Poland - Nicolaus Copernicus

Each summer we take our high school students to Poland to serve a local church in helping them facilitate English Camp! We work alongside a ministry called Josiah Venture.

Earlier this week Poland was in the news!

Apparently they have found the grave of Nicolaus Copernicus!

This intrigue's me because we walk by the University where he studied. On the other side of the tall tower and down one street is where he studied in the 16th Century!

It's interesting to find out how the religious leaders responded to his heliocentric model that placed the sun at the center of the solar system. You'll remember, the belief was that the earth was at the center of the solar system! They used the following verses to combat Copernicus:

Psalm 19: "He set the tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it."

Psalm 93: "Thou hast fixed the earth immovable and firm, thy throne firm from of old."

Ecclesiastes 1: "But the earth abideth forever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goes down, and hastens to his place where he arose."

Here's what Martin Luther said, "This fool wants to turn the whole art of astronomy upside down! But as the Holy Scripture testifies Joshua bade the sun to stand still, not the earth."

Here's the passage Luther is referring to in Joshua 10:12-13:

"On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: "O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon." So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on [a] its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day."

I wonder what I am standing for today that in 400 years will prove to be absolutely silly?