First Sunday of Advent, December 3rd, 2017

First Sunday of Advent, December 3rd, 2017

"OWE no man any thing, but to love one another" (Romans 13:8)

If you have ever applied for a loan from a bank, you will soon find out how many "hoops" you have to jump through in order to borrow the money you need.  You have to provide documentation of every sort:  copies of your ID; copies of bills that you currently have; copies of mortgage statements; copies of your latest paychecks.  You have to go though background checks and they need to verify who you are.  This is certainly understandable considering that banks can not go around handing out buckets of cash to anyone and everyone that walks in off the street.  But after a while, it becomes frustrating because you get the feeling that you are jumping through endless hoops.  The same process happens when you purchase a car, a house, apply for a credit card, etc.  That being said, it would be easy for me as a preacher to use the words of St. Paul in Romans 13:8--"OWE no man any thing, but to love one another" and say how simple and easy it is to love one another compared to getting a loan as described above.  But is it really that simple to go out and "love" someone?  How about showing love to our enemies?  How about loving those whom we are not fond of?  Is it ever easy to show love to those who have done wrong to us?  How about family members or even spouses that irritate us from time to time?  Is it that easy to show them love and to love them?  Yes, it's easy to show love to those that are lovable but it is definitely a challenge to love those who are not easy to love.  Now what does all this have to do with the season of Advent?  It is in the season of Advent that we prepare for the coming of the Divine Child born in Bethlehem.  Advent is a time that we prepare for the birth of the Messiah, the personification of pure love.  It was at Bethlehem that He was born to begin His earthly journey towards the hill at Calvary.  He died on the Cross for all . . .. not just for those who liked Him . . .  not just for those who loved Him.  He died on the Cross even for those despised Him . ..  who hated Him.  Our Blessed Saviour came to save all from their sins; a feat we could never achieve by ourselves.  So Advent is a time to prepare our hearts for Our Saviour.   No, it is not always easy to love but it is something as Christians that we are commanded to do.  So, this Advent season, let us prepare our hearts and do our best to show love to all . .. .  even to those that it is not easy to do.  This is something that Our Lord did and it is something that He wants us to do.  Showing love is not always easy but it is necessary if we want to call ourselves Christian.  

St. Margaret Anglican Church meets every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM at the beautiful Chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

Join us as we listen to the Word of God found in the King James Version of the Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Join us as we worship Our Heavenly Father as His family here on earth.  Come receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of Our Blessed Saviour at Communion time so that you can be nourished and fortified for the week ahead.