Verse of the Day

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Third Sunday after Easter


The Propers for today are found on Page 173-174, with the Collect first:

The Third Sunday after Easter.
The Collect.

A
LMIGHTY God, who showest to them that are in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness; Grant unto all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s Religion, that they may avoid those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Ryan Hopkins read the Epistle which came from the Second Chapter of the First Epistle of Saint Peter beginning at the Eleventh Verse.  Peter tells us to live a good life, to follow the directions Jesus left us, to make ourselves positive examples of citizen to others, to be leaders of our community, drawing people towards God.  To live out the life Jesus commanded, to do nothing to draw ill repute on the Word of God.  To be truly free and follow freedom to where God wants us to be, not to Donkey Island, where false freedom takes so many.

D
EARLY beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

Deacon Striker Jack Arnold read today’s Gospel which came from the in the Sixteenth Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint John beginning at the Sixteenth Verse.

Jesus warns his disciples of the events about to unfold.  He is to be taken from them shortly by the painful death on the Cross for our redemption.  He will not be with them here on earth.  Yet, after three days time He will Rise from death, having overcome death for us.  When He is gone from us we are sorrowful, just like the disciples.  He came back from death for us.  And yet He was to leave again, yet not be gone from us as the Father would send the Holy Ghost to make His abode in our hearts and bring Jesus to us.

J
ESUS said to his disciples, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

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

We are in the Easter Season which consists of Easter and the following four Sundays, until we get to Rogation Sunday.  This is a time we should work on centering our lives on the central figure in our religion, Jesus Christ. 

Consider these words from the Collect:

who showest to them that are in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness; Grant unto all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s Religion, that they may avoid those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same

If we will listen to Him, God will always provide the light to show us where “We have erred, and strayed from His ways like lost sheep. Where we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. Where we have offended against His holy laws. Where we have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done[1]…”  He does this so that we might return to His Path.  He does not show us where we have erred for no reason, but rather that we might use His Light to return to the path that brings us to His World.

Paul tells us that if we follow Christ’s example, we will live lives like His to the extent we can.  We will do good, be law abiding, work hard, be generous to our fellow human beings, help where we can, pray for help when we can find no physical way to help.  Be good citizens, be good neighbors, take particular care of our Christian family.  In short, do what Christ would do as far as it is in us.   God does not ask us to be perfect; He does ask us to do our best to try to be perfect, to follow Jesus’ lead to the extent we have it in us.  Each of us is different, some are in truth better than others.  God holds us each to the same standard, that is to do our best.  Not to be better than any other particular person, but to do our best to follow His Instructions.  Being better than someone else is of no account, what is of account is following His Instructions to the best of YOUR ability. 

Don’t think of trying to be better than your neighbor, think of being better than you are.

In the Gospel according to Saint John, Jesus tells of His impending bodily death and resurrection.    He reminds us that if we have eternal life, sorrow, even the sorrow of death is transient, for He has conquered death.   His One Sacrifice, made One Time, for All Mankind, for All Time is that joy that no man can take from us.  But, if we want to share in that eternal life, we need to see the error of our ways in the Light of His Light and take actions to follow Him.

Often it seems much easier to take the path of least resistance, to quit our work at the first sign of effort, to goof off when “no one” is looking.  But in the end, the right thing to do is always the easiest.  The most profitable.  The one that will result in happiness.  It might seem hard, but it will not be as hard as doing the “easy” thing.

God • Honor • Country • Family
for all eternity

As we go off on our business, please recall this quote from GK Chesterton:

“Christianity has not been tried and found wanting;
it has been found difficult and not tried.”

Bishop Ogles’ Sermon
We are oft fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s sermon notes.  Today is not one of those Sundays.  Bishop Jerry was on travel all week in California.  On the other hand, our entire congregation got to visit with him in Ventura, CA on Thursday.  So, truly your loss is our gain!

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 a special sermon for the Third Sunday after Easter:

God before the gods
Psalm 138, 1 Peter 2:11-17, John 16:16-22
Third Sunday after Easter
April 29, 2012




G
RANT, O Lord, that by thy holy Word read and preached in this place, and by thy Holy Spirit grafting it inwardly in the heart, the hearers thereof may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and may have power and strength to fulfill the same.
  
The message of the third Sunday after Easter is perseverance in Godliness. The Collect, based on First Peter 2, leads us to seek God's help for those who go astray and to pray that all who are admitted into Christ will avoid that which is contrary to our faith, and follow, as the direction and orientation of life, all that is agreeable to it.  First Peter 2 makes this point by beseeching us to "abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul."  John 16 reminds us that the sorrows of this life are but for a little while, and even they will be turned to joy when we see Jesus.  Psalm 138 is about remaining faithful to Christ in a world that is unfaithful and hostile to faith.

Since the end of Eden, this world has never been a friend of the Church.  There have been times of renewal.  There have been times of righteousness, when people turned to God and began to live for Him and put the teachings of the Bible into practice in personal life, business, and even government.  But these eras have been brief, though, thanks be to God, their influence has been persistent.  This was as true in David's time as it is today.  David ruled the Old Testament Church, Israel, when it was surrounded by nations steeped in paganism, superstition, and open wickedness.  And there was a tendency for the Israelites to drift into the ideas and practices of their pagan neighbors.  Often, their adoption of pagan ways was so complete they almost completely lost their identity as the people of God.  The surrounding nations were not passive in this.  They waged an active and aggressive military and ideological war against Israel, and it often appeared that the pagans were winning.

I am sure the parallels between then and now are evident to the thinking Christian, for the world continues to aggressively oppose God and His Church.  Sometimes the opposition comes in formal actions and policies of governments and agencies charged by God to defend the rights and freedoms of their people.  Often it comes in formal actions and policies of Churches and religious leaders claiming to be doing the will of God, like those who burned dissenters and crucified Christ.  But, mostly it comes in a general attitude of hostility toward the ways of God, and an equally general hostility toward those who attempt to follow God in Biblical faith.

David, king of Israel, king of this tiny, weak nation of shepherds, surrounded by stronger nations, dwelling on land wanted by the super powers of the era, and called by God to lead a people who were themselves often unfaithful and rebellious toward God, made a profound statement in this Psalm; "before the gods will I sing praise unto thee."  This is the theme of this Psalm.  It is a bold statement of steadfast faith when the whole world appears to have gone faithless.  It is a statement of the intention to stand fast in the Biblical faith, even while the world chases after idols and false gods, and even while his own countrymen waffle and vacillate between God and the gods.

But there is even more in these words.  David is saying he will stand for God in the face of a hostile world.  Even before the gods, the very symbols of those who seek to eliminate the Church and her faith, David will stand with God.

One of the ways he will stand for God is by worshiping God in the Temple.  This is one of the primary points of this Psalm, for it is in the Temple and the public worship of God that David gives thanks unto God and sings praises unto Him before the gods.  It is as though David is saying, let the world and its idols look upon this scene, for in their very presence and in their plain sight I will worship the Living God. Every Sunday you pass cars filled with people on their way to worship.  Most of them aren't going to Church.  They are going to worship the god of the horse, the god of the lake and beach, or the god of materialism whose temple is the mall. Many are so dedicated to their gods they don't have to travel to worship them. Their houses and lands are their gods, and they live where their gods are.  They literally dwell in the house of their gods.

I cannot help wondering how many of those at the horse trails, lakes, beaches, malls, and watering their azaleas claim to be Christians, yet habitually forsake the assembly of the Church for worship.  And why?  Not because there is not ample encouragement in the Scriptures.  The Bible everywhere proceeds on the principle, the assumption that Christians are active members of the local church.  The Bible was written to the Church.  Romans was not written to individual Christians who happened to live in Rome. It was written to the Church in Rome.  Revelation 3:14-22 was not written to individual Christians in Laodicea; it was written to the Church in Laodicea.  We err when we think we don't need to be a part of the Church.  We err if we think we have done all that God requires if we spend a few minutes alone with the Bible and prayer.  The Church is His body and we are members of it.  Thus, when Paul wrote in Hebrews 10:25 that we are not to forsake the worship assemblies of the Church, he meant the visible, local body of believers, not an intangible feeling of togetherness.  It does not work to attempt to excuse forsaking the local church by saying you worship as part of the invisible Church which is that mystical body of all believers.  It doesn't work because the invisible Church is manifested in the world, and participated in by the believer, through the local, visible church.  My beloved in Christ, we need more than a Bible and a "quiet time."  We need the worship and fellowship of the visible, organized Church.

If this world were a Christian world, we would still need the Church, and we would still need to be a part of the worship and services of it.  But the world is not Christian, and that means we need the Church even more.  And we need the discipline of standing firm for God in a faithless world.  I beg and encourage you to sing God's praises and forsake the false gods and idols of this world.  Stand fast for God, even before the gods sing your praise unto Him and worship toward His holy Temple.


A
LMIGHTY God, who showest to them that are in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness; Grant unto all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s Religion, that they may avoid those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Point to Ponder – The Voice
The start of this came to me from one of my very good friends, a lovely lady.

It is easy to underestimate the impact that our words, facial expressions, and body language have on others. Some men, for example, may not be fully aware of how deeply their words affect women. One sister said, “It frightens me when my husband angrily raises his voice at me.” Strong words may exert greater force on a woman than on a man and may stay with her for a long time.  This is especially true of words spoken by someone a woman loves and wants to respect. An experienced married brother illustrated why a husband should treat his wife gently, as “a weaker vessel.” “When you hold a precious and delicate vase, you must not grasp it too firmly, or it may crack. Even if repaired, the crack may remain visible,” he said. “If a husband uses words that are too strong with his wife, he may hurt her. This might cause a lasting crack in their relationship.”

The relationship of husband and wife is complex in many respects and yet simple as the two become one. 

God intended the husband to be the protector and provider, the wife to be the caregiving, home keeping, child raising one.   He outfitted us well for those roles, with men having far more upper body strength and a mentality fitting one whose job is to provide and protect.  God gave women far more insight, far more sensitivity and concern for others’ welfare.  The two work together very well to be a single unit with far more capability than the sum of the two.

On the other hand, as husbands, men need to understand their role, their limitations and how they can be more effective.  As protectors and providers, we are necessarily less concerned with what people think and say than what they do.  But, if we carry that attitude over to our homes and our wives, we can create huge problems where there should be great peace and harmony. 

Wives are to view their husbands as their protectors, the ones who keep the evil of the world at bay.  Can you imagine the effect on a wife when her protector attacks her?  But, you say, I would never attack my wife.  Consider the effect of what might be called sharp words.  Jesus loves us.  He is our ultimate protector.  The church is spoken of as His bride.  Do you hear him using sharp words?  The answer is NO.

Your wife should be the woman you most respect in this world, your partner and best friend.  If she is not, blame only yourself and change the way you think before it is too late.  She must be treated with the respect due a person of that position.  She must be accorded the honor due her.

Think before you speak, think longer before you act.  If, after thinking you decide to use sharp words, or heaven forbid, yell; think again.  Words can never be retracted.  Once launched they are fire and forget[2].  Except your target likely will not forget.

These words are applicable to not only marriage but any interpersonal relationship between men and women.  The two are different, as God intended.  Do not consider one better than the other, all things considered.  But, fully understand that in any one aspect they may have completely different approaches, outlooks, capabilities and views.


[1] General Confession – BCP Page 6
[2] Fire and Forget is a term used for missiles that are self guiding once fired and require no more input from the aircraft or pilot.  This concept does not work with harsh words.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Second Sunday after Easter


The Propers for today are found on Page 171-172, with the Collect first:

The Second Sunday after Easter.
The Collect.

A
LMIGHTY God, who hast given thine only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin, and also an ensample of godly life; Give us grace that we may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit, and also daily endeavour ourselves to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Ryan Hopkins read this morning’s Epistle from the First Epistle of St. Peter, beginning at the Nineteenth Verse of the Second Chapter. The Epistle reminds us that Christ, who was completely without sin or guile, not only died for our sins, but suffered humiliation and torture without complaint for us.  Thus, if we, because we believe in God and our Lord Jesus, are subjected to unfavorable comment, criticism or even persecution, we should bear this gladly, as our Lord gave us his example.  If we want to benefit from the Lord’s sacrifice, then we need to try to follow in his footsteps.  We need to look to His example to live our lives.

We are as sheep going astray who have been returned to the flock by our Lord, the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls.

We were asked the question, who is this man Jesus?  We answered, he is the Son of God; are we following him?  In this Epistle again, we are admonished to follow our Lord.

T
HIS is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Deacon Striker Jack Arnold read today’s Gospel which started in the Tenth Chapter of the Gospel according to St. John beginning at the  Eleventh Verse. Using the words that give this Sunday its name, Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”  He goes on to say He is not a hireling who cares not for the flock, but rather the shepherd himself.  He understands his job and puts it first, before his desires.  Jesus knows each of His sheep and they know Him, even as He knows His Father and His Father knows Him.  Because we are His sheep, He willingly laid down His life that we might live.  Jesus also points out He is not here to shepherd only the Jews, but all men, “And there are other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one flock, and one shepherd.”

J
ESUS said, I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and know my sheep, and am known of mine, even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one flock, and one shepherd.

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

We are in the Easter Season which consists of Easter and the following four Sundays, until we get to Rogation Sunday.  This is a time we should work on centering our lives on the central figure in our religion, Jesus Christ. 

Consider these words from the Collect:

who hast given thine only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin, and also an ensample of godly life; Give us grace that we may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit, and also daily endeavour ourselves to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life

God sent Jesus to be The Christ, The Messiah, The Savior, The Lamb to be sacrificed for our sin.  He gave His earthly Life, He went down into Hell, that we might be justified before God at our accounting.  Not that we might be perfect, but that we might be accounted perfect at our judgment day.  Yet we are not made perfect.  Thus we need an example to follow, a pattern for our lives.  God gave us that in His Son. 

Peter notes that throughout His Life, our Lord gave nothing but good.  While He was not accepting of evil, when He was ill treated, He gave not venom but healing in return.  Through His sacrifice, we are accounted as perfect, thus we need try our best to be perfect following His Example.  Will we fail, for certain.  Should we thus be inclined to just give up, NEVER.

Jesus gave His Life for us because we are HIS.  We are of His Flock, we are not strangers to Him nor Him to us.  If God cared enough to send His Son to give His Life to protect us from certain death, do we care enough for Him to follow His Directions?

We have One Leader.  He leads One Flock.  His Way may not always seem the easiest, but in the end it is for certain eternity.

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 for the Easter season.  I beg you; take the time to read this:

Sermon Notes for Second Sunday after Easter
22 April 21012 Anno Domini
St Andrew's Anglican Orthodox Church

The Second Sunday after Easter.
The Collect.

A
LMIGHTY God, who hast given thine only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin, and also an ensample of godly life; Give us grace that we may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit, and also daily endeavour ourselves to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. 6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. 7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep  (John 10:1-11)

          Though today's Gospel text ends with the 10th verse, I could not bring myself to end there without adding the 11th which fully reveals this gracious Personage described as the Good Shepherd.

          The Universe is a closed system as every student of astronomy will admit as scientific fact. Heaven, too, is separate and distinct from the physical universe and is also, itself, a closed system (much like a simple Sheep Fold) and the abode of God. Just as the Universe is a place prepared of God for our temporal existence, so Heaven is a place prepared for the spiritual existence of those who cling to Him as lambs and children. There is an old saying that "nothing happens by accident" and I believe that saying is true as regards the Universe and the heavenlies.

           Far greater faith is required to believe that the intricacies of the Universe, of the great organization of galaxies and star systems, of the perfect balance existing upon earth for the support of life, for the amazing structure and continually working intellect that is evident in the human body. To believe that the tiny cell, much less the complex organization of millions of cells of the human body, could happen by accident of nature requires a faith that can only be identified as ridiculous. Of course there is, as even Einstein admitted, a great Intellect behind the perfect balance and structure of the universe – and of life itself. – and that Intellect is God!

          In today's text, Christ makes reference to that closed system of Heaven – the Sheep Fold. The Mind that conceived the organization of interstellar space also is the same Mind that created the natural world as we know it. He created every rose of crimson beauty, and every lily of purest white splendor, the tiny creatures that are unseen to man, the lambs and bears, lions and elephants, and you and me. His Mind is Macro in its enormity to consider the whole Universe and Micro in its meticulous awareness of the tender baby sucking at its mother's breast. The Divine Creator has endowed man with a special glory and privilege and made him the crowning achievement of His Creative genius. We are compelled to say, along with the psalmist: When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! (Psalms 8:3-9)

          Our God is a God, not only of this one-time life on earth, but the God of the Resurrection. Life is continually being resurrected, even in this world of woe, from death. Every stalk of wheat derives its being from that first grain of wheat that fell into the earth at Eden and sprang into newness of life. Every cell of our bodies can trace its primitive DNA back to that of the first man – Adam. So God, even in the temporal, has place seeds of the eternal. There is, however, a known end to the ways of the world and its supporting planetary accoutrements. This system of death and life is not that which God approves for those He loves. He has sent His only Begotten into the world to redeem us out of that sin of Adam (and our own) which has interrupted His creative plan for eternal life in all things.

          As a great and all-knowing scientist speaking to children of the Manse, He leaves off the references that cannot possibly be conceived by a child, and uses vocabulary that is simply, pictorial and imaginative in revealing the great mysteries of the closed system of His Heaven. He speaks of sheep and shepherds, of porters and strangers, of doors and thieves.  These mental pictures we can grasp and know. Being the greatest teacher ever to open His mouth, Christ employs the fundamental principle of teaching, known today, as teaching from the KNOWN to the UNKNOWN. Teaching cannot be accomplished in any other way. Unfortunately, the technique used in many of today's university classrooms is that of teaching from the UNKNOWN to the IMPOSSIBLE!

          1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber Christ begins with the negative – those who attempt to enter "some other way" – precisely because this is the manner in which most will attempt to gain heaven. The loose theologies of man-made truth has crept into churches and corrupted the simplicity and truth of the Gospel. The leaven of the Pharisees is far more prevalent than the pure unleavened Bread of Heaven  served in most churches today. How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. (Matt 16:11-12) Our theology of today is more of the WALMART variety than that of Treasures of Heaven.

          2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. Christ is our Door to Heaven. He is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" and "no one cometh unto the Father but by Him." We may come up with every self-enriching scheme and call it exalted faith; we may labor our fingers to the bone in doing good; we may sacrifice every of our livestock on the altar of benevolence; but still stands in the foreground and brilliance of Light the single means by which we may enter Heave n – the Lord Jesus Christ. It is He who keeps getting in the way of the builders of a human paradise. If the secular humanists, the Communists, the totalitarians of every stripe could only vanquish this shining figure in the midst, they could then complete their human utopia. But "the Stone that the builders rejected has become the chief Corner-Stone of the building thereof." When they have near-completed their structure, they then may note the troublesome stone at the base around which they had to labor in building their building. It kept getting in the way and causing them to stumble. Now they recognize, after all, that is it is the Chief Corner Stone – but too late. As they try to lift it to the crown of their hand-made building, it tumbles back upon them and crushes them to dust.

           3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. The porter is very like the true ministers of God who open the Door to Christ to his hearers. While living in Iran, the sheep were led out during the warmer part of day from the stone enclosures called sheepfolds in the mountain heights. These were usually semi-caves in the mountainside with a large stone fence erected in an arch around the front. There was an opening that was always guarded by the Shepherd to keep the sheep from escaping into the dangers of winter and the predator-infested mountain slopes. There were often different shepherds whose sheep were sheltered in the fold. The Shepherd would make a unique sound with his voice and his sheep would immediately respond by following him out of the fold. The others would not respond. I found this remarkable and in complete accord with the Words of our Lord. Christ calls out today and many do not heed His Voice because they are not of His Fold.

          4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. If we know the Shepherd's Voice, we will follow Him everywhere, for everywhere He leads will be a place of security – green pastures and still waters. If danger lies ahead, the Shepherd is first to address the danger and will even lay down His life for the sheep.

          5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. We have many who profess Christ today who are following strangers. If they truly knew Christ, they would not recognize and follow a stranger's voice.  I recently drew several hundred dollars from a bank in which I have a savings account and went to deposit that money in another bank where my personal checking account is maintained. The teller took the bills and ran them through a machine. They all passed muster. She then marked each with a special pen to verify their authenticity. They all passed this test. She then took one of the bills and held it up to the light for quite a while. She then told me that this particular one hundred dollar bill was actually a five dollar bill. Well, I thought this ridiculous for it was clearly a one hundred dollar bill. She told me to hold the bill up to the light and see whose visage was inscribed in the watermark on the right side. It was Lincoln when it should have been Franklin! She told me that a skilled counterfeiter had bleached out a five, and over-stamped with the one hundred. This is why the bank device could not recognize the fake – the paper was Federal stock. Neither would the pen. But the skilled eye of the teller could catch the phony because she was so very familiar with the true money. We may appear to be genuine Christians, and our lifestyles may be moral and above reproach, but what of the watermark that is INSIDE our hearts. Will that expose us as imposters to the knowing eye of the Lord? 6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. He often speaks to us in such simple words that we, too, do not understand. We expect words of greater sophistication and profundity perhaps.

          7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. When we simply do not `get it', Jesus will speak to us in more direct ways. Many local Christians of the Baptist persuasion wonder why I commit idolatry by displaying the cross and candles above the Lord's Table. I explain, usually in vain, that the cross is a reminder of who Christ is to us and what He did. I explain that Christ used metaphors to point to Himself. The Cross is one such example of who Christ is and what He did. The candles, I explain, represent both the Light of the Gospels and that of the Epistles which go out to the World in giving Light. I explain that Christ tells us in the second chapter of Revelations (2:5) to the church at Ephesus that if that church forgets from whence they have fallen, Christ will remove their candlestick. I then remind them that the Anglican Church still has its candlestick. This usually ends the dialogue….(*___~) Christ is our DOOR. He meets every specification for a DOOR. He is the only entrance available.

          8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. Those false prophets who deceived and misled the people are the thieves and robbers. Their kin still dominate the world of theology today. They change biblical meanings and words for profit. They build up the esteem of man, and minimize the truth of God. But those who truly belong to the Shepherd will recognize the phonies, just as the bank teller mentioned.

         9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. We have a perfect liberty IN Christ. Outside of Christ, there is only bondage and whimpering servitude. The same is true of nations that honor Christ. Those whose constitutions and morality adhere to Christian faith are free and her people live without bondage.

          10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. The thief never announces his intentions ahead. His success is due to his cunning and secrecy. Modern false teachers are never going to pronounce that they have no faith at all in God the Father, or His Son Jesus. They begin, as the Serpent in the Garden, with a half-truth and proceed, step-by-step, with a full denunciation of Truth. Lies led to death at Eden, and lies lead to death in the church. But in Christ, we have Life, and that life we have, even on earth, is full, abundant and heavenly.

           11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep  What other shepherd, bent on profitable gain, will lay down his life for the sheep? But there is One Shepherd, who is the Owner of the Sheep, who does not view them out of a prospect for profit, but loves them fundamentally with a heart love of warmth and kindly beneficence. He loves them as His own family (which they are) and will lay down His very life for the sheep so that THEY may have life. Do you know this Shepherd, and do you hear His Voice today?

Sunday, April 15, 2012

First Sunday after Easter


The Propers for today are found on Page 170-171, with the Collect first:

The First Sunday after Easter.
The Collect.

A
LMIGHTY Father, who hast given thine only Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification; Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always serve thee in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Ryan Hopkins read the Epistle which came from the First General Epistle of Saint John, beginning at the Fourth Verse of the Fifth Chapter:

W
hatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 

Deacon Striker Jack Arnold read the Gospel for this Sunday which came from the Twentieth Chapter of the Gospel of Saint John beginning at the Nineteenth verse:

T
he same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.

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

We are in the Easter Season which consists of Easter and the following four Sundays, until we get to Rogation Sunday.  This is a time we should work on centering our lives on the central figure in our religion, Jesus Christ. 

Consider these words from the Collect:

Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification; Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always serve thee in pureness of living and truth

God sent Jesus to be The Christ, The Messiah, The Savior, The Lamb to be sacrificed for our sin.  He gave His earthly Life, He went down into Hell, that we might be justified before God at our accounting.  Not that we might be perfect, but that we might be accounted perfect at our judgment day.  Yet we are not made perfect.  Thus we must ask God’s help that we can put away the infection, or leaven, of evil in our hearts so that we can serve the Living God here.

Paul tells us that we must be reborn as a new person in God.  We must put on the New Man and put the Old Man behind us.  We must endeavor to leave our old habits behind as we strive to make new practices into habits.  We cannot follow the direction of Jesus towards God without the help of the Holy Ghost.  The Trinity in practice.  If you believe in Jesus, you must believe in God and you can do neither without the help of the Holy Ghost.

When Jesus came to the disciples on Sunday evening, He breathed the Holy Ghost into their hearts.  He gave the disciples the power to pass His Forgiveness on to their followers.  As ministers of God, we follow the disciples, but we have not the power to forgive, except as we find in the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  We do have the ability to tell you that if you repent, that is “to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life”, then God will forgive you.  Through our Lord, if you repent, He has forgiven you.

So what to take from all this?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3.16

If you get that, you have the Holy Ghost in your heart.  If you don’t open your heart so that He will breathe the breath that sends The Comforter to you.

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 for Easter.  I beg you; take the time to read this:

Sermon Notes for 15 April 2012 Anno Domini
First Sunday after Easter
St Andrews Anglican Orthodox Church

The First Sunday after Easter.
The Collect.

A
LMIGHTY Father, who hast given thine only Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification; Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always serve thee in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. (John 20:19-23)

It will prosper our love and understanding of the fear the disciples experienced following the crucifixion. Only having heard, through a veil of ignorance, the Words of Christ that after the third day He would arise, the disciples were not expecting the Words of Christ to become a literal fact. So they hid and cowered behind closed doors.

While He was yet with them, their courage never failed, but when separated from the physical presence of Christ – they were mere cowards.

You will note that Christ rose from the Tomb with a living body though different in some respects than His pre-crucifixion body. He was recognizable in appearance, but He could also pass through material barriers without any impediment.

He came to His disciples in Peace as He always comes to us. "Peace be unto you!"

His glorified body still retained the scars of His sacrifice. Did you know that when we all get to heaven, we will have perfect bodies? There shall be only One whose body is marred from suffering – the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ sends us into the World as His Father had sent Him. Let us stop to contemplate on how the Father sent the Son into the World?

1) He came under humble circumstances having been born of a humble mother, and laid in a wooden manger used for feeding sheep.  That was appropriate for Christ is our Bread of Life and we are the Sheep of His Pasture.

2) Christ lived a normal life for His time and was a carpenter for his surrogate father, Joseph.  We must, likewise, labor for our daily bread.

3) He was notable in His innocence of life. When we are notoriously wicked, the whole world notices. But when we are humble and righteous, the world makes no mention of it. We, too, must live lives that are righteous and above the contempt of men.

4) He came to set the captives free, but who are the captives? Those who are burdened with their heavy sins – all of us. He preached and taught. Our true testimony of Christ will likewise set the captives free. Before we can teach others of the means of coming to Christ to lift their burdens, we must first allow Him to lift our own unbecoming yoke and burden.

5) He showed compassion to all, but greatest of all to sinners who KNEW they were sinners. We must show compassion to ALL men and, especially, those who are hopelessly drowning in a sea of sin. A drowning man flails helpless in the briny foam, unable to save himself. That burden of throwing out the life raft falls to us.

6) Christ proved Himself by His works. So must we. Though we cannot perform miracles, we have a Master who can, indeed.

7) He changed the requirements of obedience from that of strictly adhering to Commandments written on Stone Tables to that of the Commandment of Love written in the soft sinews of our hearts. That which we love warrants that we commit no sin against.

8) He was the only Man ever born without sin, and the only One who lived a sinless life. Thereby He was worthy to die in our stead for our sins. "For all have sinned and fallen short of the righteousness of God' and "The wages of sin is death."  If we all have sinned, we deserved to go to the cross instead of Christ. But He went in our stead so that we may have the privileges of son ship with the Father as sons and daughters of God.

9) He bore all of our sins on the cross when, at any moment, He could have come down from the cross. He was WILLING to go all the way for us. We must be WILLING to go all the way for Him and those He loves.

10) He arose from the Tomb on the third day as He had promised. That gives us the privilege to rise from our own graves if we are in Him and He in us. He is our Ark of Salvation that shall insure our living above the floods and terrors of this world.

11) He ascended to the Father and there intercedes for us with Him. He has left us as keepers of the Vineyard to labor in His stead. The teaching of the Apostles persists today though many have waxed cold and passionless in our day. Our task is to press on to the mark set in Christ by living a pure and clean life and telling others about the hope that is in us in Christ Jesus.

Have you lived the kind of life that causes men to know you belong to Christ?

On another note:

Today is the 100th Anniversary of the sinking of the largest passenger liner ever to sell the seas – the RMS Titanic. It lies in its watery grave 12,000 down at the sea bottom of the North Atlantic.

There are thousands of strong testimonies that have survived that tragedy even if their testators did not.

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 a special sermon for the First Sunday after Easter:

How Communion Makes Us Holy
Psalm 66, 1 John 5:4-12, John 20:19-23
First Sunday after Easter
April 15, 2012



G
RANT, O Lord, that by thy holy Word read and preached in this place, and by thy Holy Spirit grafting it inwardly in the heart, the hearers thereof may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and may have power and strength to fulfill the same.

Faithfulness is the subject of the prayers and Scripture readings for today.  The Collect first declares that Christ died and rose again to make us acceptable to God, which it calls, "justification." It then beseeches God to enable us to put away unGodliness and serve Him in purity of life and truth.  1 John 5 reminds us that we are not to be worldly but are to overcome the world by faith, and John's Gospel, Chapter 20 records the appearance of the Risen Christ to His disciples, who are now becoming Apostles commissioned to found the Church.

Purity of life, let's call it, "holiness," should be one of the results of receiving the Lord's Supper. 

We profess that the Lord's Supper is a means of grace, and therefore, duly and rightly receiving it makes us holy. Yet I wonder how many understand how the Lord's Supper, or, as we like to call it, the Holy Communion makes us holy. We can easily understand how a serious and continuing study of the Bible makes us holy.  We know that reading it puts God's thoughts and values into us, and His thoughts and values change us by shaping our thoughts and values.  We can easily understand how prayer makes us holy.  I am not talking about simply asking God to give us things; I am talking about prayer as we find it in the Book of Common Prayer, and in Scripture, where it means, "worship."  We can easily see that the services of Morning and Evening Prayer faithfully lead us into Biblical worship, and, as they are faithful expressions of Biblical truth, they cause us to ponder Godly things.  Thus, they change us in our hearts and beings.  They make us holy.  We can easily see how the fellowship of a Biblical Church can make us holy.  In its worship we hear the Bible read and proclaimed, in its prayers we are taken to the throne of grace, and in the fellowship of our family in Christ we find acceptance, encouragement, and love.  But there is a great element of mystery surrounding the Holy Communion.  We even call the bread and the cup, "holy mysteries" in the prayer after the Communion.  So again, we ask, how does receiving Holy Communion make us holy?

It makes us holy by causing us to remember Christ's sacrificial death.  In fact, remembering Christ's death is primary in Holy Communion.  The bread of the Lord's Table is a symbol of the Lord's body, and by breaking and eating it we are reminded of the crown of thorns, the scourge, the nails, and the spear, and we remember that His body was broken for us.  The wine we drink is the symbol of His blood that ran from His wounds and was poured out for us.  I stress the word "symbol" here because the bread and wine represent the body and blood of Christ.  They never become His literal body or blood.  So when the Lord Himself, still in His physical body before the crucifixion, said, "This is my body," and "This is my blood, He clearly meant this bread represents and symbolizes His body, and this wine represents and symbolizes His blood.  Remembering His death causes us to think on holy things, which, when accompanied by Biblical faith, helps us develop holiness of life.

The Lord's Supper makes us holy by causing us to remember that Christ's death purchased our eternal life.  The Bible speaks of two states or conditions of the souls of people in eternity.  One is called eternal death and it signifies being cut off from the presence and joy of God forever.  As the Epistle for this morning states it; "he that hath not the son hath not life."  This does not mean the soul goes into non-existence.  It means the soul goes into a state that is so terrible and frightful that it can best be described as a living death.  We can understand this easily because we have heard of people going through experiences in life which were so horrible they called their existence a 'living death."  This, magnified beyond our ability to understand, is the condition of those who are forever cast out of the presence of God.

The other condition of the soul in eternity is called everlasting life, or, eternal life.  Again, this refers to the quality, rather than the quantity, of existence, and it means to dwell forever in the immeasurable love and happiness of God.  This condition of eternal life was purchased for us by Christ.  Referring again to the Epistle of 1 John we read, "this is the record, that God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in His son." The breaking of His body and the pouring out of His blood was part of the way He paid the price of our sins, and purchased eternal life for us.  When we eat the bread and drink the wine of Communion, we remember these things, and we are moved to greater faith and faithfulness.  We are made holy.  This is the second major point of this sermon; receiving Holy Communion moves us to greater faith and faithfulness.

We are accustomed to thinking about the word, "faith" in two ways.  First we think of the act of trusting in Christ's sacrificial death to make you right with God.  The best way I can think of to express this is to say that if anyone asks you why you think you are going to Heaven, your answer would be, "Because Christ took my sins on Himself and paid their penalty by dying for me on the cross, and that is why God will let me into Heaven" Second, we think of The Faith, which means the doctrinal content of Christianity.  The right receiving of Holy Communion increases our faith in both of these meanings.  It increases our faith in Christ as our Saviour, by helping us trust Him more.  It increases our belief that Christ died for my sins, therefore God is going to accept me into Heaven.  It also increases our understanding of The Faith.  The more we ponder the sacrifice of Christ, the more we grow in our understanding of the whole of the Christian Faith.  We grow in our understanding of the seriousness of sin, the need for grace and justification, the meaning and need of holy living, and the Church, and so many other important things.  We grow in faith as we receive Communion.

Yet there is a third meaning of the word, "faith" as it is used in the Bible, and that meaning is, "faithfulness."  We could also call this, "purity of life," or, "holiness," or "Godliness," or any number of other things, but they all refer to living lives that are more fully surrendered to the will of God and less occupied with the things of sin and self.  I think no one will disagree when I say that the more we realise the wickedness of our sin, the horrors of hell, and the greatness of the sacrifice of Christ, the more we ought to be moved to lives of holiness and purity.  The more we ought to be moved to love Christ, and devote ourselves to Him in all things.  The Lord's Supper gives us the opportunity to think on these things, to grow in our understanding of them.  And, if we truly understand these things, and if we truly see them through the eyes of faith as we come to the Table of the Lord, we will naturally find ourselves moved to holiness.

I need to say one more, very important thing.  You have noticed that I keep saying things like, the Bible changes us, prayer changes us, and Communion changes us.  This is very important because we do not change ourselves by doing these things; God changes us, and He uses these things to do it.  That's why they are known as the means, or channels, of grace.  Grace, of course means God's attitude of mercy toward us, but it also refers to God's activity toward us as He changes and remakes us, and causes us to walk in His ways and find our joy in Him.  So, when we worship, God works in us to heal our souls and strengthen our faith.  When we read the Bible God changes our thoughts and gives us His values.  And when we come to the Holy Table of Communion, God Himself enables us to come in faith, and grow in faith as we remember our Saviour's loving sacrifice.  So, in the end, it is not we who make ourselves holy by coming to this Table or doing good things.  It is God who makes us holy by the means of grace.  We could say, God uses these things to draw us into Himself.  That is the real way Communion makes us holy.
Blessed Easter,
--
+Dennis Campbell

Bishop, Anglican Orthodox Church Diocese of Virginia
Rector, Holy Trinity Anglican Orthodox Church
Powhatan, Virginia