Resources by Charlie Wingard
Joshua Chamberlain is best remembered as the hero of the battle of Little Round Top at Gettysburg. Today I want to remember him as the author of a remarkable letter. A Bowdoin College professor, Chamberlain possessed no formal military experience when he enlisted after the outbreak of the Civil War. However, he proved himself a quick study in the art of leadership, rapidly rising to the rank of colonel of the 20th Maine. The young leader established himself an able field commander. His clear thinking, personal courage, and command presence under fire were critical in repulsing the Alabama 15th’s attempt to take Little Round Top on July 2, 1863. Had the Confederates succeeded, leaving the Union left flank exposed, the withdrawal of the northern army from Gettysburg would have been…
Read More“O LORD, the buckler and defence of all those who love thee, hear thy poor servants who call upon thee in truth and verity, and deliver them from their enemies. And forasmuch as there is nothing better than to acknowledge and follow thy holy will, chase from us all darkness of error and ignorance; and let thy light so shine over us thy poor church that, being strengthened by thy strength, we may employ ourselves wholly in setting forth thy praises, through Jesus Christ thy dear Son. AMEN.” – Prayers on the Psalms from the Scottish Psalter of 1595 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2010), 52.
Read MoreTomorrow is the 50th anniversary of the death of Winston Churchill, arguably the greatest leader of the 20th century. This brief video contains footage of his state funeral. In yesterday’s National Review Online, Victor Davis Hanson argues that “the United States has never owed more to a foreign citizen than to Winston Churchill, a monumental presence 50 years after his death.”
Read MoreJohn Adams, who would become our second president, travelled across Europe in behalf of the young nation. Even when separated by ocean, he and his beloved wife, Abigail, stayed in touch by letter, expressing their mutual admiration and devotion, offering commentary on the major political issues of the day, and diligently tending to the pressing concerns of family life. Letters took months to arrive, so much consideration was given to their composition. Each thought had to be weighed carefully and expressed clearly, every word just right. In a 1782 letter Abigail informed him of their 17-year-old daughter Nabby’s romantic interest in a promising young lawyer, Royall Tyler, the talented son of an affluent family. Gifted with a sharp mind, he became valedictorian of his class at Harvard. By all accounts,…
Read MoreParents who consider youth sports a pathway to college athletic scholarships will want to read “The Rising Costs of Youth Sports, in Money and Emotion”, which appeared last week in The New York Times. George Washington University’s Mark Hyman offers sound counsel: “Parents think these investments are justified; they think it will lead to a full ride to college. . . That’s highly misinformed. The percentage of high school kids who go on to play in college is extremely small. In most sports it’s under 5 percent. And the number for kids getting school aid is even smaller — it’s 3 percent . . . What I tell parents is if you want to get a scholarship for your kids, you’re better off…
Read MoreLouis Berkhof points out that death is not necessary for sanctification, for Enoch and Elijah were made perfect without experiencing death. Nor is it absolutely essential for delivering us from this present evil age, for God may do this without the instrumentality of death, as he most certainly will for those who remain alive at Christ’s Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Rather “[t]he very thought of death, bereavements through death, the feeling that sickness and sufferings are harbingers of death, and the consciousness of the approach of death, – all have a very beneficial effect on the people of God. They serve to humble the proud, to mortify carnality, to check worldliness and to foster spiritual-mindedness. In the mystical union…
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