Wednesday, March 11, 2026

It is the 11th of March 2026. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

If all has gone to plan, God willing, I am back in the shadow of the saddleback mountains in the plush CHA studios in Lake Forest, CA by now- but the way podcasts work, it means this show had to be recorded before- and as promised, I said I’d get to some mailbag questions for fun and ease. Send me your questions at Danv@1517.org. I love questions from the kids whom I hear about as captive listeners in cars on the way to school in the morning. Hey kids- it’s good to have you here- ask your parents if I use a weird word, and certainly ask them questions to send me.

 

I can only assume that with a name like Ambrose you have parents who dig the early church and our collective christian family tree- and Ambrose who is 11 asked his mom what the early church- she helped him form the question a bit- what the church would have thought about podcasts and if it was ok to use them if you can’t get to church.

 

Ambrose- I love that question and thinking about how stuff we do today- especially with the Word of God- might look to other Christians who lived at different times. It's a great way to think through what we do as Christians.

 

One thing to think about is how Christians have embraced technology in the past. And yes, some Christians have rejected technology, but on the whole, the church’s record is pretty strong in adopting new means, especially in the service of getting the word out, and I think “word” is the word here.

 

I just did a show on the history of the Radio and Christianity and how Christians were the first broadcasters in many ways. And if we go before that, and the inventing of the Printing press- yup, Christians were all over that too. Even earlier? You know how we carry books that are rectangular and have spines and flippable pages? That’s a “codex,” and Christians used that too. So Christians have tended to be all over technology- especially when it is “word-centered”… I have more questions about television and YouTube than I do podcasts, or radio, or even e-books, which I admit are indispensable (even though I’m married to a librarian who loves physical books).

 

Of course, I’m biased towards this medium- but I think the amplification of words is less problematic than other media. I do, however, think that “over-amplification” can be a problem. It can lead to celebrity culture- which is not good-, and it can lead to everyone thinking they need an opinion about what’s going on everywhere- which we have seen can cause a problem. Can God bless a ministry with a large presence? Sure, and technology can help- and “too big” might not be an American concept, but maybe it should be in the church.

 

As far as them being a “replacement” for church, the early Church, and just about all of the church everywhere has believed that you don’t “go to church” as much as you “are the church”- the church is the people, and we are called to be “the people” which means together- which means in person.

 

But the church has also always been aware that much of our ministry is to be done for the sick, the poor, and the imprisoned. Oftentimes, the very people who are suffering because they can’t be with the rest of the church. And so to have the resources to serve those people is important, and I’m glad 1517 exists to point people to the church- to encourage them to find the local communions-, and we’ll be your companion in the times between. Ambrose, and others, let me invite you to check out the resources at 1517- I’m glad you found me! Dig into our other stuff as it strikes you- Kelsi Klembara’s Outside Ourselves is a podcast with a video component that I just did…. You can see what a disheveled podcasting professor looks like there.

 

The Last word for today comes from the daily lectionary and a story about Jesus from John 7:

25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”

28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”

30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”

 

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 11th of March 2026, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man who loves himself some canned pineapple, cherries and whipped cream that’s called AmbrosIA: he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who doesn’t tend to care for creamy midwestern fruit salads… 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.