Athanasian Creed - Rector's Rambling for May 26, 2024

     Today we get to recite one of the great statements of belief.  In addition to the Apostles Creed and Nicene Creed, there is the Athanasian Creed, also known as the Quicunque Vult (the opening phrase in Latin).

Ultimately, the great mystery of God is unknowable on this side of heaven.  We will only fully understand Him in eternal life.  But God has revealed what we need to know about Himself to us through the Scriptures, particularly in the teachings of Jesus (second person of the Trinity).  By the guidance of the Holy Ghost (third person of the Trinity) the scriptures were written and compiled for us, and the Church, meeting in Councils, have “separated the wheat from the chaff” when it comes to the teachings of who God is in Trinity.

We have three creeds because each successive one (Apostles, then Nicene, then Athanasian) were compiled to answer questions arising from previous creeds, or from honest inquiry by the Church.  While the Apostles Creed (also known as the Baptismal Creed) is recited during Morning and Evening Prayer, and the Nicene Creed during celebrations of The Holy Communion, the Athanasian Creed has generally been reserved for public recitation on major Holy Days.

Interestingly, the Episcopal Church is the only branch of our world-wide Anglican Communion that has not included the Athanasian Creed in our locally adapted version of the 39 Articles of Religion, or Prayer Books until 1979.  But as members of the “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church” in Communion with Anglicans worldwide, we recite it today with thanksgiving for the gift of this knowledge of God in Trinity!

 

Come Holy Spirit! - Rector's Rambling for May 19, 2024

     
    I had the opportunity in seminary to get to know the then Archbishop of Canterbury’s special advisor on evangelism, Bishop Michael Marshall.  When consecrated, he was the youngest bishop in England, who then subsequently spent some time in the United States at the Anglican Institute before returning to England to serve under the Archbishop.  He was adjunct faculty at Nashotah House and came to lecture us periodically.

One of the lectures that has stuck with me was when he spoke about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and in particular how we often begin to exercise them without realizing it.  In fact, Bishop Marshall said, it is other people who begin to recognize how these gifts are being made manifest through our faithfulness and desire to serve.

He harkened this observation back to the day of Pentecost itself.  The disciples, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, would not have seen or recognized at first in themselves what was going on, but they would recognize it in others.  As the bishop described the scene in his proper English accent, “excuse me love, but you seem to have a bit of flame up on your head.”

We should certainly be praying and asking God to make manifest in us the gifts of the Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord (as we have been praying for in our Novena the last nine days).  And we should also pray that we may begin to manifest the fruits of the Spirit as well: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.  (Some ancient translations of Galatians 5:22–23 break down “temperance” into self-control, modesty and chastity, which are all aspects of it).

The world wants to reject much of this, or try to redefine the terms into its distorted own image, but God’s plan for us is to live in these gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.  It often takes a loving word from a fellow member of the church for us to realize that these things are in fact beginning to be made manifest in us even if we don’t see it.  And we should press on in faith and hope, relying on God’s grace, to continue to grow in all these attributes.

It is only by His most gracious favor that the world will be changed.  And it starts with our cooperation with Him!

 

Sunday after the Ascension - Rector's Rambling for May 12, 2024

     This Sunday is a “tween-er”, a day in between two major feasts.

Last Thursday we celebrated the Feast of the Ascension, our Lord returning into heaven and into the Godhead of the Triune Deity of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Next Sunday we celebrate Whitsunday, also known as Pentecost Sunday.  It is on that day that we are celebrate the gift of the Holy Ghost to empower the Church for the work of the ministry that she has been entrusted to in the world.

One of the ways we keep this period of time between Ascension and Whitsunday is to pray the Novena for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Since Friday we have posted the intentions and collects on the parish Facebook page, and shared via email.  We will continue to do so until next Saturday.  There are also printed copies of the novena in the narthex (church lobby).  I know that at random time of the year I will pick 9 days to pray this novena, or occasionally pray one or another of the collects for the novena at Morning or Evening Prayer. 

It is on this in between Sunday at we are celebrating a “secular” holiday, Mother’s Day.  The St. John’s Mother’s Day hymn is unique to our parish, having been written by a former assisting priest here.  We give thanks to God for our mothers, and pray for those moms in our lives who have loved us and helped us to become the people we are.

The month of May is also dedicated Mary the Mother of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  So today we are celebrating our moms, and Jesus’ mom as well!

 

Rogation Sunday - Rector's Rambling for May 5, 2024

     What a wonderful day we have planned for today, May 5th!  The last few Sunday’s have been chock-full of activity in addition to our worship, and today is no exception! 

First, a thank you to all who pitched in to help make last week’s baseball outing a success.  To Pat Walter and Pat Burson who coordinated the hot dog cooking (with help from Martina Stevenson), to all those who invited family and friends to join us for worship and the game following.  The weather was looking uncooperative in the morning, but it cleared up nicely by game time, and the Tigers had a solid 4-1 victory to continue to play over .500 - something they haven’t done in the month of April in several years.  As interesting to note that in 23 years of this outing (no outing during 2020 because the MLB was not allowed to have spectators in the stadium), we have had only ONE rain out!

Today on the Liturgical Calendar we celebrate Rogation Sunday, an opportunity for us to pray for God’s blessing on the beginning of the agricultural season.  We will have a procession outside, around the perimeter of our building as a symbol of our ‘beating the bounds” of our parish boundary.  We sing the Litany Hymn while doing this.  More information on this is on Page 4 of this Chronicle.

Also, being the first Sunday in May we have our Annual Malawi Ingathering in support of the Church in Malawi.  For nearly 30 years now St. John’s has supported the Church in Malawi through the ministry of Bishop Jackson Biggers.  Some years, it was for general diocesan support.  A few years our offerings helped to build the convent for the Sisters of the Community of St. Mary and their ministry to orphans.  Recently, our support was designated to the Leonard Kamugu Theological School for the training of priests, and more recently, our gifts are being used to support the Bishop Jackson Biggers Secondary School.  Information about the school and its recent accomplishments can be found on the insert in today’s Order of Service.  On a related note, please keep Bishop Biggers in your prayers.  He now lives in a retirement community for clergy in Malawi and has had some recent health struggles.

The third special thing today is that we have the baptism of Bennett Antonio Hardy.  His parents Samantha and Shawn were married here at St. John’s in 2018, and we are most grateful to be able to incorporate Bennett into the family of God through this Sacrament.

Looking forward, we have more special events coming up in the next few weeks including Mothers Day, Pentecost and Hans and Ellen’s 50th Wedding Anniversary Blessing, our Outreach Giving Sunday, and the institution of a new member of the Daughters of the King. 

Sundays are the day for us to gather as the people of God to be fed in Word and Sacrament, and to be encouraged in the Faith through fellowship.  All these special events help us to see the big picture of the Church in action!