Join us for Sunday service followed by coffee and visiting.

Rev. Marlene’s Notes

Hello everyone! Thank-you for the enthusiastic response that I received regarding our exploration of the life of Hildegard of Bingen. There were two questions. One was: How does Hildegard’s life time line up with Martin Luther’s? Well, Hildegard was born in 1098 and died in 1179; while Martin Luther was born roughly 500 years after Hildegard. Luther was born in 1483 and died in 1546.The second question was an observation on the fact that I had mentioned that Hildegard was one of only four women to be named “Doctors of the Church.” The other three women were Theresa of Avila, Catherine of Siena and Thérèsa of Lisieux.

 This week we are looking at the life of Francis of Assisi, who interestingly, was born just after the death of Hildegard in c.1181 and who lived to 1226. St. Francis is often pictured with birds and animals. It is said that he preached about the love of God to anyone who would listen, including the birds. They landed all around him while he talked, and did not fly off until he was done. Father Eric Doyle wrote: “Though physically blind (in later life), Francis was able to see more clearly than ever with the inner eye of his mind. He perceived the basic unity of all creation, and his own place as a friar in the midst of God’s creatures.” An interesting man.

      Rev. Marlene