Tuesday, September 16, 2025

It is the 16th of September 2025. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

I’m torn on the practice of “encores” at concerts. I get it, if the crowd is going nuts and won’t leave, the band comes out for an extra song or two. But sometimes it feels too staged- like, if you want to play 3 extra songs after a water break, just let us know. But also, read the room.

I’m reading the room with the number of emails coming in and will be extending the mailbag week because 1) you’ve sent me your questions, and 2) sometimes it is easier to answer a stated question than to dig one up out of an event on this date. So, let’s go!

Gregg in Victorville, CA! Victorville- where Citizen Kane was written, the Hills Have Eyes (Original) was filmed, and the birthplace of Matt Chapman, who then attended El Toro here in Lake Forest, he’s no Arrenado or Skenes, but we will claim him.

Gregg wrote, “I understand why you talk about various Saints’ Days, but I assume you don’t pray to them. Can you give me a defense of why non-Catholics would care about the various Saints?” he would conclude that he probably knows why and agrees, but thought it would be helpful to answer. Gregg- I appreciate long-time listeners helping me think through how things are presented.

There’s an interesting denominational difference when talking about the various authors of the New Testament. Many of my friends will refer to “St. Paul” or the Gospel according to “St. Mark,” etc, whereas other friends of mine find that “too Catholic.” I get it. A “Saint” is one who is “holy, set apart, consecrated, dedicated,” and it refers to a person “set apart” by God. We are “sainted” when we are first called and then ultimately to our final reward (there is some real “now and not yet” action going on).

And so all Christians are “saints,” and we don’t need to make a hall of fame, necessarily. But think of Hebrews 11… Abraham was no more “sainted” than an unnamed Israelite during the Exodus, but we are told that by seeing Abraham’s “example,” we are to be encouraged. Paul says, “imitate me as I imitate Christ,” and part of the Christian life is looking at others on their pilgrimage to get a sense of “how to”. My friend Clayton, who is VERY handy, has taught me this- he shows me how to dig the hole or cut the brick and then hands the tool to me.

But on this side of paradise, the problem is the “saints” are still the “sinners,” and so we do well to look at a whole panoply of people who have done it before, and we are free to see where they’ve done it well and what we might avoid.

And so while we do talk about “Saints Days” as an excuse to talk about Christians from the past, we do want to avoid “Hagiography” that is “writing (graphy) about the Saints (Hagios) in a way that presents them only as saints.

Even those theologians that I like the most aren’t free from being judged and having their bad ideas or examples discarded.

BUT, I also want to avoid a leveling of all people such that we can’t recognize heroic and historic feats.

AND, I want to avoid the modern historical (and sometimes Protestant) approach that gets overly cynical.

I can’t remember who it was- so apologies- but an email years ago from a listener asked about praying to, or rather “with” the Saints that sometimes accompany their days and stories.

Both Revelation 5 and 8 seem to describe the prayers of the saints in the church “triumphant” (those called to Glory), praying for those in the church “militant” (those still on earth).

And we are told to pray for and with each other. Great!

But there is only one mediator- I don’t need the Blessed Mother or St. Christopher or anyone else to gain access to the holiest of holies and there to pray, somewhat shockingly and familiarly to Yahweh as “our father”.

We have a cloud of witnesses and we do well to learn their stories and to call them saints… and on this side of paradise, sinners too… as for the chasm between the living and the dead- well Gregg- you can thank Robert for tomorrow's question about that.

 

 The Last word for today comes from the daily lectionary and 2 Peter: 

8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

 

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 16th of September 2025, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man whose main question about the Saints is how fast until Tyler Shough gets to start… he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by someone who does not appreciate s.h.o.u.g.h pronounced as “shuck”- 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.