Sixth Sunday after Trinity, July 28th, 2019

Sixth Sunday after Trinity, July 28th, 2019

Most people do not want to go through the trials and tribulations of life.  We just want to enjoy the good things.  On the other hand, I would say that most folks who have lived life for a while understand that you have to go through trials and tribulations in order to enjoy good things.  If you want to re-do the middle room in your house, to use that as an example, you have to go through the hassle of moving everything around; getting the materials such as paint, etc.; do the painting; etc.  It is only in going through all the hard work do you enjoy the end result.  This is true of just about everything when you come down to it.  I can't enjoy my delicious, home-made lasagna without shopping for all the ingredients, messing up the kitchen during preparation, and then cleaning up afterwards.  Even working on being "debt-free" involves hard work and sacrifice:  not going out as much; staying home more; limit your spending; etc.  But in the end your sacrifices are well worth it by getting rid of your outrageous credit card bills.  I've only named a few examples but we can all come up with examples of our own.  Enjoying life usually comes with a price tag.  If I want to take a vacation in Florida, it will usually involve working some overtime, setting some money aside, and not spending as much on other things we would normally enjoy in the meantime.   Negative and Positive .  .  .  Sacrifice and Reward . . .   Hard Work and Satisfaction . . . . Typically, these are all two sides of the same coin when you think about it.  But as I said most folks would rather skip past the hard work and go right to the enjoyment part.  Why do you think credit card companies make so much profit?  They realize that people don't want to scrimp and save and make sacrifices in order to save for what they want.  They want it now . . . .  whether they have the money to pay for it or not.  

St. Paul writes to the Romans:  "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection"   (Romans 6:5)  St. Paul is pointing out that we are called to follow Christ in all aspects of our life.  St. Paul is pointing out that we first have to die to our old self if we are going to be re-born as a new creature.  Giving up old ideas.  Dying to old lusts and desires.  Doing away with former ways of doing things.  Again, it is very much like that middle room I described as needing a much-needed remodeling.  We need to take everything out and clean it out and then the new things get put in.  A new Christian has to be remodeled as well.  New thoughts; new perspectives on life; new priorities in place; Living for God instead of living just for yourself; etc.  And very often this dramatic change in living and approaching life takes a lot of work . .  . and patience . . . . and dedication.  And when  it doesn't work out  . . . . in the first five minutes or so . . .  we give up.  This is because we have become a generation, a society that wants everything NOW!  "I wanted that five minutes ago!"   "Give it to me NOW!"  Being a Christian takes fortitude.  Being a Christian takes dedication.  Being a Christian takes patience.  This last one is because we are going to mess up.  We are going to make mistakes.  We're human, after all, aren't we?  But the efforts are worth it.  The benefits are outstanding.   Following Christ takes hard work.  It takes effort on our behalf.  But Christ did the same thing for us.  He carried the Cross to Calvary loaded down with our sins.    The glories of Easter morning never could have been possible without the events on Good Friday.  Aren't you grateful that Christ was willing to endure the bad so that we can enjoy the good?

   St. Margaret of Scotland  Church worships every Sunday morning at the Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located on the Northwest side of Indianapolis at 8140 N. Township line Road.  Mass begins at 9:30 AM.  Come join us for traditional worship.  We use the King James Bible along with the Anglican Missal and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  We gather together to join as God's family to listen to His Word and worship Him and receive Him in His Precious Body and Blood.  Please join us for Mass and then stay with us afterward for our delicious Coffee Hour.

Fifth Sunday after Trinity, July 21st, 2019

Fifth Sunday after Trinity, July 21st, 2019

In the Fifth Chapter of St. Luke's Gospel we hear the story of when Our Blessed Saviour first met St. Peter.  This, of course, when he was still the fisherman known as Simon.   Now, Our Lord requested help from St. Peter because the crowd was so great that He wanted as many people to hear Him as possible.  Thus, the favor which He sought from St. Peter was to let Him preach from his small ship in order that He would not be hemmed in by the multitude and more people could hear Him.  Now, when Our Lord was done teaching He intended to pay back the kindness to St. Peter for letting Him use the ship.  You see, St. Peter had toiled all night long and had not caught any fish.  St. Peter tried every which way to catch some fish and he just could not do it that night.  But when Our Lord told St. Peter to cast out their nets, they pulled back a catch that was beyond belief.  St. Peter could not believe his eyes.  St. Peter had witnessed with his own eyes an astonishing miracle which was so amazing to him.  St. Peter had worked so hard all night to catch nothing but Our Lord made it look so easy.  Our Lord rewards us with far more than we ever deserve:  He gives us life; He blesses us; He provides for us; He gives us redemption through His death on the Cross; He gives us the opportunity to have everlasting life with Him in Heaven.  All we have to do is give our heart to Him and follow Him.  Our Lord promised St. Peter great things.  Our Lord said that St. Peter would go on to catch men for God.  St. Peter was willing to follow Jesus.  St. Peter was willing to give his heart to Our Blessed Lord.  Did St. Peter still make mistakes after that?  Certainly.  Did St. Peter stick his foot in his mouth at times?  Of course.  St. Peter even denied Our Blessed Saviour when the hour looked darkest.  And yet Jesus still loved St. Peter.  He still forgave St. Peter.  He still kept hope in St. Peter.  Our Blessed Saviour does not expect us to be perfect.  He knows that we will fall.  Our Lord knows us better than we know ourselves.  And yet He still loves us.  He still forgives us.  Knowing everything He knows about  us, He still freely chose to die on the Cross  . . .  for you . . .  for me.    St. Peter had toiled all night long, St. Luke tells us, and caught nothing.  But with Our Lord's help, they caught so many fish the nets began to break.  How often in life do we "toil all night long" like St. Peter?  How often do our efforts fail us?  God will bless your efforts.  God will give you everlasting life.  God has already given His Son for you.  Christ died on the Cross for you.  Our Blessed Saviour defeated death for you.  What will you do for Him?

 St. Margaret Church celebrates Mass each and every Sunday at 9:30 AM.  Mass is celebrated at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, located as 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

Join us for Mass 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 us in His Word.  Our Lord also offers to each one of us His Most Precious Body and Blood at Communion time.  Receive the Precious Body and Blood to strengthen and nourish you for your daily journey.  And afterward, please join us for our Coffee Hour to have some delicious goodies and good fellowship.

Fourth Sunday after Trinity, July 14th, 2019

Fourth Sunday after Trinity, July 14th, 2019

I was recently in a restaurant enjoying a meal.  It was mid-afternoon, I believe, and as such there were not many people there.  In fact there were only two tables occupied at the time.  My table was one of them and the other table was occupied by a father along with a young woman and a young man.  The girl and boy (I presume they were brother and sister) were around 15, 16, 17 years old?  I am not good at guessing ages but around this age, I would imagine.  As I was sitting there waiting for my food to be brought out, I could not help but notice that the brother and sister were pre-occupied with their cell phones.  Now this is not really unusual, I am sure you will agree, in this day and age.  But this is what I  noticed as I sat there.  The boy and girl were fixated on their phones.  But the father did not have any cell phone with him.  If he did, it was put away.  Anyhow, as I mentioned the boy and the girl were constantly looking down gazing at their phones.  The father was trying to make small talk with the two of them.  In other words, he was trying to make conversation.  At first, he would talk about the menu choices.  He would ask what they wanted to eat.  After the food was ordered, the father was making more small talk with his children.  Now, I didn't really catch what the "small talk" was because I really was not trying to listen in on their conversation.  But, honestly, at this point I was more interested in observing the reactions of the father and his two children.  The father for his part was trying to speak with his children.  He was trying to interact with them.  For their part, the children were so focused on their phones they were not paying attention to their father at all.  They were not paying attention to each other, now that I think about it.  The only time the boy or the girl would look up from their phone is when they wanted something or needed something from their father.  "Dad, will you order me a Coke?"  "Dad, can I have a piece of pie?" 

Watching this interaction  . . .  or lack of interaction, depending on how you look at  . . . . it made me think of how we treat God sometimes.  Like the two young people at the table, they did not pay attention to their father because they were too busy paying attention to their phones.  They only looked up long enough when they wanted something or needed something from their father.  And then they went right back to gazing at their phone.  The father was being very patient with his children.  He tried to make small talk.  He tried to interact with them.  But the more he tried to speak with them, the more they paid attention to what was capturing their attention:  their phones. 

How often do we treat God like this?  How often do we keep busy with our lives and only go to God when we need something?  In this story I just told of my experience in the restaurant, I could not help but notice how rude the children were to their father.  They were not paying attention to him because they were too busy focusing on their phones.  But even though their phones seemed to hold the most interest for them, this did not stop them from going to their father when they needed something or wanted something.  But don't we, in essence, do the same exact thing with God?  Don't we stay busy with our lives and ignore God completely until we need Him?  We live our lives by going to work; taking care of our homes; going shopping; socializing; relaxing; etc.  We keep busy with everything which affects us.  We take care of our family.  We take care of ourselves.  We keep busy with all the things which occupy us on a daily basis.  And more often than not, our busy schedules include everything except time for God.  Time gets away from us, we tell ourselves.  We don't pray.  We don't read Scripture.  We don't spend time with God.  All because we are "too busy" and "time gets away from us."  But then when we need God, all the sudden we find the time to call on Him.  When something goes wrong, we turn to God when we need Him.  When nothing else has worked, we run to God because we need Him.  When we find ourselves at the end of the rope and have nowhere else to turn, we turn to Our Heavenly Father because we need Him.  Just like those two children in the restaurant.  They were too busy focusing on their phones to spend time interacting with their father except when they wanted something.  Only then did they look up from their phones to speak to their father. 

How many of us do the same exact thing as these young people?  We keep busy with life.  We keep busy with our interests.  We keep busy with, what I like to call the "busy-ness" of life:  working; taking care of the house; taking care of the family; running errands.  But the problem with keeping "busy" is that often it also means that we are too "busy" for God.  As devout, committed Christians we need to spend time with God.  We need to dedicate time to God.  We need to make time for God.  And if we are so busy that we find we do not have time for God, then we need to make time for God.  We need to prioritize our tasks and put things in order.   And this means that we put God first in our life and make time for Him.

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 join together as God's family and worship Our Heavenly Father.  Join us as we come to the altar to be fed the Precious Body and Blood at Communion time.  And, finally, please stay after Mass for some fellowship at our coffee hour.

St. Margaret Anglican Church worships at the beautiful 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.

Third Sunday after Trinity, July 7th, 2019

Third Sunday after Trinity, July 7th, 2019

There are some things that have "warning labels" in our society.  For example, certain products we purchase in the store might list warnings on the label or television shows might even show a warning at the beginning saying "warning this program contains violence not suitable for some viewers" or something along those lines.  I like the warning that says:  "Children, do NOT try this at home!"  In my opinion, St. Peter should have put a "warning" message on his First Epistle stating:  "Warning: Following my advice is NOT for the faint of heart; Nor is it for the weak; Neither is it for the cowardly!"   This is because the advice he gives us is probably impossible for 99.9% of the population.  For we hear the following advice in his First Epistle:  "ALL of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time"  (I St Peter 5:5)    Wow!  St. Peter is telling us to be humble.  He is also telling us to humble ourselves before God!  If there is something I have learned in my Thirty-Nine (or so) years here on earth it is this:  Human beings want things their way.  For the most part, humility does not come naturally to us human beings.  We always think of ourselves as being right.  We always want others to listen to us.   Our opinion is the correct opinion.  We want things done our way.  "I know better than you but thanks for playing anyway."  etc. etc. etc.   Sometimes we look down our nose at other people whom we consider "not as good as we are."  St. Peter urges all of us to be "clothed with humility" when it comes to dealing with other folks.  As I say, this is extremely difficult especially in the day and age in which we live.  I contend that faithful, devout, committed Christians need to stand up for what is right, yes, but need to keep love at the core of who we are.  This is what Jesus did.   He held true to who He was . . .  meaning He held true to His beliefs . . .  but He was not afraid to be in the presence of sinners.  In fact, this was one of the main objections of the Pharisees.  In St. Luke 15:1, we hear the following:  "And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. "  But Our Blessed Saviour was able to both proclaim the truth and also be show love to sinners.  Remember the story of the woman at the well?  This woman had five husbands and the one she was presently living with at the time was not even her husband.  Our Lord did not mince words with this woman.  He told her how it is and yet He shared a cup of cool water with her.  He spoke the truth to this woman but He also took the opportunity to tell her about Our Heavenly Father.  In today's age in which we live, we have become so polarized that we don't want to listen to anyone "different" from us or someone who has a "different opinion" than ours.  Again, humility has become even more difficult in the age of social media.  Our Blessed Lord humbled Himself when He became a small, innocent baby.  Our Blessed Lord humbled Himself when He worked all those years as a carpenter.  Our Blessed Lord humbled Himself when He washed the feet of His disciples.  Our Blessed Lord humbled Himself when He willingly offered Himself on the altar of the Cross to die for your sins and mine.   St Peter urges us to be humble with one another and also with God.   Let us remember that we are all sinners just like we are all loved by God.   

St. Margaret Church meets each and every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM.  Come hear the Word of God preached from the King James Version and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Join us as we receive the Precious Body and Blood of Our Blessed Saviour at Communion time.  We worship at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.