Hello Everyone,
I hope you are all chugging along! You are all doing so well in this time of lockdown. If nothing else…it is teaching us the virtue of patience!
Priya sent me an email about the deaths of the disciples. I will include it now:
‘Hi Barbara,
Got this yesterday. I never knew this.
HOW EACH OF THE DISCIPLES DIED
1 MATTHEW
Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword wound.
2 MARK
Died in Alexandria, Egypt, after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead.
3 LUKE
Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost.
4 JOHN
Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge Basin of Boiling Oil during a wave of persecution in Rome
However , he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison Island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos.
The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey. He died as an old man the only apostle to die peacefully.
5 PETER
He was crucified upside down on an X – shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.
6 JAMES
The leader of the church in Jerusalem, was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller’s club.
*This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.
7 JAMES
(the son of Zebedee)
Was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial Later the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.
8 BARTHOLOMEW
Also known as Nathaniel was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.
9 ANDREW
Was crucified on an X shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross , Andrew saluted it in these words : “ I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it”
He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired.
10 THOMAS
Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the Sub- continent.
11 JUDE
Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.
12 MATTHIAS
The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.
13 PAUL
Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D.67 Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters , which taught many of the foundational Doctrines of Christianity , form a large portion of the New Testament.’
Thank you Priya.
There are different accounts re how some of them died,
there are a number of different legends, stories, but I suppose the most important thing to remember is that they were prepared to die for their faith. The Bible only tells of the death of two: Judas Iscariot, and James the brother of John, killed by King Herod, by a sword (Acts 12:2). The disciples/apostles were the first in a long line to be tortured/die, persecuted because they followed Christ. We are lucky in this country, but in some parts of the world, Christians still have to hide their beliefs from the authorities. Priya wanted to know why the deaths of the apostles isn’t common knowledge. I think it is to do with the Protestant tradition-we don’t tend to dwell on bloodshed, or focus on the actual events of martyrdom. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t come up (such as on St Andrew’s Day (30th November) but it hasn’t been a focus. When we talk about the persecution of Christians, and martyrdom, we include the apostles in that list.
This contribution came in from Peter Campbell, from Heatherton-Dingley:
Good morning Barbara. I copied this off Facebook, so I can’t verify any of it as truth, but it’s still a nice story. What Love means to 4-8 year old kids?? Slow down for three minutes to read this. A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, ‘What does love mean?’ The answers they got were broader, deeper, and more profound than anyone could have ever imagined ! ‘When my grandmother got arthritis , she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore.. So my grandfather does it for her all the time , even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.’ Rebecca- age 8 ‘When someone loves you , the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.’ Billy – age 4 ‘Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.’ Karl – age 5 ‘Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.’ Chrissy – age 6 ‘Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.’ Terri – age 4 ‘Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him , to make sure the taste is OK.’ Danny – age 8 ‘Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and just listen.’ Bobby – age 7 (Wow!) ‘If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.’ Nikka – age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka’s on this planet) ‘Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.’ Noelle – age 7 ‘Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.’ Tommy – age 6 ‘During my piano recital , I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn’t scared anymore.’ Cindy – age 8 ‘My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.’ Clare – age 6 ‘Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.’ Elaine-age 5 ‘Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.’ Chris – age 7 ‘Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.’ Mary Ann – age 4 ‘I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.’ Lauren – age 4 ‘When you love somebody , your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.’ (what an image) Karen – age 7 ‘Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn’t think it’s gross..’ Mark – age 6 ‘You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.’ Jessica – age 8 And the final one: The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard , climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbour, the little boy said, ‘Nothing, I just helped him cry.’
Lovely! Thank you, Peter.
Last week one of our Presbytery ministers mentioned a book by an American theologian, Tex Sample. I remembered the name, because it was so unusual. I found this very moving youtube clip by him, so I have included the link to this one (I will never see the Eucharist in the same way again! Has it sparked your interest to watch it? Brilliant piece about the civil rights movement), and another, about the suffering God:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgxOtBfYgxQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbsBJqJbyR8
News: Please continue to keep Alan and Fredrica, Rohini and Jaya in your prayers. John is healing well. David is recuoerating well at home, and is starting to do ‘little drives’ so hopefully it won’t be too long before he can drive to dialysis himself. I took the wheelie-walker back, and he is now on forearm crutches, rather than shoulder ones.
Please keep our aged care residents, and their families, in your prayers too.
I didn’t write my sermon on Romans 13, but here are some of the glorious verses of that set reading:
‘Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbour as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbour, therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law…Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light…put on the Lord Jesus Christ…'(Romans 13: 8-10, 12, 14b)
It struck me that Paul says ‘summed up in this word’ (which are 5 words) rather than ‘commandment.’ Perhaps ‘proclamation’ might give us an understanding of it.
To close with one of my favourite verses of Scripture:
‘Do not neglect to show hospitaity to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.’-Hebrews 13: 2
Those words prompted this haiku:
‘Answer the doorbell!
Angels arrive for high tea.
Earl Grey, bone china!’
Happy Father’s Day on Sunday! It can be a tough day for those who don’t have fond memories of their fathers, or wish they were a father, or there might be sad memories because of fathers who have died, or who are absent…BUT God is our loving, Heavenly Father, so just climb onto his lap and tell him your troubles.
Well, I had better stop there! You have more than enough to read and mull over (lovely phrase, isn’t it?)
Blessings and love
Barbara
