Verse of the Day

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Christmas Eve - Christmas Day - First Sunday after Christmas


  
Christmas Message
Bishop Jerry L. Ogles
Christmas Day 2012, Anno Domini

            It may seem odd to you that a two-year-old lad could remember some event that occurred at that tender age, but I do remember the end of the Second World War. I was just 25 days short of two years of age when that momentous news was broadcast on our radio on the morning of 7 May 1945.  My mother and older sister, Lynn, were most likely listening to Glenn Miller–style music (for I have always loved it from youth) when the NBC announcer interrupted the music with a special bulletin: "General Dwight D. Eisenhower reports that surrender documents between the Allied Forces Europe and the German High Command have been signed and finalized in Berlin this early morning." Following that announcement, the Star Spangled Banner was played followed by a day of martial music and other related news. In Europe, King George VI had made the same announcement to the people of London and all of England who had endured, courageously, so many years of war and devastation. Those remarks by King George VI were followed by the singing of God Save the King in perfect unison of a grateful people. I suppose the event was burned into my young mind by the irrational response of my mother and sister to the news. They began throwing magazines and newspapers up to the ceiling and dancing madly about proclaiming, "Daddy is coming home!" Psychologist would label that reaction that I had to the event as a "Significant Emotional Event."  Such an event never escapes our memory.
            On this wonderful Day of the observance of the most Significant emotional, historical, spiritual, and redeeming event that has ever happened in either Time or Eternity, let us remember with gratitude that surpasses any other conclusion of a state of war - the great Truce, Armistice, and surrender of all history – the Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to an obscure and quiet little village outside Jerusalem, called Bethlehem! No longer would all of the hearts of men be at enmity with their Maker, but reconciled by grace and faith to God the Father through the Redemptive and Atoning life of Jesus Christ, His only Begotten Son.
In the hard dark days of the remote past of antiquity, no one arose from their beds on this Day with the warm glow of love and fellowship that Christmas engenders. All was darkness and mildew until the Light of Christ broke, brilliant as the morning sunrise, upon a bewildered world. The penetrating beams of white light penetrated and dissipated the centuries, and even millennia, of encrusted hate and bitterness which had plagued a world ruled by the greed and selfishness of the heart of man. That darkness of the old world-that-was could not abide a single ray of the brilliance of the Light of Christ. The wicked world realized immediately that it could not continue in that new Light. So it attempted, and still attempts, to block that Light so that its wicked deeds and deceitfulness will be covered. Must I remind you that the effort is futile?
The amazing events of the first Christmas are all the more amazing for the manner in which the momentous event was revealed. There was no NBC radio news, or FOX satellite TV, in those days – only those poor and insignificant (in the eyes of the world) shepherds on the hills overlooking sleepy little Bethlehem.  They were men of simple hearts and minds, and of very small expectations, yet, tonight news more wonderful than ever would be revealed to them that had been denied to rulers and kings in their opulent palaces. The Mind of God is so far from that of men that we can barely grasp even the stark realities of God. Even the Wise Men disregarded the brilliant Star as they drew near to Jerusalem thinking that the King of Kings would surely be born in the palace of the king in the capital at Jerusalem. But they were wrong. It wasn't until they left the man-made lights of the city that they once again saw the Star and were glad. "……they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." (Matt 2:9-10) Isn't it astounding how the ways of God so far outstrip the thinking of men – how those which we consider to be foolish and inferior vessels are often the very ones the Lord chooses through which to show forth His beauty and glory? Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.  (1 Cor 1:20-21)
            I am presently basking in the warmth of the wonderful atmosphere and spirit of our last evening on Christmas Eve of some of my finest and most beloved friends. They are teenagers and young college adults whom I have known from their early youth.  I consider them very important to my soul, and to the heart of God. Though young and unproven in the eyes of the world, I can see the light of God in their precious hearts. They make my autumn days of glorious colors in gold, and scarlet, and pale green. As I see the evidence of Godly faith glow as a flame of fire in their hearts, I can say that I, of all men, am moist richly blessed to have had the privilege to be their minister over these past years.
            Perhaps you are lonely and consider yourself too aged, too poor, too uneducated, or too unfortunate to attract the attention of God. If so, remember that special bulletin issued on the hills outside Jerusalem by mighty angels to poor and lonely shepherds. You may find that you, too, are looked upon as poor Hagar said in the wilderness at Beerlahairoi was looked upon by a loving God:   And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? (Gen 16:13)
            Just as our Beloved Lord looks upon, with high regard, the helpless and abused little girl of the Khyber Pass, so does He look with the eyes of love upon the poor, the aged, the downcast, and those that have sat in darkness – for He has sent a Great Light into the world at Christmas – even His only Begotten Son, Jesus!
Merry Christmas to you today, and every day of the rest of your earthly life!
Christmas Eve

As the song goes, Oh the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful, And since we've no place to go, Let it snow! Let it snow!  Actually, while we have had snow this year already, none for today!  The Outside Air Temperature was merely 46°F at Mount Olympus’ 3,500’msl altitude, so no snow.  Not a lot of sunbathing either with a light rain falling.  We are thankful for the coming of our Lord and the freedom we have.  Although the weather was not bright and sunny, the dispositions of the three people attending the service were!

By the way, each year we have a rosemary bush Christmas “tree” with a C-141 Starlifter for the Star in remembrance of Dru’s service as a Flight Nurse.

Propers
Each Sunday there are Propers: special prayers and readings from the Bible.  There is a Collect for the Day; that is a single thought prayer, most written either before the re-founding of the Church of England in the 1540s or written by Bishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Archbishop of Canterbury after the re-founding. 

The Collect for the Day is to be read on Sunday and during Morning and Evening Prayer until the next Sunday. The Epistle is normally a reading from one of the various Epistles, or letters, in the New Testament.  The Gospel is a reading from one of the Holy Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  The Collect is said by the minister as a prayer, the Epistle can be read by either a designated reader (as we do in our church) or by one of the ministers and the Holy Gospel, which during the service in our church is read by an ordained minister or our Deacon Striker.

The propers are the same each year, except if a Red Letter Feast, that is one with propers in the prayerbook, falls on a Sunday, then those propers are to be read instead, except in a White Season, where it is put off.  Red Letter Feasts, so called because in the Altar Prayerbooks the titles are in red, are special days.  Most of the Red Letter Feasts are dedicated to early saints instrumental in the development of the church, others to special events.  Some days are particularly special and the Collect for that day is to be used for an octave (eight days) or an entire season, like Advent or Lent. 

We used the propers for the first service of Christmas Day for our Christmas Eve service which are found on Page 96-98, with the Collect first:

The Collect.

O
 GOD, who makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of thine only Son Jesus Christ; Grant that as we joyfully receive him for our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our Judge, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

Dru Arnold read the Epistle, which came from Paul’s letter to Titus beginning in the Eleventh Verse of the Second Chapter.  Paul tells Titus that it is only God’s grace that gives us salvation.  If we are going to accept that grace, we need to live the life to which God has called us. Regardless of cost, we need to live the life God has purchased for us. 

We need to trust in God and in this world live cleanly, conservatively, thoughtfully, looking towards God for our salvation.  We need to encourage and exhort other Christians to do likewise. 

To live in harmony with others.

To be, to the extent we are able, paragons of virtue.  Serving as good examples, not bad.  Paul tells Titus to do what is right, trust is God and worry not.  Quoting a later author, “Trust in God and Dread Naught.”

T
HE grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Tonight’s Gospel is the narrative of the Nativity from the Gospel according to Saint Luke, the Second Chapter, beginning at the First Verse.

A
ND it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into  Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Sermon – Reverend Deacon Jack Arnold - Time and Action
Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above. 

Today we remember and celebrate the coming of our Lord, the first time; we look to the coming of our Lord, the second time.  The Jews were looking to God to send the Messiah, the one who they determined would free them from the brutal yoke of the Romans and put them on top again.  The veritable Top Dogs.  They wanted a Champion to lead them to victory over the Romans and throw them off Israel.  What God sent was a baby.  Well, The Baby, but nonetheless a baby.  Shepherds came to worship Him, but Herod was looking to kill Him.  No good in having a Champion putting Herod out of the petty quisling dictator job.

What God sent the Jews was His Son.  In point of fact, He sent Him to the Jews first, but not only.  The “Wise Men” showed up to worship Him and regardless of who they might have been, they certainly were not Jews.  This Son was to free the Jews from the Prince of Darkness and the finality of death.  That really did not fit the Jews’ plan.[1]  They were still looking for Expulsor, he who would toss the Romans out on their heads.

 “Grant as we joyfully receive him for our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our judge.”, With sure confidence, if we receive him now as our Redeemer, we shall be filled with sure confidence of being received by Him when we are standing before his Judgement seat. If we do not joyfully receive him now, how can we expect him to be joyfully receiving us when we come to meet him.

In joyous rememberence of His Birth, we must keep in mind the end goal of his arrival here on Earth, which was to free us from the bondage of sin and death, by giving his life so that we might be free of this terrible oppression. We must Rejoice always and again I say Rejoice, in the fact that we are free from the wages of sin, by the fact that He gave his life for us, and was born that He might save us from a final death.

The key word is joyfully, meaning we must of our own free will receive Him into our hearts, and feel the joyousness of His Birth, for this holiday of His Birth is a happy time, to not only feel the joy of his physical arrival, but of what He came to do for us, that we might be free for all eternity. He shall be our confidence and our spiritual dwelling place, rather than place our hope in men, who shall always fall short, but God shall never lead us astray or fall short of our hopes and expectations, unlike Men.

Remembering His Birth each year, we must consider what the cost was for our freedom from death, which soon after he ascended to be with Our Father. 

Some guy coming to save their souls, without the need for slaughtering the profitable sacrificial animals did not really fit their plan.  They had The Law, what more did they need?

The Jews concentrated on their wants and ignored their needs.  Need, Want – both four letter words, oft used interchangeably.  Sadly, they don’t mean the same thing.

So, that is where the Jews were on Christmas Eve; Christmas Day for that matter?  God intended to fulfill their needs, they looked to have their wants fulfilled.

How about us on this Christmas Eve; or Christmas Day for that matter?  Are we looking for someone to make us rich, thin or cool?  Or are we looking for someone who will save our souls?  Do what God asks, you will not only gain eternal life, but eternal happiness and as a plus you will be happy.  You may think you can have more fun, but He guarantees you will be happy.

As we come upon this midnight clear, the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ waits for us.  Will we accept it?  Follow Him, accept His Grace and all will be good forever.

He comes!

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

Propers
The propers for today are found on Page 96-98, with the Collect first:

The Nativity of our Lord, or the Birthday of Christ,
commonly called Christmas Day.
[December 25.]
The Collect.


A
LMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end.  Amen.

¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout the Octave.

Dru Arnold read the Epistle for Christmas Day, which came from the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews, beginning at the First Verse of the First Chapter.

G
od, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who  being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: they shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

Hap Arnold read the Gospel for Christmas Day which came from the Gospel according to Saint John, the First Chapter, beginning at the First Verse.    This particular Gospel is known as the Last Gospel as it comes from the last Gospel to be written, that of St. John, and it brings the final Word of Jesus to us.

I
n the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Sermon – Reverend Deacon Jack Arnold - Time and Action
Today’s sermon is the message of Christmas.   Jack had a different sermon written, but this is the one he gave.

“He came unto His own and they received Him not.” Christ came unto His own, the people he created, to show them the Word which He is the living embodiment of, the Living and True Scripture. They received Neither the written Word that his Apostles wrote, nor the spoken Word from His Mouth that He spake unto them. “But as many as received Him, to them he gave the power to become the sons of God.” He has adopted us unto his family, through His Word, which he has spoken unto us, that we may fulfill it and live in harmony with others in this word.

“And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” This speaks to the living incarnate nature of the Word, (Christ) who dwelt among us 2,000 years ago, that he might understand our nature more, so that He could teach us with more understanding. If He lived in our conditions, it would be easier for Him to relate to us when He taught and spake the Word of His Father.   “And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.” In That Word, He spake both full of grace and of truth as John talked about in the last Gospel. Through His grace and truth that we accept, only can we do things for His Glory. Without the Word, we cannot do anything for Him, as imperfect creatures, now having been accounted and spoken for by Christ. With the Word, we are empowered to do things for Him. The birth of Christ would foreshadow his death, which would bring about the ultimate freedom, that from sin and death.

Today we recall the birth of our Lord and Savior, the only means by which we, imperfect creatures with free will, might be accounted as perfect before God when our day of judgment comes.  Born, not in a palace, but in a stable, He is all that we have been promised.  Taking the substance of Man, all Man and all God, He knows our temptations, He knows our failures, He knows our failings, He knows our sorrow; He also knows our happiness, our small triumphs, our hopes and our dreams.  He is the only one in this world who will never fail us in the slightest.  He gives us His example to follow.  If we will but follow Him, we will draw closer to God.  He made the world, He knows the world.  He defeated the Prince of this World, thus with His Help, so will we.  This is a day of joy, foreshadowing a day of sorrow, leading to the greatest joy of all.

Let us joyfully receive Him into our hearts and homes, that we might do what He asks and spread the Joy of His Arrival on Earth that we might prepare for His Second Coming. If we do this and what he asks, which is a common theme that stays the same throughout the Christian Year, we shall be Blessed with good things, as a result of doing what He asks. On the Christmas Day, let us Rejoice in His Coming and begin our preparations for His Second Coming

Let this be a blessed and happy Christmas.  He has come to us!

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God


Propers
The propers for today are found on Page 104-105, with the Collect first:

The First Sunday after Christmas Day.
The Collect.

A
LMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

Dru Arnold read the Epistle for today, which came from Paul’s letter to the people of  Galatia, starting at the First Verse of the Fourth Chapter.  Paul reminds us, as well as those long gone in Galatia, we are to do God’s will, but through our Lord, we are not servants, but children of God, for “Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.


N
ow I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

The Gospel for today came from the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, the First Chapter, beginning at the Eighteenth Verse.

T
he birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Sermon – Reverend Deacon Jack Arnold - Time and Action
At this Christmastide, it is not surprising to find “To take our nature upon him”, is a  key phrase of the Collect, preceding “To be born of a pure virgin”, meaning He could not have been born from anyone else but Mary, who was at the time a pure virgin (this is before the birth of James, Jesus’ biological half-brother. But the more important part of the phrases is “to take our nature upon him.” When He came into this world, He took our nature upon himself, that is to say in simpler terms He became like us.

He felt our emotions we feel, the pain, the joy, the suffering and more material emotions like that of hunger, of wants and of needs. This he took upon Himself, so that He might come to understand His creation more. And also, to sacrifice Himself for our sakes, He needed to be within our bodies, so that He could be accounted as a “human” sacrifice, taking upon all of our sins upon Himself, that we might be accounted as perfect before God to enter into heaven

As Paul says in his letter to the Galatians, we are not to be servants or slaves of God, but we are His own children, we are more precious to Him than if we were servants or slaves. That is a key difference between Christianity and Islam. Islam views its followers as a means to an end, but Christianity views the followers as part of God’s Holy Family in Heaven.

We are different than the world for this very reason. The world lacks the compassion, the love Christ has given us, and it is the reason why it is and has been filled with so much trouble and sin over the thousands of years of our existence.

We have to realize that God took upon our nature and our infirmities for us, that His love is infinite as He is infinite. He is the past, the future and the present, He is the Master of Time.

When we pray, we must refer to God as Father, as He is our spiritual Father and in a sense, physical Father too, for without him, our fathers would not have been created and our lives would not have sprung forth upon this Earth. We are in a state of eternal debt to God for bringing us in and saving us from the trouble of our human nature. If we are to repay it, we must follow Jesus on the path to perfection, which we will never get to, but we will certainly never get to it if we never try.

As we came upon this midnight clear, the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is here for us.  Will we accept it?  Follow Him, accept His Grace and all will be good forever.

He comes!
Be of God - Live of God - Act of God
Bishop Ogles’ Sermon
We are oft fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s sermon notes.  Today is one of those Sundays.  Today’s sermon starts off with the collect, and like always, it will give you a lot to consider in your heart.

Sermon Notes
First Sunday after Christmas Day
30 December 2012, Anno Domini

The First Sunday after Christmas Day.
The Collect.

A
LMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Luke 2:1-20
Today we shall observe three occasions in the Church Calendar – the continuing Christmastide, the Holy Innocents, and the coming New Year on Tuesday.
If we read the Bible as a strictly edifying historical work, we will miss the entire message of the Gospel, for the Bible is a Living Text that bears the same application to our lives today as to those of whom it has given account between its inspired and infallible covers.
During this Christmastide, we celebrate the coming of Light and Wonder into a dark world, and we do so both figuratively and formally; however, it would be wrong to believe that the Coming of Christ ended on Christmas morning. Christ is forever coming into our hearts if we have hearts that are open to His knocking. You will not find Him in churches that are not faithful to the Gospel, for He "stands at the door (without) and knocks." If the door to your heart has grown callous with rusty from years of hard living, and is not open to Christ, you will not even find Him in a Church strong in its Gospel message. But no thing is beyond the arm of the Lord to traverse, and He may haply force open the corroded and barred door of the most egregious sinner in His time, and cause a joyful welcome to be proclaimed from lips that only spoke vulgarity in times past. If you wake up on the morning of July 4th with a prayer for Christ to live in your heart that day, even July 4th becomes Christmas to you. Do you get it? Is there some cruel irony in singing "O Come all ye Faithful" in summer? Not at all. We grow too rigid in our hymn-singing at times. Christ seldom observed a strict formality, but behaved in ways that set the teeth of the Jewish rulers on edge. Naturally, we must be reverent and orderly in worship, but not so staid that we condemn even Christ for healing of the Sabbath Day!
God is all powerful and able to work in the hearts of even evil men to accomplish His purpose. Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, yet the prophecies proclaim that Christ should be born there. (see Micah 5:2) The foreshadowing of Bethlehem as the place of Christ birth is even alluded to in 1 Samuel 16:1 - And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. Jesse is the father of David and, so, Bethlehem is called the City of David.
These opening passages of Luke 2 are magically wonderful to my ears, for they were first repeated to me by my mother and, even then, they carried a charm and mystery to my young mind. I wonder how many young children in America today have been blessed by that experience? How nonchalantly does Luke refer to the occasion of Christ's birth: "And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered." And so it was? Yes, it certainly was so, and could have been no otherwise! God brought the power of Caesar into play to bring about  this Holy event. To all the world Jesus came as a Stranger and left as Redeemer. He was a Stranger to the woman at Jacob's Well at the noonday hour, but that woman left having found a Friend that loves her beyond all human measure. Have you met that Stranger of Galilee?
We often place our clergy on a pedestal and believe that they somehow stand in greater grace than we. A minister is simply a fellow who, hopefully, by the grace of God has been called and responded to the call of God to preach. A minister can be, and often is, fallible just as you or I can be fallible – and often are! You will note that The Holy Angels did not proclaim the great news of Christ's birth in the halls of government in Jerusalem, or even to "men of the cloth." He proclaimed this wonderful news to men whose ears were open to hear it – common shepherds of the field. These men had no other distraction than to gaze upon the endless beauties of God's star-studded heavens night after night. They understood, unlike most theologians, that there can exist mysteries in the Word of God which no competent theologian can define. They knew nothing of the conflicting teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees, or the subjects taught in the rabbinical schools by men such as Gamaliel, but they did know that God sat upon the heavens and created every bright point of light visible to them in that purple dawn canopy above them. So God chose the least among men to honor MOST with His Gospel News!
Perhaps, if you have not met God, it may be because you are too lifted up in pride and arrogance., If so, God can lower you until you arrive at a level at which you can be taught of Him. There could be no greater blessing for such a one.
The coming of Christ into your life does not signal an end to trial and hardship. Au contraire, it may be just the beginning. It was the beginning of sorrows for many mothers in Bethlehem. It was the beginning of sorrows for Mary, the mother of Jesus. She failed, seemingly, to profit from His teaching until after the resurrection, but a sword pierced her heart at the foot of that crude cross at Calvary.
The recent tragic events at a school in Connecticut are heart-breaking, as well. What can be more tragic? There is something that is far more tragic! It would be that so many lives went into the darkness of eternity without the Light of Christ. What happened in Newtown is not related to the right to bear arms – every man has the right of self-protection. The tragedy of Newtown is the moral depravity into which America has sunk over the last several decades. When the Supreme Court made a law against school prayer, in contravention of the First amendment to the US Constitution, and continued to trample the religious liberty rights of the American people by outlawing Bibles in schools, Nativity scenes in public places, and legalized (immorally) the murder of millions and millions of little children – an event that dwarfs Herod's action against the children of Bethlehem – our religious leaders were eerily silent. When Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore (a 1967 West Point graduate) had the courage to display the Ten Commandments in the Supreme Court building (much like that of the US Supreme court), his greatest opponents were the Southern Baptist Conference of Alabama. America rejected God, and in so doing, reject His Providential protection of our country. He may give us over to delusion and reprobacy.  We have come to calling that which God calls `good,' evil; and that which God has called `evil,' good. Majority opinions do not matter with God. God has only truth – NOT opinion!
So we see, on the Day of Holy Innocents, the intentional murder of small children by the sword. At least, their murder was most likely more abrupt than the burning death of little babies in their mother's womb by a "process of murder" we call abortion. 
18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin. Gen 35:18 (KJV) (Son of my Sorrow) Rachel died that her child should live. 19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. Gen 35:19 (KJV) The City of David where Christ was born also. A sword would also pierce Mary's heart. 35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. Luke 2:35 (KJV) 18 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. Matt 2:18 (KJV) 15 Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. Jer 31:15 (KJV)
Do we not hear those mother's voices still crying out in the streets of Newtown. When evil rules the land, even the innocent suffer. As we embark on a so-called NEW YEAR, let us be mindful that swords, guns, and bombs have no conscience. They can neither be righteous or wicked. It is the heart of the man holding the weapon that is guilty of sins committed by any device of killing. Were we to remove every knife, every sword, every gun from the hands of man, do you believe we would have seen the end of mass murder? Historically, how have states behaved who have wielded the only means of force and violence? How did Hitler's Germany behave, or Caesar's Rome? 
New Years Day is not a Christian holiday, but a secular one. The only New Year we can truly enjoy is that New Day, New Year, and New Life in Christ. Heed, America, the counsel of Isaiah if you wish for the comfort and peace of a Holy people: When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. 20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. 21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. Isaiah 59:19-21 (KJV)
Men, called of God: Have you lifted up the Standard? Have you received the Word of God – not of man – into your mouth to proclaim? Have we taught our seed to know and follow that Light which came at Christmas 2000 years ago? If not, then Stand To, and do your duty now as a good soldier of the Cross.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN.
Bishop Dennis Campbell’s Sermon
Bishop Dennis is a brilliant speaker.  He is able to take biblical precepts and make them perfectly understandable, even to me.  Oft he provides the text of his sermons and I take the utmost pleasure in passing them on:

A Saviour Born
Psalm 145, Isaiah 9:2-7, Luke 2:1-20
First Sunday after Christmas
December 30, 2012
                       
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

The world seemed to be falling apart that night in Bethlehem.  A declining Rome controlled the Meditteranan world, and the decay was sensed throughout the Empire.  Law and justice were being replaced by corruption and graft.  Art was being replaced by gladiators.  Morality was being replaced by relativism, and human life, meaning the lives of people other than those in power, had little value.  In short, the world was much as it is today.  How comforting to be reminded at Christmas, 2012, that God has not forgotten us, nor left us to the ravages of an evil and ignorant world, or even to the evil and ignorance of our own sins.  How comforting to be reminded that unto us is born a Saviour "which is Christ the Lord."

When we hear the word, "Saviour," most of us think of the forgiveness of sins; of being saved from the penalty of our sins and being allowed into Heaven when we die.  We are right to think of these things, because a major reason the Saviour came into the world was to accomplish our forgiveness and allow us into Heaven.  We are all sinners, but Christ receives sinners.  He came into this world to save sinners.  He went to the cross to die for our sins.  He took our sins upon Himself and suffered for them on the cross.  He dresses us in the robe of His absolute righteousness, and now God regards us not in our sin, but in the righteousness of Christ given to us by grace.  "All have sinned," the Bible tells us in Romans 3:23.  The wages of sin is death, it continues in Romans 6:23.  But, thanks be to God, that is not the end of the story.  The same verse that tells us the wages of sin is death immediately says, "but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord."   "There is," as the Bible says in  ----, "no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."

When we hear the word, "Saviour," we should also think of being saved from the destructive life of sin, which includes both our attitudes and our actions.  I am talking about being delivered from what the Bible often calls the bondage, or slavery to sin.  It means sin is like a power that enslaves us and forces us to do its bidding.  It binds our souls with hate, greed, dispair, lust, grief, anger, conceit and self-doubt, fear and fool-hardiness.  When these attitudes control us, we commit sinful actions.  In other words, when we have an attitude of hate, we hate. Or, we could say a hateful attitude leads us to do hateful things.

Anyone who cares to take an honest look at sin will see that it has devastating consequences for us in this life.  It destroys lives, homes, families, nations, and empires.  It kills the soul.  These are the natural consequenses of sin, as we reap what we have sown.  But Christ lived and died and lives again to save us from all of that.  We no longer have to live in hate or greed or sorrow or anger.   I don't mean we won't experience these things, we will; and sometimes they trouble us for long and dark times in our lives.  But they will pass, and we don't have to live in them as attitudes or habits.  We don't have to dwell in them.  They don't have to frame our thoughts or control our actions.  We don't have to be slaves to them any longer, we have been saved from them.  We are free to love, forgive, hope, and rejoice.  We are free to fill our souls with truth, honour, justice, purity, beauty, goodness, virtue, and praise.  "Think on these things," wrote St. Paul in Philippians 4:8 and 9, and "Those things which ye have both learned and received, and heard and received in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."

So the Saviour came to forgive our sins, and to save us from the destructive power of sin in our lives.  He came to give us love and peace and joy and hope, not as empty words or slogans, but as real attitudes and as the frame of our hearts and lives.  The person who is truly saved is delivered from the penalty of sin, and the power of sin.  You are receiving the forgiveness of your sins, and receiving deliverance from the old habits and attitudes and life-styles of sin, and receiving a new way of life lived in communion with God.   This new life yields conformity with His will as naturally as springtime yields flowers, all as the free gift of God through Christ our Saviour.

I need to make it clear that I am not saying we are saved to a condition of sinlessness in this life.  We are not.  We continue to struggle with the world the flesh and the devil, and we sometimes lose the fight.  I also need to make it clear that I am not saying we don't have a personal responsibility to do right and seek the kind of life that leads us into the peace of God.  We do, and we are accountable to God for our actions and choices, and they will affect our lives, and the lives of others, both in this world and for eternity.  God have mercy upon us.  I am saying God wants to give us new life, peace, joy, love, and all the good things the Bible calls the fruit of the Spirit, and He will if we let Him.  Please let Him.

How does God impart the new way of life to us?  The means of grace. You knew I was going to say that, didn't you?  God imparts the new life to you through the Scriptures, prayer, the Church, and the Sacraments.  Devote yourself to these things, and you will find yourself growing in Christ.  Ignore them and you will find yourself languishing in the faith, if you even continue in it at all.

One more point, and I will make it brief; when we think of the Saviour we should think in global and cosmic terms.  One of the primary messages of the Bible is that Jesus Christ is going to Return, and when He does, He will set things right again.  He has not abandoned us.  The universe will be gathered together in Him.  His enemies will be vanquished, and His people will dwell with Him in unbroken peace, forever.

I can identify with the ancient Judeans.  It sometimes seems to me that the world is falling apart.  I seem to see the same departure from justice, beauty, morality.  Like them, I am comforted by the angel's words, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."   

--
+Dennis Campbell

Bishop, Anglican Orthodox Church Diocese of Virginia
Rector, Holy Trinity Anglican Orthodox Church
Powhatan, Virginia
www.HolyTrinityAnglicanOrthodoxChurch.org

Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s Sunday Sermon
We are fortunate to have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon.  If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, expouse the truth and live the truth.    This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.

Sermon for the First Sunday after Christmas

In our gospel lesson (St. Matthew 1:23), we were told of the birth and
naming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We were also given the words of the prophet Isaiah who was inspired of the Holy Ghost to write (Isaiah 7:14b): Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. The name Emmanuel or Immanuel means God with us and is instructive for it makes known the intention of God to come himself into our world and to be with us where we are so that we might have the opportunity to be with him in his coming glorious kingdom of righteousness.

Sadly, a growing number of people in this Christmas season will miss the truth of what was uttered by the prophet and restated by the gospel writers concerning our gospel lesson. He came into our world to redeem mankind but to accomplish that redemption, he first had to clothe himself as a man in the flesh and become one of us. While even a fair number of unbelievers know the story of Jesus, they miss this important point principally because they cannot accept him as the only begotten Son of God. Some will claim that he was and remains a mythical personality, a figment of someone’s imagination. Others may even accept him as a so-to-speak good man and idealist teacher.

And so, Christmas has become for them just another day off from work. They have missed the essence of Christ. They are missing the real reason for this season. Oh, they’ll exchange presents and may even sing a Christmas carol or two. Perhaps they will attend church with family and begrudgingly listen to a sermon concerning the Christ-child. But it will be all to no effect. They will come away as unconvinced as ever, particularly if they happen to attend some roadshowesque auditorium worship service where reverence for God has been set aside for entertainment and the cult of personality. Or, they may attend a church that has become so ritualized and emptied of the Holy Spirit that the best the minister can do is read from a child’s story book concerning Christmas rather than read from the Scriptures and exposit to the congregation about the necessity for Christmas ever coming about in the first place. So what are these folk really missing? They are missing heaven! Without the acceptance of the person of Jesus Christ as God’s only begotten Son: who was made sin for us and who took our place on Calvary’s cross, they will never obtain God’s saving grace. These will continue to live without Christ thus assuring themselves of a death without Christ. And that, dear friends, is the surest ticket to Hell one can get.

It is incumbent on each of us as Christians to be ambassadors for our Lord. We are to proclaim and make disciples. We are to have an answer for the faith that is within us should we be questioned about such. God sent his Son into the world, that the world through him might be saved. Not the world system, but the inhabitants thereof (St. John 3:16-21).

Christmas is indeed a time of giving and receiving, but we need to understand the truth behind the season: that God gave to us a gift of inestimable value and we are expected to accept it and then use it throughout our life. St. Paul put the matter this way in his epistle to the Ephesians (2:5-10), Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

You and I have been saved with a mighty salvation because our God loved us and sent his own Son, the second person of the Trinity to make such possible. Without his first coming as that babe in Bethlehem, we would still be in our sins and trespasses with no hope of ever being freed from this body of sin and death. Only by means of his coming in the flesh, born of a pure virgin would the promise of our redemption be made manifest. As we continue on through this season of Christmas, let us remember and give thanks to God for his gift to us and remember Jesus Christ is truly God with us.

Let us pray,

F
ather we thank you for your gift to us of the Christ-child who grew to become our Saviour. We also ask for a wise and understanding heart that we might seek the truth of thy word written concerning our Lord, and to so witness of him to those who are as yet in the valley and the shadow of death: that they too might turn unto him and be saved. All this we ask in the name of him whom the Scriptures call Emmanuel, even Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Have a blessed week,
Bryan+



[1] By the way, it has been said if you really want to make God laugh, tell Him your plan.  I don’t take credit for the thought, but sadly I do not know where I first heard it.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Third Sunday in Advent


Connecticut Shooting
There is good in the world, there is evil.  The good is lead by God, the evil by the devil. In the end, if you believe this or not it changes nothing in the world.  God is still there and so is the devil.   If you are not doing God’s work, you are working for the devil.  As we find our country growing further from God, be not surprised at the outcome.

Please take the time to read the following letter from Bishop Jerry Ogles, our leader.

Dear Friends and Family:

     This church is appalled at the senseless and cruel shootings that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut on this past Friday morning. Many innocent and very young children were sent to their deaths at the hands of a crazed gunman, not unlike the deaths of millions of unborn innocents murdered in abortion mills across America.

     There will once more follow a hue and cry for the ban of guns - the possession of which is protected (for a Reason) by the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution. It is a common ploy of those with a political agenda. A gun in the hands of a righteous person poses no threat to anyone. But in the hands of the lawless and maniacal, it, like an ax or a knife, is a deadly device. Instead of blaming guns, or cars, or the surgeon's knife, for unwarranted murders, why not admit that the deprivation of moral teaching to the young in our schools and at all levels of society has resulted in disastrous consequences? "Be not deceived, God is not mocked." This is a sober warning from our God. Shall we heed it, or will we continue to blame our wickedness on inanimate objects.

    Please join with me in praying for the families of these innocent young children who were so heartlessly murdered in their classrooms. I would hope that these young ones were able to call upon the name of the Lord in their fears and terrors, but where would they have learned His Name?

In Christ at Advent,

 Jerry L. Ogles
+Jerry L. Ogles, DD, Presiding Bishop
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide & Chancellor, Faith Theological Seminary  

Article from Irene Teas by Christian Adams - Evil is to Blame

Pay close attention to what gets blamed for the Newtown school shooting. Evil is to blame for these horrific murders and nothing else. Listen closely to the rhetoric over the coming weeks. How often will evil be named as the cause of the horror?

Not often, I suspect.

Some dispute the existence of conscious, deliberate, unseen evil. Perhaps that's why blame for the murderous horror will fall elsewhere. Some consider the mention of evil in public discourse to be unseemly. Belief in pure deliberate evil can be inconvenient, because it includes other necessary beliefs.

Failing to name it evil lets evil flourish. If the sight of planes slamming into the World Trade Center towers wasn't enough to comfortably believe in evil, maybe the horror in Connecticut will be.

Denial of conscious, deliberate evil makes it easier to deny the existence of conscious and deliberate good. If deliberate evil exists, then deliberate good must also. Otherwise human history would be one long ruinous loop of Stalin's gulags and Pol Pot's murder factories. Thankfully, those black times are broken up by goodness.

Evil seeks to destroy human life, human dignity, and even civilizations. Goodness and light offer an alternative. The sort of world we have is determined by what you and those around you choose. A man in Connecticut accepted evil.

Conditions, rough upbringings, or worldly objects are convenient explanations when evil manifests itself for all to see. Find any news account today and inventory what is being blamed for the mass killing of children.

But the systematic and deliberate slaughter of innocents is not a new story. It happened once before, after the arrival of an alternative way. It was also featured in the industrial scale eradication of European Jewry.

Spare no child of light, and usher in an age of darkness.

How vile that the evil in Connecticut arrived in this season of light and season of lights. All of those innocent smiles and joyous expectations destroyed by a black wretched thing.

We'll hear lots of bluster about how to prevent more school house murders. Nearly all of it is meaningless. The only way to prevent such horror is to choose to love your neighbor as yourself, to respect the dignity of human life, and to follow familiar laws thousands of years old.

Easier said than done, right? How could the goodness in many prevent the evil in one?

A culture that values goodness is a necessary prerequisite to discouraging evil. A culture of light and life relegates evil to the diminishing margins. This is a story as old as time. A culture of violence toward life and toward the dignity of every human eventually produces violence toward life, period. What else would you expect to happen?

The Romans were dumbfounded by the strange stubborn Jewish sect that prayerfully martyred themselves to Roman savagery. The intoxicated and bloodthirsty roars of the coliseum could not overcome the transformational power of the new alternative. Rome crumbled while the philosophy of those martyrs transformed the world.

That's the story of this Christmas, and that's why the evil in Newtown must be called by its true name.


Propers
The Propers are found on Page 93-94, with the Collect first:

The Third Sunday in Advent
The Collect.


O
 LORD Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

The propers for the First Sunday in Advent can be found on Page 90-92:

The First Sunday in Advent
The Collect.

A
LMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

¶ This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas Day.

Dru Arnold read the Epistle for today, which came from Paul’s first letter to the  Corinthians, starting at the First Verse of the Fourth Chapter.

Paul calls on those who would be the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God to be good and faithful stewards leading their flock rather than commanding from the rear.  He tells them not to be fearful of the judgment of man.  In fact, he tells he is not concerned of the judgment of men, or even that of himself, but rather that of God.  God knows our hearts and when He judges, He “will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

Let it be fully understood that when Paul writes of ministers and stewards, he is talking of each of us, not just those who are “ordained ministers.”  We each must be good and faithful stewards of the gifts God has entrusted to each of us.  We each must help those around us  benefit from the gifts which are freely given.

L
ET a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

Deacon Jack Arnold read the Gospel for today which came from the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, the Eleventh Chapter, beginning at the Second Verse.  Now when John the Baptist “had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?”  John was Jesus’ cousin and the one who baptized Him and heard God say, THIS IS MY SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.”  Yet, he and the rest of the Jews of the time expected the Messiah to come into Jerusalem in triumph, sit in the temple and rule, commanding, nay compelling the Romans to leave.  No doubt marveling at the question, for it was asked of Him who had performed countless genuine miracles, healing the blind, the deaf the lame, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”  As John’s disciples parted, Jesus talked to those about him.  He asked them concerning John, “What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet?”  He was counseling them, trying to help them fully understand the implications of what was around them.  He was there!  So, he explained that John was not “just” a prophet, but the messenger of God, the man with the flag running before the locomotive.  He went on, “For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.”  Because Jesus came into this world, not to be the King of the Present, but rather the King of that to Come.

N
ow when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Sermon – Reverend Deacon Jack Arnold - Time and Action
Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above. 

The Third Sunday in Advent
The Collect.


O
 LORD Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

The First Sunday in Advent
The Collect.

A
LMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

¶ This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas Day.

In the Collect for the Third Sunday in Advent, we are referred to as the ministers and stewards (caretakers) of the mysteries of God, which are the Scriptures and His Word. We ask for help in getting the hearts of the disobedient, by the wisdom of the just, to turn and look to the Kingdom of God for answers and not this world.  In view of the recent events in Connecticut, how timely can this prayer be?  When we look to the world for solutions, we find the solutions of this world.  This world, ruled by the Prince of this world, the Prince of Air, the devil himself!  But, what will people think when we reject worldly solutions to worldly problems.  There is an answer for that, conveniently following the Collect.

In the Epistle, Paul says that we must not fear of what others would think of us, but rather be concerned about what God would think of what we are doing and what direction he wants us to go in.

In the Gospel, Christ asks the crowd of what they expected to see?  Some great big flashy sign He was going to overthrow the Romans and unite the Jews to conquer the world?  No, He did not come to do this, for that would be only a temporary and inf fact temporal thing to rule the world.  He came for far more than that; to prepare our hearts for eternity and change us from unjust to just creatures, worthy of God’s creation and His Hands. He came to mould and to shape us from being roughly made to something very valuable.

To be worthy of the charge and care of His mysteries, we must willing to listen to Him and do whatever we need to do to line ourselves up with what He wants for us, not what we want for ourselves.  We must think of others, instead of thinking of ourselves all the time.  I must confess that I am guilty of this, but I am always working on trying to reverse this, as we must, in order to walk with Him. We must be willing to never give up and persevere, and if we follow this, we will keep getting better and better all of the time.

Life is a continual process of learning in every aspect of our lives, not least of these aspects is our spiritual growth and development.  The Japanese have a word for this, introduced into their industry by the American engineer W. Edwards Deming, Kaizen (改善?) that is to say continuous improvement.  Never perfect, but always endeavoring to improve.  Day by day.

To care for the mysteries of God properly, we must keep learning in our spiritual lives and if we do this, we will keep growing more and more every day.  Reading the Scriptures is one way to further our spiritual development, as well as helping others without thought for ourselves. We must keep doing a combination of these and similar things, if we expect to be able to facilitate our spiritual growth and change the minds of the disobedient and the unjust.

As He came to change us for the better, Paul and the Collect remind us to do the same for the others.  We often resist this change, when perhaps we should not. We must put our hearts and minds together and think about what God wants us to do in the end rather than what we want to do. Put God first and all will be well, is what can be taken from today’s collects and lessons, ultimately. We must be willing do to this, then we can be properly caring for the mysteries of God.

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

Bishop Dennis Campbell’s Sermon
Bishop Dennis is a brilliant speaker.  He is able to take biblical precepts and make them perfectly understandable, even to me.  Oft he provides the text of his sermons and I take the utmost pleasure in passing them on:

God Is Faithful
Psalm 99, Jeremiah 1:4-19, Luke 1:57
Third Sunday in Advent
December 16, 2012

On the first Sunday in Advent we looked at verses in Luke's Gospel that tell of Zechariah in the Temple. Confronted with the message of God through the angel Gabriel, he was told a son would be born to Elizabeth; a miraculous child who would do wonderful things in the service of God. I said that we miss the point of the story when we focus on the people, for it is what God is doing that is the point of the story. I also said one of the things we see in the passage is that God has a plan. Today's reading in Luke takes us to the birth of Elizabeth's son; the fulfillment of God's promise to Zechariah. I want to draw two points from the passage.



First, God's plan comes to pass. In more theological language we would say there is an unseen hand that guides events and people, such that history is actually the unfolding of the plan of God. Isaiah, the prophet of Advent, shows the truth of this. In the fourteenth chapter he writes of the coming destruction of Assyria. His words make it clear that Assyria's fall is not just something God knows about because He knows the future; it is something that will happen because God has purposed it. It will happen according to God's plan. Isaiah 14:24 says, "The Lord of hosts hath sworn saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand." Again He says in Isaiah 46:9-10, "I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure."



If what God plans comes to pass, we need to know what His plan is, and how we fit into it. I think there is probably no passage in Scripture that expresses this as well and succinctly as Ephesians 1:3-12. The heart of the passage is verses 9 and 10, which, after stating that God made known to us the mystery of His will, "according to his good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself," says, "That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ." God's plan is, and has always been, to gather all things together in Christ. This is the purpose for which God created all things. This is the plan laid before the foundation of the world. This is the purpose for which the Lamb of God was slain.



We see God's plan unfolding in the Old Testament. He announced it in the Garden. The Saviour will come. The devil will bruise His heel, but He will bruise the devil's head. From the Garden God moved toward calling and separating to Himself a people through whom the Saviour will be born. We see God's plan unfolding in the call Abraham; "in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:2). We see God's plan unfolding in the rise of Israel, the Temple, the Law, and the prophets, all looking and pointing ahead to "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world." Isaiah gives some of the best known Old Testament pictures of it; "a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Is. 7:14). "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Is. 53:6). One of the fullest Old Testament statements is found in Isaiah 2:1-4:



"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow into it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."



In the New Testament we see the birth and ministry of the Saviour. He is the One whose day Abraham saw and rejoiced; the One of whom Moses wrote. He is the One whose sacrifice accomplishes the redemption and purification of His people. He is the One who ascended into Heaven, and will come again to judge the quick and the dead, to bring into completion the new heaven and new earth. When God is ready, He will bring to completion His plan. All who oppose Him will be cast into the lake of fire. All the redeemed will be finally and fully gathered together under Christ and in Christ forever. You and I fit into this plan in one of two ways. We are either among those who oppose God, and whose end is the lake of fire; or we are among those who are with God through faith, whose end is to be in Him forever. Here is what makes the difference. Those in Christ have trusted Christ to save them. They have seen their sin and their unworthiness, yet believe Christ died to pay for their sins and to give them forgiveness and peace with God forever.



The second point I want to draw from our reading in Luke is simply this; God keeps His promises. Looking back at Luke 1:13 we see a promise, Elizabeth will bear a son. In verses 15-17 we read that he, will be great in the eyes of the Lord, filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb, will go before the Lord in the spirit of Elijah, and will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord.



What do we find in Luke 1:57? "Now Elizabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son." In verses 60 and 63 his parents are emphatic, "he shall be called John." In verse 76 we read that he is the prophet of the Highest, who prepares the way of the Lord. In verse 80 we see, "the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts til the day of his showing unto Israel." God keeps His promises.



Yet, as important as it is to see God keeping His promise to Zechariah, it is even more important to see the birth of John as part of the fulfillment of a far greater Promise; a Promise which fulfills all the promises of God in the Bible. God promised a Saviour. God promised One would come who would save His people from their sins, and who would complete the plan of bringing all things together in God. The message of John is this; the Saviour is Coming. God keeps His promises.
--
+Dennis Campbell

Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s Sunday Sermon
We are fortunate to have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon.  If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, expouse the truth and live the truth.    This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.

Sermon for the Third Sunday in Advent

John the Baptist was born into a priestly family. He was a miracle child in that his conception and birth brought him to parents well passed the age for such things. He was also a cousin of our Lord through his mother’s side of the family (St. Luke 1:5-25, 39-45 and 57-80). Like our Lord, John the Baptist’s early life is a closed book. We next hear about him in the gospels in his role as the forerunner of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke (see Isaiah 40:3-11) and which was fulfilled as noted in all four gospels (see St. Matthew 3:1-12; St. Mark 1:1-6; St. Luke 3:10- 18; St. John 1:19-27), for in these we are told of his calling to proclaim the coming of the Messiah and to baptize those who came to him seeking remission of their sins.
Observe the manner of baptism and the preconditions for it: water with repentance. The Jews had pools called mikvahs, which they used for ritual bathing prior to entering the Temple precincts. And so it was not uncommon for them to immerse themselves, either whole or in part for religious purposes. Ergo, these baptisms performed by John the Baptist would not have been viewed by the Jews as strange or foreign, but quite in line with their faith. And we may safely deduce that hundreds, perhaps even thousands of them were baptized by John as the Scriptures do not tell us how long he had been preaching and baptizing prior to the coming of our Lord to him.
John said his baptism was one unto repentance which came about from those who heard him preach on the subject. Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (St. Matthew 3:2). But what does it mean to repent? The biblical understanding of this word speaks of having a change of mind. John, being filled with the Holy Spirit, had called on those around him to turn from their wickedness, and to have a mind that sought after God because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Very soon thereafter our Lord appeared on the banks of the Jordan River seeking to be baptized of him (St. Matthew 3:13-17). Only after that, did our Lord begin his ministry, preaching that very message of John with this difference: for our Lord is the King of kings and Lord of lords who had come to bring salvation to those who would believe on his name.
Unfortunately, many of today’s theologians and seminarians have taken John the Baptist’s question in St. Matthew 11:1-6 as proof of his uncertainty about our Lord. They have taken this position because a sizable number of them doubt the divinity of Christ, the veracity of the Bible, and, in some cases, the very existence of God. They also have selectively forgotten those passages which affirm our Lord’s bona fides such as John’s affirmation, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, after me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me (St. John 1:29-30). John the Baptist knew that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, and it is too bad that many of today’s pastors do not.
John’s ministry began to decline the moment he baptized our Lord, and lasted but briefly until his death at the hands of Herod Antipas (St. John 3:22-36). Such was chronicled in St. Matthew’s gospel (14:3-12) wherein we are informed that he suffered martyrdom for his criticism of Herod’s adultery with his brother’s wife. But even as death took him, the gates of heaven swung open wide to receive this great and humble man who was sent by God to prepare the way for him whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2b).
Our Lord paid tribute to John the Baptist upon hearing of him being cast into prison saying, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily, I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (St. Matthew 11:7b-11).
God called John the Baptist to go before the face of the Messiah and proclaim him openly before men, calling them to repentance and to be baptized. Our Lord then built upon that message, and if we are to learn from him, then we too must come to God with humble and contrite hearts, seeking his pardon and receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
John did not have it easy. John did not have a multitude of earthly resources to utilize in his efforts. He did not have a mega-church building. He did not wear fine robes. He did not have a band of musicians pounding out secular rhythms. He did not demand a tithe. He did not make promises of healing that he could not perform. He did not have a custom hair-do.
No, John’s message was plain, simple and without dissembling. It was the unvarnished truth of God: Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. If we would be wise in the Lord, we will heed his calling to do the same.
Let us pray,
F
ather God, we thank thee for thy servant John the Baptist, whose ministry heralded the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; and grant us such a will that we would from hence forth watch and pray for the coming of that great day when we, and all thy saints, shall all meet in thine heavenly kingdom and rejoice together in glory everlasting; and this we ask in the name of thine only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have a blessed week,
Bryan+