Saturday, December 27, 2014

Third Sunday in Advent, 2014

The following link takes you to the sermon given by Fr. Todd Bragg, given on Sunday, December 14th, 2014 on the Third Sunday in Advent:


Second Sunday in Advent, 2014

The following link allows you to hear the sermon preached by Fr. Todd Bragg on the Second Sunday in Advent, Sunday, December 7th, 2014:


First Sunday in Advent, 2014

Please click on the following link to hear the sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg given on the First Sunday in Advent, Sunday, November 30th, 2014:


Feast of St. Margaret of Scotland, 2014

The following link is the sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg given on the Feast of St. Margaret of Scotland, Sunday, November 16th, 2014:




Saturday, November 29, 2014

Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity 2014

The sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg given on the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity on Sunday, November 9th, 2014:



Please visit the website of St. Margaret of Scotland:

St. Margaret of Scotland

Please visit the website of the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit:

Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit

All Souls Day, 2014

Sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg given on November 2nd, 2014, All Souls Day


Please visit the website of St. Margaret of Scotland:

St. Margaret of Scotland

Please visit the website of the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit:

Holy Spirit Anglican Church

Sunday Next before Advent, November 23, 2014

Sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg given on the Sunday Next before Advent, Sunday, November 23, 2014

Please click on following link to hear the sermon:



Please visit the website of St. Margaret of Scotland:

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church

Please visit the website of the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit:

Holy Spirit in Greenfield, Indiana

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Feast of St. Margaret of Scotland, November 16th, 2014

Sermon given by Fr. Todd Bragg on Sunday, November 16th on the feast of St. Margaret of Scotland
November 16th, 2014
Sermon given at the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit, Greenfield, Indiana
and
St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church, Indianapolis, Indiana

Please click on the following link to hear Fr. Todd's sermon:


Please visit the following links to find out more about our churches:

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church

The Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit

Monday, October 27, 2014

Feast of Christ the King, 2014

Feast of Christ the King
Sunday, October 26th, 2014
Fr. Todd Bragg
St. Margaret Anglican Church
Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit


"Art Thou a king then?"  (St John 18)

Sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg, given on the Feast of Christ the King, Sunday, October 26th, 2014.

Please click on following link to listen to Fr. Todd's sermon:


Please visit the website of St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church:
http://indyanglican.blogspot.com/

Please visit the website of the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit:
http://anglicanholyspirit.blogspot.com/

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, October 12th, 2014

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity
Sunday, October 12th, 2014
Sermon given by Father Todd Bragg

The sermon given by Fr. Todd Bragg on the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity on Sunday, October 12th, 2014:




For more information about St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church, please visit:
http://indyanglican.blogspot.com/

For more information about the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit, please visit:
http://anglicanholyspirit.blogspot.com/

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Tempting the Lord . . . .

"Tempting the Lord . . ."
by Fr. Todd Bragg
September 28th, 2014

If we open up St. Matthew's Gospel and turn to the fourth chapter, we will hear St. Matthew recounting for us when Our Lord went out into the wilderness.  There, St. Matthew reminds us, that Our Lord was "tempted of the devil." (V. 1)  Now, of course, we have read this account many times over the course of our lives.  And it always struck me, personally, while reading this account that the devil was certainly very bold.  I mean, let's face it, the devil knew whom he was dealing with or else he would not have gone to the effort of doing what he did in the first place.  But that being said, it still was very bold of him to tempt Our Lord like he did.  You know the story, Our Lord went out into the wilderness for forty days and forty nights and then the devil tempted Him not once, not twice, but three separate times:  first, he tempted Him by telling Him to turn stones into bread; next, he tempted Him by daring Him to cast Himself from off the Temple; and, finally, the devil tempted Him by offering Him all the kingdoms of the world.  The bottom line is that Our Lord did not give in to any of these temptations and ultimately put the devil in his place:  "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God!" (V. 7)

Now, of course, this is exactly what we would expect the response to be from Our Lord.  There was really not ever any doubt that He would give in to any of these temptations.  But, we still go back to our original premise:  the devil was very bold to tempt Our Lord those three times.  We say to ourselves, "Devil, do you know who you are dealing with?"  "Surely, you don't or else you would not even try."  "Why would you even dare to tempt Our Blessed Saviour?!?!?"  "That doesn't make any sense . . . . "

No, it doesn't make sense.  But, on the other hand, do we ever tempt Our Lord?  I mean, when you think about it, have we ever gone back on our word with God?  What do you mean, Fr. Todd?  What are you talking about?  What I mean is this:  How many times have we sinned and we came to our senses and swore never to do it again.  But, then over time, we went back and committed the same exact sin all over again.  Just to go through the whole process again.  It's the same pattern all over again:  1) Commit Sin; 2) Come to our senses; 3) Repent of sin; 4) Ask God forgiveness;  5) Go back to step one . . . . Does this process sound familiar?  Have you ever gone through these steps in your life?  I know that I have.  It really doesn't matter what the sin is, the point is still the same.  There are things in life which we have a problem with and, yet, we persist in these behaviours over and over and over again.  And over and over, we also ask for forgiveness each and every time.  Only to, ultimately, go back and commit the sin all over again.  It's a frustrating pattern, to be sure.  And I am sure that the vast majority of those reading this know exactly what I'm talking about.  

But when you think about it in this light, aren't we tempting the Lord as well each and every time we commit a sin and then go back and do the same sin all over again after we have repented and asked forgiveness?  But, Fr. Todd, it's really NOT that easy!   I know it's not!  It's very hard!   I know from personal experience.  And, yet, we are called to true repentance.  God truly forgives us when we come to Him with true contrition  But we should do everything we should to keep from going to God and asking Him to forgive us for the same sins over and over and over again.  You see, each and every time, we commit the same sin over again . . . and each and every time we turn to the Lord for forgiveness . .. . . it becomes a little easier to commit the sin the next time, doesn't it?  "What the heck," you tell yourself, "God will forgive me . . . .  He always does."  And we give in to the temptation because we know deep down inside that God will forgive us "no matter what."  And, you know what?  God will forgive us "no matter what." But that is not the point.

The best way to stop the pattern described above and repeating the same exact sin over and over and over again . . . . is to change yourself from the inside out.  Give your hearts to God.  Transform your hearts and give them to God.  "And now, Israel, what doth the Lord Thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord Thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord Thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul." (Deuteronomy 10: 12)   We need to walk in His ways, love Him, and serve Him with all our heart and all our soul!  We need also stop "tempting" the Lord by seeing how many times He will forgive us for the same exact sin.  Instead of tempting, let's start transforming!  Difficult?  Most certainly but well worth the efforts!



Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2014

Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity
Sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg
given at St. Margaret Anglican Church
Sunday, September 28th, 2014

The sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg given on the 15th Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, September 28th, 2014 at St. Margaret Anglican Church in Indianapolis, Indiana:


For more information about St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church, please visit:
htp://indyanglican.blogspot.com/

For more information about the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit, please visit:
http://anglicanholyspirit.blogspot.com/

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Taking Time To Spend With God . . . .

Taking the Time to Spend With God

Reflections on Bishop James Mote.  When I think back to the years that I knew Bishop Mote, one of the lasting memories that I have was not one particular event or one specific conversation.  Rather, one of the lasting images that I have of Bishop Mote in my memory is simply seeing him in the second pew on the right hand side of the church as I would enter St. Edward the Confessor Cathedral in Indianapolis.  Bishop Mote would always sit in the same pew when he would come to church.  And I remember that he would have his Bible, and his prayer book, and he would also have a binder where he had listed all of the prayer intentions that he would pray for.  In other words, if you asked Bishop Mote to pray for you or if you had an intention that you wanted him to pray for, he would add you and your prayer intention to his binder and he would pray for you.  But like I say, the thing that I remember about Bishop Mote is that no matter how early I would get there to church, there was Bishop Mote always there in "his" pew, praying and spending time in front of the Blessed Sacrament:  praying the Rosary, for example, or reading Scripture, or just spending time with Our Lord in quiet meditation.   There is so much that each one of us can learn from this.   We all get so wrapped up in the "busy-ness" of life:  going to work; running errands; cleaning the house; getting supper prepared; going to the store; working on projects; etc.  And all of these things are important, I'm not saying that they aren't.  But there is something to be said for simply stopping what you are doing and taking time out of your busy day and just simply dedicate THAT time to God.  Take time out to read Scripture . . .  or pray the Rosary .. . .. or simply meditate.  Whatever you choose to do, the important point is to dedicate this time to God for His glory.


Tuesday, September 23, 2014

What are you hungry for?



What Are You Hungry For?
By Fr. Todd Bragg



I was reading an article today where the heart of the article focused on the following premise:  what people are searching for and what they are getting (or not getting, as the case may be) when searching for churches.  The one quotation that caught my attention was  "I'm just not getting fed."  It's funny to think about the fact that if you have not had anything to eat for a while, your mind starts to dwell on that fact and nothing else.  We focus on everything that we might want to eat:  pizza . . .  Chinese food . . .  spaghetti . . . Mexican  . . .  . fast food . . . fried chicken . . . a sandwich . . . And we finally make the decision as to what exactly we want and once we do . . . that's it.  We fixate on the food of choice until we get it.  And then finally we eat and we are satisfied. 




As Christians, we also have to be fed on a daily basis.  The article that I was mentioning at the beginning of this short essay of sorts was focused on pastors needing to feed their flock with the Word of God.  And this is certainly the truth.  People are hungry for the Word of God.  They want to hear what God is saying to them.  But pastors, priests, ministers, bishops, etc. can only do so much in a given week.  What I mean is that time is limited in what the priest or pastor can talk about in a given week.  If the average church service is, say, an hour  . . . an hour and a half . . . how much of that time is strictly the preaching of the priest or minister?  Fifteen minutes?  Twenty minutes?  More?  Less?  As my congregation will let you know, I don't time my preaching  . . . . . I just start in and see where God is leading me!  But even with that, I might get twenty minutes of preaching in on a given Saturday evening or Sunday morning.  Think about it.  Twenty-four hours in a day.  Seven days in a week.  By my calculation, that is One-Hundred and Sixty-Eight hours in a given week and the preacher gets fifteen, twenty, maybe thirty minutes of preaching out of all those hours.  That's not much time in comparison.  So that's why I say, in essence what the preacher is doing is planting the seed and leaving the rest to God.  




One of my favorite Scripture passages is from First Kings.  It is the passage where the Prophet Elijah is fleeing from Jezebel and Elijah "went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die: and said, it is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life: for I am not better than my fathers."  (I Kings 19:4


Then Elijah laid down and went to sleep and the angel of the Lord touched Elijah and "said unto him, Arise and eat."  (Verse 5)  And Elijah had seen where the angel of the Lord had placed there by his head water and food for him to eat.


And then Elijah laid down again,  . . . "And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat: because the journey is too great for thee."  (Verse 7)


This is certainly one of my all-time Scripture passages.  I think it is profound for a number of reasons: 




First,  God does indeed feed us.  He feeds us through the Word of God.  We Christians must be hungry for the Word of God.  In our society, there are so many different types of food to choose from:  pizza . . . Chinese food  . .  . Mexican food . . . fast-food . . . chicken . . . seafood . . . . etc.  Likewise, many people choose to get fed from different interests, desires, etc:  power, riches, money, fame, drugs, alcohol, etc.  People make choices where they eat and how they spend their time.  We, as Christians, have to make a choice as well:  we have to want to be fed by the Word of God.  And then make a point of studying the Word of God on a daily basis.  Get in the habit of reading the Bible every day. 




Secondly, God also feeds us through His Church.  God does not need our help but He desires us to help Him.  And as a result, He founded the Church here on earth.  And the Church distributes the Sacraments to the world.  And the Chief Sacrament is the Mass.  Come to Mass and receive the Precious Body and Blood of Our Blessed Saviour.  Our Lord loves us so much that He gives of Himself so that we can be nourished.  "Arise and eat: because the journey is too great for thee!"  Our Lord wants us to receive of the Sacraments of the Church as a physical and spiritual reminder that He is alive and well in the world.  The Sacraments help nourish and sustain us in the long journey we call "life." 




God gives us nourishment but we have to go find it.  God gives us food but we have to make the effort to get it.  God provides spiritual food and drink for our journey but we have to make the effort to obtain it.  Get a relationship with God.  Make Him the Lord and Master of your life.  Get in the habit of reading the Bible on a daily basis.  And take advantage of the Sacraments.  The same Lord Who said:  "This is My Body, This is My Blood" is the same Lord Who is awaiting for us to come and worship Him, to come and listen to Him, to come and receive Him when we come to church.




To find out more about St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church, please visit:


http://indyanglican.blogspot.com/




To find out more about the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit, please visit:


http://anglicanholyspirit.blogspot.com/







Sunday, September 21, 2014

Feast of Saint Matthew, 2014

Feast of Saint Matthew, Sunday, September 21st, 2014
Fr. Todd Bragg
St. Margaret Anglican Church
Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit


"I will have mercy; and not sacrifice . . . ."  (St. Matthew 9:9ff)

Sermon of Father Todd Bragg, given on the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle on Sunday, September 21st, 2014:


Please visit the website for St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church at:

http://indyanglican.blogspot.com/

Please visit the website for the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit at:

http://anglicanholyspirit.blogspot.com/

Monday, September 15, 2014

Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2014

JMJ

Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity
Sunday, September 14th, 2014
Sermon by Fr. Todd Bragg

Please feel free to click on the following link to hear the sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg given on the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, September 14th, 2014:


If you would like to find out more information about St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church, please visit the following website:

http://indyanglican.blogspot.com/

If you would like to find out more information about the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit, please visit the following website:

http://anglicanholyspirit.blogspot.com/


Sunday, September 7, 2014

Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, 2014

JMJ

Twelfth Sunday after Trinity
Sunday, September 7th, 2014
Sermon by Fr. Todd Bragg

Please feel free to click on the following link to hear the sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg given on the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, September 7th, 2014:


Please feel free to visit the website of St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church:
http://indyanglican.blogspot.com/

Please feel free to visit the website of the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit:
http://anglicanholyspirit.blogspot.com/


Monday, September 1, 2014

Fr Todd issues the "Holy Water Challenge"

Father Todd Bragg issued his "Holy Water Challenge" by challenging people to invite their friends, neighbors, family members, coworkers and even complete strangers to come to church!  Or, as Fr. Todd would like for it to be known, the "Plant a Seed" challenge!  Invite someone to come to church and plant the seed and leave the rest up to God!

When you take the "Holy Water" or "Plant a Seed" Challenge, you really benefit three people:

1) You benefit God by bringing more people to church to give Him honour and praise and invite more people to join the family of God to worship Him!

2) You benefit the person you invited to church by allowing them to hear the Word of God and allowing them to worship God in a very special way:  with their brothers and sisters in Christ!

3) Finally, you benefit yourself by bringing someone to church and by doing your part to preach the Gospel and let someone else know about God!

Take the "Holy Water Challenge" and invite someone to church:


Sermon for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity, 2014

Eleventh Sunday after Trinity
Sunday, August 31st, 2014
Sermon by Fr. Todd Bragg

Sunday sermon given at the Mass for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity.  Please click on the following link to hear Fr. Todd's sermon:

Sermon for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity

Also, please feel free to visit the following links:

St Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church

And, also please visit:

The Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit


Saturday, August 30, 2014

Take the "Plant a Seed" Challenge!!!

Join us this weekend for Mass! Invite a friend. Take the "Invite a Friend to Church" challenge: Forward this message . . invite a friend . . .. tell them about our church . . . and let God do the rest! Or perhaps we should call it, take the "Plant a Seed" challenge!

Two opportunities to hear Mass this weekend: once in Greenfield on Saturday evening and once in Indianapolis on Sunday morning!

In the Fifteenth Chapter of St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians, St. Paul is attempting to address a problem that is facing the church at Corinth: namely, that some of the members do not believe in the resurrection. He writes in verse 12: "Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say say some among you that there is no resurrection from the dead?" As a result, St. Paul is forced to confront this issue directly and this is the main purpose of this chapter. He begins this chapter by talking about what was passed on to him: "BRETHREN, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved." St. Paul is merely making the point that he is preaching what he received . . . he is passing along what was first given to him . . . he is sharing the knowledge that was shared with him. Friends, we have to believe in the Resurrection of Our Blessed Saviour because this is our share in eternity. Christ died on the Cross to save us from our sins but He also raised from the dead on the third day so that we can share eternal life with Him! If there are some that did not acknowledge the Resurrection back in Corinth . . . and if there be any people today that doubt the historical fact of the Resurrection .. . . . these people make God a liar. "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son." (I St. John 5:10). The Resurrection is our hope in this dreary world. The Resurrection is the "signpost" that we look forward to and follow. If we do not look forward to our resurrection, then what is the purpose of this life? So many people have the false belief that you live this life and then you die. Period. That's it. End of story. That is a very sad belief. Time and time again, we have seen examples of those who have been given the riches of the world, and it ultimately meant nothing. These poor souls were just as unhappy with their riches, if not even more unhappy.

St. Augustine of Hippo, whose feast-day we celebrated this week, discovered this fact. He was only happy for so long with the pleasures of the world. Each of the pleasures that he discovered did bring him happiness and comfort for a short time but he discovered that all of them eventually failed him in regards to bringing him lasting joy. In other words, the joy they brought him only lasted a short time. It was not until he discovered God that he realized that God is the ultimate joy. God brings the ultimate happiness. Whereas other pleasures of the world disappear after a while, the joy we find in God will never fail us. We can say the same thing in regards to the "Resurrection." If we give our hearts and our souls over to God, and do our best to live faithfully every day, we, too, will one day experience our resurrection and we will spend eternity in the Presence of Our Blessed Saviour. He has promised us and has shown us by His example.

Come join us on Saturday, August 30th, 2014 at 6:00 PM as we gather together for Mass. The Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit worships in the historic Chapel in the Park, directly east of downtown Greenfield at the corner of North Apple Street and Main Street. Find out more about Holy Spirit by visiting:

http://anglicanholyspirit.blogspot.com/



Mass is held on Sunday morning at 9:30 AM at St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church, which worships at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located on the northwest side of Indianapolis at 8140 N. Township Line Road. Find out about St. Margaret Church by visiting:

http://indyanglican.blogspot.com/



Join us as we listen to God's Word, listen to God speaking to us, worship God in traditional worship, and receive His Precious Body and Blood at Communion time.




Monday, August 25, 2014

Feast of St. Bartholomew


Feast of St. Bartholomew
August 24, 2014
Sermon given by Fr. Todd Bragg

The sermon given by Fr. Todd Bragg on the Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle, given the weekend of August 23-24, 2014, preached at the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit, Greenfield, IN and St. Margaret of Scotland, Indianapolis, IN.

Please go to the following link to hear Fr. Todd's sermon:





Sunday, August 17, 2014

Assumption (Transferred), August 16 and 17, 2014

Feast of the Assumption (Transferred)
Sermon given by Fr. Todd Bragg
Saturday, August 16th, 2014 at the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit, Greenfield, Indiana
and
Sunday, August 17th, 2014 at St. Margaret Anglican Church, Indianapolis, Indiana

The sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg given on the feast of the Assumption (Transferred), Saturday, August 16th, 2014 and Sunday, August 17th, 2014.  Please click on the following link to hear Fr. Todd's sermon:

Fr. Todd's Sermon on the Assumption


 




Sunday, August 10, 2014

Bishop Strawn's Visitation from August, 2014

Visitation of Bishop Strawn to Holy Spirit and St Margaret Parishes, August 9-10, 2014

His Grace, the Rt. Rev'd Stephen Strawn, bishop of the Diocese of the Missouri Valley visited two parishes in Indiana on August 10 and 11, 2014:  the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit in Greenfield, Indiana; and also St. Margaret of Scotland in Indianapolis.  This was actually Bishop Strawn's first visit to Indiana in two years due to the fact that there were scheduling conflicts in 2013 and, as a result, Bishop and Mrs. Williams visited in his place in 2013.

This was a "first" for Bishop Strawn in the fact that this was his first visit to the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit in Greenfield.  Mrs. Annette Strawn was unable to make the trip this year but the bishop's brother, Mr. Rick Strawn was able to join Bishop Strawn in the trip from Quincy to Indiana.





 (Pictured above:  Left, Mr. Rick Strawn; Right, Bishop Stephen Strawn)


Mass was scheduled for 5:00 PM on Saturday, August 9th, 2014 at the Chapel in the Park in Greenfield.  Bishop Strawn celebrated the Mass and preached the homily.  Assisting at Mass was the Rev'd Father Stephen Sommerrock and the Rev'd Father Todd Bragg.  Holy Spirit had very good attendance for Mass as many wonderful members turned out to welcome Bishop Strawn on his first visit to the parish.

After Mass was finished, the members went to the home of a member of Holy Spirit where we had a wonderful dinner in honour of the bishop and his brother.  Wonderful food; nice drinks; delicious desserts; and even better company was on tap where everyone seemed to enjoy themselves very much.  There were even members of St. Margaret Parish in Indianapolis on hand which accepted the invitation to join Holy Spirit for the dinner in honour of the bishop's visitation.

On Sunday, August 10th, 2014, Bishop Strawn made his visitation to St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Indianapolis.  It was a joyous event due to the fact, as mentioned above, that this was his first visit to the parish since 2012.  Bishop Strawn again celebrated the Mass along with preaching the sermon.  Assisting Bishop Strawn were:  The Rev'd Father Stephen Sommerrock; the Rev'd Father Todd Bragg; and Mr. Geoff Michels, Senior Warden.





(Pictured above:  Left to Right:  Mr. Geoff Michels; Mr. Rick Strawn; Bishop Strawn; Fr. Sommerrock)



After the sermon was finished, Mr. David Lovell was confirmed by Bishop Strawn.  David is a very faithful member of Holy Spirit Parish in Greenfield.  This was a pleasure for the members of St. Margaret to witness because this was the first confirmation we had at St. Margaret since we were in our old church on College Avenue.





(Pictured above:  Left Mrs. Jennifer Lovell; Center: Bishop Strawn; Right: Mr. David Lovell.    
Pictured Below:Bishop Strawn along with Mr. David Lovell)




After Mass was finished, a reception in honour of the bishop and his brother was hosted by St. Margaret Parish.   Again, wonderful food along with the opportunity for the members of St. Margaret Parish to visit with Bishop Strawn.












(Pictured above:  Father Todd Bragg along with His Grace, the Rt. Rev'd Stephen Strawn)

Monday, June 16, 2014

Whitsunday 2014

Whitsunday, Sunday, June 8th, 2014
Fr. Todd Bragg
St. Margaret Anglican Church

Indianapolis, Indiana

"And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a might rushing wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting"  (Acts, Chapter 2:1)

Sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg, given on Whitsunday (Pentecost), Sunday, June 8th, 2014, St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Please click on following link to listen to Fr. Todd's sermon:

Whitsunday, June 8th, 2014 Sermon

And if you need any information about Fr. Todd's parishes, please feel free to visit:

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Remembering Our Spiritual Fathers

JMJ

On this "Father's Day," we are prone to think about our earthly fathers, our biological fathers, or perhaps even a step-father.  We think about the fathers and the father-figures in our life . . .  the men who did their best to raise us . . .  to nurture us . . .  to provide for us . .  . those men who did what they could to raise us up the best that they could.

Thinking about my own wonderful father and my grandfather on my mother's side, whom I loved very much and have missed for over 30 years . . . . I never knew my paternal grandfather because he died long before I was ever born . . . . anyway, thinking about my father and my grandfather and even my uncle who has influenced my life in such a wonderful way . . . thinking about these men who have had such influence over my life caused me to think of all the other men who have had such influence in my life:  the wonderful priests and even bishops who have had such an impression on me throughout my life and have had such an impact on me.

In his later years, after he had moved back to his hometown of Indianapolis, I had the wonderful good fortune of getting to know Bishop James Mote.  I would spend time with Bishop Mote on almost a daily basis;  whether it be attending Mass with him; going to dinner with him; taking him back to his apartment; going to breakfast on Saturday mornings with him after Mass to "Just Judy's" on 54th Street in Indianapolis.  There were many opportunities for me to spend time with Bishop Mote during the last few years of his life.  I was very blessed, to say the least.

One of the things that Bishop Mote did was to talk .  . . .  and tell stories . . .  and I loved hearing all of them . . . even if some of them I did hear quite a few times over and over again.  But one of the things that Bishop Mote loved to talk about was his time spent at his beloved parish in Denver, St. Mary's.  In fact, Bishop Mote would tell me many stories about the founder of St. Mary's:  Fr. Gustav Lehman.  As a matter of fact, Bishop Mote told me so many stories about Fr. Lehman that I felt like I knew Fr. Lehman personally.  Obviously, from the fact that Bishop Mote told so many stories about Fr. Lehman, it is evident that Fr. Lehman played a great role in Bishop Mote's life.  Fr. Lehman certainly helped to mold the priest and the future bishop in his beginning years as an assistant priest at St. Mary's in Denver.

Well, just like Fr. Lehman must have greatly affected Bishop Mote, I discovered the same thing about in regards to Bishop Mote having a great influence on me.  Bishop Mote did show me how to be a true priest through not really so much his words, but really by his example . . . the example of the way he lived his life.  He was a humble priest, a man of God, not only a shepherd but a servant as well.  He was a prayerful man and one who stood up for his principles as well.  He put his money where his mouth was, in other words, to use the vernacular term.

But Bishop Mote was not the only priest or bishop who has been a big influence in my life.  There have been so many wonderful priests that I have known over my years that have done so much for me . . .  to influence me . . . to help form me . . .  to guide me . . . . and even to pray for me.   In addition to Bishop Mote, I also remember Bishop Joseph Deyman, former ACC bishop of the Diocese of the Midwest, who welcomed Frances and I with open arms when we started attending St. Edward's in Indianapolis.  I think of the former pastors of parishes where I worked as a seminarian:  Fr. Andrew Hanlon, rector of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in West Philly.  He opened his rectory to me and let me live there for three years while I was a seminarian in need of a place to live.  There was also Fr. James Balderick, rector of Epiphany Parish in Norristown, PA, who took me under his wing and taught me what it was like to be a priest . . .  . he was truly a humble servant of God, if there ever was one, a true priest.

While these priests and bishops have all departed this life, there are still others who have had a great influence on my life and have shown me what it is like to be a priest:  Bishop Stephen Strawn, current bishop of the Diocese of the Missouri Valley, who welcomed me into the ACA and his diocese when I was called by the people of St. Margaret's to become their rector.  He is another example of someone who is down to earth and is servant in addition to shepherd.  There is also His Grace, Bishop Larry Shaver, Bishop of the APA Diocese of Mid-America.  Through his visits to St. Margaret's, I have gotten to know this wonderful man of God, who is to me very humble, prayerful, and a staunch believer in unity.

These men of God that I have mentioned have either directly or indirectly helped me to be not only the priest I have become today but also the Christian I have become.  All of us, whether ordained or laity, can look to examples of wonderful, prayerful priests, bishops and deacons who have done so much to influence our lives.  They have guided us . . . nourished us . . .  prayed for us . . .  provided us with the Sacraments.  These good and holy priests truly are our "spiritual fathers" because they have been there for us as well.  So, for all of these men, let us take an opportunity to remember them . . . to thank them . . . and to say a prayer of thanksgiving for them . . .  in return for all they have done for us!

God bless the good and holy priests that we have known in our lives!


Saturday, June 7, 2014

Whitsunday, Sunday, June 8th, 2014

Whitsunday, Sunday, June 8th, 2014

In today's Gospel from St. John, we hear the following:  " . . . . If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." (St. John 14:15 ff)  Today we celebrate the feast of Whitsunday, or Pentecost.  Although I am sure that it would not  be liturgically correct, but outside of that it would certainly be appropriate to sing "Happy Birthday" at today's Mass because this is considered to be the "birthday of the Church" when the Holy Ghost descended upon those assembled in that upper room:  "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting." (Acts 2:1 ff)   Without a doubt, as we hear described here in the Second Chapter of the Acts of the Apostle, the whole house was filled, and the sound was like a great rushing, mighty wind.  But, again, it states that the "house was filled."  " . . . .  and it filled the house . . . ."  But they were filled also with the Holy Ghost because we hear in Verse 4:  "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost . .  ." (Acts 2:4)  

God has the ability to fill us up as well . . . but we have to allow Him.  God has the power to fill us with His Presence . . .  but we first have to be open.  God can come into our lives and empower us . . . but we have to be willing.   You see, God can do all things.  Obviously, we know this is true because He created the universe and everything in it.  But God will not come into our hearts without being invited first.  Just like the Apostles and the Blessed Mother, we need to be open to God coming into our hearts and our souls and our lives . . . . "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost" . . .   We, too, just like them can be filled with the Holy Ghost but two things have to happen first:  1) We need to invite God into our hearts and be open to Him;  2) We need to empty our hearts to make room for the Holy Ghost to come in.  You see, if we need to move something into the closet, such as jackets or sweaters or clothes, for example, we first have to make room in the closet for the new items we are moving there.  In other words, if the closet is already packed full of other things, you can not very well move anything else in there.  Make room in the closet so that you will have room for the new items.  In a similar way, how can the Holy Ghost find a place in our heart if our heart is already packed full with love of things of this life; love of things of this world; love of self; etc.  Clear your heart first of these things and then there will be ample room for the Holy Ghost to have a place in your heart.

Join us for Mass on Whitsunday as we celebrate the birthday of the Church.  Come gather with us at Mass and ask the Holy Ghost to fill your heart:  to give you knowledge; to enlighten you; to empower you; to lead you closer to your Heavenly Father.   Mass begins at 9:30 AM.  We celebrate Mass in the Chapel of Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Join us as we sing, worship and honour God; as we hear the Word of God spoken to each one of us; and also receive the Precious Body and Blood of Christ at communion time.  

If you want to find out more about our parish, please visit our website at:

http://indyanglican.blogspot.com/


Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Ascension Sunday, June 1st, 2014


Ascension Sunday, Sunday, June 1st, 2014
Fr. Todd Bragg
St. Margaret Anglican Church

Indianapolis, Indiana

"Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?"  (Acts, Chapter 1)

Sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg, given on Ascension Sunday, Sunday, June 1st, 2014, St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Please click on following link to listen to Fr. Todd's sermon:



Fifth Sunday after Easter, Sunday, May 25, 2014

Fifth Sunday after Easter, Sunday, May 25th, 2014
Fr. Todd Bragg
St. Margaret Anglican Church

Indianapolis, Indiana

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only" (St. James, Chapter 1)

Sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg  from the Fifth Sunday after Easter, Sunday, May 25th, 2014, given at St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church, at the Chapel at Marquette Manor, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Please click on the following link to hear Fr. Todd's sermon:




Please visit our website:

Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Presentation of the Lord

Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, Sunday, February 2nd, 2014
Fr. Todd Bragg
St. Margaret Anglican Church

Indianapolis, Indiana

" For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation."  (St. Luke 2:22ff)

In this second chapter of St. Luke's Gospel, St. Luke is kind enough to share with us three different religious customs that the Holy Family took part in.  Just prior to the where the Gospel began in Mass today, we heard about the Circumcision of Our Lord and the Naming of the Child Jesus.  Then in today's Gospel passage, we heard about the Presentation of the Child Jesus and the Purification of the Blessed Mother.

We hear in verse 22 of today's Gospel:  "And when the days of her purification . . ." St. Luke cites Leviticus 12:2:  "Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, if a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child, then she shall be unclean seven days."  Hence, St. Mary was fulfilling the law in her Purification in the Temple.  

Also, we hear of the Presentation of the Child Jesus.  This custom is mentioned as well in Exodus 13:2:  "Sanctify unto Me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel both of man and beast; it is Mine."   Here, the Lord reminds all the children of Israel that the firstborn, whether it be of man or of beast, belong to Him.  Some commentators believe that possibly this went back to pre-Jewish customs/practices where the first born would be offered up in sacrifice.  When we think of Abraham and his offer to sacrifice his son, this may not be too hard to imagine.  Other commentators believe that offering up the first born to God is showing dedication to God and appreciation for the gift of life that is represented in our children.  It is certainly something to think about:  i.e., God gives life to us and we offer it back to the same God who bestowed it upon us.  Isn't this what Christianity all about or what it should be about?

St. Luke reminds us that St. Joseph and St. Mary offered up two turtle doves as their offering to the Temple.  This tells us that that the Holy Family was actually poor because normally the offering was supposed to be a lamb, unless you were poor, then you were directed to sacrifice two turtle doves.

Now this brings us to Simeon.  As we have talked about in the past, the children of Israel were expecting the arrival of the Messiah but as we have discussed they were expecting the Messiah to be very powerful and to come with great armies and to help establish Israel as a geographic super power over all their enemies.

There were, on the other hand, certain people who were constant in prayer; in humble adoration; and faithful expectation.  These people were known as the "Quiet in the Land" and they humbly prayed for the coming of the Messiah and did not really focus too much on the political ramifications of His Coming.  This was Simeon.  He humbled himself before God daily in the Temple and the Holy Ghost had told him that he would not see death until he had laid eyes on the Messiah.  Thus, we can only envision Simeon and his excitement when he laid eyes on the Child Jesus and he knew this was the Messiah, so long awaited.  He presented the Child Jesus in the Temple and he blessed God for the Gift that He had bestowed not only on Israel, but on all of mankind!

Afterward, Simeon spoke to St. Mary.  What he stated can be broken down into four things.

1)  "Jesus will be the cause of many to fall."  Keep in mind that God never causes anyone to fall.  Why would He send His Only Begotten Son into the world to save the world if He wanted the world to fall?  We cause ourselves to fall by not accepting Jesus as our own personal Saviour.

2)  "Jesus will be the cause of many to rise."  Those who rise will be the ones to accept Jesus as their personal Saviour . . .  those who rise will be the ones who follow God in His commandments . . . those who rise will be the ones who follow Our Lords directives to "love one another as I have loved you."  "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things?  Prudent, and he shall know them?  For the ways of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them; but the transgressors shall fall therein." (Hosea 14:9)

3) "Jesus will be met with much opposition."  If we look throughout the Gospels, we soon see that this third point was certainly an understatement, to say the least.  But we should remind ourselves that if Our Blessed Saviour Himself faced so much opposition, we should not be surprised in the least when being a Christian will bring us opposition.  If you doubt me, just make a point to stand up for God.  Make a point to stand up for something you believe in.  Make a point to defend someone who you see being picked on.  Make a point to stand up for your convictions and pretty soon you will find all sorts of opposition.

4)  Simeon said to St. Mary that  "a sword shall pierce through your own soul."  When you think of all the people who ever lived, who do you think was the happiest person in the history of the world?  If you would ask me, it was Our Lady.  When you think about it, she was in the presence of God for over thirty years.  This was her Son.  She lived with Him, raised Him, cared for Him, ate with Him, worked with Him, enjoyed life with Him.  She saw Him grow from a baby to a boy to a man.  And while she spent so many wonderful times with Him, her heart was also broken as well.  When she could not find Him and found Him teaching in the Temple.  When she saw her Son mocked and ridiculed.  When she saw Him cruelly scourged at the pillar and made to carry His own Cross.  And, finally, when she saw Him die an agonizing death on the Cross.  Each one of times, as Simeon predicted, a sword pierced her heart and her soul.

We should learn from this lesson that even after we dedicated our lives to God, we know that there will be times when we will be tried . . . when we will be persecuted . . . when we will face challenges . . . when we will be mocked for our beliefs . .  and yet, just like the Blessed Mother, God was with her in the good times and the bad.  And, she remained faithful to Him as well in the good times and the bad.  The same can be said for us that we should remain faithful to God no matter what . . .  in the good times and the bad.