Bishop's Note: Collect for the Sixth Sunday of Easter

Bishop Eric Menees

O God, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man's understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards thee, that we, loving thee in all things and above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

This week's Collect seems to draw its inspiration from the First Epistle of St. John, chapter four: "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." (1 John 4:7-8) Because God is love, He is by His very nature loving, and desires to pour into the hearts of His children things that are so wonderful we cannot begin to imagine them!

When we are "born from God," i.e. born again, we have our hearts and souls supernaturally prepared to receive the love of God and to share it with others. Hard to imagine isn't it? Thus, any love we receive or give does not originate within us or others, but is a gift from God and is meant to be returned to Him and shared with others.

What this collect calls us to do is love the Lord our God above everything and everyone else in our lives! He is to be our first priority and our principle aim. I like the way that the Westminster Catechism states it:

 Q.  What is the chief end of man?

Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

When we have our priorities correct - in other words when God is at the top of our list - what we discover is that everything else falls into proper perspective. Most of the difficulties in our daily lives come when we and others place ourselves, our families, our work, etc. first and God second, or third, or fourth.

This Collect reminds us that when we love God above all things, then we receive the blessings that exceed our greatest desires. How awesome is that?!

Now let me ask: Do you expect your Father in Heaven to bless you? Do you look for those blessings in your life? If I'm honest, I do look for God's blessings, but I need to do so even more. Like the father of the ill son in the gospel of Mark, who cried out to Jesus: "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief," (Mark 9:24) my faith is imperfect but fulfilling; imperfect but compelling; imperfect but loving. And, even my imperfect faith is a gift from God. I am exceedingly grateful for the gift of God's love in my life, which I am privileged to share with you all.

God bless you all!

Note: These articles are written by Bishop Menees for the Diocese of San Joaquin. I have posted them on Soundings with his permission for a wider audience. This is also the case for his "Why I am an Anglican" series. Dale+

Is This A Sin Father? Confessions From Millennials

Fr. Dale Matson

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation-if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:1-5, ESV)

There is one fact of the Charismatic movement that did not square with the idea that the movement was reflecting the New Testament Church. In the 1970s we had not yet also returned to a New Testament Culture. In fact, modern church catechisms took it for granted that a candidate for confirmation was embedded in a Christian culture.

Today we live in a culture more suited to the Didache as a catechism than the 1979 Book Of Common Prayer Catechism. The primary focus of the Didache was Christian formation in a pagan World. http://sanjoaquinsoundings.blogspot.com/2011/06/didache-first-catechism.html

The new Catechism for the Anglican Church North America (ACNA) is much more extensive than the Catechism from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. This is primarily because it is addressed to a contemporary culture that is no longer Christian.

Last night, I heard confessions from about 40 candidates about to be confirmed. All of the folks could be considered Millennials. I was not surprised to hear most of the issues to which they were confessing. The confessions centered on past disobedience, rebellion, being judgmental toward others, stealing, lying, drug and alcohol use and promiscuity. They spoke through tears and were sorry. As a priest, I absolved them in Christ’s name.

There were more contemporary things also. What did surprise me was the number of times I was asked, “Is this a sin father?” One person used the phrase, “Living the free life” in reference to her conduct before participating in church. I told her that she was only learning what the free life was about as a slave to Christ. In this pagan society, we have come to the place where hedonism is accepted as normative. Traditional family values are at odds with a permissive and self-seeking society.

Many of those who were confessing were confused about what conduct constituted sinful behavior. They are in the process of learning what is right and what is not acceptable. Their hearts have been changed and they are thirsty to know more. They are attracted to this Jesus the Christ and are in the process of putting on His Mind. They want to do the right thing but are not always sure what constitutes doing the right thing. They do know however, that they don't want to go back to the past life and ask for God’s empowerment to resist the pull.

This is Christianity 101. This is Christian formation more than it is Anglican formation. There is so much more they have to learn. These two hours spent hearing confessions was one of the most intense and blessed times of my priesthood. Thank You Lord.

   

I remember back in my Christian re-formation, reading Watchman Nee’s The Normal Christian Life. I was overwhelmed by the description of a mature and fully ‘fleshed out’ Christianity. It was the beatitudes applied to life. I wasn't sure I was up to the task. I pray that the thirst for the new wine, of these young people, will be like the seed that fell on good ground.

Bishop's Note: Collect for the Fifth Sunday of Easter

Bishop Eric Menees

Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know thy Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leadeth to eternal life; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

If last Sunday was known as Good Shepherd Sunday, perhaps this Sunday should be known as The Unique Way Sunday. This Sunday's collect captures the fact that Jesus is the unique and ONLY way to God the Father and eternal life with Him. This is the good news of Jesus Christ - that we have a way to the Father. All other religions require their practitioners to work hard and lift themselves up to God. Christianity proclaims that, “...God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that all who believe in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) It is not that we have to do anything to receive Christ's love, but rather that we must simply accept it; simply say yes; simply believe in Him who believed in you before you ever believed in Him.

That being the case, what a tragedy it is when we hold back the full truth of the gospel. I'll never forget watching the very moving funeral service of President Gerald Ford on TV on January 3, 2007. The service in the National Cathedral was a state event, with all the appropriate pomp and circumstance befitting the funeral services for the 38th President of the United States. The liturgy was flawless, and the music was majestic. How sad, therefore, when Fr. Robert Certain climbed into the towering pulpit to preach the funeral sermon but left off the final phrase of John 14:6 - "I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME." With literally millions of people watching the service live on TV, Fr. Certain had the opportunity to offer the hope of Christ to a lost and hurting world, but fell short.

When asked about it later, he stated that he wanted to focus on President Ford as the healer of the nation; that to speak of Christ as the unique way to salvation would be divisive. However, I would argue that President Ford could only have been a healer because he followed the great healer - Jesus Christ!

Fr. Certain expressed a fear that far too many Christians in the West have come to believe as true - that the uniqueness of Jesus as the only way to the Father is, "exclusive and intolerant." The opposite is true. Because Jesus died for all who would put their faith and trust in him, it is not dependent upon the person’s individual ethnicity, culture, language, education, economic status, etc., etc.  When we say, "Well, people in the East are Hindu and Buddhist, people in the Middle East are Muslim,” etc., we are truly being exclusivist - saying that we are going to keep the truth of the gospel to ourselves in the wealthy, educated West.

What this collect proclaims is that Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. Equally the petition to God is that we will so embody that Truth and follow in that Way, that not only will we have the fruit of that relationship - eternal life with Jesus - but that we will share that Truth with all who will listen.

Note: These articles are written by Bishop Menees for the Diocese of San Joaquin. I have posted them on Soundings with his permission for a wider audience. This is also the case for his "Why I am an Anglican" series. Dale+

Bishop's Note: Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

 Bishop Eric Menees

O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of thy people; Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he doth lead; who, with thee and the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

This Sunday is known as Good Shepherd Sunday for good reason: we are reminded that our risen Lord is indeed the "Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep." (John 10:11)

Thanks be to God that we do have a Good Shepherd, because the world has known so many bad shepherds: Shepherds who do not lead sacrificially. Shepherds who keep the sheep in the sheep pen rather than leading them out into green pastures where they may be safe and at peace to lie down..

This Sunday I will have the honor of ordaining Steve Veselsky to the transitional diaconate. At that time, I will challenge him to pattern his life after the Good Shepherd, who never thinks of himself but of his sheep; who never leads from the back but always from the front - willing to face the dangers ahead; and who always protects the sheep before himself.

The collect this week, however, is not asking that our pastors will be good shepherds, but that all of us - clergy and laymen alike - will listen to the Good Shepherd, who is the Son of God. The question for most of us is: how do we know the difference between our own voice and that of the Good Shepherd?

We know that it's the Good Shepherd's voice when we can easily see that the Word of God backs it up. We know it's our own voice when we have to rationalize that "it could be” God's desire.

We know it's the Good Shepherd's voice when he asks us to reach out beyond ourselves for the sake others. We know it's our voice when it leads to comfort and a shorter path, and we have to rationalize that God wants us to be comfortable.

We know it's the Good Shepherd's voice when he points us toward the our Heavenly Father rather than an earthly pleasure. We know it's our own voice when we tell ourselves that we deserve some earthly pleasures - rationalizing that, after all, God created everything!

This Sunday we pray that we will be granted ears to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd as well as the Grace to step out in faith to follow him - not knowing exactly where we will be going, but knowing in the depth of our being that we want to go anywhere the Good Shepherd is leading!

A blessed Good Shepherd Sunday to you all, and a blessed Mother's Day to all the moms and moms-to-be in the Diocese of San Joaquin!

Note: These articles are written by Bishop Menees for the Diocese of San Joaquin. I have posted them on Soundings with his permission for a wider audience. This is also the case for his "Why I am an Anglican" series. Dale+

Bishop's Note: Collect for the Third Sunday in Easter

 Bishop Eric Menees

O God, whose blessed Son did manifest himself to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open, we pray thee, the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

On this third Sunday of Easter, we continue to walk with the disciples as the resurrected Jesus reveals himself to two travelers along the road. Today's gospel is from the 24th chapter of Luke and is the story of the Road to Emmaus, where Jesus revealed himself to Cleopas and the other disciple (I'd like to think Cleopas is going home with his wife, as she's mentioned in John 19:25 as being with Mary at the cross). As they walk along and discuss the events of the past days with Jesus, whom they do not yet recognize, their hearts burn within them. They finally invite Jesus to stay for a simple meal, an

As a 13 year old boy, my friend invited me to church with him. This was a new experience for me, as I had never been part of a church and certainly didn't have a relationship with God the Father - let alone his only begotten son. Unfortunately, neither he nor another friend showed up that day, and before I could leave the ushers had corralled me and sat me down with them in the back of the church. This was my very first time in church, so everything was new and quite strange. Mostly, I could make sense of what was going on until the celebration of Holy Eucharist. They were talking about eating the flesh and drinking the blood of a man who was - so far as I understood then - 2000 years dead. I wanted no part of that, but the ushers were very insistent - to the point of grabbing my elbow and leading me to the altar. (Certainly not something I recommend.) Imagine my relief when the priest came to me and placed a round piece of...cardboard? cracker?...in my hand.  Then the chalice bearer came by, and I was equally relieved to look into the chalice and see and smell only wine.

I reluctantly received the bread and the wine, the body and the blood of Jesus, and I have to say that I felt something that I'd never experienced before. It was a warm feeling that spread throughout my body, and it was much more than port wine on an empty stomach. It was like a warm embrace, and I oddly felt the urge to cry, but I held back. To my surprise, the priest (Fr. Bob) noticed me and came back and knelt in front of me. He looked me in the eyes and said, "Welcome Home."

Like Cleopas and "the other disciple," I had my eyes opened to the presence of Jesus in my life in the breaking of the bread. The following week I gave my life to Christ on a youth group trip to Tijuana, Mexico. I was baptized a couple of months later, and was confirmed a few months after that. Because a friend invited me to church to sit with Jesus and to break bread, my life was change and transformed by the love of Christ. 

This Sunday, who can you invite to join you at the table of The Lord? Alleluia Christ is Risen!  The Lord is Risen Indeed. Alleluia

Note: These articles are written by Bishop Menees for the Diocese of San Joaquin. I have posted them on Soundings with his permission for a wider audience. This is also the case for his "Why I am an Anglican" series. Dale+