250413 AOC Sunday Report
Worldwide Communion
Palm Sunday
Sunday Report
April 13, 2025
Palm 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 134-135
The Collect for Palm Sunday
Almighty and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility; Mercifully grant, that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
The Epistle for Palm Sunday. Philippians ii. 5.
LET this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The Gospel for Palm Sunday St. Matthew xxvii. 1-54.
WHEN the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: and when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me. And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marveled greatly. Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. When he was set down on the judgment-seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but t hat rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 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! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. And sitting down they watched him there; and set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 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 rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
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:
Whoever enters discipleship enters Jesus’ death, and
puts his or her own life into death; this has been so from the beginning. The
cross is not the horrible end of a pious, happy life, but stands rather at the
beginning of community with Jesus Christ.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Source: Bread and Wine
On Good Friday
Jesus died But rose again at Eastertide…..Lord, teach us to understand that
your Son died to save us not from suffering but from ourselves, not from
injustice…but from being unjust. He died that we might live – but live as he
lives, by dying as he died who died to himself.
George Macdonald
“And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.” (John 12:23-26)
At the center of every seed is a tiny embryo which possesses the very spark of life of a future plant from roses to large redwood trees. There are three elementary parts of a seed – the seed coat; the endosperm; and the embryo. The smallest part is the embryo containing the spark of life. The endosperm provides nourishment to the embryo as life grows forth. The seed coat provides protection for the embryo as life emerges from the embryo to the plant. This is much like the human womb as it is nourished within with mother’s fluids and protected from the harsh outer environment.
God’s Word is compared to a seed. It possesses the essence of life. When imparted via the agency of the printed Word, and by Godly preaching, it is planted in the heart of the listener and may germinate there for a short time, or even a very long time, before growing visibly into a much larger organism. The Words of the Holy Bible are the true figure of Christ appareled in human language. The Words from Genesis to Revelation provide us a full knowledge of Christ and His Mind. In fact, Jesus is the very Word Incarnate according to the Gospel of St. John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:1-4) Please observe that the Word Incarnate (our Lord Jesus Christ) has life in His Word just as every seed has life enclosed in its natural makeup….
If sown into good ground (hearts, good or bad, whose soil can germinate the Seed) life eternal will break forth. Once life is imparted to that good heart, water is needed to produce growth. The Fountain of Life is that which waters the seedling as it grows to maturity and gives evidence of that righteousness imputed to it by the Lord Jesus Christ and His redemptive sacrifice.
The Most Rev. Jerry L. Ogles; (Daily Devotional, pg. 110).
Jerry Ogles, Presiding Bishop – Metropolitan AOC 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
Providence and Grace Series:
The Calling of Matthew
Click link: https://youtu.be/6lfsbDqt3KE?si=Ecnf2dOHBPISbzQZ
Names and Titles of our Lord Series:
The Second Adam
click link: https://youtu.be/C1SBW-Gen60
NOW IN THE
HOUR OF DEEP DISTRESS
a Palm Sunday Hymn from the Psalter
1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? (Psalms 1:1: all scripture quoted is from the King James Bible)
This is a beautiful hymn paraphrased summary of Psalms 22 put to music by the great Isaac Watts (1674-1748) who mastered Latin at the age of four years and was writing verse at six years of age. The tune is Hurlbut. Psalm 22 is a Messianic Hymn of Christ’s suffering on the cross (verses 1-21) followed by the joy of His resurrection (verses 22-31). It is an appropriate Psalm to be sung on Palm Sunday. It is a psalm of the excruciating pain our Lord suffered in His sacrifice of Redemption, as well as the joy of His resurrection to follow.
NOW IN THE HOUR OF DEEP DISTRESS
1
"Now in the hour of deep distress,
My God, support thy Son.
When horrors dark my soul oppress,
O leave me not alone!"
2 Thus did
our suff'ring Saviour pray,
With mighty cried and tears.
God heard him in that dreadful day,
And chas'd away his fears.
3 Great
was the vict'ry of his death:
His throne exalted stands;
And all the nations of the earth
Shall bow to his commands.
4 The meek
and humble souls shall see
His table richly spread;
And all, that seek the Lord, shall be
With joys immortal fed!
1 "Now in the hour of deep distress, My God, support thy Son. When horrors dark my soul oppress, O leave me not alone!" The 22nd Psalms picks up where His arraignment before the High Priest and trial before Pontius Pilate ended with a pronunciation of innocence and, yet, followed by a sentence of death by crucifixion. The human nature of Christ yearned for relief, yet His Divine Person demanded He endure to the end a terrible and humiliating time of intense pain and suffering. As the son of Glory hung naked upon the cross, He could barely see through the blood flowing from the wounds made by the crown of thorns the multitudes of cursing onlookers who ridiculed Him with inexcusable, wicked utterances. His first utterance, He cried out in sorrow and pain, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me,’ (vs 1 and Matthew 46). He hung between heaven and earth as His tormentors reviled Him there.
2 Thus did our suff'ring Saviour pray, With mighty cried and tears. God heard him in that dreadful day, And chas'd away his fears. We find an exact description of the crucifixion suffering recorded in this Psalm. “They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 36 And sitting down they watched him there.” (Matthew 27:35-36 & Psalm 22:18) The pain of the Son is indeed beyond the dimensions of our comprehension; however, consider the pain of a loving Father at the sight of His Son so rudely mistreated by the very ones He came to redeem! Of course, the Father heard Him in great sorrow. The darkness at noonday was evidence of that grief. Even in the pains of death, the Lord still was full of love and forgiveness evidenced in His reception into paradise by the penitent thief on the cross next to Him. But now comes the soothing reality of the very portico of death and finality in His great sacrifice. As He surrendered the Ghost, he uttered those monumental words that echo down the annals of all time and eternity – “It is finished!” (John 19:30) It was at this point that the Veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom making our approach to God through our Eternally ruling High Priest - Jesus Christ – the only portal of intercession with God the Father.
3 Great was the vict'ry of his death: His throne exalted stands; And all the nations of the earth Shall bow to his commands. The details of our Lord’s suffering recorded in Psalms 22 concludes at verse 21 – then begins the absolute joy of His resurrection and His completed work of Redemption at verse 22. “I will declare thy name unto my brethren: In the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.” His death brought relief, but His resurrection brought assurance of the resurrection of His elect who follow bearing their crosses to the end. Every knee shall bow at His return and every lip shall profess Him as Lord. He has earned the crown of King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
4 The meek and humble souls shall see His table richly spread; And all, that seek the Lord, shall be With joys immortal fed! Whether we serve the bread from His Table, or else beg the crumbs thereof as the poor and destitute of riches, it is still the Bread of Life of which we partake. Quite often it is the beggar who becomes host, and the host, beggar. It is such a joy to know the security of election in Christ. We are His children and the sheep of His pasture. No better Shepherd was ever appointed to be Shepherd and Master of the flock of His ownership. We shall all be fed with the Bread of Heaven in abundance, and the Waters of Life ever flowing from the gushing Fountain of Life.
+Jerry Ogles
INDEPENDENCE DAY
Bishop’s Letter for Palm Sunday/Good Friday
13 April 2025 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. Matthew 27:21
A certain man was found guilty by the High Court and sentenced to death. The evidence against him was so overwhelming that no one could contest or deny the decision. The man deserved death, and death he would get. The date for his execution was set for Friday, the day of the month when criminals were put to a slow and tortuous death.
The man lingered in his cellar jail cell in custody of the authorities with only an occasional serving of bread and water. He could not sleep owing to his restless worry and misery. Suddenly, his sorrowful solitude was interrupted by a burst of excitement as another prisoner was being questioned in the courtyard above his cave-like cell. His curiosity of that event was interrupted when the guards came to drag him out shackled hand and foot. He was dragged across the paddock and up to the balcony of Pontius Pilate. His troubled mind could not comprehend what this could be about. He was drawn up beside a horribly beaten and disfigured man who stood silently by the governor when suddenly, he heard the Roman governor ask, “Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas!.” Unbelievably the crowd demanded the release of Barabbas – a murderer and insurrectionist – and the crucifixion of the other so horribly wounded.
Though this was the verdict of the multitude, Barabbas remembered hearing Pilate declare Christ innocent, but suffered Him to be crucified, nonetheless. Was it possible for Pilate to be absolved of the guilt of a totally unjust sentence simply by washing his hands?
That man, Barabbas, was set free while Christ took his place on the cross; and Barabbas represents each one of us. Though the freedom of Barabbas was freedom from a horrible physical death, the freedom that Christ purchased for you and me was one of eternal life. We were convicted in our bondage to sin, and Jesus took the penalty for our transgressions upon Himself. How relieved was Barabbas, and so should we enjoy an even greater relief.
Such is the meaning of our Independence Day in Christ – we are made free from the bondage of sin by our Passover Lamb just as surely as Israel was made free of the yoke of servitude to Egypt at Canaan during the first Passover.
The victory of our salvation would follow some three days hence following the death and burial of our Lord Jesus Christ. That victory was sealed by His resurrection from the Garden Tomb on Easter Sunday. What a joy and benefit we have received through no labors or works of our own. Our salvation has come by His righteousness and sacrifice and none of our own. This is the decision of a Sovereign Lord and Father.
I pray that we will all be mindful of what an immeasurable price has been paid for our salvation from the bondage of sin this Good Friday and following Easter.
In Christ Alone during Lent,
† Jerry Ogles
Presiding Bishop.
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
& Chancellor, Faith Theological Seminary
Charles Morley
Bishop of Alabama
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
We are always happy to get the instruction that Bp. Morley is giving to us. We hope you enjoy the following:
Americans have become a nation of hypochondriacs - and I do not use the term lightly. We are far more worried about issues of physical health than, say, the generation that preceded this one. We are certainly more concerned about our physical condition than our spiritual health.
Today, the average person knows much more about the human body and its common diseases than most physicians did but a hundred years ago. We know much more about nutrition, gerontology, vision, cardiology, blood chemistry, neurology, stress, and many other areas of physiology. We have countless drugs and other treatments for ailments that would have crippled or killed us, had we lived in the nineteenth century. While our lifespan has increased - marginally - it may still be argued that we are healthier than our parents or grandparents.
What cannot be denied is the fact that we are totally preoccupied with matters pertaining to health and physical well being. The TV screen bombards us with commercials selling medications or medical devices, medical insurance "plans" to pay for all these things, to the tune of millions of dollars. Gone are the days of simply selling us Band-aids or aspirin. Now we are encouraged to "ask your doctor" if you should be taking one new pill or treatment, of which he or she may not be aware. Just try calling your "health care provider" and asking them why they are not treating you with the best (viz. newest) thing on the market. Be sure you mention that you heard about the new treatment on TV!
Then there is the Internet - an absolutely bottomless resource of medical advice - with countless vlogs and videos to enhance the diagnostic and prophylactic experience - and no need of a physician! What we don't learn from TV ads - one out of every three commercials on network television is health related - we can glean from YouTube or TikTok - with visuals. We are told what to eat and how to cure impotence - and everything in between - sometimes offering the former as the cure for the latter. And then there is the world of "exercise" - jogging, weights, yoga, tai chi, krav magra, and plain old calisthenics - all tied to the business of promoting and maintaining "health." There is even a popular grocery checkout magazine simply entitled "Health" which you can peruse as you purchase your cola and chips. Alongside "Health" there is often another pop magazine entitled simply "Self." That pretty much says it all.
There is certainly nothing wrong with seeking to maintain a healthy body. The Scriptures admonish us to do exactly that. But what has happened in modern American society is that we have gone overboard in our efforts, resulting in a total neglect of SPIRITUAL HEALTH. We have come to worship the flesh to the detriment of the spirit. The ancient Greeks worshipped the human form and were religious in the pursuit of bodily perfection. They fashioned their gods in human form and made statues of them for their beauty's sake. The Romans aped the Greeks but took their preoccupation even further and made all of their statues with "perfect" human forms - so all the male gods had six packs and all the female gods were svelte beauties.
Are we much different in how we "worship" the body? We constantly worry about our weight, the bounce in our hair, and the whiteness of our smile. We fret over our blood pressure and cholesterol count, our bowels and boils, not to mention our sex lives. Our clothing is no longer worn for function in any sense - it is now entirely worn for fashion - to display the body in the best light. If you doubt my saying this or consider my analysis exaggerated, consider that it is now virtually impossible for a male to walk down any populated beach in America without violating the Seventh Commandment. We count calories to the extent that it is now required by law to place a label on bottled water assuring us that water has "0" calories!
Not long ago, our daily lives were "interrupted" by activities that were SPIRITUAL in nature. There was family prayer, often morning and evening, prayer before meals or "grace" as the old folks call it today. There was prayer before school (not just at exam time) and prayer before athletic games. There were "invocations" and "blessings" at special events, and bowed heads at the mention of someone's "passing." Dare I speak of church attendance in these days? Regular participation in church life was often a pre-requisite for employment. Knowledge of the Bible was a college entrance requirement. Now, all these things are considered exceptional and some have even been outlawed.
Are we as Christians more concerned about health, entertainment, diet, leisure, "personal time" - self-improvement - than we are about feeding our souls? How much time out of "busy week" do we spend in prayer or reading our Bibles - or some other spiritual books than might encourage, strengthen, teach, or uplift our "inner man" (Ephesians 3:16) We think well of ourselves if we give the Lord an hour out of our busy week on Sunday mornings. Heaven forfend the church service that goes long that the "Hour of Worship!" What about the other 167? How tempted we are to be constantly busy "doing" - like Martha of the Gospel - even when we hear Mary rewarded for just "being." We feel much better hearing our own thoughts and wishes when we speak and find it hard to be still and listen. As old Screwtape gave advice to young Wormwood In "The Screwtape Letters" - "...keep them (Christians) busy at all times. Make them happy when they are DOING things. Then they will be much more likely to forget God." But God tells us rather, "Be still," says the Lord, "and know that I AM God. (Psalm 46:10)
By all means, ride that bike, keep your gym membership, eat your kale, practice your Pilates - but remember God's advice about the health of your immortal soul. You won't need that bouncy quaffe, those pearly whites, that narrow waist, or ripped middle in Heaven. Let's get a head-start now and get some practice this very day in what we will be doing for all eternity.
+++++++++++++ Canterbury Chapel, Fairhope, AL
+CEM
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 a common message of action as we enter into the time of Lent, a season of preparation. Let us start by reading today’s Collect:
The Sunday next before Easter, commonly called
Palm Sunday.
The Collect.
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ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility; Mercifully grant, that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Consider these words from the Collect:
… thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility; Mercifully grant, that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection…
In the Collect, we acknowledge God sent His Son to be our Savior. Think about that, the Creator, Lord and Master of the Universe sent His only Son to live amongst us and not just provide us with instruction and leadership, but to give His earthly life as a one time sacrifice for our sin that we might be accounted as perfect in our final accounting, the resurrection. How much did God value His Son? Consider what Paul tells us - Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Reading this, let us consider how much God valued His Son and how much He values us that He sent His Son here to teach us to guide us, to love us, and finally to give His Life for us that we might be free from the bonds of sin and death. Let us then consider that Jesus humbled himself to having a thieves’ death, a particularly painful death, that we might have eternal life. We must also consider that God loved His Son a lot, so he must love us so very much to allow His Son to suffer such a cruel and hard death that we would have eternal life. Jesus through His Actions here on Earth and through is Death and Resurrection has given us a gift that is priceless beyond measure, that of eternal life with Him and Our Heavenly Father.
This thought leads directly to the Epistle which calls us to follow the example Jesus set in His actions of His Death and Resurrection, and also calls us to embody His great humility and His great patience, that we might follow the upward narrow path towards heaven and be partakers of His Resurrection. The Epistle calls us to action and follow in the example of Jesus’s great humility, humbling himself, the being who created this planet, to die for us on the cross, laying down His Life for ours, is an example we must strive to emulate in our own lives, to the best of our abilities. He has set for us the ultimate benchmark for our performance here on Earth. We will never be able to match it perfectly, but if we never try our best to follow it, we will never even get close. So let us allow the Holy Ghost to enter into our hearts and guide us to follow Christ’s example.
If we follow His Example and do our best to emulate His humility and patience, we too can be a part of His Resurrection. We will be a part of our own resurrection of sorts. First we will need to have our selfish normal human selves replaced with God’s unselfish nature which the Holy Ghost will help with, then we will need to continue following the guidance of Holy Scriptures and continue walking that uphill and narrow path towards heaven.
Jesus set the ultimate standard for us to following God’s will. His entire ministry can be described as actions. He physically lived His Message. His Message can clearly be seen through His Actions. We need to do as He did and show by our actions that we serve Him. He did not just say nice words and do nothing, He backed up those words with actions. We are called to do likewise. Action, not just diction is what counts in the end and we must always remember that and strive to follow His Example.
Jesus knew ahead of time where, how and when He would die. He even told His followers this, but they could not understand as they did not have the Holy Ghost within them to help them comprehend what He said. He knew with a 100 percent certainty it was going to be a physically and spiritually painful death, Yet, He also knew this was God’s Will that we might live. If He did this for you, how can you not follow Him wherever His Will takes you? And remember His Example, of acting even if it means the death of your temporal body. His Example that He has left to us to follow is that of Action. And like Him, we may have to die for our faith but rest assured that death will have a reward of eternal life. That takes away the threat of physical pain and death to us, as our souls will live on in Eternity and will go to Heaven where Jesus has prepared a place for each and every one of us that has done their best to follow Him.
Recall Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on this day so many years ago. Only Jesus knew of the upcoming crucifixion; everyone else, including Jews, Romans and His followers, thought he was making a triumphant entrance in to the city to take control of things and kick the Roman occupation force out. It was almost a full moon, this was the year of the Messiah according to Daniel. The natural events were lining up as Scripture had predicted which preceded the arrival of the Messiah. Jesus chose the route into the city, through the King’s Gate. The people saw Him coming and met him at the Mount of Olives. When He came in through the King’s Gate, the people were expecting to see their future earthly king. They did not have the Holy Ghost within them to see His true nature. However, they were incorrect, who they were seeing was and is their heavenly king. Jesus had no intentions of establishing a Kingdom of this World. He was looking for followers for the Kingdom of the Next World, of Heaven.
We need to realize that this world and all the material possessions that we have in this world are temporary and will corrupt in fade, but where we must focus our eyes on is heaven, where nothing does corrupt and fade and where thieves will not break through and steal and where we will have everlasting joy being reunited with God and Jesus and our fellow believers and family and pets who have gone before us.
As an aside the Chief Priests, who had so much invested in their 613 laws, likely searched far and wide for the crowd to convict Jesus of the crimes they imagined against their system. We need to remember that not all of the Jews wanted Jesus executed, just those in power and those that followed them. It is an easy mistake to make that many other Christians have made. They have not seen that it is more than just who the people were that had Jesus put to death, but rather that the crowd is representative of humanity as a whole, that without Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit we are really no different than the members of the crowd at the crucifixion.
We must also remember that the system that the Pharisees and Chief Priests followed was of this world, not God’s. Remember, there are none so blind as those who will not see. They were in the darkness, thus they could and would not see what was being shown to them because it would interfere with their comfortable way of living. A new way that asked of them, no demanded of them, accountability unto God for their actions. Know the crowd was not a self-forming group naturally set on condemning Jesus, but a handpicked gang. At the same time, many of those in the crowd who condemned Him the morning of Good Friday were in the crowd that welcomed Him to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. What a difference five days can make.
Make no mistake, we are that crowd. And, like Pilate, no matter what we say, we cannot wash our hands of the responsibility. Thus, we must separate ourselves from the crowd. Separate, that is to make ourselves holy, set aside.
When the time comes, how will you ACT?
It is by our actions we are known.
Be of God - Live of God - Act of God
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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.
Palm Sunday Sermon
Now such a description hardly reflects the image of a kingly personage of the ancient world because they, for the most part, rode about on horses. But consider also Zechariah 14:1-21. The prophet was given to speak again of the Messiah but in a much different fashion. He speaks of him coming with power and great glory to rescue Jerusalem and Judah from the nations which will be gathered together to destroy her. Specifically look a verse 9, And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. Thus he who came in humility to bring us the gift of salvation (Zechariah 9), will return in glory to triumph over the forces of darkness and usher in his kingdom (Zechariah 14).
These and other passages regarding the Messiah were given to the writers of Scripture by the Holy Ghost. The gospel accounts contain the very words of our Lord wherein he revealed to the disciples that he must suffer, die and rise to life again, and afterward, to ascend to the very presence of the Father until he returns. Every time we recite the words of the Apostles’ or Nicene Creeds, we are proclaiming these important tenets of our faith.
Jesus Christ came to proclaim the good news of salvation; and agreeable to Scripture, he came first as a lowly and humble teacher. He came to satisfy that pressing need of humanity for a Saviour: one who would shed his blood on behalf of his elect so that they might have life eternal with the Godhead. The carnal and the uninformed have even questioned the necessity of his death. We might answer such a query by stating that when Adam and Eve sinned against God they brought death into this world, and ever after, their descendants would bear the infection of original sin. And on that account, there is nothing human beings can do to save themselves from this hereditary disease. Self-justification cannot wipe us clean, nor could we offer to God anything approximating the value of our lives (Psalm 49:7-8).
Thus we find that original sin made it necessary for God to enter his creation and take upon himself as the second person of the Trinity the sins of the whole world. As the St. John wrote in his gospel account (1:14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth. He therefore had to experience life as a mortal and yet remain sinless. As St. Paul penned in Hebrews (4:15) For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. To co-opt pagan Caesar’s quote: Christ came, Christ saw, and Christ conquered.
Consider Isaiah 9:6-7: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of his government there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Still, the skeptic and the critic will continue to smirk in denial of the plain facts of Scripture. They cannot accept the King of Glory because they have not faith. The words of Scripture may reach their hearts, but the devil comes and snatches it away which will prevent them from accepting our Lord Jesus as the Christ; and as a consequence, their foolish hearts are darkened being thus blinded by the god of this world to the truth of God’s word written (II Corinthians 4:4).
But we who have been born again of the Holy Ghost know who our Lord is: he is the Christ, the Son of the living God, who completed his work of redemption and has ascended into heaven where even now he is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us until he comes again. While many Jews in our Lord’s day accepted him as the Messiah, most did not. And such has been true for people the world over in the years following his ascension. Before every people, kindred and tongue, God, through his witnesses, has set forth his words of life via the gospel of our Lord, for he is that one way, one truth and one life in whose name and under whose blood all who truly believe can find redemption from sin and death.
The Scriptures tell us of Christ’s first coming, and of that day in the future when God will send him back to the earth. And when he comes again, he will be riding a fine white horse as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. St. John in the Book of Revelation (19:11-21) was given just such a vision. No more will he ride a humble donkey. No more will he come in humility and seeking to save the lost. He will come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead whose kingdom shall have no end (The Nicene Creed). He will come with great signs and wonders in the heavens and with a mighty host of his angels and saints.
The question is: Will you be ready? Are you watching for his coming? Have you prepared your heart to receive him? Will you run to him when comes, or will you run away from him? We know that he will return, but that day and hour is known only to the Father. Until then, we must be content to know the times and the seasons. The devil and his minions will tell us that we have plenty of time to make up our minds about salvation, but such is a false choice. We should ever keep our hearts turned toward God and on watch for his imminent return. Keep your lamps trimmed and have extra oil so as not to be caught unawares when the Bridegroom cometh to lead us to his marriage feast. We have not been called to wrath, but to salvation. Christ has promised us that he will come again for us and so it is our duty to work in his harvest until he calls us home; and so, in the words of an old hymn, “work for the night is coming when man shall work no more” for Behold, thy King cometh unto thee.
Let us pray:
Dear LORD and God, who hast made provision for us unworthy sinners through the meritorious life, death, and resurrection of thine only begotten Son; empower our witness to those who are mired in sin that they might learn of him and be saved; and this we ask in the name of him who is the King of kingsand Lord of lords, 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 Palm Sunday
Psalms 22; First lesson: Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Second lesson: Matthew 26
Hymns #401, 416, 441
Almighty and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility; Mercifully grant, that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
“The True Passion of the LORD”
This next week we will observe what will truly be the passion of Christ Jesus, his betrayal, his false charges made against him, the brutality that was meted out on his body. There is so much turmoil visited on Christ and his disciples during this time, all reflected in the three passages of scripture set aside for this Sunday next before Easter.
In the selection of the Word from the prophet Isaiah, we read of some very disturbing images: 14As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: ...3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed….10aYet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief.
In each one of the previous verses taken from the Isaiah passage (52,53) we read of the effects of a brutal treatment of this individual (we understand to be the coming Messiah, Jesus). This is all a foreshadowing of what would happen to Jesus when he was betrayed by one of his own. He is so badly beaten that he can barely be recognized. He is bruised, wounded, whipped (with his stripes we are healed). And yet this was all God the Father’s plan. Jesus would take the punishment for our sins. He would bare the punishment for us, instead of us, to save us from soul separating sin, that eternally would keep us from God. 10b when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
So why is this substitutionary sacrifice necessary? Isaiah tells us why: 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all….12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
How do we know Jesus was totally innocent of the crimes he was charged with? Here again from Isaiah we read: 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Now to continue the foreshadowing of the coming Messiah we read that, not only will he die for our transgression, but he will be buried in a rich man’s tomb, with the claim again, that Jesus was innocent of violence and deceit: 8He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
And finally we read about how Jesus will prevail. He will be praised, exalted, extolled and will triumphantly rise again on the day of resurrection. In a way we see what will be the spreading of the Good News to all nations. The powerful will be silent, many nations will see and hear to message of salvation; to the ends of the world. 13Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.…15So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
Now we circle back to our first verse and look at the concepts being explained. Who will believe the Good News and to whom will this strong full of hope message be revealed? Some interesting thoughts to say the least. Now if you combine this with Psalms 22 and the passage from Matthew, we have a slam-dunk focused meaning to these passionate words.
Do we understand the agony, the pain, the sorrow of betrayal, the searing feeling of being completely alone? All of this was experienced by Jesus in this last week of his earthly ministry before his crucifixion, his death on the cross, his burial, and finally his triumphant victory over death and dying. Remember when Jesus said: “... O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Mt 26:39), he knew this what had been decided before he was born of flesh upon this earth. He knew that this was the true mission of his three and a years on earth. This was the will of the Father. As we go through the next week, commonly called Holy Week, let us reflect on what Christ did for us on the Cross, his passion, his shed blood for the remission of sin, and let us thank God for his great gift to us.
Let us pray:
O God, our heavenly Father, who didst manifest Thy love by sending Thine only begotten Son into the world that all may live through Him: Pour Thy Spirit upon Thy Church that it may fulfil His command to preach the Gospel to every creature; send forth, we beseech Thee, laborers into Thy harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations and hasten the time when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and all Israel shall be saved; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: And the Blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you, and remain with you always. Beloved go in peace this day and in the week to come. Amen.
+Roy Morales-Kuhn
Rev. David
McMillan
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama
We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian
PALM SUNDAY
Sunday of the Passion II / Palm Sunday Isa 52:13—53:12 Ps 22:1-11v or Ps 22:1-21v Phil 2:5-11 Luke (22:39-71) 23:1-49 (50-56); Entrance into Church sometimes done Scriptures-Luke 19:29-40 Ps 118:19-29;
" Crucified with the Criminals- Then He forgave them" Luke 23:33
---This quote certainly wraps up all of the Entrance to Holy Week---" Every Divine action begins from the Father, proceeds through the Son, and is completed in the Holy Spirit." ST Basil of Caesarea
Henry Nouwen devotional for Friday seemed to affect thought here too for me, about the Cross, because ultimately it is about God loving us through His Son, so that we may enter His kingdom by faith. "Being Led to Love The spiritual life is not giving up something. It is first of all following the One. It is not first of all letting go of all fears. It is first of all being led to love. If we keep the Lord, his Kingdom, his Word, and his Gospel in our mind, if this becomes our inner space, we will know what to do because we have that world around us. We are in the House of the Lord. We are there with God and somehow we are in the right space to make decisions because our eyes are focused. We know the beauty of God and we want to be there."
“But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.” - Psalm 13: 5
1. Luke 23:33"And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
There was no reason to crucify Him. The Jews insisted on it , or their leaders. Why?" Luke 23:2-" And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. "
Luke 22:67-"Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: 68And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go. 69Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. 70Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. 71And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth."
Pilate found that he did nothing worthy of death. Herod sent him back to Pilate. Theological reasons crucified Him. They were sure He claimed to be Divine, and that irked them for sure. This seems to be a dividing line today as well. Today we see division around a lot of things. It is about Jesus being Divine as well as human. He is part of the Holy Trinity.
Application- If Jesus is divine and the Scriptures are full of teaching affirming this, then how does this affect my thinking? What does He mean to me personally?
2. He was crucified between two criminals. Or malefactors- literally criminals. (orig language- evil doers) He was crucified at Golgotha, or the place of the skull- literally because of its shape like a head. "As a matter of translation, it would clearly have been better either to give the Greek form (Cranion), or its meaning (= “skull”) in English. The Vulgate, however, had given Calvarium" Hence Calvary.
Who are the criminals? One was a murderer- Barrabas (who they let go in place of Jesus who they desired to be crucified), and one was a thief. This sounds familiar if you hear the news. We have thieves, and murderers all the time on the news.
Application-We are the criminals who need redemption because of our original sin in Adam. We should not boast. He was wounded for our transgressions. Is. 53:5-6 tells us this."5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
I Peter 2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." In Adam's fall, we sinned all. (the old way to learn the alphabet)
3. Lastly, Luke 23: 34 "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." This was the first of the Seven words from the Cross.
I missed that before. I thought it was there, but not at that place in the narrative. We often talk about forgiveness as that is the hardest thing to do. It is. But as Jesus is dying on the Cross, He forgives.
"…Had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." 1 Corinthians 2:8
I need no word for this as application, as we all know what this means. We day it every day on the Lord's Day in the prayer Jesus taught us. "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." (1928 BCP pg. 7)
The application is there. It is for us to apply ---this word from the Cross of forgiveness.
GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that the words which have heard this day with our outward ears, may, through thy grace, be so grafted inwardly in our hearts, that they may bring forth in us the fruit of good living, to the honour and praise of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 1928 Book of Common Prayer, p. 49
Rev. David McMillan
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:
Aleyda – High blood pressure, fluid around lungs and heart issue, recovering at
home following Hospitization.
Sofie – Sever bipolar issues, drug use and difficulty with parents, pray for her parents, Gary & Betsy
The Rev. Stephen Cooper – Recovering in Assisted Living and place in Hospice care
Colin and daughter, Lori Beall – cancer
Alicia – Struggling caring for parents at home – NEEDS HELP
Toni- Breast Cancer- Surgery went well, keep praying for successful recovery treatment-praise god
Donna – Breast Cancer- Surgery Successful onto Radiation treatment and Chemotherapy
Malou – Cancer
Daniel Sparks – following Surgery Heart Ablation symptoms – fatigue, physical exhaustion, brain fog
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.
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu, Mike, Jim, Dotty, Jan Jessup, Steve, Josh Morley, Jennifer, AOC USA, AOC Missions, Zach, Jess, Luke, Jacquie, Harper, Jim Sevier, Linda, Colin, Lowery, Robert,
Donna, Eddie, Tate, Leslie,
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