Serrmon: "All belong to you, and you belong to Christ"
Text: 1 Corinthians 3
Speaker: Joel Miller
Last weekend our family went to the Mennonite Arts Weekend in Cincinnati. Columbus was well represented with quite a few you also there. During the Friday evening keynote, artist Jerry Holsopple described one of his many creative loves – painting icons – or more technically, writing icons – something he studied on a Fulbright scholarship in Lithuania under the mentorship of Father Vladimir.
One of his icons he showed us was Maximillian, a 3rd century North African born to an official in the Roman army. At age 21 Maximillian was obligated to enlist, but refused, declaring that as a Christian he could not swear allegiance to the emperor or serve in the army. Because of this, he was beheaded. There were likely others before him, but Maximillian is the earliest recorded Christian conscientious objector.
Another icon was St. Maria of Paris, a more recent martyr. Maria was an intellectual and a poet who took monastic...