Belgium: The bottom of the slippery slope

Many predicted that the slippery slope of "euthanasia" would end up like this report from The Times,

Euthanising elderly people who feel like a ‘burden’ on society would remove the stigma and free up resources, Luc Van Gorp said.

Belgium’s euthanasia laws should cover elderly people who are “tired of life” or who feel they are a burden on the public purse, a health insurance chief has urged.

Luc Van Gorp, 57, the president of the CM health fund, a Christian mutual insurance provider, said that the number of Belgians over 80 would double to 1.2 million by 2050.

“Many elderly people are tired of life. Why would you necessarily want to prolong such a life? Those people don’t want that themselves, and when it comes to budgets: it only costs the government money,” he told the Nieuwsblad newspaper. “We must remove the stigma.”

Belgium already has “liberal” legislation on euthanasia, which is usually administered by lethal injection. Patients need to claim “unbearable suffering”, including mental illness, to qualify.

Unbelievable? Not if you are a student of history and the Bible. 

Good Shepherd/Baaad Shepherd

This Sunday is called Good Shepherd Sunday and the reading from John 10:11-18 says it all,

‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.’

Back in 2012 I re-wrote the parable of the good shepherd to describe the baaaad shepherd,

You have in your flock many sheep. When you discover one missing, which one of you does not go out in search of the missing sheep? Which one of you, when you find that the lost sheep has discovered its authentic self as a pig, and is happiest when wallowing in mud, does not say, "Let me bring the rest of the flock here so that they too may wallow in the mud"? And when he has done so, he calls his neighbors, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, for I have found that sheep prefer to be pigs, and are happiest when they can wallow in the mire. Join us." Just so, that which was once considered sinful may now be considered blessed. (UP 7:11/12a)

I didn't think my modern parable would hold up very well so I added a follow up to the inevitable question, "Teacher explain this parable to us."

Do not do as this shepherd has done. For the owner of the sheep will come at sheep shearing time. Noticing that there are but few sheep in His pasture,  He sets out searching for the shepherd. Then the owner will find what appear to be pigs wallowing raucously in another man's sty and the lost shepherd watching over them. "They do look happy," the owner thinks, "But this is not the pure spring of water in which I had intended for them to bathe." And then He calls them, but because of their squeals of pleasure, they can not hear Him, and they can not follow His voice. He will then seek out the remnants of His flock that stayed in His pasture. I tell you, there will be more tears in heaven over the lost sheep and the lost shepherd than all the tears shed by man shed over all of time. (UP 7:11/12b) 

Sigh... this explanation will probably be rejected by various scholars as the work of some later redactor because modern studies have shown that sheep really are happiest when you let them wallow in the mire.

Meanwhile in Australia: You won't hear about this on NPR

The stabbing of a bishop in Australia may have been carried out by a Muslim teen. First the story from SkyNews,

"A Western Sydney church stabbing allegedly by a teenage boy that left a Christian priest and bishop injured has been classified as a 'terrorist attack' by police. Assyrian church leader Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was allegedly set upon by a 16-year-old boy armed with a knife on Monday just after 7pm as he delivered his sermon at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in the suburb of Wakeley, near Fairfield."

"NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb told reporters on Tuesday morning the teen allegedly turned up at the church armed with a 'possibly a flick knife' and allegedly stabbed the priest and bishop who have since undergone surgery for deep cuts."

"'We’ll allege there’s a degree of premeditation on the basis this person has travelled to that location, which is not near his residential address, he has travelled with a knife, and subsequently the bishop and the priest have been stabbed,' she said. Investigators believe at this stage the boy acted alone. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb on Tuesday morning said after “consideration of all the material” of evidence she had to declared it a 'terrorist incident'." 

Next some commentary by Bill Meuhlenberg at CultureWatch,

"It is said that the boy was upset, believing the Bishop insulted ‘the Prophet’ – Muhammad. It is also reported that he yelled Allahu Akbar as he attacked the Wakeley Bishop. More details will be forthcoming on all this, but it is a huge concern that radicalised teens are involved in jihad attacks like this.

While it is still early on, and more information is needed..."

This story will probably be ignored by American media outlets such as NPR just as they ignore the persecution and murder of Christians happening daily in the rest of the world.

 

Resurrection Appearances: Walking Cadaver?

 In today's reading from Luke 24:36-48, we see what happed after Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus.

While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.

 Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

 I once had a philosophy professor leading a Sunday morning discussion group who challenged me for believing in a "walking cadaver". I should have challenged him for believing that he could lead a church group.

Jesus' appearances were convincing enough for the apostles to give up their lives for believing that he was truly the risen Lord, and that's good enough for me.

Meanwhile in France

As hate speech laws march across western civilization, yet another incident has occurred. This time a French priest is under investigation, 

From the Christian Post,

 A French government official has called for the prosecution of a Roman Catholic priest over a video he posted to social media describing homosexual inclinations as "a weakness" that must be fought like any other sin.

Father Matthieu Raffray, 45, posted the video to his more than 60,000 Instagram followers on March 15, admonishing them to resist their sinful weaknesses, including homosexuality among them.

"We all have weaknesses: those who are greedy, those who are angry, those who have homosexual tendencies!" Raffray said in the incriminating video, according to French Catholic media outlet Famille Chrétienne.

He is in line with the Bible and with Roman Catholic teaching both of which run afoul of hate speech laws. 

I must be tight lipped the next time I travel to France. 

On Distributing Alms

This Sunday's reading from Acts 4:32-35 illustrates how the early Church handled the needy in their ranks,

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Recall that in Acts 2:44-47 we learned that the believers still had houses,

All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home (or from house to house) and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

In our church there is a small box in an inconspicuous place with the word "Alms" written on it. We also have a "Rector's discretionary fund" line item in our books. We use this mostly for non-members who approach the rector with specific needs. Our rector is usually quite careful about screening and dealing with these people, but keeping track of the money has been an issue raised by our Bishop. I can see how a ten or a twenty could easily be "misplaced". One option would be to stop handing out cash to the needy and instead write a check. Most of the needy would use a check cashing company that would take a substantial cut. Another option would be to stop handing out money and just offer food and clothing from our food bank and clothes closet. The last option would be to limit cash hand outs and to record the names of those to whom the alms are given. We are planning on the third option, and we shall make the alms box more visible. 

 

Before You Eat That Chocolate Rabbit....

 Over at Mercator to my horror I discovered that the chocolate Easter bunny that I have been enjoying should now make me feel guilty.

If you’re white and you buy your children chocolate eggs to eat this Easter, aren't you training them to become infant white supremacists? This question is so incredibly stupid that it could only be posed by someone with a PhD. 

Sad to say, even chocolate has now been tarred with the brush of “white supremacism” – at least according to the Harvard African and African-American Studies (AAAS) module E119, “Chocolate, Culture and the Politics of Food”. This subject at Harvard Extension School, a continuing education division at the University, now appears to have been discontinued. But its legacy lives on in high-school lesson plans. 

Looking up the course’s content online, it would appear to be entirely free of any known nutrients, intellectually speaking. Particularly notable is the warning to students with chocolate allergies that the course does involve eating chocolate, especially in “Unit 4: Eating Chocolate”. 

As useful as a chocolate teapot 

How can chocolate be racist? You would have to ask Carla D. Martin, PhD, the designer of the course in question, founder of the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute, which bills itself as “a scholar-led research organisation that seeks to reduce information asymmetry in the cacao and chocolate value chain.” What does this actually mean? Having spent some time looking through their extensive website, I’m none the wiser. 

I suppose this is why I never managed to get into Harvard.

Thank the Lord that I never applied to Harvard.

Like last week's post, Mick Jagger had better not perform "Brown Sugar" at Harvard.

Excuse me as I bite off one of my chocolate rabbit's ears.

Do I feel guilty now?

 Not!

He is Risen

Happy Easter everyone, and this is why we are happy:

 This performance of Mark Chapter 16 by Max McLean recounts the resurrection of Jesus. McLean's Fellowship for Performing Arts is the group that has created plays featuring the life and works of C.S. Lewis. 

Tell the world the good news!

Meanwhile in Scotland: No Joke

I have an upcoming trip across the pond on a choir tour, and a recent story from The Herald Scotland reminds me that I can't  mention this blog, and that I must not tell any jokes while I am over there. 

Police Scotland’s officers will investigate actors and comedians if a complaint is made under new hate crime laws.

Training, obtained by The Herald, states that material regarded as “threatening and abusive” under the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) can be communicated “through public performance of a play.”

Jesus would be jailed pretty quickly for some of his words under these hate crime laws. 

Just think what they would do to Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones if they performed "Brown Sugar" in Scotland.

 I guess I won't be seeing any of Shakespeare's plays performed during my travels. 

I had better keep my mouth shut, and I must carefully review our choral pieces for potentially offensive language before I board that plane.  

Addendum: I looked through our music, and I can only hope no Muslims show up for our church services. 

Palm Sunday: Looking Forward

 Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. Every church has its own traditions for Palm Sunday services. We usually start with the Liturgy of the Palms done in the narthex outside of the church's nave. Youngsters have to be told to not play with the palm fronds as they are handed out. Following that liturgy, we all process into the church singing, "Hail to the Lord's anointed" because our music machine plays a wrong note in "All glory laud and honor." This little glitch came to my attention as I was preparing the music for Sunday. We are not blessed with a choir or live organist, but our little black box (Hymnal Plus) usually does the job. This time it let me down. I shall have to contact the company that makes the thing, and that is not something that I look forward to...

I was looking forward to singing "All glory laud and honor."

I am really looking forward to Easter.

The LGBT numbers

 A recent Gallup poll suggests that the percentage of LGBT+ professing adults is growing largely due to the younger age groups,

"Overall, each younger generation is about twice as likely as the generation that preceded it to identify as LGBTQ+. More than one in five Gen Z adults, ranging in age from 18 to 26 in 2023, identify as LGBTQ+, as do nearly one in 10 millennials (aged 27 to 42). The percentage drops to less than 5% of Generation X, 2% of baby boomers and 1% of the Silent Generation."

 People identifying as bisexual are most of the new converts,

"Bisexual adults make up the largest proportion of the LGBTQ+ population -- 4.4% of U.S. adults and 57.3% of LGBTQ+ adults say they are bisexual. Gay and lesbian are the next-most-common identities, each representing slightly over 1% of U.S. adults and roughly one in six LGBTQ+ adults. Slightly less than 1% of U.S. adults and about one in eight LGBTQ+ adults are transgender."

I suspect a lot of those "bisexuals" are heterosexual who are just saying they are bisexual to keep up with the Joneses.

 LGBT+ activists will probably say that the increases are due to relaxing social pressures on people and freeing them to be what they were born to be. 

I say that declines in religion, marriage, and family free people to walk away from God's intended path.

The Order of Melchizedek

This Sunday's reading from Hebrews 5:5-10 hearkens back to Genesis,

 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,

‘You are my Son,

   today I have begotten you’;

as he says also in another place,

‘You are a priest for ever,

   according to the order of Melchizedek.’

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Who was Melchizedek? Go back to  Genesis 14:17-20, NIV,

After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).  Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,  and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Melchizedek seems to be the first priest of God, and he was a king. His order is mentioned in Psalm 110:4,

The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."

In researching how this applies to Jesus, I came across this comment in a discussion group, 

"...the name Melchizedek, like most Biblical names is also a regular word, in this case two words «Melech-Tzadik», meaning roughly «King-Priest». The significance of Jesus belonging to the order of king-priests, or holy-kings is that he, as the Messiah would ultimate replace both kingly and priestly orders existing at his times, by combining the two in himself."

Agreed.

I hope that clears things up.

 

When Does Life Begin?

 The recent decision by the Alabama Supreme Court that frozen in vitro blastocysts (approximately 58 cells), commonly called embryos but perhaps better termed pre-embryos, have personhood has led to considerable debate about everything except the underlying problem of determining when does human life begin. 

I am not going to solve that problem here today, but I am reminded of a joke. 

A major disaster occurred and thousands of people showed up at the Pearly Gates all at once. The angel in charge decided to process the priests, ministers, and rabbis first in hopes that they would be easy to judge. The angel brought three forward and told them that they would have to answer a simple question correctly or go back to the end of the line. First up was the Catholic priest, and the angel asked him, "When does life begin?" The priest answered, "I know that one. It is at the moment of conception." "Wrong, go to the back of the line," said the angel. Next up came the rabbi to whom the angel asked the same question. The rabbi responded, "I know this. It is at the moment the baby takes its first breath after leaving the womb." "Sorry, go to the end of the line," said the angel. The protestant minister was next, and after hearing the same question and the last two wrong answers said, "For me it was after the dog died and the kids moved out." The angel laughed and said, "Nice try but back you go too." The angel looked at the line of people and asked if any mere Christians were there. One couple came forward. The angel looked at them, glanced down at the Book of Life, and asked, "When does life begin?" The man and woman looked at each other, nodded, and replied, "Lord knows." The horns blew, the Pearly Gates swung open, and they entered into their heavenly reward.

Okay I added the couple to the joke.

From a scientific standpoint, the blastocyst should be considered a potential baby (or babies if twins or more form after implantation). In the course of in-vivo fertilization, implantation, and development of the placental blood supply a lot of things can and do go wrong. Only the Lord knows how many failed conceptions occur in the course of an individual woman's reproductive years, but scientists believe it is a high number. 

Oral contraceptives and intrauterine devices prevent implantation. Do they run afoul of  Alabama law?

I think the Catholic Church was right back in the 1960's when they warned us that the birth control pill would open us up to all sorts of potential problems down the road. The least of which is that we now play God with reproduction, and this becomes obvious in the case of in-vitro fertilization although most obvious in the case of elective abortion. 

At the present time there is no universal consensus as to the answer posed by our hypothetical angel in the joke above. The Alabama Supreme Court ruling sounds like the judgement that I myself might make if I were to sit in a human court, but the mere Christian answer is probably the best one that I could come with if my soul was on the line.

The gift of God

 This Sunday's reading from Ephesians 2:1-10 is packed so study it well.

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

As Protestants, we tend to focus on being saved by the grace of God and brought into faith, and we are not saved not by good works. We sometimes have to remind our Roman Catholic brethren that true good works will be done because of faith. 

I once knew a man named Dieu-donne Guidry whose name in Cajun French means "God's gift". While he was a great man, and to his mother he was God's gift, we know that the real gift God gives us in His loving grace.

Episcopal News Service Site Deemed Dangerous by Norton

 The other day I heard that the Episcopal Organization was going make disciplinary charges against its bishops more transparent. I thought the Episcopal News Service had the report so I tried to go to that site, but my Norton anti-virus program blocked me with the following warning, 

!

This site contains deceptive content

Web Shield has detected a variety of phishing items on static.addtoany.com that might attempt to trick you into installing harmful software on your computer and revealing your sensitive personal information, such as passwords, bank account information, etc.

 How true.

If you want to see who is under investigation right now, go to the Episcopal Organization's pages here.

This is the current list,

• Bishop Prince Singh (Abusive Behavior)
• Bishop Prince Singh (Improper Behavior–Diocese of Rochester)
• Bishop John Howard (Discrimination)
• Bishop John Howard (Financial)
• Bishop Paul-Gordon Chandler
• Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, Bishop Todd Ousley

PB Curry huh?

Poor Bishop Howard, his Title IV complaint alleged discrimination against LGBTQ clergy. 

I wish I had filed Title IV complaints about my former Episcopal bishop for failure to guard the faith after he decided to allow same-sex blessings just to see how quickly my complaint would have been squashed in comparison to how seriously complaints from LGBTQ clergy are taken.

Cœli enarrant (The Heavens Explain)

 Psalm 19 is called Cœli enarrant after the first line of the first verse. Enarrant means "explain" or "describe" which I think is a better way to represent what looking at the night sky can do for a person. 

1 The heavens declare the glory of God, *

and the firmament shows his handiwork.

2 One day tells its tale to another, *

and one night imparts knowledge to another.

3 Although they have no words or language, *

and their voices are not heard,

4 Their sound has gone out into all lands, *

and their message to the ends of the world.

5 In the deep has he set a pavilion for the sun; *

it comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber;

it rejoices like a champion to run its course.

6 It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens

and runs about to the end of it again; *

nothing is hidden from its burning heat.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect

and revives the soul; *

the testimony of the Lord is sure

and gives wisdom to the innocent.

8 The statutes of the Lord are just

and rejoice the heart; *

the commandment of the Lord is clear

and gives light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is clean

and endures for ever; *

the judgments of the Lord are true

and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold,

more than much fine gold, *

sweeter far than honey,

than honey in the comb.

11 By them also is your servant enlightened, *

and in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can tell how often he offends? *

cleanse me from my secret faults.

13 Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins;

let them not get dominion over me; *

then shall I be whole and sound,

and innocent of a great offense.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, *

O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

Sometimes when I am outside stargazing, I like to think that the Earth on which I am standing is upside down, and I am looking down into space with my feet held to the ground by what scientists call gravity. 

That's when I appreciate what the heavens are describing.

Not Even Variable Geometry Can Hold the Anglican Communion Together

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, should know that the Anglican Communion that he inherited is not going the same Anglican Communion that he hands over to his successor. Separation of the orthodox from Canterbury is inevitable barring a miracle such as seeing the Organization (that calls itself a Church) of England, the Episcopal Organization, and the Canadian Anglican Organization all repent and don sack cloth and ashes. Still, the Archbishop tries to hold things together. This time he looks to something called "variable geometry" which was not something you studied in High School math class. Maybe the creators of "Transformers" use it, but should religious organizations?

Anglican Futures gives a timeline of Justin Welby's prior attempts to put into words a way forward and this newest iteration,  

 Yesterday, he chose to look to the political sphere for a new solution, which he intends to put to those Primates of the Anglican Communion who are willing to meet with him in Rome in April.

“There”, he said, “we will look at what the communion could do to remain in a variable geometry of unity, but also an unvarying commitment of love in Christ. Those two expressions vary in geometry of unity and unvarying commitment of love in Christ offer us all a way forward in holy obedience to God".

I had to search for what this new term means over at "Feeling Europe",

"Variable geometry may not only refer to ways to alter the shape of an aircraft's wings in flight in order to alter their aerodynamic properties but also to a concept for multi-speed Europe, a proposed strategy for European integration, next the forms of multi-speed Europe and Europe a la carte."

"'Variable-geometry' Europe is the term used to describe the idea of a method of differentiated integration which acknowledges that there are irreconcilable differences within the integration structure and therefore allows for a permanent separation between a group of Member States and a number of less developed integration units. DI is considered to be a tool to achieve common aims and policies in politics, social fields, economy, legislation and institutional issues to strengthen sovereignty or to enhance effective capacity."

Back to Anglican Futures to sum it up,  

The Archbishop of Canterbury assumes that both the progressive and the orthodox understandings of sexuality and marriage can be described as showing “unvarying commitment of love in Christ” and “holy obedience to God”, despite being diametrically opposed to one another.  

And that is the problem.  His quest for unity has led the Archbishop to a position where the ultimate expression of holiness is a Church which holds together completely contradictory positions on fundamental issues, on which the bible speaks clearly.  

Variable geometry may work great in supersonic aircraft and in science fiction movies, but it won't hold the sinking ship that is the Anglican Communion together. 

 

Is the Revised Common Lectionary Antisemitic?

I have often commented on the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) and how the editors delete certain verses from the Sunday and daily Bible readings. This Sunday's reading from Genesis 17:1-7,15-16 has caught my eye before because the omitted sections talked about a subject that might be too touchy for sensitive Sunday pewsitters, and that would be "circumcision". This time I noticed the one other verse, verse 8, that got the ax, and left me wondering about the motives of the lectionary editors. I Genesis 17:1-16 and highlighted in red all of the omissions, but pay attention to verse 8 and see what you think.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty;* walk before me, and be blameless. 2And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.’ 3  Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, 4 ‘As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be Abram,* but your name shall be Abraham;* for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring* after you. 8 And I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are now an alien, all the land of Canaan, for a perpetual holding; and I will be their God.’

9 God said to Abraham, ‘As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 Throughout your generations every male among you shall be circumcised when he is eight days old, including the slave born in your house and the one bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. 13 Both the slave born in your house and the one bought with your money must be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.’

15 God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.’

 We cannot let the pewsitters hear that God gave "all the land of Canaan, for a perpetual holding" to his chosen people especially during these times. Were the RCL editors being antisemitic when they cut out verse 8 from the Sunday reading?

God gave Abraham's offspring the land, but He never said it was going to be easy.

 

Should You Watch "The Chosen"?

 I have not watched "The Chosen", but I have heard from various people who liked it. I have the Bible, and I always said, "The book was better than the movie" whenever it came to comparing the two forms. 

The other day I came across a negative review by Catholic author Leila Miller titled, "Christology matters. Reject the false 'Jesus' of The Chosen." In it she posits that the on screen Jesus is created in our image instead of the other way around. I won't get into the details of her arguments or her anti-Protestant tenor, but her addendum at the bottom sums it up,  

"I finally realized why the false 'Jesus' in The Chosen repels me. He's the same guy from my 1970s and 1980s CCD classes. He was the catalyst for so many to flee Catholicism and empty the pews. Gosh, that gee-whiz Jesus loved us all so much! He just wanted us to be happy and “follow our hearts”. He was so inoffensive and groovy that I went on to live many years of mortal sin, just knowing that nice Jesus understood me."

I once attended an Episcopal church and the revisionist priest installed a picture of a laughing Jesus in the parish hall as one of his first moves to liberalize the congregation. I was probably the only person who objected, and my reasons are echoed in Leila Miller's addendum above. 

I don't think I'll be watching The Chosen unless I am called upon to do so by a fan of the show who presents me with a falsehood they learned from watching it and is in need of correction.

Bad News/Good News

This Sunday's reading from Mark 1:9-15 is a good example of the brevity of Mark's Gospel. He tells us so much with so few words. 

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’

 I was struck when reading this that Jesus calls for repentance first before belief, and I had to think that so many people miss the need for repentance these days and have changed the intent of the words, "just as I am" to mean that their life does not need transformation. 

I have some more bad news for them. If they come to believe in Jesus and his Gospel, they will discover that they need to repent, and they will be changed.

Just as I am - without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,

-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - and waiting not

To rid my soul of one dark blot,

To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,

-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - though toss'd about

With many a conflict, many a doubt,

Fightings and fears within, without,

-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - poor, wretched, blind;

Sight, riches, healing of the mind,

Yea, all I need, in Thee to find,

-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - Thou wilt receive,

Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;

Because Thy promise I believe,

-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - Thy love unknown

Has broken every barrier down;

Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,

-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - of that free love

The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove

Here for a season, then above,

-O Lamb of God, I come 

Original Lyrics from Charlotte Elliot, 1835

 

Rome's Rules for Fasting

As we ring in a new Lenten season today, here is what I call "Rome's Rules for Fasting":

The Rules for the Roman Catholic Church:
The Code of Canon Law prescribes (Canons 1250-1252):

Can. 1250: The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.
Can. 1251: Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Can. 1252: The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.

Growing up, my mother claimed that fish was not meat, so we were permitted to eat fish on Friday. From reading the canons above, it appears that as long as we were under 15 we could have eaten a whole cow and gotten away with it.

In the United States, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has declared that "the age of fasting is from the completion of the eighteenth year to the beginning of the sixtieth."

Not only do I get a pass from jury duty, I no longer have to fast if I don't want to.

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence. 

For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are:
1) Obligatory from age 18 until age 59.
2) When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal. Two smaller meals may also be taken, but not to equal a full meal.
3) The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards (also from USCCB).

Our ACNA priest is not into fasting, so I am on my own if I hope to lose those pounds I put on from Thanksgiving through Fat Tuesday.

 

A time to be silent and a time talk

 In this Sunday's reading from Mark 9:2-9, three of Jesus' followers witness the Transfiguration,

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’ Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

A remarkable story to be sure. What if Peter, James, or John had testified about the Transfiguration earlier? I suspect that they would have been crucified at Golgotha alongside Jesus. 

Then where would we be?

 

 

Got Religion

 This month we say goodbye to an old friend and resource, the GetReligion blog. I can't say enough good things about those pages that highlighted the religion ghosts in reported news. They helped open a lot of eyes, but probably did little to change the tone of journalism's current residents towards religion. 

For details please read the following two posts,

GetReligion will close on February 2, the 20th anniversary of this blog's birth

and

Farewell, after 20 years: Why we did what we did

I got religion news from the GetReligion blog. 

Where will we get it now?

Jesus at Simon Peter's House

 This Sunday's reading from Mark 1:29-39 brought back memories of our trip to "Capharnaum the town of Jesus" as they like to call it these days. 

As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

 That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, ‘Everyone is searching for you.’ He answered, ‘Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.’ And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

We visited the presumed site of the synagogue as well as Simon Peter's house. A church had been built over the house, but it was destroyed in the seventh century by the Persians. Now the old house walls have been exposed for us.   

As for deserted places to which Jesus might have gone, there are plenty of those in the vicinity.

Meanwhile in England: "You are not allowed to sing church songs outside of the church grounds"

Dame Vera Lynn once sang, "There'll always be an England", but I am starting to doubt the Lady.

From Anglican Mainstream,

"A Metropolitan Police special constable has reprimanded a popular Christian singer, claiming she couldn’t sing ‘church songs’ outside of church grounds.

The Daily Mail reports that Harmonie London, a gospel singer with over 300,000 YouTube subscribers, frequently treats passersby to worship music during her performances on London’s busy Oxford Street. When she protested that she was allowed to sing, the officer insisted that such songs required authorisation from the church.

The singer posted a video of the officer laughing and sticking out her tongue as she walked away. "

If only we could sing with Harmonie London and Dame Vera this song to the constable, 

"...and England shall be free. If England means as much to you as England means to me."

I give you a toast Ladies and gentlemen

I give you a toast Ladies and gentlemen

May this fair land we love so well

In Dignity and freedom dwell

While worlds may change and go awry

There'll always be an England

While there's a country lane

Wherever there's a cottage small

Beside a field of grain

There'll always be an England

While there's a busy street

Wherever there's a turning wheel

A million marching feet

Red, white and blue

What does it mean to you?

Surely you're proud

Shout it loud

Britons awake!

The Empire too

We can depend on you

Freedom remains

These are the chains

Nothing can break

There'll always be an England

And England shall be free

If England means as much to you

As England means to me

On attending a same-sex wedding

This Sunday's reading from 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 was mentioned at the recent Mere Anglicanism conference when talking about living in a secular world and being asked to do things that might compromise our Christian faith. We were told to stand firm. I suggest this passage is applicable to the question of attending a same-sex wedding.

Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that ‘all of us possess knowledge.’ Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him.

Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that ‘no idol in the world really exists’, and that ‘there is no God but one.’ Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as in fact there are many gods and many lords— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ‘Food will not bring us close to God.’ We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling-block to the weak. For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.

So basically, while it would not harm my faith to attend a same sex wedding like 
Paul would not be shaken if he ate meat sacrificed to an idol, I will never attend such a thing because of the harm it may do to others by sending a message that I was approving of the "marriage".

Carl Trueman (one of our speakers) at First Things put it this way, 

"There are also obvious reasons why a Christian should never attend a gay wedding. Many wedding liturgies, including that of the Book of Common Prayer, require the officiant to ask early in the service if anyone present knows any reason why the couple should not be joined together in matrimony. A Christian is at that point obliged to speak up."

"In short, attending a gay wedding involves remaining silent when one should speak. It involves a concession on bodily sex that undermines any attempt to hold fast to the importance of the biological distinction between men and women. And it involves approving of a ceremony that makes a mockery of a central New Testament teaching and of Christ himself. That’s a very high price tag for avoiding hurting someone’s feelings. And if Christians still think it worth paying, the future of the Church is bleak indeed."

Indeed, I have already declined to attend a same-sex wedding involving a family member. 

No harm done.

Mere Anglicanism 2024: "To disagree and love at the same time"?

 Last week I attended the 2024 Mere Anglicanism conference in Charleston, South Carolina. I enjoyed listening to the speakers who, for the most part, stuck to the theme of "Speaking the Truth in Love: The Church and the Challenge of the new Morality". There was some drama and controversy and some not so loving words which left everyone with questions about the problems Anglicans in America may face and how they can discuss them openly.

First, let me say something about each speaker's presentation in order .

1) D.A. Carson: "The Scriptures and God's framework for human flourishing".

    He focused on Isaiah chapter 3 and Colossians 3. Isaiah tells us of God's judgement due to rebellion and poor leadership. God takes away "flourishing" but promises hope of a return to Him. In Colossians flourishing is the putting aside of earthly things. We are dead and risen.

2) Carl Trueman: "Who am I? Defining Identity and Self in an Age of Faulty Anthropology".

What does it mean to be human? Who we are is more important than what we are, but it should be the other way around as we are God's creatures who have,

a) rejected our limits and are committed to overturning the limits of the past. 

b) rejected teleology (things move towards an end) because our end should be to glorify God and worship Him forever, but instead we want to decide our own ends.

c) rejected our natural obligations to others. The obvious example is seen in marriage, sexual activity, and child rearing. 

How should the Church respond? By recovering teaching, liturgy, and community.

3) Calvin Robinson: "Critical Theory: Antithetical to the Gospel?" Feminism is the gate through which the attack on patriarchy and heteronormativity enters the Church. "Priestesses" (his term) in the Church of England and the need for equal numbers vs male priests resulted in a liberal Church, a compromised Church, and acceptance of Marxism (which had as one of its goals a revolution against religion). Critical theories are another name for Marxism. 

4) Sam Allberry: "Why our bodies and what we do with them matter"

1 Corinthians 6:13 "13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

In the Bible your body is you. Now we are whatever we want. "We are fearfully and wonderfully made", and the body is for the Lord, and because God dwells in us, our bodies are the temple of God.

5) Rebecca McLaughlin: "Right Thinking: Gospel truths in a culture subscribing to a secular creed",

Many secular claims are Christian based, help people to see that. She talked about her own same-sex attraction, overcoming it and being married with children, and how she faced protestors and tried to work with same sex couples. 

6) Amy Orr Ewing: "Face to Face: speaking the truth in love in relationship".

Conversational evangelism is biblical and historical. 

How to deal with difficult questions? Start with love of the other person. Be clear about where you come from (follower of Jesus), ask empathetic questions to learn what drives them (example: injustice which points to God's imprint on us so we see injustice as wrong), be aware of their trauma, listening, lose your fear of their rage, "the battle is God's" , be proactive, and be persistent in prayer.

7) John Dickson: "Gospel Hospitality in a Fractured World".

Jesus is the epitome of Gospel hospitality. He loved outsiders and ate with sinners. At table fellowship, Jesus expected his grace to transform.  Our fractured world has lost the moral imagination to disagree and love at the same time.

After these talks, there was a panel discussion, and that is where the controversy happened. Instead of being seated on the panel and given a chance to explain how his talk was appropriate to the topic to which he was assigned as planned, Fr. Calvin Robinson was told to not join the panel discussion. Organizers say that he was "disinvited" (Calvin Robinson's term) because he did not address the topic, an explanation that has left many wondering if there was anything else involved. 

I have my suspicions, but looking at my notes, Fr. Robinson did address the topic. I think his conclusions and the use of "trigger" language such as "priestesses" led the Bishop to advise Fr. Miller to disinvite Calvin Robinson, a man who everybody should have known can cause controversy. 

I wanted to see how the panel would interact with Fr. Robinson. I would have liked to have heard an open discussion about the elephant in the room, women's ordination, which remains a source of disunity in the Anglican Church in North America. That would have provided us all with a real life example of "Speaking the Truth in Love" face to face. To have him at the table would show "Gospel hospitality". Alas, it was a missed opportunity to "disagree and love at the same time."

As for Fr. Calvin, he too has a thing or two to learn about "Speaking the Truth in Love". He should have known that the use of the word "priestess" is offensive to female priests and is to some of them regarded as bad as using the "n" word to refer to a black person (I hope he did not understand this beforehand). He will hopefully learn to approach things more carefully as he grows and matures in Christ.

One other criticism of the panel discussion is that one panelist concluded that attending a same sex wedding might be okay if everyone there understood that you were clearly opposed to same sex marriage, and no one on the panel spoke up in opposition to that stance.

I know that the organizers have received this feedback.

I pray they do better next time. 

 

Fishing for people

 This Sunday's reading from Mark 1:14-20 continues the Epiphany trend of Sunday lessons about Jesus' early ministry.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’

As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

 How many heard the call but failed to follow Jesus? Based on today's statistics, probably a lot of them closed their ears and walked away.

Jesus, give us the courage to keep fishing for men.

 

 

What is the leading cause of death worldwide?

 According to the Worldometer site it is abortion. At the time I wrote this, there were 2,625,743 deaths this year and 1,934,546 abortions this year. 

And it is only January.

A Sure Bet

This Sunday's Psalm reading in churches using the Revised Common Lectionary is Psalm 139:1-5,12-17, Domine, probasti.

1 Lord, you have searched me out and known me; *

you know my sitting down and my rising up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

2 You trace my journeys and my resting-places *

and are acquainted with all my ways.

3 Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, *

but you, O Lord, know it altogether.

4 You press upon me behind and before *

and lay your hand upon me.

5 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; *

it is so high that I cannot attain to it.

darkness and light to you are both alike.

12 For you yourself created my inmost parts; *

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

13 I will thank you because I am marvelously made; *

your works are wonderful, and I know it well.

14 My body was not hidden from you, *

while I was being made in secret

and woven in the depths of the earth.

15 Your eyes beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb;

all of them were written in your book; *

they were fashioned day by day,

when as yet there was none of them.

16 How deep I find your thoughts, O God! *

how great is the sum of them!

17 If I were to count them, they would be more in number than the sand; *

to count them all, my life span would need to be like yours.

 I think some of the lessons taught in this Psalm will not be mentioned by revisionist preachers in their sermons today. In fact you can bet on it. See if you can guess what I am talking about. They will probably talk about racism instead. 

Vatican Clarification: a 15 second Blessing is not heretical

Following up on Pope Francis clearing the way for same-sex blessings, the Vatican posted a clarification. 

From Premier Christian News,

 The Vatican's doctrinal office released a five-page statement emphasizing the brevity of the blessings, lasting around 10 to 15 seconds, with a focus on seeking peace, health, and other positive outcomes for the couple. 

The clarification stressed that allowing priests to perform such blessings is neither heretical nor contradictory to the Church's traditions.

Acknowledging the varying attitudes towards homosexuality globally, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith emphasized the need for "pastoral prudence." It recognized that in countries where laws criminalize homosexuality, openly blessing gay couples could lead to persecution, imprisonment, or even threats to life.

This pig still does not fly. 

Faithful Roman Catholics should fly.  

 

Epiphany: Stars don't stop after they rise!

The reading for Epiphany is from Matthew 2:1-12 which tells us of the travels and arrival of the wise men.

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

 “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

   are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

   who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

The wise men followed a star that rose as stars do but then stopped over Bethlehem.  That is not normal behavior for a star. Planets do show retrograde motion, but that can only be discerned over several days, and when a planet in retrograde motion rises, it keeps on rising normally and does not stop. 

The star of Bethlehem could not have been a normal star, planet, or comet as has been suggested by many. It must have been something else, something out of the ordinary.

I'll chalk it up to a miracle.

2024

2023 was quite a year. We saw the LGBT+ agenda move forward in the Organization of England formerly known as the Church of England in the form of the blessing of same sex couples, and we had the Roman Catholic Organization give a pass to "blessings" of same sex persons. We also saw 7,300 United Methodist churches leave the denomination because the American United Methodist Organization's endorsement of the LGBT+ agenda. 

As I sit and finalize the 2023 books for our small ACNA parish church, I am encouraged by the numbers which show a nice increase, and I am happy to see new faces in the pews and at Bible study. 

While the world is in turmoil as it always will be, I am looking forward to doing what I can to spread the Word in 2024.

His name is Jesus.