Bishop Eric Menees
In San Diego we had a lighted signboard in front of our
church, on which we would put pithy sayings; sometimes from scripture,
sometimes personal notes (following 9/11 for example), and sometimes just
sayings that people would bring into the office. One that jumps out at me was
what we’d put up for Epiphany: WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM. What a true statement.
It is the wise who continue to seek the Christ, the foolish who abandon the
quest, and the evil who oppose those who do seek him.
Of course, this sentiment is not new – we can look back from
the beginning of the church and read about the quest for Jesus and the meaning
of the Wise Men from the East. Recently I read this from Lancelot Andrews,
written in the sixteenth century:
There Came Wise Men from the East
These that came from the East were Gentiles, and that
matters to us, for so are we. We may
then look out and if we can see this star, it is ours. It is the Gentiles' star. We may set our course by it, to seek and find
and worship him as well as they. So we come in, for God has also to the
Gentiles set open a door of faith, and that he would do this and call us in,
there was some small star-light from the beginning. This he promised by the Patriarchs, shadowed
forth in the figures of the Law, the Tabernacle and the Temple, the Prophets
and the Psalms, and it is this day fulfilled.
These wise men are
come who not only in their own names but also in ours make here their
entry. They came and sought after and
found and worshiped their Savior and ours, the Savior of the whole world. A little wicket there was left open before,
whereby various Gentiles did come in; now the great gate set wide opens this
day for all -- for these here with their camels and dromedaries to enter with
all they carry. Christ is not only for
russet cloaks, shepherds and such; but even grandees, those of great states
such as these came, and when they came they were welcome to him -- for they
were sent for and invited by this star, their star properly.
They came a long journey and they came an uneasy
journey. They came a dangerous journey
and they came now, at the worst season of the year. They delayed not their coming till the
opening of the year, till they might have better weather and way and have
longer days and so more seasonable and fit to travel in. So desirous were they to come with the first,
and to be there as soon as they possibly might, that they broke through all
these difficulties, and behold, they did come.
And we, what excuse
shall we have if we come not? If so short and easy a way we come not, as from
our chambers hither? And these wise men never were a whit less wise for so
coming; nay, to come to Christ is one of the wisest parts that ever these wise
men did. And if they and we be wise in
one Spirit, we will follow the same star, tread the same way, and so come at
last whither they they are happily gone before us.
And how shall we do
that? In the old ritual of the Church we find that on the cover of the canister
wherein was the sacrament of his Body, there was a star engraven, to show us
that now the star leads us thither, to his Body there. So what shall I say now,
but according as St John says, and the star and the wise men say Come. And he whose star it is, and to whom the wise
men came, says Come. And let them that
are disposed come and let whosoever desires take the Bread of life, which came
down from heaven to Bethlehem, the house of bread. Of which Bread the Church is
this day the house, the true Bethlehem, and all the Bethlehem we have now left to
come to for the Bread of life -- of that life we hope for in heaven. And this is our nearest coming that here we
can come, till we shall by another coming Come unto him in his heavenly
kingdom. To which he grant we may come,
he that came to us in earth that we thereby might come to him and remain with
him forever, Jesus Christ the Righteous.
Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626)
Thirty-nine
Articles of Religion
IX. Of Original or
Birth-Sin
Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam, (as the
Pelagians do vainly talk;) but it is the fault and corruption of the Nature of
every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam; whereby man
is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined
to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the Spirit; and therefore
in every person born into this world, it deserveth God's wrath and damnation.
And this infection of nature doth remain, yea in them that are regenerated;
whereby the lust of the flesh, called in Greek, φρονημα σαρκος,
(which some do expound the wisdom, some sensuality, some the affection, some
the desire, of the flesh), is not subject to the Law of God. And although there
is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized; yet the Apostle doth
confess, that concupiscence and lust hath of itself the nature of sin.
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