I wonder if there is a message here

 

Holy Innocents Episcopal Church was destroyed in the fire that wiped out Lahaina this past week, but Maria Lanakila Catholic Church miraculously survived.

I wonder if there is a message here?

Walking on the water

 This Sunday's reading from Matthew 14:22-33 tells the hard to believe story of Jesus walking on water, and Peter's failed attempt to do so. 

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’

 Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’

Pretty incredible right? 

Last year we sailed on the Sea of Galilee and got to understand how big it is. Strong winds could really whip it up. Fortunately our cruise was during calm weather. Note that the wind was still strong when Jesus walked across the water. The sea therefore was not flat. This would have made Jesus' feat all the more miraculous, and it certainly doomed Peter's attempt. 

Cruising on the Sea of Galilee

Ancient boat from Jesus' era recovered from the Sea of Galilee

Could Jesus have done it? 

Yes for truly he is the Son of God.

 

State Sponsored Child Abuse

What is a public school supposed to do? When I was growing up, we learned reading, writing, and arithmetic in grades K-2. My parents sent me to private schools after that because they saw the writing on the wall. While my father complained about the price, the education I received was priceless. Our sex education came from our parents and peers, not from school. My eldest sibling was in a magnet public school in the late 60's and got a classical education. There is no comparison between our experiences and what is taught now. 

Back in 1923, J. Gresham Machen in his "Christianity and Liberalism" predicted our current problem with public education.

“A public-school system, if it means the providing of free education for those who desire it, is a noteworthy and beneficent achievement of modern times; but when once it becomes monopolistic it is the most perfect instrument for tyranny which has yet been devised. Freedom of thought in the middle ages was combated by the Inquisition, but the modern method is far more effective.’ (1923)”

Tyranny is the word, and what do tyrants do? They take your children as Samuel predicted and turn them into instruments of the tyrant. 

Our most recent  tyrants are the LGBTQRS+ social warriors.  

For example, from LifeSiteNews,

SEATTLE (LifeSiteNews) — Seattle public schools are giving cross-sex hormones and referrals for mutilating surgeries to teenagers, according to a recent report by a conservative parents’ group. 

Last week, Parents Defending Education released an investigative report that exposed the School Based Health Centers within the Seattle Public School system for doling out cross-sex hormones and referrals for so-called “sex change” surgeries to middle and high school students, free of charge. 

The group specifically unveiled information about Nova High School and Meany Middle School, both located in Seattle. Both institutions’ health centers are operated by the Country Doctor Community Health Centers healthcare organization, which boasts that part of its mission is “to promote health in transgender, non-binary and gender diverse [sic] communities through ensuring equal access to gender-affirming [sic] medications and procedures, and training staff to be trauma-informed and culturally responsive.” 

“Our staff work[s] hard to address every patient with correct names and pronouns,” the organization’s website reads, explaining that different staff members “assist patients seeking gender-affirming [sic] surgeries and procedures” and “provides injection teaching and assists accessing hormones and other gender-affirming [sic] medications.” 

Estrogen, testosterone, and androgen blockers are listed as medications given to gender-confused individuals, including adolescents, along with “specialty referrals for younger patients.”

The site states that “we do not provide puberty blockers at this time.” 

Additionally, the organization gives referrals for surgeries, such as vaginoplasty and chest reconstruction, and “assistance obtaining mental health letters of support” for the irreversible, mutilating procedures.  

The group also advertises birth control as part of its “family planning” services. Nova High School presents a so-called “progress pride flag” on its health center website and lists “gender affirming care” and “reproductive health” as among its services. Meany Middle School includes “gender reaffirming care” and “reproductive care management” as services advertised on its website. Both schools emphasize that the health centers will not only bill insurance companies but will also assist students whose families do not have insurance. 

Additionally, the district’s policy states that “staff should not disclose a student’s transgender [sic] or gender X status to others unless (1) legally required to do so or (2) the student has authorized disclosure.” When “contacting the parents/guardians of a transgender [sic] or gender X student and it is unclear whether the student asserts the same gender identity at home,” the district recommends staff “to avoid using gender pronouns.” 

I call that state sponsored child abuse. 

The Transfiguration

This Sunday's reading from Luke 9:28-36 reports the transfiguration of Jesus witnessed by three of his followers,

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

"They were terrified" not when they saw Moses and Elijah, but by the cloud. Losing your vision and sense of direction when on a mountain top can be the most frightening. I have experienced that, but I did not hear any voices. I can only imagine how Peter, John, and James felt. They were silent. In Mark and Matthew's accounts Jesus told them not not tell anyone. One wonders if it was because no one would believe them yet, they would accused of blasphemy, or because the rest of the twelve had not yet witnessed the Resurrection, nor had they received the Holy Spirit. 

The rise of non-denominational Protestant Christianity

 I used to think that belonging to an organized denomination provided a certain level of protection against false teaching. Brother was I wrong. As I make the long drive to our small Anglican parish, I pass many churches along the way. I have noticed an increasing number that identify as "non-denominational".  While I am sure that many are keeping the Apostolic faith, I worry about how many will go the way of the Episcopal sect (or cult as pewster-son would say), the Evangelical Lutherans, the United Methodists, and some of our Presbyterians. The bad reputation that that the old mainlines earned must be part of the reason for the rise of the "nons", but whatever the reason, the nons are gaining ground.

This report from Get Religion gives us some numbers, 

In 1972, less than 3% of all American adults indicated that they were non-denominational. That share has only risen from there. 

In the 1970s and 1980s, the growth rate was undoubtedly small. It took until 1996 for the share of Americans who were non-denominational to surge past 5%. But from that point forward that line has only gotten steeper.

The Nons niche reached 7.5% of the population in 2004, then 10% of the sample by 2012. The most recent data says that nearly 13% of all adults in the United States are non-denominational Protestant Christians. There are more Nons in the U.S. today than mainline Protestants.

The article also presented the following raw numbers. 

If it is any comfort, more people still belong to some sort of denomination than all the non-denominationals combined.  

When I travel, I am more likely to visit an ACNA church than I am to walk into a non-denominational one. I don't think I could take the uncertainty about where these "nons" fall along the orthodox/heterodox spectrum. 

The Kingdom of Heaven Parables

 

This Sunday's lectionary selection of Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 was made to highlight the parables about the kingdom of heaven,

He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’

He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’

‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

 ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

‘Have you understood all this?’ They answered, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’

So the kingdom of heaven starts small and grows, and grows, is precious, is good and righteous. The last bit about the scribes has always needed more explanation. I take it to mean that Jesus intends his future scribes to report both the Old and the New Testaments because they are both precious, good, and are seeds that should be sown.

 

Creeping to "Ethical non-monogamous relationships"

On July 1, 2023, delegates to the 2023 Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) Special Convention approved an amended report and recommendations from the ELCIC Task Force Addressing Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.

Among the recommendations, the ELCIC is called to: appoint a taskforce to continue the work of addressing Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia in the ELCIC; increase usage of pronouns; increase the ELCIC’s visibility as an affirming church; issue a public statement of apology to 2SLGBTQIA+ folx that have been harmed by the ELCIC; create a naming liturgy service to publicly affirm and celebrate transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse members of the ELCIC; ongoing sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE) training; a national office staff person with dedicated responsibilities for diversity, equity and inclusion; encourage congregations in the ELCIC to begin a “Reconciling in Christ” process; and create national resources which would support listening, safe conversations, and discernment at all levels of the church around healthy, consensual relationships, including ethical non-monogamous relationships.

Wait a second, "ethical non-monogamous relationships" (ENM)! What does that mean? 

I read the committee's report (link here), and I can't find a definition for that, but that may be intentional. 

Other sources on the web describe it this way, 

"What separates ethical non-monogamy from cheating is that no matter what type of ethical non-monogamy you practice in your relationship, both people in the relationship consent to it."

"With cheating, the partner does not consent. ENM isn't cheating because both you and your partner have agreed in advance that you'll be practicing non-monogamy."

Now that we've straightened that out, the question remains, "is ENM Christian, and is it moral?

Let's ask Jesus, 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."  Matthew 5:27-28 English Standard Version

That seems clear enough. 

Am I the only one who has a problem with the creep towards ENM?