Trinity X- Luke 19:41

The Gospel for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity comes from Luke 19:41-47. This passage follows Luke’s account of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. These verses highlight our Lord’s concern for the city and its people. St. Luke 19:41 says, “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it…” There were various reasons to weep over first-century Jerusalem. The city was important for several reasons, and it suffered from diverse forms of corruption.

In this post, let us focus on the key aspect of corruption: Jerusalem's role as the heart of the Jewish religion. The city was the place where the whole Jewish people focused their relationship with God. In general, the people honored the religious establishment even though many religious leaders lacked living faith. Such leaders thought all was well as long as certain external forms were maintained. Most of the priests and religious scholars viewed Jesus as a troublemaker to be neutralized. Most official religious leaders sought to maintain the respectable, prosperous, and powerful situations permitted by Rome.

Of course, worldly Rome would only allow these leaders to continue for so long. Rome was greedier and more powerful than the Jerusalem priests and scribes were. The Empire would eventually tire of Judean party squabbles and rebellions; in 70 AD, Roman military might would destroy the rebellious city. Such then was the city over which Jesus wept. He wept because He loved His people, and He still honored the religious heritage and values which Jerusalem symbolized. He wept because of the corruption, spiritual blindness, and sin that endangered the city and the Jewish people.

There is a historical aspect to this Gospel selection. It is about first-century Jerusalem. However, it is also about the human story, and sadly, it seems to have many applications to present-day Christianity. Like the religious parties of first-century Jerusalem, many contemporary Christians, especially the religious leaders, do not know the things that bring true peace. Many who profess Christ do not follow Him, and the problem is more than general human weakness or individual sins. Our post-modern religious institutions are permeated by various forms of moral and spiritual corruption. 

Christendom does have a great heritage, but so did ancient Jerusalem (and so did ancient Rome). Even a great heritage can become so corrupt that it collapses from internal weakness and external pressures. Christ's Church will continue to the end of the age, but particular institutional and civilizational expressions of the Church may fade away. That includes, for example, the Vatican and Canterbury, as well as many smaller religious organizations. The dangers are real and acute.

Yet, we are not without hope. Christianity is a faith based on repentance and renewal. If even a remnant heeds Christ and lives by His truth and His values, their message survives through the chaos and destruction. Jesus Christ offers us a different way than the worldly way. He offers true peace, peace with God and fellow believers. He offers new life through divine grace and living faith. The question that faces supposed Christians is whether we really accept Him and His peace, or we ignore Him and pursue the corrupt ways that lead to destruction. Lord, have mercy upon us.

Advent II- Romans 15:4; Luke 21:33- Scripture

In the Anglican tradition, the Second Sunday in Advent highlights the importance of Holy Scripture. We see this importance in two verses in the Scriptures for the day. Romans 15:4 says, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." In St. Luke 21:33, Jesus says, "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." 

In theory, all Christian groups maintain that the Bible is a foundational Christian authority, but Christians from varied backgrounds view this authority in distinctive ways. Traditional Anglicans do not read or understand Holy Scripture in isolation. The Bible is our primary doctrinal and moral authority, and it contains God's self-revelation for all generations of Christians.  However, Anglicans believe that Scripture should be understood within the community of faith, the Church. Thoughtful believers from different times and backgrounds have agreed on the basics, and they have summarized Scriptural beliefs in the ancient Creeds (Apostles, Nicene, Athanasian). In the sixteenth century, Anglicans called these biblical principles "things necessary to salvation" (Article of Religion VI).

The basic and necessary teachings of the Bible are clear and are expressed in the Creeds, the Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the two greatest Sacraments (Baptism and the Eucharist). Such Scriptural teachings are good and powerful. Yet, these Biblical teachings are not magical formulae. We cannot separate Scripture from the core historic interpretations of Christ's catholic and orthodox Church. A true understanding and application of Scripture is not an isolated individual experience; it comes through divine grace and the working of the Holy Spirit in the body of believers from all times and places. 

During Advent, we think about the coming of Christ, the incarnate Word. As we reflect, let us also meditate on the written Word in Holy Scripture. May we be open to reading, hearing, and learning from God's Word in the Bible throughout Advent and all the days of our lives!

Pentecost and the Church- Acts 2:41-42

Traditional calendars emphasize the importance of Pentecost by providing propers for Monday and Tuesday of Pentecost week as well as including the early summer Ember Days on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. In thinking about Pentecost, many have called this feast "the birthday of the Church." Although one might trace the birth of the Christian Church to the beginnings of  Jesus' ministry and the calling of the Twelve, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples really marks a new beginning. We see this in the first verses of Acts 2 read at the Communion service on Pentecost. 

Unfortunately, we sometimes forget or ignore the rest of the story as it continues in Acts 2. There we see that Pentecost has specific and tangible results, not just for individuals but also for the community of believers, the Church. Peter as spokesman for the apostles and other disciples preaches a sermon. He proclaims the gospel of the crucified, risen, and ascended Lord Jesus Christ. He calls for repentance, faith, and baptism. The responses to this sermon are individual, but the results are manifested in the believing community. In Acts 2:41-42, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."

Thus, we see several basic characteristics of the Church, characteristics which have continued and will continue through history. These characteristics are preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Christian Baptism, apostolic teaching and fellowship, the Eucharistic meal, and basic and daily prayers. In these verses and the characteristics they describe, we really have a basic Christian catechism. We see the concrete results of the descent and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. We see what the Church is and what it does. Of course, there is much to contemplate, and there are innumerable applications. There are many sermons, discussions, written volumes, and personal developments, but the basics are clear. So during this week, let us recall the basic workings of the Holy Spirit and renew our dedication to be open to them!

Pentecost or Whitsunday- John 14:26

 This Sunday is the fiftieth day after Easter and the tenth day after Ascension Day. The biblical name is Pentecost, and on this day Christians think about the coming of God the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and other disciples. Some Anglicans also call the day by the nickname “Whitsunday.” Apparently, this name arose in northern Europe from the white gowns worn at Baptisms on this day.  After all, in northern climes, the temperatures were likely to be better for baptisms than they were seven weeks earlier.

In Christian doctrine, the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit is the invisible or hidden person, nature, and power of God, especially as it is at work in the world and in human lives. But sometimes it’s hard for us humans to deal with invisible things like a spirit; so we like to visualize spirits having forms. The Bible itself gives us some concrete ways to think about the Holy Spirit. At Jesus’ Baptism (Matthew 3:16), we are told that the Spirit came down like a dove- a peaceful and innocent bird. In Acts 2, the Spirit comes like an invisible but powerful wind. It is also full of energy and movement like flames of fire.

At Pentecost, we remember the descent of the Holy Spirit in a powerful new way upon Christ’s followers fifty days after Easter. Besides the account in the Acts of the Apostles, the Gospels, especially the Gospel according to St. John, also promise the blessing of the Spirit.  In John 14:26 (KJV), Jesus teaches, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

By these words, Jesus teaches us about the basic work of the Holy Spirit among Christians. The Spirit has done, is doing, and will do many things, but the central work of the Spirit is related to the message of Jesus Christ. The work of the Spirit of Truth is to inspire believers. The Spirit of Truth is to remind, motivate, and help the disciples apply the Truth they have already heard from Jesus. Although the Holy Spirit certainly brings new life and new insight, He never brings some sort of new gospel. The Spirit does not and will not change the core message. The Divine Spirit’s chief work is to help us apply the Word incarnate in Jesus in new contexts. The Spirit gives new life to the Gospel and to the Church, but the Spirit always works with and through the message revealed in the Scriptures (especially in the incarnate Word Jesus Christ), summarized in the Creeds, and applied to us through the Sacraments. So today let us recall that basic message and give thanks for it!

Pentecost and the Church- Acts 2

Pentecost Sunday is one of the oldest Christian celebrations. It is rooted in the first-century Jewish calendar where the Greek word Pentecost (meaning "fifty") was applied to the Feast of Weeks. This Jewish feast had associations with the spring grain harvest and with the giving of the Law. This celebration provided the background for the reading from the Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11. The first disciples were gathered in Jerusalem for the feast as they awaited Christ's promised Comforter. In this Christian context, Pentecost received a new meaning when the Holy Spirit came down upon the disciples in a new way and empowered them to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Jews gathered from across the world. This key event has been called "the birthday of the Church."

Acts 2 provides a guide for our understanding of the coming of the Holy Ghost. While the divine Spirit does work in many and diverse ways, the emphasis in Acts is upon His work through the community of disciples; that is, the emphasis is on the Spirit's work in the Church. The central gift of the Holy Spirit is to transform a group of ordinary individuals into a bold community of faith with a mission to the whole world. Although the disciples already believed in Christ's Resurrection and Ascension, they needed to receive the heavenly power of the Spirit in order to speak about the Faith.

As Pentecost is a recurring feast, so is the work of the Holy Spirit on and through the Church. Our individual spiritual experiences have their value, but the central issue is the work of the Spirit in the whole Christian community. Christ does not promise the Comforter just to make individual believers feel good; the Spirit comes primarily to strengthen the disciples as the Christian Church who continue the proclamation of the Gospel in the world.  So, as we reflect on the spiritual blessing of Pentecost, let us focus on its significance for the central mission of the whole Christian Church.

Confession of St. Peter- 18 January

In the sixth century, the Gallican (French) church began to observe January 18 as the feast of the Chair of St.Peter. This feast highlighted Peter's apostolic/episcopal authority by focusing on the symbol of the cathedra. In the sixteenth-century Reformation, Anglicans and Lutherans simplified their calendars by reducing holy days, eliminating this one. (Roman Catholics eliminated this feast with Vatican II modifications.) Later, some Anglican and Lutheran calendars re-introduced a commemoration of the Confession of St. Peter on this date.

Certainly, Simon Peter's confession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah is an important point in the Gospels. The extended account in Matthew 16: 13-20 points to core affirmations about Jesus and the foundation of the Christian Church. Peter is a leader among the Twelve and his affirmation of faith has remained at the heart of Christianity. Sincere believers still profess and trust that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of the living God. Such faith is the rock on which Christ's Church is built, and the Church will endure till the end of earthly history.

During the twentieth century, ecumenical dialogues among Christian groups designated the week or octave beginning on January 18 as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, This observance was first proposed by an Anglican priest in 1908, and it was later promoted by inter-church groups. The groups associated with ecumenism have had their problems. They have often been weak on theology and basic Christian morality. Nevertheless, praying for better communication and understanding among those who claim to follow Jesus is an admirable cause, So as we contemplate St. Peter's pivotal confession of faith, let us pray for all who sincerely believe in Jesus, and let us pray for the Church's Scriptural mission in a fallen world.

Trinity XXII- Matthew 18: 21-35

The Collect for the Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity reads:

Lord, we beseech thee to keep thy household the Church in continual godliness; that through thy protection it may be free from all adversities, and devoutly given to serve thee in good works, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This collect dates from at least the eighth century but may be older. It has basic themes that tie together the lessons. It views the Church as a household or extended family under the guidance and protection of God the heavenly Father. He is the source of all goodness and godliness who alone can help His human children to do good.

The Epistle is from Philippians 1:3-11. These are personal comments, wishes, and prayers from the Apostle Paul for the Philippian Christians. He anticipates that their continuing faithfulness will lead to good fruits and the praise of God.

The Gospel is from St. Matthew 18:21-35, an important discussion of forgiveness. The selection begins with a question from Peter about the limits of forgiveness. Our Lord replies indicating that forgiveness must not be viewed as a finite numbers game. He illustrates His point with the Parable of the Cruel or Unmerciful Servant. Christ concludes in Matthew 18:35 with a general statement about forgiving trespasses which reminds us of the petition in the Lord's Prayer.

First Sunday in Lent- A Reflection on Temptation

This post is slightly different from most of my recent ones; it is an abridged version of my homily for the day.
The Gospel for the First Sunday in Lent is the familiar story of Christ's great Fast and Temptation (St. Matt. 4:1-11). As He was beginning His public ministry, our Lord withdrew to the Judean wilderness for a period of devotion. There the Tempter came and sought to catch Him in a moment of weakness. Satan used appealing lures, and even tried to confuse matters by quoting Scripture. St. Matthew tells us that there were three parts to the Temptation.

First, the Tempter tried to appeal to the needs and wishes of the physical nature. He urged Christ to satisfy His hunger by turning stones into bread. Of course, Christ rejected this temptation. His work was to have a spiritual foundation, not a material one. He recognized and responded to human physical needs, but meeting those needs was not His main mission. He had come to bring the bread of heaven, the living Word of God, the source of true and eternal life.

Secondly, the Tempter tried to appeal to the natural human desire for approval and praise. The crowds in the streets would have really been impressed (at least for a few days) if Jesus had jumped from the pinnacle of the Temple to the pavement below without being hurt. Again Christ rejected the temptation. Jumping from the Temple would have tested the Father's mercy. It would have also caused some people to accept Jesus as Messiah for the wrong reason.; that is, from sheer amazement rather than from spiritual conviction.

Thirdly, the Tempter tried to use the appeal of worldly success and power. This temptation was basically political. If Jesus would only accept him as master, Satan offered great worldly influence and power. With such power, Christ would be able to order earthly society as He saw fit. Christ also rejected this great temptation. Submitting to the Evil One would corrupt everything that He tried to accomplish. Christ's kingdom was to have a completely different nature. It was to be a holy and spiritual kingdom based upon loyalty to Almighty God, the heavenly Father.

Thus, our Lord Jesus Christ rejected the three great temptations of the devil. Compromising with Satan was wrong. No end or goal, no matter how good it might seem, could justify truly evil means. Christ committed Himself and His ministry to the holy principles of His heavenly Father. He would remain steadfast in the paths of righteousness even when it meant rejection by the crowds and a tortuous death on the Cross.

In certain respects, the Temptation of Christ was unique. No one else has ever had to make such far-reaching spiritual choices. And no one else has ever resisted temptation so completely, without a trace of sin. Christ obeyed the heavenly Father's will, and through His perfect obedience, He became the Redeemer of all those who have a living faith in Him.

Yet, despite the uniqueness of Christ's Temptation, there are certain similarities with the temptations that all human beings face. We all face temptations for the same basic things: material comfort, human approval, and worldly influence. We could consider countless examples of how these basic temptations take place in our lives. At work and in our families, we are constantly tempted to place our desires for comfort, approval, or power above our spiritual and moral principles. However, today let us consider a corporate application to Christ's Church.

First, the Church has temptations of a physical or material nature. There is a tendency for parishes, dioceses and denominations to become too concerned about the material needs of the organization or for the physical needs of those we serve.
Now certainly, the Church must recognize that human beings have physical needs. We are to provide for the Church itself, and we are to reach out to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and so forth. But as we do these things, we must be aware of dangers and refuse to compromise with evil. We must always remember that being a social welfare agency is not the primary mission of Christ's Church. Although physical bread is needed, the Church's primary mission is the spiritual feeding of souls through Word and Sacrament.

Secondly, the Church is sometimes tempted to seek human approval in the wrong ways. Many contemporary religious groups try to dazzle or entertain people into being Christians. Sometimes, people seem to put God to the test by suggesting that flashy or emotional displays are at the heart of faith.
Although there may be dramatic moments in the life of faith, God more often has chosen to manifest Himself in simple and subtle ways. We must not do things just to impress the crowds on the street. Those who go to worship just for the spectacle are missing the Biblical message.

Thirdly, the Church is often tempted by worldly success or power. Over the centuries, Christianity has succumbed to this temptation repeatedly. For the sake of worldly influence, the Church has often compromised itself with emperors, kings and parliaments, with bureaucrats and corporations, with trade unions and political parties.
Certainly, the Church has a mission to all kinds of people, and individual Christians may be called to express their values in various social or political settings. However, the Church itself must avoid being bound too closely with any worldly power. The Church is the representative of a spiritual kingdom which transcends all earthly powers. As the Church, we are called to proclaim Christ as Savior and to embody His spiritual and moral mission.

In conclusion, Lent is a time for us to pause and be more aware of the nature and dangers of temptation. We need to recognize our weaknesses and our actual sins. We need to repent and seek divine grace. This is true of us as individuals; it is also true of the Church which is often caught up in the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil. There is hope in all these temptations because Christ has already triumphed over Satan and won a victory for the faithful of all times. Christ is with us, and He can strengthen us as we face temptation, individually and corporately.