Walking Your Post
June 12, 2009
Bible Reading: 1We then, as workers together with Him, also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain… 2 Corinthians 6 (New King James Version)
Bonus Readings: St Matthew 13:3-23; Hebrews 2:1-3; 3:7-19 5:12-14; 6:4-8; 1 Corinthians 9:23-25; St Matthew 13:3-23
Ever wanted to quit your post as a Christian? Get away from God’s commands for a while? This was one of the first lessons I learned in the military—if the commander gave you a post to walk—you did it until you were properly relieved. God’s army, the Church, is no different. Our Commander expects us to walk faithfully. Certainly we have some good examples of what happens to those who don’t do what He assigns–Jonah and Jeremiah spring to mind.
God gives us sufficient grace for our needs daily. In 2 Corinthians 6:1, St. Paul, in effect, says, don’t disrespect—“dis” the grace God has given you. He says don’t receive God’s grace “in vain”—rejecting it in order to nurture frustrations, disappointments, or just plain selfish desires. If we do, we willingly sin—and that places us in a hazardous position “dissing” that Grace and our Lord’s sacrifice.
In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases the Corinthians passage by saying we’re to walk our posts, alert and unswerving, because “our work as God’s servants gets validated—or not—in the details of our lives.
In other words, God’s power—the strength we need to walk successfully for Him, the testimony we were meant to model—emerges in troubles, hardships, and distresses (2 Cor. 6:4). And here’s the thing—our Enemy, Satan, loves to distract us from our need for God’s grace and convince us we can do it all on our own. That distraction can lead us to drift away from the salvation that comes to us at a great price—and can set us up to willingly choose sin.
No way this is what God has in mind for us. He intends, instead of continuously laying the groundwork of repenting from sin, to grow up in Him. If we have been Christians more than just a short time, we should be carrying our Faith to others—telling them about how God has changed us—and helping other Christians to develop Godly life skills by our own example and teaching. This is the mark of a mature Christian…someone who takes God’s grace seriously. So, what do we do? Of course, we need to pray together that we walk our posts in these uncertain times and not “dis” the grace God gives us.
Contemplative Prayer: “Holy Spirit, help me quiet myself so You can show me how to …”:
- Receive God’s grace now—It’s written… “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” — 2 Corinthians 6:2
- Deal with the tough times—“There will be some difficult times in your Christian walk. God won’t necessarily take you out of them, but he’ll always walk you through them.” — 2 Corinthians 6:4-10
- See what I’ve squandered—“Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us.” — 2 Corinthians 6:1
- Internalize God’s validation—“Our work as God’s servants gets validated—or not—in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly … in hard times, tough times, bad times ….” — 2 Corinthians 6:4
Think about it: “23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. — 1 Corinthians 9:23-25 (New King James Version)
All love in the Beloved,
Chip+
Vacation Bible School: Your Help Is Needed
June 9, 2009
Wild Wood Forest: Discover the Untamed Nature of God
July 20-24th from 6-8 PM
Big and small parts are still available. We need workers to put hands to the task.
Contact Rob and Jennifer Goodman youth@allsaintsanglican.net if you can help!
Liturgy Lesson for Trinity Sunday: Three in One
June 6, 2009
Trinity Sunday celebrates the great Christian belief in our triune God—one belief (among many) that distinguishes us from any religion, anytime, anywhere. We aren’t pagan polytheists, worshipping multiple gods, but believe in the one true God, expressed in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost—but still, one God. He revealed this truth to us via His Word—Holy Scripture—and much of the New Testament would be unintelligible without it. The Word trumpets God’s Trinity nature: He is one God in Isa 44:6-8; II Sam 7:22 & Deut 6; the Father is God in St. Matt 6:9; St. John 20; Rom 9:25 & II Cor 6:18; the Son is God in St. John 1 & 20; Heb 1: 1-8 & I Tim 3:16; the Holy Ghost is God Acts 5:3; I Cor 2:11 & Ps. 139:7. In liturgical worship, we reverence the invocation of the Blessed Trinity in worship with the Sign of the Cross, made over our forehead, breastbone and to either shoulder—which also commemorates the Jewish Passover—the Blood of the Pascal Lamb, Jesus, applied to door and lintel, forming a cross by which we enter our dwelling place. The Church Fathers correctly represented Trinity with green, as this is the time of growth and fullness, because we have received God’s fullness God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost—and grow in Him!
What Do You Smell Like? Living Our Faith by Lillie Ammann
June 4, 2009
Both Father Chip and Father Ed have talked a lot recently about how we live our faith outside the walls of the church building. For me, that means how I live my faith inside the walls of my tiny home office, where I work as a freelance writer and editor.
I don’t write for the Christian market, i.e., Christian bookstores. So I was surprised recently when a popular online reviewer published a list of the eight best Christian books she had read in 2008. Along with two books by C.S. Lewis and a novel by Frank Peretti, she listed my romantic mystery novel Dream or Destiny. A non-Christian reviewer wrote that the character’s faith came through in the story, but even a non-believer could enjoy the story. I pray that means that the heart of a non-Christian reader can be touched.
Several of the books I have edited and helped the authors publish are expressly Christian.
On the Wings of the Wind: A Journey to Faith by Patricia Eytcheson Taylor and the Reverend Dr. James C. Taylor tells of Pat’s experiences with the leading of the Holy Spirit. James, a retired Army chaplain, added his insights to Pat’s story.
Re-Deal: A Time-Travel Adventure is an action-packed adventure written by blind entertainer Richard Turner, who has a huge international fan following in the magic and gambling communities. He wrote Re-Deal as a ministry to reach people who would not otherwise read a Christian book but who will read this one because it’s a fun story with lots of card and karate action and it’s written by the man known as “the greatest card mechanic in the world.”
Currently, I’m editing Journal: Intimate Writings of a Relationship with God by Aundrea Hernandez, who accepted Jesus at age 12 then soon fell back into the world until she rededicated her life to Christ at age 27. She and her teenage daughter are both artists, and they have included original drawings and poetry as well as journal entries about their faith experiences.
As a result of a referral from Aundrea, I’ve also created a Web site for HaShem Artworks, though I normally design Web sites only for my author clients. Tracy Potts, the founder of HaShem Artworks, believes he was called by God to produce authentic Scriptural re-creations of the Two Stone Tablets of the Ten Commandments.
Trying to put my faith in practice in my work means I also turn down business that isn’t consistent with orthodox Christian belief and practice. I have been asked to edit a book featuring homosexual artwork, which I declined to do. Another book project I rejected presented a negative view of Christianity, and still another was filled with violence.
Several years ago, I edited novels for the publisher who had published my first novel. Part of my compensation was a small percentage of ownership in the company. The publisher decided to publish erotica, which in my view is a politically correct name for pornography. Although the erotica would be sold on a different Web site than my book, I pulled my book from sale and returned my stock certificates, giving up my share of the company, as I didn’t want any part of a company selling erotica.
Although my Web site and blog have information about my writing and editing services and about my books, the blog is primarily personal, not business, so I can write about faith. I usually post about three days a week, but I posted every day during Holy Week, posts similar to those on the All Saints Web site during the same time period. I get great response from Christians, but I also occasionally get comments and questions from non-Christians and have the opportunity to share my faith directly with people who are seeking.
At times people disagree with me. As long as the comments are respectful, I allow dissenting opinions and use those to extend the conversation. I have engaged in discussions with a pro-choice advocate and with a former Christian who is now an atheist. I didn’t convince either of them they were wrong, but my job is to present the faith and leave it to the Holy Spirit to act on their hearts. Both of these individuals said they were surprised at our conversations—they had never had a Christian carry on such a respectful and thoughtful discussion.
That reminds of Father Chip’s recent sermon about how we smell. Do we smell like BO—covered with sin and the stench of the world? Do we smell like bitter myrrh—repenting but then falling back into sin? Or do we smell like Damascus Rose incense—the sweet fragrance of the Lord? When people who don’t know the Lord are surprised that we Christians would respond in love and compassion, that doesn’t smell like Jesus.
We’ve all heard the saying You may be the only Jesus someone sees. May non-Christians and Christians alike see Jesus when they read the books, the Web sites, and the blogs I write or edit.
July 4th Picnic
June 3, 2009
Food, Fellowship, Fireworks, and Family Fun on the Fourth
Saturday, July 4, 4 pm-10 pm
Bring your favorite 4th of July dish and your favorite sodas or water
Sing along with the Koinonia band
Fun and games for the entire family
Respond to events@allsaintsanglican.net or treasurer@allsaintsanglican.net if you are attending
Donations to help defray the expense of park rental and security will be accepted and greatly appreciated
No alcoholic beverages, please
Work Days June 6 & 13
June 2, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 9:00 AM
Saturday, June 13, 9:00 AM
Bring your tools and your willing hands and enjoy fellowship as we spruce up the facilities.
