Verse of the Day

Sunday, February 26, 2012

First Sunday in Lent


This report covers both Ash Wednesday[1] and the First Sunday in Lent[2]. 

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday services were held in the evening on schedule.  We did the Penitential Office and quite enjoyed the peaceful experience.  As expected we had four in attendance.

In addition, to the Penitential Office, we read the propers which are found on pages 124 and 125 in the Book of Common Prayer:

LENTEN SEASON
The first day of Lent, commonly called
Ash Wednesday.
The Collect.

A
LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ This Collect is to be said every day in Lent, after the Collect appointed for the day, until Palm Sunday.

For the Epistle. Joel ii. 12.

T
URN ye even to me, saith the LORD, with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repent- eth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat-offering and a drink-offering unto the Lord your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

The Gospel. St. Matthew vi. 16.

W
HEN fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 The same Collect, Epistle, and Gospel shall serve for every day after, unto the next Sunday, except upon the Feast of St. Matthias.

Why Ashes on Ash Wednesday?
Jesus went into the wilderness and fasted for forty days to prepare for his ministry. It was for Him a time of contemplation, reflection, and preparation. By observing Lent, most Christians join Jesus on His retreat.

The Lenten period is calculated to extend from Resurrection Sunday back for forty days, not including Sundays. Sundays are not included because they commemorate Christ's glorious resurrection on "the day after the Sabbath," "the first day of the week," "the Lord's day."  Sunday is always a joyful celebration of the Resurrection. Therefore, the first day of Lent in the western Church is always a Wednesday.

Biblical societies relied very heavily on wood fires for heating and cooking, which meant that keeping ashes under control was a major housekeeping task. Then as now, if a person was preoccupied with something serious, they didn’t always tend to the housekeeping—it’s the least of their concerns. Imagine that there is a death in the family. A friend stopping by to pay their respects might gently say, “Did you know you have ashes on your face? ”

So ashes became a sign of remorse, repentance, and mourning. Today someone might wear a black armband to signify that they are in mourning; back then people put ashes on their foreheads.

You can find biblical examples of this in 2 Samuel 13:19, Esther 4:1-3, Job 42:6, and Jeremiah 6:26. During Lent, ancient Christians mourned their sins and repented of them, so it was appropriate for them to show their sincerity by having ashes on their foreheads. The custom has persisted in the church as secular society has changed around us. It is most appropriate on Ash Wednesday, when we begin a period of sober reflection, self-examination, and spiritual redirection.

Ash Wednesday should remind Christians that they are sinners in need of a savior, and that their salvation comes at the sacrifice of God's Son:

But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption (Heb. 9:11-12)

Some people only celebrate the happy times in Jesus’ life: Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas.  True friends also watch and pray with Him on Maundy Thursday, stand by Him at the cross on Good Friday, and go with Him into the wilderness during Lent.

Lent
Lent is coming up, it starts this coming Wednesday, called Ash Wednesday.  So, what does the word Lent mean?  It has an obscure origin, and is probably a corruption of Lencten, or a similar term in ancient Anglo, Saxon, and Germanic languages, all of which referred to spring, new life, and hope.  Although it is generally considered to be a time of mourning and repentance, it is more than that, it is like death, a time of new life and hope because by means of the death of Christ, we receive new life.

Many avoid Lent and Holy Week because they think it isn’t a happy and uplifting time—but to be honest, neither is most of life. Sometimes we come to church all scrubbed up, dressed nicely, with smiles on our faces, and when people ask how we are, we reply that everything is fine and we even boast how wonderful things are—but is it?  Life is not always uplifting, or wonderful, or pleasant, or joyous.  To claim it is, is to miss the whole point of the incarnation! God became flesh in Jesus Christ. Jesus faced temptation, He suffered hunger and thirst, He suffered the agony of crucifixion. Jesus our God did not face these things so that we would be exempt from them, He faced these things so that we would have dignity in them, He faced these things that in Him we might have triumph.

The forty days commemorate the significant "forty" periods in Scripture (although forty is not always significant), including the forty years the Jews wandered in the desert after they had been rescued by God from Egypt, and which did not end until they repented. Jonah preached to Nineveh that God's judgment would come on them in forty days. During that time the people repented and thus were spared God's judgment. Jesus was tested by the Devil in the desert for forty days before He began His public ministry, announcing salvation to the repentant and judgment to those who continued to rebel against God. Jesus prophesied that God's judgment would come against Israel for rejecting Him as Messiah within the time of His own generation (Matt. 24; Luke 21; Mark 13). Within forty years of His death, burial, and resurrection, Jerusalem was destroyed and the temple was so ravaged that "not one stone [was] left here upon another" (Matt. 24:2). The Jewish Christians, however, escaped this judgment of God by fleeing to Pella before the final Roman siege, just as Jesus had warned them to do (Matt. 24:16-21).

Lent is a time for Christians to contemplate their sinfulness, repent, ask God's forgiveness, and realize the infinite sacrifice God made on their behalf. It is to be a time of quiet contemplation, but not a time of despair, since it culminates in the commemoration of the resurrection. Traditionally, those who are joining the church spend this period in special instruction regarding Christian doctrine, practice, and responsibility. Historically, prospective members ("catechumens") did not participate in the Lord's Supper portion of the Sunday services until they were received into full membership on the Sunday of the Resurrection of Our Lord. For them, this first experience of Ash Wednesday and Lent has special significance as God's eternal plan of salvation is applied to them personally.

When Jesus taught us how to pray, He didn’t say, “If you elect to pray, do it this way…” and when He taught about fasting, He didn’t say, “If you elect to fast, do it this way…”

He said, when you pray, don’t do it for show like the hypocrites do. It’s a conversation between you and God. And He gave us the Lord’s Prayer as an example of what we should pray about:

Address God
“Our Father, who art…”
Submit to God’s will
“Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done…”
Ask for your physical needs
“Give us this day our daily bread…”
Ask for forgiveness
“Forgive us our trespasses…”
To the degree that you yourself are willing to forgive…
“As we forgive our trespassers…”
Ask for help with temptations
“Lead us not into temptation…”
And preservation from evil
“Deliver us from evil…”
Recognizing whose world this really is
“For thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory, for ever and ever.”

Similarly, Jesus told us that when we fast (not if) we are not to make a show of it, like hypocrites do. A fast is different from a hunger strike: a fast is a personal act of devotion to God, while a hunger strike is a public act most often used to shine a spotlight on injustice. A fast is also different from anorexia nervosa: it is disciplined diet, not total abstention from food. During a religious fast, you still eat, you just abstain from certain foodstuffs. Traditionally, people have fasted by eliminating luxury items from their diets, such as meats. A fast can consist of eating whatever you want, but drinking only water.

More positively, you can fast in other areas beyond food, you can commit to a something that can benefit the church, such cutting back in an entertainment area, using that time for Bible study and donating the savings to the church.

On Palm Sunday, there were crowds who cheered Jesus as the King, but where were all those fair-weather friends when Jesus prayed in agony on Gethsemane, and where were they when He hung upon the cross? Let us be bold to join Him, fasting in the wilderness for forty days during Lent; let us be bold to pray with Him in the garden on Maundy Thursday, let us fearlessly stand at the foot of His cross on Good Friday, so that we may witness His Resurrection and His Ascension, and join in His triumphant reign.

Mite Boxes
If you read this report at all, you know the Anglican Orthodox Church (AOC), and this parish in particular, is not about money.  Not that money is not useful, but the parish has plenty.  Any extra we get, we send it to the AOC to use for their mission work.  The AOC works on a very slim budget, they aren’t about money either.  The AOC is about the Great Commission; to go forth and spread The Word of the Lord:

18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, ‘…19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Mt. 28:19-20)

You may not realize it, but the AOC has national church affiliates in 22 countries around the world, that does take a little money.  Not great quantities of money, but some and as a church, we would be dirt poor, if we had dirt.

So, that is where the Mite Boxes come in.  Ash Wednesday is 22 February 2012; Easter Sunday is 8 April 2012.  That period is Lent.  Often thought of as a time for fasting, it is more importantly a time to channel your attention towards God.  A time to let your heart open to the Holy Ghost that you might come closer to God and perhaps do His Work more effectively.

So, to exercise this concept, we are asking you to cut back.  We know the economy is not really great and you are probably cutting back already.  So, cut back a bit more.   Take part of your savings every day and put it in the Mite Box.  If you did not cut back on a given day, dig into your wallet or purse and cut out a bit of cash for the Mite Box anyway.  Every day, except Sundays.  Sundays are the Lord’s Day and a day of celebration.  They are not part of Lent.  By Easter Sunday, you will have a full Mite Box.  Bring it to church, this church, another church, that is best.  If you cannot find a church to actually go to on Easter, you probably aren’t looking hard enough, but pull the money out and send us a check, payable to the Anglican Orthodox Church and we will send it on.

One box for each member of the family.  A little bit, just a mite, every day.  Every day, miss none.  Every day, every body in the family can do just a little bit.  When you drop your daily contribution in, think, “Did I do what I could today for the Lord?  Did I fall short or meet the standard?  Can I do better tomorrow?  Will I?”  It should be a time of reflection.  It will be if you do it.

By the way, what is a Mite Box?  Named after the smallest of Roman coins, a normal wage of the time being 10 mites per hour, of which two were donated by the widow, in Mark 12:41-44 and Luke 21:1-4, it is normally a small cardboard box, say 3 inches each dimension, a cube piggy bank so to speak.  If you don’t have one, call, email or write.  We have a pile of them.

Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to the Lord’s Work and make your life better at the same time.

First Sunday in Lent


The Propers for today are found on Page 125-127, with the Collect first:

The First Sunday in Lent.
The Collect.

O
 LORD who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights; Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness, and true holiness, to thy honour and glory, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

And due to the rubric, the Collect for the Day is followed by the Collect for Ash Wednesday, which is found on Page 124:

The first day of Lent, commonly called
Ash Wednesday.
The Collect.

A
LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ This Collect is to be said every day in Lent, after the Collect appointed for the day, until Palm Sunday.

Ryan Hopkins read the Epistle for today, which came from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, starting at the First Verse of the Sixth Chapter.  In what at first appears to be an incomprehensible single sentence, Paul asks us to be worthy of the grace that God has given us.  He tells the people when they needed him, he was there.  They need to be there for those around them.  They must not frustrate God’s work by showing up late, or not at all.  Those around us are watching our actions in the time of testing.  We have been given eternal salvation by Jesus’ sacrifice, the understanding of the Gospel by the Holy Ghost.  We are at this time dying here on earth, yet progressing towards eternal life in the next world, in Jesus’ world with His help. While we may never be wealthy here on earth, our actions can make our fellow Christians wealthy in spirit beyond measure. 

If you claim to be a Christian, you know what is right.  If you are a Christian, you do what is right, you don’t take a vote to see what the right course of action might be.  Right does not change with public opinion and we must do the right thing.  It is our actions that count, in good times or bad.  We are Christ’s ambassadors to this world, unfortunately we do not have diplomatic immunity.

W
E then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain; (for he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation;) giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Deacon Striker Jack Arnold read this morning’s Holy Gospel which comes from the Gospel of Saint Matthew, starting at the First Verse of the Fourth Chapter. This portion of the Gospel tells the story of the temptation of Christ. In many respects, it shows how little the devil understands of Christ, and through Him, of us. If you understand how little the devil really offers you and how much Christ offers, the temptation is ever so much less.  The devil is often referred to as the deceiver or dissimulator.  His forte is deception, he seems one thing, is another.  Offers what he has no intention or ability to deliver.  Ignores the inevitable result of accepting his proffered help or inside track.

He clearly knows Jesus is the Son of God.  There is no doubt in his mind.  So, having understood that, consider what he offers Jesus in temptation. 

Remember, Jesus has fasted 40 days OF HIS OWN CHOICE; he who has no real power asks Jesus to turn stone into bread to show His Power.  This to the Son of He who delivered manna daily to the Jews in the wilderness for 40 years. 

Cast thyself down and let angels catch thee; this to He who walked on water.

Up to the mountain lookout – Here is it all yours if you worship me.  This to He who as it says in Psalm 95:

In his hand are all the corners of the earth; * and the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his, and he made it; * and his hands prepared the dry land.

O come, let us worship and fall down, * and kneel before
the Lord our Maker.

For he is the Lord our God; * and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

The devil promised Jesus nothing that was his to give, nothing that would help Jesus in the real world beyond the Shadowlands.  He never does.  The devil is all about shortcuts.  Remember, if the shortcut was the best way, it would not be a shortcut

Like the temptation of Jesus, the devil never delivers what we need, only what we may want short term.  Remember as little as the devil understands of Christ, so he understands little of us.  He will never offer you real help.  Remember that and the temptation is ever so much less.
This morning’s Gospel comes from the Gospel of Saint Matthew, starting at the First Verse of the Fourth Chapter. This portion of the Gospel tells the story of the temptation of Christ.  In many respects, it shows how little the devil understands of Christ, and through Him, of us.  If you understand how little the devil really offers you and how much Christ offers, the temptation is ever so much less.

T
HEN was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

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

 Consider these words from the Collect:

… Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness, and true holiness, to thy honour and glory …

In the Collect, we ask God to help us to subdue our natural evil tendencies so that we can live life here His way and honour His wishes so we can be truly happy.  Without His help, we end up with what we want, not what we need.

Want and Need; two words, used interchangeably in both our speech and thought that do not mean the same thing.  Think about that!

Following the thought of the Collect, Paul asks us to be worthy of the grace God has given us.  He tells the people when they needed him, he was there.  They need to be there for those around them.  They must not frustrate God’s work by showing up late, or not at all.  Those around us are watching our actions in the time of testing.  We have been given eternal salvation by Jesus’ sacrifice, the understanding of the Gospel by the Holy Ghost.  We are at this time dying here on earth, yet progressing towards eternal life in the next world, in Jesus’ world with His help. While we may never be wealthy here on earth, our actions can make our fellow Christians wealthy in spirit beyond measure. 

If you claim to be a Christian, you know what is right.  If you are a Christian, you do what is right, you don’t take a vote to see what the right course of action might be.  Right does not change with public opinion and we must do the right thing.  It is our actions that count, in good times or bad.  We are Christ’s ambassadors to this world; unfortunately we do not have diplomatic immunity.

When the devil attempted to tempt Christ, he shows how little he knows of Him.  If we emulate our Lord, it shows how little the devil will be able to tempt us with his deceit.

Consider how little the devil really offers you and how much Christ offers, the temptation is ever so much less.  The devil is often referred to as the deceiver or dissimulator.  His forte is deception, he seems one thing, is another.  He offers what he has no intention or ability to deliver.  He ignores the inevitable result of accepting his proffered help or inside track.

He clearly knows Jesus is the Son of God.  There is no doubt in his mind.  So, having understood that, consider what he offers Jesus in temptation. 

Remember, Jesus has fasted 40 days OF HIS OWN CHOICE; now comes the devil daring Him to show His Power by turning the stone into bread.  This to the Son of He who delivered manna daily to the Jews in the wilderness for 40 years. 

Cast thyself down and let angels catch thee; this to He who walked on water.

Up to the mountain lookout – Here is it all yours if you worship me.  This to He who as it says in Psalm 95:

In his hand are all the corners of the earth; * and the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his, and he made it; * and his hands prepared the dry land.

O come, let us worship and fall down, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is the Lord our God; * and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

The devil promised Jesus nothing that was his to give, nothing that would help Jesus in the real world beyond the Shadowlands.  He never does.  The devil is all about shortcuts.  Remember, if the shortcut was the best way, it would not be a shortcut

The temptation of Jesus is no different than his attempt to tempt us!  The devil never delivers what we need, only what we, in our imperfect want.  Remember as little as the devil understands of Christ, the same way, as we are in God, so he understands little of us.  He will never offer you real help.  Remember that and the temptation is ever so much less.

Or, as my father said, “Keep your eye on the donut, not on the hole”


[1] Ash Wednesday - The first day of Lent; -- so called from a custom in the catholic (meaning universal) churches of putting ashes, on that day, upon the foreheads of penitents.
[2] Lent - A fast of forty days, beginning with Ash Wednesday and continuing till Easter, observed by some Christian churches as commemorative of the fast of our Savior. [1913 Webster] a period of 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday [syn: {Lententide}]

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Quinquagesima Sunday


Lent
Lent is coming up, it starts this coming Wednesday, called Ash Wednesday.  So, what does the word Lent mean?  It has an obscure origin, and is probably a corruption of Lencten, or a similar term in ancient Anglo, Saxon, and Germanic languages, all of which referred to spring, new life, and hope.  Although it is generally considered to be a time of mourning and repentance, it is more than that, it is like death, a time of new life and hope because by means of the death of Christ, we receive new life.

Many avoid Lent and Holy Week because they think it isn’t a happy and uplifting time—but to be honest, neither is most of life. Sometimes we come to church all scrubbed up, dressed nicely, with smiles on our faces, and when people ask how we are, we reply that everything is fine and we even boast how wonderful things are—but is it?  Life is not always uplifting, or wonderful, or pleasant, or joyous.  To claim it is, is to miss the whole point of the incarnation! God became flesh in Jesus Christ. Jesus faced temptation, He suffered hunger and thirst, He suffered the agony of crucifixion. Jesus our God did not face these things so that we would be exempt from them, He faced these things so that we would have dignity in them, He faced these things that in Him we might have triumph.

The forty days commemorate the significant "forty" periods in Scripture (although forty is not always significant), including the forty years the Jews wandered in the desert after they had been rescued by God from Egypt, and which did not end until they repented. Jonah preached to Nineveh that God's judgment would come on them in forty days. During that time the people repented and thus were spared God's judgment. Jesus was tested by the Devil in the desert for forty days before He began His public ministry, announcing salvation to the repentant and judgment to those who continued to rebel against God. Jesus prophesied that God's judgment would come against Israel for rejecting Him as Messiah within the time of His own generation (Matt. 24; Luke 21; Mark 13). Within forty years of His death, burial, and resurrection, Jerusalem was destroyed and the temple was so ravaged that "not one stone [was] left here upon another" (Matt. 24:2). The Jewish Christians, however, escaped this judgment of God by fleeing to Pella before the final Roman siege, just as Jesus had warned them to do (Matt. 24:16-21).

Lent is a time for Christians to contemplate their sinfulness, repent, ask God's forgiveness, and realize the infinite sacrifice God made on their behalf. It is to be a time of quiet contemplation, but not a time of despair, since it culminates in the commemoration of the resurrection. Traditionally, those who are joining the church spend this period in special instruction regarding Christian doctrine, practice, and responsibility. Historically, prospective members ("catechumens") did not participate in the Lord's Supper portion of the Sunday services until they were received into full membership on the Sunday of the Resurrection of Our Lord. For them, this first experience of Ash Wednesday and Lent has special significance as God's eternal plan of salvation is applied to them personally.

When Jesus taught us how to pray, He didn’t say, “If you elect to pray, do it this way…” and when He taught about fasting, He didn’t say, “If you elect to fast, do it this way…”

He said, when you pray, don’t do it for show like the hypocrites do. It’s a conversation between you and God. And He gave us the Lord’s Prayer as an example of what we should pray about:

Address God
“Our Father, who art…”
Submit to God’s will
“Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done…”
Ask for your physical needs
“Give us this day our daily bread…”
Ask for forgiveness
“Forgive us our trespasses…”
To the degree that you yourself are willing to forgive…
“As we forgive our trespassers…”
Ask for help with temptations
“Lead us not into temptation…”
And preservation from evil
“Deliver us from evil…”
Recognizing whose world this really is
“For thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory, for ever and ever.”

Similarly, Jesus told us that when we fast (not if) we are not to make a show of it, like hypocrites do. A fast is different from a hunger strike: a fast is a personal act of devotion to God, while a hunger strike is a public act most often used to shine a spotlight on injustice. A fast is also different from anorexia nervosa: it is disciplined diet, not total abstention from food. During a religious fast, you still eat, you just abstain from certain foodstuffs. Traditionally, people have fasted by eliminating luxury items from their diets, such as meats. A fast can consist of eating whatever you want, but drinking only water.

More positively, you can fast in other areas beyond food, you can commit to a something that can benefit the church, such cutting back in an entertainment area, using that time for Bible study and donating the savings to the church.

On Palm Sunday, there were crowds who cheered Jesus as the King, but where were all those fair-weather friends when Jesus prayed in agony on Gethsemane, and where were they when He hung upon the cross? Let us be bold to join Him, fasting in the wilderness for forty days during Lent; let us be bold to pray with Him in the garden on Maundy Thursday, let us fearlessly stand at the foot of His cross on Good Friday, so that we may witness His Resurrection and His Ascension, and join in His triumphant reign.

Mite Boxes
If you read this report at all, you know the Anglican Orthodox Church (AOC), and this parish in particular, is not about money.  Not that money is not useful, but the parish has plenty.  Any extra we get, we send it to the AOC to use for their mission work.  The AOC works on a very slim budget, they aren’t about money either.  The AOC is about the Great Commission; to go forth and spread The Word of the Lord:

18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, ‘…19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Mt. 28:19-20)

You may not realize it, but the AOC has national church affiliates in 22 countries around the world, that does take a little money.  Not great quantities of money, but some and as a church, we would be dirt poor, if we had dirt.

So, that is where the Mite Boxes come in.  Ash Wednesday is 22 February 2012; Easter Sunday is 8 April 2012.  That period is Lent.  Often thought of as a time for fasting, it is more importantly a time to channel your attention towards God.  A time to let your heart open to the Holy Ghost that you might come closer to God and perhaps do His Work more effectively.

So, to exercise this concept, we are asking you to cut back.  We know the economy is not really great and you are probably cutting back already.  So, cut back a bit more.   Take part of your savings every day and put it in the Mite Box.  If you did not cut back on a given day, dig into your wallet or purse and cut out a bit of cash for the Mite Box anyway.  Every day, except Sundays.  Sundays are the Lord’s Day and a day of celebration.  They are not part of Lent.  By Easter Sunday, you will have a full Mite Box.  Bring it to church, this church, another church, that is best.  If you cannot find a church to actually go to on Easter, you probably aren’t looking hard enough, but pull the money out and send us a check, payable to the Anglican Orthodox Church and we will send it on.

One box for each member of the family.  A little bit, just a mite, every day.  Every day, miss none.  Every day, every body in the family can do just a little bit.  When you drop your daily contribution in, think, “Did I do what I could today for the Lord?  Did I fall short or meet the standard?  Can I do better tomorrow?  Will I?”  It should be a time of reflection.  It will be if you do it.

By the way, what is a Mite Box?  Named after the smallest of Roman coins, a normal wage of the time being 10 mites per hour, of which two were donated by the widow, in Mark 12:41-44 and Luke 21:1-4, it is normally a small cardboard box, say 3 inches each dimension, a cube piggy bank so to speak.  If you don’t have one, call, email or write.  We have a pile of them.

Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to the Lord’s Work and make your life better at the same time.

Propers
The Propers for today are found on Page 122-124, with the Collect first:

The Sunday called Quinquagesima, or the
Sunday next before before Lent.
The Collect.

O
 LORD who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth; Send thy Holy Ghost, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whoso-ever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

Ryan Hopkins read the Epistle for today, which came from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, starting at the First Verse of the Thirteenth Chapter.  Paul talks of charity[1], “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.”  Paul goes on to say that no matter what you do, if in your heart you have not that love for others, it is all to naught.  Our understanding here on earth is limited, we will never here see the fullness of God’s plan, yet the part most clear is the love we must have one for another, to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, for no reason other than we know that is right so to do.  Paul uses the phraseology “through a glass, darkly”, which is very interesting inasmuch as CS Lewis uses a variation to describe earth as compared to heaven.  He calls the earth The Shadowlands and says in heaven all is clear and bright, not dark and muddled as here on earth.

T
HOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Deacon Striker Jack Arnold read the Holy Gospel for today which came from the Gospel of Saint Luke, starting at the Thirty-First Verse of the Eighteenth Chapter.  The Gospel starts out telling of Jesus’ trying to prepare his disciples for what was to come, and they could not grasp it: “Then Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: and they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.”  The Gospel goes on to tell of Jesus’ healing of a blind man near Jericho, “And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way-side begging: and hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.”

If you take nothing else from today’s Gospel, take this – Faith will save you.  After you are saved, you need to act on your faith.  The order is clear.

W
HEN Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: and they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging: and hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

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

 Consider these words from the Collect:

… that all our doings without charity are nothing worth; Send thy Holy Ghost, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity …

In the Collect, we acknowledge to God that if we have not charity, nothing we do is worth anything; we then ask Him to send the Holy Ghost into our hearts with the precious gift of charity.  Webster tells us that Charity is love; universal benevolence; good will; the word which properly denotes love.  Properly understood the Love of God, that perfect love, to which man should aspire.

Paul tells us no matter our gifts, talents and so called accomplishments, without the Love of God, we are nothing and have done nothing.   It must be clear to us that our understanding here on earth is limited, we will never here see the fullness of God’s plan, yet the part most clear is the love we are to have one for another, to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, for no reason other than we know that is right so to do.  When Paul talks about God’s great plans, he uses the phraseology “through a glass, darkly”, which is very interesting inasmuch as CS Lewis uses a variation to describe earth as compared to heaven.  He calls the earth The Shadowlands and says in heaven all is clear and bright, not dark and muddled as here on earth.  So, here our understanding is limited, it will not always be so.

As they were coming in to Jericho, Jesus told the disciples of what was to come, yet they could not grasp their leader would submit to such treatment on their behalf.  He was the Conqueror; in a sense they were right, He was to conquer death for us, but not the Roman Empire.  As they went along, they encountered the blind man.  The blind man who wanted his sight and knew Jesus had The Power.  He cried unto the Lord and was rebuffed by His People.  Did he give up?  No, he cried the more.  When Jesus heard him, he turned and asked what the man wanted.  MY SIGHT!  No generalizations, no beating about.  He asked of Him what he truly wanted.  Ask and it shall be given unto you.  The blind man lacked sight, but not vision.  Nor, it might be added did he lack faith.  To some, the faith he had might seem a blind faith, but it was one that he acted on and gained what he lacked.  Will we have the faith to act?

True love is Faith, Hope, Charity[2].

Bishop Ogles’ Sermon
We are oft fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s sermon notes.  Today is one of those Sundays.  Today we get a brilliant and inspiring sermon based on the propers for this week:

Sermon Notes for Quinquagesima Sunday
19 February 2012 Anno Domini

The Sunday called Quinquagesima, or the
Sunday next before before Lent.
The Collect.

O
 LORD who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth; Send thy Holy Ghost, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whoso-ever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. 34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.     35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: 36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. 37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. 38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, 41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. 42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God. (Luke 18:31-43)

We will see today how Christ was so exceedingly constant in His love for us even while His death was impending. He never waivered in the face of His coming passion, It is an unattainable standard to which we must aspire. It is not a simple matter to consider the welfare and spiritual disposition of others while we are headed for a cruel cross ourselves, but Christ DID, and He did so as earnestly as He did at the beginning of His ministry.

We will know also how prevailing prayer, in the face of detractors, will be heard by God. Though many – even supposed believers – may attempt to severe our voices from a direct access to God, with perseverance, no wall can divide from the Springs of Mercy in Christ.

We would miss the great thrust of the day if we did not make mention of the prescribed Epistle for today – 1 Cor 13 – the Love Chapter. All that Christ bore in His body and soul for us was an open demonstration of that love presented in 1 Cor 13.

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.    4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 
     8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. (1 Cor 13:1-10)

This beautiful chapter tells us that all our labors, works, and service must have their foundations in love.

No matter the good we do, if love is not the motivator and cause, it is a waste to us for heavenly approval.

Christ gave, out of love, His very lifeblood for us. He was longsuffering and patient. He did not sound a trumpet before Him, but came speaking in a voice of kindness and soft accent.  Christ bore all things for us – what have we born for Him?

Let us now address the text of Luke 18:31-43

Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem for the last time. He is fully aware of the cataclysmic events that will occur: His betrayal, His trial, His torture, and His terrible death on the cross. But He continues to love and serve as long as His life's breath remains – even forgiving and receiving a thief on the very cross upon which He suffered.

31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. 34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

As Jesus approached Jericho, there was a certain man who had sat begging by the roadside. He had sat there year in and year out begging for the mere sustenance of life. When he had been led by his friends to the place he sat down that morning, he had not dreamed of the blessings the day would bring.

Often, we worry about the days events but most often, our worries are unfounded and God will provide an unexpected blessing.

Though the man knew not of the Coming Christ, the man's plight and circumstances was fully known by Jesus. He had watched all those years as the man sat begging beside that dust road to Jericho. Perhaps the pre-incarnate Christ would have wanted to touch the man's eyes with healing before he ever came to beg, but, with God, there is a time and season for all things.

It may be that Christ desired us to glorify God more mightily in the visible example of His healing of the man. Even the blind have glorified the Father by His manifest works.

     35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging

How random this sounds – how accidental even. But with God, there is no random thought or action, and there are no accidents. Christ was surely coming to the very place that this blind man sat begging.

Christ knew the man was worried with the cares of life much more greatly than those who were whole. The man would have been satisfied, before he met Christ, to have received a few shillings with which to buy food – but after we have met Christ, those concerns fall away. Our souls loom before us and we must care for them in Christ.

Though blind in sight, the man was privileged to retain his hearing – and it was made more acute by his blindness. : 36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.  He wondered at the approaching crowd and what this meant. Little did he know that he had come to this place as a blind beggar, but would leave a blessed child of God, rejoicing and glorifying God. He would also be a follower of the Lord who had healed his eyes as well as his soul.

 37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by God must have seen to it, in His divine Providence, that this man had heard of Christ being discussed by passersby and his friends. He had hung on to every word that he had heard – not knowing or believing that such as him would SEE Christ face to face!

When we while away our hours and days contemplating our troubles and loneliness, little do we know that the Savior is on His Way to us.

38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. The blind man may never have even given thought to the possibility that Jesus would restore his sight. That was not important to the man. The most important blessing that would outweigh all else was that Christ would simply have mercy upon him. That mercy of Christ is of greater benefit than all else.

It is sadly true that those nearest to Christ are often the very ones who bar the way to others in coming to Him. This is often true even in the Church. We stake out our territories and spheres of influence and woe be unto any who trespass.

We too often want to keep the blessings of God to ourselves and by that desire loose them.

39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

As Paul counsels "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free …" (Gal 5:1) Give no ground to the naysayers. When the enemy attack becomes most intense, retreat not – commit your reserves. No man was going to silence this man's voice when God was listening. He simply redoubled his effort and his volume.

40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him

When God stands still it is the moment of His greatest action. Christ stopped for the blind man.

You and I were blind too before Christ came to us.  When we call on His Name, He will stop and command us to be brought to Him – often by the Holy Ghost, but now by men. He has commanded us to bring many souls. Have we done?

When we are near to Christ, we can hear His voice.

Now that the blind man was assured of the mercy of the Lord, he felt free to ask whatsoever he needed most: "41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. Please observe that Christ heals fully and not partially, immediately and not with delay. When we have called upon Him, when we have COME to Him, when we have HEARD His voice – He will heal us and SAVE us. The man had great faith – and His faith was well-placed.

We should remember how the man came to the roadside, but also how he left it. 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Once we have seen and known, our souls should be changed completely. We do not depart from Christ in the same manner in which we came. We must, if we have been made whole, depart praising Him and glorifying His Holy Name. Our lives will be an inspiration and curiosity to others who need to know Christ.

Bishop Dennis Campbell’s Sunday Sermon
As is oft the case, we are honored to present Bishop Dennis’ Sunday sermon presented to his parish.  Dennis has an excellent command of scripture and is able to present it in a manner which is completely understandable to the rest of us.  This year’s sermons are being drawn from the book of Psalms, or, as it is known by Anglicans, "The Psalter" which begins on page 343 of the Book of Common Prayer.  But, today he moved to drawing the propers together in a far different sermon than Hap’s and adding in the psalm for this Sunday, Psalm 19.  We think you will really enjoy it!
God's Law Is Love

Psalm 19,
1 Corinthians 13:1-13,
Luke 18:31-43

Quinquagesima Sunday

19 February 2012



B
lessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Psalm 19. Cæli enarrant.
T
HE heavens declare the glory of God; * and the firmament showeth his handy-work.
2 One day telleth another; * and one night certifieth another.
3 There is neither speech nor language; * but their voices are heard among them.
4 Their sound is gone out into all lands; * and their words into the ends of the world.
5 In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun; * which cometh forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, and re-joiceth as a giant to run his course.
6 It goeth forth from the uttermost part of the heaven, and runneth about unto the end of it again; * and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
7 The law of the Lord is an undefiled law, converting the soul; * the testimony of the Lord is sure, and giveth wisdom unto the simple.
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, and rejoice the heart; * the commandment of the Lord is pure, and giveth light unto the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, and endureth for ever; * the judgments of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; * sweeter also than honey, and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is thy servant taught; * and in keeping of them there is great reward.
12 Who can tell how oft he offendeth? * O cleanse thou me from my secret faults.
13 Keep thy servant also from presumptuous sins, lest they get the dominion over me; * so shall I be undefiled, and innocent from the great offence.
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be alway acceptable in thy sight, * O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

Quinquagesima Sunday is the Sunday before Ash Wednesday and marks the passing of the fiftieth day before Easter. The Collect is fairly new by Anglican standards. Less than 500 years old, it was composed for the 1549 Prayer Book by Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer, who was so influential in bringing Biblical Christianity back to Britannia. The Epistle for the day is that great and inspiring passage which defines Christian love, and the Gospel foretells God's supreme act of love in the suffering of Christ. The Psalm for this morning shows us that the love of God is revealed in creation and in the Law of God. These Passages remind me of the words of Christ in two other passages of Scripture; "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," and, "Greater love hath no man than this."



We are accustomed to hearing that creation reveals the existence of God. "The firmament showeth His handy-work," according to Psalm 19:1 and, Romans 1 tells us God is clearly "seen" in the things He has made. But how does creation show the love of God? Think of something you have made. Why did you create it? Did not some part of you create it for the sheer love of creating? And doesn't some part of you enjoy what you make just because you made it? If we can experience such love for our creations, surely God can too, for we are created in His image. But we don't have to rely on speculation to learn this. In Genesis we see God lovingly engaged in the work of creation, bringing the world to its crowning glory, which is the man and woman who were created in His image, given dominion over the earth, and given the ability to know and love Him. Yes, God also had other reasons for creating us, but among all His reasons, love was one of the most primary among them. Recognizing this, we thank God daily for all His "goodness and loving kindness," and "for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life." 



God's love is also revealed in the Law. Love is the meaning of the Law, and giving the Law was an act of love. God's Law is love because it shows what we have to do if we want to live in a world of peace and good will. Most people, even in today's self-worshiping and materialistic culture, still agree that the world would be a far better place if everyone obeyed the Ten Commandments. Many of these people have never read 1 Corinthians 13, but if it were shown to them, I think they would agree that a world in which people live by that kind of love would be a wonderful place. But what is the foundation of 1 Corinthians 13? It is Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments, which our Lord Himself summarized saying, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind," and, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." God's Law shows us the way to love one another. Psalm 19 makes a statement some people will find surprising because they consider the Bible outdated and its rules oppressive. But Psalm 19 says of the Laws of God, "In keeping of them there is great reward." There are benefits to knowing and/or living by the Law of God. I know many people who are miserable because they are reaping what they have sown. They have lived in sin. They have wasted their lives in wantonness and selfishness. They have given themselves to things that destroy people, and they have found that they have destroyed themselves. Truly there is "a way that seemeth right unto man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." By contrast, living by the Law of God gives joy. It rejoices the heart. God's Law shows us the way of peace and unity and harmony. People often want to know the secret to good relationships or a happy marriage. There is no secret. It is all right here in the Bible. The more closely we follow its teachings the better and happier life is. The further we go from it the more misery we pile upon our own heads. Our problem is not that we don't know what to do; it's that we don't do what we know.



God's Law is love because it points us to the Saviour. We are so used to hearing Law and Grace used as antonyms that we sometimes forget they are both part of the same love of God freely given to us in Christ. They are only opposites when used to describe the way we are made acceptable, unto God. Law then becomes our attempt to cancel out our sins by being "good" while grace means being made acceptable by the free gift of God. In this sense, the two are completely opposite. But, in every other way Law and grace are both expressions of God's unfailing love for us. In fact, Law is an essential part of Grace, for God's Law shows our need of forgiveness as a gift from God. The Law is our "schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith" as we read in Galatians 3 last Monday night. Seeing ourselves in the light of God's Law makes us realize we can never atone for our failure to live according to the moral and spiritual way of life it reveals. We realise, then, that we are entirely out of fellowship with God, and that our only hope of regaining that fellowship is Him. He must do something to forgive our sins and restore us to Himself. Learning that He has done this in the life, sacrifice, resurrection and ascension of Christ, we run to Him in faith.



No wonder the Psalm says God's Law is more valuable than gold and sweeter than honey. Apart from God Himself, there is only one thing more valuable than the Law of God, and that is the forgiveness of our trespasses against it through Jesus Christ.
--
tR. Dennis Campbell
Bishop of Diocese of Virginia
Rector, Holy Trinity Anglican Orthodox Church
Powhatan, Virginia
www.HolyTrinityAnglicanOrthodoxChurch.org

Commentary on Quinquagesima Sunday's Gospel
from F.B.Hole Commentary on the NT

Courtesy of Rev. Geordie Menzies-Grierson, AOC UK

Commentary on Sunday's Gospel
Gospel Reading for Sunday:Luke 18:31-36
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Lord was now on His final journey to Jerusalem, and He approached Jericho for the last time. The blind man intercepted Him in faith. The crowd told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, yet he at once addressed Him as the Son of David, and asked for mercy. The rich ruler had asked what he should do, when the Lord had just spoken of the kingdom being received. The blind beggar said that he would receive when the Lord enquired what He should do to him. No transaction came to pass in the case of the ruler: a transaction was completed on the spot in the case of the beggar. The contrast between the two cases is very decisive.

The beggar received his sight, and, said the Lord, "Thy faith hath saved thee." This shows that the transaction went deeper than the opening of the eyes of his head. He became a follower of the Jesus, who was going up to Jerusalem and to the cross; and there was glory to God, both on his part and on the part of all the beholders. An equally distinct case of spiritual blessing met the Lord when He entered and passed through Jericho.

If, at this point, Luke’s Gospel be compared with Matthew 20: 29-34, and Mark 10: 46-52, a serious discrepancy becomes evident. Luke most definitely places the cure of the blind man as Jesus approached Jericho, and the other two Evangelists as definitely place it as He left Jericho. With our limited knowledge it seemed impossible on this point to reconcile the different accounts. But during the last few years the archaeologists have been digging in the Jericho area, and have laid bare the foundations of two Jerichos; one, the old original city, the other, the Roman Jericho, a short distance off. The blind man understood the begging business and planted himself between the two! Luke writing for Gentiles, naturally has the Roman Jericho in his mind. The other Evangelists very naturally are thinking of the original city. We mention this to show how very simply what looks like an insuperable objection vanishes, when we know all the facts.


What is Quinquagesima?
Quinquagesima, or, in full, Quinquagesima Sunday, is the name for the Sunday next before Ash Wednesday in the Catholic (Universal or Whole) Church Calendar.

The name Quinquagesima originates from Latin quinquagesimus (fiftieth), referring to the fifty days before Easter Sunday using inclusive counting, which counts both Sundays (normal counting would count only one of these).

Since the forty days of the Lenten fast included only weekdays, the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, succeeds Quinquagesima Sunday by only three days. The earliest Quinquagesima Sunday can occur is February 1 and the latest is March 7. The Roman Church no longer observes much of the Christian Year, including Quinquagesima and the two immediately before it — Sexagesima and Septuagesima Sundays.

The contemporary service books of many claiming to be Anglican provinces do not use the term but it remains in the Book of Common Prayer.

The 17-day period beginning on Septuagesima Sunday spanning Sexuagesima and Quinquagesima Sundays was intended to be observed as a preparation for the season of Lent, which is itself a period of spiritual preparation for Easter. In many countries, however, Septuagesima Sunday marks the start of the carnival season, culminating on Shrove Tuesday, more commonly known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday.

The Ashes for Ash Wednesday
The tradition of ashes, though not Ash Wednesday, goes back to well before Christ.  The ashes we use are made from the palms fronds and crosses of last year’s Palm Sunday.  They are mixed with left over ashes from years past and thus, the ashes are a continuum to the church gone before.  


[1] Charity - Love; universal benevolence; good will; the word which properly denotes love.  Properly understood the Love of God, that perfect love, to which man should aspire. [1913 Webster]
[2] The three Gloster Gladiator fighters Faith, Hope and Charity defended Malta against the Italian Air Force during the early part of the siege of Malta in World War II.  Legend has it that all three persisted and of the three, Charity never failed.