“I have come as light into the world.”

It has been sometime now since I have made an entry on this site. I am afraid that Hurricane Ike got in the way. In the Gulf Coast area many of us are still without power. In the evenings, we sit in the darkness and under order of curfew. That’s why today’s reading from the Gospel according to John was such a blessing. John writes:

Then Jesus cried aloud: “Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness. I do not judge anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my word has a judge; on the last day the word that I have spoken will serve as judge, for I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me.”

“I have come as light into the world.” Even in the midst of the darkness imposed by Hurricane Ike, Jesus is indeed our light who brightens the darkness. We see the light of Christ working in this area. There has been an outpouring of neighbors helping neighbors. People who have electricity are offering their washing machines to those who have not yet had the power restored. People we have neglected to meet previously have now come together in friendship. In my sister’s neighborhood, they had a good old fashioned block party. On the radio I have heard accounts of people reading their Bibles using flashlights.

Jesus is indeed the light of the world, and all those who believe in him are not in darkness.

Alexander Crummel

Today the Church remembers Alexander Crummel. James Kiefer writes:

Alexander Crummell was born in New York City in 1819, and wished to study for the priesthood, but received many rebuffs because he was black. He was ordained in the Diocese of Massachusets in 1844, when he was 25 years old, but was excluded from a meeting of priests of the diocese, and decided to go to England. After graduating from Cambridge, he went to Liberia, an African country founded under American asupices for the repatriation of freed slaves. Crummell hoped to see established in Liberia a black Christian republic, combining the best of European and African culture, and led by a Western-educated black bishop. He visited the United States and urged blacks to join him in Liberia and and swell the ranks of the church there. His work in Liberia ran into opposition and indifference, and he returned to the United States, where he undertook the founding and strengthening of urban black congregations that would provide worship, education, and social services for their communities. When some bishops proposed a separate missionary district for black parishes, he organized a group, now known as the Union of Black Episcopalians, to fight the proposal.

The Collect for the Day:

Almighty and everlasting God, we thank you for your servant Alexander Crummell, whom you called to preach the Gospel to those who were far off and to those who were near. Raise up in this and every land evangelists and heralds of your kingdom, that your Church may proclaim the unsearchable riches of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

We Should Not Be Quick to Stir Up People

Today we hear from chapter 14 in the Acts of the Apostles. Paul and Barnabas are spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified and risen:

The same thing occurred in Iconium, where Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace by granting signs and wonders to be done through them. But the residents of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. And when an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to maltreat them and to stone them, the apostles learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country; and there they continued proclaiming the good news.

I am continually amazed, both in myself and with the others, how our fear can control us, and even poison the good work of others. In today’s reading, Paul and Barnabas are preaching the Gospel, and they are also manifesting God’s power working through them. Yet there are those who for one reason or another, but most likely because of fear, refuse to see God’s hand in Paul’s and Barnabas’s work. Sometimes we can be like those folks in today’s reading who are quick to run people out of town because they bring us a different view of who God is. God is so vastly infinite and other that we cannot possibly comprehend Him, but we can experience Him and others do as well. God touches us in ways as unique as we are. Unlike those who were trying to stir up the gentiles in Acts and poison minds, we should allow the holy Spirit to work through whomever the Spirit chooses.

God Is the God of Creation

One of today’s readings comes from the Book of Job. In it, Job is lamenting:

My face is red with weeping, and deep darkness is on my eyelids, though there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.

O earth, do not cover my blood; let my outcry find no resting-place.

Even now, in fact, my witness is in heaven, and he that vouches for me is on high.

My friends scorn me; my eye pours out tears to God, that he would maintain the right of a mortal with God, as one does for a neighbor. For when a few years have come, I shall go the way from which I shall not return.

My spirit is broken, my days are extinct, the grave is ready for me. If I look for Sheol as my house, if I spread my couch in darkness, if I say to the Pit, “You are my father”, and to the worm, “My mother”, or “My sister”, where then is my hope? Who will see my hope? Will it go down to the bars of Sheol? Shall we descend together into the dust?

The Book of Job, which is, to say the least, a very troubling and puzzling book. It seems to raise more questions than it answers, and the answers it offers seem to be less than satisfactory. The book raises the question of God’s moral providence in the light of evil which is directed to Job, who, as it turns out, is absolutely innocent. Some of the key questions raised by the book include whether people will be religious, fear and honor God, apart from rewards and punishment; and it raises questions about God’s brand of justice.

The book opens with a question, God asks Satan, the accuser, or prosecutor, if you will, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.” Satan, the prosecutor, responds, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side?” Then God let’s the accuser lose, and evil after evil befalls Job.

Job starts to complain about his plight, and rest assured, Job’s three buddies, in an attempt to console him, wind up having answers as to why all this is happening to him. Bildad takes the traditional view of the day and tells Job that God doesn’t distort justice, Job’s children must have done something to offend God, otherwise this stuff wouldn’t happen. Zophar takes the position that Job himself must be guilty of something, and God is punishing him because after all, God rewards good and punishes evil.

The problem of evil is always with us, but the answer is in the miracle of the Incarnation.

God is the God of creation. As Bishop Tom Wright says, “the doctrine of creation is indeed the foundation of all biblical answers to questions about who God is and what He’s doing.” So what is God doing?

John starts out his Gospel account: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. . . . And the Word became flesh and lived among us.” Unlike Job’s friends who offer clean, black and white explanations for why things happen, the miracle of the Incarnation is at once mind boggling and anything but easy and clean. It is a bit messy. The Word, the perfect expression of who God is, pitches his tent among us. The creator becomes the creature who is present to us and for us. He too was totally innocent, but He took on evil at its worst.

The Incarnate Word who dwells among us does not promise us that we will have lives shielded from pain and anxiety. Nor does he promise us that we will never suffer the loss of a loved one, or endure personal set backs. He doesn’t promise us that our parents won’t get divorced, or that our marriages won’t fail. Nor does he promise us that we will have perfect children who always make the right decisions. He doesn’t promise us that we will never be hurt or experience doubt and confusion.

We have someone who is “compassionate” in the true meaning of that word, “to suffer with.” We have one who suffers with us, not someone who takes the pain away, not someone who gives easy answers. Jesus is steeped in our humanity and all that it entails. But there is more, after the cross, there is the Resurrection.

We Watch and Wait

Much of the Gulf Coast today is watching and waiting. We are watching and waiting to see where Gustav will go.

Today’s Psalm is Psalm 22 which begins:

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”

We along the Gulf Coast are certainly asking for the Lord’s protection, and we know that it will come. Even if the hurricane hits our particular town, we know that the Lord protects us and gives us refuge in those who serve Him, in those whose commitment to Jesus shows forth in their loves of service to others.

Even if Gustav, the unwanted guest, comes to visit is, so too will Jesus’ many disciples who will provide aid in a time of need.

St. Augustine of Hippo

St. Augustine of Hippo is one of the greatest theologians of all time. He was born in 354 in North Africa. As a youth, he was a wanderer who dabbled in Manichaeism and Neoplatonism. He was a man of the world and about the world. He had a mistress and fathered a son, Adeodatus.

But his mother, St. Monica, constantly kept after him and prayed for him. Finally, at the age of 32, Augustine became a Christian. He was baptized by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, at the Easter Vigil in 387.

In 391, Augustine returned to North Africa, where the people of Hippo made him a presbyter. Just four years later, he became Bishop of Hippo. Augustine’s spiritual journey is recounted in The Confessions, an autobiography, the first of its kind.

As Bishop of Hippo, St. Augustine was a defender of the faith and he wrote countless books, including The City of God, letters and sermons which to this very day provide a rich source of insights into the faith.

He died on 28 August 430 as the Roman Empire was crumbling.

Collect for the Day:

Lord God, the light of the minds that know you, the life of the souls that love you, and the strength of the hearts that serve you: Help us, following the example of your servant Augustine of Hippo, so to know you that we may truly love you, and so to love you that we may fully serve you, whom to serve is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

“What God has made clean, you must not call profane.”

In today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles, God reminds us that everything that He has made is good. Luke writes:

About noon the next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat; and while it was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the heaven opened and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners. In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air. Then he heard a voice saying, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.” The voice said to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” This happened three times, and the thing was suddenly taken up to heaven. Acts 10: 9-16

Have you ever heard anyone say that the created order is in some way evil? I know that I have, and I have to ask these people, “How can creation be bad? After all, God made it, and Genesis in the Old Testament tells us quite emphatically: “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” Gn. 1:31.

Peter did not quite get the idea, but God sets him straight. Peter followed the Jewish dietary laws wherein some things are considered unclean. Peter, trying to be a good follower of the law, pats himself on the back when he is confronted with eating things that would be considered unclean. But God reminds Peter, and us, that everything that God has created is good. The question for us is, what do we do with God’s creation? Do we profane it by misusing it? How do we treat God's creatures, people? Sometimes we miseuse creation; at times we disrespect and misuse people in our lives. God calls us to deal with what he has created wisely and respectfully, after all, it is all His.

"I will raise them up on the last day.”

In today’s reading from the sixth chapter of the Gospel according to John, Jesus reminds us what is truly important:

“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’’’ Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.”

I had the occasion to visit a parishioner in the hospital this week. She is nearing death. Being present at this sacred time, the time when one of Jesus’ faithful followers will depart this life and step into life eternal, is humbling. It is also a privilege. Standing there in the hospital room beside the bed, I am a witness to Jesus’ love for his own. I can hear the words from today's reading and Jesus saying: “This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.”

I know with all of my heart the truth in that statement, and I can see the joy and peace that fills the person's face as I repeat Jesus’ words at the bedside. Life is not ended; it is changed as she prepares to enter into the presence of God who is, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Little Boy Who Gave Away His Lunch

Today, we read John’s version of the familiar story of the feeding of the multitude today found in all four of the Gospels. John writes:

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Six months” wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”

Can you imagine being that little boy with the five barley loaves and the two fish? There he was salivating to take the first bite of his lunch when he saw Andrew walking up to him. The little boy didn’t say no; rather, he readily gave what he had to Andrew, Jesus’ disciple who lacked faith in what Jesus could do with the boy’s generous gift of his lunch. The story reminds us that God blesses and multiplies our giving from the heart. When we give to God freely, not being stingy realizing that all we have comes from Him in the first place, God’s takes that gift and multiplies it beyond our belief and expectations. Plenty will be left over, and no one will be left out when we give from the heart. Just ask the little boy who gave his five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus took his gift and fed a multitude with plenty left over for anyone who stopped by.

You and I have many opportunities to allow God to multiply our meager gifts. We can contribute to a local food pantry, a homeless shelter, a battered woman’s shelter, or even your home church. Take the time to see where you can give your five barley loaves and two fish, and once you give it away, see what Jesus does with it. You’ll be amazed!

There Is Great Joy Even in the Midst of Persecution

In today’s reading from the eighth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, we hear about persecution of the Early Church:

That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.

Now those who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did, for unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, came out of many who were possessed; and many others who were paralyzed or lame were cured. So there was great joy in that city.

We often do not think of the persecution of Christians in our day; however, it goes on. All around the world, there are those who suffer for their faith in Jesus Christ. Consider the Anglicans living in Zimbabwe who are being targeted by government troops and beaten simply for attending church services.

Bishop Sebastian Bakare said, “The police officers do not only prevent but beat, harass and arrest us, having declared our church premises ‘no go’ areas. Our struggle to worship without harassment continues.”

The government officials intimidate any Anglicans who are suspected of not supporting renegade Bishop Nolbert Kunonga, who broke off from the Anglican Communion in 2007 and is a strong supporter of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

Today in Zimbabwe, the government has labeled Anglicans as potential opposition supporters worthy of persecution and intimidation. There, committed Christians are risking their lives just by gathering. Nevertheless in the midst of this persecution, there is incredible joy. It is not unlike life in the early church which was full of life despite persecution just as we read today regarding Philip who went about preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ and performing miracles in His name.

In your prayers, please remember all those who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ.

William Porcher DuBose

Over the years, most of the great theologians have come to us from outside the United States, but William Porcher DuBose is a home grown exception. He was born in 1836 in South Carolina and educated at the University of Virginia. He was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church in 1861, and became an officer and chaplain in the Confederate Army. Lesser Feasts and Fasts at 296 (1980).

DuBose was professor at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, and he published his first major work at the age of 56. Id.

For DuBose, life and doctrine should always be in dialogue. Id. He brought contemporary to his own strong faith resulting in a personal and scriptural universal theology. Id. As the Lesser Feasts and Fasts notes, it is not easy to capture DuBose’s thoughts easily. Id. Here is a sample of his writing and thought: “God has placed forever before our eyes, not the image but the Very Person of the Spiritual Man. We have not to ascend into Heaven to bring Him down, nor to descend into the abyss to bring Him up, for He is with us, and near us, and in us. We have only to confess with our mouths that He is Lord, and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead – and raised us in Him – and we shall live.” Id.

Jonathan Myrick Daniels

Some of you may remeber vividly the civil rights movement in this country. How many of you remember Jonathan Myrick Daniels?

Jonathan Myrick Daniels was born in 1939 in Keene, New Hampshire. After he graduated from the Virginia Military Institute, Jonathan became a seminarian at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Having heard the invitation from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to come to Selma, Alabama, to support the efforts to register black people to vote and to demonstrate against the deep ingrained segregation, Jonathan answered it. He took a leave of absence from his seminary studies to work in the civil rights movement.

In August of 1965, Jonathan and 22 others were arrested for participating in a voter rightsdemonstration in Fort Deposit, Alabama, and they were transferred to the county jail in nearby Hayneville. Shortly after being released on August 20, Richard Morrisroe, a Catholic priest, and Jonathan accompanied two teenagers, Joyce Bailey and Ruby Sales, to a Hayneville store to buy a soda. They were met on the steps by Tom Coleman, a construction worker and part-time deputy sheriff, who was carrying a shotgun. Coleman aimed his gun at sixteen year old Ruby Sales; Jonathan pushed her to the ground in order to protect her, saving her life. The shotgun blast killed Jonathan instantly; Morrisroe was seriously wounded as he was shot in the back.

When he heard of the tragedy, Dr. King said, "One of the most heroic Christian deeds of which I have heard in my entire ministry was performed by Jonathan Daniels." In just a few short years, Dr. King would find himself joining Jonathan in giving up his life for the transformation of the world and the building of the Kingdom of God.

What a price to pay for following the Gospel! It is, in the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "costly grace." In his book The Cost of Discipleship wrote that “cheap grace was grace without cost; it is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. Costly grace, on the other hand, in Bonhoeffer’s words is “the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: ‘we were bought at a price,’ and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”

Being a Christian is not easy. Just ask Jonathan Daniels and Dr. King. It is can very difficult, and it can be costly, even to the point of giving one’s life.

Many of us will not be called to give as these Christian witnesses. Nevertheless for us, it is difficult to follow Jesus in a world which rejects the very notion of love of neighbor, in a world which scoffs at giving of oneself for the sake of others, in a world which preaches the value of goods and things over humans, in a world where religion has been replaced by advertising.

Costly grace calls you and me to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it can cost us our very lives, and it is grace because it gives you and me the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. It is grace because we see the depth of God’s love for us in the Incarnation of God and Jesus’ giving his life for us and our salvation.

What kind of a witness have you and I provided?

The First Deacons

If you ever wondered about those people who serve at the altar wearing stoles that go from one shoulder and across the chest, well, today’s reading from Acts tells us who these people are:

Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait at tables. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. They set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.” And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

The first deacons of the Church were selected to serve those who were being neglected. They were selected because they were filled with the Holy Spirit and people of wisdom. They could look at the community and discern what they needs were and they worked to make sure that those needs were met.

Sometimes, however, deacons suffer for their ministry because they exercise a prophetic voice, meaning that like the prophets of the Old Testament, they call us to action and accountability. Stephen is a wonderful example of that. Stephen finds himself in the middle of an argument with some people from the synagogue who do not understand the depth of his wisdom and his being filled with the Holy Spirit. In short, it sounds like he told them something they didn't want to hear. So feeling threatened, they plot to do away with him. Sometimes when we stand up for what we believe in, we find ourselves at odds with others, even family and friends. Welcome to the deacon’s world. Yet, if we rely on the Holy Spirit and persevere in doing what is right and standing up for those who have no advocates, our faces will shine like those of angels as well.

Florence Nightingale

Who doesn’t remember the story of Florence Nightingale from their elementary school days? Today, the Episcopal Church takes time to remember her life of service among the sick and her tireless work to reform nursing.

Although English, Florence was born in Florence, Italy on May 12, 1820 because her wealthy parents were travelling in that country at the time. And as one might imagine from her name, her parents named her after the city of her birth.

Florence was brought up a Unitarian, but later she joined the Church of England.

Florence led a group of nurses who served in the Crimean War. During that time, she worked to improve the conditions that wounded soldiers experienced and was successful in her efforts. She returned to England after the war in 1856 as a national hero.

Florence died on August 13, 1910 having lived a life dedicated to improving conditions in hospitals. The stories associated with her wrok during the war are numerous, and they have, no doubt, been an inspiration to many who went into the nursing profession.

Today, please remember in your prayers all nurses who work in hospitals and clinics throughout the world serving the sick. Especially remember our nurses in the armed services at home and abroad who are ministering to the war wounded.

Clare of Assisi

Today the Church remembers Clare of Assisi, the daughter of a wealthy family, attractive, and in a word, she had it all. Nevertheless, once she met Francis of Assisi, who had given up everything to follow Christ, she too heard the Gospel’s call to sell all that she had and to come and follow Jesus.

Her family and friends protested, but she remained steadfast, and soon, other women joined her. She became the head of a religious order of women called the Poor Ladies of St. Damian. The order’s practices were austere and they lived according to the rule established by Francis for his brothers. As succinctly put by Lesser Feast and Fasts, “Clare herself was servant, not only to the poor, but to her nuns.” Lesser Feasts and Fasts at 290 (1980).

Clare served her community as leader for forty years. Her biographer said that Clare “radiated a spirit of fervor so strong that it kindled those who but heard her voice.” Id.

She died in 1253 having devoted herself to a servant ministry and followed Christ by giving all that she had to the poor.

Clare's life is a challenge to all of us who are distracted by the world with its constant lure to a life of the constant acquisition of things. Clare, who had it all, gave it up in order to follow Jesus. Although it is unlikely that we can or would do the same, the collect of the day reminds us where our hearts should be:

O God, whose blessed Son became poor that we through his poverty might be rich: Deliver us from an inordinate love of this world, that we, inspired by the devotion of your servant Clare, may serve you with singleness of heart, and attain to the riches of the age to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Dominic, Founder of the Order of Preachers

Today the Episcopal Church remembers Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers, or more commonly, the “Dominicans.” In England they were called the “Blackfriars.”

Dominic was born in Spain in 1170. He was ordained a priest in 1196, as was a sub-canon on the Cathedral of Osma where there was a strict rule of discipline practiced by the clergy there.

According to the Lesser Feasts and Fasts, Dominic began preaching in Languedoc in Southern France in 1203. There, he preached against the Albigensian heretics who were essentially Manichaeans, that is, they held the view that there were two equal powers of good and evil and that God was not omnipotent or perfect. The Albigensians took from the Manichaeans the idea that the body and the created order were evil.

In 1215, Dominic sought recognition of the Order of Preachers, which was granted in 1217.

Thereafter, Dominic established many friaries and he himself continued preaching until his death in August of 1221. he lived a life of austerity and was reputedly a wonderful preacher.

The order that he founded, focused on teaching and preaching, establishing universities throughout Europe, and contributed such intellectual giants and theologians as Albert the Great (Albertus Magnus) (1206-1280), Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), and in more recent days Yves Congar (1905-1995) and Edward Schillebeeckx (1914- ).

The Collect for the day:

O God of the prophets, you opened the eyes of your servant Dominic to perceive a famine of hearing the word of the Lord, and moved him, and those he drew about him, to satisfy that hunger with sound preaching, and fervent devotion: Make your Church, dear Lord, in this and every age, attentive to the hungers of the world, and quick to respond in live to those who are perishing; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Can Anything Good Come from Houston?

Today from the Gospel according to John (1:43-51) we read:

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael asked him, “Where did you come to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Yes, good does come from Nazareth, and yes, the disciples would experience far greater things as they journeyed with Jesus.

Imagine, Phillip's very first impression of Jesus was that he was the Messiah, the one the Prophets wrote about. Jesus’ presence as he walked the roads of Israel some two thousand years ago must have been so overwhelmingly divine that God’s very presence was palpable.

Nathaniel was impressed by a small thing, the fact that Jesus saw him under the fig tree. He did not know what was in store not only for him and his friends, but for the world, the Resurrection of Jesus.

How do we manifest the presence of the Risen Christ in the world? Are we kind to those whom we meet? Do we provide for those who have less than we do? Do we offer a drink to cold water to someone who thirsty? Do we share with others our joy in Jesus’ redemption of the world?

Can anything good come from Houston? Yes, living disciples of Jesus of Nazareth who spread the Good News of Salvation to all they meet when they treat all whom they meet as being loved by God as His sons and daughters, and redeemed by the blood of Jesus of Nazareth.

From the Mountaintop to the Valley

Today the Church celebrates the Transfiguration when Jesus’ disciples, James, John and Peter, accompanied Jesus to the mountaintop and witnessed His clothes becoming dazzling white as Jesus, the Son of the Most High, speaks with Moses and Elijah, the two preeminent figures of Judaism. The disciples are amazed and revel in the experience, but then it is time to come down from the mountaintop.

The reading appointed for today from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians (4:1-4) is especially appropriate for us after the mountaintop experience:

Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

No doubt we have each experienced a time of sheer joy and peace, a mountaintop experience. This can happen during prayer or while on retreat or at other times. But we always have to come down from these mountaintop experiences and do the work that needs to be done in the valley, that being the work of ministry. In the day to day living out of Jesus’ command to love God, neighbor and self, we can, at times, lose heart.

Paul knew that all too well. He reminds the Corinthians that it is by God’s mercy that you and I are engaged in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ, the very image of God. Paul encourages us to live in the truth of God’s transforming love in the light of the Gospel.

Mountaintop experiences are wonderful, but working in the valley doing the work of Jesus has its blessings too.

“I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.”

One of the readings in the Daily Office today comes from the Acts of the Apostles (3:1-11). Luke writes:

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s Portico, utterly astonished.

Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, he sat there. The beggar, who was unable to walk from the day of his birth, could do nothing in his society but rely on people for financial help to survive. Peter and John, though, have no money either, but they are rich beyond measure. Why? They are filled with the knowledge that Jesus, the Son of God, gave his life for us out of love, and that he rose from the dead so that we might not just survive, but live.

Peter says, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.” The lame beggar’s response is wonderful. He can’t stop praising God for what He has done for him, restored him to wholeness.

Sometimes we are like that lame beggar. We can be paralyzed by our fears, anxieties, and our lack of love. But like the lame beggar, Jesus restores us to wholeness bringing us into the wake of God’s life giving and creative love.

So, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, stand up and walk! Go forth leaping and praising God for His wonderful love for us.

It Is Simply Mind Boggling

The Daily Office reading for today is the beginning of the Gospel according to John, and they are some of the most beautiful ever written in the New Testament:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

Jesus Christ, the Word, is the perfect communication, the perfect expression of who God is. God speaks that Word and it transforms the world; the Word redeems the world. I am forever struck by God’s tremendous love for you and me; God become one of us, one with us, one with his creatures. The creator becomes the created. I don’t know about you, but this simply boggles my mind, and I rejoice in it.

Joseph of Arimathaea

The Episcopal Church remembers Joseph of Arimathaea today, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, who was, according to John, a secret disciple of Jesus. John 19: 38. We know very little of Joseph of Arimathaea, but what we do know of him from the Gospel account in John, depicts him as a courageous disciple. While Jesus’ followers were hiding for fear of the Roman and Jewish authorities, Joseph stepped up to the front offering his tomb for Jesus’ burial. Within a few short days, Jesus rose from the dead! What a joy for Joseph to have given his tomb to Jesus, a tomb that would become the empty tomb and which transformed the world. May we lead lives of courage by giving all that we have in sharing the Risen Christ.

The Collect for the day:

Merciful God, whose servant Joseph of Arimathaea with reverence and godly fear prepared the body of our Lord and Savior for burial, and laid it in his own tomb: Grant to us, your faithful people, grace and courage to love and serve Jesus with sincere devotion all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Ignatius of Loyola

Today the Episcopal Church remembers Ignatius of Loyola, who was born in 1491 in Spain. He was a soldier who fought in one major battle, the defense of Pamplona against the French in 1521. The professional solders knew that their position was indefensible, and proposed to surrender. Ignatius had visions of military glory, and urged his comrades to fight. He was promptly hit in the leg by a cannon ball, but his leg was badly set and failed to heal properly. It was re-broken and reset, and again it healed crookedly and left him with a permanent limp. During his convalescence, he was bedridden for many months and spent the time reading. He was given a Life of Christ which was written by a Carthusian monk. He read it, and his life was transformed.

He went on pilgrimage to Montserrat, near Barcelona, where he hung up his sword over the altar, and then spent about a year at Manresa working as a nurse and orderly in a hospital. Thereafter, he retired to a cave to live as a hermit and study The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. Ignatius probably wrote his Spiritual Exercises, a manual of Christian prayer and meditation where he directs the reader to begin with an event in the life of Christ, and to imagine the scene in detail, to replay the episode in his mind, to try to feel as if he had himself witnessed the event, and then to use this experience as a motive for love, gratitude, and dedication to the service of God.

In 1534, he and six fellow students formed a group who vowed to travel to Jerusalem and there preach the Gospel. This group later took the name, “The Society of Jesus,” and were nicknamed “the Jesuits.”

William Wilberforce

The Episcopal Church remembers William Wilberforce today, the day of his death in 1833. You may remember him as the main character in the film Amazing Grace.

Lesser Feasts and Fasts notes that Wilberforce was born into an affluent family in Hull, York, England, on 24 August 1759. He was educated at St. John’s College, Cambridge. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1780 where he served until 1825.

Wilberforce was a child of the Evangelical movement within the Church of England which was started in large part by John Wesley, an Anglican clergyman and missionary to Georgia, who is credited with founding “Methodism.” Wilberforce converted to the Evangelical life within the Anglican Church in 1784, prior to his entry into public life in Parliament. The influence of his faith in his work within the political system is evident. Wilberforce was dedicated to his single-minded crusade for the abolition of slavery and the slave trade. The slave trade was accomplished in the United Kingdom in 1807, and slavery itself just one month before Wilberforce’s death.

Wilberforce gave himself to the promotion of overseas missions, education for all people, and the reformation of public manners and morals.

The Collect for the Day:

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, kindle in your Church the never failing gift of love, that, following the example of your servant William Wilberforce, we may have grace to defend the poor, and maintain the cause of those who have no helper; for the sake of him who gave his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Martha, Martha ...

Today the Church remembers Mary and Martha of Bethany, Lazarus’ sisters. In today’s reading from the Gospel according to Luke (10:38-42), we hear about Jesus’ visit to their house:

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

You can just imagine the scene. Martha is running around the house making sure that the table is set, that everything tastes just right. She wants to make sure that everything is absolutely perfect after all, Jesus is the guest. Meanwhile, Mary is sitting there taking in everything that Jesus has to say. Martha is just a little upset. She is doing all of the work, and Mary is, well, just sitting there and not lifting a finger. Martha has had enough, and she decides to get Jesus involved. She gets a bit of a surprise. Jesus tells her that she is a little too distracted by trying to get things just right and that she is neglecting to feed her soul by spending some time with him.

To be sure, there is a little of Martha in all of us. There are those times when we are so distracted by trying to get things just perfect and by the tasks which need to be accomplished that we neglect to listen to Jesus. When we fail to listen to Jesus’ voice, we tend to be overwhelmed with what lies ahead of us.

Mary provides a good example; there is a time to work and there is a time to listen. Jesus invites us to spend a little time with him every day in prayer. When we spend that time with Jesus, the many tasks that we are called upon to do, from caring for our families, driving in Houston traffic, doing the grocery shopping, engaging in work to support those whom we love, become much easier. Jesus accompanies us on those tasks and keeps us focused on what is important.

The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath.

We have left Matthew’s Gospel, and now the Daily Office has moved into the Gospel according to Mark. Some scholars have described Mark’s Gospel as a long prelude to the Passion narrative. In Mark’s Gospel, we see the Pharisees always trying to trap Jesus, and what’s more, plotting to have him killed. Today’s reading, from the second chapter, is one of those moments:

One Sabbath he was going through the cornfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

The Pharisees were in the habit of placing man made law ahead of the true purpose of God’s Law. The purpose of the Sabbath law was to set aside time to honor and to worship God; to set aside a time for prayer. The Pharisees, however, lost sight of that purpose and made the Sabbath a time for following rules. The Pharisees would ask questions like: “How much can you work on the Sabbath?” “What happens if your ox falls in a ditch, can you pull the ox out?” In did not take long before they lost sight of what the Sabbath was truly about, setting aside time for God.

To be sure, rules are needed. However, at times we lose focus on what is really important. We can be like the Pharisees too when we allow our human made church practices and rules ahead of honoring and worshipping God through prayer as a faith community.

St. James the Apostle

Today the Episcopal Church remembers St. James the Apostle. He, and his brother John, were the sons of Zebedee, and were knick named “the Sons of Thunder.” They were among the twelve disciples of Jesus. James, John and Peter were at the Transfiguration, witnessed the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law (P 1:29) and the raising of Jairus’ daughter.

In Mark’s Gospel (1:16-20), we hear how James was called and what his response was:

As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

What a tremendous personal presence Jesus must have had while he walked this earth! When Jesus calls James, he leaves everything behind and follows. We should do the same in our lives leaving aside our fears.

The Acts of the Apostles (12:1-2) tells us the following about how James met his death: “About that time Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword…”

What a tremendous faith and love for Jesus James had. He followed Jesus’ example of giving His life in service to God.

Thomas á Kempis

Today the Episcopal Church remembers Thomas á Kempis who was born in the duchy of Cleves, Germany around 1380 and died on 25 July 1471. He was a priest and author who devoted his life to spiritual development and writing devotional works. His most famous book, The Imitation of Christ, urges us to follow Jesus’ example of following God’s will in all things.

Thomas opens The Imitation of Christ with the following words:

“He who follows Me, walks not in darkness,” says the Lord (John 8:12). By these words of Christ we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ.

The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ.

What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone.

This is the greatest wisdom—to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to court honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment later must come. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.

Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual edification.

One of the appointed readings for today is taken from chapter 14 of Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Paul writes:

Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling-block or hindrance in the way of another. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual edification. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat; it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve. But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Paul reminds us that how we act really matters, and he admonishes us not to hurt others within the Christian community by what we do, especially to those whose faith may be new or fragile. We should encourage others in the faith and not be a scandal to them by what we do. The same holds true to how we relate to others outside our church community. How do we act in our day to day lives with those whom we come into contact with at school, work, grocery shopping, driving on Houston’s mad roads? How many times have we shaken an angry fist at someone who has cut us off in traffic while the bumper sticker on our car says “God Listens”? Paul is right: “Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual edification.”

God's Plan Is Much Different Than Ours

Matthew’s Gospel (chapter 26) continues today in the readings for the Daily Office and we are moving ever closer to Jesus’ crucifixion. Today, Judas betrays Jesus, someone that he spent three years with as Jesus went about preaching, teaching and healing. Matthew writes:

While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.” At once he came up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?” At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But all this has taken place, so that the scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Judas wanted a Messiah that would restore Israel to its former glory as in the days of King David. Judas wanted a Messiah that would throw the Romans out of Israel. He wanted a Messiah on his terms. God had a much different plan. Jesus is the Messiah who says that if you want to be first, you must be last. Jesus said that he came not to be served, but to serve. His entire life of preaching, teaching and healing are based on servanthood. Jesus is the suffering servant; He is the one who gives all that He has to bring life to the world through the power of the resurrection.

Like Judas, we ran astray when we think we know better than God, when we put our plans ahead of His.

Jesus Shares Completely In Our Humanity

In today’s reading from the 26th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus prepares for what is to come:

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.”

Jesus shares in our humanity completely. He is afraid. He desires to avoid what is to come because He knows that not only will it not be easy, but it will cost Jesus His very life. Jesus asks His friends to be with Him in His hour of need, but they are not up to the task because they fail to understand what Jesus is about.

In the end, though, Jesus submits to the will of His Father, trusting in the Father’s plan for the salvation of the world. Jesus is the suffering servant who gives his all for us even though at times we fall short.

How Many Times Have We Betrayed Jesus?

Today’s reading from chapter 26 of Matthew’s Gospel is set during the Last Supper:

When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; and while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?” He answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.” Judas, who betrayed him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” He replied, “You have said so.”

How many times in our lives have we been like Judas? How many times have we betrayed Jesus by what we have done and by what we have failed to do? How many times have we said that we would never do such a thing?

Jesus invites us as His guests to the heavenly banquet table. Let’s be sure to live out our lives as people who have dined with Our Lord.

Bishop William White

Today, the Episcopal Church remembers William White, who was Bishop of Pennsylvania. He was a remarkable man of prayer who helped shape the Episcopal Church.

You might be surprised to learn that before the American Revolution, there were no Anglican (Church of England) bishops in the Colonies. After the American Revolution, it became extremely important to have American bishops. Samuel Seabury was the first American to be consecrated bishop in 1784, and in 1787 William White and Samuel Provoost, having been elected to the bishoprics of Pennsylvania and New York respectively, sailed to England and were consecrated bishops on February 14 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of Bath and Wells, and the Bishop of Peterborough.

William White was born in Philadelphia in 1747. In 1770, he went to England to be ordained deacon and priest, and then returned in 1772 becoming an assistant at Christ Church and subsequently the rector of Saint Peter’s in Philadelphia. White served as Chaplain of the Continental Congress from 1777 to 1789, and then as Chaplain of the Senate.

White was largely responsible for the Constitution of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, and he envisioned a system of church government that closely resembled that of the new nation. Bishop White wrote:

The power of electing a superior order of ministers ought to be in the clergy and laity together, they being both interested in the choice. In England, the bishops are appointed by the civil authority, which was a usurpation of the crown at the Norman conquest, but since confirmed by acts of parliament. The primitive churches were generally supplied by popular elections; even in the city of Rome, the privilege of electing the bishop continued with the people to the tenth or eleventh century, and near those times there are resolves of councils, that none should be promoted to ecclesiastical dignities, but by election of the clergy and people. It cannot be denied that this right vested in numerous bodies, occasioned great disorders; which it is expected will be avoided, when the people shall exercise the right by representation.

Let us next take a view of the grounds on which the authority of episcopacy is asserted. The advocates for this form maintain, that there having been an episcopal power originally lodged by Jesus Christ with his apostles, and by them generally exercised in person, but sometimes by delegation (as in the instances of Timothy and Titus) the same was conveyed by them before their decease to one pastor in each church, which generally comprehended all the Christians in a city and a convenient surrounding district. Thus were created the apostolic successors, who on account of their settled residence are called bishops by restraint; whereas the apostles themselves were bishops at large, exercising episcopal power over all the churches, except in the case of St James, who from the beginning was bishop of Jerusalem. From this time the word “episcopos,” used in the New Testament indiscriminately with the word “presbyteros” (particularly in the 20th chapter of the Acts where the same persons are called "episcopoi" and "presbyteroi"), became appropriated to the superior order of ministers. That the apostles were thus succeeded by an order of ministers superior to pastors in general, Episcopalians think they prove by the testimonies of the ancient fathers, and from the improbability that so great an innovation (as some conceive it) could have found general and peaceable possession in the 2d or 3d century, when episcopacy is on both sides acknowledged to have been prevalent. The argument is here concisely stated, but (as is believed) impartially.

White was Presiding Bishop of Episcopal Church at its first General Convention in 1789, and again from 1795 until his death on July 17, 1836.

Please remember in your prayers all of the bishops who are gathering at Lambeth during this time.

Lord, When Did We See You Hungry?

Today’s Gospel reading is taken from the 25th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, and Jesus tells us about the final judgment:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Lord of the Streets, BIM, Hearts to Hands, Community of Hope and the other area ministries give us the opportunity to do what Jesus asks us to do, to feed the hungry, to clothe the poor and to visit the sick in our community today. Especially in what is becoming an ever increasingly difficult economy, contributing to these ministries provide us an opportunity to be Christ’s hands and feet in a world that is starving for God’s love. We know what Jesus will ask us, we know what to do, so let’s do it and we will hear his invitation: “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”

Well Done Good and Faithful Servant

The reading appointed for today is the parable of the talents from Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus tells the following story:

For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy servant! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless servant, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Which one of the three servants are we? God has given each of us our own unique set of talents, and he expects us to use what we have been gifted to do the work that he has given us to do. Let’s not hide the gifts that God has given us; rather, let’s put them to good use in building the Kingdom of God so that we will hear Jesus say to us: “Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”

Get Out There and Live Life to the Fullest

Today we hear the familiar parable of the unprepared bride’s maids from chapter 25 of Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus reminds us that we should always be prepared for the day when we will meet Him face to face:

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

A friend of mine says, “You are not getting out of this alive.” He is indeed correct, death comes to us all. Jesus reminds us that we are to live everyday as if it will be the very day that He will call us. There is comfort in that. He invites us to live out our Christianity every day and in every way, to be like the wise bride’s maids, because in doing so, our lives will be fuller and richer. Jesus invites us to get the most out of every day.

So get out there and live!

St. Benedict

Today the Church remembers Benedict of Nursia, the father of Western monasticism. He was born in Nursia, Umbria, Italty around 480 A.D. Benedict went to Rome to study, but he was uncomfortable with the dissolute life of most of the populace, and he withdrew to a solitary life at Subiaco where he as asked by a group of men to be their abbot. Some of them found his rule (way of life) too strict, and Benedict returned alone to Subiaco. But Benedict could not keep people away, another group of monks called him to be their abbot, and once again he agreed, founding twelve communities over an interval of some years. His chief monastery was Monte Cassino, an abbey which is the mother house of the world-wide Benedictine order.

Benedict drew up a rule of life for his monks, a rule which he called "a school of the Lord's service, in which we hope to order nothing harsh or rigorous." The Rule gives instructions for how the monastic community is to be organized, and how the monks are to spend their time, including about four hours to be spent in liturgical prayer (called the the Divine Office where all of the Psalms are recited every week), some five hours in spiritual reading and study, six hours of labor, one hour for eating, and the remainder of the day for sleep.

A Benedictine monk (man) or nun (woman) takes vows of "obedience, stability, and conversion of life." The monastic vows to live in accordance with the Rule, not to leave his community without grave cause, and to seek to follow the teaching and example of Christ in all things.

The Rule of Benedict is a wonderful resource for Christians, and many use it as a daily guide for their spiritual discipline. For example, the Community of Hope uses the Rule as its guide.

Benedict’s impact on Western civilization cannot be underestimated. The Benedictines' prayer, scholarship and service have been a wonderful force in the building of the Kingdom of God.

Be Still

When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs. . . . But anyone who endures to the end will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world.”

Today’s reading, a continuation of Matthew’s Gospel (Mt. 24: 3-8; 13), really speaks to the news of the day. We are surrounded by many voices who seek to replace the voice of Jesus; they tell us that they have the answers to all of life’s problems, of who is right and who is wrong. We hear daily news about a troubled economy. If you open the newspaper, listen to the radio or watch the television, you will no doubt hear about unrest, war, and now missile testing is certain parts of the world. Just as in today’s world, there was unrest in Jesus’ day as well.

But Jesus tells us quite emphatically that if we have faith in the good news of salvation all will be well. The good news is that we have been saved. Jesus has done the hard work; he died and rose for us. So, be still, and know that God is.

There Is No Summer Break from the Christian Life

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors. You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to hell?” (Mt. 23: 27-33)

My wife, Mary, and I just returned from a short Fourth of July break in a cooler clime, and I must admit that during that time I was rather remiss about reading the Daily Office readings and in writing a brief reflection on them. It was as if I said to myself, "I deserve some time off from Scripture."

Then I read today’s reading from Matthew. What a wake up call after a short summer slumber! Jesus reminds me that, using a common phrase, “if you talk the talk, you have to walk the walk.” The problem with the scribes and Pharisees, according to Jesus, is that they were into the talk and the look of being God’s people, but their attitudes were not. They did not love God, neighbor and self as God would have them do; rather, they were self-righteous and quick to condemn others.

As Christians, we cannot take a summer break from walking the walk. Living life in, with and through Jesus means that we do it every day, in every thing that we say and do, and in all of our interactions with others.

The break is over, and I am back thankful for Jesus' reminder in Matthew's Gospel.

God's Idea of Fairness Is Not Ours

The reading today from Matthew’s Gospel (chapter 20:1-16) tells us something about God’s justice, His infinite capacity for mercy, and His idea of fairness. His justice is not our justice:

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

God is generous indeed, and He is radical! Even if someone turns to God on his or her death bed after a life time of sin, God’s infinite love and mercy will treat that person just the same as if that person lived an entire life time committed to Jesus and the spreading of the Gospel. That can be difficult for us to accept and to comprehend; Jesus tells us that that is the way His Father is. For my part, I am thankful.

What Do We Put Our Faith and Trust In?

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mt. 19:23).

Although we are studying Mark’s Gospel in our Adult Christian Education, the topic of today’s Daily Office Lectionary reading came up. As one person, Chris, noted, Jesus had a great deal to say about wealth. What is he saying to us?

It is a question about our priorities, faith and trust. What are our priorities in life? Do we place our faith in God or in do we believe that money will save us? Do we trust in God, or do we place our trust that wealth will keep us safe. Jesus tells us that we must place all of our faith and trust in God. For those of us who place our faith and trust in wealth to save us rather than in God, it indeed would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

Our help is in God alone, the maker of heaven and earth! Amen.

"Come, Follow Me."

In today’s reading from Luke Jesus tells us:

“I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

When I read this Gospel passage I can’t help but think to myself: “What happened to the kind, meek and mild Jesus, the Prince of Peace? This is not the Jesus that we are used to hearing about, the one we picture carrying a lamb on his shoulders, the one who says “let the little children come to me.” This Jesus even makes me feel somewhat uncomfortable, and dare I say, even offends my Episcopalian sensibilities. What is Jesus saying here? What are we to make of this?

Following Jesus is not easy! Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a young Lutheran pastor who was a prisoner of the Nazi regime during World War II who was executed because he dared to speak against the evils of Nazism. In his book The Cost of Discipleship, he wrote that “cheap grace was grace without cost; it is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. Costly grace, on the other hand, in Bonhoeffer’s words is “the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: ‘ye were bought at a price,’ and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”

Seventy Times Seven

In today’s reading, we hear Jesus talking about one of the most difficult things in life, forgiveness. Matthew’s Gospel recalls the exchange:

Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy times seven.”

In the Jewish world of Jesus’ day, the number "seven" was symbolic for perfection or wholeness. Imagine what seventy times perfection or wholeness is! Peter is really asking, “If someone in the faith community sins against me, should I forgive that person perfectly or wholly?” Jesus responds, not just perfectly or wholly, but in the same way that God forgives, that is with mercy and compassion. God forgives us not just perfectly or wholly, that is a forgiveness is equal to the offense, but God’s forgiveness goes infinitely beyond the one single offense, God forgives us for what we have done, what we have failed to do and what we will do or fail to do in to in the future. God showers us with mercy and compassion. Jesus calls us to deal with those in the church community in the same manner. He would have us treat everyone as God does, with mercy and compassion. That is a tall order to be sure, but, in the words of St. Paul, with God we can do infinitely more than we could ask or imagine.

Become Like Little Children

In today’s reading from Matthew’s Gospel we hear the familiar story of Jesus and the children:

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”

The wonderful thing about children, and sometimes one of the most frightening things, is that they are so willing to trust. In our relationship with God, Jesus invites us to be as trusting as little children are. Jesus asks us to trust in God and not in our own devices. For some of us that can be very difficult because if we let go and trust God, we feel that we are out of control. However, placing our trust in God is liberating. Try it. Be like a little child, and trust God. He will take care of you.

I Know Not The State of My Neighbor's Soul

In today’s reading from the first chapter of the Letter to the Romans, Paul writes:

Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. You say, “We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is in accordance with truth.” Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

How often have we found ourselves passing judgment on someone we may disagree with or consider ourselves to be “better” than? I know that in my life it has been all too often. Sometimes we can find ourselves smugly saying to ourselves, “Thank goodness I’m not like that person!” Or, “He’s poor because he’s just lazy.” Or, “That person is weak, otherwise he would stop drinking.”

Paul reminds us that it is not our place to pass judgment. We do not know the state of our neighbor’s soul; only God does. What’s more, we do not realize the greatness of God’s mercy and goodness. If we did, we would find ourselves saying, “Thank you Jesus for your death and resurrection; thank you for forgiving me for my sins.”

Are You Embarrased?

Sometimes in the work-a-day world, we are embarrassed of our Christianity. Sometimes we are afraid to stand up for Jesus Christ. Paul knows how we are and in his Letter to the Romans he reminds us what our attitude should be:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.”

I don’t know about you, but I know that I need to hear these words. How can I be embarrassed about my faith in Jesus Christ, my belief in the one who saved me from my sinfulness even though I do not deserve it? And what’s more, that salvation is open to everyone. If we live by faith, we are right with God.

The next time I have the opportunity, remembering Paul’s words to us, I will gladly proclaim, “Yes, I am a Christian. I believe in Jesus Christ.” I hope you will too.

That We May Be Mutually Encouraged

In today’s reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans, he describes the essence of life in the church community, the parish:

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, asking that by God’s will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Life in our church family is about sharing: sharing our faith in Jesus Christ, our lives with one another and the transforming power of Jesus in our lives and in the world. Church is a place where we get “re-fueled” for the journey. It is a place where we are strengthened and mutually encouraged when things are not easy, and a place where we share our joy with each other when things are good. It is a place where we live out our lives in prayer and service to Jesus Christ.

See you at church!

What Does It Profit a Person...

Jesus has a distinctive way of turning things upside down, and today’s reading from chapter 16 of Matthew’s Gospel taken from the Daily Office is such an example:

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?”

Jesus tells his disciples that following him will not be easy. Being a Christian, especially in today’s world, can be “tough duty.” The world promises us that we will be happy and complete if we live in the most prestigious neighborhood, wear designer clothes, drive the right car, have the latest electronic gadget, have that “beautiful” look, and the list goes on and on.

Jesus tells us quite the opposite. What he says seems counterintuitive, “if we lose, we will find.” In order to follow Jesus, we are called to give of ourselves to others in the name of Jesus. “Those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Just ask St. Francis of Assisi who lived a life of poverty but was free, or Mother Teresa who gave her life in service to the poorest of the poor.

To paraphrase Jesus, “What will it profit me if I sell my soul for a designer suit as I drive my new Porshe Boxter while talking on my I-phone G3 as I pull into the driveway of my newly constructed mansion.” All of these things become old, break and are thrown away. A life time of a devoted relationship to Christ and living in his service, however, lasts an eternity.