2007 Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

Today was the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity. The morning temperature at Mount Olympus was 63°F with a moderate Santa Ana condition. Down the hill, winds were light and skies clear and bright. With the light breeze, we had 29 people present.

Today was the first Sunday of the month. This is the customary Sunday for Father Ironhand’s Free Teen Guitar Class to play for our service. Playing today were:

Father Ironhand Jack Arnold Alex Springer Ashley Turner

Father Acker teaches the Free Teen Guitar Class on Wednesdays. The class plays for us on the first Sunday of the month. They have about six other performances throughout the year around the village. If you know a young person who would like to learn the guitar, call Father Acker or check out the website:

http://www.freeteenguitarclass.com/
Dying to Know?
Father Acker started a short series on Death from the Christian Perspective. If, like the Sadducees, you do not believe in life after death, then like atheists, you really won’t

find this topic all this interesting. After all, for a Sadducee, if you are dead, you are dead; as they say at the end of the MASH PA Announcement, “That is all.”

For the vast majority of people, those of faith and those not, there is something more. If you are a Christian, it is more complicated and a whole lot less scary. For Christians, death and dying is not about coffins and mortuaries. It is the end to an attempt at a holy life here on earth, transitioning to a truly holy life in heaven through a holy death.

It is popularly assumed Christians believe in the immortality of the soul. They do, at least the potential for that immortality. But, Christians also believe in something else, something much more difficult; the resurrection of the body.

Immortality of the soul is reasonable, from philosophy and psychology. There is an expectation of “continuity of life,” that “life should go on.”
           
We sense Life in this world is not complete. We have a hunger we want satisfied. Like our sexual desire is a wanting to come to union, completed; “There is more to any human life than can be counted or measured.”

The example Christ set for us of resurrection is life re-created, the whole person: body and soul. A perfected body without defect, just as our souls will be. This is a great comfort to us as we grow, first from infants to young adults, then start the slow decline for the rest of our lives into old age. We slow until we stop. Yet that stop brings the promise of a perfected body. To be able to run and leap and the like, once again and forever.

For Christians, life eternal and everlasting is a fact believed with certainty. God has told us:

• He alone is the source and sustainer of all life.
o It is in his character & he made it in ours.
o He made you for Eternity.
• He raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (our) mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in us. (Romans 8.4)
o It is His action—He makes it possible.
o It is God’s desire for you.

Christian belief is not the indestructibility of the soul, but rather that God has a purpose for us to fulfill. But:

Sin separates us from God.
Who shall deliver me from the body of this death ( Romans 7.24)

God removes the dividing wall—it need no longer be an eternal separation.

Christian belief is not a plausible theory, but rather Jesus’ promise fulfilled in His resurrection from the dead and in new life given now and forever.

In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so would I have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14.2-3)

From the Easter Propers in the Book of Common Prayer, page 163:

C
HRIST our Passover is sacrificed for us: * therefore let
us keep the feast,
Not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; * but with the unleavened bread of sincerity
and truth. 1 Cor. v. 7.

C
HRIST being raised from the dead dieth no more; *
death hath no more dominion over him.
For in that he died, he died unto sin once: * but in that he
liveth, he liveth unto God.
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed
unto sin, * but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Rom. vi. 9.

C
HRIST is risen from the dead, * and become the first-fruits
of them that slept.
For since by man came death, * by man came also the
resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, * even so in Christ shall all be
made alive. 1 Cor. xv. 20

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the
Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, *
world without end. Amen.

Alex Boyd read the Epistle for today, which came from Saint Paul first letter to the Corinthians beginning at the Fourth Verse of the First Chapter. Paul tells the people of Corinth he thanks God that they have been the beneficiaries of His grace, that though Jesus they might have salvation, that through Jesus their sins would in the end be forgiven. He also pointed out that if they would follow Christ in both their words and deeds, as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in them, through their actions, they would be “In every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge…” For by acting on Christ’s words, we not only gain entry in to heaven, but are far more likely to prosper here on earth. This prosperity is not the mega wealth sometimes associated with “prospering”, but rather the surplus of resources over our worldly desires and the true happiness that comes from loving and helping others.

I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today’s Gospel came from the Twenty-Second Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew beginning at the Thirty-Fourth Verse. Pharisees who had heard how Jesus confounded the Sadducees, feeling they were superior to the Pharisees, came together to confound Him. An expert in the law, of which Pharisees were very fond, asked Him a question, trying to trick Him, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus answered, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Thus providing the Summary of the Law we hear every Sunday.

Apparently tiring of the game with the Pharisees and wishing to confound them instead, Jesus asked them, saying, “What think ye of Christ? whose son is He?” They say unto him, “The son of David.” For the scripture is clear that he should be of the House of David. As God, Jesus has been from the beginning, so he queried them, “How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?” Not grasping the concept that God was, is and always will be, they could not answer and “from that day forth” no one would “ask him any more questions.”

“When the Pharisees had heard that Jesus had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.”

Sermon - Rule of Law or Life of Love?
Father Acker started down memory lane, but before boasting of his memory recalled the results when he put so much in to remembering for last week’s sermon, he forgot some of the prayers later in the service.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..., or perhaps it was about twenty years ago in another church, I presented a resolution to diocesan convention, of another church, Affirming Holy Scripture contained all things necessary to salvation, and that Jesus is the way the truth and the life (quote from Scripture).

Unfortunately, something so basic required debate and it barely passed. I was amazed at the weaseling that occurred as Priests tried to get out of these basic fundamental Christian beliefs. I don’t remember any lay people speaking except to ask if the resolution was really needed.
 
Like the poor, weasels have always been and always will be with us. Two thousand years ago, Jesus had to deal with the weasels. Jesus had just finished shutting down the Sadducees at the temple. The Pharisees were in a huff, who in heaven did this upstart think he was, anyway? All of the University of Jerusalem professors came to “show up” this young Rabbi named Jesus, from Guatay, a few houses along the back road off of the highway.

So the Religious Studies Department came to put Jesus in his place, the Pharisees, who did believe there would be a resurrection, spent their time learning the Mosaic Law to squeeze out every advantage and loop hole they could find, so they could get there doing as little good for their fellow man as possible.

They had a plan, let the young man commit. Let him settle their argument as to which of the 613 laws in the Book of Moses was the most important. Then they could attack Jesus no matter which one he chose. After all, who knew more about avoiding the law than a Pharisee?

So, how did Jesus answer the men behind The Law?
He gave them the Shema, the foundation prayer of Jewish belief:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

What the heck? Jesus did not even answer the question, how could they attack him?

And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

The two of the great criticisms of Christians are that they are judgmental and hypocritical. Ours is not to judge, heaven or hell, that is God’s role alone. As John Newton says on the back of our T-Shirts:

All I know is:
I am a great sinner
and
Jesus Christ is a great Savior

I am not really in a position to tell you what is wrong with your life and what you are doing wrong and the like. Unfortunately, I have more than enough sins in my own life! What I can tell you is how God has told us to act and how following those instructions can help you and ignoring them can hurt you. I can tell you, better yet, show you how God has helped me.

Birthdays and Anniversaries
There were no reported anniversaries today. Today, we celebrated Miney Farrell’s 92nd birthday today.

After Church Hospitality
Today Stephanie Boyd brought the goodies, we are not clear if she knew ahead of time it was Miney’s birthday, but the spread was worthy of the event, nonetheless. From West to East, fresh strawberries, pita bread with hummus dip, blueberry scones, very fancy crackers with smoked cheese and bi-flavored jack cheese and nuts.

Tim’s House of Coffee provided the drinks under the direction of Barrista Ben Lizak, Command Master Chief Brewer Macauley is currently underway from Mexico. Once again, Father Acker got up early enough to make his famous low carb lemonade, a sacrifice much appreciated by your Beadle.

New Nametags
We one new nametag today, which really should not be new. Ashley Turner, of the Free Teen Guitar Class, has been playing with us for some time, but it was just noticed she did not have a name tag.

Travel
Patty and George are on travel.
Tim is on travel this week.

Sick or in need of healing
Diane Chase
Muriel Pappin
Fran Dexter
Martha Stevens

Betty Cooke has good days and some not so good. She occasionally gets picked up to go out to lunch from time to time. She and Shilo, her cat, are enjoying the sunshine streaming in her living room as she’s has a makeover going on in her front yard.

Victor – Donna Dingwall’s husband, is recently out of the hospital and is in need of prayer for increased strength. Please pray for his rapid recovery.

Marie “Rede” Acker – Father Acker’s mother broke her good shoulder on 14 July 2007. She starts into major rehabilitation for her right arm this week now that the break in her shoulder has healed.

Evelyn Hunt is doing very well. She will becoming to church once a month with her daughter Kathy.

Annie Springer made it to church this morning. She got out of the hospital on Monday and is doing considerably better. She still has problems with her vision which preclude her from driving right now. They are working on stabilizing her diabetes medication. Your continued prayers are asked for stabilization of her medications, as well as improvement of her vision. In addition, please pray for strength for the Springer family. They are a great team, but imagine the stress they are all under and pray the God will give them help to work together to overcome all the problems Annie’s illness has brought on them.

Lona Walsh (Wanda Michaelis' mother) surgery has been put off.

Miney Farrell was in church this morning. She is doing great. Thanks to Greg Chase, she will in here at least once a month.

Lorraine Winkles is showing small increments of improvement with a prolonged case of shingles. She appreciates our praying for her on Sunday mornings.

Donna Dingwall is doing well enough that she and her family were able to do a bit of travel. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

Back Door Lending Library
We have some new Amazing Grace books of several flavors, in addition, there are still several sets of the Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, as well as some background books on the series. There are plenty of sets, so don’t be shy. There are also Annotated Holy Communion Books. These books have the Prayer Book Holy Communion service on the left page and an explanation on the right page. They are a great way to learn about the service. Pick one up when you come in and use it for the service, if you like.

Personal 1928 Books of Common Prayer & Bibles
During his many travels and general rooting around, your Beadle has come across some very nice personal 1928 Prayer Books, including a couple with Hymnals attached and leather bound Bibles. If you would like one, please contact him directly.

Who are the Sadducees anyway?
We often hear the Sadducees referred to in the New Testament, as well as Pharisees. As with many terms so often used, we may not know the full meaning of the word.

The sect of the Sadducees - possibly from Hebrew Tsdoki, whence Zadokites or other variants - was founded in the 2nd century BC, possibly as a political party, and ceased to exist sometime after the 1st century AD. The Hebrew name, Tsdoki, indicates their claim of being followers of the teachings of the High Priest Tsadok, often spelled Zadok, who anointed Solomon king at the start of the First Temple Period. However, Rabbinic tradition suggests they were not named after the High Priest Zadok, but rather another Zadok (who may still have been a priest), who rebelled against the teachings of Antigonus of Soko, a government official of Judea in the 3rd century BC and a predecessor of the Rabbinic tradition. While little or none of their own writings have been preserved, the Sadducees seem to have indeed been a priestly group, associated with the leadership of the Temple in Jerusalem

Most of what is known about the Sadducees comes from Josephus, who wrote that they were a quarrelsome group whose followers were wealthy and powerful, and that he considered them boorish in social interactions

More about Josephus
Josephus, who introduced himself in Greek as "Iosepos, son of Matthias,” an ethnic Hebrew, a priest from Jerusalem", fought the Romans in the First Jewish-Roman War of 66-73 as a Jewish military leader in Galilee.

After the Jewish garrison of Yodfat was taken under siege, the Romans invaded, killing thousands, and the remaining survivors who had managed to elude the forces committed suicide. However, in circumstances that are somewhat unclear, Josephus and one of his soldiers surrendered to the Roman forces invading Galilee in July 67. He became a prisoner and provided the Romans with intelligence on the ongoing revolt.

The Roman forces were led by Flavius Vespasian and his son Titus, both subsequently Roman emperors. In 69, Josephus was released and according to Josephus's own account, he appears to have played some role as a negotiator with the defenders in the Siege of Jerusalem in 70.

In 71, he arrived in Rome in the entourage of Titus, becoming a Roman citizen and Flavian dynasty client (hence he is often referred to as Flavius Josephus - see below). In addition to Roman citizenship he was granted accommodation in conquered Judea, and a decent, if not extravagant, pension.

It was while in Rome, and under Flavian patronage, that Josephus wrote all of his known works. Although he only ever calls himself "Josephus", he appears to have taken the Roman nomen Flavius and praenomen Titus from his patrons, a standard for new citizens.

Josephus's first wife perished together with his parents in Jerusalem during the siege and Vespasian arranged for him to marry a Jewish woman who had been captured by the Romans. This woman left Josephus, and around 70, he married a Jewish woman from Alexandria by whom he had three male children. Only one, Flavius Hyrcanus, survived childhood. Josephus later divorced his third wife and around 75, married his fourth wife, a Jewish girl from Crete, from a distinguished family. This last marriage produced two sons, Flavius Justus and Simonides Agrippa.

Josephus's life is beset with ambiguity.

For his critics, he never satisfactorily explained his actions during the Jewish war—why he failed to commit suicide in Galilee in 67 with some of his compatriots, and why, after his capture, he cooperated with the Roman invaders. Historian E. Mary Smallwood wrote: 

(Josephus) was conceited, not only about his own learning but also about the opinions held of him as commander both by the Galileans and by the Romans; he was guilty of shocking duplicity at Jotapata, saving himself by sacrifice of his companions; he was too naive to see how he stood condemned out of his own mouth for his conduct, and yet no words were too harsh when he was blackening his opponents; and after landing, however involuntarily, in the Roman camp, he turned his captivity to his own advantage, and benefited for the rest of his days from his change of side.

His critics ignore the fact that Simon Bar Giora and John of Giscala, both extreme zealots and great opponents of Josephus, who stayed in Jerusalem and led the war against Rome in its final stage, in a moment of truth, preferred life over suicide and humbly surrendered to the Romans.

At any rate, those who have viewed Josephus as a traitor and informer have questioned his credibility as a historian—dismissing his works as Roman propaganda or as a personal apologetic, aimed at rehabilitating his reputation in history. More recently, commentators have reassessed previous views of Josephus. PJ O'Rourke once quipped:

Reason dictates we should hate this man. But it's hard to get angry at Josephus. What, after all, did he do? A few soldiers were tricked into suicide. Some demoralizing claptrap was shouted at a beleaguered army. A wife was distressed... all of which pale by comparison to what the good men did. For it was the loyal, the idealistic and the brave who did the real damage. The devout and patriotic leaders of Jerusalem sacrificed tens of thousands of lives to the cause of freedom. Vespasian and Titus sacrificed tens of thousands of more to the cause of civil order. Even Agrippa II, the Roman client king of Judea who did all he could to prevent the war, ended by supervising the destruction of half a dozen of his cities and the sale of their inhabitants into slavery. How much better for everyone if all the principal figures of the region had been slithering filth like Josephus.

Josephus was unquestionably an important apologist in the Roman world for the Jewish people and culture, particularly at a time of conflict and tension. He always remained, in his own eyes, a loyal and law-observant Jew. He went out of his way both to commend Judaism to educated Gentiles, and to insist on its compatibility with cultured Greco-Roman thought. He constantly contended for the antiquity of Jewish culture, presenting its people as civilized, devout and philosophical.

Question that only you can ask
What would you like to know about our history, what we believe, what we do or how we operate? Father Acker is looking for material for the continuing education class and the Beadle is looking for Thought for the Day material. Help us help you. Please send your question to the Beadle so we all can get an answer. Just because you don’t know the answer to your question doesn’t mean you are the only one who doesn’t know. But, if you don’t ask, no one will know.

Missionary Diocese of Viet Nam
If you did not get the initial briefing on the Anglican Missionary Diocese of Vietnam, please look at the Beadle’s Report for 22 July 2007.

Funding for the initial phase is complete. The operation is underway. Bishop Boyce and Father Mai are in Vietnam meeting and training the twelve candidates:

• Nguyen Huu The
 • Nguyen Ly

• Huynh Ngoc Thien • Ynien Apor
• Nguyen Quang Dang • Nehermi Apor
• Nguyen Van Thanh • Le Khanh Tan
• Nguyen Binh An • Pham Ngoc Hue
• Bui Quang Trung • Name yet to be released

When Bishop Boyce and Father Mai return from Vietnam, we will have a better sense of what is needed going forward. We will need to revise our Phase II plan and start solicitations for funding this second phase. We note that there is no Book of Common Prayer currently available in Vietnamese. This will be a priority, in addition to funding the new priests and deacons.

Phase One is complete, more money will be needed for Phase Two. This is the most cost effective way your Beadle has seen to spread the Word. There is ZERO Overhead, One Hundred Percent or more of what you contribute goes to the end user. Your Beadle is in front of this project and trusts you will follow him with your heart.

Archbishop Chew, of the Province of Southeast Asia, and Bishop Ackerman are planning to meet in November to discuss possible cooperation on the Missionary Diocese of Vietnam.

We invite you to join in the prayers we have been praying each night that:

• The people of Vietnam will not lose their ardor for the church;
• The people here will provide the support they can;
             and where prayer is most needed:
• The church hierarchy will not place roadblocks in the way of the Lord's Work.

Please also pray for a safe and successful mission for Bishop Boyce and Father Mai and the candidates.

Epistle Readers
In response to requests from the congregation and the readers, we will be posting the list of Epistle Readers in the Beadle’s Report from henceforth. This way, you can either plan your attendance or your pre-reading as the spirit so moves you.

Date Reader

14 October 2007 Greg Chase
21 October 2007 Holly Lizak
28 October 2007 Ben Lizak

Next Sunday
Next Sunday is the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity. The pre-service class is back. Father Acker is dying to get on with Death from the Christian Perspective. If you talk to anyone at today’s service, you will find out the class was fun, hardly expected! Death has no hold over a Christian, death is not to be feared. Through Christ we conquer death. This is an interesting class series. Don’t miss it! Come to church so you won’t want to wait for the Beadle’s Report to find out what happened.

See you next week on Sunday!

Father Acker posts a .pdf version of the current Beadle’s Report on the church website:

http://alpineanglican.com/BeadleReports.htm

An alternative version of the Beadle’s Report without photographs is available at:

http://web.mac.com/thebeadle/iWeb/BeadleBlog/Blog/Blog.html

All back issues of the Beadle’s Reports are available on request from:

thebeadle@mac.com