Bishop’s Note: March 16, 2017 – Receive & Believe

Bishop Eric Menees

Last Sunday’s Gospel lesson from John chapter three included the iconic encounter in the night between Nicodemus and Jesus, in which Jesus proclaims that if you want to see the Kingdom of God you must be born again. To which Nicodemus responds – how can a man be born again? Jesus answers by saying: "'5 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, "You must be born again."'" (John 3:5-7)

With this proclamation, Jesus is referencing what we read in the prologue of the Gospel of John, which states that Jesus had come to the world but was not known: “11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” (John 1:11) Scripture goes on to say: “12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)

Those who RECEIVE and BELIEVE are given the right of adoption by the Creator of the Universe – it’s too amazing to understand, and too important to ignore!

What does it mean to receive Jesus? Think about receiving someone at your home. To greet them at the door is not the same as receiving them. Too often someone shows up and we don’t want to invite them in – it’s too messy; to0 intimate – it’s easier to greet them and leave them at the front door. Better yet, just have your conversation through the screen.

But RECEIVING them is to invite them into the home. I think of the scripture from the book of Revelation when Jesus says: “20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:20)

To receive Jesus is to open the door of our heart and welcome him into our messy lives. I recognize that is difficult for many of us – we like to keep the illusion that all is well, and to invite Jesus in is scary because he’ll see that all is not well! (As if Jesus didn’t know that already!) In the 1970’s there was a book out by the title I’m OK You’re OK. Remember that one? Problem is - we’re not OK. A more honest title would be: I’m All Screwed Up and So Are You.

In my thirty years of ministry in the church, I’ve met many people who “believe” in Jesus but who, in their fear, never invite him into their lives. It’s easier to keep Jesus at arms length – to say, “Well, I’ve been baptized. I go to church...when I can. Surely that’s enough.”

The idea is that we’ve got Jesus at the ready – when and if the chips are down, I’ll open the door and call Jesus into action when I need him; no need to overreact and be one of those “religious fanatics.” This is a way of saying “I’m in charge – I’ve got this covered.” And ultimately, Jesus is left outside, looking through the screen door of our lives.

My brothers and sisters, my prayer for you and my prayer for me is that we’ll have the courage not only to believe in Jesus, but to receive him into our lives – warts and all! It is only then that we can truly be adopted as sons and daughters of the Living God! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

I pray you all a blessed and Holy Lent!

Thirty-nine Articles of Religion

XVIII. Of obtaining eternal Salvation only by the Name of Christ.

They also are to be had accursed that presume to say, That every man shall be saved by the Law or Sect which he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that Law, and the light of Nature. For Holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the Name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved

Cardiac Stents, Dual Antiplatelet Therapy And Anemia

Dale Matson

In December of 2016 I had two Drug Eluting Stents (DES) placed in a coronary artery.

The standard protocol after DES is dual antiplatelet therapy. In my case this meant Plavix and aspirin. The reason for this is to prevent a clot from forming in the stents. The preferred standard of care in the United States is one year on DES and longer if there is no bleeding. How much longer is still being evaluated. Here is an example of the research on optimum treatment duration. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1409312#t=article
Also refer to the funding sources for the research. Is there a possible conflict of interest?
The problem for me was I had three ulcers that I was unaware of and on January 1^st I began to notice black stools, which is an indication of a GI bleed. I was hospitalized and the following day an endoscopy was performed and the ulcers were cauterized. Thankfully this stopped the bleeding but not before my hemoglobin dropped to 7 because I lost half my blood volume.

The GI doctor prescribed daily doses of a liquid antacid and protein pump inhibitor to control the acid in my stomach and reduce the chance of a future bleed. The decision was made at the hospital not to give me an infusion of blood even though my hemoglobin level warranted it. The current thinking is that it is safer to let the patient build back their blood numbers without the possible problems that can accompany a transfusion.

I was sent home under this circumstance and had previously been prescribed Lipitor, a statin drug. Lipitor is prescribed for lowering cholesterol and reducing inflammation but the side effects for me were unacceptable with insomnia and loss of libido. Additionally statin drugs also are blood thinners.

I am 72 years old and don’t even want to talk about the possible other side effects of statin drugs for older people.

I had a prior bout with anemia because of prolonged bleeding from a surgical procedure a few years ago and learned how to raise my iron levels with iron rich foods and iron supplements. I also used a private testing lab to regularly check the progress of my anemia.

I began the same regimen but this time I was making very little progress. My hemoglobin, hematocrit and iron saturation were very low and climbing only slowly. I began to wonder about this and talked with my primary care physician. His comment was that the blood thinners and antacids were reducing the iron uptake in my system. He suggested an iron infusion but I am concerned about this because there is essentially no literature out there saying that iron infusions are safe for patients with stents.

I have read considerable literature about optimum duration of dual antiplatelet therapy for DES. In Europe, the standard is 6 months. As I understand the research on this, it claims there is not a significant difference in stent thrombosis with patients who stop dual platelet therapy after 6 months and those who stop after one year.

My GI doctor told me I could bleed again and this weighs heavily on my mind. It is the double-edged sword of the risk of bleeding verses the risk of a clot in my stents. It is not easy to live with and I wonder if some of the heart attacks in the stent research were stress related. It would simply be devastating to bleed again and lose what little progress I have made with my anemia that is a daily burden and an increased risk factor.

I know that my cardiologist, because of the U.S. standard of practice, would not be allowed to tell me to stop the dual antiplatelet therapy at 6 months even though I am at risk for another severe bleed. However, I will do what is necessary to maintain my quality of life. I have seen more than one piece of research from Europe that states that current generation DES are much safer than the first generation. The fact is that when there is a high bleeding risk the duration of the dual antiplatelet therapy should be strongly evaluated. In some studies after one year the risk of bleeding increases as the risk of a stent thrombosis decreases.

I have not included citations of the research I have discussed, which can easily be found on an Internet search. Additionally, I am a layperson not making recommendations to anyone else. I am merely stating the difficulties I face and the decisions I have to consider. I know this however. It is important to be an informed consumer of medical services and that it is the individual patient who can and must be their own advocate and final decider.

I think there are a great number of folks out there who are in the same situation and I hope this article provides some clarity. What are your thoughts?   

    

     

Bishop’s Note: March 09, 2017 – The Problem of Evil

Bishop Eric Menees

A couple of weeks ago on a parish visitation, I had my standard Q & A with the congregation during fellowship. I asked if anyone had any questions, and a gentleman asked with a broad smile: “Yes, why does evil exist?” This was followed by chuckles from those gathered around. Clearly, he didn’t expect an answer...but ask a preacher a question, and you’re going to get a sermon...which they did.

Fortunately, last Sunday’s lesson from Genesis chapter three answers that question better than I did. The short answer is: because our first parents chose independence over dependence on God! Adam & Eve were in the midst of paradise. Man had been given a job: “15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15) Woman had been given a job: 18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” (Genesis 2:18) And they had both been given clear directions: 16 “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) The command was a test, and a warning – disobey this command, and there are serious consequences. Looking back on it from this side of the Fall, we’ve got to ask our First Parents: “What were you thinking?!” They lived in the Garden of Eden for God’s sake (no pun intended); they had each other without shame, or sorrow, or heartache; but more importantly, they had the Lord, who would stroll with them in the cool of the evening.

We know what happened: Satan deceived Eve – tempting her to disobey God and seek independence; Eve convinced Adam – and as a consequence, sin and death, pain and sorrow, alienation and separation from one another and from God, entered into the world.

Adam & Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden: “24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:24) And yet, even in our willful disobedience, God did not withdraw His love and instead set out to heal the breach – as we heard in what is referred to as the “proto-evangelium:“15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15 KJV)

The fulfillment of the proto-evangelium, and the answer to evil, came in the person of Jesus Christ. As we read in Romans Chapter Five: “18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:18-19) Paul, in two sentences, sums up the Gospel Message. Sin and death came into the world through Adam; Righteousness and Eternal Life came through Jesus Christ!

That’s it in a nutshell. We have come to know that abstract reality as a concrete and life transforming reality, because we have come to know Jesus Christ as our King and Savior – our Redeemer – who bore the wrath of God, so that we would not have to; who overcame the sting of death and rose from the grave on the third day!

The question is, “What are we going to do with that reality?”

I pray you all a Holy Lent! 

Thirty-nine Articles of Religion

XVII. Of Predestination and Election.

Predestination to Life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his counsel secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honour. Wherefore, they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God, be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due season: they through Grace obey the calling: they be justified freely: they be made sons of God by adoption: they be made like the image of his only-begotten Son Jesus Christ: they walk religiously in good works, and at length, by God's mercy, they attain to everlasting felicity.

As the godly consideration of Predestination, and our Election in Christ, is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to godly persons, and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ, mortifying the works of the flesh, and their earthly members, and drawing up their mind to high and heavenly things, as well because it doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternal Salvation to be enjoyed through Christ as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God: So, for curious and carnal persons, lacking the Spirit of Christ, to have continually before their eyes the sentence of God's Predestination, is a most dangerous downfall, whereby the Devil doth thrust them either into desperation, or into wretchlessness [sic] of most unclean living, no less perilous than desperation.

Furthermore, we must receive God's promises in such wise, as they be generally set forth to us in Holy Scripture: and, in our doings, that Will of God is to be followed, which we have expressly declared unto us in the Word of God.

Temptations And Half Truths

 Lent 1A 2017

Fr. Dale Matson

This is the first Sunday in Lent Year A 2017. My homily is based on our opening collect, the Old Testament Lesson and the Gospel Lesson.

From the Opening Collect we hear, “Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”

There is a reassurance and comfort to our Collect. We are assaulted by many temptations. We all have our own weaknesses. If we ask, God will help us in resisting these temptations. We surely can’t resist on our own.

       But what are temptations and how are we tempted? Looking at our Old Testament Lesson and Gospel lesson we will better understand why we so easily fall into temptation. It is because temptations are really a willingness on our part to accept half the truth. Because temptations are half true, it is really why temptations are so dangerous. Keep in mind however that the biggest lie of all is half the truth. That is why the diabetic person who eats a double portion of rich chocolate cake because it tastes good has chosen to accept only half the truth.   

In our Gospel reading from Matthew, Jesus suffered three major temptations in His encounter with Satan in the desert. The “Tempter” said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."  Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" The temptation was to use His Godly powers for Himself. Jesus was hungry because of forty days of fasting and Satan challenged Him to turn the stones to bread. Here Jesus is tempted through His physical needs. Half the truth would have been access to food, which Jesus surely desperately wanted. Satan knew very well that Christ was the Son of God yet he began his temptation with, “If you are the Son of God…” He was trying to trick Christ. In order for Christ to prove to Satan who He was by turning the stones into bread, He would have to obey Satan. Jesus would have none of this and defeated Satan with the Word of God. “Man does not live by bread alone”.

In the second temptation, “The devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to Him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.’" Let’s examine that half-truth for a moment. Satan was half right that the kingdoms of the world had been given to him. But who gave it to him? Adam and Eve, who traded their authority and splendor for the knowledge of evil, gave the kingdoms of the world to Satan. I will talk more about this later. Here is another half-truth. “I can give it to anyone I want to”. Of course, what Satan is not saying is that although he could give the kingdoms to anyone he wanted to; he doesn’t want to give the kingdoms to anyone. He wants to keep them for himself. It is a false promise a half-truth and a lie.  “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’ Satan then offered Jesus dominion over the world if Jesus would bow down to Satan and Jesus refused saying that He would worship and serve only God.” Here Jesus is tempted through His human need to have power over others. He was tempted to trade the Kingdom of God for the kingdoms of the earth. Jesus fully knew the purpose of His mission and stated it in John’s Gospel. “I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” (John 12:47b)

“The devil led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down from here. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"  Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Once again, Satan is now actually using the Word of God to try and get Jesus to do his bidding but Jesus would have none of it and used the Word again to defeat Satan (Deuteronomy 6:16). Satan was quoting from Psalm 91. “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” (verses 11-12). Of course the half-truth is Satan neglected to include the next verse from the Psalm.  “You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.” which is a prophesy that Jesus will defeat Satan.  

I would also note that in all these temptations Satan would have controlled God if Jesus had acted on any one of them. It is God Who gives the orders. He is the King of kings and has dominion even over the prince of this world the devil.  And that is the real struggle on a cosmic level.  When we sin, we don’t just sin against God, we become allies with Satan. Each time Jesus was tempted there was a cosmic struggle between good and evil and we saw Jesus defeat Satan. All of these temptations deal with worldly and physical human needs. As humans we are particularly vulnerable to them. The monastics have taken these temptations of Christ very seriously for they know they are engaged in a cosmic struggle between good and evil.  On a personal level they make vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience in response to these same temptations of Christ.  The monastics guide their entire vocational life addressing the struggle against the physical desires (poverty), personal power (obedience) and personal pride (chastity).

Now let’s look at the most tragic episode in the history of humankind and use our understanding of the three temptations of Jesus to understand what happened to Adam and Eve.

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, ‘you may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’” “And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed. Now the serpent was craftier than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God say, you shall not eat from any tree in the garden'?" This is how Satan begins to move the line from an absurd proposition that Adam and Eve may not eat from ANY tree in the garden, when he knows fully that they are forbidden the fruit of only ONE tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. “The woman said to the serpent, ‘we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, `You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.'" But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." This is another half-truth of Satan for they already knew good so the only thing to be gained by touching the fruit was to know evil.  So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.

I see the temptations for Adam and Eve as similar to those for Christ in the wilderness.  Physical desire, Power over others and Pride. These are all ego needs. The birth of the ego is the beginning of self-consciousness and the loss of innocence. It brings with it a separation from God. It is in being born again that we are remade in the Image of Christ. We are no longer egocentric, we are Christ centered.

Here you have the temptation addressing the physical needs [fruit as food], The need for Power [you will be like God] and the Pride [you will know good and evil], Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. By disobeying God and by following the suggestions of Satan they switched allegiances to Satan. They gave away the world that God had given to them for the knowledge of evil, which was the only thing Satan had to offer. It is the only thing he is willing to give away. For God would have all men to be saved and Satan would have no man to be saved. That is his ultimate goal. That is why Jesus calls him a liar, a thief and a murderer.  

It is in a larger scope an opportunity to view the cosmic struggle between Good and Evil, between God and Satan and on a smaller scale it is the battle within us.  With our baptismal vows, we have decided to join this battle on God’s side.  “Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil?” “I do.”  Do you renew your commitment to Jesus Christ?” “I do and with God’s grace I will follow him as my savior and Lord.”

Fear often follows temptation and drives us in the wrong direction. As I was about to be baptized as an adult many years ago, the thought came to me, “You are throwing your life away for this Jesus.” In this half-truth of Satan, I was throwing my life away and good riddance.

Another time just before communion the thought came to me, “It is poison”. Looking back, that was also half true. It was poison in the mind of Satan. I went forward for communion because I had the mind of Christ. Another example in my life was the belief that I would die if I were to stop drinking alcohol. This ambassador to the Kingdom could not be a drunk and represent his master to the world. The drunk did have to die. 

We are attacked through our physical needs, our need for power and our pride. What half-truths do you buy into daily? What half-truths do you peddle to others?

When we have repented and confessed our sins to God, God remembers them no more.  If you still feel guilty about a sin you have repented of and confessed, then it is not God reminding you of this sin. It is the “Tempter” who would have none to be saved. Another name for Satan is the accuser and it is he that is bringing you the false guilt.  Real guilt is a genuine psychological pain that drives us to repentance just as the pain of a burn causes us to act.  In both cases the pain is real and intended to warn us of a problem.  If we ignore the problem, we ignore it at an even greater peril.

Consider Lent as a time for introspection and self-examination.  Think of the areas Jesus, Adam and Eve and we too are tempted. Remember that most temptations are half-truths and half-truths are the most dangerous lies of all. Help us Jesus. Amen

Bishop’s Note: March 02, 2017 – A Holy Lent

Bishop Eric Menees

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday – a Holy Day in the Church calendar when we are reminded of our mortality with the words: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Ash Wednesday also marks the first day of the Season of Lent, when the faithful are invited to prepare spiritually to receive the Risen Lord on Easter Sunday.

During the season of Lent, all Christians are encouraged to journey both inward and outward. Inwardly, Christians are invited to be even more intentional about setting time aside for prayer. Of course, we are to do this daily - all of our lives - but during the season of Lent, that prayer is done with particular attention to the inward examination of our lives and honest self-appraisal. Just as stated in the Collect for Ash Wednesday, God has created all things and hates nothing that He has made. Therefore, as creatures of God, we are not hated by Him or kept at arm's length. However, our self-indulgent appetites - our selfishness - separates us from God, and therefore from the experience of His Grace in its fulness. Self-examination is never easy, but it is always necessary if we hope to bridge that gulf that exists as a result of our sinful lives.

During the Season of Lent, Christians are encouraged to partake of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, in which we meet with our priest, confess our sins, seek counsel, and receive absolution. Of course, sacramental reconciliation is in addition to private acts of reconciliation. The promise of Christ is that forgiveness of sin is ours if we ask with a sincere and contrite heart, and intend to amend our lives.

The inward journey of Lent is also marked by acts of self-denial. Self-denial is intended to help us remove distractions from our lives, and to instead concentrate on our relationship with God. I want to encourage all members of the diocese to take sincerely that call to self-denial. Too often, we take the easy path saying, “No meat on Friday,” for example, and fail to remove the major obstacle. Perhaps gambling has become important in our lives; or perhaps we sit in front of a TV or computer for hours - time that could have been spent in prayer and study are spent in self-indulgent isolation and separation. Of course, the list could go on, and on, and on. One traditional form of self-denial is that which Jesus himself demonstrated: Fasting. I invite the diocese to fast one day a week, and to take the money that would have gone toward food to be put toward some form of outreach to the poor and hungry, who go without food not as an act of self-denial, but rather of necessity. When you fast, dedicate your fast to a loved one who doesn’t yet know the Lord, or to someone whom you would like to receive a special blessing.

The outward journey of Lent is marked by acts of self-sacrifice and service to others. I want to encourage the diocese to volunteer their time and talent to different ministries, both inside and outside of the church. The opportunities are endless for service, but if you would like specifics please see one of your clergy, who will be more than happy to set you up.

I pray you all a very Holy Lent!

Thirty-nine Articles of Religion

XVI. Of Sin after Baptism
Not every deadly sin willingly committed after Baptism is sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after Baptism. After we have received the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and by the grace of God we may arise again, and amend our lives. And therefore they are to be condemned, which say, they can no more sin as long as they live here, or deny the place of forgiveness to such as truly repent.