Join us for Mass on Sunday, August 30, 2015

Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, August 30th, 2015

Everyone loves to get presents, don't they?  But have you ever noticed that it is even nicer to give a present to someone we love?  It might be for a special event such as a birthday or a graduation.  Or it might be for no reason at all.  The fun is in giving the item to our loved one and see the joy in their face as they open their gift.  I have had occasions where I have seen something that made me think of the other person and I just HAD to buy it for that other person.  And then I can't wait to give it to them because I just knew how much they would love it.  You can tell when someone loves their gift, can't you?  You can see it in their expression, in their face, you can hear it in their words, you can feel their excitement.

In the Tenth Chapter of St. Luke's Gospel, St. Luke reminds us that Our Lord is speaking privately to His disciples when He tells them:  "BLESSED are the eyes which see the things that ye see: for I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them" (St. Luke 10:23)  In essence, Our Blessed Saviour is telling the disciples of the wonderful gift that has bestowed on them:  that they have seen the long awaited Messiah with their own eyes.  As Our Lord stated, prophets, kings, people from all stations of life have been praying for the day in which they see the Messiah but they now see Him with their own eyes.  "Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see!"   Our Lord could be saying that very statement to us as well.  Our eyes are blessed to have seen what we have seen.  You see, we have witnessed God at work in our own lives.  We have seen the blessings He has bestowed on us throughout our entire life.  We have been witness to God's love being bestowed on us on a daily basis.

Sometimes we don't appreciate what we have.  That old saying goes something like:  "You don't appreciate what you have until you lose it" or something along those lines.  Sometimes we have been given a gift that we don't fully appreciate.  When it comes to things of God, I don't think it is the case that we do not appreciate the blessings.  In my opinion, I think it would be more accurate to say that our attention is focused on other worldly things such as possessions and material things.  We get distracted by the things of the world, in other words.   We get too caught up in our ways of the world and leave God behind.  It's almost as if we leave God wrapped up in a nice box and keep Him up on the shelf just in case we need Him.  But Jesus is telling the disciples and He is reminding us as well:  "Blessed are the eyes which see those things that ye see!"  Make a point to see the ways in which God has worked in your life.  Make a point to search for God.  Make a point to consider carefully all the ways in which God has blessed you throughout your life.  We have been blessed by God in more ways than we will ever know.  But until we make a point to acknowledge those blessings, those blessings that God has given us will continue to be unnoticed and/or unappreciated.

Please consider joining us for Mass.  Come hear the Word of God found in the King James Version of the Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Consider setting aside an hour of your week where you can dedicate that time solely to God.  Come hear the Word of God.  Listen to God speaking to you directly and hear what He has to say for YOU!  Receive the Precious Body and Blood at Communion time to be strengthened and nourished for your journey!

Two opportunities to hear Mass on Sunday, August 30th, 2015:

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church worships each and every Sunday at 9:30 AM.  We worship at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

The Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit worships every Sunday at 1:00 PM.  We worship in the beautiful, historic First Presbyterian Church, located at 116 W. South Street, at the corner of South and Pennsylvania, in Greenfield, Indiana.

Sermon for Assumption, 2015

The sermon of Fr. Todd given on the Feast of the Assumption (Transferred), delivered on Sunday, August 16th, 2015

Sermon for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity, 2015

The sermon of Fr. Todd delivered on Sunday, August 9th, 2015, the Tenth Sunday after Trinity.

Join us for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, August 23rd, 2015

Humility is a very good thing.  I have learned that lesson (and re-learned it!) the hard way.  Very often it seems that when my head gets too big  . .  .  and I get full of myself . . .  . without fail, it seems at that point that I do something stupid and I get knocked back down to earth.  Perhaps that has happened to you a time or two.  And at that point, we just stand there and shake our head and say to ourselves:  "why in the world did I do that?"  There is nothing wrong with being confidant in ourselves or in our ability.  There is nothing wrong with even being proud of what we have done or what we have accomplished in life.  But as with everything, even this must be done with moderation, number one, and for the Christian, an understanding where our strength comes from.  St. Paul wrote in the Second Letter to the Corinthians:  "not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves"  And then he goes on to emphasize the point:  " . .. . but our sufficiency is of God. . . ." (2 Corinthians 3:4)   St. Paul wanted to remind the Church at Corinth that if we have riches, it is because God provided those riches;  if we have abilities or strengths or skills, it is only because God has provided each one of us with what we are good at; if we have a roof over our head and food on our table every day, it is because God provides.  Our Heavenly Father provides for all of His children.  Those who are practicing, committed Christians acknowledge this fact.  But, quite frankly,  sometimes we forget or over look that fact.  You see, it's difficult sometimes for us to always acknowledge God as we should because, quite frankly, we get all caught up in our busy schedules, our busy life styles.  This is why I always emphasize that relationships take effort.  You have to work at a relationship.  In a relationship, we have to make time for our loved ones.  In a relationship, we have to make time for those we love.  We have to make a point to show love to those whom we love.  This is true of our relationship with God as well.  We have to make a point to acknowledge the gifts that God have bestowed upon us; we have to show God and tell God how much we love Him; and, finally, we have to spend time with God every day.  Many of us have the tendency to only go to God when we need help with something.  Make a point to go to God every day.  Speak to God every day.  Tell God how much you love Him every day.  And, finally, take a lesson from St. Paul and never forget that our sufficiency is of God.  Acknowledge the fact that everything we have:  our life; our knowledge; our strengths; our health; our possessions . . . .  everything we have is made possible by our Heavenly Father.  Give Him thanks and show Him love on a daily basis.

There are two opportunities to hear Mass on Sunday, August 23rd, 2015:

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church meets every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM. We celebrate Mass at the beautiful Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

The Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit meets every Sunday  at 1:00 PM.  We celebrate Mass at the beautiful, historic First Presbyterian Church, which is located at 116 South Street, the corner of Pennsylvania and South Streets in Greenfield, Indiana.  

Join us for Mass as we gather together to worship Our Heavenly Father.  Join us as we listen to the Word of God found in the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Join us as we hear God speaking to each one of us.  And, finally, join us as we receive the Precious Body and Blood of Christ at Communion time.

Join us on August 16, 2015 for Assumption (Transferred)

Feast of the Assumption (Transferred), 

Sunday, August 16th, 2015

I am sure each one of us has met someone who, despite all else, always seems to be joyful no matter what.  Have you ever met someone who, despite everything else, always seems to be happy?  Whether it be a close relative or loved one; a neighbor; a coworker; or someone who helps us at the store we shop in.  All of us have met someone who always seem to be joyful no matter what.  That is because joy is something that is found "inside" of us and not "outside" of us.  This distinction may seem somewhat strange but let me clarify what I mean.  So much of the world find their "joy" on things that are "outside" of us.  In other words, they find their joy in material possessions such as cars, or clothing, or electronics, or money, etc.  But these things that I just described can be taken away from us.  They can be stolen, or they can break,  or they can go out of style, etc.  Contrast this with joy that is deep within us.  This joy is inside of us.  This joy is found in our heart.  This joy can NEVER be taken away from us, no matter what.  It can not be stolen from us or taken away from us . . .  it will never break . . . . and it will never, ever go out of style.  A joyful person will not let the obstacles of the world get in the way of their joy and happiness.   

If we look back to the Old Testament book of Isaiah, we hear the following:  "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God" (Isaiah 61:7ff)  Our Blessed Mother is just such a person.  Despite all of the hardships she endured, despite all of the questions that she had, despite even the sorrow she had when she saw her Son beaten and killed, she still had the joy of God in her heart.  This is the lesson that Our Lady, and all of the wonderful saints, quite frankly, can teach us :  that joy is a condition that is found  inside of us and can never be taken away.  When we have the joy of God in our hearts, it can never be stolen; it will never rust away; it will never wear out.  The joy that God gives to us grows stronger and stronger as we mature, (mature physically, yes, but more importantly, mature spiritually!)  And true joy in God becomes a strong foundation that will never be shaken no matter what befalls us.  Thus, even when bad things happen (e.g., we get sick, we have stacks of bills, we lose our job, etc), our foundation of joy in God will always overshadow everything else that may befall us.  The love of God that we have in our hearts is something that comes from within us and "spills out" over into the rest of our life and this is what people describe as "joy!" 

Two opportunities to hear Mass on Sunday, August 16, 2015 for the Transferred Feast of the Assumption:

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church celebrates Mass at the Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Mass begins at 9:30 AM.

The Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit celebrates Mass at the First Presbyterian Church, which is located at the corner of Pennsylvania and South Streets near downtown Greenfield.  Mass begins at 1:00 PM on Sunday.

 Join us as we listen to Holy Scripture, hear the Word of God preached, and receive Our Precious Lord in Holy Communion.  A Coffee Hour follows Mass.

Join us for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity on Sunday, August 9th, 2015

Tenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, August 9th, 2015

St. Luke tells us of Our Lord's triumphal entry to Jerusalem in the Nineteenth chapter of his gospel.  Now, keep in mind that all four of the evangelists tell about this event in their respective gospels but in St. Luke's Gospel, we hear something that is not found in the other three.  ". . . he beheld the city, and wept over it " (St. Luke 19:41)  In other words, St. Luke is describing the fact that as Our Lord beheld the great city of Jerusalem, as He saw it, He began to weep, . . .  . He began to cry.  Now we cry for a multitude of reasons, don't we?  We can cry out of sadness.  We can cry out of frustration.  We can cry even when we are happy . . .  they are called "tears of joy."  Our Lord was crying for all of the above reasons, it seems to me.  He was crying because He was sad.  Sad at the fact that the people wasted so much time and energy on useless pursuits instead of pursuing a relationship with God.  He cried too out of frustration because He knew that despite all of the best efforts of the prophets, despite the efforts of St. John the Baptist and all the holy men and women of God, and, now, despite the best efforts of the Son of God Himself, despite all these efforts and energies, people still turned their back on God!  And, finally, Our Lord was crying with some joy in His heart because He knew that there is hope for all those that He saw.  Our Lord is the hope of the world!  Our Blessed Saviour is the remedy for all the illnesses of the world.  He is the Way, the Truth and the Life!  

As parents, we want the absolute best for our children.  In particular, we want them to have the best "future" that they possibly can with the best job, with the best home, with the best spouse, etc.  We want them to be happy but we don't want them to settle for the "second best."  But, as parents, we still need to let our children live their own life when they grow up.  As babies, as children, we have to make decisions on their behalf but when they grow up, they have to live their own life.  And, sometimes, as parents, we are disappointed in the choices that our children make.  It grieves us and frustrates us as parents because we don't want our children to settle for "second best."  This is why Our Lord was crying for the children of Jerusalem because He knew that they could have so much more by following God but instead they settled for "second best."  And Our Lord certainly knew that despite the fact that He died on the Cross many souls would still choose to turn their back on God.  Let us never turn our back on God.  Let us never settle for "second best."  Let us always choose the "best" way of life . .  . and that is a personal relationship with Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!

Two opportunities to join us for Mass on Sunday, August 9th, 2015:

Join us for Mass at St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church.  Mass begins at 9:30 AM on Sunday morning.  St. Margaret worships at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  

Join us for Mass at the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit on Sunday, August 9th, 2015 as we celebrate the Tenth Sunday after Trinity.  Mass begins at 1:00 PM.  Holy Spirit celebrates Mass at the beautiful First Presbyterian Church  which is located at 116 W. South Street, at the corner of South and Pennsylvania Streets in Greenfield, Indiana. 

Sermon for the Eighth Sunday after Trinity, 2015

The sermon given by Fr. Todd Bragg on Sunday, August 26th, 2015, the Eighth Sunday after Trinity.

You can listen to the sermon by clicking on the following link:

Sermon for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity, 2015

The sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg, given on Sunday, July 19th, 2015, the Seventh Sunday after Trinity.

Listen to the sermon of Fr. Todd by clicking on the following link:

Join us for the Ninth Sunday After Trinity, August 2nd, 2015

Ninth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, August 2nd, 2015

As it has come to be known, the story of the "Prodigal Son" is certainly one of the most famous stories in all of Holy Scripture, if not the most famous.   There are so many aspects of this story that it is hard to pin it down to just one thing.  Of course the story revolves around the son who decides that he would rather have the inheritance "now" rather than "later."  And as a result he spends his inheritance on lavish living and then finds himself afterwards broke, and living in squalor.  And ultimately he comes back home with the intent of begging forgiveness from his father.  In my opinion, the most wonderful part of the whole story comes at about the midway point of the story:  "But when (the son) was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."  (St. Luke 15:20)  If you notice, Our Lord tells us that the son was still a great way off when the father saw his son.  This implies to me that the father was on the "look-out" for his son.  And then when the father did finally see his son, he ran to him.  The father did not wait for the son to come to him.  He not only went to the son.  He went running to meet his son.  

This story of the Prodigal Son is really the story of humanity.  Humanity is the "prodigal son."  We have been given the gift of life.  We have been given the gift of salvation.  But not content with these two gifts we spend our "inheritance" also on riotous living as well.  We want to live life our own way and rarely bring God into our day to day living.  And just like the prodigal son in the story, we only think about God when we need Him or when we find ourselves in desperation.  And it is  then that we go to Him for help.  Like the loving father in the story, though, Our Heavenly Father also waits for us.  Our Heavenly Father comes running to us.  But He came running to sinful mankind in the form of His Son.  He sent His Son to rescue fallen mankind from their sinfulness and pride.  God is always on the lookout for us.  He not only waits for us . . . . . He looks for us to return to Him.  He is always ready to forgive, ready to bring us back, ready to love us and embrace us.  

Join us on Sunday, August 2nd, 2015 as we not only celebrate the Ninth Sunday after Trinity, but we also welcome the visit of His Grace, the Rt. Rev'd Stephen Strawn and Mrs. Strawn, who will join us for the bishops annual visitation to our parish.  Bishop Strawn will preach and celebrate Mass for us.  Please join us as we welcome the bishop and listen to what he has to say to us.  

There will be two opportunities to hear Mass and meet Bishop and Mrs. Strawn on Sunday, August 2nd, 2015:

St. Margaret of Scotland meets at 9:30 AM.  We worship in the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  

The Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit's Mass begins at 1:00 PM  We celebrate Mass at the beautiful First Presbyterian Church, which is located at the corner of South and Pennsylvania Streets in Greenfield, Indiana.  The address is 116 W. South Street, near downtown Greenfield.