Rector’s Devotional: The One that Got Away
April 30, 2012
Bible Reading: “After this, Jesus appeared again to the disciples, this time at the Tiberias Sea (the Sea of Galilee). This is how he did it: Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the brothers Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. Simon Peter announced, “I’m going fishing.”–St. John 21:1-3a
Bonus Reading: St. John 21:4-17; Jeremiah 16:16; Habbukuk 1:14; St. Matt 4:18
How I love spring, especially in south Texas. Full of new life and possibilities. A bumper crop of wildflowers…and wildlife. And one of my favorite things to do…is fish in spring.
The fish are just ready, it seems. How I love the entire experience…the smell of the water, the sway of the boat under my feet, and the thrill when the fish is on. I love it. Well, most of the time, anyway.
Not long ago, I discovered the joy of fishing for freshwater red drum in one of our local lakes. These are a big, powerful fish, and great table fare. I had some early success catching them on light tackle—then, I learned…there are zillions of ways to lose the fish. I can’t describe the empty, helpless feeling when the line suddenly goes slack… and the much-anticipated fish is not landed, but…gone. But, if you’re gonna catch something, as the saying goes, you have keep your line in the water. It’s the engaging yourself that puts you in line for productive fishing.
The thing about fishing is that is does draw you in. Focuses you on the pursuit. Sometimes the pursuit becomes the issue, though instead of the productivity and joy. And sometimes, no matter how hard you fish, you just get zip. Nada. Nothing. But, if you’re a fisherman, you keep fishing. That’s what St Peter did in our lesson. That’s when he, like us, is really ready for what the Lord had for him.
St. Peter, like us all, was weighed down by the fact he couldn’t see what God’s plan was going to be for him. In fact, his whole world was rocked. That’s probably one reason why he was fishing…he needed something else to focus on. The problem was, he was doing it on his own, and getting nowhere, and the frustration left him empty and hungry. That speaks to us all, with huge volume. Then he had an unexpected Jesus moment.
He and six other disciples had fished all night, and caught nothing. They had given up, in fact, and were beaching their boat, when Jesus, who was standing on the beach, called to them and asked them if they had caught anything for breakfast. The dejected fishermen admitted their failure. Although they did not recognize Him, when He told them to let out their nets just one more time, they did—and the net was actually overloaded with fish—yet, amazingly, didn’t rip open. Suddenly the joy and productivity was back —and then, they recognized the Lord. It was a moment of amazing fulfillment, reassurance, and nourishment—for both their bodies and their hungry souls. They needed success. And they needed the communion with the Lord, and each other. Once they had this recharge, an interesting thing happened. Jesus challenged and tasked them in this well-known conversation:
After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Master, you know I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” He then asked a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Yes, Master, you know I love you.” Jesus said, “Shepherd my sheep.” Then he said it a third time: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, “Do you love me?” so he answered, “Master, you know everything there is to know. You’ve got to know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
So here’s the thing: we can do everything we can to NOT think about what the Lord may have for us…we can try to make the circumstances productive and fulfilling…and Jesus may even be there with us, and speak to us. But we aren’t catching anything until we hear His Words to us. And there’s no joy in what we do. Suddenly we DO hear Him, and when our joy and fulfillment return, we recognize Him and there is immense relief…but with a question and a job to do.
First, we may have our line tangled…our tackle isn’t usable. We have to get those strongholds out our lives, so we are free to fish. See our prayer ministers or clergy for help with that. Then, we can answer the question the Lord asked St. Peter. Do we love Him? Feed and care for His sheep:
- Involve ourselves in Christ’s flock and our neighbors.
- Get to know them and be part of their lives.
- Reach out to those who have drifted away and bring them to back to the parish. Work to take the Gospel to those around you.
- Worship. Teach. Love. Laugh. Help. Visit. Pray. It’s spring!
Rector’s Devotional: The Will Shift
March 20, 2012
Bible Reading: ““Whosoever will.” — Matthew 16:24-26 (KJV)
Bonus Readings: St Matthew 26:41-43; 1 Sam 16:7; Matthew 26:41-43; Psalm 143:10; Proverbs 6:16-19
Who are the real Christians?
The answer: whosever will. Not whosever gets everything right. All we are responsible for is our attitudes. God’s abundant grace to us will take care of the details. But it begins with our own choice. The “will shift.”
Whosever will confess Him as Lord and savior. Do His Word. Give Him their lives, without holding back. Serve Him with abandon, knowing He intends us good and not evil. He’s not waiting to play some kind of cosmic “gotcha game,” waiting for us to make a misstep or misjudgment of what He wants. But…we gotta give up our own soulish will for His More Excellent Way. This is where “whosever will” shifts gears to “thy will be done.” That whole “dying to self “thing.
This is a matter of heart-to-heart faith. Our hearts to His, trusting God at His Word, and receiving His Spirit without reservation. Doesn’t matter what we do on the outside, God sees and knows our hearts, because that’s where we meet Him and where He changes us from slaves-to-sin into Kingdom partners. This is His living tabernacle…the place where our covenant takes place with the Lord of Life—our secret place, deep inside us. And it’s not dependent on getting all the details 100% correct. But we gotta get the “whosever will” shift going for things to roll in our new Abundant Life.
And get this: He wants us to be together. For each other. Not against. For the Kingdom, with our brothers and sisters. Against the work of the Devil. A simple focus, but one we’re tasked with together, in community. Yup, the Shift continues.
Jesus prayed in Gethsemane–as He faced the horrors of the Cross–that all His followers be one, as He and the Father were one. The Church was later born of this unity at Pentecost—assembled, in prayer, for the same purpose. It did not say they all agreed on everything. After all, Jesus Himself asked to be relieved of the burden of the Cross, but then qualified that request by saying not His will, but the Father’s will be done. The disciples in that Upper Room at Pentecost demonstrated that same willingness to labor in unity with the Father’s purpose, facilitating the coming of the Holy Ghost, the supernatural gifting of the disciples/apostles, and history’s most productive homily. In short, big-time results. All from unity that comes from the Will Shift. One Faith, one Lord. Oh, and we’re not lord.
Clearly, then, God never wanted division among His people. He established one Church… one Faith, one Lord. Our hearts to His heart. Together. All the “whosever will” folk in one place, for one Purpose. Of course, we know that is not always the case in Christ’s Body, the Church. According to Christianity Today, there are 38000 Christian denominations… certainly not a compelling picture of unity. However, denominations don’t have to mean disunity, although styles and understanding doubtlessly vary, and, sadly, conflict. But this is not the “more excellent Way” St. Paul wrote of. He intended unity in love. So, of course, we’re not there, yet. But we can work the issue, across denominational lines and among ourselves. Jesus is the focus of the Body. His Kingdom, His purpose, His Word.
One of the biggest fissures in the mosaic of the Church is the protestant-catholic rift. For some reason, a lot of us seem to think that “catholic” and “protestant” are mutually exclusive sets. Not so in the Kingdom of God, especially in an Anglican parish like ours. One Faith, one Lord. And if there were ever a union of the catholic and protestant, it’s here. So we should be a kind of epicenter of unity. We could model the Will Shift. In fact, we could nearly have a patent on it. But…we don’t. Need better shifting out there.
This speaks volumes to us as individual Christians. God wants us to be one people under the authority of His Church. And, like the centurion asking Jesus to heal his servant, we can expect great things from the Lord if we understand authority. We say “speak the word only,” but what we mean is, “speak the word only–if it fits my paradigm.” This means sometimes we may not see the reason for what’s going on, but if we press on to the “God purpose” in it, we’ll grow. And so will the Kingdom, in us, and around us. The Will Shift in action.
This is a problem for us, especially in our common culture, self is frequently lord, and individual feelings rule over Holy Ghost and Scripture. We don’t want to work it out. We want it our way, customer-friendly, conveniently packaged, and, by the way, delivered without challenge. In this case, “whosever will” gets in the way of “Thy will be done”–we put the Will Shift into reverse. Just take a guess which will is more informed…God’s will, or ours?
Look at this: as Anglican Christians, we embrace the best of both catholic and evangelical belief, retaining the heart of the “Faith once delivered”–our time-tested catholic devotions, customs and liturgies and powered by a personal, active Holy Ghost. This is essence of who we are in Christ at All Saints. As individuals, we make the Will Shift, constraining our “whosever will” in His Word, confirmed by His Holy Ghost, and live out in lives focused on His will…not our own. Standing for Jesus in public and private lives, both inside and outside the congregation. Reaching out to those who need to know HIm. And giving grace, especially in the family of Faith. That’s shifting our “whosever will” to rest firmly in “Thy will be done.”
Since we’ve captured the best of these approaches to the Lord, we believe we have a very Scripturally-correct, but still, Spirit-filled and orthodox faith–in short, the Church the ancient Fathers intended, living in the Truth the Holy Ghost led them into. This does not mean we impeach the rest of His Holy Church, simply because they may not see things as we do. Who is more correct is a matter best left for God’s judgment, not ours. Our job, through His Holy Spirit and canon Scripture is to be about His work through faithful prayer and devotion. Committed to the unity of brethren. Pulling together for the Prize. One Faith, one Lord. The Will Shift.
In Christ, then, there is no separation among denominations–or Christians. We understand: one Faith, one Lord. And we give each other grace…knowing that if we are for Jesus, we are against our common Enemy, Satan. We’re allies, partners, family… assembled for the same purpose, just like that day in the Upper Room, when the Holy Ghost rushed in like a mighty wind. This means we are still together, even if we disagree on the best way to serve, worship, and praise our wonderful Lord. We don’t have to agree. We do have to love and accept each other and work for the unity of the Body. This applies to individual Christians, too. If we’re for Jesus, we face the same Enemy…and it’s not each other. There may come times when we disagree on style. But still…one Faith, one Lord. The Will Shift.
Family of Faith, the mind of Christ for us all is unity for His purpose—which, St. John teaches, is to destroy the work of the Devil. When dealing with other Christians, we need to understand—we’re all products of Grace—God’s unmerited favor, and are One Church…a Holy Church…a Church called out from the World and sent on a mission to bring life to a dead world. That’s what we’re here for…until we’re called home from this life. Our Faith, not our feelings. Keep our hands on the shifter.
Pray about it: “How do I shift my will, and practice unity in the Body of Christ for its mission?
Rector’s Devotional: Plodders for God
February 3, 2012
Bible Reading: ““He endured as seeing Him who is invisible.””–Hebrews 11:27
Bonus Reading: Hebrews 11:8-12
Devotional writer Henri Nouwen urged people to know God personally through our Lord Jesus—a function Scripture teaches us comes from a personal Holy Ghost. Once, at a conference on art and the spiritual life, Nouwen was seated with a woman who shared she had quit going to her church because she disagreed with its policies—a move that had little to do with Jesus, but was centered on her personal feelings and desires—not the prompting of the Holy Ghost. She was walking in her own sight and not seeing the Invisible.
Henri leaned over and said to her, “All that is distraction. I don’t mean to denigrate or even dispute your complaints, but those are beside the point. The only thing that really matters is your relationship with Jesus.” What a rifle shot of counsel for us all!
He knew the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus as both Lord and Savior. Although invisible to our natural eyes and untouchable by our natural hands, He’s still with us, every day—what Scripture calls Emmanuel. Like electricity, He is invisible, but a pervasive, easily accessible power source through a personal Pentecost. We maintain contact with Him through worship, fellowship, prayer, diligent study of His Word, and listening, empowered by our indwelling, baptizing Holy Spirit. If we do, He’s central and powerful in every aspect of our lives. We seek Him and His Way, instead of murmuring and complaining among the people, because we didn’t get what suited our feelings.
Numbers 16 contrasts God’s view of murmuring/complaining with standing before Him in relationship and worship. Moses was doing all he could to lead Israel out of bondage, following God’s prompting to the Promised Land. However, a coalition of complainers, led by Dathan, criticized Moses’ every move, because it was not what they wanted. When Moses called the entire company to stand before the Lord with him, Dathan refused, citing the imagined wrongs Moses had done. Dathan’s rebellion–which the Bible equates with the sin of witchcraft–and self will cost him, and those standing with him, their lives, as the earth beneath his tents opened, swallowing them forever. Simply surrendering his will and standing before the Lord could have saved Dathan. Instead, complaining killed him—and those that stood with him in it. So it is with us—we can choose complaints and self will, or surrender and relationship—death or life.
Nouwen gives us a Christian way of standing before the Lord. “Just take 5 minutes a day every day for 2 weeks to sit quietly and ask to be with Jesus, and ask for His presence. And then come and tell me what’s important.” What advice–consistency! Even though it feels like we’re sometimes just plodding along, our progress is steady, and that’s the point. God will bless our consistency, if we are in Him in every step, not ourselves. A simple discipline—get ourselves out of the equation, and focus on the Lord in consistency. Then we’ll have the perspective of God’s approved solution that Henri spoke of to the disgruntled woman.
In the Bible, the life of faith is often described as a walk (Genesis 17:1; Psalm 84:11; Micah 6:8; Romans 8:1; Galatians 5:25), a word in Greek that means “making progress”—one that is most closely mirrored in our term “parapet,” a term for the walkway along the top of a fortification wall. For most of us, our Christian pilgrimage involves plodding, a pace that sometimes feels unspiritual and unproductive. The dictionary defines plodding as “making one’s way slowly and perseveringly.” Taking that together with the word “parapet,” plodding can be seen as progress made from a position of safety and strength. No wonder Scripture refers to God as our “strong tower!” And we walk where He places us
Two of God’s earliest plodders, Abraham and Sarah, trusted His promises, even though they had to wait many years for them to be fulfilled (Hebrews 11:8-12). How hard is it for us to wait even for a stop light to change?
Consider also the productive plodding of William Carey. A cobbler by trade, Carey could have sunk into a life of complaining, but, instead, became a scholar, linguist, and father of modern missions. His motto: “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” In old age, he clarified: “If, after my removal, anyone should think it worth his while to write my life, I will give you a criterion by which you may judge of its correctness. If he gives me credit for being a plodder, he will describe me justly. Anything beyond this will be too much. I can plod. . . . To this I owe everything.” What wisdom.
Real Christian life, then, is a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ—not “religion,” a term derived from the Latin, meaning “rules.” Once we have personal relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Ghost, we see the details of our lives as He does. And here’s a New Year’s resolution: will we take 5, 10 or even 30 minutes a day to seek His presence? Will we commit to weekly worship and mutually-encouraging fellowship? Will we plod to stand before God—or risk separation from God in complaints instead?
God wants plodders—making progress steadily from His position of strength and safety, and sends the Holy Ghost with walking shoes for each of us. Our job is put them on and start to move. Oh, and walk by our Faith, not our feelings.
Pray about it: “How will I walk in 2012–by feelings or Faith? Will I carve out time for His Spirit to speak and lead…and confirm in the Word?”
Rector’s Devotional: Real Santa
December 27, 2011
Bible Reading: ““Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, ‘“YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”–Matthew 22:36-40
Bonus Reading: Galatians 6:9-10
He’s everywhere. Red suit. Giant head of white hair and a beard that would make ZZ Topp jealous. Children flock to him with Christmas gift desires. Sweet. But not the real St. Nick at all. He is most definitely not what people picture at the mention of his name.
Other than his generosity and a white beard, the real St. Nicholas bears little resemblance to Santa Claus. The 4th century Bishop of Myra, St. Nicholas, was a man of the people who spent his days among those people. In fact, St. Nicholas spent more time at the local docks than in a cathedral. No doubt, this is where St. Nicholas learned to box. That’s right…I said “box.” As in fists. Not exactly the magical elf of common culture (and commercial advertising)!
Born to wealthy parents sometime between 260 and 280 A.D., St. Nicholas was orphaned as a teen by a plague.
Raised to be a devout Christian, Nicholas sold most of his inheritance and used the proceeds to ease the plight of the sick and needy of Myra. Unusual though it was for a layman to become a bishop, legend has it that Nicholas was extended the office after rescuing a sailor injured in a storm. After securing medical attention for the man at his own expense, Nicholas went to the chapel to give thanks. Upon his arrival, the church elders offered him the job. There is little doubt that Nicholas’ history of generosity in Myra and the exaltations of the rescued sailor had much to do with the unusual selection of layman Nicholas.
Myra (modern Demre, Turkey) was a Byzantine trade center on the southwest coast of Asia Minor. It was an important stop on the Constantinople-Alexandria route and had an impressive harbor. Many stories of St. Nicholas center on the port. This may have less to do with St. Nicholas’ famed mercy and more to do with his own self-interest. This patron saint of sailors and merchants very likely owned a fleet of ships. After all, to be that generous, Nicholas needed a source of income. So, he came to ministry with his own bankroll. This qualified him as a pragmatic businessman, who just wanted to reach out and help. But he wasn’t soft and cuddly.
Dealing with Byzantine sailors was a hands-on job. St. Nicholas, hardened by imprisonment under Diocletian, knew how to handle himself in a fight. Modern forensic facial reconstruction of the relic-skull of St. Nicholas, now in Bari, Italy, reveals a stout man with a bent nose, the result of several breaks. Being the genuine man of his roots, St. Nicholas didn’t leave his common ways behind when attending to Church matters.
Constantine convened the Council at Nicaea in 325 to settle the Arian controversy. During a heated debate with Arius, Nicholas, indignant at Arius’ unyielding and heretical obstinacy, punched him in the face. Though secretly thankful, the emperor had no choice but to strip Nicholas of his bishopric. So, Bishop Nick became plain ol’ Nick again.
But the people loved and venerated him for his giving nature. The Greek name for St. Nicholas is Agios Nikolaos, meaning “holy nicholas,” which, given his physical nature, may seem unlikely for this all–too–human churchman. However, the real St. Nicholas lived up to his name every day of his life. When famine threatened Myra, St. Nicholas persuaded the ships in port to each donate a portion of their grain shipment bound for Alexandria. It is likely he demanded the donation since the ships may have been his own. The grain saved Myra from starvation and, if the legend is to be believed, the ships arrived in Alexandria with their holds missing no grain.
What does this mean to the 21st Century Christian looking for the real meaning of Christmas? First, be who you are, but do what Jesus said when asked what the greatest Commandment was: Love the Lord your God with all that we are, and our neighbors as ourselves–on these two Commandments hang all the law and the prophets–all God’s standards, promises, and accountability. That’s the real lesson of the real St. Nick–be ferocious in faith, but still generously giving…loving God first, and then His Creation, with all that we are. That’s how we get His great gift of peace on earth and goodwill towards men.
Practically, this means making God first in this season, not an afterthought. And it means loving our neighbors as ourselves, practicing that first in the household of Faith. Stand fast for the Faith, even when it means conflict. Run the race. Give of ourselves in this season, like the real St. Nick–generous to a fault, spending his life in service to his community. He defended his faith even if it meant a punch in the face.
Now, I’m not suggesting that everyone go out and punch a heretic like St. Nick did. But we can stand for what’s right in our society and still take time to reach out to those who need a helping hand.
Oh, and if you get boxing gloves for Christmas, the giver may know the history of the broken-nosed Bishop of Myra.
Pray about it: “How can I give of myself and stand for my faith?”
Rector’s Devotional: Liturgy – the Work of the People
September 28, 2011
“There is some loss in the use of printed words; but there is a greater gain. We have in them the accumulated wisdom and beauty of the Christian Church, the garnered excellence of the saints. We are by them released from the accidents of time and place. Above all we are preserved against the worst dangers of selfishness: in the common prayer we join together in a great fellowship that is as wide as the world; and we are guided, not by the limited notions of our own priest, nor by the narrow impulses of our own desires, but by the mighty voice that rises from the general heart of Christendom.” — Percy Dearmer, Everyman’s History of the Prayer Book, 1912.
I’m a high churchman, and an Anglo-Catholic...believing and holding to what has “been taught semper et ubique (always and everywhere). My heart of hearts is in the stone chapels and ancient tones of the Church Catholic. And, in that expression, John Wesley captured, in 1784, what resonates with me. “I believe there is no liturgy in the world, either in ancient or modern language, which breathes more of a solid, scriptural, rational piety, than the Common Prayer of the Church of England: and the main of it was compiled considerably more than two hundred years ago, yet is the language of it not only pure, but strong and elegant in the highest degree.” That describes our liturgy. Ancient and Scriptural. And, characteristic to here, full of the Holy Ghost.
Centuries have passed, and Wesley’s observation still rings true. And the breath of “solid, scriptural, rational piety” is couched, for me in the Person of God the Holy Ghost…the Spirit of Truth. Like God to Adam in Genesis, He breathes the Breath (Spirit) of Life into this ancient, reliable avenue of approach to the Heavenlies. He brings the Shekinah down as we worship in “spirit and truth.” And, after centuries of use, there’s a lot of residual glory in our prayerbook…if we invoke and release the Holy Ghost to inhabit those praises and prayers.
This is not to say I don’t love every other expression of Christian worship…I find Him easily in an evangelical tent meeting or a free-wheeling Holy Ghost prayer and praise gathering. In fact, anyone who has attended All Saints’ Sunday night Koinonia can tell you that we have elements of both there, in trumps, but, even there, when we have our concluding Spirit-led prayer time, we will have some liturgical prayer to punctuate that move of the Paraclete.
That’s the thing…we need all the expressions, but the liturgical expression, to me, is like the bedrock of the Spirit’s river. His currents eddy and ripple in its course. If we will allow our own spirits to predominate over our intellect, emotions and body, the flow of the Holy Ghost in liturgy, as in all worship, will take us to places we wouldn’t go to on our own. It’s transcendent. And, it’s unifying in ways you may not suspect.
I think this is where God wants us: In the fullness of His Spirit, we love the diversity of joy and interaction in all our forms of worship. Like movements in a great symphony, full worship has various moods, movements, and tempos that, like a symphony, characterize the piece and convey the intention of the Composer, provided via the interpretation of the musicians. And worship, like music, is usually better in the company of other lovers of it and with live musicians. We share the music together and benefit from the each other’s participation in the experience. We literally are, in the words of Hebrews, encouraging each other to “good works” in common worship of all kinds–but most especially when we worship in glow of the Holy Ghost. So, it’s a call to community, as well as worship.
So, liturgical worship–something we inherited from our Hebrews antecedents–is indeed the best of all. Ultimately, God wants His people to be open to His SPIRIT and to be willing to find Him regardless of the way His people minister their love to Him. Of course, that’s gonna mean some work on our part because we all have our preferences.
That’s the point…and the real translation of the term “liturgy”…the work of the people. If we really are doing business with God, our worship, whatever form it takes, requires us work at it through His real, present, and personal Holy Ghost. And so…everyone who really worships, then, in the purest sense, worships in liturgy…whether it’s written down or not. So, we really are together…One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism. So…let’s get to work, People of God.
It’s good to have unity, isn’t it?
Pray about it:
“How do I worship in Spirit and Truth?”
Rector’s Devotional: Worship
August 26, 2011
Bible Reading: “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him; Worship the LORD in holy array.”–1 Chronicles 16:29
Bonus Readings: Psalm 22:3; Nehemiah 8:6; Psalm 95:6 ; Psalm 96:9
We take it for granted…measure it out…choose the style we will be part of…critique those who lead it, and whether or not it “works” for us. Although it has eternal and immediate effect on our lives, oddly enough, it’s the last thing on our “to-do” list, even though it’s one of the few things that actually transcends our own selves. Oh, yeah. And I’ve been guilty of this particular shortcoming. Note to self: Start wearing my safety glasses to do these devotionals…they poke you in the eye!
So…Worship. Giving ourselves, body, soul, and spirit to the Lord. How is it shaped? What powers it?
A missionary I know, serving in an incredibly dangerous place, wrote this: “The point of the spear in dark, unreached places must be worship. ‘The Lord inhabits the praises of his people’– Psalm 22:3. God is moving here in this country and we believe this is the result of years and years of focused prayer and worship. The rule for [the community] is two hours of day per each person in the upstairs chapel; while this may seem a like a lot, it actually feels like not enough.”
I was taken by his missive on the power and need for worship…it overran my defenses and convicted me by its truth. Worship is essential to our growth, as a parish, as a Church, and as individuals. It fills our spiritual tanks and facilitates evangelism. And it might involve asking what God wants us to do in places and circumstances we don’t like, and worshipping in ways we don’t immediately warm to.
Encyclopedia Britannica defines worship: ”the response to the appearance of that which is accepted as the holy–that is, to a sacred, transcendent power or being.” Response, then. From our hearts.
Ah. Then it’s a matter of the heart…that’s where real worship comes from–the inside, out. Not rules. Not canon. Not even tradition, or what has “always and everywhere been taught,” but…our hearts…our center. Probably more accurately described as our spirits. That’s what the Lord wants from us…our real selves. He even chided Israel about this when He told them that their lips praised Him, but their hearts were far from Him.
So…what do we do? Simple enough–and we pray that solution every week we’re in the Holy Communion service in our sursum corda–lift up our hearts! The response “we lift them up to the Lord” speaks volumes. But…why are we lifting them? Consider this, from the Litany:
Miserere mei, Deus. Psalm li.
Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness; according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences. Wash me throughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my faults, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight; that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and clear when thou art judged.
Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me. O give me the comfort of thy help again, and stablish me with thy free Spirit.
Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou that art the God of my health; and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall show thy praise.
For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee; but thou delightest not in burnt–offerings. The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise.
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.”
So, it’s all about God’s Amazing Grace, then. HE is the King of Hearts. The Rock That Is Higher Than Us falls on us, and gives us the “broken and contrite heart” where God can work. Not in our self–sufficiency, but in our spiritual bankruptcy. Not in our ability, but our weakness. We admit our resourcelessness, and He provides. That includes worship. His free spirit means we can worship with any Christians, anywhere, in any style. Of course, we know what resonates best with us, but I think our God has many ways that please Him. It’s His Spirit that will enable us to be open–minded to embrace them.
Like my friend the missionary, we realize we need that connection to God through His Holy Ghost. And, fellow travelers…we need that circuit open and flowing power all the time. If we think otherwise, we’re just fooling ourselves. Maybe we say that we’re not missionaries in fear for our lives, and we don’t feel the need for worship. I’ve sure been there and done that. The truth is, if we wear Christ’s mark, we’re all missionaries, right where we are. Salt and Light to the world, and exposed to darkness we might never expect…even if it may not be readily apparent.
By really turning our backs on our old selves and lives, we’re on the Devil’s hit list, just as certainly as our missionary brethren are. But, if we’re waiting for Satan to present himself in a red suit with a pitchfork and a business card, we’ll have a long wait.
Our old adversary loves to work in our lives behind the scenes…distracting, offending, tempting, twisting…that’s his thing. Have a look at Galatians 5, St James 3:16, or 1 St. Peter 5:8. He wants to keep us from discernment, and sure–as–shooting, keep us from worship, especially any kind of worship we open our broken hearts to a filling, healing, empowering Holy Ghost…where we might be reconciled to our brothers and sisters, or where God’s supernatural presence might touch us deeply and set us free.
Yeah, that Old Liar really, really doesn’t want our hearts connected to God’s directly in worship. But, like we like to say around All Saints…Satan doesn’t get a vote unless we give it to him. What, then, is our ultimate solution? Jesus’ Lor dship…living, moving, having our being in Him. Casting ourselves, whole, into worship. Deep devotion.
The Church Fathers knew it…that’s why we sing this to the Lord daily in our Morning Prayer office:
Venite, exultemus Domino.
O COME, let us sing unto the LORD; let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; * and show ourselves glad in him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God; and a great King above all gods. In his hand are all the corners of the earth; and the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it; and his hands prepared the dry land. O come, let us worship and fall down, and kneel before the LORD our Maker. For he is the Lord our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth stand in awe of him. For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth; and with righteousness to judge the world, and the peoples with his truth.
Holiness…us reserved for God, and in awe of Him…not vice versa. It’s all about Him, not us…God–shaped, not us–shaped! The creation loving, adoring and seeking unity with the Creator. Allowing the Holy Ghost that Jesus promises us to change our shape to fit His mold. Throwing ourselves into it, like David did. That’s worship–real “people’s work.”
So that’s our ticket: a “Jesus–is–Lord–and–sends–us–the–Holy–Ghost” thing. He leads us into all Truth…including worship in Spirit and Truth.
Rector’s Devotional: Fast is a Four-Letter Word.
March 23, 2011
People of God have always humbled themselves before Him to ask His mercy, guidance, and protection. St. Peter and St. James both wrote—by the Holy Ghost—that God gives GRACE to the humble. And, like the Imposition of Ashes on Ash Wednesday, fasting is humbling ourselves. St. Paul wrote that he “buffeted his flesh” to make it his slave. Fasting certainly buffets us. When we fast—and feel weak or hungry, we can take huge encouragement from that weakness, remembering how Jesus humbled Himself to come to Earth from Heaven, and knowing what Scripture promises us—that when we are weak, God is strong.
Fasting brings sharp focus to the dramatic difference between our physical and spiritual natures, as well, since eating is one the most fundamental (and a personal favorite) things we do. By exercising our wills and depriving ourselves of food for spiritual purposes, we prefer our spiritual nature over our physical one…amplifying how this world is not our home…and understanding what Jesus meant when He said—as documented in St Matt 4:4—during His 40-day fast at His earthly ministry’s beginning: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God.” And we need His life. Big-time.
Why we fast:
† To focus on, and honor Him for Spiritual purposes—to seek His intervention, protection, guidance
† To humble ourselves, submit to His authority or Word—and to seek revival among God’s people to do the same
† For repentance, either for ourselves or others
† To deprive our natural desires to focus on spiritual excellence
† If we’re willing to spend ample time for sincere seeking, quiet listening, and devoted prayer/Scripture searching with the Holy Ghost
Why we don’t fast:
† Selfish desires or motivations
† Attempt to manipulate God (really bad idea)
† Promote false piety or legalism
† Without serious intention
† If we are still in personal sin or pursuing selfish desires
† If we are harboring unforgiveness against others
OK, so here’s the obvious question–how?
† First, if God hasn’t called you to fast…don’t. Most folks who aren’t called are not totally open to God’s leadership, lack the Biblical foundation or have unresolved sin. But, if He has laid this on your heart, determine how long to fast, and for what specific reasons—for example: (1) spiritual revival/awakening of God’s Church, our parish, and/or our personal lives. This is something between you and God.
† Make confession. It may be helpful to make a personal confession to one of our priests—the Sacrament of Penance. Unconfessed sin or disobedience will hinder the effectiveness of fasting; you’ll be hungry for nothing!
† Be sensitive to the Holy Ghost. Keep your Bible and a notebook handy for journaling. Validate what you perceive He says in the Canon of Scripture, and again in the circumstances of life, especially inside the Church.
† Pray fervently and as often/long as you can.
† Read Scripture A LOT. Absorb as much as possible; meditate on it thoroughly.
† Reserve time to be still and quiet before the Lord. Our chapel and prayer gardens are an excellent place for this.
† If in Lent, be sure to have time at the Altar of Repose—sitting with the Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
† Sing worship songs and hymns to the Lord; always give God the glory for everything.
† Be sure you are medically able to fast.
† When you are physically uncomfortable, thank Jesus for His discomfort and ask Him to be strong in your weakness and for making your body your slave in the buffeting.
† Never miss Holy Communion or other worship, except to intercede for others.
Fast is, indeed a four letter word. One that Satan won’t like. I say let’s use it.
Pray about it: “What do you want to tell me Lord…and what shall I do?
Rector’s Devotional: Whoever Will
March 11, 2011
Bible Reading: “Whosoever will.”– St. Mark 8:34-36 (KJV)
Bonus Readings: St Luke 13:23-28 ; 1 Sam 16:7; Romans 10:9
Who are the real Christians? Who will Christ receive?
The answer: whosever will. Not whosever gets everything right.
Whosever will confess Him as Lord and savior. Do His Word. Give Him their lives, without holding back. Serve Him with abandon, knowing He intends us good and not evil. He’s not waiting to play some kind of cosmic “gotcha game,” waiting for us to make a misstep or misjudgment of what He wants.
This is a matter of heart-to-heart faith. Our hearts to His. Doesn’t matter what we do on the outside, God sees and knows our hearts, because that’s where we meet Him and where He changes us from slaves to sin into Kingdom partners. This is His living tabernacle…the place where our covenant takes place with the Lord of Life—our secret place, deep inside us. And it’s not dependent on getting all the details 100% correct.
We recently heard discussion about “the protesting Church”—a term for “protestant.” This discussion had a pejorative and divisive tone that is not the Mind of Christ for us, as His Body. God would not honor that. One Faith, one Lord.
Jesus prayed in Gethsemane—as He faced the horrors of the Cross—that all His followers be one, as He and the Father were one. The Church was later born of this unity at Pentecost—they were assembled, in prayer, for the same purpose. It did not say they all agreed on everything. After all, Jesus Himself asked to be relieved of the burden of the Cross, but then qualified that request by saying not His will, but the Father’s will be done. The disciples in that Upper Room at Pentecost demonstrated that same willingness to labor in unity with the Father’s purpose, facilitating the coming of the Holy Ghost, the supernatural gifting of the disciples/apostles and history’s most productive homily. In short, big-time results. All from unity. One Faith, one Lord.
So, God never wanted division among His people. He ordained one Church…one Faith, one Lord. Our hearts to His heart. Together. All the “whosever will” folk. Of course, we know that is not always the case in Christ’s Body, the Church. According to Christianity Today, there are 38000 Christian denominations…certainly not a compelling picture of unity. However, denominations don’t have to mean disunity, although styles and understanding doubtlessly vary, and, sadly, conflict occurs. But this is not the “more excellent Way” St. Paul wrote of. He intended unity in love. So, of course, we’re not there, yet. But we can work the issue.
One of the biggest fissures in this mosaic of the Faith is the protestant-catholic rift. For some reason, a lot of us seem to think that “catholic” and “protestant” are mutually exclusive sets. Not so in the Kingdom of God, especially in an Anglican parish like ours. One Faith, one Lord.
As Anglicans, we are, indeed, catholic…anyone visiting us at one of our well-polished liturgies can tell that in a nanosecond. However, anyone understanding the construction of the term “catholic” knows it means “according to the whole”—a term meaning ALL of Christ’s One Church, and not referring to any one denomination. This has to mean the entirety of those called by our Lord…to come out of the World and be separate…holy…to Him, and faithful to the Apostolic mission—being sent by Him into a desperate world. What some may not know is our link to protestant faith, as well.
A lot of folks may not know the term “protestant” derives from the Latin, meaning “a public witness.” So, the term “protestant” actually does not mean “protesting” but, more properly, means “affirming.” Easy to sign up to that. But what does it mean for us?
As an Anglican parish, we embrace the best of evangelical belief, while retaining the heart of the “Faith once delivered”— the time-tested catholic devotions, customs, and liturgies and powered by a personal, active Holy Ghost. This is essence of who we are in Christ at All Saints.
Since we’ve captured the best of these approaches to the Lord, we believe we have a very Scripturally-correct, but still Spirit-filled and orthodox faith—in short, the Church the ancient Fathers intended, living in the Truth the Holy Ghost led them into. This does not mean we impeach the rest of His Holy Church, simply because they may not see things as we do. Who is more correct is a
matter best left for God’s judgment, not ours. Our job, through His Holy Spirit and canon Scripture is to be about His work through faithful prayer and devotion. One Faith, one Lord.
In Christ, then, there is no separation among denominations. We understand: one Faith, one Lord. And we give each other grace…knowing that if we are for Jesus, we are against our old Enemy, Satan. We’re allies, partners, family… assembled for the same purpose, just like that day in the Upper Room, when the Holy Ghost rushed in like a mighty wind. This means we are still together, even if we disagree on the best way to worship and praise our wonderful Lord. We don’t have to agree. We do have to love and accept each other. One Faith, one Lord.
The wonderful thing about Anglican Christians, then, is that, in addition to our firm catholic faith, we’re linked us with our protestant brothers, understanding that we have elements of both expressions of Christian faith under our roof, and—interestingly enough—on the title page of our 1928 Book of Common Prayer. So, in practical terms, we are both protestant and catholic, as we have both expressions of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Together, not apart. THAT facilitates the coming of the Holy Ghost among us—our unity, not our differences. We’re a place of reconciliation in that old rift…not division. We are both, all at once. One Faith, one Lord.
Of course, we think our liturgy and understanding of the Real Presence of Christ in our Holy Communion is the best and most powerfully Scriptural grasp of this life-giving Sacrament. We also understand that there are those Christians who practice that meal with a different understanding, but still, in obedience to our Lord’s command, with love and faith in Him and His Grace, so we can’t condemn them and neither will Jesus, despite what may be said to the contrary. The Lord will see their heart, know that they are among the “whosever will” and will accept them, because they have called upon His name and are saved, according to the Scriptures. He will look on their hearts and know. Jesus Himself said that we are either for Him, or against Him, and, so, if the Christians anywhere name Him as Lord and are doing everything in their power to be obedient to His Word, then they are our brothers and sisters in Him…allies in the Good Fight that St. Paul talked about, and coinheritors of the Kingdom of God along with all His Church. They are NOT subject to rejection by Lord as “workers of iniquity” if they are honestly doing their best to be doers of His Word.
Family of Faith, the mind of Christ for us all is unity for His purpose—which, St. John says, is to destroy the work of the Devil. When dealing with other Christians who worship differently from us, we need to understand—we’re all products of Grace—God’s unmerited favor, and are One Church…a Holy Church…a Church called out from the World and sent on a mission to bring life to a dead world. That’s what we’re here for…until we’re called home from this life. One Faith…One Lord. Whoever will!
Pray about it: “How do I practice unity in the Body of Christ and work toward its mission?
All love in the Beloved,
Chip+
Our Roots in Him
January 24, 2011
Bible Reading: “These have no root.”– St. Luke 8:13
Bonus Readings: Mal 3:8-12; Deuteronomy 12:10-12; St. James 1:17; St. Luke 13:6-9
This is not my favorite time of year. It’s colder than a cradle Texan like myself likes. The trees have no leaves. Most of the plants are likewise bare, or just brown and dried up. But I know there’s hope in the coming spring—our world rises to life because of the roots.
Funny thing about those roots. We don’t usually see them, but they are so important…and are made stronger or weaker over the growth period of spring and summer, depending on how they are cared for. They sustain the plants and trees during the colder, harder times. Each plant grows them, deeper and deeper, as they receive light, water and nutrition.
Our life in the Lord is like that. Our roots in Him can benefit from His Light, Living Water, and Nutrition. Scripture teaches us “all good things come down from us from the Father of Lights.” Everything we need for life, and a whole lot of what we want. No wonder St. Paul begged us on the First Sunday after Epiphany, by the mercies of God, that we present ourselves as living sacrifices. It’s not just duty…it leads us to blessing in Him. Unlike the plants, though, we have a choice in our roots’ growth. That brings me to Malachi.
The little prophecy of Malachi occupies a unique position. The last book of the Old Testament era, it begins a four-hundred-year period when God gave no fresh revelation. When He spoke again, it was to announce that He was only mere months away from keeping the promise that he had made very early in human history—to send his Son, the Messiah.
The coming of the Lord Jesus was simultaneously a vindication and an indictment. The vindication belonged to God. The time between the giving of the promise and the fulfillment of it was so long that it often appeared that it was all a pipe dream. The coming of Christ triumphantly proclaimed the complete and utter faithfulness of God. The indictment belongs to all those who doubted God’s promise.
Malachi’s prophecy is not a dead message to people of a long ago time. It still lives! Written so very long ago, it addresses the people of God today with a power that shows that it came from God. The prophet ministered at a time when vibrant faith was rare, and crippling doubt was common. It was an era in which people were more often than not weary in spiritual things, eager to embrace the easy way out, and careless and casual about the commandments of the Lord.
Sound familiar? They could choose, even then.
Malachi will find us out and help us out. He will show us what is going wrong in our hearts and tell us how to fix it. He will tell us if we are sick and prescribe good medicine for us. In fact, his text shows us how we choose our root growth…or not. Whether we get God’s blessings…or not. Listen to God’s promise for us, documented in Malachi, if we will bring Him our tithes: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.11″Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the LORD of hosts. 12″All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land,” says the LORD of hosts,”
It’s our choice. We can choose to “rob God” as Malachi puts it—a term meaning “defraud.” Or we can choose the blessing instead. And the great thing here—this is the only time in history the God of the Universe challenged us to test Him on anything. Jesus clarified it in St. Luke’s Gospel:
“Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great.” As He said these things, He would call out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
So, here’s the question: Is our soil well turned, soft and receptive, or have we allowed the weather to make it hard and brittle—not ready for the seed of His Word? If we really want a crop for the spring, now’s the time to prepare our soil. How? St. Luke documents how. Jesus spoke about the unfruitful tree planted in the vineyard—the owner wanted to cut the tree down and toss it in the fire, but the vinedresser interceded, asking him to allow him to till the soil, and fertilize it. A key here is the word for “fertilize”—actually means “drop” or “toss.”
We drop our baggage. Our preconceptions. Our worldly priorities. Allow the Holy Ghost to turn us a bit, break up our hard surfaces, feed us, and grow our roots. Then we bear fruit. Otherwise, as Jesus said in St. Luke 13, our tree may be cut down and tossed in the fire. And to be blessed, we remember some other words of Jesus: “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure–pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
Here’s the bottom line: do we have roots? Can we make through the winter times of life to the blessing of spring, new life and fruit? God wants to bless us…but we can choose.
Let’s make this practical: God doesn’t need our money, time or talent. But we need to give it to Him. And consider a short list of those who began to tithe when they were poor and became rich:
Henry P. Crowell, Quaker Oats
William Colgate, Colgate Soaps
Harvey Proctor, Ivory Soap
Matthias Baldwin, Baldwin Locomotive Works
John P. Rockefeller, Standard Oil and world’s wealthiest man
Pray about it: “Lord, do I bring in my tithe of time, talent and treasure in so your House may be supplied? Can I afford not to give?
All love in the Beloved,
Chip+
Rector’s Devotional: Keeping Christ in CHRISTmas
December 22, 2010
Bible Reading: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth..”– St John 1:14
Bonus Readings: Luke 1:5-56; Luke 2:1-20; Isaiah 9:6-7; Romans 15:3a
Oh, yeah. It’s begun.
The rushing. The planning. The traveling. The obscuring. The depressing. The disappointing. Black Friday painted a powerful picture of what Satan would like Christmas to be about—the opposite of the real Nativity. But God calls us to come out from among the World around us…and be separate. That’s where we have the joy, devotion, renewal and rebirth. THAT’s keeping Christ in CHRISTmas.
OK—how?
Let’s look at the seasonal devotions. So many awesome chances to hear the Holy Ghost speak to our hearts. Lessons and Carols. Compline. Mass. The Advent Wreath and liturgies. I love ‘em all, but my fav has got to be when we all gather from our warm, well-lit homes to come together in the parish for our Christmas Eve Nativity Vigil, also called Midnight Mass. It has so many wonderful aspects. Lots of candles to remind us of the time we once had to meet at night, secretly. The scent of incense to remind us of our need for repentance and forgiveness. The blessing of the Creche, reminding all to prepare room to receive Him, every day, in our hearts. But, I think, for me, the best devotion of all is when the entire congregation genuflects together at the mention of the Incarnation during St. John’s Gospel reading.
Of all God’s expressions of love, this one hits home the most at this time of year. “The Word made FLESH” [emphasis mine]. The Prince of Heaven taking on our imperfect casing of dust. Heaven came down, and the least we can do is kneel at the mention of it. The least, seriously.
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“God calls us to come out from among the World around us…and be separate. That’s where we have the joy, devotion, renewal and rebirth. THAT’s keeping Christ in CHRISTmas.”
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But, although supremely cool, in a liturgical way, God doesn’t care so much about our physical posture…He wants a humble and contrite heart. A broken heart, if you will. This is the Gift He wants this year. Our hearts…broken. Busted. Not doing so great. Needing His help. Not all squared-away, but…needy. Poor. No resource. OK, if we’re honest, that’s us all. We just have to admit it. Kneel in our hearts.
Perhaps we’ve already gone there…but, perhaps, we haven’t. Or maybe we might have a little denial going on. How else do we kneel in our hearts? It’s that “W” word…our wills. We surrender our wills. Do what He wants. Advent gives us some tools:
Advent –the “Coming” teaches the “three advents”:
- Forgiven—no longer slaves to sin and passions—that first coming of Jesus into our hearts
- Freed—able to choose without duress, knowing He is Lord and Savior—allowing Jesus to come into the details of our lives
- Filled—empowered by the Holy Ghost to be doers of the Word, not just hearers—allowing Him to fill us by coming into us through the Holy Ghost—continuously!
Here’s the ticket: our honesty and our wills are the only gifts God wants from us. It’s ready to go, doesn’t need wrapping, and is supremely affordable—all it costs is a decision—that’s kneeling in the Heart. And when we kneel in the heart, we honor the Incarnation that ushered in the Abundant Life—all the joy, devotion, renewal and rebirth the Nativity brings us. That’s real CHRISTmas.
Pray about it: “A man is powerful on his knees.”—Corrie ten Boom
Contemplative Prayer: “Holy Spirit, show me how to kneel in my heart.”
A Christ filled Nativity,
Chip+
