Sermon from 14th Sunday after Trinity, 2015

The sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg given on Sunday, September 6th, 2015, the 14th Sunday after Trinity.  Click on the following link to hear Fr. Todd's sermon:

Join us on 15th Sunday after Trinity, 2015

Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, September 13th, 2015

It just so happens that I am writing this on the September 11th anniversary.  To look at the various pictures, to hear the sound bites, and to read about what happened on that fateful day fourteen years ago still affects me and brings back vivid memories of a tragic day that can never be erased by time or distance.  Surely, those in New York City; Washington, D.C.; and Pennsylvania were affected in a horrific way, but whether you were in California . . . or Texas . . . or Minnesota . . . or anywhere else for that matter, you were affected that day as well.  I can only speak for myself but I remember that tragic day like it was yesterday.  As events unfolded, I did not know the magnitude of the events as they were happening.  So many questions . . .  so few answers . . .  so many emotions . . . so many tears . . . September 11th, 2001 touched not only our nation, but the world quite frankly.    We truly were witness to the acts that evil men can accomplish to satisfy their hatred and anger.  The whole world was witness to pure evil on September 11th.   And as tragic as that fateful day was, in the days that followed we witnessed the heroism, courage, bravery, and fortitude of those affected.  We heard the stories of determination in the face of pure evil.  We heard the stories of bravery and courage in some of the darkest hours our country has ever seen.  And we also heard the stories of compassion coming from those who wanted to do their part to bring about healing to those were were hurt physically and hurting emotionally.

I can not help but also reflect on the lives of all those poor souls who died on that fearful day and the fact that for them September 11th was no different than any other day:  September 10th . ..  September 9th . ..  etc.   For the thousands and thousands that made their way to work that morning, I am sure that each and every one of them went through the same, exact motions that they had went through on a thousand days just like it:  wake up; take a shower; get dressed; get some breakfast; get some coffee; fight traffic; listen to the morning news; etc.  And yet despite the fact that the usual morning routine had been accomplished just like it had been thousands of mornings before this . . .. despite this fact, 9/11 would turn out to be a day like no other.  For some, sadly, it would be their last day.

  Our Blessed Saviour spoke the following words:  "Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on."  (St. Matthew 6:25).  I am sure that so many who died on that horrible day fourteen years ago were anxious about many things:  getting up on time; getting ready; finding the right outfit to wear; anxious about the morning rush hour; getting to work on time; getting the reports ready that needed to be accomplished; etc.  And so many of us today are still anxious about so many of these same things.  We get anxious about life in general.  And yet Our Blessed Saviour is telling us to not be anxious about what we shall eat . . . or what we shall drink . . . or what we shall wear . . .  or life in general.  None of us knows when our time is up.  None of us know what tomorrow brings.  None of us knows.  And so we need to live our life today.  Live life today.  So many of us are so worried about tomorrow, we miss out on today.  Don't let this be the case with your spiritual life.  Don't plan on having a spiritual life down the road or sometime in the future.  Have a relationship with God today.  Don't worry about your anxieties in regards to tomorrow.  Enjoy your blessings today.  "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself."  (St. Matthew 6:33-34)

Please join St. Margaret and Holy Spirit Churches on Sunday, September 13th, 2015.  Please note that there will be only one Mass celebrated on this day.  The members of Holy Spirit Parish in Greenfield will join the members of St. Margaret Church on Sunday, September 13th at 9:30 AM.  Mass is celebrated in the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

Come join us as we worship Our Heavenly Father and listen to His Word found in the King James Version of the Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Join us as we gather together as God's family to dedicate this time to Him.  And, finally, gather with us as we receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of Jesus at Communion time to strengthen and nourish us.  

Christ, My Lord and My Saviour, and My Hope

I rarely watch television any longer.  One thing I refuse to watch, quite frankly, is the news.  Whether it is the local news or the network news, I have gotten out of the habit of watching the news for quite a while now.  Why is this, you might ask?  It is because I get depressed watching the news.  The local news is filled with shootings and crime and accidents and it is just depressing to see all of this negative stuff.  The network news is again filled with depressing things as stated above but the network news is even worse because it is agenda-driven and the media only shows you news items they want you to watch.  Or they slant stories a certain way in which they show the point they want you to see.  It is the same with the radio . . . . or the internet . . . or even with Facebook.  Everywhere you look, there is the potential to be flooded with negativity and negative stories.

Now, why do I point all of this out?  I do it because I think people do look at all of the negativity being thrown at them all the time and it does have an impact on people.  Look, I know just as well as anyone else how easy it is to be all caught up in negative stories and doom and gloom predictions that seem to come from every corner.  But the bottom line is that constantly reading all of this, . . .  constantly listening to all of this (either on the TV or on the radio),   . . . .  constantly looking at controversy after controversy on Facebook or other social media . . . . all of this barrage of negativity takes a toll on people eventually.

Death and war and crime and controversy have been with us basically as long as the world has been around.  And it will continue to exist in this old world of ours.  But for the dedicated, committed Christian, we are reminded that God is bigger than all the negativity that the world has to offer.  In the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy, we hear the following:  "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord Thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deuteronomy 31:6)  And then two verses later:  "And the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." (Deuteronomy 31:8)  Now, more than ever, Christians should plant these words of Scripture in their hearts, in their minds, in their souls.  Christ will be victorious and His Kingdom will prevail.  Christians are called to be hopeful and their mission is to spread this hope throughout the world.  The Church does this by giving testimony of Christ.  We can all give our testimony on what Christ means to us.  Christ is my Lord and Saviour.  He is the One Who died for me on the Cross.  He continues to be with me in my everyday struggles . . . . to guide me . . . to strengthen me . . . to lead me.   I need to let those around me know this fact and I can let people know by the words that come out of my mouth, by the actions I take on a daily basis, and the love I show towards others around me.

It is so easy to look at everything that is happening today and get depressed by the senseless murder, the hatred, the anger, etc.  And yet Christ is bigger than any of these things.  Christ endured hardship during His time on earth.  Christ endured the hatred and envy of others while He walked among us.  Christ endured grief, sorrow, pain, and death.  As human beings, we will endure all of these things as well during our lifetime.  But Christ overcame all of these things and rose to a new life!  He overcame death.  He overcame the world.  He overcame the bitterness and hatred of those who sought to destroy Him.  And with Our Lord's help, through His dying on the Cross, we will overcome all of these things as well one day.  This is what we should be focusing on rather than focusing on the latest controversy or evil that the world has to offer.   Our Lord's words have more meaning for our present age than ever before: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I given unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your hear be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (St. John 14:27)  Let Christ be your guiding light.  Let Him rule your life.  Do not conform to the dictates of the world.  Follow Our Blessed Saviour and always look towards Him in hope.

Join us for Mass on Sunday, September 6th, 2015

Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, September 6th, 2015

Giving Proper Thanks . . . .

In a strange, ironic twist the term "Thank You" is simultaneously one of the "most used" and "least used" terms we have.   On the one hand, think about how many times you say "Thank you" on a daily basis.  When you go to the store and buy something, for example,  you probably say "Thank you" to the cashier or clerk.  If you sneeze and if someone says "God bless you," I bet you respond "Thank you."  At your job, if a coworker and/or a customer gives you something that you ask for, I am sure you respond "Thank you."  I am sure that if we were to try to count how many times in a given day that we used the term "Thank you," I am pretty sure that we would utterly amazed how often we say that specific term:  "Thank you."  On the other hand, how often do we say "Thank you" for the things that we really ought to say "Thank you" for?  The prime example, of course is expressing proper thanks when we are given a gift.  Some people are incredible when it comes to sending out "Thank you" cards, for example, when they receive a gift.  Others, myself included, are not so good at this practice.  Whenever we receive something from someone, whether the item be great or small, we should always be in the practice to say two simple words:  "Thank you."  

As an aside, I am continually amazed when I am out in the public and I do not see someone put the practice of saying "Thank you" into use.  For example, have you ever gone into or perhaps come out of a store and you took the time to hold a door open for someone, and the person did not say "Thank you" or acknowledge you at all.  Even in traffic, have you ever let someone ahead of you that wanted to get over into your lane.  Often, the person will wave or acknowledge your kindness as a way to say "Thank you."  I notice big semi truck drivers will blink their flasher lights on and off as a way to say "Thank you."   What happens if someone does not "wave" or acknowledge your letting them ahead of you?  If you are anything like me, you mumble to yourself sarcastically, "You're welcome!"   The bottom line is we like to be thanked for what we do for people.  We like for people to acknowledge what we have done for them.  Whether it be a simple act of holding open a door or giving a gift to a loved one, it is only right to receive thanks for what we did.  

In the Seventeenth Chapter of St. Luke's Gospel, we hear the story of Our Blessed Lord  heal a group of ten lepers.  Now keep in mind that all ten men were healed but only one of them made the point to come back and properly thank God and acknowledge the healing that he had received.  "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks" (St. Luke 17:11 ff)  But Our Lord pointed out that while this man did give proper thanks and acknowledgment for the healing that he had received, He went on to question where were the other nine???  You see, God likes to be acknowledged as well for the blessings that He bestows on His children.  Our Lord was happy to bestow blessings as we saw in today's passage with the healing of the ten lepers.  But on the other hand He showed disappointment when only one out of the ten came back to given proper thanks.  We should always make a point to give proper thanks to God for the blessings He has bestowed on each of us.  Very often, we do not take the time to thank God and acknowledge His blessings because we are too busy concentrating on what is wrong in our life.   

Two opportunities to hear Mass on Sunday, September 6th, 2015:

Join St. Margaret Anglican Church on Sunday, September 6th, 2015 at 9:30 AM as we celebrate Mass in the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

Join the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit on Sunday, September 6th, 2015 at 1:00 PM as we celebrate the 14th Sunday after Trinity.  Mass is celebrated at the beautiful, historic First Presbyterian Church in Greenfield, which is located at the corner of South and Pennsylvania streets near downtown Greenfield.  

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.  Listen as God speaks to you directly.  Worship God by taking one hour out of your busy week and dedicate this hour to God.  Let God reward you by giving you His Precious Body and Blood at Communion time.  

Sermon from Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2015

Fr. Todd's sermon from the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity given on Sunday, August 30, 2015:

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