Yet another reason why Twitter scares the liver out of me

I don't have Twitter, but I do follow the offerings of a few of my favourite bloggers who have generously put their "tweets" in their side bars. I like to hear about some of the other things they have to say that they wouldn't normally put on their blogs.

Recently, as I was checking out someone's recent "tweet" I took note of one the "tweets" of another Tweet-er, one whom I don't really know. I checked out that individual's Home Tweety thing, and I was astounded. Not only was I astounded by the amount of tweeting, but I was astounded because it was totally incomprehensible to me. The jargon and abbreviations that this individual needed to use in order to create something that came in under the character limitations was truly a verbal feat. However, I had no idea what they meant AT ALL. My son informs me that many of the abbreviations people use on Twitter are fairly understood among them all. He does not have Twitter; he's just in the know, I guess.

I guess it's kind of funny. But it does unnerve me a little when people use language in that way, because popular trends have a way of infiltrating everything, as is the case with words like that word that used to mean happy but now means something else entirely (pardon me while I don't use that word and prevent anyone who is looking for such a phrase from finding my blog using the almighty Google). Shortened forms, abbreviation and spelling machinations somehow manage to find their way into our language. I mean, look at the word "favour." Here in Canada and over the pond in the UK it is spelled with the "u" in it. South of the border, it is spelled "favor." I'm kind of thinking that at some point, that word in English had one spelling, but eventually ended up with this dual identity. I'm sure if I delved into the history of language (which would be a fascinating study) I could maybe determine why that happened. The point is that language changes and it changes not because there is a big "Language Change Committee" somewhere out there, but because people use language.

There was a day when people were image driven as opposed to word driven. It was back in those days when almost everyone was illiterate. It was back in the days when people could be controlled by anyone who had the power to read and write. It was back in the days when men in pulpits could say that the Bible said something that it really did not say, and could convince the majority of the listeners. Sometimes, I can't help but wonder if we are moving full-circle back to an image driven world. Television kind of started us off, and its cousins continue to move us quicker and quicker into more and more dependence on the image.

Literacy is good. Is there a new literacy coming upon us in the form of these internet-speak situations? Will I, lover of literacy that I am, end up being illiterate on the internet some day? When will these jargon type things find their way into other media, like books? Will the Oxford English Reference Dictionary some day have an entry for the words like "bgns" or "cn?" Is this all out warfare against the mighty vowel? Will there be a new "accent" developed because when we start to say these words, we will eliminate the vowel sounds?

All that to say this: I'm so glad that there are people using Twitter who still take the time to speak English with some correctness.

In All Things Give Thanks

Carl Trueman has put together another insightful piece at Reformation 21. Here is a snippet:

When I see Christians blogging so much, I wonder how many sermons are being prepared on the fly because of lack of time, how many parishioners go unvisited, how many prayers remain unprayed, how many words of love and affection to spouses and children are never said, how many books - let alone the Bible - are left unread, and how many fellowships atrophy through lack of any real, meaningful social and spiritual intercourse. Indeed, to summarize: how many online `communities' (sic) prosper to the detriment of the real, physical communities into which the Lord has placed each and every one of us? How many complain of insufficient time to do the boring routines of the Christian life - worship services, Sunday School, visiting the sick and the aged, fellowship, Bible reading, prayer - and yet always somehow manage to fit in a quick twitter or blog or podcast or change to their Facebook status?

I read this article when I got home from youth group on Tuesday night. Upon finishing it, I closed my Firefox window, shut down my computer, and went upstairs to read.

Today, I am thankful for the things on the internet that make me think.

The year of the biography

So, I've been thinking about Christmas. It's always a good time to pick out a book for a gift suggestion. I've been thinking a lot about biographies since I finished the two volumes on D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. I'm sure I enjoyed them so much because Iain Murray writes so well. At any rate, beginning in January, I wouldn't mind reading some biographies. I have a few in mind. I don't know if I'll finish them all because real life tends to interrupt reading. I realize that this is a very ambitious list. I've chosen some that I hope to borrow from the library.

John Newton, by Jonathan Aitken. I already own this volume, and got half way through before something caused me to stop reading.

Something about John Calvin. I am not sure which biography I will read yet. There are some good recommendations. I'll probably chose from the selection at Monergism. I use the site so much, I like to buy my books from there if I can.

The Shadow of Heaven: The Life of Lester B. Pearson, by John English. Pearson was the Prime Minister of Canada from 1963-1968. In 1957, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his involvement in solving the Suez Canal Crisis. I have always found Pearson interesting, and it is no doubt because of the author of the book. I had Dr. English as a professor of history when I was in university and I liked him very much.

Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser. A number of years ago, my aunt bought me a book called The Wives of Henry VIII by Fraser, and I loved it. Fraser is quite a popular writer, so I hope I can find this volume at the library.

Mick, by Peter Hart. This is a book about the Irishman, Michael Collins, who fought for the freedom of Ireland first in the Easter Rising in 1916 and was later part of Ireland's becoming a Free State. He was assassinated in 1922. About five years ago, I read a book about him by Tim Pat Coogan, who also wrote a very large volume about Eamon deValera which I also read. This newer book is supposed to have been put together using more and better research. I've had this book on my shelf for about three years and have yet to read it.

The Life of Elizabeth I, by Alison Weir. Weir writes "popular" history, which I think may be a code word for "light." I don't really mind. I am fascinated with Elizabeth I, and I'm sure there are lots of volumes out there. What I like about Weir is that she is English and she has a love for history. If I want to read a more "academic" volume on Elizabeth some day, I will.

Here I Stand, Roland Bainton. There are lots of volumes about Martin Luther, but I think this one is the most accessible. I listened to a lecture by Carl Trueman about Luther, and in that lecture, he gave suggestions for various biographies, and he said this was a good one to begin with.

Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor, D.A. Carson. I've read more than one review of this book, Rebecca's being the first. Since then, I've wanted to read it. This is about Carson's own father, a man who was a pastor in Quebec.

Jonathan Edwards, Iain Murray. I just have to read another volume by Murray, and I have never read much about Edwards, so I think this will be a good addition to my list.

In All Things Give Thanks

Today, I am thankful for music. I can't imagine a life without music. Now, some music is just a lot of noise, but for the most part I like a lot of different music.

Our house has music in it every day. When the boys are off to school and work, I have music playing, whether it is from my iTunes library or from the radio via my iTunes. I love CBC Classical, and have it on quite regularly throughout the day. There is some reading that must be done in silence, eg. my bible, anything by B.B. Warfield or John Frame. But throughout the day, I have music on. When the boys are home from school, I don't because their music fills the house.

Their music is either of their own making or from their rooms. Yesterday, when he came home, my older son was doing something with guitars, pedals and amps that required running this through that to get a certain sound. I listened attentively to his description, but didn't quite get it all. I will say, though, it sounded good. He's quit a perfectionist and I hear the same riffs played numerous times. He records them and plays them back.

After he finished with that, my other son practiced his piano, which involved a new arrangement of "In the Bleak Midwinter" that his teacher gave him. He also practiced "Clair de Lune," by deBussy, which really isn't something he's doing with his teacher; he just likes it. He says his favourite composer is deBussy. That is cool. My son has a favourite classical composer. I like my kids to enjoy a variety of music. After supper, he went downstairs to practice his trombone. Number 1 son was back upstairs, this time with the other guitar player from his band. On Friday night, they are playing a show at a local drop in centre which is run by the Southwestern Ontario Youth For Christ. They weren't having full band practice, but rather got together to pick their sons and practice some harmonies. The two of them are collaborating on a new song that I think involves protesting against wars and guns (there is a line in the song that uses the phrase, "shot gun"), and I heard that.

There is a lot of musical tastes in our house, which makes things interesting. My daughter has a huge library on her iTunes, ranging from The Black Eyed Peas, to Barbara Streisand, The Tallis Scholars, and recently, Meatloaf. I told her that I had really had enough of Meatloaf when he originally did that music, so I'm not as thrilled about it as she is.

Music is attached to memory, emotion and experience. It regularly provides the soundtrack for our worship. I just love to hear it played by my family and ringing out through the house.

I'm just sayin'

There are things that can be difficult because men and women are different. We think differently. That's okay. Because there are big differences in our thinking, husbands and wives will disagree. There are things about me that are totally maddening to my husband, and after almost 23 years of married life, confuse him to no end. The same can be said for me.

Now, when one has two teenaged sons, she confronts the reality that her sweet little boys will indeed become men. It is comforting to know that they are there to remind me about the fact that, like their father, they think differently than I do. It's not fair though; my husband should have to find out what it's like to be the lone male in an female dominated home. And the warty old Beagle doesn't count as a female.

When the other female in the house is safely tucked away at school with her nose in John Milton and John Donne, the lone female in the house may find this testosterone-laden abode occasionally wearying... but I will work not to complain, because soon, they will be gone and I will miss them.

That poem I quoted earlier, by Pearse, has a line that is oh, so true... "Lord, thou art hard on mothers ... "

In All Things Give Thanks

I am thankful today for the fact that my daughter's health seems to be improving. She tends toward respiratory infections. I'm not sure why; there really isn't a family history or anything like that. However, it seems that every fall, she gets a cold which turns into an episode of bronchitis. This year, it began at the beginning of October. A trip to the university health centre gave her a diagnosis (again, like last fall) of asthma. Our family doctor has never concurred with that. She knew what she needed; antibiotics. By the time it came to a crisis, with a fever and chills, it was pretty bad, and it resulted in me making a very last minute trip to get her from school to bring her home for an appointment at our family doctor's clinic. Diagnosis? Bacterial infection requiring antibiotics.

The trouble is, though, that once the bronciole passages get stressed, it may take a while to get feeling good again. I think she may have contracted a virus subsequent to the original onset, but at any rate, as recent as last Saturday, the poor thing, with a heavy course load and working two nights a week, was fairly miserable. I told her to take the topical steroid inhaler that the university health clinic prescribed. A few years ago, I had a very bad case of bronchitis and the doctor prescribed that to me and it helped.

As of yesterday, she seemed to be on the mend. She's coming home this weekend, something else I am thankful for, so I plan to spoil her with some home cooking.

Check out more thankfulness at Rebecca's.

A post in which I show my usual skeptical self

Is there a word for a female curmudgeon? I mean, one that isn't totally nasty and unflattering? I can think of a lot of nasty descriptives for the fairer sex, but nothing that equals the "curmudgeon."

I think I may be one of those.

I know that it is a pre-requisite for all Christian bloggers to love Challies.com. He is a prolific blogger, and he writes good book reviews. I actually was very disappointed when I could not find a review of the book Heaven on his blog, because I knew if he did one, it would be good.

Anyway, in the blog circles where I skim around, I have been informed in several places that Tim Challies will be featuring a new blog at The Gospel Coalition (one of my favourite places!) where he will read and review all of the New York Times Bestsellers, non-fiction variety. The Thirsty Theologian (another of my favourite places) tipped me off to this originally. You can check out the details here.

The thing that immediately ran through my mind was this: the Best Sellers List talks about the books people are buying the most, but does that mean they are the best books? I guess for the purposes of Mr. Challies' project, i.e. lessons for culture and worldview, those would be a good measuring stick. However, for myself, (and who cares what I think, Tim Challies I am not) the Mrs. Curmudgeon (or snob, perhaps) in me can't help but wonder if the most popular books are the best books to read. Think about the Christian publishing world. Are the most popular books the best books? Walk into the local Christian bookstore and have a peek at what the top sellers there are and you may be surprised.

Another thing that I thought about was the absence of reading fiction. Mr. Challies commented in his post that he felt that non-fiction offered a better picture of what the culture is like. I am wondering how far one could take that. Let's take the Industrial Revolution, for example. We can read about the fact and figures of it, but does not Dickens provide a glimpse into the perceptions of the time around him? The novels of Jane Austen will not give us a history of the class system in England in the 17th Century, but her stories represent very well a view of that system through the eyes of someone who was inhibited by its dictates. One of the courses I took in university was British History Since 1603; we read a few novels and discussed how they reflected the mindset of the times. When I was homeschooling, I learned that studying history through literature adds a wonderful dimension. Of course, we don't ignore the non-fiction books, but writers live in the very times in which we study. To see how they portray their worlds through fiction, is, I think a valuable thing. I think it rounds one's study of history out to read the fiction of the time. However, one certainly cannot read everything, so one must choose.

I guess I am a skeptic, because when someone tells me I "must" read a book, I generally think twice. That being said, I'm sure that the new blog chronicling this adventure will be a huge success. Readers love to read about what others are reading and Mr. Challies certainly knows how to write a good book review

Now, if someone can figure out a good name for a female curmudgeon, I'll take it.

Okay, on to Poetry Wednesday.

This piece of verse was written by a gentleman named Padriac Pearse. If you want to know who he is, you have to have a look into the history of Ireland at the beginning of the 20th Century. To understand the significance of the poem, you would have to have a little idea of what was happening in Pearse's life when he wrote the poem. Pearse was a participant in the Easter Rising of 1916. This poem, called "The Mother," at the request of his own mother, was written before he and his brother went to fight in the Rising:

I do not grudge them; Lord, I do not grudge
My two strong sons that have seen go out
To break their strength and die, they and a few,
In bloody protest for a glorious thing.
They shall be spoken of among their people,
The generations shall remember them,
And call them blessed;
But I will speak their names to my own heart
In long nights;
The little names that were familiar once
Round my dead hearth.
Lord, thou art hard on mothers;
We suffer in their coming and their going;
And tho' I grudge them not, I weary, weary
Of the long sorrow -- And yet I have my joy:
My sons were faithful, and they fought.

In All Things Give Thanks

This morning, I am thankful for my little workspace. I love to rise early in the morning to read and have my prayer time, but it is dark when I get up. I love this time of the morning, when the sun streams in through the window, after everyone has left for the day and peace settles back over the house.

I am so thankful that I have all of these treasures; books to read, a place to work and the time to do so. I am blessed!

Studying theology according to Luther

One of the struggles Martin Luther had was over the meaning of Romans 1:17:

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Once Luther came to a clearer understanding of this verse, his theology grew by leaps and bounds. His began to look at theology not from the scholastic view, a view which he called the "theology of glory" to a view of theology with grace and the cross at its centre. In that vein, he had three principles for studying theology. These are valuable for us today.

First, there was prayer. A theologian, no matter who he or she is, needs to be before God in prayer to be a theologian of any value. Secondly, study and meditation. That's a pretty obvious step. We cannot learn without study and meditation. His third element is testing. Dr. Calhoun puts it this way:

What Luther meant by that was that everything that happens to us teaches us to be a good theologian. All the doubts, turmoil, pangs, terror, panic, despair, desolation, and desperation that invade our lives help us to exegete the Bible. They help us to understand what God is saying. It is those experiences that enable us to become real theologians. Luther’s famous saying was, “It is living, dying, and even being condemned that makes a theologian, not reading, speculating, and understanding.” He said, “It is no wonder David was such a good theologian because of all he went through. He suffered so much that he could write the psalms.”

I think this shows us the proper place of knowledge and experience. It is true that simple study and meditation devoid of any personal experience or testing of faith produces nothing but a dry intellectual assent. Our lives of faith were meant to be experienced, but at their foundation is the prayer and study of Scripture that inform our experience. I thought this was an interesting element to Luther, and one I had not heard of before.

In All Things, Give Thanks

This morning, as part of Rebecca's month of thanksgiving, I am thinking about this verse:

For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you cover him with favor as with a shield. (Ps. 5:12)

I am thankful that God covers the righteous as with a shield. I am thankful for that promise of blessing for the righteous. I am thankful that we can be declared righteous, so that we may receive His blessing.

Womanly Influences - 2

Last week, I talked about the influence of women with regard to teaching in local churches. Today, I want to talk about the influence we have in the spheres of our female relationships.

I must admit to having mixed feelings about female friendships. I know of women who rave about their female friendships, their "sisterhoods." They get together for spa dates and shopping and weekends away. On television and movies, women are depicted as calling one another up and revealing even their most intimate secrets to their girlfriends. They cry - literally and figuratively -- on the shoulders of their friends.

This kind of relationship frightens the daylights out of me, to be honest. While I have always felt a certain amount of insecurity because I don't have friendships like that (after all, aren't I supposed to have friends like this?), at the same time, I have mistrusted them.

I will admit, however, to carrying a certain amount of baggage over this because of my experience with female friendships during my childhood and teen years. Plus, I have three brothers, and I learned very early that sometimes, boys make better friends. However, when I became a mother of small children, I learned that female friends were not such a bad thing. I did become re-acquainted with some of the reasons why I had avoided them, but being older, I knew how not to let those things control me. I have also come to see that the friendships between Christian women are not necessarily easier or better than those with unbelieving women. But these relationships exist, and that is indeed a sphere of influence that should be considered.

In Scripture, we have instructions with regard to how older women are to treat younger women, but the guidelines for female friendships are not explicitly described. Those exhortations are contained within the larger scope of how to treat people in general. I think that the best rule of thumb for how to treat our friends is to have our attitudes shaped by the simple injunction in Philippians 2:1-11.

There are, however, some practical ways that we can be a positive influence in the lives of our female friends, and I just want to mention a few. First and foremost, I think we can be the best influence by having a solid understanding of what biblical womanhood is all about. To be the best kind of friend to any woman begins with our first being well-taught in what being a biblical woman is all about. It is not about being a regular attender at every woman's event, although that isn't a bad thing. It's more about being a woman with a biblical mindset. Yes, that will involve study. So, my first thought would be to encourage our female friends in study of the Scriptures; solid study through resources that focus on the text and less on "feelings" or "issues." I have read a few "women" books and a lot of them sound like a sanctified episode of Oprah or Dr. Phil, and I don't think that is what women need. We need biblical content, not fluff. Why do people assume that women want that? Have we been led to think that we must want that?

Secondly, I think we can influence our friends by our relationships with our husbands if we are married. I have some single Christian women friends, and while they are not married, my life before them as a married woman is still an influence. It reflects my attitude toward biblical authority in my life, i.e. being submissive to my husband as Scripture dictates. With my married friends, I think it is even more important to be a good example of a woman who puts her husband first. I have noticed with some of my friends that it seems to be very easy to transfer allegiance to our friends rather than our husbands. I have done it to my own husband, much to his frustration. This is what I mean: I go to him for counsel and he advises me. I go and seek the input of my female friend on the same issue, and she gives me the same answer. I return to my husband and say, "Honey, this is what I think I should do." He looks at me blankly, thinking, "Isn't that what I said?" It is all too true that we often listen more closely to our female friends rather than our husbands. Now, this is not to say that our female friends don't have good advice, and sometimes, it will be better advice because there are just some situations that are better addressed by a woman. However, it can easily turn into a situation where we are more loyal to the "sisters," than we are to our husbands. That is a bad influence to have in front of younger women because it detracts from the primacy of the marriage relationship. It's also a negative example to younger women, including our daughters.

This means that we ought not to make a habit of choosing the company of our girlfriends over that of our husbands. There is definitely time and freedom to have fellowship with our female friends, but I don't think we should do it at the expense of our husbands. I think there is merit in asking our husbands what they think first and we should be willing to say no to our friends in order to be with our husbands. These days, if a man is seen as preferring his wife stay home with him, he is a brute and a control freak. I don't like brutes or control freaks and I'm not talking about an abusive man. But I have seen where women have neglected their marriage relationships in favour of their female friendships. There is nothing wrong with saying to our friends, "I want to spend the evening with my husband." It shows our friends that he is our priority. One of my closest friends has demonstrated this with wonderful consistency over the years. Her husband is clearly her closest friend, and she makes time for him. He has a busy job, and she works around his schedule, even if it means she doesn't see her female friends as much. I don't get to see her as often as I would like, but I love this about her, and she encourages me. My other close friend is pretty much the same. If I don't call her for a few days or she doesn't call me, neither of us gets into a snit. We just recognize that our husbands come first.

The third way we can influence our friends is through a similar attitude with our children. Especially as our kids get older and can stay at home on their own, it gets easy to drop everything to do something with our friends. Whether it is a fun event or even something good with our church, we should still make sure it is the wisest thing to do. One of the things I always did when my children were being homeschooled is that I did not make many commitments in the day. That meant if there was something for women in the day, I generally didn't go. I had made the commitment to homeschooling and I realized that it meant that I might be limited in doing certain things in the day. I don't think other women understood that. Sometimes, it meant not going to evening events, either, because I wanted to be the kids mother, not the teacher. That is one of the things people don't always know about homeschooling: mom needs to be mom at the end of the day, and that involves doing fun things when all the school work is done. Similarly, I have always made it a priority to make sure the kids got to their music lessons, and that often meant sacrificing time with my friends as I sat and waited for my kids.

My kids are older now, and a lot of other women wonder why I don't take advantage of their self-sufficiency. Well, they can stay alone, but sometimes, having my kids alone for extended periods is not always best. Teenagers may be able to stay at home alone without setting the house on fire, but that doesn't mean it is the best thing to do. Often, it means that when I come home, the house is in disarray, despite their efforts to prevent it. The simple fact of the matter is that the house doesn't run the same when I am not here. If I make a decision to go somewhere and leave the kids alone for a long period of time, it has to be worth the consequences when I get home. My boys like it that I am home when they get home from school. There are days, especially in the winter, when I have cookies or warm coffee cake and hot chocolate waiting for them. They tell me about their days. It is the comfort of knowing I am here that means something to them. My friends are all aware that this is a priority for me, and I want my kids to treat their own children similarly. We only have our kids at home for a brief time; we ought to make the most of it.

The last way I can think of with regard to these female friendships is the attitude we have with regard to our words. The reality is that often, when women get together, the speech issues run amok. Men bashing, gossip, complaining, and nattering are sadly, mostly, "women" issues. We can be an influence by not participating in these things. When we hear these speech patterns beginning, we can nip them in the bud by changing the subject. A good rule of thumb, I think, is to converse about ideas rather than conversing about people. It's the easiest way to avoid getting out of control. I don't say this because I'm always a model of controlled speech; I say it because I know this is my own weakness. One of the things that has been such a blessing over the past few weeks is the time my friend and I have been studying the book of Matthew together. Our two hours together is edifying, God-centred time that avoids bad speech patterns. I think the more we fill our minds with Scripture, the better our mouths will operate.

I don't have a huge circle of female friends, and I don't often get invited to the extra curricular woman activities. I think it is because during my homeschooling years, I was largely unavailable to them, and now, the pattern is set. But it is okay. I am blessed to have two or three friends with whom I have wonderful, godly relationships. We work at being a positive influence in to one another, and that is better than a lot of friendships that aren't.

Thanksgiving

No, not the holiday. It's a theme, and Rebecca is once again devoting her blog to it in the month of November.

Each day she will be sharing things for which she is thankful. It's really a wonderful idea. Usually, on Sundays, I post an excerpt from The Valley of Vision, but today, I think I'll just start off the month with my own thanksgiving. This morning, as I was reading Psalm 103, I was thankful for this:

He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities. (Ps. 103:9-10)

I am thankful that God does not deal with us according to our sins. That is an amazing, wonderful truth. He sees us through the blood of Christ.

Happy Reformation Day!

I wish when my children were smaller, I had emphasized this day more. We certainly participated in both trick or treating activities as well as "harvest" celebrations, but the term "Reformation Day" is not one I heard of in my local church. I first came to learn about this through teaching history in our homeschool. It's a shame, I think, that many evangelical churches don't see the Reformation as having any significance with their existence. We who call ourselves "evangelical" ultimately come out of the Reformation, but I don't think a lot of evangelicals see it that way.

Anyway, I have been reading about Martin Luther and hearing about him through lectures as well. I would like to read a biography of him at some point. Our public library used to carry Here I Stand, but when I looked for it last week, I could not find it in the catalogue. Probably some "well meaning" librarian suggested they get rid of it or not replace it in order to make room for other volumes that would be more popular. I think my church library ought to have a copy, but I also wonder if there would be an objection because Luther wasn't "baptist."

There are some things we should remember when getting the facts straight about Martin Luther and Reformation Day. Traditionally, we understand the date to be the anniversary of when Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the castle door at Wittenberg. Some are now claiming that he really did not nail them there, that it is an urban legend of sorts. I don't see that it matters what exactly transpired. It is certain, however, that those theses were published and distributed and mark the beginning of the Reformation.

What is important to remember about those theses (written in both Latin and German) is that they attacked something very specific, the sale of indulgences. Luther didn't have a well-developed plan of dissent in which he planned to dismantle the Church; he was just indignant over Johan Tetzel's sale of indulgences and he wanted to alert the Pope. Certainly, the Pope would put a stop to it if he knew about it. Of course, that wasn't necessarily the case. The Pope needed the money to pay for the elaborate St. Peter's Basilica, so the revenues from the indulgences were valuable to him. It was the subsequent reactions of the Church and the pro-Luther forces where things begin to get interesting. Luther did not intend to make a Protestant church; he was simply wanting to debate this issue of indulgences which he saw as cheapening the grace of God.

This one event would not have done what it did, however, without the proper preparation. God moves through redemptive history with a plan and purpose, and everything that needed to be established to make that act of Luther's what it was occurred prior to 1517. There were changes in Europe that made such an event potentially influential. First of all, there was the rise of nationalism. Countries began to see themselves as either German or French or Spanish. This nationalism was part of the reason why people objected to Tetzel's selling of indulgences. That money was being taken out of Germany and seen as lining the pockets of Rome. Loyalties were changing; Rome was not getting the allegiance it did formerly because people were becoming more loyal to their own countries. Along with the growth of exploration into new lands, this nationalism was making the world wider in the eyes of the people.

The cities of Europe were growing again after the huge numbers of deaths due to the Plague. As the population grew, the people flocked to the cities where the growing middle class provided opportunities for individuals. The economy was beginning to be a cash one and individuals had the chance to improve themselves. Luther's own father, who was a miner, had elevated himself to the position of a mine manager. The opportunities for advancement drew people to the cities. Large cities made the spread of new ideas easier. Big cities were also the places where universities sprang up and intellectual activity flourished. The Ottoman empire was growing and was making its way into Hungary; ideas from Byzantine scholars made their way into the cities where ideas could grow and expand. And of course, all of this was facilitated by the advances in printing. The printing press made printing cheaper and faster than ever before. This was a huge thing. I can't see how Luther's ideas could have spread as fast as they did without that piece of assistance. There had been men who had objected to the church prior to Luther (Wycliffe and Huss to mention two) but their ideas did not grow as fast.

The political situation also helped Luther. He was a favourite of Frederick the Wise, who ruled Saxony. When Luther wrote his 95 Theses, he was not sent off to Rome to be dealt with by the Pope. He was just given over to the Augustinians to answer for his actions. Even when things began to heat up and he lost the support of his order, he had the protection of Frederick the Wise which obviously helped him. He did not meet the fate of Huss or Savonarola, being burned at the stake.

Historical events always occur at the point of intersection of numerous things. It is a bit like piecing together a puzzle when one looks at the events that brought things about. The Church was corrupt; God needed to cleanse it from its corruption. Luther was a case of being the right man at the exact right time. God had obviously prepared him for that moment. I wonder if he ever dreamed that the way he spent his day on October 31, 1517 would shake the world as it did.