250126 AOC Sunday Report
Worldwide Communion
Third Sunday after Epiphany
Sunday Report
The Third Sunday after Epiphany – January 26, 2025
Third Sunday after Epiphany Propers:
The propers are special prayers and readings from the Bible. There is a Collect for the Day; that is a single thought prayer, most written either before the re-founding of the Church of England in the 1540’s or written by Bishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Archbishop of Canterbury after the re-founding.
The Collect for the Day is to be read on Sunday and during Morning and Evening Prayer until the next Sunday. The Epistle is normally a reading from one of the various Epistles, or letters, in the New Testament. The Gospel is a reading from one of the Holy Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Collect is said by the minister as a prayer, the Epistle can be read by either a designated reader (as we do in our church) or by one of the ministers and the Holy Gospel, which during the service in our church is read by an ordained minister.
The propers are the same each year, except if a Red-Letter Feast, that is one with propers in the prayerbook, falls on a Sunday, then those propers are to be read instead, except in a White Season, where it is put off. Red Letter Feasts, so called because in the Altar Prayerbooks the titles are in red, are special days. Most of the Red-Letter Feasts are dedicated to early saint’s instrumental in the development of the church, others to special events. Some days are particularly special and the Collect for that day is to be used for an octave (eight days) or an entire season, like Advent or Lent. The Propers for today are found on Page 112-113, with the Collect first:
The Collect for the Third Sunday after Epiphany
Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth thy right hand to help and defend us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle for the Third Sunday after Epiphany. Romans xii. 16.
BE not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is writ-ten, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
The Gospel for the Third Sunday after Epiphany. St. John ii. 1.
AND the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: and both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six water-pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
On Point
Someone asked, where do the quotes come from? The answer is from the people who uttered them. But, how did you find them? Oh, that. Some from Bishop Jerry, others from Rev. Geordie and many from Rev Bryan Dabney and a few from other places.
Rev. Geordie Menzies-Grierson – England (above)
Points to Ponder:
Let love
be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is
good.
Romans
12:9
Know ye
not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run,
that ye may obtain.
I
Corinthians 9:24
Wisdom
will teach us how to conduct ourselves in reference to others. Wisdom teaches
us not to expect that those we deal with should be faultless; we ourselves are
not so, none are so. This wisdom arms [the wise] against provocation, so that
they are not put into any disorder by it.
The Rev.
Matthew Henry
How was it
that Noah persevered in building the ark? He stood alone amidst a world of
sinners and unbelievers. He had to endure scorn, ridicule, and mockery. What
was it that nerved his arm, and made him patiently work on and face it all? It was
faith. He believed in a wrath to come. He believed that there was no safety, excepting
in the ark that he was preparing. Believing, he held the world’s opinion very
cheap. He “counted the cost” by faith, and had no doubt that to build the ark was
gain.
The Most
Rev. J. C. Ryle, (Holiness, p. 100).
How can
you have no regrets about your life lived and be considered fit for heaven?
Without a humble, contrite heart, without a coming to God’s throne of grace to
seek his pardon in the name of Christ, there can be no assurance of salvation.
Those who have no regrets have nothing to confess and without their true
confession, without their recognition of their sins, they are lost.
The Rev.
Bryan Dabney – St. John’s AOC, MISS
It would be well for all professing Christians if
they were more ready to follow the wise men’s example. Where is our
self-denial? What pains do we take about our souls? What diligence do we show
about following Christ? What does our religion cost us? These are serious
questions. They deserve serious consideration.
J. C. Ryle
(1816 – 1900).
Every Christian should be both conservative and
radical; conservative in preserving the faith and radical in applying it.
John Stott
BEETHOVEN’S LATTER WINE
After the long-suffering of Job, God restored to him twice all that he had lost: “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” (Job 42:10)
The great composer, Ludwig v. Beethoven, is possibly the greatest musical composer of all time. Yet, he met with many hardships and misfortunes in his lifetime that would have devastated one of lesser metal. The period between 1814 and 1824 were years of professional famine for Beethoven. Having lost the one gift that makes the joy of music so ebullient - his hearing - the man of joyful music also lost many of his friends as his financial fortunes took a serious plunge.
Ten years past between his last symphony, the Eighth, and his memorable Ninth Symphony in D Minor. Imagine the despair of Beethoven as he attempted to write this masterpiece from ‘imagined sound’ since he was deaf.
The Ninth Symphony finally was completed and premiered in 1824, not long before its creator’s death. The resident conductor invited Beethoven to conduct his new work that night of the premier. Beethoven stood apprehensively as he conducted the last movement. At the concluding notes of the final movement, “Ode to Joy” the composer stood in forsaken silence, certain that his masterpiece had failed. He could not hear the thunderous standing ovation of the audience behind him. Suddenly, the resident conductor, recognizing Beethoven’s bewilderment, gently turned the musical genius around so he could witness the joyful response of the crowd. What overpowering joy must have entered his heart as he saw the awe-inspiring response. God had saved the best wine in Beethoven’s life for last - and he gleefully took his bow.
Just as Christ provided the best wine for the last at the marriage at Cana of Galilee, so God frequently saves the best wine for last in the lives of those whom He loves. Maybe He is saving your best wine for last!
In the Ninth symphony, the deep emotion and great passion of this master composer is fully brought to light. It seems that he poured his heart and soul in among the notes of this great work. The Ninth Symphony is the last one written by Beethoven, but it stands out as the shining sun among all other such works and has endured the centuries, and will doubtless remain forever, as long as the sun rises and sets, as the crowning achievement in musical beauty, harmony and simple grandeur.
The beauty of sound, technical merit, and popular appeal of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony remains today as one of the world’s greatest masterpieces and sets a high standard for any aspiring composer whose hopes and ambition are to achieve the heights.
Whatever work God has called you to, remember that even old age may not prevent your being blessed with your best wine at the last.
Bishop Jerry Ogles (Daily Devotional, July 26th)
Jerry
Ogles
Presiding Bishop
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
We are fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s you tube links, devotions on the Prayer of the Collect and sermon notes.
Bishop Jerry creates videos on various subjects, they last just under ten minutes and this week’s videos are listed below:
Bishop Ogles has a You Tube Channel that is free to
subscribe: all of his videos at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW3bgXBJFomPB5mZ4Oigxg
The Names of Jesus Series: Jesus The Bread of Life
Click to listen and watch The Bread of Life: https://youtu.be/8GvgIr_SEvs
Enjoy this presentation from the 39 Articles of Prayer Series: Article 30
Click link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF64DXuypGc
Sermon - Bishop Jack Arnold
Anglican Orthodox Church of the United States
Training and Education Department
Diocese of the West
Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso,
California
Good morning! I hope you are all doing well. In today’s sermon we will be looking at the unifying message of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel and examine how they share the common message of action as we celebrate the revealing of our Lord to the world. Let us start by reading today’s collect:
The Third Sunday after The Epiphany.
The
Collect.
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Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth thy right hand to help and defend us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Consider these words from the Collect:
… mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth thy right hand to help and defend us …
In the Collect, we are asking God to set aside our failures and protect and aid us in all we do with His strong hand. God is perfect, thus so is His counsel. When we acknowledge our imperfection and ask Him for help, we should look to the written record of His Son, our Savior; the ultimate example of perfection and we should be doing do our best to follow Him, by being honest, hard working, peaceful and helpful. We will find that when we follow the example that our Savior set for us that our lives will improve immeasurably and not only our lives but those around us as well.
In the Epistle, Paul counsels us to not repay our fellow men’s evil with evil but to do right as much as possible in a given circumstances. This is another concept that is easier said than done but it is something that must be done all the same. Repaying evil with evil only makes situations worse, not better and that is something we need to realize. We find our selves often seeking to justify our positions by any means necessary and be willing to argue about them even to our own detriment. We need to take a step back and ask ourselves if we are truly repaying evil with evil. If we are then we need to stop and reevaluate our position and find a way to get along with our fellow men, even when we disagree with them.
If we do right in a given situation, then it will be on the other person for acting poorly and not us. He also says that God will reap vengeance on evildoers and it is not for us to deal vengeance out. He also says we need to be honest and forthright in all our dealings as is befitting our children of God status. He points out if we give kindness and honesty even to those who we do not like or get along with, that will be truly more satisfying for us then any kind of imperfect revenge or sabotage we can come up with. It will also help us out in our dealings with the difficult people. If we let the Holy Ghost guide us in our conversations and not just revert to our natural sinful inclinations, we will find ourselves much better off. We should be do our best to follow Christ’s example of being peaceable, honest and hard working even with difficult individuals. It will in the end be on their own heads for refusing our hospitality and kindly actions. He says we are to live peaceably with all men for as much as lieth within us. This does not mean we should be doormats, but rather we should treat our neighbors kindly up until they point they attempt to take our things or our lives, at that point we can do what is needed to defend ourselves from the threat.
But other than that, we are to treat our neighbors the way we would like to be treated. This follow’s Jesus “Love they neighbor as thyself commandment.” And it shows that we are to treat all of our neighbors and fellow humans this way to the best our abilities unless as stated above they try to take our things or harm us. It really is the best way to live our lives here on Earth. However if we are to live this commandment, we need to follow our nice words to our neighbors up with actions.
Which brings us to the next point, why are we always emphasizing action? There is a simple reason for this. In the space of time where we exist, where we are, is Today. Where God’s finger touches the line of time. Not tomorrow nor the past, but today. We can’t go back in the past or go forward to the future and act there, our actions have to be done in the present. Actions are how we live out our faith. Without actions there is no evidence of our faith that people can see. That is why worrying does nothing productive. We should focus on what we can do in the present, rather in the past we cannot change nor the future which is unknown. Acting in the present is far more productive than worrying about places we cannot act in like the past or unknown like the future.
Our God is a God of Action. No less is His Son one of action. All throughout the Bible, you find Jesus doing things, not just talking about them. His messages all convey action. Jesus did not just talk nice words, he backed them up with action. This is why we emphasize action. To truly follow Christ requires us to be like Him within the best our abilities and with the Help of the Holy Ghost, perform actions. To be like Christ, we must back our stated belief with actions that confirm that belief, following His Word. It is a tough task and we may never get there fully, but we’ll never get there if we don’t at least do our best and not just say it.
The Gospel provides a great example of how our God is a God of Action. In the Gospel we see Jesus performing His first documented earthly miracle, turning water into wine at Cana. He was at first apparently reluctant to perform it, telling his earthly mother that it was not the right time for Him to perform miracles. Mary chose to ignore this and instead placed great faith in her son by instructing the servants, “Whatsoever he saith to you do it.”
She had great faith in Him in that He would perform a miraculous action. Mary truly had the faith Jesus talked about which could “move mountains.” When He referred to this, He was not talking about literally moving mountains, but obstacles which get in our way in life. That is the faith we need to have in Him and God. We need to have faith that He will help us overcome those mountainous obstacles, we just have to let him into our hearts.
His actions created a wine so good, it caused the governor to remark they usually set out the best wine first, then when the partygoers get more drunk they bring out the worst wine. But the wine Jesus created was so good, he said in effect, “You have saved the best for last.”
The whole point behind the Gospel is that Jesus, and God, is a person of action not just diction. Jesus could have chosen not to do anything or tell the servants anything. But He chose to honor His mother’s request and perform a miracle that set off His earthly ministry. When faced with the opportunity to act, He always acted. This was the first of those times when He was faced with a decision point. You will note in all of his miracles He chose to act. When we’re faced with the opportunity to act, we must emulate Jesus’s example and act to the best of our abilities.
This shows that if we are to become like Christ, we are also to be men and women of action and not just diction. There are too many in this world who to paraphrase President Trumps’ first inaugural address “They talk the good talk and sit around on their hands and do nothing.” It is all too easy to say the right words at the right time; however, it is harder to perform the right actions at the right time.
Actions truly show our character more than words ever could. How should we act to show the best of our character? To the extent you are able, attempt to do good to all. Always do the right thing when you are faced with a choice. Sometimes that choice is harder than others to be made, but it must be made all the same. It is possible if we have the Holy Ghost in our hearts to do the right thing. We are not Christ, but if we do our best emulate His earthly actions, we do well. If you treat your enemies with respect and kindness, you oft make them your friends. Like many other things Jesus taught, it is easy to say and hard to do.
Like Jesus at the well, we must remember that our purpose is to help bring people to salvation. We are not called to any action that would push people always from salvation, but rather to lead them by example towards that salvation. Let us think about that the next time we do our actions. Thanks to our sinful nature, it is all too easy to act in a way that would push people away from salvation. We must think and reflect before we act, “Is this action that I am going to take push somebody to or away from Christ.” If it is the latter then we must change the action so it would push people to Christ. These thoughts may only be one small step; but let us do our best to make it a step towards God, not away.
Error is error, wrong is not right. But, a person’s final destination is up to God, not us. Fortunate for each of us, it should be considered. During the journey of life through the time space continuum, we need to do our best to keep ourselves and those around us moving towards God, not away from Him. The direction is always clear, sometimes we just do not want to read the signs. That is why we need the Holy Ghost’s help to read those signs and keep on moving in the consistent direction towards heaven.
If we understand we are less than perfect, actually far less than imperfect, we have a good start. We know we need God in our lives to give us direction. We need His guidance to direct our ACTION.
The common theme through the Collect, Epistle and Gospel is that if we have hope and trust in God, we must dread naught, and carry on, empowered through our daily lives here on Earth until we are called to our heavenly home. These are actions we must take not mere thoughts or words, actual actions!
Read the Bible, find out what He wants you to do, then Do It. What can you do today to carry out His Will? There are a multitude of things you can DO to carry out His Will, but the question is, “Will you?”
Heaven is at the end of an uphill trail. The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.
The time is now, not tomorrow. The time has come, indeed. How will you ACT?
It is by our actions we are known.
Be of God - Live of God - Act of God
Yves M. Méra
Presiding Bishop – AOC France Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide
We are fortunate to have a sermon from the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Orthodox Church of France and the Administrative Coordinator of Europe and Africa. As you will read, he is an excellent writer. The sermon is easy to read and provides much insight.
SERMON for the Third Sunday after Epiphany
Romans 12:16-21; John 2:1-11
AT CANA
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
In his Epistle to the Romans, Paul invites us to overcome evil with good. This is what Christ did at Cana, by substituting the scarcity and mediocrity of the wine of men by the abundance and profusion of the produce of the heavenly vine.
(John 2:1-2):
“And the third day there was a marriage
in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was
called, and his disciples, to the marriage.” Three days after the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist is
a short time for an invitation to a wedding. Jesus Christ does not need any more
to pass from death to life. The first person mentioned by John in this passage
of his Gospel is Mary, the mother of Jesus. She precedes her Son by human
birth, and Jesus is still subject to her. But at Cana of Galilee, Christ takes
His independence. He is not invited alone, but with His disciples, including
John, the author of the 4th Gospel. Christ therefore comes there in
a group of men, as a constituted body, that of His Church which still is in
formation and training - He will train His disciples over 3 years, at His own school,
a school where no degree is delivered, but skills given by the Holy Ghost. He
will teach them by His discourses and by His example. It is to His Church that
He reveals Himself first, and it is up to His Church to spread the Sacred Teaching
they once received, and nothing else. So far, everything was going well. But
our human works are doomed to failure, and soon disaster strikes.
Verse 3: “And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.” Can you imagine what a dry bread and water wedding feast would be like? There is something to scream about, (Joel 1/5): “Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.” It would be an insult to the bride and groom, their families and their guests. The poor, for want of means, do not marry, or marry without ceremony, which amounts to the same thing before God; but the wisest manage to celebrate their union publicly. Those who get into a relationship without ceremony are misguided all the same, were they rich or poor. The goal is not to impress the gallery by delighting the company, but to publish a solemn and definitive commitment to reciprocal fidelity. In this way, a home is then formed, suitable for children to be born and grow up. Even Jesus, although born in a stable, came into the world in a home based on the commitment of the spouses. (Luke 1:26-27): “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.” Joseph, in Hebrew, means: to add; it is he who adds education to Jesus, raising him as his own son. Mary, whose name root is the same as mara or Mera, means "exalted" or "bitter". And indeed, the risen Jesus will be exalted, after the bitterness of death on the cross, a bitterness shared by His mother, Mary. At Cana, Mary is elated when she bursts into the men's dining room to report a problem: there is a lack of wine. At a Jewish wedding, you can run out of everything, even of food, but not of wine! “… wine that maketh glad the heart of man…” (Psalm 104:15); (Proverbs 31:6): “Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.” My friends, we must give wine to Mary and Mera! In a wedding, everyone should rejoice, the brides, their families, their guests; Sadness and bitterness are not in order. Wine is therefore an essential element of the festival.
(John 2:4): “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.” Jesus opposes his mother who thinks she is interceding for the bride and groom. For when it comes to miracles, Christ receives orders only from His divine Father - not from His mother, Mary. What does Mary come to do, interfering in the affairs of the Trinity which are none of her business? Her claim to tell God what He should do is pure blasphemy. She poses as superior to God, mother of God, which she is not: she is only the mother of the child Jesus, of His human body. Now this child has grown up, and He is now escaping her. Jesus had already temporarily escaped her at the age of 12, in the Temple of Jerusalem (Luke 2:49b): “... How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?” But Marie insists...
(verse 5): “His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” is the only advice Mary can give us who are the Servants of Her Son. Christ rebuked his mother by putting her back into her rightful place. She understood the lesson and obeyed Him by recommending the servants of Christ to do the same. Mary is here a model of humility for all Christians. But nothing more, if we read the Bible consistently. And Christ tells us in Romans to love one another, to forgive one another, and to remain simple and humble (Romans 12:9-16): “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.”
(John 2:6): “And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.” We are not talking here about Peter's boat, but about vulgar stone basins, what we would call sink stones today, as there were in all farms, or washbasins. These stone basins each contained a hundred liters! “six waterpots of stone” is 600 liters! And 600 liters is 800 of our glass wine bottles... Suffice to say that there were several bottles per person (Cana was a small town), it was more than enough, more than enough to delight the whole company. And these stone basins were used for the purification and ablution of the Jews. It is no wonder to us that Christ makes the connection between these stone sinks and the wine representing His precious Blood, poured out for our own purification (1 John 1:7c): “… the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”, once for all (see Hebrews 10:2), for our cleansing by the Blood of Jesus is perfect; there is nothing effective that we can add to it.
(Verses 7-8): “Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.” Notice that the servants do whatever Christ asks of them, without delay nor procrastination. They obey Him blindly, in confidence; they act by faith in the power of God, without question, for it is doubtful whether they would have understood what Christ was going to do with all this water, even if He had explained it to them, for He was doing a unique, unprecedented work at Cana. The water gushing from the rock in Exodus foreshadows the blood gushing from the Rock that is Christ (Exodus 17:6): “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.” The stone of the basins also makes us think of the rock of Massa and Meribah, as well as the cornerstone rejected by the builders, Jesus Christ (Acts 4:11): “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.” And Cana (latin) means reeds (English); Now the reed is the scepter of Christ's kingship (Matthew 27:29): “And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!” Naturally, the Roman soldiers mocked Christ, just as today's materialists do mock believers, those faithful to this same Christ. And it is also this reed that was used to make Jesus drink on the cross (Matthew 27:48): “And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.” The event at Cana prefigures in detail the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ! Do you now understand why Jesus, foreseeing His future, retorted His mother by retorting “My hour has not yet come”? “… His hour was not yet come” (John 7:30c), but He already foresaw it, that fatal hour, the hour of darkness, when He surround to Satan in order to give him the very lesson of his life!
(verses 9-10): “When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.” The butler's statement completely exceeds its author. Theologically, it is developed by Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 9:22-28): “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” The better wine that Christ offers at Cana foreshadows the best covenant in His blood, shed on the Cross. And His precious Blood definitively cleanses us of all our sins, if we believe and obey our Lord, as the servants of the bride and groom at Cana did themselves, playing their role in the miracle.
(John 2:11): “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.” Ah, good luck! My friends, let us fill our hearts with this divine Blood that purifies and washes us who are faithful to His Word. We are thus assured that we are forgiven, justified, and glorified by our union of faith in Christ, our Lord and only Savior. Amen.
Rt. Rev. Yves Méra, AOC Bishop of France.
Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s AOC Vicksburg, Mississippi - Sunday Sermon
We are fortunate to have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon. If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, espouse the truth and live the truth. This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.
Third Sunday after Epiphany
And so as recipients of his gracious favor, we are expected to make sure our calling via our works in God’s service. Consider the words of our Lord as found in St. John’s gospel, Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain... (15:16). And this is agreeable with the Parable of the Sower (St. Matthew 13:23), But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. The prophet Isaiah noted, So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it (55:11).
Awhile back, I was watching a movie where a couple was about to part company. It was a situation where the man might not return because of a conflict on the horizon. The woman offered a locket to him as a good-luck piece which the latter did not wish to take. At that point the woman said, “It is not your choice when it is a gift.” As a rule, not accepting a gift may very well be done to the detriment of the relationship between the giver and the intended receiver. That is why most folks will not fail to receive a gift even if they do not use it— simply for the sake of not hurting the feelings of the giver. While the above is true concerning our relationship with friends and family, when it comes to God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, many will refuse without much thought. They see no detriment before them for such a rejection. They are often blissfully unaware of the tragedy that awaits all who refuse his offer. While for mortals the movie line reply by the woman— “It is not your choice when it is a gift”— definitely holds true, the polar opposite is the case when it comes to God. He does not compel anyone to accept his gift. As our Lord once warned, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (St. Matthew 23:37). And in John’s gospel, we have the ever-popular verses from chapter 3 (vv. 16-18) which state the matter rather plainly: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Nevertheless, since God is not visible to unregenerate humanity they consider him to be unknowable. And for those who give him but a partial recognition, he is hardly more than a formulation— a construct of their limited understanding. Many, such as New Agers, view him as a non-judgmental presence. Carnal Christians tend to view him as a divine being whose word is more a book of suggestions than a book of absolutes. Yet these and other fanciful notions of God are part and parcel of Satan’s big lie. But we who are born again of the Holy Ghost know that none of these views will open the way to God’s good graces. One does not gain salvation simply by saying a prayer, or doing a good work apart from being saved through an indwelling of the Holy Ghost. While it is woefully apparent that we cannot compel others to freely give us gifts, so we cannot demand of God his gift of life on our terms.
Scripture tells us that all men have been called of God; but in order for that calling to be made sure, their prayers heard, and their works deemed acceptable, then every human being must accept God’s gift per his stipulations as set forth within the pages of Scripture. The apostle John noted in his first epistle that, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God... (5:1). The Whosoever are the same folk as found in the apostle’s gospel account as they are people who have been called of God by the operation of the Holy Ghost (see Ephesians 1:4-11; 2:1-10) and who have responded in the affirmative to his offer of salvation. And we must keep in mind that God is the sovereign Creator whose very words brought everything into existence from Let there be light in the book of Genesis to the turning of water into wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee as recorded in St. John’s gospel. God has called all things into being, and he can, and will later call them to extinction. Ergo, the power God exercises per his prerogative extends to the very calling of souls to himself. Witness the words of St. Paul in Romans (11:29), For the gifts and callings of God are without repentance. And the apostle also quoted Moses regarding the nature of God’s sovereignty when he wrote (Romans 9:15-16) 15I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. While it is true that if God saved only a few— as he did with Noah and his family— even such a paucity of those saved would still affirm his righteousness and graciousness. But God has done more than simply issue instructions to construct an ark, or hand down the commandments on tablets of stone written in his own hand. Our God stepped into our world bearing the mantle of the flesh. He came to preach the good news of redemption. He came to bear our sins on that rude cross, shedding his blood on our behalf. His blood offering covered the sins of mankind for all time past, present and future. His grace was, is and ever shall be all-sufficient to wash away our sins. As born-again Christians, we know that he has extended to all who embrace Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord his everlasting seal of ownership via the Holy Ghost; for as St. Paul noted in his epistle to the Romans, The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God (8:16).
So how then can one be certain of this indwelling and calling? Do you truly believe that Jesus Christ is the only way, truth and life? Have you accepted God’s free gift to you with a heart-felt confession of your sins and trespasses to him in the name of our Saviour? Are you searching for a Bible-believing church where you might have fellowship with other regenerated believers because your former fellowship was devoid of such persons? Are you desirous of being baptized? Are you troubled by your current mode of living and worship? Do you find yourself being urged by something inside of you to seek a life that puts Christ first? If you do, then know that God is calling you to himself. The difference between those who are regenerate and those who are unregenerate is that the former have accepted God’s free gift of salvation; while the latter are as yet in their sins and trespasses through their continued rejection of God’s free gift of life everlasting in Jesus Christ. But there is a limitation on God’s calling. For while it is open to all in this life; if one passes from its precincts without acceptance of God’s free gift, then there will be no possibility of redemption. We need to make that clear to all with whom we witness. The apostle Paul noted in his second epistle to the Corinthians that, ...behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation (6:2).
God’s gift of salvation is very much like an engraved summons to come to the marriage feast of his Son where everyone who attends will have a seat and will be eternally joyful, not only for their attendance at the feast, but in the joy of dwelling within the house of the LORD, FOREVER! Truly, it is the gift that keeps on giving. Therefore, be wise and discerning. If you want to be received into God’s kingdom, you must receive his free gift; and in order to receive this gift, you must be obedient to his will as expressed in his word written. The testator has died and risen again in glory but his testament to us remains. Just as a person is free to receive or reject the gift of an earthly estate, so one is free to receive or reject God’s gift of life. God does not compel anyone to come to him without a willing heart. Choose then to accept his offering and then live a life of assurance through obedience to his word and commandment.
Let us pray,
Father, help us daily to live in obedience to your will; that those around us who have not as yet come to thee, might see and hear from us those things which will open the way for their regeneration; for this we ask in the name of him who came to be sin for us, and who is that perfect gift of salvation to all who believe on his name, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have a blessed week,
Bryan+
Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor
Saint Paul's Anglican
Church
Diocese of the Midwest
Anglican Orthodox Church Suffragan Bishop of the AOC
Sermon for the Third Sunday after Epiphany
Psalms 103; First lesson. Isaiah 54:1-8; Second lesson. Romans 14:1-15:3
Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth thy right hand to help and defend us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bless the LORD
Five times in this psalm the author writes ‘..bless the LORD..’ Why does he write that?
There are several directions we can travel when we look at these requests for blessings from the
LORD.
1. 1Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.(Psalm 103:1)
Here we read a request of personal benefit, dealing mostly with the physical aspect of the body. The well being of both soul and body. “...all that is within me...” can be understood as to the needs of the human body. Then the psalmist brackets the request with another statement of praise, ‘...bless his holy name...’. With this declaration the writer is both praising God for blessing him and asking God to bless him. Really not a bad idea. After all, He is our Creator.
We sometimes forget why we are here. Our creator placed us in this time and continuum for a reason.
Sometimes it takes a lifetime to figure it out, sometimes the answer is right there in front of us, but we do not see it, or sometimes, we choose not to see it. A lot of doubt and misdirection in our lives could be avoided if we just searched the scripture for the answers instead of looking into secular solutions. God created us for a purpose, maybe we should ask Him in prayer to reveal in His Word what that purpose may be.
2. 2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: (psalm 103:2) This speaks to our human ability to take things for grant it or to try and find any reason to NOT thank the Lord for our blessings and benefits. Just think about the daily workings of this earth we dwell upon Who is letting the earth orbit the sun? Who is allowing for gradual changes each day, whether it is more and more sunlight as we move towards summer, or a storm or fair weather or fruitful harvest; it is all because God is in control. Immediately,
I hear the skeptic say “but why does God allow evil or bad weather or natural disasters?”. He did not break this world, Adam and Eve did. We are just suffering the consequences of a fallen world. But most importantly, God is still in control. We turn to Him and ‘forget not all his benefits’. So let us not forget.
3. 20Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. (Psalm 103:20) Alright, now why is the psalmist telling the angels to bless the LORD? He is letting us know that the angels are powerful, that they do what the LORD commands them to do, they listen to the voice of his word.
We can read again and again the role angels take in their job as God’s messengers. We find angels protecting God’s own, we find them encompassing the enemies of God on the battlefield. We find angels following every command of the LORD. Think of the angels that delivered the messages of fulfillment and answered prayer in the case of Elizabeth and Zechariah, the Virgin Mary, the shepherds in the fields that night of Christ Jesus birth, the warning given to the Wise men to flee Herod.
All of these angels were doing what God told them to do: they were “hearkening unto the voice of his word.”
4. 21Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. (Psalm 103:21) Now we enter into the realm of human endeavors. Here we see the psalmist asks the LORD to bless those who are his ministers, his hosts, all who do his pleasure. His will as we understand it. Always remember, God will not contradict Himself, He will not contradict His Word. That is the best way to know if some message or thought or dream is from the Lord, does it go against the written Word of God? In this we see that those who are going about doing what the Lord would have us to do are to be given a blessing. We should always seek to do His will. We should always follow His commandments, statues, and anything pertaining to the work of the LORD. Keep on task. Continue with the mission. Do not waiver from the path.
5. 22Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul. (Psalm 103:22) The fifth and final “bless the LORD” is directed to God’s creation. All his works in all places of his dominion... in other words EVERYWHERE.
St. Paul writes that the creation groans with anticipation of perfection. The very creation is longing to be perfect as in the beginning. Before the Fall, the world was perfect. There was no decay, there was no death, there was no sin.
The psalmist is both looking to the future and at the present. The works of the LORD and the places of His dominion are to be blessed. Think about how things work in the world, even in a broken world, we still have seasons. We have a time of planting, a time of growing, a time of harvest and a time of sustenance. All of this is because God created it to be so, and even though it is a broken and fallen world, it still works to the benefit of mankind.
Every day the sun comes up, every day there is rain, snow, moisture from above, every day we can see the hand of the Lord, giving us blessings and benefits:
1The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, (Psalm 19: 1-4)
We as people of Faith must share this message to those who are blinded by the god of this world. We must share the hope of salvation to the lost. We must let the world know that God has sent us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to be our savior.
He is our final blessing.
He is to be praised.
This gives rise to the final part of the last verse of Psalm 103, “...bless the LORD, O my soul...”.
Let us pray:
Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth: Hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen the faithful, stir up the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within the holy church, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O Lord, take our minds, and think through them, Take our lips, and speak through them, Take our hearts, and set them on fire with love for thee. What we know not, teach us. What we have not, give us. What we are not, make us. For Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.
Bishop Roy Morales-Kuhn
Rev. David
McMillan
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama
We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian
Third Sunday after Epiphany
Isaiah 62:1-5; Ps 96; 1 Cor 12:1-11; John 2:1-11;
" Jesus Manifested His Glory"
"The Jews attached great importance to the high moments of life. Thus a wedding was not just a brief ceremony, but an experience shared by the entire community. The typical wedding feast could last up to seven days. That sounds strange to our modern way of thinking, but this offered a bright interlude in an otherwise dreary existence. The ceremony would begin on Tuesday at midnight. After the wedding the father of the bride would take his daughter to every house so that everyone might congratulate her. It was a community experience. Weddings were a time of joy.
Years ago, when Johnny Carson was the host of The Tonight Show, he interviewed an eight year old boy. The young man was asked to appear because he had rescued two friends in a coalmine outside his hometown in West Virginia. As Johnny questioned the boy, it became apparent to him and the audience that the young man was a Christian. So Johnny asked him if he attended Sunday school. When the boy said he did Johnny inquired, "What are you learning in Sunday school?" "Last week," came his reply, "our lesson was about when Jesus went to a wedding and turned water into wine." The audience roared, but Johnny tried to keep a straight face. Then he said, "And what did you learn from that story?" The boy squirmed in his chair. It was apparent he hadn't thought about this. But then he lifted up his face and said, "If you're going to have a wedding, make sure you invite Jesus!" The little boy was on to something. Weddings are time of Joy." sermons@sermons.com
Jesus turned between 100-150 gallons (500-750 liters) of water into wine (oinos the greek word for wine used in Ephesians to not be drunk with wine) at a wedding in Cana, according to the Bible. This was an extraordinary amount for an average wedding party in the first century.
Why did he do this?
“This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.” (John 2:11)
--Let's break it down. The ordinary turns into something extraordinary. Isn't that our prayer for our lives and for others who we love? This life is so short. It has meaning in the next.
Notice first that our Lord Jesus did attend the wedding along with His disciples. There is a place for joy in the ordinary events of life, not that a wedding is ordinary. But Jesus did not ignore the festal events that occurred in His life .
There is a tendency to ignore the common things and sometimes even celebrations in our lives as well. We should do ordinary things in a God-centered way, knowing that in all things we can glorify God. There is a saying, "Before the enlightenment: cut wood and draw water; after the enlightenment: cut wood and draw water." "This is about doing the same thing differently, not to ascend to totally new and different insights or mystical experiences." Spirituality for Daily Life; Will Derkse
Secondly, note how His mother Mary interacted with Him. He politely told her that "mine hour is not yet come." (John 2:4) But He did not ignore her either. He turned the water into wine, in so much, as it was better than the original wine at the wedding. And He said unto them, …Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. " (John 2:10)
It was a sign literally. “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory…" (John 2:11) The word miracles in the original language Greek is signs, " In the New Testament, "sémeion" is used to denote a sign or miracle that serves as a divine indication or attestation. It often refers to miraculous events that signify God's intervention or authenticate His messengers. These signs are not merely wonders but carry a deeper spiritual significance, pointing to the truth of God's message and the authority of Jesus Christ." biblehub.com
This was the glory of God. God alone can do such wonders, miracles and signs, and Jesus showed ( manifested) His glory" The word manifested is an Epiphany word. God's glory, in this case, God the Son's glory is revealed and shown forth. It is visible, just as the Star led the Wise Men to the House where the baby lay on Epiphany, "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11)
Lastly, after seeing Jesus' glory John says in 2:11b, His disciples believed in Him. The word is "The Greek verb "pisteuó" primarily means to believe or to have faith. It conveys a sense of trust and reliance upon someone or something. In the New Testament, it is often used to describe the act of believing in Jesus Christ for salvation, trusting in God's promises, and having faith in the truth of the Gospel. This belief is not merely intellectual assent but involves a deep, personal trust and commitment." biblehub.com
Seeing this, I never saw before that it says, His disciples believed in Him. Not all believe. But if we are to follow Him, we have to start there. I am encouraged by this. Belief if it is real follows the action of God in one's life. It does not happen without Him. We all can attest to this in our own lives, and what we wish for our loved ones as well. They have to see it themselves. We cannot force or argue people into belief. Amen.
Rev. David Mc Millan
AOC Worldwide Prayer List –
I have received updates from a few and those will be the first added to the list. Please send all prayer requests and updates to aocworldwide@gmail.com for future reports. If you would like to be removed from list just respond with remove in the subject line.
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu, Mauri Turner, Mike, Jim, Dotty, Jan Jessup, Steve, Josh Morley, Jennifer,
AOC USA, AOC Missions, Zach, Jess, Luke, Jacquie, Harper, Bishop Zephaniah,
Jim Sevier, Linda, Colin, Lowery, Robert, Donna, Eddie, Tate
Prayer Needed:
Colin and daughter, Lori Beall – cancer
Alicia – Struggling caring for parents at home
Bishop Zephaniah – Kidney
stones
Extended Issues need continued prayer;
Laurie with long Covid Symptoms - Extreme exhaustion, heart palpitations, breathing problems and unstable blood pressures are constant worries causing depression to settle in.
Malcom Allred – Cancer Treatment
Katie Pope –treatment for Stage 4 Pulmonary Carcinoma “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)
Hurricane Helen Recovery-Please keep praying for all the people and towns affected
All Those in Recovery from Hurricane MILTON
For All Those affected by the Fires in California
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