2007 Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity

Today was the Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity, Veterans’ Day and the Sunday after the 232nd Birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Weather was definitely fall, or at least fall for San Diego County. On Mount Olympus, the morning brought a crisp 38°F. At church, temperatures were in the low 60°s, with clear skies, although looking down the hill, we could see a marine layer. Perhaps it was the weather, perhaps it was the promise of Jack and Father Acker playing the guitars with Betsy and Marianne on travel. In any event, the lovely weather brought out 20 people.

The Anglican Way or One Ring to Rule them All.
As many of you know, the original Church of England transitioned into the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States of America (PECUSA) when we cast off the Crown in this country. While the transition was less than smooth, it was more an issue of control and perhaps a bit of hard feelings over that little revolution thing than questions of basic Christian doctrine. With the decline of the PECUSA and renaming first to ECUSA and now to TEC, first people, then parishes have left the PECUSA/ECUSA/TEC for what became a splintered “Continuing Church” or “Continuum.”

Earlier, the Primates extended an apparent offer of recognition and / or acceptance to American bishops who might be inclined to lead their flocks away from the cesspool of the TEC and back to full communion with the Anglican Church Worldwide. For whatever reason, no American bishops have taken up the offer. Two bishops, Pittsburgh and Fort Worth may be so inclined. San Joaquin may join them. So far, however, no American bishop has led his flock anywhere.

On Wednesday, the Anglican Churches of the Southern Cone (Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Northern Argentina) extended itself to include diocese in North America who wish to join them. This may be of interest as these churches for the most part use a form of the 1979 so called Book of Common Prayer.

They are trying to offer a vision as the unit of the church now being a diocese rather than a province. The Archbishop of Canterbury offered the thought that this is “a sensible way forward” and provided  “support for diocesan autonomy.” He opined, “The organ of union with the wider Church is the Bishop and the Diocese rather than the Provincial structure as such.”

The vision of the Anglican Church since 37AD has been a series of co-joined national churches with a common vision. Each national church being headed by a bishop who with other national church heads formed a worldwide counsel, nominally headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, a “First Among Equals”, not infallible, but hopefully at least mindful of scripture. The Worldwide Anglican Communion shares a participation in the Body of Christ, visible in our sharing of the Sacrament of the Altar; reflectiing the unity of Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Way to the Father.
 
Our congregation is in Communion with the Worldwide Communion through our Bishop. He, in turn, is welcomed and shares Communion with the Primates of the Global South. We affirm that Communion as we participate and share in Communion; each time we share Holy Communion it is to affirm the “faith once delivered to the saints”, that is, Apostolic teachings and practices.

We should care about with whom our Bishop shares Communion! We should care that we are visibly in Communion in the Body of Christ. We have liturgical and style differences with many parts of the Communion. What we share is a commitment to the principles set out in the Creeds, both the Apostles and Nicene and the beliefs set out in the Articles of Religion. The ordained ministers of the Communion share in the Apostolic succession— To share with the apostles the same faith, to believe their word as found in the Scriptures, to receive the same Holy Spirit, assured in the laying on of hands in ordination.

• Direct link to the Apostles
o Accurate teaching
o Passing down
o Fullness of the Church
o Symbol of unity
o Autonomy

Clement I
"Through countryside and city [the apostles] preached, and they appointed their earliest converts, testing them by the Spirit, to be the bishops and deacons of future believers. Nor was this a novelty, for bishops and deacons had been written about a long time earlier. . . . Our apostles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would be strife for the office of bishop. For this reason, therefore, having received perfect foreknowledge, they appointed those who have already been mentioned and afterwards added the further provision that, if they should die, other approved men should succeed to their ministry" (Letter to the Corinthians 42:4–5, 44:1–3 [A.D. 80]).
 
Irenaeus
"It is possible, then, for everyone in every church, who may wish to know the truth, to contemplate the tradition of the apostles which has been made known to us throughout the whole world. And we are in a position to enumerate those who were instituted bishops by the apostles and their successors down to our own times, men who neither knew nor taught anything like what these heretics rave about" (Against Heresies 3:3:1 [A.D. 189]). 

"Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by apostles in Asia, appointed bishop of the church in Smyrna, whom I also saw in my early youth, for he tarried [on earth] a very long time, and, when a very old man, gloriously and most nobly suffering martyrdom, departed this life, having always taught the things which he had learned from the apostles, and which the Church has handed down, and which alone are true. To these things all the Asiatic churches testify, as do also those men who have succeeded Polycarp down to the present time" (ibid., 3:3:4). 




Greg Chase read the Epistle for today, which came from Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians beginning at the Seventeenth Verse of the Third Chapter. Writing to the church in Philippia, Paul asks them to watch whom they follow, “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, … that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” He reminds us of our ultimate goal, of that which for us should have the principal place in our minds, “For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed unto the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself.”

B
rethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed unto the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself.

The Gospel was written in the Twenty-Second Fourth Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew beginning at the Fifteenth Verse. Like many people today, the Pharisees

took much comfort in the fact that they followed The Law to The Letter. Not looking to what the law was trying to get them to do and to think, but rather following The Law to The Letter. Jesus presented a threat to their very existence, because he asked the people to do what God willed, not to simply cook their food a certain way, or turn down an invitation to a luau because they served roast pig and drank Bud. Being good followers of The Law to The Letter, they sought to trip Him up. “…they sent out unto Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, ‘Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?” Having for so long lived The Law to The Letter, believing The Kingdom of God would be of this world, they could not see the obvious response. They were absolutely floored when Jesus said, “Shew me the tribute money.” With no thought of the answer, “they brought unto him a penny.” Jesus asked them, “Whose is this image and superscription?” Again playing the straight man, walking into the trap they had set for themselves, they answered, “Caesar’s.” Driving his point straight into their hearts, he told them, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”

This ended the encounter, “they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.”

T
hen went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Cæsar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

Sermon - Four Letter Words


I am not really sure where it came from, but Father Acker started talking about one of his favorite books, Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. While nominally not theological, but certainly very moral, the point was made that in Lord of the Rings, “you can see how half the work of evil is done when hope is lost.” Like the frog with his hands around the pelican’s neck, as Christians, we must never never give up. In prayer, we interface with God. If we will place our faith in Him, He will give us what we need. Often not what we want, but rather what we need.

NEED
WANT

Two four letter words. They are not interchangeable, no matter how people seem to think them so.

We often think we should not ask God for little things, as Alice calls them begging prayers. Not so. Look at the Lord’s Prayer, the example our Lord himself set for us. Elegant, but a series of petitions. Elegant, but still begging. And rightly so. Who are we that we should other than beg from the God of All?

We ask because:

1.      Jesus taught us
2.      God is our Father and can do what we can’t

Yes, God knows our needs be for we ask,
            But Jesus told us to Ask

We know “You can’t always get what you want, but you get what you need.”  {perhaps that would make a good song!}

People often think they should wait to pray for something big, I mean big, really big.

Perhaps that is the wrong way to look at it. When we were children, did we wait to ask our parents until it was big, I mean big, really big?

Perhaps, perhaps not. If we ask God for help in the little things, many of the big bad things won’t ever happen and if they do, they won’t be so big afterall.
 
God is big, I mean big, really big.

Birthdays and Anniversaries
There were no reported anniversaries today. We celebrated Don Patton’s 45th birthday with him today.



After Church Hospitality
Martha Stevens went all out on snacks again today. She brought home made brownies, several types of very fancy cookies and even celery for the points impaired. Superb!



Command Master Chief Brewer Macauley handled the coffee on behalf of Tim’s House of Coffee. 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. We did have guests from Northern California:



Suzanne Chrystal Nicole
Graham Father Acker’s Back

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
Betsy and Marianne 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 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 three weeks ago with her daughter Kathy.
 
Annie Springer did not make it to church this morning because Mike had to work. 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 successful 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 four weeks ago. 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.

Veterans’ Day
The Sunday after the 232nd Birthday of the United States Marine Corps


As we celebrate the Corps' birthday and Veterans'
 Day, we are reminded that freedom is not free, it never was and it 
never will be. As I type this I can hear a chipper in the background
 being run by two young Marines, helping our family out between what
 was and will be their third and fourth deployments to Iraq. We had
 our wars, they have theirs. We are fortunate the country still
 produces young people who will step forward to fill the breech.

Our country was established to give a home to freedom. That freedom was purchased but never fully paid for by the people who became veterans of the Continental Army and Navy. Maintaining our freedom to live and worship freely required constant payment by members of our Armed Services.

God • Honor • Country

When our country called, people who became veterans stepped forward without regard to personal safety or convenience. They put their lives on the line for our country and what is often forgotten, they put their families on the line for our freedom.

At the end of twenty or thirty years, you look at the lines drawn through names on the Christmas card list, men who gave their tomorrow for ours, it could have been you, it wasn’t; you look back at what you missed with your family, not the missed Christmases, though there were many, but rather the missed opportunities to lead in times of crisis and hold hands and hug in times of sadness and to laugh in times of happiness, and you see the sacrifice the family made that we might be free.

All gave some,
Some gave all.

Thank you


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.

Now that Bishop Boyce and Father Mai have returned from Vietnam, we will be working on a plan for Phase II. It appears we will need to adjust our original plan to allow for further introduction to the Anglican Church for the local priests. 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.


Father Acker hoped to get Bishop Boyce together with Archbishop Chew, of the Province of Southeast Asia, while he is in the States later this month 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.

Advent Book Study
Starting on Wednesday, 12 December 2007 from 7:00-8:30pm at the SCAIR Learning Center, 2518 Alpine Blvd Father Acker will be leading a book study on the fairly new book: The Gospel According To Starbucks

You can order your own, of Father Acker will place an order next Sunday afternoon if you want a copy—Cost $10.00 includes shipping. A really good deal on a little book.



The main idea of this book is not Starbucks. The author uses Starbucks to show how they connect with their customers. He urges the church to observe what they do. He uses Starbucks to show how they have connected with the culture–in fact they have transformed the culture. If you go to Starbucks they expect you to know “their” language -Venti, Grande and Tall (large, medium and small).

The author says people go to Starbucks not for the coffee but for the experience. He says that is what the church should be. People should come to connect with God not just go through the motions. He uses a acronym EPIC to describe what the church should be like:
• E- Experiencial
• P- Participatory
• I- Image-rich
• C- Connective

Experience- Sweet asks when is the last time you saw people lined up to go to church? Well, Everytime I’ve been to Northpoint in Alpharetta I have been in a line. The atmosphere is electric. Sweet says we should be so authentic at our churches that people will line up to hear the message that we have preached through our lives. Again, this isn’t about looking cool or trendy tricks, it is about being authentic.

Participatory-Sweet told a funny story about when he went to a Starbucks in Ohio and ordered a “Black eye” and the bartista said that wasn’t in the Starbucks Bible (their handbook). He said Starbucks makes people learn their language and he is multilingual. Sweet said we need to become G.O.O.D. Get Out Of Doors. He said churches need to be less of the Staff perfoming and more of the church participating.

Image-rich-Sweet said we live in an image rich society. When you go to Starbucks it has an image-rich atmosphere. He said the church needs to preach with passionate images much like Jesus did. He used metaphors. I think I have this one down in my speaking. I usually have about 100 slides per message.

Connective-Finally people love to connect over coffee. Sweet said the church used to be the central place in the community. Meetings such as homeowners, government planning meetings, AA, etc… used to be held at churches. Not much anymore. He said the church should be like the front porch in a home where people feel welcome and hang out. He asks this question:

If your church fails as a sacred space for connection, what is missing? (p.133)

Come join in our discussion with dessert & Starbucks Decaf Coffee.

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

18 November 2007 Stephanie Boyd
25 November 2007 Jan Macauley
2 December 2007 Dru Arnold
9 December 2007 Hap Arnold
16 December 2007 Jack Arnold
23 December 2007 Alice Acker
30 December 2007 Alex Boyd


Next Sunday
Next Sunday is the Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Trinity, it is also the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day.

You need to come to church to find out what Father Acker is going to say in the next of his pre-service classes. They are really more interesting in person than the Beadle’s dull summary. 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