HELP WANTED! YOU CAN HELP!

 For those of you in Indianapolis . . . or in Central Indiana, for that matter . . . .

Are you looking for a church that helps to draw you closer to God?

Are you looking for a church where you can hear the Word of God?

Are you looking for a church where you can worship God in a meaningful way?

Are you looking for a church where you know you are in the company of fellow believers who encourage you, help you, pray with you and travel alongside of you?

Are you looking for a church where you can receive the Precious Body and Blood of Our Blessed Saviour in Holy Communion?

Are you looking for a church where you are more than a just another person . . . where the members know you . . . where they love you . . . where they care for you?

Are you looking for a church where you will be an important member and one who makes a difference?

Are you looking for a church where God will be speaking to you through: the Bible . . . the Liturgy . . . the Preaching . . . and, yes, even through other members?

Are you looking for a church that combines old fashioned Christian values with love and respect?

Are you looking for a church where you can show love back to the God Who first showed love to us?

Then let me tell you about my church.

St. Margaret of Scotland Church is just such a church. We have traditional liturgy where we listen to the Word of God and hear God speaking to us directly in the preaching. Our liturgy allows us to separate ourselves from the "busy-ness" of our fast-paced world and dedicate that hour to Our Heavenly Father. We step aside from the "ordinary" and step into the "extra-ordinary" of God. We use the King James Version of the Bible. We use prayers from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. And, finally, we receive the Precious Body and Blood of Our Blessed Saviour at Communion time so that He can nourish us . . . sustain us . . . fortify us for the journey called "Life."

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then please make a point to come and visit us. St. Margaret meets every Sunday morning at 10:30 am. We gather together as God’s Family at the beautiful Chapel at Marqutte Manor located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

Come join us and let God revitalize you . . . let God encourage you . . . let God speak to your heart. Make a difference in your life and the life of others.

St. Margaret Church: A traditional church for a new generation.

Please Join Us For Rogation Sunday on May 1st, 2016

Fifth Sunday after Easter, Rogation Sunday, May 1st, 2016

If we think back on our life, every single person reading this will be able to remember a time or two where they got themselves into a real jam and needed some assistance or a helping hand.  On the other hand, every single person reading this will remember a time or two when YOU were that person lending a helping hand to a person in need.  I've been the person that needed help; I've been the person that did the helping.  So I have been on both ends of the stick, so to speak.  But the bottom line is this, we have all known people that talked a good game but when it came down to it, their words did not quite equal their actions.  I am sure that all of us can think of a good example of one or two people who talked a lot but when you needed that person, they were nowhere to be found.  Like the old saying goes:  "Actions speak louder than words."   I point all this out to show that it just makes sense to expect people to back up their words with action.  Even St. James knew this and this is why he wrote in the first chapter of his epistle:  "BE ye doers of the word, and not hearers only . . . ." (St. James 1:22)  In the everyday world, if we went to work and had a coworker who bragged and boasted of everything he or she was capable of doing and then did not actually do anything when it came down to it, what would we think of that coworker?  What if you had a friend that you would see every now and then and each time you saw that friend, the friend said "Oh, I got you a nice jacket but I don't have it with me but I'll give it to you the next time I see you." But, as you can guess, the next time you see the friend:  no jacket.  But then the same friend says, "Oh, I got you a really nice book but I don't have it with me . . .  I will give it to you next time I see you."  Again, you guessed it, no book to be found the next time you met this friend of yours.  After a while, if this pattern continues, what will the word of this friend mean?  Nothing.   As human beings, we expect people to live up to their word.  If they do not, their word means nothing.  St. James points out that we put our Christianity into practice by what we do for others, especially the less fortunate.  We don't earn our way into Heaven by what we do.  But on the other hand, the more we do for others . . .  in the Name of Christ . . . .  we show what our Christianity means to us.  And it also shows how much we have learned from the teachings of Our Blessed Saviour.

Two opportunities for Mass on Sunday, May 1st, 2016:

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

Holy Spirit Church meets every Sunday at 1:00 PM.  We meet at the beautiful, historic First Presbyterian Church, located at 116 W. South Street in Greenfield, Indiana.

Join us as we gather to hear God's Word.  Join us as we gather together as God's family to worship Our Heavenly Father and to listen to Him speak to us.  Join us as we gather to receive the Precious Body and Blood of Our Blessed Saviour at Communion time in order to strengthen and nourish us.  We use the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  

Join us for Quinquagesima on Sunday, February 7, 2016

Quinquagesima, or the Sunday before Lent, February 7th, 2015

Personally, I have been in the "preaching business" going on a good while.  I have been doing this for going on thirty years now, if you go back to my seminary years.  I love to preach, quite frankly, which is amazing considering that I am a quiet, reserved person otherwise.  But I love to preach about Our Lord is the bottom line.  I love to tell people about God and the love that He has for all people.  I love to inspire people in my own way to have a personal relationship with Our Blessed Saviour.  I preach with the intent of leading others closer to God.  And like many preachers throughout the world . . . and throughout the ages, quite frankly,  . . .  I use Holy Scripture as the "foundation" of my sermons.  I preach using the Word of God, first and foremost.  Sadly, not all preachers I have heard preach use God's Word in their sermons.  Many I have heard were wonderful preachers.  Many I have heard gave marvelous presentations.  Many preachers I have heard over the years, they were indeed a joy to listen to.  But every once in a while, it's time for the preacher to quit "beating around the bush."  You see, I speak about God in every one of my sermons.  And with the help of God, I think I do a fairly decent job through His guidance and inspiration.  But now is the time to have a "Let me be clear" moment as some politicians like to use that term when they speak.  

Let me be clear:

Jesus Christ is indeed my Lord and my Saviour.  Jesus is indeed the "Light of the World."  There is no salvation outside of Jesus.  He is the One sent from the Father to save us from our sins.  God offers each one of us salvation and this was afforded to each one of us by Our Blessed Saviour dying on the Cross for our sins.  He took the burden of our sins upon His own shoulders because He knew we could not bear the weight.  And He took our place on that Cross.  He hung in our place on that hill at Calvary.  It was you and I that should have been hanging there.  But Our Blessed Saviour took our place and hung there and died there for us.  He was truly the Lamb of God, the innocent Lamb Who was slain for our sins.  I believe in the same Lord and Saviour who said:  "I am the Way, the Truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me."  (St. John 14:6)  I believe in the Holy Trinity:  the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.  I believe that Our Lord founded the Church to do His work here on earth.  And I believe as Our Lord promised that the Holy Ghost was sent to the Church and helps to inspire the Church.  I pray that I always stay close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus because it is there that the love of God can be found.  It is there that salvation is freely given and offered.  And it is there that the love of mankind God has for us is to be found.  

There, I hope I was clear.  As Christians, we are called to tell the world about God.  I firmly believe that we tell the world not only verbally but also we tell the world about God through our actions.  And although we are not perfect in conveying that truth:  whether that be through our words or through out actions.  We are still obligated to tells others about God.  Let each one of us be clear in our faith.  Let each one of us be firm and committed.  Let each one of stay close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Let each one of us show no fear in letting the world know that Jesus Christ is indeed our Lord and Saviour.  Let each one of us know that Our Lord is indeed the Way . . .  the Truth  . .. . and the Life.  

Two opportunities to come worship God with us on Sunday, February 7th, 2016:

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

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

Join us as we gather together as God's family to:  hear the Word of God; listen as God speaks to each one of us in our hearts; worship God in song and in word; listen to the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer; and, finally, receive Our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion so that we can be nourished for the journey we call life.  Take one hour out of your busy schedule to worship God, to honour God, to acknowledge the need for God in your life.

Join us for Septuagesima, January 24, 2016

Septuagesima, or the Third Sunday before Lent, 

Sunday, January 24th, 2016

"Anything worth doing is worth doing well."  That's an old saying that you will hear said every once in a while.  But, let's face it, if the value is greater to us personally . . . . whether that "value" be in money, or time, or prestige, etc. . . . . we will put more effort into doing that particular thing, whatever it is.  If you are a student, for example,  and you have a quiz worth five percent of your grade or if you have your semester final worth forty percent of your grade: which one are you going to put more effort into studying for?  Case in point.  Recently the Powerball Lottery went to over One Billion dollars for the jackpot.  Can you imagine winning ONE BILLION DOLLARS?!?!?  And if you are like me, you saw people standing in line to buy lottery tickets for the chance to win the billion dollar lottery of a lifetime.  But that's my point, people who never bought any lottery tickets; or people who rarely bought lottery tickets, suddenly found themselves standing in line  to buy a chance to win a billion dollars.  If the "reward" is greater to us, we will put more effort into something.  If the "reward" doesn't mean that much, we won't spend as much time on it.  That's just human nature, I'm afraid.  

In St. Paul's Ninth Chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, St. Paul writes the following:  "Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible."  He is referring to athletes training for sporting events who train as hard as they can to win a crown to signify that they are the best athlete.  St. Paul, of course, compares an athlete's training to a Christian's "training."  St. Paul compares and contrasts how hard an athlete trains to win a "crown" that will eventually fade away, i..e, the corruptible crown.  But, for the firm, committed, dedicated Christian, we are training  to win a crown that will never corrupt.  We are training to obtain a crown that we will never lose.  In other words, we are training to win eternal life with Our Blessed Saviour.  In comparing/contrasting the two "crowns," St. Paul is asking the question to the Corinthians:  which "crown" is more valuable?  The crown won for winning the sporting event?  Or the crown won for being a good and faithful servant of God?  The answer is obvious for St. Paul.  But is it so obvious for the rest of us?   How much effort do we put into our jobs on a daily basis?  How much effort do we put into fixing up our homes?  How much effort do we put into our hobbies?  How much effort do we put into watching our favorite television programs or sporting events?  Now, again, don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with any of the things mentioned above.  But, again, we put effort into things that are important to us.  We put the most effort into things that have the most meaning to us.  And this is the point that St. Paul is making:  if God is important to us . . .  if God means something to us . ..  if God has real meaning and real value to each one of us . . . . then we should make a point to put effort into spending time with God on a daily basis:  through prayer and meditation; through daily reading of Scripture; and dedicating our lives to God through having a personal relationship with Our Blessed Saviour.  We run a race as well.  For us, our "race" is called life.  A "crown" awaits each one of us, if we choose it:  the "crown" of eternal life.  But we have to start training for it now.

Two opportunities to join us for Mass on Sunday, January 24th, 2016:

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

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

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.  Hear what God is speaking to you in Bible-based preaching.  Take one hour out of your busy schedule for the week and dedicate that hour solely to God.  Receive the Precious Body and Blood of Christ at Communion time.  Give of yourself to God and realize that God is giving of Himself to you when you come to church.

Join Us For The Sunday Next Before Advent on Sunday, November 22, 2015

Sunday Next Before Advent, Sunday, November 22nd, 2015

The Gospel for today's Mass is taken from the Sixth Chapter of St. John's Gospel.  In the passage chosen for today's Mass, we hear St. John's version of the feeding of the Five-Thousand.  Now, keep in mind that Our Lord asked Philip where they could  get so much food to feed all of those people.  In essence, St. Philip protested that it would be impossible to feed so many people.  St. Andrew stepped in and reported that a "lad had five barley loaves and two small fishes."  But even St. Andrew himself immediately responded:  ". . . . but what are they among so many?"   Have you ever had the experience where you took evaluation of the situation and talked yourself out of doing it even before you gave it a try?  In other words, you convinced yourself that it would never work and so you refused to even try it.  You defeated yourself even before you started.  That's why I say so often in my sermons that we are our own worst enemies.  We stop ourselves from even giving it a try because, in our own mind, we are convinced that there is no way in the world it will work.  And so we stop even before we begin.  In today's passage, St. Philip immediately protests that they can't feed that many people and he only came up with  a protest.  St. Andrew at least made an attempt but even he second guessed his efforts and questioned how little food that was compared to how many people were present.  

As evidenced in all the miracles we read in the Gospels, Our Blessed Lord shows time and time again how He changes the "ordinary" into the "extraordinary."  Our Lord demonstrates that He can accomplish anything He sets His mind on.  As Christians, we are called to place our trust in God.  This is not always easy, is it?  As human beings, we want to do things our way.  As human beings, we have doubt if something is going to work or not.  As human beings, we lack confidence, or knowledge, or know-how.  It could be any number of reasons or combination of reasons.  But the fact remains that as Christians we are called to place all our trust in God.  "Let go and let God," as the old saying goes.  Give your life to God.  Place your life in His hands.  Let God be the Lord and Master of your life.  And turn your cares, and your burdens, and your troubles over to Him.  This is not to say that you will not have cares and burdens and troubles in your life.  But when you do, . . . . you will have God with you . . . . to guide you, to lead you, to be next to you.  If Our Blessed Saviour fed the five thousand with just a few fish and loaves, I am convinced that He can perform multiple miracles in your life as well.  

There are two opportunities to hear Mass on Sunday, November 22nd, 2015:

Join St. Margaret Church on Sunday, November 22nd, 2015 at 9:30 AM as we celebrate the Sunday Next Before Advent.  Mass is celebrated at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Marquette Manor is located directly across the street from the St. Vincent Women's Hospital on Township Line Road.

Join Holy Spirit Church on Sunday, November 22nd, 2015 as we celebrate the Sunday Next Before Advent.  Mass begins at 1:00 PM.  We celebrate Mass at the beautiful, historic First Presbyterian Church located at 116 W. South Street in Greenfield, Indiana.  The church is located at the corner of South and Pennsylvania streets near downtown Greenfield.

If you have not done so lately, invite someone to church with you.  Invite a family member, a dear friend, a neighbor, a coworker.  Invite someone to come to church with you.  Let them experience the blessings of hearing the Word of God.  Allow them to experience the blessing of being in fellowship with fellow-Christians gathering together as God's family.  Let them experience the blessing of receiving the Precious Body and Blood at Communion time.  Invite someone to church with you. 

Sermon for 23rd Sunday after Trinity, 2015

The sermon of Fr. Todd given on Sunday, November 8th, 2015 for the 23rd Sunday after Trinity.

To hear Fr. Todd's sermon, please click on the following link:

Sermon from Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity, 2015

The sermon of Fr. Todd given on Sunday, September 27th, 2015, the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.  Please click on the following link to hear Fr. Todd's sermon:

Join us for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity, October 11th, 2015

In the epistle designated for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity, we hear from St. Paul's fourth chapter of his Letter to the Ephesians. In the beginning of this chapter, St. Paul writes: "I therefore . . . beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called." (Ephesians 4:1) Those who are called to be Christians are called to be something truly noble. That may sound very lofty but it is true. This is because we are called to imitate "light" in a world of "darkness." This is not very easy at times. In fact, it's a pretty tall order if you ask me. But that being said, St. Paul goes on to give some pretty sound advice in this fourth chapter of Ephesians. In verse 31 of this chapter he writes: "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice." (Ephesians 4:31) Probably, I would dare say, this is the best advice of the whole chapter for us to keep in mind. I say this because we live in a fast paced world. I would say this is true for all of us. Whether we are working or retired; whether we live in cities or in towns; whether we are young or old. Just about everybody I know . . . . myself included . . . is constantly busy at doing this or doing that. Going to work. Going to doctor's appointments. Going shopping. Cleaning the house. Fixing the house. Doing yardwork. Picking up the kids. Going to games. The list goes on and on. And, unfortunately, for many of us . . . . again, myself included . . . . busy schedules oftentimes lead to stressful living. And stressful living can lead to short tempers and lack of patience with those around us. We get angry with the idiots that cut us off in traffic and almost cause a wreck. We get irritated with the people in front of us at the store who are holding up the checkout line by trying to use coupons that have been expired for five months. We get mad at people who may have a different opinion than we do. The list goes on and on. And while these things may seem insignificant in and of themselves, added all together these things have the potential to make our lives very stressful.

God does not mean for our lives to be filled with stress and anger and irritation. Quite frankly, when we get irritated with someone or something . . . . even if we are correct to be irritated . . . this irritation does not harm the other person; it harms us. The other person probably doesn't even know of our irritation and probably wouldn't care anyway even if they would know. The irritation and the anger and the bitterness is what builds up inside of us and harms us. Period. St. Paul is warning the church at Ephesus just like he is warning us two-thousand years later: be filled with things of God instead of things of the world. Fill yourself with the love of God so that you will not be filled with the anger and bitterness offered by the world. In a certain sense, we are similar to a pitcher or a glass or a box. If the container is filled with whatever objects we can think of and the contained is filled to the brim, we can not fit anything else in. Thus, remove the items from the container so that we can fill the other items in there. Thus, in that sense, how can we expect to fill ourselves with the love of God if we are already filled with anger and bitterness and hate? Conversely, how can anger and bitterness and hate fill us if we are already filled with the love of God?

Two opportunities to join us for Mass on Sunday, October 11th, 2015:

St. Margaret 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.

The Church of the Holy Spirit meets every Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM. We worship at the beautiful and historic First Presbyterian Church near downtown Greenfield, Indiana, located at the corner of South and Pennsylvania Streets in Greenfield.

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.

I Am The Bread of Life . . . . .

From all media reports, it seems that the first visit of Pope Francis to the United States seems to have been a huge success.  Everywhere you looked, Pope Francis was on television or in the newspapers or on social media.  People were talking about what the pope did and what he said and where he visited.  Now, full disclosure here:  I have seen Pope John Paul II multiple times, not only here in the United States but also at the Vatican.  In fact, I was blessed when I was a young seminarian in my first year of seminary . . . back in 1988, I believe .. . .  to actually attend Mass in the pope's private chapel in the Vatican with Pope John Paul II celebrating the Mass.  After Mass, all those attending had the opportunity to meet the pope.  So, that being said, I know very well the excitement of seeing the pope in person.  It is indeed very exciting and for most people throughout the world they will never get to experience the excitement first hand.  And, truth be known, probably most people who do get the chance to see the pope, for them it is a once in a lifetime experience.  So, I understand fully the excitement when you get the opportunity to see the pope in person and even up-close and personal.

Now, what really drove this home for me was the Mass in Philadelphia at the Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul when the pope celebrated Mass there.  I have been there many times myself and it is a beautiful, beautiful church.  What caused a little bit of commotion, so to speak, at this particular Mass, was a picture that was circulating on social media.  The picture showed Pope Francis at the altar, during the Mass, and on the other side where priests vested in their albs and chasubles concelebrating the Mass (in the Sanctuary) taking pictures of Pope Francis at the altar.  I will hesitate to criticize the priests who were taking the pictures while they were in the sanctuary during Mass.  Quite frankly, would I have done the same thing?  Honestly, I don't think that I would have but who knows?   Personally, I don't think snapping pictures on cameras or cell phones  was appropriate while they were in the sanctuary during the Mass but it is understandable, given the circumstances.

Now as stated above it is exciting to see or even meet someone famous such as the pope.  People go crazy over meeting all kinds of celebrities from movie stars to sports figures to important people.  I understand the feeling and I am sure it is part of our human condition.  But where all of this led me to thinking about something even more important.  If those priests . . . the ones pictured in the sanctuary . . . during Mass . ..  fully vested and concelebrating . . . if they found themselves so excited to be in the presence of Pope Francis as the main celebrant . . . . how must these same priests feel each time they celebrate Mass and are in the Presence of Our Blessed Saviour?  I mean, when you think about it, if we truly believe the words Our Lord stated:  "This is My Body . . . This is My Blood"  . . .  then we must always remember that we are in the Presence of Our Blessed Saviour each time we attend Mass.  Again, if you look at it that way, should we not all get excited to be the in Presence of Our Blessed Saviour each and every time we attend Mass?

Again, I am not condemning the priests mentioned above taking pictures . . . . unfortunately, it is a by-product of the age in which we live where everybody takes pictures of everything . . . . including "selfies."  But that being said, while it is exciting to be in the presence of a pope, isn't it exciting to be in the Presence of Our Blessed Saviour?  We are in His Presence every time we attend Mass.  We are in His Presence every time we pray to Him.  We are in His Presence every time we read Holy Scripture.  It seems to me we should put everything in perspective and realize that we are indeed in His Presence each time we do of the things mentioned above.  And if we do realize that we are in the Presence of God, it should cause us to be in awe and wonder that Our Blessed Saviour would be in our presence.  We have such a loving God that He comes to meet us but also waits for us to call on Him.  Let us get excited over our relationship with God and to praise His Holy Name for the gift of salvation He offers freely to each one of us.

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:

Fourth Sunday after Trinity, 2015

The sermon of Fr. Todd given on Sunday, June 28th, 2015, the Fourth Sunday after Trinity.

Click on following link to hear Fr. Todd's sermon:

Join us for Mass on the Fifth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, July 5th, 2015

Fifth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, July 5th, 2015

In St. Luke's Gospel at today's Mass, we hear the story of the beginning of the association between Our Blessed Saviour and St. Peter.  As was very often the case, the crowds were pressing against Our Blessed Lord so much and He could not make Himself heard.  We hear the following:  ". .  . . He stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships . .  . : "  (St. Luke 5:1)  And as a result, Our Lord got into St. Peter's boat so that He could preach to the multitude that had gathered to hear Him speak by Lake Gennesaret.  Now the rest of this passage obviously focuses mainly on Our Lord directing St. Peter to throw the nets out and ended up hauling in a miraculous load of fish when he could catch nothing by himself.  But the one thing that really caught my attention in reading and rereading this Gospel passage was the fact that there were two ships, St. Luke tells us.  But then if there were two ships, why did Our Lord choose the one that St. Peter owned and not the other ship?   The fact of the matter is that God chooses each one of us for specific tasks because each one of us has particular skills and talents.  One person might be good at teaching while someone else is good at preaching.  Or it might be the case that someone is good at fixing things while another person is skilled in music.  The bottom line is that each one of us might not be talented in one area but very skilled in something totally different.  Again, I can not help but focus on the fact that there were two ships in today's Gospel passage and Our Lord picked one but not the other.  Maybe I am making too big of a deal out of this fact, but in my mind, it does point out that Our Lord does pick us.  He chooses us.  He singles us out and calls each one of us.  The key, though, is that we need to respond accordingly.  We have to say "yes" when we are called.  We may not understand why Our Lord has chosen us.  Look at today's passage, St. Peter did not understand Our Lord's instruction to cast the net out when he had been working so hard all night and caught nothing.  And yet he did it anyway.  Our Lady most certainly did not understand when she was told that she would be pregnant with child and yet her response was "Let it be done to me according to your word!"  She said yes despite the fact that she did not understand . . . .  St. Peter said yes despite the fact he could not understand how it would be possible.  This is the definition of faith.  God chooses us.  We respond. And sometimes we may not even understand how it will take place . . . . or why it will take place . . . . or why in the world that God would choose me . . . but we respond to God's call and move forward.   This is faith!

Two opportunities to hear Mass on Sunday:

St. Margaret Anglican Church meets every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM.  St. Margaret worships in 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 afternoon at 1:00 PM at the beautiful First Presbyterian Church in Greenfield, Indiana, which is located at 116 W. South Street, located at the corner of Pennsylvania and South 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.  Join us as we meditate on God speaking to us.  Come receive Our Lord's Precious Body and Blood at Communion time.  And then join us after Mass at our coffee hour where we have many delicious goodies and fellowship.

Third Sunday after Trinity, 2015

The sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg given on the Third Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, June 21,2015.

Click on following link to hear Fr. Todd's sermon:

Join us for Mass on the Third Sunday After Trinity, June 21, 2015

You have to wonder about people sometimes.  Quite frankly, you have to wonder about this old world sometimes.  You sometimes hear questions from people as to why evil goes on in the world.  These people  don't understand why "bad things happen to good people."  In a certain sense, this is a fair enough question.  Theologians along with great thinkers throughout history have been asking this same question basically since the world began.  Why do bad things happen at all?  And then many people start placing the blame on God at least indirectly when they ask:  why did God "allow" this to happen?  Why didn't He stop it?  Again, in times of tragedy, such as we witnessed as a nation this week in regards to the horrible church shooting in South Carolina this week, it is easy to question why evil was permitted to happen.  Or why did a one year old little girl die, in a totally separate incident, in a different state, due allegedly to neglect and/or abuse from her parents?  Or why would a young woman be diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and have to spend her time doing chemotherapy and fighting her cancer?  She should have been spending her time taking classes and enjoying time with friends and doing the things that young people typically do instead of going in and out of hospitals and doctors offices.  Instead, her family had to watch her suffer through a terrible disease which she did not choose to have in the first place.  Why did any of these examples, and a whole host of others that we could come up with, happen in the first place?  

If we turn to the First Epistle of St. Peter, we hear the following:  "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: . .   " (I St. Peter 5:5 ff)  Let's be clear.  The devil is indeed prowling throughout the world causing as much mischief as he can.  The devil does certainly plant seeds in our minds, hearts and souls with evil intent.  He misleads us and he lies to us. He plants foundations of confusion in our minds so that we will not see the truth but see things how he wants us to see them.  But we need to take St. Peter's advice and be "vigilant" and be "sober" . . . . in other words, pay attention! . . . be on guard! . . . . the devil wants to devour us . . . the world wants to devour us . . . . .  . evil wants to devour us!  All the more reason to stay close to God.  Get to know God on a personal level.  Make Him your best friend.  Make Him your personal adviser.  Let God be your instructor in life.  You see, so many people today let Satan instruct them and they don't even realize it.  What happens when there is a void?  Typically, something comes in to fill up that void.  This is what happens when we do not have God in our life.  We have a void when we do not have God in our life and that void is filled with all kinds of things:  evil thoughts and misinformation and hatred and jealousy  .  . .  . . Fill your hearts with God and there will be no room for hatred!  Fill your mind with things of God and there will be no opportunity for the devil to fill it with thoughts of mischief.  Fill your soul with Christ and you will never go wrong.   Give your heart to God and the devil will never have the opportunity to take it!

Two opportunities to join us for Mass this weekend:

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican 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.

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

Come worship with us and spend a quality hour in worship of God, set apart from the busyness of the world.  Listen to the Word of God found in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and the King James Version of the Bible.  Receive the Precious Body and Blood at Communion time.  And then after Mass, stick around for some delicious goodies at our coffee hour.

Join us for Laetare Sunday, March 15th, 2015

The Gospel for Laetare Sunday comes from the Sixth Chapter of St. John's Gospel. As we begin this passage St. John tells us of the large crowds that have followed Our Lord due to them hearing about the many people that He has cured. Our Lord's fame has grown far and wide due to the many miracles that He has performed. And many of those gathered want to not only to see Him but to hear what He has to say. Now the first thing that should strike us when we hear the story of Our Lord feeding the multitude is that Our Lord is a compassionate Lord. He knew that these people that gathered together to hear Him and to get just a glimpse of Him would be tired . . . would be hungry . . . would need to be sustained and nourished. And He called together the disciples and inquired what would need to be done. Now, we all know what happened next. Our Blessed Saviour multiplied the five loaves and the two fish into feeding the multitude.

What I would like to focus on is what Our Lord did after everyone was fed. He called together the disciples and told them: "Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. ." (St. John 6:12) Sometimes our lives feel like "fragments," in a sense. We run here. We run there. We take care of our families. We take care of our home. We go to our jobs. We go shopping for what we need. The list goes on and on. As a result, we feel like we are running around from one place to the next, going from doing one thing into something completely different. I know I feel this way very often. And I talk to so many people that feel the same way. Our lives are divided between this, that and the other. But the important thing to remember is that God takes our "fragments" and makes them whole. Just like Our Blessed Saviour fed and nourished the five-thousand, He feeds and nourishes us still today. Just like He saw the vast multitude gathered around Him, He still sees us in need of His strength to carry on our daily lives. And He is that strength. He is the One Who nourishes us. He is the One Who sustains us. He is the One Who makes us whole. He takes the fragments of our lives and makes our life complete. There is no other person, thing, or feeling in the world that can make us complete. There is only one person who can do this for us. And that is God. Give your heart to Him. Let Him be your nourishment. Let God be your sustaining force. Let Our Blessed Saviour be the One you run to in order to be fed.

Join us for Mass on Sunday, March 15th, as we celebrate Laetare Sunday. 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 of Scotland Anglican Church worships at the beautiful Marquette Manor Chapel, 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 worships at the beautiful, historic First Presbyterian Church which is located at 216 W. South Street, at the corner of South and Pennsylvania Streets in Greenfield, Indiana. Mass begins at 1:00 PM.

Sermon for Third Sunday of Lent, 2015

Fr. Todd's sermon for the Third Sunday of Lent, given on March 8th, 2015.

You can hear the sermon by clicking on the following link:

Sermon for Second Sunday of Lent, 2015

The sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg given on the Second Sunday of Lent, Sunday, March 1st, 2015.

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

Keep God's Name Holy

The Holy Name of Jesus

Anglo-Catholics are very traditional. One of the traditions that Anglo-Catholics still hold dear is that we bow our heads when we hear the Holy Name of Jesus spoken aloud. Up until fifty or sixty years ago, this beautiful tradition was still practiced by Christians throughout the world. Sadly, over time this tradition of showing reverence at the Name of Jesus has decreased in usage.

On the other hand, ironically, usage of Our Lord’s Name seems to have increased . . . but sadly not in a reverent fashion. On a daily basis, whether it be in the workplace or out in public at a store . . . or on television or in movies, you hear people using the Lord’s Name frequently. You hear people saying “Jesus” or “Jesus Christ” or sadly even “God d**n.” Even on the Internet you see the initials written “OMG” on a frequent basis. And, sadly, you even hear some young people write (or say, for that matter) the letter “F” before “G” (as in “OM*G),” which is most certainly blasphemous to say the least.

If you are in church, you would certainly expect to hear Our Lord’s Name mentioned. If you ever attend a Revival, you would expect to hear Our Blessed Lord’s Name spoken aloud or even sang in beautiful hymns. Certainly, in times of prayer, it is a good thing to call Our Lord by His Name. And, finally, in reading Holy Scripture, you expect to hear God’s Name being mentioned. But in any other instance where you hear Our Lord’s Name mentioned in a “secular” setting, this shows complete and utter disregard for the Sacredness of God’s Holy Name.

Even God Himself acknowledges the sacredness of His Name when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord Thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His Name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7) And we hear elsewhere: “ . . . neither shalt thou profane the Name of Thy God: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 18:21) Back then the Name of the Lord was certainly acknowledged as something holy and sacred. In fact, we hear the following from the Book of Leviticus: “And he that blasphemeth the Name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death . . . .” (Leviticus 24:16) Now, surely we are not recommending that anyone that blasphemes be put to death but this verse certainly points out that in the past, people made a point to not take the Lord’s Name lightly and did not take the Name of the Lord in vain.

We need to be reminded and taught that the Name of the Lord is precious and holy. In showing respect and reverence for the Name of God, we surely show the respect and reverence which we have for God Himself. In acknowledging the holiness of His Name, we acknowledge the holiness of the Good Lord Himself. If the Name of God is not held in esteem, then the question becomes do we even hold God in esteem? Even in the “Our Father,” keep in mind that we pray “. . . Hallowed be Thy Name . . .” Do we keep God’s Name holy if we use that Name as a curse or use it in an “ordinary” fashion. There is nothing ordinary about our God. God is extraordinary. He is holy. He is sacred. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the Great “I Am.” God is indeed Our Heavenly Father. When we remember all these things, it puts into perspective that we should not take the Name of Our Heavenly Father lightly. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

Let us always show honour, respect and love for the Holy Name of Jesus. Let us never take this Name lightly. Neither let us use this Name lightly. Let us teach our children not only by our words but also by our example that we do not blaspheme God’s Name and do not take His Name in vain. In showing respect for God’s Name, we show the respect and regard we hold for God. “That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.” (Philippians 2:10)

Sexagesima, 2015

The sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg given on Sexagesima, (the Second Sunday before Lent), given on February 8th, 2015.  You can listen to Fr. Todd's sermon for this Sunday by clicking on the following link:

First Sunday in Lent, 2015

The sermon of Fr. Todd Bragg given on Sunday, February 22nd, 2015, the First Sunday of Lent.  You can listen to the sermon by clicking of the following video: