Church History for Children

A New Bishop for Milan

“May I go to church too, Mom?”

Maria’s mother hesitated and looked at her husband. They were used to taking Maria along to the church services. Their little girl also had to hear from the Word of God. But now? Their bishop had died, and they didn’t have anyone else to preach to them from God’s Word. Now they were going to have a meeting with all the people so they could decide who would be their bishop in the future. Could they take Maria along?

“If you can be quiet….” Mother said hesitantly.

“I’m sure she can be quiet.” Father gave her a reassuring nod. With a happy smile Maria went to get her coat.

The church at Milan was full; there were people everywhere, standing around to discuss the situation. They looked grave, for it would be a serious decision they had to make. Who would be their bishop? Maria looked around with big round eyes. This was not a regular church service. When the bishop preached, it was always so quiet in the church? The people were talking so loudly! Sometimes it even looked like they were fighting! Some shouted to other people. Oh, to shout such words in the church! Maria became a little bit scared. What was the matter?

Some men came over to her father to talk. “We have to be careful,” they warned him. “There are people here with big mouths who want to have a bishop who is a follower of Arius.”

Her father shook his head. “We must get a bishop who preaches the pure Word of God. We want a bishop who is on the side of Athanasius.”

Suddenly another man cried to her father, “None of that! Be aware of that! We don’t want such a man!”

Oh! Maria was so scared. She looked at the man; he had his fists clenched. No, now Maria wished she had not asked to go along to the church.

Suddenly…it became so quiet in the church. All the people stopped their shouting and quarreling and looked towards the entrance of the church. Maria looked too. Ooh! She held her breath. What a nice looking soldier was standing there! He had a beautiful uniform. Behind him a whole detachment of soldiers came marching into the church.

“That is the governor! The governor is coming!”

From all sides Maria heard his name. Really? Was that the governor? Oh, she had heard his name many times at home already. Ambrose. Her father liked him and spoke often about the young governor. He had a mother who feared the Lord. She let him study in Rome, and he had become a famous lawyer. He was a kind man, and her father had said he also had a new heart. The emperor had made him governor of Milan when he was only twenty-nine years old. Wasn’t that something? Maria had never seen him before, but now there he was!

He looked around at the angry red faces of all the people. Maria saw that his eyes were very sad. Oh, listen, he started to speak.

“Must it go this way? Do you believe that the Lord shall command His blessing upon this? You people should be ashamed of yourselves!”

He earnestly admonished them to stop the fighting. His words made a deep impression.

Maria looked at him with shining eyes. Oh, how kind Ambrose was! And all the people listened to him. They all seemed to like him. No, now they did not quarrel anymore. But what if the governor would go away again? Would they continue the fighting? Or… maybe… if….

Suddenly a thought flashed through Maria’s mind. Her eyes began to sparkle. Oh, if that could be true! Then there would be no more fighting! Suddenly she cried, “Ambrose must become bishop!” At the same moment she was scared and hid her face in her hands. Oh, she had promised to be quiet, and now, she had shouted in the church. Oh, would her father be angry? She did not dare to look at him. Hear, what were they shouting now? All the people had begun to shout the same, “Ambrose is bishop! Ambrose is bishop!”

Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all that she had shouted the name of the governor.

Ambrose stood there perplexed. No, he hadn’t expected this. He shook his head. “No, I cannot do that,” he said.

The people, however, did not let him go. They begged him to be their bishop. Finally after a few days, Maria heard the good news from her father: the governor Ambrose had consented to be their new bishop.

It was Sunday. Now Maria was allowed to go to church again. No, there would be no meeting for a new bishop, but now they would hear the message from God’s Word again. Their new bishop, Ambrose, would preach to them. And how good his preaching was! Maria could follow most of it. No, it was not hard at all. He also warned the children that they had to be converted. Maria knew that already, her mom and dad had also told her that she had to ask for a new heart. She looked at her father. Was he glad with the new bishop? Yes, she could see it in his face.

As they walked home, he talked with Maria’s mother. “Now we have the pure preaching again. The people can hear from the Word of God that the Lord Jesus is the eternal Son of God. The people who do not believe that and who still believe what Arius told them will be disappointed. Maybe they expected something else. I am glad that the Lord gave him to preach the true gospel.”

Maria listened quietly. She did not understand everything. One thing she was sure of. Her father and mother were glad with the new bishop.

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