Tuesday, January 3, 2023

It is the 3rd of January 2023. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org. I’m Dan van Voorhis.

Have you ever wondered if there were Protestant monasteries, monks, and nuns? Perhaps you think, “Of course not. That’s Catholic”. And Martin Luther was certainly not a fan of monasteries after he left his. Still, there is nothing inherently wrong with monastic communities- in fact, how much of our history and our religious books- especially the Bible were served by faithful monks who copied, translated, and transmitted these writings. And they also served as places for women to give themselves wholly to works of mercy and a life of prayer- the problem came when the monastic life was considered a vocation above all others and those works of sacrifice to effect salvation. At least this was the thought of William Augustus Muhlenberg, an Episcopalian priest who had been considering this when he met Anne Ayers, who, under the direction of Muhlenberg, would become the first Protestant nun in America in 1845. Today we remember Ayers on the anniversary of her birth on the 3rd of January in 1816.

Ayers was born in England and emigrated to the United States in 1836. She made a living as a tutor to the children of wealthy New Yorkers and attended church at the chapel of St. Paul’s College in Long Island, where she also taught. In the summer of 1845, the sermon was given by the rector of St. George’s in Flushing, who was also the school's principal. The Sermon was on Jeptha’s vow- I’ll let you read up on that one yourself, but know that Muhlenberg’s point was that sometimes we make radical sacrifices for God… I don’t know if that would be my take on that story- but he preached it, and Anne Ayers heard it and took it to mean that she might give herself to the monastic life. 

A bit about Muhlenberg- yes, he’s one of “those” Muhlenbergs- he was the great-grandson of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg- the patriarch of American Lutheranism. He grew up Lutheran but became an Episcopalian and was a major figure in the high and broad-church movements. As a high churchman, he argued for the retaining of ancient practices considered by some to be “too Catholic.” He was a broad churchman in that he saw ecumenical cooperation to be necessary- especially when it came to alleviating social ills. He would, however, draw the line when it came to Anglo-Catholics. He believed that there needn’t be any rapprochement with the Pope to practice the ancient liturgy. He also bemoaned the linking of celibacy and monastic work. And this, of course, drew the attention of Anne Ayers, who wanted to blend the best of the monastic tradition with protestant theology.

So, it was later in that year, 1845, that Ayers and Muhlenberg founded the Sisterhood of the Holy Communion- the first of its kind in North America. The sisters would not wear a habit- they would live semi-cloistered lives and would serve in three-year terms, after which they could leave if they felt so-called. The Sisters would be called to pray and teach and serve at St. Luke’s Hospital in Manhattan (today called Mount Sinai). She would work there until 1877 but, in the meantime, worked with Muhlenberg on the ambitious project of the wonderfully named Church Industrial Community of St. Johnland. St Johnland was set up as a 500-acre rural refuge for the “orphaned and indigent.” While it has been called a utopia, I was disappointed to find that it didn’t feature any of the weirdness of other North Eastern 19th century America- it was by its own account for “providing homes for the deserving and industrious poor who wish to escape the horrors of tenement houses; to afford a country refuge for the sick children of St. Luke’s Hospital… and to establish a home for old men, for whom, at the time the community was established, no place could be found but the Almshouse.”

She would not promote herself or the sisterhood as anything by part of Muhlenberg’s ministry- she published anonymously at first and published the Life and Work of William Augustus Muhlenberg. Sister Anne was buried at St. Johnland cemetery. The Sisterhood of the Holy Communion would exist until 1940- the Sisterhood of St. Mary has carried on the tradition of an Anglican religious order for nuns, and the Community of St. Johnland is today the St. john land Nursing Center. Born on the 3rd of January in 1816, Sister Anne Ayers died in 1896 at the age of 80.

The last word for today comes from the daily lectionary from Hebrews 11:

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 3rd of January 2023, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man whose Purdue Boilermakers are at least good at basketball- He is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man whose new least favorite college in America is Tulane. Just kidding, it’s still Notre Dame. I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.