250629 AOC Sunday Report
Anglican Orthodox Churchsm
Worldwide Communion
Second Sunday after Trinity
June 29, 2025 - Sunday Report
Second Sunday after Trinity 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 191-192.
The Collect for Second Sunday after Trinity
O Lord, who never failest to help and govern those whom thou dost bring up in thy stedfast fear and love; Keep us, we beseech thee, under the protection of thy good providence, and make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle for Second Sunday after Trinity. 1 John iii. 13.
MARVEL not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of com-passion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
The Gospel for Second Sunday after Trinity. St. Luke xiv. 16.
A CERTAIN man made a great supper, and bade many: and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
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:
Do good, O
LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.
Psalm
125:4
Foolishness
is bound in the heart of a child; but thee rod of correction shall drive it far
from him.
Proverbs
22:15
Behold,
the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they shall wax
old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.
Isaiah
50:9
Sing unto
the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from
the hand of evildoers.
Jeremiah
20:13
To a hypocrite— all whose
religion lies in his tongue— nothing is more dreadful than that God searches
the heart.
The Rev. Matthew Henry
A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel. Proverbs 1: 5
Periodically it makes sense to take an honest look at our lives and see what areas we can improve. Often times we can grow & increase in wisdom simply by the questions we ask of ourselves as well as by the answers. Therefore, I would like to submit the following questions to ask yourself as you ponder your current status in life.
*What one thing could I eliminate from my life because it is holding me back from reaching my goals & full potential?
*Am I on the path to mediocrity or to excellence?
*Does the devil know who I am & does he leave me alone because I am no threat to the kingdom of darkness?
*Am I running away from something, or to something?
*What can I do to make better use of my time?
*Is there one decision I would make if I knew I could not fail?
*Is there someone I need to forgive so that anger, bitterness, hatred, & resentment does not continue to fester in my life?
*What outside influences are causing me to be positive or negative in my outlook on life?
*What gifts & talents am I neglecting to operate in my life?
*Do I have habits or addictions in my life that I need to surrender to God?
*Am I the type of person who seeks to see the good & positive in others or do I reflect on the negative in others?
*When was the last time I did something for someone else who had no ability to repay me?
*Am I courageous to stand for righteousness even when it may cost me financially or possibly even friendships?
*How often do I offer encouragement to others?
*Can I admit when I am wrong without making excuses?
*Do I dwell too much on mistakes of the past or do I reflect upon those mistakes as instruments to propel me to greater things in my future?
*Do I live a life full of gratitude & thankfulness, or do I tend to grumble & complain?
*Are there people in my life that I should spend less time with & people I should spend more time with?
*Do I tend to focus more on things of temporal or eternal value?
*Do I look forward to spending time in God's Word & with Him....or do I tend to seek God only when things are difficult?
*Do I Dream BIG enough that the dream will only succeed if God is involved?
These are just a sampling of questions we can ask ourselves. If we are honest with ourselves, reflecting upon the questions themselves may offer vital insights into where we are in life more than the answers themselves. So today I encourage you to perhaps choose one or two of these questions & ask God to reveal His Wisdom to you.
Have a Blessed & Encouraging day!
Lister Reeves
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
From the Bible Studies for the Youth Series: The Beloved
Morning Meditations
Click link: https://youtu.be/yGP74oyJW2I
From Providence and Grace Series: Christ and the Leper
From the Names of our Lord Jesus Christ Series: Our Rock
Click link for you tube:https://youtu.be/5lhobPAOomw
Sermon Summary for the Second Sunday after Trinity
St. Peter the Apostle
The Collect
O Almighty God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst give to thy Apostle Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock: Make, we beseech thee, all Bishops and Pastors diligently to preach thy Holy Word, and the people obediently to follow the same, that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
13When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.15He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.. (Matthew 16:13-19)
“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart be wholly acceptable unto thee, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”
The Prayer of Collect, in recognizing the apostleship of Peter, emphasizes – not only the excellent gifts of miraculous signs – but, more importantly, the duty to preach the Word of God diligently. It is in our following - not simply Peter, but in the Gospel of Christ that we are admitted to the everlasting glory to which the Collect makes reference.
In our Gospel text from Matthew, Jesus opens His lesson with a question: “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” This is not a question of casual, or mundane, significance, but one whose answer has bearing on our salvation in Christ. The question is directed not only to the apostles, but to each of us individually. Yes, Jesus is the Son of Man, but He is also the Son of God. This distinction puts Him apart from you and me – and the apostles as well. The subject of the text is “Christ, the Son of the living God.” The men to whom He spoke, and to whom He speaks today, did not choose to follow Christ as a mere vocation, but are called by Christ to the office of apostle, disciple and to declare the Word in truth and power.
How do you and I answer that question? Who is Christ to you? Is our Lord Jesus Christ someone we respect, adore, and study about on one day out of seven; or, is Christ the center of our lives in whom we move and have our being, and for whom we have the greatest love and devotion above all others – so much so that we not only study, or hear, His Word preached on the Lord’s Day, but study prayerfully and diligently seven days in a week? The latter would be the right answer to that question.
There is a great variety of Christian denominations in the world today, some consisting of great multitudes, and some of smaller number; but size and worldly esteem have no part in distinguishing them in faith and doctrine. It is only the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word (He is the WORD personified) that determines the state of Christian fellowship for all church faith and worship. Whom do we say that Jesus, the Son of Man is? If we truly own Him as Savior and Redeemer, He is with us always, and in our hearts and affections, moment by moment - not just at the appointed hour of worship.
Whatever others think of Christ, the most important question addressed to us is not what others say of Him, but what do WE say of Him! “But whom say ye that I am?” How we answer that question will determine our eternity future.
Peter was not a perfect, or infallible, apostle. Even after Christ had designated him as Peter (petros – a stone) he would deny His Lord three times before the enemies of Christ. Neither are we perfect Christians, but our hearts must be fixed on Christ and ever-willing to repent of our sins in following Him.
Peter, and the other Apostles, recognized who Christ was for the question was addressed to all – not those who thought of Him as less than the Son of the Living God. When we know Christ in intimate ways as the Son of Man and the Son of the Living God, we will extol His divine Sonship and work of redemption to all into whose company we come.
Our faith comes from God and not any man – even Peter or the other Apostles. They teach us the truth of God, but it is that truth that saves – not the work of man.
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” What is Christ telling Peter here? Is the Lord telling him that Peter will be the rock upon which He builds His Church? Perish the thought! Peter, in no sense, is the Foundation rock of the Church – that title belongs to Christ alone. The name of Peter by which Christ names the Apostle is the Greek petros – meaning stone. But when Christ refers the Rock upon which He will build His Church, He uses the term petra – meaning great Rock. As gifted as Peter and the other Apostles were in witnessing of Christ, it is Christ, and no man, upon which the Church is built. Peter was compared to a ‘chip’ from that great Rock having the same character and consistency as the greater Rock.
It is wrong to presume Peter to be that Rock. No man is mediator between the elect of God and the Father but Christ alone. Throughout the biblical record, it is Christ that is identified as that great Rock from the passing over the Red Sea to the sealing of the New Testament Gospel by our Lord.
“1Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” (1 Corinthians 10:1-4)
“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” The keys to the Kingdom is the Word of GOD, and the binding and loosing is the law of love which Christ added to the Commandments of God. Without that Key of Love, none shall go into His Kingdom. Love is the Key to that Door of the Sheepfold which the Good Shepherd is as Christ the Lord.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN
† Jerry Ogles
Charles Morley
Bishop of Alabama
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
We are always happy to get the instruction and devotions that Bp Morley is giving to us. We hope you enjoy the following:
You may not be aware of it but there is a problem with music. I am not a musician even though I attempt to play six musical instruments from time to time. I should say I play AT them, as this would be a more accurate description of my abilities. I play only traditional Irish and Scottish folk music, with an occasional venture into American Old Time. I can read sheet music the same way a fifth grader reads Shakespeare - I can sound out the notes but when strung together my eyes cross.
Despite my musical shortcomings, I am inclined to offer a critique of the music of this age. As a liberal minded person, I find a need for such criticism because it is so rarely offered and even more seldomly accepted. As a clergyman I find current music to have both social and spiritual effects which are remarkable but often go unnoticed. Taste in music is, to a degree, a relative thing and often changes due to age, upbringing, or education. But there are some absolutes which can be stated with regard to what is often called "contemporary" music that are just true of themselves. I begin with the first analysis, which is true of all music, all styles of music, and is not dependent upon age or social circumstance.
Somehow we have all come to share the erroneous belief that all music is good music. Local restaurants hereabouts will often advertise that they offer diners "music." That's all they say - "music." No band name, no description of the type of music played, just "music." The presumption is that "music" of any sort will be a welcome addition to the dining experience but diners will not be offered a choice of what they will be required to hear. It's a little akin to those buffet establishments common in the deep South that advertise "three meats - four vegs - free dessert" but won't tell the prospective diner what the meats, vegs, desserts actually are.
Not all music is GOOD MUSIC - even if it is offered free of charge. Not all music is suitable for all purposes, at all times. Dining establishments will often pipe in pre-recorded music to blast at unwitting diners simply because it is presumed that this will enhance the dining experience regardless of volume or genre. Classical music used to be associated with "fine dining" or "continental" establishments but this is no longer the case. As American taste in food has changed, so has the music offered by restaurants to influence their diners. It is far more likely to hear some form of thumping Euro-trash rock in a Japanese restaurant than the traditional soft, stringed instruments of that country's folk music. Yes, Virginia, there really is such a thing as GOOD MUSIC - and therefore there is also BAD MUSIC.
Nearly all the music we are subjected to is ELECTRONIC music. This is both a negative and a wonderful thing at the same time. Plays are not written to be read - they are meant to be SEEN and HEARD. Most Americans rarely get to see plays performed as live theater has largely been replaced by television and other electronic media, and theater tickets are far from affordable. Financial concerns have all but eliminated local acting companies and budget cutbacks have nearly closed the local live stage. Likewise, it is not unlikely that a person living in this blessed twenty-first century of our has never heard LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC, played without electronic embellishment, i.e., speakers, microphones, sound mixers, etc. that alter the pure sound of a human hand on an instrument and a human voice without any form of enhancement.
I am no Luddite, and I love and appreciate all forms of music, electronic and otherwise. I am simply suggesting that we consider the nature of what we listen to on a daily basis. Phonographs changed the music world by making music available to the populace without benefit of live musicians or music venues. Modern technology has enhanced that effect a hundredfold, increasing access, variety, and quality. But budget cutbacks have all but removed music from our school curricula, and music learning is not encouraged the way it once was. Playing an instrument of some sort used to be the mark of an educated person. One wag even put it this way in the last century, " The mark of a true Scottish gentleman is one who knows how to play the bagpipe - but doesn't." Today we are subjected to music all day long via television, car stereos, canned music in elevators, banks, train stations, shops, - even funeral homes where "mood music" matches the atmosphere. We cannot escape it.
But we must also realize that 99.9% of what we hear is MODIFIED in some fashion or other. Without ELECTRICITY music would nearly disappear from our civilization. We don't even need physical INSTRUMENTS any more. Music can be generated electronically to mimic any instrument known to man, and now Artificial Intelligence (an oxymoron if there ever was one) can generate whole symphonies in the style of individual great composers of history, from Bach to Hip-hop.
Yes, each generation creates its own sound, based on its own experiences and cultural expressions. The younger generations tend to reject the music of the prior ones - and wonder how their sound was so popular. But there is also that music that endures the ages and remains ingrained in the heads and hearts of several passing generations. Though it is seldom heard these days, classical music will never disappear from our civilization, and we have electricity to thank for that. Classical Protestant hymnody will always remain part of Christian culture, despite the appearance of boy bands and quad drum sets in virtually every American church. Problem is, people no longer MAKE music as they did in prior generations - they simply LISTEN to it. Even as late as the 50s and 60s, youngsters bought guitars and formed their own bands in their parents' garage, or played the tuba in the high school marching bands. The availability of electronic music - literally, in our ears - has made MAKING our own music almost obsolete. The genre of American folk music, as old as the American Revolution, has been relegated to the ages, and country music - the real music of the people - has become the business of billionaire pop artists cavorting in skimpy costumes.
A brief word about LYRICS. Melody in modern music has been replaced by TYMPANY. Drums and drum beats have become the predominant sound and complex back-up orchestration accompanies every piece of music produced. Lyrics have become tertiary to the tunes, and "solo" singers are rarely that. With technology, weak voices can be readily heard and lyrics often masked by back-up singers and sound mixing. Songs are no longer written for universal appeal or elegance of poetic expression. It is not uncommon for pop tunes to include language that is pornographic in nature, and song writers seem to have a contest as to what filthy language will pass the media censors and shock their listeners. They claim this to be the language and music of the "culture" - although that "culture" is only of a tiny minority. Not likely those tunes will wind up as elevator music for generations to come.
So how does this change in music affect us SPIRITUALLY? Music was always meant to express the spirit of the people, the spirit of the age. Very little of modern music could be said to do that for this generation. Music is no longer UNIVERSAL. It is no longer UPLIFTING. It no longer edifies the human spirit - it no longer initiates JOY and WONDER in the hearer. It may be visceral, it may be graphic, it may affect the emotions but rarely does it move us to tears or laughter. What passes for modern dance is downright depressing - if we dance at all anymore, we more closely resemble animals doing a mating dance under the influence of hallucinogens. Music and dance are forms of human expression emanating from the limbic system of human experience. If that system no longer functions positively or is not given an outlet, the system will suffer. Music hath charms to soothe the savage beast but I think we have become more like a race of savage beasts who no longer hear the music.
Music lingers in the mind far longer than even our conscious mind will allow. You will be on your deathbed, not able to remember the names of your children or grandchildren, but chances are very good that you will remember the words and melody to "Mary Had a Little Lamb" that you first heard when you were three. As Nietzsche put it, "Music is the only vice one may engage in without reproach." Music is a gift from Almighty God. Let's use it wisely and for His glory. There is a reason the angels sing.
+CEM
Yves M.
Méra
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.
Who are the Predestined people?
Is predestination biblical?
Who are the Chosen?
Is predestination biblical?
The word 'predestination' is nowhere to be read in the Bible, but the verb To Predestine (proorizein) appears in six occurrences in the New Testament. Each time, it is an action of God alone.
Acts 4/28: “… For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.” God decided everything before we were born.
Romans 8/29-30: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” God chose His elect because he foreknew them.
1 Corinthians 2/7: “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.” God had chosen His elect before He created the world.
Ephesians 1/4-5: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” God has chosen in advance those He wanted to adopt, uniting them to His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1/11-12: “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.” God chooses His elect and adopts them without asking for their advice. It is a pure divine grace.
Who are the chosen?
1 Peter 1/1-2: “… To [the] … Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ…” Peter confirms what Luke says in the Book of Acts and Paul in his Epistles: The Father chooses His elect, and Christ redeems them by His sacrifice on the cross. They are made obedient to His commands, through the Holy Ghost.
Isaiah 46/10-11: “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” God warned us through His Prophets. No one can resist Him, nor force Him.
Acts 22/14: “And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.” God has a plan and an aim for each of His elect: They are to give a testimony of their salvation in Christ.
The Chosen are born-again believers: They have received the gifts of faith and obedience to God through the Holy Ghost who dwells in them: “… as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” (Acts 13/48b).
What are the consequences for us?
Let us reckon that God has chosen and predestinated His elect, out of any decision or action from their part. All the Glory is God’s alone: Father, Son, Holy ghost.
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Prayer: Revelation 11/17. We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. |
Rt. Rev. Yves Méra, AOC Bishop of France.
Sermon
– Bishop Jack Arnold - Time and Action
Church of
the Faithful Centurion
Descanso, California – Second Sunday after Trinity
Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above.
Consider these words from the Collect:
… who never failest to help and govern those whom thou dost bring up in thy stedfast fear and love; Keep us, we beseech thee, under the protection of thy good providence, and make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy Name…
We must fully understand and acknowledge God will help and lead us, but only if we will look to Him for that help and leadership. The key being here we have to look to Him for said help and leadership. The spiritually blind (us) cannot lead the blind (also us). We are spiritually blind without God’s help. We need His Help, in the form of the Holy Ghost, to direct our hearts, minds and souls to look to Him for that Help in our time of need. He is the only reason that we can accomplish as much as we do on this Earth in our sinful condition. The Holy Ghost will give us that spiritual eyesight we need to receive His Guidance and act upon said guidance. Thus, we continually ask God, through the offices of the Holy Ghost, to help us understand we actually need help and be open to accepting it. And we must note that to fear God is not to be scared of Him but to respect Him for who He is, our creator and heavenly Father, and loving Him involves loving the others around us with the Holy Ghost in our hearts.
What is the good providence that the collect speaks of? When I researched the definition, it means the protective care of God. So, this means that we are asking to have God keep us under the protection of His most excellent protective care. I am sure that in some point in each and everyone of our lives, we will find ourselves in need of His Providence. This is a benefit to us as believers and I find myself grateful to be under His Care and Protection
Speaking of time of need; when do we need God? Pretty much whenever we are not perfect, which would be all the time.
The Epistle is a great illustration of why we need guidance from the Holy Ghost all the time. The world is not a nice place and at times it gets depressing to be in. The world is not a friendly environment to those of us who are on God’s side. John says we should not be surprised that the world hates us. For the World does not know of God and His Word so they fear that which they do not understand, namely the Word. In this case they are using fear in the negative context and not in the positive context that the collect uses the word fear for. They not only fear but they hate God as they do not understand Him. They serve Satan who also hates God and thus they share that same anger towards God as Satan.
God is the only one who can protect us spiritually from the assaults of the Satanic forces in this world. The help of the Holy Ghost is an advantage that we have over those who are of this world. John points out the great difference between us and the people of this world. We love our fellow humans believers or not, whereas the people of this world hate each other and especially those who have the Holy Spirit within them, thus as St. John says they abideth in death. It can be difficult at times to love those around us, but that is what God has called us to do to the best of our abilities with the help of the Holy Spirit.
We are to perform this task of loving people around us with great cheer. There is no true love without cheerfulness and a giving heart. In order to have God’s love, we have to love those around us. It is harder to put the actual love into practice. We have actually love those around us and not just say it. Sometimes it can be very hard to put actual love into practice, but it must be done. However, as long as we do our best to actually love those around us, then that is all God asks. We may be serious at times, but we can still be cheerful in that we have the love of God within our hearts and we can spread that to others. Don’t forget the little reminder from GK Chesterton:
The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.
The Gospel focuses on prioritization. It calls us to put the things that are really important in the list of things to do above the things that are not really important. We tend to put things that are not really important above the things that are really important and that is why we get in a lot of trouble in our lives. It all goes back to the want versus need issue. Two different words, often used interchangeably by people, but this is incorrect. We need to think about what is important to us and to God. We will find that most of the time that they are different. When they are different this is where we need the help of the Holy Ghost to prioritize what is important to God versus what we selfishly in our imperfect nature want, then once we have sorted that, do our best to follow what is important to God and ultimately to us and overcome our wants that are not in the end important.
People do what is important to them. When they feel guilty they come up with excuses, but in reality, they please themselves. This is a common reason why there are so few people in churches these days, besides the fact that the churches have by and large embraced heretical teachings, which puts the people off of going to churches.
So, what we need to do is ask the Holy Ghost for help to make God’s agenda ours; thus when we please God, we please ourselves. A win – win situation. And it will make us far happier people as a result, which is what God’s plan is for us all along
If we do not make time for God, how do we expect Him to make time for us? If we will not diligently study the lessons He has left for us, how can we expect to know what He wants us to do?
Do you recall more sage words from GK Chesterton?
Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.
We need to come to church and read the Bible so we can find out what God wants. But, the idea is not to find out what He wants so we can work around it or live with it, but rather to live it. To live it means we have to put the concepts that Jesus taught us, to love God and love thy neighbor as thyself into practice. Sometimes this will be easy, other times it will be hard, but no matter how easy or hard it is, it is something that must be done all the same. And it is something that once again we need the help of the Holy Ghost for.
If we find out what God wants and decide to actually do it instead of avoid it, we are still faced with an often huge problem of where do we get the strength to accomplish this task. However, the answer is simple, it comes from God, the Holy Ghost. He never asks us to do anything we cannot do good enough for Him if we rely on Him. Never.
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
Bishop Jack Arnold
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Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s AOC Vicksburg, Mississippi
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.
Second Sunday after Trinity Sermon
Now it would not be uncommon in today’s world for us to envision a watchman as being simply a person who provides security for a business or plant facility. But such would not accurately fit the biblical description of such a person. Consider that throughout the Old Testament, we have the metaphor of a watchman being applied to the prophets. These chosen vessels stood before the people and gave them the revealed truth of God which they had received either in visions or by direct communication. But why, one might ask, did God call them watchmen? In ancient times, many people lived in walled towns or cities. These locales often had watchtowers placed every so many yards along their walls for two very good reasons. The first had to do with surveillance of the surrounding region. If an enemy appeared the watchman would then notify the commander. The second reason was that every watchtower doubled as a strong-point in the defense of the wall. From them, archers and spear men could direct their missiles on attacking troops. The attackers would have to subdue each watchtower in order to secure the perimeter. Because of their prophetic messages, men such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel were akin to the familiar watchmen on the walls who warned of approaching troubles as well as the coming of the Lord himself. And just as the watchtowers on which the earthly watchmen served were spaced accordingly around a locale, so were the prophets positioned among the people in those times which God had called them.
Likewise, you and I, as regenerated souls in Christ, have been called to serve as witnesses for our Lord to those around us all the while watching and praying for his return. God has given to us the words of the prophets, the apostles, the patriarchs, the righteous kings of Israel, and the very words of our Lord and Master. We have also been given, through the workings of the Holy Ghost, the capacity to understand the words which God had previously communicated to those biblical figures. In sum, we have been supplied the gift of spiritual discernment which is a trait that no unregenerate person possesses. St. Paul noted in I Corinthians 2:14 that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The wise virgins of St. Matthew 25:1-13 each possessed such spiritual discernment. The fact that they brought extra oil for their lamps speaks volumes concerning their understanding of what was coming. The foolish virgins brought no extra oil because it just did not cross their minds that they would indeed need such in spite of the knowledge that the bridegroom could come at any time. They thought they had enough oil to last until he arrived never considering that he might tarry longer than the limited capacity of their lamps. As the Rev. Matthew Henry observed, “Too many good Christians, when they have been long in profession, grow remiss in their preparations for Christ’s second coming. They intermit their care [and] abate their zeal, their graces are not lively, nor their works found perfect before God.”
And no doubt we may even hear the callous comment as recorded by St. Peter in his second epistle (3:4), Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation, repeated in some form whether in church or in the world by those who are not of the true faith. If one is doubtful about Christ’s second advent, then such a one will hardly be an effective witness on his behalf.
It is my prayer that each of you will have the courage of your faith to meet such comments head-on especially from those who are supposed to be of the household of faith. Bible doctrines matter. We have been commanded to watch as we neither know the day nor the hour of our Lord’s return. Over the millennia since he departed the precincts of our world, pastors and ministers have reminded their congregations that he will come again after a litany of signs and events which have been set forth by both the prophets and apostles. And so we must watch and work until he comes.
With that in mind, I urge each of you to watch, witness and pray for verily he will come again as he has promised us in his word written. Be then like those wise virgins of St. Matthew 25 who made provision for themselves and honored the Bridegroom at his coming by being lights along his path. The Bible says let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. God expects that from each of us so let us go forth bearing the oil of the Holy Spirit to lighten not only our paths but that of others: that they too will see our light and seek the same from him who is the giver of every good and perfect gift. May God encourage you and enliven you in his service as you stand your watch.
Let us pray,
Holy Father, we thank you for the gift of faith; we also pray that you will assist us as we watch for the return of thy dear Son, and that through our witness to others, they too might be added to thy coming kingdom; for these things we ask in the name of thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have a blessed week,
Bryan+
Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor
Saint Paul's Anglican Church
- Diocese of the Midwest Anglican Orthodox Church
Suffragan Bishop of the AOC
Second Sunday after Trinity Sermon
St. Peter the Apostle Evening Prayer
Psalms:23, 146; First lesson: Ezekiel 34:11-16; Second lesson: John 21: 15-22
O ALMIGHTY God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst give to thy Apostle Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock; Make, we beseech thee, all Bishops and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy Word, and the people obediently to follow the same, that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
All about the Shepherd
11For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.12As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 13And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 15I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. 16I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. (Ezekiel 34:11-16)
When we read this passage from Ezekiel it is as if Jesus was uttering the very words we are hearing. This really shouldn’t be that much of a surprise as we find Jesus quoting many passages from the Old Testament. Most of the time he did this to certify who he was, the Son of God. Whether he was reciting a passage from Isaiah or from the Psalms, it was almost always to certify his authority. The scholars, Pharisee, and others were constantly trying to find a way to trip up Christ during his three and a half years on earth. As time would tell, he was never ever confounded. In fact just the opposite, he confounded those who for that whole time period tried hard to take him down.
So now let us look at the chief apostle, Peter. Today is the day we commemorate his life and ministry, we look at the many foibles and seemingly stumbles of Peter, as he more aggressively tried to do the right thing by Jesus. I don’t think that all the trips and stumbles are listed to show us how stupid Peter was, more like a lesson to us, especially if we think we know more than God.
This gives us the most human aspect of an earthly ministry, those who were with Jesus from the beginning, those who witnessed so much, and yet seem to not understand what Christ was doing here on earth. In both of our lessons for today we find a laser focus on what a shepherd is to do and how the Shepherd will give wisdom and knowledge to his followers. The very idea that there are ‘sheep’ out there who need guidance and care, is the most enduring concept of our faith. When we think we are able to do things on our own, we then realize, that without Jesus our Good Shepherd guiding us, we are going to not do well or even fail. This is one of the most frustrating aspects of ministry, trying to outdo or out think the Savior, he knows the Way, the Truth, and the Life, we need to stop and listen to him, daily.
In our scripture passage from the Gospel of John, we find a most comforting aspect and characteristic of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is most forgiving, he will lead us back to safety, he will guide us on the path to our heavenly home, all this, he promises with actions we read here:
15So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (John 21:15-17)
So why did Jesus ask Peter three times if he loved him? This was the re-certification of Peter, after Peter denied Christ three times that fateful night when Jesus was arrested. Jesus told Peter he would deny him three times before the rooster crowed. Peter, in his bravado, said he would follow Jesus to his death. Well as we know that didn’t quite happen. In so that Peter denied Christ thrice, Jesus certified Peter thrice. In each question Jesus tells Peter to feed his lambs and his sheep. In this way Jesus was reinstating Peter to is “apostle-hood” and giving him marching orders, which Jesus foretold would be a time of captivity. Of course that would be later after the Ascension, when Peter heads out to preach the Word, he would be eventually arrested and executed like all of the Apostles save John.
18Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. (John 21:18-19)
Another interesting aspect of this passage is how Jesus essentially tells Peter to mind his own business. Not to worry about things that do not concern him. This is the point Jesus makes about what will happen to John the Apostle.
20Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? 21Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? (John 21: 20-21)
It is not in a cruel way Jesus answers Peter, it is more to the idea that Peter needed to focus on what he was supposed to do, don’t worry about John or anyone else. And in this we can find a very important lesson; we need to be about the Lord’s work, not worry about what others are doing or not doing for the Lord. Sometimes we are so busy being nosy and getting out of our “lane”, that we miss the very idea of why Jesus called us unto him.
22Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. (John 21:22)
To conclude this brief study of the life ministry of Peter, we should take heart and understand that we are to be doing the work of the Lord. We need not worry about the long term future, we need not fret about how things seem to break down and the lack of civil behavior. We need to focus on HIM. He is the light of the world, He is the Way, He is our Good Shepherd, these are the important issues we need to understand.
Let us always look to our Lord Jesus for he strengthens us and guides us through the darkness of this fallen world.
Let us pray: O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgement, and light riseth up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldest have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may see light, and in thy straight path may not stumble, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty God, who are afflicted in the afflictions of thy people: Regard with thy tender compassion those in anxiety and distress, bear their sorrows and their cares, supply all their manifold needs, and help both them and us to put our whole trust and confidence in thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O Almighty God, look mercifully upon the world which though hast redeemed by the blood of thy dear Son, and incline the hearts of many to dedicate themselves to the sacred Ministry of thy Church; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
+Roy Morales-Kuhn
Rev. David McMillan
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama
We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian
Second Sunday after Trinity Sermon
Luke 14:16-24
The Feast
In the middle of talking about inviting the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind to a feast or supper, someone hears our Lord talk about this, and feels the wonder of that kind of action. In this life it is rare that one would invite those who cannot reply in kind to such a feast. “And when one of them that sat at meat with Him heard these things, he said unto him. Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.”
Our Lord directs this story /parable to this individual to show the hope of heaven and that we also must claim that too without excuse. " When the critical time came, would he really accept God's invitation? Or would he be too busy about some activity affecting his more immediate interests?" The Gospel of Luke, Leon Morris. Too busy. I did not know that the Captain of the Titanic received six warnings about ice bergs on that night in April of 1912, but apparently even though these were received beginning at 0900 of that day up to 11 pm of that fateful night the Captain said he was too busy to respond to the messages.
The Gospel tells us that a man "made a great supper, and bade many." The invitation had gone out. How would we respond to such an invite? Our Lord invites us to dine with Him for an eternal banquet that shall never end. This is the hope of heaven and what eternal joy and glory shall it be for those who are invited to the Great Supper of the Lamb and respond to the invitation. Morris says, "Men are saved, not be their own effort, but by responding to the invitation."
Jesus puts the man to the test and us as well for he tells a story some call, "the parable of the excuses." There appears to be general acceptance of the invitation, but then they all began to make excuses perhaps speaking together at the same time. But we will listen to their excuses as Jesus did one by one, and see how he concludes this matter at the end.
The first man said, "I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I pray thee have me excused." Who would do such a thing? Imagine that. This is an excuse but not a reason.
The second man said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them. I pray thee have me excused." Morris says, " No-one would buy oxen without first satisfying himself that they would do the job. And if he did, there was no hurry for his testing(proving). The oxen would keep." This is another excuse, not a reason.
The last excuse sounds the most noble but is the weakest. "I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come." (this is allowed but only during wartime and the first year of marriage) What they put in front of God is obvious. The master's anger is understandable. "Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor and the maimed and the halt and the blind."
The proof was in the pudding. They did not mean it. They had no intention of going to the dinner. Just a general yes, of course, I will, of course I believe.
Lloyd Jones puts it this way, "You say that you believe in God, that you hope to go to heaven and that you believe that God forgives you in and through Jesus Christ. ...does this belief make any demands upon you and test you? Are you conscious of the fact that it influences your life and makes a difference to it? To what extent do your belief and your religion make a difference to your life? How often are you activated by them, how frequently are they the motive in your words and in your deeds?"
"Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all inquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous for good works." (Titus 2:14)
No change in the life...what can be more insulting to the Master...to say we are coming to His feast, yet all along we are not. All the preparation that has gone into it for us...can you see the Master who is humiliated?
There are those like this...who say yes to Christ, then just go on through their lives as though nothing has happened to them...accepting His salvation on their terms. God does not want our agreement and our fine phrases and our nice talk about Him....He wants us to forsake our sins and give ourselves utterly to Him now.
What we put before God---He says He wants us to be pure to forsake all worldly pleasures and carnal delights---and we give more time to the world than we do to God. We give more money to pleasure and to things sinful than to God and His work, having more enthusiasm for mere men and women than for God and Jesus Christ Himself.
Do we see the folly of showing more enthusiasm over games and politics and mere men and women than about Jesus Christ and His Gospel? What can be more insulting? If we really desire the things of this world, it would be better not to mention the name of God at all. Profess Him with our lips, but deny Him in our lives.
If we have really decided to believe in God and in Jesus Christ, prove our genuineness at once by responding to His further call...and come to that great Supper where our Lord is the Host. Come and enjoy the feast. The wrath of the Master is terrible, but let us not think of that; let us rather think of the glory and the wonder of His feast!
"For I say to you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper." Let us not be like that. There is hope of heaven for those who truly respond. It is good to be reminded of these simple eternal truths of the Holy Scripture. Let us begin by preparing for His feast now by forsaking sin, and giving ourselves wholeheartedly to Him. Let everyone examine themselves.
The 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:
Clay – released from hospital - sepsis
Finley Cartwright – bypass surgery – recovering at home
The Fultz’s and Folino Family – loss of Steve Foliono – traveling mercies for all traveling to memorial
Walter Hallberg III – Hospice Care
Thomas Broome – hospital – fall and infectious disease
Jeff Maraman - at the fire academy in Arkansas.
Lydia Collins - rectal cancer.
Marilee – Mastectomy Update – second surgery successful – chemo begun
Donna – Immunotherapy and Chemotherapy - cancer
James Cavanah – health issues, new medication tolerance – starting to work keep praying
Archie – Recovery from Stroke
Steve – hip replacement
Charlie – recovery at home following a stint
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
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu-health issues, Mike, Jim, Dotty, Jan Jessup-neuro dementia, Josh Morley-seizures,
Jennifer, AOC USA, AOC Missions, Zach, Jess, Luke, Jacquie, Harper-IBS, Jim Sevier- God’s
Peace, Linda –
multiple myeloma, Colin, Lowery, Robert, Donna-chemotherapy, Eddie,
Aleyda-heart and bp issues, Leslie, Daniel, Alicia-caregiver, Lydia, Sophie, Colin and Lori Beall - cancer, Toni - cancer, Donna - cancer, Malou - cancer, Roseanne, Bobby, Missy,
Eloise, McMaster -mourning, Turner Family - Mourning,
Thanksgiving – Jim successful TBI treatment
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