At the Chalcedon Foundation, we assert the crown rights of Jesus Christ, Lord of Lords and King of Kings–which is what this hymn does, better than I know how to do. Onward, Christian Soldiers was published in 1871 and was for long a popular hymn–until Political Correctness and namby-pambyism sank its claws into the mainline/flatline churches.
Turn up the volume on this one!
Conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly–patriot, benefactor to her country, who stopped the Equal Rights Amendment and made respect for the lives of unborn babies a cornerstone of American conservatism–died Monday at the age of 92.
I’ll always remember Mrs. Schlafly because I had the privilege of interviewing her in 2009. It was not a good time for her to be giving interviews, because she was recovering from an injury sustained in a fall off a stage during one of her speeches. If I’d known about that, I wouldn’t have troubled her. But I didn’t know, and rather than bite my head off for not knowing, Phyllis Schlafly made time to discuss a hot public official with a reporter that she’d never heard of, writing for a Christian education ministry (me, writing for the Chalcedon Foundation).
We talked about the proposed new Constitutional Convention, or “ConCon,” which was a pretty hot topic in 2009 and, in fact, pretty close to becoming a reality. Mrs. Schlafly opposed it. When she was done presenting her arguments, I opposed it to. She was extremely gracious and even more persuasive. ( http://chalcedon.edu/faith-for-all-of-life/restoring-spiritual-capital/conconcontroversy-new-constitutional-convention-in-the-works/ ) She had a knack for bringing up points that you never thought of before, but should have.
In 1972 the Equal Rights Amendment was all but a done deal. But then Phyllis Schlafly rolled up her sleeves and started asking questions; and when the American people heard the answers–or, more often, the failure to answer the question–the deal got undone. Mrs. Schlafly kept up the fight for ten years until the ERA finally ran out of time in 1982, having failed to get the last three states needed for ratification.
And no, she wasn’t afraid to oppose something cleverly labeled “Equal Rights Amendment” in hopes of scaring off the opposition by raising an eyebrow and exclaiming incredulously, “You’re against equal rights?” Tricks like that didn’t work on her.
Phyllis Schlafly will never be forgiven for proving, time and time again, that the Smart People of America are really anything but.
She will enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven forevermore.
The Fugitive Prince is No. 5 in my Bell Mountain series. Collect all seven!
Another few chapters and I’ll be done writing the first draft of The Throne (Bell Mountain No. 9), which I began in April. I don’t know why this book went so fast. I do know I’ll miss it terribly when it’s done. Like, my baby has grown up and moved to Manchuria.
I know what the last line of the story is, and I know the incidents leading up to it. I just have to get them into the right order.
Meanwhile, we at Chalcedon/Storehouse Press are trying heroically to get The Temple (No. 8) ready so it’ll be on sale in time for Christmas. I just finished the last proof-reading today, and we’re waiting for a cover from artist Kirk DouPonce. I have no idea whether it can possibly be done on time.
But then I really have no idea how I write these books in the first place. I ask God for the story and He gives it to me–sometimes a little bit at a time, sometimes in a big flash.
If you would like to join the few, the proud, who have enjoyed these books, you can get started right here just by clicking “Books” and having a look around.