dunes as far as your eye can
see...and more and more of them keep coming. That's what it would have been like
for Saul on the seventh day when Samuel didn't arrive. At that point in the
story it says that the people who were with Saul saw that they were in danger.
It says that they were distressed, that they hid in caves and other places, and
that they were scattered from Saul until only six hundred of them remained.

     This pictures a time in our lives when our spiritual enemies have mounted
against us. We're feeling spiritually in danger-stressed out, lost, and
scattered in our minds. Saul waited for seven days for Samuel to arrive, and
finally he couldn't wait any longer. In a state of fear and impulsiveness he
foolishly took matters into his own hands and made supplication to the Lord by
offering his own form of burnt offering. The sad outcome of Saul's decision and
his action was that his kingdom would not continue.

     The same thing happens to us spiritually speaking when we know some matter
of truth that the Lord tells us-we know the direction that the Lord gives us for
one or another important facet of our lives-and yet some form of spiritual
pressure or natural impulsiveness mounts against us to the point that we feel we
can no longer remain true to what the Lord says.

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And so we take
matters into our own hands, and we opt for a different course of action than
what the Lord calls for. Sadly, at that moment, something of the Lord's kingdom
is lost on us.

     Compare this story of Saul to some of the stories in the Scriptures in
which patience and waiting on the Lord are shown, and in which beautiful
outcomes happen as a result. The two stories I'm thinking about are stories
about relationships-they're two of the most beautiful love stories that have
been ever told.

     The first story is when Jacob met his future wife, Rachel (Genesis 29:1-20).
In that story Jacob was traveling to his father Isaac's native land in the east
to search for a wife. As he neared the place, Jacob stopped by a well and talked
with the shepherds who were there. While he was speaking with them, Rachel came
with her father's sheep; she was a shepherdess. When Jacob saw Rachel, he went
near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth �a task that normally took a
number of people to accomplish�and he watered her father's flock. Then Jacob
kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept.

     Later in the story Jacob agreed to go to work for Rachel's father, and as
part of that agreement, Rachel's father asked him what his wages should be.
Jacob loved Rachel, and so he said, "I will serve you seven years for [her]."
"So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like only a few days
because of the love that he had for her" (Genesis 29:20).

     That's a true story of love at first sight; and the point is that Jacob's
love for Rachel was of such an innocent and genuine quality that it was
endlessly patient. Seven years seemed to him like only a few days because of the
quality of the love that he had for her. That's the way that true love is, as
confirmed in the book of Corinthians where we read, "Love is patient, love is
kind" (1
Corinthians 13:4).

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True love can wait for what is
good and true to take place with hardly a hint of difficulty or agitation
(Spiritual
Experiences 708).

     The second story of patience with a wonderful outcome is the story of
Joseph and Mary (Matthew 1:18-25). In that story Mary was betrothed to
Joseph, and it says that "before they came together, she was found with child of
the Holy Spirit." We're told that while Joseph thought about this he was told by
an angel to take Mary to be his wife. "Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep,
did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not
know her until she had brought forth her firstborn son; and he called his name
Jesus" (Matthew
1:18-25).

     This, too, is a love story that involves patience and a beautiful outcome.
And what's wonderful about this particular story is that it tells us exactly
what the couple was waiting for. What Joseph and Mary were waiting for was the
Lord Himself to be born on earth; and following His birth, He would have the
power to accomplish wonderful things in the world.

     On the level of human relationships, this part of the Christmas story is
talking about two people who meet and fall in love, and then patiently wait for
the Lord to be born into their relationship leading up to marriage. And as the
Lord is born into their relationship, He has the power to accomplish wonderful
things-both between them and by means of them into the world around them. This
story is also talking about states of mind within an already existing marriage-
whenever a couple patiently waits for the Lord's birth into any new beginning
that they either desire to make or are actually making, within their
relationship.

     But let's not get sidetracked into a dissertation on relationships. The
simple truth is that it's not always easy to be patient and to wait for things
that we really want.

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For example, it's not always easy calmly
to endure hardship, emotional turmoil, mental confusion, or spiritual conflict
without complaining or losing composure (Dictionary, Apocalypse Explained 813:4,
Isaiah
53:7).

     But patience is possible. We're taught in the doctrine of the New Church
that at times when the actions of our lives are being governed by heavenly love,
or by an affection for good and true outcomes-in other words, when we're able to
be in touch with the internal part of our being, the truest longings of our
souls (inspired into us by the Lord) then is when we're able to be patient and
kind (Heavenly Secrets 3827, Apocalypse Explained 893:3).

     We're taught that the true longings of our souls are patient. They are
able to wait as long as it might take for some good or true outcome to happen in
our lives; and while these things are waiting for something to take place, it's
as though time disappears. In other words, time is not an issue where heavenly
desire or affection are involved. This is the reason why the seven years that
Jacob worked for Rachel seemed like a few days to him; it was because of the
inner quality of the love that he had for her that time seemed to go by so
quickly (Heavenly Secrets 3827).

     Realize, too, that a heavenly longing for good and true outcomes in our
lives is something that can provide us with patience in any arena of life, not
just in relationships. The doctrine of our Church indicates that regardless of
circumstances that surround it, any heavenly desire for any good and true
outcome in our lives is gentle and yielding. A person who is in such a state of
mind allows himself to be guided in his decisions at the good pleasure of
heaven's angels who are present with him. He allows his life choices to be bent
in directions that the Lord would have him go. When something that he may want
is not granted, he immediately acquiesces; that is, he lets that thing go and he
doesn't entertain doubts about doing so.

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He's hardly the least
bit indignant, but rather he's calm and content with what's transpiring in his
life (Spiritual
Experiences 708). "Love is patient, love is kind; love bears all
things [and] endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:4, 7).

     With impatience it's different. We're taught that any time we begin to
feel impatient with some person or some situation in our lives, it's a sign that
a spiritual challenge or spiritual conflict is coming upon us (Apocalypse Explained
817:7) - like the Philistines who came to attack Saul. Some form of
worldly want or bodily craving is stealing into our minds and hearts (Apocalypse Explained
813, Heavenly Secrets 3827); something of worldly import or self-
interest is starting to claim our attention and to take higher priority than
what we and the Lord truly want for our lives; some desire of the flesh, or
materialistic want is entering into us and causing us to think about things that
don't belong to the heavenly desires of our spirit-that is, the truest longing
of our souls (Heavenly Secrets 3827, Spiritual Experiences 597). These self-
focused and worldly feelings invite us, then, to start reasoning against the
teachings and stories of the Lord's word and even to distort them into the
direction of justifying our own lower, natural-level wants and impulses
(Apocalypse
Explained 813). They invite us to stubbornly insist on having
certain things in our lives sometimes even things that we know are not the best
or most useful for us (Apocalypse Explained 427e, Spiritual Experiences 597).
Finally, they goad us into giving in to our natural impulses, and in that way
falling away from the Lord and departing from His presence (Apocalypse Explained 817) -
in the same way that Saul gave in to the fearful and foolish urge to take
matters into his own hands and to believe that the Lord's prophet, Samuel
(symbolizing the Lord's Word for life) would not come to his rescue at a time
when he needed it most.

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     Pitted against this kind of self-orientation, self-concern, and distorted
reasoning, are the thoughts and desires of the Lord's heart - mercifully and
lovingly revealed to us in the pages of His threefold Word. Pitted against our
natural, self-focused impulses is the call that the Lord makes for patience and
perseverance in spiritual matters during times of spiritual conflict and
confusion. In your patience posses your soul.

     We're taught in the doctrine of our Church that when the Lord talks about
patience in the Scriptures He is talking about calmly persevering in times of
spiritual conflict:-

     ï¿½     He's talking about putting our faith in Him, in His will, and in His
teachings (Apocalypse Revealed 593, Spiritual Experiences 708).

     ï¿½     He's talking about studying His Word (or re-studying His Word) in
order to know the truth of any situation that faces us (Apocalypse Revealed 77,
Apocalypse
Explained 101).

     ï¿½     He's talking about inviting Him and His angels to be near us, rather
than the spirit of impatience (Spiritual Experiences 597).

     ï¿½     He's talking about believing that He and His Truth have unlimited
power to help us stand by what we know to be best for our lives (Apocalypse Explained
49).

     ï¿½     He's talking about fighting against self-centered impulses and false
reasoning that are inherent in each one of us (Apocalypse Explained 893:3, 813:2).

     ï¿½     He's talking about defending what we know to be true and right
against those who would reason against them (Apocalypse Explained 101).

     ï¿½     He's talking about discovering what were really made of-by being in
Divine Truth; by living the dictate of the Lord's Word; and by doing what is
true and good and right, even if were living among those who are not (Apocalypse Revealed
593, Heavenly Secrets 8361, Apocalypse Explained 813:4, 893:3).


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The seeds that fell on the good ground are those who, with a
simple, good heart hear the Lord's Word, hold fast to it, and bring forth fruit
with patience (Luke
8:15).

     Sometimes it can seem hard to be patient and to wait for the things that
we most long for in our lives, and that the Lord very much wants to give us.
(Sometimes it's hard for young children to be patient and to wait for opening
presents on Christmas morning.) Sometimes it feels difficult calmly to say "No"
to natural impulses that we feel inside of us. And sometimes it seems hard to
stand up against some of the stupid reasoning that goes on in our culture today,
or that's conjured up and rattles around inside of our own brains, and which
rubs against the grain of the Lord's Word. Sometimes it just seems hard. But "do
not fear, little flock," the Lord says, "for it is My good pleasure to give you
the kingdom. Therefore, hold fast to what you have until I come. Be faithful
unto death and I will give you a crown of Life" (Luke 12:32, Revelation
2:25, 2:10, respectively). "In your patience possess your soul"
(Luke
21:19). Amen.

Lessons: Genesis
29:1-3, 9-20; I Samuel 13:1-15; Luke 21:1019; Apocalypse Explained 813,
Heavenly Secrets 3827.

179




     The Rev. Mark D. Pendleton was inaugurated into the priesthood in 1991,
and ordained as Pastor in 1994. He was first assigned to be the Assistant to the
Executive Vice President of the General Church in Canada, in 1991, and continued
as Evangelization Minister in Canada in 1992. In 1994 he was the Assistant
Pastor to the Oak Arbor Society, in Rochester, Michigan; also the Visiting
Pastor to groups in Michigan. In 1998 Mark answered a call to be the Pastor of
the Phoenix Society in Arizona. Since 2002 Mark has served as Assistant Pastor
in the Immanuel Church, Glenview, Ill. Mark lives in Glenview.

     [Photograph of Rev. Mark Pendleton.]

180


LAST JUDGMENT AND THE REASON THERE WON'T BE ANY MORE DIVINE REVELATIONS 2010

LAST JUDGMENT AND THE REASON THERE WON'T BE ANY MORE DIVINE REVELATIONS       Rev. GORAN APPELGREN       2010


----------
     (Extracted from a talk given in Moscow; 11 September, 2004)

INTRODUCTION

     As a starting point I would like to quote from the Word the following:

     "The kingdom of God does not come with observation...For indeed, the
kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21).

     "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but
that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not
condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not
believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:17-18).

     What I want to say with these quotes is this: In order to be able to think
correctly about heaven it is important to refer the subject to man's life, and
to his relation to the Lord. Man is created a receptacle of the life of the
Lord. The way a man responds to this influx of life from the Lord will decide
what kind of spiritual man he will become. This has to do with the interior,
spiritual man, and therefore "the kingdom of God is within man", because it is
the interior state of a man that makes - or does not make - the church and the
heaven in man (Heaven and Hell 33, Sacred Scripture 78).

     The concept of the "Last Judgement" has been known in Christianity almost
from its beginning, though in the earlier period the stress lay on the immediate
second coming of the Lord. The Epistles show clear evidence of that (II.
Thessalonians 1-2; II. Timothy 3).

     However, it was not known what this really meant.

     From the New Testament it was certainly understood that the last judgement
was about to take place in the future, when the Lord would come again.


181




     1. WHAT IS A "CHURCH"? When we talk about a church we mean a spiritual
reality rather than an earthly organization. At the same time that reality
expresses itself in bodily form, as organizations and as actions of individuals.

     The visible characteristics of a church are that the Lord is acknowledged
as Divine and worshipped, that the Word is acknowledged as holy and read, and
that a life of charity is pursued (Divine Providence 259:3, Heavenly Doctrine
8). The Church is especially where the Word is and where the Lord is
thereby known.

     The man of the church is conjoined with the Lord by means of faith and
charity (True
Christian Religion 368, 370), but it must be underlined that
charity and faith cannot be separated, for they are "distinguishably two and yet
make one in man" (True Christian Religion 336 emphasis added). The
apparent separation is because man must be taught truths before he can will the
good.

     As charity and faith has its origin in the Lord, who is Life, it follows
that he who separates the Lord from them, separates life from them, and then
they cease to exist. To acknowledge the Lord and set charity aside is a faith
lacking its spiritual essence, which is charity. And to practice charity without
acknowledging the Lord is to practice merely natural charity in which there is
no eternal life. Therefore, faith without charity is not faith, and charity
without faith is not charity and neither has life except from the Lord. Thus the
Lord, charity and faith make one, and if they are divided each perishes
(True Christian
Religion 363-7).

     When we say "church" it has to be understood that we are not solely
talking about the Christian church but also about other peoples and other eras.

     2. WHAT IS A "LAST JUDGMENT"? From His Divine love the Lord wants to save
all human beings. This He does by turning and leading all towards Himself.


182


Those who are in good and truths will follow Him, but those who
are in evil and falsities do not follow. It is the way in which man receives
Divine truth that will decide his fate in the spiritual world. Those who receive
Divine truth in the good of charity are saved, because truth and good are
conjoined. Those who only receive Divine truth on a superficial level - let's
call it only into the memory - are not saved, for in heart they deny the truth
(Apocalypse
Explained 297).

     For man to receive and acknowledge Divine truth and to consider it to be
of benefit to his life, he has to be in a state of freedom where he freely can
choose to follow the truths. This freedom is possible only if there is an
equilibrium between heaven and hell. Without such an equilibrium the freedom of
choice is not possible, and then man is not free to choose the means of
salvation provided by the Lord. This happens when the evil spirits outnumber the
good spirits. Then good and truth flowing in from the Lord into man's mind -
indirectly from the world of spirits - are turned into evil and falsities. This
means that man's freedom is taken away, and so he cannot be led to heaven.

     This must not happen, and therefore, when it is just about to happen, the
Lord has to restore order. With restored order the equilibrium between good and
evil will also be restored, and so will man's freedom of choice.

     The only way for this restoration to take place is for the Lord to proceed
in a very special way that we call a Last Judgment. We may think this way: At
last He has to do something.

     A Last Judgment is done by having all in the world of spirits gathered
together, both good and evil spirits. All these spirits are in a state where
they have not been able to fully go for either heaven or hell. This state leads
to confusion and spiritual darkness in the world of spirits. And that darkness
and confusion sets on mankind, notably on the mind of each person in the world.


183




     When the Judgement takes place, the good are separated from the evil and
are raised up into heaven and the evil are cast down into hell. Up to this
moment the hells have increased to such a great level as to stretch under the
whole angelic heaven, and the church on earth is obsessed by satans, who take
pleasure in falsities and are delighted with evils. In order that the total
damnation which is then over every one's head may be taken away, it is necessary
that the hells should be removed and subjugated, and then the good separated
from the evil. This separation is what is called the judgment (Coronis 12).

     The way the Lord clears the confusion and darkness is to approach the
world of spirits. When He approaches, He comes in Light. This light enlightens
the good spirits so that they now can clearly see the evil spirits around them,
and they flee from them and find their way to heaven.

     That is what passages like these talk about: Psalm 36:9 "In your light we
see light"; Psalm
37:6 "He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your
justice as the noonday"; Psalm 43:3 "Oh, send out your light and your truth! Let
them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your tabernacle";
Psalm
112:4 "Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness."

     The evil spirits feel exposed and want to hide. They cast themselves into
the different hells. In this way - by the Light coming into the world of spirits
- all evil are separated from the good. The equilibrium is restored. It is this
that we call a Last Judgment (Coronis 12, Last Judgment 34, Arcana Coelestia 2123). We
will come back to what it means that the Lord approaches with His Light: Light,
Judgment, Coming, A New era - these concepts hang together.

     3. THE LAST JUDGMENT OF A CHURCH. The heavens as the internal and the
church as the external (True Christian Religion 119) are interdependent: the
heavens are formed by people and they are instructed in truths from the Lord
through heaven.

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The end of creation is a heaven from the human
race (Divine
Providence 323). If evils would completely fill the earth, the
heavens would fall into a swoon (True Christian Religion 119). This has
never happened, because it is provided by the Lord that there should always be a
church on earth in order that there be conjunction of the Lord with the human
race and of heaven with the world (Heavenly Doctrine 5). If a church no
longer can perform its function, which is to do good from truth for the sake of
the spiritual good that comes from this, that church has to be destroyed and a
new church has to take its place. This will happen when there is no longer any
faith or truth within the church (Last Judgment 35).

     A judgment situation is where faith is totally separated from charity,
which actually means that there is no faith either. When the doctrinal teachings
of the church are merely believed, they are not in man's life but only in his
memory as we just said above (Last Judgment 36). Members of such a church are like
persons walking in the night who are in doubt about all things relating to the
church, God and life after death (Coronis 9). A Last Judgment therefore
takes place when there is no longer any truth of doctrine or good of life
remaining in the church (Apocalypse Explained 624:20), i.e. when the church
has come to an end, which is also called the consummation of the church.

     The chief cause of the consummation of truth and good along with it is the
two natural loves that are diametrically opposed to the two spiritual loves,
called love of self and love of the world. It is these loves that destroy the
church, for it is impossible for the merely natural man to recognize and
acknowledge real truth (True Christian Religion 754).

     The end of a church can be described as a process consisting of four
different states. (Coronis 5)

185




     The first is when men of the church no longer know what the goods and
truths of the church are but start to dispute about it (Arcana Coelestia 3354,
3489,
3754).

     The second state is the one in which men begin to despise good and truth
and also to hold them in aversion and even to bear enmities against the Lord
Himself (Arcana
Coelestia 3489, 3754).

     In the third state the Lord is no longer acknowledged, wherefore there is
no love and no faith in Him and no charity (Arcana Coelestia 3652).

     The fourth state has to do with profanation. It is the highest degree of
perversion and vastation of the church in respect to good and truth, for
profanation of what is holy causes eternal death and is much more grievous than
any other states of evil (Arcana Coelestia 3755).

     These four stages are symbolically described by the four horses in
Revelation, ch.
6.

     After this follows a fifth state, in which is the separation of the good
from evil in a Last Judgment, and then follows a sixth state, which is the
elevation of the faithful to God (Coronis 2336, 46).

     4. THE JUDGMENT OF THE CHURCHES. We have discussed what the last judgment
of a church is. With men on earth there have been in general three such last
judgments, and after their consummation new churches have arisen, for it is
provided by the Lord that there should always be a church on earth (Arcana Coelestia
4057, True Christian Religion 753, Heavenly Doctrine 5).

     (1) The first church was the Most Ancient Church, and it was described by
the names "Adam" and "Eve." The consummation of that church is described by the
flood.

     (2) The next three churches were called the Ancient Church. The first
Ancient Church is described by "Noah," and his posterity.

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Out
of it came the second Ancient Church, which arose with Eber, and by steps the
third Ancient or Israelitish Church, later surviving as the Jewish Church. The
consummation of all churches after the flood took place after the Lord's first
Coming.

     (3) The fourth church was the Christian Church, whose consummation is
foretold by the Lord in the Gospels and in the Book of Revelation. The term the
Last Judgment is foremost applied to the end of the Christian Church (Divine Providence
328, Arcana Coelestia 4057).

     Thus there have been three last judgments, the flood, the crucifixion and
later the destruction (70 a.d.) of the Jerusalem temple, and lastly the judgment
that took place in the year 1757 in the spiritual world, a judgment that was
witnessed by Emanuel Swedenborg while he had his spiritual sight opened.

     5. THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. The downfall of the churches prior to the Lord's
first Advent led eventually to the precarious situation where the connection
between the human race and heaven was "altogether broken" (Arcana Coelestia 2243). Had
the Lord not come into the world, the human race would have perished. Therefore
the Lord came on earth and set up a new church called the Christian Church. It
was called "Christian" after one of His names, Jesus Christ, Christ being Greek
for the Hebrew word Messiah, meaning the Anointed. Being the Anointed meant that
God in the flesh became the Saviour of the world. He did that by the union of
the Divine Essence with the Human Essence in Himself. The result of this was a
re-established conjunction between heaven and earth.

     A last judgment had been passed on the previous churches, and Christ
established the Church that bore His name. It was the beginning of a new era in
mankind that would last forever. And the Christian church was at first in good
of faith, and its members lived in charity with one another as brethren. But in
process of time this church departed in divers ways, and became such that its
members did not even know that the fundamental of faith is love to the Lord and
charity toward the neighbour.

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The reason the Christian church
gradually fell into a faith, where the truths and goods of heaven were rejected
was that they divided God into three. They did not believe that the Lord God the
Saviour was one with the Father, and thus did not approach Him immediately
(Brief Exposition
98). This led to the end of the Christian Church. With the idea of
three Gods no one can enter heaven. Consequently no one with this faith could
enter heaven (Brief
Exposition 92).

     There then had to be yet another Last Judgment, actually the very Last
one, the third. That judgment was effected upon those only who had lived from
the time of the Lord's Advent (Last Judgment 46).

     6. THE LAST JUDGMENT

     This Last judgment is foretold in the Old and New Testaments, and there
are three things mentioned in them, i. A Judgment: in Daniel 7:10, 22, 26; Matthew 24:14;
25;31,
32. ii. The Coming of the Lord: in Daniel 7:13; Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1;7,
8; and iii. A New Church: in Isaiah 51:6, Revelation 21:1.

     The Last Judgment took place because there was no faith and no love
(charity) left in the Church (Luke 18:8, Matthew 24:12). Unless a New Church had been
established by the Lord at the end of the first Christian church no flesh could
be saved, because when there is no faith and no love, then there is no
communication between heaven and earth, and then the earth, that is, mankind
would have perished.

     After the evil spirits were cast into hell, then it was that John saw the
new heaven and the new earth and saw the new holy Jerusalem coming down from God
out of heaven. Because the essentials of the New Church are faith in one God and
a life according to the Divine laws which is the Word, mankind was again
conjoined with the Lord, and the Lord with mankind.

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This is how
Swedenborg sums it up in the work "The Last Judgment":

     "It has been granted me to see with my own eyes that the Last Judgment is
now accomplished, that the evil are cast into the hells, and the good elevated
into heaven, and thus that all things are reduced into order, the spiritual
equilibrium between good and evil, or between heaven and hell, being thence
restored. It was granted me to see from beginning to end how the Last Judgment
was accomplished... how the New Heaven was formed, and the New Church instituted
in the heavens, which is meant by 'the New Jerusalem.' It was granted me to see
all these things with my own eyes, in order that I might be able to testify of
them. This Last Judgment was commenced in the beginning of the year 1757, and
was fully accomplished at the end of that year" (Last Judgment 45).

     A result of this judgment and setting up of the final and fifth church was
that on a spiritual plane, not visible to us on earth, the outmost, i.e. natural
or third heaven, was sealed off. Thus all three heavens were put in order. That
is why the Last Judgment is the last one, and that is why the New Church is the
last and everlasting Church. And that is why there will be no more Divine
Revelation.

     7. CONCLUSION There always has to be a presence of God with man. A Church
is the receptacle of Love and Wisdom from the Lord. The means to establish a
link between God and man is for God to give His Word and for man to believe in
God and live according to His Word. When man walks away from God, the Word is
forgotten, and charity goes away. To reestablish the connection there has to be
a judgment, a coming of the Lord and the setting up of a New Church.

     These three things are therefore interconnected: A Last judgment, a Coming
of the Lord, and the setting up of a New Church, and the Coming of the Lord is
always connected with the giving of a Revelation from Him.

189




     At the first judgment the Ancient Word was given. The Jewish Church and
the giving of the Old Testament belongs to the same judgment and spiritual era.
The second judgment came along with the giving of the New Testament, and the
third and last judgment came with the giving of the Writings for the New Church.

     The first judgment: Call of Noah and revelation through Enoch (Genesis 5) (The
Ancient Word), Call of Moses, giving the Old Testament.

     The second judgment: Coming of the Christ, giving of the New Testament.

     The third judgment: Second Coming in the spiritual world, giving of the
Writings.

     Thus there are three eras: 1. From creation to the flood, 2. From the
flood to the 1st coming, 3. From the 1st to the 2nd coming. The first era led to
the sealing of the celestial heaven, the second era led to the sealing of the
spiritual heaven, and the third era led to the sealing of the natural heaven,
later called the New Heaven.

     The order of heaven is complete. The Lord is in full charge. Mankind had
been given the full revelation needed to be able to worship the Lord and to live
a righteous life. Listen therefore carefully to these words of our Lord:

     "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men
gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree
bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad
fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good
fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will
know them. 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.

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Many
will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name,
cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I
will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice
lawlessness!' "(Matthew 7:15-22).

     The Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg are the last revelation in written form
to come from the Lord, because they came in the very Last Judgment, and they
came with the Lord. Never more will the power of evil and falsity be able to
rock the foundations of the heavens.

     From now on it is only an upward path toward the full realisation in this
world of the holy city New Jerusalem inside of which is the tree of life. No
matter how hard the way is - there is only one way to go. With the Lord, with
the Word in its literal sense and with the last of all written revelations, the
Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, mankind will find its way back to the closest
communion with God.

     "Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me" (Psalm 43:3).


191


BRIEF HISTORY OF URBANA UNIVERSITY 2010

BRIEF HISTORY OF URBANA UNIVERSITY       TOM BRECHT       2010


----------
      (Submitted 2007)

     I have heard numerous concerns expressed regarding the expansion at the
Academy as they may relate to Urbana University. While I am sure these concerns
are well intentioned, it seems important to understand the facts regarding the
history of Urbana, if a rational discourse is desired. To that end, I have
spoken to the Director of Development at Urbana University as well as read a
book about its history ["The Will to Survive Urbana College 1850-1975"].
Encapsulated below are some facts which prospective debaters may find useful.

     Urbana College was begun by a group of Convention Church members in the
early 1850s. The movement to begin a new College based on the teachings of
Emanuel Swedenborg began as a result of the closings of numerous New Church
elementary schools in the 1840s when public school education was improving. It
was also becoming cheaper and more streamlined due to the efforts of Horace Mann
and others.

     From the outset, the founders were under-funded and beset with strife
regarding the influence of the Swedenborgian religion in their proposed
institution. Many of the original trustees distrusted ministers for a variety of
reasons. It was agreed that the "suasive power of religion" would be prevalent
but no emphasis would be put on the "teaching of religious dogma or the practice
of ceremonial observances." The faculty would seek through personal example to
teach the students.

     While the arguments about what constituted New Church education would
fester for years to come, the founders made their intentions clear by naming a
layman, Milo Williams, the de facto President of the school.

192


A
minister, J. P. Stuart, was rebuffed in his efforts to sway the board toward his
more "conservative" views and in his attempts to limit enrollment to New
Churchmen only. This would mark only the beginning of an ongoing and fractious
debate about what constituted a New Church education.

     The majority of the original Trustees held that students needed to
complete a full and comprehensive education before undertaking the study of
Swedenborg's Writings. Their ultimate goal in establishing a College was to
educate a broad array of students in the hopes that "suasive powers" would lead
graduates toward further study of Swedenborg.

     The vision of a first rate College was far grander than the original
funding could support. In fact throughout its history the lack of funding has
been an overriding factor, as the Urbana College suffered from one financial
shortfall after another. Ironically, the one period of relative financial
stability occurred during the Great Depression of the 1930s when Coleman DuPont
left the College a $100,000 bequest in his will. Mr. DuPont, an Episcopalian,
had spent his early teens matriculating at what had become a preparatory school
in the 1870s. Today, with an enrollment of over 1400 students, the College
survives with an endowment of just over $2,000,000 and annual giving of around
$100,000.

     Roughly 66% of the original student body of 98 students were Convention
New Church members when the doors were opened to the first day of classes on
September 7, 1853. The balance of the student body were local students seeking
to further their education. At this time in the nation's history there were
relatively few opportunities for students in search of a college degree. In
accepting both male and female students, Urbana became only the second college
in Ohio to do so, Oberlin being the other.

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All administrators
were to be recognized as New Church adherents or "attached to the principles
thereof" From the earliest days about 50% of the enrollment consisted of local
townsfolk, a portion of these people being recognized Church members.

     The first Dean/de facto President was Milo Williams, a layman and
specifically not a minister. His belief was that instruction would be in
Swedenborgian philosophy both in general and particular, but that "forms of
religion would not be taught." The following quote represents the original
Trustees' attempt at clarifying their intended stance on religion: "By Religion
we do not mean the mere teachings of religious dogmas, nor the practice of
ceremonial observances at appointed times or places; nor yet eschewing of
rational pleasures and amusements, or the assumption of a gloomy demeanor."
Lives must be trained to useful ends, from a duty to God and neighbor.

     The College lasted roughly 8 years, 1853-1861, until the doors were closed
ostensibly due to lack of funds. Other factors weighed heavily on the ongoing
efficacy of the College. The Civil War had erupted. Serious infighting had been
ongoing amongst the administration. This did nothing to augment student morale.
Additionally, in a short period the College had gained a reputation for an
unruly student body. Consistent and sometimes outlandish discipline problems
arose. Finally, faced with accepting that the "suasive powers of religion" were
not enough to keep students behaving well, the administration went to the other
extreme, doling out harsh punishments and forcing students to wear uniforms. As
funds continued to wane, teacher's salaries were cut and many competent
educators were forced to move on. Enrollment declined rapidly with each passing
year of the 1850s.

     Faced with these factors and completely drained coffers, the Trustees
reopened the school as a preparatory institution in 1863.

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In
1868 an "open door" admissions policy was adopted along with a lowering of
academic standards. In 1871 females were banned. The idea of co-education was
considered a failure. The school had been tainted, in some cases irreparably to
New Churchmen, as a result of "shifting purpose and uncertainty of aim." Much of
the goodwill within Church circles that had been apparent in the 1850s had been
lost completely.

     A drive to establish an endowment fund lasted far longer than intended, in
fact it lasted throughout the 1870s until the original $50,000 goal was reached.
By this time though, the Trustees had borrowed heavily against the funds that
had been raised. Ultimately, the drive did much harm to a dwindling base of
supporters as a result of the spending of funds outside of their intended
purpose. The college would open and close again due to lack of support and
enrollment throughout the rest of the century. By the 1890s the majority of
students were locals as opposed to New Churchmen. Due to a dearth of funds and a
lack of Church support, the Trustees had ceased worrying about whether Urbana
was distinctly New Church and were simply trying to maintain some of the
original New Church character. This de-emphasis, which had essentially begun
much earlier, would continue. Today, a college of roughly 1400 students may
count one avowed New Churchman amongst its ranks, although that fact could not
be confirmed. One of the folks I spoke to did mention that it was his belief
that New Church ministers could still send their children to the college free of
charge.

     In writing this paper it is not my intention to disparage the College at
Urbana in any way. Its history is truly one of perseverance. The College offers
a solid liberal arts education and has weathered many a crisis [As recently as
1955 it counted seven enrolled students]. What I do believe is that comparisons
to our Academy are specious. Enrollments at the various institutions located in
Bryn Athyn have grown, steadily, since the early 1900s when our doors were first
opened.

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We have never experienced any extended periods of
funding shortfalls. For the most part we have adhered to the tenets and precepts
of our original Charter. We continue to have a solid base of supporters and our
endowment has grown steadily since 1899 when it was originally established. We
have never shied away from the fact that each of our schools teach New Church
principles as laid out in the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, as we will
continue to do. In fact, throughout our history we have continued to grow and
expand with the vast majority of our students being New Church members or
adhering to those precepts. We have a successful model and I believe it is the
intention of each member of the administration to continue to build on that same
model.
Title Unspecified 2010

Title Unspecified              2010


----------
When we are in a state of love, or of celestial affection, we are in an
angelic state, that is to say, as if not in time, provided there is no
impatience in the affection; for impatience is a bodily affection, and insofar
as we are in it, so far we are in time; but insofar as we are not in it, so far
we are not in time.... When we are in all the delight and gladness that belong
to affection or love, we take no note of time, for we are then in the internal
self. The reason why time appears to be something is that we reflect upon things
that do not belong to the affection or love, thus which are tedious.

     Heavenly Secrets 3827

196


ERA OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 2010

ERA OF THE HOLY SPIRIT       Editor       2010


----------
     In the wake of Easter just celebrated, it is good to clarify the
subject further. We rightly say that the Lord began His advent by being
conceived in Mary and born of her in Bethlehem. More of that below. We also say
rightly that the "advent" of the Holy Spirit did not take place until Easter,
that is at the time of the Resurrection!

     We have lived for the last 2000 years, and still live, in the Age or Era
of the Holy Spirit. No, the Holy Spirit is not any ecstatic feeling or what the
Methodist founder John Wesley called "being strangely moved" back in 1743. It is
not a moving feeling to do anything. Instead, the Holy Spirit is the Divine
Wisdom, or Divine Truth, proceeding from the Divinely Human Lord. The Divine
Truth is identified with the Word. It is Divine Truth, not any elation or
thinking you are in contact with the spiritual world.

     The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth that the Lord promised, "when the
spirit of truth is come" which they "could not bear now" (John 16:12), i.e.
at that time. The Lord foresaw the difficult reception of the genuine truth and
so He promised the time when the "paraclete" or Holy Spirit would call their
memories together: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
in My Name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all
things that I said to you" (John 14:26).

     Thus all the truth He had spoken on earth would be gathered into a
manuscript, called the New Testament. This New Testament can thus be regarded as
the founding part of the Era of the Holy Spirit, because the Gospels are "the
Word written by the Evangelists" (Arcana Coelestia 2895, Apocalypse Explained
392:8, 960:10, Arcana Coelestia 2900), thus "the Word
after the Advent" (True Christian Religion 730).

197


It
contains all that "came from the Lord's own mouth," and the rest of the Gospels
have come from "the spirit of His mouth" (Sacred Scripture 2). Thus all the recalled
words of the Lord were inspired, either together with angels, or apart from them
(Arcana
Coelestia 9819:13) to produce the Gospels we have today. And the
angels involved were for the first time from the freshly formed spiritual heaven
(Arcana Coelestia
8054).

     Since it comes from the risen Lord, it is said that the "Holy Spirit was
not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:39). And after the
resurrection, the Lord breathed on His disciples and said, "Receive ye the Holy
Spirit" (John
20:22). These two quotations are repeated in a number of passages of
the Writings, to demonstrate that the Lord was united with the Father, his Soul,
and became as Soul and Body on the cross, after the glorification had been
completed: "for after His glorification or complete union with the Father, which
was effected by the passion of the cross, the Lord was Divine wisdom and Divine
truth itself, thus the Holy Spirit" (Lord 51:3). Another way to put it: "But
after the Lord even as to the Human was made Jehovah, that is, Divine good,
which was after the resurrection, then He was no longer Divine truth, but this
proceeded from His Divine good.... [T]he Holy Spirit is the Divine truth which
proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human" (Arcana Coelestia 6993). And this has
been happening for 2000 years now!

     The Holy Spirit is the same as the Lord Himself, therefore, but the
emphasis is on the work the risen Lord now performs, namely salvation. After the
resurrection, those "who could not be saved before" the Advent, could from then
on be saved (Arcana Coelestia 3061). That is monumental for a
start! For the Divine Human is Jehovah or the Divine Love in Human form:


198


"but when He glorified Himself, He ...became...Jehovah even as
to the Human" (Arcana Coelestia 5307:2). This new form of Jehovah on
the natural level, where we live, is explained as the "the Divine Natural made
actual," having stayed as "potential from creation" down to that moment
(Divine Love and
Wisdom 233). After the Advent this actual presence of God was an
"essence by itself filling the universal heaven" (Arcana Coelestia 3061).
This is our Risen Lord, saving us.

     When therefore He "performs works of Himself from the Father," that work
is the Holy Spirit, the Divine Truth (True Christian Religion 153). It is the
"Holy Divine which goes forth and proceeds from the one omnipresent God, who is
the Lord" (True
Christian Religion 188:9). It is the "Divine life of the Lord, thus
Himself, and in particular the life of His wisdom, which is called the Divine
truth" (Apocalypse
Revealed 666). It is the "holy emanating from the Lord" (Arcana Coelestia
9680).

     Can we see, therefore, how ridiculous it is to think of the Holy Spirit as
a separate person, or "God by Himself" (True Christian Religion 153)? "How could
He proceed and become God by Himself?" (Canons 41). "It is not from scripture and
is against reason itself" (Canons 18).

     We can see then, how powerful an action it was for the Lord to breathe on
His Disciples, and say to them, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit." He inaugurated the
Era of the Holy Spirit, i.e. the Risen Lord's own open, manifest, guidance of
the human race. Both the Holy Spirit and Divine Providence are operations of the
Divine Proceeding, thus the Lord Himself acting (cf. Divine Providence 55,
56,
58,
Arcana Coelestia
8813:3, Divine Love and Wisdom 146, Canons 32 et. al.). The
difference between the two parts of the Divine Proceeding is that the Holy
Spirit, being truth, is manifest and open, while the Divine Providence takes
place in secret. We can think of these as the two hands of the Lord, the
manifest Holy Spirit or left hand, and the hidden Divine Providence, or right
hand.

199


However, this latter secret operation is now an open
book, i.e. the Divine Providence, first printed in 1764. Still, no one witnesses
the Lord's hand at work in anyone's life.

     The Lord began preparing the Christian priesthood by bringing them into
contact with the newly formed spiritual heaven: "The reason why the Lord
breathed on the disciples and said this was that breathing on was the external
sign standing for inspiration by God; and inspiration means being brought into
contact with communities of angels" (True Christian Religion 140). In this
manner the Lord handed over the way of salvation to the priesthood, beginning
with the disciples. He "ordained them" and sent them to "preach" on numerous
occasions. They were the first Christian priests. For example, "Jesus sent His
twelve disciples to preach the kingdom of God, and the apostles, when they were
returned, told Him all that they had done" (Luke 9:1-2, 10; Mark 6:7, 30). And at the end, "Jesus said
to the disciples, Go into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature"
(Mark
16:15). Thus He transferred His own "baptism of fire" to be included
in the baptism of water performed by those ordained by Him: the baptism of fire
means "Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord; fire, the Divine Good proceeding
from Him; and baptism, regeneration by the Lord, by means of Divine Truths from
the Word" (Apocalypse Explained 475:20).

     But was there an earlier time the Lord had authorized baptism? Yes, when
He told John the Baptist, "Suffer it to be so now." Remember how John had said,
"I have need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" (Matthew 3:14). A
secret is disclosed: "[T]he Lord, when He was in the world, was Himself willing
to be baptized, when yet baptism is the sign of a person's regeneration by Him.
The reason was that the baptizing of the Lord Himself was a sign of the
glorification of His Humanity.

200


Anything in the Word that means
a person's regeneration also means the glorification of the Human within the
Lord; for a person's regeneration is an image of the Lord's glorification...
This is why the Lord, when He allowed John to baptize Him, said, 'Thus it is
fitting for us to fulfill all the righteousness of God' Matthew 3:15" (Arcana Coelestia
10239:4 emphasis added).

     Imagine now the baptism itself: "Then He allowed him." And right
afterwards, the "spirit of God" descended and "lighted upon Him", i.e. the Lord.
But while the Lord was in the world, He Himself spoke the "spirit of truth,"
prophesying the Holy Spirit.

     Has this first baptism transferred to the New Church? The New Church was
established by the conviction wrought by the printed Writings themselves. They
constitute the Second Advent of the Lord, and present to the world the Word of
Heavenly Doctrine, equivalent to the Word of heaven - all of this because they
say so. Here has come a very source of enlightenment, the same Holy Spirit that
had collected the Gospels together. But now, "apart from angels" none of whom
wished to "say anything about the Word or doctrine drawn from it" (Divine Providence
135), thus from the "Lord alone while reading the Word" (True Christian Religion
779), the New Church priesthood has been instituted on their say-so.
For the Holy Spirit or Divine Truth at work in the very act of Swedenborg
writing the Writings themselves, carries divine authority over into printed
format, with the Writings themselves authorizing a New Church priesthood. But
they really revive or carry on the priesthood inaugurated by the Lord's own
hand, when on earth. The revival had its new inception with the Hindmarsh father
and son in England, in 1788. The New Church priesthood has continued in
consecutive inaugurations and ordinations ever since. Every inauguration carries
with it the "promise of the Holy Spirit."

     Is the Holy Spirit ever mentioned in the Old Testament?

201



There "it is not anywhere said that they spoke the Word out of the Holy Spirit,
but out of Jehovah" (Apocalypse Revealed 36e, True Christian Religion
188:9) or by the "spirit of Jehovah" (Apocalypse Revealed 962:9)
or "Jehovah spoke or said" (True Christian Religion 158). This is also called the
"holiness of the spirit" (Spiritual Experiences 4662), i.e. in Psalm 51:11,
Isaiah
63:10 and 11, but never the "Holy Spirit" (True Christian Religion
158). This term first occurs in the story of the Lord's birth! "The
Holy Spirit shall come upon you..." said Gabriel to Mary (Luke 1:35).

     We hold these Christmas words so dearly. And here is another little
mystery revealed. There could as yet be no Holy Spirit, since the resurrection
had to come first. However when the Holy Spirit is said to overshadow Mary, and
the Holy spirit is mentioned several times in connection with the Lord's birth
(Matthew
1:18, 20, Luke 1:15, 41,67, 2:25,26, et al.), all these referrals
especially in Luke
1, prophesied the Lord's resurrection and the Holy Spirit then. Here
is the key: when the Holy Spirit filled Elizabeth, Zechariah and Simeon to
speak, "it was called the Holy Spirit because the Lord was already at that time
in the world"! (True Christian Religion 158). Mary's conception had by
then taken place, or took place at that very moment. It was from Mary's womb
that Elizabeth was inspired to speak her blessing! Mary was already pregnant.
Her pregnancy meant that "the Lord was already in the world" albeit as a fetus.
That allowed the use of the words "Holy Spirit" prior to the resurrection. Thus
at the first moment of the Advent of the Lord into the world, His resurrection
and the Holy Spirit then, was prophesied.

     But, as said, while the Lord was walking on earth, He Himself spoke the
good news or Gospel truth. In His states of glorification, i.e. after
temptations and conquests, He taught the people from the Spirit of His own
mouth: "and the people were astonished at His teaching" (Matthew 7:28); "they heard Him
gladly," (Mark
12:37) saying, "Never man spake like this" (John 7:46).

202




     At the beginning of His ministry, the Lord did not warn that the Holy
Spirit would get them to recollect everything He had said and done. They were
too busy just listening to Him to worry about later: That is why He said, "And
these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you"
(John
16:4). Why promise a future "abundance" of Divine truths when He was
already providing it "from His own mouth" (Sacred Scripture 2)? But the very next
words forecast the "abundance" to come. Then they would "remember" everything
for the record, i.e. the composition of the New Testament which came "from the
spirit of His mouth" (ibid.). From His omniscience, the Lord could inspire them
to recall His actual words, and also add the historical interpolations to fill
out the Gospels to their present format. The Lord could but inspire people until
the wording was perfect. Everything in the Gospels is therefore meaningful,
carrying the same meaning into print as was contained in the actual words and
deeds of the Lord Himself, "while He was yet with them." He knew that the time
for gathering together His teachings and actions would come later: "But the
Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you
all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you"
(John
14:26). "But these things I have told you, that when the time comes,
you may remember that I told you of them" (John 16:4). It means receiving "divine truth
from the Lord in abundance" (Apocalypse Explained 183:10). Thus "all the words of
the Lord, also His deeds and miracles, signify celestial Divine things, because
the Lord spake from the Divine, and performed His works and miracles from the
Divine, thus from primaries by means of ultimate, and so in fullness"
(Apocalypse
Explained 514:20).

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Thus "the New Testament Word
found in the Evangelists, since the Lord spoke this from the Divine itself,
[therefore] all the particular things that He said were representatives and
meaningful signs of Divine things, and so of the heavenly things of His kingdom
and Church" (Arcana Coelestia 2900).

     The Gospels and the Book of Revelation, being the only books of the New
Testament which contain such a spiritual and celestial meaning, were thus the
first product of the Holy Spirit as the Written Word of God.

     But what about the time before the Gospels were written? If the Lord was
crucified (thus resurrected) around 35 a.d., and Jerusalem destroyed in 70 a.d.,
and the first version of the Gospels supposedly not put to paper until 80 to 90
a.d., how did the Holy Spirit operate for around 50 years? While Jerusalem still
stood unmolested by the Roman Armies of Vespasian, thus before its destruction
by him and his son Titus after the beginning of the final revolution in 66 a.d.,
it was the "spoken evangel" that perpetuated the Lord's oral message. The
disciples were inspired by the Paraclete, the risen Lord even then, to remember
and to repeat what He has spoken. The promised remembrance was happening. The
"paraclete" came to them all in the well known event recorded in the book of
Acts, the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of tongues
of fire on the head of each Apostle. The Writings verify that this was the
"establishment of The Christian Church" (Apocalypse Explained 455:22). "And
then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other
tongues" (Acts
ii. 3, 4). This was in fulfillment of Jesus saying "And these signs
shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they
shall speak with new tongues (Mark xvi. 17)" (Apocalypse Explained 455:22). The Lord
both foretold that they would speak with tongues, and then also fulfilled it,
thereby letting "everyone hear what they said" in their own language.


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It was a genuine miracle. Each apostle was "filled with the
Holy Spirit," i.e. "received Divine Truth from the Lord" and "confess[ed] this
[Divine truth] from the love of truth or from zeal" (Ibid.). Each disciple, from
the identical inspiration of the Holy Spirit, "[spoke] according to his own
intelligence. The Lord filled them all with His Spirit; but the measure in which
each partook of it was in accordance with the character of his perceptions; and
this was made use of in accordance with the character of his ability"
(True Christian
Religion 154).

     To visibly represent this act of the Holy Spirit, little tongues of fire
appeared on the heads of the Apostles, with the audible result that everyone
heard what they said in their own native tongue! Both the spiritual eyes and
ears were opened for all who witnessed this. What they heard was angelic
language, for the internal sense of the Word is already in the "universal
angelic language" which "coincides" with spiritual speech (Arcana Coelestia 4387).
This language of the entire heaven is known by all angels as soon as they
arrive, because it is "implanted in everyone" (Heaven and Hell 236). We know it too,
but can't speak it yet. We only know that it sounds different from "any other
natural language" (True Christian Religion 280, Arcana Coelestia 8862,
Conjugial Love
326). Yet as soon as it is spoken by angels and spirits to people on
earth, as the Apostles also must have done, then "everyone hears it in their own
language" (Spiritual Experiences 1305).

     That is why the angels love it when the Word is read on earth, because
they then "hear" the internal sense in angelic language. In a miracle surpassing
all miracles since creation (Invitation 52), the same internal sense which angels
use to discuss all the Heavenly Doctrines among themselves (De Verbo 3:4) has now
been put once and for all into "rational terminology of natural language," which
thus has brought every "spiritual, celestial and Divine truth" to our direct
human comprehension (De Verbo 3:4, old #6).

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Thus there is
nothing that angels hear and say in their own language, which cannot be
expressed; and all of this has already been given in the works "now being
published" (Sacred
Scripture 25, De Verbo 7:8, old #21) or "in this book" (Heavenly Doctrine
7e), so that people "while living in the world, [can] be like the
angels" (Arcana
Coelestia 5321). Is it not reasonable therefore to think that the
Writings too are a product of the Holy Spirit?

     The reason we can refer to the beginning of the Holy Spirit, is again that
the Gospels say expressly that the "Holy Spirit was not yet, for Jesus was not
yet glorified" (John
7:37-39). The Holy Spirit could only come from the Risen Lord, after
the glorification had been completed. Yet, "while He was in the world the Lord
Himself taught Divine Truth" (Arcana Coelestia 9818:14). This was all the time
while "the Lord continuously progressed from the human to the Divine"
(Arcana Coelestia
2523:2). Only during states of glorification could the Lord perform
miracles (True
Christian Religion 104), and we assume He then also taught. He
certainly sent out His disciples from the "Holy Spirit" which had descended at
His baptism. That was the spirit of His own mouth. The Apostles were inspired to
recollect and repeat what He had taught them. But only after His resurrection
could the Holy Spirit be given: That is why "the Lord breathed on His disciples
and said, Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). Because the Holy Spirit means
"Divine wisdom, and so Divine truth, through which a person has enlightenment"
(Divine Love and
Wisdom 383:2), the Lord could from that point onwards impart to
human beings "the ability to understand Divine Truths and thereby receive that
life" (Arcana
Coelestia 9818:14). That is why the Lord guided the Christian Church
by the granting of the Holy Spirit, that is "the ability to understand Divine
truths" (ibid.).

206


This new manner of inflowing allowed the Lord
to enlighten "not only the internal spiritual man" or level, of all human
beings, "but also their external natural" level! (True Christian Religion
109, Arcana Coelestia 2776:3, 3195:3, 4145). That was
new, a benefit of the First Advent. However, because of "schisms and heresies"
sundering the Christian Church (True Christian Religion 378), the full impact of this
new light had to await the Second Advent, thus 1500 years of darkness and
obscurity. After the formation of the New Heaven, from which the New Jerusalem
can descend, thus only in the last 250 years, has the full impact of the new
enlightenment of the Holy Spirit been felt. The new start of the Holy Spirit's
operation, together with the just completed printing of the Writings themselves,
was when the same twelve disciples who were "ordained" to "preach" from the
Lord's own spirit on earth, were sent forth once again to preach the New Gospel,
that the "Lord God Jesus Christ reigns" (True Christian Religion 791). And that
is why He earlier had ordained the twelve Disciples, and later many more, to go
and preach the Gospels. He trained them as a new order of priesthood. The New
Church priesthood has taken up the same mantle.

     How does the Holy Spirit operate in the New Church? It was prophesied in
Malachi, believe it or not! "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and
people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the angel of Jehovah of
hosts" (Malachi
2:7). It is appropriate this appears in Malachi, since Malach is
Hebrew for "angel." The prophecy means "He is said to be the angel of Jehovah,
because he teaches Divine truth; not that he is the angel of Jehovah, but the
Divine truth which he teaches is" (Apocalypse Explained 130:8). It goes on
to say what True
Christian Religion 154 said above, also below, that everyone speaks
the Divine Truth "not from himself" but from the "doctrine of truth" which is
meant by "law." Every priest speaks "as of self" or "on his own" but from a
source of Absolute Truth.

207




     And the Holy Spirit in this context is called the "divine energy and
operation" which are "with the clergy especially, enlightenment and instruction"
(True Christian
Religion 138). These two pillars of the priestly occupation in the
New Church are carefully explained: they are in hierarchical order, the Holy
Spirit, Enlightenment, Perception, Disposition and finally Instruction. Think of
it as a five-layer torte, with instruction coming out on the level of the plate!
This is "especially with the clergy." The Holy Spirit or Divine truth, now also
together with the thorough study of the Writings themselves, first comes to the
priest as enlightenment. This light is the same for everyone. The Writings are
the same for everyone. However, it is perceived by each individual "depending
upon how his mental state has been formed by what he has been taught"
(True Christian
Religion 155). And perception works especially with the male
ability, "established from creation," namely to raise his intellect free and
clear of his proprial loves, to perceive "those sorts of matters which transcend
the body and the world" (Conjugial Love 168). His love of truth can thus be
united with the truth itself, clear of personal view-points. Since every priest
is different, however, just as the apostles all preached from the same tongue of
fire "according to the nature of his intelligence or perception" (True Christian Religion
154), so also each New Church priest's disposition may affect how he
ends up providing instruction. That is why disposition comes next. That is where
"we are" and our proprium has a potential say. If natural loves insert
themselves at this point, then the instruction becomes "fiery and harsh." But if
the disposition has been reformed, i.e. the truth kept clear of personal view-
points, then the instruction is "smooth and resounding" (True Christian Religion
155).

     Every New Church priest, who by inauguration into the priesthood by the
laying on of hands, receives the "promise of the Holy Spirit" (Canons iv. 7),
should consequently shun his proprial tendencies while preaching or teaching
(probably a common thread as each priest kneels to pray prior to every Church
Service) so that his natural disposition - where these tendencies exercise
themselves - makes his preaching smooth and resounding (True Christian Religion
155), in accord with the Doctrines themselves.

208


This
is talking about spiritual qualities, not speech training. But here is also why
only ordained priests may provide official instruction in Divine truth: "If
others teach it, heresies arise, and the Church becomes confused and is torn
apart" (Arcana
Coelestia 6822). There are no ands, ifs, or buts: "heresies arise."
You can count on a heresy for instant popularity!

     What is to prevent an ordained minister from adopting heresies? Is the
operation of the Holy Spirit foolproof? One of the priest's first jobs is to
"uproot falsities, first in the clergy (i.e. themselves), and so with the laity"
(True Christian
Religion 784). Hopefully, most of this is accomplished during
training. It is a matter of discipline in doctrine. But all things being equal,
a priest's final instruction from the Word is also "by the Lord through" priests
and their preaching (Divine Providence 172:6). The Divine Truth needs to
"make it" all the way through the priesthood as the Divinely provided human
means for the operation of the Holy Spirit. Priests may thus be "filled with the
Holy Spirit" which today is "the reception of Divine Truth from the Lord." They
speak with "new tongues," which means to confess this truth from "the love of
truth or from zeal" (True Christian Religion 146).

     However, everyone especially the priests themselves, should know that the
"spirit of God" or the "Holy Spirit" which seems to pour into them, does not
make them "partially gods"! The end result of such a fatal flaw: "those who
think this as a result of firm belief, become devils, and [after death] stink
like corpses" (True Christian Religion 461:6 emphasis added).


209


It should therefore be a common practice for priests to "put
away the notion of the Holy Spirit pouring into man," and just see it as "the
Lord's presence with man, through angels and spirits, from which and according
to which man is enlightened and taught" (Lord 46:4). A useful reminder.

     So the Lord's words to John the Baptist, "suffer it to be so now," entails
that the Lord now governs His Church through the priesthood. Priests are the
"first of the Church" (Apocalypse Explained 229:3) when it comes to
government. The Church is placed above "country" on the ladder of love to the
neighbor, but below "the Lord's Kingdom, and the Lord Himself" (Heavenly Doctrine
98). The New Church is promised to exist in all nations, many
already in actuality, many more in potential and waiting to open up. The Word of
the Lord, both as it has existed on earth in all its forms, but now also as the
Word of Heaven, namely Heavenly Doctrine, aka the Writings, allows the Holy
Spirit to reach directly into all human minds and hearts, to acknowledge the
truth heard "to be so" (Faith 1, 4, cf. Arcana Coelestia 5952, 8683, 8692, 10638:2). Divine truth is
entirely from the spiritual sense of the Word, which is as stated in accord with
the universal angelic language.

     Because the Holy Spirit is the Divine truth presented in and by the Word,
it is clear how the Lord governs the human race through the Word, especially now
together with the Word of Heavenly Doctrine, which is as a soul to the body of
the Sacred Scripture Word. Truths on earth must be "genuine" for that government
to work well. The Era of the Holy Spirit is upon us, i.e. "that the Lord now
rules the universe from the angelic heaven, that is, from Himself" (Divine Providence
162), but with a renewed "open book" force for the last 250 years.
We can quickly and quietly review the last 2000 years of history and see how
that governing has played out!

210


Church News 2010

Church News              2010


----------
     From the Bishop's Office:

     Pastoral Moves and Retirements 2010

     The following changes will be in effect on July 1, 2010:

Rev. Mark Allais - Pastor, Buccleuch, South Africa

Rev. William Ankra-Badu - retiring as Pastor, Accra, Ghana, and as regional
pastor, West Africa

Rev. Ragnar Boyesen - retiring as Pastor, Jonkoping, Sweden

Rev. Chris Bown - Pastor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US

Rev. Erik Buss - Assistant Pastor, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, US

Rev. Robert Cooper - Pastor, Hurstville, Australia

Rev. George Dziekpor - Pastor, Accra, Ghana

Rev. Glenn "Mac" Frazier - Pastor, Austin, Texas, US (Church Plant)

Rev. Amos Glenn - retiring from active ministry

Rev. Derrick Lumsden - Pastor, Westville, South Africa

Rev. Lou Synnestvedt - retiring as teacher in Kempton and traveling pastor in
the US

211


CORRECTION 2010

CORRECTION              2010


----------

     Announcements



213


[Blank page.]

214


Notes on This Issue 2010

Notes on This Issue       Editor       2010


----------
     Two sermons, to celebrate June 19th! We welcome Rev. Alain Nicolier
and his first sermon printed in New Church Life. The Woman and the Dragon
indicate not only historical struggles the New Church faces, but also that the
Dragon represents threats closer to home. There is a strength which we discover,
perhaps as a surprise.

     Welcome back to Rev. Peter M. Buss Jr., our Pastor in the Glenview
Society. In his sermon he gives a radiance to the Writings which we know so
well, but may not often think of in that term. The radiance stems from the New
Jerusalem, the Bride, the Lamb's wife.

     Bishop Keith has presented a fascinating study on what is impossible.
There are several categories which he outlines. For example, can we know about
heaven apart from a revelation? Or will heaven ever "fill up"? From the 2010
Clergy meetings, this paper is presented here in the first of two installments.

     Rev. Martie Johnson suggests we owe something to the Church, and it may
not be the first thing that comes to mind.

215


WOMAN AND THE DRAGON 2010

WOMAN AND THE DRAGON       Rev. ALAIN NICOLIER       2010


----------
     A SERMON

     (Delivered in French, translated by Sally Smith, assisted by Margaret
Gladish.)

     "And a great sign appeared in Heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and
the moon under her feet, and upon her head , crown of twelve stars" (Revelation
12:1).

     The book of the Apocalypse begins by the declaration that it is a
revelation of Jesus Christ and concludes also with this benediction: "The grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all." These words indicate to us that this
Revelation concerns first of all the Lord who unveils His essential interior and
personal qualities to make Himself known to the human race. He is described
externally by numerous expressions: for example the Alpha and Omega, He who
holds the seven stars, He who is clothed in fine linen, who is mounted on a
white horse, who has a two-edged sword, eyes like a flame of fire, hair white as
snow, the Saint who has the key of David, the Amen, the faithful witness, the
brilliant morning star, the lamb, etc. By these presentations He tells us who He
is; namely that He is Jehovah, the Creator, the Lord of heaven and earth, and
that He is one in person and in quality.

     After having acknowledged this first truth in the Apocalypse we then see
that the Revelation of Jesus Christ concerns the founding of His kingdom in the
heavens and on the earth, and the means utilized to arrive there. This kingdom
is called the Holy City, the New Jerusalem and must be widely established on the
earth if it to be received and grow individually in the heart of each human
being. It is the deepest desire of our Lord to communicate His love and to have
us know heavenly joy.

     The Lord created the universe and the human race in order to join Himself
to them and to give them all of His being.

216


By creating mankind
free, He knows that He is giving him the ability to choose between good and
evil, and He strives eternally to guide us toward His happiness by all possible
means. As we know the human race essentially chooses evil, and it is in the
twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse that the Lord shows us the way and gives us
the means to conjoin ourselves to Him and renew our alliance. We read, "And
there appeared in great wonderment..." This vision represents the spiritual
quality of this new kingdom that our Creator proposes to us for our joy. The sun
which envelops the woman represents love of the Lord and consequently love of
the neighbor, because what is love of the Lord if it is not to have His
qualities and to love to do His commandments. He Himself says, "What you do for
one of your brothers you do it to Me."

     One who fulfills a life of use toward the neighbor establishes the Kingdom
of God on the earth and is said "to be clothed with the sun." We read in the
Apocalypse
Explained #707: "the life of the love of everyone, both of man and
of spirit and angel, forms a sphere about them from which their quality is
perceived even afar; moreover, by means of that sphere, consociations and
conjunctions are affected in heaven and also in the hells." This concerns the
Church which is in love to the Lord according to the Lord, and this Church is
meant by the woman and this love by the sun. It follows that by the woman
clothed with the sun is signified the Church with those who are in love to the
Lord from the Lord. "Consequently love of the neighbor is derived from love of
the Lord, just as the posterior is derived from its anterior or as the exterior
is derived from its interior, in a word as the effect is derived from its
efficient cause. To love the Lord is to love and desire the things which are
from the Lord, as well as the things which the Lord has commanded in the Word,
and love toward the neighbor, according to this, consists in performing uses,
which are the effects".

217




     This woman also has the moon under her feet, which signifies the necessary
wisdom to arrive at this love of the neighbor. This wisdom is the very
foundation and support of this love, and the woman must stand solidly in it to
be able to procreate. And upon her head a crown which represents all her virtues
and her qualities that she causes to shine on the world. This crown of knowledge
permits men to explain the mysteries of life and to recognize the spiritual
causes behind the natural effects, to see the ways used by Providence to turn
evil into good. This vision of the Apocalypse which depicts the new alliance,
the new hope given by God, must replace the former kingdom of evil described in
Matthew in these terms: "The sun will be obscured and the moon will no longer
give its light and the stars will fall from heaven." This kingdom in which we
all now live is in fact a kingdom of death where there is no longer love among
men nor any truth nor knowledge about the true life, and the prince of this
kingdom is the dragon.

     "And being pregnant the woman cried, being in pain and tormented to give
birth." It is woman who is so beautiful to behold and whose qualities are
celestial and spiritual. This woman who represents the wife of the Lord and His
Kingdom in heaven and on earth cannot, however, fight the dragon nor confront
the kingdom of evil. Thus in her communion with the Divine, she must beget a
male child who is to rule the nations with a rod of iron. It is he who will
fight the dragon and it is by him that the kingdom of Jesus Christ will be
founded. But before he comes into the world, his mother, the Church, is in pain.
She cries with the anguish of childbirth. Because the woman knows that the
dragon is there, ready to devour the child, she knows that the nations will
fight against him, and she will have pain.

     This male child represents the doctrine which is born from the celestial
Church, as from the wife.

218


This son is the means used by God to
establish this new age of peace. It is the fruit of the conjunction between love
of the neighbor and pure truth. It is the doctrine from the Word of the New
Church.

     The combat against the dragon will be hard, and as John proclaims: "light
is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than light, because
their deeds were evil" (John 3:19).

     These evils are the love of dominion, hate for others, and love of self
Such states do not want truth nor mutual love, but reject and fight them. About
this male child, Isaiah said also, "he hath no form or comeliness and when we
shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and
rejected of man" (Isaiah 53:2, 3).

     Thus the doctrine of the New Church is first rejected by all, accepted
only by a small number and must be protected from the influence of the dragon.
It is for that reason that it is then said, "And her child was raised toward God
and His throne, and the woman fled to the desert where she had a place prepared
by God." This is to avoid the child's being devoured by the dragon. This will of
the dragon and this flight of the woman and of the child, describes in the
internal sense, the truth and temptations of the New Church, and of the new
Kingdom before they can be instituted.

     The red dragon is very strong; he has "seven heads and ten horns and his
tail draws a third of the stars of the sky." This dragon is called elsewhere the
ancient serpent, the devil and Satan, the one who seduces the entire earth and
who gives combat without mercy. This dragon represents in us our hereditary
evil, our false intellectual reasoning which fights the new truths. He
represents our resistance to the Lord and confidence only in ourselves.

     The dragon also represents the word of today which refuses the truth,
which fights against the Word and tries to destroy its validity.


219


It does so by crafting reasoning of certain scientific and
pseudo-rational attitudes of the modern world, which thus reject all
spirituality. Such attitudes try to prove, for example, that there is no eternal
life, that God does not exist, that conjugial love is nonsense, and that it is
better to enjoy oneself to the full with whomever we want. "Eat, drink, and be
merry, for tomorrow we die. We only live once." Many slogans are the attributes
of the mentality of he dragon. He is strong and fights the truth with wily
arguments simply to dominate, to appear more intelligent and to make himself God
in their eyes.

     One of his main strengths is that he even uses the Word to fight the male
child and to persecute the woman. Thus false doctrines are elaborated, doctrines
which do not help man to regenerate nor flourish. With the external sense of the
Word it is shown there are three gods, that faith alone saves, and that there is
a resurrection of the flesh. We read in the Writings:

     "By the great red dragon are meant those who from the love of self are
purely natural and sensual, and know, however, more or less things from the
Word, or according to the doctrine derived from it, or from sermons, and imagine
themselves to be saved by science also without a life of charity. One who knows
the things the Word teaches and yet does not live according to them no matter
how wise and erudite he appears, is not, however, spiritual but only natural and
sensual, because science and the faculty of reason do not make a man spiritual,
but life itself makes him spiritual. Those people can speak of Divine things and
even reason with skill and intensity stirred up by the fire of love of self and
by the ostentation that comes from it, but nevertheless they cannot see if the
things they say are true or not true at all. Because the sense of the letter of
the Word is the ultimate sense of the Divine Truth; it is, therefore, for the
natural and sensual man; thus it is at his level of understanding and
accommodated to him.

220


That is why if it is not read according to
doctrine, it draws the mind like a flame into the shadows about many things
which belong to heaven and the church. Nevertheless there are those who believe
themselves to be wiser than everyone else when in fact they have no wisdom. All
those who constitute the dragon adore God the Father and see the Lord as a man
similar to themselves" (Apocalypse Explained 714).

     Having seven heads signifies the knowledge of the holy things from the
Word, which they have adulterated, and consequent insanity and yet craftiness to
prevent the truths and goods of the Word by reasoning founded on illusions and
abilities, then persuasive words by which the understanding is fascinated, thus
in clothing of falsity, in appearance as though they were truths" (Apocalypse Explained
715).

     Moreover the dragon has ten horns which represents great power over human
beings, and that is evident today where natural knowledge is taken as the only
way to salvation and self development.

     In order to fight the dragon three steps are necessary. The first step is
represented by the combat of Michael and his angels against the dragon, which
signifies the removal from the evil and falsities which issue from him, because
before wishing to communicate the truth to others, it is necessary to first show
the falsities. Then the principal truth which must be defended is that the Lord
is God, and that His Human is Divine, because if that is not first recognized,
nothing of the Word can be understood spiritually and consequently be lived (See
Apocalypse Revealed
548). It is by this truth that the dragon is rejected from heaven on
the earth, because all his reasoning is based on the separation between the
Human and the Divine, between love and truth, between what one believes and what
one lives. We read, "And the dragon fought with the angels and he no longer had
a place in heaven. And the great dragon was hurled down to the earth and his
angels were hurled down with him...

221


But misfortune was on the
earth and on the sea, because the devil descended toward you being in a great
furor... and when the dragon saw that he had been cast down to the earth, he
persecuted the woman who had given birth to the son."

     After having been vanquished a first time the dragon returns and charges
again. He cannot accept losing face, especially after having dominated the
nations for such a long time. But the woman does not have any way to defend
herself. She prefers to flee once more, because her son who is to govern the
world with a rod of iron has not yet arrived at maturity. She must protect him.

     "But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly
into the wilderness where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time
from the presence of the serpent."

     The verse represents the second step of defense against the dragon, a step
which consists in approaching him intellectually and rationally from the
spiritual light of the Word. As the dragon uses the Word to dominate others, to
use them, and take himself for a god, he can in fact only approach the Word in
natural light. But the woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet
uses the Word only for the good of humanity, to comfort and appease, to
enlighten and love. The Writings tell us that the wings signify the power of
truth and its defense, that the eagle signifies the intellectual sight and the
thought that is derived from it, and that by flying is signified seeing with
circumspection (Apocalypse Revealed 561). This text shows us how
important it is to develop the intellect according to the Word so that the
kingdom of God may be founded and be able to defend itself against the dragon.
It is always a temptation for the New Church to think that the Word in its
internal sense is too difficult to understand and that it is easier to remain in
the sense of the letter; but it is in that way that we give power to the dragon
and this permits the hells to attack us.

222


The Intellect is a
faculty that everyone possesses the potential to develop, but that must be done
with a view toward good and for the sake of our regeneration.

     At the end of the chapter the dragon attacks once again and tries to drown
the woman with a river that comes out from his mouth, but it is the earth itself
that aids the woman by swallowing up the river. The earth represents those who
are simple and those who are in falsities and evils only by ignorance. These are
those who recognize that the teachings of the dragon are perverse and that those
of the woman are true; thus they come to her aid.

     All through the Apocalypse the dragon keeps coming back to attack the
woman, taking various forms. He is seen as a beast, sometimes as a prostitute,
sometimes as a serpent, and it is only in chapters nineteen and twenty that he
is finally bound and cast into hell. Then in chapter twenty-one we see that the
woman who had been clothed in the sun has changed her appearance. She appears
now as a wife adorned for her husband, the Lamb, and that God will wipe away all
tears from their eyes, that death will be no more, nor pain, nor grief, nor
weeping.

     Thus the battle between the woman and the dragon represents the trials
that the New Church must endure in order to be founded, not so much as an
institution but one that is in the hearts of men. And if we want her to develop,
if we want the kingdom of love and truth to come on our earth, it will be with
the Word in its spiritual sense that this will be possible. We must study it and
adapt it to our life each day and teach it with caution. For the New Church must
act as the woman who flees the dragon; it must not seek combat but only defend
itself when attacked, and that in all humility. The Arcana tells us that "the
temptations in which a man overcomes are attended with the belief that all
others are more worthy than himself, and that he is inferior rather than
heavenly" (Arcana
Coelestia 2273).

223


It is in humility that the Lord
leads the New Church to be known by the world. Such was the attitude of the Lord
Himself when He was attacked by the hells, because His deep desire was to save
the whole human race and His best defense against the hells was His love for
them. The Arcana tells us again: "Rational good never fights, however it is
assailed, because it is mild and gentle, patient and yielding, for its character
is that of love and mercy; yet although it does not fight it conquers all, nor
does it ever think about combat, or glory on the account of victory...For evil
can attack good, it cannot even continue to exist in the sphere where good is,
for when good merely approaches, evil withdraws" (Arcana Coelestia 1950).

     These words show us that the New Jerusalem will pass from her state as a
woman to that of a wife entirely devoted to love of the Lord and the neighbor.
It is thanks to a burning desire to love the whole human race and to comfort it
in its suffering, that the dragon will be vanquished, and that the New Jerusalem
will fill the whole earth. The Lord in His love is our King and fights evil for
us if He finds a humble heart, because He says Himself, "Whosoever therefore
shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:4). When we are anxious and anguished about the
fate of humanity, let us remember the work of the prophet who said to the New
Church: "For Zion's sake I will not hold my peace and for Jerusalem's sake I
will not rest until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her
salvation as a lamp that burns. And the Gentiles shall see your righteousness
and all the kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name which the mouth
of the Lord will name. You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the
Lord and a royal diadem in the hand of your God, and you shall be called sought
out, a city not forsaken" (Isaiah 62). Amen

Lessons: Revelation 12; Apocalypse Explained 714

224





     The Rev. Alain Nicolier was inaugurated into the priesthood in 1979 and
ordained as Pastor in 1984. Alain has been engaged his entire career as a priest
of the New Church in France, and to the French-speaking world. He began as the
Minister to New Church people in France in 1979, and was called as Pastor to the
group he formed, in Bourguignon in 1984. In 2005 he added the role as Evangelist
for French-speaking people in West Africa. He has also visited French-speaking
South America. He has helped promote the New Church by visits and radio
programs. Alain lives with his wife Jeanne in Bourguignon, France.

     [Photograph of Rev. Alain Nicolier.]

225


MOST PRECIOUS REVELATION 2010

MOST PRECIOUS REVELATION       Jr. Rev. PETER BUSS       2010


----------
     A SERMON

     Then one of the seven angels...came and talked with me, saying, Come, I
will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the Spirit
to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem,
descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. And her radiance was
like a most precious jewel, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal (Revelation 21:10-
11).

     Radiance. That's the word which comes to my mind when I hear the
description of the Holy City New Jerusalem. In our language we use the word
radiance to describe two similar phenomena: the first is something sending out
light or heat, and the second is the act of a person giving out or spreading
happiness and love. In both cases there's a source from which something
explodes.

     In the 21St chapter of the book of Revelation, two images of radiance are
used to describe the Holy City New Jerusalem. The first, as quoted above, is
that of a most rare jewel. Many people sitting in church today could easily
explain why. How many people have engagement rings or other pieces of jewelry
with precious stones in them? We use them as adornment because of their beauty.
One well-cut diamond can sparkle with brilliance, sending light forth in an
array of colorful patterns. This is one of the reasons we value precious stones
so much, because of their ability to reflect light so beautifully. It's no
surprise then that this magnificent city, with its golden streets, translucent
walls, gates of pearl, and foundations adorned with many precious stones, would
collectively give off this sense of radiance of light reflecting off and through
all those different surfaces, giving the impression of one enormous, perfectly
cut precious jewel.

226




     The other image to which John likened this city was a bride adorned for
her husband. Here we see the other meaning of radiance at work. True, our mind
is called to consider a woman of beauty, dressed in white, perhaps adorned with
a variety of jewels. But more important is the inner joy which so often radiates
from the face of such a person, a happiness which is of a much more superior
quality. How many of us have witnessed this kind of radiance, or even
experienced it ourselves? It is this overwhelming sense of happiness and love
radiating forth from a person, to which the Holy City New Jerusalem is likened
(see Apocalypse
Revealed 881 for comparison of the city and the bride).

     With these two concepts in mind, of light radiating forth in beautiful
patterns, and of inner happiness shining forth, we turn our attention to what
that Holy City New Jerusalem represents. In general it is a symbol for the New
Church, something with which many people in the New Church readily identify. But
if we carefully consider that name, something else begins to emerge. Jerusalem
is the part of that name which specifically represents the Church, which makes
sense when we consider the role of Jerusalem in the history and worship of the
ancient Israelites (see Apocalypse Revealed 880). It is new, because the Lord
has renewed this church. It is holy because of the close presence of the Lord
Himself. But it is a city, because of the teachings of that Church (see
Apocalypse Revealed
879). In other words, when we think of the city which John saw, it
appeared as a city to symbolize the teachings we have been given in the New
Church - the New Revelation made available to us by our Lord. In one passage
which explains this section it says: The words, "he carried me away in the
spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy
Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God," mean that John was carried away
into the third heaven, and there his sight was opened, so that he could behold
"the Lord's New Church as to doctrine in the form of a city" (Apocalypse Revealed
896).

227




     In other words, John was shown a vision of all those truths which have
been made available to us in the Writings for the New Church. He saw an image of
the way they interconnect and hang together. He saw, representatively, their
beauty and goodness. And all these things were presented to him as that heavenly
city.

     So we turn our attention to the new revelation which the Lord has made
available to us, which is represented by that beautiful city. Our goal is to
come to appreciate four things about this revelation: its radiance, necessity,
simplicity, and depth.

     Radiance of the Writings. If radiance truly is a quality of this Holy City
New Jerusalem, and the city itself is a symbol for the Writings of the New
Church, then radiance is a word which equally describes this new revelation.
Does it not make sense that light, which is a symbol for the Lord's truth, would
radiate forth from the pages of the Writings?

     Here we can come back to those two ideas of radiance. The first is of
light bursting forth. Consider all the images of that city which symbolize that
truth. The walls represent the letter of the Word, the stories of the Old and
New Testaments. As they enclosed and protected the city, so the literal
storyline of the Bible encapsulates an inner meaning which we call the internal
sense. In this city, the walls are made of jasper; they're translucent, almost
see-through, symbolizing how much we are now able to understand the true meaning
of those stories (see Apocalypse Revealed 898, 911).

     The gates of that city represent teachings which introduce people to the
New Church (Apocalypse Revealed 899). They were made of pearl,
which particularly focuses us on teachings about the Lord (Apocalypse Revealed 918).


228


Such core teachings, as that He is the one God of heaven and
earth, that He is all-powerful and all-loving at the same time, - these gateways
to the New Church open us up to so many more teachings which the Lord wants us
to know.

     Then there are foundation-type teachings or principles upon which we can
base our decisions (see Apocalypse Revealed 914). There are streets of gold,
symbolizing the many intersecting teachings which can lead us towards a good
life (see Apocalypse Revealed 917).

     All these symbols describe the teachings gathered together by the Lord in
the Writings for the New Church. Truly the Writings are filled with the glory of
the Lord, as was that city. He revealed them. He causes those truths to sparkle
in our minds. He is able to enlighten us in so many different ways by means of
those teachings.

     Think also of the other kind of radiance we talked about, symbolized by
the bride adorned for her husband. What's the purpose of all these teachings? To
help us to become happy people. This new revelation gives us the truths which
will allow us to be conjoined with the Lord (see Apocalypse Revealed 881). To
the extent that we use those teachings to receive the Lord, to the same extent
can we be assured that our lives will be filled with joy, a deep inner joy which
will radiate forth from us in the form of happiness and contentment.

     Necessity of the Writings. In the New Church, we're asked to use our
intelligence as well as your faith. The Lord has given us all the ability to
think, and even the desire to figure things out. A foremost use of that ability
is to figure out from His Word how to live so that we can be blessed, or as one
teaching puts it: "...so that [we] can see what [we] ought to will and so to do,
if [we] are to enjoy prosperity in the world for the time being and after death
be blessed forever" (True Christian Religion 588).

     The point to stress here is that the only path to heaven is through truths
received in the understanding.

229


We read a passage from True
Christian Religion about this fact. It states that it is necessary, in order
that a person may be regenerated, for the process to proceed through the
understanding (n.
587). Why? Because it is only by means of these truths that we know
who we should believe in, and how the Lord expects us to live our lives (see
True Christian
Religion 587, Arcana Caelestia 8635).

     This is why John saw a city as a symbol for the New Church, rather than
something else (like a church building for example). The Lord emphasizes the
fact so clearly by means of this vision, that we need truths in order to follow
Him to heaven. The more we know and understand, the more we can cooperate with
Him.

     What's more, this vision of a city is in one sense a prophecy of what the
Lord promises to do for us. He provides all those teachings through parents and
teachers at first, and then through reading the Word for ourselves, through
sermons, books and conversations (see True Christian Religion 587). But once
those truths are in our minds, the Lord goes to work. He reforms our minds based
on those teachings. He organizes them for us. He urges us to figure things out
which we don't understand. He gathers harmonious facts together so we can see
them. He shows us how those teachings can make a difference in the choices we
make. This is a process He calls reformation. It affects the understanding part
of our minds. It is based on truths received from the Lord's Word, indirectly or
directly. It is the Lord's work, causing us to know and care about what He has
said. By means of it He leads us to the point where we can logically see the
destructiveness of evil in our minds, and confirmed from our experiences, and
also the goodness and value of doing things the Lord's way, logically and
experientially. The result is a city in our minds, a replica, albeit flawed, of
that Holy City New Jerusalem, with aspects of the gates, the foundations, the
walls, and the streets of gold.

230


Is it now clear from this how
important truths are in the New Church, how essential it is for us to have such
a complete and rational revelation from the Lord, allowing us to cooperate more
fully with Him?

     Simplicity and Depth of the Writings. A final area for us to look at is
the nature of this new revelation, specifically at its simplicity and depth.
Simplicity is not usually a word which fits with people's impression of the
Writings. The language and philosophy can be fairly heavy-going at times. This
is partly a function of translation, and partly due to the heavenly concepts now
revealed. And yet, when we get right down to it, the basic formula revealed in
the Writings of the New Church is wonderfully simple.

     Consider what is said in reference to the Holy City in the 21st chapter of
Revelation. It contains a great summary of beliefs. Behold, the tabernacle of
God is with all people, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His
people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God (Revelation
21:3). The Lord makes Himself available to all people. He is our
God, and wishes to dwell with us, or be conjoined with us to be a conscious part
of our lives (see Apocalypse Revealed 882-883). And God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor
crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away
(Revelation
21:4). He wants to be a conscious part of our lives so that He can
take away all grief, fear, and suffering from us. He also wants to steer us away
from death or damnation (see Apocalypse Revealed 884). Behold, I make all things
new (Revelation
21:5). He renews, or regenerates us. He helps us become better
people, and leads us ever onward toward heaven (see Apocalypse Revealed 886,
specifically about the Last Judgment and the renewal of the church, but by
inference it applies to our lives as well). I am the Alpha and the Omega, the
Beginning and the End (Revelation 21:6). These words specifically call to mind
the power or government of the Lord.

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He wants us to know that
He is in charge of His creation. He is governing our lives, down to the very
details (Apocalypse
Revealed 888). We call this His providence. He who overcomes will
inherit all things (Revelation 21:7). The reward of heaven is for those who
follow Him (Apocalypse Revealed 890). But the cowardly,
unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, [etc.] have their part in
the lake which burns with fire and brimstone... (Revelation 21:8) are
warnings that those who make no account of the teachings of the Word,
specifically the Ten Commandments here, will cause themselves to be damned
(Apocalypse
Revealed 892-893).

     The Lord makes Himself available. He shows us how He expects us to live.
He warns us of the dangers of evil. He leads us every moment away from hell and
towards heaven. Those are the main streets of that Holy City, a basic outline of
the whole of the Writings. It's a simple formula, which is explained in depth
from all sorts of different angles, causing again that radiance we talked about.

     The Holy City New Jerusalem is a symbol for everything the Lord offers us
by means of the Writings of the New Church. By means of them He offers us
guidance in every situation life brings our way. They give us a basis upon which
to make wise decisions, showing us what's most important about life, how to deal
charitably with the people we come in contact with, how to handle the difficult
and sad things which happen to us or those we love, and how to honestly take a
look at ourselves with the idea of getting rid of some of our imperfections. All
He asks of us is that we thirst for those teachings, that we see their value,
and know that the Lord Himself speaks to us within their pages. For then He can
wipe away every tear from our eyes, He can be with us and be our God, and He can
fill our lives with radiance from the light of the Lord's truth, and with the
joy and happiness which inevitably results. Amen.

232




Lessons: Revelation 21; True Christian Religion 587; Apocalypse Revealed
897.

     
     The Rev. Peter M. Buss Jr. was inaugurated into the priesthood in 1993 and
ordained as Pastor in 1995. He began as Assistant to the Pastor in the
Washington D.C. Society, and in 1995 was called to continue as the Assistant
Pastor of that society. In 1996 Peter was called as Assistant Pastor in the
Glenview Church, Glenview Ill., and in 2002 became its Pastor, as well as
Headmaster for its Church School; and President and Principal of the Midwestern
Academy. Peter and his wife Teresa (Farrington) and family, live in Glenview,
Illinois.

[Photograph of Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr.]

233


WHAT IS IMPOSSIBLE? 2010

WHAT IS IMPOSSIBLE?       Rev. BRIAN W. KEITH       2010


----------
     Part 1.

      (A paper delivered to the Council of the Clergy, February 2010. The
references are left in abbreviated form.)

     What is impossible? What cannot be? While the Word has many statements
about what is, what does it say about what is not? That is, are there realms
where things are not possible or events or situations that the Lord would never
let happen?

     What started me on this doctrinal journey was wondering about permissions.
What the Lord permits has always been troublesome. Not only are permissions the
worst things that can happen and cause immense pain and grief, but they have
long been used as evidence that there cannot be a loving God. ("If there were a
God, He would not allow warfare with its horrors, children to be sexually
abused, or [name some other evil]." Ergo there is no God.) Even if permissions
are not used to support atheism or agnosticism, they cast doubt on who the Lord
is and how He might be present, or not, in human affairs.

     I thought that there might be a body of teaching that identified what the
Lord does not permit - i.e. what the Lord does not let happen. This might be a
counterbalance to the evils we know so well. Sort of, "The Lord might allow that
bad thing to happen, but look at all the other things He never allows to
happen!" This was not an attempt to talk people out of their upset or anger due
to evil by telling them how good other things are. Rather, it was an effort to
provide a complete context in which to understand and eventually deal with the
hells people experience in this world.

     While looking specifically in the realm of providence yielded some
results, it quickly became evident that statements of negation, or teachings
about what could not be, required searching for more than "not permit" or "not
allow," and entered into many other doctrines.

234


Vital teachings
concerning the Lord, how He operates, the nature of the spiritual world, and
many more, are regularly, and perhaps even exclusively, presented in the
negative. What is impossible or cannot be, is woven into the fabric of how truth
is presented in the Word.

     While there may be several reasons for this, perhaps one is because merely
stating that something can, or does, happen does not present a complete picture.
If something can happen, it does not mean it always will. But to give a negative
- what cannot happen, what never occurs, or what could not be, etc. - sets the
limits in a more forceful way. For example, statements about how the Lord leaves
us in freedom are important. But to also know that "the Lord never compels
anyone" (AC
1937e, emphasis added), puts a rather definitive exclamation point
on the teaching. Not only does the Lord behave in one way, but He never behaves
in any other way.

     The purpose of this paper is to explore these statements of negation with
a hope that this might be a slightly different vantage point from which to view
the doctrines.

     Words and Phrases of Negation

     There are several words which introduce a negative statement.

     Latin                    English

     Non, nullus, nihil     No
     Non                    Not
     Nusquam               Never
     Non potest               Not able
     Non potest               Cannot (can not)
     Impossibilis          Impossible
     Non possibilis          Not possible

     There is some flexibility in what English words translators employ.


235


While they did not appear to interchange "non potest" with
"impossibilis," they regularly did so with "impossibilis" and "non possibilis."
There was no discernable difference in the meaning when this occurred. And there
appeared to be only one instance where "impossible" was used, but it was not a
word-for-word translation. In Tansley's Apocalypse Explained 1003:2 we find,
"and when the understanding is debarred from faith, enlightenment is
impossible." The underlying Latin is, "et cum removetur intellectus a fide,
removetur etiam illustration."

     However, there did not appear to be any distinction between any of these
words. That is, "impossibilis" did not seem to carry more weight or be of a
different type than "non potest" or "nusquam." If there were differences in
meaning, the context of the entire passage determined how to interpret the
negation rather than any specific Latin word or phrase.

Categories of Negations

     In looking at the statements of negation in the Word, one has to be
cautious since they are used with various degrees of absoluteness. That is, in
addition to statements that seem to always hold true, there are other times when
that does not appear to be the case, or at least they or other teachings modify
the universality of the statement. While there are probably various ways to
categorize them, the groupings I have found are: Hyperbole, Difficult, Refusal,
Parental Rules, and Conditional:

     Hyperbole statements of negation are usually given more for effect than as
a precise number. We are familiar with these in the Old Testament. When the
sands of the sea shore are used to measure descendents (Gen. 22:17, et al), grain
(Gen.
41:49), or soldiers (Joshua 11:4, et al) we realize the purpose is
to create an image of a mass so large that that it is beyond quantifiable
limits.

236




     Likewise, we find the Writings employ this technique when describing the
atmospheres in heaven: "they are numberless, and are of beauty and pleasantness
so great that they cannot be described" (AC 1621). This is also found in
describing the delights of conjugial love: "the kinds of celestial and spiritual
happiness from it, even only the most universal, cannot be numbered" (AC 2734;
AE
992:2). And what the Lord has created "is not possible to enumerate
particularly" (AR
663).

     In all these cases, while counting exact numbers may not be entirely
feasible, the point is it cannot be sensibly done.

     Difficult expressions of negation occur when it is very hard to do
something. For example, we are told that ideas in heaven are so far above those
of earth "that they cannot be expressed;" however, the sentence continues, "but
only to some extent thought of by those whom it has been given to withdraw their
mind from things of sense" (AC 4609; see also DLW 256:3). People can't do it, because
it is very hard to do! And it is usually in this vein that we understand the
statement in Conjugial Love regarding youthful restraint: "It behooves parents
to provide against [immoderate fornications]; for an adolescent youth excited by
lust cannot as yet impose restraint upon himself from reason" (456). A youth may
find this hard, so it seems he cannot do it; however, we are likely to suggest
that the difficulty does not mean it is impossible for him to do it.

     Refusal statements of negation occur when it is declared something cannot
happen, but only because people refuse to let it happen. Sometimes this is as
simple as people choosing to ignore the Divine: "they who are in evils and
thence in falsities cannot be healed by the Word, because they do not read if
(AR
936; AC 9222:2). Aligned with this are natural people "not
willing" to consider spiritual things (AC 5116:4, 9259, 5116:4, 9259), or ones
who "had no idea about" internal things "in consequence of having no desire to
know things of eternal life" (AC 4585:3, 5433:2).

237


As the
Writings observe, "those who are not willing are as it were not able"
(AE
970), or "those who do not wish to understand [truth] say that they
cannot" (DP
96:3).

     At the extreme here are those who cannot be saved because they refuse it.
For "those who are not willing to be reformed and regenerated by the Lord ...
cannot be saved" (AE 745:4; SE 4892). This places the onus on the
individuals, since "those who do not suffer themselves to be regenerated ...
remove and cast away from themselves these mercies of the Lord. Therefore it is
the person who is in fault if he cannot be saved" (AC 9553, 4317). Using the
imagery of Revelation 3:20, about the Lord knocking on the door, the
Writings note that the delights of evil "obstruct and close the door before the
Lord, and that these cannot be cast out by the Lord so long as the person
himself holds the door closed and, pressing from without, prevents it from being
opened" (DP
33:2).

     Parental Rules are statements of negation about what is not allowed;
however, like parental rules, it is easier to make them than enforce them. The
Sacred Scriptures are filled with prohibitions like this. The Ten Commandments
are a prime example, where what they were told they could not do was violated
repeatedly. Rules against eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
(AC
202, 126), touching creeping things (AC 994e), and setting up
pillars or having groves (AC 4580:3) are examples of practices the Writings
note they were told they could not do, but we know they did anyway.

     There are numerous examples of this elsewhere. People in the Christian
world are not permitted to have more than one wife or a concubine, although it
does occur (AC
4837:2, 3246:4). And while spirits are forbidden to use their
exterior memories when present with people on earth (AC 2476, 2479, 2481, 5858, 5874; HH 249), this
happens and is the cause of a belief in reincarnation (HH 256).

     The Writings occasionally even note this as they are stating what cannot
be.

238


For those on the third earth in the starry heavens "it is
not allowable to be wicked; but that if anyone thinks and does what is evil..."
(AC
10382). While evils and falsities exist in the other world, they
"cannot reach to the heavens. But yet, when evils and falsities are multiplied
beyond the degrees of opposition, and thus beyond a just measure, the heavens
are infested" (AR
761; AC 7474:2). So even as what appears to be an absolute
prohibition is given, it is noted that it is not always enforced.

     And one almost humorous example of what is not permitted to occur but does
is found in this statement from Spiritual Experiences: "right now I am not
permitted to write flumen, but fluvium" (1147). While it may be that Swedenborg
was commenting on what he could not write for publication, it is interesting to
see him write that he could not write what he had just written!

     Conditional statements of negation are what cannot happen in the current
state of affairs or are contingent upon other actions or events. On occasion
this is due to a person's age or developmental stage. People's angelic
intelligence and wisdom are stored up in their interior memories and "cannot
possibly appear to them until they put off corporeal things" (AC 2494). "Until
a person has been regenerated he cannot possibly know that good and truth come
from the Lord or that he cannot resist any evil or falsity apart from the Lord"
(AC
1661:3, 10219). And young people "cannot at that early stage
settle between one truth of faith and another within the Church" (AC 6766:2).

     There are frequent statements like this concerning regeneration.
"[H]umiliation of heart before the Lord is not possible without the
acknowledgment of the true character of self' (AC 2694:4). "The Lord then purifies a
person from the lusts of evil when the person as of himself removes the evils,
because the Lord cannot purify him before this is done" (DP 119; AC 3147:6, 5270:2;
AE
934:3: HH 577:3).

239


And an adulterer's
"interiors are closed and these cannot be opened up except by earnest
repentance" (AC
2750, 6203; AE 805:5).

     This is even seen with an individual in the love of self, where "when such
a person encounters the impossible, he stops until the impossible becomes
possible" (HD
71; TCR 400:7). What cannot happen does not, until it
can!

     In the rest of the paper, I will try to avoid statements of negation that
are contained in these categories and only use more absolute or definitive
statements - things that really cannot happen!

Definitional

     Some of the statements about what cannot occur are definitional in nature.
If something is defined as being unable to exist, it cannot. That is, they are
rather self-evident or they are defined as being unable to exist. For example,
the Writings observe that "zeal is impossible with anyone who is in evil, being
possible only with him who is in good" (AC 4444). As zeal is defined as not
anger (or coming from evil), then anger cannot be zeal. Also we find, "Gentiles
cannot by evils of life profane holy things, for no one can profane what is holy
who knows not what it is" (AC 2986:3). Since the ability to profane requires
holy knowledge, Gentiles, by definition, cannot do it.

     Other examples of this include if one has an idea of three persons he
cannot have an idea of one God (AC 10821), adulterers cannot be with angels since
angels are in conjugial love (AC 2747, 827, 2748e), and repentance does not exist
with those who don't examine themselves (HD 164). These, and others, do not need
explanation since their very definitions preclude any other meaning.


240




Some Basic Teachings

     There are many teachings that use negative statements for emphasis or to
define boundaries.

     We know extensive variety exists both in this world and the next, but it
is driven home with, "nothing shall ever be exactly the same" (AC 10200).
"[O]ne community is never utterly and completely like another" (AC 690, 3241:2), nor is
one member within a community like any other member" (AC 690), so that even "the
mind of one is never altogether like that of another" (AC 4149:2). We are even
told that "to eternity one state is never exactly like another, and also that
one spirit and angel does not pass through the like changes of state as another"
(AC
5962:3), and "it is never possible for everyone to take in the idea
of another in the same way" (SE 2295). (See also AC 3986:3, 4051, 7236:2, 7258, 9002:2;
D Love
10; HD 26, 86; HH 405; LJ 13; SE 2014, 2015, 2016, 2085, 2096)

     Another general teaching is that life cannot end.

And as with a person there is a connection with the Divine, and his inmost is of
such a nature that he can receive the Divine, and not only receive it, but also
make it his own by acknowledgment and affection, thus by reciprocation, he
therefore can never die, because he has thus been implanted in the Divine, and
is therefore in what is eternal and infinite, not merely through the influx
thence, but also through the reception of it. (AC 5114:4, emphasis added)

     In conjunction with this we are taught that "there does not exist, nor can
there exist, any angel or spirit who has not been born a human being in the
world" (D. Wis.
8), and "there is not even one, who was ever born a person, from the
first creation of this earth, who is not in heaven or in hell" (LJ 26; see also
AC
4364:3, 7507, 9352, 10591; EU 114; HH 435; LJ 25; SE 5151).

     This eternal life is not one of stagnation but of constant improvement.


241


The "perfecting of a person can never be complete" (AC 3200,
5122:3, 8326; SE 630, 883, 2404, 5566; HD 186; HH 273). This
process is wonderfully compared to the birthing process, for a person in the
next life "cannot be perfected beyond the point of being at the egg-stage so far
as the limitless things to come are concerned" (AC 4379:2).

     We are also assured that heaven will never run out of space for "heaven
can never be filled up, still less the door be shut, but that the more who
enter, the more blessing and happiness there is for those in heaven" (AC 2130e,
3631;
HH 71;
LJ 7;
SE 702,
705,
1364).

     However, the same cannot be said for animals. While they can have a
rudimentary thinking and feeling capability, a "human being is able to think
about the Lord and to be joined to Him through love, and so to be raised up to
what is Divine and eternal, which animals cannot be" (AC 6323:3, 714, 4760:3,
8772;
AE
802:5, 1202:3, 6; DLW 66; DP 96:4; SE 1827, 2769; TCR 32:8).

     For people, although they can receive salvation and be perfected forever,

their wisdom, even to eternity, cannot become so perfect that there can be any
ratio between it and the Lord's Divine wisdom; for the Lord's Divine wisdom is
infinite and the wisdom of angels finite; and between what is Infinite and what
is finite no ratio is possible. (HH 273; AC 4295:3)

     We cannot become Divine (DP 293) for all the good and truth we receive from the
Lord is still His with us, never our own (Can. 36; Lord 18:3).

     The Writings also note that "without a revelation from the Divine, a
person cannot know anything about eternal life, nor indeed anything about God,
and still less about love to Him and faith in Him" (AC 10318, 1475e, 1489, 2871e, 7465e, 10367:3,
5,
10661; AE 112:3; Coro 39; HD 249; TCR 11).


242


Or as is stated more graphically,

it is impossible to derive a single genuine theological truth from any other
source than from the Lord alone; nay, that to derive it from any other source is
as impossible, as it is to sail from England or Holland to the Pleiades, or to
ride on horseback from Germany to Orion in the sky. (BE 98e)

     This is because we cannot receive direct revelation from the Divine
(HH
309).

Hell is Eternal

     Perhaps one of the most emphatically stated teachings in the negative is
that evil people cannot go to heaven.

     Therefore it is impossible to send to hell those who have led good lives,
or to raise to heaven those who have led bad ones. Consequently it is impossible
for those in hell to be brought, by the Lord's pure mercy, out of there into
heaven and to be saved. For it is the acceptance of the Lord's mercy when they
lived in the world that saves everyone. (AC 8700:2)

     Those who are not regenerated in this world cannot be changed in the next
because "all truth and good are taken away" from them (AC 6977:2), and the hell
they had created for themselves "cannot be taken away from them without at the
same time extinguishing all their life" (AC 3957:3), thus they "cannot undergo
correction" (AC
7342e).

     This accords with the teaching in Luke, "between us and you there is a
great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor
can those from there pass to us" (16:26).

     Interestingly, in hell a devil cannot even move from one hell into a worse
one. For a devil is "not allowed to pass beyond the acquired bounds" (AC 6977:2,
7926:2, 7984:3, 8237, 9671e, 10153:3; SE 3093).


243




     While there have been sporadic attempts in the history of the New Church
to argue for the salvation of individual devils who "see the light" or "want to
change," they are usually based on general teachings about the Lord's desire to
save everyone or statements derived from the unsettled spiritual world prior to
the Last Judgment when some good people had been temporarily trapped in hellish
places before they could be elevated to where their predominant good loves would
eventually lead them.

     I presume the frequency and absolutism with which the Writings assert that
one cannot change after death, is to make this teaching beyond dispute. (See
also AC
794e, 1568:3, 1712:3, 3993:3, 4416:2,
4464,
4588,
4747:2, 5354:3, 7541:3, 9333:3,
9346,
10243:2, 3, 10659:4, 10749; AE 242:7,
860,
865,
1145:10, 1171e, 1189:4, 1220:3; De Verbo 6:2;
BE 110;
Life 8;
DP 221,
231:7,
277a,
338:6;
HD
57, 138, 239; HH 480; Mirc. & Signs 7; LJ 25, 56; LJP 105;
SE
4797; TCR 531, 571, 651).

     And it appears this teaching is predominantly in the negative. While there
are a few passages that do not have a statement of negation in them, such as
"they remain in hell to eternity" (AC 7541, 10152:4; AC Index under
"hell;" CL
135:4; DP 114, 278; Life 94; TCR 48, 281:11), they are
precious few compared to the passages that express it with the negative. It
would appear that this is an attempt to close the door on the heresy of
universal salvation or non-eternity of the hells for an individual.

     To be concluded.

244


WHAT'S YOUR CO-PAY? 2010

WHAT'S YOUR CO-PAY?       Jr. Rev. MARTIE JOHNSON       2010


----------
     (Rev. Martie Johnson, Jr. is a Chaplain in the United States Navy,
serving on the USS Emory S. Land (AS-39))

     This year some of us watched with hope and some watched with horror as the
health care bill was signed into law. So many of us were inspired by the cause
to help people maintain their health and quality of life and others of us were
hurt by some of the tactics, politics and antics involved in the process and the
idea that the government was involved at all. How did you feel about the
process? How do you feel now? Whichever side you were on, I think there is much
to learn from this recent example about what we give to the Church and its
processes.

     I have health insurance, so I know that I am one of the lucky ones in the
U.S. these days and I am thankful In all of the fanfare of the health
care/insurance debate and its result, it made me think about whether my Co-pays
on a doctor visit will go up or down. The debate process I witnessed also
reminded me to think about what my co-pay is to the Church.

What is your Stewardship?

     The United States, for example, is attempting to address all sorts of
health concerns and their financial consequences to its citizens. The reality is
that our doctors, and now even the government, are asking us to be good
stewards.

     I think the Church is asking us to do no less with our lives of faith and
the Lord's truth. As we transition from the time of Easter joy and promise, we
in the New Church approach another pivotal time in human history - June 19th -
the day the Lord proclaimed the gospel and its liberating message in heaven as
he did on earth.

     Indeed, let us commit ourselves and one another and our lives to Christ
our God. We are all called to respond with our love and respond to our faith as
the Lord did to the scribes that "you shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength"
(Mark
12:30).

245




     Around the world, all of us are living in difficult times; yet in good
times or bad times, we must always ask what does it look like to commit
ourselves to the Lord and His Church? The Church is where the Lord is known,
heard and worshipped, and it requires a real and sustained commitment, and this
means looking at what more we can give.

     Often a commitment to contribute financially in a sustained way starts off
slow and is hard at first. Some of you may know that not too long ago, I was
Trust Officer in New York and I was a stock broker. I know at the beginning of
my adult life with my first job and my small 401K or IRA, I found a way to stick
1%, 2% or 3% of my income into this account. It wasn't easy, but it began to
work when I stuck to it. As I think about that now, I wish I had put more in
back then! I think the same is true for what we would offer our Church. Consider
this: We are often told by society to "put something away" every pay check (and
these days this is truer than ever!) and to "pay yourself first". This is
prudent advice, but it actually applies first and foremost to our spiritual life
as children of the living, visible Lord who has the life and light of faith
strengthened by love. How do we honor Him as first, instead of only ourselves
with our time, talent, and treasures? Can you commit 1% this year and 2% next
year and so on? Will you make this kind of commitment for the Church, your life
and your family? If not financial contributions, what will be your first-fruit
to our faith?

What is my Co-Pay?

     The General Church Community is a strong community with people from all
walks of life, professions, and perspectives that began from very humble
beginnings. As in life, our Community has had successes and failure, victories
and losses and through it all, we are loved and sustained by Christ our God, who
is love itself.

246


Let's face it, by the power of the Holy Spirit,
some of us walk, drive, stumble, crawl, and run to receive all we can from the
Lord and one another to live a better life. So, what is your co-pay to receive
from Him who has no debt to pay and who by His truth never sees us as debtors?

     As we approach New Church Day, take the time to answer this question for
yourself and your family. Make a commitment, as best you can, to give in a
sustained budgeted way to our Church. Find a way to take the steps necessary to
budget 1%, 3%, 5% or 10% to our Church - our place of community and fellowship
that binds us together as we are bound to Lord.
"Nunc Licet" 2010

"Nunc Licet"              2010


----------
     a stage Play

     is now available for purchase on CD-KOM

     thru The New Church Bookroom

     or via Paypal online

     http://imagemindag.blogspot.com/scan:14-Nunc+Licet

     "My goal is to place this play into every New Church Society
     around the world, with the hope that we may be able to present the
     play, or some variation of it, in places where people might become
     inspired to discover more about who Emanuel Swedenborg really was."

     AG

     [email protected]

247


WHAT IS THE NEW CHURCH? 2010

WHAT IS THE NEW CHURCH?       Editor       2010


----------
     The New Church is everything the Heavenly Doctrines say about it.
This is truly the case where the Writings describe first the kind of a Church
that has come about historically and voluntarily, by dedicated followers, intent
on implementing the teachings which constituted the Second Coming of the Lord.
Here are some of the teachings about the New Church, and we may reflect on how
they have been fulfilled.

THE NEW CHURCH IS A CERTAINTY

     There is something intensely satisfying in the teaching that the New
Church will exist, just because it has been prophesied. "[I]t is foretold in
Revelation
xxi and xxii that a New Church, in which this doctrine will hold
the chief place, is to be instituted by the Lord at the end of the former
Church" (Lord
61). "This doctrine:" refers to "they who acknowledge the Lord alone
as the God of heaven and earth" (Lord 61), or who can speak their conviction that "God
and Man in the Lord, according to the [Athanasian] Creed, are not two but one
Person, and altogether one as soul and body are one" (Lord 60). Just as the Father
and Son are as "soul and body", so each person can say of his or her soul and
body: "all things of yours are mine, and all of mine are yours; you are in me
and I in you; he who sees me sees you, we are one in person and have one life"
(True Christian
Religion 112:5).

ITS TEACHING WILL BE NEW

     The "doctrine" or teaching is not going to be anything like what was in
the previous Christian Churches: "in the Church now to be established by the
Lord, there will be new doctrine which was not in the former Church" (Lord 65). Do we
believe it? These new teachings could not be given until the Last Judgment in
the year 1757 had been performed, or else they "would not have remained with
man..." (Lord
65).

248


They only remain with those who "approach the
Lord alone" (ibid.).

     Do you know any other Church which teaches these totally new points? These
new truths are 1. God is one in Person and in Essence; and the Lord is that God.
2. The whole Sacred Scripture - not just the well known Advent prophecies, but
the entire Old Testament treats of Him alone. 3. He came into the world to
subjugate the hells, and to glorify His Human by temptations, and fully by the
Passion of the Cross. By this means He became the Redeemer and Savior; 4. He
fulfilled all things of the Law, i.e. the Word. 5. By the Passion of the Cross
He did not take away sins, but He bore them that is, He suffered [so] that how
the Church had violated the Word should be represented in Himself 6. The
imputation of [Christ's] merit cannot take place apart from the remission of
sins following repentance. If you don't repent, the Lord cannot save you! (see
Lord
65).

NO MIRACLES IN THE NEW CHURCH

     Christianity commenced through miracles, without which no one would
believe. All New Testament miracles were occasioned by means of things on earth
being in correspondence, i.e. correlating as hand in glove, with things in the
spirit-world, which we inhabit with all our thoughts and mental pictures.
Instead of such miracles which established the Christian Church, to establish
the New Church there was an event which surpasses all miracles: it was for a
human being to enter that co-relational world, with his eyes wide open.
Swedenborg entered the afterlife, or spiritual world, and was a witness to the
other side of every Biblical miracle. Thus, "this New Christian Church is not
being established through any miracles, as the former was. But, instead of them,
the spiritual sense of the Word is revealed, and the spiritual world disclosed,
and the nature of both heaven and hell manifested; also, that man lives as a man
after death; which things surpass all miracles" (Coronis L, LI).


249


To accomplish this it was necessary for someone to be
introduced into that world where everyone goes after death: Swedenborg writes
that the miracle was "the introduction of my spirit, and, at the same time, of
my body, into the spiritual world, so that I might know there what heaven and
hell are, and that in light I might imbibe immediately from the Lord the truths
of faith, where man is led to eternal life" (Invitation VII). This
"surpasses all miracles" since it "has not been granted to anyone since the
creation" (Invitation 52).

WITHOUT IT NO MORTAL COULD BE SAVED

     One of the most astonishing teachings, which sounds preposterous, is that
unless the New Church came into existence, salvation for the whole of humanity
would be in jeopardy, in fact would end. That is meant by the drastic prophecy
of "except those days should be shortened, no flesh should be saved" (Matthew 24:21-
22). But the simple solution is that a very basic creed needs to be
taken up and believed by the New Church, to which all are invited. The
simplicity of the Creed means it has universal appeal, and everyone, of all
religious backgrounds, are invited to join by saying it and believing it: "The
acknowledgement of One God, and repentance of life." "Unless the New Church
should arise, which acknowledges these two essentials, and lives accordingly, no
one can be saved" (Apocalypse Revealed 9). That is why in Revelation also
there are the words, "do not seal the words of this prophecy, for the time is
near," which means, with greatest possible irony, that "the Apocalypse must not
be closed up but opened, and that this is necessary at the end of the Church in
order that any may be saved" (Apocalypse Revealed 947). The irony is that so many
people believe the Apocalypse, i.e. Book of Revelation will be literally
fulfilled. Therefore, no one can interpret it! The warning is even given to us,
that "anyone who adds to the words of the prophecy of this book" will be plague-
struck (Revelation 22:19).

250


This phrase however
means that the acknowledgment of any other God than the Lord and faith in Him,
will perish by the self-imposed penalty of falsity (Apocalypse Revealed 957). To
the contrary, therefore: unless the Book of Revelation is opened up, i.e.
interpreted, by the Lord, "no one may be saved." So to those who object that we
can't add any words after Revelation, we just respond, it says earlier "Seal NOT
the words of this prophecy; the time is at hand." It means the Apocalypse MUST
be opened up, and its contents understood (Apocalypse Revealed 947). It is the
perfect "squelch." And how it has been opened! First, in the Apocalypse
Explained written first, 1759, printed in Latin 1785, and then Apocalypse Revealed
1766, with translations from then on. The New Church could only be
formed after these publications were on the ground. Everyone could afterwards be
saved.

PERMISSION TO UNDERSTAND

     We are most familiar, are we not, with the "now it is permitted to
understand"? (True Christian Religion 508). It is the Nunc Licet
temple in heaven, which sends the truth as it is in heaven, so also upon the
earth! For the New Jerusalem descended "from God out of heaven" and this is the
Heavenly Doctrine, the Writings given on earth.

     So let us not be confused into thinking this understanding has as yet to
be given to us. No, the Writings as a whole are that understanding. The
understanding has already been given to us, in print. Just reading the Writings,
or wanting to hear more, is to understand. True, by research, more and more
truth can be understood. But the Writings are self-evident. How else could the
New Church have started? And it did start from people, confessedly not
regenerated, nor yet saved, picking them up and seeing what they said! No
convincing is necessary: just reading them is to see them for oneself That is
the great strength of the New Church, and is included in the message:


251


"Whoever will, let him take the water of life freely." It means
"to those who desire truths from any spiritual use, the Lord will give from
Himself through the Word all things that conduce to that use" (Arcana Coelestia
876). It is a free gift. In fact, "anyone who knows anything of the
Lord's coming, and of the New Heaven and the New Church... who longs for truths
... who loves truths, is then going to accept those things from the Lord without
any exertion of his own" (Arcana Coelestia 932). "Without any exertion of his
own." I.e. the truth will be self-evident, gratis. People who approach the Lord
in the Writings, receive the truths "up front", effortlessly.

     That is why the Writings intone: the "self-evidencing reason of love will
establish the New Church" (Canons 1). This is from the spiritual love of truth
"for the sake of truth" which makes a church to be a church, and gives
enlightenment. Self-evident truth is meant by the "cup of cold water to drink in
the Lord's name" (Cf. Arcana Coelestia 9424:2, Apocalypse Explained
863:13, 960:12). The Writings stand on their own.

     The effect of understanding what we believe, is that we can say, "Because
I understand, I now believe." It is opposite to the notion of faith being in
what cannot be understood, or blind faith. Thus "now it is permitted means the
removal of the curtain of the shrine in front of the cherub...It is a rule in
the New Church that falsities shut off the understanding, and truths open it up"
(True Christian
Religion 508:5).

SPIRITUAL PEACE, INTERNAL BLESSEDNESS OF LIFE

     The "prize of redemption" for those in the New Church, is a "spiritual
peace" (Coronis
LIII, 21X). Although the peace of heaven is beyond human
perception, something similar to it is a promise here to the New Church also on
earth: an "inmost of delight from the good of innocence" (Heaven and Hell 285). It is
angelic, but comparable to a "rest of mind experienced by those who are content
in God" (Heaven and
Hell 284).

252


It is also the sheer pleasure of
"hearing the truth that agrees with [your] good" (Heaven and Hell 288),
provided you are in that good to begin with! We'll certainly come from the mere
"whiff" of it here on earth, into the fully fledged peace of heaven "when [we]
leave the body and enter heaven, for [our] interiors are then opened" (ibid.).

     More ready pictures of this peace and bliss for the New Church are
compared to "morning or dawn in springtime," to " the rising of the sun [when]
all things of the earth begin to live anew, the fragrance of growing vegetation
is spread abroad as a result of the dew that descends from heaven, and the mild
vernal temperature gives fertility to the ground and imparts pleasure to the
minds of men, and this because morning or dawn in springtime corresponds to the
state of peace of angels in heaven" (Heaven and Hell 289). It is certainly
good to know that there are such rewards to cash in for being New Church.

     But for a more real 'sense' of what the New Church peace-of-mind feels
like, those of our readers who have experienced the end of a war (WW I or WW II,
Korean, or Viet-Nam) the peace being talked of here is like that one felt "when
wars and hostilities cease between kingdoms" (Heaven and Hell 290). Can you at least
picture the scenes from the past when V-E Day was declared?

NO INTERNALS WITHOUT EXTERNALS

     It may seem strange that this is one qualification for being "New Church."
But it stems from the abundant fact that there are so many internals revealed,
that we are swamped with them! There is an "internal" sense, an "internal man;"
heaven is internal to the Church on earth; our soul is "internal" to the body
which is "external." In fact, if we mix up these levels, or ignore them, falsity
will be "declared to be true", and soon there won't be any New Church.


253




     So we have to pay attention to this "law": 'And I saw no temple therein,
for the Lord God Almighty is the temple thereof, and the Lamb' signifies that in
this Church there will not be any external separated from what is internal,
because the Lord Himself in His Divine Human, from Whom is everything of the
Church, is the Only One being approached, worshipped and adored" (Apocalypse Revealed
918). We can't import externals which are linked to the wrong
internal, or without any internal. We can't do anything we feel like in Church
just because it feels good! The "reason" for doing anything has to be clear and
explainable from doctrine.

     We sometimes struggle to find the forms from doctrine, such as rituals at
Church. We also question current practices, and wonder "where does it say so?"
We can be sure that just because something is popular is not enough of a reason,
especially since "the love of pleasure is universal idolatry" (Arcana Coelestia
1357). We can't let "enjoyable" be the main determining factor. The
love of self and the love of the world can easily become active, and idolatry is
then the outcome. Idolatry is marked by "not caring for eternal life" (ibid).
Even in worship this might happen, and oh what fun we could have if we have
idolatry instead of worship! But that is prevented in all cases by ensuring
doctrinal instruction is at the center of all worship. That is the internal of
worship, which then stipulates and selects for itself the proper externals, also
from the Word: "Only what is from the Word is serviceable for worship"
(Arcana Coelestia
8943). "Divine truth revealed in the Word causes worship to be
internal" (Arcana
Coelestia 10570, 10460). "The things which are of doctrine are
premised, and those that are of worship follow, because the quality of the
worship is from the goods and truths of doctrine; for worship is nothing but an
external act, in which there should be the internals, which are of doctrine.
Without these the worship is without its essence, life and soul" (Apocalypse Revealed
777). We follow these prescriptions.

     That is why this teaching is somewhat haunting.

254


We wonder
if we slip up here and there: "Unless internal things are present within
external ones, that is, unless people have internal things in mind when involved
with external ones - and unless at the same time they feel an affection for
internal things or at least unless they feel an affection for external things on
account of internal ones, nothing of the Church is there" (Arcana Coelestia 4433).

     Perhaps this describes or explains why we feel comfortable with some
church rituals while uncomfortable with other ones. There have to be genuine
internals from which the external practices spring, to give them substance.
Meanwhile, there is no reason to suppose that going to church, adoring the Lord,
hearing sermons and singing praise to the Lord, will ever cease, because of the
Third Commandment. And the contents of Doctrine will forever be at our finger-
tips.
Feast of Friends 2010

Feast of Friends              2010


----------
     A celebration and gathering of Swedenborgian
     women from all denominations

     8-11 July 2010 Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania

     Gathering Leaves Hosted by:

     The Lord's New Church
     1725 Huntingdon Road
     Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania 19006
     (mailing address is in Bryn Athyn)

     Website: www.gatheringleaves.weebly.com

     Contact phone numbers:

     215-947-9673 or 215-947-7663

255


CORRECTION 2010

CORRECTION              2010


----------

     Announcements




257


[Blank page.]


258


Notes on This Issue 2010

Notes on This Issue       Editor       2010


----------
     The "White Horse" was a very effective sermon that Rev. Jeremy
Simons preached in 2005. He documents how evil has come into the world, the
effect of eating of the tree of knowledge, and how a true understanding - a
white horse - combats the falsities based on sensory evidence.

     Bishop Keith's study on "What Is Impossible" is here concluded. If you
wonder what is the source of punishments for devils doing evil to others, or why
you no longer can see angels, as in Biblical times, or why the Lord did not save
the human race without being born, there come similar answers: it is not
possible, and the 'why' is also given.

     The Rev. Kenneth Alden's study on aging comes in two parts. In the first,
Rev. Alden examines the Bible stories relating to old age, and how we age in
different ways, but cannot judge anyone's spiritual pathway from that variety.
The body and the mind follow separate by dependant progressions.

     The Declarations of Faith and Purpose of four newly inaugurated ministers
are found in this issue.

     Several letters to the Editor express appreciation or raise questions, and
make new proposals for the future of the New Church.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY MEETINGS 2010

GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY MEETINGS       Editor       2010


----------
     The Bryn Athyn Society, in conjunction with the General Church, will
be hosting the General Church Assembly. The dates for the Assembly, to be held
in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, are June 23rd to June 26th, 2011. The theme of this
Assembly is "To help people grow closer to the Lord God Jesus Christ in His
Second Coming." Clergy meetings will follow from Monday to Wednesday, noon, June
27th to June 29th. The Assembly will include a children's program.


259


WHITE HORSE 2010

WHITE HORSE       Rev. JEREMY F. SIMONS       2010


----------
     A SERMON

     (Preached in Bryn Athyn, June 19, 2005)

     He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The
Word of God (Revelation 19:13).

     The One on the white horse is the Lord Himself, as He is seen in the Word.
This is why He is called the Word of God. A white horse stands for a true
understanding of the Word. His appearance here near the end of the Book of
Revelation marks the final defeat of the forces of evil, led by the dragon and
the beast.

     A similar white horse appears near the beginning of the book. When the
seals are opened a white horse is seen, followed by a red, black and pale horse.
The opening of the seals stands for the revealing of the nature of people on the
earth. There are some who love the Word and understand it clearly, and they are
represented by the white horse. But there are many who do not, as is seen
progressively as the other seals are opened, and as one sad scene after another
is revealed. The theme of the book between the first white horse and this one is
the exposure of evil, and its conflict with the Lord and the armies of heaven.

     The One on the white horse Who is the Word of God is not seen in His
strength until all of the other events of the book have taken place. In each one
of these the general theme is that as God draws near, the nature of some evil
thing becomes known, it resists, and is defeated. The final casting out happens
when the white horse appears, and there is the final battle.

     Our topic today on the 19th of June is this white horse, and why this
particular imagery is used to depict the way that evil will be overcome in the
world. Today we celebrate the Lord's victory and the descent of the Holy City
New Jerusalem, which is His kingdom coming down into the world.

260



June 19th is about the spiritual peace of that kingdom, and about the peace on
earth that will come as it descends. The white horse describes a particular,
remarkable, miraculous aspect of how this is all taking place.

     The beginning of the story of the white horse is in the Garden of Eden, in
the false promise of the serpent. "The serpent said to the woman, Has God indeed
said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said to the
serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of
the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat
it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. Then the serpent said to the woman,
You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes
will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:1-5).

     These words were a lie. Her eyes would not be opened. She and her husband
would instead be blinded to good and evil. The deception is one of the
fundamental lies that operate in people's lives, which is that we can gain
wisdom, or understand life, from ourselves, through reason and the evidence of
our senses. The truth is that wisdom comes from the Lord alone. To "eat of the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil" means to desire to probe life's
spiritual mysteries from ourselves and from natural sources and not from the
Lord. We read: "The worldly and bodily-minded person says at heart, Unless I am
taught about faith and about things that belong to faith by means of sensory
evidence so that I see for myself, I am not going to believe. And he confirms
himself in this attitude from the consideration that natural phenomena cannot be
at variance with spiritual. Consequently it is from sensory evidence that he
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.


261


This arises out of the basic assumption he makes. This is
eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And the more he eats of
it, the more dead does he become" (Arcana Coelestia 128).

     In other words, the choice to be skeptical about spiritual knowledge and
its sources, and to rely on other, apparently more objective, forms of evidence,
is a choice that takes away the understanding of spiritual things. So instead of
making Adam and Eve wise, as the serpent promised, eating the fruit blinded
them.

     The nature of this blindness and its effects can be seen everywhere in the
world. The facts of science and other quantitative measures tell us a great deal
about life with precision and certainty. But the things that they tell us are
only external, telling us nothing about God, heaven, or good and evil. It even
appears as if these facts will tell us about good and evil, as the serpent
promised. Quantitative measures, for example, can illustrate the harm or
benefits associated with various behaviors. They show us that long-term
marriages, for example, are associated with many measures of happiness and
stability, and that the breakdown of marriage is linked with unhappiness and
instability.

     But the apparent certainty of these measures and their associations
contrasts with a corresponding uncertainty about everything that is outside
their reach. Spiritual concepts like good and evil, the effects of the spiritual
world on our lives, the way that the Lord helps us in our lives, and how we can
worship Him are left in limbo, and regarded strictly as matters of opinion about
which there can be no certainty. The details of how good and evil affect
marriage, or why happiness is associated with long term monogamous marriages,
are out of reach.

     The result is that people are ignorant and blind with regard to the most
important issues of life.

262


When combined with humanity's natural
tendencies to be self-centered and materialistic, this uncertainty creates an
environment in which infidelity, immorality, addictions, thefts and other
illicit behaviors increase. These things in turn lead to hatred, revenge,
cruelty, and violence. From these come war, poverty, hunger, disease and other
forms of suffering.

     This is the long-term effect of eating of the fruit of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil.

     The purpose of the Advent was to reverse this blindness and restore the
understanding of spiritual things to the human race. The Lord therefore made
Himself visible on the very plane that humanity now trusted in. He came to bring
the truth to people's understanding in order to bring light to a dark world.
This is why He said: "For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come
into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the
truth hears My voice" (John 18.37).

     The idea is that if the truth is made known and explained, those who are
willing will hear, understand and obey it. We read something similar in the
preface to Heaven and Hell: "Church people these days know practically nothing
about heaven and hell or their life after death, even though there are
descriptions of everything available to them in the Word. In fact, many who have
been born in the church deny all this. In their hearts they are asking who has
ever come back to tell us about it. To prevent this negative attitude-especially
prevalent among people who have acquired a great deal of worldly wisdom-from
infecting and corrupting people of simple heart and simple faith, it has been
granted me to be with angels and to talk with them person to person. I have also
been enabled to see what is in heaven and in hell, a process that has been going
on for thirteen years. Now I am being allowed therefore to describe what I have
heard and seen, in the hopes of shedding light where there is ignorance, and of
dispelling skepticism.

263


The reason this kind of direct
revelation is taking place today is that this is what the Coming of the Lord
means" (Heaven and
Hell 1).

     This is the kind of knowledge that the fruit of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil cannot give. The Lord came to reveal this kind of knowledge, to
make Himself visible, and so to overcome the power of darkness.

     The entire history of the world since the Fall illustrates how the Lord
has led the human race with an eye to this purpose. The most striking and
undeniable trend in history has been the steady increase of knowledge.
Everything that has changed in human civilization is associated with this
increase, from food production, to housing, to transportation, and
communication. The advance in human understanding has proceeded naturally and
perpetually since the beginning. Nothing can stop it.

     In itself the accumulation of knowledge is neither good nor evil. As it
plays out the promise of the serpent it induces blindness and ignorance of
spiritual things. But as the Lord uses it to heal this blindness it defeats the
serpent.

     The white horse is a true understanding of the spiritual realities that
the Word teaches. It carries the Lord into your life. It represents the ultimate
defeat of the serpent, seen as the dragon, the beast, the false prophet, and
their armies, defeating spiritual ignorance by spiritual understanding. The
final battle is depicted in our reading as almost anticlimactic: "And I saw the
beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war
against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was
captured." There is hardly even a battle. The serpent and his allies have no
power at all against the One on the white horse once He shows Himself.

     Part of the beauty of all of this is that it is almost exactly the way
that most people on earth believe that our problems will be solved. Almost
everyone sees the steady increase of knowledge as holding the solution to the
world's challenges.

264


Education and technological advances are
seen as the way to end hunger, to preserve the environment, to bring peace, to
overcome disease, and to bring prosperity. People who have hope for the future
have to believe, and do believe, that some day we will understand how to put an
end to suffering and live in peace.

     The irony of the serpent's false promise is that it is ultimately self-
defeating. The more that people know, the more obvious it becomes that sensory
evidence and factual knowledge are inadequate to explain life's mysteries. The
long history of the accumulation of this knowledge really just paves the way for
the reception of the Divine Truth that is the Lord's Coming as the Word.
Understanding natural truth prepares people to be able to receive and understand
spiritual truth. This truth is received just like any other kind of knowledge.
At first only a few people know and accept it, but we are assured that it will
spread, and as it spreads it will change the world.

     The Second Coming is announced with the sound of a trumpet, gathering
people from the four corners of the world. The sound of the trumpet is the
announcement of the truth that the Lord God Jesus Christ reigns Whose kingdom
shall endure forever. Those who hear it, receive it, and live by it, whoever
they may be, are called "the elect."

     The General Church is founded on the commitment to the idea that the
truths of the Heavenly Doctrines are the One on the white horse, that they are
the Second Coming, that they teach the truth with certainty. The Academy of the
New Church is founded on a commitment to the idea that learning these truths
systematically and comprehensively as the Word of God is the way to establish
the Lord's kingdom.

     A horse is a beautiful representation of understanding. Horses carry their
riders with both power and grace. They are beautiful and noble, and they inspire
love and admiration.

265


The faculty of understanding from the Lord
is no less powerful and graceful. Today, on June 19th we celebrate it as a means
for the New Jerusalem to descend into our lives and the lives of people
throughout the whole world.

     "Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them,
and they shall be His people. And God Himself will be with them and be their
God" (Revelation
21). Amen

Lessons: Revelation 19:12-21; Apocalypse Revealed 820; True Christian Religion
791

     Jeremy was first called as the Assistant to the Pastor in the Kempton
Society, Pennsylvania in 1982, and became its Pastor and the Principal of the
Kempton New Church School in 1983. In 1993 he answered a call to be the
Assistant Pastor in the Immanuel Church, Glenview Illinois and Principal of its
Church school. In 1996 he became the Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society,
and in 2004 its Pastor Jeremy lives with his wife Allyn (Edmonds) in Bryn Athyn,
Pennsylvania.

[Photograph of Rev. Jeremy Simons.]

266


WHAT IS IMPOSSIBLE?: Part Two 2010

WHAT IS IMPOSSIBLE?: Part Two       Rev. BRIAN W. KEITH       2010


----------
     (A paper delivered to the Council of the Clergy , February 2010.
Part 1 was printed in the June issue. All references are abbreviated.)

Regeneration Cannot Happen Apart from Means

     Since regeneration cannot happen from the Lord's mercy without a process
involving us, we have rich teachings regarding the means (AC 904:2, 2590, 4015, 9509:4,
10731; AE 208:12, 654:15; AR 494, 832:2). Fundamental to
regeneration is that a person has to act as if of himself.

     A person cannot be reformed unless he thinks, wills, and does as if from
himself, since that which is done as if by the person himself is conjoined to
him and remains with him, while that which is not done by the person as if from
himself, not being received in any life of sense, flows through like ether...
(AE
946:5, 250:2).

     Thus a person cannot be reformed "except by acting like Him, or becoming
one with Him" (AC
1038). And a person "cannot be led by mercy, unless he desists from
evils" (AC
8307, 10235, 10645:5; DP 111).

     A corollary of this is that regeneration cannot happen quickly, but over
the course of many years (AC 9256:3; DP 183:2, 233:6; TCR 539, 610). The reason
for this is,

     The evils and falsities with an evil person cannot be removed from their
place suddenly; but only in proportion as goods and truths are implanted in
their order, and interiorly; for heaven in a person removes hell from him. If
this were done suddenly, the person would fail; for each and all things that are
in connection and form would be disturbed, and would take away his life
(AC
9334:2).

     This is taken from the explanation of the Lord telling the sons of Israel
that He would not drive out their enemies from the land of Canaan in one year,
but "little by little" so they could inherit the land (Ex 23:30; AE 716:3).


267




     We also cannot regenerate ourselves (AC 9401:2, 4108:2, 9410:4,
9937:5, 9981, 10019:3; AE 243, 802:2, 4, 815:5, 971:2, 5; DLW 335; Life 112). Without
the Lord's power "it is impossible to be saved" (AE 689e, 318, 897; AC 9445). For "of
himself a person cannot come near to the Lord and be conjoined with Him"
(AC
9378:2). And a person "cannot [even] elevate his interiors from
himself' (AC
10702).

     Without temptations as a means, there can be no regeneration (AC 8099,
8129,
8179:3, 8403:3; AE 156, 246, 256, 474, 504:31, 893:3; Life 93). And
within the realm of temptations there are several limitations noted. Temptations
are "never caused by good spirits" (AC 4307). One "never sustains any
spiritual temptation and conquers in it from his own power; for it is the Lord
who sustains and conquers within him" (AC 3927:2). And it is common in a
temptation to have a sense of failure since "when the temptation arrives at the
furthest limit of his power, the person cannot sustain anything more, but sinks
down" (AC
8165:2). As a corollary to this and as a protection in the process
of regeneration, those who are evil "sustain no spiritual combat or temptation"
(AC
270, 762, 1444, 1935, 2689:3, 4274:2, 5280:4, 9978; AE 138, 246:2).

What Cannot Happen in the Spiritual World

     While the next life is a continuation of this life, there are significant
points of difference. For example, "natural things, which are material, cannot
enter into spiritual things, which are substantial" (TCR 280:8; AC 10236:4).
Spirits cannot see things of the earth (AC 1628, 2629, 4180e; SE 612). It "is impossible
for any material idea to enter heaven; it is cast off at the gateway of heaven"
(AC
10568), and angels "cannot utter a single word of human language"
(HH
246, 269; AE 892).

268


What is more, in the next
life nothing can be kept hidden. "[I]t is not allowable to speak in one way and
think in another" (AC 8250, 8383, 8870:3; AE 1001; EU 61:2). And "in
the world the evil may be concealed; but in the other life it cannot be
concealed" (HH
550).

     Changing one's place within the spiritual world, once one has found their
spiritual home, is not possible. In addition to hell being eternal and devils
not being able to find a worse hell for themselves, "he who is in one heaven
cannot possibly pass into another" (AC 9826). However, an angel can
temporarily travel "safely from one hell into another, which is quite impossible
for those who are not in truth" (AC 6423).

     Spirits go to hell because "they cannot endure Divine good and Divine
truth" (AE
411, 419:25). There, they have a burning hatred towards
others. They nourish this hatred, but are not allowed to do any lasting harm to
others. However, "because they cannot destroy their bodies they will to destroy
their souls" (AE
991:6; AR 325:4). They are not punished "unless the Lord has
some use as the end in view" (AC 696). Punishments cannot be taken away from them
(AC
8223:3), but they are "inflicted by the evil, and never by the good;
that is, it comes from hell and never from heaven" (AC 8223:2).

Providence and Its Permissions

     Without the leading of Divine Providence, human life could not exist, for
"Divine Foresight and Providence exist in every particular detail, and that if
they did not, or did so in a merely overall way, the human race would perish"
(AC
5122:3).

     Permissions are absolutely essential, for if evils are not allowed, no one
could be reformed (AC 6071:3). This is because "unless evils were
allowed to break out, a person would not see them and therefore would not
acknowledge them, and thus could not be induced to resist them" (DP 251, 278; AE 580:3).


269




     And emphasis is placed on the importance of the freedom, not only to think
about evils but also to actually do them. For "unless a person is kept in the
freedom to do evil also, good from the Lord cannot be provided for him"
(AC
10777; HH 293, 598).

     But what is permitted is not unlimited. For example, "the hells are not
allowed to evoke evils in excess of or different from those which can be turned
into good" (AC
6663, 689, 3645, 6574:3, 6663; SE 401). This would seem to mean that
whatever we can imagine as the worst permission we know, there are many things
far worse which do not happen. And nothing is permitted that will not be turned
into good.

Additional Teachings of What Cannot Be

     There are many other teachings that employ the negative.

     Physical influx is impossible (AC 3721:2, 5119, 6560, 8516:2, 8977:4,
9110,
10049, 10125; HH 228; ISB 4).

     Faith cannot exist without charity (AC 3934:2, 4, 8423; AE 242:6, 250e, 789:8; Faith 19;
DP 3).

     Life cannot exist without remains (AC 560; cf. AC 828).

     People in the natural world cannot think apart from space and time
(AC
3404:3, 3938, 7381:3; AE 571e, 1130:3; SE 5625; cf
DLW 7).

     The Lord cannot be understood or approached without the Divine Human
(AC
4211:2, 6280:4, 10067:3; 200e; AR 222:2).

     Conjugial love can never be divided, that is exist with multiple spouses
(AC
1907, 2740, 10172; AE 710:25; CL 332, 346; De Conj 45, 46, 119; SE 6096).

     A husband's or wife's perceptions and duties are not possible with the
other (CL
168, 174, 193:2).

     The Word: cannot be understood without doctrine and enlightenment
(SS 51;
AE
176:4, 1089:4).

270




     The Lord is not revealed elsewhere (AE 36:2).

     Its internal sense cannot be seen as long as one dwells in the literal
sense (AC
1408, 2135:5).

     In the literal sense there are promises or predictions made which "never
come about, and never will" (AC 7847:4, 4287:4, 9863:2).

     After the fall of the Most Ancient Church: people are not able to destroy
themselves in that way again (AC 924). The heavens cannot be opened as before
(AC
784:2).

     Direct communication with the heavens is not possible (AC 1850:3).

     The understanding cannot be enlightened as before (AC 1043e, 3325:3,
4489:3).

     It may be that statements of negation enter into virtually all doctrines
of the New Church.

What the Lord Cannot Do

     We usually think of the Lord as omnipotent, the Creator and Redeemer, who
can do all things. While that is a vital image of Him, the Word adds to that
with statements about what He cannot do.

     One is that He cannot be divided. "Jehovah, or the Divine Essence, cannot
be divided" (AC
1921:3; AE 1126:2: Can 5; Lord 21; D Love 19e; DLW 5, 14; TCR 364, 457:3,
470:4). Or, as expressed in a question,

     Is there anyone possessed of sound reason who does not perceive that the
Divine is not divisible, and that more than one infinite being, uncreated,
omnipotent and God, is not possible? (DLW 27; AE 1121:3).

     This plays out in Christian theology that has effectively separated the
Divine into various parts. By giving the Son a conflicting role with the Father,
the Divine is no longer one.

271


And the Writings note that this is
impossible for, "the Divine cannot be separated from the Human, nor the Human
from the Divine, for this would be like separating the soul from the body"
(Lord
29:2).

     The Lord also cannot change. In the Old Testament we find Samuel
declaring, "the Invincible One of Israel does not lie, and He will not repent,
for He is not a man that He should repent" (1 Sam. 15:29; Nu. 23:19; see also
Ps.
119:89; Isa. 31:2). And in Malachi the Lord Himself says, "For I
am the Lord, I do not change" (3:6). While these teachings might appear contrary
to Lord's apparent remorse after the flood, or less than fixed mindset while
Abram was bargaining to save Sodom, they are the underlying reality. The
Writings affirm that "the Divine is not changeable in itself" (D Wis. 7;
TCR
105; cf. DLW 234), and that "He cannot repent since He knows
all things before He does them" (AC 10441:2, 587). So the limitations of
human thinking and willing cannot be attributed to Him.

     Occasionally a question is posited like "can the Lord create a rock too
big for Him to lift"? Setting aside its false assumption of how the Lord
operates in the natural world, its intent is to ask if there is anything the
Lord cannot do. And, of course, underlying that is the implication that the
Divine is not omnipotent and thus not even existent. The Writings are rather
definitive on this:

     The Lord cannot act contrary to the laws of His Divine Providence, because
to act contrary to them would be to act contrary to His Divine Love and Wisdom,
and thus contrary to Himself. (DP 249:3, 221, 331; AC 8765:2; HH 523; AE 778:2, 1138:2;
BE 52;
TCR
56, 58, 72:1-3, 73:1-4, 161:2, 500, 502, 651).

     The phrasing of this in the negative, rather than just teaching that the
Lord always acts according to His will, has stimulated some fascinating
doctrinal interchanges.

272


Simply stated, does the Lord not do
evil because He does not will to do so, or because He cannot? Since willing and
doing by the Divine cannot be separated, this is something of a circular
argument; that is, both sides of the argument are right since they are looking
at the same idea from different perspectives. So why is it phrased in the
negative so often and extensively in the Writings?

     I have come to think that if the Lord's actions were only expressed in the
positive, it would tend to create a distorted idea in our minds. From our
limited and flawed perspective, if we were only taught the Lord does not do evil
because He does not want to, we would hear that as the Lord acting randomly and
capriciously. After all, that's how we humans often act, especially when we seem
to have unlimited power. But to openly state that the Lord cannot act against
Himself, addresses the misconception that the Lord could actually do something
if only He wanted to.

     This would seem to be why we find statements like, "when, therefore, it is
said that God permits, this does not mean that He wills, but that He cannot
avert on account of the end, which is salvation" (DP 234). This emphasizes
that permissions are not from His will, but are things that He cannot stop.

What the Lord Could Not Do on Earth

     While the Lord was on earth, there were several specific limitations on
what He could do. For one, the Lord could not have saved the human race unless
He had come on earth - it was impossible any other way (AC 581; AE 448:10, 745:3; TCR 2, 119, 121). The reason
for this is that "the Divine Human before the Lord's Coming, was not powerful
enough to oppose the evils and falsities which had increased so enormously"
(AC
8273; AE 433:6; HD 305; see also AC 2833, 5663:3,
7828,
7930,
7931,
7932a,
10152:4; AE 805:8; Ath. 122; Can 15,
24,
31;
Lord 20,
26:2;
9Q 6; LT
10:3; SE 1502-
1507, 2390; TCR 84, 124; cf. TCR 86; AC 7686).


273




     Again, like the issue of whether the Lord does not will as opposed to not
being able to do evil, so this concept appears to be framed primarily in the
negative - the absence or lack of the Lord's power to do something I would
hesitate to assert this teaching is only given in this way, for someone will
undoubtedly find a passage to challenge that. However, it is perhaps safe to say
that this idea is presented if not exclusively, at least predominantly, in terms
of the limitations of Divine power -what the Lord could not do.

     Also on earth the Lord could not be tempted as He is in Himself. "[T]he
Lord's Human before it was made Divine was able to be tempted, but not the
Divine Human, still less the Divine itself; for the Divine is beyond any kind of
temptation" (AC
7193:2, 2913, 1573:7, 2814; AR 833; Can 19; Lord 35; HD 201). It
was impossible then, as it always is, for evil to reach the Divine. This is why
the Lord had to be born on earth - to provide a pathway for the hells to show
themselves, attack, and be overcome. Redemption could have not been accomplished
in any other way.

     And while the attacks were taking place, the Lord never fought from the
love of self, or for Himself, but for all in the universe, consequently, not
that He might become the greatest in heaven, for this is contrary to the Divine
Love, and scarcely even that He might be the least; but only that all others
might become something, and be saved (AC 1812:2).

     And it is for this reason that "He could not but conquer" (AC 1812).

     We also are taught that He "never committed any evil of His own"
(AC
3036, 7344; DP 327; SE 1878; TCR 490). This statement
completes the concept that the Lord did only what is good.

274




     In addition, there are other statements about what the Lord could not do
while on earth.

     ... the Natural could not be made Divine before the Rational was made
Divine, for it was by means of the Rational that the Natural became Divine
(AC
3245:2, 3264:2, 3283).

     Unless this representation [John the Baptist] had preceded, the Lord could
not have manifested Himself and have taught and lived in Judea and in Jerusalem,
since the Lord was the God of heaven and earth under a human form, and He could
not have been present with a nation that was in mere falsities in respect to
doctrine and in mere evils in respect to life (AE 724:7).

     ... the Lord could not perform miracles in His own country, for they there
saw Him from infancy, as any other man; and therefore they could not attach to
this the idea of His Divinity; and if this idea is not present, the Lord is
indeed present in a man, but not with Divine Omnipotence (AE 815:8).

     The Lord had to undergo these two states of exinanition and glorification
because progress towards union is not possible by any other way, since it is in
accordance with Divine order, and this is immutable (TCR 105).

What the Lord Cannot Do Relative to People on Earth

     First off, the Lord cannot appear to us except in His Divine Human:

     The Infinite itself which stands above all the heavens and above a
person's inmost being cannot be manifested except by means of the Divine Human,
which exists solely with the Lord. Communication of the Infinite with finite
beings is not possible at all from any other source (AC 1990:2).

     We cannot approach the Divine as He is in Himself, and it is only through
the accommodation of the Divine through the heavens that we can have any image
or sense of who He is.

275


The Biblical law about not seeing the
Lord and living means "the Divine Itself cannot be seen such as it is in itself,
but such as it is through the Lord in heaven" (AC 10579, 3038, 4180:6, 4274:2,
8864:2, 9433, 9946; AE 23:2, 64:3, 96, 135, 151, 1116:3; Ath 118;
D Wis.
3; DLW 234).

     The Lord can never send anyone to hell. This is taught in John: "God did
not send His Son into the world to judge the world but that the world might be
saved through Him" (3:17). In fact, not only do people cast themselves into hell
by their lives here and in actuality when they reach the other world, the Lord
"never sends anyone to hell, but wishes to lead all away from hell" (AC 696, 1857:3,
2335:3, 2258:2, 4663, 7710e, 7877:5; AE 297:2,
328:3,
375:3,
631,
647:2,
907:3,
916;
AR 62;
HD
308; SE 2671; BE 69; TCR 341; see also AC 9313; AE 805:3,
976).

     While the Lord will permit someone to die as to their body, He never kills
anyone. He "never does evil, let alone slays anyone" (AC 592, 9320; AE 696:23). This is
probably the leading teaching and qualifies AC 6807 and SE 5002-03, which can
appear to say that the Lord causes someone's death. The Lord does not cause
death, but only provides for it to serve a higher good. We should be careful
about inadvertently suggesting that the Lord wants someone to die.

     The Lord also, even in our states of failure and evil, cannot be angry
with us.

     But the Lord has no anger whatever, for He is love and mercy itself and
good itself; and pure love and good itself cannot be angry; for this is contrary
to its essence (AE
413:2; AC 245, 357, 588, 1093, 3131:3, 3425:4, 4307:2, 5585:6,
10431, 10618; AE 375:3, 382, 412, 631, 647, 907:3; AR 949:2;
HD
308; HH
545; SE
627; TCR 650).

     He also "never turns His face away from anybody" (AC 223, 588e) nor can He "look upon
him with a stern countenance" (TCR 56).

276




     This is reflected in the Lord's gentle leading of us in the course of
regeneration. He never destroys our false ideas, or ideas derived from
appearances, but carefully leads us to see what is true (AC 1255, 6472:2,
9030).
He never forces us or compels us to think any specific concept, or to take any
specific action (AC 1947, 1937e, 5854:2, 6472:2; SE 1936). This
was beautifully expressed by a voice from heaven which noted, "God is constantly
present, continually striving and acting on the person, and touching his free
will but never forcing it" (TCR 74:3).

     And the Lord's presence with us is limited to what is His own with us:
"the Divine itself cannot dwell elsewhere than in what is Divine from itself'
(AE
749; DP
53; Charity 102). He "cannot be present with a person who
is in an evil love" (AC 10153:4, 1316; AE 388:27, 969:2; SE 4792). Or, put another
way, "He cannot save a person unless he lives in accordance with His laws and
precepts" (AR
527; AE 1189:4; BE 52; Charity 10).

Conclusion

     Statements of negation are a tool of the Word to define limits. They
complement and complete the positive assertions of doctrine, providing a fuller
picture of the landscape of many teachings. Without them we could never be
certain whether the positive statements are merely general teachings which are
usually true, or absolutely true.

     But even in statements of negation one has to depend upon context - both
of the entire doctrine under consideration and for potential qualifiers within
the passage. Statements range from being absolute - always true - to expressions
of hyperbole and conditional teachings.

277


As always, one or two
quotes do not a doctrine make!

     Statements of negation concerning teachings on variety, life being
eternal, or the means necessary for regeneration to occur, and a host more,
contribute uniquely to our understanding of these teachings. And statements like
this about the Lord - His unity, lack of changeableness, and how carefully He
leads us - can infill and increase our sense of trust and affection for Him.
Title Unspecified 2010

Title Unspecified              2010


----------
     We certainly cannot penalize our children for innocently displaying
the tendency to evil of which we as parents are the guilty ones! The Lord
therefore provides that only the "hereditary inclinations" are passed from
parents to children, but that the "actual thoughts and deeds" of the parents are
thereby "kept from ensuing." In other words, any actual evil deed of a parent is
not passed on, only the tendency to it. Thus it is "divinely providing that
corrupt inclinations may be rectified" by the parents in their children. And in
the children, "a capacity for this is also implanted," i.e. an ability to
receive discipline by parents, to correct the tendency passed on by parents to
them. (from future Editorial)

278


USES OF AGING: Part One 2010

USES OF AGING: Part One       Rev. KENNETH J. ALDEN       2010


----------
     Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes
were not dim nor his natural vigor abated. (Deuteronomy 34:7)

     If we could know that we were destined to live to a great old age,
wouldn't we choose to age as did Moses, with our eyes not growing dim, nor our
natural vigor being abated? Relatively few people experience that level of
health clear through to extreme old age, but the Lord has a far greater purpose
for us than superb natural health. Today's sermon is the first of two on the
uses of aging. In it we will look at how the aging process complements the
Lord's purpose for us while we grow old in this world. In the spiritual sense,
Moses' aging pictures the ideal way in which we might mature spiritually as our
bodies grow old. His age of one-hundred-twenty years is comprised of the factors
ten and twelve. The number twelve when used in the Word means all things of
faith and charity-all the goodness and truth belonging to the church. We see
this representation in the Lord's providing for there to be twelve disciples and
twelve tribes of Israel.

     The number ten means a fullness of "remains" or "remnants," as they are
called-those states which are stored up by the Lord in our interiors and remain
with us to eternity (See Arcana Coelestia 575, 577; Apocalypse Revealed 534, 933).

     Moses' one-hundred-twenty years, then, stands for a fullness of all the
goodness and truth of charity and faith remaining with a person as he makes the
transition from earth to heaven. The fact that Moses' eyes did not grow dim
pictures a natural mind which perfectly corresponds to a person's rational mind.
Such a natural mind is enlightened by the light of heaven which flows into the
rational mind. The rational mind, meanwhile, can see into the corresponding
natural mind, and find an image of itself there (Cf. Arcana Coelestia 3493).


279




     The Heavenly Doctrine does not explain the spiritual meaning of Moses'
natural vigor remaining unabated. Still, we can surmise that it has to do with a
natural mind which is both strong, because it images and confirms the things of
our rational or spiritual mind, and flexible, teachable, and innocent because it
is willing to do those things which the rational mind dictates (See Spiritual Experiences
546; True Christian Religion 443).

     Very different is the state of a person who becomes set in their bad
habits and evil desires. Although Moses himself was not allowed to enter the
Land of Canaan, his successor, Joshua, was. The good qualities which Moses
represented are carried on in the representation of Joshua (See Arcana Coelestia
6302e, 8595:2, 10557).

     Those qualities are represented as entering into a state of regeneration
or of heaven as pictured by Joshua's entrance into Canaan. (Cf. Arcana Coelestia
8657e) The way in which Moses grew old, then, can indeed picture the
ideal way in which we can develop as our bodies age. At his death, he pictures a
person who has all states of good and truth stored up and remaining in him, and
whose natural mind corresponds to his rational mind and is enlightened from it
and willing to do whatever it directs it to.

     Just as there is variety in the way in which people grow old and die, so
there is much variety in the way they develop spiritually through the period of
old age. Some will remain in spiritual vigor, as represented in Moses' state.
Others will face the spiritual desolation of the trials called, "temptations,"
in which they seem to be deprived of truths.

     In both these cases, a place in heaven is the end result, after a shorter
or longer period of preparation in the world of spirits (See Arcana Coelestia
5376:2, Heaven and Hell 491, 498).

280


We simply cannot
judge another person's spiritual state based on how easily he seems to deal with
aging. Although we cannot judge another person's spiritual state, we can know
the use of the aging process in general.

     It is the same as the use of all life in the natural world. The angelic
view is that "...human life, from infancy to old age, is nothing else than a
progression from the world to heaven; and the last age, which is death, is the
transition itself' (Arcana Coelestia 3016). The angels think of people
successively putting off what is human and putting on what is heavenly (See
Arcana Coelestia
3016). Must not this be the use of aging: to put off what is merely
human, and put on what is heavenly?

     It is to put off the lusts and desires which have self and the world as
the end they serve, and put on the affections of heaven which look to goodness
and truth which combine in looking to eternal ends. The Heavenly Doctrine says
that this state of putting off the lusts of the world and putting on the
affections of heaven, begins immediately after birth. It says it continues right
up to the last of life in this world, while the state of conjoining good with
truth continues on afterwards to eternity (See Arcana Coelestia 4063:3, 3308:e). For each
change that we are able to observe in a person's outward mind or body, thousands
of spiritual changes are taking place-changes in the state of will and
understanding changes-which are part of the progression from earth to heaven
(See Conjugial Love
185). Aging is part of the progression from earth to heaven. It is a
necessary part, for our natural bodies are simply unable to serve usefully to
eternity. In fact, our natural bodies begin aspects of their decline in our late
teens and early twenties. But right about this same time, in the Lord's
providence, we come into the full use of our rational mind and begin to take
responsibility for our spiritual development. If we view all of life as a
progression from earth to heaven, we can see that the aging process serves a
useful role in putting off the things of this world as we are putting on the
things of heaven.

281




     Even the sickness and disease which so often accompany old age, can be
viewed as useful ingredients in this process. "Dying," when mentioned in the
Word, means regeneration, and "being sick," means what is progressive towards
regeneration. This is because the angels know only of the continuation of life
and of regeneration. They can think only of the putting off of what had been of
use in the world, and of entering into the life of the spirit (See Arcana Coelestia
6221). We, too, can share in this view.

     Arcana Coelestia says: "The person who, while living in the body, is
desirous of heaven thinks of death and of sickness previous to it as nothing
else than resurrection to life. For when he thinks about heaven he detaches
himself from thought of the body, especially when he is sick and approaching
death" (Arcana
Coelestia 6221).

     The very process of putting off of the things of the body, then, can turn
our minds to heavenly things. With those who refuse to allow the Lord to
regenerate them, we can imagine that their attitude toward aging and sickness
will be very different. Instead of turning to heavenly things, they may cling to
that which is being put off. In fact, the aged, diseased condition of their
bodies would come to correspond with their worldly-directed state of their mind.
In spiritual things they would be feeble, diseased, and controlled by others,
namely, by the evil spirits who enslave them (Cp. Arcana Coelestia 9212:8,
10087:3). For those who are being regenerated by the
Lord, however, the Lord is storing up many states of good and truth-states which
are part of their progression to heaven. We read in Arcana Coelestia, "The Lord
so preserves all of those states [of good and truth] with the individual that
not even the least of them perishes....Every one of man's states from his
infancy right through extreme old age not only carries over into the next life
but also reappears....

282


Thus not only are goods and truths in the
memory carried over, but also all states of innocence and charity" (Arcana Coelestia
561).

     Thus we see that progress to heaven continues without interruption right
to the end of life in this world. We might especially note the inclusion of
states of innocence among those being stored up, for elsewhere in the Heavenly
Doctrine it says that the states of innocence in infancy return in the time of
old age-but then as states of the innocence of wisdom (See Arcana Coelestia 10225:6-
7). When viewing the aging process in others�and even the diseases
associated with old age-we can choose to focus our attention on the essential
person, or on their declining natural body and memory.

     It is important then, to look to their spiritual strengths as they
progress toward heaven, and not dwell excessively on the decline of their body.
If disease has made it difficult for their spiritual strengths to show, we can
remember them in their state of health, and know that the Lord is continuing
their progress to heaven, unseen by us. When viewing the aging process in
ourselves, it is also important to look to essential things to those qualities
we have from the Lord. Because we can't help but identify ourselves with the
state of our natural body to some extent, when we arrive in the world of spirits
those who die old will at first appear in an old body before gradually growing
younger (See Heaven
and Hell 330).

     But let's not focus on the decline in our bodies. Instead of bemoaning the
waning power of our senses, let us cultivate and rejoice in the growing power of
our spiritual senses-our perception. That perception shows the things we have
from ourselves to be as nothing compared to the Lord. This type of perception,
in fact, is key to the wisdom of old age.

283


Instead of lamenting
our declining natural memory which will not serve us in the next life anyway, we
can enhance and focus on the best of our spiritual memory-the memory written on
our hearts by doing the good and true things the Lord has taught. With the
knowledge that we have of the Heavenly Doctrines, we can choose an angelic view
of the aging process.

     We read, "Angels have no perception at all of old age, indeed they do not
know what old age is, for they are constantly verging toward the life of early
manhood and youth" (Arcana Coelestia 1854). This is the truth about aging
and old age! So long as we are following the Lord, we are actually growing
toward our ideal state of youthfulness. In today's sermon we have seen the use
that aging performs for the person who is progressing from earth to heaven.

     In next week's sermon we will look at the uses a person can perform for
others as advancing age takes from them their life's work. We began today's
sermon with the thought that Moses' one-hundred-twenty years stands for a
fullness of all the goodness and truth of charity and faith remaining with a
person as he makes the transition from earth to heaven. Indeed, to have a person
lay up such a treasure in heaven is the purpose the Lord has for our life on
earth. The Lord tells us to not lay up for ourselves treasure on earth, not only
because it decays or may be stolen, but because it has no use in the world where
spiritual principles reign. Because of this, the natural world is not to be our
eternal home. So the Lord allows it to decline in our lives at the same time
that He is building up in us the kingdom of heaven. As we cooperate with the
Lord by seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, our natural
minds will come to correspond to our spiritual minds. They will be filled with
all states of good and truth represented by Moses' great age, and will gain from
the spiritual-rational mind the spiritual understanding and strength pictured by
Moses' eyesight and strength. Our natural body, of course, will no more enter
heaven than Moses entered the Land of Canaan.

284


But our spirits
will enter heaven as surely as Moses' successor, Joshua, crossed into the
Promised Land. By following the Lord right to the end of life in this world,
spiritually we will age as Moses did naturally: "Moses was one hundred and
twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor
abated" (Deuteronomy 34:7). Amen.

Lessons: Genesis
18:1-15; Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Joshua 1:1-5; Arcana Coelestia 3492-3493.

     (Part 1. Preached as sermons April, 2010 in Boynton Beach, FL)
Come to Camp Laurel 2010

Come to Camp Laurel              2010


----------
     Register Now

     To our Laurel Camp Community: Registration for the

     2010 Camp is now open. Please go to the Register

     Page of our Laurel Camp website at www.

     laurelcamp.org/register.html. Download the PDF

     Registration form and mail in your deposit. While you're; : on the
register page, please fill out the Contact form to

     update your contact information. We look forward to

     seeing you in camp this summer!

     WEEK 1: JULY 25-JULY 31, 2010
     WEEK 2: AUGUST 1-AUGUST 7, 2010

285


DECLARATIONS OF FAITH AND PURPOSE 2010

DECLARATIONS OF FAITH AND PURPOSE       Various       2010


----------
     Four new priests have been inaugurated, and will head out to serve
the General Church uses.

GUILLAUME ANATO

     I believe in one God, in whom is a Divine trinity, and the Lord God the
Savior Jesus Christ is that one.

     I believe that Saving faith is to believe in Him.

     I believe that evil actions should not be done, because they are of the
devil and from the devil.

     I believe that good actions should be done, because they are of God and
from God.

     I believe that these should be done by man as if by himself; but it should
be believed that they are done by the Lord in man and through man.

     I believe that the Lord led me into the priesthood that I may minister to
those who are spiritually hungry, thirsty, naked, sick and captive.

     In presenting myself for ordination into the priesthood I pray for Divine
protection and leading.

     O Lord Jesus Christ, You are my God. Please, help me to be a faithful
servant in Your vineyard. Help me to be there for Your people. Help me in this
holy work.

RONALD SCHNARR

     I accept The Faith Of The New Heaven And Of The New Church.

     I believe that without the Lord's coming into the world no one could have
been saved who is saved. And that it is the same today; and therefore without
the Lord's coming again into the world in Divine truth, which is the Word, no
one can be saved.

286


I believe in the 5 particulars of the faith
of the new heaven and of the new church.

     1. I believe that God is one, in whom is a Divine trinity, and the Lord
God the Savior Jesus Christ is that one.

     2. I believe that saving faith is to believe in Him.

     3. I believe that evils should not be done, because they are of the devil
and from the devil.

     4. I believe that goods should be done, because they are of God and from
God.

     5. And I believe that these should be done by a person as if by
themselves; but it should be believed that they are done by the Lord in a person
and through a person.

     This faith is the faith of the New Heaven and of the New Church.

     Lord I pray that I might be a humble and loving servant, and follow your
leading wherever you take me. I pray that You might bless people through my
ministry, and help me to bind up the broken and heal the sick. Lord I pray that
Your Kingdom come into this world and be established in all the earth. .

BRIAN SMITH

     I believe that The Lord is perpetually present with every person, with the
evil as well as the good. I believe that He makes His coming to those who
believe in Him and keep His commandments. I believe that it is His presence with
us that gives us the ability to think and to will and to become spiritual beings
(True Christian
Religion 774).

     In the spirit of Psalm 100 I pray that all the lands will make a joyful
shout to the LORD, I hope to serve the LORD with gladness; and come before His
presence with singing. I seek to teach His people to know that the LORD, He is
God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the
sheep of His pasture.

287


I hope to lead people to enter into His
gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise, to be thankful to Him,
and bless His name. This work is possible because the LORD is good; His mercy is
everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

     Create for me, God, a clean heart, and make new a steadfast spirit within
me. Psalm
51:10

MALCOLM SMITH

     I believe in the Lord-Jesus Christ-the Savior of the world. He is my Lord
and my God. He is God with us-the infinite and Divine made visible-Jehovah and
Jesus-the Word made flesh who dwelt among us.

     I believe that He came into the world to subdue the hells and to glorify
His Human and that without this no mortal could have been saved, and all people
who believe in God and live according to what He teaches are saved.

     I believe that the Lord teaches people most clearly and completely in the
Old Testament, the New Testament, and the heavenly teachings of the New Church.
I believe that the first and great commandment is to love the Lord your God with
all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And the second is
like it: to love your neighbor as yourself. And that on these two commandments
hang all the Law and the Prophets. I believe that the Lord has shown us what is
good and what He requires of us: to first shun evils as sins against Him that we
may do judgment, love mercy, and humble ourselves to walk with our God.

     I believe that, of ourselves, we are poor, broken, imprisoned, blind, and
oppressed.

288


I believe that the Lord is present with each person,
urging and pressing to be received. And that He has come to preach the gospel to
the poor; to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and
recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; and
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

     I believe that good priests teach truths and lead people by means of them
to the good of life and so to the Lord. I pray that I may cooperate with the
Lord in this work and be a good shepherd of His sheep.

     That is how parental discipline is effective: as a "result from this
capacity ...[there is] an ability and power in people to mend their habits"
(Conjugial Love
202). The parents promise before the Lord at infant Baptisms to
undertake this discipline "until they come of age..." That means that parents
are called on first to cast out their own evil, that is repent of the "source"
of the heredity they have given to their children, even as the "beam in the eye"
is cast out the more rationally to be able to discipline or remove the "mote" or
relatively harmless tendency to the same evil, from their child's eye. Parents
benefit from taking the holy supper in fulfilling their vow to discipline their
children at their baptism. The two sacraments are linked. (from future
Editorial)

289




[Photograph of newly ordained priests.]

     Bishop Kline with the newly inaugurated priests: (left to right): Malcolm
Smith, Guillaume Anato, Ronald Schnarr, Brian Smith, Bishop Kline

[Photograph of Revs. James Barry and Thane Glenn.]

     Rev. James Barry (left) and the Rev. Thane Glenn (right) were ordained
into the Pastoral Degree.

290


MEMORIAL SERVICE ADDRESS FOR THERT. REV. LOUIS B. KING 2010

MEMORIAL SERVICE ADDRESS FOR THERT. REV. LOUIS B. KING       Rev. THOMAS L. KLINE       2010


-----------
     "It is well known, that, in order that anything may be perfect,
there must be a trine in just order, one under another, and a communication
between, and that this trine must make a one, not unlike a pillar: at the top of
which is the capital, under this the smooth shaft, and under this again the
pedestal. Such a trine is man: his highest part is the head, his middle part is
the body, and his lowest the feet and soles. In this respect...in the Church,
there must be a bishop, pastors and teaching priests" (Coronis 17).

     We are gathered here today to remember our beloved friend, Louis Blair
King. Louis dedicated his life to the cause of the New Church, the study of the
Heavenly Doctrines, New Church Education, and the organization known as the
General Church of the New Jerusalem. He served as a pastor for over twenty years
and assistant and Executive Bishop for eighteen years.

     If we are to remember Louis, we can see his true life through the
doctrines he loved. For the Heavenly Doctrines were his life and they entered
into everything he did.

     Foremost for Louis was the doctrine of the Lord. To Louis, the concept of
the Divine Human - a term he often used - was an expression of a real and living
relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ now immediately present with us. The
Divine Human, the Lord appearing before us in such a way that we can now behold
His infinite nature dwelling with us, even down to the natural degree.

     Louis loved to teach about the Lord: teaching little children, teaching in
worship services, teaching through his classes and studies. His love of the Lord
led to Louis's devotion to the study and teaching of the Arcana Coelestia,
something that filled his ministry.

291


On a personal level, every
day, Louis and Freya would begin by reading the Arcana Coelestia together. The
unity brought about by beholding the Lord Jesus Christ was a unity Louis sought
to bring into the thought of the church as a whole.

     Other doctrines that touched Louis' life: Influx is according to efflux.
For Louis, what this translated into was the life statement: You have to say
"yes" to the things you are called to do. And by saying "yes" on the natural
level, the Lord will flow from within.

     Another doctrine: The power of the letter of the Word. Louis loved the
fact that the simple stories of the patriarchs of the Old Testament contained
the most magnificent truths about the Lord's glorification and our own personal
regeneration.

     Another was the doctrine of correspondences and representations. Louis
loved the power of illustrating the truths of heaven through pageants and
physical representations. For Louis, a 19th of June pageant or a Christmas
tableaux was an opportunity to bring the creativity of the whole community
together in a sphere of worship dedicated to the Lord. Each year he and his
children would build a representation of the Christmas story in their house,
sometimes taking over many rooms of their house, as a way of reverently being
able to see and touch the Lord in living correspondences.

     A doctrine Louis championed was "self-compulsion". Louis lived this
concept, using the model of his own self compulsion as an example for his
children. Get up and do something, whether it be sweeping the floors, cleaning
up, or shunning evils. He taught that self-compulsion is the freest state of
mind we can experience, but that it doesn't often feel so free. Self-compulsion
is the way the Lord gently leads us toward happiness.

     Imagine a little boy of two, living on a ranch on the farmland of
Colorado, playing with real cowboys, the baby of the family, with four much
older siblings. This happy two-year-old in the hills of Colorado would later
become bishop of the church.

292


Louis' father died when he was two
and a half years old and the family returned to their home in Glenview. He went
through the elementary school at Glenview and the Academy high school. In his
senior year Louis was drafted into the Army but received a medical discharge six
months later. Returning home he enrolled in the Wharton Business School, but the
call to the ministry beckoned.

     But there was another doctrine of the New Church that changed Louis' life,
and this was the doctrine of conjugial love.

     Freya and Louis were a beautiful model of conjugial love to their family
and to the church through the genuineness of their looking to the Lord together.
They first met when they were in the sixth grade. They were both playing
together in a soccer game. Louis, visiting from Glenview, was half her size, and
yet he immediately fell in love with the beautiful Freya. According to Frat, "It
was only later in high school when I was tall enough to look her in the eye that
she accepted me."

     In high school, Freya was the Social Representative, and part of her job
was to discourage students from going steady with each other. So, much to Louis'
distress, she dated other boys out of a sense of duty to her job. But true love
prevailed and they were married when they graduated from high school. Freya
supported Louis through college and theological school, and then together they
formed the team that served the Church for the rest of their lives.

     When Freya passed away six years ago, Louis related the story: "Never will
I forget looking down the hillside in Zulu Impaphala in South Africa and
watching a jazzy curving line of children dancing up towards the thatched
Church. They were chanting to drum beats and laughing. And there was Freya in
the middle of the line, in high heels, red dress, and dangling earrings keeping
in beat with swiveling hips. And the children called out, 'Look! Bishop Queen
can dance!'" (He was Bishop King, she was Bishop Queen!).

293




     Louis was ordained in 1951, and part of his education in Theological
School was teaching in the high school. This was the beginning of his commitment
to primary and secondary education in all of his work. He served as pastor to
the Sharon church, the Pittsburgh Society, the Glenview Society, extending the
school to the tenth grade there, the Assistant Bishop and Dean of the Bryn Athyn
Society, Executive Vice President of the Academy of the New Church, and then
became the Executive Bishop in 1976. Even in retirement Louis and Freya serve
the Church by serving congregations in the West and also a reaching out to a
whole new generation of young people throughout the Church.

     Louis had a special way of touching people's lives. How many people here
today have been served by Louis, as their pastor, as their teacher, as the
priest that performed their wedding, as the minister that baptized their
children or the counselor in their lives?

     At a recent family gathering the following words were given to remember
Louis. This is Louis' children and grandchildren speaking: Louis and mom
together - Fishing with dad. - His love of nature, plants, wildflowers - Louis
singing old songs on his uke (ukulele) - Caring for his rose garden - The Arcana
classes - Designing and building homes and decks - Telling stories and weaving
tales - His humor - His humility - Jade and cactus plants - Fishing with the
great grandchildren, using simple pole sticks - Holding babies - Physical labor
- Sports, like baseball - Early rising with Freya - His love of cleanliness and
order - His love of the sun - Soaking the lawn at night to get the night
crawlers to come out in the morning - Sitting in a rocking chair - Playing the
violin - Biking with mom - Early morning swimming.

     In the last moments of Louis' life his family gathered around his bed. It
was very early in the morning and it was getting lighter.

294


The
family knew that he would soon be taking his last breath. They had a time of
prayer, worship and songs. As his heart stopped they looked out the window of
his bedroom and in the sycamore tree was a rustling of the branches. A large
blue heron had landed and its feet came onto the branch of the sycamore. The
heron looked down into the room. It then looked the other way and then took off
gracefully flying down the valley and out of sight.

     We read in the Heavenly Doctrines: "Those who have lived in love truly
conjugial ...were united as to souls and thence as to minds, and this union,
being spiritual, is an actual adjunction of the soul and the mind of the one to
the soul and mind of the other, which can never be dissolved ...(And) partners
thus united in marriage think and breathe what is eternal, and upon this idea is
founded their eternal happiness ...(so) they are no more two but one person,
that is, one flesh....Such a union cannot be ended by the death of either
partner...These two are not separated by the death of one, since the spirit of
the deceased partner dwells continually with the spirit of the one not yet
deceased, and this until the death of the latter, when they meet again and
reunite and love each other more tenderly than before, because in the spiritual
world" (Conjugial
Love 321).

     Louis and Freya are together now. Together they will continue to serve the
church as they have on earth. The new heaven is stronger today. Let us be glad
and rejoice at their reuniting. Well done, good and faithful servants.

[Photograph of Bishop King.]

295


COMMUNICATIONS 2010

COMMUNICATIONS       Various       2010


----------
To the Editor:

     There have been at least two studies dealing with the subject of
impatience published in New Church Life since the beginning of the 20th century.
Of these the first one, which appeared in June 1907, was written by Bishop W. F.
Pendleton and was widely distributed in subsequent years. Members of the armed
services in both world wars received copies, reportedly "because of many
requests for it". The second article was written by Rev. Kenneth J. Alden as
recently as January of this year. It is entitled A Peek at the Future, and is no
less effective in dealing with the evil of impatience.

     Bishop Pendleton declares that this evil "is one of the most grievous
evils of human life." He defines it "to be anger at opposition" and explains
that it "has stored within it the love of dominion." There are of course many
other warnings in this address, as well as encouragement for us to follow the
"Divine example" so that we may be "released from the dominion of malicious
spirits."

     Rev. Alden refers to the "Divine example" much earlier in his article when
he describes the wonders of the Lord's patience. Then comes a notable
observation which exposes the futility of our impatience with church growth. "If
the Lord could wait hundreds of millions, even billions of years, while He
prepared the earth for human habitation, we have no way of telling how long He
is willing to wait for the New Church to reach that state when it may be among
many."

     Sincerely, Keith Morley
     Toronto, Canada

296




     A reply to "A Brief History of Urbana University" (May 2010, pp. 191-195)

     The publication of the article "A Brief History of Urbana University" is
to me very disappointing. This kind of article has been used for two or three
years now in an attempt to divert attention from the very appropriate comparison
between what happened to Urbana and what is taking place at the Academy of the
New Church. Its claim that "comparisons to the Academy are specious" is at least
misinformed if not simply disingenuous. Much of the secularization of Urbana
occurred during the first half of the twentieth century. Mr. Brecht mentions
this period only once - in connection with the DuPont bequest. One must ask, why
dwell primarily on happenings in the last half of the 19th century and ignore
the relevant period?

     My source of information about Urbana is Chapter 4 of A History of New
Church Education by Professor Richard R. Gladish (1968). The steps taken by
Urbana followed a known pattern of secularization and have frightening parallels
to what is happening at the Academy (not to mention what has happened to other
religious institutions). While gradually taking place over an extended period of
time, this pattern always includes protestations that it is not what is really
happening. What is specious, I believe, is the argument that the steps being
taken are necessary for the survival of the Academy when, in fact, they will
lead to its demise in spirit if not in fact. What good is it if Bryn Athyn
College becomes Bryn Athyn University on a par with, say, Princeton, if the
connection with the Writings becomes only a quaint relic of its history? What
good is it to sustain the enterprise, but not sustain the use? But that is what
will happen if the current process continues as can be plainly seen by a
complete study of Urbana.

     Sincerely, Quentin Daryl Hyatt,
     Derwood, Maryland

297




     A reply to "The Origin of Life" (January 2010, pp. 13-16)

     Thank you, the Rev. Olaf Hauptmann, I really appreciated the article you
wrote on "The Origin of Life". It was such a breath of fresh air to have the
falsities of Darwin's theory of Evolution exposed in clear light. Those theories
have been taught as fact for far too long. The unquestioning acceptance of
Darwin's theories have done much damage! For example the "survival of the
fittest" idea has given many people the feeling that it is permissible to push
others down and walk on them in the pursuit of one's own agenda, because after
all, it's a "dog-eat-dog" world, and it is the way of all nature that only the
fittest, most aggressive will survive, and that might as well be "me"! This idea
is not only cruel and selfish, but it also ignores the many instances of
mutually helpful relationships between different species, which could just as
easily be set as models of behavior.

     The idea of "evolution by natural selection" (or chance) leads to a denial
of the Lord as our Loving and Wise Creator, and the Creator of all life. How
many children (and adults) have had their innocent and trusting belief in the
Lord undermined or even destroyed by this falsity? As the Rev. Hauptmann pointed
out, Darwin did not want to believe that the Lord God was the Creator (see page
14 of his article).

     I wonder if Darwin's false ideas and speculations didn't have a lot do to
with the prevalence and the strengthening of "naturalism" which also has done
enormous damage in causing many people to choose to adopt that attitude
(naturalism) that leads to an eternity in hell.

     Thank you Rev. Hauptmann, for setting the matter straight!

     Sincerely, Mrs. Lavina Scott

     Alberta, Canada.

298


Prepare for the next Journey Program with the Spiritual GrowthCampaign Training Kit 2010

Prepare for the next Journey Program with the Spiritual GrowthCampaign Training Kit              2010


----------
     The Spiritual Growth Campaign Training Kit provides instruction for
developing and implementing a Journey Program.

     The Kit includes:

     -     3 instructional DVDs with presentations by Outreach Staff, Pastors,
and guest speakers, as well as inspirational testimonies and success stories
from past participants and Campaign leaders from around the world

     -     2 customizable training event agendas (1 full-day or 2 evening
sessions)

     -     Basic Training Manual that reinforces the curriculum on the DVDs

     -     Resource CD with index

     -     Small Group Leader training agenda and materials

     The Kit is ready for purchase through the New Church Bookstore Online.

     Use the Kit to share the Campaign vision with your entire leadership team,
key stakeholder in your congregation and volunteers.

     Provide dedicated training to your Small Group Leaders. Develop a plan for
enrolling people in your Campaign.

     Hear how the Journey Program has opened the door to real life change for
individuals and congregations.

     To order your copy of the Spiritual Growth Campaign Training Kit go to
http://store.newchurch.org, or follow this link directly to the order form.

     If you have questions about the Spiritual Growth Campaign Training Kit or
about the upcoming Journey Program, Pause: Make Space for God, please contact
[email protected].

299


COMMUNICATIONS 2010

COMMUNICATIONS       Various       2010


----------
     A reply to "An Abridged Presentation of Swedenborg's Arcana
Coelestia" (April
2010, pp. 161-166)

     I have just been reading Willard Mansfield's article in New Church Life, April
2010, which raises a number of questions in my mind even while
leaving me confused as to what he is actually doing. Perhaps I could raise the
problems I am having through NCL so that hopefully they can be cleared up for me
and for any other readers who may have similar questions.

     Willard points out that there is a continuous internal sense in the Word.
However, it seems to me that he is also suggesting that the internal sense is
not apparently continuous but has to be linked and it is this linking which is
what his work is all about. In effect then, the internal sense is not
continuous. Assuming that the continuous internal sense is, as he seems to
suggest, actually separated by discontinuities, then surely those parts of the
Writings which form the discontinuities cannot be part of the Word and should be
omitted from the Writings? Can part of the Arcana Coelestia be the internal
sense while part of it is not?

     If the Writings are the Word then I would have thought that it would have
a continuous internal sense without any discontinuities, the only
discontinuities being our own failure to understand. In this respect, Swedenborg
asserts that all of what he wrote is from the Lord and my understanding is that
the General Church believes that the Writings are holy and the Word.

     Another point I would raise is this. Since the internal sense is the
spiritual sense within the sense of the letter (see # 4 of the Doctrine of the
New Jerusalem Concerning the Sacred Scripture), I would not have thought that
the internal sense could be laid bare in the letter of the Writings or the Bible
for anyone to see, whether they be good or evil, regenerate or unregenerate.
Surely the internal sense is something we only come into to the extent that we
regenerate and only fully when we are spiritual?

300


I question
whether an evil or unregenerate person can see the internal sense. In this
regard, I note number 26 of the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Concerning the
Sacred Scripture which states "That the spiritual sense of the Word is not given
to anyone hereafter unless to him who is genuine truths from the Lord. The cause
is that no-one can see the spiritual sense, unless from the Lord alone, and
unless he is in genuine truths from Him. For the spiritual sense of the Word
treats concerning the Lord alone and concerning His Kingdom, and this is the
sense in which are His angels in heaven." In #9 of this work it is stated that
"the spiritual sense is in all things of the Word and in every single particular
of it," while #5 states "the spiritual sense of the Word is not that sense which
shines forth from the sense of the letter while one is studying the Word....This
is the literal sense of the Word....The spiritual sense does not appear in the
sense of the letter, being within it as the soul in the body."

     I note that Willard has stated in his article that he does not concern
himself with the literal sense, which brings to mind two further points. The
first is that my understanding has always been that the literal sense is the
letter of the Word, i.e., the actual words on the page, a definition which
applies to both the Bible and the Writings, then there is the sense of the
letter, which basically is what we, whatever our spiritual state, come to see
but in the natural, and that within that there is the internal sense which is
spiritual and which we only see to the extent that we ourselves are spiritual.
My understanding is that although the internal sense is essentially the Lord,
what we see of it is a personal perception from our own state of regeneration
which may or may not be seen by others as their states may well be different.


301




     The second point is that Willard goes on to say that he does not consider
relevant the correspondence between the literal sense and the internal sense. I
would be interested to learn whether or not in coming to this conclusion he
considered the statement in #9 of the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Concerning
the Sacred Scripture which states that "no-one can know the spiritual sense
except by correspondences."

     Yours sincerely,

     Barrie R. D. Ridgway
     Canberra, Australia.

Editor's Note: The General Church takes the Writings to constitute the internal
or spiritual sense of the Word of Sacred Scripture which text alone is holy (see
S.S. 25,
26,
De Verbo
21); and thus the Writings are the Word of Heavenly Doctrine
(NJHD
7), while in natural language its contents still heavenly
(De Verbo
6).

302


Eagle Pearl Press www.eaglepearlpress.com 2010

Eagle Pearl Press www.eaglepearlpress.com              2010


-----------
     A new publisher of classic and modern Swedenborg-related books     

     Classics

     N.C. Burnham: Discrete Degrees in Successive and Simultaneous Order, with
new color diagrams, pp 134., $29.75.

     John Clowes: The Parables of Jesus Christ Explained, pp 250, $19.50.

     John Clowes: The Miracles of Jesus Christ, pp 224, $15.00. Samuel
Noble: An Appeal etc., pp 496, $25.00.
     A. Payne: Deuteronomy, pp 256, $19.50.

     Modern Books

     Leon James: A Man of the Field, Volume 1: The Struggle Against Nonduality
and Materialism, pp
404, $29.50.

     This book in three volumes is about regeneration, which is the conscious
discipline of character change based on the scientific principles revealed in
the Writings of Swedenborg. Volumes 2 and 3 will be published later in 2010.

     All prices are exclusive of standard shipping and handling costs by
Amazon.

     Order at EaglePearlPress.com or at Amazon.com.

303


ORDINATIONS, SECOND DEGREE 2010

ORDINATIONS, SECOND DEGREE              2010


----------

     Announcements
     Barry, James Headsten-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, June 6, 2010, Rt.
Rev. Thomas L. Kline officiating.

     Glenn, Thane Powell-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, June 6, 2010, Rt. Rev.
Thomas L. Kline officiating.

     Lumsden, Derrick Alan Mark-At Westville, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, May
16, 2010, Rt. Rev. Brian W. Keith officiating.
ORDINATIONS, FIRST DEGREE 2010

ORDINATIONS, FIRST DEGREE              2010

     Anato, Guillaume Joseph Kuassivi-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, May
30, 2010, Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Kline officiating.

     Schnarr, Ronald Doering-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, May 30, 2010, Rt.
Rev. Thomas L. Kline officiating.

     Smith, Brian Donald-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, May 30, 2010, Rt. Rev.
Thomas L. Kline officiating.

     Smith, Malcolm Glenn-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, May 30, 2010, Rt. Rev.
Thomas L. Kline officiating.
Notes on This Issue 2010

Notes on This Issue       Editor       2010


----------
     SURVEY - Please note the survey in this issue. Thank you!

     We note here Bishop Louis B. King's historical contribution to the General
Church, and honor his inspired promotion of the New Church in the hearts of so
many. His memorial service by Bishop Kline was printed in the previous issue.

     Rev. Kenneth Alden's "The Uses of Old Age" (part 2, part 1 was previous
issue) asks what use are all the accumulated skills of retired folks now? The
humbling answer has to do with the Lord's heavenly kingdom.

     The Rev. Robert Cooper's sudden passing into the Spiritual World has
saddened all of us. His Cathedral Memorial Service by Rev. Dr. Andy Dibb led by
Bishop Kline, includes a section used earlier by the Rev. Garry Walsh with Rev.
Julian Duckworth in Hurstville, Australia. Robert's strong commitment to the
Heavenly Doctrines will continue having an impact.

     We welcome many new priests from Africa, whose Declarations of Faith and
Purpose can be found in this issue.

     All round the world agnostics have their say. Tom Fiedler asks how free
are we to express our religious convictions, our faith? Do other nations protect
religious freedom?

     Richard Linguist reflects on how the Writings have prophesied some modern
scientific observations, such as DNA!

     Letters to the Editor continue discussions by Rev. Hauptmann and by Mrs.
Julie Conaron on evolution and creation.

     Did you know Swedenborg's young brother was in America? Or that their
father, Bishop Svedberg, supervised New Sweden on the Delaware? Rev. Robert Cole
makes some interesting facts known about this, with more details in a Note.

     Erratum: In the July-August issue, page 288, an Editorial extract was
mistakenly inserted right after the Declaration of Faith by Rev. Malcolm Smith.
There should be a gap and border between the last two paragraphs. Apologies to
Malcolm Smith and to our readers. Editor

311


Rt. Rev. Louis B. King 2010

Rt. Rev. Louis B. King       Editor       2010


----------
     [Photograph of Rt. Rev. Louis B. King.]

     Born on the last day of 1925, Bishop King passed into the spiritual world
on June 21, 2010. He was inaugurated into the priesthood in 1951, ordained as
Pastor in 1953 and into the Episcopal degree in 1972. He began as visiting
minister in 1951 and as resident minister in 1952, to the Sharon Church in
Chicago. He became Pastor of Pittsburgh Society in 1955, Pastor of the Immanuel
Church in Glenview in 1963, Assistant Bishop of the General Church in 1973 and
Executive Bishop in 1976. He retired in 1991 but continued to visit everywhere,
especially promoting the growth of the New Church in the Philippines. Louis and
Freya were warmly loved and welcomed everywhere he served and traveled.


312


USES IN OLD AGE (PART 2 OF 2) 2010

USES IN OLD AGE (PART 2 OF 2)       Rev. KENNETH J. ALDEN       2010


----------
     A SERMON

     And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him
to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. (Luke 2:38)

     When the process of aging overtakes a person's body, how should they spend
their last years? In Anna's case, this widow for eighty-four years "did not
depart from the temple but served with fasting and prayers night and day"
(Luke
2:37). She is not here serving as an example for all to follow
literally, for being a widow for so long and in those times, it is quite
possible that begging was her only means of support.

     Imagine if every senior citizen lived at the temple as she did! Aging
often presents disabilities that drastically change people's ability to
function. Think of Isaac in his old age. His blindness made him very dependent
on his wife and sons, and he was easily deceived and tricked into giving to
Jacob the blessing he had intended for Esau (See Genesis 27). Or picture king
David who had been Israel's hero as a warrior. As he approached the age of
seventy he could not even maintain his own body heat (See 1 Kings 1:1-2). As
his son Adonijah began to make a bid for the throne, it was clear that David did
not have complete control of his kingdom (See 1 Kings 1:5ff.).

     Few people today, maintain the strength, good eyesight, and leadership
capability that someone like Moses enjoyed at age 120. Changes in stamina,
mental agility or retirement expectations often force people out of the uses
they have performed daily for most of their adult life. Those who know that the
Heavenly Doctrine teaches that charity is primarily practiced when a person does
the work of their calling sincerely, and faithfully (See True Christian Religion
422) may wonder how they are to practice charity when no longer
employed in their field of expertise.

313


What good is their skill-
set and experience which are now falling into disuse and, as it were rusting and
being eaten by moths?

     What good are they? In our sermon last week we heard the teaching of the
Heavenly Doctrine that "...human life, from infancy to old age, is nothing else
than a progression from the world to heaven" (Arcana Coelestia 3016). We also read
where Arcana Coelestia says, "Every one of man's states from his infancy right
through extreme old age not only carries over into the next life but also
reappears ....Thus not only are goods and truths in the memory carried over, but
also all states of innocence and charity" (Arcana Coelestia 561).

     If the Lord is using our life on earth as a progression to heaven, and if
every one of our states carries over into heaven, including all states of
innocence and charity, we can picture the Lord using each successive state to
build on the ones before. Where we may see decline in usefulness as our natural
bodies degenerate, the Lord is undoubtedly providing for and seeing an increase,
not only in our potential for usefulness, but in our actual usefulness as our
progress toward heaven approaches that goal. The Lord's kingdom, after all, is a
kingdom of uses.

     How can we be progressing to that kingdom without also progressing to the
uses that belong to that kingdom? The fact that we are in a natural body in the
natural world hinders our ability to see that progression, for the Lord said,
"the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). So He also said, "the kingdom
of God does not come with observation" (Luke 17:20). The same must be true of many
of the uses we perform as we prepare for and progress to that kingdom.

     To gain perspective on the uses of the Lord's heavenly kingdom toward
which we are progressing, consider what we read in our lesson from Arcana
Coelestia. It said that performing useful services during a person's life in the
world "lie in a proper fulfillment of his function by each person, whatever his
own position, that is, in serving his country, its communities, and his neighbor
with all his heart.

314


They also lie in honest dealings with
fellow human beings and in the diligent discharge of duties, with full regard
for each person's character" (Arcana Coelestia 7038).

     Here we see two components of useful service: a. Fulfilling one's function
in whatever position; b. And doing so with all one's heart with honesty,
diligence, and full regard for each person's character.

     The first pertains specifically to life in this world where the function
of our position is dealing with worldly conditions like building homes,
transporting people and goods, healing bodies, growing crops, preparing meals
and mastering knowledge about these earthly pursuits. The second pertains also
to life in heaven for the way we do our jobs relates to our love and character
which come into their own in the spiritual world. The difference between these
aspects of useful service are further contrasted in the way Arcana Coelestia
illustrated the connection between useful service and happiness. It spoke of how
the sense of touch has the greatest delight associated with it because of its
high and vital use in the propagation of the human race and thus for the
population of the heavens. But notice that this propagation only takes place in
the natural world, and then only during the early part of our adult life. And
yet the delight of the sense of touch continues throughout life in this world
and becomes far more exquisite in the spiritual world after the crude material
body is laid aside and the more perfect spiritual body is uncovered (See
Arcana Coelestia
322, 444, 1883, 6054; Heaven and Hell 440).

     Then it is serving the uses of the conjunction of good and truth which are
interior to procreation, even though these uses are hardly recognized or
appreciated in this world (See, for example, Arcana Coelestia 10023; Heaven and Hell
382, 402; Conjugial Love 51-53, 65, 115:5, 183:5).

     It is similar with other uses. In the natural world we see the worldly
side of the uses we perform and little if any of the spiritual use itself that
is within it.

315


As aging, disease and social factors deprive us
of our ability to continue in the uses that occupied us for so many years, the
Lord is yet providing for our progress to heaven and uses that scarcely come to
our awareness in this world.

     Let us turn now to how that progress may be continuing under the wisdom of
the Lord's providence. One aspect of usefulness that can never be taken away,
even by a retirement forced upon a person by ill health or a bad economy, so
long as one's spiritual freedom and rationality remain intact, is the one called
"the first of charity." "The first thing of charity," we read, "is to put away
evils; and the second is to do goods that are of use to the neighbor"
(True Christian
Religion 435).

     Any one can practice this first thing of charity at any time during their
life. Putting away evils is no less applicable in the time of old age. This is a
time for the putting off of corporeal things with their loves of self and the
world. In proportion as these things are put off, a person comes into
enlightenment (See Arcana Coelestia 3492).

     As the Heavenly Doctrine defines wisdom in terms of shunning evils as
sins, (see Conjugial Love 137:7) we see here the connection
between the enlightenment that comes of putting off the things of self and the
world, and the wisdom of old age. The Heavenly Doctrine speaks of the manner in
which evils are to be shunned as one matures.

     One passage indicates that the wisdom of old age is especially concerned
with shunning evils, not just as sins, but as damned, and shunning them not just
in act, but in thought and intention as well (Apocalypse Explained 803:2(3)). As to
the actual evils to be shunned as one practices this first thing of charity,
there are no limits, for by heredity we incline to evils of every kind. Still,
certain evils may be the source of temptation in old age more than others. As
physical or mental abilities decline, the hells may stir our love of self to
self-pity, helplessness, despair and perhaps a lust for pleasures as we used to
enjoy them.

316


As we see younger people doing more quickly and
accurately the things we used to do, the hells may incite us to be angry over
respect not shown or to covet the honor shown to others.

     As we suffer the diseases of old age, evil spirits would have us blame the
Lord, curse Him, or doubt and deny His goodness, mercy or existence. As we lose
or must give up control of our lives and surroundings, the hells present us with
justification for worry, for dwelling on anxiety, and giving up trust in the
Lord. As we shun these and other evils as sins against the Lord, we are doing
the first thing of charity and thus making progress into usefulness. After all,
how can we be truly useful when the evils of loving ourselves or the world above
all stand in the way?

     As we apply ourselves to shunning evils, the Lord reforms and regenerates
us and leads us into wisdom. Spiritual youthfulness, too, comes with shunning
evil, as attested by angels who have lived for thousands of years in the
strength and beauty of youth. (See Apocalypse Explained 1000:4) The
second thing belonging to charity is doing goods that are of use to the
neighbor. In old age there are countless opportunities to do good and useful
things, when retired from our life's work. Many people have found a second
career, part-time work, a variety of volunteer activities, or ways to help with
grand children or elderly relatives and friends.

     For those who are physically less able, many of the uses will be simpler
than they once were. Although a person may not be able to lift a bale of hay or
even a bag of groceries, they may yet find a way to lift someone's spirits. And
which is more useful? Obviously, in this world, if no one could do physical work
we would all perish. But the Heavenly Doctrine says, "To live for others is to
perform useful services" (Conjugial Love 18). This we do when we shun evils as
sins, look to the Lord and His heavenly kingdom, and communicate with others by
a deed, word or look.

     Great physical strength and health are not prerequisite to living for
others. The effect of a simple word or gesture on others may be far greater and
of more value in the long run than some of the things that gave us pride in the
prime of life.

317


In actual fact, the Lord is the One who performs
uses, and He can use even a comatose person to perform uses to others. Those who
care for him or her may be deeply moved by the Lord as they reflect on the
Lord's teachings about human life, life to eternity, Divine providence and many
other things. Our part is to cooperate with the Lord to the extent of our
abilities and to do so from the heart. We read in Arcana Coelestia, "Doing good
for [someone] when the possibility exists, and doing it with all one's heart, is
loving him; for then the actual deed or work contains all that constitutes
charity towards him" (Arcana Coelestia 6073).

     It does not take a great deed on our part for the Lord to affect another
person deeply, nor a long speech for Him to stir thought of a deep truth. Our
part is to live for others and to do what we can for them to the extent of our
ability.

     As our physical abilities decline, we can be reminded to turn our
attention more fully to the spiritual uses to which we are progressing in the
Lord's providence. The Heavenly Doctrine says, "Useful services are spiritual
when they have to do with love toward God and love for the neighbor" (Conjugial Love 18).

     To illustrate how great our uses may be when age or disease has taken its
toll on our bodies, we need look no further than to the Lord Himself as He
neared the end of His earthly life. Chronologically, He was young, but when
nailed to the cross, to all appearance He could no longer heal or save by His
touch nor even lift a cup to His lips. And yet, in spite of His physical
incapacity, He exercised Divine omnipotence and performed uses for all people of
all time by continuing His combat with the hells, by a few words, and by living
His life for others with all His heart. When all was finished, He progressed,
not to heaven, but to complete union with the Divine Itself.

     As planned by the Lord, our lives are to be a progression from earth to
heaven. Our earthly uses are to progress to heavenly uses. In whatever state of
mind or body we find ourselves, we can always cooperate with the Lord in that
progress.

318


Wisdom is His. Love is His. And use is His. Our end
is for His wisdom, love and usefulness to reign. It is to live in Him as Anna
lived in the temple. Our delight is to be of whatever service to Him that we can
be, by whatever means and opportunity He provides.

     To do so, we shun evils as sins and as damned so that He may purify our
hearts, just as Anna served God with fasting and prayers. And we live for others
from the heart, that is, live out of love for God and the neighbor, so that our
uses may be spiritual and so that we may serve the spiritual life of those who
look to the Lord. In so doing, in the Lord's eyes we will be acting spiritually
as was represented by Anna in her old age, "who did not depart from the temple,
but served God with fasting and prayers night and day. And coming in that
instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked
for redemption in Jerusalem" (Luke 2:37-38). Amen.

Lessons: Luke 2:25-
38; Arcana Coelestia 7038 parts

     The Rev. Kenneth James Alden was Inaugurated into the priesthood in 1980
and ordained as Pastor in 1982. Kenneth first served as Assistant minister to
the Detroit Circle, and visiting minister to the North Ohio Circle. In 1984 he
answered a call to be the Assistant to the Pastor in Washington D. C.
Mitchellville Society, becoming the Assistant Pastor there in 1986. In 1988 he
became Assistant Pastor to the Carmel Church in Kitchener Canada and Principal
of the Church School there. In 1996 Kenneth moved to be Pastor of the Colchester
Society in England. In 2002 he became the Pastor of the Boynton Beach society,
Florida. Kenneth lives in Boynton Beach with his wife Kim (Truax) and family.

[Photograph of Rev. Kenneth Alden.]

319


MEMORIAL ADDRESS: THE REV. ROBERT COOPER1 2010

MEMORIAL ADDRESS: THE REV. ROBERT COOPER1       Rev. ANDY DIBB AND GARRY WALSH       2010


----------
     [Photograph of Rev. Cooper and his family.]

     When the Lord called His disciples to follow Him, they had no idea what
the path ahead of them looked like. Simon Peter and Andrew his brother were
tending their nets when the Lord said: "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of
men." Levi was at his tax-collectors table, when the Lord told him to follow
Him. One by one the disciples responded to the Lord's call. They had no idea of
what lay ahead, that they would become the vanguard of the Lord's new
dispensation. Their was no inkling in their minds that the Lord would eventually
be crucified, that He would rise again and become the saviour of the world. They
were summoned, so they laid their lives aside and they followed the Lord. Many
of them, in years to come would lay down their own lives for the Lord's
teaching.

     The case is not so different today when the Lord calls a man to the
ministry. What is it like to be called? There is no one answer, because each man
feels the Lord's beckoning differently. For some it is an awareness that this is
what they must do. Others feel a longing. For some the call comes in a sudden
flash, with others it grows over a period of time. Yet one thing is certain,
that like the disciples before them, the men who hear and respond to this call
have very little idea of the road stretching out ahead of them. All they know is
that they need to put their own lives aside and follow the road the Lord opens
for them.

     We know the essential teachings about the ministry: a priest's job is to
teach the truths which lead to the good of life, he must administer to the
affairs of the church, giving leadership in spiritual matters.

320



To do all this, he must be skilled in many areas: he must have doctrinal skill,
understanding the teachings of the church in that specialized way that makes it
possible for him to teach others. He needs teaching skills, both public and
private, skills in the pulpit and in the living room, to guide his flock through
the exultations and pitfalls of life. He needs love and patience. And most of
all, he needs a love of saving souls, and bringing people to the Lord. Some of
the skills that make a priest to be a priest are instinctive: a love of people,
a willingness to listen and communicate. Others need to be learned, such as the
details of doctrine, how to craft and deliver the teaching necessary to lead
people to the Lord.

     Like the disciples before them, men who want to be priests must leave
their boats and tax-tables and follow wherever the Lord leads them. This may
mean leaving home and country, setting aside, at least momentarily, the familiar
routines of live, cherished places and close people. It if often a very long
time, if ever, before these things can be taken up again. But in the meantime
the Lord's call strengthens; the desire and resolve to serve Him makes it
worthwhile, and the joys lost are compensated for by the joy of witnessing the
effect of people finding value and fulfillment, peace and hope in their
connection with the Lord.

     It is with these thoughts in mind that we turn our thoughts to our bother,
Robert Cooper, a man who, following in the footsteps of the disciples, left his
home and country, and followed the Lord.

     The following words were compiled by the Rev. Garry Walsh2

     "Robert was born in the flowing hills of Sydney's southern suburbs, the
youngest in a family that included a sister and three brothers. Quiet and
thoughtful from the beginning, Robert went on to demonstrate his exceptional
academic talents by coming first in the state of New South Wales in mathematics
in his final year of high school.

     His mathematical genius led him into a banking career and the complicated
field of actuarial studies.

321


During those years lifelong bonds
were forged with those few close friends who appreciated Robert's understated
ways, his quick wit and his boundless intelligence that much preferred analysing
the great questions of life than getting caught up in trivialities and fads.

     It was Robert's free choice to set aside his financial career to become
the full-time caretaker of his ailing mother. Family and friends who stopped by
the house would often find the two playing chess or doing the daily crossword
together. Many marvelled at his devotion to his mother and her needs in her
declining years.

     It was during this time that Huiling Sun, his wife to be, arrived in
Australia. Huiling had found the church in China during the time when she served
as a translator for Dr. James Brush and Rev. Chris Bown in their search for the
Ancient Word. Huiling had subsequently been baptized into the church by Rev.
John Jin during a special trip he made to that country.

     Those who knew them at the time say that a deep and unshakable bond
between Robert and Huiling formed almost immediately. Two years later, in 2004,
the two were married in a private ceremony at the home of a close friend.
Huiling's parents were in attendance and her sister, also visiting from China,
was Huiling's maid of honour. The best man was Robert's close friend Brad, who
stood to speak fondly about Robert during his memorial service. Their son
Matthew, better known perhaps as Gengi, was born in 2006.

     Robert had found the New Church as an adult. He was a man who read
extensively and had found the teachings of the New Church to be irresistible.
Together he and Huiling began to develop a plan where they would work together
to present the New Church message to the people of Sydney. They relocated to
Bryn Athyn where Robert studied in the Theological School. He graduated and was
ordained just last year and spent his first year of service as Assistant to the
Pastor in Pittsburgh.

     These years of training were all intended to open the door for Robert and
Huiling to return to Sydney where Robert would take over as Pastor of the
Hurstville Society.

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It was exactly two weeks after they had
arrived back in the country that Robert was felled suddenly by a massive heart
attack.

     Robert was, and no doubt continues to be, an evangelist. It is a calling
that rests deeply within the heart of Huiling as well. It is her dream to
continue to pursue their shared vision, especially as a translator of Robert's
sermons and the books for the New Church into Chinese."

     The shock of Robert's passing is hard to express. An overflowing crowd of
more than a hundred came together in the church in Hurstville to remember him in
a very moving service last Friday, July 16. While his career in this world
proved to be way too short, his legacy and his vision should prove to be
enduring.

     The Writings tell us that people are supposed to make the transition from
this world to the next in a state of old age when life has been lived to its
fullest. Yet there are times when the Lord permits the transition to take place
earlier. This is always a permission, something the Lord does not will, but
cannot avert for the sake of the person's salvation.

     We do not know why the Lord permitted Robert to pass into the Spiritual
World at such a young age, and when he was on the cusp of fulfilling the work he
had long prepared for. What we can know, and put our trust and confidence in, is
that the Lord foresees that in some manner good will come from this. It is
difficult for us to see this, because we see things from a natural, limited and
finite perspective, while the Lord sees from the point of view of eternity and
ultimate salvation.

     What we do know is that the death of the body is not the end of life. The
transition from this world to the next begins when the body is no longer able to
support the life of the spirit, and so the spirit moved on to the next world.
There he finds a world much the same as the one left behind. Robert, who had a
great interest in the spiritual world, will enjoy the process of exploring this
new world, examining the similarities and differences between it and the natural
world.

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     It is in these two beliefs that we are able to take the greatest comfort
in Robert's passing: first that the Lord only permits things to happen if they
contribute to his salvation, and secondly that life continues.

     From reading in the doctrine we can imagine Robert's new life. He will
miss his Huling and Gengi, whom he left behind, but he will also be looking
forward to a reunion with them at some point in the future. He will enjoy the
reunion with his mother, who he nursed on earth. As his life unfolds before him,
we can imagine him hearing again the Lord's summons "Follow me," and, as he did
in this world, we can picture him answering that summons and following the Lord.

     There are priests and ministers in the next world-there are many images of
ministers preaching in the Heavenly Doctrines. Some of these ministers serve
celestial angels, others serve in churches in their own societies. We have
images of priests being summoned from heaven to perform weddings. And if we
consider that the third state of the world of spirits is a state of instruction,
then it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that some of the instructors
there will be ministers.

     In all likelihood there is plenty for Robert to do in the spiritual world.
He was well versed in the Doctrines, he loved the process of teaching and
leading to the good of life. The Lord's love of the salvation of souls, which is
the essential love of the priesthood, will continue to burn within him, and he
will continue to serve the Lord as he has always done, for, as we read in
Malachi: "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek
the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts" (2:7).
Amen

     1 One Memorial Service was held on July 16th at the Hurstville Society,
N.S .W., Australia, by the Rev. Julian Duckworth and Rev. Garry Walsh, and one
on July 22nd at the Cathedral in Bryn Athyn, by the Rev. Dr. Andy Dibb, Dean of
the Academy Theological School, and Bishop Kline officiating.

     2 Memorial Service, Hurstville Society, N.S.W. Australia, by Rev. Garry
Walsh, July 16, 2010.

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DECLARATIONS OF FAITH AND PURPOSE 2010

DECLARATIONS OF FAITH AND PURPOSE       Various       2010


----------
     NICKS MARISA

     (Inauguration took place on July 18, 2010 at Riounde, Kisii, in Kenya, by
the Rt. Rev. Brian Keith.)

     Lord before you is Your humble servant. Please hear my declaration of
faith: I believe that there is one God in whom there is the Divine trinity and
the Lord Jesus Christ is that One. I believe that the Origin of true Conjugial
marriage is Holy and its origin is the conjunction of good and truth. Lord you
are my rock and my Redeemer, in You I will trust forever.

     MOISE GOGABLE DOUKOUROU

     (These five inaugurations took place on July 11, 2010, at Tema, Ghana, by
Rt. Rev. Thomas Kline.)

     I believe that the Lord Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ is the visible
image of the Invisible God. I believe that the saving faith is to believe in Him
I believe that evils should not be done, because they are of the devil and from
the devil. And goods should be done, because they are of God and from God. These
should be done by man as if by himself; but it should be believed that they are
done by the Lord in man and through man. Lord Jesus-Christ My Heavenly Father! I
present myself before You and this congregation on this day Sunday, July 11th
2010 to respond to your divine call. On this memorable day, come to me 0 Lord
and accept me as shepherd to your people. Here I am God, send me and I will go!
I am ready to commit myself to cooperate and bring your good news of salvation
to all people. I do acknowledge that without you I can do nothing. The harvest
truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Give me strength and wisdom. 0
Lord my Rock, trains my hands and guards my lips because you are the source of
everything. Make Your face shine upon me and grant me Your grace while I am
fulfilling this challenging divine task.

     EVARISTE DALIGOU DAKOURI

     I believe that God is one in essence and in person. In that God is a
Divine trinity, and He is the Lord God the Savior Jesus Christ. He came into the
world to remove hell from man, and that He did remove it by means of contests
with it and victories over it, and thereby He subdued it and reduced it to order
and made it obedient to Himself.

325


I believe that the saving
faith is to believe in Him. And evils should not be done, because they are of
the devil and from the devil. Goods should be done, because they are of God and
from God. These should be done by man as if by himself; but it should be
believed that they are done by the Lord in man and through man. In this
memorable day, I present myself before You and this congregation to respond to
Your divine call. Lord Jesus Christ, I accept to be Your humble servant. I am
ready to propagate the good news of Your advent for the salvation of mankind, to
teach the divine truths and pastor Your sheep. Facing this responsibility, I put
my trust on You for without you I can do nothing. I need Your wisdom and Your
Spirit to serve your church with integrity.

     HENRY JOEL KOUASSI KOUHOUI

     I believe that there one God in essence and person. The Lord Jesus Christ
is that God. He came into the world to subjugate the hells and to glorify His
Human; and without this no mortal could have been saved; and those are saved who
believe in Him. I believe that the saving faith is to believe in Him. And evils
should not be done, because they are of the devil and from the devil. Goods
should be done, because they are of God and from God. These should be done by
man as if by himself; but it should be believed that they are done by the Lord
in man and through man. O Lord Jesus Christ, I stand before you and this
honorable congregation on this memorable day to respond to your Divine call. You
call me to cooperate with You for my own salvation, and also the salvation of
all people. Come to me O Lord and fill me in with the Holy Spirit. That will
help me propagate the good news of your Second Advent. The words of my mouth
will show the way of heaven. And I will be an instrument in your hands for the
healing the troubled heart and the leading of the spiritually lost.


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Lord, I do acknowledge that without you I can do nothing. I
need you any time in this Divine work. I commit myself to you, guide me, grant
me courage, integrity, strength, perseverance and love for all people.

     HONORE AMAHIN AKA

     I believe in one God. The Lord Jesus Christ is that God. In Jesus Christ
is the trinity of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit; in other words the Divine
love, the Divine wisdom and the Divine operation. I believe that the Lord's word
is holy and divinely inspired. It contains a deeper meaning that is directly
relevant to our lives. I believe that there is life after death. We must believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ to enter in that life. Believing in Jesus Christ is to
live according to His divine precepts. I believe that evils should not be done,
because they are of the devil and from the devil. And goods should be done,
because they are of God and from God. These should be done by man as if by
himself; but it should be believed that they are done by the Lord in man and
through man. Here I am Lord before You and this congregation in this memorable
day, to respond to your call and to cooperate with You: - to propagate the good
news of your Divine kingdom, - to teach spiritual truths to heal the troubled
heart, - to lead the spiritually lost on the right way, - to offer to anybody
the way of regeneration through the teaching of the Lord's Word. I know how
difficult this divine task is. So, I commit myself into your hands Jesus Christ
my Savior and my Redeemer! You alone can help me overcome the hells. I count on
you alone to help me build your church. May Your strength and Your grace be with
me in this holy work.

     MANGOUA CYPRIEN KOUAME

     I believe that God is one, in whom is a Divine trinity, and the Lord the
Savior Jesus Christ is that God. I believe that the saving faith is to believe
in Him And evils should not be done, because they are of the devil and from the
devil.

327


Goods should be done, because they are of God and from
God. These should be done by man as if by himself; but it should be believed
that they are done by the Lord in man and through man. I believe that every the
Lord's Word has a deeper meaning that is directly relevant to our spiritual
lives. I believe that true marriages continue in the other world. I believe that
it is the Lord who has called me. That is why in this memorable day, I present
myself before this congregation. I do respond to your divine call. Lord God
Jesus Christ, it is a wonderful to be at Your service. I commit myself to: - be
the servant of all people made in Your image and likeness, - propagate the good
news of Your Second coming for the salvation of all souls. O Lord, my focus is
on You, the Good shepherd. Help me pasture Your sheep. Make use of me for the
healing of the broken hearts. Be with me at any time in this holy work.

     [Photograph of Bishop Kline with the ordinands.]

     Bishop Thomas Kline with men ordained into the Pastoral Degree in Tema
Ghana.

328




     [Photograph of Bishop Keith, Rev. Lindrooth, and the ordinands.]

     Back row: Newly Inaugurated Honore Aka, Cyprien Mangoua, Evariste
Dackouri, Henry-Joel Kouhoui, Moise Doukourou.

     Front Row: Pastor Sylvain Agnes, with David Lindrooth and Bishop Brian
Keith, and newly ordained Pastor Roger Koudou.

     [Photograph of Rev. Edward Akotey.]

     Rev. Edward Akotey, inaugurated in Tema Ghana.     

     [Photograph of Revs. Nicks Marisa and Khalid Rangi.]

Nicks Marisa (left) was also inaugurated in Kenya. Khalid joins him in newly
completed Church and School facilities.

329


APPLYING RELIGION TO LIFE 2010

APPLYING RELIGION TO LIFE       TOM FIEDLER       2010


----------
     Amendment I, United States Constitution: "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of
the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress
of grievances."

     Whether one knows it or not, everyone has a religion (worldview/faith) and
everyone applies that religion to his or her life. Some do so consciously and
deliberately, others do so ignorantly and randomly. Applying religion to life
comes by setting examples. And we all set examples by every choice we make, be
it good or evil.

     I came to these conclusions some years ago after seeing a bumper sticker
that declared, "MILITANT AGNOSTIC - I DON'T KNOW AND NEITHER DO YOU!" Now the
owner of that vehicle would have us believe that the driver not only knows of an
ignorance the rest of us suffer, but knows specifically which ignorance the rest
of us share. Probably the driver has a keen sense of humor and the joke is on
anyone who takes the bumper sticker seriously.

     Regardless of whether the message is in jest or earnest, it tends to apply
the specific agnostic worldview that no person can know whether God exists, or
not, to life. It does so by insisting no person has the right to impose any
moral obligation or restraint based on this existence of God on her or anybody
else. Yes, anyone may well say I'm reading far too much into a silly bumper
sticker. But several State and U.S. Supreme Court decisions beginning with
Scopes vs. Tennessee (1926) have brought the culture (especially public schools)
to this very conclusion.

     The fact that agnostics get to impose their moral restriction (that Judeo-
Christian values must be disregarded if they rely upon Divine authority) on our
current public policy while the rest of us need to "get over it" seems unfair.


330


But what does public policy have to do with one applying one's
faith to one's life? First of all, public policy establishes the legal/civil
authority which becomes the minimal spiritual/moral authority for the nation at
large. Therefore, no matter what one believes, one can point to public policy as
the universally accepted authority for compelling conformity. For example most
nations have laws against murder and assault. But no nation passes law to love
your neighbor. So the moral/spiritual restraint against assault is inspired by
love, while the legal/civil restraint against assault is inspired by fear of
penalty. However, when government uses public policy to legislate charity, such
as redistribution of the wealth, then individual liberty disappears.

     The point is every community needs a public policy to maintain order. One
of the forms or degrees of neighbor we are commanded to love is the community
while another is to love our nation. As New Church believers do we not yearn to
shape public policy towards charitable ends? Thank God this impetus is checked
by practical, spiritual and legal barriers. As Christians, being aware that our
wisdom is pathetically finite, we put our trust in Divine Providence. Doing so
our intent should be that public policy will only prohibit its constituents from
injuring each other. The agnostics, on the other hand, trusting in the
cumulative wisdom produced by human evolution, feel that utopia - an artificial
heaven on earth - should be sought through public policy.

     Is this not an establishment of a secular Humanist (religious) public
policy? And is this not what the authors of the first amendment intended to
prohibit? As New Church people we view with most Christians that regeneration
must be our individual responsibility. Or stated another way, we each must
develop our relationship with the Lord alone (until we marry, after marriage the
conjugial relationship develops uniting one man to one woman to serve the Lord
as "one flesh").

331


Consequently our focus, whether married or
single, is on how we apply Scripture to our daily commonplace decisions.
Additionally, the correction, fellowship and comfort that come from gathering
(church) with fellow believers to increase our faith is how we learn to love our
neighbor as ourselves. And as long as we live in a nation that guards each
person's freedom of religion, that focus is appropriate.

     Those of us who are U.S. Citizens tend to take freedom of religion as a
globally universal value. But in fact, religious liberty and for that matter all
forms of individual liberty are neither the norm in history nor do they exist in
most other nations. State control has been and remains that norm. Perhaps
religious liberty is no longer even a U.S. value, regardless of the first
amendment.

     Besides, how many believers, upon careful introspection, know their own
lifestyle example is truly representative of His Kingdom? Who among us can say
"I love the Lord with all my heart, all my mind, all my soul and all my
strength?" Not I. Nor, I suspect, can anyone who has not gone through prayerful
self-examination and the other steps of repentance. The haunting question is,
"am I doing what needs to be done to eventually hear 'Well done thou good and
faithful servant!'?" Thankfully, with Scripture one who still travels can
indicate a direction to another as both ascend to the goal.

     It may well be, that this challenge to religious freedom is Providential.
Faiths appear to strengthen and grow when persecuted. A caveat upon this
observation is whether the challenge is according to the Lord's direct
Providence or His permissive Providence for the General Church. For, if we who
consciously make up the current New Church act more like the Church of Laodicea,
than the New Jerusalem, then we shall whither away ineffectually, without much
use in the Second Coming, at least in this world. But if those who pray
earnestly to know His Will for how we are to live, what and when, we are to do,
along with the courage to accomplish His Will, He, Who first loved us, will
answer.

332


OH, HOW TRUE! 2010

OH, HOW TRUE!       RICHARD LINQUIST       2010


----------
     Here are three subjects for the readers of New Church Life to
consider:

     1. A major fault that I have found in many televangelists is that they do
not teach very much from the Word. For example, an evangelist may quote
Mark
28:19, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations...." Then in the
sermon, simply use the word "Go" in various personal stories, often with humor
and finally, as if it were the Word of God, say something like, "Go now to your
checkbook and write out a love gift to this ministry." Perhaps some of you have
noticed this same procedure and may be inclined, like I was, to say to yourself,
"Oh, how true" when you read the following passage from True Christian Religion
# 810, referring to preachers who do not prepare their sermons from the Word but
from their own rational light. "They begin, indeed, as a prelude, with a text
from the Word, but this they merely touch with their lips, and then abandon as
tasteless, immediately selecting something savory from their own intelligence,
which they roll about in their mouths and turn over upon their tongues as
something delicious. Such is their preaching."

     2. I have noticed that some people seem to be afraid to express their
thoughts. They may have lived in a family strongly paternal or maternal where
nothing but obedience to authority was approved of. Maybe they worked in a job
where the boss was sternly dictatorial. Maybe they lived in a community, perhaps
a religious community, where anything other than traditional thoughts (the party
line) and customs of behavior, were not approved of or tolerated. Therefore I
say "Oh, how true" when I read in True Christian Religion # 814, "As [those] ...
under a despotic governments...have no such freedom of speech and of the press
[as free nations] have, and when that freedom is restrained, freedom of thought,
that is, the freedom to investigate matters to the furthest extent, is also kept
in restraint.

333


For this restraint is like a high wall about the
basin of a fountain, which causes the water within to rise even to the orifice
of the inflowing stream, so that the stream can no longer leap forth. Thought is
like the inflowing stream, and speech therefrom is like the basin. In a word,
influx adapts itself to efflux, and in like manner the understanding from above
adapts itself to its measure of freedom to speak and publish its thoughts."

     3. Science proudly patted itself on the back at the discovery of the
double helix form of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) in the twentieth century. This
may be, or be closely related to, the first natural point, the internally
spiritual and externally natural nexus between the spiritual and natural worlds.
However New Church scientists may described it, my layman's mind can only say,
"Oh how true are the Writings" when I read what was published centuries before
of this modem scientific discovery. This quote is from number 319 of Divine
Providence describing the organic forms of the mind, "...they are vortex-like
circling inward and outward, after the manner of perpetual and incurving spirals
wonderfully bundled together into forms receptive of life." Rather like DNA,
perhaps.

334


HOW CAN ANYONE "BORN EVIL" BE SAVED? 2010

HOW CAN ANYONE "BORN EVIL" BE SAVED?       Editor       2010


----------
     There may be some legitimate confusion among New Church followers
about the so often stated message in the Writings that everyone is born into
evils of every kind, or pants for the lowest hells, and that our proprium is so
"black" with "self-love, lust and desire" and has "sin in every particular of
it" (Spiritual
Experiences 1561) that there is no hope for salvation. After human
beings turned to themselves away from God, "thereby creating in themselves the
origin of evil" (Conjugial Love 444:4), evil passed on from that time
as "inborn" evil tendencies. These hereditary tendencies "to evils of every
kind" are inborn, and come directly "from everyone's parents and parents'
parents, thus from grandparents and ancestors successively. Every evil which
they have acquired by actual life, even so that by frequent use or habit it has
become like a nature, is derived into the children, and becomes hereditary to
them, together with that which had been implanted in the parents from
grandparents and ancestors" (Arcana Coelestia 4317).

     This heredity accumulates, and forms the proprium, which then is the dead
will inherited by the entire human race from the time of the Flood, i.e. the
pre-historic Last Judgment on the Most Ancient Church. Thus "Man's proprium
consists of nothing but self-love and love of the world, and so of every desire
that stems from those loves. Just how filthy it is has been shown in Volume One"
(Arcana Coelestia
2041). In fact, "there is nothing of good and nothing of truth in
man except from the Lord, and that all evil and falsity are man's from his Own
[proprium]; and that man, and spirit, and even angel, if left in the least to
himself, would rush of himself into hell; wherefore also it is said in the Word
that heaven is not pure" (Arcana Coelestia 868). "For he is born into evils of
every kind derived from his parents; and these evils have their seat in his
natural man, which of itself is diametrically opposed to the spiritual man"
(True Christian
Religion 574).

335


It is so bad, that, "of himself he
is condemned to hell" because of it (Arcana Coelestia 10367). The proprium
is so powerful that no one can overcome it by himself: "Man by his own power can
accomplish nothing in the slightest against evil or hellish spirits, for they
are so closely linked to the hells that if one were vanquished another would
rush to take his place, and so on for ever" (Arcana Coelestia 1692:2). "No one...
can cleanse himself of evils by his own ability and strength" (True Christian Religion
438).

     But the effects of it, i.e. tendencies to evils, can be removed by anyone
using his powers "as if they were his own." The "as of self' means merely to do
it on your own initiative, while also acknowledging that the Lord alone does the
actual work of removing the evils. The Lord in His Providence removes the evil
after the person him or herself, "using their own prudence" have first "disposed
themselves" to do it. (Divine Providence 210). We must act first, on our own.

     Historically, when the proprium called the "old will" died, the Lord
changed the brain structure of the human race; this was during Noah's flood
(Arcana Coelestia
4326). The Lord built a "new will" in the intellect. That is why in
ancient man, the forehead became more prominent at a certain time. The entire
story of the Flood is about how we, today, being descendents of Noah, not of
Adam, have inherited the "dead proprium" of the Adamites, but with a "new will."
This was given during the flood, and survived after it. It is meant by the
window in the ark, and the doves sent out, thus by "Noah:" This signified the
Ancient Church, or the "doctrine that remained from the Most Ancient
Church...Remains are always preserved, i.e. some people with whom the good and
truth of faith remain, although they are few...If there were no remains in a man
he would not be a man, but much viler than a brute...Remains are like some
heavenly star...The few things that remained from the Most Ancient Church were
among those who constituted the church called Noah;

336


but these
were not remains of perception, but of perfection, and also of doctrine derived
from the things of perception in the most ancient churches" (Arcana Coelestia
530 emphases added). Thus the condition of the Ancient Church after
the Flood, or "Noah" became such that they had a conscience of good and truth
(Arcana Coelestia
597). That's us today: remains (reliquae translated remnants, really
traces) which are built by individual experiences into a conscience. "As in the
people after the flood, charity was given through faith, then conscience
succeeded" (Arcana
Coelestia 371). After the flood, "the man of the church became
different, in that with him conscience succeeded in place of perception, through
which he could be reproved" (Arcana Coelestia 573). This is what is meant by the
"window in the Ark," namely "the understanding... or the truth of faith" which
"the Lord has wonderfully provided [so that] ... what is of the understanding
should be separated from what is of the will of man, by a certain medium, which
is conscience, and in which He may implant charity." From that time on, this is
the path of "salvation" (Arcana Coelestia 863). We are all descendants from
that prehistoric era.

     That "window" of our "conscience," stems from remains, which are the
"fountains of all goods and truths, are love to the Lord and love towards the
neighbor." And the loves of self and of the world from the proprium are "in
direct opposition to the two former loves" (Heavenly Doctrine 59). Today our proprium
which is our "soul from our parents," is still the source of an inborn "love of
self and love of the world .... [which is to] regard self only and others as
insignificant or of no account" (Divine Providence 206). Our proprium is thus the
source of "willing well to ourselves alone, and not to others except for the
sake of ourselves." The Church, nation, society or fellow-citizens all take
second place. We do good to them only "for the sake of [our] own fame, honor,
and glory." The proprium asks "What does it matter? Why should I do it? What
advantage is it to me?"

337


And so "he omits them" (Heavenly Doctrine
65).

     It should be clear however, that even though we are born with this
proprium intact, it is shielded from appearing. The proprium is "veiled". It
"resides in the interiors," away from anyone's view, and there is a "non-
proprium in the exteriors, [which] veils and hides the former, so that it does
not appear until the veil is taken away, as is the case with all after death"
(Apocalypse
Explained 1170:5). This non-proprial 'veil' makes it impossible to
judge anyone's proprium, let alone ourselves. Everyone's proprium is condemned
from birth, but is masked from view. Anyone is condemned only if he attaches
himself to it. So the proprium is only manifested through our hereditary
tendencies, which as said, do not condemn anyone. And it is located in the
cerebellum to be exact (Cf. True Christian Religion 160). You may locate it by
tapping the back of your head, the occiput! You have it, but it does not condemn
anyone.

     We also need to know that there is a good love of self: when self-love
first becomes active from birth onwards in any human being, it is properly
disciplined during our upbringing, to emerge into a legitimate self-promotion:
every one should want to advance their own cause, i.e. in education, and in the
job market. This is to prepare oneself and then place one's own "fitness" for
the job first: "this must be the first object, but it should be done to the end
that he may have a sound mind in a sound body" (Heavenly Doctrine 98).
Everyone ought to provide food for his mind, namely such things as are of
"intelligence and wisdom." But the ultimate goal is to be of service. Similarly,
when they get married, they must seek first for the protection of the family,
"food, clothing, a habitation," not just for now, but "security for the future"
i.e. insurance plans. Again, service is the final aim: "for unless a man
procures for himself the necessaries of life, he cannot be in a state to
exercise charity, for he is in want of all things" (Heavenly Doctrine 97).
The final goal of putting oneself first is to be fit for finding and keeping a
job, since we are "born not for our own sake, but for the sake of others"
(True Christian
Religion 406).

338


Every honest job or occupation
exercises good loves which carry their own reward, but the use is for the sake
of others, and thus we benefit ourselves by an income. And an occupation or line
of work which aims for "a fair trade" [negotiatio] is "a spiritual love" if it
is placed above making a huge profit (True Christian Religion 801). A huge
number of people enter heaven because they were honest in their jobs.

     Nor is seeking sufficient wealth condemned. Provided everyone is also
"content with his lot," wealth does no harm (Arcana Coelestia 8717). That is why
"wealth and honors cannot be condemned" (True Christian Religion 403:3), since
everyone can live "outwardly, grow rich and have a plentiful table and elegance
of clothing" etc, without fear that these in any way condemn them! (Heaven and Hell
359) The kind of love of the world which is condemned is placing
wealth over any neighbor's happiness, thus destroying others in the process.
Greed or avarice by itself is harmful. Theses evils are covered by "Thou shalt
not covet" commandments.

     The proprial love of self most often turns to "domineering" over others,
and is apparently accompanied by a most delightful sensation! (Divine Providence
215:3, 233) We should however know that there is a also a
heavenly love of dominion. For "his evil can only be removed as the love of self
becomes the love of uses, or as the love of ruling has for its end not self but
uses" (Divine
Providence 233:5, 6). There may be despots! Thus angels as well as
people on earth, may rule "from love toward the neighbor, [which] wills good to
all, and loves nothing more than to perform uses, thus to be of service to
others." Such people too may seek to be "elevated to dignities" and they are
glad when they succeed, but "not for the sake of the dignities, but for the sake
of the uses which they are] then able to perform in more abundance and in a
greater degree. Such is the dominion in the heavens" (Heavenly Doctrine 72).
Here there is certainly a "good motive" for politicians after all!


339


We have to think that worldly leaders may be honest, until
proven otherwise.

     A similar love exists among ancestors for their own descendants (Earth in
Universe 174, True Christian Religion 400,405). This is because the
Lord's love is the perfect "dominion from good," i.e. omnipotence from love, and
it "increases as it descends" (Conjugial Love 402, Arcana Coelestia 1865). The Lord loves
each next generation more. We too do so, in a likeness of His love. That does
not mean we love our own kids less, but just that the same love "increases as it
descends." Family gatherings reflect a king loving his subjects, and both are
examples of spiritual love, not domineering at all!

     With these explanations of how to "place oneself first", or how to obtain
positions of influence and wealth, and not be condemned for it, makes it clear
that "it is not so difficult to follow in the way to heaven as is supposed"
(Heaven and Hell
528).

     Both the proprium and hereditary inclinations are the result of ancestry.
"Hereditary evil, my friend, comes from no other source but one's parents. And
it is not real evil that one actually commits, but a tendency to it" (True Christian Religion
521). To counteract evil, once invented, the New Will, or
conscience, during the Flood was miraculously inserted or born into the cerebrum
area of the brain, i.e. under the forehead (Interaction of Soul and Body 13:4).
Now pat your forehead and thank the Lord. The New Will is present in man's
understanding part. "Through this reformed understanding, a New Will can
subsequently be conferred" (Arcana Coelestia 652). "Man could be reformed and
regenerated as regards the second part of his mind, the understanding part, and
a new will, which is conscience, could be implanted in him" (Arcana Coelestia
927). Thus although apparently born for hell, "nevertheless man is
born for heaven" (True Christian Religion 574). Just as surely as we
have a condemned old will, we also have a "new will," lodged in the
understanding during Noah's flood. We are Noah's - i.e. the few human beings who
survived the "flood" - descendants.

340




     Is it clear now that no one is condemned for the way he is born? "The Lord
provides that no one shall be condemned to hell on account of hereditary evils,
but only on account of the evils that the man has actually made his own by his
life, as can be seen from the lot of infants after death, all of whom are
adopted by the Lord, educated under His auspices in heaven, and saved. This
makes clear that every man is born not for hell but for heaven, although from
connate evils he is called 'a hell" (Apocalypse Explained 989:2). Anyone may
therefore "be rescued from hell by being born again of the Lord" (Arcana Coelestia
10367). Therefore, "no one is punished...or suffers a penalty...on
account of hereditary evils, but only account of actual evil" (Arcana Coelestia
966, 2308).

     This teaching certainly has impacted New Church Education, and how to rear
one's children! We cannot penalize our children for innocently displaying the
tendency to evil of which the parents as sources are guilty! For the Lord
provides that only the "hereditary inclinations" are passed from parents to
children, but that the "actual thoughts and deeds" of the parents are thereby
"kept from ensuing." In other words, any actual evil deed of a parent is not
passed on, only the tendency to it. Thus it is "divinely provided that corrupt
inclinations may be rectified" by the parents in their children. And in the
children, "a capacity for this is also implanted," i.e. an ability to receive
discipline by parents, to correct the tendency passed on by parents to them.
That is how parental discipline is effective: as a "result from this capacity
... [there is] an ability and power in people to mend their habits" (Conjugial Love
202). The parents promise before the Lord at infant Baptisms to
undertake this discipline. That means that parents are called on first to cast
out their own evil that is repent of the "source" of the heredity they have
given to their children, even as the "beam in the eye" is cast out more
rationally being able to discipline or remove the "mote" (relatively harmless
tendency) from their child's eye. Parents benefit from taking the holy supper in
fulfilling their vow to discipline their children at their baptism.


341


The two sacraments are linked in child rearing.

     And the power to counteract the proprium and hereditary prompts to evils,
come from "remains" which were first implanted with the very first people on
this planet, hailed by the words "the spirit of God hovered over the abyss, and
God said Let there be light" (Arcana Coelestia 19, 20). This Divine event is revisited on
everyone as soon as they are born, for remains are granted "after birth" and to
eternity (Arcana
Coelestia 3793). God hovers over the abyss and from pure mercy "lets
there be light" rendering us human, right after birth. Without these remains, no
one is human, nor can they be regenerated (Ibid. Arcana Coelestia 755:2).
Without them we'd all actually be condemned from birth! (Arcana Coelestia 561).

     We become the way we choose, but not in one moment! One single good
thought 'occurring' does not save you, a wicked idea `occurring' does not
condemn. But we establish habits. And regardless of what we choose one day, we
are constantly brought to the middle balance again and again, just so that next
day we can repeat our choices, -- or change them. And so, "every smallest
fraction of a moment of a person's life entails a chain of consequences
extending into eternity, each moment being like a new beginning to those that
follow" (Arcana
Coelestia 3854). We can either 'undo' or 'repeat' what we said or
did yesterday. The consequences always extend into the future, to our eternal
welfare. We are never stuck beyond redemption. We can always change. Our goal is
to stick with decisions for what is good and true, admitting eventually that
they are not our own, but continually received from the Lord, meant by "the
righteous shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Matthew 13:43,
Arcana Coelestia
9263:5).

     The potential for salvation is identical with every infant. There is no
advantage to die young or early in life. Everyone can enter heaven just as
easily: "man by creation is such, and consequently is born such, that he may
enter heaven;

342


for everyone who dies in infancy goes to
heaven...Such also might the man become who is brought up and instructed in the
world, for there is inherent in him the same as is in the infant" (Divine Providence
324:9). "The same as in an infant." No matter how long you work in
the Lord's vineyard, the wage is the same, salvation is one method only.
(Matt. 20:1-
17).

     Multiply that by 6 billion inhabitants of our planet, and this figure
again by 100,000+ known inhabited planets in the universe (Earths in the Universe 26),
and we may glimpse how infinite is the Divine providence of Mercy Itself.

     How do we recognize a hereditary tendency? They are like the "tickle" as
of "silken threads" on our skin, but if confirmed as evils of life, after death
"instead of being soft they become hard, and instead of being pleasant they
become galling" (Divine Providence 296:3). Each tickle of silken
thread is enough to make a child want to follow it. When an infant first follows
an evil tendency, there is a special protection against the actual evil coming
into the open. For temptations and regeneration can only happen in "adult age"
(Arcana Coelestia
2657, 5044). At any age, an evil tendency appears as
unlearned behavior. Remember when that "silence" from the play-room heralded the
discovery of major mayhem? During that "silence" a child learned to do something
naughty, without being taught by others. Where did that idea come from? Where
did that "punch over the head of the kid brother" stem from? All of a sudden the
person "knows" how to be wicked, how to be sarcastic, how to trip up the
neighbor; but all of this at first happens without guilt. An evil tendency is
like the tickle from a 9-volt battery touching your tongue. The proprium itself,
by contrast is like the fenced off generator complex with "Lethal" death-skull
warnings! Confirming a hereditary "tickle" tendency is to link it to the lethal
proprium. Unless this link-up with his proprium is severed by adult repentance,
the person is dragged by it to hell after death. Better than severing the link
is never to establish it to begin with.

343


We do this by shunning
the tickle as if it were the lethal jolt. That is the Lord's easy yoke, light
burden. It is much easier to go to heaven than most people suppose (Heaven and Hell
528ff). People who have shunned tendencies as sins against the Lord,
enter heaven and "are withheld from their proprium" (Heaven and Hell 158)
forever. That is how a judgment to heaven or to hell follows voluntary choices
made here on earth, but acted out only after death.

     It is a law of Divine Providence that "Evils Cannot Be Removed Unless They
Appear" (Divine
Providence 278). But this "evils must appear" law means just that
all evils eventually come into the open, that it is the nature of evil that it
cannot remain hidden forever. It will eventually emerge into view! God-fearing
people may then see and react to them and restore order (cf. Divine Providence
251). Divine Providence works by means of human intervention! So we
must never conclude from the "evil-must-appear" law, that "I must first steal to
see how bad it is, and then shun it as a sin!" The Writings themselves explain:
"This does not mean that man is to do evils in order that they may appear"
(Divine Providence
278 added emphasis). That would be to burn your bridges ahead of
you! It is like purifying "ourselves by our own power" which ends in ignominious
self-defeat! Instead, everyone must "examine himself, not his actions only, but
also his thoughts, and what he would do if he were not afraid of the laws and
disgrace; especially what evils he holds in his spirit to be allowable and does
not regard as sins; for these he still commits" (Divine Providence 278). We
only have to imagine our evil, and shun that! That is the point of the last two
commandments, "Thou shalt not covet..." (Arcana Coelestia 1021).

     Such repentance in life is effective, and permanent, which is why there is
the Holy Supper. "The evil spirits causing the temptations are cast down into
hell, never to emerge again, which is exactly what happens when they have been
beaten" (Arcana
Coelestia 6657:2 emphasis added).

344


"Once those evils
have been removed a new area of will arises, [or] comes into being through an
inflow of good from the Lord" (Arcana Coelestia 5353).

     Never again. New areas of will! We should be happy to know that as we shun
mere tendencies as if they were deeds, they never return, and the Lord gives us
"new areas" in our "new will." This also shows "how fun" heaven will be! Heaven
won't be boring, as some young people may think, observing the 'limitations' of
older generations. Not with those "new areas"! We don't know how fun heaven is
until all evil has been removed. The joy will take your breath away. We do find
moments of it here too, at peace in our homes, or at peace at work, at family
gatherings, Assemblies, or at the Village Fair. All this fun was made possible
because "no actual evils" ever existed in the Lord. He overcame all mere
"tendencies to all the evils" ever accumulated in the entire human race, from A
to Z. None escaped. And by their link to hell and to all human proprium, the
Lord overcame the "battery" with its lethal "jolt", so that we can repent of the
mere "tickle." We can all be saved, because we are "born for salvation"
(True Christian
Religion 574). Thank the Lord therefore for those "new areas of the
new will opened up." There are such joys also awaiting us here on earth as we
move forward in our regeneration by the Lord.

345


Communications 2010

Communications       Various       2010


----------
To the Editor:

     I wish to respond to Lavina Scott's response (July-August 2010) to Olaf
Hauptmann's article by first setting the records straight - believing in the
Theory of Evolution is not to deny God. There are many of us scientists (I have
been one for 50 years), even in the New Church, who believe in this theory.
There are always "just" theories in science because ideas can change - what are
"facts" anyway? Surely only things we read in the Word about the Lord: these are
facts about the Divine? Everything else is an assessment of what is, based on
what we see, hear, feel and deduce. The theory of natural selection neither
condones nor espouses selfishness or aggressiveness; this is what people choose
for themselves by turning against the Lord and following hell. No child will
ever go to hell because they believe in natural selection, nor will their
remains/remnants be removed because they read about natural selection. Rather
this theory is based on observations of what happens in the environment - it is
non-scientists who have added these extra tiers to Darwin's theory. Please read
the books Darwin wrote first rather than listening to or reading what the media
or non-scientists tell you, especially when they have their own axe to grind, or
talk to new Church scientists to hear their explanations.

     Do we want to side with the fundamentalist Creationists who deny all
evidence showing the world to be billions of years old? They hang on to the idea
that the world was created in 7 days, that it is only a few thousand years old
and that all species were created at once without the slightest theory of how
that could happen - this is both natural and spiritual blindness, not the kind
of rationality in addressing scientific observations I would expect from people
who embrace the rational ideas given to us in the Writings. Surely the Lord
created laws of nature that govern the physical world which can provide the
conditions for the evolution of new species where needed? Darwin offered no
explanation for how that happened. Please let us not confuse God's spiritual and
natural laws - they are discrete degrees apart and should be addressed as such.
Neither will prove the other.

346




     Day to day natural evolution is very apparent in our world - for those of
us who trained as microbiologists, we saw firsthand the effects of environmental
changes on bacteria very day. They reproduce every 20 minutes so it is easier to
see evolutionary changes than in mammals or birds which are more gradual. The
so-called "Super bugs" are simply the result of selection of those bacteria
resistant to the antibiotics used (through the Divine lifeforce?): their
structures or enzymes are different so they are no longer susceptible to them. I
love the idea of an organic flux of nature - it isn't static as the Creationists
would have us believe, but a wonderfully pulsing example of the life force from
our Divine Creator Who has created an almost infinite number of life forms
capable of living in this world.

     "Au contraire" to the thought of Lavina Scott, Darwin is not responsible
for the naturalism or atheism in this world. He did indeed become antagonistic
to the idea of God in later life, but that was a gut reaction to the loss of his
favorite daughter - he did not have the truths of the New Church to help him
cope with his grief. The "blame" if you will for atheism can be firmly laid at
the door of the first Christian church with its belief in a tri-personal God Who
sent His Son on earth to atone for the sins of the world, and removed anyone's
ability to freely choose to follow Him by living according the Ten commandments
or words - what kind of a God is that: certainly not the loving Creator and
Redeemer in Whom I believe?

     Every day I thank the Lord for leading my grandfather to the New Church.
With my scientific mind I fear I too would have been an atheist - the
conventional Christian religion makes no sense to me. I am also thankful to the
Lord for continuing to provide salvation through the first Christian church for
those in it who continue to follow what the Word teaches, but I do not believe
Fundamentalism in any form - Christian, Muslim, New Church or any other religion
-leads anyone to heaven.

     Julie Conaron, MS, MA, Hospice Chaplain.

     Huntingdon Valley, PA

347





To the Editor:

     I was most delighted to open New Church Life in April and find a letter to
the Editor by Teryn Synnestvedt Romaine, a response to my January article on the
origin of life. I have a great interest in biology so I only wished it had been
a bit longer.

     The subject on the origin of life is one that has been debated back and
forth in this magazine for over a hundred years. Therefore, while New Church
Life is not a scientific magazine, it might not be out of place if someone would
take the time to explain how Darwin's theory of evolution has now graduated from
being a "theory" to proven science. Mrs. Romaine writes, "Add on all the post-
Darwinian findings based on DNA, like pseudo-genes, and endogenous retroviruses
and it is pretty clear that one species descended from another." I know that
there a several experts in evolution who read this magazine. Is it not possible
to explain these finding in layman's terms and also explain how they prove
Darwin's theory?

     Mrs. Romaine writes that she does not think that science would be able to
say, "This is it: God did this part because there is no natural explanation,"
because such would negate our freedom to not believe, i.e. it would force faith,
which is not faith at all" (April Life, p. 159).

     It seems to me that Mrs. Romaine misunderstands the very nature of faith.
What she describes is not faith, but blind faith, which is very different, for
she seems to assume that faith is all the things that we cannot see, understand
or explain. The Writings however, tell us that faith is an internal
acknowledgment of truth (Faith 2). So faith is not to believe in the things
that we cannot see, but to believe in the things that we can see with our
understanding. In other words, real faith is to see and understand the truth.
Blind faith, on the other hand, is to neither see nor understand, and despite of
that, maintain that it is true (see Faith 1 and 9).

     I also think that Mrs. Romaine misunderstands freedom or at least
underestimates human stubbornness. She asserts that, if the fact that creation
springs from God was made plainly evident to science, then our freedom to
believe would be taken away.

348


However, has history not proven
time and again, that humans have no trouble rejecting the truth even if the
truth is right under their nose and the size of a barn door? Freedom is not the
least endangered by an abundance of truth. In fact is not the opposite the real
truth? Isn't it a fact that our freedom is greatly enhanced the more truth we
know? There is no reason why the Lord God should try to hide Himself. Is this
not why we are told in True Christian Religion: "Human reason may, if it will,
receive and conclude from many things in the world that there is a God, and that
He is one. The truth may be confirmed by innumerable testimonies from the
visible world; for the universe is like a stage on which are continually being
exhibited evidence that there is a God, and that He is one" (True Christian Religion
12). So it must be that if we do not see God, then it is not because
He is hiding, but because we are looking away.

     I love what Mrs. Romaine says about correspondences, and I think it is
wonderful that this spiritual knowledge has inspired her to pursue science. That
knowledge has certainly inspired me the same way, which is probably why I read
about science whenever I can.

     In her second to last paragraph, Mrs. Romaine says that those who believe
in God see Him everywhere and those who do not believe see Him nowhere. She then
writes: "So mutation occurs by random chance (wink wink), both views are
entirely defensible within their realm." It sounds like Mrs. Romaine is trying
to say that the "positive principal" allows us to defend both correspondences as
well random mutation.

     Here I think it is important that we understand the positive principle. It
seems that the name "positive" or "affirmative principle" has sometime led us
astray in our understanding of these principles. From just the expression one
could get the idea that it is about happily embracing many and various ideas of
thought. However, the contrary is true: the positive principle is how we ensure
that the truth from the Word is primary, and memory-knowledge is subservient. I
think that we can classify scientific knowledge as "memory-knowledge," since
memory-knowledges (tr: scientifics or known facts) are "derived from things of
the senses" (Arcana Coelestia 6047:2) and isn't this what science
is all about?

349


Arcana
Coelestia 6047 outlines the way to proceed if we want to be in the
"affirmative from the Word," i.e. the affirmative principle. We can summarize it
in three steps: 1 Learn the doctrinal things of the church. 2 Examine the Word
to see if the doctrinal things of the church are true. 3 We are then allowed to
confirm the truths of faith by means of memory-knowledges (any facts we know).
In other words, at this point we are allowed to use the things that we may know
from science, in order to confirm the truths that we have learned from the Word.

     So it is when we come to the third step in this rational exercise that it
seems to me that ideas such as "random chance mutation" and "evolution by
natural selection" cannot in any way serve to confirm the truths of faith in the
New Church. It seems to me that these heresies may weaken our faith and confuse
our understanding of truth rather than help us strengthen our have our faith.
For how can "random chance mutation" coexist with the idea of providence? Either
the Lord governs all things or else all things must be governed by chance. If we
say both, have we not turned 'chance' into a 'god'? Then from having one God we
would have two. I cannot imagine that Darwin would like that.

     Similarly "natural selection" is not so different from correspondences
that the one has to exclude the other. For living organisms either get their
form from the spiritual world or they get their form from the natural world. If
we say both, then we turn nature into a god with creative powers. If we keep
going in this way, will we not end up creating a whole pantheon of gods? Would
it not be better to trust the Word and stick with the One we have? This in fact
can be confirmed by observation of nature.

     Yours, Olaf Hauptmann
     Colchester, England

350


EPISCOPAL ANNOUNCEMENTS 2010

EPISCOPAL ANNOUNCEMENTS       Various       2010


----------
Benin - Guillaume Anato

     With Guillaume J. K. Anato's ordination in May, we now have a resident
pastor in a new country in Africa - Benin. It borders on Togo to the east, along
the coast of West Africa. Guillaume learned English, in addition to having his
native language and French, to study for the ministry. He began his studies in
Ghana under Ankra-Badu and then was able to attend the Academy of the New Church
Theological School, where he graduated and was ordained in Bryn Athyn.

     Giullaume brings dedication, hard work, and vision to his work there. He
had developed a small group before beginning his studies which he now hopes to
revive and build upon. We wish him the best in this and look forward to hearing
what happens in the future.

West Africa - Regional Pastor and Country Pastors

     We are pleased to announce that Martin Gyamfi is the new regional pastor
for West Africa, taking over for Ankra-Badu. Edward Akotey, ordained this July,
will be his assistant in the Asakraka congregation to enable him to devote time
to this. Gyamfi will also be joining the Advisory Committee.

     In accord with their request from the last Council meetings, the following
men will also help Gyamfi by focusing on the uses in their respective countries:

     Cote d'Ivoire - Sylvain Agnes

     Ghana - Jacob Borketey-Kwaku

     Togo - Segno Kodjo Ayi

351


Church News 2010

Church News              2010


----------
     EPISCOPAL VISITS

     (Bishops Thomas Kline and Brian Keith accompanied by their wives Nina and
Gretchen, were joined at various stages by Rev. Eric Carswell, Rev. David
Lindrooth, Rev. Jay Barry, Kay Alden, and Duncan Smith visiting independently.
Adam Cole, Angela Heldon, Calista Barrett are New Church volunteer helpers from
the US and Australia.)

Ghana and Togo

By Nina Kline

     Sometimes when we get to travel to distant lands for the church, I feel
that we get to see what the Lord is doing in far parts of this natural planet.
We don't always see the tourist spots of natural beauty which He created, but we
get to see what He is doing to establish His New Church.

     This trip included visits to Ghana and Togo, two nations in West Africa on
the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in which the church has been growing for the
past several decades. Both are eagerly Christian countries where people name
their taxis or busses or businesses after their faith. A taxi reading,
'Everything By God' or a bus 'Thank You Jesus.' I loved the 'Jesus Never Fails
Beauty Supplies' and 'Beloved Fertilizer Store' and in Togo (French speaking)
'Dieu es Dieu Cafe.' So the people are eager to learn more about the Lord.

     First stop was in Tema, a city near Accra, the capital of Ghana. There
Rev. Kwasi Darkwah has established a thriving church and school community. The
school teaches over 200 children, most not previously acquainted with the New
Church. At the service Sunday Edward Akotey was ordained into the first degree
of the priesthood and five men were ordained into the second. Rev. Hennock
Aggro, Rev. Kwadwo Adu Amoako, Rev. Israel Ampem-Darko, Rev. George Dziekpor and
Rev. John Segbenu had all been ordained into the first degree by Rt. Rev. Brian
Keith and had been serving in Ghana in different congregations there for two
years. The beautiful new church there was full to bursting with beautifully
dressed women and men and well behaved children as we sang praise to the Lord
and danced in our offertories during the service. People in Africa know how to
bring their joy in the Lord right out in the services!

352




     While in Tema, we also had the opportunity to visit the Accra church,
pastored by retiring Rev. William Ankra-Badu, and new pastor Rev. George
Dziekpor, and the rented space in Teshie where Rev. Jacob Borketey-Kwaku meets
with his congregation. Most of these people had come to Tema for the Sunday
ordination service, as well as a bus load of 40 people traveling down four hours
from Asakraka, which was on our itinerary later in the week. Tom also had
meetings with all the ministers where they planned for the future of the church
in Ghana, and for assuming the duties of retiring Rev. Ankra-Badu, who was the
first of the General Church ministers in that country which is now so active in
the church. Rev. Gyamfi will assume the role of Regional Pastor to West Africa.

     Rev. Martin Gyamfi heads an energetic congregation in Asakraka with a
school of over 300 children, again many meeting the New Church teachings for the
first time in classes and chapel each week. We were there for the graduation
exercises for their ninth grade and had the privilege of handing out the
certificates and sports awards before a gathering of hundreds of fellow
students, parents and friends. As usual the ceremony included dancing and
singing, as well as recitations by the Sunday School students of the chapters of
The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrines and the mission of the General
Church.

     While in Asakraka we were invited to call on the local chief, a beautiful
and formal process. He is a friend and supporter of Rev. Gyamfi and encourages
the New Church effort to bring good education to their small village. We also
visited the neighboring village of Nteso and its chief, who had come to visit
Bryn Athyn. He came to the service we had in their lovely little church where a
potential school is under construction, and treated us all to lunch of chicken
and rice, cooked by his wife and daughter right next door over an open fire. It
is amazing to see the church taking root in small places where the people are
eager to worship the Lord in His Open Word.

353




     Driving to Togo was an experience in itself! There were many wonderful
services in Togo. First we worshipped with the Lome congregation for the final
time as their rental space had been sold. It was Friday evening and the service
ran into the dark of night, but the many children there were perfectly behaved.
The littlest went to sleep, but the others participated happily.

     Next morning we drove up to Vogan, a city on the border with Benin, where
people had gathered in their beautiful field tabernacle for morning worship, in
spite of having to walk there in the rain. I loved their church. It is a work in
progress with a foot high walls of self made brick, then back walls of woven
mats and front walls of billowing red, purple and blue curtains, all under a
sturdy roof. Perfectly fine for the worship, singing and dancing that celebrate
the Lord. Rev. Eric Souka is the pastor there, where both he and Rev. Ayi grew
up.

     Sunday in Lome the congregation was so huge they had to rent the courtyard
of a large building. About 200 chairs were set up to start with under large
awnings, but before the service could start at least a hundred more were
arranged and the overflow had to stand. The service was to include the
ordination of Rev. Souka into the second degree, and the ordination into the
first degree of Ablam Amouzouvi. Many of Rev. Amouzouvi's colleagues and
students were present, including the High School choir from the school where he
is a Phys Ed teacher, who sang beautifully many times during the service. Again
the chancel was surrounded by billowing curtains, this time of white and red
fabric embossed with gold roses. At least 100 of the people present were wearing
clothing made for the occasion in a specific yellow and blue fabric. Very
festive!

     The Lord's work throughout the world is bearing fruit, as He predicted in
Matthew
9: 'The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'"


354




Cote d'Ivoire

By Bishop Brian Keith

     We arrived in Cote d'Ivoire on a Thursday evening. Sylvain and Roger, and
Roger's wife Gertrude, met us at the airport. Sylvie, Sylvain's wife, could not
join us because she give birth the next morning!

     On Friday we went down to the river for baptisms. There were six this
time, including a man who lives in a city far removed from Abidjan who hopes to
form a New Church group where he lives.

     We then connected with David Lindrooth who had just arrived. He was
invited to Cote d'Ivoire for the festivities. Dave, as head of the Office of
Outreach, was instrumental in supporting Sylvain in setting up the theological
training there, so they especially wanted him there for their first graduation
ceremony. In fact, the five graduates requested that their class be named the
"David Lindrooth Class" in his honor, which was announced to great fanfare.

     The graduation service was held on Saturday. It was a momentous occasion
as these men had been enrolled full time in the school full time for four years
to complete the program. Sylvain claims his goal is to make it the second best
theological school in the world, after the Academy's where he trained. And he
has assembled an interesting array of faculty to make it happen. He has several
local experts to instruct in church history, counseling, and other practical
matters. But all the doctrine is taught by him and Alain Nicolier, who has been
visiting Cote d'Ivoire for several months annually to provide intensive
instruction. In addition to that, they have Dan Goodenough and Goran Appelgren
on their staff. Dan and Goran give general help and direction, as well as grade
papers and dissertations.

     At the graduation ceremony Dave gave an address on the priesthood, and
other faculty and Sylvain added their voices to this occasion. And it could not
have been a real ceremony without much singing, dancing and celebrating.


355


Four of the five men are married, and it was a delight to see
what this meant to their wives in addition to the congregation. This service and
the celebrations afterwards took up much of the day, with a relatively full
church in spite of torrential downpours that made it difficult for many to make
it.

     That evening we visited Roger Koudou's congregation. While also in
Abidjan, his group is some distance from Sylvain's. He does not have any church
building, but holds services on his rooftop. They have now expanded the covering
over his entire roof, and put up a temporary wall on one side to shield them
from the rain. His entire congregation was there, at least 70 adults and
probably that many children. There were also some visitors who have come into
the church but who live in towns many miles distant from Abidjan. There were
talks and songs before they served dinner for everyone. While it is wonderful to
see how they make do with so little, finding some way for them to obtain land
for a church building should be a high priority.

     On Sunday we held the ordination service at Sylvain's church. This was to
ordain Roger into the second degree and the five graduates into the first
degree. The service took the better part of four hours, which is not unexpected
given the amount of singing and all the other elements that are expected. It was
wonderful to see the delight on the faces of the graduates, and the enthusiasm
with which they loudly affirmed the ordination questions with "oui"! Each man
read his declaration of faith in French. They are being translated into English
for publication in New Church Life. (One graduate speaks some English but the
others do not. One of the post-graduation/ordination development tasks is for
them to learn English. We have so much of the Writings and doctrinal studies in
English that we want to promote them learning it if at all possible.)

     The current plan is for each of these graduates to develop their own
congregations in the Abidjan area, increasing their presence and mutual support
there.

356




     On Monday evening Gretchen and I departed for Kenya. Dave Lindrooth
remained an additional day to meet with all the ministers there and provide a
workshop on outreach. Dave then traveled to Ghana to provide workshops there for
the clergy. (Providing training on how to do outreach was a key goal of Dave's
trip. Even in an area where there is openness to the religion in general and the
teaching of the New Church in particular, the ministers need to learn tools that
facilitate people finding and coming into the New Church.)

Kenya

     Our visit here, primarily to ordain Nicks Marisa into the ministry, became
a focal point for a number of connected uses. The New Uses organization, which
supports the church in Africa, paid for Eric Carswell and Kay Alden to visit and
support the schools in Riounde, Etora and with the Maasai. Not only is it
important for the Office of Education to connect with these schools and teachers
who want to make their growing schools more New Church, but the Kenyans are
planning on starting a high school in January. In addition to that, when Loving
Arms Mission found out about the trip, they funded one of their board members,
Jay Barry, to join us and strengthen their connection with the orphanage there.
And one last set of visitors joined in with us. Two young New Church women from
Australia, Angela Heldon and Calista Barrett, had heard about the orphanage and
wanted to help out. So they decided to begin their six week volunteer stint
there at the same time. And we were surprised to find another visitor already
there. Adam Cole, a fine young adult from Bryn Athyn, had come to help out for
two weeks, but stayed for three months. He has been a tremendous asset in the
orphanage and congregation. We all arrived in Nairobi on the same day and flew
to Kisumu together, where Khalid, pastor of Riounde, and others met us to take
us to Kisii.

357




     It was delightful to see the progress that has been made on the school
building in Rioude in the past year. With their preschool through 8th grade
system of over 250 students, this has been a serious need. Duncan Smith has been
supervising this work. It has been made financially possible by a number of
donors, including Duncan himself. They have been replacing the mud and stick
construction with brick. They are even putting up a classroom structure with two
stories. They have also expanded their large gathering room where they hold
church, school assemblies, and serve meals. Duncan has just returned for another
several month visit, so we expect even more rapid development! Another promising
development was seeing the local government stringing electric wires in the
direction of the church and orphanage property. Khalid says they should enable
them to have electricity by 2011. This will be a vast improvement over the solar
panels that produce maybe two hours of electricity per day.

     The Etora school, under Samson's direction, has added a 5th grade and
hopes to add more in the future. They have over 130 students and would like to
expand their school building for future classes and increased enrollments. The
school also recently won an award for excellence! They have also put up a more
stable roof for their temporary church structure - a welcome improvement!

     During the week we made extensive visits to the Riounde and Etora
congregations. Eric, Kay and Gretchen met with teachers, visited classes, and
gave workshops on New Church education. Jay, Angela and Calista dove into
working with the children in the orphanage. This even culminated in Jay, Adam,
Angela and Calista preparing a special dinner of hot dogs for the children - an
unusual treat for them.

     One of the developing uses there is theological training. They have nearly
ten men who want to study for the ministry, but who would not be able to come to
the Academy. Andy Dibb, the dean of our theological school, is working with them
on setting this up and finding appropriate ways to deliver instruction.


358


Many of the students are currently teachers in our schools, so
they are exploring ways to provide intensive instruction during the two months
of the year when Kenyan schools are not in session.

     On Saturday we traveled to Nyakeyo, a group about one and one half hours
south of Riounde and Etora. It was wonderful to see a basic structure with a
roof erected on property dedicated to the Church. Nicks has been providing
weekly services here, where they had been meeting under a tree. We held a church
service with Jay preaching on the importance of marriage and how the Lord can
help people when one spouse suffers the loss of the other. This was especially
pertinent for them with the widows in the congregation. And this hopeful message
was supported by the usual festive singing. Afterwards there were various
speeches, and then each of us visitors was invited to plant a seedling on the
property around the church building as a sign of growth and stability.

     On Sunday the church service in Rioude was full, as usual. The
congregations in Etora and Nyakeyo also joined in, each bringing their own
choirs. Added to the several singing groups from Riounde (the orphans, faculty,
and another choir), there was extensive music. During the service I ordained
Nicks into the priesthood, performed several baptisms, and conducted a renewal
of wedding vows for Nicks and his wife Stella. Among the baptisms, it was a
special pleasure to baptize their new daughter. They had named her "Gretchen
Kay" in honor of Gretchen and Kay Alden. Kay had virtually adopted Nicks when he
was at Bryn College in the education program, so they have a long standing
relationship, and it had been Kay's dream to visit Kenya and his family. -Naming
children after people like this is not uncommon. We also saw how two of Samson's
daughters were progressing, Helga and Heather, who were named after Helga Childs
and Heather Smith. Samson and Khalid received theological instruction from
Geoffrey Childs in South Africa and Chris Smith was there as Bishop's
representative. - Eric Carswell preached an uplifting sermon on the Lord's love
and mercy, and there was a delightful meal served to one and all afterwards.


359




     On Monday we traveled south to the Maasai congregation for another worship
service. We had taken two vans full of people, but, unfortunately, one broke
down before we arrived and those people never did reach the church. This was
quite a disappointment for those who wanted to sing at the service, but is
perhaps not unexpected given the challenging road conditions and the resultant
wear and tear on vehicles.

     It was a pleasure to see the physical progress they had made. Their mud
and stick church structure now has a smooth plastered coat on the inside and
out. And they built a post and rail type fence to prevent the cattle that graze
around the church from damaging the structure with their horns. They have also
added another class and teacher to their school. It is now a preschool and
kindergarten. They hope to gradually increase the number of classes, but will
need to expand their church building, where they hold classes, before they can
do that.

     The Maasai also speak about needing Maasai clergy so they can start
churches throughout the area. One very bright young Maasai man, an 8th grader at
the Riounde school, told me his goal is to become the first General Church
bishop in Africa. And he just might do it!

     We left the next week filled with the good will, kindness, and excitement
of the New Church in West and East Africa. Their uses of worship, education, and
the orphanage are all progressing. It is wonderful to see the Lord blessing the
reception of His Word there and the up building of His church.

360


SWEDENBORG'S AMERICAN FAMILY 2010

SWEDENBORG'S AMERICAN FAMILY       Rev. ROBERT H. P. COLE       2010


----------
     Further careful research shows that Emanuel Swedenborg's brother
Jesper, (not his father Jesper, or Emanuel), did come to America. He settled in
Southern New Jersey, probably near Swedesboro. He married, and had three
children. Jesper, Jr., was said to be a learned man, well-educated in science
and philosophy, also proficient in alchemy, (pharmacy matters of that day).

     Young Jesper was also a teacher. He was well-regarded and helpful in
assisting other pioneers and settlers. He apparently kept the surname Svedberg.
Perhaps, this is why some historians in supplying information for the Internet,
may have confused him with his father, who was in charge of the Swedish Lutheran
settlements in New York, New Jersey, and Delaware - (De La Warr - named for an
English Norman Lord). But Bishop Svedberg did not visit the New World as far as
we know. Svedberg, Jr. also seems to have visited William Penn in his London
Office before the Great Quaker's death. Perhaps it was a courtesy call before
settling in lands under his British Crown Colony authority, which also included
parts of New Jersey and Delaware, as well as Penn being the first Governor of
Pennsylvania. Jesper Svedberg seemed to have shown some at least polite interest
in Quakerism and the Society of Friends, besides other Churches as well as his
father's Lutheran Church.

     It appears that Jesper became involved in numerous community activities in
New Jersey, just about the time of local "free spirited" Swedes like Jesper
Svedberg, Jr., and others, helped to spur later American Revolution, thereby
helping the Lord and the angels promote a new nation, where especially there
would be genuine religious freedom.

     It apparently was reported in some journals that Jesper, at one time,
sought a seat in the New Jersey House of Freeholders in Trenton, (the State
Capital's earlier name was changed to honor Stacy Trent, an American Patriot),
and perhaps Jesper Svedberg was even elected and served there in 1719.


361




     Much more research is needed for the New Church to better determine the
significant aspects of the life of Jesper Svedberg, Jr. How many of the Books of
the Writings, when published later, may he have read? Quite a few families named
Svedberg, Swedenburg, and Swedenborg, have surfaced lately in America. Most
recently, Mystery Story Author Ellen Crosby, a Foreign Correspondent for
Disney's ABC News, expresses appreciation in one of her books for the help of a
Swedenburg Virginia vineyard estate family. Otho Heilman and others often
brought some Swedenborgs then living in Huntingdon Valley, to Bryn Athyn Friday
Suppers.*
     * We also appreciated having informative recent conversations with Rt.
Rev. Alfred Acton, Rev. Dr. Jonathan Rose, and others, for helpfully adding to
some of the above notes. For Penn seen in Heaven - See Continuation Last Judgment
84:2; Last Judgment Posth. 58. For Swedenborg's Writings concerning
the spreading of religion in America, "the Indies and their Islands," and
elsewhere" See Divine Providence 330:7; Sacred Scripture 117. Also,
Bigelow, John: "The Bible That Was Lost and Found" (written in St. Thomas
Harbor, U. S. West Indies) See also Sigstedt, Cyriel: "The Swedenborg Epic," pp.
488-9. (Jesper Svedberg's distribution of his father's Hymnal among the New
Jersey Swedish Colonists by order of Queen Ulrika Eleonora, who ennobled the
Family name from Svedberg to Svedenborg). Bob Cole.

     Editor's Note: This fascinating chapter re. Jesper Svedberg Jr. can be
expanded by reading Swedenborg Epic. Jesper Jr. was born around 1693 or so
(Emanuel in 1688). He served in Charles XII's army, reaching Lieutenant rank
when he defended Stralsund. He quit the army, and being so "restless and wild,"
dad Jesper sent him to England in 1714. That did not take either, so he sent
next him to "Pensilvania in West India." Well, he picked the east bank of the
Delaware, which was then "New Yearsey" to the Swedes, where he lived from 1714
to 1724, teaching Swedish immigrant children in a log-cabin school. The reason
he stayed there was that most Swedes lived along that shore; and it became too
hard for them to make risky crossings of the wide river to attend Church on the
"Pensilvania" side. No bridges in those days! So instead, they built rough log-
cabin churches on the east bank, and a log-cabin school where Jesper taught.
This architecture with neatly interlocking corners came from the Swedes.

     The Delaware river to the Lenni Lenapes was Potaxat, and Philadelphia was
then called Wicacoa, and Wilmington was called by the Swedes what else but
Kristina! One of the early Swedish settler was called Rambo, long before
Stallone made the Swedish settler's name into a hero figure!

362




     Jesper lived and taught at Raccoon Creek, now Swedesboro. William Penn
regarded the Swedes as the saviors of colonial America, since they "guarded the
forests" and respected the inhabitants, since they knew their cousins the Lapps
back home to be just like them! The Lapps probably turned to the left and the
archeo-indians turned to the right across Bering straight all those eons ago!
Penn thought that except for the Swedes, the Indians would have tossed everyone
into the ocean long ago.

     Jesper and another man Mans Kyn were also instrumental in getting a Manse
built for Pastor Lidenius when two congregations were so at loggerheads to have
him near their village, that Bishop Jesper had to write to settle the dispute in
"Christian charity and brotherly confidence." Build the Manse "half-way"! Young
Jesper and Mans went around to all 175 or so Swedish settlers and got contracts
from them all to donate money or time, in return for a good "rum break"! No
Pepsi as yet.

     Jesper returned to Sweden in 1724, and he and Emanuel, by then an Assessor
and House of Nobles member, "caught up" with each other. He contemplated
returning to New Sweden, but instead got married ca. 1728 and settled into an
estate life. Swedenborg's brother-in-law Dean Unge, urged Emanuel to follow
brother Jesper's example, even naming a pretty young thing as a good candidate
to marry. But no such luck for Emanuel! (See Swedenborg Epic, as Bob Cole refers
to, p. 487-489,453,102-104.)

     Thanks, Bob, for bringing this to our attention.

363


New Church Life Survey 2010

New Church Life Survey              2010


----------
     New Church Life has historically been the official record and
journal of doctrinal studies and debates of the General Church. Readership has
been declining and we are looking at New Church Life with an eye toward making
it more readable and relevant for a wider audience. We are committed to
preserving its primary purpose - to reflect the doctrinal thought and life of
the Church. We are also intent on retaining the best of these traditions while
improving presentation, content quality and readability. To best accommodate
these changes, we are considering going to a bimonthly or quarterly publication,
to better serve readers. Before making changes, however, we would like your
input to help shape our decisions. Please take a moment to complete the survey
below and return it by mail or e-mail.

     Age:     Marital Status:     Gender:

     O 20 - 29     0 Married     0 Male

     O 30 - 39     0 Widowed     0 Female

     0 40 - 49     0 Divorced     

     0 50 - 59     0 Single     

     O 60 - 69          

     0 70 and above

364




     1. Do you read New Church Life?

     O     Always 0 Usually 0 Sometimes

     O     Rarely 0 Never     0 More than I used to

     O     Less than I used to

     2. How did you begin receiving New Church Life?

     O     Subscription 0 Gift 0 Other

     3. Would you read New Church Life online?

     O     Yes 0 No 0 Not sure

     4. The subscription rate for New Church Life has been $16 since 1995. It is now necessary
to pass through current production costs. Would you be willing to continue your
subscription at a higher rate, assuming commensurate quality and readability
improvements?

     O     Yes 0 No 0 Not sure

     5. Reducing the number of issues would help us lower production costs.
Would you continue receiving the Life as a quarterly or bi-monthly publication?

     O     Yes 0 No

     6. If you are not paying for the Life now, would you be willing to do so
if asked?

     O     Yes 0 No 0 Not sure

     Comments (What you like best about the Life, would like to see changed,
etc.):

     Thank you. Your input will be very useful in determining the future of New
Church Life.

365


ORDINATIONS, Second Degree 2010

ORDINATIONS, Second Degree              2010


----------

     Announcements
     Aggro, Hennock Yao-At Accra, Ghana, July 4, 2010, Rt. Rev. Thomas L.
Kline officiating.

     Amoako, Kwadwo Adu-At Accra, Ghana, July 4, 2010, Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Kline
officiating.

     Ampem-Darko, Israel Gyan-At Accra, Ghana, July 4, 2010, Rt. Rev. Thomas L.
Kline officiating.

     Dziekpor, George Genya-At Accra, Ghana, July 4, 2010, Rt. Rev. Thomas L.
Kline officiating.

     Koudou, Roger-At Abidjan, Ivory Coast, July 11, 2010, Rt. Rev. Brian W.
Keith officiating.

     Segbenu, John Kwaku-At Accra, Ghana, July 4, 2010, Rt. Rev. Thomas L.
Kline officiating.

     Souka, Eric Messan-At Lome, Togo, July 11, 2010, Rt. Rev. Brian W. Keith
officiating.
ORDINATIONS, First Degree 2010

ORDINATIONS, First Degree              2010

     Aka, Honore Amahin-At Abidjan, Ivory Coast, July 11, 2010, Rt. Rev.
Brian W. Keith officiating

     Akotey, Edward-At Accra, Ghana, July 4, 2010, Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Kline
officiating.

     Amouzouvi, Ablam Komlan-At Lome, Togo, July 11, 2010, Rt. Rev. Brian W.
Keith officiating.

     Dakouri, Evariste Daligou-At Abidjan, Ivory Coast, July 11, 2010, Rt. Rev.
Brian W. Keith officiating

     Doukourou, Moise Gogable-At Abidjan, Ivory Coast, July 11, 2010, Rt. Rev.
Brian W. Keith officiating

     Kouhoui, Henry Joel Kouassi-At Abidjan, Ivory Coast, July 11, 2010, Rt.
Rev. Brian W. Keith officiating

     Mangoua, Cyprien Kouame-At Abidjan, Ivory Coast, July 11, 2010, Rt. Rev.
Brian W. Keith officiating

     Marisa, Nicks Osindo-At Riounde, Kenya, July 18, 2010, Rt. Rev. Brian W.
Keith officiating
Notes on This Issue 2010

Notes on This Issue       Editor       2010


----------
     We were saddened by the sudden call by the Lord into the spiritual
world of Rev. Ragnar Boyesen. His impact, together with his wife Dorrit, has
been one of welcome to the New Church. Ragnar's Memorial Service takes the place
of the usual Sermon.

     Rev. Arne BauMadsen is completing the trilogy of articles on Disasters and
Providence. How do events in recent history fit in with the spiritual events
relating to the Last Judgment? Lisbon's Earthquake in 1755 seems to feature very
prominently; but what about coal, the invention of printing, etc.? A very
fertile look at our history.

     Vance Genzlinger in Michigan takes up the task of promoting the New Church
using all our members in furthering the "dialogue" principle: do we know what to
say, and to which group of people? This is a huge project which has started with
Rev. Douglas Taylor's material, continued recently by Rev. Erik Buss's book, and
implemented at many locations, at length. Here is a detailed proposal to make it
even more permanent.

     Soni Werner is well known at the Bryn Athyn College where she has been
teaching for the last 14 years. She has a fascinating proposal on pedagogy based
on states of regeneration.

     Mr. Ed Allen Jr. takes another look at aging, using several sources, and
has some keen insights that may help us. "Am I really that way?" We wonder...
Thanks for this item.

     There are proposals for the New Church: Olle Bjorkstrom in Stockholm
Sweden reflects on how the New Church may have been influenced by Christian
ways. Should there be a change, a shift in paradigm? We feel drawn to answer his
questions.

     Error: In the Editorial, September New Church Life, p. 338, the phrase "There may
be despots!" should read "There may be enlightened despots!" Apologies for the
omission.

371


MEMORIAL ADDRESS: THE REV. RAGNAR BOYESEN 2010

MEMORIAL ADDRESS: THE REV. RAGNAR BOYESEN       Rev. THOMAS H. ROSE       2010


----------
     (Bryn Athyn Cathedral, Sunday September 12, 2010)

     O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1)

     Early this morning in Bucks County, the sun was rising in the east,
shining brightly and reflecting beautifully in the clouds, and yet, oddly
enough, it was raining. It was mostly an overcast sky, and the appearance of the
sun in all its glory was temporary. After awhile, the break in the clouds in the
east closed up, and it was a clouded-over and rainy morning. And this morning
marked a week since Ragnar Boyesen suffered a major stroke.

     Sometimes it's hard to figure out how things work. There is order in the
universe, and yet we are constantly reminded that there is an ongoing contrast
going on between what we consider to be right and what we consider to be wrong.
No one witnessing the break-in-the-clouds sunrise today could have decided that,
no, we are going to have completely clear skies this morning. None of us could
have said, "No, I don't want to see clouds! It's not fair to have to see clouds
when I don't want to see them." Meanwhile, someone else woke up and looked at
the same sky and said, "Oh good... we need rain right now." And in Ohio, it was
clear skies with perhaps the opposite thought processes going on in different
peoples' minds. And that's an example from something in nature - and a mild one
at that.

372


We can look at major disasters such as earthquakes,
hurricanes, mud slides and flooding rains, and witness the entire range of human
reaction, from "That's it - there's no God!" to "The Lord sent this as a
punishment," to "Everything is in providence, therefore the Lord made it happen
because it must have been that person's time," to the witnessing of human
heroics and acts of love and smaller stories within the big ones that tell of
the Lord's pure mercy.

     While these illustrations have been about things in nature, we know that
this same contrasting story plays out in the things over which we human beings
do have control. It's still so often a matter of peoples' opinions of what is
right and what is wrong - fair or unfair. Whether it is the natural world or
human nature, we need people who can help us sort through all of this and give
us perspective. We need the "balancers." We need to look to the ones who are
less phased or dazed and who can see the road more clearly, and who can then
help us move together toward a better understanding and a solution. We need the
compassionate and kind companions and leaders who can bring us together, who
make us feel comfortable, and who can do this from a place of principle, order
and honor.

     People can't seem to talk about Ragnar Boyesen without using words such as
these - compassionate, kind, honorable, principled, comfortable and balancing.
And just so - Gentle-Giantly-Nordic all the time!

     And we could use Ragnar's help right now to understand, and to comfort our
loss, acting as a servant of the Lord.

     Back we go to Telemark, Norway in 1940. Ragnar was born. He had a half-
brother, Jean, and he would be followed by brother Eyvind, brother Asbjorn,
another brother Birger, who was stillborn - unfair? - and then sister Anna
Karina. Anna, seven years younger than Ragnar, says today that "he was a very,
very special big brother."

     Through the years, Ragnar and Eyvind became inseparable companions,
running, skiing, skating, grabbing bumpers to ski behind vehicles in the snow;
or jumping in the hay when they and other school students went to help the
farmers during potato season.

373


He and Eyvind each had a paper
route, and Ragnar talked Eyvind into doing work at some place at night so that
they could buy a motorcycle together, but really the money all went to Mom
during those war and post-war years. Still, these brothers were very lively in
pursuit of fun and entertained the neighborhood with their antics. Someone threw
out a mattress, so to creative Ragnar this was to become a circus, brother
Eyvind being stuffed with pillows and socks, and Ragnar doing a vaudeville-type
of act knocking the big, overstuffed sidekick over in one funny exaggerated fall
after another. Over the years together, they would build creative suspension
systems for bicycles and race cars and rebuild engines. In winter, Ragnar, or
Ragnar and Eyvind used to pack backpacks full of food and trek it out to an old
man who was living a hermit's life deep in the woods. Or they'd make sure he had
wood, or shovel snow for him. Ragnar always carried with him this way of
sticking up for the underdog, standing up for the helpless, and helping out
those in need. In this vein, He and Eyvind stopped local bullies from bullying
other kids, using their own very convincing methods.

     At one point, Ragnar attended a one-room school. One day when there was a
major snowfall, the inviting snow drifting and piling so high that any normal
Norwegian kid would want to just throw himself out the window into it, Ragnar
impulsively did what all the other kids were thinking, and dived right out the
window! Always pressing forward in pursuit of fun, that boy. Also, when he was
young, he had great talks with his dad while riding with him carting the grain
to the gristmill. Just this past week Ragnar's own sons and daughters have
realized that this was probably why their own greatest talks with him happened
while driving with him in a car.

     Here is a broad-brush overview of Ragnar's life: He married Dorrit
Pedersen, from Denmark, who was a friend of Ragnar's sister, Anna. Dorrit's
father was the lay leader in Copenhagen for many years.

374


Through
a New Church camp held in Denmark, Dorrit met Anna. This eventually brought
Dorrit to Norway, where she met Ragnar, who was an actor in a theater group and
a very creative and thoughtful man. They fell in love and were betrothed. Just
before their wedding, Ragnar was in a major car accident, and Dorrit helped
bring him through it. Ragnar and Dorrit's children are Aslaug, Margit, Torbjorn,
Kristina, Svend, Harald and Justin. Their granddaughter is Harmony Sage.

     In addition to regular school, he trained at two vocational-technical
schools one year each in mechanics and car mechanics. He attended senior high
school in Bryn Athyn, class of '59, and a year of college in Bryn Athyn as well.
During these years he made a trip out to Pittsburgh and stayed with the Smith
family there, who sold Christmas trees seasonally. As Larkin Smith will confirm,
the family took great delight in having a huge Norseman there selling the
Norwegian spruces. He worked with Mr. Lachlan Pitcairn while here in school, and
again here in theological school, and they became good friends. In High School,
he did have his moments as a prankster, at one point during a shaving cream
fight inadvertently spraying it all over the young man in authority who had come
in at the time to stop it - the man we now know as General Ronald Nelson. Ragnar
served in the Norwegian Air Force for 18 months and was chosen to be class
president at Rygge Airfield. While in the military he competed in a biathlon and
won the bronze medal. He took on different jobs before going to the University
of Oslo for two years of law school. He met Dorrit in Oslo, and they married in
the early summer of 1968.

     By now, because of something seen in his disposition, several people had
asked Ragnar if he ever considered studying for the ministry. Why? Because he
was seen to be loving, caring and kind - always wanting to help others. And so
he was accepted into theological school in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania and began
his studies in the fall of '68. He was a shop teacher at the Academy of the New
Church Boy's School and also taught religion there.

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He
completed his theological studies in 1972, and was chosen to be class
Valedictorian. He was ordained into the priesthood of the General Church of the
New Jerusalem. Ragnar went to Toronto to assist Rev. Harold Cranch. After one
year as an assistant in Canada, he received his first pastorate in Stockholm
Sweden. In Scandinavia, Ragnar had responsibility over Oslo, Norway, Copenhagen,
Denmark and Stockholm and Jonkoping, Sweden. He worked hard to bring diverse
congregations together in mutual understanding and respect. And in 1975, to many
people's surprise, he spoke Swedish for the first time during a service. In 1978
he accepted an invitation from the leader of the church's society of the General
Conventions in Stockholm to start weekly Bible studies. A mutual trust between
the two societies - General Church and General Convention - gradually formed. In
1980 he helped start the Scandinavian Swedenborg Society. He played a key roll
in the remodeling of the beautiful main sanctuary in the Swedenborg Memorial
Church in Stockholm. In 1982 he helped plan an assembly in Stockholm for the
Scandinavian societies.

     After the assembly he was told by the bishop that he was needed in the
United States. And so, in the summer of 1982, the entire family moved to
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, where he worked closely with the Reverend Eric
Carswell. At that time Laurel family camp was governed by Pittsburgh society,
and some are aware that Ragnar helped to save this camp from being closed down.
In 1984 he helped the church members in Freeport, Pennsylvania in their move to
be a separate congregation from the Pittsburgh Society. Ragnar became the first
Pastor of the Freeport Society. Freeport was without a place of worship and the
Boyesen family was figuring out how to live in two apartments. In the late fall,
they started building their new house while living in the basement. It took
years and the society helped build it. Imagine Ragnar's big hands working with
salvaged barn wood or making any tools he didn't have. He taught his children
while they all worked, and he taught that the old way is always better when it
comes to building.

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     One year after they moved, the entire congregation helped to build their
church - a wonderful uniting time for everyone. One year after Bishop King broke
ground, he came back to dedicate the building. Ragnar became the treasurer of
the local cooperation between ministers, or Ministerium, of different
denominations. He was a key visionary in starting the local Habitat for Humanity
in Butler, PA. He met with several students from the Academy of the New Church
Secondary Schools, and helped them express their concerns about student life.
After this helpful facilitation, the administration did reexamine and rework
dorm and school rules to better accommodate the student body. In 1993 he and
Dorrit and the family moved to Kempton, PA to be pastor of the society and
principal of the school, helping to rework the curriculum there. The last move
of his working career was to Jonkoping, Sweden in 1995 to be the pastor for
Jonkoping, Copenhagen and Oslo, reestablishing his Scandinavian roots.
Retirement started there in July 2009, and in 2010, in fact two weeks ago, he
and Dorrit moved to their home on Jacksonville Road in Bucks County,
Pennsylvania.

     Ragnar was reserved about himself, but extremely kind and compassionate
about others. His children report that he was a good Dad. Growing up, he taught
them many, many things, in a way that allowed them to have an "Aha" moment for
themselves. At church camps, he taught teens woodworking and how to whittle
things such as a flute from nature. Instruction was about the use, not just the
task itself. He read to his children before bed, and told a lot of Norwegian
folk tales. He was enormously patient. Aslaug, learning to drive in Freeport,
put the car in a ditch. Dad just said that they'd have to go get the tractor to
pull it out. Kristina put one in a ditch, too, and he was just as patient.
Torbjorn's car broke down an hour down the turnpike, and Dad just came and
helped get it going, without further comment. A boy gave teenaged Margit
jewelry, and this may not have sat as well, but really, he could get through it.


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Sure, there are always family dynamics, but Ragnar came out on
the favored side of "Dadhood." He helped make a go-cart out of a bench press!
His son Harald wrote, "You taught us all how kindness can be the most powerful
social tool next to a smile. You always did both." He was proud of his kids and
he loved his wife.

     And his life was the church, Doctrine and ideas, order and beauty. He
loved the Lord's Prayer, - so much so concerning the concept of order, that he
was a man who insisted that the family clean the house before a trip, so that
all would be well upon their return.

     But of course we mean that it is the Lord's order in all things spiritual
and natural that stirred Ragnar so much. Ragnar Boyesen was an extremely caring,
loving pastor, who cared for you way before he cared for himself. He was not
afraid to express his faith. When brother Eyvind was struggling to start a new
business, Ragnar went to visit and was asked for advice. Ragnar said, "I think
it is not inappropriate to suggest that you pray." Eyvind did, and help came
quickly.

     Right now, we need to trust in the Lord. Why did Ragnar have to go so
soon? We don't always know these things. Sometimes it's hard to figure out how
things work. Mostly, we just need to have faith in the Lord, that He knows all
things and provides for the good for the sake of all people.

     And it would be nice if His servant, Ragnar Boyesen, were here in person
to help us understand, to provide comfort, kindness and wisdom.

     Of Ragnar, we hear the Lord's words in a parable:

     Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few
things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord
(Matthew
24:23).

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DISASTER, DISEASE AND DIVINE PROVIDENCEPART THREE: DIVINE PROVIDENCE 2010

DISASTER, DISEASE AND DIVINE PROVIDENCEPART THREE: DIVINE PROVIDENCE       Rev. ARNE BAU-MADSEN       2010


----------
     This is the conclusion to the study by Rev. Arne Bau-Madsen. Part I
was printed in the July
2004, and Part II in the January 2006 New Church Life.

     First Installment.

     (Due to space limitations, this article will appear in two installments.
Ed.)

Introduction: The Divine Providence Is In All Things

     The research upon which this three-part study is based began many years
ago when I looked through the little posthumous work called "Sketch of an
Ecclesiastical History of the New Church". In this work it is stated that "A new
Ecclesiastical History must be written, because now is the Lord's Advent
predicted in Matthew xxiv." As I read this I reflected upon the fact
that this call had already been heeded.

     We have quite a treasure of books and articles dealing with this subject.
Included are numerous biographies treating of the life and preparation of
Emanuel Swedenborg, as well as of many notables, both lay and clergy, who helped
build the New Church. We do have an abundance of documents describing various
aspects of the founding and development of the church, and it seemed to me that
although the work was by no means completed we certainly were off to a good
start.

     As I read on, however, I began to realize that this might be only part of
the task. One particular statement caught my attention: "The church was
different before the Council of Nice, as long as the Apostles Creed was in
force. It became changed after the Council of Nice, and still more after the
Athanasian Creed was composed." Why should this council, which took place in 325
AD, be mentioned in connection with the history of the New Church?


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It may seem a bit puzzling at first, but perhaps much less so
when we consider the following teaching: "It is said in heaven that when the
Council of Nicaea finished its work, there took place simultaneously the things
the Lord foretold to the disciples: The sun will be darkened, and the moon will
not give its light, and stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the
heavens will be shaken. Matthew 24:29' (True Christian Religion 176:2).

     This council did in essence mark the end or death of the Christian Church
in all but its most external aspects, and this decline and death of the old
church is, of course, intimately connected with the preparation for, and the
actual establishment of the New Church. Thus the implication of the just-quoted
statement from the "Sketch of an Ecclesiastical History" must be that in order
to gain a full view of the emergence and history of the New Church, we need not
only to look ahead from the inception of this church, but also to look back in
time to see the manner in which the Lord in His Providence prepared the way for
this momentous event.

     That, of course, is what I have endeavored to do - at least to some extent
- in the preceding parts of this study. Yet, perhaps we need to look even
further back, beyond Nicea and the former Christian church, in order to write
such an history of the New Church, for it is evident from the teachings of the
Heavenly Doctrines that the Second Advent and the establishment of the New
Church were not caused or made necessary merely by the demise of the old
Christian church. To see this we need only consider teachings such as the
following: "This New Church, truly Christian, which at this day is being
established by the Lord, will endure to eternity, as is proved from the Word of
both Testaments; also it was foreseen from the creation of the world; and it
will be the crown of the four preceding churches" (Coronis LII).

     The First and Second Advents of the Lord, the revelation of the Divine
Human, the giving of the Heavenly Doctrines, and the establishment of the New
Church were indeed foreordained by the Lord from the very beginning of creation.


380


We may thus conclude that all events in the history of the
human race, in the natural realm, in the civil realm, and in the ecclesiastical
realm, were and are part of the preparations for the attainment of this ultimate
goal. In the natural realm we find such phenomena as the Black Death and the
earthquake in Lisbon; in the civil realm the Hundred Years war and the Seven
Years war; and in the ecclesiastical realm the Babylonian Captivity, the Great
Schism and the Reformation, or, as we are also taught in the work on Divine
Providence: "The man who has become spiritual by the acknowledgment of God and
wise by the rejection of his proprium, sees the Divine Providence in the whole
world and in all things therein in general and in particular. If he looks at
natural things he sees it; if he looks at civil matters he sees it; if he looks
at spiritual things he sees it; and this in things both in their simultaneous
and in their successive relationships. He sees it in ends, in causes, in
effects, in uses, in forms, in things great and small" (Divine Providence 189).

     It may be of some interest to note that the above mentioned events in the
Fourteenth and Eighteenth centuries, in both cases comprised a trine and formed
a similar pattern, namely first an ecclesiastical event, followed by one
pertaining to the civil realm, and finally a natural disaster. One of these
trines consisted of the Babylonian Captivity, the Hundred Years war, and the
Black Death, and the other included the Reformation, the Seven Years War and the
Lisbon earthquake.

Providence Unseen

     Is this significant or just coincidental? Whatever the case may be, it is
evident that both these relationships are what we may call descending trines,
and it would be interesting to see if other patterns of this kind may be found
in the annals of history. It is a fact, however, that in order to discern such
patterns and connections, more is needed than just a wide and intimate knowledge
of history. The workings of Divine Providence do not often proceed in an obvious
or linear manner, or as is also taught in the Apocalypse Explained:


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"[M]an, from the nature derived from his parents, is in the
love of self and the love of the world, and consequently perceives from a
feeling of delight everything belonging to those loves as good; nevertheless,
those loves as ends must be removed; and this is done by the Lord in infinite
ways, that appear like a labyrinth even before the angels of the third heaven"
(Apocalypse
Explained 1153:7).

     It is only when we know the ultimate end in view that we can begin to
understand the significance and relationships of the multitudes of events and
developments in the history of the human race. We need the knowledge and
enlightenment of the truths of the Heavenly Doctrines to guide us in that quest,
for without that we will be lost in a maze of external appearances, or as is
also taught in the work on Divine Love and Wisdom: "Thought from the eye closes
the understanding, but thought from the understanding opens the eye" (Divine Love and Wisdom
46).

     This is indeed a principle that applies to all levels of life. An
illiterate person leafing through a book will see nothing but a lot of
meaningless shapes and dots, while someone who knows how to read immediately
discerns the message conveyed by these characters.

     It is the same with a sheet of music. To the untrained eye this simply
appears as a page full of strange specks and shapes; but to the musician just
looking at it conveys to him the very sound and beauty of the song or symphony
it represents. Likewise, when most of us (especially nowadays) look under the
hood of our car all we see is a jumble of wires, hoses and more or less
unidentifiable parts; but the experienced mechanic immediately sees the
significance and function of this multitude of hoses, wires and parts. His
knowledge and understanding opens his eyes to see the meaning and purpose, where
the uninitiated sees only confusion.

     The same is also true in regard to the ends toward which the Divine
Providence looks and leads, for the preparations and provisions by means of
which these ends are realized do not usually occur in a manner or sequence which
to us would appear obvious or logical, as the following teaching also indicates:


382


"From these things it is clear that the Divine Providence of
the Lord is universal because it is in the most individual things; and that this
is the infinite and eternal creation which the Lord provided for Himself by
means of the creation of the universe. Man does not see anything of this
universal providence; and if he did, it could not appear to him otherwise than
as passers-by see the scattered heaps and collections of materials from which a
house is to be built; while the Lord sees it as a magnificent palace with its
work of construction and enlargement continually going on" (Divine Providence 203).

     The fact is, that in the vast construction sites of the Divine Providence
the heaps and collections of the materials needed for the building of the
magnificent structures do not usually arrive at the same time, or in a sequence
that clearly manifests the nature of the ultimate end in view.

Two Examples

     To illustrate this I would like to offer two particular examples, not
merely because they have been mentioned in the two preceding parts of this
study; but especially because they represent major watersheds in the development
of human society. The two examples I have in mind are the invention of printing,
and the development of steam power. In both these instances there was an
interesting convergence of various events, discoveries and technologies - some
new and others ancient - which produced the intended result, and caused a
complete transformation of the world in which we live.

The Invention of Printing

     The crucial importance of the art of printing is unquestionable. It not
only - as mentioned in the second part of this study - helped pave the way for
the Reformation in several ways, and thus also for the Second Advent;


383


by making books available to the general public in much greater
numbers and at a much smaller expense, it stimulated the spread of literacy, and
revolutionized the dissemination of knowledge in all fields of human endeavor
and study. Furthermore - and most important - this invention not only paved the
way for the Second Advent; but made it possible to spread the knowledge of the
Heavenly Doctrines in a manner that would have been impossible without it, which
is also why we are taught as follows in a passage already quoted in the
preceding: "That the Word could be written on our earth, is because the art of
writing has existed here from the most ancient time, first on wooden tablets,
later on parchment, afterward on paper, and finally it could be published in
print. This has been provided by the Lord for the sake of the Word" (Arcana Coelestia
9353).

     Usually when we think about the invention of printing, what comes to mind
is the invention of moveable type by Gutenberg in the fifteenth century; but the
fact is that this brilliant idea would have been of no use at all unless a lot
of other "heaps" had already arrived at different times at the palace
construction site. One of these "heaps" was the existence of a suitable
alphabet. The fact is that virtually all the other elements necessary for the
development of the art of printing had already been known and used in China many
centuries before Gutenberg; but the nature of Chinese writing, with its vast
number of ideograms and thousands of characters, would have made the production
and use of movable type as laborious and slow a process as that of producing a
handwritten manuscript or book.

     The Western alphabet, with its very small number of characters, which can
easily be combined into any number of words, is ideally suited to printing with
movable type. This alphabet had already been in existence for many centuries,
and was the first "heap" to arrive at this particular construction site, but -
as already mentioned - much more was required before the first book could be
printed.

384




Books, Paper, Ink

     The first of all these requirements, of course, was the very existence of
the book. This may seem to be an utterly unnecessary statement of the obvious,
but there really is more to it than that. For millennia, records were kept on
tablets of stone, wood, wax or clay, and on scrolls of papyrus or parchment; but
none of these were at all suitable for the mass production of printed matter. It
would admittedly be possible to produce a printed scroll; but it would probably
be a rather awkward and time-consuming process, defeating the very purpose for
which printing by moveable type was developed. The book, on the other hand,
where each individual page can be printed in large numbers with a single
typesetting, is the ideal form adapted to this process, and with its appearance
in the third century AD, another "heap" was added to the construction site.

     The early books were of course handwritten on pages of parchment or
vellum, and these materials, as well as papyrus, were not well suited for
printing. What was needed was a surface that could receive a sharp and clear
imprint and could be produced easily and in large quantities. Papyrus was not
the answer, for although it was possible to produce it in large quantities, it
was also hard and brittle and quite unsuited for printing. Parchment, on the
other hand, was very costly to produce, in very limited supply, and its rather
rough surface made it as unsuitable as papyrus. The ideal material - as we know
- turned out to be paper.

     The process of paper-making was developed in China around 105 AD, and the
knowledge of it traveled slowly westward and reached Europe in the fourteenth
century, and thus by the time Gutenberg was ready to print his first page, an
abundant supply of paper was already on hand.

     There was, however, another challenge to overcome. In order to transfer
the impression of the typeset page to the paper, ink was needed. Inks of various
types had already been known and used for centuries, some of them water based
and others oil based, but none of these could be used for printing.


385


The water based inks would not stick to the metal type, and the
ones based on raw oil produced blurred imprints with halos, and penetrated the
entire depth of the paper.

     The solution, however, arrived just in time. The Dutch painter Jan van
Eyck, who lived in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, had been
experimenting with the development of oil paints, and discovered in 1410 that if
he used boiled instead of raw oil he could produce the ideal medium for oil
painting. As his discovery became known it turned out that an ink based on this
boiled oil would leave a clear impression upon the paper, and would not
penetrate the surface.

     All that was needed now was the technology necessary to transfer the
impression from the inked type to the paper, or, in other words, the printing
press had to be developed. This, in a manner of speaking, had already been in
existence for centuries, namely in the form of olive and wine presses, and more
recently as devices used to press the moisture out of newly made paper.

     Gutenberg's real contributions to the invention of printing were, first of
all the development of the punch-and-mold system for the mass production of
moveable metal type, and secondly his ability to combine this invention with all
the above mentioned technologies and discoveries, some ancient and others more
recent. The "heaps" were all in place on the construction site, and the palace
was built. The mass production of the printed book became a reality.

     The supply side of the equation was complete; but was there a demand? For
without a demand, any invention or innovation becomes meaningless, and fades
into obscurity.

     The demand, however, was already present. The preceding centuries, and
especially the fourteenth - as mentioned in the second part of this study - saw
both the decline of feudalism, and the rise of a numerous, well educated and
prosperous middle class. They had both the desire and ability to purchase the
books streaming from the printing presses, which around 1500 AD were busily at
work in hundreds of cities in Europe.

386




The Invention of the Steam Engine

     As the printing press initiated an information revolution comparable to
that of the internet of our day, so the development of steam power completely
transformed commerce, travel and industry. It made it possible to cross the
oceans and the continents in a fraction of the time required by vessels and
vehicles powered by sail and animals, and it enabled industrial enterprises to
choose convenient locations without having to worry about the availability of
sources of water power.

     The real importance of these developments can only be seen, however, when
we consider them in relation to the Second Advent and the establishment of the
New Church, as is also evident from some of the teachings which we considered at
the end of the first part of this study: "From this and many other such
experiences it has become evident to me that 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" (Sacred
Scripture 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" (Arcana Coelestia 9354).

     Another aspect of this is also illustrated by the following teaching from
the work on Conjugial Love: "Moreover, marriages are contracted within the
district, city or village of one's birth or abode, where there is no choice save
one that is restricted and limited to the families of one's acquaintances, and
among these to those in the same station of life as oneself.

387



Hence it is that, for the most part, marriages entered into in the world are
external and not at the same time internal, when yet it is internal conjunction,
or conjunction of souls, which makes marriage" (Conjugial Love 49).

     As it became possible to travel more quickly and widely than ever before
one of the obstacles to such a more internal conjunction was gradually removed,
and it is probably no coincidence that this development began to take place
around the time of the Second Advent and the establishment of the New Church.
But how did all this really come about?

     The first steam engine was actually invented more than 2000 years ago, by
a man called Hero (or Heron) of Alexandria. He was a famous mathematician and
engineer, as well as a brilliant and very prolific inventor. Among his
inventions was the aelopile or steam ball. This device consisted of a large
container filled with water, which was heated by a fire. As the water was
brought to a boil the steam rose through two pipes to a metal sphere which
pivoted between the two pipes. After the steam had entered the sphere it exited
through two L-shaped nozzles attached to the sphere, causing the sphere to spin
very rapidly. Hero, however, did not take it any further than that. The
invention became nothing more than a curiosity, a fascinating toy, which
subsequently faded into obscurity. For some reason Hero, brilliant as he was,
never realized the potential of this source of power, and it was not until
centuries later that another and quite different steam engine was invented.

     Second Installment of Part III will appear in next issue.

388


ALLELUIA! THE LORD HAS RETURNED!A PROPOSED OUTREACH TRAINING PROGRAM 2010

ALLELUIA! THE LORD HAS RETURNED!A PROPOSED OUTREACH TRAINING PROGRAM       VANCE GENZLINGER       2010


----------
     Submitted to help members and friends support Church wide Outreach
Efforts.

     First Installment.

     (Because of space limitations, this article will appear in two
installments. Editor)

     In the Gospel of John Ch. 16:12, 13 the Lord made this promise: "I have yet
many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of
Truth (Counselor, Comforter) comes, He will guide you into all the truth." This
promise was fulfilled when the Lord returned in the form of the "Heavenly
Doctrine" as recorded in the theological works of His disciple Emanuel
Swedenborg. Spreading knowledge of the Heavenly Doctrine is the heart and soul
of the New Church mission.

     Let us "Shout the glad tidings" about the Lord's Second Coming as we do at
Christmas and Easter to celebrate the Lord's First Coming and His resurrection.
Let us shout it to the world all year long. Look at how effective the apostle
Paul was in spreading Christianity during the early days of the Church by
stating his message that "the Lord has come and risen" loud and clear, up front.
Let us do likewise, as we spread the message of the Lord's Second Coming!

     What is the message that we are to spread? The Heavenly Doctrine contains
(or is) the inner meaning of the Bible stories. It also includes the true
meaning of the Holy Trinity, the purpose of the First and Second Advents,
details on our life long effort to re form our inner loves (regeneration), the
nature of Conjugial Love, detailed knowledge of the spiritual world, and how God
creates and maintains the universe. The thing that distinguishes it from past
dispensations is that it is a rational revelation, designed to feed mankind as
we evolve from the teenage state into the state of full rationality.


389


These truths give us rational alternatives to the perplexing
teachings that are causing a weakening of mainstream Christianity

     But wait! John the Baptist was sent to prepare the people for the first
advent of the Lord. So likewise, the people doing the spreading of this new
message must be properly prepared before we make the proclamation that the Lord
has returned if the proclamation is to be effective.

     When a prospect questions teachings from their prior church, for the most
part, only our clergy are equipped to discuss them in relationship to New Church
ideas. But in order for us to fulfill our mission, we, the members and friends
of our church, must also be conversant in them. By our fully understanding our
teachings as they apply to old church teachings, we will be able to help
prospects who are troubled by such ideas as a tri-personal God, original sin,
salvation by faith alone, and the conflicts arising from a literal
interpretation of the Bible. The training we need must not only teach us old
church ideas and how to respond to them, but, more important, it must give us
practice at explaining our ideas to our prospects. This is where role playing
fits in. It gives our members practice, practice and more practice at drawing
these concerns out of our prospects and replying to them in a knowledgeable and
empathetic manner.

     In the past, there have been a number of attempts by our clergy at using
role playing techniques to train our members. There are also ongoing programs. I
have interviewed ministers who tried the role playing approach. For the most
part they all said the same thing. The technique of role playing worked just
fine. But three things were missing that kept their efforts from having a longer
term effect: (1) They needed a comprehensive workbook that contained detailed
histories and teachings of the major Christian denominations, examples showing
at least one way to discuss our more difficult teachings, lists of things to
avoid while discussing our teachings, a list of questions to get role playing
started, and a place for students to record their reactions and ideas.


390


(2) They also needed an ongoing system of follow-up and
additional training to help their students make use of their training. (3) In
order to spread the use of role playing beyond the efforts of a few ministers, a
manual to train small group leaders in the art of role playing was also
suggested.

     This article describes a training program that meets these needs and will
allow us to educate our members and New Church friends in the art of
communicating our more complex teachings to people who are searching for a
church with better answers than the ones they were exposed to as children. It
will give Church members practice at discussing our sacred teachings with our
prospects. It will build their confidence by providing them with insights into
how they can share their knowledge of, and their application to life of the
Heavenly Doctrines with their neighbors, fellow workers and friends in a gentle
way that will benefit these prospects and encourage them to continue their
relationship with us.

     First we will discuss the requirements for a successful marketing program.
Second, we will identify our target markets. Third, we will define the areas of
knowledge required for successful outreach. Fourth, we will develop a specific
training program for each target market. And fifth, we will examine the role
playing techniques to be used in this training program.

Requirements or a Successful Marketing Program:

     The three necessary elements of every successful marketing program are
product planning, public relations and salesmanship.

     Product planning should incorporate our church's mission statement, its
core values, its goals and its creeds. Our product is the "Writings", so we
don't have to design the product in the normal corporate sense. But we do have
to plan the way our product is positioned in the world and more specifically to
our prospects. It is their perception of us and our product, not the reality of
who we are that counts in marketing.

391


Their perception comes
from the marketing category in which we position ourselves and the key word or
words that we are known by. We need to choose a marketing category other than
Christian, Catholic or Protestant that gives us the opportunity to be the leader
in our category, for it is only the first few churches in the category that
people remember. Those of my professors at Oakland University who have heard of
Swedenborg refer to him as a "mystic". In the past, when I asked neighbors what
they thought of our society they used the word "cliquish". Mystic is just plain
wrong and cliquish is what we were but no longer are. We need a key word that
describes us better than mystic or cliquish. If we choose "Christian churches"
as our marketing category with the key word "Christian" we are currently in
close to last place among the hundreds of other Christian churches, with no hope
of overcoming the Catholics or Baptists. So what category and key word do we
choose? We are not Catholic or Protestant, so what are we, and what one word
describes us the best. The Writings give us rational truths. Is the concept of
rationality a candidate? Try Catholic, Protestant and Rational as the three main
divisions of the Christian family of churches. Whatever we choose, marketing
strategy and our public relations projects will have to be modified to support
the new category and key word. This is a long term project that will greatly
affect the spread of our church, and on which I have definite ideas. But it will
not affect our longest lead time item which is to train our people in how to
discuss our teachings with prospects. Therefore, I will defer further discussion
on this important topic to a future article. I strongly recommend the short and
very readable book "The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing" by Al Ries and Jack
Trout published by Harper Business for a deeper understanding of this type of
marketing planning.

     Public relations efforts are guided by the results of product planning.
They at present include such activities as: the use of the internet, websites
and advertising; showcasing our communities with their churches, schools,
community service projects and the quality of the lives of New Church families;
and special outreach-oriented projects such as New Church Live.

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These efforts, in their world wide scope, are having the useful effect of
providing prospects with useful rudimentary background on our teachings and
activities and putting them in touch with our people. Therefore, public
relations will not be covered in this training program.

     Salesmanship will be our focus in the rest of this article. The term
salesmanship is used here in the dictionary sense of adeptness at creating
interest in new ideas, products, methods, etc. It is what is needed by our
clergy, our members and our friends, who will make contact with our prospects
meaningful.

Identify our Target Markets.

     Our target markets must be identified. Although prospects are individual
human beings, each with their own backgrounds and concerns, it is useful in
marketing to group them into broad categories called target markets. I propose
breaking the overall market into three large groups called the believers, the
searchers and the unbelievers. Each group must be further divided into sub-
groups with similar or common backgrounds such as church denominations. This is
necessary, because each prospect must be approached differently, depending on
which sub-group matches his/her particular background.

     Understanding an inquirer's background is the most important part of
preparing for an interview. It tells us how to draw out of an inquirer's inmost
concerns. This allows us to answer the inquirer's questions rather than to
preach to them about what we think they should hear. It also allows us to have
genuine empathy for their concerns.

     Who are our inquirers? They are everyone we come in contact with that is
not already affiliated with the New Church. Most inquirers fall into one of
three large groups, the rest fall in the cracks between them.

     The believers: The people in this group are looking for a church that is
near by, that focus on family values, that has a quality school for their
children, and that is involved in charitable community activities.


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It includes people who believe in God, who strive to lead a
good life, who cherish marriage and family values, who love one another, and who
do charitable acts.

     We run the risk of bringing this group into our sphere under false
pretences. Suppose we rely only on our family values (which include our devotion
to prayer and self improvement), our schools and our community services, without
first introducing them to a general form of our teachings. Sooner or later some
of them will hear something in a sermon, in a class, or in an idle conversation
with one of our members that strikes a sour note with something they heard over
and over in a church from their past (these are their remains). Think of the
confusion we can cause when they hear, in a sermon, for the first time that
Jesus is God in human form (not His Son, a separate Divine Person from
eternity), or that Christ did not die on the cross to absolve them of their past
sins, or that angels appear as conjugially married couples that once lived on
earth (not as angels created by God directly without first living on earth).

     These and many other concepts are taught to and accepted by most
Christians, without much reflection, simply because they have heard them
repeatedly starting at an early age. The fact that these ideas are not part of
our version of Christianity is not enough. If we present ourselves to an
inquirer as a Christian Church, or as the New Church, or as a (local community
name) Church without qualification, we are implying to them that we are
Christian, which they might interpret to mean Christian in the old church sense.
We could lead some prospects to a church function believing we are something we
are not, which could result in anger or even spiritual damage. When possible, we
must gently let inquirers know who we are and what we believe before we invite
them to a church function.

     There are others, in this group, who are involved and happy with some
other church. If this is the case, they are not prospects for us. We should
leave them alone, for we can do them no good, and potentially can do them harm
by confusing them with alternative doctrines.

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"It is not of
such great importance for the simple to know [our doctrinal distinctions],
provided they live in charity" (AC 2094, 3995-3).

     In summary, members of this group are only prospects if they live in
proximity with one of our societies, have no local and satisfying affiliation
with another church and are not offended by a most general version of our
teachings.

     On a personal note, my parents, being of Lutheran background and in the
'believers group', were led to the New Church around 1917 by the family values
they saw in my father's business associates at the Synnestvedt and Lechner
Patent Law firm. After moving to Huntingdon Valley, they became searchers and
eventually active members through the efforts of Rev. Karl Alden. Today, more
than 50 of their descendents are active in the New Church.

     The searchers: This group includes two sub-groups.

     One sub-group is comprised of people who believe in God, but are
discouraged by organizational problems or the teachings they have learned from
prior church affiliations. These are people with specific Christian denomination
backgrounds (Catholic, Presbyterian, Fundamentalist, etc.) or with other non-
Christian religious backgrounds, who are looking for a deeper understanding of
God, the Bible, salvation, heaven and other religious concepts. It is for this
sub-group that we must know from love and understanding not only our own
teachings, and the teachings of our prospect's prior church affiliations, but
especially how to communicate our teachings to them in a non-threatening,
supportive manner.

     The other sub-group is comprised of people who have had no religious
affiliation whatsoever. They have had no God or church in their life. Yet, they
have the feeling that there must be something outside of themselves that is
guiding them as well as the entire universe. For these people, we must also know
our doctrines from love and understanding. We must also be sensitive to their
needs. Communicating our doctrines to them will take lots of empathy for their
position.

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     Both of these sub-groups are searching for a church with doctrines that
make sense. They are searching for something that works for them. They are
thinkers, and are apt to become readers of the Writings in the future. Working
with them will take practice, patience, and prayer.

     The unbelievers: This group includes agnostics and atheists.

     Agnostics say they don't believe in a God that is the infinite creator and
ruler of the universe until proven otherwise. They have an open mind to the idea
of an intelligent designer but have found no explanation that fits with the
science that they know.

     Atheists, on the other hand, deny the existence of God, and say that the
very question of whether there is a God is a completely useless and irrelevant
question that should not even be asked. Their religion is nature and pure
chance.

     Both groups include many college professors, journalists, writers,
politicians and others that fit in the category I call intellectuals. They are
the ones with the greatest influence over the minds of young people, and for the
most part their influence is negative towards religion. The hope with this group
is that we can let them know that the scientist, philosopher and theologian
Emanuel Swedenborg existed, and that he produced some documents, that we call
The Writings, which contain some amazing insights into science as well as into
theology. By introducing members of this group to Swedenborg the man, we may
hope that the Lord will lead some of them and their students to read The
Writings and be converted to searchers.

     For this group, we, as New Church people, must study the relationship
between what the Writings say about how God creates and maintains the universe
and what science has to say about it. Until many New Church scientists and
theologians make a coordinated effort in this area, we will have little impact
on the unbelievers.

Second Installment will appear in the November New Church Life issue. Editor.


396


SINCERITY AND SEVERITY 2010

SINCERITY AND SEVERITY       SONI SONESON WERNER       2010


----------
     "When we are living in kindness and faith, we regret our faults
every day. We think about our bad traits, admit them, avoid acting on them, and
ask the Lord for help." (Heavenly Doctrine 163)

     The two fields of psychology and theology are similar in that they both
involve a study of the human mind. However, the majority of psychological
theories published in the past century have no mention of God or how to
sincerely live an eternal life in accordance with God's commandments. In an
attempt to deepen our understanding of moral and spiritual maturation I have
developed a new theory which synthesizes these two fields of study. I draw on
doctrines, as stated in Swedenborg's Writings, as well as ideas from secular
psychology. I call this the Theory of Sincerity and Severity because it focuses
on how sincerely we act on our conscience and the levels of severity of our
negative actions, thoughts and feelings. It is a theory which is organized in a
taxonomy type model.

Psychology: Bloom's Taxonomies.

     Over 50 years ago, the well-known psychologist Benjamin Bloom first
described psychological taxonomies in the cognitive and affective domains of the
mind. These taxonomies, or hierarchies, have been revised and refined over the
years, but they are still taught to most students of educational or
developmental psychology across the modern western world. They help teachers and
parents appreciate the distinctions between the simplest and more sophisticated
levels of thinking and feeling in the children in their care. However, there is
no published taxonomy of the moral domain, much less the spiritual domain. It is
time for us to synthesize psychological and theological ideas about the
conscience.

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     There are several theories of moral and spiritual developmental stages,
which describe aspects of the conscience across the human lifespan. Piaget,
Kohlberg, Gilligan, Fowler, Downing and Moody all offer theories of the sequence
of stages people may experience as they develop. However, most of these theories
deal with the civil and moral levels of the conscience and avoid the spiritual
aspects. For example, Kohlberg's theory (developed in the 1960's) is the most
well known, and yet it is criticized for focusing mostly on the cognitive aspect
of male moral judgments in an atheistic context. Gilligan (in the 1970's)
offered her theory which focused more on female moral concerns about
relationships, yet it was still avoiding the spiritual aspects of the
conscience. Fowler created a theory of faith development (in the 1980's), but
many people find his terms very difficult to comprehend, and it does not seem to
be based on clear theological doctrines. Downing's theory helps us understand
how people evolve from feeling oppressed, and then mature through several social
stages to the level of actively serving others, yet without any discussion of
spiritual motivations. Moody offers a philosophical theory of the adult stages
of faith, but does not relate the faith stages to moral feelings or behavior.
Therefore, it is possible that scholars of psychology and theology might be
intrigued by a new taxonomy, which was enlightened by the Writings of
Swedenborg, and organized much like Bloom's familiar taxonomies of the cognitive
and affective domains. (I prefer to offer a taxonomy rather than another theory
of developmental stages across the lifespan.) In addition to scholars, any
person who is engaged in self-examination might find this new taxonomy helpful.

     From the field of psychology, we learn that Bloom's revised taxonomies are
described in the following two hierarchies, from simplest (lowest level at
bottom) to most complex (highest level at the top of the hierarchies):


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     Bloom's taxonomy of the cognitive domain:

               Highest level: Creating ideas
           Next level: Evaluating ideas
          Next level: Analyzing ideas
          Next level: Applying ideas to life
      Next level: Understanding ideas
     Lowest level: Remembering ideas

     Bloom's taxonomy of the affective domain:

           Highest level: Internalizing and committing to certain values
          Next level: Organizing values into priorities
          Next level: Valuing specific ideas and things
      Next level: Responding emotionally
     Lowest level: Willing to hear and receive emotional content

Theology: Key Swedenborgian Concepts

     There are many key theological concepts that I learned from the Writings
of Swedenborg that have inspired me in the development of this new theory. Here
is a sample of doctrines that I consulted while creating this new taxonomy of
the moral/spiritual domain.

     1) True
Christian Religion 443: Levels of complexity of the conscience; the
outer conscience deals with civil and moral affairs while the inner conscience
focuses on spiritual sincerity. We take the inner conscience, which is very
private, with us into the afterlife.

     2) Conjugial
Love 478: Levels of severity of intent when breaking a Commandment
(explained with the example of adultery, but the levels could be applied to the
other Commandments).

     There are four levels of severity of acts of adultery: the lowest level is
ignorance, and these adulteries are mild in severity; the next level are
adulteries of lust, and these people can consult their understanding but are not
able to at the time;

399


the third level are adulteries of reason,
and these are grievous because the person justifies the evil; and finally the
fourth level are adulteries of the will, and the person in this state enjoys
breaking the commandment and does not have any regrets. This final level is the
most severe commitment to evil.

     3) Freedom to choose good or evil: we are ultimately held responsible for
whichever we love the most (love of self, love of the worldly possessions, love
of the neighbor, love of God).

     4) Heaven and
Hell 468: Conscience: civil, moral and spiritual levels of life

     5) Heaven and
Hell 463 and 464: After death, our true nature is revealed, even if
we are permitted to be hypocritical in this world. The private aspects of our
conscience are revealed, and it becomes well known whether we are sincere or
not.

     6) Charity
1: The first of charity is to shun evils as sins.

New Taxonomy: Theory of Sincerity and Severity

     My proposed moral/spiritual theory follows Bloom's taxonomy model in its
structure, but differs in that it has both positive and negative continuums
(mirror images of each other). The overall theory is based on the assumption
that moral/spiritual maturation involves a synthesis of cognition and affection,
not two separate dimensions. Swedenborg calls this the marriage of good and
truth in a person's mind and conscience, and indicates that a person is more
complete when these two aspects of the mind are finally integrated.

     Swedenborg's theology offers some other profound concepts that have
inspired me to create this new taxonomy of Sincerity and Severity. This taxonomy
involves a hierarchy of more sophisticated levels of thinking, feeling and
acting on one's evolving conscience. While children are unable to operate at the
highest levels of this hierarchy, it is probable that morally immature adults
may also function at the less sophisticated levels. I make a distinction between
moral simplicity and chosen immorality. Most theories of moral development do
not make this distinction.

400





     This new taxonomy is based on the assumption that when we die, there is an
afterlife, and we are held responsible for our sincerity, which refers to our
moral and spiritual maturity in terms of what we know and love. However, if we
love evil, then we are examined for the severity of our harm to others.

     One unique feature of this new theory is that it is presented with mirror
images: one direction of the taxonomy is positive as the person ascends up the
moral and spiritual continuum (more and more sincere), and becoming more fully
human. While the other direction is negative as the person descends to focus on
self above all others, and intensely loving evil and falsity. The levels involve
the severity of people's spiritual thoughts and loves. People are free to choose
these two directions while they are regenerating on earth, and then they confirm
what they love most, when they go to the afterlife. It should be noted that
although we can describe these levels of the moral/spiritual domain, we must be
very cautious. We are taught that it is acceptable to judge others civilly and
morally but not spiritually. The spiritual aspect is very private between the
individual and his/her Divine Creator. Therefore, this theory cannot be
completely tested with modern psychological assessments (such as surveys and
interviews) and we need to resist the temptation to spiritually judge other
people. We can listen to their words, which give us clues about their moral and
spiritual intent, but people are permitted to be hypocrites and present their
public persona, which might be insincere. Therefore, the most important use of
this Theory of Sincerity and Severity is in helping us in our own self-
examination.

     I describe the new taxonomy, with both the positive and negative
continuums (mirror images) as follows. Note: it might help to begin reading the
positive continuum at the lowest level (Level 1) and then read up, ascending to
the highest level (Level 7), to appreciate the increasing complexity of sincere
moral/spiritual thinking, feeling and acting:

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     Theory of Sincerity and Severity: A New Taxonomy:
     Positive continuum of the moral/spiritual domain:

               7. Most sincere level: Sincerely committing to love
                                   God and serve other people
               6. Next level: Genuinely willing to shun evils and
                         do good to others
           5. Next level: Deliberately planning to follow truth
          4. Next level: Reluctantly complying to moral and
                         spiritual guidelines
          3. Next level: Momentary, spontaneous moral acting,
                    thinking or feeling
      2. Next level: Simply willing to obey; conform to others'
                    rules/laws
1. Lowest level: Being unaware of civil rules/laws or
                    spiritual truth

     Theory of Sincerity and Severity: A New Taxonomy:
     Negative continuum of the moral/spiritual domain:

     1. Least severe: Being unaware of civil rules/laws
                              or spiritual truth
2. Next level: Simply willing to disobey; not conform to
                    others' rules/laws
          3. Next level: Momentary, spontaneous immoral acting,
                         thinking or feeling
          4. Next level: Reluctantly premeditating evil and falsities
           5. Next level: Deliberately justifying evil and falsities
           6. Next level: Intensely willing to do evil which harms
                         others
               7. Most severe level: Completely committing to seek
                              domination over others and
                              rejecting God

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     During our personal process of regeneration, we can examine our motives
and consider whether we are becoming more and more sincere, and thus rejecting
the temptations to engage in severe evils. After we die, angels assist us in
this examination of our sincerity. "Let no one believe, then, that there is
anything we have thought or done in secret that will remain hidden after death"
(Heaven and Hell
463).

Dr. Soni Soneson Werner is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Bryn Athyn
College of the New Church. She earned her Ph.D. in Child Psychology in 1979.
Soni taught at four colleges in Iowa and New York between 1976 and 1990. She
also directed a children's agency, worked in a maximum security prison for men,
and served as a Human Resources Professional and Organizational Psychologist at
Corning Incorporated. Since 1996, Soni has worked at Bryn Athyn College of the
New Church in Bryn Athyn, PA. She previously directed the internship program and
the career counseling program. Now she is the Head of the Interdisciplinary
Degree. Soni teaches Psychology to undergraduate students and Conflict
Resolution and Group Dynamics to theological students at the ANC Theological
School. Currently she is in the process of writing a book about the conscience.
Soni is married to Dr. Neil Werner, and they have raised 2 daughters.

[Photograph of Dr. Soni Werner.]

403


REFLECTIONS ON AGING WELL - GROWING OLD AND CONTINUING TO RIPEN AND RIPEN 2010

REFLECTIONS ON AGING WELL - GROWING OLD AND CONTINUING TO RIPEN AND RIPEN       Jr. ED ALLEN       2010


----------
     "And so from hour to hour we ripe and ripe,
     and from then we rot and rot"
     (Shakespeare, "As You Like It")

     "I am old, so I be old..." (Carl Jung)

     As we grow through adulthood, our bodies ripen and minds ripen, and then,
in the autumn of life, do our bodies and minds rot and rot? Aging studies say
"not so!" Rotting is after death. "Ripeness is all: social and emotional
maturation," states George Vaillant author of Aging Well (p. 39 1). At the end
of his life, the Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung, was asked by a journalist how it
felt to be growing old. "I am old, so I be old." Possibly Jung was saying "It's
OK to be old; there are positive compensations." Ripening can continue on earth
and afterwards.

     This article contains reflections on successful aging, or how to age
gracefully as useful individuals throughout life. Included are empirical results
of group studies on aging, and results of brain studies during aging. There is a
corollary between successful aging and those qualities which predict spiritual
progress.

     In Aging Well, Vaillant documents more than fourteen hundred people born
between 1911 and 1931, which include Harvard graduates, inner city Boston men,
and gifted women from San Francisco. Active bodies and minds age well. Positive
attitude, especially gratefulness for what life has given us and forgiving
(others and self) for past wrongs, age well. Intellectual curiosity, lifelong
learning and stable marriage contribute to longevity. Obesity, alcohol abuse and
smoking shorten lives. Anger shortens lives. Disease, such as cancer, shortens
lives.

404


Variables, which do not conclusively predict aging
survivability, include: ancestral longevity, cholesterol, stress, childhood
temperament, comfort in social relationships (early in life), and childhood
temperament. Aging gracefully - happily - is more important than longevity.

     Vaillant categorizes people in three groups: "happy well" - those with a
positive, grateful, and forgiving attitude; "sad sick" - a negative attitude,
unable to appreciate life, feeling betrayed by life; and the "prematurely dead"
- already departed this world. There are many who have been healthy, without
illness, who are classified as "sad sick"; and those who have experienced
serious illness, who are "happy well". Interviews with the "happy well" were
heart warming and refreshing; whereas, with the "sad sick," depressing.

     Brain cells don't need to die with aging. Brain-cell health is related
directly to brain activity. Katz and Rubin in Keep your Brain Alive2, reference
numerous empirical studies of human and animal brains during aging. With an
active mind, the quantity of brain cells remains about the same between ages 20
to 70 years, as long as there is no disease, such as Alzheimer's. With an active
mind, new brain cells can grow and be replaced through old age, in the cerebral
cortex and hippocampus, which are the areas of the brain closely tied to
learning and memory. Cells can be replaced and "trained" for new skills
throughout life. With training, neurons in the hippocampus grow longer
dendrites. Neurons are the structural and functional unit of the nervous system,
including the axons and interconnecting dendrites (Dictionary3). Brain computing
power is proportional to the complexity of dendrite branches. The active mind
maintains its learning and memory capabilities. (Katz, pp. 139-142 2).

     Vaillant built on the accomplishments of Erik Erikson, a pioneer in
gerontology, who replaced Freudian speculation with results grounded on common
sense and empirical results. Erickson is credited with clearly conceptualizing
adult development as progress, not decline (Vaillant p. 43), and identifies
three major stages of adult life and our mature or immature choices along the
way:

405


intimacy versus isolation (20-40 years), generativity
versus stagnation (40-55 years), integrity versus despair (55 plus years).
Intimacy is the ability to live with another person in an interdependent,
reciprocal, trusting, committed and contented way. Generativity is caring for
others, guiding the next generation unselfishly and respecting the autonomy of
others. Integrity (from experience) is wisdom, or unselfish concern for others
(Childs, p. 177).4 The table below is a summary of life stages, which predict
either aging well or aging badly, derived from both Erickson and Vaillant.

     Life's Stages - Predicting Aging Well and Aging Badly

     Life's     Aging Well          Aging Badly          Approximate
     Stage          Ordered Maturing     Not Maturing     Age

     Infant     Trust               Mistrust          1st Yr

     Early          Autonomy          Doubt and Shame     2nd - 3rd Yr
     Childhood     Initiative          Guilt               4 - 5 Yrs

     Childhood     Industry          Interiority          6 - 11 Yrs

     Youth          Identity          Role Confusion     12 - 18 Yrs

     Adulthood     Intimacy          Isolation          19/20 -40 Yrs
               Career Consolidation     Undisciplined     

     Middle Age     Generativity     Stagnation          40 - 55 Yrs
               Keeper of Meaning     Rigidity          55+ Yrs

     Old Age     Integrity - Wisdom     Despair     55+ Yrs

     Derived from Erickson and Vaillant aging studies (GT, p. 177, and AW, pp.
44-51)

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     Geoffrey Childs, in The Golden Thread4 in the chapter "Growing Young" has
correlated Erikson's work on social maturation and the spiritual process of
regeneration (Childs p. 177 4). Childs refers to the writings of the eighteenth
century philosopher and theologian, Emanuel Swedenborg, which divide our lives
into four stages: ignorance, instruction, intelligence and wisdom. Infancy is a
period of ignorance in innocence, which is dependant on trust in others.
Childhood and youth is the time of instruction. When sensuous life predominates,
innocence is most external, and truths and goods are not yet set in order.
Conclusions are not formed from self. We cannot discriminate from truth and
falsities but from others, such as our parents and teachers; we think and speak
from memory knowledge. Adolescence through adulthood is the time of
intelligence, thinking from self, discriminating and forming conclusions. Faith,
trust in natural and spiritual order, begins to confirm what we believe. Old age
is the time of wisdom that comes from innocence, a willingness to be led by the
Lord. We become more concerned about willing and living goods and truths, than
understanding them (Arcana Coelestia 10225 5, and Kline, pp. 154-155 6).
Another teaching states that the body grows old, but the spirit can grow younger
(Heaven and Hell
414 7).

     There are seven virtues: four cardinal: prudence, justice, fortitude,
temperance; and three theological: faith, hope and charity/love (1 Corinthians
13:13 8). As our habits agree with their spiritual qualities, these
habits contribute to aging well. The prudence of making the right decisions is
supported by a successful education and career (uses). Justice instills in us
fairness and compassion to care for others. Fortitude gives us the courage to
endure through disagreements and temptations - "Old age is not for sissies."
Through temperance we maintain unselfish self-preservation of body and mind.
Hope, faith and charity connect the material and moral life to the spiritual
life. Hope anticipates a life hereafter through the Lord's salvation. Faith
trusts the truths of the Word as the guide to an orderly life on earth and
hereafter.

407


And Love, or Charity, is doing goods and truths for
the neighbor, without the need for repayment. True charity rewards us with the
highest delights of knowing that the job has been well done, and acknowledging
much help is from the Lord. Erickson sums it up: "As we travel the journey of
life the loneliness of 'I am' and 'I will die" is overshadowed by 'I am with
you' ." "The journey goes from 'No' and 'mine' to 'Yes' and 'Yours,' from will
to willingness." "Not as I will, but as Thou wilt." (Dunne, p. 98 9 and
Matthew
26:39 8).

     Yes, we do ripen and ripen; rotting results from living without activity,
or after earthly death. As we reach old age we slow down physically, and our
brains may fill up with much information, which may offer filing and sorting
challenges. However, we are predestined to grow young in spirit, and regenerate
to heaven as long as we, of free choice, follow the Scriptural guidelines which
encourage us to develop habits of understanding and goodness in agreement with
the Lord's teachings (Divine Providence 322)10 The concept of old age is
replaced with the concept of preparation for a new life (Arcana Coelestia 4392).
Perhaps, the following poem is fitting?

     An Aged man is but a paltry thing
     A tattered coat upon a stick, unless
     Soul claps its hands and sing.
          William Butler Yates, Sailing to Byzantium

     Bibliography and Notes:

1. Vaillant, George, Aging Well, Little Brown and Company, 2003. Comprehensive
empirical studies on aging well and aging badly. "The past often predicts but
never determines our old age."

2. Katz, Lawrence and Rubin, Manning, Keep Your Brain Alive, Workman Publishing
Company, New York, 1999. Practical description of the human brain related to
reasoning and memory, as well as, descriptions of brain research results.

3. American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition, Houghton
Mifflin Company, Boston, 1993.

4. Childs, Geoffrey, The Golden Thread, General Church publication Committee,
Bryn Athyn PA, 1986. An insightful presentation on growing young spiritually,
through the process of regeneration (in three stages: repentance, reformation,
regeneration).

408




5. Swedenborg, Emanuel, Arcana Coelestia (AC), The Swedenborg Society, London,
1976 (First published 1749-1756). A study of the spiritual meaning of Scripture,
especially Genesis and Exodus.

6. Kline, Thomas, "The Wisdom of Old Age," (WOA), New Church Life, May-June 2003.

7. Swedenborg, Emanuel, Heaven and Hell (HH), The Swedenborg Foundation, 1938
(First Published 1758). A study of life after death.

8. Holy Bible, KJV/NKJV

9. Dunne, John, Peace of the Present, Notre Dame Press, 1991. Correlation of "I"
with the regeneration process.

10. Swedenborg, Emanuel,Divine Providence (DP) ,The Swedenborg Society, London,
9. 1949. (First published 1763). A study concluding that there is Divine
Providence, which is opposed to predestination.

409


NEW CHURCH WORSHIP 2010

NEW CHURCH WORSHIP       Editor       2010


----------
     The Lord's prophecies of the New Church became relevant only after
His establishment of Christianity failed to follow His original doctrinal line.
Thus with the beginning of "schisms" (True Christian Religion 378) it became
necessary to record the Gospels, so as to have a Divinely inspired written
account which could also have an internal sense. For the Gospels were not
written until decades after His Resurrection. Prior to that, in the 30s to 60s
A.D., the Risen Lord Himself spoke as the Holy Spirit, meant by "He breathed on
them and said receive the Holy Spirit". The Lord again used angels to dictate
the Word, after His resurrection (Arcana Coelestia 9818:16), and
whenever angels are so used, there is a spiritual sense for angels in the
literal sense for the church (Heaven and Hell 254). It was then that the Lord's
spoken prophecies of the Second Coming, kept alive orally by the disciples as an
event expected in their own lifetimes, were put into print. By then the
disciples knew the Second Advent was going to take a bit longer!

     Thus Matthew
24, and the entire Apocalypse especially chapters 19,21 and 22,
prophesied a New Church in the spiritual sense of these and other chapters and
verses. That is why "that the spiritual sense of the Word was to be revealed for
a New Church which will acknowledge and worship the Lord alone (Divine Providence
264:5). Revealing the spiritual sense just has to be part of the
Second Advent, something the Lord prophesied in Person on the road to Emmaus:
then He "opened their understanding to comprehend the Scriptures" and He went
over the entire Old Testament to demonstrate how He as "Christ" had fulfilled
all these stories! No wonder the two disciples said "Did not our heart burn
within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the
scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:32).

410





     Their hearts burned! Every New Church person at first, and every newcomer
to the New Church, knows what it is like to have their "hearts burn" at hearing
the spiritual or actual meaning of well known Bible stories. And so in
Revelation, the words in chapter 11 v. 19 says "And the Temple of God was opened
in heaven," and here is the spiritual sense: In the "new heaven and the New
Church, where there is worship of the Lord...there the Divine is not
distinguished into three persons, but into a Trine in one person" (Apocalypse Explained
699:1, 2). Now the meaning known to angels is known also on
earth.

     The prediction for the New Church thus is that countless "treasures" may
be "dug up and brought to light by means of the spiritual sense ...now disclosed
for the New Church, for its use in the worship of the Lord" (True Christian Religion
669). We experience new treasures dug up! For example the "Lamb's
wife" in Revelation 21 verses 9 and 10 refer to "The New Church" in
which "the Lord alone is worshiped" (Apocalypse Revealed 196). In fact, "the
New Church is the crown of all the churches which have up to now existed upon
the earth, because it will worship one visible God, in whom is the invisible
God, as the soul is in the body" (True Christian Religion 787).

     There is conjunction possible only with a "visible God in whom dwells the
invisible" (True
Christian Religion 787), and this view of the Divine Human is fully
revealed to those who will be in the New Church. This is prophesied in "because
Thou hast taken Thy great power, and hast entered into Thy Kingdom" (Revelation
11:16). It means "the New Heaven and the New Church" acknowledging
"one God in whom is the Trinity and that God is the Lord ... as to the Divine
Human, Alpha and Omega... that He is, was and is to come, the Almighty." Thus
the "New Church which is the New Jerusalem will be the Church of the Lamb, that
is of His Divine Human" (Apocalypse Revealed 523). That is meant by "I Jesus am
the root and Offspring of David, the bright and morning star" (Revelation
22:16, 17) and also the "son of Man given dominion, glory and a
kingdom, and His kingdom shall not perish" (Daniel 7:14).

411




     Imagine the Lord not being worshipped under the right 'name'? How awful is
it when you are called by the wrong name? Imagine being called by the wrong name
by everyone, all the time! This is what in effect happened with the Lord, since
"His Name is the Word of God" (White Horse 1, Lord 18 et. at). The Word was "closed" in
Christian history, over centuries, and it took that many centuries to prepare
for the Second Advent. For the picture of "who the Lord is" has to be with some
group of people on earth at all times. This is the Church Specific (Ecclesia in
Specie, Specialem Ecclesiam, Heavenly Doctrine 244, True Christian Religion
245).

     Such a Church has existed throughout history, continued just as a baton is
handed on in a relay race: The Most Ancient was the celestial pristine Church:
it had perception and at first saw the Lord "face to face" (Arcana Coelestia 49).
However, the Most Ancients afterwards saw the Lord by means of the Angel of the
Jehovah. This was the beginning of the Most Ancient Church's inability to keep
the discrete degrees apart: Because they desired a "proprium" "they no longer
perceived any distinction between the internal man and the external" (Arcana Coelestia
159). Thus they desired to investigate empirically what they
believed from revelation, which they were warned not to do (Arcana Coelestia 127,
233).
They began to have doubts about their beliefs by comparing what angels taught
them with what they had heard from ancestors (Arcana Coelestia 205). In fact, they
began to 'worship' their ancestors (Arcana Coelestia 125, 194), a result of
the same "natural light" from which they also saw the Lord (Invitation 52). For
they still worshiped an "invisible God" (True Christian Religion 786) represented
only by the angel of the Lord. They lost the duality of the spirit and the body,
finally not even knowing they were already "spirits in bodies" here on earth
(Spiritual Experience 3251). Thus the "ignorance and fallacies" (Apocalypse Explained
294:15) which beset the very establishment of the Most Ancient
Church, returned to cause their downfall.

412


Their loss of seeing
duality eventually invited the foulest Nephilim heresy, that "god dwelt nowhere
else but inside of man" (Arcana Coelestia 1268). That caused the Flood. That is
why in the Ancient Churches, down to the Greeks and Romans, the mythology of
gods and humans mating and heroes 'born' of God," came down to the insanity of
worshipping gods as people on earth! (Divine Love and Wisdom 11, True Christian Religion
470:4)!

     It is still a problem to distinguish where God's inflowing Life ceases,
and where our life takes over. The doctrinal solution is now written in stone:
the influx ceases to be Divine upon reception (True Christian Religion
154, Soul and Body Interaction 13, Arcana Coelestia 4321). There never was
a "smidgeon of Divine in itself' in any human being (Divine Providence 57), or he
would be disintegrated in a flash by it!

     After the Flood, the First Ancient Church Noah continued as genuine under
the name Shem; the, Second Ancient church was called Eber, which merged into the
third Ancient Church called from him the Hebrew Church; then the Israelitish
Church, from Jacob, finally the Jewish Church, from Judah. The First Ancient
Church also had an epicenter in Great Tartary in Asia Major, giving light to
Eastern religious systems. Finally the Lord made His Advent to reveal His Real
Name: and the Christian Church resulted, and was the only Church to go global.
All of these churches have acted as the "heart and lungs" Church specific to the
rest of humanity, propagating spiritual light through heaven while also
diffusing it as from a center to the periphery (Sacred Scripture 105, Heaven and Hell
305, Apocalypse Explained 351:2).

     The Last Judgment of 1757 handed over the baton to the prophesied New
Church, meant by the New Jerusalem. The New Church is the final Church to
receive the baton of being "the heart and lungs" or Church Specific. It has the
Word, "holds the Word sacred, loves Divine truths" � now revealed in the Word of
Heavenly Doctrine! - and "rejects faith separated from charity" (Divine Providence
264:5).

413


Although the Writings explain all previous
creeds and faiths, they correct all previous Church doctrinal falsifications,
but say it is better just to part company with them.

     This New Church is prophesied together with "worshiping the Lord": "In the
New Church there is worship of the Only Lord" (Apocalypse Revealed 196) "[A]t the
present time a New Church is being established by the Lord, which is meant by
the New Jerusalem in Revelation. In this church worship will be directed to the
Lord alone, as it is in heaven, and thus all will be accomplished which the
Lord's Prayer contains from beginning to end" (True Christian Religion
113:8).

The Lord's Prayer

     How is that again? The Lord's Prayer! What would a "New Church" service of
worship be without the Lord's Prayer? The deepest reason for this, heralded here
in the crowning published work True Christian Religion, is that in "this Church
all will be accomplished which the Lord's Prayer contains from beginning to
end." The Lord, His New Heaven and New Church are the contents of the Lord's
Prayer "from beginning to end."

     "To end." And as some of you readers may know, the last phrase "for Thine
is the Kingdom" etc. is thought by scholars to have been added later, which is
why some Churches end the Lord's Prayer with "deliver us from evil." Well, in
Swedenborg's Schmidius Bible, the "later" phrase is included: "quia Tuum est
regnum et potentia et gloria in secula, Amen." The Writings explain it to mean
"Divine Truth from God alone" since "power and glory" means "truth with angels
in heaven," by which they have power over evil. And the "Thine is the kingdom"
means the Lord in "His Divine Human" from which all truth proceeds (cf.
Apocalypse
Explained 48:3). So this last phrase is certainly a Divinely
provided ending to the Prayer.

     Since the New Church as the Church Specific is to "remember the Sabbath
day to keep it holy", we are required to worship the Lord and also to enforce it
voluntarily!

414


For the law of Providence is "That Man Should Not
Be Compelled By External Means To Think And Will, And Thus To Believe And Love,
The Things Of Religion, But Should Persuade And At Times Compel Himself To Do
So" (Divine
Providence 129, Title). The things of religion include worship. No
one can persuade or compel any adult to attend worship. Instead, everyone ought
to compel themselves to worship the Lord. People must "at times persuade
themselves" to worship. This removes the compulsion, since "to compel oneself is
not to be compelled" (Arcana Coelestia 1937:7). To "make yourself do it"
equals total freedom! That is why the Ten Commandments command us to worship the
Lord, yet it is for our own spiritual welfare's sake (cf. Arcana Coelestia 5957,
4347,
4593,
7550,
8263,
10646, Divine Love and Wisdom, 335, Heavenly Doctrine
129). To put it beyond doubt: "When it says here and in very many
other places that Jehovah or the Lord desires...people to worship and adore Him
in humility, it seems as though He desires to display His glory and loves to be
adored for His own sake. But the truth of the matter is altogether different. It
is not for His own sake but for that of the human race; He is moved not by self-
glory but by love. For He wishes to be joined to the human race, and to impart
eternal life and happiness to it. But this cannot be accomplished unless a
person worships Him in humility; and such humble worship does not exist unless
the person acknowledges and believes that he himself is dust and ashes, that is,
nothing but evil, that Jehovah or the Lord is the Greatest and Most Holy One,
and that of himself he does not dare to approach Him. When a person worships Him
in such humility the Lord can enter in with the life of His love, bringing him
heaven and eternal happiness" (Arcana Coelestia 7550).

     This is why worship that is "not forced" is "spiritual, has life and
wisdom from the Lord in it, and is joyful because there is heaven from the Lord
in it" (Divine
Providence 137). Forced adult worship by contrast is no worship.
That is also why the literal commandment "to do no work on the Sabbath" has been
moved into a "voluntary" category for the New Church.

415


We now
"may practice it if we so wish" (Arcana Coelestia 9349:4). We are no longer under
Divine penalty for working on Sunday!

Why the Writings are the Word.

     The Church Specific "has the Word." This is the Lord's "Name" as a
signature finally given in full, for all to witness and understand. The Word has
finally been explained as to its internal or spiritual sense, by the Lord
Himself, just as He did en route to Emmaus and back in Jerusalem. Just as the
disciples' hearts "burned" at that time, so the hearts of angels burn at being
in the internal sense. For that sense is their Word in heaven: "The internal
sense is the Word of the Lord in heaven (Arcana Coelestia 2094:3, cf. 5922:5,
9372:5, 9414:2). "The Word which is in heaven
was given them, in which Word there is not the natural sense, but the spiritual,
because it is for the angels, who are spiritual; that there is such a Word in
heaven" (Last
Judgment 57, ref. to Heaven and Hell 259-261).

     Now it is our turn for hearts to burn when hearing the spiritual sense,
for the "doctrine they have in heaven is identical to the spiritual sense of the
Word" (Heavenly
Doctrine 7). "The internal sense is doctrine itself" (Arcana Coelestia
9380:2). "The doctrine which must be for a lamp is what the internal
sense teaches" (Arcana Coelestia 10400:3). Since the Writings are
"the spiritual sense drawn in full from the sense of the Letter of the Word"
(Sacred Scripture
53, 55) of both the Old and New Testaments, and since the
fully drawn spiritual sense is "identical to the Doctrine that they have in
heaven," it is powerful to read the conclusion that "because this was revealed
to me out of heaven, it is called HEAVENLY DOCTRINE. And to present this
doctrine is the purpose of this book, or work" (Heavenly Doctrine 7).

     The Word of heaven, which is Heavenly Doctrine, identical to the spiritual
sense of our Sacred Scripture, was revealed to Swedenborg and printed "in this
book."

416


That is why the Writings aver: "The spiritual sense of
the Word has at the present day been disclosed by the Lord because the doctrine
of genuine truth has now been revealed" (Sacred Scripture 25, emphasis added). The
Writings even tell us where to find it: this is contained in "the Doctrine of
the New Jerusalem and ... the small works being given to the public" (De Verbo 21,
new 7:8 emphasis added). "At the present day, now revealed, being given to the
public!" Can anything be clearer? The Second Advent happened, historically, and
the Writings told the readers that it was happening. It is like the Lord saying
"Today this prophecy is fulfilled in your ears!" For the Writings reveal just
how the Second Advent took place: "This, the Lord's second coming, is taking
place by means of a man, to whom He has shown Himself in person, and whom He has
filled with His spirit, so that he may teach the doctrines of the new church
which come from the Lord through the Word" (True Christian Religion 779).

     As if there is any doubt left, the same passage identifies "the man": "I
bear true witness that the Lord has shown Himself in the presence of me, His
servant, and sent me to perform this function. After this He opened the sight of
my spirit, thus admitting me to the spiritual world, and allowing me to see the
heavens and the hells, and also to talk with angels and spirits; and this I have
now been doing for many years without a break. Equally I assert that from the
first day of my calling I have not received any instruction concerning the
doctrines of that church from any angel, but only from the Lord, while I was
reading the Word" (Ibid.).

     All of the Writings have been "fully drawn" by Divine enlightenment, from
the "Word" of Sacred Scripture, i.e. while reading "the Word" which was the
Schmidius (Sebastian Schmitt) Latin translation of the Hebrew and Greek
Testaments. Swedenborg's edition was printed in 1696.1 They are the Word of
Heavenly Doctrine, the Word of Heaven, in print on earth, and this constitutes
the Second Coming, - all on their own say so.

417




Has the Word, Knows the Lord.

     The New Church, I think, qualifies as a Church Specific which "has the
Word", both of Sacred Scripture and of Heavenly Doctrine in print. The Word of
Heavenly Doctrine relates to the Word of Sacred Scripture as a soul to the body
or as thought to the eyes (cf. Sacred Scripture 5). It is therefore crucial for the
Writings to also clarify the Lord Whom the New Church is to worship: "This New
Church is the crown of all the churches which have up to now existed upon earth,
because it will worship one visible God, in whom is the invisible God, as the
soul is in the body" (True Christian Religion 787).

     Can who the Lord is be made any clearer? In the New Church it is not
enough to say that we believe in One God. Anyone can say that and 'mean' that
the Son of God is the second person of the Trinity, who is "one" with the
Father, the first person of the Trinity. That too is 'one God'! But not in the
New Church, where "the Lord alone is worshiped; for the Divine is not there
distinguished into three persons, but into a Trine in one person" (Apocalypse Explained
699, emphasis added).

     "A Trine in One Person." One God, therefore, in the New Church, has to be
stated or underscored to mean "the Trinity is in one person," namely the Lord
God Jesus Christ. "God is One in Person and in Essence; and the Lord is that
God" (Lord
65). This Trinity, everyone knows, is as Soul, Body and Activity.
Each human being has such a trinity, and yet we see only one person in the
mirror!

     The Doctrine of the Lord2 was printed in Amsterdam in 1763, and for the
second time draws together the subject of the Lord as God. The first time was in
Heavenly Doctrine, London 1758, which consisted of complete doctrinal summary.
But in 1763 Doctrine of the Lord comes with copious Biblical quotes from which
the "doctrine" has been "drawn in full" (Sacred Scripture 53) and "printed in
these small works" (De Verbo 21).

418


The very last passage
in Doctrine of the Lord (#65) summarizes in seven critical points the Lord's
Name, correcting 1700 years of misnaming the Lord. These points remove all the
"strange fires" (Leviticus 10:1, 2) lit before God's altar. With these truths
revealed, worship can now be "internal" (Arcana Coelestia 10570, 10460).

     Here are the truths: 1. "God is One in Person and Essence, and the Lord is
that God" (Lord
65). Please, reflect on this phrase and cherish it. It is a complete
statement of distinct New Church faith in the Lord our God. No one else can say
it.

     The points continue: "2. The whole Sacred Scripture treats of Him alone"
(Lord
65). This is the Lord walking to Emmaus: "He expounded to" their
burning hearts the "comprehension of the Scriptures" from Moses: Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, all the way through the Psalms and
Prophets, in "all the scriptures the things concerning Himself' (Luke 24). The
Writings do that too! The point is that not just the obvious Advent prophecies
talk of Him, the ones celebrated in Handel's Messiah! No, it is all the
Scriptures, Genesis through Malachi. Every chapter and verse of Sacred Scripture
has to do with the Lord, His advent, His Kingdom.

     And as for the Advent, there is more to it than just that Jesus was born
in Bethlehem, and that He is The Christ. No, not enough. He came to "overcome
the hells"! That was all those Temptations from the beginning to the end. He did
this by taking on our impure nature. He suffered, in His maternal human. The
Writings explain these temptations began during the Lord's infancy! He started
as early as three or five years old, given the Writings' definition of "infancy"
(Arcana Coelestia
10225). He in fact conquered the Nephilim from Noah's Flood in His
infancy. "The Lord fought in earliest childhood .... And unless the Lord by His
Coming into the world had overcome them, nobody at all would be alive today on
this planet" (Arcana Coelestia 1673:2). This is described in
Genesis Chapter
13, Abram's rescue of Lot. Thus the point is made that the Lord came
to "subjugate the hells, and to glorify His Human".

419




     This "glorification" process lasted His entire life on earth, for about 35
years. This process only culminated in the "Passion of the Cross". That was the
final temptation, coming after all the others. Thus by the "process" of
"glorifying His Human" he "became the Redeemer and Savior." (Lord 65) Elsewhere
it says "He put Himself into the power" to save the human race (Arcana Coelestia
7930). It was a process. He was indeed born for this purpose, but He
could not do it until He grew into the power to accomplish it! To remember this
point, we have to say He 'became' the Redeemer and Savior. It is a distinct New
Church creed.

     How did the Lord know what to do? He received revelation while reading His
own Word." "[I]n childhood the Lord wished to take in no other cognitions than
those of the Word, which... was laid open to Him from Jehovah Himself"
(Arcana Coelestia
1461). The Lord "had revelations from Himself' (Arcana Coelestia 5121e). He
saw that "In the internal sense of the Word the Lord's entire life is described,
as it was going to be when He was in the world, even as to His perceptions and
thoughts" (Arcana
Coelestia 2523). It was as if the Lord's autobiography had been
written ahead of time! For everything in the Word "had to do with Him, and had
first come from Him" (Arcana Coelestia 1461). Thus it was revealed to the
Lord by His own soul Jehovah how "the Divine Itself, the Divine Human and the
Holy Proceeding were to be united in Him" (Arcana Coelestia 2171). "The Trine is
in Him." Thus He "fulfilled the things of the Word" (Lord 65). He said, "It is
finished."

     Why did the Lord have to be crucified? The Passion of the Cross was
inevitable, because the Word had already been violated: "He suffered in order
that in Himself the Church should be represented, and the manner in which it had
done violence to the Word" (Lord 65). So just as the Script the Lord was following
had already been violated, so He permitted Himself to be treated the same way as
the Script. And the method: He suffered from human sins inherited via Mary, His
mother: "At the Passion of the Cross, the Lord did not take away sins, but He
bore them."

420


That means He suffered on account of all humans
sins. He carried our cross. But that is not "removing sins"! Instead He "bore"
our sins. By overcoming every temptation, sensed by Him 1000 times more
painfully than ours (Arcana Coelestia 1573), He cleared the path for every
person from that time on to undergo their own temptations, and thus be saved.

     But only after repentance. This is the last clear point from Lord 65: Because He
did not remove our sins, but suffered from them, therefore, the "imputation of
His merit" is a meaningless phrase unless it comes after "our own repentance."
Imputation to Christians means Christ removing our sins without having to do
anything to earn it. So here it is: "6. The imputation of merit means nothing,
unless by it is understood the remission of sins following repentance"
(Lord
65). First we have to repent, then the Lord from the power He took
to Himself, can "remit" our evil, i.e. send it to the sides of our
consciousness. That is how it works: we shun an evil, and the Lord's power
removes it. It cannot happen without our initiative.

     That is how all angels and those being regenerated by the Lord, are "kept
away" from their evil proprium by the Lord. We are kept in a heavenly freedom by
the Lord. As the angel told John: "I am your fellow servant ...worship God"
(Revelation
22:9), meaning that angels of the New Heaven and all in the New
Church are conjoined in worship of the Lord.

     1 A Schmidius reproduction including Swedenborg's own hand notes is now
available from Swedenborg Scientific Association.
     2 Part of the Four Doctrines (Lord, Sacred Scripture, Life and Faith)


421


SWEDISH PERSPECTIVE OF THE PRESENT RELIGIOUS SITUATION 2010

SWEDISH PERSPECTIVE OF THE PRESENT RELIGIOUS SITUATION       OLLE BJORKSTROM       2010


----------
     (Olle Bjorkstrom MD is Chairman of the Board in the New Church in
Stockholm, Sweden.

     At present there are interesting changes going on in the religious world
of Sweden. Up to a few years ago, the number of people attending church service
was diminishing. This was a tendency that had gone on without interruption for
about fifty years. The Swedish Lutheran Church, which up to the year 2000 was
the Swedish State Church, has suffered the greatest losses. There has also been
a decline in membership in the other churches, like the Baptists and Methodists,
but the State Church has had the greatest decline. Our Church, the New Church,
has followed the same development as the Baptists and others.

     A very marked change has occurred over the last years. Debates, panel
talks and lectures on religious subjects have started to attract hundreds of
people in the Stockholm region. A panel talk on the subject "Do we need God?"
drew 250 people; a discussion on the subject "Kierkegaard, a religious
philosopher?" attracted 100 people. Just a few years ago there would have been
ten visitors attending, or even less.

     The number of people coming to church service has also changed
drastically. Within the Swedish Church, Taize services, Coptic masses, Oneness
masses (Hindu ecumenical term) have hundreds, sometimes a thousand visitors.
There has also been a drastic change in the amount of people attending regular
services in the Swedish Church. It has changed from a handful of visitors to
hundreds every Sunday. But this does not apply to all congregations in the
Swedish Church; neither does it apply to the other churches, nor to the New
Church in Sweden.

     For fifty years, the newspapers reduced spiritual questions to the family
pages. Now, the front pages are filled with articles on spiritual subjects, and
the editorial pages write about spiritual, religious and church matters as if
they had always done so.

422


Now, it is true that the newspapers
are filled with committed articles on religious subjects, often critical and
demanding, but the critique and the demands are signs of a new, real religious
interest.

What Is Happening?

1. The Development of the State Church

     I see historic roots to the development over the last fifty years. In the
18th century the Swedish State Church and the state reacted to what was
considered a disturbance in the religious order. First the Herrnhutistic then
the Pietistic movements were looked upon with strong disfavor. The
Konventikelplakat was a new law from 1726 which in practice made it forbidden to
practice your religion personally, in private. The Konventikelplakat uncovered a
system of oppression in the name of God. The autocracy was in power; the
minister was the dictator in his own parish. He was the only representative for
the state in the local community. Deep in the public consciousness we have that
embedded. Swedish writers and filmmakers have described ministers of former days
as dictatorial, conservative, oppressing, and even evil. The Swedish author
Wilhelm Moberg describes his fictional figure Rev. Brusander, who makes almost a
whole parish emigrate to the USA. Famous Swedish Film Director Ingmar Bergman in
the film "Fanny and Alexander" describes how his Bishop Vergerus almost crushes
his step children.

     I do not think it is only to be heard better, that the pulpits in many
churches are high, high above the congregation. The minister's way of addressing
the congregation has always been "from above". Nowadays, it is not so much
because the minister thinks he "knows", but rather that he thinks the
congregation "does not know". This seems to be something you assimilate in the
theological schools more or less all over the western world. Forty years in the
New Church has not convinced me that our Theological School takes another
position.

423




     News from abroad about the Catholic Church adds to the picture of a church
as a self righteous organization that places itself above mankind through giving
itself the right to cover crimes and protect criminals from the law that we all
have to follow.

     From the middle of the 20th century I believe that all this influenced us
in Sweden to start dropping out from the service on Sundays. In the new society
and the modern life after World War II, we had no room for church in the form it
had then. We shunned the superior churches that talked "down" to the
congregations from a position of superiority. As the church benches became less
and less occupied, the attitude of superiority became more and more diffuse, but
basically there was no change. The ministers still looked upon themselves as
they who "knew" and the congregation as the ones that "did not know".

     The New Church also filled the benches in our 1928 newly built church in
Stockholm. Our vital church of the twenties and thirties still supports us
today. We pay our expenses for our present activity from the funds that were
assembled then. We also have many empty seats in our church nowadays.

     But back to the State Church: During the whole post-war period, the
churches were emptied. Then something important happened. The State Church and
the Swedish State separated! From the year of 2000, Sweden no longer has a state
church. No bishop, no minister, no other official within the Swedish Church is a
governmental officer anymore. The former State Church's worldly basis for a
feeling of superiority was gone.

2. The Development of the Religious Needs of the Population.

     Around the same time, something else started to change. Many Swedes
reached a point when their inner life had dried out, after years of denial of
the spiritual dimension in life. The denied needs that were dammed up came to
the surface. This is what is happening just now. One man affects the other,
since all suffer from the same inner drought. We, as a people, can no longer
deny our longing to feel complete. But as a people, do we also share the
historic experience of the church as an oppressing institution?

424



Is the effect today that people approach the churches with suspicion, sometimes
even anger, due to the memories of old excesses of authority from the
representatives of the State Church?

From A Superior to an Inferior Position.

     Many ministers within the Swedish Church (the new name of the former State
Church) were affected by the bad heritage from characters resembling Rev.
Brusander and the Right Rev. Vergerus. As the result of inherited guilt, among
other reasons, some ministers have ceased completely to address the congregation
"from above," yes, even discreetly or in a subtle way. These ministers have done
away with the whole question of superiority. This has given room to express the
real, problematic and inferior position of the Swedish Church, a church with
extremely few active members. From that position the church has asked its
members: "What are your religious needs?" "Which spiritual questions do you
have?" "What do you wish from us?"

     Such questions can be of possible use as a test of the capacity of the
church to be humble. The arguments that were delivered after the decision were
interesting. Ministers and officials within the church talked about the
inclusive message of love, most clearly expressed in the Gospels, where Jesus
welcomes harlots, publicans and Samaritans.

     In short, a submissions test for the church would be a repudiation of its
brutal history of oppression. Questions are on people's minds, as for example a
longing for authenticity, genuineness, for a deeper understanding of the
relation between man and woman, and a longing for wholeness. I also think that
the generation boom, born in the 1940s are beginning to touch the questions of
death and the life after. There still is an ambivalence and shyness around
death, but the questions keep coming....

     When the church is answering people's questions, then they come and they
come in large numbers, even if the ministers of the Swedish Church do not seem
to have much to say.

425


It seems as if people are so grateful that
anyone at all really tries to answer their questions, that they accept even the
meager answers they often get from the Swedish Church.

Does This Concern The New Church?

     You may think that these are internal questions for the Swedish Church? I
myself do not think so. Don't we in the New Church, together with many other
churches, also carry a collective, historical guilt, - even if the actual guilt
was "produced" by the main line Christian Churches? Are our New Church pulpits
also six steps above the congregation and three steps above the altar? In 2007
we lowered ours to the same level as the altar.

     To the extent that we also have had an autocratic government in our
church, has a "from above thinking" also dominated among ministers? Since the
very beginning, the New Church has been subordinated in the tradition: "Listen
To Me, I have something wonderful to tell." If so, has then the New Church just
joined the jumble of voices of the present day, all calling: "Listen To Me"?

     If so, the problem of the day becomes "Information Pollution" and
"Information Overload". The successful part of the Swedish Church today says
something different. They say: "I want to Listen To You; which spiritual
questions do you have?" It is only after that that the church speaks. Sometimes
it seems embarrassing how little the Swedish Church has to say, but they do try
to answer the outspoken questions from the congregation.

What Can The New Church Do?

     In Sweden we have a little pamphlet called "A religion with clarity and
sense. 20 questions about the New Church". It gives an understandable and
credible short version of our religion, but does it start from: "Listen To Me"?
Even the magazine "Outreach" that I enjoyed so much starts from: "Listen To Me."

     Before us is a difficult and sometimes personally provoking work of a
shift of paradigm.

426


It is tempting then, to look at other
countries where there is a shortage of information, such as the old Soviet
Union, shut off as it was from the rest of the world for more than fifty years;
or at developing countries with no "information overload" as yet. In those
examples, no minister or church official needs to make the deeply personal
change from "you listen to me" to "I listen to you". But if we want to have the
church benches as filled as we had in the 1930s, then should we not begin to
listen to our neighbor, and then answer.

     We, engaged laymen as well as ministers, need to turn around and start
asking questions, primarily of the congregation, since our questions probably to
a large extent are also all people's questions: "What are your spiritual needs?"
"Which are your most urgent spiritual questions that keep turning in your mind?"
Then we can go to our gold mine, the Word and the Writings and there find
answers to our questions.

427


Notes on This Issue 2010

Notes on This Issue       Editor       2010


----------

     Announcements





----------
     Rev. Lawson M. Smith takes up the well known text: "Love your
enemies, bless those who curse you." It deals with the heart of charity: the
quality of our love towards the neighbor depends on whether they are engaging in
good or evil actions. What is the essential motive? It is something the Lord
gives us all the time.

     We continue with the second or final installment, on two fronts: Rev. Arne
Bau-Madsen's study, on which historical circumstances seem linked to the Last
Judgment of 1757; and Mr. Vance Genzlinger's detailed proposal on broadcasting
the news of the Second Advent, addressed with a view to who the 'prospects' are,
i.e. those who turn to the New Church.

     Mrs. DeLue asks in a letter how we should not mix religion and politics.

     Every November issue of New Church Life is the time for showing the
General Church Schools Directory, also the Annual Report of the Secretary of the
General Church. Please find these reports inside!

431


LOVE YOUR ENEMIES 2010

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES       Rev. LAWSON M. SMITH       2010


----------
     "I say to you, 'Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do
good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and
persecute you, that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven'" (Matthew.
5:44-45).

     This commandment of the Lord is designed to be a great protection for us
against revenge. The Lord seeks to deliver us from the feelings of anger,
hatred, and contempt that we feel when someone hurts us. When someone
deliberately hurts us, or we perceive that it is a deliberate insult, the pain
does not come primarily from whatever anyone has done or said. The hurt comes
from the hells, using that other person's actions as an occasion and opportunity
to rush into our minds and hearts with anger and sadness. But when we think
carefully of this commandment of the Lord, and when we begin to obey Him,
striving to love even our enemies, to bless those who curse us, do good to those
who hate us, and pray for those who use us spitefully and persecute us,
immediately the evil spirits causing us agonies are forced to back away, and
angels begin to draw near.

     "To bless" means, in the internal sense, to offer instruction (Apocalypse Explained
644:23). If someone comes with ideas that seem to undermine values
that we hold dear, then we should offer the truths that mean a great deal to us,
in the hope that we can come closer together in our understanding. Rather than
just finding fault, we are to study another person's thoughts and feelings in an
effort to bend, not break, and make allowances where we can (Arcana Coelestia
1949).

     "To pray" means to intercede (Apocalypse Explained 644:23). The more
earnestly we pray for someone who is using us spitefully and persecuting us, the
less susceptible we will be to hating him, and we will gradually be released
from all the physical, mental and spiritual harm that comes to us when we are
angry and resentful and wish for revenge.

432




     In the Writings, the Lord shows us the nature of revenge by describing the
hells of vengeful spirits. "The kinds of spirits who harbor deadly hatred, and
as a consequence breathe revenge, seeking nothing less than the murder of
another, knowing no rest till they have it, are confined in a cadaverous hell
very deep down, where there is a dreadful stench like that from dead bodies. And
what is remarkable, the spirits there are so delighted with that stench that
they prefer it to the most pleasant odors. Such is their dreadful nature and
their consequent evil fantasies" (Arcana Coelestia 814).

     We must pray that we may not get wrapped up in revenge as these hellish
spirits are. All of us have inclinations toward such evils, and all of us have
seen the signs of such hatred in ourselves. We ought to be frightened of our
vengeful tendencies and our lust for domination, and pray for the Lord's help in
overcoming these lusts. The Lord's words about loving our enemies can help us.

     When the Lord came into the world, He taught a completely new ideal,
almost unmentioned in the Old Testament. He said, "A new commandment I give to
you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one
another. By this, all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for
one another" (John
13:345). Forgiveness is a key part of loving one another. In the
Prayer, we are taught to pray for forgiveness of our debts as we forgive our
debtors.

     The Lord illustrated the need for us to forgive others by the parable of
the unforgiving servant of the king. The Lord, like the king, immediately
forgives us everything we owe Him, as soon as we ask. In fact, the Lord does not
even hold us responsible for our sins, just as on the cross, He said, "Father,
forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). But if we in our
turn will not forgive others the comparatively small hurts they do to us, we
also refuse to receive the Lord's forgiveness.

433


We defend our
own righteousness in relation to our sinning neighbors. We believe we are good,
and so we do not confess our sins to the Lord. We do not admit that we also need
to be forgiven. Instead, we cling tenaciously to the delight of holding a grudge
against others. We will not let the Lord free us from that evil.

     The word for forgiveness in both the New Testament and in the Writings is
related to the word "remission." It means letting something go, sending it away,
or removing it. When a cancer is "in remission," it is as if it has gone away.
This is the way the Lord forgives us, by laboring to free us from lusts for evil
and send them back to the hell from which they come. He does not need to forgive
us in the sense that He would stop holding something against us, for He never
holds anything against us. He is love itself, and never ceases to work for us,
to remove evils from us, and so to make us freer and happier. So far as we are
truly sorry for something we have done or deliberately fantasized, have ceased
to do it, and are beginning a new life, the Lord is able to gradually remove the
longing for that evil.

     The Lord only waits for us to want forgiveness and begin to work for it by
repentance of our own free choice. It is not at all a question of our needing to
deserve forgiveness. The Lord wants to forgive us. He waits only so that He does
not take something away from us that we still want, something in which we find
great delight, even if it is evil. He waits, and in the meantime He is gently
bending our affections away from evil toward good, with infinite patience and
gentleness. As far as we are willing, He remits or sends away from us the lusts
of evil, and thus forgives us our trespasses.

     In this sense, the Lord is the only one who can forgive anyone, by
delivering us not only from the sense of guilt for our actions, but more
importantly, from the thoughts and feelings that led to the action. We do not
bear the responsibility for making someone else recognize his guilt, nor for
restoring peace in his soul.

434


Someone much Wiser and more Loving
has these things in His capable hands.

     Yet the Lord gives us uses to perform for each other, because He loves us.
Particularly as parents, representing the Lord to our children, we can aim to
follow the example of our Heavenly Father. We can show them forgiveness by
striving to be patient and not to carry out punishments, when necessary, from
anger. Then our children can learn to be forgiving, and realize that our
Heavenly Father is forgiving.

     Some people have taken the idea from the Lord's teaching that evils are
always to be tolerated, never to be judged. Forgiveness and charity would be
much simpler if we could avoid judgments. But this interpretation does not fit
with the Lord's own example, for He brought about a judgment on the fallen state
of the Church. He exposed the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees in order to
free others from their domination. How does judgment of evil fit with forgiving
and loving our enemies?

     The Lord helps us here by teaching that charity and forgiveness are
attitudes of the internal man, of our intentions and thoughts. There is never a
question of whether or not we should forgive, or wish well to someone else. But
our internal concern for the welfare of others must take different forms in its
outward expression, depending on the state of a particular neighbor.

     We read in True Christian Religion, "To love the neighbor is not only to
will and do good to a relative, a friend, and a good man, but also to a
stranger, an enemy, and a bad man. Charity, however, is exercised towards these
in different ways. Towards a relative and a friend, it takes the form of direct
benefits; but towards an enemy and a wicked person it takes the form of indirect
benefits, such as exhortation, discipline, and correction" (True Christian Religion
407).

     "Those who have genuine charity are zealous for what is good, and their
zeal may appear in the external man as the flaming fire of anger, yet this fire
instantly dies down and is appeased as soon as his adversary returns to his
senses" (True
Christian Religion 408).

435




     True charity involves a zeal for what is good and true in our neighbors
and friends. Charity is the love of the good in the person, which is the Lord in
him. As far as we encourage the good things in another, and do not encourage bad
things, we care for that person's eternal happiness. "Everyone knows that a
father who chastises his children when they do wrong still loves them. On the
other hand, if he does not chastise them, he shows a love for their faults, and
such a love cannot be in accordance with charity" (True Christian Religion
407).

     If we offer the direct benefits of love to others without any
consideration as to what qualities in them we are encouraging, and what we love
about them, our own affections toward them cannot be purified, for we allow
affections for what is not good to remain with us. We don't truly love them. We
don't love their best self. Such indiscriminate friendship often brings out bad
qualities in ourselves.

     In turn, we should admire the courage of others who venture to bring
something to our attention. We can try to remember that this is an expression of
their love and concern, and respond in the same spirit. We need other people,
and we need to receive their help graciously. Learning to give and receive help
is a key to the strength of heavenly and earthly society.

     Recognizing a failing in a neighbor need not be contrary to the spirit of
forgiveness. If we are in the habit of reflecting daily on the evils with
ourselves, guarding against them, and praying to the Lord for help (Heavenly Doctrine
163), we will not easily grow contemptuous of another person's
shortcomings. Then if we are close friends, we may be able to offer instruction
in the spirit of the Lord's saying, "Bless those who curse you."

     The Lord is leading us into the marriage of goodness and truth, of mercy
with judgment. Judgment must be for the sake of loving our neighbor; forgiveness
and mercy must be the internal within judgment.

436


The Lord's
beautiful, challenging words in the Sermon on the Mount can help us on our way:
"Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you,
and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be the
sons of your Father Who is in heaven" (text).

     Amen.

Lessons: Matthew
5:38-45; 18:15-35; Arcana Coelestia 8223:3; True Christian Religion
409

     The Rev. Lawson M. Smith was inaugurated into the priesthood in 1979, and
ordained as Pastor in 1981. He first served as Assistant to the Pastor in
Washington D.C., Mitchellville Society, also visiting Baltimore Society. In 1981
Lawson became the Assistant Pastor to the Washington Society, and in 1982 added
the role of Principal of its Church School. He continued visiting in Virginia
areas. In 1983, he took over as Pastor of the Washington Society, still visiting
local areas, until 1993 when he accepted a call to be Pastor of the Durban
Society, South Africa, being also the Headmaster of the Kainon School. From 2000
to the present, Lawson has served as Pastor of the Kempton Society, Pa., and
Principal of its school. Lawson lives with his wife Shanon (Junge) in Kempton,
Pa.

[Photograph of Rev. Lawson Smith.]

437


DISASTER, DISEASE AND DIVINE PROVIDENCEPART THREE: DIVINE PROVIDENCE 2010

DISASTER, DISEASE AND DIVINE PROVIDENCEPART THREE: DIVINE PROVIDENCE       Rev. ARNE BAU-MADSEN       2010


----------
     Second Installment

     (This is second or final installment to the Part Three of the study by
Rev. Arne Bau-Madsen. The first Installment of Part Three was in October 2010 New Church
Life. Part One of the studies was printed in the July 2004, and Part Two
in the January 2006,
New Church Life.)

Energy Crisis

     It all started in that calamitous fourteenth century which, as is evident
from the second part of this study, was of such critical importance to the
preparation for the Second Advent and the beginning of the New Church. There
arose at that time a significant shortage of firewood in England, which was a
major producer and exporter of wool. In the course of the Hundred Years War (as
mentioned in the second part of this study) a large number of Flemish weavers
emigrated to England and laid the foundations of a burgeoning textile industry,
which would become an ever-increasing source of wealth for that kingdom.

     As the demand for wool increased, and the Black Death left more and more
tenant farms empty and unattended, sheep farming-a much less labor-intensive
process than other kinds of farming-increased significantly. When the demand for
wool kept increasing, more and more land was cleared for pasture, leading to an
extensive deforestation of the English countryside. This caused a shortage of
firewood, an energy crisis brought about by increasing demand and insufficient
supply.

     In the world of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, wood was one of the
most important commodities. It was used extensively in the erection of
buildings, and in the production of furniture, various tools and implements,
ships and vehicles and all kinds of industrial machinery. It was also used, in
the form of charcoal, in the production of iron, and was consumed in enormous
quantities in the making of salt, which was one of the most precious commodities
of the time.

438




     As the supply of wood decreased during the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries, prices for timber inevitably rose steeply, increasing by as much as
300% according to some estimates. This, however, was hardly anything compared to
the change in the price of firewood, which at the time was the one and only fuel
heating the homes, mansions and palaces of England. The price increased by as
much as 800% during this period, the reason being that the decrease in supply
was accompanied by an unusual rise in demand, caused by the arrival of the so-
called Little Ice Age.

     In the preceding centuries the northern hemisphere had enjoyed very
favorable climatic conditions. Based on the study of historical records, tree
rings and ice- and sediment-cores, experts have concluded that an extended
warming trend, starting about 800 AD and lasting until the early fourteenth
century radically changed conditions in the northern hemisphere in general, and
particularly in Europe. A balmy climate produced bountiful harvests much farther
north than is possible in our time and vineyards flourished even in England. The
sea ice around Iceland and Greenland retreated northward, opening the way for
Norse colonization. Greenland was indeed green at that time, providing
sufficient grazing for flocks of sheep and cattle.

     It did not last, however. In the fourteenth century a cooling trend began,
which persisted for more than four centuries, leading to the emergence of the
aforementioned Little Ice Age. At first this trend was fairly gradual; but
around the middle of the sixteenth century, temperatures began to fall
precipitously, throwing the northern hemisphere into a deep freeze which lasted
until the end of the eighteenth century. Cool, damp summers alternated with
extremely cold winters, so cold indeed that rivers froze even in Spain and
southern France. Some years the sea froze at Marseilles, and a series of extreme
frosts killed the olive trees in Languedoc. Conditions were, of course, even
worse in northern Europe, and, as already mentioned, caused a great increase in
the demand for firewood.

439




A Possible Correspondence between the Little Ice Age and the State of the Church

     Perhaps we may pause here for a moment, and engage in a bit of
speculation. The Little Ice Age lasted from approximately the mid-sixteenth
century to the late eighteenth century, coinciding very closely with the period
when the Protestant Church, the Church of faith alone, constituted the Church
Specific. Is this pure coincidence or might there be a connection?

     To suggest something like that may sound very far-fetched; but there is a
memorable relation in the True Christian Religion which may suggest otherwise.
In number 185 in this work we are given a description of a society - undoubtedly
in the world of spirits - buried in ice and snow: "To this shall be added the
following Memorable Relations. First: In the spiritual world there are climates
and zones just as in the natural world. Nothing exists in this world that does
not also exist in that; yet in origin they differ. In the natural world climates
vary according to the distance of the sun from the equator; in the spiritual
world they vary according to the distances of the will's affections and the
consequent thought of the understanding from true love and true faith; for of
these latter all things in that world are correspondences.

     "In the frigid zones of the spiritual world things appear similar to those
in the frigid zones of the natural world; lands and waters alike are bound in
ice with snow upon them. Those come hither and dwell here who in the world had
lulled their understanding to sleep by their indolence in thinking of spiritual
things, and who were consequently indolent in doing anything useful. Such are
called boreal spirits.

     "[2] On one occasion I had a strong desire to see some region of the
Frigid Zone where these boreal spirits dwell. I was therefore conducted in
spirit northward to a region where the whole earth appeared to be covered with
snow and all the water frozen. It was the Sabbath day; and I saw men, that is,
spirits similar in stature to the men of our world, with their heads, owing to
the cold, covered with lions' skins, the mouth of the skin fitted to their own;


440


while before and behind and down to the loins their bodies were
clad with leopard skins and their feet with bear skin. I also saw many riding in
chariots, and some in chariots carved in the form of a dragon with the horns
projecting forward. The chariots were drawn by small horses with their tails
clipped, which ran like frightful wild creatures, the driver holding tight the
reins and continually speeding and whipping them to a run.

     "At length I saw that the crowds were flocking towards a temple, which was
invisible because it was buried in snow; but the caretakers of the temple were
shoveling away the snow and digging a path for the coming worshipers, who
descended and entered" (True Christian Religion 185).

     To see the possible connection with the Little Ice Age we need to
consider, not only the climatic conditions in this society, but also the state
of faith reigning there, which becomes quite clear from certain statements made
by the inhabitants: "Again he exclaimed, "O how great a mystery is our holy
faith, that God the Father imputes the righteousness of His Son and sends the
Holy Spirit, Who from that imputed righteousness works out the evidences of
justification! These in brief are forgiveness of sins, renovation, regeneration,
and salvation - of the influx of action of which a man is no more conscious than
the statue of salt into which Lot's wife was turned; and of the indwelling or
the state of which he is no more conscious than a fish in the sea. But, my
friends, in this faith there lies a treasure so enclosed and hidden that not a
particle of it can be seen; therefore in this matter also let us keep the
understanding under obedience to faith. Continuing the quote:

     "5] After some deep sighs he again exclaimed, 'O how great is the mystery
of election! He becomes one of the elect to whom God imputes that faith, which
He imparts, at His good pleasure and out of pure grace, to whomsoever He wills
and when He wills, and while it is being poured into him man is like a stock,
but when this has been done he becomes like a tree.'

441


It is true
that there are fruits, that is, good works, hanging upon the tree (which in a
representative sense is our faith); but the fruit does not cling to it, and
therefore the worth of the tree is not in the fruit. Yet as this sounds
heterodox, although it is a mystical verity, let us, my brethren, keep the
understanding under obedience to faith in it.

     "6] Then again, after a brief pause, standing as if he would produce
something further from his memory, he continued, 'From the mass of mysteries I
will present one more, namely, that in spiritual things man has not a grain of
free-will. For the primates and rulers of our order say in their theological
canons that in matters pertaining to faith and salvation, which are especially
called spiritual, man has no ability to will, think or understand anything, nor
even adapt or apply himself to their reception. Therefore of myself I say, that
a man is no better able than a parrot or a magpie or a raven to think about
these things from reason and talk about them from thought; so that in spiritual
things man is in fact an ass, and only in natural things is he a man. But, my
friends, lest this should annoy your reason, let us in this as in the others
keep the understanding under obedience to faith. For our theology is a
bottomless abyss, and if you let your intellectual vision down into it you will
be overwhelmed, and will perish as by shipwreck. And yet keep this in mind: we
are none-the-less in the true light of the Gospel, which is shining far above
our heads; but sad to say, the hairs of our heads and the bones of our skulls
stand in the way and keep the light from penetrating the recesses of our
understanding" (True Christian Religion 185:4-6).

     It seems quite evident that this is indeed a society steeped in a most
extreme state of faith alone, represented by the frozen environment in which it
existed, a world very reminiscent of that of the Little Ice Age in the natural
world. Some may still think that it is rather far-fetched to make such a
connection between the state of faith in the Church Specific and the climatic
conditions in the region where the Church exists; but it is not without any
basis in the teachings of the Heavenly Doctrines. We are, for example, taught as
follows in the Apocalypse Explained:

442


"[F]or all effects that
exist in the natural world derive their origin from causes in the spiritual
world, especially those that relate to the things of the Church" (Apocalypse Explained
670:2).

     And as also stated in the work on Divine Providence: "Similar things are
represented by the wars of the present day, wherever they occur; for all things
which take place in the natural world correspond to spiritual things in the
spiritual world, and all spiritual things have relation to the Church. It is not
known in this world which kingdoms in Christendom represent the Moabites and the
Ammonites, which the Syrians and the Philistines, and which the Chaldeans and
the Assyrians, and the others with whom the Children of Israel waged war; and
yet there are peoples who represent them. Moreover, the quality of the Church on
earth and what the evils are into which it falls, and for which it is punished
by wars, cannot be seen at all in the natural world; because in this world
externals only are manifest, and these do not constitute the Church. However,
this is seen in the spiritual world where internal things appear, and in these
is the Church itself; and there all are conjoined according to their various
states. The conflicts of these in the spiritual world correspond to wars which
on both sides are governed according to correspondence by the Lord in accordance
with His Divine Providence" (Divine Providence 251:4).

     It seems quite evident that not only wars, but all the various conditions
of life in this world are affected by the state of the Church, and we do know
that in ancient times the land of Canaan was indeed a land of plenty, as may be
seen from the fact that when the spies sent out by the Israelites returned from
that land they not only brought back reports of terrifying giants, but also
carried with them a cluster of grapes so enormous that it had to be carried on a
pole between two men. About this we are also taught in the Apocalypse Explained:
"There was also much honey in the land of Canaan at that time, because at that
time the Church of the Lord was there, as can be seen from the first book of
Samuel, where it is said: That they came into the forest, where there was honey
upon the face of the ground, and there was a stream of honey, and Jonathan's
eyes were opened by tasting the honey (I Samuel 14:25-27,29)" (Apocalypse Explained
619:8).

443




     It must not be overlooked, however, that immediately following this
statement it is also added: "For at that time correspondences exhibited their
effects outwardly, since all things of the Israelitish Church consisted of
correspondences, which represented and signified things celestial and spiritual"
(Ibid.).

     The words "at that time" might be understood to indicate that such a
correspondential or representative connection between the state of the church
and external conditions in this world no longer existed after the end of the
Jewish Church; but when we consider what is taught in Divine Providence 251:4, as
quoted just above, it becomes clear that this connection, although perhaps
modified by circumstances, nevertheless exists in a somewhat similar form. Even
if this cannot be established with absolute certainty, it definitely seems less
than far-fetched and worthy of consideration.

Coal

     One fact remains beyond dispute: The Little Ice Age inevitably exacerbated
the energy crisis, causing a great increase in demand while supplies constantly
dwindled. An alternative source of fuel was available, however, namely coal.
Coal had already been mined and used for a long time; but it was scorned and
rejected by most because it was grimy, sooty and foul smelling. Firewood was
much preferred; but as the shortage became more and more acute, coal became
acceptable both for home heating and in various industrial enterprises; but
there was a problem even with the supply of coal. The larger part of the lands
where coal deposits were found - especially the rich ones around Newcastle -
were owned by the Roman Catholic Church, which leased the mining rights to
various lay entrepreneurs. The mining conducted by these managers was
exclusively pit mining, for the short-term leases discouraged any attempts to
invest in the development of deep shaft mining.

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This meant that
the accessible coal deposits were relatively limited, and could not provide a
long-term solution to the energy crisis; but then something happened that would
change all this.

     In 1527 Henry VIII of England wanted to have his marriage to Catherine of
Aragon annulled because she had failed to give him a male heir, and when the
pope refused to grant this annulment Henry severed all ties with the Roman
Catholic Church, ushering in the age of the Reformation. As a result of all this
the lands and possessions of the Church were confiscated by the crown, including
the rich coal deposits, which subsequently were sold to private entrepreneurs.
Having full ownership of the mines, instead of depending upon short-term leases,
gave the owners the incentive to expand the mines. As the shafts went deeper and
deeper into the coal seams, production increased, and the capacity to satisfy
the increasing demand for fuel was assured.

     There was one problem, however, for as the shafts went deeper and extended
below the groundwater level, the mines began to flood. To make it possible to
work the mines it became necessary to pump the water out. Great efforts were
made to solve this problem in the following centuries, for traditional muscle-
and wind-powered devices proved insufficient. It has been observed that in this
period one out of seven patents registered were associated with various aspects
of this technology. The breakthrough came in 1698 when Thomas Savery invented a
steam-powered pump, known as "the miner's friend" and soon after this Thomas
Newcomen introduced an improved model called the atmospheric engine.

     Flooded mines could now be reopened and coal production vastly increased.
As the price of coal went down, iron could be produced more cheaply, which again
reduced the cost of steam engines. The age of steam had arrived, revolutionizing
the world of industry, transport and communication.

     As the production of coal increased, the transportation of the ever
greater amounts of this commodity from the mines to navigable waterways became
more and more of a challenge, especially since existing roads were in very bad
shape, and often became impassable.

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This problem was solved,
however, by constructing wooden rails on which horse-drawn wagons delivered the
coal to the loading docks. Thus the mining of coal not only led to the invention
of steam power; but also to the conception of the railroad, which together with
the steamship would change the world.

     The "heaps" were deposited one by one: the textile industry, the Black
Death, the deforestation and shortage of firewood, the little ice age, the
mining of coal, the Reformation and the flooding mines. By such a convergence
and intertwining of events and developments, the palace was built and the door
to the modern world opened.

Conclusion

     The real uses of these "palaces" or inventions and technological
developments were not primarily - as already indicated - to improve the quality
of life in this world, as we are also reminded of in the following teaching:
"The Divine Providence looks to eternal things and to temporal things only so
far as they agree with eternal things" (Divine Providence 214).

     Historical events and developments, whether in the ecclesiastical, civil
or natural realms, are not only manifestations of the internal states of the
church specific; but are also - each in its own manner - part of the preparation
for future states and needs of this Church.

     We may perhaps see an example of this principle in the teachings of the
Heavenly Doctrine concerning the Jewish Diaspora. The external manifestation of
the end of the Jewish Church was the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in
AD 70 , and the scattering of the Jewish nation to all corners of the known
world; but in Providence this was also brought to serve an important use in the
newly established Christian church: "Inasmuch as the tribe of Judah was of this
character more than the other tribes, and at this day just as of yore account
the rituals holy which can be observed out of Jerusalem, and as they have a holy
veneration for their fathers, especially as they regard the Word of the Old
Testament as holy, and inasmuch as it was foreseen that Christians would almost
reject this Word, and would likewise defile its internal things with things
profane, therefore that nation has been preserved until this time, according to
the words of the Lord in Matthew 24:34" (Arcana Coelestia 3479:3).


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     "This nation has been preserved and dispersed over a great part of the
world for the sake of the Word in its original language, which they more than
Christians hold sacred; and in every particular of the Word is the Divinity of
the Lord, for it is Divine Truth united to Divine Good proceeding from the Lord
and by means of this the Word becomes the conjunction of the Lord with the
Church and the presence of heaven with man, as has been shown in The Doctrine Of
The New Jerusalem Concerning The Sacred Scripture (n. 62-69); and there is the
presence of the Lord and of heaven wherever the Word is read with reverence.
This is the end which the Divine Providence has in view, in preserving and
dispersing them over a great part of the world" (Divine Providence 260:3).

     This principle, that external events in this world are not only
manifestations of the state of the existing Church, but also part of the
preparation for the church that is to come, is one of several , which, I
believe, have emerged in the course of this three part study. Another one is the
teaching in Arcana
Coelestia 509, that all things are determined by their relation to
the state of the church, and a third the one found in Divine Providence 203, which
has been the focus of this part of the study; where the workings of Providence
are compared to those of a vast construction site, where heaps of various
materials arrive at different times, without giving any clue to the nature of
the edifice that is to be built.

     It is also evident that our search for meaning and connections should not
be confined to the centuries immediately preceding the Last Judgment and the
Second Advent. The teachings from the Heavenly Doctrine mentioned in the
beginning of this study make it clear that the Second Advent and establishment
of the New Church were foreseen and indeed foreordained from the very beginning
of creation, and that all of human history, in one way or another, is part of
the preparation for this ultimate end in view.

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     Finally, as I was doing the research for this study, I was intrigued by
what seemed to be a suggestion of an interesting pattern in the unfolding of
events leading to the Reformation and the Second Advent. I am referring to the
so-called "descending trines" which are mentioned in the beginning of this part
of the study, the trines comprising an ecclesiastical event followed by a civil
one, and ending with a natural disaster of epic proportions. Indeed, if we
examine the sequence of events in the transition from wood to coal, something
similar to this pattern seems to emerge.

     The first step in this transition was the English Reformation, which
caused the lands of the Roman Catholic Church to pass into the possession of the
crown, the second was the sale of these lands to lay entrepreneurs, and the
third and final one was the coming of the Little Ice Age, which made this
transition complete and inevitable. This trine, in other words, comprised an
ecclesiastical event, followed by one associated with civil society, namely the
sale of the lands, and finally a natural phenomenon.

     We may wonder if these three examples really have any significance,
representing an important principle, namely the descending trine, by means of
which the present states of the Church as well as the preparations for future
states, are manifested. It could be mere co-incidence, but it seems to be worth
thinking about. It is my hope that others, perhaps more eminent theologians and
knowledgeable historians, will be inspired to seek answers to this question, and
will continue this quest for a new understanding of the entire field of human
history. In doing this we will greatly contribute to the development of New
Church education, and help make manifest the secret and wondrous workings of
Divine Providence, giving us another testimony to the presence of the visible
God in His Divine Human in all things of life.

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ALLELUIA! THE LORD HAS RETURNED!A PROPOSED OUTREACH TRAINING PROGRAM 2010

ALLELUIA! THE LORD HAS RETURNED!A PROPOSED OUTREACH TRAINING PROGRAM       VANCE GENZLINGER       2010


----------
     (Submitted to help members and friends support Church wide Outreach
Efforts.)

     Second Installment.

      (First Installment was in October 2010 New Church Life.)

AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED FOR SUCCESSFUL OUTREACH.

     We must train every Swedenborgian (5,000 New Church members and another
5,000 friends) in the following three areas of knowledge, and provide them with
meaningful experience in the application of this knowledge:

     Knowledge of the key New Church teachings: This especially includes those
teachings that are most likely to come up in conversations with our prospects.
We must have real knowledge that we can express from our hearts, not just a
bunch of memorized phrases. It also means that we must become a church of people
who study the Bible and the Writings.

     Knowledge of issues that may occur in the lives of our prospects
(primarily the searchers): These could be organizational issues, issues arising
from doctrinal things they have read or heard about in prior religious
experiences, or about things not adequately covered by those prior experiences
such as faith, salvation, marriage, death and the afterlife.

     Knowledge of how to communicate our teachings to our prospects: This
entails encouraging our prospects to share their concerns with us so we can
support them with solutions from the Bible and Writings. This is a process that
involves much practice, patience and prayer.

     We need a membership that understands the needs and concerns of their
prospects, that understands how to meet their prospects' needs and that has
confidence in their own ability to discuss these needs with their prospects.


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Further, our members must commit to acting on their
understandings and to making a difference. It is the one-on-one or small group
interaction between knowledgeable Swedenborgians and their prospects that will
provide real momentum to our church wide outreach efforts.

A Specific Training Program for Each Target Market

     The training varies depending on which group of prospects we are
considering.

     For the believers, the best training is to be active in and knowledgeable
of our local church, school and community activities. This should be
complemented by a speaking knowledge of the General Church organization, its
educational facilities, its services to its societies and isolated groups, and
its world-wide outreach efforts. This type of training is already available
through our societies, church publications and Outreach organizations.
Therefore, it does not need to be included in this program.

     Many believers will have "remains" associated with the doctrines from the
church in which they were raised. We must be compassionate about this, and be
careful to find out which of our teachings might potentially be offensive to
them. Whenever possible, we should share the gist of our teachings with them in
a manner that is inoffensive and unobtrusive, before we invite them to our
services. The training we get to prepare for searchers, given below, will be
more than enough for believers.

     For the searchers, the needed training is much more extensive and complex.
It involves training our entire battery of Swedenborgians in the problems facing
our prospects, in our doctrines that can help resolve their problems and in how
to communicate our solutions to our prospects. These three areas are treated
here in summary form.

     We have little knowledge of our prospect's specific concerns. We assume
that most qualified prospects come from some religious background with which
they are dissatisfied or have rejected. We call these prospects "searchers." We
need a talking knowledge of the basic teachings of the major religions from
which our prospects come.

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Without this, we can have no true
empathy for what they are going through. For example, a prospect may say, "I
have problems with the concept of 'original sin'. What does it mean, and what
does your church teach about it?" We must understand where our prospects are
coming from before we can discuss what the Writings tell us that might help them
in times of need.

     We don't have enough knowledge of our specific teachings that apply to the
specific needs of those with whom we come in contact. Until this knowledge is
deeply imbedded in our minds, the best we can do is to refer them to our pastor
or recite some memorized clich�s in a somewhat mechanical way that is doomed to
be ineffective.

     Even if we have a speaking knowledge of our prospect's prior faith and its
teachings that cause them concerns, and even if we know what our church teaches
about these concerns, we still need training in how to draw the concerns out of
our prospects, how to present our solutions, and how to leave the prospect
asking for more. One proven method for this type of training is role playing. It
has the advantage that each Swedenborgian gets experience at playing the role of
both the Swedenborgian and the Prospect, and thus a perspective on both points
of view. Role Play Training will be discussed in more detail below.

     For the unbelievers, it is not so much training that is needed, as it is
for us to establish a large body of research projects that relate what the
Writings say to what science teaches. Results from these projects must result in
the publication of Swedenborg oriented articles in scientific and professional
journals, in books and on web pages. This type of activity will make people in
this category aware that "Swedenborg" and the "Writings" exist, so that they in
turn can refer to Swedenborg in their lectures and publications when applicable.
I understand that this work is not for most New Church people, but those who
have the background and proper mind-set needed to work in a coordinated effort
that puts on a uniform front to the reading public.

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This
requires research into what the Writings say about science, and our learning how
to apply the results of this research to actual scientific problems. A start has
been made by some of our scientists. Some articles and books have been
published. But this work represents only a small fraction of the work that is
before us. Until we do more in this area, few, if any, unbelievers will become
prospects for us.

Role Playing Techniques to be used In This Training Program.

     I propose eight weekly small group sessions similar in format to the
interactive style used by the successful Journey Programs. This program differs
from Journey in two ways. First, it trains our members on how to bring God and
the Writings into the lives of prospects, rather than on bringing them into our
own lives. Second, it makes extensive use of a technique called role-playing
which gives our members experience discussing our more difficult teachings with
others. Each weekly session will follow this outline:

      (1)     There will be a summary of the history, overall theology and mission
of one religious denomination. This will include significant variations between
specific sects within the denomination, their most controversial doctrines and
references for additional study. The group will be asked to read this material
prior to the start of the weekly session. It will not be read in class unless
participants request the reading of particular parts. There will be an intense,
interactive group discussion about the denomination.

      (2)     There will be a sample role-play script containing a discussion of
one (or more) doctrinal issue(s), and describe one of many possible
Swedenborgian views on the issue(s). These scripts can optionally be read or
assumed read by the group. Quotes from the Bible and Writings will be used where
appropriate. These scripts are examples of different ways a dialogue can be
constructed. They are to be used as a source of ideas for each member to use
when constructing their own dialogues. There will be a group discussion
following the sample role-play dialogue. Hopefully, (1) and (2) can be covered
during the first hour of the session.

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      (3)     During the second hour, the group will shift into a role-playing
mode. Participants will take turns playing the role of the prospect and the
Swedenborgian. The Swedenborgian asks about the prospect's family and other
small talk until they are comfortable with each other. It may take weeks to get
to know them. When there is an appropriate opening, the Swedenborgian asks about
the prospect's church background. We then determine if the prospect is a
believer, searcher or unbeliever. Assuming the prospect is a searcher, we try to
determine why the prospect(s) left their church, why they are looking around,
and what their spiritually related concerns are. We should draw out the
prospect's specific problems. The prospect is gently led to see that there is a
different way to view each problem. Each student should take a turn at being
both the prospect and the Swedenborgian as time allows. A group discussion will
follow this role playing exercise to evaluate the dialogues.
     At no time do we preach doctrine. We are only asking and answering
questions. We must have a genuine desire to help the prospect, rather than a
subconscious desire to show off our knowledge of doctrine. It is more useful to
ask questions than it is to preach. Role playing is an effective way for us to
develop the skills needed to discuss New Church teachings with a prospect.

Principles for Use When Discussing Our Teachings

     These principles are designated at appropriate places by superscripts in
the text of the weekly sample role play scripts.

      (1)     Develop friendly and trustworthy relationships with your prospects.
Always be upbeat. Remember and use your prospects' names when appropriate.
Compliment prospects when possible, but don't be condescending. Offer to do
things for your prospects. Give them garden flowers, help move furniture, watch
kid, etc. Invite prospects to your home with their kids. Eliminate the need for
baby sitters. Serve light refreshments when practical.

      (2)     Qualify your prospect. Before discussing specific religious topics,
determine which category they are in (believer, searcher, unbeliever - see
above).

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Then determine their religious background, if any. Have
they had childhood training as a Catholic, Protestant (which denominations), Jew
or Muslim? Are they still active members? If not, why not? If yes, or if they
are confirmed nonbelievers, they may not be prospects

      (3)     Do your homework. Learn the basic teachings of the faith in which
your prospect may have remains. Review the New Church response to those
teachings. Plan your strategy. If they are believers, you may want to only
lightly touch on issues that may be discordant with their remains. If they are
searchers be prepared to answer some difficult questions.

      (4)     Wait for an appropriate opening. Then steer the conversation toward
God, heaven, praying, or some other religious topic of their interest. Ask
questions. Prospects will discuss their issues when they feel trust toward you.
Don't forget that we are discussing religion to help the prospects, not to get
converts. Answer the prospect's questions directly. Don't beat around the bush.
Don't preach about your interests. Quote the Bible frequently if your prospects
have a Christian background. Find common perspectives when possible. Avoid
negative talk about other churches or doctrines. Summarize what has been said.
Introduce ideas that will set the stage for a follow-up meeting. That is, leave
your prospects with more questions to be answered later. Keep each session
short.

      (5)     Be specific about the time and place for the next meeting. When the
time feels right, invite your prospects to an activity at our Church.

     Proposed Table of Contents for This Outreach Training Program

                              Distinctive New
Week          Target Church          Church Teaching

Week 1: Roman Catholic Church      Nature of God
Week 2: Episcopalian Church           Bible's inner meanings
Week 3: Lutheran Church               Purpose and Nature of First Advent


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Week 4: United Church of Christ      Purpose and Nature of
Second Advent
Week 5: Baptist Church               Salvation
Week 6: Pentecostal Church          Communication with spirits
Week 7: Mormon Church               Marriage
Week 8: Islam religion               Spiritual World

Questions to consider about this marketing approach

1.     Do these marketing principles make sense? Is an understanding of them
necessary?
2.     Consider the relationship between "product planning", "public relations"
and "selling". Does this distinction apply to outreach?
3.     Should the target audience be considered when planning a public relations
campaign such as advertising, internet web page, etc.?
4.     Consider the given breakdown of prospect types.

     a.     Is the breakdown of prospect types into "believers", "searchers" and
"unbelievers" a valid overall breakdown? Is there a better alternative breakdown
for outreach purposes?
     b.     Is a finer breakdown of each type important when planning a strategy
for a particular prospect? For example, is it necessary or only helpful to know
the specific denomination of the past religious background of a searcher
prospect?
5.     When planning a discussion with a believer, should you focus on how our
beliefs can help them, or on our people-oriented programs (such as worship
services, schools, community services), or on what they want to discuss?
6.     When planning a discussion with a searcher, should you make a distinction
between the questions you will ask if his or her background was Catholic or
Protestant or Fundamentalist or no religion? Give examples of how and why.
7.     Should you try to discuss religion with an unbeliever? If so, what would
be a good approach?

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8.     Discuss the pros and cons of using role playing as a training tool for
gaining experience at talking to prospects? It will be interesting to see if
your opinion changes one way or the other after experiencing role playing.

Summary of this Proposed Outreach Training Program

     Word that the New Church exists is getting out by the example set by our
members, by our outreach world wide, by the use of the interne and by
advertising. But quality public relations efforts are only one part of a
successful outreach program.

     Another part is sharing with our contacts what we have that is
distinctive. We talk freely and effectively about our family values, about our
churches, schools and societies, and about our involvement in community
activities, and this is what most of the believers are looking for. Only the
most general knowledge of our doctrines is needed for them.

     In order to attract searchers, however, we need to get better at talking
with our friends and neighbors about the things that are distinctive about our
church and its doctrines. We must expand our knowledge of what we have received
from our Lord in His Second Coming. We must also learn of the doctrinal issues
in old church theology that are driving their members away. Most importantly, we
must learn how to discuss these issues with our prospects in a gentle and
considerate way. This can best be done by making extensive use of role playing
to give our members and friends the experience they sorely need to build their
confidence. This will take lots of practice, patience, and prayer.

     In summary, the longest lead time requirement for developing an effective
outreach program is the training of our members and friends. Once this training
program has gained momentum we will have a member base that can respond to
inquiries when we proclaim: Alleluia! The Lord Has Returned!

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HOW THE LORD GOVERNS THE CHURCH. 2010

HOW THE LORD GOVERNS THE CHURCH.       Editor       2010


----------
     The Lord's government of the Church is by means of influx and
reception. The influx includes revelation, thus the Heavenly Doctrine already
descended out of heaven. The Heavenly Doctrines have already come to us: "John
was raised to the celestial heaven, and there he saw the doctrine for the New
Church in the form of a city" (Apocalypse Revealed 896) "The angels understand the
New Jerusalem,... and as the angels understand, so they signify; and this is the
internal or spiritual sense of the Word....The city Jerusalem coming down from
God out of heaven" signifies "the New Church's heavenly doctrine" (Heavenly Doctrine
1).

     The New Church is thus governed by the Lord by His speaking His Heavenly
Doctrine, in rational terms, natural language (De Verbo 6). The Church is from the
Word, and so the New Church acts from the Word of Heavenly Doctrine.

The Uniqueness of the Writings: NOT by angels.

     The Lord after the Resurrection is the Divine Human, an "essence by itself
filling the universal heaven" (Arcana Coelestia 3061). The Divine Human after the
Advent "became the same" as the Lord from eternity before the Advent (Arcana Coelestia
4687:3, 5663:3, 6831), but now also with the Divine
Natural made "actual" (Divine Love and Wisdom 233), which before had remained
only "potential." In effect, the Lord Himself replaced the former "angel of
Jehovah." The Lord has thus for the last 2000 years directly been governing by
His Divine Truth, called Holy Spirit. It is He who "governs the universe"
(Arcana Coelestia
2288e), and it was for the sake of governing His Church that He made
His Advent. (Apocalypse Explained 41). He governs the New Church on
earth.

     It took centuries for the Lord's Providence to prepare the human race for
the Second Coming, and "speaking from the Father plainly", as He had done on the
road to Emmaus!

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What was needed were nations who were free to
print the Bible in the vernacular, so that all literate people could read it
without fear of persecution. After Gutenberg's invention made mass printing so
easy, and after the Thirty Year War (1618-1648, Invitation 24) had
safeguarded nations who could print the Bible in the common languages, its
explanation could finally be given. The Age of Reason had by then honed rational
terminology to perfection, removing it from the Church's sole domain, so that
anything could be explained rationally. Neo-Latin had reached the level of an
ecumenical Esperanto. After the Last Judgment of 1757 had cleared the false
heavens, even while on earth the censoring by the Church came to an end about
the same time. The Writings accomplished a level-headed revelation of all truth
stored in both the Old and New Testaments. Had the Writings been given any
sooner, "hell would have plucked it out of the hearts of men, and would have
profaned it" (Lord
61).

     So the New Jerusalem, i.e. The Heavenly Doctrine, unlike the Two
Testaments dictated via angels, came "from the Lord alone who was revealed" to
Swedenborg (Divine
Providence 135). To this end, Swedenborg, unlike all previous
revelatory, was "...granted to be in both spiritual and natural light at the
same time," and could see the "wonderful things of heaven, while at the same
time draw forth truths in light, and thus to perceive and teach them;
consequently to be led by the Lord" (Invitation 52, added emphasis). Although
angelic speech was "impossible" to put into human language (De Verbo 4) still, "there
are not any celestial, spiritual or Divine Arcana which may not be... expressed
naturally, comprehensibly" (De Verbo 6). The Doctrines were thus extracted from
Scripture, thus "while reading" the Schmidius Latin translation of the Hebrew
and Greek "Word" (True Christian Religion 779). The Schmidius Bible
provided the "basis, container and support" of the spiritual sense and celestial
senses (Sacred
Scripture 27, True Christian Religion 210). These senses constitute
Doctrine which is the "same as they have in heaven."

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Now what
they have in heaven, is also "in this book" (Heavenly Doctrine 7), i.e.
all the Writings. The Writings were thus "...revealed to me out of heaven"
(Heavenly
Doctrine 7). Only by being "filled with [the Lord's] spirit" could
Swedenborg "teach the doctrines of the New Church from the Lord by means of the
Word..., and publish them by the press" (True Christian Religion 779). The
Writings stand proof for that. Since Swedenborg was "taught by the Lord alone,"
(Divine Providence
135) therefore the Writings came from the Divine Human, speaking as
the Holy Spirit. Only the Lord can enlighten someone to express all Divine
Arcana naturally, by rational terminology. His influx is incorporated by the
product: the Writings. It is He who governs the Church, by their means.

Government according to the Writings.

     It is by His Divine Human taken on by His Advent, that "He governs His
church" (Apocalypse
Explained 41). We thus now have the Word of the Lord both as to soul
and body, "the Lord Himself [being] in this [spiritual] sense with His Divine,
and in the natural sense with His Human" (Invitation 44)! Thus the Lord's Divine is
in the Word of Heavenly Doctrine, and His Human in the Word of Sacred
Scriptures. The former takes around 20 to 30 books to express in fullness, while
both Testaments can be bound into one single volume! This is one clue as to
their difference: the soul or spiritual takes much longer to explain! But since
the Divine Human now governs the universe (Arcana Coelestia 2288), He governs by
means of both the soul and body parts of His Word: "[I]nflux from the Lord [is]
through the Word....for members of the Church the main channel by which the Lord
flows in is the Word. This is so because the nature of the Word is such that all
things without exception there correspond to the Divine spiritual and Divine
celestial realities that exist in the heavens...So it is that the world has been
joined to heaven through the Word, but only among those who are governed by the
good of faith and love. From all this it becomes clear that for members of the
Church the Lord flows in through the Word" (Arcana Coelestia 9817, added emphasis).


459




     The Lord's influx is through His Word. Today, His government incorporates
these "spiritual and celestial realities," presented from heaven also on earth!
"At this day the spiritual sense of the Word has been revealed" (De Verbo 21) or
"disclosed by the Lord [because] the doctrine of genuine truth has now been
revealed" (Sacred
Scripture 25, added emphasis). The heavenly realities are already in
print. Whereas angels and men are conjoined by Scripture, the Writings being
Heavenly Doctrine equal to what they have in heaven, are instead said to
"consociate" (Apocalypse Revealed 818, 946), or "affiliate"
(Heaven and Hell
304) angels and men, and let them "communicate" (Invitation
44) with one another. That is also why the Writings have no other
meaning than the truths angels have, but only expressed in their own language.

     Because the New Church elects to be guided in all it does by the direct
teachings of the Writings, it therefore places itself under the Lord's
government through the Word. It can only act on what is taught. The objective is
to have our communities simulate heavenly communities.

     How exactly does the Lord govern His Church by the Word? By means of the
priesthood and influx.

Government by Influx: Three Forces.

     "[F]or members of the Church the Lord flows in through the Word"
(Arcana Coelestia
9817). Now there are three influxes or forces from the Lord: "In
everything spiritual there are three forces, an active force, a creative force,
and a formative force. The active force... proceeds from the fountain of all
forces, which is the sun of heaven, and that is the Lord's Divine love....The
creative force is the force that produces causes and effects from beginning to
end, and reaches from the First through intermediates to the last....The
formative force is the ultimate force from last things" (Apocalypse Explained
1209:3, 4).

460




     This last or formative force or influx is what happens to the active
influx when it "bypasses all successive formations" or levels of creation, going
without interruption from highest to lowest, and thus "rules and provides each
and all things...whereby the successives are held together in their order and
connection" (Arcana Coelestia 7270:4). It then "ascends
by...intermediates... from sensuous things of the body... to rational things"
(Arcana Coelestia
4009). This "Divine influx is from first things into outermost
things and, through the connection with outermost things, into intermediate
things" (Divine
Wisdom 8 i:3).

     This formative influx thus appears to come from below, but still from the
Lord. One of the Lord's hands reaches down and emerges as from below, to link up
with His other arm coming down through the ladder of creation. The Lord is both
Alpha and Omega. That is how for example a "lower truth" is disposed to be
"open" to the higher good inflowing from heaven, while it is simultaneously
"incorporated" (ibid.) and "adopted" by that good from above (Arcana Coelestia
3995). We can imagine a universal staircase, where good acts as a
platform, and truth acts as the riser, reaching down to the next lower platform
of good. The celestial good produces celestial truth which flows down to the
next lower spiritual good where it is received as soil receives seed. From this
good spiritual truth is produced as a plant from soil, and this flows down to
the next lower level of natural good, and so forth (cf. Arcana Coelestia 3952).
Finally about 12 or 13 discrete levels down from God, the receptacles become
"more general, obscure, sluggish and frigid" (Arcana Coelestia 7270:3), until the
influx reaches "substances at rest" as are in the earth, on planets (Divine Love and Wisdom
302). Soil or earth - the ground - is the final terminus for the
Lord's influx. This is where the "formative" influx then flows back upwards
towards its "source". It is at this juncture that "germination" takes place!
That was how the first forms of life on earth were created: "the first
production out of these earths, while they were still new and in their simple
state, ...could not be any other [than by] seeds" (Divine Love and Wisdom
312).

461


That is why the "formative force" is said to
"produce animals and plants from the ultimate substances of nature collected in
the earth" (Apocalypse Explained 1209:4).

     Is the earth or soil the only terminus for the Lord's influx? No, another
terminal is very close to home: move your arm! Shake a leg! "[H]uman gestures,
actions, looks, speech and external sensations and their delights...are the
extremes of order and...of influx which are then terminated" (Arcana Coelestia
3632). Human activity is the turning point of influx, making our
actions the first-fruits we may offer to the Lord, by living by His
commandments. Regeneration takes place in everyday life. Some of these "actions"
are also carried out in the Church, such as worship rituals. But human behavior
is itself one final "ending" of influx: Our actions and behavior are thus ending
terminations of influx, and the first-fruit of turning to the Lord - also the
freedom not to do so.

The Priesthood.

     Where else does the Lord's influx terminate? In the sense of the letter of
the Word, where all higher goods and truths come to rest, as in their "base,
container and support" (Sacred Scripture 27). All spiritual, celestial and
Divine meanings are lodged in the literal statements, containing precise arcana
"in no other historical sequences" than the ones selected (Arcana Coelestia 1468e).
Hence Church rituals, or externals of worship, must be "from the Word"
(Arcana Coelestia
8943) and are "according to" or "prescribed by" Doctrine (Apocalypse Revealed
777, 880). In the New Church, just because the Lord is
worshipped as the Divine Human, we are told "there will not be any external
separated from what is internal" (Apocalypse Revealed 918). We can't do meaningless
things. Among the most meaningful externals of worship are the "holy things of
the Church" which priests alone may administer (Heavenly Doctrine 318),
i.e. the sacraments of Baptism and the Holy Supper. In the New Church
especially, from a full understanding of the internal sense of the Word, there
is "holiness" invested in these acts (True Christian Religion 700).


462


Yet the holiness does not stem from the elements of water,
bread or wine: "There is nothing holy in them" (Apocalypse Revealed 224); but the
holiness lies in the human approach to which they correspond called "the holy of
faith and holy of love" which are "both from the Lord and are the Lord" (ibid.).
So here the terminations of influx are in the human beings' actions during the
sacraments.

     The Lord now governs by means of the priesthood. "The governors people
have in charge of affairs which relate to heaven, that is, church affairs, are
called priests, and their office is the priesthood." They are "in charge of
affairs concerning God's law and worship" (Heavenly Doctrine 314, 319). Thus for
their administration of the holy things of the Church priests have the "dignity
and honor" of the Lord's office bestowed on them, both from the Lord, and by
members of the Church (Heavenly Doctrine 317). For this reason also the Holy
Spirit is "especially with the clergy" (True Christian Religion 138, 146, 155): the Holy
Spirit is the Lord's influx from His Divine Human: "The Holy Spirit is the
Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, the influx of which into the disciples
was represented, and thus signified by 'He breathed upon them' (Apocalypse Revealed
343:3).

     The Holy Spirit flows in "especially with the clergy", and at each
discrete degree of the soul, it gives "enlightenment," "perception" and then
enters the man's "disposition": this is where the proprium also is active. The
task here is for the priest to remove his proprial loves from the process, and
to be motivated instead by seeing "revelation" from a "love of truth for the
sake of truth" (Arcana Coelestia 10355:6). The love of truth for its
own sake "makes a Church to be a Church" (Apocalypse Explained 863:13), and is
what the Lord meant by a "cup of cold water in My Name" (Apocalypse Explained
960:13). By the priest shunning "the love of evil and of falsity
arising from evil," as well as the resulting warm "enthusiasm," there follows
priestly "instruction in the Word of the Lord" (True Christian Religion
155). Thus the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Lord through the
Clergy to the laity by preaching" (Canons 36:8).

463


Since the
influx is from the Lord, it is part of the governmental structure of the Church.

     It was for the sake of being able to inflow, to take up such a government,
that the Lord made His Advent: "[in order that] He might govern all things, He
came into the world ...even to flesh and bones, [so that] He might assume the
Human and glorify it, that is, make it Divine" (Apocalypse Explained 41 added emphasis).
He can, after His advent, by the glorification of His Natural, "bring light not
only to man's rational concepts but also to his natural ideas" (Arcana Coelestia
3195:3), "enlighten both the eyes and the understanding of those who
are spiritual" (Arcana Coelestia 2776:3) and move the human race out
of the "shadow" and into "daylight" (True Christian Religion 109:2).

     How do we notice any of these influxes from the Lord? We notice it when
reading the Writings, since they are the product of the Holy Spirit. They
incorporate the method whereby they came into being, and perpetuate the influx
whereby they were inspired. When reading or hearing the Writings, we as it were
stand under the reflected beam of the Holy Spirit. We receive light. So also
when a sermon or class is given, the Divine Truth is taught, and the active
force or in flux can be thought of as present.

     The creative force is noticed by all the intermediates it passes through:
so here are Church governmental structures. Some hierarchy is indicated. We
might spot this "creative force" or influx as a "New Church sphere" of innocence
and friendship, camaraderie or comfort in a common cause. It is also present in
a love of truth for its own sake, i.e. "What do the Writings say?" Also a sense
of justice and fair play, or honest trade, performing uses justly and fairly,
are all ways to recognize this influx.

     And the final or formative force or influx is the one that "bypassed" all
those intermediates on the way down, and hits the very lowest receptacle
(Arcana Coelestia
7270), and then moves back up to the intermediates of creation. So
this formative force, from below "modifies" the active and creative forces from
above: "This is modification." (Apocalypse Explained 1206.4).

464




     How do we notice the Lord's influx? Here are all the practices of self-
examination, repentance where we mentally look up to the Lord's active force. We
also have adapted in the New Church the functions of councils, board meetings,
Church Assemblies, democratic rules of order, policing and disciplining
procedures activated by the ideals from truth taught. These seem to emerge from
below, but turning to an ideal. It is part of lower regions of the "hierarchy"
of civil order, the oversight whereby order is maintained (Heavenly Doctrine 311).
Here also may be the "spiritual growth methods" now adopted in New Church
circles, or self-help application, all those Church affairs where the laity also
lead. All these emerge from the "formative force." They "assemble" bits-and-
pieces from where the rubber meets the road, in response to the influx of a
higher principle (Arcana Coelestia 5131:3). We witness it in responsive
actions, in prayers to the Lord, singing praises; in self-examination and
repentance, and in partaking of the Sacraments. We use human gestures to respond
voluntarily to the Lord's active and creative forces. It is also living
according to the commandments. It is like new shoots from the ground offered to
the Lord, or the full harvest later.

     Thus the 'active' flows down and selects and arranges last effects, while
from below the 'formative' adjusts or modifies the material for a perfect fit.
Thus the Lord "goes to meet [man's truths]...and adjusts and fits [charity]
to... [them]" (Arcana Coelestia 2063:3). The Lord "produces virtues
in those who believe in Him, adapting and making themselves suitable for Him to
be received and dwell in them. This is done by means of Divine Truth...by the
Word." (True
Christian Religion 142).

     We turn to the Lord in all our New Church activities, either hierarchical
top-down, or formative fitting the below to the top end. In all cases the Church
turns to the Writings for direction, and the Lord governs the Church in all its
joyful or challenging endeavors.

465


Letter to the Editor 2010

Letter to the Editor       Karen Doering DeLue       2010


----------
Dear Editor,

     The recent article by Tom Fiedler, "Applying Religion to Life" (September,
2010, p.329), might be more aptly named "Applying My Politics to My Religion."

     His political faith is clear in statements such as: "When government uses
public policy to legislate charity, such as redistribution of the wealth, then
individual liberty disappears" (p.330); and "As Christians, being aware that our
wisdom is pathetically finite, we put our trust in Divine Providence. Doing so
our intent should be that public policy will only prohibit its constituents from
injuring each other" (p.330).

     From this I conclude that Mr. Fiedler advocates that we should only tax
ourselves for 1. Police, armies, and weapons 2. The EPA - to try to prevent BP
and others from poisoning us, and 3. The new banking regulations - to try to
prevent Wall Street from stealing our homes, and our retirement savings.

     In his civil society we would not redistribute wealth by imposing taxes
for public schools, public health, libraries or public transportation because
such a redistribution of wealth would cause individual liberty to disappear.
These things - let alone the interstate highway system -should be left to Divine
Providence.

     In Mr. Fiedler's civil society, I should vote no on a library tax, on a
school tax, on a parks levy, on a Fire and Emergency Medical Transport tax, and
on the Senior Citizen levy designed to help low income seniors stay out of
nursing homes. These should all be supported by private, not legislated charity.
Because my wisdom is finite, should I trust in Providence and vote no on all
taxes which legislate for charity?

     This wasn't a thoughtful discussion of doctrine. This was political
indoctrination and it is unfortunately not the first time the New Church Life
has conflated the two. Maybe you do not see this sort of mix of politics and
religiosity, is a political diatribe.

     Sincerely,     Karen Doering DeLue
                    Oxford, Ohio.

466


GENERAL CHURCH SCHOOLS DIRECTORY2010-2011GENERAL CHURCH OFFICE OF EDUCATION2010-2011 2010

GENERAL CHURCH SCHOOLS DIRECTORY2010-2011GENERAL CHURCH OFFICE OF EDUCATION2010-2011              2010


----------
Eric Carswell          Bishop's Representative for Education
Scott Daum                Director of New Church Education
Rachel Glenn          Assistant Director, Religious Educational Programs
Melodie Greer          Assistant Director, Schools
Sarah Odhner           Unit Box Circulation, Sunday School
Gretchen Keith           Vineyard, Resource Development
Janet Lockard           Early Childhood Religion Lessons, Jacob's Ladder

     CARMEL NEW CHURCH SCHOOLS
Rev. Bradley Heinrichs     Principal, Rel. 5-8
Rev. Nathan Cole           Rel. 1-4, 9-10
Liz Longstaff          Vice Principal, LA 7-10
Suzanna Hill          Jr K-Sr. K
Kayla Uniac           Grades 1-2
Nina Riepert           Grades 3-4, chorus
Mary Jane Hill          Grades 5-6
James Bellinger          HS princ. Math 7-8, hist/geog. 7-10, PE
Stephanie Kuhl           Sci. 7-8, biology/math 9-10, Recorder 3-6
Muriel Glebe          French

     GLENVIEW NEW CHURCH SCHOOL
Erik Synnestvedt           Director of Schools, Spanish 7-8
Rev. Peter Buss, Jr     School Pastor, Religion 5-6
Rev. Mark Pendleton     Religion 3-4,7-8
Kara Smith                 Junior & All-day Preschool
Laura Barger           K-2
Sarah Berto               K, head teacher
Rebekah Russell            3 & 4, math 3, LA 3-6, head teacher
Lucinda Edmonds          LA 5-6, SS 5-6, SS and Sci. 3-4
Deborah Lehne          LRC K-6, remediation

467



Philip Parker          Sci. 5-8, Hist. 7-8, PE 5-8, admin. support
Emily Horigan          7 & 8, Math 3-8, LA 7-8
Jennifer Overeem           Art K-4, Penmanship, PE, Drama 7-8, math 3-4, Pre-K art
Bonny Lundin-Scheer     Music 3-8

     KAINON CHURCH SCHOOL
Derrick Lumsden            Pastor, Religion 4-5
Jane Edmunds            Headmistress
Daphne Plug            Jr. Primary
Maria Gibb                Grade 1, Music
Lauren Gauld            Grades 2-3
Gail Mitchell           Grades 4-5
Sandra Watkins            Grades 6-7
Malcolm Smith            Religion 6-7
Angelique Swain          Computers
Bridgett Garrett           Math 4-5, Writing & Environ. Sci. 2-3
Lisa Madsen            Sports

     EMPTON NEW CHURCH SCHOOL
Rev. Lawson Smith           Principal, Rel. 9-10
Mark Wyncoll           Asst. Principal, Eng. 7-10, Math 6, PE 7-10
Gray Glenn                Kindergarten
Kathy Schrock          Grades 1-2
Michelle Brown           Grades 3-4, PE 7-10
Elone Heilman            Grades 5-6
John Walker                Math 4 & 7-10
Barbara Karas          LA 7-8, Hist. 7-10
Rev. Andrew Heilman     Hebrew 2, Sci. 7-8, Bio 9-10
Kate Pitcairn           Latin 1-2

     OAK ARBOR SCHOOL
Rev. Nathan Gladish     Principal, Rel. 3-4, sharing 7-8
Elise Gladish          Pre-K and Kindergarten, Sci. 7-8
Judi Pafford           Grades 1-2
Julie Elder                Grades 3-4
Nancy Genzlinger           Grades 3-4
Nathaniel Brock            Grades 5-6
Rev. Derek Elphick     Pastor, Rel. 5-6, sharing 7-8

468



Dawn Genzlinger           Grades 7-8
Kristin Pitcairn           PE
Gay Elphick           Science 7-8
Karen Elder                Art 7-8

     OLIVET NEW CHURCH SCHOOL
Rev. James Cooper       Pastor, Principal
Sara Gatti                 Head Teacher, Morning Kindergarten
Judy Todd                 Preschool
Deb Williams            Preschool
Lindsay Whisen          Kindergarten aide
Laura Braam                Grades 1-2
Gabriele Pulpan           Grades 3-4
Karen Cooper            Grade 5, French
Rachel Hasen            Music

     PITTSBURGH NEW CHURCH SCHOOL
Rev. Chris Bown          Principal, Rel. 4-8
Gerda Griffiths           Jr K. & Sr. K, PE Jr. K-1, 7-8
Colleen Donaldson      Grades 1-4
Cynthia Glenn          Grades 5-8, Music Jr. K-8, Assist. Administrator
Caroline David           Grades 5-8, LA 5-8
Julie Uber                Art 1-8, Math 5-6, LA 4
Gabrielle Uber          Science 7-8

     WASHINGTON NEW CHURCH SCHOOL
Rev. Mike Gladish      Pastor, Rel. 9-10
Kathy Johns                Principal, Grades 7-8
Candy Quintero          Jr-K, Kindergarten
Anne Ball                 Grades 2-4, French/History 9-10
Jana Sprinkle          Grades 2-4
Kim Maxwell           Grades 5-6
Carole Waelchli          Grades 9-10
Erin Stillman          Art
Sharon Kunkle           Music Jr-K-10
Rev. Michael Ferrell      Religion 5-6, 7-8
Bonnie Cowley          Computer tech.

469




     BRYN ATHYN CHURCH SCHOOL
Reid Prichett          Headmaster
Kirsten Cronlund          Director of Elementary School
Rev. Phil Schnarr      School Pastor, Rel. 5 & 7
Gail Simons               Director of Teaching & Learning
Joanne Kiel            Preschool Director
Paige Austin           Junior Preschool
Brooke Herder          Senior Preschool
Linda Kees                Kindergarten
Beth Bochneak           Kindergarten
Gretchen Glover           Kindergarten aide
Amy Jones               Kindergarten aide
Christine DeMaria          Grade 1
Robin Morey               Grade 1
Aline Brown               Grade 2
Liz Switzer           Grade 2
Judy Soneson           Grade 3
Cynthia Conaron          Grade 3
Anita Halterman           Primary Unit Aide
Jena Frey               Grade 4
Carla Reuter               Grade 4
Cara Dibb                Grade 5
Debbie Cook               Grade 5
Ivan Asplundh          Grade 6
Sheila Daum               Grade 6
Wendy Clymer            Int. Unit Tutor/Aide
Sandy Pellani            Int. Unit Tutor/Aide
Carol Nash                 Grade 7 - Girls
Drew Hyatt                Grade 7 - Boys
Brita Conroy           Grade 8 - Girls
Greg Henderson            Grade 8 - Boys
Miriam Lexie           Upper Unit Aide
Sharon Neiger          Librarian
Dean Morey                Mechanical Art 8-B
Heather McCurdy          Phys Ed
Alex Rogers           Phys Ed
Dianna Synnestvedt      Art
Nathan Odhner            Music
Lucas Mergen           Tech. Educator

470



Gail Neukum               Science 5-8
Sue Hyatt               Algebra 8, Enrichment
Rev. Jay Barry           Religion 4
Rev. John Odhner           Religion 6
Rev. Erik Buss          Religion 8
Lisa Synnestvedt           Director of Student Support
Angela Rose            St. Support
Molly Cronlund           St. Support
Jodi Carr                 t. Support
Vivienne Riley            St. Support
Janna King                 St. Support
Anika Kistner            St. Support
Janna Lindsay            St. Support
Kiri Rogers            St. Support
Barbara Rose           St. Support

     SCHOOL ENROLLMENT 2010-2011

The Academy
     Theological School                11
     Theological School Masters Program      6
     Bryn Athyn College                 198

Academy of the New Church High School
     Boys School                          119
     Girls School                     100
Total Academy                           434

Society Schools
     Bryn Athyn Church School           296
     Carmel Church School (Kitchener, ON)     40
     Glenview New Church Schools            53
     Kainon School (Durban, RSA           65
     Kempton New Church School            62
     Oak Arbor School (Rochester, MI)      41
     Olivet New Church School (Toronto, ON) 51
     Pittsburgh New Church School           24
     Washington New Church School (Mitchellville, MD)      54

     Total Society Schools       686

     Total Reported Enrollment in All Schools       1120

471


ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM 2010

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM              2010


----------
     Between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010, 109 members were received
into the General Church. During the year the Secretary's office received notice
of the deaths of 58 members.

     Memberships July 1, 2009     5247
     New Members                    109
     Deceased Members               58
     Resignations               2
     Membership June 30, 2010     5296

473



<


474




475


ORDINATIONS, Second Degree 2010

ORDINATIONS, Second Degree              2010


----------

     Announcements
     Cole, Nathan Field - At Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, August 22, 2010,
Rt. Rev. Brian W. Keith officiating.
     Glenn, Coleman Starkey - At Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada, October 3, 2010,
Rt. Rev. Brian W. Keith officiating.
Notes on This Issue 2010

Notes on This Issue       Editor       2010


----------

Vol. CXXX     December 2010     No. 12

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS

     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG



478


     The Rev. Alain Nicolier powerfully asks what part in us is receptive
of the Advent of the Lord? Is there a "Mary" in us too? This is an abbreviation
of the whole sermon.

     And Rev. Martie Johnson makes us partake of the angelic role mentioned in
the familiar Christmas story. We may be better prepared than we realize.

     Duncan Smith speaking for Uses Worldwide revisits Kenya, with further hope
for development in this fresh and welcome part of the world.

     The Directory of the General Church and the Annual Index are also found in
this issue.



479


ELIZABETH AND MARY 2010

ELIZABETH AND MARY       Rev. ALAIN NICOLIER       2010

     A SERMON

     (Abbreviated for space by Editor.)

     "And it happened when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary that the babe
leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit" (Luke 1:41).

     The meeting of Elizabeth and Mary is not only unique in Biblical times,
but also very moving in the exchange between these two pregnant women, from very
different generations and cousins as well.

     Both of them, having been touched by the Holy Spirit, are in wonder about
what has happened to them: on one hand, Elizabeth is happy about carrying the
child so long awaited after all those years of prayers, and who will be the
prophet of the Most High. On the other hand, Mary has miraculously conceived the
Messiah, the Savior of Israel, and she is filled with joy, the innocent joy of
her fifteen years of age.

     Imagine those two women, one very old, the other adolescent embracing and
sharing their extraordinary state, carrying in their wombs those two infants who
will change the face of the world. Imagine also that they are only able to share
their bliss with each other and little of it with others, including their
spouses, because who would believe such wonders?

     Because the Divine has not been received, spiritual labor is often
painful, as is the natural which corresponds to it. In Genesis, Eve has already
been told, "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception. In pain you
shall bring forth children" (Genesis 3:16). And we read in Isaiah, "As a woman with
child is in pain and cries out in her pangs, when she draws near to the time of
the delivery, so have we been in your sight, O Lord.

480


We have
been with child, we have been in pain; we have as it were brought forth wind. We
have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth" (Isaiah 16:17, 18). And again in
the Apocalypse: "A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Then being
with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. And the dragon
stood before the woman who was ready to give birth to devour the child as soon
as it was born" (Revelation 12:1-4).

     These three texts show us how different the reception of truth is because
of the opposition to it that exists in the world. The serpent, which becomes
through the ages a dragon with seven heads and ten horns, accurately represents
this world of shadows which does not receive light and which fights with all its
might against Divine love.

     This serpent takes different forms and manifests itself through Biblical
personages who attempt to take Jesus' life. For example Herod, king of Jordan,
who had the children of Bethlehem massacred, believing he could eliminate a
political rival, and Herodias who had John the Baptist decapitated.

     The opposition between these two forces exists in the mind of one who is
being regenerated by the Lord. It is a war for the supremacy of the external
over the internal, of illusion over reality, of egotism over love, of shadows
over light, with the individual in the middle, exercising his free choice to
find equilibrium.

     Haven't you noticed the constant duality which exists in the Word and also
in your life? It is when there is a new concept or a new birth that the black
side of our personality awakens. But that is permitted by the Lord to preserve
our freedom.

     A passage from the Arcana points out that "no one ought to be persuaded
about truth in a moment...as to leave no doubt whatever about it...because it is
[then] persuasive." Instead, truths are presented variously "according to the
circumstances" (Arcana Coelestia 7298). Few are conscious of this
process in their life, because few look at themselves interiorly, but the
alternation of states are cyclic and come back like seasons.

481


It
is thus that the Lord preserves our liberty.

     But Mary and Elizabeth are not conscious of all that, and innocently enjoy
their state of gladness, and fortunately are not aware of the tragic destiny of
their children.

     Is that not another truth - that we do not have to know the outcome of
certain of our choices or a certain future? Otherwise we would do nothing and
would be incapable of making a decision. The Lord encourages us to live in the
present and take live as it is presented to us. Elizabeth and Mary took the risk
of saying yes to life, confident in the ways of Providence, letting themselves
be guided by their intuition. It takes a longer time for Zacharias and Joseph to
accept the risk, but little by little they also arrive there with joy, because
the conjugal is the indispensable receptacle for the preparation, the conception
and the birth of the Divine Human.

     We observe that it is the woman who is always touched first, because the
conjugal sphere which emanates from the Lord passes through the woman to reach
the man. This sphere touches the husband if he himself is in wisdom from the
Lord; if not, he cannot be touched and the wife cannot conceive and produce
spiritually. The wife loves the wisdom of the man and thus their offspring will
depend upon the husband's ability to flee from adultery. If he has no wisdom,
then the wife gives birth to wind!

     The husband is the lungs of the wife and the wife is the heart of the
husband; he is wisdom, she his love, creating a receptacle to produce
spirituality and it is for that reason that Zacharias and Joseph who "feared the
Eternal" could be prepared in their understanding and confirmed by the
Scriptures to work with the Holy Spirit and produce a sphere favorable to the
birth of the infant.

     All of us who celebrate Christmas are also invited to create a place
favorable to the birth of the Savior in ourselves and our homes. The home is
like a womb when the conjugal is its base, and each person in it is of service
to the other.

482




     In the Arcana many things are said concerning the cosmic and spiritual
Gorand Man and his external and internal organs and those who constitute his
parts in the correspondential spiritual world. We read:

     "It is through the interior (highest) heaven that the Lord insinuates
conjugal love: those of this heaven are more than all others in peace. Peace in
the heavens resembles springtime which, in the world spreads delight in all
things. It is celestial even in its origin: the angels of the interior (highest)
heaven are the wisest of all, and from their innocence they appear to others
like children. They also love children much more than their fathers and mothers
love them. They are near children in the uterus, and by them the Lord cares for
the children, nourishing and perfecting them. Thus in like manner they watch
over pregnant women" (Spiritual Experiences 1201).

     It is to celestial societies that the members and organs of reproduction
of both sexes correspond in general and in particular; these societies have been
distinguished from others, just as this area in man is very distinct and
separated from all the others. If these societies are celestial, it is because
conjugal love is the fundamental love of all loves; it prevails also over the
others by its use and consequently by its pleasure; because marriages are the
nursery of the whole human race and also the nurseries of the celestial kingdom
of the Lord; because heaven comes from the human race.

     Those who have loved little children with great tenderness, like certain
mothers, are in the province of the uterus and surrounding organs, namely the
neck of the womb and the ovaries; and those who are there are in the most
pleasant and sweetest life, and more than others in celestial joy.

     "There are heavenly societies to which correspond all and each members and
organs allotted to generation in both sexes. These societies are distinct from
others, just as this province in man is quite distinct and separate from the
rest.

483


The reason why these societies are celestial is that
conjugal love is the fundamental love of all loves. It also excels the rest in
use and consequently in delight, for marriages are the nurseries of the whole
human race, and are also the nurseries of the Lord's heavenly kingdom; for
heaven is from the human race" (Arcana Coelestia 5052-5054).

     This celestial sphere can be felt by pregnant women and principally by
those who have very much desired their child. Notice the peace that emanates
from a pregnant woman, from her being, mixed with maternal tenderness. Imagine
the sensation that Elizabeth must have had when the child leaped in her womb for
the first time at Mary's greeting, confirming her once more in the grace of
Jehovah. Then Elizabeth was delivered, and six months later Mary gave birth to
the Lord, one preparing the way for the other, subjugating the external to the
internal.

     Mary's delivery represents the Church which gives birth to the doctrine of
truth which is none other than that which leads to good, that is to say, to love
others and establish harmony (See Apocalypse Explained 724).

     We are the Church, and it is up to us to be guided by the Lord so that we
also can give fruit, as the whole spiritual church must do if it does not wish
to perish. Let us try to organize ourselves to be more useful, more attentive to
spiritual needs, so that our Christmas will truly be a gift of ourselves, of
patience, of respect, of innocence, and of simple joy. It is in this way that
our Christmas will be bright, not only in the lights of the tree and the festive
decorations, but also interiorly, as if we were enlightened by the light of the
Divine child and animated by His Holy Spirit. The Church is in each one of us,
and therefore Mary is in each one of us when incarnated in the affection we have
for the Truth. The Lord comes and addresses our interior "Mary." Just as Mary
humbly submitted herself, so then the Holy Spirit comes to us, the power of the
Most High covers us with His shadow and the Lord Himself is born in our life.
May we respond to His call so that the celebration of Christmas may be living in
our hearts and our homes.

484


Let us be like Mary who said:

     My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my
Savior,
     For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden:
     For, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
     For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; And Holy is His Name.

     Amen     

     Rev. Alain Nicolier was inaugurated in 1979 and ordained as Pastor in
1984. He began to serve as Minister to New Church people all through France. In
1984 he became Pastor to the group living in Bourguignon. He added the role of
Evangelist for all French-speaking people in West Africa in 2005. Alain lives
with his wife Jeanne, in Bourguignon, France.

[Photograph of Alain Nicolier.]

485


GABRIEL AND MARY: THE LOVE OF TWO ANGELS AND THEIR MINISTRY 2010

GABRIEL AND MARY: THE LOVE OF TWO ANGELS AND THEIR MINISTRY       Jr. Rev. CHAPLAIN MARTIE JOHNSON       2010


----------
     A SERMON

     Christ is in our midst!

     It Advent is always a time to reflect on one of the central stories of
Christianity, the birth of Jesus in our world. In my reflections, I often find
this a time to think about the power, effect and reality of angels and their
impact on our lives. Angels must never be overlooked because they are there at
our beginning and our end in this world: they are assigned to us when we are
enrolled and numbered in the next world, and they are there waiting when we
arrive at our heavenly society.

     Gabriel was one such beginning for Mary. While Gabriel and Michael
represent groups and traits of people and their ministry in heavenly societies,
the simple scriptural story of the Annunciation remains a powerful story of
faith that gives us a glimpse into the myriad of ministries performed by angels.

     Angels are messengers that keep us in union. "Angels, like us, simply feel
as though they participate in love and wisdom on their own, and therefore that
love and wisdom are theirs, their very own. If they did not feel this way there
would be no union, so the Lord would not be in them, nor they in the Lord. It
cannot happen that the Lord is in any angels or people unless they, as subjects
of His presence in love and wisdom, sense and feel this as their own"
(True Christian
Religion 164, Divine Love and Wisdom 115).

     "Can people decide to love God and their neighbor, can people decide to
gain wisdom, unless they feel and sense that what they love, learn, and gain is
their own?

486


Can they retain anything in themselves otherwise? If
it were not for this, then the inflowing love and wisdom would have no seat.
They would flow right through without making any difference; and as a result
angels would not be angels and people would not be human. They would be
virtually lifeless. It makes sense, then, that if there is to be union, there
must be reciprocity" (True Christian Religion 164, Divine Love and Wisdom
115).

     Every day, we are given a chance to make a difference with the love and
wisdom that comes to each of us from God's love, for "He so loved the world that
He gave his only begotten Son" (John 3:16). How will you reciprocate this Christmas, New
Year or Easter?

     Scripture tells us plainly in the Gospel according to Luke, chapter one,
what Mary said after two incredible statements by the angel Gabriel, which were:
"Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women"
and "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will
overshadow you; therefore the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son
of God." Mary responded, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me
according to your word."

     The influx of the Lord, as the power of the Holy Spirit, can work the same
way. We, who can sometimes feel not just a little but a lot less than the angels
(from the temptations and challenges of our lives), are still becoming angels
every time we reach for His light and share the light of His love with the
world. His ministry is our ministry to change ourselves, by following His Word
and being strengthened all along the way by angels.

     At our baptism, we received two angels, and they are on duty ministering
to us from our beginning, and they will be there by the grace of God at our end
to resuscitate us in the life that is to come, not unlike those angels who came
and ministered to Jesus at the end of His trials in the wilderness (Matthew 4:11).

     So keep becoming an Angel (you already are!). Look out and reach outside
yourself because you don't know what angels will come on your path (Hebrews 13:1).


487


Gabriel came to Mary at the beginning of her ministry to the
world, and she was there at the beginning of Jesus' ministry with her words to
us and those gathered at the wedding feast, "Whatever He says to you, do it"
(John
2:5).

     Let's all love as we are loved by Christ and bless as we are blessed with
His truth.

     "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen" (Revelation
22:21).


     The Rev. Martie Johnson Jr. was inaugurated into the priesthood in 2001,
and ordained as Pastor in 2002. He has served as Assistant to the Pastor in
Boulder Circle, Colorado, traveling to the Western USA. In 2002 he was made
Pastor of The Cascade New Church in Seattle, Washington, continuing to visit in
the Northwest USA. In 2005 Mar-tie concentrated on his active duty as Chaplain,
United States Navy. Martie lives with his wife Melinda (Simons) and family in
Seattle, Washington.

[Photograph of Martie Johnson.]

488


NEW LOOK AT THE ADVENT. 2010

NEW LOOK AT THE ADVENT.       Editor       2010


----------
     "Behold, I make all things new" (Revelation 21:5). The Lord
made all things new by "executing the Last Judgment, creating a New Heaven and
New earth," meaning a New Church, "and all and everything in them" (Apocalypse Revealed
886). What new truths can we find about why we celebrate Christmas?

     Before the Advent, the Lord flowed through the heavens. This is called
"transflux." By this method Lord took over an individual angel when revealing
His Word, so that an angel became "the Angel of Jehovah" or "of the Lord."
During that time such angels thought no otherwise than that they were the Lord
Himself speaking: "Prior to the Lord's coming into the world, there was among
men and ... spirits an influx of life from the Lord which came by way of the
celestial kingdom" (Arcana Coelestia 6371). This kingdom provided the
"angels who were sent to man, and who spoke through the prophets. But what they
spoke was not from the angels, but through them .... They did not know but that
they were Jehovah, but as soon as they had finished speaking, and returned to
their former state, they spoke as from themselves" (Arcana Coelestia 1925).
That was how the Lord spoke "with the prophets .... through spirits who were
sent to them, whom He filled with His look and thus inspired with the words
which they dictated to the prophets.... As the words came forth directly from
the Lord, each one of them was filled with the Divine and contains within it an
internal sense" (Heaven and Hell 254). That is how in Old Testament
times the Word was revealed, so that when written there would be an internal
sense in the literal text. When people with the Church on earth read the literal
sense, the angels by being in the internal sense were conjoined with them
(Ibid.). That was also how the Lord was seen before His advent: "That influx was
also the Divine Person Who presented Himself, when Jehovah revealed Himself in
this way" (Arcana
Coelestia 6371).

489




     That was how the angel of the Lord used to serve. It was a function of
what is called the Lord's Divine Natural, also the Divine Human from creation,
which was however left in potential, since creation! The Lord willed angels to
fill this highest or last gap, closest to Himself, and to act as His emissaries,
or angels. Thus "before the assumption of the Human, the Divine influx into the
natural degree was mediate through the angelic heavens" (Divine Love and Wisdom
233). Angels were sent (angellos) to men! "But after the assumption
[of the Human, the Divine influx] was immediate, from Himself' (ibid.). "[A]fter
assuming a humanity in the world," and after "putting on in addition the third
degree as well, which we call natural," and after "becoming in consequence a man
like any other in the world" (ibid), the Lord could approach the human race
directly from Himself. The former transflux or flowing through heaven, ceased:
"The Divine transflux through that heaven had been the Divine Human; it was also
the Divine Man which was presented to view when Jehovah so appeared.... [But
this] trans-flux, or this way of manifesting God by means of an angel, came to
an end," or "ceased" when the Lord "made the Human within Himself Divine"
(Arcana Coelestia
6371).

     By making Divine the human taken on, the Lord during His Advent added to
Himself, but did not change Himself. He added by making His Divine Natural
actual, which had been left in potential since creation! By the Advent and
glorification, the Lord took over the angelic vehicle, and made it into a
Source, namely the Divine Human. Thus the Lord in effect stepped a discrete
degree closer to us than He had been before.

     How did He do this? He began by assuming the role of the celestial angels:
"But when the Lord came into the world, and by so doing made the Human within
Himself Divine, He took to Himself just that which had rested with angels of the
celestial kingdom, namely that power and control. For what flowed from God and
passed through that heaven had until then been the human Divine" (Arcana Coelestia
6371 emphasis added).*

490



     * Note: The term "human Divine" is "observed here and there" (Arcana Coelestia
2814) in the Writings, in order to "determine the thought"
(Arcana Coelestia
6876:2) to understand the glorification properly; the Human Divine
means the Divine Human from eternity, via angels, prior to the Advent, while
"Divine Human" refers to after the glorification was completed.

     He took on just what had been with the angels. Prior to the Advent, as we
saw, the Lord had passed through the heavens, and assumed the form of an angel
from the Celestial Heaven, the society called Gabriel. Since however the human
race was steadily retreating from any angelic appearances, the Lord could no
longer reach it by these means. The Advent became a dire necessity: "Jehovah
above the heavens, [passing] through the heavens was the Divine Human at that
time .... But because Jehovah was no longer able to reach men .... for the
reason that they had distanced themselves so far away from that Divine, He took
on a human form and made it Divine" (Arcana Coelestia 6280:1, 2). "The influx
of God's Almighty power [furnished light, wisdom and intelligence] .... But when
the human race departed from [love and charity] it was no longer possible for
that light to be provided by way of heaven;" then the Lord "out of necessity"
came and became that "Divine Light" in order to "bring light to the whole of
heaven" not only to "the celestial heaven itself but also to the spiritual
heaven, and to the human race s well" (Arcana Coelestia 4180:5). So it says
in John: "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light
shines in the darkness" (John 1: 4, 5). "I am the Light of the world" (John 8:52).

     Besides bringing light by His Advent, He also brought "such great an
increase of power" that He could raise those to heaven "who could not be raised
previously;" that same power caused evil to depart "from all around and were
shut away in their hells" (Arcana Coelestia 7930a). "All around" at that time was
the Eastern Mediterranean. And the "power of Divine Truth" was "by means of
truths from the sense of the Letter of the Word" (Sacred Scripture 49).


491




     Now since the hells infested the Lord through His maternal heredity, and
since what He had taken was "just that which was with the angels," (Arcana Coelestia
6371) - it follows that the Lord fought the hells from the Divine as
present on the celestial level of angels. This 'Human Divine' or 'Son of Man'
"fought against the hells" infesting Him through His maternal heredity
(Arcana Coelestia
1444).

     And there was plenty of work to be done. Two thousand years ago the
situation was so dire that had the Lord not come, the human race would have gone
extinct! The "Lord came into the world in order to save the human race, which
otherwise would have perished in eternal death" (Arcana Coelestia 10828).
The Lord "came in the fullness of time ... when there was nothing of the church
left; and unless He had come into the world and revealed Himself, mankind would
have perished in eternal death." The Lord taught this plain fact: "Except you
believe that I am, you shall die in your sins" (John 8.24, Lord 3). We'd better believe
Jehovah Himself came to save us!

     The scenario when the Lord was born was grim. The hells "had grown up to
such a height that they began to infest the angels of heaven, and also every
human born into the world and coming out of it" (Lord 33, Arcana Coelestia 10828).
If such infestations had continued, "such savagery would have overcome human
beings that they could no longer be restrained by any laws of order, and thus
the human race would be destroyed" (True Christian Religion 74). "[A]ll would
have perished; all communication of heaven with mankind would have been broken
off' (Spiritual
Experiences 2390). "If the Lord had not assumed the human, man would
have perished to eternity in the death of the damned" (Arcana Coelestia 1990).
"Not one man would have existed on earth at this day" (Last Judgment 10). "So great
a rage of insanity...., hatred, revenge and slaughter, with such a violence as
to destroy all in the universe, the infernals breathed [forth], such that unless
repelled by the Lord, the whole human race would perish" (Arcana Coelestia 3340).


492


"Tortures would be perpetual" (Spiritual Experiences 4596). "The
sicknesses ... which the Lord healed, [meaning] deliverance from ... evil ...
were molesting the Church and the human race, and ...would have brought
spiritual death" (Arcana Coelestia 8364). "The hells would slay every
man coming into the world. Without the Advent of the Lord into the world, no
mortal could have been saved" (Brief Exposition 57). "This was the reason the Lord
came into the world, [lest] the universal human race on the earth perish"
(Arcana Coelestia
637).

     The rampant demonic possession at that time is incontrovertible. Josephus
and others also verify that the eastern Mediterranean at that time was teeming
with cases of possession, and "healers" were a dime-a-dozen. However, to no one
but the Lord did the 'legion' of devils confess Him as "the Son of Most High
God!" (Mark
5:7). They begged Him for mercy! By healing all possessions and
diseases caused by demonic proximity, the Lord made Himself the Redeemer
(Lord
65). Each healing was an act of redemption, buying back souls from
slavery in hell. Without it, the infestations would have intensified until "not
one person would have existed" (Last Judgment 10).

     The Lord by His Advent saved the human race. The Joy of Christmas is thus
a magnificent joy. It is rejoicing in the very existence of the human race, and
that this is entirely due to the Lord's credit and to Him alone. "Not unto us, 0
Lord, not unto us, by to Thy name give glory" (Psalm 115.1). His gift to us
is all human life, an eternal life for each individual. So our gift to Him, to
be worthy of that great love, needs be nothing short of our entire life which we
offer in return to Him, by forever being useful to others in His Name. So "peace
on earth, goodwill towards men."

493


WERE THEY SOCCER PLAYERS? 2010

WERE THEY SOCCER PLAYERS?       DUNCAN G. SMITH       2010


----------
     This year I have had some interesting thoughts s of what is
happening in New Church growth in Kenya that I would like to share with you
...as well as an update of projects for school and Church.

     The two month spring activity saw the roof raised on the pavilion and an
increase of 50% in size; the completion of a lower level set of four classrooms
and the start of a two story addition. This work continued in my absence with
the help of Thomas [Khalid's brother], a very able man in construction. He
manages 6 employees at work, the monthly funds, sent for payroll and supplies.

     On returning in the fall, this building was brought to completion: the
Rev. Khalid's Riounde campus which serves 250 students, giving a total of 12
classrooms, a school and Principal's office, teachers lounge and a "sunrise
porch" overlooking a lovely valley and hills; all of this is complete. Riounde
is also the site of a Loving Arms Mission supported orphanage of 55 residents

     In my times to think, my thoughts involve all aspects of my life with
these good people and how I might be of greatest help; and most certainly, that
what is effected is God's Will, - it is being done for the common good. I never
thought I would be here, but I am. My thoughts and spirit provide more ideas to
do in a moment than I can do in a day; there is not much pause from finishing
along one direction and another is already there! I do get a little over-wound,
but my friends have learned to be patience with me. They are such lovely people.

     Working from the grassroots, the Church and New Church Education are my
focus. In my own life this has been provided from birth up to the present, from
our parents and teachers all the way to both my wife and myself and our
children.

494


I am able bring these life-long experiences of New
Church Society forward into the tasks at hand. They are very much the
determining factors of what I do and where and what I am planning and the source
of delight I get. It has been so worth it. I thank God daily for this
opportunity.

[Photograph of Riounde, Kenya, facilities.]

     You know really, everything we have is from an outside source - hopefully
from the good spirits with us and not the bad. Some examples: some important
inclusions in the pavilion have been a finished kitchen area for cooking. The
food goes through a window to those being served; a worship area backdrop is
constructed to enhance our worship; solar light has been installed providing
ample lighting for study at night and security. Gutters now collect rain water
from four buildings for use. Whatever talents I have learned in home and
business construction, find fresh application in brickwork, barn- structures,
electrical drainage and soil-retention. None of the needed skills for what is
happening are inherent. It is a case of "Jack of all trades, master of none."

     Daily diet, school discipline, classroom supervision have all had their
moments.

495


This last trip brought to a head a problem that has
gone over two years of on-campus stealing, quite substantial amounts in some
cases. Some of the culprits have been identified and discipline applied. The
children involved in this problem were given the small work to read, teachings
regarding the Ten Commandments - "The Spiritual life and the Word of God."
Another solution now applied is that the whole school is learning the Ten
Commandments. For the last few weeks there you could hear them recited from all
classrooms. One reward offered for one class's success, is juice and cookies. As
with all of us, none of us are born angels but to become angels. So the Lord's
truths are of utmost importance to these people as to the universal world.

     The question was asked and one often thinks about why modern cultures have
developed as they did, through northern Mediterranean lands westward to the
Americas and now seemingly flowing back to Africa and Asia. The difference of
what has developed for them is so great from what has happened in "The modern
world." Cultural and industrial revolutions, wars and so much of our have molded
our part of the world, even having effects on so much of what goes on today. It
is as if Africa has slept through much of it. They know little of these
historical developments, -not that they missed very much!

     I heard a teacher giving instruction on law and government to eighth
graders. I poked my head in and asked, "Who knows what the Magna Carta is?"
Well, they were offered a banana to look it up for the next day. My thoughts
continued along this vein with a discussion with head teachers and leading
students on my porch. I again asked historical questions dating from my
education from birth (1942) till now: "Do you know who Joan of Arc was? Hitler?
Rommel the Desert Fox? Winston Churchill?" The response came: "Were they soccer
players?" What about Pearl Harbor ? Nagasaki & Hiroshima? All of them drew
blanks. It became more apparent of the divide and left the question as to what
is important to teach. Of course not to teach is not the answer, for without
education we are worse than animals.

496


There is great importance
that they move ahead of their "Pre-Williamsburg condition," and become prepared
to live in this shrinking world scene. They must be prepared to respond to what
the rest of the world is seeking of their resources. Education must play a
leading role in their developments; New Church Education has the key elements
that will be most effective in changing the moral structure of their lives and
the cultural woes of the Third World nations. They need the guidance of what the
Lord has provided

     To answer the question, "are they able?," the answer is a definite yes. An
offer is before the teachers to read the entire Joseph story in three volumes of
the Arcana, for a reward of Kenyan $1,000. Two of them have come to my porch to
begin the discussion. Madam Rabera teaches this story to her kindergarten and
came up with the realization that Benjamin had an important role in this!
"Things would not take place for man's development without him!" - as well as
the importance knowledge serves as a foundation. This Arcana series has so much
to offer those in teaching the knowledge meant by Egypt.

     Our leading student from the Maasai area reads the Compendium and comes to
the porch with other boys for discussion. He wants to know more so he can go
home to his people and tell them about what he has read. In reality the Word is
written in the lifestyle of many of these people: They tend their flocks, they
go to fetch water, they cook a cake or a fish on a fire and when they hear the
revealed internal sense of these things they are able cross right over into what
is taught.

     Madam Rabera does a lovely job teaching the children's choir of forty or
so: complete songs from Biblical text about Joseph, Moses and more. Last year
they were singing a song "Till He comes again, till He comes again, we love you
Lord until You come again." I said "No, no that's not a good New Church song.
Try these words `He Has Come Again, He Has Come Again, We Love You Lord For You
Have Come Again.' And add to it this verse, 'He has fulfilled the Word, He has
fulfilled the Word.'"

497




     I have no idea what happened since then, but on Easter this year, just
before I left, the children were called to sing a song. They all went out well
organized, and they all had carried a copy of the Word. When they came back in,
they were singing their entry-song: two by two they entered, holding the Word
above their heads singing "He has come again, He has come Again, we love you
Lord, we praise you Lord for You have come again" - all the way to the front of
the Church!

     There are many souls in the world that need what the Lord wants to give
them. They have the human ability. May we make it possible for them to receive
by doing our part.

Regards and love to all
Duncan G. Smith,
Uses Worldwide

498


DIRECTORY GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM 2010-2011 2010

DIRECTORY GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM 2010-2011              2010


----------
     Officials

     Bishop: Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Kline
     Assistant Bishop: Rt. Rev. Brian W. Keith
     Secretary: Mrs. Alaine F. York

     GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
     (A Corporation of Pennsylvania)

     Officers of the Corporation

     President: Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Kline
     Vice President: Rt. Rev. Brian W. Keith
     Secretary: Nancy L. Heilman, Esq.
     Executive Director: Mr. David O. Frazier

     BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CORPORATION

Gregory L. Baker, Scott W. Brickman, Hugh R. Brown, Andrew R. Bruell, Shaun N.
Buss, Stephen Ofori Darkwah, Robert M. Dike, Charles H. Ebert, Mark O. Elder,
Frederick A. Fiedler, Charlotte Gyllenhaal, Nancy L. Heilman, P. Blake Hill, Lee
Horigan, Bradley H. Johns, Dain Kistner, Fay S. Lindrooth, Alexander H. Lindsay,
Jr., Stephen A. McDonald, Brooke Glenn Mullin, Ronald K. Nelson, M. David
Norman, Timothy V. O'Connor, Linda S. Odhner, Dean C. Pitcairn, Jason V. Reuter,
Matthew A. Smith, Arthur E. Uber, III, Thayer L. York, and Candace N. Zeigler

     Ex-officio Members: Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Kline
                    Rt. Rev. Brian W. Keith
                    Mr. David O. Frazier

499






500



509





     GENERAL CHURCH DIRECTORY

     NON GENERAL CHURCH MINISTERS

     SERVING GENERAL CHURCH GROUPS



     RETIRED
512



513





     SOCIETIES AND CIRCLES

     Society                         Pastor or Minister

Alexandra, Johannesburg                    Rev. Langalibalele A. Xaba
     South Africa
Atlanta, Georgia                         Rev. Patrick A. Rose
Baltimore, Maryland                    Rev. Michael E. Ferrell
Bath, Maine                              Rev. George F. Dole
Boulder, Colorado                         Rev. David C. Roth
     (New Church of Boulder Valley)
Boston, Massachusetts                    Rev. Matthew L. Genzlinger
Boynton Beach, Florida                     Rev. Kenneth J. Alden
Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania               Rev. Jeremy F. Simons
                                   Rev. Erik J. Buss,
                                        Assistant Pastor
                                   Rev. Philip B. Schnarr,
                                        School Pastor
                                   Rev. James H. Barry,
                                        Assistant to the pastor
                                   Rev. John L. Odhner,
                                        Assistant to the Pastor
Buccleuch, Johannesburg                    Rev. Mark B. Allais, Pastor
     South Africa
Central Pennsylvania                     Rev. Robert S. Junge, Visiting Pastor
Chicago, Illinois                         Rev. Robert H. P. Cole, Visiting
Pastor
Cincinnati, Ohio                         Rev. J. Clark Echols
Clermont, Durban                         Rev. Jerome Bhekiyuse Dube
     South Africa
Colchester, England                    Rev. Olaf Hauptmann
Dawson Creek, B. C., Canada               Rev. James P. Cooper, Regional Pastor
Detroit, Michigan                         Rev. Derek P. Elphick
     (Oak Arbor Church)               Rev. Nathan D. Gladish,
                                        Assistant Pastor
Diepkloof, Soweto                         Rev. Jacob M. Maseko
     South Africa
Freeport, Pennsylvania                    Rev. Frederick M. Chapin
     (Sower's Chapel)

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Glenview, Illinois                    Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr.
                                   Rev. Mark D. Pendleton,
                                        Assistant Pastor
Hurstville, Australia
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 New Church)               Rev. Nathan F. Cole,
                                        Assistant to the Pastor
Kwa Mashu, Durban South Africa          Rev. Bongani Edward Nzimande
La Crescenta, California
     (Los Angeles)
London, England                         Rev. Alan Lewin
     (Michael Church)
Phoenix, Arizona                          Rev. Garry B. Walsh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania                Rev. Christopher D. Bown,
                                        Pastor
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil                    Rev. Andrew J. Heilman,
                                        Visiting Pastor
(Campo Gorande)                         Rev. Johny A. Z. Villanueva,
                                        Assistant to the Pastor
(Fatima)                              Rev. Johny A. Z. Villanueva,
                                        Assistant to the Pastor
                                   Rev. Mauro S. de Padua,
                                        Assistant Visiting Pastor
San Diego, California                     Rev. C. Mark Perry
Stockholm, Sweden                     Rev. Goran R. Appelgren
Toronto, Ontario, Canada               Rev. James P. Cooper
     (Olivet Church)                    Rev. Coleman S. Glenn,
                                        Assistant Pastor
                                   Rev. Brian D. Smith,
                                        Assistant to the Pastor
Tucson, Arizona                          Rev. Glenn G. Alden
Washington, D. C.                         Rev. Michael D. Gladish
                                   Rev. Michael E. Ferrell,
                                        Assistant to the Pastor
Westville, Durban                         Rev. Derrick A. M. Lumsden,


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     South Africa                    Rev. Malcolm G. Smith,
                                        Assistant to the Pastor

     Circle                    Visiting and/or Resident Pastor or Minister

Albuquerque, New Mexico                Rev. Garry B. Walsh
Americus, Georgia                         W. Harold Eubanks
Auckland, New Zealand                     Rev. Richard Keyworth
Balfour, South Africa                    Rev. N. Reuben Tshabalala
Cape Town, South Africa                Rev. Mark B. Allais
Charlotte, North Carolina                Rev. Prescott A. Rogers
Connecticut                              Rev. Dr. Andrew M. T. Dibb
Copenhagen, Denmark                     Rev. Goran R. Appelgren
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas                Rev. Patrick A. Rose
Erie, Pennsylvania                    Rev. Frederick M. Chapin
The Hague, Netherlands                     Rev. Frederick C. Elphick
Hambrook, South Africa                     Rev. B. Edward Nzimande
Harleysville, Pennsylvania                Rev. George D. McCurdy
Jonkoping, Sweden                         Rev. Goran R. Appelgren
Lake Helen, Florida                    Rev. George D. McCurdy
Madina, Ghana                         Rev. S. Kwasi Darkwah
New York City/
     Northern New Jersey                Rev. Grant H. Odhner
North Ohio
Palo Alto, California
Perth, Australia
Philadelphia New Church (Korean)          Rev. Yong J. Jin
Seattle, Washington                    Rev. Ethan D. McCardell
     (Light for Life New Church)
Surrey, England                         Rev. Alan Lewin
Tema, Ghana                              Rev. S. Kwasi Darkwah


Note: In addition to societies and circles, there are groups of General Church
members in various geographical areas that receive occasional visits from a
priest. This information is published in New Church Life periodically in a
listing of General Church Contacts for Worship and Classes.

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