Verse of the Day

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Twelfth Sunday after Trinity


The Propers for today are found on Page 206-207, with the Collect first:

The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

A
LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve; Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen

Dru Arnold read the Epistle, which came from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, the Third Chapter beginning at the Fourth Verse.  Paul reminds  us through the Grace of God we can be able ministers of the new testament, on our own we can be in the end no good.  If we are able to completely follow the Law, with good intent, we can through that please God, but inasmuch as that is impossible we fall short.  The letter of the Law, which cannot be complied with is death.  But following the spirit of the Law gives life.  That is Jesus’ message, for in the Law is death and in the spirit life.  For if there is glory in administering the Law, how much more glory is there in the spirit of the Law, which is Jesus’ message?

s
Uch trust have we through Christ to God-ward: not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

Deacon Striker Jack Arnold read today’s Holy Gospel, which started in the Seventh  Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Mark, beginning at the Thirty-First Verse. Jesus came in to the coast of Decapolis[1].   The people brought unto him a deaf mute.  Jesus examined the man, put his fingers in his ears, touched his tongue and said “Ephphatha”[2], that is, “Be opened.”  What Jesus did here for the deaf mute physically is what he does for each of us spiritually.  Through Jesus, we hear the Word of God and are given the ability to speak it.  Conversely, there are none so deaf as those who will not hear and none so blind as those who will not see.  It is up to each of us to choose if we will remain blind, deaf and dumb or open our eyes to see, hear and speak the Word of God.  When we receive the gift of sight, hearing and speech we embark on a new life of freedom.

J
esus, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; and were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

Sermon – Time and Action
Today’s sermon tied the Epistle and Gospel together and is partly addressed in the  forewords above.  

Consider the words from the Collect, wherein we ask God … more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve; Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask …

We continually pray to God, asking Him for what WE want.  Yet, how oft do we listen to Him when He responds?  If we will listen to Him and DO what He asks, He will give us more than we have need of, more than we ask for, more than we can even desire.  Yet, it requires us to listen to Him, then ACT on what we are told.  When we ask His forgiveness, when He gives it, we need to accept it and live it; if we live in the past, we never will benefit.

God gives us guidance through the Holy Ghost, if we will but accept it.  He gives us the power to act in the spirit of The Law.  The Law or actually 613 little laws turned out to be in of itself a death sentence.  The Jews could or would not comply with the 613 Mosaic Laws, which brought them death.  Jesus gave us the summary of The Law, which through Him would bring life, everlasting life and happiness here on earth:

T
HOU shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

Only two laws to comply with, which though simpler, are harder:

1.     Love God
2.     Love your neighbor like yourself
3.       
Think about it, if you do those two things, you will find you need no other real moral guidance.  If you understand the Big Picture, you know what to do on your part of the Little Picture to make your world line up with His World.  The problem is just like the Jews, we cannot perfectly follow those either.  But, happily for us, Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf accounts us as just before God.  So, now that we know that, who do we tell about it?  Do we let people know, or do we hide our allegiance to the Lord?   If you hide your allegiance, you really have none.

When Jesus opened the ears and mouth of the deaf mute, He did for him what the Holy Ghost will do for us, if we will but let Him open first our ears to hear, then our mouths to testify, communicate and direct.

Actions speak louder than words. 

Be of God - Live of God  - Act of God.
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 great sermon for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity:

God Knows You
Psalm 139, 2 Corinthians 3:1-9, Mark 7:31-37
Twelfth Sunday after Trinity
August 26, 2012

When you hear words like omniscient or omnipresent, you may think they are only for academic theologians in seminary classrooms.  In reality they are inseparably connected to everyday Christian living, for they express the deep essence of the nature and being of God.

Omniscience means God knows all things, but Psalm 139 shows that it especially means God knows you.

O
 LORD, thou hast searched me out, and known me. * Thou knowest my down-sitting, and mine up-rising; thou understandest my thoughts long before.
2 Thou art about my path, and about my bed; * and art acquainted with all my ways.
3 For lo, there is not a word in my tongue, * but thou, O LORD, knowest it altogether.
4 Thou hast beset me behind and before,* and laid thine hand upon me.
5 Such knowledge is too wonderful and excellent for me; * I cannot attain unto it.
6 Whither shall I go then from thy Spirit? * or whither shall I go then from thy presence?
7 If I climb up into heaven, thou art there; * if I go down to hell, thou art there also.
8 If I take the wings of the morning, * and remain in the uttermost parts of the sea;
9 Even there also shall thy hand lead me, * and thy right hand shall hold me.
10 If I say, Peradventure the darkness shall cover me; * then shall my night be turned to day.
11 Yea, the darkness is no darkness with thee, but the night is as clear as the day; * the darkness and light to thee are both alike.
12 For my reins are thine; * thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
13 I will give thanks unto thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: * marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.
14 My bones are not hid from thee, * though I be made secretly, and fashioned beneath in the earth.
15 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; * and in thy book were all my members written;
16 Which day by day were fashioned, * when as yet there was none of them.
17 How dear are thy counsels unto me, O God;* O how great is the sum of them!
18 If I tell them, they are more in number than the sand: * when I wake up, I am present with thee.
19 Wilt thou not slay the wicked, O God? * Depart from me, ye blood-thirsty men.
20 For they speak unrighteously against thee;*and thine enemies take thy Name in vain.
21 Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? * and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
22 Yea, I hate them right sore;*even as though they were mine enemies.
23 Try me, O God, and seek the ground of my heart; * prove me, and examine my thoughts.
24 Look well if there be any way of wickedness in me; * and lead me in the way everlasting.

The very first verse says God has searched you out.  This does not mean God went looking for you, for you are never out of His sight.  It means He sees you with a searching, knowing look.  He searches you as the Bereans searched the Scriptures when the Apostle Paul preached to them.  He is examining you in minute detail, and there is nothing about you that is hidden from His sight.    He knows you.  He knows the tiniest details of your life; your "down-sitting" and your up-rising."  What time did you go to bed on this date two years ago?  You don't know, but God knows. What did you have for dinner on this date three years ago?  God knows.  He knows all of your life.  He knows what you will eat on this date next year.  He knows what you will be doing a hundred years from now, a million years from now, and an eternity of eternities from now.  He knows your words before you speak them.  He knows what you will do before you do it.  He knows your thoughts before you think them.  He knows every structure in every cell of your body.  Your bones are not hidden from Him.  They  were written in His book "when as yet there were none of them." He fashioned you as a builder builds a house.  That  is why verse 13 says you are "fearfully and wonderfully made."

If God knows you that well, He knows your sins.  He knows the secret thoughts and desires of your heart, the secret sins you commit only in thought, the unjustified rage, the selfishness, the antipathy toward Him, the contempt of His commandments.  To Him all hearts are open, all desires known, and from Him no secrets are hid.

He also knows every hurt, every sorrow, and every need you have, and He cares about you.  I do not base my theology on hymns and songs, and when I like one it is because it expresses some part of Biblical truth in a succinct, easy to remember way.  Such is the hymn by John Zundel, "There's a Wideness in God's Mercy;"

There is no place where earth's sorrows Are more felt than up in heav'n;
There is no place where earth's failings have such kindly judgments giv'n

God knows your sorrows, and He knows how to give good things to you. He alone knows how to comfort you, fill your emptiness and heal your brokenness.  He can fill that hole in your being that you try to fill with toys and activities and amusements.  And He can fill it better than those things because He is only piece of your puzzel that fits in that place.  Quoting from John Zundel's hymn again;

There is welcome for the sinner, And more graces for the good;
There is mercy with the Saviour; There is healing in his blood.

Omnipresent means God is everywhere, but Psalm 139 makes the point that God is with you.  No matter where you are, how bad things may appear to you, God has not and never will forsake you.  Even in the shadow of death, "Thou art with me."   "Thou art about my path, and about my bed, and art acquainted with all my ways" (vs. 2) . If you could fly to Heaven, or plunge yourself into the pit of hell, you would still be in the presence of God.  If you fly through the sky with the wings of the morning, or go to the deepest part of the sea, even if you hide  yourself absolute darkness, you are as much in His presence as if you stood before His throne in Heaven, and He sees you as clearly as you see yourself in the noonday sun.  "Whither shall I go then from Thy Spirit? or whither shall I go then from Thy presence? 

Jonah God tried to go from God's Spirit and from God's presence.  He ran from God for the same reason everyone runs from God,  because he didn't want to do what God wanted him to do. God wanted him to preach repentance to the Ninevites, but that is just the letter of God's commandment.  The spirit of God's commandment to Jonah was that God wanted Jonah to love the Ninevites, to care about them, and to have compassion on them.  They were without God in this world, and would go to eternity without God, unless they repented, and God wanted Jonah to care about that.  On an even deeper level, God wanted Jonah to care about God.  He wanted Jonah to love God with all his being.  He wanted Jonah to love what God loves.  He wanted love to move Jonah to gladly do God's bidding.  But Jonah refused.  Instead of loving God, Jonah ran from Him.  He probably thought God was limited to the geographical area of Israel, as though God had a territorry, like a salesman or a franchise, and getting out of Israel would get him to a place where God could not reach him, could not bother him.  But God created the heavens and the earth.  He owns the seas and all that in them is.  He can sink a boat or take it safely to harbour.  He can even make a man live inside a fish for three days. If you are running away from God, like Jonah, you can't get away.  He is there wherever you go, wherever you hide.  He will always bother you, until you love Him back.

Jacob thought God had deserted him.  Jacob tricked his father and stole from his brother until his brother rose in anger against him, and Jacob had to run for his life.  In a matter of minutes Jacob went from having everything he wanted to having nothing at all.  Alone in the desert, without friends or family, without home  or money or food, feeling sorry for himself, but never admitting that he was reaping what he had sown, he found that God was with him.  God was there in the desert.  And God was working to bring Jacob to Himself, so that he would no longer be a liar and a thief and a con-man. God wanted more for Jacob than just to be the head of a clan, or to have power and money.  That's what Jacob wanted, and he planned and plotted against his father and against his brother and against God to get what he wanted.  But God wanted more for him than mere pleasures and trinkets of the world.  God wanted Jacob to love God.  God wanted Jacob to value what was really valuable, things like faith, and love, and hope and joy and peace and holiness.  God wanted to give him God.  And God is with you even in the most desolate wilderness of  the soul.  In fact, God often drives us into the desert to get our attention, and to begin the process of bringing us back to Him.  It is as though He makes us realise we have nothing and are nothing without Him, and then we become ready to receive Him.

Seeing that God knows him, and seeing that God is with him, King David closes his Psalm as he does so many others, with words of faith in God.  "How dear are thy counsels unto me, O God."  "Lead me in the way everlasting."  David has learned to love what God loves, desire what God gives, and hate what God hates.  There is a wonderful message in all of this.  Our entire existence is in God, and apart from God life has no meaning.  That's why only God can fill the emptiness of the soul that all of us feel when we try to fill it with other things.  But knowing God knows you, and that you are always in His presence, is a fearful thing to those who live in rebellion and sin.  To such people God's knowledge and presence is condemnation forever.  The knowledge and presence of God are comforting only to those who have come to Him in faith through Christ.  And even their comfort is not found in their own goodness, but in the forgiveness of their sins through the cross of Christ.

The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

A
LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve; Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen


[1] Decapolis - ten cities=deka, ten, and polis, a city, a district on the east and south-east of the Sea of Galilee containing "ten cities, " which were chiefly inhabited by Greeks. It included a portion of Bashan and Gilead, and is mentioned three times in the New Testament (Matt. 4: 25; Mark 5: 20; 7: 31). These cities were Scythopolis, i. e., "city of the Scythians", (ancient Bethshean, the only one of the ten cities on the west of Jordan), Hippos, Gadara, Pella (to which the Christians fled just before the destruction of Jerusalem), Philadelphia (ancient Rabbath-ammon), Gerasa, Dion, Canatha, Raphana, and Damascus. When the Romans conquered Syria (B. C. 65) they rebuilt, and endowed with certain privileges, these "ten cities, " and the province connected with them they called "Decapolis. "
[2] Ephphatha the Greek form of a Syro-Chaldaic or Aramaic word, meaning "Be opened", uttered by Christ when healing the man who was deaf and dumb (Mark 7: 34). It is one of the characteristics of Mark that he uses the very Aramaic words which fell from our Lord's lips. (See 3: 17; 5: 41; 7: 11; 14: 36; 15: 34. )

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Eleventh Sunday after Trinity



The Propers for today are found on Page 204-205, with the Collect first:

The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

O
 GOD, who declarest thy almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity; Mercifully grant unto us such a measure of thy grace, that we, running the way of thy commandments, may obtain thy gracious promises, and be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Dru Arnold read the Epistle, which came from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, the Fifteenth Chapter beginning at the First Verse.  Paul tells us he is delivering the message he received, the Good News of the Saving Grace of God through Jesus.  He recounts the death and resurrection of Jesus; noting the various witnesses to the resurrection, including himself.  He goes on to say, if he, who he categorizes as the least of the apostles, not even meet to be called an apostle due to his persecution of the Church of God, can be forgiven and work the Work of God, who cannot?

B
rethern, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.”

Deacon Striker Jack Arnold read today’s Holy Gospel which started in the Eighteenth Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Luke, beginning at the Ninth Verse.  Jesus tells a parable to an audience which apparently consisted of some self-righteous people, which likely fits each of us.  The parable is that of a Pharisee[1] and a publican[2] both of whom pray in the temple.  While the Pharisee might well have been a “better” man than the publican, he clearly was not the man he thought he was, for he “prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.”  Quite the holy fellow.  The publican, quite aware of how much he fell shot of God’s perfection stood “afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”  Jesus told his audience, “this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”  None of us is truly good, we can only strive to be better and look to our Lord to help us.  Only through Christ will we be accounted as just before God.

J
esus spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

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

Consider the words from the Collect, wherein we ask God … who declarest thy almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity; Mercifully grant unto us such a measure of thy grace, that we, running the way of thy commandments, may obtain thy gracious promises, and be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure; …

Once again, this Collect is kind of a follow-on to the last few weeks’ Collects.  First, we acknowledge God’s power which is manifested not in terror but in mercy and pity on our failures.  We go on to ask help in following His Commandments that we might gain the good that comes from that following. 

As imperfect creatures of free will, the norm is to choose what we want, not what we need and come to calamity.  We are each grievous sinners, some worse than others, none better.  Yet, we come before God all equal.  In equally big trouble, some more, none less.  It is only through faith we are saved. 

Our faith?  Partly, but not chiefly and not first.

We are saved by the perfect faith of Christ, our only mediator and advocate before the Father.  The perfect faith of Christ allowed a single sacrifice to be made at one time, to right the account the sins of all mankind for all time.  This is the faith that saves us and our faith in Him allows Him to operate in us.  One of Paul’s points in today’s Epistle was that if he, the previous Chief Persecutor of the church could be saved by Jesus’ that option was available to each of us.  All we need to do is repent and follow.  Thus, we need to Lead, Follow or Get out of the Way towards Christ and God’s grace.

The other point is that Jesus is real, He is Who He says He IS.  He is not a fictional character, he is not a great teacher.  He is THE SON OF GOD and He came to save us, body, heart, mind and soul.  Just as we are real sinners, He is a real Savior.

If that is not enough to turn your heart, consider the parable of the publican and the Pharisee related by Saint Luke.  The man who was proud of his performance was not the example Jesus chose for the one justified, rather the one who acknowledged his failures and asked God for forgiveness and help.

Let us ask God for the help we need to follow His Will.

Be of God - Live of God  - Act of God.

Bishop Ogles’ Sermon
We are oft fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s sermon notes.  Today is one of those Sundays.  Today’s sermon starts off with the collect.  It will give you a lot to consider in your heart.

Sermon Notes
Eleventh Sunday after Trinity
19 August 2012, Anno Domini

The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

O
 GOD, who declarest thy almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity; Mercifully grant unto us such a measure of thy grace, that we, running the way of thy commandments, may obtain thy gracious promises, and be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
  
            9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke 18:9-14)

            Though this text has been recently covered, it is being addressed today again in sermon form. The amazing beauty of Holy Scripture is its multi-dimensional meaning when held up to the light. This parable given by Jesus conveys the disdain that God has for exalted pride, and the favor He holds for humble faith. Pride is only about SELF; humility puts self down and lifts up the object of its affection and awe. One object of the Parable is to rebuke self-righteousness; but another would be to exalt the hope of the poor in spirit – the meek and humble of heart.

            We read of how proudly the Pharisee prayed “with himself” – not to God. He prayed that others might hear his boastful words. The contrary is true of the publican who felt himself unworthy to come so near the Temple. He did not lay claim to ANY GOODNESS, or righteous deeds, in his life but only sought mercy upon himself as a sinner.

            Please observe the manner in which God looks upon the heart and not the outward appearance. The Pharisees dressed in lavish robes and commanded the respect of the people for his position; but the publican was despised by the people and had no office to commend him for respect. Unlike the self-righteous heart of the Pharisee, the publican had a heart that KNEW it needed mercy as a sinner. God can get entrance into a heart that admits its own worthlessness. But the proud, self-righteous heart bars the way for amendment.

            We see also that the boastful works of the Pharisee gained him no favor at all with God, but rather God’s disdain. The Pharisee cannot be justified by his own righteousness. The publican KNEW this, but the publican went away lost and ignorant despite his learning.
            We see, too, that justification can only be gained through the mercy of God. If we do not know that we need mercy, how shall we be justified? Justification comes as an act of Grace (from God) and not acts of righteousness by us.

Let us examine the characteristics, first, of the Pharisee:
1)      He was a liar! Though he claimed otherwise, he was precisely as other men are – a sinner. (Romans 3:23)
2)      He was an extortioner. (Matthew 23:14, Mark 12:40)
3)      He was unjust. His very attitude and self-opinion of himself proved this.
4)      He was a worse man than the publican for the publican realized his need to which the Pharisee was blinded of his own.
5)      He did not fast to satisfy a Godly purpose but only for the purpose of show and boasting.
6)      He did not tithe of all he had for he kept his heart from God by not surrendering it to Him. (Luke 20:25)
7)      He had a religious zeal, but not according to the Bible. “….they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. (Romans 10:2-3)

Now the Publican:
1)      The publican knew who he was – a lost sinner and condemned.
2)      The publican knew his place with God without mercy – at a distance!
3)      The publican knew how he felt – guilty, ashamed and needing mercy.
4)      He knew WHAT he needed – MERCY.
5)      He knew how to attain mercy – repent, confess, and call upon the Lord.
6)      He knew of his salvation – went down to his house justified.

            There is a great secret revealed, too, in this Parable – sin causes a great separation from man and God. The only means to bridge that separation is repentance and confession of sins. When we have betrayed or hurt a close friend, do we not avoid looking them in the eye until we have reconciled ourselves to that friend? We may not speak to that friend for months due to our guilt. The friend may not even be aware of our guilt, BUT WE ARE! When we forget God, we live according to our own prerogatives. This free will always leads to sin. That sin raises a wall between us and God. Suddenly, we are ashamed as was Adam in the Garden. We cannot tear down that wall with our good deeds, but only by our tearful cries for mercy!

            Do we mark our offering envelopes at church with large letters to show our great tithing? Do we embellish our prayers with beautiful words that do not come from the heart, but from a proud mind? Do we attempt to seem so close to God that publicans cannot approach Him? Do we admit our unworthiness apart from God’s grace? Have we known that the very moment we feel that we are “good enough” is the very moment that we are NOT? Do not be a pharisaical hypocrite, but be a humble sinner who lays claim to grace and mercy in God.



[1] Pharisee - One of a sect or party among the Jews, noted for a strict and formal observance of rites and ceremonies and of the traditions of the elders, and whose pretensions to superior sanctity led them to separate themselves from the other Jews.
[2] Publican 1. (Rom. Antiq.) A farmer of the taxes and public revenues; hence, a collector of toll or tribute. The inferior officers of this class were often oppressive in their exactions, and were regarded with great detestation.

Literally a Publican  is one who farmed the taxes (e. g., Zacchaeus, Luke 19: 2) to be levied from a town or  district, and thus undertook to pay to the supreme government a certain amount. In order to collect the taxes, the publicans employed subordinates (5: 27; 15: 1; 18: 10), who, for their own ends, were often guilty of extortion and peculation (defrauding the public by appropriating to one's own use the money or goods intrusted to one's care for management or disbursement; embezzlement). In New Testament times these taxes were paid to the Romans, and hence were regarded by the Jews as a very heavy burden, and hence also the collectors of taxes, who were frequently Jews, were hated, and were usually spoken of in very opprobrious terms. Jesus was accused of being a "friend of publicans and sinners" (Luke 7: 34).

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Tenth Sunday after Trinity


The Propers for today are found on Page 203-204, with the Collect first:

The Tenth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

L
ET thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Dru Arnold read the Epistle, which came from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, the Twelfth Chapter beginning at the First Verse. Paul starts off by telling us that no man who “speaketh by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”  He goes on to say, “Now there are diversities of gifts, but by the same Spirit.” “…it is the same God which worketh all in all.”  Every one is gifted in one manner or another by God, the question really is not do you have a gift from God, but will you use it?  Our gifts are so different in their character that we sometimes fail to recognize them for what they are, gifts from God, meant to be used, not ignored.

C
oncerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.  Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

Deacon Striker Jack Arnold read today’s Holy Gospel started in the Nineteenth Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Luke, beginning at the Forty-First Verse.

The Gospel tell of Jesus’ time in the temple wherein he sees the people selling their wares having made the temple a den of thieves rather than a house of prayer and cast them out.  He also predicts the fall of the temple saying it shall be laid “even with the ground, … they shall not leave one stone upon another,” because the people of the temple had rejected Jesus.  The message to those who accept Jesus and his teaching is clear, their temple shall not fall.  The message to those who will not hear his message will never be heard, let alone clear, their first indication of a problem will be when their temple falls.

Often people take this Gospel to preclude jumble sales at church.  It does not preclude that.  It does literally preclude cheating people at those jumble sales!  You must understand that the “perfect” sacrificial offerings to God the temple hawkers were selling were perfectly defective “sacrificial lambs” which would be recycled over and over.  Those buying were likely for the most part honest in their attempt to offer unto God that due Him, yet their effort was being diverted and redirected by those “in charge”, the priests and hawkers.  In their very successful effort to make money they were defrauding the people and insulting God in His own House.  It should also be pointed out that a church should be a place of worship.  It may be a Prophet Center, but not a Profit Center[1].  If the building needs constant commercial enterprise, then perhaps the emphasis is on the wrong center.  A church should be funded for its needs by its members and its wants should come much later, if not in fact unheeded.  A church is about Him, not about IT.

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

Sermon – Time and Action
Today’s sermon tied the Epistle and Gospel together and is mainly contained in the forewords above. 

Consider the words from the Collect, wherein we ask God to give us … be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please thee …

Once again, this Collect is kind of a follow-on to last week’s Collect.  First, we ask God to hear our prayers, this is funny in that He always listens intently to us when we pray and we very seldom listen to Him when He answers.  Nonetheless, we ask His help to ask for those things we need, not those things we want and are bad for us.

While our needs must be fulfilled, there is nothing wrong with wanting, just so long as you want things that are good for you.  Once again, we are asking God to help us to want the right things.

Paul reminds us that we each have differing talents, but if we use them to the Glory of God, without concern for who gets the credit, all will be well.  Do what you can, not what you feel like.  If you will but read the Bible, what God wants you to do will be clear.  If you do your best to do His Will all will be well with you.  Death is a pretty hollow threat if you do your duty.  The people of Jerusalem would not have been in the pickle they got in when 70AD came along, had they only done what God wanted.  But, it was too hard for them.  In 70AD, what had been so hard seemed pretty easy compared to the fix they were in, but by then it was too late.  By that time they were left with only “There are none so poor as cannot purchase a noble death.”  But, for most of them by that time they had no will.  It left when they failed to follow God’s will.

When Luke wrote of the sales in the temple, he had a point.  The point was not to preclude jumble sales at church.  He was not abhorring the sales, but the cheating in the name of God.   This Gospel does literally preclude cheating people at those jumble sales!  You must understand the temple hawkers were selling perfect defective “sacrificial lambs” which would be recycled over and over[2].  In their very successful effort to make money they were defrauding the people and insulting God in His own House.  It should also be pointed out that a church should be a place of worship.  It may be a Prophet Center, but not a Profit Center.  If the building needs constant commercial enterprise, then perhaps the emphasis is on the wrong center.  A church should be funded for its needs by its members and its wants should come much later, if not in fact unheeded.  A church is about Him, not about IT.

Do what you are supposed to do when you are supposed to do it.  That is duty.  It does not matter how you “feel” about black or white.  Black is black; White is white.  Do your duty. Work as hard as you can, do the best you can, trust in the Lord.  By the way, cheat no one.  If you follow that, you won’t need to be told, “Particularly in God’s House.”

Be of God - Live of God  - Act of God.

Bishop Ogles’ Sermon
We are oft fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s sermon notes.  Today is one of those Sundays.  Today’s sermon starts off with the collect.  It will give you a lot to consider in your heart.

Sermon Notes
Tenth Sunday after Trinity
12 August 2012, Anno Domini

The Tenth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

L
ET thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


       34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. (Matt 23:34-39)
            We often believe, wrongfully, that God condemns us for our sins, but He does not. It is our sins, themselves, that condemn us. God watches our foolish ways often with a sorrowful heart – if we ONLY KNEW the harm we are doing to others… to ourselves….and to the loving and pure heart of God – by our mindless sinning! One of the greatest sorrows known to the human heart (a heart that is numb compared to that of God) is that of unrequited love. To love another with a love that is unto death, and then to have that object of our greatest affection treat our expressions of love with disdain and rejection is painful beyond explanation. But there are always many reasons that our love for another could be rightfully unrequited, because we humans are not perfect. There may have been a thoughtless word or gesture we made at some moment of greatest hurt to the other party of which we took no notice, or a thousand other reasons; but God is perfect and blameless of every human flaw. He loves with a perfect love, and He has done all things to deserve our own undivided love. We are NEVER justified in trampling upon the love and sacrifice of God for us.
            God, in the beginning of Creation, made a beautiful Garden at Eden and placed man in the most opulent existence imaginable. Knowing that man would be most joyful if he was unmindful of the deathly knowledge of sin, God gave to man, out of a deep love for His crowning creation, one command only.  And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Gen 2:16-17) God gave this command out of love and not malice for He knew the man would become knowledgeable of sin and subject to the penalty of it if he (man) disobeyed. The weak character of man was such that he could scarcely keep even ONE commandment, much less TEN. He disobeyed, fell from grace, and opened wide the gates of Hell for all of his progeny down until our own day.
It is interesting to note that God did not give the commandment to Eve but to Adam. It is apparent from Eve's discourse at the ill-fated Tree that Adam had been her teacher of all that God had said to him. Adam ate, and Adam died. He brought upon all creation relentless sin and death. God did not cause Adam to die – Adam's disobedience caused Adam to die (and all of us as well)! We are guilty as charged and responsible for our condemnation. Insofar as we are engineers of our own sinfulness, we are, as the poet, Mr. Henley has said in INVICTUS, "the master of our fate, and the captain of our souls." If, however, we seek a more worthy Captain, Master, and Bishop of our souls, we need to turn them over to One who cares more for our souls than we can care for them ourselves. That Captain, Master, and Bishop would be the Lord Jesus Christ who died for the sins He did not commit in order to save us from dying from those sins we DID commit.
            In the Gospel lesson at hand, Christ has been pronouncing `woes' on the Scribes and Pharisees. Inherent in His woes are warnings to modern religionists and professional clergymen. One of the woes issued by Christ is of sufficient threat to those lovers of filthy lucre that they have seen to it that verse 14 of this chapter in Matthew has omitted from modern Bible versions based on the corrupted manuscript evidence. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. (Matt 23:14) What could possibly offend the masters of the fleece in this verse that would prompt them to relegate it to a mere footnote in the NIV, ESV, and other modern versions? Perhaps it might be the STEALING of widow's houses, or the long and elegant prayers designed more for the ears of men than those of God?
            Jesus continues His pronouncement of prophecy and condemnation to a people for whom He has come to die in redemption of their sins if only they will believe God. 34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to cityChrist draws a line of delineation between the Scribes whom He has sent to the Jews and those who claim the title in name only. Those Scribes and Pharisees to whom He is speaking are imposters – written in large relief! Experience has shown that having a seminary degree does not necessarily qualify a man as being sent by God (though properly received can be a tremendous benefit); nor does the absence of such a degree disqualify, necessarily, a man as being called by God (else the Apostles would be imposters – all except Paul) Rather than being emissaries of God, these imposters are those who murder His emissaries and persecute His true Scribes.
            35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Christ is the Word (John 1:1). He is Alpha to Omega in the Greek alphabet – and, so, everything in between those first and last letters. But Christ is also the first and last letter of every other alphabet, including, again, everything in between. We see this demonstrated here in the reference to the first and last prophets mentioned by Christ – Abel to Zacharias (from A to Z in the English alphabet). He is the Word of God dressed in the vocabulary of every nation, tribe, and tongue. The false ministers of that day, who predominated in the chairs of authority, were pronounced guilty of all the righteous blood shed upon the earth. How can this be? These men murdered the prophets of God. Those who do not belong to God do not receive the imputed righteousness rendered to those who are His chosen seed; therefore, only those prophets truly sent by God, and their blood, could be considered righteous. These, the Scribes and Pharisees killed. These were matters of current fact.
            Christ prepares to deliver a sorrowful prophecy of events that would soon transpire involving Jerusalem and the Jews. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. Christ will now issue a verdict, decided by their own wickedness, that shall be passed upon them in the very generation standing around Christ; but before pronouncing the sorrowful events to come, Jesus again expresses, in deep groaning's, His profound love and care for the Jews and Jerusalem – a love that is rejected and turned back in hate and malice.  37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! How Christ would have delighted in the people and leaders of Jerusalem flocking to Him and under His loving wings for protection and preservation (there is no other sure means of protection and preservation), but they refused. Not only did they refuse His invitation, but they also killed the messengers sent by God!
As soon as the embers cooled after the Mount Saint Helens volcanic eruption of 1980, the forest rangers went in to assess the damage to the natural environment. All vegetation stood in ashes. One of the rangers saw a mother partridge burned to a crisp. Her wings were spread wide. The ranger, with disappointed pity, kicked the dead bird aside. As he did so, the rangers noticed several healthy baby birds run from under their dead mother's wings. That is only a small illustration of the love God has for us – and the unrequited love Christ had for Jerusalem and her people. He even wept over the city prior to His last entry.  Jesus was well aware of the death He would suffer at the hands of the Jews (by His own volition); and He also knew that His Father would certainly bring a deserving judgment against the city, or apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.  It saddened the heart of Christ to contemplate this judgment that would come.
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. Not only your Temple, but all of your Holy City! In 70 AD the Roman General Titus developed and encircling land blockade of Jerusalem and erected siege walls and engines against her walls. To reject the salvation of God (Jesus) is tantamount to exposing oneself to all the evils of Hell. All who do so will be left desolate for desolation is all that exists apart from God Almighty. Can you imagine the sorrow in the heart of Christ in saying to those whom He loved dearly, "your house is left unto you desolate?"
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. These men had heard these words pronounced just days earlier; and they shall hear the same once more on the return of Christ in glory. They will not hear these words the second time as detractors and proud malefactors, but in the kneeling position of contrition and worship – and from their own mouths: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:9-11) He who comes in the Name of the Lord comes in the Person of the Lord. If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE Lord THY GOD (Deut 28:58) Reader, do you also go in the Name of the Lord? Yes, you do if you are CALLED Christian and are committed to the title. Are you called Christian?

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 great sermon for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity:

God and Prayer
Psalm 145, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, Luke 19:41-47
Tenth Sunday after Trinity
August 12, 2012

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Bishop J. C. Ryle wrote that the habit of prayer is one of the surest marks of a true Christian.  Certainly prayer is one of the means by which God draws us into Himself, and He has ordained that His blessings are released, in part, through prayer.  It is no surprise, then, that we should talk about prayer often in the Church, as we do on this Tenth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect for this day is a prayer about prayer.  It asks God to hear our prayers, and to shape our being in such a way that we will pray for the things that please God.  This is very similar to the Collect for the Fourth Sunday after Easter in which we asked God to enable us to love the things He commands and desire the things He promises.  Surely this is the heart of prayer and the heart's desire of every true Christian.  Today's reading from 1 Corinthians shows that our prayers must be guided by the Holy Spirit, otherwise we are tempted to ask for things that do not edify, and even abuse the gifts of God.  How does the Holy spirit guide our prayers?  He teaches us to pray Biblically, that is, in accordance with what God reveals about His will and purpose in the Bible.  In other words, the Spirit leads us to ask God to help us love the things He commands, and desire the things He promises.  It was not in our reading today, but verse 31 leads us to seek the best things from God, meaning the more excellent way of love.  The Gospel, from Luke 19, shows the danger of neglecting Biblical prayer.  Jerusalem, meaning the Jews, had not prayed for the things that give real peace.  They did not love the things God commanded or want the things God promised to give.  They did not pray for the things that please God, like real faith or real holiness.  Nor did they pray to be close to God, to be enabled to love Him above all else, and to find their joy and meaning in life in Him and His service.  They sought peace and prosperity of the flesh, not of the soul, and they turned the House of Prayer into a house of thievery, and Jesus wept.

Psalm 145 is a proclamation of praise for the wonderful grace and power of God, and it is wonderfully relevant to those who pray.   If God were not graceful, full of grace, He would be unwilling to answer prayer, and if He were not powerful He would be unable to answer.  So the message of this Psalm is vitally connected to the other passages we have read today, and to the request we have taken to God in the Collect.

Psalm 145. Exaltabo te, Deus.
I
 WILL magnify thee, O God, my King; * and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever.
 2 Every day will I give thanks unto thee; * and praise thy Name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and marvellous worthy to be praised; * there is no end of his greatness.
4 One generation shall praise thy works unto another, * and declare thy power.
5 As for me, I will be talking of thy worship, * thy glory, thy praise, and wondrous works;
6 So that men shall speak of the might of thy marvellous acts; * and I will also tell of thy greatness.
7 The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be showed; * and men shall sing of thy righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful; * long-suffering, and of great goodness.
9 The Lord is loving unto every man; * and his mercy is over all his works.
10 All thy works praise thee, O Lord; * and thy saints give thanks unto thee.
11 They show the glory of thy kingdom, * and talk of thy power;
12 That thy power, thy glory, and mightiness of thy kingdom, * might be known unto men.
13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, * and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages.
14 The Lord upholdeth all such as fall, * and lifteth up all those that are down.
15 The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord; * and thou givest them their meat in due season.
16 Thou openest thine hand,*and fillest all things living with plenteousness.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways, * and holy in all his works.
18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him; * yea, all such as call upon him faithfully.
19 He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him; * he also will hear their cry, and will help them.
20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him; * but scattereth abroad all the ungodly.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;*and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name for ever and ever.

Psalms 145-150 close of the book of Psalms with six hymns of praise. The trials and troubles of earth, which are so prevalent in the rest of the book, have no place in these Psalms.  From here to the end of the book we are caught up in the adoration of the great God who delivers us from the world and takes us at last to His Home in Heaven.  St. Augustine noted this, as did Matthew Henry, Charles Spurgeon, and an Anglican minister I know only as S. Conway, who wrote that, in these Psalms, "We have left the region of sighs and tears and piteous entreaties, and are, as one says, in the Beulaah land, where the sun shineth night and day."

Psalm 145 has two primary points.  First, God is gracious. God intends good things for His people.  He intends better things for you than you are able to ask or think..  This idea permeates the Psalm, and is expressed in the words of verses 8 and 9;  "The Lord is gracious and merciful; long-suffering, and of great goodness.  The Lord is loving unto every man; and His mercy is over all His works."  The second point is the faith response of those who dwell in the grace of God.  This idea also permeates the entire Psalm and it is concretely stated in the very first verse of the Psalm, "I will magnify thee, O God my King, and I will praise thy Name forever and ever."

"The Lord is gracious."   This is not a dry, intellectual statement of doctrine.  This is the expression of God's life-orientation and the disposition of His being toward you..  You are unworthy of God through your manifold sins, but where sin abounds grace abounds even more, and the grace of God is greater than all your sin.  In grace God receives you as an  honoured guest in His House.  In grace He forgives your sins and treats you as though you are righteous.  In grace He gives you all good things, even His own self, His joy and being and blessedness and immortality.  He gives these unto you freely, without cost to you, though at terrible cost to Himself.   In grace you become a partaker of God.  I did not say you become a god, or become part of God, or ever have any essence of divinity in yourself.  But you are priviliged to see and enjoy God's perfect being now and forever.  And in some way, the image of God in which you were created, but which has been destroyed by sin, is being restored in you.  One day it will be fully restored so that you will no longer  be subject to sin and temptation, or live in doubts or fears, or be subject to disease and death, or live in a place of sorrow, as the earth is now.  You will be as God intends you to be, and you will dwell in a land of perfect peace and joy in God.
                                    
It is grace that brought you into God. In grace He came to seek and to save that which was lost, you.  In grace He bore your sins on the cross.  In grace He made you able to believe His Gospel, and in grace He is re-making your soul so that you can begin to desire the things of God and to love Him more and more.  In grace He continues to love you, though you are still very far from being perfect.  In grace He will take you into His Mansion of Mansions where He has prepared a place for you, and in grace you will be at home in Heaven for a forever of forevers.

This is what God wants for you.  This is that good that He is doing for you that is exceeding abundantly above all that you are able to ask or think, but which He has promised to those who love Him and trust Him in faith

And so we come to another of the major points of Psalm 145, and of the entire Bible, which is the faith response to God's grace.  The Psalm begins and ends with bold statements of faith.  "I will magnify thee, O God, my King."  "My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh give thanks unto His holy Name, for ever and ever."

Biblical faith is more than just believing a few doctrines about Jesus.  Biblical faith is the Christian's total response to the grace of God.  It is the life-attitude and the life-orientation of those who have received the grace of God.  Faith is the life-attitude-orientation of living in the the grace of God; of intentionally dwelling and existing in the unmerited, unearned love of God. 

This kind of faith is naturally producing changes in you.  Since you have received the grace of God, you have begun to value what God values and love what God loves.  You have begun to be able to mourn over the self-destructive life-styles of people who do not live in His grace.  You mourn for them because you know they are self-destructive, and because you long to see them become whole and clean and free by the grace of God too.  You have started to become a person of peace, a peacemaker.  This means that you try very hard not to be a source of strife yourself, and that you attempt to wage the peace of God in this strife-filled world.  You have started to live a more righteous and holy life.  Things like Church, Christian fellowship, the Bible, morality, and the sacraments, have started to claim your interest, and some of the things that once seemed so important to you have begun to be less important, boring, and, even detestable compared to the things of God.  You are not the same old you any more.  You are a new being, a new creature, created in Christ Jesus by His grace.  And. most of all, you have begun to really love God.  I am not talking about a silly emotionalism.  I am talking about a desire for God above all else.  Your life desire and purpose is to magnify God as your God and King.  All of this is what the Bible means by the word, "faith."  This is what we seek when we pray;

The Tenth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

L
ET thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


[1] A fine set of very apropos terms I first heard from Bishop Dennis Campbell in 2011.
[2] The concept of being truthful in the efforts we make to spread The Word is not a separate subject by any means, but would take more time to talk about than we have time for here.  Suffice it to say that we must take every care to spread The Truth and not what our audience, whoever that may be, would like to hear.  When we bring our “sacrifice” to the “temple” we needs make certain it is in fact as perfect as we can make it.  This is so hard that one of the recurring themes of the Collects is asking for guidance to ask for the right things.