Pentecost 6A 2020 Service At St. James Anglican Church

Pentecost 6A service
Fr. Carlos Raines Preacher
https://www.stjas.org/sermons.html

Getting From Romans Seven to Romans Eight: Liberty

Pentecost 5A 2020

Fr. Dale Matson

Let me begin with a prayer for our country for Independence Day by Bishop Menees posted last year. “Lord God, by your providence our founders won their liberties of old: Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to exercise these liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

It seems only fitting that on Independence Weekend I would be discussing liberty. This is true in our national sense and it is true in a spiritual sense. “Thus, liberty entails the responsible use of freedom under the rule of law without depriving anyone else of their freedom.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty#:~:text=Broadly%20speaking%2C%20liberty%20is%20the%20ability%20to%20do%20as%20one%20pleases.&text=Thus%20liberty%20entails%20the%20responsible,ability%20to%20fulfill%20one's%20desires.

Our Epistle lesson from Romans describes our personal struggle with knowing the truth of good and evil but not being able to express the good or resist evil in our daily lives. Adam and Eve exchanged the truth for a lie. They became corrupted with sin and no longer knew what was right and good. They became slaves to sin, the devil and death. They passed this corrupted state unto everyone born on this earth except for Jesus Christ who was born without being corrupted by sin and remained sinless.

So how did God go about restoring humans to the knowledge of the truth? He began by giving them the Law. He started by renewing their minds. The Law told people what was true and right and good. They now knew again the truth. In fact, one could argue that the Law is a kind of Gospel. Listen to how the Law is described in Psalm 119, “Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy Law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.” Only a person who also holds the Gospel of God’s grace can make that statement. The Psalmist loved the Law. Do we love the Law? I believe the extent to which we love the Law is determined by to what extent we understand and have internalized the Gospel.

 This is probably correct for the new Christian but as we mature in Christ, we should increasingly see the Law as beautiful, holy and good. St Paul said, “If we are led by the Spirit, we are no longer under the Law.” What this means is that we are no longer under the domination of what we consider to be a “tyrant”. We now see the Law for what it truly is. We love the Law, rejoice in it and obey Law with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Recently people in our country involved in social media have engaged in what is termed as “Cancel Culture”. According to the Urban Dictionary, cancelled is “to dismiss something or somebody; to reject an individual or an idea. Essentially, this practice encourages a community to blackball, isolate and shun an individual from society.” This is not liberty or diversity. It is social pressure used to silence someone. Tolerance has taken a bad turn. It is now a refusal to listen to others whose opinions are different than yours. We are no longer gracious to others. It’s like Peewee Herman’s retort to his arch enemy Francis, “I know you are but what am I”. Our U.S. history is being cancelled. Statues are being torn down. I attended school at Ulysses S. Grant Elementary. His statue was recently torn down.

But to keep someone in a state of unforgiveness only hardens the heart. Starting over without historical reminders means that people will simply reenact a past they know nothing about. History is more about boundaries than barriers. Boundaries keep us oriented.

         I noticed this on a hike I took this week. I had hiked most of the way to Birch Lake with Sharon last year. This year the Cairns had been removed. Cairns are sets of stones set on top of one another to help guide the wilderness hiker on an unmaintained trail or where a trail runs along smooth granite. Cairns, just like blazes made on trees are assurance markers that you are on the trail. Cairns are set up by thoughtful people who came before us, who want to keep us going the right way. The cairns help to provide a route in the wilderness. And that is why Martin Luther spoke of the Law as a curb and a guide.

Paul States in Romans seven,   

“What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the Law: for I had not known lust, except the Law had said, Thou shalt not covet. (Romans 7:7, KJV)

For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. (Romans 7:18b-19)

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the Law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the Law of sin. (Romans 7:25)

At this point, St. Paul is saying that through the Law, we know the truth and even embrace it in our minds but we are unable to resist evil and do what we know is the right thing to do.

In Romans chapter seven, Paul describes what some have termed the “Carnal Christian”. This chapter could be describing the purgative stage of the Christian life. What do I mean when I refer to the purgative stage of the Christian life? It is the first stage of a new life in Christ Jesus. A great metaphor for understanding the purgative stage is when Moses led the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt. The problem for the Israelites was that they were still in captivity to their pagan ways and in the absence of Moses soon built a golden calf to worship in the wilderness. This is what it is like for the new Christian. They have liberty but it is a freedom with external boundaries Just like the introduction of the Law was something external to the Israelites. God intended the Israelites to internalize the boundaries provided by the 10 commandments during the wilderness experience. This was God saying to the Israelites, You are free but you are not free to do whatever you want. It was God saying, “You no longer belong to the Egyptians because I chose you and you now belong to me.”  As we say in our morning prayer, “To serve Him is perfect freedom.”

 Unfortunately, it seems like certain behavior patterns that are self destructive and self-defeating continue to plague and torment us far into our earthly pilgrimage. They are so firmly ingrained in us that they have become a part of us. Some of these behaviors we have asked forgiveness for time and time again, yet like a bad penny, they keep turning up.

Initially, behavior change is first learning what the proper behaviors should be. It is learning the truth. (Romans 7:7) A common phrase today is “The new normal”. My question would be, “Is it really new and is it really normal?” Whether one wants to call certain behaviors “normative”, “mores”, “morals” or “Laws”, we are all ultimately more “free” with boundaries.

In the same way, God actually freed the Israelites twice. He had Moses lead them out of Egypt and then God freed them a second time by giving them the Ten Commandments. The Commandments were boundaries that made them a free people. Without the commandments, they would have a group of savages doing what was right in their own eyes.  

         If you want personal renewal, read our catechism. It will fill you with hope and faith and the essential knowledge of what it means to be an Anglican Christian. This catechism is not just being used by the ACNA. It is being embraced by Anglicans worldwide and is currently being translated into many other languages.

Paul makes it quite clear early on in chapter 7 that initially we are ignorant about what is right and what is wrong. This reminds me of my first weight watchers meeting where I saw a normal portion size of meat for the first time. As Jesus stated, “You shall know the truth and it will make you free.” (John 8:32).

Let me give an example of the process using my own life. When I first came back to Christ, I was addicted to cigarettes. For years, I went out between adult bible study and the church service to have a cigarette. It was a solitary experience. At that time, the evidence that cigarettes were harmful was established but knowing this and really inwardly digesting it are different. Eventually God laid it upon my heart that it was a poor witness to others and harmful to me. Even at this point, I did not have the will to change. I knew in my mind it was wrong and harmful yet continued smoking (Romans 7:18b-19). An alcoholic friend once said that when it came to quitting drinking that he had the will power but not the won’t power.

I decided to pray for the “won’t power”, the will to change. My mind was there but my will lagged behind and kept the change from happening. I prayed to get the will to change for two years and finally I announced to others in bible class that I would be quitting smoking. I quit on January 10^th 1983 and never picked up another cigarette.

I also used a behavioral program from the American Lung Association on quitting. It helped me to inwardly digest the “ashtray” ugliness of smoking and required me to record each cigarette I smoked daily. It was bringing the unconscious behaviors to consciousness. Another aspect was providing an aerobic replacement behavior such as walking when I felt the urge to smoke. I was also made aware of trigger behaviors that went with smoking such as a cup of coffee that often accompanied a cigarette. Announcing to the brethren that I was quitting helped seal the commitment to quit. Behavior plans provide an incremental plan for change.

Entrenched behavior patterns are difficult to stop. That is what Paul is talking about in Romans chapter seven. There are lots of attendant rituals that surround and support those behaviors.  It seems like initially we want forgiveness but we really don’t want to change. There is a progression in the Lord’s Prayer. Forgive us our trespasses. The next step is, deliver us from evil. Forgiveness involves the mind. Deliverance involves the will.

For those who want to get off the seemingly endless sin and forgiveness cycle, try praying for a change of will. That involves empowerment from the Holy Spirit and Romans Chapter eight. Romans chapter eight is also from our reading today. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the Law of sin and of death. For God has done what the Law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

The Law is not just before the Gospel. It is alongside of the Gospel. How do you feel about the Law as you read it?  Christ is not the end of the Law. He is the fulfillment of the Law. Both the Law and Gospel call us to be holy and to love.

May God bless you all. Amen.

Bishop’s Note: Rite of Holy Matrimony The Exchange of Vows

Bishop Eric Menees

I pray that this Bishop’s Note finds you well and staying healthy. Last week in the Bishop’s Note we talked about the lessons and sermon during Holy Matrimony. Today we get to the heart of the sacrament, the marriage or exchange of vows. We may not often think of it that way, but marriage is a covenant between the husband and wife. By covenant we mean a mutual agreement between two parties, like we see between Abraham and God in Genesis and Moses and God in Exodus. That covenantal relationship is especially highlighted by the prophet Hosea who used his marriage as a way of illustrating God’s relationship with Israel. At the heart of the covenant is that mutual agreement, and we see that in the exchanging of vows. This is in a sense the core and principal part of the sacrament. All sacraments are as St. Augustine says, “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.” The inward and spiritual grace is the couple being joined as one and God’s blessing and strengthening of that bond. The outward and visible sign isn’t the ring, or the kiss of peace, it’s this exchange of vows. The priest isn’t the celebrant here like he is during the Eucharist, the priest is a witness who later blesses the marriage.

The Man, facing the Woman and taking her right hand in his, says In the Name of God, I, N., take you, N., to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death, according to God’s holy Word. This is my solemn vow. Then they loose their hands, and the Woman, still facing the Man, takes his right hand in hers, and says In the Name of God, I, N., take you, N., to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death, according to God’s holy Word. This is my solemn vow.

Understanding this exchange of vows as a covenant made before God underscores the importance and permanence of what’s being done here. This isn’t a hastily made promise to just live with someone, this is a vow that as long as you two live you will strive and work for the other’s good above your own. That’s what love is, not merely a desire for something or an emotional response, love is willing the good of the other. This covenant isn’t undone by sickness, or bankruptcy, or a mutual lack of interest, this is a covenant that’s only ended by the death of one of the parties. When it comes to the Sacrament of Marriage, our married life should be grounded in these vows and we should take time to remember them and what it is we vowed. That’s especially important in those tougher times when we may be tempted to break those vows. If we do so we’re not only harming our spouse, we’re also breaking a promise we’ve made to God.

Service Pentecost 4A 2020

Pentecost 4 Sermon
Beth Kunkel preacher
https://www.facebook.com/stjas.org/videos/283828086035583/?t=40

The Rite of Holy Matrimony - Lessons and Sermon

Bishop Eric Menees

As we continue our examination of the 2019 Book of Common Prayer and specifically the Rite of Holy Matrimony, having last week looked at the presentation of the couple for the sacrament of marriage and the Collect, today we turn to the reading of scriptures and the sermon. I said at the outset of this study that there is a common misconception that marriage is simply about two people, nothing more and nothing less. The public reading of the Word of God stands firmly against this misconception. Whenever possible the marriage should be held in the midst of the celebration of Holy Eucharist. As a result, it is customary to have four lessons spanning the scope of the Holy Scriptures: Old Testament, Psalm, New Testament and Gospel.  When conducting the Rite of Holy Matrimony outside of the celebration of Holy Eucharist a minimum of one lesson is read but I highly recommend at least one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament demonstrating the depth of God’s Word and the foundations of marriage as the root to societal and family life. Immediately following the reading of scripture, it is incumbent upon the celebrant to expound upon the scriptures and the importance that the Word of God plays not only in marriage in general but specifically in this marriage. As with all things important in life the Word of God gives us both lens to see the world at large and our own lives in specific. I pray you every blessing this Lord’s Day!

The Lessons  One or more of the following passages is read. Genesis 1:26-28 (Male and female he created them) Genesis 2:4-9, 15-24 (A man holds fast to his wife and they become one flesh) Song of Solomon 2:10-13; 8:6-7 (Many waters cannot quench love) Tobit 8:5b-8 (That she and I may grow old together) Between the Lessons, a Psalm, hymn, or anthem may be sung or said. Appropriate Psalms are 45, 67, 127, or 128. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (Love is patient and kind) Ephesians 3:14-19 (The Father from whom every family is named) Ephesians 5:1-2, 21-33 (Walk in love, as Christ loved us) Colossians 3:12-17 (Love which binds everything together in harmony) 1 John 4:7-16 (Let us love one another, for love is of God) Matthew 5:1-10 (The Beatitudes) Matthew 5:13-16 (You are the light . . . Let your light shine) Matthew 7:24-29 (Like a wise man who built his house on the rock) Mark 10:6-16 (They are no longer two but one) John 2:1-11 (The wedding at Cana) John 15:9-12 (Love one another as I have loved you) If Communion is to follow, a passage from the Gospels always concludes the Lessons. At a Eucharist, all stand, and the Deacon or Minister appointed says The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to ________. People Glory to you, Lord Christ. After the Gospel, the Reader says The Gospel of the Lord. People Praise to you, Lord Christ. The sermon

The Bishop’s Note - The Presentation and the Collect

Bishop Eric Menees

Greetings to you my brothers and sisters of the Diocese of San Joaquin. I pray that you have all had a very blessed week. Last week we continued on with our examination of the 2019 BCP Rite of Holy Matrimony looking at the Declaration of Consent. This week we cover the next two sections, The Presentation and the Collect.

Who presents N. [and N.] for Holy Matrimony? Response     We do

Up until the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, the presentation always consisted of the words “Who giveth this Woman to be married to this Man?” and it was the father giving away his daughter. There was a clear sign of ownership in this sentence that doesn’t exist in scripture. Since then this section has been changed so the bride and/or the groom can be presented, and it may be done by their parents, or a significant person in their lives like their godparents should the former not be able to be present.        The presentation is important because it represents the broader community supporting this marriage. In most cases, it represents the parents support for the marriage and is a literal way of “letting go” of their son or daughter… not always an easy task. Of course, it also represents the literal leaving of the parents on behalf of the bride or groom in order to form a new family. As stated in Genesis 2, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” This is the couple leaving their parents before they become one flesh. This thought is continued in the collect that comes next.

O gracious and everliving God, you have created us male and female in your image: Look mercifully upon this man and this woman who come to you seeking your blessing, and assist them with your grace, that with true fidelity and steadfast love they may honor and keep the promises and vows they make; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The collects in our BCP do such a good job of “collecting” together all the thoughts and intentions behind certain services, and we see that especially here. This collect is addressed to the God the Father, referencing him as the one who created us in His image, male and female. As in the presentation this hearkens back to the beginning of creation, and it focuses the intentions of the collect on the couple now standing before God the Father and His Church to make their vows, “Look mercifully upon this man and this woman who come to you seeking your blessing.” The couple shouldn’t be there simply because they “think or feel” this is the right thing to do or because the church is a beautiful place for a wedding. No, the couple come before God and His Church because they know that without God’s grace surrounding them - their marriage will be a house built upon sand.        Of course, that is exactly what the sacrament of Holy Matrimony is – an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.        As we go through the rest of this sacrament, please keep this collect in mind and return to it often to reflect on how the different parts of the service tie into it. I’ll be with you again next week where we discuss some of the scripture readings read in Holy Matrimony.

Pentecost 2A 2020

Outdoor Service from Meadow Lakes.
https://www.stjas.org/sermons.html