Say What?

On this day in 1905, G. K. Chesterton preached his first lay sermon at St. Paul’s Church, Covent Garden, in London. His wife said it was the happiest day of her life. Around the Year with C. S. Lewis and His Friends, Compiled by Kathryn Lindskoog

I got to hear the very first public sermon that my preacher husband, Bruce Wooley, ever gave. We had just married and moved to Harrison, AR where I had a gig playing Mammy Yokum at Dogpatch U.S.A., a now defunct theme park, for the summer of 1971. Members of the church we attended learned that Bruce had graduated from Harding with a Bible degree and one of them called him on a Saturday night to fill in for a preacher at a small country church the next morning. They did not know that Bruce had never preached a public sermon or that when he had graduated in January of 1970 he was a militant, professing atheist. He had a “road to Damascus” type conversion experience and returned to Christ in April of 1971; we were married in May, and this was three weeks later.
The inside of the church, which has since become a wedding chapel, was unusual for a Church of Christ in that the pulpit was off-center, set back and raised above the congregation. The attendees were mostly elderly and female and there was no sound system. I sat in the audience cupping my hand over my ear to signal Bruce that he needed to speak up. I don’t think he looked at me once, and I’m not sure he actually saw anyone.
In the car on the way back to our little trailer he asked, “What do you think I should preach on at the evening service?”
I said, “Just preach the same sermon only louder.” (I didn't major in speech for nothing.)

Acts 9: 3-6
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

She's All That

“The most extraordinary thing in the world is an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children.” G. K. Chesterton, as quoted by Jan Karon in Patches of Godlight.

“I am of certain convinced that the greatest heroes are those who do their duty in the daily grind of domestic affairs whilst the world whirls as a maddening dreidel.” Florence Nightingale, as quoted by Jan Karon in Patches of Godlight.

Proverbs 31:10-31
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Mystery and Wimsey

“To the young people of my generation, G.K. Chesterton was a kind of Christian liberator. Like a beneficent bomb, he blew out of the Church a quantity of stained glass of a very poor period, and let in gusts of fresh air . . .” Dorothy Sayers, Introduction to The Surprise by G. K. Chesterton.

Dorothy Sayers’ was the classically educated daughter of a clergyman, a renowned Latin scholar and Christian apologist. Her prolific writing includes a number of mysteries some of which feature the sleuthing couple, Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dorothy-Sayers/111945848823652?sk=info

I claim a slight kinship. I too am the descendant of numerous Christian ministers and am the author of a murder mystery that introduces a sleuthing couple, Grit Griffin and Grace Willis. I include Christian apologetics in most of what I write.

Ephesians 3:2-6
Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.