Ever hear of St. Boniface? I am always astonished at how much I don’t know about the lives of godly believers down through the ages. Although I’ve still never had enough nerve to read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, I am continually finding new books telling the stories of saintly souls who have loved and served their Creator and His beloved creation.
Saint Boniface by Cornelis Bloemaert, c. 1630 (Public Domain)
One such man was Saint Boniface (ca. 675-754), who was born in Southern England as “Winfrid” and became the most significant early missionary to the people of Germany.
He is sometimes credited with creating the vision for the “Holy Roman Empire” of the medieval period and the notion of a “Christian Europe.”
Two years ago, Alan and I had the privilege of exploring some of the sites connected with St. Boniface while visiting Jonathan’s family in Germany. (This photo is of St. Boniface’s tomb in the Fulda Cathedral on the day we visited.)
Best of all, we had the joy of attending the baptismal service for their three daughters,
who were baptized in Germany’s oldest natural baptismal, just down the mountain from the monastery St. Boniface established over 1500 years ago, in 721 A.D.
Jon at Hoher Dom zu Fulda in Germany
After much research and meditation, Jonathan has developed a one-hour Benefit Lecture to explore the sites and artifacts of Boniface’s missionary work and reflect on the question of his enduring legacy. He will present this on Thursday, May 9, 2024 from 2:00-3:00 pm New York City time. If you’ve got an hour to learn more about one of Christianity’s early missionaries and what we can learn from his life, please join in at Aqueduct Project! Here’s a link where you can check out what’s available (always free) and register if you’d like:
Statue of Jesus in the St. Boniface Cathedral in Fulda, Germany
“Through Him [Jesus] we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:5-6).
This coming Monday, April 15, 2024, from 8:00-9:00 am New York City time, my son Jonathan and a co-worker, Matthew Derek, will be sponsoring a one-hour workshop on the topic of prayer in a virtual reality setting. If you’re a high-tech, sci-fi-loving sort of person, you may find this fun and fascinating!
Jon explains, “Virtual Reality (VR) is a technology that has long existed in the twilight between science fiction and science fact. First introduced to the consumer market in 2016, VR now offers a number of unique advantages to global prayer networks such as Aqueduct Project. This interactive workshop will offer an orientation to Prayer Room Neapolis (Our first VR Prayer Room) and discuss some of the particularities of facilitating prayer in an immersive environment. Participants are not required to have access to a VR headset.”
Interested? Here’s a link to register if you’d like to join in!
Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Do you find yourself wondering why people believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Or, do you believe but still find yourself a little confused by the Gospel accounts of the resurrection? The resurrection is the keystone to the Christian faith. As the Apostle Paul argued, either the resurrection changes everything or Christianity is a fraud. In this Benefit Lecture, Dr. Armstrong will attempt to harmonize the literary accounts of the resurrection in the Gospels as well as investigate the archaeology of the traditional site of the resurrection in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
You can scan the QR code above or click on the link below to learn more about this crucial topic (and register if you’d like to attend):
Have a little time to graze in some of God’s green pastures?
The Psalms are the written record of the hopes, fears, and prayers of ancient Israel. In the centuries since they were written, they have served to guide the prayers of the people of God spread across the earth. This course is designed to give participants an introduction to the Psalms, specifically reflecting on how the Psalms can shape our life of prayer.
This free class from Aqueduct Project starts this Thursday, March 7, 2024 and will continue for six weeks on Thursdays until April 11th from 3:00-4:00 pm New York City time. PLEASE NOTE: This is different from the 2-3 pm notice in the photo above! It will be co-taught by Dr. Jonathan Armstrong and Dr. David Wang, who are two of the wisest guys I know! 🙂 Truly, they are also humble, knowledgable, and capable teachers, so I believe this class will be one of the best ever!
If you want to learn more, use the QR code above or click on this link:
Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”
Have a heart for the unity of the Church and the global mission of sharing the love of God? Got an hour?
If so, I’d like to invite you to join me (and others at AQ) on Wednesday, February 28th, 9:00-10:00 New York City time, for a one-hour, multilingual prayer service (English, Spanish, and German), where we will join together as a global community and pray the Moravian Daily Texts (Psalm 7:2 and Matthew 10:19) for the cause of world mission. The prayer service will feature live reports from several missionaries. / Durante este servicio de oraciĂłn multilingĂĽe de una hora de duraciĂłn, nos uniremos como comunidad global y rezaremos los Textos Moravos Diarios (Salmo 7:2 y Mateo 10:19) por la causa de la evangelizaciĂłn mundial. El servicio de oraciĂłn contará con informes en directo de varios misioneros. / Während dieser mehrsprachigen Gebetsstunde werden mehrere Missionare live ĂĽber ihre Arbeit berichten. Wir beten als globale Gemeinschaft fĂĽr die Verbreitung des Evangeliums weltweit und fĂĽr den Schutz der verfolgten Kirche, unter Berufung auf die Herrnhuter Tageslosung (Psalm 7,2 und Matthäus 10,19).
Jesus prayed to God the Father, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:20-21, NKJV).
“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28.20, ESV)Â
The following reflection is a sampler from the course, “Lectio Divina: Learning to Pray the Scriptures,” with Matthew Dereck, which just began today. It will be ongoing every Friday morning from 8:00-9:00 am (Eastern Time) from January 26 – March 1, 2024. Matthew sent out this greeting, which I want to pass along to you:
Dear Praying Friends,
Jesus promised that he would forever be with his followers. This promise, made possible through the work of the Holy Spirit, is repeated in various ways throughout the New Testament (see 1 Corinthians 6:17, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:1-10, Colossians 2:6, Colossians 2:10, 1 John 4:13, etc.). However, we as Christians often fail to live in the experience of that promise. How often do we go about our lives without recognition of God’s presence with us? If we are not careful, we can forget about God’s presence even when we are going about spiritual activities such as reading the Bible. Our time in the Word can become merely something to check-off a to-do list before going on to the other activities of our day.
Many Christians have explored how to overcome this human tendency to forget the presence of God. Once such Christian was Brother Lawrence, a lay brother at a monastery in Paris in the 1600’s. In his book, Practicing the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence is quoted as saying: “We need only to recognize God intimately present with us and address ourselves to Him every moment. We need to beg His assistance for knowing His will in things doubtful and for rightly performing those which we plainly see He requires of us, offering them to Him before we do them, and giving Him thanks when we have completed them.”
Brother Lawrence Image courtesy of Mindful Christian Year
One method of practicing the presence of God is called “pondering prayer.” David Benner writes: “We can think through issues and try to come to a decision on our own, or we can think through issues and try to come to a decision in communion with God. The latter is prayer – what I am calling pondering prayer” (Opening to God, 97). Picturing God walking alongside you and actively seeking Him as you wrestle through a difficult life decision, as you try to understand a passage of Scripture, or as you plan out your day takes daily tasks and turns them into prayer. When we practice pondering prayer, we can learn all the more to be Christians who, in recognition of God’s presence, “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
This is one of many topics that will be explored in our course, “Lectio Divina: Learning to Pray the Scriptures.” The course launched today, Friday, January 26, but registration is still open! We hope to see you there.
What do you think of the idea of sharing a communion service online? In this one-hour workshop (coming up in just two days— this Wednesday, January 24), two members of the Aqueduct Project team will present recommendations on practicing the Lord’s Supper in an online environment. The workshop is divided into two parts. First, they will review principles from the Bible on how Communion should be celebrated. Second, they will conduct an interactive exercise in arranging an online Communion service.
If you love communion, miss communion, or (like some of my friends) celebrate communion every chance you can get—please consider joining David Wang and Jonathan Armstrong on January 24 from 2:00-3:00 New York City time as we meditate together on the practice of holy communion.
Dr. David Wang
David is happy and humbled to be included on Aqueduct Project’s Board of Intercessors. Most of his spiritual growth has taken place in churches that value the priesthood of all believers without paid clergy. He is an academic, an artist, a husband, a father and grandfather. He is also a lover of the Word of God, which is new every morning.
Dr. Jonathan Armstrong
Jonathan is the founder and president of Aqueduct Project. While completing doctoral studies in historical theology at Fordham University in New York City, Jonathan served as the graduate assistant to his Eminence, Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., from whom he gained an interest in the unity of the worldwide Christian church. Jonathan is fascinated by emerging technology and is incredibly inspired by the way that God is opening doors for Christian churches everywhere to learn from one another.
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17).
As the end of 2023 year approaches, I’d like to draw your attention to another ending—the End Times of this world. “Fascination… Confusion… Conviction…” these are only a few words to describe common reactions to a subject that should be an integral part of our Christian foundation. Join us during January on Tuesday afternoons for a series of one-hour, discussion-driven sessions exploring both familiar and unfamiliar passages and themes with the goal of developing an increased appreciation and a deeper sense of personal revelation concerning the return of our Lord.*
The teaching will be spearheaded by Satt Scrivner and Jonathan Friz. Jonathan is the visionary founder of the 10 Days movement (2004-present) and also serves as Coordinator for the New England Alliance (2009-present). Jonathan is driven by a desire to see Jesus receive the answer to His prayer in John 17, “Let them be one as we are one.” He has an undergraduate degree in philosophy and liberal arts from St. John’s College, Santa Fe (2004) and a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (2009).
Please come join us as we sit together at the feet of Jesus, learning about what the Bible teaches concerning the End Times. I’m looking forward to the study being a wonderful New Beginning for 2024, and I hope if you come, it will also mark a beautiful New Beginning for you too!
If you’re interested, here’s a direct link to register and check out all the upcoming courses. As always on Aqueduct Project, this course is offered free of charge.
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).
(*Taken from AQ’s website explaining the upcoming series. Photo credit for last picture: Timothy Eberly, from Unsplash)
Have you ever wondered how much of the Christmas story we can trust as actual fact? The Gospel of Luke provides a detailed account of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, and still questions remain. Dr. Andreas Gerstacker sifts through the current research with a critical eye and shows us why we can rely on the accuracy of Luke’s telling of the Christmas story. This historical lecture will deepen your faith and enrich your celebration of the miracle of the birth of Jesus this Christmas season!
Dr. Andreas Gerstacker is a specialist in classical antiquity who lectures at the Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg, Germany. Dr. Gerstacker is also the author of a book exploring the historicity of the account of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospel of Luke (German title: “Was geschah an Weihnachten,” SMD, 2016).
On a personal note, Alan got to know Andreas when they both went to Israel with Jonathan last spring, and both Alan and I got to spend some wonderful time in his home meeting their family and touring with them while in Germany a couple of weeks ago. Dr. Gerstacker is a devoted husband and father as well as a brilliant scholar who loves God with all his heart.
Alan and I have signed up for this benefit lecture already, and I hope we’ll see you there! If you’re interested, I’ve listed a direct link below where you can register as well as check out other upcoming opportunities for spiritual growth. As with all Aqueduct Project courses, Dr. Gerstacker’s lecture is free.
Got an hour or two or more to invest in spiritual growth online, from the comfort of your own home? I’m excited to share with you some wonderful opportunities coming up through Aqueduct Project. The first one starts tomorrow and is a book study on Mere Christianity. This is one of my all-time favorite books, because through reading C.S. Lewis’s simple but wise ponderings both my mother and my Aunt Helen came to faith. Whether you’re a believer or would like to believe but still have reservations, this book will stretch you spiritually and help build your faith.
The second offering is a one-hour presentation on Martin Luther given by my son, Jonathan, although I get to be there to introduce him and help field questions at the end (which I’ll most surely be directing to Jon!). 🙂 Anyway, lots of great opportunities coming up, led by men and women who’ve been walking with the Lord for many years. Please come and be blessed!
“Finding Mere Christianity” A 6-Week Book Study with Matthew Dereck
In his final hours, Jesus prayed that his Church would be one even as he and his Father were one (John 17:20). More often than not, however, Christians are divided into different camps on a variety of biblical and theological issues. This course will emphasize the points that unite Christians around the world and across time. Together, we will explore what it means to be united amid diversity in the Church as we seek to find mere Christianity.
“In the Footsteps of Martin Luther: The Wartburg” A Benefit Lecture by Dr. Jonathan J. Armstrong
In this one-hour guided tour, we will explore one of Europe’s most famous castles and the effect of Martin Luther’s translation of the New Testament (which he completed in this castle in the spring of 1522) on the Reformation. This Benefit Lecture will be conducted on Monday, October 16, 2023. There is no need to book a flight or pack your bags! All you will need to bring is curiosity about how God leads his people—in the lives of the saints of the past as well as today—and a cup of tea!
This will be the first in a series of four Benefit Lectures where we’ll be following in the footsteps of Martin Luther. This coming Monday, we’ll be exploring one of the most significant castles in the world: the Wartburg in Eisenach, Germany. It was here that Luther translated the New Testament from May 1521‒March 1522. We will see how Luther’s translation of the Bible sustained the Reformation and how God sometimes does his most important works in our times of confinement and waiting.
“Prayer Walking” A Workshop by Matthew Dereck and Phyliss Hammerstrom Wright
“For the believer the grace and demand of God are mediated through the concrete situation.” This one-hour workshop will explore the physical practice of walking as a concrete practice of spiritual devotion to our Lord. We will consider tools for praying with, though, and for places along our path, and postures of being oriented to our God as we walk our city’s streets, our park’s paths, our countries’ lanes: this Biblical landscape of life.
“Learning to Pray the Prayers of Paul” An 8-Week Lecture Series by Jason Hubbard
In this course we will explore both the biblical theology of prayer from Paul and the prayers that Paul prayed for the churches in the letters that he penned! You will discover the key themes of Paul’s prayers, learning how to pray “Biblical Prayer” all for His Glory, and your Joy! You will gain simple tools to help you draw closer to the heart of God in prayer!
“Toward A Faithful Education” A Workshop Presented by Jonathan Friz with Panel Member Scott Key
What is the place of the Study Center in the future of Christian higher education? The Consortium of Christian Study Centers (CCSC) offers the following definition: “Christian Study Centers are communities of students and scholars animated by the ancient ideal of faith seeking understanding.” After a presentation by Jonathan Friz, a panel discussion including Scott Key (C. S. Lewis Study Center in Northfield, Massachusetts) will follow.
“Study to show yourself approved by God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, Modern English Version).
Summer Setting 