Jejune Holiness: A Return To Innocence or (My Reflections on Ash Wednesday and Lent)

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all 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, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Today marks the season of Lent for the Church, which most people across denominations participate in and practice. Today is Dies Cnerum or the Day of Ashes, Ash Wednesday. For a brief history on how Lent became to be a Holy Day within the Church read here:

http://www.orlutheran.com/html/ash.html

Lent to many people can be about different things. For some it is a season of fasting, a season of almsgiving, a time of introspective reflection, a time of praying, a time of devotion, a time of rending our hearts unto the Father to have them changed, a time of meditation upon God's Word, or a time of repentance and penance. For me Lent is about all of these things

I like this defining of Lent:

"The definition of the 'observance of a Holy Lent' is marked by disciplines of self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word, all moving toward that purpose: to believe again in the power of God to offer us ways to 'die to sin' and begin new life again," said Dr. James Kowalski

‎Joan Chittister said, "Lent is not a ritual. It is time given to think seriously about who Jesus is for us, to renew our faith from the inside out."

I like how those two put Lent. Lent is about many things, but I want to focus on that dying to sin and beginning new life again by renewing our faith from the inside out.

For me Lent is about HOLINESS....

Lent follows the season of Epiphany, which is about the celebration of Jesus' Baptism. I wrote about the season of Epiphany and much of what I have to say here will tie into that blog found here:

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=482768963262

After Jesus' Baptism He was led into the wilderness which is recorded well in Saint Matthew's Gospel:

"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written, "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’

Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you”, and “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’

Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’

Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” ’

Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him."

Pope Benedict said, ""Fasting means abstaining from food, but includes other forms of self-denial to promote a more sober lifestyle. But that still isn't the full meaning of fasting, which is the external sign of the internal reality of our commitment to abstain from evil with the help of God and to live the Gospel."

Isn't that exactly what Christ experienced in the Wilderness? Christ fasted, which was a outward manifestation of His internal love for God to abstain from evil!

Jesus experienced the spokeman for evil himself and yet Christ did not succomb to the temptations of sin and evil.

He abstained by evil!

What is interesting is that He abstained from evil not just by fasting, but by refuting Satan with Scripture.

Christ retained His holiness and defeated His temptation by His meditations, prayers, fasting, and use of Scripture.

We, too, have been baptized. It is at our baptism that we receieve forgiveness, we rise to new life in innocence when we come out of that water. We are a new person.

BUT

We still have to deal with our flesh or sinful nature. It isn't too long afterwards that we will lose that initial innocence by sinning. We fall and stumble.

We fail to obtain that holiness that Christ had.

My observation is that so often our holiness is just that our holiness!

Our holiness is JEJUNE HOLINESS!

Meaning it is lacking in significance because it is not up to us what holiness is. We are not the definers of holiness. God's Word is the definer of true holiness, but so often in our morally relative socity we make things that are not acceptable to God acceptable to us such as fornication, divorce, lying, cheating, adultery, homosexuality, or whatever else it may be.

I say that because we don't take our lives and examine them in light of Scripture, but so often twist Scripture or right out ignore it to justify our behavior.

I am very guilty of this, please understand that.

We ALL are!

We were baptized into salvation and newness of life with a committment to abstain from evil and to live out the Gospel.

I feel in my life with all the moral relativism around that it is hard to live that out these days. We go into our Wilderness and instead of confronting it with Scripture we embrace it or justify it by any means necessary.

Some may think that this is a little harsh, but it is a observation I have made. Ask yourself how many sermons you have heard on repentance, penance, sin, holiness, and confession in your life.

I have not heard that many. Repentance seems to be a neglected pillar of the Gospel that we seeker friendly types want to cover up because God forbid we hold someone or ourselves to a Biblical standard of holiness, which is obtained by abstaining from evil, living out the Gospel, and repentanting by confession when we fail to do those things.

I CONFESS THAT I AM A SINNER! I have failed to repent! I have failed to obtain holiness! I have failed to live out the Gospel by living righteously and by sharing with others the Gospel and meeting their needs! I confess that I have sinned against God and man! I confess that I have justified my sinful nature and have failed to live according to Biblical Holiness! I confess I have lived according to my Jejune holiness!

I feel that confession is forgotten in our seeker friendly model of ministry and church today. Saint James told us in his Epistle, "Therefore confess your sins to one another."

Saint John writes, "If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

We must confess to one another and to God. Confession is not to be in silence, but with our brothers and sisters for the purpose of accountablitity and need be discipline. We must regain a focus on confession. Confession must be understood in light of the fact that at our baptism we are forgiven, but not for our future sins. We are not promised that. We are forgiven after baptism through confession.

The Didache says, "In the church you shall acknowledge your transgressions, and you shall not come near for your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life..But every Lord's day gather yourselves together and break bread and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure."

Confession is VERY important as believers!



Job said, "Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."

It is a strong phrase to say you despise yourself, but it is the beginning of repentance.

‎Justyn Terry said, "Today, Christians around the world hear the sobering words, 'Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.' It is an invitation to face up to our own sin and mortality and to start the forty-day journey through Lent to Easter. It is a time for greater honesty, for facing hard truths about our lives and for rediscovering God's grace."

Yes, we are self-despised sinners! Yes, we MUST repent! Yes, we MUST confess our sins to God and one another!

But we have been baptized; we can return to innocense by rediscoverying God's grace anew!

Our jejune holiness is not what makes us better Christians! Holiness is not defined by culture or by our individual likings, it is defined by Scripture. "All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,17so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work" (II Timothy 3:16).

I believe that repentance and confession are essential if we are going to become Partakers of the Divine Nature that Saint Peter writes about (II Peter 1:4).

So for me Lent is about reflecting and meditating about God's Word and how my messed up view of holiness, my jejune holiness, does not make my holy. It is easy to become holy by my own standards, but we are called to become holy to His standards (Leviticus 11:44).

Lent for me is about introspective examination. It is about sacrificing and being more disciplined. It is about discovering how our sin prevents us from obtaining holiness if we go on without repentance and confessing.

So really Lent is about that returning to innocence, to that newness of life and grace that we receieved at our baptisms, for if we are repent and confess He is faithfull to forgive us.

Psalm 51:17 says, "
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

May we pray together through the Litany of Penitance:

Most holy and merciful Father:
We confess to you and to one another,
and to the whole communion of saints
in heaven and on earth,
that we have sinned by our own fault
in thought, word, and deed;
by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and
strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We
have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven.
Have mercy on us, Lord.

We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us.
We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved
your Holy Spirit.
Have mercy on us, Lord.

We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness: the
pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives,
We confess to you, Lord.

Our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation
of other people,
We confess to you, Lord.

Our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those
more fortunate than ourselves,
We confess to you, Lord.

Our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts, and
our dishonesty in daily life and work,
We confess to you, Lord.

Our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to
commend the faith that is in us,
We confess to you, Lord.

Accept our repentance, Lord, for the wrongs we have done:
for our blindness to human need and suffering, and our
indifference to injustice and cruelty,
Accept our repentance, Lord.

For all false judgments, for uncharitable thoughts toward our
neighbors, and for our prejudice and contempt toward those
who differ from us,
Accept our repentance, Lord.

For our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of
concern for those who come after us,
Accept our repentance, Lord.

Restore us, good Lord, and let your anger depart from us;
Favorably hear us, for your mercy is great.

Accomplish in us the work of your salvation,
That we may show forth your glory in the world.

By the cross and passion of your Son our Lord,
Bring us with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection.

Amen

Remember the words of the Psalmist:

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit."

Take time today to repent and confess with a brother or sister and before God whether or not you are planning to practice Lent or participate in Ash Wednesday.

May we be filled with the Holy Spirit to repent and confess our sins in order that the He may be able to work in and through us furthering us in taking on the Divine Nature. God cannot work where sin is present, so may we take this time to confess, repent, meditate, sacrifice, and give alms.

Therefore we beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do on this day, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy, so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Unfairness

I got the inspiration to write this song from a good friend's journal entry. We cry and cry about things being unfair and life being unfair. Truth is we should be THANKFUL for unfairness! If things were fair then Jesus would not have taken our place on the Cross. There was absolutely nothing fair about that! So maybe when we are tempted to say life isn't fair or a situation isn't fair we should think of Christ and his sacrifice for us. For if things were fair we would not be here. Be thankful for unfairness.

Unfairness

Your love it rescues
You reached down
And lifted us from the fall
And all humanity came to life

With the Cross
You reached down
And picked us up from the fall
What was fair about
The sacrifice of Innocence?
God showed unfairness to One
To show mercy to all
Love is unfair
But Love gave up Himself
To rescue us from desperation

Your love it beckons
You call to us
And make us Sons of God
Our hearts are alive

With the Cross
You reached down
And picked us up from the fall
What was fair about
The sacrifice of Innocence?
God showed unfairness to One
To show mercy to all
Love is unfair
But Love gave up Himself
To rescue us from desperation

No greater act of kindness exists
Your mercy is unending, forever matchless
You are forever matchless!
Your love is fulfilling, forever matchless
You are forever matchless!
Forever matchless!

Words by Jonathan Anderson

Glorious Illumination or (Glory Revealed)

O God, who by the leading of a star didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know thee now by faith, to thy presence, where we may behold thy glory face to face; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Today marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Epiphany or if you are of the Eastern churches, Theophany.

Epiphany can incorporate a lot of different meanings according to which denomination is celebrating it, but the celebration usually marks the manifestation of Christ to the Gentile through the Magi. It is also a celebration of Christ's Baptism into the Jordan River revealing to all that He is the Son of God. Theophany basically means "appearance of God". This is also a remembering of the Marriage Celebration of Cana where our Lord revealed Himself by His first miracle.

Either way you look at it this liturgical season celebrates the Divinity of Christ and His being revealed as the Son of God.

I want to start with this verse taken from Zechariah 2:13, "Be silent, all people, before the Lord; for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling."

Now, that verse is not in context at this moment, nor do I plan to use it in context of Zechariah.

I want to paint a picture with this verse in light of Epiphany.

In the revealing of Christ as the Son of God it is in that moment that Christ's Divinity came to be known to us and quite possibly to Him also. But God had been roused from His holy dwelling with the angels and archangels.

The Gospel accounts of Christ's Baptism are quite amazing. Matthew 3:13-17 reads, " Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’"

I like Saint Luke's accounts reads, "Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

These verses in both accounts are climatic! They are HUGE! The story is EPIC!

These accounts show us two things: 1) The revealing of Jesus Christ our Lord as the Son of God and 2) The mystery of the Trinitarian Faith, which we profess.

We see here the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all at one moment.

Glory has been revealed!

Isaiah writes: "
The voice of one crying in the wilderness: '
Prepare the way of the Lord; m
ake His paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled.
And every mountain and hill brought low; t
he crooked places shall be made straight a
nd the rough ways smooth; a
nd all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"


John the Baptizer had prepared the way for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ before He came seeking to be baptized.

In the moment of His baptism and rising from the Blessed Waters of the Jordan the glory of Christ was revealed and all people were shown the salvation of God.

The Orthodox have a troparion that they sing to capture this phenomenon that I think is incredibly beautiful:

When You, O Lord were baptized in the Jordan
The worship of the Trinity was made manifest,
For the voice of the Father bore witness to You
And called You His beloved Son,
While the Spirit, in the form of a dove,
Confirmed the truthfulness of His word.
O Christ, our God, You have revealed Yourself
And have enlightened the world, glory to You!


By the act of His Baptism the Lord illuminated with Great Light what was dark!

Glorious Illumination!

And perhaps, there is a connection between our Lord's Baptism and our very own. He did not institute the sacrament of Baptism for no reason nor did He experience that sacrament for no reason (those who argue Baptism is not essential think about that, if our Lord Himself was baptized then we ought to follow Him)!

For me this Epiphany season is about a time of remembering not only the illumination of darkness, but a time of healing.

For it is by Christ's Baptism that healing was brought forth. It was in His revelation as the Son of God that darkness was turned into Light and that what was broken was made right.

Maybe there is more to Baptism then we often comprehend. It surely is more then just a symbolic act. There is power in this sacrament.

Remember that a sacrament is the outward and visible sign of a inward and and spiritual grace.

In that moment we go under we were lost, blind, deaf, and broken.

But we rise to newness of life, to healing, to grace, to Light!

Jesus said, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them."

There is healing behind the season of Epiphany as we celebrate the manifestation of God's glory in His Son Jesus Christ revealed to us during His Baptism.

The Orthodox have this beautifully written prayer:

"Incline your ear and hear us, Lord, who accepted to be baptized in Jordan and to sanctify the waters, and bless us all, who signify our calling as servants by the bending of our necks. And count us worthy to be filled with your sanctification through the partaking and sprinkling of this water. And let it be for us, Lord, for healing of soul and body.

For you are the sanctification of our souls and bodies, and to you we give glory, thanksgiving and worship, with your Father who is without beginning, and your All-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and forever, and to the ages of ages."

It is through the obedience of being baptized that we arise to new life in the Spirit! We arise to start what our Orthodox brothers and sisters call Deification or Theosis.

Θέωσις (meaning divinization, deification, or making divine, deificatio or divinizatio in Latin) is the process of transformation of a believer who is putting into practice the spiritual teachings of Jesus Christ and His gospel. I believe this to be the absolute crux of the Christian Faith.

I believe that if we aren't being conformed to the Image of Christ then why are doing this?

Lancelot Andrews said, "Whereby, as before He of ours, so now we of His are made partakers. He clothed with our flesh, and we invested with His Spirit. The great promise of the Old Testament accomplished, that He should partake our human nature; and the great and precious promise of the New, that we should be 'consortes divinae naturae', 'partake his divine nature,' both are this day accomplished."

Saint Peter sums it up eloquently:

"His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants in the divine nature. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For anyone who lacks these things is short-sighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins."

Let us in this time of feasting and celebration of the Epiphany and the Glorious Illumination not forget the cleansing of our past sins made possible by our obedience to Baptism REVEALED to us through Christ's ordaining the Sacramental act of Baptism through His own Baptism.

The writers of Hebrew wrote, "Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."

We have been washed clean.

Glorious illumination has brightened our darkness.

Healing has been brought to us through Christ.

Grace has been bestowed.

Let us not forget the day of our own Baptism as we celebrate the day our Lord was baptized.

Let us not forget that God's countenance was shown upon us that day in the Jordan.

Let us not forget that He came, was baptized, and revealed Himself.

Let us not forget that He showed us Light through His baptism and called us to be Baptized in the +++ Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Let us not forget that our Baptism sparked new life in us, giving us the Spirit.

Let us not forget that we are to be made clean daily. We are to become more like Christ everyday. Our baptism started the process that the Holy Spirit now continues.


I am aiming to say that by Christ's Baptism Heaven opened up and the Spirit descended upon Him and His Father was pleased. We see Christ's divinity revealed. So perhaps in our own Baptism we see our divinity revealed because the Spirit comes and allows us to take on the nature of the Divine, Jesus Christ. Saint Peter did not say what he did for no reason. In Christ's Baptism He took on His divine nature, and in ours we did the same thing. Becoming united with Christ through the Spirit.

Remember this season to always set aside the flesh and continue to walk in the Divine as we remember the Baptism of our Lord.

Always remember!

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan didst proclaim him thy beloved Son and anoint him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with thee and the same Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, in glory everlasting.


Amen.


Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

The Authenticity of Christianity Versus Other Religions

A few nights ago in conversation with my good friend in the Faith, Matthew Jones, I sent him this link seeking to see what his opinion is on it:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/januaryweb-only/muslimsevangelical.html

Now, if you are not wanting to read that article, basically what it is about is Churches letting people of other religions use their buildings to worship in. One church allowed the local Islamic community to use their church to worship in.

He responded saying:

"Hmmm, interesting article. I'm a little torn on how I should feel about it. On the one hand I remember the example of JPII reaching out to other faiths (he himself kissing a Qur'an inside a mosque). On the other hand he made clear, as does the Catechism, that other faiths bare some universal truths but are errant and lack the fullness of faith as we believe was deposited by Christ to the Apostles and into the Church.

It's tricky, the RCC has a complex understanding of the discussion this type of article raises. To lifelong Muslims who have never known any better, it's basically looked at in the same way Native Americans are viewed pre-Columbus (meaning they had know way to be exposed to the Gospels). Where it's still believed Christ died for him as did he you or I, it's completely up to the mercy of God to determine their salvation either in their ignorance or rejection of his son."

I can't speak for those ministers allowing Muslims to worship in their church, but for Matthew and me our churches are consecrated to the Lord. Matthew is Catholic and I am an Anglican. We are both under the authority of bishops and archbishops and for Matt, the Pope. Our churches are ordained and consecrated to the SERVICE of the Lord Jesus Christ and no other deity! I would not, as a future priest one day Lord willing, be opening the doors to our church and the alter of the Lord Christ to pagan sacrifices. That is just unacceptable.

I am all for reaching out and not being rude and not being jerks to other religions, but how many of those religions would open doors to Christianity? And I wouldn't expect them to do so. But I for one would not be willing to let the consecrated church be used for worship of another deity that we know is a false god.

But it is important that I do not condemn those ministers. I admire they had the strength to do that. But I would not accept their actions for to me all is Sacramental in the church, but there are some who are not Sacramental Christians.

My good friend and fellow Anglican Isaac Rehberg commented on this note before I came back to add this about the non-Sacramental/Sacramental part. Isaac's explanation of this part is very thorough:

"I think one thing that may make a big difference on how a particular Christian tradition approaches this issue is whether its religious worldview is sacramental or not. For some (especially Catholics, Anglicans, and Orthodox), the sacramental mindset means that there are some items, places, etc. that literally become holy when they are consecrated. The altar is not just a table, it has been set apart for a particular religious purpose. The chalice is not just a cup, it has been set apart for a particular religious purpose. The church and its grounds is not just real estate, it is holy ground set aside for Christian worship. To misuse those consecrated things for other purposes would be sacrilege in the mind of the sacramental Christian.

To other Christian traditions, places, items, etc. cannot be intrinsically holy (with the possible exception of the Bible). A Church is only holy ground when it is used for holy purposes. The bread and wine used in the Lord's Supper are only holy when being used in the Lord's Supper. The same loaf of or same bottle of wine may theoretically be used for other things.

For the sacramental Christian, allowing other faiths to worship in their consecrated buildings would be a sacrilege. The nature of a consecrated church building eliminates the possibility of allowing its use for non-Christian worship. Shoot, for some sacramental Christians, other Christian denominations wouldn't even be welcome to borrow the church for a service. For the non-sacramental Christian, the issue wouldn't be so cut and dry. It would ultimately boil down to the pastors' discretion."

Isaac continued: "All that said, I don't think my conscience would allow me to permit other faiths to use my church for worship services. I'm by no means hostile to other faiths or their adherents. But I do see the church building as being consecrated for worship of the Triune God. If one cannot confess 'Jesus is Lord' in the service, it ought not be held in a consecrated Christian church."

I think Matthew and I would agree with what I had to say and Isaac's thoughts on that. He wrote, " I don't think a Muslim would ever be able to celebrate in a Catholic holy site. There's a difference between showing respect and goodwill towards another religion and actually endorsing it."

Agreed.

So he went on to say this:

"Jon, you also reminded me of a topic that I've been theorizing on myself here recently, if you care to share your thoughts. Basically, it's the question of how does a Christian articulate the certainty that Christianity is the truth faith vs. the other options: Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, etc. What makes it more authentic when some of those religions predate it? I have my own theories but I'm curious what you think."

I went on to write a little bit about what I think we should do, but my reply is no where as thoughtful and expressive as Matt's laid out thorough theory.

I did say this:

"What makes us more authentic? I think history very fully validates Christ's existence, death, burial, and resurrection. No other religion has that. And history would also prove the Judaic side of our religion as well. It's validated through history if you ask me. And continues to strive and grew."

And here is Matt's concise, but extremely thorough reply:

"1.) In my own opinion, Christianity is the least most exclusive religion. By that I mean, in the very Gospels Christ compelled his Apostles to make disciples of all nations make them very aware that his message wasn't suppose to be reserved for 1 or 2 groups of people alone as some exclusive window to knowing the truth. So, from Christianity's infancy it was intended to reach all corners of the earth. When you compare this to say, Judaism, well the very name first of all centers around a certain group of people. There is also the aspect of other world faiths being almost entirely concentrated to certain geographic regions. For example, apart from a few African nations Islam is almost entirely concentrated in the Middle East. Hinduism belongs almost completely to India. Shintoism belongs almost exclusively to Japan. Buddhism to India and some east-Asian countries. You see where I'm going with this? Christianity is just the opposite. Especially when looking at the greater picture. The RCC has literally a diocese for every scrap of land that maps this planet. The Eastern Orthodox Church spans a huge swath of the world's landmass in Russia and all it's satellite nations. The Protestant Churches are spread throughout Europe and the New World. However, the point is all the churches are intimately tied to a belief in Jesus as the Messiah and we literally wrap the globe (being the largest religion still as you yourself mentioned.) We're made up of every race, social class, and ethnic background.

2.) Fr. Barron raised an interesting aspect about the faith to my attention in one of his videos too. Christ, like no other religious founder, compels a choice. All other religious/philosophical founders present a teaching their trying to promote: Muhammad, Confucius, the Buddha, etc. However, none make the claim that Christ did in that he was literally God manifested in the flesh. This begs the question: 'If what he's claiming is right, than we have to believe in him...because is he not God?' No other religious founder puts forth this claim and presents us that choice. This also makes the case for Christianity that it is the most seemingly revealing religion, at least that being it's intent, because God himself walked among us and spoke to the first members of his Church and how to guide it.

3.) If you examine what Christianity has achieved apart from all it's evangelical aims, it's accomplishments are incredibly significant. The Church, for one, helped Western Society hold together after the Roman Empire fell apart. The RCC was the first to introduce universities, developed the scientific method, and educates more children than any other institution in the world (private schools and universities all inclusive). That doesn't even include all the other Christian churches with that, with untold thousands of orphanages, hospitals opened, food banks, schools, etc.

So the point is, one can make an interesting case to support the claim that Christ has a hand in literally ever facet of life. Based upon our size, our appeal, our charitable aims, all of it...He is revealed.

Again, these are just some of my thoughts but conclusions I drew based upon some independent research and observation. I'm aware people of other faiths could offer their own opinions on why 'they got it right' but nonetheless I think we have a strong case :)"

I believe Matt's response to be a very intelligent, short case for the authenticity of our Faith over the other religions of the world. I enjoy talking with Matt on these things because he knows history quite well.

One thing for sure is Christ is Lord and we all, least some, claim to profess that! I agree with Matt that we have a pretty strong case for that and the Church.

There will always be those who seek to destroy the Church and to destroy Christ's message. Christ told St. Peter that He would build His Holy Bride the Church and that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against Her. I think we can rest assured in that promise.

Christ our High Priest shall continue to lead and guide us, protect and guard us!

Gracious Father, we pray for they holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior.

Amen.

A Season of Rebirth, Renewal, and Peace or (The Meaning of the Nativity and Christmas to a Young Episcopalian)

Almighty God, who hast poured upon us the new light of thine incarnate Word: Grant that the same light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ wasn't just a physical visitation. It was a spiritual coming of Majesty. With the Incarnation and Nativity God's Light was shone. His Light was shone on dark hearts. It was necessary for darkness to dwell in our hearts so God's Light could find a dwelling to rest, shining forth Light on our entire beings. Remember, our hearts, in Hebraic poetry is our ENTIRE being, not our physical hearts.

And not only was that Light to shine forth in our entire lives, it shines forth FROM our lives.

Our light is ignited by THE Light!

Paul encourages his partner in the Faith, Titus, in chapter 2, verses 1-14, " For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds" (Emphasis mine).

This season to me is a time about births, our Savior's own humble birth and the humble birth and re-birth we experience as His followers through the gracious work of the Holy Spirit.

Notice that Salvation came to bring about TRAINING!

That means it is a on-going process. Salvation, rebirth, and renewal on on-going and continuing throughout the entirety of our Christian journey. The Spirit's training brings about the piety that God desires of His followers.

The Light is manifested within us already. Shining through all the darkest depths of our hearts to change and develop them into areas illuminated by the strength of Salvation and the Light of Love

This is all taking place because in this season we celebrate the time of our Savior's birth.

Without the grand design of God's plan of salvation we would still be in wondering darkness filled with impiety and sin.

But God's manifestation has come!

Our Light has been born!

Our hearts have illuminated!

God is purifying us in this time of renewal and rebirth to be His people, a people ZEALOUS for good works!

You know what I notice about that last verse in Titus?

The word people!

A PEOPLE!

We are God's chosen. We are in community!

At Ascension's Christmas Eve Holy Eucharist, we had candles at the end of the service that we all held. We started singing "Silent Night" and the usher walked down the nave's main aisle and lite the person's candle on the end who in turn would light the candle of the person on their right.

I find it a funny coincidence that those verses in Titus were also read for the public reading of Scripture for this service this night.

We were there to celebrate the coming of Light to darkness.

All the while it never hit me how powerful the image of our lighting each other's candles were!

What a powerfully strong physical metaphor and reminder of what God's Light does in our own lives.

Our lives have been taken from darkness into Light. God has walked down the aisle of our hearts and ignited our candles!

What are we to do in turn?

We are to turn to our neighbors and light theirs. We are A PEOPLE, COMMUNITY!

Jesus commanded us, "Be a light to the world" (paraphrase).

He also told us that we would do greater things then He! Why? Because we have the strength and promise of the Holy Spirit.

We are to, by the guidance of the Spirit and through prayer, go forth and light the candles that lay in darkness in the hearts of the world bringing the Peace of Heaven to those in the dark.

We have been touched by Peace in Christ's birth. Our candles have been lite.

That Peace came into our hearts to bring serenity and salvation, truth and strength, and piety and righteousness.

We are to share this Peace, which by now you know IS Christ with the world.

Father Howard and Father Backus both spoke at the Christmas Eve Eucharist. They both made a point that this birth and renewal is accompanied with signs. That the narrative of the Advent and Christmas are filled with characters experiencing signs.

Father Howard made it strongly clear that those signs come from within community.

Community shining light on each other, lighting each other's candles.

Community going forth to the world to light candles that lay in darkness as our own once did.

Community being zealous for good deeds, social justice, peace, reconciliation, and love.

But the warning we must follow is to not get trapped into the mentality that it is our own essence or our own light that does this lighting of other's candles.

Our candles once laid in darkness too!

Our candles sometimes glow dimly!

The Light in our candles is the Light of Christ shining forth from the time of the Nativity.

I like Saint John's writing in I John 4:7-15 because it is a fitting passage for this time of rebirth and lighting of candles in darkness:

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God" (ESV, emphasis mine).

We are to be MANIFESTATIONS OF LIGHT for a world laying in the dark as the Love and Light of God was made manifest among us.

This song by Chris Rice, "Go Light Your World", is a fitting example of what this time in the liturgical calender and Church year is about:

Go Light Your World
There is a candle in every soul
Some brightly burning, some dark and cold
There is a spirit who brings a fire
Ignites a candle, and makes his home

Carry your candle
Run to the darkness
Seek out the helpless, confused and torn
And hold out your candle
For all to see it
Take your candle and go light your world
Take your candle and go light your world

Frustrated brother, see how he's tried to
Light his own candle some other way
See now your sister she's been robbed and lied to
Still holds a candle, without a flame

Carry your candle
Run to the darkness
Seek out the lonely, the tired and worn
And hold out your candle
For all to see it
Take your candle and go light your world
Take your candle and go light your world

Cause we are a family
Whose hearts are blazing
So lets raise our candles and light up the sky
Prayin to our Father in the name of Jesus
Make us a beacon in darkest times

Carry your candle
Run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, deceived and
Hold out your candle
For all to see it
Take your candle and go light your world
Take your candle and go light your world

Hold our your candle
For all to see it
Take out your candle and go light your world
Take your candle and go light your world
Take your candle and go light your world

By Chris Rice

To drive the point further, David Crowder proclaims in SMS (Shine), "Shine your light so all can see it. Lift it up cause the whole world needs it. Love has come, what joy to hear it! He has overcome, he has overcome!"

With Christ light we CAN and SHALL overcome our own darkness and that of the world.

O God, who didst wonderfully create, and yet more wonderfully restore, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Let Us Lift Up Our Hearts Unto the Father or (The Sursum Corda)

Psalm 134 (A Song of Ascents)

"Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands to the holy place, and bless the Lord. May the Lord, maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion."

A Song of Ascents is a sacred song, or a sacred hymn. Fifteen of the Psalms are given the title "A Song of Ascents". I particular want to focus on Psalm 134, which is one of those fifteen. And further more I want to focus on the verse two of Psalm 134, "Lift up your hands to the holy place, and bless the Lord".

In The Great Thanksgiving, which is the Eucharistic Prayer, or Anaphora ("Anaphora" is a Greek word "ἀναφορά" meaning a "carrying back" hence its meaning in rhetoric and linguistics or a "carrying up", and so an "offering" hence its use in reference to the offering of sacrifice to God), for those of us in liturgical traditions begins with this responsive reading called Sursum Corda started by the Celebrant:

Celebrant: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Celebrant: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

I have a good friend named Zack that attends St. James Episcopal Church here in Knoxville, which is where Courtney and I attend Wednesday night Holy Eucharist/Healing. Zack is a very very reverent young man. I admire his reverence and view it as a role model for my own; He has been an influence for my spiritual life. One night while reading the liturgy I just posted above I noticed Zack lifted his hands towards the heavens while saying responsively, "We lift them to the Lord."

That has really been something on my mind here lately coupled with the Song of Ascents found in Psalm 134.

Lift your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!

Could there be a connection between that sign of reverence and the command to lift our hands to the holy place and bless Yahweh?

I believe there is a connection....................................THE HEART!

The heart is the bridge to those two. Because the Celebrant instructs lift your hearts to the Lord and we respond saying, "We lift them to the Lord."

Now, we cannot actually lift our physical hearts in our hands to the Lord, nor is that what the author of Psalm 134 and of The Great Thanksgiving meant.

The heart is so much more then what we here in Western culture give it credit for. The heart to the Ancient Hebrews was the center of one's ENTIRE being. All emotions, feelings, and thoughts originated not with the mind as they do with us in the West, but in the heart.

One author put it this way: "The heart is the centre not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life. 'Heart' and 'soul' are often used interchangeably (Deu 6:5; Deu 26:16; compare Mat 22:37; Mar 12:30, Mar 12:33)".

Jeff Benner said it this way: "We often associate the heart with emotions such as love and kindness as in 'He has a good heart'. This is also true with the Hebrews who saw the heart as the seat of emotion. But unlike us they also saw the heart as the seat of thought whereas we see the brain as the seat of thought. To the ancient Hebrews the heart was the mind including all thoughts including emotions. When we are told to love God with all our heart (Deut 6:5) it is not speaking of an emotional love but to keep our emotions and all our thoughts working for him".

Even more ironic is that our very theme this year on Johnson Bible College's campus is Proverbs 4:23, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life" (They actually have the NIV verse, but I prefer the NRSV for the wording, and that I hate the NIV).

Keep your heart with vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

There is something more to the heart that we tend to overlook.

This begins to paint a very beautifully poetic portrait of worship.

If we are lifting our hearts to the Lord then we are in essence lifting ALL of ourselves in honor to the King.

We are lifting our hearts, our entire being, our essence, our all to Jesus Christ.

If we are lifting ALL of our being, that which is our hearts, then we are lifting ALL that comes with our hearts: fear, dread, worry, anger, frustration, lust, bitterness, burdens, joys, strengths, loves, hopes, passions, and goodness.

For it is in worship that we can lift our hearts and worship our Lord.

For it is in worship that we can lift our hearts with all the weaknesses that are causing them to rupture at the seams and be strengthened by Jesus' presence in the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. And we exalt God with the goodness that our hearts may contain having them strengthened by His presence and accepted as gifts of spiritual worship.

Lifting our hands while reciting the "Lift your hearts. We lift them to the Lord," is such a strong symbolic and reverent sign of worship.

There is such beautiful imagery there; think about it.

In lifting our hands and hearts to the King of Kings in the prayer beginning Holy Eucharist we also acknowledge that the Sacrament's contain Jesus Christ's own presence. So in lifting our hands and hearts in worship Jesus' presence comes down to dwell with us in the Sacrament of His Body and Blood.

He meets us there in our worship and surrender! Our depravity collides with His divinity, as David Crowder would say.

We exchange the burdens of our hearts in our spiritual act of worship for the Grace of His Blessed Heart.

I do not know about you, but that is some POWERFUL imagery.

And that's what makes the Anaphora such a powerful part of the Holy Eucharist. Because Anaphora as we discussed meant "carrying up" or "offering". We are offering our hearts, our ENTIRE being as an offering unto the Lord.

Last night in a meeting for our weekend of prayer here at JBC, Lauren Mills read John 4:23-24, "'But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’"

Lifting our hearts and hands to the Holy Place, lifting them to the Lord, is our participating in worshiping of the Father in Spirit and in Truth.

Lifting our hearts to the Lord in spiritual worship is what the Father desires from us. And this is not without a promise:

"Let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water," urges the writer of Hebrews.

And even Psalm 134 has a two-way street with it. The Psalm says to bless the Lord that God may bless us out of Zion.

So therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, our Father beckons us to come forth lifting our hands in symbolic gesture of lifting our hearts, our all, our entire being, giving it ALL to Him.

In your worship, in your prayers, and in partaking of the Holy Eucharist, I urge you to pause and remember that we lift our hearts in worship of our Father.

Give the Father ALL you have.

WORSHIP!

SURRENDER!

COLLIDE!

BE CONSUMED!

MEET THE LORD THERE IN YOUR WORSHIP!

LIFT YOUR HEARTS UNTO TO THE LORD!

"Let us lift up our hearts as well as our hands to God in heaven." -Lamentations 3:41


Amen.

Ἄνω σχῶμεν τὰς καρδίας

Behold the Lamb of God or (The Advent of Love)

"We stand at the head of the Christian year. I am not sure that there is anything quite like it in the world; this composite of sanctities, this interweaving of story and prayer, of song and color, by which Christ is portrayed and brought before us. It is a solemn pageantry which effects association with him whose life is being traced."--Miles Lowell Yates

"We stand at the head of the Christian year. I am not sure that there is anything quite like it in the world; this composite of sanctities, this interweaving of story and prayer, of song and color, by which Christ is portrayed and brought before us. It is a solemn pageantry which effects association with him whose life is being traced."--Miles Lowell Yates


We have entered upon a very special and indeed a very magnificent part of the Church calendar. We have entered into the season of Advent. The season of the Church calendar that we take time to remember our Lord's coming as a baby and to dwell upon what that means. And Mr. Yates description paints a beautiful portrait of the meaning behind Advent.


Over a year ago I joined a liturgical church community that practices the ancient Church calendar and the seasons therein, so I am still getting myself familiar with the reflections of Christ's own life that the liturgical calendar presents. But Advent has always been a very special time of the year for me.


Oddly enough I am reminded of Exodus 12 in this Season of Advent. The Passover. I'm sure we all know the story quite well. Yahweh has sent plague after plague upon Egypt, but the Pharaoh would not soften his own heart. So God is going to send the Angel of Death to destroy the first born in all the land. He instructs his people to take the blood of a lamb and put it over their doors and that death will pass right over.


Andrew Peterson sings it like this in his beautiful song, Passover Us:
"But the Lord, He gave to Moses a word for the people. He said their firstborn sons could live to see another day 'Put the blood of a lamb on the doorway and death will pass right over.' That night all of the children of Israel prayed,
'Lord, let your judgment passover us. Lord, let your love hover near. Don't let your sweet mercy pass over us. Let this blood cover over us here'"


How does Passover have something to do with Advent? Death is a result of the Fall. Even though the first born sons of Israel escaped Death that night they would eventually go on to die. Our sins were more numerous than all the lambs we could slay. That's the consequence of sin, death. Eternal separation from God because of our guilt and sin.


Our sin was so great that animal sacrifices and the blood of animals would not satisfy the holy wrath of God. His judgment was still needing justification. The Advent is the Great High Priest, God the Father, Himself, placing upon the Holy Altar the Body of a Spotless Lamb, Christ His own Son. He chose His very own son as the Perfect Sacrifice to bear the sins of the world and to remove them.


And how even more poetic that Christ's blood destroyed death! Death has passed over us. We are no longer held by it's power. We are no longer held by the power of sin.


And what is extremely poetic is that in Exodus God required the blood of a lamb to be spread on the doorway in order for the first born son to be spared, but in the Advent He sent His Firstborn of All Creation to be that very Spotless Lamb. Christ's blood has been poured out for us.


The Advent is about God placing upon the Holy Altar His own Son in order that death and sin may be eternally defeated. The Advent is about the very love of God, the fullness of God coming to earth as a man.


Think about that for a moment. How vulnerable God made Himself. He made Himself a man. He submitted Himself to human care and nurturing. He submitted Himself to the feeding of Mary's breast, the nurture of her precious motherly love, and the care of her heart. God made Himself dependent upon a human being for survival and care and love.
Does that not make a tingle go up your spine and draw a tear to your eye? That the Creator of All would subject Himself to such vulnerability? What a beautiful picture of the Advent of Love.


Love has indeed come. Love's Advent was fulfilled in the Coming of Christ. The Lamb's Blood has been put upon the doorways of the world and each of our hearts. Death has been defeated. Sin has been crushed. The Father's wrath was satisfied.


In this season of Advent be grateful for the coming of Love. Reflect upon the Coming of Christ to be a sacrifice for our atonement. I want to share with you four prayers, one each for the four weeks of Advent. These prayers are found in The Book of Common Prayer. Pray them on Sunday and reflect upon the Advent.


First Sunday of Advent
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


Second Sunday of Advent
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


Third Sunday of Advent
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.


Fourth Sunday of Advent
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


I wanted to share with you these thoughts on Advent. I hope that you have a great time in remembering this special time of the Church year while having a great expectation of the Second Advent, which is has yet to happen.


I'll leave you with this quote by Edward Hays: "Advent is the perfect time to clear and prepare the Way. Advent is a winter training camp for those who desire peace. By reflection and prayer, by reading and meditation, we can make our hearts a place where a blessing of peace would desire to abide and where the birth of the Prince of Peace might take place."


Behold the Lamb of God who comes to take away our sin! Come Lord Jesus, Ancient and Strong, gather us beneath Your wing tonight. Amen.