Third Sunday in Lent

The Propers for today are found on Page 128-130, with the Collect first:

The Third Sunday in Lent.

The Collect.

W

E beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

The first day of Lent, commonly called
Ash Wednesday.

The Collect.

A

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

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

The Epistle for today came from the Fifth Chapter of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians beginning at the First Verse. He echoes the advice of St. James in his general epistle to be Christians, not just claim to be followers of Christ, when James wrote, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

B

E ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

The Gospel for this morning came from in the Eleventh Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke beginning at the Fourteenth Verse.

J

ESUS was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Today’s Epistle and Gospel share the same theme. You must walk the talk. You must keep constant vigilance against backsliding, for a fallen Christian is in worse shape than one who was never exposed to The Word. The Epistle and Gospel talk about the curious dichotomy; you are saved by faith, your faith alone saves you, not what you do; yet if you have faith, you must act on that faith. When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and repent of the sin of your former life, you are forgiven of your sins. This is not a signal to keep on sinning and keep on saying you repent. Rather your acceptance of Jesus Christ as your savior and your repentance is the beginning of your life as a New Man in Jesus. Will you slip? Without doubt. But, when you do, will you again repent and continue to do your best to follow the Word of God, the Light and the Truth? Indeed, if you are a Christian that is what you must do. You are called to believe and act on those beliefs to the best of your ability. Remember the second half of the Book of Luke is The ACTS of the Apostles, not thoughts, wishes, prayers or meditations. ACTS.

The Bible - All Versions are the same, some are just easier to read - Or, are they?

The following remarks taken from talk given by Dr. Lloyd-Jones in 1954:

"I suppose that the most popular of all the proposals at the present moment is to have a new translation of the Bible.... The argument is that people are not reading the Bible any longer because they do not understand its language - particularly the archaic terms - What does your modern man....know about justification, sanctification, and all these biblical terms? And so we are told the one thing that is necessary is to have a translation that Tom, Dick, and Harry will understand, and I began to feel about six months ago that we had almost reached the stage in which the Authorized Version was being dismissed, to be thrown into limbo of things forgotten, no longer of any value. Need I apologize for saying a word in favor of the Authorized Version in this gathering...?

"It is a basic proposition laid down by the Protestant Reformers, that we must have a Bible 'understanded of the people.' That is common sense...we must never be obscurantists. We must never approach the Bible in a mere antiquarian spirit... but it does seem to me that there is a very grave danger incipient in so much of the argument that is being presented today for these new translations. There is a danger, I say, of surrendering something that is vital and essential....

"Take this argument that the modern man does not understand such terms as justification, sanctification, and so on. I want to ask a question. When did the ordinary man ever understand these terms?... Did the colliers to whom John Wesley and George Whitefield preached in the 18th century understand? They had not even been to a day of school...they could not read, they could not write. Yet these were the terms that were used. This was the version that was used - the Authorized Version. The common people have never understood these terms...We are concerned here with something that is spiritual; something which does not belong to this world at all; which, as the Apostle Paul reminds us, the princes of this world do not know. Human wisdom is of no value here - it is a spiritual truth. This is the truth about God primarily, and because of that, it is a mystery...

"Yet we are told - it must be put in such simple terms and language that anybody taking it up and reading it is going to understand all about it. My friends, this is sheer nonsense. What we must do is to educate the masses of the people up to the Bible, not bring the Bible down to their level. One of the greatest troubles today is that everything is cheapened. The common man is made the standard of authority; he decides everything, and everything has to be brought down to him....

"Are we to do that with the Word of God? I say No! What has happened in the past has been this - ignorant, illiterate people, in this country and in foreign countries, coming into salvation have been educated up to the Book and have begun to understand it, to glory in it, and to praise God for it, and I say that we need to do the same at this present time. What we need is therefore, not to replace the Authorized Version....we need to reach and train people up to the standard and the language, the dignity and the glory of the old Authorized Version."

Comment

We've heard the accusation of obsolescence leveled against the Authorized Version (AV) since time immemorial. There is a book written providing definitions for the archaic words used in the AV and Book of Common Prayer, The Bible Word-Book, at least one edition of which was published in 1866

Other versions, such as the English Standard, may have “modernized language”, but are no easier to read and much less imbued with the grandeur of The Word. Even worse, they not only grate on the ear when read, but contain numerous theological changes which are unacceptable and often hidden in wording which seems to attempt to sound like the truth, but differs.

Consider this – The words like justification, sanctification and so forth are mostly terms we use to describe concepts inherent in the Bible. Where they show in the AV, they are understandable. The AV was written at the High School level of the time, no more. It is one of the better examples of English writing. This is in no way meant to condone Paul’s apparent fear of PERIODs. For whatever reason, he feels strongly they are not to be used more than one to a page!

Yet, today more than any time in the past, those who are considered “literate” are barely so. Real reading and study for most people is a thing of the past. The AV is above most people’s level. The solution is not to lower the standard, but raise people to that standard.

We need no substitute for the AV. We could use a Change One that re-words Commandment Six to the correct wording of Thou shalt do no murder. Other than that, the AV seems accurate in its translation and does justice, as far as possible, to a work that is the Word of God. You hear the complaint, “People don’t talk like that anymore.” They did not talk like that at the time the Bible was published. The Bible was intentionally put together to have grandeur that would be rightly associated with the Word of God. One of the words often pointed out as in need of modernizing is THOU, which revisionists change to YOU. Thou is the second person familiar, for which they substitute the second person formal, you. There is a real difference between the two, particularly when we use it for God. How wonderful to be able to call our God in the familiar? How personal? How meant to be? Yet, in our collective ignorance we should change that?

Yet, this is not to argue the point that most people find it off putting at first, once in they generally love the work.

So, is there a solution?

Indeed!

A paraphrase of the Bible, such as The Message, paraphrasing into modern American (not English, thank you) the concepts the AV contains. Easy reading and compacted, substituting drawings and tables for Numbers, so to speak. Once people taken a small bite of the subject, they will be interested, many will be willing to work their way through the AV to see what the “source document” says. The paraphrase is not meant to be the “Real Thing”, but is it better than no thing, or a poor thing, or an inaccurate thing or worse an intentionally wrong thing.

If I had the resources, I would sponsor an accurate, both theologically and doctrinally, paraphrase to bring people in contact to God’s Word, so they can be drawn closer to Him.

Thoughts on the Twenty-Third Psalm by Bishop Ogles

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. Psalms 23:1-6

I feel a great reluctance in preparing this devotion on the 23rd Psalm. Its beauty, majesty, and high spiritual character render it above any human capacity to expand upon. So please view my commentary thereon as a simple statement of what the Psalm means to me.

The LORD is my shepherd This is the beginning point of every Christian walk – to know and acknowledge Christ as our Shepherd. He made us, sustains us, and calls us to Him. No other cares for us as He does. All others simply desire to use us and to ruin us in the process; but Christ loves His sheep. He eats, sleeps, and keeps watch with them day and night. He has given His very Life-Blood for them. This, a stranger will not do. He is always conscious of our needs and feeds us.

I shall not want All of our needs will be provided by the Shepherd. Those desires we have that will not benefit, but harm us, He will with hold. But our wants (those needs we have to sustain us in our journey and being) He will see to. We are mere sheep and cannot know where the pastures of feeding will be found for the morrow, but He knows and makes provision for our being led to them.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures Sheep are fickle creatures. They are reluctant to lie down just any place. They will shy away from lying down where they do not feel secure (it is difficult for them to arise due to the structure of their legs). They will not lie down unless they are first fed. They will not lie down where pests will annoy them. They only lie down where they are secure, well-fed, and serene.

He leadeth me beside the still waters. To those who love the Shepherd, all waters are still waters to them. They have peace in spite of the external havoc that may exist around them. The waters of the Lord are still and deep! His provision of the waters of life is boundless and pure. Though we wander in the wilderness of the world, to our eyes and thirst will always be visible the Still Waters of the Lord.

He restoreth my soul Because we are as sheep compared to the Providence of God, we often fail and falter. We loose confidence in our walk. But He lifts us up and gives us new hope. Are we weary? He encourages us by His Voice –“ just a bit further in the journey and we will have found the new pastures to which I am leading you.” When we are too tired to proceed, He lifts us to His breast and carries us near His Heart just as the shepherds do until this day. His Voice is uniquely different from every other voice and we respond to it as sheep do to their shepherd.

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. He only leads continually in the right way to sanctify us and improve our lives. As the Psalmist says: “All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies." Psalms 25:10. Through our obedience and righteous living, we glorify our Shepherd. All the other shepherds stand in awe at the orderly and loving company of His flock.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; For me, this is the most powerful line in the Psalm. I call to the bar the following two witnesses: 1) The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. (Matt 4:16) and 2) Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. (John 8:51). The first witness speaks of that great Light of Christ. Shadows cannot exist in the presence of Light. The last witness, the Lord Himself, assures us that we may only view the ‘shadow of death’ but a shadow is not the real thing, but only a spectre. The Ark offered complete security for Noah and his family because they stood WITH God. The Ark of Christ is always and forever the safe place. He is with us even in the valley of the ‘shadow of death’. We need not fear for the Shepherd is with us, and where He leads is always to a place of greater and more abundant blessing.

Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me The Shepherd’s Staff is both a Rod and a Staff. The top end has a hook in it to rescue those little lambs who fall in the rocks and crevices. The Shepherd pulls them from places of danger with His staff. But the bottom end of the Staff is a sharpened Rod. It is used to prod the sheep who attempt to wonder into danger. The Lord uses both in leading us in life’s journey. If we remain alert and obedient, the Shepherd will not need the use of either end of His Staff.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies No matter the presence of strong enemies in the field arrayed against us, the Shepherd will take measures to feed His sheep. He feeds us with the food that is comfortable for us. The greenest grass on the slopes and valleys of pasture is our food. The enemy (wolves, lions, dogs) lurking around the perimeter of the flock cannot eat our food. It is not suitable to them for they must have blood only. So He feeds us before them.

Thou anointest my head with oil He takes time and care to anoint us with the oil of the Holy Spirit. So anointed, we appear refreshed and present a pleasant fragrance by our love and obedience to our Shepherd.

My cup runneth over Certainly, there are moments in which a child of God can barely handle the enormity of love and spiritual blessing flowing from God’s Hand to us. The world often wonders how a Christian can seemingly be overcome with troubles and yet give every evidence of joy and happiness in his state. I have discovered that the best method to dispel sorrow or depression is to sing the Godly and classic old hymns of the church – the same I have heard from my mother’s lips as a child. God does not only fill our Cups ….He fills them to overflowing. As we drink from our cups, they remain still full and still overflowing. His Grace is a well-spring of Living Waters.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life SURELY! Beyond any doubt or question! Even the judgments of God are mercy for His people. His Hand of blessing will follow us everywhere and all the time, even to the end of our earthly journey and, yes, beyond into eternity!

I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever The most palatial mansion awaits those who wait upon the Lord. The Home of God is our Home! We will abide there, not as servants, but as sons and daughters forever and forever. All that He owns He has given to His beloved children, but the greatest gift of all will be the fellowship with Christ, with the Holy Spirit, and with God the Father. We shall then eat freely of the fruit of that Tree which was taken from the Garden because of the sin of Adam. We shall dwell together in heavenly places, and love each other and our God.

The depth and beauty of this great Psalm is beyond our complete understanding. Our attempts to render all of its majestic beauty from the few short lines of it will always be a humiliating failure for God’s every Word is so pregnant with meaning that the depths of the Sea are insufficient to fathom the fullness thereof. This Psalm is like a precious gem, or diamond. When held up to the light, one sees striking rays of gleaming blue. Another will see bold shafts of golden beauty. Another observer, looking at the same stone, will see effulgent white, green or red. Is there a disparity of meaning? Do we see the same stone wrongly? Not at all for God is Light. His Light is White and pure. White Light is composed of every color in the rainbow! It takes all colors combined together to produce white. God is all of those Colors. He provides different glimpses of Himself to each of us according to our present need and ability to see.

May this Lenten Season be one which climaxes in a multitude of gems of new truth and knowledge for everyone who seeks the face of the Lord.

Jerry L. Ogles

WJerry L. Ogles, D.D.

Presiding Bishop,

Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

It's Litany Time

This is the time of the year when many Anglican Churches use The Litany to start the service and omit the Prayer for the Whole State of Christ’s Church. Interestingly enough, The Litany was the first part of the church service to be translated into English; that may be a lesson in and of itself.

The word Litany means: A solemn form of supplication in the public worship of various churches, in which the clergy and congregation joins, the former leading and the latter responding in alternate sentences. It is usually of a penitential character.

Interestingly enough in colloquial English it means an endless list, usually of complaints.

In The Litany, over and over, the congregation asks God and/or Christ to “hear us”:

· We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

· Son of God, we beseech thee to hear us.

Over and Over

Perhaps we are asking our Lord God the wrong thing. For, He, who needs no reminding of the death of a sparrow, seems likely to hear us the first time. The more important thing to ask Him is for help in not only hearing Him, but actually listening to Him and following His instructions. We miss the point when we beg Him to hear us. We need to ask His help to HEAR HIM and ACT ON HIS WORD.

As my lovely wife says, “Please fill us with the Holy Ghost, even if (and probably particularly if) You have to pry open our mouths and force Him down our throats!”

Second Sunday in Lent

The Propers for today are found on Page 127-128, with the Collect first:

The Second Sunday in Lent.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

The first day of Lent, commonly called
Ash Wednesday.

The Collect.

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

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

The Epistle for today came from the Fourth Chapter of Paul’s First letter to the Thessalonians beginning at the First Verse. Apparently the Corinthians were not the only church founded in a Red Light District. In this letter Paul is telling the people to refrain from random sex and get married. Paul is starting into the beginning of his New Man concept. We are called to be as God wants us to be, not as we would be without His guidance and help. God does this, not that we would miss fun, but rather that we would enjoy happiness.

WE beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

This morning’s Gospel comes from the Gospel of Saint Matthew, the Fifteenth Chapter, beginning at the Twenty-First Verse.

JESUS went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

This story surfaces again in the Book of Common Prayer in the Prayer of Humble Access, on page 82:

WE do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.

First Sunday after Lent

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

The First Sunday in Lent.

The Collect.

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

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

The first day of Lent, commonly called
Ash Wednesday.

The Collect.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Remember, Jesus has fasted 40 days OF HIS OWN CHOICE; turn the stone into bread. This to the Son of He who delivered manna daily to the Jews in the wilderness for 40 years.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Like the temptation of Jesus, the devil never delivers what we need, only what we may want short term. Remember as little as the devil understands of Christ, no he understands little of us. He will never offer you real help. Remember that and the temptation is ever so much less.

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

The Prodigal Son and Lesson you may not have learned

First, the Fifteenth Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Luke beginning at the Tenth Verse:

10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:

12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

The Prodigal Son and Lesson you may not have learned

When we read the story of the Prodigal Son, it seems we almost always concentrate on the lesson to be learned from the son’s return home. That lesson is pretty clear; God is there for us, all we have to do is repent and return. He is there with open arms, He always has been and He always will be. He does not scold on seeing us coming from afar, but holds His arms out in joyous greeting. When He welcomes us back, we are complete and full members of His family, as if we never left. We return to our status as full heirs of His Kingdom.

But, there is another lesson, oft missed, that of the older son. We easily see ourselves as the younger son, climbing back from the brink of the pit to the Father’s welcome arms.

What of the older son? The older son who has kept his father’s strict rules; worked hard; sweat and bled for his family. He is understandably upset when he finds his younger formerly dissolute brother has returned and been welcomed with open arms and a seemingly wide open pocket book, when he himself had not been given even a kid to throw a party with! One can see his vision of yet another portion of his family’s inheritance going down the drain. As Yogi Berra once said, “Its like Déjà vu all over again!” His feelings are understandable; yet are they the feelings of Christ? Should he not, too, be joyous in his brother’s return? The answer we know is a simple yes.

We miss this because it is too close to our own hearts. We see those who have not followed Christ trying to repent and somehow in our hearts we worry, like those workers in the vineyard, they will get the same deal we got. We are not being shortchanged by God because He is gracious to them. He is gracious to all. As Paul pointed out, “All fall short.” All includes each of us. Each, not some, not most or even almost all. Each of us!

So, back to the older brother. The older brother has a problem. Not only is he hurt because his father loves his brother (a dissolute sloth) as much as he loves him (who he perceives as good, though in reality every bit the rogue), he will now be sharing the family’s wealth with the returning brother.

For us, there is good news. We are not perfect, yet our Father loves us as much as He loves those less imperfect than us. And, unlike the father in the parable, our Father has unlimited resources of unimaginable goodness. So, in this case ¼ of an unlimited inheritance is every bit as much as ½ of an unlimited inheritance. We have nothing to worry about.

Let us open our hearts to all of God’s family. Be joyous, not begrudging of those whose return from that “far country.”

Think about Psalm 100:

O BE joyful in the Lord, all ye lands: * serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song.

Be ye sure that the Lord he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; * we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; * be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name.

For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting; * and his truth endureth from generation to generation.

Be particularly joyful that all who come to Him get the same deal, no matter when.

Holy Communion – Frequency and Intent

The issue of how often to hold Holy Communion is an interesting one. You will often find those in the ministerial role who desire to be addressed as Father calling for Holy Communion any time they can gather two or three together. They insist the only real service is Holy Communion, to which they oft refer to as Mass.

If you look back in history, you find the early reformed church through the late 1800s often had Morning or Evening Prayer as the primary service, with Holy Communion once or twice a month. That could have been because that was how often a minister was available or it could be a recognition of the value of each service.

For those who pray every day, evening and night, some form of the prayer service, however abbreviated, Holy Communion every Sunday represents only about 14 percent of the services. For those who only pray at church, it would then represent 100 percent of the services.

When I pray the Lord’s Prayer, I try to read it rather than say it. I do so because it helps me concentrate on the meaning, rather than the saying. If I cannot read it, I say it concentrating on the very meaning to avoid making it another incantation.

It has been my personal experience that congregations who alternate services, Morning / Evening Prayer one week, Holy Communion the next, or once a month, if you like, get more out of the services than those who only have Holy Communion.

I believe strongly that we are here to spread The Word and minister to our congregations’ needs. It is not about my needs, but those of the congregation. That meets God’s needs, thus mine.

Of course, I am the guy in the black polo shirt.

Tell me about Lent, please.

Lent started out as a three day preparation for Easter, the Resurrection of Christ. The Forty Day Lent originated in the fourth century of the church. The season of Lent spans 40 weekdays beginning on Ash Wednesday and climaxing during Holy Week with Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), Good Friday, and concluding Saturday before Easter. Originally, Lent was the time of preparation for those who were to be baptized, a time of concentrated study and prayer before their baptism at the Easter Vigil, the celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord early on Easter Sunday. But since these new members were to be received into a living community of Faith, the entire community was called to preparation. Also, this was the time when those who had been separated from the Church would prepare to rejoin the community.

Today, Lent is marked by a time of prayer and preparation to celebrate Easter. Since Sundays celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the six Sundays that occur during Lent are not counted as part of the 40 days of Lent, and are referred to as the Sundays in Lent. The number 40 is connected with many biblical events, but especially with the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for His ministry by facing the temptations that could lead him to abandon his mission and calling. Christians today use this period of time for introspection, self examination, and repentance. This season of the year is equal only to the Season of Advent in importance in the Christian year, and is part of the second major grouping of Christian festivals and sacred time that includes Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost.

Lent has traditionally been marked by penitential prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Some churches today still observe a rigid schedule of fasting on certain days during Lent, especially the giving up of meat, alcohol, sweets, and other types of food. Other traditions do not place as great an emphasis on fasting, but focus on charitable deeds, especially helping those in physical need with food and clothing, or simply the giving of money to charities. Most Christian churches that observe Lent at all focus on it as a time of prayer, especially penance, repenting for failures and sin as a way to focus on the need for God’s grace. It is really a preparation to celebrate God’s marvelous redemption at Easter, and the resurrected life that we live, and hope for, as Christians.

Many people think of Lent as a time for self-improvement, self-denial, self-education, self-this and self-that. They miss the point. Lent is about reassessment of your aim point. It is about adjusting your targeting to keep your self out of things and put God in them. It is about you being better as a consequence of doing what God has asked you, not about you being better so God will like you. It is not just about asking God what you should do, but about listening and then doing what He tells you. It is about God, not you or me. There is no I, me, you or even U in God.

Tell me about Quinquagesima, please

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

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

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

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

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

Quinquagesima, or the second Sunday before Lent

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

The Sunday called Quinquagesima, or the

second Sunday before Lent.

The Collect.

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

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

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

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

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

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