A Passover Message

Borrowed from Fr. Tom Johnson, Anglican Church of the Resurrection, AMiA, Casper

From a Jews for Jesus newsletter, "Moishe's Musings". Moishe Rosen is the Jews for Jesus founder. Jews for Jesus is a Jewish organization dedicated to helping Jews discover Jesus as the Messiah.

Christianity comes out of Judaism, so the two religions have an affinity with each other. Even our celebrations have much in common.

THE MISSING INGREDIENT

The elements that make a thing to be what it is can't be compromised. Bread without yeast becomes matzoh. Oceans without water become very long, very dry valleys of sand. Marriages without love become a version of Hell.

A church with a missing ingredient becomes a social club. The ingredients of the church may not be exactly what you think. You can have a church without pews, without a pulpit, without a preacher, without a doctrinal creed. But all too often, what's really essential is left out. You can't have a church without people--and you can't have a real church without Jesus.

The synergistic relationship between Jesus and His people is what produces a church. Don't confuse the product with the producer. Buildings with steeples, with or without musical instruments, with pews, even with people are not what God wants for a church unless Jesus is the Main Ingredient.

The main ingredient for life is not good health and a strong body. It is not a good education, a good personality, or good connections. Human nature by itself corrupts and corrodes anything about us that is good. The main ingredient has to be the antidote to human nature. That is why the main ingredient is Jesus. He prepares, promotes, and preserves us. He promises us eternal life.

Nowadays, polite society wants to erase the Name of Jesus as though His name were some kind of public obscenity. But they'll never erase Jesus because He is our ground of being, our basis of reality, and the One who gives life--not only that, He's the One who gives our life meaning.

Wisdom from the past

Borrowed from a friend, Fr. Gene Packwood, of St. Barnabas Anglican Parish, Medicine Hat, Alberta --

"Something for a spring day from William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1942-1944, from the opening sermon to the Lambeth Conference:

While we deliberate, He reigns;
When we decide wisely, He reigns;
When we decide foolishly, He reigns;
When we serve Him in humble loyalty, He reigns;
When we serve Him self assertively, He reigns;
When we rebel and seek to withhold our service, He reigns
- the Alpha and the Omega which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. Amen."

What a powerful idea, He reigns!

Of course, this is NOT NEWS.

We know it, we have known it for ages; but, isn't it great to be reminded from time to time, "He reigns!"

He reigns in every area of our lives, personal, professional, and liturgical.
He reigns!

He reigns in our private and personal prayer, in home Bible study, in mission meetings, in parish vestries, in diocesan council, in synodial conventions, in provincial convocations, He reigns!

Whether or not we want Him to, He reigns!
When it is convenient for us, He reigns; if it works against our own pet desires, He reigns!

When we truly seek Him in our lives, He reigns!
When we are on the run from Him, He reigns!

Child of God or child of satan, He reigns!
So give it up, let Him reign supreme in you!


Pax Christi †

Br Chip+, cj