Greenwich Prime Meridian

[The LORD said,] "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements - surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? - Job 38:4-7

Not being much of a science person, I can't quite explain the difference between the latitudes and longitudes of the Earth. I know that the poles and the Equator have strange and unique characteristics that set them definitively on the planet. Conversely, I know that the same is not said for the lines of longitude. In fact, at the Prime Meridian, you will experience nothing more unusual than many different languages being spoken and a large red line across the pavement. This is because the Prime Meridian set in Greenwich, England was completely set by humans as an aid for navigation and telling time.

Today, this line generally sets the International Date Line and separates the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. The scientists at the Greenwich Observatory took the liberty of setting it, and by 1884 it was nearly globally accepted as the standard for navigation. The reason it goes through England is simply because in 1851, when it was established, English ships still held great influence on the seas and having a central navigational point served them well in their business.

Ironically, this well-marked line does not serve as the zero point in satellite navigation systems; the real center point is just over 300 feet to the east. Since I'm not a science person, I can't explain to you exactly how it was determined that this other line more clearly represented an actual center point on the globe based on star observations, gravity, and continental drift. Apparently, the actual zero point can be found by locating a possibly sarcastically-located garbage can on the Royal Observatory's grounds.

I may not speak science, but I can tell you what this realization makes me think about. When God admonishes Job at the end of his self-titled story, God does some serious head-shaking about Job's presumption that he is indeed the center of the universe and things really, honestly do revolve around him and his piety. God makes things pretty clear: humanity is not the be-all, end-all in creation. Any time humanity tries to do this, odds are things get seriously lopsided. God's reminder to Job is a reminder to us all: God made this world, and even if we think we could have done it better, we're just part of the grand scheme.

It's hard to be put in your place in a grand, cosmic scheme. We want to make it all about us and the way it should work to make things easier - but it's a lie. That's not the way the world works. Even the Prime Meridian, that great feat of human ingenuity, is sort of mostly wrong. No matter how much we don't like it, God sets those boundaries. At the end of the day, it's a job I'll leave willingly to God. After all, I'm not much of a science person.

God of all things, you have made all things and made them so good! We cannot understand everything, and sometimes we challenge you for the role of creator. Remind us gently that you are in charge, and help us to trust you in all things. Even as we try to understand the mysteries of creation, help us to see you as the source active in all of it. Amen.

The Book of Kells

Through [Christ] you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. - 1 Peter 1:21-23

When we took a city break in Dublin, we weren't entirely sure of what we planned on seeing. At the top of almost every list is a visit to the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript from around 800 AD that is housed at Trinity College in Dublin. Being a fan of old books and interested in seeing something so reputedly gorgeous, I was sold. Granted, you can't exactly see the entire book. The four transcribed gospels and their corresponding illustrations are housed in two very fragile volumes, and on display at any given time are only one page out of each volume. Nonetheless, simply being to observe such a book is quite a gift.

Before seeing the book, you spend time in an exhibit that teaches you about the process and artistry of creating illuminated manuscripts at the time. Considering how much work went into putting the book together - everything from stretching the vellum to copying the text - it's almost amazing there were any books around at all. But the care with which these gospels were obviously reproduced and the fact that they have survived to this day are just an example and reminder of how dearly valued the Word of God is for believers.

Today, you can find a Bible in any hotel room, but it's as if its ubiquity prevents us from taking it seriously. Even as a seminarian, I cannot state with certainty if I have entirely read every book of the Bible. How would we consider the written word of scripture differently if books were so rare as to be worth more than a lifetime's earnings? How much more seriously would we take the opportunity to read the Bible? As I looked at the Book of Kells, I realized just how much we can take the written word for granted and just how vital it is for us to remain tied to the Word.

The Word of God is still living and active today. The words of the Bible are still vital for us now; furthermore, God's Word is moving in the preached word and sacrament every day. This Word forms us new every day. This Word brings us closer to God and helps us serve our neighbor more completely. This is not something to take for granted. It is something to treasure deeply and stay in close relationship with. May we each realize how we need to be constantly renewed by God's Word.

Lord of Life, your Word moves through us even today. We are constantly thankful for your presence with us in the sacraments and the preached word. Open our hearts and minds to your scriptures, so that we might come closer to understanding you and your will. Give us the boldness to approach you in study and prayer, as we come with humility to ask the Spirit's guidance. In all things, keep us dedicated to your will and way. We pray this in your Son's name, Amen.

The Pools At Bath

Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids-- blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me." Jesus said to him, "Stand up, take your mat and walk." At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. - John 5:2-9a

While England and Italy might seem worlds apart, they are linked in more than a few ways. One of the more interesting pieces is the way they both represent the spread of the ancient Roman Empire, that world power that saw the birth and death of Christ. Roman ruins are not just the realm of Rome, but of much of the European continent. So it should not be any surprise that even England boasts a large amount of remarkable Roman sites. One of these is the spring of Aquae Sulis and the city of Bath.

The spring that bubbles out of the ground here has been likely venerated for over 10,000 years. Keeping a constant temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit and flowing at the rate of a quarter million gallons a day, it's a natural event not likely to go unnoticed. The original inhabitants dedicated the site to Sulis, a goddess of water, and when the Romans arrived they co opted the site for Minerva. While the site had always been revered as a place of healing, it was also believed that the place was so holy that people could use it to communicate with the divine; prayers, petitions, and offerings were often thrown into the hot water. Even after the temple fell to ruin, Bath became the place to see and be seen by those treating the spring as a spa to soak in and drink up.

It's the first time I've ever seen something like it, and just being there gave me a better understanding of this story from John. At this particular site in Bath, there were numerous side pools, steam rooms, and cooling baths to be used in combination for the best cleaning and healing effect. However, this was typically reserved for the most wealthy or well-connected. Perhaps others found a way to the waters, but it is not likely. How were these most desperate people to find healing?

One of the most overwhelming aspects of Christ's nature is his ability to heal. Many people tend to focus on the otherworldly aspects of his teachings, making it easy to forget what he promises for us here and now. While he certainly points us to God and righteousness, he also grants healing and wholeness in unexpected ways at unexpected times. When we are most hopeless and broken, Jesus invites us to take up our mat and walk. This is not because we can afford it or even because we deserve it, but simply because God is that good.

Our heavenly Father, in this life our bodies are subjected to great physical pain and sickness. As your Son healed the lame man by the healing pools, so come to us in our need and grant us wholeness. Work through physicians of all kinds to bring this relief, and give patience to those still awaiting your healing. Remind us always that we are in need of the restoration only you can bring through your Son Jesus, Amen.

The Next Recipient

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. When I remember you in my prayers,always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. - Philemon 1:3-6

When you're half a world away from your family, friends, coworkers, and classmates, you can start to feel a little bit lonely. When there's a chance to see a familiar face, even if it's just for a bit, you take it. And if that familiar face is actually an entire family who you've spent a seminary career with, it's more than just a little celebratory. So imagine my delight when Marc, my friend and classmate, let me know that he and his family had a day's layover in London on their way to their year as the next recipients of the Graduate Preaching Fellowship.

Marc and company had just 12 hours in London, but they were going from one overnight international flight to the next, so if nothing else they needed someone to keep them awake. Fortunately, I was up to the task - and the rain managed to hold off long enough for us to explore the heart of the city. We had plenty of time to see Westminster, Buckingham Palace, and Trafalgar Square with a quick stop at a local pub for some lunch. They seemed happy to have someone else think through their steps for a while, and I was happy to have friendly faces to tour with.

But even more exciting than that was the opportunity to connect about this great gift we've both been given. This year of study and travel is, for us both, an opportunity of a lifetime. We compared notes, discussed options, laughed about complications, and dreamed about what it will mean for our future in ministry. The fact that our years overlap a bit is even more exciting, as it feels even more like we're not in it alone. Certainly, his time in Tanzania and Israel with his entire family will be distinctly different than my time in Rome and London, but that's exactly the point. The church is a place of variety, and Marc and I are both called to share our diverse talents and experiences in more ways and places than we could ever imagine. Intimidating though it might be, it sure is exciting.

In lieu of a photo for this post (since I forgot my camera), I give you the link to Marc's family's blog. They've got plenty of pictures and stories already, so there's lots to look at. Be sure to send them a message of support. What an amazing journey!

Good and gracious God, you send us all out on daily adventures where we are constantly called to serve you. Be especially present with those in far-away places learning challenging and sometimes frightening new things, so that they might have the confidence and peace to use their knowledge in your service. Keep Marc and his family safe, and fill them with your joy. Grant us each the ability to see your wondrous world in new ways. Amen.

Tree Of Life in the British Museum

In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised up above the hills. Peoples shall stream to it, and many nations shall come and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. - Micah 4:14

In the British Museum, you don't just find culturally significant artifacts from thousands of years ago - although that is a pretty exciting thing for most people. You can also come across information of all sorts about society and culture today. In fact, some areas of the museum focus on this, giving us a better idea about people and places contemporaneous with us that we might not otherwise have the ability to see and learn about. The section on Africa, while small, paints a picture not just of a vast continent of the past, but a diverse region facing many challenges today - challenges that call the world community together.

One of the most powerful exhibits is the Tree of Life, a nearly ten foot tall sculpture made entirely of weapons. Its spreading branches are guns, the animals playing in its shade are guns, even the fish and mammals off to the side are, you guessed it, guns. It was created from decommissioned weapons collected after Mozambique's long civil war. People were encouraged to turn in their weapons for a small profit, while artists were commissioned to turn them into works of art.

A scripturally-inspired bishop first envisioned the project, and the British Museum ended up making a huge event around the installation when it first arrived in 2005. It shows a country and continent that not only faces great political turmoil, but has such abundant hope. This exhibition doesn't focus simply on the war and strife prevalent across so much of the continent, but also a cultural system that makes beauty out of anything available. For those of us who may never physically find ourselves in any part of Africa, we can still see the glorious cultures the continent holds and learn more about the challenges it constantly faces.

Perhaps even more amazingly, it shows that there are those people so inspired by their faith that they can take a singularly violent object and make it into a potently inspiring work of art. This tree shows us that good can come from evil, and we must never give up hope that it can happen especially to those who need it most.

God of peace, we face so much violence. Even though we are made in your image, we constantly reach out in anger and hatred to our neighbor. Be especially with those in Africa, which seems to hold more than its fair share of war, sickness, and poverty. Grant hope and healing to those who most need it, and remind us that our neighbor may be a world away. We pray these things in the name of your Son, who longs to gather us all together. Amen.

The Rosetta Stone

"For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, says the Lord; so shall your descendants and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from sabbath to sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me," says the Lord. - Isaiah 66:18-19a, 22-23

Underneath the single roof of the British Museum you will find examples of culturally relevant artifacts from every single major era in history. While some cultures do indeed want their history back, the fact that all these things can be observed and experienced in one place makes an excellent argument for keeping them exactly where they are. Some of these things are so fabled that once you're actually able to come face-to-face with it, you can hardly believe your eyes.

For me, one of these things is the Rosetta Stone. As a kid, I was fascinated with all sorts of ancient cultures and myths, so of course I spent some time with the Egyptians. Their mysterious hieroglyphics and the single stone inscription that finally led to their translation, completely enthralled me. In fact, I suspect that some of my love for language stems back to this linguistic milestone. So it's pretty exciting that one of the first pieces of culture that you practically trip over is the Rosetta Stone itself.

It's not actually a terribly remarkable looking thing. It's only a couple of feet tall, and it's not even totally intact. Plus, since it's very prominent in the museum, it's always surrounded by a throng of tourists. But simply looking at it allows you to look back into history. It reminds you of the obscurity of ancient culture and the amazing fact that scholarship has slowly allowed us to understand our own history. In fact, the ability to read our own scriptures stems from the same kind of linguistic scholarship that opened up Egyptian culture to the world. In a way, the Rosetta Stone represents the partnership between piety and scholarship, language and worship, history and society, that makes faith such a remarkable thing.

While all of the world may not indeed be gathered together in this lifetime, at least there are places, people, and information that can help us better understand each other. Perhaps they can even help us better understand our God. Until then, we pray for enlightenment and patience.

God, our great teacher, through you we have all that makes us human. We are especially thankful for the intellect that you gave us, so that we can better understand each other, our histories, and most importantly you. Keep us from using our knowledge to oppress and condemn, but instead to celebrate and unite in your Son's name. Amen.

"Cradle to Grave" in the British Museum

But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. - Malachi 4:2-3

The British Museum is one of the most comprehensive collections of culture in the world. That's an extremely broad statement, but one that is hard to contradict. It displays everything from ancient Roman and Greek statuary to South American jade jewelry to Egyptian mummies to precious pieces of British culture. Most of their exhibits are themed by region and era, keeping the Buddhas away from the Sphinxes. This makes each room a country to itself, helping you keep your head straight.

However, one room in particular is a themed gallery, meaning that it has exhibits from all over the globe and different times intended to represent a particular cultural phenomenon. In this room, the museum explores ideas about birth, life, healing, sickness, and death from a distinctly global view. All through the room are object-based descriptions of the ways different cultures deal with these human realities through faith, society, the arts, and medicine. The centerpiece of the room is an exhibit called "Cradle to Grave". It has two lengths of textiles, one representing the life of a theoretical average male and the other a corresponding female, containing the 14,000 pills prescribed to the average Briton. Alongside these pills, which are a life story in their own right, are a variety of photos and notes from real peoples' life stories, causing a compare/contrast of humanity and pharmacy.

The stated intent of this particular display is that "maintaining well-being is more complex than just treating illness". This, of course, is the drive of the entire room: culturally, we understand a healthy life to be more than the pills you ingest and the infections you defeat. Unfortunately, no matter how much we might know this to be true, we so rarely live it out in our lives. Instead of knowing that health has as much to do with family life, social connectivity, work-life balance, and especially faith, we tend to localize physical well-being to the realm of doctors and pharmacies. In fact, in America we don't even treat physical health that well, as easily evidenced by our poor attitude towards a right to health insurance.

Maybe it's therefore no wonder that references to healing in the Bible are passed off. We consider them a metaphor or something that doesn't happen any more. After all, if you're sick you take drugs - and those who pray instead of going to the doctor are crazy. In reality something in between seems to be a little more healthy. God's work in this world clearly has a lot to do with real, palpable healing on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. Our care for these bodies God has given us goes deeper than antibiotics and asprin. Somehow, we have to realize that our responsibility to ourselves, to our neighbor, and to God also pertains to our bodies and how we care for them.

God our creator, you have given us bodies that are indeed very good. Good, but not perfect. When we suffer from disease and injury, we trust in the healing we know you can deliver. Be also present in those who give physical care - doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and all others who use their skills to help heal. Teach us also to care for our lives fully, not just in pills, but in everything we say and do. We pray this in the name of your Son, whose ministry taught us to heal the sick and embrace the outcast. Amen.

Mary Magdalene

Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources. - Luke 8:1-3

One of my favorite Biblical characters is definitely Mary Magdalene. At first, it was because I was deeply drawn to the persona of the repentant sinner drawn close by Christ. After all, what could be more challenging to the religious and political hierarchy than to have a former prostitute in your inner circle? However, I was perhaps even more amazed by her when I learned more about her person and history. As it turns out, there is absolutely no record anywhere of her being a prostitute, or even a sinner any more remarkable than anyone else. She was combined with Mary of Bethany (Luke 10 and John 11) and the woman sinner (Luke 7) into one single person. Pope Gregory I is credited with cementing this via a sermon delivered in 591 where he indeed declared them to be one woman.

There are many theories as to why Mary Magdalene was not only lumped together with two other distinct women, but made into a prostitute. One is that she appeared to powerful for the church at the time. As Luke 8 notes, she provided for Jesus out of her resources; in other words, she was wealthy and independent. Furthermore, she was very close to Jesus - he even chose to appear first to her. Instead of allowing this possible undermining of male authority, later scholars and teachers wanted to give her a dark side. Another possibility is that there were simply too many women, and especially Marys, for them to be all considered different. Finally, it could be an attempt to give women two images to aspire to: the Virgin Mary, who remains pure and chaste, or Mary Magdalene, a sinner who Jesus loves anyway.

The cult of the Magdalene, encompassing everything from numerous depictions of the penitent Magdalene (such as the one pictured here in the museum of Florence's Duomo) to the mythology of her time in France, to even her prominent role in the "DaVinci Code" keeps her present in stories, legends, and popular culture. She is indeed an attractive figure to many people, although it is more often for rumors and conspiracy theories than for what we actually know about her.

I was thrilled when I learned that my first sermon at St. Anne's in London would be on Mary Magdalene's feast day and that the church did indeed want me to preach from those texts. I knew that if there was one thing we knew about her it was that we didn't know much at all. I wanted to teach the congregation the "real story" about this woman, but then remembered that Mary Magdalene isn't an agenda; besides, there's hardly enough information about her to make a "real story". Instead, I reminded myself to lift her up as we do with saints: as reminders of the human ability to love and serve God and neighbor fully.

There are three important things we can know from her story to be inspired by her. She was a woman healed by Christ, showing us his restorative power. She committed herself fully to his ministry, reminding us to do the same. And finally, she had the courage to pay her respect to him and declare his miraculous rising again against all odds, giving us the confidence to do likewise. Whether we make her a hero, a rebel, a victim, or a lover, the simple facts are enough to remind us that she was nonetheless a woman of deep faith and inspiration to us, even today.

(To read a rough transcription of the sermon, go here. Click on "sermons", then "Sunday 22 July at 11.00 [Mary Magdalene]")

God our constant guide, you have sent us inspirations in the faith to help us on our way. Thank you especially for Mary Magdalene, who for all the stories surrounding her was simply and earnestly your dedicated follower. Help us to be bold and committed like her, giving ourselves fully to you and trusting in your mercy. May we always be able to proclaim your Son's rising again, even in the darkest of times. We pray this in his name, Amen.

Mary I and Elizabeth I

When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. - Matthew 10:19-22a

This verse has never sat right with me. Too many people use it to justify their controversial political and spiritual decisions, pointing to this verse to try to make their naysayers into lesser believers. Some try to say that they must be loving Jesus right when everyone else is upset with them, when the exact opposite might be more true. Nonetheless, families have indeed been driven apart because of faith - even if that faith is simply another expression of Christianity. The conflict between Catholic and Protestant faith shows this tension very clearly.

The English church technically separated from Rome in 1534 under the notorious Henry VIII, but that was not the end of the debate. Under his son Edward VI's short reign the church became more radical, and there were some who hoped for greater Protestant reform in the country. This was the main hope of much political turmoil following Edward's death, until Mary I received power and technically rejoined the Roman church in 1555. Her battle to keep control of the country and enforce Catholicism led to her moniker Bloody Mary, as she had 300 religious dissenters executed in her just over four year's reign. Her half-sister (and successor, should she fail to produce a male heir) was the Protestant Elizabeth, who she had imprisoned but refused to execute.

Elizabeth did indeed ascend to the throne in 1558 and re-established Protestantism. In spite of their vast political and especially religious differences, it seems the sisters held no truly ill will towards each other. Mary kept Elizabeth from death during her reign, and it seems that Elizabeth did not fault Mary for her actions. In fact, today the sisters are buried together in the same tomb in Westminster Abbey. Next to the tomb, a plaque noting the religious conflict personified by the two sisters and Queens reminds us that people do truly rise against each other even when they believe to be fighting exclusively for Christ's sake.

Stories like these remind me that Jesus' words in the verse from Matthew aren't carte blanche to stir up trouble and call it faith. Instead, it is a sad statement on the sinfulness of humanity. Even something as unifying and inspiring as Christian faith can be warped in our drive for power and prestige, until we convince ourselves to even fight our brother and sister.

Merciful God, our own brokenness keeps us from worshiping you in spirit and truth. Instead, we fight amongst ourselves and try to prove ourselves more worth of you. Help us instead to seek peace, unity, and shared proclamation of your holy name no matter what church, denomination, or ideal we represent. We ask this in the one name of your Son Jesus. Amen.

Westminster Abbey

When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, "I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me," you may indeed set over you a king whom the Lord your God will choose... It shall remain with him and he shall read in it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, diligently observing all the words of this law and these statutes, neither exalting himself above other members of the community nor turning aside from the commandment, either to the right or to the left, so that he and his descendants may reign long over his kingdom in Israel. - Deutoronomy 14: 14-15a, 19-20

One thing that cannot be avoided in England is the connection between church and state. The Queen is constitutionally referred to as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and the Canons of the Church of England also declare, "We acknowledge that the Queen’s excellent Majesty, acting according to the laws of the realm, is the highest power under God in this kingdom, and has supreme authority over all persons in all causes, as well ecclesiastical as civil." While her role in the church, in much the same way as her political role, is primarily a figurehead, she nonetheless is the highest authority within the church.

She is not only not a person of any religious training or authority, but not elected. She is, as some would declare, chosen by God alone. Anachronistic as it might seem, it's simply the way things work. And since they work that way, there are events and places that clearly demonstrate the connection between church and state in England.

Perhaps most noteworthy of these places is Westminster Abbey. An abbey has stood on the site since the 10th century, and a proper stone building went up in the mid-11th century under the direction of Edward the Confessor. Partly because the church was a sort of shrine to King Edward, it became the site of coronations and burials for English monarchs throughout the centuries. Queen Elizabeth I was the first to have a Protestant coronation ceremony there, and the last coronation was, of course, HRH Elizabeth II. And yes, you read that right - it is indeed a formal church service with prominent roles for clergy, and even has an anointing considered so sacred that it was not televised during the broadcast of Elizabeth II's coronation.

As an American, it seems almost offensive to have these two roles so intertwined. However, the Israelites themselves had a king who was also a spiritual leader. The two roles can indeed be fairly balanced, and a beautiful place like Westminster seems to reflect that. Unfortunately, the human tendency is to declare divine mandate to matter what, turning to personal preference rather than God's will. After all, it was enforced Anglicanism that drove people to America and created the precedent for free practice.

The book of Deuteronomy reminds us that we are each constantly to turn to God as we direct our lives, whether leader or most lowly. This isn't just because God wants it - it is because it helps us live with some semblance of structure and function. When we turn too far to our own desires and forget our Creator, we get violent anarchy, oppressive dictatorship, and all sorts of unethical governance in between. In a place like Westminster, surrounded by tombs of rulers and monuments to war dead, it is easy to remember just how frail the balance can be.

God, our King, we give ourselves totally to your rule. Guide us as we live in your creation, that we might show respect when due and question authority when needed. Give your wisdom to all those who lead and rule, so that your guidance will be in their decisions. We pray these things in the name of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Return to Rome

Greetings to the few of you who still check this blog out... I have been terribly delinquent about posting lately (I blame it on London's unseasonably cold weather, making my fingers too stiff to type) and therefore have a huge backlog of great posts to get to. I'll be putting those up this week.

In the meantime, my husband and I have made a safe return to Rome for the final three months of the fellowship. We've resettled in a new part of town in a significantly smaller apartment, but we're doing quite well - especially since the weather has been gorgeous! Tomorrow I'll register for another semester of classes at the Angelicum, and we'll hit the ground running from there.

I hope all is well for you, and that you'll continue to enjoy reading along with some of my experiences and thoughts throughout this incredible year.