A Win/Win Situation - Philippians 1:19-26

 

Theme:  A vindicated life runs through Jesus

Evangelism in the Anglican Tradition

Anglican evangelism is communal, constantly sprouting and spreading from within the Covenant Community of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Church. God gifts and calls His people to serve the church and be light to the world outside the gathered People of God. In the Old Testament, God called Israel to be His special Covenant People, “a light to the Nations”. While they did not fulfill this task due to their disobedience to their sovereign God, Jesus Christ, the light of the world, DID!

Through his life, death, and resurrection, the Lord accomplished the way of freedom and salvation for all humankind. In following our Lord by repentance and faith through the mystery of Baptism, we join the New Covenant People of God in worshiping and knowing this wonderous, Triune God, bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a world in need of forgiveness and reconciliation with their Creator. While the church sends out evangelists gifted explicitly in sharing the good news of salvation, they are sent from within the community of Christ, which is the vehicle of salvation in the world. Also, the very nature of our Worship is evangelistic, as the Gospel is at the center of what we preach, pray, and engage in the sacraments.

By our particular vocations dictated by the spiritual gifts given to us in the body of Christ, we live, love, and engage the created order around us, revealing the true humanity of Jesus Christ as we are continually “conformed to the image of the son”. Every task and vocation we engage in is valuable and a potential revelation of our God-given humanity and redemption in the world. The Gospel is often lived as a message before it can be verbally proclaimed and understood by those living in darkness. Most vocations must live out the faith before the words about Jesus will be heard. However, there is a time to speak clearly and boldly of the need of sinful humanity, and the gracious salvation that our Savior offers.

The Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas

 

Thomas Aquinas is the greatest theologian of the high Middle Ages, and, next to Augustine, perhaps the greatest theologian in the history of Western Christianity. Born into a noble Italian family, probably in 1225, he entered the new Dominican Order of Preachers, and soon became an outstanding teacher in an age of intellectual ferment.

Perceiving the challenges that the recent rediscovery of Aristotle’s works might entail for traditional catholic doctrine, especially in its emphasis upon empirical knowledge derived from reason and sense perception, independent of faith and revelation, Thomas asserted that reason and revelation are in basic harmony. “Grace” (revelation), he said, “is not the denial of nature” (reason), “but the perfection of it.” This synthesis Thomas accomplished in his greatest works, the Summa Theologica and the Summa Contra Gentiles, which even today continue to exercise profound influence on Christian thought and philosophy. He was considered a bold thinker, even a “radical,” and certain aspects of his thought were condemned by the ecclesiastical authorities. His canonization on July 18, 1323, vindicated him.

Thomas understood God’s disclosure of his Name, in Exodus 3:14, “I Am Who I Am,” to mean that God is Being, the Ultimate Reality from which everything else derives its being. The difference between God and the world is that God’s essence is to exist, whereas all other beings derive their being from him by the act of creation. Although, for Thomas, God and the world are distinct, there is, nevertheless, an analogy of being between God and the world, since the Creator is reflected in his creation. It is possible, therefore, to have a limited knowledge of God, by analogy from the created world. On this basis, human reason can demonstrate that God exists; that he created the world; and that he contains in himself, as their cause, all the perfections which exist in his creation. The distinctive truths of Christian faith, however, such as the Trinity and the Incarnation, are known only by revelation.

Thomas died in 1274, just under fifty years of age. In 1369, on January 28, his remains were transferred to Toulouse. In addition to his many theological writings, he composed several eucharistic hymns. They include “O saving Victim” and “Now, my tongue, the mystery telling.”

(Lesser Feasts and Fasts, pg. 152)

Feast Day Scripture Readings

Living or Fabricated?

 

Authentic people discern reality and truth as they present themselves, so that love and wisdom may be rightly applied. 

Inauthentic people create the narratives they must have, and then desperately try to manipulate others and situations for their own happy returns. One approach reflects the character of God. The other, the power brokers of this world.

The Feast of John Chrysostom, January 27th, 2024

John Chrysostom, Patriarch of Constantinople, is one of the great saints of the Eastern Church. He was born about 354 in Antioch, Syria. As a young man, he responded to the call of desert monasticism until his health was impaired. He returned to Antioch after six years, and was ordained a presbyter. In 397, he became Patriarch of Constantinople. His episcopate was short and tumultuous. Many criticized his ascetical life in the episcopal residence, and he incurred the wrath of the Empress Eudoxia, who believed that he had called her a “Jezebel.” He was twice exiled, and he died during the second period of banishment, on September 14, 407. Thirty-one years later, his remains were brought back to Constantinople and buried on January 27.

John, called “Chrysostom,” which means “the golden-mouthed,” was one of the greatest preachers in the history of the Church. People flocked to hear him. His eloquence was accompanied by an acute sensitivity to the needs of people. He saw preaching as an integral part of pastoral care, and as a medium of teaching. He warned that if a priest had no talent for preaching the Word, the souls of those in his charge “will fare no better than ships tossed in the storm.”

His sermons provide insights into the liturgy of the Church, and especially into eucharistic practices. He describes the liturgy as a glorious experience, in which all of heaven and earth join. His sermons emphasize the importance of lay participation in the Eucharist. “Why do you marvel,” he wrote, “that the people anywhere utter anything with the priest at the altar, when in fact they join with the Cherubim themselves, and the heavenly powers, in offering up sacred hymns?”

His treatise, Six Books on the Priesthood, is a classic manual on the priestly office and its awesome demands. The priest, he wrote, must be “dignified, but not haughty; awe-inspiring, but kind; affable in his authority; impartial, but courteous; humble, but not servile, strong but gentle. . . .”

O God, who gave your servant John Chrysostom grace eloquently to proclaim your righteousness in the great congregation, and fearlessly to bear reproach for the honor of your Name: Mercifully grant to all who proclaim your word such excellence in preaching, that all your people may be made partakers of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

From "Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 2006, pg. 150

Go to Scripture Readings

More about St. Chrysostom:

He (Chrysostom) loved the city and the people of Antioch, and they loved him. However, he became so famous that the Empress at Constantinople decided that she must have him for her court preacher, and she had him kidnapped and brought to Constantinople and there made bishop. This was a failure all around. His sermons against corruption in high places earned him powerful enemies (including the Empress), and he was sent into exile, where he died.

Along with Athanasius of Alexandria, Basil the Great, and Gregory of Nazianzus, he is counted as one of the Four Great Eastern (or Greek) Doctors of the Ancient Church. The Four Great Western (or Latin) Doctors are Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory the Great.

-John Kiefer (Lay Episcopalian Writer).

 

“Shoulder to Shoulder” Phil. 1:3-11

An honest pursuit of God and ministry produces intimacy 

 

The Beggar and the Chalice

 

Loving and Hating Truth

 

From Confessions, by St. Augustine, Chapter 23.

That Donatist Problem Today: The Elusive Search for the One Pure Church

I am thankful for the Reformation. I wouldn’t be an Anglican if this was not the case. Luther helped many understand that a baptized person earns no merit on their own before God per their religious busyness. He, with others, also exposed the way that the Roman Church of the day had made their tradition all-encompassing. Tradition had grown in such a way as to push Holy Scripture to the background, and thus, it was interpreted through the lenses of an extensively rigorous and religiously cultural bias. The Reformers sought to address this problem in part through what became “sola scriptura” and helped restore the primacy and importance of Holy Scripture in keeping with their Patristic forebearers who were “soaked in Scripture.”[1]

But as any careful investigator will note, the Reformers also went beyond Medieval abuses and encouraged certain Scriptural and theological errors of their own. While it is true that we do not merit our righteous status before God, it is also true that sanctification IS still a part of our salvation as evidenced overwhelmingly in Holy Scripture:

“Sanctification is not ‘Christian living’ removed somehow from the gospel message and our salvation. Sanctification is a work of the Holy Spirit as He continues to develop holiness in our lives as we open our hearts to our Lord Jesus Christ and seek our triune God.”[2]

Through Luther’s influence, a theology also arose that taught that salvation could occur outside of the Covenant Community of God, the Church of Jesus Christ (in contrast with Patristic assumptions even before Cyprian). A cavalcade of Reformers (and the later Pietists) followed suit taking the theology of a personal salvation to an unscriptural extreme. Salvation for Protestants thus became “my salvation outside of the church” (aka, me and Jesus) instead of my personal salvation inside and with the church in keeping with the scriptural teaching of being “the bride of Christ.” I submit that these would have been surprising and extremely foreign ideas to the framers meeting at the Council of Nicaea in 325.  I also submit that those attending Nicaea would have assumed the primacy of scripture (Suprema-scriptura) along with the important place of tradition in keeping, finding, and applying the truth.

In our search for holiness, it is easy to go beyond what is true and right, becoming more impressed with our current insights than our position in finite time and space allow. As history reveals, over-reactions theologically can create their own heresies and cause lasting damage to the Church of Jesus Christ. Spiritual humility and scriptural discernment are disciplines that must be pursued; they do not come easily and need to be done in community.

Holiness or Grace?

During the persecution of Christians by Emperor Diocletian, there were some Bishops who cowered under threat allowing both holy books as well as their copies of Holy Scripture to be destroyed. Following the persecution, many of these Bishops returned to their posts. Around 311 A.D./C.E. the Bishop of Carthage was consecrated by one of these traditores (traitor Bishops). The Bishops in Numidia found this untenable, consecrated a rival bishop, and brought their appeal to the unified Catholic church. The initial investigation did not support the desires of these Donatists (named after a later champion of their cause), nor did a later Synod.  In the end, they were opposed continuously by the entirety of the church. The Catholic church in the 4^th Century believed that the unworthiness of any minister did not invalidate the sacramental rites. As Augustine wrote, Christ was the true minister of the sacraments of the church.

In the end, the Donatists separated themselves from the Western Catholic Church and declared themselves to be the true church. They were extremely rigorous and proclaimed a desire for the “true holiness” of the saints. They saw themselves as the pure church, while others were suspect. Any Catholic coming into a Donatist parish were required to be “re-baptized.” Any of this sound familiar?

In our search for holiness, it is easy to lay aside a thoughtful and collective grace. In our search for grace, it is easy to lay aside the tough love and the courage it takes to pursue and encourage holiness. The history of the church is resplendent with cases that engage the harmful extremes. Over-reaction is easy, communal and thoughtful courage is hard.

Faithfulness will always demand prophetic pushback when those leading a church are in conflict with Holy Scripture and historic Christian orthodoxy. In our desire to be faithful, it is also easy to begin to develop a “two-dimensional” approach to holiness and faithfulness. We can decide that those who are not on “our team” are now the bad guys, and those on our team are the truly blessed, Spirit-led, good guys. This is a narrative that is far too common among many priests and bishops in break-off Anglican churches, who act as if there is no more faithfulness left in The Episcopal Church. It is also common with bishops and priests in The Episcopal Church who act as if it is acceptable to impatiently strong-arm new and innovative theology and morality, with little sensitivity to the worldwide Anglican Communion in the process; to insist on an individualistic, modernistic, and post-modernistic superiority which shows little historic humility and the complexities involved with being finite while engaging the infinite through time and space.

Tolkien’s words in the Fellowship of the Ring resonate here:
“Frodo: 'It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill Gollum when he had the chance.'
Gandalf: 'Pity? It is pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play in it, for good or evil, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.'

Also, hear the curious words of Jesus in Luke 9:
49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him; for whoever is not against you is for you.” 

Our God’s character and reality are NOT relative to someone’s (or group’s) individual desires and opinions.  However, beyond the clear teaching of Holy Scripture and our Historical Creedal orthodoxy, there is much that the “one holy catholic and apostolic church” is less certain and agreed upon (especially in the application of truth in any culture!). May our desire for holiness be bathed in thoughtful grace, and may our grace not bend regarding that which is eternal and transcendent. 

God never abandoned his often-apostate Children of Israel, nor did he enable or placate their wickedness. It is only through these largely rebellious Covenant people that we now have our Messiah and Salvation. Let us be hesitant to decide for God when he has finally discarded his Church. Do we not now as Anglicans understand that Luther was wrong to deem the entirety of the Roman Catholic Church as Apostate in his day?

Starting and Ending Points

I am not discounting the importance of seeking after and engaging holiness.  However, I am submitting in the strongest possible terms that “revisionism” in history and theology is not just a progressive problem, but a clear conservative problem as well. If we believe that we have the inalienable right to make up our version of Christianity based on our personal and cultural experiences, then we will continue in conflict with the ways of the Triune God of Christianity and the majority of the unified church of Jesus Christ before the 11 century. (And yes, this includes we of an Anglo-Catholic ilk with our penchant at times to worry more about the minutia of "rending our clothing" than the "rending of our hearts". They need go hand in hand, and only the Spirit transforms a willing heart. The sacrament and liturgy can be spurned by the rebellious). 

This conflict is exacerbated by an individualism that continually takes the name of the Holy Spirit in vain to support a-historic and anti-intellectual laziness when it comes to the interpretation of Holy Scripture.  It is right and good to believe in the illumination of the Holy Spirit; however, this does not mean that our thoughts and feelings while praying or reading Holy Scripture are from God. We are the church together in accountability to Holy Scripture and our informing tradition. You and I are never the centers of any world…EVER.

The above thoughts do not remove either the mystery or the existential realities involved with seeking or submitting to the one true God, while at the same time, doing so in community with the church.  However, our Christian heritage does position our Triune God as the “prime mover” of all that is…including redemption. Our God is not the god whom many Modern worshippers desire.  He is not a god that will coalesce with our ever-burgeoning opinions so he can garner our attention, worship, and service.

Maybe we should consider the ways he has saved and led his Covenant People in the past with more frequency. Truly, there is nothing new under the sun.

---

[1] Hall, Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers, IVP, 1998, pg. 129

[2] Reeves, Was Jesus an Evangelical?, eLectio Press, 2017, pg. 25

"Highly Favored" - Luke 1:26-38

Theme: Simple trust in impossible circumstances facilitates the power of God

The Feast of St. Thomas: December 21st, 2023

The Gospel according to John records several incidents in which Thomas appears, and from them we are able to gain some impression of the sort of man he was. When Jesus insisted on going to Judea, to visit his friends at Bethany, Thomas boldly declared, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16). At the Last Supper, he interrupted our Lord’s discourse with the question, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” (John 14:5). And after Christ’s resurrection, Thomas would not accept the account of the other apostles and the women, until Jesus appeared before him, showing him his wounds. This drew from him the first explicit acknowledgment of Christ’s Godhead, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).

Thomas appears to have been a thoughtful if rather literal-minded man, inclined to skepticism; but he was a staunch friend when his loyalty was once given. The expression “Doubting Thomas,” which has become established in English usage, is not entirely fair to Thomas. He did not refuse belief: he wanted to believe, but did not dare, without further evidence. Because of his goodwill, Jesus gave him a sign, though Jesus had refused a sign to the Pharisees. His Lord’s rebuke was well deserved: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (John 20:29). The sign did not create faith; it merely released the faith which was in Thomas already.

According to an early tradition mentioned by Eusebius and others, Thomas evangelized the Parthians. Syrian Christians of Malabar, India, who call themselves the Mar Thoma Church, cherish a tradition that Thomas brought the Gospel to India...

Thomas’ honest questioning and doubt, and Jesus’ assuring response to him, have given many modern Christians courage to persist in faith, even when they are still doubting and questioning.

(Lesser Feasts and Fasts, pg. 100, Church Publishing, Inc.)

Lessons:

Ps. 126

Habakkuk 2:1–4

Hebrews 10:35–11:1

John 20:24–29

Practice and Unbelief

"What we believe does affect the way we live, and the way we live does affect what we believe. We must live up to the standard our our convictions, or sooner or later our convictions will drop down to the standard of our life. Unbelief may be the punishment of insincere practice. Belief in a fact is the foundation of any strong and consistent action, and the opposite is the cause of many drifting, irresolute lives."

-Father Andrew, Meditations, pg. 3

The Feast of St. Ambrose

 

Ambrose was the son of a Roman governor in Gaul, and in 373 he himself was governor in Upper Italy. Though brought up in a Christian family, Ambrose had not been baptized. He became involved in the election of a Bishop of Milan only as mediator between the battling factions of Arians and orthodox Christians. The election was important, because the victorious party would control the powerful see of Milan.

Ambrose exhorted the nearly riotous mob to keep the peace and to obey the law. Suddenly both sides raised the cry, “Ambrose shall be our bishop!” He protested, but the people persisted. Hastily baptized, he was ordained bishop on December 7, 373.

Ambrose rapidly won renown as a defender of orthodoxy against Arianism and as a statesman of the Church. He was also a skillful hymnodist. He introduced antiphonal chanting to enrich the liturgy, and wrote straightforward, practical discourses to educate his people in such matters of doctrine as Baptism, the Trinity, the Eucharist, and the Person of Christ. His persuasive preaching was an important factor in the conversion of Augustine of Hippo.

Ambrose did not fear to rebuke emperors, including the hot-headed Theodosius, whom he forced to do public penance for the slaughter of several thousand citizens of Salonika.

About Baptism, Ambrose wrote: “After the font (of baptism), the Holy Spirit is poured on you, ‘the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and godliness, and the spirit of holy fear’” (De Sacramentis 3.8).

A meditation attributed to him includes these words: “Lord Jesus Christ, you are for me medicine when I am sick; you are my strength when I need help; you are life itself when I fear death; you are the way when I long for heaven; you are light when all is dark; you are my food when I need nourishment.”

Among hymns attributed to Ambrose are “The eternal gifts of Christ the King,” “O Splendor of God’s glory bright,” and a series of hymns for the Little Hours.

O God, you gave your servant Ambrose grace eloquently to proclaim your righteousness in the great congregation, and fearlessly to bear reproach for the honor of your Name: Mercifully grant to all bishops and pastors such excellence in preaching and faithfulness in ministering your Word, that your people may be partakers with them of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Psalm

27:5-11

Lessons

Ecclesiasticus 2:7–11,16–18

Luke 12:35–37,42–44

(source: Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 2006; Church Publishing)

The Feast of St. Nicholas

Very little is known about the life of Nicholas, except that he suffered torture and imprisonment during the persecution under the Emperor Diocletian. It is possible that he was one of the bishops attending the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325. He was honored as a saint in Constantinople in the sixth century by the Emperor Justinian. His veneration became immensely popular in the West after the supposed removal of his body to Bari, Italy, in the late eleventh century. In England almost 400 churches were dedicated to him.

Nicholas is famed as the traditional patron of seafarers and sailors, and, more especially, of children. As a bearer of gifts to children, his name was brought to America by the Dutch colonists in New York, from whom he is popularly known as Santa Claus. (Lesser Feasts and Fasts, pg. 96)

In Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, they have the custom of making him the secret purveyor of gifts to children on 6 December, the day on which the Church celebrates his feast; (Cath Encyclopedia, online).

In oral tradition, he is known as a bishop who especially cared for the poor and those under oppression. One story tells of a man whose two daughters were going to be forced into prostitution because he could not pay his debts. That evening Nicholas went by their small house and dropped gold coins into two stockings hanging on the mantle of the fireplace but still near to the window. They awoke the next day to find that they had been spared from a life of misery.

Almighty God, in your love you gave your servant Nicholas of Myra a perpetual name for deeds of kindness both on land and sea: Grant, we pray, that your Church may never cease to work for the happiness of children, the safety of sailors, the relief of the poor, and the help of those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Lessons

Ps. 78:3-7

I John 4:7-14

Mark 10:13-16

(source: Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 2006; Church Publishing)

The Feast of Saint Andrew, November 30th, 2022

 

Most biographical notes on this Apostle begin “Andrew was Simon Peter’s brother,” and he is so described in the Gospels. Identifying Andrew as Peter’s brother makes it easy to know who he is, but it also makes it easy to overlook the fact of Andrew’s special gift to the company of Christ. The Gospel according to John tells how Andrew, a disciple of John the Baptist, was one of two disciples who followed Jesus after John had pointed him out, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:29). Andrew and the other disciple went with Jesus and stayed with him, and Andrew’s first act afterward was to find his brother and bring him to Jesus. We might call Andrew the first missionary in the company of disciples.

Though Andrew was not a part of the inner circle of disciples (Peter, James, and John), he is always named in the list of disciples, and appears prominently in several incidents. Andrew and Peter were fishermen, and Matthew’s Gospel records Jesus’ calling them from their occupation, and their immediate response to his call. Andrew was the disciple who brought the boy with the loaves and fishes to Jesus for the feeding of the multitude.

We hear little of Andrew as a prominent leader, and he seems always to be in the shadow of Peter. Eusebius, the Church historian, records his going to Scythia, but there is no reliable information about the end of his life. Tradition has it that he was fastened to an X-shaped cross and suffered death at the hands of angry pagans.

Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland.

Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, and brought his brother with him: Give us, who are called by your Holy Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Lessons:

Ps 19

Deuteronomy 30:11–14

Romans 10:8b–18

Matthew 4:18–22

(Source: Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 2006; Church Publishing)

What is a Holiday?

 Are you aware of the etymology (history) of the word "holiday"? It comes from the influence of the Historic Church on Western culture. It is derived from the word "holy" and more specifically, church "holy days". What started out as feasts for more specific and focused times of worship has morphed into family time and merriment outside of any focused or disciplined communal worship. The irony now is that when merchants avoid "Merry Christmas" so as to cater to the sprawling pluralism that now demands our submission, they are actually saying "Happy Holy Days".

In the end, these "holy days" can be redeemed, and we can return to the sacrifice and priority of Jesus being born for all creation (which includes enjoying and celebrating the meaning of these events with family and others), but like any other spiritual discipline or valuable thing in our lives, it won't happen without saying "no" to good things so we can prioritize what is best. However, our church's life and culture won't be impacted unless we, the worshippers, choose to act on what we say truly matters to us.

What we do physically and where we put our money, time, and energy during the "Holy Days" communicates to everyone we touch. We may not think so, but it is true nonetheless. Do no harm, but I ask you to be purposeful as you undermine the hedonistic self-preoccupation of a world that rejects the freedom of submission to Christ and his ways. Worship communally on Christmas, Holy Week, and Easter even if you are out of town. Plan ahead with family so your worship can communicate before God and people what matters most about Christmas to you.

Whether people in our church family are out of town or otherwise occupied on Christmas Eve, it will probably be one of our largest attended services of the year. I am not trying to drum up numbers. I am trying to encourage a thoughtful discipleship in action so we can better be light and salt to a dark and decaying world. I am also hoping to encourage our more seasoned and mature believers that their presence also matters and communicates to those newly committed to Christ (or who are new to our church) what it looks like to be🎄Christmas people🎄.

 

Blessings, in the name of the coming and returning Christ.

 

Fr. Tom

Remembering Hugh of Lincoln - Bishop, Prophet to Kings, and Protector of the Oppressed

 

As a sign of his remorse for his role in the murder of the Archbishop Thomas a Becket, King Henry II founded the first house in England of the strict monastic order called the Carthusians. Difficulties arose with the first two priors, and a French noble recommended Hugh de Avalon, who at that time had been a monk at the mother house of the order for 17 years.

On his arrival in England in 1176, Hugh found that the building of the monastery had not begun. Worse, no compensation had been paid to those who would have to lose their lands and property to make room for it. Hugh refused to take office until these persons had been paid "to the last penny." He intervened again on behalf of the builders, whose pay was not forthcoming.

Henry loved him for his plain speaking. "I do not despair of you," Hugh said to him at their first interview; "I know how much your many occupations interfere with the health of your soul." Henry, impressed by his frankness, swore that while he lived he should not leave his kingdom, and took so much pleasure in his conversation, and paid so much heed to his counsels, that a rumor arose that Hugh was his son. Hugh's biographer wrote that "of all men only Hugh could bend that rhinosceros to his will." When Henry was in danger of shipwreck, he cried out, "If only my Carthusian Hugh were awake and at prayer, God would not forget me."

This affection never diminished, though Hugh dared to oppose the king, particularly in the matter of keeping bishoprics vacant in order that their revenues might fall to the king's treasury. One of the worst examples was Lincoln, which, except for a few months, had been without a bishop for eighteen years. Hugh was elected to the post in 1186, and his monastic superiors ordered him to accept. After so long a period of neglect, there was great need of reform. Hugh employed priests of great piety and learning, and made the fullest use of his authority in disciplining his clergy. He took a stern view of the ill-treatment of the poor by the royal foresters, and when a subject of the church of Lincoln suffered at their hands he excommunicated their chief.

He also refused to appoint a royal favorite to a meaningless but lucrative post. Henry was furious, and summoned him to his presence. He came, and Henry turned away his face and would not speak, but by way of ignoring his presence took out a torn glove and began to sew it. At last Hugh said, "How like you are to your relations at Falaise." The king might have resented this allusion to the humble birth of William the Conqueror's mother, the daughter of a glove-maker, but he only laughed, and the quarrel was made up.

Riots against the Jews broke out in England at the time of the Third Crusade. In defence of the persecuted, Hugh faced armed mobs in Lincoln, Stamford and Northampton and compelled their submission.

Hugh refused to raise money for the foreign wars of King Richard the Lion-Heart, calmed the king's rage with a kiss, and persisted in his refusal: this was the first clear example on record of the refusal of a money-grant demanded directly by the crown, and an important legal precedent. Richard said, "If all bishops were like my lord of Lincoln, not a prince among us could raise his head against them."

His relations with King John were less happy. John showed him an amulet, which he said was sacred and would preserve him. Hugh replied, "Do not put your trust in lifeless stone, but only in the living and heavenly stone, our Lord Jesus Christ." The following Easter he preached at length on the duties of kings, and the king slipped out partway through.

Devout, tireless, and forgetful of self, Hugh also had wit, a temper that he described as "more biting than pepper," and a great love and concern for children and the defenceless. He visited leper-houses and washed the ulcerous limbs of their inmates.

He was fond of animals, and they of him. Birds and squirrels came readily to his hand. He had a swan that would feed from his hand, follow him about, and keep guard over his bed, so that no one could approach it without being attacked.

In 1200 the king sent him on an embassy to France. His mission was a success, but he took ill and returned to England to die on 16 November 1200. John Ruskin called him "the most beautiful sacerdotal (priestly) figure known to me in history."

-John Kiefer


Prayer (contemporary language)

O holy God, who endowed your servant and bishop Hugh of Lincoln with wise and cheerful boldness, and taught him to commend the discipline of holy life to kings and princes: Grant that we also, rejoicing in the Good News of your mercy, and fearing nothing but the loss of you, may be bold to speak the truth in love, in the name of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

The Cluttered Desk

 

In Word and Power - (Video Sermon)

 

The Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist

Luke was a Gentile, a physician, and one of Paul’s fellow missionaries in the early spread of Christianity through the Roman world. He has been identified as the writer of both the Gospel which bears his name, and its sequel, the Acts of the Apostles. He had apparently not known Jesus, but was clearly much inspired by hearing about him from those who had known him.

Luke wrote in Greek, so that Gentiles might learn about the Lord, whose life and deeds so impressed him. In the first chapter of his Gospel, he makes clear that he is offering authentic knowledge about Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, and resurrection. The Gospel is not a full biography—none of the Gospels are—but a history of salvation.

Only Luke provides the very familiar stories of the annunciation to Mary, of her visit to Elizabeth, of the child in the manger, the angelic host appearing to shepherds, and the meeting with the aged Simeon. Luke includes in his work six miracles and eighteen parables not recorded in the other Gospels. In Acts he tells about the coming of the Holy Spirit, the struggles of the apostles and their triumphs over persecution, of their preaching of the Good News, and the conversion and baptism of other disciples, who would extend the Church in future years.

Luke was with Paul apparently until the latter’s martyrdom in Rome. What happened to Luke after Paul’s death is unknown. Early tradition has it that he wrote his Gospel in Greece, and that he died at the age of eighty-four in Boeotia. Gregory of Nazianzus says that Luke was martyred, but this testimony is doubted by most scholars. In the fourth century, the Emperor Constantius ordered the supposed relics of Luke to be removed from Boeotia to Constantinople, where they could be venerated by pilgrims.

Almighty God, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of your Son: Graciously continue in your Church this love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Psalter Reading

Psalm 147

Lessons

2 Timothy 4:5–13

Luke 4:14–21

(Source: Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 2006; Church Publishing)

The Seven Principal Feasts

 

On Wednesday, November 1st, we will celebrate one of our Principal Feasts as Episcopalians, All Saints Day. This service begins at 11 AM and will likely finish before noon. We hope you will join us if you are local to the Bloomington, IL area. According to the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, we celebrate Seven Principal Feasts during the Christian Year/Calendar: 1. Christmas Day - the celebration of the Christ-child 2. Epiphany - the celebration of the light of Christ illumining the darkness of our world 3. Easter Day - the celebration of the hope and joy of the resurrection 4. Ascension - the celebration of the final enthronement and acceptance by the Father of the incarnate Christ as redeemer and lord of the created universe. 5. The Day of Pentecost - the celebration of the Holy Spirit as Christ's presence indwelling his people both individually and among them corporately in gathered worship and service. 6. Trinity Sunday - The celebration of the Mystery and the Wonder of the three persons of the godhead united in one being - God. 7. All Saints - the celebration of the goodness of God to His people, and the remembrance of the faithfulness of the saints of God who have gone on before us. As Anglicans, when we incorporate these feasts into our worship during the year we are offering up our other priorities and time as a sweet sacrifice to our God. The purpose of these services of Holy Communion is to ground our spiritual, individual journey firmly into the Life of our Lord Jesus Christ. To find our personal journey in the midst of the covenant community of Christ. Let us worship our Lord in Spirit and in Truth!

The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

 

Francis, the son of a prosperous merchant of Assisi, was born in 1182. His early youth was spent in harmless revelry and fruitless attempts to win military glory.

Various encounters with beggars and lepers pricked the young man’s conscience, and he decided to embrace a life devoted to Lady Poverty. Despite his father’s intense opposition, Francis totally renounced all material values, and devoted himself to serve the poor. In 1210 Pope Innocent the Third confirmed the simple Rule for the Order of Friars Minor, a name Francis chose to emphasize his desire to be numbered among the “least” of God’s servants.

The order grew rapidly all over Europe. But by 1221 Francis had lost control of it, since his ideal of strict and absolute poverty, both for the individual friars and for the order as a whole, was found to be too difficult to maintain. His last years were spent in much suffering of body and spirit, but his unconquerable joy never failed.

Not long before his death, during a retreat on Mount La Verna, Francis received, on September 14, Holy Cross Day, the marks of the Lord’s wounds, the stigmata, in his own hands and feet and side. Pope Gregory the Ninth, a former patron of the Franciscans, canonized Francis in 1228, and began the erection of the great basilica in Assisi where Francis is buried.

Of all the saints, Francis is the most popular and admired, but probably the least imitated; few have attained to his total identification with the poverty and suffering of Christ. Francis left few writings; but, of these, his spirit of joyous faith comes through most truly in the “Canticle of the Sun,” which he composed at Clare’s convent of St. Damian’s. The Hymnal version begins:

Most High, omnipotent, good Lord,

To thee be ceaseless praise outpoured,

And blessing without measure.

Let creatures all give thanks to thee

And serve in great humility.

Most high, omnipotent, good Lord, grant your people grace to renounce gladly the vanities of this world; that, following the way of blessed Francis, we may for love of you delight in your whole creation with perfectness of joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm:    148:7–14 

Lessons

Galatians 6:14–18

Matthew 11:25–30

(Source: Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 2006; Church Publishing)

Choosing Ignorance

What does it mean to be wise? The Scriptures tell us that someone can be intelligent, educated, wealthy, or prestigious, but lack wisdom. Fools come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. In the past, I have challenged people considering Christianity to read the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is "wisdom literature." It makes statements based on truths garnered by watching the repeated actions of people and their connection (or disconnection) to the very character of God. In time, we humans always reveal our true selves.

In this week's Gospel reading (Matthew 21:23-32), we are confronted with a story where Jesus chooses to be cagey with the Jewish leaders who he knows have come to entrap him. They want him dead and gone. But the timing for Jesus and his redemptive work on the cross is not right, so Jesus chooses to be wise instead of simple. God calls us to turn from being simpletons and instead, be wise. To stay simple is to choose to have an "arrested development"; to stay childish and ignorant so as to avoid the complexity and the pain of maturity. Simplicity may seem easier, but in the end, it brings harm and consequences to everyone it touches. Wisdom brings light and life.

The Book of Proverbs reveals to the reader three different kinds of people; those who are wise, fools, or scoffers. God calls us to seek after Him, and in doing so, seek out wisdom. Things end badly for fools and scoffers. The wise walk in the ways of Jesus and find life abundant. But, if we want to stay ignorant so that we can live in a fantasy of our own making, God will not force wisdom upon us. Wisdom cries out, but the simple must respond to her call:

Proverbs 1:

20 Wisdom cries out in the street;
in the squares she raises her voice.
21 At the busiest corner she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 ‘How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
23 Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called and you refused,
have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,
25 and because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof...

Faith and love for God will "hunger and thirst after righteousness". Such a person desires to be continually "conformed to the image of the Son" (Jesus). Remaining ignorant is about our desire for control and a rebellion against God. Let us choose the wisdom of God so that we might avoid the life and mistakes of the fool.

Fr. Tom

Living Out Community, Part 2: Hypocrisy at its Worst

 

Theme: Those transformed by mercy, give it to others.

Living Out Community, Part 1: Authority and Responsibility

Theme: The community of Jesus thrives when heaven and earth are working as one.

Matthew 18:15-20

A New Era?

 I rediscovered an article that had blessed me a few years back, and it blessed me again today.

I resubmit this article for those who value the unchanging character and revelation of our God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and who love Christ's one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church, i.e., the New Covenant people of God. I share this article for those who grieve as they watch so much of the leadership in the American Church put their hope in other Kingdoms, beliefs, and movements (of many different flavors and denominations).

We are called to love and serve Christ's church, even when she seems overwhelmingly distracted and unfaithful. However, as Christ instructed his disciples about the rebellious leaders of the Old Covenant in His day: "...listen to them, but do not do what they do (or be who they are!)". We are to be in the world, not of it. When we embrace clear error for a false kind of peace and unity, we distort the true meaning of love.

I hope the below article will be as encouraging to you, as it was to me.

https://livingchurch.org/covenant/2018/07/18/reflections-on-the-beginning-of-a-new-era/

The Feast of St. Bartholomew

 

Bartholomew is one of the twelve Apostles known to us only by his being listed among them in the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke. His name means “Son of Tolmai,” and he is sometimes identified with Nathanael, the friend of Philip, the “Israelite without guile” in John’s Gospel, to whom Jesus promised the vision of angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man.

Nothing more is heard of him in the four Gospels.

Some sources credit Bartholomew with having written a Gospel, whose existence was known to Jerome and Bede, but which is lost today. There is a tradition that Bartholomew traveled to India, and Eusebius reports that when Pantaenus of Alexandria visited India, between 150 and 200, he found there “the Gospel according to Matthew” in Hebrew, which had been left behind by “Bartholomew, one of the Apostles.”

An ancient tradition maintains that Bartholomew was flayed alive at Albanopolis in Armenia.

O Almighty and everlasting God, who didst give to thine apostle Bartholomew grace truly to believe and to preach thy Word: Grant, we beseech thee, unto thy Church to love what he believed and to preach what he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 91

Deuteronomy 18:15–18

Corinthians 4:9–15

Luke 22:24–30

(Source: Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 2006; Church Publishing)

The Feast of St. James

James, the brother of John, is often known as James the Greater, to distinguish him from the other Apostle of the same name, commemorated in the calendar with Philip, and also from James “the brother of our Lord.” He was the son of a prosperous Galilean fisherman, Zebedee, and with his brother John left his home and his trade in obedience to the call of Christ. With Peter and John, he seems to have belonged to an especially privileged group, whom Jesus chose to be witnesses of the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and the agony in the garden.

Apparently, James shared John’s hot-headed disposition, and Jesus nicknamed the brothers, “Boanerges” (Sons of Thunder). James’ expressed willingness to share the cup of Christ was realized in his being the first of the Apostles to die for him. As the Acts of the Apostles records, “About that time Herod the King laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the Church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword” (Acts 12:1–2).

According to an old tradition, the body of James was taken to Compostela, Spain, which has been a shrine for pilgrims for centuries. Among the Spaniards, James is one of the most popular saints. In the Middle Ages, under the title of Santiago de Compostela, his aid was especially invoked in battle against the Moors.

O gracious God, we remember before you today your servant and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ; and we pray that you will pour out upon the leaders of your Church that spirit of self-denying service by which alone they may have true authority among your people; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Psalm 7:1–10 

Jeremiah 45:1–5

Acts 11:27–12:3

Matthew 20:20–28

(Lesser Feasts and Fasts, pgs. 318-319)

Spiritual Strength

"The Eternal Life is revealed that we may follow it, not dream about it, but deliberately claim communion with it, and through that communion we shall have spiritual strength. Physical strength enables people to lift material weights. Spiritual strength enables them to bear sorrow, endure grief, love their enemies, and attain to spiritual valor."

- Father Andrew, Meditations, pg. 350

God Permeates His World

“There is no space where God is not; space does not exist apart from Him. He is in heaven, in hell, beyond the seas; dwelling in all things and enveloping all. Thus, He embraces, and is embraced by, the universe, confined to no part of it but pervading all.”

Hillary of Poitiers, 4th Century Bishop (France)

The Weapon of Truth

 "In the book of Hebrews, we are told that the word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing the soul and laying bare all before the eyes of God (Heb. 4:12-13). Scripture is the weapon of truth that enables those who follow Jesus to disarm the powers by exposing their lies and deceit. Christians are not without defense, having been given God's word to shield us from our delusions that are the source of our violence."

(Dr. Stanley Hauerwas, Brazos Commentary on Matthew, pg. 109)

To Grow or Not to Grow?

 A tree is always growing.

Recently, I took two seeds from the Maple tree in my front yard and planted them in a container. They are now seedlings that are growing well. I have a Silver Maple tree in my backyard that is starting to show its age, and I am hoping that in time one of these seedlings will become a sapling which, in turn, will replace this Silver Maple someday.

When a tree is young, it is easy to see its progress. However, once it is established, the tree does not stop growing. Healthy maturity continues whether it is easily noticed or not. What becomes clear is the stability and strength of the tree as it weathers storms, produces fruit, or provides continuous lush shade.

The Season after Pentecost (ordinary time) reminds us that living things grow. They produce fruit and reflect the health or decline of any living organism. Churches are similar. They are always growing or declining no matter what others' opinions or postures. Measuring spiritual and "kingdom of God" growth is only discerned over time by those convinced that reflection and spiritual discernment are essential to faithful ministry and life.

Sometimes numerical growth can reflect healthy growth; sometimes it doesn't. Often in church life, people respond as seeds that have been planted in rich but thin soil. When the summer heat is at its peak, they wilt and decline. As Jesus revealed in the parable of the soils, faithful discipleship to Jesus as Lord is only discerned wisely by those who take the long view to conversion growth.

Let us open our hearts to the teaching of our Lord so that we as his body can organically reach out with healthy and full branches to others around us. May we produce leaves that are green and thriving. Let us give the cooling shade of the Gospel of Jesus to those blistered by the heat of confusion, fear, and selfish living. May our lives and growth in him blindingly reveal the character, love, and callings of our Lord in our everyday lives. Let us remove those idols and our own selfishness so that the Holy Spirit has freedom in our hearts to be shaped by his ways and leading.

In this "season of growth" let us live and thrive.

Fr. Tom

Being Christ to the World

 

"The Church is the Body of Christ. When we come to Holy Communion, we have to remember it is not just our communion, but it is also His communion. It is not just that we want to bring 'ourselves, our souls, our bodies' to him for His indwelling, but it is also that He wants to possess our humanity and make it the revelation of his own."

"Christ is surely still seeking a human nature wherein He may repeat the experiences of His incarnate life: feet that will follow the way of love, albeit they are pierced in the following; hands that will succor and help and bless, although they may be wounded in their service; a heart that will love, through the love be unrequited, and will bless though it be broken; a will to choose the way of holiness and love and beauty, even though that way be the way of the Cross."

Father Andrew, Meditations, pg. 330

Does God need our Assistance?

 

Modeling The Epistles

 During this Easter Season, we will focus on the Epistle Readings from our Lectionary in the book of I Peter. I encourage you to be regularly present so that you may witness the recurring themes that Peter (and those aiding him through Holy Spirit-led editorial work) is trying to help his listeners engage.

If you missed our first message last week from First Peter chapter one, here is a link to the sermon video:

https://youtu.be/nmOQ05X9NfQ

There are some common characteristics of the various epistles in the New Testament.

· They are written to small church communities struggling with many of the same temptations and problems that we struggle with today.

· Those writing the Epistles strongly believe that Christian theology matters to everyday messy human interaction.

· All of the writers "meddle" in the church's affairs, bringing up specific sins, people, problems, and solutions based on the Gospel and Kingdom of God teaching of Jesus Christ.

· Truth is given graciously, courageously, and contextually, but (like Jesus) often with strong rebukes that cannot be easily ignored.

· They constantly teach and assume that the unseen forces led by Satan are battling and working against the Christian Community.

· They constantly emphasize what the true weapons are against these evil forces and the temptation and sin we still battle against.

By acknowledging and addressing real, life-threatening, salvation-hindering, and complicated problems (character issues), the apostles and their disciples model and teach how to be a healthy and life-giving communion of Christ, expecting conflict, problems, and disobedient people. They emphasize the importance of spiritual direction based on the teachings of Holy Scripture which stem from the very character of God. They don't hide problems, manage most problems behind the scenes, and pretend problems don't exist. Like an illness in a pandemic, they make people aware of the diseases that threaten to destroy them. They make the people aware of the dangers, help them to prepare, and constantly remind them what indeed is central according to God's perspectives and ways.

What kind of witness would our churches have if we clergy decided to model the New Testament Apostles and writers in how we love and communicate with our people, instead of first relying on the pragmatic and successful rules and training from the world? Instead of our own fears and desire for institutional success coming before God’s definitions of salvation and genuine love. Will the world's weapons work better in our spiritual battle?

What kind of witness would our churches have if our people desired real love, growth, and change in our lives so that we might find healing, forgiveness, and true unity with others around us? Do we want to be aware of our spiritual diseases, the weapons that the evil one uses against us, and those parts of our characters (as individuals and communities) that feed our emptiness, loneliness, and growing resentments?

I hope you will join us during Easter for our journey with the apostle Peter and with the many different church bodies whom he was seeking to love.

An Immovable Stone

 

Large stones are hard, dense, and largely immovable objects. In I Peter 2 (vs. 2-10), the Apostle explains that in the end, Jesus is one of two things for those who engage him: He is either the starting point and foundation for a transformed life or a source of consternation and irritation. Once someone encounters Jesus, they are changed forever; only a clear path to salvation or a cluttered path to emptiness remains.

When a foundation cornerstone is laid for any significant building, it sets the direction for the rest of the construction process. However, if this same large stone is in a field or on a path, it becomes an unyielding obstacle to anyone who walks into it.

In obedience to the Gospel, let us consider the hope, stability, and power our Lord Christ offers those who completely trust Him. He cannot be moved, and his direction is sure. Unless we vary from the architectural plan, we will only know a completed and abiding structure when God's final project for the redemption of humanity is complete.

The Sacrament of Confession

 

The ministry of reconciliation, which has been committed by Christ to his Church, is exercised through the care each Christian has for others, through the common prayer of Christians assembled for public worship, and through the priesthood of the Church and its ministers declaring absolution (The Book of Common Prayer, pg. 446).

 James 5:13-16

Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. 

While this scripture further communicates the importance of communal forgiveness, it also shows that there are specific instances in the lives of believers where certain kinds of grace are necessary, mediated by presbyters (priests) of the church. Sometimes, we must confess our sins to others to better receive and understand the absolute forgiveness that Jesus has accomplished on our behalf. We must embrace that there are times when our struggle with sin is making us sick - spiritually, emotionally, and even physically- and we need the healing and forgiving touch of the Savior through those gifted and called to represent the Lord Jesus Christ in more Spirit-empowered ways.

However, true absolution from sin and its grip on our daily lives is only given to us if we sincerely desire to turn from our own ways and change our behavior, thoughts, and actions. As we are reminded from the Prayer Book in Holy Eucharist I:

Ye who do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbors, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways: Draw near with faith, and make your humble confession to Almighty God, devoutly kneeling (BCP, pg. 330).

 Here also the encouragement of the absolution:

 Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all those who with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 332)

For those who are attenders/members at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, I would encourage you to take advantage of the rite of reconciliation as you humbly seek you God, reassured that He loves you and longs to forgive you. Also, as the Prayer Book reminds us, these times of personal confession with a priest are matters of privacy and trust.

 The content of a confession is not normally a matter of subsequent discussion. The secrecy of a confession is morally absolute for the confessor, and must under no circumstances be broken (BCP, pg. 446).

 Let us prepare our hearts to be a people of humble repentance and joy unexpressible because of our Easter hope in the resurrection of the Christ.

Confession: It’s Personal

 

The Reformation re-asserted an important, Scriptural, and theological truth and reality for European Christians: Personal repentance and a restored, direct relationship with the Father have been secured for us through Jesus Christ. Even in the Old Testament, there are clear indicators that the faithful, first of all, saw themselves in an individual relationship of a kind with their Covenant God.

 

Psalm 51:

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

    and cleanse me from my sin.

 

3 For I know my transgressions,

    and my sin is ever before me.

 

4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned,

    and done what is evil in your sight

 

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,

    and put a new and right spirit within me.

 

Ps 32

1 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,

    whose sin is covered.

 

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you,

    and I did not hide my iniquity;

I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’,

    and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

 

While even these verses are to be read in a communal context, the reality is sure. When we sin and disobey our Lord, we must personally confess these to him for forgiveness. As the New Testament makes clear to us, Jesus Christ, the final High Priest, has secured the forgiveness of our sins past, present, and future, but sin can still hinder the power we have through the Spirit and the healing that the Lord wants to bring us in this life. Our status as forgiven and righteous does not change, but our faithful journey to that final day of salvation should reflect an ever-transformed existence. Whatever the tensions and unknowns of the mystery of salvation, the baptized can still walk away from the salvation that has been secured for them.

 

In the next article, the final installment of our series on confession, we will consider the place and importance of the Rite of Reconciliation, i.e., the Sacrament of Confession, as it is explained and used in the Book of Common Prayer.

 

Communal Confession

 

In Holy Scripture, Confession always has a corporate dimension.

 Ezra 10:9-12

Then all the people of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days; it was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. All the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain.

 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, ‘You have trespassed and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. Now make confession to the Lord the God of your ancestors, and do his will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.’ Then all the assembly answered loudly, ‘It is so; we must do as you have said'.

 The people of Judah had returned from their time in captivity and had come to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. Having only been in the land briefly, they discovered many caught up in disobedience to the Lord. While in earlier verses, Ezra prays personally on behalf of all of the people; now it is the people themselves who gather in assembly. They confess that they have sinned, and later each tribe’s leader comes to engage in ceremonial confession before the priests of God on behalf of their people. When these tribal leaders leave, it is with a plan to rectify their disobedience and change their ways.

 In the New Testament, when people came to John the Baptist for baptism and repentance, they did so individually yet in a communal context for all to see. This is in keeping with the type of repentance that the people of God would have expected. This same behavior continues in the book of Acts. Confession has a public dimension to it.

 In England, before the Reformation, there had been some forms in the Medieval Sarum Rite that were used in confession and absolution and adapted for the General Confession of Sin in the Eucharistic Rites of the Book of Common Prayer. The Roman Catholic and the Anglican services of Holy Communion assume that the Mass was (and is) for communal confession.

 

The Best Student

 

“For he is the best student who does not read his thoughts into the book, but lets it reveal its own; who draws from it its sense, and does not import his own into it, nor force upon its words a meaning which he had determined was the right one before he opened its pages.”

Hillary of Poitiers

Confession WE and ME

 

 

So, what does it "look like" when we confess our sins as Christians? Due to our western and heavily Protestant influence, most of us think of confession as a private matter between ourselves and God. However, as with the Creation of Adam and Eve, their disobedience, and their salvation as prescribed by Elohim-Yahweh (the Creator-Covenant God of Israel), personal actions always have pronounced communal repercussions.

Paul tells us in Romans that when Adam "sinned", somehow, so did we. In the least, he is the symbol of our disobedience against God, but I believe Paul sees much more going on here in a mystical and relational way. The first human beings had a chance at getting and keeping things right with God relationally. When they sinned, we, and the rest of the created order, reaped the whirlwind (see Genesis 3 and Romans 5:12-15, Rom 8:18-25). This is why Christ comes back as the "new Adam" to represent us in his obedience, sacrifice, resurrection, and glorification. In a certain way of speaking, he undoes what Adam, Eve, and others got wrong. Thus, we see a communal context and starting point regarding our disobedience and redemption.

Similarly, the Covenant people see their sin, struggle, and redemption firstly as a WE thing. We are in this together, including the needs and sinfulness we still struggle with.

How has the church confessed its sins together and privately over the years? We will begin to look at this more closely in our next article during Lent.