The Trinity Symposium

"Defining Treason in the Civil War North"
Tuesday August 22, 7:30-9:00pm
Trinity Orthodox Presbyterian Church151
West County Line RoadHatboro, Pennsylvania 19040-1807(215) 675-1811

Defining "loyalty" in wartime has been a challenge in American society since the time of the Revolution. Americans on the home front have often found it difficult to distinguish between loyal citizens and those guilty of treason. Many actions that are tolerated in peacetime become criminal in wartime, and dissent can often be seen as seditious. Never was this problem more apparent than during the American Civil War. In the 1860s the Democratic Party faced many charges of treason and disloyalty for opposing Republican war aims. In this paper Jonathan White examines northern policies for dealing with treason on the home front. He finds a striking parallel between laws adopted during the Revolution and those enacted during War Between the States. In both instances civil liberties, free speech, freedom of the press, and the right peaceably to assemble were severely curtailed. Both wars necessitated restrictions of freedom in order for the nation to prevail—first to be born and then to survive.

Jonathan W. White is a Ph.D. candidate in United States History at the University of Maryland, College Park. He has published articles on Civil War politics in Civil War History, American Nineteenth Century History, The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Perspectives, and Pennsylvania Heritage. He is presently editing the Civil War diary of a prominent Philadelphian, Sidney George Fisher, which is forthcoming with Fordham University Press. His dissertation, "To Aid Their Rebel Friends," is a study of treason, loyalty and nationalism in the Civil War North. Mr. White is a graduate of Phil-Mont Christian Academy (1997) and the Pennsylvania State University (2001).

Service Sunday Is Coming Up September 17

Have you wanted to be involved at Tenth but didn't know where you might fit in? Click here to learn more about Service Sunday.

Baptism Sermons

Sorry I did not communicate yesterday and may not do more today. Am working on Sunday's sermon about baptism. Will be preaching this Sunday on the meaning of baptism and the following Sunday on infant baptism. Only 64% of the Spiritual Health Survey respondents could affirm infant baptism, while all other doctrinal questions received at least a 92% affirmation.

Please know that Tenth's leadership does not consider how one responded to infant baptism to be a measure of spiritual health. It does however reflect on how much attention we have given to the subject, and my two sermons are a response to the need to teach on the subject. (It also reflects that those not hold to infant baptism, nevertheless feel comfortable here as full members of the church.

Please pray that:
1 - I will teach clearly
2 - That the sermons will encourage helpful study and discussion
3 - That the sermons will not cause unnecessary offense because of the manner in which they were given

I will be preaching in a worship service, not lecturing in a debate forum. I need to keep that perspective as will the hearers.

RSVP

I would be interested in comments to this question. I received a recent communication expressing surprise over the few people who respond to an invitation that has "RSVP" written on it. I have had the same experience. Why has it become common that few people will respond to an invitation with RSVP? I wonder if the initials simply don't trigger the mind to think about it, at least among the younger generation. I've determined the next time I need a response to write out, "Please let me hear from you, so I will know how to plan." RSVP is too subtle.

What do you think?

Welcome, Emiola!

Parish Elder David Collins reports the birth of Emiola Adesuwa Adeola to Yahaya and Abike Enakhimion. Emiola was born on August 14th at 10:08PM.

Back from Bolivia

Noah and Seth Cohen are back from Bolivia! Although the arrived late last night (after a long lay over in Miami), they have stories of what God is doing in Colombia. Look for them on Sunday!

Numbers

Some numbers found in the recent byFaith magazine:

Mission to the World reports that 212 PCA churches are engaged in global church-planting partnerships. MTW partners with 438 national church planters. It has just under 600 long-term missionaries, 64% of whom are in church planting.

Reformed University Ministries has 110 campus ministries in 31 states and four countries abroad.

Library Notice

Tenth Library's Summer Reading Contest for kids and teens wraps up Sunday, August 20. Please submit all book report sheets, even incomplete ones, in the library (C-4) after either morning service. All participants will receive a small prize. Grand prizes will be awarded September 10.

Books loaned for Tenth Women's summer reading groups can be picked up from the library (C-4). Thanks to all who loaned books and enabled more women to participate in these fruitful times of discussion and fellowship.

Thanks so much!
Laurel Garver
librarian

Training Course

If you've been thinking about becoming better equipped to be one of God's instruments of change, The Philadelphia Access Center in South Philly will be hosting a "Changing Hearts/Changing Lives" training course on Saturday mornings, 9:30 till 11:30, from September 9th through December 9th. Please register soon because seating is limited. The deadline for registration is August 31st. For more information, contact Joe Welch at jwelch@philaccess.org or call PAC at 215 389-1985.

Ryken Report

(Lisa Ryken sends in this report from her men.)

Here is the week's news from Phil and Josh that you might be interested in:

(Sunday, Josh wrote) We're here in sunny and very cold South Africa. How is everyone? We're having a great time. The day we got in we went to a very cool lion park where we got to be a couple of feet away from lions (in a car) and even hold baby lions. Yesterday I slept untill 11:50 and then we went to a bird place. Today dad preached two services; then we went to a black church.

(Monday) Everything is going super here. The teaching seems to be well received, well attended, etc. Josh is having some great experiences (as am I).

(Saturday) We are in Durban now, and still doing quite well. Josh is having a super time. It looks like we have Monday off -- a needed rest. The breakfast meeting went quite well today. Over a hundred for sure; fairly impressive, really, for a breakfast turnout. Pretty much the whole church there for a talk on the arts. Josh and I will be with Michael Cassidy on Monday night. This is a significant benefit of the trip: Josh overhearing conversations about ministry with Christian people in a far place -- a lot of important things get reinforced.

I talked to him briefly yesterday and things seem to be going well.

Lisa

Back in the Saddle

Paul Jones is back in the saddle again. All pastoral staff are back from their wanderings except for Phil who is still roaming about in South Africa. Pat and Dot are taking off this morning to find a Christmas tree for the church. Now that's preparedness!

Sunday Preaching

Many of you may not know that John Perkins preached again Sunday evening. This was a last minute change that Chris Seah graciously assented to. Chris will preach the evening of September 3. Dr. Perkins preached from Zechariah 8:1-17 on "Thy Kingdom Come." We even squeezed a third sermon out of him Sunday afternoon when he accepted a last minute invitation to "say a few words" to our Community Dinner guests. Dr. Perkins doesn't "say a few words"!

Email Down

Our email is down again this morning if you are trying to reach the church.