Monday, July 22, 2024

It is the 22nd of July 2024. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

 

So I knew this guy. He was no good and ended up in jail, but that’s beside the point—he was a fan of a sports team that won a championship with a Roman numeral. He then got that team and Roman numeral tattooed on himself, but the Roman numeral was wrong, and hahaha.

That said, I didn’t tattoo the Roman numeral IX on this past weekend’s show, but I might as well have—the trilogy is IV, XVI, and XX. And as the emails populated my inbox Saturday morning, to my horror, I thought—well, I’m not that guy who is in jail.

Ok, here is a question from Jace in Elmira. Elmira is in western New York and close to the Pennsylvania border. Famous for Elmira College and the birthplace of Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, but also Bob Waterfield… be careful. I could get right romantic about this guy- drafted by the Cleveland Rams- who comes out to LA with the team and is not only our best quarterback but kicker as well- #7 is retired with the team.

Jace wrote to say that he and his family have been having fun with “Mt. Rushmore’s” since I made a reference to it recently as a strange (but maybe not) way to talk about “top 4”. Jace made an interesting argument that a “non ranked” top 4 is more helpful than an exact ranking. Jace, I agree, and it gives us the “Teddy Roosevelt” pick- the one that might not belong at all, but it’s fun to throw in there.

Jace asked about my other “Mt. Rushmore’s” theologically and otherwise.

This is one of the greatest questions I’ve received, Jace- and I’m glad a family game of “top 4’s” has arisen.

Ok- fast food burgers: In n Out, Shake Shack, Culvers, the Habit.

Mineral waters: Pellegrino, Gerolsteiner, Acqua Panna, Topo Chico.

Bands: Pixies, Pavement, Yo La Tengo, Band of Horses?

Church history:

Reformers: ok… so, Luther, Calvin Zwingli Cranmer is the usual. Or something like that. Knox?

But the Mt. Rushmore of Underrated Reformers: Martin Bucer, William Farel, Johannes Brenz, and Robert Barnes (as our TR option)

Popes? I’m a Protestant fella so 3 of the 4 are pre-reformation and I don’t need to get tricky- certainly the “Great’s” Leo and Gregory and the underrated and other “Great” Nichols I from the 800s. My 4th pick: John XXIII- few popes have modernized as fast as the Pope who called Vatican II in the 1960s.

Movies: Field of Dreams, Shawshank, Disney’s Robin Hood, and That Thing You Do.

Books I read in my 20s that changed my life: Luther’s On the Freedom of a Christian, C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, John Stott: Your Mind Matters, Jacques Ellul's Anarchy and Christianity.

Comedians: Letterman, Conan, Mitch Hedberg… John Mulaney?

Underrated New Testament Texts: Colossians, Philemon, 1 Peter and James

This really could go on forever and ever…. If its not people it just becomes a “top 4” but… how about- Church history events I would have liked to seen.

Luther at Worms (did he say “Here I Stand”?)

The Opening of the Council of Nicea (probably a big to do)

Out of doors revival event in mid-18th c. America

Lonnie Frisbee’s Mother’s Day Sermon at the Vineyard

Well- Jace, as you and other listeners know, I am a big fan of lists and countdowns- all in good fun but as a way to trigger conversations about people and events and ideas… with these lists and shows- I think fortunately, like this one- is the kind of thing Paul may have been thinking of when he wrote:

“whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”…. it’s all in good fun and debate but ultimately a fun way to spark conversation and thought about the things we see of God in church history. Thanks for the question, Jace in Elmira- you can send me your questions at danv@1517.org.

 

The last word for today is from the daily lectionary- and a benediction from that mysterious author of the letter to the Hebrews:

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 22nd of July 2024, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man, like Sam Clemens, who works under a pseudonym, and he pretends his name is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who has “Whataburger” buried deep under his Mt. Rushmore—suitable only for what beasts lie there…. 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.