“Time after time mankind is driven against the rocks of the horrid reality of a fallen creation. And time after time mankind must learn the hard lessons of history—-the lessons that for some dangerous and awful reason we can’t seem to keep in our collective memory.” —Hilaire Belloc
Calvary Chapel Petaluma in northern California has started the Read the Red campaign to raise awareness and funds for the persecuted Church around the globe. Buy a wristband, make a donation, strengthen someone’s faith.
In the year 286 A.D., there was a legion of soldiers (over 6,600 men) that consisted of all Christians. This group was known as the Theban Legion, as the men were raised in Thebais. They were ordered by Emperor Maximian to march to Gaul to assist him against the rebels of Burgundy. However, about this time Maximian ordered a sacrifice, at which the soldiers were to assist, and commanded that they take oaths of allegiance and swear, at the same time, to help him wipe out Christianity in Gaul.
Each member of the legion refused to sacrifice or take the oaths Maximian had ordered. This angered Maximian, so he called for every tenth man of the legion to be selected and killed by the sword. After his order was executed, the remaining men of the Theban Legion were still resolute, refusing to sacrifice to idols and take the oath to slay the Christians of Gaul. Therefore, a second decimation occurred, and every tenth man was killed by the sword. Still, the soldiers were unbending.
The remaining soldiers drafted a document outlining their grievances and sent it to Emperor Maximian:
“While your commands are not contradictory to those of our common Master, we shall always be ready to obey, as we have been hitherto; but when the orders of our prince and those of the Almighty differ, we must always obey the latter. Our arms are devoted to the emperor’s use, and shall be directed against his enemies; but we cannot submit to stain our hands with Christian blood; and how, indeed, could you, O Emperor, be sure of our allegiance and fidelity, should we violate our obligation to our God, in whose service we were solemnly engaged before we entered the army? You command us to search out and to destroy the Christians; it is not necessary to look any farther for people of that denomination; we ourselves are such, and we glory in the name. We saw our companions fall without the least opposition or murmuring, and thought them happy in dying for the sake of Christ. Nothing shall make us lift up our hands against our sovereign; we had rather die wrongfully, and by that means preserve our innocence, than live under a load of guilt; whatever you command we are ready to suffer; we confess ourselves to be Christians, and therefore cannot persecute Christians, nor sacrifice to idols.”
Infuriated at their resolve and solidarity, Emperor Maximian had the entire legion put to death. On September 22, 286, the Theban Legion was cut to pieces by the sword.
— Adapted from The New Encyclopedia of Christian Martyrs compiled by Mark Water (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2001), pp. 346-347
— published as above in the May 2005 The Voice of the Martyrs magazine
There is a movement afoot to save the Word Network from being booted off of Sirius Satellite Radio. Those mounting the campaign are using Sirius’s new contract with Howard Stern as a target.
I am not a satellite radio subscriber, and I empathize with the Word Network supporters, but this appears to be a waste of time to me.
Sirius is not using public airwaves, and no public funds support it. Just like HBO or ESPN, it is something a subscriber must pay for, and if you don’t like the content, you pull the plug on your subscription. Yes, I know there is a hardware investment with Sirius that these Word Network supporters will be on the losing end of, but that’s life with satellite radio.
Maybe these supporters should petition XM to pick up the Word Network. Honestly, Sirius, and especially Stern, could care less. And the Word Network supporters could certainly be doing something better with their time to further God’s kingdom. With relatively so few people using either satellite radio brand, most people will find it hard to care.
Lee prodded me via IM with some “Godblog fodder,” noting a NYT article on “Godcasting.” This is both not a surprise and very encouraging, seeing churches within differing denominations embrace this technology. For many years pastors have offered audio copies of their sermons, usually on cassette tapes, then later on CD, for the benefit of homebound members, or others who may have missed the sermon. Many churches now offer these audio copies for sale, usually within the context of a set. For example, this Sunday will be the fifth week on our study of Galatians, and I have no doubt that at some point after the completion of our study, we would be able to purchase the entire sermon set on CD.
One project Lee has been working on is a new podcast for the pastor at Forest Lake Seventh-day Adventist Church in Florida. Dr. Derek Morris’s Life and Teachings of Jesus course is being made available as a downloadable podcast. I helped Lee beta test the RSS feed and downloading, though I confess I haven’t listened to much beyond some of the first lesson.
Our church currently offers audio downloads of Tim’s sermons, but being in Real or Windows Media formats, I wouldn’t consider them “podcasts.” I have already e-mailed Tim, asking him and the other pastors to consider scrapping the Real and Windows Media formats for MP3. Reasons I used included the portability of the MP3 format versus the two currently used, as well as licensing fees associated with serving Real and Windows Media content. (There may be exemptions for non-profits that I am not aware of, and this point may be rendered moot.)
Our missions work in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is taking precedent over any such conversation right now (as it should), but I hope to continue dialog with Tim on this issue in the future. I have found myself listening to podcasts a little more in the past few weeks, usually while driving or while working around the house. Catching up on sermons I may have missed, or re-listening to favorites to learn something new, is a temptation I would gladly give in to.