Sixth Sunday after Trinity

The Propers for today are found on Page 197-198, with the Collect first:

The Sixth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

O

 GOD, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man’s understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Dru Arnold read the Epistle, which came from the Paul’s letter to the Romans, beginning at the First Verse of the Sixth Chapter.  Paul tells us that as we were baptized unto Jesus in life, so we are baptized unto his death.  We share His death on the Cross for our sins and by His death, our sin is dead; then as He was raised up, so are we.  It is intended the death we die unto sin is to be permanent and that we go forth and sin no more.  Yet, as long as we live here on earth, we sin.  Yet, as long as we live in Christ, we live.  Thus, we reckon ourselves “to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

K

NOW ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Deacon Striker Jack Arnold read today’s Holy Gospel which started in the Fifth Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew, beginning at the Twentieth Verse. Jesus tells his disciples, “Except your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”  Very worrisome indeed!  Scribes and Pharisees spent their entire lives acting the epitome of righteousness.  There is no way mere mortals could exceed their righteousness, or so it would seem.  Jesus goes on to tell us that not only would we not go to heaven if we commit murder, but we are in danger of the same judgment of we are angry without just cause.  If that were not worrisome enough, we are in danger of hell-fire if we call one another a fool!  Let not the night fall on discord with your family and friends, your neighbors in the Christian sense of The Word.  The text following asks us to do our best to follow Jesus and in return, his sacrifice will serve to set aside the just judgment and we shall be accounted as righteous before God.

J

ESUS said unto his disciples, Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt do no murder; and whosoever murdereth shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

Sermon – Time and Action

Today’s sermon tied the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together.

Consider the words from the Collect,  … who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man’s understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire …

We acknowledge that God will give those who love Him more good than they can imagine, let alone ask for.  But, first you have to love Him.  So what should we ask for?  The Holy Ghost to enter in to our hearts that we might truly love Him.  If we do, more good will come to use than we can even imagine or hope for.

We are imperfect creatures, created with free will by a Perfect Being.  To get into heaven’s gate, we need be accounted as perfect before the Judge.  That requires a bit of an accounting irregularity, to get imperfection accounted as perfection. 

So what does the Collect counsel, ask for the Holy Ghost to enter into our hearts that we might get more than we can desire!  Jesus!  Jesus is that accounting irregularity.  By His Sacrifice, made one time, for all mankind, for all time, we are accounted as perfect by His Faith and action.  Thus, through His Faith and His Action, we attain life everlasting.  Starting today, you don’t have to wait until you die to benefit from your immortality.  In fact, God would prefer you to start acting like you will live forever right now.  Thus, decisions you make, actions you take will be with the long term view of eternity! 

As imperfect creatures, immortal or not, we make mistakes.  One to avoid is being “mad” at ones fellow creatures, particularly family and friends.  We pick the most illogical reasons to be mad, the word chosen rather than angry.  Looked at logically, as God does, we need to solve the issue, kiss and make up, and do it before the sun sets on our anger.  Never part in anger.  One of you may not come back.

When Jesus gave His Life for us, He did it knowing we would fail to follow in perfection, but fully aware some would follow to the best of their ability.  That is all He asks, do your best.  That is not the same as saying you are doing your best.

Bishop Ogles’ Sermon

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

Sermon Notes

Sixth Sunday after Trinity

15 July 2012, Anno Domini

The Sixth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

O

 GOD, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man’s understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

     1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. ² And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. ³ And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. ⁴ And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: ⁵ But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. ⁶ And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? ⁷ If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. ⁸ And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. ⁹ And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? ¹⁰ And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. ¹¹ And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; ¹² When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. ¹³ And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. ¹⁴ Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. ¹⁵ And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. ¹⁶ And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. (Gen 4:1-16)

Our Bible text today exposes the age-old battle between good and evil, right and wrong, Hell and Heaven. Cain and Abel represent the starkly opposing sides of that battle.

     1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. ² And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground

Who was Cain, and who was Abel?

Cain was the first born of woman (Eve). Just as his father, the first man,  Adam represents the human race, fallen and rebellious, so does this son, being the first born upon earth, represent fallen man in the depravity of will and conscience. In every culture and custom, the first born usually occupies the seat of preeminence among the offspring of a family, but with God, it has always been just the opposite: Examples:  (Adam –Christ, Cain-Abel, Ishmael-Isaac, and Esau-Jacob). He is a man, not cursed of God, but cursed by his own sins, unrepented. All who go into the fires of Hell go by their own merits. No one enters Heaven by their own merits – only by the Salvation made available through the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Cain brought an offering to God which was the product of his own labors, and from a source that was cursed – the earth.

Abel was the first prophet born of woman.  He honored God in his worship and obedience. He did not worship God according to his own desires, but in reverence and conformity to the will of God. Abel brought a blood sacrifice which was pleasing to God, and not a product of the labors of his hand. Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. (Matt 23:34-35)

Why was Cain’s offering refused? Because it was not honoring to God. It was a product of the sweat and labor of Cain in tilling the earth. The earth was cursed.  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life (Gen 3:17) Cain was arrogant and presumptuous to bring an offering that he knew was not pleasing to God. He worshipped his OWN way and not the way laid down by God. 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

Abel brought forth a lamb for his offering. The lamb foreshadows that Lamb of God whose coming was necessary to redeem us from our sins. Abel, himself, foreshadows Christ. He was a prophet, and he laid down his life (at the hand of his brother) in making a sacrifice pleasing to God. The sacrifice of Christ was pleasing to God because it conformed to His plan to redeem fallen man. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering  God does not need our good (or truly bad) works. He needs an acceptable offering. That offering is the Blood of Christ. He needs not money and sacrifice now that the sacrifice has been made – He needs a broken and contrite heart. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.  (Psalms 51:17)

 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. When we fail to bring that suitable offering to God mentioned above, why are we upset with God instead of ourselves? We are too much laboring to get God on OUR side instead of getting our hearts and souls on HIS side. So we do wrong and are chastised. We sulk away angry and resentful as a child who has been refused the third popsicle. Being angry with God, contrary to many popular novels of deceit, is not a healthy proposition. Anger against God is a sin! When we embark on the road of harboring one sin, that one sin gives birth prolifically to many sins just as described in Psalms 1. Sin is a road that leads down and down to destruction.

6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. The privilege of the first born was high honor in ancient times.  God tells Cain, “If you do well, your sacrifice would be received and you would not have lost your birthright.” When Isaac blessed Jacob (the second born) he thought he was blessing Esau. Jacob deceived his father in getting that blessing of the first born. Isaac said: Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.  (Gen 27:29) But Cain did not well receive the chastisement of God. He made his prospects of greater damnation in that rejection.

8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. The implication here is that the ‘talk’ Cain had with Abel was not friendly. Perhaps Abel, being a prophet, reminded Cain of his obligation to bring a suitable offering of blood to God. Cain was rich in products grown from the soil – not sheep. So he wanted to offer that which was CONVENIENT to him. Doing things OUR way always leads to ruin. It not only hurts us, but those to whom we owe love. Cain began in disobedience to proper worship, and ended with the murder of his only brother. The reverence and proper order in which we worship is important to God. We do not worship using those products of the world, but in an impeccable manner honoring to that One who bled and died for us.

9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? Not only had Cain failed to be his brother’s keeper, but his murderer instead. How often we attempt to mitigate our sins by committing a greater one. One does not lie to God. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Gal 6:7) and “…….ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out. “ (Num 32:23)

 10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground Though the bodies of the righteous martyrs lie in the earth, their spirits cry unto God from the dust for their murders.  Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘Tale-Tale Heart’ illustrates this even if fiction.

11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth I ask you, friends, what caused the curse to fall upon Cain – God, or Cain’s sins? I believe the answer will be perfectly honest to all who hear this sermon. It was the transgressions and rebellion of Cain that brought upon him the curse! It is the same for us in our day.  God will take from us every privilege because we have renounced right to that privilege.

13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. Whether or not the punishment for our sins is greater than we can bear is irrelevant! We SHALL, indeed, bear them. Sin ALWAYS separates us from God. And who sins, God or us? We separate ourselves from God through our disobedience and disregard for the reverence owed Him in worship – if we worship at all.  Even the world hates the reprobate of God.

15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. Even though despised and hated for his perverted ways, murdering such a one is a sin against God because it would deprive God of the prospect of redemption for even a Peter (who denied Jesus thrice) and you and me for our sins of commission and omission. We shall leave it to God to condemn though we judge sin by His Holy Word. We do not know precisely the manner of ‘mark’ set upon Cain, but I believe it was not a visible mark, but one in the mind where judgments and decisions were made – much like the Mark of the Beast or the Seal of God mentioned in Revelations which was IN the forehead (where deliberative decisions are made and judgments enacted) and not ON it.

16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. All who abide in their sins go out from the presence of the LORD. Remember that horribly fateful night when Judas departed from the presence of Christ and went out into an eternal dark night? He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night. (John 13:30) Are you yet in the dark night, or have you come into the glowing Presence of Christ?

Bishop Dennis Campbell’s Sunday Sermon

As is oft the case, we are honored to present Bishop Dennis’ Sunday sermon presented to his parish.  Dennis has a great sermon for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity:

God of Loving-kindness


Psalm 85, Romans 6:3-11, Matthew 5:20-36


Sixth Sunday after Trinity


July 15, 2012



Our lives are punctuated with important events, and one of the most important is baptism. Through baptism you became a member of Christ's Church, and the promises of the Gospel of Christ were visibly sealed unto you. Through faith, water baptism is a sign and seal of that spiritual baptism which takes place in the soul, and through which you were baptized into Christ Jesus and into His death and resurrection to the "newness of life" we read about a few minutes ago in Romans 6. Our baptism into Christ applies unto us all the good things God wants to give us through Christ; all those things that are so immeasurably good they "pass man's understanding." Our baptism into Christ gives us the perfect righteousness of Christ, without spot or stain. It washes our souls clean and makes us pure so that our righteousness far exceeds that of the scribes and Phariseees. It makes us fit for the fellowship of God. Surely this is beyond our ability to fully understand, but we know that by His righteousness sealed to us, we shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven. In a sense, we are already there.



Obviously, I have been talking about the Scripture passages we read a few moments ago. The Collect for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity draws them together well. Based upon our baptism into Christ, and upon the perfect righteousness given to us by Him, we pray that we may love God above all things, and that we may receive from Him all that He has promised, which exceeds all that we can desire.



Psalm 85 is the song of people continually receiving the good things of God. Reading it we can almost see the ancient Jewish people gathered in the Temple to worship God, to implore His grace and mercy, and to hear again the great Biblical message of His blessings upon them. It begins with a thankful recognition of God's mercy.



"Lord, thou art become gracious unto thy land; thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the offense of thy people, and covered their sins. Thou hast taken away all thy displeasure, and turned from thy wrathful indignation."



We do not know the historical situation of this Psalm, therefore we do not know what "captivity" is meant in the words, "thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob." We do know the Jews suffered many "captivities." They were captives in Egypt for more than four hundred years. In the Promised Land, they were under various "captivities" from Canaanites tribes for yet another four hundred years, and in the following centuries they found themselves under the Philistines, Syrians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. Seldom independent or self governing, Israel was almost constantly under the dominion of the powerful empires that waxed and waned in the area.



We do know the identity of their greatest enemy, the one that held them in its merciless grip for most of their existence as a nation. That enemy, of course was their own sin. It was in righteous retribution for sin that God allowed their other enemies to torment and conquer them. Thus, their greatest need was never political independence or freedom from human enemies. Their greatest need was always forgiveness of sin and deliverance from their guilt and offenses to God. This is why they rejoiced so much when they prayed the words of the Psalm, "Thou hast forgiven the offense of thy people, and covered all their sins."



We also know how their forgiveness was accomplished. We know how their sins were covered. One day the Lamb of God took away their sins. God laid them upon the Lamb, and the Lamb was slaughtered. He died bearing their sins. The Lamb of God is Christ and His sacrificial death was symbolised in the Temple liturgy and fortold in the Old Testament Scriptures. It is through Christ that we, too, are forgiven and our sins are covered. We have peace with God through the blood of His cross.



The Psalm voices the people's response to their forgiveness. It is important to note that part of their response is a plea that they may always continue in that condition of penitent faith. They continue to plead that God will quicken them, meaning to give life to their souls. They continue to pray for His mercy, and salvation. Some people are confused because the Psalm opens with a declaration of the forgiveness of sins, then asks God to turn again to them and show them His mercy. What happened? Did God turn away from them? Did they lose their salvation? No, they were praying that God will continue in mercy, and they will continue in faithful obedience to Him. This is not unusual. You do it every time you worship with this Church, and every time your pray Morning or Evening Prayer at home. If you are in Christ through Biblical faith, you know that your sins are forgiven. You know you are no longer liable for them. You believe the words of Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." They are removed from you as far as the east is from the west; as far as Heaven is above earth. Yet you still confess sin and still beseech God to have mercy on you. This is because you carry the conciousness of your sins with you. You see that you still leave undone those things which you ought to be doing, and you still do those things which you ought not to be doing. And you have, if you are truly in Christ, a sense of shame about you for your sins. You often feel moved to pray, as the prayer of confession says in our liturgy of Holy Communion, we are "heartily sorry for these our misdoings: The remembrance of them is grevious unto us; The burden of them is intolerable." And, though you know that your sins are forgiven in Christ, the Communion prayer still expresses your heart when you pray with us, "Have mercy upon us, Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christs' sake, Forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may ever hereafter Serve and please thee In newness of life, To the honour and glory of thy Name; Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen" What are we asking for in these prayers? We are asking God to continue His blessings and mercies upon us, and we are asking Him to keep us in a condition of continuing faith and obedience uonto Him. And if we can both know the forgivenss of sins, yet still feel the need to pray for continuing faith and mercy, could not the Old Testament saints feel the same?



I think there is something else here. I am sure you have noticed that in those times when you are experiencing a deep sense of fellowship with God, when you are living in holiness and victory over temptation and in the sense of His great love, that you want more of it. That may be part of what the Psalm is expressing. The people have tasted the grace and mercy of God. They have been brought back to Him after a time of sin and sorrow. And they have tasted the love of God and they have tasted the joy of holy living, and they want more of it. That is not all that is happening in Psalm 85, but it may be part of what is happening.



So the people in the Temple sing because they know the grace of God. They know "He shall speak peace to his people." "His salvation is nigh them that fear him." "Mercy and truth are met together: righteousness and peace have kissed each other." "Yea, the Lord shall show loving -kindness; and our land shall give her increase." 



And, thus, the Psalm ends where it began, with the grace of God pouring out His blessings upon His people. And, thus, we, the recipients of those blessings, pray,



O

 GOD, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man’s understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.