Starting the new year with a clean slate and a pure heart.

By Reverend Ternahan

 Many people mark the significance of a New Year by making what are termed “resolutions.”  The word “resolution” is defined as:  a determination, a pledge, a promise, a vow, showing purpose.  How many of us have made resolutions, year after year?  Sadly, many of them are soon cast by the wayside.  A colleague remarked recently, “I made a resolution ten years ago, which I have never broken.”  No doubt all our eyebrows went up in astonishment, knowing our own resolutions’ results.  Seeing our reaction, he continued, “My resolution was not to make resolutions!”

Well, I am not about to discourage you from resolving to fix the issues that are troubling your soul.  In fact, the purpose of this short article is to encourage you to reach out and fix whatever you have been unable to forgive.  But start at home:  forgive yourself for those negative feelings of anger and bitterness that may be poisoning your relations with certain individuals.  We start with the prayer of our Lord which asks us to forgive.  We remember the first martyr, Stephen, who begged that his murderers be forgiven-- even as he was being stoned.

Henri Nouwen wrote: “Reconciliation is much more than a one-time event by which a conflict is resolved and peace established…. When we dare to look at the myriad hostile feelings and thoughts in our hearts and minds, we will immediately recognize the many little and big wars in which we take part…. Reconciliation touches the most hidden parts of our souls.  God gave reconciliation to us as a ministry that never ends.”  This indicates it is a continuing process with all of us.

No doubt many of you have heard the expression, “to extend an olive branch.”  Most will recognize the first mention of the olive branch when the dove returned to Noah.  But the olive branch has other connotations as a symbol of peace.  The dove with the olive branch became a visual for the descent of the Holy Spirit.  The olive branch is mentioned in connection with the dove bearing it by certain classical writers.  But you may not realize that the olive branch is part of the very symbol of the United States of America.

The 1780 obverse design of the Great Seal of the United States, devised by the second committee of Congress charged to come up with a design, shows the eagle holding an olive branch with 13 olives.  The olives symbolize the 13 colonies.  In the other claw, the eagle holds a quiver of arrows.  This traditional symbolism is to suggest that the Congress, rather than the executive branch, holds the power of peace and the declaration of war.

Finally, may I suggest that we all “extend the olive branch” to someone with whom relationships have been strained in our lives.  I might make mention in closing that the two olive trees (olive branches in large form) mentioned in Revelation 11:4 have been associated with the nation of Israel and the Church, and are perhaps symbolic of heaven on earth.  These are true witnesses to God’s ultimate plan for mankind.

Epiphany

                    Epiphany

Epiphany is January 6, 2017.  It is also called “The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles,” in The Book of Common Prayer.  The Gospel appointed for the day is St. Matthew 2: in that passage, we read of the coming of the Magi, the wise men from the east, bearing gifts to present to the new King of the Jews.

 “When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Juda in the days of King Herod, behold there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying: Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East, and are come to adore Him.”

The foremost hymn concerning the event is “We three kings of Orient are.” It’s an outstanding example of writing that is faithful to the biblical telling of the story.

So, on Epiphany we celebrate the coming of the Magi: ironically, pagans who were first to recognize the light of the world who was sent to the Jews.  When they came to Herod’s court, Herod searchingly asked his advisors where this new king might be found.  They could say that the prophecy concerned Bethlehem.  Back to the Magi for a moment:  the gifts they presented to Jesus are held to be symbolic and worthy of a king. Because there were three gifts named, we speak of three magi, although the scripture does not give their number. 

Interestingly, because Epiphany marks the 12^th day of Christmas, there are some songs which are both sung during Christmastide and Epiphany.  Bishop Jerry Ogles wrote an article a year or so ago on Hymn #52 in the 1940 Hymnal, “As with gladness, men of old” pointing out that it is used in both seasons.   https://www.facebook.com/jerry.ogles/posts/10207066930328184  Like all Bishop Ogles’ writing, it is well worth your reading time.

Dr. Elizabeth DeWolfe, the music minister at All Saints’ Anglican Church, Prescott, AZ, published a very interesting piece about Epiphany several years ago: “In many ways, the music of Epiphany,” Dr. DeWolfe writes, “is setting the stage for the oncoming Lenten season. The transition takes us from alleluias to more solemn tunes. We seek the Light of Christ in Epiphany, and His Light is possible through prayer and song for each of us.” 

Read the whole article here:  http://prescottanglicans.com/music/epiphany.shtml

Another well-known hymn, frequently used by Anglicans throughout the year at Morning Prayer, is Charles Wesley’s “Christ, whose glory fills the skies.” It has numerous scripture references to symbols of light embedded in the text, a few of which are the following: John 1:9 concerning the “true light” in line two, references to Isaiah 2:6 and Malachi 4:2 in line three about the “Sun of Righteousness.” Also, the “Day-star” in line six is a direct reference to both Isaiah 14:12 and 2 Peter 1:19.

There are numerous performances of all these hymns on www.youtube.com.

COMMENTARY ON THE FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY (Roman Tradition)

“The feast of the Epiphany, which was kept in the East and in certain Western churches before being observed in Rome, seems to have been originally a feast of the nativity; January 6, for those churches where it was kept, was the equivalent of December 25 for the Roman Church. The feast of the Epiphany, introduced at Rome in the second half of the fourth century, has become the complement and, as it were, the crown of the Christmas feast. To-day the Church celebrates the manifestation of our Lord to the whole world and the shining forth in all its splendour of the Incarnation. St Leo, and with him all Christian tradition, saw in the three Kings who hastened to Christ the first of the Gentiles; they were a foreshadowing of the future and brought in their train all the peoples of the world so that the mystery of the Epiphany, the manifestation of Christ in the world, includes all the history of the world. The Magi indicated the beginning of the mystery, but it has continued to unfold as the Church has spread (Matins, second nocturn). That is the meaning of Isaias’s magnificent prophecy which is appointed in to-day’s liturgy both for the Epistle at Mass and the first nocturn of Matins. It is there referred to by St Leo. In the Antiphon to the Magnificat at second Vespers the Church extols these fruits and consequences of the Incarnation adding to the calling of the three Kings mention of the wedding feast at Cana, a symbol of the union of our Lord’s divinity with His humanity, and His baptism by John in the waters of the Jordan, which heralded that of His children.”

Commentary from St. Andrew Daily Missal, 1952 ed.

John: Faithful Servant

We celebrated Advent by remembering the forerunner, John the Baptist.  John told the delegations, who had come to find out who he was, that he baptized with water but the one following would baptize with the Holy Spirit.  Water ritually cleans from sin.    

John, as the forerunner, understood his role:  he was humble, not filled with self.  He did not claim to be more than he was.  He had lived a solitary life in the desert, wearing animal skins and eating wild honey, until he was impelled by the Holy Spirit to begin his Godly mission to Israel.    

Most of all, John was a humble servant of God.  Today, in a success-driven world, we make decisions putting the world’s priorities first and God last.  We are told in Holy Scripture to lay up treasures in heaven.  What are those treasures?  Jesus put forth the Father’s doctrine when he gave us The Beatitudes.  Blessed are the meek, he said.

Matthew 23 points out those who exalt themselves shall be humbled, and the individual who humbles himself shall be exalted.  If we are self-centered, we will sooner or later fail because of our human imperfections (our sinful nature).  Also, only those who show mercy shall receive mercy.  In 1 Corinthians 4:2 it says, “moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” May we all be as faithful as John in proclaiming Christ Jesus! 

“What went ye out into the wilderness to see? … Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee” (Matt. 11).

The Collect FOR JOHN BAPTIST (24 JUNE)

Almighty God, by whose providence thy servant John Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of thy Son our Saviour, by preaching of repentance: Make us so to follow his doctrine and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and after his example constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth's sake; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Christmas Eve Sermon, 2016

During Advent—which means “coming”, we lit the candles, one-by-one each week, symbolizing the important events in the events leading up to the Nativity.  With each candle lit, the light became brighter.  Tonight we light the Christ candle.  Tonight, we celebrate the coming of Christ.

In John 20, Jesus said blessed are those who have not seen and believe.

You, the faithful believers, have gathered with us to hear the Christmas story once again.

Isaiah said, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." (Isaiah 9. 2)

Isaiah spoke of the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder. . of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.

The world has been waiting for this for over two thousand years.  While we await, we celebrate the birth of Our Lord and Saviour.  The New Testament is abundantly clear that the prophecies of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and that is the way in which Christian tradition has always understood them. The promised child is the child of Bethlehem, Emmanuel, which means “God with us”.

In the Gospel of John we read   ¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²The same was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

Christ’s humanity and humility is symbolized by the circumstances around his birth.  We know where it occurred:  not in a house but where the animals were put up to stay.  Look at his worshippers, sent by the Angels to witness the Good News:

From the Second Chapter of the Gospel of the Blessed St. Luke:   ⁸ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. ¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14        Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace,

Good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Beth-lehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.[1]

Tonight, we retell an ancient story.  A story of a baby born in the humblest circumstances who changed the world forever.  We can point out the proof of the changes Christianity brought in the development of Western Civilization, its achievements in art and literature, in the construction of millions of churches and holy sites.  All because of the birth of a newborn child who was both the Son of God and the Son of Man.

Writing the Christmas Eve sermon is one of the most difficult tasks a minister faces each year:  how can we, called to preach, give a message that is worthy of the occasion?  It’s certainly a daunting task.  We can do far worse that look back at what Anglicans of the past have said about the Incarnation:  Bishop Lancelot Andrewes preached a sermon on Christmas morning in 1606 where he explained just why the Son of God had to also be born the Son of Man. 

To paraphrase, this is what he said, in words that are a little more understandable to modern ears:  “All (Jesus’s) life you see both His divine nature and human nature.  At his birth, you see a cradle for a child and a star for the divine Son; the shepherds honor the baby boy, the choir of angels celebrate the birth of God’s Son.  In His life you see Him hungry, showing His human nature and yet, still feeding the 5,000, showing His divine abilities.  At His death, He dies on the cross like any man, and yet opens up Paradise as only the Son of God could.”

The gift of Christmas is the change that his coming has brought inside each of us, as the book tells us, the change that He has inscribed upon our hearts. 

The world is not kind.  Many of us have been hurt, in one way or another.  All of us have hurt others out of ignorance or malice.  Any of us can forget the burdens of others in our focus on ourselves.  A wise writer once defined what the word “ego” means by defining it by a word standing for each letter.  Ego he said, means “Easing God Out”.

But tonight, we have a new beginning:  we can turn to God and confess our sins and ask for grace and mercy: God knows us fully:  our light and our shadows. God loves us despite our failings—despite our weaknesses. We are not expected to make ourselves into mansions before God will accept us.

Look at the manager, in a stable, with straw on the floor and the curious animals looking at the birth that unfolds. God comes willing to fill that emptiness inside each of us, to lighten our darkness and to give us light and peace.

But there’s much more to this story that we will trace through the lessons of the New Christian year, Sunday by Sunday.  We’ll hear those stories in church.  And week after week we’ll say the prayer taught by Jesus to his disciples.  Each of us are candles of the Lord, sharing the Christ’s story with the world.  Now we’ll break the bread and pour the wine as He commanded us to do in memory of him.

Unto us, all things are born tonight.  Come, let us prepare a place within.

            

And now unto God the Father….

The offertory Hymn is:  Hymn 27, “Hark the herald Angels Sing”

Remember the words of Our Lord:

“14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matt 5:14-16 (KJV) 

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^[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Lk 2). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Sermon for First Sunday After Christmas 1-1-17

Sunday, 1-1-17, First Sunday after Christmas.  (Using the Book of Common Prayer, 1928)

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be always acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

Merry Christmas once again.  Christmastide is still going on, and will continue up to Epiphany on the 6^th of January, this coming Thursday. 

In this busy season in which family and friends are met and enjoyed, gifts exchanged, carols sung, and much good food eaten, it’s easy to allow the spiritual to slip into the background of the secular.  In truth, the twelve days of Christmas are some of the busiest days on the Church calendar.

I hope you have had an opportunity to read, reflect, and pray during the past week.  I thought as my topic today I would go over the observances and relate them to our spiritual life in this busy season.

I want to talk about St. Stephen’s Day on December 26^th, St. John’s Day on December 27^th, and the Holy Innocents on December 28^th.  The question which I will answer is, why do we remember these individuals and what’s their significance to our spiritual health.  We can do far worse than remember what Thomas A Kempis said about the body’s needs.  Thomas was an otherwise unknown monk who lived about the 12^th century.  He wrote he had two needs in the prison of his flesh:  a need for food and a need for light.  He described the food as the body of Christ on the Lord’s table on the communion and the light as His Holy Word.  This, Thomas said, allowed him to get through the tribulations of living.  So keep the spiritual food in mind when we discuss the three events on our church’s calendar.

On the 26^th, We remember St. Stephen as the First Martyr.  He was also a Deacon, one called to serve, a man of good reputation and Godly ways.  When Stephen looked up to heaven, He had an epiphany: he saw the heavens opened and He saw Jesus standing on the right side of the Throne. And the Jews ran out and stopped up their ears and threw him out of the city and stoned him.  Stephen is symbolic that no matter what God calls you to do, whether waiting tables or delivering food to poor and impoverished widows, is insignificant in God’s sight. 

And as they carried out the gruesome task of stoning him to death, it was hot work and they threw their cloaks at the feet of a young witness named Saul.  Yet Stephen forgave them as He gave up the ghost, much like Jesus had done.  “Receive my spirit” he said.  And “Lay not this sin to their charge.”  You see in these words the faith of Stephen, that Jesus was coming again, as the King and Judge of mankind.  The significance of Stephen is found in the collect because it asks us to look towards heaven and to forgive our persecutors.

Since I am speaking of Stephen and will be speaking of St. John in a moment, I need to talk about the proper place of the Saints of the Church in our worship.  You have heard it said we do not worship Saints in this Church.  is a true saying-- as far as it goes. 

In fact, when you examine the 39 Articles of Religion, you will see Article 22 says we do not “invoke” the names of saints:  Article 22 also states many practices of the Roman Church are repugnant to pure religion, such as the concepts of Purgatory, pardoning, worshiping and adoration of relicts.   However, we clearly do not invoke Saints when we acknowledge their lives and their examples.  This is the only way the liturgical calendar commemorating their lives makes sense:  if saints are not to be acknowledged, why would we have propers and collects for their days?

            Moving on to December 27^th, we had the observation of St. John’s Day:  we see his importance by his title.  We acknowledge St. John both as an Apostle as well as an Evangelist.  It is St. John who, at the end of a long life, the only surviving Apostle, sums up the meaning of Jesus Christ.  We heard his Gospel on Christmas Day.  John’s collect goes like this:  “ Merciful Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams on light upon thy Church, that it being illumined by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint John, may so walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to the life everlasting.”  You can clearly see the importance of St. John to the Church of all ages:  He was an Apostle, but through his writings He evangelizes the world today, that spiritual food Thomas wrote of.

            On December 28^th, we remembered the Holy Innocents.  These were the children killed by Herod, two years and below.  To understand this event, the date of birth of Jesus of Nazareth is not known. According to Wikipedia: "Two methods have been used to estimate the year of the birth of Jesus: one based on the accounts of his birth in the gospels with reference to King Herod's reign, and the other by working backwards from his stated age of "about 30 years" when he began preaching (Luke 3:23) in "the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar" (Luke 3:1-2): the two methods indicate a date of birth before Herod's death in 4 BC, and a date of birth around 2 BC, respectively".

But, as I was saying,  the Angel had appeared and told Joseph to take Mary and the Baby to Egypt.  That was another prophetic event:  thus,  it might be fulfilled the prophecy “Out of Egypt I have called my Son.”  Some have speculated that the gifts of the wise men financed the life in exile.

In a sense the Collect for this day emphasizes the evil of Herod added to the Glory of God when these innocent souls were recalled to the Father. We ask we might obtain that same innocence through obedience to God.

Today is a fixed Holy Day on the Calendar.  January 1^st is always observed as the Circumcision of Christ.  One may ask why the Church remembers it.  To understand that, we must understand two items separated the Jewish people from other races:  namely, their observance of the Sabbath and their tradition of circumcising their sons.  This was done on the child’s eighth day after birth.

Circumcision was considered the “tribal mark” of God among the Jews.  After Abraham was called into a covenant relationship with God, he was circumcised.  This is found in Genesis, Chapter 17.  Any member who was not of the people brought into the household was required to be circumcised.  The event shows Jesus was accepted into the Jewish community and that he indeed was the son of Man as well as of the line of King David.  And by the way, his name was Yeshua bar Yosef in Aramaic which means “Jesus, son of Joseph.”  Naming was done at that ceremony.  We remember also that Jesus’s cousin John was named by the angel

In today’s collect, we pray that we may live in accordance with God’s will.  We acknowledge that when Jesus came among us, he was made subject to the law of man, even undergoing circumcision.  We are enjoined to pray, that unlike physical circumcision He experienced on the eighth day that we receive a spiritual one.  We pray this will allow us to live our lives in God’s holy light. 

In summary, as we continue through this Holy season, let us enjoy and share its beauty and wonders but ever mindful of the incalculable gift we have received, that the light of holy scripture may illume our path in the year ahead.

  And now unto God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost be ascribed all might, majesty, dominion and glory now and forever more.”