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Dear Creator Family,
After what seems too short a time, summer is drawing to a close. In less than a month, we will be back to the “school schedule” and preparing for the Fall, Advent, and the first Bishop’s visit in three years, which this year is also the fourth Sunday in Advent (December 19th). It’s good to have things to look forward to, things that draw us together. A new season brings with it a sense of renewed purpose and planning. Before we get there, however, we look around at our thinned congregation and see the changes the past seasons have wrought. The Pandemic has changed us, individually and corporately. Ordinary life changes and transitions seem to have been intensified and accelerated by an “unprecedented” (remember that tag word of 2020?) global event—along with the disruptions and divisions it has ushered in its wake. It took a while at Creator, faithful people, but the divisiveness over Covid-19 and how to “handle it” have taken a toll on our parish family as well. With our shrinking attendance and the leave-taking of the past two+ years, our parish is suffering financially. That will come as no surprise to a family long used to money considerations and short-handedness. Creator folk are some of the most resourceful, deep-digging, and kind-giving folks I’ve ever known. But you can’t run a parish forever on fundraisers and special instance giving. It really does take consistent, committed giving—which we do have, but no longer to the extent that can sustain operations or ministry at our parish as it has in the past. To that end, the Vestry and Finance committee are having very pointed conversations this summer, deliberating on our financial health, and discussing scenarios that will dramatically change our parish life. I am in touch with the Diocese about what may be next for us. I ask you to join me in praying for God’s guidance and wisdom as we seek a solution. With our eyes on our financial health, we now know that without a significant increase in our income, Creator will be unable to afford up-keep and maintenance costs and personnel salaries at the same time. The Vestry is looking at every option to address this situation and one of those areas is our individual tithe. Now is the time to take a serious look at our individual contributions as we assess our ability to continue parish ministry into 2023. First on the calendar before summer ends is an old favorite: “Clean-up Day.” This event is simply a reality of family and parish life. We tend and clean our own houses and so, too, does God’s house need your eyes and effort - now more than ever. There are plenty of jobs, big and small, indoors and out. Please don’t think this event is not for you. Now more than ever we are in the “If not me, then who?” stage of our Parish life, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s always been true, but often we think that ministry, upkeep, participation, leadership, attendance – that our presence is dispensable and that someone else will take care of it. Look around, Creator family—you were never more encouraged, invited, anticipated, or needed than now. Let’s make the “us” in “please join US” mean something. Please join us Saturday, August 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The work schedule for Saturday is completely up to you. You can come to help for as long or as briefly as you are able in whatever job you pluck off the list. In addition, we have generated a list of areas and issues that need to be attended to on the 27th, but you can come any time and work in any area. Tonight, your Vestry meets to discuss our new situation and to seek a path through our financial and physical condition. Please pray for our leaders as we rely upon God to lead our discussion and our deliberations. Peace in Christ, Fr. Bill+
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Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. Psalm 143:10
During a conversation about Bible Study, I was asked, “How is ‘doing’ theology different from Bible Study?” Sadly, the misconception that theology is misleading or dangerous has caused much division in the church. Perhaps the greatest example of this misunderstanding comes from the life of St. Francis. When Francis began his Order in 1209, he forbade his followers from doing or pursuing “theology.” It is true that the circumstances of his day bore witness to mass corruption in the church perpetrated by the hands of “learned men” and proclaimed ‘theologians’ who had the ‘absolute and only truth.’ These men, mostly priests and Bishops, were abusive and self-ingratiating with little or no pastoral care for the ‘common folk.’ It is because of this witness that Francis made his rule and would never consider becoming a priest. Abusive people exist everywhere and in every time. The church has always suffered with (what often seems to be a majority) of clerics and theologians who hide behind station and education, wreaking pastoral havoc and retiring in style—wasn’t this exactly what Jesus was facing in the Temple system? This all changed for Francis however, when St. Anthony of Padua joined the Order and preached with biblical clarity and theological insight. Francis began to reexamine his understanding of what “theology” really was. Webster’s dictionary defines theology as “The science of God or of religion; the science which treats of the existence, character, and attributes of God, his laws and government, the doctrines we are to believe, and the duties we are to practice. . . the science of Christian faith and life.” The word theology is the combination of two Greek words—“Theos” (θεός)— God — and “logos”(λόγος)— Word. Literally, theology means “God’s Word” or the “Word of God” and is understood to mean the “Study of the Word(s) of God.” Theology is the practice (praxis) of studying who God is and what God has done through the observable world and, primarily, through Holy Scripture. Theology depends on the study of the entire Bible as the revelation of God’s self, informed by guided reflection, and a synthetic understanding of creation. In short, theology is Bible Study. There was a time when theological studies were accepted and, more than that, required! Formal theological studies were undertaken in every university and school as St. Thomas Aquinas famously wrote, “Theology is the queen of the sciences.” It is hard to believe now, but this belief was held as truth all the way through the 20th century. Theology was a required core study in such institutions as Harvard, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, and even state universities, such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — the oldest state university in America. Sadly, the understanding of what theology is has eroded over time and has been relegated to specialized institutions (seminaries). The effect of this specialization effectively re-created the very abuses Jesus and Francis were faced with: an elite “class” of people who claimed exclusive access to truth. It also created the destructive and encouraged practice of sectionalized study where seminary students can study only the “type” of theology that they like and are thereby self-indoctrinated into a closed way of thinking. Yes, there are many different schools of theology, each one approached Bible Study from a specific perspective in the hopes of learning God’s will and purpose. For instance, Creation Theology looks to the biblical witness to understand the Stewardship of Creation; Gender Theology looks to the biblical witness to understand the interaction of men and women. There are many other specialties in theological studies: to name only a few, Biblical Theology, Exegetical Theology, Historical Theology, and so on. There is an umbrella theology, Systematic Theology under which all the other theologies subsist and are systematized, but sadly the corruption of theological studies like Bible Studies, rejects synthesis for self-service. The human/historic problem creeps back as the person makes a sub-category their primary theology, subjecting all biblical revelation to a single theological perspective. This is not the fault of theology, but of the theologian. R.C. Sproul, theologian and Pastor of the Presbyterian Church wrote, “It is not a question of whether we are going to engage in theology; it is a question of whether our theology is sound or unsound.” When we read 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God,” we are called to ‘read, mark and learn’ beyond personal hopes or wants, but as the vehicle to truth. If we are to study the Bible in a way that glorifies God, then we must seek to truly understand it the way that God intends. To glorify God, we must be sure that our theology is sound. Without careful study of theology, we can easily misinterpret verses, or take them out of context so that they will say what we want them to say. We can make the Bible say whatever we want in order to justify our behavior, but obviously, that is not sound. Theological study is Bible Study to the glory of God, not to the satisfaction of self. Jesus said, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me” (John 7:16) and points us to a theological reflection of who the one is that sent him, what that teaching is in context, and how we relate to him (Jesus) and the one who sent him through it—sounds like good Bible Study to me! Knowledge in Christ, Fr. Bill+ All May, Some Should, None Must...
Several weeks ago, after the service, I was asked about a comment in my sermon regarding the forgiveness of sins. In my sermon I referenced the biblical assurance that when we are truly sorry and lament our sins, we are forgiven by God. In our personal practice this takes the form of simple prayer; in the liturgical practice this is the Confession of Sin which takes place after the Prayers of the People. While both private and corporate confession and forgiveness are efficacious and sufficient, it is sadly true that we often don’t feel forgiven after either one. Human nature being what it is, I was asked, “Isn’t there any other way to be forgiven?” This past week, I had the occurrence to offer the rite of Reconciliation of a Penitent, a form of private Confession affirmed by the church and found on page 447 of our Book of Common Prayer. This rite has its roots in the earliest practices of the church and is prescribed by Jesus and biblical witness. In the Episcopal tradition, Reconciliation of a Penitent (as defined in the Book of Common Prayer) “is the rite in which those who repent of their sins may confess them to God in the presence of a priest, and receive the assurance of pardon and the grace of absolution.” It is often referred to as “private confession.” Our Anglican understanding of Reconciliation of a Penitent is based on 1John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness," and on James 5:16 - "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." As we read these passages, it is obvious that a specific command to confess before a priest is missing. The further instruction which includes the option of Auricular Confession before a Priest comes from John 20:23 in which Jesus is instructing the Apostles, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” Further, as the church grew, the Book of Acts 16:31 witness to the Apostles exercising this authority by declaring with utmost certainty the terms on which God would forgive sins. The Apostles declared that those who believed the gospel were forgiven (Acts 16:31) and those who did not obey the Gospel faced judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17). St Paul goes on with this instruction in 1 Corinthians 5:4-5, “So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.” This passage sounds like the opposite of reconciliation, but it is a witness that Paul was applying Jesus’ words to mean that the power to offer forgiveness (or not) was very real. All these passages form the foundation of our understanding of the rite as it is practiced liturgically, but spiritually we may rest on Isaiah 43:25 - “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” It is God and God alone who forgives sin; not the priest, not the pastor, not the friend. The function of the priest in the Confession of Sin is to acknowledge the act of asking and pronounce the assurance of God’s act of mercy, but the true participation of the Confession is known to the penitent alone. The value and practice of The Reconciliation of a Penitent comes from the intimate act of voicing for the penitent. For those who have not participated in this rite, it may be hard to understand the power of speaking the pain, suffering, and sorrow aloud. This is no doubt at the root of Jesus' instruction to “confess to one another:” that at times—not because private confession is flawed or ineffective—we NEED to speak in order to hear. At those times and in those circumstances where repeated personal and corporate confession offers us no relief, Auricular Confession invites us to leave our tombs (our sins and failings) and live the life God calls us to. Spiritual direction is offered, and God’s mercy is assured personally and privately so that we can move beyond our sorrow and once again be one with our Lord and Savior—that we can experience the Easter promise of new life. When people truly embrace and practice Reconciliation of a Penitent, they can be transformed through the promises of Christ and the action they take. If you would like to explore this Rite at Creator, please call me. If you would like to participate in this Rite somewhere else, I would be happy to help you find a place. Reconciliation of a Penitent, All May, Some Should, None Must. Peace in Christ, Fr. Bill+ Dear Creator Family,
So much is happening for us this summer, a time when tradition says we “wind down,” that we must pause now to take stock. There are several areas of transition and change where God’s guidance and our action will set the course for our parish for years to come. Parish Life As far back as the recession, our parish has faced the evolving landscape of cultural faith perspective and the priority of Christian worship. This cultural shift, now the trend, marked the closing of our Pre-school and the loss of our Boy Scout Troop well ahead of their national scandal. With the arrival and lasting repercussions of the COVID pandemic and the move to online worship, the necessary and faithful change in practice by the church fueled forces already advancing in our society. Transitions in church family life are normal: a sign of God moving in a faithful Body in unexpected and creative ways, but always to His glory. I must confess to being troubled by the transitions we have experienced over the past two and a quarter years from the pandemic. As in all families, ideologies and opinions can run deep, and no amount of prayer and devoted effort of our Vestry and staff have been able to mitigate the “fall-out” from the divisions that COVID-19 caused. We have sadly lost members of our Parish Family because we masked too long/didn’t mask enough, didn’t offer Communion/offered Communion, met/didn’t meet in person, and perhaps saddest of all, because we are trying to address these issues, but “not hard enough.” The litany of reasons why parishioners have left is not specific to our parish; nationally parishes have echoed these concerns and lamented this trend. I have personally spoken to parishioners and priests who are fearfully and faithfully addressing these same issues, though they share our desperation and division over the matter. We are now at a transition place in our Parish life and how we proceed will require the faith and dedication of all our Family. Worship When the pandemic hit, our Sunday worship was only canceled for two Sundays. We were quickly able, though roughly, to offer online worship in multiple settings and ultimately from our own sanctuary. The blessing of electronic media kept us together in a time of radical isolation and provided multiple opportunities for gathering and sharing. Even now, as we are fully in-person, we are able to offer a much more refined virtual experience which we will continue as a regular part of Sunday worship. The transition to a new media, new forms, and new format of worship, and worship access has provided us with a template and a witness of possibility in faithful development and spiritual growth. Our Parish Home Our beloved Creator will be 60 soon! Seems like only a few years ago we celebrated her 50th with such festivity and fellowship. No wonder, and maybe in part because we are emerging thinned and changed from the pandemic, we can see her age is showing. There are many areas of renewal and repair that must be addressed, but there are several major repairs that cannot be avoided. Anyone maintaining an older home will relate to the litany of demise I can relate to you: in the past two years our church A/C failed, our septic system collapsed, our heating system burst, our drainage system washed out, and our sidewalk was destroyed. In a parish with small means, that is too much! And, not surprisingly, the way we have operated for 50+ years, that’s a lot of in-house calling and waiting, and investigating and waiting, and relying on one or two individuals to carry the burden of seeing through these needed repairs. We have never been in a position to call in the professionals, write the check, and get ‘er done, and we’re not now. In a word, it’s daunting. The good news is, we have been able to replace our church A/C and our septic system, but our heating system, drainage system, and sidewalk are all in process. To worship in the Church, safeguard the property and provide access to our facilities these three remaining areas must be completed, but there is a problem. Finances During this same extended period and for the same reasons, our Parish income has fallen and our fiscal stability in now in flux. Creator has always struggled with fiscal stability, and though we had many years of fiscal security, finances have always been a concern that overshadowed the best of times. Presently, we are running a deficit budget for our daily operations, and we have exhausted almost all of our reserves. The Finance Committee has met this month to discuss and double-check the numbers. Your Vestry Your Vestry met yesterday to discuss all these areas and to seek God’s guidance as to how we are to move forward. It has been my experience, having served on multiple boards, that emotions run high in meetings like this. For two hours the Vestry focused primarily on our financial issues, but of course, we touched on all areas of Parish Life. We are faced with finite resources and limited abilities, we are overmatched by the tasks ahead, and challenged by forces beyond our control. What was our outcome? Praise, Hope, and Humor It may sound strange at first, but it was wonderful! Your Vestry met these concerns head-on by dreaming and brainstorming and hoping in all that God calls us to. With clarity and humor, your Vestry addressed the issues that face us all and have set forth a series of inquiries and short-term goals to inform and direct our next steps. We are reinitiating our Parish Hall rental possibility, reassessing our fundraising, initiating a trend analysis of giving and expenditures for the next 30 days, discussing resources and assistance with the Diocese, and writing this letter to let you all know. For our part, we can all revisit our stewardship and parish support. Planned, regular giving is part of faithful Christian living. Always has been, always will be. Yes, it’s a practice that makes for healthy and growing parishes, but it starts with the individual believer considering the priorities of life. I’ll save the deeper theological and spiritual considerations for a stewardship letter but suffice it to say that now would be a good time to review and recommit to your stewardship of our parish. Energy and attention can go a long way, as well. I take the crepe myrtle as my sign on that: every day I arrive and every time I leave, I pass by that glorious tree and thank the faithful stewards who wouldn’t give up and who have transformed our whole portico into a place of beauty. And the beautiful downstairs kitchen – clean and freshly painted by another faithful steward. And the upstairs bathroom, a joint effort to transform and update our aging spaces. There are plenty more opportunities to apply your time, talent, and treasure. For starters, everyone is asked to brainstorm and share every idea and dream—no matter how BIG or small. Opportunities There is a lot here to ingest, I know, but there is so much more to be had. God is faithful and seeks the fulfillment of His grace and love in each of us and through us, as witnesses in the world. This is an opportunity to receive the gifts of God through our concerns and our actions. This is the moment when our devotion to God will guide us as we steward God’s house and through our devotion, we will grow and be blessed, no matter the outcome for our Parish! I will keep you all informed as things change and evolve. Please keep me and your Vestry informed as we grow and change together. Peace in Christ, Fr. Bill+ Last week after the service, a member of our Parish family observed that the categories of “Doers of the Word” and "Hearers of the Word” (described in my sermon) are a distinction similar to the modern-day personality definitions of ‘introvert' and 'extravert'. I found it an intriguing observation, one which points to practice or a method of speaking and thinking that will further your spiritual growth and deepen your faith.
Why did I choose to use the language I chose in my sermon when there is such an obvious overlap in ‘doer’ and extravert, and ‘hearer’ and introvert? To help explain my intention, allow me to introduce a few more words. Coincidence Meriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines ‘coincidence’ as the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection. While this is a common definition and one which is found in like form in all the dictionaries I looked at, it is not a Christian one. The word coincidence is used only once in the New Testament. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:31), Jesus said, “And by a coincidence a certain priest was going down in that way, and having seen him, he passed over on the opposite side.” Synkyrian, the Greek word translated as coincidence, is a combination of two words: sun and kurios. Sun means “together with,” and kurious means “supreme in authority.” Thus, a biblical definition of coincidence would not point to a random act of chance, but “what occurs together by God’s providential arrangement of circumstances.” Luck Meriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines ‘luck’ as “to prosper or succeed especially through chance or good fortune.” (As with many definitions, this one breeds the opportunity for further research by introducing other words such as ‘chance’ and ‘good fortune,’ but for today we will stick with ‘luck.’) Again, this is a common definition and one which most people get behind. The word luck is not found in Scripture; more than this, though, the concept of luck is rejected by the biblical witness. Throughout Scripture, it is clear that God is in control of all of His Creation and is somehow able to take the random acts of natural law, the free will of both good and evil humanity, and the wicked intent of demons, and combine them all to accomplish His good and perfect will. Genesis 50:20 states, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but if God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." In the Book of Job, the ultimate witness is of God’s oversight and plan in all things. In the Gospel of John, Jesus explained that the blind man was not blinded because of his sin, but that his blindness (caused as result of original sin) is allowed by God in order to show forth God’s glory (9:3). St. Paul admonishes the Romans that “...we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (8:28). Doers/Extraverts, Hearers/Introverts So, it is with single words (and there are many more), but especially with concepts that we have a likeness. At times, as in the case of Doers/Extraverts, Hearers/Introverts, there is a very real synonymity (two things that are, at are some level, actually the same), but also the wonderful opportunity to lift the common definition expression/word to express the divine intention. Simply put, in all our conversations, and in our meditation and reflection, we should extoll the Christian definition above instead of the cultural one. Providence Meriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines ‘providence’ as “divine guidance or care.” A fuller definition is “…God’s caring provision for his people as he guides them in their journey of faith through life, accomplishing his purpose in them. God’s mission is to save people and shape them to be more like Jesus” (GCU College of Theology). The practice of replacing the words “coincidence” and “luck” in a conversation with the word “providence,” or introvert and extravert with hearer and doer, opens the opportunity for teaching and witness. Using the word “providence” in our meditation and reflection opens our spirit to the presence and purpose of God in our lives. In all cases, deferring to the Christian word(s) brings glory to God and illumination to ourselves and others. Through the providence of God, Fr. Bill+ In a conversation I was having during a retreat some years ago, I was asked, “What is the value of prayer, if I can't pray?” The person asking this question told me that they were unable to pray and that they believed that since they were “cut off” from God in prayer, prayer had no value. Perhaps many of us can relate to that feeling of spiritual disconnect or "wilderness' that so many faithful before us have encountered -- and that praying to God just seems like a fruitless conversation with yourself. This conversation quickly led us to the more general question, “To pray or not to pray?", especially in times of God's perceived silence.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.” Philippians 4:6-7 The issue of prayer is one of the most addressed topics of the church. Throughout to Bible, and especially in the New Testament, prayer is not only directed and assumed as the standard of faith but extolled as a means of grace and blessing. In the sixth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel and in the eleventh chapter of Luke’s Gospel, the disciples ask Jesus, ‘How do we pray?’ Jesus' response is the foundation of what we recite as the “Lord’s Prayer.” More than the prayer, though, is the witness that prayer was on the minds and in the hearts of the disciples. Prayer was an established practice—its value was not questioned; moreover, how to pray was an expected component of what they would learn from their Master. Jesus teaches throughout the gospels on the regular and necessary practice of prayer: Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Matthew 11:24 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. Matthew 18:19-20 It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers. Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17, Luke 19:46 Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith. Matthew 21:21-22 Matthew 24:20, Mark 13:18, Mark 11:23-26, Mark 12:38-40, Luke 20:45–47, Mark 13:33, Luke 6:46, Luke 10:2, Matthew 9:38, Luke 11:1–13 are only some of the passages in which teaches about prayer. As the church grew in the first three centuries, the Fathers of the Church wrote and taught extensively about prayer. They recognized that prayer, for the Christian, is as water to the fish or air to the bird. It is what we live by, move through, depend on, and it is what we absolutely need in order to “become.” Saint John Chrysostom wrote, “Prayer transforms hearts of flesh into spiritual hearts; tepid hearts into zealous hearts; human hearts into Divine hearts, with what reverence, then, should we converse with God!” “Prayer is the light of the spirit, true knowledge of God, mediating between God and man. The spirit, raised up to heaven by prayer, clings to God with the utmost tenderness; like a child crying tearfully for its mother, it craves the milk that God provides. It seeks the satisfaction of its own desires, and receives gifts outweighing the whole world of nature.” "Prayer is the light of the spirit." excerpt from a homily by the saint. (Supp. Hom. 6 De precatione: PG 64, 462-466). Saint Augustine asked, “Is there anything more excellent than prayer? Is there anything more beneficial in our life? Anything sweeter to the heart, or anything more sublime in our holy religion? Prayer is the groundwork of all virtues, the ladder by which we mount to God. It is related to the angels, it is the foundation of faith.” Letter 130 Saint Gregory wrote, “Of all things that we esteem and treasure in this life, there is nothing more precious than prayer.” Sermons, 92 And Saint Ephrem exclaims, “Oh, the magnificent and sublimity of prayer! Happy he who prays zealously. Satan cannot approach him, provided he is free from all deceit. Oh, the sublimity of prayer!” So many more of our great spiritual and theological fathers and mothers through the ages have affirmed that which we all intrinsically know: prayer is everything. Perhaps what we can learn from such a great cloud of witnesses is what we concluded in my retreat conversation: that even when we “cannot” pray, pray we must! Prayer is the ‘great conversation!’ It is the channel, the pipeline, the connection with God that God will travel through to us—despite our resistance or our perceived distance. Prayer is the healing avenue we must walk to be healed of the inability to walk, and through God’s grace, in the healing, we will run! Prayerfully in Christ, Fr. Bill+ Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. (Revelation 1:3, ESV)
I have been announcing for several weeks that we are starting a study of The Book of Revelation for our Thursday night Rector’s Bible Study. The Book of Revelation is a challenging and misunderstood book and, consequently, the least studied book of the Bible. It was no surprise then when I was asked, “Why study Revelation?” First, what is the Book of Revelation? The Apocalypse of John or The Revelation to John is most commonly recognized as simply, The Book of Revelation. The title of this book is taken both from the content of the book and as a direct translation of the Greek word apokalypsis, meaning "unveiling" or “uncovering,” translated “revelation,” from the first verse of the Book, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,” (1:1) The Book of Revelation is the only prophetic book in the New Testament, and it reveals how God will usher in peace, prosperity, joy, and universal love over all the earth. The Book also reveals the tumult and destruction (apocalypse) which will accompany this transition. With that in mind, here are a few reasons to study the book of Revelation: Jesus! Jesus is the one revealing this information to John, and he is telling John to tell us all that is being revealed. These are Words of the Word, the same as the Words of the Word found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Our privilege and our duty is to study what God has told us in order to grow in our “knowledge and love of the Lord” (BCP 423). Communion. We are assured that Jesus is with us--providing for us and caring for us no matter what, and the “what” in Revelation is a BIG matter. We are in communion and fellowship with each other and with Christ as we approach what is to come, and in that fellowship it’s all going to be OK! Patience. The prophecies contained in Revelation are often seen as "fire and brimstone" with an emphasis on judgement (and worse), the God we encounter in the last book of the Bible is not that. In these final scriptures, Jesus is teaching us yet again that God is patient and gentle and kind and loving. Jesus tells us judgement will eventually come, but even when it does God will proceed slowly and with the utmost patience to allow everyone time to get on board. Jesus is showing us the way to live, with all the upheaval in our lives, we have the example of God’s patience as we wait for better things. Joy and Fulfillment! Jesus witnesses to us that God is sovereign, the Alpha and the Omega, and that what God began God has always been a part of. Jesus reminds us that all our hopes, dreams, and longings will come to fruition and that we will know true joy and be filled! Worship and Encouragement! We are affirmed in our focus and in our pattern of adulation when we gather in Church. The focus we read about in Scripture and hear about in sermons is described in Revelation, which can encourage and inspire us on our faith journey. Confusion and Estrangement. Perhaps I should have said, “the end of…”. To study the Book of Revelation is to open a new avenue into the mind and heart of God. Studying this book, we are no longer afraid of what it says or separated from the message it conveys. Studying Revelation is the pathway to understanding that “it” is actually the Word made flesh reaching out to us to dwell within us. Blessings. There are seven blessings in the book, and they are ours for the taking! Who doesn’t want blessings?! We study Revelation to understand what lies ahead, and how we are already a part of God’s plan. We study Revelation to understand how we are already part of the Good News and enfolded in the events yet unseen. We study Revelation to see that it contains the most remarkable message of hope ever written. Thursday nights 7:30 to 8:30 via ZOOM, see you there! Apokalypsis in Christ, Fr. Bill+ “The Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23
I was asked, “What is Joy in the Holy Spirit and how do I get it?” The word joy, found in the New Testament, is the translation of the Greek word “chara.” Chara is used to describe inner gladness, a deep sense of delight or rejoicing. Chara is found in a family of words, charis, meaning "grace" or "gift," and charos, to "rejoice” or “express joy." Chara, or joy, is the inner, natural response to a gracious gift. In every instance in the Bible, that gift originates with God, whether it be the arrival of the Messiah (Luke 1:14), the resurrection of Christ (Matthew 28:8), God's power over the sinful world (Luke 10:17), or God's salvation (Acts 13:52). God's grace is so strong that even the promise of His work can elicit joy (Hebrews 10:34; James 1:2-4). And one of the greatest sources of joy is seeing God's redeeming work in others (Acts 13:52; 1 Thessalonians 3:9; Philippians 2:2). Joy is listed by St. Paul in his Letter to the Galatians, as the second fruit of the Holy Spirit: “The Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). It is important to realize that Joy is a “fruit” of the Spirit; that is, Joy is the result of the work of the Holy Spirit in the individual. Sadly, chara or joy, is often confused with happiness, but they are not the same thing. Joy comes from within, a kind of welling up and filling sensation that permeates despite what is happening in the world. Happiness shares some common ground with joy in emotional likeness, but it is most often dependent on a situation and dictated by conditions. To be joyful is to transcend being happy. This transcendence is based not on my will or your work, but on the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Joy in the Spirit is wholly and completely found in the abiding and permeating love of God in Christ. To experience the “Joy of the Spirit” is to draw close to Christ and accept his love. Jesus tells us that true joy is only found in him, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11) So, Joy in the Spirit is exactly what we want, what we have been promised, and what we need to live a better life. Joy in the Spirit overcomes the hardships, not by laughing through them, but by abiding in God who comforts, consoles, and lifts us in our sorrows. Dive into scripture, immerse yourself in prayer, grow in the Spirit, and receive Joy! “For the joy of the LORD is your strength,” Nehemiah 8:10. Peace in Christ, Fr. Bill+ That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11
While we were at our Shrine Mont retreat last Sunday I was asked, “What does IHS stand for?” To answer this question, we must pause for a short definition. If I wanted to adorn my bath towels with my initials, I would order a monogram. The abbreviation for Jesus’ name is called a Christogram; in Latin a Monogramma Christi. There are many Christograms; HIS is one of them. The IHS Christogram is an abbreviation for Jesus' name in Greek using the first three letters. Jesus, translated from Greek to English through Latin is ΙΗΣΟΥΣ, ιησυς iēsus--Jesus. “ΙΗΣ” broken down is “I”—Iota = I, “H”—Eta = H, “Σ”—Sigma = S. Additionally you may see the Christogram as “ΙΗΣ,” representing the original Greek or “IHC,” “C” being a variant for of the “S” in the Greek alphabet. Over the years many sayings have been attached to the letter as a teaching form. The sayings take the letters, HIS or IHC and attach whole words to them to create an inspirational message. For instance, you may have heard someone say that IHS means, In Hac Salus: "In This Safety,” or Iesus Hominum Salvator: "Jesus -Man- Savior,” or In Hoc Signo: “In This Sign" Ye Will Conquer (usually found with a sword and shield), but these are incorrect. They are sayings that represent the action of Jesus and the effect of faith, but IHS is simply the abbreviation of Jesus. As an aside, you may also see the abbreviation INRI which is placed above Jesus and many Crucifixes and comes from the Gospel of John 19:19-20, 19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. INRI is the abbreviation of the Latin, Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. In His Name, Fr. Bill+ Dear Creator Family,
First, thank you all so very much for the many messages of concern and for your prayers during my COVID lockdown. My experience was a very unpleasant one, but I was bolstered by your prayers, the companionship of Christ, and the ministrations of the Holy Spirit. I would like to share with you a few observations regarding my experience. First, I am fully vaccinated, as is Jenny, who also tested positive shortly after I did. I am in good health and rarely feel ill to the point of taking any personal time off. When I found out that I tested positive, I planned out my first week of isolation to include the six-hour teardown and mounting of a trailer hitch for Sophie’s Subaru Outback. I was confident that my week would consist of many “honey-do” projects that have languished over the past several months and that COVID would be nothing more than a “slight head cold-like” experience. How wrong I was! My first week was a roller coaster of agonizing pain (which could not be controlled even by Hydrocodone), chronic and debilitating fatigue, fevers, and headaches. I rapidly became sleep-deprived due to the pain and experienced a wave of desperation for relief, unlike anything I have ever known. In short, this was not the mild head cold experience I thought it would be. On the other hand, Jenny was sailing through the experience with few if any symptoms and was anxious to get back to work. I share this with you because I want you to be aware that, at least by my personal experience and my doctor’s reflection, there is no telling how hard COVID will hit you. Why was I so debilitated while Jenny remained so healthy? No one knows. What this has shown me is that no one is safe. Just because you may know someone (Jenny) who sailed right through, does not mean you will. Even now, well past my “isolation and transmission period,” I remain in pain. Needless to say, Sophie still doesn’t have a trailer hitch on her car. Please remain vigilant. Peace in Christ, Fr. Bill+ |
AuthorFather Bill Burk† Archives
August 2022
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