Bryn Athyn Church College of the New Church 1999

Vol. CXIX     March, 1999     No. 3

     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS
     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
     __________

Stairway to the Lord
     A Sermon on Genesis 28:13, 14
          Andrew J. Heilman     99

Reflections on the Divine Providence (3)
     Frank S. Rose     105

Africa
     Alain Nicolier     107

Are the Writings a Covenant?
     Erik Sandstrom, Sr.     112

In Our Contemporaries (The Spiritual Substance Debate)          122

Thoughts about Membership with the General Church
     Michael I. Sandstrom     124

Editorial Department
     Coincidences in the Word          131
     More on An Open Door          132
     A Literary Smorgasbord          133

Communication
     Gender Issues
          Vera P. Glenn     136

Academy of the New Church Calendar          139

Announcements          140

An Invitation from the Display Committee for Assembly 2000          142

Vol. CXIX           April, 1999               No. 4
New Church Life
     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

Prophecies of the Coming King
          A Sermon on Zechariah 9:9                          Thomas H. Rose      147
The Vision for the New Century                          Tatsuya Nagashima      153
Swedenborg Foundation Sesquicentennial                                    159
Resurrection Address for Philip N. Odhner                     Dushan Sever      161
Assembly 2000                                    Michael D. Gladish      165
Reflections on the Divine Providence (4)                     Frank S. Rose      166
Eldergarten 1999                                    Sylvia Gladish      167
Review: Letters from the Heart                          Leon S. Rhodes      169
Editorial Department
     Do Animals Think?                                              170
     Coincidences in the Word (2)                                    171
     "As We Sit Around This Table"-Swedenborg Foundation Anniversary           172
Communication
     The Mission of the General Church                     David Lexie           174
Early History of Swedenborgian Churches in Kitchener, Ontario,
     Canada                                    Paula Roschman Niall 178
Report of the Council of the Clergy                          Judith M. Hyatt      184
Report of the Editor of New Church Life                     Donald L. Rose      185
Announcements                                                                  186
Information on General Church Places of Worship                               188

Vol. CXIX          May, 1999               No. 5
New Church Life
     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
     Obtaining Conjugial Love
     A Sermon on Genesis 1:26, 27                     Frederick M. Chapin      195
Sex and Violence                                    Jeremy F. Simons      201
Review
     Facing Fears . . . Finding Happiness-A Way of Life           Richard Keyworth      207
Early History of Swedenborgian Churches in Kitchener,
     Ontario, Canada (Conclusion)                     Paula Roschman Niall 209
General Church Treasurer's Report
     Highlights from 1982-1998                          Neil M. Buss           220
Editorial Department
     Do Animals Think? (2)                                         228
     Coincidences in the Word (3)                                    229
Communications
     On Gentleness and Punishment                     M. A. Terre-Blanche      230
     Gender Issues                               Mary W. Griffin      232
     Ambition                                   Ian Johnson           233
College/Theological School Summer School                               234
Church News                                                   235
Announcements                                                        237

Vol. CXIX          June, 1999               No. 6
New Church Life
     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
     Why Should I Read the Memorable Relations?
          A Sermon                                    Derek P. Elphick      243
On Marriage
          An Address to the Council of the Clergy                Jake M. Maseko      249
The Remarkable Volume II of the Latin Arcana                Edward Cranch      255
Reflections on the Divine Providence (5)                     Frank S. Rose      259
About Dying                                        Leon S. Rhodes     261
Worship Services at Assembly 2000                                    265
Editorial Department
          If Animals Could Talk                                         266
          Congratulations to John Elliott                                    269
          Coincidences in the Word (4)-Before You Even Ask                     270
Communications
     Ambition                                   Ian Johnson           272
          A New Translation                               Carl Gunther           272
          A Perversion of What?                          Patricia Rose           274
          Are the Writings a Covenant?                     Erik E. Sandstrom      277
Church News                                                   282
Announcements                                                       284

Vol. CXIX     July, 1999     No. 7
     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS
     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
     __________

Power to the Weak
     A Charter Day Address
          Philip B. Schnarr     291

Declaration of Faith and Purpose
     Alfred Acton II     297

Phenomena, Time and the "I Am"
     Kent Rogers     299

Descent of the New Jerusalem
     Steve McCardell     305

A Trine in Life
     Norman E. Riley     311

Reflections on the Divine Providence (6)
     Frank S. Rose     314

A Contrast
     Richard R. Gladish     316

Review
     The Woman Clothed with the Sun
          Jeremy F. Simons     318

Power in Ultimates
     Raymond B. David     320

Editorial Department
     An Animal Knows a Lot          324
     Coincidences          326
     Human Faces and Population          327

Communications
     The Apocalypse
          John Kane     328
     Aim, the Workbook
          Sharon Holmes     328
     Death of Dr. Philip W. Groves
          Bill Hall     329
     New Translation
          Jonathan S. Rose     330

Announcements          334

Vol. CXIX     August, 1999     No. 8
     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS
     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
     __________

The Light of the World
     A Sermon on John 8:12
     Walter E. Orthwein     339

Reading What the Writings Say They Cannot Say (Part 1)
     Kristin King     344

The Language of Angels (Excerpt from a New Translation)          360

Reflections on the Divine Providence (7)
     Frank S. Rose     361

Editorial Department
     Miracles You May Not Even See          363
     If a Horse or Dog Knows Its Way Home          363
     A New Book about Hidden Divine Clues          365

Communications
     The Memorable Relations
          David R. Simons     366
     Understanding a Passage about Sodom
          Arne Bau-Madsen     368
     A Covenant to Live by
          Erik Sandstrom, Sr.     369
     Is It a Small Matter?
          Lisa Hyatt Cooper     376
     New Translation
          N. Bruce Rogers     378
     Ambition
          Ken Blair     380

Hosts of the Coming Assembly (Photograph)          381

Announcements          382

Vol. CXIX     October, 1999     No. 10
     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS
     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
     __________

The Inner Bond
     A Sermon on Luke 11:21, 22
     Douglas M. Taylor     435

Reflections on the Divine Providence (9)
     Frank S. Rose     442

The Wonderful Circle of Life and Love
     Lavina Scott     444

Commencement Address
     Wayne M. Parker     447

Memorial Day Address
     Brenna Synnestvedt     452

On the Wealth and Riches in the Writings
     Richard R. Gladish     456

Notes from the Swedenborg Society Report          457

Editorial Department
     Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Swedenborg          458
     Divine Love and Wisdom Mentions a Book of Nature          461

Communications
     Power to the Weak
          Vera Dyck     462
     The Implications of Sodom
          Lee Woofenden     465
     Adultery?
          Jeremy F. Simons     467

Announcements          471

Information on Places of Worship          473

Addresses of Church Buildings          477

Photograph of the New Church in Atlanta          479

Vol. CXIX     November, 1999     No. 11
     New Church Life

     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS
     REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
     __________

The Power and Presence of the Lord in the Holy Supper
     A Sermon on Genesis 14:18 and TCR 698
          Andrew J. Heilman     483

Church Governance Study
          491

Providence in Catastrophes
     Kurt P. Nemitz     493

Reflections on the Divine Providence (10)
     Frank S. Rose     500

Slavery
     Helen Kennedy     502

The Treasures of Spiritual Christianity
     Howard Roth     508

New Church Government
     Erik E. Sandstrom     516

Anders Hallengren in India
     Kapila Vatsyayan     518

Editorial Department
     Spots on Clothing and Changes in the Face          519
     Window to Eternity          520

Communication
     Capitalized Pronouns
          Steve Koke     522

Out of Silence
     Kara Tennis     522

Announcements          524

Vol. CXIX     December, 1999     No. 12
     New Church Life
     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

Watchman, Tell Us of the Night
     A Sermon on Isaiah 21:1 I
          Jeremy F. Simons 531
On the Use of the Term "Conjugial Love" in Translations of the Writings
     James Brush 537

Report of the Bishop to the General Church
     Peter M. Buss 541

Report of the Secretary of the General Church
     Susan V. Simpson 546

Local Schools Directory      551

Directory of the General Church      555

Reflections on the Divine Providence (II)
     Frank S. Rose 564

Editorial Department
     Searching in Tartary for the Ancient Word      566
     A New and Unusual Book of Quotations      566

Announcements      568

     Index for 1999      i-xii
     PUBLISHED BY
     THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
     Rev. Donald L. Rose, Editor
     Mr. Neil M. Buss, Business Manager
     PRINTED BY FENCOR GRAPHICS, INC.
     PHILA., PA 19111
     SUBSCRIPTION: $16.00 TO ANY ADDRESS. SINGLE COPY $1.50
     Second-class postage paid at Bryn Athyn, PA

     New Church Life
     January, 1999
     No. 1
     Vol. CXIX
     The college is now accepting applications for the Fall 1999 enrollment. They should be received by February 1, 1999. For application forms or further information please contact:

     Susan L. Asplundh, Admissions Counselor
     Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

     Phone: (215) 914-4819
     Fax: (215) 938-2658
     E-mail: [email protected]

     "People are capable of knowledge, intelligence and wisdom. Knowledge has to do with concepts, intelligence with reason, and wisdom with life" (Conjugial Love 130, translated by Rev. Bruce Rogers).
SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES 1999

SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES 1999

The new translation of Volume 1 of Spiritual Experiences, formerly known as Spiritual Diary, is now available from the General Church Book Center. Notes on This Issue 1999

Notes on This Issue 1999

     Ragnar Boyesen of Sweden says in his sermon for the new year that "there will be no act in our life that will not have some bearing on the life of those around us.
     Beryl Simonetti asks, "How can the gifts that women have to offer be more fully received in our church organization?" An interesting observation by Dr. John Chadwick in his preface to a translation of Conjugial Love is that the concept of the equality of women appeared in that book long before it became widely recognized. He wrote: "The fundamental principle of equality was thus established by Swedenborg long before it began to be asserted by the feminist movement." (See p. 36 of this issue.)
     Dr. Chadwick died suddenly on November 24th. Dr. William Radcliffe wanted to consult with scholar, and had a delightful visit with him, not imagining that he would die a month later. Bill sent us an account of that visit which we are sharing with people who knew Dr. Chadwick, and we have taken parts of it just in time to fit into the same issue which has some quotes from the prefaces by that productive translator.
     Rev. Erik Sandstrom (the younger) concludes his study with that saying from the Arcana that the Lord having put on the Divine Human "directs the universe."
     In this issue we are beginning a series of short reflections by Rev. Frank Rose.
     As in recent years we have not had enough church news in our pages, we are particularly glad to have the piece by Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr. on a building project in Glenview.
     Swedenborg wrote, "I heard that many have looked into my books on heaven and hell, etc., and yet have not been satisfied." These are remarkable things said in what we used to call the Spiritual Diary and now call Spiritual Experiences. These are quoted in the editorial on ways of receiving the Writings.

Books: We mentioned an Australian book long before it became available in the United States. That was Swedenborg's Mighty Contribution to the Welfare of the Soul. Well, now readers can enjoy that book, but it will be some time before we receive copies of the book by Norman Heldon called A Literary Smorgasbord.

SERVING THE LORD 1999

SERVING THE LORD Rev. RAGNAR BOYESEN 1999

     A NEW YEAR'S SERMON

"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matt. 11:30).

     Standing in the dawn of a new year, we are given by the Lord to reflect upon His precious gifts to mankind. We see the light of His heavenly sun shining ever so faintly on the horizon of mankind, while clouds recede to permit a new state to emerge. We reflect on the opportunities in the last year which became formulated in resolves, put into effect to serve others. Perhaps we are reminded also of those opportunities which were lost, through indecision, laziness or fear. We may let our eyes wander on the horizon of our mind and see that the Lord is ever ready to renew our states if we will but let Him be the Master of our day and this new year.
     If we are to look into the future, we can be sure of two things. It will carry with it the inheritance of all the years which have gone before, and we will have to resolve all those difficulties we avoided last year if the scales of time are to balance in our favor. The new year will also give us all those bright opportunities we need to see the Lord come with healing to our troubled world. Most certain of all will be the need for all of us to see the new year as a gift from the Lord, where we deepen our sense of responsibility to Him and to His church among us.
     The church is the Lord's kingdom on earth because it is here that He is present in His Divine law with those who are willing to obey Him because they understand and love His Word. It is indeed true that the Lord alone is the former of the church among men. Yet all establishment and maintenance, and even development of the church among men, requires human cooperation. Every one of us who has seen the uses of the church, experienced its blessings, and hoped for its continued prosperity is responsible for its uses. These are, as we know, the uses of worship and instruction, appointed by the Lord for our continued benefit. How else are we to be affected by the truth so that we can resolve to live according to it?

Since true faith is action (see SD 2491), we will look to the Lord and ask Him what we can do for the church this year. Even though it may at first appear that the church does not need my little effort, the will to overcome this appearance and to look beyond for some service which can and needs to be done will bring us closer to experiencing the burden of the Lord, to feel that it does not weigh down, nor does it restrict freedom. Indeed, when the work is done, we will rejoice in declaring that the Lord's burden is as light as His yoke is easy.
It is this beginning realization of responsibility that is pictured in Noah's sending birds from the ark. The raven flying away is analogous to those thoughts of inadequacy we may have, thoughts of depression, of darkness, of uncertainty. The Writings call them falsity. It is simply not true that we cannot do something for the Lord and the church. As we persist in the attempt to find out what can be done, and how we best can apply ourselves to the needs of the church, the waters of falsity that surround our mental ark will slowly recede until one day our ship of knowledges will settle on the high mountain of spiritual purposes-when the individual sends out a dove, or rather the thought that true values come from the Lord and not from self. There will be gradual increase of this heavenly thought. First there may be an increase in self-confidence, giving a new sense of thinking and acting from one's own power. This is pictured by Noah's sending and receiving the dove back to himself. When the dove returned the second time with an olive leaf in the mouth, this pictures the first realization that true intelligence comes from the realization of responsibility, that new longing to do something which may return the Lord's bountiful mercy on us. When the dove does not return, this pictures how heavenly thoughts are sent out from the regenerating man, not for the purpose of returning to him by showing how great or powerful he is, but that thoughts of charity find a blessing in dwelling on uses for others and not dwelling on self. This new affection of charity was the drying of the land which made it possible for Noah to take his family out of the ark.

Likewise we will be permitted by the Lord to enjoy a similar freedom if we have wanted to respond to His Divine promptings. "The more present the Lord, the more free the man" (AC 905). When the Lord is present, man is to a greater extent in the love of good and truth, which makes it possible for him to act more freely, to respond better to the needs he sees around himself.
     When man is liberated from the temptations of hell, pictured in the ark tossed on stormy water, the individual begins to feel a new sense of purpose, to discover qualities in his neighbor that he did not see before. He feels liberated from the imprisoning thoughts of envy, revenge, covetousness and ill will. He sees his neighbor from the Lord and not from self. When he is free of the heavy burdens of hatred and conceit, he feels a new exuberance in bearing the Lord's burden. He will be "led by means of delights and his happinesses, and is loved and esteemed" (AC 905). To be led by the Lord is to carry the easy yoke and the light burden, "for My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
     The only difficulty we may feel in the new year is not with the Lord but with self. The feeling of lightness, the feeling of being made new by the Lord, will increase for us as we think about and resist our evils. As soon as we have made a beginning of a spiritual work, the Lord will help carry our burden. He will aid us in refraining from willing them so that we finally can turn away from them. This is meant by the Lord's words, "My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matt. 11:30).
     The only difficulty we will have in this new year is the feeling that swells in us from the proprium that the Lord's life is heavy to bear. But once we have made the resolve to follow Him in accepting new responsibilities, "the Lord's yoke is easy and His burden light because a man is led by the Lord and not by self just to the extent that he resists the evils that flow forth from love of self and of the world, and because the Lord then resists these evils in man and removes them" (HH 359).

     It is believed by some that to cast all burdens on the Lord is to give up all responsibility for thoughts, feelings or actions. It is true that the Lord bears our spiritual burdens. Yet He does not take them away from our shoulders, but rather He upholds us by giving us a new wisdom and the strength to endure. The Divine Providence never intends for man to be absolved from his responsibility of exercising his gifts of freedom and rationality. Neither will the Lord permit us to receive immediate revelations from Him on what to do in any given situation. He expects us to act as best we can. This will demand of us to think, to reflect and decide on what is best to do.
     If the Lord took away the need to act as best we are able, He would not lighten our load; He would remove our life. We are to do the work of living, responding, acting. If we so take it upon ourselves to act from Him, He will sustain us by flowing into our efforts with a new desire to learn, to understand and to love and do the spiritual truths in His Word. However much or little we may seem to achieve our desire to live according to the will of the Lord, let us remember that what He sees in our life is our effort to respond to Him. Our efforts to shoulder responsibilities are precious to the Lord because all genuine effort is an expression of freedom. We do it willingly because it pleases our Heavenly Father.
     The popular conception of freedom is the right to do as one pleases. Even evil men would enjoy such freedom, and if permitted to exist without limit, it would destroy society. Heavenly freedom is the unlimited right to seek the Lord in His Word, to compel oneself to live according to His commandments. True freedom consists in the right to do good voluntarily, to restrain oneself rather than to be restrained. We can say that so far as we assume the responsibility for preserving order in our own life, we enjoy true freedom. But to the extent to which we refuse to accept responsibility for governing ourselves, there will be an imposed government from without which will enforce order.

The influence you and I will have in this new year may perhaps not be great in the world. It may even escape the world's notice because it is so small. Yet there will be no act in our life that will not have some bearing on the life of those around us, and that will not have some influence on the future of the New Church. The establishment of true human freedom can be brought about in no other way than through the individual application of the truths of the New Church in the daily lives of New Churchmen. Let this new year, then, be a year of service where we will rejoice in the Lord's burden, that it is light. Amen.

Lessons: Genesis 8:6-19, Matthew 11:25-30, AC 950 APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TO THE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH GIRLS SCHOOL AND BOYS SCHOOL 1999

APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TO THE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH GIRLS SCHOOL AND BOYS SCHOOL 1999

     Requests for application forms for admission of new students to the Academy Secondary Schools should be made by March 1, 1999. Letters should be addressed to Mrs. Robert Gladish, Principal of the Girls School, or Mr. T. Dudley Davis, Principal of the Boys School, The Academy of the New Church, Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Please include the student's name, parents' address, the class the student will be entering, the name and address of the school he or she is now attending, and whether the student will be a day or a dormitory student. Completed application forms should be received by the Academy by April 15, 1999.
     All requests for financial aid should be submitted to the Business Manager, The Academy of the New Church, Box 711, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009, by June 1, 1999. Please note: The earlier the request is submitted, the more likely we will be able to meet the need.
     Admission procedure is based on receipt of the following: application, transcript, pastor's recommendation, and health forms. The Academy will not discriminate against applicants or students on the basis of race, color, or national or ethnic origin.
     Margaret Y. Gladish          T. Dudley Davis
     Girls School Principal          Boys School Principal

GENDER ISSUES IN THE CHURCH 1999

GENDER ISSUES IN THE CHURCH BERYL SIMONETTI 1999

     One Woman's Perspective

     How can the gifts that women have to offer be more fully received in our church organization? Why do many women in the church feel that they are not contributing all that they could?
     I was one of the signers of the petition that was sent to the Council of the Clergy in 1997 to ask that women be given a more balanced share in the leadership and direction of the church.
     Since then I have read with great interest the articles written by Rt. Rev. P. M. Buss entitled "Gender Issues, the Laity, and the Uses of the Church" (published in New Church Life in September and October 1997), and several other articles and communications regarding gender issues that have appeared in this publication.
     I would like to address what I see as two major misunderstandings concerning gender issues in the church, both of which put women at a disadvantage when it comes to being an influence in the decisions that are made. I believe these misunderstandings have crept in as a result of cultural bias rather than as an overt attempt to invalidate women. Here is what Bishop Buss has to say about this problem: " . . . [W]e live in a 'faith-alone' culture: that is, we live in a world in which the contribution of the intellect, the power of the spoken word, seems to have more influence than the contribution of love . . . " (NCL Sept '97, p. 391. All following references to what Bishop Buss has said in this article will be given as page numbers only.).
     This "faith-alone" culture has supported certain stereotypical views in the church of "what men are like" and "what women are like" which are not necessarily congruent with what is stated in the Writings. Two of these views that I have observed in action are:

     1.     Men are capable of unbiased rationality and objectivity.
     2.     Women who are truly feminine will not want or need to speak up in public.

     Where do these ideas come from? In what way are they misinterpretations? Could these views be modified as we look for gender balance in the affairs of the church?
     Let us first look at the belief that "Men are capable of unbiased rationality and objectivity."

The Objective Man

     As Bishop Buss has stated in the article cited above, the Lord gave men the ability to raise their minds into "a light in which women are not" (CL 165), and the masculine mind perceives things "which are above the body and beyond the world, it being to these that the rational and spiritual sight extend" (CL 168, as quoted on p. 394). He also mentions that "The main gift of the male understanding is its ability to separate itself from those things which its will loves, to see truth apart from those loves." After quoting more passages that are relevant, he states, "These gifts are 'by creation' and 'from birth'" (p. 397). All of these points seem quite clear. The possibility of misinterpretation arises only if we are not careful to emphasize that men have the potential for these abilities. We cannot assume that all men by virtue of their maleness alone are always objective in their pursuit of truth.
     I am afraid that men in the church have been taught, and believe, that they can easily become totally objective and can separate completely from any loves that may be present in them in order to find unbiased truth in the Writings. It is my opinion that no human being-man or woman-has ever been able to read the Writings completely objectively. Our culture and our assumptions get in the way. No one can detach completely from his or her unconscious assumptions and the affections that are associated with them: "Anybody can recognize that the basic assumptions a person makes, even when completely false, govern him, and that all knowledge and reasoning buttress those assumptions" (AC 129, Elliott translation).

     Then what does it mean for a man to detach himself from his loves and to have his mind lifted above them? I would suggest that a man would have to be at least partially aware of his loves before he can raise his sight above them. A person in the grip of unacknowledged anger or in active justification of some disorder cannot be rational. If a man remains unconscious of his loves or merely denies or suppresses them, they will color his thinking and affect the quality of his understanding. But if he can begin to see and acknowledge these things in himself he can consciously put them aside and use his rational and spiritual sight as described in CL 168. This is a man's special gift. A woman, even if she can acknowledge her feelings and affections, cannot separate from them in the same way.
     If men keep in mind that their ability to think in a detached way apart from their loves is a potential gift and must be developed with thoughtfulness, humility and self-awareness, women will be more likely to welcome their contributions.
     If, on the other hand, a man believes he is always truly objective, and therefore always "knows better" than any woman, he will believe that women should defer to him unquestioningly, and will not be open to the modification of his views by any woman, even his wife. If a man's mind is closed in this way, a woman will have a hard time deferring to what he sees as his wisdom, and she may rebel against it.
     To summarize: men may be capable of approaching an unbiased rationality and objectivity, but only if they are aware of the biases they have and the loves from which they need to detach themselves.
     Men are not always in that state of higher light that is described in the Writings, and they often recognize when there is a need to separate from their loves, affections and assumptions. What they may not always be able to do is determine when they have succeeded in doing this. I wonder if a woman might be able to contribute something in this situation.

     We read in CL 208:2 that a woman's wisdom "enters into [her husband's] inclinations and affections and sees, perceives, and feels them." Women are aware of human states and can perceive things about their husbands that the husbands are not always aware of themselves. Is it possible that one of the things wives can recognize is their husbands' difficulty in separating their intellect from their loves? Perhaps a woman can tell when a man is not being objective, when emotional involvement that he is unaware of may be getting in the way of rational thought and wise decisions. This might be an appropriate time for her to moderate his affections to clear the way for his special gift of sight.
     What are the means by which this moderation of affections could take place? A possible answer will be suggested as we examine the implications of the second stereotypical statement: "Women who are truly feminine will not want or need to speak up in public."

The Silent Woman

     In his articles about gender issues, Bishop Buss calls attention to what women accomplish in relationships even while they are silent. He states: "Women's wisdom operates quietly, even secretly, whereas masculine wisdom tends to be observable." He goes on to explain the important reasons why the wisdom of women is not seen. When a woman's influence is not intrusive, the freedom of her husband is preserved. "[A woman] touches affections in others, and they are not aware of it but respond in freedom. It is a sensitive type of leadership: the guidance of one who, through a gentle form of caring, disposes another to choose wise pathways. And when the other person has chosen them, he knows no otherwise than that he did it himself" (p. 403).
     I wonder if women are aware of what they are doing at such times. And I wonder if we use the teachings about women concealing their knowledge and exercising influence in secret to justify manipulation and deviousness.

If a man accepts subtle direction from behind the scenes-even if he is unaware of it-he does not seem to me to be acting in freedom.
I would like to suggest a different model for an influence which does not take away freedom. One of the most powerful and yet benign forms of influence takes place simply when one person is in the presence of another, and the helping or guiding person gives the other person complete attention. In such a case, the wife listens attentively and empathetically to her husband. If he is in confusion or making a difficult choice, he is thus given the opportunity to speak about it and to sort out the factors involved, and to arrive at a clear understanding of the issues which are being examined. Then a choice about a course of action becomes easier to make. And while a woman is using her perception and her gifts of understanding relationships as she responds to her husband in this process, she is not directly influencing him in a predetermined direction. Could this be a way in which a woman's influence is "silent" or "secret"? All she has done is to allow him to find his own answers by helping him to reflect on his own questions.
The unregenerate man can't be sure he is totally detached from his loves, as discussed in the previous section. In a similar way, the unregenerate woman can't be sure she sees exactly what direction her influence should take. Do women really know what their partners need? On this earth I would hesitate to recommend that wives attempt to influence their husbands from conviction that they (the wives) "know better." We do need to remember that the examples we have from the Writings are of regenerate couples in heaven. In our world, conflict and the desire for domination on the part of both husbands and wives are the rule rather than the exception. We need to take this into account as we search for ways in which husbands and wives can influence each other in helpful and desirable ways.

     Some passages from the Writings which might be considered in this context are these that apply to "faith alone" and to dominion: "Those who are in faith alone are such that they do not want to be led, but to lead" (LJ Post 170). " . . . within heavenly joy there is never any element of being pre-eminent over another, for insofar as pre-eminence occurs, hell is present . . . " (AC 1936:4). "Conjugial love is a celestial love, which is without dominion" (Cont. LJ 51e).
     Appropriate ways of interacting between men and women in this world may look quite different from the descriptions of ideal life in heaven as witnessed by Swedenborg. If we are not careful, we can apply these descriptions of heavenly life in ways that are not applicable in this world. A man could say to his wife, "Revelation tells me I am detached from my loves. I see from a higher light than you do. Therefore I know what is best for you!" And a woman could say to her husband, "Revelation tells me I am perceptive. I see your loves and affections, and I know instinctively how I should be influencing you. Therefore I know what is best for you!" In reality, what is going on here may simply be a struggle for control from a love of dominion on the part of both partners.
     There are many times when women can and do work sensitively, gently, and often in silence to achieve their goals. Bishop Buss has emphasized this aspect of women's contribution. But this is sometimes not enough. Sometimes they need to speak up and to be articulate about the human condition as they see it.
     Some people may say, "Don't women speak up enough already?" Yes, women do talk a lot. Most women talk more than most men, as any man will tell you when you suggest that women have been silenced. But the talk of women is often regarded as being mere chatter without much substance-not worth listening to in important matters. And women who feel excluded because they are not taken seriously may practice subterfuge because their experience leads them to believe that no other form of influence is available to them. This is reinforced for them when they read in the Writings examples of women's influence being secret and silent.

     But are women always to act secretly and silently? While Bishop Buss has emphasized this aspect of a woman's role, he has also brought out other aspects: "The inmost of a woman is the love of conjoining good and truth in use" (p. 394). And: " . . .[I]in much of life the woman plays the active part, because love is the active force. 'Women are born loves, but men, with whom they unite themselves that they may be loved in return, are receptions. Moreover, love is continually working. It is like heat, flame and fire, which perish if restrained from doing their work'" (CL 160, quoted on p. 395).
     When women are told that they should not speak up or take action, I wonder if they sometimes feel that they are "perishing" because of being "restrained from doing their work."
     There are many ways in which women have been effectively silenced in the church. In its beginning, the General Church was strongly influenced by the surrounding Victorian culture. Women were seen then as delicate, weak, hysterical, emotionally unstable, and illogical. At first glance, these qualities may seem to be quite compatible with the list of qualities describing the intelligence of women in CL 218: modest, peaceable, gracious, compliant, soft and gentle. So it is not surprising that the Victorian attitude is still a part of our unconscious heritage. But it is important to separate what is said in the Writings from those beliefs and attitudes in the Victorian culture which might suggest that society would be better off without the overt influence of women. I appreciated Rev. Eric Carswell's thoughtful examination of the teachings in CL 218 in his short article, "Growing Beyond the Natural Masculine and Feminine Approaches" (NCL March '98, p. 125). The response to this article seems to indicate that there is considerable satisfaction with the situation as it is now, with little desire on the part of some women to reach out beyond their traditional roles. But many women in the church perceive themselves as silenced-without influence.

And some men-and women-tell them that this is as it should be.
     The tradition that it is advisable and fitting for women to be silent has been reinforced by certain interpretations of teachings about "the secrets of the home." In CL 252, impairments of the mind that are reasons for legitimate separation are listed. One of these is "Having an unbridled urge to divulge secrets of the home."
     Not too many years ago it was assumed that a wife had no right to complain if she was beaten or otherwise abused by her husband. If she sought help outside of her family, she was disloyal and "divulging secrets of the home." The tradition of secrecy was particularly prevalent in homes where the abuse of alcohol was a problem.
     Another serious abuse which was protected by secrecy (and has only recently come to be talked about openly and dealt with appropriately) is the sexual abuse of children.
     In the past, things that have been thought of as "secrets of the home" have included secrets about physical, sexual and psychological abuses. Evil needs to be exposed for what it is. Calling these abuses "secrets of the home" which may not be divulged is actually the protection of evil rather than protection from evil. To be a silent enabler of abuses is not the proper function of a woman.
     Even if women would prefer to operate quietly and subtly, sometimes such gentle ways do not accomplish what is needed. In a world full of unacknowledged evil, women need to speak out about what they see and experience, and be articulate about the disorders they observe.
     Speaking out against abuses is only one example of what women might contribute in a more balanced organizational environment. What uses do we support? How do we arrive at suitable external forms and environments to support the uses we have chosen? How do we allocate our resources?

More feminine input might be of great value as we make these decisions.

Toward a Balanced Perspective

     If it is true that men are capable of unbiased rationality and objectivity, we might conclude that men, with their wisdom "which ascends to a light in which women are not" (CL 165), should make most of the decisions in their families and in the church organization.
     If it is true that women who are truly feminine will not want or need to speak up in public, we might conclude that they should be working gently and unobtrusively behind the scenes, influencing decisions indirectly where they can, but no more than what is appropriate for them.
     If these conclusions are indeed the result of misconceptions, what could we replace them with?
     Perhaps it is the province of men to study and reason from revelation about "how things ought to be." This might be balanced by women being articulate about their experience of "how things are."
     In the church, experience is often regarded as misleading and unreliable. Bishop Buss talks about "the efforts of the world around us to right the injustices between the sexes . . . . " But, "lacking the interior view of the sexes that the Lord has revealed, they will tend to be based on trial and error, on experience and on reflections from experience" (NCL Sept. '97, p. 389). This seems to imply that experience is not to be trusted.
     However, in the Writings experience is often mentioned as a valuable source of knowledge: "Experience itself dictates" (AC 4321). "General experience testifies . . . " (DP 217). "Supporting examples from experience vouch for the truth of this . . . " (HH 435). There are many similar numbers.
     Why is the experience of women so important? How is it related to their perception?

CL 168 states that: "It is masculine to perceive from the intellect, and feminine to perceive from love." Later in this number we read about the intellect's perceiving things that transcend the body and the world, " . . . while love does not perceive beyond what it feels." Here is the woman's strength: she perceives what she feels in a way that men cannot. This is why women can perceive human states (see CL 44).
     Many other factors are involved as well, but I would suggest that the kind of perception that women have in the natural world is based on attention and close observation: the experiencing of sense impressions and reflection on that experience.
     The Writings do not directly link perception with experience, but there are several numbers that seem to speak of a relationship between the two.
     In CL 173 we read: "An image of the husband is formed in the wife, and . . . because of this image a wife perceives, sees and feels in herself the things that are in her husband . . . . [S]he perceives from their communication, she sees from looking at him, and she feels from touching him."
     "Sensory awareness is nothing else than the external aspect of the power of perception, and the power of perception is nothing else than the internal aspect of sensory awareness . . . . What is more, all sensory awareness and all power of perception, seemingly so various, are related to one single general and universal sense, namely that of touch" (AC 3528). "Reflection is a mental looking at the disposition and nature of a thing, and from that reflection comes perception" (AC 3661).
     I would suggest that experience, and reflection on experience, are a large part of what women can contribute to a balanced view of the human condition. If this is true, it is necessary to acknowledge and include a woman's spiritual experience-her experience of reading the Word, prayer, and the influx she receives when she is aligned with the Lord's order.

Perception and wisdom can come from an integration of her spiritual and her natural experiences, as she reflects on them. A woman's perception is grounded in her experience and manifested through it. A woman cannot use her perception-cannot apply the truth she sees-except in connection with her experience.
     The reluctance to trust what our experience tells us comes at least in part from the "faith-alone" culture we find ourselves in. This culture is also a contributing factor to women's lack of trust in their own perception, and in the apparent lack of trust in anything other than revelation among many men in the church. Experience must be carefully evaluated, but it is not to be ignored or discounted.
     In the refusal to trust experience there is also a denial of the importance of perception. If it is not grounded in experience, perception has no basis. A woman's experience must be examined in the light of revelation-in the light of her husband's wisdom, in the ideal case-but, at least in this world, if you take away her experience you will also be taking away her perception. And if you tell her her experience is not to be trusted, she will conclude that her perception is not to be trusted either. And so we have many instances of women saying "I just knew that wasn't right!" But they didn't trust that kind of knowledge, and realized later it would have been better if they had. An example of this is given in Bishop Buss's article where he tells of reading about women who sensed the danger of acquaintance rape but didn't trust their perception (p. 400).
     Men rise intellectually and form principles from doctrine. They may conclude that "children should not be abused." But they may feel it is sufficient to make the proper judgments and hope the problems will go away in time. Often it is women who are not afraid to get messy and muddy, involved in the difficult areas where good answers to problems are hard to find. A woman from her experience and attention to detail says, "This particular child is being abused.

We have to do something about it now!"
     Men's contribution may be to determine "how things ought to be" from revelation. But that is not sufficient for a church or a society to live from. It doesn't seem to work to just make another study and to avoid action until we're sure we have it right! Without action there is no way to find out how the truth works. Truth must be balanced with good. We have to go back and forth, studying, applying, restudying on the basis of what we applied, and on and on-going from truth to good and back to truth again.
     In our "faith-alone" culture we tend to lose sight of the fact that the whole purpose of truth is to lead us to good, and perhaps the contribution of women is to point us in that direction through the wisdom of their experience.
     Both men and women need to work on closing the gap between "how things are now" and "how things ought to be." This can be accomplished only if both contribute in their distinctive ways toward solving the problems that we encounter in our daily lives.
     To achieve a better balance, I see two things that would be desirable. First: Bishop Buss in his article was wishing for women to be able to trust their perceptions in human relationships. If this is to happen, both men and women will have to be convinced of the value of the wisdom of experience. Men will need to listen to what women are saying, and to believe that what they have to say is of value.
     Second: women must not allow themselves to be wrongfully silenced. Often women who agree with our customs as they are now permit themselves to be dominated-to be silenced. Many of them are convinced that this is the orderly, feminine thing to do, because of the long-held tradition that they feel themselves to be a part of.
     A woman must not abdicate her responsibility to speak up from her perception, from the wisdom of her experience-to speak of what she perceives to be true. If she does not do this, she becomes a passive collaborator with disorders which need to be addressed.

Then she waits in vain for men to take the lead in situations which are in a province which is rightfully hers.
     To repeat some statements that Bishop Buss made in his article: "The inmost of a woman is the love of conjoining good and truth in use" (p. 394). She wants to apply the truth, with love, to the problems she sees before her. And " . . . in much of life the woman plays the active part, because love is the active force" (p. 395). How can women take an active and appropriate role? How does what the Lord gave to women find its way into a world in which most men are conditioned not to hear or appreciate it?
     Balance will not be achieved until men can give up the kind of domination that has come naturally to them in the patriarchal scheme of things, and until women can speak with assurance and with the conviction that what they have to offer is of value.
     Our "faith-alone" culture might begin to change if men could become aware of their tendency to dominate from truth and begin to listen more to love, and if women could refrain from abdicating their responsibility to speak, with love, the truth of their experience.
ACADEMY SECONDARY SCHOOLS SUMMER CAMP 1999

ACADEMY SECONDARY SCHOOLS SUMMER CAMP 1999

The 1999 ANC Summer Camp will be held on the campus of the Academy of the New Church in Bryn Athyn, PA, from Sunday, July 11, until Saturday, July 17, 1999. It is open to boys and girls who will have completed eighth or ninth grade in May or June of 1999.
Students will receive registration details at the end of March. We try to send to every eligible student, but sometimes miss someone. If you have not received the information form by the first week in April, or know someone who may need information, please contact the Summer Camp Director, Eyvind Boyesen. Call him at (215) 938-2690 or write him at Box 707, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

NEW CHURCH GOVERNMENT BY THE LORD THROUGH THE WRITINGS 1999

NEW CHURCH GOVERNMENT BY THE LORD THROUGH THE WRITINGS Rev. ERIK E. SANDSTROM 1999

     Introduction

     We enjoy saying, "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it." "All things of the church are from the Lord, nothing from man" (PP, Ps. 127:1). We accept that the New Church should be completely from the Word, and be governed by the Lord, the Divine Human. The Lord is the Word (see SS 47). The universal call is, "Now it is permitted to enter with the understanding . . . " (TCR 508). The Writings carry the understanding of the Word to us. Can we therefore examine how the Lord governs the New Church by means of the Word?
     The New Church descends from the New Heaven, seen as a city (see NJHD 1). This is the true image of how the Lord established the New Church in the world: The Holy City is the "New Church as to doctrine," and it descends "out of heaven from God," meaning "The Lord's New Church" (AR 896). All New Church government and functions on earth thus take their internal lead from the Heavenly Doctrines.
     But it is the Lord alone who governs: "In order that He might . . . govern all things, the Lord came into the world that even to ultimates, that is, even to flesh and bones, He might assume the Human and glorify it, that is, make it Divine" (AE 41).

Governmental Method from the Word

     Revelations relate God to mankind and are the Word of God. The risen Lord revealed the Writings. We begin by seeing how all revelators experienced the same two mental states:

The prophets . . . were in the spirit or in vision, also . . . the Word came to them from Jehovah. When they were in . . . vision, they were not in the body but in their spirit, . . . [and] saw things in heaven; but when the Word came to them, they were in the body and heard Jehovah speaking.

These two states of the prophets are to be carefully distinguished (AR 36; cf. Lord 51).

So we carefully distinguish vision and writing, spirit and body. So first, concerning vision: " . . . [I]n . . . vision the eyes of their spirit were opened, and the eyes of their body shut; and they then heard what the angels spake . . . and seemed to themselves to be carried from place to place, the body remaining in its place" (Ibid.). That's what happened to both the Old and New Testament scribes. Accordingly, nothing of the two testaments was revealed during vision, but only after vision had ceased, when in the second phase the words were "heard" or "dictated." This is the second phase, or writing:

[B]ut when the Word came to them, then they were in the body, and heard Jehovah speaking . . . . The Word . . . was not revealed in a state of the spirit or in vision, but was dictated to the prophets by the Lord by a living voice (AR 36).

Swedenborg affirms that this is how it happens: "I can testify that this is so from the experience of many years" (Ibid.). He too had his eyes opened, but then "returned into my natural state, in which every man is in this world" (De Verbo 4, CL 81e), and "wrote down the things that were seen and heard" (CL 81). However, when he tried to write from his own memory of angelic language, "it was impossible . . . . I could not utter nor describe them by any [angelic] expression" (De Verbo 4, 6). However, when "what angels were conversing upon" (De Verbo 6) came to Swedenborg from "the Lord alone while I read the Word" (TCR 779), then all "could be described [rationally] by words of natural language . . . . There is not any Divine arcana which may not be . . . expressed naturally" (De Verbo 6). All that angels know and talk about can be fully expressed.

Different Dictations

     So we can now discern some distinctions between forms of revelation. The Lord spoke prior to His first advent, which resulted in the Old Testament. It was dictated by the Lord as transflux (see AC 6371), but it came to the writers as "dictation via angels or spirits who acted for Jehovah, so that every word has a spiritual sense" (HH 254). The wording was selected exactly so that there was an internal sense in everything (see AC 1468e).
     He also spoke after His advent, which resulted in the New Testament. But the transflux had ceased at the time of the Lord's advent (see AC 6371). Now the risen Lord was the Divine Human, and His speech was the Holy Spirit. Nonetheless, "when the Lord was glorified, . . . after the resurrection, He taught . . . Divine truth . . . through angels and spirits" (AC 9818:14). Thus the New Testament too was dictated, and it too has a spiritual sense in every word (cf. AC 2900).
     By contrast, the Writings were not dictated by angels, but came "from the Lord alone" (TCR 779). The "transflux" had ceased. The Divine Human, now an "essence by itself filling the universal heaven" (AC 3061), spoke as the Holy Spirit. The Writings were " . . . revealed to me out of heaven" (NJHD 7) " . . . from the Lord alone, while I have read the Word" (TCR 779). It came from the Lord, because spiritual thoughts "are incomprehensible and inexpressible to a natural person, and these cannot descend or be put into any other form of writing or language" (CL 326). Only by being "filled with [the Lord's] spirit" could Swedenborg "teach the doctrines of the New Church from the Lord by means of the Word . . . , and publish them by the press" (TCR 779). To this end, Swedenborg, unlike all previous revelators, was " . . . granted to be in both spiritual and natural light at the same time," and could see the "wonderful things of heaven, while at the same time draw forth truths in light, and thus to perceive and teach them; consequently to be led by the Lord" (Inv. 52, emphasis added).

However, conversations held in heaven were "impossible" to put into human language (De Verbo 4). Thus "No angel . . . wished to instruct [Swedenborg], and no spirit dared! . . . [He was] taught by the Lord alone" (DP 135). When that is the case, then there is "not any Divine arcana which may not be . . . expressed naturally" (De Verbo 6).

Government according to the Writings

     Since the New Church is guided by the Writings, it is therefore clear how its government is from the Word, and "according to the understanding of the Word" (SS 76). The Writings supply the correct understanding of the Word: "Now it is permitted to enter with the understanding" (TCR 508). To understand fully how the New Church is governed, we must see the distinction between the Writings on the one hand and the two Testaments on the other. As made clear, angels were used to dictate the two Testaments, which are thus Sacred Scripture (see HH 254), while no angels were used to dictate the Writings, but the Lord alone (cf. DP 135), which is why they are Heavenly Doctrines. Yet both doctrine and Scripture are the Word:

Divine doctrine is Divine truth; and Divine truth is all the Word of the Lord; Divine doctrine itself is the Word in the supreme sense, . . . and from this, Divine doctrine is the Word in the internal sense . . . . Divine doctrine is also the Word in the literal sense (AC 3712:2).

     Both testaments obviously are the "Word in the literal sense," since their texts are constantly given an internal sense in the Writings. This internal sense is clearly what the Writings reveal: "At this day the spiritual sense of the Word has been revealed" (De Verbo 21). The Writings are thus "Divine doctrine, . . . the Word in the internal sense" (AC 3712:2).
     That means the Writings are not a continuation of Sacred Scripture, not a "Covenant" meaning conjunction (AC 665, TCR 730).

Angels and men are not conjoined, but "consociate" (AR 818, 946), "affiliate" (HH 304) and "communicate" (Inv. 44) with each other. Only Sacred Scripture "conjoins" with heaven, by means of its internal sense (HH 254). For the "internal sense is doctrine itself . . . , the same [as it] is in heaven" (AC 9380, NJHD 7; cf. AC 10400), and this "spiritual sense of the Word has been at this day disclosed by the Lord [because] the doctrine of genuine truth has now been revealed" (SS 25, emphasis added).
This disclosure and revelation is accomplished in and by the Writings themselves, as is clear: "At this day the spiritual sense of the Word has been revealed . . . in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, and in . . . the small works . . . being given to the public" (De Verbo 21). Here the Writings refer to their own publication as fulfilling the revelation of the internal sense, similar to TCR 779: "The Second Coming is by means of a man . . . [who can] publish by the press . . . . The Lord manifested Himself before me, His servant, and sent me to this office." Doctrine from heaven is now with us on earth. This fact alone must affect how the New Church is governed a bit differently from other entities.

Government by Influx: Three Forces

How differently? Government of all spiritual things operates by three influxes or forces from the Lord:

In everything spiritual there are three forces, an active force, a creative force, and a formative force.

The active force . . . proceeds from the fountain of all forces, which is the sun of heaven, and that is the Lord's Divine love . . . .

The creative force is the force that produces causes and effects from beginning to end, and reaches from the First through intermediates to the last . . . .

The formative force is the last force from ultimates (AE 1209:2-4).

It ascends "by these intermediates . . . from sensuous things of the body . . . to rational things" (AC 4009). The lower truth is then "adopted" by the higher good (AC 3995).

     So the creative force goes from the highest through the middle down to the lowest, while the formative force goes from highest right down to the lowest, and then up to the middle. This second formative force "modifies" the first creative force: "This is modification" (AE 1206:4). It steadies the ladder for the boss to climb down.
     Is this puzzling? Our ignorance is to blame. For it is precisely because man does not " . . . perceive how intermediates are governed from firsts through ultimates, that the Lord in order that He might thus govern all things, came into the world that even to ultimates, that is, even to flesh and bones, He might assume the Human and glorify it, that is, make it Divine" (AE 41). The Lord's advent illustrates a Divine formative influx by-passing "successive formations" of the creative force, and thus He came right "down to the ultimates of order," whereby the "First immediately rules and provides each and all things" (AC 7270), holding all levels together. That is why He could walk on water, could still the wind.
     That is also why humans find it hard to comprehend how God came onto earth. Thus at the Second Advent, these three forces are revealed and explained. The New Church incorporates both advents in its form of government. The Lord is the "Divine Word" which is Divine Truth as the "active force" from the spiritual sun. In the New Church this force is seen in all the ways the Word is given: worship, sermon, class, readings before meetings, the Lord's Prayer and prayers, self-examination and repentance, etc. We look up. This "active force" then becomes present in the "creative force" flowing through successive formations. We may recognize this creative force as a "New Church sphere" of innocence and friendship, camaraderie or comfort in a common cause.

A subtle hierarchy becomes almost tangible in the church: an active end gathers and orders causes on their own level, and arranges them to re-present the end on that lower level. The cause then does the same with effects (see AC 5131:3). The higher things are recreated in the lower, using the lower material, as ordered by the higher. It is the Alpha "speaking your own language" on the level of Omega. The Lord is called "All-in-all" since all things descend from Him (Ibid.). This creative force descends to keep its own order, such as in worship and class.
What of the formative force? There are councils, church assemblies, democratic methods of civil society, policing and discipline, spiritual-growth methods, also some school situations, and wherever leaders take charge. These are seen as examples of "formative forces" at work. They modify the hierarchy. An ideal from "on high" comes right down in a leader, who sorts things out but then leads toward a visible goal: the Word. People of various ages and interests join together and something new emerges from it. At such times, the formative force proceeds directly from firsts down to lasts, thence to intermediates. Active ends select and arrange last effects, adjusting or modifying them to fit under their proper causes. The Lord "goes to meet [man's truths] . . . and adjusts and fits [charity] to . . . [them]" (AC 2063:3). The Lord's name here is "the Most General Universal" (AC 6115:3). This process is one of fitting all things under a higher order. This process modifies the created hierarchy, but does not replace it.
This formative force strikes some people who are used to a hierarchy as upsetting. However, formative church activities need not be rebellions! Both the hierarchical creative and the modifying formative forces are ruled by the "active force" which is the Lord Himself, His Divine love out of the spiritual sun (AE 1209:2). That sun is bespoken in the Writings (see DLW 83-172). From active, via creative, to formative, the Lord is both Alpha and Omega. We turn to Him in all our activities, either from the start (creative) or fitted in at the end (formative). In all cases the church turns to the Writings for direction.

The Lord can bring order out of both joyful and challenging endeavors.

The Church One Level above Nation

     Since these forces illustrate a hierarchy in creation, also in society, it is important to see where the church is on this ladder. There are six levels of the neighbor which "ascend according to degrees in successive order, in which what is . . . superior is to be preferred to what is . . . inferior" (NJHD 96). Successive order means discrete degrees: "When discrete degrees are in successive order, they [are like] a column divided into . . . stories" (DLW 205). Thus these are like "the steps of a ladder, at the top of which is the Lord" (NJHD 91, AC 6819).
     On this ladder, the church is to be preferred above the nation! (see NJHD 94) Indeed, the church regards "the souls and eternal life of the people in its country" (Ibid.), which suggests that the New Church operates according to the country it is in. But the church is above the country and has its own internals and externals apart from national reference. There is an order for the entire New Church to follow, namely:

In the New Church there will not be any external separated from the internal, because the Lord Himself in His Divine Human, from whom is the all of the church, is alone approached, worshiped, and adored (AR 918).

     It is just because we worship the Lord in His Divine Human that there must be externals conforming to their internals. That means we turn to Heavenly Doctrine before turning anywhere else. National practices do not necessarily qualify for church use. For the church has its own internal and external. Its external form is set from the internal, not from the environment. So since the church internal is of doctrine, the life of charity, mutual love or the love of truth for its own sake, these are what set up their own externals of rituals, prayers and operating procedures. Unless worldly ways are first adjusted, they are rejected.

That, for example, is why we sometimes change the words of hymns to fit the internal sense, or why we do not have full democracy or congregationalism, since the Lord said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you" (John 15:16). The Writings supply the internals under which all externals should conform, voluntarily.
     This process of government is clear from the "washing of feet" principle, which means the same as "cleansing first the inside of the cup and platter": "The internal . . . is purified before the external, because the internal is in the light of heaven, and the external in the light of the world . . . . The external is purified by means of the internal" (AE 475:6,7). So we bring externals into line with internals, but not without kneeling! A higher order can either "trickle down" by a creative process or "percolate from below" by a formative modifying process. We can apply these to the two states of revelation mentioned above: vision and writing. The "vision" of internal things in the light of heaven can be carried down into the external "writing" in the world's light, and we can see "the former appear in the latter." Heavenly affections can be seen in someone's face! (AC 6125) Heavenly uses can be carried out in life. Then " . . . all things of the church are from the Lord, nothing from man" (PP, Ps. 127:1). The creative force descends into order, and the moderating formative force tucks in the edges to conform with the center.

Conclusion

     The way the Writings were revealed, and their nature as Heavenly Doctrine rationally stated in natural language, means we no longer bow to angels: "See that you do not do that" (Rev. 19:10, 22:9) means "there is not any conjunction of men with angels, but consociation with them . . . . The Lord alone is to be adored in consociation with angels" (AR 818, 946). Thus all who are "in the doctrine of the New Jerusalem" (AR 946) worship the Lord together.

Angels and humans kneel side by side. Clear ideas are the same for all, great and small.
The Lord's "active force" guides both of these ways. He is Alpha and Omega, Creator and Savior (see TCR 296). He alone is Governor. He came into the "ultimate" level of "flesh and bones" to govern, direct and reign over our salvation. From having "altogether put off the human from the mother" and having "put on the Divine Human, He directs the universe" (AC 2288e). "The LORD GOD JESUS CHRIST reigns" (TCR 791).
REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1999

REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE Rev. FRANK S. ROSE 1999

"The Divine Providence is the government of the Lord's Divine Love and Wisdom" (DP 1).

I was once talking with a woman who shared her doubts about the existence of God. I asked her if she saw evidence of love in the created universe. She said that she saw it in the warmth of the sun, in the tender care animals give to their young, in human kindness and nurturing. There is plenty of evidence of love in the universe. I then asked if she saw evidence of wisdom in creation. Yes, she saw it everywhere-in the intricate pattern of veins on a leaf, in the marvelous sequence from seed to plant to fruit and back to seeds again, in the marvels of the human body (she was a nurse). She could see that everything in the universe is from love by means of wisdom. I then explained that her doubts might be based on the fact that there are some things about life that seem very harsh, and even unloving. Before attempting to square these bitter experiences with our picture of God, we need to remember that the Divine love operates wisely. Sometimes the love is evident. Sometimes it is not.

There are aspects of life permitted by God out of wisdom because in the long run they lead to some good end. God operates according to principles of wisdom, or Divine laws. It is as if the Divine Love says: "I want to give the gift of life to others and share My love with them" and the Divine Wisdom answers: "These are the principles to enable you to accomplish this." The Lord runs the universe from love using wisdom, and this government is what is called "Providence."
     Implied in this is the idea that creation has a purpose, which means that the universe was created out of love. The love behind the universe is infinite-and so is beyond any idea of love we can grasp. Just as it is hard to imagine the intensity of the heat of the sun, so it is impossible to grasp the intensity of the love that resulted in creation. It is not just some blind energy or force-some overpowering love. That kind of love can be terrifying. We tend to avoid people who are affectionate but have no common sense. We can feel smothered by this kind of love. It is reassuring to know that the Divine love always acts intelligently, wisely and following principles of order. We live in an orderly universe, at the heart of which is love. When people doubt the existence of Divine Providence because they see pain and evil in the world, they are questioning how their experience can fit in with the idea of a loving God. Remembering that love operates wisely, we can then ask a different question: How does life as we know it fit in with the idea of a loving and wise God? Viewed more deeply, things that otherwise do not make sense might be evidence of a more profound love than we ever realized, and a greater wisdom than we suspected.
     Admittedly, it would be possible to find other things in nature - the harshness of the law of survival, the way in which some animals abandon their offspring at birth. Some have even talked of the "mistakes" of evolution, though many of the things that were at one time seen to be mistakes turn out to have a value not previously seen-like the function of the ductless glands in the body.

Now a loving and wise God would be just as concerned about the unfolding of the universe as in its original creation. It is a simple step to say that not only is creation an evidence of love operating wisely, but also that the way the universe runs reflects the same combination of love and wisdom. God is concerned about the way the universe runs, and this ongoing care is what is called "Divine Providence."
BUILDING ADDITION IN THE GLENVIEW NEW CHURCH-WHY WE ARE DOING IT 1999

BUILDING ADDITION IN THE GLENVIEW NEW CHURCH-WHY WE ARE DOING IT Jr. Rev. PETER M. BUSS 1999

     You may have heard that in the past few months the Glenview congregation has been considering a substantial building addition. On October 30 the membership formally voted to go ahead with this project. This news article is an effort to share with people in the broader General Church what we have decided to do and why.
     The thing about a building project of this size is that it causes a group of people to do a lot of careful thinking about why they would want to spend all that money. One of the useful things we have done as a congregation is to undertake a strategic planning process, which has helped tremendously to give us a sense of focus on the things we care about most. You won't be surprised to hear that many of our goals relate to worshiping the Lord, providing forums for instruction from His Word, continuing our efforts to teach children in our New Church schools, and sharing the teachings of the New Church with people in our area.
     When it came to an analysis of our facilities and how well they support these core uses, though, we discovered that we were lacking two significant things: first, a community auditorium in which we can hold services of worship and a variety of other functions, and second, a youth activities room to serve as a central forum for our expanding youth program.

(There were other things, of course, but these two rose to the foreground during the process.) What I hope to demonstrate here is that we are focusing on these two things because both of them relate directly to our goals for evangelization. We see this building as one significant element in our ability to reach out more effectively to the people in our surrounding community.
A Philosophy of Outreach. Our strategic plan includes the following goals which relate to outreach: "Achieve consistent growth of membership"; "Be of service to the community by addressing spiritual, social, and practical needs"; "Provide programs and activities that enrich and serve the lives of people of all ages"; "Expand and enhance our interaction with the surrounding community." The reason for mentioning these goals is that they indicate a relatively new trend in the field of outreach (at least for our General Church congregations)-outreach through congregational activities. The philosophy behind this kind of outreach says that people have needs which churches can address. To the extent that churches provide for these needs they will grow.
Now we should be careful to note that the most important needs we should be addressing are people's spiritual needs. Our primary mission is to turn people toward the Lord in their lives by means of the teachings of His three-fold Word. Nevertheless, many church-growth experts have realized that a powerful way of working toward this more spiritual goal is to provide many avenues of contact with the church community. If other churches have had success with this type of approach, why can't we? After all, we have more life-changing truths at our disposal than any other church. If we can provide people with the opportunity to come into contact with these teachings, to get to know some of the people who use them in their lives, wouldn't we expect a percentage of them to come to see the beauty and power of these teachings for themselves?

     The Glenview New Church is currently working toward an "outreach through congregational activities" approach. While we will continue to advertise, among other things, our central focus will be on providing programs and small groups which allow people to come into contact with our church community.
     Expanded Facilities. So how does this philosophy of outreach relate to our building plans? I'd like to mention three ways:
     1. Providing a structure which is newcomer-friendly. By "structure" here we mean anything we do which makes a new person feel welcome. This structure includes such things as welcome packets, pew cards explaining our services, signs directing people where to go, a pleasant campus which looks well-kept and inviting, services of worship which keep the needs of newcomers in mind, and many other things. Buildings are one facet of that structure.
     Worship is one of the key things we do as a church. As a result, many of our means of inviting people focus on our services of worship. We advertise our service times, and sometimes even the topics which will be addressed at specific services. Most people who attend our traditional service are more than happy with the church sanctuary as a suitable place for worship. It is a beautiful building, which effectively complements the liturgical service we have used in this congregation for decades. Unfortunately, the same is not true for our contemporary service. While it has been working to have this service in our gym, more and more people are realizing the aesthetic and logistical difficulties with this situation. Having a more attractive worship space for our contemporary service would be very beneficial in creating a structure which is newcomer-friendly-at least in terms of the physical surroundings.
     2. Drawing People to Our Congregation. A number of other activities could take place in this new building, which would bring people into contact with our church community.

Again, we're working toward an "outreach through congregational activities" approach. We are seeking to provide programs which could benefit the existing membership and include people outside our congregation. We plan to hold many of these events in the community auditorium.
3. Encouraging congregational support for outreach. Congregational support has to do with attitudes. It begins with an understanding that evangelization is something the Lord has called His church to do. It grows to the extent that people know what our goals are, share in those goals, and feel equipped to participate in ways that feel comfortable to them. A key reason for building this building is to provide for the future of this congregation. The project itself would serve as tangible evidence of our support for the growth of our church. Many aspects of the building have in mind the goal of welcoming new people who will find a spiritual home here. The entrance way, the youth center, the Swedenborg Center book room, the worship space-the whole building has been designed with outreach as one of the key planning dynamics.
Beyond the building itself, it is our hope that people can see the activities which would go on in the rooms of the building for generations to come-the services of worship and many other events which would not only serve the people of this congregation, but also be a means of welcoming new people to all the New Church has to offer. This is why we are undertaking this project. People here are excited (and a little nervous too). We believe there are very good reasons for moving ahead.

[Line drawing of new addition to existing building.]

SOME WORDS OF JOHN CHADWICK 1999

SOME WORDS OF JOHN CHADWICK Editor 1999

     Editorial Pages
     We have heard that Dr. John Chadwick of Cambridge died on November 24th. This great scholar did important work in his own translating of the Writings and in encouraging and helping others doing this work. We hope to speak at a later time about the work he did on a lexicon of words in Swedenborg. For now, here are a few items.
     On December 7th there was an obituary of John Chadwick in the New York Times. It is noted that Dr. Chadwick participated in the deciphering of inscriptions that had baffled scholars for half a century. Noted in particular was that he was a modest man who deflected the credit for this achievement.
     It was back in 1960 that the Swedenborg Society printed a booklet on religion and life which consisted of passages from Apocalypse Explained. In introducing this booklet Dr. Chadwick thanked Rev. Erik Sandstrom for his help, and spoke of a goal he had. That goal had to do with "presenting the Latin of Swedenborg in a form suitable for a 20th century English reader."
     In 1980 the Swedenborg Society issued another book of extracts under the title Life in Animals and Plants. Dr. Chadwick had progressed in his goal. This booklet is an outstanding example of readable translation. As a 1981 review in New Church Life said at that time: "Dr. Chadwick's translation has a fluid relationship to the Latin instead of a word-for-word equivalency, and yet its English style is not colloquial. This is an unusual and healthy combination."
     Among the works which Dr. Chadwick has since translated are De Verbo and True Christian Religion. His translation of Conjugial Love was published in 1996. In its introduction Dr. Chadwick discusses the word "conjugial" and says, "The reader should find no difficulty in its use once it is accepted as a technical term and a useful addition to the English vocabulary."
     His discussion of the place of women in society includes the following: "The fundamental principle of equality was thus established by Swedenborg long before it began to be asserted by the feminist movement."

     Dr. Chadwick's translation of The New Jerusalem was published in 1990. In his preface he tells in a few paragraphs the story of Swedenborg. He writes, "He eventually came to understand that he was being allowed to experience directly the other world to which souls pass after death, a non-material world which is normally concealed from our consciousness while we are in this world.
     "These experiences led him back to the study of the Bible, which he now found he could read in a new light. Beneath the surface meaning of the text, he had revealed to him a new, more profound meaning. The specific details it recorded turned out to be a way of expressing universal ideas concerned with God, who is the Lord Jesus Christ, and His purposes, and the way we ought to live."
     Dr. Chadwick's translation of Earths in the Universe was titled The Worlds in Space. He lived to see it published in 1997. His introduction to this work is particularly interesting, and the final sentence of that introduction seems particularly apt for quotation at a time when we are thinking of his passing from this life. He said, "Once we have passed over, we shall cease to be interested in material affairs, and turn our attention to higher things."
WAYS OF RECEIVING THE WRITINGS 1999

WAYS OF RECEIVING THE WRITINGS Editor 1999

Once Swedenborg experienced a sadness but did not know the cause. He learned that it was caused by the reception of the Heavenly Doctrines by people who favor them intellectually but want nothing to do with them in application to life (see SE 5540). This reminds us of that striking passage in Spiritual Experiences that speaks of five different kinds of reception. It reads as follows:

I talked to spirits about how my books may seem to be accepted when they are published.

Evil spirits sometimes insinuated that nobody would understand them, and that people would reject them. But while I was in the street talking to some spirits, the realization came to me that books are received in five different ways: Some people totally reject them because they have a different belief system, or they are opposed to any belief. These people reject the books; they can't accept them because the ideas do not sink into their minds. Some people accept them as knowledge. They enjoy the books for the information and unusual things they contain. Some people accept them intellectually, receiving the ideas eagerly enough, but they keep on living the same way they had before. Some people are influenced by them enough that the ideas sink in and change their lives for the better. This happens when they are in particular states of mind and it is helpful to them. Some people accept them joyfully and gain confidence in them (SE 2955).

     Not as well known is the passage that follows:

     HOW THAT WHICH IS FROM HEAVEN IS RECEIVED BY
     THOSE OF THE CHURCH AT THE PRESENT DAY

I heard that many have looked into my books on heaven and hell, etc., and yet have not been satisfied; wherefore, they leave them alone, when, nevertheless, they are arcana of heaven. As I wondered at this, many Christians now in the world, differing as respects life, were instanced: some who do not care for such things; some who care little; some who are in worldly pursuits, which they prefer; some who attend churches only from habit -some one way and some another-and it was discovered that there are very few who receive anything which is from heaven, and that many nauseate and reject it (SE 5931).

     In another passage we are told of the experience of one who read some books of the Writings and had a very favorable impression. But later in another state of mind he read some again "and said that they had no merit at all, and would be accepted by nobody."

This illustrated the difference when one reads in a state of enlightenment from heaven. See SE 5908. The two-page piece called Ecclesiastical History of the New Church is largely about different ways of receiving the Writings. They seem to shine brightly "before those who believe in the Lord and in the new revelation." One reader said: "[T]hey were preferable to all other books, except the Word." And, of course, there have been for years people who regard these books as coming from the Lord Himself and who regard them in this sense as "the Word."
VISIT WITH JOHN CHADWICK 1999

VISIT WITH JOHN CHADWICK William B. Radcliffe 1999

     Communications
Dear Editor:
     Dr. Chadwick met me at the train station in Cambridge on 21 Oct. '98 about 2:30 p.m., and we drove to Downing College where he is an emeritus faculty member.
     Dr. Chadwick told me something of his personal background. His father served 25 years as secretary of the Swedenborg Society in London. As a youngster, John learned Latin at seven years and Greek at the age of 13, the start of a long and distinguished career in classical languages. The family did not have the financial resources to send John to the university, but on the basis of scholastic achievement he won a scholarship to Corpus Christi College at Cambridge. He served six years in the navy during WWII, and later on in the conversation he mentioned that he picked up the Japanese language during this tour of duty.
     Dr. Chadwick's expertise is in the history of the Greek language. I am not sure of his official title, but I found his name with photo posted on the board at the Classical Archeology Museum as "Emeritus Reader in the Greek Language."

He made his mark on the academic world when he and Michael Ventris collaborated to decipher the Linear B language written on clay tablets found on the island of Crete. In their article published in 1953 they concluded that Linear B was actually an ancient form of Greek, contradicting the prevailing view of it as an indigenous Minoan language originating on Crete. This hypothesis was first greeted with skepticism in the academic community, but was confirmed by subsequent archeological investigations. The whole story is more completely described in his monograph "Linear B and Related Scripts," Berkeley, University of California Press, 1987. Dr. Chadwick reports that Mycenaean studies have since developed into an academic discipline, with its own learned society and international meetings in major cities every five years. He and Michael Ventris are traditionally invited as guests of honor to each of these meetings, and he has attended them all.
I asked Dr. Chadwick about his future plans for translations of the Writings, and he stated he did not intend to tackle any more translation projects. He has been retired 14 years, and experienced a heart attack 11 years ago. His personal physician urges him to cut back his activities, and he does not wish to take on new major commitments. I asked him which work he considered the priority for a future new translation, and he selected Apocalypse Revealed. He commented that the Swedenborg Foundation's proposed Library Edition is a commendable project, but we must recognize that no translation is permanently definitive, and all must be redone at least every 100 years.
I asked about translation of the Writings into other non-English languages, and he replied this could pose real difficulties in the non-Latin based languages. He cited his early experience with Japanese in which some basic concepts lack an equivalent word or written character. He gave "spirit" as an example of a word difficult to express in Japanese.

He did not think that translations into Czech or other Latin-derived languages would pose that kind of problem.
     Dr. Chadwick supports General Conference initiatives to widen interest in Swedenborg's Writings, the new emphasis on a "Swedenborg movement," and expanded distance learning in the New Church College. He is not sure what the future of the organized bodies of the New Church will be, whether they will thrive or disappear, or be absorbed into yet-to-be-created organizations. He mentioned that he had given a couple of lectures on Swedenborg in Cambridge, but to "no visible effect."
     At this point he insisted on taking me for a walking tour of Cambridge. He is clearly proud of the institution where he has spent his entire professional career. The brisk pace at which we hit the major landmarks exuded physical (I was barely able to keep up) as well as intellectual vigor. We ended up enjoying a cup of tea in the faculty lounge next door to the Kings College Chapel. I consider myself especially privileged to have met and enjoyed the hospitality of this fine gentleman and scholar who has done so much to provide us with accurate and readable versions of Swedenborg's Writings.
     William B. Radcliffe, M.D.
     Mitchellville, MD
INFLUENCED BY LUTHER? 1999

INFLUENCED BY LUTHER? Rev. Brian W. Keith 1999

Dear Editor:
Brian Talbot's communication in the December New Church Life raises the vital issue of how to understand or interpret the Word. I would like to raise three points regarding Talbot's rationale for asserting that male and female roles as presented in the Writings were influenced by Luther.

     First, identifying precursors to ideas found in the Writings or cultural practices of Swedenborg's day does not establish causation. Virtually every idea in the Writings has precursors somewhere-there is very little created out of nothing! To demonstrate an influence of ideas, it is necessary not only to identify specific precursors, but to establish a clear nexus between those ideas and those found in the Writings. This is extremely difficult to do-as difficult as demonstrating Swedenborg's influence on others!
     Second, even if the "influence" of previous ideas can be demonstrated, what does that mean? If the Writings have an idea that had previously been expressed elsewhere or that reflects aspects of European culture in the mid-eighteenth century, is that a sound basis for discounting an idea, or thinking it not applicable today? It may well be that the Lord has now brought into Divine Revelation that which had not been-as He did with the revelation of the Ten Commandments when He took well known civil and moral laws and made them Divine (see TCR 282). Or, if "influence" brings some ideas into question, are we left having confidence only in concepts from the Writings for which we cannot find intellectual or cultural antecedents? This strikes me as a somewhat impossible position.
     Third, and most important, how should we deal with apparently "culturally conditioned" material? While I am very pleased that Mr. Talbot thinks that in Conjugial Love only the ideas regarding the role of women were influenced by Luther and not the rest of it, was not the rest of it influenced by someone or something? And if so, will that bring the entire work into doubt? Surely virginity prior to marriage, betrothal, and the marriage of one man and one woman, as opposed to two women or one man and one boy, are equally "culturally conditioned." To identify an idea or practice as "culturally conditioned" and thereby set it aside is a very steep and slippery slope. For if that method of interpretation is valid in one portion of the Writings, why would it not be valid everywhere?

The problem is, once such a methodology of interpretation is accepted, where does one draw the line? Or why would the line be drawn anywhere except at an individual's personal preferences?
     Obviously, the Lord had to use data, including cultural experiences, within Swedenborg's mind to reveal spiritual truth. And we are meant to see the spiritual truth within, rather than take ideas out of context or force applications from the literal sense which do not appear to be intended. For example, there are not many kings governing countries and very few pirates running amok on the high seas. But those roles still exist with different names, and we can probably find many examples of both in the current day. (And I might suggest this is a more useful avenue for seeing Divine truth in some of the statements in Conjugial Love regarding male and female roles, rather than setting them aside on an assumption of "influence.") Also, the Writings frequently have illustrative material and we probably should not try to make direct applications from these. For example, illustrations drawn from nature are not intended to provide scientific facts for study. And I doubt that TCR 122 is suggesting a legal penalty for an attempted rape when it notes a husband, in defending his wife, "attacks him and either wounds his hand with a sword or showers his legs and back with blows or has his servants throw him into the street and chase him home with cudgels." But I think it very powerfully makes the point of how we are to respond to an attack upon innocence.
     When the Writings are accepted as the Word of the Lord, they are holy ground upon which we must tread very, very carefully- especially when human explanation and interpretation might suggest that something should not be taken at face value.

     Rev. Brian W. Keith
     Bryn Athyn, PA

INFLUENCED BY LUTHER? 1999

INFLUENCED BY LUTHER? Rev. Walter E. Orthwein 1999

Dear Editor:
     I think it is a grievous error to believe that Swedenborg was influenced in his understanding or wording of the Heavenly Doctrine by Martin Luther or any other person. To make the validity of the Writings conditional, or subject to individual approval, is to deprive them of their power and reliability in the church.
     Once it starts, where does the process of discrediting the doctrines stop? Once it has been established that a particular doctrine may be rejected because someone has found cause to doubt it, then other doctrines may be eliminated also because someone finds them to be outmoded, inconvenient, or in some way objectionable. The end result is to substitute human prudence for Divine revelation, or the wisdom of the age for the wisdom of the ages. "She who marries the wisdom of the age is soon a widow."
     The position of the Writings themselves is very clear: "I have not received anything that pertains to the doctrines of the New Church from any angel, but from the Lord alone while I read the Word" (TCR 779). If, in receiving the doctrines, Swedenborg was not influenced even by angels, how could it be possible that he was influenced by Martin Luther? Would the Lord have so carefully guarded Swedenborg's mind while revealing the doctrines to him, only then to allow them to be corrupted by the influence of any mortal thought?
     Swedenborg certainly wasn't influenced by Luther in regard to Luther's favorite idea, "faith alone." He certainly wasn't influenced by the prevailing view of marriage in his day, which hardly knew such a thing as conjugial love even existed.
     Just because a particular idea in the Writings happens to coincide with an idea someone else has expressed does not mean the Writings were influenced by that other idea.

On the other hand, our own ideas and opinions no doubt are influenced by the world around us. That is the influence that should concern us. Rather than editing the Writings to remove some supposed worldly influence on Swedenborg, I would suggest we consider that our own minds are subject to influences which are contrary to Divine truth, and that perhaps this influence of worldly thought on us is why we find certain teachings of the Writings disagreeable.
     Some have said that to accept the Writings as our guide in determining the way the church should be structured is to limit ourselves to the thought of the eighteenth century. But would it not be equally true, then, to say that in accepting the New Testament we are limiting our thought to the first century, or that our acceptance of the Old Testament limits our thought to the culture of the Israelites many centuries before Christ?
     The idea of editing Sacred Scripture to make it conform to human reason is an old one, but still very much with us. In the history of the New Church there have been those whose sensibilities were scandalized by the second part of Conjugial Love. There is a group today (not connected with the New Church) called the Jesus Seminar (led by a theologian named John Crossan, whose last name seems significant to me) which has published a version of the gospels in which each verse is color-coded to indicate how likely it is that the Lord actually spoke those words. Very few of the sayings attributed to Him or about Him in the gospels are graded as "probably authentic." What power can the Word possibly have with people who accept such an approach?
     I believe the Old Testament admonition not to use an iron tool on the altar stones is still in effect and perpetually needed (see Deut. 27:5, AC 10406:11). There is always a temptation to use our natural human intelligence in an effort to chip the rough edges off the rock of truth we have been given, to make it smooth and comfortable.

     Every individual is perfectly free to think whatever he wants, of course. The General Church was founded by people who share a perception that "the Writings are the Word," and I believe that conviction is the source of the church's continuing vitality.

     Rev. Walter E. Orthwein
     Bryn Athyn, PA
HEALING FROM THE HEART 1999

HEALING FROM THE HEART 1999

     An Excerpt

     A recently published book seems likely to do a lot for the people who read it, and there are likely to be many of them. A number of readers of New Church Life know the author, Dr. Mehmet Oz, or have at least heard him speak at a Bryn Athyn gathering. He refers to Bryn Athyn as "a small religious community" of people who follow "the precepts of Emanuel Swedenborg."
     He tells of Swedenborg's credentials and says that "he devoted the rest of his long life until his death in 1772 to biblical interpretations that he received through visions of the eternal realm of 'spirits,' or angels."
     He goes on to say that Swedenborg "wrote that the second coming of the Lord did not mean a return of an actual person or deity, but rather a second coming of understanding, or enlightenment about the Lord's message. He also believed that we all become angels or spirits, and that when a man and woman bond, they do so not only to become a stronger union than if each were separate or alone, but also to extend the marriage into an afterlife for eternity."
     Healing from the Heart is published by Dutton, the Penguin Group.?

Notes on This Issue 1999

Announcements

New Church Life
February 1999

     The congregation to which the sermon by Rev. Kurt Asplundh preached about ambition consisted largely of students at the Academy of the New Church, and it is an apt one for young people.
     We have promised to try to get more "Church News" into this publication, because last year again we fell far below the average in number of pages devoted to such news. We are pleased therefore that some of the items in this issue could almost be categorized as church news. The tribute to Zebulon Dlamini (who died in December) provides news of activity in South Africa. The letter from Richard Linquist brings our attention to the New Church center in Erie, Pennsylvania. We hope that it will inspire someone else to write about Erie, providing more recent information. And on page 86 we have news from Sweden about a trip to see a drama based on The Worship and Love of God. We thank Rev. Kurt Nemitz for translating that news into English.
     You already know about the seeds on the squares of a chess board, don't you? Well, you must read the piece by Lori S. Odhner entitled "Multiplication."
     In the December issue we listed the societies and circles. Erie happens to be one of those circles, and we have a letter this month quoting AC 3869 about "the circle of things," while we have an editorial about thinking outside the "circle."
     Dr. Allen Bedford teaches at Bryn Athyn College. He produces some "outside-of-the-box" thinking on the mission of a church.
     Notice the advertisement in this issue of the first volume of Spiritual Experiences. We are hoping to see the second volume before the year is over.
MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENT 1999

MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Rev. Peter M. Buss 1999

The Rev. Dr. Reuben Bell has accepted a call to become the pastor of the Boston Society, effective July 1, 1999.
Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss

AMBITION 1999

AMBITION Rev. KURT HORIGAN ASPLUNDH 1999

     "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt. 16:26)

     Today I want to talk about ambition. This is a subject for everybody, but especially for you young people here who have your lives ahead of you. As you go on in school or begin a career and make a life for yourself, you will be motivated by your ambitions.
     Ambition is the drive that makes you want to win, to be number one, to succeed. A buzz word or phrase I have heard recently for ambition is "fire in the belly." If you want to get ahead or succeed in today's competitive world, people say you need that fire in the belly.
     You can see ambition in many common situations. It was on the playing field at George School yesterday, giving both teams the desire to win the game. It is in the classroom, where top students are striving for the highest averages. Think of the energy presidential candidates have put into elections. Think of the drive or ambition it must take to get through those final whirlwind days of the campaign.
     Tomorrow some of you men and women in this room will be going to your jobs with the desire to do better than last week, to get a job done, perhaps to excel. You have ambition.
     Ambition seems to be a potent factor in keeping people going, in making the world go 'round.
     That's why we should find out about it. What does the New Church teach about ambition? What does the Word say about it? It is certainly a common motivating force in your life and mine. Is it good or bad? How should we treat our ambitions?
     To consider this question, let's begin with our experience. As we grow up, we are urged to do well in school. We are praised for excellence. Our parents and teachers encourage us to pursue our interests and talents.

If someone has the ambition to be a doctor or a minister, to get an advanced degree, to start a new business, there will be a lot of support for that. "That's really great!" people will say. "You can do it. Go for it!"
     In sports our ambition to excel is fueled by coaches, teammates, family and others. Certainly, wise people recognize the values of participation, win or lose, but we are urged to do our personal best and to keep trying to improve. The same atmosphere often exists in the arts: music, drama, dance.
     We live in a culture that idolizes winners, superstars, leaders, talented people, smart people, rich people. Our environment nurtures ambition.
     Can you imagine your teachers saying, "Just get a passing grade"? Your coach advising you not to do your best? Your boss telling you to be lazy?
     Our experience teaches that ambition is a good thing. It is widely promoted in our way of life. But this isn't the whole story. We all are aware of abuses resulting from ambition. The ambition for greatness and high office sometimes goes to extremes. People have done almost anything to gain power. This arises from a deep love of self that wants dominion over others and the sense of glory that goes with it. The same is true with the ambition for wealth. Some people will use any means to get rich. This arises from the love of the world. Would we sell our soul for money?
     Lust for raw power, raw greed-this dark side of ambition has been pictured for us not only in fiction and film but also in history. Even closer to home, perhaps somebody's ambition has caused you grief or pain.
     We know then, even from experience, that ambition, a powerful motivation, does not always lead to a good end. If it is a "fire in the belly," we had better be sure that that fire doesn't get out of control. Like a fire, ambition can destroy indiscriminately. It can make ashes out of honesty, friendship, and good sense. Our thinking can be warped by the heat of ambition.

     What then does the Word say? When we turn to the Word to learn about this motivating force, we find it is not the ideal stimulus for our life. It was not there from the beginning. Ambition arises from the hereditary loves of self and the world. This is why it can lead us to excesses and tragic destruction.
     But don't be discouraged. The Word also shows that the Lord uses ambition to prepare us for good. In His mercy He works with our ambitions to bring us to true motivation.
     The word "ambition" comes from a word that means "a going around," a word related to the practice of the Roman senators' going around to solicit votes for their election.
     Such ambition is pictured almost literally in the account of Absalom, David's son, going early each day to the gate of the city of Jerusalem to gain support for a rebellion against his father. Absalom won the kingdom but lost his life when his hair caught in the branches of an oak. The Writings teach that hair signifies the ultimate or outmost aspects of our life, and the tree branches the false ideas of the lowest natural mind (see AC 4552). The fact that Absalom died in this way suggests that our natural ambitions result in tragedy when we close our minds to the spiritual purposes of life and become entangled in a web of natural desires and plots.
     In another commentary on ambition, the Lord rebuked His disciples when they argued about who among them would be greatest. He said they should not be like the gentile rulers of that day who loved to lord it over their inferiors. Instead, He said, " . . . [W]hoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant" (Mark 10:43).
     This was a new doctrine of charity. Greatness among men would be according to their ability to serve, not according to their position of rank. Indeed, He taught, "Whoever exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 14:11). So far the case for ambition is found wanting.
     Again, the Lord rejected the temptation of Satan to have all the kingdoms of the world and their glory if He would but worship him.

Isn't this ambition's bargain? If we will sell out our principles and ideals, we can achieve our ends. It isn't true; the devil always lies. The Lord answered for us all: "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve'" (Matt. 4:10).
     We remember, too, the text which says: There is no profit for a man if he "gains the whole world and loses his . . . soul" (Matt. 16:26).
      Other plots of ambition recorded in the Word also met with failure and disgrace. The tower of Babel could not be finished. This represents man's desire to reach heaven by his own power. Pharaoh's enslavement of Israel was broken by the Exodus. Goliath's challenge to Israel was thwarted by the youth David. The Lord defied the power of the scribes and Pharisees. Devils who longed to possess men were cast out by Him.
     Does the Word reject ambition? Is it totally wrong? Are we to shun or stifle it in ourselves? We must look further.
     What about these other things from the Word which seem to support the motivation to succeed, even to excel?
     - Jacob's enrichment in Haran when he tended the flocks of Laban. He shrewdly enlarged his own flocks with capable management.
     - Joseph's success in Egypt, becoming second only to Pharaoh.
     - The conquest of Canaan.
     - The parable of the talents.
     - The man who traded the money and made the most was most rewarded. He was called a "faithful servant" who would be made ruler over many things. "For to everyone who has, more will be given . . . " (Matt. 25:29). This is encouragement to do well.
     - The great commission of the apostles. The apostles were to go out with zeal to baptize all nations, to build the church among men.

     The Scriptures present a positive as well as a negative case for encouraging us to have ambition and a strong motivation to succeed. Let us turn then to the Heavenly Doctrine for a deeper understanding of our motivation. First, hear the only passage that mentions the word "ambition":

. . . inasmuch as love of the neighbor is no longer given in the world, in its place has succeeded ambition of becoming eminent in various ways; for love of the neighbor was what should excite man to do good, but because there is none any longer, in place thereof is the ambition of doing great things, whereby man is bent by the Lord to do good to the neighbor, societies, and the commonwealth (SD 2796).

     Love of the neighbor was lost. Ambition has taken its place. Ambition is a substitute motivation and is the Lord's special accommodation to our need.
     Since creation is a kingdom of uses, there must be a motivation in people to perform and fulfill uses. Otherwise, all things would go to ruin. In a heavenly kingdom this motivation is the love of the neighbor. That love prompts a desire to serve. The greater the love, the more ardent the desire. As the Lord said: "Whoever will be great among you, let him be your servant." The angels are good and faithful servants who love others with all their heart, mind and strength. Love of the neighbor can be no less powerful a motivator than ambition. The difference is that love of the neighbor comes from the Lord rather than from self. We would characterize love of the neighbor not as a "fire in the belly" but rather as a fire in the heart.
     The inward motivation of those who are in the love of self and the world is to perform uses for the sake of fame or gain, thus for the sake of themselves; while, on the other hand, those who perform uses for the sake of uses, or goods for the sake of goods, do so not from themselves but from the Lord. "The difference between these loves can hardly be recognized by man," this passage says, "because man does not know whether he is led by the devil or by the Lord" (DP 215:12).

     The key to the difference is revealed: "All those who shun evils as sins perform uses from the Lord, while all who do not shun evils as sins perform uses from the devil . . . . In outer form they appear alike, but in internal form they are totally unlike. One is like gold within which is dross, but the other is like gold with pure gold within" (Ibid.).
     From these teachings it is obvious that ambition is a poor substitute for love of the neighbor as a motivating force in our lives. It is a necessary substitute because we lack the original love which the Lord intends us to have. The hereditary loves of self and the world are hidden in our ambition but the Lord can bend it to what is better.
     We are told that " . . . [M]an by his hereditary nature desires to become great and also to become rich; and in proportion as these desires are unrestrained, he longs to become greater and richer, and at length to be greatest and richest; nor would he rest here, but would desire to be greater than God Himself and to possess heaven itself. This inordinate desire lies most deeply concealed in hereditary evil, and consequently in man's life and in his life's nature. The Divine Providence does not remove this evil in a moment; for if it were removed in a moment, man would cease to live; but the Divine Providence removes it quietly and gradually without man's knowing anything about it" (DP 183:2, emphasis added).
     Instead of removing this evil which is the fire of man's life, the Lord has provided that it can operate in a way such as to lead him quietly and gradually to a new love of uses instead of the hereditary loves of self and the world.
     This can be done because the evils with man are of various kinds. There are evils with which goods can be mingled and it is the same with the falsities. "Unless this were so," we are told, "no man could possibly be regenerated." The evils and falsities with which goods and truths can be mingled are those which are not contrary to love to God and love toward the neighbor. In other words, these are milder evils.

The Writings give this example: "If anyone loves himself more than others, and from this love studies to excel others in moral and civic life, in memory-knowledges and doctrinal things, and to be exalted to dignities and wealth in preeminence to others, and yet acknowledges and adores God, performs kind offices to his neighbor from the heart, and does what is just and fair from conscience, the evil of this love of self is one with which good and truth can be mingled, for it is an evil that is man's own and that is born hereditarily, and to take it away from him suddenly would be to extinguish the fire of his first life" (AC 3993:9).
     Here is a clear example of ambition at work. Yet while the motivation to excel is from love of self, an evil love, the application of that ambition is to good and useful works.
     The Lord allows ambition to serve us as a motivator. We should act with ambition, even though it springs from a desire to serve ourselves, even though it may be for the sake of reward. Yet, as we strive to excel, let us be alert to shun evils of life. As we do this the Lord can purify our motivation. Our ambition for self will be curbed and turned instead to ambition for use. The Writings give this illustration: "They who are not as yet initiated into good and its affections (that is, who are not yet fully regenerated) cannot do otherwise than think about reward, because the good which they do, they do not do from the affection of good but from the affection of bliss and happiness for the sake of self, and at the same time from the fear of hell. But when a man is being regenerated, this is inverted and becomes the affection of good, and then he no longer looks to reward" (AC 3816:2).
     Even our motivation for attaining heaven is initially self-centered, based on a desire for reward and a fear of hell. We should not, on that account, stifle our ambition to go to heaven. The Lord uses it to stimulate our incentives for good, gradually bringing us to a true idea of heavenly happiness and a true life of regeneration.

     We return, finally, to the question: Is ambition good or evil? The answer is that ambition is evil, but an evil that can be turned by the Lord to a good end. Being a fire of life, it must be watched carefully so it does not get out of control.
     As we progress in our life, we need to turn to the Lord regularly and frequently, with the prayer to help us remember that it is not our will but His that must be done.
     Let our ambition be to serve the Lord. Amen.

Lessons: II Samuel 15:1-6, 10-14; Mark 10:35-45; DP 250:2-4                      (selections)

Divine Providence 250:2-4. The worshipper of himself and of nature confirms himself against the Divine Providence when he sees the impious advanced to honors and become great in the state and leaders in the church, and that they abound in riches and live in luxury and magnificence, while he sees the worshippers of God living in contempt and poverty.
      Something will now be said concerning the reason why the Divine Providence permits the wicked at heart to be advanced to dignities and to acquire wealth. The impious or wicked can perform uses equally with the pious or the good; and, indeed, with greater zeal, for they have regard to themselves in the uses, and they regard the honors as uses. Therefore, whatever the height to which the love of self mounts up, there burns within it the consuming desire of performing uses for the sake of its own glory. Therefore, the Lord governs the wicked at heart who are in positions of dignity by the reputation of their name, and moves them to perform uses to the community or country, society or city in which they dwell, and also to the fellow-citizen or neighbor with whom they associate. This is the Lord's government, which is called the Divine Providence, with such; for the Lord's kingdom is a kingdom of uses; and where there are but few who perform uses for the sake of uses, He causes worshippers of self to be raised to the higher offices in which everyone is moved to do good by means of his own love.

Suppose there were an infernal kingdom in the world, although there is none, where only self-love prevailed, and self-love itself is the devil. Would not everyone perform uses from the zeal of self-love and the splendor of his own glory to a greater extent than in any other kingdom? Now with all such the public good is on the lips but their own good in the heart. A smoke like that of a conflagration surrounds him, through which no spiritual truth in its own light can pass. I have seen that smoke about the hells of such. Light your lantern and seek out how many there are in the kingdoms of the present day who aspire to dignities who are not lovers of self and the world. You will not find fifty in a thousand who are lovers of God, and among these only a few who aspire to dignities. Since, then, there are so few who are lovers of God and so many who are lovers of self and the world, and since the lovers of self and the world from their zeal perform more uses than do the lovers of God from theirs, how can anyone confirm himself against the Divine Providence from the fact that the wicked are in greater eminence and opulence than the good?
TESTIMONY OF A PRINCE AND A PRIEST IN HEAVEN 1999

TESTIMONY OF A PRINCE AND A PRIEST IN HEAVEN 1999

"The positions we hold are positions we admittedly sought, but for no other purpose than to be able to perform useful services more fully and to extend them more widely" (CL 266).

MULTIPLICATION 1999

MULTIPLICATION LORI S. ODHNER 1999

     Before beginning I would like to quote an intriguing number from True Christian Religion:

350. (1) The Truths of Faith may be multiplied to Infinity. This is evident from the fact that the wisdom of the angels of heaven increases to eternity. Moreover, the angels say that there is no end to wisdom, as its source is no other than Divine truths analytically distributed into forms by means of light flowing in from the Lord. Such human intelligence as is truly intelligence is from no other source. Divine truth may be multiplied to infinity, because the Lord is Divine truth itself, or truth in its infinity, and He draws all men to Himself; but as angels and men are finite, they can follow the current of the attraction only according to their measure, although the force of the attraction persists to infinity. The Lord's Word is a great deep of truths from which comes all angelic wisdom, although to the man who knows nothing of its spiritual and celestial meanings, it appears like the water in a pitcher. The multiplication of the truths of faith to infinity may be compared to the seed of men, from one of whom may be propagated families to ages of ages. The prolification of the truths of faith may be compared to the prolification of seeds in a field or a garden, which may be propagated to myriads of myriads and perpetually. In the Word "seed" means nothing but truth, "field" means doctrine, and "garden" wisdom. The human mind is like soil, in which spiritual and natural truths are implanted like seeds and may be endlessly multiplied. Man derives this from the infinity of God, who is perpetually in man with His heat and light, and the faculty of generating.

     There's a story about the game of chess that intrigues me. Tradition says that when the man who invented chess presented it to the King of India, the ruler's grateful response was to grant the man anything he wished. Yet instead of demands for power or riches, he made a request that seemed conspicuously modest. He asked for one grain of rice for the first square of the game board, two grains for the next square, four for the next, eight for the next, and so on for the total sixty-four spaces.

The king was taken aback by the simplicity of the reward, and immediately ordered his servants to begin counting out grains of rice.
     The phenomenon that soon emerged from this deceptively simple process has been named "exponential powers" by mathematicians. What begins slowly snowballs with an acceleration that is astonishing. By the halfway point the amount of rice required would fill a large house, and by the forty-seventh square would fill the World Trade Center.
     To fulfill the man's request would take the equivalent of the world's total rice production for five hundred years. The grains of rice, laid end to end, would reach to the closest star and back again (farther for long-grain rice).
     What tickles me most about this myth is its ability to reflect the truth. I have seen evidence of just that kind of explosive power. One example is the miracle of two cells, a sperm and an egg, and their transformation into a living, breathing baby. What began as the most primitive form of life is now a receptacle for dreams, fear, curiosity, compassion. In the days and weeks leading up to our child's birth I have been humbled by the impact of this ten pound, eleven ounce person on scores of lives. Daily, friends have called, written, prayed, and e-mailed about the safe arrival of someone they have never met, seen nor known the name of. Where has all this love come from? Where will it go from here? Already the volume has reached the capacity of this family's house with spillage at the windows and doors. Can the World Trade Center be far off?
     Another illustration of this story crops up in kindness. We have been blessed by a parade of meals (a number of which included rice), fairy house-cleaners, and gifts. Each one in itself might appear simple-a batch of soup, a loaf of bread, a pair of tiny socks, clean sheets. Yet I have felt and watched these gentle acts double and redouble as they spread through the people within my solar system, and I have glimpsed them heading for the next star.

REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE (2) 1999

REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE (2) Rev. FRANK S. ROSE 1999

"Divine love and wisdom go forth from the Lord as one." "The purpose of the Divine Providence is that every created thing, in general and in particular, shall be a one; and if it is not, that it shall become such" (DP 4 and 7).

     As a child I used to love tinkering with junk. My father went to auction sales and brought back a seemingly unlimited supply. Occasionally the treasure would include an old clock, and I would try my hand at fixing it. Some of them were easy enough to take apart, and almost impossible to put back together, especially the ones with powerful springs that had to be wound tight before being inserted into their casings. Sometimes I had a few pieces left over and felt like just putting them anywhere inside the casing and closing it up. But of course the clock did not work unless every piece was in its intended location. On those rare occasions when I actually got a clock to work, it was as if the clock no more consisted of individual pieces. It was one single entity. It could function only if it was unified in that way.
     Some people have compared the universe to a clock. This principle of Divine Providence says that the universe itself has to operate as a unity. Where that unity is broken, Divine Providence works to have it restored.
     The same is true of the human body, with its trillions of cells and numerous organs and parts. When a person is injured in an accident, some of the body parts are damaged, some are separated from their special places, and the unity of the body is injured. The medical experts work to sew the bits and pieces together, and the body immediately sets to work restoring that unity. It repairs damaged tissue, regrows sections of bone, flushes out dead or damaged cells, and the body is healed. Interestingly, the word "heal" means to make "whole." And the "whole" is related to the word "holy." All three words-heal, whole, holy-have the idea of oneness. There is something sacred about having all of the elements of creation acting as a one.

     This same principle applies to the human mind. There are times when we feel fragmented, with our thoughts and feelings somehow disconnected, and we are in need of mental healing. Once again it is a matter of restoring unity.
     In personal relationships there is a similar need for unity. When there is a distance between two people, they feel uncomfortable, and might want to do what they can to restore the connection. This is not always possible. Where it can be achieved it can take a considerable effort, but it is worthwhile because the whole of Providence strives for harmony and unity, not just in the universe as a vast structure of creation, but more importantly in the world of human beings and their thoughts, feelings and their relationships with each other.
     The heart of the prayer of Jesus recorded in John 17 was a longing for unity: " . . . that they may be one, even as we are one" (John 17:11).
     This is the overriding purpose of Providence: to preserve the universe, spiritual and material, as a unity. Why is that? Because without unity it could not exist. The heaven of angels is unified under the all-embracing spirit of the love of God. There is a spiritual connection among all believers called the "communion of saints." We need unity in our relationships, and where it does not exist, we need to work toward it. And it is vital to have integrity in our mind and heart. The word "integrity" means "wholeness" or "oneness." We human beings tend to break the connections with each other, and even break the integrity within ourselves. The Providence of God constantly works toward restoring unity-unity in creation, unity in relationships, and unity in each human heart.

MOSES' DILEMMA 1999

MOSES' DILEMMA Rev. DANDRIDGE PENDLETON 1999

     A Derived Application

     Moses was destined to be the first leader of the Children of Israel. He was to endure the difficult formative years that lay between their escape from Egyptian bondage and their entrance into the land of Canaan. His role was the more exacting in that Moses himself was, by temperament, neither a warrior nor an administrator.
     Moses was unwilling to assume this position of leadership from the beginning. For it meant that he would have to leave the peaceful seclusion of his home in Midian. He would have to sustain responsibility for others, shouldering their grievances and their personal animosity. Moses did not want the job, nor did he refrain from saying so to the Lord. Nevertheless, he was commanded to carry out this unwanted duty-a duty born of that necessity that was paramount to any personal desire or choice on his part.
     Moses' unwillingness to assume leadership and his subsequent states of doubt and accusation toward the Lord bespeak a specific temptation with all who find themselves called upon-for one reason or another and in one form or another-to direct the attention of others to genuine moral or spiritual values and issues, be they priests, teachers, parents, or even simply friends.
     Note there that there is no record in the Old Testament of Moses' rebelling against the Lord as far as the conduct of his own personal life was concerned. His resentment arose rather from the fact that he was forced to exercise authority over the lives of others.
     Here is presented a responsibility to every New Churchman: the responsibility to assume leadership in appropriate measures and ways in reference to the civil, moral and spiritual life of the church as a human organization. For we know from the Word that the primary purpose of our existence on this earth is that each of us may become in the hands of the Lord's Providence an individualized human means of re-establishing genuine truth among men.

Every time we lose sight of this obligation we fail in our assigned duty. And let us never forget-as we well may in subtle ways of which we are not even aware-that we are not the source and origin of that truth. The Lord is the only Source and Origin; we are, or can become, one facet of His means.
Severe and recurring temptations inevitably will challenge and cloud our perspective in this regard. For instinctively we resent the obligations of true leadership in this regard, although we may desire ardently its rewards. Like Moses we will rebel time and again against these obligations, making excuses for our shortcomings, and bristling angrily when our efforts are rebuffed by others. In these times we need to look carefully and candidly at "the intentions of our will," as these intentions "manifest themselves in our thoughts" (TCR 532, emphasis added). It may be that our taking on of a proposed activity will interfere significantly with our primary duties. And we must make reasoned and careful judgments as to how far the activities in which we engage can safely be multiplied. On the other hand, it may be that we simply do not want to be bothered! Anything that disturbs our comfort-that changes our previous concepts and ways-constitutes a threat which we instinctively fear and resent, for it affects our established intellectual and emotional equilibrium, and therefore requires us to set up a new equilibrium of affection, thought, and time-expenditure. This is not an easy task!
None of us is immune to the poison of resentment upon being faced with a responsibility that he wishes to avoid. And resentment is just that-a deadly poison which infiltrates our vital substances and gradually drains our strength on all levels of our life. We all find ourselves powerfully desirous of being left in complete freedom to enter into only those activities in which we find personal delight and satisfaction. Any intrusion of things that do not accord with that delight arouses passions of impatience and anger in us.

Like Moses we want to be left alone! As in all things, a balance must be struck in this regard-a balance recognized and responded to both by those proposing activities and those asked to take on those activities. To this end, there must be the true spirit of charity and consultation if there is to be essential support on the part of all whose time and energy are affected.
Good will is the key to this support. For without good will, expressed in confidence in one another and to one another, each of us, while we may be dedicated to our own particular areas of interest and work, and to those people who are actively engaged with us in those areas, tend to isolate ourselves from any larger perspective and other uses that may need considering in relation to our own concerns. This can happen more easily than we may realize, both to individuals and to groups. But it need not happen, and it will not happen if there is genuine good will in our personal regard for each other, and a sincere willingness to acknowledge that no one or group of us ever sees the whole picture, nor even "our" part of that picture, with absolute precision. We need each other for this. We need each other!?
CONCERNING THE HARMONY OF ANGELS 1999

CONCERNING THE HARMONY OF ANGELS 1999

By prolonged experience this morning, through the mercy of God the Messiah I was shown that angels cannot live together in blessedness unless they are the kind that can speak and act together. Blessedness consists in unanimity and harmony, whereby many, even very many, consider themselves to be a one. For from many agreeing together, or a harmony of many, comes a oneness, which results in blessedness and happiness and, from a shared feeling of happiness, a doubled and tripled happiness (SE 289).

WHAT IS THE MISSION OF THE GENERAL CHURCH? 1999

WHAT IS THE MISSION OF THE GENERAL CHURCH? ALLEN J. BEDFORD 1999

"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the city's street. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, which yields twelve crops of fruit, one for each month of the year. The leaves of the trees are for healing the nations" (Rev. 22:1,2, The Oxford Study Bible).

     The official mission statement of the General Church reads:

     The mission of the General Church is to cooperate with the Lord in building the New Church in the hearts, minds and lives of all people through fostering, first, the belief that the Old and New Testaments and the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg are the Lord's Word, and, second, a love for and obedience to that Word.

     The mission of the General Church will be accomplished by:
     1) providing for the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ in His Second Coming.
     2) preserving and promoting the idea that the Old and New Testaments and the Writings are the Word and are the sole authority for the Church.
     3) enhancing and deepening the understanding of the threefold Word, through formal education and other means, to enrich the lives of people of all age levels, circumstances and states of life.
     4) developing friendship and mutual respect through a combination of shared uses and social life and by this providing an environment of support in moral life.
     5) promoting the growth of the New Church.

     These can be accomplished by the following:

     1)     providing effective general leadership through an organization under episcopal government.

     2) providing an effective priesthood.
     3) effectively involving members and friends in the uses of the Church.
     4) supporting the continuing translation and publication of the Word.
     5) maintaining and expanding a strong financial base for the present and future needs of the Church.
     6) providing appropriate financial, career, and emotional support for employees and volunteers.
     7) developing, maintaining and providing effective communication throughout the Church.1
     1 Mission Statement of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. Revised 12/7/94; 10/24/95. On file in the General Church Office, PO Box 711, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     This mission statement describes the strong spiritual and natural foundations upon which the church rests. One can picture the organization adhering to this statement as a tall, strong, growing tree. However, the tree described in the specifics has little indication of how it interacts with the world. What does this strong foundation enable us to do? Where are the fruits on the tree? What does the tree offer the world?
     Before reading the above mission statement I pondered what it might say. The strengths of the General Church are fairly obvious: we have the Word and a well established church and priesthood through which its teachings may be disseminated; we have a well structured educational system, and a well trained corps of administrators and teachers dedicated to the ideals of New Church education; we have substantial financial resources to accomplish our goals; and we have many delightful human beings who have chosen to embrace the mission of the General Church and who have affiliated themselves with the organization in order to take part in the accomplishment of that mission. The official mission statement does indeed allude to these strengths, but it does not communicate a clear purpose of or direction as to how we will use these strengths to affect the world at large.

It is evident that the strengths will be used to maintain and expand the church. But is this enough? And does the mission statement account for the various charitable outreach efforts currently taking place in our societies?
     In daydreaming about what I would like to see in a mission statement, I drafted the following:

     To increase the presence of the Lord's second coming in the world today.

     I think my daydreaming statement can live within the official mission of the church. Nothing in my statement is outside the official statement, but the emphasis feels different. The focus of the simpler statement is on what we do instead of what we believe. We cannot properly do what we do not believe; but on the other hand, belief without action is faith alone. I think the official mission statement ought to describe something about the fruit it bears. In fact the General Church is bearing fruit for others. For example, the Bryn Athyn Church administers "Helping Hands," a charitable function providing food and clothing for the needy, and participates in an ecumenical program called "Prison Hope Ministries," supporting families of those in prison, with, among other things, Christmas gifts for children who have a parent in prison. Helping Hands also participates with "Interfaith," a local charitable organization, by staffing their distribution office one day each week. The Glenview Society has similar outreach programs.
     The New Church is a Christian church emphasizing freedom, morality, and action. Faith is not faith unless brought into charitable action. The second coming is a rational revelation, meaning that God speaks to His children in their rationality, but that is just the beginning. Every truth living in our minds is of no eternal consequence unless conjoined to an affection that moves us to action (see TCR 373-377). A previous form of my mission statement read this way: To increase the presence and power of the second coming in the world today. But the phrase "and power" is not needed.

Who are we to add power to the Lord's words? The message carries its own power, moving the receiver to action-rather like the bell at the end of a class period. To increase the power of the second coming all we need do is open ourselves to the message, allowing the Divine power within it to move us. In that condition, our actions increase the presence of the Lord's second coming today.
Evidence of the power contained in the New Church can be found in abundance in Dr. Anders Hallengren's new book, Gallery of Mirrors, where we read that New Church men and women, though few in number, have been involved in some of the most important social changes of the last two centuries. The New Church had a significant, if clandestine, presence in the West Indies, where its adherents helped bring about the emancipation of the slaves in the Caribbean (pp. 51, 52). In Russia the effect was even more dramatic. The Writings were received by some devoted members of the Greek Orthodox Church-who saw nothing but agreement between Swedenborgian theology and the theology of their church. The message of freedom contained in the Writings for the New Church moved men and women in high places in the Russian society and political system to lobby and labor for the emancipation of the serfs, resulting in the freeing of twenty-five million people in 1861 (65, 66). Those struggling for this cause did so at great risk to their standing in society. In addition to political consequences, they also faced likely decline in their economic and social power resulting from the dramatic changes brought by their actions.
Today the developed world does not face slavery as an overt social illness, so the great message of freedom found in the New Church does not appear to have the same urgency nowadays as it had in the nineteenth century. Yet huge social problems blight America today, begging for the liberating and empowering voice and action of the New Church.2

(I am sure that greater or lesser social challenges face all readers of this journal no matter what their location, but I limit my focus to an area I know something about.) How do we increase the presence of the second coming in the world today? We identify areas of social pain and suffering resulting from inhibited personal freedom and opportunity; and we do not have to look far to find it. Here are four social and spiritual movements the General Church could endorse as immediate goals:

* Emancipate women and men from philosophical, political, and social gender restrictions which prevent them from exercising their gifts of use to the neighbor.
* Increase opportunity to those in underprivileged, inner-city public schools.
* Minister to those in prison.
* Provide community service and outreach in the form of day care, family counseling, and halfway houses.3
     2 Rev. J. Theodore Klein, a faculty member at the Swedenborg School of Religion, recently published a moving and accessible book entitled The Power of Service: A Swedenborgian Approach to Social Issues in the Twenty-first Century. In this work Klein outlines dozens of areas of social need in the United States of America (and elsewhere) and shows how the Swedenborgian messages of charity and freedom apply to these needs. Comments on this book can be found in the August, September and December 1998 issues of this journal.
     3 The author has written a longer article explaining these four causes in some detail and outlining some current efforts already under way in the General Church to address them. Readers interested in receiving a copy of the complete paper may request one from the author by mail at P.O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009, by phone at (215) 938-2567, or by e-mail to [email protected]

     These are just four examples of the type of mission work I believe we are capable of and called to do. Another person may develop a different list of causes. What seems important is a commitment to serve the world unselfishly.

The way we choose to do this could take a variety of forms. The message I find most moving in the New Church is that of freedom, and so my list includes items that affect human freedom in one way or another.

The General Church cannot commit resources to every need in the world today, and no one expects it to. In addition, certain political efforts are so polarizing that official church involvement may be more damaging to our members than helpful to others. However, the inability to do it all is no excuse for avoiding participation. If the General Church were to commit to a mission of increasing the presence of the second coming in the world today, then as an organization it could weigh various needs and proposals that further the goal, and commit energy and other resources as they become available. Special fund-raising efforts could help start new services such as prison ministry or outreach to inner-city public schools. In other cases, funding is not the issue. Rallying support for a new tax system that evens out funding and opportunity in public schools, and correcting unnecessary limitations on women and men, require little or no funding.
As Jesus says, "By their fruits you will know them" (Matt. 7:20). The General Church must bear fruit for the world or our mission is mired in self-service and isolation. The New Church carries enormously powerful messages of salvation, blessing, freedom, and morality for the world. In some sense we are the keepers of those gifts from the Lord. He has given us five talents; will we trade with or bury them? How do we respond to the Lord's saying, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt 5:16)? We have an outstanding foundation-a very strong tree-but our fruits are not as obvious, even though several societies and individuals in the General Church are currently involved in charitable activities. Why is it hard to see how the General Church mission affects the world? Perhaps this is because the General Church has not yet communicated a plan to take action in the world. Without action we are just lukewarm and undetectable.

But the message of the New Church is not lukewarm, for it is the revelation of the Lord, who said, "I came to send a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" (Luke 12:49).

     Works Cited

     Hallengren, Anders. 1998. Gallery of Mirrors: Reflections of Swedenborgian Thought. West Chester, Pennsylvania: Swedenborg Foundation Publishers.
     Klein, J. Theodore. 1998. The Power of Service: A Swedenborgian Approach to Social Issues in the Twenty-first Century. San Francisco: J. Appleseed & Co.
TRIBUTE TO ZEBULON DLAMINI 1999

TRIBUTE TO ZEBULON DLAMINI Rev. REUBEN TSHABALALA 1999

     I would like to introduce to you Zebulon Dlamini. He was one of the pioneers of the General Church of the New Jerusalem at the time when it was called the Mission in South Africa. Zebulon was born and baptised into the New Church in the early 1920s. His father, Zacharia Dlamini, and others built the first black New Church in the then Transvaal at what is called Greylingstad.
     The first pastor was Barry Maqelepo. He was succeeded by Rev. Mutsi, Rev. P. H. Sabela, Rev. Alfred Mbatha, Rev. Solomon Mkizi and Rev. Michael Maseko. Unfortunately, the South African apartheid laws and Group Areas Act resulted in the church at Greylingstad's being demolished. People who lived in that area were moved to a place called Ntoroane, east of Greylingstad.
     Balfour, which is fifteen miles away from Greylingstad, never had a church building. People from Balfour used to travel to Greylingstad to worship, but today the good news is that the ailing Zebulon Dlamini has offered his house to the New Church for only thirty thousand rand.

     The house that Zebulon has so generously offered to the New Church, and particularly for the society at Balfour, is a big house, especially the dining room, which is used for worship. It has eight outside rooms now being rented out. The General Church in South Africa has eight different societies: four in Kwazulu Natal, three in Gauteng, one in Mpumalanga, and one group in the western cape. The one in Mpumalanga is the Balfour Society.
     Up to now the Balfour Society has had no church building. The congregation was worshipping in a school classroom which we hired for church services. But at the end of 1997, out of all the different denominations that were worshipping in that school, the school committee decided to terminate our church services.
     It was then that Zebulon Dlamini decided that the New Church congregation should worship in his house. Since then we have been conducting our church services in Mr. Dlamini's house-now a total of eight months.
     It was Sunday evening, 12th July, that the telephone rang. When I picked up the receiver, it was to hear Zebulon Dlamini's voice telling me the most wonderful news. He was phoning from his niece's place in Katlehong where he has been staying since he became ill. He said to me, "Tshabalala, I have decided to sell my stand [meaning his house] to the church." I paused. It was excitement and confusion at the same time. I couldn't believe my ears. I thought I was dreaming and yet not. "But don't tell anybody," he said. "Just ask the congregation. I want to see them on 26th July, 1998; then I will tell them this news."
     I agreed, but I couldn't keep the secret. The first person I phoned was Neil Otten, because he was the man in charge of the Building and Renovations Committee. He was very excited. He said, "Reuben, do you see how wonderfully the Lord's Divine Providence works? But I am going into hospital for an operation, so I will see you after ten days when I have been discharged." But most unfortunately, we never met again because after the operation he died.

     Now the man whom we expected to leave us soon for the spiritual world, Mr. Zebulon Dlamini, is still with us. [See note below.] And the man we expected to come back from the operation and help us with this gift is already in the spiritual world. This shows us clearly that it is only the Lord who knows about our lives.
     We are now in the process of obtaining a transfer of the property into the name of the church through the conveyances, Hillary and Baitz, and the S.A. Corporation of the New Church.
     When he made his announcement to the congregation of Balfour, Mr. Dlamini said, "Balfour has never had a church building, so I am selling my house to the New Church so that the Lord's people should have a place to worship their Lord." After this declaration Mr. Zwane stood up and asked a few questions, such as whether he perhaps had made a will giving the house to the relatives. He was well answered. Then Mr. Nhlapo followed and, being satisfied with the answers received, added: "I thank you very much for what you have contributed to the Balfour Society. God will bless you."
     "Only men have responded. What about you ladies? Are you happy?" asked Mr. Dlamini. "We are very delighted-so much so that we don't know what to say. We thank you very much," said Miss Linah Zwane.
     Again Mr. Dlamini said, "The New Church ministers used to bring us church services once a month or once in two months. Due to transport problems they used to sleep in this house. Some used to arrive on Saturdays and leave after church on Sundays. Some used to arrive on Sundays and leave on Mondays. After thinking on these things, I realised this house deserves to be a church."
     Mr. Dlamini, through the Lord, has facilitated things for us. Indeed this is a delightful occasion.

[Note: Zebulon Dlamini passed into the spiritual world near the end of December 1998.]

HARMONY WITHIN THE CHURCH 1999

HARMONY WITHIN THE CHURCH Rev. MICHAEL D. GLADISH 1999

There is a universal theme in the Word that requires our attention from time to time. It is also directly related to the spiritual meaning of "war" in the Word, which again is a recurring and troublesome topic in the Word for many. Further, it is important right now in the development and future of this congregation [Kitchener Society], as we wrestle with specific issues of leadership, outreach, growth and change. For example, we are naturally concerned about how we are going to address the challenge of finding volunteers to serve in the variety of uses that make this church work - especially when we all have such differing views on what things are important. This leads us into further concerns about how we are going to maintain church unity in spite of the variety of different needs and wants and legitimate opinions we have about how things should be done. And I think we should all be interested in the issue of how and why we would continue to support efforts and programmes that we don't necessarily agree with or find helpful for ourselves. Finally, this theme is important for us individually as we learn how to deal effectively with the personal challenges of interaction with others who disagree with us, whether in the church or anywhere.
Consider the following passage which deals with Genesis chapter 11: "The people are called 'one' and their 'lip' one when all have as their end in view the common good of society, the common good of the church, and the Lord's kingdom. For in that case the end includes within itself the Lord, from whom all people are one. The Lord cannot possibly be present with someone whose end in view is his own good. That which is man's excludes the Lord, for in so doing it diverts and directs toward itself the common good of society, that of the church, and indeed the Lord's kingdom, even to making these exist so to speak for its own sake. Thus it takes away from the Lord that which is His and substitutes itself. And when this is the prevailing attitude with a person, the same is the case in each one of his thoughts, and indeed in the smallest details of his thoughts . . . " (AC 1316, emphasis added).

There is much that could be drawn out and emphasized here, but today I would call your attention to the idea of the common good. "Common" here is a term that comes right out of the Latin of the Writings and means "general, universal or public," as opposed to individual or private. It refers to what best suits the whole church as distinguished from its individual members. Now of course it is not a good idea for individuals to be deprived of their needs and wishes in any organization, or the fundamentals of the thing disintegrate, like a wheel without any spokes, or a tree without any branches. But I think the point of this passage is that when we consider the needs and wishes of others - and especially the health and progress of the whole body - we put ourselves in a position to be led by the Lord who Himself loves every single member, and who therefore can help us accommodate and even subordinate our own desires for the sake of the others. This gives us a reason to support something that we don't personally like, and it makes it easier than otherwise to do so.
This is the origin of our traditional concept of "essential unanimity"-not that everybody has to think and believe the same way, but that after due consideration and discussion, through which it can be seen that a certain decision will serve a common or general good, we come together to affirm that decision for the sake of the whole. If not, then as we say, real doubt is cause for delay.

     Finally, it seems to me that the statement, "The Lord cannot possibly be present with someone whose end in view is his own good" applies equally to the ownership of the church, in that we must consider the needs of those who can benefit from the church even though they are not yet members. In other words, the church itself does not exist for its own sake but for the sake of the uses it may serve to others. (By the way, there is nothing wrong with "one's own good"; we must be healthy ourselves before we can serve others. The gist of the passage is that we must not be looking to our own advantage as the main point.)
     It may seem ironic that this inner life of charity would suffer if falsities were removed from our environment, but we know from the Writings that true charity grows when we have choices and when we act in freedom "as if of ourselves" according to our own reason. Therefore, people must be allowed to nurture what appear to be their own ideas, even if they aren't quite right, or all human incentive and personal responsibility would quickly fade.
     With regard to our theme in general, I would suggest that this relates at least in part to the choices we make in the church, such as whether or not we will support something bigger and more important than ourselves, a "common good" that can affect many others besides ourselves. No, it doesn't mean we have to just "give in" to everything that may be suggested, but if every one of us had the attitude of hearing and accommodating to each other's concerns, ultimately no one would be disappointed, for we would all be fulfilled as we looked after each other, and as we together looked after the needs of others who have not yet found the New Church.
     True, some bad ideas, even falsities, will arise and grow among the good and truths we nurture, but, as in the parable, the toleration of these bad things will be worth it in view of the greater good that comes in the end (because of the freedom and rationality that this encourages), and most certainly the good and evil will be sorted out in the end.
     Wherever wars are mentioned in the Word (and they are mentioned a lot) the subject of inner conflict or temptations is involved. On another level they also represent conflicts within the church. So the idea that we won't or shouldn't expect to have conflicts in the church is not only wishful thinking but is inconsistent with what the Lord - repeatedly - tells us.
     It's not that we're so bad that we inevitably fall into self-love and conflict, but even if we're good, the hells attack, and then we need to take a stand - not so much in defense of ourselves as in defense of the good and truth that is attacked within us.

Note also that we are not especially told to fight against falsities (which are represented by the tares) but rather against the evil of the falsity, in this case specifically the evil we feel within ourselves, attacking and breaking down the good of charity.
     The reason the Word is so full of war stories is that it's about our regeneration: we start our lives natural and we must become spiritual, which involves constant conflict, a constant struggle to leave our old natures behind as we undergo a fundamental spiritual change. And it's the same in the church as a whole because we are all in process; none of us is regenerate. Still we should never have to fight against each other, only against our common enemy, which is the evil, or if you will, faith separated from charity.
     In AC 3350 we note that Swedenborg was allowed to see a representation in an interior heaven where he found a spirit of complete harmony. And this is a picture of the church too, that is, the ideal of the Lord's heaven on earth, where, if it's really working,

     a. Nobody wants to do anything by himself because it is the delight of everyone to share his or her loves and talents with others;
     b. Nobody wants to direct or lead the others, at least in the sense of controlling or dominating over them;
     c. But all allow themselves to be led by one another, enjoying one another's contributions; and
     d. Therefore all are led by the Lord (individually and collectively).

     Of course there must be leaders! But the essential job of the leaders is to facilitate the expression of the good loves and talents of the members so that they feel useful and fulfilled as they look out for the concerns of others, both in and out of the church. In this sense even the leaders do not want to lead, that is, they wish for no power over others but they want to help, and others turn to them because they recognize a gift, a mission, or an ability on their part to help.

So in another sense we're all leaders, each of us having some particular gifts, vision, perspective or abilities to help each other, each of us, as the doctrines say, being a sort of centre for the communication of his or her joy to all the others. "Therefore," we read, "the more there are who constitute the Lord's kingdom, the greater is the happiness, for it increases in proportion to the numbers" (AC 549; see also HH 399).
     How, then, in summary, can we promote and maintain harmony, and even unity of purpose, in the church, despite the tremendous variety of needs and perceptions of what may be best? There are three essential teachings that seem clearly to arise from the three lessons we have discussed today, and curiously each one seems to be based on one of the essential aspects of the trinity in every part of human life: the things of love, the things of wisdom and the things of use.
     First, it seems clear that each of us must look to the Lord and keep the Lord as the main focus of our hearts and minds. In other words, if we want to live in harmony, we must be careful not to journey away from the east. Second, we must learn how to tolerate even the trends and ideas we feel are wrong, if only for the sake of the greater "common" good, knowing for certain it will all get sorted out in the end, at the time of harvest when the uses bear their fruit. And finally we must all learn to share our joys, delights, talents, and blessings in useful service to the church and one another, rather than withdrawing or complaining about the things we don't like.
     If we do these things, then the Lord who loves us all will be able to bless us all, not only from Himself but also through the ministries that He gives to each of us, no matter how many of us with all our differing opinions there may be, that we may have the peace and fulfillment of heaven in the church.

REVIEW 1999

REVIEW Leon S. Rhodes 1999

A Branching Tree, A Narrative History of the General Conference of the New Church, by Rev. Dennis Duckworth, the General Conference of the New Church, 1998

     Many New Church Life readers know the Rev. Dennis Duckworth of the British General Conference. His recently published A Branching Tree will be highly valued as providing a fascinating and comprehensive study of this New Church organization.
     Though the Conference has ever been known and respected because of its importance in New Church literature, there has been no single overview of its long history, and A Branching Tree is a most welcome little illustrated paperback that presents a splendid account of its early beginnings, its growth and progress. Its preface declares that "for its size, the New Church as a whole has probably produced more doctrinal and organizational literature than any other comparable body in the world."
     The opening chapter, "The Roots of the Tree," provides an excellent biography of Emanuel Swedenborg's life and work, and begins this history with activities involving Swedenborg's contemporaries and first followers, including those who had no idea of the anonymous author of these "Writings." Most of Swedenborg's religious publishing work was done in England. He had visited England eleven times and had become known and considered a "savant" while his scientific works were attracting attention of those able to read classical Latin. We are told of the high respect of friends who knew him personally up until his death in 1772. Swedenborg's works were respected in Europe and many foreign places.
     Perhaps one of the most significant readers of the Writings is memorialized in a carved bust in our cathedral's council hall: Robert Hindmarsh, printer, publisher, and a Latin scholar whose father also was important in New Church history.
     Another early worthy, John Clowes, was mystically drawn to the Writings by a vision of the words "Divine Human," and became a most eloquent preacher of the new teachings.

Hindmarsh and Clowes differed on a key doctrinal interpretation: the need to separate from the Christian Church. It was a mere handful of young men who gathered on July 31st, 1787, who organized "the Lord's New Church in its outward and visible form on earth."
     The book describes annual Conference meetings in the early 1900s. We read:

Personalities began to appear. Rev. J. F. Buss-quite deaf-relied entirely upon his neighbour's shorthand notes . . . . Fred Collinge was hard-hitting and straight, like the good batsman he was. And there were others-H. N. Morris, Foster Humphreys, and "Dear old Dufty": Rev. Joseph Gibbons Dufty, never at a loss for a bon mot.

. . . [V]isitors to Conference from abroad were welcome. Rev. Alfred Acton from the General Church in Bryn Athyn, U.S.A., received a standing ovation; Monsieur Flon, from the New Church in Paris, endured the whole of Conference without a word of English at his disposal; there was Rev. Africanus Mensah from West Africa, and many others throughout the years. Occasionally, in those distant times, a feminine voice was raised to refresh the proceedings.

. . . And so to the conversazione. The choir and the orchestra came into their own; in Scotland the kilt was worn and the pipes were played.

     A page later the General Church is described. In that church, "New Church doctrine is regarded as Divine revelation and Swedenborg is regarded as the Lord's appointed servant, to bring forth teachings that are in every way safe and sure. Like all of us, Swedenborg could make human slips and errors, but the pure doctrine within his writings is without blemish."
     Leon S. Rhodes

THINKING OUTSIDE THE CIRCLE 1999

THINKING OUTSIDE THE CIRCLE Editor 1999

     Editorial Pages
     A trendy phrase we have heard is "thinking outside the box." We presume this to mean that one tries to see a situation from outside the confines of traditional approaches. It has something to do with getting a fresh perspective that is not hemmed in by the usual way our thoughts tend to run.
     So what about thinking outside the circle? Consider this passage from Heaven and Hell:

That the love of self is the opposite of love to the neighbor can be seen from the origin and essence of both. The love of the neighbor of one who is in the love of self begins with oneself, for he claims that everyone is neighbor to himself, and it goes forth from him as its center to all who make one with him, diminishing in accordance with the degree of their conjunction with him by love. All outside of this circle are regarded as of no account, and those who are opposed to those in the circle and to their evils are accounted as enemies, whatever their character may be, however wise, upright, honest, or just (HH 558).

     We are neither angels nor devils. We know very well what it is like to think within the circle merely from self-interest. And we know that it is possible to think outside the circle. There are wise, upright, honest and just people who may be outside the habitual circle of our thinking.
     It can be refreshing and actually liberating to stop and make deliberate effort to think in another way. We can pray to the Lord to let us see life's situations in a different light, to see them with the Lord at the center of the circle.
OPEN DOOR 1999

OPEN DOOR Editor 1999

Rev. Bernard Willmott was ordained into the ministry of the General Conference in England in 1943. (In Rev. D. Duckworth's history of the Conference one can find the ordination date of all who have served that organization.)

He has labored for the New Church in England and Australia for more than 58 years, and he served for years as editor of the Australian New Age. No, we are not about to announce his decease. We are about to say that he has privately published a little book of 140 pages entitled An Open Door.
     Bernard was working in England while I was, and I had the opportunity to hear him preach. There was a preacher that obviously loved the Writings. His sermons resonate well with those of us who look to the Writings as coming from the Lord.
     Here is a little sampling from this new book.
     The author starts out mentioning "those familiar with the Heavenly Doctrine revealed by the Lord in the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg." But his words are not only for such persons. The first quotation from the Writings is AC 3854. Here is the way he introduces it: "Among the many remarkable and happily thought-provoking passages found in such innumerable variety throughout the books written and published by Emanuel Swedenborg-and which he styled as that immediate revelation which is meant by the Coming of the Lord-there is one in particular that has intimate and immediate relevance to our theme. It is found in the work Arcana Caelestia, and concerns the unremitting and unfailing Providence of the Lord: the means by which He governs from His Divine Love!"
      The second chapter of the book is called "Why a Gardener?" We quote only the final paragraph of this interesting chapter: "So it is that as and when we come into an acknowledgment of the Writings as supremely a revelation of Divine Love, we no longer speak or think of them as Swedenborg's interpretation but as without any doubt the Second Coming of the Lord in power and great glory."
     In the third chapter he mentions concern about the organized "New Church," noting the inclination of some to turn aside "from the very basis and purpose for which the organization exists." Some may say that the Writings are "too difficult" and only for intellectuals and that "the world is not ready for them."

But he invokes his experience and understanding of the cause of the New Church to encourage a positive and hopeful view. As he puts it in the fourth chapter, "[T]he real and enduring vitality and strength of the organized New Church on earth is to be found, not primarily nor essentially in terms of numbers or material affluence and power, nor in the enthusiastic involvement in social welfare. Its enduring life is found in and from the effort of both minister and people to enter with understanding into what the Lord has revealed in His Second Advent in the Writings of His servant, Emanuel Swedenborg. For all the truths revealed there are 'so many mirrors of the Infinite and Divine Love and Wisdom and Power in the Lord.' Such an emphasis on the internal sense of the Word in no way whatever detracts from the Bible with its Old and New Testaments, but rather exalts them."
There are a limited number of copies of this book. $20 Australian toward postage and packing is asked (which is around $10 U.S.). One may write to Rev. Mr. Willmott at P.O. Box 98, Wahroonga, NSW 2076, Australia.
KINGDOM OF THE CULTS 1999

KINGDOM OF THE CULTS 1999

In 1965 a book by Walter Martin was published in which one of the "cults" described was "The Church of the New Jerusalem-Swedenborgianism." Several editions of the book have been printed since then. Some of us have written to the publisher pointing out particular mistakes and making the general point that it really is not valid to categorize the New Church as a cult.
We are pleased to note that the edition published in 1997 no longer includes the New Church among the cults. (The book is published by Bethany House Publishers, Minneapolis.)

DRAMA BASED ON THE WORSHIP AND LOVE OF GOD 1999 APPLESEED'S RECIPES 1999

APPLESEED'S RECIPES 1999

     Here is an English translation of comments about this Swedenborg-based theatrical.

     On a Saturday this November several of us travelled to V?steros. We filled three cars and drove away to an exciting experience of music theatre. What we saw was "Det Stora V?rlds?gget" ("The Great World-Egg"), a new work for choir, orchestra and stage.
     The work is built on Swedenborg's drama of creation, The Worship and Love of God. Text and direction were provided by Maria of Malmborg, and the original music was composed by Bjorn Linnman.
     The newspaper reviews were glowing, particularly in Stockholm's Dagens Nyheter [one of Sweden's three major newspapers-trans.]. And with good reason. The scenery, the instrumental music and choral song blended together in a wonderful harmony. The presentation was life-affirming, playful, and above all conveyed a spiritual message without apology-something quite unusual in today's cultural offerings. As our fellow theater-going passenger Anna said afterwards, "There was nothing at all evil in it. It was so refreshing!"
     Rev. Goran Appelgren
     Bromma, Sweden
     A friend in California has discovered a charming little booklet of two dozen pages containing recipes. The writer's name is Joan, and so she calls it Joany Appleseed's Favorite Apple Recipes.
     She has credentials. "My great-great grandmother was Susan Chapman, a niece of John Chapman (he never married). It seems his love of apples has carried through to me."

Joan Mortensson says that Johnny was "a firm believer and missionary in the Swedenborgian Christian faith." Her little booklet was published by Foxglove Farm in Sebastopol, California. As to the excellence of the recipes we cannot testify, but suppose that the proof is in the pudding.
IN OUR CONTEMPORARIES 1999

IN OUR CONTEMPORARIES 1999

     The latest issue of The New Philosophy contains particularly interesting material. We note that the editor, Dr. Erland Brock, reviews the book by Dr. Philip Groves, Swedenborg's Mighty Contribution to the Soul.
     Linda S. Odhner, under the title "Sonnets for the Magi," gives us three short poems, one each for Newton, Bach and Swedenborg. The one about Swedenborg reads as follows:

     Emanuel Swedenborg

     The egg's forms rise from nowhere: watch them fill
     The empty matrix, as it yearns for shape,
     Self-conscious life, the exercise of will,
     And from material bondage seeks escape.
     The force no depth of search can ever find
     Now teaches all who comprehend its tongue
     To rise above, yet not to leave behind
     The faulty cradle, damp from hatching young.
     So Scripture bears the Word that it enfolds,
     Concealing, then revealing what it means;
     And he who turned from nature to record
     Such marvels of the spirit, now beholds
     New light that from his worldly studies weans
     His sight, and makes him servant of the Lord.

AMAZING ASTRONOMY 1999

AMAZING ASTRONOMY E. Kent Rogers 1999

     Communications
Dear Editor:
     There is a passage in Earths in the Universe that reads: "There are two kinds of people on the planet Venus, who are of opposite characters . . . . Those who are gentle and humane are to be seen on the other side of their world; those who are fierce and almost like wild animals, on the side facing us . . . . [T]hey appear thus according to the states of their life, for in the spiritual world the state of life determines every appearance of space and distance" (n. 106).
     Although this is talking about a spiritual reality, there is an astonishing parallel in the natural universe. Because of dense swirling clouds, the rotation of Venus remained unknown until 1960.1 At that time scientists found that Venus rotates backwards, so that the sun rises in the west.2 But what is truly amazing is that: "Venus's backwards rotation is locked into Earth's revolution about the sun. If we could see through Venus's clouds, we would view exactly the same nighttime landscape every time Venus passed between us and the sun. Another extraordinary resonance in the solar system!"3
     1 William J. Kaufmann III, "Planets and Moons," 1979, p. 47
     2 Ibid., p. 47
     3 Ibid., p. 49

     Extraordinary indeed! It is also extraordinary that this resonates with a fact mentioned in Earths in the Universe 200 years earlier!
     Similarly, the prediction in Revelation that the great red dragon will dash a third of the stars to earth is a spiritual prediction about faith alone blocking the mind from being able to perceive truths from the Word (see Rev. 12:4; AR 537, 541). But it is interesting that today in post-Christian culture, the time of faith alone and the vastated Christian Church, we look into the night sky and at least a third of the stars are not visible due to all the lights on the earth.

We are told that there is no such thing as chance, but that everything happens according to Divine Providence (see DP 70, AC 5508, 9010, 8717).
     While these observations are not crucial to understanding the Lord's will for us, they do add to the amazement we feel when we look up into the celestial order with which the Lord governs the spiritual and natural worlds. We begin to see that life in all its beauty and mystery is a miracle revealing the infinite love with which the Lord blesses us.
     When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? (Psalm 8:3, 4)
     E. Kent Rogers
     Bryn Athyn, PA
CIRCLES 1999

CIRCLES Richard Linquist 1999

Dear Editor:
The year 2000 will mark the sesquicentennial of New Church people living in Erie, Pennsylvania. For much of the past 150 years the General Church has sought to provide spiritual nourishment to the Erie Circle. Let me recall the names of some of the people involved in this use: Benade, Brickman, Whitehead, G.H. Smith, C.T. Odhner, N.D. Pendleton, George de Charms, Reuter, Rogers, Stroh, Holm and others. Also I will mention the name Rev. Fred E. Waelchli, often affectionately referred to as "Father" Waelchli.
My uncle, Rev. Larry Soneson, was profoundly influenced by him. Mr. Waelchli guided many religious discussions around the Sonesons' kitchen table when Larry was growing up in Erie. As an adult, Larry entered the ministry to serve congregations on the east and west coasts of the USA, and eventually became the Secretary of the General Church.

During his years of service to the church Larry practiced his keen sense of how and when to listen and to speak. Personal conversations, once nurtured by Mr. Waelchli, brought much joy to Larry. You know, " . . . every love returns by a circle, as it were, to that from which it comes" (D. Love x). And the seeds of many affections are sown early in life.
     I was an Erie boy also, living at 115 Sassafras Street for the first ten years of my life. Many innocent pleasures guided my life during the Divinely appointed golden age of childhood. One of my favorite adventures was to wander up the slightly rising slope of Sassafras Street. Four blocks up brought me to Jones' Food Store. There a nickel could buy an orange soda pop or a Hershey's chocolate bar. Then I walked up the more steep rise toward Sixth Street, searching always for treasures. While I was stepping on or over every crack in the sidewalk, my sight would sometimes locate a bird's feather or interesting stone. Near Sixth and Sassafras I liked to mount a two-foot high stone retaining wall. Like an acrobat I walked on it to the end of the street.
     Not far down Sixth Street was a beautiful stone church, the Church of the Covenant. Its beauty touched my young soul with a sense of curiosity and wonder. I had no idea that my fascination with its beautiful Gothic tower was a precursor of my adult love for the Bryn Athyn cathedral and its magnificent tower. Here I find myself on common ground with Uncle Larry, who was similarly affected in youth by "Father" Waelchli's towering influence.
     Later in my life I discovered why the Erie and Bryn Athyn churches are similar. When our cathedral was being constructed, a delegation was sent from Erie to Bryn Athyn to study our method of construction. Also I learned this bit of history: In 1828 a Mr. William Himrod bought a tract of land west of Sassafras and north of Sixth Street. This is at or near the location of the Church of the Covenant. He named his property "New Jerusalem." A Mrs. Gallagher, at that time, thought that it was so named because it was hard to get to!

     Is it, always? The uphill journey of regeneration to the New Jerusalem has many times of unhappiness and despair. But certainly there are happy times as good affections for the Lord and our neighbors enter our daily lives. I think that it is sort of like walking up Sassafras Street, but now searching for spiritual treasures in our neighbors. Playfully ascending toward higher ground, we can enjoy the adventure and share our happiness in living.
     Consider this truth: "Moreover such is the circle of things in man that whatever enters the ear and eye, or by the hearing and sight, passes into his understanding, and through the understanding into the will, and from the will into act" (AC 3869:2). What is impressed upon us in childhood may bear good fruit some day, according to the Lord's Divine Providence.
     Richard Linquist
     Huntingdon Valley, PA
DID YOU KNOW THAT A NEW CHURCH WAS STARTED IN JAPAN OVER 100 YEARS AGO? 1999

DID YOU KNOW THAT A NEW CHURCH WAS STARTED IN JAPAN OVER 100 YEARS AGO? 1999

In March of 1891 the Academy held a social to celebrate this momentous event. (The Japanese church was affiliated with Convention, not the then brand new General Church.) The students and some of the teachers dressed in Japanese costume (we have photographs of a few of them), and the hall was decorated with Japanese lanterns, fans and ornaments. Bishop Benade read from the Writings on the subject of "Asiatic Gentiles." Bishop Pendleton read a description of the Japanese character by Matthew Arnold. And Rev. L. G. Jordan gave a lecture on Japan with the aid of a stereopticon.
(Contributed by Archivist Diahnne H. Glenn)

FREDERICK EMANUEL DOERING FUNDandCANADIAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND 1999

     Applications for assistance from the above funds for Canadian male and female students attending the Academy of the New Church in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, for the school year 1999-2000 should be received by one of the pastors listed below by the end of April if at all possible.
     Ideally, acceptance for admission to the Academy should precede application for financial aid, but because academic acceptance (including processing of transcripts from other schools, etc.) can take several months to complete, the Academy business office needs to get started on the financial arrangements before then. Grants are usually assigned in the spring, hence the early deadline.
     In addition, students from western Canada may be eligible for travel assistance and even for another special grant. The vision is that no Canadian student who really wants to attend the Academy should be barred from doing so for financial reasons.
     For more information, help or application forms, write:

     Rev. M. D. Gladish     Rev. G. G. Alden
     2 Lorraine Gardens     9013 - 8th Street
     Etobicoke, Ontario     Dawson Creek, B.C.
     M9B 4Z4     V1G 3N3

     Rev. M. K. Cowley
     58 Chapel Hill Drive
     Kitchener, Ontario
     N2G 3W5

FREDERICK EMANUEL DOERING FUNDandCANADIAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND 1999

     Announcements


     BETROTHALS

     Cool-Rogers-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, December 22, 1998, James Cool and Bethany Rogers, Rev. Prescott A. Rogers officiating.
     Hunsaker-Ayers-At Glendale, Ohio, September 13, 1998, Carl Robert Hunsaker and Cathy Ann Hutchens Ayers, Rev. Patrick A. Rose officiating.
SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES Vol. 1Emanuel Swedenborg 1999

SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES Vol. 1Emanuel Swedenborg 1999

Translated by
Dr. J. Durban Odhner

In recent years a compelling demand has arisen world-wide for a modern and at the same time reliable translation of a Swedenborg's work properly called Spiritual Experiences, formerly known as Spiritual Diary. Here it is, a new translation based on the second Latin edition prepared by the present translator and published by the Academy of the New Church in the years 1983 to 1997. Only one complete English version has beceded this one, and that was published in 1902 (although a second version of volume one only was published by the Swedenborg Society in 1962).
Volume one of this new translation is now available in hardcover, regular edition, or with "The Word" printed on the spine. Subsequent volumes will be forthcoming over the next few years.

Published by
General Church of the New Jerusalem
1998
Price $15.00
Shipping $1.60

General Church Book Center
Cairncrest
Box 743
Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

Notes on This Issue 1999

Vol. CXIX     March, 1999     No. 3

     New Church Life

     "Every real change to the better in our life, every resolution to improve at doing something good or putting away something we see as evil, needs these steps in the middle: the stairs that take us from our present situation of worldly love that higher level of heavenly loves." This is from the sermon by Andrew Heilman.
     We thank Ruth Goodenough for translating from French the account of a visit to Togo in West Africa, enabling us to share part of it with English readers.
     Last November we had an item by Rev. Erik Buss on how to become a member of the General Church. In this issue Dr. Michael Sandstrom gives a perspective on being a kind of outsider, yet a member. The experience he has in Christian social circles reminds us of some items from last year. Neville Jarvis in April shared his experience in dealing with fundamentalists, and then Rev. Grant Odhner added more in August. The subject had been raised in November of 1997 by Alexander Fox.
     The grandfather of Michael Sandstrom undertakes in this issue to address the question of whether the Writings are a covenant.
     Note on page 135 that a new booklet is available called Facing Fears - Finding Happiness.

Speaking of booklets, we are delighted to announce that a little gem of a booklet that has been unavailable for many years has now been reprinted. We refer to Words of Life by Rev. Paul Sperry. It is a pocket-sized book of over 270 pages which provides daily mediations. Paul Sperry was the man who encouraged Helen Keller to write her book My Religion (which in a new versions is called Light in My Darkness). Sperry's booklet is available now for $5.00. Write to the editor if your local book agent does not have it.

STAIRWAY TO THE LORD 1999

STAIRWAY TO THE LORD Rev. ANDREW J. HEILMAN 1999

"And he dreamed, and behold a stairway set on the earth, and its head reaching to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it; and behold the Lord standing upon it" (Genesis 28:13,14).

     During our life in this world there are many times when this vision of a stairway reaching from earth to heaven offers hope in our continued endeavors to ascend to our Lord. This is especially the case when we are focusing on the work of repentance, beginning something new in our life, or preparing ourselves for the Lord's Holy Supper. All too often we feel a great distance between ourselves and our Savior, but the stairs or steps on the pathway to heaven make this journey a possibility. Without them we would see no hope for salvation. It would be like looking up to a high plateau surrounded by sheer cliffs with no way of ascent. We would fall into despair, either letting our hands hang at our sides waiting for the Lord to lift us on high in one miraculous moment, or just giving up the quest altogether and deciding that life on the worldly plane of existence is good enough. There are, of course, these moments of despair at the end of bitter temptations, but the Lord surely does not want us to spend our entire life in such a state.
     Jacob was given the beautiful vision of that stairway leading to heaven and to the Lord, and this stairway is revealed to us as well by the Lord in His Word. The steps we must take to attain heavenly life are clearly outlined and explained. We may not see all of them; we may not see to the top as Jacob did in his dream, but we can see the next step upward as we follow the Lord's leading. And as these are steps in a ladder or stairway, each step takes effort on our part. It is the broad and wide path that is easy to follow and walk upon, for it slopes downward and the gravity of self-love pulls us in that direction. But the narrow path of life leads upward to the Lord.

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It is opposed to our worldly and selfish motives, and we may find ourselves exhausted at times.
     One step in this stairway which seems especially difficult to make is that step represented in the story of Jacob when Leah ceased bearing children. Like the stairs in the vision of Jacob, the births of the twelve sons of Jacob also represent the various steps in our regeneration or rebirth, like the twelve steps of the temple of true wisdom described in the Divine Providence. Jacob represents the growing presence of the Lord with us. His two wives represent the affection of truth, Leah an external desire for knowing. Rachel represents a more interior affection or perception which sees and desires what is good and eternal in the truths which are learned. In the beginning of our life, when we are still a child or a youth, and in early adult life as well, our interior affection for what is good and true is barren and unable to directly influence our life. But the external desire to know and learn is quite active. The Lord uses this desire to inspire us to make those first important steps, learning the truths which lead us to heaven.
     These truths which we learn from this desire to know are represented by the first four sons born to Leah: Reuben represents the knowledges of faith, Simeon the obedience to these knowledges, Levi the truths of charity, and finally Judah the Divine truth about the Lord and His Divinity. But then Leah ceases to bear children. After learning the essential truths of the church from a desire to know, we come to a standstill. How are we to progress? We know what we should do but we lack the desire to do it. One part of us from within feels this anguish, as Rachel complained to Jacob to give her a child. But another part of us has no desire to move upward any farther. When we resolve to change something in our lives, when we strive for a new beginning as we often do when we approach the Lord in His Holy Supper, these feelings of doubt and hopelessness often enter our mind.
     Perhaps we are extending our vision too far ahead and fail to see the steps which lie directly in front of us. The life of genuine charity and mutual love may seem remote.

101

The steps of doing cheerfully and spontaneously what the Lord has taught us, doing good to others from love to the Lord, may appear distant and almost invisible. What we need are steps in the middle, steps that continue on the way to heaven and yet can still coexist with our selfish and worldly concerns to some extent. Up till now the stairs we have come up have been relatively easy and well within reach; surely the Lord will provide similar steps for us now.
These steps are specifically called "means" or middle steps in the Writings. They are represented by the handmaids and their sons. Although they take effort and do lead upward, we do not have to completely change ourselves to ascend them. In fact, these are the very steps which do change our lives. Like handmaids, these states serve as means for spiritual progression, steps in the middle which lead to yet higher steps-not to be sought after as ends in themselves, and yet without them the end would not be possible. This is true of all the steps of regeneration, but it is particularly the case with these middle steps.
But what are these middle steps in the stairway which give us hope for our salvation? What are the stages that we must pass through if we are to change our life from a state of knowing what is true to a state of willing what is good, from a worldly way of life to the life the Lord wants us to live? "Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. And Rachel said, 'God has judged me, and also has heard my voice, and has given me a son'; therefore she called his name Dan." The name Dan in Hebrew means judgment. The first step after we have learned what is true is to make a judgment, a judgment that the truths of the Word are true because the Lord has said so. This judgment is called in the Writings the affirmative principle, a starting point leading to wisdom and intelligence. Up till now we have learned what is true from our own reading and by being taught by parents and teachers, but do we really believe it? Do we accept what we have learned as being Divine truth, or do we still seek to be convinced by physical or rational proof? This step is within our reach. It is quite clear what the Lord is asking of us.

102

We are asked to simply believe what He teaches us, the clear statements of truth He has revealed.
This first step of judgment must be within our resolve when we decide to make a permanent change in our life. We must believe that this change we are focusing on is something the Lord has asked of us. It might appear like blind faith, but we must remember that this judgment, this affirmation that something is true because the Lord has said so in His Word, is only a means to heaven and the light of wisdom and intelligence. If we come to a standstill at this point and progress no further, we are not much better off than before. Unless we affirm the truth because the Lord has so said, we will lack the necessary strength to make the next step on the way to heaven. For the next step in the middle between the earth and heaven is temptation. When "Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, bore a second son to Jacob, Rachel said, 'With the wrestlings of God have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed'; and she called his name Naphtali." Naphtali represents a state of temptation. His name means wrestlings or struggles. Temptations are spiritual struggles through which a person must pass if he is to be prepared for heaven. Unless a person has previously confirmed himself in what is true from the Word and looks to the Lord as the only source of truth and power, he will be unable to endure any spiritual temptation. For we are taught that in temptation the Lord alone fights for man, and He fights for him against evils and falsities by means of the truths the man has from the Word. In temptation the mind is obscured, reason and the senses are confused. If these were the basis of our belief, all our truths would be lost or twisted.
This step in the stairway leading to heaven comes to a person when he is ready. We are not to seek temptations, but we do need to struggle to put away the false ideas and evil habits that oppose the truths we affirm. When we decide to change something in our life, what is evil and false with us reacts. The ensuing conflict is temptation.

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These temptations serve as means for the salvation of man, because during these struggles a man is confused and tossed from one side to the other. He sees that he has no power from himself and calls to the Lord for help. In this state of anxiety and doubt the mind is softened and more susceptible to change. If we turn to the Lord for help, when the temptation passes and peace of mind is given we will be disposed to accept new loves and a new way of life. This new way of life is the third means, or middle step, on the stairway of Jacob's dream. "And Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bore Jacob a son. And Leah said, 'Behold a troop comes,' and she called his name Gad." Gad, named from the Hebrew word for a troop, represents the good works that follow affirmation and temptation-the actions we take in our lives to do what is right, to make a new start and to do something better than we have been doing.
As we well know, in the beginning this good is not spontaneous; it is done from a sense of self-compulsion. We do it not so much because we want to do it, but because we know we should. Such good works are done from a sense of obligation. They are not done to earn heaven or to deceive others. Therefore, they do serve as means to prepare a person for the life of heaven. It might take us some effort to begin these good works, but after struggling to get ourselves started, we will soon find that we enjoy doing them. There is a sense of fulfillment and happiness in doing what we know we should. This feeling of delight serves as a means of introducing us to doing good not from compulsion but from love. This sense of happiness is a taste of the blessedness of eternal life given to us by the Lord. It is the fourth means leading to heaven. As Leah said when Zilpah bore a second son, "' . . . in my blessedness, for the daughters will call me blessed,' and she called his name Asher," or blessedness. This is the last of the means or middle steps in the stairway leading from earth to heaven, for all genuine good is introduced into a person's life through delight. This delight is also a sign that a person has put away selfish and worldly concerns and is approaching the final steps of the stairway, which are the various heavenly loves themselves.

104

     Now as these means are all steps of the same pathway, they do not occur isolated from one another but together in succession. Every real change to the better in our life, every resolution to improve at doing something good or putting away something we see as evil, needs these steps in the middle: the stairs that take us from our present situation of worldly love to that higher level of heavenly loves. First we need to be affirmative; we need to recognize that the truth that has led us to this decision is from the Lord Himself. What we hope to accomplish must be what the Lord wants us to do, and all our reasons and motives must be subordinated to this trust and willingness to follow Him alone. Next, with our resolve thus strengthened, we need to face the inevitable struggle which will follow, the doubts and worldly desires which will seek to drag us back down the steps we have already ascended. We must recognize, even in despair, that the Lord Himself is fighting for us, putting away the evil and building the good.
     Thirdly, often while in temptation itself, we must bring ourselves to act on our resolve, to refrain from the evil or do the good because this is what the Lord wants of us. By struggling and actually bringing our decision into our actions we will attain the fourth step. We will sense something of delight and happiness in fulfilling our obligation to the Lord.
     All actual repentance involves these four middle steps. Like the sacrament of Holy Supper, which is called a sacrament of repentance, they serve as an entrance from the courtyard leading upward into the temple itself, the courtyard being the truths which we learn, and the temple being a state of love and charity. The steps of this entrance way are the middle steps of affirmation, temptation, good works, and blessedness. Repentance serves as an affirmation preparing us for the struggles ahead. It is a means of carrying us through the struggle itself; it is also a good work as it initiates us into the life of charity and love, and it brings with it the heavenly delight and blessedness of eternal life.

105

In actual repentance, as we put away evil habits and loves and begin to live a new life, we will experience these stages of ascent-real, tangible steps by which we can ascend to our Lord and Savior who stands at the top of the stairway. Amen.

Lessons: Gen. 28:10-22; 29:31-30:13; DP 36; AC 3913 REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE (3) 1999

REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE (3) Rev. FRANK S. ROSE 1999

"The Lord did not create the universe for His own sake, but for the sake of those with whom He is to be in heaven, since spiritual love is such that it wants to give what is its own to others. So far as it can do this, it is in its being, in its peace and in its blessedness . . . . From this it follows that the Divine love and the Divine Providence from it have as their end a heaven consisting of people who have become angels, or who are in the process of becoming angels, upon whom the Lord is able to bestow all the blessings and joys that belong to love and wisdom, and to communicate these from Himself in them" (DP 27).

     Creation arises from the Divine energy which radiates love, and seeks to bring happiness to others outside of itself. This is why God created the universe-so that beings would exist that could benefit from this love. There is nothing selfish in God.
     In trying to grasp the immensity of this concept, I imagine a kind of dialogue with God. This is put into ordinary language not to be irreverent, but to communicate this deep concept in a simpler form.
     We can imagine a conversation something like this:

     Interviewer: God, we marvel at Your creation. Why did You create such a vast and complex system?

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What is the point of it all?
     God: Because of the intensity of My love. I care, and I want to share My love with others.
     Interviewer: What does this do for the people You have created?
     God: They are filled with happiness and bliss. That is the point of creation-to spread happiness.

     Interviewer: Unfortunately, some people find life really difficult. They aren't particularly happy.
     God: I know, and it grieves Me. I love it when people are happy, but I am willing for them to go through unhappy times if they lead to a deeper and more lasting happiness. My main concern is not with people's happiness on earth. I am interested in their long-term happiness, and I mean really long-term. I want them to be happy forever.
     Interviewer: Don't people have any say in the matter?
     God: Of course they do. I gave them freedom, and this means that I will not force happiness on them. They have to learn how to find it. They have to search for it.
     Interviewer: Suppose they choose not to be happy.
     God: I will let them have whatever life they choose, but I will always seek to guide them to a higher happiness than they would settle for by themselves.
     Interviewer: Where do they find that happiness?
     God: It's My happiness, and so they find it by making a connection with Me. As long as we are connected, I can share My joy with them, and make it full.
     Interviewer: How do you do that?
     God: By sharing Myself with them, and by entering their hearts. When I am in them, I can fill them with joy from the inside out.
     Interviewer: Is that something people can get only after they die?
     God: No, it's available to them here on earth, but not to the same extent that they will experience it after death.

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AFRICA 1999

AFRICA Rev. ALAIN NICOLIER 1999

     (Printed in Nouvelle Terre, no. 219 September, 1998; translated into English by Ruth Goodenough.)

     "And Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth" (Gen. 5:32).
     "The Noachian, or Ancient, Church was diffused throughout Asia, especially into Syria, Mesopotamia, Assyria, Chaldea, the land of Canaan . . . Philistia, Egypt, Tyre, Sidon, Nineveh, and also into Arabia and Ethiopia . . . and into Great Tartary . . . and into all the countries of Africa . . . . The nations in every part of the earth have been in worship from some religion . . . by some revelation . . . . This Ancient Church was a representative church, which in visible and natural types and signs figured forth invisible and spiritual things . . . " (Coronis 39, 42).
     On my visit to Ivory Coast and Togo last month, I was happy to see with my own eyes confirmations of certain passages in the Writings on the subject of Africa, especially by what remains of animistic and voodoo worship. Indeed, we read in several places that the Africans, more than other nations, are predisposed to receive the truths of the Second Coming, especially concerning the spiritual world, correspondences, and the nature of Jesus Christ (see SE 5518).
     Reappearances of the Ancient Church are numerous and can be found here and there in certain ancestral beliefs which have been transmitted by oral tradition from generation to generation since Noah.
     When I was leaving Paris for Abidjan, an "over-booking" problem allowed me and about fifty other African passengers to be lodged at the hotel for a night, to return the next day. This gave us the opportunity to get to know each other a little. Right away I was surprised by the interest they showed in the pastoral work that I was to carry out in their country, and more specifically in the lecture on the theme of "life after death."

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Their agreement with the vision of Swedenborg on the subject was immediate, which led them little by little to open up on some of their personal experiences. For example, an Ivorian grandmother told me that once, when she was returning from her marketing, she encountered an old friend in the street. They did not speak with each other, but simply gave a gesture of greeting. Upon her return to the village she learned that this same friend had died several days earlier, making it evident to her that it was her spirit whom she had met. This kind of experience is common in Africa, and already at the airport I felt a real closeness to the spiritual world with this group of Africans. No matter what their religion, their education, or their social class, all believed in the permanent presence of spirits, angels or demons.
My lecture at the national library of Abidjan brought more than 200 people together on the subject of eternal life, and by way of introduction, I asked the audience if any believed that there is nothing after death. Only two or three hands were raised. This situation allowed me to center my presentation on the way resurrection works, the interaction between spirits and men, and possession, rather than having to bring forth proof that life continues after the death of the body.
After an hour's speech, three hours were spent answering dozens of questions which went in all directions: Swedenborg, the Bible, Christ, heaven, hell, reincarnation, the soul, but especially on spells, charms, magic, conjurers, possession, etc. In fact, these subjects preoccupy all Africans, who are immersed in voodoo from birth. For even though many have been converted to Islam or to Christianity, and others are Freemasons or Rosicrucians, they remain imbued with their spiritualistic and animistic inheritance. Fetishists, marabouts and sorcerers have houses of their own in Africa, and they are present in all economic, political, religious, family and artistic domains.

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They are there to cure or to injure, to warn or cast spells by the contact they make with "spirits" from the other world. They help others sometimes, but most often they manipulate for their own end of glory, domination and money. Although there are many charlatans, the power is for the most part real, and through fear and superstition they pull together the threads of African society in a tacit and subconscious manner.
     Voodoo ritual is anchored in African customs and provides for permanent contact, or rather a permanent awareness of the interdependence of the physical world and the hereafter.
     Everyone believes in spirits because everyone has dealt at least once with the bad kind of fetishist, or with the spell of a spirit or the vision of someone who died. This is one of the elements which predisposes them to become interested in the truths of the Second Coming, for these truths bring them explanations regarding the functioning of the mind, and also the means of protecting themselves against the spirits who wish to infest them. I was surprised to sense even physically how palpable is the closeness of the spiritual world in Africa, even with children who are afraid to bathe in the ocean because of the "spirits" who might pull them into the depths by their feet and drown them!
     Another element that predisposes them toward understanding the workings of correspondences, which tie the body to the spirit and earth to heaven and infinity, is found in their animistic beliefs.
     The word "animism" comes from the Latin anima, which carries the idea of breath of life and soul, and at the same time the idea of power and of the spiritual and holy principle. This belief attributes all the natural phenomena to a soul; every object endowed with movement or life is the manifestation of supernatural forces.
     They attribute souls to the sun, the earth, the planets, plants, animals, minerals and the four elements, because these produce motion in nature and in humanity. It is the soul in food that makes infants grow, and similarly it is from the soul that plants derive their medicinal quality.

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When healing sorcerers gather plants to concoct their remedies, they do it at dawn when the plants are still "asleep" so as not to frighten the souls of the plants. While pulling them up they murmur, "Arise, go to heal so-and-so."
     Similarly, a woodsman who begins to chop down a tree strikes the trunk with the back of the axe to warn and make safer the soul living in it.
     Besides the great soul of the earth, each field is animated by a spirit who will assure its fertility.
     The hunter who kills an animal for food is going to offer a prayer and thanks for this soul which is going to give strength to his people.
     Many examples could be given to illustrate animistic belief, for it is found in every area of daily life, but in general one can say that every physical manifestation is inhabited by a spiritual principle; thus all bodily functions are attributed to the soul, which is the vital principle [of the body], and everything that animates nature is a result of the presence of spirits and souls.
     It is interesting to find there what is left of the Ancient Word which guided the Noachian Church. The odd bits of truth have survived from generation to generation. Of course much darkness has accumulated over this Ancient Word through the centuries, and many transformations coming out of spiritism have changed the nature of the original message. In many rituals, superstition is substituted for a knowledge of correspondences.
     However, certain principles which have survived permit these people to be particularly receptive to some teachings of the Writings, such as: every effect has a prior cause, which leads to the idea that everything in nature is a theater representative of the spiritual world and so everything has a particular signification. Thanks to voodoo, they have retained the idea that spirits and angels or demons are associated with them, and they easily accept the idea that it is not the sorcerer who casts a spell, but it is the state they are in which chooses their spiritual consociations.

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     It must be said that Christian and Muslim missionaries have brought trouble among Africans with such dogmas as the resurrection of the flesh, the trinity, miraculous healings, worship of the Holy Spirit, etc.
     I had a very strong impression that the truths of the Second Coming lifted a great weight off them, relieving them and giving them a very constructive idea of the Christian message while at the same time giving them a meaning and an explanation for their ritual practices.
     During my visit in Ivory Coast and Togo, I made three television broadcasts, two radio broadcasts, two lectures in the city and several in the villages. I must specify that it is in the villages that I met the warmest welcome and a joyful acceptance of the Heavenly Doctrines.
     Right away they wanted to convert by the dozen, but I urged them to first study the Writings more deeply and to see in prayer if it was really right for them.
     At present there is a Swedenborg association in each capital: Lom? [in Togo], and Abidjan [in Ivory Coast], with a head office and board of directors, plus two village annexes with their own board. They all expressed their desire for regular visits. They want to build a church and receive further instruction.
     It is not a matter of repeating the errors that the other churches already made by being unaware of their customs and inheritance, or of bringing them our idea of heaven and paradise. Rather it is a matter of letting them discover for themselves and blossom [in their own way]. They need books, ideas, and arms to give them courage, for they are very poor in material ways, abused by a totalitarian regime which confiscates their lands and plunges them into ignorance for want of schools.
     Perhaps there would be the possibility of organizing work teams of young people to give a new spiritual and material start to Africa, in the spirit of the New Church, the church of the heart, the one that gives freely without seeking remuneration except that which comes with shared joy and the spirit of service.

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ARE THE WRITINGS A COVENANT? 1999

ARE THE WRITINGS A COVENANT? Rev. ERIK SANDSTROM 1999

     A reply to Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom

     I read my son's article in the January issue of New Church Life ("New Church Government by the Lord Through the Writings") with both pleasure and some concern-pleasure as to its main thesis, that the Writings are Lawbooks in the Lord's hands as He governs, that is, leads and teaches, His church. Not only am I in full agreement as to this point, but I think it is essential that the church so view the Writings. Obviously this does not exclude the Old and New Testaments. The whole body of the Word as now known to the New Christian Church and waiting to be received by the rest of the world is a body of laws of life-doctrines as to how men and women should live in their affections and thoughts as well as by their hands and lips; but clearly these laws and doctrines are more meaningful when presented for rational comprehension and application. The two testaments-the Sacred Scriptures-lead up to the Writings, and the Writings open up and explain the Scriptures, and so have the final word. "Not to commit murder" must go before "not to be interiorly angry with the neighbor without a cause," and these two must precede "not to harm the souls of men or hold the Lord in hatred." The Lord governs by means of all three forms of the Word.
     So far no problem. But when I read: "[T]he Writings are not a continuation of Sacred Scripture, not a 'Covenant' meaning conjunction (AC 665, TCR 730) . . . . Only Sacred Scripture 'conjoins' with heaven, by means of the internal sense (HH 254)" (NCL, Jan. '99, pp. 24, 25), then I think there is need for some examination and reflection.
     First let us look at the three references contained in the above lines. The gist of the respective teachings in these is suggested by the following relevant parts: 1. AC 665: "That to 'set up a covenant' signifies that [Noah] would be regenerated is very evident from the fact that there can be no covenant between the Lord and man other than by love and faith, and therefore a 'covenant' signifies conjunction."

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2. TCR 730: "It is with the Holy Supper as with a covenant, which, after the articles are settled, is agreed to, and finally signed and sealed. That the Lord's blood is a covenant He Himself teaches . . . . The New Testament is the New Covenant; therefore the Word written by the prophets before the coming of the Lord is called the Old Testament and Covenant, while that written after His coming by the evangelists and apostles, is called the New Testament or Covenant." 3. HH 254: "I have been told how the Lord spoke with the prophets through whom the Word was given. He did not speak with them as He did with the ancients, by an influx into their interiors, but through spirits who were sent to them, whom the Lord filled with His aspect, and thus inspired the words which they dictated to the prophets. So it was not influx but dictation. As the words came forth immediately from the Lord, therefore, each one of them was filled with the Divine and contains within it an internal sense, which is such that the angels of heaven perceive the words in a heavenly and spiritual sense while men do so in a natural sense. Thus has the Lord conjoined heaven and the world by means of the Word."
From the AC 665 and TCR 730 passages, EES (for convenience, let me here call my son so) draws the conclusion that "the Writings . . . are not a 'covenant,' meaning conjunction." But do the teachings in these two passages justify this conclusion? Take each passage by itself. The AC teaching tells us that a covenant between the Lord and men is "by love and faith" and signifies "regeneration" and "conjunction." The rest of the number, which I did not quote, enlarges on the concept of regeneration as being a covenant, and notes that the covenants with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their descendants "were only representatives of regeneration." It says also that "in representatives the person is not regarded, but the thing that is represented." [Incidentally, AC 665 refers to the very first time the word "covenant" occurs in the Scriptures (Gen. 6:18), and this number is therefore also the first time the meaning of "covenant" is explained in the Writings.

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It introduces the concept of "covenant" in the Word. I might mention too that the next following number discusses the connection between "covenant" and "regeneration" in great detail, and that this number contains the striking teaching that "the Lord is the very covenant itself" (AC 666)].
     Thus there is nothing in the first reference (AC 665) that says or implies that the Writings are not a covenant. A covenant is "by love and faith" and signifies "regeneration and conjunction" (ibid.).
     Neither is there in TCR 730, the second reference. This number, in addition to teaching that the Holy Supper is a covenant, speaks of the Old Testament as the "Old Covenant," and the New Testament as the "New Covenant." Does this imply that the latest form of Divine Revelation cannot be the "newest" or "latest" covenant?
     From the third reference EES concludes that "only Sacred Scripture 'conjoins' with heaven, by means of the internal sense." But in the first place the HH 254 teaching does not refer to the New Testament, only to the Old. "I have been told how the Lord spoke with the prophets through whom the Word was given . . . . [The Lord] thus inspired the words which [the spirits] dictated to the prophets." "Prophets" means the Old Testament. As EES of course knows, it is not unusual for the Writings, especially the Arcana, to explain something about the Old Testament and at that time to call it "the Word." Therefore, the term "the Word" in the Writings does not always mean both Testaments; the context will tell. In the second place, there is nothing to suggest-nor can there be-that the internal sense serves for conjunction only when it is hidden (as in the Old Testament under the heavy cover of the letter, and in the New Testament under a less heavy cover). Rather, is it not a matter of wonder that there can be some communication at all by means of the internal sense in spite of those covers? Communication is more perfect without the covers. But that wonder, as is now revealed to the world, is because the prophecies, historical narratives, parables, and teachings have by Divine inspiration been miraculously ordered according to the law of correspondence between the two worlds, so as to mirror forth in earthly terms, if remotely, the life of heaven (or of its opposite).

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Love the Essential of Covenant

     All of this, however, prompts us to try to gain a general understanding as to what conditions apply for the two testaments to be able to serve for conjunction. Is it because of the instruments of communication, or because of what is communicated?
     The testaments do not serve automatically, simply by being read! A definition of "covenant" which seems to be present- sometimes silently present-in all definitions, puts the key into our hand. "'Covenant' signifies conjunction with the Lord through love to Him" (AE 433:25, emphasis added); or somewhat more fully stated: "Since a 'covenant' is the conjunction of the Lord with man by love, it follows that it is also by all things that pertain to love, which are the truths of faith, and are called precepts; for all precepts, indeed the Law and the Prophets, are founded on the one law, to love the Lord above all things and the neighbor as one's self" (AC 1038:5). In fact, "love is spiritual conjunction" (HH 14). Of course, the very first passage quoted above says the same thing: "[T]here can be no covenant between the Lord and man other than by love and faith, and therefore a 'covenant' signifies conjunction" (AC 665).
     Now representatives are employed by the Lord because stories, parables, etc., cannot teach unless they are correspondentially arranged so as to mirror forth regeneration, or, in the case of the Lord, glorification. But representatives and ultimate correspondences are not themselves the covenant; genuine love, if only in a small measure, is.
     An example of how love opens the covenant is provided by little children. About this we read: "It may seem a paradox, but still it is most true that the angels understand the internal sense of the Word better and more fully when little boys and girls are reading it than when it is read by adult persons who are not in the faith of charity."

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And how is this? "The cause has been told me, and is that little boys and girls are in a state of mutual love and innocence, and thus their most tender vessels are almost heavenly, and are simply capacities for receiving, which therefore can be disposed by the Lord" (AC 1776; see also 1871).
     This teaching, apart from its direct reference to children, also shows that adults do serve for communication when they are "in the faith of charity"-again an aspect of love. But to repeat, mere reading will not do (except potentially, for memories of things read may be embraced with affection at a later time and turned into use). And we also note the implied teaching that children do not serve angels if at the time they are, say, in a rebellious state, i.e., not in "a state of mutual love and innocence." Similarly, our passage warns that there is no communication with heaven when adults who are not in the faith of charity read the Word. It is love and affection that conjoin.
     If, then, love is the essence of a covenant, how, it may be asked, is that love itself with a person-child or adult-reached by the Lord? The answer may seem surprising. We read: "For the sake of the end that the Lord may be constantly present, He has disclosed to me the spiritual sense of His Word, in which Divine truth is in its light, and in this light He is continually present. For His presence in the Word is only [non aliunde quam] by the spiritual sense; through the light of this He passes into the shade in which is the sense of the letter" (TCR 780). Only by the spiritual sense! But the Jews in Old Testament times did not know the spiritual sense? The Christians, the children, do not know it.
     Ah, but they can know enough for a response to the Divine inflowing life and light. First, however, we note that angels are in the spiritual sense. They cannot be in covenant with people on earth except by themselves being in that sense. But second, there is something of the spiritual sense shining through in all forms of the Word-here and there in the Old Testament, more in the New Testament, and virtually everywhere in the Writings (which are a rational statement of that sense, whether in the form of exposition or doctrine).

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The Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture refers to this matter: "The Word [in the literal sense] is like a man clothed, whose face is naked, and whose hands also are naked. All things which pertain to man's life, and consequently to his salvation are naked there, but the rest are clothed" (SS 55, emphasis added). The immediate reference here is to "genuine truth," but the spiritual sense is involved, for "the genuine truth is of that sense" (SS 26:2). It is also easy to find examples to illustrate this teaching. Take just a few from the Old Testament: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8) "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart: you shall teach them diligently to your children" (Deut. 6:4-7). "You shall love your neighbor as your- self" (Lev. 19:18). Also, the whole of Psalm 23 ("The Lord is my Shepherd . . . . ") can be seen as one of the "many places where [things pertaining to man's life and salvation] are clothed [but] show through, as the face through a thin veil of silk" (SS 55).
Thus we have the spiritual sense at both ends of the covenant -the angels are in it, and children and adults on earth see a glimpse of the genuine truth, which is from it, in the naked or thinly veiled passages. Thus the two testaments are covenants.
And I think it is legitimate to suggest that it is because of this standing forth of genuine truth here and there in the letter that children and adults who are in the faith of charity can have the kind of affection for the Word that conjoins. They must see the presence and power of the Lord in the Word. Otherwise the stories of the letter would not be much different from "Alice in Wonderland." Only the right kind of affection conjoins; nor can there be a covenant without love to the Lord. Reflect on this: "And the people shall not come up with [Moses onto Mount Sinai]" signifies no conjunction whatever with the external apart from the internal - that is, [without] the good of love to and of faith in Jehovah, for this is what is internal" (AC 9380).

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Also this: "The sense of the letter of the Word is such that when it is not comprehended interiorly it may be explained in different ways, and when that sense is not looked at from genuine truths it is believed according to the letter and is falsified" (AE 720; see also AE 730:13).

Covenant Preserved through Simple Spirits

Let me now call attention to a teaching as to how the Jews of the Old Testament were able to serve for conjunction with heaven, that is, how the covenant was kept intact through them, although there was no love with them such as conjoins. This was miraculously arranged through simple but good spirits who thought the holy rituals with the Jews were enacted from true worship, while in fact it was done from idolatrous worship. The Jews were not a genuine church, not even a representative church (as was the early Ancient Church) but only a representative of a church. Therefore, the Old Testament could not have functioned as a Divine covenant, even though the representatives and correspondences were there, except for the special rescue provided by the Lord.
We read concerning this: "There must needs be somewhere a church, or the representative of a church, in order that there may be communication of heaven with the human race; and as [the Israelitish] nation, beyond any other nation, could make Divine worship consist in external things, and thus act the representative of a church, therefore that nation was taken. At that time communication with the angels of heaven was effected by means of representatives in the following way. Their external worship was communicated to angelic spirits who are simple, and who do not reflect upon internal things, but still are interiorly good. Such are they who in the Gorand Man correspond to the outer skin. These pay no attention whatever to the internal of man, but only to his external. If this appears holy, they think holily of the internal also. The more interior angels of heaven saw in those spirits the things that were represented, consequently the heavenly and Divine things that corresponded; for they could be present with these spirits and see those things, but not with the men except by means of the spirits.

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For angels dwell with men in things interior; but where there are no such things, they dwell in the interior things of simple spirits . . . . From these few words it can be seen how there could be communication with heaven by means of such a people" (AC 8588:5,6; see also 4311:2, 4545:6, 9962:1).
     Here we see, therefore, that the Old Testament could not have served as a covenant if it had been for the Jews only, even though the representatives and correspondences were there. Only because of good spirits, who did have a genuine if simple affection for the things of the Word, was it possible to lift up the sense of the letter into communication with heaven.
     As for the New Testament, we may conclude that neither could it function as a covenant after the Christian Church fell, except for the remnant which did and does serve in the way of "a holding action" until the Writings take over. The following is relevant to this point: "The Word is revealed interiorly, that is, in respect to the spiritual sense, before the church has been fully devastated, because a new church will then be established into which those who are of the former church are invited" (AE 948:2, emphasis added; see also AE 641:2). This need for a new revelation of the Word is because the previous form, in the custody of a fallen church, did not command the affections that conjoin earth and heaven. And the fact that the new form of the Word anticipates the full devastation of the former church is so that the remnant may be gradually and gently prepared while the succeeding church is taking form. But for a fuller insight in this matter, read the remarkable teaching in AC 3900:6,8 (about the Old and New Testaments in our day). And now-

Are the Writings a Covenant?

     They do not say so in so many words, just as they do not declare themselves to be the Word, except by compelling implication.

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But let the reader determine for himself if the following (and other) passages in a similar way imply covenant.


     "There are many reasons why the spiritual sense of the Word has now been disclosed . . . . [One] is that by means of the Divine truths of the Word that are in the spiritual sense the New Church which is meant by 'the Holy Jerusalem' in the Apocalypse may be conjoined with heaven. For the Word is conjunction, but conjunction is effected when man perceives the Word similarly as angels perceive it" (AE 950:2).

"The spiritual sense of the Word has been disclosed by the Lord through me, which has never before been revealed since the Word was written with the sons of Israel; and this sense is the very sanctuary of the Word. The Lord Himself is in this sense with His Divine, and in the natural sense with His Human. Not a single iota in this sense can be opened except by the Lord alone. This surpasses all the revelations that have hitherto been made since the creation of the world. Through this revelation a communication has been opened between men and the angels of heaven, and the conjunction of the two worlds has been effected, because when man is in the natural sense, the angels are in the spiritual sense" (Inv. 44).

"All these subjects [in Divine Love and Wisdom, parts I-IV] are now explained, because the angels have lamented before the Lord that when they look upon the world they see nothing but darkness, and among men no knowledge of God, of heaven, or of the creation of nature, for their wisdom to rest upon" (DLW 284).

"Angels have told me . . . that their thoughts are variously directed to the quarters, now this, now that, and that they are in greater clearness or obscurity according to the direction, but that they are not turned to themselves but to men . . . . They said that they have this from much experience; and when they are turned to those things which are in my thoughts from the heavenly doctrine, then they are in greater clearness than in any other case" (SD 5610).

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"[The angels] said that if man knew that there is [an internal sense], and in reading the Word were to think in accordance with some knowledge of it, he would come into interior wisdom, and would be still more conjoined with heaven, since by this means he would enter into ideas like the ideas of the angels" (HH 310e).
     "To interpret the Word as to its spiritual sense from falsities of doctrine closes heaven and does not open it; but to interpret the spiritual sense from truths of doctrine opens heaven, because that is the sense in which the angels are, and so man by means of it thinks together with angels, and thus conjoins them to himself in his intellectual mind" (De Verbo 20).

"If man . . . , when he attends the Holy Supper, instead of bread perceived love to the Lord, and instead of wine love toward the neighbor, he would be in thought and perception like that of the angels, who would then approach nearer to him, till at last they could consociate their thoughts, but only so far as the man was at the same time in good" (AC 3316:3).

"Internal goods and truths are such as are in the higher heavens, that is, in the third and second heavens. These goods and truths are genuine goods and truths themselves, but [external goods and truths such as are in the lower heavens] are truths and goods because they correspond, thus are correspondences. Internal goods and truths have immediate communication with the angels of heaven, while external goods and truths have not an immediate but mediate communication through correspondences" (AE 316:2; see also the rest of section 2 and sec. 3).

"This [Jeremiah 3:15, 16] is said of the Lord's coming, and of the abolition of the representative rites of the Jewish Church at that time . . . .That there will then be conjunction with the Lord through the interiors of the Word and not through its exteriors, which merely represented and signified things interior, is signified by, 'they shall say no more "The ark of the covenant of Jehovah"'" (AE 700:35).

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"This New Church is the crown of all the churches which have hitherto been on the earth, because it will worship one visible God, in whom is the invisible God as the soul is in the body. Thus and not otherwise can there be conjunction of God with man, because man is natural, and consequently thinks naturally, and the conjunction must be in his thought and thus in the affection of his love, and this takes place when he thinks of God as Man" (TCR 787).
So what is the answer? Let the reader reflect on teachings like the above and interpret them for himself. As for the two Sandstroms, they agree that the Lord governs His church through the Writings. The above discussion is about how He governs.
IN OUR CONTEMPORARIES 1999

IN OUR CONTEMPORARIES 1999

     The Spiritual Substance Debate, 1900-1915

     The New Philosophy (Jan.-June 1999) has an historical account of the debate on spiritual substance presented by Stephen Conroy. In calling your attention to it we will quote some of the early paragraphs.

In 1915, the General Church underwent a crisis stemming from a debate surrounding the nature of spiritual substance. The ideas, events, and people that made up the spiritual substance debate are as fascinating as they are confusing. The primary purpose of this essay is to help people gain entry into the basic issues rather than provide solutions. Consequently, this is essentially an historical account, attempting to clearly re-present the positions taken by the major players, as well as to recount some of the events which transpired between 1900 and 1915.

Many may feel the spiritual substance debate is a distraction from the real spiritual work at hand. Granted, it does not make or break the work of repentance and regeneration. Yet history is vital. Knowing the past helps us know the present, which in turn helps us decide where we want to go in the future.

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Our individual and collective responses are based, in part, on what has happened before. If we want to know something about the state of the church now, and where it might go in the future, it is important for us to know something about its past.

By the end of the 19th century, the world was awakening to the intellectual and practical benefits of science. Accordingly, any world view had to account for science and scientific knowledge. Given Swedenborg's scientific background, most, if not all, New Church scholars believed that the Writings were consistent with the whole endeavor of science. More than that, they saw Swedenborg's works as a kind of bridge between religious and scientific knowledge, a claim no other religions could make. The doctrines of correspondence, influx and discrete degrees were missing links. Yet these essential concepts, and more, were not peculiar to the revelations in the theological works, but were clearly articulated much earlier in Swedenborg's scientific and philosophical works. Consequently, many in the New Church became enamored with Swedenborg's science, and avidly attempted to harmonize it with contemporary science and New Church theology.

Excitement and hopefulness filled the air. Similar to the spiritual-growth groups of our day, people gathered in local groups to study and discuss different pre-theological works. The most notable of these was the Principia Club, which existed in Chicago and Bryn Athyn. In 1898, active scholars and interested parties began the Swedenborg Scientific Association. In that same year, a new journal dedicated to the investigation of Swedenborg's philosophical and scientific works began, called the New Philosophy.
WHEN WHAT IS SPIRITUAL TOUCHES OR SEES 1999

WHEN WHAT IS SPIRITUAL TOUCHES OR SEES 1999

When what is spiritual touches or sees what is spiritual, it is just the same as when what is natural touches or sees what is natural.
Heaven and Hell 461

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THOUGHTS ABOUT MEMBERSHIP WITH THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM 1999

THOUGHTS ABOUT MEMBERSHIP WITH THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM Dr. MICHAEL IAN SANDSTROM 1999

When I decided I wanted to confirm my belief in the doctrines of the Swedenborgian Christian church, I felt it was important that I did so of my own independent will, not because of pressures from my parents or family. All my life I've appreciated the care my parents put into my spiritual upbringing. It was always obvious that my parents were devoted believers in our doctrine, but they understood the fact that belief cannot be forced. They gave me the freedom I needed to explore. I've always appreciated that. I did explore. I wanted to understand how different religions answered the questions, and whether they were helpful in providing direction for life without shackling people into singular paths to reach the goals. I must admit there was a powerful influence of the New Church on me the whole time, and that growing up with it must have played a significant role in shaping my beliefs. Yet even at the end of my high school years I was undecided enough to want to go to Bryn Athyn College (then the Academy of the New Church College) for the beginning of my undergraduate education. A fascination about the mechanisms of the mind began there that continues to this day in my career as a neuroscientist. During those years I was exposed to an intellectual depth in our church, something I had not seen in my pre-college years. The religion presented there was clear and convincing. So I was confirmed while in Bryn Athyn.
After my grandfather (Rev. Erik Sandstrom, Sr.) performed my confirmation, he suggested that I join the General Church. Despite my strong belief and commitment, I did not join the General Church for some time afterwards. Although I'm still not entirely clear why I didn't, several career-related concerns distracted me from this question. But there was another reason at that time that is also my reason for writing this article: I didn't feel like a member of the General Church. In many ways, I have never felt like a member of the church, included, or involved.

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I have officially joined the General Church now, and in some ways I continue to feel like an outsider.
I live in Bloomington, Indiana right now, and the closest place to me where church services are available on Sundays is in Cincinnati, Ohio. While I was in graduate school in Columbus, Ohio, my busy schedule and no car made it difficult to get to church as often as I would have liked. My childhood home, Bloomfield, Connecticut, may have been equally distant from the closest place where New Church services were held on Sundays as Cincinnati is from me now. It was only during my years at Bryn Athyn College that I lived close to a church, but this time was very brief by comparison to the rest of my life. It seems as if every place I've lived, apart from my brief stay in Bryn Athyn, was distant from a thriving New Church community. On most Sundays in my early years my family held worship at home rather than going to services because of the distance. About once a month we would take the trip to church, but I never enjoyed this as a child because I didn't know many of the people there well and always felt like the new guy (not unwelcome, just unknown). This isn't meant to be a complaint. I mean to clarify the sort of struggle that happens with those of us who live farther away from thriving New Church communities yet still believe in New Church doctrines.
While I lived in Bryn Athyn I experienced fellowship. Fellowship was available with believers in the doctrines of our church or with those who (like myself) were determining whether or not we did believe. There was enough common understanding present to allow interesting discussions to develop without many preliminary introductions. Usually disagreements were more subtle than fundamental, so compromises in arguments didn't seem as much like defeat. But just the anticipation of deep intellectual conversations was motivating, and I wanted to read more so that I could bring my own insight to the table. This sort of thing may not be exclusive to the environment of Bryn Athyn, or Bryn Athyn College, but I have yet to find anything like it since my time there.

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It has been a struggle to find fellowship that is satisfactory by comparison to the gold standard of Bryn Athyn.
All the religious organizations I've joined at the universities I've attended since Bryn Athyn College, in an attempt to rediscover a portion of the fellowship I desire, have been unsatisfactory. Some good comes out of meeting new people and perhaps making new friends. But the fellowship typically boils down to less than fruitful attempts to emphasize the common ground I share with believers in the many "traditional" Christian denominations that dominate those groups. So much more often I find myself having to explain that I, unlike them, believe in things that seem to them like radical deviations from "what the Bible says." For example, I believe that angels are the spirits of good people who live with spiritual rather than natural bodies, while they believe angels are a completely separate category of existence like another species. I believe that many Biblical stories are allegorical in nature, and that a single "Adam" or "Eve" may never have actually existed. This exposes differences with respect to "original sin" and the concept of creation, which are important to the "traditional" or "fundamentalist" Christian denominations. In response to my suggestions, I'm told things like, "You should not put any other book at the same level of religious importance as the Bible, or try to understand the Bible with any other book than the Bible." Sometimes my description of my own religion may come across to those with faith in other more traditional denominations as if I've been brainwashed into believing all sorts of radical things, so they feel compelled to correct my deviations from the true path. The fact that I'm still quite unfamiliar with many of the books that are included in the traditional Christian Bible (Ruth, books of Paul, Acts, etc.) compounds the impression that I'm na?ve and need to be taught the "true Christian religion."
I recall a line from a science fiction story where an observant character described a hybrid creature that was half man and half alien as "not really belonging anywhere."

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This creature did not feel at home among the aliens or with humans. I think I have a sense of the isolation that comes from not belonging with a group. It is nice to be able to return home to my own kind and to be among those who share my attributes, desires, common perspectives, or faith. But when I return to the Bryn Athyn community, where relatives live and fellowship is available, I often find a different sort of frustration. Folks are satisfied about the questions and issues I find myself dealing with, and are not as motivated as I am to discuss them. Church services that I can occasionally attend where I live don't seem to fill the void because they don't allow the intellectual exploration and support I crave. They end too quickly, and it is difficult to develop relationships in the congregation to any satisfactory degree. These circumstances leave me feeling somewhat removed from my own church, while my faith is already somewhat removed from the traditional Christian churches that are closer and more accessible. I've already described the challenge of finding common ground with traditional Christianity, and I'm sure I'm not alone in the impression I have. Do I belong anywhere?
It wouldn't be fair to expect that simply joining the General Church would somehow magically transport me to a world where satisfactory fellowship exists nearby. Other decisions I've made in my life certainly contribute to my circumstances just as much. But those of us in my situation who live outside thriving communities may also wish, as I do, that the church would grow into our area so that fellowship would become more accessible. I have described my church, or rather "my denomination of Christianity," as small and relatively obscure. This isn't meant to sound derogatory. But in my experience nobody I've mentioned our church or Swedenborg to has ever heard of either. What I mean by "obscure" is only that it is difficult to see or understand because it doesn't present itself clearly to the world as a whole. I have spoken with those New Church evangelists who have suggested that I should act surprised when I discover people who have never heard of Swedenborg, because he was such a great scientist and philosopher. In my experience it is more of a shock if someone I meet has heard of Swedenborg.

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I think we can all admit that schools other than those associated with our church don't even mention Swedenborg the scientist, and still less the philosopher or theologian. Regardless, I usually don't emphasize the importance of the person Swedenborg anyway, as I think our doctrines should predominate in my description of my faith. I understand the name Swedenborg is quite popular among the psychics, and this damages his credibility as a rational philosopher who founded our church on solid intellectual ground. I know it doesn't require a strong belief in psychic phenomena to subscribe to my faith, but the people I describe it to for the first time don't. I wish my church would not remain so small and obscure, and I think I do my part in spreading it when I get the opportunity, but these opportunities are rare. I'm not sure what policy changes would be appropriate to make my wish a reality. Should we go on the offensive, setting ourselves out as clearly unique from the "traditional" Christianity and potentially as targets for the radical right (which is often identified in the media, whether they deserve it or not, as representative of Christianity)? Or is the current slow approach that gathers relatively rare seekers while holding onto the core through family a better one?
I'm growing impatient. I may not be alone in this either. Many believers who become isolated and no longer feel a part of the greater General Church community are like scouts in territory of the Universal Church. When we go to Bible study groups and speak up in disagreement with the majority opinion, we take a stand for the cause. Maybe others will at least think about the possibilities. The down side is that this will make clear who we are, and we may draw attention to ourselves as deviants or heretics in the land of the Universal Church. I'm not a trained minister, so all I can provide is my own personal understanding of the doctrines of our church. But I have difficulty sitting silently when views I don't hold are considered the undisputed truth. I typically first respectfully disagree, and then suggest an alternative view that usually involves interpreting the Bible allegorically rather than literally.

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I've experienced several other interesting things while outside the symbolic walls of our Special Church. Among these are other forms of worship that seemed very odd to me at first and in many ways still do. It is common, for example, to spontaneously pray out loud about the current events of the day both during a church service and during group meetings. I was once asked to do this, and all I could think of was the Lord's Prayer (thank goodness that was acceptable). But this has forced the realization that I don't really know how to pray, so it was useful. New songs are another constant reminder that I'm an outsider until I master them to heart as I had with those in our Liturgy. I understand there are many new songs in the Liturgy used in Bryn Athyn now, so perhaps this isn't as unique an experience as I thought. It is important to members of many universal-church denominations to remember the date and time they were "saved." This was another aspect of religion that was new to me, as our church teaches that regeneration is a lifetime process. But people are proud of having been saved, and it is a special part of their experience of faith. We have few such personal events in our faith. When I was confirmed in the church, I don't think it felt like a personal accomplishment as much as a public declaration that I had decided what is true.
I continue to appreciate the doctrines of my New Church, and hold them dear. But I have yet to develop a sense of community with my fellow members of the General Church. I think this sort of isolation may be more common than I often feel it is. It may even be that people near thriving New Church communities continue to feel isolated. I appreciate the opportunity to find fellowship wherever I can find it. Michael David and Reverend Patrick Rose provide the online forums I've joined which make up my current lifeline. If possible, I'd like to expand the General Church awareness of those of us who live in the wilderness of the universal church.

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It would be useful, I think, for us to pool our resources and compare notes on our experiences. What are some successful techniques to generate dialogue? What is a good technique to turn what feels like an exorcism into an introduction? This sort of forum would be useful to create and maintain.
BRYN ATHYN COLLEGE CHARTED DESIGN 1999

BRYN ATHYN COLLEGE CHARTED DESIGN 1999

In 1997 the Academy of the New Church College was renamed the Bryn Athyn College of the New Church. In recognition of this name change, a charted design for cross stitch and/or needlepoint was commissioned.

[Line drawing of the emblem.]

The kit includes 16ct Charles Craft Aida with DMC floss. The design area is approximately 11.9 inches wide by 11.6 inches high. DMC color used is 321 red. A count-charted design is also available for cross stitch, needlepoint, tile design, hooked latch rug and many more. Also, with needlework there are many ways to finish a project such as a framed picture, pillow, afghan, wall hanging or quilt; or it even can be stitched on a sweatshirt using waste canvas. The choice is yours! Enjoy. Proceeds benefit the Academy of the New Church. Kits are $18.00; charts $9.00. They are available at the ANC Book Room (215-938-2540), or contact Elizabeth Sellner at 215-947-5206, or E-mail [email protected].

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COINCIDENCES IN THE WORD 1999

COINCIDENCES IN THE WORD Editor 1999

     Editorial Pages
     A servant was sent to find a wife for Isaac. In Genesis 24 we find him saying a prayer to the Lord. "And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold . . . Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder" (v. 15).
     The man must have been profoundly affected, not only by the way she replied to the question he asked, but also by the fact that she entered the scene at the very moment that he was praying. It must have been with a tone of wondering excitement that he recounted this incident later to her relatives: "But before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah . . ." (v. 45).
     The relatives were impressed by the way everything came together, and they said, "The thing comes from the Lord."
     That is an outstanding example of a coincidence in the Old Testament. Consider the following New Testament incident at Cana of Galilee: A man asked the Lord to come to the town of Capernaum to heal his son. Jesus said, "Go your way; your son lives." So he took the journey of several miles and was met by his servants who had good news about his son. "Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, 'Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.' So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, 'Your son lives.' And he himself believed and his whole household" (John 4:46-53).
     An example we find in Conjugial Love is as follows: Swedenborg was walking in a woods in the spiritual world, pondering as he went. "I saw, then, two angels at some distance from me, talking together and now and then looking over at me. Consequently I drew nearer; and as I approached, they spoke to me, saying, 'We perceive in ourselves that you are thinking about the thing we are discussing, or that we are discussing the same thing you are thinking about'" (CL 267).
     (To be continued in the April issue)

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MORE ON AN OPEN DOOR Editor 1999

     I quoted last month from the book published in Australia by Rev. Bernard Willmott. I think readers will appreciate a few more extracts. The first is from page 51.

The theological Writings of the Lord's servant, Emanuel Swedenborg, are themselves a source of inexhaustible Truth. They reveal-or, to be more precise, the Lord reveals therein - the infinity of ways in which He seeks and provides for the enduring and eternal happiness of every individual . . . .

Do I hear the comment again that "that may be so-but I still find these Writings difficult!"? Of course they are "difficult" in the sense they are the embodiment of Divine and Infinite Truth: but with that acknowledgment-and it is an acknowledgment that is implicit in our profession of membership of the New Church -there must surely come the effort to seek to enter into them with understanding . . . . We think of the simpler ideas that have an inherent appeal: "to grow old in heaven is to grow young"; there is an inner meaning-not only of the actual parables spoken by the Lord, but in the more familiar passages of the Old and New Testaments: "all children who die in childhood are received into the care of angelic mothers and educated in heaven." And from the appeal of these simple truths we are encouraged to go further and to see something of the pre-eminent rationality of what is revealed in these Writings, and we begin to see how they relate to ourselves and to our mental, moral and spiritual development.

     On page 69 we read as follows:

But if we profess to be aspiring Newchurchmen and women and do not attempt to base our thinking, and our purposing and our daily living upon our understanding of Heavenly Doctrine- if we blissfully imagine that our nominal membership of the New Church, or our merely intellectual grasp of certain of its doctrines -if we imagine that this is an immediate and certain passport to heaven-then are we not adherents of this doctrine of salvation by faith alone? In this same context how often is it said, 'I was born into the New Church'?

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People may indeed be born, baptized and nurtured within the organized New Church; their parents and grandparents may well be numbered among the great 'Fathers of the Church.' But we come into the Lord's New Church only by our own internal acknowledgment of its heavenly truths and by the unremitting effort to base our life upon them, upon an internal acknowledgment of our entire dependence upon the Lord as our Creator, Redeemer, and Saviour.

The institutional or organizational New Church exists not to perpetuate itself as an externally powerful body, but to assist in the development of the Lord's New Christian Church.

Swedenborg did not publish these things as his own, human interpretation but as Divine Revelation. And Swedenborg consistently refused to withdraw or modify this claim. Indeed he affirmed its absolute truthfulness in a most solemn manner but a few days before his death.

We do not-we should not-of course, base our acceptance of his teachings as being "from the Lord alone," merely upon such an affirmation but rather on their content. They uphold the truth and complete Divinity of the Word. They direct us to the Lord alone as the source of anything within us that is truly good and essentially true. They insist continuously that religion is a matter of life.
LITERARY SMORGASBORD 1999

LITERARY SMORGASBORD Editor 1999

Do you get the impression that New Church Life often prints excerpts from recent books in Australia? Yes. First there was that book by Dr. Philip Groves called Swedenborg's Mighty Contribution to the Soul. See the advertisement in this issue. Then there was the more recent book called An Open Door, quoted above. And now Norman Heldon's book has appeared.
This book of more than three hundred pages is not about Swedenborg and the New Church. One could read all of its richly varied contents and not get the impression that it is particularly "Swedenborgian."

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However, there is a tone and a sense of value in the book that is "New Church," and there are some specific things that I would like to mention. They are sufficiently significant to show that I am mentioning this book not merely because I have been a friend and admirer of Norman Heldon for many years.
     When you get to page 39 you see a reference to Helen Keller, and a couple of pages later you find Miss Keller quoting Swedenborg. Not until page 83 are there any more Swedenborg clues. But on that page one of the characters in a story walks into a book store and goes to the religion and philosophy section. Yes, he finds Heaven and Hell. At the end of the story he is having coffee with a friend and shows him this book he found. And then, to his surprise, the friend pulls out another book. We let you imagine what book that turns out to be.
     On page 126 we are reading about a courtroom drama. One of the witnesses says, "Your honor, I could quote Swedenborg at great length . . . . " Later he is sitting privately with the judge talking about the term "legal eagle," and he says, "Swedenborg says that in the spiritual world those who recognize truth as soon as they hear it are represented by eagles."
     A story that begins on page 143 is called "Providence Moves in Mysterious Ways." But no, there is no reference to Swedenborg or the Writings in that story.
     But then there is a story called "The Jewel of Life." We follow the story of a couple, and the story does not end when they are killed and enter the spiritual world! Then in another story there is a man who always carries with him a Bible and a copy of Divine Providence (page 166).
     A reference to the book Conjugial Love comes up in a story on page 279, and then on the next page the boy says to his girl friend, "Do you agree that Swedenborg says that man and woman are intended not to compete but to complement each other?" The girl softens her tone after that question. And then on the next page the conversation is violently interrupted.
     In the next story, starting on page 285, we learn of a man who picks up books at random and just reads snatches of them.

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He comes upon Divine Love and Wisdom, and the page to which he opens says, "Thought from the eye closes the understanding, but thought from the understanding opens the eye."
     The penultimate story in this book is called "The Children and the Professor." The professor hears a child speak of angels, and he mutters something about shiny wings. The child answers: "Angels don't have wings. Angels are real people." She says that Swedenborg was allowed to see heaven. Because this comes from a child, the professor's interest is aroused.
     Our interest is sustained, and we find this a pleasing book indeed. I have not mentioned the poems in it or even the attractive sketches by Donna Heldon (at least three dozen of them). But I will mention the sketch which fills page 284. It is a picture of a pair of spectacles. Look carefully and you will see in the glass the words, "Swedenborg saw in heaven . . . ."
     The book will probably be hard to come by outside Australia. But inquiries may be made to Seaview Press, PO Box 234, Henley Beach, South Australia 5022.
FACING FEARS-FINDING HAPPINESS 1999

FACING FEARS-FINDING HAPPINESS 1999

     Facing Fears-Finding Happiness offers a personal glimpse into the universal path of self-discovery and connection with the eternal. It does so through step-by-step analysis of the nature of fear and the purpose of life in this world.
     Jan Weiss (engineer and minister) leads the reader over the bridge of self-recrimination and judgment into the arena of self-esteem, humility, and gratitude in practical terms. It is easy to read, with markers for everyone in search of truth and words to live by.
     Zarah Blair

     This booklet should be available by the end of February.

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GENDER ISSUES 1999

GENDER ISSUES Vera P. Glenn 1999

     Communication
Dear Editor:
     I would like to thank Beryl Simonetti (NCL Jan. '99) for her stimulating article in response to Bishop Buss' pieces on the same topic which appeared in New Church Life some time ago. It was useful to have my mind refreshed on some of his points. In turn I would like to respond to a few of the ideas in Beryl's article.
     Objectivity: I doubt that there is any such thing as complete objectivity, and I believe that no one can read the Writings or the Scriptures detached from the subjective view. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Think of the variety of heaven! All those many angels with individual responses to the Lord's truth make it shine like a faceted gem.
     The critical thing about seeing the truth is to keep the "I'm right" and the implication that "You're wrong" out of it. Perhaps men, imbued with the culture around us, may be more prone to this attitude than women, and the passage from Conjugial Love (165) could reinforce this stance in them. But one should never use the Writings as an excuse for self-aggrandizing attitudes. I agree with Beryl that in working toward his own reformation and regeneration and in his relationship with his wife especially, a man needs to be concerned about his selfish loves and approach the truth with "thoughtfulness, humility and self-awareness" (BCS p. 10).
     However, I wonder if the passage that says men have the ability to raise the mind into a clearer light "in which women are not" doesn't mean just what it says-that a man can see the truth apart from "those things which his will loves." This ability for clear unsullied sight of truth doesn't imply that men are better; after all, it isn't their truth. But it explains to me one way the Lord can work in the world through people who are far from perfect. Men can be useful leaders, teachers, and priests because they can more effectively separate the truth from their own evil affections.

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     It seems to me that this is similar to the Lord's mercy in separating the will and understanding in all of us. There is inestimable spiritual value in being able to see truth apart from "the rag and bone shop of the heart," to quote the poet Yeats. That is the masculine principle at work in every person. The feminine principle is to take the truth and connect it to the right love and so put it to good use. The truth in our lives shouldn't hang coldly in the heavens like a distant star, but come down to earth like the conjoined light and warmth of our sun in springtime.
     In regeneration as in marriage: understanding and will, rationality and perception, truth and love have to work together. It takes both the masculine and the feminine to make an angel.
     Interaction between Men and Women: I wholeheartedly agree with Beryl that what Swedenborg witnessed in the other world is different from what we see on earth, and that his accounts are descriptive rather than prescriptive. For one thing, Swedenborg is observing and talking to married couples in heaven, and here so much of the social, occupational, etc., interaction between men and women involves people who are not married to each other, and many who are single. I believe that we should use great caution in relating every exchange, every relationship, every organization to the ideal marriage pattern. Unfortunately, we frequently and mistakenly make comparisons that are not valid. When we experience something that doesn't match what Swedenborg describes, we tend to want to discount the Writings, blame the Lord, or blame others for their shortcomings.
     Toward a Balanced Perspective: This section of Beryl's letter (pp. 16 ff) agrees closely with my own thought on the value of women's experience. I believe that women's wisdom comes from the truth of the Word applied to life's experiences. This kind of reflection which brings such full meaning to life is analogous, in my mind, to the Spirit of God brooding over the waters. Out of this state come creative uses, like all the forms of nature emerging out of the darkness.

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For women, reflection on experience in the light of truth straightens out in our minds what is right and what is wrong, and tempers our spiritual response to pain and loss, praise and success. On a more earthly plane, I think, this is why women are so interested in people and what happens to them. We are garnering experiences. Sharing these is a way of balancing our judgment. It is like women sitting and working together on a quilt or weaving a tapestry: the whole picture comes from many threads. Such talk can degenerate into gossip-every use has its abuse. But if the Lord is present with us, we can gain understanding and feel deeper compassion for the human condition from such an exchange.
Vera P. Glenn
Bryn Athyn, PA
DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR? (From 53 Years Ago) 1999

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR? (From 53 Years Ago) 1999

     "It has been evident for a number of years that the Academy's [building facilities] are inadequate. It is emphasized by the fact that this year the Academy has about twice as many college students as in any previous year. Also, this year there are about twenty students for whom there is no room in the Academy dormitories" (Hubert Hyatt, "The Academy's Expansion Plan," 1946).
     (This expansion plan involved putting additions onto Stuart Hall and Glenn Hall and moving the elementary school out of de Charms Hall into its own building.)

     From the Archives

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ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL,COLLEGE AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS CALENDAR 1999-20 1999

     00

     1999

Aug     26     Thu     9:30 a.m.      Theological School Faculty meeting
     27     Fri     9:30 a.m.     College Faculty Opening Worship and meeting
     29     Sun          New College students arrive on campus
     30     Mon          New College students first day of orientation and registration
                    College returning resident students arrive by 8:00 p.m.
     31     Tue     8:05 a.m.     Theological School classes begin
     9:30-12:30     Registration of returning College students
Sept     1     Wed     8:05 a.m.     College classes begin
               11:05 a.m.     College chapel and opening convocation
     2     Thu     4:15 p.m.     Academy Faculty meeting: President's Address (Pendleton Hall)
     4-6     Sat-Mon     College orientation for new students at Deer Park
     6     Mon     Labor Day     Secondary Schools resident students arrive on campus
               8:30 p.m.     Secondary Schools Parent-Teacher Forum meeting
     7     Tue     8:00 a.m.     Secondary Schools orientation/registration for all students
               7:30 p.m.     Cathedral worship service for students, faculty, parents, friends
     8     Wed     7:55 a.m.     Secondary Schools homeroom, chapel and classes
Oct     15     Fri     8:00 a.m.     Charter Day:     Annual Meeting of ANC Corporation (Pitcairn Hall)
               10:30 a.m.          Service (Cathedral)
               9:00 p.m.          Dance (Asplundh Field House)
     16     Sat     7:00 p.m.          Banquet (Society Building)
Nov     19     Fri          College and Theological School fall term ends after exams & student work
     23     Tue          Secondary Schools Thanksgiving vacation begins after classes & School Pride
          28     Sun     College and Theological School resident students return
          29     Mon     Winter term begins in College and Theological School
                    Secondary School residents return
          30     Tues     Secondary Schools classes resume
Dec     17     Fri          All schools Christmas vacation begins after classes (Secondary Schools end at noon)

               2000

Jan     3     Mon     Resident students return in all schools; classes resume following day.
     17     Mon     Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Secondary Schools in-school observance)
     27-28     Thu-Fri Secondary schools between-semesters break
Feb     21     Mon     Presidents' Birthday in-school observance (College/Theological School)
Mar     2     Thu     College and Theological School winter term ends after exams & student work
     3     Fri     Secondary Schools spring break begins after classes
     12     Sun     Resident students in all schools return; classes resume following day.
Apr     21     Fri     Good Friday holiday for all schools
     24     Mon     Secondary Schools residents return; classes resume following day.
May     6     Sat     11:15 a.m.     Semi-annual meeting of Academy Corporation (Pitcairn Hall)
     26     Fri     College Graduation Dinner
     27     Sat     College and Theological School Graduation
     29     Mon     Memorial Day Holiday for Secondary Schools
June     9            6:00 p.m.     Secondary Schools Senior Dinner; 9:00 p.m. Graduation Dance (both at Glencairn)
     10     Sat     10:00 a.m.     Secondary Schools Graduation

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INVITATION FROM THE DISPLAY COMMITTEE OR ASSEMBLY 2000 1999

     Announcements



     All societies, circles, and other interested individuals or groups in the General Church worldwide are invited to submit for approval descriptions of the displays which they may wish to put on view at the 33rd General Assembly of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. This important event is planned for June 21-25 in the year 2000 at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Such displays, as in the past, will be a most welcome and important part of the program of the assembly, and interested parties are encouraged to direct their creative energies toward the theme "The Many Faces of the General Church."
     Display proposals should be submitted no later than December 31, 1999. It is not the intent of the assembly committee to restrict unduly the type of displays which may be shown; however, there are some considerations which we ask church members to keep in mind when submitting a proposal for approval. General guidelines, as well as more complete information on facilities, etc., may be obtained from your local pastor, or, if you prefer, from: Reinhold Kauk, Display Coordinator, Assembly 2000, 442 Caryndale Drive, Kitchener, Ont., Canada, N2G 3W5. Or Fax: (519) 748-5875.

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SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES Vol. 1 1999

     An announcement about this first volume of what used to be called The Spiritual Diary appeared in the February issue. Here are some samples of the new translation.

What Bodily Peace Is
     Bodily peace is, of course, the health of the body and of all its members, but besides health there is also a delicious and perceptible peace of the whole body, which was made known to me by an actual perceptible operation of spirits into the inner organs of the body, in harmony with the original shaping of the internal organs. From this there is bodily peace (n. 370).

About the Millennium
     I have also spoken with those in heaven about the "thousand years" in Revelation (20:2-7). They said that the thousand years do not mean a certain fixed number of years, or a thousand, but a great amount of time . . . . (n. 674).

Spirits who had not believed in the life after death are dumbfounded when it is proved to them.
          A certain spirit, about whom I know he had not believed in a life after death during his bodily life-even though in his last hours, I think he had been persuaded by a priest (to believe)-when it was proved to him in various ways that he was in the other life, was so dumbfounded, so amazed at being in another life, that he could hardly be convinced. He said that he had been living without reflecting, when yet all this long while he had been in the company of (spirits) like he now was. But he was among infernal ones.

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Swedenborg'sMighty ContributionTo the Welfare of the Soul 1999

Swedenborg'sMighty ContributionTo the Welfare of the Soul Philip W. Groves,, D.D 1999

     "One of the most impressive aspects immediately confronting anyone becoming familiar with the life and work of Emanuel Swedenborg is his intimate and expansive working knowledge of all the natural sciences of his times . . . "
     Those who are personally acquainted with Dr. Groves will always attest to their sincere admiration of his vast understanding of so many aspects of life. Dr. Groves has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, doctorates in Divinity and Bio-Psychology, and a degree in Chemistry. Her also holds a Diploma of Naturopathy.
     This book contains eight of his lectures presented over the past eleven years at various important occasions connected with the Swedenborg movement in Sydney, Australia.
     Dr. Groves has said, "Those who study Swedenborg's theological writings will find an abundance of material that will help them to alter subjective attitudes, expand their vision of spiritual possibilities, deepen their faith, arouse their spirit of charity, and encourage them to seek what is good, true, loving and beautiful."

Published by
Swedenborg Lending Library and Enquiry Centre
Paperback Price U.S. $12.95 Plus $1.15 shipping

General Church Book Center
Cairncrest
Box 743
Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

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Notes on This Issue 1999

Vol. CXIX April, 1999 No. 4
New Church Life

146

     June is just around the corner, and then it will be only a year before the assembly in Canada. In this issue we have another announcement about the assembly from Rev. Michael Gladish. Speaking of Mr. Gladish, we would like to apologize for a mistake we made in the February issue. In an article on harmony he made reference to "this congregation." And we inserted the note "Kitchener Society" (page 76). It is not Kitchener; it is Toronto!
     Maple Leaf Camp in Canada is the subject of one of the announcements on page 187. We call it to your attention because it speaks of a registration date in May.
     In the sermon this month Rev. Thomas Rose says, "This is our story of exile and hope, and of our redemption when our King comes to us."
     "My encounter with the Writings and adoption of the doctrines of the New Church has been the greatest gift of my life." These are the words of Mr. Nagashima of Japan. He has been a member of the General Church now for fifteen years. On page 153 you will learn how long he was a Catholic and then how long he was a Protestant.
     Mr. Nagashima speaks of the Lord's coming into the world and His short public life which "gave the most impact ever known to all human beings thereafter." Then he ponders our present situation and asks, "Where can we draw our power, energy and vision?"
     Several members of the General Church attended the memorial service of Rt. Rev. Philip Odhner of a sister organization. They heard and appreciated the address by Rev. Dushan Sever. Part of that address is printed in this issue.
     A number of people have remarked on the book Letters from the Heart and how moving and helpful it can be. It may be obtained at the Bryn Athyn Cathedral Book Room and by mail from New Church Challenge, P.O. Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. The cost is $10. See the review on page 169.
     Two items in this issue relate to the Swedenborg Foundation, an organization which is rapidly developing and finding new ways to bring the knowledge of the Writings to more people.
     We have an item of New Church history in this issue, thanks to Paula Roschman Niall. We will hear further from her in May.

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PROPHECIES OF THE COMING KING 1999

PROPHECIES OF THE COMING KING Rev. THOMAS H. ROSE 1999

     A PALM SUNDAY SERMON

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9).

     The prophet Zechariah spoke words of encouragement and comfort to the Jews upon their return from captivity in Babylon just over five hundred years before the birth of the Lord. For seventy years the descendants of Jacob had been kept far from the land of their inheritance, far away from Zion, their mountain of holiness, whose city Jerusalem had been destroyed together with the temple itself. In their dazed and uncertain resettlement of their homeland they at first made little enough effort to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, until they found among them a young man whose words were visions and promises from the Divine. This man, the son of Berechiah, was a prophet who called at first for their repentance of this situation, insisting that they not be like their fathers before them, whose sins had led them into their years of removal to Babylon. "Do not be like your fathers," he said, "to whom the former prophets preached, saying, 'Thus says Jehovah of hosts: Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.' But they did not hear or heed Me, says Jehovah" (Zechariah 1:4).
     Having called for their repentance, Zechariah put it in their hearts to rebuild the temple, their central and holy place of worship. And these are the Lord's words which came to him: "'I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it,' says Jehovah of hosts, 'And a surveyor's line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; Jehovah will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem'"(Zechariah 1:16, 17).

148

     And so five centuries before the Messiah was to come, this humble community of Jews rebuilt the temple, and the words of their prophet sustained and encouraged them: "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst" (Zech. 2:10).
     Soon the darkness of their evil desires began again to overtake them, their leaders and priests became corrupt, and in their day the prophet Malachi continued to warn them of offenses. After him there was silence-no prophet walked among them for almost five hundred years, until John the Baptist prepared the way for the acceptance of the One born of Jehovah, the One who would return to Jerusalem in fulfillment of all Messianic prophecy.
     And now we come to the day we celebrate here, the day the Lord entered Jerusalem in triumph, the day of Jehovah's returning. Jerusalem still stood on her mountain, not as a beacon of light but rather as a darkness over the land. The chief priests, the Pharisees, and other religious authorities held sway over the people, who themselves were immersed in evils and falsities, or at best walking as if blind or asleep in matters of love and faith. Yet some had been awakened by the Baptist, and their hope for the coming Messiah was to many becoming a reality because of a Man they found among them who had the words of authority and hope of salvation. Just as the prophet Zechariah centuries before had inspired the people to refocus their worship in Jerusalem, so now this Man Jesus of Nazareth was lifting the hearts of the people toward Mount Zion. This time, however, their hands were not strengthened to lift and replace the stones of the temple, but rather to reach out and lay down their garments, to lift up palm branches, and to rise up in gestures of praise and welcome to their long-awaited King.
     Before this day of receiving their promised King, they had felt the bondage of Rome and the oppression of their own religious authorities as if their spirits had been in exile. Their desire was for their restoration as a nation of the chosen people of Jehovah. For over a thousand years they had waited for the Anointed One, the King of the Jews, who would establish their kingdom forever in the earth.

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And now they saw the wonders of this Man sent from God. Many of His followers called Him "Master." Many had left all to follow Him. Some thought about the prophecies of the Messiah and wondered how a man from Galilee could possibly be He, not being from Bethlehem of the house of: David, as they knew He should be. But even though they were ignorant of His true place of birth and so of the fulfillment of this prophecy, their hearts were drawn to Him because of His teaching and His works of healing. And so on that day the crowd was growing; a spirit of excitement and joy was spreading among them. In Judea many had heard of His miracles and teachings in Galilee, and how in recent days He had done great signs openly in Jerusalem and in the surrounding cities even while the chief priests were intent on His arrest. And with the raising of Lazarus from the dead in the very shadow of Jerusalem and openly before many people, the crowd swelled to its greatest number. On that day, as they gathered on the Mount of Olives to follow this great Prophet into Jerusalem, they saw that Jesus called for a colt of a donkey, and they knew with joy that He intended to enter their city as a King, recalling this ancient sign of royalty. About this we read: "[T]o ride on a donkey was the badge of a judge, and to ride on a donkey's colt, the badge of a king . . . . Hence it is plain what is meant by the prophecy concerning the Lord in Zechariah: 'Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, and on a colt the foal of a donkey. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth'" (Zech. 9:9, 10).
"That the Lord, when He came to Jerusalem, willed to ride upon these animals is known from the Evangelists, as in Matthew: 'Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them, and bring them to Me."

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This was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet . . . .
And they brought the donkey and the colt, put their garments on them, and set Him on them' (21:1, 2, 4, 7); to 'ride on a donkey' was a sign that the natural was made subordinate; and to 'ride on a colt the foal of a donkey' was a sign that the rational was made subordinate . . . . From this their signification, and because it belonged to the highest judge and to a king to ride upon them, and at the same time that the representatives of the church might be fulfilled, it pleased the Lord to do this . . . " (AC 2781:7-9).
     Some of the Lord's followers who were familiar with the Scripture may have recalled the story of David's use of this sign in the establishment of Solomon as the next king of Israel. When David was about to die, his son Adonijah laid claim to the throne. Adonijah rallied followers, and would go in a chariot with fifty soldiers running before him saying, "Long live King Adonijah!"
     He had the support of Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army. But David heard this, and knew that the LORD would have his son Solomon take the throne of Israel. So he said, "Have Solomon my son ride on my own mule" and "anoint him king over Israel" (1 Kings 1:33, 34). Then the people accepted Solomon, in large part because of David's use of the power of this sign of a king's riding to his anointing.
     And so that day the people gathered around Jesus of Nazareth, walking with Him and ahead of Him, laying down palms and garments, waving branches and attributing to Him the office of King as foretold in the Psalms. We read in Luke: " . . . [T]he whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!'" (Luke 19:37, 38).
     In reality the Lord was entering Jerusalem as a King because He was establishing authority over the hells which plagued the human race on earth and even to the edges of heaven, and which had been with His infirm human which He received through His earthly heredity.

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And as He approached that ancient city that day, as His eyes looked on the walls of the fallen capital of His established church on earth, "He wept over it" (Luke 19:41). And He said: "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation" (Luke 19:42-44).
     The Lord said this because of His love for the salvation of the whole human race, and with the knowledge that at the end of the week He would be rejected, the crowds of unbelievers crying out for His crucifixion. As Joseph in Egypt entered his chamber and wept in forgiveness for his brothers who sold him into slavery, and for his brother Benjamin whom he loved, so did the Lord weep for those who would reject Him, and for those few who would receive Him and establish His church.
     When we revisit the story of the Lord's royal entry into Jerusalem, we know from the-Word the outcome of the story. We know of the Lord's betrayal and rejection, of His anguish in the garden over the salvation of His people, and of the passion of the cross. And we know of the resurrection and of the joy of His true believers who would spread the gospel of His resurrection.
     For us the story of Palm Sunday is a story about our heartfelt reception of the Lord as our Heavenly King. Throughout our lives we are being brought through alternating states of anguish and of hope, of dejection and of renewal. Through our states of temptation at times we can feel as the exiled Jews did, removed from our center of worship by the selfish desires of our proprium, our Babylon. We long for a message of discipline and hope, as from the prophet Zechariah, and we find it in the Word of the Lord, which is as a prophet calling out to us.

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There we learn that if we build up the temple of our faith; stone by stone in our reception of truth, in our practice of mutual love and rejection of the hells, the Lord will come to us, saying, "I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it . . . . The LORD will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem" (Zech. 1:16, 17).
And then comes a day when we see Him coming to us, coming with the sign of a King, and we receive Him with joy, waving our palm branches as if to say that we have seen Him in the truths of His Word, and recognize Him as our Savior. He weeps for our states of ignorance and falsity, but then enters into our temple, cleans it out and restores our faith. He brings salvation to our city if we will allow Him authority over our lives by means of His truth. This is our story of exile and hope, and of our redemption when our King comes to us. The prophet has told us: "Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just, and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth" (Zech. 9:9, 10). Amen.

Lessons: Zechariah 1:12-17; Matthew 21:1-17; AE 850a (parts)
SUNRISE CAMP 1999

SUNRISE CAMP 1999

It's not too early to think about Sunrise '99. We're already hard at work planning an exciting theme, stimulating electives, great music and soothing vespers. Some of the things that make Sunrise special are the people who attend, the Olympic pool, Tim Flynn's wonderful meals and the feeling of camaraderie and acceptance. Plan to be there. Questions? Call Peggy Merrell (215-947-4123) or Paul Simonetti (215-947-4981).

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VISION FOR THE NEW CENTURY 1999

VISION FOR THE NEW CENTURY TATSUYA NAGASHIMA 1999

     We are nearing the end of the century with the opening of the new millennium. It may be high time to be kindled with a new vision. How can we have a vision as a New Church banner carrier? Our future is in the Lord's hands, but we grope for a better future as if from ourselves. During this earthly pilgrimage we are providentially chosen for an encounter with the Writings. My 24 years' Catholic, 13 years' Protestant and 15 years' New Church history give me now an incentive to pursue my own future.

1. Incomparable Eminence of the New Church Doctrines

     Definitely the Word is the key for human happiness for eternity. The Writings show us the brilliant architecture of the New Christianity. The Lord's Divine Human, the Creator of the heavens and earth, is the origin of all loves and truths. We have no other source for human salvation than the love and truth proceeding from Him in the Word.
     My encounter with the Writings and adoption of the doctrines of the New Church has been the greatest gift in my life. It was worth two apostatic infamies of my own. The dry skeletons arose in the dead valley (see Ezekiel 37). The personal unity of the Divine trinity or uni-personal Lord's Divine Human was an admirable solution to the tri-personal unity I once believed.
     The New Church doctrine of redemption excels all other soteriologies. One of my Protestant friends told me that the New Church redemption is not so much salvation as preparation for salvation. There is nothing of free-ride merit. Nothing happens until we shun evils as if from ourselves.
     Original sin was replaced with hereditary evils, which actually are not sins but inclinations toward evils (see TCR 521-2). Divine mercy is eternal forgiveness tending to relieve man from sins. The proprium, which is evil itself, can never be taken away, but only removed from the center to the periphery (see TCR 539). On behalf of the Divine "mercy," which is more often presented than "grace" (AC 981-2), human merit is denied, and no good is imputed, but only to the Lord.

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Still, man is free in balance between heaven and hell. Both good and evil are secondarily imputed to man when he takes either one for his own nature (see AC 9715). A human being has total freedom to choose his or her destiny. And the coming life after death has various societies in which spirits can enjoy their own appropriate lives (see HH 547-9).

     At the end of the Most Ancient Church, the intellect was separated from the corrupt will so that the truths can still be freely sought and discovered (see AC 1023). In the New Church doctrines, the once-for-all public judgment, drawn by Michelangelo on the Sistine chapel, was replaced by repeated last judgments occurring at the end of each of the preceding churches (see AC . 1850). The last one took place in 1757, when Swedenborg witnessed in the spiritual world (see LJ 45) a synchronic event of the second Adventus Domini.
     Still, no doctrines are so unique as "conjugial love" and the "internal sense of the Word." Conjugial love rests in such teaching that the conjugial unity comes from the conjunction of the goods and truths intended by the Creator Himself (see CL 60-64). Each heavenly angel is a pair of male and female partners called suus mutuus or sua mutua (HH 382:2). And heavenly influence flows through this conjugial unity (see HH 371).
     The internal sense of the Word has such importance that it may be called the core doctrine of the New Church. This is also a main reason why the Writings must be called the Word (see AC 10320). If the natural sense of the Word is the Word, much more is its spiritual sense. That is also why the New Church is the crown of the preceding churches (see TCR 787-8), and why the Word shown in the Writings is the Second Advent of the Lord (see TCR 779).

2. Conflict of the New Church with the World

     Christian churches were established upon faith in the Word written by Moses, the prophets, apostles and disciples.

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But the ancient church fathers, scholastic theologians and modern reformers were unable to interpret the Word well enough to be understood by rational minds. Although the declaration of Nunc Licet was announced, one can hardly believe that New Church doctrines will be easily accepted by Christians, much less by gentiles.
     For Catholics and Protestants, New Church doctrines are seemingly heretical. The refutation of the solafideism and the exclusion of the Pauline letters from the Word stir up their hostility. Modern Christianity would never have existed without the long proclaimed "Believe and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). The people are attracted to Christian religion because they would enter into heaven through baptism as their adoption of children of God (Gal. 3:26, 27).
     The Lord's Second Advent through the Writings sounds like an extravagant self-adoration of the author himself. The crown of all churches looks as if the New Church were triumphant over all preceding churches. Since Vatican II in the '60s reflected in a frowning tone their Tridentine declaration of the papal infallibility, modern Christian scholars in general reject dogmatic triumphantism. Once Swedenborgianism is labeled as a cult religion, those who once accepted New Church doctrines reject them later because of the unacceptance by the common world.
     As a member of the organized church, one tries to reach out to people around, not just because of their growth, but because of their joy of expanding the discovered truths. In my own case, a 99% majority of the nation and 1% minority of Christians surround me. While the former are nonchalant Buddhists and Shintoists, the latter are solefideistic members of 100 different denominations.
     At times the Writings give the impression that the gentiles are much more easily accepted by the heavens than Christians (see HH 324, AC 2590-2). There is a heaven for Moslems, a heaven for Hindus, a heaven for Buddhists, and so forth (see AC 9192-5, HH 318).

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If so, the New Church might have been more easily established in the gentile countries inhabited by Moslems, Buddhists, Hindus, Confucians. But since the dawn of the published Writings, we seldom hear that gentiles were converted into the New Christianity from their ethnic religion, jumping over the former Christianity, much less hear of gentiles converted to the New Church on behalf of the Uni-personal God. Most polytheists already recognize Christians as monotheists believing in only one God.
     It might be more feasible that the new Christianity is implanted only in the soil which was readily cultivated by the old Christianity. No other people will be delighted to find the new doctrines than those who are not satisfied with the old doctrines. Otherwise, no renovation of the old would be made by the new. An actual example is my own case. No delight of discovering the New Church doctrines would come to my mind if it were not for the past 40 years' vagabond pilgrimage through Catholic and Protestant Christianity. Few have taken such a risky way in other countries, much less in my country of Buddhism and Shintoism.
     On the one hand I often have an inner conflict such as this: While the New Church doctrines are of unparalleled eminence, there is no fertile soil on earth except for a very few limited areas. On the other hand, I am tempted to accommodate myself so that New Church beliefs may be less triumphant and more compromising to the former Christian doctrines. In fact, two billion people-one third of the global population-call themselves "Christians," and they have two thousand years' background of history, traditions, devotions, biographies of outstanding people, academism, architectures, paintings, various music, fine arts and humanities behind them. How can a tiny New Church barely surviving group cope with them, much less in my country where few Christians are barely surviving among the Buddhists and Shintoists?
     We probably had better stop talking about the tri-fold Word, the Crown of the Churches, and the Second Advent of the ford.

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We probably have to go hand in hand with other religious organizations, taking common steps. We are now at a time when all religions should cooperate with one another for human survival on the same planet.
     One of my American friends came up to the top of a Tokyo skyscraper. Looking over the largest city inhabited by 10 million people, he exclaimed, "What a vast . . . !" The conglomerate concrete jungle spreads up to the farthest horizons. The solitary struggle continues in daily confrontations with 99% gentile nationals who have no concepts nor care about the Word, revelation, truth, charity, doctrines, trinity, redemption, repentance, judgment, temptation, regeneration, church, sacraments, and so on.
     Our ideographic language hardly conveys doctrinal concepts. And the people's rational faculty is still dormant, indulging in a stagnancy of imitative culture. Their emotional rootlessness ignores globally accepted human criteria, human rights, freedom, justice, equality and responsibility. Rational notions have not yet taken root. Have I not taken a most solitary way of life in my later days? How, then, can we have a vision?

3. A New Vision from the Conflicts

     While the New Church banner carriers have a minimum desire of evangelization, their minds are exposed to abundant "unacceptable" influences in the hellish common world. Such rejective phenomena are correctly interpreted only by those who know the Heavenly Doctrines in their genuine sense. They are not afraid of the ephemeral concept of the New Age nor of enigmatic eschatology, nor of de-mythological notions. The Lord was not accepted by the world; so much less will be the full-fledged Word of His Second Coming (see John 15:18,19).
     2000 years ago, at the birth of the infant Lord in Bethlehem, no one ever imagined that many hundreds of years later this earth would be filled with two billion Christians.

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King Herod would have easily killed the infant Lord if He hadn't fled to Egypt (see Matt. 2:13-25, 19:23). Thirty years of His private life were scarcely known to the public, and at the last stage of His life, He was murdered by Jews under Roman execution. His short public life, however, gave the most impact ever known to all human beings thereafter.
     His disciples proclaimed the Good News to the contemporary world. They staked their earthly lives for the sake of eternal ones. The Acts of the Apostles were full of real dramas such as the journeys, disputes, splits, persecutions and imprisonments. The primitive Christian churches underwent severe Roman suppression, which lasted over three centuries, until Christians were eventually accepted.
     After the Second Advent of the Lord, the man who wrote the Writings died quietly in a small London apartment. Half of the attendants at his funeral did not believe in his integrity. No immediate actions or enthusiasm could be noticed for organizing the New Church. Still, a small number of pioneers scattered the New Word seeds in England, Europe and North America. The New Christian Church has been publicly reproved and endangered in open disapproval, indifference, contempt and stigmatization.
     However, unintended success was brought about in new converts, new groups, new churches and new priestly candidates. Their incentives for actions were not for the sake of worldly success but of inner delight in finding the truth. The end in view has always been the inner elevation of human spirituality, and the outward result has been left in the Providential Hand.
     I firmly believe that no human guidance but the Lord's only guided me to the New Church through the General Church organization. No General Church missionaries had ever been sent to my country before, but for these ten years the Lord has invited more than 80 people in Japan for baptism. Human endeavors should be given as if from themselves, but the reality was always brought about by the Lord.

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In the General Church the ordained ministers now number almost 100, 25 more than 15 years ago. Most denominations hardly recruit young candidates, but we have 15 full-time theologs at present.
     Where can we draw our power, energy and vision? How can we overcome the above-mentioned dilemma and conflict? The answer is so simple and so old-fashioned, but it is always true.
     The more we depend upon our worldly minds, the weaker we get; and the more we depend on the Lord, the stronger we become. We will be oppressed by many dilemmas and conflicts which may give us thousands of reasons for evading hardships and difficulties. If our mental channel is once switched to the Lord, a loser will instantly become a winner, reinterpreting every negative influence to a positive one. A miracle happens and will happen now and in the next millennium.
     We are in the world but not of the world, but we are chosen out of the world and appointed by the Lord (see John 15:16, 19).
     If power will come from above, nothing is more important than prayer. In prayer we are given power to overcome. The Lord said, "I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
     By the way, isn't the above-mentioned worldly unacceptance a sign of heavenly acceptance?
SWEDENBORG FOUNDATION SESQUICENTENNIAL 1999

SWEDENBORG FOUNDATION SESQUICENTENNIAL 1999

You are invited to the kickoff event of the Swedenborg Foundation's sesquicentennial celebration, a gala luncheon on Saturday, April 17, 12:30 p.m., at the Glencairn Museum, world renowned for its medieval and renaissance art collection. The Glencairn Museum has provided this gracious venue for the celebration of one hundred fifty years of Swedenborgian book publishing.

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     Live music will be played before and after a delicious luncheon, and attendees will receive a sample chapter of George Dole's new translation of Heaven and Hell, which is the flagship volume of the New Century Edition Translation of the Works of Emanuel Swedenborg. The spirited team of NCE translators will offer a lively presentation of their challenging enterprise.
     Attendees will also receive a complimentary copy of Illuminating the World of Spirit: A Sesquicentennial Record of the Swedenborg Foundation, written by David Fuller, former executive director of the Swedenborg Foundation, who will speak and sign copies.
     You are invited to take advantage of a special opportunity to tour the Bryn Athyn cathedral and/or the museum on guided tours being offered before and after the luncheon.
     Please call Betsy Smaller at the foundation 800-355-3222 for information on how to order the $15.00 luncheon tickets (the cost has been partially underwritten by anonymous "angels") and for help with overnight accommodations in the Bryn Athyn area.

     *     *     *

     Founded in 1849 and incorporated in 1850, the Swedenborg Foundation plans a series of celebratory events during its sesquicentennial anniversaries-1999-2000-to pay tribute to 150 years of publishing the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg as well as books about his life and teachings. The foundation also celebrates in 1999 its fifth year of trade publishing. The scholarly imprint Swedenborg Studies includes works that examine the continually expanding influence of Swedenborg's theology on philosophy, literature, art, religion, and the social sciences. Under the Chrysalis imprint, the foundation publishes books for spiritual seekers that apply Swedenborgian principles to contemporary life; in particular, Chrysalis books explore how to live usefully, joyously, and selflessly in this life in order to better prepare for the next.

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RESURRECTION ADDRESS Rt. Rev. Philip Nathaniel Odhner 1999

RESURRECTION ADDRESS Rt. Rev. Philip Nathaniel Odhner Rev. DUSHAN SEVER 1999

     (This is part of the address for Philip Odhner, who was Bishop of the organization known as the Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma.)

     The Lord created the human race for the purpose of leading it to eternal happiness in heaven. This is why "human life, from infancy to old age, is nothing else than a progression from the world to heaven; and the last age, which is death, is the transition itself" (AC 3016). The Lord has revealed this to us so that we can follow Him, live according to His Word, and after the death of the body, enter heaven - not as a reward but as a direct consequence of the life we led on earth. "Where the tree falls, there it lies. So also does man's life, when he dies, remain of like nature" (DP 277a). As a person lives, such is his faith. Therefore the Lord said: "He that hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me; and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him" (John 14:21).
     1 This is part of the address for Philip Odhner, who was Bishop of the organization known as the Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma.
     Philip Nathaniel Odhner, good and faithful husband, beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, Bishop, theological teacher, and pastor of the local society for many years of distinguished service, has been called by the Lord into the spiritual world. He will live there to eternity in the degree of love, wisdom and happiness which he had made his own during his life on earth. We who loved him cannot but be moved by a feeling of sadness, for we shall never again see and talk with this dear man in the natural world. At the same time, we who loved him are happy that he is free at last from an old and failing body, and that in the new spiritual body he is associating with those whom he truly loves.
     Upon awakening in the other world a person is joyfully welcomed by his loved ones who have gone before him. In his last years Philip often spoke with great tenderness about his desire to be with his wife Beryl, and talked about her with longing and great affection. His desire is now being fulfilled.

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     Indeed, Philip Odhner is in the right place, and he was preparing for that his entire life. Born in Bryn Athyn on Christmas day, 1908, son of Reverend Carl Theophilus Odhner and Marie-Louise Xandry Odhner, from an early age he learned the truths of the Lord's Word. In 1932 he married Beryl Caldwell. I shall never forget the most gentle manner in which he once spoke of how he met and proposed to the beautiful young woman. They had six children and spent 57 years together.

     [Photo of Rt. Rev. Philip Nathaniel Odhner]

     As pastor, Philip was profoundly aware of the many responsibilities of that office.

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In his own words: "Few who are not priests of this church can realize the inner difficulties and heartaches of a pastor. His people's troubles are immediately his troubles, whether these troubles be natural or spiritual. His love for their spiritual welfare embraces all things of their lives. He must be brave himself to teach and lead them through the true to the good of life, even when the true may offend them; and yet he must comfort them and feel sympathy with them at all times, even when they are estranged from him. He must look within them, beyond the manifestations of friendship or enmity, to the quality in them that can be led to the Lord within them. And within himself, his very love for his people must make room for his own inner development, for the development of his understanding of the Word . . . . Without this inner development . . . he cannot be in that inner use for which the Lord created him . . . . How can he truly love his people if he loves not the Lord first and above his people? How can he lead them toward the Lord if he goes not himself toward the Lord?" Philip Odhner loved his people because he loved the end for which the Lord created them, and the people trusted him and loved him in return.
By means of his pamphlets, books, classes, and sermons Philip taught the way to heaven during most of his long and fruitful life. His desire was that people in the church may have a strong and clear understanding of the order according to which the human thing with man is conjoined to the Divine Human of the Lord. The first thing for the church is to see that order, as it is revealed, to understand it, and to follow it. "There is no other way to follow the Lord" he used to say. Some expressed a feeling that his sermons and classes were too abstract, and that they did not sufficiently touch the life of man. When he heard this, Philip was ready to change his approach, but he also said that such criticism may arise from a lack of understanding or appreciation of the inner life. He explained: "There is an external life in which man looks . . . to things of the world . . . [and] there is an internal life, that in which man looks inward to the Lord, and to the change of his mind . . . .

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A man may make a mistake of regarding the outward life as life, and of regarding the inward life as something abstract and lifeless. Teachings about the coming of the Lord to the man of the church all have to do with the inner life, and to changing the real substantial things of the mind."
     These remarks vividly remind us of Philip's strong character, and at the same time of his determination to stay focused on the central theme of his entire work for the church: the conjunction of the Lord with man. Admired for the quality of his work, he carefully measured the signs of progress. Once he reported: "There are some encouraging signs, notably the absence of wild reasoning, and a beginning of tender feelings for what is in the Word."
     Philip had great affection for nature; he admired birds, enjoyed flowers, and loved the ocean, but he was always looking for the internal qualities and hidden potential in all things. In nature he perceived the beauty of the Lord's creation, and in the church as well as in every individual, he saw a precious seed which has a potential to develop into a great and beautiful tree. When confronted with difficulties he said that "no one should regard the church from . . . external things alone." He used to say that "it is a miracle that this church came into being at all; it is a miracle that it still exists; and it will only be by continued miracles that it will exist in the future. By a miracle we mean the working of the Divine Providence of the Lord both within and above the members of the church, within their strengths which they have from the Lord, and above their weaknesses." Philip was well aware of human weaknesses, but he also knew about the power of the Lord. This is why he believed that conjunction of the Lord and man is essential for any real progress in life.
     His spirit will continue to touch us. Knowing that his greatest, hopes are now being fulfilled, we can rejoice in all good things Philip is awakening to, and we are united in the feeling of this blessing from the Word:

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     The Lord bless thee and keep thee:
     The Lord make His face shine upon thee and be merciful unto thee:
     The Lord lift up His faces upon thee and give thee peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
     Amen.

Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
December 23, 1998
ASSEMBLY 2000 1999

ASSEMBLY 2000 1999

     As the bishop's liaison for programming at the next assembly (June 21st-25th, 2000, in Guelph, Ontario, Canada), I would like to remind members of the church that you are all invited to submit proposals for major or minor presentations at this international event. This will be the first time in many years that the floor of any major sessions will be open to lay men and women as well as ministers. Let's make the most of this opportunity.
     For details about the available options and where to write, please see New Church Life for May and November, 1998, or at the assembly web www.newchurch.org/Assembly2000, under "Call for Papers."
     Meanwhile, three special announcement mailings have already gone out to the editors of all General Church society and circle newsletters, outlining various aspects of the assembly, and if you have not seen these yet, you might like to check with your local pastor or newsletter editor about them. Several more of these are planned before a mass mailing goes out to all church members in October this year.
     Members of the Assembly Committee are working hard to prepare an exciting and worthwhile program, not only for our adult members but for the teens and children who are invited for the first time too. Remember the theme of the assembly is "The Many Faces of the General Church," and we are hoping for a high level of participation in the program by church members.
     Rev. Michael Gladish,
          Toronto

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REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE (4) 1999

REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE (4) Rev. FRANK S. ROSE 1999

     Love, joy and happiness are at the heart of the universe. It is reassuring to know that we were created by a God who loves us totally, even with our faults, and wants to share His joy with us. We might reject Him, but He will never reject us. All He asks is that we learn about the path that leads to heaven, and walk that path to the best of our ability.
     "No one becomes an angel, that is, comes into heaven, unless he or she carries angelic qualities from the world. And in angelic qualities there is a knowledge of the way from walking in it, and a walking in the way through a knowledge of it" (Divine Providence 60).
     Sometimes when I am walking along my favorite mountain trails I think about this passage. How do you really know a trail? From walking it. How do you find a trail to follow? By learning about its existence.
     Usually before we are going to hike on a new trail I study my growing collection of maps. I want to know where to find the trail head. I look for the starting altitude, and some indication of how much higher the trail rises or falls. I want to know how far we have to hike to complete the trail. Some of this information is in the trail books. Some I have to work out from a study of contour maps.
     By the time we set out on a new trail, I have a pretty good knowledge of the trail. Without that knowledge I would not know about the existence of the trail, and I might not be willing to walk on it. But do I really know the trail? Not at all. There have been times when I made the mistake of describing a trail to people who wondered if they wanted to come along. After I assured them it was easy, we all found that it was not easy at all. Recently we went along the "Mint Spring Trail." I told people that it is "relatively flat." How did I know that? Well, I knew that the trail started at 8300 feet above sea-level, and finished at exactly the same altitude. What I did not know was how much up and down took glace between those two points.

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It turned out to be a delightful trail, but more strenuous than I had originally thought. From experiences like that I have grown more cautious. And I still make mistakes. I realize that I can learn many things about a trail from books and maps. I walk along the trail from knowing about it.
But I don't really know the trail until I have walked it. Walking gives me a completely different kind of knowledge than I could ever get from books or from other people. There is only one way to learn a trail, and that is from walking it, not just once but many times.
The same is true of our spiritual journey. We know about the "life that leads to heaven from books-especially the Word. This knowledge enables us to set off on a direction in life and follow what we consider to be a right path. We walk in that path from knowing about it. As soon as we actually follow the steps that take us along that path, we know it in a totally different way. We know "the path from walking it. This is how we learn to become angels, even while living our earthly lives.
ELDERGARTEN 1999 1999

ELDERGARTEN 1999 Sylvia Gladish 1999

From January 17th to 24th, the Boynton Beach Society had the pleasure of hosting its fifth "Celebration of the Age of Wisdom," (affectionately known as Eldergarten. 113 (ten part-time) enthusiastic elders from the U.S., Canada, and England gathered for a week of worship, education, fun and fellowship.
A typical day involved worship followed by morning classes interspersed with refreshment breaks, lunch, afternoon excursions for those interested, and evening entertainment of various sorts. The week was characterized by an abundance of food, both spiritual and natural.

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Each person attending was enrolled in three morning classes which ran from Monday through Saturday (with the exception of Thursday, a day of no planned activity). The subjects chosen for study included "Swedenborg's Preparation to Become a Revelator," presented by Rev. Alfred Acton; "Learning to See the Spiritual Causes of Things, " presented by Rev. Reuben Bell; and "The Drama and Meaning of the Easter Story," given by Rev. Kurt Horigan Asplundh. These three excellently presented topics, although at first glance disparate, in reality formed a kind of pyramid. The base of this pyramid could be represented by the first two topics. Both were complex subjects, rich in facts, ideas, and scientific knowledge, which formed the support for the profound simplicity of the apex, the Lord Himself, presented in an examination of the moving events of the Easter story recounted in the four gospels.
     While worship and classes were meeting our spiritual needs, Eldergarten did not forget the needs of "the natural man." Delicious and varied lunches and refreshments were served every day. A variety of trips and excursions were organized and available each afternoon. On successive evenings we were treated to a fascinating slide show lecture on Africa, a video of a highly professional production of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Patience," and a photographic record of the early life of the General Church. Our banquet on Wednesday was enlivened by several Irish musicians who kept us dancing, and proved that the older generation had not "lost the beat."
     The week ended on Sunday with an inspiring sermon, "David and Goliath," given by Rev. Reuben Bell, followed by a luncheon prepared by the Boynton Beach Society. After embraces and farewells, most of our visitors left for home, taking with them memories of beautiful weather, a mentally stimulating and emotionally enriching week, and in many cases a resolve to return again next year.
     Sylvia Gladish,
     Boynton Beach, Florida

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REVIEW 1999

REVIEW Leon S. Rhodes 1999

     LETTERS FROM THE HEART

     The first reaction-"What a beautiful book!"-was soon replaced by the reaction, "What a truly beautiful book!" The newly published "round robin" from special-needs families in the New Church is extraordinary, not only in serving a profound need for the families of those children born defective or injured with disabilities, both mental and physical, but in awakening an important awareness in its readers about the inscrutable Divine Wisdom in permitting tragedies we can scarcely comprehend. This handsome soft-cover published by New Church Challenge presents messages which can change our attitudes in most unexpected ways.
     It is striking especially that in the more-than-twenty cases of tragedies, all the contributors expressed a gratitude and appreciation for how the experience had enriched their lives! These messages reflect those very special teachings in the Writings of the New Church that our God is "full of compassion," wise beyond our comprehension, and an eternally loving Father.
     Most readers should take up Letters from the Heart with tissues or a handkerchief handy, and will awaken to a wonderful new admiration for the families most of us know, as well as for those special sons and daughters we often recognize, though we were less than aware of the full story. Edited and introduced by the Rev. Kurt Horigan Asplundh, the book was written not by trained authors but by loving mothers, fathers, siblings and even friends. They were collected and arranged by a devoted team headed by Donnette Alfelt and others we know, with movingly beautiful quotations from the messages of members and from the Writings.
     Each of those special children is, of course, quite different, and their stories are presented with a loving honesty that overcame any hesitance or apology. It is a book to be read slowly, and re-read, as well as remembered. Though most of them happened in the community of Bryn Athyn, there are cases from far and wide, and one of the delights of this book is in the numerous cases where a troubled family was served so lovingly by people they had never known before tragedy entered their lives. There are delightful little messages and poems, selections from the writing of siblings, and in many cases an added dimension brought out because an earlier story is deepened and enhanced by what are called "updates" years later, or even at the time of a stricken person's funeral.

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A useful appendix at the end of the book includes valuable information, a glossary and how to learn more by contacting New Church Challenge, Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
Leon S. Rhodes
DO ANIMALS THINK? 1999

DO ANIMALS THINK? Editor 1999

     Editorial Pages
     The subject of animal intelligence has fascinated mankind for ages. We visit that subject now (and in subsequent editorials) because of the appearance of a book called If A Lion Could Talk by Stephen Budiansky. The subtitle is Animal Intelligence and the Evolution of Consciousness.
     A main theme of this highly readable and thoughtful book is that animals are wonderful in their own right and that we do them no favor by trying to equate them with human beings. He refers to the "often foolish mistakes made by researchers who enthusiastically mistook rote learning in animals as feats of conscious reasoning."
     There is a considerable body of literature on this subject. Budiansky goes back to Descartes, whom people think of as a propounder of the concept that animals are automatons, or clockwork machines that lack a mind altogether. Unfortunately, people who are well versed in the literature seem to have no knowledge of what is said on this subject in the Writings of Swedenborg.

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     Let us quote one of the choice relevant passages. Proposition XII of Interaction of Soul and Body states that the understanding of humans can be elevated into the light and warmth of the angelic heaven. Proposition XIII (paragraph 15) states that "It is altogether otherwise with beasts." Here we read, "Those who judge from the mere appearance to the senses of the body conclude that beasts have will and understanding as well as men, and hence that the only distinction is that man can speak and thus describe what he thinks and desires, while beasts can only express sounds."
     Further on it is noted that some beasts are better than some people. (Beasts can be more faithful, for example, than some people.) We read: "That beasts act according to the laws of order inscribed on their nature, and some beasts as it were morally and rationally, differently from many men, is because their understanding is blind obedience to the desires of their will, and therefore they are not able to pervert these by depraved reasonings, as men do."
     And here the Writings note that when they talk about an animal's will and understanding, they really mean an analogue or image of will and understanding.
     The passage concludes with observing "how much they are deceived who believe that beasts enjoy rationality, and are only distinguished from men by the external figure and by their not being able to give utterance to the rational things which they hide within."
     Budiansky quotes a saying that if a lion could speak, we would not understand what he would say. His own thought is that if a lion could speak, he would just cease to be a lion.

     (To be continued)
COINCIDENCES IN THE WORD (2) 1999

COINCIDENCES IN THE WORD (2) Editor 1999

Last month we alluded to the story in Genesis 24 of a man praying to meet a woman and being astonished that she came along before he had even finished the prayer!

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     Think about that. Did she start making her way to the well before the man had even begun his prayer? One of the best known passages in Conjugial Love is number 229. The boy and the girl, according to this passage, "are raised and continually prepared for their marriage under the Lord's guidance, neither the boy nor the girl being aware of it." Eventually they "meet somewhere, as though by fate, and notice each other."
     The reason we say "as though by fate" is that "when one is unaware that it is Divine Providence, that is how it appears."
     We spoke last time also about the incident of CL 267. Swedenborg, deep in thought, meanders through a woods. Two angels chance to meet him, and the conversation they are having happens to coincide with the subject of Swedenborg's sylvan meditation. The angels tell Swedenborg that they perceive that they are on the same subject. And they say that this "comes from a reciprocal communication of our affections."
     Something further happened which makes one realize that this chance meeting in the woods had purpose behind it. At a certain point the two angels were affected with a desire to go and behold something that would illustrate the subject of their conversation. The desire also came into Swedenborg's heart. This further coincidental occurrence within themselves led to a perception of what was behind it. "[W]e perceived that this desire was inspired in us in order that we might learn something . . . . So, we looked at each other and said, 'Let's go'"(CL 268).

     (To be continued in the May issue)
"AS WE SIT AROUND THIS TABLE" 1999

"AS WE SIT AROUND THIS TABLE" 1999

     150th Anniversary of the Swedenborg Foundation

     The Swedenborg Foundation will be celebrating its sesquicentennial with more than one event. There will be a gathering at Glencairn in Bryn Athyn on April 17th.
     Now is a good time to consider the vital work that is done by the foundation.

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     I was present at a meeting of the Board of Directors last year and heard an opening invocation by the Rev. Dr. William Woofenden. Here is a small part of what he said:
     "As we sit here together around this table, we do well to remind ourselves of the staggering responsibility we as a board have, to do all in our power to share the spiritual truth we fully believe is embedded in the writings of Swedenborg. Along with that responsibility, however, is the astonishing fact that, although we are avowedly not a church, as publishers of these inspired works we have an unparalleled opportunity to be agents of the Lord in sharing this body of truth with everyone in the world who has an unquenched thirst for knowledge of the true meaning of life and loving intent of the Lord; namely, to bring everyone in creation into an awareness of the fact that the ancient promise of a Second Coming of the Lord has been fulfilled, and that we are now truly living in a new age."
     We salute the Swedenborg Foundation at this anniversary time and would encourage our readers to support its vital uses.
MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS 1999

MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Rev. Peter M. Buss 1999

     The Rev. Christopher R. J. Smith has accepted a call to become Executive Vice President of the South African Corporation, effective July 1, 1999.
     The Rev. Stephen D. Cole has accepted a position as a teacher of religion in the Bryn Athyn College, effective July 1, 1999. Mr. Cole will also teach a course in the Theological School and will be working with the General Church in compiling a history of its doctrine.
     Candidate David W. Ayers has accepted a call to become Pastor of the Hurstville Society, effective July 1, 1999 pending successful completion of his Theological School training.
     Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss

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MISSION OF THE GENERAL CHURCH 1999

MISSION OF THE GENERAL CHURCH David Lexie 1999

     Communication
Dear Editor:
     I must thank Mr. Bedford for calling attention in the February issue to something that few of us give consideration-our General Church mission statement. Most organizations have a mission statement, and it is wise to occasionally reconsider and reflect on how well the mission is being fulfilled. However, I would like to take issue with the conclusions drawn in his article.
     First, there is an inconsistency that troubles me a bit. Apparently, the opening quotation from Rev. 22:1, 2 is provided to set the tree-and-fruit metaphor for the church. But that is not the internal sense for the passage, as a quick glance at AR 933 will show. The tree signifies the Lord as to the Divine Love, and the fruits signify good works done by man from charity. AR 934 states that man also may be considered a tree. In 933 we read that in the complete internal sense of the passage, by the tree of life bearing twelve fruits "is signified that in the inmost of the truths of doctrine and of life in the New Church is the Lord . . . from whom all the goods which a man does apparently as of himself flow forth. This takes place with those who. . . shun evils because they are sins, thus who will be in the Lord's New Church." We are meant to understand that all the good works that a man performs come from the Lord when He is in the inmost, though the man is allowed to believe that he does it from himself. Thus it is essential that a man learn to shun all evils in order to produce good works based in true charity. Only in that way will it come from the Lord. With all of that in mind, I will use the tree metaphor as Mr. Bedford has in order to maintain consistency with his article.
     Three questions are asked at the outset. What does this strong foundation enable us to do? Where are the fruits on the tree? What does the tree offer the world? In response, I offer three short answers that come readily to mind.

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     1)      The strong foundation enables us to spread an awareness of the Lord's Second Coming. This, of course, leads to the growth of the New Church in the sense that perhaps many more humans will find their way into heaven. This has little to do with growth of the General Church, which can be measured quantitatively, whereas only the Lord can know who is a member of the New Church.
     2)      The fruits on the tree are all around us-ripe and raining down upon us, so to speak: every time one of us acts upon New Church principles in the business world; whenever our     neighbors witness our charitable behavior and see that they too can act in a manner that is "right"; when we are passing our love of the Word, our humility toward the Lord, and a     diligence in obeying His Commandments to our little ones by way of example in our homes. These are all things given to us in part by way of the General Church through all of the first four items within the mission statement. This is the "slow, steady" method for changing the world-one that must win in the end.
     3)      The tree's offering to the world is in the form of an ever-shining, far-reaching beacon of light. It is a light of hope and optimism. And it signals the location of a resting place, a shelter from the darkness and storms of a world filled with temptation to hellish pleasure. Another way of seeing it is as a tree filled with beautiful flowers that will attract many with their sweet nectar, much as a fruit tree attracts pollinating birds and bees that enable the production of varied and plentiful fruit. The General Church offers the world a repository for a new knowledge and understanding of the Divinity within the Word-that the Word has an internal sense-by way of the Lord's Second Coming.
     Mr. Bedford sets out a need to enfold within the mission statement some new goals.

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Specifically, he desires the General Church to affect (take action in) the world in a more direct way. Further, my understanding of his text is that because certain "outreach" functions are taking place today, perhaps they ought to be a part of a new mission statement. Herein lies my disagreement. I would suggest that any "charitable" outreach performed in the name of or directly by the General Church points to a drift from what is already an ideal. Let me explain why.
The Writings (in TCR 425) make a distinction between the "duties of charity and its benefactions." It is stated here: "By the duties of charity are meant those exercises of charity which proceed immediately from charity itself, and which . . . belong primarily to the employment in which each is engaged. By benefactions . . . are meant those helpful services which are rendered outside the ordinary duties . . . . " A thorough reading of the chapter on charity (especially nos. 425 to the end) demonstrates that it is the role of an individual to determine, based upon true charity having become a part of his internals (good will), how best to apply the benefactions (good deeds) externally. The first memorable relation on charity (459) sums it all up very nicely. Both 434 and 437 demonstrate how an understanding of charity degenerated from the early Christian Church to the old church. In 437 we read: " . . . the first thing of charity is to put away evil, and the second, to do good; for it is a universal law . . . that so far as a man wills no evil, he wills what is good." This ties back to the internal sense of Rev. 22, where we may also take notice that the Lord does not perform good works directly, but by way of a man. What a great role for the General Church in our lives! Teach individuals to "put away evil" and help them achieve that goal; the good works follow automatically-the tree bearing fruit. How simple, yet how noble and how useful-and what a profound, though subtle, effect on the world! Does this not fit squarely with the current iteration of the mission statement?
Mr. Bedford goes on to propose that the General Church take a stance in civil areas such as taxation.

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Frankly, this idea unnerves me. How government operates, the decision to have monarchy or parliament, socialism or capitalism, how to create and balance a fair tax structure are all subject to a wide variety of opinion. It is virtually impossible to find a consensus even among the relatively small societies that make up our church communities. Who would decide what position the General Church should take? A hand-chosen committee? The bishop? The pastor of any given society? Swedenborg speaks very highly of the institution of monarchy. Does that mean the General Church should encourage installation of a king in the U.S.? One would be hard put to find Americans (Swedenborgians or otherwise) wanting to travel that road. This argument applies as well to all of the other social agendas proposed in the article. There are so many civic organizations supporting these causes already that anyone may volunteer and perform good works. The flavor of the New Church will enter into these groups as individuals carry the concepts and behaviors into them, choosing in freedom what they believe to be of need. Slowly uses will bend to what is truly good as we swell their ranks and perhaps this models the way the Lord works within each of us, to do what is good a little at a time, getting better as we go.
     The role of the General Church should be to educate, encourage and support individuals in the use of performing good deeds. We will respond to the Lord's exhortation to "Let your light shine. . . " by doing just that at the individual level, knowing that the General Church, by encouraging its members to follow the doctrines and act like New Church men and women, will cause that light to shine into every dark corner. And this is truly giving people the opportunity to act in freedom. Having an organization perform the good deeds on their behalf is not. Let us not forget that a false understanding of the nature of charity is one of many things that led to the passing of the former church, and tread carefully here.
     David Lexie,
          Huntingdon Valley, PA

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BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE TWO SWEDENBORGIAN CHURCHES IN KITCHENER, ONTARIO, CANADA 1999

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE TWO SWEDENBORGIAN CHURCHES IN KITCHENER, ONTARIO, CANADA PAULA ROSCHMAN NIALL 1999

     The New Revelation Is Discovered in Berlin, Canada-1833

     It all started in 1833, when Christian Enslin, a newly arrived bookbinder from Germany, established a book-bindery and bookstore in Berlin, Canada. In 1916 during World War I Berlin was renamed Kitchener, Ontario, after Lord Kitchener.
     One day a book containing a pamphlet advertising books written by Emanuel Swedenborg came into Christian Enslin's hands. He was intrigued by the subject matter. He decided to send for one. What he read absorbed him so much that he invited friends to join him in the orchard behind his book shop to share in the reading of The Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem. They read in German. The group was small, made up of only two or three people, but they also began to accept this New Revelation. As the winter came, the circle moved inside. Before long they wished to have their own copies of the New Revelation, and so Mr. Enslin wrote to Dr. Immanuel Tafel at Tübingen, Germany, from whom books could be obtained. Sadly, the ship with the Writings, on board sank on its way to Canada. Christian sent another request. This time the books arrived safely.

     The Free Church-1842

     Despite their modest number, Christian Enslin's little Swedenborgian group decided to pool their resources with Rev. Bindemann's liberal Lutheran group and two other small Christian congregations and build "The Freie Kirche" or "The Free Church" on Frederick Street North, where the old fire hall once stood.
     By 1842, Christian had become a member of the "Central of Middle Convention" of the New Church, which had been founded in Philadelphia when Rev. Richard de Charms and his supporters separated from the General Convention in 1841.

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Accepting members from various States and Canada, this group eventually matured into The General Church of the New Jerusalem, which was formed in 1897. Through this early membership, Christopher Enslin was now communicating with other Swedenborgians in Pennsylvania.

     Rev. John Harbin-1843

     In 1843 a missionary of the New Church arrived in Berlin, having accepted a call to become the pastor of the Free Church. Rev. John Harbin had been a surgeon in the British Army. While practicing his profession in Salisbury, England, he joined the Swedenborgian Church, resolving to devote his life to the dissemination of its truths. He emigrated to Canada in 1830 and labored as a missionary in Markham, Upper Canada, and the district lying north of Toronto.
     With his surgeon's background, Mr. Harbin began to assist Berlin's Dr. John Scott, and it was through this association that Dr. Scott and his wife became Swedenborgians. Dr. Scott was the first doctor and surgeon in Berlin and Waterloo. He was also the first warden of Waterloo County. Scott Street in Kitchener was named him.
     "Many prominent early Berlin, Ontario citizens were Swedenborgians," writes Elizabeth (Rothaermel) Stroh in her 1912 Memoirs for my Family. ". . . [T]hey were so in earnest that they were baptised in English by Mr. Harbin. They were all Germans at the time, but they knew what they were about-Mr. Christian Enslin being their interpreter. They went on that way for a number of years."

     The New Church-Benton and Church Streets-1847

     By 1847 the Free Church had outgrown its capacity and so the Swedenborgian group decided to build its own church. They land from Joseph Schneider, an early Mennonite pioneer who came from Pennsylvania.

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He was not the father of John Metz Schneider, the founder of the J. M. Schneider Meat Packing Plant. John Metz Schneider's father, Johann Christoph Schneider came directly from Germany in 1847. He joined the Swedenborgians, and his descendants are still members of the Convention New Church in Kitchener.
     Mr. Heinrich "Henry" Rothaermel, Elizabeth (Rothaermel) Stroh's father, was the builder of the one-and-a-half story frame structure on the southwest comer of Church and Benton Streets, where a tall apartment building now stands. It had a large door and three gothic windows on each side. "It was situated on a hill and looked very fine at that time," records Elizabeth. She goes on to describe the interior of the church in detail and to tell us that it seated 150 people. It cost $400.00 to build. "When it was dedicated, it was given the name the 'New Church' to connect it with the prophecy,' . . . that the Lord on His second coming would build a New Church.'"
     A Sunday School was established during this period, and the congregation became affiliated with the General Convention of the New Church of America.
     Following Mr. Harbin's death in 1851,the church was served by a lay minister, Adam Ruby, and by other missionaries. Mr. Whittaker came from the south, " . . . but could not stand the climate." Later a lawyer by the name of Hancock preached until Rev. Thomas Wilkes arrived in 1855.
     In 1857 another missionary arrived. He was a German by the name of Arthur O. Brickman, of Baltimore, Maryland. Mr. Brickman had served as a chaplain in the American Civil War. "That was a great and happy time for our German New Church people, wrote Elizabeth. Mr. Brickman lived with the Rothaermels. He was a good singer and taught the people many German New Church hymns. However, the congregation longed to have a German minister and "Mr. Brickman said he thought there was one to be had, namely Mr. Tuerk, but he had a large family and it meant a good deal of means in order to get him.

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So they taxed each family a certain amount according to their circumstances, and it fell to my father's lot to do the canvassing . . . . " That same year Rev. F. W. Tuerk was engaged as the regular pastor.

     Rev. Frederick W. Tuerk-1857

     Mr. Tuerk (originally spelled T?rk) was a native of Eberfeld, Prussia. He had been trained as a minister in the Lutheran Church. It was his intent to serve the missionfield in India, but because of the dangers involved, he decided to do missionary work in Canada instead. He arrived at Sebringville in 1830. Some time before 1857 he had found the Writings and had been ordained by the President of the General Convention, Pennsylvania. He was called to the pastorship of the "New Church" in Berlin, Ontario in 1857.

     The Wellesley New Church and the Doerings-1858

     In 1843 Christopher Doering moved from Berlin and settled in a farming area about 16-20 miles northwest of Berlin. He laid out the village of Philipsburg. Around 1852, settlers were beginning to flow into the neighboring village of Wellesley.
     Christopher Doering had invested in land in Wellesley. Generously he donated plots of land to both the Missouri Synod of the Lutheran Church and the Swedenborgians, who established churches across from one another, sharing a cemetery. Today the southern portion of St. Paul's Lutheran Church cemetery is the original cemetery of the Swedenborgians, but sadly, acid rain has wiped away most of the families' names from the stones-only "Doering" and "Bellinger" were readable during my visit in 1998.
     Henry Rothaermel also built the little white board-and-batten Swedenborgian church which was identical to the one he had built on Benton and Church Streets in Berlin. It can still be seen today, now sided and somewhat renovated, on the corner of William and Doering Streets. It was built at the same cost of $400.00 and paid for by Christopher Doering. The cornerstone of the Wellesley New Church was laid September 19, 1858.

182

     Lucinda Bellinger writes: "Among the first settlers of Wellesley were a number of people who in other lands or communities had belonged to the Swedenborgian Church, and they at once established a congregation here. (Most of the members of the Wellesley Society were immigrants from the Hesse-Darmstadt region of Germany.)
     "Some of those who were members were Doering, Bellinger, Zinkanns, Ritters, Dahmers, Rothaermei, Beilstein, Brills, Scheirholtz, Lohr, and Glebe. There were at one time about 50-60 members.
     "By the beginning of this century the congregation became smaller; some families moved away and others died, the minister among them, and services were discontinued. The building was bought by the United Church congregation and is still in use by them."
     Many Carmel Church families can find their ancestors among the Wellesley New Church congregation. There were quite a number of marriages between the Berlin and Wellesley church families. It seems that some members of the Berlin Society would travel by horse and sleigh to Wellesley once a month, as Elizabeth writes: "Well, to that church we went for many years. We had a large Sunday School and a confirmation class during the winter months. Many of the young came to the church in that way, but many of them did not stay in the church but married out of the church, and some lost altogether what they had of the church, and in some cases the third generation knew nothing about the New Church. That is the way it went until the Academy was founded."

     The "New Church" Is Sold-1871

     By the year 1870 the Berlin New Church at Benton and Church Streets had grown to such an extent that it was decided to sell the church building to the Evangelical Lutherans and build a larger place of worship on land purchased from a Swedenborgian, Henry Huber, at the comer of King and Water Streets in Kitchener.

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     And so the little white church in Berlin including a cemetery was sold in 1871. The bodies interred were removed to the new community Mount Hope cemetery. This was in conformity with all the other churches of the city who disposed of their private cemeteries. (These stones can be seen today just north of one of the main gates off Margaret Avenue. Among them are my great-grandfather, Karl Heinrich von Ahrens and some of his family, Rev. F. W. Tuerk and his wife. Other early New Church names are still readable.)
     (To be continued)
     Note: This compressed article was compiled by Paula Roschman Niall who lives at 2650 3rd Avenue, West, Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, N4K 4S8. She would be pleased to hear from anyone who shares her concern for the preservation of our General Church history and can add anything of further interest. Telephone: 1-519-372-0225 or E-mail: [email protected] ca

     Reference Sources

An Address to the General Convention of the Swedenborgian Church by Betty G. Schneider, "Centenary"-New Church Swedenborgian 1842-1942- Church of the Good Shepherd
Map of Berlin, Ontario 1875
Memoirs for My Family by Elizabeth Rothaermel Stroh
History of Kitchener by Uttley
When Men Believe by L. M. Eby
Some notes of Jacob Stroh
Bishop William Henry Benade, Founder and Reformer by Richard R. Gladish
John Pitcairn, Uncommon Entrepreneur-A Biography by Richard R. Gladish

184

COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY REPORT-1997-1998 1999

COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY REPORT-1997-1998 Rev. David H. Lindrooth 1999

     MEMBERSHIP
                                              1997-98
Episcopal degree                                   3
Pastoral degree:
      General Church employment          3
      ANC employment                    11
      Pastoral work                    51
      Retired                          17
      Unassigned                         8           90
Ministerial degree:
      General Church employment          1
ANC employment                         2
Pastoral work                         1
Unassigned                              3           7
Associate Ministers                              2
Evangelist                                        1
               TOTAL                               103

     SACRAMENT/RITE STATISTICS
                                   1987-88      1992-93      1997-98
Baptisms 174
     Children                         175           197          174
     Adults                         55          148          84
          Total                         230           345           258
     Holy Supper Administrations
     Public                         212           246           230*
               Average No. of Communicants     25           24           29
     Private                         27           42          65
Confessions of Faith                    30           33          19
Betrothals                              40           50           59
Marriages                              58           100           151
     Blessings on Marriages               1           15          5
Ordinations                              5           7           28
Dedications                                                  14
     Churches                         2           0
     Homes                              11           2
Memorial Services                         54           52          35

     Prepared by Judith M. Hyatt, Assistant to the Secretary

     *Sixteen additional services reported are not included here because the average number of communicants was not noted.

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REPORT OF THE EDITOR OF NEW CHURCH LIFE 1999

REPORT OF THE EDITOR OF NEW CHURCH LIFE Donald L. Rose 1999

     1998

     The first issue of 1998 had more female names in the table of contents than male names, and as it turned out in the issues that followed, lay women writers outnumbered lay men by seventeen to fourteen. Twenty-eight ministers wrote for us.
     We have not printed a cumulative index since 1971-1987. It would seem to be time for another ten-year index, and we have capable people who are aware of this. Of course we print a full annual index every year. In the 1998 index one may find the reports of 251 baptisms, 92 of which are marked with an "A" to show that they are adult baptisms.
     Our circulation was 1500 compared with 1547 the previous year. The number of pages devoted to church news increased slightly (from five pages to seven pages), but we are still far behind the traditional count in that category. Pages devoted to sermons went up from 64 to 73. Pages devoted to letters went down from 56 to 53.
     I would like to thank Ken and Pat Rose, Alice Fritz, Julie Pendleton and Marguerite Acton for playing a part in getting out twelve issues of this publication in 1998.
     Donald L. Rose, Editor
JOURNAL IN SPAIN SPEAKS OF SWEDENBORG'S DREAM BOOK 1999

JOURNAL IN SPAIN SPEAKS OF SWEDENBORG'S DREAM BOOK 1999

The journal is called Isidorianum. It is published by the Center for Theological Studies in Seville. The writer is Jose Anton Pacheco professor of philosophy at the University of Seville. Fortunately an English translation of this article will appear in the magazine Arcana (Vol. IV, no. 4).

186

MAPLE LEAF ACADEMY '99 1999

     Announcements

     The New Church Camp for Teenagers

     If you will have completed at least one year of high school, come and join us Friday, June 25 - Friday, July 2, 1999, at Caribou Lodge, Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. Our theme will be "Joy." Jesus said: "[A]bide in My love . . . that your joy may be full" (John 15).
     Register before may 1, 1999 and receive an early registration discount of $20 ($15 U.S.). The deadline for your registration is June 15, 1999.
TOOLS 4 LIFE 1999

TOOLS 4 LIFE 1999

     July 18th - 24th, 1999

     Tools 4 Life is a week-long camp held in Bryn Athyn, PA and offered to all high school juniors and seniors. We are thrilled to have Mr. Chuck Blair and Ms. Jency Cooper as directors for this year's camp.
     The goal of the camp is to provide a fun, interactive and informative environment in which practical tools will be learned, friendships made, and mentoring fostered. Each student will develop skills that will help him/her in making decisions about the "next step" after high school. Tools 4 Life is a joint initiative of the Bryn Athyn Church and the Academy. For information and registration please contact Wendy Walter at 215-938-3587 or email: [email protected].

188

GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM PUBLIC WORSHIP AND DOCTRINAL CLASSES 1999

     UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

     Alabama:
     Birmingham
Dr. Winyss A. Shepard, 4537 Dolly Ridge Road, Birmingham, AL 35243. Phone: (205) 967-3442.
     Huntsville
Mrs. Anthony L. Sills, 1000 Hood Ave., Scottsboro, AL 35768. Phone: (205) 574-1617.
     Arizona:
     Phoenix
Lawson & Carol Cronlund, 5717 E. Justine Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85254. Phone: (602) 953-0478.
     Tucson
Rev. Frank S. Rose, 9233 B. Helen, Tucson, AZ 85715. Phone: (602) 721-1091.
     Arkansas:
     Little Rock
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Holmes, 155 Eric St., Batesville, AR 72501. Phone: (501) 793-5135.
     California:
     Los Angeles
Rev. John L. Odhner, 5022 Carolyn Way, La Crescenta, CA 91214. Phone: (818) 249-5031.
     Orange County
Rev. Cedric King, resident pastor, 21332 Forest Meadow, El Toro, CA 92630. Phone: home (714) 586-5142.
     Sacramento/Central California
Bertil Larsson, 8387 Montana Drive, Paradise, CA 95969. Phone: (916) 877-8252.
     San Diego
Rev. Stephen D. Cole, 941 Ontario St., Escondido, CA 92025. Phone: home (760) 432-8495; office (760) 571-8599.
     San Francisco
Mr. & Mrs. Philip C. Pendleton, 501 Portola Road, Box 8044, Portola Valley, CA 94028. Phone: (415) 424-4234.
     Colorado:
     Boulder
Rev. David C. Roth, 4215 N. Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304. Phone: (303) 404-6121.
     Colorado Springs
Mr. & Mrs. William Rienstra, 1005 Oak Ave., Canon City, CO 81212.
     Connecticut:
     Bridgeport, Hartland, Shelton
Mr. & Mrs. James Tucker, 45 Honey Bee Lane, Shelton, CT 06484. Phone: (203) 929-6455.
     Delaware:
     Wilmington
Mrs. John Furry (Marcia), 1231 Evergreen Rd., Wilmington, DE 19803. Phone: (302) 762-8837.
     District of Columbia: see Mitchellville, Maryland.
     Florida:
     Boynton Beach
Rev. Derek Elphick, 10621 El Clair Ranch Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33437. Phone: (407) 736-9866.
     Jacksonville
Kristi Helow, 6338 Christopher Creek Road W., Jacksonville, FL 32217-2472.
     Lake Helen
Mr. & Mrs. Brent Morris, 8787 Southside Blvd., #3114, Jacksonville, FL 32256.
     Pensacola
Mr. & Mrs. John Peacock, 5238 Soundside Drive, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561. Phone: (904) 934-3691.
     Georgia:
     Americus
Mr. W. H. Eubanks, 516 U.S. 280 West, Americus, GA 31709. Phone: (912) 924-9221.
     Atlanta
Rev. C. Mark Perry, 5155 Paisley Court, Lilburn, GA 30047. Phone: office (770) 381-1709.
     Idaho:
     Fruitland (Idaho-Oregon border)
Mr. Harold Rand, 1705 Whitley Drive, Fruitland, ID 83619. Phone: (208) 452-3181.
     Illinois:
     Chicago
Rev. Arthur W. Schnarr, 2719 Park Lane, Chicago, IL 60025. Phone: (847) 729-8204.
     Glenview
Rev. Eric Carswell, 73 Park Drive, Glenview, IL 60025. Phone: (708) 724-0120.
Indiana: see Ohio: Cincinnati.
     Kentucky: see Ohio: Cincinnati.
     Louisiana:
     Baton Rouge
Mr. Henry Bruser, Jr., 6050 Esplanade Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70806. Phone: (504) 924-3098.

189

     Bath
Rev. Allison L Nicholson, 1 Somerset Place, Topsham, ME 04086. Phone: (207) 729-9725.
     Maryland:
     Baltimore
Rev. Douglas M. Taylor, visiting minister, 2704 Huntingdon Pike, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006. Phone: home (215) 947-7618.

     Mitchellville
Rev. James P. Cooper, 11910 Chantilly Lane, Mitchellville, MD 20721. Phone: home (301) 805-9460; office (301) 464-5602.
     Massachusetts:
     Boston
Rev. Geoffrey Howard, 17 Cakebread Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776. Phone: (508) 443-6531.
     Michigan
     Detroit
Rev. Grant Odhner, 395 Olivewood Ct., Rochester, MI 48306. Phone: (313) 652-7332.
     East Lansing
Lyle and Brenda Birchman, 14777 Cutler Rd., Portland, MI 48875.
     Minnesota:
     St. Paul
Karen Huseby, 4247 Centerville Rd., Vadnais Heights, MN 55127. Phone: (612) 429-5285.
     Missouri:
     Columbia
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Johnson, 1508 Glencairn Court, Columbia, MO 65203. Phone: (314) 442-3475.
     Kansas City
Mr. Glen Klippenstein, Glenkirk Farms, Rt. 2, Maysville, MO 64469. Phone: (816) 449-2167.
     New Hampshire:
     Hanover
Bobbie & Charlie Hitchcock, 63 E. Wheelock St., Hanover, NH 03755. Phone: (603) 643-3469.
     New Jersey:
     Ridgewood
Jay and Barbara Barry, 474 S. Maple, Glenn Rock, NJ 07452. Phone: (201) 445-3353.
     New Mexico:
     Albuquerque
Mrs. Carolyn Harwell, 1375 Sara Rd., Rio Rancho, NM 87124. Phone: 505-896-0293.
     North Carolina:
     Charlotte
Steven and Gail Glunz, 6624 Providence Lane West, Charlotte, NC 28226. Phone: (704) 362-2338.
     Ohio:
     Cincinnati
Rev. Patrick Rose, 785 Ashcroft Court, Cincinnati, OH 45240. Phone: (513) 825-7473.
     Cleveland
Wayne and Vina Parker, 11848 Mumford Rd., Garrettsville, OH 44231. Phone: (303) 527-2419.
     Oklahoma:
     Oklahoma City
Mr. Robert Campbell, 13929 Sterlington, Edmond, OK 73013: Phone: (404) 478-4729.
     Oregon:
     Portland
Mr. and Mrs. Jim P. Andrews, Box 99, 1010 NB 3601, Corbett, OR 97019. Phone: (503) 695-2534.
     Pennsylvania:
     Bryn Athyn
Rev. Thomas H. Kline, Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Phone: (215) 947-6225.
     Elizabethtown
Mr. Meade Bierly, 523 Snyder Ave., Elizabethtown, PA 17022. Phone: (77) 367-3964.
     Erie
Mrs. Paul Murray, 5648 Zuck Road, Erie, PA 16506. Phone: (814) 833-0962.
     Freeport
Rev. J. Clark Echols, 100 Iron Bridge Road, Sarver, PA 16055. Phone: office (412) 353-2220.
     Hatfield
Mr. Peter Sheedy, 1303 Clymer St., Hatfield, PA 19440. Phone: (215) 842-1461.
     Hawley
Mr. Grant Genzlinger, Settlers Inn #25, 4 Main., Hawley, PA 18428. Phone: (800) 833-8527.
     Ivyland
The Ivyland New Church, 851 W. Bristol Road, Ivyland 18974. Pastor: Rev. David Lindrooth. Phone: (215) 957-5965. Secretary: Mrs. K. Cronlund. (215) 598-3919. Philadelphia New Church Korean Group, 851 W. Bristol Rd., Ivyland, PA 18974. Pastor: Rev. John Jin. Phone: 9215) 443-2533 or 9215) 947-8317.
     Kempton
Rev. Robert S. Junge, 8551 Junge Lane, RD #1, Kempton, PA 19529. Phone: office (610) 756-6140.
     Pittsburgh
Rev. Nathan D. Gladish, 299 Le Roi Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15208. Phone: church (412) 731-7421.

190

     South Carolina:
     Charleston area
Wilfred & Wendy Baker, 2030 Thornhill Drive, Summerville, SC 29485. Phone: (803) 851-1245.
     South Dakota:
     Hot Springs
Linda Klippenstein, 604 S.W. River St. #A8, Hot Springs, SD 57747. Phone: (605) 745-6629.
     Texas:
     Austin
Aaron Gladish, 10312 Bilbrook Place, Austin, TX 78478. Phone: 9512) 282-5501. E-mail: [email protected].
     Richmond
Mr. Donald Johnson, 13161 Happy Hill Road, Chester, VA 23831. Phone: (804) 748-5757.
     Washington:
     Seattle
Rev. Erik J. Buss, 5409 154th Ave., Redmond, WA 98052. Phone: (206) 883-4327; office (206) 882-8500.
     Wisconsin:
     Madison
Mr. Warren Brown, 130 Greenbrier Drive, Sun Prairie, WI 53590. Phone: (608) 825-3002.

     OTHER THAN U.S.A.

     AUSTRALIA
     Sydney, N.S.W.
Mr. Murray F. Heldon, 35 O'Briens Rd., Hurstville, N.S.W. 2220. Phone: 61-2-9579-5248.
     BRAZIL
     Rio de Janeiro
Rev. Cristovao Rabelo Nobre, Rod Mendes Vassouras, km 41, Caixa Postal 85.711.27.700-000, Vassouras, RJ Brasil. Phone: 55-024-471-2183.
     CANADA
     Alberta
     Calgary
Mr. Thomas R. Fountain, 1115 Southglen Drive S.W., Calgary 13, Alberta T2W 0X2. Phone: 403-255-7283.
     Debolt
Ken & Lavina Scott, RR1, Crooked Creek, Alberta T0H 0Y0. Phone: 403-057-3625.
     Edmonton
Mrs. Wayne Anderson, 6703-9811 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T6E 3L9. Phone: 403-432-1499.
     British Columbia
     Dawson Creek
Rev. Glenn G. Alden, Dawson Creek Church, 9013 8th St., Dawson Creek, B.C., Canada V1G 3N3. Phone: home (604) 786-5297; office (604) 782-8035.
     Ontario
     Kitchener
Rev. Michael K. Cowley, 58 Chapel Hill Drive, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2G 3W5. Phone: office (519) 748-5802.
     Ottawa
Mr. and Mrs. Donald McMaster, 684 Fraser Ave., Ottawa, Ontario K2A 2R8. Phone: (613) 725-0394.
     Toronto
Rev. Michael Gladish, 279 Burnhamthorpe Rd., Islington, Ontario M9B 124. Phone: church (416) 239-3055.
     Quebec
     Montreal
Mr. Denis de Chazal, 17 Ballantyne Ave. So., Montreal West, Quebec H4X 2B1, phone: (514) 489-9861.
     DENMARK
     Copenhagen
Mr. Jorgen Hauptmann, Strandvejen 22, 4040 Jyllinge. Phone: 46 78 9968.
     ENGLAND
     Colchester
Rev. Kenneth J. Alden, 8 Stoneleigh Park, Lexdon, Colchester, Essex C03 5EY.
     London
Rev. Frederick Elphick, 2111 Hayne Rd., Beckenham, Kent BR3 4JA. Phone: 011-44-1-658-6320.
     Oxford
Mr. Mark Burniston, 24 Pumbro, Stonesfield, Witney, Oxford OX8 8QF. Phone: 01993 891700
     Surrey
Mr. Nathan Morley, 27 Victoria Road, Southern View, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4DJ.
     FRANCE
     Beaune
Rev. Alain Nicolier, Bourguignon, Meursanges, 21200 Beaune. Phone: 33-80-26-62-80.

191

     GHANA
     Accra
Rev. William Ankra-Badu, Box 11305, Accra North.
     Asakraka, Nteso, Oframase
Rev. Martin K. Gyamfi, Box 10, Asakraka-Kwahu E/R.
     Madina, Tema
Rev. Simpson K. Darkwah, House No. AA3, Community 4, c/o Box 1483, Tema.
     HOLLAND
     The Hague
Mr. Ed Verschoor, V. Furstenburchstr, 6 3862 AW Nijkerk.
     JAPAN
For information about various church activities in Japan contact Mr. Tatsuya Nagashima, 30-2, Saijoh-Nishiotake, Yoshino-cho, Itano-gun, Tokoshima-ken, 771-14.
     KOREA
     Seoul
Rev. Dzin P. Kwak, Seoul Church of New Jerusalem, Ajoo B/D 2f, 1019-15 Daechi-dong, Kangnam-ku, Seoul, Korea 135-281. Phone: home 02-309-7305; church 02-555-1366.
     SOUTH AFRICA
     Gauteng
     Alexandra Township
Rev. Albert Thabede, 140 Phase One, P. O. Bramley, Alexandra Twp., Transvaal, 2090. Phone: 011-27-11-443-3852.
     Balfour
Rev. Reuben Tshabalala, P. O. Box 851, Kwaxuma 1868, Soweto, Transvaal, 9140. Phone: 011-27-11-932-3528.
     Buccleuch
Rev. Andrew Dibb, P.O. Box 816, Kelvin 2054, Republic of South Africa, Phone: (011l) 804-2567.
     Diepkloof
Rev. Jacob M. Maseko, P. O. Box 261, Pimville, 1808. Phone: 011-27-11-938-8314.
     KwaZulu-Natal
Clermont and Enkumba
Rev. Ishborn Buthelezi, P. O. Box 150, Clernaville, Natal, 3602. Phone: 011-27-31-707-1526.
     Durban (Westville)
Rev. Lawson M. Smith, 8 Winslow Road, Westville 3630, Natal, Republic of South Africa. Phone: 011-27-31-2628113.
     Eshowe/Richards Bay/Empangeni
Mrs. Marten Hiemstra, P. O. Box 10745, Meerensee, Natal, 3901. Phone: 0351-32317.
     Impaphala and Empangeni
Rev. B. Alfred Mbatha, c/o 7 Sydney Drive, Westville, 3630.
     Kwa Mashu and Hambrook
Rev. Chester Mcanyana, H602, Kwa Mashu, 4360.
     Westville (see Durban)
     Western Cape
     Cape Town
Mrs. Sheila Brathwaite, 208 Silvermine Village, Private Bag #1, Noordhoek, 7985 R.S.A. Phone: 27-21-7891424.
     SWEDEN
     Jonkoping
Rev. Ragnar Boyesen, Oxelgatan 6, S-565 21 Mullsjo.
     Stockholm
Rev. Goran R. Appelgren, Aladdinsvagen 27, 161 38 Bromma, Sweden. Phone/Fax: 011 468 26 79 85.
     (When dialing from abroad, leave out zero in parentheses.)

     Note: Please send any corrections to the editor.

192

Gallery of MirrorsReflections of Swedenborgian Thought 1999

by
Anders Hallengren
with a foreword by Inge Jonsson

     For 250 years the works of Emanuel Swedenborg have influenced artists and philosophers, as well as lesser-known individuals who contributed to social change within their communities. In this collection of essays Anders Hallengren of Stockholm University investigates the effect of Swedenborgian thought across the globe, crossing cultures, eras, and genres. His meticulous original research cites long-neglected archival sources in various parts of the world, and demonstrates the influence of Swedenborg's writings on the music of Schanberg, the life of Strindberg, the poetry of Whitman, and the philosophy of Emerson. He also investigates the impact of Swedenborg's followers on social issues, such as the abolition of slavery in the West Indies and the liberation of serfs in tsarist Russia. In addition, the thirty-page bibliography provides an invaluable resource for scholars. Hallengren shows how Swedenborg's writings serve as a basis for diverse yet profound expressions of the human spirit.

     Hardcover U.S. $24.95; paperback U.S. $16.95; postage U.S. $1.60
Swedenborg Foundation
1998

     General Church Book Center
Cairncrest                     Hours: Mon-Fri 9-12 or by appointment
Box 743                                   Phone: (215) 914-4920
Bryn Athyn, PA 19009          Fax: (215) 914-4935
E-mail: [email protected]

193

Notes on This Issue 1999

Vol. CXIX May, 1999 No. 5
New Church Life

194

     The sermon in this issue makes the point that "the subject of marriage love is for everyone. It is not only for those in a marriage."
     Paula Niall reaches far back for her historical material in this issue, while Ninette Little goes back fewer than fifty years in recounting the history of the New Church in Surrey, England.
     The relationship between adultery and cruelty is mentioned many times in the Writings, but this may be the first time this magazine has provided a study on the subject. The heading "Sex and Violence" is not a usual one for a family magazine!
We were glad to have letters from England and Australia to publish, and for the same issue Rev. Richard Keyworth of New Zealand provided us with a review. Ms. Terre-Blanche, we understand, speaks modern Greek, and so she is particularly qualified to comment on the Greek language in response to our November editorial.
     This magazine rarely treats of financial matters, but this month we have an especially interesting and informative report from Mr. Neil Buss reviewing some of the highlights of the years he has served as treasurer of the General Church.
     Although we do not have space in this issue for another installment of the series of reflections on Divine Providence by Frank Rose, we expect to continue the series next month.
     Notice that two books are featured in the book advertisement this month. The book The Journey of Life has been a best seller in the General Church, and it is good to have it available again. The book called What the Writings Testify Concerning Themselves aims to present simply and clearly those teachings which most directly describe the revelation given through Emanuel Swedenborg.

     Notice on page 234 the announcement of theological courses available in Bryn Athyn this summer.

195

OBTAINING CONJUGIAL LOVE 1999

OBTAINING CONJUGIAL LOVE Rev. FREDERICK M. CHAPIN 1999

     "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:26, 27).

     As the words of our text express, man does have dominion over the earth. We are created with abilities that set us apart from every other creature upon the earth. We are unique because we can choose the loves we will be motivated by. And should we discover that we are stimulated by bad loves, we can take steps to have them removed. An animal cannot do that. Also, we can know that there is a God and we can even be conjoined with Him. No other animal has such capabilities.
     The ability to choose our loves is the essence of our humanity. The Lord has given each one of us the capabilities to embrace what we are going to enjoy in life. In fact, the character of the loves we choose determines the type of person we are. If our loves are directed toward things that are intended to benefit the world around us and seek to advance toward what is good, we are a good person. As the Writings for the New Church plainly state, "Love is the life of man." What we love does determine what we regard as being delightful and how we conduct our lives.
     When our loves are directed by the Lord, we find that we have desire to share our delights with others. Indeed, this is the nature heavenly love: to share its joys with everyone else. As the person experiences happiness, he or she desires that others experience that enjoyment as well. If a pleasure is at someone's expense, a charitable person will not indulge in that love. In fact, the person will take steps to remove that desire from his or her life. The passion to allow others to share our delights can come only from a reception of the Lord's authority within us.

196

Without the Lord's active presence, such an approach to life would be utterly impossible.
     This type of approach applies to all our relationships. We are to seek to have our joys shared with our friends, our fellow workers our children, and with others we come in contact with and have an influence upon. But this approach is especially true in our attitude toward marriage. The Lord has created all of us with the capability to honor and genuinely appreciate the gifts that the opposite sex can provide to us. The Lord has created all of us to develop the discipline and the character to become united with a married partner for eternity in heaven. Everyone can be in a state of true marriage love. This is true whether or not a person is married, in a happy marriage, or even if no longer married, whatever the circumstances for the separation. Anyone can be in a genuine love of marriage. A true marriage love is not dependent upon having a successful marriage on the earth. It certainly is the ideal to have both the husband and the wife strive to apply a genuine love from the Lord toward each other, and we are to work toward this end. However, it is possible for a person to be in a wholesome love of marriage even if he or she is not in a virtuous marriage.
     A person is in true marriage love when he or she regards the opposite sex with respect and dignity. A person is also in true marriage love when he or she desires to share the joys of his or her loves with others, especially one's spouse. For in a true and prosperous marriage, both the husband and the wife desire to make each other happy. And this happiness is centered upon both the husband's and the wife's being open to the Lord's leading.
     The Writings state categorically that a true love in marriage the fundamental love of all the loves of heaven and of the church. How we view marriage influences our attitudes toward our employments and our other responsibilities. If we look to marriage in an affirmative and charitable way, we will view our other duties in the same manner. In a broader context, how we regard the opposite sex largely determines the type of person we are.

197

If we respect, honor, and treat with reverence the opposite sex, that same attitude will carry over into how we conduct our lives. When we seek to treat our spouse with dignity, we will treat others with dignity.
     The only way we can truly respect and even honor the opposite sex is to have the desire to apply the teachings of the Word in every aspect of our lives. Complying with the teachings of the Word is the only way we can genuinely respect the opposite sex. There will be the aspiration to make the other partner happy, and the wisdom to know how to make it happen. This is the uniting of good and truth in us that establishes the foundation of a sincere love of marriage. Before we can have a genuine appreciation of marriage, we must have the commitment to make our partner happy, and the wisdom to know what that involves and how it can be done.
     There will also be the desire for a conjunction to take place. In a true marriage, the desire for conjunction will go beyond just a physical desire. There will be a desire to have the two souls join together and become one flesh. When there is a true devotion in a marriage, there will be the willingness to allow the partner to influence us and to change us for the better. A true disciple of the will welcome changes in his or her loves and beliefs. Instead of having the partner change for our benefit, we will want to change for the partner's benefit. We will not seek to dominate or have our partner conform to our selfish wants and desires. Instead, there is a willingness to make the necessary changes in our lives so we are better able to make our partner happy, which results from our personal relationship with the Lord.
     Basically this simply requires that when we see evils in our lives and in our marriages, we take action to have them removed. The more we affirmatively confront the states that can impede our individual spiritual growth, the stronger our marriage becomes. We cannot be in true marriage love unless we as individuals are being reborn in the Lord.

198

Having a pure and wholesome love in marriage goes hand in hand with our personal acceptance of the Lord.
     This also requires that we learn from the Word what is true and good. So far as we flee from evils that adversely affect marriage so far our marriages are purified (see CL 71).
     This in turn will enable us to love the spirit of our partner more than the body. This is another characteristic of being in true marriage love: to have a greater appreciation for our partner's character than merely his or her physical attributes. Our love will not be strictly on the physical level, but we will find a greater attraction toward the spirit in our partner that enhances our humanity. The more we appreciate the spirit of our partner, and the physical attractions are the result of appreciating the spirit of our partner the more we are in true marriage love.
     When we truly love marriage, we will find ourselves in a full state of peace and tranquility. When we truly respect and love our partner or truly honor members of the opposite sex, we will have a deeper, more satisfying enjoyment than if we seek to dominate over them. Our states of pleasure will be more calm and serene. We will have security knowing that there is a trust between ourselves and our partner that will not be broken. We have a confidence that our partner will be devoted and faithful to what is in our best interest for eternity. We will sense the beauty of having the mutual desire of doing good to each other. Our marriages on earth can be a training ground for putting others' interests before our own. And the more we are in this type of life, the more we will sense the serenity and the security of doing good to each other The more we approach our marriages in this way, the more we will be able to recognize the states of heavenly bliss that we can experience in the present and that await us in the spiritual world.
     Therefore, the subject of true marriage love is for everyone. It is not only for those in a marriage. We can still appreciate and strive for a marriage that is centered upon the Lord and His Word When we desire a marriage that has both the husband and the wife looking to the Lord, we are in the state of true marriage love, if we are not actually married upon the earth, or our partner is not fully cooperating toward this end.

199

We are being prepared for our marriage in heaven by our devotion to do good from a pure heart.
The wonders of marriage are among the most precious gifts that the Lord offers to us. Everyone is invited to experience the joys and the security of being united with one of the opposite gender. The main discipline that is required to enter into such a oneness is to be able to love the spirit of our partner. The physical delights are a result of loving the inner qualities of our partner. There are five steps we can take to acquire the discipline of primarily loving the spirit of our partner. First, appreciate the gifts that our partner is providing for us. If we are masculine, we are to reflect on the benefits we are receiving from the feminine. The same attention and reflection is to be applied by the feminine toward the masculine. The more we notice the advantages that our partner is providing for us, the easier it will be to value his or her spirit. Second, treat our partner with dignity. Any activity, thought, or affection that would be an embarrassment or cause harm to our partner, we must put away from us. We are to try to insure that everything we say, do, and even think will not put our partner to shame. Third, we are to be willing to share our joys with our partner. We are to strive that our delights do not come at the expense of what is in our partner's best interest, but one in which our partner can also find delight. Fourth, we are to learn from the Word how to be a good husband or how to be a good wife. Only the Lord operating within us can make us a sincere and effective spouse. Fifth, we are to confront evils. When we discover impurities within us or in our marriages, we are to confront them. We are to do so in an affirmative and charitable way. As we discover aspects in our marriages that impede a union between ourselves and our spouse, we are to make the effort to remove those impediments. The more we make the effort and endure the struggles and the challenges of removing these impediments, the more continually fulfilling our marriages will become.

200

As said before, these five steps can be applied by those of us not in an active state of marriage. We can still appreciate and prepare ourselves for a heavenly marriage, even though we may not be in such a marriage on the earth. As we find joy in the inner beauty of the Lord bringing two souls into a wondrous bond, we will be encouraged to take the necessary steps in our own personal lives to make such a vision become true. As we personally are growing in the Lord, the Lord is preparing us to enter into the joys and security of being in a heavenly marriage. In the words of a husband in heaven describing to Emanuel Swedenborg his marriage, "[S]he is the love of my wisdom and I am the wisdom of her love" (CL 75). May we also let these words apply to our hopes in the marriages upon this earth. Amen.

Lessons: Genesis 2:18-25; Matt. 19:1-6; CL 71 DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM 1999

DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM 1999

     The new translation by Rev. N. Bruce Rogers is ready for the printer and we can look forward to its publication in the near future.
     The book was first published by Swedenborg in Amsterdam in 1764. The first English translation was published in Manchester, England, in 1788. (This was the version read and annotated by William Blake.) A revision by J. G. Wilkinson was published in 1843. In 1890 J. C. Ager's translation was published, and this version is most familiar to readers of New Church Life. Then in 1969 a new translation was published in England, being the work of Clifford and Doris Harley. In 1983 a translation was completed by George Dole (selections being quoted in the July issue of New Church Life that year).
     Full translations of DLW have been published in Danish, Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Swedish and
     As Bruce Rogers is turning his attention to Divine Providence, it is a notable fact that the Ager translation of that work appeared just one hundred years ago, and the version by Wm. C. Dick and E. J. Pulsford was published in Glasgow just fifty years ago.

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SEX AND VIOLENCE 1999

SEX AND VIOLENCE Rev. JEREMY F. SIMONS 1999

     The Remarkable Connection between Adultery and Cruelty

"It is a surprising fact that people who have been cruel during their lifetime have also been the worst adulterers" (Arcana Caelestia 824).

     When King David took Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, Nathan the prophet told him that because of it "the sword shall never depart from your house" (II Samuel 12:10). After that, David's household experienced one violent and cruel incident after another-Amnon's rape of Tamar, his murder by Absalom, and Absalom's civil war against David. Nathan's words indicate that these incidents sprang from David's adultery. The Writings make it clear that, although most people don't realize it, this same causal connection can affect the life of anyone.
     Sex and violence. The words are often used together, but few realize how interconnected they really are. A remarkable assertion of the Writings is that the negative aspects of sex and violence are fundamentally the same thing. Furthermore, according to the Writings, one leads to the other. "In a word, the spheres of adultery and cruelty are one. This I know from experience" (Spiritual Experiences 3319).
     The words "sex and violence" are not synonymous with "adultery and cruelty." Sexual love within marriage carries with it the highest use and the greatest delight (see CL 68). Violence also has its place when employed defensively for protection against an attacking enemy (see DP 252). Adultery and cruelty, however, are exclusively negative. They describe precisely what people fear in our common cultural portrayals of sex and violence: that depicting sexual things or practicing sex outside of marriage is harmful to marriage, and that depicting or engaging in violence leads to cruel attitudes and behaviors-attitudes and behaviors that hurt people.
     My reason for writing this is that I have been struck by the implications of passages in the Heavenly Doctrines that link adultery and cruelty.

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One passage, for example, makes the statement that "the result of a single adulterous act is a proneness to cruelty" (SE 3598).
     What does it mean that adulterous acts make a person more prone to cruelty? It follows that there is an unkindness and cruelty inherent in adultery because the adulterer must know that it is hurtful to one's spouse and family. The more people practice and justify adultery, the less they may seem to care about its effects on their loved ones. The passage has the added meaning, however, that a person who commits adultery becomes increasingly prone to act generally in ways that are hurtful to others. This is not an obvious result of adultery, and it is a remarkable concept.
     Consider what this teaching means. It implies that the forms of adultery that creep into our lives can have a profound effect on us. By adultery we mean not just extramarital sex but all sexual things that are opposed to conjugial love, especially when they are justified as something permissible (see CL 423 and 425). The implication is that to the extent that these things are present in our lives, a tendency to unkind and hurtful behavior will also be present. The truth is that all evils are related, just as all goods are related, but the relationships frequently are not apparent to our worldly eyes.

The Relationship between Adultery and Cruelty

     The relationship between adultery and cruelty is mentioned many times in the Writings:

Those who do not regard adulteries as criminal but delight in them are also cruel in the highest degree. For they are opposed to conjugial love, hence to true love, and therefore are smitten with self-love. They hold others in hatred unless they adore them, and they desire to practice cruelty upon them (SE 2666).

There are those who not only practice cruelty but also delight in adulteries, so that nothing is more pleasant to them. They are wholly contrary to conjugial love, for they delight in adulteries, and hence are contrary to love of the neighbor, for one follows from the other: wherefore they are cruel (SE 2656).

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Those who are in the love of self. . . at last love to rage against their neighbor; and the same, if they are also adulterers, become cruel (AC 7370).

Therefore, also, they are adulterers . . . and at the same time are cruel; cruelty thus conjoins itself with such conjugial love . . . . In a word, the spheres of adulteries and cruelties are one, together with such lasciviousness as appears to be conjugial love. This I know from experience (SE 3319).

     Why should there be such a connection between adultery and cruelty? The following passage, which describes the delight of adultery, explains it in no uncertain terms:

It is the delight of hatred which, becoming a fire in the extremes and being injected into the lusting flesh, becomes for the moment the delight of adultery-the soul in which the hatred lies concealed then withdrawing itself. It is for this reason that hell is called adultery, and also that adulterers are desperately unmerciful, savage and cruel. This, then, is the infernal marriage (AE 991).

     According to this passage, the delight of hatred is the essence of the delight of adultery. It follows from this that any form of adultery would also involve a tendency to various kinds of hateful behavior. This is even more clear from the consideration that, just as conjugial love is the fundamental of all heavenly loves, adultery is the foundation of hell itself.

The love of adultery is the fundamental love of all infernal loves, which are in themselves not loves but hatreds. Consequently, hatreds of every kind gush forth from the love of adultery, both against God and against the neighbor, and in general against every good and truth of heaven and the church. Therefore all unhappiness belongs to adultery (AE 993).

     Passages like this perhaps explain why many religious people are willing to make such an issue of sexual indiscretions that are routinely accepted in western culture.

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The truth is that the harm that adultery causes is not limited to the obvious hurt and embarrassment of those directly affected. The Writings state that those who are adulterers at heart (as opposed to those who may have committed foolish acts that they regret and do not repeat) also at heart wish to destroy society, a wish they are unlikely even to be aware of: "Adulterers are in the desire of destroying society. Many of them are cruel, and thus in heart they are opposed to charity and mercy, laughing at the miseries of others, wishing to take away from everyone what is theirs, and doing this as far as they dare" (AC 2747).

Adultery and Cruelty Are Not Rare

     We would hope that people like this are rare. Unfortunately the Writings assert that people like this are common in the Christian world: "Indeed the world called Christian is in this respect worse than the antediluvian, that it accounts adulteries as nothing. When adulteries are accounted as nothing, it follows that they have nothing which savors of love, and that they wish to destroy societies because they are contrary to them. Hence too they become cruel, which is inseparable from adulteries, for the result of a single adulterous act is a proneness to cruelty" (SE 3598). "Today this hell is growing, chiefly from persons who belong to the so-called Christian world and who have found all the joy of life in committing adultery, and who too are for the most part cruel people" (AC 824; also SE 2643).
     One passage states that the delight in cruelty and adultery is "today so common as to extend to children" (SE 2622). That is even children today take delight in cruelty and adulterous things. This, of course, is exactly what people fear who are concerned about the sex and violence that children are exposed to.
     There are other things said in the Writings about those who are adulterous and cruel. In the other life they desire more than others to return to this world and to possess people in this world (see AC 5990, SE 2665, 3716).

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In the next life they are delighted with excrement (see AC 5394, SE 2843). King David of the Old Testament is said to be a leader of cruel adulterers (see SE 2621, 2656, 3682). Both adultery and cruelty are said to be the result of I being "devoid of conscience" (SE 4038).

Implications

What are some of the implications of these statements? Some would say that the world today is a harsh one, in which loneliness and isolation are all too common. If this is so, these passages would point to the idea that an origin of this condition is a lack of conjugial love, a lack of morality, and the consequent prevalence of adultery.

Implications for dating: The connection between adultery and cruelty underlines the value of chastity and innocence in the friendships with the opposite sex that precede marriage. A sphere of immorality and promiscuity is an invitation to cruel behavior. To the extent that disorders enter into these relationships, to the same extent unkind and hurtful behavior is also likely to occur. The message is that a lack of respect for marriage can be a serious cause of social pain. The reverse of this, however, is that innocent relationships are also likely to be happy relationships. If individuals can avoid immoral behavior, the chances are good that they will find lasting friendships with people who are kind and decent.

Implications for sexual violence and abuse: Why does violence express itself in sexual ways? The reason is that cruelty and adultery are linked with one another. Adulterous situations are likely to result in cruel behavior. Cruel and violent behavior is often likely to take a sexual form.

Implications for bullying among children and young people: If it is true that cruelty leads to adultery, it should not be unexpected that when children treat each other cruelly, as happens all too frequently, there are sometimes sexual aspects to it.

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The cruel behavior of bullies may have a sexual aspect to it that is hidden from adults. While everyone knows that this happens, and may even remember it from personal childhood experience, it is easy to be unaware of the pattern of causation involved. This underscores the importance of dealing effectively with bullies, and may even imply that in teaching children to be kind to each other we are also helping them to avoid immorality.

Implications for homosexuality: Is it possible for a homosexual lifestyle to be a happy one? Many have described it as a sad and difficult way of life. The Writings describe homosexuality as one of many forms of adultery (see AC 2220, De Conjugio 86). The implication is that people who have become involved in homosexuality are likely to be exposed to people who will treat other is unkindly. It is well known that people who oppose homosexuality treat homosexuals badly, but how homosexuals treat each other is not so well known.
The broader implications of these teachings, however, have is do with the welfare of society in general and the happiness of each individual. Immorality is incompatible with a peaceful life. A peaceful and happy "free love" society is not really possible because the desires associated with immoral behavior eventually and inevitably lead to unkind actions. The teachings on this subject describe how important it is for the life and peace of a community to guard marriage and to teach children to respect marriage. More importantly, they point out how vital it is for everyone to shun adulteries in their own lives. It is not that adultery is the only source of harsh and cruel behavior, for many things contribute to it, and many apparently moral people are not at all kind. We emphasize it here because its effects are not always obvious, and so they can be overlooked and forgotten.

Morality and kindness

The relationship between adultery and cruelty forms a vicious circle that is difficult to break, for the one leads to the other in an unhappy spiral.

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But the good news is that everything that is said about the relationship between adultery and cruelty has its opposite in the happy relationship between the life of charity and conjugial love. A moral life leads to kindness, and a life of kindness leads to happiness in marriage. This is why it is said that conjugial love is the fundamental of all the loves of heaven (see CL 57).
This is how valuable it is to live a moral life. Conjugial love brings happiness to a person's life in amazing ways, while its opposite brings discord and unhappiness in ways that the average person would never expect.
Facing Fears. . . Finding Happiness-A Way of Life 1999

Facing Fears. . . Finding Happiness-A Way of Life Rev. Richard Keyworth 1999

REVIEW
     The end of the title of this small book, "A Way of Life," is its appeal. Rather than trying to present the teachings of the New Church in a systematic way, the author, Jan Weiss, is passing on the benefits that have come his way through living them. Jan identifies the human problem and offers a solution which is personal from the discovered and experienced benefits of his faith.
     When people come to us and ask about our religion, the bottom is, What's in it for me? What are the benefits of being New Church? It is a fundamental tenet of marketing that you promote a product highlighting the benefits it offers rather than what it is actually made of. It is not acquired because of the materials themselves unless they also offer some extra benefits, like durability or lightness. We are to follow this example. Hopefully we can; otherwise we have a credibility gap!
     One of the tenets of church growth is to find a hurt or felt need and heal it. In this booklet the author identifies 19 of these and offers his religion's means of healing.

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He therefore speaks in terms such as: In my religion." He owns it. It is not abstract but from life. His manner of sharing reminds me of Helen Keller's My Religion or Light in My Darkness.
     We are offered the book as a tool to help us in evangelization. We can use it as it is or we can also use it as a training guide. It may inspire us to follow the same method and use our own words and experiences in our contacts. The important thing is for us to acknowledge the needs and, if necessary, memorize them. When listening to others, we may recognise an expression of one or more of these needs and offer the booklet as a means of their being met.
     The New Church person who wants to use the booklet is given a lot of help in the "approach" web site at: http://users.net.com/users/nco/public html/approach.html Also, inside front and back covers is another good marketing tool. The inquirer is offered more than one way in which further interest can be pursued.
     The book is only 55 pages and easy to read. The short chapters are broken up into brief subjects and ideas with bold headings. These draw your interest and also help you to find quickly what you may be looking for.

     This small publication has the potential to be a powerful tool in one-to-one evangelization, which is the most important form of evangelization. I recommend it and hope it needs a reprint. I am using the booklet and the method in my church groups in New Zealand.
     Rev. Richard Keyworth

Note: The cost of the book is $5.00. It may be obtained General Church Book Center or from the New Church Outreach ([email protected]).

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BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE TWO SWEDENBORGIAN CHURCHES IN KITCHENER, ONTARIO, CANADA 1999

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE TWO SWEDENBORGIAN CHURCHES IN KITCHENER, ONTARIO, CANADA PAULA ROSCHMAN NIALL 1999

     (Part 2)

     The Church of the New Jerusalem-1870

     Very soon a beautiful stone edifice arose, with its spire reaching impressively to the sky and drawing attention to any who were willing to join in the congregation's worship. The church seated 250. The building cost was between $7000 and $8000. Farmers donated their services, bringing stone from the surrounding countryside. The new building, known to some as the "stone
church" and to others as "the temple," housed the first water-powered pipe organ in Berlin, and the congregation was admired for its magnificent singing in four-part harmony-a beautiful tradition still followed in our church today. When the church was dedicated, it was re-named "The Church of the New Jerusalem."
     The Swedenborgian congregation grew steadily under Mr. Tuerk's leadership. In 1885 the Women's Auxiliary was organized, and in 1887 the Young People's Society was founded. "We had many active young people and some new ones coming in the church, namely, Mr. Richard Roschman and later Mr. Rudolph Roschman, Mr. Alfred Steen and many others. Well, the young people supported the Pastor, Mr. Tuerk, very much in the Sunday School and singing class, and also the young people's class. In those meetings my husband and I found each other . . ., " reminisces Elizabeth (Rothaermel) Stroh.
     Richard Roschman(1848-1930) was a Crerman Lutheran, newly arrived in Berlin, Ontario from Ulm, Germany, September 1871. Berlin was then a small industrial town of 3000. His charming recollection of "How I Was Brought to the Light" is recorded in the February 1927 issue of NCL, and gives a pleasant picture of the kindness of Dr. Scott and Mr. Vogelsang, his New Church employer who was married to Mr. Tuerk's sister, and reveals how quickly members of this congregation moved to interest others in the New Church.

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     Rev. W. F. Tuerk served as the minister of the Swedenborgians for 44 years until his death on July 3, 1901, at the age of 81. During this time, six small societies formed in the surrounding cities, towns and villages of Berlin, and he had baptized over 1000 people into the New Church.

     The Developing Conflict-1866-1891

     During the 25 years between 1866 and 1891, there took place a painful and heart-rending struggle over a number of basic principles. In the end some of the members of the Swedenborgian Church decided to leave the General Convention and form a new alliance with the Academy of the New Church movement in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

     William Henry Benade-1816-1905-Educator

     As early as 1848, a ministerial Moravian convert, William H. Benade, of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, son of a Moravian bishop, was establishing a New Church school in Philadelphia, which opened in 1849 but closed again in the early '50s. William Benade had been baptized into the New Church by Rev. Richard de Charms Sr., in Baltimore on March 17, 1845, when he was 29 years old. As a Moravian, he knew the value of church day schools, which built Christian character and led to growth within the church. On September 11, 1856, he laid the cornerstone of the Cherry Street New Church School in Philadelphia which was in operation until 1861, closing partly because financial support became difficult to find during the depression brought on by the American Civil War. The school re-opened again as the Theological School of the Academy of the New Church on September 7, 1877.

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     The Academy of the New Church-1876

     In 1876 a group of ministers known as "The Harmony" began the formation of "The Academy of the New Church" in Philadelphia. These ministers supported the convictions held by Richard de Charms and W. H. Benade in the United States and by Robert Hindmarsh and Samuel Noble in England. These men were convinced that the Writings were Divinely inspired, and therefore regarded them as completely authoritative. They believed that the New Church should establish schools whose subjects should be taught from the light of this Divine Revelation given through Emanuel Swedenborg. They also felt that only those books of the Bible listed in the Writings were to be considered Divinely inspired. These books were later re-published under the name of "The Word of God" or simply "The Word." On November 3, 1877, the Academy of the New Church was formally established.

     The Canada Association of the New Jerusalem

     On June 26, 1881, W. H. Benade, then Bishop Benade, came to Berlin for the annual meeting of "The Canada Association of the New Jerusalem," a group of New Church men and women that included individuals who were widely spread throughout Ontario and Quebec. His message was one in which he encouraged New Church education.

     Church Growth

     In 1883 there were 60 receivers of the New Church doctrines in Wellesley, Ontario and 225 in Berlin, Ontario, Canada. The next largest society was St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. with two societies, one of 81 members and the second with 118 members. Philadelphia had 44 members, and Pittsburgh 25. Of the five thousand registered members of the New Church in 'this country' (the notation seems to be referring to Canada and United States together) one-fifth are of German descent.

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     The First Decennial of the Academy-1886

     In 1876 the Academy had been formally founded in Philadelphia. In 18X6 a meeting was called of all the then existing members of the Academy. It was to be held at Beach Haven, New Jersey from June 14, 1886 to June 19, 1886. All those attending were the guests of John Pitcairn. 77 people responded. Three babies were present: Raymond Pitcairn, Gerald Glenn, and Dorothy Wells. Rev. Frederick Tuerk, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Doering, and Mr. Heinrich "Henry" Stroh and his wife, Elizabeth (Rothaermel) Stroh, were the only Academy members who attended from Canada, their membership having dated from 1882. Both the Henry Doerings and Henry Strohs later moved to Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania.
     The meetings opened with worship and were followed by three sessions every day. Social gatherings and discussions continued until the last evening, when a generous banquet was provided, accented with music and songs. John Pitcairn and his best friend, Walter Childs, led the assembled group in harmonizing such songs as "Our Own Academy" and "When the Mists have Rolled Away songs that were later published in a book called The Social Song Book, and served to inspire a sense of love and loyalty toward the Church and the Academy in the earlier generations.

     Priestly Robes First Worn-1886

     Following this historical and inspiring interlude at Beach Haven, Mr. Tuerk was the guest preacher in Philadelphia. On that Sunday, June 20, 1886, he wore a white robe for the first time and Bishop Benade wore a red robe. The congregation was much impressed, as they had never seen ministers adorned in such angelic-like garments.
     In 1887 Rev. Louis H. Tafel and Rev. Eugene J. E. Schreck of the Academy schools in Philadelphia visited Berlin in a further attempt to promote interest in establishing New Church schools "Rev. F. W. Tuerk responded that he would be pleased to see a New Church school in Berlin if the society could bear the expense.

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Members were canvassed during the summer and sufficient subscriptions obtained to employ a teacher," records Elizabeth.

     First New Church School Established in Canada-1887

     By September 1887 a New Church school was begun in the basement of the "stone church," and Rev. Frederick Edwin Waelchli, age 21, was employed as headmaster. There were 40 pupils between the ages of five and 16 that September, 1888. Miss Anna "Annie" Moir, whose mother was Martha Glebe of Waterloo and whose father was the comptroller of the John Pitcairn farms, was hired as assistant in January 1889, "and the efficiency of the school was increased," comments Elizabeth.

     By 1890 there were 47 pupils attending school in the basement of the stone church. A third teacher, Rev. Joseph E. Rosenquist, 26, arrived with his wife Anna and Bernhart, their 3-1/2-year-old son from Pennsylvania. Born in 1862, Rev. J. E. Rosenquist was also a native of Sweden.
     Once a week Headmaster Waelchli conducted parental classes, studying Conversations on Education by Chancellor Benade, as he strongly felt "The home must supplement the work of the school" (NCL, Nov. 1890, p. 204). A church school started in Camberwell, London, England the same year.
     However, by the spring of 1890 it was felt by some in the congregation that there was too much influence from the Academy of the New Church, and when relationships became so strained over this issue and other issues, those who supported the Academy and New Church education felt they had to withdraw and start an "Academy School" in Berlin apart from the Convention Church. Berlin had grown to a population of 9,000 people by this time.

     "The Split"

     This period is what is known in the church as "the Split," and is not dealt with here in detail.

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The issues involved were the cause of much painful disagreement and would be a study in itself. We can only hope that the ill will it caused has eased with the passing of 107 years, and that the members of each group can find mutual respect for one another, knowing that their predecessors searched their hearts long and hard, trying to act in the best interest of the church they all loved. Unfortunately, the differences could not be resolved and so old friends and family members turned away from one another-some going with the Academy movement and others staying with the Convention Church.
     In her book When Men Believe, author L. M. Eby points out: "There had been two points of difference since men began to study the Writings as far back as 1788 in London, England. The one party felt that only in distinctive worship and life could the church truly grow. The other party felt that growth would come through the insemination of the truths of the Writings into the Old Church rather than through separation from it. The early Berlin congregation struggled with this issue along with many other issues for 25 years. The division began in Pennsylvania in 1891, and in the succeeding months occurred in various other centers, one side staying with the American Convention or the English Conference, the other separating to join the Academy group."

     The Academy of the New Church in Canada-1891

     Miss Eby continues: "In July, on the day of the next quarterly meeting of the Berlin Society, the pastor, Rev. Tuerk sent to the Academy his resignation as a member of that body. At the meeting, the school room was crowded. The two dissatisfied elements in the society were present in full force. A number of the persons were present who had not taken an interest in the society for years; some of them had even identified themselves with the Old Church." During the selection of the delegates for the upcoming meeting of the Canada Association, the meeting became unruly and the two camps became more clearly defined.

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The headmaster refused to fill in for Mr. Tuerk when he went to Wellesley every fourth Sunday to preach. Instead, during that summer Rev. F. E. Waelchli, as a priest of the Academy, decided to conduct Academy worship services with Rev. J. E. Rosenquist assisting. About 80 persons, including children, met the following Sunday at the home of one of the members. Priestly robes were worn for the first time at these worship services in Berlin. Services were conducted in German and English on alternate Sundays.
     Then another home was opened for weekly education classes at which 40 people regularly attended. On July 30th, at one of these education classes an important announcement was made:
     Hereafter, the worship conducted and instruction given would be under the direction of the Church of the Academy. These would be public and thus open to all who would wish to attend.
     On September 22, 1891, 46 members, including 13 delegates from the Berlin Society, walked out of a meeting of the Canada Association and aligned themselves with the General Church in Pennsylvania and the Academy of the New Church, whose purposes were stated in the February, 1890 issue of New Church Life as:

The Academy's uses are in an eminent sense educational, and require daily and systematic study and application of the wonderful arcana concerning the assumption and glorification of the Lord's Human, and concerning the birth, growth and development, reformation and regeneration of man, which have been revealed for such purposes by the Lord at His Second Coming.
     The group in Berlin and the Academy movement, now called the "General Church of the Advent of the Lord" in Pennsylvania, had joined hands in the performance of uses.
     The Berlin Academy group then called Rev. Frederick E. Waelchli to be their pastor, and he was assisted by Rev. Joseph E. Rosenquist.

     The First Academy School in Canada-October, 1891

     In September 1891 the Academy group rented a house that still stands at the tip of Shanley and Andrew Streets in Kitchener and which became the first "Academy School" in Berlin, Ontario.

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On October 5th,when the doors opened as a school, 27 pupils, 12 boys and 15 girls, filled the classrooms. Two women teachers had been engaged-one of whom was Miss Annie Moir.
     The Berlin Academy was now the fifth Academy school in existence, the others being in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago and London, England.

     The Carmel Church-1892

     Eight months later, the group purchased from Swedenborgian George Bellinger four acres at 820 King Street West in Kitchener. The cornerstone was laid Sunday, June 12, 1892, and Rev. F. E. Waelchli preached in German a sermon entitled, "The Stone Which the Builders Rejected Has Become the Head of the Comer" from Psalm 118:22.
     The finished two-story frame building was dedicated August 6, 1893, by Vice-Chancellor Bishop W. F. Pendleton, who traveled from Philadelphia for the occasion, Chancellor Bishop Benade being in Europe at the time. He was assisted by Rev. Messrs. Sckreck, Waelchli, Hyatt, Rosenquist, Synnestvedt and Alfred Acton. This church was given the name "The Carmel Church of the New Jerusalem."

     The Fire

     It was on October 10, 1929, that the Carmel Church caught fire during the night. Remarkably, the altar fell on top of the Word, protecting it. It is the same Word used in Caryndale today. The pews were water damaged but otherwise undamaged. It wasn't until August 21, 1932, that the first service was held in the renovated chapel.

     Carmel Church Moves to the Caryndale Community-1960

     During the 1960s, under the ministerial leadership of Rev. Geoffrey Childs, this congregation purchased the farm of Swedenborgian John Evens, five acres of which Mr. Evens donated for the church site.

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Chalon Estates was incorporated in November 1961, and the development of a country community named "Caryndale" began to grow.

     Dedication of the Carmel Church-1962

     The newly constructed Carmel Church of the New Jerusalem was dedicated to the uses of worship, instruction and social life on Sunday, November 25, 1962, by Bishop W. D. Pendleton with a congregation of 361 people in attendance.
     Rev. Frank S. Rose of Bryn Athyn succeeded Rev. Geoffrey Childs when the latter was appointed Vice-President of the Academy of the New Church in Bryn Athyn and later became Bishop's Representative in South Africa. Mr. Rose creatively contributed as minister and artist for nine years until he moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he spearheaded the building of the Sunrise Chapel. In 1976, Rev. Christopher Smith of South Africa came from Dawson Creek to minister to the community for ten years, until he moved to Bryn Athyn to join the staff of the Academy of the New Church. The community welcomed the Rev. Louis Synnestvedt in 1986, and he had the valuable services of Rev. Kenneth Alden who came in 1988 and took on the responsibility of principal of the school until moving to Colchester, England in 1996. In 1993, Rev. Michael Cowley arrived as the new pastor. His roots descend from the early New Church pioneers of Berlin, Ontario-Frederick P. Gaukel and Karl Heinrich von Ahrens-as do those of former pastor Rev. Geoffrey Childs. At this writing in 1998, the community has been engulfed by the city of Kitchener.

     The "Stone Church" Sold-1929

     Following "the Split" in 1891, over 100 Convention Swedenborgians continued to worship in the Church of the New Jerusalem at King and Water Streets, Berlin, Ontario.
     In 1929 the "stone church" was sold to the T. Eaton Company for a sum in excess of $100,000.

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Until the T. Eaton Company tore it down to build their department store, it was used by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity.

     The Church of the Good Shepherd-1935

     In 1935 the Convention congregation purchased the lovely residence of New Churchman William Roos with its lot of 198' by 200' at the corner of Queen Street N. and Margaret Avenue in Kitchener. A beautiful new stone church with an adjoining Parish Hall was constructed at a cost of $73,000 and dedicated as "The Church of the Good Shepherd."

     Our Mutual Early Church History Found-1991

     In 1991 Betty Schneider, while researching her husband's family history, inquired into the historical documents of the Church of the Good Shepherd, of which her husband's family had been members for the last 120 years. "I found both a treasure . . . and a disaster!" she writes in a speech to the General Convention of the Swedenborgian Church in 1991. "The treasure was that most of the old books were there. The oldest book was from 1843 . . . almost 150 years old! As well as parish registers and records, there were minutes of board meetings and handwritten pastors' reports, some containing letters and newspaper clippings and sermon topics of 100 years ago . . . . [B]esides those, there were also records from the Sunday School, the Young People's League and the Women's Auxiliary. It was indeed a treasure of historical information. It was miraculous that with the moves to various buildings all of this had survived. This alone said much for the careful stewardship of our predecessors.
     "The disaster was that these irreplaceable, handwritten books were stored in a sagging, unlocked cupboard in the church basement! Most of them were now showing their age . . . pages were loose, bindings were split, ink was fading, some had pages blurred by water damage . . . . [T]hey were slowly disintegrating.

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As well, their location left them potential victims of theft, vandalism and fire."
     Immediately, with the blessings of the church's Board of Directors, she and Fran Rothaermel McIntosh went to work. They copied the books! "Arbitrarily we selected 14 of the oldest and most interesting-looking ones; we went to my husband's office after hours and carefully Xeroxed the pages; some books had 30 or 40 pages, some books had over 200 pages. Now anyone seeking information could handle a Xerox copy instead of a fragile old original book. . . . The early settlers in this area were mostly German-speaking people, so the books from 1843 to about 1900 were all in German . . . handwritten, Gothic-script German. Today, even in this community, very few people can read this German script . . . . I contacted a man who could do the translation and who had a computer compatible to mine so he could provide us with computer print-outs and discs of the German books . . . . [T]he books in English were also handwritten up until the 1940s. Most of these books were at least 100 pages, no two the same size or shape . . . . I hired a professional secretary to type all of this into the Wordperfect system on my computer and gave a copy to the Kitchener Library." All disks have a back-up and have been proof-read by an Archival Committee at the church. Now they have been bound so they read like a book.
     Betty goes on to relay what she found written in these historical records: "An unfolding human drama far beyond our expectations . . . . Pastor Tuerk's notes read almost like a diary . . . . [H]istorical books are not dull reading . . . . " Mrs. Schneider has gone on to develop a Swedenborgian Archives at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Kitchener, following professional standards. These records bring our mutual history up to the year 1891.
     As we approach the year 2000, is it time for the Canadian General Church societies to think about the locating and preservation of their records starting from 1891 and onwards? Has the General Church history in Canada been preserved for future generations?

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Note: This compressed article was compiled by Paula Roschman Niall who lives at 2650 3rd Avenue West, Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, N4K 4S8. She would be pleased to hear from anyone who shares her concern for the preservation of our General Church history and can add anything of further interest Telephone. 1-519-372-0225 or E-mail: [email protected].

Reference Sources-See the April issue.
GENERAL CHURCH TREASURER'S REPORT 1999

GENERAL CHURCH TREASURER'S REPORT Neil M. Buss 1999

     Highlights from 1982 to 1998

     I became Treasurer of the General Church and the Academy in the summer of 1982 and, as I am now about to leave behind most of the duties I assumed at that time to concentrate on the New Church Investment Fund and the endowment that enables these organizations to continue financially, I thought it would be interesting to review some of the highlights of the past sixteen years.
     Among the major accomplishments during this time are the improvements that have been made to the salary and benefit packages for those who have chosen the Church/Academy as their life's work. I will give just a few specifics:
* In 1982, the average base salary for ministers and teachers $11,960. As of this past fiscal year, ending June 30, 1998, the average base salary was $28,525, which represents an increase of about 164%. The Consumer Price Index rose only 76% during this time. This marks the fruition of a great amount of effort by the General Church to match our overall salaries to those of the Academy, as they too have significantly outpaced inflation.

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This extraordinary effort to improve salaries across all our church organizations in these sixteen years was a result of our strong commitment to address the problem of the traditionally low salaries paid in the past, being further eroded by inflation and the financial climate of the '70s.
During that decade, salaries had fallen against inflation and extra effort was essential to recover lost ground and effect needed improvement in order to fairly remunerate our ministers and teachers and help make the service to the church a truly viable career option for our young graduates.
* We also significantly redesigned the pension plan to improve pensions at the other end of the career path. In 1982 a teacher with approximately 30 years service and at least 60 years of age retired with a pension equal to 38% of his/her final salary, whereas today, this teacher would retire with a pension equal to 45% of his/her salary plus (in both cases) Social Security and our Investment Savings plan income to add to this pension. We also reduced the definition of a full career to qualify for a complete pension from requiring 40 years of service to 30 years. This has helped many to retire with full benefits who would not have been able to do so under our old plan.
As a result of our good investment performance, we have been able to make periodic increases to all pensions, which adjustments are not provided for in our pension plan. For example, this has meant that a pensioner in 1982 has received almost an 80% increase in his/her pension since then.
* The life insurance package has also been improved.
* Short-term and long-term disability insurance was introduced and has been important for at least one teacher who suffered disability at about 55 years of age. As a result of this program, this person has had financial security far beyond normal expectations in the past.
* Although health insurance costs are a concern everywhere, we have managed to contain them somewhat and still provide full insurance for our people and their families for no cost except small co-payments when services are used.

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We have also been able to provide a choice of more expensive insurance and/or a dental plan for additional premium payments on a tax-exempt basis. The church now pays $1.2 million for benefits, up from $280,000 in 1982. This reflects an increase of 331% compared to the inflation rate increase of 76% for the same period.
* Employees are now able to have tax-free contributions taken from their salary for reimbursement of medical expenses not covered by insurance, such as eyeglasses and dental expenses, and for child-care reimbursement, or indeed to pay premiums on a higher cost health plan which allows more choice than an HMO.
* In addition, we have been able to continue our contributions 5% of salary to a unique Investment Savings Plan for ministers and teachers and, depending on market growth, people now retiring have gained a substantial addition to their regular pension.
* A Pension, Savings Plan income, and free healthcare in retirement are provided for entirely by the institutions. In addition, of course, retirees receive their Social Security pension, which is paid for in half by the church in all but those cases where the law disallows this benefit.
* The last few years have also provided the opportunity for all our people to contribute on a tax-exempt basis to a 403(b) plan in addition to the pension and Investment Savings plans mentioned above. Many have chosen to do this and have been able to take advantage of the positive markets during this time, to accumulate pre-tax dollars in tax-sheltered accounts.
* Treasurer's Office staff has remained approximately the same during the past sixteen years and, on the financial side, budgets of the financial offices have remained constant relative to revenues over the entire period, so staffing and relative costs have been flat over the whole period.

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     The budget of the General Church has been balanced all these years, and the current year also has an adequate provision for funds to be transferred for future growth.
     The healthy overall climate has enabled us to provide for many useful additional items such as assisting all ministers to attend meetings each year, and paying for the expenses of ministers and their wives for assemblies. We have also been able to arrange a fund to provide computers for ministers as well as counseling help and numerous other items in other areas.
     Fund raising or member support has also been extraordinary. We have been generously supported in all these 16 years and have been given approximately $2.3 million each and every year, at an average annual cost of about $35,000. This is truly amazing in fund-raising circles and is a great example of the generosity and dedication of all of you. The costs of running this program have been minimal in relation to the results.
     Part of this, as you may recall, was the successful Leonard E. Gyllenhaal Fund started in 1987, which raised over $9 million at that time. The total in L.E.G. endowments for central uses and congregations has grown each year since, and as of December 31st, 1998 stood at $18,618,547. In 11 years, therefore, the fund has more than doubled in value while providing important annual income for the church.
     This fund provided endowment for uses such as the Office of Evangelization and the Office of Education, and for translation to be significantly expanded, and the church has benefitted immensely. Also, this fund provides approximately $200,000 in annual income for programs in the societies. At present, we are running another, less ambitious, program to raise a further $1 million for endowments for society schools. This is being supported by the help of the Glencairn Foundation.
     Yet another significant event in these years was the generous gift of about $5 million to the church from the Cairncrest Foundation in 1987.

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Some of this is being used to provide for exciting church-building growth around the world, and the income of the rest is in our budget for the essential ongoing uses of the church.
     In 1982 the General Church's total endowment in the New Church Investment Fund was $15.7 million. At the close of the fiscal year on June 30, 1998, the $15.7 million had climbed to over $155 million-almost ten times its size in 1982. This has been achieved in part because of the stock market's superior gains in recent years, but also because of the sound investment and payout policies of the church and the generosity of our contributors who are responding to innovative programs and our essential uses.
     To put this in perspective, consider that in the 85 years of the General Church's existence prior to 1982, all gifts to the church and appreciation thereon had accumulated in all those 85 years to $15.7 million. In the 16 years from 1982 to 1998, our total assets grew by an average of about $9 million each year-truly remarkable years.
     Overall income from these funds to the General Church has increased to $4.85 million a year from about $1.06 million. In addition to the usual 5% annual increase in payout to the church from our endowment funds, the boards have recently approved a one-time increase of a further 10% this year, which will bring the amount paid out to the General Church for the 1998-1999 year to almost $5.6 million. I hasten to note that more than half (-55%) of this $5.6 million is in the special funds category, and this income can be used only for the specific purposes for which we received the original gifts or funds. This includes such funds as the L.E.G. Fund, the Pension and Investment Savings Funds for staff, and many others.
     In 1982, the beginning of the 16-year period I am covering, the New Church Investment Fund was managed by a single manager. By 1991, the fund had grown large enough that the Joint Investment Committee (representing all six partners) considered it important and necessary to diversify our portfolio.

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The fund now has ten managers and a well-diversified portfolio covering many major asset classes. This diversification was a step which signaled a certain growth and maturity for the Academy and the Church, and it has been beneficial to the partners of the NCIF.
     With a total investment portfolio of about $600 million spread over major markets and investment styles, the need for more supervision of these vital assets was apparent to both General Church and Academy boards. Accordingly the Chief Investment Officer post has been created, effective April 1st this year, as a part of the overall restructuring of the management of the institution's financial operation.
     Church congregations around the world have continued to develop in certain areas, and the General Church has provided help with an amazing number of programs through its Real Estate Finance Committee, which manages the church's money available for building churches. Some of the areas benefitting from this program in the last 16 years have been:
     In the U.S.: Acton Park in the Washington, D.C. area, Atlanta, Boston, Boulder, Boynton Beach, Cincinnati, Freeport, Ivyland, Kempton, Oak Arbor, hoenix, Tucson, and Twin Cities
     In Ghana:           Accra, Tema and Asakraka
     In South Africa:      The Buccleuch Society, Diepkloof Society and Impaphala Society
     In Asia:           Korea
     And in Europe:      Stockholm
     This totals 21 societies or circles that have benefitted from grants or loans during these 16 years. The provision for growth in these areas has been exciting, and allowed for expansion of congregations and uses all over the world. In addition to these society-related projects, the Development Fund was instrumental in founding Cairnwood Village, and our committee continues to act as its corporation.

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This has been a most successful project. The recent completion of Cairnwood Village II attests to the strong viability of this self-operating subsidiary of the General Church, and the whole complex is already almost fully occupied.
     Some of these projects I have mentioned are still ongoing, and I look forward to following their progress and remaining involved in the activities of this committee as its chairman.
     A significant part of what we have done over these years has been to refocus salary grants of the church outward to other countries to support growth where we see potential.
     As you can see from the following numbers, the percentage shift to non-U.S. countries is significant. Brazil has been omitted because it is entirely funded from a restricted fund which could not be used elsewhere in the world.
     1987 salary grants totaled:
                80% in the U.S. and Canada
                9% in Europe
                11% in Africa
     1998 salary grants totaled:
                44% in traditional North America
                6% in Europe
                33% in Africa
                3% in Korea with
                14% in Korean North America
     Of our overseas grants of $66,000 in 1987, 43% went to Europe and 57% went to Africa.

     In 1998 Europe had dropped to 15%, Korea had been added at 7% and Africa had increased to 78% of the total dollars of $165,100.
     This has been a very brief overview of 16 exciting years of growth and stability for the General Church. The church is in a position now to face the year 2000 and beyond with relative confidence in the financial area.

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It is in the healthiest financial position it has ever been, and especially in the last few years its leadership has strengthened key uses in a sound and equitable manner to provide for growth worldwide as opportunities occasion.
     I've very much enjoyed being treasurer of the General Church these past years, and I look forward to continuing to help the Church and Academy through concentrating on the administration of the New Church Investment Fund. I will also enjoy having the opportunity to continue as chairman of the Real Estate Finance Committee, and to oversee our staff pension and investment savings funds, as well as the finances of the church overseas.
     The excellent team that has supported all these efforts over the past 16 years is still in place and deserves much credit for what we accomplished. I look forward to working with Mr. Daniel Allen, the new Chief Administrative Officer, in furthering the incredible momentum we now have.
     I cannot end this report without a statement of strong appreciation for the wonderful effect of being the chief financial officer of an organization led by a Bishop. Some have recently questioned the concept of our governmental structure, but I can say with the utmost certainty that I have been very privileged to serve two bishops. In all honesty I ask, could you wish to work with and for two finer bosses?
     Once again, thank you for the privilege of the past 16 years, and for the opportunity to continue to be of service.
     Neil M. Buss
Title Unspecified 1999

Title Unspecified 1999

Note: In the March issue we printed "Thoughts about Membership in the General Church." Those who would like to correspond by e-mail with Michael Sandstrom, the author, may do so by using the following: [email protected]. His postal address is Indiana University, Dept. of Psychology, 1101 E. 10th St., Bloomington, IN 47405-7007.

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DO ANIMALS THINK? 1999

DO ANIMALS THINK? Editor 1999

     Editorial Pages
     (2)

     Does a bee know that the winter is coming? The bee does not "know," but the behavior of the bee is altogether as if it knew. That is said in n. 355 of Divine Love and Wisdom, and that section of the book asks us to look even at plants. It is indeed "as if the seed knew" the sequence and the process of the plant's development. The seed does not know.
     Do animals know and intend things the way humans do? We mentioned last month a new book by Stephen Budiansky which demonstrates and argues that animals are not like us at all. This the Writings also demonstrate and argue, and so it is pleasing to read the examples in this book. Later we will consider things in the book that do not agree with the Writings.
     Budiansky examines the evidence that people give to "prove" that animals can think. Don't chimpanzees use tools? He writes, "But equating what a chimpanzee does with a twig to the entire range of tool use in humans ought to be self-evidently absurd. To claim that because chimpanzees can tell the difference between three and four objects they share with man an ability to do mathematics is a triumph of superficial semantics over substance. Surely it does not take much thought to recognize the difference of essential quality between mastering calculus or trigonometry on the one hand and assessing the relative size of two piles of M&Ms on the other" (p. 42).
     The Writings say, "It appears as if beasts also were able to will and to understand, but they cannot. Natural affection, in itself desire, with its companion knowledge, alone leads and moves beasts to do what they do" (DP 96).
     Is there something of the civil and moral in animals? Yes, says the same passage, but it is not at a level in which they can "think analytically about it." Yes, "they can be taught to do something," but in no wise does it become a matter of thought, "still less reason in them" (Ibid.)

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     An animal cannot conjure up the following thought: "I wish this or I do not; I know this or I do not." Still less can they think, "I understand this, and I love this" (DP 74).
     Animals are wonderful. The Writings invite us to find confirmations of the wisdom and love of God in animals and in other things of nature (see DLW 357).

     (To be continued)
COINCIDENCES IN THE WORD 1999

COINCIDENCES IN THE WORD Editor 1999

     (3)

     A drama described in the Writings is highly amusing in a pathetic sort of way. Swedenborg and two angels came to a place where misers sat with piles of gold coins in front of them. Each one of them really believed that he possessed all the wealth of the kingdom in which he lived. They were asked, "How can each of you possess it when there are so many of you?"
     The truth was that they lived in a fantasy, and they actually said, "We know it is only imaginary nonsense, but because it pleases the inner longing of our minds, we come in here and entertain ourselves with thinking as though everything were ours."
     What occasioned this visit by Swedenborg and the two angels? It had happened that they simultaneously felt a desire to see some of those people who are caught up in a delusionary fantasy that they possess all riches. In this instance they actually perceived that "this desire was inspired in us in order that we might learn something" (CL 268).
     We would call attention to a statement following another drama. It tells something about Swedenborg's coming to a certain place and even about the conversations that took place. "These things which I saw and heard, I saw and heard in the wakefulness of my body and at the same time of my spirit; for the Lord has so united my spirit to my body that I may be in both at the same time. It was of the Divine auspices of the Lord that I came to those houses, and that they then deliberated concerning these things; and that it took place as it is described" (AR 484; compare TCR 390).

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Clues like this relating to one drama can tell us something general about all the things described in the Writings. I know of only one place in the Writings, for example, that says explicitly that a matter of Swedenborg's experience was recalled to Swedenborg's memory by an angel. To quote: "Since the things I learned are worth knowing and telling, and because they confirm the holiness of marriages, I would like to make them public as they were shown me in an awake state of the spirit and afterward recalled to remembrance by an angel and so written down" (CL 73).
ON GENTLENESS AND PUNISHMENT 1999

ON GENTLENESS AND PUNISHMENT M. A. Terre-Blanche 1999

     Communications
Dear Editor:
     I would like to comment on your article "On Gentleness and Punishment (2)" in the November 1998 edition of New Church Life.
     With respect, Sir, you are looking for soft options. The word "chasten" appears in Rev. 3:19 only in the English translation of this passage in the King James version of the Bible, from which I normally study. You have been looking at derivative sources for a softer meaning of this passage of Rev. 3:19. I want to bring you back to the Greek New Testament, where this passage is very short and simple: "Whoever God loves" He will educate, using the Greek verb paidevo, meaning to educate.

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However, what you may not be aware of, the verb paidevo (possibly of a Sanskrit origin), with the passage of centuries from ancient Greece to the times when the New Testament was being written and to this very day, has acquired an additional meaning of "subjecting to travail," and this is how the Greeks understand it, but quite clearly this is not acceptable to you. Greek is a very beautiful and rich language with no ambiguities. There are for every English word possibly nine or ten words in Greek that can convey a nuance of a meaning, or a variation of shades of meaning. Nothing is there in the original Greek to give you any softer option. There are no green lollies or red lollies [candies].
There is no contradiction whatsoever with Swedenborgian teachings that it is essential to undergo trials and tribulations and temptations for the evils adhering to man to be dislodged, and for regeneration to take place. Travails or sufferings meant by the Greek verb paidevo are all these that Swedenborg lists, and nowhere is there a suggestion of lack of love on the part of God. The teaching is that regeneration mirrors all the travails and sufferings the Lord submitted Himself to in order to bring salvation.
It is an open secret to mystics and genuine seekers of truth from time immemorial that travails and sufferings will be their lot, and they do not think of that as a lack of love from God; on the contrary, they count it as a privilege. Perhaps it is more acceptable to the Greek clergy, as historically it fell upon their shoulders to sustain the nation, to keep alive the faith and the language for 400 years of Turkish suppression after the fall of the Byzantine Empire. Many of them were in the forefront of the bitter struggle for freedom. They had to teach secretly at night by the moonlight, had scant education of four or five years' learning only, but many of them were martyred; their names are well known in Greek history. Times have changed since then.

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I am on the side of the Muslims in the Balkans, but I spent some time with the fighting priests in my youth. They were lionhearted men, every inch priests and fighters like the rest of us who accept this teaching of suffering.
M. A. Terre-Blanche,
St. Ives, NSW, Australia
GENDER ISSUES 1999

GENDER ISSUES Mary W. Griffin 1999

Dear Editor:
     Although my experience in the workplace and even in the church has taught me to shun, and even at times to fear, speaking about women's issues, Beryl Simonetti's article has given me cause to re-examine some ideas I've lived with a good many years
     We women have waited " . . . in vain for men to take the lead in situations which are in a province which is rightfully hers [by her experience]" ("Gender Issues in the Church, One Woman's Perspective" by Beryl Simonetti, New Church Life, January 1999, p. 20, emphasis added). You will notice the emphasis on "lead," and this may be where the problem lies. Men lead in ballroom dancing; men lead a troop of soldiers into battle. And they led the way west with Sacagawea, but it was on her experience that Lewis and Clark depended. Maybe "lead" is the wrong word for women's situations; "depend" may be better. This isn't just an argument in semantics. To depend means " . . . to rely, as for support or aid, to be assured, to place trust . . ." (American Heritage Dictionary). All of the above need conjunction, reciprocation, and usually action between men and women. Women must vocalize and demonstrate the way in which they can be of use, for men won't know women's thoughts and experiences unless women speak up.
     As Mrs. Simonetti states (p. 19, ibid.), "Men will need to listen to what women are saying, and to believe that what they have to say is of value."

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In turn, women will have to employ and operate within the wisdom of their experience as a result of true perception, that is, their perception from love, to be validated as a necessary adjunct to perception from true intellect (see CL 168).
     From the feminine point of view, all this sounds fairly theoretical in the decisions and direction in which women can serve society and the church. Not so. Directions (a la Sacagawea), especially those in which human relations are so important, can be pointed out, planned, and relied upon. Then the masculine talent and inclination to lead will be well taken.
     Mary W. Griffin,
          Huntingdon Valley, PA
AMBITION 1999

AMBITION Rev. Ian Johnson 1999

Dear Editor:
Thanks to Kurt Asplundh for firm warnings (in your February issue) about the danger of ambition-so necessary in our success-oriented culture. Indeed we should probably give the subject much more prominence! A glance through Swedenborg's mentioning of "pre-eminence" and "super-eminence" can be very sobering to the ambitious.

It is a Divine truth . . . that within heavenly glory there is never any element of being pre-eminent over another, for insofar as such pre-eminence occurs, hell is present; also that within heavenly glory there is not the least trace of worldly glory (AC 1936:4).

It's wonderful that the Lord can turn this hellish urge to so many useful results, but is it justifiable for society to rely on the competitive urge for success, to get children educated, commerce flourishing, excellence in sport and the arts, and for our enjoyment of leisure? When this question is raised, even in Christian and New Church groups, some people clearly believe that ambition and competitiveness are inevitable and indispensable.

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     No wonder that, as Kurt quotes from Divine Providence, the Lord has to work quietly and gradually to remove this evil from our hearts, but wouldn't it be easier for us if we were not reared-even by our families and church groups-to take it so much for granted?
     Rev. Ian Johnson,
          Croydon, England
Title Unspecified 1999

Title Unspecified 1999

Two Authors Deceased-We have just heard of the deaths of Rev. Paul Vickers in England and Dr. Philip Groves in Australia.
1999 SUMMER SCHOOL 1999

1999 SUMMER SCHOOL 1999

     AT BRYN ATHYN COLLEGE OF THE NEW CHURCH AND THE ACADEMY THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL

     Would you like to learn more about the New Church and its ever-widening search to understand people, their spiritual and physical environments, their childhood growth and education, or the gospel stories of the Lord's life and teaching?
     You can do so this summer, in one or in three enjoyable, stimulating weeks, at this year's summer school sponsored by Bryn Athyn College of the New Church and the Academy Theological School. Here are the course offerings:
     Three-week Courses: June 28-July 16

- Chemistry 105: Chemistry in Context
- Education 317 and 517: The Preschool Years: A New Church Perspective
- Religion 315/Theology 513: The Spiritual World
- Religion 330/Theology 530: The Gospels

     (Continued on p. 239)

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WESTERN RESERVE 1999

WESTERN RESERVE Peter N. Synnestvedt 1999

Church News


     It has been some time since any news appeared here about the New Church in the Western Reserve (otherwise called the North Ohio Circle). As of last fall we have a new visiting minister, Rev. Jong Ui Lee, who comes once a month from Detroit. He follows the able ministrations of Rev. Messrs. Patrick Rose and Mark Pendleton, and like them he is a warm, friendly man with a strong grasp of New Church doctrine. In some months we have two services, and recent visitors have included several friends: Rev. Messrs. Erik Sandstrom, Sr., Robert H.P. Cole, Douglas Taylor, Dandridge Pendleton, Louis Synnestvedt, and our Midwest regional pastor, Eric Carswell.
     We have a new location for our services. For several years we met in the old historic town hall in Brecksville, but the city decided to use it entirely for a community playhouse, so we moved to a middle school in Twinsburg. This soon proved to be unsatisfactory, so we have moved again into Shirley Alden King's lovely house on a quiet road in Brecksville. We meet in a large first-floor
room with a cathedral ceiling, which used to be a tavern! We have added some attractive portable pews which the Erie Circle gave us, and we have bought a "new" small grand piano, the first good instrument we've had in many years. We have acquired a four-acre tract of land near Hudson and Streetsboro where we will eventually build a sanctuary (no target date yet).
     We want everyone to know that Ohio is a beautiful part of the country, and our area, historically known as "the Western Reserve," features many cultural and scenic attractions, not to mention business opportunities. Most of our church services are held on the second Sunday of the month, and we welcome visitors.
     Peter N. Synnestvedt
SURREY CIRCLE OF THE NEW CHURCH 1999

SURREY CIRCLE OF THE NEW CHURCH Ninette Little 1999

As there are very few records of the earliest days of the New Church in Surrey, England, we have had to rely on inadequate entries in old diaries and the failing memories of old members. So we ask in advance for your forbearance on any omissions or inaccuracies which may have been made.
I believe that the actual starting point of what was-in July, 1988-to become the Surrey Circle of the General Church of the New Jerusalem occurred during the 1950s when four General Church families moved into Surrey. In 1951 George and Ninette Little came to live at "Birdshanger" near Guildford. In 1954 Norman and Helen Turner came to Curley Cottage in Lightwater. In 1957 Tom and Olive Sharp moved to Hersham, while in 1958 Ted and Nina Wooderson arrived.

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The Turners and Sharps were members of, and regular attenders at, Michael Church in London, while the Littles were not members but occasional attenders.
     In those early days the General Church did what it could for those of us who were, in fact, isolated members of he church. We had, whenever possible, pastoral visits from the ministers of both the Michael Church and Colchester societies. As we did not have our own building, all the visits, classes, discussion groups and services took place of necessity in our own homes. We were very happy with, and grateful for, the pastoral care which we received from Rev. Messrs. Wynne Acton, Martin Pryke and Kenneth Stroh, Rev. Erik Sandstrom and his family also visited in Surrey.
     However, it wasn't until Rev. Frank Rose and his wife Louise came to Colchester in the 1950s that the first stirrings of the new birth were felt in Surrey. Frank called the service which he gave at regular visits to isolated members of the church in England "the open road." He was very caring, and we always looked forward with joyful anticipation to his visits.
     Classes and services were originally held at "Birdshanger," then after 1958 at the Woodersons as well. In 1960 and thereafter, classes and services were also held in the homes of new members of the group, Douglas and Winifred Cornwell and Mary Clarke. The early "Birdshanger" services were attended by New Church members from quite far afield. Roy and Margaret Evans sometimes came with their two daughters from Letchworth, Peter and Audrey Gem and their children from Sussex, George and Katharine de Moubray from Jersey, occasionally with George's sister Madeleine. I can remember the Perridges too, coming from Reading.
     Early in 1960 we had our first series of public lectures, starting with an inaugural lecture on Emanuel Swedenborg in Biddle's Book Shop, then considered to be the best bookshop in Guildford. This was attended by eighteen people: members and friends, two Conference members, and seven complete strangers. This: was followed by a series of four lectures at Guildford House, and later that year by further lectures at Onslow Village, a suburb of Guildford. The whole group worked very hard advertise and prepare for these lectures by Frank, dropping hundreds leaflets into letter boxes, and as a result we gained the three new members already mentioned.
     During the following years, Frank visited us regularly about once a month and sometimes even twice a month, so we were blessed with a high standard of worship and instruction.          Ninette Little

     (To be continued)

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One-week Courses: June 28-July 2 1999

     Announcements

-      Psychology 320: Spiritual Issues in Counseling
-      Religion 293: World Religions and Their Relationship with the New Church
-      Science and Religion 104
     For more information about undergraduate courses (100, 300 or 400 level), contact Joyce Bostock (215-93 8-2543, or write to her at P.O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009 USA, or e-mail: [email protected]).
     For graduate courses (500 level), contact Alaine York (215-938-2640, or write to her at P.O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009 USA, or e-mail: [email protected]).

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Two Books Reprinted 1999

     JOURNEY OF LIFE
and
WHAT THE WRITINGS TESTIFY
CONCERNING THEMSELVES
     These two books, out of print for two years, are reprinted popular demand.
     The Journey of Life by Rev. Tom Kline is a presentation of the journey of the Children of Israel through the wilderness to with emphasis on the application to the development within a marriage. This is the third printing of this book in ten years. Besides its usefulness within the church it is good introductory material for inquirers, friends and neighbors. Price $4.70; postage $1.00.
     What the Writings Testify, Concerning Themselves is a compilation of teachings from the Writings presented by Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner in 1960 as a revision of a work by Rev. C. Th. Odhner in 1902. This booklet has proved to be the best collection of passages to present, simply and clearly, those teachings which most directly describe the revelation given through Emanuel Swedenborg. The reprint has left the text unchanged but has been produced in a pocket-sized paperback with the title on the spine so that it can be more easily found on the shelf. Price $4.00; postage $1.00.

     General Church Book Center               Hours: Mon-Fri 9-12 or
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Notes on This Issue 1999

Vol. CXIX June, 1999 No. 6
New Church Life

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     Now is just a year before the General Assembly takes place in Canada. We will be putting reminders in our pages. In this issue (p. 265) you can read about some plans for worship services at the assembly.
     Did you know that if you put all the "Memorable Relations together they would make a volume of 500 pages? Read what Derek Elphick says about them in this issue.
     One of the good memories of the clergy meetings of 1999 was the session at which we were addressed by a minister from South Africa. His address On Marriage appears in this issue.
     There can be no doubt that the first rendering of a passage of the Writings into English was done long before most of the Writings were written. Very few people have seen that first attempt at translation, and it is good to have Mr. Ed Cranch draw it to our attention. Look at the way capital letters were used back around 1750 (page 258). An entirely new translation of Heaven and Hell published within a few months. A chapter of it was made available at the April 1 7th celebration of the Swedenborg Sesquicentennial. (See the sample on page 271.)
     In this issue Frank Rose compares laws in scientific study to the laws we need to know in order to appreciate Divine Providence, Leon Rhodes says, "Octogenarians, like myself, are entitled to contemplate that inevitable process we so frantically try to avoid.
     An editorial in this issue may best be remembered because it quotes at length from Mark Twain! In the congratulations to the translator of Arcana Coelestia we have included his prayer about "the wisdom contained in all those volumes."
     On the nineteenth of this month congregations are celebrating what might be called the birthday of the New Church. We congratulate the Colchester Society in England, who on June 19th and celebrating 75 years in their church building.

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WHY SHOULD I READ THE MEMORABLE RELATIONS? 1999

WHY SHOULD I READ THE MEMORABLE RELATIONS? Rev. DEREK P. ELPHICK 1999

     In the winter of 1759, a Swedish nobleman named Anders Van Hopken struck up an acquaintance with Emanuel Swedenborg. Count Hopken, as he was known, was one of the founders of the Royal Academy of Sciences, and once held the highest public office in Sweden, equivalent to that of Prime Minister. His acquaintance with Swedenborg began when it was first publicly known in Stockholm that this man was the author of the Heavenly Doctrines. Count Hopken would later commend Swedenborg for the lucid, rational doctrines contained in his theological works. He clearly recognized the revolutionary ideas contained in them, and we have little reason to doubt that Count Hopken became a convert to the faith of the New Church as a result.
     There was, however, one feature to this new revelation that the Count questioned, wondering if it was necessary to include the Memorable Relations in the published works. In writing to a friend he said, "I asked [Swedenborg] once why he wrote and published those visions and memorable relations which seem to throw so much ridicule on his doctrines, otherwise so rational; and whether it would not be best for him to keep them to himself, and not publish them to the world. But he answered that he had orders from the Lord to publish them . . . " (Documents Vol. I: p. 66, II: p. 416).
     Swedenborg later wrote back to Count Hopken saying: "Do not suppose that without such a positive order I should have thought of publishing things that I well knew many would regard as false, and which would bring ridicule upon myself. If I assure them that I have received this command, and they are unwilling to believe me, the satisfaction will remain to me of having obeyed the orders of my God" (Ibid.).
     As Swedenborg anticipated, the objection to including the memorable relations in the Heavenly Doctrines did not go away.

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In another letter addressed to him from a publisher named John Cuno, Swedenborg was told: "Most people despise your memorable relations, which are indeed wonderful but not proved, and they ridicule them as the mere outbirth of your imagination. Others again are delighted with them, as with fairy tales, but nevertheless make sport of them" (Documents Vol. II:p. 468).
     And so began a debate as to the use and purpose of the memorable relations that has continued off and on up to the present day (although it should be pointed out that many people do not view them as problematic and enjoy reading them). The complaints have not always been vocal or public, which is part of the problem. The accounts are quietly dismissed by their readers as unimportant or irrelevant.
     As readers of the Heavenly Doctrines we need to understand why this debate began. We need to understand what the objections were, and why they were made. We also need to see why Emanuel Swedenborg was so emphatic in defending the memorable relations.
     The memorable relations are the inter-chapter material found in The Apocalypse Revealed, Conjugial Love, Brief Exposition, and The True Christian Religion, among others. There are 150 of them, enough to form a book of about 500 pages. More than one third of The True Christian Religion is made up of this material.
     The term "memorable relation" is better translated "narrative account," for that is what they are. They are accounts describing Swedenborg's notable experiences in the spiritual world. They are like illustrations in a book, telling us in great detail what goes on in heaven, in the world of spirits, and in hell. They include intense discussions and debates among angels and spirits on a variety of subjects, such as the nature of God, the secrets of a true and happy marriage, the origin of evil, creation, and free will, to name a few. These accounts uncover many of the age-old mysteries and misconceptions that people have had about the afterlife.
     In reading these accounts, we witness on the plane of spiritual life the inevitable consequences of people's choices.

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Some of the material is frightening because there are people who choose to be violent, corrupt, self-centered, and greedy. But much of the material contains breathtaking scenes from heaven showing people there who choose life over death and in doing so discover the exquisite joy and beauty in serving others in a life of use.
     So why would people object to the narrative accounts? First of all, they are long. Some of the accounts go on page after page. Who hasn't been tempted to skip over them for that very reason? They also appear to be unconnected to the chapters they precede and follow, although upon closer examination it is found that they are very much related. Another objection people make is that the spirits described in these accounts often appear foolish and silly, and the angels sometimes come across as being overly pious and simple. In other words, the reader complains that he cannot "identify" with the inhabitants of this world.
     An additional objection to the narrative accounts is that they appear to be dreamlike and surreal, which makes the reader wonder if the characters and events portrayed are fictitious. As a result, some people have said that these accounts are not descriptions of actual events at all, and that in preparing them Swedenborg was most likely writing allegories-fable-like stories carefully composed to express doctrinal ideas (see New Church Life, 1972, p. 382).
     This is a damaging conclusion to draw, for these accounts are as real as any historic event recorded in this world. It is on the issue of their authenticity that Swedenborg vigorously defends the narrative accounts. We see a dramatic example of this defense in the opening words of the book Conjugial Love.

I anticipate that many who read the following descriptions and the accounts at the ends of the succeeding chapters will believe they are figments of my imagination. I swear in truth, however, that they are not inventions but actual occurrences to which I was a witness. Nor were they seen in any condition of unconsciousness but in a state of full wakefulness.

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For it has pleased the Lord to manifest Himself to me and send me to teach the doctrines that will be doctrines of the New Church . . . . To this end He has opened the inner faculties of my mind and spirit. As a result it has been made possible for me to be in the spiritual world with angels and at the same time in the natural world with people, and this now for twenty-five years (CL 1).

     Not one of these accounts is made up or composed for some kind of literary style or effect. Each one describes an actual event witnessed in the spiritual world (sometimes presented in a way that is alarmingly matter-of-fact) in a state of full wakefulness, and is presented to the public for no other reason than to illustrate a fundamental point of doctrine.
     In a letter to Dr. Beyer, one of Swedenborg's closest friends and one of the first converts to the New Church, another use of the narrative accounts is given. In sending Dr. Beyer new copies of The Apocalypse Revealed, Swedenborg attached a note that said: "At the conclusion of every chapter there are memorable relations separated from the text by asterisks that you will please read first. From these a thorough knowledge may be gathered of the wretched state into which the Reformed churches have been brought by faith alone" (Documents Vol. II:p. 239).
     Here we have another compelling use of the narrative accounts. This material has been included in the Heavenly Doctrines to expose the true state of the church on earth, and this through eyewitness accounts (rather than the more familiar method of rational argument).
     There is one final use of the narrative accounts (and a very intriguing one). Our attention is drawn to a passage in which some spirits were apparently questioning Swedenborg about why he needed to make his experiences of the afterlife public knowledge. While the reference does not refer directly to the narrative accounts, it is obviously connected. We read: "Some spirits were not willing that I should say anything about the things revealed to me: but they were told that these things were in the place of miracles, and that without them people would not know the quality of the book, they would not buy it, nor read it, nor understand it, nor be affected by it, nor believe it.

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In short, they would ignore it" (SE 4123; cf. Documents Vol. II:p. 975).
     The things revealed to me "were in place of miracles." That is a dramatic statement. It is also an incredible claim. What did Swedenborg mean by it?
     It seems quite clear that the Lord used miracles at His first advent to establish His authority. In speaking to His critics, He said, "I have a greater witness than John's; for . . . the very works that I do bear witness to Me" (John 5:36). The works that the Lord performed (in the form of miracles) bore witness or gave authority to His teachings, just as the miracles performed by Moses and the prophets reinforced their teachings. It has been suggested that the same rule applies to the narrative accounts. They were published to bear witness and give authority to the rational statements of doctrine found elsewhere in the Heavenly Doctrines (see New Church Life, 1964, p. 399).
     Think about it. How much authority would the teachings on heaven and hell have if we weren't shown what those places are like and how the people there treat each other? How much of an impression would the teachings on conjugial love have on us if we weren't shown married couples in heaven who experience its delight and happiness every day? How much motivation for living a life of true charity would people have if they weren't shown inspirational examples in heaven? There isn't a more powerful means at the Lord's disposal of leading people to an awareness of their habits and attitudes than actually showing them the world of the spirit, the "place" in which their minds live, breathe, and act right now!

     So why should we read the narrative accounts?
     The most obvious answer is because Emanuel Swedenborg had orders from the Lord to publish them. These eyewitness accounts of things "heard and seen" in the spiritual world are clearly intended to be a part of the Lord's new revelation.

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They help us see the life of the spirit in a totally unique way. They reinforce the rational statements of doctrine we already know, giving this knowledge a new authority in our lives. Skipping over the narrative accounts would be like picking up a coffee-table book and reading the text but ignoring all the large, glossy photo
     The narrative accounts should also be read for their humor. Humor (at least the good kind) comes from seeing opposites, from seeing the sharp contrast, indeed the clash, between good and evil. Certain spirits (usually bad ones) are often depicted holding forth on insane and ludicrous arguments which are put forward to justify their inappropriate behavior. We find ourselves laughing, not at the people themselves (because their lot is very sad), but at the collection of nonsense that is used to support their point of view and lifestyle (for example see CL 477; TCR 134, 185; DP Supplement; New Church Life, 1977, pp. 84-85). Seeing contrasts as sharp as these helps us to grow in our resolve to do only what is right before the Lord.
     The narrative accounts are a special part of the Lord's new revelation. They may not be polished or written in a literary style that grabs our attention, but then nothing in the Word is written for that purpose (see AC 8971, 9086:3, 9280:3; SS 1). The narrative accounts have been given to us so that many new details about the afterlife may be known. They have also been given to the world to uncover some of the age-old mysteries and misconceptions people have had about the afterlife. These are the reasons why Emanuel Swedenborg felt compelled to write the following statement:
     It has been given me by the Lord to see wonderful things that are in the heavens and below the heavens. I must from command relate what has been seen (AR 962; cf. BE 120; TCR 188).
     Amen.

Lessons: CL 532, 533

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ON MARRIAGE 1999

ON MARRIAGE Rev. JAKE M. MASEKO 1999

     An Address to the Council of the Clergy

     The subject of marriage permeates the whole Word of the first and second testaments and the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, because it is about the Lord, life, and the manifestation of experience. It is about the Lord, His kingdom, and its government. It is a topic that unfolds the most wonderful purpose of His creation, His love and wisdom pouring out His very essence to express His Divine purpose, which is called the glory of God-love so profound that it can never be contemplated in human minds purely on the basis of its infinite nature. To present a discourse on this subject is tantamount to bringing infinite ideas to the finite world. Emanuel Swedenborg himself admits that this is not possible except through correspondences.
     When the Lord embarked on creation in the beginning, pouring out love into the vessels He had formed to receive Him and reciprocate and be conjoined to Him in a Divine unity, He was forming a Divine harmony and a marriage in which the ends, the course and the effects of living were in a perfect order. The book of Genesis describes this:

And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it, because that in it He rested from all His work which God in making created (Genesis 2:2, 3).

     These lines describe a condition of perfect harmony in which the internal and the external in man are in absolute agreement, a marriage that flows from heavenly thoughts and affections functioning to express heavenly life, faith and charity manifesting the church in its fullest bloom. The man of the church is in an enlightened state of perception of truth from good and of the good in the truth that leads to a life of usefulness through the joy and delight of acknowledging the Lord in them.

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The Lord is at rest because man is in a state where he performs heavenly deeds as if of self, without the intrusion of his proprium. The whole of the universe has been created with the purpose to reflect this harmony in its entirety. This principle lays emphasis on the development of a state of orderliness of relationships between the internal and the external in life. Within the context of this principle is confirmed the operation of the Divine Providence, whose sole purpose is to lead man to the supreme end of being conjoined with the Lord in marriage.
Genuine marriage is a heavenly attribute which is in the Lord alone, and from the Lord alone. Heaven is in the image of this marriage, and in its essence the whole universe is in the image of this marriage, for marriage is not only in the Lord but it is the Lord Himself. When man through his fall lost this heavenly state, the Divine order was severed between heaven and the church; the Lord out of His longing for the salvation of man took the human form which was a vessel containing the human infirmities from infinity to eternity. He put on the human form in which the lusts and falsities that had invaded man's natural states were contained with the ends and intentions toward which they were leading man to the end of time, and turned the tide around to an enlightened state of how to shun evils as sins. When He attained the glorified state, the Writings describe it in the following manner:

In the Lord alone there was the correspondence of all the things of the body with the Divine-a most perfect correspondence, infinitely perfect, giving rise to a union of the corporeal things with Divine celestial things, and of sensuous things with Divine spiritual things; and thus He was a perfect Man and the only Man (AC 1414e).

"And God became man, and man became God"-a triumph and a gift to mankind that was beyond man's imagination, an attainment which transcended even the Lord's disciples who shared very sacred moments with Him on a daily basis, a state which Thomas summarized in "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28) after he had experienced, through His touch, love and compassion in their profoundest purity.

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I understand this state to be the one and only marriage, the ideal toward which all finite creations are gravitating in a very, very puny resemblance. In this glorified state the Lord is in His tabernacle: all love, all wisdom, all peacefulness and all good will flowing out in unity. This is the creative power that holds and controls the whole universe, the ruling love, the affectionate thoughts and the infinite universal mind that holds all creation. All the world's conditions, even the wars of conflict, are the response of men's infirm minds to this universal influx full of the power of love and harmony that strives to express its influence tenderly and lovingly to human salvation toward which the entire function of the Divine Providence is directed. It is the powerful source of reconciliation for which the Lord prayed most fervently in the middle of the direst deviltry and derision with: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing."
Marriage is the universal principle of existence. It is in the Lord, and is the Lord Himself. It flows into all creation from heaven, and it is genuinely holy, Divine and delightful. This influx from the Divine Human of the Lord flows through and thereby infills His life into those who shun evils as sins against Him, those who affirm the things that are of doctrine from the Word, or think and believe within themselves that they are true because the Lord has said them, and because this is the principle that leads to all intelligence and all wisdom. The Writings confirm this idea with:

All things in the whole heaven and all things in the entire world are nothing but the marriage of good and truth; for created things, both those that live and breathe and those that do not live and breathe, are one and all created from and into the marriage of good and truth, nothing whatever created into truth alone, and nothing whatever into good alone. Alone the latter and the former are not anything, but by marriage they exist and become a thing of like quality as the marriage. In the Lord the Creator is Divine Good and Divine Truth in its very substance, the esse of substance itself being Divine Good, and the existere of substance itself being Divine Truth.

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They are also in their very union; for in Him they make one infinitely. Since these two are one in the Creator, therefore they are also one in each and every thing created by Him. Moreover, by this the Creator is conjoined with all things created by Himself in an eternal covenant as of marriage (CL 115).

Marriage is here described as a universal principle of Divine order from which everything in heaven and in the world is related, because it is the principle that proceeds from God, from whom all things are. Life in all its forms and appearances manifests this fundamental principle that reflects in its complexity the loving nature of the Lord. The spirit of the Lord, which is the heavenly proprium, flows into all aspects of life to inspire heavenly thoughts and affections for the universal harmony, order and good will, but for the dispensation of free will or man's freedom to choose, the influx inspires all types of physical manifestations that are the reflection of the internal states and intention in the pursuits of harmony. The Lord made reference to such human imperfections that are obstacles to this marriage in His church when He answered the disciples of John the Baptist with:

Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me (Matthew 11:4-6).

These are the various forms of the spiritual states that were and are found in the church in the minds of man, and they prevent charity from being conjoined with faith and faith with charity for the fulfillment of a marriage with which the Lord should find His dwelling and establish His heavenly kingdom in man. It is in this disjunction of the faculties of the human mind that the attainment of heavenly bliss is missed in the man of the church. Thus the most essential quality of the church is nonexistent when wonderful teachings of the church are preached, though not always from the good of faith.

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     Again with this work, the Lord is involved in this Divine purpose of raising the understanding in the church so that it may be enlightened on heavenly values through whose affections the will may be raised in which the Lord Himself will prepare man for a true heavenly marriage. In real life, this is giving character to man. It is a process of acquiring virtuous life which turns man's life into unifying faith and charity through acts of usefulness. The Lord Himself arranges priorities and gives an orderly life by inspiring Divine affections and directing them from the influx of the Divine Human toward useful action. This, in my opinion, is the ideal marriage through which all other forms of marriage should mirrored in order that we should perceive the Lord's kingdom in its true perspective.
     Our world needs to understand this profound unifying principle in order to survive. This principle should form the stabilizing factor in the world's education systems, in the world's governments and all other ideological institutions that form our cultures, to bring about a meaningful transformation in this world. When this principle of the Divine universal marriage is clearly comprehended and implemented in the ideological systems of the world's communities, the world shall see the glory of God.
     By now it is quite obvious that I have avoided specific marriages that are very popular topics of the Council of the Clergy. There are two reasons for which I have dwelt on the universal principle of marriage, both of which are contained in the following numbers in Arcana Coelestia:

The highest happiness and deliciousness of the Most Ancient Church were marriages. They perceived the happiness of their marriages to come from the heavenly marriage; and therefore they called the understanding in the spiritual man "Male" and the will "Female" and when these acted as one, "Marriage" (AC 54, 55).

From the marriage of good and truth in the heavens descend all loves, which are such as the love of parents toward their children, the love of brothers for one another, and the love for relatives, and so on, according to their degrees in their order.

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According to these loves, which are solely from good and truth, that is, from love to the Lord and faith from Him, are formed all heavenly societies, which are so joined together by the Lord as to represent one man, and therefore heaven is also called the Gorand Man (AC 2739).

In these numbers it is implied that a true understanding of the ritual of marriage as instituted in a male and a female must be based on the idea of an ideal marriage which is pure and most perfect found in the Lord's Divinity. These numbers impress me with the idea that the most significant factor in any marriage relationship is to understand the principle of the ideal marriage that is in the Lord, which embraces the entire process of life. It is the leading ideal whose correspondences in the Word are: "King and kingdom" in whose understanding there should be no ambivalence before entering into a marriage. In my opinion, this understanding is the only basis upon which the human race can survive the struggle for salvation. On this idea hinge all principles that enable man to attain harmony, peace, and good will in a true marriage.
I shall conclude this presentation with lines from The Spiritual Diary on influx, the ideas which I believe sum up the main idea that I raised in this discourse:

Man was created after the entire image of the macrocosm-after the image of heaven and after the image of the world. His internal is after the image of heaven, his external after the image of the world. Wherefore, it was thus provided by the Divine that the Divine may pass over, by means of man, from the spiritual world into the natural world, and be terminated in the ultimate of nature, to wit, in the corporeal [of man] and thus, through man there should be connection of the spiritual man with the natural world, so that by means of man, universal nature may glorify the Lord the Creator (SD 4607).

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REMARKABLE VOLUME II OF THE LATIN ARCANA 1999

REMARKABLE VOLUME II OF THE LATIN ARCANA EDWARD CRANCH 1999

     During the summer of 1749 in London, Emanuel Swedenborg's volume of Arcana Coelestia went on sale. It was printed and sold by the printer John Lewis, 1 Paternoster Row, as an unbound book of 640 pages, for six shillings.
     The first sales of this new revelation from the Lord were even fewer than Swedenborg expected, and he did not expect very many.
     Some time after September 15, 1749, Swedenborg wrote n. 22 in his Spiritual Experiences:

     IN WHAT MANNER THAT WILL BE RECEIVED BY MANY WHICH IS WRITTEN THROUGH ME.

I received letters informing me that not more than four copies had been sold in two months, and this was made known to the angels. They wondered indeed, but said that it should be left to the Providence of the Lord, which was such as to compel no one, though it might be done, but that it was not fitting that any others should read my work first but those who were in faith; and that this might be known from what happened at the coming of the Lord into the world, who was able to compel men to receive His words and Himself, but yet compelled no one, as was also the case afterwards in regard to the apostles. But still there were found those who would receive, to wit, those who were in faith, to whom also the apostles were sent.

     The first man known to have accepted the Heavenly Doctrines lived in Dartmouth, and his name was Stephen Penny. He wrote to the printer on October 15, 1749, and told of the extraordinary degree of pleasure the reading of the Arcana had given him, and requested that the continuation be sent to him. This enthusiastic letter was most welcome to the printer, who inserted it in the Christmas Day issue of the London Daily Advertiser.

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     Volume I of the Latin Arcana included the first fifteen chapters of Genesis. While he was in London seeing Volume I through the press, Swedenborg began work on Volume II. However, instead of waiting until he completed Volume II, Swedenborg decided to print a series of six thin installments, each containing only one chapter of Genesis. Together with each of these installments, Swedenborg also had printed its English translation. He arranged to have the translating done by Mr. John Marchant, a "literary gentleman of good character," whom he paid to do the job.
     So in February 1750 the first installment of the Latin Volume II was published, with its English translation. During 1750, five more installments of Volume II were published, one each for Genesis 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21, and each with its English translation. After that, the other six volumes of the Latin were printed, one a year, the last one appearing in 1756.
     The thin bound copy of the Latin Arcana Volume II may be seen in the archives of the Swedenborg Library in Bryn Athyn. Only two bound copies of the original English translation are known to exist. One is Swedenborg's own copy in the Royal Library in Stockholm. The other copy is in the Swedenborg Library in Bryn Athyn.
     Since the paragraphs were numbered by Swedenborg himself in the Latin Arcana, the same numbers are used in the English editions. Latin Volume II starts with a preface, which is not numbered but it follows n. 1885 at the end of Volume I. N. 2759 is the last paragraph in Volume II. (In the English editions, n. 1885 is in Volume II and n. 2759 is in Volume III.)
     Most of the above account of Volume II was found in The Swedenborg Epic by Cyriel Sigstedt, pages 233-236. Translators' prefaces to English editions usually mention the six-part publication of the Latin Volume II. For example, an English edition published in London by J. S. Hodson in 1831, called the Third Edition, includes this note in Volume II, page 397:

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In the original Latin work, the second volume called by the author the Second Part, by reason that it was published separately after the First Part or Volume, and before the Third, begins here. Each chapter, also, of the Second Volume was published as a subordinate part by itself, apparently at the suggestion of the bookseller, whose announcement of the publication may be seen in The Intellectual Repository, Second Series, vol. III. Hence one of the chapters (Genesis XVIII) has a separate preface An English translation of each chapter of the Second Part, evidently procured by the bookseller and very ill executed, was published at the same time. . . . The Second Part was originally published in 1750.

The standard edition of the Swedenborg Foundation, revised by Woofenden in 1997, includes the 1915 reviser's preface by Potts. In its second paragraph it states: "At the request of Swedenborg, the second part or volume was translated into English, and the translation so made was published in London simultaneously with the Latin part of which it was a translation." (There is no mention of the six installments.)
Finally, in the translator's introduction to Volume 1 of John Elliott's translation of the Arcana, page v, is written, "The first Latin edition of Emanuel Swedenborg's longest theological work, Arcana Coelestia, published anonymously in London by John Lewis, 1 Paternoster Row, consisted of eight volumes of varying length which, as their title pages show, were issued one each year from 1749 to 1756. (In the case of Volume 2, each of its six chapters appeared as a separate booklet, as also did an English translation, made by a certain John Marchant, of each of these same chapters.) The first English edition of the entire work, however, translated from the Latin by John Clowes and published 1783-1806 in Manchester by The Society for Printing, Publishing and Circulating the Writings of Swedenborg, was issued in twelve volumes, a reordering of the original which had prevailed over any other during the past two hundred years and which is retained in this new English edition.

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This reordering produces a set of twelve volumes that are fairly equal in length, unlike the Latin eight which varied considerably, from less than 500 pages in volume 2 of the third Latin edition to over 1000 in volume 8. There is, however, one minor disadvantage-that, with one exception, no division between one English volume and the next coincides with any such division of the Latin."
     Here is n. 2736 of Elliott's translation of the Arcana, followed by the same number as translated for the original Volume II.

I have been informed that genuine conjugial love is innocence itself, which resides in wisdom. With those who have lived in conjugial love wisdom exists more than with all others in heaven, yet when looked at by others they are seen as little children in the bloom and springtime of life,     and whatever happens it is joy and happiness to them. They are in the inmost heaven, which is called the heaven of innocence. Through that heaven the Lord flows into conjugial love, and angels from it are present with men and women who live in that love. They are also present with little children in the first years of their life.

     The original translation of the same number is as follows:

I was instructed, that genuine conjugial Love is Innocence itself, which dwells in Wisdom; there are some who have lived in conjugial Love, who in Wisdom are before all in Heaven, and are even beheld by others, who appear as Infants in a flourishing and blooming Age; and whatever then happens, is to them joy and Felicity: They are in the inmost Heaven, which is called the Heaven of Innocence; from thence the Lord flows into conjugial Love; and from that heaven Angels assist Men who live in that Love; they likewise assist Infants in their first Age:. . . .

     Why was Volume II published serially, and why with translations? After the poor sales of Volume I, Swedenborg perhaps looking for ways to make this precious gift from the Lord available to more people while still leaving them in freedom.

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The public acceptance of the Heavenly Doctrines has not changed very much since they were first revealed. We are able to reach the minds of many more people through bookstores, newspapers and the Internet, but the Lord still compels no one. We must continue in every possible way to make them available to those who have faith.
REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1999

REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE Rev. FRANK S. ROSE 1999

     (5)

     "There are laws of the Divine Providence that are unknown to people." "It is a law of the Divine Providence that people should act in freedom according to reason" (DP 70, 71).

     When people hear that God is all-powerful, they take this to mean that God can do anything. But that is not really true. It is more accurate to say that "God can do anything He wants."
     At once this sets limits on the way God operates, because He chooses to follow His own laws of order. The Divine love operates wisely to achieve its ends. Getting to know something about these spiritual laws helps us to make sense out of our experience.
     Many people find it hard to reconcile life as we know it with the concept of a loving God. The existence of war, disease, pain and disorder makes them wonder if God knows about human suffering. If He does not know, then His knowledge is limited. If He does know but is unable to do anything to make things better, He is not all-powerful. The alternative, that He has the power to improve things but chooses not to, is unthinkable.
     It is so refreshing to think that there is order in the universe, and that the painful and difficult things of life can be understood once we gain some idea of the spiritual laws of creation.
     The study of science is based on the idea that there are laws that govern the way matter behaves.

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Continuing developments in science assume that there are many laws that are not yet known but that can be discovered. If someone were to convince us that the universe is a totally chaotic system without any laws, we would consider abandoning science altogether. What is the point of studying something that can never be understood?
     It is similar with our efforts to understand life. If someone were to convince us that there is no order to the course of human life, we would abandon any effort to understand God, and might eventually deny God altogether.
     There are spiritual laws. We can learn about these laws, and in doing so, can make better sense out of life.
     The first law governing how God deals with humans is that people should act in freedom according to reason. We have been created with two marvelous faculties-the ability to love, and the ability to think. The ability to love gives us freedom, and the ability to think is what we call reason.
     God works with us having total respect for these two faculties. This involves allowing people to make mistakes and grow from their mistakes. It also involves allowing people to think for themselves. Only the things that we do freely, and with some understanding, become part of our character. In all that God does with us, leading us through life to our spiritual home, these two faculties are carefully protected.
     Some say that the gift of freedom is too dangerous. People can and do misuse their freedom. But imagine if that gift were taken away. If we had no freedom, we would have no interest in life, no goals, nothing that we really dare about, since love and freedom go hand in hand. Since God wanted to share love with us, He gave us the ability to feel love and respond to it. This also means that He gave us the freedom to do with life as we will. It might seem like a terrible risk on God's part. But it was a risk worth taking, because it opens up for us the possibility of a free and loving enjoyment of life.

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ABOUT DYING 1999

ABOUT DYING LEON S. RHODES 1999

     Television and our daily newspapers are filled with accounts of people dying-victims of wars, tragic collisions, casualties of floods or earthquakes. The newspapers also have half a page or more of obituaries and death notices, and most of us are nearly always conscious of friends and relatives whose days "are numbered," as well as those unexpected deaths resulting from freak circumstances. And, of course, we realize that all of us will some day die. As believers in the doctrines of the New Church we accept that every death is meticulously under the control of the Divine Providence. We sense how blessed we are that we are spared those dreadful consequences of a death that results in devastating grief and doubts about the Lord's love and mercy.
     After more than two decades of involvement in the Near-Death-Experience field, I have been deeply moved by the changing attitudes brought about by the NDE, especially that all "experiencers" acknowledge that their brief glimpse into a life beyond this one resulted in profound new awareness of the purposes of this life. Today's attitudes about the possibility of a life beyond this one have greatly affected the religious beliefs of most people, beyond the accepted creeds of other denominations.
     Additionally, I had a moving personal experience when I had occasion to ponder the question "When will we die?" An abrupt unexplainable vision replied, "We will die just after we have gone through the last experience that will serve us to eternity." This thought-provoking idea has stimulated much thought, and this article is the result of my discoveries exploring this fascinating subject.
     We realize that death may come under myriad different circumstances, but we acknowledge that in each case the Divine Providence is controlling this apparent tragedy so that it will be for our eternal welfare. Consider first the undeniable fact that death may come in such a variety of ways, many of them involving extended discomfort or excruciating pain and horror.

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Just think of the millions of people through the past ages who have perished in terrible ways. Yet today we have the testimony of many thousands of people who have "died" and then recovered, reporting that during this experience they had no consciousness of suffering. They seem casually indifferent even when they were able to view from above their own crumpled and battered bodies. They often tell us that it was when they "re-entered" their bodies that they again felt the pain, that their NDE, be it short or long, was a beautiful experience of love and beauty unrelated to the circumstances of their demise.
     Although there have been "dark" or "negative" NDEs, recovering experiencers can almost invariably report that they have no fear of death. How important that we remind ourselves of this when we are confronted by a situation which appears to totally deny the Lord's careful mercy.
     Undeniably, we associate dying with suffering. Since we all have known pain, sickness and even those little pre-views such as sleep, falling unconscious, sedation or even "passing out," we are entitled to associate the process of dying with extreme discomfort. But there is abundant evidence that the fright and agony eases, and even the fear fades away as death approaches.
     Ponder, too, the enormous difference in those deaths which are unexpected or instantaneous, compared with those in which, even for a brief moment, we may sense our "last experience," such as in a stricken plunging airplane, a fall from a great height or some situation in which we are aware that death is probable. When we are facing a serious operation or a severe medical condition, there is a period during which the victim suspects that survival is unlikely. Most of us have friends or relatives who at this very moment must face the prospect of dying-perhaps soon, and possibly painfully.
     It is common to hear people declare that they hope that when it is their turn to die, it will be "quick and painless." And we are inclined to be grateful for those deaths which appear to us to be free from suffering, or even a merciful release from torment.

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Yet it somehow seems appropriate that we will be drawn out of this all physical body in a way which will free us from the misery and limitations of earthly existence and enable us to enter a beautiful new existence without the discomforts to which we are so susceptible.
     Aside from the warnings of eloquent preachers about deserved punishment for our transgressions, we seek reassurance that the Lord has no intention to punish us. Only those inclinations to wickedness will themselves constitute an earned chastisement if we freely choose to permit evil to have its way.
     Pain, therefore, is regrettably useful. Indeed, pain is essential to our earthly existence since we thereby can learn to avoid sharp objects, fire, falls, and poisons. A certain amount of agony is an effective warning that our body needs medical attention or avoidance of certain behavior. Even in the afterlife, the Writings tell us, wicked spirits are permitted to experience pain, such as in Arcana 322, "the pains and torments endured in hell," "the pain of being torn asunder" (AC 829), "wrenchings and various collisions with the greatest pain and torture" (AC 831); and Swedenborg himself felt pain inflicted by evil spirits who opposed his teachings. Such pains are not willed by the Lord but are permitted in order that good may come of it.
     The Lord's mercy includes the fact that certain illnesses and injuries cause unconsciousness, sometimes for long periods, and even then there is still valuable communication with the spiritual world, such as for a patient in a prolonged coma or what we would consider a painful death. We are unable to judge the ways in which such periods may serve an unconscious person, yet we would not deny that there is an eternal reason for even such experiences. In many instances, then, the approach of death provides an opportunity to turn our thoughts to the subject of the life beyond. This may frequently be accompanied by the sense that we will be faced by some sort of judgment or evaluation of our lives.

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How well have we lived? What evils have we committed or tolerated, and what are our qualifications for the blessed state promised from the moment we were born? During our life we have freely made uncountable choices, and NDE experiencers have reported that their few moments in a higher realm of consciousness have included a "life review" in which they were shown in meticulous detail everything they have ever done, and their reason for doing it!
     Earthly suffering, then, can bring about motivation to shift our attention to the unknown prospects ahead of us, can bring about a good reason to try to "prepare ourselves." And this can happen vicariously. If we attend the funeral of a friend or visit a patient to ICU, it affects us. The eulogist describing a deceased person can influence us either to emulate or even to avoid some aspects of that person's conduct which we have tended to overlook. Reports of a dreadful accident abruptly shift our thoughts to the ways in which disaster can strike without warning. What will be said, or not said at our own funeral or news accounts of a tragic accident? Quite a few people have been motivated to break their nicotine habit others have adopted improved diets to extend life expectancy, and the use of seat belts and safety devices gives the appearance that we can influence the moment when we will be called up yonder.
     It can be beneficial for humans to contemplate their own demise. (Animals scamper from danger, yet pay surprisingly little attention to death.) We can and should be disturbed by the sight of others bereft of vigor and health, withered and weakened by lost control of muscular motions and normal sensations. It is proper that we instinctively recoil from the sight of an empty corpse, even if covered with a policeman's tarpaulin or a shroud. What had been a living, loving human has become merely a "thing" for interment or cremation, with a stone monument or metal plaque as a reminder of the person who is no longer among us.
     These things are as they should be. They are essential to the experience which will shape our real life awaiting us.

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Even our sorrow and anguish during bereavement challenge us to make an effort we would otherwise neglect. Octogenarians, like myself, are entitled to contemplate that inevitable process we so frantically try to avoid. It is good for us to remind ourselves of our classmates, friends and relatives who have preceded us, and all of us can be thankful for the teachings which make it possible to better understand the wonders of living-in preparation for the real life which awaits.
WORSHIP FOR ASSEMBLY 2000 1999

WORSHIP FOR ASSEMBLY 2000 1999

     Of course, worshiping the Lord our God is the reason we come together in any New Church assembly. In Guelph, Ontario, Canada, June 21-25, 2000, we will consider "The Many Faces of the Church" in various forms of worship-to touch your heart, inspire you and bring you closer to the Lord.
     Wednesday evening we will open the assembly with worship for everyone, including children. Then there will be three worship services daily: a "celebration" worship service with readings, prayer and singing; a prayer/meditation service for those who prefer a more reflective start to the day; adult and teen vespers. We will also offer a Holy Supper service.
     Sunday we will have three worship services. Choose one or choose them all: an early worship for those who need an early start before travel; a contemporary service; a traditional service. We are planning a variety of styles so that you can find something you are familiar with, or try something new.
     Michael Cowley, pastor of the Carmel Church in Kitchener, Ontario, and his wife Gwenda head the worship team, and welcome your ideas and your assistance (ushers, chancel, talent, etc.). They can be reached at the Carmel Church, 40 Chapel Hill Drive, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2G 3W5, or e-mail [email protected], or phone (519)748-5802.

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IF ANIMALS COULD TALK 1999

IF ANIMALS COULD TALK Editor 1999

     Editorial Pages
     The notion has existed in this world that if only animals could talk, they would tell us remarkable things. There is indeed a poetic passage in the book of Job which says, "Ask the beasts, and they will teach you, and the birds of the air, and they will tell you." But surely this is symbolic, for the passage even says to ask the fish of the sea and they will explain to you! The Writings quote this appealing passage and say that it is really an invitation to observe, study and judge from these things that the Lord created them (see TCR 308).
     The thought that animals could tell us things is exemplified in the saying of some in the spiritual world that animals have the same faculty of reason as human beings and that "therefore if animals could talk, they would reason on any subject as cleverly as human beings." And this would show that they think "in accordance with the same reason and prudence as human beings"
(CL 152)1.
     1 CL 152 is 156 in some editions.
     A new book to which we have referred in recent editorials is If a Lion Could Talk by Stephen Budianski. The book is a serious study, but it resorts to humor occasionally to show the absurdity of ascribing human reason to animals. We will quote presently an example in which angels portray this absurdity. I can remember reading this passage during an address to a General Assembly of the church, and I was struck with the laughter of hundreds of people while I was reading True Christian Religion 335.
     Before we get to that, I would quote the beginning of a cute story by Mark Twain, who not only amuses the reader but also seems subtly to hint at the absurdity of which we have just spoken.

Animals talk to each other, of course. There can be no question about that; but I suppose there are very few people who can understand them.

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I never knew but one man who could. I knew he could, however, because he told me so himself. . . . According to Jim Baker, some animals have only a limited education, and use only very simple words, and scarcely ever a comparison or a flowery figure; whereas, certain other animals have a large vocabulary, a fine command of language and a ready and fluent delivery; consequently these latter talk a great deal, and they enjoy "showing off." Baker said that after long and careful observation, he had come to the conclusion that the blue-jays were the best talkers he had found among birds and beasts. Said he: "There's more to a blue-jay than any other creature. He has got more moods, and more different kinds of feelings than other creatures and mind you, whatever a blue-jay feels, he can put into language, and no mere commonplace language, either, but rattling, out-and-out book talk bristling with metaphor, too-just bristling! And as for command of language-why you never see a blue-jay get stuck for a word. No man ever did. They just boil out of him! And another thing: I've noticed a good deal, and there's no bird, or cow, or anything that uses as good grammar as a blue-jay. You may say a cat uses good grammar. Well, a cat does-but you let a cat get excited, once; you let a cat get to pulling fur with another cat on a shed, nights, and you'll hear grammar that will give you lockjaw. Ignorant people think it's the noise which fighting cats make that is so aggravating, but it ain't so; it's the sickening grammar they use. Now I've ever heard jay use bad grammar but very seldom; and when they do, they are ashamed as a human; they shut right down and leave.

You may call a jay a bird. Well, so he is, in a measure-because he's got feathers on him, and don't belong to no church, perhaps; but otherwise he is just as much a human as you be. And I'll tell you why.

A jay's gifts and instincts and feelings, and interests, cover the whole ground.

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A jay hasn't got any more principle than a Congressman. A jay will lie, a jay will steal, a jay will deceive, a jay will betray; and four times out of five, a jay will go back on his solemnest promise . . . . There's another thing: a jay can out swear any gentleman in the mines. You think a cat can swear. Well, a cat can; but you give a blue-jay a subject that calls for his reserve powers, and where is your cat? Don't talk to me-I know too much about this thing . . . . Yes, sir, a jay is everything that a man is. A jay can cry, a jay can laugh, a jay can feel shame, a jay can reason and plan and discuss, a jay likes gossip and scandal, a jay has got a sense of humor, a jay knows when he is an ass as well as you do-maybe better. If a jay ain't human, he better take in sign, that's all.

Well, so much for Baker's Blue-jay Yarn. Let us now enjoy: passage from True Christian Religion.

An angel addresses some people as follows: "You believe that beasts have connate ideas; and this you have inferred from the fact that their actions seem to proceed from thought; and yet they have no thought whatever, and ideas are only predicable of thought. Furthermore, it is a characteristic of thought that those who think act in this or that manner for this or that purpose. Consider, therefore, whether the spider which weaves its web with such perfect art thinks in its little head, I will stretch out my threads in this way, and bind them together with crossthreads, so that my web may not be blown asunder by a violent rush of air; at the inner ends of the threads, which shall form the center of the web, I will prepare a seat for myself, where I shall feel whatever touches my web, and run at once to the spot; so that if a fly gets in, he shall be entangled, and I will rush upon him instantly and bind him fast, and he shall serve me for food. Or again, does a bee think in his little head, I will fly abroad; I know where there are fields in bloom; and there I will get wax from the flowers . . . .

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Again, does the hornet think in his little head, I and my companions will build ourselves a little house of thin paper, the walls of which we will make within like a labyrinth; and in the inmost we will prepare a kind of forum to which there shall be a way of ingress and of egress, contrived with such art that no living creature, except those belonging to our own family, shall find the way to the inmost place where we are assembled? Again, does the silkworm, while it is a grub, think in its little head, Now is the time for me to prepare to spin silk, so that when it is spun, I may fly forth, and in the air, into which I could not ascend before, may sport with my equals and provide myself a posterity?"
CONGRATULATIONS TO JOHN ELLIOTT 1999

CONGRATULATIONS TO JOHN ELLIOTT Editor 1999

     The number is TCR 335, to which we may be referring again.

     The twelfth volume of Arcana Caelestia has been published in London. The first volume was published in 1983. At that time Rev. John Elliott wrote an eleven-page translator's introduction. On one of those pages he says, "When Arcana Caelestia was first published, Swedenborg did not seek any financial rewards. Indeed, he met the printing costs out of his own pocket and instructed his publisher to contribute any profits from sales to the work of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel . . . . We may say therefore that these books were a free gift to the whole world. In fact, whole sets were literally given away by Swedenborg . . . . No less today are these volumes a gift to all mankind."
     Now in 1999, the translator offers some notes for the final volume. He thanks people who have worked with him, especially Lisa Hyatt Cooper, his major consultant. He reminds us that into each of the Latin volumes Swedenborg inserted the inscription: Quaerite primo regnum Dei, et justitiam Ejus, et omnia adjacientur vobis-"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

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     Then the translator, writing in 1999, adds: "I pray that the wisdom contained in all those volumes, now offered to the world in twelve volumes of this new translation that have been published one by one during the past sixteen years, may be imparted to everyone who seeks to be a citizen of God's kingdom and to lead a righteous life there. And let thanks be given to Him from whom that wisdom comes, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!"

     We offer congratulations to Elliott for those years of service and achievement. We hope to give attention to this volume later.
     "What anyone does out of love remains inscribed on his heart, for love is the fire of life, and so constitutes the life in everyone. Consequently, as the love is, so the life is; and as the life is, that is as the love is, so the entire person is in soul and in body" (AC 10740).
COINCIDENCES IN THE WORD 1999

COINCIDENCES IN THE WORD Editor 1999

     (4)

     Before You Even Ask

     We have mentioned the man who was amazed when a wife for Isaac came upon the scene before he had even finished his prayer about it. In the Scriptures we have the words of a prayer by Daniel who testifies that Gabriel came to him "while I was speaking . . . yes, while I was speaking in prayer . . . . " And Gabriel said "At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved" (Daniel 9:20-23).
     We are told that a person does not need to enumerate his sins when he prays to the Lord, because the Lord "led him to search them out, disclosed them, and inspired grief for them, and together with this an effort to refrain from them and begin a new life." Here is the way a more recent translation renders this. "The Lord also guided the person in self-examination, disclosed the sins, and inspired sadness and together with this an effort to desist from them and begin a new life" (TCR 539).

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When we stop to think about this, it gives an awesome feeling, as do some coincidences in life. We might say to ourselves, "Surely, the Lord is in this place and I did not know it." How intimately He is present with us. He even "touches" our free-will but does not violate it (see TCR 74:3). Once a leper knelt before the Lord and said, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." The Lord's response was, "I am willing; be cleansed" (Mark 1:41).
The Lord knows our needs. "Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things." Indeed your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him" (Matt. 6:8). In the words of Isaiah, "Before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear" (65:24).
LANGUAGE OF ANGELS 1999

LANGUAGE OF ANGELS 1999

     Excerpts from a Chapter of Heaven and Hell
     from a New Translation by Dr. George Dole

     234. Angels talk with each other just the way we do in this world. They talk about various things-domestic matters, community concerns, issues of moral life, and issues of spiritual life. There is no difference except that they talk with each other more intelligently than we do because they talk from a deeper level of thought.
     I have often been allowed to be in their company and talk with them like one friend with another, or sometimes like one stranger with another; and since at such times I was in a state like theirs, it seemed exactly as though I were talking with people on earth.
     235. Angelic language, like human language, is differentiated into words. it is similarly uttered audibly and heard audibly. Angels have mouths and tongues and ears just as we do; and they also have an atmosphere in which the sound of their language is articulated. However, it is a spiritual atmosphere that is adapted to angels, who are spiritual. Angels breathe in their atmosphere and use their breath to utter words just the way we do in ours.

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AMBITION 1999

AMBITION Rev. Ian Johnson 1999

     Communications
Dear Editor:
     Thanks to Kurt Asplundh for firm warnings (in your February issue) about the danger of ambition-so necessary in our success-oriented culture. Indeed we should probably give the subject much more prominence! A glance through Swedenborg's mentions of "pre-eminence" and "super-eminence" can be very sobering to the ambitious. "It is a Divine truth . . . that within heavenly glory there is never any element of being pre-eminent over another, for insofar as such pre-eminence occurs, hell is present; also that within heavenly glory there is not the least trace of worldly glory" (AC 1936:4).
     It's wonderful that the Lord can turn this hellish urge to so many useful results, but is it justifiable for society to rely on the competitive urge for success to get children educated, commerce flourishing, excellence in sport and the arts, and for our enjoyment of leisure? When this question is raised, even in Christian and New Church groups, some people clearly believe that ambition and competitiveness are inevitable and indispensable.
     No wonder that, as Kurt quotes from Divine Providence, the Lord has to work quietly and gradually to remove this evil from our hearts, but wouldn't it be easier for us if we were not reared-even by our families and church groups-to take it so much for granted?
     Rev. Ian Johnson,
          Croydon, England
NEW TRANSLATION 1999

NEW TRANSLATION Carl Gunther 1999

Dear Editor:
It was thrilling for those of us who were able to attend the Swedenborg Foundation luncheon on April 17-thrilling to know that publication of Swedenborg's theological writings has been carried on by dedicated men and women for 150 years, and thrilling to learn of the New Century Edition which is about to be published.

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To be given a sample of the new more readable text which follows more closely in translation the Latin in which Swedenborg wrote was "icing on the cake." The new format for the work Heaven and Its Wonders and Hell is truly easy reading and readily understandable, just as Swedenborg must have intended it to be.
     There is one area, however, where the translator's goal for rendering the Latin more understandable has in fact (in my opinion) led to confusion rather than clarity: for example, in number 241 of the excerpt, where he renders the Latin word "celestial" as "heavenly" kingdom. This is no doubt a correct translation, but it confuses the reader as to what level of heaven is being talked about. It seems this is a case where using the original Latin word would give a clearer picture to the reader. Swedenborg gives the name "celestial" to the inmost or highest heaven to differentiate it from the spiritual and natural heavens because it is made up of angels whose ruling love is of the Lord rather than the neighbor. If it is not too late to change the new text in this regard, it would seem wise to do so for the sake of clarity.
     One more point should be added, though it may not apply to all translators. Apparently it has become the custom to put all personal pronouns in lower case, even those which refer to the Lord. One of the surest ways to debase the holiness of the Divine Word is to allow such practices to creep into the otherwise highly valued work of the translators and publishers. The Divine Commandments require us to "Honor [our] Father and Mother"; in other words, the Lord and His church. We must ever be on our guard to avoid any practice that tends to render in a worldly and common way what should be held in holiness.
     Congratulations to all those whose efforts have brought forth in a more useful form those works which represent the Lord's Second Coming.
     Carl Gunther,
          Bryn Athyn, PA

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PERVERSION OF WHAT? 1999

PERVERSION OF WHAT? Patricia Rose 1999

Dear Editor:
     The article "Sex and Violence" in the May '99 issue, p. 201, provided an interesting new slant on adultery-its relationship to cruelty. Perhaps more study will be given to this.
     What prompts my letter is a notion that has also been promoted by others: "The Writings describe homosexuality as one of many forms of adultery" (p. 206 in that article). Actually they don't. It's understandable that, since the Writings don't even mention homosexuality by name, what they say about the men of Sodom (e.g. see AC 2220) is applied to the subject, and whole studies of homosexuality have centered on this. But there is a major problem with this, and Rev. John Odhner pointed it out in NCL October 1993, p. 462. The violent action by the men of Sodom against the angels visiting Lot's house (see Genesis 19) involved much more than homosexuality. Spiritually their actions are characterized in the internal sense as representing the love of self, and involve the love of dominion (e.g., see AC 2141, AR 502). Couldn't equating with homosexuality the men of Sodom's violence lead us in the wrong direction?
     AC 2220 says, "[I]t appears as if by 'Sodom' were signified evil of the worst adultery . . . . " It's curious that some people ignore the "it appears as if" and the equation is made: "Sodom" signifies the evil of the worst adultery. AC 2322 is similar: ". . . may suppose that by 'Sodom' is meant a filthiness contrary to the order of nature." Why did Swedenborg use the expressions "it appears as if" and "may suppose"? Perhaps Rev. Dan Goodenough discovered the answer. In a letter in the August 1984 NCL, p. 405, Mr. Goodenough points out that historically, those in Swedenborg's time referred to homosexuality obliquely and not directly because the practice was so repulsive to them. So in those numbers perhaps Swedenborg was cautioning those of that era not to jump to conclusions. And it's a caution for us too. "Sodom" is not to signify the evil of the worst adultery.

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Let's be careful that the thought of those times doesn't become doctrine to us.
     To understand homosexuality apart from violent action we need to see what good love(s) it is the opposite of. The Writings often say that we understand loves by their opposites.
     CL 55:6 states that besides the love between a man and a woman, there is a love between two men and also a love between two women. "And these three pairs of loves are completely different from each other . . . . These [two] loves, namely, the love between two men and the love between two women, do not enter deeply into their hearts, but remain outside and only touch. Thus these loves do not unite the two of them interiorly" (a definite argument against homosexual "marriages"). The whole book Conjugial Love treats of the man/woman love and its perversions. Its goal is not to treat of the other two loves, but some people have supposed that homosexuality is the perversion of conjugial love opposite love(s) to it because sex is involved. It's worth investigating what is the opposite love(s) to it.
     We know that the opposite of conjugial love is adultery (see CL 425). It always involves a man and a woman. But what is the opposite or perversion of the other two loves mentioned above? Because a man represents faith and a woman charity, perhaps male homosexuality represents faith alone (i.e., without charity) and lesbianism represents charity alone (without faith). AC 8423 tells us that "everything in the universe has relation to good and truth or love and faith . . . . [T]hese two when conjoined are circumstanced in like manner as are a married pair; they love each other, conceive and bring forth; and the consequent offspring is called fruit . . . . [W]ithout the conjunction of these two nothing is ever born or produced . . . . [W]ithout love or charity, faith can produce no fruit . . . . " What a clear picture of male homosexuality!
     There are some instances of faith alone being portrayed by adultery, such as Reuben's lying with his father's concubine representing faith alone combined with an evil affection-see AC 3870).

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Maybe the explanation is in AC 6348: if faith has no dwelling place with good, "it must either become null or be conjoined with evil." Perhaps male homosexuality portrays faith's becoming null, and the adulterous conjunction of male and female portrays its conjunction with evil. The latter is adultery but obviously is not homosexuality. (See SD 5929e, 6001e, and 6096.) AC 341 speaks of "faith separated from love, which is no faith [faith made null]." If faith is not applied to life, it is nullified.
     Concerning charity alone, AR 107-110 talks about those represented by Pergamos, who "place the all of the church in good works." When someone says, "I am your neighbor and on this account I must get Preferential treatment," those people are helpful without inquiring who and what the person seeking aid is, because they do not have truths, and only by truths can distinctions be made regarding who is the neighbor to be benefitted (see AC 2388:3, 6704 and 8120). See AE 232 regarding charity alone.
     One common argument that some give to justify homosexual feelings is that of having been attracted to the same sex for most of their lives. To New Churchmen this is inadequate reasoning because we know that all of us are born with tendencies to evils of every kind. A tendency to lie, to steal, or to be selfish isn't justified because we are: born with it, and neither is homosexuality. Because homosexual feelings seem like love, the hells, who are adept at making evil seem good, have real power over the person having them. As Rev. Patrick Rose said in a sermon, "The greatest danger posed by evil lies in the fact that it doesn't seem dangerous to us at all . . . . It is only as we are lifted out of [it] that we can come to understand how great the danger really was."
     If we can slough off the prevalent notion that homosexuality is a perversion of conjugial love, i.e., adultery, perhaps we can begin to see it in its true light, and give more help to those struggling with it.
     New Churchmen can definitely be in faith alone or charity alone (with or without being homosexual on the natural plane).

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Let's give some thought to homosexuality's being the opposite of the good man/man relationship and the good woman/woman relationship as mentioned in CL 55.
Patricia Rose,
Huntingdon Valley, PA
ARE THE WRITINGS A COVENANT? 1999

ARE THE WRITINGS A COVENANT? Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom 1999

Dear Editor:
     Rev. Erik Sandstrom, Sr. (March NCL, p. 112-121) comments on my statement that "the Writings are not a continuation of Scripture, not a covenant . . . " (Jan. NCL, p. 24-25). We agree that the New Church is governed by the Lord, through the Writings. Thus the order for our government comes directly out of the pages of the Second Coming of the Lord. The difference may be over whether the Writings themselves are actually a covenant. The implications are that the government would differ if they are a covenant from if they are not. In this sense the Lord's whole government of His church depends on this question.
     I can summarize my main points from January (Jan. NCL, 21-30).
     Both covenants or testaments (OT and NT) have a literal sense containing a spiritual sense, and by definition effect conjunction. (Mr. Sandstrom agrees that "The two testaments are covenants," p. 117.)
     The Writings arose from the spiritual sense of "both testaments," which is the "same as the      doctrine in heaven . . . presented in the following pages,. . . in this book" (NJHD 7), given in "print at this day" (De Verbo 21), a revelation constituting the "second coming of the Lord" (TCR 779).
     The Writings, therefore, are doctrine, not Scripture, not a covenant nor a testament. They do not      conjoin the New Heaven and the New Church.

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     Mr. Sandstrom's main points, as I gather them, were:
     There is nothing in the Writings "that says or implies that the Writings are not a covenant" (NCL March, p. 114).
     Love is the essential covenant, and this can be effected by the Writings (p. 115).
     Genuine truths found in both testaments, but most of all in the Writings, are "naked passages"      which are the manifestation of the "spiritual sense of the Word now disclosed" (AE 950:2, p. 120), meant by the Holy Jerusalem. This truth in the Writings conjoins us with heaven, making them a covenant.
     Invitation to the New Church 44 (quoted on p. 120) mentions that "this revelation [has opened] a      communication between men and angels, and the conjunction of the two worlds." That conjunction makes them a covenant.
     The Writings equate covenant with testament: "My blood, that of the New Covenant (Matt.      26:27-28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20). By 'the blood of the New Covenant' or testament, nothing else is signified but the Word, which is called 'covenant' and 'Testament,' Old and New, thus the Divine truth therein" (AR 379).
     So if the Writings are a covenant, then they are a testament too. Both testaments are Sacred Scripture. However, the term "Word" includes both doctrine and Scripture (see AC 3712:2). It seems clear to me that the Writings are not Scripture, but that they are the doctrine and internal sense "drawn" from the literal sense (see SS 54).
     Besides, the "two" or "both" covenants or testaments are mentioned over 30 times in the Writings, always involving conjunction. This takes place by discrete degrees or contiguity, i. e., the spiritual sense is as a soul within the literal sense as body (see TCR 192). Both covenants and testaments are thus Scriptures, the body, and are still so.

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They have their spiritual sense, or soul, revealed and opened up in the Writings. But whereas the Scriptures were dictated in various ways, the Writings were revealed out of heaven and "drawn" from the Word of Scripture. And so the spiritual sense of Scripture was published in works sometimes named by the Writings themselves: "these little works," "the following pages," etc. (De Verbo 21, NJHD 7). The Writings clearly fall into a different category from Scripture. And being a new revelation, they have changed the relationship between the heavens and the church on earth: "There is not any conjunction of men with angels but consociation with them . . . . The Lord alone is to be adored in consociation with angels" (AR 946).
     When John bowed to the angel, it means that "there is nothing divine in angels and they are not to be adored and invoked . . . but they are associated with men as brethren with brethren, with those who worship the Lord" (AR 818; cf 945).
     This camaraderie is new! It has to do with "observing and doing the precepts . . . [the doctrine of the New Jerusalem]" (AR 944, emphasis added). I believe this is the life and the love that Mr. Sandstrom and AE 950 say conjoins. Agreed. For the "Lord Himself is called 'the Covenant' because conjunction is effected by Himself with Himself through the Divine which proceeds from Himself" (AE 701:4). But it is still the "Word" that conjoins (ibid.). When we love and live by that truth, however, we come into the celestial sense of the Word, which is not so much written-except on the heart-but just lived (see AC 10505:4). That love is not really in writing, but in the Lord and in life.
     Invitation 44, quoted by Mr. Sandstrom (p.120), does say that "through this revelation the Writings], a communication has been opened between men and the angels of heaven, and the conjunction of the two worlds has been effected." However, conjunction takes place "because when man is in the natural sense, the angels are in the spiritual sense" (ibid.).
     Again, Scripture is the Covenant. The "natural sense" is Sacred Scriptures, and the Writings by exposition show the existence of a spiritual sense in the literal by the word "signifies"!

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So Invitation 44 says this conjunction takes place by "this-signifies-that" exposition! If you read those passages of the Writings, you are conjoined. It is "bowing" to the angel. But as for the internal sense in its own terms, this "is doctrine itself" (AC 9280), "the same as the doctrine they have in heaven" (NJHD 7); for "doctrine . . . is what the internal sense teaches" (AC 10400:3). Doctrine communicates. We stand up and face the angels as comrades. Thus Invitation 44 says doctrine communicates, while exposition conjoins. At least that is one way to look at it.
     It perhaps involves the angelic language, which is of course ineffable, beyond comprehension. Yet "doctrinal" arcana of heaven can be completely expressed: for "the internal sense of the Word [on earth] coincides completely with the universal language in which are the angels, or with the spiritual speech of their thought" (AC 4387).
     The speech of angels from their thoughts coincides with the internal sense of the Word! How convenient, since these thoughts have now been revealed as the internal sense of the Word, equal doctrine of heaven in human language! There are "no Divine arcana which may not be perceived and expressed . . . to the rational comprehension, by words of natural language" (De Verbo 6). I believe we take the Writings as fait accompli in that regard. Thus the same doctrines are in both languages, angelic and human-communication and consociation, but not conjunction. "There is not any conjunction of men with angels, but consociation with them . . . . The Lord alone is to be adored in consociation with angels" (AR 946; cf. 818).
     How does government differ, depending on how we regard the Writings? It comes down to the Lord Himself being the "Covenant." It is with Him we are conjoined now, but no longer with the angels. Instead, we stand together with the angels and are conjoined with the Lord. A new era!
     So I agree with Mr. Sandstrom that we are conjoined with the Lord by means of the Writings, but I do not see that the Writings conjoin us with heaven.

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But since the Writings are Heavenly Doctrines, and are the same as the angels have them except for the language, therefore it would be the Lord's Divine Human, which after the resurrection "became an essence by itself that fills the universal heaven" (AC 3061), with whom we are now conjoined. Since He is "Our Father who art in the heavens," and it is "out of heaven" that the New Jerusalem-i.e., heavenly doctrine-descends (see NJHD 7, AR 896), the conjunction is now different from the Old Testament mode. We are now in a New Testament mode of conjunction, which is again altered by the Second Advent: we see the Lord's hands and feet and then see Him as above this appearance also: "He passed above [this appearance] and became the Divine good itself or Jehovah even as to the human" (AC 5307:2). He cannot now be thought of as "human, but as Divine love in human form, and this so much more than the angels" (AC 4735:2).
     This is pretty heavy doctrine coming out of a quibble of words, I but it is part of the "visible God" theme of which Mr. Sandstrom is of course a well published author. I am sure we see eye to eye on the idea of the Divine Human being the Covenant itself, and the Divine Human being present in the Writings in a doctrinal form, so that conjunction with Him, and consociation with the angels, is possible by study and life according to doctrine.
     So, yes, the Lord's government of the New Church takes place from, in and together with the Writings. The Writings are not a covenant between the church and heaven, but are a manifestation of the Lord as a Covenant, being the inmost meaning of both testaments. One most practical outcome of this is not to bow to any human being either, or to have favorite "gurus" of a certain viewpoint of doctrine. The Lord alone is Covenant.
     Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom,
          Huntingdon Valley, PA

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SURREY CIRCLE (Cont.) 1999

SURREY CIRCLE (Cont.) Ninette Little 1999

     We spoke last time of activities around 1960. In those days the people of Surrey enjoyed visits from Rev. Erik Sandstrom, and on at least three occasions Pastors Frank and Don Rose came together to visit us.
     After Don Rose came the younger Rev. Erik Sandstrom, who provided doctrinal instruction between 1973 and 1981. In 1975 at the end of May we had a grand South Country gathering attended by about 60 people. This was led in part by Rev. Bjorn Boyesen and his capable wife Lois.
     In 1982 Rev. Ottar Larsen and his wife Alison came to London. Ottar provided classes, occasional services and day visits, with activities for children. Occasionally also we had services conducted by Rev. Robert McMaster. The home of the Burt family provided the setting with both a piano and an organ.
     Robert conducted a survey and concluded that Woking was the best geographic center for the majority. We held services there twice monthly.
     Rev. Fred Elphick began conducting classes in the area in 1985. The arrival in 1987 of Caroline and Steven David brought about a burst of activity. They were an enthusiastic young couple dedicated to the ideal of the growth and spread of the church in Britain and especially here in Surrey. Bishop King encouraged us to prepare for the status of a "circle." "A circle consists of members of the General Church in any locality who are under the leadership of a resident or visiting pastor . . ." (Order and Organization of the General Church). Among other newcomers to settle in Surrey was Nathan Morley.
     On September 4, 1988, at a meeting of the whole group, we appointed officers and an evangelization committee. We held two public events which were advertised to the public.     Later, feeling the need to become better informed doctrinally, we began a study course beginning with volume of Arcana Coelestia.
     In October of 1989 the Surrey Group officially become a circle! An operating committee consisted of Nathan Morley, David Gath, Steven David and Ninette Little.
     Our first AGM (Annual General Meeting) was held on March 8, 1991.
     The monthly meetings to study the Arcana have continued for nearly nine years. This has involved us in much serious discussion and has greatly increased our knowledge of-and delight in-the truths of the Writings.
     The ever generously willing Norman Turner made himself available in any emergency, as both a lay preacher and organist, sometimes serving both duties during the same service! To the above-mentioned committee were added members at large, Ted Wooderson and Dr. David Lister.
     David had come across the Writings quite "by chance" in India and was baptized into the New Church at a service in Woking in 1990.
     In 1992 Rev. Chris Bown wrote a proposal that a third minister should be sought to serve in England and in Scandinavia.

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This was unanimously supported by our circle. Rev. Goran Appelgren, newly ordained, planned to come to England, his wife Josephine (Turner) being from Surrey. The circle began to put an advertisement fortnightly in the Surrey Advertiser. This read, "Philosophic and theological discussions based on the works of Emanuel Swedenborg. For further details ring . . . . " Seventeen people phoned. Eight showed genuine interest, and four came to one or more evening discussions.
     In September Goran and Josephine arrived and settled in Guildford. Goran devoted 50% of his time to the affairs of the Surrey Circle. Regular Wednesday evening meetings were held. Four lively and useful brainstorming sessions were held on the following questions:
     Why do we want to grow?
     What do we have to offer?
     What are the barriers?
     What can we do?
     Our Sunday School led by Christine Gath and Helen Turner did very worthwhile work. 1993 was our most active and rewarding year. To our distress, in April of 1994 we had to face the departure of Goran and Josephine Appelgren, who took up pastoral duties in Sweden in July.
     We then began a new period in the life of the Surrey Circle. With Fred Elphick as our visiting pastor and Ted Wooderson as our chairman, it was agreed to continue with our monthly doctrinal and Word study classes. In the spring we had three successful meetings at the Guildford Institute on the theme "New Light on Relationships." At the AGM on March 15, 1995, Pastor Elphick was able to report that everything was going smoothly. After the departure of the resident pastor, more tasks had to be delegated, but members had taken these on willingly and the circle was "now more closely knit and is in very good spirit."
     Here we are, early in 1999 with our numbers much depleted by deaths, departures, defections and serious illness, but we are undaunted! We maintain our twice-monthly services, to which we frequently welcome visitors. We enjoy our monthly doctrinal class, and during the past few years have studied a number of the Writings, including The Four Doctrines, Last Judgment, Apocalypse Revealed, and Conjugial Love. We continue with our challenging study of the Arcana, and maintain our personal efforts to be worthy and prepared to meet-sensitively-the needs of others with the truths of the Writings, whenever and wherever the need arises. We do still intend to consider again the possibility of advertising or other evangelization efforts when the time seems appropriate.
     Ninette Little
     (excerpted by D. L. Rose)

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ORDINATION 1999

Announcements
Bell-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, April 11, 1999, Reuben Paul Bell into the second degree of the priesthood, Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss officiating.
NEW CHURCH CAMPS 1999

NEW CHURCH CAMPS 1999

     The British Academy Summer School is held in England. This year it will go from July 18th to 31st. Already enrolled are students from Ghana, Brazil, Sweden, France, Denmark and the United States. Contact Mrs. G. P. Dawson, 28 Parklands Rd., Streatham, SW16 6TE England. Here are some other church camps:
     Laurel-Three identical camps for all ages at Laurel Hill State Park near Pittsburgh on July 25-31 (week 1), August 1-7 (week 2), August 8-14 (week 3). The theme is "The Voice of the Lord."
     Sunrise-A camp for adults (college age and up) at Deer Park near New Hope, Pennsylvania (not far from Bryn Athyn), Tuesday evening through Sunday morning, August 10-15. The theme is "The Ten Commandments: The Second Table."
     New Church Family Camp at Jacob's Creek-A camp for all ages. Theme: "Three ways of loving the Lord: conjugial love, love of children, mutual love." August 7-10. Held at Laurelville Mennoite Church Camp in the mountains of western Pennsylvania, about fifty miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
     Camp Winding Waters-at Menucha, Oregon, August 19-22.

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MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS 1999

MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Rev. Peter M. Buss 1999

     The Rev. Kurt Horigan Asplundh has accepted appointment as Bishop's Representative to the United Kingdom, effective immediately. As a Bishop's Representative, he will be a mentor to the ministers in the United Kingdom, do their development reviews, and will keep in contact with them by telephone to offer support. He will also visit on an annual basis, and preside over the British Assembly.
     The following changes will be effective July 1, 1999.
     The Rt. Rev. Louis B. King has agreed to be Acting Pastor of the San Diego Society. The society will be without a pastor because of the move of the Rev. Stephen Cole to the Academy. Bishop and Mrs. King have kindly agreed to establish a strong presence in San Diego, although they will also be in Bryn Athyn for portions of each month. The San Diego Society is embarking on an ambitious outreach program, and Bishop and Mrs. King's presence will make a great difference to this important effort.
     Candidate Stephen Conroy will be working half-time in Tucson, assisting the Rev. Frank Rose. As a candidate he will preach on occasion, be active in youth and young adult programs, and assist Frank in other ways.
     The Rev. Mauro de P?dua has accepted a position in the Academy Secondary Schools as a teacher of religion to fill the vacancy created by the move of the Rev. Christopher Smith to South Africa as the Executive Vice President of the Corporation in South Africa.
     Upon completion of his program and inauguration, Candidate Bradley Heinrichs will become the Assistant to the Pastor in the Carmel Church in Kitchener and the minister visiting the outlying regions of the General Church in Canada. He will also be providing some pastoral leadership in the Carmel Church School.
     Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss

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1999 SAN DIEGO ELDERGARTEN 1999

     October 31-November 7

     (Open to all members of the General Church over 60 years of age)

     SPEAKERS:
- Rev. Daniel W. Goodenough-"providence and Permission"
- Rev. Brian W. Keith-"Spiritual Development Through Temptation"
- Rev. Walter E. Orthwein-"The Structure of the Mind and the Purpose and Function of its Different Parts"
     Besides these interesting subjects and great speakers, San Diego offers a fascinating variety of exciting excursions, including a trip around one of the busiest harbors in the world, a famous animal park that can be toured by monorail, gardens, ocean beaches, wineries and countless other attractions.
     Attendees will be staying in a motel and inn near the Old Town area of San Diego and should have opportunity for a wonderful mixture of instruction, attractions and friendship.
     The Office of Education will be sending out registration applications and further information in mid-July. If you did not fill out a pre-registration form last fall, but would like to receive the registration mailing, please contact Charlene Cooper at the General Church Office of Education, Cairncrest, P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009-0743, or phone 215-914-4949 or fax 215-914-4935.
     For local San Diego information, contact Michael Williams; 529 Market Street #4E, San Diego, CA 92101, or phone 619-238-0207.

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MASTER OF ARTS IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES 1999

     At the end of May seven lay men and women graduated from the Academy of the New Church Theological School, receiving a Master of Arts degree in the new Religious Studies program. The graduates came from the Bryn Athyn, PA area, Mitchellville, MD, Australia, Israel, Korea and the Ukraine.
     The M.A. program is continuing to be a significant new educational venture for the Academy and the whole New Church. This fall it enters its fourth year with over 20 full- and part-time students in Bryn Athyn and throughout the world. Classes are taken on campus in Bryn Athyn, or from anywhere in the world through distance learning over the Internet and by telephone conference calls.
     Is this M.A. program for you? Yes, if you wish to:
     -     gain a more solid foundation in New Church doctrine for your personal understanding and intellectual development.
     -     become more effective at communicating the truths of the Heavenly Doctrines to the world.
     -     become a more effective New Church teacher.
     -     enter more deeply into lay leadership roles in the New Church.
     -     pursue further professional or graduate work.
     It is not too late to enroll for classes in the fall term, which begins August 31. For further information, catalog, or admission packet, contact: Alaine York, Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009, USA (e-mail: [email protected] or phone 215-938-2640).

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Notes on This Issue 1999

     Vol. CXIX     July, 1999     No. 7
     New Church Life
     A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
     June is behind us, and the next time that special month comes around, a General Assembly will be held in Canada. The countdown continues.
     "The secret is to be weak." So said Rev. Philip Schnarr in his address on Charter Day last October. The Bryn Athyn cathedral was packed when this stirring address was given. Many who heard it will enjoy now seeing it in print. We include among those many the people who made use of the Sound Recording Library.
     In May of this year Rev. Alfred Acton was ordained into the episcopal degree. See his declaration of faith and purpose on page 297.
     As the year 2000 draws near, what are people anticipating? "Nearly everyone expects something," says Steve McCardell in his thoughts on the descent of the New Jerusalem.
     A sprout of green grass is seen growing out of a sand dune. Could one take a shovel and find its original root? What is being illustrated by this? See page 315.
     What a dramatic contrast between the setting free of the serfs in Russia and the American civil war. Richard R. Gladish presents this to us in his short article. Mr. Gladish talks about Princess Kleopatra M. Shakhovska. This princess, who died 116 years ago, proclaimed that Swedenborg had opened the way for a new spiritual unification of the nations. If you would like to see a picture of this remarkable woman, you may find it in the Hermit-age Museum in St. Petersburg or in the October issue of New Church Life in 1992.
     Notice inside the back cover the advertisement of a book for children entitled The Woman Clothed with the Sun. The book is also reviewed in this issue by Jeremy Simons, and we have a statement about it on page 319 from Fountain Publishing.

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POWER TO THE WEAK 1999

POWER TO THE WEAK Rev. PHILIP B. SCHNARR 1999

     Charter Day Address October 23, 1998

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary . . . . He gives power to the weak. And to those who have no might He increases strength . . . . [T]hose who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:28-31).

     Isaiah, a prophet of old, wrote these ancient inspired words. They are such beautiful words-words that have been sung and said by so many people over a stretch of almost 3000 years. Think of what that means-3000 years! A book becomes a bestseller today and how long does it last? How many generations will read it? But the Lord's Word has endured for hundreds of generations. It has satisfied the souls of billions of people seeking the Lord's truth. And at Charter Day we celebrate that the internal sense of these ancient writings can now be known. For four generations the Academy schools have maintained their mission to preserve and proclaim a new, more interior revelation, a revelation that is the crown, the capstone of all revelations that have ever been given.
     This morning we are going to consider but a few words of the Lord in the book of Isaiah. The Lord says, "He gives power to the weak." Now we know that within each and every word of the Scriptures there are hidden jewels of meaning that are waiting to be explored. So when we read "He gives power to the weak," we can look at this in many different ways.
     It is an amazing concept. In its most literal meaning it is paradoxical really. To become powerful we must first become weak. And it fits with other seemingly paradoxical sayings in the Word. In the Sermon on the Mount the Lord said: "Blessed are the poor in spirit; blessed are those who mourn; blessed are the meek."

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Or we read in Luke (9:24): "Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."
     Many Christians throughout history have thought that the Lord is teaching us here that there is some virtue in physical weakness and meekness, and that we should deliberately abase ourselves, put ourselves down, in order to deserve God's grace.
     But we would be hard pressed to find many people promoting this idea today. In our culture we see images of power and strength in many different places. If you are playing or watching football, soccer or field hockey, you know how power and strength are demonstrated. A strong athlete bursts into the open and makes a spectacular play-that's a display of real physical power and finesse. It's beautiful to watch. So to most of us, physical strength, not weakness, is considered the more valuable attribute.
     And in a very meaningful sense muscular power and strength are symbols and effective tools for genuine good. They are part of every physical fitness program because they serve a wonderful use in keeping our bodies and minds healthy. Our schools emphasize that a strong and healthy body will equip us to do important uses. And who will deny that the might and physical power of a strong person can be a force for good?-at least when it is used for protection and safety and when it defends the innocent.
     In the most obvious way then, "power in ultimates" is demonstrated by physical strength and might. Weakness we usually consider to be a liability.
     But in the Word we are taught that "for every good there is an opposite evil . . . [and] nothing exists without some relationship to its opposite" (HH 541). And in the opposite sense, physical strength can be a fearful and destructive force. Most of us know the fear that comes from being intimidated by someone who uses inappropriate physical aggression to hurt or to threaten.
     But physical power is, of course, not the only kind of power that there is. A minister in the pulpit can carry great symbolic and persuasive power. Learned professors and teachers use the power of knowledge as a form of influence with their students.

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And speaking of the power of persuasion, the entertainment industry and those with access to the public media are able to have an extremely powerful effect on most of our lives.
     There are so many kinds of power and strength; I have mentioned just a few. All of them can be used for good or evil purposes. But whether it be physical or mental, until we took at the spiritual dimension we will never understand how real power lies in weakness. We might find ourselves blessed with physical strength or in terms of our minds be considered mental giants. People everywhere may stand in awe of our mental or physical muscle, so to speak. But unless we tap into the source of genuine power, we will have less true strength than the most timid-looking angel carries in one small cell of his or her spiritual body.
     Listen to what it says about the power of the angels in True Christian Religion:

     An angel who is in Divine truths from the Lord, although in body as weak as an infant, can nevertheless put to flight a troop of infernal spirits that look like . . . giants, and can pursue them to hell, and thrust them into their caverns there; and when they emerge therefrom they dare not come near the angel (TCR 87).

     In other places in the Writings the Lord indicates that the angels are so incredibly powerful that He can't even tell us how much, because we wouldn't believe it (see HH 229). But is this power just for the angels? How do they get it? Where does it come from?
     Remember what the Lord said in Isaiah: "He gives power to the weak." The secret is to be weak. Yes, in one very important sense the angels are weak and we must become weak also in the same way.
     Here is an example of how one person achieved the power that comes from the right kind of weakness. You will remember that David was fleeing for his life from King Saul. As Saul pursued David, as Providence would have it he just happened to come into the very cave where David and his men were hiding.

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David had Saul at his mercy. His men were urging him on, saying, "Your enemy has been delivered into your hands." It was as if the Lord was giving him a chance to become the reigning king then and there. And what did David do? He sliced off a small corner of Saul's robe and returned to his hiding place. That's all he did. His conscience even seemed to bother him for doing that much. So he let Saul go, and forbade his men to harm him.
     Now how do you think this display would have looked to David's mighty men of valor? Rather foolish and weak, I suspect. And this was not the only time they saw this weakness. David spared Saul's life a second time when he had him at his mercy. But David's apparent weakness was also his strength. He knew better than Saul that he should not contradict Jehovah's decisions. He shouted to Saul from a distance, "Let the Lord judge between you and me, and let the Lord avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you" (I Samuel 24:10, emphasis added).
     His hand would not be against the Lord's anointed. The hand in the Word and in heaven is a dramatic symbol of power, confidence and ability. David was acknowledging that he was weak before Jehovah. And by compelling himself, in restraining his desire to act on his own against his God, he was blessed with great strength.
     And the same principle works in every facet of our own lives. We become strong spiritually when we break through our pride and are ready to say to the Lord, "Thy will be done." The incident between Saul and David shows us that strength often means saying "No" to our natural impulses.
     To build up this kind of strength requires spiritual work and the courage and strength of our convictions. It starts with giving authority to the Lord's Word as the source of Divine truths. The Academy is a place where there are many valuable opportunities to let the Lord communicate His Divine truths to us. Many of these opportunities, like worship and classroom instruction, are the lifeblood of the Academy experience.

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But let's not overlook the less formal means too, like private conversations between people exchanging spiritual ideas that they find challenging and exciting; and personal contact with the Lord in our own devotional reading, meditation and prayer time.
     Learning and understanding Divine truths is extremely important, but there is a caution. The Writings caution us over and over again that these truths should not be learned so that they become dead knowledges stored up in our memories, or information that we use only when it is convenient to us. They should be learned in the same way that we eagerly learn how to play an instrument if we love music, or learn to run an intricate play in football that we hope will help our team. It is a challenge worth meeting for students and teachers alike to make the things of religion come alive in the process of learning.
     And if we are to become spiritually powerful, we must put into action the good and true principles that we have learned at the Academy. Spiritual power works this way. By putting the Lord's truths into practice, we put our lives into correspondence with the life of heaven. And this allows the Lord's power to work within us.
     This leads us to another lesson about weakness. There is a kind of weakness that people who are trying to grow spiritually will experience that brings feelings of pain and anxiety-a feeling, perhaps, that we are reluctant to share with others for fear they may scoff at us. The cause of this weakness is a self-centeredness which puts distance between us and the Lord. The pain and agony comes from inner battles in those parts of our character where we are cut off from the Lord and from His inflowing life. The agony can be so great at times that the Writings say it sometimes feels like death itself.
     Mind you, not everyone feels this pain. People who have chosen to take pleasure only in things they can see and feel with their natural bodies, and who deny the spiritual side of life, cannot understand this or feel it.

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And they will dismiss or perhaps even ridicule people who admit to feeling this spiritual pain and weakness. But the Writings say this kind of weakness and agony is not such a bad thing at all. These are pangs of conscience. For those who are willing to recognize their evils, admit them to the Lord, and take steps to avoid them, it may feel terrible; it may feel as if they have little or no strength at all. But the Writings say it can be a good sign, a sign that they are in fact growing strong, healthy and powerful in spirit (see AC 7217).
     We do need to remember that the Lord alone knows everyone's true spiritual state. His will for us is that we choose life, spiritual life. Academy teachers seek to create an atmosphere where the true nature of spiritual life can be known, understood and practiced. Spiritual power-the Lord's power-will be active where these conditions thrive.
     The Lord said He would give power to the weak. With the help of Divine instruction from the Heavenly Doctrines we know that true weakness has little to do with our muscles and everything to do with our attitude toward spiritual things. So let us go to the Source of all spiritual power and put the Lord's Word into action in our lives. It won't be easy at times; we may feel quite weak. But we need to have courage and trust in the Lord. For if we are resisting our evils, a good struggle is going on within us and we will prevail, or rather, His power will prevail on our behalf.
     Lastly, let us not be afraid to appear weak at times when we know that we need help. The Academy schools are filled with people who care and want to help. And let us never hesitate to go directly to the Lord with our problems and our pain. For as David said: "Who is God except the Lord? And who is a Rock except our God? God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect." Amen.

Lessons: I Samuel 24:1-20; Isaiah 40:28-31; AC 6344:4, 5

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DECLARATION OF FAITH AND PURPOSE 1999

DECLARATION OF FAITH AND PURPOSE Rev. ALFRED ACTON 1999

     (On being ordained into the episcopal degree on May 16, 1999)

     I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the one God of heaven and earth. He has made His Second Advent in the truths of His New Word as penned by Emanuel Swedenborg. This New Revelation ushers in His New Kingdom, which shall last for ages of ages.
     The Lord whom I worship is a caring God, showering all His children with His Divine Love. This love, when coupled with the Truth of His Word in the minds and hearts of people, allows them to serve as instruments for good. In so doing they enter into the stream of His providence, which seeks the salvation of all people.
     Our merciful loving God came into this world to restore to us the freedom which at His coming was threatened. By freeing us from the obsession of hell He effected our salvation. All people, whatever their background, are able to exercise this new freedom, whether here or in the world of spirits, and so may be saved.
     The Word of the Lord now in fullness outlines the path of life. In its deepest sense the Word gives a perfect picture of the Lord as the Divine Human. As we come to see and love Him and seek in turn to reflect His humanity in our lives, we find eternal joy in the life of charity.
     Life on earth is both a daily reflection of the Lord's love and a preparation for eternal life in the world beyond death. Heavenly joy is found in the life of charity both here and hereafter.
     At the center of this joy is the tender love that husband and wife share as they look to the Lord together in the performance of useful services. Such love shared on earth is eternal. It enriches heavenly life and increases through the ages.
     People are free to reject the Lord's love, which rejection leads them into the slavery of hell. No one is in hell who does not want to exercise selfishness after fully understanding the consequences of this free choice.

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     The Lord throughout the ages has revealed Himself to people on earth. But people by act of free will have successively rejected each of His revelations, causing Him again to proclaim His truth in a new way. Over the centuries there have been five successive revelations up to the present New Word. This Word is the crown of revelations. There will be no more. A church has been based on each of these successive revelations. The New Church has now been established. As people see the truths of this New Revelation, they will be led to the New Christian Heaven. Over time, organizations will arise to teach these new truths according to a dominant view of their meaning, that is, according to the doctrine of the church.
     As is the case with an individual, a church organization must be dedicated to useful service in expressions of charity. Primary among these acts is to provide for worship and instruction. Instruction includes teaching the truth throughout the world, providing proper education to youths, and developing with adults in the church a quest for enriching their understanding of the Lord and of how to express His inflowing love in the life of charity. The priesthood with dedicated study of the Word leads in both worship and instruction.
     Ordination into the priesthood is from the Lord alone, but by means of ordination a priest is able to serve the uses of an organization of the church on earth. I believe the General Church of the New Jerusalem best reflects the uses of the New Church in the world today, and so I seek to serve that organization more fully in promoting her uses.
     In recognition of these truths I present myself for ordination into the third degree of the priesthood. I believe the Lord's love has guided me to this stage in my life, and pray that He and the church I seek to serve will find me worthy of this new opportunity for useful service. In humility I seek enlightenment from the Lord to allow me to aid in making His church the light of the world, the city set on a hill, which cannot be hid.

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PHENOMENA, TIME AND THE "I AM" 1999

PHENOMENA, TIME AND THE "I AM" E. KENT ROGERS 1999

     In Divine Providence we read, "The seeming duration [of thought] is according to the state of affection from which the thought springs . . . . [T]ime is only an appearance according to the state of affection from which the thought springs" (DP 49).
     "Time is only an appearance." This is quite a strong and fascinating statement. We read that human beings are unique in that they are "so created as to be in the spiritual world and in the natural world at the same time" (NJHD 36). This creates an interesting reality for human beings while on earth: they are both in time and outside of time. There is no time in heaven, we are told, and time belongs to the natural man (see AC 8750, HH 168).
     Just as the movement and speed of an object is relative to its environment and ultimately to the observer, so is time relative. If an object moves in parallel and at the same speed with an observer in isolation, the observer cannot say that the object has any motion. In like manner, if natural phenomena occur and there is no observer outside of the rate of the natural world to notice, these phenomena cannot be measured as existing in time. The phenomena cannot be said to be happening in time. That which is bound within the rate of natural phenomena cannot observe that rate, just as when you look at the interior of a moving train it does not seem to be moving. Time therefore does not exist except in the discrepancy between natural phenomena and the spiritual state of a human mind which dwells outside the realm of natural phenomena. Time is the ratio between phenomena and state of mind. Without human beings, there is no time.
     Time is the result of natural phenomena pressing against or passing through spiritual states, which are not in time. This can occur only through the medium of the human rational. Time comes into being when a human being notices that natural phenomena occur in a way unrelated to his or her consciousness and calls it "time." "[The consciousness of animals] cannot rise above their natural level" (LJ 25), and therefore their thoughts are not unrelated to natural phenomena, but are of natural phenomena.

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Outside of human beings, all objects of the natural world have consciousness bound within the natural world.
     Another way of viewing this issue can be found in the following teaching: "[W]hat is eternal is . . . . But the temporal by comparison is not, because when it has reached its end, it exists no longer" (AC 8939). We know that only human beings live to eternity (see LJ 25). Therefore, all of creation is for the sake of a "heaven from the human race" (TCR 773). It is not possible that there be any creation that does not somehow contribute to human eternity in heaven because any natural phenomenon without relation to a heaven from the human race "is not." The human mind adopts what is temporal to establish a house for what is eternal. We read:

Natural and temporal things are the outermost and ultimate things into which man first enters; and this he does at birth, to the end that he may afterwards be introduced into interior and higher things; for the outermost and ultimate things are containers; and these are in the natural world (DP 220).

     Thus in the human mind temporal things are brought into use for that which is eternal. That which does not serve the Lord's uses to create a heaven from the human race does not exist. Thus, without human consciousness, nothing would exist, including time.
     We do sense time, and time is very important to our regeneration. Time forces us into choices. Because our time on earth is limited, we cannot act on our every love; therefore we must choose what loves to serve. Time also forces us to think about our own limitations and mortality, and so is a catalyst to searching for the Lord.
     We often are irritated when someone or something inhibits us from doing what we want with "our" limited time. Think of a traffic jam. But when we let go of the idea of time being our possession, and realize that time is actually the Lord's gift to us, much frustration in life is eliminated.

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     In confirmation of the idea that time exists only in human consciousness, we all know that to the extent a person's spiritual state matches the natural phenomena surrounding her, she does not have a perception of time-"time flies." Conversely, to the degree a person's state does not match the phenomena surrounding her, she does notice time-"time drags" (see DP 49).
     The rate of natural phenomena does not change, but the states of the person's affections do. In the first case, her affections are matching the phenomena. In the second case, her affections are discordant with her natural environment. Perception of time and time itself do literally change with state.
     Eternity is when externals perfectly match internals-a state in which time does not exist; there is no relation between two things that are actually one. This is the eternity of heaven. We know that the kingdom of heaven is within. Trusting the Lord and seeing Him within all phenomena of the natural world brings us closer to a heavenly state. When we trust that the Lord is guiding all things, we enjoy life with much less fear. Neither the future nor the past plagues our minds with cares. Our internals find that which is good in the externals and a match is made in the present moment. We also surround ourselves with externals that match our good affections. We begin to enjoy life for what it is, and as the angels do-eternal happiness outside of time. We read:

When anyone enters a state of love or heavenly affection, he enters an angelic state; that is to say, it is as though time does not exist, provided that that affection holds no urge for change. That urge is a bodily affection; and insofar as anyone is subject to it, time exists for him, but insofar as he is not subject to it, time does not exist (AC 3827).

     Because Jesus Christ was born in time, and Jehovah is spoken of before the birth of Christ, we often think of the creation as taking place before the existence of Jesus Christ. Indeed, the Lord specifically tells us: "[T]here is no Son from eternity" (Lord 19; see also TCR 82, 170).

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We are told to think of the Trinity-Father, Son and Holy Spirit-as the Soul, Body, and Activity of God (see TCR 172). Because Jesus Christ was born in time, we may slip into thinking of the Soul of God as pre-existing His Body.
     There are at least two critical problems with this idea. The first is that we come to the false idea that Jehovah is somehow separate from Jesus Christ: Jehovah existed without Jesus Christ. The second is that Jesus Christ is somehow less than Jehovah because Jehovah seemed to govern the universe without Jesus for countless years. These ideas damage not only our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but also our love for Him. As our love for Jesus Christ is damaged, so is our desire and ability to serve Him and obey His commandment-that we love one another as He has loved us; that we lay down our lives for each other (John 15:12,13).
     To help dispel this damage, we are told that "the Lord's Divine natural, which in itself is the Divine Human which He assumed in the world, sustains His Divine from eternity" (AR 468). Again we read that a fundamental of faith is to know that "God is one, in whom is a Divine trinity, and the Lord God the Savior Jesus Christ is that one" (TCR 3). "God is present in space without space, and in time without time, because He is always the same, from eternity to eternity" (TCR 30:2). "By 'the Lord' is meant God from eternity, that is, Jehovah, who is called Father and Creator, because He is one with Him" (DLW 151; see also 169, 170-172, 223, 358).
     The Lord is conscious of all natural phenomena, and we read that "The Divine is in all time, apart from time" (DLW 73). We also read of the Lord that "all the future is present to Him and all the present is to Him eternal" (DP 333). Jesus Christ was born bound within time. As He underwent the glorification process, His consciousness gradually left the confines of time, evidenced in His words such as: "Before Abraham was, I AM" as well as His many predictions of His death.
     In His rising from the tomb He was fully glorified and therefore He was fully outside of time, and yet all of time was within Him, within His consciousness.

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The dawn of creation came to exist within Him, and had He not comprehended all of creation in His glorification, it would have ceased to exist, and that which is temporal is not. Therefore, the source of creation is Jesus Christ. We exist in that moment of time that Jesus Christ comprehended every detail of creation: past, present and future with Divine Love; without this moment, we do not exist. Jesus Christ is eternity, as He said: "I am the Resurrection and the Life" (John 11:25), and "Before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58). This is why Jesus Christ is the Creator:

     In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men . . . . [A]nd the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-4, 14).

     In the advent, Jesus Christ was born into creation. In the glorification, creation was born into Jesus Christ. This helps us to understand how the tomb was empty in the resurrection. When He was placed in the tomb, the body of Jesus Christ was still in the natural universe. When His body became Divine, the natural universe was now in Him. The tomb being in Him, Mary and the disciples would not find Him in the tomb. We read:

     . . . [T]he Lord rose from the tomb with His whole body which He had in the world, and left nothing of it behind there. It follows that He took with Him from there the Human Natural itself from first to last. So after the resurrection, when His disciples thought that what they saw was a ghost, He said to them: "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; handle Me and see; for a ghost hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have" (Luke 24:37,39). This makes it clear that by means of His glorification His natural body was made Divine (TCR 109).

     Since there is a Divine Natural, how can a finite natural universe contain it?

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Likewise how can the finite natural universe exist except within the Divine Natural?
     The Lord says that "the essential of all doctrines is acknowledging the Divine Human of the Lord" (HH 227). All of the Old Testament is a description and prophecy of Jesus Christ, culminating in the moment of glorification. All of the Writings are a description and explanation of Jesus Christ, culminating in the moment of glorification. It is the only real moment. All of space and all of time are in Jesus Christ in the moment of glorification. This is one way to help us see the essential of all doctrines: that Jesus Christ is the only God, our Creator and Savior. To the extent we believe this, we are in heaven:

     . . . [I]in the spiritual world every nation has its place allotted in accordance with its idea of God as a Man; for in this idea, and in no other, is the idea of the Lord. That man's state of life after death is according to the idea of God in which he has become confirmed is manifest from the opposite of this, namely, that the denial of God, and, in the Christian world, the denial of the Divinity of the Lord, constitutes hell (DLW 13).

     To the extent that we ascribe all power to Jesus Christ, we will hate evil as sins against Jesus Christ, and we will live lives of love and charity and obey His simple commandment "that we love one another as He has loved us" (John 15:12). This love is happiness, is salvation, is heaven. Jesus Christ is Eternal Life.
HELEN KELLER: An Appreciation 1999

HELEN KELLER: An Appreciation 1999

This is the title of an excellent 60-page booklet published by Mr. David Deaton. There are still copies available. For information write to the editor of New Church Life.

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DESCENT OF THE NEW JERUSALEM 1999

DESCENT OF THE NEW JERUSALEM STEVE McCARDELL 1999

As the weeks sweep by in this ever-accelerating world, my thoughts flutter quickly to that fast-approaching 2000 regarding our culture's calendar. The millennium: an age of destruction, cataclysm,. a Last Judgment, shakings of the earth, and comets from outer space? Or, as the less dramatic (and therefore less accepted) theories propose, time for a golden age, a New Age, the Age of Aquarius, the descent of the New Jerusalem? It hardly matters, the expected event; we simply note that nearly everyone expects something. Even the fully left-brained folks, who must base all beliefs on what they can see and measure, acknowledge the looming disaster of mainframes the world around crashing down and throwing us into chaos at the moment 2000 arrives-this, a matter of financial, social, and political chaos for all, and a beautiful event for those who would delve into conspiracy: what better way to prove the "secret government" intends full control with the arrival of the coming millennium? Again, everyone has reason to believe that something is upon us, that some change is inevitable. Let's take a look at why it is reasonable for those of the Swedenborgian faith to believe at this time in the descending New Jerusalem.
Throughout history, numbers of people in various cultures have predicted happenings of great weight for this change of millennia. Among these, the ever-famous Nostradamus; the Hopi Indians (who provided maps of the earth after the coming floods . . . ); the early 20th century seer Edgar Cayce; the recently deceased Native American, No Eyes (who apparently saw a great deal despite her physical blindness); and of course the well-known Mayans, whose calendar predicts the world's end on December 23, 2012. Other prophecies were made with dates unspecific, and among these are the visions John offered from the Isle of Patmos. "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Revelation 21:2). And while indeed this is a vision of beauty for whenever this city might descend, its arrival is preluded by great battles, including that against a mighty dragon of red.

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Countless scholars have worked to interpret Revelation correctly, but are generally at a loss to do so. One of the beauties of Swedenborg's theology is that it offers explanation in common sense-that in fact what we read in Revelation is a matter of correspondence, and that we need to look on the spirit of what is being said. Apocalypse Explained and Apocalypse Revealed both detail the meaning this book has to offer, and tell of a major battle in the heavens between the forces of good and evil which took place in 1757. But as things occur in heaven, so the foundation of the heavens-that is, the earth-must also change. This is as Swedenborg explained: "The two worlds, the spiritual and the natural, are so distinct as to have nothing in common with each other; yet are so created as to have communication, yea, conjunction by means of correspondences" (DLW 83). The very word broken into correspondence makes this idea clearer still: when one world changes, the other must respond. But after reading of the spiritual events predicted in Revelation, many have halted their examination, believing that Swedenborg spelled out all we need to know. That, of course, cannot be true, for Swedenborg made plain in his explanation of correspondences that each representative changes according to particulars-a tree in general represents one thing, an oak represents something more particular, and a barren oak something else entirely. We can suppose that the more specific one becomes, the more specific becomes the representation; in other words, Swedenborg could only point the way! This he did in all of his theology, that each individual could gain direction and walk his or her own path according to a unique relationship with God.
With this idea behind us, can we not look to the earthly predictions made by John as he wrote to us his visions? Swedenborg comments on the following (and corresponding) image presented in Matthew:

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     Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken . . . . Then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (24:29, 30).

     Swedenborg explains that "those who understand these words in accordance with the sense of the letter have no other belief than that at the . . . Last Judgment, all those events will occur as described in that sense" (HH 1). Of course it is lunacy to believe the stars would fall from the heavens: not even supposing that to mean that they would fall to this earth (fully impossible), it would suggest that all objects of the universe are fixed in position according to earth; this is so ego-centric as to hearken to the days of our "earth-centered universe," and belies all reason. Further, Swedenborg rejects such belief in his work Earths in the Universe when he explains: "Such great masses as the planets, some of which exceed this earth in magnitude, are not empty masses, and created only to be conveyed in their revolutions round the sun, and to shine with their scanty light for one earth, but that their use must needs be more excellent than that" (EU 3).
     If we cannot rationally examine such predictions by the letter of the Word, then we must begin a deeper search. That is what Swedenborg offers his readers so that they may find some direction with which to understand the world. But if we are not to follow the literal sense, are we to assume that no effect will take place on earth? Of course not, and by looking at various correspondences offered us by Swedenborg throughout his works, we can see the imminence of the descending New Jerusalem.
     To begin our search, to see why this is indeed time for the arrival of a New Jerusalem-the Lord's new church on earth-we should look to answers from the Lord Himself about when this is meant to take place. As early as in the book of Daniel, reference is given to a specific time frame. After a number of dreams and prophecies which speak of the devastation of the old church and of the Lord's coming New Church (see AC 3652), Daniel sees a final vision which he relates.

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In this vision are two men: one beside a river, one directly upon the waters. To the one on the river who is dressed in linens (forms of truth, according to Swedenborg), the other asks, "How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?" (Daniel 12:6, emphasis added). The answer returned: "It shall be for a time, times, and a half" (Daniel 12:7, emphasis added). We see this reference to time repeated throughout the book of Revelation, as during the woman's nourishment in the wilderness. "And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent" (Rev. 12:14). Swedenborg explains how this is a time of transition to a new church:

"Where she is nourished for a time, and times and half a time from the face of the serpent" signifies that by reason of the craftiness of seducers, provision is made with circumspection that it may come among many even until it increases to its appointed state. By "being nourished" when said of the New Church is signified to provide that it may come among many, as above (AR 562).

To understand the length of time suggested here-to know how long between the birth of a church (i.e., the woman giving birth to her child) and its growth throughout the world-we need to then understand what is meant by "time, times, and half a time." The Writings explain that "by 'a time, and times and half a time' is signified to the end and the beginning, thus while from a few to many, until it reaches its appointed state" (AR 562). This meets plainly with the meaning behind 3'/2, which is, "to the end of the church which still is, and to the beginning of the new one" (AR 505). We have further support in believing that "time, times, and half a time" means 3 1/2 times by looking at the many references to both forty-two months and 1,260 days, both of which equal 3 1/2 years. We read of both in Rev. 11:2, 3: "And the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

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And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days." Clearly, then, when the holy city is born, it does not gain its "appointed state" until forty-two "months" have passed. Our task now is to determine how long a "time" is on earth. Let us see how that played out at least once already in history.
Shortly after the crucifixion of Jesus (who, incidentally, ministered for about 3 %2 years and was the inception of Christianity), the Word of Christianity was born into the Roman world. We can determine the time of this birth when the Romans began to persecute the Christians: between 60 and 70 A.D. For "forty and two months" this new church would face the transition period from the old church, and meanwhile would be "tread under foot." Indeed, it was not until 313 A.D.-between 243 and 253 years later -that Constantine the Great gave Christians the freedom of worship. This lends strength to my claim that a time equals seventy years on earth (3 1/2 times then equals 245 years.) Considering the meaning of "time, times, and half a time," Swedenborg's explanation of the number seven, and so of seventy, fits in beautifully: besides being a holy number, it also shows the end of vastation and the beginning of a new man. Such states are represented throughout the Word, including the seventy years the Israelites spent in Babylonian captivity.
Allowing, then, for "time, times, and half a time" to mean 245 in terms of earth years, we can look on what that means for the New Church in today's world. According to Swedenborg, the birth of this church began with the Apocalypse, or the Last Judgment, in the spiritual world in 1757. This judgment had lasting effects, and Swedenborg tells us that it was not until thirteen years later, on June 19, 1770, that the Lord was finally able to send the disciples throughout the spiritual world proclaiming that "the Lord God Jesus Christ is King" (TCR 791). Was this the completion of the birth or transition process?

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By using all that we have seen in the preceding pages, we should understand that the truths of the New Church will be "tread under foot" for "forty and two months" just as the Christian Church was, but at the end of that time, the truths will spread across the globe as Swedenborg predicted. By simple mathematics, we add to 1757 our discovered number of 245, and we promptly shake hands with a dozen ancient predictions, for the year suggested is 2002. Not only that, but if we move 245 years beyond the end of the birth process (1770) to the presumed end of the spreading process, we behold the year 2015, which again closely resembles an ancient prediction: the end of the world (as we know it?-the beginning of a golden age?) in 2012 according to the Mayans.
Clearly there are many views about what our world is approaching, but there are few indeed who do not sense some sort of major change. That agrees with predictions being made for hundreds, even thousands, of years. Biblical figures such as Daniel and John, certain Native Americans, prophets such as Nostradamus-many have pointed to a period of either mass destruction or a golden age or both. And now, within the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg and in our looking on history itself, we can nod our heads and say, "Yes, that seems to make sense. The New Jerusalem is preparing to descend." And what if the premise of these ideas is false? What if there is no such correspondence between the visions of the book of Revelation and our world today? Should we ignore the thought that the New Jerusalem is now "prepared as a bride adorned for her husband"? Of course not. One can regard all of this as mere coincidence, but the fact remains that the Lord wishes continually to enter our lives, and the spreading of His truths comes about only by our living according to them and leading the way. It is our honor and duty to believe the New Jerusalem is ready to descend, so that we can make it happen. "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and sup with him, and he with Me."

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TRINE IN LIFE 1999

TRINE IN LIFE Rev. NORMAN E. RILEY 1999

     "After this work was finished, the Lord called together His twelve disciples who followed Him in the world; and the next day He sent them forth into the whole spiritual world to preach the gospel that the Lord God Jesus Christ reigns, whose kingdom shall be unto ages of ages, according to the prediction by Daniel (7:13,14), and in the Apocalypse (11:15), and that 'Blessed are they who come to the marriage supper of the Lamb' (Rev. 19:9). This took place in the month of June, on the nineteenth day, in the year 1770. This is understood by these words of the Lord, 'He shall send His angels . . . and they shall gather together His elect, from one end of the heavens to the other (Matt. 24:31)'" (TCR 791).
     We also find two other statements similar to this in the same work. One is in number 4, and the other in number 108-the former where the subject is God the Creator, and the latter where the Lord the Redeemer is dealt with.
     Neither, however, refers to the date, nor do they mention that the Lord God Jesus Christ reigns. Number 108 says, "More will be said concerning this subject in the last chapter of this book, which deals particularly with the Consummation of the Age, the Coming of the Lord, and the New Church."
     Creation-Redemption-Consummation of the Age. Knowledge-Truth-Life.
     The first thing to be received when our bodily senses become active is an awareness of the world. And when we read the Word, we receive its knowledges into the mind. This is a creation in us. Eventually, when we see the truths within the knowledges, the human can begin to be formed within us. One of the things which redemption did was an orderly arrangement of the heavens. Whether you say heaven or human, it is the same. When this reaches its full state, then life can enter.
     It will be understood that in each of these states there must be a love of the knowledge, the truth for the sake of life, and a shunning of what is opposed to them.

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     While it is of great importance to recognize what the Lord has done, it is of equal importance to realize that we are not in those things just because we know about them. If we do not see these things in application to our own life, we are in danger of being in a life of faith alone, and from this we claim merit for what belongs to the Lord alone.
     In its application to our own regeneration we may see what is said in TCR 791 as the goal toward which we look. In respect to this we will see what is stated in numbers 4 and 108 as the states of the implanting of knowledges in the mind and the development of the human within us, as a progression toward the end. We pass through these states many times.
     Who is there that does not feel that it is the same evil persuasion which is being encountered again and again? In the external, where the evils of our will show themselves, they are of a general nature, while the particular lusts are in the internal. This is why we are told in the Word that when we shun an evil which appears in our thought and feeling, the Lord is able to remove it in the internal. This is of the Lord's mercy. If the internal form of the evil were to be seen by us, we would be overcome.
     From this it may be seen why we need to meditate on the Word constantly, for in each new state we need the truth to meet it.
     When persons and places are mentioned in the letter of the Word, as for instance Paul, Melanchthon, the Africans, English, Dutch, etc., we are told not to think about these but about what is represented by them.
     In connection with the disciples we read in Arcana Coelestia 3857:7: "If they had been told that by disciples were not meant themselves but all the good of love and faith . . . they would have rejected the Word, and leaving the Lord, would each have gone about his own business."
     The Lord had chosen them in the world according to their dispositions, which could represent the various evils which He was combatting in the Human.

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     We too must come to see these things in ourselves so that we may overcome them, and thereby receive the good of love and faith. Then will it be possible for the Lord to bring them together as the new order of life within us. Then will they be able to go out into every use of our spiritual life. In this there will be the living acknowledgment that the Lord God Jesus Christ reigns. It will also be in every new state into which we enter: the ages of ages.
     We recite that we believe in one God in whom is a Divine Trinity, and so we should. It is, however, only truly genuine if we are endeavoring to order the life of our love, thoughts and deeds by the truths of the Word and for the sake of the Lord's ends.
     Since there is no time in the spiritual world, but only an appearance according to changes of state, therefore days, months and years signify states of life.
     The Nineteenth Day of June. A question arises: Which day did the Lord call the disciples together, and which day were they sent out? We suggest that the former was the 19th, as the end of a state, when all things were brought together, the "next day" being a new state, 20 as a multiple of two and ten signifying a full state of the remains of good and truth, internal and external.
     June was named from the Roman and Latin goddess Juno, a goddess associated mainly with the feminine principle of life, and placated by those bearing children. The letter of the New Word, being in Latin, could well use this for the spiritual implications of the good of truth, and the bringing forth of the new uses of life-again not persons but of the qualities of life so depicted.
     In the Year 1770. Here we have the multiples of seven and ten. This signifies a full state of holiness. This is indeed the Sabbath of Rest. All temptation combats are over, and there is conjunction with the Lord God Jesus Christ, the Divine Love and Wisdom in Itself and Its Human of Divine Good and True, with man and in man, who has been regenerated according to His image and likeness. This conjunction is in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

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May all our labors be to this exalted end and purpose of our creation. May we see in the Word revealed at the Second Advent its internal truth for our life.
REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1999

REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE Rev. FRANK S. ROSE 1999

     (6)

     "People ought to put away evil things from the external level of their life as if of themselves . . . . Then the Lord cleanses them from the cravings for evil on the internal level, and from the evils themselves on the external level" (DP 118, 119).
     The word "evil" covers the character defects that are harmful to ourselves or to others. It includes the aspects of our life that we would like to change. Suppose a person has a problem with hatred and contempt for other people and wants to change. How is that change going to happen? Sometimes we think that if we only pray to God, He will somehow wipe those things away in an instant. But we find that it is not as simple as that. Suppose one person has a problem with deceit, and still another is troubled with lust. What do they do about it?
     The first step is to acknowledge that these things are a problem. Most of us find difficulty with that. We can see things in others that need to be changed, but are not so clear about the faults within ourselves.
     Once the problem is seen, the question still remains: What can we do about it? We might change our behavior. Perhaps we could talk more gently and kindly, even though we seethe with anger inside. Maybe we could try to be more honest. We might even try to clean up our lusts, but chances are that we would never get to the bottom of the problem.

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     Once we were with a group of children at the beach, and the children became fascinated with the grasses that grew out of the sand dunes. One of them suggested that we dig down until we got to the base of the roots. After several hours of digging, we had to give up. We never did trace the roots all the way back to their beginnings.
     If we try to trace back the sources of our personality problems, we would have an even more difficult search. Some people spend years in therapy and never get to the root of their problems. This therapy can be immensely valuable, and help us get important insights into our behavior, but of itself it does not go to the core of the problems, since the core is really beyond our conscious knowledge. What are we to do then?
     The answer is very simple. In the case of the grass growing in the sand dunes, if we cut off the grass to the depth we could trace, and we did so repeatedly, eventually the grass would die back. This illustrates a law of spiritual life. We do not have to go back into the deepest aspects of our spiritual life to find the source of the harmful things in ourselves. We simply have to deal with the things we notice in our conscious mind and in our actions. If we clean up our behavior, and check the conscious thoughts that we see to be negative, the Lord will weaken and finally remove the inner cravings for those negative things.
     We need to use our freedom and our ability to reason (protected by the first law of Providence) to deal with as many of our short-comings and problems as come into our awareness. As we do so, the Lord works an inner miracle, removing the longings which lie deeper than we could ever find. Eventually those negative things become less and less a part of our life, leaving more room for what is positive.

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CONTRAST 1999

CONTRAST RICHARD R. GLADISH 1999

     In the American Civil War (1861-1865), Northern brothers vs. Southern brothers, 540,000 were killed or died as a result of the war (Morrison, Oxford History of the American People, p. 624). The cause of the war was the freeing of some four million black slaves! (So said President Lincoln.)
     At the same time, in Russia 25 million serfs, bond men and women, were set free without the loss of even a single life! (Gallery of Mirrors, Hallengren, p. 68)
     What a contrast!
     And what is of special interest to us today, the freeing of the Russian slaves or half-slaves - bondmen and bondwomen - was accomplished at the same time (1860-1861) through the special efforts of Russian New Church men and women.
     For Aleksandr Nikolaevich Muravyov, "the most prominent and active New Churchman in Russia," had first read Swedenborg's Doctrine of Life in French, became profoundly interested, then read all of Swedenborg's theological works in French and Latin, and later set scribes to copying the books, which he then distributed among his friends and relatives, mostly of the Russian "upper crust." This was because Swedenborg's writings could not be published in Russia until the 20th century. (In the 1990s we learn the glad tidings of publication in Russia of thousands of copies of Heaven and Hell and other books of the Writings in the Russian language, and their rapid acceptance there.)
     We read also in Hallengren's Gallery of Mirrors of Muravyov's address to the committee charged with planning for the freeing of the serfs, in part thus:

     You have been chosen to be the messengers of Him in whose hands are the hearts of kings, that you may realize those divine words pronounced by Himself: "Bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim deliverance to the captives . . . " (Luke 4:18,19) . . . . We can only succeed by restoring human dignity, so long stifled, and invoking the aid of free labour . . . . Now, then, separate from your calculations . . . a respect for the rights of man.

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Render to man what belongs to man, and you will justify the confidence of the sovereign and the hope of the nation . . . . History will rank you amongst the promoters of justice and of the love of the neighbour."

     On February 19, 1861, the peasant reform was an accomplished fact (p. 68).
     Princess Kleopatra Mikhailovna Shakhovska, General Aleksandr Muravyov's devoted sister-in-law, was one of numerous Swedenborgians among his relatives. She published a pamphlet in Russia about 1872 stating: "To study the writings of Swedenborg would show that the western church (Catholicism and to some extent the faith-alone doctrine of Luther) had adopted corrupt doctrines." She adds: "Swedenborg would be a real acquisition to the whole Christian world, and his teachings would . . . restore the spirit of mutual and universal love-without which all languishes and dies." She sees that the Eastern church has never separated faith from love, unlike the Western church (Ibid., pp. 70,71).
     From Hallengren also we learn that Swedenborgian influence toward freedom had played a part in the Decembrist protest and uprising of 1826.
IN OUR CONTEMPORARIES 1999

IN OUR CONTEMPORARIES 1999

The Spring issue of New Church Teacher is packed with information. One reads about teachers from elementary school to college. There are at least a dozen photographs. The articles are particularly interesting. One is called, "Hold the Moral High Ground!" It is by Steve Irwin who teaches seventh grade boys in the Bryn Athyn Church School. "Mutual Love-The Lord's Stressbuster!" is an item supplied by "the Editors." And who are those able editors? Rachel Glenn and Jill H. Rogers, to whom we offer congratulations.

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Woman Clothed with the Sun 1999

     Inspired and Adapted by Bryn J. Brock; Illustrated by Anna K. Cole; with an Introduction by Karin A. Childs

     "A lesser known Bible story, The Woman Clothed with the Sun has the feel of an ancient myth." This quote from the dust jacket of this splendid children's book sets the tone for a story that is mysterious, beautiful and full of meaning. Well known in New Church circles, this portion of the book of Revelation is not so commonly told elsewhere. This is a book that just might change that. The simple text, sparing explanation, and inspiring artwork make the story accessible to anyone. The book is professionally done, and would be right at home in any bookstore alongside the most beautiful of children's books. Its layout brings to mind Maude and Miska Petersham's The Christ Child.
     Anna Cole's bright and flowing watercolors give the woman a cosmic beauty, making her an obviously symbolic yet loving and personal figure. The dragon is serpentine and wicked; the baby, nestled in a cloud, is the very picture of innocence. The jump from these pictures to an explanation of the meaning of the story is an easy one to make, for they are easily seen to depict the timeless struggle between good and evil.
     Some may wish that the meanings were presented along with the story itself The introduction briefly summarizes that meaning, and a tantalizing quote from the Apocalypse Revealed is inserted at the end. But I believe that the author wisely let the Word speak for itself, without introducing explanations that might be confusing to children or interrupt the narrative flow.
     One of the strongest features of this book is the excellent introduction. How do you tell about Swedenborg and the New Church in a few short paragraphs? This introduction tells about it in a way that gets away from the idea of the New Church as simply a religious organization and makes it a vehicle of hope for the hearts and minds of all people.

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     Fountain Publishing's mission is to enhance people's appreciation of religion in ways that are artistic and affectionate. It aims to produce art, music, and literature that are of professional quality. It is certainly a welcome addition to the field of those who do this excellent work. We look forward to future books like this one.
     Rev. Jeremy F. Simons

Note: This book can be ordered at any book store by using ISBN 0-9659164-1-3.

     THE WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN

     We at Fountain Publishing sincerely hope that New Church people will enjoy using our products to enrich their lives. Consider, too, using our products as a way to share New Church concepts with friends who are not in the New Church.
     The Woman Clothed with the Sun is available at the General Church Book Center and from Fountain Publishing.
     If you do not yet have one of our free spring catalogs, contact us at P.O. Box 80011, Rochester, MI 48308-0011, http://www.fountainpublishing.com or [email protected].

[Photograph of the cover.]

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POWER IN ULTIMATES 1999

POWER IN ULTIMATES RAYMOND B. DAVID 1999

     In the book of Micah we read: "What does the Lord require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (6:8).
     "What does the Lord require of you?"
     Actions, deeds and works are the ultimates of loves combined with wisdom. Let's talk a little about the term "ultimate." It is the last or outermost or lowest of anything. With people, the ultimate of the body is the skin or the hair as in the case of Samson, or the feet as when the Lord washed the disciples' feet, or the hands, or the clothing, or the shoes as when Moses approached the burning bush. Each of these, of course, presents a slightly different picture of the ultimate.
     Now when we speak of the ultimate of the human mind as being the acts we perform through our bodies, we can raise the level a little above the material, and then we speak of things that can go with us into the spiritual world, things that do not perish with the material human body. Listen to this passage from Arcana Coelestia 9216:

     The sensuous is the ultimate of man's life . . . . It contains all the interior things and is common to them, for they terminate in it and thus rest upon it; as for example the skin, which is the ultimate covering of the body; for in this the interior things of the body terminate because it contains them, wherefore they also rest upon it . . . .
     It is the same with all things that belong to man's very life, as with those which relate to his understanding and those which relate to his will. These also follow in order from interior to exterior things. Exterior things are memory-knowledges with their pleasant feelings, and outermost things are those of the senses, which communicate with the world by the sight, the hearing, the taste, the smell, and the touch. Upon these the interior things rest, for in these they terminate.

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     Be it known, moreover, that each and all things advance from the first or inmost successively to their ultimates and there rest; also that prior or interior things have a connection with ultimates in successive order. Wherefore, if the ultimates are removed, the interior things also are dispersed . . . .

     When John the Baptist came into the country of Jordan preaching repentance and baptism for the remission of sins, the people were stirred with anticipation.
     "'What should we do, then?' the crowd asked. John answered, 'The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.' Tax collectors . . . asked 'What should we do?' 'Don't collect any more than you are required to,' he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, 'And what should we do?' He replied, 'Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely. Be content with your wages" (Luke 3:10-14).
     Can we who claim to have insight into true religion do any less? Must not we also show compassion to the afflicted and have mercy on the poor, the hungry, the fatherless and so on? We pray that the Lord forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors! Can we do this? We not only can, but we must, for the Lord has commanded it.
     "Has Jehovah as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (I Sam. 15:22).
     "I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings" (Hosea 6:6).
     "He has showed you, 0 man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).
     In this last passage I see three levels: the act is the ultimate; the love of mercy is the spiritual, the love of the neighbor; to walk humbly with God is the celestial, the admission that everything in us that is good is from Him.

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     Now if the spiritual and the celestial are dissipated without action, how important is that action?
     "If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. Whatever your lips utter you must surely do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth" (Deut. 23:21).
     Each of us must be free to find his own actions that fit his intent to follow the Lord. For each of us is unique and will bring a unique gift to the church, to the world, to heaven, and to the Lord. But each of us also, as members or friends of a congregation, should look for ways to serve, either to serve the congregation or to serve our neighbors through or from the congregation. We, as a group, also must act from our love for and understanding of what the Lord wants.
     Do we know what the Lord wants? He wants everyone to be in heaven and therefore happy, or to be happy and therefore in heaven. And he wants all of us to help Him in this work because the act of helping Him can make us happy. If we look at this as being His job for us-to help other people to find this kind of happiness-we will surely find ways, actions to take, to promote that end.
     Some of the things we find to do will be things that could be done better if we join together to do them: our worship services, our Sunday school, our instruction classes, our potluck suppers. Make your own list, and then share it with someone: rummage sale, Angel Festival, work parties, youth group, kids' class, Eldergarten, lecture series . . . .
     I'd love to see us having some fun working on joint projects designed to improve the church program.
     Another aspect of the power of ultimates, the power of actions, is the power to change bad habits. If, when we find ourselves tempted to do something we know is wrong, we take some action to get our mind off it-go out for a walk, work in the garden, vacuum the rugs, call a friend-anything to change our state of mind, it works.

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The action has that power. And if we persist in those actions, they become habits in place of the former habit.
     The AA program stresses that the alcoholic has no power over his habit. If he drinks, he loses control. The alcoholic who wants to change his life must stop drinking. To help him do this, each one is urged to telephone another AA member whenever the temptation to drink comes on him. "Make that call!" they say. That is their way of turning to the Lord and of ultimating the decision not to drink.
     Those of you who have quit smoking cigarettes may have noticed the same effect. The almost reflex action of lighting up needs to be interrupted with some replacement action, something to do instead of lighting up. The urge certainly still comes over us, but if we can persist in refusing it, gradually it goes away. Even today, after nearly thirty years of not smoking, occasionally when someone else lights a cigarette in my presence, the smell brings a mild urge to me.
     There is great power in the ultimate actions of our lives. Let us use that power for what is good rather than for what is evil. The Ten Commandments are fairly specific about how to act. Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not covet. And worship the Lord. For those who obey His commands, the Lord gives help by gradually removing the desire for the evil that tempts us.
     "The case is similar in man, with will, thought, and action. To will comes first, to think second, and to do is the ultimate; and this is also the effect in which the prior or interior things come forth in simultaneous order. For insofar as the act contains within itself that which the man is thinking and that which he is willing, so far the interior things are held together in their form and in their connection. It is from this that it is said in the Word that a man will be judged according to his deeds, or according to his works, which means that he will be judged according to his thought and will, for these are in his deeds as the soul is in his body.

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As then the interior things are presented simultaneously in the ultimate, it follows that, as already said, if the order is perfect, the ultimate is accounted more holy than the interior things, for therein is complete [completed, fulfilled?) the holiness of the interior things" (AC 9824:3).
"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
ANIMAL KNOWS A LOT 1999

ANIMAL KNOWS A LOT Editor 1999

     Editorial Pages
     Our May editorial began by asking; "Does a bee know that the winter is coming?" The answer was in the negative. The bee acts as if it knew (see DLW 355). It should be pointed out that the bee and other creatures know plenty. The same passage says they know how to collect honey. They know how to build. The Writings emphasize how full of knowledge the creatures of nature are.
     We read in Heaven and Hell: "All creatures in general that fly in the air know the proper food for their nourishment, not only what it is but where to find it. They know how to build nests for themselves, one kind in one way and another kind in another way . . . . They know too their enemies that they must avoid and their friends with whom they may associate."
     The passage goes on to say that, differently from human beings, "the beasts of the earth and the birds of the air are born into all this knowledge" (HH 108). Later in Heaven and Hell Swedenborg reports having witnessed a discussion in the other world dealing with "why animals are born into all the knowledge suited to their nature, but man is not; and the reason was said to be that animals are in the order of their life . . . " (HH 352).

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     The particulars of that "discussion" are not given, but readers of the Writings are aware of a grand discussion described later in the Writings. There were three questions to be explored, and one of them was: Why is man not born into the knowledge proper to any love, when birds and beasts "are born into the knowledges proper to all their loves?"
     They took this discussion seriously, and it is fascinating to see that although living in the spiritual world, these people took pains to recall to memory what they had seen and heard and also "what they had read in the natural world, where they had formerly lived." Furthermore, they seem to have consulted the experts among them. "They inquired and learned from investigators [Chadwick's translation calls them "researchers"] the fact that an infant from connate knowledge does not even know its mother's breast, but learns it from the mother or nurse by being put to the breast."
     They focused on "wonderful facts" known about "the beasts of the earth, the birds of heaven, reptiles, fishes, and the smaller creatures called insects." They all know what they need to know. Having established the proposition that animals know and people do not know, they concentrated on the question "Why?" A difference they mentioned between creatures and humans is that humans mature very slowly. Some four-legged creatures are walking within moments of birth. The day-fly who is gone tomorrow and the long-living tortoise or elephant share a superiority to humans in speed of maturation. Back to the question: "Why?"
     Those familiar with this account in CL 132 to 136 and number 48 of True Christian Religion can probably remember some of the one-line answers. However, it is useful to savor the various speeches from different quarters,* which are summed up as follows:

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"Man is born into no knowledge so that he may be capable of entering into all knowledge and progressing into intelligence, and through this into wisdom; and he is born into no love that he may be capable of entering into all love by the application of knowledges from intelligence, and into love to God through love of the neighbor, and thus of being conjoined to God, and thereby becoming fully man and living forever."
* If this subject interests you, and if you haven't read the speeches in this discussion, do treat yourself to them in Conjugial Love and True Christian Religion.
COINCIDENCES 1999

COINCIDENCES Editor 1999

     There is a phrase in Divine Providence which may apply when some striking coincidence causes us to wonder. The phrase is: "when they see events in some wonderful series" (DP 187).
     Sometimes when we return home after an eventful day we recount in animated tone the remarkable things that have happened. In the Biblical story of Joseph and his brothers we see the brothers returning to their father with wondrous things to recount. They told "all that had happened to them" (Genesis 42:29). It is at this point that the Arcana Coelestia talks about our ascribing events either to Providence or to chance.
     "'And told him all that had befallen them' . . . . That the things which befell them are things of providence or things provided is because everything that befalls or happens, which in other words is called accidental and is ascribed to chance or fortune, is of providence" (AC 5508).
     We see events in some wonderful series, but we are free to think of this as we wish. The passage continues. "The Divine Providence works thus invisibly and incomprehensibly in order that man may in freedom ascribe an event either to providence or to chance."
     The meeting of people who eventually become married partners is an event which some people like to recount over and over again. In heaven they "meet somewhere as if by fate and notice each other . . . . It is said, as if by fate, instinct, and dictate, though what is meant is by Divine Providence, because when this is unknown, it so appears" (CL 229, emphasis added).

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"All who receive influx from heaven and acknowledge the Divine Providence, and especially those who by reformation have become spiritual, when they see events in some wonderful series see as it were the Divine Providence by interior acknowledgment, and confess it" (DP 187).
HUMAN FACES AND POPULATION 1999

HUMAN FACES AND POPULATION Editor 1999

     There is a delightful illustrated book for children called People. The writer and illustrater is Peter Spier. Published by Doubleday in 1980, this is a pleasant travelogue through human diversity. People wear different clothing, eat different foods, and have different customs. They have different kinds of writing. The two pages that illustrate kinds of writing remind one of the language examples in the November 1994 issue of New Church Life.
     Here is the way the book begins:

     We all know that there are lots and lots of people in the world-and many more millions each year. There are now over 4,000,000,000 human beings on earth . . . . Each and every one of us is different from all the others. Each one a unique individual in his or her own right.

     Note the following from the Writings:

     Throughout the entire world there can be found no one face that is precisely like or the same as another, nor can there be to eternity. This infinite variety would be impossible except from an infinity in God the Creator (TCR 32).

     THE NEW CHURCH AROUND THE WORLD

     Have you seen this semi-annual newsletter? It is an efficient and pleasant means of keeping us up to date on some of the news. The spring/summer issue features The New Church at Boulder, Colorado, and the ordination of Alfred Acton. Faith Ebert, editor, has certainly done a service to people around the world.

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APOCALYPSE 1999

APOCALYPSE John Kane 1999

     Communications
Dear Editor:
     In the New Church we know that Swedenborg witnessed the Apocalypse in the spiritual world in 1757, but how many of us appreciate that we are today living in the post-Apocalypse times?
     We only have to study the ancient civilizations and the remains that they left behind. Probably the most notable of these are the pyramids of Egypt, yet nowhere are there any metal artifacts, apart from some axeheads and a bit of gold and silver jewelry. You can forget combustion engines, automobiles, or aeroplanes, of course. No electrical items for electricity had even been discovered at the time. Archeologists unearthing the leftovers of our present day will be overcome by the very mass of material available!
     It seems that we are quite unable to evaluate what is "under our noses.
          John Kane
               Braintree, England
AIM, THE WORKBOOK 1999

AIM, THE WORKBOOK Sharon Holmes 1999

Dear Editor:
     Recently a friend sent us a copy of AIM The Workbook. What a wonderful surprise to receive an unexpected gift and then to have the added pleasure of reading the book.
     In earlier copies of New Church Life I had given a cursory glance at some material contributed concerning the ideas of Peter Rhodes and some response to it. Little was retained but an impression of the work of a man whose name sounded like a sneeze-Gurdjieff. When I read AIM The Workbook, the murky memory was dispelled and replaced by profound appreciation!
     It is a delight to observe the ways people apply the truths from the Word in their lives. Peter Rhodes has done a masterly job of combining his studies in psychology with the teachings for the New Church. He has developed a remarkable and usable program.

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     The work of self-examination seems overwhelming at times-there is so much with which to contend-yet AIM The Workbook out-lines a clear path to follow, should we choose, leading to self-knowledge without discouragement.
     When Rev. Frank and Louise Rose took up the task of collecting Peter Rhodes' lectures into a book, they (and any other unnamed editors) did us a great service. Through their study and work we can better step outside of ourselves and make freer choices regarding how we choose to lead our lives. What a valuable gift!
     Sharon Holmes
          Batesville, AR
DEATH OF DR. PHILIP W. GROVES 1999

DEATH OF DR. PHILIP W. GROVES Bill Hall 1999

Dear Editor:
     Further to my communication to NCL (June 1998) about the kind gift to me of a copy of TCR by Dr. Philip W. Groves, which gift led me to the New Church. I recently learned of Philip's death.
     The April 1999 issue of the Sydney Newsletter of the Sydney Society of the New Church records the death of Dr. Groves. The following is the paragraph from page 10: "We have learned of the passing of Dr. Philip Groves into the spiritual world on Friday, 26th March. Dr. Groves has been closely connected with the Swedenborg Association of Australia since its beginning, and has given a number of outstanding lectures to the SAA over many years. He has been a remarkable influence on very many people, working at NatureCare College in St. Leonards and giving weekly talks near his home in Balgowlah. His ability to present life-related teachings from a wide and deep understanding of many spiritual approaches will be remembered by very many people he has helped. Our love and sympathy are extended to his wife Shirley and to his family at this time."
     Dr. Groves' book Swedenborg's Mighty Contribution to the Welfare of the Soul was reviewed by Professor Erland Brock in the July-December 1998 issue of The New Philosophy.

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A copy of this review was published in the Autumn 1999 issue of The New Age, the official journal of the New Church in Australia.
     This book also received a favorable mention from Dr. Selvendran of England in NCL for June 1998.
     Bill Hall
          Queensland, Australia
NEW TRANSLATION 1999

NEW TRANSLATION Rev. Jonathan S. Rose 1999

Dear Editor:
     I am writing in response to Carl Gunther's letter in the June 1999 New Church Life (pp. 272-273). I am glad the April luncheon in celebration of the Swedenborg Foundation's sesquicentennial was a thrilling event for him, as it was for me. His expression of enthusiasm and his congratulations are much appreciated.
     Mr. Gunther brought up two issues to which I would like to respond as series editor of the Foundation's forthcoming set of new translations, the New Century Edition. The first issue is the translation of coelestis as "heavenly." This is exactly what the Latin means, as he suspects. There is some balance in the Latin language used for the two kingdoms and the three heavens. This balance, however, is more accurately rendered by translating coelestis as "heavenly." The adjective coelestis ("heavenly") is derived from coelum ("heaven") in the same way that spiritualis ("spiritual") is derived from spiritus ("spirit") and naturalis ("natural") is derived from natura ("nature"). By translating coelestis as "heavenly" one loses the parallelism of the -al endings in the English "celestial," "spiritual," and "natural," but preserves the more important connection of meaning between the adjective heavenly and the noun heaven.
     Someone might object that by translating coelestis as "heavenly" we would end up with the awkward phrase "the heavenly heaven" for what we now know as "the celestial heaven." Surprisingly, the Latin phrase that would be translated this way, coeleste coelum, almost never occurs.

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The Latin word for heaven occurs 18,281 times in Swedenborg's published works. (These are heavenly books indeed!) But the Latin phrase coeleste coelum occurs only eleven times. The sole instance in Heaven and Hell, at number 31, is in fact the last occurrence in the published works. In almost every reference to the "celestial heaven," Swedenborg does not use the adjective coeleste but prefers instead the adjectives tertium ("third"), intimum ("inmost"), or supremum ("highest").
     The second issue is that of capitalization of divine pronouns. This issue is very important and difficult. The NCE editorial committee has had long and frequent meetings to determine the policies and finances and procedures of this project, and yet no single issue has taken greater care or more of our time and discussion than this one. We finally bowed our heads in a long session of prayer together on it, then had one last discussion and cast our votes. Divine pronouns are to be lowercase.
     Our reasons for hesitating to lowercase divine pronouns are probably obvious to your readers-we did not wish in any way to take away from the sense of the Lord's holiness. The reasons for lowercasing divine pronouns are perhaps more difficult for your readers to see, so I ask your indulgence while I lay out our thinking.
     The New Century Edition will lowercase divine pronouns not to undermine the Lord's authority but to prepare this translation to draw a new readership over the next one hundred years. We believe the latter can be done without risking the former.
     A background concern is the overall trends in language and publishing. If one considers the history of our English language, as reflected in publishing over the past two centuries, one will see that the trend has been toward greater and greater simplicity. A telling example occurs in the same issue as Mr. Gunther's letter: the two translations of the same paragraph of Arcana Coelestia that appear on page 258 of NCL June 1999. The upper paragraph was published in the year 1984, the lower in 1750. The lower and older paragraph quotes part of one enormous sentence; it has 14 punctuation marks within that sentence and 20 internal capital letters.

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The upper and newer paragraph has five sentences with an average of just one comma each, and only one internal capital in the entire quotation. In this small but representative sample of the change during the 234 years between 1750 and 1984, although Rev. John Elliott's translation was of course done no less reverently than Mr. Marchant's, approximately 65 percent of the internal punctuation and 95 percent of the internal capitals have been eliminated.
     There is not only a strong movement in the written language away from capitals and heavy punctuation in general, but also a concomitant trend away from uppercase divine pronouns. Although some may see this latter trend as a movement away from reverence, we see it as tied in with the overall trend toward simplicity just mentioned. These trends are already well in place, having gathered momentum at a steady pace over the past centuries. Although the future of these trends is unknown, they seem to us highly likely to continue for another century, making for text that is cleaner and cleaner looking on the page.
     The purpose of the Swedenborg Foundation has always been to make Swedenborg's theological works as widely available as possible. Although the New Century Edition will be of use to people already in the New Church and other long-time readers, it is primarily aimed at readers with no prior knowledge of Swedenborg. In lowercasing divine pronouns we knowingly run the risk of offending long-standing members of the church, but those concerns are outweighed for us by the greater risk of alienating innumerable new readers of Swedenborg.
     At issue is the length of time one has been reading. At an early point in encountering any new text, especially when one is not reading at all yet but just looking at the page, matters of orthography are most noticeable and potentially off-putting. We do not want outdated orthography to alienate and turn away new readers at the very beginning.

333

     On the other hand, once people become readers for any length of time they get absorbed into the overall attitude and power of the text and no longer notice the fine points of orthography. For example, take the King James Version of the Word that has been our General Church red-bound standard for many decades. We, like most of the English-speaking Christian world for the past three centuries, grew up on this translation. I have to confess that until recently I did not realize that it has lowercase divine pro-nouns. I never noticed. For me and many other long-time readers God's authority has not been compromised by that translation's lowercasing of divine pronouns. (I am aware, of course, that the New King James capitalizes divine pronouns. I am also aware that it is unusual among modern translations in doing so.)
     The beauty of the King James translation has for generations evoked a profound sense of holiness. It has not relied on orthography to stir feelings of reverence, but on the meaning of the Word itself. We hope that long-standing readers of Swedenborg will be understanding and perhaps even forgiving, and will give a volume of the New Century Edition a try. They may find that they adjust to the lowercase divine pronouns, and soon notice them no more than they do while reading the King James Version of the Word. If not, seasoned readers know how to find alternative translations. With new readers in our hearts and minds we will take the risk.
     Our prayer and hope is that the New Century Edition will help readers in the twenty-first century to concentrate on the meaning of the Writings without being distracted at the outset by an orthography that seems outdated to them. If the new edition is successful in this, it will give new readers access to what long-time readers hold dear: feelings of reverence and awe for the Lord.
     Rev. Dr. Jonathan S. Rose
          Huntingdon Valley, PA

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Sound Recording Library 1999

     Announcements

     The Sound Recording Library often has audio versions of some of the topics featured in issues of New Church Life.

     From this month's issue:

     - A full service recording of Power To The Weak,
     by Philip B. Schnarr
     - The lesson and sermon recording of Providence,
     by Frank S. Rose
     - A program given on the topic of Translation,
     with speakers Jonathan S. Rose, Alfred Acton,
     N. Bruce Rogers and J. Durban Odhner

     SOUND
     RECORDING
     LIBRARY

     For a catalog of tapes by these and other authors or to borrow or purchase a recording call or write to:
     PO Box 743 ? Bryn Athyn, PA 19009-0743
     (215) 914-4980 ? FAX (215) 914-4935 - E-mail: [email protected]

337

WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN 1999

     This beloved story from the book of Revelation has been brought to life by Anna K. Cole with her dramatic watercolor paintings. These illustrations, combined with the text from Revelation, adapted by Bryn J. Brock, make a beautiful picture book. Everyone will want to own this hardcover, 81/2x12 inch book with a dust jacket and an introduction about the deeper meaning of the story.

     Published by
     Fountain Publishing
     Rochester, Michigan
     U.S. $15.95; postage U.S. $1.60
     General Church Book Center     Hours: Mon-Fri 9-12 or
     Cairncrest     by appointment
     Box 743     Phone: (215) 914-4920
     Bryn Athyn, PA 19009     Fax: (215) 914-4935
     E-mail: [email protected]
Notes on This Issue 1999

Notes on This Issue 1999

Vol. CXIX     August, 1999     No. 8
New Church Life
A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS
REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG


The Light of the World
     A Sermon on John 8:12
          Walter E. Orthwein 339
Reading What the Writings Say They Cannot Say (Part 1)
     Kristin King 344
The Language of Angels (Excerpt from a New Translation)      360
Reflections on the Divine Providence (7)
     Frank S. Rose 361
Editorial Department
     Miracles You May Not Even See      363
     If a Horse or Dog Knows Its Way Home      363
     A New Book about Hidden Divine Clues      365
Communications
     The Memorable Relations
          David R. Simons 366
     Understanding a Passage about Sodom
          Arne Bau-Madsen 368
     A Covenant to Live by
          Erik Sandstrom, Sr. 369
     Is It a Small Matter?
          Lisa Hyatt Cooper 376
     New Translation
          N. Bruce Rogers 378
     Ambition
          Ken Blair 380
Hosts of the Coming Assembly (Photograph)      381
Announcements      382

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     The hosts of the assembly coming in June are Ralph and Suzanna Hill of Kitchener, Ontario. They are holding a message in the photograph on page 381.
     We have in this issue an unusual study. Kristin King, daughter of Bishop and Mrs. Louis B. King and wife of Dr. Jonathan Rose, has undertaken quite an enterprise. It provides extensive summer reading and food for thought. The plan is to print the conclusion in the September issue.
     In the sermon by Walter Orthwein we read: "How ironic that many believe that the human mind is incapable of knowing God!" (p. 340)
     It has been suggested that the series of reflections by Frank Rose on Divine Providence ought to be gathered together into a book. In this issue we have the seventh of the series.
     A new book came to my attention about hidden Divine clues (p. 365), and this was just when I was writing an editorial about hid-den miracles.
     We have six letters in this issue. The first one is from Rev. David R. Simons in response to the sermon by Rev. Derek Elphick about the Memorable Relations. The last one (by Ken Blair) mentions a passage in Spiritual Experiences (formerly Spiritual Diary). The passage says that "inasmuch as love of the neighbor is no longer given in the world, in its place has succeeded ambition of becoming eminent in various ways: for love of the neighbor was what should excite man to do good, but because there is none any longer, in place thereof is the ambition of doing great things, whereby man is bended by the Lord to do good to the neighbor, societies, and the commonwealth."
ROOTED IN SPIRIT 1999

ROOTED IN SPIRIT 1999

We are pleased to announce that a new book is now available from the Swedenborg Foundation. The title is Rooted in Spirit and the subtitle is "A Harvest of Women's Wisdom."

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LIGHT OF THE WORLD 1999

LIGHT OF THE WORLD Rev. WALTER E. ORTHWEIN 1999

"I am the Light of the world. Anyone who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).

     In every age there have been some people whom we recognize as having been "enlightened," but there has been only One who was Light Itself-namely, the Lord Jesus Christ, who proclaimed Himself "the Light of the world."
     Spiritually, light is truth. As this world's light enables us to see and find our way, to distinguish between things, and to delight in their forms and colors, so truth enables us to understand the way to live, to discern the relative value of things, and to delight in all the various knowledges and affections of heaven and human life.
     Divine truth is the light of heaven. It radiates from the spiritual sun, which is, in fact, the first manifestation of life proceeding from the Lord. And because He is infinite and indivisible, what comes from Him is Himself. The light that surrounds and illuminates the angels is none other than the Lord's own presence with them. In Him they live, and move, and have their being (see Acts 17:28).
     But lest there be any mistake, the Writings make it very clear that God is not a sun. He is a Man. He appears as a sun, but that sun of heaven consists of His Divine love and wisdom; and these are human qualities, in fact, the human qualities.
     We can no more see the Divine as it is in itself-infinite-than we can look at the sun. Even the light of heaven, accommodated to the angels there, is invisible to our physical eyes. But the Lord has graciously brought that light down to earth so that we may see it, and walk in it, and be healed by it, and rejoice in it. The Lord came to earth that we may see Him, and walk with Him, and be healed by Him, and rejoice in Him.
     The Lord did not just reveal "truth"; He revealed Himself People talk about "the truth." What is it? Is this true, or that? Is there such a thing as "absolute truth," and if there is, how could we finite creatures know it?

340

What could it have to do with us? This is what some say about God: If there is a God, He is infinite, and we, finite creatures that we are, could never know Him.
     This sounds very sophisticated, very "enlightened." But it is so foolish, so blind. God came to earth so that we might know Him! He took our human nature upon Himself, and glorified it-made it one with His Divine essence-so that we could see Him and know Him, and love Him, and be conjoined to Him, and live forever. Yes, we are finite creatures, but gifted with immortality. We can live forever because we can be conjoined to God, and we can be conjoined to God because the Lord joined the Human to the Divine in Himself.
     But this is all undone by the human cleverness that refuses to acknowledge the Lord as God. To put asunder that Divine marriage of the Human with the Divine in the Lord-this is the spiritual adultery of our age.
     How ironic that many believe the human mind is incapable of knowing God! Not only can we know God, but this is what our minds were created for above all else! Perhaps it sounds like a humble recognition of our human limitations to say we can't know God, but to deny to God the power to reveal Himself to His creatures in this natural world is not humility but a willful refusal to see the light He has shone upon us.
     The Lord is not just Light, but the Light of the world. He brought Divine truth down-He accommodated it, in Himself-so that we might see it, and be led by it out of the darkness of worldly illusions and (worst of all) the conceit of self-intelligence.
     What is truth? The answer is very simple, but still, a truth that contains all wisdom. It is this: truth is the form of good; it is good taking form and becoming visible in the mind. Truth comes from good and leads to good. Or to put it another way, since the Lord is the Source of all good, all truth comes from, and leads to, the Lord. This is the measure of truth! The truth of any statement or any idea depends entirely on how well or how poorly it does that.

341

Whatever reveals the Lord, and brings us closer to Him, that is true.
     The supreme truth of all is that the Lord is God. This truth is the Light in which all other truths are seen.
     "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life," the Lord said. There is the definition of truth! "I am the Light of the world."
     The very word "truth" sounds like something abstract and theoretical, but it is not; it is Human. The Lord is Human, and thus all genuine truth, which is from Him, is Human. It is truth that makes us human. The truth of the Lord's Word re-forms our minds into the image and likeness of God, which is the human form.
     This takes place during our lives in this world, as our minds are opened to Divine truth-especially the truth concerning the Lord-and our lives are brought into harmony with that truth, and thus with Him. And lest this sound overly intellectual, we would note that "truth" here means truth in act. It is when we shun evils as sins against God-having identified them by the light of truth-that we are made human by the truth. Real truth is not just theoretical, but most practical and down-to-earth; it affects the way we actually live.
     "I am the Light of the world." Note when it was that the Lord spoke these gracious words. They come at the conclusion of the story of the woman taken in adultery. No story could better reveal the Lord's Humanity-His Divine Humanity.
     The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman before Him, accusing her, and demanding that He pass judgment on her. What shall we do with her? they asked. Our law says she should be stoned. They were not really interested in justice, but were seeking an occasion to entrap the Lord.
     Imagine that woman standing there, having been brought by these male authority figures into the temple, into the presence of this Man who was obviously a person of some importance. Before all the people, her crime was placed before Him. What would He say?
     He said nothing. He refused to answer them. What would have been the point?

342

They weren't interested in moral or spiritual Law; they weren't interested in truth. Instead the Lord did a mysterious thing-He stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger.
     Then He said to them: if there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. Then He wrote on the ground some more. What did He mean by this?
     There are two ways we may think of it. First of all, it reminds us that the Lord brought Divine truth down to earth. It is not just abstract or theoretical or esoteric, but practical, and for everyone. It is meant to be applied to our earthly lives, to affect the way we actually live. Again, the Lord is not just heavenly Light, but the Light of the world. His Law was first written by the finger of God on the tablets of stone atop Mt. Sinai; but then during His life on earth He wrote it again in the "ground" of His own Humanity. In that inscription of the Law on His own Humanity, the warm and gentle heart of truth is clearly seen-full of grace and mercy and forgiveness.
     His action also calls to mind the words of Jeremiah: "They that depart from Me shall be written in the earth" (Jer. 17:13). The fact that the Lord did this twice indicates that the scribes and Pharisees were far from heaven both as to their will and as to their thoughts; they were completely natural-minded.
     And the prophecy was fulfilled. They did depart from Him. One by one they left, having been convicted, it says, by conscience. How genuine their conscience was is doubtful, but the Lord's presence was not a place they wanted to remain in.
     Only then did the Lord speak. He said to the woman, "Where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?"
     "No one, Lord." And He said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." The one Man on earth who actually was without sin, the one Man who could justly have condemned her-and He didn't.
     Truth alone, the Writings explain, would condemn everyone; but the Lord's truth is truth united with good.

343

It is "the light of life," that is, truth from good, truth expressive of love, healing truth.
     This truth does not condemn but forgives. As the Lord said another time: "The Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins" (Matt. 9:6). The Son of man means the Lord in regard to Divine truth, accommodated to our understanding. It has the power to restore order to our lives, and with it the joy of heaven.
     The Lord's forgiveness does not mean simply that He doesn't hold our sins against us; it means the removal of the sin that would condemn us. The word translated "forgive" in many places in the Word may also be translated "to send away." Picture the scribes and Pharisees slinking out of the temple away from the Lord's presence, and it gives an idea of how the Lord drives the evils and falsities out of our minds so that He may find a fit home there.
     But her accusers had served a use. "It is a most usual thing," the Writings say, "that evil spirits are allowed to do evil, which yet the Lord turns to good" (SD 5509). In this case the scribes and Pharisees, though their intent was evil, to trap the Lord into saying something they could use against Him, had served to bring the woman to the Lord. And so it is with the evils and falsities that may infest any of us. In the Lord's Providence they can cause us to turn to Him and repent.
     "Go and sin no more," the Lord told the woman. Go where? In the path of life, in the strait and narrow way that leads to heaven. Literally we assume she went out from the temple and away from the Lord, but spiritually, if she sinned no more, if she went in the way He meant for her to go, she stayed close to Him, because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
     The woman's accusers brought her to the Lord to be judged; instead He saved her. He gave her Light, and set her on a new path-the Light of life and the path of life. From that moment on she knew, as only those who have experienced the Lord's goodness can know, the truth of His words: "I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.

344

And if anyone hears my words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world" (John 12:47).
May we gratefully accept the truth that the Lord has shone upon us, and follow it in our lives, and come to Him, and walk in the light while we have the light. And let us find strength and comfort in the truth that, although there is much darkness in our world and in our own minds, the Lord is with us always, and He is the Light of the world. If we follow Him, we shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.
"Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband . . . . And the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it" (Rev. 21:2, 23, 24). Amen.

Lessons: Isaiah 60:1-5, 19, 20; John 8:1-12; AC 3195 (or 2335:2, 3)
READING WHAT THE WRITINGS SAY THEY CANNOT SAY 1999

READING WHAT THE WRITINGS SAY THEY CANNOT SAY Dr. KRISTIN KING 1999

Emanuel Swedenborg's Writings frequently use language to point the way to all the things they cannot say, claiming that there are realities that find no place in language, whether they be the "indescribable, unutterable" thoughts of angels (HH 576), or the "unspeakable" malice of hellish spirits, "beyond description in the vocabulary of any language" (HH 577). This study will argue that Heaven and Hell in particular occupies middle ground between suggesting that written language is "the way" or transparent vehicle for truth, and acknowledging that words simply get in the way.

345

     One of the richest qualities of Swedenborg's theological writing is its power to adumbrate this middle ground in the very process of swinging to extremes. In places, the Writings make confident assertions about the self-evident clarity of words; in other places, they offer despairing descriptions of the inadequacy of human language to express spiritual reality. This paradox or tension between the power and the insufficiency of language, which I will explore by looking at Swedenborg's attempts to describe angelic communication in Heaven and Hell, can lead to revealing questions about the nature of written texts, Divine revelation, and our participation as earth-bound readers.
     The New Church at the close of the twentieth century needs many more readers and readings of the Writings. Like the beauty and fullness of heaven, which depends on the number and variety of forms of worship (see HH 56), churches (see HH 57), and individuals (see HH 71), human interpretation of revelation never ends; though not every interpretation is equally good, it is only through the variety and number of our interpretations that we can begin to illuminate the power of the Lord's revelation.
     Revelation shares a crucial characteristic with great literature. Both provide rich ground for interpretation. Like the ghost of Hamlet's father, revelation comes to us not only from the other side but also in "questionable" form. It both asks us questions and entertains our own, thus teaches us who we are in this life and what our roles should be. In the sense that it inspires a variety of readings, revelation is the greatest classic of all. In literary fields where there is an ongoing debate over what constitutes a "classic," I find myself returning again and again to the idea that great literature is literature that continues to move people generation after generation, not because it says the same thing to each generation, but because it says new things. What Shakespeare said to the eighteenth century is nearly unrecognizable to the twentieth, yet we love him.

346

What makes his work great is the way it inspires us to ask the questions that matter to our time. This is even more true of the Writings. They are deep and wide in order to sustain all the questions we bring. It is good that the answers of the past often do not fit the questions of the present; otherwise how could the Lord make all things new?
This study falls into three sections. Part One looks at the challenge of reading the Writings with a consciousness of our human limitations and asks how Swedenborg's descriptions (which always include what he cannot describe) might illuminate our own activity as readers of revelation. Part Two examines the tone and texture of Heaven and Hell, exploring some of the implications of teachings about heavenly communication. Part Three explores related themes about the power and limitations of language in Shakespeare's King Lear. I choose a poet (my original, longer study also addresses John Milton's Paradise Lost and Robert Frost's poetry) because the poet more than other artists is sensitive to the power and beauty of language, which always entails its inadequacies. Like Swedenborg, Shakespeare struggles impressively with a medium that both carries his meaning and collapses under the weight of it.

I. The Challenge of Reading Divine Revelation through Earthly Minds

Swedenborg's revelation comes from the Lord alone (see True Christian Religion 779), but how does that inspiration become the words we read? What do we make of Swedenborg's recurring frustration about how much is lost in translation as truth passes from the Lord to celestial, spiritual, natural, material, and finally linguistic realms? Asking questions about the process of transcription from celestial to material or linguistic realms need not undermine belief in the Divine source of the revelation. In fact, sensitizing our readings to what may have been lost or diminished in transcription (such as affectional dimensions and tone, as I will discuss later) can help us collaborate in remembering dimensions of revelation, in acknowledging a larger reality and deeper beauty than our small reasoning minds can encompass.

347

To suggest that because we hold the books in our hands and read the words with the greatest intelligence we can muster that we therefore "have" the truth or know the answers would be as silly as to suggest that the most genuine joy we feel on earth resembles the joy of angels. Swedenborg tells us the difference between the quality of our joy and that of the angels is the difference between "acrid dust" and "a pure and very soft aura" (HH 413).
Because of our shortcomings, the Lord can come to us only in accommodated forms. Whether it is the Prophets, or the Lord's Human, or the apostles, or even the presumably accessible Writings (which include some less than transparent memorable relations), revelation tells us repeatedly, there are things you cannot hear. "Not telling," then, is part of the message, and because there is always more to know and feel, we must keep striving somehow to acknowledge dimensions we do not yet understand. It is not a matter of turning suddenly to irrational faith but of making a place for the knowledge of the heart as well as the head. And perhaps by doing this, by making more space for affection in the study and understanding of God's Word, we will make a space for Mary, who keeps all these truths about the Lord's birth in her heart. In the heart there can be a deeper understanding than in the verbal broadcast of the shepherds. And maybe as we pay more attention to the intellectual activity of affection in all of us, women in particular as forms of affection will feel more valued for what they have to contribute to the ongoing study of the Word.1 Learning to read with heart as well as mind, with affection as well as reason, and with attention to what has been left out as well as to what is stated, is one way to use acrid dust to catch a glimpse of what a heavenly aura might be.
(Endnotes are on p. 359.)

348

The power of the Writings, like that of all written revelation, resides not merely in the words on the page but in the way those words point to things that are missing or undetectable. For example, when the Pharisees brought the woman taken in adultery, the Lord stooped down and wrote in the dust, and then wrote again in the dust. The God of heaven and earth, the Word made flesh, used His finger to write on the face of the earth, as He once wrote on tablets of stone. What did He write? The text that comes down to us through time carefully preserves the scene of transmission, but not the content of the writing. In embracing the unstated as well as the stated, the words in the dust as well as the words on the page, written revelation demands several levels of participation from us as readers. The Lord's act of writing in the dust is part of the story. He even repeats the gesture as if to make it indelible. But what makes it most memorable is our not having the content, just the mysterious and powerful act of writing something that leaves the meaning open to our desire to know. The unknown words in the dust remain an eternal invitation to read on and deeper in the presence of the Lord. Active reading asks each of us partially to construct the text, to open ourselves to its relevance in our lives so that we may live the teachings, breathe them in and be ourselves inspired. The Lord asks each of us to come to Him in the Word because our individual responses are crucial to our salvation. We each must go to the Lord and wonder at the words in the dust. If we go thinking we know what the Lord will say ("stone the woman"), He may just ask us to examine ourselves. The answers are not isolated from how we are living our own lives. The process of reading the Writings through bringing our self and our experiences to the text enacts a marriage of good and truth because the words are nothing until read with heartfelt desire for application to life, just as truth is inert without good.2
In saying that things are missing from written revelation I am not referring to human errors or lost manuscripts, which flaws can be as distracting as we let them, but to the fault-lines that register the pressure of Divinity on earthly vessels.

349

At fault-lines we have the choice to focus on the inadequacy of the vessel-if "words cannot express," why do we have to plow through so many of them?-or to imagine the power of what cannot be contained. The Writings through their very effort to convey the inexpressible rouse the imagination. A "knowing eye," Swedenborg says, will be "stunned" by the beauty and complexity of heaven's order, but he quickly adds that there is a larger reality beyond our limited capacity to know and see: "What the eye sees is only a little; what it does not see is even more marvelous" (HH 212). If this is true of what Swedenborg saw, how much more so of what he wrote, since writing is one step further removed from the experience of seeing only a portion of the deeper reality?
Seeing corresponds to understanding and the rational mind. But understanding carries us only so far, as is evident in the impenetrable secrets enfolded in the written characters of the inmost heaven. These characters, as Swedenborg describes them, present "the affections from which thoughts flow" but "cannot be plumbed by thinking" (HH 261). Affection and thought together create meaning and are equally present in celestial writing and speech. Yet Swedenborg tells us that thinking alone is insufficient to uncover meaning. Is the affection that spawns thought always hidden from thinking alone? Must we bring affection as well as thought to our readings in order to plumb the affection that under-pins thought? Can the affectional foundation of thought ever be communicated, especially from a higher to a lower state? And if it cannot, should we at least be aware that something has been lost in translation, that the curve of the continent once held a corresponding land mass? What of our approaches to reading the Writings? Has our insistence that they are rational and should be approached in a purely rational manner kept us from plumbing their depths?
Obviously the written characters of the inmost heaven do not resemble our earthly writing-angelic language has "nothing in common" with human language (HH 261)-yet there is a telling connection in the duality that comprises both heavenly and earthly language.

350

The fact that affection and thought together make meaning in celestial language (see HH 236), no matter how inaccessible that meaning may be to us, resembles the way words and tone together make meaning in human language. There are two basic components of language: the way it exists in theory, and the way we perform it. Words may have set meanings in dictionaries, but when we speak the same words in different tones of voice, we convey different shades of meaning. Every person thus creates subtle nuances of meaning in the way he uses language. Just as people are composed of will and understanding, so their speech, their most external emanation, conveys their affection and thought in the double register of tone and word. In heaven, where reading and speaking skills far surpass our own, angels can read a person's affection from the tone of her voice, and her thoughts from the words or distinct units of speech (see HH 236). And yet, although the affection and thought work together to create meaning-"What angels cannot complete with the words of their language they supply with tone . . . expressing] affections by tones, while by words they express thought concepts" (HH 269)-tone and words, or affections and thoughts, are not equally transmittable, especially from higher to lower planes. Thoughts can often be shared when affections cannot. Celestial angels can see but not speak with spiritual angels (see HH 208-209), perhaps because they can share on the level of thought or understanding (sight) but not affection (tone).3 This perhaps explains why things heard (affections) in heaven are "inexpressible" (HH 269).4 The affections, which cannot be communicated from a higher to a lower heaven, are even less portable to the natural world, as Swedenborg discovers when he leaves the condition of speaking with angels in which he understood "everything," and returns to the condition of "natural thinking proper to man" in which he cannot recall what he has heard (HH 239). It seems significant that he loses more quickly what he understood through hearing or affection than what he learned through sight.

351

This observation that thought but not affection, word but not tone, can be passed from a higher level to a lower is important for this study of Heaven and Hell because it suggests that the affection or tone of angelic language, which Swedenborg heard in the speech of angels, could not be transcribed to his written rational medium except by the most distant and feeble of analogies to earthly realities. The Writings seem dry in their style because the affectional dimension becomes increasingly impalpable as the truth descends. But as long as we do not idolize the condition of dryness, we have a chance of opening our hearts to be affected by spheres and affections that the understanding alone cannot detect.
The power of angelic affection certainly inspires the Writings -how could it not, since angelic speech emanates "directly" from affection (HH 240)?-but not because it is clearly articulated. Rather, the affections that are too deep for human words must come to us between the lines, perhaps through association with angels as we read. Much like the celestial heaven itself, or the indescribable beauty of angelic wives, the affectional dimension of Swedenborg's experiences is more likely to be lost in translation than the concepts or words. We know the celestial level is there, the affectional is there, and more than likely the feminine is at the heart of all heavenly thought and activity, but because the Writings convey the affectional quality through various ways of registering its absence, we need to learn how to read the Writings with a sensitivity to what they cannot always directly convey.
There is more than enough rationally stated material in the Writings to last us all many lifetimes. My intention, however, in pointing out that the Writings also contain a wealth of unstated and intuitive material, often further veiled in ambiguity and paradox, is simply to suggest that there are other approaches to reading the Writings than applying grid-like rationality. God speaks to us in the voice of many waters. While trying to find clear answers and to mark out doctrinal positions, we can also try to be attuned humbly to the mystery of the unstated and the unknowable dimensions of all revelation, including the Writings.

352

Like good spirits waking through stages into their new heavenly surroundings we need to move from foregone conclusions that we already know where it is we have "arrived," to a genuine experience of "peace to the very core" that accompanies the acknowledgment that "nothing of this is expressible in any way, or conceivable"; only then can we hope to arrive at "a state of innocence that touches [our] very inmost capacity for feeling" (HH 412). The wisest in heaven are not those who think they know the most but those who genuinely love the most (see HH 350, 351). If we hope to wake up to wisdom here on earth by approaching the Lord in His Word, then we need to loosen our grip on what we think our understanding can en-compass. Engaging revelation requires not only understanding but also affection, innocence, and prayer for the peace that passes understanding.
Heaven and Hell offers a microcosm of Swedenborg's process of enlightenment as well as his challenges as revelator. He talks with angels, witnesses how the beauty and order of their reality, language, and marriages escape our meager tools for expressing them, then sits down to the task of communicating all of this to us fallen beings trapped in worldly language and living somewhere in the future. Not easy. This movement from full and spontaneous presence to an abstracted written form is not just Swedenborg's individual process but a reflection of the historic movement of revelation on earth. At one time the Most Ancients had immediate revelation from God and open communication with angels; then as people fell away, living correspondences and the oral tradition deteriorated to self-conscious "knowledge" of correspondences, which then had to be written down in order not to be lost entirely. A written revelation is then both good news and bad news. It attests to our fallen state in that we have to preserve the Word outside of us because it is no longer written on our hearts, and it also offers a way back in that it permits the understanding to be elevated and the will brought into line.

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But we must be careful to use the Word to recover a lost balance and wholeness, to reestablish a covenant with the Lord, not to worship the abstracted words. If we learn to read the Word from love, that is, by truly loving to live it, then the textuality of it will become less important than the dissemination of its truth into the useful activities of our lives. The Lord's Word in heaven is not, after all, a series of leather-bound texts on a shelf but a living relationship between God and angels, symbolized by the simple words "the Covenant between Jehovah and the heavens" (Conjugial Love 75).
In bearing witness to heavenly realities it cannot quite describe, Heaven and Hell reveals the power of language to work through its limitations to point the way to something higher. Between the simplistic dichotomy of language-as-perfect-vessel-of-truth and language-as-hopelessly-limited, Swedenborg finds a third alternative. He lives simultaneously in two worlds, in multiple consciousness, trusting paradox to bring him to truth. Asking and asking questions, he goes part way and then hands the rest to the reader's imagination, even asking sweetly at times to be let off the burden of having to describe it all: "Allow me not to mention other modes," he says of the separation of evil spirits from good; "there are many of them" (HH 511). As readers we play a part in this process of filling in what has not been elaborated, or acknowledging there are many more examples to illustrate a point already made. But we have not always been up to the challenge of appreciating the honesty of the Writings for admitting how much is missing entirely from their own rational register. Swedenborg is not the least bit hesitant to admit the inadequacy of his own efforts to convey the full import of his experiences (see below). His humility, however, paradoxically reaffirms the Divine nature of his material. As readers we can take a lesson from Swedenborg, acknowledging both the limits of our reasoning minds to encompass the truth and the pride we exercise every time we insist that our understanding of a part is anything like the wonder of the whole.

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For instance, when an overemphasis on reason and on definitive or single readings, on answers, represses what I will call the subliminal affectional dimension of the Writings-the tone, the context, the meaning that evolves and changes through application-we diminish the power of the Writings.
It seems contradictory to suggest that a certain kind of reading represses an affectional level when I have just argued that the affectional or tonal quality of the message does not come through in the first place. The point is: responsible reading acknowledges the reality and importance of things that may escape it. Swedenborg continually draws attention to what has been left out, what is incommunicable for whatever reason, as if to try to reinstate it in spite of human limitations. The following excerpts from Heaven and Hell illustrate this point: "Everything [in heaven] is so beautiful that there is no way to describe it" (HH 176). "[Angels'] thought concepts embrace things such as men cannot grasp, let alone verbalize" (HH 239). "Angels think indescribable, unutterable thoughts" (HH 576). "Thousands of things [have] no equivalent in concepts of natural thought ... inexpressible except simply through shiftings of a heavenly light-not at all by human words" (HH 239). "Words cannot describe what angels' wisdom is like .... [T]he smallest things angels say contain hidden elements of wisdom in flawless connection, that human information never approaches" (HH 269). "This arcanum does not fit comfortably into the understanding of any man" (HH 460). The full reality of heavenly joy is "beyond description" (HH 409). "So I can know [the experience of heavenly joy]; but I can never describe it" (HH 413).
What an amazing work is Heaven and Hell, constantly attesting to what cannot be described, and concluding with the extraordinary statement that the book will remain obscure to those who do not approach it with "delight" and "affection" (HH 603). This book opens by stating that we need to know God, since "the rest depends on this," and ends by asserting that we have no access to that knowledge without delight and affection.

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What a lovely textual frame for illustrating the fall, and recovery, of humankind. The understanding (knowing truth) is separated mercifully by 603 numbers of revelation from an ultimate recognition that the enlightenment comes from affection and delight (loving truth for its own sake). Heaven and Hell as a physical book both separates and reattaches these two statements about the importance of understanding and affection. One seems to come first in time, but in the end, we discover that the other needed to be there all along. It is a paradox that feels as deeply true as Swedenborg's heroic efforts to communicate the incommunicable. He experiences the beautiful balance of heavenly life and language and then attempts to convey it in writing-a fallen medium-to readers who no longer have a healthy balance of affection and understanding in their speech or life, but who can perhaps recover some balance by seeing what has been lost. Reading Heaven and Hell we end at a recognition of the living, if seldom articulated, force of affection, which is where angelic speech begins.
Swedenborg describes the speech of angels as emanating directly from their affections (see HH 240). Thoughts and words are merely the vehicles or forms in which affections are "parceled out" (HH 236). Angelic speech is perfectly balanced between tone and word, affection and thought, which together make meaning (see HH 236, 239, 241, 261). The character and quality of angelic language reflect the way angelic minds receive influx from the Lord: spiritual angels with an emphasis on truth and sight (words and concepts), celestial angels on love and hearing (tone and affection), the very inmost angels receiving the Lord in such perfect balance that when they speak, their sounds run together as smoothly as music, without even a separation into distinct words (see HH 242, 271, 339). We've lost that balance. Angels cannot understand a word we say (see HH 237, 246). In many ways we resemble those spirits who, having cut themselves off from the Lord, lose their powers of speech: "Eventually they become like mutes or speak sluggishly, and wander about with their arms dangling loose as though they were powerless at the joints" (HH 3).

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So how do we learn to articulate again, meaning not only to speak but to move by being joined to something else?
Heaven and Hell's descriptions of celestial and spiritual language can give us a sense of what we have lost. And knowing what we have lost in terms of the way words come out of our mouths can give us a healing perspective about where we might go, about being some day "at home with this language of angels and spirits when [we] enter the other life" (HH 243). With angels, the words or concepts parallel the affections or tone (ibid.). We, however, are so distant from this state that Swedenborg can describe what we have lost only in terms of changes of light (thought) and warmth (affection) (see HH 239). Earthly speech shows such discord between affection and concept-what I would call feminine and masculine positions in language-that modern linguistic theory has developed an entire field of study devoted to the discrepancy and tension between these two components. In much the same way that Swedenborg speaks of the affectional (tone) and conceptual (word) components of angelic speech, linguistic theory speaks of the semiotic and symbolic dimensions of language.5 But whereas Swedenborg points out the perfect correlation between the two, semiotic theory points out the way one undermines the other, as when the words carry one message and the tone or rhythm quite a different meaning. It is a sad thing that our speech so often carries doubled or mixed meanings, even hypocrisy. We need to ask ourselves: Are we seeking to recover a balance of affection and thought in our readings and application of the Writings? Perhaps if we gain a better sense of what the balance between affection and thought, feminine and masculine, should be in language, in ourselves-we can be moved gently by the Lord into orderly expressions of our roles and loves.
Given the challenges Swedenborg describes of getting revelation into written form, we need as readers to become more comfortable with questions and with the paradoxes and ambiguity that take on richer meanings as we regenerate.

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Reading will help us regenerate, but equally important, regenerating will make us better readers. The inmost angels, for example, can read a person's entire book of life from the tone of a single spoken word. The fact that the Writings have truth to offer can make us a bit complacent that we already know what the answers and questions are. Rather than imposing our time-, space-, and experience-bound answers onto the Writings, we would do well to let revelation work us with its ambiguity and paradox and mystery. Not only the Bible but also much great literature reveals characters who receive divine words from oracles, prophets, and angels, and who think they know what the words mean. But truth comes home in unexpected ways. Often what the words turn out to mean is that we have not yet become the people we need to be in order to understand them. When we read revelation, we need to remain humble and open to unexpected meanings.
The opening of Conjugial Love offers a beautiful illustration of this idea that enlightenment comes when, having exhausted our preconceived views, we become humble enough to ask questions and to listen. Groups of spirits gather from three directions in the world of spirits to learn about heaven. Each group confidently declares its view of heaven, and then is forced to experience what that reality would be like. The process of disillusionment leads to the more receptive state of asking questions, which is followed by listening to angelic instruction. At times we have all run screaming from our fantasies of heaven, and then been grateful to fall back on questions, and finally our own silence.6
Although female spirits and female angels speak disappointingly seldom in the Writings contrasted to the amount of speech by male figures, their speech carries amazing authority. For instance, in the opening of Conjugial Love where Swedenborg learns about marriage in heaven, he hears how married love sounds from the speech of the wife as well as the husband, because both speak on behalf of the other, thus revealing "the union of their minds from which comes their speech" (n. 42).

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The angel wife not only has authority to speak at times for the husband; she gives the husband permission to speak to Swedenborg about marriage: "[O]ne of the wives appeared through the crystal-like partition, and she said to her husband, 'Speak, if you wish.' And when he spoke, the life in his wisdom from his wife was perceived in his speech, for her love was in the tone of his voice" (Conjugial Love 56, emphasis added). Swedenborg witnesses the wife's presence in her husband's tone. We as readers, however, are given neither the words nor the tone. We have Swedenborg's assurance that she is represented by her husband in the conversation, though curiously not by Swedenborg in his written document. She disappears. Granted, the husband speaks for her, so she is present in a way in his tone, but there is also an eclipse of her voice. This passage illustrates the importance of reading not only what the Writings say but what they leave out. They tell us clearly that something is missing, something too deep to convey. This recognition of something lost in translation is particularly crucial for women because we often occupy these very spaces or lacunae in the text or in conversations.
It is not that Swedenborg devalues the feminine. Rather, he sometimes admits that the feminine (and I would argue, the celestial) escapes his powers of expression. The feminine is simply less able to be represented by a written text than is the masculine, as suggested by Swedenborg's three paragraphs of detailed physical description of the angel husband, and then his inability to describe the wife: "In the case of the wife, however, ... I saw her face, and did not see it. I saw it as the very essence of beauty, and did not see it because the beauty was beyond expression . . . . I was simply stupefied by it" (Conjugial Love 42). When she turns at an angle away from her husband, Swedenborg is able to look more intently at her beauty, but still claims that "no artist could reproduce it or portray it in its true form" (ibid.). Are there angles we are missing, other ways of looking at the Writings that might give us a clearer glimpse of things that appear incommunicable when viewed head on?

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Not only are feminine beauty and love harder to describe in words than masculine beauty and understanding, but the feminine quality of angelic language-the "tone" or affectional component-is more likely to be lost in translation than the masculine thought or concept. Seeing where threads have been pulled from the tapestry may help us begin to reimagine the original color and design.

(To be continued)

ENDNOTES

1 I want to be clear that this study seeks to highlight the importance of affection (in both women and men) in studying, thinking, and speaking about revelation.
2 There are many numbers throughout the Writings to support this view that truth depends on good for vivification, but to list just a few from Heaven and Hell, see numbers 18, 26, 136, 137, 139, 153, 297, and 526.
3 The alignment of sight with thought and affection with speech (or rather, discordant affections with silence) is illustrated in the beautiful scene where Swedenborg is resuscitated by celestial angels who sit silently at his head. He shares thoughts with the angels simply by sight: "The communication of their thoughts was accomplished by their looking at my face; this is in fact how communication of thoughts takes place in heaven." Although his thoughts remained "unimpaired," his "personal affections" were removed and he was hooked up (so to speak) to the heart of the celestial kingdom (HH 449).
4 Conjugial Love 42 shows an angelic couple from the highest heaven warning Swedenborg that although their radiance can indeed illuminate the deepest ideas of his understanding, in the world these interior things are "ineffable": "Receive therefore what you are about to hear rationally, and so explain it to the understanding."
5 Julia Kristeva has done important work in this area, particularly in her Desire in Language (1980) and Revolution in Poetic Language (1984).
6 This study only begins to suggest the importance of silence and stillness as registers for the Lord in our lives. I hope to do a longer study on the power of silence in all three revelations, and, as with my present discussion of affection, I will need to work hard not to let the study lend itself to traditional alignments of women with silence. I am distressed by the destructive "silencing" of women, and I would write to restore the concept of silence as a deeply human value as proper to men as to women.

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LANGUAGE OF ANGELS 1999

     An Excerpt from Heaven and Hell

     236. Everyone in heaven has the same language. They all understand each other, no matter what community they come from, whether nearby or remote. This language is not learned but is innate; it flows from their very affection and thought. The sound of the language corresponds to their affection, and the articulations of the sound-the words, that is-correspond to the mental constructs that arise from their affections. Since their language corresponds to these [inner events], it too is spiritual, for it is audible affection and vocal thinking.
     [2] Anyone who reflects may realize that all thought comes from affection, which is a function of love, and that mental constructs are various forms into which the general affection is apportioned; for no thoughts or concepts whatever occur apart from affection. This is the source of their soul and life. This is why angels know simply from speech what kind of person someone is -they know the quality of the affection from the sound, and the quality of the mind from the articulations of the sound, or words. Wiser angels know from a single series of statements what someone's ruling affection is, since this is what they are primarily attentive to.
     [3] It is recognized that everyone has various affections or moods -one in times of happiness, another in times of sorrow, another in times of tenderness and compassion, another in times of honesty and truth, another in times of love and thoughtfulness, another in times of zeal or rage, another in times of pretense and guile, another in times of ambition for respect and adulation, and so on; but there is a dominant affection or love within all of these, so since the wiser angels perceive this, they know from conversation the whole state of another person.
     [4] I have been granted knowledge of this through an abundance of experience. I have heard angels uncover a person's life simply from listening. They have told me that they know everything about another person's life from a few individual ideas because these enable them to know the person's ruling love, which contains everything in a pattern. This is all that our "book of life" is.

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REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1999

REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE Rev. FRANK S. ROSE 1999

     (7)

     "It is impossible to force people to think what they are not willing to think, and to will what their thought forbids them to will, thus to believe what they do not believe and certainly what they are unwilling to believe. It is impossible to force people to love what they do not love, and certainly what they are unwilling to love because the spirit of people or their mind is in full liberty of thinking, willing, believing and loving" (DP 129).
     When our first child was born, I soon noticed that although he had a tiny little body, he had a fully developed will. We soon learned that we had to take his desires into account and work with him. We found the same with all of our children. We could lead them, encourage them, and strongly suggest things to them, but we could not force them.
     This is in keeping with the law of Divine Providence that people should not be forced in spiritual matters. A look at the history of various denominations in the Christian world shows that this has not been well understood in the past. Priests and ministers try to force people to be good. They use threats and warnings about hell fire and damnation. But do those threats do any good? They may be successful to some extent in getting people to follow the customs of the church, but at the same time they generate resentment and rebellion.
     It may be possible to force people to do certain things, but we cannot force them to feel or to love. I learned recently that the Nazi army in World War II was not as fearful as we might have thought. Many of the artillery shells were duds, and many of their soldiers surrendered at the slightest opportunity. Why? Because the weapons were made by slave labor, and many of the soldiers were non-Germans, forced into military service by the threat of death. They wore the uniform, and they did a minimum of fighting, but their hearts were not in it, and they seriously weakened the German army.

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     There are many examples in history of the resilience of the human spirit. Countless Christian martyrs were killed by the Romans, but the threat of death was powerless against their spiritual beliefs. Joan of Arc was burned alive but refused to renounce her visions. The human spirit insists on being free, and this freedom is protected by God as our most precious gift.
     In the olden days, people were practically compelled to go to church. Imagine what those services were like. Forced worship is external, dead, lifeless and sad. Free worship is spiritual, living, clear and joyful. By allowing people to worship or not we are taking a risk that people might choose something else. But we are also opening up the possibility of a far more vibrant and living worship than is possible under some system of coercion.
     Anything that destroys freedom or reason is harmful to people's spiritual development. Ignorance is also a barrier to spiritual growth. How can a person progress without knowing something of the nature of spiritual life and how to achieve it?
     In marriage two equal people enter into a relationship in which neither one is boss of the other. Everything they do to build the relationship depends on the principle that people can be led only in freedom according to reason. Some people prefer a marriage where one of them is boss and the other humbly complies, but whatever that is, it is not a real marriage.
     The amazing thing is that although pressure from other people may be harmful to our spiritual state, the pressure we put on ourselves is a sign of health and freedom. I often think of this when I see people jogging on a cold November morning. Part of them would love to be in bed. But another part gives an internal command that says, "Get up and get moving." A person is never so free as when he or she is doing something from internal compulsion.

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MIRACLES YOU MAY NOT EVEN SEE 1999

MIRACLES YOU MAY NOT EVEN SEE Editor 1999

     Editorial Pages
     In the latest translation of the Arcana we read of things that take place "out of sight." The sentence is from number 5508. It reads as follows: "Divine Providence does its work out of sight and in ways beyond comprehension, for the reason that a person may be able in freedom to attribute that work either to providence or else to chance."

     In the previous translation the word "invisibly" is used: "The Divine Providence works thus invisibly . . . . " If Providence worked visibly or in plain sight, the effect would be to compel belief, which is the effect of miracles, and so this number says that "miracles do not take place at the present day," or "miracles are not wrought at this day." To be precise, obvious miracles are not a present-day occurrence. Miracles of another kind certainly do happen.
     A key passage about miracles is 4031. We there read that "evident miracles do not take place at the present day, only miracles which are not evident or plain to see." The earlier translation says that "open miracles are not wrought at the present day, but miracles not open, or not conspicuous." (We have added the italics for emphasis.)
     Miracles do happen, and we will offer reflections on that point another day.
IF A HORSE OR DOG KNOWS ITS WAY HOME 1999

IF A HORSE OR DOG KNOWS ITS WAY HOME Editor 1999

"There is a certain sense which brutes enjoy, but not man, namely, to know the way home" (Spiritual Experiences 2209). This passage mentions horses and dogs, and it describes an experience Swedenborg had when for a short interval he could partake in that sense of knowing the way home.
In brambles and woods man wanders astray, but what of an animal? "Never; it knows its own home, even if it should go through a way which it never saw nor trod before.

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It is so with dogs, who run back (home) through different ways, through many places they have never seen before; it is similar with horses . . . " (SE 3340).
     Last month we emphasized that animals know things that people do not know. But if they know the way home, what are the implications for you and me? What are we to derive from this amazing knowledge? A good answer to that is that we derive the assurance that we will be able to know our way in the spiritual world. Among the millions of human beings who leave the natural world, do we sometimes doubt that we will be able to find those dear to us, that we will be able to find our way? One is reminded of the feelings of the bewildered disciples when the Lord said to them, "And where I go you know, and the way you know." Thomas said, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" (John 14:5)
     Jesus told people to look at the birds of the air and to notice that God feeds them, and He invites us to conclude that He will also feed us. If He does clothe the grass of the field in a marvelous way, should we not gain assurance that He will clothe us? And if He can in astonishing fashion show animals the way home, how much more will He in the life to come show us the way?
     In Divine Love and Wisdom we are told that angels know their way home. People in the world do not have this kind of knowledge, "But birds and beasts have such knowledge, for it is implanted in them to know of themselves their homes and dwelling-places, as is evident from abundant observation ... " (n. 134). And again, what are the implications?
     This is a kind of "proof" in the natural world of a reality that belongs to the spiritual world. The things we observe in the natural world are effects, and there are in the spiritual world causes of those effects (see DLW 134). It is said in the book of Job that the birds and the beasts will teach us (see TCR 308). And when they find their way home in wonderful ways, they are teaching us about a Divine guidance in the world to come.

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NEW BOOK ABOUT HIDDEN DIVINE CLUES 1999

NEW BOOK ABOUT HIDDEN DIVINE CLUES Editor 1999

     The author of a book published only a few weeks ago is Stephen Kendrick. His theme is the subtle and mysterious message about spiritual reality. I was surprised to find the central focus on the stories of Sherlock Holmes. It is pointed out that "Arthur Conan Doyle ... had a powerful interest in things spiritual, and cleverly wove these messages into his tales in an insightful way."
     Is Sherlock Holmes a portrayal of the spiritual detective in each one of us? Says Kendrick, "Holmes is like most of us, summoning God's name when he is pressed to the edge, or cast down in desperation." We live in a world of doubt, "Yet to those who look closely, signs are still scattered everywhere that point to this presence as having indeed been there-evocative and tantalizing clues to God's existence that defy our despair, our bewilderment."
     Many of us have been aware of Doyle as someone who spoke highly of Swedenborg but not highly of Swedenborg's followers who were cool toward the movement of spiritualism that Doyle espoused. In The History of Spiritualism Doyle mentions "the immense store of information which God sent to the world through Swedenborg." He called Swedenborg a mountain peak of mentality, a great reformer and clairvoyant medium but little understood by his followers. A memorable line of Doyle is: "In order fully to understand Swedenborg one would need to have a Swedenborg brain, and this is not met with once in a century."
     I have read just enough of Kendrick's book to come to admire his point of view and even to recommend the book before I have finished it. Perhaps more about this next month. The book is Holy Clues published by Pantheon books, New York, ISBN 0-375-40366-3.

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MEMORABLE RELATIONS 1999

MEMORABLE RELATIONS Rev. David R. Simons 1999

     Communications
Dear Editor:
     We very much appreciated the presentation by Rev. Derek P. Elphick (NCL, June 1999), and enthusiastically agree with its basic conclusions about miracles and about a sense of humor in the Writings.
     It is our conviction, from the Writings, that Memorable Relations/Narrative Accounts are for the New Church what the miracles were for the first Christian Church, and that they are vital to the establishment of the New Christian Church. These unusual accounts of the reality of the spiritual world may be considered to be "in the place of miracles" (SD 4123), as noted on page 296 by Mr. Elphick.
     As the first Christian Church was established by miracles, so the New Christian Church will be established by a new kind of miracle- " . . . [M]anifest miracles do not take place at this day, but miracles not manifest, or invisible, which are such things as do not infuse what is holy, or take away freedom from a person ... " (AC 4031).
     The doctrines teach that the age of miracles has passed, since miracles persuade and take away human freedom and are therefore no longer done.
     Yet there is a new kind of miracle-the evidence (30 volumes of evidence) that there is a spiritual world, a heaven and a hell, to which all go after they die; there is a spiritual world ruled by a God of love, the Lord, who wills the eternal happiness of all and who presides over a kingdom of uses into which every human being fits as a working part in the Gorand Man of heaven.
     The wonderful thing-the great mercy of the Lord-is that the Heavenly Doctrines reveal this spiritual world in a fullness never before possible. They provide mountains of evidence (nowhere is there so much spiritual rational material about the kingdom of the Lord), and yet none of this evidence takes away our rational freedom.

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     We are free to accept the power, the logic and beauty-the "common sense" feeling-which draws our minds upward. We are free to hear (free to love-loving is hearing) the "voice of the Lord" in these Writings, or we can reject them as the ravings of an unbalanced mind. (See New Philosophy: Kurt Simons '99.) Is not this the challenge of our rational age?
     Without these narrative accounts, we read in Mr. Elphick's sermon, p. 247: " . . . people would not know the quality of the book; they would not buy it, nor read it, nor understand it, nor be affected by it, nor believe it. In short, they would ignore it ... (SE 4123; cf. Documents Vol. II, p. 975)." This is a most powerful statement!
     It is rational to see humor in these episodes in the Writings. A passage from a narrative account about a "confirmer" (TCR 334) illustrates this: The "confirmer" is a proud person who boasts, "Is there anything true in the nature of things other than what man makes true? Say what you please and I will make it true."
     After many specious answers making total opposites true (which is rationally impossible!)-that "faith is the all of the church"; that "light is darkness and darkness light"; "that a raven is white, not black"-Swedenborg asks him, "Can you make it true that you are insane?" and the confirmer answers (reluctantly), "I can, but I do not wish to do so," and adds (showing brilliance of a sort), "Who is not insane?" (Ibid.)
     Wider use of narrative accounts for our children and for our own rational insight will, I agree, strengthen the church and pro-vide for its growth.
     Rev. David R. Simons
          Huntingdon Valley, PA

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UNDERSTANDING A PASSAGE ABOUT SODOM 1999

UNDERSTANDING A PASSAGE ABOUT SODOM Rev. Arne Bau-Madsen 1999

Dear Editor:
     In a letter to the editor in the June 1999 issue of New Church Life (p. 274), a reader commenting on certain teachings concerning Sodom in AC 2220 and 2322 wonders why the expressions "it appears as if" and "may suppose" are used in describing the evil of Sodom, obviously convinced that this profoundly affects or changes the meaning of these teachings, and somehow indicates that homosexuality is not a form of adultery.
     It is really quite clear, however, that carefully read and properly understood, these passages teach nothing of the sort.
     What they actually say is that, in the sense of the letter, Sodom depicts an evil or foulness that is contrary to the order of nature, an evil of the worst adultery, but in the internal sense it signifies the evil of the love of self.
     The phrases "it appears as if" and "may suppose" are simply used in reference to those who are not aware of, or do not believe in the internal sense of the Word, who are also referred to in AC 2322 as " . . . they who apprehend the Word according to the sense of the letter alone . . . ." They are the ones to whom it appears as if, or who suppose that, the story of Sodom and the sin of Sodom are solely that of homosexual disorder, whereas the truth is that it is not only about that, but also and more importantly about the nature of the love of self, which rules within all evil, including that of Sodom.
     What this evil or foulness of Sodom really is is also evident from the story in Genesis 19, where the two angels very clearly are described as men (i.e., not as women), and where the evil of the men of Sodom is their lusting after these two angels. For it is when the men of Sodom demand that they be given into their possession that Lot says: "I pray you, my brethren, do not wickedly" (Gen. 19:6, 7).

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     In other words, whatever other evils may be attributed to the men of Sodom, the one of homosexuality certainly is manifestly exhibited in the sense of the letter, and that it is condemnable and adulterous may also be seen from AE 434:16 where the evil or abomination of lying with a man as with a woman (Lev. 18:22) is characterized as an adulterous relationship. (See also Lev. 20:13.)
     That homosexuality is not only adultery but also the worst adultery may be seen more clearly when we consider the following teaching in AE 990e: "From all this it follows that the love of marriage, even in its ultimate act, is purity itself and chastity itself; and that the love of adultery in its acts is impurity itself and unchastity itself. Since the delights of these two loves are alike in outward appearance, although inwardly they are wholly unlike because opposites, the Lord provides that the delights of adultery shall not ascend into heaven and that the delights of marriage shall not descend into hell; and yet that there shall be some correspondence of heaven with prolification in adulteries although none with the delights in them."
     In a homosexual relationship even this most external similarity with the conjugial, and its tenuous correspondence with heaven, is lost. The distortion and perversion is complete, which is also why it is called "a foulness contrary to natural order" (AC 2322; see also SD 2675).
     We must not let our desire for tolerance, understanding, and mercy cause us to blind ourselves to the truth, for without the truth there can be no tolerance, understanding, or mercy, but only surrender to disorder and evil.
     Rev. Arne Bau-Madsen
          Kempton, PA
COVENANT TO LIVE BY 1999

COVENANT TO LIVE BY Erik Sandstrom 1999

Dear Editor:
In his communication in your June issue the Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom says near the end: "This is pretty heavy doctrine coming out of a quibble of words" (p. 281).

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Mentally I heard him sigh when he said that; and I added a little sigh of my own because there is a truth in that statement: We do have a quibble of words, but I do not think the doctrine is-or should be-heavy. The "quibble" is actually of one word only: covenant. Generalizing the difference in viewpoint, this difference can be clearly and easily set forth. EES says the Old and New Testaments are the covenant between the Lord and the church, while ES says the Old and New Testaments and the Writings are the covenant between the Lord and the church.
     As for the place and function of the Writings in the church I know that both of us think they are to be obeyed and done as well as believed. Yet saying, "The Writings are not a covenant" does not imply such an attitude, for a Divine Covenant has no other end in view than salvation, or what is the same, regeneration. The statement that "the Writings are not a covenant" must not stand. It is crucial that they be acknowledged as the Lord's very means-essential means-of saving the world, the church, and the individual. This is why I have taken up this discussion.
     Now I have good reasons to believe that two convictions lead EES to insist that the two testaments are the only covenant: a) His thought that the correspondences of the testaments are the only kind of correspondence that can join the two worlds together; and b) His fear that the belief that the Writings too have this power of conjunction will lead to the persuasion that characterized "the Hague movement" seventy years ago. I can sympathize with him on both counts, while at the same time feeling that his reasoning is tragically erroneous and can only lead to "heavy doctrine." Allow me to discuss the two points in some detail, if briefly.
     A. Correspondences in the Word joining the two worlds together.
     The remarkable statement in Invitation 44 is at the heart of the question as to what it is that in our day conjoins the two worlds.

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I quoted it in my article in your March issue (p. 120), but now let me do it again, with some emphases added: "The spiritual sense of the Word has been disclosed by the Lord through me, which has never before been revealed since the Word was written with the sons of Israel; and this sense is the very sanctuary of the Word. The Lord Himself is in this sense with His Divine, and in the natural sense with His Human. Not a single iota in this sense can be opened except by the Lord alone. This surpasses all the revelations that have hitherto been made since the creation of the world. Through this revelation a communication has been opened between men and the angels of heaven, and the conjunction of the two worlds has been effected, because when man is in the natural sense, the angels are in the spiritual sense."
In his reply in your June issue (p. 279) EES seizes on the last line and says: "However, conjunction [emph. orig.] takes place 'because when man is in the natural sense, the angels are in the spiritual sense." But is there a contradiction in Inv. 44? Let us not overlook the actual words, that it is "through this revelation" (i.e. the revelation "that surpasses all the revelations that have hitherto been made since the creation of the world") that a communication has been opened and the conjunction has been effected. How, after these teachings, is it possible to say, "However, . . . "? Can it be that the revelation that surpasses all others, and that reestablishes both communication and conjunction with the heavens, is alone not a covenant?
Yet, once you accept the premise that the Writings themselves can in no way be said to have a natural sense and a spiritual sense, then you are forced into the "however," and into implying that Inv. 44 is self-contradictory. Our challenge, therefore, is to understand why the Writings teach that it is because "when man is in the natural sense [and] the angels are in the spiritual sense," the new and surpassing revelation has opened communication and effected conjunction between the two worlds.

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     Indeed, the Writings do have a "natural sense" and a "spiritual sense," but in saying this, it is crucial to add the qualifying statement: not in the same way as in the case of the testaments.
     Look, the Writings are written in natural language. The angels cannot understand such language. But they can understand, love, and live the ideas expressed by natural language, especially if that language is at the same time a rational (i.e. a natural-rational) language. The human rational mind which, if opened, speaks such language is part of the natural mind; it is the highest degree of that mind. The case is therefore the same as when a sincere, rational man speaks. He means what he says, that is, his words and his ideas are as far as he is concerned the same. Yet he can be misunderstood! In our day this is a very common thing. People say, "But you said so and so." They rarely say, "I understand that you meant so and so."
     Now the Writings do say what they mean. They address the plain-spoken rational mind. Yet, can they not be misunderstood? The history of the New Church is proof that they can. On the other hand, the angels understand. The ideas couched in the rational language of the Writings are the spiritual sense of the two testaments. That is why Inv. 44 can say: "The spiritual sense of the Word has been disclosed by the Lord through me." And that too is why the Writings say: 'By means of the Divine truths of the Word that are in the spiritual sense the New Church which is meant by 'the Holy Jerusalem' in the Apocalypse may be con-joined with heaven. For the Word is conjunction, but conjunction is effected when man perceives the Word similarly as angels perceive it" (AE 950:2, emphasis added; see also HH 310e).
     To this I need to add two points. First, that the Old Testament ceased to be a covenant until the Lord came on earth and restored it. He spoke of this powerlessness of the Old Testament saying: "Ye have made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition" (Matt. 15:6, Mark 7:13). And that He restored the Old Testament, He taught in these words: "Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill" (Matt. 5:17).

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The fulfillment was the New Testament.
     Similarly, both testaments had ceased to be covenants at the end of the Christian Church; and similarly they were restored by the Writings. We read concerning this in AC 3900:8, where the following prophecy concerning the Lord's second advent is explained: "If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold He is in the desert, go not forth; behold He is in the inner chambers, believe it not" (Matt. 24:26). And the explanation is this: "As the Word spoken by the Lord contains innumerable things within it, and as 'desert' or 'wilderness' is a word of wide signification, for all that is called 'wilderness' which is not cultivated and inhabited, and all interior things are called 'inner chambers,' therefore by a 'desert' is also signified the Word of the Old Testament, because this is regarded as abrogated; and by 'inner chambers' the Word of the New Testament, because this teaches interior things, or those which concern the internal man." But once again the Lord restored the former Word, and once again He did so by "fulfilling," or opening up. We read: "The same thing occurred as occurred at the end of the Jewish Church, for at its end, which was when the Lord came into the world, the Word was opened interiorly; for when the Lord was in the world He revealed interior Divine truths that were to be for the use of a new church about to be established by Him, and that did serve that church. For like reasons the Word has been opened interiorly at this day, and still more interior Divine truths have been revealed therefrom for the use of a new church that is to be called the New Jerusalem" (AE 948:2, emphasis added).
     The New Testament became the new covenant at the Lord's first advent. Are not the Writings, therefore, becoming the newest covenant at His second? A new covenant is necessary when a former covenant is no longer embraced and lived.
     Second, that whereas there have been four churches in this world since the beginning of creation (see TCR 760); and whereas all these perished, one after the other; and whereas a new Word, thus a new Covenant, was given to each new church in order that such new church might be established, therefore it would be surprising and "offbeat" if the revelation which surpasses all previous revelations, and which establishes the Crown of Churches, were to break the pattern of Providence, and not itself constitute a new Divine Covenant.

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     B. The Writings as means of joining the two worlds together.
     All three forms of the Word communicate with the spiritual world by means of correspondence, because the two worlds correspond, one with the other. But the three forms differ vastly as to the nature of the correspondence whereby they communicate. Generally, the correspondence of the Old Testament may be called sensual, that of the New Testament descriptive (such as "desert" or "wilderness" and "inner chambers"), and that of the Writings "rational."
     Rational correspondence is as between word and idea. Hence it is that a person in the world, by means of the Writings, can share ideas with angels, or can "perceive the Word similarly as angels perceive it" (AE 950:2). The Writings "mean what they say." They do not hide the ideas themselves that they express. If these are not attended to and grasped by the reader, then the fault is with the reader, not with the Writings. Still, there is a difference between before and after death, as indicated in DLW 239: "[Man] can be elevated to angelic wisdom and possess it while he lives in the world. But still he does not come into it until after death and when he becomes an angel; then he speaks things ineffable and incomprehensible to the natural man."
     Also, in the Writings the two essentials, which are like heart and lungs in all Divine Covenants, are presented in a new way; for the one God is identified as the Lord in His Divine Human (thus as God Visible), and obedience to His will is described as repentance of life (see AR 490, 9). These essentials are revived. The Writings are a covenant, and a covenant to live by.

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     That they are a new covenant is taught in TCR 708, explaining "the blood of the new testament" and "the fruit of the vine": "The fruit of the vine which they were to drink new in the heavenly kingdom (Matt. 26:29, Mark 14:25, Luke 22:18) means nothing else than the truth of the New Church and of heaven." It is also implied in many ways, such as: that it was because of the completion of the True Christian Religion that the disciples could be sent out on June 19th to preach the New Gospel; that it was because of the publishing of the Arcana Coelestia in 1756 that the Last Judgment in the spiritual world could commence in 1757; that the whole spiritual world radiated with new splendor when the Brief Exposition appeared in the world; and that angels found a new basis for their wisdom in the Divine Love and Wisdom (see DLW 284), and also in the doctrines that were in Swedenborg's mind (SD 5610).
     And that they are a covenant to live by is taught in various ways. Here are some examples: "Spiritual truths, which are called doctrinal things, are still more interior commandments" (AC 3310:4). Again, more explicitly (concerning some in the spiritual world who induced a state of sadness on Swedenborg): "It was said that they were those who rejoiced that they possess heavenly doctrine, saying that they wished to embrace it because they believe all things which are in it . . . . But as soon as they heard that that doctrine was not only a doctrine of faith, thus that the things which were therein were not only to be known and acknowledged, but that it was a doctrine of life, and the things in it were to be willed and done, also that doctrine effects nothing with those who merely know and affirm it, but only with those who at the same time d o it . . . , then they became sorrowful, and all rejected it, not wanting it. Hence was my sadness" (SD 5540).
     Indeed, these doctrines are a covenant for salvation. We read: "Unless, therefore, a new church arise, which acknowledges the two essentials and lives according to them, no one can be saved" (AR 9).
     Erik Sandstrom, Sr.
          Huntingdon Valley, PA

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IS IT A SMALL MATTER? 1999

IS IT A SMALL MATTER? Lisa Hyatt Cooper 1999

Dear Editor:
     It's amazing how the little things are sometimes the ones that bring out our strongest emotions.
     What is the one translation issue that currently draws the most interest? The modest difference between h and H. On no other question have I run into more heartfelt distress among the people I talk to than on the capitalization of divine pronouns. Recent letters to the editor from Carl Gunther and Jonathan Rose attest to the intensity of feeling and carefulness of thought devoted to the question on both sides.
     Translation is always a trade-off, because the words it is based on carry more than their dictionary definitions. If the meaning of a word can be viewed as its intellectual content, other elements can be viewed as its emotional content. How does such-and-such a word affect you? What associations does it raise? Is its tone harsh or beautiful, poetic or practical? Every word and every different combination of words embodies many kinds of messages, and the translator can preserve only a certain number in a given instance. Hence the saying "the translator is a traitor"-inevitably.
     One excellent reason for using uppercase pronouns is that it reflects Swedenborg's own practice. He was strikingly consistent not only in capitalizing pronouns referring to the Lord but also in using an unusual pronoun to begin with. The common pronoun that we would translate as "he" is ille; Swedenborg's divine pronoun is ipse, an intensive form. To be truly faithful, we might perhaps translate it not as He but as Himself. What message would that carry? Oddity. Take the first item of faith listed in TCR 3: "God is one, in whom is the Divine Trinity, and Himself is the Lord God the Savior Jesus Christ." It almost seems blasphemous. Attention to the external form of the word distorts the message. What message does the capital letter by itself carry?

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For many people it represents respect. For others, and especially the readers outside our church boundaries mentioned by Dr. Rose, it suggests that the text is out of date.
     The best reason I have encountered for capitalizing Divine pronouns is that it is bound up with people's religion; it goes to the heart of their relationship with the Lord. This is an emotional reason and therefore compelling. My own reason for preferring the lower case is equally emotional, because it too goes to the heart of my relationship with the Lord.
     For me the issue is much like that of the archaic pronouns "Thee" and "Thou" in religious language. For some people, the loss of these words is the loss of beauty, specialness, and associations reaching back to infancy. For me, their presence is a barrier. I can no longer address my Lord in language that feels artificial, alien, anachronistic. He's the one who helps me in the most mundane and yet painful moments of my life, who gives me joy in the silliest, most pedestrian ones. I have to talk to him in my everyday words because it's in my everyday experiences that I meet him. I love and honor my mother and father, whom it would kill me to address as Mrs. and Mr. I cannot bring myself to think of the Lord as He.
     I would hate to see translations employing the upper case for divine pronouns disappear from the shelves as long as people exist for whom the lower case is an attack on all that is holy. Those translations-including some excellent new ones-are now avail-able and will continue to be so. But I want to see other translations placed on the shelves too, translations that meet a different need, that convey a slightly different set of nuances waiting to be mined from the originals. Nuances-how small they are, and how significant.
     Lisa Hyatt Cooper
          Bryn Athyn, PA

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NEW TRANSLATION 1999

NEW TRANSLATION Rev. N. Bruce Rogers 1999

Dear Editor:
     In response to the letter of my colleague, the Rev. Dr. Jonathan S. Rose, in the July issue, I would like to respectfully disagree with his remarks regarding translation of the Latin adjective coelestis and offer a contrasting point of view in regard to capitalization of personal pronouns referring to the Divine.
     Dr. Rose asserts that the proper, and apparently only, meaning of coelestis is "heavenly." To counter the argument that coelum coeleste might then show up as the redundant "heavenly heaven," he argues that this Latin phrase "almost never occurs." But the fact is that it does occur; and in addition to the instances he cites, there are a number of other places in the doctrines where we are told that there are three heavens-coeleste, spirituale, et naturale. Are we to say that there are three heavens -"heavenly, spiritual and natural"?
     In the first place, almost all words in all languages have more than one meaning. A simple glance at any dictionary reveals this fact. So, too, with the adjective coelestis. The word can mean "heavenly," but it has also other meanings. Indeed, the noun from which it is formed-coelum-means not only "heaven" but also "sky" (as in the phrase, aves coeli, "birds of the sky"). In some languages the translator does not have to make a distinction when rendering the adjective. The French celeste means both heavenly and celestial. The same is true of the Italian celeste and the German himmlisch.
     In English, however, the translator cannot slavishly translate coelestis as "heavenly." Sometimes it means of or pertaining to the sky, and sometimes it is used in the Heavenly Doctrines simply as a contrast to spiritualis. So we are told that in heaven there are two kingdoms-the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. If we are to call these "the heavenly kingdom" and "the spiritual kingdom," the implication is that the latter kingdom is not really heavenly, even though it is said to be a kingdom of heaven.

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So likewise with the heavens. If we are to say that there are three heavens -"heavenly, spiritual and natural"-the implication is that only the heavenly heaven is heavenly, even though the spiritual and natural heavens are heavens too.
     There is a certain absurdity in such interpretations, an absurdity, I think, that makes clear the writer's intention-namely, not to label the regnum coeleste and coelum coeleste as heavenly in contrast to the others as not heavenly, but to label them as "celestial" in contrast to the others which are labeled "spiritual" and "natural." Indeed, are we to think of the natural heaven as a heaven of nature, either existing within nature or produced by nature? Of course not. And so neither should we be labeling the regnum coeleste and coelum coeleste as heavenly rather than celestial, as though the spiritual kingdom and the spiritual and natural heavens were not heavenly too.
     As for the capitalization of personal pronouns referring to the Divine, one might point out that it was Swedenborg's regular practice to capitalize these pronouns. The counter-argument is that he capitalized a number of other nouns as well, reflecting perhaps the Germanic practice. But Swedenborg also used the intensive pronoun Ipse as a personal pronoun when referring to the Divine, and as a personal pronoun only when referring to the Divine; and this makes clear his intention to distinguish these references from ordinary personal pronouns referring to others than the Divine. In this, Swedenborg had the precedent of Julius Caesar's war commentaries, in which the same intensive pronoun is used as a personal pronoun referring to Caesar. But we do not have a similar precedent in English, except to capitalize these pronouns when referring to the Divine.
     Dr. Rose observes that the trend in modern usage is toward greater simplicity, and states: "There is not only a strong movement in the written language away from capitals ... but also a concomitant trend away from uppercase divine (sic) pronouns."

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And in this he is correct. Yet, as Dr. Rose acknowledges, the modern New King James Version of the Bible does in fact capitalize personal pronouns referring to the Divine, and we may wonder what line of reasoning argues for our doing something less. To argue that the world is for the most part doing something different is hardly a serious argument. One could apply that argument to support a number of objectionable and even sinful practices.
     If we continue to capitalize personal pronouns referring to the Divine, will any modern reader be "distracted at the outset by an orthography that seems outdated to them," as Dr. Rose suggests? Or will he not rather be impressed by the reverence accorded the Divine? And will the reader regard the capitalization as outdated, or as something new and different, reflecting the fact that the doctrines themselves are new and different? Dr. Rose himself points out that the traditional King James Version (1611) does not capitalize these personal pronouns, whereas the modern New King James Version does. Which, then, is the outmoded practice?
     The Swedenborg Foundation's proposed New Century Edition of the Heavenly Doctrines is being formatted to accommodate the doctrines to the practices of the world. Would that it were being formatted rather to invite the world to accommodate itself and its practices to the doctrines.
     The Rev. N. Bruce Rogers
          Huntingdon Valley, PA
AMBITION 1999

AMBITION Ken Blair 1999

Dear Editor:
I would like to respond to the letter in the June issue by Rev. Ian Johnson on the subject of ambition. My take on the word "ambition" is somewhat contrary to his. I believe ambition is a normal part of human nature. It is the starting point through which the Lord is able to bend our natural beginnings to greater goods (see Spiritual Experiences 2796). It is my experience that most things have a good and a bad side.

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The good side is when it can be of service to the Lord and the neighbor, and the bad side is when it is simply self-serving. Ambition is a starting point, not an end in itself. How many great things are done with ambition, risk-taking and competition, but we shouldn't take spiritual ownership of them. A sense of true humility is what makes the difference!
Ken Blair
Sarver, PA
Title Unspecified 1999

Title Unspecified 1999

     [Photograph of the Hills holding sign: "The Assembly is coming!"]

     CO-CHAIRS OF THE ASSEMBLY

     The assembly next June in Canada will be co-chaired by Ralph and Suzanna Hill of Kitchener, Ontario.

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DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM PUBLISHED 1999

     Announcements

     As we go to print we have news of the new translation of Divine Love and Wisdom. The translation familiar to many of our readers done by John C. Ager was first published more than a hundred years ago! A translation by Clifford and Doris Harley was published by the Swedenborg Society in 1969.
     We congratulate the current translator, Rev. N. Bruce Rogers, and we look forward to reading this welcome new volume.

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1999 SAN DIEGO ELDERGARTEN 1999

     October 31 - November 7

     (Open to all members of the General Church over 60 years of age)

SPEAKERS:
-     Rev. Daniel W. Goodenough - "Providence and Permission"
-     Rev. Brian W. Keith - "Spiritual Development Through Temptation"
-     Rev. Walter E. Orthwein - "The Structure of the Mind and the
Purpose and Function of its Different Parts"

Besides these interesting subjects and great speakers, San Diego offers a fascinating variety of exciting excursions, including a trip around one of the busiest harbors in the world, a famous animal park that can be toured by monorail, gardens, ocean beaches, wineries and countless other attractions.

Attendees will be staying in a motel and inn near the Old Town area of San Diego and should have opportunity for a wonderful mixture of instruction, attractions and friendship.

The Office of Education will be sending out registration applications and further information in mid-July. If you did not fill out a pre-registration form last fall, but would like to receive the registration mailing, please contact Charlene Cooper at the General Church Office of Education, Cairncrest, P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009-0743, or phone 215-914-4949 or fax 215-914-4935.

For local San Diego information, contact Michael Williams, 529 Market Street-#4E, San Diego, CA 92101, or phone 619-238-0207.
LETTERS FROM THE HEART 1999

LETTERS FROM THE HEART 1999

     "Round-Robin" Letters from Special-needs Families in the New Church
     Edited by Rev. Kurt Horigan Asplundh

     "This book . . . is about people with handicaps who, because of circumstances not of their own choosing, but Divinely permitted for the sake of the profound use they will serve into eternity, have a special challenge to follow the Lord's guidance. This book is also about those parents and friends who support each other as they deal gently, lovingly, with the mentally and physically handicapped people the Lord has given them to love and admire.
     "Our challenge is to cooperate with the Lord and put an arm around these 'little ones' as they step out into society with its uses of worship, instruction and social relationship. If we can truly appreciate their contribution to society and learn to convey our respect and     love for what and who they are, then our lives will be touched and enriched with a special innocence and peace."

     New Church Challenge
     1998
     Price U.S. $10.00, plus U.S. $1.20 shipping
     General Church Book Center     Hours: Mon-Fri 9-12 or
     Cairncrest     by appointment
     Box 743     Phone: (215) 914-4920
     Bryn Athyn, PA 19009          Fax: (215) 914-4935

     E-mail: [email protected]

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Notes on This Issue 1999

New Church Life
September 1999

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     Your attention is called to the new deadline for mini-sessions at the June assembly. See page 428.
     We have seen the new translation of Divine Love and Wisdom and have inserted some examples. One notices that the terms esse and existere become in this translation "being" and "expression." For an example of this see DLW 17.
     Speaking of translation, it is good to see the tone of the letters coming in concerning the New Century Edition proposed by the Swedenborg Foundation. People definitely have points to make but are doing so with commendable regard for those who may differ.
     There will be a Swedenborg Foundation authors event in Bryn Athyn on September 20th. See page 428.
     We would note that Kristin King, author of the article on p. 392, teaches in Bryn Athyn College, where she is Assistant Professor and head of the English major.
1999 CHARTER DAY 1999

1999

     October 15th - 17th

     We extend a warm welcome to alumni, students, and friends of the Academy of the New Church to come on home, renew old memories, and forge new ones during the 122nd anniversary celebration of the granting of the Academy Charter.
     A complete agenda will be mailed to all alumni and friends as an insert to the Alumni Update scheduled to be mailed September 1, 1999.
     Banquet tickets - $12.00 for adults and $6.00 for students - may be purchased by contacting Mira Yardumian at the Academy Development Office at (215) 938-2663.

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GETTING RID OF YOUR WILD ANIMALS 1999

GETTING RID OF YOUR WILD ANIMALS Rev. Eric H. Carswell 1999

"No one can approach someone who keeps a leopard or a panther in his room, and lives safely with them because he feeds them, unless he has first removed those wild animals" (True Christian Religion 331:1).
     Can there be any doubt about how dangerous it was to be around King Saul? Saul could solemnly swear to his son Jonathan that David should not be killed and yet still hurl a spear at him while David sat before him playing music to soothe his mind. One chapter later, 1 Samuel records that Saul also threw a spear at his son and heir Jonathan, apparently because he was so angry at Jonathan's allegiance to David. When Saul interrogated Jonathan about David's whereabouts and Jonathan gave a gracious excuse, 1 Samuel records the following: "Then Saul's anger was aroused against Jonathan, and he said to him, 'You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Now therefore, send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.'"
     "And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, 'Why should he be killed? What has he done?' Then Saul cast a spear at him to kill him, by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David" (1 Samuel 20:30-33).
     This relates a double attack on Jonathan. Before Saul's physical attack, there is the vicious verbal abuse of Jonathan's mother. One Biblical commentator observes about this abuse: "A popular form of cursing was then, and is now, to berate a person's mother; hence the words 'your mother's nakedness,' as though she were a prostitute or something of that sort" (The New Oxford Annotated Bible, pp. 359-360).
     Saul was not a safe person to be around for many reasons. It is amazing that Jonathan accepted Saul's violent behavior as simply as he did.

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He seemed to be more hurt and sad about how shamefully David had been treated than about the near escape he himself had just had.
     It is easy to be thankful that we live in a place and an age in which the physical violence shown by Saul would not be tolerated by any truly sane person. But hurtful verbal abuse not far from that expressed by Saul is far too common. The Lord wants us to recognize that this is one of the expressions of the hells that He would warn us away from. Consider the familiar words from the Sermon on the Mount: "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' [or 'You are an empty-headed person'] shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' [or 'You are a godless person!'] shall be in danger of hell fire" (Matt. 5:21,22).
     Anger with its supporting thoughts is certainly one of the states of mind that nearly all human beings experience. This is one of the personal wild animals that the Lord would like to help us get rid of so that we can be safer and more useful human beings. This is what the Lord refers to in the True Christian Religion: "No one can approach someone who keeps a leopard or a panther in his room, and lives safely with them because he feeds them, unless he has first removed those wild animals" (n. 331:1).
     The Lord wants us to know and acknowledge a fundamental idea about all evil that exists within our motives and thoughts. It all comes from the influence of evil spirits within us. For example we are told: " . . . [E]vil in a person is what creates anger in him" (Arcana Caelestia 6071).
     There is a tendency to see expressions of evil within ourselves or others as coming from other sources. There can be a tendency to see them as being fundamentally caused by events in the past or present. If this were the case, then anyone who experienced these events would have to be controlled by an anger produced from what had happened.

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But events don't produce anger by themselves. It is our reaction to the events that produces anger. A person could experience a substantial inconvenience and be furious or he could accept it as unfortunate but unavoidable. Some people can experience an apparent case of rudeness by another driver without being strongly upset, and some people experience it and become irritated, and a small percentage of people are filled with a true murderous rage.
     Another tendency in our thoughts about anger is that the fundamental problem with anger is that it is impolite or poor manners to directly express it. It is if we all operate by the rule that truly genteel people never express anything less than perfectly controlled speech. But this doesn't really address the fundamental problem. We know that a person can be terribly cruel and hurtful without raising his or her voice. A verbal knife can be poked into a person and turned while the source can have the sweetest smile on his or her face.
     The Lord wants us to fundamentally recognize a need to change with His help. We are told: "Self-love and love of the world, which belong to a person's will, are nothing else than hatred. For insofar as anyone loves himself he hates the neighbor. Because these loves are so contrary to heavenly love, it is inevitable that such things as are contrary to mutual love should be constantly flowing in from them. All of those things [flowing into] the understanding part are false ideas, and from them arises all the obscurity and darkness that is there" (AC 1047).
     Another passage on this subject is the following one: "With people who have no charity there is unending contempt of others, that is, unending mockery of them. And as often as the occasion allows, errors are exposed. They are prevented from doing this openly solely by external restraints-by fear of the law, fear for their life, fear of losing their position, wealth, and reputation on account of these.

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Consequently they harbor such contempt inwardly, but outwardly produce a semblance of friendship to others. As a result of this they acquire two spheres, which are perceived clearly in the next life. The first, which is interior, is full of hatred; the second, which is exterior, is a mere semblance of good. And because these spheres are in complete disagreement, they inevitably conflict. This also is why when the exterior sphere is taken away from them so that they are not able to dissemble, they rush into everything unspeakable. And when it is not taken away, the hatred, which is perceived, lurks in every word they speak. From this arise their punishments and torments" (AC 1080).
     The Lord wants us to know and acknowledge that we need to change. He wants us to recognize the dangers to ourselves and others that our inherited tendencies to evil produce. He wants us to see the specific ways that these tendencies have hurt us and others. He wants us to acknowledge these to Him, ask for His help, and do our part to not think or act on the results of this heredity.
     There is one very important way, though, in which the Lord doesn't want us to feel guilty due to the feelings and thoughts that first jump into our heads as a result of those feelings. There is the remarkable statement in the Writings of the New Church that perhaps you've heard before: "If a person were to believe as things really are, which is that everything good and true comes from the Lord and everything evil and false from hell, he could not have been found guilty of any offence or had evil ascribed to himself. But because he believes that it begins in himself, he takes evil as his own; for his belief causes this to happen. Thus evil clings and cannot be separated from him" (AC 6324).
     The Lord wants to help us become better human beings. He wants us to see the dangers in our inherited patterns of values and thought. He encourages us to work together with Him to fight against their impact on our lives. As we consider the broad ebb and flow of our lives, we can reflect on the patterns that have characterized our states of mind in the past and hopefully feel gratitude for some of the changes the Lord has already been able to bring about in our lives.

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We can also look forward with hope and trust to the future, knowing that our efforts together with the Lord's will certainly bring about more changes for the better in the coming weeks and months. May we do our part with the sure trust that the Lord will do His. Amen.

Lessons: 1 Samuel 19:1-10; TCR 331:1, 4

          * * * * * * *

     True Christian Religion 331:1, 4

     Evil and good cannot exist together, and insofar as evil is removed, good is sought and felt. This is because in the spiritual world the sphere of a person's love radiates from that person. This spreads around and affects others, making them like or dislike the person. It is these spheres which effect the separation of the good from the wicked. There are many parallels in the natural world to show that evil must be removed before good is recognized, felt and loved. For instance, no one can approach someone who keeps a leopard or a panther in his room, and lives safely with them because he feeds them, unless he has first removed those wild animals.
      A person ought to purify himself of evils, and not wait for the Lord to do this for him directly, as can be seen by comparison with a servant coming in with his face and clothes filthy with soot and dung and going up to his master and saying: "Please wash me, Sir." Would not his master say to him: "What do you mean, you fool? Here are water, soap and a towel. Haven't you got hands and the ability to use them? Wash yourself." So the Lord God will say: "The means of purification I have given you, and your will and ability also are given by Me; so use these gifts and talents of Mine as if they were yours, and you will be purified," and so on. The Lord teaches us that the external person is to be cleansed, but by means of the internal.

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READING WHAT THE WRITINGS SAY THEY CANNOT SAY 1999

READING WHAT THE WRITINGS SAY THEY CANNOT SAY Dr. KRISTIN KING 1999

     (Conclusion)

II. THE TONE OF HEAVEN AND HELL
     What is the nature of this book Heaven and Hell? What is its quality, and what does it seem to be saying? As soon as we talk about a book speaking, we are enmeshed in metaphoric thinking. Written texts obviously do not speak; not speaking is their defining characteristic. Yet when a written text moves us we say it "speaks" to us, perhaps because there has been a reattachment of words to experience, thought to affection, text to life. To hear how these books can speak to us we need to bring a full life to them, our hearts and minds, affections and thoughts, and an active desire for immediate application, for this is where true understanding lies (see HH 26, 33, 176, 222, 225, 271, 348, 474, 475, 482, 486, 528).
     Heaven and Hell is a joyful book. There is joy first in how much of the book dwells on heaven, second in its assurance that we not only can go to heaven eventually but live there now in our best states, and third in its emphasis on love. The book is not relentlessly affirmative, however. At times Swedenborg seems to lose some equanimity, becoming a bit impatient or irritated at the limitations of his mind, the minds of his readers, or language itself.1 But even these changes in tone can enhance the sense that the reality Swedenborg struggles to convey will be one day even more full and beautiful than we can presently grasp from a perspective limited by a world that is both natural and fallen.
     The first aspect of the book's joyful nature is its emphasis on heavenly life. About 70% of Heaven and Hell describes heaven; 20% the world of spirits; and only 10% hell. And of that 10%, half the numbers describe the Lord's merciful governance of hell and loving guardianship of every person's freedom.

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(Endnotes are on p. 409.) Granted, there is such a perfect balance between heaven and hell, as Swedenborg points out, that every description of heaven can be applied inversely to hell, thus implicitly giving equal emphasis to both. But the fact that Swedenborg writes mostly about heaven, rendering that life in far greater detail than his experiences in hell, suggests his role as scout for our future home. Yes, there are giants in the land, but the fruits are remarkable, and the Lord will be with us. Most uplifting are the teachings that we are born for heaven (HH 57, 576), each of us is an angel-in-the-making but caught momentarily in a natural setting (HH 314, 345), we are already associated with heavenly communities, and it is less difficult than we might imagine to lead a life that will bring us to heaven (HH 533).
The second joyful facet of Heaven and Hell is the book's insistence that heaven is achievable. The idea that "it is not so hard to lead a heaven-bound life as people believe it is" (HH 530) can be a bit distressing if one thinks about how well populated hell is, and how the path to heaven is so narrow because so few people travel it (see HH 534). But it need not devastate us. When Swedenborg insists that the path is narrow not because it is difficult but because too few feet travel it, we need to pay more attention to what it is that discourages us, keeps us from "believing" it is a passable trail. Apparently it is not the trail itself but our perception about the trail that keeps us off. One of the greatest roadblocks to spiritual life is our resistance to joy, particularly when it takes the form of renouncing worldly pleasure and withdrawing into ascetic isolation. Swedenborg has little patience with killjoys, especially those who think that such martyrdom earns them a place in heaven. We must "by all means live in the world" if we hope to go to heaven (HH 528).
The only way to heaven is through this world, not in spite of it, and not transcending it. The journey happens "little by little," with the Lord doing just about everything. All we have to do is resist, for the Lord's sake, the evils that get in the way. And once this is begun, the Lord works out "all good things" for us, arranging things so that we not only see evil elements but dislike them, and eventually turn away from them.

394

This is the meaning of the Lord's words, "My yoke is easy, and my burden light" (HH 533).
Of course, we often fail. Many of us go to hell. Even in this happy book, Swedenborg acknowledges our inclinations to all evils and our constantly active propriums. And the more we give in to evil, the harder it is to recognize it as such, and the more we then love and do it (see HH 533). But nothing is stacked against us. If the yoke seems heavy, it is because of our self-important drive to believe it is so. The truth is: if we summon just a bit of resistance, the Lord brings in the cavalry, whereas it requires sustained passion to confirm evil. In Swedenborg's terminology one must be a heedless plunger to get into hell. The reason for knowing that it is not as hard as we think to get to heaven is not to encourage complacency about the real work of regeneration, but to shift the focus back to the Lord. We cannot get to heaven at all if we rely on ourselves. But when we let go of evil, the Lord brings us there daily. When we let the Lord work in us, His angels surround us, making us "heaven-bound" in every sense.
The third quality that makes Heaven and Hell light-hearted is its almost compulsive emphasis on love. Love not only is the very being of everyone's life (see HH 14), it is the Lord's own Divine and "the vessel of everything heavenly-that is, of peace, intelligence, wisdom, and happiness" (HH 18). In us the Lord flows "directly" into what is good, and "indirectly through what is good into what is true" (HH 26). The word "love" is used four times as frequently as wisdom, not only in this book but also in the Writings as a whole.2 Where good and truth are mentioned together in Heaven and Hell, truth generally takes a subordinate position (see for instance HH 18, 26, 133, 136, 137, 139, 153, 271, 297, 348, 474). Truth is not less important than good, as can be seen in two striking numbers that speak of a person's inability to be saved or to have her inner self opened except by Divine Truth (see HH 250, 522).

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Yet the book's extraordinary emphasis on love suggests that Heaven and Hell addresses an audience in danger of devaluing love even more than it devalues truth.
The eighteenth century was high on reason, and Swedenborg certainly seems to address the educated male reader of that era, graced with the cerebral inheritance of the Enlightenment but susceptible to the pride of intelligence. Had Swedenborg written half a century later in the Romantic era, or a century later in the Victorian era, he might have been equally cautionary about an overemphasis on sentiment and emotion. Perhaps the twentieth century has found a better balance between reason and affection than did either the eighteenth or nineteenth century. My point is that Heaven and Hell, like other books of the Writings, stresses balance, equilibrium and reciprocity, between faculties and between sexes, and does so at the most basic level by calling attention to the balance between affectional and conceptual aspects of language. Whenever one angle or faculty seems to dominate, or when we find ourselves overemphasizing certain aspects to the exclusion of others, we would do well to set the teaching in the context of its day, and in the context of our own anxieties, to see what kinds of influences or distortions are at play. Furthermore, I contend that part of the reason Heaven and Hell talks more frequently and emphatically about the importance of love and application (over truth and isolated thought) is not only to counteract the intellectual currents of Swedenborg's day but to anticipate the loss that threatens every written revelation: the loss of the speaking voice, of the affection conveyed through tone. "Love talks" in the faces and voices of angels (HH 238). Swedenborg's challenge in witnessing, and then transcribing, spiritual experiences to a natural realm is to make love speak again through a purely written medium. When we consider how harsh and forbidding were some of the views of God expounded by Swedenborg's contemporary theologians, particularly Calvinist and Lutheran views, Heaven and Hell's emphasis on gentleness, mercy, joy and love seems all the more impressive.

396

     Speech and Communication of Angels

     Heaven and Hell describes many fascinating characteristics of angelic speech. More broadly, it describes heavenly communication, such as angels' faces having "myriad changes of expression," each capable of expressing an entire heavenly community (HH 47), or communities staying in touch through the outreach of spheres from the center of heaven (HH 48). But I will keep my focus more narrowly on spoken language, particularly that of the celestial angels: first, because spoken language carries the tone of voice as part of the message, thus conveys the affections, from which all thoughts spring (HH 261); and second, because celestial speech is so beautifully balanced between thought and affection that the words themselves flow as smoothly as water or music (HH 242, 339). This balance suggests the marriage between affection and thought that, as in a poem or song, makes sense indistinguishable from sound. Such an inspiring balance in language can teach us about a heavenly relationship between affection and thought in ourselves, in our marriages, and in the uses in our communities. Obviously such a view might discourage us by revealing how inarticulate and disconnected we are, but it can also give us new admiration for how miraculously written revelation, such as the Writings (which seem at times humbly aware of their linguistic insufficiency), can lead us back to a God-centered eloquence. We may never again speak on earth as angels speak, but seeing the ideal can at least turn us in the right direction.
     Except for special "mediating" angels who serve as agents of communication, angels do not visit heavens outside their own or speak with other angels:

An angel of one heaven cannot have access to angels of another heaven. That is, no one from a lower heaven can ascend, and no one from a higher heaven can descend. Anyone who ascends from a lower heaven is gripped by tension to the point of pain. He cannot see people there, much less talk with them. And anyone who descends from a higher heaven loses his wisdom, stammers, and falls prey to despair (HH 35, emphases added).

397

Disruptions in speech not only manifest the distance between heavens, as suggested in the number above, but the act of attempting to speak with more external angels causes a shutdown of the wisdom in higher angels: "The moment an angel of the third heaven looks down into a community of the second heaven and talks with someone there, his third level is closed. Once it is closed, he has lost his wisdom" (HH 208). Whereas lower angels can neither see nor talk with higher ones, angels of a higher heaven can see ones who are in a lower one, "but engaging in conversation with them is not allowed" (HH 209). Unlike sight, which is the medium for communicating thought in heaven, speech conveys both thought and affection through the use of tone. And since dissimilar affections cannot be shared in heaven, neither can speech. How beautiful to have internal distress register immediately in a failure of speech. On earth we do not have that blessing. One of the clearest signs of our fall is the divorce between what we say and what we feel, to the point that speech often covers rather than reveals our inner selves. For angels, on the other hand, "love and wisdom come together in speech" (HH 239). This is the most important characteristic of angelic speech, that thought and affection work together in perfect balance to convey meaning.
If celestial angels are not permitted to speak to lower angels, and if lower angels haven't the capacity to hear the words at all -"the thoughts, affections, and consequent words of angels of the inmost heaven are never grasped in the intermediate one, since they are so transcendent" (HH 210, emphasis added)-what is the likelihood that we natural beings on earth can know anything of the speech of celestial angels? What are we even capable of hearing when Swedenborg relates what they said? More importantly, what is Swedenborg conveying to us when he quotes the highest angels? I think the Writings convey in part the recognition that a crucial dimension-the affection and the tone of the language-has been lost.

398

If the Writings were more poetical and affectional, we might be lulled into believing they could express that lost quality. Instead, we have a (sometimes) belligerently rational revelation that keeps tapping on our consciousness and repeating through both its form and its content: "Stay awake. You're reading about something wonderful but the vehicle is obviously and honestly inadequate. An entire dimension of heaven cannot be captured here. You are responsible for carrying a consciousness that something has been lost in translation."
Angelic language in which love and wisdom are united in speech was the origin of people's first language on earth, which "came to them from heaven" (HH 237). It is also an ongoing source of idioms and metaphors, as in the expression that people who believe in and love God have Him "before their eyes and faces" (HH 143); this and other expressions "stem from the spiritual world, though people do not realize it" (HH 97). For all the loss and alienation then, which is registered most powerfully in our hypocritical uses of speech, our language retains vestiges of heaven to which we may or may not be sensitive. I am making a subtle distinction here between speech and language (similar to the French uses of the terms la parole and la langue). Language is larger than speech. It is the nearly infinite system of possible uses of words to convey meaning, whereas speech involves one person's enactment of language. This is a bit slippery, but it is one way I can make sense of Swedenborg's insistence on the one hand that angels from different heavens cannot speak with each other, and on the other hand that there is a universal language:

There is a single language for everyone in all of heaven. They all understand each other no matter what community they come from, near or far. The language is not learned there-it is native to everyone. It actually flows from their very affection and thought. The sound of speech corresponds to their affection, and the distinctions of sound-the speech units-to thought concepts stemming from affections.

399

Because the language does correspond to these elements, it too is spiritual, being affection sounding and thought speaking (HH 236).

If "every thought comes from an affection, . . . no thought or concept whatever exists apart from an affection" (HH 236), and if angels cannot speak a word of human language because "they can actually pronounce nothing unless it agrees completely with their affection . . . for life belongs to affection, and their speech flows from it" (HH 237), then how are all these conversations taking place? Is this a contradiction, or is it one of Swedenborg's rich paradoxes that opens the possibility for deeper insight?
Maybe the universal language (which Swedenborg claims is "instinctive" with each of us, though quiescent while we live in this world-HH 243) is the system out of which meaning can be constructed, and we all have increasing access to that system of meaning to the degree that we are regenerated and begin to resemble the form of heaven. Speech in heaven, I would suggest, is an activation through affection of the universal language, and since only similar affections can speak to each other, angels must share, or perhaps put on, similar affections in order to speak together. Heaven and Hell (246-247) explains the appearance that angels talk with people as spirits taking on the language and memories of the person, so that it is really the person, not the spirit, speaking. Swedenborg talks freely with angels only when he takes on or is "assigned" their condition (HH 234, 239). So maybe the universal language is the map of heaven, and speech (one of many dialects, along with "language that uses the face," "bodily motions," "picturing things," "shared elements," and "others" described in HH 244) is the way we live in the actual place. Maybe just as everyone in heaven has the same ruling love but with infinite variety (and the same for hell), so we all have access to the same universal language, but with infinite varieties of facility and expression.

400

     What is most important about the affectional and conceptual components of language-the tone and the words-is that in the natural world where we now depend on a written revelation, we do a better job of preserving the concepts than the affections, the words of revelation more than the tone. This can be seen in a limited way in what Swedenborg says about the Hebrew language and the relationship between consonants and vowels.

The vowels serve for tone, and within the tone is the affection . . . . [T]he tone of angels' speech corresponds to affection, and the distinct sound units-the words-correspond to thought concepts that stem from affections. Because vowels do not belong directly to language but rather to the pitch of sound units by tone for different affections dependent on a general condition, vowels are not represented in Hebrew, and are also pronounced in different ways (HH 241; see also 261).

     The vowel sounds or affections are not represented in written form but are pronounced in different ways according to how we breathe life into them when we speak them. We need both vowels (feelings) and consonants (thought concepts) to make words (see HH 261). Maybe written revelation (whether the Hebrew Old Testament or Greek New Testament or the Latin Writings) is the road map of a universal language, and the way we live that revelation, the way we speak it, is the reattachment of tone and affection in order to express the infinite variety that is the Lord's.
     I have been arguing that the Writings are a weightily rational form of written revelation that emphasizes concepts, the understanding, and the spiritual sense, but also bears testimony, through its very inability to express them as fully, to the power of affections, loves, and the celestial sense. Sometimes this collapse of the medium of expression takes the form of its not being able to describe feminine beauty, power, or influence, or perhaps not being able to convey the sound or tone-the affection-of celestial speech. The perfect balance of affection and thought, will and understanding, sound and sense, which indeed register on Swedenborg's consciousness when he communes with inmost angels, cannot be easily translated to ours.

401

We can elevate our thought, but we cannot share the higher affection from which that thought (and every angelic thought) flows. Until we are regenerated, we cannot "hear" the full message of heavenly life, and yet like Swedenborg's efforts to communicate in spite of the limitations of earthly language and earthly readers, we must attempt to recognize dimensions that do not rest easily in print. Although the tone seems lost in translation, an entire dimension cut out, just as women (as audience and participants) in many places seem marginalized by or absent in the Writings, that dimension is partly recovered each time we apply our lives to the truth. When we ask it to speak to us by living it, and when we bring the highest affection we can muster, we begin to resonate, if only in anemic notes, the affectional side. Whether we understand them or not, we can be as deeply affected by things that are not stated as by the things that are. Sometimes all we get in life is an articulation, finally, of what has been missing all along. And that can be a powerful recovery.
Men and women share equal responsibility in being as fully human as possible, drawing on both affection and thought in everything they do. But women as forms of affections may be especially skilled at uncovering hidden dimensions to the Writings. Instead of being frustrated by the style of the Writings, or their tone of addressing men, or the apparent subordination of female influence, female readers can search for the feminine and the affectional. Are they more present than we think? Are they present through silence; are they so subtle and pervasive they cannot be held in language? Can women find themselves in the spaces between the words, in the conversations they don't hear, in the life and uses that obviously resume after Swedenborg returns to his desk to grapple with a hopelessly limited medium?
It is understandable that a rational, almost doggedly scientific style will do a more thorough job of conveying concepts than affections, ideas than tone. Other than "unutterable," what really is the experience of witnessing pure affection radiating from the faces of angels?

402

We have no idea. But we know it is powerful enough to exceed every tool of the most qualified person on earth at the time, a man who not only knew stores of knowledge but also composed beautiful poetry and wrote his thesis for the university's Professor of Eloquence. The Writings speak powerfully to the understanding of women and men, but we do them a disservice if we ignore their honest proclamations of what they cannot express, at least not in words, at least not to earth-bound consciousness. As a female reader and literary critic, I find the places in the Writings where language fails Swedenborg to be some of the most powerful passages of all, often showing me that a genuine recognition of our limitation is the only thing that will help us transcend complacent views of what we can do with our limited understandings. We must study, read, learn, educate ourselves, and continually strive with our rational minds to understand God and His revelations. But we must also constantly remember how little we see compared to what we do not see.

III KING LEAR: Listening for the Voice of the Heart

     I find a compelling parallel between Heaven and Hell and Shakespeare's play King Lear in the way that both works use language to convey forces and influences that exceed language and our individually limited understandings. This section will suggest that Lear's daughter Cordelia, who is physically absent from most of the play, is yet powerfully influential and essential to the meaning. Working off stage to raise an army to save the king, she resembles an affectional dimension of the Writings which is not easily articulated or quantifiable in rational terms, but which nonetheless underpins and secures meaning (see Appendix A for supporting numbers from Arcana Coelestia). Banished for refusing to "speak" her love when commanded by her father or to barter her affection for the trappings of royal favor, Cordelia remains the silent heart that eventually brings the king to a new self.

403

The dimension of affections (the silent love of Cordelia, the lost tone of angelic speech, the stirrings of our own affections and perceptions as we read revelation) may not be able to speak to us when we tell it to, but if we develop our own hearts in the process of trying to live the truth, we will recognize it in the end. Then we will know that it has been present all along; it is only we who have been absent. Lear recognizes Cordelia only after suffering helps him to develop compassion and a genuine understanding of, and from, the heart. When we get to the end of King Lear, or Heaven and Hell, or any journey toward truth, we discover that genuine understanding begins in affection. Which is all a lovely paradox, because we discover this only by making the journey. I don't think this paradox can or should be fully explained in rational terms, but if we at least carry with us a consciousness of the importance of the affection in understanding, and the presence of multiple dimensions and paradoxes in revelation, we have a better chance of recognizing ourselves, finally, in relationship with truth.
Drama takes place through speech, making it the most verbally self-conscious of all literary genres. And among playwrights, who seem particularly attuned to what language can and cannot express, Shakespeare ranks first. His characters speak with heart-stopping eloquence about the mystery of life, and equally powerfully, lapse into dumbfounded silence over the incommunicability of the deepest human emotions. Like Swedenborg, Shakespeare knows that words can sometimes move mountains, and at other times fail to budge the smallest concept half an inch. King Lear explores in extraordinary ways the power and limitations of speech and language, particularly through its creation of an apparent conflict between a loving daughter who refuses to articulate or quantify her affection, and a wrathful father who, thinking he is the epitome of reason, cannot stop making verbal demands. Ironically, the daughter's seemingly passive response of "Nothing" to her father's question of what can she say to match her sisters' professions of love, initiates all the action to follow, whereas the father's belligerent decrees about love and loyalty drive everyone away, leaving him powerless and wretched on the heath.

404

As distant as they seem, however, the daughter and father are reunited in the end, and united really for the first time because the king finally recognizes who he is: "As I am a man," he says, "I think this to be my daughter Cordelia." He is not the great king greatly betrayed by others, as he has bellowed throughout the play, but a human being who was blind to the faithful heart of his own child. His beautiful reclaiming of the banished Cordelia, whose name means "heart," comes only after long suffering in a wilderness of madness, wracked by a storm of proprium. Only after the king gives up his own pride for love of another can he begin to understand himself, or anything else. True insight begins in humility, and ends, perhaps, in silent recognition of love. The truly wise people, Swedenborg tells us, are those who have "loved a great deal" (HH 350).
The king's recognition of Cordelia seems particularly powerful as not only a journey of individual regeneration but also an image of the necessity of developing a genuine reciprocity and respect between understanding and affection, and between masculine and feminine. Whenever the rational holds the heart hostage, demanding that it "speak" in its own (the understanding's) terms, then all it can articulate is its own absence-"Nothing." Ironically, the king's threat that "nothing comes of nothing-speak again!" underscores a deeper reality that escapes his understanding. Everything will come of this nothing, including his own salvation. The fact that the king, upon waking, thinks he has died and that his daughter is an angel suggests that the understanding bows to a regenerated or new heart. When the king finally recognizes Cordelia as his daughter and kneels, she responds, "I am, I am." It is not that she is God but that there is something godlike in the scene of the understanding kneeling in the presence of the heart.
The action of King Lear divides into three geographic locations.

405

The play opens in the palace with Lear's attempting to parcel out his kingdom among his three daughters but to retain the title and trappings of a king. He wants the power but not the responsibility of his office. The action then moves to the heath where Lear descends into self-centered fury and madness, trying to "outrage" the storm. The play ends in Cordelia's camp where Lear recovers sanity just long enough to recognize Cordelia's love and his own blindness. The first two locations can be seen as representing unhealthy approaches to revelation. Perhaps we start out demanding confirmation, in our own terms, of what we think we already know. Then if we are proud enough, we reject the stubborn truth that refuses to give us back our own image. And then we suffer terribly, although we think we are punishing everyone else. Finally, if we are lucky, we get to a new camp where we are willing to ask humbly for help and begin again.

In the opening, Lear takes the map of his kingdom and divides it into three sections, offering one to each daughter in exchange for her verbal profession of love. The older two daughters loudly proclaim their love in empty words, and thus earn their shares. Cordelia, looking on at their hypocrisy, decides that her role will be to "love and be silent" (V i 61). When asked what she can say "to draw a third more opulent than her sisters," she refuses to play. "Nothing." When pressed to say more, she responds: "I cannot heave my heart into my mouth" (I i 91). She loves her father with perfect reciprocity: "You have begot me, bred me, lov'd me," she tells him, promising in return to "obey . . . love . . . and most honour" him (I i 95 97). Revelation returns every ounce of effort and love we invest. But Lear does not want balance. He wants to be "all" and "everything." He especially wants his word to be the final authority, whether that takes the form of demands for praise ("Who shall we say doth love us most?") or curses called down from heaven, or unjust edicts, or even threats, as when he banishes his servant Kent for attempting to make him "break his vow" to cast out Cordelia.

406

Kent's great offense, it turns out, is that he comes "betwixt [the king's] sentence and [his] power" (I I 169). Lear wants his words to convey unquestioned authority, so that whether it is Cordelia's refusal to speak, or Kent's refusal to be silent, Lear has only one response: "Out of my sight!" For Lear, anything out of his "sight," anything beyond his understanding (which is just about everything), is banishment. What is most powerful about this opening scene that subdivides love and land is that the heath where most of the action will take place and where Lear's suffering will teach him about being human is not even on Lear's map. We all have maps of our kingdom, perceptions of ourselves, which are missing entire landmasses. And often what we don't see-the places we repress or deny or banish from our sight-are the very places we must pass through if we are ever to know who we are.
During the long night of storm on the heath, Lear passes from a commanding king robed in self-righteousness and over-weening pride, to a half-clothed madman who continually asks, "Who can tell me who Lear is?" When he degenerates finally to an exhausted and naked man, he begins to see the humanity he shares with all suffering beings. What Lear learns above all from his experiences on the unmapped heath are his own limitations, as when he wipes his hand before allowing Gloucester to kiss it because "it smells of mortality."
Gloucester's story, which is too involved to discuss here in detail, beautifully mirrors Lear's own process of reclaiming the heart he banished in the opening scene, most tellingly in Gloucester's insistence that he sees better for having lost his eyes because he now "sees feelingly." "When I saw, I was blind," Gloucester declares, much as Jesus describes the blindness of the Pharisees (John 9:39-41). Now he will "grope" his way to Dover where salvation lies by using his sense of touch and by holding onto his son Edgar, the character who resembles Cordelia and the role of the heart. Shakespeare wisely casts both male and female characters in the role of the heart, knowing it is a crucial organ in every human body.

407

The balance we must find is in ourselves. Often we (men and women alike) have to become blind, to stop relying on understanding alone in order to let the heart lead us to Dover. Lear too must get to the point of believing there is more to life than what he sees and thinks he knows. He must see feelingly, must learn from experience that the heath where he discovers affection and compassion lies at the heart of his kingdom.
When Lear asks one final time who can tell him who he is, the Fool says, "Lear's shadow." The Fool has been a shadow of sorts, sticking by Lear when others abandon him, telling him dark truths about himself that Lear would never hear from a "reasonable" subject. Lear's shadow is also Cordelia by extension because she, like the Fool, refuses to flatter the king with words. When she leaves the king's side, the Fool takes her place as if to represent her in her absence. And when Cordelia dies, Lear says, "and my poor fool is hanged." One or the other, Cordelia or the Fool, always shadows the king. But more important than Cordelia's or the Fool's connection to shadows is the symbolic and aesthetic function of shadows. Shadows lend dimension and depth. Lear's suffering creates depth in his character, thus tells him who he is. He suffers because he banishes the most important dimension of himself - Cordelia, the heart. And he keeps suffering as long as he represses (in his own body even-"down, you mother of hysteria," "I'll not weep") all the qualities he finds distastefully feminine, such as tears, compassion, humility, and the sheer truth of admitting that the heart can know things the understanding cannot find on the map.
In the end, Lear wakes in Cordelia's camp to a new state that can inspire us in our own journeys toward truth. Having descended into madness on the heath and torn off his clothes-the remnants of pride and arrogance about what he knows and deserves-Lear loses consciousness. Then, "in the heaviness of sleep," Cordelia's attendants clothe him in "fresh garments" (I vii 21-22). He wakes to a self that is genuinely humble, tentative, and seeking enlightenment:

408

     I am a very foolish fond old man,
     Fourscore and upward, not an hour more or less;
     And, to deal plainly,
     I fear I am not in my perfect mind.
     Methinks I should know you and know this man;
     Yet I am doubtful: for I am mainly ignorant
     What place this is, and all the skill I have
     Remembers not these garments; nor I know not
     Where I did lodge last night. Do not laugh at me;
     For, as I am a man, I think this lady
     To be my child Cordelia. (IV vii 60-70).

     As old as Moses when he returns from Sinai, Lear is just getting down to the business of living, which is acknowledging that he has no idea where he is or by what miracle he happens to be clothed and sane. When we realize that life and sanity are daily gifts from the Lord, then we are ready to hear something true. When Lear stops insisting he has control and knows the answers from himself, he begins the ascent out of madness.
     Lear's calmness and clarity are short-lived. The next time he appears on stage he carries the hanged Cordelia in his arms and has resorted to howling. There are no words for his grief and loss. And then, like the broken body in his arms, his own heart "breaks." It seems he went too far to recover a lasting balance. Shakespeare seldom retreats from the assertion that our actions have consequences, some of which kill us. Yet the message about the need to make a place for the heart in one's kingdom has taken firm hold on the next generation, as expressed in the final lines of the play: "The weight of this sad time we must obey," says the man who will be the next king. "Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say." Speech from the heart-"what we feel"-has displaced the forced speech of what we "ought to say." Even the pronoun "we" has been transformed. Lear's initial use of the royal we in "whom shall we say doth love us most," which elevates his proprium above and apart from all his subjects, becomes the communal "we" of the close.

409

This new "we" speaks with quiet authority about the necessity of responding to the sad time, of representing the heart, and of acknowledging the limitations of what can be seen or understood by any individual or generation: "We that are young/shall never see so much, nor live so long." It is not that we ought to give up on understanding and attempt to live solely by the heart. That would be chaos. Rather, we need to be willing to have our understanding deepened, fresh clothes put on us while we sleep, by the simple recognition that what we know is nothing compared to what we do not know. Only then can we hope some day to come to the Temple of Wisdom (see Apocalypse Revealed 875:4).3

     ENDNOTES

     1 Following are some examples of Swedenborg's expressed frustration with his task: HH 130, 212, 229, 239, 260, 265, 409, 410, 412, 413, 442, 459, 576, 577, 580.
     2 I found the following statistics using NeoSearch, a software program for searching Swedenborg's Neo-Latin terms. The word "love" appears 1,102 times in Heaven and Hell, whereas "wisdom" appears only 309 times. For the Writings as a whole, "love" appears 17,403 times and "wisdom" 4,192 times. The difference between appearances of "good" and "truth" is less extreme: 959 "good" as opposed to 703 "truth."
     3 This two-part article is a condensed version of the first half of a research project.


     APPENDIX A

Below are two numbers from Arcana Coelestia addressing the affectional dimension that lies hidden to us but open to the celestial angels.

AC 1492. "What is this that thou hast done unto me?" That this signifies that it grieved Him is also evident from the very indignation in which this is said: the grief itself is thus expressed. The internal sense is such that the affection itself that lies hidden in the words is what constitutes it; the words of the letter are not attended to, but are as if they had no existence. The affection in these words is the indignation as it were of the memory-knowledge, and the Lord's grief; and in fact grief from this, that the memory-knowledges which He had learned with pleasure and delight should be thus destroyed [emphasis added].

410

AC 2157. In every particular in the Word there are both affection and subject matter. The celestial angels perceive the Word such as it is in the internal sense as to the affection; but the spiritual angels perceive it such as it is in the internal sense as to the matter. Those who perceive the Word in the internal sense as to the affection pay no attention to the words which belong to the matter, but form for themselves ideas from the affection and its series, and this with endless variety. Here for example at the words, "If I pray I have found grace in Thine eyes, pass not I pray from over Thy servant," they perceive the Lord's state of humiliation in the Human, but only the affection of the humiliation. From this, in a manner, variety, and abundance inexpressible, they form for themselves celestial ideas, which can scarcely be called ideas, but rather so many lights of affections and perceptions, which follow in a continuous series, in accordance with the series of the affection of the things contained in the Word that is being read. [2] This shows that the perception, thought, and speech of the celestial angels are more ineffable and much richer than the perception, thought, and speech of the spiritual angels, the latter being simply determined to the subject matter (rem), in accordance with the series of the expressions.
DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM EXCERPT 1999

DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM EXCERPT 1999

     356. Can anything natural have as an end a useful purpose, and dispose useful endeavors into patterns and forms? No one can do this but one who is wise; and no one can so order and form the universe but God, who has infinite wisdom. Who else, or what else, can foresee and provide all those things which serve mankind for food and clothing-food from the fruits of the earth and from animals, and clothing from the same sources?
     Among the wonders we see is that those lowly larvae we call silkworms should clothe and magnificently adorn with their silk both women and men, from queens and kings to maidservants and menservants; and that lowly insects such as bees should supply wax for the lights by which temples and courts are filled with a radiant splendor.
     These wonders and more are visible proofs that it is the Lord acting from Himself through the spiritual world who produces all the phenomena which occur in nature.

411

REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1999

REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE Rev. FRANK S. ROSE 1999

     (8)

     "It is a law of the Divine providence that people should be led and taught by the Lord from heaven by means of the Word and by means of doctrine and preaching from the Word, and this to all appearance as if by themselves" (DP 154).
          Occasionally you hear people complain about the way God runs the universe. Could we do it any better? Imagine that you were God. You realize that to leave in freedom those you are watching over, they must not be consciously aware of your existence. As God, you want to lead and teach them. How would you do it?
     Let's take the two tasks separately. You realize that the leading would have to be done very carefully, so gently that people do not notice it. When we want our children to behave, we talk to them, give them orders, make conditions, threaten them, set up consequences for their actions, and so on. But as God you would not be allowed to use any of those human means. What you would have instead is the ability to flow into the hearts of people, activating various feelings and desires. You want them to eat, so you provide an appetite for food. You want them to learn, so you create curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. You want them to care for their children, and so you plant a love for children in their hearts. So long as you work through these appetites and affections, you can lead them without their realizing it.
     Suppose they followed other appetites, such as the desire for revenge. What would you do then? You would have to teach them the difference between right and wrong. But how can you teach if you are not allowed to make your presence known? You would need to have messengers and prophets. You would need to be able to communicate indirectly through written revelation. Of course people can read the Bible without understanding it. They can also read it and twist its meaning to suit their own ends. Just providing the Bible is not enough. It is one thing to read the Word of God. It is another thing to understand it.

412

And this is where another divine power comes in, namely the ability to turn a light on inside a person's mind.
     This explains how it is that we can be reading the Word at times and not getting much out of it. At another time we might find ourselves reading the very same passages and finding them full of meaning. Some people study a part of Scripture and find that it doesn't make sense to them. Later they might hear a discussion or a sermon on the same text and experience that internal sight. A light goes on inside them. They might even say, "Oh, now I see." That internal sight does not come from the preacher or the people who are talking. It is a gift from the Lord, who has the power to enlighten the mind.
     Obviously if we are to be led and taught by the Lord, we need to cooperate. We can respond to the desire to do the right thing that glows inside our heart. We could ponder and reflect on the meaning of life. We search for an understanding of the Lord's will. In all of this, God is leading and teaching us-leading by flowing into our loves, and teaching by enlightening our minds. And in all of this it seems to us as if we are making our own choices. It appears that it was our own idea to search for the truth. The reality is that we are being led and taught.
     The Lord has promised that those who seek Him will find Him, especially as they read the pages of the Word with enlightenment. Those who take on this search are not only helping themselves; they are also benefitting others, and bringing light and warmth into the world.
DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM EXCERPT 1999

DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM EXCERPT 1999

47. Love consists in willing what one has to be another's, and in feeling the other's delight as delight within oneself. That is what it is to love. In contrast, to feel one's own delight in another, and not the other's delight within oneself, is not to love; for this is loving self, whereas the first is loving the neighbor.

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN FULL SWING 1999

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN FULL SWING Editor 1999

     Editorial Pages
     Some seven hundred students are now attending elementary schools of the General Church. As we think of the teachers who now embark on a new year of education, I would like to quote a page from the book In His Light by Rev. David R. Simons.

     How can we communicate to our children our confidence and conviction that the Heavenly Doctrines are the Lord speaking rationally to all of us? How can we pass this precious heritage to others, and prepare the next generation to accept the authority of the Writings?
     The truth is that we cannot pass on confidence and conviction, and we can have no assurance that what is authoritative for us will be accepted by our children. It is essential that our children remain spiritually free to make their own choices in life.
     Yet true freedom requires knowledge of truth, and it is up to us to prepare the way, open the door, and bring our children in touch with the spiritual light and heat in the Word, so that their perception and love of truth will grow. By our attitude toward Divine Revelation and our willingness to bow before the Lord as He is tangibly present in His Word, we lead to Him those who depend on us for their spiritual nourishment. When we present the stories and teachings of the Word in accommodated form, children will delight in the Word for themselves. It is the Word which has the power, not we; it is the Word which shines with light and life; it is the Word which speaks with the voice of authority to the human mind and heart. Jesus said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth" (Matt. 28:18).
MIRACLES AT THIS DAY 1999

MIRACLES AT THIS DAY Editor 1999

Miracles do happen these days. They are miracles that are not obvious to the observer (see AC 4031). I would like to quote from an address given to the annual meeting of the Swedenborg Society in London in 1967.

414

     Mr. Norman Turner talked about miracles "at this day." He pointed out that "Miracles share the same cause as events which we do not call miracles-events, which, from repeated observation, we regard as routine. If it be once acknowledged that there is a spiritual world and a natural world, and that the former acts on the latter, and this not just occasionally but constantly, not merely in general but in particulars, then the greatest obstacle to acceptance of miracles is removed."
     Is that simple? No. Mr. Turner quickly adds, "Mind you, this single acknowledgment is not lightly made, least of all by the learned." Creation itself is full of miracles. I have heard that Albert Einstein commented that one either believes that everything is a miracle or that nothing is a miracle.
     As to "routine" miracles, notice the following from something Swedenborg wrote. (It was found left on a ship in which he had sailed.) Swedenborg said that "all things which appear in the three kingdoms of nature are produced by an influx from the spiritual world into the natural world, and, considered in themselves, are miracles, although, on account of their familiar aspect and their annual recurrence, they do not appear as such" (see Posthumous Theological Works, "Additions to the True Christian Religion.")
WAYS OF SAYING "A STILL SMALL VOICE" 1999

WAYS OF SAYING "A STILL SMALL VOICE" Editor 1999

A familiar and striking incident in the story of Elijah has the phrase "a still small voice." This is in chapter 19 of the first book of Kings. Elijah stood on the mountain before the Lord. There was a strong wind, but the Lord was not in that. Nor was the Lord in the earthquake nor in the fire that followed. "And after the fire a still small voice" (verse 12).
While we retain the familiar phrase, it is useful to have in mind the various renderings that have been suggested. In a very recent book Stephen Kendrick says of this passage. "Personally, I prefer the New Revised Standard translation of this revelation of God through conscience: 'a sound of sheer silence.'"

415

The New International Version says, "a gentle whisper" (similar to Living Bible). The Everyday Bible says, "a quiet, gentle voice." The Jerusalem Bible says, "the sound of a gentle breeze," and a footnote mentions the whisper of a light breeze (following the Septuagint). The Contemporary English Version says simply "a gentle breeze" and in a footnote it suggests "a soft whisper" or "hardly a sound."
The one passage in the Writings which quotes this is AC 8823. Here we read of a still "thin" voice. John Elliott renders it "a slight whisper" and in a footnote gives "a thin voice of silence." This passage in the Arcana is expounding a verse in Exodus 19 about the voice of a trumpet. It comments that high up where the atmosphere is purer, "the sound is silent; but when it descends to lower regions where the atmosphere is denser, it becomes louder and more sonorous." Then we are told that Divine truth and good on highest levels are peaceful and altogether without disturbance, but when they descend toward lower things, they gradually become unpeaceful and finally tumultuous.
WAY OF WISDOM 1999

WAY OF WISDOM Editor 1999

A beautiful new booklet has just been published by the Swedenborg Foundation. The subtitle is "Meditations on Love and Service." There are a hundred sayings from the Writings, and then in the second part of the book some commentary on each passage. The editors, Grant Schnarr and Erik Buss, have done a truly fine job. In the introduction we read: "Within the voluminous writings of Swedenborg are many precious gems of wisdom that stand alone-transcendent, beautiful, and relevant to an individual's spiritual quest. Way of Wisdom is a collection of some gems mined from these works."
The last pages of the booklet tell about Emanuel Swedenborg. "He considered his works to be a divine revelation that would usher in a new spiritual era involving a return to the true focus of Christianity. That focus is that Jesus Christ is God . . . . "

416

     Readers will be reminded of other booklets like this that have been printed over the years. One example is Gems from the Writings by Basil Lazer. This is not only the latest effort; it seems to be the best of this genre, both by its arrangement of the content and also by the beautiful way it is printed.
     Here is a booklet that seems destined to touch many lives.
BOOK CALLED HOLY CLUES 1999

BOOK CALLED HOLY CLUES Editor 1999

     I mentioned this book in the last issue, having read only a fraction of it. The first favorable impression has become much more favorable now that I have had more time reading Stephen Kendrick's reflections on Sherlock Holmes and the great mysteries of life.
     Early in the book the author says of the legendary detective, "Yes, Holmes is an unusual spiritual sage, but truth sometimes comes to us in odd packaging. It can even come in such a lowly guise as detective fiction, despised by critics and overlooked as mere puzzle-mongering."
     He finds quotes from Holmes such as, "Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are really necessary for our existence in the first instance . . . . It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers."
     In one of the Sherlock books Holmes observes the tribulations of life and turns to Dr. Watson: "What is the meaning of it, Watson? . . . . What object is served by this circle of misery and violence and fear? It must tend to some end, or else our universe is ruled by chance, which is unthinkable."
     The author himself waxes eloquent. He speaks of "evocative and tantalizing clues to God's existence that defy our despair, our bewilderment." He speaks of hidden realities and quotes Isaiah 45: "Verily, Thou art a God who hidest Thyself."
     We find in this book a repeated invitation to alertness, to noticing.

417

The author reminds us that when Helen Keller was asked if there was anything worse than being blind she replied, "Having no vision." On page 38 we read, "It is in the ordinary that the holy dwells, and it is not so much hiding as it is constantly being overlooked and neglected. We can get numbed, oblivious to the spiritual reality contained within the everyday texture of life and relationships."
     Inviting us to a sense of wonder about creation, the author quotes J.B.S. Haldane (whom he regards as one of the great scientists of the century). Said Haldane, "Now my suspicion is that the universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose."
     Obviously admiring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this author does not espouse the spiritualism of which Doyle became an advocate. He has religious purpose in this book which he has written with a masterly and appealing style. We suppose that he would enjoy the opening pages of Divine Providence, where we are invited to take some ordinary object and look at it "with a good microscope." (Sherlock Holmes could manage with his magnifying glass.) "You will see wonderful things, while the interiors that you do not see are still more wonderful" (DP 3).
     Holy Clues, Investigating Life's Mysteries with Sherlock Holmes by Stephen Kendrick is published by Pantheon Books (Random House) of New York.
ONE OF ORDINARY LEARNING BECOMES A WISE ANGEL 1999

ONE OF ORDINARY LEARNING BECOMES A WISE ANGEL 1999

I knew a person of average learning in the world, and after his death I saw and spoke with him in heaven. I clearly perceived then that he spoke as an angel, and that the things he said would be unintelligible to a natural person. The reason was that in the world he had applied the precepts of the Word to life and had worshiped the Lord, and so had been raised by the Lord into the third degree of love and wisdom (DLW 239:3).

418

LOST IN THE TRANSLATION 1999

LOST IN THE TRANSLATION David Deaton 1999

          Communications
Dear Editor:
          I am writing in response to Rev. Dr. Jonathan Rose's letter in the July 1999 issue of New Church Life (pp. 330-333). I wish in particular to respond to several points made in explanation of the decision by the Swedenborg Foundation to decapitalize all Divine pronouns in its forthcoming New Century Edition of the Writings.
     No one who knows him can doubt Dr. Rose's sincere good intentions in supporting this decision, based on the wish shared by all in the New Church, of spreading the Heavenly Doctrines as fast and far as possible. At the same time, one can't help but wonder at some of the reasoning behind this decision, which has dismayed and disheartened many faithful readers of the Writings.
     As I understand it, Dr. Rose's eloquent argument in favor of lowercasing may be reduced to three essential points: modernity, simplicity, accessibility. Let us consider the first two.
     1) Modernity. Dr. Rose is right to note the increasing trend in written language toward lowercasing Divine pronouns, and suggests that to retain capital letters in the Writings risks the appearance of their seeming old-fashioned: "We do not want outdated orthography to alienate and turn away new readers at the very beginning." No one will argue that first impressions aren't important, but has it been ascertained that orthography does indeed play so decisive a role? After all, the Writings are pretty heady stuff. What first-time peruser will be pondering stylistic anachronisms when the subjects under consideration are heaven and hell, last judgments, and people on other planets? Those engaged in front-line evangelization are the best authorities on this matter, but I wonder how many times they have seen the Writings rejected on the basis of their relative antiquity as opposed to their patent absurdity. Conversely, it's hard to believe that those people truly receptive to the Writings will be so thin-skinned as to boggle at the sight of a Divine pronoun in upper case.

419

     Such would be their reaction, we are told, because uppercasing is no longer a stylistic custom even among Bible translators. While this is unfortunately true, Dr. Rose has the honesty to mention the New King James Version of the Word, replete with capital letters, which proves that orthographical opinion is not yet monolithic. And note, it is the New King James Version which adopts this practice. And what is the reason for this change given in the preface? "Capitalization of these pronouns benefits the reader by clearly distinguishing divine and human persons referred to in a passage. Without such capitalization the distinction is often obscure, because the antecedent of a pronoun is not always clear in the English translation."
     2) Thus, even among translators there is no agreement as to whether lowercasing yields to "greater simplicity" and clarity of text. Let us apply this change to one famous and familiar sentence from the Writings and see how it looks: "The Second Coming of the Lord is effected by means of a man to whom the Lord has manifested himself in person, and whom he has filled with his spirit, that he may teach the doctrines of the new church from the Lord, by means of the Word" (TCR 779). Clearer now? If I were seeing this sentence for the first time, it would take me a good while to determine the identity of the teacher. I groan already at the prospect of having to puzzle my way through all those pronouns in the New Century Edition.
     Ah, but if we don't like it, Dr. Rose assures us, "seasoned readers know how to find alternative translations." To this one can only reply that those readers had better be seasoned, or they may have quite a search on their hands. I wonder how many members of the New Church are aware that in recent years the Swedenborg Foundation has quietly gone about decapitalizing their thirty-volume olive-green Standard Edition of the Writings. It seems that in the not-too-distant future a complete set of the Writings in uppercase form will not be available this side of the Atlantic.

420

     The matter of accessibility is vital, and perhaps it can be addressed at a later time.

     David Deaton
     Huntingdon Valley, PA
NEW CENTURY EDITION 1999

NEW CENTURY EDITION Rev. Douglas Taylor 1999

Dear Editor:
     In part of his letter about the proposed new translation of the Writings [the New Century Edition envisioned by the Swedenborg Foundation], Dr. Jonathan Rose "confesses" that he had never noticed that the King James Version of the Word uses lowercase pronouns even when referring to the Lord. He had been brought up with that translation. He had already acknowledged God's authority and holiness (probably even before he could read). Consequently, he was able to read Divinity into the text, even in the face of the lowercasing, as "most of the Christian world" has done for the past three centuries. It was his upbringing and acknowledgment of the Lord that made this possible.
     Yet, surprisingly, he overlooks all that in his laudable attempt to bring the Writings to a wider readership, to people who have not enjoyed the same background as himself. If his background enabled him to overcome the handicap of lowercasing, how can people who are lacking that background be expected to have the same acknowledgment that he had? How can they see with his eyes?
     We need to bear in mind that "It is believed that the Lord as to His Human not only was, but still is, the son of Mary; but in this the Christian world is under a delusion" (TCR 102). There is abundant evidence to confirm that statement. Every day we read and hear opinion makers revealing their assumption that Jesus may have been a great man, but not God on earth. This is not surprising in view of the prediction that "an Arius would lift up his head, and when he was dead would rise again and secretly rule even to the end" (TCR 638e). Arius was the one who propounded the idea that Jesus was not Divine, called a "damnable heresy" (TCR 137:11; see also 174).

421

     That is the climate of opinion in the Christian world. The people to whom the new translation is addressed do not live in an intellectual vacuum, nor are they an empty slate on which we can easily write the New Church philosophy. They are the very ones who need all the help we can give them to see the Divinity of the Lord. That will hardly be accomplished by lowercasing Him! Every time they see pronouns referring to the Lord in lower case, they are more confirmed in the prevailing Arian idea. But every time they see pronouns referring to the Lord capitalized, they are reminded of His Divinity and the idea is more reinforced. The Swedenborg Foundation's Standard Edition was and is a much better tool for this purpose. With all its faults it does remain a bulwark against Arianism.
     In commenting on Rev. John Elliot's translation of AC 2736, Dr. Rose says that in that passage "95 percent of the internal capitals have been eliminated." That might inadvertently give the impression that Mr. Elliot has been recruited to the cause of lowercasing the Lord. But the whole truth is that in the passage in question there were no pronouns referring to the Lord, and also that throughout all twelve volumes of the Elliot translation, he always uses capitals for pronouns referring to the Lord.
     While we may all applaud simplification of language and the elimination of unnecessary capitals and "heavy punctuation in general," we cannot yield to the "trend away from uppercase divine pronouns." It is not just a question of trends and fashions. A principle is involved. It is undoubtedly a trend toward irreverence, Dr. Rose's soothing reassurances notwithstanding.
     In books written by people who do not believe that Jesus was anything more than a man, pronouns referring to Him are always in lowercase. Do we want to join that club? Do we really want to give the impression that we too deny His Divinity?
     Not all trends are to be followed blindly; they need to be evaluated from principle, from within, not from outside pressure of a dead church and a decadent civilization.

422

     Dr. Rose assumes that what he calls "outdated orthography" will be more than "potentially off-putting," but will actually "alienate and turn away new readers at the very beginning." But what is the evidence for this? Is it only an opinion, an assumption, an impression? Or does it have some solid basis in fact? We might well assume, since the New King James, which has bravely bucked the trends with its uppercase Divine pronouns, has had such a widespread circulation and acceptance, that readers brought up on that translation would welcome seeing the Lord referred to as "Him" and would be put off by "him" or "his." Even from a merely pragmatic point of view, it would seem wise to do some market research before launching into this million-dollar project.
     The New Century Edition will doubtless contain many improvements, and an up-dated translation is long overdue. So it would be a great pity if, by insisting on trendy lowercasing of the Lord, the editorial committee so offended long-standing members of the New Church and other long-time readers that they turned away from it.

     Rev. Douglas Taylor
     Huntingdon Valley, PA
Title Unspecified 1999

Title Unspecified Kurt Simons 1999

Dear Editor:
I was most interested in Rev. Dr. Jonathan Rose's letter in the July issue of the Life. While I certainly don't pretend to the level of expertise of the NCE editorial committee, I would like to offer two thoughts.
On the translation of the title "Arcana Coelestia": I have long been puzzled why this has never been rendered as The Secrets of Heaven. Does the Latin completely prohibit this? My understanding is that the full title the NCE is considering is Heavenly Treasures. If you believe that's what the teachings are, then I think this title communicates the affectional sphere apparently intended.

423

My concern, however, would be that a newcomer would see it as equivalent to the titles of everyday books of inspirational sayings. The Secrets of Heaven, in contrast, I would suggest, has the ring of something God-authoritative, while simultaneously being intriguing (i.e., What are those secrets?)-a key feature, I would suggest, of effective evangelization messages. Finally, this title would also be stylistically consistent with The Divine Providence, The Divine Love and Wisdom, The Apocalypse Revealed, The Four Doctrines, and so on.
     On the issue of capitalizing the first letter of pronouns referring to the Lord: I certainly appreciate the committee's evangelization-oriented goal. But I think that, with that same goal in mind, you can also draw the opposite conclusion. The linguistic and cultural context involved here is basically a product of the former Christian Church, and part of Swedenborg's message is that, spiritually speaking, that entity is "consummated" through falsities. Should New Church translation, deriving from a profoundly different spiritual origin, thus "go with the flow" of usage driven by the false constructs of that former church? Most particularly, should the New Church do this when it understands the full depth and correspondential significance, indeed power, of names in general and the Lord's in particular (e.g. AR 224, AE 102:2), as the prior church-and the culture deriving from it-does not? Or is this a particularly appropriate setting for distinctiveness, right down at the level of pronoun stylistic ultimates? The very fact that everyone else is abandoning this capitalization practice would seem to me a Providentally provided opportunity for the New Church to make a correspondentially authentic point, to adopt a small but significant New Church hallmark statement of respect for the Lord in His (not his) Divine Human. From an evangelization point of view, I would certainly think such a hallmark would resonate better with sincere seekers than the God-is-the-same-as-mere-mortals denotation/connotation of lower case.

     Kurt Simons
     Lutherville, MD

424

Title Unspecified 1999

Title Unspecified Stuart Shotwell 1999

Dear Editor:
     As project manager of the editorial committee of the New Century Edition, I ask the indulgence of you and your readers in responding to the letter of the Rev. N. Bruce Rogers in your August issue. He has there contributed several interesting points to the ongoing conversation about the use of capitals to indicate personal pronouns referring to the Divine. His comments are of particular weight because of his stature among English translators of Swedenborg.
     The best way to focus my response is to address the conclusion of Mr. Rogers' letter, in which he says: "The Swedenborg Foundation's proposed New Century Edition of the Heavenly Doctrines is being formatted to accommodate the doctrines to the practices of the world. Would that it were being formatted rather to invite the world to accommodate itself and its practices to the Doctrines." I wish to reassure him and your readers that the New Century Edition is indeed being formatted for the very purpose of inviting the world to learn about Swedenborg, which is a necessary first step in changing worldly practices.
     This invitation to learn about Swedenborg has been integral to the purpose of the Foundation since its founding 150 years ago. In pursuing that mission over recent decades, however, the Foundation has discovered that too often potential readers of Swedenborg feel excluded by translations, typography, and orthography they perceive (rightly or wrongly) as out of date. In this new edition we are trying to draw a circle that takes those excluded readers in.
     The decision not to capitalize divine pronouns was not an easy one. It was only after much careful and prayerful debate, extending over many months, that the editorial committee determined that lowercasing these pronouns was part of our mission in the new translation. We came to this decision solely because we believe that such capitalization will impede new readers over the coming century.

     No matter how your readers may feel on this issue, they should know that the Foundation has absolute respect for the views of those within the church who prefer capitalized divine pronouns.

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In fact, the Foundation has offered to license the text of the new translations to the General Church (at no cost, of course) so that the translations can be printed in whatever format is most useful to the General Church members. That means that your readers could some day have their choice of versions.
     In the meantime, we ask for the understanding of those who are concerned about the capitalization of divine pronouns, and hope that they will "agree to disagree" on this point. After all, we are all united on the importance of carrying Swedenborg's message to the world. Let our differences, which are so much less important than that effort, not divide our hearts from one another even for an hour.
     Stuart Shotwell
     Project Manager, New Century Edition
     Lubec, Maine
ADULTERY? 1999

ADULTERY? Patricia Rose 1999

Dear Editor:
In his letter in the August issue a reader, in response to my letter in the June issue, seems to have assumed that my discussion of homosexuality involved a "desire for tolerance, understanding, and mercy." My desire was not to promote tolerance but to try to determine what is the opposite of homosexuality, thus what it is a perversion of. This is key to this whole discussion. My repugnance for the practice of homosexuality obviously was not evident in my letter because my objective was to study the subject apart from my own feelings about it. I find it unpleasant to discuss this subject, but I can't ignore what I think is a widespread misunderstanding of it in the church.
I don't believe there is justification for equating homosexuality with the men of Sodom and what they did. "Homosexuality" as used today refers to those who feel love for a person of the same sex.

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Some are working to have homosexual "marriages" accepted. (Of course, homosexuals can be promiscuous just as heterosexuals can, and they can be violent just as heterosexuals can.) Can we say that the men of Sodom loved one of the same sex enough to desire marriage? Of course not. Were they promiscuous? They certainly were. They were violent and promiscuous, not just homosexual. This fact must not be ignored. They represent people in the love of self and the love of dominion. Sodom signifies "evil in general" (AC 2393) because all evil springs from the love of self. They apparently were involved in many kinds of evil, not just homosexuality, so how can we say that what is said of them applies to homosexuals in general?
     Another main problem with this subject is the fact that in the Writings the Lord uses words translated as "adultery" in more than one way. One is in connection with the adulteration of good and the falsification of truth, as described in CL 515-520. Number 519 speaks of those who separate truth from good and good from truth (the way I characterized the disorderly man/man and woman/ woman relationships) as one of the violations of the Word and of the church that correspond to the "prohibited degrees enumerated in Leviticus 18." That chapter includes verse 22: "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination."
     Another way "adultery" is used is very specific, and it does have to do with the physical. Let's look at teachings in Conjugial Love. CL 444 (the second) tells us that adultery is lust with the wife of another. 480 says that: " . . . simple adultery is that of an unmarried man with the wife of another, or of an unmarried woman with the husband of another." Double adultery, say nos. 482 and 483, is where both the man and the woman are already married. " . . . [T]riple adultery is with blood relations" by someone already married, "three-fold more grievous than the two former" (484).
      "[T]here are four degrees of adultery . . . " from mild to the most serious (CL 485). These degrees can be applied to each of the simple, double and triple adulteries.

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CL 510-514 describes lusts even more serious that begin from adultery. If homosexuality were the worst form of adultery, wouldn't it be included in this enumeration?
     Since adultery is a violation of married people, whether in act or accounted as allowable (called the lust of adultery to cover both cases), which "worst adultery" could AC 2220 be referring to concerning the men of Sodom? Was the term used more generally before Conjugial Love made clear distinctions? Did it mean any sexual perversion? That's a definite possibility.
     But CL 444(2) notes that not all scortatory sex is adultery, citing fornication and debauchery as examples. We are cautioned to make such distinctions.
     Do the men of Sodom also represent lesbianism, or female homosexuality? My proposed idea of perversions of the man/man and woman/woman relationships does deal with both, based on CL 55:6. As that number says, the two good loves are different from each other and shouldn't be lumped together. Neither should the perversions of them.
     Why does Conjugial Love not name homosexuality as adultery? Because adultery is lust with the wife or husband of another. I stand by my statement that the Writings do not teach that homosexuality is the worst adultery, or that it is adultery at all. It's actually two other but different perversions, the point of my previous letter.
     Patricia Rose
     Huntingdon Valley, PA

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ASSEMBLY 2000 MINI-SESSION DEADLINE EXTENSION 1999

     Here's good news for the procrastinators in the church, and bad news for those who, being reticent but having something valuable to say, had hoped the deadline was forever gone. The Assembly Committee met this summer as promised and made its basic determination of the program for Guelph. We are delighted to inform church members and friends that we have a fabulous array of speakers and topics to present next year at the 33rd General Assembly from Wednesday afternoon, June 21st through Sunday morning, June 25th. We are especially pleased to note that we have real depth in the lineup of speakers, not only with regard to doctrinal research but also in matters that will touch the heart.
     And we still have room for a few more concurrent mini-sessions!
     So if you have held back, uncertain or unable to submit a proposal in time for our earlier deadline, here's another opportunity. We intend to have four concurrent mini-sessions, and we have up to 18 meeting rooms reserved for each of these occasions, accommodating anywhere from 20 to 100 people in each. If you have something to share, this may be the sign you've been waiting for: the deadline has been extended to the end of September.
     Please send your proposal to the Rev. Michael Gladish, c/o the Olivet Church, 279 Burnhamthorpe Road, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada M9B 1Z6, or by fax to 416-239-4935, or by e-mail to [email protected].
SWEDENBORG FOUNDATION AUTHORS EVENT 1999

SWEDENBORG FOUNDATION AUTHORS EVENT 1999

Authors will speak and sign books at an event in Bryn Athyn on September 20th. One of the featured books will be Way of Wisdom edited by Erik Buss and Grant Schnarr. This will be in Heilman Hall at 7:30 p.m.

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GENERAL CHURCH DEVELOPMENT OFFICER 1999

GENERAL CHURCH DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Daniel T. Allen 1999

     Announcements

     We would like to welcome our new General Church Development Officer and Communications Director, Bruce Henderson.
     Bruce is well known in the church and has outstanding qualifications for this position. He has had a long career in journalism with a number of newspapers-most recently the Bucks County Courier Times, a 75,000 circulation daily and Sunday newspaper. Bruce had responsibility for the editorial and op-ed pages, including daily editorials on local, national and international issues. With the newspaper, Bruce participated in many community, state-wide and national activities.
     Bruce had served on the Academy Board and chaired many Academy committees including: Student Life, Nominating, Alumni Website; and he is co-chair of the Asplundh Field House Committee. He has contributed to the Academy Journal for the past ten years. Bruce participated on the nominating committees of the General Church and the Bryn Athyn Church Board of Trustees and is a past member of the Bryn Athyn Church Board. He has also served on the Pennypack Watershed Association and the Bryn Athyn Borough Council.
     Bruce brings a broad range of experience into his new position. As General Church Development Officer, he will work closely with Bishop Buss and with us in the leadership, planning and implementation of the development programs of the General Church. Bruce's strong public relations background will be a great asset to the General Church in communicating its uses and goals to church members and interested inquirers. He will enhance communication between church members and friends on one hand and the leadership and administration of the General Church on the other. Bruce will closely coordinate with General Church congregations in their fund-raising campaign initiatives.
     Bruce joins us on August 2. He will be located next to the Academy Development Office in de Charms Hall. This will enable him to work closely with the Academy Development Officer Wendy Walter, to ensure that Academy and General Church development activities are appropriately coordinated.
     Please join us in welcoming Bruce to his new position with the General Church. We know that he and his wife Carol will be outstanding ambassadors for our organization.

     Daniel T. Allen, CAO
     Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton

432

Words of Life Book of Meditations 1999

Words of Life Book of Meditations Rev. Paul Sperry 1999

Not published by the General Church but available through the Book Center, this small pocket-sized paperback book of meditations, written about seventy-five years ago, has been reprinted privately. It was Mr. Perry who encouraged Helen Keller to write her book My Religion. Here is a compilation of brief meditations, each based on a line of Scripture, originally published in leaflet form for his congregation in Boston. "The First Part contains the subjects relating to personal and practical religion in general. The Second Part embraces readings for the Sundays and Holy days in the order of the Christian year." Mr. Perry writes: "Meditation is a serious conference between thought and affection. A mind prompted by affection for understanding the most worthy principles of life receives truth wholesomely and effectively when meditating."

Price U.S. $5.00 plus postage U.S. 41.20

General Church Book Center
Cairncrest
Box 743
Bryn Athyn, PA 19009
E-mail: [email protected]

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Notes on This Issue 1999

Vol. CXIX October, 1999 No. 10
New Church Life

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     We have not before listed the addresses of General Church houses of worship. We have provided the addresses and phone numbers of contact people. This month we do both. This is a good time to provide a photograph of the Atlanta church building soon to be completed. It is to be called the Morning Star Chapel.
     This year's Memorial Day address in Bryn Athyn was delivered by Brenna Synnestvedt. She spent five years in the Peace Corps in Romania. Her talk proved to be especially moving for the crowd of people who attended the ceremony. That event was in May. In June came the graduation ceremonies in Bryn Athyn. Wayne Parker, dressed in Scottish regalia, stood and played the bagpipes as graduates and faculty of the Academy of the New Church marched into the Field House. Many thought he was just there to provide the music until he was introduced and gave the arresting speech printed in this issue.
     In his sermon Rev. Douglas Taylor quotes the striking teaching that "in order that the angels may be able to turn aside the influxes from hell, there must be in the person true things belonging to faith joined to goodness of life into which they may flow. These must be the plane into which they may operation." In his final paragraph he invites us to consider what gives us the greatest delight. "Let us see whether it belongs to spiritual life of natural life. But above all, let us look deeply into the household of our mind . . . "
     Nine of the baptism reports in this issue came to us from Brazil. Next month Rev. Andrew Heilman will visit that country in which he used to serve as pastor.
     Will there be programs for children and young people at the General Assembly in June? See page 457.

     On page 470 you will find the announcement of an intriguing book called Dove at the Window. Perhaps you have seen an attractive brochure from Fountain Publishing, which is an enterprise that can be an inspiration for us.
     The Swedenborg Foundation has recently published the book Healing Our Word View by Dr. John Hitchcock. See page 451.

435

INNER BOND 1999

INNER BOND Rev. DOUGLAS M. TAYLOR 1999

"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils" (Luke 11:21,22).
     There was once a time when most people in the Christian world revered and read the Word of God and at least tried to think and live according to it; they refrained from doing or saying certain things because God had said they should not; they did and said certain things because God had said they should. In other words, they had a kind of spiritual conscience. They read the Word and prayed daily, and participated in Divine worship each Sunday with their neighbors, sometimes at great inconvenience.
     But in later generations there began to be a change. Many did not have such a strong spiritual conscience. They did not have such a reverence for the Word of God, nor did they read it as regularly. For various natural and worldly reasons there began to be an increasing neglect of the Word and of worship. Other things began to seem more important and more enjoyable. People still had something of a spiritual conscience, but it was dying out. It was no longer at first hand. It was now a second-hand conscience, so to speak. They were simply following the fine example of their parents and ancestors.
     To all outward appearances, the actions of their lives were as good as those of their parents. They did not tell lies or deceive in other ways; they did not steal, cheat, or defraud; they did not commit adultery or indulge in pornography; they were not violent or murderous in their dealings with others. Yet the soul of their life was sickly even to the point of death; their spiritual life was ebbing away; they did not have the same source, the same spiritual motivation for their life as their parents had; they had very little personal spiritual conscience. The idea that they should shun evils because they were sins was losing its hold, because the concept of sin was waning.

436

     In the next generation there was a further decline. With many their spiritual life died out altogether, and with it every vestige of a spiritual conscience. Their actions were still good, but there was absolutely no spiritual motivation for them. They had descended to the merely moral plane. They were moral in the broad sense of that term; that is, they lived according to all the moral virtues - honesty, integrity, fairness, industriousness, and so on. They did not lie, steal, commit adultery, or murder, but this was not because God had said, "You shall not." They were simply following the moral standards of the community in which they lived, and these varied from community to community. It was the voice of public opinion that they heeded, not the Voice of God as set out in His Divine Word. They were not concerned with motives or with salvation from hellish feelings and thoughts. They were concerned only with gaining a good reputation and preserving it.
     With some the law of reason determined their actions. They reasoned that it was bad for society if, for example, lying and stealing became the general rule. Therefore, everyone individually should refrain from lying and stealing, because otherwise these evils would become the general rule.
     But gradually and inevitably this moral plane, which is merely natural, has also become more and more sickly. The general moral conscience that once held society together is disappearing. The pressure of negative public opinion is no longer as powerful as once it was. Increasingly the only force that keeps society in order is the legal code. Whereas the loss of honor and reputation used to be an effective deterrent, this can no longer be taken for granted. That leaves law enforcement as the only means of preserving order. The fear of punishment is fast becoming the only bond that holds society together and prevents it from tumbling into chaos.
     That is why there is such a noticeable growth in stern notices with their increasingly severe penalties. We now need notices that say, for instance, "Don't park in the driveway" or "Don't park in front of the garage" or "Don't block the intersection."

437

Whereas most people once had a spiritual conscience that made them abhor doing anything to their neighbors that they would not like done to themselves, for the sole reason that God had said we were to love our neighbor as ourselves; and whereas most people at one time had a moral conscience that caused them to steer away from harming others, it now requires the external pressure of imminent legal penalties before an alarming number of people will even think of the welfare of the neighbor or the common good.
     Consequently, if at any time the external bonds of the legal code are relaxed or if the law cannot be adequately enforced, as in the case of a riot or a police strike, then chaos reigns. It is literally true that "all hell breaks loose." This happens whenever and wherever human nature is allowed to act freely without restraint. It is not confined to one country or one race or one era. It is a universal phenomenon.
     This situation should not surprise anyone who is at all familiar with the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem. It is only to be expected. After all, it is a familiar teaching that people are of the same character as they are inwardly, as they are in their minds, no better and no worse. The person is the mind, not the body, not what appears outwardly in the world. If the mind is ruled by good affections and true thoughts, that is, if there is the inner bond of a spiritual conscience, then the outer bonds, the external restraints such as fear of the law or of punishment and the loss of life, or the loss of a good reputation, or of wealth, these outer restraints do not feel like bonds. People with an inner bond of conscience do not even think about such external restraints, because their feelings and thoughts, and as a result their lives, are ruled from the inside, not the outside. No matter how much they may be provoked and tempted, they would never "follow a multitude to do evil" (Exodus 23:2).
     The opposite is the case with people who have no such inner bond. They are controlled only by the external pressure of outside bonds.

438

This can be seen dramatically when they come into the spiritual world after death, when those external restraints are taken away. We read that "the taking away of external bonds is accomplished in the other life by the removal of the good spirits who had been joined to the [evil spirits]. When these are removed, the [evil spirits] can no longer be in any pretense of what is good, just, and honorable, but are such as they had been inwardly in the world, that is, such as they had been in thought and will, which they had there concealed from others; and then they desire nothing else than to do evil" (AC 6914:4).
     As we all know, our minds, as distinct from our brains, are in the spiritual world and are subject to spiritual influences, just as our bodies, being in the world of nature, are subject to natural forces. But we are free to choose whether we wish to have our minds ruled by heavenly or hellish influences in our daily life.
     The spirits of hell continually inject evil feelings, from which come false thoughts that twist and extinguish true thoughts and good feelings. However, the Lord, through the angels and with even greater tenacity than that of the hells, turns these hellish influences aside, removes them, mitigates them and moderates them (see AC 6213). After all, His supreme and eternal purpose is to save the human race from a hellish life and bring it into a heavenly state of life and thus into heaven after death (see DP 27).
     "But," we read, "in order that the angels may be able to turn aside the influxes from hell, there must be in the person true things belonging to faith joined to goodness of life into which they may flow. These must be the plane into which they may operate" (AC 6213). "The influx of the angels is especially into the conscience of mankind; there is the plane into which they operate" (AC 6207).
     That is also the teaching of our text, considered inwardly in its spiritual meaning: "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils" (text).

439

     The "strong man, fully armed" is the natural man, or the human race as it is in itself, without any Divine or heavenly influences. It feels safe, because it is living more or less according to the mores and customs of society and according to the legal code. It is fully armed with a knowledge of these things and delights in them. These are its goods.
     The one "stronger than he" who is quite capable of overcoming him is, of course, the Lord, God Almighty. The Lord and His angels or messengers are quite capable of taking away his trust in the armor of mere morality and mere obedience to the law, by showing how empty and powerless these things are without an inner bond, the bond of a spiritual conscience. The Lord and His messengers are also quite capable of identifying good and helpful natural delights and their truths or techniques and dividing them, separating out those that are not good and helpful.
     So the message for the world at large is this: "You cannot cast out the evils that are increasingly bedeviling and destroying the world by calling on Beelzebub, by merely human, natural means. You cannot reform the world by appeals to a moral code only or by law enforcement. You cannot have an honorable, reliable, honest policeman on every corner. You are actually powerless without the inner power of a spiritual conscience. Beelzebub is really, deep down, in league with hell. You simply cannot cast out hell by hell. 'How can Satan cast out Satan?'(Mark 3:23)"
     Society at large desperately needs a spiritual conscience, an inner bond, whether in this country or that country or the whole world. It is only because there are still some citizens who have this inner bond that any country can survive. The stronger the bond, that is, the stronger the presence of the Lord, the stronger the country.
     Only the church-the church specific and the church universal- can provide that inner bond. By reason of our knowledge of the New Revelation and of the New Church based upon it, we are called, clearly called, to take part in a great mission, a great commission, to go forth into the whole world and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all things that the Lord has commanded, remembering always that He will be with us in those efforts (see Matt. 28:19, 20; Mark 16:15).

440

We are to do this not just for the sake of adding new members to our roll-book, not for our sake at all, but simply to make more and more disciples for the Lord, for His sake and theirs, for God's sake and for the sake of His world, and for heaven's sake.
     But to do this we need to co-operate with the Lord in making true disciples of ourselves.
     In order to be true disciples we have to do what is good from the Lord, not from ourselves. We are not strong enough. We need the Lord's strength, something of His love and wisdom. To have that, we need to shun our evils simply for the reason that they are sins against Him. This opens the door for Him to come in. Thinking of Him makes Him to be present. But thinking of Him in love and humility conjoins us to Him, so that we act from His strength, which of course is far greater than even that of the totality of hell. Did He not conquer the hells? Does He not hold hell in subjection to Himself to eternity?
     To turn our back on our evils for any other reason than that they are sins against the Lord is not to shun them, flee away from them, and root them out. It is simply to prevent them from appearing before the world (see Doctrine of Life 108), which is highly deceitful. It is a big cover-up job. It is as useless as attempting to cast out demons by Beelzebub. Will our natural part ever fight against our natural part? Will Satan ever fight against Satan? Can Satan cast out Satan? To try to shun evils without shunning them as sins, without looking to the Lord first, is to attempt the impossible. In that case the household of our mind is divided against itself and is in great danger of falling into chaos. At best our mind will be a joyless household, full of tension, when yet the Lord wants it to be free of disunity and full of peace and inner joy.
     Living according to the moral virtues and the law of the land is not sufficient on the personal level any more than it is on the global scale. We may think we are safe and at peace if we are moral and law-abiding.

441

We may say to ourselves: "'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace" (Jeremiah 6:14). We may think we are a strong man, fully armed, armed with a knowledge of the New Revelation, armed with spiritual truths. We may think that our mind is a well-guarded palace, that our natural delights are well-protected, and perhaps that they are even heavenly. But unless we are shunning our evils-our symptoms of selfishness and worldliness-as sins against the Lord, we do not have an inner bond, a spiritual conscience.
To see what our conscience is like, let us consider what gives us the greatest delight. Let us see whether it belongs to spiritual life or natural life. But above all, let us look deeply into the household of our mind and see what we would do if there were no external restraints, no outer bond, if there were absolutely no chance whatever of our being caught and exposed, if no one else would ever know. Carrying out that kind of candid self-exploration will surely tell us just how strong our inner bond is. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts, and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23, 24). Amen.

Lessons: Psalm 11, Mark 3:20-27, AC 1661:2-4 POPE DECLARES THAT HEAVEN AND HELL ARE NOT PLACES 1999

POPE DECLARES THAT HEAVEN AND HELL ARE NOT PLACES 1999

In a speech this year the Pope declared that heaven is not an abstraction nor a physical place. Hell, he said, is "the state of those who freely and definitely separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy" (Philadelphia Inquirer, August 22, 1999).

442

REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1999

REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE Rev. FRANK S. ROSE 1999

     (9)

     "People are allowed to see the divine providence in the back but not in the face. Also they are allowed to see it when they are in a spiritual state of mind, but not when in a natural one" (DP 187).
     Imagine yourself in some science-fiction situation where you are told that you can be transported into the future. You have a little time to think it over. At first you think how wonderful it would be. You would have the answers to so many questions: Did I take that job? Did I marry that person or was it someone else? Did I move to some new area or stay put? Then you might ask yourself: Do I want to know the answers to those questions? Do I really want to know the details of my life ahead of time? If I knew certain things, wouldn't that change the way I behave in the present? For example, if I learned that I would not be marrying the person I am now dating, wouldn't that have an immediate impact on our relationship?
     Now imagine that you decide to take the risk. You allow yourself to be transported into the future, and you find, to your horror, that your parents were killed in a car crash some time between the present and that future time. Wouldn't you want to go back to the present and immediately set to work to make sure that your parents never traveled in a car? How could you avoid trying to rewrite the story of their lives, and of your own? Then you stop to think: If I go back and change the story of my life so that the future is different, what will that do to the lives of other people?
     This little exercise might convince you that it is perfect that God keep us in the dark about how providence is operating in the present moment. It is wonderful that He operates with great care so as to preserve our freedom and reason.
     Knowing every step of providence as it happens would be like watching a suspense movie for the fifteenth time. You know every twist and turn of the plot. You are not as tense as you were the first time you saw it, and you are not as involved in the story.

443

If we knew precisely how God was working with us in the present, and also exactly where we are being led in the future, wouldn't it seem as if our own choices made no difference, and as if we did not have to think and plan the kind of life we choose?
     Looking back is a very different matter. It is very safe to review the past with the question, "How did providence help me?" I believe that most people could easily come up with a list of ways in which God led them. They could relate certain events that seemed to be accidents, and yet had a profound effect on their lives. They might be able to identify some time in their life in which a powerful thought came into their mind, seemingly from nowhere, that led them along a brand new course of growth. I have talked with people who went through a very depressed and discouraged time, and then, for no reason which they could find, experienced a change of mood. They found themselves with new hope for the future, and afterward found that their lives did improve.
     To look back wisely we need to think not in terms of worldly success or physical health; we need to see it in terms of our spiritual development. That is looking at the past from a spiritual point of view.
     People who have near-death experiences often report having a life review. In a few moments they see the whole course of their life, and many of them see very clearly how God had been leading them, even through times when it seemed as if God were totally absent. At the turn of the year, people sometimes review the course of the past twelve months so that they can give thanks to the providence of God. We may not be able to see God in the face, or in the future, but we can, at times, see His working in the past, and rejoice in His wise providence.

444

WONDERFUL CIRCLE OF LIFE AND LOVE 1999

WONDERFUL CIRCLE OF LIFE AND LOVE LAVINA SCOTT 1999

This morning I was reading in the book Conjugial Love, numbers 88 and 89, and in the enlightenment of early morning peacefulness I saw again clearly, as if it were new, the wonderful unity of the conjunction of the essential masculine with the essential feminine of a conjugial marriage. I was touched by the beauty of how the two principles of love and wisdom, by the Lord's design, and by the very essences that the Lord built into them, flow and interact in perfect harmony with each other to become one loving circle of life-one life of usefulness and one marriage of conjugial love: essentially one angel.
What I read was: "That there is the truth of good and from this the good of truth, or truth from good and good from that truth; and that in these two there is implanted an inclination to conjoin themselves into a one . . . . [T]his can be more distinctly comprehended if for good is substituted love and for truth wisdom; and that these are one and the same may be seen above (n. 88). Wisdom cannot exist with man except by the love of growing wise. If this love be taken away, man is entirely incapable of becoming wise. It is wisdom from this love [of becoming wise] that is meant by the truth of good or truth from good [the wisdom of love or wisdom from love]. But when from this love man has acquired wisdom, and loves that wisdom in himself, or loves himself on account of it, he forms a love which is the love of wisdom; this is what is meant by the good of truth or good from that truth. There are, therefore, two loves with the male, of which the one, which is prior, is the love of becoming wise, and the other, which is posterior, is the love of wisdom. But this latter love, if it remains with the man, is an evil love, and is called pride, or the love of self-intelligence. That this love was taken from man lest it destroy him, and was transcribed into woman that it might become conjugial love which reintegrates him, and that this was foreseen from eternity will be confirmed in what follows . . . . "

445

And from Conjugial Love 89: "That in these two [the truth of good or truth from good and from this, the good of truth or good from that truth] is implanted from creation an inclination to conjoin themselves into a one is because the one is formed from the other-wisdom from the love of growing wise, or truth from good, and the love of wisdom from that wisdom, or the good of truth from that truth. From this formation it can be seen that in them there is a mutual inclination to reunite and conjoin themselves into a one. This reunion is effected with men who are in genuine wisdom, and with women who are in the love of that wisdom with their husband, thus with those who are in love truly conjugial . . . . "
Sometimes what makes a truth shine in splendor and beauty is that it calls to mind experiences from life that make the statement self-evidently true. I think back to the first date I had with my Ken, when he introduced me to his mother, and showed me his room in their old log house that later, after we were married, became our first home for ten years, and our bedroom. I remember the table beside his bed that was heaped up and overflowing with books, and spilling onto the floor beneath were more piles of books: not frivolous books or fiction, but books full of philosophy and ideas, books by great thinkers like Emerson and Thoreau. And later that evening when I asked him if he had any goals in his life, he said he wanted "to find out what wisdom is." It was an answer that pleased me greatly. And as I got to know him, there was ample evidence of that love of becoming wise, a quality that I could easily love and respect, and as it turned out, a quality that led him to eventually see and embrace the Writings wholeheartedly. However, I also remember in that young man a certain quiet pride in his own intelligence (at that time) which the Lord bit by bit led him away from in our marriage, and helped him to discover and become the quietly humble and gentle and wise husband that he was: a man who freely acknowledged that any and all ideas that he had that were good belonged to the Lord alone.

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And until he went to the spiritual world, he loved to search the Writings daily to increase and perfect that wisdom from the Lord. How greatly I miss him!!!!
But that is still only half of the picture. It wasn't very long after getting to know my Ken that I found I could look up to him for wisdom and insights in spiritual things, and by following my inclinations to do this, I was being led by the Lord away from the love and pride in myself as I searched for ways to put my husband's wisdom into useful deeds that we could share in doing as a couple. I, like all women upon hearing an interesting and inspiring idea, quite quickly want to know "What good is it?" or "What use is it?" What else is this than the love of wisdom, or the good that results from truth? And I distinctly remember feeling the loving support and admiration of my husband as I would bring those ideals into some practical application, or as we worked side by side to bring them to life.
I am reminded of that ancient symbol of yin and yang, and the perfect complementary union of the two lovely flowing parts of the one circle of life. One can feel the joy in this perfect circle: a wonderful circle of life and love.
IF ONE KNEW THE FUTURE 1999

IF ONE KNEW THE FUTURE 1999

As a foreknowledge of future events takes away the human itself, which is action in freedom in accord with one's reason, no one is given to know the future . . . . For if he knew, he would no longer think from his inner self how he should act or live, so as to meet it, but would think only from his exterior self that he was meeting it (Divine Providence 179).

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ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH 1999

ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH WAYNE MACGREGOR PARKER 1999

     COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS, May 29, 1999

     Chancellor Buss, President Goodenough, members of the board, corporation and faculty, alumni and friends, and, most importantly, ladies and gentlemen of the graduating class of 1999.
     Where do I start? How about "Always remember to wear sunscreen"? Judging by the red faces from the recent senior trip to the shore, that tip may be a little late.
     Enough about sunscreen? Then, how about a little friendly advice guaranteed to please? When these exercises are over, remember to find your parents in the crowd and give them a big hug. This is a really important day for them too. You see, over 18 years ago they began a journey with you that is culminating in this moment in many ways. And yet theirs is a job that never ends. You, and they, are about to begin a whole new phase in life, and this reality is just a little bit scary for both! Only a parent can truly understand or relate to these feelings, but they are real. A great big hug from you would say so much. And when you leave, don't forget to call home from time to time. This communication is a precious lifeline and means a lot to those who care so much on the other end.
     So much for the parenting.
     It's been 25 years now since I graduated from ANC as a part of the class of 1974. In many ways that was a lifetime ago. In preparing for this talk today, I tried hard to imagine what I could possibly say in 10 minutes that would make a difference in your life. To be frank, and with no criticism intended, I can't remember who addressed my class, let alone what was said! No doubt there were important words of advice, challenges outlined and principles to follow, but did I hear them? Did they move me? Well, perhaps yes, then again, perhaps no.
     What I do remember-vividly-were the feelings of self-assurance, anticipated freedom and mounting excitement. When the address to the graduating seniors began, I glanced at my watch and reckoned that I had only an hour remaining before I hit the world as an adult and forever left behind me the rules, restrictions and regimen of school and parents.

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I was going to leave, shake the dust of this town off, and see the world! In the months and years since that day (quarter century to be precise), I have had plenty of time to think about what it was that I left behind. More importantly, however, I have been able to learn to focus instead on what it was that I took with me. Gradually, over a period of years, something began to move inside me; the more that I focused on this, the more it grew within me, and it continues to grow to this very day!
You see, we have something in common, the classes of '74 and '99 that is. In fact, so too with the class of '03, '67, '81, '44, and so on with every other graduating Academy class for that matter. What is it that we all have in common apart from the bricks and mortar of this institution? A simple question perhaps, and yet the answer is profound. We have something that is so special and unique that it has the potential to forever change our lives! We have all been educated in the light of the LORD'S three-fold Word. We have been taught to see the one GOD of heaven and earth as a Divine Human, the Creator and Keeper of the universe. We have been given the most precious gift of all: a compass and road map that can eventually lead us to heaven and an eternity of happiness.
It's been said that if a man does not know where he is going, every road will get him there. I believe this and have witnessed many real-world examples. This is especially true of the many, many important life decisions that we make, that you will soon be making in your life ahead. Each of these decisions, large or small, must be based on something meaningful and true. Throughout your life and most recently here at ANC, you have been given the spiritual and moral principles that you can use to base these decisions on for the rest of your life. These principles are real! They exist for you, and to the extent that you make them a part of your life, they will define who you are! Think of the LORD as your compass and the Word as your road map. Together, they will guide you through your life.

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     Trust me when I say that whether it's in business, in politics, in friendships or society in general, you will have to constantly check your compass and road map, seeking directions over and over again. If you check with yourself, you'll get lost; if you check with the LORD, you'll find your way. The most incredible gift embodied by the New Church, and taught here at the Academy, is that you and I are encouraged to search the Scriptures on our own and to see for ourselves what directions the Lord gives to lead us on our way. This means that no matter where you go from here, you will always have the ability to go directly back to the Word for your answers. You make that choice, you act and make it a habit, and you will find true happiness. Things will become clearer, more orderly in your life. You will be at peace; the LORD will see to it.
     The exact opposite is true when you look to yourself and the world for answers. I am forever confounded by those who say that they are unsure of where they are going, and are setting off on a journey to find themselves. Doesn't it stand to reason that any journey with self as the destination must fail? Wouldn't we do better to stop, check our compass and map and then find ourselves by doing for others? Armed with the Word of God, we can go back to the very Source to search and discover for ourselves the way to get back on track and find happiness in our lives. Helen Keller, a well known student of the Writings and no stranger to adversity, said it so well when she wrote, "Many people have the wrong idea about happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose."
     Make no mistake about it. You will be tested, tested to your very core! We live in a world that is fast and loose with the truth. The Ten Commandments are seen as archaic rules that get in the way of modern lifestyles and values. There is considerable pressure to put aside religious conventions, morals, and restraint. Things that should shock us and be viewed as an outrage are frequently held up as exciting, or a "little out there," instead of being recognized for the disorders that they are.

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Make no mistake about it: lack of clarity of thought from the principles of right and wrong will erode your standards, constantly working to obscure your judgment and distract you to the point that only your compass and road map can bring you back. You will be faced over and over again with myriads of small decisions and actions that will define you, define who you choose to be. These will be the kinds of choices where no one knows what is at stake but you and the Lord-the kind of choices where you have an opportunity to stand up for something worthwhile, something that is right and good, weighing the potential gains against the ultimate price that you must pay. You must continually ask yourself who it is that you want to become and how your success will be measured. "Real success in life means the individual's conquest of himself; it means how he has bettered himself, not how he has bettered his fortune. The greatest question of life is not, 'What have I?' but 'What am I?'" -William George Jordan.
The world is full of people who dreamed of making an impact some day-a worthwhile contribution to mankind, somewhere, some time in their lives. This dream is strongest right now in your lives during early adulthood. Some time along the way, the dream fades and maybe even dies. Reality replaces idealism, and then gives way to pessimism. Finally, calculated indifference takes over. But only if you let it! Fight back with all of the positive enthusiasm that you can muster! Choose life! Believe those dreams and be willing to do the hard work of building them day by day. Find the strength and courage to carry on by frequently checking your compass and road map. Seek the answers yourself, then believe and live what you have learned!
Eleanor Roosevelt put this in beautiful perspective when she wrote, "We must not, in trying to make a big difference in life, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to the big differences that we cannot foresee. Far and away, the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing!"

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     So what will you remember from this address? Perhaps neither my name nor the specifics of my subject. But if you can recall your personal compass and road map in times of need, then you will begin to see the infinite love and mercy of the Lord firsthand in your life!
     You stand now on the verge of the beginning of a whole new world of adult responsibility and accountability. Everything behind you was preparation. Everything before you is opportunity. The world out there can be hard and cruel, full of many realities that will challenge who you are and where you are going, but you can go forward with confidence and enthusiasm when armed with the Truth. God's greatest gift to mankind is free choice. Choose wisely! Build your house on a rock. Remember to check with the Lord, your personal compass, daily. Frequently check with the Word, your road map, whenever you are looking for answers or guidance. Take in all that life has to offer, strong in the knowledge of who you are becoming.
     I wish to leave you with two final thoughts. Remember the hug and periodic calls to home. These people love you and care deeply about your progress. You have made them very proud and happy today.
     And lastly, trust me on the sunscreen; it's important too!
     Best wishes for a rich and full life.
HEALING OUR WORLD VIEW 1999

HEALING OUR WORLD VIEW 1999

This book by Dr. John Hitchcock is another Chrysalis Book published by the Swedenborg Foundation. The cost is $19.95. This has been called "a unique proposal for a cultural evolution to heal the fragmentation of our world vision that developed when science and religion diverged centuries ago."

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MEMORIAL DAY ADDRESS 1999 1999

MEMORIAL DAY ADDRESS 1999 BRENNA SYNNESTVEDT 1999

(The following address was given at the Bryn Athyn Borough Park memorial on a beautiful day, with the cathedral, Cairncrest and a lovely meadow as a back drop.)

     One of the benefits of being asked to give an address on an occasion such as this is that it causes you to think even more deeply on the subject, and for this I thank Bishop Acton, Emmy Lou Echols and the board of the Civic and Social Club.

     In Flanders fields the poppies blow
     Between the crosses, row on row,
          That mark our place; and in the sky
          The larks, still bravely singing, fly
     Scarce heard amid the guns below.

     So begins one of the best known poems of war, written by Canadian Lieut. Col. John McCrae, who served four years in France in WWI before being struck down in 1918. The poem continues:

     We are the Dead. Short days ago
     We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
          Loved and were loved, and now we lie
          In Flanders fields.

     Listen. Do you hear the birds singing? Look at this monument noting some who served during great conflicts, some of whom lost their lives on the battlefield. Let your eyes move to the beautiful scene behind me. Now imagine this exquisitely peaceful vista filled with white crosses as far as you can see, and on and on beyond that, markers for all of the fighting men and women who have given their lives in defense of our country, as well as those who went missing in action, in all military conflicts in our history. How far those markers would reach! It is for them that we come together on this Memorial Day, to remember them and say our thanks, and also to reflect that our country and its ideals are indeed precious.
     The very spark of that preciousness lies with those inalienable rights that we know so well and hold so dear: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

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Americans are so familiar with these rights that one need say only "Life" and a chorus of voices will follow with "liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Truly their essential "rightness" is imbued into every fiber of our being. As a nation we are unique in that these rights have been guaranteed to us and protected by and for us for so long a time.
     We are not, however, unique in our love of these ideals, for surely as the Lord and His love flow into every individual, regardless of nationality, so everyone yearns to live in peace, free to pursue his or her own interests and loves. Indeed, many of the military men and women whom we honor today died not at home but in distant lands where people cannot imagine life with these rights, for either they have never experienced them or they had them at one time and they were taken away.
     Many Americans take them for granted and must struggle even to imagine life without them. Do you take them for granted? In our own community there are a number of people who have lived under totalitarian governments who can help us understand what it means to live day-to-day without these rights. Please talk with our friends from the former Soviet Union, the former Yugoslavia, and the former, or apartheid-era, South Africa and perhaps elsewhere.
     I want to share one story about liberty, or the lack of it, from Romania where my family lived for five years connected to the U.S. Peace Corps. When it was still a Communist dictatorship under Nicolai Ceaucescu, it was illegal to own a typewriter that was not registered with the government. They kept a typing sample from each typewriter on file. Why? When a letter criticizing the government was sent to a radio station in the west, agents of the security forces got a copy of it, compared the type with samples on record, and arrested the person who wrote it. And if you used an unregistered typewriter, you ran the risk of being overheard by an informer and being reported to the authorities. This happened more than once.
     St. Augustine said, "The purpose of all war is peace." But I would have to disagree, for many wars have been waged not for the love of peace but for greed, intolerance of religious, ethnic, racial or political differences, or for revenge.

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Perhaps it would be better to say: "The purpose of all morally justifiable war is peace." But this also is difficult because moral justification is something everyone, including leaders, must determine individually. And while it would be comfortable if this determination were always clear and easy, it just isn't so. Those who dissent in good conscience must, however, remember that their argument is with policy makers, not with the soldiers who are doing their duty, which is the will of the policy makers. Perhaps the saying on war would best be said, "The purpose of all defensive war is peace," whether that be defense of one's own nation, of an ally or of a nation or people too weak to defend themselves against grievous aggressors.
The United States is indisputably a powerful nation. Why? Democracy and enormous economic and natural resources are part of the answer. So is our "can do" attitude and the great diversity of the population. But with this power comes a responsibility which must be shouldered relying on our best qualities. The time when we could be isolationists, if indeed it ever existed, is over. As the world becomes more interconnected, the well-being of the whole depends increasingly on the well-being of the parts. Certainly this is true economically, and also morally and spiritually. Peace is more likely to flourish where there is liberty and an adequate standard of living. It behooves us to be actively engaged for good: through international development and foreign aid which improves the quality of life and strengthens economies, through diplomacy, through educational and cultural exchanges, and, of course, militarily.
Our soldiers always stand ready in defense of the nation and our national interests wherever they may be, and for this we are most grateful. U.S. Marines stand guard in our embassies around the world. Specially trained units evacuate U.S. citizens from danger zones in distant lands. I recall PCV's who had been evacuated under gunfire from Albania in 1997 praising the military personnel who whisked them to safety. The job of peace keepers in alliances such as NATO and with international institutions such as the United Nations is expanding.

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Our military provides training to others. Humanitarian assistance is given to those in crises, as following Hurricane Mitch and today in refugee camps surrounding Kosovo. As some military bases overseas are being reduced in size, equipment including ambulances and hospital beds is being donated to developing nations. The National Guard gives help right here at home during emergencies.
     And so on this beautiful day in May we have come to this memorial to remember particularly those who gave their lives in service to our country. It is also good to acknowledge all veterans, as well as the men and women now serving over in Kosovo and elsewhere.
     The most compelling tribute to the good work of our soldiers I am aware of wasn't a plaque or a statue or a cemetery. It wasn't even in this country but was rather in a small country on the other side of the world: the Solomon Islands, a place where my husband and I had the good fortune of serving as Peace Corps volunteers on an island called Guadalcanal, the site of a brutal and decisive battle during the Second World War. Solomon Islanders still view American GI's and our allies as their liberators. The tribute was this: A Solomon Islander, now white-haired and well past his prime, met an American veteran on the street, a man like himself, white-haired and advanced in years, who was wearing his old ship's cap. The American was returning to the place where he had fought and many of his friends had died, a place where he had come of age some 50 years earlier. And the Solomon Islander, tearfully grasping the American's hand said, "Thank you. God bless America."
     Lieut. Col. McCrae's poem concludes:

     Take up our quarrel with the foe;
     To you from failing hands we throw
          The torch; be yours to hold it high.
          If ye break faith with us who die
     We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
          In Flanders fields.
                                   Thank you.

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ON THE WEALTH AND RICHES IN THE WRITINGS 1999

ON THE WEALTH AND RICHES IN THE WRITINGS RICHARD R. GLADISH 1999

     One is struck by the wealth and riches in the Writings.
     One reads in a New York Times review of a poem by Robert Frost- "Provide, Provide," which is praised most extravagantly by eminent critic Randall Jarrell in these words: "Frost's 'Provide, Provide' is 'an immortal masterpiece.'"
     The poem is a message to the "picture pride of Hollywood," and begins:

     The witch that came (the withered hag)
     To wash the steps with pail and rag
     Was once the beauty Abishag.

     Then the penultimate stanza says:

     No memory of having starred
     Atones for later disregard
     Or keeps the end from being hard.

     And the final stanza declares:

     Better to go down dignified
     With boughten friendship at your side
     Than none at all. Provide, provide.

     Well, these words arouse echoes in the mind concerning the Lord's strange-seeming words in Luke 16:9: "Make friends with the mammon of unrighteousness that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations." And Divine Providence 250:5 explains: "In the spiritual sense, by 'the mammon of unrighteousness' is meant the knowledges of truth and good possessed by the evil and which they use only for themselves to acquire dignities and wealth; from these same knowledges, the good, or the children of light, are to make themselves friends, and they are what help them into everlasting habitations . . . [for] dignities and wealth may be either curses or blessings . . . . "
     So what started out to be a poem by Frost, when enriched from the Writings, turns out to be an answer to a most puzzling saying of the Lord.

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In other words, knowledges and facts and theories can be used by men to amass fortunes and win celebration for themselves, but properly used by the good person who tries to live by the Lord's commandments, they support one's good endeavors and help us to a just and proper useful outcome.
JUNE ASSEMBLY INCLUDES PROGRAM FOR YOUNG ADULTS 1999

JUNE ASSEMBLY INCLUDES PROGRAM FOR YOUNG ADULTS 1999

One of the special features of the Assembly in Canada next year is a program for children. This will be organized by Eleanor Deckert. There will also be a program for young adults which will be organized by Sue Bellinger. More about these programs later.
SWEDENBORG SOCIETY REPORT 1999

SWEDENBORG SOCIETY REPORT 1999

     Four thousand copies of the final volume of John Elliott's translation of Arcana Caelestia have been printed-2,500 hardback and 1,500 paperback.

     From the 189th report of the Swedenborg Society we learn that the membership stands at 833. During the year 1998 approximately 18 items (books and booklets) were distributed each day by the society. That would include counter sales, grants and mail orders. Every year the society sends a copy of The Happy Isles (a biography of Swedenborg) to New Church young people on their twelfth birthdays.
     "The small free lending library behind the shop continues to be used on a modest scale, chiefly by newcomers to the Writings of Swedenborg."
     "The librarian also spent some time dealing with approximately 40 research inquiries. Most of them were from the UK but they came also from Sweden, Canada, Ireland, USA, France and Germany."

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SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE AND SWEDENBORG 1999

SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE AND SWEDENBORG Editor 1999

     Editorial Pages
     Coleridge was born in England the year that Swedenborg died (1772). He is often listed among the great men who were "influenced by Swedenborg." In 1906 the editor of New Church Life recounted the story of an atheist's visit to Coleridge. The atheist said that we should not teach religion to children, whether Christianity or Buddhism, but should "allow them to wait for their mature years, and then let them choose for themselves." Coleridge then led the man into his garden and suddenly exclaimed, "The time was, in April, when I killed the young weeds, and put my beds out to vegetables, flowers, and fruits; but I have now decided to permit the garden to go on until August or September, and then allow the beds to choose for themselves between weeds and fruit. I am unwilling to prejudice the soil either for thistles and cockleburrs or roses and violets" (NCL 1906, p. 44).
      We note that once when writing on the subject of the Second Coming, Coleridge observed that some expect the "return of Jesus in His corporeal individuality." He urged readers to consider the symbolic nature of a Biblical passage "in which our Lord describes His coming." What was Coleridge's own view? He wrote: "On the nature of our Lord's future epiphany or phenomenal person, I am not ashamed to acknowledge that my views approach very nearly to those of Emanuel Swedenborg." That is quoted from Complete Works of Coleridge, Harper and Brother, 1864, Vol. VII, p. 277.
     Let me tell you about another book that was shown to me by the helpful people at the Swedenborg Library. It is a quaint volume with the following full title: Flaxman, Blake, Coleridge and Other Men of Genius Influenced by Swedenborg. This book was admirably assembled by H. N. Morris and published in 1915 by New-Church Press, Ltd. of London. It has photos and illustrations, and aims its appeal to young readers. The chapter on Coleridge says: "Coleridge was never associated with any New Church society, but was for many years, and especially during the last eighteen or twenty years of his life, an appreciative reader of Swedenborg."

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     A pamphlet that is currently available is Tributes to Emanuel Swedenborg, published by the Massachusetts New Church Union and available at the book room of the Bryn Athyn Cathedral. For those who say they never heard of Swedenborg this 16-page pamphlet can be quite helpful. The very first page includes Coleridge along with Balzac, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Jorge Luis Borges. And here is the tribute from Coleridge: "Of the too limited time which my ill health and the exigencies of today leave in my power, I have given the larger portion to the works of Swedenborg.
     "I remember nothing in Lord Bacon superior, few passages equal, either in depth of thought, or in richness, dignity and felicity of diction, or in the weightiness of the truths contained in these articles.
     "I can venture to assert that as a moralist Swedenborg is above all praise; and that as a naturalist, psychologist and theologian, he has strong and varied claims on the gratitude and admiration of the professional and philosophical world."
     According to the H.N. Morris book mentioned above, Coleridge said that he was paying particular attention to True Christian Religion. That book also notes that "copies of Heaven and Hell and other works have been found with numerous marginal notes from his [Coleridge's] pencil." This brings us to a fine article which has appeared in the latest issue of Studia Swedenborgiana. This article points out that Coleridge wrote extensive notes in the margins of several books of Swedenborg including The Animal Kingdom, Divine Love and Wisdom, True Christian Religion, and Divine Providence.
     On page 57 of Studia we read, "While Coleridge is often cited by Swedenborgians as one of the many 19th century luminaries drawing direct illumination from Swedenborg's revelatory works, Coleridgean scholars have given scant notice to Coleridge's debt to Swedenborg. Undoubtedly this oversight is due to Coleridge's scarce mention of Swedenborg in the works that he prepared for publication."

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     This interesting article goes on to say: "In the past twenty years, however, the publication of previously unavailable but extensive Coleridge notebooks and correspondence, along with heightened awareness of Swedenborgian influence in some key relationships and an informed understanding of the strong similarity between Coleridge's theological innovations and Swedenborg's system, all aid in seeing clear lines of Swedenborg's trail in the varied landscape of Coleridge's thought."
     On page 60 of Studia we read, "One of the most impressive suggestions of Coleridge's admiration for Swedenborg comes from his offer to the London Swedenborgians, at the height of his renown, to write a 'Life of Swedenborg.'" It is reported also that Coleridge told John Clowes that he might write a book on the doctrine of correspondences. We commend the article itself to interested readers.
     In a book just published by the Swedenborg Foundation there is a quotation from Coleridge which implies that Swedenborg did not actually see objectively the things which he thought he saw! "By some hitherto unexplained affections of Swedenborg's brain and nervous system, he from the year 1743, thought and reasoned through the medium and instrumentality of a series of appropriate and symbolic visual and auditual images, spontaneously rising before him, and these so clear and distinct as at length to overpower perhaps his first suspicions of their subjective nature, and to become objective to him . . . . " (See this in context on page 110 of Healing Our World View by John Hitchcock.)
     Finally we would mention that another new book has been published entitled Keeping Company with The Poets. It is by the late Doris H. Harley (who translated Heaven and Hell in 1958). This appealing book of 170 pages goes alphabetically through the names of famous poets, quotes some lines and then supplies passages on the same subject from books of the Writings. (It is available from Seminar Books in London.)
     Mrs. Harley chooses the following from Coleridge:

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     . . . Farewell, farewell! But this I tell
     To thee, thou Wedding-guest.
     He prayeth well who loveth well
     Both man and bird and beast.
     He prayeth best who loveth best
     All things both great and small;
     For the dear God who loveth us,
     He made and loveth all . . . .

     She then supplies four passages from the Writings, including AC 1618: "He who lives a life of love and charity is constantly at worship."

     DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM (Translated Anew)

     MENTIONS A BOOK OF NATURE

     Sixteen years ago this magazine quoted a new English translation of DLW by Dr. George Dole, and we included some sketches of the subject matter. We quoted number 351, which may be the only place in the Writings that refers to a current book. The book is Swammerdam's Book of Nature. At that time we printed a full-page picture of a gnat as seen through a microscope, just as it appeared in the Swammerdam book.
     What books did Swedenborg own? There is a list of more than three hundred titles in an article by Mr. Lars Bergquist entitled "The Library in the Summer House." This informative and interesting article was originally written in Swedish, and it is very good news that it has been translated by Josephine Turner Appelgren so that English readers may enjoy it. It is printed in the latest issue of Arcana magazine, which is published quarterly by the Swedenborg Association. The Book of Nature is number 284 in the list of books.
     Getting back to Divine Love and Wisdom, let's quote a few lines and two footnotes from the new translation by N. Bruce Rogers: "That even lowly insects possess such component parts is known from their anatomy as described by certain investigators, most notably by Swammerdam in his Biblia Naturae."

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Here are the footnotes: "Jan Swammerdam, 1637-1680, Dutch anatomist and entomologist." "Published posthumously under Dutch and Latin titles, Bybel der Natuure; of, Historie des insecten . . . / Biblia Naturae; sive Historia Insectorum . . . (A Book of Nature; or, History of Insects . . . ), with text in Latin and Dutch in parallel columns, Leyden, 1737 (vol. 1), 1738 (vol. 2)."
POWER TO THE WEAK 1999

POWER TO THE WEAK Vera Dyck 1999

     Communications
Dear Editor:

     I address these remarks to the author of "Power to the Weak" in the July issue, p. 291. Thank you for the Charter Day address. In many ways I feel far from the Academy and from my Academy days, yet you managed to re-inspire me with the powerful possibilities (based, as you explain, on weakness and humility) that do exist in the Academy effort. I would like to share with the readership of NCL some reflections in response to your address, drawing on my own experience, in hopes that they might be useful to some.
     On page 294 you write, "We become strong spiritually when we break through our pride and are ready to say to the Lord, 'Thy will be done' . . . . To build up this kind of strength requires spiritual work and the courage and strength of our convictions. It starts with giving authority to the Lord's Word as the Source of Divine Truths."
     In my experience, this is not how it begins. For me, it began with my life becoming so painful, confused and desperate that I was willing to acknowledge that it was completely unmanageable, that I would rather be dead than to live like that, and that on my own I was in fact powerless to change it.

463

Next came an acknowledgment based on the experience of mentors whose lives I had seen move from desperation toward joy, that somewhere out there, there did in fact exist a Power who could change it. Next came a decision to turn my life and will over to that Power.
     It was only after I had gotten desperate, given up, and turned myself over to God, that the questioning came. "Okay, what next? What does this Power want me to do in turning my will and life over? What does God say will bring me sanity?" Only after I had these questions did written revelation, the Word, become relevant to me as an authority in my life. Prior to that, any "giving authority to the Lord's Word as the Source of Divine Truth" that I had done was pretty strictly an intellectual exercise. I believe we do our young people a disservice if we teach them that they can simply make an intellectual choice to "acknowledge the Divine Authority of the Word." The questions need to precede the answers. And the awareness of deep need precedes the questions.
     On page 294 you write that "The Academy is a place where there are many valuable opportunities to let the Lord communicate His Divine Truth to us." I believe that the Academy could also be a place where, in the safety of the Lord's Divine Love, we can begin to experience our deep need for that Divine Truth. I would love to see the Academy taking leadership in creating that kind of safety-by providing space, priority, opportunities, staff, and other support for its students and young people to become aware of what is happening in their emotional lives, in their relationships, in the places where their wills are active, in their challenging efforts to leave father and mother and find their own way as adults.
     Young adulthood is never painless, and in fact is a time ripe with possibility for a very useful bottoming out, and becoming weak. It is an opportunity to discover in one's life and heart the bottomless pits of need that can be filled only in the arms of one's spiritual Mother and Father, the Divine Wisdom and Divine Love of the Lord. I long to see the Academy viewing consciousness of this emotional process-the life of the will-and awareness of great need, emotionally and spiritually, as an integral part of the education it seeks to give its students.

464

I would like to see guidance, leadership, modeling, and mentorship in this process as a prerequisite to the guidance of young people to the Lord's Word as authoritative in their lives. If we can be with them as they discover their need, we will be there when they start to really ask questions.
     Many young people do find themselves involved in such a process during their time at the Academy, but in my experience and those of many I am close to, the support, guidance, and mentorship for this process came from other sources than the Academy. Some of these sources include therapists, social workers, twelve-step groups, mentors, peer counselors, and sometimes even other churches. I would like to see the mission of the Academy expand to include this heart work.
     I believe that our church camps can provide some insight into how the Academy might move in the direction of providing safety, support, and opportunity to experience need, as well as providing guidance and answers. As a young adult I remember feeling that the Academy fed my mind (for which I was grateful), while the church camps (Maple, Laurel) addressed the state of my life where I really was, helped me to locate just one or two truths that I could hold onto and use, provided me with opportunities to serve according to my loves, and brought me into the arms of the Lord. For this I was more than grateful. In this I recognized the saving of my life.
     I can hardly imagine the possibilities for the Academy to do the Lord's work if it were able to lead in "getting weak" by providing this kind of space and safety, as well as all of the opportunities it does offer for learning answers to questions once they are asked by open hearts.
     In your closing paragraph you say, "Let us not be afraid to appear weak at times when we know we need help. The Academy schools are filled with people who care and want to help." I hope that in your mind, the "us" in "let us not be afraid to appear weak" includes teachers, staff and administration as well as students. For while it is true that the Academy schools are filled with people (teachers, administrators, support staff) who care and want to help, it is also true that Academy schools are filled with people (these same teachers, administrators, and staff) who are weak and need help.

465

Being weak and needing help is, after all, the starting point for true humanity, and there is no shame in admitting we are there. "Unless you become as little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven."
     The more that the leadership-teachers, administrators, other staff-are people who are willing to be weak, to ask for help, to get help, who personally experience their inability to live sanely on their own, and have committed their lives to God's will not as an intellectual choice but as necessity for survival, and are willing to share with others-peers and students-something about this frightening, overwhelming process, the more safety there will be for students to follow this example, to walk this narrow path, to come into awareness of their own weakness, and to discover how desperately they too need help. Then, in the safety of experiencing the Divine Love as other people are present and compassionate with them in their times of spiritual upheaval, does a real acknowledgment of the Lord's Word as the Source of Divine Truth become possible. Then, drawn out of the Word for the sole purpose of guiding an otherwise hopelessly lost life, the truths taken from that Word will be lived. Then the Academy will move closer toward its true calling.
     With gratitude, love and best wishes,
     Vera Dyck
          Richmond, Indiana
IMPLICATIONS OF SODOM 1999

IMPLICATIONS OF SODOM Rev. Lee Woofenden 1999

Dear Editor:
In response to a letter from Rev. Arne Bau-Madsen in the August 1999 New Church Life:
In order to identify "the worst adultery" of Sodom with homosexuality, we would have to ignore a key aspect of the story in Genesis 19:4-11. This is not a story of consensual homosexual sex.

466

It is a story of attempted homosexual rape. The men of the city of Sodom were ready to break down the doors of Lot's house and sexually "know" Lot's visitors against their will.
     Homosexuality was certainly considered a perversion in Old Testament times. But we should not allow our particular views of homosexuality to obscure other aspects of this story that may turn out to be even more important to its meaning than homosexuality.
     Viewing rape, rather than homosexuality, as the primary meaning of "the worst adultery" gives us a much clearer path to the spiritual meaning of Sodom, which is "the evil of the love of self" (AC 2220, 2322), or, spelled out more fully, "the love of dominating from the love of self" (AR 502). As long as I thought of this as corresponding to homosexuality, it did not make sense to me, since consensual homosexuality does not intrinsically involve self-love and domination. However, it all became clear as soon as I paid attention to the entire story in Genesis 19:4-11, and realized the obvious: this is a story about rape.
     Rape is a form of adultery in which the primary characteristic is domination of the other person. If the other person consents, it is not rape. Rape is a crime in which a person seeks to sexually dominate another for his or her own pleasure, and especially for the sense of power over the other person. It is a perfect representation and correspondence of the love of dominating from the love of self-which is the evil of Sodom.
     It also has a good claim to being "the worst adultery." If we read the section in Marital Love [Conjugial Love] on "The Lust for Rape" (or "Violation" in the traditional translations), we find that this lust comes only after marriage has been rejected, and after other forms of illicit sex have worn the perpetrators out. Further, it so utterly destroys marital love in a person that in the other world, from a distance those who engage in the lust of rape appear "emaciated, as if made of bones with just skin stretched over them" (CL 512).
     If we continue reading, we find that spiritually the lust for rape involves completely adulterating the spiritual things of the church.

467

In other words, rape corresponds to the evil of profanation, which causes a spiritual death more profound than any other. This, I would suggest, is what Swedenborg refers to as "the worst adultery."
Rev. Lee Woofenden
Middleboro, MA
ADULTERY? 1999

ADULTERY? Rev. Jeremy Simons 1999

Dear Editor:

     I can understand Patricia Rose's insistence on restricting adultery to heterosexual "lust with the wife or husband of another" (Adultery?, p. 425, NCL, September 1999). The chapter in Conjugial Love on adultery (478-500) does indeed mention only these types of relationships, and they are by far the most common roadblocks to conjugial love. The theory that homosexuality is therefore not adultery but "actually two other but different perversions" seems fine at first glance. I would like to demonstrate, however, that this idea fails to take into consideration a number of passages from the Writings, in addition to AC 2220, 2322, and De Conjugio 86, which explicitly describe sodomy as a form of adultery. I think that Mrs. Rose supplies the solution to this apparent contradiction when she says in her letter that "in the Writings the Lord uses words translated as 'adultery' in more than one way."
     In one sense the term "adultery" describes only "lust with the wife or husband of another" (CL 444), as in CL 478-500. Other sexual disorders are given other names, such as fornication and debauchery (CL 444), as she points out. In a wider sense, however, adultery describes all the practices, and even the thoughts and desires, that are opposed to conjugial love. The explanation of the sixth commandment in True Christian Religion states that, "In the natural sense, this commandment means not only not to commit adultery, but it refers also to willing and doing obscene things and thinking and speaking about lascivious things" (TCR 313).

468

The word "adultery" is therefore used to describe any sexual evil, whether it is child sexual abuse, bestiality, or, in this case, sodomy. In an even wider sense, all evils relate to adultery, since adultery is the fundamental love of hell, just as the love of marriage is the fundamental love of heaven (see AE 981:2).
     Swedenborg is clearly speaking of a sexual evil when he describes what happened at Sodom as "the evil that consists in the worst form of adultery" (AC 2220). He goes on to explain that "in the Word the dreadful things that well up out of self-love are represented by various kinds of adultery" (ibid.). Parenthetically, I'm surprised that more people are not aware that the Latin superlative, used here (malum pessimi adulterii-evil of the worst adultery) is different from the English superlative, meaning simply a very, very bad form of adultery and not the worst possible form of adultery. There is no such thing as the absolute worst form of adultery, since evils can be indefinitely compounded.
     The events that took place at Sodom are described in several places in the Writings as a form of adultery, in addition to AC 2220. De Conjugio 86 speaks of "adultery such as there was at Sodom, which is why they demanded the angels from Lot's house." Last Judgment Posthumous 135 and Spiritual Experiences 4932 recount stories similar to Genesis 19, using the word "adultery" to describe what happened. AC 2322 again points out that the reason this adulterous situation is described in Genesis 19 is that "the evils that well up from the love of self are called 'adulteries' in the Word, and are described as such."
     In the face of these passages, among others, it is difficult to assert that the Writings do not label what happened at Sodom as a form of adultery. A further question, however, which was also raised in the letter, is whether what happened at Sodom can be equated with homosexuality since it seems that it would be more accurately described as attempted homosexual rape. Is it possible that homosexual rape could be considered a form of adultery but not consensual homosexuality? Is it possible that when Swedenborg refers to sodomy and Sodomites (SE 1977, 2675, 3768, 3796, 5939, 5979, 6096 and TCR additions 9), he is speaking only of those who commit homosexual rape?

469

Is it possible that when Swedenborg speaks of the evil of Sodom as being "a certain kind of foul behavior that is totally unnatural" (AC 2322), he is referring to rape rather than the practice of homosexuality? It is certainly possible to interpret these passages that way, but it is an unlikely interpretation. "Sodomy" and "the sin of Sodom" are terms that have universally been used to refer to homosexual practices, as much in Swedenborg's day as today. Swedenborg assumes that the reader will know what sodomy is, as well as its connection with what happened at Sodom. This is why he is at such pains to explain in AC 2220 and 2322 that in the internal sense the evil being described is entirely different from what the reader would expect.
     Other passages confirm that consensual homosexuality is a form of adultery, not relying on any reference to the Sodom story. Apocalypse Explained 410 and 434, Arcana Caelestia 6348, and Conjugial Love 519 support Leviticus 18:22 ("You shall not lie with a male as with a female. It is an abomination."), saying that the adulteries that this chapter and this verse describe correspond to forms of the adulteration of good and truth.
     I am in agreement with the belief that homosexuality is a problem. My interest is in being clear about what the Writings actually say. The point of all of this is to make it plain to people that homosexual relationships will rob them of happiness and cause them pain, just as other adulterous relationships do. Homosexuality was a minor point in my original article, the message being that homosexuals may be likely to experience cruelty in their lives because of the causal relationship that exists between cruelty and adultery. I do not mean to condemn those caught up in this evil, for everyone is caught up in some kind of evil. Fortunately, the Lord gives us the means to escape from them, the first of which is to be willing to investigate and acknowledge their true nature.
     Rev. Jeremy Simons
          Bryn Athyn, PA

470

Coming in November: 1999

A Dove at the Window
Living Dreams
And
Spiritual Experiences

Complied and edited by Vera P. Glenn

A moving collection of true stories of visitations from heaven through dreams, accompanied by quotations from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.

This and many other lovely New Christian gifts are available from Fountain Publishing. If you are not yet on our mailing list, write to us for a free catalog at Foundation Publishing, P.O. Box 80011, Rochester, MI 48308-0011, or [email protected]. Or visit www.fountainpublishing.com.

471

GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM PUBLIC WORSHIP AND DOCTRINAL CLASSES 1999

     Announcements



     UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

     Alabama:
     Birmingham
     Dr. Winyss A. Shepard, 4537 Dolly Ridge Road, Birmingham, AL 35243. Phone: (205) 967-3442.
     Huntsville
     Mrs. Anthony L. Sills, 1000 Hood Ave., Scottsboro, AL 35768. Phone: (205) 574-1617.
     Arizona:
     Phoenix
     Lawson & Carol Cronlund, 5717 E. Justine Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85254. Phone: (602) 953-0478.
     Tucson
     Rev. Frank S. Rose, 9233 E. Helen, Tucson, AZ 85715. Phone: (520) 721-1091.
     Arkansas:
     Little Rock
     Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Holmes, 155 Eric St., Batesville, AR 72501. Phone: (501) 793-5135.
     California:
     Los Angeles
     Rev. John L. Odhner, 5022 Carolyn Way, La Crescenta, CA 91214. Phone: (818) 249-5031.
     Orange County
     Rev. Cedric King, resident pastor, 21332 Forest Meadow, El Toro, CA 92630. Phone: home (949) 586-5142.
     Sacramento/Central California
     Bertil Larsson, 8387 Montna Drive, Paradise, CA 95969. Phone: (530) 877-8252.
     San Diego
     Rt. Rev. Louis B. King, 7911 Canary Way, San Diego, CA 92123. Phone: (619) 492-9682.
     San Francisco
     Mr. & Mrs. Philip C. Pendleton, 501 Portola Road, Box 8044, Portola Valley, CA 94028. Phone: (415) 424-4234.
     Colorado:
     Boulder
     Rev. David C. Roth, 4215 N. Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304. Phone: (303) 443-9220.
     Colorado Springs
     Mr./Mrs.William Rienstra, 1005 Oak Ave., Canon City, CO 81212.

     Connecticut:
     Bridgeport, Hartford, Shelton
     Mr. & Mrs. James Tucker, 45 Honey Bee Lane, Huntington, CT 06484. Phone: (203) 929-6455.

     Delaware:
     Wilmington
     Mrs. John Furry (Marcia), 1231 Evergreen Rd., Wilmington, DE 19803. Phone: (302) 762-8837.
     District of Columbia: see Mitchellville, Maryland.
     Florida:
     Boynton Beach
     Rev. Derek Elphick, 10621 El Clair Ranch Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33437. Phone: (561) 736-2843.
     Jacksonville
     Kristi Helow, 6338 Christopher Creek Road W., Jacksonville, FL 32217-2472.
     Lake Helen
     Mr. & Mrs. Brent Morris, 8787 Southside Blvd, #3114, Jacksonville, FL 32256-3534.
     Pensacola
     Mr. & Mrs. John Peacock, 5238 Soundside Drive, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561. Phone: (904) 934-3691.
     Georgia:
     Americus
     Mr. W. Harold Eubanks, 516 U.S. 280 West, Americus, GA 31709. Phone: (912) 924-9221.
     Atlanta
     Rev. C. Mark Perry, 5155 Paisley Court, Lilburn, GA 30047. Phone: (770) 381-1709.
     Illinois:
     Chicago
     Rev. Arthur W. Schnarr, 2719 Park Lane, Glenview, IL 60025. Phone: (847) 729-8204.
     Glenview
     Rev. Eric Carswell, 73 Park Dr., Glenview, IL 60025. Phone: (847) 724-0120.
     Indiana: see Ohio: Cincinnati.
     Kentucky: see Ohio: Cincinnati.
     Louisiana:
     Baton Rouge
     Mr. Henry Bruser, Jr., 6050 Esplanade Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70806. Phone: (504) 924-3098.

     Maine:
     Bath
     Rev. Allison L. Nicholson, 1 Somerset Place, Topsham, ME 04086. Phone: (207) 729-9725.
     Maryland:
     Baltimore
     Rev. Douglas M. Taylor, visiting minister, 2704 Huntingdon Pike, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006. Phone: home (215) 947-7618.

474

     Mitchellville
     Rev. James P. Cooper, 11910 Chantilly Lane, Mitchellville, MD 20721. Phone: home (301) 805-9460; office (301) 464-5602.
     Massachusetts:
     Boston
     Rev. Reuben Bell, 138 Maynard Rd., Sudbury, MA 01776. Phone: (978) 443-3727.
     Michigan:
     Detroit
     Rev. Grant Odhner, 395 Olivewood Ct., Rochester, MI 48306. Phone: (248) 652-7332.
     East Lansing
     Lyle & Brenda Birchman, 14777 Cutler Rd., Portland, MI 48875.
     Minnesota:
     St. Paul
     Karen Huseby, 4247 Centerville Rd., Vadnais Heights, MN 55127. Phone: (612) 429-5289.
     Missouri:
     Columbia
     Mr. & Mrs. Paul Johnson, 1508 Glencairn Court, Columbia, MO 65203. Phone: (314) 442-3475.
     Kansas City
     Mr. Glen Klippenstein, P. O. Box 457, Maysville, MO 64469-0457. Phone: (816) 449-2167.
     New Hampshire:
     Hanover
     Bobbie & Charlie Hitchcock, 63 E. Wheelock St., Hanover, NH 03755.
     Phone: (603) 643-3469.
     New Jersey:
     Ridgewood
     Jay & Barbara Barry, 474 S. Maple, Glen Rock, NJ 07452. Phone: (201) 445-3353.
     New Mexico:
     Albuquerque
     Mrs. Carolyn Harwell, 1375 Sara Rd., Rio Rancho, NM 87124. Phone: (505) 896-0293.
     North Carolina:
     Charlotte
     Steven and Gail Glunz, 6624 Providence Lane West, Charlotte, NC 28226. Phone: (704) 362-2338.
     Ohio:
     Cincinnati
     Rev. Patrick Rose, 785 Ashcroft Court, Cincinnati, OH 45240. Phone: (513) 825-7473.
          Cleveland
     Wayne and Vina Parker, 11848 Mumford Rd., Garrettsville, OH 44231. Phone: (330) 527-2419.
     Oklahoma:
     Oklahoma City
     Mr. Robert Campbell, 13929 Sterlington, Edmond, OK 73013. Phone:(405)478-4729.
     Oregon:
     Portland
     Mr. & Mrs. Jim Andrews, Box 99, 1010 NE 365th Ave., Corbett, OR 97019. Phone: (503) 695-2534.
     Pennsylvania:
     Bryn Athyn
     Rev. Thomas H. Kline, Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. Phone: (215) 947-6225.
     Elizabethtown
     Mr. Meade Bierly, 523 Snyder Ave., Elizabethtown, PA 17022. Phone: (717) 367-3964.
     Erie
     Mrs. Paul Murray, 5648 Zuck Road, Erie, PA 16506. Phone: (814) 833-0962.
     Freeport
     Rev. Clark Echols, 100 Iron Bridge Road, Sarver, PA 16055. Phone: office (412) 353-2220.
     Hatfield
     Mr. Peter Sheedy, 1303 Clymer St., Hatfield, PA 19440. Phone: (215) 842-1461.
     Hawley
     Mr. Grant Genzlinger, Settlers Inn #25, 4 Main Ave., Hawley, PA 18428. Phone: (800) 833-8527.
     Ivyland
     The Ivyland New Church, 851 W. Bristol Road, Ivyland, PA 18974. Pastor: Rev. David Lindrooth. Phone: (215) 957-5965. Secretary: Sue Cronlund. (215) 598-3919.
     Philadelphia New Church Korean Group, 851 W. Bristol Rd., Ivyland, PA 18974. Pastor: Rev. John Jin. Phone: (215) 443-2533 or (215) 947-8317.
     Kempton
     Rev. Robert S. Junge, 8551 Junge Lane, RD #1, Kempton, PA 19529. Phone: office (610) 756-6140.
     Pittsburgh
     Rev. Nathan D. Gladish, 299 Le Roi Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15208. Phone: church (412) 731-7421.

475

     South Carolina:
     Charleston area
     Wilfred & Wendy Baker, 2030 Thornhill Drive, Summerville, SC 29485. Phone: (803) 851-1245.
     South Dakota:
     Hot Springs
     Linda Klippenstein, 604 S. River St. #A8, Hot Springs, SD 57747. Phone: (605) 745-6629.
     Texas:
     Austin
     Aaron Gladish, 10312 Bilbrook Place, Austin, TX 78748. Phone: (512) 282-5501. E-mail: [email protected].
     Virginia:
     Richmond
     Mr. Donald Johnson, 13161 Happy Hill Road, Chester, VA 23831. Phone: (804) 748-5757.
     Washington:
     Seattle
     Rev. Erik J. Buss, 5409 154th Ave., Redmond, WA 98052. Phone: home (425) 883-4327; office (425) 882-8500.
     Washington, DC: See Mitchellville, MD.
     Wisconsin:
     Madison
     Mr. Warren Brown, 130 Greenbrier Drive, Sun Prairie, WI 53590. Phone: (608) 825-3002.

          OTHER THAN U.S.A.

          AUSTRALIA
     Sydney, N.S.W.
     Mr. Murray F. Heldon, 35 O'Briens Rd., Hurstville, NSW 2220. Phone: 61-2-9579-5248.
          BRAZIL
     Rio de Janeiro
     Rev. Crist?v?o Rabelo Nobre, Rod Mendes Vassouras, km 41, Caixa Postal 85.711, 27.700-000, Vassouras, RJ Brasil. Phone: 55-024-471-2183.
          CANADA
     Alberta
     Calgary
     Mr. Thomas R. Fountain, 1115 Southglen Drive S.W., Calgary, Alberta T2W 0X2. Phone: (403) 255-7283.
     Debolt
     Lavina Scott, RR 1, Crooked Creek, Alberta T0H 0Y0. Phone: (403) 957-3625.
     Edmonton
     Mrs. Wayne Anderson, 6703-98th Street, Edmonton, Alberta T6E 3L9. Phone: (403) 432-1499.

     British Columbia
     Dawson Creek
     Rev. Glenn G. Alden, Dawson Creek Church, 9013 8th St., Dawson Creek, B.C. V1G 3N3. Phone: home (250) 843-7979; office (250) 782-8035.
     Ontario
     Kitchener
     Rev. Michael K. Cowley, 58 Chapel Hill Drive, Kitchener, Ontario N2G 3W5. Phone: office (519) 748-5802.
     Ottawa
     Mr. & Mrs. Donald McMaster, 684 Fraser Ave., Ottawa, Ontario K2A 2R8. Phone: (613) 725-0394.
     Toronto
     Rev. Michael D. Gladish, 279 Burnhamthorpe Rd., Etobicoke, Ontario M9B 1Z4. Phone: church (416) 239-3054.
     Quebec
     Montreal
     Mr. Denis de Chazal, 29 Ballantyne Ave. So., Montreal West, Quebec H4X 2B1. Phone: (514) 489-9861.
          DENMARK
     Copenhagen
     Mr. Jorgen Hauptmann, Strandvejen 22, 4040 Jyllinge. Phone: 46 78 9968.
          ENGLAND
     Colchester
     Rev. Kenneth J. Alden, 8 Stoneleigh Park, Lexden, Colchester, Essex CO3 5EY.
     London
     Rev. Frederick Elphick, 21B Hayne Rd., Beckenham, Kent BR3 4JA. Phone: 44-181-658-6320.
     Oxford
     Mr. Mark Burniston, 24 Pumbro, Stonesfield, Witney, Oxford OX8 8QF. Phone: 01993 891700
     Surrey
     Mr. Nathan Morley, 27 Victoria Road, Southern View, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4DJ.
          FRANCE
     Beaune

     The Rev. Alain Nicolier, Bourguignon, Meursanges, 21200 Beaune. Phone: 33-80-26-62-80.
          GHANA
     Accra
     Rev. William O. Ankra-Badu, Box 11305, Accra North.
     Asakraka, Nteso, Oframase
     Rev. Martin K. Gyamfi, Box 10, Asakraka-Kwahu E/R.

476

     Madina, Tema
     Rev. Simpson K. Darkwah, House No. AA3, Community 4, c/o Box 1483, Tema.
          HOLLAND
     The Hague
     Mr. Ed Verschoor, V. Furstenburchstr. 6, 3862 AW Nijkerk.
          JAPAN
     For information about General Church activities in Japan contact Mr. Tatsuya Nagashima, 30-2, Saijoh-Nishiotake, Yoshino-cho, Itano-gun, Tokoshima-ken, Japan 771-14.
          KOREA
     Seoul
     Rev. Dzin P. Kwak, Seoul Church of New Jerusalem, Ajoo B/D 2F, 1019-15 Daechi-dong, Kangnam-ku, Seoul 135-281. Phone: home 82-(0)2-658-7305; church 82-(0)2-555-1366.
          NEW ZEALAND
     Auckland
     Mrs. H. Keal, 4 Derwent Cresc., Titirangi, Auckland 1007. Phone: 09-817-8203.
          SOUTH AFRICA
     Gauteng
     Alexandra Township
     Rev. Albert Thabede, 303 Corlett Dr., Kew 2090. Phone: 27-11-443-3852.
     Balfour
     Rev. Reuben Tshabalala, P.O. Box 851, Kwaxuma, Soweto 1868. Phone: 27-11-932-3528.
     Buccleuch
     Rev. Andrew Dibb, P.O. Box 816, Kelvin 2054. Phone: 27-11-804-1145.
     Diepkloof
     Rev. Jacob M. Maseko, P. O. Box 261, Pimville 1808.
     Phone: 27-11-938-8314.
     KwaZulu-Natal
     Clermont and Enkumba
     Rev. Ishborn Buthelezi, P.O. Box 150, Clernaville 3602. Phone: 27-31-707-1526.
     Durban (Westville)
     Rev. Lawson M. Smith, 8 Winslow Road, Westville 3630. Phone: 27-31-825-351.
     Eshowe/Richards Bay/Empangeni
     Mrs. Marten Hiemstra, P. O. Box 10745, Meerensee 3901. Phone: 0351-32317.
     Impaphala and Empangeni
     Rev. B. Alfred Mbatha, c/o 7 Sydney Drive, Westville, 3630.
     Kwa Mashu and Hambrook
     Rev. Chester Mcanyana, H602, Kwa Mashu, 4360.
     Westville (see Durban)
     Western Cape
     Cape Town
     Mrs. Sheila Brathwaite, 208 Silvermine Village, Private Bag #1, Noordhoek, 7985. Phone: 27-21-7891424.
          SWEDEN
     Jonkoping
     Rev. Ragnar Boyesen, Oxelgatan 6, S-565 21 Mullsjo.

     Stockholm
     Rev. Goran R. Appelgren, Aladdinsvogen 27, S-167 61 Bromma.
     Phone/Fax: 46-(0)8-26 79 85.

     (When dialing from abroad, leave out zero in parentheses.)

     Note: Please send any corrections to the editor.
NEW CATALOGUE FLYER 1999

NEW CATALOGUE FLYER 1999

The General Church Office of Education has just printed a flyer promoting New Church children's books and religious educational materials. This is available from the Office of Education, P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009; phone 215-914-4949.

477

CHURCH BUILDING ADDRESSES 1999

     New Church of Atlanta
     Bethany Road
     Alpharetta, GA

     Boston New Church
     138 Maynard Rd. (Rt. 72)
     Sudbury, MA 01776
     508-443-6531

     The New Church at Boulder
     West Boulder Senior Center
     909 W. Arapahoe
     Boulder, CO

     New Church at Boynton Beach
     10621 El Clair Ranch Road
     Boynton Beach, FL 33437-203
     407-736-9235

     Bryn Athyn Church
     900 Cathedral Road
     Bryn Athyn, PA 19009
     215-947-0266

     The New Church at Buccleuch
     14 Muller Street
     Buccleuch 2054
     Rep. of South Africa
     011-27-11-804-1145

     Carmel Church & School
     40 Chapel Hill Drive
     Kitchener, Ontario
     Canada N2G 3W5
     519-748-5802

     Cascade New Church
     University Heights Center
     50th and University Way NE
     Redmond, WA 98052
     206-882-8500

     Chicago New Church
     1611 N. Clybourn St.
     Chicago, IL 60614

     Cincinnati Society
     845 Congress Avenue
     Glendale, OH 45246
     513-772-1478

     Colchester New Church
     175-181 Maldon Road
     Near Cambridge Road
     Colchester, Essex, England CO3 3BL
     011-44-206-575337

     Dawson Creek Church
     9013 - 8th Street
     Dawson Creek, BC
     Canada V1G 3N3
     604-782-8035

     Durban Society
     36 Perth Road
     Westville, Natal
     3630 Rep. of South Africa
     011-27-31-822342

     The New Church at El Toro
     (meets at California Federal Bank)
     24264 El Toro Rd.
     Laguna Hills, CA 92653

     Freeport Society
     The Sower's Chapel
     100 Iron Bridge Road
     Sarver, PA 16055
     412-353-2220

     Glenview New Church
     74 Park Drive
     Glenview, IL 60025
     708-724-0057

     Hillside Chapel, The New Church
     901 Dartmouth Road
     Baltimore, MD 21212
     410-435-5418

478

     Hurstville Society
     22-24 Dudley St.
     Penshurst, NSW
     2222 Australia

     Ivyland New Church
     851 W. Bristol Rd.
     Ivyland, PA 18974
     215-957-9760

     Kempton New Church and School
     583 Hawk Mountain Road
     Kempton, PA 19529
     610-756-6140

     The New Church at La Crescenta
     5027 New York Ave.
     La Crescenta, CA 91214
     818-249-9163

     Michael Church
     131 Burton Road
     Stockwell, London
     England SW9 6TG
     011-44-71-733-3007

     Oak Arbor Church
     4535 Oak Arbor Dr.
     Rochester, MI 48306
     810-652-3420

     Olivet Church & Day School
     279 Burnhamthorpe Road
     Etobicoke, Ontario
     Canada M9B 1Z6
     416-239-3054

     Phoenix New Church
     5631 E. Shea Boulevard
     Scottsdale, AZ 85254
     602-991-0048

     Pittsburgh New Church
     299 Le Roi Road
     Pittsburgh, PA 15208
     412-731-7421

     San Diego New Church (Manse)
     7911 Canary Way
     San Diego, CA 92123

     San Diego New Church
     2701 Meadow Lark Dr.
     San Diego, CA 92123
     619-571-8599

     Bay Area Circle (San Francisco)
     First Baptist Church of Palo Alto
     305 N. California Ave.
     Palo Alto, CA

     Seoul Church of the General Church of the New Jerusalem
     Ajoo B/D 2F, 1019-15 Daechi-dong
     Kangnam-ku
     Seoul, Korea 135-281

     The Stockholm New Church
     Alladinsv?gen 27
     16138 Bromma, Sweden
     011-46-8-267-985

     Sunrise Chapel
     8421 E. Wrightstown Road
     Tucson, AZ 85715
     602-298-1245

     Washington Church of the New Jerusalem
     11914 Chantilly Lane
     Mitchellville, MD 20721
     301-464-5602

479

Title Unspecified 1999

New Church building in Atlanta

480

Bringing people together by spreading the spoken word 1999

General Church Sound Recording Library

The Sound Recording Library was established in the late 1940's and since that time has cataloged more than 15,000 recordings of church-related events, such as sermons, doctrinal classes, special addresses, lectures and reading of the Writings. These are available to people all over the world and allow the teachings of the New Church to be spread by the spoken word. While these tapes specifically contain New Church doctrine and beliefs they are also filled with the history of our church, the vastness of its music and the voices of men and women who have shared their convictions with us, many of whom are no longer in this world but whose recorded message live on.

To borrow to buy a tape or to order a catalog, call or write to:
PO Box 743
Bryn Athyn, PA 19009-0743
(215) 914-4980
FAX (215) 914-4935
E-mail: [email protected]

481

Notes on This Issue 1999

Vol. CXIX November, 1999 No. 11
New Church Life

482

     In the sermon in this issue Rev. Andrew Heilman writes: "Miracles are from the Lord; our salvation is a miracle; the whole of nature is a miracle, for in a miracle there is a correspondence of what is spiritual to what is natural."
     The assembly in Canada is from June 21 to 25, 2000. In the months before the assembly there will be programs and discussions on the subject of church governance (see page 491).
     An announcement for young adults appears on page 499 of this issue.
     In his article on Providence and catastrophes Rev. Kurt Nemitz writes: "All temporal things - our bodies, homes and barns, tractors and cars, and even hog and cattle pens - exist only to perfect what is truly human and eternal."
     The item about Dr. Hallengren's speech was sent from India to Sweden and then to us. We have just learned that he will speak on the same subject in Cape Town, South Africa, at the beginning of next month as part of the 1999 Parliament of the World's Religions.
     The book Window to Eternity was reviewed in our pages by Gloria Wetzel in January of 1988. It is a pleasure to be able to announce that it is available again ($11.95 from the General Church Book Center). See page 520.
     Notices of thirty-seven baptisms and ten weddings reached us in time for this issue.
     Your attention is invited to a fine new book called Lost Legacy. See p. 490.
     A church dedication is coming up in Atlanta. See p. 527.
     Although books of the Writings are available in the Russian language, there is not a biography of Swedenborg to be found. What biography of Swedenborg would you choose to translate into Russian? See p. 507.
     The book Conversations with Angels, published in 1996, has sold 2,400 copies in English. It has now been translated into Italian.

483

POWER AND PRESENCE OF THE LORD IN THE HOLY SUPPER 1999

POWER AND PRESENCE OF THE LORD IN THE HOLY SUPPER Rev. ANDREW J. HEILMAN 1999

"And Melchizedek, King of Salem, brought forth bread and wine, and he was priest to God Most High" (Genesis 14:18).

"Without some knowledge of the correspondences of natural with spiritual things, it is impossible to know what the uses and benefits of the holy supper are" (TCR 698).

     This is beautifully illustrated in a short memorable relation in the work True Christian Religion: "After this the assembly of the English, inflamed with a desire to be wise, said to the angels, 'They say so many different things about the holy supper; tell us what the truth is about it.'
     "The angels replied, 'The truth is that the man who looks to the Lord and repents is by that most holy ordinance conjoined with the Lord and introduced into heaven.'
     "Those of the assembly said, 'That is a mystery.'
     "The angels replied, 'It is a mystery, and yet such as may be understood. The bread and wine do not effect this; from these there is nothing holy; but material bread and spiritual bread, as also material wine and spiritual wine, correspond to each other mutually, spiritual bread being the holy principle of love, and spiritual wine the holy principle of faith, both from the Lord, and both being the Lord. From this comes the conjunction of the Lord with man and of man with the Lord, not with the bread and wine, but with the love and faith of the man who has repented; and conjunction with the Lord is also introduction into heaven.'
     "And after the angels had taught them something about correspondence, those of the assembly said, 'Now for the first time we can understand this also.' And when they had said this, behold, a flame with light descended from heaven and affiliated them with the angels, and they loved each other mutually" (TCR 621:13).

484

     Through this simple instruction these people who truly desired wisdom not only understood the Holy Supper for the first time, but were also conjoined with heaven and with each other through mutual love. For the Holy Supper truly is a communion, a conjunction principally with the Lord Himself, and from this there is conjunction with the whole of heaven and with the Lord's church on earth. For the correspondence of the bread and the wine of the Holy Supper is with the love and wisdom of the Lord, which is the Lord Himself, and is everything good and true in His kingdom, as in heaven so upon the earth.
     Now this instruction by the angels as to the true meaning of the Holy Supper was more than just a revelation of the symbolic meaning of bread and wine. It was not merely a revelation of knowledge, but also a recognition and an understanding and a desire for spiritual bread and spiritual wine, for the holy of love and the holy of faith. If the words "holy of love" and "holy of faith" had been only theological terms to these people, they would not have seen and felt the true meaning of the Lord's supper. Indeed we are taught in the Writings that many who do not really understand what is meant by the bread and the wine, if they have within them this holy of love and holy of faith, have a correspondence and a conjunction.
     We read in AC 3464:2, "As regards the doctrinal things that are from the literal sense of the Word, the case is this: When a person is in them and at the same time in a life according to them, he has a correspondence in himself; for the angels who are with him are in interior truths while he is in exterior ones, and thus through the doctrinal things he has communication with heaven, but according to the good of his life. As for example, when in the Holy Supper he thinks in simplicity of the Lord from the words then used, 'This is My body, and this is My blood,' the angels with him are in the idea of love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor; for love to the Lord corresponds to the Lord's body, and to bread; and charity toward the neighbor corresponds to the blood, and the wine (see AC 1798, 2165, 2177, 2187); and because there is such a correspondence, there flows an affection out of heaven through the angels into that holy state in which the man then is, which affection he receives in accordance with the good of his life."

485

If we do not desire to believe in the Lord and live according to His Word, then what is holy of faith and love are only terms in our mind, and instruction about what is meant by the bread and wine in the Holy Supper will enter only as far as our memory. Indeed, there needs to be more than just a desire to fully understand and receive the Holy Supper, for the angels also taught: "The conjunction of the Lord with man and of man with the Lord [is] not with the bread and wine, but with the love and faith of the man who has repented." For there to be a correspondence, what opposes this correspondence must first be removed. The holy of faith and love cannot descend into someone who cherishes what is evil and false. So after receiving the bread and wine from Melchizedek, Abram told the king of Sodom, when this king had offered him the spoil of the victory, "I have lifted up my hand to JEHOVAH GOD MOST HIGH, Possessor of the heavens and the earth, that from a thread even to the thong of a shoe, I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, 'I have enriched Abram'" (Gen. 14:22, 23).
The bread and the wine from Melchizedek had a full correspondence to the victory represented by Abram's overcoming Chedorlaomer and the other kings. But what was from Sodom, what is from our own proprial loves and persuasions, does not correspond, and these must be put away by repentance for the power of the Holy Supper to descend into our lives. Holy Supper not only corresponds to the reception of the Lord's love and charity, but it also corresponds to the removal of what is evil and false. It is a sacrament of repentance. For this reason the bread used in the Holy Supper and in all the gift offerings in the Israelitish Church was unleavened bread, for leaven corresponds to what is evil and false. And the wine also has no leaven, for through the process of fermentation, which represents spiritual combat and temptation, this falls to the bottom and is removed.

486

About this correspondence we read in the Divine Providence: "Man's understanding is a recipient of both good and evil, and of both truth and falsity, but not his will, for this must be either in evil or in good; it cannot be in both, for the will is the man himself, and in it is his life's love. In the understanding, however, good and evil are separated, like what is internal and what is external. Hence man may be interiorly in evil and exteriorly in good; and yet while a man is being reformed, good and evil are brought together, and then arise conflict and combat. This, if severe, is called temptation; but if not severe, what takes place is like the fermentation of wine or strong drink. If good then conquers, evil with its falsity is removed to the outskirts as, to use a comparison, the lees fall to the bottom of a vessel; and the good is like wine that becomes generous after fermentation and like strong drink that becomes clear. If, however, evil conquers, then good with its truth is removed to the outskirts, and becomes turbid and noisome like unfermented wine and unfermented strong drink. This comparison is made with fermentation because leaven in the Word signifies the falsity of evil" (DP 284).
That repentance is the means by which we prepare ourselves for the Holy Supper can also be seen in another passage from the Divine Providence: "Good and the truth of good can be introduced by the Lord into man's interiors only so far as the evil and the falsity of evil there have been removed . . . . Everyone may see that the Lord cannot enter so long as the devil is there; and he is there so long as man keeps the door closed, where man acts together with the Lord. That the Lord enters when that door is opened by means of the man himself, He teaches in Revelation: 'I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me' (3:20).
"The door is opened by man's removing evil, which he does by shunning and turning away from it as infernal and diabolical. For whether you say evil or the devil it is the same; and, on the other hand, whether you say good or the Lord it is the same, for the Lord is within all good, and the devil is within all evil. From these considerations the truth of the matter is evident" (DP 233:3).

487

As the angels said, it is the correspondence of bread and wine at the Holy Supper which brings about conjunction; and without repentance from what is evil and false, and the consequent presence of what is good and true, with those partaking of the bread and wine, there is not a correspondence, nor is there conjunction. But, because of a general correspondence of the Holy Supper to the Lord and the heavens, the Lord is still present, even with those who have not shunned evils as sins, or received what is holy of love and faith (see TCR 719-720). We read in the True Christian Religion that " . . . man is held constantly in a state of possible repentance and conversion, for the Lord is constantly present and urging to be received; for He says: 'I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice and open, I will come in and will sup with him and he with Me' (Rev. 3:20). Therefore the fault is in the man himself who does not open the door" (TCR 720).
From this we see that there is a power and presence in the Holy Supper even when a person does not approach worthily. For like the letter of the Word, the Holy Supper is correspondential, that is, the bread and the wine correspond to what is heavenly and Divine. For the individual this is received only in the measure that he has received within himself the holy of love and faith, love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor, and has removed from himself evil lusts and false persuasions. Yet the bread and wine still correspond. Just as with the Israelitish Church which focused on the sacrifices and burnt offerings, on the blood and fat of animals, still the gift offering of fine flour mingled with oil, and the drink offering of wine, corresponded to what was heavenly and Divine, and made this offering acceptable, indeed pleasing, for the bread and wine corresponded to the good and love of all those in the natural and spiritual worlds at that time, and it also corresponded to the Lord's Divine Human which He Himself would glorify. So also the bread and wine of the Holy Supper today correspond to all that is genuinely good and true with the angels of heaven and with the men of the world.

488

But it especially corresponds to the Lord's Divine Love and Wisdom, to His Divine Flesh and Blood which He has given and glorified for the salvation of the human race.
     This correspondence is real, for the Lord is present. Indeed we are taught that " . . . the Lord Himself took on the Human, from which the proceeding Divine would go forth; and this can also be in ultimates, and so can preserve the heavens and save the human race. Thence is the omnipresence of His Human in the Holy Supper" (Ath. 177). Through ultimates, through the last things of the natural world, the Lord Himself can be present through correspondences. In fact, through the correspondences in the Holy Supper there is not only His omnipresence but also His omnipotence. For in another passage concerning the Word and the sacraments we read: "The correspondences by which the Word as to each and all of its parts has been written possess such power and strength that it may be called the power and strength of the Divine Omnipotence; for through these correspondences the natural acts conjointly with the spiritual, and the spiritual with the natural; thus the all of heaven with the all of the world. Thence it is that the two sacraments are correspondences of spiritual with natural things; thence is their strength and power" (Invitation 45).
     So it was that before those who desired wisdom could understand the Holy Supper for the first time, "The angels taught them something about correspondence." The first words in the chapter on the Holy Supper in the True Christian Religion read as follows: "Without some knowledge of the correspondences of natural with spiritual things, it is impossible to know what the uses and benefits of the holy supper are" (TCR 698). If we do not understand how what is natural corresponds with something spiritual we will fall into one of two errors in relation to both the Holy Supper and the letter of the Word. Indeed, much of the Christian world today has fallen into these two errors.
     One error is to focus so much on the natural thing that it seems magical rather than miraculous.

489

Miracles are from the Lord; our salvation is a miracle; the whole of nature is a miracle, for in a miracle there is a correspondence of what is spiritual to what is natural. The miracle of our salvation takes place by our actually changing our lives in accordance with the Word, and also changing our external affections and thoughts that we can control, not for ourselves but for the Lord. Then a corresponding change takes place from the Lord in our will and understanding, and through this we are created anew. Without something both spiritual and natural this continuous miracle does not take place. External actions or words without the corresponding internal affections and thoughts do not make for spiritual change. Coming to the Holy Supper without repentance and the desire to live a new life for the Lord will not change our lives. This would be magical, but the Lord does not work magic, but miracles.
The second error is the reverse of the first. This is to focus so much on intentions and thoughts, on our faith and love, that we see little importance in deeds and words, and the actual things that we do and use in the world. Without actually changing our lives in this world, putting away evil deeds and false words, and seeking a new and useful way of living and thinking from the Word, what good intentions and thoughts we have will lack a foundation and fixity. We are born into this natural fixed world and not into heaven directly for this very reason. So it is that the Lord asks us to read and obey His Word, not simply to meditate upon it. We must consider both what the Word means and what it says, and then the two make one like spirit and body. When we love someone we want to see and be with that person; just communication of ideas and affections is not enough. But just seeing and being with the person without the communication of ideas and affections is also not enough. There must be both for there to be a full correspondence.
Therefore the Lord calls us to His Holy Supper to actually partake of the bread and wine, which although natural elements, correspond to what is heavenly and Divine.

490

We read in the True Christian Religion that in the Holy Supper the Lord is wholly present, "and admits into heaven those who are born of Him, that is, the regenerate. The Holy Supper effects this, because the Lord is then present even as to His Human (for it has been shown above that in the Holy Supper the Lord is wholly present, and with His whole redemption); for of the bread He said, 'This is My Body,' and of the wine, 'This is My blood.' Consequently He then admits them into His Body; and the church and heaven constitute His Body. When man is becoming regenerate, the Lord is indeed present, and through His Divine operation prepares man for heaven; but that man may actually enter he must present himself to the Lord; and as the Lord actually presents Himself to man, man must actually receive Him, . . . as He is in His glorified Human, in which He is present, the body of which is the Divine good and the blood of which is the Divine truth. These are given to man, and by means of them man is regenerated, and he is in the Lord and the Lord in him; and for the reason shown above, that the eating which is manifested in the Holy Supper is a spiritual eating. From all this rightly understood it is clear that the Holy Supper is like a signature and seal that those who come to it worthily are sons of God." Amen.

Lessons: Genesis 14:14-23; Leviticus 15:1-11, AC 10071, Luke 22:7-20, TCR 700 LOST LEGACY 1999

LOST LEGACY 1999

The subtitle of this book is Inspiring Women of Nineteenth-century America. This book is a little gem. Edited by Susan Flagg Poole, and handsomely put together by Mary Lou Bertucci, it is a book highly to be recommended. Among women pictured and then presented (always with a Swedenborgian connection) are Lydia Child and Sarah Orne Jewett. Others are not so famous, but that is the point. They are people you should know about. And you will be the richer for knowing about them. The book is obtainable from the Swedenborg Foundation for $14.95.

491

CHURCH GOVERNANCE STUDY 1999

     The Rt. Rev. Peter Buss has proposed a study of Church Governance to be conducted between September and the General Assembly next June. Out of this study, which will include programs and discussions for interested church members, we hope to present a set of recommendations for discussion and consideration at the assembly.
     The scope of this study, as outlined by Bishop Buss, is:

     To examine our governance to determine how best it can serve the establishment of the New Church through the General Church and its related bodies, and to recommend modifications where it seems appropriate. The further purpose of the study is to:
          study the threefold Word to discover fresh insights into the doctrines of leadership and governance;
          study the history of our governance so as to understand how we arrived at our present concepts;
          seek to see how principles we have derived from the Word apply to the General Church and its related bodies;
          seek to learn from other forms of government what approaches are in accord with the principles taught in the Writings, and which can be used in our institution;
          provide for the proper uses of the clergy and laity in the church.

     Monthly programs are planned on week nights in Pendleton Hall of the Bryn Athyn College of the New Church. Notices will be widely distributed and pertinent papers and materials will be made available before each session-at various points in Bryn Athyn, by mail and on the General Church website. For those unable to attend, there will be opportunity for individual response, which will be included with input generated in breakout discussions at each session. Audio and video tape recordings also may be made available for use in local societies. After each meeting, all input from the breakout sessions will be tabulated and made available before the next meeting.

492

     Out of this process we hope to define the hopes and the goals of the church and its members, and to offer recommendations for discussion of possible changes in church governance.
     Here is a list of proposed programs:

     September-The Rt. Rev. Messrs. Buss and Acton: Principles of church governance and spiritual leadership. A brief history of General Church government and a look at our present form of government.
     October-Pastoral and lay leadership and responsibilities in church societies, circles and groups, including boards and corporations.
     November-December-Governance of church-related institutions, including Academy and General Church relationships, and government styles in other colleges.
     January-Education, with a panel of Academy and General Church board members, and the Office of Education, including government structure and growth issues.
     February-Growth in the General Church: How should governance change to accommodate growth throughout the world? Centralization vs. local and regional uses. Regional pastors and assistant bishops.
     March-Governance issues in evangelization and overseas growth: history, current efforts, future needs, goals.
     April-Governance vs. management. Strengths and weaknesses of what we're doing: pastoral, education, evangelization, young people, women, etc.
     May-Overview of previous programs. Where do we go from here? Where do we want to go? Why? How do we get there? Steps and recommendations.

     Please feel free to contact members of the Governance Study Planning Committee with questions or suggestions by writing to: Governance Study Committee, Attn: Devon Carberry, Cairncrest,
     P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

     Alfred Acton, co-chair          Bruce Henderson, co-chair
     Daniel T. Allen     Katie Goerwitz     Peter Gyllenhaal

493

PROVIDENCE IN CATASTROPHES 1999

PROVIDENCE IN CATASTROPHES Rev. KURT P. NEMITZ 1999

     When wind and rain bring branches crashing down around us, when they uproot trees, flood whole towns, and drown not only whole houses but even people and livestock-not to mention the mass death and destruction of recent earthquakes-how shall we make sense out of it and console ourselves? How shall we reconcile ourselves to the great losses suffered by so many?
     At times of catastrophe a storm of doubt may also rise and rage. However, while we are achingly wondering about God and His mercy, we can still be unquestioningly certain about one thing- that we are free.
     As we face these catastrophes we are free to form our own conclusions. We can freely conclude either that at the core there is some Divine purpose that will be served by all this devastation, or that there is simply no rational justification for it all, other than the vicious caprice of an ominous power called "Mother Nature. "
     Just herein, actually, lies one of the profound reasons why the Lord in His wisdom and mercy allows mankind to suffer natural catastrophes, and evils in general. If life ran as perfectly as a Swiss watch, might we not eventually suspect we were nothing more than little cogs in such a watch, moving in our designed circles, regardless of what we might think we ourselves were actually choosing to do? And with that suspicion would not all our joy in living itself evaporate? And would we not then cease making any real effort to do anything to help ourselves or others, saying with a shrug, "What would it matter anyway? God has planned it all"? Evils of every kind are only permitted by our Creator so that there may be a sense of freedom-and joy.
     Essential as freedom is to human existence, however, it is simply a pre-condition; it is not itself our Creator's final end and goal for us. Natural catastrophes are not permitted just so that we may be endowed with a sense of freedom. The supreme end of the infinite God who has made and preserves us from day to day is heaven: "The Divine Providence has for its end a heaven from the human race" (DP 27).

494

     Every catastrophe visited upon us human beings has within it some possibility of bringing us something of heaven, and eventually, something of heaven's peace. Through the events which befall us the Lord is not only constantly keeping us in a free state, but by means of them He is also constantly endeavoring to lead us, secretly encouraging us to make our next step an upward one, toward Him and toward heaven.
     We experience this secret leading in almost every catastrophe that affects us. When disaster strikes, do we not often look up and wonderingly ask "Why, why?" and sometimes even indignantly cry out to God, "How could You? How could You let this happen?"? Now consider: What is it that has impelled us to look upward for an answer? Certainly this is the Power that is above all things-the Lord, tilting our minds from earth to heaven and to Himself, so that we may in due time share in His wisdom, and understand its loving purposes.
     For those who will use their freedom wisely and look to the Lord in trust, the answer to the question of why seeming misfortunes fall upon people, the answer has always been there to read. Every phase of Divine revelation has given the explanation. It is in the Old Testament, as in Joseph's account to his starving brothers about why he had been sold into slavery in Egypt: "God sent me [here] before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance [through the food I have been having Egyptians stockpile]."
     It is given us in the New Testament, as when Jesus said of the sick Lazarus, whom He was going to raise: "The final result of this sickness will not be the death of Lazarus; this has happened in order to bring glory to God, and it will be the means by which the Son of God will receive glory" (John 11:4).
     In addition, it is explained even more explicitly in the Heavenly Doctrine given by the Lord at His Second Coming.

495

We read in the work The Divine Providence: "God cannot do otherwise than look to what is infinite and eternal in the great work of His creation" (DP 202:2, emphasis added).
     As will become evident, this is the fundamental principle to be kept in mind when considering the workings of the Lord's Providence, namely, that His over-riding end and goal is always what is infinite and eternal.
     This grand truth, however, is not immediately obvious. It is something that we must be taught from above, from heaven. From looking merely at the physical world it can never be evident to us that what happens here below is willed or permitted by God for the sake of what is infinite and eternal. This reality is beyond our physical senses. These organs are simply incapable of registering anything other than that which is in the realm of space and time, that which is temporal.
     Due to the physical nature that we are born with, our initial concerns are merely in its realm, and temporal. But the infinite God who has created us and keeps us alive is concerned primarily with what is eternal. This is because all that is temporal eventually comes to an end; even great stars finally die out. What is temporal is relatively nothing in comparison to what is eternal. All that is temporal is like the grass of the field-here today and gone tomorrow. What is eternal is the only thing that truly IS.
     The timeless Creator is concerned about what always is, not about that which flashes and dies like a spark. What is temporal serves only as a starting point in creation for what can last eternally. The newborn infant illustrates this. That tiny baby body is not actually the person that has just come into existence; that little handful of flesh and bone is only a reactive medium in which a rational, loving person can come into being and live forever.
     All temporal things-our bodies, homes and barns, tractors and cars, and even hog and cattle pens-exist only to perfect what is truly human and eternal. At the end of six days of creation, God gave all the things He had made specifically to man and said, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it" (Gen. 1).

496

Now then, it follows that since man, by virtue of God's loving union with him, lives on forever, all the control God exerts over His creation has man's eternal welfare in view.
     Here, when speaking of the Lord's control, or, more properly, of His government of His creation, we will do well to call to mind His teaching that His Providence's government is not merely a control of the general progress of events but of every least particular within them. The spin of each and every atom is precisely regulated by His omniscient power. For if the Lord did not govern even the very least details in His creation, His invisible Providence could not affect events on the larger, visible scale-no more than a computer program can format a whole paragraph unless it can also regulate the thousands of bytes that make up the paragraph's letters and words.
     Even the very hairs of our head are all numbered, Jesus said (see Luke 12:7). We are constantly being led by the Lord with the minutest care, through all the least things that happen to us in our lives. Great storms and earthquakes are just one aspect of the Divine Providence's operation in our lives.
     But how, it might be asked, can the Lord be leading us all by means of catastrophe and loss? We are helped to understand the answer to this through the teaching about how the Lord leads man. The Lord leads us, we read in The Divine Providence, by leading the affections of our life's love (DP 200:3). He does not lead us, it is explained, by directly inserting His thoughts into our heads, for we would violently react against someone, even God, doing our thinking for us. No, the Lord does not lead our thoughts but our affections. Affections, you see, are the invisible, living soul from which thoughts are generated in our minds. However, we are generally unaware of the affections that give birth to thoughts in our mind. Because of this the Lord is able to lead us secretly by stirring good affections within us-affections that we feel free to respond to or not.

497

     Consider this illustration of how the Lord leads us through our affections. The things that happen to us always stir some reaction in us. So it is that everything that happens to us opens the way for a good feeling or attitude to flow in from the Lord (even the sight of evil has the possibility of making us receptive of a good, negative reaction to it). In this way the Lord endeavors to imbue us with good affections. For example, the experience of losing some of our worldly possessions may open us to consider the significance of possessions as such, or it may open us to appreciate all that God has given us. Many of us have certainly been set to thinking about preparing for our own eternal life by the death of a friend or relative. If we respond positively to the various good affections that stir our minds as the result of the various misfortunes that befall us and those around us, we may be gradually led upward to a better inward state. We may become more perfectly human. Through catastrophes we may potentially become better- all of us.
     Another marvelous truth about the Divine Providence that has been made known in the Heavenly Doctrines is that the Lord never acts in an isolated, unrelated way. No event is arranged or permitted to happen for just one person's sake. "The Divine Providence," we read, "collects all the affections of the whole human race into one form, which is the human form" (DP 201). What this means is that no one person's condition is unrelated to or isolated from another's. The final goal of all of Providence's leading is to bring us to heaven. But heaven (and hell) is a community, not the isolated state of being of an individual human soul. The inner state of all men and women is therefore at issue in everything that happens. Any individual existence-and happiness-apart from the whole community of mankind is an impossibility. In short, in the Lord's infinitely wise scheme of things, catastrophes-and positive happenings as well-must and do affect us all.
     We can get a glimmer of how inter-related the human race is from a consideration of our body, which is formed in the same pattern but on a much smaller scale and lower level.

498

Have you ever noticed how a tiny sore, say in your little toe, can spread pain and distress throughout your whole body? What a relief when it is gone!
     So it is that incalculably many spiritual, eternal human things are always being accomplished by the Lord's merciful Providence through what appears to us as, for the most part, purely destructive calamities. The spiritual reality is that they all are events of great potential for human betterment, for us and for others.
     Of course we cannot do anything that will guarantee this lasting betterment for others. We can and should attempt to help others suffering from catastrophes by giving them our material and emotional support, but whether or not people benefit from the catastrophes that befall them is, of course, up to them. Not even the Lord can lead a person to what is spiritual if he or she is not willing. When catastrophe falls upon our own lives, or on those whom we are in a position to aid, we can, however, do something to guarantee that its Divine purpose of betterment is realized in our own personal lives. We can freely and fully follow the Lord's leading.
     We can do this even without knowing specifically just what it is that our Creator is trying to accomplish for us (which we could in any case never really fully know), for as the Psalmist said, His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are His ways our ways (see Psalm 55:8). All we need to do to respond to the Lord's leading is conscientiously endeavor to do what seems of greatest use to all as we see it at the time. For, we are told, then we are being "led by the Lord" (DP 216:9).
     When catastrophe strikes and the ground is awash in debris and rubble, for some devastated souls all may seem virtually at an end. However, it can actually be a time of spiritual beginnings and building. Gorand, new heavenly mansions are ever to be erected in human lives.

499

This beautiful truth is summed up in the words of Divine Providence 203: "The Lord's Divine Providence is universal because it is in every least particular. This is the infinite and eternal creation that the Lord provided for Himself by means of the creating of the universe. Man does not see anything of this universal providence; and if he did, it could not appear to him otherwise than as passers-by see the scattered heaps and collections of materials from which a house is to be built. The Lord, however, sees it as a magnificent palace with its work of construction and enlargement continually going on."
YOUNG ADULTS 1999

YOUNG ADULTS 1999

     Want to know what's new for young adults? Want to read some great articles? Need some daily inspiration? Come check out the web page for the New Church Young Adult Connection. (Older adults will like it too!) www.newchurch.org/youngadults
     Also, we would like any address changes and e-mail addresses of young adults so we can keep them updated on what is going on. Please send them along. Thanks!

     The New Church Young Adult Connection
     Joanne Kiel
     P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009
     E-mail: [email protected]
     or [email protected]
NEW BOOK OF QUOTATIONS FROM JAPAN 1999

NEW BOOK OF QUOTATIONS FROM JAPAN 1999

We have just received from Japan a book entitled Meditation 1. It contains quotations from the Writings in Japanese, Latin and English. We hope to tell more about it in a later issue.

500

REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1999

REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE Rev. FRANK S. ROSE 1999

     (10)

     "Every change and variation in the state of the human mind produces some change and variation in the series of things in the present, and so in the things that follow . . . . It is like an arrow shot from a bow, which, if it should depart in the least at its start from the line of aim, would go far wide of the mark at a distance of a thousand paces or more. This is how it would be if the Lord did not lead the states of human minds every least moment" (DP 202).
     Chess is a nerve-wracking game. It is not enough to make one good move. You have to anticipate one of several moves your opponent might make, and think of possible responses to each one of them. And that is just looking one move ahead. No player can anticipate all the possible moves an opponent will make through an entire game. And that is a situation involving only two people for a very limited time. Imagine if you tried to plan all the moves of your life ahead of time. You would soon throw your hands up in despair. You cannot predict what one person will do, let alone the many people you have contact with in a typical week.
     Some students like to plan out their academic careers. It is wonderful to see people lay out projects that will take years to complete. Some of them will follow the path they have set out for themselves. Most will find that some unforeseen circumstance arises that changes everything.
     As the quotation from Divine Providence suggests, the slightest error in the original aim of an arrow will result in a huge error at the target. This is where Divine Providence comes in. Using our finest reason and best laid plans, we are not capable of anticipating every possibility in the future. It is amazing to think that the Divine Providence can do just that.
     Rather than try to figure this point out rationally, I find that I have to look only at the sequence of events in my own life to notice marvelous ways in which I am being led. Recently someone missed an appointment. Rather than worry about it I relaxed.

501

A few moments later someone just happened to walk in the door hoping to find me free. The timing was perfect, and was not at all what I had expected. When I lay out a plan for the coming week I realize that some things will take place as anticipated. Others will just fall into place at exactly the right time. Having observed this for many years, I find myself content, knowing two things: 1. I cannot possibly plan out every detail of my life; 2. God is still in charge.
     All I have to do is to use my mind and heart to the best of my ability, resist negativity and lies, and let Providence do its work.
     There is one weakness with the bow-and-arrow illustration. Once the arrow leaves the bow, it continues on its course with very little to alter it. There may be a puff of wind, the arrow may deflect off a branch, but once it has been sent on its way, these changes are beyond the control of the archer. It seems that the Divine Providence does not just launch us into life with an infinitely perfect aim. Isn't it more a case of the Divine Providence working with us every moment, subtly guiding us along the way, making adjustments for our errors so that we can get back on course?
     The modern-day arrow is something like that. When a rocket is sent into space, those who launch it of course take great care to aim it in the right direction, at the right time and speed. They also have built into the rocket thrusters and other means of making corrections along the route. Without this capability it would be impossible to land a vehicle at a precise point on a distant planet.
     As far as our spiritual life is concerned, we cannot know the course of future events with all of their complexity. All we need to know is that it is important for us to do our best in the present moment, resisting the negative and attempting with all of our power to do what is right. The Lord will do the rest. This is the way we cooperate with the Divine Providence.

502

SLAVERY 1999

SLAVERY HELEN KENNEDY 1999

Slavery has been more pervasive in history than many realize. One example is the enslavement of Christians from Europe by Muslims in Northern Africa. It started when the Moors invaded Spain, continued for over a thousand years, and lasted until the 1800s when European colonialism put an end to it. Spain, Portugal, France, Sicily, Sardinia, Greece, Albania, Venice, Austria, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Ireland, Holland and Belgium all had their people taken on the high seas or by invasions into seaside villages. The hardest hit was Italy, especially Naples, Calabria and Tuscany. From the time of Elizabeth I, English men and women began to be taken, and in the 1700s, Americans on the Atlantic Ocean. Formal petitions were made to the King of England in the 1600s because the English Channel was so unsafe that fishermen couldn't ply their trade. In 1627, 800 people were taken from Iceland. In 1631, all the people from the southern Irish coastal village of Baltimore in County Cork were captured and enslaved.
Miguel Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, was captured on the sea in 1575 while traveling back to Spain from Italy with his brother. Vincent de Paul, later "Saint," wrote a letter to a friend explaining he had been captured by Algerian corsairs, taken to the slave market in Algiers and sold. He was sold at least two more times before escaping with the help of a French renegade who wished to get back in good graces with the church. In 1530 while hunting near the seacoast of Italy, Pope Leo X was almost seized by the crew of the ship Kundogli, but he managed to escape by galloping quickly back to Rome. On the Atlantic in the 1700s, the newly appointed governor to the Carolinas was taken while travelling to his post in the colonies. In the 1600s, an Englishman enslaved in Algiers sent a harrowing petition to the king saying, "I am made daily to grind a mill as a horse with a chain upon each legge, and as an addition to my misery, I am almost starved with hunger."1 (See endnotes on p. 507.)

503

St. Patrick, too, in his confession, complained of not being fed or clothed while he was a slave in Ireland in the early 400s AD.
     In past times, donating money for the ransom of Christian slaves was held as the highest charitable act one could do. In 1198 the Trinitarians were founded, and in 1218 the order of Our Lady of Mercy, both to help ransom Christian captives on the Barbary Coast. Their motivation came because the Muslims delighted in forcing Christians into the apostasy of denying their faith in order to become Mohammedan. To be fair, Muslims in the hands of the Inquisition did not have an easy time. And any Catholic who apostatized and then was either ransomed or escaped back to southern Europe had to face the Inquisition, which determined the sincerity of his or her turnabout.
     We think slavery is in the past, but actually it continues to this day, although much less widespread. In 1958 C. W. Greenidge, Secretary to the Anti-Slavery Society in England, wrote a book describing its persistence in the modern world. In Arabia it takes the form of chattel slavery or outright ownership of another person's body. It is fed by clandestine trade in humans from Africa and neighboring countries in Asia.2 There is strong evidence that slavery still exists in Ethiopia under the Gabar system. With it, it is not the body that is owned but the work the person does.3 Evidence of vestiges exist in Mauritania, Nigeria, and Ghana. The TV program "60 Minutes" last year showed a 14-year-old girl in Ghana being handed over by her parents to a fetish priest. Her great-grandfather committed a murder and as punishment he was made a slave, and in each generation thereafter one child has to be given into slavery. It also showed how, with donated funds, a Ghanaian Protestant minister had bought back 32 women from this type of slavery. All totaled, the cost was less than $1,000.
     Traces of the Mui Tsai system of selling children five and older for their labor remains in China, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, among other places. In the '50s a law was passed in Japan requiring people to register the names of children they had purchased.

504

In 1956, according to police records, 40,291 people were sold. This practice is now outlawed but has re-surfaced in those Asian countries under the sham title of "adopted daughter."4
     If slavery were an external condition only, it would pass with death. But internal slavery is to be feared most of all because it causes the death of the spirit. In his Letter to Coroticus St. Patrick exclaims that if the people who captured and enslaved his newly baptized Christians don't repent " . . . they will be slaves in hell."5 Pictures of these infernal conditions can be conjured up from descriptions in the Inferno where Dante describes those who "make the soul die when the body dies."6 And the Writings do say that evil spirits in hell regard man as nothing but a vile slave.7 We can see it today in people who are addicted to drugs, alcohol, or sex. In addictions we are in a state when good does not lead but evil does.
     In Exodus 15:9 the evil spirits say, "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide. My soul shall be filled with them." Arcana Coelestia 8290:3 explains "pursue" as the endeavor to subjugate, "overtake" as the actual capturing, and "divide" as distributing among themselves those who have been reduced to slavery. "My soul shall be filled with them" means that the very delight of the spirits in hell is to inflict evil on others so that they may be reduced to slavery, and afterwards treated cruelly.8
     To be treated cruelly by the evil, we don't need to go into the next life, because the good of heaven and the evil of hell flow right into this world. Just look at the cruelty of criticism. A friend who wanted to speak his mind openly on the failings of men and women was tormented for days beforehand, had difficulty writing it out, and afterwards was angry at himself for a long time, punishing himself over and over with self-criticism. The evil wanted to make him out to be wrong for saying those things, making him feel he may as well kill himself rather than go against what other people think. Clearly the devils in hell wanted to reduce him into the slavery of conforming to what other people think, creating difficulties for him, then cruelly punishing him in abusive mental and psychological ways.

505

The sirens, made up mostly of women who once were over-refined and overly decorous in this world,9 are diabolically good at enticing people into those forms of cruelty. They greatly persecute the innocent.10
     This reducing into mental slavery so often is done by gaining dominion over holy things from love of self and of the world.11 The Word teaches this when it tells of Babylon in Revelation chapters 17 and 18. She (Babylon) does this by whoring herself for the sake of prestige, status, commerce, trading, and gold. This chapter teaches about the ways we abuse holiness and piety for the sake of dominating and looking good in other people's eyes. So in essence the person is enslaved to external things. She or he becomes wise in external things and foolish in internal things.12 But what is it that is hurt? What is hurt is that the person no longer can be led by the Lord. She or he is out of bounds, beyond the pale, wandering off on his or her own without looking.
     The Writings say that when someone in the next life, "of his own accord and from his freedom drifts toward his hell and enters it, he is received at first in a friendly manner, which makes him believe he has come among friends. But this continues for a few hours only. In the meantime he is explored in respect to his astuteness and consequent ability, and when this is done they begin to infest him . . . with gradually greater severity and vehemence. This is done by introducing him more interiorly and deeply into hell; for the more interior and deep the hell, the more malignant the spirits. After these infestations they begin to treat him cruelly by punishments, and this goes on until he is reduced to the condition of a slave."13 This initial friendliness can be seen in deceivers and flatterers.
     After Jesus saved the woman caught in adultery, he told the Pharisees, who were deceivers, "You are of this world, and I am not of this world" (John 8:23). He then told the people who believed in Him, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free" (John 8:32), and explained to them, "Everyone committing sin is a slave of sin, but if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:32-34).

506

When God expelled Adam from the Garden of Eden, He divested Adam of all intelligence and wisdom in spiritual things. Then Adam was made "to till the ground from which he had been taken," meaning he became more bodily minded.14 Expelled, Adam no longer had any will for good or understanding of truth, even to the point of ceasing to be a human being.15 Then the Lord placed the cherubim away from the east, meaning He provided against the possibility of Adam's entering into the celestial from which all intelligence of the spiritual life flows. He was left in his own insane desires and hellish persuasions of self-love. He did not wish to enter back into the Garden of Eden but turned from there on his own toward bodily and earthly interests.16 The Lord had no choice but to "set the flame of a sword turning this way and that" into the hand of the cherubim (Genesis 3:24).
But the Lord was providing a way back. The Word in its very beginning tells of the seven days of creation, representing the process of regeneration. From the first day on, the Lord fights for us, and the fighting does not stop but continues into the seventh day. At that point the Lord finishes His work and the Sabbath comes (see Genesis 2:2,3). Conflict ceases and the Lord rests. That day or that state is made holy,17 holiness meaning being led by the Lord.18 Evil spirits withdraw and good spirits approach.19 Jehovah causes a mist to go up from the earth (see Genesis 2:5,6). The external man starts to comply with and serve the internal. Conflict ceases. Tranquility follows. The internal man waters and bathes the external. In other words, the mind is no longer overwhelmed by evil desires. The man becomes free from the slavery of sin, and the Lord makes a promise of future peace: "I will banish the evil wild animal [evil desires] from the land, and they will dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. I will make them . . . a blessing, and I will cause the rain to descend in its season . . . .

507

[T]hey will be with confidence on their land, and they will know that I am Jehovah, that I will break the bars of their yoke, and I will free them from the hand of those that enslave them" (Ezekiel 34:25-27). To make us secure that He can do this, He adds, "You are man; I am your God" (Ezekiel 35:31).

     Endnotes

     1 This confirmation was mistakenly reported in the February 1996 issue, p. 94.
     1 Stephen Clissold, The Barbary Slaves, Totowa: Rowman & Littlefield, 1977 p. 143.
     2 C. W. W. Greenidge, Slavery. London: Allen & Unwin, 1958, p. 201.
     3 Ibid. p. 91.
     4 Ibid. p. 114.
     5 St. Patrick, Letter to Coroticus in Ancient Christian Writers Series, New York: Newman Press, 1953.
     6 Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy, Vol. 1, Inferno, New York, Penguin Books, 1971.
     7 Spiritual Diary 2924.
     8 Arcana Caelestia 8290:3.
     9 See Spiritual Diary 3699.
     10 Ibid. 3206.
     11 Apocalypse Revealed 756.
     12 Married Love 269:1,3.
     13 Heaven and Hell. 574.
     14 Arcana Caelestia 305.
     15 Ibid. 306.
     16 Ibid. 305.
     17 Ibid. 85.
     18 Ibid. 9229.
     19 Ibid. 87.
SWEDENBORG EPIC IN RUSSIAN 1999

SWEDENBORG EPIC IN RUSSIAN 1999

There have been dozens of biographies of Emanuel Swedenborg. Which is the best? For many English readers the answer is The Swedenborg Epic by Cyriel Odhner Sigstedt. First published in 1952, it has proved its value ever since. When it was clear that a biography in Russian was needed, this was an excellent choice. But what a translation undertaking! Dr. Vladimir Maliavin is to be congratulated and thanked for having done the translation and seen the volume published.

508

TREASURES OF SPIRITUAL CHRISTIANITY 1999

TREASURES OF SPIRITUAL CHRISTIANITY HOWARD ROTH 1999

     Truth has no power but from good, and good has no power but by truth. There is no direct conflict between good and evil. Good fights by truth, evil by falsity. And as every evil defends itself by its own particular falsity, so does every good defend itself by its own particular truth. Only one who has the truth as well as the good that is opposed to it is able to fight against an evil.
     The personal commitment and life mission to pursue a diligent and sincere course of study of the Writings as the revealed Second Coming of the Lord with us is an absolute necessity if we are to draw nearer to our Lord with understanding and reason coupled with the increasing conviction that this is the only way to attain that "peace which passeth understanding," i.e., an attained state of mind and life in which doubt and fear no longer exist, for the soul is then "at one with God" in love and trust to Him.
     It is here that we must remember that our brief sojourn of life is but "an open window of opportunity" given to all by our Creator and Heavenly Father, to learn of Him and to submit willingly to the application of Divine Law to our life-the putting off of the old corporeal/sensual/ego self and the gradual putting on of the "new man" through the life of regeneration, which is the assured path to a happy eternal life.
     The degree of personal humility, holy fear and willing submission to the Lord's leading us as we holily approach the Word in our studies and apply the teachings to our life is the degree by which the Lord opens our understanding to receive increasingly the truths of His Word. A feigned (insincere) approach to learning the internals of the Word merely closes heaven to the understanding; thus man himself is a willing participant in remaining outside of the internal church, and a member of the external church. One is a living faith, the other a dead faith. A living faith is vibrant, full of meaning, dwelling in peace and safety from the evils of life, trusting in the Lord, living life in accord with the commandments of God, and growing in wisdom and understanding from a determined application of the mind to the study of the Word of the Lord in His Second Coming (i.e., the Writings).

509

The pursuit of worldly riches for the sake of riches or the love of the world in seeking dominion over others are terms that do not exist in such a person's vocabulary. Rather he chooses a life of use to the Lord and the neighbor and the pursuit of the necessities of life in accordance with Swedenborg's "Rules of Life," for they become as frontlets on his forehead, and he is content! A dead faith is the exact opposite of the above, for such a one cannot and never will achieve a true state of peace; for lacking love to the Lord, he is then in the love of self, which in itself is hell.
The Divine government of the Lord knows no interruption. It may pass through a succession of forms and degrees, but all these are connected with each other by either continuity or contiguity. The government of Truth Divine is not separate, although it is distinct, from that of Divine Truth. As successive states of the Divine government in the human mind during the progress of the regenerate life, the higher is evolved from the lower by the orderly process of development, which is the progressive advancement of a being from his lowest to his highest condition of existence. What is evolved must exist in embryo in that from which it is produced. Divine Truth exists in embryo in Truth Divine and Divine Good in Divine Truth. It is as a seed sown in the earth, which "first puts forth the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear" (Mark 4:28). It is not to be supposed that this seed is in man by nature. The human mind consists indeed of three degrees, answering to the three heavens-the natural, the spiritual and the celestial. These exist in embryo in every human being, and they are successively opened and perfected in those who are regenerated to the highest attainable state. The opening and perfecting of the first or natural degree is described by the reign of Saul; the second or spiritual, by the reign of David; the third or celestial by the reign of Solomon. But these degrees are opened and perfected by means of the seeds of truth that are sown in the mind.

510

A correlation is made here to illustrate the power of the roots as the budding process begins, in that the deeper the roots descend and reach out, the more the nourishment is available to the plant; thereby its rapid increase is assured. The case is likewise with man, who in this instance is compared to a seed; when he begins the life of repentance, reformation and regeneration, he must reach out to seek knowledges through a determined study of the Writings (the Word), from which he is enabled to extract spiritual nourishment with which he may overcome the evils of life, thereby growing to a strong, healthy plant and bearing fruits which are pleasing to the husbandman (the Lord), thus to salvation, and thereby becoming an angel of heaven.
For these seeds, descending as they do from the Lord through all the heavens, have in themselves, besides the Divine Truth, all the degrees of truth that exist in heaven; and it is by the opening and perfecting of these in the mind that the mind itself is opened and perfected. The blade, the ear, and the corn are thus successively produced.
What is true of the regenerate man is true in a supereminent sense and measure of the Lord Himself, as a man born into the world, but a man immeasurably transcending all other men in being the Son of a Divine Father through a human mother. As the son of Mary, He possessed the external coverings of the three degrees of the human mind, and these in Him, as in us, were finite; but as the Son of God He possessed indeed the three degrees of mind answering to the three heavens, but in Him these degrees were not merely such as they are in the minds of angels and men, but such as they are in the Divine Mind Itself, and therefore infinite. In the Lord's paternal humanity, which was within and above His natural humanity, there was, from His birth, an infinite capacity, or a capacity for the infinite. As these degrees were opened and perfected according to the order of human development, the Lord's humanity became actually, as from birth it had been potentially, Divine.

511

The Lord's glorification, like man's regeneration, commenced at His birth. The first of glorification, like the first of regeneration, consisted in acquiring and laying up, in the tender receptacles in the interiors of the mind, the remains of goodness and truth, and thus in forming the rudiments of the states which were to be developed and perfected by actual glorification. This is the descending series: first, the celestial, then the spiritual, and lastly the natural. This descending series of Divine operations, in relation both to the Lord and man, is described in the internal series, in the history of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The ascending series, or the development of these rudimentary states, is described in the history of Saul, David and Solomon. It gives gold for brass, and silver for iron (see Isaiah 60:17). For merely natural, it gives spiritual views of the justice and mercy of God. Instead of the Lord's suffering in our stead to satisfy the demands of Divine justice, it shows the Lord's suffering for our sake to satisfy the yearnings of Divine Love. It presents the incarnation in a light of marvelous clearness and transcendent beauty. It shows that God assumed human nature for the purpose of making it perfect through suffering; and having made it perfect, that He can now make men perfect by conducting them through a life, the image of that which He Himself lived upon earth. This is not the doctrine of those who teach that the Lord's work on earth consisted in showing men a perfect example. Men no doubt needed a perfect example, but they needed still more the will and the power to follow that example. These were what the glorification of humanity provided for them. The glorified humanity of the Lord is an ever-present power to prompt men to will and to enable them to do the Lord's good pleasure. It contains all the merit and righteousness which the Lord acquired by His Divine-Human life upon earth. Indeed the Lord's humanity not only contains but is merit and righteousness. By living according to the commandments, a man has the law inscribed upon his heart; by living according to the commandments, or rather by living the commandments themselves, the Lord became the Law Itself.

512

In its largest sense the Law means the whole Word, and this the Lord fulfilled, in both the letter and the spirit in its utmost extent and in all its degrees. Thus did He become the Word in ultimates, as, from eternity, He had been born of Jehovah in first principles. This is the Word of which Moses prophetically and spiritually says, "The Word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and thy heart, that thou mayest do it" (Deut. 30:14); and of that which the Lord Himself said: "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end" (Matt. 28:20).
     The presence of the Lord in heaven and with man is according to the reception of goodness from the Lord, and goodness cannot be received except in proportion as evil is put away. Now evil is remitted by repentance, when the mind is baptized into the truths of the letter, or external sense of the Word, as the medium for opening the states of man's spiritual life, so that he may perceive the spirit of the Word, and this is accomplished so far as man is reformed and regenerated.
     The Divine Truth, spiritually understood, can never be destroyed by the evil-minded, because they do not perceive it. It is born from an unselfish affection, in the opening states of man's spiritual life when he truly repents of his sins, forsakes them, and puts them away and leads a new life in the paths of virtue and goodness; therefore, to the senses of the natural man, when the Jews sought to take the Lord, "He escaped out of their hands and went away beyond Jordan, into the place where John at first baptized, and there He abode" (John 10:39, 40).
     The Lord appears to be absent in states of evil, but He is present in states of goodness because He dwells in goodness. The presence of the Lord in heaven and with man is according to the reception of goodness from the Lord, and goodness cannot be received except in proportion as evil is put away. The spiritual man, who believes that the Lord presents Himself to man from within, that is, by spiritual influx through man's affections and thoughts, conceives, as the Writings relate, that the Lord inflows into man by goodness (see AC 9337) into his love or will (see AC 10097), and that He appears to withdraw Himself as man indulges in evils and their attendant falsities, because those evils and falsities obscure His presence.

513

He knows that they are forever conspiring to destroy the Divine Truth, in like manner as the goodness of life in man is continually endeavoring to preserve and promote its influence, to establish the kingdom of heaven in the soul. Thus we see that spiritual Christianity treats of the affections, thoughts, and spiritual life of man, but natural Christianity treats of persons, places, and things.
     If man desires the Divine Truth, he also desires to be reformed and regenerated by its living influence, and in doing so, he shall no longer be spiritually separated from the Lord by the falsehood of evil, but be conjoined with Him by the truth which has its origin in goodness, or by the Divine Truth that exhibits the Divine Goodness.
     All who are in the goodness of life are eager to perceive the Divine Truth, to comprehend and practice the precepts of the Holy Word, to the end that they may be reformed and regenerated. The spiritual man knows that the knowledge of Divine things can be acquired only by the elevation or indrawing of the affections and thoughts from outward and worldly objects to inward and heavenly subjects. As the Lord reveals Himself to man through his mind, let the good turn themselves whichever way they will, for the Lord is ever before them; and with the wicked He is always behind them, and consequently invisible. As the Writings teach: "All who are in heaven (that is, in heavenly states of mind) have the Lord before their eyes; for there, to look before them is to look at Him whichever way they turn themselves."
     There are six degrees of ascension through which the mind must pass in order to enter heaven-three in the natural and three in the spiritual world (see DLW 67); and they are accomplished by variations of state, progressing inward, as the affections and thoughts are withdrawn from sensual and worldly objects, and placed on spiritual and heavenly objects.

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This indrawing of the Divine Truth is called the lifting up of the Son of Man. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up" (John 3:14). The Lord as the Word is a Man, and the Son of Man is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Word, which must be indrawn from the letter to the spirit by man's affections, from whence come his perceptions (that is, from heaven within), so that whosoever perceives the spirit of the Word and lives according to it may be regenerated and fitted for heavenly joys, according to this promise: "that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:15).
     The Divine Truth is indrawn from a natural perception of it to a spiritual one, just in the same degree as man sets his affections on it by loving and practicing its precepts. It is only by a knowledge of the spiritual sense of the Word that we acquire the conviction that the Word is really Divine. "Then Jesus said unto them, 'When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am'" (John 8:28).
     To lift up is to interiorize, to think abstractedly from persons, places, and things as the angels of heaven do (see AC 8343), and as those of the church ought to do. It is not the Word which constitutes the church, but the right understanding thereof; and the church acquires a nature and quality according to the understanding of the Word among its members (see TCR 243). The Word contains three senses: the natural or lowest, the spiritual or middle sense, and the celestial or highest sense. The lowest sense is the external, corporeal, or sensual; the middle is the internal, rational or intellectual; and the highest is the most interior, holy, and heavenly sense.
     The natural sense is for the natural man, or the natural mind of man; the spiritual sense is for the spiritual man, or the spiritual mind; and the celestial sense is for the celestial man or celestial mind. Everyone has an internal and an external (see TCR 420) or a rational and sensual. The rational mind is of the internal or spiritual man, but the natural or sensual mind is of the external man; this latter mind or man is what the Writings refer to as the natural principle, simply so called (see AC 5301).

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Further, we are instructed that nothing but a conformity of the natural to the rational, and a conjunction of both, can make a man blessed and happy, which is effected only by charity, and charity is only from the Lord (see AC 2183:3).
     It is charity or love which opens the womb of the mind, or its states of spiritual life, and brings forth truth or wisdom as the affections of man ascend toward heaven by interior variations of state.
     The natural sense of the Word, usually the sense of the letter, is adapted to the capacities of simple or unenlightened men, in order to serve as an introduction to the interior truths of the Word. Interior truths are pure and naked, as spoken by the Lord to man, but exterior truths are clothed by natural ideas; they are the truths heard by man from the Lord.
     The truths spoken are spiritual and capable of regenerating man: "Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you" (John 15:3). But the truths heard are only efficient in reforming him. It is owing to the interior truths of the spiritual sense that the Word is Divinely inspired and holy in every syllable (see TCR 200). The Lord Himself said: "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life" (John 6:63)-spirit from their truth, and life from their goodness. For this reason the inner senses of the Word, that is, the Word spoken, are for the spiritually wise and the celestial good; but the Word heard is for the natural man, who is neither the one nor the other. Nevertheless, the Divine Truth, although clothed by the impure conceptions of the natural man, in its literal sense is with him in its fullness, sanctity, and power, because in that sense it is in agreement with his state of reception.
     Teaching man to repent of his sins and forsake them introduces him to the spirit of the Word, which teaches him to lead a new and holy life.

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It is not on its own accord that it is said of the natural sense that Divine Truth is there in its fullness, its sanctity, and its power. Separated from its interior senses it is not holy, but because it contains those two interior senses, it serves as a settled and confirmed basis from which they can be drawn or elicited.
They little comprehend the Word who suppose that there is no sense more holy within it than that which shines forth from the letter only (see AC 5577).
The doctrine of the church, in order to be true, real and rational, must be deduced from the spiritual sense of the Word, and it cannot be so deduced unless it be drawn out of, or extracted from, the natural sense by a knowledge of correspondences. The Scriptures are written according to correspondences, to represent to us inward and spiritual things by such as are outward and natural (see HH 1).
NEW CHURCH GOVERNMENT 1999

NEW CHURCH GOVERNMENT Rev. ERIK E. SANDSTROM 1999

In January of this year I wrote about New Church government, and mentioned that the Writings are not a covenant. Since then I have seen that I meant they are not a testament as are the Old and New Testaments, since these two conjoin heaven and the church; whereas now, there is no longer conjunction between the New Heaven and the New Church by means of the Writings, but consociation instead. That leaves relatively open the question of whether or how the Writings are a covenant. It is clear, however, that the Lord is the only One with whom angels and men can be conjoined; and He as the Covenant Itself is present in the Writings, the Word of His Second Advent, more clearly than anywhere else.
But the fact is that consociation with angels is mentioned for the New Church, not conjunction. This is taught in the internal sense of both times John bowed to the angel, being told both times, " . . . do not do that; I am your companion" (Rev. 19:10, 22:8, 9).

517

The Writings reveal: "There is not any conjunction of men with angels, but consociation with them . . . . The Lord alone is to be adored in consociation with angels." To which I add the continuation, "Conjunction is given with the Lord alone" (AR 818, 946; emphasis added).
     We are not to kneel to angels; i.e., there is no conjunction with them by means of the Writings. Instead the doctrines consociate. I believe that the two testaments, Old and New, continue as covenants of conjunction between heaven and the church. The Writings differ; they cannot be a covenant or conjunction between heaven and church. You need Sacred Scripture for that.
     Because of consociation, not conjunction, the New Church turns directly to the Writings for guidance, and to no human authority, except as humble means. The Writings are our only constitution. But just because "the Writings are not a testament," we consequently stand on the same ground as angels do when beholding those heavenly doctrines, which are now given also on earth: "The doctrine delivered in the following pages . . . is heavenly doctrine, . . . which is the purpose of the present book" (NJHD 7).
     The impact on our government of whether the Writings are a testament/covenant or not is on the way the Lord's influx which governs His church descends: through the hierarchy of creation seen for example in all things having an internal and an external; but also apparently from below, working up by the formative force (see AE 1209) via human initiative. This latter activity may only "modify" the former, not disestablish or replace it (see AE 1206). The hierarchy is the norm. All of this comes down to how we govern the New Church, and how the Writings are used for authority: Does the authority come from the person speaking (= kneeling to an angel), or from the message being seen and accepted self-evidently (standing by the angel). That is how I apply this teaching to our governmental method.

518

We will clearly benefit from a correct type of government in which angels and good people are equal before the Lord, because we turn to the same Word of Heavenly Doctrine ruling both of us together. This government of the New Church by consociation with angels but conjunction with the Lord is illustrated in the Holy Supper: "For the sake of this affiliation with angels, and at the same time conjunction with the Lord, the Holy Supper was instituted" (TCR 238). The New Church is to come into "the use itself" of this sacrament by seeing the holiness contained in it (see TCR 700). The same hope would apply to its form of government, which I see as largely in place.
ANDERS HALLENGREN IN INDIA 1999

ANDERS HALLENGREN IN INDIA 1999

     Dr. Anders Hallengren delivered a public lecture at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in New Delhi, India, on the subject "Racism, Slavery and Swedenborg Thought" on 11th December, 1998. He was heard with considerable interest by an academic audience of specialists on Indian, Russian and European history, philosophy and religious studies. It was an important and valuable introduction to Swedenborg thought. The subject was interesting at three levels.
     The first was the contested question of whether Swedenborg was a mystic, for mystic movements and philosophies are studied with considerable interest in India. The second was his astonishing influence so far from his home, such that a church should be established in his name. This was especially significant as it contributed substantially to overcoming racial tensions. The third is one of perennial interest, that of his scientific investigations.
     The discussion revolved around the first two more than the third, and two copies of Dr. Hallengren's book on Swedenborg were placed in the library of IGNCA.
     We hope that Dr. Anders Hallengren will continue with his interesting investigations into the life and thought of Swedenborg and into the times in which he lived.
     Dr. (Mrs.) Kapila Vatsyayan

519

SPOTS ON CLOTHING AND CHANGES IN THE FACE 1999

SPOTS ON CLOTHING AND CHANGES IN THE FACE Editor 1999

     Editorial Pages
     Spots on one's clothing that cannot be washed out-what's that about? It is one of those things you do not forget once you read or hear about it. In volume 5 of The Spiritual Diary (which will be called Spiritual Experiences in the next edition) the very first heading is: HOW MAIDENS ARE EDUCATED IN THE OTHER LIFE AND IN HEAVEN. Here we read about the life of young girls being prepared for heaven, of their lovely gardens, their nice garments, the cupboards in which they keep things they treasure. And then we read, "When they see spots on their clothes, it is a sign that they have been thinking ill, and that they have done something which ought not to be done. The spots cannot be washed out as from clothes in the world. When they find out what they have thought and done-for, at such a time they always think about that-they then see their blemishes and their evils. If they then get the better of them again, the spots disappear from the clothes of their own accord" (SD 5664).
     If these maidens discover a new garment in their chamber or notice more beautiful flowers in their garden they rejoice, as it is a sign of commendation. There is a song in the Liturgy about this:

     Every girl in heaven has a garden bright;
     Flowers grow and bloom there when she does what's right.
     But when she is selfish the flowers fade away.
     If she's truly sorry, they'll be back next day.
          When a girl in heaven does what she should do,
     In her room she finds some clothes all clean and new.
     When she's done what's wrong, her new clothes will show a stain.
     But the spot is gone when she is good again.

     Adverse signs include the spots on clothing, the disappearance of a garment, the diminishing of beauty in their gardens. By these things "their attention is arrested." There is something else, not as well known, which is in a different passage of the Diary. The maidens notice something about their own faces.

520

     This is in number 5601, the final line of which reads as follows: "Maidens are also admonished through changes of beauty in their face." You and I look in the mirror and perhaps notice wrinkles and other indications of age. Do we ever notice indications, encouraging or otherwise, that tell us something about our state? It is interesting that as Swedenborg was progressing spiritually and being prepared for his life's mission, he had signs indicating progress. In his personal notebook which people have called The Journal of Dreams he shows deep concern that he is not worthy of the task ahead of him. He prays that he may become worthy and receives encouragement in a dream. He was told that " . . . for the last fourteen days my appearance has been growing more handsome, and to be like that of an angel. God grant that it be so."
          Note: Is it true that once Abraham Lincoln disregarded a man because he did not like his face? When told that a person cannot help what his face looks like, Lincoln supposedly said that after age forty a man is responsible for his face.
     Readers interested in teachings of the Writings about the face are reminded about a little booklet called The Human Face published by the Office of Education.
WINDOW TO ETERNITY 1999

WINDOW TO ETERNITY Editor 1999

The news is good for people seeking copies of Bruce Henderson's book of this title. It was published twelve years ago by the Swedenborg Foundation. Now it has been published again. There are ten chapters in this book of ninety-two pages. The chapter about children in heaven was copied on one occasion to make a leaflet for a special program on the subject. The chapter on Swedenborg called "Man beyond Measure" has been made into a booklet which has proved especially useful for visitors at the Bryn Athyn cathedral.
I particularly liked the cover in the 1987 version of Window to Eternity. The same basic cover has been used this time, but it is a little brighter and more attractive. Bruce Henderson calls his final chapter "Coming Home."

521

He there says, "Swedenborg's mission was to make heaven and hell real to us. We are able to see them not only as real after death, but as a real part of this life. We feel the influence of each and make our choice for one or the other through our lives."
In the final lines of the book the author says that the teachings given through Swedenborg encourage confidence that death is a natural part of life and a beginning, not an end. "There still may be apprehension when transition comes. But the more real life after death is to you, the more the grave becomes a doorway to a great adventure, not something closed and cold and final which you dread. That is the faith that gives purpose to death and meaning to life."
50TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR DAILY BREAD 1999

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR DAILY BREAD 1999

You are invited to join in on the 50th anniversary celebration of Our Daily Bread, a monthly devotional magazine published by the Swedenborgian Church (General Convention) since December 1949. Each issue offers sermons from a variety of viewpoints on a particular spiritual topic, along with daily readings from the Bible and Swedenborg.
Join the celebration! For a free three-month trial subscription beginning with the 50th anniversary issue, titled "Celebrate Life," send your postal mailing address to: Rev. Lee Woofenden, Editor, Our Daily Bread, P.O. Box 396, Bridgewater, MA 02324; e-mail: [email protected]; fax: 508-946-1757.
ARCANA ON TAPE IN LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 1999

ARCANA ON TAPE IN LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 1999

We have heard that the United States Library of Congress now has the whole of the Arcana Coelestia on audio tape.

522

CAPITALIZED PRONOUNS 1999

CAPITALIZED PRONOUNS Steve Koke 1999

     Communication
Dear Editor:
     I have been working with lowercase pronouns when referring to the Lord, and I know that one can get used to it. Language is a very flexible medium and takes whatever meaning or significance one projects into it. But I have to admit that a capitalized pronoun for God or the Lord carries extra impact. It does more than merely refer one to Him. It has numinous content and raises the religious feeling in the text. One is more immediately aware that the person discussed is one of ultimate significance, and it expresses Swedenborg's own great reverence. Of course "he," "him" or "his" can carry his discourse, but they would be more intellectual in tone, less a thought about the numinous reality that religion is all about. I don't agree, though, that lowercasing the Lord's name is irreverent, only inadequate to the full power of the language we have at our disposal. So I would prefer to see the capitals retained in the New Century Edition.

     Steve Koke
     Santa Ysabel, CA
OUT OF SILENCE 1999

OUT OF SILENCE Kara Tennis 1999

The new issue of Out of Silence, the newsletter for survivors of sexual abuse and those who support them, is full of information and inspiration. Topics covered include: a report on the new General Church SAPHE Committee and another on the incidence of abuse; several stories from survivors, one with thoughtful insights on the teaching of conjugial love in our schools and a second that testifies to heartfelt spiritual healing; articles from a therapist who works with survivors, and another who explores the possibility of healing with the eyes; information on how to help children stay safe from abuse; plus poetry, letters, and book and video reviews.

523

     We are not for survivors only; an important part of our mission is education. So if you would like to learn more, be supportive, or help prevent abuse, please subscribe. To be on our mailing list (we publish once a year), please send $6.00 per issue to the editor.
     Contributions to support this use would be most welcome, and can be mailed to the same address. Copies of this issue also can be picked up in Bryn Athyn at the Pastor's office and in the rack outside Suzanne Bernhardt's office in Pendleton Hall. Back issues are available by request.

     Kara Tennis, Editor
      Out of Silence
     Bryn Athyn, PA 19009-274
      Phone: 215-947-4849
Sound Recording Library selectionsFrom the Bryn Athyn Eldergarten eventThe two presentations available are: 1999

Sound Recording Library selectionsFrom the Bryn Athyn Eldergarten eventThe two presentations available are: 1999

COMING INTO NEW STATES by the Rev. Geoffrey Childs (#104601)
SELECT TOPICS ON AGING by Dr. James Pendleton (#104607)

From our selection of services

The sermon RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE by the Rev. Prescott Rogers (#104578)
The full service LIMPING BETWEEN TWO OPINIONS by the Rev. Stephen Cole (#104550)
And the contemporary family service THE DRY BONES by the Rev. Thomas Kline (#104546)

General Church Sound Recording Library
To borrow or buy a tape or to order a catalog, call or write to:
PO Box 743
Bryn Athyn, PA 19009-0743
(215) 914-4980
FAX (215) 914-4935
E-mail: [email protected]

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ORDINATIONS 1999

     Announcements
     Acton-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, May 16, 1999, Alfred Acton II into the third degree of the priesthood, Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss officiating.
     Ayers-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, May 23, 1999, David Wayne Ayers into the first degree of the priesthood, Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss officiating.
     Heinrichs-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, May 23, 1999, Bradley Daniel Heinrichs into the first degree of the priesthood, Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss officiating.
MORNING STAR CHAPEL TO BE DEDICATED 1999

MORNING STAR CHAPEL TO BE DEDICATED 1999

The new church building in Atlanta, Georgia was pictured in our October issue. Now the steeple has been put in place, and a dedication will take place early in December. We congratulate Pastor Mark Perry and the Atlanta congregation.

528

Way of Wisdom 1999

     Selected Passage from Emanuel Swedenborg

     Edited by Grant Schnarr and Erik Buss

     Here is an attractive collection of one hundred short favorite passages from the Writings, with the theme of love and service. There is a reference and commentary for each selection that allows it to easily be given to friends and acquaintances, thereby introducing them to New Church ideas. Also good to have available at home or on your desk to pick up at any time to read an inspiring thought.

Paperback $9.95 plus $1.20 postage

General Church Book Center
Cairncrest
PO Box 743
Bryn Athyn, PA 19009

Hours: Mon-Fri 9-12 or by appointment
(215) 914-4920
FAX (215) 914-4935
E-mail: [email protected]

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Notes on This Issue 1999

Vol. CXIX December, 1999 No. 12
New Church Life

530

     There is a web site that tells about the program of the assembly coming up in June: www.newchurch.org/assembly2000.
     You may be participating in a reading program, or you may wish to begin in the new year. A daily calendar of readings from the Sacred Scriptures and the Writings is available upon request from: Judith M. Hyatt, P.O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     "If we look at the state of the world and fail to see improvement, or worse yet, if we believe that hunger, infidelity, violence and cruelty are increasing, we may feel an anxiety that things will never get better. The watchman offers hope." This is from the sermon by Jeremy Simons.
     The report of the Bishop begins by calling this a year of changes and then goes on to speak of specific changes. The final paragraph on page 544 speaks of uses being performed by our young adults and of the enrollment and the quality of the students in our schools.
     Speaking of school enrollment, the facts are provided on page 554, where we learn that there are ten full-time students in the Theological School, 293 in the Academy Secondary Schools and 136 in Bryn Athyn College. After Bryn Athyn, the largest elementary school of the General Church is the one in Kempton, PA, followed closely by the one in Durban, South Africa.
     Ninety-four people joined the General Church during the year. Their names are listed on page 546. As usual, in the index we have designated adult baptisms with an "A."
     An appealing book to buy as a Christmas present is Decisions, Decisions. There are some three dozen articles relating to the dynamics of choice. In one of them a woman speaks eloquently of times of doubt. "I know now that the Lord was drawing me back to Him during those times, that He was showing a very slow learner what she needed to discover for herself." The book is available from the Swedenborg Foundation. The cost is $13.95.

531

WATCHMAN, TELL US OF THE NIGHT 1999

WATCHMAN, TELL US OF THE NIGHT Rev. JEREMY F. SIMONS 1999

"He calls to me out of Seir, 'Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?' The watchman said, 'The morning comes, and also the night'" (Isaiah 21:11).

     To have a watchman watching over you to give a warning if there is trouble or for the reassurance of safety can be a comforting thing. The watchman appears in many passages in the Word, and is a symbol of both comfort and warning. The watchman in our text speaks of the Lord's coming, and reminds us of the hope that is associated with Christmas. But he delivers a warning as well. Both the hope and the warning of His Advent are our topic today.
     According to the Writings a watchman stands for "one who observes the states of the church and its changes, thus every prophet" (AC 10134). We are reminded of the Pharisees, who knew how to discern the face of the sky but who could not recognize the signs of the times (see Matt. 16:3). The true watch-man sees what is happening in the world and recognizes the signs of the times. The Pharisees were blind to what was happening around them, being caught up in their own concerns.
     The important things that happen in the world all have to do with what the teachings of the New Church call the "state of the church." The watchman "observes the states of the church and its changes." The state of the church is the state of love and faith with people. All things are related to and depend on the state of the church (see CL 130). If faith and love are strong, people are happy, well cared for, productive and secure. When the state of the church is poor, there is hunger, suffering, violence, infidelity and neglect. People often do not see this connection. It shows itself only over time. But in the long run the spiritual state of any nation is what determines its welfare-a difficult thing to observe or assess.
     The Writings tell us that the state of the church passes through stages like the seasons of the year or the times of day. The variations of heat and light are variations in the love and faith of the people.

532

As we know, the Lord came into the world at a spiritually dark time, and many things about the Christmas story represent that darkness: the shepherds watching their flocks by night, the star shining in the darkness, the angels appearing in dreams, the flight to Egypt by night. If it had not been dark, He would not have needed to come to earth to be the "Light that shines in the darkness" (John 1).
     Written seven hundred years before the Lord's birth, our lesson from Isaiah and the words of our text speak of that same darkness and of the hope for its end. The chapter has two prophecies: the prophecy of the Wilderness of the Sea, and of Dumah-both of which are areas at the southern border of Canaan, to which Isaiah addresses his words: "To the Wilderness of the Sea: As whirlwinds in the south pass through, so it comes from the desert, from a terrible land. A distressing vision is declared to me; the treacherous dealer deals treacherously, and the plunderer plunders" (Isaiah 21:1, 2).
     The beginning of Isaiah's oracle makes clear the nature of the darkness of his time. The winds from the desert bring a distressing vision of treachery and violence. When people are in darkness, they cannot see, and so deception and violence are common. If there were light, these deeds would be seen and stopped. In the darkness their goods are taken from them, either by treachery or by outright plunder. This is the very picture of the situation when the state of the church is in its night. Isaiah continues: "Thus has the Lord said to me: 'Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he sees.' And he saw a chariot with a pair of horsemen, a chariot of donkeys, and a chariot of camels."
     The watchman is one who is able to see, and he describes what he sees. Here is what the Writings say about this verse: "The 'wilderness of the sea' here denotes the emptiness of knowledge that is not for use. A 'chariot of donkeys' is a collection of particular knowledges; a 'chariot of camels,' a collection of general knowledges in the natural mind. It is the empty reasonings with those meant by 'Babylon' which are thus described" (AC 3048:4).

533

     According to this passage, the watchman is describing part of the cause of the darkness. The blindness is not due to a lack of knowledge. There were many learned and intelligent people at the time of the Lord's birth. Israel had a rich tradition of education and literature. But the knowledge in the church was empty because it was not used for good. So the watchman saw empty chariots pulled by animals representing aspects of the understanding. These same animals appear symbolically in the gospel stories. The Lord rode a donkey into Jerusalem to symbolize His dominion over the knowledges of the natural mind (see AC 2781). While camels are not mentioned in the account of the wise men, they are mentioned in the prophecies that foretell their visit (see Isaiah 60:6, I Kings 10:2), and they stand for other aspects of knowledge that would be under His dominion. Here, however, they are empty because knowledge that is not used for good is useless.
     But this changes in the next part of the prophecy: "And he listened earnestly with great care. A lion upon the watchtower cried out, 'O Lord, I stand continually in the daytime; I have sat at my post every night. And look, here comes a chariot of men with a pair of horsemen!'" (Isaiah 21:7-9) The Apocalypse Explained says the following about this verse: "This treats of the coming of the Lord and a new church at that time. 'A lion upon a watchtower' means the Lord's guard and providence; therefore it is said, 'I stand continually in the daytime, and I have sat at my post every night.' A 'chariot' and a 'pair of horsemen' here mean the doctrine of truth from the Word; 'to listen diligently, with great care' means a life according to that doctrine" (278:6).
     The key change here is the mention of the watchman's listening. The older translations say that "he hearkened a hearkening," which is closer to the Hebrew and carries the idea of both listening and obeying. The Lord came to begin a new church, the Christian Church, which would both listen and obey. Here we see that the true watchman is actually the Lord Himself, "a lion on a watchtower," for He is the one who guards us and guides us both day and night.

534

As in the previous section, he sees a chariot, but this chariot is a "chariot of men"-no longer empty. The meaning is evidently that knowledge from the Word is not empty when it is listened to and obeyed, and that this is the hope for this new church. He then speaks of Babylon: "Then he answered and said, 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen! And all the carved images of her gods He has broken to the ground.' Oh, my threshing and the grain of my floor!"
     Babylon, the absolute enemy of Israel, represents the darkness, the adulteration of everything that is good and true (see PP Isaiah 21). The Lord was to come to take away her power and to break down her gods. "Oh, my threshing and the grain of my floor" is said because these have to do with the harvest, which stands for His coming to judge the evil.
     The prophecy of the Wilderness of the Sea, then, is about the darkness and violence that rule when knowledge is not used for good. This is the rule of Babylon. The prophecy is that the Lord, who watches over us continually, will come to end Babylon's rule and begin a new order in which the truth will be listened to and put to good use. The prophecy of our text repeats this message of hope: "The prophecy against Dumah. He calls to me out of Seir, 'Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?' The watchman said, 'The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; return! Come back!' "
     The picture of a watchman looking into the night and assuring the one who is calling to him that morning is coming is a comforting and beautiful one. When a person is in distress, one of the main causes of anxiety is the thought that the distress will not go away. If we look at the state of the world and fail to see improvement, or worse yet, if we believe that hunger, infidelity, violence and cruelty are increasing, we may feel an anxiety that things will never get better. The watchman offers hope, and as in all parts of the Word, every detail of his message has meaning.

535

     This prophecy is directed at Dumah, a name which in Hebrew means "silence." It is in Edom, in the south of Canaan. Seir is also in Edom, and Mount Seir is an important boundary of Canaan which is often mentioned in the Word. The Writings say the following about Seir in this verse: "By the 'land of Seir' here is meant the Lord's kingdom with ... the gentiles, when the church is being set up among them, on the former or old church falling away from charity and faith. That those who are in darkness then have light is evident from many passages in the Word" (AC 4240:3).
     Seir is mentioned in Balaam's prophecy of the star: "I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a star shall arise out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise up out of Israel; . . . and Edom shall be a possession; Seir also shall be an inheritance" (Numbers 24: 17,18).
     Seir especially represents an aspect of the Lord's coming which has to do with the bringing of light into a dark world. It represents what is called the good of His Divine Natural (AC 4240), meaning that He brought Divine good and truth into the world to be seen and expressed in natural terms. We read: " . . . He made even His natural Divine, in order that from this also there might be light, that is, intelligence and wisdom; and that in this way He might become Jehovah . . . even as to His Human Natural" (AC 4240).
     The rest of this prophecy has to do with the coming of morning to those who have been in darkness, or the gentiles when the church is being set up among them. The morning is the Lord's Coming. "'Evening' and 'night' mean the last time of the church, and 'morning' the first. The Lord Himself is also called the morning: 'I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning Star' (Rev. 22:16) . . . . Because the Lord is the morning, He arose from the sepulcher early in the morning, being about to begin a new church (Mark 16:2,9)" (TCR 764).
     We may wonder, however, why the watchman said, "The morning comes and also the night." It seems to be a kind of warning that night will return but, according to the Writings, this is not the meaning at all.

536

The meaning is that "though there is enlightening to those who are of the new church, yet there is night to those who are in the old" (AC 10134; see also 4240, 6000, 8211). Not all accepted the Lord when He came, and those who rejected Him remained in their night.
There is a kind of warning to everyone in the watchman's saying. The Lord came to enlighten all peoples and to take away the pain that exists in so many places and with so many people. This is the true spirit of Christmas. But the light comes only to the extent that we are willing to accept and live according to His will. Although He has come, there still is darkness in many places in this world, and even though He has conquered hell, there still is suffering. He is our watchman and guide, and although He protects and leads everyone, He does it only to the extent that we are willing to follow, and to that extent He takes away the pain of every person, replacing it with joy. Only as people gradually learn to turn away from the darkness and from what causes suffering will these things be eradicated from the world.
The promise of the watchman's saying, however, and the promise of Christmas, is that the day will come when all peoples will hear His words and see His light. And anyone at any time can hear that message and experience the joy of the coming of morning after the darkness of night. As the angels said to the shepherds: " . . . [B]ehold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10,11). Amen.

Lessons: Isaiah 21:6-12; AC 4240; TCR 764 DOVE AT THE WINDOW 1999

DOVE AT THE WINDOW 1999

The book has been published, and it is beautiful. Congratulations to Vera Glenn and to Fountain Publishing.

537

ON THE USE OF THE TERM "CONJUGIAL LOVE" IN TRANSLATIONS OF THE WRITINGS 1999

ON THE USE OF THE TERM "CONJUGIAL LOVE" IN TRANSLATIONS OF THE WRITINGS Dr. JAMES BRUSH 1999

As perhaps many know, the term "conjugial love" was first introduced into his translation into English of the Latin text of De Amore Conjugiali by the early New Church translator John Clowes, and tradition has fixed it with extreme durability in the minds of English-speaking New Churchmen. Clowes was perhaps disinclined to determine from professional Latin scholars of his day whether amore conjugiali had a real equivalency in English. Instead he created a myth: that it must have been the intention of Swedenborg to create a new word which did not exist in Latin before then-this without support from the Writings themselves or from significant evidence gathered by his biographers. This is clearly evident in the translator's preface by Alfred Acton in the 1953 edition of the translation published by the Swedenborg Society. However, this harsher treatment of Clowes as a translator is not meant to detract from his many accomplishments in promoting the birth of the New Church in England. Rather it emphasizes the fact that he was not a professional Latin scholar and did make this "non-malicious" major error, which has, however, obscured the topic to the present day.
Clowes' mistake in the use of "conjugial love" in translating De Amore Conjugiali was first brought to light by John Faulkner Potts in his universally known and used Swedenborg Concordance. Samuel Warren next corrected it further in the Rotch Edition translation named Marriage Love. Warren complains with exasperation at being forced to use "conjugial love" in a foreword to another translation of the same name published by the Swedenborg Foundation. William F. Wunsch in the subsequent Swedenborg Publishing Association edition also used an alternate, but perfectly correct, title called Marital Love. Bruce Rogers in his new translation offers us the choice of either Married Love or Conjugial Love in separate editions.

538

David Gladish in his version called Love in Marriage abandons the term "conjugial" as well. But complicating the matter in England, the Elliot translation of Arcana Coelestia and a Chadwick translation of Conjugial Love published by the Swedenborg Society include the latter term.
In sections 478 to 499 of Marriage, Marital, Married or Conjugial Love (for convenience I will refer to it simply as ML) we are strongly encouraged to carefully consider the kinds and degrees of adultery. We should also distinguish in like measure the degrees of ML. This is a critical issue to consider in the struggle to maximize the love of marriage and its happiness within the church in an age when the world outside the Writings nearly overwhelms us in television and films with the sensually-based doctrine that adulteries are no different from marriages. Indeed adulteries are densely clouded with the euphemism "affairs"; homosexuality in the same context is buried almost out of sight by cleansing it to become "only a variant form of sexual expression." To this writer the comparison of marriage and adultery in sermons and classes as dealt with in the latter part of ML seems little addressed in the New Church. Is this not in practice condemning ourselves to repeat the mistakes in history of our opponents in the Krampf Will Case? Is rejection of the last part of ML appreciably different from ignoring it? It would be difficult in practice to argue against this position even though our "feet" seem powerfully inclined not to change our course along this path. Likewise our "feet" call upon the power of tradition to continue the obscuring use of "conjugial love" in many sermons, writings and classes.
Let us consider the mental processes involved in our use of the term. We hear the words "conjugial love" in sermon and song. If we are perfectly honest, our first thought is that we do not immediately understand what it means unless we remind ourselves that, of course, we know that it refers to marriage, but do we really know this? As we commonly use it, it brings to mind a mystical, cloud-like idea of something elevated-something from the Lord.

539

But what is that "something"? If we take the much rarer path of a time-consuming search of our minds with much diligence, we remember, "But yes, the Writings refer to 'love truly marital' -or is it 'love truly conjugial'? But they also refer simply to 'conjugial love' or is it 'marital love'? Now which is it that is meant? But is it important anyway? It must not be, because many of our ministers don't seem to mention much of a difference-nor do they mention adultery much either."
The above soliloquy of thought is most probably true for many. But it is also very likely true that there is little gained in the process but confusion. The clear distinction of the Writings has been reduced to something of little practical use. To clarify the above, the Writings distinguish between marital love (if I may be permitted to select one of the three closely related ones mentioned without prejudice) and true marital love for a very good reason. The mind unenlightened by spiritual light concludes that marital love by itself is founded only in many shared natural affections and consequent thoughts. It is not founded, however, in the acknowledgment of the single truth that true marital love on every level in which it is manifested in marriage is not natural. Rather its origin is spiritual good and truth, and proceeds from the Lord alone from the inmost level of the human mind (the internal man) and flows downward and outward, becoming mingled with the inherited loves of the natural man coming to rest in its most ultimate delight-that level which the present age loves to designate by the formerly only gender word, "sex." In that designation all distinction disappears between what is marital and what is adulterous, blending them into one.
But on this topic some question whether we should abandon the term "conjugial love," by the consideration that amore conjugialis was not a commonly used Latin phrase for marital love in Swedenborg's day. In correspondence with the editor I was informed it was used by the early Latin writer Ovid in his Metamorphoses and then disappeared from usage for many centuries until Swedenborg revived it.

540

Therefore, it is argued that this was done on purpose to indicate some special meaning he wished to convey through its use-further that because of this the carrying of it into English by a synthetic Latin-like form is justified. Perhaps part of the argument has some truth in it, but it stops before the argument is completed. Thus it does not proceed to tell us what is that special meaning in which Ovid used it-the research to determine it was never done by Clowes. Perhaps when this is done then it would well deserve a footnote to the translation of it as "marital love" to give us some deeper insight into the topic. Let there be no mistake: it is vitally important to the New Church that we understand the meanings and distinctions within all of the work and apply them to life, for upon this depends its ability to survive forever. We need only look upon the wreckage that wanton ignorance of its living truths creates in the world around us (and perhaps too much among us as well) to know this with crystalline clarity.
Is it not possible to look to the preservation of the most fundamental heavenly love within the New Church (and by it preserve the church as well) by first dispensing with an obscuring term which has failed in producing any significant use? From that we must certainly proceed to study the wisdom of the whole work-not its first part alone.

Some apology must be added for the negative tone of the above contribution. It is not intended to antagonize those who disagree with its message-indeed the right to disagree with it is a freedom that this author would uphold. All attempts to subdue its tone through revision failed because the conveying of its necessary message could not be accomplished in another way. It is hoped, therefore, that those who disagree will read it carefully and pro-pose a counter argument exposing what flaws they find within it.

541

REPORT OF THE BISHOP TO THE GENERAL CHURCH 1999

REPORT OF THE BISHOP TO THE GENERAL CHURCH Rev. Peter M. Buss 1999

     This has been a year of changes. As was reported to the membership of the General Church, the Council of the Clergy considered my request to accomplish two goals: (1) nominate a priest for Assistant Bishop, who would be presented to the assembly as the man most likely to succeed me as Executive Bishop; and (2) provide some much needed help to me in my present duties. The council deliberated carefully, and felt it was not the right time to accomplish the first goal. However, it then supported me in my wish to ordain Alfred Acton II into the third degree of the priesthood, to become an Assistant to the Bishop. The General Church Board warmly approved this step as well. Since Mr. Acton is six years older than I am, he is not going to be my successor. He was ordained on May 16, and has already proved invaluable in the work of the church. His duties include oversight of areas in the North American continent, Australia and Korea, and leadership in translation and research. He is now vice president of the General Church Corporation. In my absence from the central offices Bishop Acton acts for me.
     A significant reorganization of the treasurer's offices saw the division of the treasurer's function into two. Mr. Daniel T. Allen has become Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of a Centralized Shared Services office. It provides services in finance and accounting, buildings and grounds, human resources, information technology and development to both institutions. He has also been elected treasurer of both institutions. Dan is doing a fine job in these challenging duties, and we look forward to a long and useful term of office for him.
     Mr. Neil Buss has moved to become Chief Investment Officer in charge of our extensive holdings in the New Church Investment Fund. He also keeps responsibility for financial work with over-seas societies, support of church buildings, and management of our pension funds. Neil was treasurer of both institutions and head of investments for seventeen years. At the corporation meeting in February, Mr. Peter Gyllenhaal spoke of the remarkable contribution he has made to the church.

542

During those years, Mr. Gyllenhaal said, the assets of the General Church increased 900% (with a similar increase in the Academy). All our funds are in fine shape, and we have sufficient reserves for emergencies or needed initiatives. In addition we have been able to accomplish many new uses and support societies in buildings and other ventures.
Perhaps one example of Neil's priorities is teachers' and ministers' salaries. From 1968 to 1982, years in which there was often high inflation, the real purchasing power of our teachers' and ministers' salaries had dropped by 23%. Over the next seventeen years that drop was made up, and the salaries are now a little above the real value of the 1968 level (quite a bit above for the teachers). This didn't happen without careful allocation of our resources, and a lot of teamwork among the General Church Treasurer's office, the society treasurers and our generous contributors. We owe Neil a deep debt of gratitude for his care for all the uses of the church, and for his wisdom in providing for their financial support while leaving us in the strongest financial condition in which we have ever been. He will continue to work on our investments, from which comes so much of our income to support our uses.
The General Church has felt itself fortunate in acquiring the services of Mr. Bruce Henderson as our new Development Officer. Bruce comes to us with thirty-five years of experience in journalism, nearly all of them as an editorial page editor for daily newspapers. He has a background of dedicated service to the General Church and the Academy. He was a Bryn Athyn Church Board member for 15 years, has been on the Academy Board for eight years, and is finishing his final term this year. He has published one outstanding book introducing people to the Writings, called Window to Eternity, which the Swedenborg Foundation has just republished, and he is working on a new one, Why Did God Let It Happen? His talents in communication and his keen awareness of the uses of the church will enable him to develop a two-way communication between the central General Church and its members.

543

If you live in a congregation outside of Bryn Athyn, you may indeed see Bruce and his wife Carol on a visit in the near future.
     Pastoral moves have already been announced in New Church Life. I draw attention to a most satisfying one-the call to the Rev. David Ayers to become pastor of the Hurstville Society in Australia. This congregation has been without a pastor for two years, and some of our wonderful older pastors have filled in for up to three months, traveling halfway round the world to do so. They have all loved the opportunity, but it is good to have a permanent pastor in Australia again. Our "outposts" need to be strong, for as long as they remain, they are a promise that the General Church and its vision can grow in a country.
     Travel is an extremely important part of the Bishop's duties. From July 1998 to June 1999 I visited 17 centers, usually with Lisa. This included three weeks in Australia to celebrate Christmas with our Hurstville Society which was without a pastor; a visit to England to celebrate the completion of the translation of the Arcana Coelestia by the Rev. John Elliot and to preach in Colchester; a visit to Brazil; one to Japan for a retreat; and one to Korea, also for a retreat which the members of a Convention society attended with our General Church members. You have already heard the wonderful news of the growth of our church in Brazil. The church in Korea grows slowly, and in Japan the membership has not increased much in the last few years, although the members are remarkable in the uses they accomplish. In all these places we are deeply impressed with the love that people have for the Writings, and with their desire to learn. In Korea, for example, the people at the retreat met from 7 in the morning until after 9 at night. In Japan it was most moving to have people ask for private conversations (through our wonderful interpreter, Mr. Tatsuya Nagashima) to discuss baptism, or how to educate children in the church or how the Writings apply to specific areas of their lives.
     You may have heard of the opening of a theological school in Ghana. This fledgling school, supported by action of the General Church Board, has twelve students in it, and both Grant Schnarr and Jeremy Simons, who have taught them, are impressed with their grasp of the doctrines.

544

The head of the school is the Rev. William Ankra-Badu, and the other three Ghanaian priests of the church, the Rev. Messrs. Kwasi Darkwah, Martin Gyamfi and Nicholas Anochi, also teach. Another exciting development in Ghana is the beginning of a school in Tema under Mr. Darkwah's leadership. Five of our Bryn Athyn College students, Sasha Silverman, Athena Childs, Anna Woofenden, Francis Darkwah, and Jeremy Henry, are presently there helping with this school. They report that they are loving the experience.
Many years ago some private people started a policy of helping young adults to travel to a congregation and work there, helping the pastor, the school, or the Sunday School. Over the years, people have served in Australia, Sweden and South Africa. A few years ago this program came under the General Church and I turned it over to the Bryn Athyn College Internship Program. Under the efficient leadership of the college, we have had ten students this year travel for a term to some congregation and work for the church. This includes the five in Ghana. The General Church provides travel and sometimes money for living expenses, the local congregation houses them, and the students themselves take spending money with them. They receive no pay, but get a certain amount of college credit for the work. It is the realization of a dream-our young adults going out into the church and giving so willingly of their talents to congregations that need help. We are very grateful to the Bryn Athyn College and to the students them-selves for making this special work possible.
As I look at such uses performed by our young adults, and as I look at the enrollment and the quality of the students in our schools, I feel that our church's future is bright. May the Lord bless the coming generation, and may they serve the church with joy and with new insights.

545

     STATISTICAL ACTIVITIES

As Bishop of the General Church: Pastoral visits-17
     Inaugurations into the priesthood-2
     Ordination into the second degree of the priesthood-1 Ordination into the third degree of the priesthood-1
     Meetings: Board and Corporation-5
          Consistory- 6
          Advisory Council-10
          Joint Committee-3
          Bishop's Council-1
          Women's Roles Committee-5 Council of the Clergy
          SAPHE Committee-8
          Treasurers' meetings
          Evangelization Seminar in Glenview

As Chancellor of the Academy of the New Church:
     Meetings: Board-4
          Corporation-2
          Theological School Faculty-4
          Glencairn Awards Committee-2
     High School Chapel-5
     College Chapel-3
     Taught in the fall and winter terms (Secondary Schools and Theological School)

Ministrations:
     Bryn Athyn services: private, public and festival-12 Bryn Athyn doctrinal classes-4
     Worship services in other church areas-14
          Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss
               Executive Bishop

546

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM 1999

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM Susan V. Simpson 1999

     Between July 1, 1998, and June 30, 1999, 94 members were received into the General Church.
     During the year the Secretary's office received notice of the deaths of 58 members.
     Eight members resigned during the year, and four members were dropped from the roll.
     Membership July 1, 1998           4505
     New members (Certs. 8823-8916)      +94
     Deceased                          -58
     Resigned                          - 8
     Dropped from Roll                4

     Membership June 30, 1999           4529

     NEW MEMBERS

     BRAZIL
Oliveira, Maria Do Carmo de Andrade

     CANADA
     Ontario
Avelar, Jacqueline Kuhl
Kuhl, Michael Theodore
Kuhl, Stephanie
Land, Charles John
Longstaff, David Kenneth
Longstaff, Elizabeth Frances Ertel
Reesor, Janet Susan Hasen

     DENMARK
Hauptmann, Olaf
Hauptmann, Poliana
Souza Rabelo Nobre

     GHANA
Adjaho, Bruce Promise
Agbenyah, Martin
Amegashie, Christian Doe
Ampem-Darko, Israel Cyan
Appiah, Philomina
Awugah, Jonathan Goka Kofi
Eddie, Bright
Eduah, Collins Kuuku
Effah, Kwabena
Jackson, Samuel Sublet
Norvor, Gloria Gati
Ofosu, Nicholas Kwame
Tano, Ron Oware Odeefour
Tenkorang, Samuel Givens Agyakwa
Yamba, Patrick Mammah
Zogli, Theophilus

547

     JAPAN
Fujii, Yasuko
Suzuki, Keiko
Takayama, Minako

     REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
     KwaZulu-Natal
Cockerell, Leshane Merrill
Dube, Themba Frank
Mdunge, Lungile Charmaine
Nzimande, Lorraine Busisiwe Charmaine
Smith, Renee Alice Mayer
     Cape Province
Andrews, Taryn Shirley
     TOGO
Kossi, Zozo
Messan, Souka

     UNITED KINGDOM
     Waters, Lorna Catherine

     UNITED STATES
     Arizona
Hueston, Harry Raymond
Hueston, Nancy Jane Helm
     California
Bayne, John Marr, Jr.
Parker, Linda Lee Laing
     Georgia
     Martz, Scott Robert
Riedemann, Matthew John
Wadsworth, Dawn Christine Reuter
Warley, Anne Marie
     Illinois
Brenycz, George
Brenycz, Mary Frances Arscott
Cole, Jesse Hickam
Edmonds, Travis William Posey
Kossmann, Bronwyn Jill Reuter
Krueger, Kristin Ann Golden
Maliavina, Victoria Vladimirovna
McFarland, Kimberly Ann
Overeem, Jennifer Mildred Scalbom
Smith, Nathan Joel
Smith, Reed Douglas
Smith, Tama Charlotte
Smith, Wade Duncan
     Indiana
Sandstrom, Michael Ian
     Maine
Bernier, Rebecca Briggs
Goodine, Gretchen Trott
     Maryland
Brickman, Scott William
Gurney, Brent Jefferson
     Massachusetts
Lynch, Katherine Gabriele
Simons, Jane Marie Laackman
     Michigan
de Chazal, Aaron James
de Chazal, Liane Eve Sandstrom
Elder, Todd Norton
     North Carolina
Martz, Leigh Ellen
     Ohio
Brown, Jill Renee Taylor
de Maagd, Richard John
Rose, Alan Cedric
     Pennsylvania
Asplundh, Anna Marie Gruber
Beebe, Lisa Jane
Chin, Kyong Cha
Chin, Yong Hwa
Farrell, Edward B.
Griffiths, David Allen
Kanis, Patricia Ehling
Keiser, Jacqueline Louise Kuhn
Kuhl, Jennifer
Nelson, Lewis IV

548

Sandstrom, Ryan Matthew Synnestvedt,
Uber, Gabrielle Delaney
Wright, Stephen Carr
Wright, Susan Needle
     South Dakota
Zeigler, Kelly
     Virginia
Kim, Bryant Hak Koo
     Washington
Burns, Gillian Beth Robbins
Daniel, Lane Townsend
Odhner, Matthew Carmond
Woofenden, Anna

     DEATHS

Alden, Helen Boggess; 83; November 14, 1998, Tucson, Arizona
Arraes, Alba Sarmanho; 78; December 20, 1998, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Berg, Anita Ellen Maria Liden; 80; April 7, 1999, Stockholm, Sweden
Boker, William Einer; 89; August 30, 1998, Boynton Beach, Florida
Bradfield, Helen Maude Adams; 94; August 16, 1998, Missouri
Briscoe, Eric Restyn Egerton; 94; March 3, 1999, Norwich, Norfolk, UK
Brown, Charles Schoenberger; 87; June 10, 1999, Sarver, Pennsylvania
Carter, James Donald; 69; October 14, 1998, Houston, Texas
Charles, Mary Lewis; 92; July 13, 1998, Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada
Childs, Randolph Damon; 69; December 28, 1998, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cranch, Jean Seville Smith; 86; May 19, 1998, Glendale, California
David, Ladice; 62; February 2, 1999, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
Doering, Grant Richardson; 70; May 3, 1999, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Fountain, Mary Loretta Estelle Ahern; 86; April 19, 1999; Muskoka, Ontario, Canada
Frazee, Joyce Margaret Carter; 72; October 28, 1998; Collingwood, Ontario, Canada
Frazier, Thomas Richard; 73; April 11, 1999; Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Gardam, Eleanor Christine Enberg; 86; January 18, 1998; Allentown, Pennsylvania
Hansel, Naomi Adele; 63; August 22, 1998; Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, RSA
Hugill, Thomas Daniel; 79; March 28, 1999; Enfield, Middlesex, UK
Hyatt, Margaret Merrifield Stebbing; 91; October 29, 1998; Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Iungerich, Louis Christian; 61; January 16, 1999; Galt, California
Karallus, Judith Farrell; 57; March 29, 1999; Coral Springs, Florida
Kintner, Faith Childs Halterman; 80; March 17, 1999; Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
Kuhn, Ruth Hannah Billington; 83; May 27, 1999; Glenview, Illinois
Kunkel, Vera Jane Bond; 83; August 13, 1998; Innerkip, Ontario, Canada
Linaweaver, Pearl May; 80; April 8, 1999; Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania

549

Loven, Harriet Signe; 94; January 10, 1999; Goteborg, Sweden
Lucas, Daniel; Date unknown; Place unknown
Lucas, Suzanne Malnoury; Date unknown; Place unknown
MacMaster, Audrey Alden; 81; December 15, 1998, Hesperia, California
Mellman, Sylvia Synnestvedt; 90; September 21, 1998; St. Petersburg, Florida
Mergen, Hortense Marion Festerling; 86; October 23, 1998; Rochester, Michigan
Murray, Marion Soneson; 82; February 27, 1999; Erie, Pennsylvania
Nelson, Isabel Jane Rich; 69; October 2, 1998; Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
Nzimande, Olivia Vera; 44; April 24, 1992; Clernaville, KwaZulu-Natal, RSA
Odhner, Carl Frederic; 69; July 18, 1998; Allentown, Pennsylvania
Pendleton, Gabriele Pitcairn; 85; February 10, 1999; West Palm Beach, Florida
Pitcairn, Michael; 79; November 1, 1998; Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
Redmile, Thomas DuBois; 87; May 10, 1999; Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
Roethisbeger, Viola Dutschg; Date unknown; Place unknown
Rydstrom, Natalie Henderson; 77; February 7, 1999; Phoenix, Arizona
Sandstrom, Bonnie Linguist; 58; May 14, 1999; Hampstead, New Hampshire
Scalbom, Lawrence Cole; 68; September 6, 1998; Libertyville, Illinois
Schiffer, Margaret Vida Cowley; 82; February 13, 1999; Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Schoenberger, Walter Smith; 77; August 17, 1998; Orono, Maine
Smith, Gilbert Morris; 96; January 9, 1999; Boynton Beach, Florida
Smith, Mary Jane Heilman; 74; March 24, 1999; Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania
Spicer, Rosamond Pendleton Brown; 85; December 7, 1998; Tucson, Arizona
Streicher, Leroy James; 62; September 13, 1998; Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Stroemple, Chester Julius; 86; March 27, 1999; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Stroud, Robert Church; 80; August 13, 1998; Bethesda, Maryland
Synnestvedt, Evan Lechner; 98; November 20, 1998; Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania
Synnestvedt, Louis Ernest, 71; July 23, 1998; Asheville, North Carolina
Waddell, Elsie Lucille Thomas; 85; July 13, 1998; Tucson, Arizona
Wade, Hansel/ Ray; 88; January 4, 1999; Cleveland, Ohio
Weeks, Ruth Elizabeth Whittaker; 93; October 4, 1998; Mesa, Arizona
White, Grace Mary Barrett; 84; May 4, 1999; Stroud, Ontario, Canada
Zollman, Lydia Olena Fine; 84; April 22, 1999; Enterprise, Oregon

RESIGNATIONS

Aymer, John Charles; November 30, 1998; Illinois
Iverson, Mary Ann; November 4, 1998; Tucson, Arizona
Iverson, Michael Dean; November 4, 1998; Tucson, Arizona
Kaiser, Elizabeth Clyde Moore; May 10, 1999; Austin, Texas

550

Hater, Ronald; December 13, 1998; Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada
Robertson, Rebecca Susan Hacke; July 22, 1998; Emmaus, Pennsylvania
Swadley, Erica Lavine; September 3, 1998; Tucson, Arizona
Synnestvedt, Suzanne Seville; September 8, 1998; Alexandria, Virginia

     DROPPED FROM THE ROLL

Carter, Glen Martin; April 23, 1999; address unknown
Dahl, Arthur; February 25, 1999; address unknown
Dahl, Johanne Amalie Boolsen; February 25, 1999; address unknown
Webber, Sharon Darlene Friesen; April 23, 1999; address unknown

     Respectfully submitted,
          Susan V. Simpson,
               Acting Secretary
NEW From The Sound Recording LibrarySOUND RECORDING LIBRARY 1999

NEW From The Sound Recording LibrarySOUND RECORDING LIBRARY 1999

     The audio book of Helen Keller, Light In My Darkness, revised by Ray Silverman and read by Sasha Silverman in full text, has just been released. Helen Keller speaks volumes about how the gift of Swedenborg's Writings opened the eyes of her spiritual understanding. This three cassette audio book is nicely packaged and would make a lovely Christmas gift.
     Approx. running time 4 1/2 hours and costs $11.95 + $2.00 postage.

     To borrow or buy a tape or to order a catalog, call or write to:
     Box 743 ? Bryn Athyn, PA 19009-0743 (215) 914-4980 ? FAX (215) 914-4935 E-mail: [email protected]

551

GENERAL CHURCH SCHOOLS DIRECTORY 1999-2000 1999

Office of Education:
     Rev. Philip B. Schnarr           Director
     Carol Buss                     Assistant Director
     * Jill Rogers                Curriculum Coordinator; School Support
     * Gretchen Keith                Resource Center Coordinator
     Rachel Glenn                Executive Coordinator
Bryn Athyn:
     Rev. Prescott A. Rogers      Principal, Religion 6, 8
     Barbara Doering                Vice-Principal
     Kathy Orthwein                Kindergarten
     Kit Rogers                     Kindergarten
     Christine DeMaria           Grade 1
     Robin Morey                Grade 1
     Carla Reuter                Grade 1
     Linda Kees                     Grade 2
     Lois McCurdy                Grade 2
     Erica Odhner                Grade 2
     Kris Ritthaler                Grade 3
     Alex Rogers                Grade 3
     Judy Soneson                Grade 3
     Melinda Friesen                Grade 4
     JoAnne Hyatt                Grade 4
     Richard Mansbach                Grade 5
     Stephanie Schrock           Grade 5
     Kay Alden                     Grade 6
     Heather Klein                Grade 6
     Carol Nash                     Grade 7-Girls
     Reed Asplundh                Grade 7-Boys
     Gail Simons                Grade 8-Girls

     Greg Henderson                Grade 8-Boys
     Melodie Greer                Algebra; Computers
     Robert Eidse                Physical Education
     Leanne Mayer                Physical Education
     Margit Irwin                Music
     Dianna Synnestvedt           Art
     Judith Smith                Librarian
     K Harantschuk                Science; Student Support Center
     Ceri B. Holm                Director of Student Support Center
     Steven Irwin                Curriculum Coordinator
     * Marion Gyllenhaal           Student Support Center
     * Gretchen Glover           Kindergarten Aide

552

     * Major Part-time
     * Amy Jones                Kindergarten Aide
     * Jamie Rose                Grade 4 Aide
     * Star Silverman                Grade 4 Aide
     * Elizabeth Childs           Grades 5 & 6 Aide
     * Louise Eidse                Grade 7 Boys Aide
     * Merry Farmer                Grade 7 Girls Aide
     * Anna-Katrine King           Grade 8 Girls Aide
     * Clare Engelke                Tutor
     * Diane Geanuleas           Tutor
     * Susan Hyatt                Tutor
     * Janna Lindsay                Tutor
     * Lori Nelson                Tutor
     * Eileen Rogers                Tutor
     * Lisa Synnestvedt           Tutor
     * Rev. Thomas H. Rose           Religion 5,7
     * Rev. Philip B. Schnarr      Religion 8
     * Rev. Jeremy F. Simons      Religion 4
     * Kenneth Rose                Science, Math Enrichment
Durban: (1999 school year: January 1 - December 31, 1999)
     Rev. Lawson M. Smith           Principal; 3-7 Religion
     Vivienne Riley                Grade 1
     Marie Rose Sparg                Grades 2-3
     Patricia Brown                Grade 4
     Jane Edmunds                Headmistress; Grades 4-5
     Heather Allais                Grades 6-7
     * Oonagh Chaning-Pearce      Afrikaans; Zulu; History
Glenview:
     Rev. Eric H. Carswell           Pastor/Headmaster, Religion 9-10
     Jeryl Fuller                Co-principal; Grades 7-8; History 9-10
     Rebekah Russell                Co-principal; Grades 3-4
     Laura Barger                K-2 (team)
     Sarah Berto                K-2 (team)
     Philip Parker                Grades 5-6
     Yvonne Alan                Grades 7-8; English 9-10
     * Jennifer Overeem           Art
     * Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr     Greek; Religion 3-4, 7-10
     * Rev. Arthur W. Schnarr      Religion 5-6
     * Susan Bellinger           Music
     * Deborah Lehne                Learning Resources
     * Janis Post                Physical Education
     * Pamela Olson                Physical Education
     * Lucinda Edmonds           Physical Education; Grade 6 Math
     * Major Part-time

553

Kempton:
     Rev. Robert S. Junge           Principal
     Mark Wyncoll                Vice-Principal; Grades 7-10
     * Lori Friend                Kindergarten
     Kathy Schrock                Grades 1-2
     Kaemmerle Brown                Grades 3-4
     Curtis McQueen                Grades 5-6
     Jennifer Kuhl . . . . 5-6 Ass '1.; 7-10 History; 7-10 Chorus; 7-10 Girls P.E.
     Eric Smith                     Grades 7-10
     * Rev. Andrew J. Heilman      Religion; Science; Hebrew; Computer
     * M. Kate Pitcairn           Science; Latin
Kitchener:
     * Julie Niall                Principal
     Suzanna Hill                Jr. & Sr. Kindergartens
     Linda Eidse                Grades 1-2
     Nina Riepert                Grades 3-4
     Josephine Kuhl                Grade 5
     Elizabeth Longstaff           Grades 5-8
     * Mary Jane Hill                Grades 7-8
     Rev. Bradley D. Heinrichs      School Pastor; Religion
     * Muriel Glebe                French
Oak Arbor:
     Rev. Grant H. Odhner           Principal, Religion
     Liane de Chazal (until Dec.)      Grades 1-3
     Nathaniel Brock                Grades 4-6
     * Nancy Genzlinger           Grades 3-4 Language Arts; Grade 3 Math
     * Rev. Jong Ui Lee           Religion
     Karen Waters (as of 01/2000)      Intern Grades 1-3
Pittsburgh:
     Rev. Nathan D. Gladish           Pastor/Principal, Religion
     Jennifer Lindsay                Grades 1-3
     James Pafford                Grades 4-6
     * Elise Gladish                Jr. & Sr. Kindergartens Toronto:
     Stephen Krause                Principal; Grades 3-4
     Jessica Myatt                Grades 1-2
     James Bellinger                Grades 5-7; Misc.
     * Gillian Parker                Jr. & Sr. Kindergartens
     * Gabriele Pulpan           Ass 't. Teacher 3-7; Playschool Teacher
     Rev. Michael D. Gladish      School Pastor; Religion
     * Rev. Barry C. Halterman      Religion
     * Major Part-time

554

Washington:
     Rev. James P. Cooper           Principal; Religion
     Karen Hyatt                Kindergarten; Misc.
     Kim Maxwell                Grades 1-2
     Jean Allen                     Grades 3-4
     Justin Hendricks                Grades 5-6
     Kathleen Johns                Grades 7-8
     Carole Waelchli                Grades 9-10
     * Erin Stillman                9-10 History; Misc. Arts
     * Rev. Frederick M. Chapin      Religion

     SCHOOLS ENROLLMENTS 1999-2000

     The Academy                                        10
     Theological School (Full-time)
     Theological School (Part-time)                     3
     Theological School Masters Program (Full-time)           2
     Theological School Masters Program (Part-time)           13
     College (Full-time)                               136
     Girls School                                    146
     Boys School                                    147
     Total Academy                                         457
     Midwestern Academy
     Grades 9 & 10 (Part-time)                          10
     Society Schools
     Bryn Athyn Church School                          358
     Immanuel Church School (Glenview)                     45
     Kempton New Church School                          67
     Carmel Church School (Kitchener)                     40
     Washington New Church School (Mitchellville)           49
     Oak Arbor Elementary School (Detroit)                18
     Pittsburgh New Church School                          24
     Olivet Day School (Toronto)                          45
     Kainon School (Durban) - 1999                     63
     Total Society Schools                                    709
     Total Reported Enrollment in All Schools                     1176

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DIRECTORY GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM 1999

     1999-2000

     Officials

     Bishop: Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss
     Assistant to the Bishop: Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton
     Bishop Emeritus: Rt. Rev. Louis B. King
     Acting Secretary: Mrs. Susan V. Simpson

     Consistory

     Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss
     Rt. Rev. Messrs. Alfred Acton, Louis B. King; Rev. Messrs. William O. Ankra-Badu, Kurt Ho. Asplundh, Christopher D. Bown, Eric H. Carswell, Geoffrey S. Childs, James P. Cooper, Michael D. Gladish, Daniel W. Goodenough, Daniel W. Heinrichs, Brian W. Keith, Thomas L. Kline, David H. Lindrooth, B. Alfred Mbatha, Prescott A. Rogers, Donald L. Rose, Frank S. Rose, Frederick L. Schnarr, Grant R. Schnarr, Philip B. Schnarr, Christopher R. J. Smith and Lawson M. Smith

     GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

     (A Corporation of Pennsylvania)

     Officers of the Corporation President: Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss
     Vice President: Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton
     Secretary: Mr. E. Boyd Asplundh
     Treasurer: Mr. Daniel T. Allen
     Controller: Mr. Ian K. Henderson
     Assistant Controller: Mrs. Margaret I. Baker

     BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CORPORATION

     Debra G. Accomazzo, Thomas R. Andrews, David J. Appleton, Stewart L. Asplundh, Maxwell Blair, Jill A. Brickman, R. Andrew Damm, Justin D. Edmonds, Cathlin D. Goerwitz, Glenn H. Heilman II, Nancy L. Heilman, Justin K. Hyatt, W. Bergen Junge, John A. Kern, Denis M. Kuhl, William L. Kunkle, Thomas N. Leeper, Eva S. Lexie, Paul C. P. Mayer, Tatsuya Nagashima, Cameron C. Pitcairn, Duncan B. Pitcairn, Lincoln F. Schoenberger, John A. Snoep, Lois D. Spracklin, James G. Uber and Candace N. Zeigler.

     Ex-officio Members: Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton Mr. Daniel T. Allen

     BISHOPS

     Acton, Alfred. Ordained June 19, 1964; 2nd degree, October 30, 1966; 3rd degree, May 16, 1999. As of July 1, 1999 Assistant to the Bishop, Regional Pastor in the Southeast United States, Chairman of the General Church Translation Committee and Professor in the Bryn Athyn College and Academy Theological School. Address: P. O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Buss, Peter Martin. Ordained June 19, 1964; 2nd degree, May 16, 1965; 3rd degree, June 1, 1986. Continues to serve as Executive Bishop of the General Church, General Pastor of the General Church, Chancellor of the Academy of the New Church, President of the General Church in Canada, President of the General Church in South Africa, and President of the General Church International, Incorporated. Address: P. O. Box 711, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     King, Louis Blair. Ordained June 19, 1951; 2nd degree, April 19, 1953; 3rd degree, November 5, 1972. Retired. Bishop Emeritus of the General Church. As of July 1, 1999 Acting Pastor of the San Diego Society. Address: P. O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

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     PASTORS

     Alden, Glenn Graham. Ordained June 19, 1974; 2nd degree, June 6, 1976. Continues to serve as part-time Pastor of Dawson Creek and Visiting Pastor to Crooked Creek. Address: 9013 8th Street, Dawson Creek, B.C., Canada VIG 3N3.
     Alden, Kenneth James. Ordained June 6, 1980; 2nd degree, May 16, 1982. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Colchester Society and Visiting Pastor of the Oxford Group. Address: 8 Stoneleigh Park, Lexden, Colchester, Essex, England CO3 5FA.
     Alden, Mark Edward. Ordained June 10, 1979; 2nd degree, May 17, 1981. Unassigned. Address: P. O. Box 204, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Ankra-Badu, William Ofei. Ordained June 15, 1986; 2nd degree, March 1, 1992. Continues to serve as a Pastor of the Accra-Abelenkpe New Church in Ghana and Visiting Pastor to the Kumasi and Lome Groups, and Principal of the New Church Theological School in Ghana. Address: P. O. Box 11305, Accra-North, Ghana, West Africa.
     Anochi, Nicholas Wiredu. Ordained June 4, 1995; 2nd degree, November 2, 1997. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Dome New Church in Ghana. Address: c/o The New Church, No. 2 Rocky Road, Dome, P. O. Box TA687, Taifa, Ghana, West Africa.
     Appelgren, Goran Reinhold. Ordained June 7, 1992; 2nd degree, July 3, 1994. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Stockholm Society. Address: Aladdinsvagen 27, S-167 61 Bromma, Sweden.
     Asplundh, Kurt Horigan. Ordained June 19, 1960; 2nd degree, June 19, 1962. Retired. As of May, 1999 Bishop's Representative to the United Kingdom. Address: P. O. Box 26, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Asplundh, Kurt Hyland. Ordained June 6, 1993; 2nd degree, April 30, 1995. Continues to serve as a teacher of religion in the Academy Secondary Schools and the Bryn Athyn College. Address: P. O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Barnett, Wendel Ryan. Ordained June 7, 1981; 2nd degree, June 20, 1982. Unassigned. Address: P. O. Box 542, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Bau-Madsen, Arne. Ordained June 6, 1976; 2nd degree, June 11, 1978. Continues to serve as Associate Pastor to Kempton, Pennsylvania; Visiting Pastor to the Wallenpaupack, Pennsylvania Circle and the Hawley, Pennsylvania Group; translator. Address: 37 Sousley Road, Lenhartsville, PA 19534.
     Bell, Reuben Paul. Ordained May 25, 1997; 2nd degree April I I, 1999. As of July 1, 1999, Pastor of the Boston Society. Address: 138 Maynard Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776.
     Bown, Christopher Duncan. Ordained June 18, 1978; 2nd degree, December 23, 1979. Continues to serve as an instructor in the Academy Theological School and the Bryn Athyn College, and in the graduate program for lay people and distance learning through the Internet; Visiting Pastor of the Connecticut Circle. Address: P. O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Boyesen, Bjorn Adolph Hildemar. Ordained June 19, 1939; 2nd degree, March 30, 1941. Retired. Address: I Bruksater, Saterfors 10, S-566 91, Habo, Sweden.
     Boyesen, Ragnar. Ordained June 19, 1972; 2nd degree, June 17, 1973. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Jonkoping, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark Circles and Visiting Pastor to Oslo, Norway. Address: Oxelgatan 6, S-565 33, Mullsjo, Sweden.
     Burke, William Hanson. Ordained June 7, 1981; 2nd degree, August 13, 1983. Retired. Visiting Pastor of Pensacola, Florida Group. Address: 755 Arbour Glenn Court, Lawrenceville, GA 30043.
     Buss, Erik James. Ordained June 10, 1990; 2nd degree, September 13, 1992. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Cascade New Church, Seattle, Washington, and Visiting Pastor to the Portland Group and Northwest District. Address: 5409 -154th Ave. NE, Redmond, WA 98052.
     Buss, Peter Martin, Jr. Ordained June 6, 1993; 2nd degree, June 18, 1995. Continues to serve as Assistant Pastor of the Immanuel Church. Address: 2700 Park Lane, Glenview, IL 60025.

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     Buthelezi, Ishborn M. Ordained August 18, 1985; 2nd degree, August 23, 1987. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Clermont Society, Enkumba Society and also Hambrook Society at times. Address: P. O. Box 150, Clernaville, Kwa Zulu-Natal, 3602, Rep. of South Africa.
     Carlson, Mark Robert. Ordained June 10, 1973; 2nd degree, March 6, 1977. Unassigned. Address: 30 New Road, Southampton, PA 18966.
     Carswell, Eric Hugh. Ordained June 10, 1979; 2nd degree, February 22, 1981. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Glenview Society, President and Principal of the Midwestern Academy, Headmaster of the Glenview New Church School, and Regional Pastor of the Midwestern District of the United States. Address: 73 Park Drive, Glenview, IL 60025.
     Chapin, Frederick Merle. Ordained June 15, 1986; 2nd degree, October 23, 1988. Continues to serve as Assistant Pastor to the Washington Society, Visiting Pastor to the Charlotte Circle and Visiting Pastor North Carolina District. Address: 13720 Old Chapel Road, Bowie, MD 20715.
     Childs, Geoffrey Stafford. Ordained June 19, 1952; 2nd degree, June 19, 1954. Retired. Address: P. O. Box 550, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Childs, Robin Waelchli. Ordained June 6, 1984; 2nd degree, June 8, 1986. Continues to serve as a religion teacher in the Academy Secondary Schools. Address: P. O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Clifford, William Harrison. Ordained June 6, 1976; 2nd degree, October 8, 1978. Resigned. Address: 1544 Giddings Ave. SE, Gorand Rapids, MI 49507-2223.
     Cole, Robert Hudson Pendleton. Ordained June 16, 1963; 2nd degree, October 30, 1966. Retired. Address: P. O. Box 356, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Cole, Stephen Dandridge. Ordained June 19, 1977; 2nd degree, October 15, 1978. As of July 1, 1999 teacher of religion in the Bryn Athyn College, teaching in the Academy of the New Church Theological School and working for the General Church in compiling a history of its doctrine. Address: P. O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Cooper, James Pendleton. Ordained June 13, 1982; 2nd degree, March 4, 1984. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Washington Society and Principal of the Washington New Church School. Address: 11910 Chantilly Lane, Mitchellville, MD 20721.
     Cowley, Michael Keith. Ordained June 13, 1982; 2nd degree, May 13, 1984. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Carmel Church Society, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Address: 58 Chapel Hill Drive, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2G 3W5.
     Cranch, Harold Covert. Ordained June 19, 1941; 2nd degree, October 15, 1942. Retired. Address: 501 Porter Street, Glendale, CA 91205.
     Darkwah, Simpson Kwasi. Ordained June 7, 1992; 2nd degree, August 28, 1994. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Tema, Ghana Circle and Visiting Pastor of the Madina Circle. Address: House #AA3 - Community 4, Box 1483, Tema, Ghana, West Africa.
     de Padua, Mauro Santos. Ordained June 7, 1992; 2nd degree, June 12, 1994. As of July 1, 1999 a teacher of religion in the Academy Secondary Schools. Address: P. O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Dibb, Andrew Malcolm Thomas. Ordained June 6, 1984; 2nd degree, May 18, 1986. Continues to serve as Pastor of the New Church Buccleuch, Visiting Pastor of the Cape Town Circle, and Dean of the South African Theological School. Address: P. O. Box 816, Kelvin, Gauteng, 2054, Rep. of South Africa.
     Echols, John Clark, Jr. Ordained August 26, 1978; 2nd degree, March 30, 1980. Continues to serve as Pastor of The Sower's Chapel of the Freeport Society. Address: 980 Sarver Road, Sarver, PA 16055.
     Elphick, Derek Peter. Ordained June 6, 1993; 2nd degree, May 22, 1994. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Boynton Beach Society and also serving Melbourne and Bonita Springs. Address: 6246 Madras Circle, Boynton Beach, FL 33437.

558

     Elphick, Frederick Charles. Ordained June 6, 1984; 2nd degree, September 23, 1984. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Michael Church, London, England, and Visiting Pastor to the Surrey Circle and The Hague Circle. Address: 2I B Hayne Road, Beckenham, Kent, England, BR3 4JA.
     Gladish, Michael David. Ordained June 10, 1973; 2nd degree, June 30, 1974. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Olivet Society in Toronto; Visiting Pastor to Parry Sound-Muskoka and throughout Western Canada, Executive Vice President of the General Church in Canada; Chairman of Information Swedenborg, Inc. Address: 2 Lorraine Gardens, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada, M9B 4Z4.
     Gladish, Nathan Donald. Ordained June 13, 1982; 2nd degree, November 6, 1983. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Pittsburgh New Church and Principal of the Pittsburgh New Church School. Address: 299 Le Roi Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15208.
     Goodenough, Daniel Webster. Ordained June 19, 1965; 2nd degree, December 10, 1967. Continues to serve as President of the Academy of the New Church. Address: P. O. Box 711, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Gyamfi, Martin Kofi. Ordained June 9, 1991; 2nd degree, August 28, 1994. Continues to serve as Resident Pastor for Asakraka-Kwahu Group and Visiting Pastor for Nteso and Oframase Groups. Address: The New Church, P. O. Box I0, Asakraka-Kwahu, E/R, Ghana, West Africa.
     Halterman, Barry Childs. Ordained June 5, 1994; 2nd degree, September 8, 1996. Continues to serve as Assistant Pastor of the Olivet Church (Toronto), and Visiting Pastor to the Ottawa Group. Address: 134 Smithwood Drive, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada M9B 4S4.
     Heilman, Andrew James. Ordained June 18, 1978; 2nd degree, March 8, 1981. Continues to serve as Assistant Pastor to the Kempton Society. Address: 1050 Mountain Road, Kempton, PA 19529.
     Heinrichs, Daniel Winthrop. Ordained June 19, 1957; 2nd degree, April 6, 1958. Retired; Coordinating Pastor for Jacksonville, Florida Group, Lake Helen Circle and Tampa Bay Group. Address: 9115 Chrysanthemum Drive, Boynton Beach, FL 33437-1236.
     Heinrichs, Willard Lewis Davenport. Ordained June 19, 1965; 2nd degree, January 26, 1969. Continues to serve as an Instructor of the New Church Theological School and Bryn Athyn College; Visiting Pastor to isolated groups and circles. Address: P. O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Howard, Geoffrey Horace. Ordained June 19, 1961; 2nd degree, June 2, 1963. Retired. Address: 17 Cakebread Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776.
     Jin, Yong Jin. Ordained June 5, 1994; 2nd degree, June 16, 1996. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Philadelphia New Church - Korean group, and responsible for outreach to the Korean-speaking community in the United States. Address: P. O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Junge, Kent. Ordained June 10, 1979; 2nd degree, June 24, 1981. Resigned.
     Junge, Robert Schill. Ordained June 19, 1955; 2nd degree, August 11, 1957. Continues to serve as Interim Pastor of the Kempton Society. Address: 8551 Junge Lane, RD 1, Kempton, PA 19529.
     Keith, Brian Walter. Ordained June 6, 1976; 2nd degree, June 4, 1978. Continues to serve as Dean of the Academy Theological School and Regional Pastor of the Northeast United States. Address: P. O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     King, Cedric. Ordained June 10, 1979; 2nd degree, November 27, 1980. Continues to serve as part-time Pastor of the El Toro New Church Circle. Address: 21332 Forest Meadow, Lake Forest, CA 92630.
     Kline, Thomas Leroy. Ordained June 10, 1973; 2nd degree, June 15, 1975. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society. Address: P. O. Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

559

     Kwak, Dzin Pyung. Ordained June 12, 1988; 2nd degree, November 11, 1990. Continues to serve as a Pastor of the General Church in Korea (on special assignment). Address: #102 Searim Apt. 657-4, Balsan 2-dong, Kangseo-Ku, Seoul, Korea 157-282.
     Larsen, Ottar Trosvik. Ordained June 19, 1974; 2nd degree, February 16, 1977. Resigned. Address: 2145 Country Club Drive, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006.
     Lindrooth, David Hutchinson. Ordained June 10, 1990; 2nd degree, April 19, 1992. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Ivyland New Church and Secretary of the Council of the Clergy. Address: 851 W. Bristol Road, Ivyland, PA 18974.
     Maseko, Jacob. Ordained November 29, 1992; 2nd degree, September 18, 1994. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Diepkloof Society. Address: P. O. Box 261, Pimville, Gauteng, 1808, Rep. of South Africa.
     Mbatha, Bekuyise Alfred. Ordained June 27, 1971; 2nd degree, June 23, 1974. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Impaphala Society and Visiting Pastor to the Empangeni Group. P. O. Box 60449, Phoenix, 4000, Rep. of South Africa.
     Mcanyana, Chester. Ordained November 12, 1989; 2nd degree, September 25, 1994. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Kwa Mashu Society and Visiting Pastor to the Hambrook Society. Address: Address: H602, Kwa Mashu, KwaZulu-Natal, 4360, Rep. of South Africa.
     McCurdy, George Daniel. Ordained June 25, 1967; Recognized as a priest of the New Church in the second degree July 5, 1979; received into the priesthood of the General Church June 9, 1980. Retired; Continues to serve as visiting pastor to various groups of the Church and teaching part-time in the Academy Boys School. Address: P. O. Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Neinitz, Kurt Paul. Ordained June 16, 1963; 2nd degree, March 27, 1966. Unassigned. Address: P. O. Box 164, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Nicholson, Allison La Marr. Ordained September 9, 1979; 2nd degree, February 15, 1981. Retired. Address: I Somerset Place, Topsham, ME 04086.
     Nobre, Cristovao Rabelo. Ordained June 6, 1984; 2nd degree, August 25, 1985. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Rio de Janeiro Society; Visiting Pastor of Campo Gorande and Teresopolis Groups. Address: Rua Henrique Borges Filho, 54, 27.700-000, Vassouras, RJ, Brazil.
     Odhner, Grant Hugo. Ordained June 7, 1981; 2nd degree, May 9, 1982. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Oak Arbor Society and Principal of the Oak Arbor New Church School. Address: 395 Olivewood Court, Rochester, Ml 48306.
     Odhner, John Llewellyn. Ordained June 6, 1980; 2nd degree, November 22, 1981. Continues to serve as Pastor of the New Church at La Crescenta and Visiting Pastor to San Francisco Bay Area Circle. Address: 5022 Carolyn Way, La Crescenta, CA 91214.
     Orthwein, Walter Edward III. Ordained July 22, 1973; 2nd degree, June 12, 1977. Recognized as a priest of the General Church June 12, 1977. Continues to serve as an Assistant Professor of religion in the Bryn Athyn College and of theology in the Academy Theological School, and Visiting Pastor of the Central Pennsylvania Group. Address: P. O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Pendleton, Dandridge. Ordained June 19, 1952; 2nd degree, June 19, 1954. Retired. Address: P. O. Box 278, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Pendleton, Mark Dandridge. Ordained June 9, 1991; 2nd degree, May 29, 1994. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Phoenix Society and Visiting Pastor to the Albuquerque Circle. Address: 5631 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85254.
     Perry, Charles Mark. Ordained June 9, 1991; 2nd degree, June 19, 1993. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Atlanta New Church and Visiting Pastor to Macon, Georgia and Birmingham, Alabama. Address: 5155 Paisley Court, Lilbum, GA 30047.
     Riley, Norman Edward. Ordained June 14, 1950; 2nd degree, June 20, 1951. Recognized as a priest of the General Church January, 1978. Retired. Address: 69 Harewood Road, Norden, Rochdale, Lancs., England, OLI 15TH.

560

     Rogers, Prescott Andrew. Ordained January 26, 1986; 2nd degree, April 24, 1988. Continues to serve as Principal of the Bryn Athyn Church School. Address: P. O. Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Rose, Donald Leslie. Ordained June 16, 1957; 2nd degree, June 23, 1963. Continues to serve as Editor of New Church Life and Assistant to the Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society. Address: P. O. Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Rose, Frank Shirley. Ordained June 19, 1952; 2nd degree, August 2, 1953. Continues to serve as Pastor of Sunrise Chapel, Tucson, and Bishop's Representative for the Western United States. Address: 9233 E. Helen Street, Tucson, AZ 85715.
     Rose, Jonathan Searle. Ordained May 31, 1987; 2nd degree, February 23, 1997. Continues to serve as Chaplain and Assistant Professor of Greek and religion at the Bryn Athyn College, and as a translator. Address: P. O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Rose, Patrick Alan. Ordained June 19, 1975; 2nd degree, September 25, 1977. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Cincinnati Society, Visiting Pastor to the Twin Cities Circle, Richmond Group and isolated in South Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana; also provides various pastoral services for youth via the Internet. Address: 785 Ashcroft Ct., Cincinnati, OH 45240.
     Rose, Thomas Hartley. Ordained June 12, 1988; 2nd degree, May 21, 1989. Continues to serve as Assistant to the Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society, religion instructor in the Bryn Athyn Church School. Address: P. O. Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Roth, David Christopher. Ordained June 9, 1991; 2nd degree, October 17, 1993. Continues to serve as Pastor of the New Church at Boulder, Colorado Circle. Address: 3421 Blue Stem Avenue, Longmont, CO 80503.
     Sandstrom, Erik. Ordained June I0, 1934; 2nd degree, August 4, 1935. Retired. Address: 3566 Post Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006.
     Sandstrom, Erik Emanuel. Ordained May 23, 1971; 2nd degree, May 21, 1972. Continues to serve as Assistant Professor of theology in the Academy Theological School, Professor of Religion in the Bryn Athyn College; Head of Religion and Sacred Languages Division in the Bryn Athyn College; Curator of Swedenborgiana; Visiting Pastor to the New Jersey Circle. Address: P. O. Box 740, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Schnarr, Arthur Willard, Jr. Ordained June 7, 1981; 2nd degree, June 19, 1983. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Chicago New Church. Address: 2719 Park Lane, Glenview, IL 60025.
     Schnarr, Frederick Laurier. Ordained June 19, 1955; 2nd degree, May 12, 1957. Retired; Chairman of the General Church Eldergarten Programs for the Office of Education. Address: 11019 Haiti Bay, Boynton Beach, FL 33436.
     Schnarr, Grant Ronald. Ordained June 12, 1983; 2nd degree, October 7, 1984. Continues to serve as Director of Evangelization. Address: P. O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Schnarr, Philip Bradley. Ordained June 5, 1996; 2nd degree, May 31, 1998. Continues to serve as Director of the Office of Education. Address: P. O. Box 743, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Simons, David Restyn. Ordained June 19, 1948; 2nd degree, June 19, 1950. Retired. Address: 561 Woodward Drive, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006.
     Simons, Jeremy Frederick. Ordained June 13, 1982; 2nd degree, July 31, 1983. Continues to serve as Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society. Address: P. O. Box 277, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Smith, Christopher Ronald Jack. Ordained June 19, 1969; 2nd degree, May 9, 1971. As of July I, 1999 Executive Vice President of the South African Corporation. Address: I I Winslow Road, Westville, Kwa Zulu-Natal 3630, Republic of South Africa.
     Smith, Lawson Merrell. Ordained June 10, 1979; 2nd degree, February I, 1981. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Durban Society and Principal of Kainon School and Pre-Primary School. Address: 8 Winslow Road, Westville, KwaZulu-Natal, 3630, Republic of South Africa.

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     Stroh, Kenneth Oliver. Ordained June 19, 1948; 2nd degree, June 19, 1950. Retired. Address: P. O. Box 629, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Synnestvedt, Louis Daniel. Ordained June 6, 1980; 2nd degree, November 8, 1981. Resigned. Address: 151 Vole Hollow Lane, Kempton, PA 19529.
     Taylor, Douglas McLeod. Ordained June 19, 1960; 2nd degree, June 19, 1962. Retired; Continues to serve as Visiting Pastor to the Baltimore Society. Address: 2704 Huntingdon Pike, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006.
     Thabede, Ndaizane Albert. Ordained August 29, 1993; 2nd degree, March 2, 1997. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Alexandra Society. Address: 303 Corlett Drive, Kew, Gauteng, 2090, Rep. of South Africa.
     Tshabalala, Njanyana Reuben. Ordained November 29, 1992; 2nd degree, September 18, 1994. Continues to serve as Pastor of the Balfour Society. Address: P. O. Box 851, Kwaxuma, Soweto, Gauteng, 1868, Rep. of South Africa.
     Weiss, Jan Hugo. Ordained June 19, 1955; 2nd degree, May 12, 1957. Unassigned. President of New Church Outreach. Address: 2650 Del Vista Drive, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745.
     Zungu, Aaron. Ordained August 21, 1938; 2nd degree, October 3, 1948. Recognized as a General Church minister November 25, 1989. Retired. Address: Box 408, Ntumeni, KwaZulu-Natal, 3830, Rep. of South Africa.

     MINISTERS

     Ayers, David Wayne. Ordained May 23, 1999. As of July I, 1999 Pastor of the Hurstville Society. Address: 26 Dudley Street, NSW, Penshurst, 2222 Australia.
     Barry, Eugene. Ordained June 15, 1986. Resigned. Address: 116 High Street, Clawson, MI 48017-2185.
     Fitzpatrick, Daniel. Ordained June 6, 1984. Unassigned. Address: 1001 Oriole Avenue, Rogers, AK 72756.
     Heinrichs, Bradley Daniel. Ordained May 23, 1999. As of July 1, 1999 Assistant to the Pastor in the Cannel Church in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada and Visiting Minister to the outlying regions of the General Church in Canada (Calgary Group, Edmonton Group and Canada at large); Visiting Minister to the Erie Circle. Address: 518 Caryndale Drive, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2G 3W5.
     Lee, Jong-Ui. Ordained May 31, 1998. Continues to serve as Assistant to the Pastor of the Oak Arbor Society and Visiting Minister to the North Ohio Circle. Address: 380 Oak Arbor Drive, Rochester, MI 48306.
     Nzimande, Edward E. Ordained November 14, 1999. Serving congregations in Kwa Zulu, Natal, Rep. of South Africa. Address: 1701 - 31st Avenue, Clermont Township, P. O. Clernaville, KwaZulu-Natal, 3602, Rep. of South Africa.
     Rogers, Norbert Bruce. Ordained January 12, 1969. Continues to serve as a General Church translator; Associate Professor of religion and Latin in the Bryn Athyn College; and member of the Academy Publication Committee. Address: P. O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.
     Schorran, Paul Edward. Ordained June 12, 1983. Unassigned. Address: 631 Old Philly Pike, Kempton, PA 19529.

     AUTHORIZED CANDIDATES

     Conroy, Stephen Daniel. As of July 1, 1999 working half-time in Tucson, Arizona assisting the Rev. Frank Rose preaching and active in the youth and young adult programs. Address: 8072 E. Eltoro Circle #518, Tucson, AZ 85715.
     Glenn, Robert Amos. Address: P. O. Box 717, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

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     ASSOCIATE MINISTERS

     Nicolier, Alain. Ordained May 31, 1979; 2nd degree, September 16, 1984. Address: Bourguignon, Meursanges, 21200 Beaune, France.
     Sheppard, Leslie Lawrence. Ordained June 7, 1992. Invited by the Brisbane New Church to take up a pastorate in the Association of the New Church in Australia, for which he is working as President of the Australian Association of the New Church. This assignment was taken up with the full support of the Bishop of the General Church. Address: 3 Shadowood Street, Kenmore Hills, Brisbane, Queensland 4069, Australia.

     EVANGELIST

     Eubanks, W. Harold. Address: 516 US 280 West, Americus, GA 31709.


     Society                         SOCIETIES AND CIRCLES

                              Pastor or Minister
Alexandra, R.S.A.                    Rev. N. Albert Thabede
Atlanta, Georgia                    Rev. C. Mark Perry
Balfour, R.S.A.                    Rev. N. Reuben Tshabalala
Baltimore, Maryland               Rev. Douglas M. Taylor
Bath, Maine                         Rev. George Dole, Interim Pastor
Boston, Massachusetts               Rev. Reuben P. Bell
Boynton Beach, Florida               Rev. Derek P. Elphick
Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania          Rev. Thomas L. Kline
                              Rev. Jeremy F. Simons, Assistant Pastor
                              Rev. Donald L. Rose, Assistant to Pastor
                              Rev. Thomas H. Rose, Assistant to Pastor
Buccleuch, R.S.A.                Rev. Andrew M. T. Dibb
Chicago, Illinois                    Rev. Arthur W. Schnarr, Jr.
Cincinnati, Ohio                    Rev. Patrick A. Rose
Clermont, R.S.A.                    Rev. Ishborn M. Buthelezi
Colchester, England               Rev. Kenneth J. Alden
Detroit, Michigan (Oak Arbor Church)Rev. Grant H. Odhner
                              Rev. Jong-Ui Lee, Assistant to Pastor
Diepkloof, R.S.A.                    Rev. Jacob Maseko
Durban, R.S.A.                    Rev. Lawson M. Smith
Enkumba, R.S.A.                    Rev. Ishborn M. Buthelezi
Freeport, Pennsylvania               Rev. J. Clark Echols, Jr.
Glenview, Illinois               Rev. Eric H. Carswell
                              Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr., Assistant Pastor
Hambrook, R.S.A.                     Rev. N. Chester Mcanyana
Hurstville, Australia               Rev. David W. Ayers
Impaphala, R.S.A.                    Rev. B. Alfred Mbatha
Ivyland, Pennsylvania               Rev. David H. Lindrooth
Kempton, Pennsylvania               Rev. Robert S. Junge
                              Rev. Andrew J. Heilman, Assistant Pastor
                              Rev. Arne Bau-Madsen, Associate Pastor
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada (Carmel Church) Rev. Michael K. Cowley
                              Rev. Bradley D. Heinrichs, Assistant to the Pastor
Kwa Mashu, R.S.A.                    Rev. N. Chester Mcanyana
La Crescenta, California (Los Angeles)     Rev. John L. Odhner

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London, England (Michael Church)      Rev. Frederick C. Elphick
Phoenix, Arizona                     Rev. Mark D. Pendleton
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania          Rev. Nathan D. Gladish
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil                Rev. Cristovao R. Nobre
San Diego, California                Rt. Rev. Louis B. King
Stockholm, Sweden                Rev. Goran R. Appelgren
Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Olivet Church)     Rev. Michael D. Gladish
                              Rev. Barry C. Halterman, Assistant Pastor
Tucson, Arizona                     Rev. Frank S. Rose
Washington, D. C.                    Rev. James P. Cooper
                              Rev. Frederick M. Chapin, Assistant Pastor

     Circle                    Visiting and/or Resident Pastor or Minister

Albuquerque, New Mexico           Rev. Mark D. Pendleton
Americus, Georgia                W. Harold Eubanks, Evangelist
Auckland, New Zealand                Rev. David W. Ayers
Boulder, Colorado                Rev. David C. Roth
Cape Town, South Africa           Rev. Andrew M. T. Dibb
Charlotte, North Carolina           Rev. Frederick M. Chapin
Connecticut                         Rev. Christopher D. Bown
Copenhagen, Denmark                Rev. Ragnar Boyesen
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Dawson Creek, B. C., Canada           Rev. Glenn G. Alden
El Toro, California                Rev. Cedric King
Erie, Pennsylvania                Rev. Bradley D. Heinrichs
The Hague, Holland                Rev. Frederick C. Elphick
Jonkoping, Sweden                Rev. Ragnar Boyesen
Lake Helen, Florida                Rev. Daniel W. Heinrichs
Madina, Ghana                     Rev. S. Kwasi Darkwah
New Jersey                         Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom
North Ohio                         Rev. Jong-Ui Lee
Sacramento, California
St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota (Twin Cities) Rev. Patrick A. Rose
San Francisco, California           Rev. John L. Odhner
Seattle, Washington                Rev. Erik J. Buss
Surrey, England                     Rev. Frederick C. Elphick
Tamworth, Australia                Rev. David W. Ayers
Tema, Ghana                     Rev. S. Kwasi Darkwah
Wallenpaupack, Pennsylvania          Rev. Arne Bau-Madsen

     Note: Besides the General Church societies and circles there are groups in various geographical areas that receive occasional visits from a minister. This information is published in New Church Life periodically in General Church Places of Worship (see October 1999 issue, p. 473).

     New Assignments for Ministers

     As of May, 1999 the Rev. Kurt Ho. Asplundh has accepted appointment as Bishop's Representative to the United Kingdom.

     Effective July 1, 1999

     The Rev. David W. Ayers has accepted a call to become the Pastor of the Hurstville Society.
     The Rev. Reuben P. Bell has accepted a call to become Pastor of the Boston Society.
     The Rev. Stephen D. Cole has accepted a position as a teacher of religion in the Bryn Athyn College, teaching in the Academy Theological School and working with the General Church in compiling a history of its doctrine.

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     Candidate Stephen D. Conroy will be working half time in Tucson, Arizona, assisting the Rev. Frank Rose preaching on occasion, and being active in the youth and young adult programs.
     The Rev. Mauro S. de Padua has accepted a call to become a teacher of religion in the Academy Secondary Schools.
     The Rev. Bradley D. Heinrichs has accepted a call to become Assistant to the Pastor of the Carmel Church, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada and Visiting Minister to outlying regions of the General Church in Canada.
     The Rt. Rev. Louis B. King has agreed to be Acting Pastor of the San Diego Society.
     The Rev. Christopher R. J. Smith has accepted a call to be Executive Vice President of the South African Corporation.
REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1999

REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE Rev. FRANK S. ROSE 1999

     (II)

     "The divine providence looks to eternal things. It looks to temporal things only to the extent that they agree with eternal things" (DP 214).
     Suppose a couple had a baby, and a fairy godmother showed up, explaining that she could give one blessing to the child. "I can give your child wealth, or I can give it happiness, but I cannot give both." What would the couple choose for their child? I think most parents would choose happiness.
     We have all heard stories of people whose lives were ruined by money. The love of money is even called the root of all evil (see 1 Timothy 6:10).
     In spite of this, many people get obsessed with the idea of gaining more money, as if their happiness depended on it. People with that kind of attitude think that a windfall of money is proof of the existence of God. The opposite side of this, obviously, is that a lack of money would be evidence that God does not exist, or does not care.
     The reality is that money is not high on the list of God's priorities. Of course God wants to give good gifts to His children. Our happiness is a high priority in the divine plan. The angels have an abundance of good and beautiful things.

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Having wealth in this material world is not bad unless it is at the expense of more valuable things. If, for example, a person acted contrary to conscience and integrity in order to gain money, the money would become a curse instead of a blessing, since the cost of gaining it was so high.
     God wants to bestow blessings on us. The test of whether or not riches and the finer things of life are blessings lies not in their inherent value, but in what they do for our eternal spiritual welfare. If a person ends up among the blessed in heaven, then whatever income he or she enjoyed on earth was somehow right and good. If a person ends up in another place, those external things may have been curses.
     There is an old saying: "Redeem and lift." It means that for some people, finding redemption means also finding a better standard of living. Although this is not always the case, one would expect that people who are living a more spiritual life would also pay more attention to living with integrity in their work and in their relationships. It would follow that they would become more desirable employees (unless they have a spiritual objection to the work they are doing or the morality of the firm for which they work, in which case they would probably seek employment elsewhere). A spiritual person is more likely to pay attention to living a good and healthy life than one who is not very spiritual.
     Divine providence has very clear priorities. The number one concern is the eternal happiness of people. External things like wealth, fame, status, and possessions are of much less interest.
     We can align our priorities in the same way. We can pay the most attention to the wealth of the spirit. We can acquire good habits and strong virtues. We can seek the kingdom of God. If we do so, as Jesus indicated, all these other things will be added to us (see Matt. 6:33). Then, because these external things are in their place, they are more likely to benefit us.

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SEARCHING IN TARTARY FOR THE ANCIENT WORD 1999

SEARCHING IN TARTARY FOR THE ANCIENT WORD Editor 1999

     Editorial Pages
     Many readers of the Writings when they first read number 11 of Apocalypse Revealed have felt a sense of adventure. It is said there that the Ancient Word is preserved among those who dwell in Greater Tartary. The final sentence of this number is so intriguing: "Seek for it in China, and perhaps you will find it there among the Tartars."
     If you go back almost a hundred years in this magazine you find interesting comments and speculations about this. In 1905 the editor of New Church Life called attention to some interesting reports from China, including the existence of "great libraries unhappily not yet accessible to the foreign student." The editor comments, "These facts suggest interesting possibilities for future research" (p. 154). In 1960 there was a note about the Ancient Word by the late Ormond Odhner, but the subject has not been prominent for years. Now, however, things are stirring.
     In 1971 we had an article entitled "In Search of the Ancient Word" by Dr. James Brush. More recently there was an especially interesting chapter in a book published by the Swedenborg Foundation. The book is Gallery of Mirrors by Anders Hallengren, which includes a chapter about the secret of Greater Tartary.
     And now there is a most interesting new development. The latest issue of The Academy Journal has an article by Rev. Christopher Bown which puts a new perspective on this matter. If you are interested, we recommend that you read this article. We hope to comment further on this next year.
NEW AND UNUSUAL BOOK OF QUOTATIONS 1999

NEW AND UNUSUAL BOOK OF QUOTATIONS Editor 1999

The name of the book is Meditation 1. It is composed and published by Mr. Tatsuya Nagashima in Japan (350 pages). When we say that it is unusual, we have in mind more than the fact that each passage is in Japanese, English and Latin. There are 160 quotations, "frequently quoted passages from E. Swedenborg's Theological Writings."
Among these passages you will find many of your favorites.

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And you can find your way around in this book. There is an eight-page table of contents with headings such as "How to be Saved," "Food in the Spiritual World," "Easy to be Led into Heaven," "The Idea of God," and "Interior Anxieties and Pains." Then there is a full index at the back, and one can tell at a glance how many passages are quoted from each work of the Writings.
We congratulate Mr. Nagashima, and we are pleased to see that he is hoping eventually to do another similar volume.
BRYN ATHYN COLLEGE of the New Church POSITION AVAILABLE 1999

BRYN ATHYN COLLEGE of the New Church POSITION AVAILABLE 1999

     Bryn Athyn College of the New Church is seeking applications for a potential full-time faculty position in the sciences for the 1999-00 academic year. The successful candidate will be responsible for teaching courses in biology as well as other areas if appropriate. A specialty in micro- or molecular biology is prefer-able.
     Applicants should possess a Ph.D. in biology or a related field. Bryn Athyn College will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, nationality or ethnic origin.
     A resume, letter of application and the names of three references should be mailed by January 30, 1999 to: Dean Charles W. Lindsay, Bryn Athyn College, P.O. Box 717-Pendleton Hall, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009.

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Window to Eternity 1999

     Announcements



     This very popular introductory book by Bruce Henderson has been reprinted by the Swedenborg     Foundation and is once again available at the Book Center. The format of the book remains the same: Swedenborg's teachings on life after death; marriage in heaven; children in heaven; providence guiding our path, showing us that our spiritual life is a life we have already begun. Every household should have several copies of this book. It is the one you will want to give to a neighbor or friend who asks about your religion, or to someone who has recently experienced the death of a loved one.

          Price U.S. $11.95 plus postage U.S. $1.20
          General Church Book Center          Hours: Mon-Fri 9-12 or
          Cairncrest                         by appointment
          Box 743                         Phone: (215) 914-4920
          Bryn Athyn, PA 19009               Fax: (215) 914-4935
               E-mail: [email protected]