Fort Du Bois

This past weekend, I was invited to a private reenactment at Fort Du bois in Wood River, Illinois. I think there was around eighteen that attended. My friend Dale and I arrived Friday night around 8:00 in time to meet our friend Simeon, with whom we shared a cabin.
The fort was constructed with a cabin on each of its four corners plus a building in the middle of the compound had two separate rooms. A stockade linked each corner cabin and they were made up of a room with a table and fireplace, plus a room that had four bunk beds, so eight people could occupy each cabin.
We passed all our gear in thru the outer window of our cabin since it was easier than packing everything around thru the front gate. The night was pretty chilly so we got a fire going in the fire place as quickly as we could. Simeon, Dale and I each chose a top bunk and got our gear laid out.
The bad thing about the cabins was that the heat from the fire had a hard time passing thru the doorway that led to the bunk room. It got down to about 27 degrees and I was chilled most of the night. From where I slept, or tried to sleep, I could see the glow of the fire on the ceiling rafters. I knew about 1:30 in the morning that the fire was about out when no reflection was on them. I got down and coaxed the fire back to life. I did the same at around 5:30. By that time I decided I might as well stay up.
Eventually, Dale and Simeon got up and we fried up some ham steaks for breakfast. We’ve made ham steaks before many times at events and you just can’t beat them for flavor, especially after you’ve dropped them in the fire ashes..
They are best with some biscuits enveloping them but we didn’t have the blessing of biscuits this day.
A fellow reenactor friend of ours, Gordon and his wife Donna, arrived Saturday morning and Gordon put on a small seminar on building a ground loom, fire starting and also his master bow making skills. They actually live just a few blocks from my house and we’ve been to many events together.

I took some of my lanterns but never really got the opportunity to sell any. But, I did get the opportunity to try out different ones in our cabin. I got to see how my candles burned; comparing burn time and brightness. The grungy style that I use does have a longer burn time but does not put off but about half the light of the typical wax candles.

Saturday, afternoon we had a shooting demonstration and I let a number of guys shoot my flintlock. Thankfully, it fired the majority of the time. Simeon even hit the target with it.
I got to meet some Christian brothers there that I had never met before and I believe it turned out to be a great event. Great events don’t always have to be large and the smaller ones usually are better, in my opinion. My hat’s off to Dave, the organizer, and I hope we can do it again soon.

A Glimpse of Light

Every year it takes me by surprise. The suddenness of the drawing in of the winter evenings seems to be much more rapid than the gradual, long lightening of the evenings once we get into the New Year. As we reach December, light is in short supply. Reliable electricity is so much part of our lives that we probably struggle to recall experiences of how dark the nights can be. Camping far from a town or staying somewhere without electricity gives us a clue. Those with long memories may go back to the city-wide power-cuts in the 3 day week of the early 1970's or even the wartime blackout. When everything is dark, a candle or torch seem very puny against the surrounding darkness. Yet even a candle is a great improvement on complete darkness.

No wonder the image of light is so powerful. Light is opposed to darkness. Light is associated with life and joy rather than sorrow, death or disaster. When a light shines in darkness, we can see where we are, recognize other people. We can see the way to go; and the way to avoid. We can see to read or work.

No wonder light is so often used as an image of Christ. It is one that he used of himself in John chapter 8 verse 12.

'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'

There is a well known, though rather sentimental, picture by the Victorian artist William Holman Hunt called The Light of the World. The original is in an Oxford College, but a later copy by the artist hangs in St Paul's Cathedral. A very well-built image of Christ fills the picture. The light comes from behind him, where a new dawn is breaking and in his hand Christ holds a lantern. He is outside a door with no handle, a door which looks so overgrown. It has not been opened for a long time. The scene picks up words from the book of Revelation: "Here I am. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in." This picture had an extraordinary impact on many people at the time. It was taken on tour and even shown in the USA.

Jesus is called the light of the world because he sheds light on a confusing and troubled world. The light of Jesus helps us to know more truly who we are because it shines into the murkiest of corners. In the light of Jesus we can be healed and forgiven. Followers of Christ are called to walk in the light, to live their lives on the basis that the good news about his light and love are a present reality. The invitation is there for us. It is up to us to respond, to open the door into our lives.

We cannot dictate or impose our faith on others. Yet this invitation is not just for our own private benefit. Jesus said he was the light of the world, not just of regular church-goers. The least we can do is to make this known; to invite those around us to look for and experience the light of Christ.

Richard Bainbridge December 2006

Used by permission from the author at the Church of the Good Shepherd with St. Peter, Lee.

Where do you look for joy?

Again, from William Gurnall.

"Where does your road lie, Christian? Where does your soul lead you for joy? Do you go to the Word and read what Christ has done for you on earth, and what He is doing for you in heaven? Is the throne of grace the place to which you resort for good news from that far country where all your treasure lies and your best friends live? Are you listening for the next promise Christ's peace will whisper to your heart? If so, you are not carrying your name for nothing - you are a real Christian."

Can you claim to be a real Christian?

Most of Christendom is made up of old disciples, not new converts!

One of my favorite writers was an English writer named William Gurnall. He wrote back in the mid-1600's. From his book THE CHRISTIAN IN COMPLETE ARMOUR we find this -

"The womb of the gospel has been shut up from bringing forth souls in a solid work of conversion. Of course, if you count those who baptize themselves into new religious feelings with good intentions and wholesome opinions, there are plenty of 'Christians'. But in this age of withering professions of faith and an even weaker practice of holiness, it is hard to find a real convert!

Of course God is pleased to bring the pangs of new birth now and then in our churches so His despised servants may have His seal to confirm their ministry and stop the blazing scorn against the gospel. But it's rarity certainly must be a solemn warning to this nation.

When our burials outnumber births, we must be losing the battle. There is a sad list of holy names taken away from us each day; but where are the ones who are being born to God? If the good ones leave and those who remain are becoming worse and worse, we have every reason to fear God is clearing the ground and making way for judgment!"

Time is short brethern.

Hold fast!

Mark