Where Good Guys Wear Black

Looking toward the Epiphany

2012-01-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

I read something I had to laugh at the other day…If you could overhear the wise men while they were on their journey what statements would you have heard them saying …Perhaps…

1. Man, I'm starting to get a rush from this frankincense!.. By the way…Many of us in the clergy can identify with at one.
2. You guys ever eat camel meat? I hear it tastes like chicken.
3. What would possess your parents to name you Balthazar anyhow?
4. Okay, whose camel just spit on me?
5. We’re going to have to pull over. All this staring at a star while riding a camel is making me sick at my stomach.

At Christmas time we celebrate God’s coming into the world. God came to us in the form of a human being…A little infant. Not very likely, if you think about it. God coming to us as a baby…Tiny…Fragile… Humble….In our modern and secular thinking we have to ask, Why not an angel ablaze with glory holding a gleaming sword of fire? Why not in the form of a wise and caring philosopher that respects everyone and their individual points of view?

No…. That’s not how it happened. In that unlikely place, at that unlikely time, in a very unlikely way, God’s light came into the world.

We are coming up toward the feast that marks the end of the Christmas season this week. This week we celebrate the light of Christ coming to us personally: our own moment of enlightenment when we come to know, each of us, that Christmas, that God’s light,is meant for us. This week the Church calendar ushers in the Epiphany.

Epiphany is a huge celebration in certain parts of the world. Almost as big as Christmas itself. Why? Because, it is the celebration of Jesus being introduced to all mankind. In Epiphany Jesus is just not introduced to the Jewish world…He is introduced to the whole world. For God and His love has been revealed to us.

According to the very earliest texts the earliest celebration of Epiphany in the Church was prior to the year 194. Earlier even than the Nicene Creed. When we think of Epiphany we think of the wise men….The Magi. The wise men came from the East, possibly from Persia. They were most certainly astrologers. We traditionally number them as being three because three gifts are specifically named in the Gospel of Matthew. Scripture never states the specific number of wise men.

The Magi…The Wise Men take part in a journey that would seem foolish by today‘s standards. The Magi followed their hearts not knowing their exact destination.
They took part in an arduous journey through the desert to find the location of a newborn king. The journey of the Magi is symbolic of our journey in life. Just as the magi search for Jesus, our lives can be seen as a journey…With the goal of our lives finding salvation.

Anglican Bishop JC Ryle wrote about the wise men, “Let us walk in the steps of their faith. Let us not be ashamed to believe in Jesus and confess Him, though all around us remain careless and unbelieving. Have we not a thousand-fold more evidence than the wise men had, to make us believe that Jesus is the Christ? Beyond doubt we have. Yet where is our faith?”

Bishop Ryle asks a good question, “Where is our faith?’…“Where is our faith?”

The wise men followed their faith… They didn’t give up their knowledge of the stars or their learning…However, they trusted in something more important than themselves.
They sought to be obedient to God and His will.

In our modern world and in so many denominations out there you find people acting as if “personal opinion” were somehow equal to God and His teachings. It’s where you get clergy and seminaries teaching things like “abortion is a blessing”…Yes, a head of a famous seminary said that recently. It’s where people get the idea that the “Bible is a collection of historical documents”, instead of being the Word of God. It’s where you get a leader of a national church that says, “To say Jesus is the only way is to put God in a very small box.”

Many in our modern world could learn a lot from the wise men. The Magi sought God and His direction in their lives.
Our lives are a journey to Christ in that each day we are called to search for God just as the wise men did. We find Christ in our lives in many ways. We find Christ in our lives through prayer and the reading of scripture. We find Him in our interaction with those around us. We are called to encounter Christ in the service that we do for the least of our brothers and sisters.

We are called to Christ through attending church, taking part in the sacraments and worshipping together. We are called to Christ by being brave enough to step out of our comfort zone and standing up for what is right. I invite you to insert yourselves into the story of the wise men. We are not only to seek Christ in our lives but we are to bring Christ to others. We are to seek His will. We are to bring the truth of Jesus’ message to others in the world.

As members of the body of Christ our lives are a testimony to others. Where we stand…And who we stand with honors our Father in Heaven. I ask you to think about something for a minute….The story of the Magi calls us to be manifestations of Christ to the people we come into contact with.

Just as the infant Jesus was a manifestation of God’s love so our lives are to be a manifestation of Christ. Yes, our lives are to be Epiphanies to all those whom we come into contact with. Just as the Magi undertook a dangerous journey in the distant past God calls those who believe in Him to take a journey today. By believing in God’s word. By standing up for what is right. By refusing to put a wall around ourselves and saying, “Those people out there can be heretics but I’m safe within the confines of my own individual church…As long as we hold the line right here.”

By being brave enough to take a journey those of us in the Anglican Church in North America and the Reformed Episcopal Church are now walking in the steps of the Magi. Each of the wise men had to make a personal decision to leave their home, their family and friends to come to worship Christ.

The Magi were probably inconvenienced along the way. But their focus was on God. Many who are part of the Anglican Church in North America had to walk away from a lot. Clergy have walked away from pensions and laity from beautiful buildings that their families had had worshipped in for generations. But they gained so much more…For they now walk with Christ. They…Now follow God’s will.

We are on an ancient journey which started long ago.

You and I are walking the path of the wise men this very day. For we seek His will… And not our own. We live in a world that is sorely in need of Jesus Christ. We know the truth… All the fancy philosophy in the world. All the pretty buildings and stained glass…They won’t help someone when they are on their death bed one bit… Only the truth revealed in scripture can do that.

In the Epiphany season we celebrate how Christ was first revealed to all the nations of the world. This time reminds us that the salvation of Jesus Christ is a salvation for all people. This season reminds us that the Epiphany of Christ did not end in Bethlehem but instead continues to this very day. Let us continue on our journey…The journey the Magi started. A journey to discover His will for us.

Holy Innocents

2011-12-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

St. Matthew ii. 13.
THE angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Christmas… A time of happiness?

Yes… And… No.

I learned a valuable lesson at five years old. My parents took me to a Christmas tree farm out in the country and we picked out a beautiful spruce tree and actually watched the owner of the farm cut it down with a chain saw.

We took the tree home and decorated it. Being the early 1970’s we put the rather large old fashioned type of Christmas tree lights on it. You know…The old fashioned kind of lights that you really only see used outside now days.After decorating the tree we sat back and drank some hot chocolate and talked and we marveled at the beauty of three. It had some very fragile glass ornaments on it and literally several pounds of the silver looking string tinsel you also don’t see very often anymore on indoor trees.

I woke up the next morning and realized that the lights on the Christmas tree had been left on all night when I walked past the living room. And… Those large old fashioned lights were known for getting pretty hot. Even at five years old I realized that to leave the lights on the tree plugged in all night was a fire hazard.
I quickly ran up and looked at the tree. And… Suddenly, I saw hundreds… Literally, many hundreds of baby spiders crawling everywhere.

Some of the spiders had crawled onto the lights and had burned to death and shriveled up. However, almost all of them were very much alive. The spiders were dropping onto the presents. They covered the ornaments. Again… The spiders were literally everywhere. It looked like the whole tree was squirming and moving.Obviously, baby spiders had hatched out during the night as we had slept. There must have been an egg case in the branches of the tree that we simply didn’t see when we decorated it.

I was filled with fear and anguish. I ran and hurriedly woke my parents up. My father cursed and went to the spare bedroom and hurriedly wrapped a sheet around the tree. He pulled the plug to the Christmas lights out of the wall so hard sparks literally flew everywhere. My Dad then pulled the tree…Ornaments and all and threw it on the edge of the street for the garbage man to pick-up.My mother was despondent and simply cried inconsolably.

Christmas was pretty much ruined that year.

That incident taught me at a very early age bad things happen at Christmas. I recall a few years back I that had a newly ordained member of the clergy call me and ask about, “all the negativity on the Church Calendar right after Christmas.” This individual was talking about the Martyrdom of St. Stephen on the 26th of December, The Feast of the Holy Innocents celebrated on the 28th of December that commemorates all the innocent male children that died by King Herod’s order when he was trying to kill the infant Jesus and the Martyrdom of St. Thomas Beckett on the 29th of December.

Holy Innocents has always been a special day at our house. Not only do we like it as a feast day...But both my wife and dog have birthdays on December 28th. My wife, Sabrina, is always happy when it falls close enough to Sunday to be celebrated during a regular service. No such luck this year.

Although, the world has already moved on to the next holiday on the Hallmark calendar…We in the church get to keep singing Christmas songs, celebrating, and hanging on to that warm and wonderful Christmas feeling….Right?…Well… No…Not really…. Our reading for the Holy Innocents hits us in the face like one of those giant inch and a half thick candy canes (which I loved as kid) across the bridge of our nose…With the terrible story about the slaughter of innocent babies….

Herod, that evil king, in his desire to preserve his power, had a whole village of children under two years old murdered. Just to make sure he would have no competition for his throne. He had heard, through the wise men from the East, that a king had been born. But the wise men had fled back home without telling Herod exactly who this “new“ king was.

Into our season of Christmas joy our lectionary reading destroys our all our holiday cheer with the thought of babies dying, innocent children, at the hands of a tyrant….Let’s look at it like this…The Gospels are not only concerned with spreading the joy of Jesus Christ (which I assure you they are). They are also given to us to explain the truth….You and I all know that the truth is not always a pretty thing. Matthew is not worried about our holiday spirit as much as he is about showing us truth.

The whole point of Christmas is to give hope to tragedies like the Holy Innocents…..I’m going to say that again…. The whole point of Christmas is to give hope to tragedies like this. To say to those suffering, in pain, “fear not, for I bring you tidings of great joy – a Savior is born!” When we start thinking in these terms it makes sense that we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents in the Christmas Season. For we no longer have NO hope…We have a Savior. We have Jesus Christ…We now have hope! We now have nothing to fear!

The world is a hard place…. and like Herod it will try to silence the Good News of Jesus Christ. The harshness of this world will try to distract us and make us doubt. The world will bring each of us trouble and heartache. Each one of us carry heartache….Our own burdens. Our own anguish in our hearts….But now…We can “fear not”.

But rather than letting the harshness of this world turn us away from Jesus, let us rely on Christ as the Savior from all our suffering…A savior from our brokeness and heartbreak. For the promise of his birth, now fulfilled, shows God's faithfulness in all His promises of forgiveness and the paradise that waits for all those who just believe.

Whatever tragedy you face, whatever cause for weeping and mourning, whatever great sadness or guilt or pain you bring here today…Or, will face tomorrow – find hope in Christ. Find forgiveness and blessing. Look forward in faith and trust in a God who always keeps his promises… “Fear not”.

The Holy Innocents…Were among the first martyrs of the Church. They were some of the first to give their lives for Christ. The Holy Innocents helped God save his Son, and kept Jesus from the slaughter, only to give him over to a horrible and cruel death, later to a different Herod. Why? Because Jesus had a mission. We have to realize that if one separates the Incarnation from the Crucifixion, one doesn’t fully get Christmas…Or, Christianity for that matter.

Our greatest present this season does not come from under a tree but HE did die on one. Christ’s resurrection from suffering and death becomes our resurrection from the cold dark grave of despair… Jesus was delivered, and so are we.

May your Christmas heartache give way to Christmas joy, as you find hope and comfort in the Christ who was born for you. Who died for you…And…Who is a present for you……………Merry Christmas!

Today

2011-12-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

Today we begin to celebrate Christmas. All the shopping and wrapping, all the decorating and preparing, all the card-writing and frantic running around like chickens with our heads cut off (as my grandma would have said) has led up to today. In the church, all the Advent hymns, and our Advent wreath, all our focus on the spiritual and our preaching about growing closer to God during the Advent season has been leading up to today. Our celebration of Christ's birth.

Today and tomorrow Christmas is here. It's the day we've all been waiting for…Today… Yesterday is history…Today is a gift….Today we can choose to let go of sin and follow Christ. The word, “today” is a key word in one of my favorite passages in scripture. It's the word the angels used to announce the good news to the shepherds in Luke.

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

Thus the birth of God's long-awaited redeemer was introduced to a darkened, weary, and exhausted world. I learned recently that the words "Fear not" appear in the Bible exactly 365 times. Did you ever wonder why? Did you ever wonder why we are not to fear? The reason is that a Savior has been presented -- a Deliverer, a rescuer, one who is adequate to free us from any threat and danger in any situation….Including…DEATH.

Today and tomorrow are the ending of our journey which has been Advent. God's salvation from sin and death isn't sometime, it isn’t somewhere out there, somehow undefined and some sort of strange abstract thought. In Christ… in Bethlehem… in the mangers… in swaddling clothes… today, HE is born, said the angels. This is as real as it gets folks. This isn’t just some other far out philosophy to live by…One of many competing ways to the truth….This is God made flesh! This is new life and we are all part of it! Jesus is like no other, for he is fully human and fully divine-at the same time. Nothing about His humanity could detract from His Godliness; nothing about His Godliness could detract from His humanity. Because of this Jesus is the only one who can truly reconcile the Father in heaven with His children on earth. Jesus is of both worlds…He is the bridge by which God comes to earth and the only bridge by which people come to heaven.

Christmas marks that one day, the day in which God's many promises to send a savior came true. He remembered. God came through for us….For you and I… For each of us!…. Christ the Savior is born……God is no longer that which we cannot understand. He is now that which we know.

Today, death and sin has met its match in the form of a baby born to die. For as Christmas is a special day, it also points to another day…. a Friday…. A Good Friday, when the heavens were "torn in two". That day Jesus died for our sins. The one who did not deserve to die became the perfect sacrifice for all those who did…And… still do.

There’s one more “today” worth mentioning… That is Easter…The Easter that brings not only Jesus’ resurrection from suffering and death but our own resurrection from suffering and death. Easter is never far from Christmas. It may be separated by the calendar, but it’s part and parcel of the same. Its all about redemption....It's all about new life.

"Today" is our gift...Today is our new life.

Trinity X

2011-09-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

Father Magee

Trinity X

The Gospel. St. Luke xix. 41.
AND when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. And he taught daily in the temple.

In our Gospel today it says…"He beheld the city, and wept over it".

Why should Christ have been so suddenly gripped in that way? This was the very last week of His earthly life and ministry. In another six days or so, He was to be crucified so this was His last visit to Jerusalem. Our Lord broke out with violent weeping and He tells us why. It is because of the things He knew. Jesus was aware of the horrible things that were soon to happen to Jerusalem and it’s people. So He burst forth with weeping. The thing that moved our Lord was the plight of these poor people who did not believe in Him. Jesus knew very well what would happen to Him. He knew about the scourging that would come, He knew about the crown of thorns that would be soon placed upon His head…He also knew about the cross, the mockery, the jeering and the hatred that was in His future. He saw it all by His divine eye, but He did not weep for Himself. No, Jesus wept for others. He knew what would happen to Him in Jerusalem and still yet He went to serve.

To be a Christian is to be Christ like. It is literally to emulate Jesus Christ and His actions upon this earth. This Gospel passage has always reminded me of one of my personal heroes…Who of course…Just happened to be an Anglican Priest… named, Fr. John Magee. Don’t know who he is? Don’t be surprised. I have yet to meet laymen or another priest who knows his story. Yet, he is an example of an American Anglican Saint.

John Magee was from a wealthy Pittsburgh family. He went to the finest schools. He had access to wealth and business connections. He could have been a wealthy industrialist, a politician, a man of power…Or, even a playboy with nothing to do but enjoy life. However, Father John Magee chose to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. After graduating seminary he chose to go and serve in China as a missionary. He met and fell in love with a young English woman who had also come to China to save souls in Jesus’ name.

Father Magee started doing missionary work in Nanking, China and was at the same time the chairman of Nanking Committee of the International Red Cross Organization. On December 13, 1937, the Imperial Japanese Army stormed the Chinese city of Nanking. There was one area that offered some protection from the Japanese. It was the so-called “International Zone” where almost all the foreigners lived, including Father Magee. During the following six weeks, the Japanese Army murdered and tortured countless civilians whose only crime was being Chinese. Over 300,000 people were killed and over 20,000 women were brutally raped. Some estimate the numbers to be much higher - 340,000 and 80,000 respectively. During this dark period when hundreds of thousands of defenseless Chinese were ruthlessly slaughtered by the Japanese army, Father Magee, who was appalled by the atrocities he witnessed, ran out of the Nanking International Safety Zone, without regard for his own safety and took part in rescuing over 100, 000 Chinese solders and civilians who were facing certain death by making sure they found safety from the Japanese. Father Magee shot several hundred minutes of film with a 16mm movie camera. These films recorded men being beheaded by the Japanese army, women being violated, and babies who lost parents with corpses lying all over in villages. Father Magee gathered the world’s most complete photo evidence of the Massacre of Nanking.

Even though Father Magee knew that at anytime the Japanese were likely to learn of his chronicling their atrocities and that they would most certainly kill him for it… he still continued to go back into Japanese held areas of Nanking over and over again and rescue Chinese nationals and gather more proof of Japanese war crimes. Like Jesus did in today’s Gospel, Father Magee wept for others but he did not worry for himself. He knew his death was likely imminent but he continued to do God’s work anyway. It is very likely that the world would have never learned about what was later to be called “the Rape of Nanking” if it were not for the actions of Father Magee. It is certain thousands would have died without his help.

Why do so few know of Father Magee today? Because Father McGee didn’t care if you knew about him or not. Because that was not the reason he served. He never wanted to be a bishop. He never wanted a “plum church” or a high paying job. He never wanted to “sell” his story. He never wanted fame of any kind. All he wanted to do was be a priest and to serve others. Father Magee wanted to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

We should ask ourselves: Are we attempting to walk with Jesus Christ? Are we? Are we attempting to be Christ like in our lives? Do we weep and complain for ourselves or, do we weep for others? Not all of us can be a Father Magee. But you know what? We don’t have to be. All we have to do is to want to be like Jesus. To love others. To cry for others rather than cry for ourselves. If we do not walk Jesus's path Christ pities our souls. He weeps for us. Jesus says, "Repent and believe in me and I will forgive all your sins and wickedness, whatever it has been. All you have to desire is to walk my path.”

Orphaned

2011-07-23T06:11:00.000-07:00

John 14: 18-20 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you."

My mother passed away recently. She had been very ill since having a heart attack in January and had three surgeries between January and June. She was scheduled for a fourth surgery but died suddenly from a fatal heart attack while waiting on this last surgery.

My mother was my last living parent. After she passed away I had the thought...."So, this is what being an orphan feels like." Now...I know at 40+ years old I am not exactly an "orphan." However, there is still that sense of lose... That sense of "being alone."

The Gospel of John tells how Jesus explains to His Disciples that after His Ascension they will not see him anymore. We all know that even though the Disciples didn't see Jesus anymore He was still with them. Jesus was still very much part of their lives.... I cannot help but think that in so many ways there are parallels between Jesus' Ascension and our parents leaving us.

In addition to my mother dying recently I also lost a good friend. He was one of the key founders of Trinity Church. I was very honored to preside at his funeral. As a clergyman funerals are very tough for me. I always feel like I’ve left a little part of myself behind when I preside at a funeral. It was difficult for me to participate in both the funeral of my friend and mother.

Let me assure you… It is not difficult for me to participate in funerals because I am usually concerned about the person who has passed away. It’s because of the bitter pain that the family and loved ones feel at their loss. The grief and loss that surrounds the situation is hard to bear. It is especially hard to bear when those closest to you are suffering.

I believe with all my heart that "Jesus built a bridge to Heaven using two pieces of wood and three nails." As Christians we are part of the Communion of Saints. Am I crushed emotionally about the death of my mother and friend? Of course...However, I know that my mother and friend can now celebrate because they are now in the presence of God. They and other saints also remain present with us at the liturgy. They have joined with the saints and all holy Christians who have gone before them. To be a Christian is to be part of the Communion of Saints… No earthly body required! As for my mom and friend… We are not separated, but remain connected in a very special way.

Just as He told you

2011-04-24T10:02:00.000-07:00

C.S. Lewis wrote, “"Reality, in fact, is always something you couldn't have guessed. That's one of the reasons I believe Christianity. It's a religion you couldn't have guessed." It's a fact that a lot of people have trouble wrapping their heads around the miracle of Jesus and what he did for us,

Anglican Bishop J.C. Ryle once said, “The resurrection of Christ is one of the foundation-stones of Christianity. It was the seal of the great work that He came on earth to do. It was the crowning proof that the ransom He paid for sinners was accepted, the atonement for sin accomplished, the head of him who had the power of death bruised, and the victory won.”

Are we surprised by Easter? By the miracle of Easter? Well, we shouldn’t be. For this Jesus told us He would die. He told us He would rise on the third day. And soon His disciples would see Him in Galilee. So this Easter, we focus on these words of the angel: “just as He told you.”

Easter tells us – what we have to look forward to. For as Jesus rose from the dead, we will rise from the dead. Jesus is the first-fruits, the first-born of the dead. Which means there will be others. And so will be fulfilled his promise. As Jesus says in John Chapter 11, verse 25: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.”

We’re not talking about our spirit simply being with God. Let me assure you...That does happen when we die. But...That’s not the end of our faith! The final, the fullest, the completion of his promises happens when we rise again on the last day, and live forever – incorruptible soul and imperishable BODY - with Jesus our Lord. This is the hope of Easter! This is the promise of Christ. Then too, it will be, “just as he told you”.

What does this mean for us????

It means Jesus isn’t the only one with something to tell.

The angels spoke the message, and then commissioned the women to “go and tell” the men. The men would be charged to “go and tell” the world. And all of us Christians carry that same message, all of us are to “go and tell”.

I don’t mean some canned goofy and shallow one liners. We have good news! We have the Gospel of Jesus Christ! We can tell people what Jesus, has said, what he has done, and how it is always, “just as he told you”. People can tell by our kindness to others. People can tell by a comforting word when the opportunity arises. We can go and also invite others to come and hear more.

What does this mean for the believer…It means… Be in God’s house. Come to hear his word. Not because you must, but because it’s here that we hear the good news in this world. We hear good news in a world of bad news.

It’s here we find the truth in a world full of lies. It’s in here we find someone reliable in this world of unreliable people. It’s in here that we touch his presence in the sacrament of bread and wine.

Here…In the Church…Is the message of Jesus… The message that is the only real and lasting hope for struggling through this life of sorrow.

“Just as he told you.”

Mary and the other women went and told what they had heard and seen. We can all do the same. Forgiveness, Life, For as he has told us, so it is. Just as he said.

CHRIST IS RISEN! (HE IS RISEN INDEED!) ALLELUIA! AMEN.

Revolution

2011-04-04T04:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a story I have always found interesting and I thought the rest of you might as well.

In January of 1990 Romanian Television was interviewing the philosopher Petre Sutea. They asked what he thought about the revolution that had just released his country from the grip of Communism.

“What revolution?” the philosopher replied. Thinking that Dr. Sutea was having some difficulty hearing because of advanced age the reporter recounted the events of the revolution when Sutea replied, “That was not revolution! There has been only one revolution in the history of mankind, the Incarnation of our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ!”

To believe that Jesus is Lord is to confess that He is God. To believe anything else is to believe something less and if Jesus is less than God no salvation is possible. Prophets may predict, rabbis may teach,but only God can save. Our belief that Jesus saves means precisely that He is God. Jesus did not come to merely forgive our sins, He came to open up for us a new relationship with God our Father. Where can we come to most fully develop this new relationship with God?

In HIS Church.

Rocks in a stream...

2011-02-24T16:33:00.001-08:00

My mentor once preached about how people are like "rocks in a stream". Just like rocks in a stream that have water flowing all around them if you pick up one of those rocks and break it open it is dry on the inside. People are like this with Christ. In our American culture Christianity is all around us. However, how deep does it really penetrate inside of us? Do we really feel called to hate sin but love the sinner?

We have people running around saying "Do you have a personal realtionship with your Savior, Jesus Christ?" Yet, they don't always act very Christian. They rate the attributes of forgiveness and love very high on their list but rarely practice them. To these people my answer is this: "Well...I never had a beer with Jesus. However, He took my name with him to die on a hard and dirty cross for my sins. He loved me so much that he gave me eternal life by dying a horrific death for my having done nothing but pretty much slap him in the face by sinnning again and again. If that is what is meant by a personal relationship.....Yeah...I have a personal relationship with him."

Jesus Did It Anyway

2011-02-19T05:01:00.000-08:00

To be a Christian and to emulate Jesus is to "go against the grain." It is a difficult task to follow Jesus in our modern world. To be a Christian is to "walk to the beat of a different drummer." It is to have values different from the rest of those around us and to put ourselves in situations that intentionally place ourselves "outside the norm.".

I once got the pleasure of meeting the author Kent Keith and found what he had to say interesting. I especially enjoyed listening to his presentation of the Paradoxical Commandments. I hope you find them interesting as well. They are certainly a road map to walking in Christ's foot steps. These can be found in the book, Jesus Did It Anyway: The Paradoxical Commandments for Christians

The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.

http://www.paradoxicalchristians.com/

Septuagesima

2011-02-15T17:00:00.000-08:00

The Gospel. St. Matthew xx. 1.
THE kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market-place, and said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

I have always thought that working certain jobs for just a few hours would be really fun. I imagine just about everyone of us has had that thought once or twice. I have always had the fantasy that I would work for just a few short hours as a Hibachi cook at a Japanese restaurant. I picture myself coming out dressed in my oriental chief’s outfit with a cart of raw food & ingredients, I’d fire up the grill. I’d start showing off my skills with the spatulas and begin cooking dinner. I’d have flames every where. I’d make a volcano out of an onion. I’d juggle an egg with the spatula before cracking it on the grill. I would flip shrimp high up into the air…. Yes, if I didn’t hurt myself or someone else… I would at the very least make a huge mess. Then…I imagine at the end of the evening I would get paid the same amount as all the other chefs on staff…Wonder what would happen to me later out in the parking lot?

God our Father, gives generously. The vineyard is His kingdom and we…The church…Are His workers. What's important isn't so much how much…Or, how long we work, but… That we are His employees…. We belong to Him… He pays a wage we could never earn standing around outside his kingdom….AND.. It's really not a wage…When we stop and think about it… IT‘s A GIFT. And while we all tend to believe we're the ones who have worked the longest and hardest…The truth is…we should all see ourselves as the ones coming late and working least. Why?…Because we are all sinners! Jesus said in a previous verse in Matthew: "Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first"…. No one is righteous… No…Not one. As far as the reward of eternal life…We can't earn it, deserve it, or have it coming to us. We have incurred a debt of sin.

God’s kingdom is a very different kingdom. Where you don't earn your pay. Where you don't get what you deserve. Where God serves man. Where death brings life. Where the last are first and the first are last. And where sinners are made righteous because the righteous one took all sin. We Christians do not belong to a kingdom of this world – a kingdom not of fairness …. But of grace.

We traditional Anglican Christians have entered a season many denominations have given up…And, I believe wrongly so. We have entered pre-Lent…The Gesima Sundays. Beginning with today… Septuagesima, we are reminded that the joy of our Lord's birth at Christmas is beginning to wind down We need to be put it behind us, as we contemplate the sorrows of our Lord's coming Passion and Crucifixion and try to prepare ourselves for the greatest gift of all…The miracle of the Resurrection, the conquest of death….Our conquest of death through belief in Christ and following His way by trying to “root sin out of our lives“.

We Anglicans have been given the opportunity to contemplate what kind of Lent we are going to have…We have the chance to identify our problems…To identify our sins and work on them during Lent. Our Lenten season isn’t just thrust upon us. We don’t just give up soft drinks or candy. We actually get the opportunity to give up sin and grow closer to Christ. Use the Gesima Season wisely. Plan your Lent. Plan your prayer life. Plan on growing closer to Christ and thus…More like Christ…No, we cannot ever “earn our pay”…But that doesn’t keep us from trying…

Epiphany Six

2011-02-13T05:44:00.000-08:00

The Gospel. St. Matthew xxiv. 23.

THEN if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Today is Epiphany six. It is an interesting Church Calendar this year. We don’t usually have six Sundays in Epiphany. I actually hesitated a little bit when I saw the readings and contemplated how to preach on Epiphany Six. There are times when a clergyman sees the reading for the day and says to himself… “I’d rather not preach on this…”

Then… I remembered reading something… Lyle Schaller, an expert on church leadership, once said ….There are only two kinds of churches: "problem-based churches" and "possibility-based churches." Now… I want Trinity to be a possibility based church. I want us to be positive. After all we’re preaching the Saving Truth of Jesus Christ at Trinity Church… And… You don’t get more positive than that!

We have an extra week in Epiphany to explore the big question that Epiphany offers to us. The big question for the Epiphany season is, “who exactly is Jesus Christ?” During Epiphany we hear at Jesus’ baptism – God’s voice from heaven declares – He is my Son. When we read scripture we see through Christ’s speech and actions a clearer picture of one who was born in Bethlehem, of whom the angels sang.

Our Gospel reading for today is a prophetic one. In it Jesus describes Himself by talking about what He is not…A false teacher… And… In doing so…Wraps up the Epiphany season rather nicely. Jesus is Truth! Plain and simple…

You want to see something for what it really is look at the opposite.

You want to understand cold… Touch something hot…

You want to understand something soft… Get hit in the head by a rock.

You want to understand quiet… We can start holding Bible studies at Chuck-E-Cheese!

You want to understand truth… Listen to a lie…… And… I mean really listen to it!

Let’s talk about the LIE. Because, I feel obligated to speak against the spirit of the day in which we live. I want to talk to you about the lie that is modern theology. But… What is it about modern theology we should fear? It is not Atheism we should fear it’s Pantheism… The belief that everything is God.

Today we have those in the Church… That dress like clergy…Pretend to be clergy… Speak as if they were clergy…They look like Deacon Mike and I do… They wear the cross… But their focus is not on the Cross. They do not represent the truth of the Gospel. They espouse a system which doesn’t say nothing is true, so much as they espouse a system in which everything is true. It is not a system which says there is no Savior, so much as a system which says there are many saviors… And… Many ways to Heaven. It's a system which turns Jesus into some sort of self-help guru. And... Jesus was certainly not that!

Modern theology has given us a system of religion that dares to say nothing is false. It is a system of theology which is so charitable, that it will allow everything to be true. Even that which is forbidden by Holy Scripture and 2,000 years of Church Tradition. It is a system which seems ready to honor the founders of other religions as much as it honors our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, to class them all together, and to think well of all.

Now that we’ve heard the lie… Let’s hear the truth!

It is stated in ACTS 4:12 "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

It is stated in Colossians 1: 13-14 “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

It is stated in 1 Corinthians 15: 3&4 “For what I (Paul) received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

It is stated 1 John 5:12 “He who has the Son (Jesus) has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

It’s time to ask ourselves the same question Anglican Bishop J.C. Ryle asked his membership in the late 1800’s, "Are you overcoming the world, or are you overcome by it?"

Edmund Burke was a famous philosopher and statesman who is often regarded as the father of Modern Conservatism… By the way he was also an Anglican Christian. He is credited with the quote, “All that needs to be done for evil to prevail is that good men do nothing.”

We are being told by the modern world that we are not “with it” if we don’t buy into modern theology. That somehow… If we don’t buy into the political correctness movement, psychobabble and the made up theology of the last fifty years we’re just “backwards.”

The Epiphany season opens for us with the Wise Men traveling to Bethlehem in search for Christ. The Wise Men followed their faith… They didn’t give up their knowledge of the stars or their learning… However, they trusted in something more important than themselves. They sought to be obedient to God and His will.

That’s the problem with many in the Church today… They are not continuing the Journey of the wise men.

They are not concerned with being obedient with God’s will.

Now… Here’s the big question… Are you?

What is God’s will for you?

We are called to Christ through attending church, taking part in the sacraments and worshipping together.

We are called to Christ by being brave enough to step out of our comfort zone and standing up for what is right. The Church invites you to insert yourselves into the story of the wise men.

We are not only to seek Christ in our lives but we are to bring Christ to others. We are to seek His will. We are to bring the truth of Jesus’ message to others in the world. As members of the body of Christ our lives are a testimony to others.

I ask you to think about something for a minute… The story of the Magi calls us to be manifestations of Christ to the people we come into contact with. Is our lives an Epiphany to those whom we come into contact with? I know mine always isn't... But, I want it to be. I struggle for it to be. I pray to God for strength for it to be. I read Holy Scripture daily in hope that I might apply it.

Just as the infant Jesus was a manifestation of God’s love so our lives are to be a manifestation of Christ. Yes, our lives are to be Epiphanies to all those whom we come into contact with. Just as the Magi undertook a dangerous journey in the distant past God calls those of us who believe in Him to take a journey today. By believing in God’s word.

Baptism...Overflowing Blessings!

2011-01-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

Here is today's Gospel reading:

The Gospel. St. Mark i. 1.

THE beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; as it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; and preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him: and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Short of Christ’s death and resurrection, it has been suggested that His baptism is the most important event in His work for us. However, I would personally add that literally everything Jesus does for us is of the utmost importance.

But there is no question that Christ’s Baptism was very significant. Stop and think about this for a minute… The entire Godhead is on display in today’s Gospel Scripture – The Father in the voice from heaven the Spirit descending like a dove and the Son, on center stage… Here we have the Beloved Son, with whom God is well pleased. Jesus’ Baptism is THE Trinitarian event!

I honestly could not have thought of a better day for a Baptism! On this day we Baptized one of our members at Trinity into Christ's Church, Makhia Leilani Whiteside. So, "Baby Miki" and Jesus got Baptized on the very same day. How cool is that!?!

Here is the sermon for the day:
http://www.tacrec.org/EpiphanyII_11.mp3

Martyrdom...Not "Old Fashioned"

2011-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

Nestor Savchuck, Martyr

Well, it always seems like we are reminded of martyrs in the Church. There's always a "red day" we priests can always move somehow to Sunday. These are wonderful days and it's great we honor these brave men and women in our lectionary. Men and women whose blood has nourished the Church.

However, we sometimes forget that thousands of Christians die every year for their faith. I was very moved by this martyr's story. He died in 1993.

http://deathtotheworld.com/lot/lives/martyrnestor/martyrnestor.html

St. Stephen

2010-12-26T07:47:00.000-08:00

Here is an exact copy of the card I was given many years ago.
Grant us, O'Lord, to learn to love our enemies, by the example of your martyr Stephen, who prayed for his persecutors. Amen.

Today is the feast of St. Stephen. I recall thinking of St. Stephen a lot when I was much younger and attending St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in New Harmony, IN.

When I was a very young man I recall having a little prayer card an elderly lady in the congregation gave me with St. Stephen pictured on it holding a rock, the instrument of his death. St. Stephen Looked very young and innocent with tonsured hair, like Friar Tuck. You know… With the top of his head shaved.

Focusing on the image of St. Stephen connected me to the this early Christian. It made me think of His and so many others sacrifices. In the Epistle today St. Stephen says “Receive my spirit”. What does it mean to say, receive my spirit? These are also the last sentiments of Jesus on the cross.

Both our Epistle and Gospel remind us that God holds us in the palm of His hand……Tenderly…Lovingly… and Protectively. These readings remind us that when we die standing firm in our faith, as Stephen did, we are protected, because no one can take from us what belongs to God.

Our hearts, our minds and our souls belong to God. These are held tightly in God's hands for all eternity. I spent the last few days asking myself just what is the effect of having the feast of the first accepted martyr of the Church so near the feast of the Lord's Birth?

…And then I realized that the Holy Innocents also have some claim to that title of "first martyr"...Come to think of it…So does John the Baptist. And then I remembered that the Lord is King of Martyrs. It's not really a competition to be the "first martyr".

Plenty of room for everyone…Our Anglican Brothers and Sisters around the globe know this only too well…In certain parts of the world to be a Christian puts your life in danger.

What has Christmas got to do with martyrdom? Isn't it supposed to be a joyful time of year?

The last thing many of us want to know about during the Christmas Season is how all the disciples of the Lord met their ends through much bloodshed and suffering, but the entirety of the life of Christ is filled with bloodshed and violence.

From the deaths of the Holy Innocents, to the beheading of Christ’s cousin, John the Baptist…To those final hours of Christ’s life on the Cross. We, as Christians, see violence in the World even on Christmas Day - Physical death doesn't stop for Christmas, it's a fact of our lives.

It says in our Gospel today, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

Scripture tells us that God loves his disobedient people. He calls day and night for their return. He knows us in our rebellion, and yet He still wants us….His children…

We still have martyrs in this world. I heard the other day about Christians in Iraq who are suffering from persecution. Their priest, Canon White, reacts in the way a Christian should. He puts himself out there in the face of danger. He faces the persecution in much the same way St. Stephen did.

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=105973

The whole point of Christmas is to give hope to tragedies in our lives and let us know that God wishes to gather us under wing.

The Christmas season says to those suffering, in pain, “fear not, for I bring you tidings of great joy – a Savior is born!”

When we start thinking in these terms it makes sense that we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents and St. Stephen’s Day in the Christmas Season.

For we no longer have NO hope…We have a Savior. We have Jesus Christ…We now have hope! We now have nothing to fear!

Baby Jesus

2010-12-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

I took one of my favorite posts from the past and reworked it into a sermon recently for the Fourth Sunday in Advent.

I had to laugh a couple of years ago at a movie my wife and I rented. Not so much because it was the kind of movie that was really funny in a smart way. Actually, it was pretty stupid. Here’s a bit of the dialogue I laughed at though:

Ricky Bobby: Dear Lord baby Jesus, we thank you so much for this bountiful harvest of Dominos, KFC, and the always delicious Taco Bell. I just want to take time to say thank you for my family…Dear tiny infant Jesus...

Carley Bobby: Hey, um... you know sweetie, Jesus did grow up. You don't always have to call him baby. It's a bit odd and off puttin' to pray to a baby.

Ricky Bobby: Well look, I like the Christmas Jesus best, and I'm sayin grace. When you say grace, you can say it to grown up Jesus, or teenage Jesus, or bearded Jesus, or whatever you want.

The reason I laughed so hard is it made me think about something…People are fascinated by the baby Jesus….It made me ask…Why?

Well, I came up with this answer: No matter what our age, the Nativity is the story that ignites our imaginations, that calms our fears, that fills our hearts with hope, and brings us to a sense of wonder. The story of God coming as a human baby is the way in which God shows us that the natural way we fall in love with a newborn infant is the way that he desires for us to fall in love with him. As one writer put it: “The Christmas message is deceptively simple. It is God’s ‘I love you’ to all mankind. God said ‘I love you’ by being born in the form of the baby Jesus. In Christ we hear God telling us how much we are loved.”

I cannot believe that anyone could not hold a baby in their arms and not realize that we are both physical and spiritual beings. We are so much more than the physical body you see walking around before you. Perhaps, that is the reason the infant Jesus so excites and inspires people. It sometimes hard to picture a grown Jesus…or, any grown person for that matter…being more than what you see before you…but it is so easy to see it with a baby in your arms. I believe that this is the reason so many of us are drawn to the infant Christ....I know I am!

Here is a link to the entire sermon: http://www.tacrec.org/4thAdvent10.mp3

Blessing of the Animals

2010-10-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

Trinity Anglican Church recently celebrated the "Blessing of the Animals". Over twenty people were in attendance. Ten dogs and three cats were blessed. The “Blessing of the Animals” is an historic, time-honored service in Christian faith and tradition. It acknowledges what children and adults have been doing in their own spiritual lives from time immemorial: praying for their animals. People have named their animals, loved them, cared for them, tended to them when they are ill.A “Blessing of the Animals” allows the Church to recognize that the kind of unconditional love some people have received from their animals has actually rivaled the treatment they have gotten in some cases from their fellow humans. C.S. Lewis once said that, "just as God’s love for us lifts us into the Godhead, so our love for animals and our care for them lifts these other creatures heavenward...

One of our members came without a pet. Her name is Anna Moll and she made it very clear that her name is a pun... "Anna Moll"... "Animal".... So, she said she thought the blessing was for her. She's the only one pictured without her pet.

Saint Michael and All Angels

2010-10-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Revelation xii. 7.
THERE was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

We have a tendency in our modern world to take powerful images and dumb them down. The cross is a good example. A mother of a young girl that was going to be confirmed went into a store to purchase a cross. The sales lady asked the mother, “Do you want one with the little man on it or not?” Crosses are not respected for what they truly represent. After all, the Cross is an emblem of State Sponsored Capital Punishment. If someone wanted to kill a person in biblical times they would simply stab them or behead them. But if they truly wanted them to suffer in a cruel and ultimate way…The way our Lord did…They would be crucified on a cross. Today, people would think several times before wearing a t-shirt with an electric chair on it…But that same person would probably think nothing of eating a chocolate cross at Easter. I’m not saying we shouldn’t wear crosses. In fact, we should. We should just know their meaning.

Angels suffer much the same fate. There are angels of the month, birthstone angels, dashboard charms that say, "Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly." Little yellow signs hang on the back windshields in cars and proclaim, "Angels on board." There are gardening angels, Mother's Day angels, Hallmark angels holding everything from Halloween Jack O' Lanterns to St. Patrick's Day shamrocks.

Fat blonde babies with wings play and frolic on every possible item. Chubby cherubs looking more like the Campbell’s Soup kids than anything that would cry, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty!" Millions of Christians in the East say at every divine liturgy “You thousands of archangels, myriads of angels, Cherubim and Seraphim, six winged, many-eyed, soaring aloft on their wings.”…While, in America, we put Angels on greeting cards, wallpaper, and tattoos…Yes, Angels are everywhere. Angels have become part of our popular culture in a way that Jesus and the cross has. In a way that really does not reflect reality. They have become ineffectual and are nothing powerful at all. Angels have become for the most part simply interesting popular symbols.

First of all…Angels are not human beings that have died. The truth is that ANGELS ARE EXTREMELY POWERFUL BEINGS… That are separate from mankind. We can read many instances of Angels in the Bible…An angel, Gabriel…Was chosen to announce the greatest event in all of history…Christ’s birth! When we read about other events Angels were involved in we see in scripture that in Isaiah 37:36 185,000 Syrian soldiers were slain by one of God's angels.
2 Samuel 24:15 Some 70,000 Judeans were killed because of David's sin. Revelation 7:1 Angels hold back the four winds from destroying earth.

In our Epistle today we read There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. Against Satan and his minions. War in heaven? Now, there’s a thought for the manufacturers of religious greetings cards. St Michael reminds us that the usual condition of the faith is to be at war. We are always under attack by sin and evil. And we are expected to fight,
to be among those who loved not their lives unto the death. Like all Saints… Michael is an example for us to live by.

Saint Michael is the patron Saint of First Responders because of His courage. Because he stood up to the ultimate evil and cared not for his own safety….I think it is fitting that men and women that do the opposite of human nature…I had a psychologist tell me in 1988, long before 911, "It's fitting that St. Michael, the one who had the courage to go head to head with the Devil, is the Patron Saint of First Responders. Because they run into burning buildings and towards gun fire, telling themselves to go against the very way their brains are 'hard wired', people don't realize how difficult it is to go against everything your very nature is telling you not do".

Sad to say not all the heavenly host are holy. About a third are evil. Revelation 12:4
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth...
The Devil has been dumbed down as well. My original mentor, Fr. David Booher, used to say that the greatest of the Devil’s victories was to convince people that he didn’t exist. He’s on Red Devil Razor Blades, lighter fluid and he’s used as a mascot for sports teams….From religious schools no less. Yes, the Devil has declared war on God and on all God’s creation…Each one of us is special. We are made in God’s image. We are so special that God came and dwelt amongst us in the flesh. He suffered and died so that we might not have to. So, you better believe that Devil hates us just as much as God loves us. Satan has declared war on us.

But…There is great hope…We together are the body of Christ; we together conquer Satan. We each have a personal battle, but each personal battle is not insignificant. Satan is defeated ultimately through the millions of defeats he suffers in the lives of individual Christians. Each personal battle is part of that process of defeating Satan.

Look again at verse 11 in our Epistle. How do we conquer Satan? By what means? “By the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony.” Thus, we do not defeat Satan by ourselves, by our own power. We defeat him by the “blood of the Lamb”. What does that mean? We defeat him by the confidence we have in Jesus Christ. So when Satan accuses us, saying, “You are guilty! God will never forgive you! You’re dirt!” we respond by saying, “Yes, I am guilty! But it says in scripture, "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the Propitiation for our sins."

Furthermore, look at the last phrase of verse 11: “They loved not their lives even unto death.” As Jesus says in John 12:24-25, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." Thus, when Satan says, “You’re going to miss out on life unless you commit this sin!” You can respond, Jesus says "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". That’s how we conquer Satan by the blood of Jesus. But verse 11 also tells us that these brothers conquer Satan by “the word of their testimony.” What does this mean?

Think of it this way: Each of us conquers Satan in part through the encouragement of others. As we speak the Word of God to others – through preaching, yes, but also through speaking biblical truth in other contexts - God uses His Word to protect His people. So the author of Hebrews says: "All of you, brothers, take care, lest there be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But all of you exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," so that not one of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:12-13) We are to “exhort one another” – that is the “word of their testimony”. You defeat Satan in your own life by the way you live your life and spread His Gospel. By this way, you help you help your neighbor not love their lives even unto death.

The Passing of a Friend

2010-09-19T07:55:00.001-07:00

Trinity Anglican Church is now just a little over three years old. Being here from the beginning I have seen many "firsts" for Trinity. It's "first" Baptism...It's "first" marriage...It's "first" Confirmations. All of these have been very happy occasions. However, Trinity recently lost it's first member to an earthly death. The sadness of this was very profound for the entire parish.

The member we lost was a wonderful and spirited lady of ninety-four years, Ruth Inkenbrandt. She had a profound influence on me. So much so... I had written another blog entry about her previously. Here it is...

Mark 12:41-44 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called [unto him] his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all [they] did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, [even] all her living.

I have been visiting a ninety-three year old widow in a local nursing home. She is a longtime Episcopalian and was very excited to discover that our parish used the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. She looks forward to my twice a month visits and enjoys the Book of Common Prayer so much that she had her daughter dig her copy out of the attic. She now reads it daily.

I was surprised the other day when I received a phone call from a local lady who was referred by my ninety-three year old friend. The local lady works at the nursing home and is interested in our parish because of all of the wonderful things my friend, the widow, has to say about our parish…Although; she is “bedfast” and has never actually visited.

I went to visit my friend at the nursing home today and she said, “Father, did my friend call you?” When I answered in the affirmative she said, “Well, I may be unable to attend church…I may not be able to get out of this bed…But, I can evangelize for Christ…Did I do good Father?”….There are moments in your ministry when you are simply overwhelmed with emotion and you get a little lump in your throat. This was certainly one of these moments for me.

The widow in scripture gave everything she had. My friend, the widow, in the nursing home gave everything she had as well. At ninety-three years old and unable to even get out of bed she is spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is doing her very best to spread Christ’s Kingdom here on earth.

Let us say a prayer for the passing of Trinity's member...The widow...The Evangelist...Ruth Inkenbrandt.

Humor

2010-08-08T18:23:00.000-07:00

Deacon Mike and I were at it again; on a "Mission from God," visiting Christ Anglican Church, O'Fallon, IL. What wonderful people there are at Christ Church Anglican.

Afterwards we were treated to a wonderful meal including 'home grown' cantaloupe and to work off our meal went to the playground with the kids. On the way home ...took Faith to happy hour at Sonic.

I thought this would be a great chance to post some humorous pictures from today. I believe a lot of people think that clergy lead pretty boring lives. The truth is actually much different. When you truly have the joy that one receives from the Gopsel of Jesus Christ in your heart life is usually pretty fun!

Taking it outside those four walls!

2010-08-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

It was my great pleasure to open the Vanderburgh County 4-H Fair Demolition Derby in prayer recently.

I gave this prayer: "Dear God. Heavenly Father. We would ask that your blessings be upon every single driver here tonight. Bless them and protect them from harm. Help each one of them to drive to the best of their ability. So, they can give those assembled here the great competition they came for. It is in your son, Jesus Christ's name that we pray. AMEN!"

One of the things that I think is important for clergy to do is to get out into the community. I have had more than one person in our parish tell me that, "You are certainly the Tri-State's best kept secret!" First and foremost we as Christians are called to spread the Good News of Christ, to help win souls for God. To defeat death by giving others the gift of eternal life that is Jesus Christ. We can't do that if we simply stay within the four walls of a building all the time.

Author Webb Kline wrote about the difference between a traditional church and a missional church:

Traditional Church: Inward-An institution created to attract people to a building, thus is focused on the futile task of appealing to and meeting the insatiable desires of its members in order to survive financially. Made up primarily of people for whom church is little more than an addendum to their busy self-engrossed lives.

Missional Church: Outward-A group of people whose passion and purpose is found in being the hands and feet of Jesus to those who need his mercy, grace compassion and love. Real missional Christians put the physical and spiritual needs of others before their own, for in this, they find their total satisfaction and meaning to life.

Now...I am not going to pretend that opening the Vanderburgh Co. Fair Demolition Derby with prayer turns us into a "Missional Church". However, when you combine it with other events our small parish does...Supporting unwed mothers... Helping family's devastated financially by cancer... Assisting poor families obtain baby beds so their infants have a safe place to sleep and supporting the Hemophilia Foundation we have started our young parish on a different path than what most congreagtions take.

Here is a link to some larger pictures: http://www.tacrec.org/4HFair.html

On A Mission From God

2010-08-03T18:46:00.000-07:00

Written by Deacon Mike Spieth:

Father David and I were on "a mission from God" Sunday August 1st, celebrating Holy Communion at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Webster Grove, MO. We are blessed to have such a great support staff in Sabrina, Connor, Faith, and Mary Lou; who drove us, carried our vestments in and out of the Church, made sure our stoles were straight. We lunched with Bishop Wes, took Faith to the mall, and entered a hurricane simulator with 78 mph winds. Who says Christianity is dull and outdated?

Fr. David's Comment: I have to say that what you expect out of life is often times not what you get...It's even better!

Trinity Sunday

2010-05-31T05:29:00.001-07:00

I love the name for our parish… “Trinity”… A member told me once that they were so glad we didn’t name our church after a Saint but instead after God. I have found that statement to be more profound as time goes on. I have contemplated it many times. What we commemorate today is somewhat unusual in that all the other major feasts of the church either recall a person or recall an event. What we are remembering today is neither a person or an event but rather is a doctrine, specifically the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, which talks about the nature of God.

The Doctrine is

1. God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

2. Each person in the Trinity is fully God.

3. There is one God.

Here in America we love the idea of “rugged individualism”… like the cowboy image of the rugged Marlboro Man, who needs nothing but his horse, his good looking chiseled profile and his cigarette to get by. But the doctrine of the Trinity is in direct contrast to our modern thought. The doctrine of the Trinity tells us that the heart of reality is relationship. We see the world differently when we look for interconnectedness first. When we stress how things are in relationship with one another….Not how everything stands on its own. This is one reason why we Christians go against the norm and many in the modern world consider us Christians “weird.” Why we see the world differently from many of those around us. Why we Christians go against the grain and to the beat of our own drummer.

Our interconnectedness is why we Christians pray together, in liturgy and corporate worship. Yes, we have private prayers. But we believe that our prayers are made full and complete when they are joined with the prayers of others—because together we are more than any single one of us alone—because all Christian prayer, even the most private prayer, is prayed in Jesus’ name and joined with God and the Holy Spirit, the three in one, which we celebrate today, in the Feast of the Holy Trinity…The Trinity tells us that at the heart of God is relationship….It is not individualism.

It has been said that one of the worst things that individuals can feel is being “alone”. Many say that the worst thing about Hell is being alone and cut-off without God. The Trinity shows us that we don’t have to be alone. That the gift of God’s design is our interconnectedness. We are connected to one another…And… We are connected to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Mother Hen

2010-05-26T18:42:00.001-07:00

I recall being a boy of about eight years old and visiting my grandparents in rural Southern Illinois. The next door neighbor’s barn had burned down overnight while we slept and my grandfather and I took a stroll the next morning to survey the damage. I was almost giddy having been given the opportunity to look around at such a sight…after all what young boy wouldn’t be excited to walk around some place possibly dangerous with his grandfather and other adult neighbors.

All around us were smoldering ashes and burnt pieces of wood. I remember my grandfather gruffly telling me “don’t touch a thing!” as we walked along…It was as if he was reading my mind. My mind began to wander…because…believe you me…there was nothing more that I wanted to do than reach down and pick up a piece of charred wood with a little bit of flame still burning on the end of it. Or, wander away from the protection of my grandfather’s side and get into mischief exploring what little was left of the old barn.

While walking along suddenly…without thinking…I kicked a piece of blackened wood…and to the surprise of my grandfather and I a little yellow fluffy baby chick ran out from under this piece of burned timber…but then the realization of what we were looking at suddenly struck us in horror. My grandfather’s hand went protectively to my chest and he started to shove me behind him in a vain attempt to somehow shield me from the ghastly site we were looking at… It wasn’t a piece of burned and blackened wood at all. It was a mother hen. A mother hen that had somehow stretched forth its wings and protected its baby chick from the flames around it. This mother hen had given it’s own life to save it’s beloved child from death.

This is the promise that is held in the birth, life and eventual death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus loves us, His children, so much that He...Like the mother hen in my childhood memory...stretched forth His arms and gave His life so that His children might live.

Rocks in a Stream

2010-05-22T20:34:00.001-07:00

My mentor preached once about how people are like "rocks in a stream". Just like rocks in a stream that have water flowing all around them if you pick up one of those rocks and break it open it is dry on the inside. People are like this with Christ. In our American culture Christianity is all around us. However, how deep does it really penetrate inside of us? Do we really feel called to hate sin but love the sinner?

Sunday After Ascension

2010-05-16T05:50:00.001-07:00

The Epistle. 1 St. Peter 4:7-11
7 THE end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

I quote Peter in our Epistle today when I say, "The end of all things is at hand".
C.S. Lewis’ wrote, "Do not look so sad. We shall meet soon again."
"Please, Aslan," said Lucy, "what do you call soon?"
"I call all times soon," said Aslan; and instantly he was vanished away - C.S. Lewis - Voyage of the Dawn Treader

This last Thursday was the celebration of the Ascension on the Church calendar. Christ Ascended into heaven as He was watched by His followers, in what many would no doubt say was “an end.” I’ve never personally liked goodbyes. I especially hate watching friends walk out of my life. Everyone of us has had that experience…Watching friends leave. Often times friends will exchange promises to keep in touch, though the truth is that they seldom follow through. “Don’t be a stranger”, they always say. Or, “I’ll come back and visit”. But, we all know distance usually doesn’t really make the heart grow fonder….However, we have to remember we are speaking about God’s kingdom here.

God’s kingdom is a very different kingdom from how we often times perceive it. It’s a kingdom where you don't earn your pay. Where you get more than you deserve. Where God serves man. Where death brings life. Where the last are first…And the first are last. And where sinners are made righteous because the righteous one took all sin upon Himself. We have to remember that we Christians do not belong to a kingdom of this world. We belong to a kingdom of grace. Our perceived earthly rules really don’t apply to God‘s Kingdom…And…We’re really (all of us) actually living in God’s kingdom.

How would it change things if you thought that today was indeed your last day upon planet earth? If you were told that before the sun set upon this day, you would stand before your Maker, how serious would you be about prayer? I don’t know about you. I’d be getting pretty darn serious about prayer…and fast. Peter is saying in this Epistle: You better get serious about prayer right now because the end of all things IS at hand. You do not know how much longer you have. None of us truly do. You and I are just a heartbeat away from His presence….However, the truth is this…We are always close to His presence

Let’s ask ourselves: Do we want a God that truly understands us? Do we want to have a God that can identify with us? Well, if you’re a Christian…Then, you have that. The Ascension certainly underlines this….Think about this: One part of the Holy Trinity is human flesh. Jesus Ascended into heaven flesh and all. No other religion can claim that one. No other faith connects God to His people like Christianity does. We are truly blessed….For we are always close to His presence. He is never far from us.

At times it may seem like Christ has left us alone. Even though he has ascended and rules on high, the way he rules might not be what we expect. Again, His kingdom is very different from what we expect. We see conflicts in our family, stress at work, and not enough money in our pockets. We struggle with health problems, and we see our loved ones taken from us in death. We may feel abandoned by the one who promised He would care for our daily needs. Even when we turn to God in prayer, it can seem like our requests fall on deaf ears. We feel alone.

As Peter says…Be of sound judgement. Pray often and wisely. If we do this we will grow to understand God and know that we are closer to Him. In C.S. Lewis’ tale, "The Chronicles of Narnia," Lucy sees Aslan, the Christ-figure after having been parted from him for many a year and exclaims, "Aslan, you’re bigger.
"That is because you are older, little one," answered he.
"Not because you are?" she asks.
"I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger."
Here is an interesting truth. The older and more mature you are in the Lord, the bigger you will see that He is. The more in awe of Him you will be. The closer you will feel to him.

Peter writes, “Above all things, have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8). Notice that this is specifically described as a love that is fervent among yourselves. You would have thought that Peter would have said that we are to be fervent in our love for the Lord. But Peter had been taught something special about love from Christ himself.

In scripture Christ asks, "Peter, do you love me?" And when Peter answers in the affirmative, Jesus says to him: "Then feed my sheep." Peter is passing on that same command here. Here is the point. Do you love the Lord? Then show it by loving His people. Show it by keeping fervent in your love for one another. Show that you know the Lord is close. Show that you know we are part of His body.

Peter says we are to serve one another: As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same to one another (1 Peter 4:10). The same thing is taught here in Peter’s Epistle. He teaches us that spiritual gifts are for one another. Your spiritual gifts have been given for my benefit and my spiritual gifts have been given for your benefit.

When we are speaking of Spiritual Gifts, we ought not to lose sight of the fact that we are talking about GIFTS. A “gift” is something that you are given. You don’t earn it. You don’t deserve it. You are simply given it. It is the same with our salvation. God’s gift was wrapped in human flesh, born as a baby and growing up to walk our dirty streets and to die on cross as an atonement for our sins. His body was broken and His blood was shed for all of us. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for sins. Jesus took your sins upon Himself and suffered for our sins. He is the Savior who saved the undeserving.

I ask each of you this question. The question is a simple one. The question is the same one Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Christ?”…If so, figure out what your gift is and use it. Become active in your parish. Become active in His body. This isn’t fire insurance people. We don’t just keep or membership in Trinity Church in a fire proof lock box and say… “Yep, I am paid up. I am going to the pearly gates someday”. This is the body of Christ. It is our salvation. It is our spiritual family and our home. Become active in the life of the Church. Become active in His body. Sing, perform a song, head a committee, volunteer to bring something for coffee hour, ask to help with Vacation Bible School…Use your gifts and Feed His sheep. Feed His sheep. Because…He is close.

What's the plan for Mother's Day?

2010-05-09T06:52:00.000-07:00

“It’s Mother’s Day. I guess we should go to church. And I suppose it's best to go to the 8:00 AM service. The 8:00 AM is always the shorter service anyway. Then maybe we'll go out for the Mother’s Day brunch special down at the restaurant. Then we‘ll go over and see grandma. After that we‘ll go home and call your mom out in California....”

What's the plan? We all make lots of plans. Maybe you were planning for early retirement and the financial crash of the last year made you change your plans. Maybe you were planning to grow old with your spouse, but it seems that cancer or heart disease had other plans. Maybe you had planned to work your way up the ladder at work, and now there's “no ladder” to climb….Maybe there won’t even be a place to work if the economy doesn't improve soon.

So…How many times do we stop and think…“What’s God’s plans?” … “What is God’s plan for all of us, or more importantly in my life? Where do I fit into God's plan?”

The Apostle Paul lays out God’s plan step-by-step. The plan that was predicted in scriptures, and by God himself. The same plan Jesus Christ fulfilled:

In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul makes it clear: “That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.”

Original Sin was never part of the plan… At least it wasn't God’s plan anyway. But when Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, God had a plan to address it. He promised a savior …an offspring of the woman…A Mother… that would crush the head of the serpent. And Jesus was that plan.

Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, as the scriptures said He would. Jesus told those around Him: “Tear down this temple and I will rebuild it in three days”. He knew that He came to die. It was the reason Jesus was born. Jesus is no great teacher like Zoroaster or Buddha…HE is the savior of the world. The one sacrifice for all our sins, who gave up His life in a horrible and painful death. He is God in flesh.

The plan was not for Jesus to rest in a tomb. Jesus was resurrected from death…And so are all of us who believe in Him. None of us know what the future holds. What we Christians do know is that God is ultimately in control. Every single one of us are sinners and are living in a sin-filled world. But God's plan is certain and in Jesus Christ that plan is made complete… Again…God promised a savior …An offspring of the woman…A Mother…

Genesis 3:15 "I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. Your descendants and her descendants will be enemies. One of her descendants will crush your head, and you will bite his heel."

What is the plan for Mother's day?...Jesus is that plan! Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Easter 2010

2010-04-04T18:39:00.000-07:00

I am back blogging again from a hiatus that was truthfully brought about by being overwhelmed from working three jobs, going to graduate school and needing to spend more time with my family. However, if the truth is to be told I needed to recharge my spiritual battery. I chose this Lent to give up for Christ truly one of the most precious commodities I have...That is time. I gave up time every single day in Lent to additional prayer and scripture study than normal, even if that required getting up at five in the morning. Let me just say...It was a wise choice and I am better off for it!

I contemplated a lot during this Lent. Mostly I asked myself if I was on the right track spiritually as one of the clergy of Trinity Anglican Church. During the year 2009 I have been told by a few people that...Trinity was..."Too old school"..."Not traditional enough"..."Too Catholic"..."Too Protestant." I asked myself the question..."What is my focus?"...Is it being "Catholic?"...Is it being "Protestant?"...Is it being "Traditional?"...The answer I came up with after much prayer and reflection is that my focus truly is spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is first and foremost. I also believe that Traditional Anglicanism is a wonderful and unique witness to Jesus Christ that needs to be preserved. I started out as a 1928 Prayer Book priest and I am still a 1928 Prayer Book priest. However...I do not believe the answer is to live in fear of other Christian Anglicans that are different from me. The Good News of Easter cannot be spread through fear.

As I consider Easter I cannot help but ponder the two Marys as they went to look at the tomb where Jesus had been laid. There these two faithful women encountered a Heavenly messenger. These two faithful followers of Jesus were told, ‘Do not be afraid.’

Announcing to the women that the Lord was risen, an angel invited them to enter the tomb and see for themselves. They did so and at once returned to the other disciples to report their amazing encounter. What a wonderful privilege for these two women! They were the first to see and enter the empty tomb of Jesus and the first to go and tell others.

The two Marys fell at the feet of the Lord on that first day of the week. Will you? Gladly they heard the Resurrection greeting: ‘Do not be afraid.’ Do you hear it as well? Is not your heart reassured? ‘Go and tell,’ He commanded them, and they obeyed… Will you?

May the crucified agony of Jesus Christ, which was endured for you and me, move us to the depths of our being, and may the matchless joy of that first Easter day and of our Lord’s Resurrection fill us all!

ALLELUIA! HE IS RISEN!!!

Fr. David+

Report from Synod of Diocese of the Central States

2009-11-26T07:50:00.000-08:00

Bill Johnson, Bp. Wes Nolden, Jan Collins- JW, Fr. David Straw

Here is a report from our Diocesan Synod from one of Trinity's lay representatives that attended. Even though it was a while back I found it interesting. We couldn't put the entire article in the newsletter. However, I certainly thought it was worthy to publish somewhere in its entirety.

I got an email from my priest, Father Dave, asking me to be a Lay Representative at synod. I had never attended a synod and was a bit apprehensive. I accepted not knowing what to expect.

We met at the church early Wednesday morning. The trip took about 9 hours and was filled with wonderful fellowship and discussion. The roads in Virginia were very curvaceous and the last third of the trip took twice as long it seemed. Lynchburg is set in the mountains and the fall foliage was just setting in. This made the scenery a wonderful backdrop for the meetings.

We arrived late in the evening, checked into the hotel and stowed our luggage in our rooms. We freshened up and went out and ate supper. We made a few contacts and returned to the hotel. We then went our own ways. Day one was finished and we all needed some sleep.

We arose Thursday to the continental breakfast the hotel offered. I had breakfast with Father Dave, Bishop Wes, and Father Walter Ruby. Various clergy and lay people were present; all the way from observers from other churches to a pair of bishops; from a few months old to 80-plus. I spoke with several folks and then we departed for the meetings.

The school was incredible. It was on well kept grounds and the facilities all worked and were clean. The small chapel we worshipped in was beautiful. We talked and mingled, drank some coffee and checked in with the receptionist. We had prayer and started the meetings.

There were various business matters, various short discussions, and yet everything moved along quite nicely. Our bishops spoke about things happening both inside and outside the REC, and they kept us laughing with their wonderful sense of humor. We broke for lunch.

We had lunch and were accompanied by the diocesan secretary and Father Greg Mashburn. I love Fr. Greg and sitting across from him was simply awesome. Everywhere we went, the service was excellent. We ate and fellowshipped and returned to the school.

We returned to the meetings and were “introduced officially” to Bishop Wes and the new Archdeacon. We got a diocesan financial report. We had another prayer service. We all returned to the hotel to freshen up for the supper.

Thursday night found us at the Boonsboro country club for a dinner event. I sat with a Nashotah graduate, Father Burlyn Rogers and his wife Deanette (who is simply hilarious), Father Dave, Bishop Wes, Jan Collins, and Bishop Dan Morse and his wife. The food was delicious and the conversation was sweet. Sitting to dinner with such distinguished people was incredible.

After dinner I sojourned to the terrace for an after dinner smoke (cigar). I came across other smokers and took a seat across from Deacon John Johnson and his wife. It was another hour of exhilarating discussion mixed with good stogies and great people. Every night must come to an end, and yet this one was just getting started. We departed for the hotel.

Upon arriving at the hotel I noticed a group of people sitting outside. I recognized Fr. Queener and decided to join them. During the next two hours the crowd swelled and waned and at least ten different people came and went. The air was slightly cool and smelled of fine cigars and sweet pipe tobacco. I had the privilege of sitting across from Archdeacon Peter Manto. Father Dave (he did not smoke any cigars) and I decided to call it a night and we were going to need what little sleep we were going to get.

We arose Friday to a nice day and headed down to breakfast. I ate with Jan and Fr. Burlyn and Deanette; simply wonderful people. Father Wayne McNamara spoke with us for a bit and then we headed back to our rooms. We packed the minivan and headed to the last day of meetings.

We had prayer and then a presentation about building churches and the monetary situations that arise from such endeavors. There were several ordinations; most especially to me was when Father Gregory Mashburn took his solemn vows as a Franciscan. (The video with audio is on YouTube) We are indeed *c*atholic. At one point we were not accompanied by music and the acappella singing of so many baritone voices in a smaller chapel was outstanding. I sat next to Deaconess Candy Jacques.

The small chapel was majestic. It was well maintained and decorated. It had a colorful, stained glass window above a gold gilded Jerusalem cross. The modern sound system was clear. The individual chairs reminded me of my first days in the REC. I traveled to St. Louis occasionally to worship with a REC parish. They had individual chairs and also used pillows for kneeling. Very basic, yet very much enough.

The colors of vestments ran the gamut. There were miters, collars, reds, whites, blues, and even a Franciscan habit. The readings were all done by ordained ministers and a West Point graduate assisted the entire time. Simply inspiring…times ten.

We took communion administered by two bishops. I witnessed every method; kneeling, standing, full cup, intincture. There were Baptists, Presbyterians, and Anglicans of all breadths. They came together for the important parts; word and sacrament. Bishop Dan gave a convicting sermon and I think between that and all the ordinations, everybody shed a tear somewhere.

The service ended and the pictures started. We also said many good-byes to new friends. Father Dave presented Fr. Greg with an Anglican rosary as a gift for becoming a Franciscan. We changed into more comfortable clothes, double checked everything, and were headed back towards Evansville .

At this point I want to say THANK YOU to the hosts of synod, New Covenant Schools. The place was clean and the layout was easily understood. The children were very well behaved and the staff incredibly helpful. May God bless your contribution. (They even allowed us a short smoke on premises)

The trip home was just a reverse of two days prior. More rain, the two toll booths, we grabbed a quick, late lunch. Bp. Wes drove the first leg and I drove the last. We had more wonderful conversation, most of which was about how to grow this parish. We arrived back in Evansville a little before midnight and I was the first person dropped off. I promised I’d be at mass the next day and gave everybody hugs and it was over. I was tired.

I was blessed that I was given the opportunity of attending synod as a Lay Representative. I met every rector in this diocese and made many friends. The worship was moving. The camaraderie was exceptional. The meetings went off without any serious hitches. The cigars burned flawlessly. The REC is broad and yet focused and moving forward. Thank you for sending me.

In Christ's Service,
William Johnson

All Saints

2009-11-11T10:39:00.000-08:00

In two and a half years at Trinity we have developed a great sense of fun surrounding the Feast of All Saints. Monica brought a really neat cake that the kids just loved this year. This is the second year I did the Christian Pumpkin carving for the kids. We even had a few kids in costume. I thought it was rather fitting that they were out of orange pumpkins at the store and we had to go with a white pumpkin…Because... after all, “The color for the feast day is white.”

Here’s the text for the Christian Pumpkin Carving:
Dear God, Open my mind so I can learn about You;
Take away all my sin and forgive me for the wrong things I do.
Open my eyes so Your love I will see;
I'm so sorry for turning up my nose to all you've given me.Open my ears so your word I will hear.
Open my mouth so I can tell others You're near
Let Your light shine in all I say and do! Amen.

Shoot The Clergy

2009-11-08T18:07:00.000-08:00

It is interesting how certain traditions develop over time in the life of individual parishes. We recently celebrated "Shoot The Clergy Day." This is an annual youth event where the clergy of Trinity Church strap on Lazer Tag equipment and shoot it out with the kids in the congregation. Later, pizza and games are enjoyed by young and old alike. This year Bishop Wes was out of town and I had to do battle alone. However, I actually came in fourth out of a field of ten this year (Maybe I shouldn't mention that first place was taken by a teenage girl of seventeen).

Trinity has developed a real youthful feel. Actually...Over a third of the parish's membership is under age twenty-five. It's amazing to be part of a growing and faithful church family with numerous ages represented. I have to laugh when I go back and listen to my sermons and I hear the noise of kids in the background. It doesn't always make for the best sound quality in recordings...But...It's a great problem to have.

Anglican Unity-FACA

2009-09-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

There is so much information out there on the New Province of the ACNA I wanted to make sure that other vehicles for Anglican unity are not forgotten along the way. The Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas (FACA) was formed in 2006 to provide a vehicle for communication, fellowship and cooperation between the various Anglican Jurisdictions in the Americas. http://anglicanfederation.org/

FACA VISION (Taken from the FACA website)
The Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas, in obedience to our Lord's command that His people be one, envisions faithful Anglican Churches working together in communion to fulfill the Great Commission. fellowship and cooperation between the various Anglican Jurisdictions in the Americas. On this site you will learn about the goals, privileges and procedures for membership.

1. FACA is a Federation of Anglican Provinces or Jurisdictions in North and South America which hold to the primacy of Holy Scripture, the Ecumenical Creeds and Councils, adhere to the 39 Articles of Religion, and the principles of the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral. Each member jurisdiction has adopted one of the historical Books of Common Prayer (as the primary standard for worship).

2. The autonomy of the individual Provinces, or Jurisdictions and their local parishes is in no way restricted or superceded by membership in FACA.

3. The Federation will seek to maintain the Patronage of orthodox Primates in the Anglican Communion. Such patronage is for advisory purposes in expanding fellowship with those in the Anglican Communion and working in concert with the godly projects and programs of the Archbishops primarily in the Global South.

4. Some of the member jurisdictions of the Federation are also members of the Common Cause Partners in North America. All deliberations and actions of the Federation will be executed with sensitivity to the godly goals and purposes of the Common Cause Partners to proclaim the Gospel and effect unity among faithful Anglicans in North America.

5. Further information about membership in the Federation may be obtained by contacting the current representative of the Admissions Committee.

The amount of cooperation that is allowed between FACA members is really incredible.

Among these are:

In the Consecration or Ordination of Bishops or other Ministers in the several Provinces. or Jurisdictions, the Bishops and Clergy of the other member Provinces, or Jurisdictions may be invited to participate.

The Ministers of member Provinces, Jurisdictions or Dioceses shall be entitled to officiate transiently in the congregations of member jurisdictions subject to the canonical requirements of the several Provinces, Jurisdictions and Dioceses, and also, subject to the respective regulations of said entities, shall be eligible to hold a cure of souls in the other.

The current members of FACA are: ACA, AMIA, APA, DHC, EMC, and the REC

Amusing Pictures

2009-08-02T11:51:00.001-07:00

I thought it would be nice to post some humorous pictures of my life. I believe a lot of people think that clergy lead pretty boring lives. The truth is actually much different. When you truly have the joy that one receives from the Gopsel of Jesus Christ in your heart life is usually pretty fun!

Here's a picture of my mouse ears I got while in Disney. I tried to convince others that this was a "Disney Biretta"...No such luck! Guess I won't ever wear these in church again...

At Vacation Bible School this year we had the kids experience just a small taste of the pain Jesus went through for all of us. We read to the kids from Scripture about how Jesus got to taste vinegar and gall from a sponge while he was nailed to a cross. Then they got to experience how great vinegar tastes. Guess my buddy Ben didn't like it that much!

Here's my daughter, Faith, imitating a rice candy sculpture of a tiger she got while in Japan at Epcot. She's saying in a very politically incorrect oriental accent, "Orange tiger...Leaping tiger...Roar!"

Now this is a picture of me soaking wet at VBS. I was building an altar like Elijah did when he proved the Prophets of Baal were worshipping a false god. However, before I could ask God to set it on fire my friend Hank threw ice water on my yelling, "No open flames near the church building!". Who I am I to argue? He is a law enforcement officer after all!

Here's my son Connor. Yes, it was Connor vs. Food. Recently Connor ate four plates of food and seven side dishes at Shyler's Bar-B-Q. I believe the establishment is reconsidering the "All you can eat" dinner on their menu!

Getting Out Into The Community

2009-07-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

It was my great pleasure to open the Vanderburgh County 4-H Fair Demolition Derby in prayer yesterday. I decided to let the Holy Spirit guide me in the prayer and not prepare for it in advance.

What came out was this.: "Dear God. Heavenly Father. We would ask that your blessings be upon every single driver here tonight. Bless them and protect them from harm. Help each one of them to drive to the best of their ability. So, they can give those assembled here the great competition they came for. It is in your son, Jesus Christ's name that we pray. AMEN!"

One of the things that I think is important for clergy to do is to get out into the community. I have had more than one new person in our parish tell me recently that, "You are certainly the Tri-State's best kept secret!" First and foremost we as Christians are called to spread the Good News of Christ, to help win souls for God. To defeat death by giving others the gift of eternal life that is Jesus Christ. We can't do that if we simply stay within the four walls of a building all the time.

Author Webb Kline wrote about the difference between a traditional church and a missional church:

Traditional Church: Inward-An institution created to attract people to a building, thus is focused on the futile task of appealing to and meeting the insatiable desires of its members in order to survive financially. Made up primarily of people for whom church is little more than an addendum to their busy self-engrossed lives.

Missional Church: Outward-A group of people whose passion and purpose is found in being the hands and feet of Jesus to those who need his mercy, grace compassion and love. Real missional Christians put the physical and spiritual needs of others before their own, for in this, they find their total satisfaction and meaning to life.

Now...I am not going to pretend that opening the Vanderburgh Co. Fair Demolition Derby with prayer turns us into a "Missional Church". However, when you combine it with other events our small mission parish does...Supporting unwed mothers... Helping family's devastated financially by cancer... Assisting poor families obtain baby beds so their infants have a safe place to sleep and supporting the Hemophilia Foundation we have started our young parish on a different path than what most churches take.

Here's our Sr. Warden, Jean Tillery. She is one of those rare people who cares about what others want and need more than her own comfort level. Few people are this unselfish. After all...She got out in the heat and humidity and helped me pass out hundreds of fans to the crowd. Fans that had information about Trinity Church on them... Of course...I had a lot of help from others too!
I would also like to thank those in the parish that supported this wonderful project but couldn't be there!

Loaves and Fishes

2009-07-26T01:37:00.000-07:00

Today we have The Gospel of the Loaves and Fishes. One of the best known Gospels out there. I love this Gospel because I love talking about miracles. A few weeks ago at a vestry meeting we were discussing what was going to become last week’s carry-in dinner. We knew we were probably going to have guests and that being summer we were going to be missing a few members. So, we were concerned if we were going to have enough food. I said at one point…“Well, I guess we could give some loaves and fishes to Bishop Wes and he could divide them up and feed everyone here”…And…In ‘true Bishop Wes’ fashion he spoke up and said… "I’m sorry... I think you have me mistaken for the guy I work for!"

Again, I love talking about miracles….Why? Because, I believe in miracles. Yes, we Anglicans…The thinking man’s Christians certainly believe in miracles. There is a story about an Anglican priest who was riding on an air plane and was reading his Bible. At one point under his breath he mumbled just loud enough to be heard by the individual sitting next to him "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God is great". The gentleman sitting next to him on the plane was a scientist. He was a man who put his trust in reason and asked the priest about the source of his joy.

The priest told him, "Don't you have any idea what God is able to do? I just read that God opened up the waves of the Red Sea and led the whole nation of Israel right through the middle." The scientist began to try to open the priest’s eyes to the "realities" behind the miracles of the Bible. "That can all be very easily explained“, said the scientist. Modern scholarship has shown that the Red Sea in that area was only 10-inches deep at that time. It was no problem for the Israelites to wade across."

The scientist, content that he had enlightened a poor, naive and superstitious priest reclined his seat back as far as it could go and started to take what he thought was a well deserved nap. Scarcely thirty seconds had gone by when the priest said louder than before, “Hallelujah! Hallelujah. God is great!” The scientist turned to the priest and asked what he was so excited about this time and the priest said. "Wow!"… "God is greater than I thought! Not only did He lead the whole nation of Israel through the Red Sea, He topped it off by drowning the whole Egyptian army in only 10 inches of water!"

The miracle of the loaves and the fishes is the only miracle besides the Resurrection itself that is mentioned in all four Gospels.…. For this reason alone we need to pay close attention to it. We need to ask ourselves - What is it about THIS particular miracle? - unlike all the other miracles performed by Jesus that captures the attention of the Gospel writers? Now, first of all I am 100% certain that this miracle physically happened. Jesus really did feed thousands that day with a small boy’s lunch. However, I also believe there is another message to this Gospel than just “God will take care of those who believe.” One of the many keys to this passage is found in Mark Chapter 6 verse 37 when Jesus tells his disciples, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy bread and give them something to eat?” What Jesus is talking about is spiritual food and he’s telling the Apostles they need to feed the flock just like he does. The Apostles thought they were going to be going and buying food but Jesus shows them that God will provide for them. The five loaves and the fishes represent the Gospel and it’s way to salvation. With the words of Christ, all humanity can be fed. The Gospel is so bountiful, we can go to it forever and we can never empty it. The baskets will always be full and there will be more than we can ever expect. In directing the Apostles to feed the flock Jesus is directing us also. We have the responsibility to feed others by the witness to His Gospel and how we…Each and everyone of us…. live our lives.

The fact is this... Our salvation through Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected is so delicious…And of such abundance ….we can never want for anything else. If we truly allow the Gospel message of Christ’s redemption…Which in turn becomes our redemption, to live within us we have enough spiritual food to feed thousands. It multiplies in our words and actions so that we overflow with the love of Jesus Christ.

So, when we look at this Gospel and it’s deeper meaning we clearly see that Jesus is giving us our witness to one another as a great gift. Through the words of the Gospel we can heal the sick, we can save others from certain death and pain. We can even defeat the forces of darkness themselves. One of my favorite passages in scripture, strangely enough, comes from Book of Revelation Chapter 12 where the Angles in Heaven cast Satan and his minions out…Scripture says…“And they (the angels) overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” Think of that. We are armed with the same power that God’s Angles in Heaven used to defeat Satan. The author of the Book of Hebrews in Chapter three says it best: "But all of you exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," so that not one of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. We are to “exhort one another” – that is the “word of our testimony”. That is the gift we walk out of here with every single week. Have you noticed that when I introduce the Gospel I have started to say…May these words remain in our minds, on our lips, in our hearts and I have added the statement “and be carried forth into our lives….” Please do just that…I am going to leave you with the same direction Jesus gave to his Apostles. In Jesus’ words “You give them something to eat.”

Luke 5:1

2009-07-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

"IT came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: and so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him."

Trinity Church is living proof that it is through a continual process that we are called to follow Christ, and that sometimes God asks you to “throw your net” into the water. We are also living proof that discipleship happens with more intensity when we begin to leave behind small pieces of our lives join Christ in His ministry. After all…many of us walked away from a certain thing to go on what some would call a fool’s quest. When Trinity Church became part of the ACNA and joined with literally millions of Bible believing Anglicans worldwide we had to leave behind fear and we had to desire to be for something more (that something being Jesus Christ) than being defined by what we were against. It goes to show you that none of us are too ordinary to follow Jesus Christ... Or, to hear His call to a life of discipleship and communion with him.

This Gospel message shows that Churches and clergy are simply asked to cast the Net of the Gospel, but it is God who miraculously supplies the catch. If judged by our skills and abilities, then we would probably catch little or nothing. I know I would. But it all belongs to God….It’s His boat… His Net… and His lake. Therefore, salvation is from Him, and by Him, and through Him. Isn’t it liberating to realize that priests and congregations do not have to please everyone or do everything? Doesn't it feel fantastic to realize that we cannot achieve the outcome of saving even one person by our own talent alone?

We are so lucky that God has given us weak sinners the One Net to cast - the solid and sure confession of the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ. When we follow Jesus we are set free from the necessity of meeting everyone's selfish interests. We have the singular focus of His Gospel. We are set free from searching for just the right words and gimmicks to move people to repent and believe. Instead, God… and God alone… works repentance and salvation. All we have to do is be faithful to His words and leave the rest in Jesus’ hands.

Our visit to Florida

2009-06-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

My family and I had a wonderful trip to Church of the Resurrection in Shalimar, FL. I very much enjoyed the fellowship and getting to meet the many mature Christians who call this congregation home. I especially enjoyed serving at the altar with Fr. Greg, Fr. Mark and Deacon Jason. All are wonderful and spirit filled servants of God.

We also went to Disney World, a dinner theatre and even Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum. My son, Connor, strongly states that his best time was visiting Fr. Greg in Shalimar, FL. Coming from a fifteen year old youg man...Now...That's a compliment!

Gospel for Trinity St. John iii.1

2009-06-06T04:40:00.000-07:00

THERE was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Nicodemus sought Jesus out during the night. Yes, on some level it was an act of fear. For Nicodemus was afraid to be seen with Jesus, and therefore came to speak to him under the cover of darkness. When religion is out of fashion, there are many Nicodemites out there. I know a few…A few people that seek my advice and counsel but never come to church…They come and see me in my office or call me on the phone when having a pastor is convenient…One of them just texts me…They really don’t want the hassle of belonging to a church family.

Here’s Jesus, a young country preacher from Galillee… Outside the religious power structure. Jesus had no real political power behind Him. But Jesus was doing things that no one could explain. His miracles…His amazing insights... They got Nicodemus' attention. “We know that you are from God, for no one can do such things without God”, Nicodemus said.

In this Gospel message Jesus outlines some basic truths for Nicodemus… And for all of us. Perhaps the most basic truth here is the one that we know the best. The “Gospel-in-a-nutshell” passage, John 3:16. Yes, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” You hear it every week during the Comfortable Words. This is why Jesus has come … for the love of God… For the love of a world that is perishing …He came for Nicodemus…And He came for us too. He came because He loves us!

In our scripture Nicodemus approaches Jesus and begins by trying to 'butter him up', “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Jesus pays no attention, always being a man of action He gets to the point. Nicodemus needs to see the kingdom, and Jesus nudges him toward it. Jesus tells him he needs to be born again.

Have you ever heard that question? “Are you born again?” Usually asked by Evangelical Christians... what does it mean? Have you had a conversion experience? Have you given your life over to Jesus Christ? Do you know Jesus personally?

What is Jesus talking about here, “born again”? That's what Nicodemus wants to know. That's what we need to know. For we certainly want to see heaven. We want to be a part of Christ's Church.

Jesus tells us more: “Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit”…. Again Jesus said, “Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit”. This can only mean one thing – Holy Baptism. How many of our friends would be shocked to know that Jesus' words here are in the context of a discussion on Holy Baptism. Not sudden conversion experiences… Like Paul’s moment of blindness turned to sight. I’m not saying those conversion experiences aren’t important. I’m not saying people cannot find God in a flash…That would be just silly…Because, many people obviously do. But…Holy Baptism, this precious gift, is one of our Church’s sacraments…Baptism is part of our faith. Oh, and by it, we are born again. Not of the flesh, but of the Spirit….

My religious mentor spoke to me once about "rocks in a stream". Just like rocks in a stream that have water flowing all around them if you pick up one of those rocks and break it open it is dry on the inside. People are like this with Christ. In our American culture Christianity is all around us. People talk about God all of the time. However, how deep does God really penetrate inside of us?

We have people running around all over the place in our culture saying, "Do you have a personal relationship with your Savior, Jesus Christ?" To these people my answer is this: "Well...I never had a beer with Jesus…However, He took my name with him to die on a hard and dirty cross for my sins. He loved me so much that he gave me eternal life by dying a horrific death for my having done nothing but pretty much slap him in the face by sinning again and again. If that is what is meant by a personal relationship.....Yeah...I have a personal relationship with him." Yes, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Take this Gospel message with you today. Take it in your hearts and out into the world with you on this celebration of the Trinity. Let it nudge you and those around you, as it did to Nicodemus, to be a member of Christ’s Kingdom.

We are the C.S. Lewis Church!

2009-05-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have often thought about putting out an advertisement that says just this, "We are the C.S. Lewis Church". I am many times amazed at how beautiful our Traditional Anglican worship truly is. I am simply amazed at how many people view things in a negative light because they are not "new" or "more modern". Many are so immersed in our current culture that they believe everything should reflect the modern world around us. That includes a 2,000 year old faith.

I picked up a little book the other day: Following Prince Caspian, By Thomas Williams

I found something Thomas Williams had written very interesting. "We did not experience the culture that proceeded ours, so our own culture becomes the norm to us. Because its all we've known...We're likely to be guilty of what Narnia's creator, C.S. Lewis, called 'chronological snobbery'--the assumption that the present is is always an improvement over the past".

I have been told on numerous occasions things like, "no one will ever be interested in Traditional Anglican worship. The language is too hard to understand. The way of worship is too old". Yet, we continue to get younger and younger crowds at church services...C.S, Lewis' writings seem to be more popular now than when I was a child. Everyone that comes to our services at Trinity comment about its "spirituality".

As Thomas Williams writes, "Our present culture is turning reality upside down. Our age has lost its solid footing on truth in pursuit of the glitter of materialism and pleasure, and in the process we've swept aside the timeless standards that stood in our way. We're like adolescents gorging on junk food while our souls starve."...Yes, I do believe we in the Traditional Anglican Movement truly are the "C.S. Lewis Church".

The Small Church

2009-05-25T16:36:00.001-07:00

I have always loved belonging to small churches. My fondest memories are from my small church experiences. My original church home was in a small church.

I recently attended a small church conference presented by Dr. David Ray. David Ray is a small church pastor and small church coach. He has taught classes on the small church in seminary and has advised numerous small churches around the country. It was a very interesting conference and here are some of the highlights:

1. The largest problem with small congregations is an “inferiority complex”. We must get rid of the idea that “small is bad”. After all, before 1950 unless you were in a big city you were probably a small church.

2. Every single small church Dr. Ray has seen fail is because of one reason…Negativity. “A negative attitude kills a small church long before a lack of money, resources or a lack of membership ever could”.

3. No successful small church considers being small “bad”. They have a sense of family. A sense of, “We take care of each other”.

4. Ask yourself, “Why you want to grow?” If the answer is anything other than, “to spread the gospel” it’s the wrong answer.

5. At the last judgment God will not ask, “Were you successful?”…But, “Were you faithful?” Focus on what is important.

6. Small churches cannot be good at everything. Pick your strengths and play to them. After all, David did not slay Goliath with Saul’s sword. David used what worked for him.

7. Be size appropriate. Pick hymns and liturgy that work for a small parish. Don’t try to be something you’re not. Pick hymns easy to sing and music people like.

8. Don’t forget, big mega churches even have to use “small church ministry groups” to be successful. A small church really does it better than they do anyway.

9. “Small churches are hard to join and are even harder to get out of.” A lot of people like anonymity. They want to be lost in the crowd. Many people don’t want to be bothered. People that join a small church love relationships. They don’t mind being called up and asked, “What happened to you on Sunday?”…“It’s hard to leave a small church because…People will hunt you down.”

10. Small churches that are successful are not self absorbed, but look outward. Find some community projects and do them.

11. Small churches do wonderfully at: Carry-ins, birthdays, graduations…Really any excuse to eat and socialize. Do those things often!

12. Identify one person in the parish that has “something to catch”. (i.e., a cheerleader, a deep faith, a positive attitude) and replicate it.

13. “The Moth Principle”…People are like moths. They are attracted by light and warmth. Give out both of these things…Always!

14. Just identify one problem every couple of months and solve it!

15. Don’t get hung-up on “we must have young people”. Don’t ignore trying to get young people…But, remember every single one of us are getting older and there is always a “new crop of older folks coming-up”…In fact, wait long enough and you will be one of them. One parish in Florida never gained a person under forty-five but grew from eight members to over a hundred members in five years by being loving, faithful and just having a “good time”.

I'm sure happy to belong to a small church family.

Sunday After Ascension

2009-05-24T05:37:00.000-07:00

“What's the plan for Mother’s Day?”

2009-05-10T05:35:00.000-07:00

Keep Going!

2009-05-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

Jesus wasn’t supposed to be betrayed! Judas was supposed to be a disciple, not a traitor. Jesus wasn’t supposed to get arrested…convicted…and crucified. What about all the miracles? What about all the plans? What about all the disciples Jesus had won? James and John were making plans to put their thrones next to Jesus in the kingdom they expected him to usher in. Judas had his own plans though. We don’t know exactly what they were, but it’s pretty apparent Judas’ plans weren’t good. His plans didn’t have everyone else’s best interest at heart. They certainly didn’t have Jesus’ best interest at heart.

Jesus’ plan was simple – go up to Jerusalem, be handed over to the elders and chief priests, to suffer, to be crucified, and to rise again on the third day. We have to have some respect for God’s planning. God sees and knows how it has to be. That was the plan all along. God’s way of dealing with our sin in Christ. The Christ had to die. The Christ had to rise. This was God’s plan of salvation…Not ours.

They say in the theatre, “the show must go on”. No matter what happens, if you forget your lines, if a back drop doesn't come down, if the audience doesn’t applaud…Well, the show must go on! Christ’s Church is like that too. “The Church must go on!” No matter if you have a bad few days. No matter if you have some disappointments, the word has been given to us to teach and preach. The Church must go on. The gates of hell will not prevail against her! Though it may have seemed, at first, that God’s plan had been thwarted by a scheming Judas, the Church did go on! A new apostle was picked to take his place. The disciples prayed and allowed God to determine who would lead His Church. Everything is ultimately in God’s hands. The Church has had many set backs over the years. It has has seen its leaders corrupted. It has seen heresy spread by false teachers. However, it has always "Kept Going!" God has always made sure that good and faithful shepherds would be brought forward to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At this time God is bringing together thousands of orthodox Anglicans from across North America to form a new jurisdiction. This new jurisdiction, The Anglican Church in North America, will be the beginnings of a new faithful witness to the Gospel of Christ in the Anglican tradition.

Wordle

2009-05-02T06:32:00.000-07:00

Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.

I recently put my blog through Wordle and this is what it came up with. Click on the image below to see what messages this blog sends to others. I'll have to admit. I was actually rather proud of the messages that my blog was sending to others. Wordle picks out the most prominent words in a message and makes those words bigger....Take a look!

Doubting Thomas

2009-04-18T22:44:00.000-07:00

19So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." 22And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."
24But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." 26After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." 27Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." 28Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."Here we are, one week away from the empty tomb. For the rest of the world, it’s time to move on. Time to put away the Easter baskets. Time to sweep away the plastic grass. Time to throw out the stale Peeps. But for Christ’s church, Easter continues. Christ’s resurrection from suffering and death continues and so does the resurrection of all of us that believe in Him!

Here we are, one week away from the empty tomb. For the rest of the world, it’s time to move on. Time to put away the Easter baskets. Time to sweep away the plastic grass. Time to throw out the stale Peeps. But for Christ’s church, Easter continues. Christ’s resurrection from suffering and death continues and so does the resurrection of all of us that believe in Him!

Today we read the story of Jesus’ second appearance to the Apostles – The first one, actually being on Easter Sunday. The second, a week later. This reading always reminds me of a story I heard long ago about an Anglican priest who was a university chaplain for many years. He was thought of as the most pious and wonderful of men. Many people traveled long distances to come and seek his wisdom and insight. He started each day of his ministry with one prayer every morning. In fact, this prayer was even framed and was the only thing adorning the walls of his office. This prayer was the simple quotation from St. Thomas…or, better yet…“Doubting Thomas”…It said just one thing…“Show me so that I might believe”….It is said that when the priest was asked why he, a devout servant of God, would start everyday out on such a note of doubt he simply shrugged and said “Why wouldn’t I ask…He keeps showing me”… “He keeps showing me”…

In my work with children over the years I have had many older children ask many questions of me when they discover I am involved in ministry. Almost always…These kids ask about the “other world“…The “other side” if you will. Even though these kids have often been raised in Christian homes I am often surprised about how they…AND A LOT OF ADULTS FOR THAT MATTER…View heaven as some sort of ethereal and strange sort of smoky place full of ghostly apparitions. Here is Jesus in our reading today being very much real flesh and blood. He is eating fish and having people place their fingers in His side. We that have Jesus in our hearts will continue to live. We will continue to exist and continue to be very much alive. Heaven is just as real and physical as this place…Just because we can’t see the local highway from where we are sitting doesn’t mean it’s not there.

The theme we see in today‘s reading, besides that Christ is risen, is that there were witnesses to His resurrection. And it is these witnesses who shared the news with others, and then others, and throughout the ages – so that we have finally heard the news, and we believed. Eyewitness accounts of Jesus Christ – living, breathing, eating, speaking, and being touched. He truly is alive, that’s the good news of the Easter Gospel! He is alive. He lives. He defeated sin and death…And, so have we!…Through Him!

Easter

2009-04-12T06:26:00.000-07:00

The one that was mocked is the one who won the victory over Satan by being mocked. Our trust in Jesus is a very humble trust, because we know that the victory on the cross included the triumph over all of our mockeries and tauntings and insults too!

I too have mocked Jesus. I have refused to let go of the past and I have held onto my own pain, anger and suffering. I have rubbed salt into the wounds of Jesus by continuing time and time again to not take the high road. I have hurt others and myself. However, most of all I have hurt Jesus....Why do we try not to sin? It is not because God sits on a throne somewhere in the Heavens and keeps count of everything we do bad on a "cosmic clipboard". The real reason we shouldn't sin is because it breaks Jesus' heart every single time we do.

The curse of hell had to be fully suffered and endured. The sinless Jesus had to pay the price of being damned for the sins of those who should have been damned for their own sins. God had to be forsaken by God....He had to be forsaken by everyone...even those who professed to love Him. The light of Christ shines forth even beyond the darkness that is sin and death. We now have the joy that is Easter.

Christ has risen from the dead, not only for us, but with us. He is the "first-born" of the dead, not an “only-child”. Yes, Jesus' resurrection, is our resurrection. It's very much as if we, ourselves, came back to life in His glorious defeat of death on this day....This wonderful Easter Day!

Have a wonderful new life in the Risen Jesus!

Lent III

2009-03-15T01:08:00.000-07:00

The Gospel. St. Luke xi. 14.
JESUS was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Today’s Gospel is a really good Gospel. It’s a good Gospel because it goes to the very heart of things…And…That is this…Who is Jesus Christ? Who do we believe Him to be? Where does Jesus belong in the struggle we call life?

Look at versus 14-15 in today’s Gospel:
“And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled. (15) But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."

The people present that day could not deny that an incredible miracle had transpired before their eyes; a miracle that required explanation. Since they could not deny the miracle they had just seen they question the source of Jesus’ power.

When we read further we see the Gospel says, “Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.” Perhaps like many people today they thought of themselves as being open minded, willing to be convinced if enough evidence was presented. Kind of like people from Missouri…Sort of “show me” people.

Jesus said, “If I by Satan cast out demons as you claim by whom do your sons cast them out?” Jewish religious leaders also performed exorcisms at this time and generally people believed they did so by God‘s power. Jesus was asking if these men were also empowered by Satan? Was everyone who cast out demons in league with Satan? Well… of course not. Then if the miracle is not performed by dark powers, it must have its source in the power of God.

If Jesus wasn’t of Satan then only one alternative remained: He must be of God! In verse twenty Jesus says, “But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.” A careful reading brings out the fact that Jesus' exorcism of demons should be seen in the context of warfare against Satan…Of Good vs. Evil.

The actions of both the religious leaders and some of the people present were that they thought they could straddle a fence, inhabit a non-existent spiritual neutral ground, and not make a decision about Jesus. They acted as though they could doubt and question forever. They performed a mental dance full of doubt. They had a belief based on the false idea that there really is some safe middle ground. The truth is that it is impossible to be neutral in a spiritual war. There are two spiritual forces at work in the world, and we must choose between those forces.

Paul says in Ephesians 6:12, “we do not wrestle
against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in
the heavenly places.”

The evidence has been presented. Jesus has healed the sick, cast out demons, caused the blind to see, the deaf to hear and He has raised the dead. Don’t misunderstand me. Jesus is not on trial. But eternity is at stake. Perhaps the most important question that Jesus ever asked was the question that he once asked Peter and it was this: “Who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29)

Jesus says of himself in John 3:18, "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he
who does not believe is condemned already,
because he has not believed in the name of the
only begotten Son of God.”

We do not have the option of believing that Jesus was a good man, a wise spiritual teacher, one of the great prophets of the ages. Why? Because he claimed to be the son of God. This forces us into a choice; either he was who he said he was….Or, He was a big fat liar. If He was a liar then He was one of the most despicable men who ever lived, because he asked people to place their faith in a lie.

The evidence has been presented to you, but like I said, Jesus is not on trial…But our hearts are….Yours and mine! There is no middle ground, you cannot be neutral about Jesus, “Who do we say that he is?” God has given us the gift of Lent to help figure the answer out. God has given us His Church to guide us. God has given us Holy Scripture. God has given us the sacramental life handed down to us by through the Ancient Church…“Who do we say He is?” What is our answer? Let’s make it a good answer…Shall we?

Preparing for Lent

2009-02-23T17:11:00.000-08:00

It's almost "Fat Tuesday"... First, calm down and don’t “lose it” because it's about to be Lent and act like you are in an eating contest on the cable Food Network. Although…I fully admit I was tempted to drink about five beers, have three slices of cheese cake and enter myself in the “Blaz’n Hot Wing Challenge” at dinner the other night…You will all be happy to know that your local vicar controlled his “appetites of the flesh.”

Second, think very carefully about what you are going to give up for Lent. If you primarily want to lose weight or get on a health kick…that should have already happened during “New Year’s Resolution Time”. Jesus died for all our sins… Not so we could get buff and look great. Although, I will admit that Anglican clergy have it better than most…I mean wearing black all of the time…We all know how slimming black is.

Thirdly, we really do need to focus on a Jesus during Lent and less on our selves. So, if you are considering giving up something that has a “besides”…It may not be the best thing…As in…“I am giving up candy…Besides…It will help me lose weight…” Lent is all about giving up something that will be a daily reminder of Christ’s suffering for us and help us grow closer to HIM.

The most important thing we need to ask ourselves is: How are we going to grow closer to Christ during this Lenten season? So...What have I decided to do regarding my personal prayer life during Lent? I have decided to follow a path first walked by St. Ignatious of Layola. I have decided to follow the Daily Examen. Here's more about the Daily Examen:

Ask God to help you identify the moment today for which you are most grateful. Recall that moment in as much detail as possible. What made it so special? "For what moment today am I most grateful?"

Ask God to help you identify the moment today for which you are least grateful. Recall that moment. What made it so difficult? "For what moment today am I least grateful?
Follow this with "When did I feel most alive today? When did I most feel life draining out of me today?"

Try to keep the Daily Examen as consistently as possible. At regular intervals look back over your journal entries.

What do you notice? Any patterns? Themes?

What might these writings be telling you about how God is speaking to you?

What do these writings suggest about your identity? Your purpose? Your direction?

Here is a link to more info: http://www.twu.ca/life/career/lifecalling/examen.html

Conversion of St. Paul

2009-01-25T04:17:00.000-08:00

In this Epiphany season, one of the themes we see cropping up over and over again is the unveiling of who Christ really is. This week our Epistle is the story of a surprising reversal. We see Christ reveal Himself to the person who had been the most ardent antagonist of the young church, Saul, who then becomes the church’s chief protagonist. The conversion of Saul is a story so familiar and pivotal that even those who have never read it often know it by heart and take it to be the ultimate story of religious conversion. Scripture is not only telling Saul, but all of us, who Jesus really is. That’s the reason The Conversion of St. Paul fits so nicely into the Epiphany Season.

Christ says in our Epistle, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." Why are these words so important? They indicate the nature of God who comes to humanity. God does not come to us as a threatening or menacing God. God comes to us as one who is open to be wounded. Why? Because God is love, and love is vulnerable. The greater the love, the greater its capacity "to be persecuted," the greater it’s capacity to suffer. It’s been said, “Do you want to understand Christ’s willingness to suffer?” Well, be a parent. There is nothing a good and well adjust person wouldn’t do for their children…Including die for them!

God loved us so much that He came as Christ and embraced the world that rejects Him. Thus Jesus’ words of self-introduction to Paul are central to Christianity. "Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of slander against you falsely on my account." Christ is not only telling Paul who he is. Christ is preparing Paul for his future as an Apostolic minister of the Church.

Because, to be in Christ’s service is to suffer. It is written in Corinthians "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” The famous Anglican theologian JC Ryle wrote: There is no doctrine in Christianity so important as the doctrine of Christ crucified. There is none which the devil tries so hard to destroy. There is none which it is so needful for our own peace to understand. By “Christ crucified,” I mean the doctrine that Christ suffered death on the cross to make atonement for our sins,-that by His death He made a full, perfect, and complete satisfaction to God for the ungodly,-and that through the merits of that death all who believe in Him are forgiven all their sins, however many and great, entirely, and for ever.

In today’s society we are faced with what I call the idea of “diminishing sin.” The idea that “sins aren’t that bad”. Greed by demanding the finest things in life and walking around with a sense of entitlement, theft by cheating on our taxes, abortion, premarital sex…well…“they aren’t all that bad.” Well, I’m sorry but these are all sin. Holy Scripture and two thousand years of church tradition make it pretty clear that these are all sins….Why do I say such things….Because, when we “diminish sins” we diminish the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us by dying on the cross.

Being a Christian means receiving God’s gift of forgiveness. It means attempting to live a Christ like life, participating in the sacramental life of the Church and trying our very best to turn away from sin. It means finding salvation through belief in Jesus Christ as our Savior. Acts 4:12 says "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Jesus is like no other, for he is fully human and fully divine at the same time. Nothing about His humanity could detract from His Godliness; nothing about His Godliness could detract from His humanity. Because of this Jesus is the only one who can truly reconcile the Father in heaven with His children on earth. Jesus is of both worlds…Jesus Christ is the bridge by which God comes to earth and the only bridge by which people come to heaven. On the cross Jesus’ identity was not discontinued but fulfilled. This extraordinary fulfillment shook the Jewish Saul the persecutor of Christ. Paul went on to bring the name of Christ "before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel." Christ who "emptied himself" and was crucified speaks to the world. Christ through His suffering represents God‘s love for us. This is the message that will make the "scales fall away" from our eyes. If only we believe it.

Life in a family called "Trinity"

2009-01-04T20:07:00.000-08:00

Some of us went out after Saturday services to a local pizza place to watch the Indianapolis Colts in the play-offs.

Over the last couple of years I have been converted as a Colts fan. I've never been a "sports guy"...But, I have started to enjoy watching the Colts play more and more. (Sadly the Colt's season ended too soon). It was heart breaking to watch my friends go through the angst of watching the Colts lose an extremely close play-off game to the San Diego Chargers. I even called my fellow priest, Fr. Ron White, in San Diego and ask him during the game to "pray for the Colts". I didn't get the reaction I was asking for...No chance to enjoy some 'good-natured teasing'. All Fr. Ron said was, "Of course I'll pray for them..I've always hated the Chargers". This morning I got up to find an e-mail from Fr. Ron that simply said, "How did you guys let that bunch of West Coast vegetarians beat you?". All I could do was respond with an, "I don't know".

One of the many things that I found interesting about the evening was when my Sr. Warden commented, "I've been involved with the Continuing Church Movement since 1980 and this Church is really the first one that's been fun to belong too". Now...I am certainly not going to start any kind of "happy clappy worship"...But, It is amazing how much fun we do have at Trinity. We have kid's activities, fellowship, laughing... All the things that make it great to be part of a family.

Why Come?

2008-12-28T07:17:00.000-08:00

The Incarnation has always fascinated me. God made flesh...The perfect mixture of God and man. The bridge by which we can attain paradise and overcome our sins. Sometimes you find something in places you don't expect it. I am taking a class in Marriage Counseling and discovered this:

In Love Life for Every Married Couple, author Ed Wheat speaks to how couples can use God’s love as an example of how to love in marriage: “The Lord hath appeared of old to me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3) Ed Wheat writes, “If we were to sum up all we can learn about love through a scriptural study of God’s dealings with mankind, it might be stated as simply as this: Love is always doing the very best for the objects of one’s love. This is what love is and what love does, and there is nothing mysterious about that“. (Love Life for Every Married Couple, pg 51)

What is being described by the author is Agape love. Agape love is exercised by one’s own determination and decision. God chose to come and "dwell among us". Why? Because, HE loves us. HE wants the best for us... There is a lot of mystery surrounding the incarnation. The "Why?" is not a mystery.

My Friend, Guy

2008-12-27T23:27:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends past away recently. He was someone I spoke to almost everyday for the last eighteen years. My life is going to be very different (and a little less happy) without him in it. However, I guess that means that I am that much more blessed for having him in it in the first place. My friend left a wife and three children (the youngest only eight years old).

Here are a few words I said at his memorial service.

I know that each and every single person is an individual…But…But….There are some that are born into this world that are truly more “individuals” than others. God sometimes “breaks the mold” so to speak after creating such a special person. These people are simply “that special” …That “unique”…..Then…There are times when God creates a person that He just doesn’t “break the mold on”…God takes the mold out back and puts a couple of sticks of dynamite underneath it and blows it up…That….Make no mistake about it…Was Guy Matthew Gwaltney.

Guy was one of those rare people that truly understood that we are God’s gift to one another. God has given us each other as a special gift and it is our job to help one another get through this difficult and often heartbreaking life. Guy took it upon himself as his special mission in life to make everyone smile….To make everyone’s life just a little bit easier just by his being part of it…And the world is going to be less happy without him in it….I know my own life will be “less happy“.

Guy held certain things in life as special and dear…These things were his family, his friends and coworkers…And the children he helped every single day through the Department of Child Services. Very rarely did any of Guy’s conversations not include one of these topics. I knew this man for over eighteen years and I don’t think I ever heard him once talk about himself…Some people could be challenged to take the words "me" and "I" out of their conversations and they simply couldn't do it. If you had given Guy this challenge you could have come back two days later and he would still be talking. He always…Always… spoke about others… Wouldn’t our world be a better place if all humanity had this gift? If everyone acted like Guy Gwaltney?

Guy was a hard worker and did his best to take care of his family…He did a great job at that…However, this also allowed him to do charity on the side…Giving to his own Church…Giving to other Churches in the Community that he had never even set foot in. Guy always chose to give to kids and their families that were involved with the Department of Child Services…Every single year he and Missy would get the list together. Guy made sure others did not go without..Whether it be a present at Christmas…Or, fighting to make sure a child had a normal and safe life that he was involved with through the office. Again…Guy was not a self focused individual….There were times though that Guy and I would sneak off and shut his office door and he would enlist my help in planning his son's, Josh and Jacob’s, pine wood derby race strategies for Cub Scouts….Just a few stolen moments that we all take at times…But His stolen moments were for others…To make sure others had special moments and that he could enjoy those times with them.

I could carry-on forever. I could tell a story about almost each and everyone of you and how lucky we were to have him. When something this good is given to us by God the downside is that it can’t last for eternity and it hurts really…really bad when it’s not there anymore.

Let me close with this….I recently saw this quote from the Eastern Orthodox Saint John Maximovich, “He who departs from this world experiences much consolation when he sees friendly people surrounding his dead body. Such a person discerns in his beloved friends' tears of pain their love and sincere dedication. The greatest earthly joy is undoubtedly the realization that we die honored and appreciated by all who knew us.” Our friend, Guy, passed away last Friday surrounded by his family. He had many family and friends call on him at the funeral home. Look at the crowd here today. I guess that is so much more than many people ever have…a room full of people who love them. Guy certainly has that.

http://www.webfh.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=217125&fh_id=11035

What Christmas is Really About

2008-11-23T20:04:00.000-08:00

This year at Trinity Church Fr. Nolden and I thought it might be nice to do something for the pro-life cause. We decided that we and our parish membership would "put our faith into action". Helping young women who have chosen the life of their children, rather than the darkness and destruction of abortion would help everyone understand better what the birth of our Lord is all about.

Father Nolden wrote this Pastoral Letter:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As Advent rapidly approaches Fr. David and I have been thinking about what we can do as a parish that would fit the penitential tone of the season. One of the things we can do is to give to others. The gifts of the three wise men at Christmas remind us that we must give of ourselves to honor our Savior and Advent is the perfect time to think of personal sacrifice for Jesus. To that end, Fr. David and I have come up with a program that we want to start this Advent season and continue as a Trinity tradition.

In Evansville there is a place called Life Choices Maternity and Children’s Home. Its sole purpose for existence is to provide young women who are alone and pregnant an opportunity to choose life for their children. They provide shelter, medical care, counseling, and more in a Christian environment. Fr. David is a good friend of their director and has worked with this center in the past. Both Fr. David and I believe that making the choice for life is one of great courage and such courage should receive as much support as possible. To that end we want to start a small program that we hope will grow with time.

There are about nine young ladies at Life Choices right now. Some have a child and others are currently expecting. We want to have families from the parish “adopt” one of these courageous women and help them with a gift for Christmas. The idea is that the name of each person would be put on a cutout of an angel. These angels will be made available after church, so you may adopt a mother and child. The person or family who adopts a mother will then purchase a gift for her or her child. We will collect the gifts and arrange for a time when Fr. David, me, and members of the parish will deliver these gifts to the center.

Each week at Eucharist in my silent prayers as a priest I pray for the innocent victims of abortion. Won’t you please help us provide a little bit of help and joy to these courageous young women? It’s really so little to ask and the joy you will bring will be so great. Fr. David will be talking about this program in the next two weeks and we will be making the angels available soon. Remember what our Lord said in Matthew25:40, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”
May God bless you in this Advent season.

Yours in Christ,
Rev. Dr. Wesley L. Nolden, II

I took this from the Life Choices website:

Young mothers and other teens experiencing life challenges need the special care and support provided by a faith-based residential shelter.

We believe that young women and teens choosing to carry their babies to term should be supported in that decision and given the support and skills necessary to live a good life.

Our commitment to serving young women and teens comes from our faith-based ministry to serve those in need.

We acknowledge every life as a gift to be cherished and protected.

We believe that successful outcomes can best be achieved by addressing the total needs of the individual, including physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs.

We are committed to providing a nurturing and loving environment for all young women and teens residing at our shelter.

Life Choices Website: http://lcevv.org/

It's starting to feel a lot like CHRISTMAS!

"Stir Up" Sunday

2008-11-23T05:36:00.000-08:00

The Collect.
STIR up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In traditional Anglican churches, the last Sunday before Advent is called “Stir up Sunday” It became associated with stirring the Christmas pudding. When I was a young lad of about five years old I always pictured a cowboy putting his foot in the stirup of his horse and getting ready to ride off into the sunset when grown-ups talked about “Stir up” Sunday. Of course, when I was a child I also thought that when the priest spoke about lepers he was actually talking about leopards. When I was a little guy I always thought to myself. Wow…Jesus laying His hands on one of those big black jungle cats would look so cool…. Anyway…I hope today will be, a “Stir-up” Day for at least some of us.

In today’s Gospel we hear about the miracle of the loaves and the fishes. However, I don’t believe today’s Gospel is as much about the miracle of multiplying the loaves and fishes as it is about Christ’s mercy to all His people. It shows that Jesus Christ leaves no one out. This is the only miracle of Jesus traveling ministry that is mentioned in all Four Gospels. I believe for that reason alone we need to pay particular attention to it.

There is a story of a man’s wife who had died. The man was inconsolable with grief. The man took flowers to his deceased wife’s grave every single day. He eventually consulted a priest who had counseled him for several months. One day the priest saw the flowers the man had brought to his session and the priest said, "Today, I do not want you to go and place those flowers on your wife’s grave. I want you to go to the hospital down the road and go into each room and give a flower to the patient you find there." The next week the man came to his session with his priest in a much happier state of mind. He said, "I had a wonderful time giving those flowers away. Those people appreciated them so much and I even made several new friends. Father, I can’t stay as long as usual today because I’m going back to visit the new friends I met."… Christianity has a lot of experience bringing new beginnings out of hopeless situations. Be it no more wine at a wedding feast…a small amount of lunch to feed thousands….A crucified body and an empty tomb…Or, a widower and bouquet of flowers.

Another story says that many years ago, there was an Anglican woman who lived in a small village in Ireland, which was predominantly Roman Catholic. The closest Anglican parish was over twenty miles away. This lady was a nurse, she had devoted her life to caring for the sick and needy. After many years of kind and selfless service to the village’s families, the woman died. She had no family of her own, so the townsfolk planned a beautiful funeral for her, a fitting tribute to the woman to whom so many owed their lives. The parish priest, however, pointed out that, because she was a Protestant, she could not be buried in the town’s Catholic cemetery. The villagers protested, but the priest held firm. It was not easy for the priest either, because he too had loved this lady. But the canons of the Church were very clear; she would have to buried outside the fence of the Roman Catholic cemetery.

The day of the funeral arrived, and the whole village attended the funeral. They watched as their friend was buried--outside the fence. But that night, a group of villagers, armed with shovels, sneaked into the cemetery. Then they quietly set to work--moving the fence.

More astounding than Jesus’ feeding of the crowds with a few pieces of bread and fish is Jesus’ transforming the crowd into a community… A community united in their need for one another, in the bread they shared, in the love of Christ who brought them together. We are…All of us…The Church. We are part of the body of Christ. Christ still performs miracles. We can "move the fences" to include outsiders, we can welcome others by spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. We can grow His Church…Which is God’s Kingdom here on earth.

Some of you might say that is a “little far fetched” Because…
We at Trinity Anglican Church don’t have a big enough membership to make a real difference. Trinity Anglican Church doesn’t have enough money. We aren’t flashy enough. After all…No praise band. No twenty foot television screen. Our message is too “hard core” for many people. People want a “massage” not a message about the Gospel and our uncompromising faith. They don’t want to hear about the evils of sin.

I would challenge you to think of it this way…Most of Jesus’ followers were fisherman or common laborers and they changed the world. Not through their great intellect…Not through their great numbers…But through their great faith… These are the facts. …a small group of people that were Jesus’ family and friends and who possessed great love and faith in our Lord changed the world for the better. God is capable of answering dreams that we haven’t even thought of yet. God did not need for humanity to dream-up the idea of His son coming to earth and dying on the cross for all our sins. God is not bound by our earthly limitations or our worldly dreams. If we remain faithful God will take care of us. He will take care of our little church and he will take care of each and everyone of us… personally…all we need to do is follow him and live as He commands us to. God is capable of feeding a multitude of people from a little boy‘s lunch and he’s capable of getting each and everyone of us through this difficult life and to our heavenly and eternal reward. All we have to do is follow his lead.

Traditional Worship and Why

2008-11-21T19:16:00.000-08:00

I have always had guest's from time to time on "Where Good Guys Wear Black"...Afterall...It is "Good Guys". One of the things about being a clergyman in an orthodox Anglican body of believers is that there are always friends to call on and I can be more secure in knowing that I have brothers to exhort me. I recently invited Father Thomas Boully of St. Michael's Church in Land O' Lakes, FL to write a guest article. I was very impressed by what I received.

Fr. Tom asks: "Why should we use the old, antiquated, 1928 edition, of The Book of Common Prayer in our ultra-modern and fast paced world of the 21st Century?"

Fr. Tom quickly answers the question by reminding us of the fact is that worship is not designed for us, but for God. It is Him whom we worship and not ourselves.

Fr. Tom writes: "We hold to the classic prayer book because it is biblical. While modern liturgical texts and rites seem informed by post-modern ideals of humanism, egalitarianism and existential fulfillment, the formularies and texts of the historic Book of Common Prayer were created by men and a culture that were steeped in the words of Holy Scripture. The classic prayer book knits together into glorious Old English prose not only the very words and phrases of the Bible, but the overarching themes of creation, the Fall, covenant, redemption, atonement, grace, faith, righteousness and glorification. The result is a form of worship of the one, true and living God, which is both transcendent, and pleasing to Him who is Lord of heaven and earth. To worship Almighty God should be a humbling, and awestruck experience. We cannot expect to bring God down to our level in Church worship; we must come before Him and His Throne by rising up unto Him! That is why we ask in our Liturgy for humble access, that is why we use prayers of humility and repentance, and that is why we use a special language before Him. The old English of thee, and thou is a way of special and Holy communication reserved exclusively for God! By using a special and reserved language for Godly communication, we bring on an individual mindset of Holiness and reverence, of humility and love, of meekness and servitude, of honor and respect."

Fr. Tom points out that there is a certain symmetry to the 1928 Book of Common Prayer:
"The classic prayer book is the perfect balance of Word and Sacrament. There is an inherent logic and order to The Book of Common Prayer, both in its individual services and in its entirety. In Morning Prayer, Litany, and Holy Communion we have a balance of prayer, sacrament, praise, thanksgiving, confession and preaching to take any soul on a successful pilgrimage from this sinful world to the glorious heavenly world of the Almighty Creator."

Fr. Tom explains that the focus of Traditional Anglican Worship is not on "ME." Not What "I" want. Our worship is God focused: "Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness," the psalmist cries, "let the whole earth stand in awe of Him!" Modern worship is man-centered and focuses on entertainment and the meeting of our felt-needs. It drags God from His throne and makes Him our celestial therapist, if not our equal. The classic prayer book takes us rather to heaven, with the angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven, and causes us to fall down before this great and mighty God, and to offer Him our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving with wonder, love and praise.

Christian worship ought to be beautiful because God is Beautiful, and His holiness is both awe-inspiring and attractive. Our worship of God must involve the best we have to offer, rendered in the most beautiful and eloquent phrases, because this God whom we worship deserves nothing less."

Fr. Tom sums things up very nicely with these words: "So then, while the modern liturgical scholars and theological revisionists scurry hither and yon to multiply liturgical texts and try to represent every human condition under the sun with a rite that is not quite right, we shall remain totally bonded to, and in love with the classic Book of Common Prayer. It is Gospel. And where else can we fly? It contains the words of eternal life."

...And the Anglican Missal!

2008-11-11T05:23:00.000-08:00

On this Veteran's Day I wanted to post a piece written by the UECNA's National Chaplain, Fr. Daniel Sparks (Captain U.S. Army). Fr. Daniel is a good friend of mine. I am sure you will find his piece on being a miltary chaplain inspirational.

My cultural context is unique. Tent revivals, knocking on doors, and street preaching aren't possible in the Army. Of course, these aren't usual Anglican methods of evangelism, anyway, but they are popular (or used to be) in American Christianity.

Instead, my primary focus as a military chaplain is on building relationships with Soldiers so that they will talk to me about their questions of life and faith. I have received countless questions from Soldier by simply being present when they had something on their minds. I have also had them come to me for counselling to deal with some of the major questions about life, which could only be dealt with by talking about their faith.

I have also offered a nonthreatening environment for non-Christians, Christians, and skeptics to ask questions through an apologetics group. The regular attendees of my last apologetics study group consisted of an Anglican (me), a Roman Catholic, a Southern Baptist, a Mormon, and a
Muslim, with a sprinkling of folks from other backgrounds who dropped in occasionally.

Another method, albeit passive, is through providing religious literature in multiple high-traffic areas. In Iraq, I placed literature racks at each of the outposts where my Soldiers were. In the racks, I included items such as quarterly daily devotional booklets, apologetics books, Bibles, and apologetics DVDs. It was a constant task to keep these racks filled because the materials went like hotcakes. (About 90% of the materials were supplied for free.)

Whenever I counsel someone, even if it is not religious and the person is adamant about us not discussing religion, I always close by asking if I can pray for the person. I have never had anyone refuse. My prayers focus on asking the Lord to work in the person's situation and to guide the person by his Holy Spirit. These prayers are a blend of pastoral and evangelistic petitions. Many a Soldier has raised his head at the end of the prayer with tears pouring down his cheeks--because he heard the principles of the Christian faith during that prayer.

Another passive means of engaging Soldiers is by offering events that show appreciation for them. For example, I have held cookouts for platoons. The cookouts weren't Bible studies, and I didn't give a homily. Instead, I talked to them about what was going on in the unit, how things impacted them and their Families, and listened to their feedback. I truly believe that this type of engagement with our communities is what will build trustful relationships with our fellow men and lead to us being able to speak truth to them that they will hear. I think this is one of the areas in which some of the megachurches and parachurch organizations have been successful in affecting their communities; the difference between them and us is that were not interested in tailoring the gospel to meet their whims but want to minister truth to them in their various circumstances because we care about them (not about the numbers we can rack up, the buildings we can erect, or the money we can pile up).

My "parish" includes Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Wiccans, and much more (and sometimes, even a devil worshipper). I'm their pastor whether they agree with me or not. I provide pastoral care for them all. That doesn't mean I compromise the truth; it does mean that I help them deal with the realities of life in a way that is respectful of them but insistent on truth. I believe this is what the church is supposed to do. This is what a parish is supposed to be about.

Fr. Daniel's ministry is a powerful one. His service to our country is beyond measure. Let's say a prayer for him and all who have either served...Or, are still serving our country this Veteran's Day.

50 Years of Marriage

2008-11-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

Anglicans/Episcopalians have always declared that marriage is a Holy Sacrament instituted by God, signifying the mystical union between Christ and His Church, and was adorned and beautified by Christ during his presence at the Wedding in Cana. We Anglicans have historically treated Holy Matrimony with great care and deliberate caution until the mid-part of the twentieth century, when innovation took over. We all need to realize that the sacrament of Marriage is far greater than just the sum of its parts. The key to this is the inclusion of Our Lord in the union which creates, in essence, an icon of the Trinity. Make no mistake about it: when we distort or devalue Holy Matrimony, we attack the entire Scriptural concept of salvation.

My dear friends, Ronald and Shirley Mount, renewed their vows last night before our parish family. It was my sincere and humble pleasure to preside at this important event in my friend‘s lives. The part which touched me the most was my wrapping my stole around Ron and Shirley’s clasped hands. Many clergy have given up this tradition. However, I find it a valuable testimony to the very nature of the sacramental nature of marriage. It speaks to why we Traditional Anglicans continue to keep these ancient traditions….We keep them not because they make us feel comfortable…Not because they are pretty…But…Because they are good theology.

Ecclesiastes 4: 10-12
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

How do people, like Ron and Shirley Mount, make it through fifty years of marriage in a hostile world? Well, they don’t do it alone. Christian Marriage has three powerful strands; love of husband; love of wife; and the loving presence of God Himself.

More pictures can be seen at: http://www.tacuec.org/Renewal.html

Everything You Have

2008-10-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

Mark 12:41-44 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called [unto him] his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all [they] did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, [even] all her living.

I have been visiting a ninety-three year old widow in a local nursing home. She is a longtime Episcopalian and was very excited to discover that our parish used the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. She looks forward to my twice a month visits and enjoys the Book of Common Prayer so much that she had her daughter dig her copy out of the attic. She now reads it daily.

I was surprised the other day when I received a phone call from a local lady who was referred by my ninety-three year old friend. The local lady works at the nursing home and is interested in our parish because of all of the wonderful things my friend, the widow, has to say about our parish…Although; she is “bedfast” and has never actually visited.

I went to visit my friend at the nursing home today and she said, “Father, did my friend call you?” When I answered in the affirmative she said, “Well, I may be unable to attend church…I may not be able to get out of this bed…But, I can evangelize for Christ…Did I do good Father?”….There are moments in your ministry when you are simply overwhelmed with emotion and you get a little lump in your throat. This was certainly one of these moments for me.

The widow in scripture gave everything she had. My friend, the widow, in the nursing home gave everything she had as well. At ninety-three years old and unable to even get out of bed she is spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is doing her very best to spread Christ’s Kingdom here on earth.

Christ the King

2008-10-26T06:11:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. I want each of you to use your imagination and think about what a King is like - and what a King does - and how a King is treated - and how a King treats other people?

Our King, Jesus Christ, died for us on a cross. That is why the cross is the ultimate demonstration of God's love for us. God himself, in the person of Jesus, gave himself up to a horrible death. That is the one vital thing that makes Christ so significant in human history. The entire 'episode' of Jesus, the incarnation as we are taught to call it, is the point at which the life of God meets with the life of you and I….Just average folks. Jesus’ life is the one thing that literally split time in two…BC and AD.

The buried body of Jesus within three days became the risen body of our Lord. Jesus Christ rose from the dead and enabled us “to understand that there is an escape from suffering and death.” God had rescued us from the powers of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. Many clergymen like to preach about Jesus’ Resurrection …But they stop just short of the truth…Jesus’ Resurrection is really our Resurrection from sin and death. Why do so many hurt so bad? Why do so many hurt others? Because, they are nailed to their own wood…Their own sin and are writhing in pain and agony. Well, Jesus gives us a way out of pain. A way out of sin. When we accept Jesus for the King he truly is and follow Him by turning away from sin at every possible turn we become Resurrected. We live for eternity.

Jesus was a king - but he died on a cross - which common criminals were executed upon. Jesus is a king - But not like the kings of this world - This king asks us, His subjects, to follow His path not because of some royal edict; but because He loves us... and by following him we will live forever in heaven. Free from pain. Free from suffering. Free from torment. Yes, we are lucky enough to have Jesus Christ as our King and we are called to follow Him. The kingdom’s of men are fleeting but God‘s kingdom, the one we carry our citizenship in- Is forever.

Fear And The Choices We Make

2008-10-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

How am I progressing? What am I becoming? Is my ministry what I want it to be? When faced with difficult decisions what is my response? The bottom line is this: I have failed to let go of fear. What should a Godly man fear?

Matthew 10:28 "And Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather Fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

I have recently found my attention drawn to this - From Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis “And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a Heaven creature or into a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself. To be one kind of creature is Heaven: that is, it is joy, and peace, and knowledge, and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other."

Our Friend's Work

2008-10-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

Our dear friends, Fr. Seraphim Thomas and his wife Vicki, are from the closest Continuing Anglican parish to us, Grace Church (APCK) in Louisville, KY. Fr. Seraphim sometimes fills in for Fr. Wes and I when we both have to be out of town for various meetings.

Fr. Seraphim has a wonderful ministry in Sierra Leone. I was going to write a rather long explanation of Fr. Seraphim's missionary work there. However, there are times that words simply fail to capture the true essence of what is going-on in someone's ministry. There is a spiritual aspect of Fr. Seraphim's "faith in action" that cannot be easily described. I would urge all of my readers to check out the links at the bottom of this post.

I am going to quote a few friends and what they have to say about Fr. Seraphim:

"If this man even partially resembles what is presented in these sites, I bow."-Ed

"Truly the Apostolate is doing the work Jesus has called us to do!"- Fr. Jeff

"Here, here. This is what I think of when I think of living a life in Christ."-P

"This man is truly walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ."- Ron

Want to know what Nazareth House is doing in Sierra Leone? check out their blog at http://www.nazarethhouseap.blogspot.com/. Visit their website at: http://www.nazarethhouseap.org/ WATCH Nazareth House in Sierra Leone on You Tube at www.youtube.com/SaloneNHA

Why The Church?

2008-10-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

My mentor, Fr. Wes, came across this story and I found it very powerful.

In January of 1990 Romanian Television was interviewing the philosopher Petre Sutea. They asked what he thought about the revolution that had just released his country from the grip of Communism.

“What revolution?” the philosopher replied. Thinking that Dr. Sutea was having some difficulty hearing because of advanced age the reporter recounted the events of the revolution when Sutea replied, “That was not revolution! There has been only one revolution in the history of mankind, the Incarnation of our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ!”

To believe that Jesus is Lord is to confess that He is God. To believe anything else is to believe something less and if Jesus is less than God no salvation is possible. Prophets may predict, rabbis may teach,but only God can save. Our belief that Jesus saves means precisely that He is God. Jesus did not come to merely forgive our sins, He came to open up for us a new relationship with God our Father. Where can we come to most fully develop this new relationship with God?

In The Church

White Angel

2008-09-29T19:38:00.001-07:00

My friend, Ed Pacht, a layman in the ACA and an approved author of homilies to be used in ACC mission parishes which do not have clergy available wrote this stirring poem about an Angel.

Awesome, austere, almost frightening,
a timeless messenger appears,
and sitting silent in that holy place,
between the ever-changing world of brief mortality,
and the everlasting changeless world beyond,
meets us who come in sorrow and in awe,
thinking this to be the bleakest time and starkest place
that ever on this earth has been.
He sits and stares with eyes reflecting majesty,
and in his frown reflects our own unworthy state,
and, in the shadow of those wings that seem to bar the way,
we tremble, and our weeping at tremendous loss goes on,
and we despair.
His finger points, or so it seems.
to the sign that all is lost,
the evidence that redemption has not come,
that the hope we had begun to catch and hold,
has passed forever from our view,
and our tears flow.
But now that fearsome presence speaks,
with words that sound with awe and joy,
announcing that the one we seek has gone,
not dead, not lying in the cold stone grave,
but risen, living, breathing, walking,
filling hearts with hope, and waiting
for us to meet Him,
to know Him,
to follow Him,
and in that angel He has sent,
we see wings that spread but not as barricade,
that spread to wrap us in what Christ has wrought,
to bear us from our sins to victory,
and that finger pointing toward a tomb
that we took to signify our doom,
points not to triumph of the gates of Hell,
but to the gate of everlasting life.
to the end of man's rebellious strife,
and what we thought to be forbidding,
is instead God's loving bidding,
and we come.
"He is not here, but He is risen"
and because He lives, so shall we.
Amen and amen.

Getting Out Into The Community

2008-09-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

My son, Connor, is center (top picture) Trinity Acolyte, Logan, is center (lower picture)

I believe one of the most important aspects many Continuing Anglicans leave out of their ministry is they fail to take the Gospel of Christ out into the world. At Trinity Church Fr. Wes and I have had a number of outings recently. One of the things I really enjoyed doing recently was opening the Evansville Martial Art's "Kick A Thon" with prayer. The event was dedicated in honor of Mr. Terry Turner who died in his thirties due to hemophilia. All proceeds went to the The Kentucky Hemophilia Foundation, a non-profit health agency, that assists families and children suffering from this disease with health expenses and provides medicine. For those of you not familiar with hemophilia, it is also known as the "Free Bleeder's Disease".

I never knew Terry but I am sure he would have been proud.

Blessing of the Animals

2008-09-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

On September 20th, 2008 Trinity Anglican Church had its very first "Blessing of the Animals". Thirty-six people were in attendance. Seventeen dogs, two cats and one cricket were blessed.

A “Blessing of the Animals” is an historic, time-honored service in Christian faith and tradition. It acknowledges what children and adults have been doing in their own spiritual lives from time immemorial: praying for their animals. People have named their animals, loved them, cared for them, tended to them when they are ill.

A “Blessing of the Animals” allows the Church to recognize that the kind of unconditional love some people have received from their animals has actually rivaled the treatment they have gotten in some cases from their fellow humans. C.S. Lewis once said that, "just as God’s love for us lifts us into the Godhead, so our love for animals and our care for them lifts these other creatures heavenward..."

We had children's author, Leigh Anne Florence as our special guest. Leigh Anne Florence, author of the popular "Woody the Kentucky Wiener Dog" series and best known as Woody and Chloe's mommy. After seven years of public school teaching, Florence now devotes all of her time to the Woody series. She speaks to thousands of children each year and uses her works to inspire learning and personal responsibility. Her books and syndicated newspaper column are read by kids throughout Kentucky and neighboring states.....And...yes, Woody got "Blessed".

The most embarrassing part for me was out of all the animals in attendance... mine...The "Priest's dog" was the worst behaved....But you know what they always say about "preacher's kids"...

More pictures can be seen at : http://tacuec.org/BOA_9_20.html

St. Matthew

2008-09-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

The Gospel. St. Matthew ix. 9.
AND as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

In biblical times the Pharisees defined holy living by following a life of rules, regulations and performing hollow sacrifices, but they were ignorant of their true disease and their own need for healing. The sinners and tax collectors, on the other hand, knew they were sinners and they welcomed Jesus into their midst’s.

Jesus saw this incident in our gospel as a teaching moment, and told the Pharisees to go learn a lesson. Jesus said, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus made use of Matthew… a sinner, Peter a sinner, Paul a sinner… He makes use of myself…a sinner… And He’ll make use of every single one of you too…If you let him. Jesus does not need the perfect…because He’ll make perfectly good use of you and I.

When Jesus says in today‘s Gospel, that God desires “mercy, not sacrifice”, he's saying quite a bit. No one knew it yet…But Jesus was going to become the ONE PERFECT SACRIFICE FOR US ALL…. His life was His gift to us. The sacrifices the Pharisees performed at the Temple were again, “simply hollow and going through the motions.” We must be careful not allow our own church experience to be like the Pharisee’s. We, like Matthew, must be prepared to walk the walk. To follow the path Jesus has set out forth for us.

The sacrifice that truly counts is the one that Christ made for each and every one of us on the cross. His own body and blood given and shed for all of us. The only one who was without sin died for all who are sinful. That is the reason the Church from it’s earliest times has focused on Holy Communion…We are to keep Jesus’ sacrifice near and dear to us. Jesus offers us the sacrifice of himself – the sacrifice that brings mercy – the mercy that in turn makes you and I become merciful. For Christ’s medicine for all of us was Himself…His Life…His sacrifice…His Death …and ultimately His rebirth. That is the reason we say week after week “and made one body with him, that he may dwell in us, and we in him.” We, as Christians, walk out the door of this church building and carry Jesus with us into the world in our hearts. Because Jesus’ escape from darkness and death becomes our escape from darkness and death. When we try to live the life Jesus wants us to live we can truly experience life. Not a hollow and shallow facsimile of life like the Pharisees. We Christians can expect the big miracles…The impossible…Yes, we can expect difficulty as well…But we don’t have to go it alone anymore…For He now dwells in us and we in Him…

The great theologian - Soren Kierkegaard said, "Worship is a drama in which each week is re-enacted the story of redemption." Why do we go to church every week? Because…Through liturgy….Our worship… the Church and all of its members live. When we take part in Holy Communion we mystically participate in that experience that is the process of our redemption. John Chryssavgis writes that, “By liturgy, however, I do not imply ritual. I mean movement, dynamism and creativity.” Through our worship we take Jesus into our hearts and we carry Him into the world…We carry Him and His mercy to others. The Liturgy of the Sacrament is where we physically encounter Christ both pre and post resurrection. The Eucharist isn't just an event in time. It is our entire lives as Christians.

Sinners and Pharisees, tax collectors and prostitutes, clergy and laypeople, young and old – all kinds of sinners are called by the Great Physician, Jesus Christ. All are in need of a doctor, but many cannot see it. Jesus reminds us today that we do…. in fact, need him. And HE HAS… in fact, come for US ALL. The question is…Are we going to follow the Doctor’s advice? Are we going to leave our table of sin, and like Matthew did, follow Jesus? Are we going to admit to ourselves that we are sinful and need the medicine only Jesus can give? …..Or, are we going to keep our Church membership stored in a lock box in the top of our bedroom closet like an insurance policy and attend Church every week and “go through the motions?”…Like the Pharisees….It is our choice…Our free will…

Matthew wrote about himself – a sinner. But as a sinner who knew it, and did his best to walk away from it…At every single turn. Matthew dedicated his life to walking away from sin….And although, I am sure he was not always successful…He became a beacon for others…A beacon to us here tonight. Let us all hope and pray that we all see our own disease…our own sin…and, like Matthew, “Know but one thing…And that is Jesus Christ…And…Him crucified.”. And…By celebrating Jesus’ sacrifice may we endeavor to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And love thy neighbor as thyself. Not just in Church…But everyday of our lives….May we take the sacrifice and mercy Jesus has given to us on the Cross and take that healing which is His resurrection into our homes, our workplaces and our community around us. Because…if we do…if we do. We may become like Matthew…The Martyr…The Evangelist…The Apostle…the sinner… and we may just change the world for the better.

Back to the Basic Jesus

2008-09-13T06:31:00.000-07:00

It sometimes amazes me that we have an image of Jesus as a meek, mild person. Of some figure dressed in a white flowing robe going around saying one liners while holding a lamb. The view of Jesus that is most often portrayed in modern times is one that would have had Jesus running a local civic organization and probably being ignored by the Temple authorities and the Romans instead of being publicly executed.

People today have either made Jesus into an image that is safe and ineffectual or one that angry and harsh. Jesus was none of those things. People have made Jesus into a reflection of themselves…They ignore the often disturbing reality of what Jesus said and how he lived and died. In fact, the truth is that Jesus was not allowed to live because the government and Temple authorities decided he just was not safe to have around. Those of us in the Church and the greater society have taken Jesus and have his revolutionary nature and turned Christianity into a placid and comfortable faith that rarely takes anyone outside their comfort zone. Or, it goes to the polar opposite end of the spectrum and often becomes harsh, shrill and overly judgmental with a focus on secular politics.

Jesus told us not to follow the greater society’s values system; He said to follow the values of God. Jesus spoke a litany of rejection of everything we tend to follow. Jesus gave us a teaching that is full of inverse thinking and goes against our human nature. For example:

Blessed to be poor in spirit.
Rejoice in persecution.
Happy those who mourn.
Adultery in the heart is wrong, not just in the action.
Not only don’t murder, but don’t assault with insults.
Love your enemies.
Goodness is not in what we show the world, but in who you are.
Store up heavenly treasure, not the treasure of this world.
Refuse to be judgmental, for you may have more faults than those you judge.

Such ideas are uncomfortable to most in our contemporary world and they certainly strike out against most who make a living from the Church and claim to “preach His word.” We must begin to get back to basics if the Church Jesus founded is to survive. We must really begin trying to take to heart what Jesus taught us. Because… we are in danger of the religion Jesus founded actually becoming extinct and being completely replaced by a false religion of our own design.

Trinity XVI

2008-09-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

The Gospel. St. Luke vii. 11.

AND it came to pass the day after, that Jesus went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.

Well…As another priest, Fr. Williams, once said, "Jesus never attended a successful funeral, including his own." In our Gospel today life and death have a “show down” outside the town of Nain. Life in the person of Christ is contrasted by the death which had taken hold of a young man. But the Life of Christ is more powerful than death. The life of Christ cannot be stopped by death. And when the life of Christ touches death, death itself is destroyed. No matter how hopeless the situation seems. Every time the Lord of Life confronts death, death backs away and yields up his victim…. O Death, where is thy sting, O grave where is thy victory?

Most of us have lost a friend, or a child, or a spouse, or a parent. And maybe you are still mourning that loss. So here comes Jesus today, with his life, to touch you, and bring you hope. Trust in His love and His promises. For those that believe can truly never die. When death strikes close to home, Jesus is there to reassure us. When death comes to a loved one, Jesus says, “Don’t focus on death. Focus on Me. Put your faith and your trust in Me.”

If you have the wrong attitude about death, the real problem may be the attitude you have about God. If you get on the same page with God, your view of everything will change. You’ll begin to see things the way God sees them. God wants you to see death the way He sees it. As something to be overcome…As something that only He can destroy.

Jesus doesn’t hand out earthly miracles very often as illustrated in this Gospel. But you know what?…… HE doesn’t have to. Jesus doesn’t have to hand out these “little miracles” as I call them…Because…He hands out the Big Miracle of LIFE EVERLASTING…Every single day…The miracle of Eternal Life...The miracle given to all that believe in Jesus Christ... and what does that compare to five years? ...twenty years?...eighty years? What is a few years of earthly life when compared to eternity?

The Beheading of John the Baptist

2008-08-29T00:10:00.000-07:00

Why does the Church give such special attention to St. John the Baptist, even fixing a strict fast day in his honor? After all...We are talking about a man who wore camel skins, lived in a cave and ate bugs. He was certainly different from the average person. John walked to the beat of God...He did NOT follow anyone else's rules.

St. John the Baptist, is the first Prophet of the New Testament. He was also the first Martyr during Christ’s public preaching, some three years before St. Stephen, who was the First Martyr after Christ’s Ascension. John was Jesus' own cousin and has the special title of the ‘Forerunner’. In the Greek he is called ‘Prodromos’. John alone can claim to be the Forerunner of Christ... Therefore the pioneer of our Faith. How can we fail therefore to give John special honor? In fact, it can be said that John was the last Prophet of the Old Testament. The last seventeen books of the Old Testament are the Prophetic Books, from Isaiah to Malachi. In this way, we can also say that St John is the first Prophet of the New Testament. So, St. John the Baptist was the first Prophet of the New Testament and was also the last Prophet of the Old Testament.

St. John the Baptist was also the first monk and is considered to be the patron saint of monks. John went into the desert to obey God and gave up all his worldly possessions. He dedicated his entire life to his faith. He spoke the Truth, plainly, bluntly, to all... That included to Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee.

"For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison, for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; because John said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her." (Matthew 14:3-4 RSV)

Jesus explained the importance of John:

"As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? Why then did you go out? To see a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who wear soft raiment are in kings' houses. Why then did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send My messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.'"

"Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and men of violence take it by force. For all the Prophets and the law prophesied until John; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come." (Matthew 11:2-14 RSV)

John died a martyr's death:

"Happy are they who suffer persecution for justice' sake; the kingdom of heaven is theirs." Matthew 5:10

John spoke the truth and paid the price for it:

"But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and pleased Herod, so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter." And the king was sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given; he sent and had John beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came and took the body and buried it; and they went and told Jesus." (Matthew 14:5-12 RSV)

What lessons can we take from the life of John the Baptist? Well...There are several:

1. You don't have to look and act like everyone else. God will make use of you no matter what...As long as you are faithful... So, those of you out there with body piercings and tattoos Trinity Church meets on Saturdays at 4:30pm...See you there!

2. God calls on you to speak the truth. It may not always be popular...But...It is always right!

3. Even if you are faithful bad things are likely going to happen to you. John’s boldness in calling people to repentance cost him his life. But...It's okay. This life is transitory. If you follow Jesus you are going to be with Him in the end.

4. The world offers some attractive things. The beauty of Salome swayed Herod and all of us are at some time or another are romanced by something the world offers that we know is not right. John shows us what is really important.

Charles Wesley's journals reveal fears that Anglicanism could split

2008-08-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

News has just broken that the 300,000-word journals of Charles Wesley, the co-founder of the Methodist movement, have finally been decoded after a nine-year project to unravel the hidden messages within his complex personal shorthand.

Rev Prof Kenneth Newport, pro vice-chancellor of Liverpool Hope University, has deciphered more than 1,000 pages written 250 years ago between 1736 and 1756.

Father Newport, an Anglican priest, uncovered details of Wesley's anxieties over the possibilities of a split from the Church of England, his younger brother's plans to marry and even over the growing influence of Islam in the West.

He used a handwritten transcription of the four gospels made by Wesley as a guide to deciphering the journals themselves.

"He was very much opposed to separation, he saw the Methodist Societies as within the established church and anything that smacked of separation was something he took a very strong view of," Rev Prof Newport said.

According to his journals, the hymn writer, Wesley - who is best known for "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" and "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing" - was vehemently opposed to any move toward a formal break.

"At one point in the journal he is talking to the society at Grimsby and goes into block capitals and says 'I told them I would remain with them as long as they remained with the Church of England but should they ever turn their back on the Church they turn their back on me'."

I think it is interesting to see that what people have always taken for granted...Like the Methodist Movement...What most people believe... in actuality... is simply a modern interpretation of the situation. It amazes me when Methodists come up and quiz me about my "Catholic" leanings. When, in point of fact, the founders of the Methodist faith likely had at least "some" of these same leanings. At the very least Charles Wesley wanted my Methodist friends and I to all be Christians in the Anglican tradition.

One of the reasons I find this so interesting is that we Christians tend to emphasize our differences...When...I'm pretty sure what Jesus really wanted was for us to emphasize our common belief in Him.

Angels Among Us by MXPX

2008-08-27T19:40:00.001-07:00

Once in a while something amazing happens. A modern popular song will come along that the teenagers in the parish, the Generation X Assisting Priest and the Baby Boomer Rector find to their surprise they "all" like.

Now...None of us are suggesting this is the type of music that needs to be brought into a "Regular Church Service". However, there is certainly a place for popular music in our leisure time. I personally despise the poorly written and over orchestrated Christian Rock Ballads that are the mainstay in some congregations. This song is no such thing and it's not meant to be a replacement for "some of the greatest hymns ever written"...But...It is a lot of fun!

This post may be a bit of a surprise to some of my readers. However, I have recently been thinking a lot about the mission of the Continuing Anglican Movement. I do not believe it is our mission to recreate the Episcopal Church of the 1950's, 1960's, or 1970's. After all...The seeds which eventually "ran the church off the rails" were already sown by that time. It is our mission to bring our Ancient Faith..."The Faith Once Delivered Unto The Saints"... to the world of today. We must be part of the world and understand it. We must... "Take the Church To The World". The problem with the modern Evangelical movement in the U.S. is that it has often times mistakenly "taken the world to the Church"...Instead of the other way around.

Who Defines Us?

2008-08-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

I've been pondering a rather interesting phenomenon recently. Many of us worshipping in the Traditional Episcopal/Anglican Tradition are way too quick to allow others to define us. I have decided to follow Jesus' example and not allow myself to be defined by others.

I was visiting a lady in a nursing home the other day and she told me, "I know your group is rabidly anti homosexual...But that's okay...I still like you anyway." For a brief second I was stunned. I then said, "You know...God doesn't create anything he doesn't love...And that includes homosexuals." It was her turn to be taken aback.

A friend told me a few months back that, "I always thought of being an Episcopalian as being Protestant but now you tell me I am a Catholic." I told her, "Being Protestant is not the opposite of Catholic. The Protestant Movement started to reform the Catholic faith. The original purpose of the Protestant movement was not to destroy Catholicism but to save it."

A person told me the other day, "I would feel so much better about what your church is doing if you had a permanent building already and didn't rent." I told them, "I'm sure many in Rome told the early Christians meeting in the catacombs the same thing."

We in the Traditional Anglican Movement cannot allow others to identify us. We must identify ourselves. If we are going to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ we must speak as He did. We must state "how things really are". However, we must also be like Christ and love everyone in the process. It is a difficult and noble mission God has entrusted to us Anglicans. We should carry that mission out proudly.

St Bartholomew

2008-08-24T00:33:00.000-07:00

The Gospel. St. Luke xxii. 24.
AND there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

In this Gospel we see the disciples arguing among themselves who of the twelve was considered by the public to be the greatest, the most important. All of them wanted the praise and adoration of the crowds. They all wanted to be number one; they all wanted to be Jesus' right-hand man. When Jesus was King they all wanted to be His chief of staff, prime minister, or chief executive officer.

These men in our Gospel reading were asking, “Am I a good leader?” This was the wrong question to begin with if you are a Christian. The first and most important question to ask if you are a Christian is, “Am I good follower?”

The Church is in the business of making followers: followers of Jesus Christ. Our goal is never to surpass Jesus, never to improve on what He said or did, or to get more famous than He. Worldly models of leadership aren’t for us. We are to be perpetual students of Jesus. We never get to graduate from the school of discipleship, not even in eternity, for Christ will still be Lord, and we will still be His people. Benedictines have a saying… “Holiness is a journey…Not a destination”.

To follow Jesus is to imitate His style of leadership. Jesus said “I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27).

Jesus said to the disciples, “The Kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you;” (Luke 22:25-26). Jesus is telling you, like He told the original disciples, that as a Christian you are called to exercise leadership in a way that is different from the models of leadership in our modern culture.

Our challenge as a parish is to stop waiting for people to show up at our doors. Jesus did not spend His time in the synagogue waiting for people to show up. He went out and helped people with their needs: feeding them, giving them companionship, and healing their wounds. We can do all this, and just as He did, we also can share the good news of God’s love with them. Too many of us want to be Christians of convenience. We come to Church. We worship God and we step back out into the world and we go about our lives until the next week. It’s almost as if we are catching our favorite show on television. Is that what Christ called for us to do? Are we really living our mission as Christians? Are we called to “tune in weekly”. Or, are we called to walk in Christ’s foot steps? To follow Jesus everyday and emulate him? …I don’t have to give you the answer. We already all know the answer.

The Author, Kent Keith, wrote in his work the Silent Revolution “Personally, I am convinced that unless you really care for the people you are going to lead, you'll never do anything meaningful - except by accident. People-consciousness is a definite prerequisite for good leadership. If you aren't sensitive to the needs of the people you lead, how will you ever be able to answer those needs? Caring is a practical necessity. If you are going to do right by people, you have to be concerned with their welfare.” He also wrote…. “Essentially, the price tag on the Silent Revolution is that you must give up a lot of ego-satisfaction. You must reconcile yourself to being less noisy, less dramatic, less heroic- and more of a behind-the-scenes mover of events. In the Silent Revolution you must give of your time and effort because you care and want to give, not because you are expecting glory and prominence in return. You can be selfless and popular, but popularity must not be your goal. Do things because you believe in them, and the simple satisfaction of having achieved them will be enough. (Applause is great, but it's only the frosting, and we've got to bake cakes.) If you're in it for other people, then helping them will give you satisfaction that having your name in lights could never compete with!”

Author, S. I. McMillen, in his book None of These Diseases, tells a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application that asked, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower…

You and I are called to be followers…Not leaders. We are called to be followers of Jesus Christ….So, Let’s go out there and Follow!

Good Samaritan

2008-08-17T06:14:00.000-07:00

The Gospel. St. Luke x. 23.BLESSED are the eyes which see the things that ye see: for I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Jesus’ parable spoke about a man, beaten and robbed lying beside the road while two devout religious functionaries walked by - why? because helping the wounded man was not compatible with their formal religious duties. Touching him would have made them unclean and not eligible to do their duties that day. Devoutly, religiously, self-righteously they ignored him. The religious functionaries stayed true to their laws in a very legalistic way but they ignored the “spirit of the law”. They ignored what God really wanted. That is the entire reason Jesus came…Wasn’t it?…To shake things up. To get rid of the laws of man that were useless.

The core question is: What if the right thing to do is to my detriment? Unlike the good Samaritan, we modern people tend evaluate each situation with our own interests in mind, and we avoid ethical choices that place us at a disadvantage. We even pride ourselves in how well we do this balancing act! If we trust no God, if we have no hope beyond what is in this life, that is a shrewd thing to do. A godless ethic must analyze the risk in every choice. We decide is it safe for our careers if we do the right thing. We say to ourselves, maybe I shouldn’t say anything about my getting too much change back? Maybe the government doesn’t need to know about that little bit of money I got off that deal? Maybe I shouldn’t tell that person about the problem with the car’s engine before I sell it?

So I ask you, Did the good Samaritan take a great risk?... If you are a godly person, the good Samaritan made a wise investment. if you truly love God, you can have confidence that God will see your good deeds and the damage you sustained because of them, and that He will somehow balance the books. When you walk with Jesus you can go out on a limb, no matter how fragile it is, if you have faith in God to catch you when you fall.

There are examples throughout history of Christians who “made wise investments”.

During World War II, the country of Bulgaria became an ally of Nazi Germany, largely so that it could occupy and annex neighboring territories it had lost in earlier wars In early 1943, the Bulgarian government signed a secret agreement with the Nazis to deport 20,000 Jews to death camps in Poland. The deportations started with Jews in the annexed territories. Between March 4 and March 11 of that year, soldiers rounded up thousands of Jews, loaded them into boxcars and shipped them en masse to Treblinka.

In March, 1943, boxcars were lined up to receive a first wave of 8,500 Jews in Bulgaria. Upon hearing of the action, an Orthodox Bishop, Metropolitan Kiril, and 300 members of his church showed up at the station where the Jews were being held. They surrounded the barbed-wire enclosure. Metropolitan Kiril pushed through the SS officers guarding the enclosure, and made his way to the Jews inside. As he reached the Jews he shouts one verse from the book of Ruth, that changed the destiny of the people and a nation: "Wheresoever you go, I will go!" shouted the Bishop, "And where you lodge, I will lodge. And your people will be my people. And your God will be my God!"

The Bishop opened up the train cars where the people were packed in like sardines. When he tried to enter the car the SS Officers physically stopped him and would not allow him to enter. So, the Bishop then went and laid in front of the train on the tracks. By this time word had reached the King of Bulgaria who knew there was no way out of this situation. So, miraculously the Bulgarian government and the SS Officers gave up.

Bishop Kiril didn't say, "Let's put these Jews on our prayer list...Let's start a letter writing campaign...Maybe I need to make some well placed phone calls with some people and see what I can get done." No, Bishop Kiril, like the Good Samaritan put his faith into action. Bishop Kiril understood that to be a Christian is to be in motion...It is not to pretend to be pious and wait for good things to happen. It is to make good things happen as God's representatives on this earth.

After the end of the war U.S. and British Psychological Warfare Officers asked German military leaders about this incident. The Germans admitted they had no clue how to deal with Bishop Kiril. But hasn’t this always been the case? Hasn’t evil always struggled how to deal with Christ and those who truly follow him? Satan didn’t have a clue how to deal with Jesus when he confronted Christ out in the desert. The Romans didn’t have a clue how to stop the early Church Fathers. The SS didn’t have a clue how to stop Bishop Kiril and…If we live our faith…If you and I truly walk in Christ’s foot steps we can stand against the evil and selfishness of today's world too.

All Great Things

2008-08-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

I've always had a soft spot for Winston Churchill. I think because he was such a flawed individual that was also a great man. It goes to show you that God doesn't need the perfect. God makes good use the imperfect! God will make use of you and I too...If we let Him.

My favorite Churchill quote has always been:

"All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope."

I like this quote because I've always thought that simplicity makes for the best politics and theology.

Mother Hen

2008-08-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

Evangelism

2008-08-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a guest piece by The Rev. Mr. Steve Reeves, UECNA Deacon- Salisbury, NC

A New Evangelism
When we think in terms of missions, we typically think about sending people out into a foreign country, where they must learn the language and the culture around them, then bring the gospel of Christ to them in a way that they will understand. It is an immersion in the new culture. However, when we think about witnessing to the culture around us in our own country, we don't approach it this way. We feel that we understand those around us, and therefore, what has always worked will always work. In reality, there is nothing further from the truth.

In the culture around us, in our everyday lives, we cross paths with people from all walks of life. They have different philosophies of life, and different world views from our own. In fact, the only place we will run into anyone with our own world view today will be when we are with family, or when we are with our church family. Things have changed in just the last 20 years. Communications have changed. We are a market driven culture, and we are used to being communicated to in this way. Everything is a pitch. Everything has a symbol attached to it. If you see a brown truck drive by with a shield on it, you understand that this is a United Parcel Service, or UPS, truck. If you look at the car driving by you, and you see a stylized T inside an oval, you know the person is driving a Toyota. So how do we address the message of Christ to people who are used to being approached in this way?

A Missionary People
The answer is that we must all become missionary people. For years, we have locked ourselves in our little churches and worshiped God, while the people around us have grown further and further away from him. Our children are surrounded by people who now think that truth is relative to the person believing it. And they are forming social groups around this philosophy. If you believe like I believe, then we are a group, and we are alright. In order to address this issue, we have to get out there and open up a dialog with the culture. We have to first learn what makes the people around us tick. And we have to do it in such a way that it doesn't send them running from us.

No longer can we rely on the old forms of witnessing to people. You open your bible and quote scripture to them, say a few prayers with them, and logically convince them that they need Jesus. No, today there's a whole lot more work involved. Yeah, you'll run into the occasional person who will respond to the old ways of evangelism, but they are few and far between. Why? Because they have seen and heard it all before. They grew up around it, and are completely turned off by this approach. They already know that if they don't believe in Jesus, they are bound for hell. They have had fundamentalists telling them that on the television, and in their personal lives for years. What is needed is a more loving, more down to earth approach. And an approach that involves not just the clergy, but the whole church.

I'm sure there are people out there who go to a coffee house and see groups of people sitting around, enjoying each other's company. They laugh, cut up, and generally have a good time. This is the approach we need to take. Instead of approaching them with rules and regulations and ultimatums, we need to find out what makes them tick. We need to find out who they are. What are the problems in their lives? That takes actually getting to know them. Investing some time, even if its just 20-45 minutes talking to them. Maybe you won't be the one to broach the subject of their eternal soul, but you just might be the one that plows the field so that someone can come behind you and sow the seed.

The point is, we have to open the dialog. We have to communicate and let them know there are people out there who actually care. Don't worry about catechizing them, or explaining your views on religion to them. Just love them into the kingdom. If you show the love of Christ first, the response will be a loving response. If you go at them with what they perceive as an attack, they are going to get defensive and never speak to you again.
Loving People to Christ

An example of the opening of a dialog happened to me just recently at work. I am a Correctional Officer by profession, and I supervise inmates picking up trash on the side of the road. I get a lot of time with just eight inmates assigned to my crew, and I get a lot of time with the one that sits in the passenger seat beside me. He is called a "straw boss", and is the one responsible for keeping our work van, our trailer and our port-a-john clean. The inmates know that I am an ordained clergyman, but don't know from which faith I hold my ordination. On the day in question, my straw boss was speaking about something I don't even remember right now, but it was a complaint about what he was seeing back at the prison camp. About how people in prison play games with religion just to get ahead.

I told him that we have to approach people without any facade. We can't have any mask to hide behind. We have to be real. I told him that Christ is going to love us no matter what our situation, and that repentance is just a prayer away. I told him that people didn't have to be beaten over the head with the bible, but should be gently nudged in the direction of Christ. He looked at me with a surprised look on his face and smiled. He told me that he had never heard it put that way before. He told me that the way I approached the whole conversation was different than anyone else had approached the subject with him. There was no judgment there. No pointing of fingers. Just a realization of the love of Christ. It actually moved him.

If we are to draw people in to the grace that is found through belief in Christ, we have to do it in a loving, and caring manner. We have to love people to Christ, not scare them to Christ. That's why I loath the tact taken by some, who immediately go to the end times and the rapture to frighten people, then try to get a quick conversion in the height of emotionalism. What they wind up with is someone who hasn't really converted, but someone who has taken a step they see as a safety measure. A lot of times, they will ultimately reject Christ in favor of what they already know. Because what they already know is less scary than what is being presented to them.

I pray that God opens our eyes to the needs of those around us, and helps us realize that there is a culture around us crying for a savior. We need to open the dialog with that culture. We need to get the message out that we don't serve a vindictive God looking over our shoulder waiting for us to fail. We serve a living, loving God, who is our father. If we fall down, he will pick us up, brush us off, and send us back on our way. If we skin our knee, he will doctor it. Everything he does works towards the strengthening of our faith, so that as the body of Christ, we can shine forth the glory of the Bridegroom who will return for us.

Why?

2008-08-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

Why do you Anglicans do communion so often? Why is communion at the center of your worship? Why liturgy?...These are the questions I sometimes get in regards to Anglican worship.

In the words of the Ancient Church Father, Irenaeus, that ‘our whole life should conform to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist should confirm our whole life’. There is in this context, a virtual identity between Christ and tradition, between Christ as past, present and future”. Through liturgy the Church and all of its members live. To participate in liturgy is to participate in the living body of Christ. John Chryssavgis also writes that, “By liturgical, however, I do not imply ritual. I mean movement, dynamism and creativity.” (The Light Through Darkness: The Orthodox Tradition (pg. 112)

We do liturgy because we live our faith. We should not bring our perspective to God and to the Church and try to make the Church conform to our individual desires. We should be attempting to come to God's perspective and joining in the almost two-thousand years of Christian worship that came before us. After all....Who's walk are we going to walk? Our's or God's? Who's traditions do we want? Jesus' or our's?

Our Uniqueness

2008-07-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

After the Roman Catholic Mary I died her half-sister Elizabeth I took the throne of England. Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth was always a Protestant and so worked to return England to the path of Reformation. However, while she condemned Roman Catholicism she also condemned Protestant extremism.

In Europe there had grown to be two great choices in religion, the Protestant and the Catholic. The Church of Rome focused its authority from tradition as defined by the successors of St. Peter. The Protestant faith based its authority on Holy Scripture as interpreted by John Calvin and others. Both churches were agreed in demanding unquestioning obedience and regarded themselves as superior to secular authority. Basically, Europe had to choose between two theocracies: the one, the See of Rome; the other, the new Protestant faith based upon scripture. Elizabeth and her advisers deliberately refused to put England under either camp.

We Anglicans sometimes fail to recognize the great beauty of what we do have. People all over the United States are looking toward non denominational churches because some feel they can, “worship without denominational influence.” Well, to deny the influences of our forefathers is to deny our very identity. We Anglicans offer a different path that honors both Tradition and Scripture….And...Ultimately honors Christ in a very beautiful and unique witness to Him.

I took the following from the Service of Holy Communion found in the Book of Common Prayer:

THE Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for thee, preserves thy body and soul unto everlasting life. (Catholic)
Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for thee, and feed on him in thy heart by faith, with thanksgiving. (Protestant)

Saint Mary Magdalene

2008-07-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

This is a guest Article by Fr. Greg Mashburn. Fr. Greg wrote about Saint Mary Magdalene.

Gospel: Luke 7:36-50

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found. Twas blind, but now I see."

I don't know about you, but the first stanza of the hymn Amazing Grace is so powerful in its truth. In much the same way, I find the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene full of hope. It is a feast that shines brightly to the world around us, as well as to those of us in the Church. It is a true story of a person, as woman, whose sins were very great. Not only was she caught up, for whatever reasons, in the web of the sins of the flesh, scripture says that our Lord also cast out seven demons from her.

In today's Gospel lesson we find Jesus sharing a meal with a Pharisee. Suddenly Mary Magdalene arrives with a box of ointment, weeping, and she washes Jesus' feet, dries them with her hair, and applies ointment. The Pharisee is shocked that Jesus would let this unclean woman touch him, or even be in his presence. Jesus tells a parable of a creditor who had two debtors. One owed much, the other not as much. The creditor forgives the debts of both debtors. The bottom line of the parable is that the debtor who owed much loved Jesus most because of the great debt he had that was forgiven. Jesus likens Mary Magdalene to the debtor who owed much. Mary desires to be clean, to be forgiven, to be renewed and refreshed in our mind, heart and soul. The redirects her passions from those sins of the flesh to seeking out Jesus so that she might passionately find forgiveness and solace for our soul. She passionately shows her gratitude to Jesus by her actions.

What about you and me? Have we sought out Jesus with the same passion and desire to be cleansed of our sins, to be transformed into the likeness of Christ? Do our lives reflect Christ in such a way to the world we come into contact with that Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life? Do our lives reflect the grace, mercy, compassion, and love that can only transform our hearts and minds from that which we have allowed it to become, to that which God would have us to be? Are we ready to clean out all the cobwebs and skeletons we harbour in the dark closets of our lives by shining the light of God's grace and mercy? Are our lives a reflection of Jesus in such a way that those around us passionately desire to seek out Jesus as St. Mary Magdalene did?

After Jesus ascended into heaven, Saint Mary Magdalene continued to be a vibrant and powerful witness to the people who knew her of the life transforming power of our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ. May we passionately follow after her example and seek to be witnesses to God's amazing grace!

Our First VBS

2008-07-13T05:38:00.000-07:00

Vacation Bible Schools (if you are going to put on a good one) are exhausting and grueling...Especially, for small parishes! However, they are at the very essence of what we as Christians should be doing. They allow us to give children a positive experience about "going to church" and "about God" that they can then take with them for the rest of their lives. They also allow us to expose children to Jesus Christ that normally don't attend church often...If, at all.

This year I did a "Middle Ages" theme because I thought..."What better way to help translate a sometimes misperceived stuffy bunch doing liturgy in Elizabethan English than by a Middle Ages VBS". We even threw in a little liturgy and pomp for the kids...They loved it! Two young men are now "driving their parents crazy to be acolytes" :).

At the ending ceremony each Child was knighted as a Sir or Lady by kneeling before an "earthly king", but more importantly, they then knelt before their true King, Jesus Christ and received a blessing. I said this as the closing statement of the VBS to the children and their parents:

"Knights, dragons and wizards are great fun. However, they are fantasy....
What is not fantasy is Jesus Christ. Jesus is very real. He was God who came and
lived among us as a person and died a horrible death for our sins, so we might
live forever in heaven. If you take anything away with you from this
Vacation Bible School, please take that."

More pictures of our VBS can be found at: http://www.tacuec.org/VBS2008.html

I Love The Anglican Missile!

2008-07-07T06:26:00.001-07:00

When a longtime friend heard that I was going to be ordained he said, "David, you are going on a grand adventure. You are going to have so much fun!" I wasn't exactly 100% convinced at that time he was right about the "so much fun". However, of all the people who wished me well he may have been the most accurate. Part of the fun is that I have been walking with Jesus Christ. I have found that Jesus is not nearly as stoic as some people make Him out to be. Part of the fun has been that my friend was right, it is just "a grand adventure"... this life He has given me. Being ordained is not what I expected...It has been better. Also, another part of the fun is that I have friends with me on this journey. One of them is my son, Connor. It wasn't that many years ago that Connor said things like, "I wish I could really meet a bishop one day and not just see one from a distance." Now, after four years of being an acolyte Connor has served three bishops at the altar. Although, Connor is becoming a Godly young man...He is still fourteen years old and can be a stinker.

Our rector and I are working on becoming more proficient at the Anglican and American Missals due to our intercommunion with so many parishes that use these as their primary sources for their liturgy. Ever the "smart mouth" my fourteen year old son piped up recently and said, "I love the Anglican Missile...Almost as much as I love the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch."

Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch

Fourth of July

2008-07-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

Father Daniel Sparks, Capt. U.S. Army

I have begun to wonder if perhaps "Where Good Guys Wear Black" should not have a few guest spots once in a while. After all it is about 'Good Guys'...As in plural.

For the Fourth of July I have invited a Traditional Anglican Army Chaplain to post something about Liberty.

Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land

The Rev. Daniel J. Sparks 4th Infantry Division, U.S. Army

“…Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto the inhabitants thereof…”(Leviticus 25:10)

These words adorn the Liberty Bell, one of the venerable symbols offreedom for all citizens of the United States. They come from the Scriptureand were used by the American Founders because they recognized theimportance of religion and virtue in society. We continue to need these important qualities in our nation today, and we must not forsake them forthe sake of political expediency or personal comfort. Instead, America’s citizens must stand at the ready to proclaim liberty.

Proclaiming liberty isn’t simply a verbal affirmation that we generally appreciate being able to make choices for ourselves. It is also a commitment, a responsibility, an obligation. We must not only affirm freedom as something good, but we must also ensure that liberty is protected. When we proclaim that we value the dignity, the liberty, and the free conscience of all men, we commit ourselves to the protection of those inalienable rights. Those rights come not from legislatures and constitutions, but from the hand of Almighty God, and they must not be treated lightly. We are recipients of a free nation, and we must strive to keep it free. The Liberty Bell bears witness to the ancient command of the Lord that all men should be free.

Thank the Lord that, 232 years ago, some faithful men valued liberty more than political expediency or personal safety. In fact, they pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the cause of liberty—and they delivered on that promise. We must do no less today. It is the duty of every citizen to protect and defend the precious freedom we all enjoy. The Lord has given to the state the authority to punish the wicked and to defend the helpless. It is with this authority and with the motivation of preserving our God-given liberty that our military forces are deployed to scores of nations around the world today. It is not an easy task to maintain liberty, and it comes at a very high cost—the lives of the faithful. But it is a thing worth such a price.

May the words from our national anthem continue to inspire us: “Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just / And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.” As we trust in the Lord and strive for justice, the Lord will reward us with success. But we must not sleep in the defense of liberty. It is the birthright and the burden of every freeman; we are all in the service of liberty. May we be found faithful in the Lord’s eyes by protecting the liberty he has given us. May the Lord strengthen us by his grace to honor our forefathers and meet our responsibility in the security of the inherent rights of mankind.

This Independence Day, let us reflect on the magnificent stewardship we hold as the guardians of liberty. And let us consider the sacrifice necessary to preserve it. Though the sacrifice is great and the battle may seem endless, let us continue steadfastly in our labors, and let us pray“…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom…”

I Want A Title Too...After All, I Am An Anglican!

2008-06-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

I was confronted by two little girls after services last night. They are eight and nine years old and diligntly take-up the collection every single week. They perform a valuable service for our parish and are an important part of the service. After all, so much cuteness must by worth at least another ten percent in the offering plate just by itself!

These two bright young ladies had conferred among themselves and decided that there was a problem because they are not listed in the bulletin. Their brothers, who are acolytes, are of course mentioned...But not them. I assured them they will be listed next week....And every week there after. I told one of their mothers that, "Well, we Anglicans have titles for everyone else. We have Archbishops, Bishops, Suffragan Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Archdeacons, Cannons, Deans, Acolytes and every other imaginable title out there. To have a title is to be Anglican...So, don't worry. Next week we will have Offertory Bearers listed in the bulletin!"

Saint Peter's Day

2008-06-29T05:27:00.000-07:00

Saint Peter and Spouse

Years ago the Episcopal priest who prepared me for my confirmation in the Church had me choose the name of a Saint as my “confirmation name”. Every time I get ready to prepare the elements at the altar I wash my hands and beg God to bless me, Peter, His “most unworthy servant.” Someone who is not fit to serve in the role of priest.
Why would I choose Saint Peter as my confirmation name and serve God under that name? Well, you want to feel better about yourselves and your prospects for eternity? Let’s take a look at Saint Peter….

Who was he?

He was a headstrong, blustering, bragging and cowardly man.
He talked a good talk -- and he meant it -- no hypocrisy there.
But when push came to shove -- he waffled, he waffled every single time....He waffled more than someone running for President here in the United States in 2008.
Peter denied the Lord three times, just as Jesus had predicted, even though he'd hotly argued, "Never!". Well, when that crock crowed for the third time Peter ran away crying because he knew the truth. He knew he had denied his lord.

However, like each and everyone of us Peter was capable of great things.
Jesus knew that, under all that bluster and failure there was a man who could be depended upon in the end.
This was the man who stood up and preached one of the boldest sermons of all times on the day of Pentecost.
This was the man who said, "In the Name Of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."
This was the man whose shadow people strove to touch.
He was the first among the Apostles to see Jesus for whom he really was,
and it was to him that Jesus said, "Upon this rock I will build my church."

God called Peter, and used him….
God's calling us. He'll use us if we'll let Him.
He’ll even use a sinner like me.

In the end the flawed and troubled Peter became a martyr. Peter chose physical death upon a cross. But what he really chose was eternal life. This is the reason why Peter is important. This is the reason why he plays such a important role in our lives as Christians today. Because God needs the faithful. He does not need the perfect. This was true two-thousand years ago and it’s true now.