Christmas can be so beautiful and meaningful. There are so many things that can be said about this feast. This time, I would simply focus on the humility of the glorious event.
Thursday, December 24, 2020
Christmas- Luke 2: 12
Friday, December 18, 2020
Advent IV- Philippians 4: 4-7; John 1: 19-28
The Gospel from St. John 1:19-28 is another Advent reference to the message of John the Baptist. When the Jerusalem authorities send representatives to ask who he is, John refuses the usual titles. He will only admit to being "the voice of one crying in the wilderness" (John 1:23 ; Isaiah 40:3). He makes the way ready for the Lord; he baptizes with water to represent repentance and cleansing from sin. But the One coming after John is much greater.
Friday, December 11, 2020
Advent III- I Corinthians 4: 1-5; Matthew 11: 2-10
Friday, December 04, 2020
Advent II- Scriptural Authority- Romans 15: 4
(This week's post is a revision of a post first published in 2011.)
This Second Sunday in Advent has often been called "Bible Sunday" among
Anglicans and other English-speaking Christians. The collect and lessons
for the day were developed by Archbishop Cranmer for the 1549 BCP. They
all refer in differing ways to the importance of Scripture and reflect
the Reformation's influence on Anglican foundations.
We also see this theme in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion. Article VI is titled Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation, and it says: Holy
Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that
whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be
required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the
Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of
the Holy Scripture we do understand those canonical Books of the Old
and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church.
Thus, authentic Anglicanism believes in the supremacy of the Holy
Scriptures. There may be other things in life that are good, useful, or
beautiful, but Scripture reigns supreme in matters of doctrine and in
matters of salvation. Church tradition and human logic and experience guided by the Holy Spirit have their places in Christian life
and thought, but they must always be in harmony with God's revelation
contained in the long-accepted canon of Holy Scripture. There is no
surer foundation in this world, and consciences must not be burdened by
those who would impose other standards.
Some people claim that the Scriptures are not clear, but the general teachings of the
Bible are clear and have been agreed upon by sensible and honest
Christian readers for two millennia. Although there are legitimate
debates about how to understand some particular passages, there are clear
teachings about the basics. These basics are the kinds of things that
have been summarized in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, in the Ten
Commandments, in the Two Great Commandments, and in the Catechism. Such
clear teachings permeate the whole canon of Scripture, and any verses
that seem obscure should be understood in ways that are consistent with
the clearer passages.
Accepting the principle of divine revelation as recorded in the ancient canon of Holy Scripture is a basic Christian supposition. Like other basic points (such as the existence of God or the centrality of Jesus Christ), either we accept Holy Scripture as a basic foundation of Christianity or we
refuse to accept the Christian message.
Christians believe that God's Spirit inspired human beings to write down various stories, histories, poems, and prophecies, that the same Holy Spirit has guided the community of faith to accept these writings rather than some others and that God continues to speak to believers through the words of Scripture applied through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
If we accept Christianity and its Scriptures as given by God, then we
see the purposes of Scripture. The Bible was "written for our
learning" (Romans 15:4). Apart from Scripture, we know very little about God. We might
philosophize about a creator. We might even theorize about some sort of
moral order in the universe. Yet, such philosophy is rather vague and
does not do much to satisfy human souls. And apart from Scripture, we
would not know about Jesus Christ. From general history, we might
believe that there was some Jewish teacher by that name from Galilee who
impressed some ancient people. However, apart from the canonical
Scriptures, we would not know much about His person, teachings, or deeds.
And apart from Scripture, we certainly would not know Him as the living Word and
Son of God who laid down His life and took it up again to save our very
souls.
The Bible also helps
us deal with real life, with our situation as imperfect believers
within an imperfect world. And despite our own frailties and the corruptions we see in
the world around us, Christians are characterized by hope. We have
true and lasting hope. We have hope for the grace to be faithful in this world and hope to dwell
with God eternally after our time in this world.
Advent is a season characterized by hope, but Christian hope must not be nebulous.
From ancient Israel, through the New Testament period and down through
Christian history, true hope depends upon divine revelation in the Holy
Scriptures. In particular, our hope depends upon Jesus Christ, the
living Word to whom all Scripture bears witness. He is the One who was
to come, who has come, who keeps coming into our lives, and who will come
again. "O come, O come, Emmanuel."