footstepsofphoebe

Deaconess Cook Book

2011-10-12T04:51:00.000-07:00

Every once in a long while I find a gem of Deaconess History on eBay. A few weeks ago it was a lovely little 1924 hardback "Deaconess Cook Book" compiled by the Deaconess Society of the First Lutheran Church, Worcester, Massachusetts.

Deaconess societies accomplished a great deal of work on behalf of the deaconess movement in North America, first through their members promoting and carrying out diaconal acts of mercy in areas local to the society; and second, by raising money to support deaconess training and deaconess service throughout the church.

I feel quite certain that my newly acquired "Deaconess Cook Book" is one of the projects that the ladies would have designed specifically to raise money for the deaconess cause! The fact that there are four "Patron and Patronesses" listed on the page opposite the front "Index" (Contents page) also testifies in favor of this possibility.

Within the 104 pages of great looking recipes, the Hor's D'oeuvre page includes a very interesting entry describing a good SMORGASBORD - what we might call a fancy buffet:

Butter pats; rye, wheat, and other breads cut in thin, small slices; strip of toasted bread, about width of two fingers; two or three kinds of cheese; caviar; sardines; anchovies, shrimps; lobster; medvurst; sausage; cold sliced chicken; cold sliced ham; sliced smoked salmon; sliced corned beef; sliced tongue; cold boiled salmon; small meat-balls; pickled herring; cucumbers; plain and stuffed olives; celery and other relishes. Besides the above a few salads may appear, as well as hot dishes consisting possibly of small meat pies, and various small omelets made by adding to omelet batter, sardines, minced ham, or fried mushrooms, also dainty meat or fish croquettes. The above dishes are placed upon buffet and serving table and are eaten before sitting down to dinner table; each guest may be asked to help himself; or, they may be placed upon dinner table and served before regular dinner is served, in that case the table must necessarily by cleared before the first course, leaving olives, celery, radishes, butter and bread.

I was surprised by the amount of seafood included in this smorgasbord - but then the book was published on the eastern seaboard. But what a massive amount of food to eat before dinner!

For the fun of it - Next time you go to eBay, type "deaconess" into the search bar and have fun looking at all of the different things that pop up about deaconesses.

Guest Blog by Deaconess Deborah Rockrohr

2011-08-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

A New Page in Deaconess History

The Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (LCSA) will soon write a new page in deaconess history. For the past two years a small group of women have received short-term intensive course training from Deaconess Grace Rao with the support of LCMS World Relief and Human Care. These women will complete their final course in October, and on October 28, 2011, the LCSA will commission its first deaconesses.

As the director of the new full-time residential deaconess training program that will launch at Lutheran Theological Seminary (LTS) in Pretoria in January 2012, I look forward to becoming better acquainted with these women who will shortly become my colleagues in the mercy work of the LCSA. Two of the current students, Nancy and Esther, were able to join us for the annual conference of the Concordia Deaconess Conference – LCMS in June (see July 3rd blog below). While we do not expect to move to South Africa until late in 2011, LCMS World Relief and Human Care is making it possible for me to join the LTS deaconess students for their final days of training and also be present for the commissioning on October 28. It is hoped that my visit in October will facilitate a smooth transition from the initial intensive training to the new full time program and permit me to develop professional relationships with the new LCSA deaconesses and others who will be resources for the new training program.

Although deaconess ministry will be new to the LCSA, women have been active in the work of the church for many years through the Women’s League. Similar in many ways to the work of the LCMS Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML), these women organize to pray for the people of South Africa and the work of the church, and engage in projects that extend the mercy work of the church to the community. In South Africa, every major Christian denomination has a women’s league with a denominationally-distinct uniform. Nancy and Esther, who will soon be deaconesses in the LCSA, are also members of the LCSA Women’s League and appear in the league uniform in the July 3rd blog photo.

Concordia Deaconess Conference 2011

2011-07-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

Concordia Deaconess Conference - Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (CDC) - a 'Recognized Service Organization' of the LCMS - holds annual conferences to provide its members with opportunities for personal, spiritual, and professional growth. This year's conference, held at Concordia University, Nebraska, from June 15-18, centered on the theme: Lutheran Spirituality: A Life of Receptivity.

Among the 2011 conference participants were two deaconess students from The Lutheran Church in Southern Africa, a partner church of the LCMS. The conference mission offering was designated for the support of a new deaconess training program at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tshwane (Pretoria, South Africa). CDC member, Deaconess Deborah Rockrohr (pictured above with the two students), recently accepted a call to serve as Director of this program.

CDC members thanked the outgoing Spiritual Counselor, Rev. John Berg, and four outgoing officers, Deborah Rockrohr, Carol Schroeder, Linda Cosgrove, and Lorraine Groth, for their hard work over the last several years. Newly elected officers include Sara Lemon, Vice President; Kim Schave, Treasurer, Jana Peters, Member-at-Large for Annual Conference Logistics; Heidi Bishop, Member-at-Large for Membership. Rev. William Weedon was elected as the CDC Spiritual Counselor for the next three years.

More information about the conference, membership applications, copies of the CDC newsletter, and so forth, are available at http://www.concordiadeaconesslcms.org/

Finishing the Run!

2011-04-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

I am extremely proud of two colleagues - one a deaconess and the other someone who enjoys calling herself an F.O.D. (Friend of Deaconesses!) - who both completed a 5-Kilometer run today!
Congratulations,
Violeta and Sarah!

These women have been training for this day for months. And their training paid off. They finished the run - and with good times - 31.41 minutes and 33.13 minutes respectively. And they are smiling at the finish line!

If you will forgive me, I need to add a faith-life application while I'm at it. The timing of this 5K run is a great reminder to me of the ultimate love God has shown to the human race. Jesus Christ didn't give up in the garden when He knew that the Heavenly Father wasn't going to take the bitter cup of suffering and death away from His lips. He had become incarnate and lived as true God and true man for this very purpose. Our Savior finished the run for us. And now we rejoice in remembering His death and in preparation for a glorious celebration of His resurrection on Easter day!

A blessed Easter to all!

Where Do LCMS Deaconesses Serve?

2011-04-13T14:55:00.001-07:00

The most recent information available from The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod's Department of Rosters and Statistics shows that there are 213 deaconesses on the Synod's roster. The current "status" and "positions' of the women are described as follows:

By Roster Status:

131 – Active

24 – Candidates

22 – Non-Candidates

36 – Emeritus

By Position:

76 – Serving Member Congregation

16 – Recognized Service Organization

8 – Other Special ministry

8 – Synod HS/College/Univ/Seminary Faculty or Staff

6 – Chaplain-Institutional

5 – Synod Executive or Staff

3 – Missionary-Synod

3 – District Executive or Staff

2 – Synod College or Seminary Faculty

1 – Teacher

1 – District-Other Staff

1 – Executive Director

1 – Missionary-Other

12 Ways to Become a Missouri Synod Deaconess!

2011-02-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

Anyone reading literature which is officially or unofficially associated with The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS), will have noted an increase in the mention of deaconesses over the last half decade. Some of this is due to the proliferation of deaconess training paths in the synod. Unless I've missed one, there are now TWELVE avenues to becoming a deaconess in the LCMS, as follows:

1. Concordia University Chicago - Undergraduate program
2. Concordia University Chicago - Certification (Cert. only, not in combination with another option listed)
3. Concordia University Chicago - on campus Master of Arts in Religion with Deaconess Certification
4. Concordia University Chicago - online Master of Arts in Religion with Deaconess Certification
5. Concordia University Chicago - Deaconess Colloquy
6. Concordia Seminary, St. Louis - Master of Arts in Deaconess Studies
7. Concordia Seminary, St. Louis - Master of Arts with Deaconess Certification
8. Center for Hispanic Studies (under Concordia Seminary, St. Louis)
9. Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology (under Concordia Seminary, St. Louis)
10. Deaf Institute of Theology (under Concordia Seminary St. Louis)
11. Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne - on campus Master of Arts leading to Deaconess certification
12. Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne - distance/online program, Master of Arts in Deaconess Studies

This is wonderful news, of course. But with willing workers a synod also needs places to utilize the trained workers. And at the moment finding places for all graduates, or keeping all deaconesses in the field in gainful employment is a real challenge.

The LCMS needs to do some urgent thinking about how it can work as a synod to make use of its many talented workers - whether they are deaconesses, teachers, pastors, or other commissioned ministers.

Guest Blog by Deaconess Grace Rao

2011-02-07T09:44:00.000-08:00

Deaconess Grace Rao - who works at The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod International Center (St. Louis) in the area of World Relief and Human Care - has been involved in some exciting diaconal education work in Africa, and very kindly agreed to provide the following guest blog:

It was a blessing and honor to visit the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Southern Africa at the request of Bishop Wilhelm Weber. I was humbled by his gracious invitation and was overwhelmed as he looked towards my unit at LCMS World Relief and Human Care to assist and uplift the seminary’s educational and diaconal needs in the areas of women and children. My first assignment was teaching an advanced course class on the “Role of Women in the Church” to the seminarian students, pastors, vicars, deans and few women from Women’s league of the Lutheran Church, with special references to “works of mercy,” the role of Lutheran deaconesses who shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ through acts of human care and mercy, and by including the structure of LCMS WR-HC and their ministries.

Second, another task was to give professional advice to the role of women in the church and specifically the inception of a deaconess program, designing the curriculum and the actual course set-up. This paved the way to lead two very successful intensive courses to train and equip local deaconesses in Southern Africa, and by teaching faithful Lutheran doctrine and practice amongst the leaders of the women’s league.

When asked for his thoughts about the diaconal training, the Bishop said “I am confident that this excellent training program will go quite a distance in assisting the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa to attain sustainable structures and staffing to address crucial works of mercy amongst previously neglected groups like single mothers, orphaned children, sufferers of HIV/Aids and other sick and dying people in and beyond the boundaries of our Lutheran congregations.” The next third and fourth courses are schedule to take place in the near future.

In addition, my responsibility also involves identifying, assessing, recommending to support the existing mercy projects, and implementing new projects as well. My unit assists a lot with theological resources. The Lord is gracious and kind, and with His blessings my ministry is moving well, and looking for stronger partnerships in years to come.
Deaconess Grace Rao

A Quick Year

2011-01-30T06:23:00.000-08:00

In the context of history, and particularly personal history, we often talk about how fast time flies by. When we start a new year, we can't believe how quickly the old one finished, and then at the end of January, we wonder how it could be time to begin preparing taxes again so quickly - at least those of us who need to file FAFSA forms are thinking about taxes aleady!

It was a year ago today that we attended the service and cemetery committal for my dear mother, Dorothy Violet Freitag. Throughout the year I've spent a lot of time thinking about her life and her Christian witness to me and others. I've missed her terribly, especially our daily phone calls that spanned the 3000 miles that separated us. But I've come to appreciate, also, that what she taught me is still a vital and vibrant part of my life. It's not just that I look in the mirror and see a likeness of her. Or that I bear her name as my middle name. But the faith that she and dad taught me (and my brother) is still alive and growing through the grace of God, through His Word and Sacraments.

I was particularly moved by verses 3 and 4 one of the hymns we sang in the Divine Service today: "O Savior of Our Fallen Race." The words went like this:

Remember, Lord of life and grace, How once, to save our fallen race, You put our human vesture on And came to us as Mary's Son. Alleluaia!

Today, as year by year its light bathes all the world in radiance bright, One precious truth outshines the sun: Salvation comes from You alone. Alleluia!

A blessed Epiphany!

"Deaconess Work" Funded by German State

2010-12-02T16:03:00.000-08:00

This year's new challenge of teaching German to Middle School students has taken me down a few unexpected paths, but certainly down some fun ones such as the exploration of German websites. On one of those journeys I came across Concordat Watch, a site dedicated to achieving the separation of Church and State as a means toward ensuring (equal) human rights for all people. Interestingly, one piece claims that "the first centralized German church charity was established by the Protestants as a response to the threat posed by the socialist workers' movement."

Among a variety of articles delivered from purely secular points of view, Concordat Watch contains (biased) information about the origin and development of deaconess work in Germany, as well as the current delivery of "Protestant" diaconal services through the organization known as Kiakonisches Werk.

Diakonisches Werk is described as presenting itself, "not as a huge state-funded corporation, but as a soup-kitchen run by deaconesses, or Protestant nuns."
These women "worked in hospitals, kindergartens, and homes for the aged. However, today the Diakonisches Werk is no longer staffed by deaconesses, any more than Caritas [the comparable Catholic charity] is by nuns."

In another entry regarding modern times we read:

The Protestant church charity, Diakonisches Werk

"The Protestant Diakonisches Werk is organized geographically into 24 state associations and thematically into 90 professional associations. It includes the diaconical institutions of nine different Protestant churches (Mennonites, Salvation Army, Independent Protestant-Lutheran Church, Methodists, Moravian Brethren, Old Catholics, Association of Free Evangelical Churches (Baptists/Bretheren), Evangelical Old-Reformed Church). ...

"In 1989 Communist rule ended in East Germany, which united with West Germany. The eastern part of the country was traditionally Protestant and it is not surprising that soon the size of the Diakonisches Werk increased significantly. Between 1978 to 1998, (a period which includes the addition of the eastern German states) the number of employees increased 70 percent (from 17,800 to 30,100) and the number of places or beds increased 51 percent, (from 713,000 to 1.08 million), while the number of full-time employees almost doubled (from 215,000 to 420,000). After this expansion into the new eastern states, consolidation set in and from 1998 to 2000 the Diakonisches Werk actually contracted slightly. The reduction in the number of facilities and services was 13 percent, employees 5 percent and places or beds 3 percent. Only the small sections concerned with “special help” and “training” showed any growth. Then from 2000 to 2002 all the key numbers rose in terms of the number of facilities and the beds or places, however, they did so only by 1.4 percent and 4 percent respectively, while the number of employees rose by 13 percent through the addition of 51,764 new positions. ...

"What is going on here? Two facts are suggestive. One is that during its quick expansion into the former East Germany, the Diakonisches Werk was obliged to hire people with no church affiliation. The second is that a decade later it was finally in a position to begin insisting on church membership and, as an official of the Diakonisches Werk admitted, to offer these employees a permanent job only when and if they joined the church."

Concordat Watch is certainly worth a look for those who might be interested in exploring cooperation between church and state in the delivery of diaconal service!

http://www.concordatwatch.eu/showsite.php?org_id=858

Historical Records Grant provides Deaconess Photos

2010-11-20T09:44:00.000-08:00

What a surprise and delight to note that the state of Missouri supports the preservation of historical archive materials which are related to local history but originated in the context of the work of a Christian church.

The Dana Dawson Library located at Saint Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, has received a grant from the "Missouri Historical Records Grant" program for the purpose of restoring and digitizing historical photographs from the Kansas City National Training School for Deaconesses and Missionaries. (Saint Paul School of Theology is a seminary of the United Methodist Church, split between two campuses in Kansas City and Oklahoma City.)

The library's blog site explains: "These photographs document the history of women’s ministerial work in the Kansas City community and highlight Saint Paul’s ongoing commitment to social issues. The heritage of the Kansas City National Training School is reflected in the records, photographs and publications such as The Kansas City Deaconess of the training school as well as in several books in the Saint Paul library. This rich heritage tells the story of courageous young women who ventured into the most desolate, dangerous, and poverty-stricken areas of Kansas City to bring social services and hope to the poor. Additionally, their stories give voice to the poor and immigrant populations of Kansas City during the beginning of the 20th Century. These records can supplement students’ studies in women’s history, social justice issues, health and welfare ministries, and ministry to immigrant populations."

First Deaconess-in-Training in WELS Sister Church

2010-10-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

Pieter Reid, a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), serves as "a pastoral friendly counselor" to the national Indonesian church known as Gereja Lutheran Indonesia (GLI). According to Reid's Oct. 7, 2010 blog on missions in Indonesia, GLI is making history by training its very first deaconess.

Reid explained, "One goal of the sister church of WELS in Indonesia is to get the women of GLI active in serving the Lord and serving each other. For this to happen and continue, there needs to be a GLI woman who can be trained to assume this leadership role. ...

"Ibu Heni, one of the pastor’s wives, started attending the GLI seminary two years ago. She didn’t do it to become a pastor, but wanted to grow spiritually. Ibu Heni is taking all of the courses required of the seminary students. Besides being very gifted and faithfully applying herself, she understands the teachings of the Bible, has leadership ability, and the heart of a servant. Ibu Heni has the gifts to become a deaconess and help all the women of GLI to serve the Lord and serve others.

"The leaders of GLI were approached and asked if Ibu Heni could be designated as a Deaconess-in-training. She will continue taking all the seminary courses for the next two years. She will have all the doctrine courses, counseling courses, courses on family life, and all the other courses a pastor will have taken. Work has begun to train and prepare Ibu Heni to become a Deaconess who will oversee the entire ministry of women within GLI and prepare these women to reach out to those who do not yet have Jesus as their Savior. What a blessing a Deaconess will be to this church body!”

It will be interesting to watch this new development, and to note whether the next stage of training - to prepare the women of Indonesia to "reach out to those who do not yet have Jesus as their Savior" - will indeed produce a second generation of deaconesses for this church body.

We wish them every blessing with this endeavor!

Reflejo de Cristo - The Call of the Deaconess

2010-09-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

A beautiful visual of Renate Gibbs highlighting three aspects of diaconal ministry: spiritual care, works of mercy, and teaching the faith.

Deaconesses in LCMS Procession

2010-09-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

On September 11, 2010, the Service of Installation for the new President of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, as well as other synod officers and elected and appointed Board and Commission Members of the LCMS, took place at the Chapel of St. Timothy and Saint Titus on the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

One of the unique features of the Divine Service was the procession of 300 individuals into the sanctuary during the Processional Hymn, "Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest." The printed service book noted, "The procession this morning holds high our Lord's work in The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod through its called pastors and church workers, as well as through the ministry of our partner churches throughout the world. The faculty of St. Paul's Lutheran School, Des Peres, Missouri, represents the commissioned teachers of our Synod. Other commissioned ministers of our Synod follow them. Members of the Concordia Deaconess Conference represent our Synod's work of mercy throughout the world. The pastors of our Synod and the Council of Presidents are those called to the preaching office. Faculty members from our Synod's seminaries prepare men for that preaching office. Visiting bishops and presidents from our partner churches throughout the world exhibit the catholicity of the Gospel throughout the world and the worldwide carrying out of our Lord's command to 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation' (Mark 16:15). The Praesidium and those serving in the service this morning conclude the procession."

The thirty-nine members of Concordia Deaconess Conference in the procession traveled at their own expense, from 14 different states, to take part in this joyous occasion. The women included Jennie Asher, Heidi Bishop, Sandra Bowers, Kim Bueltmann, Linda Cosgrove, Gloria DeCuir, Susan Eyer, Jessica Feldmann, Lorraine Groth, Kelly Hardt, Julie Heck, Betsy Karkan, Dorothy Krans, Sarah Longmire, Ruth McDonnell, Linda Meyer, Jeana Moe, Betty Mulholland, Cheryl D. Naumann, Pamela Nielsen, Linda Nobili, Jane Obersat, Lauren Olsen, Joyce Ostermann, Jennifer Phillips, Grace Rao, Loraine Rathman, Deborah Rockrohr, Kim Schave, Carol Schroeder, Sarah Schultz, Linda Seward, Doris Snashall, Jane Stancliff, Corinne Thompson, Gayle Truesdell, Kristin Wassilak, Rosemary Williams, and Renee Young.

Several informal "group" photos such as the one above were taken of the LCMS deaconesses as they began to arrive at the chapel (but no photo actually captured all 39 women together at the same time).

LCMS World Mission Deaconess in Hong Kong

2010-09-02T09:41:00.001-07:00

The "Mission Blog" - official blog of LCMS World Mission - is a great place to browse for inspirational stories about the synod's foreign mission fields and the people who are working in those fields.

One of the new posts is from Deaconess Carol Halter, who has been in Hong Kong for many years. Carol's account of her witness to a woman she met at a family reunion she had been invited to speaks volumes about her commitment to Christ and her primary focus whenever she is with people... a focus on planting the seed of the Word of God in the hearts of those who still need to be reached for Christ.

Have a look for yourself at http://tiny.cc/ok7oh and enjoy the stories of Carol and other LCMS missionaries like her.

Photos of ULCA Deaconess Motherhouse in Baltimore

2010-08-04T05:11:00.000-07:00

Archivists for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have uploaded an interesting collection of photos which include images of the Lutheran Deaconess Motherhouse and Training School in Balitmore, Maryland.

Many of the photos were taken during the "1960 Triennial Conference" held at the Motherhouse. Even though such photos may not relate directly to one's own church history, it's fun to see what the deaconess movement looked like in other pockets of American religious history. Particularly enjoyable are photos of the deaconesses, their garb, and their faces as they interact with one another and their environment.

To take a closer look, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/elcaarchives/4858186450/in/photostream/

Networking with Local Deaconesses

2010-07-28T05:17:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks have been fun for me, getting to know a couple of people who are new to our school, and in particular, another deaconess who has been called to teach 2nd and 3rd grade across the hall from where I'll be teaching the 7th and 8th graders. Yesterday she and I traveled about 40 minutes away to meet another deaconess and her new deaconess intern for lunch. The four of us went to a local home-style diner, engaged in lighthearted introductory conversation about our work - including lots of laughter - and finished with a scoop of ice cream and a commitment to meet together at least once a month.

Such a meeting might seem like a waste of time, but I'd rather think of it as building relationships with my sisters in Christ. It's important for us to create a solid support network with those who have common interests and philosophies. There will be times when we need to turn to another to discuss a Bible passage; to ask for guidance on how to help someone in our care; to get a second opinion on a personal issue; to find/provide a shoulder to cry on.

I treasure the deaconesses living in our local area, and those who are scattered across across the US, and those who serve in partner churches in various places around the world. I treasure them as individuals and because they often fill the role of friend as well as colleague. And I treasure them for the mercy work that they carry out in the name of Jesus.

If you know that there are other deaconesses or student deaconesses living near you, take the initiative to visit with them. Write some encouraging notes. Pick up the phone and let them know you are thinking about them. Create some sort of "local area" gathering for socializing (an activity that we shouldn't forget). Once established, this kind of network will undoubtedly also engender opportunities for mutual personal, professional, and spiritual growth.

New President for The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod

2010-07-14T19:56:00.000-07:00

In 2002, Rev. Matthew Harrison, Executive Director of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) department of World Relief and Human Care, secured funds to create a Deaconess Task Force for the purpose of promoting diaconal ministry in the LCMS. The Task Force reviewed current ideas and literature on the diaconate, pursued ideas for student financial aid, produced PR materials on deaconess ministry, and promoted deaconess professional care.

Since 2002, Rev. Harrison has remained interested and involved in the development of deaconess ministry in both the United States and abroad. His support and encouragement of the deaconess community has meant a great deal to deaconesses in the field.

Yesterday, delegates at the LCMS synodical convention in Houston, Texas, elected Rev. Harrison as their next President. This is an historical moment for the synod, and I also predict, an historical move for the future of deaconesses in the synod.

May God bless Rev. Harrison as he prepares to take office. May the Lord give him courage, wisdom, discernment, joy, and peace in all that he will need to carry out for the Lord and His Church, that the Gospel of Jesus Christ may be preached and made known to all peoples.

Women's History in June

2010-06-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

I recently happened upon a website for The National Women’s History Project. The Project started in 1980 and is a non-profit educational organization “committed to recognizing and celebrating the diverse and significant historical accomplishments of women.” As to be expected, the organization carries out its objectives by collecting and generating a variety of educational materials and programs, acclaimed and made available via the website.

The News and Events section of the site features a list of significant events that have occurred in each month over the course of the years. I’ve chosen a few for the month of June to list here, just because I find it interesting to note in which years particular US history milestones included women, and compare the sort of things that might be happening with women in church history during those same years.

• June 25, 1903 - Madame Marie Curie announces her discovery of radium
• June 11, 1913 - Women in Illinois celebrate passage of a state woman suffrage bill allowing women to vote in presidential elections
• June 20, 1921 - Alice Robertson becomes the first woman to chair the House of Representatives
• June 9, 1949 - Georgia Neese Clark confirmed as the first woman treasurer of the United States
• June 10, 1963 - Equal Pay Act enacted: "To prohibit discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce." (PL 88-38)
• June 23, 1972 - Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which guarantees equal access and equal opportunity for females and males in almost all aspects of our educational systems.
• June 18, 1983 - Dr. Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space
[Bullet points are quotations from www.nwhp.org]

Waiting to Serve

2010-06-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

Most women serving as deaconesses are asked, "What is a deaconess?" on a fairly regular basis. In the Lutheran Church, the formal definition of such a servant of Christ has changed over the decades. All too often, the definition is dictated by what a deaconess DOES, rather than WHO or WHOSE she is. What needs to be remembered is that regardless of changing roles in the workplace, certain things are not altered. In particular, I mean that the expected attitude of the heart and mind - of consecration and servanthood - does not change. Having said this, I suppose those who have no personal knowledge of a deaconess still feel that they are in the dark as to her role in the church. If you are one of those people, it's probably time for you to read In the Footsteps of Phoebe.

Be knowledgeable about this profession (vocation) and how a deaconess might benefit YOUR own parish or institution. The downturn in our economy has caused many Lutheran congregations and institutions to forfeit the acquisition of more staff. Hence there are trained deaconesses who are waiting for first-time placements or who are hoping to move to a new position and are not able to do so. I challenge you today to take a creative look at your own ministry model, to see if it might be possible to put one of these waiting women to work with YOUR team, sooner than later!

Changes and Back on Track

2010-06-02T06:59:00.001-07:00

Sometimes life can get very interesting when a series of changes occur. This can be true in a church community as well as in individual lives. The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod is facing the possibility of embracing some significant changes. This year's convention will bring new officers, maybe even a new president, and the presentation of large alterations to the synod's administrative structure/functioning. It's hard to say what the trickle-down affect of any significant changes might be on the sydod's members, but such changes will make a huge difference for those who are elected to serve.

On a personal note, we are waiting for the birth of a grandchild - a happy change - while I still mourn the passing of my mother. I paid a visit to my dad again out in Seattle to help him with some things, and am now recovering from cracked ribs which I acquired while cleaning out his deep chest freezer. Home again, life is getting "back on track," which means there should be more time for HISTORY as well!

Happy Birthday, "Little Girl"

2010-05-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

Well, this day finally came, and way too soon. Today our youngest child turns twenty. No more teenagers in the family. Just six adult children, with some of them sporting their own "growing" families.

This marching on of time and proliferation of anniversaries is happening in other areas of life too. Most notably, the "Concordia Deaconess Program" at Concordia University Chicago is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Having started in the fall of 1980, this training program has provided a host of dedicated young (and sometimes older) women for diaconal service in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Our own "little girl" - the one who turns twenty today - just happens to be in the Chicago training program!

Life moves quickly, so it's important to take time to celebrate those birthdays, whether they are for people or important organizations. Yes, today is a good day to think about the many gifts and blessings with which we have been blessed by God, and the sheer amount of years that He has been blessing us with such gifts!

Not Quite Right, UCC!

2010-04-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

Having chanced upon an interesting article posted on April 29, titled "The End of an Era" - which reported the February 25, 2010, death of the last deaconess in the United Church of Christ, I was amused to see the author's parochially short-sighted conclusion. Since the "comments are closed" on this article, even though it was posted only yesterday (!), I felt compelled to write a comment here.

The first two paragraphs of the article started out well enough - with a short historical statement...

"In the late nineteenth century, St. Louis was the American center of the Deaconess Sisters, a movement that traced its spiritual roots back as far as Paul’s first letter to the Romans. This order of women, founded in Germany in the 1830s, dedicated their lives to caring for the sick and the poor. They were established in America in 1889 by a group of St. Louis Evangelical pastors who wanted to respond to the needs of the poor in their community.

"The Deaconess Sisters of St. Louis, which included 200 women, launched Deaconess Hospital and a nursing school and worked with children, seniors, and the homebound ill. Their work continues today through the ministries of CHHSM members including the Deaconess Foundation, Deaconess Parish Nurse Ministries and the International Parish Nurse Resource Center in St. Louis."

The next paragraph is the amusing one:

"Now the Deaconess movement in the United States has passed into history. On February 25, 2010, Sister Marie G. Lee, the last Evangelical Deaconess Sister in the United States, died in St. Louis."

This is a good example of the ignorance that can easily develop in any Christian denomination when its members forget, were not taught, or do not recognize the fact that the cumulative history of the Christian Church can exist outside of their own denomination!

[The rest of the article contains interesting information about the deceased deaconess and may be found at http://tiny.cc/vrlji]

Wesley's Famous Words

2010-04-25T06:15:00.000-07:00

I've known for a while that the United Methodist Church has a long history of deaconess service, but have never read much about that history. Today I stumbled across an inspirational article about Deaconess Clara Ester, an African American deaconess who served for many years as the executive director of Dumas Wesley Community Center, a United Methodist Women-supported national mission institution, located in the Crichton neighborhood of Mobile, Ala. [See http://alturl.com/3d4q]

One of the interesting things in this article is the citing of some "famous words" of John Wesley, which are credited with having a profound influence on Deaconess Ester. Simple and direct, the quotation reads:

Christian service
“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.” -John Wesley

That about sums it up!

Prayed by Deaconesses

2010-04-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

The website for the Order of Deaconesses in the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) includes a couple of beautiful prayers appropriate for the personal prayer life of a deaconess:

O GRACIOUS FATHER, we here dedicate both our souls and our bodies to thee and thy service, in a sober, righteous, and godly life: in which resolution, do thou, O merciful God, confirm and strengthen us; that, as we grow in age, we may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy handmaidens who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Anglican Deaconess Association (ADA) which is affiliated with the REC describes itself as "an organization for the promotion and support of the traditional Order of Deaconesses." Interestingly, this association also includes a prayer for deaconesses on the back of its publicity tract:

O LORD of souls, who hast chosen and called us to service in thy Church; all our trust is in thee, for in thee are the springs of our life. Abundantly give us of thy blessed Spirit, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy, and use us as it shall please thee for the glory of thy Name. Empty us of self and fill us with the meekness of wisdom. Increase our faith, mellow our judgment, stir our zeal, deepen our affections. Do thou choose for us the work we do and the place in which we do it, the success we win and the harvest we reap. Preserve us from jealously and impatience, from self-will and depression. Make us faithful unto death, and give us at last the crown of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I have emailed the deaconess listed on the REC website to ask for the sources for these prayers, and will add that information when it is received!

Order of Deaconesses in Reformed Episcopal Church

2010-04-05T06:16:00.000-07:00

It can be interesting to take an occasional look at the deaconess movement in other Protestant denominations in the United States. As recently as 2002, the Reformed Episcopal Church adopted a Canon to officially recognize the Order of Deaconesses and establish requirements for candidacy. But this action was really a restoration of the vocation that existed in the church more than a century earlier.

The Order of Deaconesses was revived in the Church of England by the Bishop of London in 1861, and subsequently in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in 1889. And in 1920, the denomination's Lambeth Conference encouraged the restoration of an Order of Deaconesses throughout the entire Anglican Communion. However, in 1976, the specific Order of Deaconesses in the United States "dissolved into the Diaconate" when the Episcopal Church voted to allow the ordination of women.

A year later, in 1977, a large group of traditional Anglicans adopted The Affirmation of St. Louis as a confessional charter to unite Continuing (Traditional) Anglicans around the world. Among other assertions, this charter recognized the need for a special ministry for women, and declared "as one of the 'essential principles of evangelical Truth and apostolic Order: The ancient office and ministry of Deaconesses as a lay vocation for women, affirming the need for proper encouragement of that office.'”

Since adoption of the confessional charter, several women have been admitted to the Order of Deaconess in Traditional Anglican jurisdictions. The training program for new deaconesses is housed at Cranmer Theological House, just north of Houston, Texas. (A review of the Deaconess Studies curriculum there reveals some intriguing course titles, including "Biblical Womanhood.") One of the House's website pages states, "Cranmer Theological House is distinguished by its strong commitment to the Holy Scriptures as God's infallible Word, its adherence to the theology of the English Reformation as expressed in the historic Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, and its commitment to the worship and polity of the greater Anglican tradition."

Quotations taken from: http://www.recdss.org/index.html

Deaconess Martha S. Boss Commemorative Book

2010-03-31T16:37:00.000-07:00

Serving the Lord with Joy - A Pioneer of The Lutheran Church-Hong Kong Synod: Deaconess Martha S. Boss Commemorative Book

This 123-page book was just published by the Social Service Committee of The Lutheran Church-Hong Kong Synod. Contributors to the collection of stories about Deaconess Martha S. Boss (1913-1973) are the very people whom she served and/or worked with in China and Hong Kong for over 27 years.

The stories are heart-warming and include titles such as: "An Honorable Benefactress," "My First Piano Teacher," "My Big Sister," "From Temporariness to Eternity," and "My Beloved Deaconess." These tributes show the large and loving influence that Deaconess Boss had on the Chinese population, particularly in Hong Kong, while she spent her life in service to God and those who needed to know His love in Jesus Christ.

Martha is described as a woman for whom no task was either too small or too great - and in the midst of whatever she was doing, the people to whom she brought her ministry of mercy knew that they were loved both by her and by God.

This is an inspiring volume - which I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone interested in mission work, the work of deaconesses abroad, or in examining how one humble deaconess made a huge impact on the lives of countless others as she acted on her love for them.

ISBN: 978-988-99256-9-7

Website for LCMS Deaconess Biographies Project

2010-03-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

A website for the LCMS Deaconess Biographies Project is now ready for public use at http://www.deaconessbio.org/

The site includes pages that explain the project's background, a list of all deaconesses who have officially served the LCMS or the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America, and an easy-to-follow "submit information" page for the collection of material on these deaconesses. A catalog of acquisitions and list of project donors is also available on the website, along with the project timeline, updates, and photographs. It is also possible to make tax-deductible financial donations via PayPal or Credit Card on the site's "donate" page, (or checks can be mailed to the Project Business Manager).

Phase One of the Project lasted nine months and entailed creating a website and other communication tools; and setting up a physical project administration center (computer systems, shelves, archive folders and boxes, etc.).

As of March 4, 2010, Phase Two of the Project is underway, with the soliciting, receiving, and archiving of information related to the deaconesses and their work as agents of mercy on behalf of the church. This phase is expected to take three years.

Phase Three of the Project will include publication of a Biographical Encyclopedia of Deaconesses and Phase Four the depositing of the Project archives at Concordia Historical Institute in St. Louis, Missouri.

Have a look at the website and enjoy! www.deaconessbio.org

International Women of Courage Award

2010-03-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

In March 2007, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice established an annual International Women of Courage Award to recognize women, from anywhere in the world, who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for women's rights or the advancement of women in society. According to the US Department of State website, the award created by Miss Rice is the only one of its kind which “pays tribute to emerging women leaders worldwide, and offers a unique opportunity to recognize those who work in the field of international women's issues.”

On March 10, 2010, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama served as joint hostesses for these annual awards at the Department of State.

The ten women honored with the 2010 International Women of Courage Award include:
1. Shukria Asil, of Afghanistan, for promoting government responsiveness to the needs of women.
2. Colonel Shafiqa Quraishi, of Afghanistan, for integrating women into the government and police force.
3. Androula Henriques, of Cyprus, for fighting human trafficking.
4. Sonia Pierre, of Dominican Republic, for ending discrimination based on country of origin and the human rights abuses of statelessness.
5. Shadi Sadr, of Iran, for advocating for women’s legal rights and an end to execution by stoning.
6. Ann Njogu, of Kenya, for seeking social transformation and being at the forefront of reforms in Kenya.
7. Dr. Lee Ae-ran, of the Republic of Korea, for promoting human rights in North Korea and aiding the refugee community in the Republic of Korea.
8. Jansila Majeed, of Sri Lanka, for strengthening rights for internally displaced persons.
9. Sister Marie Claude Naddaf (also known as Sister Marie Claude), of Syria, of working for social services for women.
10. Jestina Mukoko, of Zimbabwe, for documenting human rights abuses.

March is Women's History Month

2010-03-11T07:14:00.000-08:00

My first reaction when hearing this designation for the month of March was, "Really? If March is Women's History Month, then when is Men's History Month?" On second thought, in spite of my skepticism, I decided to google the phrase and see just how seriously people are taking this idea.

Interestingly, I discovered that 2010 will see the 30th anniversary of the National Women’s History Project (NWHP). This organization's website explains, "When we began mobilizing the lobbying effort that resulted in President Carter issuing a Presidential Proclamation declaring the week of March 8, 1980 as the first National Women’s History Week, we had no idea what the future would bring. And then, in 1987, another of our successful lobbying efforts resulted in Congress expanding the week into a month, and March is now National Women’s History Month." [ http://www.nwhp.org/ ]
So there we have it. It is truly an official designation for this month, thanks to President Carter's proclamation.

Another couple of paragraphs on the NWHP website interest me in light of the fact that In the Footsteps of Phoebe records - for the first time - many thoughts, actions, and activities of women during important eras in church history. For example:
"The overarching theme for 2010 and our 30th Anniversary celebration is Writing Women Back into History. It often seems that the history of women is written in invisible ink. Even when recognized in their own times, women are frequently left out of the history books. To honor our 2010 theme, we are highlighting pivotal themes from previous years. Each of these past themes recognizes a different aspect of women’s achievements, from ecology to art, and from sports to politics."

Thank You to 19 Countries!

2010-03-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

It is good to be able to return to this site and submit a blog after an absence of several weeks. My mom's funeral was on January 30 and I spent another 10 days with dad afterward. Home again, it took a while to "catch up" with life.

How gratifying it has been to see that you and others, including new readers, have continued to use the website resources. According to today's "Google Analytics report," individuals in 19 different countries accessed this site during the last four weeks. That information encourages me, because it is evidence of a continuum of healthy interest in deaconesses, their work, and the history of their work in church and society.

So... let's get back to work and see what we can find of interest to write about! And thank you to all who have checked in from the 19 countries!

A Precious Mom - Who Enjoyed History

2010-01-22T12:51:00.000-08:00

Those of you who visit this column on a regular basis know that it's unusual for me to go so long without writing a new blog. For the last two weeks I've been in the Pacific Northwest. The first ten days were spent at my dear mother's bedside, before she left this vale of tears to enter the presence of her Lord and Savior in Heaven.

Since then, between accomplishing various tasks to prepare for her memorial service and the arrival of family from all over the world, I have had some time to reflect on the many gifts and the wonderful life with which God abundantly blessed mom throughout her almost 90 years on earth.

Mom actually loved History. She earned a Masters Degree in History in the early 1940s, at a "time in history" when it was rather unusual for women to return to college to acquire a graduate degree. I realize now that it was she who engendered and nurtured a love of history in my own life. Each summer when we took the annual family vacation road trips, the travel itinerary always included visits to state capitol buildings, museums, famous geological formations, Cowboy-and-Indian Era towns or forts, and anything else of interest about the United States and its history. She enjoyed these family holidays. And she succeeded in including these educational excursions in the midst of our vacations in a way whereby we didn't even realize that she was secretly "homeschooling" us on the road!

Mom was a great planner and organizer. In August 2009 she and dad visited our Pennsylvania home and we had a wonderful time together. After a great game of pinochle, she made an unusual request. "Cheryl, I'd like you to take a picture of me. I'd like you to take a nice picture for my obituary." As comical as I thought the request was, especially since she looked and felt so well, I honored her request. She looked at the digital photo right away and was pleased with the result. How odd it is now, to be using that photo, exactly five months after it was taken. It is the same photo that appears at the top of this blog.

For those of you who have not read the tribute that I wrote to mom on Mother's Day 2009, please go into the Woman of the Week archive (on this website) and click on May 10, 2009 - Dorothy (Bauman) Freitag.

What a privilege it has been to be the daughter of my mother; to be instructed by her example of Christian faith and life; to have her ever-listening ear and receive counsel from her in so many areas of life; and to have had the privilege of being with her as she walked through the gates of Heaven into the presence of Jesus. "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Concordia Deaconess Conference

2010-01-13T08:31:00.000-08:00

January 12 marks the 30th birthday of the official inauguration of Concordia Deaconess Conference - Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

Chapters 14 and 15 of In the Footsteps of Phoebe go into detail about the origin and colorful history of this deaconess conference, started by nine confessional deaconesses in 1980.

Concordia Deaconess Conference is launching a new BLUES NEWS newsletter format and celebrating its anniversary throughout 2010, including a special 30th anniversary conference to be held at Concordia University Chicago, June 23-26, 2010.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Concordia Deaconess Conference!

Prayer for Commemorating William Passavant

2010-01-05T06:19:00.000-08:00

January 3, 2010 saw the addition of a new "feast" to the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church: the commemoration of William Passavant!

To my mind this would be an appropriate addition to Lutheran calendars as well, given the fact that Passavant was the Lutheran pastor who arranged for Theodor Flieder to bring four of his deaconesses from Kaiserswerth (Germany) to Pittsburgh in order to help him run the Pittsburgh Infirmary (which became the first Protestant Hospital in the United States). Of course the LCMS has an even tighter connection with Passavant, in that after two of these women served as deaconesses under him, they married LCMS pastors and one of them played a part in the history of the deaconess movement in the Synod.

The Collect (prayer) used by the Episcopal Church for commemorating William Passavant on January 3 is found in a new publication, Holy Women, Holy Men (2009):

"Compassionate God, we thank you for William Passavant, who brought the German deaconess movement to America so that dedicated women might assist him in founding orphanages and hospitals for those in need and provide for the theological education of future ministers. Inspire us by his example, that we may be tireless to address the wants of all who are sick and friendless; through Jesus the divine Physician, who has prepared for us an eternal home, and who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen."

Loehe on Deaconesses and 1 Timothy 5:3-16

2010-01-02T18:33:00.000-08:00

Most often when Bible passages are discussed in relation to the office of deaconess, the starting point for discussion is Romans 16:1. Wilhelm Loehe - in a series of paragraphs titled "On the Deaconess" which he wrote in 1858 - was additionally very interested in the application of 1 Timothy 5:3-16 to the female diaconate.

Loehe wrote, "Holy Scripture contains a passage, which does not, to be sure, talk about the office of the deaconess, but has nonetheless been interpreted as talking about the deaconess office from time immemorial; it is the passage 1 Timothy 5:3-16. When we have just said that the passage has been interpreted as talking about the deaconess office from time immemorial, we must not think of a unanimous and general interpretation of the Christian Church. Two great teachers of the ancient church who were in office during the second half of the 4th Century, the oriental John Chrysostom, patriarch of Constantinople, and the occidental Ambrose, archbishop of Milan, see the adduced passage talking about nothing else but the care of widows. Contrariwise, others, like the occidental Tertullian, who died in 220, and the oriental Epiphanius, who died in 403, already hold that the passage talks about the vocation of deaconess. The view prevailed in later times and has become the generally accepted one. If the passage talked only about the care of widows, one has said, it would be hard to see, why the selection of the widows to be cared for was so tightly attached to certain moral and other virtues, since Christian mercy does not make such great distinctions; therefore widows have to be in mind who, on the one hand, to be sure, are cared for, but who, on the other hand, are employed for the blessing of the congregations. There is something to commend this view, and the entire antiquity has therefore taken the requirements for the deaconess office from this passage."
[Quotation taken from Wilhelm Loehe on the Deaconess, translated by Holger Sonntag.]

Fliedner's Training and Consecration of Deaconesses

2009-12-27T12:10:00.000-08:00

Theodor Fliedner provided the probationary deaconesses in Kaiserswerth, Germany, with a hefty set of guidelines for day-to-day living and working in institutions of mercy. For example, the women were told how to carry out their duties in hospitals, especially in terms of following the doctors' instructions for medicine, diet, or ventilation for each patient; how to make daily reports to the doctors; and how to assist the pastors without imposing their Christian belief on those who were not receptive [to witness to Christ through their actions instead when necessary].

Each day the probationers and working deaconesses went to Chapel for half an hour. The time in Chapel began with the singing of a hymn, but was followed by complete silence during which each woman could choose to pray, read the Bible, or meditate on the Word. During the week there were other Bible classes and prayer meetings available to the women. In relation to this focus on God's Word, J.S. Howson once quoted Fliedner as saying, "We have no vows, and I will have no vows, but a bond of union we must have, and the best bond is the Word of God, and our second bond is singing."

The deaconesses in the various Motherhouses established by Fliedner always met together to vote on acceptance of new deaconesses into their houses and elected their own superintendent of the House. In turn, each woman was expected to obey the superintendent and to gladly and cheerfully accept whatever work was assigned to her by her superiors.

All of the German Deaconess Houses used a similar service of consecration for deaconesses. The service included singing; an address reminding the deaconesses that they are servants of Jesus, servants of the needy, and servants of one another; an opportunity for the deaconess candidates to indicate that they wish to take up such a ministry of mercy; the kneeling and blessing of the candidates; the recitation of a prayer from Apostolical Constitutions; and lastly, the service finished with the celebration of Holy Communion.

Lutheran Orphan's Home in Des Peres, MO

2009-12-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

Two days ago I received a wonderful surprise in the mail from a deaconess friend who lives in St. Louis. The surprise is a plate depicting the 100th anniversary of the Lutheran Orphan's Home in Des Peres, MO, from 1868 to 1968. The back of the plate is inscribed: "In Memorial to the 100th Anniversary of the Lutheran Orphans' Home Celebrated July 21, 1968. Dedicated to all the Children, Housemothers, Fathers, and to the Glory of God. 1868-1968."

I'm not sure where my friend found this treasure, but I'm delighted with it. [Of course it is already 41 years old, which makes it even more precious!]

In chapter one of In the Footsteps of Phoebe I make reference to the very first Lutheran orphanage - which opened in Des Peres, Missouri, in 1868. This venerable institution has several connections with deaconesses.

1. We know that at least one deaconess from Germany worked at the orphanage in its early days;
2. We know that in 1934 Rev. Herman B. Kohlmeier, superintendent of deaconess training for the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America, took a long road trip that included visiting the orphanage;
3. We know that Deaconess Florence Storck was assigned to work at the orphanage at the time of her commissioning in 1937, and worked there until transferring to the St. Louis Lutheran Mission in 1940.

My guess is that there are other connections between the deaconess community and the Orphans' Home that are still waiting to be discovered. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the plate! Thank you, Pam!

Community Life of the Beguines

2009-12-14T09:44:00.000-08:00

As I progress through the little volume titled, "Deaconesses in Europe and Their Lessons for America" (by Jane Marie Bancroft), I am fascinated to discover that even though the office of deaconess may not have been continuously present in either the Eastern or Western Churches, there were many ways (outside of convents) in which women were banding together to give service to God and their fellowman.

One case in point is the various communities of "Beguines," who are known to have lived from the 12th century onward, in the Netherlands, in Belgium, along the Rhine River, in Switzerland, and in eastern France. During the first half of the 13th Century, there were thousands of Beguines. For some reason they began to be persecuted, nuns disliked them, and the Pope withdrew his "protection" of them. At the time of the Reformation, many of these women became Protestant, but continued to resemble sisterhoods of Catholicism.

As for the life and work of the Beguines, Bancroft explains:

"As a rule they lived alone, in separate small houses build closely together and surrounded by a wall. Each house bore on its door the sign of the cross, and with every Beguine court there were invariably two large buildings - a church and a hospital; the one for the worship of the sisters, the other the field of their self-denying ministrations. At first they were in no wise distinguished in their dress from other women, but in time they wore a habit which varied in color with each establishment, but was generally blue, gray, or brown. The veil was invariably white. The sisters had to earn, or partly earn, their own livelihood. In the time remaining they rendered essential service in performing acts of charity. They received orphans to bring up and educate, taught little children, nursed the sick, performed the last offices for the dead, and bound themselves by good deeds closely with the lives of the people. They were in no sense isolated from the world, but lived busy, useful lives in the midst of the world. They could leave the community at any time, and after severing their connection with it were free to marry. They also retained control of their own property."

This strikes me as a pretty modern arrangement for women in the 13th-19th centuries! And except for the living together in groups of houses, pretty close to how some deaconess communities serve today.

DEACONESSES IN "APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTIONS"

2009-11-27T07:48:00.000-08:00

The Apostolic Constitutions (a collection of Eastern Church ecclesiastical instructions collected into one work in the 4th Century) provides historians with the clearest idea of how deaconesses were involved in the administration of the early church. Briefly, the Constitutions show that a deaconess served the church by caring for the needs of other women in specifically designated ways:

1. She was a doorkeeper at the women's entrance to the church.
2. She showed women to their places in the church, taking care to meet the particular needs of the poor and strangers.
3. She instructed women catechumens and visited their homes where men could not go.
4. She carried out certain duties pertaining to the Baptism of women.
5. She provided for the physical and spiritual needs of women in prison during times of persecution.
6. She cared for the sick and sorrowing.
7. She served as a "mediator" for the resolution of disagreements in families or among friends.

In light of Romans 16:1, it is interesting to see the Constitutions state that both deacons and deaconesses carry out work pertaining to "messages, journeys to foreign parts, ministrations, services."

Example of Deaconesses in Methodist Episcopal Church

2009-11-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

On May 10, 1889, Edward G. Andrews wrote (in the Introduction to "Deaconesses in Europe and Their Lessons for America" by Jane Marie Bancroft:
"The General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at its session in May, 1888, inserted in the law of the Church a chapter on deaconesses, defining their duties and providing for the appointment and oversight of them through the Annual Conferences."

Now that is what I consider to be prudent action! Yes, we can learn a lesson from those who became organized (way back in the 19th century) about defining the duties of their professional church workers, and making provision for both their "appointment" and their "oversight." With many deaconess candidates waiting for placement in the LCMS, it seems that some of these areas could do with review and revision - not only for the sake of those who desire to serve in the vocation of deaconess, but for the church at large.

Anyone else care to offer a thought or suggestion on this topic?

Deaconess Character in Opera

2009-11-16T12:30:00.000-08:00

The opera King Roger, written by Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937) about the Norman King Roger II of Sicily (1095 - 1154), includes a deaconess as one of its six characters. The actress who plays the deaconess sings contralto and fills a key role in the story line in Act One.

A summary of the three-act production of King Roger can be read on a website titled Operawonk, which claims to be “an operating theater for dissecting operas and disseminating operatic knowledge.”

http://operawonk.blogspot.com/

Old Testament History

2009-11-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

When the second quarter of the school year began week, my 7th and 8th grade Biblical Studies class started a new study unit on Old Testament History. We utilize great material from Concordia Publishing House called Voyages: Exploring God's Word, which includes colorful student workbooks.

Such a course might sound a bit dry, or perhaps boring. After all, the Old Testament has a reputation for being law-oriented and irrelevant to today's world. However, my class's experience with the Old Testament doesn't support that stiff view of the Old Testament. Through the study of Scripture itself, we recognize that every story in the Old Testament presents threads of the Gospel and eye-opening relevance to both our personal life and society today.

The first two lessons in the unit were marvelous examples of this fact. In Genesis 1 and 2 we read about how God made and ordered the world that we live in. God didn't create and then just let go. He created in such a manner that our entire existence would have a pattern that was sustained by the design of God Himself: day and night; seven day weeks; a cyclical day of rest; time and seasons; partners fit for every species; marriage; and so forth.

In Genesis 3 we read of the fall into sin and can only imagine how disappointed God must have been. He took great care in creating the human race and providing an Eden-life for people. All that Adam and Eve needed to do was to fear, love, trust, and obey God the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, above all things. Fortunately, God came back to the garden to speak to Adam and Eve, in spite of the fact that He knew of their disobedience and sin. And while He informed them of the consequence of their sin ("for the wages of sin is death") He also provided the hope of a deliverer, the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15) Who would one day crush Satan's head.

In the meantime God continued to show His love to Adam and Eve. He gave them clothes made from animal skins. Yes, He killed animals to cover the humans. Almost like a foreshadowing of how His Son Jesus would someday die to cover the sins of all humans. [In Holy Baptism we "put on Christ."] And He would chase them out of that beautiful garden so that they could die a physical death and have the opportunity to receive new life in Heaven with Him someday. In other words, that they might live eternally with Him in everlasting bliss. Whatever else was to come along in their long lives, they would turn to God as the bringer of their redemption, and God would forgive and renew them in His grace.

Reading with Christian eyes, we see that Old Testament History is really an account of God's grace to the human race. It's our story. Thanks be to God for such a gift!

Watching History Repeat Itself

2009-10-29T05:02:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are back in the United States after a wonderful holiday in the United Kingdom. I say that the time away was wonderful - not for the sake of the rest that it provided to body, soul, and mind - but because we were together with our entire nuclear family. Every one of our six children, daughter-in-laws, and three grandchildren were present.

The experience of such a reunion brings much joy. But on this occasion, the reason for the gathering brought even greater joy. Our son Gordon was ordained into the Holy Ministry.

It's funny what goes through a mother's mind on such an occasion. Looking at him in the chancel, I actually thought about the day he was born. I remembered how he struggled with issues in primary school and in junior high. I remembered how much he loved to play rugby and could see him coming through the door in mud-covered rugby kit. I thought about his never-ending smile and blond hair, and how when he got to high school he had such a passion for sharing Jesus with his school mates.

I thought too about how history was repeating itself. When I looked at Gordon and his wife and two children, it took me back to the day in 1982 when my husband was ordained, in the same country (England), in the same customary manner at a closing worship service of the ELCE Synod, also with a wife and two children. My husband was then placed as Pastor in the only Lutheran congregation in the country of Scotland. Last week Gordon was placed as Pastor in the only Lutheran congregation in the country of Wales.

Knowing the love and mercies of God, we thank and praise God for the life of service ahead of Gordon and His family. God is faithful, and that is a proven history that will continue to repeat itself over and over again in our lives - and in the lives of our children.

History in Cardiff, WALES

2009-10-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those very special days; a day with silhouetted mind photos that will live in the memory more vividly than any synthetic photograph. First of all, my husband and I were walking, each holding one of the hands of our two-year-old granddaughter, and from time to time taking turns holding her 7-month-old sister. That was pure joy in itself.

However, the memory gets even better. We were in Cardiff, Wales, at the Museum of Welsh Life in St. Fagin's, within walking distance of where our son will be installed as a pastor on October 18. [That in itself is kind of an amazing story. A young man born in Scotland of American/British parents, raised in England, studied in England and Canada, married to a lovely American gal in the state of Montana, and now poised to live and serve the Lord in Cardiff, Wales. But I digress!]

As we walked through the outdoor exhibits I was struck by the wonder of History and the archeology that had contributed to this particular History. We walked through the replica of a 2000-year-old Celtic village; toured authentic ancient homes, chapels, and schoolhouses that had been moved to the museum from various parts of Wales, and almost best of all, walked through a series of row houses, starting with one built in 1800, each house having been built 40-50 years after the last one in the row. The progression of interior design in this row of houses was fascinating, from the change in window and stair designs to the cooking facilities, bedding and wall hangings. What a commentary on Life in the country of Wales.

Interestingly, in the row houses of the early and mid-20th century, there were articles that could be found in the homes of my own grandparents and parents, even during the time that I was growing up. What a strange sensation to view part of one's own life in a 'still life' documentation of History! That's something for all of us to muse upon from time to time.

LUTHER on HISTORY

2009-10-02T06:24:00.000-07:00

We all know that Martin Luther wrote and lectured so much that researchers can find something authored by him (or said by him and jotted down by one of his students) on just about any subject.

I was recently thumbing through a notebook one of my sons brought home from a Classical Education conference which included several pages of interesting Luther quotations focused on various aspects of education. Of course the one on History really caught my attention:

"Hence, too, historians are the most useful of men, and the best teachers. Nor can we ever accord too much praise, honor, or gratitude to them; and it should be the work of the great ones of the eart, as emperors, kings, and the like, to cause a faithful record to be made of the history of their own times, and to have such records sacredly preserved and set in order in libraries. And, to this end, they should spare no expense, which may be needful, to educate and maintain those persons whose talents mark them out for this task.

But he who would write history, must be a superior man, lion-hearted and fearless in writing truth. For most manage to pass by in silence, or at least to gloss over the vices of the mischances of their times, to please great lords or their own friends; or they give too high a place to minor, or it may be, insignificant actions; or else, from an overweening love of country, and a hatred toward foreign nations, they bedizen or befoul histories, according to their own likes or dislikes. Hence it is that a suspicious air invests histories and God's providence is shamefully obscured; so the Greeks did in their perverseness, so the Pope's flatterers have done heretofore, and are now doing, till it has come to this, at last, that we do not know what to admit or what to reject. Thus the noble, the precious, and highest use of history is overlooked, and we have only a vain babble and gossip. And this is because the worthy task of writing annals and records is open to everyone without discrimination; and they write or slur over, praise or condemn, at their will.

How important, then, is it, that this office should be filled by men of eminence, or at least by those who are worthy. For, inasmuch as histories are records of God's work, that is, of His grace and His displeasure, which men should believe with as much reason as if the same stood written in the Bible, surely they ought to be penned with all diligence, truth and fidelity."

PRINCIPLES for FIRST AMERICAN Deaconess Institution

2009-09-20T14:50:00.001-07:00

After writing about Catharina Louisa Marthens (see Woman of the Week blog for Sept. 6), the first woman to be consecrated as a deaconess on American soil in 1850, I thought it might be fun to take a look at the General Principles under which Sister Catharina took up her work.

The following list of Principles were adopted after W.A. Passavant organized the Institution of Protestant Deaconesses of the County of Allegheny, Pa.

1. The association of Christian females is purely voluntary. The members unite without persuasion, remain without vows, and retire without restraint.
2. It is not an order, but the restoration of an office, that of "Servant" or Deaconess in the primitive church.
3. Its members heartily confess the faith, engage in the worship and observe the discipline of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
4. Its object is habitually to engage in works of mercy among the sick and poor, the ignorant and fatherless, and other suffering members of our Lord's body. In the better attainment of this object, the association is incorporated and fully empowered to establish and conduct the necessary charitable institutions.
5. Not earthly reward and honor but the desire for an opportunity to manifest their gratitude to Jesus Christ in the way revealed in His Word, has influenced the members to associate themselves as servants of Christ and of His church. [taken from The Life and Letters of W.A. Passavant by G.H. Gerberding]

The members of the Institution also had a set of Regulations to follow, which simply summarized, obligated the deaconesses to live in a parent house (later usually referred to as a Motherhouse); obey the Director and Directing Sister or other governing authorities; and wear a "plain, economical habit, as much as possible conforming in style, expense and color, which shall be black or gray or blue on week days." [Gerberding]

We know that the Pittsburgh community disliked the "habits" worn by the deaconesses because they supposedly made the women look too much like nuns! The history of this institution and its connection to the first Protestant Hospital in the United States makes for some very interesting reading.

DEACONESS BIOGRAPHIES Project

2009-09-15T14:31:00.001-07:00

After many months of planning, the LCMS Deaconess Biographies Project was launched on June 4, 2009. A new URL has been acquired for the project website and the Project Manager is now in the process of designing a website to facilitate project goals.

So what is it all about ? The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod archives house good biographical records on the men who have served as pastors, missionaries, and teachers for the Synod. These records make it possible for families to find information about their ancestors, and also very importantly, provide information about the church's activities and mission throughout the decades. What fun it can be to make a visit to Concordia Historical Institute in St. Louis and read patriotic hymns penned by one pastor, or the stories of parish visits made on horseback by another.

Over the last five years or so, members of the Missouri Synod have become increasingly aware of the presence and role of other church workers that fit into the category, "ministers of religion - commissioned." That is not to say that such people hold the "office of the ministry" but that they are non-ordained professional church workers who have been commissioned by the church into a particular "church vocation." Among these vocations, of course, is the office of deaconess, in which a woman engages in a ministry of mercy which complements the ministry of Word and Sacraments carried out by the office of the ministry (or pastoral office).

As a result of research needs, the fact that there are three deaconess training schools in the Synod, and an increased interest in the deaconess movement, the LCMS Deaconess Biographies Project is being carried out at a good time in the Synod's history. Watch this space for an future announcement of the website address.

Coptic Church Restores Female Diaconate

2009-09-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

On June 9-10, 2009, the annual meeting of the Oriental Orthodox-Roman Catholic Consultation met in New Rochelle, New York, and discussed "the diaconate in the theology and practice" of the attending church bodies.

According to Deacon Dennis (http://deacondennis.livejournal.com/): "Father Shenouda Maher Ishak spoke on behalf of the Coptic Orthodox Church, which counts the diaconate as one of seven clerical orders. The deacon has such an indispensable role in the liturgy that a priest is not allowed to celebrate the Eucharist without one. Others of lower orders may assume this role if a deacon is not present. Coptic deacons are not allowed to baptize, but in the early centuries had a prominent role in devotional censing. They are not allowed to marry after ordination. At present there are very few full time permanent and professional deacons in the Coptic Church, since almost all of them are called to higher orders. The Coptic Church is now in the process of restoring the female diaconate in three orders: the female reader for women (now called "devoted one"), sub-deaconess (now called "assistant deaconess") and deaconess. The Coptic Holy Synod has made it clear that deaconesses may not in any way participate in service of the altar or sacerdotal service. The rite of initiation into the female diaconate is performed by a bishop without the laying-on-of-hands but with a signing of the cross three times over the candidate. In their ministry they are to work exclusively with women and children. They assist at the baptism of women, visit sick women in hospitals, supervise women's activities in parishes, and clean the church building except for the sanctuary area which they may not enter."

Before Paying with Plastic

2009-09-03T06:34:00.000-07:00

Remember the days when "paying with plastic" was the exception rather than the norm? Yes, there was such a time... not really that long ago... and I've recently discovered that there are some places that still operate their business with this assumption.

In our own lovely little village, which we moved to from the larger Pittsburgh area in May, there are still places that only accept cash payment. These include establishments that people go for to for entertainment and socialization, for example, the movie theater and the local ice cream shop.

These kind of hold-outs for the old-time ways might feel like an inconvenience with one's first patronage of them. But after that it's fun. I mean, it's like stepping back just a little bit in time, to a less complicated, less rushed time in history, in which every corner of life was not yet infiltrated by technology - or by plastic!

I like to live a simpler life when possible!

Do you remember?

2009-08-26T04:41:00.000-07:00

Today's announcement of the death of Senator Ted Kennedy will, for many people, bring to mind the assassination of his brother, President John F. Kennedy. And the conversation that ensues around that other memory often includes a recitation of where we were or what we were doing when that traumatic news was announced to us. Yes, if you were living at that time, I am certain that you can tell me exactly what you were doing when President Kennedy was killed.

Those who are active in the Church actually have similar experiences with significant ecclesiastical events, not necessarily that they can recall where they were when they heard the news, but they can recall the high emotions, expectations, and hopes or disappointments associated with such news. Examples might include the rulings of Vatican II, the first ordination of women in the Episcopal Church, the Lutheran-Catholic Catholic Joint Declaration on Justification, and this week, decisions made by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).

The news about ELCA reminds me of a painful time in my childhood. One summer our family returned from a long and wonderful summer vacation, and when we went to church the next Sunday we learned that several families had left the congregation. These families included people that I loved and was close to... my Sunday School teacher, a girl in my confirmation class, others that I knew were special to my parents. Since we had been away when the families decided to withdraw their membership, the departures were a surprise ( Or at least they were a surprise to me, as a naive child). There was no opportunity to say goodbye and we never saw these people again, even in a social setting. Many years have gone by and I still feel the sting of that experience when it comes to mind.

There will certainly be some fallout from the controversial resolutions passed by ELCA. The more conservative Lutheran denominations are not happy about what they consider to be a deviation from Holy Scripture, as well as the reflection that such decisions have on the "Lutheran name. " In addition, there are many ELCA members who are disappointed and may be looking for new church homes. Wherever and whenever we intersect with ELCA people in the aftermath of their convention, let's remember to treat them with the love of Christ, to gently win them to correct thinking where needed, and to provide fresh ground for them to experience God's love in repentance and forgiveness.

Letting history go by, for the moment

2009-08-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in the course of our lives there are a series of changes that are so dramatic, and sometimes so shocking, that we become sort of numb and refuse to engage in any meaningful discussion about the subjects involved.

This sort of reaction can happen when someone close to us dies. When children leave home for college. When people that we love choose to end their marriage. When our family and acquaintances are without jobs; lose their homes; become bankrupt. When an illness comes on suddenly and threatens to worsen or at least pester us for the duration of our time on earth.

And then there are historical events that can make us feel numb to the very core of heart and soul. Church denominations voting on issues that God has already clearly spoken about in His revealed Word. Misuse of the Bible that triggers a heaviness of heart and an inability to pray anything more than the plea, "Lord, have mercy on us all, and show these people the error of their ways."

God IS merciful, and so sometimes we just let the changes go by, assimilating them as we can with the passage of time; steeping ourselves in the Word of God and in prayer, receiving God's gifts as He administers them to us in Word and Sacraments; and last but not least, preparing ourselves once again to be ready to give an accounting of the hope that is within us. (1 Peter 3:15)

Guest Blog by President of English District LCMS

2009-08-19T14:45:00.001-07:00

Here is a first of what I hope will be many more guest blogs. Please go to the Woman of the Week link and then click on Dolores Jean Hackwelder. Rev. Dr. David Stechholz has written an article in honor of the memory of this deaconess, who was once a member of his parish in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.

NEW Concordia Historical Institute MUSEUM

2009-08-06T16:46:00.000-07:00

On July 27, Concordia Historical Institute opened its new state-of-the-art museum at the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod International Center (1333 South Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, MO).

Designed to celebrate the "Heritage of Lutheranism in America," museum displays cover five periods in LCMS history:

1. Luther and the Reformation – describing the origins of the Lutheran church in mid-16th-century Europe and providing insight into the life of Martin Luther.

2. Colonists and Missionaries to America – tracing the travels of the Saxon immigrants to the United States and missionaries who helped form the LCMS in 1847.

3. Growth of a Synod – illustrating the growth of the LCMS in the 19th century as the young church organized under its first president, Dr. C.F.W. Walther, to reach the people of America with the Word of God.

4. From St. Louis to the World – demonstrating how from its founding near St. Louis the church's mission work has expanded domestically and internationally.

5. An Unchanging Message for a Changing World – indicating how the LCMS has worked to meet the challenges of proclaiming the Gospel in the 20th century and into the future through the use of new media, an expanding system of higher education, and outreach to all parts of society.

The museum is open on every weekday except for holidays and is free to the public.

RECORDING HISTORY - Good, Bad, or Neutral?

2009-08-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

I hope that as many people as possible take time to record the "history" of their lives and the communities around them, particularly within the church. One of the reasons that multiple records are valuable to (church) historians is that no two people see or record the same event in the same way. We know this to be true about the four Gospels, for example, even as the apostles wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

It is also interesting to see that the same event can be reported as inherently good, bad, or neutral in its value to individuals, society, or the church. Before I started writing In the Footsteps of Phoebe, and old friend asked me, "What are your presuppositions?" I was rather taken aback, and stated that I simply planned to report historical events, rather than color them with my own presuppositions. Now that the project is finished, I understand what my friend meant. All of history, when reported, is seen as either good, bad, or neutral - and years down the road whatever is painted as neutral will be reassigned to good or bad in light of its long-term effect in a continued history. And so we are sometimes caught saying things like, "the jury is still out on that decision."

Of course, years down the road, not everyone will agree about whether today's current events have had a positive or negative effect on our lives - particularly in relation to our faith and the and our goal to be true to God's Word and to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all nations.

We should be praying fervently for God's guidance now, that the history we live and influence lands on the side called "good;" that someday when they is reported in newer history books, our decisions and actions as individuals and as "church" will be viewed as well-informed, wise, and God-pleasing.

DEACONESSES Emerge AGAIN in HOSPITAL HISTORY

2009-07-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

Today the people of Grand Forks, North Dakota, are mourning the death of Robert Jacobson, who worked as a chief hospital administrator in the city for 30 years (1963-93). Interestingly, Jacobson, who was a Lutheran from Minnesota, started his Grand Forks career as administrator of Deaconess Hospital (located downtown on 4th Street), where the hospital's Lutheran nurses still lived in a dorm near the hospital.

In 1971, Jacobson led a merger of Deaconess Hospital with St. Michael's Catholic Hospital to create "United Hospital." From that point he had the vision to grow the hospital in a way beneficial to the community, including moving it to a new site, where the name was eventually changed from "United" to "Altru."

Beyond the main thrust of this story, with my historian's hat on, I was particularly pleased by the following nugget couched in an article about Jacobson written by Stephen J. Lee of the Grand Forks Herald: "It was a fulfillment of bigger moves led by Robert Jacobson years before, from when nuns and Lutheran “deaconess” nurses provided much of the care at two religious — and sort of rival — Grand Forks hospitals for little pay to the advent of contemporary secular, if still nonprofit, medical centers."

This kind of "hospital history" is more common than most people realize!

Dark History for Christians in Fiji

2009-07-23T05:24:00.000-07:00

The recent history of Fiji - in terms of the freedom of Christian churches - has been a dark one due to the success of a Military Coup carried out there in December of 2006. Today's morning news includes a report of how Fiji's interim prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, has championed "the arrest of several Methodist church leaders and Fiji’s most senior female High Chief over the church’s annual conference, which the interim government has banned."

Another report explains: "Fiji police have charged the paramount chief Ro Teimumu Kepa and two top Methodist Church ministers with defying the Public Emergency Regulation. The church president, the Reverend Ame Tugaue, and the secretary general, the Reverend Tuikilakila Waqairatu, have been charged with contravening orders by organising a meeting last week with two church figures that the interim regime wants to have expelled from the Methodists’ leadership. Ro Teimumu has been charged with inciting the people of her home province Rewa by publishing a letter on the internet which invited the church for its annual conference after the interim regime had banned the gathering. The three have been released on bail and made to surrender their passports."

Thanks be to God that we live in a country where church leaders can plan meetings and gather together without fear of being arrested! Let's remember to pray often for the people of Fiji and anywhere else in the world where Christian churches are controlled or muzzled by evil governments.

SECULARISM and HISTORY

2009-07-18T14:04:00.000-07:00

There seem to be an increasing number of conversations going on in theological and ecclesiastical circles at the moment related to the subject of secularism. The ideas involved are no longer based on a simple contrast between the church and the world, or the religious and the secular. New vocabulary includes terms such as "Christian Secularism," which turn the old debates upside down, and more recent and frequent references to "procedural secularism" and "programmatic secularism."

Should we as Christians be keeping abreast of these "isms" - how they came or come about; in what manner they grow or evolve; how and when they give way to yet another "ism?" The answer is a certain yes if we are able to do so, and if such knowledge will improve our communication of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our neighbor. But we can't be tricked into thinking that knowledge of an "ism" means that we can control it. This is a mistake that too many politicians, theologians, and political theologians have made before us.

There is another problem too. Not everyone agrees on the nature of secularism, how it originated, and the good or harm that it does to the Christian Church or the faith of its members. The following quotation from "No Future in the Ghetto" by Francis Campbell (The Tablet, 18 July, 2009) provides a good example of some of the interesting twists in opinions on this issue:

"Europeans take it for granted that modernisation and secularism go hand in hand. But the experience of the rest of the world tells a different story. The challenge is maintaining faith while living peacefully with those who do not share it. Retreat is not an option.

"In A Secular Age, the philosopher Charles Taylor asks how we moved "from a condition in 1500 in which it was hard not to believe in God, to our present situation just after 2000, where this has become quite easy for many". Taylor contrasts secularism with religion. For him secularism sees human good and human flourishing as being focused solely in this world, while the religious outlook is transcendent.

"The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is rather more specific. He describes secularism as opening a space, but also potentially closing a space. Positively a secular society would hold up ideals of freedom and equality. It would oppose any kind of theocracy, any privilege given to an authority that was not accountable to ordinary processes of reasoning and evidence. More negatively, secularism could rule out arguments that would arise from specific commitments of a religious or ideological nature. This approach is underpinned by the Enlightenment conviction that authority which depends on revelation must always be contested in the public sphere.

"When getting at the meaning of secularism, Taylor rejects what he calls the "subtraction story" which sees science gradually chipping away at the credibility of faith. Instead he argues that secularism and faith come from the same well and that secularism emerges not through scientific discovery, but through history. In this way secularism is not pitted against religion but is part of a proper distinction between the temporal and religious realms.

"Secularisation theory on the other hand attempts to describe a process of change ushered in around the time of the Industrial Revolution, whereby states modernise as they secularise. The idea is very simple: the more modernity, the less religion."

To my mind all of this is made much easier if, no matter what else we hear or read, we remember that as Christians we are in the world but not of the world (John 15-17) - and that Jesus Christ has empowered us to serve Him as a light to the world. (Matthew 5:14).

DEACONESS of the EVERGLADES

2009-07-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

In recent years, Amazon and eBay have often listed a book called Deaconess of the Everglades, by Elizabeth Scott Ames (Cortland, NY, 1995), about the life of an Episcopalian deaconess named Harriet Bedell (1875-1969). Deaconess Harriet's story is an interesting one. Her diaconal ministry took her to Oklahoma to work with the Cheyenne; to a remote Alaskan village to help the local ice-bound peoples; and finally to the Floridian Everglades area (and Marco Island) where she served as missionary to the Seminole Indians.

Sometime during the current Episcopal Convention in California (July 8-17, 2009) Harriet Bedell's name will be added to that denomination's "List of Lesser Feasts and Fasts." Since she died on January 8, that date will be designated as her "feast day" in the Episcopal Church.

Another new book about Deaconess Harriet, titled Angel of the Swamp, features quotations from her acquaintances in Florida, along with many photographs. Copies of this new book are available at the Museum of the Everglades in Everglades City or at www.ecity-publishing.com.

ASK the QUESTIONS

2009-07-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

While traveling from Pennsylvania to Oregon – to attend the national Lutheran Women’s Missionary League convention – some interesting “coincidences” occurred. During the layover at a Chicago airport I sat down right next to the mother-in-law of a fellow deaconess. At the same gate, sitting in the row of seats facing us, was a deaconess whose name I knew but not not recalled ever meeting.

In both instances, the awareness of “who” these people were became apparent after someone was brave enough to ask an opening question. I asked the lady sitting next to me if she was on her way to the LWML convention (sometimes it’s easy to spot such ladies)! And the deaconess across the aisle saw a copy of In the Footsteps of Phoebe sitting on my luggage and walked over to me and asked if I was Cheryl.

The first question isn’t always easy, but it is necessary if we want to have conversation, and especially if we desire to develop new relationships. Our lives are rendered more interesting by the acquaintance of other people and their stories, and often, how their lives and stories already somehow tie in with our own lives.

This too is one of the pleasures of reading about historical figures, especially within the church. I have received so much joy from readers telling me that they discovered one of their relatives in my book. A few weeks ago a man phoned me from Texas to tell me that he has never known much about his grandfather, but that he heard about the release of In the Footsteps of Phoebe from his mother, and now he was excited to be able to learn quite a bit about his grandfather (who was a director of deaconess training for many years).

My thought for today is this: Ask the Questions that will connect you with people. You may even be surprised that in some way or another you already have a connection with them!

A TIME of REFRESHMENT

2009-06-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

Holidays are always good when they result in refreshment, and that's exactly what the last week in a remote cabin in Tennessee has done for our family. No cell phone reception. No internet. No television. Just "down" time. Just face-to-face visiting and playing with those people whom we love, but seldom get a chance to encounter without the interruptions of advanced technological life. Fantastic!

Now it's time to get back into the routine of work again. Children and grandchildren have driven home or caught planes to other continents. The grass needs to be mowed. Articles need to be written. Mourning people need to be visited.

May God bless all of you, wherever you are, with a peaceful time of relaxation this summer.

CORPORATE History

2009-06-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

The idea of "corporate history" is sort of like "corporate worship." It means "doing something together." We worship together. We make history together!

I have just returned from the annual meeting of Concordia Deaconess Conference - Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, which many women attended, from all over the country and even from a few foreign countries. We were together to worship; read-mark-learn-and inwardly digest some Scripture; hear reports on mission work facilitated by Hands of Mercy and on the first ever meeting of deaconesses from across South America; encourage one another in our work and faith; take a tour of historic deaconess-related sites in Fort Wayne; and basically just enjoy being together and having some "down" time from our normally busy lives.

These conferences contribute to the ongoing collection of corporate history that makes the CDC what it is and what it will continue to be. The annual business meeting, always held sometime during the conference, also facilitates a moving forward - to be certain that the objectives and goals of the conference are met; to ensure that we continue to make corporate history in the future. It makes us happy that our history is rooted in in God's Word. That history is laced with a deliberate ministry of mercy to one's neighbor, but we know it is only a reflection of the mercy that Christ first provided for us.

I thank God for all of the women (and of course our Pastoral adviser) with whom I was able to share this past week. I can only hope that they are all as refreshed as I am after such a wonderful conference!

CONFIRMATION and GRADUATION

2009-05-31T05:02:00.000-07:00

Today is a double celebration type of day at our congregation. In this morning's Divine Service we will witness the Confirmation of faith of four youth and three adults; and in the evening, a Graduation ceremony for the four eighth grade girls at the congregation's school.

It's important that these two events are celebrated separately, because they certainly are different. Confirmation is never a "graduation" from anything, but an affirmation of the faith received at Holy Baptism, and the public renewal of vows to remain steadfast in God's Word until death. When our personal history is written, it may include landmarks of growth in our faith life, but it will never include a "finish line" until we have joined our Savior in Heaven.

Graduation ceremonies, on the other had, celebrate the end of an era. A goal has been reached and those who have attained the goal are to be commended for their perseverance and perhaps for any unique or outstanding achievements along the way. On these occasions graduates are often reminded that they should not rest on their laurels, but must go forward with some sort of grit and determination into the next era of their lives.

Our personal history tells us that life does need grit and determination from time to time. But it also tells us, as does Scripture, that it is the Holy Spirit working through the Word and Sacraments which shores up, sustains, challenges, feeds, and grows our faith. We have no power in and of ourselves to do such a work. Thanks be to God that He gives us these means of grace!

SOLDIER of the CROSS

2009-05-24T05:38:00.000-07:00

When I was a young girl it was taboo to ask anyone who had been in "the war" about their experience. War was just a bad memory that happened on another shore, in another age in past tense, to be forgotten once back to homeland and family.

My brother and I knew that dad served in the navy and that he saw a "mushroom" cloud from the deck of his "boat" in the Pacific. We did once see a photograph of dad with palm trees and a large group of "island children" that he and his buddies had provided with food, but the island had no name and the ethnic origin of the children was a mystery. When we were older, and particularly when my brother began to serve in U.S. forces, a few stories from dad's military service began to leak out. My brother was more interested than me, however, and I can't say that I could even repeat any of them now.

If everyone who ever fought for freedom is a war hero, then of course I know that my dad is a hero. But there is something in addition about my dad that cannot be left out of defining him as a war hero. For as long as I can remember, my "daddy" has been a Soldier of the Cross. And though I am proud of him for serving the USA in the cause of freedom, I am also proud of him for his untiring service to Jesus Christ and his drive to spread the Gospel to all nations and all generations.

Soldiers of the Cross, like my dad, have been in difficult wars without bullets. They have skirmished with those who would have the church succumb to the whims of the world; the whims of Biblical Criticism or Darwinism; the seductive preaching of "other Gospels." And though wounded, and perhaps scarred, they still live to support the Church and her work.

On this Memorial Day weekend, we salute the men and women of this country who have served to ensure freedom for its citizens. Let us also thank God for the Soldiers of the Cross - all of the men and women who have fought ugly battles for the freedom to have access to the Word and Sacraments, taught and administered in their truth and purity!

A TIME to FORGET

2009-05-19T05:22:00.000-07:00

One of the delights about being a history sleuth is that in the process of looking for information on a particular subject, a large amount of "peripheral" material comes to light. Most of the time such material serves to substantiate or flesh out points of interest, and from time to time one of these finds can be classified as a "gem." For me, one of these gems emerged when I discovered that my husband's great-grandfather not only served at Bethesda in Watertown, Wisconsin (which we had always known), but that while there, and also in Beaver Dam, he taught and mentored deaconess students.

Along with finding the supportive material and real gems also comes the surprise of unwanted discoveries. These might be, for example, the knowledge of sins that would provide no benefit to the Church by being exposed to the public. In cases of this type of accidental discovery, a good historian needs to stick to the facts - that is, simply state what happened in a particular historical context - without revealing the secret sins of a forgiven child of Christ.

As I carried out research on various individuals for In the Footsteps of Phoebe, it was easy to immerse myself in their lives, sometimes to the point that I considered my subjects to be friends or comrades, even though they may have died before I was born. Reading what their peers wrote about them, and then reading some of their own notes, diaries, or letters helped me to appreciate their lives and service to the church. At the same time, it was apparent that these people had the same life struggles that we encounter today; the same temptations, the same sins, and the same forgiveness from God that is available to all in Christ Jesus. This realization caused me to remember my "new friends" in a different way - not just as heroes and heroines, and not just a sinful heroes and heroines, but as forgiven heroes and heroines. That realization made it easy to FORGET their accidentally discovered sins, and look only at what God has accomplished through them.

Reflecting on PERSONAL ANNIVERSARIES

2009-05-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

Today is Mother's Day, and the birthday of our youngest child, Dorothy. I've been privileged to celebrate quite a few mother's days (or Mothering Sundays in the UK) as a mother - 30 of them to be exact! In some ways they are a special anniversary event in themselves... evoking a cumulative set of memories that all crowd into one warm and fuzzy thought. However, the true "Mother's Day anniversaries" for me have been those days on which our six children were born, followed in more recent years by the days on which our grandchildren were born. So the coinciding of a child's birthday and the generic Mother's Day is a pretty special event.

History is full of many other anniversaries that have meaning for us. The Passover, for example, was an annual Jewish religious festival attended by Jesus' parents in Jerusalem. We know that Jesus accompanied his family to Jerusalem for this celebration when He was twelve (and He may well have been present at the festival, too, in other years after the time of his weaning). It was the Passover that Jesus and His disciples celebrated in the upper room on that fateful night when He would be betrayed. But before the betrayal, still within the context of the Passover Meal, Jesus instituted the Holy Supper of His body and blood. This is the other anniversary that we celebrated today, on the Lord's Day. We partook of His body and blood; remembered His death (and resurrection); and received assurance of the forgiveness of sins. This type of anniversary gives comfort, peace, and strength... and can never come too often!

THREE PERSPECTIVES on HISTORY

2009-05-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

Although there may actually be more than three, it seems that almost all of the variant views of the concept of History fit into one of three different perspectives.

The first perspective is mentioned by C.S. Lewis in some of his writings about basic Christianity. It views the creator-god (if indeed there is a god) as a being who made the universe, gave it some impetus to run, and then left it alone to fend for itself. This god has had nothing to do with his creation, other than observing it, since putting it in place. The creation has been left to deteriorate and will eventually disappear. Life and human history have no meaning beyond the moment in which a life is being lived.

The second perspective views history as a series of cyclical events that are continuously repeated. It could take dozens, hundreds, or thousands of days or years, but history will always repeat itself. This view also renders human history as meaningless. There is no uniqueness to people, places, or events. What has happened has already happened and will happen again. The circle of history is inevitable and people who live within the circles are simply part of a pattern (or cyclical fate) that will be repeated no matter what their individual capabilities or contributions to society. This perspective was promoted by Greek philosophy already during Jesus' lifetime.

I remember being introduced to the third perspective in Old Testament class in my sophomore year of college. The professor (Carl Gutekunst) explained that all of human history is in fact Heilsgeschichte, or "holy history," better phrased as "salvation history." Kenneth Bailey describes it (in Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes) like this: This perspective views history to be like an arrow that moves toward a target called "the day of the Lord" (Amos 5:18) or "the kingdom of God" (Matthew 1:15). In this view, history has direction and meaning. Caught up in the struggles of the present age, the faithful may not always be able to "see the big picture," but there is one. Furthermore, it is inappropriate for the individual to try too hard to discover that purpose in any particular event. No foot soldier can understand the wider scope of a great battle in which he or she is involved. ... people can live out their lives with the quiet confidence that the One who holds the rudder of history has not fallen asleep. Building on this view of history, Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, "Thy kingdom come"...

By the way, this third perspective is explained very well by an audio presentation called "Bible in an Hour" by Wade Butler. [http://www.newreformationpress.com/audio/bible-in-an-hour.html] The presentation literally tells the whole story of the Bible, from Adam and Eve to Revelation, in one compact presentation, showing without a doubt that all human history is tied to salvation history. I've used this presentation as supplemental material in confirmation instruction, in my 7th/8th grade Biblical Studies classroom, and with women's Bible studies. "Listeners" enjoy it, coming away with a better understanding of the Bible as a whole, and an increased appreciation for the way that God has always worked within the framework of human history to bring us the gift of salvation.

Tomorrow's Antiques Today

2009-04-26T20:43:00.001-07:00

When we lived in the United Kingdom, one of my favorite stores was a place on the Ruislip High Street called Tomorrow's Antiques Today. The point of the store's name, of course, is that one would be encouraged to purchase a piece of furniture with a view toward enjoying it as a genuine antique in the future.

This idea of buying something now in order to use and enjoy it for decades is becoming less prevalent in our easy-come-easy-go disposable culture. And this is not solely due to consumer attitudes. It is obvious that many products - particularly those based on advancing technology - are designed (as well as purchased) with the idea that they will be obsolete within a certain number of years. Homeowners know that appliances often begin to fall apart or fail soon after the warranty period has expired. Likewise, fashions and trends change as they always have, and so forth.

At the same time, big money is being made in the sale of vintage articles - whether they be clothing, knick-knacks, or childhood memorabilia. We begin to think about that old 1967 Buick that we sold for $500, and wish that we had it back again. We're having a good life, but we hanker back to the "good old days" and parade the memories, photos, cassette recordings, or home videos again and again. And what fun that can be!

So where is this musing leading to? Just a simple acknowledgment that today is tomorrow's history. Someday we might wish that the events of today never happened, or that we could go back and change them. Or there may be many times that we remember today as a wonderful day and wish that we could re-live it. Either way, or somewhere in between, today has been a gift from God which we have used in various ways. And now, as we go to bed, today becomes part of our personal history!

Through the Dust

2009-04-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

For those of you who might be interested in the history of deaconesses in the Anglican or Episcopal Churches, there is an interesting blog site called "Through the Dust" that I can recommend at http://oplater.blogspot.com/

The blogger, Ormonde Plater, explains regarding the name of his site: The title of this blog reflects the folk etymology of diakonia, diakonos, and the like, which ancient Greeks believed came from two words meaning "through" and "dust."

Plater's daily entries are about both deacons and deaconesses. To give you a small taste, the first two paragraphs of today's entry read:

Elizabeth Ferard, first deaconess in the Church of England, founder of the Community of St. Andrew, died 18 April 1883.

The Lutherans were the first denomination to revive the order of deaconesses, a deaconess institution being founded at Kaiserwerth by Pastor Theodor Fliedner in 1836. His idea was to train and send women, two to each parish—one to nurse and one to teach. But his two successive wives had different ideas and realized that such deaconesses needed a “home” for community structure. The Bishop of London, Archibald Campbell Tait, visited the Kaiserswerth community of deaconesses...

The VALUE of CHURCH HISTORY

2009-04-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

People sometimes groan, or stifle a groan, if I mention that my post-graduate work was in Theology AND Church History. It seems that for some, the word "history" itself defines all that can be dull and boring in life.

At the risk of sounding repetitive, I would like to submit EIGHT specific values of Church History, as outlined by an old CPH junior high curriculum book. If you can think of others, please add them in the comments section at the end of this post!

1. Church History helps us see the fullness of the stature of Christ. His significance for our world is shown in 20 centuries of Christian history and in the lives of those committed to Christ.

2. By studying the proclamation and application of the Gospel in years past, we obtain a better understanding of how it can be taught and applied today.

3. Church History illustrates the indestructible character of the church. Christ Himself promised "The gates of Hades will not overcome it (Matthew 16:18)." Our Lord's protecting and merciful hand rests over His church through the ages until its final triumph.

4. Present-day worship and life in the church follow a pattern established in the past. The study of their development gives greater meaning to our worship and fellowship practices today.

5. The study of Church History reveals the unity that all Christians have in the Lord. It gives us a bond of fellowship with sainted Christians as well as those throughout the world today. At the same time, history explains the diversity and separation among Christians today.

6. Though history does not necessarily repeat itself, the present has many parallels with the past. A study of the past can help us prevent mistakes and solve problems. It can also help us safeguard against false beliefs and practices.

7. The trials and triumphs of dedicated Christians from the past can inspire us today and help us to be prepared for the trials we might face.

8. Church History reveals the impact of Christianity on non-Christian society. It can, therefore, help to shape our mission and our witness to the world.

Faithful Listening

2009-04-05T05:26:00.000-07:00

Historians like to have their facts straight. Once all those ducks are in order, they feel comfortable in proceeding to logical and "correct" conclusions. The same sort of criteria should apply to our study of the Bible, and especially to our leadership of others in such study.

On Friday in one of my weekly Woman to Woman sessions, I presented some material with a historical quotation by Dr. Martin Luther, which was difficult for many of the group members to stomach. The exact nature of the quotation doesn't matter, but what does matter is the fact that these women questioned Luther on the basis of what was written in Scripture.

Though I had a good idea of what Luther meant in the quotation (through Lutheran eyes of course) my explanation sounded lame, and I had to agree that for our day and age, what Luther wrote in this instance could be better said with different words for today's population. Those different words would serve the purpose of making it clear that Luther is in agreement with the Bible, not opposed to it. Of course we don't want to put words in Luther's mouth, or more literally, at the end of his pen. But we do always want to go back to the Bible as our primary source for Christian teaching.

What really delighted me is that these women, many of them non-Lutherans, have learned that it was good and right to discern correct teaching only by going straight back to the Bible itself. I praised them for this, and reminded them that if anyone, including myself, ever taught them anything different from what the Bible says, that they are to question that teaching and take the teacher to task. My prayer is that they will continue to engage in such faithful listening, where their hearts take note of and discern all doctrine in light of God's Word.

Save SOME Stuff

2009-03-29T16:37:00.000-07:00

Some people are hoarders. Others are throwers. And we all tend to hold on to certain sentimental items that have meaning only to ourselves. So when we’re gone, it’s likely that those sentimental items will be sold or given away, or even put in the garbage.

There are other sentimental realities that are not material: memories, visions, hopes and dreams sought after and attained; stories of struggle and victory, failure and success, and the significance of one’s personal faith throughout life. To pass these realities on to our heirs (and other descendants) we need to communicate our personal histories.

Concordia Historical Institute (St. Louis) does a good job of explaining the rationale for encouraging Christians to make autobiographical notes about their lives:

“Autobiography serves church history by producing historical records. We are not suggesting prideful patting oneself on the back, however, but that in godly humility you write an account of your life and work, telling the good and the bad, the high points and low points, the successes and failures. These are all part of the story of God's continuing grace in and through the church.

Personal insights into the past, an evaluation of personal experiences in the service of the church, comments on major events and many related subjects can often be better understood through autobiographical accounts, reminiscences and diary entries. Without the accounts of the services rendered and reactions to episodes and incidents in the church, much human interest data can easily be lost.” (Service Bulletin #3b at http://chi.lcms.org/)

Whatever age we are, it’s never too early or too late to keep a journal, or just jot down some facts that could be useful to those who follow after us, in our families, in our work place, and in the church. Even if we don't see that there is much value in the story of our lives, some day there will be others who are thankful that we took the time to write them down.

DEACONESS in the NEWS

2009-03-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

With our nation's current focus on economic problems, the story of Paul Levy, the CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, brings some hope that people are willing to work together on all levels to help one another through this time of crisis.

Hmmm... Did you notice that Deaconess is part of the name of Levy's hospital? [Or have you ever noted that there are Deaconess Hospitals in St. Louis, MO; Bozeman and Billings, MT; Evansville, IN; Spokane, WA; Boston, MA; New York, NY; Oklahoma City, OK; Cincinnati, OH; Detroit, MI; Milwaukee, WI; Northwood, ND; Newburgh, IN; and so on, across our country?]

The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a teaching hospital of the Harvard Medical School, well known for its biomedical research and the quality service it provides for "nearly three quarters of a million patient visits annually in and around Boston." But this auspicious hospital began in 1896 when a group of Methodist deaconesses decided to dedicate their energies to the care of Boston's poor and sick. In 1996, the New England Deaconess Hospital merged with Beth Israel Hospital, rendering the current hospital name.

The early history of Missouri Synod deaconesses is also closely tied to certain hospitals and institutions: Koch Hospital and Sanatorium in St. Louis; Lutheran Hospital and later, Lutheran Homes for the Aged in Fort Wayne; the Lutheran Sanatorium in Wheat Ridge (CO); Lutheran Hospitals in Beaver Dam (WI) and Hot Springs (SD); and Bethesda in Watertown (WI).

Until 1935, most LCMS deaconesses trained as nurses. Few are nurses today, but many are called by congregations, districts, or "recognized service organizations" to provide spiritual care in prisons, hospitals and hospices, nursing homes, group homes, and other assisted living residences. Like the word Deaconess in the name of so many of our nation's hospitals, modern deaconesses continue to leave their mark in these important areas of service.

NOW is OUR History

2009-03-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

Most of the time we live for the present. When we start applying to colleges, find a soul mate, or hit a midlife crisis we also tend to live for the future. The interesting thing is that our present and our future are completely intertwined with our past. Our present and future days are influenced and even driven by our personal history, our family history, our nation’s history, and our church’s history.

As individuals, we know some of our history and other parts are full of mystery. In the Footsteps of Phoebe is a project designed to document and discuss an overlooked area of modern church history that affected, and is still affecting, the church and its members, the role of women in the church, exegetical issues and Christian belief.

NOW is OUR history. And as we live out our lives we want to be remembered for making wise decisions and prudent choices that are good for our families, our nation, our church, and ourselves. Our primary guide for discernment is God’s Word, A lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps. 119:105) But we do need to examine how God’s Word has already been applied (or not!) in any similar circumstances and happenings that have brought us to this point in time. We remember our history so that we can emulate its good examples and avoid the repetition of mistakes. We evaluate where we have been so that we can move into the future with certainty and hope.

NOW is OUR history. Let’s learn from it together!