All posts by Eden Lumsden

About Eden Lumsden

Eden is loving wife to Derrick Lumsden and full-time mother to five little men and one little lady. She grew up attending the New Church of Phoenix, went to the GC College, married a priest and was promptly shipped off with him to Africa. They spent 6yrs enjoying the people and culture at the Westville New Church, near Durban, South Africa before returning to the USA in 2014. They currently live in Kempton, Pennsylvania where they dabble in self-sufficiency, homeschool their boys, and scheme of ways to help the Church. Eden finds the True Christian teachings about women and marriage to be particularly profound.

The Governors of the Church

Quotes and Reflections

With the Clergy selecting a new Bishop this summer, I’ve observed a lot of people seeking to understand how our Church is structured. I too am curious and have been reading through various documents.

I will admit to being frustrated by the lack of clarity around the General Church’s structure and process.

But the Lord Truths calm me down.

This week I have been feeling especially grateful to Him for giving His Church the very practical and direct teachings on Church Government in the last chapter of New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrines.

Have a look! I have bolded the Truths I personally find most relevant or striking. The last paragraph, in particular, is quite counter-cultural in tone. And I’m very curious to hear what other ladies glean from it all:

“ECCLESIASTICAL and CIVIL GOVERNMENT

311.There are two things which ought to be in order with men, namely, the things which are of heaven, and the things which are of the world. The things which are of heaven are called ecclesiastical, and those which are of the world are called civil. Continue reading The Governors of the Church →

Peddling Salvation by Charity Alone

Article

Warning: the following advertisement may have been produced under the pressures of a time crunch and a house full of sick kids. Extreme snarkiness is possible. Read at your own risk.

“Everyone who lives a good life goes to Heaven!” You’ve all heard that catchy phrase, well now this cheerfully inclusive worldview can be yours—just subscribe to the idea of Salvation-By-Charity-Alone.

No longer is Faith-Alone your route to heavenly happiness—nowadays its all about Charity: “as long as a person is living a good life, they are eternally set,” the Charity-Alone advocate says.

Imagine the peace of mind this philosophy will bring you when you think about your friends and family who may not be living that traditional “Christian” lifestyle. There will be no more embarrassment, no more distress and certainly no need to direct them to Truths which tell them their lifestyle is wrong. Since faith isn’t a component of Salvation, having a relationship with God and seeking out what He says about an issue isn’t strictly necessary.
Continue reading Peddling Salvation by Charity Alone →

The Best Gift This Christmas

Quotes and Reflections

The Lord, in all His conflicts brought about by temptations, never fought out of self-love, that is, for Himself, but for all throughout the universe. He did not fight therefore to become the greatest in heaven, for that is contrary to Divine love. He scarcely did so to become the least. He fought solely so that all others might become something and be saved, as He Himself also declares in Mark,

The two sons of Zebedee said, Grant us to sit in Your glory, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left. Jesus said, Whoever would be great among you must be your minister, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man also came not to be ministered to but to minister, and to give His life as the price of redemption for many. Mark 10:37, 43-45.

Arcana Coelestia 1812

Pay No Attention to the Woman Behind the Curtain

Article

A few weeks ago, I attended the International Clergy Meetings in Bryn Athyn, USA.

Or did I?

I think everyone can agree that I was in Bryn Athyn at the time, but whether I was present at the Meetings themselves… well, you can decide.

I first realized that there was some confusion while at the Clergy & Wives dinner. There, we wives had been toasted by our husbands, “we couldn’t do this without you.” Juxtaposed against that, after dinner I learned that a group of women had set up a protest—they had left shoes outside the door of the room where the Meetings were being held. Empty shoes meant to display the absence of women’s voices in the governing of the Church.
Continue reading Pay No Attention to the Woman Behind the Curtain →