Dec 2006
Sophie Scholl-Another Great Movie available on DVD to rent or purchase
12/31/06 00:40
This
movie, Sophie Scholl, was nominated for an Academy
Award in 2005 for best foreign picture. It is a true
story about a group of young people in Hitler's
Germany in 1942-43, who formed a group called the
White Rose, and who sought to change public opinion
about the way things were going at the time. Two
characters are central, Sophie and Hans Scholl, two
students at the University in Munich. They work
together with others to seek to inform the public
about the war (especially the diaster at the Eastern
Front), about the government's acts of Euthanasia of
the infirm and mentally ill, and a number of other
things.
This brother, Hans, and sister, Sophie, were arrested for distributing this information and within 6 days were executed. The movie gives a wonderful picture of the bravery and commmitment of these Christian young people, during the last 6 days of their lives. It gives a wonderful picture of the Christian vocation of responsible citizen, even in the midst of danger and threat of death. The movie is a German movie, so you will need to read subtitles, but the effort is worth it!
This brother, Hans, and sister, Sophie, were arrested for distributing this information and within 6 days were executed. The movie gives a wonderful picture of the bravery and commmitment of these Christian young people, during the last 6 days of their lives. It gives a wonderful picture of the Christian vocation of responsible citizen, even in the midst of danger and threat of death. The movie is a German movie, so you will need to read subtitles, but the effort is worth it!
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Interesting new movie-Children of Men
12/27/06 12:19
There is
a new movie coming out, based on a novel by PD James,
Children of Men. At this time in which we are
celebrating the nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, the premise of this story is what happens to
a group of people who have lost the ability to
procreate. The movie has had some rather positive
reviews, although, being R rated it is not for
children.
Mark Steyn, author of the provocative book-America Alone, writes about it in his article in the Chicago Sun Times. Christianity Today also gives it a thorough review. Just some interesting reading and viewing for the new year.
Mark Steyn, author of the provocative book-America Alone, writes about it in his article in the Chicago Sun Times. Christianity Today also gives it a thorough review. Just some interesting reading and viewing for the new year.
A Note from our Deaconess Field Worker-Tessa Reed
12/07/06 19:02
Is
deaconess ministry new or has it been in existence
for some time? What do
you think? If you guessed the latter, you would be
correct; it is nothing new under the sun. Therefore,
before explaining what deaconess ministry is in the
present time, it would be best to give a brief
history of diakonia, the Greek word for service or
ministry.
At the seminary last quarter, we deaconess students were required to take Foundations of Deaconess Ministry, a history class on diakonia, giving us deaconess students a foundation for what we hope to do. What then is our foundation/from where did diakonia come? From the New Testament: Christ is our motivation and model, the perfect, sinless servant (John 13).
In the New Testament we also read about women such as Phoebe, Lydia, Priscilla, Dorcas, Peter‚s mother-in-law and others. For Phoebe, the apostle Paul referred to her as a diakonos, the masculine Greek word for servant (Romans 16:1). In the 300s & 400s, deaconesses served by aiding in female baptisms, and also were catechists of the newly baptized sisters in Christ and helpers of the poor.
As time progressed the service of deaconesses had its highs and lows/its near extinctions and revivals, all according to the needs of the times. Greatly jumping ahead, the golden age of deaconess ministry in the Lutheran Church, if you will, began in the mid-1800s spreading all over Europe and eventually beyond, even into the U.S. where today you may still run across a deaconess hospital here or there. You can probably guess then at this time deaconesses primarily served at nurses who provided both spiritual and physical care for their patients. But not only as nurses, deaconesses during this time also served as educators, parish workers, ministers to the poor, homeless, orphaned, mentally handicapped and so on.
As you can see, this is but a brief summary of an interesting history, a history that remains somewhat disclosed to our present LCMS, but seems to be once again in the process of renewal.
In Christ,
Tessa
At the seminary last quarter, we deaconess students were required to take Foundations of Deaconess Ministry, a history class on diakonia, giving us deaconess students a foundation for what we hope to do. What then is our foundation/from where did diakonia come? From the New Testament: Christ is our motivation and model, the perfect, sinless servant (John 13).
In the New Testament we also read about women such as Phoebe, Lydia, Priscilla, Dorcas, Peter‚s mother-in-law and others. For Phoebe, the apostle Paul referred to her as a diakonos, the masculine Greek word for servant (Romans 16:1). In the 300s & 400s, deaconesses served by aiding in female baptisms, and also were catechists of the newly baptized sisters in Christ and helpers of the poor.
As time progressed the service of deaconesses had its highs and lows/its near extinctions and revivals, all according to the needs of the times. Greatly jumping ahead, the golden age of deaconess ministry in the Lutheran Church, if you will, began in the mid-1800s spreading all over Europe and eventually beyond, even into the U.S. where today you may still run across a deaconess hospital here or there. You can probably guess then at this time deaconesses primarily served at nurses who provided both spiritual and physical care for their patients. But not only as nurses, deaconesses during this time also served as educators, parish workers, ministers to the poor, homeless, orphaned, mentally handicapped and so on.
As you can see, this is but a brief summary of an interesting history, a history that remains somewhat disclosed to our present LCMS, but seems to be once again in the process of renewal.
In Christ,
Tessa