tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-314494592024-03-13T06:05:40.380-05:00Voice-in-Wilderness: ALL SAINTS ANGLICAN CHURCH __ Rochester, NY__The Lord God Almighty has raised up a voice in the wilderness during the Days of Elijah periodically throughout history. In these present days, as biblical Christians are moved to raise up their voices, may we join into One Voice to proclaim the sovereignty of our Lord Jesus Christ! Once again... the Days of Elijah are upon us! May the Lord Jesus Christ be praised and adored... and every knee bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD!Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-52634670893547534212017-07-08T17:27:00.003-05:002017-07-08T17:27:41.014-05:00<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Congregational Meeting <span style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in;">July 9<sup>th</sup> at 12:30 PM</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">for <span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">considering
All Saints’ future and for growing our church.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; letter-spacing: -.2pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">~~~</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; letter-spacing: -.2pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Lucida Bright"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Lucida Bright"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">⍆</span></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; letter-spacing: -.2pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">~~~</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Will All Saints be an active and growing congregation
that is willing to step forward in faith? Are we to truly seek a more permanent
home? Are we ready to become the Church that God wants us to be? What changes
in attitude and commitment level will it take for All Saints to begin growing?
Are we willing to let go of our past and enter the New Life of the Anglican
Church in North America? How may we be strengthened as Biblical Anglicans who
are Mission-minded to reach the lost and the perishing with the Gospel so that
each may find New Life in our Savior Jesus Christ?</span></b></div>
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Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-15443144947387526602015-06-11T09:03:00.000-05:002015-06-11T11:23:37.884-05:00SEEKING A NEW HOME! We discern our Lord is calling us forward and leading us to a New Home. It will be ~the Lord Willing~ a sacred place where we may continue strong in faith and in our Lord's Will for expanding ministries and outreach. We believe that our Lord is nudging us forward after being graciously housed at Reformation Lutheran Church for many years. The Chapel at 111 N.Chestnut St. has served as our 'place of refuge' for nearly nine years now. We are accepting our Lord's Call to venture forward into a new home by December 31st.... <b>yet where is it O' Lord?</b><br />
Please help us to pray and to further discern how we may be faithful to our Lord in this momentous pilgrimage!<br />
Here is what we are prayerfully considering: In the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord we are seeking His guidance and blessing upon finding the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>Chapel: seating for 75+</li>
<li>Piano or Organ</li>
<li>Fellowship Hall: seating for 100+</li>
<li>Kitchen (or kitchenette)</li>
<li>Bathrooms</li>
<li>Handicapped Accessibility to building and rooms</li>
<li>Parking for 50+ cars</li>
<li>Location accessible on a bus line </li>
<li>Growth space possibilities: Parish Office, Nursery/Children's Room</li>
</ul>
Our sacred hope is that it would be a place of our own that we could rent. The two key reasons we have discerned for a 'place of our own' on Sunday mornings are: 1) so that we can maintain our time of Worship at 10 AM and 2) so that the place would become clearly known as the parish center and home of All Saints Anglican Church of Rochester.<br />
Of course, we will need Offerings in order to move ahead. We are trusting our Lord in this part of the venture also... and are being blessed with 'seed money' already being offered: Thanks be to Almighty God!<br />
<br />
We pray that All Saints will faithfully respond to this great challenge and opportunity so that Our Holy God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit<b> is honored and glorified!</b> <b>Amen.</b><br />
<br />Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-40911426862149039782015-03-12T17:18:00.001-05:002015-03-12T17:25:53.968-05:00Our Center for Praying, Sacrificing & Living<h2 align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin-right: 4.3pt; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; letter-spacing: -.3pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 12.5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When we think of the place that can be called
the center of our Faith where we pray and worship our Lord, we think of a
Sanctuary. The Jews had the Temple as the place, indeed the center, of their
praying and sacrificing. Jesus honored the Temple in Jerusalem with His many
visits for teaching and proclaiming the Heart of the Faith, the Good News in
Him. He also clearly showed how the Jewish people’s and the leaders of the
Faith had perverted His Father’s House of Prayer and had changed it into a
house of trade, a den of thieves. The prayer center had to be cleansed out and
returned to its rightful purposes. At His Death, the veil/curtain that hung in
front of the Holy of Holies (the Sanctuary and Holiest Place on earth) was torn
from top to bottom. This opened the Sanctuary making it accessible from all who
come to our Lord with faith: total access to Almighty God! Indeed, the Heavenly
Sanctuary was opened to believers to enter into worship-filled union with our
Lord through faith.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.0pt; margin-right: 4.3pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; letter-spacing: -.3pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 12.5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Jesus Christ and through Faith in Him,
the center for praying, sacrificing and for living becomes the Living Sanctuary
on earth which is in the midst of the people of Faith. Through faith, believers
are joined as a Spiritual House, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the dwelling
place of God in the Spirit</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; letter-spacing: -.3pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 12.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; letter-spacing: -.3pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 12.5pt;">(Ephesians 2:14-22, 1
Cor.3:16-17, 1 Peter 2:4-5).</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.0pt; margin-right: 4.3pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; letter-spacing: -.3pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 12.5pt;">Indeed, as a believer our
body is transformed into a temple of the Holy Spirit within us (1 Cor.6:19).
The Center for praying, sacrificing, and living is within our souls, within our
bodies personally, amidst fellow believers corporately, united with God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit within us and united with God in Heaven…</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; letter-spacing: -.3pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 12.5pt;">Therefore
let us do as is stated in Hebrews 8:19-25</span></span></div>
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<b><sup><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">19</span> </span></sup></b><span class="verse-19"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Therefore, brethren, since we
have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, </span></span><b><sup><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">20</span> </span></sup></b><span class="verse-20"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">by the new and living way which he opened for us
through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, </span></span><b><sup><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">21</span> </span></sup></b><span class="verse-21"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">and since we have a great priest over the house of
God, </span></span><b><sup><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">22</span> </span></sup></b><span class="verse-22"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">let us draw near with a true
heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. </span></span><b><sup><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">23</span> </span></sup></b><span class="verse-23"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for he who promised is faithful; </span></span><b><sup><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">24</span> </span></sup></b><span class="verse-24"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">and let us consider how to stir up one another to love
and good works, </span></span><b><sup><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">25</span> </span></sup></b><span class="verse-25"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">not neglecting to meet together,
as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you
see the Day drawing near. </span></span></div>
Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-40854069632446249212015-03-09T17:26:00.001-05:002015-03-09T17:26:24.311-05:00<b>The Reality of New Life in Christ</b><br /><br />
For Lent this year I am led to share with you news about the new life we have here and now, in and through our Risen Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus stated that he came that we who come to him will have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). Our experiences in this world, however, often seem so far from that reality of abundant living. What will help us to awaken to the greater reality of victorious and abundant living in Christ? I believe that the answer is that Jesus wants us to have a Christian perspective and live into the faith realities in his presence as our Risen Lord, here on earth.<br />
In praying about having new life in Christ, I find the story of Lazarus most helpful. Have you ever thought about what perspective Lazarus gained in his faith after he was raised from the dead and brought out of the tomb by Jesus? How did this life-transforming event affect his life and faith as he lived "beyond the grave" in new life? He would have come to know through personal experience that Jesus was truly the Resurrection and the Life. He must also have gained an eternal perspective and must have encouraged many others to believe in the reality of new life in Christ, even while still living on this earth (see John 12:9, 12, 17). How may we have the same faith and how may we live in this new life here on earth?<br />
To understand what we must do, it will be helpful to review the story of Lazarus so that it is fresh in our minds (see John, Chapter 11). Both of Lazarus’ sisters exclaimed to Jesus: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Does believing in Jesus mean that we won’t experience physical death? Of course not. Yet, true faith in Jesus will mean that we will live in new life beyond the grave. As Jesus says: “He who believes in me will live even if he dies.” This was the essential lesson we learn from Jesus' conversation with Martha, Lazarus' sister. Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, even he who comes into the world”(John 11:23-27).<br />
Once Jesus, himself, was raised from the dead and had revealed himself as the Risen Lord, all of life changed. Believing in the Risen Lord means that we are invited to live in the Kingdom of God now—here on earth—and forever. Living into the new life in Christ means that we are meant to be currently living into the reality of life beyond death. We are to be living in our earthly lives more and more with the faith perspective of God’s will being done and his kingdom coming forth on earth as it is in heaven. Yes, as we consider what we are praying in the Lord’s Prayer we gain new life perspective in faith: "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," NOW! That is a prayer that is meant to be answered here and now on earth—not just a prayer for the future! Let us learn to live the new life here and now! Let us live with whole-hearted faith in our Risen Lord Jesus Christ, NOW, not just with hopeful thoughts focused on the future.<br />
The story of Lazarus brings forth an important faith lesson: death is not the end for the believer. Jesus has the final word in the believer's life. He is the Resurrection and the Life. Though we die (and we experience death in so many ways while living in this world)<br />yet shall we continue living eternally, with heavenly perspective now here on earth. We are meant to live abundantly through realizing the presence and life-giving power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus Christ is life himself, and through living faith he is living and working in us. We are more than conquerors through him (Rom.8:37).<br />
Today let us consider what new life was like for Lazarus once he was raised from the dead and brought from the burial tomb. At that point he was already living the new life reality in Jesus. He lived the rest of his earthly life in the new life after death through Jesus. May we live into this same reality. May we know that we have, now, real new life in our Risen Lord by trusting Jesus: that he is risen, that he is the Resurrection and the Life, and that he calls us from death into new life, eternal life, abundant life! (see Romans 6:1-13 & 2 Corinthians 4:7-11).<br />
May we have the faith that allows us to truly trust Jesus: he is with us, he is alive in the new life beyond death, and he calls us into the same reality now—even before our own<br />physical deaths.<br /> In his holy love, David+ Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-10162527418177315462014-08-25T11:26:00.002-05:002014-08-25T11:33:01.502-05:00Present your bodies as a Living Sacrifice<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Romans 12:1 states: </span><span class="versetext"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I
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sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.35pt; margin-right: 4.3pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.35pt; margin-right: 4.3pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><b>‘Present your bodies as a living sacrifice’</b>… What
does this mean? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.35pt; margin-right: 4.3pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">What are we doing when we are <i>presenting our bodies as a living
sacrifice</i>?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 5.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.35pt; margin-right: 4.3pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.35pt; margin-right: 4.3pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">In seminary, my classmates and I discovered during a bible study that
knowing the Greek adds greater meaning for this passage:<i> all of you </i></span><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">(plural)</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">, each and every one of you,
offer/present your bodies as a (ONE) living sacrifice </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">(singular)</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">We
see that this commendation is made to the community of faith, telling us to
unite as one in our offerings and worship. The presentation of our bodies is
about our devotional offerings to the Lord. We are not to make burnt offerings
but to join together in our reverence for the Lord as an offering and
expression of our lives. Our sacrifice is to be <i>Living </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in the sense that we can use all that we are
and all that we have (our time, treasure and talent) in our offerings joined
into one Living Sacrifice. Our worship and offering is a <i>Sacrifice </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which means it is a sacred offering that truly
costs us something of our time, effort, and commitment in using our God-given
gifts as a thankoffering returned to the Lord in our worship of Him. We are to
remember that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit and that we are to
spiritually join together as one spiritual household in our offerings. You can
see that this worship-filled activity of <i>presenting our bodies</i> needs to
occur daily, throughout our lives and therefore not just on a Sunday morning…
Finally, we need to remember that the only truly acceptable offering to God is
the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. This means that we need to learn
how to join our efforts with each other and with the Lord’s One Offering as we <i>present
our bodies as a living sacrifice</i>. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.0pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; letter-spacing: 2.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">~~~</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Wingdings 2"; font-size: 14.0pt; letter-spacing: 2.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Georgia; mso-symbol-font-family: "Wingdings 2";"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: "Wingdings 2";"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; letter-spacing: 2.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">~~~</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 13.7pt; margin-right: 13.7pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span class="versenum"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">1 Corinthians 6: 19-20</span></span></b><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><b> </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you not know that your body is a temple of
the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; </span></span><span class="versenum"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">20</span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> you were bought
with a price. So glorify God in your body.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 5.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 13.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 13.7pt; margin-right: 13.7pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span class="versenum"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">1 Peter 2:4-5 </span></span></b><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by
men but in God's sight chosen and precious; </span></span><span class="versenum"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">5</span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> </span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">and like living
stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to
offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. </span></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<br />
Here are a few other relevant passages:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 4.3pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1 Corinthians 3:</span></span><span class="versenum"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">16-17</span></span></b><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> Do you not know
that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If any one destroys God's temple, God will
destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: .15in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><b>Hebrews
13:15</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through him then let us
continually offer up a <span class="highlight">sacrifice</span> of praise to God,
that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><b>Ps.
51 :17</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <span class="highlight">sacrifice</span>
<span class="highlight">acceptable</span> to God is a broken spirit; a broken and
contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.35pt; margin-right: 4.3pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-left: 9.0pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Here is the passage in its context: <b>ROMANS 12:1-8</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.35pt; margin-right: 4.3pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span class="versenum"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">1</span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> </span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I
appeal to you therefore, brethren, </span></span><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.35pt; margin-right: 4.3pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span class="versenum"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">2</span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> </span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">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. </span></span><span class="versenum"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">3</span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> </span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">For
by the grace given to me I bid every one among you not to think of himself more
highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according
to the measure of faith which God has assigned him.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.35pt; margin-right: 4.3pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span class="versenum"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">4</span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> </span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">For
as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same
function, </span></span><span class="versenum"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">5</span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">
</span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">so we, though many, are one body in
Christ, and individually members one of another. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.35pt; margin-right: 4.3pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span class="versenum"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">6</span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> </span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Having
gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if
prophecy, in proportion to our faith; </span></span><span class="versenum"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">7</span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> </span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">if
service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; </span></span><span class="versenum"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">8</span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> </span></sup></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">he
who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who
gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.</span></span></div>
Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-52378295056882868202013-04-20T15:47:00.000-05:002013-04-20T15:50:20.176-05:00Faithfulness and Salvation: Together in Christ<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="versenum"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Faithfulness
and Salvation: Together in Christ</span></u></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span class="versenum"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Rev. David J. Harnish</span></b></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span class="versenum"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rector
of All Saints Anglican Church of Rochester</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="versenum"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Easter
Season 4/16/13</span></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="versenum"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the great
litany of faithfulness and in witness to the faithful, Hebrews chapter 11 ends
with this amazing summation ( Hebrews 11:32-40 (RSV) ):</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="versenum"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">32</span></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak,
Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets-- </span></span><span class="versenum"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">33</span></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped
the mouths of lions, </span></span><span class="versenum"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">34</span></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of
weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. </span></span><span class="versenum"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">35</span></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to
accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. </span></span><span class="versenum"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">36</span></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. </span></span><span class="versenum"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">37</span></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they
went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated-- </span></span><span class="versenum"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">38</span></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
of whom the world was not worthy--wandering over deserts and mountains, and in
dens and caves of the earth. </span></span><span class="versenum"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">39</span></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was
promised, </span></span><span class="versenum"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">40</span></span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> since God had
foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made
perfect.</span></span></div>
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<span class="versetext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Did you notice that last verse
(verse 40) and what it is saying?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></span><span class="versetext"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(look again!)</span></i></span></div>
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<span class="versetext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">We are inextricably united with
the faithful of old… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and they are
inextricably united with us. </span></b></span></div>
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<span class="versetext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Indeed, the saints of old are linked
with <u>us</u> for their salvation!</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="versetext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">They will not… nor should they
be… made perfect apart from us!</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="versetext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All the wonderful ‘giants in
faith’ who have gone before us into eternity have not received what was
promised to the faithful and shall not be made perfect UNTIL we ALL are made
perfect in Christ… since as God has designed it: ‘apart from us they should not
be made perfect’.</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="versetext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This means that the salvation of
others is directly related to each of us completing our faith journey as we
live out our lives in faithfulness to our Lord Jesus Christ. </span></b></span></div>
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<span class="versetext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ponder this great mystery and
realize that no believer in Jesus Christ is alone: we are joined with each
other eternally. Our current life of faith is interrelated with the lives of
faith of fellow believers in all time. Believers: our loved ones in Christ who
have gone before us, our loved ones in Christ who are living now, and our loved
ones in Christ who are young and yet to be born… we are all through faith in
our Lord Jesus Christ to be made perfect TOGETHER. Verse 40 is saying: apart
from us they should not be made perfect. This unity of the faithful is what God
has seen ahead of time for each and every one of us who believe in Him: we are
joined as one in faith and will enter salvation in relation to and directly
connected with one another. What we are doing here and now in our faith is
important to the whole Body in all time. </span></b></span></div>
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<span class="versetext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Can you fathom the immense
importance of this Biblical and Sacred Truth?</span></b></span><span class="versetext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="versetext"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Let
me know your thoughts! May our Lord bless you!)</span></i></span></div>
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<span class="versetext"><b>For further study:</b><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span><span class="versetext"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></div>
<span class="versetext">If you would like a little further treatment of this
passage please consider the following comments from </span>the commentary
prepared by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown which was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>published in 1871. <u>The Commentary Critical
and Explanatory on the Whole Bible</u> is in the public domain and may be
freely used and distributed. This excerpt is on Hebrews 11:39-40):<br />
<b>39. having obtained a good report</b>--<i>Greek,</i> "being borne
witness of." <i>Though</i> they were so, yet "they received not the
promise," that is, the <i>final completion</i> of "salvation" <i>promised</i>
at Christ's coming again ( <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/hebrews/9-28.html">Hebrews 9:28</a> );
"the eternal inheritance" ( <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/hebrews/9-15.html">Hebrews 9:15</a> ).
Abraham did <i>obtain</i> the very thing <i>promised</i> ( <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/hebrews/6-15.html">Hebrews 6:15</a> ) <i>in
part,</i> namely, blessedness <i>in soul</i> after death, by virtue of faith in
Christ about to come. The <i>full</i> blessedness of body and soul shall not be
till the full number of the elect shall be accomplished, and all together, no
one preceding the other, shall enter on the full glory and bliss. Moreover, in
another point of view, "It is probable that some accumulation of
blessedness was added to holy souls, when Christ came and fulfilled all things
even as at His burial many rose from the dead, who doubtless ascended to heaven
with Him" [FLACIUS in BENGEL]. (Compare <i>Note,</i> <i>perfecting</i> of
believers in title, and in respect to conscience, took place once for all, at
the death of Christ, by virtue of His being made by death <i>perfect</i> as
Saviour. Their <i>perfecting in soul</i> at, and ever after Christ's death,
took place, and takes place at their death. But the universal and final
perfecting will not take place till Christ's coming.<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="Heb11_40"></a><b>40. provided</b>--with divine forethought from
eternity (compare <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/genesis/22-8.html">Genesis
22:8</a> <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/genesis/22-14.html">Genesis
22:14</a> ). <br />
<b>some better thing for us</b>--( <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/hebrews/7-19.html">Hebrews 7:19</a> );
than they had here. They had not in this world, "apart from us" (so
the <i>Greek</i> is for "without us," that is, they had to wait for
us for), the clear revelation of the promised salvation actually accomplished,
as we now have it in Christ; in their state, beyond the grave their <i>souls</i>
also seem to have attained an increase of <i>heavenly</i> bliss on the death
and ascension of Christ; and they shall not attain the full and final <i>glory
in body and soul</i> (the regeneration of the creature), until the full number
of the elect (including us with them) is completed. The Fathers, CHRYSOSTOM,
&c., restricted the meaning of <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/hebrews/11-39.html">Hebrews 11:39</a> <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/hebrews/11-40.html">Hebrews 11:40</a>
to this last truth, and I incline to this view. "The connection is, You,
Hebrews, may far more easily exercise patience than Old Testament believers;
for they had much longer to wait, and are still waiting until the elect are all
gathered in; you, on the contrary, have not to wait for them" [ESTIUS]. I
think his object in these verses ( <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/hebrews/11-39.html">Hebrews 11:39</a> <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/hebrews/11-40.html">Hebrews 11:40</a>
) is to warn Hebrew Christians against their tendency to relapse into <i>Judaism.</i>
"Though the Old Testament worthies attained such eminence by faith, they
are not above us in privileges, but the reverse." It is not <i>we</i> who
are perfected <i>with them,</i> but rather <i>they with us.</i> They <i>waited</i>
for His coming; we enjoy Him as having come ( <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/hebrews/1-1.html">Hebrews 1:1</a> , <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/hebrews/2-3.html">2:3</a> ). Christ's
death, the means of <i>perfecting</i> what the Jewish <i>law could not perfect,</i>
was reserved for our time. Compare <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/hebrews/12-2.html">Hebrews 12:2</a> ,
"<i>perfecter</i> (<i>Greek</i>) of our faith." Now that Christ is
come, they in soul share our blessedness, being "the spirits of the just
made perfect" ( <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/hebrews/12-23.html">Hebrews 12:23</a>
); so ALFORD; however, <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/hebrews/9-12.html">Hebrews 9:12</a>
shows that the blood of Christ, brought into the heavenly holy place by Him,
first opened an entrance into heaven (compare <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/john/3-13.html">John 3:13</a> ).
Still, the fathers were in blessedness by faith in the Saviour to come, at
death ( <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/hebrews/6-15.html">Hebrews
6:15</a> , <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/luke/16-22.html">Luke
16:22</a> ).Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-42611078716340278212012-03-21T08:46:00.001-05:002012-03-21T08:46:10.341-05:00Stand Firm | Thomas Cranmer 2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556<a href="http://www.standfirminfaith.com/?/sf/page/28545#.T2nbh_eKV9E.blogger">Stand Firm | Thomas Cranmer 2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556</a>Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-68182459440196233332012-03-19T15:08:00.001-05:002012-03-19T15:25:15.786-05:00Sermon preached Sunday, 3/18/12<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
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<u><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reclaimed from Death</b></span></u></div>
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<u></u><br />
<u></u><br />
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<div style="background-color: white; color: black;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt;">We may be experiencing the realm of death more than we realize. Death is part of what encounters us in the spiritual battle we all know as Christian believers. The nagging feelings, the sense that something is wrong, or that something is dying inside of us… are all part of this experience of death in our daily lives. When we become apathetic: not caring what happens, or when we become numb: unmoved or non-responsive to that which used to be important to us… we may very well be experiencing the realm of death as we try to live! It is also said that we live in what has been called a ‘culture of death’. That which brings the realm of death into our sub-consciousness and consciousness comes daily through the exposure we get from television, the internet, the attitudes of many people, etc. Death in its many forms is taking its toll on us. Truly, when we realize it, we certainly know that we need to be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">reclaimed from death</i>. This is exactly the battle won by Jesus our Savior. It is also exactly the overcoming He is accomplishing in our lives daily through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus has taken away the sting of death and the victory of death by His sacrificial death upon the Cross. Through prayer and as we grow closer to Him in faith, we will experience ever increasing blessings of being reclaimed from death both today and forevermore! Through remaining close to Jesus, we Christians will actually be living in a <i><span style="color: #38761d;">culture of life</span></i> through God’s grace and power to save. Let’s wake up and realize the battle we are in and open afresh to God’s Holy love flooding in and bringing new life into us.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt;"> </span>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Ephesians
2:1-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">7 (ESB)</span></div>
<sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1</span></sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins <sup>2</sup> in which you once
walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power
of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— <sup>3</sup>
among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the
desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like
the rest of mankind. <sup>4</sup> But God, being rich in mercy, because of the
great love with which he loved us, <sup>5</sup> even when we were dead in our
trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— <sup>6</sup>
and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in
Christ Jesus, <sup>7</sup> so that in the coming ages he might show the
immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. </span></div>
</div>
</div>Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-78962884142778762892012-02-18T04:15:00.002-05:002012-02-18T04:32:04.233-05:00Believing: we are able to see; Not Believing: we are blind<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Sermon Notes for Sunday, February 19th </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> <b> </b></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> We cannot see ‘a blooming thing’ when we do
not have faith in Almighty God. It is faith that opens our eyes to God. When
our hearts are open to God: when we believe that He is real, then and only then
are we able to notice the reality of God at work in our lives. It is strange,
yet true that there are like scales over our eyes when we do not believe or
when we mistrust God. These scales fell off from Saul when he became a
believer (Paul): he was healed of his spiritual blindness which was also manifested in
physical blindness (see Acts 9:18). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> The old adage: ‘seeing is believing’ is basically
true, however when it comes to matters of the faith it may become even more
true that: believing is seeing! We pray, as Paul prays in Ephesians 1:18 that
the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened, that we may know the hope to which
He has called us. May His true light ~the light of the Gospel of the glory of
Jesus Christ~ enter our eyes through faith and shine in our hearts ~</span><span style="font-size: small;">giving the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ~ as stated in today’s passage: 2 Corinthians 4:4-6.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> In this way of faith we will no longer be
spiritually blind (the work of</span><span style="font-size: small;"> the ‘god of this world’ who blinds the eyes
of unbelievers). We will instead see by faith and recognize the Lord loving us in
all His glory.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> 2<sup>nd</sup>
Corinthians chapter 4 </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">verses</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">
3-6</span></b></div>
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<sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">3</span></sup><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> And even if our gospel is veiled, it is
veiled only to those who are perishing. <sup>4</sup> In their case the god of
this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing
the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. <sup>5</sup>
For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves
as your servants</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> for Jesus' sake. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><sup>6</sup> For God, who said, “Let light
shine out of darkness”, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. </span></div>
</div>Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-7466531833925578812011-08-24T11:56:00.001-05:002011-08-24T11:56:29.595-05:00<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href='http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=14757'>VirtueOnline - News - News - TONAWANDA, NY: Anglican church assumes central role in new diocese</a><br/><blockquote>News : TONAWANDA, NY: Anglican church assumes central role in new diocese<br/>Posted by David Virtue on 2011/8/16 15:00:00 (646 reads)<br/><br/>TONAWANDA, NY: Anglican church assumes central role in new diocese<br/><br/>By Jay Tokasz<br/>NEWS STAFF REPORTER<br/>http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/tonawanda/article521170.ece<br/>August 13, 2011<br/><br/>[Rev. Arthur Ward] When members of St. Bartholomew's Church in the Town of Tonawanda decided in 2008 to leave the Episcopal Church, they didn't know for sure where they fit in the larger structure of Anglicanism.<br/><br/>Less than three years later, the parish has become a pivotal congregation within the Anglican Church in North America, a rival to the Episcopal Church that grew from a rift between theological conservatives and liberal Episcopalians over Bible interpretation and the ordination of a gay bishop.<br/><br/>This week, the congregation served as host for a conference of the International Diocese, the new diocese to which it belongs as part of the Anglican Church in North America.<br/><br/>Friday, Bishop Bill Atwood dedicated St. Bartholomew as the diocese's pro-cathedral, giving the church special significance as the site of the bishop's chair.<br/><br/>Atwood cited the church's role as a stabilizing force in organizing the new diocese, which includes congregations in Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas, as well as New York State.<br/><br/>"The people here are magnificent," Atwood said. "It's a resource place with great people."<br/><br/>Unlike most dioceses in the Anglican Church, the International Diocese is not regional.<br/><br/>"It's not geographical by definition, but it's based on a shared mission value," said Atwood.<br/><br/>Congregations within the International Diocese have strong connections overseas, which they expect to maintain and enhance.<br/><br/>When the congregation left the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York, for example, the Rev. Arthur W. Ward Jr., its longtime rector, was able to remain an active priest by transferring to the Diocese of Argentina.<br/><br/>The Argentina diocese is part of the province of the Southern Cone in the Worldwide Anglican Communion - a province that was sympathetic to churches in the United States that disagreed with the 2003 consecration of an openly gay bishop.<br/><br/>Provinces in Africa also provided temporary ecclesiastical homes for American priests and congregations that disputed the consecration.<br/><br/>Those provinces "offered us more than a lifeboat," said Atwood. "They offered us life."<br/><br/>Western churches, he added, can learn from the impact that those Anglican churches have had on the cultures of their countries, he added.<br/><br/>For more than 50 years, the St. Bartholomew congregation had worshipped in a sanctuary at 1064 Brighton Road, becoming the largest single parish in the Episcopal Diocese.<br/><br/>After the split with the diocese, members left their church behind and purchased a former synagogue at 2368 Eggert Road.<br/><br/>The move "energized the parish," Ward said. "We got stronger as a result, not weaker."<br/><br/>The Episcopal Diocese attempted to establish a new parish in the Brighton Road site. But when that failed, the diocesan offices were moved there from their longtime location on Delaware Avenue.<br/><br/>"It's ironic," Ward said, "but it's nice that our old place was a blessing to the diocese that they were able to make it their headquarters."<br/><br/>END</blockquote></div>Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-13058072465383595202011-07-23T07:55:00.001-05:002011-07-23T07:57:09.324-05:00Anglican 1000 Replanting Biblical Anglicanism in North America<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><a href="http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/264">Anglican Church in North America</a><br />
<blockquote><b>Anglican 1000 Replanting Biblical Anglicanism in North America</b><br />
<br />
<i>“We get to see the fingerprints of what the Lord is doing here in the U.S. and in Canada.”</i><br />
<br />
As the Anglican Church in North America Provincial Council gathered in Long Beach, Calif., The Rev. Canon David Roseberry, chairman of Anglican 1000, and The Rev. Daniel Adkinson, Anglican 1000 associate director, addressed attendees and shared the latest news about the movement.<br />
<br />
Father Roseberry reflected on the day two years ago when at his investiture, Archbishop Robert Duncan issued the call for 1,000 new Anglican congregations and communities of faith during his ministry. “You felt that roar of applause,” said Roseberry. “These were words spoken under the Spirit that came to us in power. There was such a reception that that I just felt moved.”<br />
<br />
That one line from Archbishop Duncan’s sermon became a strategic Anglican Church in North America initiative with the vision to plant new works to reach North America with the Good News of Jesus Christ.<br />
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“All of us have been nurtured by a church,” said Father Roseberry. “We are the beneficiaries of church planting efforts long ago. Anglican 1000 is an effort to return that favor to the future. Our vision is to plant churches and communities of faith that will bring future generations to the Gospel. It’s worth a lot of our money, effort, and attention.”<br />
<br />
“We’ve seen church planters step out in faith to replant biblical Anglicanism here in North America,” said The Rev. Daniel Adkinson. “We get to see the fingerprints of what the Lord is doing here in the U.S. and in Canada as well.”<br />
<br />
Adkinson reported that Anglican 1000 is currently counting roughly 130 new works, but said there are even more churches that have not yet been reported to Anglican 1000 or are in the process of being planted.<br />
<br />
Adkinson said of reaching the Anglican 1000 goal, “By God’s grace, if He moves, we can. It’s about more than the number. It’s about calling people to conversion and transformation.” </blockquote>(follow this link <a href="http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/264">http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/264</a> for the complete article) </div>Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-74375128547586432552011-06-24T07:21:00.005-05:002011-06-24T07:39:26.677-05:00Archbishop’s State of the Church Address: Provincial Council 2011 (excerpts)<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Two years ago we were 706 congregations. The annual parochial and diocesan reports for 2010 – the first year for which we have a system of statistical reporting in place (another provincial milestone) – identify 952 congregations as part of the dioceses of the Anglican Church in North America and its ministry partners. Statistically this represents a 34 percent growth in congregations at the end of the first 18 months of Church life. <br />
<br />
We focus on the centrality of local congregations as the “chief agency” of our mission in the Anglican Church in North America.[Article IV of the Constitution] If we are to “reach North America with the transforming love of Jesus Christ” the principal way we will do this is through the local congregation. We say that every Anglican Church congregation is “accountable to the Holy Scriptures, accountable to the Tradition, and accountable for the transformation of society.” <br />
<br />
<br />
We understand that congregations are where disciples are formed and that it is through congregations that surrounding environments are changed. We have a clarity about all of this – about the absolute centrality of congregations – that allows us to focus as a Province. Bishops, archbishops, dioceses, structures, programs all exist in order to make the local congregation strong. </div>Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-41620020029189964572011-05-02T04:09:00.001-05:002011-05-02T04:12:11.472-05:00PHOTOS of the Installation of Bishop Roger Ames<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">CLICK the TITLE to go to: Photos of Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes (ACNA) | Facebook<br />
<blockquote></blockquote></div>Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-40682709601336820102011-04-25T05:22:00.008-05:002011-04-25T05:44:24.377-05:00Moving into a NEW DIOCESE!All Saints is moving into a new diocese within the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). As the Diocese of the Holy Spirit moves toward closure in June, as expected, its parishes and priests are seeking new dioceses for their home jurisdiction. This diocese was a transition diocese for the parishes that were received into the Church of Uganda as the Anglican Reformation began in the U.S. All Saints has explored building a relationship with <span style="color: yellow;">the </span><span style="color: yellow;">Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes (ADGL)</span><span style="color: yellow;">.</span> As our Rector contacted the bishop of the ADGL, Rt. Rev. Roger Ames, we found a very warm welcome and an invitation to join their diocese. Our Vestry agreed to accept this invitation. Our bishop, the Rt. Rev. John Guernsey, was pleased to transfer All Saints and Fr. David to our new diocese. Plans for Bishop Ames to be Installed as the bishop of the ADGL are set for Saturday, April 29th. Bishop Ames invited our Rector to participate in the Installation. Fr. David accepted the invitation with great joy and expectation for all that this new relationship offers our parish. <b style="color: lime;">Growing the Church with New Life</b> is the emerging theme of parish life and ministries for 2011. This new diocesan relationship holds great promise for our living into this venture. It is with deepest thankfulness that we move from our diocesan relationship with Bishop John Guernsey who has offered our parish and our Rector exemplary Christian love and wisdom through the years we have shared together.<br />
A link with the Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes can be found here: <a href="http://anglicandiocesegrlakes.org/index.shtml">http://anglicandiocesegrlakes.org/index.shtml</a>Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-31731935816621220852011-03-16T08:08:00.006-05:002011-04-06T17:11:13.908-05:00Lenten Focus: Worship and becoming spiritually alive!<div style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 4.5pt; padding: 1pt 4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; line-height: 13pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> <span style="color: #f1c232;">For the first five Sundays in Lent we will be using the 1928 Prayer Book for our Services of Holy Communion. This temporary change is to help us observe our Anglican heritage with the Service that is most commonly accepted throughout our Anglican Church in North America.</span> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">We will return to our regular Service Booklets on Palm Sunday.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; line-height: 13pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> <span style="color: yellow;">We will be using the Sharing Times after the Service to reflect upon Worship, traditions including those of the early church, Services of Holy Communion, and we’ll study what Holy Scripture tells us about worshiping God.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; color: yellow; line-height: 13pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> During our times of Worship, Biblical Preaching throughout Lent will be focused upon becoming spiritually alive. The sermon series is as follows:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; line-height: 13pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> March 20 2 Lent Being Born of the Spirit </span></i><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">John 3:1-17</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> March 27 3 Lent GOD IS SPIRIT </span></i><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">John 4: 5-42</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> April 3 4 Lent Really Seeing Spiritually what is Real </span></i></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">John 9:1-41</span><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></i></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></i></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0.05in 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> April 10 5 Lent Spiritually Alive! </span></i><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">John 11:1-45</span><i style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></i></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0.05in 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> April 17 Palm Sunday Our Spiritual Journey with Jesus </span></i></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0.05in 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Matthew 26:36—27:66</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="background-color: #b4a7d6; color: white;"><span style="color: black;">April 21 <b>Maundy Thursday</b></span> </span><b style="background-color: #b4a7d6; color: white;">Chapel at 7 PM</b><span style="background-color: #b4a7d6; color: white;"> </span></span></i></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><i> </i></span><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><b><span style="background-color: #b4a7d6; color: white;">Holy Eucharist and the Last Supper</span><span style="background-color: #b4a7d6; color: white;"> </span></b> </span></i></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="background-color: #674ea7;">April 22 <b>Good Friday</b> </span><b style="background-color: #674ea7;">Tenebrae Service at 7:30 PM </b></span></i></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><b> <span style="background-color: #674ea7;"> </span><span style="background-color: #674ea7; color: white;">Joint Service at Holy Cross Anglican Church in Webster</span></b></span></i></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> April 24 Easter Day Emergence of New Life </span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">John 20:1-18</span></span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span> <i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">May 1 1 Easter Morning Prayer 1928 Prayer Book</span></i></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Tom Stone-Lay Preacher</span></i></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> May 8 2 Easter Known in the Breaking of the Bread </span></i></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i><span style="font-size: small;">Luke 24:13-35</span></div><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; line-height: 13pt; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: magenta;">JOIN US as we share in observing a Holy Lent that is spiritually encouraging!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; line-height: 13pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
</span></div></div>Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-16988521747704144442011-03-05T20:07:00.000-05:002011-03-05T20:07:43.622-05:00<span style="font-size: x-large;">ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">6:30 pm at Holy Cross Anglican Church</span><br />
<div style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-size: large;">Join us for the Imposition of Ashes,</span></div><div style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-size: large;">a brief homily shared by Fr. Ambuske and Fr. Harnish,</span></div><div style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-size: large;">Holy Communion of the Presanctified Sacrament</span></div><div style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #b4a7d6;">Let us begin the observance of a Holy Lent together</span></span></div><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="street-address line1">615 Bay Rd</span><span class="separator streetSep">, </span><span class="locationInfo">Webster<span class="separator localitySep">, </span>NY<span class="postal-code"> </span></span></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="locationInfo"><span class="postal-code"><span style="color: yellow;">for map please go to the following web address: </span></span></span></span></div><a href="http://www.acahome.org/dne/hcross/index.htm"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="locationInfo"><span class="postal-code">http://www.acahome.org/dne/hcross/index.htm</span></span></span></a><br />
<span class="locationInfo"><span class="postal-code"> </span></span>Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-58590796090509339662010-09-28T17:57:00.007-05:002010-09-29T09:14:20.198-05:00Sept. 26: Final Retribution: Heaven or Hell?<span style="font-family:arial;">"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".</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">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.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">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.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">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.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">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.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">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.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">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".</span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;">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.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><span style="font-family:arial;">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.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">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.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">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." </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">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.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">"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."</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">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.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">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.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">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."</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">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)</span></p><span style="font-family:arial;">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.</span>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820657337888026933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-67195137278534882392010-09-28T17:46:00.006-05:002010-09-28T17:56:36.266-05:00How's your religious knowledge?<span style="font-family:arial;">Making headlines today: if you want an accurate answer on questions about religion, ask an atheist.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">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 <a href="http://features.pewforum.org/quiz/us-religious-knowledge/index.php">here</a> to take a sample quiz of 15 questions from the full 32-question survey.</span>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820657337888026933noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-76912523233706899412010-09-17T10:52:00.015-05:002010-09-20T09:29:56.813-05:00Sept. 12: God's perfect patience and mercy are meant to reach us<span style="font-family:arial;">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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />"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. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"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.' </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;">"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?</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"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.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"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.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">"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.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"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.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"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.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"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.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"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?</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"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?</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"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!"</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820657337888026933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-32239527398202524042010-09-14T16:32:00.013-05:002010-09-14T17:28:31.713-05:00Off message?<span style="font-family:arial;">A few days ago in <em>The New York Times, </em>a blog post called <a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/mystery-and-evidence/?scp=7&sq=mystery&st=cse">"Mystery and Evidence"</a> by Tim Crane opined:</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><blockquote><span style="font-family:arial;">When Christians express their belief that "Christ has risen", for example, <strong>they should not be taken as making a factual claim</strong>, 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<br />mine.)</span></blockquote></span><p></span><span style="font-family:arial;">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."</span> </p><p></p><blockquote></blockquote><span style="font-family:arial;">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. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">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.</span><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;">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.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">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:</span></p><span style="font-family:arial;"><blockquote><p><span style="font-family:arial;">"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)</span></p></blockquote><p></span><span style="font-family:arial;">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.</p><p><br /></span><br /></p>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820657337888026933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-39720674915048904632010-08-30T18:13:00.004-05:002010-08-31T18:33:03.816-05:00Are churches creating "fake Christians"?<span style="font-family:arial;">If you're the parent of a Christian teenager, Kenda Creasy Dean has this warning:<br /><br />Your child is following a "mutant" form of Christianity, and you may be responsible.<br /><br />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. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Click the post title to read the entire article on the CNN website.</span>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820657337888026933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-22537605090264795382010-08-21T07:45:00.000-05:002010-08-21T07:45:07.079-05:00August 15: The ACTION of Living by Faith<span style="font-family: arial;">Text: Hebrews 11:29-12:2</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;">"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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">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."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">"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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">"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 </span><span style="font-family: arial;">lineage of Jesus Christ. She became great through her great faith."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;">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 <i><b>we</b></i> need to do for <i><b>them</b></i>. What could that possibly be?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Theologian John Piper interprets this as follows:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">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.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">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.</span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">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".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"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."</span>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820657337888026933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-42582944768574764642010-07-20T11:28:00.006-05:002010-07-20T19:41:55.131-05:00BEING ESTABLISHED IN THE FAITH<div class="MsoNormal"><b>What is God’s answer to the deadliness and troubles we experience on a daily basis? </b></div><div class="MsoNormal">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. </div><div class="MsoNormal">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: <o:p></o:p></div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal">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</div></blockquote><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">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<o:p></o:p></div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal">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.<o:p></o:p></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal">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). <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">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). <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Come, join us <a href="http://www.allsaintsrochester.org/">this Sunday</a> </b><b>as we reflect together </b><b>on God’s Holy Word about these matters. </b><br />
Our message this Sunday is based upon Colossians 2 <o:p></o:p></div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"> 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. <o:p></o:p></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">May God bless you with New Life and with renewed strength for living in Jesus Christ.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> In Christ, David+ </div>Voice-in-Wildernesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961025168697968317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-21104247837803895842010-03-30T16:45:00.010-05:002010-04-01T10:14:10.316-05:00Church news, 4/1: "Passion Week"<span style="font-family: arial;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">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: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">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)</span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">"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."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">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). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Our bodies are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, and should be a house of prayer," continued Fr. David. "How are you prepared?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">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.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Wednesday was the day that Judas Iscariot devised his plot to turn Jesus over to the authorities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">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."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">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.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"May we grow in renewed faith and love as we walk through this Passion Week with our Lord Jesus Christ."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;">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.</span>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820657337888026933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31449459.post-33975987609451450072010-03-18T12:55:00.005-05:002010-03-18T16:34:05.117-05:00Thoughts on Prayer<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL',charis,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17</span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL',charis,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL',charis,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Paul the Apostle in his first letter to the Christian church in Thessalonica calls them to incessant prayer, continuous throughout the day, never ending.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL',charis,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL',charis,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL',charis,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL',charis,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0