Trinity XII

In looking over the "propers" for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, I was struck by the distinctive but meaningful themes of the Collect. Epistle and Gospel. The Collect for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity comes from the early Latin church and was found in the Leonine and Gelasian Sacramentaries of the seventh and eighth centuries. The present English phraseology dates from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The words emphasize that God is the center of prayer. Sometimes we discuss prayer like it is all about us, but we are inconsistent and weak in prayer as in other areas. So we need to focus more on God. He is always ready to hear, extend His mercy, and give good gifts which He determines through Jesus Christ.

The Epistle for this Sunday is from 2 Corinthians 3:4-9 and includes some of the Apostle Paul's insights about ministry. Of course, he has his own apostolic ministry in mind, but much of what he says can apply to the service of any Christian, from the saintliest bishop to the simplest struggling believer. In particular, let us notice verse 5: "...not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God...." Regardless of any natural gifts or lack of them, our service for the Gospel must not be focused upon ourselves; rather we must focus upon God's grace that can empower us to do what is needed.

The Gospel from St. Mark 7:31-37 is about the healing of a deaf-mute. This miracle takes place in the Decapolis, a region east of the Jordan that had both Jewish and pagan Greek-speaking inhabitants in the first century. This location suggests the universal significance of Christ's ministry for all people, and healing a deaf-mute of unspecified origin points to the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies (Isaiah 35:5 and Ezekiel 24:27). In a different way, the Gospel passage, like the Collect and Epistle, underlines the importance of divine mercy and grace through Jesus Christ.

Ninth Sunday after Trinity

Of course, the traditional Gospel for this Sunday is the famous passage generally known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. One can emphasize any of the three central characters in the story: 1) the ungrateful and wasteful son who repents and returns home, 2) the merciful, gracious, and forgiving father who celebrates the prodigal's return, or 3) the legalistic and resentful older brother who is jealous and hurt. All three approaches can provide much food for thought.

This year, however, I would like to focus briefly on the parable from the perspective of the Collect of the Day. This collect which goes back at least to the early 600s reads as follows:
Grant to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This short prayer is a reminder that we all need the gracious guidance of the Lord. Only He can grant us the spirit to think as well as to do the right things. Apart from His grace, we cannot live according to His will. We might be more like wandering prodigals who need to come to ourselves, repent and return to the heavenly Father, or we might be more like dutiful but resentful and self-righteous sons who need to be more understanding, merciful, and loving. In either case, we need the Lord's help. Only He can give us the transforming grace to think and to do such things as are right. Only He can change our attitudes as well as our actions.

Trinity III- Seeking the Lost

The Gospel for this Sunday is Luke 15:1-10 and contains two brief parables- the lost sheep and the lost coin. The context makes it clear that our Lord is talking about sinners lost to God. Some extreme approaches to this theme have left a bad aftertaste among both believers and non-believers. Because of this aftertaste, some sincere Christians hesitate to speak of people lost in sin. Yet, Scripture is not hesitant to speak of the lost and the condition of lostness. Indeed, all human beings have been lost, and apart from divine grace, remain lost. As the general confession in the Prayer Book Daily Office says, "we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep" (based on Isaiah 53:6 and 1 Peter 2:25). So all human beings participate in being lost and in needing to be found by Christ and His Church.

Seeking the lost has two important applications in our lives. First, each Christian should acknowledge that in differing ways and at different times we have all been lost and that we have tendencies to get lost repeatedly. As an old hymn says, we are "prone to wander," and we all depend upon divine mercy, grace, and persistence in seeking us out in the past and in each new day. God uses many means to seek us such as subtle promptings of the Spirit, life events, readings, or contacts with others, but chiefly He seeks us through Word and Sacrament. Thus, we should be aware that God is always seeking us, and we need to be open to being found by Him.

Secondly, as members of the Body of Christ, we are called to participate in the Lord's work of seeking and finding the lost. We are not to approach this calling with the wrong attitude. We are not to pretend to be some perfect paragons of virtue. Rather, we are to be humble. As sinners ourselves, we have benefited from the mercy and grace of God. We rejoice in divine mercy and grace, and we want to share that good news with others. We want each lost person to be found and to know the joy of returning to God. May each of us be found and do our small part to help others be found by God!

Trinity II- Invitations to the Banquet- Luke 14; 16-23

Like many Scripture passages, today’s Gospel from St. Luke 14:16-23 involves food. Jesus tells a parable about a great banquet or feast. In the first century, a householder wishing to host a big dinner party would send out a servant with many preliminary verbal invitations. Based on the responses, the feast would be prepared. When all was ready, the host would then send the servant back to bid the guests to come.
In the parable, the guests who originally accept the invitation begin to make excuses when the feast was ready. They prefer to do other things. They try to invent excuses. But the host will not to be outdone. He wants to share the feast with somebody. Since his respectable and prosperous neighbors back out, he sends his servant to bring in some less respectable neighbors, complete strangers, and passers-by.

We can easily see two points about the kingdom of God in this parable. One is a warning about making excuses. A second point is about inviting people. Since I have stressed the danger of excuses on previous occasions, this time, I focus on the invitation.
Our mission as servants of the divine host is to invite people to share in the spiritual feast. There is always room for more guests at the spiritual feast. And God asks us as His servants to invite others to the feast.

Although everyone may not appreciate the invitation, we are not to give up. Our master wants us to keep seeking newcomers. There are still many besides us who would appreciate the offer. Many souls in this world long for spiritual nourishment. Many people need the bread of life that comes through Word and Sacrament.
The role of inviting others is easier for some of us than for others. Some are more outgoing; some speak to others more naturally; some meet more people. So everyone doesn’t have to use the same approach. We don’t all have to extend our Master’s invitation in the same way or to the same numbers of people. But whatever our personalities and approaches, inviting others to share in God’s gracious provision is a basic duty of His servants. Each of us should seek to invite others to share in the gospel feast.

Trinity Sunday & the Athanasian Creed

The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is the key Christian belief rooted in the Bible and summarizing the self-revelation of God in Holy Scripture. In the words of the preface in the Order for Holy Communion, "It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God. Who with thine only-begotten Son, and the Holy  Ghost, art one God, one Lord, in Trinity of Persons and in Unity of Substance. For that which we believe of thy glory, O Father, the same we believe of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, without any difference of inequality."

Beginning in the early 900's, the custom of observing the first Sunday after Pentecost in honor of the Holy Trinity arose in Liege and soon spread in northern and western Europe. In particular, St. Thomas a Becket promoted this feast in England. Eventually, the observance of Trinity Sunday spread in all the Latin Church, and it was made a universal feast under the papacy in 1334. In the liturgical traditions of northern Europe including England, this Sunday also gave its name to the following season to the end of the church year.

In addition, the Western Church honored the doctrine of the Trinity with the creedal canticle often called the Athanasian Creed. Although influenced by the thought of  St. Athanasius of Alexandria, this document probably originated in the 400's in Latin and spread throughout the West. From 1549 through 1662, English Books of Common Prayer appointed it to be said at Morning Prayer on several major feasts in place of the Apostles' Creed. (The 1962 Canadian BCP includes it. American Prayer Books did not mention it until 1979 and 2019.) This ancient creed stresses the doctrine of the Trinity and Christ's Incarnation. It is a bulwark against many heresies, ancient and modern, and deserves our attention and affirmation.

The Athanasian Creed also known by its first words in Latin, Quicumque Vult

     Whosoever would be saved / needeth before all things to hold fast the Catholic Faith.
     2 Which Faith except a man keep whole and undefiled, / without doubt he will perish eternally.
     3 Now the Catholic Faith is this, / that we worship one God in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity;
     4 Neither confusing the Persons, / nor dividing the Substance.
     5 For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, / another of the Holy Ghost;
     6 But the Godhead of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one, / the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal.
     7 Such as the Father is, such is the Son, / and such is the Holy Ghost;
     8 The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, the Holy Ghost uncreated;
     9 The Father infinite, the Son infinite, the Holy Ghost infinite;
     10 The Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Ghost eternal;
     11 And yet there are not three eternals, but one eternal;
     12 As also there are not three uncreated, nor three infinites, / but one infinite, and one uncreated.
     13 So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, / the Holy Ghost almighty;
     14 And yet there are not three almighties, but one almighty.
     15 So the Father is God, the Son God, the Holy Ghost God;
     16 And yet there are not three Gods, / but one God.
     17 So the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, / the Holy Ghost Lord;
     18 And yet there are not three Lords, / but one Lord.
     19 For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity / to confess each Person by himself to be both God and Lord;
     20 So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion / to speak of three Gods or three Lords.
     21 The Father is made of none, / nor created, nor begotten.
     22 The Son is of the Father alone; / not made, nor created, but begotten.
     23 The Holy Ghost is of the Father and the Son; / not made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
     24 There is therefore one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; / one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.
     25 And in this Trinity there is no before or after, / no greater or less;
     26 But all three Persons are co-eternal together, / and co-equal.
     27 So that in all ways, as is aforesaid, / both the Trinity is to be worshipped in Unity, and the Unity in Trinity.
     28 He therefore that would be saved, / let him thus think of the Trinity.
     29 Furthermore, it is necessary to eternal salvation, / that he also believe faithfully the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
     30 Now the right Faith is that we believe and confess / that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is both God and Man.
     31 He is God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; / and he is Man, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world;
     32 Perfect God; / perfect Man, of reasoning soul and human flesh subsisting;
     33 Equal to the Father as touching his Godhead;/ less than the Father as touching his Manhood.
     34 Who although he be God and Man, / yet he is not two, but is one Christ;
     35 One, however, not by conversion of Godhead into flesh, / but by taking of Manhood into God;
     36 One altogether; / not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person.
     37 For as reasoning soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ;
     38 Who suffered for our salvation, / descended into hell, rose again from the dead;
     39 Ascended into heaven, sat down at the right hand of the Father, / from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
     40 At whose coming all men must rise again with their bodies, / and shall give account for their own deeds.
     41 And they that have done good will go into life eternal; / they that have done evil into eternal fire.
     42 This is the Catholic Faith, / which except a man do faithfully and stedfastly believe, he cannot be saved.

     Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;
     As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Sixth Sunday in Lent-Palm Sunday

Of course, in the popular mind, this is Palm Sunday. People like to recall this moment of external triumph. Jesus rides into Jerusalem to fulfill a prophecy from Zechariah 9. By coming to King David’s city on a donkey, Jesus is making a Messianic claim. He is coming in humility and peace to begin His rule. And despite their confused ideas about the nature of Christ, many praise Him. Jesus is the Christ and receives the praise that He deserves. Like the ancient crowd, we tend to get caught up in the enthusiasm of the moment.

Unfortunately, many people who praised Jesus that day did not really understand Him. They did not sense what sort of king He was. So by the end of the week, many who praised Jesus turned on Him. Some would go from shouting “hosanna” to shouting “crucify him.” Even His closest disciples would flee in confusion and fear.

On that first Palm Sunday, Jesus was asking for spiritual and moral commitment, but the crowds were looking for other things. They were blinded by their physical, material, and worldly aspirations. Jesus Christ came to redeem people from their sins. He came to offer His life to deliver them from the power of evil. He came to conquer death, to rise again, to establish the kingdom of heaven, and to offer eternal life in God’s presence.

But most people, even would-be disciples, misunderstood. They were looking for Him to bring them temporal or worldly blessings. They mainly wanted things such as wealth, power, free food, healing, health, material comfort, external happiness, etc. And when they started to realize that He wasn’t that kind of king, their responses to Him started to change.

Many were confused or disappointed. And some were downright fickle and mean. They turned hostile. When He didn’t live up to their mistaken worldly ideals, they rejected Him and falsely accused Him.

Modern people, even many who say that they are Christians, are much like those first-century crowds. Many human beings continue to have poor understandings of redemption. We still look for false messiahs. We still misunderstand what kind of Messiah, what kind of king, Jesus is. We still try to make Him fit our personal preferences.

People still tend to focus on the material, physical and worldly aspects of Christ’s divine kingship. Yes, He knows that we are body and soul, and He cares about all aspects of human life. He asks His followers to care as well. He wants us to live in general safety and health with reasonable food, shelter, medical care, rest, and so on. But such matters are not His primary or ultimate concern for human beings. He is not a worldly king. He does not preach some sort of distorted prosperity or social gospel.

Instead, Christ’s main concerns are spiritual. He does care for our earthly lives, but He focuses more on our spiritual and eternal lives. He knows that there will always be earthly problems. He sees that there will always be crosses to bear in this world. And He wants people to respond to those crosses in ways that lead to resurrection and eternal life spent with Him, His heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit.

Our priorities should be spiritual and moral. Beginning with faith in Jesus as the Savior of our eternal souls, we respond in love- for God and for our neighbors. Many things can be included in these faithful responses. We do good deeds to the extent that we are physically and materially able. We support the church and charitable institutions. We study Scripture. But above all we love God, and we express that love spiritually in worship and in prayer.

Our love of God is also expressed by love for our neighbors, and not just in generally polite words or kind actions. We also love our neighbors by pointing them to Jesus Christ who alone can give their lives the deepest meaning and save their souls.

So during this Holy Week, let us seek to appreciate the kind of king that Jesus really is. Jesus Christ is a spiritual king who comes in humility and peace to establish His rule in our hearts, minds, and souls. He is a king who asks us to keep following Him even when the hymns of praise fade. He is a king who asks for our loyalty as He and we walk the way of the cross.

Jesus Christ certainly deserves our praise, our “hosannas.” He deserves praise more than anyone else. But the praise He wants is not just for the big events and celebrations. He wants our praise and our loyalty even on ordinary dull days. And He even asks for our praise and our loyalty on days, like Good Friday, when the honor and cheers of the crowd turn into rejection and jeers.

Palm Sunday has a dual aspect. It is a somber reminder of human blindness, disloyalty, and evil. It is also a joyful reminder that Jesus Christ is a spiritual king whose love, grace, and glory transcend human frailty. Even in the midst of suffering and death, even in a pandemic, the love and the grace of Christ Jesus continue undefeated. He triumphs through His cross and through all our little crosses.

To Him, with the Father and Holy Spirit, be all praise now and evermore! Amen.

A Prayer Appropriate during Time of Sickness

The 1928 American Book of Common Prayer has a prayer which seems especially appropriate during the pandemic. A Prayer "In Time of Great Sickness and Mortality" is found on p. 45.

O most mighty and merciful God, in this time of grievous sickness, we flee unto thee for succour. Deliver us, we beseech thee, from our peril; give strength and skill to all those who minister to the sick; prosper the means made use of for their cure; and grant that, perceiving how frail and uncertain our life is, we may apply our hearts unto that heavenly wisdom which leadeth to eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Second Sunday after Epiphany- the Baptism of our Lord

The Epiphany season has long been associated with the Baptism of our Lord (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:1-11). The 1928 American BCP assigns this commemoration to the Second Sunday after Epiphany. By coming to John to be baptized, Jesus fulfilled all righteousness. Although sinless, our incarnate Lord expressed His solidarity with sinful human beings who all need cleansing. He also received a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit as He began His public ministry. And the heavenly voice acknowledged Him as the Son of God. This moment is a unique manifestation or epiphany of the divine glory in Christ. It also points to His whole public ministry and work for human salvation.

Because of Christ's uniqueness, there are certainly historical and theological differences between His Baptism by John and the later institution of Christian Baptism. Yet, in part, the Baptism of our Lord is also a model for us. He underwent Baptism to point to the human need for the washing of regeneration. Although He was pure, He identified with us sinners who need to be cleansed. Although He was already in unity with the Spirit, we need to be strengthened by fresh outpourings of the Holy Spirit. While He was eternally the Son of God by nature, we need to be adopted as children of God. We also need to notice that Baptism is a beginning of ministry. All those who have been baptized into Christ are called to continue the ministry which Christ started in this world.

Christmas 2019

This Christmas, let us focus for a few minutes on the announcement of the angel to the shepherds. St. Luke 2:10 says, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” The angel’s message “I bring you good tidings” translates two Greek words which could also be translated as “I announce good news to you” or “I proclaim the gospel to you.”

These words mean that Christ’s Birth is the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel. His Nativity is not an isolated event. It is part of the whole story, one aspect of the entire Christian message. This birth cannot be separated from all that Jesus Christ means in His teachings, life, death, resurrection and ascension.

The story of Jesus brings “great joy.”  Obviously, there are hardships in the story. Joseph and Mary are relatively poor people from a small village in an obscure area. At the whim of the Roman oppressor, they have to make a dangerous and difficult journey for several days. At the end, they have to take shelter in a rock formation used as an animal barn. Mary’s labor is real, and there are evil forces in the world plotting to destroy the holy child.

But despite all the humility and suffering that are part of the story, its message is about deep and lasting happiness, an inner blessedness. And this joy is open to all people. The lowly shepherds are merely the first chosen to hear. They are humble representatives of all God’s people through the ages.

Christmas continues to bring us a similar message. The deliverer that we long for still comes in simple ways. Christ comes to us through the unseen Spirit, the Word recorded in ancient tongues, and sacramental bread and wine. This is really good news; these are tidings of great joy. However, the joy of the message is not to be confused with external worldly happiness.

Sometimes, we do not always have the best external circumstances at Christmas. There may be issues of health, of family, or of job. There may be sad memories. We may not have the time or money or energy to celebrate as we wish. We may not be with some of the people we love. But such externals are not the true joy of the season. Christmas is about a deep joy based on our faith and hope in God’s love, grace and mercy. Such a joy can survive in any circumstance- even as it did in a stable among poor oppressed people.

So whether we have a great external celebration with lots of people, gifts, and food  or we just have a simple quiet observance, let us focus upon what God does- how He sends His Son, the eternal Word, to become flesh and dwell among us. God the Father sends the divine Savior among us to save us all from sin and death. This is the Gospel; these are tidings of comfort and joy. Glory to God in the highest!

Advent III 2019

On this Sunday, we often look at the role of John the Baptist, Christian ideas of ministry, or the work of Christ as a fulfillment of prophecies from Isaiah. These themes are good and important. The theme of Christian ministry is a strong one for the third week in Advent, but looking at the readings, I was really struck this week by a subtext, the implied divine nature of the Messiah.

In Matthew 11, when Jesus comments on His ministry and on that of John, He says, "For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee" (Matt. 11:10). This saying includes a quotation of Malachi 3:1 where the Lord God is speaking about "my messenger." This messenger prepares the way for God Himself. So John is a prophet and more; he is the messenger preparing the way for Christ who is Immanuel- God Himself who comes among His people!

Advent I 2019

Excepts from an ecumenical homily for Advent  

Many churches observe the season of Advent, beginning the fourth Sunday before Christmas- which is today. And even if your church tradition doesn’t officially observe Advent, early December is still a good time for reflection and spiritual preparation. The word “Advent” come from a Latin word that means “coming” or “arriving,” and it is good for Christians to think about Jesus Christ coming into the world and into our lives.

We can think of Christ coming in three tenses- past, present and future. Of course, in the past, we think of His coming at His Birth. This is the coming of the Lord longed for by Isaiah and other prophets. It is the coming announced to Mary by the angel Gabriel and pointed to by John the Baptist. This manifestation of God’s Son is what we commemorate in a special way in December. As the saying goes, Jesus is the reason for the season.

It is fitting for us to recall Christ’s historic coming into the world as the divine Word made flesh. We consider all that He did, all that He taught, all that His earthly life means for our redemption. We think of Jesus from infancy to Baptism, to public ministry, to the Cross, to His Resurrection and Ascension. Remembering His first coming is the essential foundation of Christian faith.

Secondly, we think of Jesus the Christ coming in the present tense. Sometimes, we tend to overlook this coming of Christ into our lives. He comes repeatedly. He keeps being born anew in our hearts. Jesus speaks of this ongoing presence a number of places in the Scriptures. 

The whole 15^th chapter of St. John speaks of abiding in Christ. In Matthew 18:20, Jesus says, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” In Matthew 28:20, He promises His followers, “and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” In Revelation 3:20, He says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

Through His Word and through the work of His Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ comes to us many times in many ways. He asks us to be open to Him and allow Him to dwell in our hearts, minds and souls. He asks us to be His body and continue His presence and work in this world as He watches over us and intercedes for us from the Father's right hand.

Thirdly, as we remember Christ’s coming in the past and His repeated coming to us in this present life, we also look to His future coming. Our Lord has promised many places in Scripture that He will come again at the end of earthly history. This is a basic affirmation of all Christians. Christ will come to establish universal divine rule. He will come in mercy and in justice to set this fallen creation right. He will gather His people from all times and places into the fullness of eternal life.

This is a great hope and a strengthening truth for believers. Unfortunately, some Christians have gone a little crazy over the details. There have been wild speculations and unfounded claims. Some have even gone against the Bible by claiming to know the day or the hour. But as our Lord says in Matthew 24:42, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” And so as He adds in Matthew 24:44, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

As Christians, we should always be prepared and be preparing anew for our Lord. We should be humble enough and faithful enough to avoid too much speculation. Instead, we should focus on what we can do as we await the future. And what we can do is to accept the grace available to live in ways attuned to Christ, spiritually and morally.

We do not know exactly when God will bring this world to an end and establish Christ’s full rule. (And we may not be on this earth when it happens.) However, in the meantime, we must continue in faith, hope and love. That is the proper spiritual way to prepare for our Lord’s final coming.

In summary, the days leading up to the observance of Jesus’ Birth or Nativity should be a time of renewed devotion and spiritual preparation. We can think and reflect about the coming of Jesus Christ into the world and into our lives. Christ has come in history 2000 years ago, Christ keeps coming to us again and again, and Christ will come again in final victory and glory. Let us be open to Him in all these ways and live in spiritual preparation each day.

Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity

The Gospel for this Sunday (John 4:46-54) is the second Galilean miracle in St. John's account. A "nobleman" or "official" wants Jesus to come and heal his critically ill son. Our Lord does not agree to come. Instead, He comments on the popular desire for outward signs and assures the man that his son will live. On this occasion, two points strike me about this story.

First, there are a variety of different ways that God's healing power and grace work through Jesus Christ. Sometimes, the person healed is in Jesus' immediate presence; sometimes the person is at some distance. There may or may not be a conversation with the person. There may or may not be a declaration of forgiveness of sin. There may be a healing touch (or in one case mud and spittle). This time, there is simply a word from Jesus, a declaration that the father's prayer for his son is answered. This can serve as a reminder that God in Christ can use various means to reach out in His grace. In this particular case, a simple word suffices.

Secondly, there is the faith of the father. The official makes a specific request but does not protest when Jesus tells him that the healing is already taking place. Despite his high social rank, he responds with humble trust in Christ. He believes that Jesus can do what He says. That is a beginning faith. Yet, there is also a further step. When news reaches the official that his son has been healed, the man believes again, along with his household. This is a more general faith that Jesus is the Savior sent by God. Likewise, we can believe in different stages. Sometimes, we have little bits of faith on particular issues, but we need to keep growing in faith and develop a fuller understanding of God's work in Christ.

Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity 2019

The Scripture readings today are rich and meaningful but the collect for the day is what really grabbed my attention. It says: O GOD, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee; Mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The core of this short prayer goes back to a fifth-century Roman service book, and it was slightly modified in 1662. This collect clearly points out our human dependence upon God in all things. We can't begin to please God unless He first assists us by His grace. To please God, the Holy Spirit sent by the Father and the Son must both direct, guide, and rule in our inner being. We tend to forget this point and focus on our human efforts. Of course, human effort and responsibility are important, but God is always both the beginning and the end of the whole process of justification, sanctification, and redemption!

Trinity XVII- Ephesians 4- Unity of the Spirit

Today's traditional epistle reminds us of the true basis for unity among Christians. We have many differences in nature, culture, and personal preferences, but certain things are necessary. In Ephesians 4: 2-6. St. Paul exhorts Christian believers to seek "to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

Christians must walk a fine line between the dangers of doctrinal weakness and intolerance. Not every religious option is acceptable. Even some things that are tolerable are not necessarily edifying. So we must stand up for our convictions. On the other hand, we must be careful about the ways that we assert our convictions. Even in disagreement, we must try to remain kind and charitable. And we should also seek common ground based on the matters that Paul mentions. There is one body- one universal church of Jesus Christ, and one Holy Spirit at work calling all believers to a common hope in redemption. There is one Lord, that is Jesus Christ, God the Son, who suffered, died, and rose to save us. There is one faith, which is both belief in and trust in the Lord Jesus. There is one baptism, the sacrament of entry into the body of Christ through water administered in the name of God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And the ultimate unity is in one God and Father who reigns over all.

Different Christian individuals and groups have distinct preferences and practices. Some of those differences are important, and some are not important. Some of those things may be more or less edifying for specific people, and there is room for compromise on some non-essential points of theology or practice. However, on the basics mentioned in Ephesians 4, Christians need to strive for mutual understanding and spiritual unity.

Pentecost 2019

People have said and keep saying many things about the Holy Spirit.  The best way to make a sound statement on the Holy Spirit is to focus on the teachings of Jesus Christ. In today's gospel from John 14:16-17, Jesus says, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you."

In these words of our Lord, we are reminded of the origins of the Spirit's work among believers. The Holy Spirit comes among Christ's followers as a gift from God the Father at the intercession of Jesus Christ. Although Scripture speaks of many functions and gifts of the Spirit, here our Lord stresses two chief characteristics. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter or Helper and our guide in appreciating and applying divine truth. And the Holy Spirit must be distinguished from the spirits of the surrounding world. For the Holy Spirit who comes from the Father and the Son reflects their holy nature with us and in us.