THE WIDOW'S MITE, Devotion for Ash Wednesday, 5 March 20925 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.” (Mark 12:41) You will observe that Christ not only observed HOW MUCH the people were giving, but also in MANNER AND SPIRIT they gave. It is the condition of the heart in giving that makes all the difference! We all are rich in some way or another. We may be blessed with a successful profession or business, or we may be poor but have an abundance of time on our hands that could be devoted to helping some poor, fainting sinner. Our time is definitely a resource from which we should tithe and offer! What is a gold coin to a man who has millions? It may be far more than the yearly earnings of a poor widow, but to the rich man, it is a mere gesture of giving. He will suffer no less opulence at his evening meal, nor be harried by creditors to repay outstanding debts. But what of the poor widow who toils at humble Labors, day in and day out, to provide a simple and humble meal for herself at the day’s end. She may find it difficult to earn enough to pay her rent, or her heating bill, yet she gives to God – not a tenth – but ALL that she has in treasure. “And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.” (Mark 12: 42) The widow arrives just at the moment of the Lord’s expectation. His previous remarks have paved the way for her debut. The Lord is watching the wealthy as well as the poor widow. He is watching to see how you and I share out of our blessings as well. He takes an interest in how we are stewards of His blessings that He has given to us. What are two mites compared to the large gold coins cast into the horn by the wealthy? Some may even have been ashamed to cast in so little after hearing the ringing sound of the large and valuable offerings of the wealthy. But this widow is not giving to attract attention to her generosity – she is giving out of her penury and need. She is unashamed for she has no reason to be ashamed – she has given ALL! Though it is not truly relevant to what the widow actually gave, I found an illustration that is interesting: “It is estimated that if the widow’s mite had been deposited at the “First National Bank, Jerusalem” to draw four percent interest semi-annually, the fund today would total $4,800,000,000,000,000,000,000. If a bank on earth could multiply the widow’s mite to such an astronomical figure, think what treasures this dedicated woman will have in heaven where “moth and rust doth not corrupt.” (Bibleteachingnotes.com) Interesting to note that this sum amount to more monetary cash than in circulation throughout the world today. It is Heaven's ransom. The fact is, the AMOUNT is not the essential thing – it is the HEART of the widow in giving that is important here. “And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury.” (Mark 12:43) Had the others cast in mansions and wagons of golden talents, it would not have risen to the level of this poor widow for she gave all. Are we not called to give our ALL for Christ? Should not our finances reflect our strong commitment to Him? The important thing is not what we give in the church offering while all eyes are watching, but that which is given unseen and unsung. The Word of God is the best measure of counsel we can have. See how Christ frames the issue of giving: “1Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6:1-4)

 MY GOD, ACCEPT MY HEART THIS DAY; a Hymn for Ash Wednesday, 4 February 2025 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

 

            This hymn of Lenten solemnity is the authorship of Matthew Bridges (1800-1894) and was first published in 1848. The original tune is St. Peter composed by Alexander R. Reinagle (1799-1877) conceived as a setting for Psalm 118.

MY GOD, ACCEPT MY HEART THIS
DAY

 

1 My God, accept my heart this day,
and make it always thine,
that I from thee no more may stray,
no more from thee decline.

 

2 Before the cross of him who died,
behold, I prostrate fall;
let every sin be crucified,
and Christ be all in all.

 

3 Anoint me with thy heavenly grace,
and seal me for thine own;
that I may see thy glorious face,
and worship near thy throne.

 

4 Let every thought and work and word
to thee be ever given:
Then life shall be thy service, Lord,
and death the gate of heaven.

 

1 My God, accept my heart this day, and make it always thine, that I from thee no more may stray, no more from thee decline. One leading truth presented in this hymn and stanza is the imperative that one’s heart to be crucified with Christ – we must die in Christ before we can live in Christ. When Christ first owns our hearts, He does not become a casual visitor, but rather He comes to abide forever in His Temple of our hearts. When Christ owns our heart, it is no longer available for either sale or vacancy to the world and its devil.

2 Before the cross of him who died, behold, I prostrate fall; let every sin be crucified, and Christ be all in 

all. The cross of Christ is not an ornate object composed of valuable metals to be proudly flaunted, but 

rather a crude, wooden instrument of torture to be revered as the altar of our once-and-for-all sacrifice. That cross belonged to us as sinners, but Christ bore it in our stead. “ The Lord is my strength and song,

And ^tis become my salvation.” Psalms 118:14

3 Anoint me with thy heavenly grace, and seal me for thine own; that I may see thy glorious face, and worship near thy throne. “He anointest my head with oil” are the words of our Communal Prayer repeated in worship services. As His lambs, He anoints our head with oil when the horns of our salvation have been severed. We are sealed with the Seal of God in our foreheads – the seat of our reason and moral judgment – the mark of the devil is erased so completely that it can never be re-imposed. 

4 Let every thought and work and word to thee be ever given: Then life shall be thy service, Lord, and death the gate of heaven. “Pray always “ sayeth the Lord in Luke 21:36. If we do so, no words or works of impurity will be uttered or acted out in the life of the believer. Our good works will not be our own, but His. Only the evil thoughts and desires of the errant Christian can be claimed as their personal ownership. “²¹ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Luke 6:21 Without offending, may I ask where is your treasure? If in Heaven, than I know already that your heart is there.

 

 THE THREE ETERNAL GRACES & A BLIND BEGGAR, Sermon Notes for Quinquagesima Sunday, 2 March 2025 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

“Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.” Luke 18:38

The Prayer of Collect. 

O LORD, who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth; Send thy Holy Ghost, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

The Epistle. 1 Corinthians xiii. 1.

THOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

The Gospel. St. Luke xviii. 31-42

THEN Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: and they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way-side begging: and hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, “Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. ⁴³ And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

 

Love is associated with all things in the Kingdom of Heaven. It is the preeminent grace above all others. 

Without love, none other of the gifts of the Spirit have worth. The source of that love is the same as that fountain of Living Waters and the Bread of Heaven – our Lord Jesus Christ. The love of God is transmitted to the heart by the Holy Spirit, and that love draws us to the Throne of Grace and Mercy like a great magnet draws metal of like nature to itself. This is clearly the biblical principle set forth in our Prayer of Collect.

            Paul’s first Epistle to the Corinthians in chapter 13, clearly sets forth the value of the component of love in our relationship to the Triune God. It lists many gifts of the Spirit, many of which were temporary; but there is one gift of Grace that surpasses them all – LOVE. There are three eternal gifts of Grace mention – Faith, Hope, Charity (Love) – but the greatest even among these three is love. No matter the effort we put forth in keeping the commandments, we cannot do so without love. With love, the Commandments are no longer external laws by which we are governed, but inward natures by which we are conformed to the image of God.

            In the Gospel text, we find Jesus on the last journey of His earthly ministry to Jerusalem. He knows full well what fate awaits Him there, but He never hesitates to continue that journey of love to its end on the cross. The shadow of the cross has cast its image upon His entire life from the wooden manger at Bethlehem until the instrument of wood on which He would suffer a terrible and humiliating shame and torture for you and me.

            The miracle that our Lord performs enroute to the cross is of particular note in revealing the deep love of Christ. Even as He was going to Jerusalem to be crucified, He nonetheless took compassion on a poor blind beggar on the wayside at Jericho. My father always taught me that the best credential of character is revealed in the small graces performed by a man and not necessarily the major and impressive acts. In all ways, big and small, Christ exhibited a divine compassion that is beyond words of description. 

            Here is a blind beggar who is helpless to the extreme. Someone of his friends or family found it necessary to bring this man to this roadside place every day. They were, unwittingly, helping to bring him to Christ. God the Father very often brings men and women to Christ by most surprising means. Before He ever undertook His last journey to Jerusalem, Christ was aware of this poor beggar. He knew of the man’s frailty and despondency as he sat by that roadside begging the least measure of alms from passers-by. But Christ does all things in its best order and perfect timing. The beggar was one without hope in this world, but hope was on its way from the majestic palaces of Heaven to succor the man. It was a surprise of providential grace that came upon him by as he sat there day after day.

            Some who passed by dropped a mite into the jar of the beggar, but most passed by without the slightest notice. No one truly cared for him save, perhaps, his kin. But there was One who was approaching who cared so dearly for this poor beggar as to die in his stead for the beggar’s sin – our Lord Jesus Christ. I say ‘surprised’ because the beggar had no idea who was the center of attention of the passing throng. Upon hearing the approaching chatter of a multitude of disciples, the beggar inquired of some stranger of the cause of the uproar and excitement. When told that it was Jesus of Nazareth, the blind man proved that his spiritual vision was better than almost any who followed Jesus. We are not told how the beggar recognized Christ as the Messiah, But he surely proved his faith by his exclamation – “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!” Very few had called our Lord by this prophetic title. 

            The beggar cried from a heartfelt desire long pent up in a frail body and the ragged robes of poverty. He cried out in all seriousness. He cried out in faith that surpassed many of our Lord’s own disciples though he had not had the same opportunity to witness the many miracles. The beggar had doubtless heard rumors of the Stranger of Galilee and of the miracles He had performed and the compassion He had for sinners. 

            As he made his plaintive cry for mercy, those disciples who preceded the Lord tried to silence the man. It is often true that those who seem closest to Christ are the very ones who prevent sinners from coming to Him. This is true even in many of our churches today. A stranger appears at Church who has recently come to know the Lord as Savior. He has many gifts of talents to share in the Church and is eager to do so. But often those who have the upper seats in the Church grow jealous of the stranger and try to prevent his having any role in sharing those talents. My wife describes such people as old hens that run to a younger chicken who finds a grain of corn or an insect and begins pecking it on the back of the head until he releases his spoil. Unfortunately, I believe we have all witnessed this kind of deplorable behavior at Church.

            But this blind beggar is not easily deterred from crying out. This is his only moment of hope, and that moment is in Christ. The sinner never knows when his last opportunity may come to make his appeal for mercy. This poor man cannot allow the opportunity to pass him by. His prayer is persistent. In fact, he cries out even more profoundly. Though physically blind, his cries for help cannot be subdued by men of lesser spiritual sight. Persistence in prayer will result in miracles more often than those of lesser faith realize.

            Notice that the man does not cry out to have his sight restored. He simply cries out for mercy, for if we are granted mercy by God, all other needs will be satisfied. We are too specific in our prayers to God in many cases. If we simply pray for mercy expecting it to be granted according to the will of the Lord, it will surely be granted. But we sometimes pray that the Lord will solve some worldly problem for us instead of giving us the strength to overcome that problem, and often we do not pray that HIS will be done instead of our own.

            Do you believe that the prayers of a poor blind beggar can pause the powers of Heaven? Look at this verse: “And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near.” The prayer of the blind beggar caused the Lord to STOP. Having been granted mercy already by the Lord, Jesus asked, “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” Only upon making our sincere appeal to God do we offer to petition our great need. Of course, our greatest need is not physical sight, but SALVATION! The blind beggar would receive BOTH! But we must be patient to hear our Lord’s answer to our prayers before presuming too much against the powers of Heaven.

            Jesus responded to the man’s plea with a double-edged sword of mercy: “Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.” Notice, the blind man received not only his sight but was made every whit whole in Christ. Christ always addresses our most serious need in considering our prayers for His grace and mercy.

            How did the beggar respond? How do we respond now that Christ has set us free from sin and opened the floodgates of mercy for us in saving our souls? He immediately followed our Lord after receiving the ability to know the way and did so with rejoicing. How closely do we follow Him after receiving our own greatest need supplied? Such a testimony of rejoicing gives witness to others of the grace and love of our Lord and is contagious to those around us.

 

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

 

TWO SEED AND FOUR SOILS, sermon Notes for Sexagesima Sunday, 23 February 2025 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

 

The Collect

Sexagesima Sunday

O LORD God, who seest that we put not our trust in any thing that we do; Mercifully grant that by thy power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

            Today’s Prayer of Collect, in brief, prays that the Lord can acknowledge our lack of trust in the arm of flesh and our own works, but attribute all power and defense to His Holy Will in our lives. In the eyes of the Lord, our righteousness is as filthy rags because we can do no good work part from Christ working in and through us.

 

            In the Epistle, taken from 2 Corinthians 11:19-31 (not copied here), Paul outlines the many sufferings and struggles he has experienced in ministering the Word of God to diverse regions and people. It serves as a great revelation of the great war that is taking place upon the earth between the relentless slings and arrows of the Adversary and the people of God. As the disciples of Christ, we have sworn allegiance to the King of Kings, and our service contract is ‘for the duration of the conflict’ which will end at the Coming of Christ. In that conflict, we may perceive setbacks on the line, but those are only steps to the final victory.

 

4 ‘And when much people were gathered together, and were come to Him out of every city, He spake by a parable: 5. A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trodden down, and the fowls at the air devoured it. 6. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. 7. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. 8. And other fell on good ground. and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when He had said these things, He cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 9. And His disciples asked Him, saying, What might this parable be? 10. And He said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 11. Now the parable is this; The seed is the word of God. 12. Those by the way-side are they that hear: then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13. They on the rock are they which, when they hear, receive the word with Joy; and them have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14. And that which fall among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares, and riches, and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit, with patience.” Luke 8:4-15

 

            Jesus spoke often ion Parables the purpose of which was to impart the sublime truths of grace, redemption, and retribution.       

            There are only two general categories of seed growing in the fields (hearts) of men – those of the Adversary, or those of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord is the Word and, as such, He is the Good Seed which the Sower sows in his field. He is the Master Sower, and His disciples are the servant-sowers of the Word, too. The seed of the Adversary naturally exists already in those soils and only the Master Sower can discern the difference in their growth.

            As followers of Christ, we need to be alert to those different kinds of soils (or hearts) upon which the true Seed falls and to understand the reasons for the rejection of that precious Seed by the greater numbers of men. 

            The Sower sows without distinction of soils. All soils have received the Seed, but the results vary with the kind of soils upon which those Seed fall. 

            When the farmer plants a crop, the soil must be prepared and cultivated. Rocks and weeds must be removed to whatever extent possible. The field must be hedged about to protect against varmints. In this way, the field is just like the hearts of men that must be prepared to hear the Gospel through preaching and the drawing power of the Holy Ghost. But there are fields that are simply lacking in many ways as good soil for planting. The soil may be too rocky, too acidic, too dry, too overgrown with weeds and briars, etc. But we cannot know the soils unless we at least plant the seed and observe if the Holy Spirit will germinate the seed in the darkness of the earth. 

            Let us observe the four kinds of soil here illustrated by our Lord:

 

1.     The First Soil: “ . . . some fell by the wayside; and it was trodden down, and the fowls at the air devoured it.”The heart that is impenetrable or never impressed by the divine truth. These are men whose hearts are indifferent to the Gospel and who listen in careless abandon or even open rebellion thereto. These have no time for the foolishness of preaching. The Seed cannot even take root in such hearts. Their patron father, the Devil, snatches up the Seed immediately since it is left exposed without cover or care. These are the ones who fill bars and nightclubs while the churches remain unattended. 

 

2.     The Second Soil: “And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.” These are hearts that lack a depth of top-soil and are filled with the hard rocks of sinful sinners with whom they associate closely. They may rejoice at the hearing of the Word, but are easily deterred from the path of righteousness when temptations arise. They have a superficial interest in the truth, but, by-and-by, forget it the moment temptation arises. Their souls are dry of the oil of the Holy spirit to nourish and sustain growth. These may make a public confession of Christ without truly knowing the One in whom they claim to place their trust. Shallow and shakable are these.

 

3.     The Third Soil: “.And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.” The seeds of thorns and tares are always present, even in the good soil, but these flourish beyond control in the hearts of those whose attraction to the things of the world outweigh all other considerations. They allow themselves to be smothered out by the cares and illicit desires of the world. Their self-wills remain in the bondage of sin, and there is no such thing as a Free Will apart from that perfect law of Liberty assured by the very Author of Liberty, our Lord Jesus Christ. Only when our self-wills are surrendered to Him can we claim a will that is free.

 

4.     The Fourth Soil: “And other fell on good ground. and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold.”  I need not remind the bible scholars reading this devotion of the necessity of a seed to die to self in order to produce an abundance of fruit. The good ground is that whose natures are receptive to truth and love. The Good Seed has a tiny kernal of life enclosed in a shell casing of nutrients to give hope of survival until the seedling burst forth into a rich environment of loamy soil.. But the soil must be good in order to continue to nourish the seed plant as it struggles in the darkness of the earth to escape its earthly confines and spring into the brightness of the glorious Sun of righteousness.  How like the true believer is this soil and its response to the Good Seed. We come from the dust of the earth, yet we have a soul that struggles in the darkness of the world until the Stranger of Galilee calls our names and we are made anew in the light of His Word.

 

The honest and good heart is not subject to the vicissitudes of the three other soils. It thrives on truth and love which it could only know by means of the Word of God informed and enlightened by the Holy Ghost. It is my prayer that this fourth soil represents the heart of all who read these sermon notes. 

 

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN

 SHEPHERD OF SOULS, REFRESH AND BLESS; a hymn for Quinquagesima Sunday, 25 February 2025 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

 

“For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Hebrews 2:10

 

            This is yet another hymn with both lyrics and music that combine to create an atmosphere of reverence and dignity. The author of the lyrics is James Montgomery (1771-1854) – a Scottish cleric. The tune, St. Agnes,  is the composition of John B. Dykes (10 March 1823 – 22 January 1876) and was written for the hymn, Jesus the very thought of Thee. The name Dykes chose for this tune is worthy of mention. He named it for St. Agnes, a young Roman Christian girl who, according to St. Ambrose, was martyred in 304 at the age of 13 years of age for refusing to yield to the immoral approaches of young noblemen who reported her as a Christian. She was led naked from her home to a brothel. The magistrate ordered her burned; however, the flames parted without touching her body. A Roman guard then beheaded her with his sword. Such was the courage of many Christians during those terrifying and troubling times.

 

SHEPHERD OF SOULS, REFRESH AND BLESS

1 Shepherd of souls, refresh and bless
Your chosen pilgrim flock
With manna in the wilderness,
With water from the rock.

 

2 We would not live by bread alone,
But by your word of grace,
In strength of which we travel on
To our abiding place.

 

3 Be known to us in breaking bread,
But do not then depart;
Savior, abide with us, and spread
Your table in our heart.

 

4 Lord, sup with us in love divine;
Your body and your blood,
That living bread, that heav'nly wine,
Be our immortal food.

 

1 Shepherd of souls, refresh and bless Your chosen pilgrim flock With manna in the wilderness, With water from the rock. Christ is the shepherd and Bishop of our souls. He has shepherded His sheep beside the still waters and fed them in green pastures. He has even laid down His precious life for the lambs whom the Father has placed in His hand. He has fed us abundantly in wilderness sands and watered us with the Fountain of the Waters of Life. Unlike the manna that God sent down to His people in the wilderness journey, Christ is the Bread and Manna that literally came down from Heaven to feed all who partake freely. We are in this world, but not of this world. We are as pilgrims seeking a city, and that is the City of God.

2 We would not live by bread alone, But by your word of grace, In strength of which we travel on To our abiding place. We feed upon the grasses and knolls of God on the Bread of Heaven; and that Bread is every Word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ is that Word Incarnate! His Word is all of grace, and grace is freely granted to the elect of God – His sheep. Our true home is not of this world but of the heights of the Celestial City. Our spiritual nourishment is His daily word and, in the strength, and grace of that Word we are made to run and not grow weary.

3 Be known to us in breaking bread, But do not then depart; Savior, abide with us, and spread Your table in our heart. His elect gather to feed at His Communion Table which is right and proper for all families to dine together. In the elements of Bread and Wine we recognize His spiritual presence always abiding with and among us. He abides in the hearts of His chosen and never leaves nor forsakes. His Temple is in the chambers of our hearts from which His love rules our ways.

4 Lord, sup with us in love divine; Your body and your blood, That living bread, that heav'nly wine, Be our immortal food. This stanza reminds us of the two on the Road to Emmaus who walked unknowingly with Christ who revealed all the Law and Prophets concerning Himself; yet His identity was still hidden from them until, at their insistence, He abode at their home and broke bread. When our Lord handed the Bread to the two men, immediately, their eyes were opened, and they knew Him. He may come to us in the same way. In our hours of great sorrow and despondency, He walks right beside us even if we may not recognize His presence. At the end of our sorrows, He makes His face to shine upon us and makes us glad.

 

 

JOYFUL,JOYFUL, WE ADORE THEE; Hymn Devotion for next Sexagesima Sunday, 18 February 2025 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

 

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are ^shonest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.   Philippians 4:8

 

            If there ever was a hymn of praise, this would lead the field. It combines wonderful biblical truths with the immortal composition of Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony – last movement – of the same title. The lyrics were composed by Henry van Dyke for President Garfield (U.S. President) in 1907. “”Henry Van Dyke’s brilliant hymn of praise has many layers that add to the beauty of his text. As hymnologist Albert Bailey writes, within Van Dyke’s text, “creation itself cannot conceal its joy, and that joy is appreciated by God the center of it all; likewise all nature fills us with joy, caused fundamentally by our recognition of God as the giver””  Hymnary.org

JOYFUL,JOYFUL, WE ADORE THEE

 

1 Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow'rs before Thee,
Op'ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!

 

2 All Your works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heav'n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow'ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Praising Thee eternally!

 

3 Always giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Well-spring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Loving Father, Christ our Brother,
Let Thy light upon us shine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.

 

4 Mortals, join the mighty chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
God's own love is reigning o’er us,
Joining people hand in hand.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music leads us sunward
In the triumph song of life.

 

1 Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love; Hearts unfold like flow'rs before Thee,
Op'ning to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day!  These lines represent pure praise to God without any appeal to the physical desires of man. The rose blooms on the sunny side, and the Sunflower turns its head to the sun as it transits the sun. God is our Light and our Sun. The morning clouds dissipate before the warm rays of the rising Sun, just as hate and malice melt away in the converted heart. Just as the traveler doubts his next footstep in the darkness of the mountain valley, so, the pilgrim in the valley of the shadow of death. But to the Christian pilgrim, God is the lamp unto his feet and the light unto his path. He travels securely and certainly through the valley and up the mountain slope.

2 All Your works with joy surround Thee, Earth and heav'n reflect Thy rays, Stars and angels sing around Thee, Center of unbroken praise; Field and forest, vale and mountain, Flow'ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain Praising Thee eternally! I find the manner in which the words and music of this hymn so completely unite in an offering of praise to God remarkable. Beethoven, blind and absent any music composition for ten years composed this music in the latter years of his life – blind and despondent. But God save the best wine in Beethoven’s life for the last part – and even this movement is the last in his 9^th symphony. Henry van Dyke obviously had his spiritual ear trumpet to heaven at the writing of these beautifully descriptive lyrics. All of nature gives evidence of its Creator and evinces a sense of beauty and comfort in all of its manifestations. The singing of birds, the roaring of the restless sea – all give voice to the singing of the angels. God has placed a flowing fountain of living waters in every vale.

3 Always giving and forgiving, Ever blessing, ever blest, Well-spring of the joy of living, Ocean-depth of happy rest! Loving Father, Christ our Brother, Let Thy light upon us shine; Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine. The grace and mercies of God are without limits to those who trust in Him. Just as the sun draws the vapors of water into Heaven to dissipate into life-giving rain, so does He lift the hearts of believers on high to be a blessing and a testimony to the mundane world. That beautiful old hymn on the ‘Love of God” wonderfully describes its measure as follows:

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
and were the skies of parchment made;
were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill,
and ev’ryone a scribe by trade;
to write the love of God above
would drain the ocean dry;
nor could the scroll contain the whole,
though stretched from sky to sky.

4 Mortals, join the mighty chorus, Which the morning stars began; God's own love is reigning o’er us,
Joining people hand in hand. Ever singing, march we onward, Victors in the midst of strife; Joyful music leads us sunward In the triumph song of life. What a privilege for mortals to have voices that can be lifted to the ears and chorus of angels. Those angelic voices still sing since Creation morning as of old, “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:7 Our prayers are heard at the highest seat in Heaven, too. We are being prepared for that great feast and banquet of the end of the space/time continuum. Our shield and banner is love. “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” Song of Solomon 2:4 But not deceived, we have complete and unconditional victory in Christ, the Captain and Bishop of our souls. Not only is He our Lord, Savior, Redeemer, and King, but He is also our closely-held Brother. 

            No one can deny the power and beauty of both the musical score of Beethoven and the uplifting lyrics of Henry van Dyke. Who can deny that this combination of music and words were not informed of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 

 WINNERS & LOSERS, Sermon Notes for 16 February 2025 Anno Domini (Septuagesima), the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

 

The Epistle. 1 Corinthians ix. 24.

KNOW ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

 

            Today’s texts in both the Epistle and the Gospel are about the mysteries of the Kingdom of God and how strangely different, and alike, to the life of the Church and her adherents. In the Epistle, Paul draws an analogy between the Christian walk and a competitive race. He makes several salient comparisons such as the fact that ALL must run in the race of life – either of the Church, or the world; otherwise, a race is not a race. There are certain characteristics that distinguish those who run:

1.     In the life of the Church, all must participate just as all must run who are in the race of life. We run not for an earthly crown, but an incorruptible one. There is a required starting point. For the Christian, that begins at salvation and baptism.

2.     In the Church, we have a particular goal to which we run – that of the sanctified life. But in the race of the Christian life, all who run to the finish line, win. 

3.     Preparation: If a man or woman are going to compete meaningfully in an athletic competition, strenuous preparation must be made over time – there are no novice champions in the marathon of life. So, in the Church must our race be based on a love of God and a knowledge of His Word. 

4.     Temperance: A good soldier, athlete, physician, or sea-captain, must exercise a temperate disposition under all circumstances. The athletic runner is not concerned about the endurance of his competitors, but of his own performance. He is focused on the objective and not the fellow runners. 

5.     Seriousness: The life of a Christian, and an athletic competitor, must take his effort seriously. He has no time for doubt – he has prepared for the race and will now apply his skills to the effort. 

6.     Self-control: The body wearies to near exhaustion in a marathon race, but victory is only possible if the runner pushed his physical abilities to the limit. The Christian, too, must keep his body under the more important matters of the soul and spirit.

 

The Gospel. St. Matthew xx. 1.

THE kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market-place, and said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, beause I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

 

            Our Lord Jesus Christ undertakes to teach His disciple a different lesson in the Gospel text – one that is completely adverse to the ways of the world. We are so accustomed to measuring people, events, and character by worldly achievement and financial accomplishment. We want EXACTLY what we believe we deserve. We often have a much higher opinion of ourselves than is the true value – especially in the eyes of God. We believe that justice should be bent in our favor, and we view the sins of our fellows with the 

eyes of an eagle, and our own sins with the sense of a mole. 

            In the preceding chapter 19 of the Gospel of St Matthew (I will abbreviate its full meaning), Jesus was approached by a rich young ruler who came running and knelt before Jesus (Mark 10:17). He asked Jesus, Master (teacher), what shall I do to inherent eternal life? The young man came running (in the right way), he knelt as was proper before divinity, but his address to our Lord and it question was amiss. Jesus tested him to see if the boy recognized Him as the son of God. He should have referred to Jesus as Lord if he knew who He truly was. Jesus exposed his ignorance by responding: “you know the Commandments” – and he cited those of our duties to our fellows. But He left out those that relate to our duties to God. Herein is a deep lesson. If we do not love our fellow man, we cannot love God. 

1 John 4:20

            “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” The young ruler was blinded to his duties to God by his wealth. Anything that eclipses God from our hearts is an idol.

            In the end, the ruler refused to sell all that he owned and to follow Christ. Many in the modern church who profess Christ are doing the same thing. It is not the money or wealth that is evil, but the love of it above all other considerations. 

            Jesus then remarked on the difficulty of the rich to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.  In amazement, the disciples asked, How can any be saved?” to which our Lord responded, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Now, here follows the point of our Lord’s parable about the vineyard of Matthew 20: The disciples had observed this matter of the rich young ruler with amazement and deep thought. Now their concerns turned upon what advantage they may have in forsaking all and following Christ. 

            We often feel that our conduct has been above and beyond th=e call of duty for a Christian believer. But Christ sets the record straight. “Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, ^pjudging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. ³⁰ But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” 

            The parable of Matthew 20, reflects the same principle concerning undue expectations. The Kingdom of God is not based upon seniority of time and service, but the state of the heart in coming to Christ – even as the thief on the cross. He lived a life of sin and rebellion. Now he is nailed to the cross and cannot lift a finger in doing any good works; but the Lord received him into paradise even before his disciples had the privilege.

            The owner of the vineyard had made a contract with the first workers for a penny (a day’s salary at the time). Those who came later in the day had no such contract. At conclusion of work, the last were paid a penny. Those who had worked all day believed that they should receive more than that agreed upon earlier. They were acting our of envy and greed. The vineyard owner had not responsibility to pay them more than the agreed sum even if ghe gave those who worked more briefly the same. This principle may lend meaning to the justice of labor unions. 

            If I join the Church at age twelve, and work diligently for many years, there may come a new member who has recently experienced a conversion to Christ. He is old and can only serve in the Church briefly. Though he has come at the last, he may be rewarded first in the Kingdom of Heaven. Our works will not save even our little finger. We are “saved by grace and not of works lest any man should boast.”

            In the race of life, we strive to do our utmost in running the good race and finishing our course. We must forever keep the goal in mind of finishing with a good heart and satisfied soul that we have done our very best. No more than our best can be expected of any man. But we are also taught in the parable of the vineyard that it is not the measure of our labors that are measured in the sales, but the condition of the hearts of the laborers. More importantly, it is the generosity of the Owner of the Vineyard that adjudicates our just reward. We may be last at the pay window, but first to enter into our reward.