All Saints Day, November 1, 2018

Do you remember the show, "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?"  I don't remember ever watching it, to be honest with you.  But I certainly remember the title of the show.  Who wants to be a millionaire?  We all do, don't we?   Within the last few weeks, there were a whole lot of folks that were asking the question:  Who wants to be a BILLIONAIRE?!?!?  With 1.6 Billion on the line in the Mega Millions Lottery, there were a whole lot of folks dreaming of becoming a billionaire.  I mean don't we all dream of being a millionaire?  Haven't all of us day-dreamed of becoming a millionaire?  I mean as a millionaire, we could pay off all our bills.  We could live where we wanted to live.  We could travel anywhere we wanted to travel . . . . buy anything we wanted to buy . . . . never have to work again.  Come on, haven't we all had a daydream or two about being a millionaire?

Probably, truth be known, we dream of being all kinds of things, don't we?  We dream of being professional sports stars.  We dream of making it big on the stage.  We dream of making it big in Hollywood.  We dream of all kinds of things, don't we?  Who wants to be a rock star?  Who wants to be a sports star?  Who wants to be a movie star?  But I have one question to ask that perhaps you have never heard asked before:  Who wants to be a Saint?  No, I am not talking about the "New Orleans Saints" of the NFL.  I am talking about a "Saint of God."  Who wants to be a Saint?  Do you want to be a Saint?  I know that I do and I am sure that you do too.  But in order to become a saint, we have to begin the work right here and right now.  We have to begin giving our heart to God.  A lot of people envision Heaven a whole lot of different ways.  But basically Heaven is God's home.  Heaven is where God is.  And Heaven is being in the presence of God.  Thus, why not be in His presence right now?  Why not spend time with God right now?  So many people are too busy to spend time with God.  We are not against God, mind you.  It's just that we are so busy.  We have jobs to go to . . . and we have homes to take care of . . . and we have children to raise . . . and we have to go shop  . . .   and etc, etc, etc.   We come up with all kinds of excuses as to why we don't spend time with God.  Until we need Him, of course.  But we have to make time for God here and now if we want to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.  "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours." (I Corinthians 1:2)   We are called to be saints but we have to respond.  We respond not only with what we say but with how we act . . . how we live . . . how we love . . . .  Who wants to be a Saint?

Feast of Saint Simon and Saint Jude, October 28, 2018

Feast of Saint Simon and Saint Jude, 

Sunday, October 28th, 2018

In the Fifteenth Chapter of the Gospel of St. John, we hear Our Blessed Saviour give sound advice to the apostles:  "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. "  (St. John 15:17)  Certainly, without a doubt, there were multitudes that loved and cherished Our Blessed Saviour.  But on the other hand, He had his enemies which hated Him with an intense passion as well.  We ask ourselves the question as to why anyone would hate Our Blessed Saviour?     Let us consider two reasons:

First of all, Our Lord did not "meet their expectations" in regards to being the Messiah.   Let us consider the fact that the Jews were long awaiting the Coming of the Messiah.  But, keep in mind, the Jews had a specific "image" in mind that the Messiah would look like and act like.  They were expecting to see a Messiah riding in a great white horse with a mighty army behind him.  They were expecting the Messiah to come in and wipe out all of his enemies.   They were supposing the Messiah to be powerful and mighty.   Thus, when they saw Our Blessed Saviour walking around and preaching and teaching and telling whoever would listen about the love of God,  They could not believe their eyes.  The Pharisees and the Saducees would never accept Our Blessed Saviour as the Messiah, quite frankly, because He did not meet their expectations of what they expected the Messiah to be.  So, too, sometimes people will not accept us because we don't fit in with what they expect of us.  The world will sometimes hate us too because choose to follow God instead of following the world.  

Next, we need to consider that Our Lord always told the truth.  And very often, let's face it, we do not want to hear the truth.   Our Lord told it like it is, as I like to say, and those in charge did not want to hear His words.  Our Blessed Saviour was not afraid to tell people what they needed to hear.  He went around and preached to vast multitudes and told them about His Heavenly Father.  Again, many of the things that He spoke about did not match up with they expected to hear about God.  So, too, we need to speak the truth no matter what.  But even in speaking the truth, sadly, many in our day and age today do not want to hear the truth.  "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God .  . . . . " (I Corinthians 3:19)  Thus, when we choose to speak of God in the world today, we should be prepared for scorn and ridicule from many because they do not want to hear about God.   Many people will not accept us because we do not tell them what they want to hear.  

St. Margaret Church gathers every Sunday morning to hear the Word of God and to worship Our Heavenly Father.  We are a traditional church.  We use the King James Version of the Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Mass begins at 9:30 AM.  We celebrate at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Please join us and dedicate an hour of your week to God.  Return home to Him, the God Who waits patiently for your return.

Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity, October 21, 2018

Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity, October 21st, 2018

I know it's been a hot Summer but it seems like it is finally moving on to the next season.  I say "it seems like" because in Indiana, as I like to say, "if you don't like the weather, stick around ten minutes, it will change."   But whether we want to think about it or not, pretty soon we will be pulling out the winter coats, the scarves, the hats, the gloves, the boots.  We try to protect ourselves from head to foot when it gets so brutally cold in the winter, don't we?  And rightfully so because it doesn't make any sense to go outside in 0 degree weather not protected from the elements.  When the temperature is 10 below Zero, you want to protect yourself as much as possible from the elements so you don't get cold and you don't get frostbite.  We protect ourselves.  

In a spiritual sense, St. Paul gives the same exact advice when he writes:  "Put on the whole armour of God!"   (Ephesians 6:10)  St. Paul gives sound advice for protecting ourselves from the devil.  In this sixth chapter, St. Paul uses the analogy of a soldier dressed for war.  He goes on to describe all the different items that a soldier either wears or uses to protect himself from the enemy.  And then St. Paul makes the point that we should be fully protected as well in the spiritual sense so that we are protected from attacks from the devil.  If we are going outside in the dead of winter and it is 10 below Zero, we wouldn't go outside just wearing a tee-shirt, shorts and flip-flops.  It we are going into battle, it would not be wise to be dressed in simply a tee-shirt, shorts and flip-flops on our feet.  If we are going to a job interview at a fancy corporation, again, would it really be wise to go there wearing a tee-shirt, shorts and flip-flops?   We need to be dressed appropriately for whatever task faces us.  Most of us know this.   It is just common sense to dress appropriately for the elements or based on the situation.  But that being said, in a spiritual sense, how many of us are caught severely lacking?  

According to St. Paul we need the following items if we are going to be fully prepared:  " . . . . your loins girt about with truth, . . .  the breastplate of righteousness; . .  . feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  . . . the shield of faith,  .  . .  the helmet of salvation,  . . .  and the sword of the Spirit,"  (Ephesians 6:14-17)  Are we fully prepared?  I'm speaking about in a spiritual sense.  Are we fully prepared to face the world and the traps we might find in our way?  St. Peter tells us that the devil is like a lion seeking to devour us:  "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."  (I St. Peter 5:8)   Surely, we wouldn't go on an African safari unprotected, would we?  And yet we go about the world unprotected and unprepared for the attacks of the devil against us.  Always have God close to you.  Pray often.  Read the Scriptures often.  Go to church on Sundays if you are able.  Do this for your own edification and in order to help edify your fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord.  Always be aware of traps along the way . . .  traps that will take us away from God, lure us away from being faithful to God.  

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church gathers together each and every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM.  We worship 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 gather together as God's family and worship Our Blessed Saviour.  And, at Communion time, we come forward to receive His Precious Body and Blood so that we can be nourished for the journey ahead.

Twentieth Sunday after Trinity, October 14th, 2018

Twentieth Sunday after Trinity, October 14th, 2018

In the Twenty-Second chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew, we hear Our Blessed Saviour comparing Heaven to a king who is throwing a wedding feast for his son:  "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come." (St. Matthew 22:1)  The problem is that the invited guests would not come to the wedding.  The guests would either simply ignore the invitation or reject it outright.  As Our Lord continues His parable, He states:  "But (the invited guests) made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise"  (St. Matthew 22:5)  Judging from this parable that Our Lord spoke, people back then were not that much different from people nowadays.  How many of us simply go our own way without any thought of God?  How many of us make light of God's invitation because we do not have the time  . . .  we are too busy doing "our own thing" . . . . we would rather be doing something else . . . . we could care less . . .  .  We need to make the time.  We need to find the time.  We need to make God a priority in our life.  Our Lord stated:  "In My Father's house are many mansions:  if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you."  (St. John 14:2)  Our Lord is preparing a place for us but the question is are we preparing ourselves?  Are we spending time with God right now?  Are we trying our best to keep close to God?  Or are we too busy for God?  Are we too busy with the things of the world?    It seems to me that when a party is thrown, there is preparation on both the part of the host and the guest as well:  the host has to prepare the hall, prepare the food, etc.  But the guest also has preparation to make by getting properly dressed, cleaned up, etc.  God is inviting us to His house.  We have all been invited.  The question is are we even paying attention to the invitation? 

St. Margaret Church meets every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM.  We worship at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Please join us.

Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity, October 7th, 2018

Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity, October 7th, 2018

One of my favorite movie actors is Charlton Heston.  Of course when I mention his name I am sure we all think of great movies like "Ben Hur" and "The Ten Commandments."  Another great movie featuring Charlton Heston playing the lead character is a 1961 classic called "El Cid."  For whatever reason this movie does not seem as readily available to view as his other movies.  That being said, there is a really memorable line in that movie.  Later on in the movie, El Cid captures the fortress of Valencia.  After the victory, his followers are begging El Cid to name himself as king of Valencia but instead he claims the crown for King Alfonso of Spain and has the crown delivered to the king.  Thus, it is said of El Cid:  "What a noble subject, if only he had a noble king."  In other words, the point being that El Cid was a more noble subject than was the king.  In short, El Cid was loyal to a king that was not deserving of his loyalty.  

Can the same thing be said of us?  Do we show our never-ending loyalty to someone or something that does not even deserve our loyalty?  How many of us go above and beyond for our job? . . . . for our profession?   We spend long, hard hours giving our best efforts for an employer that is not nearly as loyal to us as we are to it.  How many of us are loyal to friends that merely use us for what we give to them or what they can get from us?  How many in our society show their loyalty to drugs or drink and get nothing in return for their loyalty?  The only thing they git is the ruin of their lives . . .  their finances . . . their families so often pay the price as well.  

Being "loyal" is not the issue.  I am certainly not criticizing being loyal.  It is a good trait to have, without a doubt.  But that being said, I am only making the point that so many of us are loyal to people or things that are not worthy of our loyalty.  Not deserving of our loyalty.  Who then is worthy of such loyalty?   Of course the answer is quite clear:  God.  When we give our life to God, we are transformed as a new creature.  St. Paul writes:  " . . . and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. "  (Ephesians 4:17 ff)  Just like El Cid did everything on behalf of King Alfonso, we are called to do all our efforts on behalf of our King:  Christ the King!  And in so doing, we will begin to resemble Our Blessed Lord!  The characteristics of God will show forth in us when we give our heart to Him.  And this takes us back to what we were discussing earlier.   So many of us give our heart to something that is not worthy of our heart:  a company which we work for .  . . . a profession .. . .  . a habit  . . . . a brand name . . . . the list goes on and on.  We are called as Christians, though, to be loyal to God.  This takes making Him number one in our life.  As long as God is first and foremost in our life, everything else will fall into place. 

 St. Margaret Church meets each and every Sunday 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 hear the Word of God found in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and the King James Bible.  Come dedicate one hour of your week to God.  Step away from the busy-ness of the world for just one hour and focus totally on God.  Come and worship Him.  Let Him feed you spiritually.   Receive the Precious Body and Blood at Communion time.

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity, September 23, 2018

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity, September 23rd, 2018

In the Epistle to the Ephesians, beginning in the fourth chapter, we hear the following:  " . . . .  one Lord, one faith, one baptism . . . . "  Now, in my opinion, it seems so often in the society in which we live that we focus on what makes us different.  We are African-Americans; Hispanic-Americans; Asian-Americans; etc.  I also notice a lot of articles or new-stories focusing on the differences between men and women.  Men do things a certain way and women do things a completely different way.  Men think a certain way.  Women think a certain way.  And even in religion, we are constantly reminded on the differences between the various churches, the various denominations, the various liturgical styles, and so on.  If you look around, it's plain enough to find out about what separates us, what makes us different from one another.  But St. Paul is focusing on what unifies us as Christians:  " . . .  one Lord, one faith, one baptism. . . . . "   In this sense, St. Paul is focusing on what unifies us and not on what makes us different.  This unity is what defines us.  And this unity comes to us through being the children of Our Heavenly Father:  "One God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Chapter 4: 6)  Obviously, we are all different in one way or another:  I like certain types of food and you prefer other types of food.  I like to go to bed early and get up early.  Someone else is a "night-owl" and likes to sleep in.  I like certain singers and certain types of music, and so on.  The list goes on and on in regards to what makes us different.  But in focusing on what we each have in common:  " .. . .  one Lord, one faith, one baptism . . . ." focusing on what unifies us helps us to focus on the source of our unity:  Our Heavenly Father.   And when we focus all of our attention on Him, the things that separate us become less important.  They become secondary.  We need this message preached to us like never before, it seems to me.   We are all ONE in CHRIST!  Christ died for all of us.  God is OUR Father.   

Join us on Sunday, September 23rd, 2018 at 9:30 AM at St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church as we celebrate Mass and listen to the Word of God.  Mass is celebrated at the Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest Side of Indianapolis.

Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, September 16th, 2018

Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, September 16th, 2018

I carry a back-pack from home when I go to work.  In it I have various items:  a note-pad; pens; an eraser; my eyeglasses; etc.  As you can probably tell I carry things in there that I might need.  At home I have a drawer in a dresser which seems to be a "catch-all" where I store all kinds of things:  scissors; post-it notes; pocket knives; tape; measuring tape; etc.  Again, I store all kinds of things in that drawer and when I need something I go looking in that drawer.  If I can't find what I looking for anywhere else, the odds are good I'll find it in that drawer.   I am sure that each of us have something or someplace where we store all kinds of things.  Whether it be a drawer in a cabinet or a box in the garage.  

  Just like that bag that I bring to work everyday or the dresser drawer that seems to keep all my odds and ends, we can also find all kinds of "things" stored in our heart.  What do we "keep" in our heart?  Do we find fear?  Do we find anger?  Do we find hatred?  Perhaps we find sorrow.  We can store all kinds of things in our heart, can't we?  In the Epistle to the Ephesians, St Paul talks about what we should store in our heart:   ". .  . . that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;" (Ephesians 3:17)   St. Paul tells us that we should have Christ in our heart.  This is absolutely true but, that being said, this is easier said than done, isn't it?  As human beings we are affected by various emotions: whether they be sorrows, fears, anger, hopelessness, etc.  So the point is not that we are not affected by emotions.  We are human beings and we are certainly affected by emotions.  The point is what do we do with these emotions?  When we get angry, for example, do we act out on that anger?  Do we stay calm on the outside and let the anger rage and "boil" deep under the surface?  Do we allow this anger to turn into hatred?  Do we hold on to this anger and hold a grudge?  As Christians, we are called to give everything over to God.   I think St. Paul's advice is good for all of us:   ". .  . . that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;" (Ephesians 3:17)"   If we do our best to focus on the love which we have for Our Blessed Saviour we won't have time to focus on our fear.  If we dwell on our love of Christ we won't have as much time to dwell on our hatred of those who did wrong to us, will we?  It's similar to taking a glass  and filling it with water.  If the glass is full to the brim, we won't be able to pour any more water into it, can we?  Similar with our hearts, if we fill our hearts with hatred, with jealousy, with fear, with anger, etc. how can there be any room for the love of Christ?  On the other hand, if we follow St. Paul's admonition for us that we let Christ dwell in our heart, we won't have any place for fear or anger or hatred . . . . Fill your heart with Christ.  Fill your heart with things of God.  Fill your heart with the love of God and watch that love spread throughout your heart and beyond.  

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.