-
Article XXIV (XII): Of the Mass, Part 3
And although our belief has its chief testimonies in the Epistle to the Hebrews, nevertheless the adversaries distort against us mutilated passages from this Epistle, as in this very passage, where it is said that every high priest is ordained to offer sacrifices for sins. Scripture itself immediately adds that Christ is High Priest, Heb. 5:5-6,10. The preceding words speak of the Levitical priesthood, and signify that the Levitical priesthood was an image of the priesthood of Christ. For the Levitical sacrifices for sins did not merit the remission of sins before God; they were only an image of the sacrifice of Christ, which was to be the one propitiatory…
-
Article XXIV (XII): Of the Mass- Part 2
What a Sacrifice Is, and What Are the Species of Sacrifice. [Now, lest we plunge blindly into this business, we must indicate, in the first place, a distinction as to what is, and what is not, a sacrifice. To know this is expedient and good for all Christians.] 16] Socrates, in the Phaedrus of Plato, says that he is especially fond of divisions, because without these nothing can either be explained or understood in speaking, and if he discovers any one skilful in making divisions, he says that he attends and follows his footsteps as those of a god. And he instructs the one dividing to separate the members in…
-
Raising Our Daughters (and Sons) To Just Be
By Vanessa Rasanen Never, in all my years of growing up, did I doubt I would get married and have children. It was a given. It was part of my dream, my goals, my plan. Despite my liberal and feminist upbringing — which emphasized career over “just” being a housewife — I wanted a family and I wanted to stay home to care for that family. And no matter what it took, I was going to have it. And I do. I have three wonderful children, an amazing husband, two sweet dogs. I have a home filled with love and laughter, joy and hilarity. And though I’m no longer home…
-
Teach Chastity Not Purity
By Amanda Markel For as long as I can remember, and maybe even longer than that, American evangelicals have focused on purity when talking to their children about sex. On the surface, this sounds good. Purity goes hand-in-hand with abstinence-based sex education, and that tends to be the goal of most Christians…waiting to have sex until marriage. The emphasis on “purity” is problematic for several reasons, though. Let’s start with the most obvious. None of us are pure, period. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking sexually, or in any other way…we all fall short. We are all poor, miserable sinners. To think we can attain purity in a specific area…
-
A New Song
By Emily Cook Once, in a college class, we were discussing finding God in nature. I was asked to look outside at a nearby tree, and tell the class what it told me about God. “Um… it’s reaching up to the sky to show us we need God?” Maybe. Or maybe it has outstretched arms to teach us to embrace the whole world? Or perhaps a tree has disorganized branches because God loves wild spiky hair and hairspray is an affront to God? Point made, professor. We can be inspired by nature, but we can’t “read” it. Without revelation, there is little we can say for certain. But we have…
-
Hi, I’m the Wife of an Alcoholic
By guest contributor, Poekitten Hi, I’m Poe, and I’m married to an alcoholic. I didn’t know he was an alcoholic when we got married, but I did know eventually his drinking would become an issue. I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon — only a year and a half into our marriage. It was difficult, but I wouldn’t change it, as it has shaped our marriage and who we are as people. I’ve had people ask us how we did it, how we made it through. Divorce among alcoholics is high. Though I don’t have the stats on me, my husband was told repeatedly while he was in…
-
Article XXIV (XII): Of the Mass- Part 1
At the outset we must again make the preliminary statement that we 1] do not abolish the Mass, but religiously maintain and defend it. For among us masses are celebrated every Lord’s Day and on the other festivals, in which the Sacrament is offered to those who wish to use it, after they have been examined and absolved. And the usual public ceremonies are observed, the series of lessons, of prayers, vestments, and other like things. 2] The adversaries have a long declamation concerning the use of the Latin language in the Mass, in which they absurdly trifle as to how it profits [what a great merit is achieved by]…
-
Article XXIII (XI): Of the Marriage of Priests- Part 2
Lastly, if they understand that celibacy is purity in the sense that it merits justification more than does marriage, we most emphatically contradict it. For we are justified neither on account of virginity nor on account of marriage, but freely for Christ’s sake, when we believe that for His sake 37] God is propitious to us. Here perhaps they will exclaim that, according to the manner of Jovinian, marriage is made equal to virginity. But, on account of such clamors we shall not reject the truth concerning the righteousness 38] of faith, which we have explained above. Nevertheless we do not make virginity and marriage equal. For just as one…
-
On Becoming a Titus 2 Woman
By Holly Scheer Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Titus 2:3-5 These words are serious. These words are weighted with the expectations of generations of past discussions, among women and men far wiser than I, talking about something we’re often lacking in our communities and lives. But I’m here to encourage you, as best I can, and hopefully provide some…
-
This Mother’s Day I Need to Hear Jesus
By Anonymous Growing up I dreaded going to church on Mother’s Day. It was a day that I knew I would hear a sermon pontificating more on the faithfulness of mothers than the faithfulness of Christ. I was growing up with a mom who was physically, verbally and emotionally abusive. She did not love me unconditionally, and she continually refused to fulfill basic responsibilities like feeding her kids. The arbitrary blows from my mom were combined with the neglect of my workaholic father whose only intervention was to continually remind me that if I didn’t keep my mom happy I would face one of two outcomes as consequence for my…
