In the Beginning

The Gospel reading for this Sunday is from John 1:1-18 and it is chock full of  theology, 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of the father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known. 

Without unbundling it, let me just say that Jesus coming to Earth was the most remarkable event mankind has ever witnessed, and John's explanation testifies to that.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Reverend Fun - Stable Win

Magnificat

This Sunday's Gospel lesson contains the "Song of Mary" or the "Magnificat". I have often wondered how long this hymn has been chanted or sung by Christians. I suspect it was in common use during Luke's era and that this was not of his composition. Listen and enjoy.

Luke 1:39-56
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
   and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
 for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
   Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
   and holy is his name.
 His mercy is for those who fear him
   from generation to generation.
 He has shown strength with his arm;
   he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
   and lifted up the lowly;
 he has filled the hungry with good things,
   and sent the rich away empty.
 He has helped his servant Israel,
   in remembrance of his mercy,
 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
   to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

 And Mary remained with her for about three months and then returned to her home.

Gender Transition Liturgies

The Church of England (CofE) has agreed to celebrate gender transition by conducting an affirmation of Baptism for these persons. Their  "Pastoral Guidance for use in conjunction with the Affirmation of Baptismal Faith in the context of gender transition" can be found at the link. I would like to highlight just a few of their points.

1. The Church of England welcomes and encourages the unconditional affirmation of trans people, equally with all people, within the body of Christ, and rejoices in the diversity of that body into which all Christians have been baptized by one Spirit.

Note the key words: "unconditional affirmation". No need for repentance here.

2. If a transgender person is not already baptized, then baptism itself would be the natural liturgical context for recognizing and celebrating their identity in Christ and God’s love for them. Where such a person has already been baptized, the House of Bishops commends the rite of Affirmation of Baptismal Faith as the central feature of any service to recognize liturgically a person’s gender transition.1 Where rubrics within that Rite allow, the House encourages ministers to respond to such requests in a creative and sensitive way. The Rite of Affirmation includes the opportunity for the candidate to renew the commitments made in baptism and for the congregation to respond. The emphasis is placed not on the past or future of the candidate alone, but on their faith in Jesus Christ. The Affirmation therefore gives priority to the original and authentic baptism of the individual as the sacramental beginning of the Christian life, allowing someone who has undergone a serious and lasting change to re-dedicate their life and identity to Christ. The image of God, in which we are all made, transcends gender, race, and any other characteristic.Our shared identity as followers of Jesus is the unity which makes all one in Christ (Galatians 3.27–28).

Affirmation for "someone who has undergone a serious and lasting change" should mean a spiritual change from a life ruled by sin to a life ruled by Christ. It does not mean a surgical or hormonal change in appearance or a change in self identification. Genital mutilation is not something that a real Church can ever "affirm".

Finally, my biggest concern is the blatant revisionism on display in the "other appropriate readings" chosen by the bishops. Revisionist preachers will love to go off the reservation with some of these. See if you can pick them out.

6. The choice of readings should be governed by the rules in Common Worship (Main Volume, pp.539 ff). When it is permitted to depart from the lectionary provision, other appropriate readings, such as those listed below, may be used. A celebration of the Eucharist must always include a Gospel reading.  

• Genesis 17.1–7, 15–17: God changes the name of Sarai to Sarah  
• Genesis 32.22–31: Jacob wrestles at Peniel and is named Israel 
• Exodus 3.1–15: Moses is called to serve the God named I AM 
• Isaiah 42.1–9: God’s promise concerning God’s servant 
• Isaiah 43.1–7: God’s restoration and protection is promised 
• Isaiah 56.1–8: The maintenance of God’s justice and welcome of all to the house of God 
• Psalm 8: God’s divine majesty and human dignity 
• Psalm 23: The Lord is my Shepherd 
• Psalm 96: Sing to the Lord a new song 
• Psalm 139: O Lord you have searched me out and known me 
• Matthew 5.1–11: The Beatitudes 
• Matthew 7.7–11: Ask and it shall be given 
• Matthew 16.13–19: Peter’s declaration about Jesus and upon Peter God will build God’s church 
• Matthew 22.37–40: Jesus’ Summary of the Law 
• Luke 15.11–32: The Prodigal Son 
• John 20.11–18: The risen Lord calls Mary by name 
• John 20.19–29: Blessed are those who have not seen but believe 
• John 12.27–36: When Jesus is lifted up, he will draw all people to himself 
• Romans 8.12–22: All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God 
• 2 Corinthians 5.14–21: In Christ, there is a new creation 
• Galatians 3.27–4.7: In baptism into Christ there is no longer male and female 
• Galatians 4.1–7: God sent God’s Son that we might receive adoption as children 
• Philippians 3.4a–end: Our citizenship is in heaven 
• 1 John 3.1–3: What we will be has not yet been revealed 
• 1 John 3.18–23: Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action 
• 1 John 4.18–5.6: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear 
• Revelation 21.1–6: The new heaven and the new earth 

It is time that Anglicans unhitch themselves from the CofE. Maybe we need to drop the word "Anglican" because of its association with the CofE.

With Good News Like That, Who Needs Bad News?

This Sunday's Gospel reading is from Luke 3:7-18 continuing from last week the story of John the Baptist's ministry

John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’
And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’
So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

Good news like, "but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

Hmm...

With good news like that, who needs bad news?

I read recently about the bad news of Christmas from Pastor Paul David Tripp over at Crossway. In his piece I see a connection with the scary parts of John the Baptist's preaching,

"I’m going to ask you to humbly open your heart to this second part, the bad news part of the Christmas story. God has to invade our world in the person of Jesus because there was simply no other way. And why was there no other way? Prepare for the bad news. 

There was no other way because our big problem in life is not familial or historical or societal or political or relational or ecclesiastical or financial. The biggest, darkest thing that all of us have to face, and that somehow, someway influences everything we think, say, and do, isn’t outside us; it’s inside. If you had none of the above problems in your life, you would still be in grave danger, because of the danger you are to yourself. If the only thing human beings needed were a little external tweaking of their life circumstances, then the coming of Jesus to earth wouldn’t make any sense. But if the greatest danger to all of us lives inside us and not outside us, then the radical intervention of the incarnation of Jesus is our only hope. 

Sure, you can run from a bad relationship, you can quit a bad job, you can move from a dangerous neighborhood, and you can leave a dysfunctional church, but you have no ability whatsoever to escape yourself. You and I simply have no ability to rescue ourselves from the greatest danger in our lives. This means that without the birth of Jesus, we are doomed to be destroyed by the danger that lurks inside us from the moment of our first breath.

You don’t need to look far in the Bible to know what this danger is. Its stain is on every page of Scripture. Romans 3:23 exposes this danger with a few simple words: 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.' Sin is the bad news of the Christmas story. Jesus didn’t come to earth to do a preaching tour or to hang out with us for a while; he came on a radical mission of moral rescue. 

He came to rescue us because he knew that we couldn’t rescue ourselves. He knew that sin separates us from God and leaves us guilty before him. He knew that sin makes us active enemies against God, and what he says is good, right, and true. He knew that sin blinds us to the gravity of our condition and our dire need for help. He knew that sin causes us to replace worship of God with an unending catalog of created things that capture the deepest allegiances of our hearts. He knew that sin renders all of us unable to live as we were designed to live. And he knew that sin was the final terminal disease that, without help, would kill us all."

We are the ones who need the bad news because without it, we are lost sheep who don't care to be found.

Greenville South Carolina Episcopalians to conduct a "MeToo-charist", but what about Mary?

St. Peter’s Episcopal in Greenville SC boasts that it has a mix of theologically conservative and progressive parishioners. Its rector is one of the latter. They recently came out with a theological innovation, a "MeToo-charist".

This is the invitation I received,

on Sunday, December16, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. You are invited to come and welcome others for who this might be a helpful experience of support and grace. A little more than a year ago #MeToo became an expression of solidarity among the victims of sexual assault and violence. The speaking out by a small and growing number of victims of sexual trespass by celebrities began to embolden others who live with the pain and—often—shame of having been violated in intimate ways. What started with a few voices grew into a chorus of people who said, “Me too.” The highly respected Centers for Disease Control—the U.S. federal government agency responsible for public health—estimates that one in three women has suffered contact sexual violence at some point in their lives (and one in six men). If this were an infectious disease, it would be described not just as an epidemic, but as a pandemic—because of its widespread effects.In the midst of such a widespread, debilitating, and preventable dis-ease; the Church has an important role to stand up and speak out with those who have suffered or are suffering now.Following in the way of Jesus, the Church is called to align with the vulnerable and to firmly reject behaviors that are evil.Please join us as we listen to what God’s Spirit is saying to us through the ancient Scriptures and contemporary voices. Include your voice in our prayers for healing, justice, and peace. And gather with us around the Lord’s Table to receive solace and strength from the Holy Communion. 

I don't know if they will be using an approved liturgy for this "MeToo-charist" or if the Bishop has given his blessing, but this appears to me to be an attempt to politicize the Eucharist by connecting it to a movement that had its most prominent rallies immediately following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, rallies like the "Women's March" which were in large part protests against him. This loose movement has led to societal confusion as to what is or is not appropriate in male-female interaction. Witness the recent condemnation of old songs like "Baby It's Cold Outside" while rap singers retain their celebrity status.

Every year some nutcase comes out with an anti-Christmas accusation, and this year we have one who connects the Virgin Mother with the MeToo movement. The following is from "Campus Reform",

Minnesota State University, Mankato psychology professor and sex therapist Dr. Eric Sprankle critiqued the story of the Virgin Mary in a tweet Monday, suggesting that the Virgin Mary did not consent to being impregnated by God.
“The virgin birth story is about an all-knowing, all-powerful deity impregnating a human teen. There is no definition of consent that would include that scenario. Happy Holidays"    Tweet This
“The virgin birth story is about an all-knowing, all-powerful deity impregnating a human teen. There is no definition of consent that would include that scenario. Happy Holidays,” Sprankle said.
Another Twitter user called the professor’s claim into question, noting that the Bible states that the Virgin Mary did, indeed, agree to God’s plan for her.
“The biblical god regularly punished disobedience,” Sprankle rebutted. “The power difference (deity vs mortal) and the potential for violence for saying ‘no’ negates her ‘yes.’ To put someone in this position is an unethical abuse of power at best and grossly predatory at worst.”

 I wonder if the clergy at St. Peter's Greenville will be wearing pink pussy hats and lifting a statue of Mary similarly adorned as they enter in procession as a show of solidarity with those who fit the ever expanding definition of being a victim of sexual trespass.

Every Valley Shall Not Be Filled, (If the environmentalists have anything to say about it).

This Sunday's Gospel reading is from Luke 3:1-6,

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,

‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:“Prepare the way of the Lord,   make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled,   and every mountain and hill shall be made low,and the crooked shall be made straight,   and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” 

Handel's "Messiah" is drawn from scripture, and this reading made me think of Handel's setting of "Every valley shall be exalted..."

Nowadays, the environmentalists would probably try to keep even the Lord from filling the valleys and leveling the hills. 

Lobsters and the Episcopal sect

In a story that went unnoticed last year, PETA raised a stink when it was revealed that Episcopal parishes were hosting lobster dinners, as reported in the Washington Post,

PETA staff noticed a pattern of lobster dinners as church fundraisers, and decided to look into it. They identified 28 Episcopal congregations advertising lobster fundraisers in more than 10 different states.

The PETA staffers looked into how many lobsters each church cooks at a fundraiser and got answers ranging from 75 to 2,000. In total, PETA said Episcopal churches kill well over 10,000 lobsters a year, a total that could not be verified by The Post.
It’s evident, however, that the number is high — St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Greenville, N.C., for instance, boasts on its website that its annual fundraiser has sold more than 65,000 lobsters since 1978. “Put in perspective, we’ve sold around 40 tons of lobsters, or the equivalent of a couple of school buses,” the website says, with accompanying jovial clip art of buses. (Lobsters at St. Timothy’s cost $16 each, and children can also enjoy a bouncy house and a hay ride.)...

...At St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Springfield, Va., the Rev. Peter Ackerman said that his church would continue its lobster dinner, but “PETA raises a thoughtful point. I have shared this with our church board in the hopes that we can respond in a way that keeps the annual celebratory dinner gathering intact but also brings forth our awareness and sensitivity to how we interact with God’s creatures.” That sort of reflection, he said, would be in line with the church’s social action activities like offering free physicals and school supplies to local children.

I have been waiting to see a response to PETA's request from the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal sect, but I have not found one yet.

This weekend, if weather permits, our local Anglican church is planning on having an oyster roast. This is not a fundraiser, it is a fun raiser. I asked my vegetarian friends if they could eat oysters, and they said that if it could walk, fly, or swim, they would not eat it. I explained that oysters just sit there, attached to an oyster bed. Their larval form swims a little and moves a little with a foot, but the adult that we eat just sits there. My vegetarian friends concluded that they could not eat oysters.

I have not heard about PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) protesting oyster roasts, but they have taken on the more ambulatory lobster as a pet project, "rescuing" these creatures from restaurants and supermarkets and protesting lobster dinners.

I will keep a watchful eye out for the PETA police this weekend to see of they will try tackle the mighty oyster roaster of our local Anglican church.

Good luck with that!

How to Escape the Apocalypse

This Sunday's Gospel reading is from Luke 21:25-36,

‘There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in a cloud” with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’Then he told them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.‘Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.’

That last sentence drew my attention,

 "...to have the strength to escape all these things... and to stand before the Son of Man."

 If Jesus was talking about a global apocalypse, then I would not expect there to be any chance of a physical escape. The only escape from that kind of event is to pray that Jesus will carry you away.

Whatever the case, the apocalypse will demand great strength, prayer, and an almighty Savior.

Good News and Bad News: Number of abortions in U.S. hits historic low

The good news is the number of abortions in the U.S. hit a historic low, 

The Washington Post (11/21, Cha) reported new figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that “fewer U.S. women are having abortions than at any time since Roe v. Wade.” For the most recent year for which data is available, 2015, 638,169 abortions were recorded, down two percent from 2014. The Post added, “While the CDC paper did not delve into the reasons for the decline, analysts have cited improved access to birth control, which has led to a decrease in unintended pregnancies, especially among teens, as well as the state laws regarding parental consent, waiting periods and other conditions that make it more difficult for women to get abortions.”

The bad news is that 638,169 precious souls never lived long enough to see the light of day.

Contrast this with the "homicide" statistics for 2016 compiled by the CDC,

All homicides: 19,362 

Firearm homicides: 14,415

We hear a lot on the news and from the mouths of bishops and other politicians about "gun violence" but nary a word about the horrors of abortion violence. "Let's ban guns, but don't you dare try to restrict abortion."

When learning how to set up a budget for a business, I was always taught to focus on the most costly items first.

Don't hold your breath waiting for progressive bishops to do that.

Yes we see lower numbers of infant homicides, but it remains a huge plank in our nation's eye.

The stories I checked all searched for answers as to why the numbers declined but nowhere did I find a religious explanation. I have to think that continued resistance from conservative religious groups is a contributing factor. They have not rolled over on this issue.

Christians need to continue to fight for life and continue to be the voice for the unborn.  

Listen to His Voice

This Sunday's Gospel reading is from John 18:33-37 in which Pilate interrogates Jesus,

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’

Pilate is  puzzled by Jesus' response. It would be as if we had asked someone where they were from and they said, "I am from planet Zorgon, fifth planet of the star Muphrid A. Christ's kingdom is not of this world no matter how much we desire it to be. Try as we might, we cannot recreate his kingdom on the Earth. We shall have to wait until Jesus returns.

Most people, like Pilate, will not understand Jesus' voice either if He were speaking to them directly or when He speaks to us through the Gospels.

It would be wise to listen to His voice and "belong to the truth". 

Late Episcopal Bishop: Did he prey on young priests or was he just "a sexually active gay man who lived in an era of unfortunate boundaries."

The Roman Catholic Church has been reeling from revelations of predatory priests and homosexual activities in their seminaries. When I was a child, growing up in a heavily Roman Catholic city, we learned early on to never, never, never be alone with a Catholic priest because we all "knew" what happened to little boys and altar boys who weren't careful, and this was in the 60's. Back then, Episcopalians used to say that our Church was immune from those problems because our priests could be married (to women), and that if the Roman Catholics would simply allow their priests to marry, all of their problems would go away.

The story of the late Episcopal Bishop of New York, Paul Moore Jr., being a promiscuous bisexual has been bouncing around for the past ten years , but it recently resurfaced with new allegations of his predatory behavior towards young priests and others in this story from The Salt Lake Tribune. His story shoots our childish Episcopalian theory down in rainbow colored flames,

...the scope of Moore's abusive sexual misconduct has become known only this year, notably at a Catskill Mountains retreat in the spring attended by clergy from the New York diocese.At one session, participants were invited to share stories about difficulties they faced in their ministries. Among those at the event was the Rev. Alison Quin, rector of Christ the King Episcopal Church in Stone Ridge, New York.As recounted by Quin in a May 6 sermon, one female priest arose to denounce Moore as a serial exploiter who had affairs with many young priests and lay people. Quin said a male priest in his 60s came next, saying, "I was one of Paul Moore's boys — he seduced me when I was a new priest. It nearly ruined my life."

Obviously, sexual deviancy is not confined to supposedly celibate Roman Catholic priests.

Meanwhile, the late Bishop's daughter had an interesting rationalization to offer for her father's sins,

Honor Moore (the Bishop's daughter), in an interview, said she was dismayed that her father was the only person named in (Bishop) Dietsche's letter and objected to the label "sexual predator." 

"It doesn't seem like a fair term," she said. "He was a sexually active gay man who lived in an era of unfortunate boundaries."

All I can say is, "Wow."

With that kind of reasoning, what should we say about today's priests and bishops, be they Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, or pick your denomination? Are they fortunate gay men and women who live in an era of virtually no boundaries except for those defined by the "#MeToo" movement?

Nowhere in all of these reports from clergy and letters from bishops do you hear the words of Jesus calling us out for our post-fall problems with human sexuality, reminding us of what we should aspire to,

“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Matthew 19:4-6

 Churches need to get rid of the perps, but we live in new era of unfortunate boundaries where what used to be called sinful behavior is now celebrated and even elevated to a rite in many denominations, an era in which those most prone to predatory sexual behavior are welcome into the priesthood, to eventually become the next generation of predatory bishops. There is no way to totally eliminate the problem, but to minimize it at this point would require a purge on an unimaginable scale of those whose clerical robes are covering up their sexual deviancy.

It seems far easier to flee these failing institutions in order to try to create a new system of governance that will be able to tackle the inevitable occurrences of sexual misconduct that will be found in a fallen people.

Cling to Jesus

This Sunday's Gospel reading is from Mark 13:1-8 in which Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.

As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’ Then Jesus asked him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’
When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?’ Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs. 

If we read the rest of Mark 13 we realize that the future has even more in store than the destruction of the Temple. In verses 26-27  Jesus says, 

"Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven."

Through all of the trials and tribulations that the future holds, the message is to beware of false Messiahs, to cling to Jesus, and to not bother asking about when the end will come.

We can cling to Jesus by studying the primary source through which we came to know him, and that is the Bible. When we reject the Bible, when we follow false prophets, and when we accept false teachings, we reject He who promised to save us, to gather us from the ends of the earth.  

"Conservative" Episcopal Bishops Are Failing Too

While I won't get sucked into a discussion of how to define a conservative Episcopal bishop, I will use the term here to describe those bishops who are at least somewhat opposed to having same-sex marriage rites used in their jurisdictions. These men desire to remain Episcopalian despite the terrible drag the national organization has on membership.

The recent strongly worded pastoral letter from the Bishop of Albany on same-sex marriage in which he lays out the orthodox position regarding same-sex relationships was applauded by some in his diocese but burned near the church steps by others after it was released this week. It is too lengthy to quote in its entirety, so I encourage you to follow the links provided.

There are only a handful of bishops left in the Episcopal organization willing to oppose the progressive agenda like Bishop Love, but the actions of the most recent Episcopal General Convention have painted them all into a corner, and they "shall" have to permit trial rites for same-sex marriages by providing alternative oversight from a progressive bishop.

Bishop Love's line in the sand may land him in hot water, but how healthy is his diocese anyway, and how healthy are the dioceses of the other "conservative" bishops?

A look at the statistics from the last 10 years shows that their dioceses are all losing members. The following numbers are estimates derived from graphic charts provided by the Episcopal organization of average Sunday attendance (ASA) in each diocese over the time period of 2007-2017.

Diocese of Albany (Bishop William Love) ASA dropped from 7000-5000
Diocese of Central Florida (Bishop Greg Brewer) ASA dropped from 15,000-13000
Diocese of Dallas (Bishop George Sumner) ASA dropped from 12,000-11,000
Diocese of Florida (Samuel Howard) ASA dropped from 9000-8000
Diocese of North Dakota (Bishop Michael Smith)  ASA dropped from 750-550
Diocese of Springfield (Bishop Daniel Martins) ASA dropped from 2200-1500
Diocese of Tennessee (Bishop John Bauerschmidt) ASA dropped from 6000-5500
Diocese of West Texas (Bishop David Reed) ASA dropped from 10,000-8500
Diocese of Virgin Islands (Bishop Ambrose Gumbs)  ASA dropped from 2200-1300

These kinds of losses are just as bad as the losses seen by the Episcopal organization as a whole.

Many of us used to believe that if we just elected a conservative bishop, then we could defend our little islands and even grow the Church. That theory is either wrong, or the bishops we elected are not conservative enough, or the Holy Spirit has rightfully abandoned the Episcopal sect. One could argue that a truly orthodox bishop would have pulled his people out of the Episcopal mud swamp long ago, and that the current lot, by hanging with the lunatics on the left, are actually harming their dioceses. I am sure there are other issues as well (such as one of the bishops mentioned above not even residing within his diocese).

Rather than travelling on junkets, wasting time with the rest of the House of Bishops, or arguing over whether or not intinction shall be permitted, these men need to be out in the streets dragging the unchurched back and bringing unbelievers to Christ. They need to be visiting their parishes and encouraging their priests and congregants to be doing the same, and if their priests are not capable, then they need to replace them with ones who will be their boots on the ground.

I suppose it is hard to evangelize when you are yoked to the rest of the Episcopal sect. Their false gospel will be rejected by most unbelievers, as well as "conservative" seekers. Who wants to see part of their pledge dollars going to fund an organization that endorses horrors such as infanticide?

Bishop Love and his "conservative" buddies are not holding their own, and they need to recognize the problem and deal with it once and for all. Bishop Love's pastoral letter is something that each and every one of them need to adopt for their diocese, and then face the consequences. Excommunication from a heretical sect would be a blessing. 

Remember the Sacrifice for Peace

This Sunday we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One. Armistice Day or Veterans' Day is also a day upon which we reflect on Jesus' words about giving your all.

"As he taught, he said, ‘Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honour at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.’He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’"  Mark 12:38-44

The poor widow voluntarily gave all that she had to live on. In War, people are the sacrifice, and all sides typically consider that those lives are given for a cause, be it a just cause or not. The survivors, the veterans, owe their lives to those who died so that war might end. Few go into war with the express idea of being counted among the dead unless they are jihadis or kamikaze pilots, but every soldier and civilian in modern warfare must understand that they may be killed. In the United States we say that our men and women in uniform are "in the Service", and the military as a whole are called the "Armed Services". Jesus taught us about servant leadership a few weeks ago in another Gospel lesson. We are the beneficiaries of their service, and unlike the scribes described by Jesus, we need to accept that sacrifice with humility. I myself understand that I might lose a nephew currently serving in the military, and it humbles me to think that my lowly life might be worthy of such a gift as his sacrifice.

Last week when considering God's love for us, I mentioned the fact that He is willing to die for me as factor in understanding love.

Jesus said,

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 King James Version (KJV)

War is always fought with the goal of peace of some kind, as a means to an end, or as

"the continuation of policy by other means." Carl Philipp Gottfried (or Gottlieb) von Clausewitz

We celebrate the peace, and not the war that promised to bring peace.

From "COME UNTO ME A SHELL-HOLE MEDITATION" by Geoffrey Anketell Studdert Kennedy,

Come unto Me
It sounds like mockery,
A voice that calls a wounded man
Across a weary space
He cannot travel o'er;
For we would come to Thee,
We long to see Thy face,
But we are wounded sore,And evermore
Our weakness binds us,
Darkness blinds us,
We stretch our hands out vainly toward the shore,
Where Thou art waiting for Thine own.
We groan, and try, and fail again,
We cannot come--we are but men,
Come Thou to us, O Lord.
Come Thou and find us.

Shepherd of the sheep,
We cannot come to Thee.
It is so dark.
But hark,
I hear a voice that sounds across the sea.
"I come."

Denominoes: Methodists Struggle to Find "A Way Forward"

I once said that the old mainline protestant denominations were going to fall like dominoes. I called the game, "Denominoes", and it looks like another one is falling.

My brother in law is a Methodist, and the other day he asked me about how issues around human sexuality were handled by Episcopalians. In particular he was thinking locally, on the parish level. All of this because the United Methodist Church (UMC) has been grappling with the problem of openly homosexual ministers who continue to defy their book of discipline. The UMC recently published "A Way Forward" which sought to maximize,

"the presence of a United Methodist witness in as many places in the world as possible, that allows for as much contextual differentiation as possible, and that balances an approach to different theological understandings of human sexuality with a desire for as much unity as possible. This unity will not be grounded in our conceptions of human sexuality, but in our affirmation of the Triune God who calls us to be a grace-filled and holy people in the Wesleyan tradition."

Methodibabble.

I explained that Episcopalians, while mostly well educated, are for the most part functionally illiterate when it comes to theology and scripture due to their reliance on once a week (at best) worship, a the three year lectionary which binds them to hearing the same small bits of scripture year after year, and priests and bishops who want to keep their sheep illiterate. Therefore congregants help elect revisionist priests and bishops in large part because, except for the progressive pewsitters, they have no idea what they are doing. On the local level this results in most Episcopalians not caring about what goes on at the national level because they are happy with their church friends, most of whom are "nice people". Ignorance of the the consequences of hanging out with "nice people" on Sunday mornings who are functionally illiterate of theology and scripture results in one hearing the oft repeated, "I am not worried about", "It will never happen here", or "It doesn't matter to me".

Conservative Episcopalians fought the progressive agenda for a while but eventually had to depart, or if they stayed, they stopped giving money to their parish church because part of that money went to fund the madness that was happening on the national level. Oh, there was talk of a "Third way" or of Sarah's "Little Stone Bridge" approach, but in the absence of a viable alternative and a paucity of little stone bridges, Episcopalians drifted away by the millions, and a once great denomination fell.

Those of us who witnessed the Episcopal organization's step by step march from easy divorce to  homosexual bishops, same-sex marriage, transsexual priests, and gender neutral restrooms and prayers learned a number of lessons. Two of those lessons were to beware of the "listening process", and to read between the lines of any "Commission" formed to find a "way forward". This is because only one side is supposed to listen, and there is only one way forward as far as progressives are concerned. In fact, the very notion of "listening" implies that conservatives don't listen, and calling something "a way forward" implies that anything else is "backward". Another lesson we learned was that words are important, and the first one out of the gate with a catch phrase or new label for something usually wins modern day "debates".

Another lesson we learned was that we were going to be called names. I have been called a homophobe, a hater, a misogynist, an idiot, and a neanderthal. I have been told to leave by a number of parishioners, priests, and one bishop. You have to learn to put up with abuse.

The Methodists "listened", and "studied" and came up with three options for a way forward.

• The One Church Plan (one big happy LGBT church)
• The Connectional Conference Plan (separate but equal)
• The Traditionalist Plan (one big traditional church)

Guess which two are going to be in the finals.

Guess which group will be called names.

Guess which group will leave.

The denominoes are falling.

Loving Oneself

This Sunday's Gospel reading is from Mark 12:28-34 in which Jesus defines the two greatest commandments.

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”; and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbour as oneself”,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ After that no one dared to ask him any question.

I have previously commented on how hard it is to love God with all of my heart, soul, and mind due to the distractions of the world. Today, I would like to look at the question of how to love one's neighbor as oneself, but from a different angle than the obvious.

Typically we look at this from the point of view of loving the neighbor, and with the "immigrant caravan" being the issue of the day, I do not doubt that many preachers will try to draw conclusions from Jesus' teaching in order to paint the immigration policies of the President of the United States as wrong, evil, or un-Christian.

Instead, I read this Gospel lesson today and remembered the problems I had with loving myself when I was in my teens. I remember being told somewhere how important it was to first love oneself and how that seemed egotistical,  narcissistic, and contrary to Jesus' teachings. "Love God first", I thought was more important, but it was not until I came to grips with the fact that God loved me so much that He would suffer and die for me that I could begin to love God with all of my heart, soul, and mind. In order to love, I first had to know that I was loved.

At the time I do not think that I loved myself very much, and that was reflected in how I loved others. I could be an obnoxious know it all, a person who was quick to tease or to make fun of someone, and not very conscious of God's presence or his concern for them. That all changed once I realized and accepted God's love for me. My life began to change. I treated people better, and while I still didn't love myself very much, I began to love my neighbors more.

I think that loving one's neighbor as one's self  really boils down to sacrifice. That might mean giving up your evil ways, treating everyone well, or it might mean following a career serving others, or being ready to give the ultimate sacrifice for people you love, something our police, firefighters, and military do every day, and something Jesus did for us in spite of our unloving nature.

To be loved is something we all desire.

To know that God loves you makes those two greatest commandments that Jesus defined fall right into place.

That Pesky "Our Father", the CofE, and the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado

The Lord himself Jesus addressed God as "Father" when Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father, who art in Heaven...", so who are we to try to change the way we pray so that we avoid masculine references when speaking about God? Well, there has been a persistent push to emasculate the Episcopal organization in the USA as well as the Church of England and changing the language of worship is one pernicious method progressives use. 

Two recent stories illustrate the problem.

First we cross the pond for this,

"The Church of England should avoid only calling God 'he', a bishop has said, as a survey found that young Christians think God is male.
Research by YouGov found that almost half of 18-24 year-old Christians believed God to be male, with just one in three over-65s believing the same.
The Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, bishop of Gloucester, the Church of England's first female diocesan bishop, said: 'I don't want young girls or young boys to hear us constantly refer to God as he,' adding that it was important to be 'mindful of our language'".

"Be mindful of our language"? As if to refer to God the way Jesus did would be harmful to children.

Meanwhile in the United States, the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado chose for their new bishop a woman who sponsored a resolution supporting gender neutral language when referencing God.

Episcopal Pravda reports "[Episcopal Church in Colorado] The Rev. Kimberly (Kym) Lucas was chosen as the 11th Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Colorado during its 131st Annual Convention held at Saint John’s Cathedral in Denver on Oct. 27."

Who is Kym Lucas? Jeffry Walton reported on her back in January 2018,

"Embracing progressive themes, delegates to The 123rd Diocesan Convention approved legislative proposals “On Becoming a Sanctuary Diocese: Offering Sacred Welcome to Immigrants,” “On Inclusion of Transgender People,” and “On the Gendered Language for God” at the Washington National Cathedral on Saturday, January 27.
Resolutions were passed in under one hour and were introduced by a small number of delegates. The Rev. Kimberly Lucas, Rector of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., and a graduate of liberal Union Theological Seminary in New York, sponsored all three resolutions.
According to statistics made available by the Episcopal Church, St. Margaret’s has declined precipitously in the past five years, from approximately 240 attendees in 2006 down to 130 (-46%)."
Gendered Language
Resolution #3, “On the Gendered Language for God,” related to Book of Common Prayer revisions that will potentially be considered by the national church at General Convention this summer:
“…eliminate, when possible, all gendered references to God and to replace them with gender neutral language, and if necessary, to alternate gendered titles when referring to God.”
The resolution was amended to read “…if revision of the Book of Common Prayer is authorized, to utilize expansive language for God from the rich sources of feminine, masculine, and non-binary imagery for God found in Scripture and tradition and, when possible, to avoid the use of gendered pronouns for God.”
“Over the centuries our language and our understanding of God has continued to change and adapt,” the resolution drafters asserted. “Our current gender roles shape and limit our understanding of God. By expanding our language for God, we will expand our image of God and the nature of God. Our new Book of Common Prayer needs to reflect the language of the people and our society … language should not be limited by gendered pronouns when avoidable.”

A crazy priest from a parish in decline becomes a bishop of a diocese in decline. Genius! What were they smoking?

Maybe, just maybe the progressive agenda might have something to do with the decline.

Most assuredly the progressive agenda is to blame for the choices of  Rachel Treweek as bishop of Gloucester and Kym Lucas as bishop of Colorado.

I am afraid the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado will be left singing "Rocky Mountain Low" a decade from now.

Throw Away Your Cloak!

This Sunday's Gospel reading is Mark 10:46-52 in which a blind man is healed,

They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher,  let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

One interesting feature of this miracle is that the blind man is named. This means that he was known and therefore could be tracked down to verify the facts of the story if there were any doubts.

Matthew Henry in his 1706 Commentary adds a few extra points, 

This passage of story agrees with that, Matt. 20:29 Only that there were told of two blind men; here, and Luke 18:35; only of one: but if there were two, there was one. This one is named here, being a blind beggar that was much talked of; he was called Bartimeus, that is, the son of Timeus; which, some think, signifies the son of a blind man; he was the blind son of a blind father, which made the case worse, and the cure more wonderful, and the more proper to typify the spiritual cures wrought by the grace of Christ, on those that not only are born blind, but are born of those that are blind.

... The poor man, hereupon, made the best of his way to Christ; He cast away his loose upper garment, and came to Jesus (Mark 10:50); he cast away every thing that might be in danger of throwing him down, or might in any way hinder him in coming to Christ, or retard his motion. Those who would come to Jesus, must cast away the garment of their own sufficiency, must strip themselves of all conceit of that, and must free themselves from every weight, and the sin that, like long garments, doth most easily beset them, Heb. 12:1.

... It is not enough to come to Christ for spiritual healing, but, when we are healed, we must continue to follow him; that we may do honour to him, and receive instruction from him. Those that have spiritual eye-sight, see that beauty in Christ, that will effectually draw them to run after him.

I have not been able to determine if Bartimeus and Timeus were gentiles, Greek. The names would suggest they were, and this would once again demonstrate that Jesus did not restrict his healing miracles to the Jews. 

What Should a Sinking Diocese Focus On? Climate Change or Matthew 28:19-20?

The Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina (EDUSC) will hold its annual waste of time convention and has selected Climate Change (formerly known as "Global Warming") as its focus, as described by Bishop Waldo in the following message, 

"Breakout speakers for Leadership Day announced"

"A recent report from the global scientific authority on climate change warned us that the catastrophic effects of climate change could become our reality as early as 2030.

According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the planet will reach the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels by 2030. For the world at large, this heightens the risk of extreme drought, wildfires, flood, and food shortages for hundreds of millions of people.

Reversing centuries worth of damage to our world seems like a task entirely too large to take on. Global net emissions of carbon dioxide would need to lessen by nearly 50% and reach "net zero" in order to maintain a suitable climate. Because climate change seems like such an abstract thought, it is difficult to believe these changes are effecting us locally; it is even more difficult to know how we can even begin to make a difference.

With less than three weeks left until Leadership Day, we are proud to announce our breakout speakers, those who will offer facts and figures on climate change that effect our own local worlds.

Join us as Dr. James McClintock offers a riveting presentation on science and our stewardship of creation. As a fellow Episcopalian, he has served as an Endowed University Professor of Polar and Marine Biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham since 1987. McClintock has led/co-directed more than a dozen scientific expeditions with the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). Together, he and his research collaborators have become the world's authorities on Antarctic marine chemical ecology. He is the author of A Naturalist Goes Fishing and Lost in Antarctica – Adventures in a Disappearing Land.

Listed below are our speakers and a small bio detailing their life's work:• Rebecca McKinney: Food Systems and Sustainability/ResiliencySustainability Specialist, Bon Secours Health Systems, Greenville; Director, Sustainable Agriculture Program, Greenville Technical College; Founder, SC Organization for Organic LivingRebecca spends her time growing, raising, preserving and preparing food, and encouraging others to do the same. She is the executive director for SCOOL (South Carolina Organization for Organic Living), the academic program director for the Sustainable Agriculture Certificate Program at Greenville Tech, and Sustainability Specialist for Bon Secours St. Francis Health System.

• Lori Ziolkowski: Climate Change and FloodingAsst. Professor, School of Earth, Ocean and Environment, University of South CarolinaLori is a Canadian who turned her love of the outdoors into a career in science. From her first fieldwork experience as a high school student in northern Canada's boreal forest sampling microbial material on Arctic glaciers, today, she is passionate about understanding what controls the limits of life and carbon recycling on Earth. She has a special focus on biogeochemistry, geochemistry, and climate change. She is the first non-European to be awarded the Baillet LaTour/International Polar Foundation Fellowship, which is given to one scientist every two years.

• Shelley Robbins: Energy and AdvocacyEnergy and State Policy Director, Upstate ForeverShelley holds a degree in economics from Duke University, where she spent time at the Duke Marine Lab, and an MBA from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Her varied experience includes working with lemurs at the Duke Primate Center, regulating water and wastewater utilities for the Florida Public Service Commission, advocating for the protection of the Florida coast and outer continental shelf in Governor Lawton Chiles' Environmental Policy Unit, and facilitating technology transfer at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. She has been with Upstate Forever since 2007 and has lived in Spartanburg since 1998. She covers energy, transportation, and solid waste and recycling issues.

• Rob Brown: Land Use and ConservationRector, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, SpartanburgRob serves as rector of Saint Matthew's Episcopal Church in Spartanburg. Prior to seminary he worked as a legislative assistant and aide to Congresswoman Liz Patterson in Washington DC and in Spartanburg. He has a special interest in helping Christians serve as Stewards of God's Creation, and is currently doing doctoral work at Sewanee to sharpen that focus.

• John Tynan, Water QualityConservation Voters of South CarolinaPrior to joining CVSC, John oversaw the customer service, marketing, and government relations sections of Central Arkansas Water. He has also served as the Deputy Director of Upstate Forever and Commissioner of Public Works for the City of Greenville. John holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Furman University and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University. He is also a 2010 Enviropreneur Fellow from the Property and Environment Research Center.

Join us on November 2 for Leadership Day for a discussion on faith and conservation. To register for this event, please click here.
There is a $50 registration fee that includes dinner.Registration will begin at 1:00pm. Dr. James McClintock will give his speech shortly after at 1:30pm. Breakout discussions with our local environmental leaders with take place from 2:30 – 3:15pm and 3:45 – 4:30pm. We will end with our closing plenary and Evening Prayer at 5:00pm. Dinner will begin at 6:30pm."

Leadership Day? Why would we need that? This past Sunday we learned all that we need to know about leadership from the Lord himself.

"But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all." 

I am afraid that EDUSC in its mistaken attempt to save the Earth has forgotten that there is only one way that mankind can be saved, and that is by obeying and serving the Lord,

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 

Of course, obedience to the Lord's word is not something that revisionist bishops and priests take seriously, and that is why they are so easily led astray by the ever changing winds of the spirit of the age. 

How to Handle a Power Struggle

This Sunday's Gospel reading is Mark 10:35-45,

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’ 

That is a rather remarkable ask, but aren't we all guilty at one time or another of asking Jesus for what we want rather than what Jesus wants for us?

And he said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ And they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory. 

That request is so far over the top that it draws our attention, as it will draw the attention of the other ten disciples. Were James and John thinking of an earthly kingdom of which they would help to rule?

But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ They replied, ‘We are able.’ 

They still don't get it. To their minds the cup is full of wine, and baptism is just a dunk onto cold water.

Then Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 

I don't think they understood the dangerous consequences they will face for following Jesus, so Jesus has to let them down by answering, 

but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.’

Was Jesus planting the seeds of predestination here?

The nerve of those two, and that was just what the other disciples were thinking,

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. 

How many times have we seen power struggles tear an organization apart?

So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 

Jesus puts the ten in their place. There is no "i" in "team". Then he assures them that he is not exempt from this rule.

For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’ 

There is great power in Jesus' words about being powerless.

The only trap we might fall into is if we try to be more powerless than the next guy.

Ah, such is our nature.

Killing the Patient With Kindness: Trans-sexual Hormonal Treatments

From the Family Research Council  comes this,

"In a study of 5,000 people who identify as transgender, men trying to become women were 80 to 90 percent more likely to have a stroke or heart attack. They also had a higher risk of blood clots from the estrogen. That's an astounding level of risk for anyone, let alone these patients, who are choosing to create an imbalance in their system. 'This is the largest study of the health of transgender individuals on hormone therapy ever done,' one of the authors, Dr. Darios Getahun, told NBC News. 'Doctors and patients need to be aware of the possibility for increased health risks for transgender women.'"

Surprisingly this escaped the NBC News censors.

I sat on this for three months to see if it would gain any traction. It never did, and the "transgender" machine marches on.

There is an old saying in Medicine that by doing some things that your patient desires you may be "killing the patient with kindness".

In Medicine there is an older axiom attributed to the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, from "Of the Epidemics" , it goes,

“primum non nocere,”or, "First do no harm." 

And the long forgotten  the Hippocratic Oath which goes like this,

“I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous.”

Revisionist 20th century physicians like these from Harvard have written in an escape clause,

"The fact is that when difficult, real-time decisions must be made, it’s hard to apply the 'first, do no harm' dictum because estimates of risk and benefit are so uncertain and prone to error."

Uncertainty is one of  revisionists' primary arguments in any of our modern issues, be they medical or theological.

I wonder if physicians are informing their patients and the parents who are seeking these treatments for their children of all of the risks given the lack of research on any benefits gained by taking those risks.

The news media certainly isn't.

The Judge

This Sunday's reading from Hebrews 4:12-16 caused me to think about how we humans try to decide who is telling the truth, especially in light of the recent Justice Kavanaugh confirmation proceedings.

Over the millennia we have devised various methods of judging. The ancient Hebrews went through a time when there was no one to judge, then there were "Judges", then the Kings, the Babylonians, the Greeks, and the Romans. In the United States we now have the court of law, the court of the press, and the court of social media.

Still, we are often left wondering where the truth lies.

The fact of the matter is that The Truth never lies. Instead, it lives as Paul writes,

"Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account."

 When one takes an oath to tell the truth, and if it is taken with the words, "So help me God", the oath taker should remember that the word of God is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of his or her heart, and when their judgement day comes, all will be laid bare.

There is no such thing as "my truth", "his truth", or "her truth". The fact that we even speak in such terms should tell us that Truth is something that we are looking for, a hope, an ideal, something beyond us.

Luckily for us there is someone who has promised that he will advocate for us when our time to face the Truth comes.

"Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Accept Jesus as your advocate and Saviour, for on that terrible day when all of our lies, evil thoughts and intentions are exposed, He will stand beside you, placing his bloody hands on your shoulders and saying, "I died for this one too." 

Episcopalians In Need of Pastoral Care Following the Kavanaugh Hearings

The Justice Kavanaugh confirmation hearings took up a lot of the media's attention for the past  several weeks. The reaction from Episcopalians has been predictable. The national organization of Episcopalians whined that Kavanaugh's name be withdrawn before all of the facts were in, presuming guilt in order to claim a righteous stand against a nominee who they were vehemently opposed to anyway because of their fear that he might swing the court to restrict abortions. 

We heard about this via an e-mail from the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina last week,

By David PaulsenPosted Oct 4, 2018[Episcopal News Service] 

"Episcopal leaders, congregations offer pastoral responses in wake of Kavanaugh hearings  

With Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court potentially on track for a final vote in the Senate as soon as this weekend, some Episcopal leaders are adding their voices to the ecumenical response to Kavanaugh’s hearings and the sexual assault allegations against the judge.
The National Council of Churches, of which the Episcopal Church is a member, issued a statement Oct. 3 calling on President Donald Trump to withdraw Kavanaugh’s nomination because of his testimony during the hearings and his judicial record.
'Judge Kavanaugh exhibited extreme partisan bias and disrespect towards certain members of the committee and thereby demonstrated that he possesses neither the temperament nor the character essential for a member of the highest court in our nation,' the Council of Churches said."

These so called "churches" are really not interested in the judge's demeanor, it is all about abortion, abortion, abortion.

Nobody needs pastoral care, especially from Episcopal false teachers.

Apparently, some of the few remaining conservative Episcopalians who actually read these missals from Bishop Waldo's communications team were upset enough to let him hear about it. The Bishop was forced to apologize because of these "few" who spoke up. He issued the following letter yesterday,

9 October 2018
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
This past weekend, we sent out our usual EDUSC News email update. As always, our goal with this update is to share news from across the diocese and the larger Church. We make no political endorsements or condemnations, of persons or parties.
In our weekend edition of the EDUSC News, we included a report from the Episcopal News Service about Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination. The article led off with a summary of a statement by the National Council of Churches, of which The Episcopal Church is a member. We felt the statement was newsworthy regarding the larger Church, meriting its inclusion.
However, the majority of the article focused on various ways that dioceses and parishes across the country have responded to victims of sexual assault. The article highlighted the difficult but necessary work done by those gathered at General Convention this summer, listening to stories of those who have been victimized by others in the Church.
A few took exception to the inclusion of this Episcopal News Service report, to the extent that it is worth addressing with the whole Diocese.
These past few weeks, our national conversation about sexual assault took a new turn, bringing us into further difficult and consequential considerations. Women and men who are victims of sexual violence experience unspeakable trauma with often lifelong consequences. We must pray for all who suffer, including Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and her family. We must also pray for those who are accused, even falsely, for they suffer consequences as well. So, in this moment, we pray also for Justice Kavanaugh and his family.
It is difficult to deny that we as a nation seem to be living on the edge of a knife. Any number of subjects and events create opportunities for us to feel anger and bitterness toward one another and to give up on our relationships with each other within the Body of Christ. Ephesians tells us to approach one another “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” This is our call especially in the midst of conflict, a call to which the apostle Paul repeatedly called the earliest Christian communities.
When it comes to claims of sexual abuse in our institutions, our diocesan policy – and indeed the practice of The Episcopal Church – is to hold everyone affected in prayer. This ENS article failed to do that. We must take accusations seriously, and we must respect the dignity of all people; those who have suffered sexual assault and those who have been accused.
Therefore, when we are on the edge of a knife that seeks to cut us apart from one another, we, as the Church, must find a way back to each other. We must find ways to be open and honest with one another. We must listen before we judge.
I take every accusation of sexual violence seriously. I also seek to respond pastorally to all involved, both the accuser and the accused, and their families. I invite each of you to do the same.
Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Andrew WaldoBishop, Diocese of Upper South Carolina

I am still waiting for Bishop Waldo to apologize for sending a large chunk of these conservative Episcopalian's money to the National organization each year, money that goes to support heresy and of course abortion, abortion, abortion.

If conservatives were as mean and hateful as those acting up against everything Republican these days, pastoral care would be needed. Imagine hateful people hounding their bishops and their families, interrupting their meals at restaurants with chants of "Baby killer" or "Heretic". Imagine them planting thousands of tiny crosses in front of those bishops' cathedrals. Imagine them having die-ins in front of those bishops' cars preventing them from driving home. Imagine confronting them as they enter General Conventions or at their hotels during the convention.

Just imagine, because it won't happen.

We know how to behave, and besides, the S.S. Episcopal is sinking anyway, and we don't need to waste any more torpedoes on her.

Uncomfortable Words (For Revisionist Preachers)

This Sunday's reading is from Mark 10:2-16,

Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ They said, ‘Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, “God made them male and female.” “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’
Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.’People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

The last time I heard a revisionist Episcopal priest give a sermon after this Gospel reading, the focus was on the little children being brought to Jesus and how Jews considered children to be unclean, and that no respectable rabbi would ever touch them. "Humbug", I thought and understood he was not going to talk about the elephant in the pews, you know, Jesus' opinions about marriage and divorce.

But from the beginning of creation, “God made them male and female.” “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’

These "red letter words" are hard for revisionists to spin so they are usually conveniently ignored. Once ignored, everything else falls into place. Romans 1 can be trashed, the Old Testament can be bashed, and any part of scripture that you don't like can be buried.

Jesus' words are so plain here in taking us back to the beginning of creation. You can't argue with him on this unless you are willing to deny his Lordship by saying that he was wrong, or that he was meeting his audience where they were, or that his statement is about heterosexuals and has no bearing on same-sex marriage.

If you are in an parish where your preacher tries one of those arguments, or if he/she/it ignores those "uncomfortable" words, close your wallet or pocketbook and run for your life.

Episcopal Decline: Marriage and Baptism go together...

From my lifelong friend Wallace Hartley comes this,

As an observer from my ACNA lifeboat, I get to witness to the death throes of the S.S. Episcopal with every passing piece of flotsam and jetsam that drifts by carried on the waves of the internet.

Most recently, Jeff Walton at the IRD reported the dramatic drop in marriages and baptisms being broadcast by that sinking ship.

While it may make sense to most of us that Christian Marriage should lead to children which should lead to Baptism and little Christians who grow up to be big Christians who marry and have more children and therefore more baptisms, this common sense seems to have escaped Episcopalians who have abandoned Christian marriage for either hooking up,  "Holy Shacking Up", or same-sex marriage, none of which are advised by our Lord, and all of which will lead to the declines seen in the graphs pictured above.

Every time my friend the UndergroundPewster points out that Episcopalians need to repent and try to follow our Lord's desires for us, he/she gets slammed by someone calling themselves "Anonymous" who simply refuses to accept that the denominational ship is going down because it has gone off the course God charted for it long ago.

Watching the disaster unfold, I penned the following, 

With apologies to Apologies to  James Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn,

"Marriage and Baptism Go Together" 

Marriage and Baptism, Marriage and Baptism, go together it's common wisdom, known for generations, but lost on Episcopalians. 

Try, try, try to explain to them, and they'll say its evolution. Try, try, try and you will only add to their confusion. 

Marriage and Baptism, Marriage and Baptism have gone the way of Confirmation. Like the Catechism also, Gone the way of the dodo. 

Try, try, try to explain to them, and they'll say its evolution. Try, try, try and you will only add to their confusion. 

Marriage and Baptism, Marriage and Baptism, declines Episcopalians cannot fathom, let me tell you brothers (and sisters) you can't have one without the other.

Stumbling Blocks and Millstones

This Sunday's Gospel reading from Mark 9:38-50 is usually used by revisionist preachers to justify ecumenical activities (as long as they don't include groups like ACNA). There is much more to this selection from Mark that usually gets ignored by revisionists. Let's see if you can guess which parts might be problematic to some,

"John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’  But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.
 ‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me,* it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell., And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.
‘For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.’"

Mark 9:38-50 should prove to be a stumbling block to revisionist preachers because in it Jesus talks about millstones being tied around their necks and about them being tossed into the sea or being thrown into hell if they fail to cut out their revisionist teachings.

Since revisionists do not take the Gospel literally, they will never give up their teachings, even as their denominations go to Gehenna, sinking from the weight of those millstones.

Progressive Garbage in, Progressive Garbage Out: Is Heaven a Place on Earth?

One thing that is reflective of the progressive mindset is that we can create heaven on Earth or that we should be working to do so.

For the past few months there has been an annoying commercial running on television by the appropriately named Progressive Insurance company that proudly proclaims the progressive worldview. If you haven't seen and heard it, here it is,

"Heaven Is a Place on Earth" is a song from 1987. It hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on December 5, 1987. It also topped the charts in  the UK. The lyrics are concerned about romantic love, but stray into theology with the refrain and words like this,

"They say in heaven love comes firstWe'll make heaven a place on earthOoh, heaven is a place on earth"

Here are the rest of the lyrics,

Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth?
Ooh, heaven is a place on earth
They say in heaven, love comes first
We'll make heaven a place on earth
Ooh, heaven is a place on earth

When the night falls down
I wait for you and you come around
And the world's alive with the sound
Of kids on the street outside

When you walk into the room
You pull me close and we start to move
And we're spinning with the stars above
And you lift me up in a wave of love

Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth?
Ooh, heaven is a place on earth
They say in heaven love comes first
We'll make heaven a place on earth
Ooh, heaven is a place on earth

When I feel alone, I reach for you
And you bring me home
When I'm lost at sea I hear your voice
And it carries me

In this world we're just beginning
To understand the miracle of living
Baby, I was afraid before
But I'm not afraid anymore

Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth?
Ooh, heaven is a place on earth.
They say in heaven love comes first
We'll make heaven a place on earth
Ooh, heaven is a place on earth

In this world we're just beginning
To understand the miracle of living
Baby, I was afraid before
But I'm not afraid anymore

Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth?
Ooh, heaven is a place on earth
They say in heaven love comes first
We'll make heaven a place on earth
Ooh, heaven is a place on earth
Ooh, heaven is a place on earth
Ooh, heaven is a place on earth
Ooh, heaven is a place on earth
Ooh, heaven is a place on earth

My choral director missed the theological issue completely and was most annoyed that sometimes she might act like "Jamie" the director of the choir in the commercial. Everyone chuckled at the truth in her comment, but I cringed at the thought that no one saw the potential danger of the progressive worldview being conveyed by this seemingly harmless television ad.

The zeitgeist works its way into our mindset in many ways so we should be very careful about what society is feeding us.

As the updated saying goes, progressive garbage in, progressive garbage out.