Anglican Orthodox Church_sm

Worldwide Communion

Septuagesima Sunday
Sunday Report

February 16, 2025

Septuagesima Sunday 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 118-119

The Collect for Septuagesima Sunday

O LORD, we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people; that we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The Epistle for Septuagesima Sunday. I Corinthians xi. 24.

KNOW ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

The Gospel for Septuagesima Sunday. St. Matthew xx. 1.

THE kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market-place, and said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatso-ever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

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:

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Psalm 63:1-2

Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked: for there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.
Proverbs 24:19-20

The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
Isaiah 50:5

Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?
Malachi 2:10

Live as if you thought Christ might come at any time. Do everything as if you did it for the last time. Say everything as if you said it for the last time. Read every chapter in the Bible as if you did not know whether you would be allowed to read it again. Pray every prayer as if you felt it might be your last opportunity. Hear every sermon as if you were hearing once and for ever. This is the way to be found ready. This is the way to turn Christ’s second appearing to good account. This is the way to put on the armour of light.
The Most Rev. J. C. Ryle

Humanity always finds out, sooner or later, that it cannot get on without a religion, and it will take a false one in preference to none. Infidelity and practical ungodliness will become increasingly prevalent... and our churches will have a more arduous contest for growth if not for existence.
The Rev. Robert Lewis Dabney– 19th century Presbyterian minister, Bible scholar, and officer in the Confederate Army

Prayer is a salve for every sore, even the sorest, a remedy for every malady, even the most grievous. And our business in prayer is not to prescribe, but to subscribe to the wisdom and will of God, to refer our case to him, and then to leave it with him.
The Rev. Matthew Henry

Christians, we don’t just spend 15 minutes every morning with God; we spend 24 hours a day with God. We work for the glory of God, worship God through loving others, and even sleep in submission to God. We must understand that all of life is lived in the presence of God..
The Most Rev. J. C. Ryle

A Sinner like Me!
- Charles Butler, 1881

I was once far away from the Savior,
I was as vile as a sinner could be;
I wondered if Christ the Redeemer,
Could save a poor sinner like me.

I wandered on in the darkness,
Not a ray of light could I see,
And the thought filled my heart with sadness,
There's no help for a sinner like me.

And then in that dark, lonely hour,
A voice sweetly whispered to me,
Saying Christ the Redeemer has power,
To save a poor sinner like me.

I listened, and it was the Savior,
Who was speaking so kindly to me;
I cried, "I'm the chief of sinners,
Oh save a poor sinner like me!"

I then fully trusted in Jesus,
And oh, what a joy came to me!
My heart was filled with His praises,
For saving a sinner like me.

No longer in darkness I'm walking,
For the light is now shining on me,
And now unto others I'm telling
How He saved a poor sinner like me.

And when life's journey is over,
And I the dear Savior shall see,
I'll praise Him for ever and ever,
For saving a sinner like me!

Man is a land-borne creature. His mind is weak and his resolutions are never sure. He cannot see with his physical eyes the glorious prospects of Heaven. His imagination of the Divine is clouded with the mundane desires and offerings of a physical Universe. But Christ came to offer sight to the blind and light to those who have sat in darkness so that their spiritual eyes can grasp a glimpse of that beauty and magnificent grandeur that lies just beyond the frontiers of man’s imagination. “ The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” (Isaiah 9:2)
Bishop Jerry Ogles (The Five Solas, pg 33)

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 Articles of Religion Video Series: Article 32

Click link: https://youtu.be/LGx1pychHZI

The Collect: Septuagesima Sunday

O LORD, we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people; that we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

We now enter upon a transition period of Pre-Lent separating the joyous season of Christmas/Epiphany and the penitential fast associated with the Lenten Season. Septuagesima is exactly sixty-three days before Easter. Sexagesima is fifty-six prior, and Quinquagesima forty-nine. We owe the designation of the three primary Sundays before Lent to St. Gregory the Great, and to his rendering the first lectionary readings for the church calendar. Though he was called Pope, he was rather the Bishop of Rome who was a devout minister and a leader of his people. He opposed the Lombard invasion and successfully concluded a treaty with them. He saw Italy through great famine and epidemics of plague and other diseases. He compiled the Gregorian Sacramentary out of which many of our Collects are taken. The two (designated) great Bishops of Rome were Leo and Gregory. Both faced great dangers from both within and without Rom; therefore, I believe such persecution and danger engendered a greater faithfulness to the religion of Christ!

This COLLECT does not disdain punishment that we so rightly deserve, but to the pardon, redemption, and mercy made available in Christ our Lord. The ONLY thing that we truly DESERVE is justice! And if we receive the justice we deserve, we shall spend our eternities in Hell. “…we, who are justly punished for our offences.” In praying this Collect, we readily admit that we deserve punishment for our manifold sins. Though we have no water of our own, we may beg for it in a desert place. If given, it would be given out of mercy and not deserved in any sense. Mercy, not justice, is the thing we most need and desire. Justice becomes fulfilled in the blood of Christ once we have made appeal, through Him, for Mercy! The whole of man can be remedied by the simple mercy of God. Remember when Christ was passing along the road out of Jericho, two blind beggars hailed Him: And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. (Matt 20:29-31) They sought only mercy first, and then received their sight.

To the devout Christian, divine punishment is justly deserved by all; but it is the grace of God whereby we are reconciled to God, forgiven, restored, and redeemed of our death sentence. We need never ask of God what we deserve for, without His grace, we all would receive the just deserts for our sin and transgressions. But it is His great mercy, a corollary of grace that restores us to a position of favor with God. If we may only receive God’s mercy, what more shall we need? He is All-Merciful and All-Forgiving. If we stand in His favor, even in the violent storms of life, need we fear any force of evil?

The Collect for Septuagesima Sunday is one of the few that conclude with a most glorious ending – “….through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end.” Of course, it is a forceful reminder of the Trinity of the Godhead. If we discount either Person of the Godhead, we have no Godhead upon which to call – as the tree dimensions of height, depth, and width describe dimensions of a material object (and without one of which there would exist no mass) – so the Three Persons of the godhead comprise the full defining character of God.

Do we realize how perfectly GOOD is the Lord Jesus Christ? In fact, the word ‘good’ derives from the Middle English word for God, for God is truly GOOD. For example, ‘Good Bye’ derives from the Middle English term of the 1500’s of godbwye – or God be with you! Amazing that the atheists use this term every day without knowing, isn’t it? Or that they, all around the world, acknowledge Christ’s birth in their calendar year of 2013 years from his birth.

Standing, as we do, in the period between His Glorious Coming (Christmas), and His great going through His death on the Cross (Calvary), we may be best disposed to simply seek that mercy for which He came to redeem us. We are thankful for His Coming, and thankful to the promise of Redemption at the end of Lent. It is summarized in this great Collect

The Sermon – Septuagesima Sunday

WINNERS & LOSERS

The Epistle. 1 Corinthians ix. 24.

Today’s texts in both the Epistle and the Gospel are about the mysteries of the Kingdom of God and how strangely different, and alike, to the life of the Church and her adherents. In the Epistle, Paul draws an analogy between the Christianwalk and a competitive race. He makes several salient comparisons such as the fact that ALL must run in the race of life – either of the Church, or the world; otherwise, a race is not a race. There are certain characteristics that distinguish those who run:

1. In the life of the Church, all must participate just as all must run who are in the race of life. We run not for an earthly crown, but an incorruptible one. There is a required starting point. For the Christian, that begins at salvation and baptism.

2. In the Church, we have a particular goal to which we run – that of the sanctified life. But in the race of the Christian life, all who run to the finish line, win.

3. Preparation: If a man or woman are going to compete meaningfully in an athletic competition, strenuous preparation must be made over time – there are no novice champions in the marathon of life. So, in the Church must our race be based on a love of God and a knowledge of His Word.

4. Temperance: A good soldier, athlete, physician, or sea-captain, must exercise a temperate disposition under all circumstances. The athletic runner is not concerned about the endurance of his competitors, but of his own performance. He is focused on the objective and not the fellow runners.

5. Seriousness: The life of a Christian, and an athletic competitor, must take his effort seriously. He has no time for doubt – he has prepared for the race and will now apply his skills to the effort.

6. Self-control: The body wearies to near exhaustion in a marathon race, but victory is only possible if the runner pushed his physical abilities to the limit. The Christian, too, must keep his body under the more important matters of the soul and spirit.

The Gospel. St. Matthew xx. 1.

THE kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market-place, and said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, beause I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Our Lord Jesus Christ undertakes to teach His disciple a different lesson in the Gospel text – one that is completely adverse to the ways of the world. We are so accustomed to measuring people, events, and character by worldly achievement and financial accomplishment. We want EXACTLY what we believe we deserve. We often have a much higher opinion of ourselves than is the true value – especially in the eyes of God. We believe that justice should be bent in our favor, and we view the sins of our fellows with the eyes of an eagle, and our own sins with the sense of a mole.

In the preceding chapter 19 of the Gospel of St Matthew (I will abbreviate its full meaning), Jesus was approached by a rich young ruler who came running and knelt before Jesus (Mark 10:17). He asked Jesus, …Master (teacher), what shall I do to inherit eternal life? The young man came running (in the right way), he knelt as was proper before divinity, but his address to our Lord and it question was amiss. Jesus tested him to see if the boy recognized Him as the son of God. He should have referred to Jesus as Lord if he knew who He truly was. Jesus exposed his ignorance by responding: “you know the Commandments” – and he cited those of our duties to our fellows. But He left out those that relate to our duties to God. Herein is a deep lesson. If we do not love our fellow man, we cannot love God.

1 John 4:20:

“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” The young ruler was blinded to his duties to God by his wealth. Anything that eclipses God from our hearts is an idol.

In the end, the ruler refused to sell all that he owned and to follow Christ. Many in the modern church who profess Christ are doing the same thing. It is not the money or wealth that is evil, but the love of it above all other considerations.

Jesus then remarked on the difficulty of the rich to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. In amazement, the disciples asked, How, can any be saved?” to which our Lord responded, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Now, here follows the point of our Lord’s parable about the vineyard of Matthew 20: The disciples had observed this matter of the rich young ruler with amazement and deep thought. Now their concerns turned upon what advantage they may have in forsaking all and following Christ.

We often feel that our conduct has been above and beyond the call of duty for a Christian believer. But Christ sets the record straight. “…Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. ³⁰But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” (Matthew 19:28-30)

The parable of Matthew 20, reflects the same principle concerning undue expectations. The Kingdom of God is not based upon seniority of time and service, but the state of the heart in coming to Christ – even as the thief on the cross. He lived a life of sin and rebellion. Now he is nailed to the cross and cannot lift a finger in doing any good works; but the Lord received him into paradise even before his disciples had the privilege.

The owner of the vineyard had made a contract with the first workers for a penny (a day’s salary at the time). Those who came later in the day had no such contract. At conclusion of work, the last were paid a penny. Those who had worked all day believed that they should receive more than that agreed upon earlier. They were acting out of envy and greed. The vineyard owner had not responsibility to pay them more than the agreed sum even if he gave those who worked more briefly the same. This principle may lend meaning to the justice of labor unions.

If I join the Church at age twelve, and work diligently for many years, there may come a new member who has recently experienced a conversion to Christ. He is old and can only serve in the Church briefly. Though he has come at the last, he may be rewarded first in the Kingdom of Heaven. Our works will not save even our little finger. We are “saved by grace and not of works lest any man should boast.”

In the race of life, we strive to do our utmost in running the good race and finishing our course. We must forever keep the goal in mind of finishing with a good heart and satisfied soul that we have done our very best. No more than our best can be expected of any man. But we are also taught in the parable of the vineyard that it is not the measure of our labors that are measured in the sales, but the condition of the hearts of the laborers. More importantly, it is the generosity of the Owner of the Vineyard that adjudicates our just reward. We may be last at the pay window, but first to enter into our reward.

In Christ Alone during EPIPHANY,

† Jerry Ogles

Presiding Bishop.

Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide & Chancellor, Faith Theological Seminary

Charles Morley
Bishop of Alabama
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

Sermon for the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

We are very fortunate to get a copy of Bishop Morley’s sermon for the Fifth Sunday in Epiphany for this week’s Sunday Report.

The False Church

When's the last time you heard a sermon or a Bible study talk on the False Church? It's a neglected topic but an important one for all Christians to understand. It is not necessarily a pleasant or uplifting subject, which may account for its avoidance. It is, however, a very Scriptural subject, and particularly pertinent for our day. It is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who brings it to the attention of His disciples in His parable of the wheat and the tares in the Gospel of Matthew, ch. 13.

The modern Ecumenical Movement has pretty much removed any thought of the existence of the False Church by putting forward a wrong notion of the True Church. Alluding to the Gospel of John 17, the impression is given that the "divided" churches/denominations must somehow all be brought into organizational unity by sharing certain external factors in common. The Movement has been around in one form or another for almost a hundred years, and has proven an utter failure. The churches are more divided than ever and there are more of them forming every day. Modern "Churchianity" is like some giant amoeba, constantly splitting over one "essential" issue or another, to the point that it is almost impossible to link a congregation to its theological/ denominational parent.

It's as though the Lord Jesus' statement in John "...that they may be one, as we are.." was some sort of pious but unfulfilled wish, only to be fulfilled some time in the future. But the True Church, as J.C. Ryle points out in his wonderful eponymous monograph, is ALREADY ONE. As St. Paul plaintively askes "Is Christ DIVIDED?" begging the answer, NO! The Church, the True Church is not divided, it is already ONE and always has been. In contrast, the False Church has likewise always been, and has grown right alongside the True, often unnoticed but always present.

The False Church is as old as Genesis ch. 4 in which we find Cain and Abel at odds over the right form of worship. The Revelation of St. John speaks of "the synagogue of Satan" in chapter 3. The Lord Jesus Himself speaks of the wheat and the tares in Matthew ch. 13 but only the wheat will be gathered into God's barn on that Great Day. It is not pleasant to consider the existence of the False Church but it is real, powerful and populous in our day and we ignore it to our peril and the health of the True Church of Christ.

The False Church will be recognized by its denigration of the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. It is often professed by modern religionists that the Bible "contains" the Word of God but is subject to interpretation and linguistic analysis. There are now over one hundred "translations" of the Bible - in English alone - and the False Church promotes their further invention - in the name of "scholarship." It will insist on the sole validity of "the original manuscripts" in Greek and Hebrew, thus denying the validity of the Bible for English speakers altogether. The False Church has no Bible - it has many.

It will emphasize forms, liturgies, and rituals as distinguishing marks, essential to the nature of the Faith itself - and promptly argue over the nature of the outward "signs," even those such as water Baptism and the Lord's Supper - excluding one group or another, even "excommunicating" each other over these "essentials." The amount of water used in Baptism and the menu items for The Lord's Supper are issues which make real ecumenism essentially impossible.

The False Church detests DOCTRINE of any sort and so relies on the spirit of the age and the mind of the majority to determine what is truly of God and what is not. Modern ecumenism sought to remove all points of disagreement amongst denominations and denounced the retention of any doctrinal or denominational distinctives as divisive and evil. "This "least common denominator" approach produced a vapid and spiritually bereft form of Christianity which ultimately please no one - and ultimately disappeared. The oft touted "Chicago/Lambeth Quadrilateral" put forward by Protestant Episcopalians in the heyday of ecumenism accomplished nothing, even after being introduced into an innovative new service book.

The False Church denies the existence of the mystical Body of Christ as a spiritual reality, not a metaphor. By insisting on physical distinctives, forms, and organizations, it essentially ties the life of the Church to the works of men and not the power of the Holy Spirit. The True Church is not an earthly organization in any sense, and exists apart from human strength or time itself.

The False Church detests the sayings of St. Paul when he declares that the Church is the Body of Christ, and we members in particular. A metaphor did not die on a Cross, nor did a metaphor rise from the Tomb. Yet, that is what the False Church would have us believe. There are persons (clergy) in the False Church who would have us believe the bodily Resurrection was nothing but "a conjuring trick with bones" - as one Anglican bishop proclaimed not long ago - or as the late Episcopalian bishop John Spong declared on American television, "Anyone who believes the miracles of Jesus in the New Testament were real is insane."

The False Church will reject the existence of the Trinity as expressed in the New Testament, claiming there are new "revelations" for the churches, not found in the Bible or historic Christianity. The False Church will continually separate the Father from the Son, and from the Holy Ghost, as if they were three gods in one. They teach that "Father God" is distinct from the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, and that it is possible to have one without the other. They will often deny the necessity of repentance and conversion, or teach that faith must be "manifested" by certain emotional experiences heretofore unknown in the Church.

The False Church will have great appeal and will be large, wealthy, influential, and powerful. But it will also be delusional, fooling itself into thinking and acting as though it were truly pleasing God. It will speak much of love, contentment, and pleasure - it will speak little of suffering, sin, and judgement - so much so that it may deceive even the elect of God. But it is a movement "under strong delusion" sent by God Himself as a refiner's fire to keep the True Church pure and unspotted from the world.

Nobody likes to be judged. Nobody likes to be told they are wrong and need to change. Nobody likes to think about the existence of the False Church. But as Charles Spurgeon said, "There are only two churches - the Church of God, and the church of Man, and everyone born into the world belongs to one or the other."

Sermon for the Sunday of Septuagesima

Watch your language! It can change the way you think and act. It can even change your religion. Words can be very powerful and the use of words can have a great effect far greater than their dictionary definition. Clever wordsmiths use language all the time to influence markets and to change minds, in advertising, in politics - and in religion.

Few Episcopalians/Anglicans (the words are synonymous, despite their present misuse) are aware of the subtle changes brought about by the architects of the new religion created by the new and novel Prayer Book of 1928. Yes, 1928! Four changes in the language of the "new" BCP changed some of the fundamental understanding of the nature of the American Church, founded in 1789. The architects of the new religion knew that they had to be careful about changing the very familiar language of the Church, and so went about making the changes apparently innocuous and even beneficial.

The proof of their success in performing this remarkable linguistic surgery is that the effects they achieved remain unto this day, and even helped to pave the way for the radical changes offered in the 1979 edition of the American BCP. The denomination known as the Episcopal Church today is markedly different from the Church of the last century, and more different still from the Protestant Episcopal Church of the century before. A lot changed when they dropped the adjective "Protestant" from the official name of the Church - but that is the subject of another message.

Four changes were brought about in the process of editing of the "new" BCP in 1927 and, in the near hundred years since, the changes are seemingly forgotten. However, at the time the four changes were regarded as so significant that twenty-seven bishops of the PECUSA who had threatened to leave the denomination over the possible removal of the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion were placated by the inclusion of the four changes. In other words, political and theological compromise was achieved by the inclusion of the four changes.

The first was the inclusion of the word "ALTAR" - not found in any previous PB and purposely excluded by Abp. Cranmer in the English PB and the 1662 Revision upon which the American BCP was based. The second was the inclusion of the phase "ministers of APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION" in the newly conjured Office of Institution - a service invented in 1927, not found in any prior BCP. The third was the inclusion of the word EUCHARIST - foreign to the language of any historic PB, borrowed from Roman Catholic vocabulary. The word was included in an esoteric rubric in the Office of the Institution - it was not to be uttered OUT LOUD as it might shock the hearers by its novelty. The fourth innovation was the inclusion of the phrase "I ANOINT THEE WITH OIL..." in the Visitation of the Sick - an innovation in itself, created for the new Book.

It's almost impossible to believe but these changes were PURPOSEFULLY inserted into the PB language to move the Church toward embracing Roman Catholic doctrine and practice. The enemies of the Thirty-Nine Articles were thereby placated and the Articles retained - before being denigrated to "Historic Documents" in the subsequent '79 rework.

In future messages I will attempt to explain how these four changes in the language of the Prayer Book changed the Church itself and resulted in the chaotic state in which twenty-first Anglicanism finds itself. "Lex orandi, lex credendi" is an old adage often used to describe how what we say reflects what we believe. For more than 450 years, the language of the Church remained essentially the same. In 1927 that language was purposefully altered. It might be good to discover why.

Bishop Charles Morley

Sermon – Bishop Jack Arnold - Time and Action
Church of the Faithful Centurion, Descanso, California

Sermon for the Septuagesima Sunday

Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together because as is always the case there is a unifying message in the Scripture for this Sunday.

The Sunday called Septuagesima, or the third Sunday before Lent.

The Collect.

O LORD, we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people; that we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Think about these words:… we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness …

In the Collect, we ask God who knows we should be “…justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour …” To get into heaven we need to be accounted as perfect. Yet, we cannot be “cured” of sin nor “improved” to perfection. So how do we solve this irregularity? We know we ourselves cannot solve our dilemma. Who can? There is a solution for us! Consider the words of John Newton[1] near the end of his life, “Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior!” The answer lies in the latter part of Newton’s quote. Jesus is the answer to this great dilemma. Our sins would be justly punished by eternal damnation, yet there is hope in our Lord. He brought us this hope by His Death upon the Cross and delivered it in the Resurrection. Without His Sacrifice one time for all mankind, there would be no hope for our eternal future. But Jesus is our hope for that eternal future. It was this goodness that the collect talks about, His Sacrifice that has delivered us from our just punishment of eternal death. Now that we have been delivered, we just have to do our best to follow His commandments and to stay the course He has set for our lives.

What Paul speaks of in his Epistle is the great reward we receive for holding steady to that course which God has set for us. Paul uses running a race as an allegory for holding steady to God’s course. The prize that we will receive for running the race is the promise of eternal life delivered to us by Jesus. It is worth noting that God does not promise us an easy life here on Earth, there will be many trials and tribulations set before us. These obstacles are all part of the race that we have to run. They may seem insurmountable at times to us. But we also have to realize that we will have the help of the Holy Spirit, and also we have to remember the reward for holding steady to that course will make undergoing all the trials and tribulations worth it. We will undergo many triumphs and tribulations, we will make mistakes (some bigger than others, hopefully non-life altering) and learn from them, our life will ebb and flow like the waves but as long as we stay the course, then all will be well.

Make no mistake, like a marathon, this run requires frequent training in the Scriptures and acting upon the concepts in Scriptures. This is a process that will be recurring the rest of our lives. We never stop training in Scriptures and with the help of the Holy Ghost do our best to never stop acting upon the concepts we find in Holy Scriptures.

Also like marathon runners, we receive a wonderful prize. Unlike marathon runners in which only the top few get the prize, it is available to us that run and successfully complete the race (by holding true to the concepts in scripture) However, it is a prize that has value beyond anything on Earth. The prize is for the promise of an eternal, unending life, to be spent with our Lord and Savior Jesus. It is for the promise of a world unaffected by the tarnish of sin, unblackened by the sinful deeds of imperfect beings. It is an unshadowed world. It shall be true happiness at last, to meet with our beloved family, our Christian heavenly family, friends and beloved pets.

Eternal salvation is a far more priceless treasure than anything we could acquire on Earth, truly priceless except for the death of our Saviour and resurrection. That is the only price involved with our eternal freedom. As the saying goes, there is no free lunch. Eternal life does not come to us without cost. The cost was Jesus’ one time sacrifice for all time for all mankind. Keep the eyes on the prize, as it were! And realize that prize does not come free. We have to run the race set before us and follow Jesus in order to receive our prize of eternal life. We have to be constantly focusing on this fact.

When times get really hard, and it is tempting to give up sometimes; that is when we must redouble our efforts and focus our end goal, remaining on the path towards Heaven. There will be times when we get very discouraged and distraught but we must not give up! We must remember the reward we will receive in the end and keep our eyes focused on our goal of finishing the race that is set before us.

Our eyes should be focused on the finish line, not our “competition.” We have a tendency to compare ourselves to the competition but in this case it is not helpful. Comparing ourselves to others gains us nothing. What we really need to do instead is to focus on how we are doing and compare it to the guidebook of Holy Scriptures and evaluate our performance. The Holy Scriptures are a much better comparison point and will paint us a more accurate picture of our performance and compliance or non compliance with Scripture. If we are lacking, we just make the needed adjustments until we are in compliance with scriptures.

So how do we run the race?

With our eyes focused tightly on the finish line, not on those around us, wondering are they doing ‘better’ than we are? That is not a useful question. Christianity is not about competition, about being other people to the finish line. In fact, it is about helping others around us to the finish line to the best of our abilities, if they are willing to let us help them.

The useful question is, “Am I doing the best I can?” We have to answer that question; if we are not doing our best, then we need to change it. Think of how we can do our best and then set our course to do that. And, we must remember this is a Team Effort. We cannot do this all 100% by ourselves. It is a Team Effort between us, our fellow believers, God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost. We have to want to win, and in order to win the race set before us; we have to perform actions and be willing to work with others to make it happen. Action must first start with our neighbors and work our way outward. We cannot affect the whole world, but if we each work together on our part of the world and work for their, we can change the world.

How do we ensure we are in compliance with Scriptures after we read them? Action of course! Acting is the best visible proof to others that we do indeed have faith. Faith without any sort of actions is a false faith. But if we have faith with action backing it up then we have the true faith. It is not good enough to just read the Word, we need to read what the Word says and then put it into action in our own lives.

The Gospel for today, the very important parable of the vineyard, also gives us very good advice on the conduct of our daily lives and contains a crucial key to happiness. There is the lesson that the deathbed conversion gains the same prize of eternal life as the lifelong follower, but there is a lot more in it for everyday life. A person who comes to Christ late in life receives the same eternal benefits as a person who followed Christ from the age of reason. And that there is no need for any jealousy between a lifelong Christian and one who comes to Christ late in life. They both will receive the same reward for following Christ if they stay the course, so there should be no reason for the life long Christian to lord how long he has been a Christian over the other person. Instead of jealousy, we need to feel joy that one who has been lost for so many years has been found and has found God and Jesus!

It is a fine lesson in “buyer’s remorse” or coveting of jobs or similar concepts. If you got a good deal, it does not change because someone else got a “better” deal. Take what you got, go forth and be happy. Don’t complain because somebody else got the same deal as you did sooner. One meaning of this parable is that “cradle” Christians are no more likely to go to heaven than this morning’s convert. They just get to enjoy the Christian experience longer. However, you should not wait until the last minute to join the gang, your time here might end before you get around to it. So, don’t wait until tomorrow to act, do it today while you still have time!

Sometimes people act like being a Christian is an unpleasant experience that they will do when they get a round TUIT. It is not. Christians aren’t perfect, they just have more fun being imperfect and imperfectly trying to improve!

Christ gave us eternal life. But, we have to accept it. Once you accept it, start living as if you will live forever. You will; and you will have to live with your actions forever! So, Act early and Act often!

There is but one way to heaven.

That easy to find, easy to follow, easy to hike downhill path does not lead to the summit where eternal life in the real world awaits. Open your heart to the Holy Ghost, use His Power to follow our Lord to God who awaits in heaven.

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 Septuagesima Sunday

1 Corinthians 9/24-27; Matthew 20/1-16

THE CALL TO SALVATION

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

The Epistle chosen for Septuagesima - about 70 days before Easter - could be interpreted as an incentive to do meritorious works, so as to gain our entry into Paradise. This is not the case, let me tell you. If Paul runs to win the prize, it's only an image. This does not mean that you have to run into a stadium to be saved! The prize is the joy of the Lord who calls us to Salvation, as the Gospel reading for the same Septuagesima shows.

Paul invites us to a serious practice of faith, which is the best witness of faith. He does not consider himself to have deserved the comfort of rest for being converted, nor of an extended vacation. He is not retiring. He continued to evangelize the pagan world. He sows the Word of God, knowing that others will come after him to reap, after he has watered his seedlings with his own blood, when he is beheaded in Rome.

Paul does not run on adventures, at random. He strikes hard and precise on pagan and idolatrous false religions. Not with a hammer, but with the sword of God's word (Ephesians 6:13-17): “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” In writing his Epistle to the Ephesians, Paul speaks of his own experience as an itinerant missionary.

He writes (1 Corinthians 9:27): “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” Paul knows that his actions speak louder than his words. If his behavior betrays and contradicts the Gospel he preaches, then he will not be qualified for the mission. This does not call into question his election or his salvation (1 Timothy 3:2-13): “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.” What Paul is looking for in not sparing himself is neither honors nor eternal salvation, since he already has them both, but the freedom to preach the truth of Jesus Christ who died and rose again by suffering the punishment of our sins on a wooden cross, in our place.

Conversely, if Paul's behavior contradicted the gospel of Jesus Christ, then his preaching would no longer be acceptable to the listeners. Here, it is not a question of being accepted in Heaven, but of not being taken for a hypocrite. Even though he was careful to be consistent in his life of faith, he was sometimes mocked and rejected by the Greek reasoners in Athens (Acts 17:30-33): “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them” Paul therefore has every reason to watch over his conduct, and we all should show this same in our lives, should we not?

And Paul does not want to be discouraged in his efforts, for even if the result of his preaching in Athens is tiny, it is not zero (Acts 17:34): “Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.” An Areopagite is a magistrate who sits in the court of Athens, which met on a rock called the Areopagus (Arios-Pagos, in Greek), located at the foot of the Acropolis and its pagan temples. Denis is therefore an important figure, and if only one woman is named with him - Damaris - it is because she had enough influence to be distinguished from the few “others with them” whose exact number is not even reported.

The Gospel passage of Matthew 20:1-16 is a parable describing the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 20:1): “For the kingdom of heaven is like...” This is a comparison - not a description.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder,” Good news! We have an eternal Father waiting for us in heaven; Thus, we are not orphans; “... which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.” Note that it is not the workers who make the hiring process, but the boss who leaves his house to visit the land and choose His chosen ones.

“And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.” Have you counted all the Father's outings? No, of course, there are too many. He went out every three hours, at the third hour, then at the sixth, then again at the ninth and finally at the eleventh. That's 4 outings. 4, like the 4 Gospels. The Father calls His elect through the medium of four evangelists whom He sends to us, in order to make good and sufficient measure. Note again that each time, it is the Father who goes out of his house and hires workers waiting without doing anything for Him to come and pick them up. He did not set up on earth an employment agency through which the workers of the Lord's Vineyard would apply, sending their CV and cover letter to heaven! The Father alone takes the initiative (John 5:21): “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.” It is not written "those who want it" but those “he will.” Nuance. Let's not reverse the roles!

In another parable of the vine grower, Jesus Christ defines Himself as the Son of the Husbandman, sent by the Father to the workers, and who ended up slaughtered by them (Matthew 21:37-39): “But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him." And elsewhere, he affirms that the Father is in Him (John 14:7-10): “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” The Father is in the Son, and it is the Father who accomplishes the works of salvation, through His Son.

“So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?” The workers are shocked because the Father is good. They do not understand that the money of Heaven is one denarius each, and nothing else. There are no big bills or gold coins. Nothing but silver coins of a denarius. But what is a denarius worth? Not much, in truth! Judas sold his Master, our Lord, for the trifle of thirty denari... (Matthew 26:15: “And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.”). Now a denarius is worth ten aces - ten cents! (Thirty denari = 30 cents, and one Talent = 6,000 denari). Are the workers who have worked all day right to believe that they are underpaid and to hope for more? Yes and no. Yes, from a human point of view, because a denarius is barely enough to feed one's man. No according to the Father, for in this parable, each denarius is worth an eternity of life in the kingdom of heaven. Can we add anything to an eternity? Of course not. And can we slice eternity in pieces to give more to some, and less to others? It would no longer be eternity, for eternity would no longer be eternal.

“So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” Our Lord's conclusion may be surprising. Does Christ want to overthrow society, to make a revolution? Not at all. Remember the 4 different hours that the Father went out to hire His workers; In the parable, they correspond to the 4 stages of life: childhood - adolescence - maturity - old age. God calls His elect at every age, and the oldest will indeed arrive first in the kingdom of heaven, being nearer to what the pagans call death, while the Christians prefer to speak of the sleep of the righteous (1 Thessalonians 4:13-15): “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.”

The Father calls all the workers He wants. We only have the power to refuse or accept His call. Will you be those who have refused it, or will you be elected officials who have heard and listened to it? 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.

Septuagesima Sunday Sermon

Let us turn in our bibles and read the words which the LORD gave to the prophet Isaiah (5:1-7): Now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down (Is. 5:5). God hedges and protects his own from the evils of the world, the flesh and the devil. Consider the story of Job. It is said that Job was, …perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil (Job 1:1). Now the Devil will take advantage of every opportunity he can in order to cast down a godly person. Witness his accusation before God against Job, ⁹…Doth Job fear God for nought? ¹⁰Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land (Job 1:9-10). That is a rather straight-forward view of how God protects those who have been blessed by him according to his gracious favor— how he indeed hedges them.

Returning to our bibles let us hear the words of the prophet Ezekiel as found in chapter 8 beginning with verses 5-16, and afterward, we take up verses 17-18. As to the former, the prophet was taken in the spirit from Babylon to the temple mount in Jerusalem where the LORD showed him what sort of worship practices were going on there. The priests were worshipping idols and images in secret and even saying among themselves, The LORD seeth us not (Ezekiel 8:12; See 7-12). Then the LORD brought the prophet into the door of the gate of the temple where he witnessed women weeping for the pagan god Tammuz (See Ezekiel 8:14). Afterward, he was brought to the inner court where certain men had their backs to the temple facing the east and worshipping the sun. At that point, the LORD said, ... Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose (a pagan practice for worshipping the sun). ¹⁸Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. (Ezekiel 8:17-18). Here it is in plain language— God did not approve of the Israelites’ adventures in ecumenism via pantheism. As he warned the people of Judah through the prophet Jeremiah when he said, ⁹…Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; ¹⁰and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? (Jeremiah 7:9-10) ¹³And now because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake to you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not (Jeremiah 7:13) ...I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. (Jeremiah 7:15), he was also warning all who would come into his presence thoughtlessly and carelessly apart from a lively faith in who He is.

Now the typical response to the aforementioned verses by the unregenerate has been, “Those are the violent words of the angry God of the Old Testament not the loving and caring God of the New. Oh really? Since when did the nature of God change? How did they get past the words of the prophet Malachi, For I am the LORD, I change not... (Malachi 3:6)? Or as St. Paul noted in the book of Hebrews, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever (Hebrews 13:8). God has been and ever will be the same God with the same unchanging message. He cares for all humanity and wants the unregenerate to turn away from their sins. As for paganism, it is an empty vessel and a tool of corruption (I Corinthians 10:19). In spite of the apostle’s warning, modern ecumenism excuses pagan practitioners as merely worshipping the same god or spirit. I remember hearing one wag’s justification for pagan idolatry which I will recount here. She said that “God is like an ocean who washes up to different people on different shores in different forms.” To the unregenerate, that sounds all nice and cozy. But it does not dispel the notion that nearly all pagan deities possess an eerie similarity and who also have the same patron spirit. And such is in keeping with St. Paul’s warning in I Corinthians 10, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God, and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils (v.20). As a result, it is impossible for one to keep the commandments of God, in particular, ²I am the LORD thy God...³Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:2-3), if such a one is involved in worshiping other so-called deities. Thus it is necessary for us to keep in mind that Satan has been tempting mankind to violate God’s word and commandment from the beginning of things. He has whitewashed sin and given it an appeal which excites our desires. He makes, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life (Isaiah 5:20)appear to be good and acceptable by twisting human moral reasoning so that good becomes evil, and evil becomes good.

Ergo, when a people or a country turns away from God, he will— as the prophet Isaiah noted— take away [their] hedge... and break down the wall thereof, and [they] shall be trodden down. One can see this happening right now as the pace of civil and social decay has quickened while the true Church withers in this age of apostasy. And even though there are many people who claim to be Christians, only a few have truly been born-again of the Holy Ghost. God does not recognize the unregenerate as his own and will deal with them should they not repent and turn unto him in Christ. Consider the following passages:

Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out... (Job 18:5). God has made it plain that he will put the dark light of every wicked soul in a place where it will never see his true light again (St. Matthew 25:30).

...God is angry with the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11). God has no love for sin and no tolerance for it. If the wicked forsake not their evil ways, then a righteous and holy God will reveal his wrath against them much as he did to Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24-25).

...the seed of the wicked shall be cut off .(Psalm 37:28). God will not spare even the descendants of those who have sinned, if they will not turn from the wicked ways of their fathers. With the removal of God’s hedge of protection, any cataclysm, any pandemic, any war could spell their end.

...the desire of the wicked shall perish (Psalm 112:10). God has called for a day of wrath and judgment upon those who love their sins and who would cling to them rather than turn unto his Messiah and repent. This country has been mired in sin and degradation for years on both a governmental and societal level. Our unregenerate leaders have set into law and practice a multitude of shameful and ungodly acts such as abortion, legalized theft, murder couched in patriotic terms, as well as the licensing of an assortment of inordinate desires of the flesh which God has specifically identified as being abominable. Ergo, you cannot expect God to save anyone who does not respect and honor his word and commandment.

...the name of the wicked shall rot (Proverbs 10:7). There is no state of nature into which human beings will ultimately come that is more foul than that of the grave. For it is there that their human form will waste away and will not be restored. But the name of the wicked shall also decay and be as refuse fit only to be cast out. Even the very mention of their names will bring on feelings of disgust for all who would hear them.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD... (Proverbs 15:8). Those who attempt worship God without being obedient to his expressed will as found within the pages of Scripture will one day find that their offerings and prayers were but a waste and their future abode meet for their lack of faith.

The false doctrine of ecumenism has no standing with God. Our prayers are accepted only if they come from hearts truly broken by the knowledge of sin and from those who have embraced the Son of God as their Saviour.

A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it... (St. Matthew 16:4). There is no sign or demonstration from God that will change the mind of unregenerate except the unalterable judgment of God at the Great White Throne. At that moment, every atheist, every agnostic, every adulterer, every murderer, every worker of iniquity shall see before them the Lord of Glory whom they had rejected and the burning cauldron that will be their eternal abode for rejecting his prescriptions for living.

Judgment is coming. God will have his word and commandment judge us if we will not embrace him who came to free us from sin and death. There is only one way, one truth and one life and that is in the name which is above every name, even Jesus Christ our Lord. In that light, I implore all who hear, or read this sermon to make that commitment to God through Jesus Christ. Accept the free gift of salvation in his blood and turn away from the wicked ways of this world, the flesh, and the devil so that you might be made fit for the life of the world to come. And remember, tomorrow is promised to no one so choose now to serve him who died that you might live forever within the hedge of his eternal kingdom.

Let us pray,

O gracious and loving God, who has given to us the light of truth within the pages of Scripture; grant that as we become more mature in our faith, we might effectively witness to others that they too might come to thee through him who is thine only begotten Son, even Jesus Christ. 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 Septuagesima Sunday

Psalm. 80; First lesson. Isaiah 5:1-7; Second lesson. Matthew 21:23-32

Grapes, Vines, and Vineyards

God seems to like His Earth creation.

We know He loves his “imago deo”, that being human beings created in His image.

He loves them so much he sent his only begotten Son to save us by His once and for all perfect sacrifice on the Cross. It was by his shed blood that his creatures created in his image are saved. That is proven over and over again in the Old and New Testament, we know that gift, freely given, was promised from the Fall in the Garden.

Now let’s get back to the created Earth.

Over and over again in both the Old and New Testament we find myriad examples of illustrations and lessons drawn from the beauty and wonders of the created earth.

Trees, both fruitful and barren, many cereal crops, olives, pomegranates, grapes, figs, dates, and other useful and tasty fruits are mentioned. Sweet scented pine, cedars, and incense producing resin trees. Then there is the cool shade from palm trees, graceful willow, sturdy oaks, all are noted and praised.

And then we read about the stars, the winds, the clouds, the spring and autumn rains, the sun, the moon, and even constellations in the heavens, all denoting a certitude of time and chronology. The seasons are marked by the placement of the stars in the heavens. Then we can address the waters that surround us, brooks, streams, rivers, lakes, and finally the oceans deep. These are used to denote refreshment, life, and boundaries.

I believe one of the reasons God mentions these natural elements throughout the Bible is what St. Paul wrote about in the first three chapters of the letter to the Romans. No human has any excuse to not understand that this world was created, not from a slow process of ‘by chance’ evolution, but by a sudden creation by a Creator, God. Now let us delve into today’s lesson.

Vineyards, what does that have to do with us? In each passage of scripture set aside for today’s service mention the presence of grape vineyards.

Remember when Moses sent the twelve spies into the land to assess the defense and geographic features of towns and cities? As we read the account from Numbers 13 verses 23 and 24, what do we observe? Grapes and other fruit are described to illuminate the fertility of the land. Notice the one cluster of grapes is so huge that it must be brought back to Moses on a pole. Those are some pretty big grapes.

“²³And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.

The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.”

In each passage grapes or more specifically grape vines are used to illustrate life, inheritance, or in the case of the Gospel reading, the Kingdom of God.

The psalmist writes of a people being established in the land. Of course he is writing of the Hebrew people. The importance of the establishment would be revealed centuries later with the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who was born into the least of the tribes, Benjamin.

So in each case where there is a reference to a vine or vineyards we are seeing an illustration of either Christ, (the True Vine) or his Kingdom.

Notice something else about the description of the vine in the psalm: “⁸Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. ⁹Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. ¹⁰The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.”

In these three verses we can see a foreshadowing of the coming Church. First, being brought back from exile (as being cast out of the Garden of Eden). Egypt is a foreign land, not of comfort to a people of exile. Secondly the heathen are cast out, room is made for the vine and it is planted firmly in this restored land, deeply taking root, and thriving. Thirdly, the established vine provides shade and cooling to the surrounding lands. Comfort and peace emanate from its presence in the land. The rest of the psalm admonishes the vine (a chosen people), to obey God or be destroyed. “¹⁸So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. ¹⁹Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.”

In order for the vine to thrive, it must heed the vine-dresser, the Lord God of hosts, because it is He that saves the vine. “¹⁴Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine; ¹⁵And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself.”

Again and again we read of these illustrations of the vine and we see how it is referenced as a people. We are that vine. Being the heirs of the Kingdom, by way of adoption, through Christ Jesus, this make us the vine. We are to beseech the Lord to keep us in his vineyard. And yet we need not fear, for the very God of God has given us to His Son and having done so no one can remove us from His Son’s hand. That is blessed assurance.

When Jesus walked the earth he shared many illustrations taken from the surrounding natural world.

In our passage from the Gospel of St. Matthew chapter 21 verses 23-32 we see once again the world of horticulture being used as an illustration of the Eternal Kingdom of God. Jesus admonishes the learned men of his time for being blind to the essential aspect of the Lord’s work with His chosen people. Jesus points out by way of his parable of the vineyard that those who should know were completely clueless as to what was before their very eyes.

“²⁸But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. ²⁹He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. ³⁰And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. ³¹Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. ³²For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.”

Notice, the sons are related to the owner of the vineyard. When the first is asked to go dress the vines, he says no, but later REPENTS and goes to the vineyard. The second one, knowing that he should go, promises he will, and then does not go. The first son represented the common sinner, those who upon first approach, would not want anything to do with the Kingdom (vineyard). But he REPENTS and goes into the vineyard. The second one, knowing what he should do, says he will, and then breaks his vow to go to work. The second son represents the learned, the scholar, the “wise men”, men of letters who know what is at hand. That second son does not go. Here is where Jesus scorches those who should know. “...for John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not:...” Then to drive home this foolish stance of those who should know; “...but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him...” Even after they saw what had happened and even understood what happened, they still did not believe. Jesus condemns their lack of belief and their sinfulness.

Where do we stand in this great Stuggle?

Jesus came to save that which was lost. He came to bring unto him that which is his.

Bishop Roy Morales-Kuhn

Rev. David McMillan
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama

We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian

Septuagesima Sunday

Jer 17:5-10 Ps 1 1 Cor 15:12-20 Luke 6:17-26 (and the 70 Days before Easter- Septuagesima)

" Count Your Blessings"

---Why is it that disasters and bad things seem to highlight the news and our lives? We pay attention! But the good things are not so important it seems at least. The hymn "Count Your Blessings" Rev. Oatman Johnson wrote over 3000 hymns. This one is well -known. It says so much.

Today's Gospel has many positive and blessed thoughts from our Lord. It is a Beatitude on the plain . Matthew has it on the mount. (Luke 6:17)

"And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases"

He had just called the 12 Disciples/Apostles . He spent the night praying before He did it. He heals the people of their diseases. Of course He still does that today. We are people of God on the way to His kingdom in heaven forever, but here we too are His disciples and witnesses. We don't see the good so much, but like the news people we focus on the bad and difficult things in our world.

Sometimes we cannot see the forest for the trees. I was collecting my trash bin. (Hobo-I don't like that name really), and a red pick-up truck was driving by the house. He stopped when he saw me. He was a tree man and climber. He said, "You have a dead pine tree in the back of your house". I had never seen it before. Then I discovered it, but it is on the property behind my house and technically not mine. But if it ever falls, guess where it could fall?

We are like that guy, myself, that can't see the dead pine tree often. We pass by people and neglect to see what is going on. Jesus does not do that, for He is God incarnate. We too have a duty and privilege as Christians to see what He is doing in others lives.

1. We are Blessed. We are poor in spirit. Ours is the kingdom of God. (Matthew says it perhaps more clearly here 5:3 " Blessed are the poor in spirit") Certainly the poor are blessed, but the poor in spirit is the focus of our Lord here. It begins the beatitudes.

Blessed in the original language is happy. “makarios" makários (from mak-, "become long, large") – properly, when God extends His benefits (the advantages He confers); blessed. is used to describe a state of spiritual well-being and prosperity. It denotes a deep, abiding joy and contentment that comes from a right relationship with God. This term is often used to describe those who are favored by God and who experience His grace and favor in their lives." biblehub.com greek on Luke

Happiness is not found here on earth and its creation as much in seeing God's Hand in His creation, His Church and His working in our lives and in the world.

It is the way of life or the way of death. We know it as the way of life. (Didache) " Luke's hearers then and now should see beyond themselves to the One who was made poor for them." Ambrose

2. The other things Jesus mentions flow from the first thing He said to them. He says they are blessed if they are hungry now, for they shall be filled. Those that weep now shall laugh.

The part about persecution is very strong. We are going to be in the minority whether we like it or not. We are going to be reviled and excluded " on account of the Son of man."

But He says the prophets were treated the same way. Our reward is great in heaven.

3. The woes. I was surprised by this. Of course Matthew does not have these. Luke does. But the word in the orig language for woe is too strong in the English. It is more like " Alas" or " How terrible" . " It is an expression of regret and compassion, not a threat."

There is a whole sermon in this word. ouai. The world lies in the grasp of the wicked one and does not have any idea what it is missing. How terrible. God's compassion is that all men would repent and have the fulness of life in His Son. But alas they do not. They are the road to destruction.

How we should be compassionate to those who are without God! It is difficult to argue . You cannot and find a way through it with people doing that. We witness by our actions and speech. As Peter said in his epistle, ch 3, "14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed." NKJV

We are salt and light. I spoil myself with salt on my avocado. Being from California, I like them. But without salt, they taste bland. A bit of salt brings out their flavor. Just so, we as Christians are salt and light to those suffering and dying around us without God.

Conclusion: In the middle of this we should count our blessings. They are many . We should look at them and be thankful. We should not be like the news media and focus on the disasters. They are here, and people do suffer tragedies, but we can be certain that God is working out His purpose in the midst of all that.

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.

Prayer Needed:
We humbly seek thy face in the words of our prayers, beseeching thee, O God, to acknowledge our petitions and bring comfort and an end to suffering of the following of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we thank thee for answered prayer,

Jerry – Surgery recovery

Colin and daughter, Lori Beall – cancer

Alicia – Struggling caring for parents at home

Bishop Zephaniah – Kidney stones

Toni- Breast Cancer

Donna – Breast Cancer

Leslie – False teachers

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)

Mauri Turner – Stomach cancer

For the government and people of South Korea that God will protect them
from the forces of Communism.

Hurricane Helen Recovery-Please keep praying for all the people and towns affected

For All Those affected by the Fires in California

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,

n Jesus Name. Amen.

[1] John Newton; 4 August 1725 – 21 December 1807) was an English Anglican cleric, a captain of slave ships who later became an abolitionist, and an investor of trade. He served as a sailor in the Royal Navy for a period after forced recruitment.

Newton went to sea at a young age and worked on slave ships in the slave trade for several years. In 1745, he himself became a slave of Princess Peye, a woman of the Sherbro people. He was rescued, returned to sea and the trade, becoming Captain of several slave ships. After retiring from active sea-faring, he continued to invest in the slave trade. Some years after experiencing a conversion to Christianity, Newton later renounced his trade and became a prominent supporter of abolitionism. Now an evangelical, he was ordained as a Church of England cleric and served as parish priest at Olney, Buckinghamshire, for two decades. He also wrote hymns, the most well known beng "Amazing Grace"

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20250216 AOC Sunday Report

On Point

Christians, we don’t just spend 15 minutes every morning with God; we spend 24 hours a day with God. We work for the glory of God, worship God through loving others, and even sleep in submission to God. We must understand that all of life is lived in the presence of God..
The Most Rev. J. C. Ryle

Jerry Ogles
Presiding Bishop
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

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

Yves M. Méra
Presiding Bishop
AOC France Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide

Septuagesima Sunday Sermon

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20250216 AOC Sunday Report

On Point

Christians, we don’t just spend 15 minutes every morning with God; we spend 24 hours a day with God. We work for the glory of God, worship God through loving others, and even sleep in submission to God. We must understand that all of life is lived in the presence of God..The Most Rev. J. C. Ryle

Jerry OglesPresiding BishopAnglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

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

Yves M. MéraPresiding BishopAOC France Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide

Septuagesima Sunday Sermon

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

250209 AOC Sunday Report

240915 AOC Sunday Report

240922 AOC Sunday Report

Christians, we don’t just spend 15 minutes every morning with God; we spend 24 hours a day with God. We work for the glory of God, worship God through loving others, and even sleep in submission to God. We must understand that all of life is lived in the presence of God..
The Most Rev. J. C. Ryle

Jerry Ogles
Presiding Bishop
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

Yves M. Méra
Presiding Bishop
AOC France Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide