Justin, Martyr at Rome, c. 167

A song comes to mind, The Wayfaring Stranger, that typifies the searching of the children of the world, as they seek the Christ. Can we pray that God, in His infinite and great Mercy, might find them, laity, clergy and bishops, as He did Justin, and lead them into the Truth of His Word. Our heart aches for those who have lost the vision of Christ's atoning sacrifice and redemption, as man continues to do all that pleases themselves. Man's 'itching ears' cannot be the measure of salvation, and men MUST be found and taught His ways.


Almighty and everlasting God, who didst find thy martyr Justin wandering from teacher to teacher, seeking the true God, and didst reveal to him the sublime wisdom of thine eternal Word: Grant that all who seek thee, or a deeper knowledge of thee, may find and be found of thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Collect for Justin, Martyr at Rome, LF&F 233

Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Gospel Proper for the day

Luke 1:39-49
(39) And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
(40) And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
(41) And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
(42) And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
(43) And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
(44) For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
(45) And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
(46) And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
(47) And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
(48) For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
(49) For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

Father in heaven, by whose grace the virgin mother of thy incarnate Son was blessed in bearing Him, but still more blessed in keeping thy word: Grant us who honor the exaltation of her lowliness to follow the example of her devotion to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The "Know Nothings"

From the New Testament lesson for Whitsun Ember Wednesday,

For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I Corinthians 2.2

How necessary is it to know a lot of 'stuff' as we work for the Kingdom? Paul sums it up nicely for us
...'know nothing, except Christ, and Him crucified'...
to pay, in full, the cost of our sins!

Too many 'Christians' today, even 'Christian' leaders, claim their status of salvation with Christ, yet refuse to acknowledge their sins, refuse to repent, refuse to make amendment of life, refuse to accept His terms for the gift of life that has been given us, through His sacrifice, once offered.

Much has been lost to us today, since the very concept of the presence or possibility of sin in individual lives has been 'taught away' by the Church; much that has torn mainline denominations, and even some of the more esoteric smaller groups. God had a plan, man messed it up first in the Garden of Eden; God set forth a new plan, man thought he had messed it up in Jerusalem; but God's plan was consumated in Christ. Since Him there has been and can be no new plan. As the old song says,

"Jesus paid it all,
all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a dreadful stain,
He washed it white as snow".

There are those who say they have had a 'new revelation', a new and different move of the Holy Spirit, new and grand ways to express love, inclusion and justice. To them I can only quote John in Revelation 22.18, "...If any man shall add to these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book". There are no new revelations, the Canon of Scripture is closed, man has given himself over to a reprobate mind, filled with justifying his own ideas and lusts, and God is ready to 'spew them out'.

Personally, I had rather be a 'know nothing'.

"This world is not my home,
I'm just a passin' though.
If heaven were not my home
O Lord, what would I do?
The angels beckon me
From heaven's open door,
And I can't feel at home
In this world any more."

Maranatha. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Tuesday in Whitsun Week

The Epistle
Acts 8:14-17
(14) Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
(15) Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
(16) (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
(17) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

Grant, we beseech thee, merciful God, that thy Church, being gathered together in unity by thy Holy Spirit, may manifest thy power among all peoples, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reighneth with thee and the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
-- BCP 1928

Whit Monday -- Memorial Day (US)

Wisdom 9:1-6
(1) O God of my fathers, and Lord of mercy, who hast made all things with thy word,
(2) And ordained man through thy wisdom, that he should have dominion over the creatures which thou hast made,
(3) And order the world according to equity and righteousness, and execute judgment with an upright heart:
(4) Give me wisdom, that sitteth by thy throne; and reject me not from among thy children:
(5) For I thy servant and son of thine handmaid am a feeble person, and of a short time, and too young for the understanding of judgment and laws.
(6) For though a man be never so perfect among the children of men, yet if thy wisdom be not with him, he shall be nothing regarded.
-- Morning prayer, Whit Monday, BCP 1928

Father, help us remember that we are but your creation, and that without your Son we are nothing at all under your sun. Order our steps, that we might please you, that we might not find ourselves rejected by you at your judgement, because of our lack of understanding of your laws, our rebellion against your laws, our misuse of your bounty, or our disinterest in your Word.

Grant to us thy wisdom, enable us to keep thy laws, direct us in all of your paths for us, and grant us the ability to refuse the temptations of the world as we seek your face.

May we keep in mind those, faithful, who have gone before...those heroes of faith and civil life, who have paid a dear price for the freedoms we enjoy, both in our secular lives, and in our faith journeys. Help us to remember, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Ghost, now and always. Amen.

Oh, Really? Need We Say More?

If you are concerned about the effects of the elevation of Presiding Bishop Kate Schorri on the religious of the United States, you have got to read this:

As a woman Moderator of a very Twenty-first Century church, Metropolitan Community Churches, I felt enormous compassion and solidarity with Presiding Bishop (Primate) Katharine Jefferts Schori as she recently traveled to Tanzania in her historic role as the first and only woman to serve as the leader of a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

And it gets better from that opening statement. This is a long read, but very informative, particularly when taken with +Bennison's article, posted below. However, do not open this link with a mouthful of coffee.

Then, there is this, from +Steven Charleston,

We affirm the words of our friend and colleague, the Rt. Reverend Steven Charleston, Bishop and Dean of The Episcopal Divinity School: "We will not change our devotion to doing what we believe is right. We will not delay justice for the sake of making our lives easier. We will not deny a truth that we are certain is from God. We will not play politics with human lives."

Oh, Really? Read on MacDuff, it just gets better.

A Great Easter Service

We drove up to Fairburn early this morning to provide special music for the UMC there that we serve on occasion. A beautiful Resurrection Day, a smallish crowd, but more than they have had for a while, several great small, but intense, sermons by their pastor, a great brunch and then back to Hot Springs for a Mass of the Resurrection.

God is good, God is great, God is wonderful...as the old Gospel song goes, and how true that is.

Not much to be added this week to the blog. I will be east-river for a training seminar from early Wednesday until early Sunday...without net access!

Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't

The Episcopal House of Bishops met in Navasota Texas last weekend, and released this response to the pdf file of the Dar es Salaam Communique, note in particular, the key recommendations beginning on page 8.

Not only was there a large elephant in the room, but the desert terrain of east Texas allowed them to stick their collective heads in the sand and completely ignore the request of the Anglican Primate's meeting in Tanzania last month.

There has been much comment on various blogs and diocesan websites about the Communique, how it stands in opposition to the polity of the Episcopal Church and her Canons and Constitution; and how the Episcopal Church is an independent, sovereign entity, and the greater Anglican Communion cannot dictate conditions counter to that polity; but the fact remains...it is the business of the greater Anglican Communion to determine conditions for membership in said Communion, and if the Episcopal Church is unable or unwilling to meet those several conditions, then she (The Episcopal Church), chooses voluntarily to sever the relationship with the rest of the Communion.

As we see it, the Episcopal Church is, or should be, an interdependent part of the Communion, and if that relationship is important to the Episcopal Church, she should be willing to agree to those terms which insure a continuation of that interdependence. Instead, her bishops, some standing committees, and some special interest groups, have repeatedly stated their total independence from the Dar es Salaam statements; therefor, in our humble estimation, thumbed their collective noses at the Anglican Communion, and said, in a paraphrase of the 60's chants, "Hell no, we won't go!"

Well, the Episcopal Church cannot have it both ways...you must either suck it up, comply with the Communique, and be a part of the greater Anglican Communion, supporting the full Gospel; or you can walk apart, serving the humanistic goals of the United Nations and the Millennium Development Goals, 'living into' the Baptismal Covenant, and seeking to serve the greater god of self, under a new inspiration of the spirits.

Methinks the choice has been clearly demonstrated, and 1 October will see a new alignment for Anglicanism in North America and around the world. I have been wrong before, and will be wrong again, no doubt; but of this I am fairly sure, whichever way the cookie crumbles, I will be with the greater Communion, although, perhaps not aligned with +Cantuar.

And, if you need a graphic representation, scroll down here:

How about that? A pundit?

You Are a Pundit Blogger!

Your blog is smart, insightful, and always a quality read. Truly appreciated by many, surpassed by only a few

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

An Opportunity Missed

Yesterday was the 'deadline day' for consents to the episcopal consecration of Fr. Mark Lawrence as bishop-elect of South Carolina. Over fifty-six diocesan bishops gave consent, and the consents of fifty-six diocesan Standing Committee consents were needed, fifty-five were given by close of business yesterday. Of course, there is a 'snail mail' delay which allows for consents to be postmarked by 12 March, and received perhaps by the end of the week, to count. With possible contested votes, etc; the outcome is very much in doubt.

The Standing Committee of the Diocese of South Dakota missed a perfect chance to be seen as 'reconcilers' in this fray, by finally, at the last possible moment, consenting to Fr. Lawrence's' elevation to South Carolina; but did they break from the bishop's grasp? No, no, and no! We even e-mailed all members with e-mail addresses, in a last ditch effort to allow South Dakota to have a 'place in the Son', but they opted to follow +Creighton's revisionist lead, and remain silent (which equates to a 'safe' no vote).

Critics of Fr. Lawrence's election by the Diocese of South Carolina, have repeatedly made the erroneous point that he, Fr. Lawrence, would have worked to split the Church; however, in our own humble opinion, it is the inactions of the lethargic that will have succeeded in splitting the Episcopal Church from the Anglican Communion, and splitting the conservative, or reasserting, faction from the liberal, reappraising, faction...the holders of the faith once delivered unto the saints, from the writers of the new faith, the new way of reading and interpreting scripture.

We may never know, but we feel that our former diocese, and others, as well, missed the boat on this one; they could have helped preserve a once proud Church, instead, by doing nothing, they may have helped to kill her.

The South Carolina Standing Committee meets Thursday to consider the consents and their options. Please keep them, Bishop-elect Mark, the Diocese of South Carolina, and the Episcopal Church in your prayers.

Lord, in Your Mercy. Hear our prayer.

Some Churches Still Have the 'Grow'

“Insanity is doing something the same way over and over again and expecting different results.”

"At St. Stephen’s, the parish I serve, we decided to scrape the rust off tired, contentious, and unhealthy practices and dare to do church another way. In just 18 months, our attendance is up some 100 worshipers per Sunday, our monetary giving has increased by some 45 percent, and participation in our adult formation classes has increased by more than 100 percent. More importantly, St. Stephen’s has become a much more vibrant faith community because we have taken these five very practical roads to revival:"

And, now, the rest of the story

South Dakota Chapter/ American Anglican Council Press Release

The AAC/SDK has released the following report on conditions in the Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota.

PRESS RELEASE


South Dakota
Press Release from the South Dakota Chapter
of the
American Anglican Council

March 7, 2007

Contacts:

Ingrid Dobrovolny, President - Email: aacsdk1@sio.midco.net
Scott Loftesness, Secretary - Email: aacsdk1@sio.midco.net - (phone
available upon request)

Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota Renounces Stated Values

The American Anglican Council (AAC) chapter of South Dakota (AAC/SDK) is
saddened to report that Bishop Creighton Robertson and the Standing
Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota have renounced previously
stated biblical and organizational values.

The bishop and standing committee have either voted against or failed to
vote consent for the consecration of Mark Lawrence as Bishop of South
Carolina. Bishop Robertson's "no" vote put him in a distinct minority in
the House of Bishops. The Standing Committee has imperiled the consent
process, which requires a majority of all diocesan standing committees to
give consent. The deadline for consents is early next week.

These actions are definite steps away from previously stated diocesan
values:

~~ In 2003, Bishop Robertson and the standing committee supported the
New Hampshire consecration of V. Gene Robinson, an openly practicing
homosexual, citing respect for the vote of the Diocese of New Hampshire over
any concerns about biblical standards or offense to other Christians.
Today, Bishop Robertson and the Standing Committee are refusing to apply the
same respect to the legal and overwhelming majority election of Mark
Lawrence in South Carolina, a more biblically traditional diocese.

~~ In 2006, South Dakota's diocesan convention passed a resolution
affirming the diocese as a "safe place" for people of diverse views,
specifically including biblically traditional Episcopalians. Bishop
Robertson subsequently expressed the opinion that the "safe place" only
applied to those who favor new cultural ideas over traditional biblical
teachings. He rejected requests to apply the "safe place" standard to the
South Carolina consent process.

~~ The mission statement of the Diocese of South Dakota is, "A Sacred
Circle of Love, Prayer and Service Gathered Around the Gospel." The current
actions of the bishop and standing committee show a profound lack of love,
prayer and service toward fellow Christians and reject the clear Gospel
teaching of Jesus, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them
do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12).

This deterioration of values and practice is just the latest in a pattern of
decay and decline in the Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota and The Episcopal
Church (TEC) nationwide. TEC's own statistics show that the Diocese of South
Dakota experienced marked losses in both membership and actual worship
attendance from 1995 to 2005.

Link:

http://12.0.101.92/reports/PR_ChartsDemo/exports/ParishRPT_362007125835PM.pd
f

TEC, which provides about half of South Dakota's diocesan budget, recently
announced a budget shortfall of almost $4 million. The denomination is
suffering membership losses, and entire dioceses and congregations are
estranged from TEC due to its drift away from biblical, orthodox
Christianity. In addition, the worldwide Anglican Communion, the third
largest international Christian body at 78 million members, has given TEC a
Sept. 30, 2007 deadline to halt deviations from Anglican teaching and
practice and to provide supportive leadership for orthodox Anglicans who are
under duress from TEC revisionists.

AAC/SDK seeks to support the faithful witness of biblical, traditional
Anglican Christians around the state.

-End-

StandFirm's Sarah Hey Hits the Big Time!

Religion is not entirely a matter of what is natural. The Christian religion begins by affirming some unnatural propositions, among them the divinity of Christ. But it is to be expected that some men and women, driven by conscience and fidelity, should resist, day by day, the attenuation of the faith. There are churchmen who believe that to bring in new, secular crucibles in which to reshape religion does no strategic service, and ends by diluting creedal authority.

Thus says a telling paragraph in William F. Buckley's op-ed piece on the immanent schism in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion.

As Sarah says, it's one thing to be mentioned in the NY Times, as a religious conservative (generally in a highly negative sense); but her hero is WFB. Kudos to Sarah.

Ash Wednesday 2007

Almighty and Eternal God, who hates nothing that you have made, and who forgives the sins of all those who are penitent; create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

-- AMiA 1662 proposed BCP

From Morning Prayer, Isaiah 58.1-3,

(1) Cry aloud, do not spare, lift up your voice like a ram's horn, and show My people their rebellion, and the house of Jacob their sins.
(2) Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and one who did not forget the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in drawing near to God.
(3) They say, Why have we fasted, and You do not see? Why have we afflicted our soul, and You take no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and crush all your laborers.

It may well be that we as a people have not really sought nor delighted in the law (Word) of the Lord.

Perhaps we take delight in drawing near to God for the wrong purpose...could it be that we pray, and weep, and seek His ordinances of justice...to justify our selves, our own desires and carnal interpretations?

Let us all lift our voices like a ram's horn and pray in the words of the Ash Wednesday Psalm selection from the 1662 lectionary and make this Psalm our prayer for the penitential season of Lent.

Psalms 143:1-12
(1) A Psalm of David. Hear my prayer O Jehovah; give ear to my supplications; * in Your faithfulness and in Your righteousness answer me.
(2) And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, * for in Your sight no one living is just.
(3) For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has beaten my life down to the ground; * he has made me dwell in darkness, as those long dead.
(4) And my spirit has fainted within me; * my heart has become weary within me.
(5) I remember the days of old; I think on all Your works; * I muse on the work of Your hands.
(6) I stretch forth my hands to You; * my soul thirsts after You like a thirsty land. Selah.
(7) Hear me quickly, O Jehovah; my spirit fails; * do not hide Your face from me, lest I be like those who go down into the Pit.
(8) Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning, for I do trust in You; * cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.
(9) Deliver me, O Jehovah, from my enemies; * I flee to You to hide me.
(10) Teach me to do Your will; for You are my God; * Your Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
(11) O Jehovah, for Your name's sake enliven me; * for Your righteousness' sake, bring my soul out of trouble.
(12) And out of Your mercy cut off my enemies, * and destroy all those who afflict my soul; for I am Your servant.

Bible or Cell Phone ?

(from an e-mail, Tim Fountain+, Good Shepherd, Sioux Falls)

Wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we spent an hour or more using it every day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?

This is something to make you go………
"Hmmmmmm…………where is my Bible?"


Oh, and a few more things - - - - - -
Unlike our cell phones:
One plan fits all
Unlimited usage
No roaming charges
No weak signals
And…………………

We don't ever have to worry about our Bible being disconnected or out of range because Jesus already paid the bill, and His service goes to the end of the world !!!!