Verse of the Day

Monday, May 26, 2014

Memorial Day 2014

Memorial Day
Rev LTC Hap Arnold, CA ANG USAF Retired

Tomorrow is Memorial Day, a day set aside to remember those members of our Armed Forces who   This is not a day to thank a veteran, probably it is the only day of the year that it is not the day for that.  All veterans heard the country’s call and answered.  They were not those who would not hear.  But, those of us here today are the fortunate ones, for whatever reason we made it back.   In my case after 30 years and two weeks of military service with the Navy and Air Force, thirty percent of the people I flew with did not make it back one way or the other.  They are the ones we remember today, they paid the entire bill for our freedom.  Well, maybe not all the cost.
made the ultimate sacrifice, without whose sacrifice we would not be free.

When we think of Memorial Day, we remember the young men and women who since the beginning of this great nation answered the call of freedom when our country was in peril, rode into battle and did not return.  We honor those who lost their lives in training, transit and combat.  But, we often forget the families they left behind; mothers, fathers, wives and husbands, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters.  Each of them bore a portion of the cost of freedom.  This cost is not a one shot deal.  Those who remain behind pay every day of their time left here on earth.  The cost of freedom is high, very high.  It is just cheaper than not being free.  But, it is payable on demand. 

If you want to know what freedom costs, ask our Presiding Bishop. Jerry Ogles younger brother Kenneth Wayne Ogles joined the National Guard at age 17 and immediately transferred to the active Army’s First Cavalry Division.  He wanted to make a difference, to do his duty to God and Country and protect the innocent people of South Vietnam.  Ken was killed in action on 16 February 1967, in the Ia Drang Valley, in the Binh Dinh Province, South Vietnam, with the First Platoon of C Company, the First Battalion of the 8th Cavalry, First Cavalry Division at the age of 19.  There is not a day that has gone by in the intervening 47 years that Jerry and his family did not measure the cost of freedom.  Remember Kenneth the next time someone wants you to give a little freedom for the promise of safety or comfort.

I do not know how many ways to say it, but FREEDOM IS NOT FREE; it is the most costly commodity on this earth, except for not being free.  That costs more.



Memorial Days[1].
ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead; We give thee thanks for all those thy servants who have laid down their lives in the service of our country. Grant to them thy mercy and the light of thy presence, that the good work which thou hast begun in them may be perfected; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen.

It seems to me that Memorial Day is one of the saddest days of our year.  This is not because of the cost to our country, in particular the families who remain behind, though that cost is huge.  The reason the day so sad is that the people have absolutely no feeling for the cost of the freedom they value so little today. 

Our country is free today because when our freedom has been threatened by those who would overturn our way of life, patriots stepped forward to take action against our country’s foes.  They put their lives on the line that we might be free.  Tomorrow on Memorial Day, we remember those whose lives were given, whose families paid the price for our freedom today.  They did not give their lives for anything but freedom.  If you ascribe their motives to other motives, you do so at your own peril.

Hundreds of thousands have given their future and the futures of their families’ for ours.  Charge your glass, raise it high.  Drink to them.  Give thanks to God for their patriotism and steadfast courage.

A final note to each of you veterans reading this report, each of you stepped forward when the country called.  You heard the call others could not. 

We are the lucky ones, we are here.  We must never forget the cost of freedom, dearly paid by those who have gone before us.

To my fellow veterans, I thank each of you for stepping forward and I am grateful you are all here with me to remember.



[1] From the Book of Common Prayer page 42

Sunday, May 25, 2014

The Fifth Sunday after Easter - commonly called Rogation Sunday - Memorial Day


Sunday Report

Today was the Fifth Sunday after Easter, the central event of the Christian year, the celebration of our Lord, “Christ the Lord is Risen!” commonly called Rogation Sunday.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day, the day set aside those whose lives bought our freedom and their families who remain behind.

Rogation Sunday
The fifth Sunday after Easter is commonly called Rogation Sunday from the words in the Gospel appointed for the day: "Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give to you". (The Latin is 'Rogare' - to ask.)  In the strictly biblical context, the chief thing to ask for is the spirit of God to enable us to be true children of God. 

In the Western Catholic Churches, including the older Anglican traditions particularly before the Reformation and in some higher churches afterwards, processions to bless the crops and to include "beating the bounds", developed from the old Roman rites of "Robigalia" ("robigo": Latin for "rust" or "mould"), when prayers would be offered to the deity for crops to be spared from mildew. 

Today the emphasis has shifted.  Asking for God’s blessing on growing crops in fields and gardens, and on young lambs and calves remain.  In the agricultural cycle, the main themes are seed sowing and the tending of the young plants and animals. This does not pre-suppose that all sowing takes place around Rogation.  Sowing is done all the year round, as does the birth and rearing of the young.  It is convenient to fix on one particular festival the time to remember these before God in a public way.

In the Northern Hemisphere, Rogation Sunday takes place in the springtime, when there is a renewing of the earth. In this country, it follows Easter, the season of resurrection. Renewal and resurrection therefore are also underlying themes of this occasion.

But, there is far more to the day than that.  The real meaning is in rogare.  If you don’t ask, you won’t get.  You have to ask God in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for what you want so that you can get what you need.  You have to ask.  Then, once you get what you need, act of the gift and thank God for that gift.

Remember “Ask and ye shall receive.” 



Bishop’s Letter for Memorial Day Observance
 26 May 2014, Anno Domini (in the 238th year of our Declaration of Independence)
            We remember with deep appreciation today those fine young red-blooded Americans who have laid down their lives in defense of our freedoms, and even those of others whom they knew not. From the hot, humid jungles of the South Pacific; to the snow-clad fields of France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany; and more recently the deserts and mountain heights of Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan, the American soldier has paid the price, in blood, that can only preserve a nation’s freedoms. The blood of despots will do little in that regard – only the blood of free men can nourish the national liberties of a free people.

            As we observe in the current world of politics, governments soon forget the debt owed to valor in times of peace when they were so eager to have it in time of war. We erect Stones of Remembrance to perpetuate the memory of these heroes at arms. Though the Stones may serve to remind us that they have lived, the Stones of granite and marble cannot express the loss of the treasures of the heart of so many fallen emissaries of liberty.  Bivouac Of The Dead written by Theodore O'Hara in memory of the Kentucky troops killed in the Mexican War in 1847 sums up only a part of the meaning of this day:

BIVOUAC OF THE DEAD

The muffled drum’s sad roll has beat
The soldier’s last tattoo;
No more on Life’s parade shall meet
That brave and fallen few.

On Fame’s eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread,
And glory guards, with solemn round,
The bivouac of the dead.


“Greater love has no man than this – that he lay down his life for his friends.” When we have resisted evil to the shedding of blood, there can be no question of our devotion to righteousness and freedom. We perhaps should also take note of those valiant soldiers, sailors, and airmen, who, had the sacrifice been required, would have just as readily laid down their lives in behalf of a free and Christian nation.


            Though most memorial markers are made of stone or brass, there is one which survives every Memorial Day commemorating life rather than death while yet memorializing the heroic sacrifice of our soldiers – the Poppies of the field of Verdun at Flanders:
IN FLANDERS FIELDS
by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Flowers always grace the graves of heroes. Remember their sacrifice in the blood-red flower of Flanders, and pray that God will preserve us a free nation among the nations of the earth and turn our hearts back to our Maker.
Memorial Day
Rev LTC Hap Arnold, CA ANG USAF Retired

Tomorrow is Memorial Day, a day set aside to remember those members of our Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice, without whose sacrifice we would not be free.  This is not a day to thank a veteran, probably it is the only day of the year that it is not the day for that.  All veterans heard the country’s call and answered.  They were not those who would not hear.  But, those of us here today are the fortunate ones, for whatever reason we made it back.   In my case after 30 years and two weeks of military service with the Navy and Air Force, thirty percent of the people I flew with did not make it back one way or the other.  They are the ones we remember today, they paid the entire bill for our freedom.  Well, maybe not all the cost.

When we think of Memorial Day, we remember the young men and women who since the beginning of this great nation answered the call of freedom when our country was in peril, rode into battle and did not return.  We honor those who lost their lives in training, transit and combat.  But, we often forget the families they left behind; mothers, fathers, wives and husbands, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters.  Each of them bore a portion of the cost of freedom.  This cost is not a one shot deal.  Those who remain behind pay every day of their time left here on earth.  The cost of freedom is high, very high.  It is just cheaper than not being free.  But, it is payable on demand. 

If you want to know what freedom costs, ask our Presiding Bishop. Jerry Ogles younger brother Kenneth Wayne Ogles joined the National Guard at age 17 and immediately transferred to the active Army’s First Cavalry Division.  He wanted to make a difference, to do his duty to God and Country and protect the innocent people of South Vietnam.  Ken was killed in action on 16 February 1967, in the Ia Drang Valley, in the Binh Dinh Province, South Vietnam, with the First Platoon of C Company, the First Battalion of the 8th Cavalry, First Cavalry Division at the age of 19.  There is not a day that has gone by in the intervening 47 years that Jerry and his family did not measure the cost of freedom.  Remember Kenneth the next time someone wants you to give a little freedom for the promise of safety or comfort.

I do not know how many ways to say it, but FREEDOM IS NOT FREE; it is the most costly commodity on this earth, except for not being free.  That costs more.

Memorial Days[1].
ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead; We give thee thanks for all those thy servants who have laid down their lives in the service of our country. Grant to them thy mercy and the light of thy presence, that the good work which thou hast begun in them may be perfected; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen.

It seems to me that Memorial Day is one of the saddest days of our year.  This is not because of the cost to our country, in particular the families who remain behind, though that cost is huge.  The reason the day so sad is that the people have absolutely no feeling for the cost of the freedom they value so little today. 

Our country is free today because when our freedom has been threatened by those who would overturn our way of life, patriots stepped forward to take action against our country’s foes.  They put their lives on the line that we might be free.  Tomorrow on Memorial Day, we remember those whose lives were given, whose families paid the price for our freedom today.  They did not give their lives for anything but freedom.  If you ascribe their motives to other motives, you do so at your own peril.

Hundreds of thousands have given their future and the futures of their families’ for ours.  Charge your glass, raise it high.  Drink to them.  Give thanks to God for their patriotism and steadfast courage.

A final note to each of you veterans reading this report, each of you stepped forward when the country called.  You heard the call others could not. 

We are the lucky ones, we are here.  We must never forget the cost of freedom, dearly paid by those who have gone before us.

To my fellow veterans, I thank each of you for stepping forward and I am grateful you are all here with me to remember.

On Point
Someone asked, where do the quotes come from?  The answer is from the people who uttered them.  But, how did you find them?  Oh, that.  Some from Bishop Jerry, many from Rev Bryan Dabney, a few from other places, some from Rev Geordie Menzies-Grierson, but overall mostly from Bryan.  He always has some great ones to share.  On to the On Point quotes –

“I was going to say I wished we’d never come. But I don’t, I don’t, I don’t. Even if we are killed. I’d rather be killed fighting for Narnia than grow old and stupid at home and perhaps go about in a bath-chair and then die in the end just the same.”
Jack Lewis
The Last Battle

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Galatians 6:7

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.
Hebrews 9:24

Christianity obliges us not only to die unto sin, but live unto righteousness; not only to oppose the works of the flesh, but to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit. If we profess to have received the Spirit of Christ, let us make it appear by the proper fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Let us evidence our good principles by good practices.
Matthew Henry
17th and 18th century English pastor and author

The devil is the prince of this world during the present dispensation (John 14:30). The vast majority of the inhabitants of the earth choose things that please the devil far more than the things that please God. Little as they may think it, they are doing the devil’s will, behaving as the devil’s subjects, and serving the devil, far more than Christ. This is the actual condition of Christendom as well as of heathen countries. After 1,800 years of Bibles and gospel preaching, there is not a nation, or a country, or a parish, or a long-established congregation, where the devil has not more subjects than Christ.
JC Ryle
19th century Anglican bishop and author
(Are You Ready For The End of Time, pp. 51-52)

That man is a fallen creature has never been more clearly demonstrated than by the behavior of our elected politicians in Washington. Most of them are highly educated lawyers who have studied American history in their universities, and yet have acted so stupidly as to have brought this great nation to the brink of financial disaster. We learn at an early age that you cannot spend more than you earn. We learn that it is not good to borrow money in order to buy things you really don’t need. And yet, these very smart politicians keep doing this in contradiction to all wise and intelligent understanding of basic economic principles.
Dr. Samuel Blumenfeld
20th and 21st century American political commentator
(Are Our Politicians Stupid or Evil)
The government turns every contingency into an excuse for enhancing itself.
John Adams
Founding Father and Second President of the United States.

To believe in world peace, [the appeasers]... must believe that regimes which ceaselessly talk of war, build weapons of war and torture and murder their own people on a whim somehow share their hopes for peace... [Neville Chamberlain believed that there was a universal aversion to war]. But there is no such universal aversion. If there were, war would be the exception, not the rule.
Daniel Greenfield
21st century American commentator
(War and Dishonor, 1-22-14)

When large numbers of people in this country continue not to find work, when they don’t have enough to eat, when their money won’t buy the necessities of life, when they can’t afford to travel because of high fuel prices, and when they continue to lose their homes, they will become desperate. This desperation will result in civil unrest. That will be the government’s reasoning for declaring Martial Law.
Gary D. Barnett
21st century American businessman and economic commentator

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

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

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

The Propers for today are found on Page 175-176, with the Collect first:

The Collect for The Fifth Sunday after Easter,
commonly called Rogation Sunday.
The Collect.

O
 LORD, from whom all good things do come; Grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that are good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The Epistle for today came from the First Chapter of the General Epistle of Saint James beginning at the Twenty-Second Verse. Saint James tells us not to just talk about being Christians, but to act on those beliefs and do things.  We act in accordance with the principles set forth by Christ.  We gain our salvation through the freely given gift of Grace by our Lord Jesus Christ.   Once given, and accepted; if we truly accept the gift, it will be evident in our actions.

St. James reminds us we not only must:

Ø     Talk the Talk;
       but
Ø     Walk the Walk.

We do not gain eternal life and salvation by our good works here on earth, but only by the Grace of God, through His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Through Christ our sins are atoned for that we might go to heaven.  True enough, but we demonstrate our attempt to follow his instructions by our works here on earth.  Remember, it is by only by our actions we are we truly known.

B
E ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Today’s Holy Gospel came from the Sixteenth Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint John beginning at the Twenty-Third Verse. Jesus told his disciples that when they pray to the Father, they should ask in His Name and what they asked for would be given.  But, you must ask to receive.  Jesus told us not to ask Him to pray to the Father, but rather that we pray directly to the Father, asking for what we will in His name, because God loves us because we love Jesus.  This explains why many of our prayers end in, “we ask all this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” or similar words.  So, if we are to if we are not to ask Jesus to pray for us, why would we ask “saints” and such.   We can talk directly to God and we are supposed to!

Jesus went on to say the forces of this world would scatter the disciples, they would be alone in the world.  Yet like Jesus, they would not be abandoned by all; He would be with them, as would the Father.  For as always, the Father is with them, as He is with Him; as He is with us.

V
ERILY, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

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

Sermon Notes
Fifth Sunday after Easter - commonly called Rogation Sunday
St Andrew’s Anglican Orthodox Church
25 May 2014, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

The Collect for The Fifth Sunday after Easter,
commonly called Rogation Sunday.
The Collect.

O
 LORD, from whom all good things do come; Grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that are good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

    25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. 30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. 31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. 32 Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. 33 Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. 34 And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. 35 And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. 36 Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it. 37 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock. 38 As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD. (Ezek 36:25-38)

     Have you ever tried to clean a really filthy basin by starting on the outside? Which is more important for our health, the cleanliness of the outside of the basin or the inside? If we start by cleaning the outside first, we may find that the outside will become just as soiled as before when we begin cleaning the inside later. If a plumbing fixture in our house is clogged, do we clean the outside and surrounding environment first, or do we unclog the fixture first and then clean the outside?

     God works in the same way – he cleans our hearts so that the outside may be cleaned with the sprinkling of water. By the outward sprinkling of water shall the outward sign of cleansing be made. That inward, spiritual grace of the Sacrament occurs in the heart. The whole being of man, as well as his eternal destiny depends more on the condition of his heart than does the life of his body.  When God abides in our hearts, there will be left no room for idols or perversions.    25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. The old, malicious and legal heart of stone must be replaced by a heart of tender flesh. What does this mean to the Christian? How do we receive this new Spirit and this new Heart?

     We receive this New Heart by genuinely professing a true faith and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. We must know, by faith, that He has died in payment of our sin debt, that He was buried and rose again on the third day, and that He sits on the right hand of God the Father to make constant intercession on our behalf.  It is our faith and our believing that will open the DOOR (Jesus Christ) of the Sheepfold to us. Our faith cannot be fickle if it is to be saving. It must be a somber and earnest faith that Christ is Savior, Redeemer, Lord, and King of our lives. He will be a God of the Sunday Lord’s Day only, but the Lord of the continual seven-days-a-week Sabbath.   27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. Wherever Christ is, there will also be the Holy Spirit. If Christ is in our hearts, the Holy Spirit will take possession and drive out the spirits of lust, greed, and deception.  We come to obey God, not through the compulsion of legality and Laws engraved on Tables of Stone, but out of that Law of Love that is written in Crimson on the soft sinews of our hearts. Not only will we avoid doing evil (keep my judgments), but we will not commit, as the General Confession states, sins of omission by seeking good to do toward others.

     28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. Which land…Canaan? No, not at all. He will give us that land which Moses entered from atop the heights of Mt. Nebo. Moses looked over into Canaan, but was taken to be with God instead of going to Canaan. The next time Moses appears in Scripture, he is on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus and Elijah. This is a beautiful illustration of the complete Word of God. Elijah represents the Prophets and Moses the Law. Both together represent the whole of the Old Testament. Christ represents the consummation of the  long thirsted after Purpose of God by crowning both the Law and the Prophets with the Grace and Mercy of His Person. The Law and the Prophets are not separate from Christ, but are an integral part of His revelation in the fullness of the Scriptures. The old school was given to teach us to know our frailty and depravity. They both prepared the hearts of man for the coming Savior who would redeem us from those frailties of a sinful nature.

     29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. 30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Do you, or do you not belief, that Christ is the Lord of the Harvest? We cannot wash our robes as the NIV version claims in Revelation 22:14 - "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.” (Rev 22:14) (NIV) Only God can wash us, and only Christ can provide that White Robe of Righteousness typified by the returning prodigal’s father.  God will call for the Harvest and increase our yields by the same Voice that spoke Light into existence on the first day of Creation. He will forestall the famine and pestilence from afflicting our fields. He will make our way straight and not narrow.

     31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. This is the dawn of first-light in the soul called to God – to recognize, with tears of repentance, their true natures that have been at enmity to God. It is important – very important – that we remember from what swamps of sin from which we have been drawn out. It is important that we despise our sins and our complicity with it. We have looked at the murderous Cain, the adulterous and murderous King David, the treachery of Judas, the profligacy of Herod – and we have seen ourselves as if by looking in a mirror. That mirror is the Word of God. It reveals our total hopelessness without a Redeemer.

      32 Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. God does not act to amend our characters and redeem our souls for the benefit of the sinful soul that we are at the Calling, but of the virtuous character that the former thief, robber, liar, murderer and adulterer may acquire through the efficacious working of God’s Holy Spirit. Thankfully, god never beholds us as what we currently are, but what we may become under the comforting and gentle influence of His Holy Spirit.

     Though these passages have a reference to that fallen Israel of the Old Testament, it has an even more relevant meaning to that new Israel of Promise expressed in Romans, Galatians, and other parts of New Testament Scripture. That new Israel is the same Israel to which Abraham laid claim all the way back in Genesis.

     33 Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. 34 And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. 35 And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. Though the Jewish nation-state of modern Israel has reclaimed land that has lain in waste for centuries, the state does not meet the descriptive marks of the Israel of God – neither racially nor nationally. There is no place on earth today that can compare with the Garden of Eden. The desolate and ruined cities are still desolate and lie in ruins. The miracle of that nation which claims God as its Lord will certainly produce a greater wealth of faith and virtue than that war-torn little acre in the Middle East. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. (Psalms 33:12) If we attempt to force any description of the people of God other than those who have believed and accepted the Promise, we labor in vain. God’s people are not a people of a certain race or nationally, but those who have received the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.  Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. (1 Tim 1:4) and But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. (Titus 3:9)

      In the process of blessing His people, either nationally (as in the great history of the once-Godly nation), or individually, the unbelievers are always amazed at our resilience and joy in peace as well as in moments of trial. 36 Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.  He blesses always, without distinction of race, that nation bearing the fruits of righteousness. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. (Psalms 33:12) All peoples of the earth – Jews, Gentiles, blacks, whites, Asians, Indians, men, women – all have had the DOOR opened to the redeeming blood of Christ.

     37 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock. It is to be prayed and hoped for that God will bring the modern Jewish nation into the fold of believers. But it is not consistent with the nature and Word of God to bring them into God’s fold as a people who cling to the legal system of ancient days, or sacrifice lambs and bulls for a remission of sin. When they ACCEPT, and not REJECT, Christ, they have assurance of being reconciled to God. In remonstrating with the rulers of Israel in the Temple, Jesus was clear in His warning to them: Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. (Matt 21:43) What nation? ANY nation that bears the fruits of the Gospel faith.

      38 As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD. Thus shall the Lord bring to pass His Kingdom in the Latter Day.  The waste cities shall, indeed, be filled wherever the Gospel of Christ is preached and received by the people of that land.  The vast stretches of prairie and meadow of America lay in waste for centuries until a people, bearing the cross of Christ, came seeking religious liberty. Then were the waste places filled and the land knew the Lord. Such a prosperous people were never before known in the world, nor since that Godly nation dominated the continent. Can we restore the Bright Hope of Liberty? The same can happen to any people until such time as the Lord draws the curtain of time down on our human undertakings.

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action
Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California
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:

by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that are good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same

As we near the Ascension and thus Pentecost and the arrival of the Holy Ghost, we ask for God’s “holy inspiration we may think those things that are good”, that is to say help from the Holy Ghost so we might direct our souls to the things we cannot see as good without His Help.   Once we see them, we need His “merciful guiding may perform the same…”.  After all, what good is it to know what we should do, if we won’t, can’t or don’t do it?

That brings us right to Saint James’ point, we gain our salvation through the freely given gift of Grace by our Lord Jesus Christ.   Once given, it must be accepted.  If we truly accept the gift, it will be evident in our actions.  Our actions should reflect that we are a hearer and a doer of the Word, and not just a hearer only. If you are going to be a Christian, the key is right there – BE.  Being requires action, not just diction.  Many can talk the talk, but can they walk the walk too? Being a Christian requires doing both, which may be very difficult sometimes, but it must be done. If you are going to be a Christian, what you say is of little import to what you DO.  Do your actions reflect God’s image or that of the other guy?  Who do you put first?  Pretty basic questions that often we don’t like the answer to. But they must be answered nevertheless, all the same.

We find a lot of help in John’s words, he give us insight into things that none of the other disciples do.  We need help.  We pray for help.  So, what about prayer?  Let’s start with who do we pray to?

Jesus is pretty clear.  Don’t pray to Him, pray to God.  Feel free to use His Name.  Pray to God in His Name.  In effect, we are CC’ing (Carbon copying, to use an electronic mail (email) term.) Jesus in our prayers. We are not to put Him in the To: line, but the CC line. Not addressing Him directly, but to address God directly with Jesus copied, as it were. He tells us God loves us because we love Jesus.   But, pray to God. I think that not many people have ever understood this part of scripture, as I have heard people pray to Jesus when he is not the correct person to address your prayers to. He specifically tells us to direct the prayers to His Father, who can better help us.

If that is the case, seems like it pretty much rules out praying to Saint Bob, does it not? If we can’t pray to Jesus, why would we be praying to a Saint,, we be praying to a  human, who we may or may not put any trust in. But if we pray to God, we can be certain that he will answer us, and even if we don’t like the answer, we know that is the course we will have to take. It doesn’t matter if we like God’s answer or not, we still have to listen to it, and do it anyway, knowing it will be the right path in the end. We will always have some sort of a struggle with this in our lives, but if we turn to God, He will help us win our struggle. We have to realize what we truly need and ask that He will open our hearts, minds and souls to His answer, that we might act upon His answer.

So, pray to God, ask for what you want in Jesus Name.  He always listens and He always delivers.  The problem for us is that what He delivers is what we need, not necessarily what we want. Our wants and our needs are different, they are almost always never the same. But we should want what we need, and God will help us understand that, if we be a doer and a hearer of His Word. He will always give us what we need, but will we listen to what He wants us to do?

Need and want, they are both four letter words, oft used interchangeably, which do not mean the same thing.

God’s Will is always done, we just don’t understand.  Accept what happens as acceptable, so long as you have done all you can.  In the end, all that counts is where you go when you leave here.  That depends on your actions in following Jesus’ instructions.  If you believe, you are safe.  Now and forever.

Ø     Talk the Talk;
       AND
Ø     Walk the Walk.

It is an uphill trail.  The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.

The time is now, not tomorrow.  The time has come, indeed.  How will you ACT?

It is by our actions we are known.

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

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

Doers of the Word
James 1:21
Rogation Sunday
May 25, 2014

Today is Rogation Sunday.  That means today, and the following days until Ascensiontide, are set aside as special days of prayer and seeking God.  I encourage you to make a special effort in prayer during this time.  I promise it will be worth it.  I am not talking about just asking God for things.  One of the primary reasons most people don’t pray is because they see prayer as asking God for things, and they just get tired of it.  Most of us here already have everything.  We live in luxury kings never dreamed of a hundred years ago.  Solomon was wealthy beyond imagination, but can you imagine what he would have given for an air conditioner on the hot summer nights of ancient Israel?  So we ask God for health, and protection, and continued prosperity, and maybe we ask Him to heal a friend and bless our family, and we find we have run out of prayers.  We say we are going to spend the night in prayer, but after few minutes we run out of things to say.  Now, it is right to ask God for health and healing and the necessities of life; let me be clear about that.  But a much larger and more important aspect of prayer is what we would call worship.  You have noticed that our service of Morning Prayer is actually a worship service.  It contains hymns and readings from the Bible and much recognition of the grace and glory of God.  And it tells the story of the cross.  It recites the Gospel every time we pray it.  It tells of our sin, but it also tells of the wonderful grace of God, who, “pardoneth and absolveth all those who truly repent and unfeignedly believe His holy Gospel.”  This is one of the most wonderful aspects of our service.  Yes, it is wonderful to pray in the same liturgy used by the people of God for two thousand years.  Yes, I love the sense of connection and history I feel in praying the very same words prayed by Christ and the Apostles and millions who have gone before me in the faith. But more than that, I love that the Gospel and the Bible are the center of our prayers.  And I love that our prayers are worship.  In them we honour God for His majesty and glory.  In them we give thanks for God’s love and care for us.  Most of all, we give thanks for the Gospel of full and free salvation through the cross of Christ.

There is something else about this service that is very important, and it is one of the most important and foundational aspect of real prayer.  It shapes you.  It shapes the way you think about God, the world, and even yourself.  In prayer you are letting God shape you from the inside out.  You are letting God replace worldly and sinful ideas and values with Godly, Biblical ideas and values.  So, in prayer, you are placing yourself in God’s hands and letting Him transform you.  The New Testament word for transformation is “sanctification,” which is the process of becoming holy.  It is the process of becoming the person God wants you to be.  Real prayer/worship is an intentional attempt to let God transform and sanctify you into the person He wants you to be.  James 1:21 tells us to receive the engrafted word, that is Christ as revealed in the Bible, which is able to save your soul.  And James 1:22 tells us to be doers of the word, not hearers only. Sanctification is the process of becoming doers of what we learn in the Bible.  That’s why reading the Bible is such an important part of prayer.  In the Bible we receive Christ the engrafted word.  In the Bible we look into Christ, the perfect law of liberty.  Reading the Bible we are transformed, sanctified, made holy, by the renewing of our minds. Prayer/worship is a time to look upon Jesus, and fill our minds with the vision of God given in the Bible.   If only we would let ourselves see the surpassing value of Christ, we would throw away all else to grow closer to Him.  We would sell all our tiny pearls to get Him, the one Pearl of Great Price.  Nothing else would matter to us.  No pain would be too severe.  No loss would be too great.  No sacrifice would deter us from the goal of gaining Christ.  Our prayers would be unceasing, and their theme would always be, “Lord God, give me Christ.”

Something else happens to us when we devote ourselves to real prayer and worship.  We grow closer to God, of course, and, as we grow closer to God, we find God Himself is working a spiritual healing in our souls.  We find ourselves gaining the strength to handle the pains of the world.  More importantly, our values and hopes are being conformed to what God values and desires for us, and this gives us a sense of calm in the soul.  It gives us that peace the world cannot give.  It works something like this.  As we give ourselves to God in prayer/worship we are letting Him sanctify us.  As He makes us holy, we are enabled to let go of past hurts and sins, along with their destructive influences in our lives.  We are enabled to forgive past hurts and to accept God’s forgiveness of our own sins.  As we are enabled to accept God’s forgiveness of our sins, we are also enabled to forgive ourselves of our sins against others, and even against ourselves.  As we let God love us, we are enabled to love others, and yes, enabled to love God.  The result of this is that the anger and despondency that tends to accumulate in the human soul is displaced.  It is crowded out by hope and faith and thankfulness and love.  It is replaced with God.

This is what we are seeking in prayer.  This is what real prayer does for us.  This is why we are urged to spend much time in prayer.  And so I conclude with this exhortation, dearly beloved, watch and pray.
--
+Dennis Campbell

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

Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor - St. Paul's Anglican Church - Anglican Orthodox Church
Bishop Roy is pastor of the biggest AOC parish West of the Mississippi and is in charge of the Diocese of the Epiphany. 

Fifth Sunday after Easter
Rogation Sunday
25 May 2014
Psalm 65 - Ezekiel 34:25-31 - Luke 11:1-13

Before there was Thanksgiving Day there were Rogation Days. On those days Christians gathered at the church and marched in procession through the fields and around the parish boundaries reciting prayers and chanting psalms. They would acknowledge their dependence on God for all the necessities of life and thank him for proving them. They would also ask his blessing on their crops and on their lives in general.

I don't know why the custom became associated with Ascension Day, but I think it may just be that Spring planting in Western Europe, where the custom began, occurs about forty days after Easter, the same time as Ascension Day.

In the American Church the theme of the Rogation Days has been largely taken up into Thanksgiving Day, which is peculiar to The United States. Thanksgiving Day is a civil holiday for which the church provides a set of propers suitable to the observance. The date is set by civil authority in the Fall, at harvest time rather than at planting time, so it conflicts with another religious observance, namely football season.

There is also an attempt to preempt the Rogation Days with another secular observance, namely "Earth Day". Now please don't get me wrong. Such issues as pollution and conservation of natural resources and carbon footprints, and the need to share God's bounty are certainly important matters. But the rational for Earth Day is essentially secular and perhaps even pagan rather than Christian. It harks back to the old nature worship that was associated with the goddess that some have called "Gaia" and most of us call "Mother Earth". Nevertheless our duty as stewards of God's creation requires us to pay attention to them, and the Rogation Days remind us of that.

In each of our passages for this Rogation Sunday we read about:

A.   Blessings of the earth upon mankind (the Psalms);
B.    The peace of the Lord upon his people and in the gospel reading;
C.   The correct way to approach God about our needs. Here Jesus teaches his disciples to pray and also give the early church a blueprint on how to properly pray.

A. The blessings of the earth:

The psalmist outlines in the 65th Psalm the natural and spiritual blessings that the Lord pours out upon his people. Verse four tells us of the irresistible pull of the Lord. He causes those who he chooses to approach him {the Lord} to dwell in his courts and to be satisfied with the goodness of his house. That man is blessed. Understand that ‘man’ means any human who is called.2. Pretty much the rest of the psalm is a song of thanksgiving. The rains that come to water the fields which yield an abundant crop, the hills rejoice, the pasture is good, all accounts of thanksgiving to God who is to be praised. Which brings us back to the ascription found in the first verse.  ‘...praise waited for thee, O God in Zion..., O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come...’  We are to praise God for what he has given us and because he hears our prayer we are drawn to him.

B. The peace of the Lord upon his people through the Hebrew people to the world in the future:

   This passage from Ezekiel focuses on the peace and safety of God’s people. And as we read of this coming peace, the coming safety of all who dwell upon the earth we must understand that it is through the Hebrew people that is comes to the rest of the world. In verses 30 and 31 we see that the people will know that I am the Lord their God and he is with them, even the house of Israel, and ye are my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I AM YOUR GOD, saith the Lord God.  It can’t be any more direct than that.

25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.
27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.
28 And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.
29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.
30 Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God.
31 And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.

C. The correct way to approach God about our needs.

There are so many good studies on the ‘Lord’s Prayer’, I don’t want to rehash them here. There are a large number of papers, books, studies all dealing with the whole content of the Lord’s Prayer. Suffice it to say; there are several fundamental things we are to do when we pray.

1.     Praise God. “Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
2.     Acknowledge that God is in charge. “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
3.     Be thankful for our daily sustenance, every day.
4.     Forgive others as we ask Him to forgive us.
5.     Keep us from temptation, by delivering us from evil.

In the rest of the passage from Luke Jesus outlines the blessings that come from the Father.

He points to what friends would do in urgent situations. He explains that we are to ask, we are to knock on the door as the friend did when he needed some bread.

Now before you start asking for that Cadillac or that fancy house, understand the original prayer, ‘...thy will be done as in heaven, so in earth...’  In other words according to the will of God, not our wants, but our needs to be taken care of.

There are too many preachers who are giving false hope, the “name it and claim it” preachers who say all you have to do is pray for it and God is obligated to give it to you. If you don’t get your prayers answered, according to these false preachers, it is because YOUR faith is too weak.[2]

God, who is perfect, knows what we need before we ask, and yet as Jesus modeled in the prayer he taught his disciples, we are to ask. We are to ask for our daily bread, our sins be forgiven, and to remember that His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

    As we reflect on the scripture we heard today, let us be thankful for the great blessings God has given us. For the bounty of the earth, for the blessings he has bestowed upon us and most importantly the salvation that he gave us through his Son Jesus, that perfect, once and for all sacrifice for the remission of sins.

Let us pray:

O
 Lord, from whom all good things do come, Grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that are good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ.     Amen.

A
lmighty God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead; We give thee thanks for all those thy servants who have laid down their lives in the service of our country. Grant to them thy mercy and the light of thy presence, that the good work which thou hast begun in them may be perfected; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord.   Amen

Let us ever be thankful for God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Rev Rick Reid of Saint Peter’s Sunday Sermon
We are happy to have a sermon from Reverend Rick Reid, minister of Saint Peter’s, whose congregation is right at the Worldwide Headquarters of the Anglican Orthodox Church.  Rev Rick has all the resources and challenges right at hand.  This sermon is great and I think you will enjoy it.

Rogation Sunday   John 16:23

Today is the fifth and last Sunday of the Easter season.       It is called "Rogation Sunday", and is immediately followed by the three Rogation Days, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week.

he word "Rogation” comes from the Latin verb rogare, meaning "to ask", or “to pray”. The three Rogation Days are traditionally days of special prayer and asking for God's blessing on the spring planting.

In times past, (and still today in some areas of the world) Rogation ceremonies included a procession through the fields, and all around the boundaries of the parish.

The theme of "Rogation", or "asking", is, in fact, introduced in today's Gospel when Jesus says: Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask and, ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Today's Gospel, with its emphasis on prayer, introduces the theme of Rogation. But, to understand more fully the meaning of today's propers, we must also think about them in the context of the Easter season. Largely because they are the conclusion of a series of Easter lessons setting before us the meaning of Jesus' Resurrection, and what it means for our own life, in Him.

This entire series answers the question, "What does it mean for us to be risen with Christ?"

As we follow the Easter propers prayerfully, week by week, we notice the Gospels present, step by step, Jesus' own teaching on the meaning of his Resurrection; while the Epistles seek to show us how that meaning is worked out in the practicalities of our own Christian life.

Thus, we are shown, in practical terms, just what it means to "seek those things which are above".

Today’s Epistle, (as was last week’s), was from St. James’ Epistle, which is considered by many to be the most practical book in the New Testament. Its emphasis is upon behavior rather than upon belief. St. James point out that genuine faith is not merely an abstract belief, but should be expressed in the way we live. Listen to what he says:

18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith, by my works.19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? James (2:18-20)

The point is really very simple: reciting the Creeds is one thing; living the Creeds is something else. Acknowledging the fact of Jesus' Resurrection is one thing; living (in ourselves), His risen life is another. That is what St. James' point is; and in today's Epistle, he warns us about self-deception in this matter. "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." Belief, unless you live it, is only self deception.

How are we to be doers of Jesus' Resurrection doers of Easter? and not hearers only? What does it really mean to be doers of Jesus' risen life?

The answer is there in our Easter propers, for us both to hear, and to do: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Col. 3:1-3). "Set your minds on things above", some very good, practical advice, for every one of us here at St. Peter’s. But, as St. James reminds us, "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves".

The grip of the world is very strong upon all of us. We sometimes hear the word of God, and carry on in our lives as though we had never heard it.    It is only by serious, deliberate, and habitual measuring of our lives, in the perspective of God's word, and in His will, that we can become doers, and not just self-deceiving hearers.

You can be a casual hearer; but you can't be a casual doer, because that is nothing but self-deception.

The basic, fundamental element in doing God's word is prayer; Prayer,  is not just asking for this or that; prayer is essentially relating to God, all we are, all that goes on around us, all we do, and of all that happens to us.    Whatever it may be, we lift it up, we hold it up before God, as today's Gospel tells us, in Jesus' name, and thus we see it, we understand it, in a new way, in a new perspective. It does not change God's eternal will, but it does change us. We lift it up; we ask it, in Jesus' name. That is to say, with the sacrificial obedience of Jesus, we offer it to God; we submit it to God's will. Such prayer, says Jesus, is always answered: "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you, ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full".

Whatsoever we ask in Jesus' name, we ask in perfect submission to God's will; thy will be done, not our own desires or whims, in God's will, we have our answer, and our peace. As last Sunday's Collect put it, Our hearts will "surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found."

St. James, at the end of today's Epistle, gives us a definition of pure religion: "To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world".

The practicality of charity is evident enough, and the necessary expression of living faith. But don't forget the conclusion of that definition: "To keep himself unspotted from the world".           

That is to say, Christian practicality requires that we not succumb to worldly attitudes, judgments and perspectives; but live, rather, in the perspective of habitual prayer, which seeks always the things above, and sees, judges, and measures all things from that standpoint.

Our new life in Christ, our Easter life, insofar as we are doers, and not just hearers, places us at odds with the world, because the world sees, judges, and measures very differently.

Jesus warns us about this in today's Gospel: "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer", he says, "I have overcome the world."

We too, can overcome the world by putting our faith in Him who died, and was buried, and rose again for us, and for all mankind.  Amen

After Church Hospitality
We got our first snacks picture[3].  It came in on Thursday, mid-morning and I was hungry, then starving after seeing them.  Look how the congregation at Saint Peter’s, right at the Worldwide Headquarters of the Anglican Orthodox Church, celebrated Mothers Day!


Now the standard is set!  You don’t have to put on a feast like this, but you do have to send pictures of your after church snacks. 



[1] From the Book of Common Prayer page 42
[2] What they miss is that we pray for what we want, God gives us what we need.  Need and want are two different words we use interchangeably that do not mean the same thing.
[3] Thank you so much Cinder Carroll for sending the pictures!