2007 Twentieth Sunday after Trinity

Today was the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity. The morning temperature at Mount Olympus was 59°F with a moderate to better Santa Ana condition. Down the hill, winds were light, sometimes a bit more, and skies clear and bright. The lovely weather brought out 25 people.

Dying to Know?
Father Acker is in his third in the 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.

St. Paul knew that we would ask the How and the What in bringing us to perfection, thus in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, the Fifteenth Chapter, beginning at the Thirty-Fifth Verse he wrote:

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ow is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits 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. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou foolish one, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed its own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.


What the Word tells us is that God is working to bring about new life, even more important than the life of this world is the world to come. The start of our new life with Him comes from our death to and in this world, starting with Paul’s New Man. When we leave this world and go to His, we gain a new and perfected body. This is not a “transmogrification” of our current body, but rather a wholly new body, a gift from our Lord.

In this world, our earthly body at present is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and our soul. It is nothing more than a shell in which we currently reside. Like a sacrament, it has two parts, an outward and visible appearance which conceals an inward and invisible, yet far more real presence.

When we die, it is customary to treat the remains of this body as we do other sacramentals. With the blessed palm branches or blessed linens, they are disposed respective of their blessed function.

In the case of human bodies, we return the body to the earth.

Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

There were those who thought that God would rebuild the molecules of our bodies and use them to build a new body for heaven. They thought the natural body must die and be raised, thus a prohibition on cremation.

This is incorrect. We undergo a radical change as flesh and blood can’t inherit the kingdom of God.

Funerals and burials can be exceedingly costly. What is a “Christian Burial” of which people speak, “Give him a Christian Burial”?

First look how Christ was buried - Body wrapped in linen shroud, placed on a burial shelf in a tomb, no embalming. Had He not been raised from the dead, after a year the remaining bones were removed from the shelf space, placed in an ossuary, a box (stone, ceramic or wood), and kept in a niche with His relatives who predeceased Him.

Secondly, a “Christian Burial” requires the person being buried to be a Christian! You cannot do that for them.

That pretty well covers it.

Based on what has been written, Christ was not much on pomp and ceremony. Most of what He said was short and powerful. We need not get caught up in the grandeur and ostentation of the funerary. A simple direct burial or cremation will do just fine. When we are done with our shell, it must be disposed of in a manner consistent with respect for its now former purpose. Anything more is pomp and ceremony .

There is no theological reason against cremation, we are just speeding up the “return to its parent dust” process.

Like many things, a little pre-planning goes a long way. If you die, you don’t have to plan anything. You are gone, your shell is left behind. But, if you want to make your family or friends life a bit less stressful, you can help now. Now, while you are still in your shell. Plan now, if you don’t - ask a friend or family member to handle the issue instead of leaving it to your closest surviving relative who will be sick with grief.

You can easily spend $30,000.00 on a funeral and burial. Or you can spend less than $1,000.00. In either case, the soul is no longer in the shell. The most important thing is the Burial of the Dead service and there is no charge for that!

There are better things to do with your money than bury it! If you have dependents, truly dependent on you, leave the money for them. If you have extra, give it to the church, give it to a cause you want to continue to work after you are gone.

Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Holly Lizak read the Epistle for today, which came from Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians beginning at the Fifteenth Verse of the Fifth Chapter. “… the days are evil. … understand… what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; …” God wants us to be happy, to be good and to enjoy life. If you find this no other place, listen to the words of St. Paul.

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ee then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

The Gospel was written in the Twenty-Second Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew beginning at the First Verse. Talking to the priests and scribes, Jesus told one of the wedding parables, “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then” he sent “his servants … into the highways” to “gather… together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding-garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.

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esus said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding-garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.

Sermon - Can you see God through me?
Because you cannot see God unless you know Him, people need help finding Him. It is convenient that people can see God through a window and that window is you. Through you, people can see God. You must make Christ present through the transparency of your life. To do that, you need to not block His light shining through you.

In John, Jesus tells us, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love.” Promises have been made that we would keep God’s Commandments.

In Matthew, Jesus tells us, “You are the salt of the earth” and “”You are the light of the world.” You are a living witness of the values, the promise, of the Kingdom of God.

The transparency of your life so others can see Christ, places you in a position of great importance and dignity. Your life in Christ has a profound impact as you bring your own gifts to living God’s commandments. You become a window for the people around you. To be honest, most of the folks are so busy with their stuff and their schedules they don’t know they’re in the dark.

When Jesus said, You are the light of the world, it was that others might see. In keeping God’s commands, we light the way for others. You can be the guy who shines the flashlight right into someone’s eyes or you can shine the light on the path.

You are the salt of the earth. You can dump it out in a pile or you can sprinkle it on.

Rejoice that your life in Jesus, in this place, at this time, as part of our fellowship of the Blessed Trinity,
            Be the true light, the light of Christ.
            Let Christ shine.
Make Christ present through the transparency of your life.

Birthdays and Anniversaries
There were no reported birthdays or anniversaries today.

After Church Hospitality
Today, in addition to reading the Epistle, Holly Lizak brought the goodies. There were little egg salad and black olive sandwiches, which the Beadle loveth, chicken curry sandwiches, which the Under Beadle loveth, and two kinds of low carbohydrate cookies, which all the kids and Ben loveth.


Tim’s House of Coffee provided the drinks under the direction of Barrista Ben Lizak, Command Master Chief Brewer Macauley is currently in Hawaiit. 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 no new nametags today.

People in our Prayers
If you are on our prayer list, or you have submitted a person for us to pray for, please update Father Acker in person, by telephone or e-mail. It helps to be able to pray specifically for these individuals including their specific needs, plus if they get better, it is good to give thanks!

Travel
Tim and Jan are 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 is doing very well in her recovery. She is now in her 4th week of major muscle rehab for her shoulder. She and Jack (Father Acker’s dad) are planning to be with the Ackers for Thanksgiving; prayers of thanksgiving are in order.

Evelyn Hunt is doing very well. She was at church this morning with her daughter Kathy.
 
Annie Springer made it to church this morning. She still has problems with her vision which preclude her from driving right now. They are working on stabilizing her diabetes and blood pressure medications. Your continued prayers are asked for stabilization of her medications, as well as improvement of her vision to allow her to return to driving. In addition, please pray for strength for the Springer family.

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.

Fran has asked us to pray for Betty who will be having surgery this week. Norm passed away yesterday. He had been in the ICU the past two weeks. We still have his widow Uni on our prayer list.

Alex, Emilie, and Jordan who will be attending the Junior High Youth Weekend (Oct 26-28th). Alice and Father Acker will be attending as sponsors. Father Acker will be driving back for our Sunday Service.

Father Acker’s neighbor Ellie is doing better recovering from an auto accident that totaled her car. She had already been confined to bed with sever arthritis, back pain, and other medical complications.

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.

Does Father Acker read the Beadle’s Report?
From the man himself:

I always read the Beadle's Report, yes, I was there; I even taught the class and preached the sermon, but what I find in each week's Report is a combination of what I wrote (I send an advance copy of my class notes & sermon notes - after my last revision around 6:30am on Sunday morning), and then what I actually said, hopefully moved by the Holy Spirit, and then again what was heard (at least in one man's perception, i.e., the Beadle's). If fact it speaks to me bringing to mind and helping to carry what we express liturgically in our worship out into the whole of my life and my week as a living witness to our Loving God. Likewise, I know that the lives of family, work, and friends, are carried back to the altar, into the community of faith to be offered to God.

Yes, some weeks I take a quick look at the pictures first. But I find coming back to again be reminded of the Epistle or Gospel or the person in need of my prayer gives a constancy to following Jesus Christ though out my week.
- Father Keith Acker, SSC

Blessings
After many months of hard work, our trailer is finally finished, or at least as finished as it is! With the fancy signs on and the interior complete for now, Father Acker blessed it and dedicated it to the Work of God.

Also, today we retired our Altar Prayer Book, or Missal, and replaced it with a new leather bound version. That, too, was blessed by Father Acker and dedicated to the Work of God.


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.

Father Mai returned last night. He said that after the mission, seven of the original twelve candidates have decided they would like to pursue Anglican affiliation. Afgter the mission was officially concluded, Father Mai visited two other regions. There he found 15 additional church leaders who expressed an interest in being Anglican. For now, the plan is to deal with them in small groups rather than lump the new aspirants in with the current seven.

It must be understood that the seven candidates represent six house churches with 2,811 members. This is roughly 100 times our Sunday attendance. We are awaiting names so we can pray specifically for them.

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

28 October 2007 Jack Arnold

Next Sunday
Next Sunday is the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity and the Sunday that we celebrate the Twin Feasts of Simon and Jude. They are pretty interesting fellows, but you won’t know that unless you come to the service. 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