Sunday, March 06, 2016
Reflections on the 4th Sunday in Lent
"There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."' So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe--the best one--and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate. "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'"The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the better known New Testament narratives, speaking to unconditional love and and forgiveness. From a superficial look, it speaks of a selfish son who being bent on immediate gratification, takes his inheritance, blows it, is cast into abject poverty, returns home, and is forgiven by his father. While all this is a part of the story, there is far more going on within this parable.
For way too many years, I would read this parable with my focus being fixed on the little brother. His behavior was nothing to write home about. He was rash, ingracious, and self-centered. In demanding his inheritance, he insulted his father in ways we westerners don't understand. He blew through his inheritance like lunch through a goose and when famine hit, he was left destitute. He hatched a scheme to get back into his father's home but the father would hear none of it. He wouldn't be welcomed back as hired help, rather he was restored as a son and his return was celebrated.
Three years ago my focus was diverted from the prodigal to the "good" son, the one who stayed at his father's side. For too long, I saw him as an offended party but in truth, he was in as much need of redemption as his party animal brother. Unlike Bluto, this older hid his darkness behind a veneer of virtue. He is far more like most of us than we'd ever hope to admit. Beneath the layers of devotion, diligence and seeming good behavior lay a heart that was bitter and resentful. He felt resentment on many levels and was furious over the grace his father extended to is brother.
The sense of entitlement is an easy trap to fall into. We tow the line, do all the right things, behave, and feel that God owes us for our fealty. Then, we see others getting ahead or being blessed we feel ripped off. We grumble and hold a simmering resentment over what we believe to be some Divine sleight. This separates us from the Almighty.
God's word tells us a different story. Sovereign Grace has been extended to us, not on the basis of our merit but because of the love of God. Consider the father's words in reminding his son that "he has always been at his father's side and all his father possessed was his. This wasn't on the basis of his good behavior but on the basis of his father's love.
We are loved, not because of who we are, but because of who God is.
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Tuesday, February 23, 2016
BabyBlue has moved down the Street
From This Morning's Lectionary
Reading portions of Psalm 50 this morning:
We can take comfort in both the words of this psalm, and the words of our Christ. They remind us that those who know their sins, confess their sins, and seek Divine mercy will stand justified before the throne.
"14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving * and make good your vows to the Most High. 15 Call upon me in the day of trouble; * I will deliver you, and you shall honor me." 22 “I have made my accusation; * I have put my case in order before your eyes. 23 Consider this well, you who forget God, * lest I rend you and there be none to deliver you. 24 Whoever offers me the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me; * but to those who keep in my way will I show the salvation of God.”The same God who see's our actions is the same God who knows our hearts. This should serve to either comfort us or terrify us. And in my own walk, there have been more times than I care to confess, that it has been the latter. But all who are in Christ and are endeavoring to walk in his ways will own this statement if they're honest with themselves. It was for this reason that the "publican" in the parable stood off a distance whispering "LORD, have mercy on me, a sinner".
We can take comfort in both the words of this psalm, and the words of our Christ. They remind us that those who know their sins, confess their sins, and seek Divine mercy will stand justified before the throne.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Sunday, February 21, 2016
An Anniversary at All Saint's Woodbridge
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| "Morning by morning new mercies I see..." |
Our initial arrival in 2013 was abrupt, sort of like a tuck and roll from a moving vehicle. Robin & I arrived without clericals and looked like anyone who was visiting the church for the first time. But that said, we were immediately welcomed by loving saints like Mary Wong who faithfully leads ASC's newcomer ministry. Others made it their point to welcome us, sharing about the many ministries that included a vibrant set of adult programs. In my spirit, I immediately sensed that Bishop John had correctly discerned Divine direction in placing us on the hill in Woodbridge.
Unbeknownst to those gathered at the 8:45 AM Eucharist, Robin & I had just passed through the eye-wall of a spiritual maelstrom, an intense and prolonged period of spiritual warfare and spiritual assault. We needed to be where we now found ourselves. That morning, Father Daniel Morgan was used by the Almighty to speak words that my bruised soul needed to hear. As part of his benediction, Father Dan proclaimed "Now be blessed by the Lord who you've received. Forget not the poor. Make no peace with that which would oppress you." A Benediction is defined as "the utterance or bestowing of a blessing, especially at the end of a religious service". His words lived up to this definition as they were salve to our spirits. It would now be a season of sitting still and listening to God through His word and discerning His will and direction. It felt good to find myself among those who welcomed us for who we were in Christ and not having their expectations colored by meeting a man in a clerical collar and his wife. Six months later and to the surprise of all (including Mary Wong), the man most knew as "Andy" was in fact "Deacon Andy".
Three years out, I can now reflect on the many lessons I've learned here at ASC. I've been blessed to see Biblical servant-leadership lived out in the lives of men like Father Dan, Father Alex, and Father Mark. Included in this list would be sister-saints like Deacon Julie, Lindsey, Lorna, and countless others. Each of these epitomizes ASC's motto of "Love, Grow, Serve".
I've learned important lessons about my self, a very powerful one being that its not my mission on earth to be one who is obliged to "Fix" every situation. In retrospect, being one who self-senses the need to be a fixer can find themselves being mangled in the gearbox.
I've learned the power of "Matthew 18". Succinctly, exhorting those who feel that they've been offended need to (by Divine command) take the concern to the one who they believe they were offended by. Too, there's nothing in this passage that commands one to be an intermediary between offendor and offendee. When an individual had a low level issue on what was being shared in our Prayer's of the People, I lovingly exhorted them to speak to one of the Priests concerning their issue. As a Deacon, I'm called to many responsibilities; nowhere in this list will one find either human shield or mediator.
God bless, preserve, and prosper you All Saint's Church. May you be salt and light that's spread across Prince William County, Virginia, and the world until our Lord's return.
The Second Sunday in Lent
"O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."Those unfamiliar with the Anglican vernacular often ask why do you refer to certain prayers as "Collects" (pronounced as "kəˈlekts")? The answer lies in the fact that the prayer serves as a means of gathering hearts, souls and people together at the beginning of the Anglican worship service. This happens on both a local and global level as Anglicans throughout the world have or will have prayed some version of this prayer in their own language. Though this might sound a little wonky, its import is a little mind blowing.
Consider for a moment; Anglicanism is the third largest expression on Christianity on Earth, approaching 100 million communicants. Today, these 100 million men, women, and children have prayed that Divine grace be poured out on those outside the family of God. You see, followers of Christ aren't sitting in their holy clubs asking their God to smite the world with His club (Westboro "Baptist" notwithstanding). No, the truth is far from this.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Ash Wednesday: Reflection, Renewal, and Revival
Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith. I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word. And, to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer.Many within in our culture hear the word "Lent" and equate it with an exercise of giving some trivial thing up for a season. We'll hear of those "giving up (fill in the blank...) for Lent. Many who profess Christianity consider Lent to be something that "Catholics do". These views serve only to rob individuals of a season of great blessing. Allow me to offer up an alternative to these two common misconceptions. Lent, faithfully pursued, can be a conduit for reflection, renewal and revival.
Historically, Lent commemorated the event in the Savior's mission where he withdrew from the community surrounding him to be alone in the desert, communing with His Father. Scripture tells us that in this season, he fasted, prayed, and was tempted by the accuser. It was a time where the second person of the Godhead focused on what was his "big picture", the redemption of his creation. We can draw much from this.
Reflection in Lent can be transformational. It allows us to see ourselves as we really are, fallen, broken, and continually desiring to walk our own way rather than the way of the cross. Reflection causes us to see how we were transformed and continually transformed by Christ's redemption on the cross. It allows us to see how we've become justified before the Almighty, clothed in Christ's own righteousness.
Renewal challenges us to walk in, and live into this great salvation which was freely offered to us. We didn't earn it, we didn't deserve it, and we could never pay the price for such an act of mercy. Yet we can and must live as one who apprehends the gravity of such a gift. Lent calls us to walk in this newness of life, living in a humility that recognizes our Lord's unfathomable love, and to commit in communicating this love to the world around us.
When we walk in reflection and renewal, revival will be a natural consequence. Please don't confuse this Revival with Revivalism. Revivalism flows from an external stimulus playing on ones emotions and feeling. Revival wells from deep within, where one will find a transformed heart. A holy Lent will grant this opportunity to all who would walk in it.
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