Sept. 26: Final Retribution: Heaven or Hell?

"The love of money is the root of all evils." Everyone has heard this saying (although some incorrectly shorten it to "Money is the root of all evil") but not so many know that it was originally written by St. Paul to Timothy, his "son in the faith".

In our Gospel lesson this Sunday, we considered a parable of Jesus that graphically shows us the outcome of an "in money we trust" attitude -- Luke 16:19-31, the story of Lazarus and the rich man.

Jesus was instructing his disciples about money and some Pharisees were listening and scoffing. Luke characterizes them as "lovers of money" and records Jesus' response to them: "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight." (Luke 16:15) Jesus then goes on to tell the story of the beggar Lazarus and the rich man at whose gate he lay.

The story goes like this: A rich man, wearing the best clothes of purple and fine linen, feasted sumptuously every day. Lazarus, a beggar covered with sores, lay at the rich man's gate desiring to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table as dogs licked his sores.

One day Lazarus died and was carried by angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and woke up in hell. Looking up he could see Lazarus and Abraham far away and, calling to Abraham, he asks him to send Lazarus down to cool his mouth with some water.

Abraham reminds the rich man that he got all his good things while he was on the earth, whereas Lazarus had gotten only evil things, and now their situations were reversed. The rich man then begs Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his five brothers, but Abraham says that even if someone were to rise from the dead, the rich man's brothers would not be convinced.

We know this is a parable rather than a literal description of heaven and hell because we know that eternal life in heaven isn't dependent on our deeds, but on our acceptance of the unmerited favor of God. Deeds, however, are a reliable gauge of how we stand in our spiritual life. "Our resources and gifts are for the purpose of loving God and our neighbors," explained Fr. David. We are, like Abraham, "blessed to be a blessing".

We also need to be sensitive to the context: Jesus was talking to two audiences at once. To the Pharisees, he was telling a story about values under the Law, while at the same time he was preparing his disciples for a harder truth about their future.

Fr. David pointed out that the parable has three themes. First, how we fare on earth determines how we fare in the afterlife. Second, God will balance and make things right. Third, every person has a choice.

First theme: In the parable, Abraham tells the rich man that he had his good things while he was on the earth. Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus warned people to be careful where they were taking their rewards. In the Sermon on the Mount, he said, "...when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have their reward in full." (Matthew 6:5) By denying himself nothing, the rich man chose the part of his eternal life that would be the easiest, and that was the part that was the shortest -- his life on earth.

Second theme: "God isn't interested in our intentions -- we know the way good intentions pave, and that's the way to hell," Fr. David said. "God is interested in our actions. Do we love God with our whole hearts and our neighbor as ourself? It's on these actions that our final retribution will be based."

He pointed out that the rich man recognized Lazarus in the afterlife and even called him by name. One can easily imagine the rich man believing he was being kind to Lazarus by allowing the beggar to lie at his door and forage in his rubbish, and even perhaps by saying hello to him as he came and went from his fine house. The rich man certainly fits with the unrighteous Jesus speaks of in Matthew 25, who are told at the judgment that they failed to give the Lord food, drink, clothing or help and they respond, "Lord, when did we see you (in these situations) and not help you?" Respectors of persons to the very last breath, just like this rich man who apparently saw himself as Lazarus' benefactor.

"Even in the most dire circumstance of waking up in hell, the rich man's thoughts still revolve around himself," Fr. David continued. "He didn't lift a finger to help Lazarus on earth, but expects Lazarus to come down to hell and put a finger of water on his tongue, to cool it. Just as Sartre would later describe it, the rich man feels his needs and wants are more real and legitimate than anyone else's -- that he's the only person with a full thought life and everyone else is lesser. He even argues with Abraham, patriarch of all the Jews, about what Abraham should be doing for him. The sad truth here is that people will continue to justify themselves even in the face of final retribution."

Third theme: "Is life like the old advertising slogan -- 'You only go around once, so go for the gusto'? Should we really 'look out for Number One'? Who is 'Number One' in our lives?" The rich man thought he'd be judged on the basis of his social status ("Whoever dies with the most toys, wins.") and when he found out that the standards were much different, he begged Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his five brothers before they made the same mistake.

Abraham's response, that if the rich man's family didn't heed the warnings they already had from the Law and the prophets, then they wouldn't heed anyone who would rise from the dead, was Jesus' way of preparing his disciples for their own lives after his resurrection and ascension. That his chosen people, represented that day by the Pharisees, would in large measure fail to heed even the message he would provide as the firstfruits of eternal life.

In summing up, Fr. David quoted theologian John Piper: "If during our time on earth we pursue things instead of God, then earth will be the extent of our heaven and eternity our hell. But if during our time on earth God is our treasure, then earth will be the extent of our hell and eternity our heaven."

Let us always keep before us the One who came back from the grave to show us the way to heaven. "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits. Selah." (Psalm 68:19)

Notes: Parish annual meeting is Sunday, Nov. 14.... We're developing program topics and lessons for congregant-led after-service discussions during our coffee hour. More information to follow.

How's your religious knowledge?

Making headlines today: if you want an accurate answer on questions about religion, ask an atheist.

That's what The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has concluded after surveying over 3,000 Americans of all faiths and no faith. Atheists and Mormons scored highest on the survey; Protestants, not so much. How about you? Click this post's title to read the full analysis of their findings, and click here to take a sample quiz of 15 questions from the full 32-question survey.

Sept. 12: God's perfect patience and mercy are meant to reach us

On this day we remembered in prayer those who lost their lives nine years ago in the deadliest terrorist attack on our soil, offering continued prayers for their family members and friends.

Fr. David began his sermon by pointing out how often the Bible presents stories of rescue and sacrifice -- two in the day's Gospel reading alone, the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin found in Luke 15:1-10.

"Among the lasting memories of 9/11 are the heroic stories of self-sacrifice, for example the heroes aboard United 93, and of rescue, such as we saw in the brave response of New York's firefighters and police.

"In the Bible, Jesus is God's rescue worker. In our second reading (I Timothy 1:12-17), Paul makes this plain when he writes: 'The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the foremost of sinners; but I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.'

"You know, when Paul calls himself 'foremost of sinners', we have to wonder if that's an act of pride or of humble faith. What do we know about Paul before his conversion on the Damascus road, when he was still called Saul?

"We know that Saul was pedigreed in Judaism and very proud. In our reading passage he lays claim to being a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent aggressor, and also that he was ignorant in his unbelief.

"How was Saul a blasphemer? Well, primarily, it was because he took upon himself the job of speaking for God rather than letting God be God -- something like 'healers' who blame the afflicted when healing fails to occur or false prophets with their 'listen to me; I have the answers' attitudes.

"Saul was a blasphemer because he thought by killing the followers of Christ he could stop things from changing, even though the change was ordained by God. He was full of arrogance and pride.

"Saul was also a persecutor and aggressor, zealous to avenge what he saw as Christians' defiling of God's honor. He presided at stonings where people were being killed for no other reason than belief in Christ, and he was proud of it and proud of the honor he received from those casting the stones.

"Spiritually, it was the same as if he was a tormentor of Christ's at the crucifixion. Saul stood and watched as St. Stephen, just before giving up his life, repeated the words of Christ: 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them,' (Acts 7:59) and yet he was not troubled and was happy to receive the tribute of the mob afterward.

"In his own defense, Paul writes that at the time he 'acted ignorantly in unbelief'. So this begs a question, which is whether we can blame people for vigorously doing wrong if they believe they're doing right? We can, because at heart this wrong comes from turning to one's own way versus stopping and asking God the right thing to do.

"Fortunately for Saul, and for us, and even for our enemies, the Lord has perfect patience. He sees goodness in us when it isn't apparent and gives mercy when we least deserve it. How close was Saul to blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and how merciful was God toward him to stop him in his tracks and transform his life?

"If Saul could be forgiven for having no faith, for being arrogant, cruel, and merciless, how much more forgiveness is available even to our enemies, and how does God's patience and mercy affect our own feelings toward everyone around us?

"How can we offer forgiveness and mercy to each other and even to those we don't like at all, recognizing that the Lord is still seeking all who are lost? Governor Bradford of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, upon seeing prisoners going off to jail, famously said, 'There but for the grace of God go I.' We're works in progress -- God isn't finished with us yet, but we can be encouraged by Saul's miraculous transformation into St. Paul through the perfect patience and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord!"

Off message?

A few days ago in The New York Times, a blog post called "Mystery and Evidence" by Tim Crane opined:

When Christians express their belief that "Christ has risen", for example, they should not be taken as making a factual claim, but as expressing their commitment to what Wittgenstein called a certain "form of life," a way of seeing significance in the world, a moral and practical outlook which is worlds away from scientific explanation. (Bolding
mine.)

What the... what? I mean, I'd agree when we make the claim we aren't trying to explain the event scientifically, since one of the many things Christ did in addition to justifying us to God Perfect and Eternal was to break the shell of human knowledge and show us, as Shakespeare so perfectly said, "There are more things in heaven and earth... than are dreamt of in your philosophy." But that doesn't change the fact that a huge percentage of Christians -- those who are orthodox -- are, indeed, making a factual claim when they say "Christ has risen."

When we fail to make it plain that this is, in fact, our claim -- when we stop placing emphasis on "Christ the firstfruits" of our eternal life in resurrected bodies perfect and outside the laws of physics, then we are reduced to discussing the relative merits of ethical systems -- are we correct in emphasizing that evil thoughts are the same as deeds, or are Jews correct that only deeds count? Which faith's rules of behavior do we like best? A paltry portion indeed compared to what God has actually prepared for us.

And more to the point, there's little in a discussion of ethics that can possibly captivate non-believers. The atheists claim "you don't need God to be good," and aside from the quibble that you can't be good 24/7 with or without God, any thinking person can go right down that road with them. The only problem being it's not the road that leads to factual eternal life.

It's imperative to be unequivocal in affirming the factual content of our belief, even when the facts stretch the boundaries of what we think we know. We don't need to get wound up in internal discussions such as that between Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong and the Rt. Reverend Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, in which Spong accused Williams of pretending to believe in the resurrection and Williams responding that he's really more conservative.

On the other hand it really isn't new news, is it? Even among the earliest Christians there was waffling and stumbling in this matter, according to St. Paul:

"How say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? ... For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, then your faith is in vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also who have fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." (I Corinthians 15:12, 16-19)

Let's do our best not to waffle or stumble when proclaiming the fact of Christ's bodily resurrection. Let's not cave before the demands or ridicule of those who adhere to the limited subset of human knowledge we call science. Yes, the resurrection is a "mystery" -- the Bible even says so. But it's also an awesome fact.

Are churches creating "fake Christians"?

If you're the parent of a Christian teenager, Kenda Creasy Dean has this warning:

Your child is following a "mutant" form of Christianity, and you may be responsible.

Dean says more American teenagers are embracing what she calls "moralistic therapeutic deism." Translation: It's a watered-down faith that portrays God as a "divine therapist" whose chief goal is to boost people's self-esteem.

Click the post title to read the entire article on the CNN website.

August 15: The ACTION of Living by Faith

Text: Hebrews 11:29-12:2


"We all want to do things and intend to do them, but then sometimes we forget. Sometimes we have bad habits, like procrastinating or else failing to finish what we start. Other times we veer off course by forgetting the reason it was important to do the thing in the first place. Or we can try stubbornly to find an easier way to do it," Fr. David enumerated as he began our Sunday meditation.

The passage in the Book of Hebrews we were considering was written to a church that had grown tired and, for one reason or another, was no longer vigorously pursuing its mission. In order to rally these believers, the author of Hebrews recounts many old-time heroes of faith. The implication is that the heroes faced harder struggles than the contemporary readers but still persevered.

The Israelites were able to breach and overrun the fortified walls of Jericho because they were obedient to God regardless of the unusual tactics they were commanded to use. "They weren't stubborn and didn't look for an easier or even more logical way to meet the foe," Fr. David explained. "God told them to march around the city blowing trumpets for seven days, and on the last day to end with a shout! I think what they shouted was probably 'hosanna', but whatever it was, when the Lord gave them the way forward and the task at hand, they didn't procrastinate, or equivocate, or fail to finish. They acted with faith in Him and this is what God also desires of us."

Rahab, a resident of Jericho, also appears in the roll call of heroes. Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute, doesn't seem like a person God would call to be a hero. In fact, she seems like what another of the day's texts would call a "wild grape". Isaiah 5:1-7 presents a parable of a vineyard planted and tended on a fertile hill, but instead of juicy grapes it yielded only hard little wild grapes. Many times throughout scripture we are shown instances where the Lord seeks to bless His chosen ones, but people who were less "choice" serve Him instead. Thus, Rahab.

"Rahab understood that nothing would stand in the way of God's will and decided she would assist with His plan even though it meant changing her loyalties. She hid the Israelite spies and even lied to save their lives. And she also made a bargain that she and her family would be spared when the invasion finally came," said Fr. David.

"We'll have to reconcile the lie (and the manifest flaws in all the heroes of faith listed in Hebrews). Rahab and the others exercised a faith that transforms sinners -- restores, heals and honors them. In her case, her honor was to later become the great great grandmother of King David and a member of the lineage of Jesus Christ. She became great through her great faith."

Fr. David next drew our attention to verses in Hebrews that "sometimes get skipped over. We're told that we're united with the saints who went before us, but that 'apart from us they should not be made perfect'. There's something we need to do for them. What could that possibly be?"

Theologian John Piper interprets this as follows:

I take verse 39 to mean that when the believers in the Old Testament died, their spirits were made whole and perfect (as 12:23 says), but they do not receive the full blessing of God's promise, which is resurrection with new bodies in a glorious new age with all God's enemies removed and righteousness holding sway and the earth filled with the glory of God. They did not receive that promise yet.

Why not? Why must the saints wait, without their new resurrection bodies? The answer is given in verse 40: 'Because God has provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect'. In other words, God's purpose is that all his people -- all the redeemed -- be gathered in before any of them enjoys the fullness of his promise. His purpose is that we all come into the fullness of our inheritance together.

Because of this, the writer of Hebrews concludes, we need to "run with perseverance the race set before us" -- in other words, not neglect the harvest or our witness -- "looking to Jesus... who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross".

"The Lord's desire," Fr. David concluded, "is that we should 'get it'. See the eternal importance of the task before us, forget what lies behind and focus on the prize before us, that multitudes would come to a saving knowledge of Christ. This is God's will. This is what the heroes of faith are desiring for us, that the great task might be complete. Let's renew our faith, strongly commit to the ACTION of living by faith and go forth to serve the Lord, Amen."

BEING ESTABLISHED IN THE FAITH

What is God’s answer to the deadliness and troubles we experience on a daily basis? 

We, who are believers in the Lord Jesus, are actually accosted by the onslaught of the philosophies, words and actions of those in our culture who are not god-fearing people. 

We are either keenly aware of this fact or we are ‘numbed out’, yet without question the Christian Believer is in the midst of spiritual warfare daily, just as the Scriptures point out:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.   Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.   For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.   Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Ephesians 6:10-13

Indeed, we do need our thinking transformed and our whole way of approaching the challenges of our lives these days transformed. The Bible tells us that the way our outlook is transformed is by the renewing of our minds in Jesus, as stated in Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Reading the Scriptures and being prayerful (filled with prayer) are two actions that need to be pursued in order for us to be faithful (faith filled). Meditating upon God’s Holy Word and practicing daily prayerfulness help us to remain steadfast so that we can be ‘more than conquerors’(Romans 8:37) through Jesus who loves us with holy love (agape).

What will help us in the midst of the philosophies and opinions that are so empty, yet which seek to make us their prey? We need to become ‘established in the faith’ (Col.2:6).

Come, join us this Sunday as we reflect together on God’s Holy Word about these matters.  
Our message this Sunday is based upon Colossians 2

     As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.  See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. 

May God bless you with New Life and with renewed strength for living in Jesus Christ.

                                                                                                                    In Christ, David+

Church news, 4/1: "Passion Week"

On Palm Sunday, March 28, along with the Blessing of the Palms, we reviewed the events of Passion Week beginning with the first Palm Sunday. Fr. David first pointed out that Jewish timekeeping differs from ours and relates to Genesis 1: "the evening and the morning were the first day." For Jewish people, the new day begins when the old one ends, at sunset, and we have to remember this difference when looking at the events of Passion Week.

He also mentioned that all the significant events of the week happened either in Jerusalem, in Bethany (home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, two miles away), or on the way from one town to the other. Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead quite recently and people were curious to see him for themselves. The Gospel of John states:

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out Jesus was there (in Bethany) and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him, many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him. (John 12:9-11)

"As we look at the events of the week, notice how sacred the Scriptures are to Jesus -- how he carefully and knowingly honors all the Scriptures as he instructs the disciples to prepare for His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Sunday, just for one example," Fr. David pointed out. He added that the Palm Sunday procession was at once an instance of charismatic worship, with cries of "Hosanna" ("Save us, Lord"), but at the same time, "while the people were celebrating, Jesus was weeping over Jerusalem and the Temple, knowing as he did what was to happen later in time."

Two events are recorded for Monday of Passion Week: the cursing of the fig tree for its lack of fruit, representing Israel, and the cleansing of the temple. "This was the second cleansing of the temple, in which Jesus drove out people making money from worship by selling animals for sacrifice. Jesus reminded them that God desired the Temple to be a 'house of prayer' (Isaiah 56:7) and already told them their sacrifices were meaningless without repentance (Isaiah 1).

"Our bodies are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, and should be a house of prayer," continued Fr. David. "How are you prepared?"

On Tuesday of Passion Week, the Pharisees challenged the authority of Jesus. He responded by teaching on many subjects and by indicting the Jewish leaders on 12 counts. Twelve wasn't an accidental choice, relating to the 12 tribes of Israel (and the 12 apostles of Jesus). In mathematics, 12 is called the "sublime number", making this list of indictments a strong one indeed. He also taught about the end times that were to begin at his ascension.

Wednesday was the day that Judas Iscariot devised his plot to turn Jesus over to the authorities.

On the first Maundy Thursday, in Bethany, Jesus celebrates the Last Supper with the disciples. He settles once and for all their constant contention over which of them was greatest by washing their feet, showing that the one who would be greatest must have a servant's humility. Peter proclaims his fidelity and Jesus warns him that Satan will sift him like wheat and that Peter, instead of being faithful, will be ashamed to admit his discipleship. "How often do we think we're better than we are?" asked Fr. David. "Peter's failure reminds us of the futility of trusting on our own strength."

After Jesus comforts the disciples and offers the High Priestly Prayer, they sing psalms together before going to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. The disciples are worn out and sleepy, but we see Jesus as "God and man joined in a moment of decision and truth," Fr. David explained. "Jesus prays to the Father that he would that the cup of death be removed from him, being genuinely human before expressing his faith-filled spiritual nature by praying, 'not my will but Thine be done.' Then the soldiers come, the arrest is made, and the stage is set for the crucifixion and resurrection.

"May we grow in renewed faith and love as we walk through this Passion Week with our Lord Jesus Christ."

NOTES: Walk with Jesus through Holy Week services -- Tonight, Maundy Thursday, 7 p.m. in the chapel of Reformation Lutheran Church, 111 N. Chestnut St., we will celebrate a special Eucharist, "Re-living the Last Supper"; Good Friday, 7:30 p.m. at Holy Cross Anglican Church, 615 Bay Road, Webster, we will join for the Tenebrae Service; Easter Day we will celebrate Festal Eucharist at 10 a.m. in the chapel at Reformation Lutheran with a special message, "Knowing Jesus and the Power of the Resurrection". The second Sunday of Easter, April 11, we will again worship with our brothers and sisters at Holy Cross in Webster, resuming worship at Reformation April 18, 10 a.m.

Thoughts on Prayer

"Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Paul the Apostle in his first letter to the Christian church in Thessalonica calls them to incessant prayer, continuous throughout the day, never ending.

Yet, as has been pointed out, one cannot be ever on their knees in fervent supplication and praise. And so, prayer is not the narrow constrained form that we have made it become in our daily lives. I certainly would not consider grace before every meal, supplications before bed, and panicked requests in time of need 'without ceasing'. We have turned prayer into a stale ritual which is relegated to times of day, as opposed to a never ending conversation and communion with the Savior.

Prayer is to be our spiritual breath, in our actions, in our words, in our deeds. Let us make today an act of prayer to Christ our Lord, a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

Church news, 3/5: "Stand firm in the Lord even when some live as enemies of the Cross"

Our sermon time Feb. 28 was a meditation on Philippians 3:17-4:1:

Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so live as you have an example in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brethren, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

It seems hard to stand firm these days. It's literally hard to stand firm in the midst of a disaster such as an earthquake or a tsunami, and it's spiritually hard to stand firm surrounded by people who "live as enemies of the cross of Christ". Paul's description is oddly modern: "their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame." Makes you think of any number of reality TV shows.
And then there are those who live more knowingly as enemies of the cross, like Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaida's second in command, who exhorts Muslims to take up arms against "the cross and Zionism".

"We can't sugar-coat reality, but neither should we operate from fear," explained Fr. David. "Standing firm comes down to the difference between faith -- the 'perfect love that casts out all fear' -- and the anxiety that comes when we trust in our own strength."

The foundation on which we can stand firm, he said, is the Word of God, scripture. "We have no idea the strength of God's word in our lives when we know it even unto memorizing it, and then stand by it."

Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee. -- Psalm 119:11
Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. -- I John 4:4

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. -- Philippians 4:13

"The Word of God is the one offensive weapon we are given when putting on the armor of God," Fr. David continued, "'the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.' With eyes fixed and resolute, looking to Jesus and 'forgetting what lies behind (Philippians 3:13)', we need to commend ourselves, our circumstances, and our actions to the Lord, remembering always that it's His battle. This is how we can stand firm, by hiding ourselves in Him."

NOTES: Opportunities for mutual ministry abound! The sign-up list for lectors is available each Sunday outside the chapel, and help is also welcomed by the Altar Guild and for a new ministry of cleaning the chapel. Just ask; you can help!

Thoughts on Liturgy and Its Effect Upon Our Walk

One reason why we Christians argue so much about which hymn to sing, which liturgy to follow, which way to worship is that the commandments teach us to believe that bad liturgy eventually leads to bad ethics. You begin by singing some sappy, sentimental hymn, then you pray some pointless prayer, and the next thing you know you have murdered your best friend.”

-Stanley Hauerwas

This quote by Professor Hauerwas has been one that continually reminds me of my attitude during worship, the motivation, driving force and aim of my christian walk. Are the words on the page of the Book of Common Prayer there simply to be recited in mindless unison by worshippers, unaware of the impact? How do I, as a believer in Christ, seek to make certain that my worship is acceptable in the sight of our Lord? It is essential to remember that God has guidelines for worship, and is not obligated to accept badly thought out hymns and half hearted prayers simply because one showed up to a house of worship.

It seems that the attitude of many Christians towards worship relies far too much on personal standards, and how they feel during a service. The measure of the quality of their worship is the emotive response elicited. Christ has no duty whatsoever to bless and condone whatever random religious blathering or musical arrangement performed. We are the ones that must come with hushed voices and hearts, into the presence of the Almighty, realizing our immense privilege, and seeking that our acts of worship be totally in line with His standards.

This Lord's Day, enter His house with thanksgiving, penitence, and holy fear. Let our worship be a grateful, orthodox act of thanks for His Salvation, given us by His Son.

Thoughts on Communion

And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 1 Corinthians 11:24

In the the fellowship of Holy Communion, we seek to know Christ and His suffering. We seek to touch His holy visage, to know the mystery of faith. In Him, with Him, through Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. The preposition ‘in’ is re-occurring when referring to Holy Communion, for it reflects upon our inward quest. Journeying deeper into the heart and mind of Christ. Communing with our Saviour on a most intimate basis. When the host is consecrated, and the people partake, we not only remember the sacrifice of our gentle Redeemer, but the life of brokenness and humility we are called to. In partaking of the cup, we are reminded of His shed blood, that purifying flow which washes our iniquities from the memory of God the Father. Communion is a remembrance, yes, but it is more. I do not hold to the tradition of transubstantiation, as some of our brethren do, but I maintain that the experience of Holy Communion in the service is much, much more than a simple reminder. It is an invitation to become one with Christ, our Holy Redeemer, who by His sacrifice, opened the pathway to Heaven, and much more, to redemption. It is a pilgrimage into the mind of our Lord, to feel His heart for the world, to know the Primal Love. May we know our Saviour in a deeper way, as we carry out His commandment to make disciples in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Jesus, Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world. Have mercy on us. Jesus, Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world. Grant us Your peace. Amen.

Church news, 2/3: "God has known you and consecrated you from your beginning"

On Jan. 31, we considered the import of Jeremiah 1:4-10, which begins:

Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."

"God loves us and He wanted each one of us to be born" Fr. David said. "Before we were formed He knew us and consecrated us for a holy purpose. Even though some of us may have been 'unwanted' by our parents, in knowing us as only God can know us, God is the One who wanted us to be born and to live!"

He mentioned the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade: Sometimes in anxiety and heartache lives are snuffed out. We have a choice and we bear the consequences of our choice. The dilemma is difficult -- the anxiety and heartache that comes from contemplating a difficult pregnancy and birth, or the heartache that follows an abortion. We need to consider what God shows us in what He is saying to Jeremiah: for He likewise looks upon each of us in His holy love as we are being 'knit together in our mother's womb' (Psalm 139:13).

Fr. David told of the life of Tim Tebow, Heisman Award-winning quarterback of the University of Florida Gators. His parents were missionaries in the Philippines when his mother-to-be was afflicted with amoebic dysentery severely enough to be in a coma for a time. Saving her life required a series of very strong medications, and while her treatment was still going on she learned she was pregnant.

This in itself was unsettling news, but the situation became even more challenging when doctors informed the Tebows that Pam's placenta had detached. An abortion was recommended but the family persevered in faith and Tim was born healthy and grew up to be a star athlete.

During the Superbowl, Focus on the Family will be running a pro-life message featuring Tim. Watch for it!

"We don't know how things will turn out, but our Lord does," Fr. David continued, then turning to the common response people give when the Lord reveals His divine purpose, a response similar to Jeremiah's:

Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you you shall go, and whatever I command you you shall speak. Be not afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD."

There are other people of the Bible who made similar responses thinking it cannot be possible for God's purpose for their lives to be true or to come to fruition. Moses had a raft of excuses: "What if they don't believe me? What if they don't listen? I'm slow of speech, let someone else do it." Mary could not understand how it was possible for what God was expecting her to be and do  could ever come to pass...

"It's not about you (alone)," Fr. David explained. "It's about God working His will in you. Trust God and ask the Lord to reign, and He will help you with all that He created you to be and to do. There's only one you   and God loves you for who you truly are   and for what you will become." May God be glorified as we live into who He has created us to be through faith in Him!

NOTES: We will be observing Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17, in a 7 p.m. Service with our brothers and sisters at Holy Cross Anglican Church, 615 Bay Road, Webster. Bon-Ton coupon books are again being offered for the Feb. 27 Community Day sale. See Sue Hemphill for the books, which cost $5 and contain a $10 coupon and many other percent-off coupons. All of the proceeds of the book sales and a percent of the sales on Feb. 27 directly support All Saints. Our parish directory is in the proofing stage; if you haven't yet reviewed your directory information, please do so next Sunday.

Church news, 1/15: "I must be about my Father's business"

On Sunday, Jan. 10, we joined the congregation of Holy Cross Anglican Church in Webster for a combined worship service and fellowship hour. We greatly appreciate the hospitality of our brothers and sisters at Holy Cross.

The sermon was jointly preached by "the two Davids", Fr. David Ambuske of Holy Cross and our own Fr. David Harnish.

Fr. Ambuske began by reminding us that the word "liturgy" means "the work of the people". "What better work could we have than to worship and serve God every day?" he asked, before proceeding to the sermon text, Luke 2:47-50.

"What would you do with a 12-year-old who acted as Jesus did? You take him to Jerusalem for the observance of Passover. The already large city is thronged with pilgrims, and as you're preparing to go home you discover that your son has left your family group and you have no idea where he is. He's not with your relatives. He's not with your friends.

"You rush back into the city, searching everywhere, and finally find him in the temple, among the learned rabbis, listening and asking questions.

"Relieved but also a little upset, you ask him why he did this, and his reply is, "Didn't you know I must be about my Father's business?

"Now, everyone who heard him was amazed at his knowledge and insight," Fr. Ambuske continued, "so while Mary and Joseph didn't understand what Jesus was telling them that day, we can assume he opened the scriptures to them as he had in the temple and as he would even after his resurrection, when he appeared to the disciples at Emmaus. We don't know if Mary and Joseph viewed Mary's son as the Messiah while he was growing up, but we know he returned with them and continued to grow in wisdom and grace."

Fr. David Harnish continued the message, pointing out that we aren't told a lot about the teen and young adult years of Jesus. "We know that he was able to answer the teachers at the age of 12, this 'homeschooled' boy. And then we have to try to fill in the gap between the ages of 12 and 29.

"We know Jesus continued to be homeschooled and that he learned carpentry from Joseph. There are apocryphal stories such as one in which he makes a clay bird and then causes it to live. We can reject this -- it's what a human would do who was becoming God, but Jesus was God become human. In these years he was learning more than Torah at home; he was learning to be fully human, fully obedient to His Heavenly Father, and learning how to communicate God to us.

"Today we also celebrate His baptism, the beginning of His earthly ministry. And we know the first words He spoke in that ministry were, 'Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.'

"Now, Jesus had no need for baptism, but He did it as a step of obedience to God that all could see because He was inviting all humanity to take the same step -- to die to self and come alive to God, obedient and faithful.

"Life is about transformation (repentance and faith): starting to see better and recognizing that God is here with us. Becoming all that we were intended by God to be because we have heard the call of Jesus Christ to turn and come back to God.

"In the baptism of Jesus Christ," Fr. David concluded, "all Heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended as God, the Father said, 'This is my beloved child with whom I am well pleased.' Jesus invites us to the same experience, and to open to Him in faith with repentance and then to hear these same words. May we be open to his call and listen carefully to Him."

NOTES: We will be worshipping in the chapel at Reformation Lutheran Church as usual this coming Sunday, Jan. 17, at the usual 10 AM time. Please join us there.