Are You In Debt???

I am confident that every single person reading my words right now knows a thing or two about being in debt.  We can all come up with our own examples . . . in fact, I am again confident that each of us can come up with NUMEROUS examples of debt.  Whether it be debt via credit cards . ..  or debt in regards to a house mortgage or a car payment . . .  or debt for other loans  . . . .  such as student loans for college; etc.  All of us can think of debts that we have had over the years.  While some debts are unavoidable . .  . other debts we should avoid getting into at all costs possible.  For example, trying as hard as we can not to be in debt to credit card companies.  I even looked up how much "debt" the United States debt is and the source at least that I found stated it was somewhere around $19.26 Trillion dollars!!!  All of us are in debt to someone in one way or fashion, it would seem.

Even in St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, we hear:  "Brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh." (Romans 8:12)  As stated above, all of us have been debtors at one point or another.  Very often . . .  if not every single time, come to think of it . . .  we do not want to be in debt.  Nobody wnats to be in debt, do they?  Whether we just got done paying off a credit card, only to find ourselves having to use that credit card all over again.  Or just when we get done paying off the car . . .  something goes terribly wrong.   Just last year, I remember, I had just finished paying off my car  . . . . which, of course, is a wonderful feeling, wouldn't you agree?  And then within a month or two, the car that I had just finished paying off was hit by another driver and it was destroyed.  Thus, get a replacement vehicle and get back on that monthly car payment "merry-go-round" all over again.  None of us wants to be in debt is the bottom line but sometimes we end up being in debt whether we want to or not.  This is the point that St. Paul is making to the Romans.  Some of us are in debt to our bodily urges . . . . whether it be the urges for:  food; or drink; or drugs; or sex; or urges even for what we wear or what we own.  Sometimes we become so caught up in these things that before we know it we get fixated, if you will, focused on our material needs such as food; drink; etc.  This is the point that St. Paul is making.  Let us not get so caught up with the desires of the flesh that we become a prisoner to our own desires.  Isn't that was an alcoholic is, for example, a prisoner to his or her need for a drink?  But there are so many examples that we can use.  Don't become a debtor to things of the flesh.  We are human, yes, but we are more than simply humans . . . . we are spirit as well.  Focus your energy . . .  Focus your desires . . .  Focus your attention  . . . .  to things of God instead of things of earth.  Don't become a debtor to things of this world because they are passing away.  Our true treasure awaits us:  to spend eternity with Our Heavenly Father.  

Join St. Margaret Church on Sunday, July 17th, 2016 at 9:30 AM as we celebrate the Eighth Sunday after Trinity.  Join us as we listen to the Word of God found in both the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Listen as God speaks to you through His Word.  Join together with your Brothers and Sisters in Christ as we worship Our Heavenly Father as His Family.  And also receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of Christ at Communion time.

St. Margaret worships at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

How Good is Your Memory?

Do you ever have a problem remembering something?  I know I do.  It's strange that I can remember something from forty years ago and yet I can't remember what I went into the kitchen to get just now.  Some things stick in our mind and other things not so well.  It seems like some things that I would like to remember, I have trouble remembering.  Other things that I would actually like to forget, I hang on to those things.  If you have problems remembering, you are not alone.  It seems like the disciples had problems remembering as well.

In the sixth chapter of the Gospel of St. Mark, we begin this chapter by listening to St. Mark recount how Our Blessed Saviour fed the four thousand.  Now, remember that back in the end of Chapter Six of this very same Gospel, we hear about the feeding of the Five thousand.  In my humble opinion, the most wonderful thing about this incredible miracle is actually not the miracle itself . . .  although feeding four thousand people with a few fish and a few pieces of bread is simply amazing.  No, what I always like to point out is what leads to this miracle.  After seeing the vast crowd gathered around Him, Our Lord says:  "I have compassion on the multitude."  In order to have compassion, you first have to take notice of someone's need.  In other words, we have a God Who is not distant.  We have a God Who is not far away.  We have a God Who takes the time to notice how we feel.  We have a God Who actually cares about His people.  Our Blessed Saviour was concerned that those who traveled from a distance would be in need of food.  

I know that all of us can think of someone in our life who cares for us . . .  whether it is a relative, or a neighbor, or a close friend, or a coworker.  We all have someone in our life that takes the time to notice when we are down.  Or that one person in our life who does simple things to show how much they care.  Perhaps they call you for no other reason just to see how you are doing.  Or they are the person you can always depend on in time of need . . . . when everybody else has given every excuse under the sun for not being there for you.  For those people that are always there for you, don't you feel like you would also like to be there for them as well?  That's how it should be for God.  God is always there for us.  Even when everyone else turns their back on us, God is always there waiting for our return to Him.  God is always faithful to us . . . . despite the fact that we are not always so faithful to Him all the time.  We should always remember the wonderful things that God has done for us.  In this, though, sometimes we are forgetful.  We forget everything that God has done for us because we get so fixated on the things of the world that grab our attention.  

Make a point to improve your memory, at least, in regards to the wonderful things that God has done for you in your life.  Never forget the faithfulness of God.  Yes, God is faithful to you when it is us that should be faithful to Him.  Never forget that.

Join us for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity, 2016

Sixth Sunday after Trinity, July 3rd, 2016

When I was growing up I remember clearly our city had a local TV host who showed old "monster movies" every Friday night such as the werewolf  .. .. . or the mummy ... . or Count Dracula.  These would be the old movies from the 1940's or 1950's, keep in mind so they wouldn't be gory like horror movies are today.  Anyway, I remember watching "Frankenstein" when I was a young boy.  And, of course, the premise is that Dr. Frankenstein brings a man back from the dead and raises him to life again.  I am sure we are all familiar with the story line either through reading the original book or watching countless movie versions.  Now the reason this example comes to mind, I suppose, is that sin seems to be a lot like Frankenstein's monster because it keeps coming back to life again in our lives.  In the sixth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, we hear:  "For he that is dead is freed from sin."  Now, this seems to be pretty clear-cut.  But for human beings sin seems to be like a weed that keeps coming back and back and back again.  We spray weed killer and the weeds are gone for a while but then they come back again somewhere else.   Sin is that weed in our life that keeps coming back and back and back again.  The only way we can get rid of sin in our lives completely is to focus our life on Christ . ..  to center our life on Christ . . .  Further on in Chapter Six of the Epistle to the Romans, we hear:  "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."  If we imagine the example of a drinking glass or a pitcher or any sort of container, we know that as long as the container is filled up, you can not fit anything else in.  Thus, if our life is filled up with sinful behaviors:  hatred . . . anger . ..  lust . . .  envy ...  . whatever sin that plagues us on a regular basis . .  . replace those sins with thoughts of Christ.  Replace those sinful thoughts with thoughts of God.  Fill up your heart with the love of God.  If your heart is filled with God-centered thoughts, there will be no room for thoughts of hatred, envy, anger, etc.  If your heart is focused on God and on things of God, it will not have any opportunity to be focused on anything else.

Join St. Margaret of Scotland  Church on Sunday, July 3rd, 2016 as we gather together to worship Our Heavenly Father.  Join us as we listen to God's Word found in the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Join us as we receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of Our Blessed Saviour at Communion time to nourish us and sustain us in our Christian journey.

St. Margaret 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.

Join us for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity, June 26, 2016

Fifth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, June 26th, 2016

Now at the beginning of the the fifth chapter of St. Luke's Gospel, St. Luke kindly points out as he begins this chapter that as Our Lord passed by, He saw some fishermen already out of their boats and they were in the process of washing their nets.  Now, keep in mind that the mere fact that they were out of the boats and washing their nets shows that they were done for they day.  They had not caught anything . . . they were tired . . . perhaps even very frustrated, I would dare say . . . and they were cleaning up so that they could call it a day.  And here comes Our Lord in their presence telling them to put out their boats to give it one more try.  The response of St. Peter is what we need to focus on.  We already know that he thought this was pointless to go out again for the reasons outlined above.  And yet what was the response of St. Peter?  " . . . nevertheless at thy word  . . . "  (St. Luke 5:1ff)  When we say we trust in someone's word, what does that mean?  What does a person's word signify?  A person's word signifies a number of things, quite frankly.  First and foremost, a person's word represents our trust in that person.  If I trust a person and they give me their word they will do something, I trust that person.  I believe that they will do what they say.  With God, though, this is called faith.  We know without a shadow of a doubt that God will see us through any strife or tribulation.  Faith is knowing that God is in charge and that He will do His part.  Now, keep in mind that we may not always know how this will take place or exactly what steps will be taken.  But then again neither did St. Peter when Our Lord requested that he take the boats out for one more try.  St. Peter responded " . . .  nevertheless at thy word .  . ." This needs to be our response to God as well on a daily basis.  

Join St. Margaret of Scotland Church on Sunday, June 26th, 2016 as we celebrate the Fifth Sunday after Trinity.  Mass begins at 9:30 AM.  Join us as we listen to the Word of God found in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and the King James Version of the Bible.   We gather together as a family each and every Sunday to worship God in a respectful, traditional manner.  And we receive the Precious Body and Blood of Christ at Communion time in order to nourish and strengthen us for the journey called "Life."  

St. Margaret worships at the beautiful Chapel at Marquette Manor located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  

Join us for the Fourth Sunday after Trinity, June 19th, 2016

Fourth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, June 19th, 2016

The Bible is often referred to as "The Good Book."  I refer to it by this name sometimes in my sermons or when I speak in general.  But, actually, as most of us know, the "Good Book" is really many smaller "books" added together into one large volume that we know as the "Holy Bible" or the "Good Book."  As such, you know as well as I that there is a lot of wisdom that can be gained by reading the pages contained in the "Good Book."  There is much to be learned from reading the Bible, obviously.  It is God's Word after all.  But some people pick and choose which verses from the Bible they want to focus on.  In fact, you will hear verses of the Bible quoted by people to try and support their position or justify their beliefs.  For example, sometimes either in person or on TV or in a movie, you will hear someone say " . . . . an eye for an eye . . . ."  And typically when you hear someone say that in a movie or in person, the context is that if someone hurts you you are going to hurt them right back in the same way.  People must have been in the habit of using this Scripture verse to justify their actions two-thousand years ago because even Our Lord takes time to speak about it.  "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for and eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." (St. Matthew 5:38-39)  So you see even back then Our Lord had to explain things and put things into proper perspective.  God is not about revenge and hatred and "getting even."  Listen to Our Lord putting things into proper perspective:  "BE ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." (St. Luke 6:36)  It is never wise to "pick and choose" Scripture verses to justify our own beliefs.  There is ample opportunity to "pick and choose" random Bible verses if some people choose to do that.  But as I say so often in my sermons, we need to know the context of what the specific Scripture verse is that we are reading and/or citing.  So, too, we need to do this with God in general.  Our Blessed Lord showed us the "context" of His Heavenly Father:  God is merciful. God is love.  And as we heard above, we are called to be merciful as Our Father is also merciful  Is this easy?  No, certainly not.  But on the other hand, how easy was it for Our Blessed Lord, hanging from the Cross after hours of being tortured, bruised and beaten to say:  "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" ?   All we can do in these situations is to remember Our Lord's words "Be ye therefor merciful as your Father also is merciful."

Please join us on Sunday, June 19th, 2016 at 9:30 AM as we celebrate Mass for the Fourth Sunday after Trinity.  St. Margaret Anglican Church worships in the Chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Join with us as we listen to the Word of God found not only in the King James Version of the Bible but also from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Join us as God speaks directly to each one of us.  Take just one hour out of your busy schedules so that you can worship Our Blessed Saviour and dedicate that time to the One Who gives you so much.  And, finally, join us as we receive the Precious Body and Blood in Holy Communion

Join us for the Second Sunday after Trinity

Second Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, June 5, 2016

It always amazes me that some people make doing something look so easy.  For example, some people I see do carpentry work make it look so easy.  Me, on the other hand, have trouble hammering a single nail.  Other people have an amazing talent for numbers and math.  Again, math is something I struggle with.  But all of us have certain struggles and all of us have certain things that we are skilled at.  As Christians, though, all of us are directed to do something very difficult:  to love everyone.  If we look to the Third Chapter of the First Epistle of St. John, we hear: "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren."  (I St. John 3:13 ff) Let's face it, this is more than likely the most difficult thing about being a Christian.  Human beings have emotions.  Very often, we are led by our emotions.  And if someone hurts us, we will not like that person very much.  But what Christ directed us to do is to love one another and not "like one another."  We will not "like" every single person that we meet.  But we can still do our best to "love" every single person that we meet.  Some people will rub us the wrong way with their personalities.  Other people we will admire right away.  But we are called to love one another.  I would say this is true for a few different reasons:  first, because Our Blessed Saviour directed us to do so.  And next because everyone we meet was also created in the image and likeness of God just like we were.  Those whom we do not like, we probably find it difficult to believe that that person was created in the image and likeness of God like we were.  While it is true that we may not "like" everyone, we are still called to "love" everyone.  This is extremely difficult but it is important for us to constantly attempt to do this even if it takes an entire lifetime to master.

St. Margaret Church meets every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM.  We meet at the Chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Come join us as we listen to the Word of God found in the King James Version of the Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Join us as we worship God together as God's Family.

Come Join Us on Pentecost, May 15, 2016

Pentecost, Commonly Called Whitsunday, May 15th, 2016

In the Second Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, we are presented with a description of what happened to the disciples at Jerusalem during that very first Whitsunday, or Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost descended upon them.  And in that chapter it states that "there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven." (Acts 2:5)  In other words, there were gathered together a diverse group of people from various regions and backgrounds and areas.  When I was preparing my sermon this week and read this, it certainly hit home with me as I reflected on my own life.  This week I celebrated the Twentieth anniversary of my ordination of being a deacon.  And as is so often the case with anniversaries, it caused me to reflect on many memories during those twenty years: many varied parishes in multiple states; many wonderful people and families I have come to know and cherish; many opportunities to minister to God's Church here on earth.  But all along the way and even leading up to my ordination, first as a deacon and next as a priest, my faith was nourished by a wide array of people in my life:  my parents; my grandparents; my uncle; friends; pastors; teachers; etc.   People from a wide array of backgrounds that God used to help nourish me and form me to be the person that I am today.  Just as there were a wide array of people gathered together on that first Pentecost, so too, there are a wide array of people that God uses in our life to sustain us; to nourish us; to teach us.  There are a whole host of people from a wide array of backgrounds that God has used in our lifetime to bring us closer to Him.  And God uses us also to reach out to others . . . if we only allow Him.   The Church is made up of a wide array of people:  sick people; fearful people; sinful people; faithful people; people who are afraid.  The list goes on and on.  But the one thing that each of these people have in common is God.  Put your trust in God and be open to what God has in store for you.  

Two opportunities for Mass as we celebrate Whitsunday on Sunday, May 15th, 2016:

Come join us at St. Margaret of Scotland Church at 9:30 AM.  We celebrate Mass at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road, on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

Come join us at Holy Spirit Church at 1:00 PM.  We celebrate Mass in the beautiful, historic First Presbyterian Church, located at 116 W. South Street in Greenfield, Indiana.

Come join either church 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 God speaking to you in Bible-centered preaching.  Join us as we worship God in a traditional setting as God's Family.  And, finally, come and receive the Precious Body and Blood at Communion time.