The Work of John

This Sunday's reading from John contains the densest beginning of any of the Gospels.

John 1:1-18In 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 as of a 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.

It is believed (by most) that the apostle John was the longest lived of the apostles, this might explain why his Gospel appears to convey a more developed theology rather than being a simple recitation of events. The recurring theme of light versus darkness may have been a part of John's style of preaching in my opinion.

John is also believed to have moved to Ephesus with Mary. The church he led there may have been to whom Paul addressed his letter, or Paul may have been writing to a separate church made up of converted Gentiles. Whatever the case, Paul's tone in his letter seems to indicate that things in Ephesus were going well which also suggests that John's work there was doing well. 

The Clarity of Christmas

Five years ago, Al Mohler gave a commencement address at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In the following excerpts, I hope you will see the clarity of Christmas and that you will share it with those who still live in darkness.

We live in a day of terminal theological confusion — a day when that confusion comes from far too many pulpits and lecterns and churches. Christmas is the great biblical refutation of that confusion. A simple reading of the gospel accounts of the birth of Jesus presents declarative sentences, undeniable truth claims, unavoidable clarity...

"The celebration of the birth of Christ puts everything on the table. The unswerving directness and crystalizing simplicity of the Christmas message leaves no room for confusion. Reading the gospel texts we know that we either believe or run away. This is either the greatest truth ever declared, or it is the saddest lie ever told. The Christmas story cannot be reduced to a sentimental tale that gives humanity a warm glow. When the heavenly host declares that Jesus is the Savior who is Christ the Lord, they announce the forgiveness of sins to those who repent and believe and they declare war on those who would oppose this child..."

"This is the truth we declare to all today. Unto us was born that day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. The sunrise has come from on high. And we are saved." - Al Mohler

Merry Christmas to all who stop by this day!

The Virgin Birth

In this Sunday's reading from Matthew 1:18-25, we hear of the virgin birth and the saintly behavior of Joseph.

"Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,   and they shall name him Emmanuel’,which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus."

Joseph was obedient and saintly in not putting Mary away. His family, friends, and neighbors were probably giving different advice.

In today's lingo we might say that "He took one for the team".

When I was little, we would to take old bricks and build forts and such. We used a lot of these,

From Reef2Reef

Joseph's faith was as strong as those bricks.


The world needs more St. Josephs.

Jesus and his two dads

Cameron Esposito posted the following picture on Twitter of a gay nativity scene,

I am not at all surprised that this kind of thing is displayed, posted, and praised given the drift of society over the past several decades. I can only imagine the outrage that would have occurred if this nativity showed up on my neighbor's yard when I was a child.

Nor was I surprised when I read the comments on Twitter about the picture. One had the nerve to post,

"The Bible says that Jesus had two dads. I see nothing wrong with this."

These people do not realize that they are mocking God, and history tells me that is not a good idea. 

Advent 3: Give us the whole Psalm please!

This Sunday, churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) will once again get an abbreviated version of the selection from the Psalms. Psalm 146 verses 4-9 will be recited if not sung.

As usual, imprecatory verses get the ax, but not in ACNA churches where the entire Psalm 146 will be read or sung.

So, I have printed the entire thing, and I have highlighted in red the verses that are cut out by the RCL.

1 Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord, O my soul! *
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

2 Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, *
for there is no help in them.

3 When they breathe their last, they return to earth, *
and in that day their thoughts perish.

4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *
whose hope is in the Lord their God;

5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; *
who keeps his promise for ever;

6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
and food to those who hunger.

7 The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind; *
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

8 The Lord loves the righteous;
the Lord cares for the stranger; *
he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked.

9 The Lord shall reign for ever, *
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
Hallelujah!

10 The LORD cares for the strangers in the land; he defends the fatherless
and widow; *
but the way of the ungodly he makes crooked.

11 The LORD shall be King for evermore, *
even your God, O Zion, throughout all generations. Praise the LORD.

Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina Resolves: No Support for Adoption

One thing I cannot stand about church conventions is that there are always those darned resolutions to vote on.  The Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina met last month, and one resolution that was squashed by the Committee on Resolutions was a plan to financially support non-governmental organizations that facilitate adoption. This of course is completely contrary to the Episcopal Organization USA's official policy of supporting (spiritually) abortion services for unwed mothers.

First read the proposed resolution (or go to the link),

PROPOSED RESOLUTION
The 97th Convention of the Diocese of Upper South Carolina
Christ Church
Greenville, South Carolina November 8-9, 2019
Date: August 8, 2019 Offered by: The Reverend James Neuburger
Name of Church: The Episcopal Church of St. Simon and St. Jude, Irmo, SC 

Subject: Supporting the Youngest Among Us 

Whereas:

As the pinnacle of creation, God created human beings in His image to enjoy Him forever, and at our baptisms God adopts us into Christ’s family as his brothers and sisters; and whereas the National Council for Adoption reports that in 2014 there were 18,329 domestic adoptions in relation to 1.1 million unwanted pregnancies; and whereas U.S. adoption providers estimate there are over 1 million couples currently waiting to adopt in the United States; and whereas adoption is the kind, loving choice for everyone involved in an unwanted pregnancy;

Be it Resolved:

That this Diocese affirms and offers God’s love for each human life by committing, beginning in 2021, to support pregnant mothers who do not wish to care for their unborn children by providing financial support to non-governmental organizations that offer services to pregnant women that facilitate the adoption of their babies. The amount of the financial support committed will be at least 0.7% of EDUSC’s projected annual income. The funding for this support will come from eliminating from the 2021 and all future diocesan Statement of Missions the MDG funding directed in 2005 under the standing resolution adopted by 83rd Convention of the Diocese of Upper South Carolina and reported by the Commission on Mission in the EDUSC Statement of Mission and applying such funding to this support. Such financial support will be provided annually and will continue until either 2030 or until terminated by resolution of a future diocesan convention, whichever comes first.
Further, this Diocese encourages the Commission on Mission, as part of the Statement of Mission request process, to identify the non-governmental organizations that offer adoptive services to pregnant women in South Carolina to whom support will be distributed, and to report annually through its Statement of Mission request submission the amount of such aid and the organization(s) to receive the distribution of such aid.

Recognize that the 0.7% of the projected annual income of  $2,870,508 in 2020 (a decrease from $3,047,294 in 2019) would amount to about $20,000, and this probably infuriated people invested in any of the many programs that were cut from the budget (for a look at the budget itself see this link). Those upset obviously didn't mind that $252,000 was being budgeted to be sent to the pro-abortion radicals at 815.

Anyway, here is the "rationale" from the Committee on Resolutions on why the Convention should reject the resolution (note: SOM means Statement of Mission or budget).

The Episcopal Diocese of Upper South CarolinaThe 97th Diocesan Convention 

Recommendation from the Committee on Resolutions 

A Resolution entitled: Supporting the Youngest Among Us 

Committee on Resolutions Recommendation: Reject this resolution. First, we are concerned by the judgmental and negative presumptions about pregnant women (and pregnant children) in this proposed resolution indicated in the following phrases [emphasis is by the Resolution Committee]: 

 “whereas adoption is the kind, loving choice for everyone involved in an unwanted pregnancy”

I must interrupt at this point. What is negative and judgmental  about that?

 “to support pregnant mothers who do not wish to care for their unborn children”

Maybe that sounded judgmental. If so, the committee could have offered to substitute the word "raise" for the word "care", but that would of course have been judgmental on their part.

Also, these presumptions are not in keeping with the position established by TEC,which is expressed as follows: 

From the TEC website: “In a series of statements over the past decades, the Church has declared that ‘we emphatically oppose abortion as a means of birth control, family planning, sex selection, or any reason of mere convenience.’ At the same time, since 1967, The Episcopal Church has maintained its “unequivocal opposition to any legislation on the part of the national or state governments which would abridge or deny the right of individuals to reach informed decisions [about the termination of pregnancy] and to act upon them.” 

In other words, abortion is the sacred cow to which Episcopalians are obliged to bow down.

Second, we are concerned that funding for this resolution is based on the complete defunding of projects we have supported for many years through the 0.7%Sustainable Development Funds. Supporting this resolution would be an outright rejection of mission projects we have shared with people with whom we have developed relationships over many years in Haiti and Ecuador.  

Why bring Haiti and Ecuador into it? To pull at heart strings of course. Feelings are what sway Episcopalian conventioneers so that they will not realize, as I noted above, that the $20,000 could be skimmed directly from what is being sent to the pro-abortion nuts at 815.

Third, we are concerned that changes to the SOM which so adversely impact historic missions of our diocese are more appropriately made through the SOM process so the appropriate Commission can evaluate all requests at once and determine priorities as appropriate to diocesan goals of making, equipping and sending mature disciples of Christ. 

Since when have Episcopalians been concerned about processes? They only bring up processes when the rules work in favor of a progressive cause, otherwise processes are ignored, re-written, or steamrolled.

Finally, we believe it is inappropriate to direct diocesan funds to un-specified “nongovernmental organizations that offer adoptive services to pregnant women”because some of these organizations in our state withhold services based on prejudicial view about adoptive parents that The Episcopal Church finds completely unacceptable.

Oh my! Money might actually go to Christian charities that support adoption!

All of this should give thinking Episcopalians good reason to stop sending money to EDUSC. 

"Yummy, yummy, yummy, I got bugs in my tummy", sang John the Baptist

or was it "A spoon full of honey helps the locusts go down, the locusts go down, the locusts go down..."?

This Sunday's reading from Matthew 3:1-12 tells the story of John the Baptist's ministry and his unusual diet,

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:“Prepare the way of the Lord,   make his paths straight.” ’Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume 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.
 ‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’

I have read several thoughts about John the Baptist's tastes in food floating around the web, and I learned a few things:
1) locusts are kosher.
2) Once all of your crops have been eaten by locusts, what else do you have to eat but bugs?
3) The locusts represent judgement and the honey represents salvation, and this matches John's message.
4) There are a number of good recipes for locusts and honey out there, and here is one,

From Inn at the Crossroads,

This Volantene recipe results in a sweet & spicy, super crunchy snack that is surprisingly good. It takes a bit of psychological adjustment to get over the idea of eating bugs, but the novelty and brag-factor makes it well worth the effort. Underlying the more familiar tastes of honey and spice is the real flavor of the crickets- a sort of smoky nuttiness that takes several bites to savor.
We dared to try it. Do you?

Honey-spiced LocustsIngredients:1/4 cup butterpinch of salt1 cup cleaned insects (we used freeze dried crickets from Amazon)2 Tbs. honey1 tsp. Aleppo pepper, mixed in with the honeyMelt your butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the insects and and salt and stir gently for around 10 minutes, making sure to get them completely covered in butter.When the bugs are suitably crisped, drizzle the spice-honey over them and stir a bit more. Then spread them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and cook for around 10 minutes at 200 F, until the bugs are no longer quite so sticky.

Maybe we should bring some of these for the after-church snack and coffee hour.

I wonder how newcomers would react to that!

R.I.P. St. Louie, Louie, Louie, Louie, Lou-I Crew

This week I got the news that Louie Crew was dead. "Who was he?", you ask. He was one of the powers behind the Episcopal gay revolution that brought down the denomination. The fact that most pewsitters never heard of him was one of the reasons for his success. Bishops, priests, and many deacons knew him as did many General Conventioneers, a modus operandi which was crucial in getting the gay agenda pushed forward legislatively. The people in the pews were not his target because they could be counted on to follow their shepherds off any cliff as long as the parish church lights stayed on and the roof didn't leak too badly.

The Episcopal News has their version of Louie's bio in which they make it clear to this reader that Louie is well on his way to Episcopalian sainthood with reports like this,

"On social media, Crew was remembered as 'a holy troublemaker,' 'a great light,' 'giant of justice' and a 'gift to the church.'”

A gift that revisionist clergy couldn't turn down.

I had but one run in with him when I challenged his take Galatians 3.

"Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian..."

These verses have been used by revisionists to justify Sin and to cast their favorite sins as works of the Holy Spirit. To them, the sexual morality codes found in the Bible are a prison. "We are no longer subject to a disciplinarian" is the perfect excuse to push the gay agenda.

Louie Crew at his site, "Queer Eye for the Lectionary" looked at Galatians 3:25 and fell right into the trap.

"The church violates the Saint’s claim if it requires lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and the transgendered to live under the law no longer required of hetero Christians."

The queer eye reads things the way the queer heart desires things to be.

Maybe the Episcopal church would have gone under the spell of the LGBTQetc movement without a Louie Crew, but since he decided to take on the job of destroying the denomination, he deserves his share of the blame, and all of us in the pews deserve the blame for letting him go unnoticed.

In Days To Come

This Sunday's reading from Isaiah 2:1-5 describes a future that we have yet to see, when there will be peace between nations,

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come   the mountain of the Lord’s houseshall be established as the highest of the mountains,   and shall be raised above the hills;all the nations shall stream to it.   Many peoples shall come and say,‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,   to the house of the God of Jacob;that he may teach us his ways   and that we may walk in his paths.’For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,   and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations,   and shall arbitrate for many peoples;they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,   and their spears into pruning-hooks;nation shall not lift up sword against nation,   neither shall they learn war any more.

 O house of Jacob,   come, let us walk   in the light of the Lord!

Some day, there will be peace on Earth and good will towards men.

Some day.