Michelle Ule's Blog, page 42
July 27, 2018
Church on Vacation –a Traveler’s Tale
Why not?
It can be a really fun experience to worship with other believers in a different tradition.
I make an effort to attend church on my vacation all the time.
It’s been . . . real.
Church on vacation overseas
I’ve attended church services in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, England, Romania, New Zealand, Mexico, Costa Rica and Slovenia.
Language is not an issue.
In several countries I attended a Roman Catholic mass because I figured I might be able to follow the service.
Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.
In Rome one year I stumbled on a mass in a corner of St. Peter’s. I joined the crowd and discovered my limited Italian could follow it.
Pure joy!
In Slovenia, my relative translated.
We didn’t have any trouble in England, but the hymns in New Zealand made us laugh!
They’re just like us!
What a surprise! Believers all over the world love the same God.
My godson found us a non-denominational church in Transylvania.
He explained we were Americans when we arrived, which surprised the greeter.
Ushered into a low ceiling room with about 200 other people, we found seats in the back.
St. Peter’s Basilica
The service was much like a typical Calvary Chapel service in the US and the music–drums, piano, girl singers–sounded familiar.
We could sing along–in English–to several songs.
Within minutes, the greeter found a translator who sat behind us.
I opened my phone to the Bible and read the day’s Scriptures in English.
It made us laugh when the earnest young preacher mentioned Tim Keller and Max Lucado.
Those guys get around!
The sermon was great.
How to find a church on vacation
How did I find the churches I attended?
I did a little research beforehand.
We knew we wanted to worship at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, so we checked their website.
Photo by Helloworld (Wikipedia Commons)
Evensong at Westminster Abbey was glorious–information was available on the website.
Easy.
If friends or relatives live in the area I attend with them.
In Puerto Vallarta, a sign on the Catholic Church across the street from our hotel gave directions in English to an English/ Protestant service down the street.
I enjoyed a sweet worship time geared for ex-pats and tourists.
The sermon was great.
One Saturday I saw a man in the grocery store in Anchorage, Alaska wearing a Christian t-shirt. I asked where he went to church.
Surprised, he stared at me before stammering an answer.
I explained we were looking for a place to worship.
He got very excited–Franklin Graham was preaching that day.
We enjoyed the service.
Another time, I went to my college church while visiting in Los Angeles.
Philip Yancey was the guest speaker.
The sermons were all great!
Another time at Gettysburg, PA, I saw a sign on the hotel bulletin board for a Sunday school class based on Ephesians that took place in the national park.
Led by a licensed battlefield guide, we hiked along the route of the battle for Little Roundtop.
It was terrific, looking over the battlefield and thinking how “putting on the armor of God,” could be explained at that tragic spot.
The boys loved it.
Or attend church in your own denomination–but be prepared for local customs
We had a terrific time attending an English-speaking service at Martin Luther’s home church in Wittenberg, Germany.
There’s nothing like singing “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” in the church where it all began!
(Though I did wonder if the stones were tired of that song after 500 years.)
We’ve attended churches in Hawai’i several times that featured hula dancers–which was terrific.
Risks
Of course you may stumble into a church that offends your faith.
That’s happened to me twice in the United States.
You can always leave.
You’ll never see these people again, so who cares if you get up and walk out?
Be prepared, however, to explain the problem to them if you are with children.
(That can be a learning experience, too.)
Advantages of attending church on vacation?
They’re myriad.
If you have children–keep them with you the whole time–they learn brothers and sisters are everywhere in the world.
Worshipping in a different tradition enables you to see God from a slightly different angle.
Sometimes you get invited to someone’s home afterwards.
You can bless the congregation–one year my seven-member family filled an entire row and sang in harmony to the delight of the people in front of us.
Most importantly, it keeps us in the habit of worshipping regularly.
Afterall, Hebrews 10:25 admonishes us
“Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another,”
Don’t you love it when visitors come to your church?
Why not visit their church on your vacation?
Tweetables
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July 24, 2018
Mental Rut Combat? How about exercise?
I take to exercise when caught in a mental rut.If I’ve sat at this desk for too long, the words go nowhere, my blood pressure rises and I’m frustrated, I have a choice.
I can continue to stew or I can try something different.
Exercise is usually the best place for new ideas.
Here are three ways I’ve found to get out of a mental rut.
Take a walk to exercise–but bring the phone
I often need a break in the afternoon and a walk does the trick well.
I can walk and do other things at the same time, especially if I’m not worrying about falling.
Fresh air, exercise, new scenery and silence can help clear my mind.
I bring my phone because when the ideas come up–and they do–I email myself a message.
Sending the email allows me to move on to another idea–without having to worry about remembering the first.
More than once, I’ve called a friend to discuss an idea we’ve been working on together.
Movement unlocks the mental rut.
Watch for ideas while dancingI’m not sure how many blog post ideas come during my Zumba class.
(Like this one).
My teacher regularly chastises me for not paying close enough attention to dance steps.
I try, but the music, the movement, the early morning, the need for a blog post . . . distract me!
Somehow,music and movement come together and ideas strike.
Zumba also helped me consider vacation ideas and prompted story ideas for several books I’ve written!
Do you think it’s a coincidence I began dancing eight months before my first book was published?
I don’t.
Yard work for exercise and imagination
Digging, double digging, raking, planting the garden–all provide exercise and unlock the brain.
Is it the rhythm?
(Which might also explain walking and dancing’s positive influence on mental agility).
Engaging the hands seems to allow the brain to float on currents and ideas.
(See Elizabeth Gilbert‘s Big Magic for more on this concept).
When my children were young, I spent long hours outside working in the yard while they played.
I may have been raking leaves or weeding, but I also plotted dialogue and storylines.
Gardening can provide opportunities for mental creativity, or at least ways to look at life differently.
Other exerciseBike riding, hiking, sailing, and bird watching all provide exercise opportunities.
Leave the music behind and listen to the wind.
With nothing else engaging your brain, it can feel free to explore.
And when you’re done–you may have ideas and you may be out of your rut.
But if all else fails, at least you’ve gotten your exercise for the day!
Tweetables
Exercise to escape the mental rut. Click to Tweet
Inspire creativity with walks, Zumba and digging. Click to Tweet
Is it rhythm that makes exercise inspire creativity? Click to Tweet
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July 20, 2018
Arlington National Cemetery: A Pilgrimage
I visited Arlington National Cemetery recently on a pilgrimage.It wasn’t my first visit, of course, but it’s always poignant to ride the bus tour and view the headstones.
White stones cover hills and dales, all reflecting the loss of lives in conjunction with military service.
Some gravestones are elaborate and readable from the bus.
Most, however, are not.
For me, as a “retired” Navy wife, the rows remind me I could join the ranks of my fellow military wives.
It’s sobering.
But real.
Famous people
Many famous people rest in Arlington National Cemetery.
As I wrote in a post following the last visit, several influenced my life.
Admiral Hyman Rickover’s grave always prompts memories of the man who oversaw most of my husband’s US Navy career.
His wife Eleonore will be buried with him some day, but the plucky retired Navy Commander remains alive.
She’s blessed many over the years, including an ailing sailor’s wife long ago.
Crowds disembark to admire the Kennedy family’s poignant graves.
Even more visit the tomb of the unknown soldier, guarded day and night.
Supreme Court justices, famous generals, senators, astronauts; they lie under granite tombstones.
But I was on a pilgrimage to Arlington National Cemetery.
Some
one I loved is now buried there.
It was time to visit her.
Boat wives
When a submarine goes to sea, a Navy wife stays behind living her “normal” life with family, friends, job.
On a fast attack submarine, the deployments can last for months on end.
It’s easy to lose track of your spouse; certainly their whereabouts are a mystery.
But as time passes, you sometimes almost forget who you’re married to–even what your spouse looks like.
The best people to understand are the people “in the same boat” as you.
I’ve always referred to them as my “boat wives.”
Those strong women are the reason I survived so many challenging deployments in a row.
No one understood my life as well as the boat wives.
Young in memory
My friend died six years ago. This was my first trip back to DC in ten years.
I got directions from her widower and after the Arlington National Cemetery bus tour, I picked up a pass and drove to the gravesite.
It didn’t take long to find her. She lies on a knoll near the Pentagon.
On that quiet sunny day, I startled a deer.
I’d started crying when I entered the cemetery and could hardly control myself on the bus.
When I reached her grave, I lost my emotions completely.
Too, too young–in death and in memory.
Four years older, more experienced as a Navy wife, I arrived at the submarine a few months before she did.
My friend was fresh from her honeymoon, her face shining with happiness and a determination to be a good Navy wife.
We spent three years together waiting for our husbands to come home from sea.
The boat wives threw her a baby shower, brought her dinners following the birth of her first child.
Together we laughed at our engineer husbands’ foibles.
With other wives, we commiserated over the men’s crazy schedules.
We loved each other–in words and deeds.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep–that’s what boat wives do together.
Among friends
She’s in good company among combat veterans, old and young.
But as I sat on the grass, through my tears I saw the names of military wives inscribed on the white stones.
That made me feel better.
Died too young, but buried with her kind at Arlington National Cemetery.
Thank you, Americans, for providing a beautiful place to remember our military dead.
Tweetables
A poignant visit to a friend at Arlington National Cemetery. Click to Tweet
A pilgrimage to Arlington National Cemetery to see a friend. Click to Tweet
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July 17, 2018
Asking and Receiving Even Small Things
What Jesus described runs the gamut in Christian circles between the “name it and claim it,” group and those with a more nuanced approach to prayer.
The question came up recently when I wrote an Utmost Response for July 16.
Oswald Chambers had some insightful words on that day’s reading from My Utmost for His Highest.
Biddy titled his post The Concept of Divine Control–which should give us a hint of their thoughts on the subject!
“Jesus urges us to keep our minds filled with the concept of God’s control over everything, which means that a disciple must maintain an attitude of perfect trust and an eagerness to ask and to seek.”
Wait–trust in God’s control?
What are we really asking?
For most of us, prayer is about asking.
We make requests of God, usually for ourselves and often for others.
It means we’ve recognized a need and we’re appealing to God for an answer.
Sometimes we even remember we’re dealing with the Creator of the Universe whose plans are perfect–for the Universe and for us.
We need to ask ourselves–do we really want His will to be done?
Can we trust Him if we don’t get the answer we hope for?
Does God really love us?
Why not rest in peace and let Him control situations rather than trying to do it ourselves?
Maybe something else, however, is going on?
As Oswald explains,
“There are times, says Jesus, when God cannot lift the darkness from you, but trust Him.”
Look at that word “cannot.” It’s not because God is not capable, but rather because He knows allowing us to spend time in uncertainty can cause our faith to mature.
Most of us don’t like to admit we grow more during difficulties than in a life of ease. 
July 13, 2018
Lobkowicz Palace: A Perfect Museum for Genealogists!
I loved it while visiting in April, 2018.
The story itself charms.
The Lobkowicz family, princes of Bohemia for five hundred years, lost the castle and fabulous art holdings to the Nazis during World War II.
They regained everything, including all eleven castles, at the end of the war.
But then lost it all again to the Soviets.
In 1992, with the fall of the Iron Curtain, they regained their possessions.
Castles and palaces are expensive to maintain.
William Lobkowicz, a graduate of Harvard University about my age, sold off most of the castles.
He used the proceeds to restore the art and offer this splendid museum to all interested.
A family palace
I know all this because I donned headphones and stood before photos of the last three family owners while William told the story.
Alone in the corridor, I looked up when a door opened and a man entered the hallway.
I looked between him and the photo on the wall and grinned.
William himself!
He kindly waved back and continued on this way.
What a friendly museum owner!
(I took all the photos in this blog post as I wandered through the museum).
Lobkowicz family stories
What I loved about the museum narration were the personal stories about the paintings.
One in particular surprised me. As Prince William Lobkowicz explained in my ears:
“Examine the rings on the finger of this woman. The small ring on her pinky is one my mother wears on special occasions.”
Of course people would wear their family’s jewels. I’ve seen articles about the Queen of England’s tiaras in both real life and family portraits.
I marveled to hear someone who seemed as normal as me, recounting such a tale!
The “Margarita Teresa Infanta” at the top is a famous painting by Velázques. The second Prince of the House of Lobkowicz worked for her husband (once she grew up and married).
And doesn’t everyone have a Madonna and child painting in their household?
This family’s version was painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder–who usually painted portraits of Martin Luther and friends!
Even the family pets!
The museum devoted an entire room to paintings of the family’s dogs.
Notice this painting includes the dogs’ names!
We’ve got clarinets at our house!
I’m the clarinetist in my family, but we only own one wooden clarinet, now 50 years old.
One of my favorite pieces of music is Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A.
It turns out the Lobkowicz family helped finance Mozart during his (continual) years of poverty.
A painting of Wolfgang hung in the music room.
We share something in common with the Lobkowicz family.
Here’s their copy of an original score–written in George Handel’s hand–for The Messiah.
From my genealogy research, I know I’m related to the Jennings family who gave Handel room and board while he wrote The Messiah.
While not patrons of the arts at the same level with the princely house, at least we have a connection!
See why I enjoyed my visit to the museum so much?
Why would I start my tour of Prague here?
Lunch on the terrace was splendid (especially the lemonade) and the views were spectacular!
That’s the Charles Bridge crossing to old town Prague.
The Lobkowicz Palace Museum presents the story of Prague’s last 500 years against the backdrop of a living family.
Even if you’re not a genealogist–especially if you’re an art-lover–this is a splendid museum with a terrific story.
It begs an important question: would you want to be a prince or princess with a family art collection like this?
Tweetables
A stunning family art museum in Prague: The Lobkowicz Palace. Click to Tweet
Who knew how personal my visit to the Lobkowicz Palace Museum would be? Click to Tweet
A perfect Prague museum for art and genealogy fans! Click to Tweet
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July 10, 2018
Prague: Unusual Sights, Food and Details
My camera got a workout as we wandered medieval streets and caught glimpses of beautiful buildings and delightful details.
Charles Bridge made the perfect vantage point to admire the Prague Castle mount in the beautiful blue sunlight.
The bridge itself is a cacophony of music, art, tourists, monuments and history.
We loved the St. John of Nepomuk story of the priest who kept a secret in 1393.
The king wanted to know details of his queen’s confession.
John of Nepomuk refused to divulge information and so the king had him tossed into the Vistula River at the site depicted in the photo.
His statue reflects women’s appreciation for him ever since–so many honor his memory, they rub the faithful brass dog on his statue.
We saw lions, true, but also swans and scary puppets:
Food amused:
(The fried egg nougat tasted awful).
The bread bowl filled with goulash looked better than it tasted.
However, we loved the Trdelnik (Czech for chimney-shaped dough similar to an ice cream cone only better) filled with either chocolate or ice cream!
Perhaps you can understand why I found this restroom a confusing optical illusion?
The tiles blended together, the door had no button and I was all alone.
The Town Hall had a clever traffic monitor for the narrow circular stairs.
The red light puzzled me until a surprised man appeared and I took his photo!
Prague appreciates Chopin and others
We laughed through a mirror maze on Petrin Hill.
How many Ules can you spy?
Teachers know how to keep track of their charges while exploring the city.
We walked an average of 18,000 steps and visited two museums a day during our trip.
I loved our time in Prague because I travel to:
admire details I don’t see at home.
taste unusual food.
pick up clever ideas of how to live my life better.
learn stories
admire beauty.
And to laugh at my stumbling surprise in a different culture.
Prague gave us a splendid gift in 2018!
Tweetables
Prague: Unusual sights, food and details for a curious American. Click to Tweet
Armed with a camera, an American tourist documents the unusual–to her–in Prague. Click to Tweet
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July 6, 2018
Wenceslas–a Real King
–from song fame–was a story.It turns out, he really was the Duke of Bohemia and merits attention all over Prague.
In Prague’s new town, his statue surveys the main street from the top of a horse.
He watches over a lovely promenade mobbed with tourists and shoppers.
The good King has seen a lot of history from his perch.
Including the end of World War II.
Nurtured by a saintly grandmother
Born about 907, Wenceslas grew up under the care of his grandmother Ludmila.
She and her husband, Bořivoj I, Duke of Bohemia, brought Christianity to their nation.
Following the deaths of Bořivoj I and his two sons, Ludmila assumed the regency for her eldest grandson.
She made she sure her grandson believed in God and sent him to college.
He assumed the throne about 921 at which time his pagan mother decided Ludmila had too much influence on the new king and she arranged for Ludmila’s murder!
Drahomíra then seized control of the government and ordered persecution of the Christians.
A relatively short reign for Duke Wenceslas
As soon as he reached 18, circa 925, Wenceslas deposed his mother and imported German priests to reestablish the Bohemian Catholic Church.
According to the Orthodox Church in America website:
“In spite of his youthful age, he ruled wisely and justly and concerned himself much about the Christian enlightenment of the people. The holy prince was a widely educated man, and he studied in the Latin and Greek languages.”
As a Christian, the new Duke of Bohemia sought peace and justice in his country. He split the kingdom between himself and his younger brother Boleslav to preclude conflict about the land.
Boleslav received plenty of territory, however neither Boleslav nor his mother liked the changes implemented by Wenceslas.
The new duke founded what became St. Vitus Cathedral.
His brother Boleslav plotted to murder him and succeeded in stabbing him to death at a feast in 935.
Bohemians recognized Wenceslas as a church martyr at his death and soon described him as a saint.
Relics on the Prague Castle mount
His burial site at St. Vitus Cathedral dazzles.
By Clayton Tang (Wikimedia Commons)
We saw his battle sword and a facsimile of his crown in the fascinating museum underneath the Prague Castle.
I gasped. “That’s like a relic, isn’t it?”
My husband smiled. “Could be,” and pointed to Wenceslas’ mail.
Elsewhere in the same museum, far away in a darkened corner, we saw the remains of fine cloth.
I did a double take at the explanation. “Believed to be the burial cloth of Ludmila,” Wenceslas’ grandmother.
Truly, the past seems close that day!
About that song . . .
Otto I, the Holy Roman Emperor at the time of Wenceslas’ death immediately conferred the title “King” upon him–which is how he is known in the Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas.”
The carol extols Wenceslas’ piety on the cold night after Christmas (Feast of Stephen), visiting poor peasants and imploring his servant to walk in Wenceslas’ footsteps through the snow.
Reverend John Mason Neale and Thomas Helmore, wrote the carol in 1853, using the 13th century melody for “Tempus adest floridum.”
The Bohemians never forgot their duke/prince/King.
We appreciated seeing remembrances of him all over Prague in the spring 2018.
Tweetables
Who was that King Wenceslas, really? Click to Tweet
A good King Wenceslas all over Prague. Click to Tweet
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July 3, 2018
Jan Hus (John Huss) of Bohemia
We’re not Protestant scholars, so we didn’t know.
Our pastor mentioned him in passing when he heard we were traveling to Prague.
“His statue is in the main square. Look for it.”
How could we miss it?
That’s an enormous 1915 sculpture of the man being burned at the stake.
He’s looking at what became the Hussite’s Tyn Church,
But we didn’t know all that until later.
First, my husband had to purchase a book that explained why Jan Hus was so important.
And he is!
Photo by Jorge Royan (Wikipedia Commons)
Born 100 years before Martin Luther.
Born in southern Bohemia (what is now the Czech Republic) circa 1370, Hus grew up in a poor family.
Like many over the years, he decided to become a Catholic priest to get an education and possibly become wealthy.
He attended the Charles University of Prague for both a bachelor’s and master’s degree.
Ordained a priest in 1400, Hus became a professor of theology and then rector of the University two years later.
It was a period of turbulence and division in the Roman Catholic Church–two popes sat on two thrones, one in Rome and the other in Avignon, France.
Wycliffe
Once Hus read the works of John Wycliffe (1320-1384) and listened to his congregation, his attitude toward the Catholic Church changed.
An English priest, Wycliffe was declared a heretic because he dared publish the Bible in English, rather than Latin.
Powerful British royalty protected Wycliffe, but that did not stop Pope Gregory XI from issuing five edicts against him.
Wycliffe died of a stroke in 1384. But in 1401 the British Parliament decreed burning at the stake for anyone convicted of such heresy as Wycliffe’s ideas.
In 1407, they banned Bibles printed in English.
Two years later, the new Pope Alexander V issued a papal edict calling scripture not written in Latin a threat to Church authority.
As few laity could read Latin, that meant only priests could interpret God’s word for their parishioners.
Authorities in England burned the works of Wycliffe. Several years later, they disinterred Wycliffe’s body and burned it as well.
Charged by the Church
Meanwhile in Bohemia, Hus reached the same conclusions as Wycliffe.
Jan Hus at the stake, Jena codex (c. 1500) Wikipedia
His parishioners decried the immorality of their priests and resented the fact most were German.
Hus appreciated Wycliffe’s suggested reforms for the Catholic clergy, who owned one-third of the land in Bohemia. Catholic authorities taxed the peasants a crippling amount while flaunting their wealth.
Most of Bohemia’s priests were German, and Czech resentment against Germans accompanied their dislike for clergy privileges. They also demanded Scripture be translated into the Czech language so they could read it.
Hus read the Bible and argued against indulgences–much as Martin Luther would one hundred years later.
In so doing, he lost the support of King Wenceslaus.
Death at the Stake
King Sigismund of Hungary (King Wenceslaus’ brother. He went on to become the Holy Roman Emperor) attempted to bring the split in the Catholic Church together at the 1414 Council of Constance, and to confront heresies.
He invited Hus to attend and explain himself, even offering safe passage.
Once there, authorities arrested and tried Hus as a Wycliffe heretic.
“He protested that even at this hour he did not wish anything, but to be convinced from Scripture. He fell upon his knees and asked God to forgive all his enemies.”
The Council revoked their promise of safe passage and sentenced him to burn at the stake.
“God is my witness that the things charged against me I never preached,” Hus said. “In the same truth of the Gospel which I have written, taught, and preached, drawing upon the sayings and positions of the holy doctors, I am ready to die today.”
Hus predicted that if authorities killed him, they could expect another to come within 100 years and completely reform the church.
Martin Luther nailed his 39 theses to the Wittenberg Church door 102 years later.
Authorities burned Hus to death on July 6, 1415. They threw his ashes into the Rhine River.
Hussites in Bohemia
Called “Hussites,” Czech followers rebelled against the King of Hungary and the Holy Roman Emperor.
They fought a significant series of battles during “The Hussite War” between 1420-1434, with the Hussites mostly coming out on top despite enormous odds.
“In 1436, Roman Emperor Sigismund chose to accept Czech independence. Heresy had won. The Hussites secured a treaty that confirmed their expropriations of Church property and their new Hussite church – which was to last into the 1600s.”
Pope John Paul II
In 1999, Pope John Paul II expressed “deep regret for the cruel death inflicted” on Hus.
We’re sorry it took us this long to learn about Jan Hus.
Skip the first 38 seconds of this video:
Tweetables
Who was Jan Hus and how did he anticipate the Protestant Reformation? Click to Tweet
Jan Hus went to the stake predicting another reformer. Luther nailed his theses 102 years later. Click to Tweet
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June 29, 2018
A 2018 Visit to Prague
It was my second trip to the capital of the Czech Republic.
I could scarcely remember my last visit in 1976–when the Iron Curtain stood firmly in place.
My near-fiance spent that weekend in Washington, D.C. being interviewed by Admiral Hyman Rickover
for the US Navy’s nuclear power program.
Fortunately, the tricky Admiral didn’t ask him where his girlfriend was that day!
As I wrote in this earlier post, my trip with Swiss relatives in August felt drab and gray.
Rick Steves seconded my memory in the opening line from the Rick Steves Eastern Europe guidebook.
“Until 1989, Eastern Europe was a foreboding place–a dark and gloomy corner of the “Evil Empire.”
I thought it was only me!
Prague is a much livelier and colorful city now!
Town Square
My memory of the town square included the famous Astronomical Clock (alas, closed for renovations when we visited).
I remembered a plaque on a wall that explained about the Soviets liberating the city during the second World War.
“What an odd description,” I said to my Swiss cousin.
I fell in love with the Prague Astronomical clo in 1976
She berated me for not knowing the history–Allied forces pushing East, Soviet forces pushing west and beating the US to the city.
“They’ve been enslaved ever since. It’s your fault.”
Sigh. I waived it off.
A spirit of Capitalism and laissez-faire life now consumes this least-religious country in Europe.
It has a western bustle now, even among the historic parts of town not bombed during World War II.
I can’t believe I didn’t remember the enormous remembrance of Jan Hus’ burning at the stake in the center of the square.
But Prague’s foreboding Gothic Tyn Church left an impression during both visits.
See? It looked a lot more sinister in 1976.
The Jewish Quarter
I know I visited the Jewish Quarter in Prague, but I only remembered the cemetery.
It’s still there.
This time, however, we saw several synagogues and learned more of the sad history of the Jews during World War II.
Many, of course, ended up at Auschwitz.
The synagogues reminded me of some of the cathedrals we visited–the richness and obvious love that went into the buildings.
Like everything to do with the Jews in central Europe, poignancy reigned.
It bothered me, however, to see a statue of Franz Kafka outside the Spanish Synagogue.
He apparently lived in the neighborhood.
Prague’s St. Vitus Cathedral
I remembered the beautiful stained class window over the entrance to St. Vitus’ Cathedral.
It wasn’t as impressive as my memory, but beautiful all the same.
Since my earlier trip had been with a Swiss tour guide speaking German or Italian, I’d missed a lot of details.
This time my Rick Steves guidebook provided all the information I needed and made the cathedral so much more interesting.
Prague favorites?
Lobkowitz Castle Museum.
The Charles Bridge.
Classical music.
Jan Hus and St. John of Nepomuk.
Trdlo.
Wolfie played this organ!
Tweetables
Interesting sights and reflections on two visits to Prague. Click to Tweet
Prague: Comparing visits before and after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Click to Tweet
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June 26, 2018
Charles Griffin: BTC Regular and Publisher
Charles Griffin was one of the most important BTC regulars.Without Charles Rae Griffin, there would be no My Utmost for His Highest.
His importance as Biddy’s publishing advisor cannot be overstated.
Charles and his wife Norah began their friendship with Oswald and Biddy at the Bible Training College (BTC).
Who was Charles Griffin?
The fifth generation member of the Charles Griffin & Company, Ltd. publishing house, Charles grew up in London.
A few years older than Biddy, he studied mechanical engineering at Towbridge University. Following graduation, he apprenticed with several London publishing houses.
Once he’d learned the trade, he joined the family business. He became the director following his father’s death in 1907.
Married to Norah Margaret Lee, Charles was considered a leading London Baptist.
The vice-chairman of the Council of the London Baptist Missionary Union, Charles earnestly worked in Sunday School his entire life.
It’s not clear when he and Norah first heard of Oswald Chambers–whose father and brother were Baptist ministers–but their life changed when they took a class at the BTC.
The Publishing World
Friends noted Charles
“was a man of vision, character and determination. His energy found expression in broad administrative issues without neglect of detail.
“He had a keen business acumen.”
Charles quickly saw the potential in Oswald’s teaching and requested a copy to share with friends.
Oswald delegated the task to Biddy, who provided typed copies of a series of talks to Charles.
In 1915, “C. Rae Griffin” made arrangements to print the lectures (though not through his company which specialized in technical journals).
Friends snatched up the information. Charles charged a fee to cover costs and the booklets soon became known as the Discipline series.
Any profits went toward BTC student scholarships.
Is it no wonder Oswald nicknamed him “Radiant?”
Charles and Norah eventually named their third child John Oswald Griffin.
World War I
The day World War I broke out, Charles wrote to Oswald, vacationing in Askrigg, to ask about God’s view of war.
“You ask–is this dreadful war of God or the devil? I should unhesitatingly say neither of God nor the devil, but by the ‘patent amalgam’ of both made by men and nations. . . .
“Don’t misunderstand me, I am not inhuman, the ghastly crimes of war are unspeakable, but they certainly are no worse than sin, that is the crime of crimes.”
Charles took care of British publishing arrangements when Oswald sailed to Egypt and work at Zeitoun YMCA camp in October 1915.
He and Norah purchased the tickets for Biddy, Kathleen and Mary Riley to join Oswald in December 1915.
They also raised funds to build the family’s bungalow at Zeitoun.
As Oswald wrote in his diary on October 12, 1916:
“This is the anniversary of my leaving England for Egypt, and what a record of the joyous sufficiency of God the year has been! Not the least wonderful part of it was the way in which God undertook for Biddy and Kathleen during the few months apart, the first time in our six years of married life. We will never forget the generous goodness of our friends Mr. and Mrs. Rae Griffin.”
During WWI, Charles Griffin & Sons provided journals and mechanical engineering books for both the British and American military.
He joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1917 and used his technical knowledge to good use in managing technical supplies.
At news of Charles’ enlistment, Oswald wrote to Norah:
“Be the plucky woman of God, won’t you? How I know you will. It is a great joy to pray for you.”
Charles Griffin survived the war with a minor injury: missing the tip off his left index finger.
Once returned to England, he resumed normal life and business at the publishing house.
After the War
As Charles Griffin wrote later about the ministry of “the Books:”
“In BTC days it was felt by many that something should be done to preserve at least some of his [Oswald’s] wonderful addresses and lectures so that these might be available to those not fortunate enough to attend the College or to hear him.
“A small start was made with certain of the “Disciple” series, which were widely take up, but the War intervened and for a time the issue of further books was in abeyance. Nevertheless because these little books contained reality, which in War days was a need more realized than in normal times, the call for more was insistent.”
A group of friends gathered and opened a fund to enable the production of books as Biddy provided text.
Disciplines is still in print!
They also arranged for publication in England of the pamphlets Biddy wrote in Egypt following Oswald’s death, as well as 1918’s Baffled to Fight Better.
Upon Biddy’s return to England in June 1919, Charles introduced her to Mr. Chamberlin, a publisher friend. They hoped to place all Oswald’s work with Chamberlain’s company. Biddy would compile and arrange the material, but turn over publication to a professional.
Unfortunately, Chamberlain didn’t see any potential in the manuscripts and sent Biddy on her way.
“Undone,” by his lack of interest, Biddy prayed and made the enormous decision to become a self-publisher in 1920.
Oswald Chambers Publication Association
Charles Griffin advised Biddy throughout her publication journey.
He had good personal and professional relationships with paper merchants, printers, binders and having once apprenticed at Simpkin Marshall, Ltd., introduced her to the wholesaler who handled all the Oswald Chambers books.
Charles probably introduced her to bookseller John Parker when Biddy decided to retrench out of London.
He served as a founding member of the Oswald Chambers Publication Association (OCPA) for many years.
Norah Griffin died in 1933; Charles married Audrey Matthews in 1935. He died in 1962.
Charles Griffin was dedicated to his God and to making sure people learned more about God through Oswald Chambers’ work.
In 1932, as always, he gave the credit to Biddy:
“It is hardly possible to pay adequate tribute to the devotion of Mrs. Chambers in recording his spoken words, full shorthand notes having been taken of lectures, so that the project once started, continuous publication of new matter would be possible.
“Let God engineer,” was a favorite phrase on Oswald Chambers’ lips. Experience has shown that this was no “catch word,” but a profound understanding of God’s way of doing things.
“To the human mind, haphazard; to the understanding, God’s way.”
“So it has been in the past . . . there is abounding joy in watching and seeing the “urge” come for a new volume–and the way He provides for it.”
Well done, Radiant Griffin!
Tweetables
Besides Biddy, the person responsible for Oswald Chambers’ books. Click to Tweet
The unseen hand behind Biddy Chambers’ work on My Utmost for His Highest. Click to Tweet
The publisher who helped produce Oswald Chambers’ books. Click to Tweet
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