Well, it's a new week and time for a new blog!
Over the past two weeks, I have been trying out a blog on Squarespace. After a lot of help from fellow Squarespace users, Kim and Rebecca, it's ready for public consumption.
I had originally planned to wait until January 1st, but I heard through the grapevine that Haloscan comments were going to be going through some kind of change, so I decided to make the change today. I had been wanting a bit of a change for my blog, and Squarespace provides a lot of flexibility and options.
I hope those who read here regularly will follow me to Squarespace and update their feeds or bookmarks. Thanks so much to those who have faithfully read my blog here at Blogger. I hope the friendships continue now that I have moved. There won't be any other changes other than the blog host.... wait, hopefully I will just improve at what I'm doing, although the blog host really doesn't ensure good writing. I'm depending on the Holy Spirit for any substantial improvements.
Thanks all!
The Upward Call at Squarespace
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Week 3 in Advent
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night
While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around,
And glory shone around.
“Fear not!” said he, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind.
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind
To you and all mankind.
“To you, in David’s town, this day
Is born of David’s line
A Savior, who is Christ the Lord,
And this shall be the sign,
And this shall be the sign.
“The heavenly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid,
And in a manger laid.”
Thus spake the seraph and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God on high,
Who thus addressed their song,
Who thus addressed their song:
“All glory be to God on high,
And to the Earth be peace;
Good will henceforth from Heaven to men
Begin and never cease,
Begin and never cease!”
Luke 2:8-208 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Soundtrack for Saturday
One of my favourite Christmas CDs is The Promise, by Michael Card. I have been listening to it this weekend.
Here is a clip of Card singing the song with Steve Green.
On December 27th my daughter and I are singing together at the evening service. I think we may do this song. It has lovely harmony potential.
Here is a clip of Card singing the song with Steve Green.
On December 27th my daughter and I are singing together at the evening service. I think we may do this song. It has lovely harmony potential.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Just kind of thinking out loud ....
Recently, Christian young person related a story to me about the affects he felt because of an "experience." As I was given the details of the occasion, a little bit of uncertainty crept into my thoughts. I was asked to give my opinion about the situation.
I knew I could not be dismissive. When young people share their lives with you, being dismissive is utterly stupid. Their experiences are important to them; they mean something. Even if we must follow up our answer with correction or explanation, our reaction ought to be that of a sincere listener. That is one way we can teach young people to think through things.
I knew, however, that I had to caution. There was just something about the reaction of this young person that convinced me that I had to caution. It was the idea that this "experience" had been the source of his certainty for the future; he was certain about his calling now because of this experience. Some of the details of this event concerned me, but if I started getting into cessationism and whatnot (which I was tempted to do) I would have probably lost the audience through frustration. I did say, however, that whatever came of this experience, the truth and validity of it must be tested by Scripture. I urged my friend to confirm all of his experiences through Scripture. I said that Scripture is the mot reliable revelation of God. I don't know how the caution was ultimately taken. I even went so far as to say that while he may feel like God used this "experience" to confirm things in his mind, God could have done so without the momentous occasion. I don't know as if he liked that comment.
I have noticed among some of the young people of my acquaintance a desire for an "experience." It seems as if they want some kind of earth-shattering event to happen to confirm their faith. Perhaps it is because they are not patient, but it seems as if seeing the fruit of their lives as the proof of their faith is hard work. The kind of fruit they want is the experience. They want to see the earth move. As a youth leader, it concerns me. It concerns me, because I wonder what on earth are we teaching these kids if this is what they are looking for at the age of eighteen or nineteen? Even my daughter once said: "I want to feel like a Christian." This is something she is beginning to get over as she pursues more conservative worship settings.
A danger to a reliance on these "experiences" is that they can cause us to ignore sin in our lives. If we are having all kinds of "experiences" then it is easy to "feel" like we're okay before God, when in reality, we may be ignoring serious sin issues. Is this the attraction, perhaps?
I must confess to being totally mystified by the fascination with over-the-top Charismatic-type things. They kind of creep me out. Perhaps it is because I am a naturally conservative, no-frills type of person myself. Perhaps because they remind of losing control of oneself, and I'm not into that. I have enough self-control issues with my speech, never mind other areas. I am concerned, though, because what I think the young people need is a sure foundation.
If I relied solely on "mountain top" experiences, I'd be in trouble. I've had some of those, but they were not the things that sustained me two years ago when I went through a trial. In fact, some of the memories I had actually hurt to ponder because life was nothing like what it had been. No; what sustained me was truth like Romans 8:28-30. What sustained me was the truth of who God was as found especially in the Psalms. Psalm 46 was an especially comforting passage at the time.
Experiences are fleeting; they are here one minute and gone the next. That is why after one, we need to generate another. A lot of these young people who look for these experiences do so after they leave home and search for a church on their own. I wonder if this is just a process they must go through, to test the waters. I truly hope so, because what I'm thinking is that the reliance on "experiences" is just another form of legalism. It's a reliance on an outward "thing" to define our faith rather than the revealed Word of God.
I knew I could not be dismissive. When young people share their lives with you, being dismissive is utterly stupid. Their experiences are important to them; they mean something. Even if we must follow up our answer with correction or explanation, our reaction ought to be that of a sincere listener. That is one way we can teach young people to think through things.
I knew, however, that I had to caution. There was just something about the reaction of this young person that convinced me that I had to caution. It was the idea that this "experience" had been the source of his certainty for the future; he was certain about his calling now because of this experience. Some of the details of this event concerned me, but if I started getting into cessationism and whatnot (which I was tempted to do) I would have probably lost the audience through frustration. I did say, however, that whatever came of this experience, the truth and validity of it must be tested by Scripture. I urged my friend to confirm all of his experiences through Scripture. I said that Scripture is the mot reliable revelation of God. I don't know how the caution was ultimately taken. I even went so far as to say that while he may feel like God used this "experience" to confirm things in his mind, God could have done so without the momentous occasion. I don't know as if he liked that comment.
I have noticed among some of the young people of my acquaintance a desire for an "experience." It seems as if they want some kind of earth-shattering event to happen to confirm their faith. Perhaps it is because they are not patient, but it seems as if seeing the fruit of their lives as the proof of their faith is hard work. The kind of fruit they want is the experience. They want to see the earth move. As a youth leader, it concerns me. It concerns me, because I wonder what on earth are we teaching these kids if this is what they are looking for at the age of eighteen or nineteen? Even my daughter once said: "I want to feel like a Christian." This is something she is beginning to get over as she pursues more conservative worship settings.
A danger to a reliance on these "experiences" is that they can cause us to ignore sin in our lives. If we are having all kinds of "experiences" then it is easy to "feel" like we're okay before God, when in reality, we may be ignoring serious sin issues. Is this the attraction, perhaps?
I must confess to being totally mystified by the fascination with over-the-top Charismatic-type things. They kind of creep me out. Perhaps it is because I am a naturally conservative, no-frills type of person myself. Perhaps because they remind of losing control of oneself, and I'm not into that. I have enough self-control issues with my speech, never mind other areas. I am concerned, though, because what I think the young people need is a sure foundation.
If I relied solely on "mountain top" experiences, I'd be in trouble. I've had some of those, but they were not the things that sustained me two years ago when I went through a trial. In fact, some of the memories I had actually hurt to ponder because life was nothing like what it had been. No; what sustained me was truth like Romans 8:28-30. What sustained me was the truth of who God was as found especially in the Psalms. Psalm 46 was an especially comforting passage at the time.
Experiences are fleeting; they are here one minute and gone the next. That is why after one, we need to generate another. A lot of these young people who look for these experiences do so after they leave home and search for a church on their own. I wonder if this is just a process they must go through, to test the waters. I truly hope so, because what I'm thinking is that the reliance on "experiences" is just another form of legalism. It's a reliance on an outward "thing" to define our faith rather than the revealed Word of God.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Why can't a woman be more like a man?
So sings Henry Higgins...
Why can't a woman be more like a man?
Men are so honest, so thoroughly square;
Eternally noble, historically fair.
Who, when you win, will always give your back a pat.
Why can't a woman be like that?
This is an amusing little ditty. I urge you to view Rex Harrison as he sings this song in "My Fair Lady." Funny as it is, though, there is a little bit of me that wonders why women can't be more like men.
I had three brothers and no sisters. I also had a mother who was not a "girly girl." She was a bit of a tomboy growing up, and as I remained the one female grandchild among eight males, I had many male companions growing up. My first best friend was a boy. Henry Higgins is partially correct about men. They do make good friends. They do not hold grudges like women do; they are not offended by imagined offenses, like a missed telephone call or neglecting to pay a compliment. Now, of course, that works in a bad way, as thousands of husbands will tell you when they are completely mystified as to why their wives cry when their new outfit is ignored, he doesn't notice a new hairdo, or doesn't properly respond to an achievement.
I have always found it difficult having female friends, and I'm sure I've not been the best friend I can be. Sometimes, we play games with our female friends, and they aren't good games. There is the "Smile on Monday, but ignore on Thursday" game where a woman is nice to you one minute, but turns on you the next. There is the "Any more than two's a crowd" game, where your friend speaks to everyone else in the group but you, and in fact, makes a point of avoiding making eye contact with you. There is the infamous "Let's Compare" game. That one is pretty self-explanatory. One of the interesting ways we criticize other women is when one tells us about something she does, and rather than come right out and say, "Boy, is that ever stupid," we smile and say condescendingly, "Oh, I never do that." We like to talk up our kids and brag a bit. Sometimes, it's quite innocent, and sometimes not.
In the Garden of Eden, after they sinned, Adam and Eve were told of the curses which would befall them. This is what God said to Eve:
The second part of the curse of much worse. The pain in childbirth doesn't last a lifetime, although we may remember it that long (sorry, folks, the people who say women forget the pain are lying!). The tendency to want to control follow us all of our lives. Men are wise to this desire for their wives to control them. They resist, and many women discover quite quickly that controlling their husbands is a a pretty unhappy endeavor. If we can't control them, we try and control -- rule over -- anyone else in our path. We do it to our children, and then we try and rule over our friends. It isn't like we want to control their actions necessarily (well, some may, perhaps); it's more a desire to always feel like we have the upper hand.
Now, I'm not saying that all women are like this. Please forgive me if you are one of those women who do not have such motives. I speak for myself. However, I am acquainted with people who clearly have such motives. Some women must have these motives or else why do female friendship so frequently come with a lot of conflict and drama? It starts young, too; just ask your adolescent daughters.
I think it is this tendency, all of this "game playing" that has made me reluctant to get close to many women. I don't want to feel competitive with other women. I don't want to feel threatened or intimidated by other women and I don't want to intimidate them (the thought that I would intimidate anyone is kind of odd, unless I intimidated them with a rude attitude). I guess that is why I have kept my distance. Curiously, the women whose company I enjoy the most (and that includes in blog circles) are women who are rather solitary themselves, or women who have personalities more like my husband's than mine. I wouldn't want to be close friends with someone like me. I'm too easily offended, and I tend to dominate the conversation too much.
My desire as a Christian woman is to shed this tendency I have. Women, despite their desire to rule, are good at nurturing, caring, and communicating. I need those things in my life. While I love my husband, his attitude and approach to conversation is not always 100% in tune with mine, i.e. his motto is "words are over-rated;" I plan on putting it on his headstone should he die first. I need female companionship. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit can work in me. And as I grow, I will try and avoid the game playing and just try to remember that the best cure for avoiding these games is continuing to strive to make the Lord my focus. If my eyes are on Him, I won't worry about those other silly things.
Why can't a woman be more like a man?
Men are so honest, so thoroughly square;
Eternally noble, historically fair.
Who, when you win, will always give your back a pat.
Why can't a woman be like that?
This is an amusing little ditty. I urge you to view Rex Harrison as he sings this song in "My Fair Lady." Funny as it is, though, there is a little bit of me that wonders why women can't be more like men.
I had three brothers and no sisters. I also had a mother who was not a "girly girl." She was a bit of a tomboy growing up, and as I remained the one female grandchild among eight males, I had many male companions growing up. My first best friend was a boy. Henry Higgins is partially correct about men. They do make good friends. They do not hold grudges like women do; they are not offended by imagined offenses, like a missed telephone call or neglecting to pay a compliment. Now, of course, that works in a bad way, as thousands of husbands will tell you when they are completely mystified as to why their wives cry when their new outfit is ignored, he doesn't notice a new hairdo, or doesn't properly respond to an achievement.
I have always found it difficult having female friends, and I'm sure I've not been the best friend I can be. Sometimes, we play games with our female friends, and they aren't good games. There is the "Smile on Monday, but ignore on Thursday" game where a woman is nice to you one minute, but turns on you the next. There is the "Any more than two's a crowd" game, where your friend speaks to everyone else in the group but you, and in fact, makes a point of avoiding making eye contact with you. There is the infamous "Let's Compare" game. That one is pretty self-explanatory. One of the interesting ways we criticize other women is when one tells us about something she does, and rather than come right out and say, "Boy, is that ever stupid," we smile and say condescendingly, "Oh, I never do that." We like to talk up our kids and brag a bit. Sometimes, it's quite innocent, and sometimes not.
In the Garden of Eden, after they sinned, Adam and Eve were told of the curses which would befall them. This is what God said to Eve:
“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you.”
Now, I'm not saying that all women are like this. Please forgive me if you are one of those women who do not have such motives. I speak for myself. However, I am acquainted with people who clearly have such motives. Some women must have these motives or else why do female friendship so frequently come with a lot of conflict and drama? It starts young, too; just ask your adolescent daughters.
I think it is this tendency, all of this "game playing" that has made me reluctant to get close to many women. I don't want to feel competitive with other women. I don't want to feel threatened or intimidated by other women and I don't want to intimidate them (the thought that I would intimidate anyone is kind of odd, unless I intimidated them with a rude attitude). I guess that is why I have kept my distance. Curiously, the women whose company I enjoy the most (and that includes in blog circles) are women who are rather solitary themselves, or women who have personalities more like my husband's than mine. I wouldn't want to be close friends with someone like me. I'm too easily offended, and I tend to dominate the conversation too much.
My desire as a Christian woman is to shed this tendency I have. Women, despite their desire to rule, are good at nurturing, caring, and communicating. I need those things in my life. While I love my husband, his attitude and approach to conversation is not always 100% in tune with mine, i.e. his motto is "words are over-rated;" I plan on putting it on his headstone should he die first. I need female companionship. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit can work in me. And as I grow, I will try and avoid the game playing and just try to remember that the best cure for avoiding these games is continuing to strive to make the Lord my focus. If my eyes are on Him, I won't worry about those other silly things.
Precious Faith
In the context of his discussion of trials, and how they prove our faith, Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines talks about what faith is:
And faith is given to us by God. Isn't that amazing? God wants us to have this precious gift, this link between Him and us, this connection between the here and what is to come. This is a wonderful, amazing truth to ponder over as we contemplate the babe who came to usher it all in.
Faith is this extraordinary principle which links man to God; faith is this thing that keeps a man from hell and puts him in heaven; it is the connection between this world and the world to come; faith is this mystic astounding thing that can take a man dead in trespasses and sins and make him live as a new being, a new man in Christ Jesus. That is why it is so precious.
And faith is given to us by God. Isn't that amazing? God wants us to have this precious gift, this link between Him and us, this connection between the here and what is to come. This is a wonderful, amazing truth to ponder over as we contemplate the babe who came to usher it all in.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Poetry Wednesday
I like this poem by William Wordsworth, called "Minstrels."
The minstrels played their Christmas tune
To-night beneath my cottage-eaves;
While, smitten by a lofty moon,
The encircling laurels, thick with leaves,
Gave back a rich and dazzling sheen,
That overpowered their natural green.
Through hill and valley every breeze
Had sunk to rest with folded wings:
Keen was the air, but could not freeze,
Nor check, the music of the strings;
So stout and hardy were the band
That scraped the chords with strenuous hand.
And who but listened?--till was paid
Respect to every inmate's claim,
The greeting given, the music played
In honour of each household name,
Duly pronounced with lusty call,
And "Merry Christmas" wished to all.
Here in Southern Ontario, we have a typical early winter day.... slush. There was snow overnight, and now we have rain and gusty winds. The snow plow drove by and scared my cat back into the house where he chirruped indignantly over the conditions. Not very Christmasy at all, all. I will be thankful, however; my mother told me on the weekend that it was -21 Celsius (-5 F) where they live. I can't imagine minstrels enjoying this weather this morning.
Gotta love winter.
The minstrels played their Christmas tune
To-night beneath my cottage-eaves;
While, smitten by a lofty moon,
The encircling laurels, thick with leaves,
Gave back a rich and dazzling sheen,
That overpowered their natural green.
Through hill and valley every breeze
Had sunk to rest with folded wings:
Keen was the air, but could not freeze,
Nor check, the music of the strings;
So stout and hardy were the band
That scraped the chords with strenuous hand.
And who but listened?--till was paid
Respect to every inmate's claim,
The greeting given, the music played
In honour of each household name,
Duly pronounced with lusty call,
And "Merry Christmas" wished to all.
Here in Southern Ontario, we have a typical early winter day.... slush. There was snow overnight, and now we have rain and gusty winds. The snow plow drove by and scared my cat back into the house where he chirruped indignantly over the conditions. Not very Christmasy at all, all. I will be thankful, however; my mother told me on the weekend that it was -21 Celsius (-5 F) where they live. I can't imagine minstrels enjoying this weather this morning.
Gotta love winter.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Breaking cycles
It's hard to break the cycle of bad habits. Take for example a family where the parents both smoke, like mine did. Their parents before them smoked, too. Children tend to imitate parents, and in our case, at one point, my three brothers and I all smoked cigarettes. None of us do now. I credit the Lord for removing that desire from me. In my family, the cycle is broken; my kids have never really been exposed to that and have avoided that particular habit. Now, the ingestion of carbonated beverages is another story, unfortunately. They and their father partake of them quite happily. Me, not so much. I'm sure they will pass that taste on to their children unless one of them has a spouse who puts his or her foot down.
Cycles of other kinds of behaviours are difficult to break. Family violence, verbal abuse, bad spending habits, addictions of various kinds; any number of things can can quickly become a cycle of bad things that gets passed on to our family.
The pursuit of holiness is one of those things that can prove to be a good cycle, though. If a man and woman have a family and desire to raise that family to the glory of God and if those parents diligently seek holiness, that is a good cycle. The reverse is true as well. If we as parents are lazy about our spiritual lives, lazy about instilling godly habits and choices, then that can become a bad cycle. The sobering thing about our failure to pass on good spiritual habits is that the apathy and laziness can snowball so quickly. The great thing is that just as it only takes one to break a bad cycle, it can take one to start a good cycle.
I don't know why I thought of this today. I'm just rambling, really...
Cycles of other kinds of behaviours are difficult to break. Family violence, verbal abuse, bad spending habits, addictions of various kinds; any number of things can can quickly become a cycle of bad things that gets passed on to our family.
The pursuit of holiness is one of those things that can prove to be a good cycle, though. If a man and woman have a family and desire to raise that family to the glory of God and if those parents diligently seek holiness, that is a good cycle. The reverse is true as well. If we as parents are lazy about our spiritual lives, lazy about instilling godly habits and choices, then that can become a bad cycle. The sobering thing about our failure to pass on good spiritual habits is that the apathy and laziness can snowball so quickly. The great thing is that just as it only takes one to break a bad cycle, it can take one to start a good cycle.
I don't know why I thought of this today. I'm just rambling, really...
The Scottish Reformer and the ladies
John Knox is remembered as the major force in the Scottish Reformation. The course of the Reformation in that country is preceded by a few crucial political events. Henry VII, the Tudor king had a daughter named Margaret. She married James IV of Scotland, providing a closer relationship between Scotland and England. Traditionally, Scotland loved to ally herself with France against the English, but not in this instance. It did, however, foster that relationship again when the son of James IV and Margaret, James V, married Mary of Guise rather than agree to a betrothal with the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, Mary. Scotland became linked then, with two countries with competing interests and who produced some influential women.
Henry's daughter Mary, who would become "Bloody Mary" took the throne when Henry's son Edward died. When Mary died, another woman took the throne, Elizabeth I. The daughter of James V and Mary of Guise was Mary Stuart. She married the French Dauphin at the age of 18 and became Queen of France, Scotland and she claimed she was the English Queen as well, due to her relationship with Henry through his sister Margaret. The intensity of this rivalry was made worse due to the fact that the Stuarts were Catholic, Spain was Catholic, France was Catholic, and Elizabeth I was Protestant.
Along came John Knox, a Scottish Protestant. Reformation thought had made its to Scotland through individuals who had been abroad and then returned having been influenced by Lollards, Hussites and Lutherans. The Scottish Parliament forbade any Reforming initiatives, and persecution broke out. Knox fled the country, and in the process, found himself prisoner on a French galley for 19 months. After his release from the French, with the assistance of the young Edward, Henry's son, Knox became a chaplain at the English court. This was not to last long, because Mary Tudor succeeded her half-brother upon his death. Knox then went to Geneva where his Reformation theology was further developed. After his time in Geneva, he returned to Scotland.
While in exile, Knox wrote a book called The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women. This was an attack against ruling women in Europe. In his book, he says:
“Divine law and natural law opposes the rule of women over men. Therefore men in England and Scotland are obeying women rulers against God. Wherefore I judge them not only subjects to women but slaves to Satan and servants of iniquity.”
He spoke against not only Mary Stuart, but her mother, the regent, and he spoke of Mary Tudor of England. While his views certainly indicated his position with regard to women rulers, his work also spoke out against the Roman church. He had seen the progress of Protestantism in Geneva; he longed to have his own country able to proceed along a similar path, and he saw these ruling women as an impediment to that process. Unfortunately, the book alienated Elizabeth I who found it quite offensive, and hindered an alliance which could have been valuable to Knox. Perhaps this is one of the contributing factors to the fact that English reform was more episcopal in nature than it was in Scotland.
Mary Stuart took the throne of Scotland around the same time as Knox returned there. Knox had five meetings with the Queen. He was convinced that if she saw the error of the Catholic Church and converted, progress for Protestantism would follow. She resisted. She had mass served privately in her quarters. There is a famous confrontation between the two of them where Mary demanded of Knox: "What are you in this commonwealth?" Knox answered:
"A subject born within the same, and although I am neither earl, lord or baron in it, yet God has made me a profitable member in the same, and both my vocation and conscience require plainness of me."
That was quite a democratic-sounding response in an age of monarchy. Ultimately, however, Mary's downfall was largely at her own making. Her cousin Elizabeth had her executed eventually, and Scottish reform continued in the Protestant direction.
I found it quite interesting the effect women had on the course reform despite the fact that women were not powerful within the Church. Women do influence things for good and for bad, even if it is in subtle ways. I continue to find it interesting how very important political alliances were for the Church at this point in history. We here in 2009 squirm at the prospect of our governments stalling religious reform. And yet, it seems as if they are getting involved in such things again, although indirectly, through "hate crime" legislation and the protection of "civil rights." It's kind of daunting to think about.
Henry's daughter Mary, who would become "Bloody Mary" took the throne when Henry's son Edward died. When Mary died, another woman took the throne, Elizabeth I. The daughter of James V and Mary of Guise was Mary Stuart. She married the French Dauphin at the age of 18 and became Queen of France, Scotland and she claimed she was the English Queen as well, due to her relationship with Henry through his sister Margaret. The intensity of this rivalry was made worse due to the fact that the Stuarts were Catholic, Spain was Catholic, France was Catholic, and Elizabeth I was Protestant.
Along came John Knox, a Scottish Protestant. Reformation thought had made its to Scotland through individuals who had been abroad and then returned having been influenced by Lollards, Hussites and Lutherans. The Scottish Parliament forbade any Reforming initiatives, and persecution broke out. Knox fled the country, and in the process, found himself prisoner on a French galley for 19 months. After his release from the French, with the assistance of the young Edward, Henry's son, Knox became a chaplain at the English court. This was not to last long, because Mary Tudor succeeded her half-brother upon his death. Knox then went to Geneva where his Reformation theology was further developed. After his time in Geneva, he returned to Scotland.
While in exile, Knox wrote a book called The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women. This was an attack against ruling women in Europe. In his book, he says:
“Divine law and natural law opposes the rule of women over men. Therefore men in England and Scotland are obeying women rulers against God. Wherefore I judge them not only subjects to women but slaves to Satan and servants of iniquity.”
He spoke against not only Mary Stuart, but her mother, the regent, and he spoke of Mary Tudor of England. While his views certainly indicated his position with regard to women rulers, his work also spoke out against the Roman church. He had seen the progress of Protestantism in Geneva; he longed to have his own country able to proceed along a similar path, and he saw these ruling women as an impediment to that process. Unfortunately, the book alienated Elizabeth I who found it quite offensive, and hindered an alliance which could have been valuable to Knox. Perhaps this is one of the contributing factors to the fact that English reform was more episcopal in nature than it was in Scotland.
Mary Stuart took the throne of Scotland around the same time as Knox returned there. Knox had five meetings with the Queen. He was convinced that if she saw the error of the Catholic Church and converted, progress for Protestantism would follow. She resisted. She had mass served privately in her quarters. There is a famous confrontation between the two of them where Mary demanded of Knox: "What are you in this commonwealth?" Knox answered:
"A subject born within the same, and although I am neither earl, lord or baron in it, yet God has made me a profitable member in the same, and both my vocation and conscience require plainness of me."
That was quite a democratic-sounding response in an age of monarchy. Ultimately, however, Mary's downfall was largely at her own making. Her cousin Elizabeth had her executed eventually, and Scottish reform continued in the Protestant direction.
I found it quite interesting the effect women had on the course reform despite the fact that women were not powerful within the Church. Women do influence things for good and for bad, even if it is in subtle ways. I continue to find it interesting how very important political alliances were for the Church at this point in history. We here in 2009 squirm at the prospect of our governments stalling religious reform. And yet, it seems as if they are getting involved in such things again, although indirectly, through "hate crime" legislation and the protection of "civil rights." It's kind of daunting to think about.
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