Thursday, December 30, 2010

A New Year


January marks a new year. It is named after the Roman god, Janus. Janus had two faces, one that looked at the past and the other that looked to the future. Now we know there is only one God. (Dt. 6:4) But sometimes, because of our fallen nature, we act like a god, knowing the past and desiring to know the future. Knowing the past is easy. We have memories of what happened last year. But knowing the future is something we cannot do. Sure we make plans. And even God reminds us that while we make plans, He has already decided the outcome. (Pr. 16:33, 19:21) So, given the nature of our limitations and knowledge of God’s providence, how should we live into the new year, into the future?

Our inability to know the future is our call to trust God, our Father, all the more. We should accept the fact that He has ordained every appointment that will take place. Our wishes and dreams should be prayers that include “in accordance with Your will!” St. James reminds us of our pride when we think we can make the future go according to our desires, Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15NIV.

The truth is we do not know what will happen tomorrow. But remember your disappointments this past year. Disappointments occur when our expectations or plans are unfulfilled. A surprise occurs when there is no plan or expectation. We are not God. We cannot go back and change our disappointments. But we can look to the future in the knowledge that all things work together for those who love God, (Rom. 8:28) and therefore, are willing to let God surprise us daily as we submit to His perfect will by saying, Thy will be done, on earth as it is heaven!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Allen Peyton's Theory of Negativity.

I would like to introduce to you my new Theory of Negativity. The theory goes like this: When one person offers a complaint to another person or group of people, it becomes necessary for all listeners to offer a more negative complaint! We often see this at teas and committee meetings. The complaints become graver as each individual remarks on how bad they have it. The goal is to make sure the previous gripe really is not that bad at all eliciting a true need of sympathy for the present speaker. Since sympathy is in short supply, it should only go to the worst case scenario. I submit to you that this theory explains much of worldly behavior. A true Christian would see God's guiding hand and will understand their circumstances with thanksgiving and joy (I Thess. 5:18) knowing all things work for good for those who love God, the elect! (Romans 8:28)

For an example of the Theory of Negativity in action, please play the video below.

Monday, October 25, 2010

The Horror of Judgement or What Can Horror Movies Teach Us about Salvation?


Growing up I enjoyed watching horror movies. By horror movies I mean B flicks that are tame compared to the slice and dice slasher movies of today. I'm talking about Dracula, Frankenstein and other movies that shared a common theme. The theme was beating death by either creating a monster through man's arrogance that he can be like God or that one is immortal because of some misfortune as a bite on a neck or the commingling of human blood with wolf''s blood. After all, bats and dogs do remind us of our animal nature. Zombie movies do carry this theme though. A terrible virus has been released and humans have come into contact with them and they become walking dead. The regret of these catastrophes is followed by our heroes trying to kill these wayward monsters for they are dangerous.


Horror movies speak to an innate understanding of ourselves. It's just not that difficult to imagine the walking dead, soulless bodies that can do no good! After all, such is the human condition. We desire immortality because death is not desirable and yet death is already our condition as we carry the virus of sin. At least this is the biblical view of man! When Adam and Eve ate that forbidden fruit, they died spiritually. We became dead in our sins. We became the walking dead. So the only help for us is a Dr. Frankenstein like regeneration of our heart. But yet we are still monsters, only living out our desires of the flesh! The regeneration we need has to come from above as only God is perfect. Until then we go through life lying cheating and stealing all because we do not have a perfect life-giving spirit in us to move us to unselfish goodness.


Many of us can quote John 3:16 by heart. But can we quote the verses that follow? Read then carefully: 16"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."


We come into this world 'condemned already'. And our judgement is that people rather live in darkness. This may seem cynical but why do people lie, bear false witness, hurt others with words as well as their fists. Bullying has seen an increase leading some to take their life. Choosing life does not seem an option for many! Rape and murder still continue to this day. Even in the church slander and gossip is not rebuked. People of all stripes seek their own glory rather than the glory of God. Power is sought and abused! WE ARE MONSTERS. Yet Jesus chooses some, the elect, for salvation. This was foreordained. Judgement is not in the future. It is now. The question is who fulfills our death sentence? And the answer is Jesus! For those who understand our sinful nature and put their faith in Jesus, their death sentence has been lifted and they are brought to new life, hence, born again. Our zombie nature is destroyed. We are no longer sucking the life out of others as we have new life dwelling within us!


The real B rated horror movie is our lives. We are condemned to death. We fear this reality but do not trust the Cross of Christ enough to see the end of the flick is one of salvation. Ask yourself this question, what were those witnesses of the crucifixion really thinking when they saw the righteous walking out of the tombs that first Good Friday? "And behold,the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many." (Mt. 27:51-53) For those dead in their sins, it had to be a horrorific sight!


Friday, October 15, 2010

An Open Letter to the Laity for Clergy Appreciation Month




To my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, the Laity~

Grace and peace to you in the Name of our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

I write this as it is Clergy Appreciation Month and I am a presbyter in an historic faith, Anglicanism. I have served parishes for over twenty years. Prior to that I sat in the pew for thirty years just like you! So I know what it is like to be both a layperson and a priest. I also know what it is like to be a false convert and a true convert. So this epistle is to you who sit in the pew every Sunday.

As a pastor I ask that you remember a few things about your role in the church as well as the role of your clergyperson.

1. Your pastor is not the only minister. We are all ministers. Each and everyone of you has been given peculiar gifts to serve Christ. So do not expect your pastor to do all the work necessary for your parishes' mission. This is not a new concept. St. Paul addressed it in his First Letter to the Corinthians. By the way, nothing I say here is going to be new!

2. Your pastor is a human being. To put it in theological terms, He or she is a wretched sinner. It is the blood of Christ that washes our sins away, not the office we hold in church. And by the way, you are a wretched sinner as well. No matter how many coffee hours you have hosted, committees served, flowers bought, there is only on thing that can get you into heaven, and that is the cross of Christ.

3. The Cross of Christ is not made of gold, silver, brass or poly-resin. It is wood drenched in blood. Jesus bore the punishment we deserve. See #2 above.

4. Preachers are called to preach the cross of Christ. A good sermon is defined by the heart of the hearer being convicted of sin and receiving the gift of repentance from the Lord. A changed heart is a changed person. This is a lifelong process. So in the meantime, do not judge the sermon by the number of laughs the preacher gets. Nor judge the sermon by it's length. If you are looking at your watch because you have someplace to be, then ask yourself, "What priority do you give God in your life?" In the Church, and everywhere else in life, the most important person to bow down to is Jesus, Lord and Savior!

5. The words "pastor" and "pastoral" do not refer to being nice. Nor do they refer to social work or therapy. A pastor pastors a flock. The image is a shepherd leading his sheep to green pastures and still waters. In my tradition we have bishops. In a liturgical procession, they carry a crosier, a bishop's staff. This represents the staff shepherds carry to prod the sheep along or pull them in a direction necessary for their growth and safety. See Psalm 23. And if your asking what is the rod that is mentioned in the psalm, it is the club to keep wolves at bay. Pastoring involves pulling and prodding the flock towards the Word of God. This means that there will be times a very good sermon or bible study will make you feel uncomfortable. All because we are being coaxed to greener pastures for the sake of our salvation. And by the way, the true shepherd of the flock is Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

6. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Hence, He is shepherding us in our lives. He is not sitting on the couch oblivious to our needs. God has a will for each and everyone of us and He will move us in the direction we need to go in order that we may conform to His image he has for us. Very seldom do we complain when we are happy. But we tend to complain a lot when we are unhappy. Our unhappiness maybe related to our own willfulness, self-centeredness. If we are truly bound to Christ we will go where He takes us. If we lose a job, maybe that was part of God's plan. Not because He is mean, but it is a part of our growth process. In other words, "...in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." (Romans 8:28-30) We as pastors are called by the grace of God to help you see God working in your life, shepherding you to the Good Shepherd.

7. Being in church does not make you anymore a Christian than being in a garage makes you a car. When we die we will face the judgment of our life. The judge will not ask you what your pastor did. He will tell you what you did and His word will be final. So do not blame your pastor for things you should be taking responsibility for anyway. Blaming entered our world the moment Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. And look what happened to them. Take responsibility for your negative emotions. See #2 and #6 above. If someone leaves the congregation because of something they did not like, do not blame the pastor unless the pastor is a false teacher.

8. Read the Scriptures. Attend Bible Study. Listen faithfully to the Word preached. Take responsibility for your daily diet of the Word. In this way you will know the Word of Truth. And this makes it easier to understand when the leader of the congregation must exhort and rebuke the congregation in matters of the faith. (2 Tim. 3:16) The Word of God is our final authority. Also you will be able to recognize the wolf in sheep's' clothing. (Mt. 7:15)

9. Understand that when you read the Word of God, that God gives us commands not suggestions. He never said, "When you feel like it, love your neighbor." Nor did Jesus say from the cross, "Father forgive them but only after I get my way with them." Love is a command. Forgiveness means I have to accept the hurt I feel not seeking revenge. The biblical phrase from the Lord's Prayer, "Forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us, and lead us not into temptation" (Luke 11:4ESV) means that we recognize our own forgiveness through that bloody cross and that we will not make people owe us anything when we are offended. We still hurt, but we will not hurt others "to get even". The temptation that we pray to be protected from comes immediately after this petition as Satan will tempt us to get even. If you fantasize about revenge, that is Satan tempting you. Take responsibility for your thoughts and rebuke Satan in the Name of Jesus! Remember, Jesus is our Lord, not our feelings. Going back to Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, people who live out their feelings were called carnal. Those who live in obedience to Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, were called spiritual. There are works of the flesh and there are fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25) You will notice the works of the flesh involve a lot of feelings. The Spirit produces fruits of attitude. Remember, the Holy Spirit produces these in us, we cannot manufacture them. So when I am convicted of my sin and sins, I must throw myself upon the mercy of Jesus Christ, my redeemer. And this goes for everyone in the church.

10. And finally, do not ask your pastor to be something he or she is not. This is idolatry. They are not your parent, therapist, buddy. We cannot be like the last pastor who proceeded us. We are all unique. Remember all the people called by God in ages past who were used to fulfill God's plan of salvation. Noah was a drunk. Moses was a murderer and inarticulate. King David was a murderer and adulterer. Jonah was obstinate. Peter was a liar and a poor fisherman. In spite of his education, Paul was complicit in the murder of many a new Christian, and by his own admission wasn't his own choice to be an apostle. But the majority of the New Testament was written by his own pen. By no means do I believe we can excuse murder and adultery as the Ten Commandments are quite clear about that. And we have the gift of the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin and lead us to repentance. But we are not perfect and God does not call perfect people to the ministry. He calls whom He wills! And you are not perfect. But just the same, you are called to join with your pastor to fulfill the Great Commission, making disciple of all peoples. This can best be done by being a disciple, sitting at the feet of Jesus, and setting an example to be followed by others!

So this month, pray for your clergy that they be the person God needs them to be, not the person you want them to be. And remember, they have a holy charge to watch over your souls! (Hebrews 13:7-10, 17)

God bless you,

Your Brother in Christ, a sinner in need of a Redeemer!


Allen. T. Peyton, III+

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Who is at the Center of our Baptism?

Since I believe there are no accidents in the Kingdom of God, I do not take for granted the various coincidences that I often see in the world about me. So when two reflections come across my Twitter timeline on the same subject, I cannot help but to think that this was meant to be. So here are the links to the different reflections. One is by a teacher who is doing a good work that is necessary and the other by the respected Anglican theologian, J. I. Packer. I do not expect every lay person to know theology but I do expect every lay person to know why we baptize and Who is behind this sacrament. After all, it is in the catechism. Our journey in Jesus Christ is one that moves from head to heart, from the self as center to Jesus as our ultimate center. The sacraments of the Church are more about God and His mercy towards us than they are about us and what we do. After all, without faith we cannot please God and faith is a gift from God to us. (Hebrews 11:6, I Cor. 12:9, 11)

For J. I. Packer's reflection go here http://www.standfirminfaith.com/?/sf/page/26691

For Michael Drawbough's reflection go here http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80050_125046_ENG_HTM.htm

DEARLY beloved, forasmuch as all men are conceived and born in sin: and that our Saviour Christ saith, None can enter into the kingdom of God, except he be regenerate and born anew of Water and of the Holy Ghost: I beseech you to call upon God the Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that of his bounteous mercy HE will grant to this Child that thing which by nature he cannot have; that he may be baptized with Water and the Holy Ghost, and received into Christ's holy Church, and be made a lively member of the same. BCP 1662

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Dear Pastors, Quit Feeding the Goats!

The parable of the sheep and goats (MT. 25:31-48) is not only a warning on serving Christ in the most humble, it is a lesson on where our focus should be in our parish ministry!

We know how the parable begins. "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "

Most of us know how this parable ends. The sheep served the least of Jesus' brothers and sisters and did not know it but were rewarded with the promised Kingdom. The goats did not serve the least and claimed ignorance. They were were cast into the fires of hell. Too often I have heard sermons on the social aspects of this parable. But this is a parable of separation and judgement. The goats are mixed in with the sheep and there is no help for them. This is a parable of judgement. It follows two other parables on judgement.

Goats and sheep are not the same. Goats eat anything. Sheep graze on grass and clover. Goats are independent whereas sheep depend on shepherds. To put this in terms of the parable, sheep are very dependant on the Good Shepherd, goats go their own way. To bring it to the present, goats and sheep are co-mingled. The sheep in our congregations need and want a daily diet of the Word whereas the goats will eat anything including false doctrines. And Jesus knows His sheep. He also knows the goats destined for eternal damnation. But how often do we pastors try to feed both sheep and goats?

Jesus said to Peter, "Feed my sheep!" He did not say "Feed my goats." Our apostolic authority rests in feeding the elect the Word of God. Goats, the reprobate, could care less! Yet, our parishes are filled with goats desiring to have their way, not God's way! Jesus often prefaced a parable with, "The Kingdom of God is..." Not once did He say, "The Democracy of God is..." Christ the King has decided who His sheep are. They will respond to godly preaching. Goats cannot become sheep. True conversion comes about when the lost sheep are found by the Good Shepherd and brought to green pastures and still waters. I have found that true joy in ministry comes when I focus on the responses of the sheep when they hear to voice of the shepherd and not on trying to meet every demand of the goats. Jesus does not waste His time on them, why should we?

Friday, September 3, 2010

Labor Day - Questions for the Church


What if 100% of all churches prayed for the unemployed this weekend?

What if 100% of all unemployed workers prayed to God for His mercy and guidance?

What if 100% of all believers repented of those things that contribute to our unemployment?

What if this weekend 100% of all Christians got on our knees asking God's guidance for our nation.

What if 100% of our citizenry prayed for all elected officials and business leaders that they all may do God's will.

What if 100% of all church goers read their bibles this Labor Day weekend seeking answers from God's Word?
What If..................................?

Heavenly Father, we remember before you those who suffer want and anxiety from lack of work. Guide the people of this land so to use our public and private wealth that all may find suitable and fulfilling employment, and receive just payment for their labor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness,and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.



Monday, August 30, 2010

Does the President's Faith Really Matter? A Message to Christians

Much is being made about President’s Obama’s faith. According to a recent USA Today survey, ”Nearly one in five Americans incorrectly say President Obama is a Muslim, up from 11% last year, according to a Pew Research Center poll released today.

In the survey, about one-third of Americans correctly say Obama is a Christian, down from 48% who said so last year. In all, 43% say they do not know what religion Obama practices.” http://tinyurl.com/28zg2m2 Of course what one thinks of the President’s faith has no bearing on the Presidents heart.

But for many professing Christians there is concern that The President should be a Christian. And that if he does not hold their views, then the President should be subjected to criticism. Such a negative bias against the President is contrary to biblical teaching.

The New Testament was written under Roman rule. The Caesars saw themselves as divine. Pagan idolatry was the state’s religion. But under these circumstances, the earliest apostles of the faith exhorted the early church to respect and honor the government. In Paul’s Letter to the Church in Rome, He writes, Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority. (Romans 13:1-7NLT)

The elected authorities are God’s servants whether they are Christian or not! If Paul can say this about a pagan ruler, then why is there so much disrespect for the President of the United States? Every government official takes an oath to uphold the Constitution. President Obama is doing this within the constraints of his office. Roman rulers were dictators. A government of checks and balances is far superior to a dictatorship. The United States of America should count her blessings. Perhaps Christians today should read more of the Bible and pray for their leaders. After all, a government is only as good as its citizenry! Who knows who the next president will be and what he or she will do!
 
 

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Jesus is the Answer to Islam, Bhuddists, Hindus and CHRISTIANS!

With all the news in the USA regarding the proposed mosque/community center at Ground Zero, I thought it worthwhile to remind all of us (whoever us might be) what sets Christianity apart from other religions. But first let me say that as an American, the denial of the mosque being built will challenge the legality of such a decision under the Bill of Rights. This article is about what makes Christianity different from other religions. Having said that, let me say also that most Christians do not know what Christianity is about.

All non-Christian religions are systems of works righteousness. Do this and that and you will escape suffering, have a better life in the future, be rewarded, etc. And yes, many TV preachers who call themselves Christian appear to espouse the same! Christianity is really about what one person has done for those who believe in Him. It is not one more organization with buildings and ritual. Jesus is the object of our worship not because he makes sense when it is convenient to our particular needs but he has saved us from that fiery demise promised to all sinners. And we are all sinners. My membership in a church does not save me from that demise! Jesus teaches us that no one is good. (Mark 10:18) Later Jesus also teaches us we cannot save ourselves. That impossible feat is left to God. (Mark 10:27) Hence, we need to understand who we are in relationship to Jesus and His death upon the cross. When we scream at people (an act of violence on a smaller scale) we force them to see us as an enemy. And when we force people to see us rather than Jesus who alone is to be glorified, we are guilty of idolatry for we make ourselves more important than the one who does all the work in our lives. Jesus came to change our hearts. This is done by hearing the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. We deserve punishment for all our sins and by His death upon the cross, Jesus has saved me from deserved judgement. As King David says in Psalm 51, The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart. (17) A changed heart results from an experience of God's mercy. We cannot earn our way into paradise. The way is narrow and only God can change us through His grace. This is true for all people including Chrisitans in name only! Faith in Christ comes from hearing the Gospel. Not proclaiming who is right. ( Romans 10:14-21)


Monday, August 23, 2010

Never Stop Feeding the Soul

At least I believe that as long as there is breath in one's body, prayer is efficacious and the Word of God can still bear fruit. After all, it is God at work and nothing can stop His saving grace. These are my thoughts as I pray for my mother who is in the last days of life imprisoned in her body diseased with cancer.

And why am I reflecting on this? The beginning of this year, my churchgoing mother confessed that she did not believe in an afterlife. As an orthodox Christian I do believe in an afterlife as revealed in Scripture. When her cancer was diagnosed as terminal, Mom declined any further treatments resigning herself to death as it was inevitable. As her health declined, she began not attending church as well as refusing communion from the lay Eucharistic ministers who would come by her apartment. This was her choice. But I have to give some credit for my beliefs to Mom and Dad as they raised me in the church. Growing up we heard bible based preaching. So seeds must have been planted.

But as I have grown, so has my theology. I pretty much am a Calvinist, a good 5 pointer if you know what I mean. God chooses us, we do not choose Him! Who is to say, that God cannot redeem Mom's soul while she lies in bed, now unable to speak, unable to eat? The parish Mom has been attending preaches a works righteousness. Outside of the Liturgy of the Word and the Eucharist, there is not a proclamation of the Gospel. Didn't Jesus say something about it being worse for those who cause someone to stumble? (Matthew 18:6) Is it not Jesus who calls us to life as we are dead in our sins and therefore cannot speak for ourselves? (Ephesians 2:1-5) I ponder these things as I have been exploring the burial rite from the American Book of Common Prayer in preparation for my mother's funeral. While doing this I have been reading the suggested Scripture readings to Mom aloud as she can still hear. And one suggestion from St. John's Gospel struck me with profundity.

24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (John 5:24-29, New King James Version)

If the dead can hear, why not a soul in a body close to physical death? Why can't a soul awaken to new life even if the body is broken? After all, God Himself will show mercy on whom He desires. But how will a person believe if there is not a preacher sharing the Word? (Romans 10:14-17) So if you have a loved one dying, never stop praying, never stop feeding the soul!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Florence Nighingale: Nursing as Calling


I write this post from my mother's bedside. She is in a nursing home run by the nuns of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a nursing order in the Dominican tradition. They are called to tend to those dying from cancer.

Florence Nightingale believed she was called to the sick and dying. But in her day, nursing was relegated to prostitutes and substance abusers. For Florence, she saw the dignity of God in each suffering soul she ministered to. Today's hospitals owe much to the reforms Florence initiated.

But what I often see missing in our Christan life is the celebration of acts of mercy to the sick and suffering. What the nuns are teaching me, and what Jesus has taught already, is how serving the poor allows Christ to serve us through them. Florence saw nursing as a noble profession in a day when women who lived on and off the street were demanded to care for those deemed untouchable by disease and accident. Today we now have men in nursing and expect a professionalism once reserved for doctors. But what can't be reserved is mercy. The God we worship is a merciful God. Let us be merciful to all who suffer in our day!

Life-giving God, you alone have power over life and death, over health and sickness: Give power, wisdom, and gentleness to those who follow the lead of Florence Nightingale, that they, bearing with them your presence, may not only heal but bless, and shine as lanterns of hope in the darkest hours of pain and fear; through Jesus Christ, the healer of body and soul, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen


Saturday, July 10, 2010

Mel Gibson and the Sovereignty of God


When I reflect on Mel Gibson's behavior, I wonder how could such a person could have produced a necessary film such as, The Passion of the Christ? Firstly, let me put forth some assumptions that one may agree with or not.

The Passion of the Christ put the suffering of Jesus into a true historical context that is often lost on Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Jesus did not just hang on a cross quoting from the Old Testament waiting for Easter to come along. His fate was a horror. For those of us who are Christian believers, the suffering of Jesus as the propitiation for our sins, is essential to our salvation. Gibson removed the sugar coating so we can taste Christ's death. Hence, I would recommend The Passion to anyone who asks what is Good Friday about. So one assumption I am making is Gibson contributed to the Christian understanding of what Jesus did for humankind by allowing us a front row seat at His execution.

The second assumption I will also make is that the very man who made this very film that I believe is worth seeing is not a Christian. Jesus, the Man who died for our sins, also spent a few years teaching on God's will for us. Much of Christ's teaching deals with our behavior, the fruit of our heart. We will be judged by how we treat others, what we say and how we allow our heart to express itself. In other words, we are to bear fruit worthy of repentance. (Luke 3:8) This is not works righteousness but rather we will be judged on whether or not our heart has been regenerated. A heart is regenerated by the Holy Spirit following the will of God and produces fruit in accordance with the Spirit. An unregenerate heart remains dead, void of the Spirit of God. And therefore, the works of the flesh remain evident. All of this is the supernatural work of God. Humans can not make this happen by our own initiative. (John 3) So based on what we know of Mr. Gibson's behavior, he has yet to show a repentant heart. I will not go into past tabloid allegations suffice it to say his latest public drama shows no improvement from previous verbal utterances not to mention his flagrant fornication. So how could such a person have made such a fruitful movie such as The Passion of the Christ?

My answer is God will glorify Himself in spite of us! God does not desire for us to behave based on our carnal nature. Hence, the need for a spiritual rebirth. But God will use all people for His purpose and His glory. Gibson may have thought he was contributing to his bank account in the Kingdom of Heaven by making the film. This is common thinking among non-spiritual 'Christians'. The thinking goes, I will give lots of money for this project. I will help the clothes closet. I will do such and such. In other words, look at me. While such works may be 'good', if they are not done out of the impetus of the Holy Spirit, they cannot be considered God's will but rather a work of the flesh. All that we are to be and do is to glorify God and it is God who knows how He wants to be glorified. He is the Master, we are His servants. (See Articles XII, XIII, XIV of the Anglican Articles of Religion)

But what if the work I do brings someone to God and not to me in spite of my self-centered motivation? What if I am leading a Bible study because I am trying to impress the Church leadership and others by wanting them to think how smart I am? But in spite of this hypocrisy, one person in that Bible study discovers who Jesus is and surrenders to Him. Who gets the credit? God and He alone. Chances are, if in one area of my life I seek man's praise, idolatry, I will bear fruit of idolatry in the rest of my life. (Romans 1:28ff) Ergo, I will be judged by my behavior before Christ. Yet, one person was found by God in spite of my self-glorification. God foreknew my desire for honor using it to His purpose.

To judge God's providence or what it means to be a Christian based solely on Mel Gibson's well documented behavior is to have a very small view of God. To base the movie The Passion of the Christ on Gibson's character is limiting God's power. God makes use of us, we cannot make use of God. He is the master, we are the servants! As St. Paul states, "Who can resist the will of God?" (Romans 9)

Thursday, June 24, 2010

The Need to Repent



Today is the Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist. His ministry was to call us to repentance preparing the Way of the Lord. It seems in the modern church that repentance is discussed very little. The meaning of the word repent is to have a deep sorrow for ones condition or behavior. The Greek word, 'metanoia' has the sense of changing one's heart or one's mind. Basically, we are to have a profound change in our attitude and behavior. One that turns away from our self-centeredness and toward total dependence on Christ as Lord, the ruler of our lives and savior, the propitiation for our just punishment of eternal damnation. Hence, we must know our condition to know Jesus' position.

In order to bear fruit that is worthy of repentance, we cannot choose to do whatever we like thinking it will be good enough for God. We must understand that we must change and that only God can change us! How often do we think we are alright as it is? Do we have an understanding of ourselves that says that all is not all right with us and One greater than us who is perfect must come into our hearts for our sake. And for our sake must be for the sake of The Kingdom. In other words, the end of our lives must be the beginning of our life for Him who was crucified died, and was buried! To say we believe in God is far different than saying our hard hearts are broken by the Him who died for us. Such a broken heart is necessary for new birth and that can only be done on Jesus' terms. Anything else is by our own initiative disregarding the Other's sovereignty!

Almighty God, by whose providence your servant John the Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of your Son our Savior by preaching repentance: Make us so to follow his teaching and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and, following his example, constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth's sake; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


Monday, June 7, 2010

ARE WE SOWING RICE CHRISTIANS?

Yesterday I found myself in a parish that I once was a member of when I was a teenager. My sister and mother are members there now. It is ensconced in the wealthy northern suburbs of Atlanta. While I wore my collar, I sat in the pew listening to the sermon and stood in line to receive communion. The sermon was preached by a professional acquaintance of mine from several years ago! The readings appointed for the day were rich. 1 Kings 17:17-24 told of Elijah stretching himself upon the body of a dead boy crying to God to bring life back into the boy and the boy came back to life and was returned to his mother who would have been destitute without his care. From the Gospel of Luke the widow of Nain mourns the loss of her only son only to have Jesus say, "Arise!" and he too is returned to his mother who would have been destitute without her son. (Luke 7:11-17) And let us not forget Paul's Letter to Galatians where he proclaims that the Gospel is of God and hence supernatural rather than an invention of men. How else could he be a Christian proclaiming salvation to the Gentiles! (Gal. 1:11-24) Alas, the sermon really did not address the fact God can raise people from the dead. Or that the Gospel is supernatural in nature. In the sermon there were a couple of nice stories. They were more about how humanity can do the right thing. Really nothing about what God can do that is supernatural. If you feel good, perhaps you will see God.

So I come home, flop on the couch and turn the TV on. On TCM was an old Gregory Peck movie, The Keys of the Kingdom. The movie was about a Scottish RC priest who is somewhat of a misfit in his hometown. He is sent off as a missionary to pre-revolution China. There he sees an old dilapidated church building and 2 hosts who tell the new rector that everyone left when the previous pastor left as they had no one to receive payment from to stay and worship. But this couple will help repair the buildings and grow the church for their customary stipend. Fr. Chisolm, Peck's character, replies he has no money and has no intention of raising up "rice Christians". At this the couple leave in a huff and mock the priest's efforts in establishing a medical mission and a parish.

As a parish priest for over 20 years, I have encountered similar sentiments from my North American mission field albeit more subtle than the Chinese who looked forward to American and European missionaries doling out the wealth. Fr. Chisolm knew what a true convert was. But do we who pastor in comfortable America? There is an overriding, "What's in it for me?" attitude among church goers. When we make people happy, we are creating Rice Christians. Our goal is to preach Christ crucified. Are we bold to say that miracles abound today and that God still heals? Are we honest when we cannot say we have witnessed a miracle that defies explanation but are humble enough to appeal to The Almighty to show us one? After all, God is supernatural! Any effort to make church for selfish reasons is an effort to sow Rice Christians. When we define God on our terms rather than the Scriptures, we are making Rice Christians. It is no wonder that people church shop.

Later in the movie Methodist missionaries arrive in the Chinese village where Fr. Chisolm has labored many years. Knowing that it has not been his job to build a church but rather seek the lost for Christ's sake, he welcomes the Methodists as co-laborers! The Church for Fr. Chisolm was what Jesus wanted, not necessarily his traditions!

The problem with the American Church is that we want to build an institution, not the Body of Christ. We want to talk about ourselves and not about what God is doing or can do. We do not want to confess that maybe we are blind and deaf to His presence. A confession that requires repentance!

The truth is that Jesus is doing all the work to draw people to Himself. Those of us who are true believers can be missionaries in our own denominations and accept others who are members of Christ's fold in spite of our traditions!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Mystery of the Cross Part 3 Unconditional love - NOT!


Jesus died for us. As St. Paul says, "None is righteous, no, not one...no one does good, not even one." (Romans 3:10b, 12b) And so to that penalty, to appease God's wrath, He gave Himself up for us. There's the rub! There is a condition to God's love. In order for God to be just, all the debts of our crimes must be paid. It is true that we did not ask Jesus to die for us. If we had then we would boast in taking the initiative. No we aren't even that good. Only God, perfect in knowledge knows how to pay our debt. He even knows how and when! So what then are we to make of this love that require a man, born of a woman, to die for us?

As I said earlier, if you get the cross, you get Christianity. If you get the cross, your soul will be convicted and by this supernatural grace, (free, unmerited favor) you cannot help but to live a life for Him who died for us. So ask yourself, Are you a Christian because you say so, or because God says so?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer addressed it this way, Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.

Costly grace is the sanctuary of God; it has to be protected from the world, and not thrown to the dogs. It is therefore the living word, the Word of God, which he speaks as it pleases him. Costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus. It comes as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit and the contrite heart. Grace is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

In the end, we are like one of the two criminals on the cross. One desired Jesus to pull Himself down along with him not acknowedging his guilt. The other knew well his guilt and accepted his penalty only to humbly ask Christ to remember him in paradise. Cheap grace puts us first telling God what to do. Costly grace puts God first as there is no other position to hold!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Mystery of the Cross Part 2




Forgiveness hurts! It really hurts. Even from the cross, Jesus says, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." He does not call them ignorant bastards. He does not blame anyone for his crap! Spit upon, flogged, punched and nailed naked to a cross, He, Son of God, says, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

Forgiveness hurts. I know. I am trying to forgive people who have called me names, accused my of adultery, gossiped unapologetic. And I am having a hard time forgiving those who hear the gossip and do not rebuke the gossiper because they want to be liked!

Forgiveness hurts! It's a command from Jesus that we forgive 70 times 7 those who hurt us. It's not a feeling. It's a bloody command! Jesus proves it on the bloody cross. When we forgive, we let go of any obligation on the part of the one who has hurt us. No one owes us an explanation. No one owes us an apology. So, how do we forgive. The answer lies in the hurt Jesus took on upon Himself on that first Good Friday many years ago! Did I mention Jesus died in the cross...FOR ME! If I know His forgiveness for me, I can then forgive those who have hurt me. And that's the point. I am hurt. I do not try to make people remove the nails from me.

I have been struggling with forgiving those who have hurt me by their gossip while damaging my reputation. I pray to God to give me a forgiving heart. So how do I know I have forgiven someone? By the fruits of my heart. I hurt! I do not seek retribution. "I don't get mad I get even", is what the world says! Jesus commands us to forgive others as we have been forgiven. And there's the rub. Jesus hurts every time I break God's commands. By His death upon the cross, He took my debt away. Hence, no one owes me anything either! When we forgive someone we are loosening them from any obligation to us. They do not owe us an apology. They do not owe us an explanation. To forgive means to let go of the offender. So how do we know we have forgiven someone? We hurt! Jesus tells us a story of a slave in debt to his king for 10,000 talents. He begs for mercy and his debt is wiped clean. But he goes to a fellow slave who owes just a pittance. Rather than forgive that slave as he has been forgiven by the king, he demands that the debt be paid in full. Once the king hears of this, the first slave is jailed until his original debt is paid off. The moral of the story, "So my heavenly Father will do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from the heart." (Mt. 18:21-35) As Christians we are called to forgive others. It's a calling, not a feeling. So how do we know we haven forgiven someone? We hurt!

Monday, May 17, 2010

The Mystery of the Cross Part 1

Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people. (John 18:14 NIV)

That it would be good if ONE MAN died for all the people. Jesus is one man, perfect, sinless. He died for all the people!

If I have said it once I have said it a thousand time! If you get the cross, you get Christianity. The cross is central to our concept of salvation! Yet, as a priest, I find more and more people who do not get the FULL meaning of the cross! Through these next few posts, I will be sharing some aspect of the cross. No one post will contain the full meaning as that in itself is a lifetime learning!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Bearing Good Fruit as Christians



33 "If you want good fruit, you must make the tree good. If your tree is not good, it will have bad fruit. A tree is known by the kind of fruit it produces. 34 You snakes! You are evil people, so how can you say anything good? The mouth speaks the things that are in the heart.35 Good people have good things in their hearts, and so they say good things. But evil people have evil in their hearts, so they say evil things.36 And I tell you that on the Judgment Day people will be responsible for every careless thing they have said. 37 The words you have said will be used to judge you. Some of your words will prove you right, but some of your words will prove you guilty." (Matthew 12:33-37, New Century Version)

Thursday, May 6, 2010

National Day of Prayer

The Lord wants you to obey all human authorities, especially the Emperor, who rules over everyone. You must also obey governors, because they are sent by the Emperor to punish criminals and to praise good citizens. God wants you to silence stupid and ignorant people by doing right. You are free, but still you are God's servants, and you must not use your freedom as an excuse for doing wrong. Respect everyone and show special love for God's people. Honor God and respect the Emperor. (1 Peter 2:13-17 CEV)

To read only the parts of the Bible we like is not to believe in God but in ourselves. A loose quote from St. Augustine.Today may we pray for all in authority. Christianity is not a license to be right as we are all sinners not knowing the will of God. But if you want to know the will of God, read the whole Bible.

So today let us pray for our elected and appointed officials and ask forgiveness for ourselves when we have ridiculed those who do not agree with us. (Matthew 5:22b)

O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We commend this nation to thy merciful care, that, being guidedby thy Providence, we may dwell secure in thy peace. Grant to the President of the United States, the Governor of this State (or Commonwealth), and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

The Jesus Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. This is the Jesus Prayer. It is attributed to Eastern Orthodox mystical tradition. Often times the prayer is said in constant repetition as a way of centering the soul. But this form of prayer should be seen as having meaning as we need to stop our soul and see what Jesus is really doing in our lives. In other words, it is not meant as a mantra but rather as a sincere petition to the living Lord to do actually what the prayer is saying. Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, HAVE MERCY ON ME, A SINNER.

If we think we are in control of our lives, we are lying to ourselves. We are not our lord. If we were, we all would have done a better job. Our problem is we go though life not truly walking as if Jesus is in our neighborhood. And then crap happens. Then we stop and make demands of God telling Him what He needs to do! Who is lord of Whom? An authentic recitation of the Jesus Prayer requires humility from the petitioner: Jesus, You are Lord and God, perfect and holy. I am a sinner, guilty in the sight of my Father in heaven. I place myself before you. I seek your mercy. Remember, there really isn't any laundry list such as, I need that promotion so I can buy a new car. I am lonely please help me find a partner to alleviate my loneliness. Basically the prayer says my heart is open to whatever you know I need. I am at your mercy. You are my Lord!

The Jesus Prayer developed from the biblical tradition of people coming to Jesus, acknowledging his messianic divinity, and asking for mercy. Their character was one of humility. Three passages come to mind:


http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+15%3A21-28&version=NKJV&src=embed


http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+9%3A27-31&version=NKJV&src=embed


http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+18%3A35-43&version=NKJV&src=embed

In each of these passages, the petitioner approaches Jesus out of their poverty, not entitlement. They acknowledge Him as the Messiah. They have an authentic understanding of who they are in relationship to Jesus. They ask Him to have mercy. This is their faith.

I will often say the Jesus Prayer on my walks as my thoughts often become runaway thoughts of all the negatives in my life from the 'should of''s' to the hurts and worries that I have no control over. By stopping and not trying for any great argument with God on how I think He should run the world, I acknowledge Him as my Lord and my guilt by stopping my worldly thoughts and beseeching Him for His mercy. By doing this I accept His undeserved kindness (grace). I try not to be perfect and let Him do what He has to do! After all, who beside Jesus knows my needs better!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Peace Be With You. Jesus in the Upper Room

19 When it was evening on the first day of the week, Jesus' followers were together. The doors were locked, because they were afraid of the elders. Then Jesus came and stood right in the middle of them and said, "Peace be with you." 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. His followers were thrilled when they saw the Lord.

21 Then Jesus said again, "Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, I now send you." 22 After he said this, he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven. If you don't forgive them, they are not forgiven." (John 20:19-23, New Century Version)

Most of us knows what CPR is. It is a life saving technique whereby one person puts their mouth over an unconscious person forcing air into their lungs. The hope is that this along with chest compressions a person will be revived so that they will avoid death. In Greek, the work for breath and spirit are the same! Hence, Jesus is breathing on us and pouring into us his life giving spirit.

Here is a meditation based on the above Scripture. Sit with your eyes closed. Imagine Jesus before you. Inhale deeply. As you inhale, let Him speak these words to you. Peace be with you.

Now exhale. Let your stale self-made air escape. Inhale again hearing the words, Peace be with you. Repeat this for several minutes until you feel relaxed, at peace.

Jesus provides us with His peace, that passes all understanding. But we must let go of ourselves so that He may breath new life into us!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Can We Believe Anything We Want?

Can we believe anything we want? If we can, then we are the creator of our belief. If each one of us who is not perfect by any means created whatever belief we wanted in order to order our world, then we claim ourselves as the final authority. Let's look at this logically.

All humans have their own personal beliefs.
All Humans are not perfect nor eternal.
Thus, all human beliefs are not perfect nor eternal.

If we can believe anything we want, then why just limit our subjective beliefs to religion? Why not apply them to other disciplines like mathmatics. Perhaps I choose to believe that 2+2=16 rather than 4. What would happen to my checkbook if I maintained this belief? Religious beliefs are the same way. It does matter how we believe. And who, what and where is our authority in determining our right beliefs?

We, humans are not perfect nor did we make ourselves. Hence, we must seek the knowledge of the one true God as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ!

Friday, April 2, 2010

Good Friday, The Last Word "Father, I commend my Spirit"

Luke 23:46-49
And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last. So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!” And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Into you hands I commit my spirit. The last word, it’s now over. Jesus’ last word is the beginning of His Resurrection. After all, He has to die to rise to new life. It may be three days from now. But He is putting all of His trust into the hands of His Father. He has given up the ghost. All Jesus has is His Father’s mercy.

Into your hands I commit my spirit. Jesus last word. Should it not be our first word. How often do we trust in ourselves over and above trusting in our Father in Heaven. Should not this word, be our morning prayer. Having passed through the night in safety upon our arising out of bed, should we not acknowledge our life is not our own, and say to God, Father, into you hands I commit my spirit. After all, our spirit belongs to God. Our breath belongs to God. The air I breath belongs to God. Our life is God’s to begin with. So, should I not acknowledge it, and begin each waking day with, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit?

Bono, the lead singer of the rock band, U2 once said, “A number of years ago, I met a wise man who changed my life. In countless ways, large and small, I was always seeking the Lord's blessing. I was saying, you know, I have a new song, look after it... I have a family, please look after them... I have this crazy idea...And this wise man said: stop.He said, stop asking God to bless what you're doing.Get involved in what God is doing — because it's already blessed.”

Today as we leave this place hearing Jesus’ last words, Let us commit ourselves back to God. After all, God and His work are already blessed.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The Repentant Thief

Holy Week Reflection on Luke 23:39-43

This week is regarded as the holiest week of the year. Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem denying Himself for the sake of our souls. And so let me offer a pastoral comment:

Do you get it?

The only way to Get the Resurrection is to travel with Jesus to the cross. We cannot ever know the meaning of the empty tomb without experiencing the bloody cross! The repentant thief on Golgotha got it!

The repentant thief did not justify himself when he was on the cross. The unrepentant thief tried to blame Jesus and his powerlessness to pull himself down from the cross in justifying his pain. After all, we cannot be the ones to take responsibility for our pain. I scream profanity when I stub my toe because someone put a rock in my way. I am justified in my cursing because someone put a stone in my way. The fact I was not looking and walking barefooted is not the cause of my pain! We can never justify ourselves. Blame does not take away my carelessness nor does it take away my pain.

When St. Paul uses the word justify in his letters, he is using it as a synonym of acquit as in the accused has been acquitted in a court of law! In other words, to be found 'not guilty'. We are not acquitted because of our innocence. We are acquitted because God took upon Himself our deserved punishment. The blame is still ours to bear. The repentant thief got it! And with the blame comes the pain. The repentant thief got it!

The English word justify means to make right or to make straight. When the printing press came into being, the printer would have to justify the margins of his text. This was done by taking each letter, placing it in a box in its appropriate spot and then taking the palm of his hand and slamming all the letters against one side of the box before the paper was placed on it. Hence, the terms left justified or right justified which should be familiar to us from using word processing programs. Sometimes when things do not go our way, it is because God is taking the palm of his hand and slamming us to make us into the people He wants us to be. He is justifying us, making us right. We cannot do it ourselves. He is giving meaning to our pain. He is the printer, we are the message! Only by knowing our guilt, our deserved punishment and who paid our debt to the Law, can we ever get it! If we tried to absolve ourselves by not accepting the pain, by blaming someone else, even God, we will not see how He is justifying us! This is what St. Paul is trying to tell us when he writes:

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26NLT)

If you can appreciate the work of Jesus on the Cross for you, then you will get it. But more importantly, your soul will reflect it though your thoughts and behavior. So this Holy Week truly test yourself through self-reflection. Do not tell Jesus what you want Him to do for you. This was what the unrepentant thief was asking. But ask Jesus to show you how He is dying for you!

So the next time someone throws up your past to you face, know that the blood of Christ covers your guilt and the accuser is in the wrong. This even works when we punish ourselves for past mistakes. But and this is a big but, let us be the message of God's love and not bring up the past mistakes of others. Let us be forgiving as we are forgiven and remember our sins no more! (Hebrews 10:26-39)

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Thiefs, Cars and Johnny Cash

Today is Palm Sunday. A very important day in the Christian Calendar, the first day of Holy Week. I am a priest and so it is my job to be present for Holy Week. Yesterday my car broke down on the return trip of taking my oldest son to college. Of course this was not my will. But nonetheless, I returned home by the grace of God using my cell phone, debit card and Triple A Motor Club!

This morning I preached on the two thieves hanging on the cross. For me they represent the 2 types of Christians that exist. The first thief mocks Jesus asking that He save him from the punishment he deserves. The second understands he Bolddeserves his punishment only asking Jesus remembers him in paradise! Jesus responds to the second thief! The first thief has an agenda and expects Jesus to fulfill his agenda. The second thief has abandoned any hope in his agenda accepting any mercy provided by the one who is Innocent. The second thief knew himself well and knew who Jesus truly is! You see, many Christians pray to God telling Him how to answer their prayer. How selfish! How self-centered! The second thief knew his condition and his only hope was to accept his need for salvation in Jesus. After all, Jesus is Lord knowing what we need. The first thief wanted to tell Jesus what to do. The second thief knew who the true Lord was accepting His judgement.

Like the first thief I knew what I wanted God to do when my car broke down. The car was to miraculously be healed and I could return home without any cost to my wallet! But God had other plans. After calling AAA and paying for an upgrade I was towed home riding in the cab of the tow truck. But God had a different plan for me. After an hour of praying to God to take away my poverty, my frustration God wanted me to know His mercy. God does not take away our inconveniences. He shows us His mercy.

My tow truck driver was a young Johnny Cash loving tow truck driver. Johnny reminded me that our problems may be God's way of being with those who have problems. My goodness! Jesus died between two criminals. He is in the midst of our problems, our screwed up world. But only one thief knew it. Like I said, the two criminals are like Christians in the Church. One type wants to tell God what to do. The other lets God do what He needs to do for our salvation!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Revival

When we think of revival, we may think of a big tent and a service to move our souls to repentance. But in his book, The God of Second Chances, Eric Kobell returns the reader to the authentic meaning of the word, revival. It means to make alive again. To make alive again is what Jesus does!
Now if we need to be made alive again, then there is the presumption we must be dead! In fact we are dead. We are dead men walking! Everyone of us will die. It is our reward for the sin we inherited from our primal parents eons ago. Long ago, first man and woman were created in the image of God, eternal. Adam and Eve were in their naked splendor playing in the Garden of Eden. (cf. Genesis 3:1ff) This garden had at its center the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. To make freedom real, Adam and Eve were given choices. But choices do have their consequences. For if you eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, on that day you will surely die, God said with loving authority. Tempted by a talking snake, Eve bites the fruit and gives it to her husband. As the story goes, their eyes were opened and they saw they were naked. Now let’s pause right here! Were Adam and Eve blind stumbling through the garden inventing words to say when they stubbed their big toe on a rock? No! They could see. But everything they saw was without judgment. They did not know what they saw bad or good! Once, they ate that juicy fruit, they had the capacity to make a judgment. And that judgment was whether something was good or evil! And so they looked over each other and did not like what they saw and were ashamed. Their nakedness was not a God created piece of art anymore, it was something that needed to be covered up as Adam and Eve were different from one another. Their true self did die that day in the Garden as a false self pretending to act like a god took over. When we recognize our differences, we often make a judgment defining what is good and bad! No longer could Adam and Eve be with each other. They had to hide from each other and ultimately from God who is perfect in Being! So in a sense, they died to the potential of their being. And God could not have them living forever with this capacity to judge what is good and bad as they could no longer see as God sees. Forbidden to partake of the Tree of Life, they would indeed die one day.
We can see the effects of this wayward knowledge by contemplating the humble half-glass of water. We all know the half-glass of water is a litmus test for humankind. The pessimist sees the glass as half empty and the optimist sees it as half-full. In truth, we do not know if the glass is being emptied or being filled. But we make a judgment based on our desire to know what we think is true. We pretend to be God! We cannot be all-knowing like our Creator. Like Adam and Eve, what God sees and what we want to see can be two different things. To solve this problem, God sent His Son into the world to save us from all judgment. But Jesus’ incarnation was not just about defeating death, the cost for our disobedience, but to show us how to be alive once again. After all, He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6)
St. John the Evangelist tells of an encounter between Jesus and a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well. (cf. John 4:1ff) Jesus is thirsty and wants a glass of water. That’s right, the proverbial glass of water existed in Jesus’ time! But the Samaritan woman could not see a thirsty man. Because of sin, our separation from God and one another, she could only see a Jew, just one more man whose people have been mean-spirited to her people. She could not see the possibility that this Jew did not mind associating with her! Jesus responds with His Being, His desire to give life, revival to her soul by saying, “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink’, you would ask Him and He would give you living water.” The woman still cannot see beyond her reality. “Where’s your bucket?” she demands. “Just how can you give living water if you have no bucket?” But Jesus, not missing a beat, says this well will have to be drawn many times as we all get thirsty. But He will give us water that will be like a well within us springing up for eternal life. We will never be thirsty again. Seeing an opportunity to avoid the gossip of the well, she asks for this water. And Jesus asks that she go get her husband at which point she confesses to Him that her partner is not her husband. Jesus knew this all along and tells the truth about the temporary nature of her relationships. Now the Samaritan woman sees who Jesus really is, the Christ, the Giver of Life. She goes home exclaiming to everyone, “Come, see a Man who told me everything I did!” Can we hear the excitement in her voice? Gone are the categories that seek to define who we are. Jesus sees her nakedness and seeing His non-judgment in her desire for revival, goes and exclaims to all who will listen, “Come, see the Man who sees me as I am!”
Most of us hide who we really are. We have learned to judge ourselves as either half-empty or half-full when all along we are just a glass of water. But Jesus desires to fill us with new life, to revive us. He knows who we are. We cannot impress Him! We are naked to Him. Our need to be like God desiring to know what is right and wrong gets in the way of seeing God in our midst. Remember God walking in the Garden after Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience. His call was, “Where are you? Who told you were naked” But now Jesus invites us, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Mt. 11:29) How we go about life can be a burden if we do not look for what God is doing, for He is present in our midst. The Samaritan woman was burdened by the collective story of her people as outsiders, and by her story of failed relationships. But Jesus says to her come, and drink from my well. Let Me revive you! You do have a second chance!
Korbell writes, “If in our estrangement we are to be brought back to life, it will be less because of the circumstances of our lives change than that our perceptions of them do.” (p. 132) The woman at the well was still a Samaritan not married to the man with whom she lives. But she became alive telling all in her community who was willing to give her eternal life in spite of her condition. We become connected to God and each other if we allow that well of life to feed our souls, to revive us.
This happened to me not long ago while standing at the checkout line at Hannaford’s. There I am at the express line waiting for the woman ahead me. Here I am in the express line with only one item to purchase and she had a cart with several items. Not a small red basket but a big cart with wheels. One at a time she would put her items on the conveyer belt. I was certain in my all-knowing way she had 15 items when the sign said 14 maximum. Once all items had been tallied, the customer proceeded to make sure the clerk would have the exact change which meant a detailed search through her purse for every penny that was hiding. How much longer will this take I ask looking at my watch. Out of my self-centered impatience, I beseech God asking to move this woman along! Then in the silence of my heart, God showed me what He saw. There before me was his daughter, my sister, an heir of His Kingdom. She may not have known it but as far God the Father was concerned, He saw her as precious. I, too, then saw her as He saw her. Time did not seem to matter anymore. In fact, she could take all the time she wanted. After all, she was on God’s time. I said a silent pray asking that she may see herself as God saw her. And asking my Father in Heaven to forgive me for not seeing the world as He saw it! In spite of my sin of being self-centered, I saw her in a different light. I was given a second chance to see what God sees by being refreshed with the well-spring of life! Rather than judging the glass of water as having to be something to fit my category, I just saw a glass of water. I just saw this woman as a child of the living God, neither too slow nor too fast! Neither too young or too old. God sees us as we are, naked with nothing to brag about. It is we who judge ourselves and each other. We make ourselves live under the judgment we inherited from our first parents in Paradise long ago. But through Christ, we can live again. No longer do we have to be blind to the beauty of others seeing only liberals or conservatives, blue eyed or brown eyed, smart or dumb. If we want, He will revive us when we accept the simple invitation to drink from His eternal wellspring of life seeing life as he sees it!
In fact, we are left with these words of our hope in Jesus by John who writes in the last chapter of our bible, “Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.
No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.
Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come. ‘Let anyone who hears this say, ‘Come.’ Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.” (Rev. 22:1-5, 14, 17) Revival is God’s promise for us in Christ Jesus. It is ours if we see our lives as He already sees it! Amen.

Friday, March 12, 2010

When The Church is Sick!

19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:19-31, New King James Version)

Saturday, March 6, 2010

The Essence of Prayer

So often when we pray, we present to God what we want. But think about it! We are not God and what we want may not be God's will! We can pray for ourselves but we must have an honest assesment of what we need and what God is willing to provide! Read the Lord's prayer carefully. We ask God's kingdom to come and HIS will be done! Hence, the the Lord's prayer is prayer at its essence!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Hearing the Shepherds Voice

2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. (John 10:2-4, New King James Version)



 1 The LORD is my shepherd;
         I shall not want.
 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
         He leads me beside the still waters.
 3 He restores my soul;
         He leads me in the paths of righteousness
         For His name’s sake.
         
 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
         I will fear no evil;
         For You are with me;
         Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
         
 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
         You anoint my head with oil;
         My cup runs over.
 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
         All the days of my life;
         And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
         Forever. (Psalm 23, New King James Version)

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Idolatry

Do we still worship idols? The answer is yes, based on the fruits of idolatry! When we worship something we reflect that something in our lives. By worshipping the true God, we will eventually grow reflecting His true glory in our lives! If we worship idols that are false, we become as false as they are! (2 Kings 17:15)



 16 So I tell you: Live by following the Spirit. Then you will not do what your sinful selves want.17 Our sinful selves want what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is against our sinful selves. The two are against each other, so you cannot do just what you please.18 But if the Spirit is leading you, you are not under the law.

 19 The wrong things the sinful self does are clear: being sexually unfaithful, not being pure, taking part in sexual sins,20 worshiping gods, doing witchcraft, hating, making trouble, being jealous, being angry, being selfish, making people angry with each other, causing divisions among people,21 feeling envy, being drunk, having wild and wasteful parties, and doing other things like these. I warn you now as I warned you before: Those who do these things will not inherit God's kingdom.22 But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, self-control. There is no law that says these things are wrong.24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their own sinful selves. They have given up their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do.25 We get our new life from the Spirit, so we should follow the Spirit.26 We must not be proud or make trouble with each other or be jealous of each other. (Galatians 5:16-26, New Century Version)